NOTE: I really don't care how old Lance really is - in this story he's 18.
A young girl with brown hair and blue eyes of about 17 spun around nervously. She kept hearing noises in the brush behind her. Her three companions and the small yellow electric mouse Pokemon, a Pikachu, that accompanied the youngest of them kept walking, not aware that she had stopped.
"Umm. Hey Misty, do you hear that?" the 17-year-old asked the girl who had orange hair and cerulean blue eyes.
Misty, who was staring dreamily at the young teenage boy Ash, quickly came out of her reverie and replied, "No, I didn't. Dunno what your talking about."
"It's ok if you're scared, Haley. I'll let Pikachu protect you," Ash said tauntingly, at which Haley gave a laugh too high to be true.
"HAHAHAHA no. Don't even go there." She said angrily. She didn't like Pokemon. Not since. She shook her head. The memories were too painful.
"Oh, Pikachu could protect you, don't worry," Misty said, angry at being torn from her thoughts about Ash.
"What's wrong this time?" The oldest boy, Brock, asked. He was used to these bitter 3-way arguments.
"Perhaps YOU would like to explain, Ash?" Haley snapped.
"Well--" Ash began, but he was cut off by Haley's scream of "LANCE, help!"
She stood trembling, rooted to the spot, seeing a rampaging Ryhorn coming closer and closer - very rapidly. She collapsed, giving herself up for lost. and was scooped up by a huge clawed hand just in time to not be hit by the rampaging Ryhorn. She gripped one of the claws tightly, trembling and crying in terror. A black-clothed figure with a flowing black cape leapt lightly down into the hand and immediately hugged Haley, shrouding her in his cape.
"Are you alright? Shhh, it's going to be ok. Shhh." The boy of about 18 said soothingly.
"Lance, thank you so much! I could have died down there! And Dragonite cold have been hurt! You really care about me, don't you?" Haley said, still trembling but not crying.
"If I didn't, would I do this?" Lance asked her, and pulled her close to him, kissing her on the lips. Haley wrapped her arms around his neck and surrendered herself completley to him. Slowly he pulled away and gazed at her.
"Does that answer your question?" he asked. Haley nodded dreamily, gazing starstruck into his eyes. They kissed again, then Lance looked down at the sound of a scream: "GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T DO ALL OF THAT JUNK WHENEVER YOU HAD BEEN SEPERATED FOR 5 SECONDS!!!!"
Haley looked down as well. "That's Misty for you," she said to Lance. Lance spoke a few words to Dragonite, and it began descending at what would be an alarming rate if Haley weren't used to it. The Dragonite landed with a crash dangerously close to Misty's baby Pokemon, Togepi, and knocking Ash down with the sheer force of the wind caused by the land.
"Hi--" Brock began, but was cut off by the crashing of assorted plants and gravel behind them.
Suddenly, a member of Team Rocket leapt out of the bushes. "Out of my way you infants!" she shrieked. Then she saw her fainted Ryhorn. "You killed it! You--you--you will pay! Ponyta, go!"
A flaming horse appeared standing above the Ryhorn. It reared and pawed the air, neighing.
"Onix, go!" Brock shouted. "Tackle attack!" The huge rock snake tackled the Ponyta, who shuddered and collapsed in a faint.
"YOU IDIOT! FINE, TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME! WARTORTLE, GO!"
Brock recalled his Onix. "Misty you go now," he said, seemingly trying to avoid defeat by a water Pokemon. Onix would have crumbled before it.
"With pleasure! Starmie, go!" Misty shouted.
"No I want to battle not Misty me me me!!!!!" Ash whined.
Misty ignored Ash and shouted "Starmie, tackle attack!" Starmie tackled the Wartortle, only to hit hard shell. The Wartortle had withdrawn into it. The jewel in Starmie's center blinked lamely, and it fainted.
"Starmie!" Misty cried.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" The Rocket laughed. She charged off, the Wartortle following close behind.
All four trainers followed her.
When she caught up to them, they were standing in a clearing. The still body of a Ninetales with every single one of its beautiful tails cut off laid nearby. Another Ninetales was lying at the mercy of the Rocket's Wartortle. It struggled to break free, but to no avail.
"Wartortle, cut its tails off!" the Rocket shouted. Wartortle seemed to hesitate, then swiped at the nine tails lying in a perfect row. They all gave way to the sharp claws, and as soon as they were gone, the Ninetales became still.
Misty gasped in horror at the two feral Ninetales lying on the ground. Apparently the myth that a Ninetale's life rested in it's tails, and if they lose all of them, they die, was true. The evil Rocket may as well have ordered her Wartortle to behead them.
The Rocket recalled her Wartortle, knelt and scooped something up from a hole in the ground none of the trainers had noticed before, and dashed off, laughing evilly.
Haley, who had remained silent during all this, hated Pokemon and wanted nothing to do with them. The hole left in her heart was too great to like them anymore. When the trainers had dashed off after the Rocket, looking like fools, she had remained behind. She had thought it was just going to be another Pokemon battle. How wrong she was.
When the sounds of battle had died away, she entered the clearing and gasped in horror at the two dead Ninetales on the ground. She looked to the trainers, a pleading look in her eyes. Though she hated them, even Pokemon didn't deserve this. Brock shook his head. "There's nothing we can do." he said gravely.
Haley's eyes clouded with tears. This was just too much. Lance hugged her, but not even Lance could comfort her. The two Ninetales on the ground reminded her too much of Growlie, lying on the ground, dead, blood pouring from a wound in her side, the Rocket standing triumphantly over her...
Suddenly heard a weak cry. "Vull... Vull...pix..." She walked towards the spot where she heard the sound. Officer Jenny (who had come roaring onto the scene like she always does) didn't follow her to see what she was doing; she stood talking to Ash, Misty, Brock, and Lance getting all the details of the incident.
Haley saw a flash of gold to her right. She turned and there, lying helplessly on the ground, was a baby Vulpix. "Ohhhh..." she said softly. She knelt and gently scooped it up. She saw what the flash of gold was: the Vulpix had a gold diamond on its forehead. She found out it was a girl when she cradled it, and she shifted her in her arms so she would not see such things. The Vulpix cried out at first, but Haley gently rocked it, and soon, the steady motion sent it to sleep. She walked over to where the others were standing.
Brock was recounting the events: "...And then you came, and Haley walked off and I was telling the story and then she came back with a Vuplix in her arms and hey Haley where did you get the Vulpix?!" he finished stupidly.
all with the exception of Brock anime style exasperation
"Found her." Haley replied. "Her?" Ash questioned. "Yep." "How do you know it's a her?" "Do I really need to say that?" "Yes." "I don't think I do." "Yes you do."
Ash and Haley's arguing woke Vulpix up. The baby's rage built quickly. She wanted to sleep, not listen to this fool arguing with her new mommy. She opened her mouth as wide as she could, intending to tell him off in Pokemon language, when a jet of flame burst from her mouth, roasting Ash! "Vul vul vul vul vul piiiiixxxxx!" she laughed.
Ash stands burned-anime style
"Ash got roasted by a baby!" Misty teased. "You mean another baby," Lance corrected. "WAAAA I AM NOT A BABY WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" anime tears stream down his face "Cut it out you guys," Brock said. "You're making the baby cry." Ash jumps up and down even more I AM NOT A BABY! "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Lance shook his head and turned to Haley. "I need to go back to the League. I left right in the middle of an important meeting to come out here and completely forgot about it. Call me if you need me. I still don't know how you were able to call that fast... there's a witch in this case!" He pretended to be scared and ran in circles. Haley laughed.
"Anyway, I need to go now," he said. Haley and Lance kissed a farewell. He then mounted his Dragonite and Haley stared affter him, feeling sad that he had to leave. Haley thanked Officer Jenny, who also needed to go back to a meeting, and began to feed Vulpix some of the jelly beans she had in her pack.
TWO WEEKS LATER
"Vulpix, burn the leaves!" "This isn't fair, I don't like being up against Vulpix with a grass Pokemon!" "She's just a baby, that's why I wanted you to use Chikorita!" "Well she doesn't battle like a baby!"
Vulpix glared Chikorita, a fire durning in her green eyes. Haley and Ash were in a Pokemon battle (duh).
"Quit whining and attack already!" Haley snapped. "Fine then I will!" Ash retaliated. "Chikorita Tackle Attack!" "Vulpix, dodge it!" "AAAAAAAAAAAAA Chikorita hit that Vulpix with Vine Whip!" "Bite the vines if they come near you!" The Chikorita yelped in pain. "Vulpix, finish it off with Ember!"
Vulpix's flames engulfed the helpless banana-like Pokemon. When they cleared away, the Chikorita was on the ground in a dead faint.
"Hah! I won again!" Haley shouted triumphantly. "Humph. Chikorita, return. You're lucky I went easy on you." Ash said. Haley wasn't listening. She was sitting on a big stone, stroking the golden diamond on Vulpix's forehead. Suddenly she looked up.
"Look Vulpix! A shining Ponyta! Let's catch it!"
There was, indeed, a black Ponyta with blue flames for a mane and tail with small blue flames coming from its ankles in the near distance, getting closer every second.
"Not if I catch it first!" Ash shouted. "My first Pokemon," Haley said. the picture splits to show Ash and Haley like it does in the show (only its not Haley) "My first shining Pokemon," Ash said. "Vulpix, go!" "Pikachu, go!" "Vulpix, Ember" "That's stupid! Fire versus fire, that's stupid! You're stupid!"
Haley ignored Ash. She knew what she was doing. She didn't want Vulpix to use something more effective on the shining Ponyta, lest she knock it out.
"Pikachu, Thundershock, now!" Ash screamed at the top of his lungs. "POHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHNYTA!" the Ponyta screeched, attacking, not Pikachu, but Ash!
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAA WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HELP HELP HELP GET IT OFF ME!" Ash screamed, scaring the Ponyta into attacking him with even more ferocity. The Ponyta used Fire Spin on him, trapping him in spinning flames.
Haley saw her chance! "Vulpix, Tackle, now!" Vulpix tackled the flame horse, sending it sprawling. "PONYPONYPONYPONYPONYTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" it cried. "Pokeball, go!" Haley said, a victorious smile on her face.
The ball turned the Ponyta into a beam of silver light, which faded into nothing. The Pokeball shook and twitched for a few moments, then laid still.
"Alright, woo hoo! We caught it Vulpix!" Haley said. "No fair I wanted it!" Ash whined. Then, trying to make Haley feel bad as usual, he said, "You have two Pokemon with a weakness to water, ha!" "You would too if you had caught Ponyta," Haley said simply. "Really? What Pokemon that I have is a fire Pokemon?" "Duh, stupid, your Charmander!" "Stop bickering you two," Brock said. "Yeah Ash, be glad for Haley. Her first Pokemon was a shining one," Misty added.
"Oh well. I'll get it next time. Especially if its a water Pokemon. Then I can kick your butt!" Ash sneered.
"You already have Squirtle, and, if I remember correctly, Vulpix mangled the shell enough to force him out and easily K.O.ed him with Bite," Haley retaliated angrily. "Stop it! Just stop it!" Misty shouted, causing Vulpix and Pikachu to wince and cover their ears.
"Yeah, I know you're jealous," Haley snorted. "Look Misty, I don't like him. I argue with him all the time because he irritates me, unlike some people we know. You argue with Ash cause you like him."
"I do not!" Misty snapped. "Do too!" "Not!" "Too!" "Not!" "Too!" "Not!" Misty shrieked. "Not!" Haley replied. "Too!" "You just proved my point. Thank you Misty. If you'll excuse me I need to revive my new Ponyta."
With that, she began to walk off, the other hurrying after her. Angry with her or not, they wanted to see the shining Ponyta up close.
ONE MONTH LATER
"So what do you want to do?" "What is there TO do?" "I dunno." "Why did you say that then?" "I dunno." Misty sighed in exasperation with Ash. "I know!" Brock said suddenly. "What?!" Ash, Misty, and Haley said all at once. "We can go talk to that pretty girl over there," he said, looking at the girl battling someone who looked like her twin sister. "No!!!" everyone else said at once. "You go ahead Brock, we will just sit here and wait for you," Ash said.
"I can't watch him gawk over some warrior princess, I gotta go exercise Ponyta." Haley said. "Ponyta, go!" An unusually large black Ponyta with blue flames for a mane, tail, and forelock, with blue flames coming from her ankles, appeared. She whickered in greeting to Haley, then walked over and nuzzled her shoulder. "Ready for a ride Ponyta?" she asked. "Eeeeeeh!" she whinnied. "OK, let's go!" "Vulpix vul vul vul!" Vulpix said suddenly. "What's wrong Vulpix?" Misty asked.
"Vulllllll... Vulllllll..." she growled, staring around the corner of the building they were sitting in front of. "Vul! Vul Vul Vul! Vul!" she barked. Ash cocked his head at her. "I think she's trying to tell us something." "No duh dumb brain!" Misty snorted. "She's afraid of something behind that building," Haley said, looking at her Vulpix. She leapt onto Ponyta's back, careful not to burn herself. "I'm going to go check it out. Come if you want, but I'm not saving you from Mewtwo," she said. With that, she turned Ponyta with a single word and began to make her way down the ally, Vulpix riding in front of her. "Mewtwo's behind the building?" Brock said stupidly.
Suddenly, Ponyta reared and charged back the way she had come, bucking and rearing all the while. "Ponyta, stop! Whoa, whoa, whoa girl!" Haley said, clinging desperately to the horse's neck. "Prepare for trouble!" a familiar voice crowed. "And make it double!" another familiar, but not welcome voice said. "To protect the world from devastation!" "To unite all people within our nation!" "To denounce the evils of truth and love!" "To extend out reach to the stars above!" "Jessie!" "James!" "Team Rocket--" "Whoa, slow down. You'd better hope you didn't say Team Rocket," Haley said. She had not been traveking with Ash, Misty, and Brock for long enough to meet Team Rocket.
"You interrupted my line you little twerp!" Jessie said angrily. "Whatever you're trying this time you're not going to get it!" Ash said. "Not if I can help it!" Misty added. "Yeah, if you can," Ash replied. "Quit arguin' you idiots! We're here for the shiny horse!" Jessie and James's talking Meoth said. "And we're going to get it!" James said. "Weezing, go!"
"No, I don't think so. Onix, go!" Brock said. "No, Brock, this is my fight," Haley said, a strange light glinting in her blue eyes. She seemed almost possessed. "Why? Onix needs the experience," Brock said, upon which Haley whirled Ponyta around. She had drawn a dangerously sharp knife from somewhere, seemingly out of thin air. She looked very intimidating, and, even though Ponyta was rather small, she looked like a warhorse, large and menacing and dangerous. "Recall your Pokemon and step aside Brock, ground element gym leader of the Indigo League," she said, her voice soaked through with anger. "Er... that's not right." Brock began, but Jenny swung the knife dangerously close to his throat, making it come so close that it nearly drew a trickle of blood.
"These fools are the ones who killed my Growlithe years ago. And I'm not letting them get by unscathed," she said, and Brock hastily shrunk to the side. Ash and Misty merely gaped at her and the gleaming silver knife in her hand. Ponyta reared then, her flaming mane and tail streaming out behind her with a sudden gust of wind. She screamed out a battle cry to the Weezing, who trembled with fear. That scene was then embedded in all of their memories forever. Haley turned her possessed gaze to Jessie, James, and Meoth. "You. Admit it. You killed my Growlithe. And though I begged for mercy, you would have killed me if my mother hadn't shown up with her Flareon just then," she said, advancing steadily on them.
"Vulpix!" she said suddenly. "Fire Spin!" "Vulllllllllllll!" Vulpix trilled. "Waa aahh wwaaaa!" they screamed as they tried desperately to move. "Those goons were ever good enough at being bad to manage to kill a Pokemon?" Misty asked. "Wait a minute..." she said looking more closely at the "goons". "You aren't the ones... Vulpix, release!"
She frowned down at them. She remembered now. She had not seen them clearly through her burning hatred. The people who had killed Growlie were different. What were there names? Bud and Cassandra? No, that wasn't right. Oh well. No matter.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded of them. "Nothing!" they all said. "Nothing!? Nothing?!" she said, her voice rising uncontrollably. "We wanted the horse ok now I towid you please don't huwit me!" Meoth said in his odd voice. She whirled on him, then her expression softened at the sight of the trembling Pokemon on the ground. "You could have been a great Pokemon if you weren't raised by these goons. Very powerful." she imformed him, nearly smiling at him. "MEOTH!" Jessie and James said angrily. "Leave the poor thing alone," Haley said, sheathing the long knife and dismounting from Ponyta. She sunk down against the trunk of an apple tree, as though suddenly exhausted.
"Ponyta, return. Vulpix. Vulpix?" she said. Vulpix was off to the side, rolling around in the mud with Meoth. "Vulpix!" she said, raising her voice. "Vul? Vul." Vulpix said, rolling over submissively as Haley approached. "Don't give me that," she snapped. "Now we're going to have to give you a bath." That was a BIG mistake. "VVVVVVVVVVVVVVUUUUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!" Vulpix shrieked. She hated baths. "VVVVVVVVVVVVVVUUUUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!" she repeated, twisting in Jenny's arms and getting the white cotton shirt she had on filthy. "Vulpix!" she said, taking her nose in her hand and shaking it. Vulpix went limp in her arms in submission. Jessie and James began to get angry.
"Hey we're still here in case you didn't know!" Jessie said angrily. "Lickitung, go! Lick attack!" "Umm. excuse you. that would be my backpack." Haley said, staring at the Lickitung which had somehow got the idea to attack her pack and not Pikachu, Ponyta, or Vulpix. "Lickiiii." the Lickitung said. Then, realizing its mistake, it charged towards Pikachu. "Tungtungtungtungtung!"
"Ponyta, use Skull Bash!" Haley shouted. "Weezing, intercept!" James yelled. Weezing flew in front of Ponyta. Skull Bash really didn't affect it as it was so hard, but it affected Ponyta. She was hit in the chest by Weezing. The poor fire horse fainted on impact, coming to a stop so suddenly that it tumbled heels over head into the apple tree. Haley struck the ground more that once and got hit on the head by several falling apples. She did not faint but sat there, teeth gritted, wincing in extreme pain.
"Ponyta. re. return." Haley managed to choke out. She breathed in deeply (she had not been able to before) and cried out in pain - she had more than one broken rib. Vulpix rushed to her side, nuzzling her wrist in a frantic attempt to make her get up.
"I'm. I'm OK Vulpix." Haley whispered. She could dimly hear Ash, Misty, and Brock battling in the background. .Have to fight. No. can't faint. can't let go..
Haley's world went black.
A young girl with brown hair and blue eyes of about 17 spun around nervously. She kept hearing noises in the brush behind her. Her three companions and the small yellow electric mouse Pokemon, a Pikachu, that accompanied the youngest of them kept walking, not aware that she had stopped.
"Umm. Hey Misty, do you hear that?" the 17-year-old asked the girl who had orange hair and cerulean blue eyes.
Misty, who was staring dreamily at the young teenage boy Ash, quickly came out of her reverie and replied, "No, I didn't. Dunno what your talking about."
"It's ok if you're scared, Haley. I'll let Pikachu protect you," Ash said tauntingly, at which Haley gave a laugh too high to be true.
"HAHAHAHA no. Don't even go there." She said angrily. She didn't like Pokemon. Not since. She shook her head. The memories were too painful.
"Oh, Pikachu could protect you, don't worry," Misty said, angry at being torn from her thoughts about Ash.
"What's wrong this time?" The oldest boy, Brock, asked. He was used to these bitter 3-way arguments.
"Perhaps YOU would like to explain, Ash?" Haley snapped.
"Well--" Ash began, but he was cut off by Haley's scream of "LANCE, help!"
She stood trembling, rooted to the spot, seeing a rampaging Ryhorn coming closer and closer - very rapidly. She collapsed, giving herself up for lost. and was scooped up by a huge clawed hand just in time to not be hit by the rampaging Ryhorn. She gripped one of the claws tightly, trembling and crying in terror. A black-clothed figure with a flowing black cape leapt lightly down into the hand and immediately hugged Haley, shrouding her in his cape.
"Are you alright? Shhh, it's going to be ok. Shhh." The boy of about 18 said soothingly.
"Lance, thank you so much! I could have died down there! And Dragonite cold have been hurt! You really care about me, don't you?" Haley said, still trembling but not crying.
"If I didn't, would I do this?" Lance asked her, and pulled her close to him, kissing her on the lips. Haley wrapped her arms around his neck and surrendered herself completley to him. Slowly he pulled away and gazed at her.
"Does that answer your question?" he asked. Haley nodded dreamily, gazing starstruck into his eyes. They kissed again, then Lance looked down at the sound of a scream: "GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T DO ALL OF THAT JUNK WHENEVER YOU HAD BEEN SEPERATED FOR 5 SECONDS!!!!"
Haley looked down as well. "That's Misty for you," she said to Lance. Lance spoke a few words to Dragonite, and it began descending at what would be an alarming rate if Haley weren't used to it. The Dragonite landed with a crash dangerously close to Misty's baby Pokemon, Togepi, and knocking Ash down with the sheer force of the wind caused by the land.
"Hi--" Brock began, but was cut off by the crashing of assorted plants and gravel behind them.
Suddenly, a member of Team Rocket leapt out of the bushes. "Out of my way you infants!" she shrieked. Then she saw her fainted Ryhorn. "You killed it! You--you--you will pay! Ponyta, go!"
A flaming horse appeared standing above the Ryhorn. It reared and pawed the air, neighing.
"Onix, go!" Brock shouted. "Tackle attack!" The huge rock snake tackled the Ponyta, who shuddered and collapsed in a faint.
"YOU IDIOT! FINE, TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME! WARTORTLE, GO!"
Brock recalled his Onix. "Misty you go now," he said, seemingly trying to avoid defeat by a water Pokemon. Onix would have crumbled before it.
"With pleasure! Starmie, go!" Misty shouted.
"No I want to battle not Misty me me me!!!!!" Ash whined.
Misty ignored Ash and shouted "Starmie, tackle attack!" Starmie tackled the Wartortle, only to hit hard shell. The Wartortle had withdrawn into it. The jewel in Starmie's center blinked lamely, and it fainted.
"Starmie!" Misty cried.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" The Rocket laughed. She charged off, the Wartortle following close behind.
All four trainers followed her.
When she caught up to them, they were standing in a clearing. The still body of a Ninetales with every single one of its beautiful tails cut off laid nearby. Another Ninetales was lying at the mercy of the Rocket's Wartortle. It struggled to break free, but to no avail.
"Wartortle, cut its tails off!" the Rocket shouted. Wartortle seemed to hesitate, then swiped at the nine tails lying in a perfect row. They all gave way to the sharp claws, and as soon as they were gone, the Ninetales became still.
Misty gasped in horror at the two feral Ninetales lying on the ground. Apparently the myth that a Ninetale's life rested in it's tails, and if they lose all of them, they die, was true. The evil Rocket may as well have ordered her Wartortle to behead them.
The Rocket recalled her Wartortle, knelt and scooped something up from a hole in the ground none of the trainers had noticed before, and dashed off, laughing evilly.
Haley, who had remained silent during all this, hated Pokemon and wanted nothing to do with them. The hole left in her heart was too great to like them anymore. When the trainers had dashed off after the Rocket, looking like fools, she had remained behind. She had thought it was just going to be another Pokemon battle. How wrong she was.
When the sounds of battle had died away, she entered the clearing and gasped in horror at the two dead Ninetales on the ground. She looked to the trainers, a pleading look in her eyes. Though she hated them, even Pokemon didn't deserve this. Brock shook his head. "There's nothing we can do." he said gravely.
Haley's eyes clouded with tears. This was just too much. Lance hugged her, but not even Lance could comfort her. The two Ninetales on the ground reminded her too much of Growlie, lying on the ground, dead, blood pouring from a wound in her side, the Rocket standing triumphantly over her...
Suddenly heard a weak cry. "Vull... Vull...pix..." She walked towards the spot where she heard the sound. Officer Jenny (who had come roaring onto the scene like she always does) didn't follow her to see what she was doing; she stood talking to Ash, Misty, Brock, and Lance getting all the details of the incident.
Haley saw a flash of gold to her right. She turned and there, lying helplessly on the ground, was a baby Vulpix. "Ohhhh..." she said softly. She knelt and gently scooped it up. She saw what the flash of gold was: the Vulpix had a gold diamond on its forehead. She found out it was a girl when she cradled it, and she shifted her in her arms so she would not see such things. The Vulpix cried out at first, but Haley gently rocked it, and soon, the steady motion sent it to sleep. She walked over to where the others were standing.
Brock was recounting the events: "...And then you came, and Haley walked off and I was telling the story and then she came back with a Vuplix in her arms and hey Haley where did you get the Vulpix?!" he finished stupidly.
all with the exception of Brock anime style exasperation
"Found her." Haley replied. "Her?" Ash questioned. "Yep." "How do you know it's a her?" "Do I really need to say that?" "Yes." "I don't think I do." "Yes you do."
Ash and Haley's arguing woke Vulpix up. The baby's rage built quickly. She wanted to sleep, not listen to this fool arguing with her new mommy. She opened her mouth as wide as she could, intending to tell him off in Pokemon language, when a jet of flame burst from her mouth, roasting Ash! "Vul vul vul vul vul piiiiixxxxx!" she laughed.
Ash stands burned-anime style
"Ash got roasted by a baby!" Misty teased. "You mean another baby," Lance corrected. "WAAAA I AM NOT A BABY WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" anime tears stream down his face "Cut it out you guys," Brock said. "You're making the baby cry." Ash jumps up and down even more I AM NOT A BABY! "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Lance shook his head and turned to Haley. "I need to go back to the League. I left right in the middle of an important meeting to come out here and completely forgot about it. Call me if you need me. I still don't know how you were able to call that fast... there's a witch in this case!" He pretended to be scared and ran in circles. Haley laughed.
"Anyway, I need to go now," he said. Haley and Lance kissed a farewell. He then mounted his Dragonite and Haley stared affter him, feeling sad that he had to leave. Haley thanked Officer Jenny, who also needed to go back to a meeting, and began to feed Vulpix some of the jelly beans she had in her pack.
TWO WEEKS LATER
"Vulpix, burn the leaves!" "This isn't fair, I don't like being up against Vulpix with a grass Pokemon!" "She's just a baby, that's why I wanted you to use Chikorita!" "Well she doesn't battle like a baby!"
Vulpix glared Chikorita, a fire durning in her green eyes. Haley and Ash were in a Pokemon battle (duh).
"Quit whining and attack already!" Haley snapped. "Fine then I will!" Ash retaliated. "Chikorita Tackle Attack!" "Vulpix, dodge it!" "AAAAAAAAAAAAA Chikorita hit that Vulpix with Vine Whip!" "Bite the vines if they come near you!" The Chikorita yelped in pain. "Vulpix, finish it off with Ember!"
Vulpix's flames engulfed the helpless banana-like Pokemon. When they cleared away, the Chikorita was on the ground in a dead faint.
"Hah! I won again!" Haley shouted triumphantly. "Humph. Chikorita, return. You're lucky I went easy on you." Ash said. Haley wasn't listening. She was sitting on a big stone, stroking the golden diamond on Vulpix's forehead. Suddenly she looked up.
"Look Vulpix! A shining Ponyta! Let's catch it!"
There was, indeed, a black Ponyta with blue flames for a mane and tail with small blue flames coming from its ankles in the near distance, getting closer every second.
"Not if I catch it first!" Ash shouted. "My first Pokemon," Haley said. the picture splits to show Ash and Haley like it does in the show (only its not Haley) "My first shining Pokemon," Ash said. "Vulpix, go!" "Pikachu, go!" "Vulpix, Ember" "That's stupid! Fire versus fire, that's stupid! You're stupid!"
Haley ignored Ash. She knew what she was doing. She didn't want Vulpix to use something more effective on the shining Ponyta, lest she knock it out.
"Pikachu, Thundershock, now!" Ash screamed at the top of his lungs. "POHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHNYTA!" the Ponyta screeched, attacking, not Pikachu, but Ash!
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAA WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HELP HELP HELP GET IT OFF ME!" Ash screamed, scaring the Ponyta into attacking him with even more ferocity. The Ponyta used Fire Spin on him, trapping him in spinning flames.
Haley saw her chance! "Vulpix, Tackle, now!" Vulpix tackled the flame horse, sending it sprawling. "PONYPONYPONYPONYPONYTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" it cried. "Pokeball, go!" Haley said, a victorious smile on her face.
The ball turned the Ponyta into a beam of silver light, which faded into nothing. The Pokeball shook and twitched for a few moments, then laid still.
"Alright, woo hoo! We caught it Vulpix!" Haley said. "No fair I wanted it!" Ash whined. Then, trying to make Haley feel bad as usual, he said, "You have two Pokemon with a weakness to water, ha!" "You would too if you had caught Ponyta," Haley said simply. "Really? What Pokemon that I have is a fire Pokemon?" "Duh, stupid, your Charmander!" "Stop bickering you two," Brock said. "Yeah Ash, be glad for Haley. Her first Pokemon was a shining one," Misty added.
"Oh well. I'll get it next time. Especially if its a water Pokemon. Then I can kick your butt!" Ash sneered.
"You already have Squirtle, and, if I remember correctly, Vulpix mangled the shell enough to force him out and easily K.O.ed him with Bite," Haley retaliated angrily. "Stop it! Just stop it!" Misty shouted, causing Vulpix and Pikachu to wince and cover their ears.
"Yeah, I know you're jealous," Haley snorted. "Look Misty, I don't like him. I argue with him all the time because he irritates me, unlike some people we know. You argue with Ash cause you like him."
"I do not!" Misty snapped. "Do too!" "Not!" "Too!" "Not!" "Too!" "Not!" Misty shrieked. "Not!" Haley replied. "Too!" "You just proved my point. Thank you Misty. If you'll excuse me I need to revive my new Ponyta."
With that, she began to walk off, the other hurrying after her. Angry with her or not, they wanted to see the shining Ponyta up close.
ONE MONTH LATER
"So what do you want to do?" "What is there TO do?" "I dunno." "Why did you say that then?" "I dunno." Misty sighed in exasperation with Ash. "I know!" Brock said suddenly. "What?!" Ash, Misty, and Haley said all at once. "We can go talk to that pretty girl over there," he said, looking at the girl battling someone who looked like her twin sister. "No!!!" everyone else said at once. "You go ahead Brock, we will just sit here and wait for you," Ash said.
"I can't watch him gawk over some warrior princess, I gotta go exercise Ponyta." Haley said. "Ponyta, go!" An unusually large black Ponyta with blue flames for a mane, tail, and forelock, with blue flames coming from her ankles, appeared. She whickered in greeting to Haley, then walked over and nuzzled her shoulder. "Ready for a ride Ponyta?" she asked. "Eeeeeeh!" she whinnied. "OK, let's go!" "Vulpix vul vul vul!" Vulpix said suddenly. "What's wrong Vulpix?" Misty asked.
"Vulllllll... Vulllllll..." she growled, staring around the corner of the building they were sitting in front of. "Vul! Vul Vul Vul! Vul!" she barked. Ash cocked his head at her. "I think she's trying to tell us something." "No duh dumb brain!" Misty snorted. "She's afraid of something behind that building," Haley said, looking at her Vulpix. She leapt onto Ponyta's back, careful not to burn herself. "I'm going to go check it out. Come if you want, but I'm not saving you from Mewtwo," she said. With that, she turned Ponyta with a single word and began to make her way down the ally, Vulpix riding in front of her. "Mewtwo's behind the building?" Brock said stupidly.
Suddenly, Ponyta reared and charged back the way she had come, bucking and rearing all the while. "Ponyta, stop! Whoa, whoa, whoa girl!" Haley said, clinging desperately to the horse's neck. "Prepare for trouble!" a familiar voice crowed. "And make it double!" another familiar, but not welcome voice said. "To protect the world from devastation!" "To unite all people within our nation!" "To denounce the evils of truth and love!" "To extend out reach to the stars above!" "Jessie!" "James!" "Team Rocket--" "Whoa, slow down. You'd better hope you didn't say Team Rocket," Haley said. She had not been traveking with Ash, Misty, and Brock for long enough to meet Team Rocket.
"You interrupted my line you little twerp!" Jessie said angrily. "Whatever you're trying this time you're not going to get it!" Ash said. "Not if I can help it!" Misty added. "Yeah, if you can," Ash replied. "Quit arguin' you idiots! We're here for the shiny horse!" Jessie and James's talking Meoth said. "And we're going to get it!" James said. "Weezing, go!"
"No, I don't think so. Onix, go!" Brock said. "No, Brock, this is my fight," Haley said, a strange light glinting in her blue eyes. She seemed almost possessed. "Why? Onix needs the experience," Brock said, upon which Haley whirled Ponyta around. She had drawn a dangerously sharp knife from somewhere, seemingly out of thin air. She looked very intimidating, and, even though Ponyta was rather small, she looked like a warhorse, large and menacing and dangerous. "Recall your Pokemon and step aside Brock, ground element gym leader of the Indigo League," she said, her voice soaked through with anger. "Er... that's not right." Brock began, but Jenny swung the knife dangerously close to his throat, making it come so close that it nearly drew a trickle of blood.
"These fools are the ones who killed my Growlithe years ago. And I'm not letting them get by unscathed," she said, and Brock hastily shrunk to the side. Ash and Misty merely gaped at her and the gleaming silver knife in her hand. Ponyta reared then, her flaming mane and tail streaming out behind her with a sudden gust of wind. She screamed out a battle cry to the Weezing, who trembled with fear. That scene was then embedded in all of their memories forever. Haley turned her possessed gaze to Jessie, James, and Meoth. "You. Admit it. You killed my Growlithe. And though I begged for mercy, you would have killed me if my mother hadn't shown up with her Flareon just then," she said, advancing steadily on them.
"Vulpix!" she said suddenly. "Fire Spin!" "Vulllllllllllll!" Vulpix trilled. "Waa aahh wwaaaa!" they screamed as they tried desperately to move. "Those goons were ever good enough at being bad to manage to kill a Pokemon?" Misty asked. "Wait a minute..." she said looking more closely at the "goons". "You aren't the ones... Vulpix, release!"
She frowned down at them. She remembered now. She had not seen them clearly through her burning hatred. The people who had killed Growlie were different. What were there names? Bud and Cassandra? No, that wasn't right. Oh well. No matter.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded of them. "Nothing!" they all said. "Nothing!? Nothing?!" she said, her voice rising uncontrollably. "We wanted the horse ok now I towid you please don't huwit me!" Meoth said in his odd voice. She whirled on him, then her expression softened at the sight of the trembling Pokemon on the ground. "You could have been a great Pokemon if you weren't raised by these goons. Very powerful." she imformed him, nearly smiling at him. "MEOTH!" Jessie and James said angrily. "Leave the poor thing alone," Haley said, sheathing the long knife and dismounting from Ponyta. She sunk down against the trunk of an apple tree, as though suddenly exhausted.
"Ponyta, return. Vulpix. Vulpix?" she said. Vulpix was off to the side, rolling around in the mud with Meoth. "Vulpix!" she said, raising her voice. "Vul? Vul." Vulpix said, rolling over submissively as Haley approached. "Don't give me that," she snapped. "Now we're going to have to give you a bath." That was a BIG mistake. "VVVVVVVVVVVVVVUUUUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!" Vulpix shrieked. She hated baths. "VVVVVVVVVVVVVVUUUUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!" she repeated, twisting in Jenny's arms and getting the white cotton shirt she had on filthy. "Vulpix!" she said, taking her nose in her hand and shaking it. Vulpix went limp in her arms in submission. Jessie and James began to get angry.
"Hey we're still here in case you didn't know!" Jessie said angrily. "Lickitung, go! Lick attack!" "Umm. excuse you. that would be my backpack." Haley said, staring at the Lickitung which had somehow got the idea to attack her pack and not Pikachu, Ponyta, or Vulpix. "Lickiiii." the Lickitung said. Then, realizing its mistake, it charged towards Pikachu. "Tungtungtungtungtung!"
"Ponyta, use Skull Bash!" Haley shouted. "Weezing, intercept!" James yelled. Weezing flew in front of Ponyta. Skull Bash really didn't affect it as it was so hard, but it affected Ponyta. She was hit in the chest by Weezing. The poor fire horse fainted on impact, coming to a stop so suddenly that it tumbled heels over head into the apple tree. Haley struck the ground more that once and got hit on the head by several falling apples. She did not faint but sat there, teeth gritted, wincing in extreme pain.
"Ponyta. re. return." Haley managed to choke out. She breathed in deeply (she had not been able to before) and cried out in pain - she had more than one broken rib. Vulpix rushed to her side, nuzzling her wrist in a frantic attempt to make her get up.
"I'm. I'm OK Vulpix." Haley whispered. She could dimly hear Ash, Misty, and Brock battling in the background. .Have to fight. No. can't faint. can't let go..
Haley's world went black.