Earth Badge

The gang had just arrived in Viridian City and Ash was eager to obtain his final gym badge.

"I can't believe that I need only one more badge to enter the Indigo League." Ash said. He had been staring at his seven badges.

"You sure seem excited Ash." Misty said.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Ash asked. "I've always wanted to participate in the Indigo League after seeing on TV as a kid."

Misty smiled.

"It is nice to dream." She admitted.

They arrived at the Viridian Gym. The gym was a light brown building and looked like a Roman temple. Ash was just about to head to the doors when his rival Gary turned up.

"Hi Ash." Gary said in a cocky tone.

"Gary, what are you doing here?" Ash asked.

"I'm here for a gym battle." Gary replied. "What about you?"

"I'm here to get my eighth badge." Ash said, showing Gary his seven badges.

Gary smirked and showed Ash his ten badges.

"I'm taking on the gym first." He said before entering the gym.

Ash wanted to enter the gym too.

"Only one trainer is allowed in the gym at the time." The guards said.

Ash had to wait for Gary to come out for his turn. He sighed.

"I think I'll stop by the Pokemon Center for now."

They went to the Pokemon Center. The Nurse Joy was happy to see Ash and Misty again. Ash was planning to use Wartortle, Ivysaur and Kangaskhan for the gym battle, so he had Nurse Joy check them out. He was now having tea in the Pokemon Center cafe with the others.

"I just realized a year has passed since we left Viridian City." Misty told Ash.

"You're right." Ash said. "And my eleventh birthday is in a couple weeks. Wow we've been traveling for so long, I've lost track of how many days have flown by."

Brock laughed.

"That's normal, because it's easy to ignore the fact that time flies so quickly when you're enjoying your life."

Just then Ash felt a psychic wave in the air and his eyes changed.

"What's wrong big brother?" Tomo asked.

"I don't know." Ash said. "Something doesn't feel right."

"Is there a psychic type Pokemon in the city?" Brock asked.

"I'm not sure." Ash replied. "I mean it feels like a psychic type Pokemon, but stronger."

A half hour later, the gang decided to return to the gym. When they arrived, the guards were gone and the gym sign said 'closed'.

"Something's weird." Brock said. "We need to get inside the gym."

The good news was, the doors weren't locked. The gang bust through the doors, ran through the corridors and finally found the battlefield. To their horror, they saw Gary and his Nidoking and Arcanine unconscious on the floor. Ash ran over to Gary to see if he was all right.

"What happened to you?" Ash asked Gary.

Gary woke up and proceeded to tell them.

"The gym leader used a Pokemon I had never seen before." Gary said weakly. "And it was way too strong. My Pokemon didn't have a chance."

Ash looked around the area.

*'This is where the psychic waves originated.'* He thought.

Just then they heard laughter.

"Who's there?" Misty demanded.

Team Rocket appeared.

"What are you doing here?" Ash asked.

"Our boss had other matters to attend to." Jessie said. "So while he's dealing with that, we're the current gym leaders."

*'Then the Viridian Gym is under Team Rocket's control.'* Ash thought.

"If you want this badge." Jessie said, holding the Earth Badge in her left hand. "You will have to battle me first."

"You're on." Ash replied.

Just before the battle began, James brought two platforms onto the battlefield.

"The trainers will stand on these platforms." He explained.

Ash stood on the green platform and Jessie stood on the red platform. Jessie threw three Poke Balls. A Machamp, a Kingler and a Rhydon popped out. Giovanni had given them to Jessie. Ash released Ivysaur, Wartortle and Kangaskhan. Gary was amazed with Ash's Pokemon, especially Kangaskhan. It was now time for the gym battle.

The first match was between Machamp and Wartortle. Jessie had Machamp attack Wartortle with Karate Chop. When Wartortle got hit by that, Ash was shocked by the platform.

"What happened?" Misty gasped.

Team Rocket laughed.

"I had the platform rigged so the trainer feels all the pain his Pokemon feels."

"What?" Ash growled, enlarging his canines.

Tomo, Misty and Brock were angry and even Gary thought that was dirty.

"Wartortle blast Machamp with Water Gun." Ash said.

Wartortle blasted a strong stream of water at Machamp and caused it to feel pain. Jessie was then shocked by her platform.

"Hey why did you have my platform do the same thing?!" She yelled at James.

"I couldn't get just one platform to do that." James said.

Jessie gritted her teeth and sent Kingler out to battle. Ash had Ivysaur attack Kingler with Razor Leaf and Kingler was easily knocked out. Jessie was shocked again. Meowth had a trick in mind though; he held a remote control that would cause any platform to explode. He was about to press a button, but Tomo intervened.

"Go." Tomo ordered his Growlithe to attack Meowth.

Meowth was too scared to fight back; after all he was a cat and Growlithe was a dog. Jessie was frustrated. She released Arbok and Weezing from their Poke Balls.

"Hey you can't use new Pokemon!" Misty shouted. "That's against the rules."

"I'm the gym leader." Jessie said. "So I make the rules."

Ash released Pikachu and had his four Pokemon attack Jessie's five Pokemon. Machamp, Kingler, Rhydon, Arbok and Weezing were defeated, shocking Jessie a third time. Ash had won.

Tomo, Misty and Brock cheered for Ash. Even Gary thought Ash was an impressive trainer.

"Are you okay?" James and Meowth asked Jessie.

Jessie lost her temper after her defeat.

"Now then." Ash said. "I won the gym battle so give me the Earth Badge please."

Jessie refused to give it to him.

Just then Tomo pulled out the remote control; he had Growlithe swipe it from Meowth. Tomo pressed a red button.

"That will make the red platform explode." Meowth explained.

It did just that and Team Rocket was sent flying through the roof along with Arbok and Weezing. Machamp, Kingler and Rhydon ran through a back door in the gym. Jessie dropped the Earth Badge when she was sent flying and Ash caught it.

"Finally my eighth badge." Ash smiled.

Ash and the gang then left the Viridian Gym.

"I wonder why Team Rocket owns a gym." Ash said.

"I don't know." Misty said. "But knowing crooks like them, my guess is it's for something bad."

"Hey I wonder if we'll run into that mysterious Pokemon Gary saw." Brock stated.

"To be honest." Ash confessed. "I wouldn't be surprised if we crossed paths with it one day."

"Where's the Indigo League being held big brother?" Tomo asked.

"All I know is that it's taking place at Indigo Plateau, but I have no idea where that is. Prof. Oak will probably have a idea."

"Then I suggest we head to Pallet Town." Brock commented.

"Yeah." Ash agreed. "It would be nice to go back home and see my mom again."

So the gang headed to Pallet Town.