Chapter 52 - 11 - Team Rocket!

Much later, as they were having a great and happy time, someone from the distance called them, "Hello there." They then got alerted, and turned around to where that voice came from, only to see a group of criminals and their Pokémon on a hovering hot air balloon. That group, however, was Team Rocket, Ash's all-time enemy. In response, Rico, Ash, and Serena stand up in alert and Pikachu jumped to Ash's shoulder.

"Team Rocket!" Ash responded to them.

"Hello there, twerp," the male grunt, James, greeted him back in style.

"Yeah," Meowth, also talking, added in style.

"What?" Rico asked in stunning and puzzling, "A talking Meowth?"

"Yeah, that's right," Meowth replied in style, "Meow, meow." Their Pokémon, Wobbuffet then responded with saluting.

"Who are those guys?" Rico seriously asked.

"That's Team Rocket," Ash seriously explained.

"Team Rocket?" Rico replied.

"Those are group of bad guys stealing other people's Pokémon," Ash continued his explanation.

"This guys are meanies," Serena seriously added. Her Delphox then responded in seriousness. Rico then pointed his Pokédex towards Meowth; his Pokédex then responded, "Meowth, the Scratch Cat Pokémon. A Normal-type. Meowth withdraw their sharp claws into their paws to silently sneak about. For some reason, this Pokémon loves shiny coins that glitter with light."

"Wow, so scratchy and shiny," Rico commented in amazement.

"Yeah, that's right, I loved shiny stuff," Meowth responded in smiling style.

"And who's the other one?" Rico continued. He then turned his Pokédex towards Wobbuffet; his Pokédex then responded, "Wobbuffet, the Patient Pokémon, and their final evolved form of Wynaut. A Psychic-type. It hates light and shock. If attacked, it inflates its body to pump up its counterstrike."

"Oh, that's...uh...cool," Rico calmly commented upon hearing this. Wobbuffet then responded with saluting.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves," Jessie, the female grunt, responded in style. Then she and the rest in a motto introduction, "Prepare for trouble!"

"Blah, blah, blah," Ash interrupted their motto while making a mocking gesture. This response shatters the motto background, and causes Team Rocket to be irritated.

"How dare you interrupt our awesome motto?!" Jessie retorted angrily in asking.

"Uh, what, now?" Rico replied in confusion.

"I already heard that motto thousands of times," Ash briefly explained while closing his eyes and crossing his arms, "I'm so annoyed." His Pikachu then responded similar to Ash's.

"That's it! Whatever, we want that Pikachu," James responded while clenching his fist in determination. Jessie then called her Pokémon, Arbok, into battle, and it stepped into battle in fierce. Meowth then jumped from hot air balloon and on the ground, joining Arbok.

"Ahhhh!" Rico screamed in scared, "Arbok! A Poison-type!" He then rapidly hid behind Ash.

"What's wrong with you?" Ash, opening his eyes, asked him in confusion.

"I'm...I'm afraid of Poison-type!" Rico answered him with fear. He then slowly come out of his hiding place, and pointed his Pokédex towards Arbok; his Pokédex then responded, "Arbok, the Cobra Pokémon, and the final evolved form of Ekans. A Poison-type. The pattern on its belly appears to be a frightening face. Weak foes will flee just at the sight of the pattern."

"Wow, that's scary," Rico commented with mild terror.

"Well, I think you're such a weakling," Jessie commented in style. Ash and Serena got angry, while Rico was rising in anger, boiling his head like a tea pot.

"Why you little...?" he retorted in anger; he then called Riolu, "Riolu, I choose you!" Riolu then stepped into battle. Ash then called his Greninja out, and said, "Greninja, I choose you!" His Greninja then come out of its Poké Ball, and stepped into battle. Team Rocket then got scared by it.

"Not that Pokémon again," Jessie commented in mild terror.

"Rico, you take down Meowth," Ash told Rico, "while I take down Arbok." Rico then nodded in obedience with him. He, Ash, and Serena then faced Team Rocket together with their Pokémon. The battle was serious.

"Arbok, use Acid!" Jessie commanded Arbok in coolness. Her Arbok then used Acid, spitting a black acid from its mouth at Greninja.

"Block it with Water Shuriken!"Ash seriously commanded Greninja. His Greninja then used Water Shuriken, forming a shuriken of water in its hand, and then tosses it towards Arbok, deflecting the Acid and then both exploded in dissipation.

"Riolu, use Focus Blast!" Rico commanded Riolu in seriousness. Riolu then used Focus Blast, heightening its mental focus and unleashes its power towards Meowth. Meowth then dodged it, and charged towards Riolu while using Fury Swipes and yelling, "That's it. Fury Swipes!" Alerted by this, Riolu again used Focus Blast, heightening its mental focus and unleashes its power, striking Meowth very effectively. Meowth then was blasted back to his team in pain.

"Wow, that's so effective, Rico," Ash commented brightly about Riolu's attack.

"Thanks," Rico brightly replied, "I knew that Fighting-type are effective against Normal-type, and I also knew that Meowth is a Normal-type."

"Delphox, use Flamethrower!" Serena seriously commanded Delphox. Her Delphox then used Flamethrower, pointing its wand stick at the opponent and forms a red-orange flames at its tip. It then releases a red-orange stream of fire from the top of its wand at Arbok, striking it with great power and launched it back to Team Rocket.

"Don't give up, Arbok!" Jessie commanded her Arbok while clenching her fists in determination.

"Now, for the finishing act!" Ash responded in serious coolness, "Greninja, Water Shuriken! And Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Riolu, use Focus Blast!" Rico seriously commanded Riolu.

"Delphox, use Flamethrower!" Serena seriously commanded Delphox. Their Pokémon then used those moves, combining them into one powerful beam, and struck Team Rocket while they scream in rising, and it produced an explosion, even destroying their hot air balloon in the process. Blasting from the smoke, Team Rocket and their Pokémon are launched towards the sky.

"Those Pokémon are gonna be so dead," James commented in annoyance while crossing his arms and legs.

"No fair!" Jessie replied in annoyance.

"That kid's Pokémon is so strong," Meowth responded while raising his fists in annoyance.

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet responded with saluting. And as they were launched away and towards the sky, they all shouted, "We're blasting off again!" This moment complete with Wobbuffet responding. They then disappeared with a blinking star for a second.

After this long battle, Rico commented, "That...was cool. I can't believe I ever battle a group of criminals with Poison-type Pokémon." Riolu then responded in plain.

"Yup," Ash replied in positivity, "And once again, they blasted off towards the sky." His Pikachu and Greninja then responded in positivity and seriousness.

"Yeah, another one," Serena replied in settling while closing his and placing her hands on her waist. Her Delphox then responded in mild seriousness.

Later at night, at the Ketchum residence, the Cruz and the Ketchum families are having a dinner party as welcome for the Cruz family. Amongst the party were Serena and Red. Martin had managed to come home just in time for dinner. And as they eat and drink, Rico commented about the battle, "You're saying that Team Rocket appeared to you guys thousands of times?"

"Yeah, as always," Ash replied. His Pikachu then responded in positivity.

"But blasted at almost every encounter," Ash continued. Rico then laughed at the latter part, replying, "Seriously?"

"Yeah," Ash replied. And so, it is the first time Rico had ever battled a group of criminals with the word "Team." Yes, it is, as Rico and Ash's friendship grew stronger.