Secret of the Pink Pokémon

by Tracey West

  I want to be the very best there ever was

  To beat all the rest, yeah, that’s my cause

  Catch ’em, Catch ’em, Gotta catch ’em all

  Pokémon I’ll search across the land

  Look far and wide

  Release from my hand

  The power that’s inside

  Catch ’em, Catch ’em, Gotta catch ’em all Pokémon!

  Gotta catch ’em all, Gotta catch ’em all

  Gotta catch ’em all, Gotta catch ’em all

  At least one hundred and fifty or more to see

  To be a Pokémon Master is my destiny

  Catch ’em, Catch ’em, Gotta catch ’em all

  Gotta catch ’em all, Pokémon! (repeat three times)

  Here’s the next 32 Pokémon.

  Catch the next book, The Four-Star Challenge,

  for more of the Poké Rap.

  Zubat, Primeape, Meowth, Onix,

  Geodude, Rapidash, Magneton, Snorlax,

  Gengar, Tangela, Goldeen, Spearow,

  Weezing, Seel, Gyarados, Slowbro.

  Kabuto, Persian, Paras, Horsea,

  Raticate, Magnemite, Kadabra, Weepinbell,

  Ditto, Cloyster, Caterpie, Sandshrew,

  Bulbasaur, Charmander, Golem, Pikachu.

  Words and Music by Tamara Loeffler and John Siegler

  Copyright © 1999 Pikachu Music (BMI)

  Worldwide rights for Pikachu Music administered by Cherry River Music Co. (BMI)

  All Rights Reserved  Used by Permission

  Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter 1: Message in a Bottle

  Chapter 2: The Search Begins

  Chapter 3: The Crystal Onix

  Chapter 4: Inspiration

  Chapter 5: Rhyhorn Rage

  Chapter 6: The Secret of Pinkan Island

  Chapter 7: Nidoking’s Rampage

  Chapter 8: The Grapefruit Islands

  Chapter 9: Stop That Snorlax!

  Chapter 10: It’s Showtime, Jigglypuff!

  About the Author

  Sneak Peek

  Copyright

  “I wonder what kinds of Pokémon we’ll see here in the Orange Islands,” Ash Ketchum said. “I bet we find rare Pokémon that no one has ever seen before.”

  “We’ve already met some amazing new Pokémon,” his friend Misty replied. “I can’t believe we’re riding on a Lapras!”

  Ash smiled and patted the head of the large, blue Water-type Pokémon they were sitting on. He had befriended the Lapras, and the friendly creature had agreed to travel with Ash and his friends. Besides Ash and Misty, Lapras carried three other passengers: Pikachu, Ash’s Electric-type Pokémon; Togepi, a baby Pokémon that Misty brought with her everywhere; and Tracey, a Pokémon watcher.

  Ash had been to many new places and had had many adventures since he began catching and training Pokémon on his tenth birthday. But traveling around the Orange Islands was turning out to be the most interesting — and the most exciting — yet.

  It started as a favor to his friend, Professor Oak. Ash traveled to the islands to see Professor Ivy. She gave him a GS Ball, a mysterious Poké Ball Professor Oak wanted to study. Then his good friend Brock had decided to stay with Professor Ivy and help her with her work. Ash was sad to leave Brock, but he soon met Tracey and found Lapras. He didn’t know what would happen next.

  “I certainly hope we find some new Pokémon on our journey,” Tracey said. “It’s always exciting to study something new.”

  As he spoke, Tracey sketched in a pad. The tall boy was a few years older than Ash. He always wore shorts and athletic shoes so he could easily keep up with any new Pokémon he found. And he always sketched what he saw. Ash peered over his shoulder. Tracey was sketching the Lapras. The drawing was a good likeness of the Pokémon, with its long neck, four strong flippers, and hard shell on its back.

  “You can study all you want,” Ash said. “But I’m going to catch any Pokémon that I find.” To become a Pokémon Master, Ash knew he would have to catch and train all kinds of Pokémon.

  Misty rolled her eyes. “Ash, don’t you ever think of anything besides catching Pokémon?” she complained.

  “Sure,” Ash replied. “Sometimes I think about training Pokémon, too.”

  Misty groaned.

  “Pika pika!” Pikachu cried suddenly. The yellow Pokémon pointed at something in the water.

  “What is it, Pikachu?” Ash asked.

  Lapras swam closer to the object.

  “It’s a bottle,” Ash said. “And it looks like there’s a message inside!”

  Lapras picked up the bottle with its mouth. Its long neck craned around, and Ash took the bottle from it.

  “Thanks, Lapras,” Ash said. Excited, he quickly opened the bottle and took out a piece of paper. He unrolled it and read the message aloud.

  “‘If you know anything about a Pokémon called the Crystal Onix, please tell me,’” Ash read. “It’s signed ‘Marissa from Sunburst Island.’”

  “A Crystal Onix?” Misty asked.

  “It’s an Onix made entirely of clear crystal,” Tracey said. “Normally this Rock-type Pokémon is made of hard, gray rock.”

  Ash knew that. Brock had used his Onix often in battle. But a Crystal Onix?

  “Is there really such a thing?” Ash asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Tracey said thoughtfully. “Several people claim to have seen it. It’s probably just some tall tale.”

  “Well, I’d sure like to see a Crystal Onix,” Ash said. “How about you, Pikachu?”

  Pikachu nodded.

  “Laaaaaaaaa,” Lapras let out a low cry.

  Ash looked. A small island jutted out of the water up ahead.

  “That’s Sunburst Island,” Tracey said.

  “Whoever sent that message lives on Sunburst Island,” Misty pointed out.

  Ash didn’t have to think twice. He was looking for an opportunity to find new Pokémon, and one had fallen right into his lap.

  “Next stop, Sunburst Island!” Ash cried. “Let’s go find that Crystal Onix.”

  “Officer Jenny said that Marissa could be found in a crystal shop on this street,” Ash said. “But every shop on this street is a crystal shop!”

  Ash looked up and down the street, perplexed. After Lapras landed on Sunburst Island, they had headed right into town. Ash couldn’t wait to find the person who wrote that note.

  “Sunburst Island is famous for its crystal,” Tracey explained. “Most of the island’s inhabitants are glass artisans. Their work draws a lot of tourists.”

  Ash pressed his face against the window of a nearby shop. Crystal goblets and vases glittered in a glass case.

  “This stuff is pretty nice,” Ash admitted.

  “Pika!” Pikachu agreed.

  Then a gruff voice startled Ash.

  “Face it, Marissa. Your brother might as well close his store for good. He doesn’t even have anything to sell.”

  Marissa. That’s who we’re looking for! Ash thought. He turned around.

  The voice belonged to a surly shopkeeper wearing an apron. He was talking to a little girl in pigtails.

  “Don’t say anything about my big brother!” said the girl defiantly.

  Ash stepped between them.

  “Are you Marissa?” he asked the girl.

  She nodded.

  “I need to talk to you,” Ash said.

  “Come inside my brother’s store,” she said.

  Ash, Tracey, Misty, and Pikachu followed Marissa into a small shop. The window displays were bare. Inside, small crystal Pokémon figures were scattered on a work table.

  Ash was curious about the figures, but he was more curious to talk to
Marissa. He took the letter from his pocket.

  “Did you write this letter?” he asked her.

  Marissa’s face lit up. “You found my letter? Can you tell me about the Crystal Onix?”

  “Actually, we don’t know anything about it,” Ash said. “We were hoping you could tell us about it.”

  Marissa looked like she might cry. “I guess I’ll never find out about the Crystal Onix,” she said.

  “Sorry,” Misty said gently.

  A young man stepped into the room. He was tall, with short brown hair.

  “Is my little sister bothering you?” he asked.

  “Not at all,” Misty said.

  “This is my brother Mateo,” Marissa said.

  Ash and the others introduced themselves. Then Ash took a closer look at the Pokémon figures. There was a crystal Pidgey, a crystal Poliwhirl, a crystal Geodude, and lots of others.

  “These are pretty nice,” Ash told Mateo. “Why don’t you put them in your window and sell them?”

  Mateo’s face clouded. “Because they’re no good. My grandfather used to run this store. He was very talented. But my work just can’t compare.”

  Tracey picked up a crystal Dugtrio and examined it. “What’s so bad about them?” he asked.

  “They don’t look like living Pokémon,” Mateo said. “Grandpa’s Pokémon looked like they might come alive at any moment.” He paused. “It’s because Grandpa had inspiration. He saw the Crystal Onix.”

  Ash perked up. “The Crystal Onix?” he asked.

  Mateo nodded. “Its entire body was made out of crystal. Grandpa saw it when he was a young artist. After that he was able to make one great work after another.”

  Mateo walked to a pedestal on the floor. He pulled away a cloth covering the pedestal.

  Ash gasped. A large crystal sculpture of an Onix glittered there. It looked amazingly real.

  “If I could find the Crystal Onix, I might be able to create things like this,” Mateo said sadly.

  Misty turned to Marissa. “So that’s why you put that message in the bottle,” she said. “You wanted to help your brother.”

  Marissa nodded.

  “We’ll help you look!” Ash said. “If your grandfather saw it, it can’t be too far, can it?”

  Mateo nodded.

  Tracey took a Poké Ball from his pack. “Venonat can help us track it.”

  He opened the ball. A fuzzy round Pokémon with big, red eyes appeared. It had no arms, and walked on two flat feet.

  Ash and Misty had seen Venonat before, but Mateo and Marissa looked surprised.

  “Venonat uses radar to track objects,” Tracey explained. He showed Venonat the Onix statue. “Venonat, find something that looks like this!”

  Venonat’s red eyes began to glow. They whirled around. Then they snapped into focus. The Pokémon hopped toward the door.

  “Let’s go!” Ash said.

  The group followed Venonat through town, and then out to the beach. Venonat hopped along faster and faster.

  “I think Venonat’s found something!” Tracey said excitedly.

  Venonat hopped around a sand dune. The others followed.

  The Pokémon had stopped in front of a large group of round rocks. The rocks were piled in a long, snakelike shape. They almost looked like an Onix.

  Tracey sighed. “Venonat’s radar can only do so much,” he said. “Let’s try another Pokémon!”

  Tracey opened up another Poké Ball. A round, blue Pokémon that looked like a mouse appeared. It had large ears, and a round ball on the end of its tail.

  “It’s Marill!” Ash said. “Marill has great hearing, right?”

  Tracey nodded. “It can distinguish the cries of Pokémon at great distances,” he said.

  Tracey took a small tape recorder out of his pack. He slipped in a tape and pushed play. A long, deep cry came from the recorder.

  “That’s Onix,” Tracey told Marill. “Find it!”

  Marill’s ears began to twitter. Then it turned sharply and began to run down the beach. It stopped at the water’s edge and pointed.

  A small, green island sat about one hundred yards offshore.

  “It must be on that island,” Ash said.

  “But Grandpa said he found the Onix on this island,” Mateo said.

  Marill’s ears twitched with excitement.

  “Marill must hear something,” Ash said. “We’ve got to find a way to get out there.”

  “It might not be so hard,” Tracey said. “The tide’s going out.”

  Ash watched as the water slowly began to retreat from the shore. Soon a sandy path was visible in the water, leading from Sunburst Island to the smaller island.

  “Perfect!” Ash cried. “Let’s go!”

  Ash ran down the path and the others followed right behind.

  Suddenly, Ash felt the soft sand slip beneath him.

  His stomach lurched as he plummeted into a pit.

  They had fallen into a trap!

  Tracey, Misty, Pikachu, Mateo, and Marissa tumbled into the sandy pit along with Ash.

  Then two familiar voices filled the air.

  “To protect the world from devastation …”

  “To unite all peoples within our nation …”

  “Team Rocket!” Ash cried. He looked up. A teenaged boy and girl in white uniforms looked down on them, smiling evilly. A small Scratch Cat Pokémon stood between them.

  Ash knew them all too well. It was Jessie, James, and Meowth, a trio of Pokémon thieves. They were always trying to steal rare Pokémon.

  “Don’t you guys ever quit?” Misty asked.

  “Not likely,” James said. “We’ve been tailing you.”

  “We know that the Crystal Onix is somewhere on this island,” Meowth said.

  “We’ll steal it and bring it to our boss,” Jessie said.

  The three thieves ran away. “Thanks for leading us to it!” James called out behind him.

  Marissa looked distraught. “They’ll get the Crystal Onix!” she said.

  “Don’t worry, Marissa,” Ash said. “We’ll find the Crystal Onix before they do. I promise.”

  Team Rocket’s trap wasn’t too deep, and Ash and the others were able to climb out in no time. Marill’s ears twitched again, and the Pokémon ran quickly down the path toward the small island.

  Ash and the others followed Marill. Soon they all stepped onto the island’s shores. Marill took off through a cluster of tropical trees.

  The trees opened up into a clearing and a large cave. The group walked up to the cave entrance.

  Ash gasped.

  Meowth was hanging upside down from a rope tied to a tree.

  Jessie was trapped in a metal cage.

  James was stretched over a pit dug in the ground, hanging on and trying not to fall in. And a round, pink Pokémon was disappearing into the trees.

  “We set up these traps to trip you up,”Jessie said.

  “But they caught us instead!” James finished.

  “And then that pesky Jigglypuff showed up.” Meowth said. “We thought we were goners.”

  So that was the pink Pokémon Ash had seen. Jigglypuff was following Team Rocket. It would never hurt anybody, but its song could put you to sleep fast.

  “Help us out,” Meowth pleaded. “We’ll help you find the Crystal Onix.”

  Ash laughed. “No way! Let’s go, guys.”

  Marill’s ears twitched again. It jumped up and down excitedly and pointed to the cave.

  “Is the Onix inside the cave?” Tracey asked it.

  Marill nodded.

  The blue Pokémon led the way into the cave. Tracey took a flashlight from his pack. The light shone on the cave walls, revealing crystal stalactites and stalagmites of all shapes and sizes. They were growing out of the rock.

  “The Crystal Onix must be here,” Ash said.

  Marill stopped in front of a dark, round pool of water on the cave floor.

  The Pokémon dove into the pool. The round tip of
its tail bobbed on top of the water.

  “Marill’s tail works as a float,” Tracey explained.

  Ash was impressed.

  Suddenly, Marill’s head popped out of the water. Its ears wiggled.

  “What is it, Marill?” Tracey asked.

  Marill pointed to a spot in the water.

  Ash leaned over the pool and looked. Two white circles gleamed underneath the surface.

  They looked like eyes.

  “Something’s there,” Tracey whispered.

  The water began to ripple. Ash watched as a large, crystal head rose from the water. Then a long neck. Then a body and a long tail.

  “It’s the Crystal Onix!” Ash said breathlessly.

  The huge Pokémon towered above them. Ash had never seen anything like it. This Onix was made entirely out of huge, round crystals. Its body glimmered in the light of the flashlight.

  “It’s real,” Marissa whispered. “I knew it, Mateo. I knew it.”

  The Crystal Onix stared at them. Then it let out a loud roar.

  Tracey took out his notebook and pencil. “I’ve got to record some observations,” he said.

  Ash took out a Poké Ball. “And I’ve got to catch it! Professor Oak would flip out.”

  But Mateo stepped in front of him. “I’ve dreamed of this day since I was a young boy,” he said. “The Crystal Onix is mine.”

  Ash nodded and stepped back. In all the excitement, he had almost forgotten why they were here. He wouldn’t interfere with Mateo’s dream.

  Mateo threw a Poké Ball. “Go, Cloyster!” he yelled.

  A light flashed, and a Water-type Pokémon in a spiky gray shell splashed into the water.

  “Onix is weak against Water attacks,” Mateo said. “Cloyster, Water Gun!”

  A jet of water exploded through the opening in Cloyster’s shell. The water hit the Crystal Onix, but it bounced right off.

  Mateo frowned. “Rapid Fire Water Gun!” he yelled.

  Cloyster shot six fast blasts of water at the Crystal Onix, one after another. Another Pokémon would have crumpled from the assault. But not the Crystal Onix. The Pokémon shook off the water as if it were a few raindrops.