FicWad

Disclaimer: Don't own Pokemon or any intellectual properties tied to its name and franchise, but I own Josie Sheridan and miscellaneous characters I make up for her to battle...except gym leaders :D.

A/N Two more cameos in this chapter, one fairly obvious, one less so to those that haven't seen Pokemon Chronicles.
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Now it was on. That was Josie's thought as Charmander and Pikachu squared off against Team Rockets Zubat and Oddish. This was Pikachu's first battle for her and Josie had to be apprehensive, just a little. Not only was there the thought that Pikachu may not listen to her, there was the fact she was fighting alongside the very Pokemon that helped caught her. As Josie inspected them though, Pikachu seemed as determined as Charmander to fight, maybe there was a silent understanding about Pokemon capture she'd have to get used too, or perhaps the Pokemon just respected her for capturing her, or she enjoyed her time at Oak's...argh too many reasons, so she shook it out off.

"Pikachu thunder shock that Zubat!" she ordered.

"Pika!" it immediately sent a spark of electricity flying towards the Zubat.

"Not so fast brat, Oddish, block that attack!" Claudia commanded.

Her Oddish was fast off the mark easily getting in the way of the spark, more or less negating it.

"Heh," Josie said. "Ok, lets see if you like this. Charmander ember the Oddish while Pikachu gets Zubat with another thunder shock."

Team Rocket looked on as each of their Pokemon took the full damage of the respective attacks. Their Pokemon weren't quite done yet though.

"Zubat use supersonic!" Avery commanded a smirk on his lips as he said it.

As Zubat began its attack, Josie and Pikachu immediately fell to the ground clutching their ears. Damn that was painful. Charmander seemed less effected but then without any real discernable ears his hearing was less likely to be affected by a supersonic attack. Charmander looked in surprise at his fallen trainer and fellow Pokemon, first with surprise, then anger. Turning towards Team Rocket his tail flame began to grow. Josie noticed this...Charmander?

"Charrrr!" it roared as a white light engulfed him, Team Rocket stared in amazement, as did Josie and the other Pokemon, including Zubat who stopped supersonic in the process. The figure in the white light began to grow and, after what seemed like an eternity the light dissipated to reveal Charmeleon.

"Wow," Josie said, shaking off her amazement. "Charmeleon, use Flamethrower on Team Rocket!"

Charmeleon nodded before a roaring blast of flame emitted from his mouth engulfed Team Rocket and their Pokemon. Ohhh had to hurt, Josie winced, as did Pikachu. True enough, Avery and Claudia looked blacker than their uniforms as the fire dissipated. Both Pikachu and Charmeleon laughed as they blew smoke from their mouths. The attack had also decimated their Pokemon.

"Well kid," Avery said, recalling his Pokemon, as did Claudia. "You may of stopped us stealing Pokemon, but you won't stop our getaway or the main mission!"

As quick as a flash they zoomed past Josie and her team, heading for the door!

"After them guys," Josie said beginning to run after them. "Don't know how they expect to escape with the police out there but lets take no chances."

The Pokemon agreed, following her and Team Rocket as they sped out the door.



Meanwhile, at the same time as the battle inside, outside was getting just as interesting.

There seemed to be a lot of noise and commotion coming from the cave entrance, Todd noted, as did the rest of the crowd with slight unease. Todd readied his camera while many more stepped back, as trainers they were useless without their Pokemon who were resting in the centre, well except one, who still stood confident.

She was ready to help if necessary, the girl patted her ball belt. She'd had little trouble getting through Mount Moon and had made it through just before the cut off. Her Pokemon fine, she'd seen no reason not to watch without going to the centre first. Todd noticed this girl. Quite young, only slightly older than Josie, and an obvious Electabuzz fan, judging by her jacket's bright yellow and black layout. He soon set his site on the cave entrance though as something happened. Numerous Growlithe came running out, swiftly followed by a few Officers including an Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy, both holding injured Growlithe.

"Get out the way everyone," Joy said, still running. Luckily most were still way back, except Todd and the mystery girl as a large Onix roared its way out of the entrance, a Rocket member riding it with a bag containing something.



It was at this point Avery and Claudia came running out of the centre, swiftly followed by Josie and her Pokemon.

"Pikachu use your agility to get ahead and thunder shock them back this way!" Josie ordered. "Charmeleon, dig them a nice landing."

The Pokemon immediately got to work, and the combination soon worked, the two paralysed Rockets in a nice deep hole. The crowd didn't know what to watch, and Todd had a hard time picking shots too, damn this was gonna be a hell of a story. The TV camera crews evidently thought so too as the reporters and cameramen were frantically trying to relay all that was going on, live!

"Good work guys," Josie complimented her Pokemon, who gratefully received the praise. As they turned round however, a towering Onix soon alerted them to a problem. Oh boy...

"Hey kid," the Rocket member from atop the Onix shouted. "Not a bad play, but it ends here!"

"I quite agree," everyone, surprised at Josie's sudden display now turned to the mystery girl, who was fiddling with her cap. She reached for a poke ball. "Meganium go! Razor leaf that Onix!"

Todd snapped away in wonderment of it all as a powerful Meganium emerged from the ball and proceeded to razor leaf the Onix who obviously felt it! The Pokemon reeled backwards, flinging the owner conveniently into the very same pit Avery and Claudia had ended up in. The bag he was holding was flung high into the air.

"Ahh the fossils," Jenny shouted. "Please do something!"

The mystery girl was about to comply by using vine whip, but the evidently still live and kicking Onix tackled her Meganium before it could do so. Josie watched the bag...ah hah!

"Spearow," she commanded, picking his ball and releasing him in a flash. "Quickly catch that bag!"

Spearow flew fast into the air, catching it quite easily. "Good work Spearow," Josie said. "Now bring it down quick."

Her Spearow complied, dropping the bag in her hands and perching on her shoulder. Josie turned towards the mystery girl, but her Meganium was having no trouble with the Onix. Josie and her Pokemon watched as one final razor leaf finished the Onix for good.

"Great Meganium," the girl hollered. The Meganium thanked her for the compliment, well that's what Josie thought it said.

The police had quickly surrounded the hole Charmeleon had created, arresting the rocker members without too much trouble, a big fall and paralysis will do that to you. Josie smiled as they were lead away. "Great teamwork you guys," she said to Charmeleon and Pikachu, who evidently agreed with her. "Good catch to you Spearow," she ruffled his head as he cooed softly.

Todd, the mystery girl and her Meganium approached Josie, as well as Officer Jenny.

"Wow," Todd said, immediately taking a picture of the group, much to Josie's consternation. "Charmander evolved! You fight those other two Josie?"

"Yeah...well Charmeleon and Pikachu did really," she scratched the back of her head.

"Well great job missy," Officer Jenny smiled. "Could I have the bag now?"

"Oh yeah," she said, remembering what she had. "Here."

"Professor Oak will be glad to have these back, thanks to you two girls."

"Wait...Oak?" Josie questioned.

"Oh no, not the one you're thinking of, I mean Professor Gary Oak, he's the leader of this new fossil dig."

"Oh," Josie smiled, she'd forgot about him. Charmeleon just sighed, as well as a Pokemon could, at the look on her face.

"Your Charmeleon's quite a character," the mystery girl laughed, noticing. "I'm Casey of New Bark Town in Johto. Good job on the pit strategy, that's what I call using some Team Rocket tricks against them."

"I'm Josie from Pallet Town," Josie replied, watching Todd smirk at Casey's remarks. "Am I missing something?"

"Not really," Todd said. "You've just never met a couple of Rocket goof ups called Jessie and James is all. How about we talk about it over lunch at the Pokemon Centre?"

"Sounds good," Josie said as her stomach rumbled. Her Charmeleon again sighed to Casey's great amusement.

"Well thank you both," Officer Jenny saluted. "I'll make sure Gary Oak knows who helped us recover his fossils."

"Thanks ma'am," they both said as Officer Jenny strode off.

"Then shall we ladies?" Todd said. "In honour of your victories."

"Stop being a cornball Snap," Josie laughed, recalling Spearow and Pikachu to their balls, as Casey did her Meganium. "You are so not that gentlemanly, and the foods free anyway."

Snap grinned sheepishly, as Casey laughed, joining them as they began to walk back to the Pokemon centre, Charmeleon besides them. They had to freeze though, looking at them were at least 10 cameras, complete with reporters. Immediately barrages of questions were flung towards Josie and Casey...this was going to take a while. That was the collective thought of the group until a loud A-HEM was heard above it all. Behind the group of reporters was none other than Gary Oak.

"I believe that these girls and their Pokemon need food and rest," he proclaimed. "In the meantime, I'll answer any questions I can along with Officer Jenny," the reporters looked his way and saw Officer Jenny there too.

Seizing the chance, Todd, Casey, Josie and Charmeleon practically dived for the centre. Josie sneaking a quick look at the professor as all eyes remained on him. She mouthed silent thanks and, as she entered the centre, she was pretty sure he winked at her...nah!



In the lunchroom at the Pokemon centre, Nurse Joy having taken their Pokemon had given the girls, and Todd a more than generous serving of food. Josie was laying kind of low; a lot of the other trainers were looking at her, the sheer variaty of looks confused and scared her in a way.

"Yo Josie," Todd said. "Sit up, they might be jealous you're getting five minutes of fame, but you saved their Pokemon from being stolen too. Remember that."

"Yeah," Casey agreed. "If they're angry just because you got to help out, they're not worth bothering with."

"And remember," Todd said. "You expected enemies and friends remember."

That was true, she began to sit up a little straighter. "You're right Todd...opps sorry," she smiled sheepishly at saying his real name in front of someone.

"No worries, Todd's my real name Casey, just so you know."

"Ok," Casey smiled. "Still, Todd's right and you in a way. Though a few trainers are probably gonna be embittered that you did something that they couldn't, you've got a new friend in me."

Josie smiled. "Thanks."

"And you both had a friend in me," a voice sounded from behind them. They turned round to be confronted by...Gary Oak!

"Hey girls," he waved smiling. "Thanks for the help before. Really makes me wish I'd brought some of my Pokemon along with me though."

"No problem, Mr Oak," Casey smiled.

"Yeah, glad we could help," Josie said.

"You know," Gary said. "Some people say a good deed is its own reward. But sometimes every good deed deserves another," he held out a bag. "Inside here are two fossils, one for each of you. If you can take these fossils to Cinnabar Island, there's a guy in the lab there that can reanimate it using a complex DNA process."

"You pick first Josie," Casey said. "You did most of the work."

Josie didn't know whether to believe that but..."Ok," she reached into the bag, pulling out a dome shaped fossil. "Cool," she smiled. "Thanks Mr Oak."

"Ahh stop it with the Mr stuff, just Gary is fine that leaves the helix fossil for you Casey."

"Thanks...Gary," she corrected herself before saying Mr.

"No thank you girls," he began to walk off, before turning briefly. "Hey Josie, as a fellow Pallet Towner, some advice, trust and believe in your Pokemon, I learnt that lesson too late, and paid for it."

"Sure Gary thanks," she nodded as he left the room.

Both girls examined their fossils, as Todd took a picture. Josie glared at him.

"Heh, habit," he reminded her. Josie sighed, Casey laughed and the rest of the lunchroom either looked on enviously or shrugged it off, everyone, after all had their chance, theirs just hadn't come yet.



"Ha these two Rockets sound like real goofballs," Josie laughed.

It was an hour later now and only Casey, herself and Todd remained.

"Oh trust me, they are," Todd said. "They thought I was an expert Pokemon catcher, not realising the article meant on film!"

The laughter continued to echo throughout the almost empty lunchroom.

"Anyway, enough about Team Rocket," Josie wiped a tear from her eye. "What brings you to Kanto Casey?"

"The Indigo league of course, I boated over from Olivine to Vermillion so I've already got the Vermillion and Cerulean gym badges, although the Cerulean one was tougher than I expected, but you needn't worry Josie," Casey assured. "That was a one off. I plan to head to Pewter then down through Viridian and Pallet and cross the sea to Cinnabar, seems as Viridian gym is shut."

"Impressive," Josie said. "I've only got Pewter's badge so far, I wanted to go through Mount Moon today but," she shrugged. "Oh well."

"So one badge is better than none," Casey said. "Plus I've already competed in the Johto league...didn't do too well, but I hope to be better by the time the Indigo league starts."

"No doubt you will be," Josie smiled. "But I hope I'll be better by then too."

"No doubt you will be," Casey smirked back.

Todd burst out laughing. "You two are quite alike, you know that?"

They looked at each other. "Err yeah, ok," Josie murmured, they looked nothing alike!

"I mean in attitude silly," Todd said, face palming.

"Oh," they both smiled. "Gotcha!"

Todd sighed, girls..."Anyways, I suppose you girls want to go get ready for bed and stuff."

"Well it is getting late," Casey remarked, standing. "Good idea, see you at breakfast."

"Late yeah, but by the time Josie's ready for bed it'll be breakfast time already," Todd jumped up and ran at that.

"I'll kill you!" Josie said half serious/half joking, if that's even possible, bounding up after him.

Casey sweat dropped, then laughed, what a pair!

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Next chapter, going through Mount Moon at last. Heh at the rate they're going the next issue of Pokemon monthly will have been and gone by the time they get to Cerulean.