Chapter One: Mew Likes Explosions

Emma knocked on Professor Oak's door promptly at 7am. As the ranch wasn't too far away, she beat the rush of new trainers. She bounced on the balls of her feet, much to the annoyance of Mew.

"Em-ma~ do you know how hard it is to take a nap when you're bouncing?" She whined.

The blonde smiled. "Sorry Mew, I'm just so excited! My own adventure is out there just like Mom and Dad's, only with less kings and queens and people out to get me...but just like August! He's been to Hoenn and Sinnoh! Oh I want a gallade, oooh and a mawile." She sighed. "I hope we make lots of friends."

Emma knocked again, just a bit louder, this time the door opened. In an instant, Mew was a lovely white scarf. "Ah! Emma! Right on time." The Professor led her inside, and brought her to the choosing capsule. "Here we are. So then, miss Emma, did you have a Pokémon to register as your starter?"

Nodding, Emma released her new eevee. "We decided on Stardust, professor," Emma replied. "She's my first."

Professor Oak smiled. "You're rather odd for a starter," he told the eevee kindly. "But Emma's not an inexperienced trainer, she'll take good care of you."

"Ee-vee!" Stardust crooned.

"Alright then," he patted the eevee's head. "Let me see your Pokédex and I'll handle your registration."

"Thank you, Professor," Emma beamed. She poked about the lab curiously and noticed something strange. "Um Professor, did we get your order wrong? There's one more person than I have starters."

"Oh, don't worry about that dear," he replied. "One of the boys, Ash, told me how much he wanted a pikachu one day. He might have forgotten, but when I found a wild pikachu hanging about my lab, well I said, 'This must be fate,' and caught it just for him. It is a bit of a secret though..."

Emma giggled, at the story, but something about it felt wrong. Oh well, she thought. She allowed herself to be ushered out of the lab with a bag filled with snacks and Pokémon food. Soon enough she and her companions were off, unaware that her path would soon intertwine with a boy and his stubborn pikachu.

Emma sat in her room at the Viridian City Pokémon Center completely stumped. She had dreamed of going on adventures and helping people like her parents did, but she didn't know exactly what to do. Most people that traveled went off to catch Pokémon, train and challenge gyms.

She didn't want that, not really.

It wasn't that she thought gyms were scary or boyish or anything. It was just - well, Emma was trained to fight! Her father had taught her the sword. Her mother, how to shoot every type of bow she could think of, thanks to Mew. She couldn't send her Pokémon into a battle and not fight by their side. It just wasn't in her.

"What do I do?" Emma growled.

Mew sighed. She knew something like this would happen, she was a psychic type. "Well, you either learn how to command a battle or just wander around like a Pokémon Ranger."

Emma smiled. "If only I was fifteen," she sighed. "Why can't a ten year old be a ranger?" She pouted a bit at her guardian. "Remind me about that when I get to that age?"

"I guess," Mew shrugged. "So, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know...make friends?"

Suddenly, an announcement echoed through the Pokémon Center. "Oh no. Stardust! Where are you?" Emma exclaimed.

"Veeveu! Ee vee vee ee!" Stardust replied, crawling out from Emma's backpack.

"Did you eat my cookies?" Mew accused.

Emma slapped her head. "Now's not the time Mew. We need to see what's going on!"

"There's always time for cookies!"

"Mew!"

"Okay, okay," Mew relented. "Let's go!"

They reached the lobby, only to find themselves at the end of Team Rocket's motto. "Huh, I think those are the bad guys, Emma."

Emma was scared. Sure, she had Stardust and Mew, but actual bad guys? She wasn't expecting anything like this. Even so, Emma knew she had to be strong. Her hand clenched around the locket her mother had given her.

"Okay," she whispered. "Let's go." They burst into the lobby as the Rockets commanded their attack.

"Hey! Don't you know anything? Pokémon and their trainers have strong bonds! They'll never listen to you!" Emma shouted. She knew it wasn't really true - people traded Pokémon all the time, but she hoped it would be...one day. "Stardust! Use swift!"

Swift was the eevee's only long distance move. She had been trying to learn shadow ball, but that was another story. Stardust's swift knocked aside the three Rocket Pokémon, allowing the others to escape.

"Oh look, the little girl thinks she can play hero," the red head laughed.

"Look Jess, an eevee. That's a rare one," the blue haired man noted.

Emma tightened her arms around Stardust. "You can't take her," she yelled out. "Keep up the swift." Stardust kept firing, as she and Mew sneakily traded off.

"Hey! Where are the other brats?" The Meowth asked between dodging the flying stars. "You lumps! Attack! Cut the power!"

With them distracted, Emma asked Mew to grab her pack. Seconds later, the center went dark, and Emma was in pursuit.

She could hear her heart thudding against the darkness. Stardust shuddered in her arms, terrified by the total darkness. Suddenly Mew arrived and sent out a few will-o-wisps for light. Slowly, Emma picked up the pace.

The next few moments were quite confusing. Emma chased the thieves into a room filled with Pokéballs, got turned around as the boy rushed out of the room with his pikachu and then the whole place exploded.

She sank to her knees, a stunned, gaping expression stuck on her face.

"That was awesome!" Mew exclaimed, releasing the psychic shield she had placed around the room. A clean circle of soot surrounded them as pieces of the ceiling crumbled against the floor. Mew surveyed the room aprovingly before spotting the other kids and Nurse Joy. "What are you waiting for Emma? Go say hi," she prompted.

"Ri-right...um, Mew? Thanks," Emma stuttered through her shock.

She walked up to the other trainers and introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Emma White," she smiled.

The red head smiled, "I'm Misty."

"Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town," he replied. "Thanks for helping us."

"Yes, thanks to you all of the Pokémon were evacuated safely to Pewter City," Nurse Joy cheered.

"Ah! Nurse Joy! I'm sorry about the Pokémon Center," Ash bowed his head. "It seems all I've been able to do is break things." His voice wavered as he took blame for the damage done by his Pokémon.

Emma noticed how Mew smiled. Somehow she got the feeling Mew liked Ash.

Misty scowled, but Nurse joy just waved. "As long as the Pokémon are safe, everything will be fine." She smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Now remember, you take care of your Pokémon okay."

"Okay, I promise," Ash replied.

Emma smiled. "I'll make sure of it!" She announced, earning a nod from her guardian.

"Hey! What do you mean?" He exclaimed. "I made a promise, I'm not going to break it."

"Well, I'm going with you, of course!" Emma smiled. "You see I've always wanted to go on an adventure, but I wasn't too keen on challenging gyms. Then you showed up...

"It's like Professor Oak said, it must be fate," Emma smiled brightly and Stardust crooned in agreement.

Ash looked to Pikachu, who nodded sagely. "Well, if Pikachu says it's okay, then I guess I'll agree. Friends?"

"Friends."

"Hey, what about me?" Misty yelled as the two shook hands. "Don't forget that you owe me a new bike Ask Ketchum!"

As Misty badgered Ash, Emma had a word with Mew. Soon enough it was time to leave. Nurse Joy laughed and waved them off with instructions on how to get to Pewter City. "And remember to have fun, okay kids?" She spoke with a fond smile.

"They're good kids," Mew spoke suddenly.

The Joy turned around and gasped. "Oh my! You're Mew!"

The new species Pokémon winked, and suddenly the Pokémon Center was once again whole. "Our little secret, okay?"

"Oh thank you so much," she smiled, tears in her eyes.

Mew laughed and bowed. "You Joys do fine work, taking care of all sorts of people and Pokémon. I can't let you wait weeks to rebuild." With a flick of her tail she summoned a Pokéball. "And I think your friend is waiting for you." Then she was gone.

And in the corner of the Pokémon Center sat a pristine bike, waiting for the day Misty would come back to claim it.