Pokémon The Johto Journeys: Tough Enough

Chapter 8: A Houndour Heist

                The lead Houndour stared at Ash for a few seconds, sizing him up. Then the dark Pokémon turned to another and nodded.

                Ash knew that meant that they could help the injured Houndour. He bent down and hoisted the Houndour onto his back.

                “You wait here,” he told the another Houndour. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

                “Hold it, twerp!” cried a shrill voice.

                The voice belonged to Jessie of Team Rocket. Jessie, James, and Meowth were standing on top of a rock overlooking the cave.

                “Leave us alone,” Ash said, sounding more annoyed than threatened. “We’re in the middle of something very important.”

                Jessie laughed. “You’re not going anywhere until we get Pikachu, those Houndour, and the ham they stole from us!”

                “So you took the ham from Nurse Joy, and the Houndour stole it from you!” Misty said.

                “Well, sort of,” Jessie admitted sheepishly.

                “We usually just steal Pokémon,” James added, “but we were hungry!”

                “Keep the ham,” Meowth said. “We’ll take Pikachu and the Houndour.”

                The Houndour leader ran between Ash and Team Rocket. The Pokémon barked something to Ash.

                Meowth translated the Houndour’s speech. “It said, you kids go on ahead. We’ll take care of these three jokers!”

                Ash hated to leave Houndour fighting Team Rocket on their own. But the sick Houndour needed help—and fast. He nodded back to the lead Houndour.

                “We’ll be back as soon as we can,” he said.

                Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu hurried away from the cave as fast as they could. Ash heard the Houndour growl behind them.

                “Don’t worry, Ash,” Brock said. “Those Houndour are tough. They can handle Team Rocket.”

                Ash hoped Brock was right. As he ran through the forest, Ash’s main concern was the injured Houndour on his back. It needed help.

                The friends ran and ran. Ash’s burden seemed to grow heavier and heavier. The he lost his footing. Ash slipped and fell, but didn’t lose hold of the Houndour.

                Brock helped him up. “Let me carry it now,” he offered.

                “No, I can do it,” Ash said stubbornly. He rose to his feet, but his knees buckled under again.

                Suddenly, a pair of red eyes appeared in the darkness. It was the lead Houndour! The rest of the pack stood behind it.

                “They must have taken care of Team Rocket,” Misty said, relieved.

                The Houndour barked something, nodding at the sick Houndour. Ash understood.

                “Okay. You can carry your friend,” he said. “We’re almost there.”

                They didn’t have far to go. They burst through the doors of the Pokémon Center and called to Nurse Joy. She rushed the poor Pokémon into the examination room.

                Ash and others spent a few pitiful hours waiting for word about the sick Pokémon. The lead Houndour waited inside the Pokémon Center while the other four paced nervously outside. As the morning sun rose, Nurse Joy emerged with a smile on her face.

                “Houndour’s going to be just fine,” she said.

                The lead Houndour gave a happy howl.

                But their good mood didn’t last long. The other four Houndour howled outside—but their howls weren’t happy.

                Ash and the others rushed outside. A white balloon with a Meowth face floated above the Pokémon Center. Jessie, James, and Meowth stood in the balloon basket. A net dangled over the basket’s edge—and inside the net were the four Houndour!

                “You didn’t think we’d give up that easily, did you, twerps?” Jessie asked.

                “Its payback time for busting up our ham scam!” Meowth said.

                The balloon rose higher. Team Rocket and the trapped Houndour sailed away from the Pokémon Center.

                Ash knew a powerful shock from Pikachu could stop them. But they were too far away!

                Then Ash had an idea.

                “Houndour, let Pikachu climb on and then jump as high as high as you can,” he told the lead Houndour.

                The Pokémon nodded. Pikachu jumped on its back. Houndour charged after the balloon with super speed. Then it leaped in the air, almost as if it had wings.

                “Houndour, use your Flamethrower to cut that rope!” Ash cried.

                A blast of flame shot out of Houndour’s mouth and seared the rope that attached the net to the balloon. The net fell to the ground. The captured Houndour were free!

                “Pikachu, jump and finish them off with a Thunderbolt Attack!” Ash called out.

                Pikachu jumped straight up in the air, aiming a jagged bolt of lightning at Team Rocket’s balloon.

                The attack was right on the mark. Team Rocket glowed fluorescent yellow as the electric charge zapped them. The balloon spiraled off into the sky.

                “We’re blasting off again!” they screamed.