An Unwilling Champ
Springtime in Colorado is very beautiful. The various birds are abundant, the sun is shining and the temperature is never too hot.
This is the type of weather that families love to share outside. However, one resident decided not to go out and instead lounge on the couch with his favorite game as his sister looked disgustedly over his shoulder.
The silence was broken as his sister finally gave in. "You are going to give your self a tumor if you keep playing that all the time." She shouted.
"Oh, shut up, Brittany," Brandon said. "You're just jealous that I'm farther in the game that you."
Brittany scoffed. "Yeah, right." She mocked. "How many pokemon have you captured?"
"One hundred and forty nine."
Brittany face faulted. "Uh huh, right. Let me see."
Brandon brought up the game boys' pokedex and showed his sister as she nosed in his way. "See?" Brandon asked.
Brittany was at a loss for words. "Uh…I…I bet I can beat you in a battle." She finally spit out.
A broad grin grew over Brandon's face as he pulled out a game link cable. He plugged it into the side of the game boy with out looking at her. "You're on." He said.
Brittany left and came back shortly with her game boy and her game and plugged them in. Soon the battle was raging and it was obvious that Brandon was winning from the expression on his sister's face. "Y-you didn't tell me that ALL of your pokemon were level 100!" Brittany shouted.
Brandon grinned as his Dragonite knocked out his sisters Cubone. "You never asked." Brandon said simply.
As soon as the battle was over Brittany disgustedly set her game boy down and began to storm off.
"Where do you think you're going?" Brandon said as he reset his game boy. "We made a bet."
Brittany stopped and turned around. "We never bet on anything." She said smugly.
For once Brandon had no comeback. "Yeah but…but…" he stuttered frantically as his sister left the room. Then he got an idea. Good old' black mail. "If you don't give me something I'll tell dad that you're dating someone who's 22."
"You wouldn't." Brittany said horrified.
"Try me."
Brittany's fists were clenched and she couldn't stay still. "What do you want?" she growled.
"Do all of my chores for a week." Brandon said as he left the room. "And do them well."
After Brandon was out of earshot Brittany said. "I wish he'd get sucked into that stupid game of his."
If she knew the wish would come true, she probably would have regretted saying that.
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There are few sounds to be heard at three a.m. Yes, there are, but very few. Among these sounds are cats wailing, dogs barking, maybe even a bird or two, but no one expects to hear an audible game boy bleep.
Brandon had his game boy out and was busy tying to find the last pokemon he needed in his collection, a Pinsir. But due to his sleep-depraved mind and the fact he had the red version of the game, he wasn't finding one. Finally tiring of the hunt Brandon decided to turn off the game and get some sleep. But to his amazement, the game wouldn't turn off.
"What the?!" Brandon cried as he frantically tried to get the system off. He even took out the batteries but the game boy stayed on.
Then, a very beautiful woman with long red hair and wearing red armor appeared on his black and white screen. "Hello, Brandon." She said in a digitized voice. "Remember me?"
Brandon's eyes widened in fear yet he couldn't let go of the game boy. "D- Din?!" he asked incredulously. "No way."
"Yes way." Din said as she beckoned him. "Follow me. I have something I need to show you."
Brandon tried to scream as he was sucked into the Game boy but found that his throat was closed. Next came the sensation of falling. It seemed to take forever, but finally he landed with a bump. When he opened his eyes he was no longer in Colorado.
"Where?" he asked.
He looked over his shoulder and saw Din looming over him. "You are in Pallet." She said in a disturbingly calm voice. "And you are about to start your Pokemon Journey."
"Riiiiight." Brandon said. "And I bet I get six pokemon right from the start."
"No," Din said. "you get five. You will get your sixth from the professor."
Brandon looked over his shoulder at where Din was pointing.
Din continued, "On your belt you will find five pokeballs and your game boy. The game boy is not a game boy though. It is your own personal pokedex. Okay? Any questions."
Brandon raised his hand out of habit. "Am I dreaming?" he asked. Din shook her head. "Nuts. And, how do I get home?"
Din let loose an evil grin. "Simple. Beat the elite four."
Brandon felt like crying as he watched Din fade away. For most trainers it took years to even get to the elite four. But to beat them? He hauled himself to his feet and started on his way.
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Professor Oak looked at his list for the third time, making sure that he hadn't missed any beginning trainers. Unfortunately he had, one Brandon Wallace. "What ho?" he said as he noted the door to the lab opening. A young man about sixteen or seventeen fell in and scurried toward the professor.
"How many freakin' battles can take place in a ten foot area!?" Said the youth.
The professor looked him over. Aside from the burns, soaked clothes and grass stains on his face he looked to be an able trainer. Oaks gaze wandered down and stopped on the pokeballs attached to the teen's belt. Five of them, the professor noted. "Can I help you young man?" he asked.
"Yeah," the boy said hesitantly as he looked out the window at the carnage outside, "I'm Brandon Wallace…"
"Ah!" the Professor interrupted. "You must want your pokemon."
Brandon watched the Professor walk over to a small domed console in the middle of the room. He pressed a few buttons on it and the glass dome separated and a single poke ball came up through one of the many holes. The professor picked it up and trotted over to Brandon. "Here is your Charmander," he said. "Take good care of him."
Brandon's mind blanked out as he took the pokeball from the professor. he thought.
"May I ask you a question?" the professor asked. He didn't wait for an answer. "Are those pokeballs on your belt empty or do they contain pokemon?"
"Pokemon." Brandon said simply. "But I don't know what kinds."
The professor heard the door chime and he looked over Brandon's shoulder. "Well, why don't we find out?" he said as he walked over to the new arrival. "Brandon, I'd like you to meet Jenn."
Brandon turned around, still in a daze, and nearly passed out at the sight. Standing before him was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her blue eyes shimmered in the fluorescent light and her waist-length blond hair was tied back in a ponytail. Then there was her face in general, which served to enchant. "Uh…hi." He said stupidly.
Jenn put her hands on her hips. "Hey!" she said. "You didn't tell me he was and adult. And he has six pokemon to boot. He's not a beginning trainer."
"Yes he is." The professor argued. "He came in and got his Charmander today. Those other ones are probably pets of his family."
Jenn looked down at the ground. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She admitted. "But he's still an adult. I do want to fight him though."
By this time Brandon was back to his senses. "I'll have you know that I'm only seventeen. How old are you?"
Jenn blushed. "S-sixteen." She said. The blush faded as quickly as it appeared. "Enough chat. Are you ready to lose?"
Brandon raised an eyebrow at Professor Oak as Jenn took her pokeball out of her pocket. "You see," the professor began, "Every beginning trainer battles another beginner to get their first experience points. Jenn was the only on left out…since you were late."
"Okay," Brandon said reluctantly, "Here goes nothing. Your move Jenn."
Jenn pushed the little white button on the poke ball and threw it as it grew. "Go, Squirtle!" she shouted. A small, blue turtle like pokemon burst out of the ball and assumed a fighting stance.
"Squirtle squirt!" it said.
Brandon hesitantly grabbed a pokeball off his belt and did the same. "Pokeball, go!"
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"Pokeball, go!" Brandon shouted as he hurled the red and white sphere to the center of the floor. As soon as it hit the tile, it opened up and a spurt of white came out, forming into a two-headed bird. "Gawww!" one of the heads squawked.
Jenn took out her newly acquired pokedex and aimed at the creature. it said.
"Doduo, huh?" Jenn said. "We can take care of it, right Squirtle?"
"Squirt." The Squirtle said.
Meanwhile, Brandon was trying to remember what moves Doduo knew. "Lessee, uh…drill peck, um… tri attack… takedown…"
"Squirtle, tackle it!" Jenn shouted.
Brandon frantically shouted the last move he knew. "Fly Doduo!"
Unfortunately, Brandon forgot that they were inside and Doduo smacked its heads on the ceiling and collapsed to the floor painfully. "Gwaaak." One head said angrily.
"Sorry, Doduo," Brandon said sheepishly. Then he noticed that the Squirtle had stopped in mid-tackle and was rolling on the floor, laughing its head off, as was Jenn. "Hey! Stop laughing at Doduo!" Even though Brandon had only been in Pallet for an hour of two, he still felt attached to his pokemon.
Jenn and her Squirtle didn't stop laughing and Brandon's left eye began to twitch. "Fine," he growled. "Doduo, Tri-attack!"
The odd-looking bird's eyes began to glow and it moved its heads in a triangle pattern, bringing its heads together at the peak. When it finished, a triangle shaped blast of energy rocketed toward the Squirtle, knocking it down and blasting away a cabinet on the far wall. Squirtle didn't get up. "Ah ha!" Brandon shouted, hugging Doduo. "We did it! We won!"
Doduo seemed just as happy as it squawked its happiness.
Jenn ran up to her unconscious pokemon and cradled it in her arms. She pulled a revive from her pocket. "It'll be okay Squirtle. Drink this." She soothed. Soon Squirtle was back on its feet and ready to fight. Jenn directed her anger toward Brandon. "You. I want a rematch. No Doduo this time."
"What?!" Brandon exclaimed as he patted one of Doduos heads. Doduo expressed its surprise as well. "Fine. You did good, Doduo."
"Gwaak."
"Return." Brandon commanded as he fumbled with the pokeball. As soon as Doduo was back in its ball, Brandon plucked another one off his belt. "What's this one?"
Brandon tossed the ball in front of him and watched in glee as his favorite pokemon spurted out. "Dratini!" he exclaimed. He began to giggle maniacally.
The small snake like pokemon blinked its eyes a few times as it adjusted to the light. "Dratini?" it said. It soon caught sight of Brandon and slithered over to his leg and began to rub up against him. "Dratini, ini!" it exclaimed.
"I guess it likes me." He said. "Ready?" he asked Jenn.
Jenn nodded. "Ready when you are." She answered.
"Dratini," Brandon shouted. "Sl-"
"Hold it!" Professor Oak shouted as he came out of the back room. "Take it outside. I don't want you two to demolish my lab!"
Brandon and Jenn looked at each other briefly before they ushered their pokemon out into the fray. ( You see, all of the other trainers were out there battling each other…in that ten foot area that I described in the other chapter. )
The professor scratched his head as he followed the two young trainers into the daylight. "That young mans pokemon are quite powerful. I wonder why?" he shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, well. At least he'll be a decent trainer."
By the time he got out side the battle between Jenn and Brandon was over and the other trainers were standing in shock around the two. Brandon's Dratini looked pretty beat up but it was standing, (and dripping) over and unconscious Squirtle. "Return, Dratini." Brandon commanded.
As the red beam shot out of the poke ball, Dratini dodged out of the way and the beam kicked up a cloud of dust in the dirt. "Dratini, return." Brandon said again.
The small dragon shook its head. "Tini dratini ini. Dratin ii ini."
Brandon thought.
The professor shook his head and laughed. "Looks like you need to gain the respect of your pokemon, Brandon." He said. "All you nee-"
"He doesn't need to get any stupid respect." Jenn said angrily as she held her smoldering Squirtle.
The professor's jaw dropped and he glanced over at Squirtle then Dratini. "What did it do?" he asked.
"Hyper beam." Brandon said. His Dratini climbed up and perched on his shoulders as Brandon gave it a puzzled look. he wondered.
"H-h-h-hyper beam?!" Oak shouted. "What level is that anyway?"
Jenn returned he Squirtle to its pokeball and pointed her pokedex at the Dratini. "Level, moves and description." She commanded.
The professor nearly fainted. "Level twenty!?" he shouted. His eyes glazed over and he went into a gibbering trance. Something about how pokemon that small shouldn't know those kind of moves.
Jenn had her own reactions. "No wonder you won." She said. "Squirtle is only level six."
"I didn't know that," Brandon argued.
"Humph. I hope I never see you again," Jenn growled as she stomped off toward Pallets very small pokemon center.
The professor finally snapped out of his stupor. "Well, you have a very special Dratini there. Seems a little small though." He said. "Please follow me into my lab."
"Tini dratini ini?" Dratini asked.
"I dunno. We'll have to wait and see." Brandon said.
"What was that?" the professor asked.
"Nothin'"
Brandon followed the professor into the lab and was amazed that the cabinet destroyed by Doduo was already fixed. Brandon then followed Oak into a back room where he began rummaging through a drawer. "I know it's in here…" the professor mumbled.
"What's in there?" Brandon asked as he set Dratini on the floor.
"Your pokedex."
"Oh!" Brandon exclaimed grabbing the game boy. "Don't bother. I already have one."
The professor raised an eyebrow at that. "How? Never mind that. Ah! Here they are your pokeballs."
Brandon looked down as the professor dumped six small spheres in his hands. "I already have six pokemon though." Brandon said.
"But you will probably want more, won't you?" the professor asked.
Brandon had to admit, the professor had him there. And Din just gave him the six pokemon he had on his belt. Brandon put the six pokeballs in the backpack that Professor Oak kindly provided for him and then made his good- byes. Dratini curled up around Brandon's neck and promptly fell asleep. "Go ahead and sleep pal, you've earned it." After about an hour of uneventful travel Brandon came upon his first wild pokemon. It was small and purple and had long whiskers and fangs.
Even though he knew what it was he still pointed the game boy at it.
"Rattata huh?" Brandon said casually. He decided that even though it was a rather common pokemon, it might come in handy later on. "Okay, go Dratini!" he shouted.
But he forgot that Dratini was still asleep. "Oops. Sorry, Dratini. Pokeball go!" he shouted in a whisper. (Oxymoron intended.)
As soon as the pokeball hit the ground it opened and spit out a small purple, horned pokemon that had spines running down his back. "Nido nidoran?" It said grumpily. After all it probably had been sleeping too.
"Ooh." Brandon said. "Hey Nidoran."
The Nidoran male turned around and smiled, or tried to, at Brandon. "Nidoran ni."
By now the Rattata had become aware of Brandon and his pokemon watching him. "Ra rattata rat." It said as it ran away.
Brandon mused. He shook him self out of his small trance. "Nidoran," he shouted, "Go after it and…"
Brandon stopped mid-shout. What were Nidorans moves anyway. He sat down and pondered as the Nidoran chased the Rattata into the grass and sounds of fighting were heard. "Okay," Brandon thought. "What are Nidorans moves?"
By the time he had remembered them, the Nidoran had dragged the semi- conscious rat out of the grass and set it at Brandon's feet. "Good job, Nidoran." Brandon said as he tossed the pokeball. The Rattata didn't give much resistance and as soon as it was caught Brandon picked it up and attached it to his belt. "Nidoran, return."
( For those of you that are wondering, Nidorans attacks are, Earthquake, Rockslide, Thrash, and Strength. )
Brandon attached the ball containing Nidoran to his belt and scratched the slumbering Dratini's head. "Next stop, Viridian City."
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James sat on the ground next to Jessie with his arms crossed over his chest. He was in a very bad mood and Jessie had to drag him all the way back to Viridian forest. "Why do we have to come all the way back here, Jessie?" he whined.
Jessie reached over and smacked him with her fan, not even looking at him. "Get out your binoculars and look at this."
James grumbled as he pulled the binoculars out of his pocket and put them to his face. "Hoo boy, she's hot!" he shouted. The girl he saw was extremely beautiful. Her blond hair fell to her waist in a long ponytail, and her bikini glistened in the sun from the water her Squirtle was spraying her with. "I think I'm in love."
Jessie pounded him into the ground. "Not her you dolt. Him." She pointed James' binoculars at the spot she was looking.
Now, as you all know, James has three loves in his life; food, beautiful women, and a certain pokemon. "Ahhhhh!!" he shouted. "A Dratini!" As he looked at the sleeping dragon wrapped around someone's neck, a small stream of drool fell from his mouth.
Meowth suddenly appeared behind them. "That's why Butch and Cassidy have been assigned to the Pikachu job." He pointed in the direction of the Dratini. "The boss doesn't know about it though…"
James hauled himself to his feet and put the binoculars away. "Shall we?" he asked, offering his arm to Jessie
Jessie accepted it and the two sprinted down the hill with Meowth desperately trying to catch up.
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Brandon was amazed to say the least. Even being an avid fan of the show, the forest and even the pokemon looked completely different in real life. "Wow." He said, awed.
The sounds of Pidgey and Spearow periodically punctuated the stillness. Brandon looked around and spotted a quick flash of green. "What was that?" he asked.
He slowly turned around and caught another flash that disappeared into a bush, but recognized it this time. "A Caterpie." He said. "Only a Caterpie."
The Caterpie came out of the bush that it was in and made a confused whirring noise. Most trainers would try to catch it then pull their hair out in frustration when it would break out. But this trainer just ignored him. It very slowly edged over to him and made a questioning whir…
And was greeted by a very angry Charmander. "Charrrr!" it shouted as it sprang from the pokeball spewing red-hot flame at the Caterpie. In an instant, the Caterpie was charred to a crisp and fell to the ground.
"Good job, Charmander. Return." Brandon said, pointing the pokeball at Charmander and sucking it in. Then he pulled an empty pokeball out of his pack and tossed it at the Caterpie.
The ball rocked three times and then dinged, indicating that Caterpie was caught. The ball vanished as Brandon picked it up, and went back to Professor Oak. "Have fun, Caterpie."
Brandon continued on his way and finally reached the edge of the forest. Dratini slithered down off his shoulder and looked at the beams of sunlight streaming through the opening. "Dratini?" it asked.
"Yep, we're almost out." Brandon answered. "In fact…"
"Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"
Brandon slapped his forehead and moaned, "Not them, not now."
Dratini looked around in confusion. It had no idea what was going on.
"To protect the world from devastation."
"To unite all peoples within our nation."
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To extend our reach to the stars above."
"Jessie!" Jessie said as she dropped down from the trees.
"James!" James said as he fell from the branches.
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight."
"Meowth, that's right!"
Brandon was now sobbing into his hands from the pain that listening to the motto caused while Dratini was still as confused as ever. Brandon eventually stopped and looked at Dratini. "Get ready." He mouthed. Dratini nodded rather hesitantly. Then he looked back to Team Rocket as he reached to his belt and grabbed another ball.
James pointed at the Dratini. "Hand over the Dratini," he commanded.
"Or get ready to suffer," Jessie said.
Meowth laughed.
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Brandon's brow furrowed in anger and frustration as he glared at Team Rocket. "I'll never give up dratini," he growled, gripping the pokeball tighter, "So you can just go away."
Jessie let out a demure laugh. She reached behind her back and pulled two pokeballs from…somewhere. "Team Rocket doesn't give up that easily."
James sighed. "We've been trying to catch that pikachu for over a year now."
Jessie pounded him into the ground. "Quiet you!" she shouted. She looked back toward where Brandon and the dratini were and saw them leaving. "Hey! Don't leave when I'm ranting! Arbok, Lickitung, go!"
James pulled himself out of his crater and followed suit. "Wheezing, Victreebel, go!"
The quartet of pokeballs landed in front of Brandon spouting three wicked looking, and one goofy looking, pokemon. Dratini slunk back behind Brandon fearfully as Arbok leered at it. "I told you," Jessie said, "We don't give up that easily."
Brandon didn't answer but instead turned around and began to snigger, initiating Jessies wrath.
"Don't laugh at me when I'm angry with you!" she screeched, he head growing to monstrous proportions and growing fangs. Brandon didn't even respond to that and Jessie began to think something was seriously wrong with the kid. She cautiously edged toward him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Are…you okay?"
"Thanks for the laugh," Brandon said as he turned and wiped a tear from his eye, "That lickitung sure is funny lookin'"
Jessie smiled coyly and put her hand on the back of her head. "No problem," she said as Brandon exited the forest. "Glad to be of service."
James and Meowth walked up behind her, both their faces red with anger. "Jessie," Meowth said.
"What?"
"The dratini is getting away," James finished.
Jessie's face burned with shame as the three of them and their pokemon took off after Brandon.
Brandon knew this would happen and had three pokeballs in his hand, ready to be opened. While Jessie was raving at him for having tricked her, Brandon released his pokemon. The Charmander, Nidoran, and Eevee were dwarfed by Team Rockets pokemon, but were going to try their best.
The fray began with Eevee getting pounded by Wheezing. Brandon called it back, muttering words that would have made a sailor's face turn blue, then replaced it with Doduo. The fight didn't go in Brandon's favor. Despite Team Rockets bumbling, they still managed to win. First, Charmander was poisoned by Arboks bite it then was tackled into the ground by Wheezing. That took it out of the fight. Next, Victreebel wrapped Doduo and as it was reeling, Lickitung stomped it. Nidoran was confident in its skill but didn't count on its Rockslide flattening Team Rocket instead of their pokemon.
Brandon called back his last pokemon as it was feeling sorry for itself and cursed inwardly. he thought. Brandon's face paled.
Jessie caught the look on Brandon's face and felt even more confident. For once they didn't screw things up. The kid must have realized that Team Rocket won. As they began to advance once again on Brandon, the small dragon halted their progress. Jessie began to laugh. "You think that can stop us?"
Dratini, however, let them pass. It wasn't concerned with the two humans. It knew that its trainer could handle them. The pokemon worried it though. They could cause damage. it thought. A low growl was emanating from its throat, its signal that it would protect its friend to the death.
Brandon was awed by the spectacle and his resolve hardened. So what if he wasn't the best trainer in the world? At least dratini liked him. Still, he didn't want to fight if he could help it and looked for any way out.
Dratini didn't wait for any signal from Brandon and began to inflict pain. It was using move that it should have forgotten though. First, it wrapped Lickitung and tossed it at Victreebel, effectively tangling those two together and taking them out of the fight. Then it turned toward Arbok and Wheezing and saw that they had slipped by. Dratini began to glow a very bright white.
While Jessie, James, and Wheezing were busy trying to intimidate Brandon, and failing, Arbok had a sinking feeling that it should check behind it. It was gulped and hurried back into its pokeball, startling Jessie. She caught a glimpse of the red eyed dratini and had a bad feeling herself. James and Meowth both chanting 'I don't wanna die' and Brandon smiling maniacally didn't help. It was a very bad feeling indeed….
"Dratini," Brandon said, "Hyper beam."
Jessie screamed and held on to James as Dratini lunged forward and let loose a bright white beam of energy at the duo. They didn't count on wheezing to take the blow for them…then detonating.
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The scene was horrible; everything was water logged. The culprit, a squirtle was unconscious at the feet of a very angry Jenn, ready to explode at a pidgey that was hiding its face in its wings. Jenn took a deep breath then sat down on a log and called her pokemon back to her. She wished she could cry, but she was too angry to cry. Her pidgey had knocked her squirtle out with a poorly aimed gust as squirtle was spraying water at a now hysterical weedle. Jenn clenched her fists together then let out an anguished cry.
After she had shouted her lungs out, startling the weedle out of its fit, she felt slightly better. But she still needed to vent her anger on something, and the weedle that was looking sorry for itself at her feet was a prime target. Setting her sights, she fired.
"What do you want?" she snapped. "Want to laugh at me some more?" The weedle shook its head. "Then what do you want?" Jenn asked.
The small harry bug began to pace back and forth in front of Jenn, piquing her curiosity. She listened as the weedle began a long and eloquent speech about how it wanted to be her pokemon and how it was only playing with her and how it never meant any harm. Jenn didn't understand a thing it said.
The weedle sighed and nudged at Jenns empty pokeball, meant to catch it in the first place. "Weedle." It said.
Jenns face lit up with understanding. "You want to be my weedle?" she asked incredulously. The weedle nodded. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?"
The weedle face-faulted. Then, as Jenn tossed the pokeball at it, it happily climbed in. The others at the hive never treated it with the respect it deserved. But soon it would be the best Beedrill the world had ever seen.
As Jenn was hooking her newly acquired pokemon to her belt she felt an eerie presence loom up behind her. She whirled around, hoping it wasn't a Haunter, and screamed as a sword was placed right next to her nose.
"Are you a trainer from pallet?" the boy inquired. He was dressed in a traditional Samurai helmet and armor and carried a net, pokeballs and sword in his belt.
Jenn nodded and gulped. "W-who are you?" she asked. She breathed a sigh of relief when she samurai put his sword away.
"You may call me Samurai." The boy said. "And who are you?"
"Jenn." She said simply. "You don't need to know my last name. Yes I am from Pallet."
"Well, then, Jenn," Samurai said. "Each year I challenge every trainer from pallet to sharpen my skills. I will only leave this forest when I defeat at least two. You and the last trainer will my last."
Jenn scowled. Her pokemon were in no condition to fight but she would give this kid a good ass whipping if he wanted it.
Both simultaneously threw their pokeballs in front of them. Jenn, her newly acquired weedle, and Samurai, a Venonat. Neither of them got the begin fighting as a ground shaking explosion rocked the area knocking both of them to the ground. Jenn was the first to her feet. She called her weedle back with a worried expression. "What was that?" she asked. Then she pointed over Samurais shoulder. "What is that?"
Samurai looked at the giant plume of smoke with wide eyes. "That would be explosion." He said. "Come with me."
Jenn followed him. "Where are we going?" she asked.
"To find any survivors."
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The scene was devastated. A large crater covered the entire clearing and was belching noxious smoke. Jenn began coughing and Samurai tossed a rag over to her. "Don't breathe the vapors." He said. "This was a wheezings explosion."
Jenn covered her mouth and pointed at a blackened object in the center of the crater. She hurried toward it and saw that the object was actually a person. He was still breathing but was in dire need of medical attention. The soot and minor burns across his face gave no indication of who he was. "Hey. Over here." She shouted.
Jenn watched as Samurai scooped another blackened object into his arms and trotted over to her. "who is he?" samurai asked.
"I don't know." Jenn said. "What do you have?"
"A dratini."
Jenn put two and two together. Dratini + Boy = Brandon. Her face paled under her mask. "We have to get them to a hospital!" she shouted. "I know him."
"Lets go then."
Jenn hefted Brandon's limp form over her shoulders and Samurai carried the small Dratini toward the small city of Pewter. They stopped at the Pokecenter and dropped of Dratini the hurried over to the Hospital. After Brandon was safely bandaged and recovering, Jenn left his side and joined Samurai in the lobby.
"How is he?" Samurai asked.
Jenn wiped her eyes. "The doctor says he'll be fine. He said that he shouldn't have survived that explosion." Jenn despised the boy for upstaging her at the lab but was rapidly developing a crush on him.
Samurai let out his breath. "Good. Where do you know him from?" he asked, no longer using his semi-formal speech. As he waited for an answer, he took off his helmet.
Jenn sighed and closed her eyes. "About a week ago, I visited oaks lab to get my license and first pokemon. You know how every beginning trainer battles another to get their first experience right?"
Samurai nodded then took his helmet off.
"Well." Jenn continued, "There were four of us. Some jerk named Francis went against a little girl who had a bulbasaur, and I was supposed to be against Brandon. He was late of course and when he finally showed up fell in love." Jenn pointed a finger at Samurai. "If you tell anyone you said that, I will shove your pokeballs up your ass."
Samurai held his hands up defensively. "Fine, fine." He motioned for her to continue. "What happened next?"
"Well he finally showed up and I was surprised to see that he already had some pokemon. The professor said that he was a beginning trainer." Jenn scowled. "We wasn't. Creamed me and my poor squirtle, twice. First with his stupid doduo and then with his dratini."
Jenns look softened once again. "But he didn't rub it in."
A nurse interrupted the two. "Miss Jenn, Mr.…er, Samurai, you can see your friend now."
Samurai got up and left without question but Jenn wondered what was wrong with the nurse. Her face was as white as her dress. But before she had the chance to ask the nurse was gone.
When Jenn got to Brandon's room, she saw what had the nurse so unnerved. Brandon was sitting up in a chair, with nary a scratch on him. "What the?!?!" Jenn shouted.
When Brandon saw Jenn, his surprise faltered only for a moment. "Oh, hi Jenn. Uh, thanks for bringing me here."
"No-no problem." Jenn stuttered throwing a glance back at Samurai.
Samurai had a small stream of spittle running from the corner of his mouth and a dazed look in his eyes. "He's not human…"
Jenn looked back at Brandon. "What happened to the bruises and burns?" she asked. "Shouldn't you have broken bones?"
Brandon scratched his chin and debated telling Jenn the truth. How would she take the fact that Brandon knew a goddess…
Flashback…
Brandon stood in a dark room looking wildly around for an exit. "Where am I?" he shouted.
"Dead." Someone from behind him said.
Brandon whirled around and stared into a pair of beautiful red eyes. "Ack!" he shouted, backing away from the woman as fast a humanly possible. "Don't do that Din." He growled, "And what do you mean dead?"
"I mean not living." Din said. Brandon looked down at himself and took a few deep breaths. "You have five broken ribs, third degree burns all over your body, and lost more blood than you have in your body."
Instead of looking forlorn, muck to Dins chagrin, Brandon's eyes sparkled with hope. "Does that mean I can go home?"
Dins smile returned. "No way. I won't let you off that easily. I am going to heal you so you can earn your way home."
Brandon glared at the goddess. "What did I ever do to you?"
Din smiled darkly. "You created me."
End…
Brandon looked up at Jenn and smiled weakly. Taking a deep breath, he…told a big fat lie…kind of. "I don't know.
Samurai finally fainted and a bunch of doctors hauled him away.
"You don't know?" Jenn shouted.
"I guess I have psychic powers." Little did he know how right he was.
Brandon suddenly clutched his head in agony. "No!" he shouted.
Jenn was instantly at his side and clutched his hand. "What's wrong?"
"Dratini can't die!"
Springtime in Colorado is very beautiful. The various birds are abundant, the sun is shining and the temperature is never too hot.
This is the type of weather that families love to share outside. However, one resident decided not to go out and instead lounge on the couch with his favorite game as his sister looked disgustedly over his shoulder.
The silence was broken as his sister finally gave in. "You are going to give your self a tumor if you keep playing that all the time." She shouted.
"Oh, shut up, Brittany," Brandon said. "You're just jealous that I'm farther in the game that you."
Brittany scoffed. "Yeah, right." She mocked. "How many pokemon have you captured?"
"One hundred and forty nine."
Brittany face faulted. "Uh huh, right. Let me see."
Brandon brought up the game boys' pokedex and showed his sister as she nosed in his way. "See?" Brandon asked.
Brittany was at a loss for words. "Uh…I…I bet I can beat you in a battle." She finally spit out.
A broad grin grew over Brandon's face as he pulled out a game link cable. He plugged it into the side of the game boy with out looking at her. "You're on." He said.
Brittany left and came back shortly with her game boy and her game and plugged them in. Soon the battle was raging and it was obvious that Brandon was winning from the expression on his sister's face. "Y-you didn't tell me that ALL of your pokemon were level 100!" Brittany shouted.
Brandon grinned as his Dragonite knocked out his sisters Cubone. "You never asked." Brandon said simply.
As soon as the battle was over Brittany disgustedly set her game boy down and began to storm off.
"Where do you think you're going?" Brandon said as he reset his game boy. "We made a bet."
Brittany stopped and turned around. "We never bet on anything." She said smugly.
For once Brandon had no comeback. "Yeah but…but…" he stuttered frantically as his sister left the room. Then he got an idea. Good old' black mail. "If you don't give me something I'll tell dad that you're dating someone who's 22."
"You wouldn't." Brittany said horrified.
"Try me."
Brittany's fists were clenched and she couldn't stay still. "What do you want?" she growled.
"Do all of my chores for a week." Brandon said as he left the room. "And do them well."
After Brandon was out of earshot Brittany said. "I wish he'd get sucked into that stupid game of his."
If she knew the wish would come true, she probably would have regretted saying that.
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There are few sounds to be heard at three a.m. Yes, there are, but very few. Among these sounds are cats wailing, dogs barking, maybe even a bird or two, but no one expects to hear an audible game boy bleep.
Brandon had his game boy out and was busy tying to find the last pokemon he needed in his collection, a Pinsir. But due to his sleep-depraved mind and the fact he had the red version of the game, he wasn't finding one. Finally tiring of the hunt Brandon decided to turn off the game and get some sleep. But to his amazement, the game wouldn't turn off.
"What the?!" Brandon cried as he frantically tried to get the system off. He even took out the batteries but the game boy stayed on.
Then, a very beautiful woman with long red hair and wearing red armor appeared on his black and white screen. "Hello, Brandon." She said in a digitized voice. "Remember me?"
Brandon's eyes widened in fear yet he couldn't let go of the game boy. "D- Din?!" he asked incredulously. "No way."
"Yes way." Din said as she beckoned him. "Follow me. I have something I need to show you."
Brandon tried to scream as he was sucked into the Game boy but found that his throat was closed. Next came the sensation of falling. It seemed to take forever, but finally he landed with a bump. When he opened his eyes he was no longer in Colorado.
"Where?" he asked.
He looked over his shoulder and saw Din looming over him. "You are in Pallet." She said in a disturbingly calm voice. "And you are about to start your Pokemon Journey."
"Riiiiight." Brandon said. "And I bet I get six pokemon right from the start."
"No," Din said. "you get five. You will get your sixth from the professor."
Brandon looked over his shoulder at where Din was pointing.
Din continued, "On your belt you will find five pokeballs and your game boy. The game boy is not a game boy though. It is your own personal pokedex. Okay? Any questions."
Brandon raised his hand out of habit. "Am I dreaming?" he asked. Din shook her head. "Nuts. And, how do I get home?"
Din let loose an evil grin. "Simple. Beat the elite four."
Brandon felt like crying as he watched Din fade away. For most trainers it took years to even get to the elite four. But to beat them? He hauled himself to his feet and started on his way.
-------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------
Professor Oak looked at his list for the third time, making sure that he hadn't missed any beginning trainers. Unfortunately he had, one Brandon Wallace. "What ho?" he said as he noted the door to the lab opening. A young man about sixteen or seventeen fell in and scurried toward the professor.
"How many freakin' battles can take place in a ten foot area!?" Said the youth.
The professor looked him over. Aside from the burns, soaked clothes and grass stains on his face he looked to be an able trainer. Oaks gaze wandered down and stopped on the pokeballs attached to the teen's belt. Five of them, the professor noted. "Can I help you young man?" he asked.
"Yeah," the boy said hesitantly as he looked out the window at the carnage outside, "I'm Brandon Wallace…"
"Ah!" the Professor interrupted. "You must want your pokemon."
Brandon watched the Professor walk over to a small domed console in the middle of the room. He pressed a few buttons on it and the glass dome separated and a single poke ball came up through one of the many holes. The professor picked it up and trotted over to Brandon. "Here is your Charmander," he said. "Take good care of him."
Brandon's mind blanked out as he took the pokeball from the professor. he thought.
"May I ask you a question?" the professor asked. He didn't wait for an answer. "Are those pokeballs on your belt empty or do they contain pokemon?"
"Pokemon." Brandon said simply. "But I don't know what kinds."
The professor heard the door chime and he looked over Brandon's shoulder. "Well, why don't we find out?" he said as he walked over to the new arrival. "Brandon, I'd like you to meet Jenn."
Brandon turned around, still in a daze, and nearly passed out at the sight. Standing before him was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her blue eyes shimmered in the fluorescent light and her waist-length blond hair was tied back in a ponytail. Then there was her face in general, which served to enchant. "Uh…hi." He said stupidly.
Jenn put her hands on her hips. "Hey!" she said. "You didn't tell me he was and adult. And he has six pokemon to boot. He's not a beginning trainer."
"Yes he is." The professor argued. "He came in and got his Charmander today. Those other ones are probably pets of his family."
Jenn looked down at the ground. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She admitted. "But he's still an adult. I do want to fight him though."
By this time Brandon was back to his senses. "I'll have you know that I'm only seventeen. How old are you?"
Jenn blushed. "S-sixteen." She said. The blush faded as quickly as it appeared. "Enough chat. Are you ready to lose?"
Brandon raised an eyebrow at Professor Oak as Jenn took her pokeball out of her pocket. "You see," the professor began, "Every beginning trainer battles another beginner to get their first experience points. Jenn was the only on left out…since you were late."
"Okay," Brandon said reluctantly, "Here goes nothing. Your move Jenn."
Jenn pushed the little white button on the poke ball and threw it as it grew. "Go, Squirtle!" she shouted. A small, blue turtle like pokemon burst out of the ball and assumed a fighting stance.
"Squirtle squirt!" it said.
Brandon hesitantly grabbed a pokeball off his belt and did the same. "Pokeball, go!"
-----------------
"Pokeball, go!" Brandon shouted as he hurled the red and white sphere to the center of the floor. As soon as it hit the tile, it opened up and a spurt of white came out, forming into a two-headed bird. "Gawww!" one of the heads squawked.
Jenn took out her newly acquired pokedex and aimed at the creature. it said.
"Doduo, huh?" Jenn said. "We can take care of it, right Squirtle?"
"Squirt." The Squirtle said.
Meanwhile, Brandon was trying to remember what moves Doduo knew. "Lessee, uh…drill peck, um… tri attack… takedown…"
"Squirtle, tackle it!" Jenn shouted.
Brandon frantically shouted the last move he knew. "Fly Doduo!"
Unfortunately, Brandon forgot that they were inside and Doduo smacked its heads on the ceiling and collapsed to the floor painfully. "Gwaaak." One head said angrily.
"Sorry, Doduo," Brandon said sheepishly. Then he noticed that the Squirtle had stopped in mid-tackle and was rolling on the floor, laughing its head off, as was Jenn. "Hey! Stop laughing at Doduo!" Even though Brandon had only been in Pallet for an hour of two, he still felt attached to his pokemon.
Jenn and her Squirtle didn't stop laughing and Brandon's left eye began to twitch. "Fine," he growled. "Doduo, Tri-attack!"
The odd-looking bird's eyes began to glow and it moved its heads in a triangle pattern, bringing its heads together at the peak. When it finished, a triangle shaped blast of energy rocketed toward the Squirtle, knocking it down and blasting away a cabinet on the far wall. Squirtle didn't get up. "Ah ha!" Brandon shouted, hugging Doduo. "We did it! We won!"
Doduo seemed just as happy as it squawked its happiness.
Jenn ran up to her unconscious pokemon and cradled it in her arms. She pulled a revive from her pocket. "It'll be okay Squirtle. Drink this." She soothed. Soon Squirtle was back on its feet and ready to fight. Jenn directed her anger toward Brandon. "You. I want a rematch. No Doduo this time."
"What?!" Brandon exclaimed as he patted one of Doduos heads. Doduo expressed its surprise as well. "Fine. You did good, Doduo."
"Gwaak."
"Return." Brandon commanded as he fumbled with the pokeball. As soon as Doduo was back in its ball, Brandon plucked another one off his belt. "What's this one?"
Brandon tossed the ball in front of him and watched in glee as his favorite pokemon spurted out. "Dratini!" he exclaimed. He began to giggle maniacally.
The small snake like pokemon blinked its eyes a few times as it adjusted to the light. "Dratini?" it said. It soon caught sight of Brandon and slithered over to his leg and began to rub up against him. "Dratini, ini!" it exclaimed.
"I guess it likes me." He said. "Ready?" he asked Jenn.
Jenn nodded. "Ready when you are." She answered.
"Dratini," Brandon shouted. "Sl-"
"Hold it!" Professor Oak shouted as he came out of the back room. "Take it outside. I don't want you two to demolish my lab!"
Brandon and Jenn looked at each other briefly before they ushered their pokemon out into the fray. ( You see, all of the other trainers were out there battling each other…in that ten foot area that I described in the other chapter. )
The professor scratched his head as he followed the two young trainers into the daylight. "That young mans pokemon are quite powerful. I wonder why?" he shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, well. At least he'll be a decent trainer."
By the time he got out side the battle between Jenn and Brandon was over and the other trainers were standing in shock around the two. Brandon's Dratini looked pretty beat up but it was standing, (and dripping) over and unconscious Squirtle. "Return, Dratini." Brandon commanded.
As the red beam shot out of the poke ball, Dratini dodged out of the way and the beam kicked up a cloud of dust in the dirt. "Dratini, return." Brandon said again.
The small dragon shook its head. "Tini dratini ini. Dratin ii ini."
Brandon thought.
The professor shook his head and laughed. "Looks like you need to gain the respect of your pokemon, Brandon." He said. "All you nee-"
"He doesn't need to get any stupid respect." Jenn said angrily as she held her smoldering Squirtle.
The professor's jaw dropped and he glanced over at Squirtle then Dratini. "What did it do?" he asked.
"Hyper beam." Brandon said. His Dratini climbed up and perched on his shoulders as Brandon gave it a puzzled look. he wondered.
"H-h-h-hyper beam?!" Oak shouted. "What level is that anyway?"
Jenn returned he Squirtle to its pokeball and pointed her pokedex at the Dratini. "Level, moves and description." She commanded.
The professor nearly fainted. "Level twenty!?" he shouted. His eyes glazed over and he went into a gibbering trance. Something about how pokemon that small shouldn't know those kind of moves.
Jenn had her own reactions. "No wonder you won." She said. "Squirtle is only level six."
"I didn't know that," Brandon argued.
"Humph. I hope I never see you again," Jenn growled as she stomped off toward Pallets very small pokemon center.
The professor finally snapped out of his stupor. "Well, you have a very special Dratini there. Seems a little small though." He said. "Please follow me into my lab."
"Tini dratini ini?" Dratini asked.
"I dunno. We'll have to wait and see." Brandon said.
"What was that?" the professor asked.
"Nothin'"
Brandon followed the professor into the lab and was amazed that the cabinet destroyed by Doduo was already fixed. Brandon then followed Oak into a back room where he began rummaging through a drawer. "I know it's in here…" the professor mumbled.
"What's in there?" Brandon asked as he set Dratini on the floor.
"Your pokedex."
"Oh!" Brandon exclaimed grabbing the game boy. "Don't bother. I already have one."
The professor raised an eyebrow at that. "How? Never mind that. Ah! Here they are your pokeballs."
Brandon looked down as the professor dumped six small spheres in his hands. "I already have six pokemon though." Brandon said.
"But you will probably want more, won't you?" the professor asked.
Brandon had to admit, the professor had him there. And Din just gave him the six pokemon he had on his belt. Brandon put the six pokeballs in the backpack that Professor Oak kindly provided for him and then made his good- byes. Dratini curled up around Brandon's neck and promptly fell asleep. "Go ahead and sleep pal, you've earned it." After about an hour of uneventful travel Brandon came upon his first wild pokemon. It was small and purple and had long whiskers and fangs.
Even though he knew what it was he still pointed the game boy at it.
"Rattata huh?" Brandon said casually. He decided that even though it was a rather common pokemon, it might come in handy later on. "Okay, go Dratini!" he shouted.
But he forgot that Dratini was still asleep. "Oops. Sorry, Dratini. Pokeball go!" he shouted in a whisper. (Oxymoron intended.)
As soon as the pokeball hit the ground it opened and spit out a small purple, horned pokemon that had spines running down his back. "Nido nidoran?" It said grumpily. After all it probably had been sleeping too.
"Ooh." Brandon said. "Hey Nidoran."
The Nidoran male turned around and smiled, or tried to, at Brandon. "Nidoran ni."
By now the Rattata had become aware of Brandon and his pokemon watching him. "Ra rattata rat." It said as it ran away.
Brandon mused. He shook him self out of his small trance. "Nidoran," he shouted, "Go after it and…"
Brandon stopped mid-shout. What were Nidorans moves anyway. He sat down and pondered as the Nidoran chased the Rattata into the grass and sounds of fighting were heard. "Okay," Brandon thought. "What are Nidorans moves?"
By the time he had remembered them, the Nidoran had dragged the semi- conscious rat out of the grass and set it at Brandon's feet. "Good job, Nidoran." Brandon said as he tossed the pokeball. The Rattata didn't give much resistance and as soon as it was caught Brandon picked it up and attached it to his belt. "Nidoran, return."
( For those of you that are wondering, Nidorans attacks are, Earthquake, Rockslide, Thrash, and Strength. )
Brandon attached the ball containing Nidoran to his belt and scratched the slumbering Dratini's head. "Next stop, Viridian City."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---
James sat on the ground next to Jessie with his arms crossed over his chest. He was in a very bad mood and Jessie had to drag him all the way back to Viridian forest. "Why do we have to come all the way back here, Jessie?" he whined.
Jessie reached over and smacked him with her fan, not even looking at him. "Get out your binoculars and look at this."
James grumbled as he pulled the binoculars out of his pocket and put them to his face. "Hoo boy, she's hot!" he shouted. The girl he saw was extremely beautiful. Her blond hair fell to her waist in a long ponytail, and her bikini glistened in the sun from the water her Squirtle was spraying her with. "I think I'm in love."
Jessie pounded him into the ground. "Not her you dolt. Him." She pointed James' binoculars at the spot she was looking.
Now, as you all know, James has three loves in his life; food, beautiful women, and a certain pokemon. "Ahhhhh!!" he shouted. "A Dratini!" As he looked at the sleeping dragon wrapped around someone's neck, a small stream of drool fell from his mouth.
Meowth suddenly appeared behind them. "That's why Butch and Cassidy have been assigned to the Pikachu job." He pointed in the direction of the Dratini. "The boss doesn't know about it though…"
James hauled himself to his feet and put the binoculars away. "Shall we?" he asked, offering his arm to Jessie
Jessie accepted it and the two sprinted down the hill with Meowth desperately trying to catch up.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Brandon was amazed to say the least. Even being an avid fan of the show, the forest and even the pokemon looked completely different in real life. "Wow." He said, awed.
The sounds of Pidgey and Spearow periodically punctuated the stillness. Brandon looked around and spotted a quick flash of green. "What was that?" he asked.
He slowly turned around and caught another flash that disappeared into a bush, but recognized it this time. "A Caterpie." He said. "Only a Caterpie."
The Caterpie came out of the bush that it was in and made a confused whirring noise. Most trainers would try to catch it then pull their hair out in frustration when it would break out. But this trainer just ignored him. It very slowly edged over to him and made a questioning whir…
And was greeted by a very angry Charmander. "Charrrr!" it shouted as it sprang from the pokeball spewing red-hot flame at the Caterpie. In an instant, the Caterpie was charred to a crisp and fell to the ground.
"Good job, Charmander. Return." Brandon said, pointing the pokeball at Charmander and sucking it in. Then he pulled an empty pokeball out of his pack and tossed it at the Caterpie.
The ball rocked three times and then dinged, indicating that Caterpie was caught. The ball vanished as Brandon picked it up, and went back to Professor Oak. "Have fun, Caterpie."
Brandon continued on his way and finally reached the edge of the forest. Dratini slithered down off his shoulder and looked at the beams of sunlight streaming through the opening. "Dratini?" it asked.
"Yep, we're almost out." Brandon answered. "In fact…"
"Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"
Brandon slapped his forehead and moaned, "Not them, not now."
Dratini looked around in confusion. It had no idea what was going on.
"To protect the world from devastation."
"To unite all peoples within our nation."
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To extend our reach to the stars above."
"Jessie!" Jessie said as she dropped down from the trees.
"James!" James said as he fell from the branches.
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight."
"Meowth, that's right!"
Brandon was now sobbing into his hands from the pain that listening to the motto caused while Dratini was still as confused as ever. Brandon eventually stopped and looked at Dratini. "Get ready." He mouthed. Dratini nodded rather hesitantly. Then he looked back to Team Rocket as he reached to his belt and grabbed another ball.
James pointed at the Dratini. "Hand over the Dratini," he commanded.
"Or get ready to suffer," Jessie said.
Meowth laughed.
-----------------------
Brandon's brow furrowed in anger and frustration as he glared at Team Rocket. "I'll never give up dratini," he growled, gripping the pokeball tighter, "So you can just go away."
Jessie let out a demure laugh. She reached behind her back and pulled two pokeballs from…somewhere. "Team Rocket doesn't give up that easily."
James sighed. "We've been trying to catch that pikachu for over a year now."
Jessie pounded him into the ground. "Quiet you!" she shouted. She looked back toward where Brandon and the dratini were and saw them leaving. "Hey! Don't leave when I'm ranting! Arbok, Lickitung, go!"
James pulled himself out of his crater and followed suit. "Wheezing, Victreebel, go!"
The quartet of pokeballs landed in front of Brandon spouting three wicked looking, and one goofy looking, pokemon. Dratini slunk back behind Brandon fearfully as Arbok leered at it. "I told you," Jessie said, "We don't give up that easily."
Brandon didn't answer but instead turned around and began to snigger, initiating Jessies wrath.
"Don't laugh at me when I'm angry with you!" she screeched, he head growing to monstrous proportions and growing fangs. Brandon didn't even respond to that and Jessie began to think something was seriously wrong with the kid. She cautiously edged toward him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Are…you okay?"
"Thanks for the laugh," Brandon said as he turned and wiped a tear from his eye, "That lickitung sure is funny lookin'"
Jessie smiled coyly and put her hand on the back of her head. "No problem," she said as Brandon exited the forest. "Glad to be of service."
James and Meowth walked up behind her, both their faces red with anger. "Jessie," Meowth said.
"What?"
"The dratini is getting away," James finished.
Jessie's face burned with shame as the three of them and their pokemon took off after Brandon.
Brandon knew this would happen and had three pokeballs in his hand, ready to be opened. While Jessie was raving at him for having tricked her, Brandon released his pokemon. The Charmander, Nidoran, and Eevee were dwarfed by Team Rockets pokemon, but were going to try their best.
The fray began with Eevee getting pounded by Wheezing. Brandon called it back, muttering words that would have made a sailor's face turn blue, then replaced it with Doduo. The fight didn't go in Brandon's favor. Despite Team Rockets bumbling, they still managed to win. First, Charmander was poisoned by Arboks bite it then was tackled into the ground by Wheezing. That took it out of the fight. Next, Victreebel wrapped Doduo and as it was reeling, Lickitung stomped it. Nidoran was confident in its skill but didn't count on its Rockslide flattening Team Rocket instead of their pokemon.
Brandon called back his last pokemon as it was feeling sorry for itself and cursed inwardly. he thought. Brandon's face paled.
Jessie caught the look on Brandon's face and felt even more confident. For once they didn't screw things up. The kid must have realized that Team Rocket won. As they began to advance once again on Brandon, the small dragon halted their progress. Jessie began to laugh. "You think that can stop us?"
Dratini, however, let them pass. It wasn't concerned with the two humans. It knew that its trainer could handle them. The pokemon worried it though. They could cause damage. it thought. A low growl was emanating from its throat, its signal that it would protect its friend to the death.
Brandon was awed by the spectacle and his resolve hardened. So what if he wasn't the best trainer in the world? At least dratini liked him. Still, he didn't want to fight if he could help it and looked for any way out.
Dratini didn't wait for any signal from Brandon and began to inflict pain. It was using move that it should have forgotten though. First, it wrapped Lickitung and tossed it at Victreebel, effectively tangling those two together and taking them out of the fight. Then it turned toward Arbok and Wheezing and saw that they had slipped by. Dratini began to glow a very bright white.
While Jessie, James, and Wheezing were busy trying to intimidate Brandon, and failing, Arbok had a sinking feeling that it should check behind it. It was gulped and hurried back into its pokeball, startling Jessie. She caught a glimpse of the red eyed dratini and had a bad feeling herself. James and Meowth both chanting 'I don't wanna die' and Brandon smiling maniacally didn't help. It was a very bad feeling indeed….
"Dratini," Brandon said, "Hyper beam."
Jessie screamed and held on to James as Dratini lunged forward and let loose a bright white beam of energy at the duo. They didn't count on wheezing to take the blow for them…then detonating.
---------------------
The scene was horrible; everything was water logged. The culprit, a squirtle was unconscious at the feet of a very angry Jenn, ready to explode at a pidgey that was hiding its face in its wings. Jenn took a deep breath then sat down on a log and called her pokemon back to her. She wished she could cry, but she was too angry to cry. Her pidgey had knocked her squirtle out with a poorly aimed gust as squirtle was spraying water at a now hysterical weedle. Jenn clenched her fists together then let out an anguished cry.
After she had shouted her lungs out, startling the weedle out of its fit, she felt slightly better. But she still needed to vent her anger on something, and the weedle that was looking sorry for itself at her feet was a prime target. Setting her sights, she fired.
"What do you want?" she snapped. "Want to laugh at me some more?" The weedle shook its head. "Then what do you want?" Jenn asked.
The small harry bug began to pace back and forth in front of Jenn, piquing her curiosity. She listened as the weedle began a long and eloquent speech about how it wanted to be her pokemon and how it was only playing with her and how it never meant any harm. Jenn didn't understand a thing it said.
The weedle sighed and nudged at Jenns empty pokeball, meant to catch it in the first place. "Weedle." It said.
Jenns face lit up with understanding. "You want to be my weedle?" she asked incredulously. The weedle nodded. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?"
The weedle face-faulted. Then, as Jenn tossed the pokeball at it, it happily climbed in. The others at the hive never treated it with the respect it deserved. But soon it would be the best Beedrill the world had ever seen.
As Jenn was hooking her newly acquired pokemon to her belt she felt an eerie presence loom up behind her. She whirled around, hoping it wasn't a Haunter, and screamed as a sword was placed right next to her nose.
"Are you a trainer from pallet?" the boy inquired. He was dressed in a traditional Samurai helmet and armor and carried a net, pokeballs and sword in his belt.
Jenn nodded and gulped. "W-who are you?" she asked. She breathed a sigh of relief when she samurai put his sword away.
"You may call me Samurai." The boy said. "And who are you?"
"Jenn." She said simply. "You don't need to know my last name. Yes I am from Pallet."
"Well, then, Jenn," Samurai said. "Each year I challenge every trainer from pallet to sharpen my skills. I will only leave this forest when I defeat at least two. You and the last trainer will my last."
Jenn scowled. Her pokemon were in no condition to fight but she would give this kid a good ass whipping if he wanted it.
Both simultaneously threw their pokeballs in front of them. Jenn, her newly acquired weedle, and Samurai, a Venonat. Neither of them got the begin fighting as a ground shaking explosion rocked the area knocking both of them to the ground. Jenn was the first to her feet. She called her weedle back with a worried expression. "What was that?" she asked. Then she pointed over Samurais shoulder. "What is that?"
Samurai looked at the giant plume of smoke with wide eyes. "That would be explosion." He said. "Come with me."
Jenn followed him. "Where are we going?" she asked.
"To find any survivors."
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The scene was devastated. A large crater covered the entire clearing and was belching noxious smoke. Jenn began coughing and Samurai tossed a rag over to her. "Don't breathe the vapors." He said. "This was a wheezings explosion."
Jenn covered her mouth and pointed at a blackened object in the center of the crater. She hurried toward it and saw that the object was actually a person. He was still breathing but was in dire need of medical attention. The soot and minor burns across his face gave no indication of who he was. "Hey. Over here." She shouted.
Jenn watched as Samurai scooped another blackened object into his arms and trotted over to her. "who is he?" samurai asked.
"I don't know." Jenn said. "What do you have?"
"A dratini."
Jenn put two and two together. Dratini + Boy = Brandon. Her face paled under her mask. "We have to get them to a hospital!" she shouted. "I know him."
"Lets go then."
Jenn hefted Brandon's limp form over her shoulders and Samurai carried the small Dratini toward the small city of Pewter. They stopped at the Pokecenter and dropped of Dratini the hurried over to the Hospital. After Brandon was safely bandaged and recovering, Jenn left his side and joined Samurai in the lobby.
"How is he?" Samurai asked.
Jenn wiped her eyes. "The doctor says he'll be fine. He said that he shouldn't have survived that explosion." Jenn despised the boy for upstaging her at the lab but was rapidly developing a crush on him.
Samurai let out his breath. "Good. Where do you know him from?" he asked, no longer using his semi-formal speech. As he waited for an answer, he took off his helmet.
Jenn sighed and closed her eyes. "About a week ago, I visited oaks lab to get my license and first pokemon. You know how every beginning trainer battles another to get their first experience right?"
Samurai nodded then took his helmet off.
"Well." Jenn continued, "There were four of us. Some jerk named Francis went against a little girl who had a bulbasaur, and I was supposed to be against Brandon. He was late of course and when he finally showed up fell in love." Jenn pointed a finger at Samurai. "If you tell anyone you said that, I will shove your pokeballs up your ass."
Samurai held his hands up defensively. "Fine, fine." He motioned for her to continue. "What happened next?"
"Well he finally showed up and I was surprised to see that he already had some pokemon. The professor said that he was a beginning trainer." Jenn scowled. "We wasn't. Creamed me and my poor squirtle, twice. First with his stupid doduo and then with his dratini."
Jenns look softened once again. "But he didn't rub it in."
A nurse interrupted the two. "Miss Jenn, Mr.…er, Samurai, you can see your friend now."
Samurai got up and left without question but Jenn wondered what was wrong with the nurse. Her face was as white as her dress. But before she had the chance to ask the nurse was gone.
When Jenn got to Brandon's room, she saw what had the nurse so unnerved. Brandon was sitting up in a chair, with nary a scratch on him. "What the?!?!" Jenn shouted.
When Brandon saw Jenn, his surprise faltered only for a moment. "Oh, hi Jenn. Uh, thanks for bringing me here."
"No-no problem." Jenn stuttered throwing a glance back at Samurai.
Samurai had a small stream of spittle running from the corner of his mouth and a dazed look in his eyes. "He's not human…"
Jenn looked back at Brandon. "What happened to the bruises and burns?" she asked. "Shouldn't you have broken bones?"
Brandon scratched his chin and debated telling Jenn the truth. How would she take the fact that Brandon knew a goddess…
Flashback…
Brandon stood in a dark room looking wildly around for an exit. "Where am I?" he shouted.
"Dead." Someone from behind him said.
Brandon whirled around and stared into a pair of beautiful red eyes. "Ack!" he shouted, backing away from the woman as fast a humanly possible. "Don't do that Din." He growled, "And what do you mean dead?"
"I mean not living." Din said. Brandon looked down at himself and took a few deep breaths. "You have five broken ribs, third degree burns all over your body, and lost more blood than you have in your body."
Instead of looking forlorn, muck to Dins chagrin, Brandon's eyes sparkled with hope. "Does that mean I can go home?"
Dins smile returned. "No way. I won't let you off that easily. I am going to heal you so you can earn your way home."
Brandon glared at the goddess. "What did I ever do to you?"
Din smiled darkly. "You created me."
End…
Brandon looked up at Jenn and smiled weakly. Taking a deep breath, he…told a big fat lie…kind of. "I don't know.
Samurai finally fainted and a bunch of doctors hauled him away.
"You don't know?" Jenn shouted.
"I guess I have psychic powers." Little did he know how right he was.
Brandon suddenly clutched his head in agony. "No!" he shouted.
Jenn was instantly at his side and clutched his hand. "What's wrong?"
"Dratini can't die!"