EP043

## Summary

After Alex's Top 8 achievement in the Indigo Plateau Conference, Pallet Town holds a party celebrating his accomplishment at Professor Oak's Laboratory, hosted by Professor Oak himself. Meanwhile, a disguised Team Rocket operates a food stall for the party. When Alex places an order, they decide to sabotage it with extremely hot sausages. Alex takes the food back as Salvadore and Alex's Pokemon take the first bite, only to suffer from the extreme heat. Nikki has Horsea cool them down with its Bubbles.

As Team Rocket recite their motto, the stand turns into a modified hot air balloon. Alex and his friends toss the food back at them before Team Rocket attempts to escape. Cassidy promptly shell the area with bombs, causing panic. Alex has Farfetch'd use Cut, which bursts the ballon. As they descend, Cassidy sends out Rattata to attack Farfetch'd with Tackle.

Furious, Alex decides to send out Poliwag. Before Poliwag can do anything, Team Rocket continues to bomb the area, destroying the table. Angry, Poliwag races after them, deflecting another group of bombs back at the balloon, destroying it, and sending Team Rocket blasting off. As Team Rocket lands in a tree, Cassidy tries to look beyond some trees, but a whole flock of Pidgeys led by a Pidgeotto attack her.

Back at Professor Oak's Lab, Oak asks Alex and his friends are they willing to come with him on a vacation to Valencia Island in the Orange Archipelago. He needs to do some Pokemon research there. They all agree and depart from Alex's home.

As Alex, his friends and Professor Oak head off into a forest, they become suspicious about its silence. Alex looks up and alerts the group to a flock of Pidgey. They duck just in time, and a Pidgeotto also swoops at them. Alex checks Pidgeotto's data on his Pokedex and wonders why they are attacking. The Pidgeotto returns and grabs Alex with its clawed feet before taking off. Alex sends out his Charizard and orders him to use Flamethrower, causing Pidgeotto to drop Alex into the forest. Alex land in the same tree as Team Rocket. Nikki, Salvadore and Professor Oak catch up to Alex, as he decides to get Team Rocket to safety first. He jumps on the branches, which causes the trio to fall onto the ground. The Pidgey and Pidgeotto soon chase Team Rocket away.

In that moment Pidgeotto returns. Salvadore sends out his Growlithe and challenges the Pidgeotto, but gets hit by its Gust and plummets to the ground. Growlithe struggles to get up, but it somehow manages. Growlithe attacks Pidgeotto multiple times with Flamethrower, wearing it down. Salvadore then throws a Poke Ball and catches it.

Back on the ground, as the sun sets, Alex, his friends and Professor Oak continued their journey to Valencia Island. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is still fleeing from the relentless Pidgey.

## Major Events

* Alex and his friends decide to travel with Professor Oak to Valencia Island on the Orange Archipelago
* Salvadore catches a Pidgeotto

## Characters

### Humans

* Alex
* Nikki
* Salvadore
* Professor Oak
* Chris
* Butch
* Cassidy
* Party guests

## Pokemon

* Farfetch'd (Alex's)
* Poliwag (Alex's)
* Horsea (Nikki's)
* Rattata (Cassidy's)
* Growlithe (Salvadore's)
* Pidgeotto (Salvadore's, new, debut)
* Pidgey (multiple)