Prologue

It was an ordinary summer day. I just closed down the gym for the day and walked the five blocks toward the pokemon center, where I would enjoy the company of pokemon trainers and travelers alike. The sun was brightly shinning, warm. The streets of Vision City were busy, loaded with people going about their daily business. Yes it was an ordinary day, but it was going to take a turn in which would change the lives of three pokemon trainers.

I became a trainer before my mother died. She was the greatest woman who ever lived. When my father left her when I was little she went out and got a job, took care of me, and made sure all the bills were paid on time. She worked at a pokemon center as a pokemon nurse. She got the job because of her degree in pokemon health. She had fiery red hair, and the greatest personality. But unfortunately, that wasn't enough to save her from the cancer that was eating her away.

She died on the couch one day, just an ordinary day. I woke up to her, the morning light shining on her peaceful body. She seemed to smile, in a way, up at the ceiling as if I was going to find her. It took a while for me to understand she wasn't alive anymore. I broke down that day, with only my newly hatched Psyduck to comfort me. The police told me she died peacefully, that she didn't hurt when she died. I was five at the time.

I shuddered, remembering the past. Of course, I was sent to an orphanage, which wasn't so bad. While I lived there, I got into training more pokemon, instead of just my Psyduck. I caught common water-type pokemon that lived along the coast and in the lakes. A Marill, a wild young Vaporeon, and other pokemon which I gave to my 'brothers and sisters'. One day, though, I found a colony of Dratini and Dragonair. With the skills I had at the time I caught one of each. I was thirteen by then.

When I turned fourteen I started training at Cerulean City gym, which wasn't too far from Vision City. (It was just starting to become a city, but before it was a small town) I learned how to work with my water-type pokemon. My Marill evolved into an Azumarill, and my Psyduck into a Golduck. That was one of the best days of my life, when my Psyduck evolved. That day was also the day when I defeated the gym leaders of Cerulean City. Daisy, Lilly and Violet. I still remember the battle.

First, Daisy used a Seaking against my Azumarill. I defeated that pokemon. Lilly used her Starmie against my Golduck. I easily won that battle. Then Violet used her Dewgong, which was defeated by my Vaporeon. I received the badge, a token of my growth. I left deciding to go on a journey through Johto.

I took a sip of my coffee, remembering the good times and bad. I defeated Falkner's prized Pigeot in Violet City. I won the battle against Bugsy's Beedrill and received the hive badge. Then I went north to Goldenrod City and beat Whitney's Miltank. I remember just leaving the gym when a man came up to me in a suit. He had black hair greased back and had sunglasses on. He told me he was a representative from pokemon league at the plateau. He asked me if I wanted to apply for a position as gym leader at a new gym in Kanto.

I had no idea it was in Vision City. (I shouldn't have been so surprised, because it was a developing city) I did accept it, and surprisingly, it was easier than I thought. I made lots of money, had benefits, and so on and so forth. When I became a gym leader I was 15.

I took in a deep breath, finishing my coffee. I got up, paid for my coffee when I heard commotion coming from outside. I went outside to see three people having an argument. One was an older man, probably 20 or so, and he had darker skin. His eyes closed slightly and he had black spiked hair. There was a smaller boy, around 15, and he had a Pikachu perched on his shoulder. Then there was the girl. She had orange-pink hair, which was worn down coming up by her ears and extending to her cheeks. She was yelling at the younger boy.

"Why do you always say that I am weaker than you?" she screamed. She pulled out a pokeball. "I'll show you who is the weaker one…" but then she stopped and looked down.

"What is it? Mewoth got your tongue?" The young boy asked.

"I'm just sick of fighting, especially with you." The girl said.

"So… what's your point?" The boy asked.

"Ash, my point is that I can't take it." The girl said.

The boy took something out of his pocket. It was a voucher for something. "Here Misty, have your bike back… now get lost." Ash said, turning his back on her. Tears filled in her eyes.

"Ash…" she began to say, but he walked off. She stood there for a second, and ran into the coffeehouse. The older man looked one way, then the other, and followed Ash. I went back inside the coffeehouse to talk to the girl Misty.