The Chronicles of Black.

Pikachu lets out a strangled cry when the massive robot begins draining the red-tinged electricity from him, sending crackling arcs all over the clearing and making everyone shield their eyes from the light. Team Rocket can only laugh as a charge meter on the front of the robot rises near the top. "Once you're out of Pika power, catching you will be a cinch!" Jesse laughs haughtily.

The meter on the robot hits full just as the red electricity peters out, leaving Pikachu looking much more alert and less stressed than before. The yellow rodent blinks, then smiles evilly at the Rocketbot. "Piiiiikaaa..." He clenches his tiny fists and sparks with his usual yellow lightning. "Chuuuu!"

The robot lights up like a Christmas tree hooked to a powerplant, electricity arcing everywhere as smoke starts to pour out the cracks.

"The robot must have drained Pikachu of his overcharge!" Birch says over the crackling as he shields his head with his arms. "He's back to normal!"

"Cool shit! Now let's hope he doesn't fry us!" Lee yells, grabbing his squirming vixen and turning to shield her.

One stray bolt lances right towards the tree where May's bike is leaned up, crashing into the bike with a frightful ZAP! Despite how the rubber tires should have grounded the bike against electricity, the bike is reduced to a partially slagged heap of metal.

May lets out a wounded scream and holds her head as she looks at her wrecked bike. "My bike! My dad is going to kill me!"

Ash groans and facepalms. "Not this again..." he mutters, tipping his hat down and looking away.

Pikachu lets a last powerful cry rip from his throat and totally overloads the robot, electricity dancing off every inch and finally reaching the screaming trio of criminals inside.

Even if he's expecting it, Lee still grimaces and hugs the now unmoving Vulpix tight when the robot spasms with the hollow sound of capacitors bursting inside its chassis. The impending sound and battering pressure wave makes Lee's stomach roll, but Vulpix is quick to gently grasp his mind with her own as a pleasant distraction. Just before the robot goes critical, Jesse, James, and Meowth scramble out of a hatch in the back, each shaking and grimacing from the electricity arcing off them. Each Rocket drop to the ground in a heap, sighing in relief as they escape their stupid machine.

Then with a tooth-ratting explosion, the ridiculous mech detonates with the nauseating smell of burning chemicals and batteries, covering the swath of forest and everyone inside in acrid smoke. Beside Lee, everyone else breaks out into coughing fits.

Lee clenches his eyes shut to keep the stinging smoke out. Even with his ears ringing from the explosion, he can hear the three criminals rise to their feet and make a break for it. The wind blows the smoke away, and when the smell no longer stings his nose, Lee cracks an eye open.

Team Rocket is gone. Pikachu stands in a defiant stance until the sound of Team Rocket sprinting through the underbrush vanishes, then the little rodent sways on his feet with an ill "Piiikaaaa..." before falling to his stomach, eyes closed.

"Pikachu!" Ash cries, running forward and gently lifting his pokemon.

Back in the lab, after a long walk and a short talk with the local Officer Jenny about Rocket, Lee leans heavily against the exam room wall Birch dragged Ash and Pikachu into as he gives the little electric mouse a short physical. Vulpix sits at Lee's feet with her eyes closed, seemingly dozing, but her twitching ears tell a different story.

"I'm no Nurse Joy, but I'd say that's a clean bill of health!"

Birch gives the sleeping Pikachu on the table a final look over with a smile of his own. "All the overcharge is good and gone. Pikachu should be right as rain tomorrow. I guess those crooks were good for something after all."

"For once," Ash adds on glibly. "Thanks for everything, professor!"

Birch waves away the thanks. "It's not a problem at all, Ash. I'm glad to help. It's what a pokemon professor is for."

Ash smiles at the man as Pikachu slowly blinks his eyes open before going back to sleep. The young trainer then turns to Lee. "Lee, right?" He asks, holding out his hand for a shake. "I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet. Thanks for having your Vulpix head off, Pikachu. If he fell off that cliff, I have no idea what I would have done," the boy says with a shiver at the memory.

Lee steps off the wall to take Ash's hand and give it a shake. "Lee Henson, and it's not a problem," Lee says absently. 'If someone told me a month ago I'd take a nuke to the face then be shaking hands with Ash Ketchum, I would have called the nuthouse.'

"Yaahh!"

Everyone in the room turns sharply to the door, just in time to see May enter and fumble with a vase by the doorway that she almost knocks over. She catches the vase in the nick of time and puts it back. "Uhhh..." she starts with a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that. I don't think I ever introduced myself. My name is May Maple."

Ash smiles at her. "I'm Ash Ketchum."

May glances up at Lee for a scant moment before looking away and nervously swaying in place. It takes him a second to realize she wants his name as well. "Lee Henson. It's a pleasure, May."

The girl brightens up before turning to Pikachu, her smiling falling some. "Will Pikachu be okay?" "Should be fine in the morning, according to the Professor," Ash says with a nod. "Nothing can keep Pikachu down for long."

"Pikachu certainly seems like the resilient sort," Birch quips with a smile. He then turns to May. "Sorry for all the delays, May. Are you ready to pick your first pokemon?"

Ash turns to the professor and May, a sudden gleam in his eye. "First pokemon?"

Upon returning, Birch walks over to the coat rack where he hung up his bag and pulls out three shiny, new pokeballs. He palms one while the other two stay shrunken in his other hand. "Okay, first up..."

With a pop and flash of light, a Treecko takes form in the center of the room. The little lizard opens his yellow eyes and crosses his arms, taking in everyone coolly. "Treecko?"