Pokémon The Johto Journeys: Tough Enough

Chapter 1: The Big Red Pokémon

                “What’s that noise?” Ash Ketchum asked.

                Ash and his friends, Brock and Misty, were walking through a dark forest. Pikachu, Ash’s yellow Pokémon, rode on top of Ash’s red and white baseball cap.

                “I didn’t hear anything,” said Brock.

                Ash shrugged. “Okay,” he said. The friends kept walking.

                Ash’s feet crunched against dry leaves as he walked. Then he heard it again.

                Woosh!

                “I know I heard something that time!” Ash said.

                Misty nodded. Her big blue eyes looked worried. She hugged Togepi, her small spike ball Pokémon, close to her.

                “I heard it too,” Misty whispered, “and I don’t like how it sounded!”

                “Check it out, Pikachu,” Ash told his Pokémon.

                “Pika!” Pikachu said. It jumped off of Ash’s head and ran toward the sound.

                Woosh! Woosh! Woosh! Ash could see something now. A red blur was whipping through the trees.

                Suddenly, a Pokémon leaped out from behind the leaves and stepped in the trail in front of them. The Pokémon was as tall as Brock. It had a shiny red body, two large claws for hands, and insect-like wings on its back.

                Pikachu faced the strange Pokémon. Even though Pikachu was much smaller, it didn’t back down. Sparks sizzled on its red cheeks.

                Ash didn’t know what the red Pokémon was up to, but it didn’t look friendly. He started to give Pikachu a command.

                “Pikachu, use your—“

                “Ash, wait!” Brock interrupted him. “That thing is waiting for Pikachu to make the first move,” Brock said. “If it’s the wrong move, Pikachu could get hurt.”

                Ash looked at the Pokémon. There was a dangerous gleam in its eye.

                Pikachu strained to keep up the electric charge. Ash knew it was waiting for a command.

                “What do you think I should do?” Ash asked. He didn’t want to make the wrong move—this Pokémon looked tough.

                “I don’t know,” Brock said. “But if you ask me, it doesn’t have a trainer.”

                “I am its trainer!” a voice boomed.

                A tall man stepped out from behind the trees. He had a long, black mustache and wore a black shirt and pants. The red Pokémon broke its attack stance and jumped, landing next to the man.

                The whole time, Pikachu was sizzling with electric energy. When the Pokémon jumped away, Pikachu fainted with exhaustion.

                “Pikachu!” Ash cried