Secret of the Pink Pokémon

by Tracey West

Tracey shook his head in amazement. “Crystal Onix are resistant to Water attacks!” He wrote furiously in his notebook.

  The Crystal Onix glared at Cloyster. It reared its giant head and let out another roar. Then it swooped down, and knocked into the Water-type Pokémon.

  The attack knocked Cloyster out of the water. It skidded across the floor of the cave.

  “Cloyster, no!” Mateo cried. His little sister ran to the Pokémon’s side.

  Then the air was filled with the sound of two whizzing Poké Balls. Ash spun around. The balls exploded in white light, and two Pokémon burst out.

  One was Arbok, a large purple Pokémon that looked like a snake. The other was Victreebel, a combination Grass- and Poison-type Pokémon that looked like a big yellow plant.

  Behind them, three figures stepped out from the shadows.

  “Team Rocket!” Ash cried.

  “We’ll take our Crystal Onix now,” Jessie said, sneering. “Go get it, Arbok!”

  Arbok sailed through the air.

  “Victreebel, attack!” James yelled.

  The plant-like Pokémon swallowed James with its big yellow head.

  “Not me!” James cried. “Get Ash and those twerps.”

  Arbok and Victreebel lunged at Ash and his friends.

  Misty threw a Poké Ball. “Go, Staryu!” she shouted. A Water-type Pokémon shaped like a large starfish appeared. Staryu zoomed through the air like a flying disk. It slammed into Victreebel and knocked it out.

  “Pikachu, get them out of here,”Ash said.

  Sparks shot from Pikachu’s red cheeks. Pikachu tensed, then let loose a huge electric blast.

  The blast ripped through Jessie, James, Meowth, Arbok, and Victreebel. They fell to the floor in a heap.

  The Crystal Onix roared. It swung at Team Rocket with its hard crystal tail. The Pokémon thieves went flying out of the cave.

  Mateo faced the Crystal Onix. “Now to finish my battle,” he said.

  He threw out a Poké Ball. “Go, Charmeleon!”

  The orange-red Fire-type Pokémon appeared in a blaze of light. Charmeleon looked like a lizard. A flame burned brightly on the end of its tail.

  Charmeleon ran straight for the Crystal Onix. The large Pokémon blocked the attack with a storm of crystal rocks. Each heavy rock was aimed right for Charmeleon. The smaller Pokémon quickly dodged the onslaught.

  “It’s Onix’s Rock Throw!” Tracey said in amazement.

  “Charmeleon, Flamethrower!” Mateo countered.

  Charmeleon’s body began to glow a brilliant red. It opened its mouth, and an incredible wall of fire shot out. The fire spun around and around like a whirlwind.

  The funnel of fire engulfed the Crystal Onix. The Pokémon’s body glowed from the intense heat.

  Tracey scribbled in his pad. “The Crystal Onix’s crystal is getting red hot,” he said.

  The Crystal Onix began to sway. Its eyes started to close.

  Then its massive body crashed into the pool.

  “Mateo, you did it!” Marissa cried.

  “It’s fainted,” Ash said. “Mateo, hurry up and catch it.”

  Mateo held out an empty Poké Ball. He started to throw it.

  Then he stopped.

  Mateo stared at the Crystal Onix. The creature’s body was beginning to cool down. Its crystals shimmered once more.

  “I don’t need to catch it,” Mateo said. “Just seeing this amazing Pokémon has given me all the inspiration I need.”

  Mateo reached out and stroked the Crystal Onix’s head. “Thank you,” he said softly.

  The Crystal Onix rose up once again. It nodded at Mateo. Then it dove back into the water.

  The friends headed back to town. Mateo invited them all to stay the night. The next morning, he had a surprise for Ash.

  “I’ve been working all night,” Mateo said. “The Crystal Onix has truly inspired me. Thank you for helping me find it.”

  Mateo held out his hand. In his palm was a tiny crystal figure.

  Ash took the figure from him. “It’s Pikachu!” he exclaimed.

  The crystal figure looked exactly like Pikachu, right down to its lightning-bolt tail. It seemed real, like it could shoot out sparks.

  “Pika pi!” Pikachu smiled when it saw the gift.

  Marissa hugged Ash. “Thank you for helping my brother. I’m glad you found my letter.”

  “Me too,” Ash said. “But now we’ve got to go. We have all of the Orange Islands to explore.”

  Pikachu, Misty, and Tracey followed Ash back to the beach. Ash let Lapras out of its Poké Ball.

  “All aboard!” Ash cried. He and the others climbed onto Lapras’s back. Then the Water-type Pokémon swam out into the ocean.

  It was a beautiful morning. Tracey worked on a sketch of the Crystal Onix. Misty played with Togepi and Pikachu. And Ash pulled his red cap over his eyes and stretched out.

  “This is so relax — whoaaaa!” Ash cried.

  Lapras was rocking back and forth. Ash sat up.

  The once-calm water was rough and choppy. Strong waves circled around them.

  “It’s a whirlpool, a big one,” Tracey said.

  Ash leaned over. “Lapras, get us away from here!” he shouted.

  Misty shook her head. “It’s no use!” she yelled over the roaring water. “It’s already got us!”

  Ash clung to Lapras’s back. The whirlpool pulled the Pokémon and its passengers closer and closer to the center. A wall of cold water washed over them.

  Then everything went black.

  The next thing Ash knew, he was lying facedown on a sandy beach. He groggily sat up then looked around, alarmed. Where were Pikachu and his friends?

  He didn’t have to look far. They were all stranded on the same beach, even Lapras.

  “Is everyone all right?” Ash asked.

  Misty stood up, still clutching Togepi. “We’re okay, I think.”

  Ash looked around. In the distance, sheer cliffs formed a wall around the island.

  Tracey looked excited. “The cliffs, the whirlpool,” he said. “We must be on Pinkan Island!”

  “Where?” asked Ash.

  “Pinkan Island,” Tracey repeated. “It’s this mysterious place surrounded by humongous whirlpools. Hardly anybody’s ever explored it, so nobody knows what kind of Pokémon live here.”

  Tracey got a dreamy look in his eyes. “I may be the first Pokémon watcher to discover a whole new type of Pokémon,” he said. “Come on, let’s hurry!”

  The Pokémon watcher took off across the beach. Ash quickly got Lapras safely inside its Poké Ball. Then he and the others ran after Tracey.

  As soon as Tracey reached the cliff, he started to scale it. Pikachu climbed on Ash’s back, and Ash followed Tracey. Misty put Togepi in her backpack and did the same.

  Luckily, the cliff had quite a few footholds, but even so, it was a tough climb. Tracey reached a ledge close to the top of the cliff. He stood on the ledge and looked over the top.

  “I can’t believe it!” Tracey exclaimed.

  Ash scrambled to catch up. He stood on the ledge and looked out.

  The cliff overlooked a flat plain. A large Pokémon was eating fruit from a tree. The Pokémon had a sharp spike on the end of its nose, and its body was covered with plates of what looked like armor. But the strangest thing about the Pokémon was its color — bright pink!

  “It’s a Rhyhorn,” Tracey said. “A pink Rhyhorn.”

  By now, Misty had joined them. “I don’t think Rhyhorn are supposed to be pink, are they?”

  Ash took out his Pokédex, Dexter. The small handheld computer held information about all kinds of Pokémon.

  “Rhyhorn, the spiked Pokémon,” Dexter said. “Rhyhorn is known for its physical power and its considerable offensive and defensive battle skills.”

  A picture on the screen showed a Rhyhorn, but this one was gray, not pink.

  “Dexter doesn’t say anything about the Rhyhorn being pink,” Ash said.

&
nbsp; “Wow!” Tracey exclaimed. “I’ve got to get a closer look.”

  Tracey scrambled over to the edge of the cliff.

  “It could be dangerous!” Ash warned.

  Tracey ignored him. He stuck his finger in the air. “Hmmm, downwind’s that way,” Tracey said thoughtfully, pointing to a clump of bushes. He got down on his knees and quietly crawled to the bushes, hiding himself there.

  From the ledge, Ash watched as Tracey began to sketch the Rhyhorn.

  Ash frowned. “I don’t think he should be getting that close,” Ash said.

  “He’s a Pokémon watcher, Ash,” Misty pointed out. “He knows a lot more than you do.”

  Misty’s words stung. Ash didn’t like to think that anybody knew more about Pokémon than he did.

  Ash climbed onto the top of the cliff. “I know lots more than you think. Just watch me!”

  Ash boldly ran across the field. “Hey there, Rhyhorn!” he called out. “How ya doing, buddy?”

  The Rhyhorn stopped eating. It turned and faced Ash.

  “See,” Ash said. “I know what I’m doing.”

  The Rhyhorn pawed the ground. It snorted.

  Then it charged right at Ash!

  “Hey, I just want to be your friend,” Ash told it, but the Rhyhorn didn’t listen.

  Ash turned and ran. The closest cover was the clump of bushes that hid Tracey.

  Ash dove behind the bushes.

  “We should be safe here,” Ash said, catching his breath.

  Snort!

  The Rhyhorn stood right over them. It lowered its sharp horn.

  “Let’s get out of here!” Tracey yelled.

  Ash and Tracey took off as fast as they could. The pink Rhyhorn was right on their tail.

  Up ahead, Ash saw Misty and Pikachu standing at the edge of the cliff. Misty held Togepi.

  “Get out of the way!” Ash yelled.

  But there was nowhere to run. Ash, Tracey, Misty, and Pikachu huddled together. They were trapped at the edge of the cliff. And Rhyhorn was charging fast.

  “I guess this is it,” Ash said.

  Right at that moment, Togepi wiggled its tiny arms.

  The next thing Ash knew, he and the others disappeared.

  And reappeared in front of a nearby fruit tree!

  Confused, the Rhyhorn tried to stop. It skidded along the grass.

  It was no use. Ash watched helplessly as the Rhyhorn plummeted over the cliff!

  “Noooo!” Ash cried. He ran for the cliff’s edge. Even though the Rhyhorn charged at him, he didn’t want to see it get hurt. Rhyhorn would have ignored them if Ash hadn’t scared it.

  Ash looked over the edge. The Rhyhorn was caught on a large tree branch sticking out of the side of the cliff. It was safe, but not for long.

  The others joined Ash.

  “Poor Rhyhorn,” Misty said. “We’ve got to find a way to help it.”

  “I still can’t figure out how we escaped the Rhyhorn in the first place,” Ash said. “I think we teleported.”

  “But none of our Pokémon have the Teleport Ability,” Tracey said.

  Misty looked at Togepi. “I saw Togepi wave its arms right before we moved. Maybe Togepi has it!”

  “Togi togi,” the baby Pokémon gurgled.

  “It couldn’t be Togepi,” Ash said. “Togepi’s too small for such a big ability.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Misty said, but she didn’t sound convinced.

  The sound of a honking horn interrupted them. A jeep skidded to a stop, and an officer jumped out. She was a young woman with blue hair.

  “Officer Jenny, right?” Ash guessed. There was an officer named Jenny wherever they traveled. They all looked alike.

  “Right,” she replied, but she sounded angry. “This island is strictly off limits. Pinkan Island is a protected Pokémon reserve. How did you kids get here?”

  “It was an accident,” Tracey explained. “We got caught in a whirlpool and washed up here.”

  “And there’s a pink Rhyhorn in trouble down here,” Misty said. “We’ve got to save it.”

  Officer Jenny looked over the cliff. Then she snapped into action.

  “We can pull it up,” she said, taking several strong ropes out of the jeep.

  Officer Jenny explained the plan as she tied the ropes around Tracey and Ash. Then she tied each rope to the jeep. Tracey and Ash climbed down the cliff. They tied more ropes around the Rhyhorn.

  “Just stay calm,” Ash told the frightened Pokémon. “We’re here to help.”

  The Rhyhorn didn’t resist. Soon it was tied securely.

  “We’re ready!” Ash called up.

  Jenny slowly backed up the jeep.

  Ash, Tracey, and the Rhyhorn were slowly pulled up the cliff. Soon they were over the side, safe on flat ground.

  Officer Jenny untied the Rhyhorn. “Are you okay?” she asked, patting its head.

  The Rhyhorn nuzzled Officer Jenny. Then it hurried away.

  “How come that Rhyhorn didn’t attack you?” Ash asked.

  “It knows me,” Officer Jenny explained. “It’s normally very shy around humans. Most of the Pokémon here are. They’re not used to humans.”

  “Look at this!” Tracey interrupted.

  Ash turned. Tracey pointed to Pikachu, who was happily eating a big pink berry. It was the same kind of fruit the Rhyhorn had been eating.

  But Pikachu didn’t look quite right.

  Its tail was pink!

  “Don’t worry,” Officer Jenny said. “It’s just the Pinkanberries.”

  “Pinkanberries?” Ash asked.

  “They grow all over the island,” she explained. “That’s what makes the Pokémon here turn pink. The Pinkanberries only grow on this island, so it’s the only place in the world where you’ll find pink Pokémon.”

  Ash couldn’t take his eyes off of Pikachu’s pink tail. “Will Pikachu stay this way forever?”

  “No,” Officer Jenny said. “Pokémon only stay this way if they eat the berries all the time.”

  “Whew!” Ash said. “I thought I was going to end up with a Pinkachu.”

  Misty groaned at the joke.

  Officer Jenny packed up the ropes. “I believe your story, so I won’t arrest you for tresspassing,” she said. “But I do need to take you back to the ranger station to file a report.”

  “No problem,” Ash said, relieved not to be in trouble.

  They all piled into the jeep. As they drove across the plain, Ash kept his eyes out for more pink Pokémon. He wasn’t disappointed. A herd of pink Nidoran, both male and female, grazed on a grassy field. Pink Rattata scampered between the trees. A pink Mankey swung from a tree branch. A flock of pink Pidgey pecked on the ground as a pink Parasect skittled by. It was amazing.

  “I can’t believe more people don’t know about this place,” Ash remarked.

  “If the world knew about these rare Pokémon, poachers would swarm all over the island in no time,” Officer Jenny said. “They’d put the pink Pokémon on exhibit, just so they could make money. That’s why Pinkan Island is a refuge. We take good care of the pink Pokémon here. We can keep them safe.”

  Ash understood. “I can believe that people would try to steal them,” he said. “They really are cool.”

  Just a few yards away, three Pokémon thieves were proving Ash right.

  Jessie, James, and Meowth hid behind some plants, greedily watching the herd of pink Nidoran.

  “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Jessie said.

  “It’s amazing,” said James.

  “This whole island is packed with pink Pokémon!” Meowth said. “We’re lucky that whirlpool washed us up here.”

  Jigglypuff, a round, pink Pokémon, hopped past.

  “Wow,” James exclaimed. “A pink Jigglypuff!”

  Meowth rolled its eyes. “Jigglypuff is always pink!” it said.

  Jessie’s green eyes gleamed as she studied the Pokémon. “If we capture all these Pokémon, we could open our ver
y own theme park!” she said.

  “We could call it Pinkyland!” Meowth said. “People would pay plenty to see the pink Pokémon of Pinkyland!”

  James jumped up. “Let’s get started!” he cried.

  “Right!” Jessie threw a Poké Ball. “This is a job for Lickitung.”

  There was a flash of light, and a big pink Pokémon appeared. It had a long, sticky tongue.

  “Amazing! A pink Lickitung,” James exclaimed.

  Jessie smacked the back of his head. “James, Lickitung is always pink, too!”

  “Of course,” James said sheepishly.

  “Enough talking,” Meowth said. “Let’s catch those pink Pokémon for ourselves!”

  “These pink Pokémon sure are incredible,” Ash remarked. He and the others were looking through photos of the Pokémon that the rangers had taken. They sat on a porch outside the ranger station.

  “That’s why we have to be so careful to keep them a secret,” Officer Jenny said. “You are all free to go. But if I ever catch you here again, you’re in big trouble.”

  Ash nodded. “We understand.”

  Suddenly, the wooden porch began to tremble beneath them.

  A loud rumbling sound filled the air.

  Ash looked. A herd of Nidoran was stampeding across the ground, headed for the station. The normally tough-looking Pokémon seemed frightened.

  Officer Jenny’s face clouded. “Poachers,” she said.

  As if on cue, Team Rocket appeared over the horizon with Lickitung. They all looked frightened, too.

  “We tried to capture these Nidoran for the boss,” Jessie cried, running frantically, “but we got more than we bargained for!”

  “What’s going on?” Ash shouted above the confusion. Nothing was making sense.

  Officer Jenny raced out and herded up the Nidoran. They immediately calmed down in her presence.

  Then Ash saw a cloud of dust swirling behind Team Rocket. The dust cleared, revealing a Pokémon. The creature stood almost as tall as Ash. It looked like some kind of dinosaur, with thick armor and a long tail. Fierce-looking fangs gleamed in its wide mouth. A sharp horn protruded from its forehead.