Mudkip Marsh

Today the gang walked down a river bank. May was feeling happy at the moment; yesterday while she was training her Pokemon with Ash and Tomo, her Wurmple evolved into a Silcoon. So May was happy that she was going to have a Beautifly. Right now the gang had arrived at a muddy marsh.

"Where are we?" Tomo asked.

Before anyone could look at the map or Pokenavs, they suddenly saw some baby Mudkip by a lake.

"They're so cute." May said.

"I wonder who they belong to?" Ash asked.

Just then a slightly bigger Mudkip came out of the bushes.

"That Mudkip must be the guardian of the baby Mudkip." Brock noted.

Mudkip angrily stared at the gang.

*'I bet that Mudkip considers us to be trespassers and thinks we are going to take the baby Mudkip away.'* Ash thought.

He released his Mudkip from the Poke Ball and with Mudkip's help Ash managed to convince the Mudkip that they were not here to take the baby Mudkip away and they were simply passing through. Mudkip still stared at them to make sure they were telling the truth.

Then a old man came up to the gang. This old man had a haircut that made him look like a Mudkip.

"What are you kids doing here?" The man demanded. "This is private property."

"We're sorry sir." Brock apologized. "We're lost and have no idea where we are."

The old man introduced himself as Mr. Swampy and led them into his cabin. Inside the cabin, the gang saw blue and orange Pokemon eggs.

"Are these Mudkip eggs?" Ash asked.

"That they are." Mr. Swampy smiled.

Just then one of the Mudkip eggs glowed and hatched into a baby Mudkip.

"Wow, seeing Pokemon hatch from eggs is totally awesome." Max said.

"It certainly is." Tomo smiled.

"I must ask you Mr. Swampy?" Ash said. "Is this by chance a center where you breed baby Mudkip and then send them off to new trainers."

"Yes it is." Mr. Swampy nodded. "How did you guess that?"

"Well Prof. Oak once told me that he received Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle from special Pokemon breeding centers where they breed Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle." Ash explained. "And Prof. Elm in Johto told me the same thing with Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Totodile."

"Wait, so is that where the starter Pokemon come from before Pokemon professors give them to new trainers?" Max asked.

"That is correct." Mr. Swampy said.

"Prof. Oak also told me that the centers keep their locations a secret from everyone except Pokemon professors." Ash said.

"That is true." Mr. Swampy said. "We fear that somebody might come to any of the centers and take away all the baby starter Pokemon, which is why you five must keep this place a secret."

"We will." Ash agreed to not share the center's location with anyone.

The others agreed to do so as well.

Suddenly they heard what sounded like a cowbell outside.

"That's the alarm I put up in case intruders come here." Mr. Swampy said.

He feared that the baby Mudkip might be in trouble so he quickly went out the door and the gang followed him. Mr. Swampy was right about the baby Mudkip being in trouble; two men were placing the baby Mudkip in sacks.

"Hey leave those Mudkip alone!" Mr. Swampy shouted.

"Sorry old man." One of the men said. "But these Mudkip belong to us now."

Then he and the other man started to run away.

"Oh no you don't!" Brock shouted.

He released Lotad and Forretress from their Poke Balls and ordered them to attack the men with Water Gun and Swift. The men dropped the sacks that held the baby Mudkip after they were hit. The only Mudkip that wasn't in the sack was the bigger Mudkip and it knocked the men out with Tackle.

"Hey that Mudkip sure is strong." Brock said.

"You're right about that." Mr. Swampy nodded.

Mr. Swampy tied the crooks up and handed them over to the police.

"Thank you for helping me save the baby Mudkip." Mr. Swampy told the gang.

"I'm relieved that the baby Mudkip are okay." Ash said.

Brock was petting the head of the bigger Mudkip.

"You are a very good guardian of these baby Mudkip, Mudkip." He said.

Mr. Swampy saw the bond between Brock and the Mudkip.

"Brock, would you mind doing something for me?" He asked.

"Sure, what is it?" Brock asked.

"I want you to be that Mudkip's new trainer." Mr. Swampy said. "You see that Mudkip is really a wild Mudkip and not one I breed here. And it's really time for it to leave because it is already grown up and strong. So Brock please take it with you and become it's partner forever."

Brock instantly accepted the offer and was happy to have his own Mudkip.

After that, the gang said goodbye to Mr. Swampy and the baby Mudkip, determined to never share this location with anyone.