Disclaimers: Pokemon is owned by all its people. Rose Rochester and the Rocket City Gym are MINE. Nya!

Notes: This is just a little (and I mean little) vignette that I wrote because it popped into my head. I hope that it's worth reading! If it doesn't make any sense, well, my bad... ^-^ Let me know what you think!

How Raichu Got Its Groove Back

By: Sforzie

Rose sighed as she knelt next to her Pokemon.

"Raichu, please get up," she whispered.

"Chaaaoo..." Raichu lay on its side, panting and seemingly in pain.

The trainer on the other side of the field laughed. "What kinda of gym leader are you, using a Pokemon that can't even fight?"

"Shut up," Rose snapped. The young man fell silent. Rose rubbed Raichu between the ears, finding its forehead damp with sweat. "Raichu, are you okay?"

"Chuuu..." Raichu looked at its trainer blankly. Rose bit her lip.

"I thought you were better," she said.

"Rai...chu?"

A few yards away on the fighting field, the Ninetails looked back at its trainer.

"Nine?"

"I don't know what's going on, Ninetails, hush up."

Rose kept rubbing the spot between Raichu's ears. She remembered how Raichu had gotten hurt, a few months ago. It had seemed to lose its memory, or at least its fighting spirit. It lapsed once in awhile, not remembering its attacks or even her, but Raichu had been okay for the last several weeks. Or had it only been pretending?

"Please Raichu, tell me you remember," Rose whispered, her voice cracking. She remembered, trying to remember for it.

It was her thirteenth birthday. She got it as a Pikachu. Aside from her Pidgeotto, Pikachu quickly became one of her favorite Pokemon. When she became a Gym Leader, her father had given her a thunderstone as a present.

"Look, Pikachu, it's a thunderstone!" Rose exclaimed as she sat in the park with her Pikachu. She had almost been 16 at the time.

"Pika!" it looked at the green and gold stone with shining eyes.

"Daddy said I could use it to evolve you into a Raichu," Rose turned the stone in her hands.

"Pika?" Pikachu looked at her uncertainly.

"Oh, Pikachu, I won't evolve you if you don't want to be a Raichu."

"Pika. Chu..." Pikachu looked at the stone, then down at its little yellow paws. "Pika!" It hopped forward, nodding its head vigorously.

"You... you want to evolve?"

"Pikachu!" it nodded again.

She had evolved it, and Raichu had been her favorite companion ever since. (Although Chansey was another favorite, and Pidgeot tied with it for fighting.) It was strong and fast, and had one of the best Mega Punch's in the league. Even the best Sandslashes were little match for it.

But now Raichu was laying on the gym floor in distress. Its ears twitched.

"Chaaaoo..."

"Please, Raichu..." Rose soothed her Pokemon. "You were going to go to the National Championships next month and show your stuff. We worked so hard..."

"Chhuu..." Raichu clamped its eyes shut, its body shaking.

"Oh, Raichu!" she said happily, her hands clasped together as she sat on the dirt in front of it.

"Raichu?" it turned, looking at its new form. The orangey fur, the twitching ears, the long black tail ending in a powerful yellow bolt... "Chu!"

"The stone worked perfectly!" its trainer said. Rose. And it, Raichu. It was one of her favorites, wasn't it?

"Raichu, I know you'll make me proud!" Rose said, still all smiles. She rubbed it between the ears, where the stone had touched moments before. "And I'll make you proud too, Raichu. I promise, I won't let anybody hurt you."

The tip of Raichu's tail twitched, but it kept its eyes shut. Rose hugged Raichu close to her, trying not to cry.

"Raichu, Thunder now!"

"Chu!" Raichu glanced over its shoulder before bounding towards its opponent. Rose had her arm thrust forward, pointing at the Ivysaur across the field. She always looked so powerful and brave. It gave Raichu courage to battle, even against the worst opponents. She wouldn't leave it. She'd promised.

"Ivysaur, Vine Whip!"

"Saur!"

Raichu had bounded at the Ivysaur, and was about to make its move when the long vines wrapped around its body. Raichu couldn't move, it could barely breathe.

"Chhaaaoo!!"

"Raichu!" Rose's face had wrenched in distress.

"Sssaur!"

"Ccchuuu....!!" Raichu squinted.

"Your Ivysaur's choking it!" Rose shouted at the other trainer.

"Ivysaur, stop!"

Too late.

"Chhuuu!!!!" Raichu gasped for breath, using its Thunder on the Ivysaur as it struggled to break free.

"Ivy.."

Ivysaur fainted. But did Raichu too.

When Raichu had come to, its memory was foggy. It couldn't remember what had happened. But then, it couldn't really remember who the girl with long purple hair was. She was crying.

"Raichu, I'm sorry..."

"Raichu, I'm sorry!" Rose whispered into Raichu's ear. "I promised that I wouldn't let you down again!"

"Chh..." Raichu opened its eyes. "Rai-chu?"

"Raichu?" Rose carefully set Raichu back down.

"Rrr...Raichu...chuu..." it looked up at Rose.

"Raichu, do you remember now?" Rose looked at it with concern. Raichu looked at her, blinking slowly.

"Raichu!" it nodded, jumping up and hugging her. Rose gave a happy laugh. It remembered, really remembered.

"Good, I hope you'll be okay now," she said. Raichu hopped back down.

"Rai! Raichu!"

"Great!" Rose stood. She pointed across the gym floor to the Ninetails--past the scorch on the floor where it had fallen minutes before. The trainer on the other side looked mildly surprised. "Raichu, go!"

"Chu!"

Raichu remembered.

End

Okay, that was cheezy. ^_^ But I hope it was decent.