Houndour

ometime after catching Totodile, the gang relaxed at a cafe in town.

"I'm glad we're eating in a town for once." Misty said. "It's been days since we left Azalea Town."

"Yeah, we can relax and stock up on supplies here." Brock said.

"Hey Misty." Ash looked at her and asked. "Did you send your Wooper and Marill to the Cerulean Gym?"

"Yes I did actually." Misty replied. "My sisters went over the moon with how cute they are."

Misty kept Totodile with her.

"No doubt they will be starring in your sister's water ballets then." Brock said.

"I wonder what new Pokemon we'll catch next." Tomo said.

Ash, Misty and Brock thought the same thing.

Suddenly they heard a noise; someone was shouting "Stop thief!"

Then they saw a black, white and red dog Pokemon running past them, carrying a lump of meat in it's mouth.

"That was a Houndour." Brock said.

Ash looked it up on the Pokedex.

"Houndour, the Dark Pokemon. It uses different kinds of cries for communicating with others of it's kind and for pursuing it's prey."

Just then Nurse Joy ran up.

"Did you see a Houndour run by here?" She asked.

"Yes we did, but it just left." Brock answered.

"Oh dear, so the Houndour pack got away again." She sighed.

Nurse Joy went into more detail back at the Pokemon Center.

"There's been trouble with a pack of Houndour throughout the week." She said. "They would sneak into this town and then they steal food and take it back to the forest with them. The worst part is if you try to fight them, the Houndour pack would fight back."

"Any ideas why they're doing that?" Misty asked.

"None." Nurse Joy replied. "And if they continue to do this, someone will have to capture them."

The gang didn't know who to feel sorry for; the townspeople or the Houndour pack.

Just then Tomo thought about something.

"Maybe they're doing the same thing Sentret did." He said.

"Tomo might be right." Brock noted. "I mean, Sentret did the same thing the Houndour's are doing now. Maybe they have a reason for stealing food and if so we need to figure out why."

Ash, Tomo and Misty agreed with Brock's decision.

That night when the full moon was out, the gang came up with a way to find out more about the Houndour pack. Brock had just cooked some hot dogs.

"I'm sure the Houndour will fall for this." Brock said. "When they come here to grab the hot dogs, we will follow them when they run off with them."

"But how will we follow them in the dark?" Misty asked.

"My eyes can glow in the dark when I'm in dragon form." Ash pointed out.

"And I'll release my Zubat to help." Brock added.

The gang got ready for the Houndour pack; Brock left the cooked hot dogs out on a plate and he and the others hid behind some bushes. Brock's Zubat hid in a tree to watch what would happen. Suddenly the gang heard a growling noise.

"I think they're here." Ash whispered.

The gang stayed very still and quiet in the bushes and then suddenly a Houndour appeared. The Houndour took one of the hotdogs and ran off with it.

"Go time." Ash declared as he changed forms.

He followed Houndour from the air alongside Zubat.

Brock, Misty and Tomo followed on foot, making sure not to be seen by Houndour.

Finally the Houndour stopped at the foot of some rocky hills. The others remained out of sight.

"Good work Zubat." Brock whispered before returning it to it's Poke Ball.

"There's the pack." Tomo said, pointing to the Houndour's

One of the Houndours was laying on the ground and it seemed to be injured.

"I see food." Ash said as he landed.

There was half-eaten bread and packets of meat.

"Seems our theory was right." Brock said. "The Houndours were stealing food for their injured friend."

"We should help." Misty insisted. "I mean, that Houndour will need Nurse Joy."

"I'll handle it." Misty placed Houndour on Ash's back.

He prepared to take off when everyone heard a bellowing sound from the hill above the Houndour pack. A Golem and five Gravelers were standing on the hill looking down at the Houndour pack.

"Oh no." Brock said. "That Golem and those Gravelers must live here. And they call the Houndour pack intruders."

The Golem and Graveler rolled down the hill to attack the Houndour's. The Houndour leader, which had an x mark on it's left cheek and a scar on it's right eye sent a stream of fire at Golem to stop it. It didn't do much though.

"Let's help out." Ash insisted. "The Houndour are going to have a hard time with the Golem and Graveler."

Tomo, Misty and Brock agreed.

Misty released her two Poliwag, Brock released his Onix and Tomo released his Omanyte.

"Stop them with Bubble." Misty ordered.

"This is your only warning." Ash growled. "Leave the Houndour pack alone."

The Golem and Graveler started to charge at them.

"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" Ash shouted.

"Water Gun Omanyte." Tomo said.

"Iron Tail Onix." Brock said.

"Water Gun Poliwag." Misty said.

All four attacks connected with the Golem and Graveler. The Houndour pack was surprised to see humans helping them. The Gravelers ran away after being hit by Water Gun, but Golem was still willing to fight.

"We better attack it again." Misty said. "Poliwag Bubble."

Her two Poliwag blew bubbles at the Golem and then it ran away.

"It's finally over." Ash said.

"Well done Poliwag." Misty said.

Just then her Poliwag started to glow.

"Hey I think your two Poliwag are evolving Misty." Brock said.

He was right; Misty's two Poliwag evolved into two Poliwhirl.

"Oh wow." Misty said, happy with her two Poliwhirl.

"Congrats Misty." Ash smiled down at her.

Brock looked at the injured Houndour; it's leg had a very nasty injury.

"How is it Brock?" Tomo asked.

"Houndour's leg is in bad shape and showing signs of infection." Brock said. "And I feel a fever coming along. We need to get it to Nurse Joy immediately."

He was about to pick the Houndour up when the other Houndour surrounded him and started growling; they thought he was going to harm the injured Houndour.

"Calm yourselves." Ash told them. "Your friend needs to go to a Pokemon Center; otherwise it's condition will continue to deteriorate."

Tomo's Growlithe stepped forward and barked at the Houndour to let them know everything Ash said was true. The leader of the Houndour pack listened to Growlithe and then barked at the other Houndour to tell them that the humans were trustworthy.

"The Houndour trust us now." Brock said.

"Alright." Ash replied. "Put Houndour on my back."

In his dragon form, he could get there faster than the others.

Brock placed Houndour on his back as he flew towards the Pokemon Center.

Brock, Tomo and Misty followed on foot. The Houndor pack followed them; they were concerned about the injured Houndour as well.

When they finally arrived, Ash had reverted back to human form and gave Houndour to Nurse Joy.

"This Houndour's fever is really high." Nurse Joy said. "I have to treat it quickly."

Ash and the others waited and waited while Nurse Joy treated Houndour. The leader of the Houndour pack waited with the gang while the other Houndour waited outside the Pokemon Center. One hour later, Nurse Joy came out of the treatment room.

"How's Houndour?" Ash asked.

"The fever has gone down." Nurse Joy said. "It will be just fine."

The gang was relieved to hear this.

"You hear that Houndour?" Ash asked. "Your friend will be just fine."

The leader stared at Ash; knowing he was a trustworthy human.

The Houndour was healed and recovered in no time at all and the next morning it was ready to leave with the pack again.

"You all take care of yourselves." Ash said.

"Yes and no more stealing from now on." Misty said.

The gang said goodbye to Nurse Joy and the Houndour pack then started to leave the town.

They started walking through the woods when suddenly the Houndour pack came up to them.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Ash asked.

The leader of the pack stepped forward and it had two young Houndour by it's side. The Houndour barked at the two young Houndour and the two young Houndour ran over to Tomo and Ash. Ash and Tomo were confused.

"I think that Houndour wants us to take the two young Houndour." Brock said. "It's probably a way to say thanks for helping their friend."

"Is that true?" Ash asked.

The Houndour leader nodded to say yes. Tomo knelled down to the young Houndour in front of him and it licked Tomo's face. Then Tomo took out his Level Ball and caught Houndour with it. Ash used his Level Ball to catch the other young Houndour.

"Don't worry Houndour." He said to the Houndour leader. "We will take good care of these Houndour."

Houndour barked, saying that it understood what Ash was saying.

So Ash and the others bid farewell to the Houndour pack again and resumed their journey.