"I hope Peppermint will be okay," Bayline said, the Trainer Triad were sitting in the Pokemon Center, eating lunch as Peppermint, Blossom, and Granite were being healed by Nurse Joy.

"…" Coco was silent, only drinking water.

"Um…you know Coco, we know you’ll get that Thunder Badge!" Squall said with a grin. He and Bayline had now three badges in their pocket pokemon badge cases. Instead of a badge, Coco got a severely injured pikachu, making her feel guilty. Bayline was eyeing her.

"Hey! I know what’ll cheer Coco up!" Bayline said.

"Yeah? What?" Squall asked, Coco sighed.

"Shopping and a day on the beach!" Bayline cried, Squall and Coco sweat-dropped.

"What about training and getting ready for Lt. Surge once again?" Squall suggested, Bayline was still in her fantasy world.

"That sounds like a better use of time," Coco agreed.

"HOW DARE YOU CALL YOURSELF A GIRL!" Bayline shouted at Coco who just sweat-dropped again.

"If you want to go shopping so bad, then you and Squall go, when Peppermint’s healed, I want to do some personal training." Coco said, Squall turned blue.

"Coco! I can’t go with Bayline!" Squall said.

"She’s only eight Squall," Coco mentioned, Bayline didn’t look as happy neither.

"Oh fine! But we’re skipping the shopping part!" Squall growled. The chansey nurse came up to them and took the dirty dishes away.

"No way! If we’re going to be in a city with spare time we might as well do something!" Bayline growled, leaning over the table’s surface to get closer to Squall. He did the same.

"We can do anything, but shopping!" Squall shouted.

"Keep your voices down!" Coco scolded as some people began to look over their shoulders to see what all the commotion was about.

"We are not going shopping!" Squall growled.

"We are too going shopping!" Bayline growled back.

"We are not!"

"We are too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"How did she get me into this again?" Squall asked himself as he followed Bayline into a clothes shop called Butte of a Butterfree.

"It won’t be so bad!" Bayline hissed to him as she began examining the clothes, Squall began reading magazines.

"How long is this going to take?" Squall asked.

"Depends on how many things I have to try on," Bayline answered with a grin.

"Sheesh, girls…" Squall buried his head in the Weekly Pokemon Trainers Gazette.

"All right, are you up for some training Pepper?" Coco asked the fully healed pikachu on her shoulder.

"Pikachu!" You bet I am! She cried as she jumped is the ground.

"All right! Come on out everyone!" Coco released the rest of her team. "Okay everyone, we’re going to do some training. For all we know, if we run into someone just as strong as Lt. Surge, we got to be ready!"

"Ghastley!" Agreed! Anyhow, how are you Peppermint? Moonshine asked Peppermint.

"Chu," Fine, thanks, Peppermint said.

"All right, we’ll split up into practice buddies. Peppermint use Thundershock and Firestorm dodges them, after a break, we switch. And Moonshine use Confusion on Minoru and practice moving him around gently, and after the break, Minoru uses Vine Whip and Moonshine must try and dodge them. I have a first aid kit if anyone gets hurt, now! Begin!" Coco shouted.

"Faster approach Pepper!" Coco shouted, "Use your tail to catapult yourself out of the way Firestorm!"

"Moonshine had gotten Minoru in the air and swayed him and moved him up, down, and side-to-side gently. Peppermint’s attacks were missing Firestorm by inches. Firestorm was a natural when it comes to flinging herself into the air with her tail.

The sun went down from behind the treetops, and Coco returned her pokemon and carried her tired pikachu to the Pokemon Center. Peppermint was asleep, and looked quite unhappy all of a sudden. Coco handed her pokemon and Peppermint to Nurse Joy and looked around for Squall and Bayline. She saw them on a sofa in the lobby; she walked over to them.

"Hi! Whoa, what happened Squall? You’re redder then Firestorm!" Coco asked, Bayline was rubbing her eyes and looked frustrated. Squall seemed frozen in place.

"It took me an hour to get him in here from the store we visited," Bayline growled.

"How come?" Coco asked, Squall gulped and looked at the floor, his pupils were small.

"When I was looking at the clothes, Squall ran out of magazines to look at I guess, and walked around. And the curtains surrounding people when they change were right next to him, and a ratatta came out of nowhere I think cause I heard one and Squall tripped and the only thing to grab was those curtains…" Bayline trailed off.

"The curtains ripped off the rack…?" Coco gasped, blushing.

"You can guess what was in there Squall obviously shouldn’t have seen," Bayline said with sarcasm.

"Oh dear," Coco said. Squall looked around the room and finally spoke.

"H-How d-did t-the t-training g-go?" Squall asked.

"Fine, my pokemon are resting, Bayline, did you get a room?" Coco asked, Bayline held up a key.

"Sure did," Bayline said. A small ding indicated that Coco’s pokemon were healed.

"I’ll meet your guys in the room," Coco said as she ran up to the counter, Bayline dragged Squall down the hall, saying their room number was 3.

"Your pokemon are fighting fit, but one," Nurse Joy said sadly, Coco noticed how down Peppermint looked and cradled her.

"What’s wrong little buddy?" Coco asked, Peppermint looked up at Coco.

"I think Peppermint has been thinking about her defeat against Lt. Surge," Nurse Joy suggested.

"How so?" Coco asked.

"I think she wants to beat Raichu herself," Nurse Joy said, "Raichu after all is Pikachu’s second evolution, and losing to it just wants her to get stronger."

"But we trained today, isn’t that enough?" Coco asked. Nurse Joy went into the back room, and came back with a small, wooden box.

"Not quite," she opened it, revealing an aqua-colored stone with a lightning bolt on it. "This is a Thunder Stone, it evolves certain electric types like pikachu into the next form."

"Does she have to evolve?" Coco asked, picking up the stone.

"Not unless you find another way to get a Thunder Badge," Nurse Joy said, "Now go to bed, you can make your choice in the morning." Coco nodded and placed the stone in her pocket.

"Good night Nurse Joy," Coco said as she went down the hall to their room. The same bickering was heard inside, she opened the door cautiously.

"If you just weren’t walking around! It wouldn’t have happened!" Bayline screeched.

"If you hadn’t took me shopping we wouldn’t be arguing now!" Squall hissed. There were two bunk beds in this Pokemon Center, on against each side of the room, a window and a nightstand with Coco’s Squall’s and Bayline’s bags on it. Coco hung her vest on a hat hanger and took off her shoes and cap.

"Come on you two! Bed!" Coco shouted, Bayline and Squall gave each other one more death stared and climbed into bed. Squall lay in the bottom bed to the left of the door, and Bayline and Coco shared the other, but Coco was on the bottom.

Peppermint stared out the window, thinking Coco was asleep.

"Thinking about the Thunder Stone?" Coco asked, Peppermint jumped, "Sorry,"

"Pikachu," All right, but yeah, I was thinking about that stone, and I don’t think I should evolve, Peppermint said.

"Huh? Really, why not?" Coco asked. Peppermint looked at her trainer; the purple in them shined brilliantly, standing out from the black.

"Pikachu pika pi chu," I want to prove that any pokemon can beat just any other pokemon, and stand up for my fellow basics that are just as determined to defeat their evolved forms, Peppermint explained as she went back to staring out the window.

"That’s a great encouragement, and don’t worry, you don’t have to evolve. Because whether Surge likes it or not, we’re going to beat him!" Coco said to her.

"Chu," Thanks, huh? The lights went out.

"What happened to the lights?" Coco asked as she jumped out of bed, the lamp on the nightstand was on dimly, but flashed off, indicating that the electricity went out.

"Peppermint! Wake up Squall, I’ll get Bayline." Coco said, Peppermint grinned as she jumped up onto his bed and grinned.

"Chu!" she shocked Squall awake.

"What the heck did I do this time!?!" Squall roared. "At least turn on the light!"

"I can’t, hurry up and put on your shoes! And grab your poke’balls!" Coco said as they put on their shoes, Squall put his poke’ball belt on, Coco put on her vest, which had the poke’balls attached on them from the inside and Bayline grabbed her bag, which contained her balls and supplies. Peppermint jumped onto Coco’s cap, which she just put on. But not having time to do their hair, Bayline’s and Coco’s hair was down, draping over their shoulders and down their backs.

"The electricity went out, let’s go and see why," Coco said, leading the way out.

"Nurse Joy, what happened?" Bayline asked as they approached the front counter, Chansey was holding a flashlight.

"It seems that our generator isn’t working, I’m going in the back to check on it," Nurse Joy said.

"We’re coming with you," Coco said, Squall and Bayline nodded. Nurse Joy and Chansey led the way outside and to the back of the center.

"Oh no! The generator’s cables!" Nurse Joy gasped, the Trainer Triad saw the generator’s cables cut.

"Do you have any idea who could have done this?" Coco asked. Nurse Joy shook her head.

"And everyone else still has their electricity still on, so whoever cut these cables is looking for trouble," Squall said.

"Let’s get back inside, but Bayline! Go and get Officer Jenny!" Coco commanded, Bayline nodded and ran away. The rest of them hurried inside.

"We must get the electricity back on or the injured pokemon won’t make it," Nurse Joy said.

"All right, Nurse Joy and Chansey go and check on the pokemon, me and Squall will look around for clues or an intruder," Coco said, Nurse Joy looked unsure for a moment, but nodded and went to the back with Chansey.

"You go that way and I’ll go this way," Coco said as she walked towards the lobby, but Squall grabbed her forearm.

"No way, if there is an intruder, we should stay together," Squall said, Peppermint jumped to the floor and began to sniff.

"Have it your way then," Coco said with a smile as he let go of her. They walked down the first hall of rooms, listening for any sound.

"Hear anything yet?" Squall asked, Coco and Peppermint shook their heads. The hallway was dark, even though their eyes have adjusted. They couldn’t have Firestorm out in case someone was here and shouldn’t be. That’s when a rushing sound of mad feet came.

"Who’s there?" Coco shouted, the feet stopped abruptly, then started running away.

"Peppermint! Thundershock ahead!" Coco shouted, Peppermint jumped into the darkness and launched a Thundershock in front of her, a loud thump sounded when the attack finished.

"Go! Firestorm!" Coco released Firestorm, her tail revealed a man in his mid-twenties, he shook as he tried to sit up. He had black hair in a ponytail with dark purple eyes, and was wearing a Team Rocket uniform.

"You’re a Team Rocket member!" Coco announced, the man grinned.

"So you recognize me huh? Well, it doesn’t matter! Go! Golbat!" he shouted, releasing a blue bat with a rather large mouth with fangs.

"Fine then! I choose Firestrom!" Coco shouted, Dexter began explaining Golbat.

"Golbat, the Sonic pokemon," Dexter beeped, "The second evolution of Zubat, this pokemon’s Super Sonic is a hundred times more powerful and much more useful then any tracking device system,"

"Use Wing Attack!" the TR member ordered, Golbat flew at Firestorm.

"Engulf it in flames with Flamethrower!" Coco shouted, Firestorm blew out her fiery attack, Golbat was hit directly since he was too close.

"Now use Scratch!" Firestorm’s claws shined then shredded Golbat’s skin on the wings and face. Golbat shrieked with rage and pain.

"Use Super Sonic Golbat!" The golbat opened its mouth wide and beams of blue floated out of its mouth in circles.

"Top it with another Flamethrower!" Coco commanded. Firestorm launched another Flamethrower; the heat broke Golbat's concentration and scorched the rest of its HP.

"Return!" the TR member yelled, returning the Golbat.

"We defeated you! Now tell us why you cut the cables of the generator here?" Squall asked, he grinned.

"Why should I tell you! Go! Raichu!" he released a raichu, Squall and Coco stared at it.

"Your kidding, how can Team Rocket have a riachu?" Coco asked.

"I may be a Team Rocket member, but I caught this pokemon as a pikachu and instantly evolved it!" he laughed, "Just like that idiotic Gym Leader here!"

"Lt. Surge evolved his pikachu into a raichu right after he caught it?" Coco asked.

"Sure did! I didn’t want some basic pokemon on my team!" he laughed again, Peppermint sparked and stood in front of Firestorm.

"Pika pika chu," I’ll take this one, Peppermint said to Coco, Coco’s brows furrowed, but then she nodded.

"Firestorm, you light the battlefield! And I choose Peppermint!" Coco shouted, Peppermint sparked and glared at the raichu.

"You are dumb, that pip-squeak doesn’t stand a chance!" the man shouted.

"We’ll just see about that! Peppermint! Thundershock!" Coco ordered, Peppermint’s attack bounced on and off the floor towards Raichu.

"Use Thunderbolt! The TR member commanded. Raichu’s Thunderbolt easily overpowered Peppermint’s Thundershock and headed right towards her.

"Go to the right!" Coco shouted, Peppermint was in a flash of white light.

"Pika pi!" I’m over here! Squall and Coco saw Peppermint five yards away from the spot she was at just at moments ago.

"I think Peppermint learned Quick Attack!" Squall said, Coco pulled out Dexter and looked up Quick Attack.

"Quick Attack, a Normal Type Attack," Dexter beeped, "This attack is fast enough to hit the opponent first before it attacks."

"All right then! Peppermint! Use another Thundershock!" Coco shouted, Squall looked at her.

"Use Thunderbolt!" Raichu again zapped the Thundershock, but the flash after it gave Coco a chance.

"Use Quick Attack!" Coco shouted, when the flash faded, Peppermint rammed into Raichu.

"Thunderbolt!" The TR member ordered.

"Use Quick Attack to get out of the way!" Peppermint vanished again as Raichu attacked.

"Your raichu must know Quick Attack! Why don’t you use it to chase Peppermint! Then you might actually hit her!" Coco laughed, but the TR member glared at her.

"Raichu must not have its speed abilities like when you are in the Pikachu stage," Squall said.

"You mean Raichu is slower then Peppermint?" Coco asked. Squall nodded. "All right! Peppermint! Thundershock!"

"Thunderbolt em’ Raichu!" Another flash exploded from the two attacks.

"Use Quick Attack!" Peppermint tackled Raichu again, it began to sweat and pant.

"From all those attacks, it’s using and being hit with is tiring it!" Squall said, Firestorm eyed Peppermint.

"Use Thunderbolt!"

"Dodge it with Quick Attack then finish this with a super Thundershock!" Coco shouted.

"Pika!" Right! Peppermint blurred away from the attack and as Raichu’s attack stopped, Peppermint attacked with that, Raichu fainted.

"All right!" Coco shouted as Peppermint jumped into her arms. "You did it!"

"Pikachu!" Peppermint squealed.

"All right! Now tell us why you cut the generator’s cables!" Squall shouted as the man returned the raichu to its ball.

"As a member of Team Rocket! Being cruel for no reason is my specialty!" he answered, then he began to run.

"Firestorm! Flamethrower!" Coco shouted, Firestorm’s Flamethrower burnt him, he was charcoal black. He seemed frozen, but fell unconscious moments after.