GYM BEGINNINGS
-A new gym opens…in Pallet Town!-
Richie showed up with his Pikachu in tow. Sparky was a great friend and travelling companion and here in Pallet Town lived Ash Ketchum another trainer with similar training style and taste in Pokemon.
He recalled meeting Ash at the Pokemon League Competition when they busted Team Rocket; even though he had beaten Ash Misty had claimed that Team Rocket had weakened Ash and his team. If that was true Ash never said; he simply congratulated Richie and even cheered for him in his next match. That had earned Richie's respect.
He had actually kept tabs on Ashy and had heard of numerous badges and titles especially the Orange Crew and their leader who was undefeated until Ash took his title. Now there was an official gym here and Richie wanted to ask Ash about it.
"Richie? Right?" The voice surprised him until he turned and recognized Professor Samuel Oak a premiere authority on Pokemon. "Hi Professor. It's nice to know you remember me."
"Well what brings you here?" "I heard about the new gym here and wanted to see the gym leader. What can you tell me before I go looking for Ash?" asked Richie.
Well I can tell you that Ash is here somewhere and he can tell you all about the gym himself."
-Really. I wonder why the secrecy. Professor Oak is sure playing this one close to the vest-
Electing to check out the gym, Richie walked inside and looked around. It was a good clean gym with no visible sign of type or strategy. In Cerulean, for example, the Water-types battle in a giant pool area and Pewter had a Rock floor. This just looked like a regular building.
"PIKA-CHUUUUU!"
Only one pikachu screamed like that- "Ash? Is that you?" "Richie; I thought I recognized you." -As similar as we seem, who else could I be?- He posed this question to Ash and was surprised. "When I was in the Orange Islands, a lady mistook me for her son who also left home with a Pikachu; according to her I looked a lot like him. I think his name was Travis."
"So there's another Poke-maniac out there with a Pikachu?" "Unless he evolved it, yes. But you didn't come here just to visit; you're here for the gym right?"
"What can you tell me about the Gym Leader?" "Well," began Ash. "For starters, he doesn't depend on any single type. Aside from that he seems to be unorthodox in method and strategy. As for battles, before getting this gym he had numerous gym fights but has yet to officially open this gym."
"Can you tell me his name?" Ash gave Richie a queer look; that was when Pikachu started acting odd. His behavior prompted Sparky to act up. –Oh no. It can't be- "Don't tell me?-"
"You guessed it: I am the leader of this gym and you will be my first official battle. Think you're up to it?" After all of the titles and contests Ash had challenged for and won, Richie decided it only made sense for Ash to have a gym. "Sure. What are the rules?" "We each use 3 Pokemon; you may swap anytime but I have to go in order. If you can defeat me you win this: a Shooting Star Badge." The badge he held up resembled a 5-pointed star with a tail of light to one side. "Are you ready?" "You bet Ash. It's time to inaugurate your gym with your first loss; Sparky, I choose you!"