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“Strong Enough”
A Gijinka PikaMeow Short
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl

For: HopelessRomantic721

   It was dark; a moonless night sky filled with an infinity of stars provided the only natural light around.  That is, unless you counted the ballet of fireflies that filled the air underneath a canopy of trees.  This forest was quiet, save the whisper of a babbling brook that ran through its centre like a ribbon draped over a Christmas present, and a breath of a warm summer breeze rushing through the trees.  Tranquility could only begin to describe this summer night, that is, until a group of Gijinka Pokemon raced along a path through the woods, in too much of a frantic run to appreciate the world around them.  The whole of their worlds, were falling apart.

   There were three of them; one was a Gijinka Smeargle with a purple paint tipped tail, green eyes, and brown hair.  She was wearing her favorite outfit; a tan artist’s cap, and a tan and light brown shirt and pants, her trademark cow heart over her heart.  Her brown hair was tied in a braid, and she had two purple marks on her left cheek, small, and one shaped like another heart, for she was, a lover of love, which was part of why she was tagging along with her companions.

   The second of the group was a Gijinka Raichu.  He had sandy, honey brown hair, two yellow electric marks on his cheeks, and brown eyes.  His long, curly tail, black and tipped in a lightning-bolt shaped tuft of yellow fur, matched his curlicue ears, black and yellow on the inside.  He wore a red and white jacket, over a long-sleeved shirt about a few shades lighter than his hair, brown fingered gloves, long, baggy brown pants, and brown shoes with white soles.  As he ran along, panting a bit, he couldn’t help but glare a little at his other companion.  They were both on the same mission, but Raichu seemed to be at odds with the leader of the group.

   The leader was a Gijinka Meowth.  He had medium brown hair, two black ears poking out from underneath it, and blue eyes.  He wore a tan T-shirt with a brown collar and cuffs on the sleeves, brown pants rolled up just above his knees, and brown boots that came up to just below them.  His sole accessory was a dog-tag shaped pendant, gold with engraved cuts dividing it into three sections, hung on a black cord around his neck.

   As they ran, Meowth finally caught glance of Raichu glaring at him; his look said, “You’re responsible for all this.”  Finally annoyed with this glare, Meowth came to a screeching halt and shouted, “Will ya stop acting like this is my fault?  They’ve been after us for years now; you should be used to them causing trouble!”

   Raichu came to a stop, running up to Meowth, who he was considerably taller than, and leaned in so the tips of their noses were ready to touch.  Electricity sparked in his cheeks, and he growled, “Yeah well, they’ve never captured both my sister AND my brothers before you scruffy cat!  The day Pikachu started to spend time with you she opened us all up for Team Rocket’s dirty intentions.  My poor sister…you tricked her into this misery, and I’m gonna make you pay for it!”

   Not so long ago Meowth would have been easily intimidated by Raichu, the older brother of the girl that he had developed a love for, even if he didn’t show it the best that he could, often blushing and stammering when he spoke, doing his best to show her he cared.  And yet this wasn’t enough for Raichu, who not only blamed Meowth for stealing her away, but now for exposing her to such danger.  Meowth tried to let go of his days with the infamous Team Rocket, but in Raichu’s mind it was that little time he did spend with them that would be their bane.

   Before now Meowth would have backed down to Raichu’s anger and sparking cheeks, but with Pikachu, her little brothers Picho and Pichow, and even little baby Togepi taken by Team Rocket, Meowth wasn’t going to stand for Raichu and his misguided anger.  Smeargle glanced between them nervously, beads of sweat along her hairline.  She held up her hands and said, “Come on guys!  Fighting isn’t the answer!  Pikachu, Picho, Pichow and Togepi need us!”

   Raichu looked to Smeargle, growling softly.  Meowth, on the other hand, didn’t glare or growl.  Instead, he held up his hand in the air, catching both Raichu’s and Smeargle’s attention and said, “No Smeargle…that’s just fine with me.  If Raichu here would much rather look for whom to blame instead of try to help make it right, then that’s fine with me.  I won’t let him intimidate me out of rescuing Pikachu and Togepi.  I know the only reason he’s come along is for his brothers and to make sure I don’t screw things up.”  He looked to Raichu and added, “I’m sorry but I’ve already wasted enough time here.”

   Without another word, Meowth took off again, heading for the forest’s edge.  Raichu looked on, stunned, unsure of what to say.  He glanced at Smeargle, who with a nervous laugh shrugged her shoulders and took off after Meowth.  Raichu eventually rolled his eyes, groaning, and took off after them.  He had never gotten along well with Meowth, and while now was not a good time to try and do anything to correct that, he thought, “Darn him…thinking he can tell me what to do.  Heh, at least he isn’t so much of a wimp anymore.  If my sister has to be with him, then at least maybe I can trust him to look after her.  It takes a lot to stand up to me after all…my past experiences with him prove that.  Maybe he’s finally going to have what it takes to deserve my sister…at least in my mind…humph.”

   As he and Smeargle caught up to Meowth, he had already become consumed by other thoughts.  He now thought entirely of rescuing Pikachu, as well as Togepi, still infuriated at how they were taken from him before.  “I told Team Rocket I wanted nothing to do with them anymore, and yet they continue to make life hell for me and my friends.  This is the final straw.  If they don’t get it straight and leave me alone from now on…then, well…I’ll make them pay for it.”

   He quickly sped up, his need to rescue Pikachu giving him new strength, and he almost disappeared from Smeargle and Raichu’s sight.  Smeargle, trying to catch her breath, cried, “Wait Meowth!  Don’t leave us here!”

   Raichu paused for a moment, then continued with a new burst of speed, growling, “Perish the thought…what would we do without Meowth to guide us?  Ugh…and what happened to that one guy behind us?”

   As the three ran on, this final “guy” Raichu mentioned shuffled along his way, barely able to keep track of them.  He placed his hand on his blue hair as he looked after them, wondering what they were saying.  Slightly slower than the rest, in almost every way imaginable, the Gijinka Wobbuffet let out a troubled, “Wahh?”  As he continued on his way.

   Once Meowth got to the edge of the woods, he waited for Raichu and Smeargle, showing them the Team Rocket base that Pikachu, Togepi, and the Pichu brothers were taken to.  He pointed and said, “There!  That was where…well, I saw their plane come this way.”  He flushed slightly red, beads of sweat creeping down his neck and forehead when he remembered the time he spent here in the past.  He added, “I don’t know if we’ll have to face Giovanni, or just the local executive, but I know that they’re inside.  So let’s move!”

   Before Meowth could take off, Raichu grabbed Meowth’s arm, still annoyed but ready to cooperate and said, “That’s fine and dandy Meowth, but do we have a plan or are we just going to hope they let us in when we knock on the front door?”

   “Of course I have a plan,” Meowth said, pulling away from Raichu.  He added, “I used to know the codes to get in and out of here easily, but I don’t know if they’re still the same or not.  Anyway…you’re looking at someone who can break into any place easy.  Just watch.”

   Meowth then made his way up to the Rocket building, glancing at the security cameras on each side of the front door.  Before he made it into their line of sight, he leapt up and landed on top of an overhang just above the door.  Raichu and Smeargle watched as he crept to either side of it, unplugging the cameras on both side of the door, before leaping back down to the ground below, and waving them over.

   “Wow…I figured the Rockets would have prepared for something like that,” Smeargle said.

   Meowth laughed a bit and said, “Please, the fact that they were just now able to capture Pikachu should let ya know a thing or two about their thinking skills.  Now to cut a hole through the door over there.”

   Raichu blinked, stunned to see how intelligent and crafty Meowth actually was.  “And here I thought he was a no good wimp…he might actually be, well, tough.”

   He and Smeargle walked up to the front door, where Meowth was studying it to see exactly how he should break through it, but before he could, it suddenly opened up before him.  A voice came over the loud speaker.  “Please Meowth, don’t go vandalizing even more of my property will you?  If you want to try and make a feeble stand against me then come if you will.  You’re wasting your time however.  Fwahaha!”

   Letting out a gasp, Meowth growled and cried, “Giovanni!  Why I oughta!”  He looked back at Raichu and Smeargle and said, “C’mon!  We gotta save them!”  He took off running after this.

   Smeargle let out a happy sigh and said, “It’s so romantic to see Meowth running to save Pikachu like that!  It’s like a night in shining armor come to save his princess!  Someone oughta write a romance novel about the two of them!  Wait for me Meowth!”

   As Smeargle took off after Meowth, Raichu growled once more and said, “A romance novel?  Why don’t ya just draw a picture album full of sweet moments between them to boot eh?  Ugh…wait up!”

   Surprisingly, poor Wobbuffet was still keeping up with his friends.  He made it to the door and wailed, “Wahh, why must you all run so fast?  Wahh!  Wait for me!”  With a sigh he continued to waddle after them as quickly as he could.

   They ran through the oddly inactive Team Rocket compound, and along the way Smeargle answered Raichu’s question with a squeal and a cry, vowing that she would not only do the most pictures of her favorite couple anywhere, but she would also try her best to write about all the sweet times they had together, for you see, she was a lover of love, and now she would get to see her “knight” Meowth, come to save his “princess” Pikachu.  Of course, Meowth would have been annoyed to hear her think of it that way, for this was something serious.  It wasn’t just another fairytale that you could count on ending peacefully, for he knew who they were dealing with, and would stop at nothing to save Pikachu.

   At last the hallway opened up into a large room.  Meowth ran to the center of the darkened room, lit dimly by lights in a balcony above the room.  As Smeargle and Raichu ran up to him, Raichu said, “Well, where the heck is this guy?  I’ll teach him a lesson for kidnapping my sister and brothers!”

   Smeargle looked around, then added, “Gee, this place looks just like a Gym, not exactly an ideal backdrop for a valiant rescue but oh well…”

   “Giovanni!” Meowth cried.  He gazed up at the balcony, knowing that in the shadows his old boss, and now his greatest enemy, was lurking, waiting for the moment to make his entrance.  He had seen it all before, although it was something he had tried so hard to forget.  Brushing off those feelings, he beckoned again, “Giovanni!  Come out now!  Where did you take Pikachu, Togepi, Picho and Pichow?”

   All that was heard was a menacing cackle.  Smeargle squinted her eyes and thought she saw a face in the darkness, only his eyes illuminated by the dim white light behind him.  Her eyes then widened as she grabbed Raichu’s arm, pointed and said, “Is that him up there?”

   Both Meowth and Raichu looked to where her finger pointed, and they now saw the same eyes.  Meowth let out a growl and said, “That’s him alright.”  Running up closer to the balcony Meowth shouted, “Giovanni!  Where did you take Pikachu?”

   “And my brothers!  Where are Picho and Pichow?” Raichu shouted.

   “Heh, heh, heh…”  That menacing laugh preceded a snap from Giovanni’s fingers.  The lights in the room came up, and now, not only could they see Giovanni sitting in a chair above them, but they could also see his number one, a Gijinka Persian, standing in front of them, with Togepi, the Pichu brothers, and Pikachu trapped in a large glass container behind him.  Not only was it shatterproof, but it was shock proof as well.

   Pikachu’s eyes lit up once she saw Meowth and Raichu coming to save her and the others.  “Meowth!  Raichu!  Persian has a switch to drop the glass!  That’s the only way this glass will go away!”

   She held Togepi in her arms.  Togepi, upon seeing Meowth, cried, “Togepriiii!” and began reaching for him as strongly as she could.

   Picho and Pichow glared at Persian, growling at their inability to give him a beating.  Picho shouted, “Hey bro!  Beat up Persian good okay?”

   “Yeah!  The dirty jerk…make him pay for shutting us up in here!” Pichow added.

   Persian turned and growled at the Pichu brothers, ticked off with their antics.  He looked up to Giovanni and said, “Honestly sir, I don’t understand why on earth we had to capture those annoyances.”  He then looked to Meowth and said, “Feh, it was enough to bring you back here…ex-agent Meowth, wasn’t it?  Have you come to save your girlfriend here?  She’s not worth your time if we were able to capture her that easily.”

   Pikachu’s red cheeks sparked when Persian said that.  She quickly handed Togepi to Picho and started to bang on the glass, shouting, “Why you!  You mangy, filthy, no-good snob!  I’ll make you pay for that!  Why I oughta…!”

   “It’s okay Pikachu!” Meowth called to her, “He is everything you said, but I’ll make him pay for it all.  You’ll see…”

   Giovanni let out another laugh and said, “So, you wish to resolve things with Persian first do you Meowth?  Ha!  Do whatever!  It’s your funeral!”

   Persian took a fighting stance, and while Smeargle retreated, Raichu stood by Meowth.  Meowth looked to Raichu and said, “This is my fight.  You go and figure out how to free them.”

   Raichu rolled his eyes and said, “You idiot, didn’t you hear what my sister said?  Persian has a controller to lower the glass in one of his pockets.  You keep him busy until I can get it from him, then we can kick the crap out of him and get out.”

   Meowth turned to look at Raichu, then nodded and said, “Sure.”

   “But just remember!” Raichu added, “You still have to prove yourself worthy to have my sister, okay?  I’m only helping you out because you’d be nowhere without me.”

   They turned to look at Persian, and as Raichu took two steps back, Meowth glanced to Pikachu once more and whispered, “Whatever you say Raichu, whatever you say.”

   Persian then held up his hands.  The gloves he wore had spikes on the back of them, and without warning he lunged for Meowth, ready to fight.  Meowth jumped out of the way and ran behind him, giving Persian a jump kick to the back, sending him flying towards Raichu, who with wide eyes quickly ran out of the way.  Persian crashed to the floor shortly after that, rolling to a stop in just enough time to see Meowth running towards him for a follow-up attack.  Raichu circled close by, waiting to see when he could run and snatch the controller, which he now knew was in Persian’s left coat pocket.

   “Get ‘em Meowth!”  Pichow cried.  He paused, looking to his brother and said, “Gee, I didn’t know Meowth had that kind of fight in him.  He’s always…well, never come off as such a fierce fighter to me…not like sis or bro I mean.”

   Picho nodded as he held on to Togepi.  Pikachu pressed her face up to the glass, watching Meowth fight Persian with her older brother close by.  She had never seen this fierce fighting side of Meowth before.  It infatuated her, despite how angry she was at Persian and Giovanni for capturing her.  It was enough for her to put her anger beside as she watched Meowth dodge punches and swipes from Persian as he returned his own, in admiration of his bravery.  Normally, she would never openly say how much she cared about him, but now was one of those times when her heart screamed it at her to speak.

   “You get him Meowth.  I know you can do it,” she whispered, “You show them who the better man is.”

   Smeargle watched the battle, glancing between the fray, and Pikachu watching on adoringly.  Smeargle could see that sparkle of love in Pikachu’s brown eyes, and she let out a soft squeal of delight and said, “Aww man, this is better than I could have dreamed it!  Both princess and knight kind of soft-spoken in their love for each other, and yet you can see it in their eyes when they speak each other’s name!  I love it!”

   Finally, Wobbuffet waddled up behind her, catching his breath as he tried to gather what was happening.  He turned to her and said, “Wahh?  What’s happening?”

   Smeargle glanced at him, a sweat drop forming on her brow as she said, “Only the best thing that can happen in a romance story!  Meowth is going to save Pikachu from those evil fiends and they’ll live happily ever after!  Isn’t that awesome?”

   Wobbuffet grimaced and whimpered, wailing, “Wahh…if you say so.”

   Suddenly, Persian, just after rebounding from an attack, cried out, “That’s IT alley cat!  I’ll show you who’s boss!”

   Raichu, who stood a little behind Meowth, could finally see the controller hanging from Persian’s pocket and decided now was the time to dive for it.  He ran for Persian, remembering to leave the fight to Meowth, and held off using any electricity.

   Unfortunately, Persian was too fast even for Raichu, and quickly turned, using a side kick to knock Meowth away and into a wall, before unleashing a fury of punches and swipes at Raichu.  Raichu tried to fight back, getting in a few good punches and kicks to try and defend himself, but ultimately met his match when Persian lifted him up, tossing him to the air, and using a jump kick to send him sailing into the wall right above Wobbuffet and Smeargle.

   “Aiyeee!” Smeargle cried, curling up as rubble fell for her.  Wobbuffet, in a rare moment of lucidness grabbed hold of Smeargle, pulling her away from the stone pieces as they fell right where she once stood, with Raichu falling on top of them in a heap.

   “Aww man, Raichu!” Picho shouted.

   “Grr, stupid Persian!  You’ll pay for hurting our brother!” Pichow cried.

   Pikachu too was upset at what happened to her brother, but more quickly was her attention drawn to where Meowth now sat, nursing an injury to his leg and shoulder after crashing into the wall.  She cried out, “You can do it Meowth!  Show him who the stronger man is!”  She took Togepi from Picho and said, “You and I know who the stronger one is already don’t we Togepi?”

   Little Togepi looked out to where Meowth now sat, with Persian slowly walking up to him to finish the battle.  She merely nodded, crying softly as she whimpered, “Togeprii…,” reaching for Meowth again, unsure of exactly what was going on, only wanting it to be over.

   Persian’s shadow fell over Meowth, who quickly leapt to his feet when he saw this.  Persian laughed and said, “Oh you wimpy little pussycat you…this was over before it began.  If Raichu couldn’t stop me, then what makes you think you can?  You’re weak!  You’ll never be strong enough to be any good to anyone!”

   Meowth growled softly, but then shook his head, and said, “You’re right Persian.  I’ll never be strong enough…on my own.  It’s my friends who make me stronger.  On my way here my determination to save Pikachu and Togepi helped me get over the nervousness I had whenever Raichu tried to intimidate me.  Frankly…I don’t think I could have done as well against you as I have now if it weren’t for Pikachu, Togepi…and even Wobbuffet.  As long as I’m strong enough for my friends, I can take out whatever faces me, including my past…and including you.”

   While this happened, Smeargle and Wobbuffet ran to help Raichu.  He was injured, but struggled to his knees, holding something in his hands.

   “Are you okay Raichu?” Smeargle asked.

   Raichu looked to her, losing strength and falling back onto the rocks, the controller he had taken from Persian falling to the floor.  While Smeargle tried to help Raichu, not noticing the controller, Wobbuffet did see it, and bent down to pick it up.  Looking at it with a puzzled glance, he tried to decipher the two words on the switch; activate and deactivate.  Raising a hand to his head, he whined, “Wahh…how does this work?”

   While he fumbled with the switch, Persian finished laughing at Meowth’s little speech, then raised his fist up to smite him and said, “It’s a tragedy that I can’t write that down to laugh at later Meowth.  I was going to ask if you had any last words, but after hearing that I think I’ll put us both out of our misery.”

   Pikachu looked on in fear, and let out a cry, “Meowth!  No!”

   Finally, Wobbuffet pushed the switch on the controller to deactivate.  A low rumble was heard catching both Giovanni, and Persian, by surprise.

   “What?  Persian you fool!  You let them get the controller!  No!” Giovanni shouted.

   Persian, who was about ready to crush Meowth, looked up and back and said, “What!?  But how?”

   With Persian distracted by the glass cage falling apart around Pikachu, Togepi, Picho, and Pichow, Meowth quickly stood up and tackled Persian to the ground, ripping Persian’s gloves off of him, and giving him the same beating that Persian had given Raichu.

   The glass cage fell apart, and Pikachu and her brothers ran clear of it, Picho and Pichow running to Raichu, while Pikachu with Togepi in her arms, ran halfway to Meowth, stopping as she watched him pin Persian to the floor.

   He glared at Persian and said, “It’s just like I told ya Persian.  I may not be the strongest in the world, but I’m strong when it counts.  I’m strong enough to save them, and don’t you forget it buddy!”

   Persian growled, wanting to say something to Meowth, but after suffering such a bad beating, all he could do was mutter softly before going out cold.

   Meowth stood up, panting a bit as he grabbed his left shoulder, staring down at his fallen adversary as he did so.  He didn’t notice Pikachu standing nearby until she ran up, hugging him tightly with one arm, and holding a now happy Togepi in the other.

   “Oh Meowth, that was awesome!  You showed him who’s boss!  You were great!” she shouted.

   Meowth’s cheeks quickly flushed into a deep red shade when she said this.  However, he slowly returned the hug, able to feel chills run through him as he did so.  “That’s what I was telling him,” Meowth thought, “They’re what make me stronger, strong enough to save them.  Even if I’m not strong enough for Team Rocket, I am for them, and that’s…all I need to know.”

   “It was nothing Pikachu…I’m just glad you and Togepi are alright is all…,” Meowth said.

   Pikachu pulled back and looked at him, smiling a bit and said, “Well, you never had to worry about that…they can’t hurt me!”  Meowth gave her a look, and with a slight pink blush behind her red cheeks, she added, “Well, I was in a tight spot there.  I couldn’t have made it without you Meowth you know that.”

   Meowth folded his arms, turning away, and said, “Well Pikachu sometimes I’m not entirely sure of that.  I mean, I know you can get along perfectly without me, and why you decide to stick with me escapes me.”  He turned back to her and said, “But, I’m glad that you do anyway Pikachu, and I hope, well, that you always will.”  He continued to blush when he said this, although in his heart he meant every word.

   The yellow mouse girl looked to him, rolling her eyes but smiling and said, “You bet I will Meowth.  There’s never a boring moment when you’re around.”

   While they talked, Picho and Pichow reunited with their brother, who now roused from falling unconscious in those last few moments.  Smeargle watched as all the happy reunions went on with a romance-smitten smile on her face.  Meanwhile, Wobbuffet found one more switch on the controller, one that was labeled, “Use only in emergencies.”  Sadly, his moment of clarity had cleared, and not knowing any better, he pressed that switch too.

   Suddenly, the building began to quake, and Giovanni, who had run down to finish the fight on his own stopped short before stepping onto the gym floor.  He glanced at Wobbuffet, and slapped his hand to his forehead and said, “Ugh, whose bright idea was it to put a self-destruct switch for the entire base on that one controller?”

   Persian, who had woken up and now crawled to the side of his leader, said, “It was yours sir!  We had planned to flee and blow the place up once Meowth came to save them so we could destroy them all, but then I thought at the last minute that it would be better to just fight off Meowth.”

   Giovanni glared in disbelief at Persian, growled and took off for his helicopter.  He turned to Persian as they ran and shouted “Remind me to never listen to you again!  Blast it all, I’ll have you exterminated someday Meowth!  You just wait!”

   Meowth turned, able to hear Giovanni shouting, and then he realized why the building was shaking.  They all did, for then a voice came up over a loudspeaker that said, “Self destruction of Team Rocket Base Twelve in counting: Ten…Nine…”

   Raichu used thunderbolt on the pile of rubble, scooped up his brothers and shouted, “Come on!  We gotta get out of here!”

   Smeargle pulled Wobbuffet along as she ran after Raichu, Wobbuffet wailed in distress, having dropped the controller that he had had such an interest in.  “Wahh!” he cried, and as they ran it slowly faded away.

   Meowth grabbed Pikachu by her arms, pushed her ahead and cried, “Run!  Quickly!”

   Pikachu tightened her grip on Togepi, who now cried because of all the shaking and loud noises.  The countdown got closer to detonation…, “Six…Five…Four.”

   Raichu ran outside, with Smeargle and Pikachu close behind.  Raichu watched the door in horror for any sign of his sister, Togepi, and Meowth.  The countdown was almost through…, “Three…Two…One…”

   “Pikachu!  Where are you!?” Raichu shouted.  “No!”

   The building erupted into flames as it blew up from within.  Raichu shielded Picho and Pichow from the blast, unable to bring himself to think of what this meant for his sister Pikachu…and even Meowth, despite all the fighting they had done in the past.

   “No…,” Raichu murmured.  He finally turned around, only to see Meowth staggering away from the burning building, his fur and clothes smoking, but Pikachu and Togepi safe.  He carried Pikachu in his arms, even though his shoulder was dislocated and his leg fractured, and she held Togepi tightly.  They had made it out of the building, alive.

   “Alright!” Picho shouted.

   “Meowth did it!” Pichow added.

   Raichu stared at them in shock.  He was overwhelmed with joy that his sister, well, all of them, were alright, but even more shocked was he at the control and strength Meowth had exhibited that night.  Raichu could never look at him the same again; Meowth just wasn’t this weak, insecure little pussycat that couldn’t do anything for himself, let alone Raichu’s baby sister.

   Smeargle ran past him to meet them, and Wobbuffet, distressed and confused, waddled up beside Raichu.  “Wahh?  What happened?” he cried.

   Raichu narrowed his eyes at Wobbuffet, then rolled them, before he ran up to his sister and the others.  Meowth had set Pikachu back on her feet, before kneeling down to the ground, holding his shoulder and cringing as he tried to catch his breath.

   “Oh Meowth, that was so incredible!” Smeargle cried.  “That was so brave, and awesome, and romantic!  I couldn’t have dreamt it better!”

   Pikachu sat Togepi on the ground, kneeling down beside Meowth, before looking at Smeargle with a raised eyebrow.  She shook her head, then placed her hand on Meowth’s shoulder and asked, “Are you really gonna be okay Meowth?  You look pretty banged up.”

   Meowth looked up at Pikachu, still in pain, but smiled and said, “Of course Pikachu.  That wasn’t enough to hurt me…really.  I just…need a rest.”

   Smiling, Pikachu said, “You need more than that Meowth.  You need bandages, rest, and well, someone to look after you.”

   The two looked at each other and smiled.  Meowth still blushed slightly, but smiled strongly anyway.  Suddenly, someone knelt down beside him.  He looked and saw Raichu, and almost as if he reverted back to before, Meowth let out a gasp in surprise when he saw him.

   Raichu shook his head, managing a smile and said, “Well Meowth…I never thought I would say it, but you’ve proved yourself to me tonight.  I know that you’ll do whatever it takes to look after my sister…so…well, I promise to stop getting on your back all the time alright?  Just…remember, if anything does happen to her because of you again I’ll destroy you!”

   “Raichu…,” Pikachu said.

   Looking to his sister, he flushed red in embarrassment, but quickly stood up and said, “Picho, Pichow, let’s get going.  I’ve had enough of this forest.”

   Without another word, Raichu stood up and walked off.  Picho and Pichow looked back and forth between him and the others, unsure of what to do.  Picho cried, “But Raichu!  We’re leaving just like that?  Wait!”

   He ran after Raichu, and Pichow added, “You didn’t even say thank you to Meowth!  Wait up guys!” before running off after them.

   Wobbuffet watched them run off, then waddled over to Pikachu, Meowth, and Togepi.  Pikachu helped Meowth to his feet and he whispered, “He thanked me.  In his own way…he thanked me.”

   Pikachu wondered what Meowth just said, but instead of dwelling on it, she said, “Gee, we should get to the next town so we can take care of those injuries of yours and get some rest.”  Picking up Togepi, she said, “Let’s go!”  She handed Togepi to Meowth and said, “You keep a good hand on her, and I’ll help you.  So will Wobbuffet…right Wobby?”

   Coming up on the other side of Meowth, Wobbuffet nodded, bringing his hand to his head in a salute and said, “Wahh, you bet!”

   Meowth laughed softly and said, “Whatever you say.  Now come on guys, the next town is just outside of the woods.  Let’s go.”

   As they walked along, Pikachu looked to Meowth and said, “I think Raichu figured out what I knew all along.  He knows now that you’re strong enough to protect me.  I’m glad he knows that now.”

   While she looked back to the road ahead, Meowth smiled a bit, then whispered, “I am too.  I’m also glad…that I finally trust it.”

   They went along their way, heading for their next adventure.  Meanwhile, Smeargle came up behind them, hanging back far enough so they wouldn’t see her.  With a pad of paper in hand, she giggled and said, “Hee hee, from now on I’ll be sure to get every romantic moment between them!  I’ll show the world that Meowth and Pikachu are the greatest couple there is, ‘cause as you all know by now, and if you don’t know Sir or Madame, tis true when I tell you this…a hopeless romantic I am!”

   She then disappeared into the night, drawing and writing about her favorite couple forever.  She would be there for every romantic moment they shared, and after what she saw tonight, she like everyone around them, knew that there were many more to come as the days went by.

Description
“Strong Enough”
A Gijinka PikaMeow Short
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl

For: HopelessRomantic721

   It was dark; a moonless night sky filled with an infinity of stars provided the only natural light around.  That is, unless you counted the ballet of fireflies that filled the air underneath a canopy of trees.  This forest was quiet, save the whisper of a babbling brook that ran through its centre like a ribbon draped over a Christmas present, and a breath of a warm summer breeze rushing through the trees.  Tranquility could only begin to describe this summer night, that is, until a group of Gijinka Pokemon raced along a path through the woods, in too much of a frantic run to appreciate the world around them.  The whole of their worlds, were falling apart.

   There were three of them; one was a Gijinka Smeargle with a purple paint tipped tail, green eyes, and brown hair.  She was wearing her favorite outfit; a tan artist’s cap, and a tan and light brown shirt and pants, her trademark cow heart over her heart.  Her brown hair was tied in a braid, and she had two purple marks on her left cheek, small, and one shaped like another heart, for she was, a lover of love, which was part of why she was tagging along with her companions.

   The second of the group was a Gijinka Raichu.  He had sandy, honey brown hair, two yellow electric marks on his cheeks, and brown eyes.  His long, curly tail, black and tipped in a lightning-bolt shaped tuft of yellow fur, matched his curlicue ears, black and yellow on the inside.  He wore a red and white jacket, over a long-sleeved shirt about a few shades lighter than his hair, brown fingered gloves, long, baggy brown pants, and brown shoes with white soles.  As he ran along, panting a bit, he couldn’t help but glare a little at his other companion.  They were both on the same mission, but Raichu seemed to be at odds with the leader of the group.

   The leader was a Gijinka Meowth.  He had medium brown hair, two black ears poking out from underneath it, and blue eyes.  He wore a tan T-shirt with a brown collar and cuffs on the sleeves, brown pants rolled up just above his knees, and brown boots that came up to just below them.  His sole accessory was a dog-tag shaped pendant, gold with engraved cuts dividing it into three sections, hung on a black cord around his neck.

   As they ran, Meowth finally caught glance of Raichu glaring at him; his look said, “You’re responsible for all this.”  Finally annoyed with this glare, Meowth came to a screeching halt and shouted, “Will ya stop acting like this is my fault?  They’ve been after us for years now; you should be used to them causing trouble!”

   Raichu came to a stop, running up to Meowth, who he was considerably taller than, and leaned in so the tips of their noses were ready to touch.  Electricity sparked in his cheeks, and he growled, “Yeah well, they’ve never captured both my sister AND my brothers before you scruffy cat!  The day Pikachu started to spend time with you she opened us all up for Team Rocket’s dirty intentions.  My poor sister…you tricked her into this misery, and I’m gonna make you pay for it!”

   Not so long ago Meowth would have been easily intimidated by Raichu, the older brother of the girl that he had developed a love for, even if he didn’t show it the best that he could, often blushing and stammering when he spoke, doing his best to show her he cared.  And yet this wasn’t enough for Raichu, who not only blamed Meowth for stealing her away, but now for exposing her to such danger.  Meowth tried to let go of his days with the infamous Team Rocket, but in Raichu’s mind it was that little time he did spend with them that would be their bane.

   Before now Meowth would have backed down to Raichu’s anger and sparking cheeks, but with Pikachu, her little brothers Picho and Pichow, and even little baby Togepi taken by Team Rocket, Meowth wasn’t going to stand for Raichu and his misguided anger.  Smeargle glanced between them nervously, beads of sweat along her hairline.  She held up her hands and said, “Come on guys!  Fighting isn’t the answer!  Pikachu, Picho, Pichow and Togepi need us!”

   Raichu looked to Smeargle, growling softly.  Meowth, on the other hand, didn’t glare or growl.  Instead, he held up his hand in the air, catching both Raichu’s and Smeargle’s attention and said, “No Smeargle…that’s just fine with me.  If Raichu here would much rather look for whom to blame instead of try to help make it right, then that’s fine with me.  I won’t let him intimidate me out of rescuing Pikachu and Togepi.  I know the only reason he’s come along is for his brothers and to make sure I don’t screw things up.”  He looked to Raichu and added, “I’m sorry but I’ve already wasted enough time here.”

   Without another word, Meowth took off again, heading for the forest’s edge.  Raichu looked on, stunned, unsure of what to say.  He glanced at Smeargle, who with a nervous laugh shrugged her shoulders and took off after Meowth.  Raichu eventually rolled his eyes, groaning, and took off after them.  He had never gotten along well with Meowth, and while now was not a good time to try and do anything to correct that, he thought, “Darn him…thinking he can tell me what to do.  Heh, at least he isn’t so much of a wimp anymore.  If my sister has to be with him, then at least maybe I can trust him to look after her.  It takes a lot to stand up to me after all…my past experiences with him prove that.  Maybe he’s finally going to have what it takes to deserve my sister…at least in my mind…humph.”

   As he and Smeargle caught up to Meowth, he had already become consumed by other thoughts.  He now thought entirely of rescuing Pikachu, as well as Togepi, still infuriated at how they were taken from him before.  “I told Team Rocket I wanted nothing to do with them anymore, and yet they continue to make life hell for me and my friends.  This is the final straw.  If they don’t get it straight and leave me alone from now on…then, well…I’ll make them pay for it.”

   He quickly sped up, his need to rescue Pikachu giving him new strength, and he almost disappeared from Smeargle and Raichu’s sight.  Smeargle, trying to catch her breath, cried, “Wait Meowth!  Don’t leave us here!”

   Raichu paused for a moment, then continued with a new burst of speed, growling, “Perish the thought…what would we do without Meowth to guide us?  Ugh…and what happened to that one guy behind us?”

   As the three ran on, this final “guy” Raichu mentioned shuffled along his way, barely able to keep track of them.  He placed his hand on his blue hair as he looked after them, wondering what they were saying.  Slightly slower than the rest, in almost every way imaginable, the Gijinka Wobbuffet let out a troubled, “Wahh?”  As he continued on his way.

   Once Meowth got to the edge of the woods, he waited for Raichu and Smeargle, showing them the Team Rocket base that Pikachu, Togepi, and the Pichu brothers were taken to.  He pointed and said, “There!  That was where…well, I saw their plane come this way.”  He flushed slightly red, beads of sweat creeping down his neck and forehead when he remembered the time he spent here in the past.  He added, “I don’t know if we’ll have to face Giovanni, or just the local executive, but I know that they’re inside.  So let’s move!”

   Before Meowth could take off, Raichu grabbed Meowth’s arm, still annoyed but ready to cooperate and said, “That’s fine and dandy Meowth, but do we have a plan or are we just going to hope they let us in when we knock on the front door?”

   “Of course I have a plan,” Meowth said, pulling away from Raichu.  He added, “I used to know the codes to get in and out of here easily, but I don’t know if they’re still the same or not.  Anyway…you’re looking at someone who can break into any place easy.  Just watch.”

   Meowth then made his way up to the Rocket building, glancing at the security cameras on each side of the front door.  Before he made it into their line of sight, he leapt up and landed on top of an overhang just above the door.  Raichu and Smeargle watched as he crept to either side of it, unplugging the cameras on both side of the door, before leaping back down to the ground below, and waving them over.

   “Wow…I figured the Rockets would have prepared for something like that,” Smeargle said.

   Meowth laughed a bit and said, “Please, the fact that they were just now able to capture Pikachu should let ya know a thing or two about their thinking skills.  Now to cut a hole through the door over there.”

   Raichu blinked, stunned to see how intelligent and crafty Meowth actually was.  “And here I thought he was a no good wimp…he might actually be, well, tough.”

   He and Smeargle walked up to the front door, where Meowth was studying it to see exactly how he should break through it, but before he could, it suddenly opened up before him.  A voice came over the loud speaker.  “Please Meowth, don’t go vandalizing even more of my property will you?  If you want to try and make a feeble stand against me then come if you will.  You’re wasting your time however.  Fwahaha!”

   Letting out a gasp, Meowth growled and cried, “Giovanni!  Why I oughta!”  He looked back at Raichu and Smeargle and said, “C’mon!  We gotta save them!”  He took off running after this.

   Smeargle let out a happy sigh and said, “It’s so romantic to see Meowth running to save Pikachu like that!  It’s like a night in shining armor come to save his princess!  Someone oughta write a romance novel about the two of them!  Wait for me Meowth!”

   As Smeargle took off after Meowth, Raichu growled once more and said, “A romance novel?  Why don’t ya just draw a picture album full of sweet moments between them to boot eh?  Ugh…wait up!”

   Surprisingly, poor Wobbuffet was still keeping up with his friends.  He made it to the door and wailed, “Wahh, why must you all run so fast?  Wahh!  Wait for me!”  With a sigh he continued to waddle after them as quickly as he could.

   They ran through the oddly inactive Team Rocket compound, and along the way Smeargle answered Raichu’s question with a squeal and a cry, vowing that she would not only do the most pictures of her favorite couple anywhere, but she would also try her best to write about all the sweet times they had together, for you see, she was a lover of love, and now she would get to see her “knight” Meowth, come to save his “princess” Pikachu.  Of course, Meowth would have been annoyed to hear her think of it that way, for this was something serious.  It wasn’t just another fairytale that you could count on ending peacefully, for he knew who they were dealing with, and would stop at nothing to save Pikachu.

   At last the hallway opened up into a large room.  Meowth ran to the center of the darkened room, lit dimly by lights in a balcony above the room.  As Smeargle and Raichu ran up to him, Raichu said, “Well, where the heck is this guy?  I’ll teach him a lesson for kidnapping my sister and brothers!”

   Smeargle looked around, then added, “Gee, this place looks just like a Gym, not exactly an ideal backdrop for a valiant rescue but oh well…”

   “Giovanni!” Meowth cried.  He gazed up at the balcony, knowing that in the shadows his old boss, and now his greatest enemy, was lurking, waiting for the moment to make his entrance.  He had seen it all before, although it was something he had tried so hard to forget.  Brushing off those feelings, he beckoned again, “Giovanni!  Come out now!  Where did you take Pikachu, Togepi, Picho and Pichow?”

   All that was heard was a menacing cackle.  Smeargle squinted her eyes and thought she saw a face in the darkness, only his eyes illuminated by the dim white light behind him.  Her eyes then widened as she grabbed Raichu’s arm, pointed and said, “Is that him up there?”

   Both Meowth and Raichu looked to where her finger pointed, and they now saw the same eyes.  Meowth let out a growl and said, “That’s him alright.”  Running up closer to the balcony Meowth shouted, “Giovanni!  Where did you take Pikachu?”

   “And my brothers!  Where are Picho and Pichow?” Raichu shouted.

   “Heh, heh, heh…”  That menacing laugh preceded a snap from Giovanni’s fingers.  The lights in the room came up, and now, not only could they see Giovanni sitting in a chair above them, but they could also see his number one, a Gijinka Persian, standing in front of them, with Togepi, the Pichu brothers, and Pikachu trapped in a large glass container behind him.  Not only was it shatterproof, but it was shock proof as well.

   Pikachu’s eyes lit up once she saw Meowth and Raichu coming to save her and the others.  “Meowth!  Raichu!  Persian has a switch to drop the glass!  That’s the only way this glass will go away!”

   She held Togepi in her arms.  Togepi, upon seeing Meowth, cried, “Togepriiii!” and began reaching for him as strongly as she could.

   Picho and Pichow glared at Persian, growling at their inability to give him a beating.  Picho shouted, “Hey bro!  Beat up Persian good okay?”

   “Yeah!  The dirty jerk…make him pay for shutting us up in here!” Pichow added.

   Persian turned and growled at the Pichu brothers, ticked off with their antics.  He looked up to Giovanni and said, “Honestly sir, I don’t understand why on earth we had to capture those annoyances.”  He then looked to Meowth and said, “Feh, it was enough to bring you back here…ex-agent Meowth, wasn’t it?  Have you come to save your girlfriend here?  She’s not worth your time if we were able to capture her that easily.”

   Pikachu’s red cheeks sparked when Persian said that.  She quickly handed Togepi to Picho and started to bang on the glass, shouting, “Why you!  You mangy, filthy, no-good snob!  I’ll make you pay for that!  Why I oughta…!”

   “It’s okay Pikachu!” Meowth called to her, “He is everything you said, but I’ll make him pay for it all.  You’ll see…”

   Giovanni let out another laugh and said, “So, you wish to resolve things with Persian first do you Meowth?  Ha!  Do whatever!  It’s your funeral!”

   Persian took a fighting stance, and while Smeargle retreated, Raichu stood by Meowth.  Meowth looked to Raichu and said, “This is my fight.  You go and figure out how to free them.”

   Raichu rolled his eyes and said, “You idiot, didn’t you hear what my sister said?  Persian has a controller to lower the glass in one of his pockets.  You keep him busy until I can get it from him, then we can kick the crap out of him and get out.”

   Meowth turned to look at Raichu, then nodded and said, “Sure.”

   “But just remember!” Raichu added, “You still have to prove yourself worthy to have my sister, okay?  I’m only helping you out because you’d be nowhere without me.”

   They turned to look at Persian, and as Raichu took two steps back, Meowth glanced to Pikachu once more and whispered, “Whatever you say Raichu, whatever you say.”

   Persian then held up his hands.  The gloves he wore had spikes on the back of them, and without warning he lunged for Meowth, ready to fight.  Meowth jumped out of the way and ran behind him, giving Persian a jump kick to the back, sending him flying towards Raichu, who with wide eyes quickly ran out of the way.  Persian crashed to the floor shortly after that, rolling to a stop in just enough time to see Meowth running towards him for a follow-up attack.  Raichu circled close by, waiting to see when he could run and snatch the controller, which he now knew was in Persian’s left coat pocket.

   “Get ‘em Meowth!”  Pichow cried.  He paused, looking to his brother and said, “Gee, I didn’t know Meowth had that kind of fight in him.  He’s always…well, never come off as such a fierce fighter to me…not like sis or bro I mean.”

   Picho nodded as he held on to Togepi.  Pikachu pressed her face up to the glass, watching Meowth fight Persian with her older brother close by.  She had never seen this fierce fighting side of Meowth before.  It infatuated her, despite how angry she was at Persian and Giovanni for capturing her.  It was enough for her to put her anger beside as she watched Meowth dodge punches and swipes from Persian as he returned his own, in admiration of his bravery.  Normally, she would never openly say how much she cared about him, but now was one of those times when her heart screamed it at her to speak.

   “You get him Meowth.  I know you can do it,” she whispered, “You show them who the better man is.”

   Smeargle watched the battle, glancing between the fray, and Pikachu watching on adoringly.  Smeargle could see that sparkle of love in Pikachu’s brown eyes, and she let out a soft squeal of delight and said, “Aww man, this is better than I could have dreamed it!  Both princess and knight kind of soft-spoken in their love for each other, and yet you can see it in their eyes when they speak each other’s name!  I love it!”

   Finally, Wobbuffet waddled up behind her, catching his breath as he tried to gather what was happening.  He turned to her and said, “Wahh?  What’s happening?”

   Smeargle glanced at him, a sweat drop forming on her brow as she said, “Only the best thing that can happen in a romance story!  Meowth is going to save Pikachu from those evil fiends and they’ll live happily ever after!  Isn’t that awesome?”

   Wobbuffet grimaced and whimpered, wailing, “Wahh…if you say so.”

   Suddenly, Persian, just after rebounding from an attack, cried out, “That’s IT alley cat!  I’ll show you who’s boss!”

   Raichu, who stood a little behind Meowth, could finally see the controller hanging from Persian’s pocket and decided now was the time to dive for it.  He ran for Persian, remembering to leave the fight to Meowth, and held off using any electricity.

   Unfortunately, Persian was too fast even for Raichu, and quickly turned, using a side kick to knock Meowth away and into a wall, before unleashing a fury of punches and swipes at Raichu.  Raichu tried to fight back, getting in a few good punches and kicks to try and defend himself, but ultimately met his match when Persian lifted him up, tossing him to the air, and using a jump kick to send him sailing into the wall right above Wobbuffet and Smeargle.

   “Aiyeee!” Smeargle cried, curling up as rubble fell for her.  Wobbuffet, in a rare moment of lucidness grabbed hold of Smeargle, pulling her away from the stone pieces as they fell right where she once stood, with Raichu falling on top of them in a heap.

   “Aww man, Raichu!” Picho shouted.

   “Grr, stupid Persian!  You’ll pay for hurting our brother!” Pichow cried.

   Pikachu too was upset at what happened to her brother, but more quickly was her attention drawn to where Meowth now sat, nursing an injury to his leg and shoulder after crashing into the wall.  She cried out, “You can do it Meowth!  Show him who the stronger man is!”  She took Togepi from Picho and said, “You and I know who the stronger one is already don’t we Togepi?”

   Little Togepi looked out to where Meowth now sat, with Persian slowly walking up to him to finish the battle.  She merely nodded, crying softly as she whimpered, “Togeprii…,” reaching for Meowth again, unsure of exactly what was going on, only wanting it to be over.

   Persian’s shadow fell over Meowth, who quickly leapt to his feet when he saw this.  Persian laughed and said, “Oh you wimpy little pussycat you…this was over before it began.  If Raichu couldn’t stop me, then what makes you think you can?  You’re weak!  You’ll never be strong enough to be any good to anyone!”

   Meowth growled softly, but then shook his head, and said, “You’re right Persian.  I’ll never be strong enough…on my own.  It’s my friends who make me stronger.  On my way here my determination to save Pikachu and Togepi helped me get over the nervousness I had whenever Raichu tried to intimidate me.  Frankly…I don’t think I could have done as well against you as I have now if it weren’t for Pikachu, Togepi…and even Wobbuffet.  As long as I’m strong enough for my friends, I can take out whatever faces me, including my past…and including you.”

   While this happened, Smeargle and Wobbuffet ran to help Raichu.  He was injured, but struggled to his knees, holding something in his hands.

   “Are you okay Raichu?” Smeargle asked.

   Raichu looked to her, losing strength and falling back onto the rocks, the controller he had taken from Persian falling to the floor.  While Smeargle tried to help Raichu, not noticing the controller, Wobbuffet did see it, and bent down to pick it up.  Looking at it with a puzzled glance, he tried to decipher the two words on the switch; activate and deactivate.  Raising a hand to his head, he whined, “Wahh…how does this work?”

   While he fumbled with the switch, Persian finished laughing at Meowth’s little speech, then raised his fist up to smite him and said, “It’s a tragedy that I can’t write that down to laugh at later Meowth.  I was going to ask if you had any last words, but after hearing that I think I’ll put us both out of our misery.”

   Pikachu looked on in fear, and let out a cry, “Meowth!  No!”

   Finally, Wobbuffet pushed the switch on the controller to deactivate.  A low rumble was heard catching both Giovanni, and Persian, by surprise.

   “What?  Persian you fool!  You let them get the controller!  No!” Giovanni shouted.

   Persian, who was about ready to crush Meowth, looked up and back and said, “What!?  But how?”

   With Persian distracted by the glass cage falling apart around Pikachu, Togepi, Picho, and Pichow, Meowth quickly stood up and tackled Persian to the ground, ripping Persian’s gloves off of him, and giving him the same beating that Persian had given Raichu.

   The glass cage fell apart, and Pikachu and her brothers ran clear of it, Picho and Pichow running to Raichu, while Pikachu with Togepi in her arms, ran halfway to Meowth, stopping as she watched him pin Persian to the floor.

   He glared at Persian and said, “It’s just like I told ya Persian.  I may not be the strongest in the world, but I’m strong when it counts.  I’m strong enough to save them, and don’t you forget it buddy!”

   Persian growled, wanting to say something to Meowth, but after suffering such a bad beating, all he could do was mutter softly before going out cold.

   Meowth stood up, panting a bit as he grabbed his left shoulder, staring down at his fallen adversary as he did so.  He didn’t notice Pikachu standing nearby until she ran up, hugging him tightly with one arm, and holding a now happy Togepi in the other.

   “Oh Meowth, that was awesome!  You showed him who’s boss!  You were great!” she shouted.

   Meowth’s cheeks quickly flushed into a deep red shade when she said this.  However, he slowly returned the hug, able to feel chills run through him as he did so.  “That’s what I was telling him,” Meowth thought, “They’re what make me stronger, strong enough to save them.  Even if I’m not strong enough for Team Rocket, I am for them, and that’s…all I need to know.”

   “It was nothing Pikachu…I’m just glad you and Togepi are alright is all…,” Meowth said.

   Pikachu pulled back and looked at him, smiling a bit and said, “Well, you never had to worry about that…they can’t hurt me!”  Meowth gave her a look, and with a slight pink blush behind her red cheeks, she added, “Well, I was in a tight spot there.  I couldn’t have made it without you Meowth you know that.”

   Meowth folded his arms, turning away, and said, “Well Pikachu sometimes I’m not entirely sure of that.  I mean, I know you can get along perfectly without me, and why you decide to stick with me escapes me.”  He turned back to her and said, “But, I’m glad that you do anyway Pikachu, and I hope, well, that you always will.”  He continued to blush when he said this, although in his heart he meant every word.

   The yellow mouse girl looked to him, rolling her eyes but smiling and said, “You bet I will Meowth.  There’s never a boring moment when you’re around.”

   While they talked, Picho and Pichow reunited with their brother, who now roused from falling unconscious in those last few moments.  Smeargle watched as all the happy reunions went on with a romance-smitten smile on her face.  Meanwhile, Wobbuffet found one more switch on the controller, one that was labeled, “Use only in emergencies.”  Sadly, his moment of clarity had cleared, and not knowing any better, he pressed that switch too.

   Suddenly, the building began to quake, and Giovanni, who had run down to finish the fight on his own stopped short before stepping onto the gym floor.  He glanced at Wobbuffet, and slapped his hand to his forehead and said, “Ugh, whose bright idea was it to put a self-destruct switch for the entire base on that one controller?”

   Persian, who had woken up and now crawled to the side of his leader, said, “It was yours sir!  We had planned to flee and blow the place up once Meowth came to save them so we could destroy them all, but then I thought at the last minute that it would be better to just fight off Meowth.”

   Giovanni glared in disbelief at Persian, growled and took off for his helicopter.  He turned to Persian as they ran and shouted “Remind me to never listen to you again!  Blast it all, I’ll have you exterminated someday Meowth!  You just wait!”

   Meowth turned, able to hear Giovanni shouting, and then he realized why the building was shaking.  They all did, for then a voice came up over a loudspeaker that said, “Self destruction of Team Rocket Base Twelve in counting: Ten…Nine…”

   Raichu used thunderbolt on the pile of rubble, scooped up his brothers and shouted, “Come on!  We gotta get out of here!”

   Smeargle pulled Wobbuffet along as she ran after Raichu, Wobbuffet wailed in distress, having dropped the controller that he had had such an interest in.  “Wahh!” he cried, and as they ran it slowly faded away.

   Meowth grabbed Pikachu by her arms, pushed her ahead and cried, “Run!  Quickly!”

   Pikachu tightened her grip on Togepi, who now cried because of all the shaking and loud noises.  The countdown got closer to detonation…, “Six…Five…Four.”

   Raichu ran outside, with Smeargle and Pikachu close behind.  Raichu watched the door in horror for any sign of his sister, Togepi, and Meowth.  The countdown was almost through…, “Three…Two…One…”

   “Pikachu!  Where are you!?” Raichu shouted.  “No!”

   The building erupted into flames as it blew up from within.  Raichu shielded Picho and Pichow from the blast, unable to bring himself to think of what this meant for his sister Pikachu…and even Meowth, despite all the fighting they had done in the past.

   “No…,” Raichu murmured.  He finally turned around, only to see Meowth staggering away from the burning building, his fur and clothes smoking, but Pikachu and Togepi safe.  He carried Pikachu in his arms, even though his shoulder was dislocated and his leg fractured, and she held Togepi tightly.  They had made it out of the building, alive.

   “Alright!” Picho shouted.

   “Meowth did it!” Pichow added.

   Raichu stared at them in shock.  He was overwhelmed with joy that his sister, well, all of them, were alright, but even more shocked was he at the control and strength Meowth had exhibited that night.  Raichu could never look at him the same again; Meowth just wasn’t this weak, insecure little pussycat that couldn’t do anything for himself, let alone Raichu’s baby sister.

   Smeargle ran past him to meet them, and Wobbuffet, distressed and confused, waddled up beside Raichu.  “Wahh?  What happened?” he cried.

   Raichu narrowed his eyes at Wobbuffet, then rolled them, before he ran up to his sister and the others.  Meowth had set Pikachu back on her feet, before kneeling down to the ground, holding his shoulder and cringing as he tried to catch his breath.

   “Oh Meowth, that was so incredible!” Smeargle cried.  “That was so brave, and awesome, and romantic!  I couldn’t have dreamt it better!”

   Pikachu sat Togepi on the ground, kneeling down beside Meowth, before looking at Smeargle with a raised eyebrow.  She shook her head, then placed her hand on Meowth’s shoulder and asked, “Are you really gonna be okay Meowth?  You look pretty banged up.”

   Meowth looked up at Pikachu, still in pain, but smiled and said, “Of course Pikachu.  That wasn’t enough to hurt me…really.  I just…need a rest.”

   Smiling, Pikachu said, “You need more than that Meowth.  You need bandages, rest, and well, someone to look after you.”

   The two looked at each other and smiled.  Meowth still blushed slightly, but smiled strongly anyway.  Suddenly, someone knelt down beside him.  He looked and saw Raichu, and almost as if he reverted back to before, Meowth let out a gasp in surprise when he saw him.

   Raichu shook his head, managing a smile and said, “Well Meowth…I never thought I would say it, but you’ve proved yourself to me tonight.  I know that you’ll do whatever it takes to look after my sister…so…well, I promise to stop getting on your back all the time alright?  Just…remember, if anything does happen to her because of you again I’ll destroy you!”

   “Raichu…,” Pikachu said.

   Looking to his sister, he flushed red in embarrassment, but quickly stood up and said, “Picho, Pichow, let’s get going.  I’ve had enough of this forest.”

   Without another word, Raichu stood up and walked off.  Picho and Pichow looked back and forth between him and the others, unsure of what to do.  Picho cried, “But Raichu!  We’re leaving just like that?  Wait!”

   He ran after Raichu, and Pichow added, “You didn’t even say thank you to Meowth!  Wait up guys!” before running off after them.

   Wobbuffet watched them run off, then waddled over to Pikachu, Meowth, and Togepi.  Pikachu helped Meowth to his feet and he whispered, “He thanked me.  In his own way…he thanked me.”

   Pikachu wondered what Meowth just said, but instead of dwelling on it, she said, “Gee, we should get to the next town so we can take care of those injuries of yours and get some rest.”  Picking up Togepi, she said, “Let’s go!”  She handed Togepi to Meowth and said, “You keep a good hand on her, and I’ll help you.  So will Wobbuffet…right Wobby?”

   Coming up on the other side of Meowth, Wobbuffet nodded, bringing his hand to his head in a salute and said, “Wahh, you bet!”

   Meowth laughed softly and said, “Whatever you say.  Now come on guys, the next town is just outside of the woods.  Let’s go.”

   As they walked along, Pikachu looked to Meowth and said, “I think Raichu figured out what I knew all along.  He knows now that you’re strong enough to protect me.  I’m glad he knows that now.”

   While she looked back to the road ahead, Meowth smiled a bit, then whispered, “I am too.  I’m also glad…that I finally trust it.”

   They went along their way, heading for their next adventure.  Meanwhile, Smeargle came up behind them, hanging back far enough so they wouldn’t see her.  With a pad of paper in hand, she giggled and said, “Hee hee, from now on I’ll be sure to get every romantic moment between them!  I’ll show the world that Meowth and Pikachu are the greatest couple there is, ‘cause as you all know by now, and if you don’t know Sir or Madame, tis true when I tell you this…a hopeless romantic I am!”

   She then disappeared into the night, drawing and writing about her favorite couple forever.  She would be there for every romantic moment they shared, and after what she saw tonight, she like everyone around them, knew that there were many more to come as the days went by.