Prologue
This was the Pokemon world, a world where Pokemon and humans live together peacefully.
Or so I thought.
Team Rocket finally took over the world.
They left it in ruins with the aftermath of their destruction.
Pokemon and Pokemon trainers alike desperately tried to fight back.
The gym leaders and the elites put on a defiant battle.
But Team Rocket's new weapons had overwhelmed them all. There was no end to the chaos.
The Lengendaries all fought together in attempt to save their crumbling world.
Now, all were captured and imprisoned into ice prisons, in suspended animation, all but one.
Who will save the world and free it from the wrath of Team Rocket?
My name is Ashley Katchem I am seventeen years of age.
I have my only surviving Pokemon, Vulpix.
I will avenge my father's death for his efforts to bring down Team Rocket
I will win this war.
One : Rising from the Ashes
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…" Ashley whispered as she hugged her wounded Vulpix. Her clothes were tattered and dirty from her daring escape. She pulled the light brown strands of her hair behind one of her pierced ears.
Standing by a tree on a hill, she took in the over looking view of her city. The fire coursed and burnt everything. A silent and painful tear fell from Ashley's eye. There was nothing she could have done, and the thought made her feel guilty. Her father helped them escape before he was instantly killed by Team Rocket.
Team Rocket had advanced technology they had been hiding over fifty years and had been kidnapping Pokemon since then to test and collect the results of their break through.
"Vulpix, I'll find you a Poké Centre no matter what," Ashley said in a determined tone. Looking down at Vulpix, she nodded her head and closed her eyes. Ashley hugged it softly and turned away from the burning city. Taking her bike from the standing against the tree, she placed Vulpix in the basket and began pedaling down the dirt path.
Team Rocket destroyed all the factories which produced PokéBalls to ensure that no Pokémon would be safe. They even created a signal that was so high pitch it destroyed the function of the PokéBalls. When everyone's Pokémon was out and running around, they were so much easier to be captured.
"Ashley, is that you?" A voice called her. She skidded her feet to an abrupt stop.
Turning to look over her shoulder she was surprised to see one of her childhood friends, Lance. He was tall, slender with a strong build. His black hair spiked over his auburn eyes. His stare always had a nonchalant look that made him look very mature. She leaned to stand off her bike and kicked down the stand.
"L-Lance, you're alive?" She stepped forward. Furrowing her brows, she rushed forward to him. She was so happy to see a familiar face. As she embraced him tightly, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and reassured her. "I-I thought…"
"There's no time to explain, we must run for cover," He said and parted. Behind him, his Luxray appeared. It looked very cautious and made sure to keep its guard up for danger.
As Lance jumped onto Luxray's back, Ashley returned to her bike. They travelled together through the woods while taking notice of the fleeing Pokémon. The flocks of Pigdey and Sparrow left the trees and took flight into the air. The ground dwellers such as the Rattaa were making a quick escape. Even they were distressed from the chaos. Without stopping, they heard the falling of trees behind them. Team Rocket was ne the move.
"Let's speed things up!" Lance said over the noise. Ashley nodded her head and pedaled faster to keep up the pace.
When the dirt path came to a stop, Ashley was forced to ride through the rough terrain. She was struggling. Every bump was slowing her down while Luxray managed to cope with it. Gripping her hands on the handle, she avoided losing control from the stony passage and uneven ground. Lance glanced over his shoulder and realized she was finding it difficult.
"Luxray, slow down," Lance said while the pace began to ease.
He knew that it would be impossible for her to ride her bike and escape successfully. He looked up at he trees in the distance which were falling one after the other. Team Rocket was closer than ever. Looking around, he caught sight of a cave, hidden behind the bushes. He guided Luxray around and eyed Ashley who caught his glance.
"Get to the cave!" He called out. Once he arrived at the entrance first, he jumped off while Luxray stepped inside. Waiting for Ashley, he stood in the open.
She desperately pedaled faster when she realized Lance was waiting for her. At the same time she made sure to keep an eye on Vulpix who was being lightly rocked in the basket. Despite the rough ride, Vulpix was able to get little rest.
Suddenly, a loud explosion caused Ashley to ride down a steep level. She was caught off guard and fell forward. Giving out a shriek she prepared for impact. She instinctively grabbed Vulpix out from the basket and curled herself up into a ball to protect her Pokémon. The moment her bike landed on the ground, Ashley's body began to make a rough tumble before coming to a final stop.
"Ashley!" Lance exclaimed and ran forward. Before he lost his footing and stumbled forward, he was able to recover quickly.
Slowly, Ashley began to move. She could feel a sharp pain aching from her ankle. She had sprained it from the rough all. Opening her eyes, she examined the small ball of fur in her arms. She smiled, knowing that Vulpix was alright. Ashley attempted to stand on her feet but collapsed forward upon putting too much pressure on her leg. She looked down and realized her skin was covered in cuts and bruises.
"Ashley, are you okay?" Lance hurried and helped her up. He pulled her arm over his shoulders and guided her to the cave.
"I'm alright," She sighed and looked to her Pokémon. "Is Vulpix okay?" She asked, having more concerned for her than her self. Lance nodded his head after glimpsing down at it. Vulpix looked up weakly and began to adjust itself in Ashley's arms.
Another explosion shook the ground beneath them, causing Lance and Ashley to stagger to the side. Almost dropping Vulpix, Ashley adjusted her tight grip. Once they steadied themselves, they looked over their shoulders. Team Rocket emerged from the distance. They wore their usual black outfits and a mask over their faces and the 'R' symbol on their clothes.
Ashley and Lance quickly walked through the bushes and into the cave. Lance went back to conceal the entrance with a large piece of branch. As Ashley rested Vulpix next to her, she pulled herself back across the ground to the wall. She looked up at Luxray who comforted her. Glancing down at her leg, she reached over to inspect the damage on her ankle. Her eyes widened and saw it was starting to swollen. Vulpix ventured down to her injury and licked it gently.
"I'm alright Vulpix, you don't have to worry about me," Ashley smiled, trying to put on a strong front. She opened her hands to her while watching Vulpix who sat itself in her lap. "This will be over soon…"
Lance ran back to them and sat next to both Ashley and Luxray. He watched carefully from afar, hoping that Team rocket would pass without looking into the cave. He hated them down to the very core. He lost against them in a battle even though he has been a trainer at a very young age. But he was no match against their Pokémon. They were far too strong and enhanced with drugs to strengthen their ability.
"How bad is it?" Lance questioned while looking down at her ankle.
"It's not as bad as it looks," She said with a forced smile.
"I beg to differ…" He sighed and went to inspect it. Pulling out from his bag were bandages. Gently, pulling off her sneaker, he began to wrap up her swollen ankle to prevent it from movement. "This won't help much, but it'll prevent it from getting worse." He said as she nodded.
"Thanks, Lance. I really appreciate it," She thanked him and gave out a relieved sigh.
They were suddenly startled by the sounds of footsteps making their way past the cave's entrance. So far, no Team Rocket members were curious enough to look inside. But neither Lance nor Ashley felt they were safe. Luxray began to growl quietly. His body vibrated against Lance who sat next to him.
"Shhh…" Lance hushed him while patting its head. Luxray eventually calmed down upon Lance's touch and lowered himself to a sitting position.
"What was that?" A voice spoke from outside.
Ashley and Lance sat frozen in fear.
"I thought I heard something come from over there…" A deeper voice resounded nearby.
The footsteps began to approach closer. Ashley held Vulpix close while the anticipation made it difficult for her nerves to be still. Lance sat against Luxray while trying to keep him at ease before he made another sound. The tension in the atmosphere would seem almost suffocating when both Ashley and Lance held their breath for the majority of the time.
