Profiles:
Serenity:
Pokemon:
Moonlight the Persian
Firefang the Arcanine
Wildfire the Blaziken
Aurora the Vaporeon
Darkness the Absol
Pyromancer the Charizard
Alex:
Pokemon:
Flashfire the Flareon
Para the Parasect
Raptor the Pidgeot
Kinetic the Alakazam
Poisonclaw the Nidoking
Aquarius the Blastoise
Serenity swept through Viridian Forest at a steady jog with her Persian, Moonlight running beside her, easily keeping up with the steady pace. They ignored the weak Bug Catchers but if one challenged her she had to accept, as was the custom of Pokemon Trainers. She beat them easily with her marvellously strong Pokemon. Serenity had added many legends to her name such as having all 24 badges of the Kanto, Johto and Hoenn regions of the land of Pokemon. She had beaten the Pokemon League of all three regions numerous times as well. Now she just had to finish her PokeDex by catching the Pokemon of all regions so she had come back to Kanto to catch all the Pokemon there.
Alex pushed through the forest impatiently, wishing he had thought to bring his bike and a few Repels.
"I hate this place" he confided to his Flareon, Flashfire who was perched comfortably on his shoulder.
"Flare, Flare", she agreed.
Suddenly, there was a rustling in a bush. A small, green caterpillar-like Pokemon eased its way onto the path in front of them.
"Not another Caterpie!" Alex groaned. "Flashfire, use Ember!"
The Flareon wasn't sure why she was ordered to attack such a weak Pokemon but she obeyed. Caterpie was of the bug-type so the technique was super effective.
"Good job, Flashfire" praised Alex.
"Flareon!" shrieked Flashfire, suddenly dashing off into the forest.
Alex raced after her and was soon panting. "Flashfire, come back!" cried Alex.
The Flareon ignored him and ran straight ahead.
"You'd think she'd obey me by now" Alex grumbled. "After all, I did train her from an Eevee." Eventually, after exhausting himself, Alex decided to fly there. "Go, Raptor!" he yelled, frightening some Pidgeys out of the trees.
A large bird Pokemon, the Pidgeot unfolded his powerful wings and shrieked his defiance to the world.
"Raptor, I need to scout for Flashfire on your back", explained Alex as he climbed up the brown and cream feathers.
With a slight jolt, Raptor and Alex were soon airborne. While they soared over the trees of Viridian Forest Alex saw a Flareon and a white cat-like shape dashing through the undergrowth. Then he saw a girl trying to keep up with their fast pace. They were playing, he realised. They would let the girl catch up to them before rushing off again.
"Raptor, land down there!" Alex called to Raptor, pointing.
Suddenly they were plummeting down at full speed.
Just before they crashed, Raptor banked sharply and landed softly on a long stretch of grass.
Flashfire, the girl and the Pokemon that Alex now recognised as a Persian, stopped and stared at him quizzically.
"Flashfire, come here!" said Alex.
Flashfire complied, looking guilty and leapt onto her perch on his shoulder.
"Who are you?" asked the girl.
Serenity and Moonlight were sneaking quietly through the forest when they heard a Pokemon call "Flare, Flare."
"Is that a…Flareon?" Serenity asked Moonlight.
"Perrrsian" purred Moonlight.
"Yes?" laughed Serenity and started off at a run towards the sound.
Soon a Flareon ran headlong into Moonlight. Moonlight shook her off disgustedly. She was very warm!
"Well, she is a Fire Pokemon" said Serenity, taking out a PokeBall. Just then she heard a voice call
"Flashfire, come back!"
"Aww, she's already caught" complained Serenity.
Then Moonlight pounced on the Flareon that Serenity guessed was called Flashfire. They tumbled biting and clawing at each other playfully. When Moonlight dashed off, Flashfire raced after her.
Serenity tried to catch up but they were too fast. Eventually, they changed positions, Moonlight chasing Flareon, all the way back to where Serenity waited. They played together, until a Pidgeot with a boy on its back landed not far from them.
"Flashfire, come here," the boy said, sliding off the Pidgeot's back.
Flashfire went up to him and jumped onto his shoulder.
"Who are you?" asked Serenity curiously.
"My name is Alex" replied the boy, scratching Flashfire behind the ears.
"Not the Alex who has all Gym Badges and can tackle the Elite Four without much effort!" cried Serenity excitedly. "I've always wanted to battle you!"
"I'd beat you easily" Alex sniffed disdainfully. "Who are you, then?"
"I'm Serenity," replied Serenity, bristling at Alex's scornful tone.
. "Not the Serenity who has all the Gym Badges and can tackle the Elite Four without much effort!" cried Alex, mimicking her excited voice.
"Yes, actually, I am" said Serenity," annoyed that he obviously hadn't heard of her.
"You have?" asked Alex, faltering a little.
"Will you take me on now, or are you too scared?" asked Serenity.
"Fine. I will," replied Alex. "I thought you were a new Trainer. We're not that far from Pallet Town."
"Well, let's go then," said Serenity impatiently, feeling for her PokeBalls attached to her belt.
"I am." Alex called "Raptor! Go!"
The Pidgeot flew into the air and landed back down again, staring piercingly at Serenity. Serenity was not to be intimidated. "Go! Firefang!" yelled Serenity.
An Arcanine, its beautiful fur bristling, leapt out of the PokeBall and in front of Serenity and howled.
"Tch, an Arcanine," observed Alex.
"Ooh, very clever Alex. It's obvious you've learnt a lot in your years of experience," mocked Serenity. Then without warning she cried "Firefang! Use Extremespeed!"
Firefang threw himself at the Pidgeot.
"Raptor! Fly up into the air!" yelled Alex but he wasn't fast enough. After all, Extremespeed was very fast, hence its name.
Firefang barrelled into Raptor, just as he was lifting his wings.
Raptor was knocked backwards and fainted.
"Raptor! Return!" commanded Alex, holding out Raptor's PokeBall.
Raptor was called back into it.
"Very tricky, that move," commented Alex, reaching for a PokeBall.
"Go Aquarius!"
Aquarius, Serenity soon found out, was a very big Blastoise.
"Aquarius, use Hydro Pump!" cried Alex.
Aquarius let out gallons of powerful water from the cannons protruding from his shell.
It was super-effective against the Fire-type Pokemon!
Firefang let out a moan and collapsed, completely soaked.
Serenity called him back. "Go Moonlight!" she cried.
Moonlight leapt lightly in front of her.
"Ever seen a Normal-type Pokemon use Electric-type moves?" asked Serenity brightly. "Moonlight use Thunder!"
A huge bolt of lightning came out of the sky and struck Aquarius, shocking him.
He fainted.
"Return Aquarius!" Alex looked sorrowfully at the PokeBall that contained Aquarius. "I started off with Aquarius as a Squirtle. He doesn't faint easily." Then his face hardened and he took out a new PokeBall. "Go Poisonclaw!"
A battle-hardened Nidoking appeared from out of the PokeBall.
"Return Moonlight!" Serenity called.
Moonlight jumped backwards.
"Go Aurora!"
A Vaporeon jumped out, curling her long fish-like tail around herself.
"That counts as your turn, you realise?" asked Alex.
"Of course I know that!" said Serenity angrily. "Get on with your turn!"
"Ok then. Poisonclaw, use Poison Fang!"
The Nidoking charged, fastened his sharp fangs on Aurora's tail and bit down, injecting venom into her tail.
A Ninetales leapt lithely onto a jutting boulder and stood poised, surveying her surroundings. All around her was forest and in the distance, a large mountain stretched out to meet the sky. The Ninetales had travelled from Cerulean Cave after tiring of the darkness. A Fire Pokemon like herself should not live in the dark all her life! The Ninetales was currently in Viridian Forest. The mountain was part of Mount Moon, near Pewter City. She heard shouting in the
distance with her sharp hearing and dashed off to see what the fuss was about. It was probably another Trainer battle, she reflected. Oh well, it might be interesting.
Aurora, who had tried to dodge, thrashed her tail around, annoyed that she hadn't been able to get out of the way of that slow and heavy tank fast enough. She had to stop him from injecting the poison into her!
Serenity saved her. "Aurora! Use Hydro Pump!"
Aurora ejected a powerful wave of water from her mouth. Nidokings have a combination of the Poison-type and the Ground-type elements. To the Ground-type, Water was super-effective.
Poisonclaw let go and fell backwards, pushed over by the force of the water.
However, he managed not to faint.
"Poisonclaw, use Body Slam!" cried Alex.
Poisonclaw charged and attempted to flatten Aurora with his sheer size and weight that the hard armour on his body gave him.
Aurora was able to dodge this time and leapt around the Nidoking so that she was facing his back.
"Aurora, finish him off! Use Tail Whip!"
Aurora gave Poisonclaw a smack with her powerful tail.
Poisonclaw had staggered when he hadn't landed anything and had just managed to stop himself falling over. The Tail Whip was enough to topple him.
Alex called him back before he hit the ground.
"Another one bites the dust!" crowed Serenity.
"I've had a counter-type for all your Pokemon so far," said Alex, annoyed.
"Yes but I'm still winning aren't I?" asked Serenity.
"Go Para!" Alex said in answer.
"Original name for a Parasect, eh?" observed Serenity.
Alex ignored her. "Para use Giga Drain!"
The Grass-type move was super effective against the Water-type Aurora.
She fainted.
"Go Wildfire!"
A Blaziken sprang from the PokeBall.
"My starter Pokemon." said Serenity proudly.
"You're from Hoenn, then?" asked Alex.
"Obviously. Wildfire use Flamethrower!" A long column of flames was thrown at the Parasect. It was super-effective.
"I'm not too bad at counter-attacks at your Pokemon either." said Serenity.
When the flames subsided, it could be seen that Para was badly burned when she fainted.
"My Pokemon will need a long rest at the Poke Centre after this." thought Alex aloud.
"Mine too." Serenity agreed. "We can go together!"
"Oh no…" Alex groaned.
"Do you give up? Or are you just going to stand there moaning and moping about your poor sick Pokemon?" asked Serenity.
"My Pokemon are a party of six," answered Alex. "I'm not beaten yet. Go Kinetic!"
Kinetic was an Alakazam, a very powerful Psychic-type Pokemon who was probably the most intelligent Pokemon there is.
"Kinetic use Psychic!"
The Alakazam let out a powerful beam created by his weapons - spoons.
Psychic attacks were super-effective against Wildfire's Fighting-type side. He fainted.
"Oh no, poor Wildfire! Go Darkness!"
An Absol leapt daintily from the PokeBall.
"Darkness use Crunch!"
The Absol jumped in a powerful leap and landed hard onto the Alakazam, giving him a very hard bite with her long fangs. A black substance flowed from her teeth and overwhelmed Kinetic, causing him to faint.
"I…I only have one Pokemon left!" said Alex staring at his PokeBalls on his belt in shock.
"Are you willing to risk Flashfire against my three Pokemon?" asked Serenity.
"No way!"
But Flashfire had other ideas. She wanted to prove she wasn't just a cuddly playmate. She jumped in front of Alex and hissed at the Absol, then let out a blast of fire that smothered Darkness.
"Moonlight, do you want to battle Flashfire?" Serenity asked her Persian.
Moonlight trotted in front of Serenity and yawned. Then - in one lightning-fast move – she pounced on Flashfire and started biting and clawing her mercilessly.
Flashfire was utterly helpless.
Then, Alex had an idea.
"Flashfire, raise your body heat so that you burn Moonlight!"
Flashfire obliged. There was soon steam billowing out from her body.
Moonlight had to let go.
This was Flashfire's chance! She used Flamethrower.
Moonlight's beautiful creamy fur was turned completely black and she curled up and fainted.
"Oh no! Moonlight!" Serenity cried and went to hug her Persian. Then she called her into a PokeBall to rest.
"Good idea there, with the body heat strategy." Serenity complimented Alex.
"Never touch a Fire Pokemon," Alex replied.
"How would you like to try and touch the lord of fire?" asked Serenity. "Fire doesn't have any effect on him. Neither does heat. Go Pyromancer!"
"Lord of fire, Pyromancer? A Charizard?" asked Alex as Serenity's Charizard flew into the air and bugled loudly.
Flashfire couldn't help cringing as Pyromancer dived towards her.
"Stop, Pyromancer!"
Pyromancer stopped in mid-air and hovered above Flashfire.
"We can stop right now if you want to," said Serenity.
Flashfire looked rather pitiful in the shadow of the Charizard so Alex agreed.
"We'll ride Pyromancer. Oi! Pyromancer! Feel like flying to Viridian City?!" yelled Serenity to the plunging and diving Charizard who was obviously showing off.
Pyromancer landed rather gracefully for a creature of his bulk and lay on the ground to help Serenity crawl up his back.
Alex saw him have a little demonic gleam in his eye when he and Flashfire climbed on though.
Serenity noticed it too.
"No games you puffed up, proud, Pidgey of a Charizard!" she bellowed at him.
Pyromancer looked very offended at being compared to a Pidgey. He leapt into the air with much force and transported them swiftly to Viridian City.
Once there, Serenity called a sulky Pyromancer back into his PokeBall and strolled into the Pokemon Centre.
When Ninetales had found the two Trainers fighting she had been quite impressed by their Pokemon.
Obviously they weren't too smart to let themselves be caught by Trainers, but they seemed to know good techniques.
She was fascinated by the way the Flareon (such a pathetic little creature thought Ninetales) had raised her body heat in order to get the Persian off. She wasn't at all aware that Alex had ordered her to do so, so she had tried the strategy herself and it had worked! Eventually she had become quite bored so she curled up and went to sleep only to be awoken later by the loud roaring of a Charizard. Ninetales pricked her ears up in surprise. What was a Charizard doing here? She went back to her ledge to have a look. Oh, of course it's a Trainer's, thought Ninetales dryly. Let's go a bit closer. She crept into a bush right next to the field where Serenity and Alex were battling only to see the Trainers climb onto the Charizard's back with much yelling from the female Trainer's part, and the Charizard flying off.
Ninetales was shocked. How dare he let the human on his back! Ninetales was about to storm down there and give the Charizard a good telling-off but he was already in the air so Ninetales had to dash off and follow his shadow which led her to Viridian City. Ninetales wrinkled her nose in distaste. Trainers galore! She was about to turn away and run back into Viridian Forest before a Trainer could spot here when she heard a pitiful squeaking sound. Oh good, lunch! thought Ninetales, leaping on the Rattata.
The nurse behind the counter at the Poke Centre (whose badge said she was Nurse Joy) had told Serenity and Alex that their Pokemon would take a day to recover. Until then, they would have to wait.
So Serenity and Alex sat and waited and got to know each other.
Serenity suddenly stood up. "I'm hungry!" she declared.
Then Alex stood up. "Me too" he said.
"Well? What are we going to do about it?" asked Serenity. Without waiting for an answer she cried "Eat!"
"Good idea, I would have never thought of that," commented Alex sarcastically, chuckling.
Nurse Joy looked up from the counter. "If you wait a bit longer you can have your Pokemon back. Then you can eat with them. I can give you some Pokemon food. They're awfully strong. It only took an hour to heal them."
"Thank you, Nurse Joy!" cried Alex and Serenity in unison rushing up to the counter.
"Oh that's OK. Just make sure they don't have any more hard battles for a couple of days and they'll be good as new," Nurse Joy said bringing a tray of PokeBalls from behind her.
"Here are your Pokemon and here is some food for them."
"Thank you again, Nurse Joy," said Alex and Serenity taking their Pokemon back. As soon as they were outside they let Moonlight and Flashfire out.
Moonlight shook herself sulkily- she hated being in a PokeBall!- but as soon as she saw Flashfire she started grooming her only to remember how she got burnt and jumped away hurriedly.
Serenity laughed.
Moonlight glared at her.
Flashfire jumped onto Alex's shoulder and gazed down at Moonlight rather fearfully.
"Well, where will we eat?" asked Serenity.
Alex wasn't listening. He had spotted a rather bushy white tail disappearing into a bush. At first he thought it was Moonlight, but then he saw Moonlight cleaning herself by Serenity's foot. "What was that?" he exclaimed.
"What was what?"
"I saw a tail disappear into that bush," he said, pointing.
"What sort of tail?"
"It was creamy white with a light brown tip. It was sort of nine tails though…"
"Nine tails eh? Think about it Alex, what has nine tails?"
"Oh I'm an idiot!" he cried slapping his head. "It's a Ninetales!"
"Very clever…" she observed.
Ninetales ran as fast as she could. Damn the Trainers! She hoped they hadn't seen her. Although, she thought, their Pokemon probably did. She stopped and hid in a bush, cleaning her beloved tails obsessively. Please don't find me; please don't find me she found herself thinking desperately. I don't want to be caught again. She shuddered at the thought of her last Trainer. He had been a cruel Pokemon Tamer, who had caught her as a Vulpix and trained her mercilessly until she knew the strongest moves she could learn. Then he forced her to evolve with a Fire Stone. Thanks to such a horrible experience, she had a permanent distrust of humans.
"Do you have a Ninetales?" Serenity asked.
He laughed. "Yes, a very attractive one by the name of Vanity. Do you?"
"No," she replied and added wistfully "they're so pretty."
"Yes and Vanity knows it. Once he's seen a mirror you won't get him away from it."
"Sounds like something Moonlight would do."
Moonlight didn't like the idea. She shook herself prissily, nose in the air.
Flashfire looked amused.
"Hey Moonlight," Serenity said, "How would you like to battle a Ninetales?"
Moonlight simply looked bored.
"Oh well," said Serenity, "it was worth a try."
"Have you ever been to Sinnoh?" Alex asked suddenly.
"No. Have you?"
"No. I was thinking of heading over there."
"Good idea. Just think, Moonlight, a whole new eight badges to get!"
Alex moaned. "After you've done your first League, the ones after are always so easy," he muttered.
"I know. But there'll be new Legendaries and everything!"
"Do you have any Legendaries?"
"Yes, I have Suicune, Zapdos and I traded my Regice for Rayquaza."
"Are you serious? How did you manage to trade for Rayquaza?"
"Haven't you heard? Someone caught the original Rayquaza and it was somehow cloned. Now there's about five of them around. There's only one Regice, but I never liked the Regis anyway. What about you?"
"I have Entei, Articuno and Groudon."
"Do you?! Wow! I've heard the three Legendary Pokemon of Sinnoh aren't all that strong, but we should still get the PokeDex entries I guess."
"Yeah. Well, getting back to the current proceedings, do you want a Ninetales?"
"I'd love one, but she doesn't look like she wants to be caught…"
"Most Pokemon don't…"
"True."
"Come on, let's go find her."
They ran off in the direction the Ninetales had run, Flashfire leading the way with her sharp nose.
Oh no, they saw me! The Ninetales was starting to run out of breath. Then she abruptly changed her mind about fleeing. Their Pokemon didn't look all that strong, she mused. I could beat one and then that would distract them long enough for me to escape! She whirled around to meet her pursuers.
Flashfire suddenly skidded to a halt. Standing proudly before her was the Ninetales! "Flare?" she inquired nervously, asking her why she stopped running.
"Nine!" the Ninetales replied haughtily with an arrogant toss of her head – she said she intended to battle these pathetic trainers, and the Flareon herself if it came to it.
Then Alex and Serenity with Moonlight at her heels caught up.
"Persian?" the Persian asked Flashfire.
"Flareon!" (she said she wants to battle us!)
"Why is she just sitting there?" asked Alex.
"I think she wants to battle us…" said Serenity.
"Well let's go!"
"Uh uh uh!" said Serenity. "I'm the one who wants to catch her, right? So shouldn't I battle her?"
"Fine, go on then."
"Moonlight, she wants to battle right?"
Moonlight nodded.
"Well come on then! Moonlight, use Slash!"
The Persian darted forward and raked at the Ninetales with her long claws.
But the Ninetales was no longer there. She had jumped to the side and was now projecting powerful flames from her mouth onto Moonlight.
"Perr!" Moonlight hissed angrily as her side was singed.
Ninetales yawned.
"Moonlight! Are you alright? Quick, see if you can get a good hold of her and use Crunch!"
Moonlight dodged as Ninetales let out more flames, setting the grass on fire. Then she darted around Ninetales and launched herself at her back.
Ninetales was unprepared for this assault on her back and didn't move fast enough. Suddenly she had a big Persian on her back with its jaws fastened around her neck, tightening. She panicked and started writhing in pain. Then, she had an idea. Just as she had seen the Flareon do before against the same Persian, she increased her body temperature so much it burned Moonlight.
Moonlight released her and jumped off, her fur smoking slightly.
Ninetales barked triumphantly and let out a Flamethrower straight into Moonlight's face.
Too late! A big thunderbolt came from the sky shocking Ninetales and paralysing her, so she could hardly move!
What in Moltres' name is going on! thought Ninetales. A Persian using Thunder? Impossible!
"Now's my chance," muttered Serenity, taking out an Ultra Ball. She threw it at the unmoving Ninetales.
Once it made contact with Ninetales, it opened and absorbed her into itself.
No! Not a PokeBall! Not again! Ninetales suddenly and forcefully relived her past when the Poke Tamer had beaten her into submission with his slave Pokemon and caught her.
She struggled violently but was too paralysed to break free.
Serenity ran over and picked up the Ultra Ball. "Yes!" she yelled. "I caught her!"
The remembering Moonlight she ran over and used a Burn Heal on her. "Are you OK? You fought beautifully," she told her.
"Good battling," Alex complimented Serenity.
"Oh no, it wasn't all me!" said Serenity hurriedly. "She did a lot on her own! Especially Thunder, that was quick-thinking on her part."
"Well then it was your training."
"Yes well, I can take credit for that," Serenity smiled. "But I should probably take Moonlight back to the Poke Centre, if only for about five minutes."
"And your new Ninetales too, right?"
"Oh yeah, I nearly forgot…"
After Moonlight and Ninetales were healed, Serenity had the tough job of figuring out which Pokemon in her party she should replace Ninetales with.
"Well I could put Firefang back, I don't need that many Fire Pokemon," she mused. "Yep, four Fire Pokemon is definitely a bit excessive, even if it is my favourite type. I need Pyromancer to Fly and Wildfire is my starter Pokemon. Alright, I'll deposit Firefang."
Alex sighed in relief. "That took a while," he commented.
"They're all special to me, that's why," she said defensively.
Alex raised his hands in supplication, "I was just saying…"
"Hmm, I should probably say good bye before I deposit Firefang…" mused Serenity. She released him from his PokeBall.
"Alright, Firefang, I'm sending you back off to Lanette in Hoenn. Don't worry, she'll take good care of you."
The Arcanine nodded, looking melancholy.
"Oh don't be like that!" cried Serenity, flinging her arms around his neck.
"Arr!" the Arcanine said, trying to be cheerful. He ran towards the PokeBall and it absorbed him.
Serenity took it over the PC in the corner. Then she took out the Ultra Ball that contained the Ninetales. "Go Ninetales!" she said, calling her out.
As Ninetales materialised from the Ultra Ball, her stance was automatically of bristling fury.
"Well, you have a problem on your hands," commented Alex, grinning. "I'll leave you to it. Come on, Flashfire."
Serenity shook her head in annoyance. Then she looked at the growling Ninetales.
She knelt on the floor and tried to look as unthreatening as possible.
"I promise I won't hurt you," she said. "I don't know why you're so scared and angry. Were you doing something important when I caught you?"
The Ninetales shook her head impatiently. Stupid human! She thought. I have to escape as soon as possible!
Serenity, heartened by the Ninetales' acknowledgement of her communication, continued to try and guess why she was so worried.
Moonlight, watching all this with an air of severe boredom, thought she might as well try to help. She padded silently to Serenity's side, enraging the Ninetales further.
Ninetales knew she wasn't allowed to attack her new Trainer's Pokemon though. I hope the Persian knows that law too she thought darkly.
"Sian?" Moonlight asked. (Why are you so upset?)
Ninetales looked away and didn't answer.
Maybe it's a matter of pride thought Moonlight. She probably isn't used to defeat.
Moonlight liked this idea. I showed her! she thought.
Meanwhile, Serenity was still rambling off as many scenarios as she could think of. "Do you have a family you need to take care of? Do you already belong to another Trainer? Or is it simply that you never wanted to be caught?"
Ninetales, sick of this interrogation, curled up under her tails and went to sleep. She would deal with these fools when she wasn't so tired.
Serenity sighed in disappointment. "Well, I'll try again tomorrow," she said, recalling Ninetales to her Ultra Ball.
Moonlight meowed, pawing at Serenity's shoulder.
"Come on Moonlight. Do you know where Alex went?"
Moonlight raced outside.
Serenity followed and they soon heard what sounded like a heated argument. When Serenity emerged from the door she stood stunned at the scene before her.
Alex was towering over a dark-haired boy who looked to be no older than ten.
"If you've only just come to Viridian City, you must be a rookie Trainer!" the boy said. "So, why won't you let me test my Pokemon against yours?"
Alex looked disgusted. "I'm not a beginner! If I had my badges with me, I'd prove it."
Flareon hissed her agreement.
A girl with fiery red hair and a tall man were shaking their heads in exasperation as the boy opened his jacket.
"Look! I already have two badges! You could never beat me!"
Alex looked incredulous. "You only have two badges? Don't waste my time!"
"Well how many badges do YOU have?"
"Let's see… Eight, sixteen… Twenty-four!"
"What?! You're lying!"
Serenity decided she should step in before someone got hurt. Then she recognised the girl and mans' faces.
"Misty! Brock! What are you doing here?" she cried, strolling over to shake their hands.
They turned around. "Oh, hello, Serenity!" Misty said brightly.
Brock waved distractedly.
"So, are you friends with this guy?" asked Serenity, referring to the boy.
"Oh, that's Ash. He's the most annoying person ever. I'm just following him until he buys me a new bike. He broke it you know," said Misty.
Brock said "Yeah, we're friends with him. Who's this other punk?"
Serenity snorted. "Yep, he's a punk. I'm sure you've met him before though. He has your badge."
Brock frowned. "Hmm, yeah, actually I think I have battled him before."
Alex had finally given into Ash, saying he might as well prove how pathetic he was in comparison.
"Pikachu! I choose you!" cried Ash.
The Pikachu jumped off his shoulder, "Pika!"
"Go on Flashfire," said Alex. "Let's show this kid who the master is."
"Flare!" said Flashfire, baring her sharp teeth.
"Alright, Pikachu! Use Thundershock!"
Flashfire dodged lazily.
"Huh? It missed!" cried Ash in astonishment.
"So it did," Alex agreed. "Flashfire, put this kid out of his misery. Use Ember."
The Flareon complied, shooting a small flame from her mouth, badly charring Pikachu. It nearly fainted, but managed to stagger up again, eyes blazing defiantly.
"Well there you go, stronger than I thought," muttered Alex. "Very well, Flashfire, use Scratch."
"No, Alex!" yelled Serenity. "Come on, the poor thing's had enough!"
Alex and Flashfire both turned around to stare at her.
Ash ran to his Pikachu and picked it up, cradling it in his arms.
Alex went over to Ash and offered his hand. "Sorry," he said. "I thought your Pikachu could still fight"
Ash ignored Alex's proffered hand and ran into the PokeCenter without a backward glance.
Misty walked up to Alex. "Sorry," she said shyly, which was fairly out of character for her normal loud self. "He isn't used to losing."
Alex nodded, accepting the apology.
Later, when Ash had returned from the PokeCenter, Serenity and Alex reintroduced themselves to him, Brock and Misty.
"So who is looking after your Gyms while you're gone?" asked Serenity.
"My sisters," answered Misty.
"My father," said Brock.
"So why did you decide to leave?"
"To get away from my sisters mainly," said Misty. "They are such pains!"
"And I want to be a Pokemon Breeder," said Brock enthusiastically.
Alex looked up sharply at that. "Are you good at that kind of thing?" he asked.
"Well I guess so, I mean I want to be, but…"
"He makes great Pokemon food," offered Ash.
"Yeah he does," agreed Misty. "All Pokemon love it."
"Serenity, you should ask Brock to take a look at your Ninetales."
"Of course!" cried Serenity, who had been wondering what this had been leading to. She took out the PokeBall containing Ninetales. "Go Ninetales!"
When Ninetales materialised, she shook herself disgustedly. Is she going to try and make me battle? She looked around but didn't see any hostile Pokemon charging at her.
Brock examined her movements closely. "Look at the fear in her eyes," he commented. "She's obviously scared of humans, especially Trainers. I think she must have been abused by a Trainer once."
Ninetales, crouching with her hackles up, thought that if she told him he was right, he might make the other Trainer let her go or something. So she nodded.
Brock's eyes widened. "I didn't expect her to communicate!" he said excitedly, but taking care not to raise his voice.
"So what can I do?" asked Serenity.
"You're just going to have to slowly gain her trust. I can make her some special food that she might like."
"Why is it special?"
"It will be specifically for a Ninetales' tastes."
"Oh."