Hey, guys!
It's Sentai Red here!
I'm alive! Sorry! I was hoping to had finished this chapter a lot earlier, but because it was iPhone launch week at work... it was terrible. We have become overworked, and just stressed out. That being said, I may have some news coming up about future career advancements, but we'll see! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! I went a little different with this one in comparison to how the anime did it! I think it worked out well!
The stars shine down, illuminating the entire night sky with their presence. The constellation of Orion and Drapion cast their presence, signifying their eternal conflict. Orion, as ever, fearful of the Poison-Type that did him in, so many millennia ago. The story goes that a brave, if not foolish and arrogant, hunter once claimed that he could kill every single type of Pokémon. From small baby Pokémon to gargantuan titans, he would fight them, and come out the winner. In many various retellings of the myth, one would include him attempting to woo a woman that was favored by some of the Legendary Pokémon that were once revered as full-on Gods. The woman's name was Artemis, and she too was a huntress. However, unlike Orion, a gangly man full of desire to bed the maiden, she vowed abstinence and forever remain pure. Her love for nature and for Pokémon made her despise the arrogant pig. In reverence to her Gods, she prayed for his demise. In some retellings, it was she that would smite him using a Drapion. The Drapion, after killing the hunter, was awarded a chance to chase Orion in the heavens in perpetuity.
Mere miles away, there lies a group of Pokémon. They themselves are hunters. They are rogues. A mafia.
They care for nothing but themselves. They steal to survive. They fight to live for another day.
To the people of Vermilion City, they go by many names.
Pranksters. Thugs. Pests.
These are all the names given to the Squirtle Squad from the denizens, opting to find ways to stop their rampage. From simple pranks such as ding-dong ditching, to hardcore vandalism, and thievery, the Squirtle Squad knows nothing of the law nor respect of the people in whom they torment. For these Pokémon, why should they care? They never bothered to help these Pokémon in their times of need, so what's it to them if they want payback? That's the mindset they all share. These Pokémon, once abandoned by their own friends and family, trainers, and owners, all banded together to form a group to spite those that had wronged them so long ago. In fact, this is a group that has been going on for at least two years and counting. What started off as a simple group of Squirtle helping each other, became a gang that would go out their way to cause as much damage as possible. For them, the world owes them everything, and this is how they wanted to be pay backed. In full.
Four of the five Squirtles sing, dancing merrily around a campfire that they made. Tonight, was a successful heist, as was the norm for them. However, tonight was one of their biggest ones yet. The plan was simple: divert everyone's attention away from #5, the youngest, by pretending he was abandoned by them. Make the ire of the people living on the outer edges of Vermilion City rise, wanting revenge on one of the Squirtles. When they would unleash their retribution, the other Squirtles would gang up and flank the civilians, taking away their Poké Balls, money, and anything valuable. Then in the ongoing chaos, #5 would use his Bubble Beam to reduce their speed, disorienting the pursuers. Then, they would rob the drug stores nearby and ransack them of anything they can fit in their grubby hands. Bags of chips, soda cans, candy, water bottles, and so much more. They would attack, ambushing those unaware with Bubble and Water Gun. Then, using their shells, they would use Rapid Spin to flee from the scene before an Officer Jenny would arrive.
The heist was a success for them, and they were doing what they did after every single mission: party!
Some of the other Pokémon in the forest, Pidgeys and Rattatas, Ekans and Sandshrews, they would all avoid the gang, not wanting to be in cahoots with them in any way shape or form. The last time one of them did, a small Paras was found nearly comatose from the Squirtle Squad using it as fodder against their pursuers. That poor Paras never returned to the forest.
As they all party, one of the Squirtles watches them in amusement. His smirk present, his arms crossed. He celebrates, though not as enthusiastically as the others. One can surmise the fact he's the boss of the group by the fact, that out of all the other Squirtles, he's the only one wearing slanted, black glasses. The black glasses are a tell-tale sign that you're about to fight a member of the Squirtle Squad but slanted means you're about to fight the leader himself. And no one can defeat the Boss. There hasn't been a day since the Boss hasn't lost a battle. From evading moves with poise, to attacking and countering with a destructive force, the Boss is considered to be the strongest amongst the five. His intellect, his humor, his strength, and grace… one couldn't imagine a more successful gang without a leader with these qualities.
Despite his outward happiness, within him lies a tormented Squirtle. One that cries for help.
He knows it, but he hides it.
He taught himself to never need help. To never cry. Crying shows weakness – and he's not weak.
Alas, his own emotions will often slip out, and a single tear will shed down. He will hide it, claiming he thought of something so stupid, or so deliciously evil, it would bring a tear to his eye. He would hide his sniffles. Biting his lips to not alert his teammates of any whimpers or sobs. He throws himself into his work, his pranks, and his thievery to slay the emotions deep within him. His companions, not knowing, will always think of him as this strong, immovable being. Deep down, however, he wishes to escape. A wish to run away. To never return.
He hides it all for his team. They need him. They rely on him.
He can't let things like his emotions bog him down and ruin their mission.
And yet, he can't help but think about the trainers that abandoned them; the people that mocked them and abused them. He jokes that he'd rather die than be someone's Pokémon, but deep down inside… he just wants to be loved.
Looking at his team, he once again bites his lips. He loves his team. They're all he has. He's all they have.
But this? This is not the life he wants anymore. This isn't the life he wants for them.
He may be the Boss of a nefarious gang; the leader of a group of angry Pokémon whose mission is to enact their revenge on the world that had forsaken them. But, deep in his heart, he's just a sad, little turtle, who wishes for the life he once had. He wishes for the love of a trainer again. He wishes to become something more than just a low life. What do the humans call him again? A 'pest'? He clenches his fist. He doesn't want to be called that anymore. But what can he do? It's too late for him. He closes his eyes. Everything around him going dark. The joyful cheers, the crackling fire, the warmth from the fire, and the junk lying all around the ground… they all disappear around him. The loneliness creeps up on him. It envelops him with a hug, but he shivers at its touch.
What good is being the leader of a group if, at the end of it all, you still feel worthless?
Episode 20: The Mischievous Squadron: The Squirtle Squad!
"We're here: Vermilion City!"
Ash shouts in elation, his arms stretched out joyously. Both Pikachu and Froakie drop down from his shoulders and follow his lead by doing the same gesture, just as elated as their trainer. Serena smiles, shaking her head at her best friend's endless supply of energy, while she and the others are barely making it all the way here. Where he gets his boundless energy from, she'll never know. However, that's just one of his admirable traits, so she can't really fault him for having it in the first place. Don't get her wrong, she's happy they're finally here at Vermilion City, where her next Contest is, but her exhaustion is overpowering her excitement. She walks up to Ash and bumps her shoulder to his playfully, when he looks at her, she just gives him a wink in response, "You're too loud, Ash," she playfully remarks.
Ash nervously chuckles, scratching his left cheek with an index finger, "Eheh, sorry…"
She shakes her head, "Nah, don't be," She gives him a small smile and lays her head against his shoulder, "it's what makes you, you." She hides her face with her hair, not showing Ash the small blush etched on her face. Although had she not done that, she would have seen a blushing Ash. This, however, confuses the boy. He certainly enjoys the feeling of Serena being near him, but why? She is his best friend. She's one of the most important people in his life. But lately, he's been feeling something different towards her. He's not sure what it is, but… it certainly isn't a bad thing.
"Eh-hem," the fake cough alerts the two. Serena gets away from Ash, as the two stare at an amused looking Brock. While Serena hides her face in embarrassment, Ash blankly stares at Brock. Brock shakes his head at the two, "Good to know you two didn't forget about us," Ash had the decency to look bashful. He knew what the older teen was alluding to.
Ash ran from his friends, with Serena chasing after him, all because he saw the sign that said 'Welcome to Vermilion City: The Port of Exquisite Sunsets'. When he saw it, he immediately bolted to the entrance of said city. He even ignored their cries for him to stop his running, as he just wanted to finally enter the city that had took them nearly over two weeks to reach. He laughs nervously, "Heh, sorry… guess I got too excited."
Brock snorts, "Even then I think that's an understatement."
Misty finally approaches the group. She stumbles onto them, nearly tripping herself in the process. She squats down, panting wildly, holding herself by the knees for support. "Hah… hah… Would… it kill… you to slow down, Ketchum?" She continues to pant, glaring at the boy.
Serena rubs Misty's back comfortingly, "It's alright. We're here, and that's all that matters. We can finally go to the Pokémon Center and rest up if you want!"
Misty groans, forcing herself back up, "I suppose that works," she then huffs, "just don't run off again, Ash. I don't think my legs can take anymore running."
"Maybe if you lay off the chips, then you wouldn't have that problem," Ash mutters to himself. Luckily, Misty couldn't hear it, but Froakie and Pikachu nearly laugh out loud at the snide remark. They compose themselves so as to not alert anyone of their laughter. They'd rather not deal with an angry, and tired, Misty.
The area that they're currently in, while part of the main city, is part of Vermilion's lower, historic district. The buildings are more wooden, a sign of the district's age. Some buildings, such as the markets are relatively modern, but still made to fit in with the older aesthetic of the surrounding area. The construction of these buildings is more in line with the housing that one would see in Pallet Town than anywhere else. Brock has read up on the area some time ago and knew that this was just one part of the overall huge, seaport town that Vermilion City is known for. While left forgotten by the vast majority living deep within the suburbs and metropolitan areas, the people within this area live rather contently.
Or, as contently as one can be.
As the group walks on the old, beat-up asphalt road, they notice something peculiar. There's no one in sight.
Try as they might to look for a sign of life, there's literally no one out in the open. No children playing, no old men just sitting on their rocking chairs watching the world pass them by, and not even older women drying their clothes on clotheslines. Hell, there's not even a single Rattata out scrummaging for food in the trash bins. With that said, something causes them to all have shivers run up their spines. They feel as though they're being watched. Ash glances around wearily, trying to find out what's going on, but to his surprise – Nothing!
'Sure, would wish that voice would appear,' Ash dryly thinks to himself. While he's not wanting to deal with the headaches, at least it was useful for him to hear something was wrong. Whether from falling into a pit trap or just being told he needs to help a Pokémon out, it was pretty handy to say the least.
Even the marketplace, one of the busiest parts of this small district, is completely barren! The food stands – closed. The shops? Broken in. No one is there and no cops are investigating the area. What in the world is going on? Those are the thoughts that are running through everyone's minds as they continue to walk. Serena sadly glances at one of the food stalls, to see a red apple still there. Blinking, she pulls away from the group to look at it. Out of all the things missing, an apple is what still remains?
"What'cha looking at?" Ash asks curiously, looking over her shoulder. Serena takes one look at him, before going back to inspect the apple. Brock and Misty both walk to them, wondering what's going on.
"Pika?"
"Fro?"
The five of them look at her questioningly, with Serena continuing to stare at the apple, "It's strange. Everything else is missing or broken," gesturing to the broken food stalls and wagons, "but this one is in good condition, and" she picks up the apple, inspecting it, "with a perfectly good apple."
Crossing his arms, Brock hums a thought, "You're right. Why would there be a ripe apple just sitting here?" He asks to take the apple from Serena, who obliges and hands it to him. He takes out a small pocketknife from his pocket and slices the apple gently. "It's fresh too." The juices drip down from the apple and his hands down to the ground. Pikachu eyes the cut-up apple greedily, hypnotized by the delectable fruit. Froakie hides his temptation, but he keeps eyeing the fruit.
"I got you now, thieves!"
They all jump, with Brock dropping the apple in surprise. Pikachu and Froakie rush to save each half of the apple, and stuffs their half in their mouths.
"Put your hands up, where I can see them!"
They all do as the voice tells them. For some reason, the voice sounds incredibly familiar to Ash. They all wait for further instructions, as the person walks up to them slowly, with a smug tone laced in their voice, "Well, it seems as though the thieves returned to the scene of the crimes! Turn around and face the great, unstoppable Gary Oak – the savior of Vermilion City!" Ash growls, his fists clenching at the name. He immediately turns body around with a glare at the now identified, arrogant boy he knows. The turn surprises Gary as he blinks, completely caught off guard by the person he 'apprehended', "Ashy-boy?!"
"Don't you dare call me that," Ash growls.
The others turn around, wondering what's going on. Gary, a mahogany-colored, spikey haired boy, with a large purple shirt and black jeans, stares at the entire group in shock. "Well, this is a surprise! Who would've thought you're the thief, Ashy-boy?! And look here, you got yourself some cronies! Man, I can't just wait to tell your mom about this! Ahahahaha! Imagine the poor look on her face!" Gary laughs obnoxiously loud.
With a clenched fist, Ash decides to rush up to Gary, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck, "Don't you dare call my mother on this! We didn't do anything! We just got here, you jerk!"
"That's enough, Ash," Serena pulls her crush away, although frowns at Gary. She never met Gary, but she's always heard of him. She always thought Ash was exaggerating with the boys' arrogance, but just by seeing how this boy holds himself, Ash was obviously underestimating that ego. "He's not worth it." She soothes him, holding his wrist with both her hands. Ash begrudgingly stays his hand but continues to glare at his rival heatedly.
Gary looks at the girl and smirks, flicking his hair coolly, "And who are you, cutie?" He asks with a flirtatious smirk. He saunters onto her, trying to push Ash way from her. However, she tightens her grip on her crush and glares at the boy for daring to flirt with her. "My name is Gary Oak, beautiful," he introduces himself with a gentlemanly bow, "and what's your name?"
"You should know who I am, Oak." Serena responds icily.
With a blink, Gary decides to think, "Uh… Have we met before? If we had, I wouldn't have forgotten such a beautiful, young lady such as yourself," he compliments her, but she rebukes his flirt by scrunching her face in displeasure. Ash hides his satisfaction, enjoying the fact Serena is not at all entranced by his rivals' romantic efforts.
"You never met me, but you've heard of me," she states, her eyes narrowing. She let's go of Ash's wrist, and crosses her arms, glaring at the boy, "And I've heard of you, Gary Oak. You're the one that causes so much trouble in Pallet Town; I've heard of your bullying. Especially against Ash."
That's when it clicks in Gary's mind and he stutters a small, "S-Serena?!" He takes a small step back from the reveal.
She gives him a short nod, and, to everyone's surprise, he begins to laugh even louder than before. "H-Huh?" She stammers, shocked at his mood shift. Gary continues to laugh, walking away from her, and in annoyance, she puts her hands on her hips indignantly, "What's so funny?!"
The laughter slows down to a small chuckle, and then finally to a snicker. Gary wipes a tear from his eye and looks at Serena, "And here I thought you were just a figment of Ashy-boy's imagination. He would always talk about you! 'Oh, Serena this' and 'My 'Rena that' – Gah! It was so annoying! And here you are, in the flesh! Tch, for someone as beautiful as you, being friends with a loser such as him?! You're almost as big of a loser as he is!"
Ash begins to see red. His fists clench, "What did you say?!" He growls.
"Did I stutter or are you that stupid that I need to repeat myself?" Gary flicks his finger against Ash's forehead, further aggravating the raven-haired boy, "But, enough of this! Because the last time I checked, you're all thieves and I'm the man that'll stop you! Either come with me to Officer Jenny's station, or I'll make sure you all get there with bruises and a slight concussion! For you, though," he winks at Serena, "I may just let you off with a warning, if you comply." Once again, Serena scrunches her face in disgust, turning her head away from the egotistical boy.
"Hold on," Brock steps in sternly, with Gary recognizing him, "this is all a huge misunderstanding." Brock decides to pull out the Boulder Badge, the same badge he gave Ash in their gym battle. "My name is Brock and I'm the Pewter City Gym Leader, with my father, Flint, being the temporary replacement. You may remember me, Gary Oak, as I battled you to a standstill. In any way, would a recognizable figure in the Pokémon League Circuit be caught in this sort of scandal? In fact, I can attest to the fact that we arrived just less than an hour ago. Also, it's illegal to impersonate an officer of the law and hand out arrests, so if you want, we can all go to the police station, and not only explain ourselves, but you can also explain yourself to Officer Jenny." Everyone stares at Brock in complete surprise. Even Ash, who still wants to knock Gary off his high horse, has cooled down and watched in awe as his older brother figure just handled himself.
"Pfft, whatever," Gary dismisses it all, putting away a Poké Ball that he had in his hands the entire time, "it seems you guys aren't the thieves I was looking for anyway."
Everyone gives him a deadpan look, clearly unamused. Misty then brings up the elephant in the room, "What thieves are you even referring to?"
Despite not wanting to talk to Gary, both Serena and Ash listen in, wanting to hear more about it. Gary just shrugs, "Let me take you to the Pokémon Center and I'll explain there. Besides, you chumps look like you need some food." Once again, the entire group just gives him a deadpan look. They ignore him, but they ultimately follow him to the Pokémon Center. Ash keeps clenching and unclenching his fists along the way, worrying Serena and the others. Serena looks at Brock and Misty, and the two purse their lips, not knowing what to do.
Serena let's out a small sigh. She then eyes Froakie and Pikachu, the two who are glaring at Gary with just as much anger and contempt Ash has.
The walk to the Pokémon Center, as tense as it was, was relatively quick. When they got in, Gary walked over to Nurse Joy first, having her heal his Pokémon.
"Back already, Gary? Did you battle someone?" Nurse Joy asks politely.
"Nah, just wanting my Pokémon to be in tip-top shape, is all!" Gary exclaims, frustrating the others. He's just doing it to slow them down. He then turns around to look at the angry looking Ash, "Oh and I guess these guys need their Pokémon fixed up. Don't know, these guys just need all the help they can get." He snickers, and while ignoring the disapproving frown from Nurse Joy, the nurse does indeed offer her services to the group.
They accept and turn in their Pokémon. Froakie and Pikachu hesitate to go, but a small nod from Ash has them follow her. Not a moment after Nurse Joy leaves does Gary make a remark. Gary smirks, "And here I thought you were their pet."
Immediately after, Ash turns around and raises his fist, but Brock grabs his hand, "Just shut it, Gary!" Ash all but explodes. Luckily for them, no one is around in the Pokémon Center. Gary looks on with amusement. "Last time I checked, who was the one that got knocked out with a black eye?!" Gary's smug look evaporates, and he averts his gaze away from everyone else. Ash then sneers, "Yeah, that's what I thought, jerk."
Gary rolls his eyes, not at all ashamed, "Hmph, you just got lucky." He leans down condescendingly, looking at Ash with an arrogant look, "All you ever get are flukes, Ashy-boy! If I had been prepared, I would have whooped your behind to next Sunday! And maybe then, I could impress Serena here enough to leave you for me."
"Don't you dare bring her into this!" Ash's voice drops down, the fire in his eyes now sparked as he walks over to him, and with their face's inches apart, growls, "Keep talking and I'll promise you that the black eye I gave you wasn't some fluke!"
Brock stops their arguing by grabbing the two boys, pulling them by the back of their shirts away from one another, "That's enough, you two!" He commands them sternly, as any older brother would. "Ash, cool yourself off, and Gary," he looks at the other boy "you need to stop your nonsense and tell us exactly what's going on." Gary harrumphs but acquiesces. Ash continues to glare angrily at Gary, but a hand on his back by a firm looking Misty stops him in his tracks. He relents and lets out a small, exasperated sigh. Serena worries for her friend's short temper, but is glad her other friends can keep him at bay for now. She just wishes Gary wasn't here.
"Oh, alright," Gary ushers them over to the couches, sitting down and putting his feet on the coffee table, much to Serena's disgust. "Where do I even begin?" Gary rhetorically asks.
"The beginning." Misty demands with an impatient look.
"Tch, okay, okay – so, it all started a couple of days ago," he begins, "I just got back from my fourth gym battle with Erika, and I decided to stop by Vermilion City again. I figured, might as well stay for the upcoming contest. So, as I trained, I've heard some people talk about a gang of thieves stealing food, destroying people's property, and graffitiing buildings. So, I took it upon myself to put traps around the city in hopes of catching these thieves. When the apple I placed was moved, I knew it was my time to shine! And here I am now, talking to you losers."
Despite the insult, the others continue to mull things over about what Gary just said.
"And did they ever describe out loud what these thieves were?" Serena asks. While she couldn't stand Gary and his attitude towards Ash, this isn't the time for that. Something is wrong around here, and she, and by proxy her friends, are all interested in finding out what's going on.
Gary takes his feet off the table and leans in, clasping his hands in a thinking pose with a serious expression, "And that's the thing – they did. However, they spoke as if they were monsters," that small statement made Serena shiver, "and I just thought it could have been Pokémon. When I went to press them for more info, the apparent gang just attacked and caused some mayhem. However, I think I was able to deduce the thieves are in fact Pokémon, but I had to think about it: are these a trainer's Pokémon?"
Ash frowns, "And what makes you think that?" He shifts in his seat, trying to piece this all together.
"It's just a hunch," his rival shrugs, "but the reason why I thought so was because these Pokémon, whatever they were, moved so swiftly, and with precision that it felt like they weren't just some wild Pokémon, but trained up to do all this stuff. It makes more sense than just a wild gang of wild Pokémon causing mayhem and I thought I could find the trainers responsible and get them to admit to they're the crooks."
Brock crosses his arms, "While that does sound logical, you're just apprehending people just to get them to prove themselves guilty."
"Heh, guilty as charged," Gary gives him a mocking smile. He then gets up, "Well, as fun as it was chatting with Ashy-boy and his girlfriend and his two little groupies, I have the sworn duty to capture this gang and put them in jail! So, if you don't mind me, I have some work to do. I'll go get my Pokémon and you all can just leave and do whatever loser things you guys do." He laughs, walking away. Heading over to the front counter and Ash slams his fist into the arm rest.
"God, I can't stand him," Ash growls out.
"He's certainly…something," Misty acknowledges. She then eyes Ash, "So, what's your beef with him? It seems more than just mindless teasing." She probes and Serena nods with a downtrodden look.
"You can say that" Serena agrees, glancing at Ash, who closes his eyes in thought, "Ash has been through quite some stuff with Gary."
"I'll give you an example of how big of an a –"
"Language, Ash." Brock chides, though not as harshly as when he had to scold both boys.
Ash clears his throat, "Sorry. Anyway, an example of how big of jerk he is, is on one of my birthdays, he decided to just host a movie night at his Professor Oak's lab. That wouldn't be such a bad thing had it been for the fact I told him that it was my birthday, and I wanted to personally invite all our 'friends', from him to the other kids that were there. He purposely led me on to think they'll be there, but when I was waiting, it turns out they all were just having fun on their own and when Gary's parents forced him the next day to apologize, he just said, 'He's not my friend, so why should I?' and… that, that hurt me a lot." Ash shakes his head at the memory, trying to not let it pop up in his mind again. He doesn't want any more recollections. What's done is done.
Misty and Brock both frown, with Serena smiling lightly, "At least the next year, we met. That counts for something, right?"
Ash opens his eyes to look at her and gives her a soft smile, "Best thing to have ever happened to me was meeting you, 'Rena."
Serena blushes and hides her face with her long hair, with Misty elbowing her playfully, "Oh, my! Such sweet words!" Serena turns to glare at Misty, but Misty just gives her a teasing grin and continues to elbow her playfully. "And here I thought him meeting Froakie and getting Pikachu were the best things to have happened to him! But no, it's you! I'm so jealous! I wish I had a boyfriend that would talk sweet mush to me!" Misty then grabs Ash dramatically, leaning to him, "If only – If only we could have met first! Then you'd be saying these to me!" Ash begins to look uncomfortable, making Misty laugh.
Serena grabs Misty roughly and glares, albeit hilariously, "Misty!"
Brock begins to laugh. Soon after, the rest of the group laugh.
Whatever brooding mood Ash was under proceeded to just wash away, enjoying the fact he has friends here, helping him. His laugh dies down and he just looks at his friends with a warmth, "You guys… thanks for being my friend. It means a lot, y'know?" In truth, he never really had many friends growing up. Despite making friends with Serena, they were mostly long-distance. Within his small town, he was a loner. And now, having friends who are traveling the region with him? This is something special, and he knows it.
Brock and Misty both nod, giving him smiles, after they too stop laughing. Serena puts a hand over where her heart is and nods happily. Nurse Joy would then call their names over the intercoms, alerting them that their Pokémon are ready for pick up. Getting up, no longer in a foul mood, Ash pumps his fists excitedly, "Let's go! The sooner we get our Pokémon, the sooner we can catch these thieves! Then we can continue downtown to get not only my gym badge, but Serena's first ribbon!" He runs off.
Despite feeling a little bit better, his subconscious reminds him of all the things Gary has done to him. Clenching his fists, he can remember the words thrown by, not only Gary, but by the entire gang of kids in Pallet Town. The memories all come back, flooding him with nothing but strife over the constant bullying. He closes his eyes, trying hard to push these thoughts away, but they just keep coming. He can still remember the kids calling him names, insulting him, and even insulting his mom. They were terrible…
'Loser!'
'Cry-baby!'
'No-Dad Punk!'
'Mommy's Turd!'
Even after making friends with Serena, then Froakie, and then Pikachu, the bullying hasn't stopped there. However, because of Froakie, it has lessened over the years. Pikachu would follow suit and would shock any kid that would dare insult Ash or his mom. Ash would always be thankful for their help, otherwise even he wouldn't know what would have happened if they weren't around in his life. Shaking these thoughts off, he gets to the front counter and when both his starter Pokémon jump into his arms, he hugs them tightly. "Thank you, guys… Thank you for being there for me." He whispers to them, with the two happily hugging back, unsure why he's thanking them, but accepting the affection from their trainer. He doesn't want them knowing what went down moments prior.
Wiping away any would be tears, he grabs his friends Poké Balls and heads out with them to find the culprits responsible.
The group begin searching around the destroyed parts of the subdivision, asking people questions about who has done such damages. In their efforts to find out the root cause, one of the people affected began to cry, shocking the group. He weeps, having an arm draped over his eyes, trying to not let the tears fall through. The others awkwardly glance at one another, wanting to find out what happened. The man then began to calm down, although with minor hiccups after his little episode. Serena offers a napkin, and he dabs the tears away.
"T-thank you, lass," the old man thanks her with a choked voice. He takes a small breath and closes his eyes, "I can tell you exactly who did it, too. They're monsters, I tell you!" The man all but yells, the pitiful nature of his crying now morphing into anger.
"What exactly are these 'monsters?'" Misty asks, wanting clarity from this man. It seems the term 'monsters', 'pests', and 'thugs' have all been used interchangeably. When asking other people before this old man, some of the townsfolk would use those terms to describe the culprits. As devious as the thieves may be, perhaps calling them those words can come across a tad too strong. However, she doesn't say anything else as the man continues to rant about them.
Brock, not wanting to hear more about the old man's rants, gestures the man to calm down, "I get it. We get it. They're terrible and they're causing massive damage to your homes and shops, but we really need to find out if you know what they are, other than just these vague descriptions. Are they Pokémon? Are these gang members? What exactly is going on?" Brock planting himself as the de facto investigator was a surprise, but a welcoming one at that.
The old man sighs, "I think they were Squirtles. Those are the blue, turtle looking Pokémon, right?"
The gang blink in surprise. Squirtles?
"Surprising, ain't it? We're the city that has an Electric-Type Gym Leader and here we are, getting harassed by some measly Water-Types." The old man rants, unamused by the situation. The others look at each other, before looking back at him. The old man rubs the remaining hair he has left as he purses his lips, "To be fair, I'm not sure what can be done with them. I don't think they have any trainers, and if they do, those guys clearly don't want to get caught."
"Have you guys tried looking for any sort of clues on who may be their trainers?" Serena asks, curiously.
"Nah, just this one kid about your age, quite the loudmouth brat he is," the old man grunts, referring to Gary, "I think he went to one of our Officer Jenny's here that presides over us. I suggest you go to her and see. I have to go back to… f-fixing my shop," he chokes out a small sob, lamenting over his destroyed property. The others awkwardly bade him farewell as he mopingly sweeps the debris off his porch, a sniffle escaping from the old man.
As they walk away, Ash hums in thought, putting a finger on his chin, "It's just weird."
The others look at him curiously and he continues, "Why would a bunch of Squirtle cause mayhem? What's their motive? It can't also just be the fact they're being told to do so by a trainer or something."
Brock nods, "It's quite strange when you think about it. I've never heard of a trainer going out there way to make their Pokémon commit crimes like this. What's to gain from this? If they get caught, it would only be a matter of time before the trainer, or trainers, would end up getting caught. It's too much of a gamble for some small, petty crimes such as these. Although, the more damage they do, the severity of their crimes become. It may actually be wild Squirtle after all. But again, why?"
Misty puts her two cents in, "Well, could they be just wild Pokémon? Or could they be Pokémon that were abandoned by their trainers and decided to become thieves?"
Serena sighs sadly, "God, I hope not. It would make sense if that was the case, but I just don't like the idea that Pokémon can do such nasty stuff by themselves out of spite. There has to be something, or at least a better reason than that." She puts a hand on her cheek, "It just makes me want to help out even more, y'know?"
Ash nods, "Same here." The other two nod silently.
"But we're also losing time doing this," Brock warns, with everyone turning their attention to him, "say we do find them, what can we do to stop this gang? And what if Gary or Officer Jenny arrive on the scene? Officer Jenny may not be able to handle a ragtag group on her own, but Gary can. As much of a narcissist he sounds, he probably has the skill to back it up. Who knows what he'll do to those Squirtles. We need to reach them and try to stop them all together, not only before they can, but before the Contest begins. Remember, the Contest is in a couple of days, and we need Serena prepared as much as possible."
Ash clenches his fists, "Then we need to hurry. As much as I despise Gary, I don't think he'll hurt them or anything, but he'll certainly grow an even bigger ego than what he has already."
Serena snaps her fingers, "Hey, Ash! Why don't you and I send out our flying Pokémon? That way we can have them report back to us if they find the Squirtle Squad!"
"Squirtle Squad?" Ash repeats the name. Serena blushes and shyly looks away.
"Oh, w-well, I, uh, thought that we could call them that instead of just calling them monsters or something. I'd rather not have it sound rude, y'know?" She twirls her hair with a nervous laugh. Ash just smiles and nods, giving her a thumbs up.
"Hey, it's fine. I get it. We'll just call them that instead," Ash assures her gently, "And I think that's a great idea." He sends out Pidgeotto and Butterfree, they chirp looking at their trainer, waiting to be commanded. "Hey, buddies, I need you guys to look for a bunch of rowdy looking Squirtles that may be causing trouble. If you guys do, please one of you come looking for us and the other stand by and trail them. We need to get to them as quickly as possibly can."
"Pidgeoo! | Free-Free!" The two oblige and fly off.
Serena sends out her Beedrill who stands by shyly, "Beedrill, can you follow them and offer your support? We need to find some Squirtle causing trouble, and it will make me feel better if you help them in any way possible." Beedrill offers her a salute, and she giggles, "You're so sweet! I knew I can rely on you!"
He whimpers a small buzzing noise, happy to help and flies off, trying to catch up with the other two Pokémon. One can hear him cry out for them to slow down, but Pidgeotto playfully speeds up, making it cry from the tease. Butterfree turns around to encourage Beedrill, flapping his wings faster to show support for his fellow Bug-Type.
"Well, let's go," Misty ushers them, "the faster we get this done, the sooner I can eat, then sleep in a nice, comfy bed!"
Picking up the pace, they all rush on to find Officer Jenny's station. Luckily for them, the way to find it wasn't arduous at all. Though, what annoys them as they get to it is that Gary is there, talking to Officer Jenny, sipping out of a cup. What bothers them is that she doesn't at all seem too worried about what's been going on. In fact, she just lazes about with Gary, talking and meandering around in the station, as she too drinks from a cup. Her Growlithe is sleeping in the corner on his bed, without a care in the world. This angers the group and they let their displeasure known as they walk in. The door slides open alerting Jenny and Gary to their presence.
"Oh, hello there! And who might all you be?" Jenny gets up to greet them, "And what can I do to assist you?"
"Tch, no need to worry about them, Jenny," Gary dismisses their presence, "they're probably here to deal with the thugs wrecking this poor district, but I'm already on the case, so I don't see the reason for them to be here." He then eyes Serena, much to her chagrin, "Although, the pretty blonde over there may be useful, so I guess she can stay."
Blinking, Jenny turns to look at the group, "Well, I can't see why they want to deal with the thieves. It's not like we haven't tried everything to apprehend them." She goes to sit down, munching on a biscuit, annoying the group. Even Brock, the biggest skirt chaser around, is appalled by the lackadaisical attitude shown by the officer. "I mean, they can certainly try. Though, I'm not sure if you guys can do any better. Even Gary has had some trouble, and he's been a major helper!" Gary just smirks at the praise.
Gary smirks, "You heard the pretty woman, you guys won't be much help here, so why don't you guys just leave it to the professionals." He shoos them away with a small chuckle, but Ash isn't having it. He roughly grabs Gary's wrist and pulls him to him, "Hey!" Gary calls out indignantly, trying to escape the tight grip. Ash, on the other hand, doesn't let up and continues to hold onto Gary's wrist like that of a Krabby, ready to eat their prey.
"What the Hell are you two even doing?!" Ash exclaims angrily, moving his hands to grab Gary by the scruff of his shirt instead, "You talked so much crap about stopping some thieves, but all you're doing is just having some stupid tea party with Officer Jenny!"
"Hands off, Ashy-boy, or I'll make you regret this," Gary threatens, trying to pry himself off Ash. Unbeknownst to them, Ash's hands glow a faint hue of blue, strengthening his hold against the rival.
"You better get your hands off now, little boy," Jenny intervenes, cuffs in her hands, "otherwise, I'll have to arrest you for assault and battery!"
"And I'll make sure you lose your damn job, hag!" Ash snaps, turning his fury onto the officer, "You're doing nothing but having biscuits and tea with a ten-year-old boy! While you're on some stupid date with him, people are getting their stuff destroyed because of your inability to stop the Squirtle Squad from causing trouble!" Growlithe wakes up from his nap, growling at the boy, ready to pounce. Sensing the danger, Pikachu and Froakie both get down on the floor, ready to tackle the fire puppy into submission.
"Ash, please don't do this," Serena pleads, not wanting things to escalate further.
"Hag?!" Jenny repeats, absolutely offended, "Listen here, you brat! You're going to get arrested! I'm not going to let some snot-nosed brat like you jeopardize my job just because you're not happy with how I handle things here!"
"Oh-ho, so that's it! Arrest me for wanting to do the right thing and then get upset at the fact that you're doing absolutely nothing and get called out for it," Ash remarks venomously, rolling his eyes at Jenny's incompetence. "At least, you'll be doing something instead of being a lazy, good-for-nothing cop!"
"Officer Jenny, you arrest him, and I'll make sure you will regret it," Brock warns, "I'm Brock, one of the Gym Leaders of Kanto, and if you arrest my protégé, I will personally go to the Gym Leader of this city and have him handle you directly. As you may recall, when you become an officer of a town, you must provide support and protect the citizens around you. In the case you fail to do your job, it will be the responsibility of your Gym Leader to deal with you, with consequences such as losing your badge and being demoted. And last I checked, the Gym Leader of this city is still Lt. Surge, and he can trust what I have to say over you." Brock walks to her with a menacing glare, "So what's it going to be?"
Officer Jenny looks at Brock, despite him being much younger than her, he carries himself well and the threat of losing her job becomes too much for her to handle. As a result, she backs off. She sighs, signaling Growlithe to stay, and the puppy listens. "Fine." She childishly states, turning her head away, clearly displeased.
"Thank you," Brock coldly says, before crossing his arms and looks at Gary and the pouting officer, "while you two were off doing… whatever this is, my friends and I found out that the cause for the mayhem is a group of Squirtle we dubbed 'The Squirtle Squad'. As of now, we sent out Pokémon to scout the area in hopes of finding them and stopping them. We had hoped that by coming to you, we can aid you in stopping them, but it seems that's out of the question."
Jenny frowns, "And how did you figure out it was a group of Squirtle? Where's your proof?"
"Well, for starters, if you had bothered to ask your suffering civilians, then you'd find out they mentioned a bunch of blue looking turtle Pokémon. And the only blue-turtle Pokémon natively found in Kanto are Squirtles. Besides, did Gary not tell you that he was going out his way to apprehend people and make them plead guilty?" Brock asks sarcastically, throwing Gary under the proverbial bus. Gary whistles innocently as Jenny gives him a glare. "I guess not. He went out his way to impersonate a cop, do seize and searches, and set up props to purposefully entrap innocent bystanders. I don't think Lt. Surge would like to hear that he has an Officer Jenny allow some kid to do her job and attempt to imprison innocent people."
Ash gives a feral smirk at his friend, and let's go of Gary, "Heh. Sucks to be you two, right now."
Jenny looks mortified and she sags her arms despondently, "Okay… so, what's in it for me?"
Serena explodes, "In it for you? How about you do your job and fix this mess in the first place! This isn't about your pride, or about keeping your job, or whatever! This is about doing the right thing and getting these Squirtles off the streets and get them help! You don't care about anything but your stupid job and pride!" Jenny winces at the call out. She tries to argue but Serena doesn't let up, "You were threatening to arrest my best friend over the fact that he was right! You don't get to act like we're asking for a favor! In fact, you should be ashamed of yourself for acting this way! The Officer Jenny's of Kalos would never act this way! They may not always be there on time, but at least they try to do the right thing" Serena pants, out of breath from her yelling. Ash rubs her back, and she begins to tear up, all emotional, "We just want to find these Squirtle and help them, but we're all too busy fighting amongst each other and I'm tired of it! I hate the fact that when we got in, we were called out as thieves! I'm tired of the ridicule! I'm tired of the anger! I'm tired of the fact nothing is getting done here! I just want to help these Squirtles and stop them! Is that so damn hard?!"
The others look on guiltily, and even Gary has the decency to frown in response.
An awkward and tense silence breaches the area, with no one daring to say anything. Ash continues to rub her back gently, and Misty shakes her head at how things have been going.
The sliding doors open, everyone turning to see a guy run in with a look of panic on his face, "Officer! Officer! Quick! They're back! The thieves are here!" As he says that, Butterfree swoops down, crying his name out and motioning the group to come outside. Everyone all head outside and the man just points onward, "It's some gang of Squirtles! They're damaging the warehouse! All of my men couldn't stop them! Please hurry, otherwise we won't have any food to distribute to the town until next week's shipment!"
"Free! Free!" Butterfree urges them to follow him as he flies off.
Ash looks over to his friends, not caring about Gary or Officer Jenny, "Guys, we have to go!"
The others nod. Serena wipes her tears and gives him a look of absolute determination, she grabs his hand, "Right!" She rushes along with him. The adrenaline kicks in as she begins to run with a fire in her eyes, one that Ash takes a second to admire. "Ash! Hurry!" She commands, with him nodding silently and keeps up with her pace.
As they run, Gary and Officer Jenny awkwardly look at one another before they too give chase.
The entire gang follow Butterfree to a warehouse, where Pidgeotto and Beedrill are both locked in battle with five Squirtles. Everyone takes note of how they all wear black shades, with four of them having rounded shades, and the last one, presumably the leader, has sharp, slanted lenses. Serena frowns, thinking he may be the leader. She calls out, "Squirtle Squad!" The entire group of Squirtle look at her. Squirtle Squad? Is that what they're called now?
She takes a step forward, "My name is Serena Paschall, and I…" she grips a Poké Ball, "I will stop you! I'm not going to let you continue hurting innocent people! I don't know why you're all doing this, but I want to help you guys in any way possible!"
Ash steps right beside her, "And my name is Ash Ketchum! Just like Serena, I will stop you! I don't know why you guys are doing this, but I want to help too! However, just because I want to help, that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you! Pidgeotto! Use Gust! Make them lose their balance!"
"Pidgeooo!" Pidgeotto flaps her wings roughly, creating powerful gales of wind, with each Squirtle trying to withstand the powerful gust.
The Leader of the Squirtle Squad, in response, uses Water Gun to stop Pidgeotto. Serena reacts quickly and calls out, "Beedrill! Use your Stingers to block the Water Gun and counter with Poison Sting!" Beedrill gets in front of Pidgeotto and uses its large stingers to block the attack. It can feel the stinging water but perseveres. "You can do this, Beedrill!" She encourages her Bug-Type. Beedrill pushes on through the Water Gun, blocking the attack, and inches close to the Leader.
When the Water Gun stops, that's when Beedrill unleashes its Poison Sting.
The Leader withdraws in his shell and uses Rapid Spin to dodge the poison darts, swerving around the floor. He then launches himself into the air with the Rapid Spin, colliding directly into Beedrill's face, dazing the bug. Serena gasps, "It's fast!" She couldn't help but admire the Leader's ability to move around, like a dancer. Ash looks just as impressed.
"Pidgeotto, use Wing Attack against the Rapid Spinning Squirtle!" Ash commands.
One of the Squirtle tries to hit Ash and Serena with their own Water Gun, but a Water Pulse from Froakie stops the attack. The two attacks explode from the collision, giving Pikachu ample time to counterattack with a Thunderbolt. However, one of the other Squirtles pushes the attacking Squirtle and uses Withdraw to retract itself. It takes the damage for its partner but comes out of its shell shortly after without too many scuffs.
"Zubat! Use Screech to incapacitate the Squirtles!"
They hear Brock's command, as he finally makes his entrance with Misty and the others. Even Gary and Jenny make their arrival. Zubat appears from his Poké Ball and let's out an ear-piercing screech, stopping the Squirtles dead in their tracks as they all clutch their heads. Even the Leader stops his Rapid Spin to drop down to the floor and grip his head in pain. Pidgeotto uses the opportunity to whack the Leader with a strong Wing Attack, sending it flying to a box full of food. Luckily, the container doesn't break and the Leader slides down, but gets back with a glare at the people attempting to stop it.
"Starmie! Use Confuse Ray!"
Misty calls out for her Starmie, which the starfish Pokémon obeys and sends out a wisp of light that surrounds the Squirtles. One gets caught in the Confuse Ray and starts to sway back and forth, completely lost. It tries to fight, throwing out a Bubblebeam but it misses its intended target and hits Gary instead. The mahogany-haired boy becomes infuriated and sends out an Electabuzz, "Use Thunder Punch, Electabuzz! Show them what happens when you cross Gary Oak!"
"Hmmm-blblblbl!" Electabuzz cries out, landing a punch on the confused Squirtle with a devastating Thunder Punch!
The poor Squirtle screams in agony as the super effective attack hits it critically, making it convulse from the attack. The other four Squirtles dodge the Confuse Ray, completely angry that someone just hurt one of their own so harshly. Now, it's payback! The Leader cries out for them to use Rapid Spin. They all follow suit, withdrawing in their shells, and they all begin to spin around. They spin all over the floor, encircling the group as a result.
"Tch! Like that'll do anything! Electabuzz! Use Discharge!" Gary orders arrogantly.
"Hmm-hmm-blblb!" The Electric-Type discharges a huge amount of static electricity, the static hitting everything but the intended targets. It does begin to hit the other Squirtles, stopping them in their tracks. However, the static discharge flails around, with everyone dodging the attacks, but it upsets the Squirtles even more so as they continue to dodge the attack, while wincing from the shocks in their body.
"Gary, stop it! You're not making things better," Ash exclaims angrily, wanting to defuse the situation. He gasps as the discharge hits Pidgeotto, "No! Pidgeotto!" The bird reels in pain from the lone hit, falling to the floor. One of the Rapid Spinning Squirtles hit it, causing her to fly back. The Leader, using this as an opportunity to take revenge, uses Water Gun to propel itself towards the injured bird. Before Ash can recall Pidgeotto, Pikachu uses Thunderbolt to hit the Leader Squirtle. The Squirtle falls back in pain, but gets back up, ready to fight some more.
"Gary, call off the Discharge," Serena demands as she rushes over the Leader, "that attack isn't doing anything but wildly attacking everything in its path!"
She kneels down to the growling Squirtle, "Come on, little guy, just give up, please… I don't want us to continue this fight! You've taken damage, and one of your friends is badly hurt! Please, stop this!"
"Serena, get out of the way! That thing needs to learn some manners! Electabuzz, use Thunder Punch on that Squirtle! Show it what happens when you mess with us!" Gary points at the Squirtle Serena is helping. Electabuzz charges to the Squirtle, readying its attack.
"What the Hell, Gary?!" Misty and Ash both bark out, angrily. Ash runs to Serena, trying to stop the attack. Serena gasps and instinctively grabs Squirtle, hoping to protect it as she turns around. She closes her eyes, waiting for the attack. Squirtle looks at her in surprise.
"Froakie! Use Water Pulse on Electabuzz! Pikachu, Iron Tail on its legs! Stop it from hitting Serena and Squirtle!"
Pikachu lands the move, hitting his Iron Tail against Electabuzz's legs. The Electric Pokémon staggers from the attack, but what causes it to collapse as well was the point-blank Water Pulse to the face. It staggers, and collapses to the ground with the Thunder Punch hitting the concrete floors onto some loose and exposed wires. Gary growls while recalling Electabuzz, "Hey! What's the big idea?! I could have had that Squirtle had it not been for her being stupid!"
Serena opens her eyes and looks at the downed Electabuzz and sighs in relief, she looks at the Squirtle in her arms, "Are you okay?"
He wordlessly stares at her, his mouth agape. He just nods slowly. She smiles and rubs his head, "Good. I'm sorry this had to have happened. I just want to understand why you're doing this and help… Please, just stop." She turns to see Ash punching Gary in the face and sighs, "Well… it was bound to happen…" She lets out a small laugh, not at all upset this time around. She supposes even she had enough of Gary for one day. The Leader looks over at Ash and stares impressed at the raven-haired boy's fury and protectiveness. The boy went out his way to protect him and the girl, even after what he had done to his Pidgeotto.
"You idiot!" Ash roars, towering over an injured Gary, who nurses his bruised, and swollen, cheek, "Your stupid Electabuzz hurt my Pidgeotto! And in your own damn arrogance, you almost hurt Serena! You freaking idiot!"
Jenny tries to stop Ash, but a firm glare by both Brock and Misty stops her in her tracks. Misty's eye twitches, "You know, you suck at being a cop." The officer silently looks away.
"I'll tell Gramps about this, Ash, you hear me?! I'll tell him you did this, and I'll have him revoke your stupid license, you damn fatherless prat!" Gary screams, pushing Ash away from him. Ash blankly stares at Gary, and another tense silence envelopes the area.
Ash glares hatefully at Gary, "You know what – "
Nothing else is said as they all hear a hissing noise. The current spat, now forgotten, is now replaced with mass confusion as they all look around to try to find out what's the hissing noise. Then, they begin to smell smoke and they turn to see that the static from Electabuzz's Thunder Punch has ignited a loose wire. Soon enough, a spark from the loose wire pops. Then followed by another. Then another but louder. And as soon as the loud one pops, so do more and more. Louder and louder.
"Serena, get back here!" Brock calls out in desperation, "This place is about to –"
BOOM
Everyone screams, covering their faces as smoke and fire fills the air. They all fly back from the force of the explosion, with Serena and the Squirtle Squad on one side of the building and Ash and the others near the exit. In a state of panic, Ash begins to call out for his best friend, "Serena! Serena!" He cries out, ignoring the smoke entering his lungs. He coughs in pain, trying to get the smoke out. However, he doesn't let up as he continues to scream her name.
"I'm here, Ash!"
She calls for him, but the fire smothers most of her voice as she steps back to avoid the flames. She covers her mouth, lowering herself to the ground, to not let the smoke enter her lungs. She looks at the weakened Squirtle Squad and smiles, trying to get them near her, "We'll be okay! My Ash is the bravest person I know, and he'll find a way to help us! However, I have an idea!" She looks up and sighs a breath of relief to see her Beedrill relatively unharmed from the explosion, barring the soot on his wings and abdomen. She cups her mouth, "Beedrill!" She calls out loudly.
Beedrill looks in utter happiness to see his trainer is still alright but looks on in worry as the flames make it hard for him to fly to rescue her.
"Beedrill! I need you to help get these Squirtles out of here! I know you can't get me out, but at least get these guys!"
The entire group look at her in shock. Why is she willing to risk her life for theirs? She just battled them with her friends! She notices their staring and smiles, trying to be confident and optimistic, like a certain boy, "Listen, I told you all that I wanted to help you in anyway I can! Just because you guys were causing trouble, that doesn't mean you guys are bad! There has to be something that must have made you guys act out this way and I want to find out! I want to help! But you have to trust me! You have to trust in my friends! Ash, Brock, Misty, and all our Pokémon! We're family and will do anything we can to help each other and those in need!"
The Leader looks at her with awe.
The sense of loneliness. The sense that no one out there cares for them. It all washes away. This girl… does she really care for them? She's heard of them. They're the 'monsters' of Vermilion City. They're all thugs. They're pests. But… she doesn't see them that way? Is it a trick? No… if this was a trick, she would have let them die. Her Beedrill descends down carefully to hoist them one at a time. She's being serious here… They all hear the boy call out for her and they can hear the worry in his voice. They can hear his call out for her and them.
"Serena! Squirtle Squad! We'll come and get you! I promise!" They can hear the boy call out, his voice carrying the same tone of strength and care as their Leader.
They turn to look at their Leader, whose mouth is agape in utter awe. Why do these two children care so much about them?
"Squirtles! If you can hear me, my Froakie is trying to use Water Gun to fight off the fire! If you can help, please do so!" They can hear the boy call out as they hear a Water Gun spewing around them. They try to use their own, even the one being lifted, but to no avail. The damage, plus the smoke, is making it hard for them to use a single Water-Type attack. The girl, not looking worried, continues to smile at them.
"As Ash has always said, 'Never give up until it's over'! You can do this, you guys! Just try your hardest! Beedrill, get the next one ready!" Her Beedrill already landed one safely on the other side. However, the fire rises even higher, making them all wince from the heat. She begins to sweat but doesn't let it stop her from encouraging them. "You guys just have to try! We're out here trying to survive, and I need you all to fight! Fight for your lives! Fight to prove your lives mean something! Make it mean a lot to not only yourselves, but to your friends, to me! Let your love for life come to fruition and help fight these flames!"
"Starmie! Water Gun! Staryu! Do the same!"
"Sandshrew! Geodude! Use Sand Attack and Rock Throw!"
They hear the other two friends of the boy and girl call out, having their own Pokémon try to put out the fire. They all work as a team, and they can hear it! They can feel it!
"Come on, Squirtle!"
"You can do this, Squirtles!"
"Squirtle!"
"Squirtles!"
"We believe in you, Squirtle Squad!" They hear all their voices. Ash, Misty, Serena, and Brocks! Even Pikachu, Froakie, and their Pokémon all shout for them!
Slapping himself out of his self-reflection, the Leader, as hard as he can, finally uses Water Gun! The other three Squirtle on Serena's side follow suit, they too feel the motivation. They then hear their other member use Water Gun. Serena pants, the heat getting to her, and she smiles weakly, "You guys… did it…" She then closes her eyes and collapses, out of breath.
"I'm coming, Serena!" Jumping through the flames, drenched in water from head to toe, comes Ash. Seeing his friend on the floor, Ash picks her up bridal style, and he looks over the remaining Squirtle Squad, "You guys coming with? Hop on my back, everyone! And keep using Water Gun! I won't abandon any of you! We're in this together!" Feeling the sincerity in his voice, they all jump on him, one on each leg, and the Leader on his back. The Leader points the way out and Ash laughs a little, "Aye aye, Captain!"
Drenching him and Serena in water, he pushes through the fire to get them on the other side safely. Another small explosion occurs, and it pushes him further out. However, he doesn't fall, he just staggers a bit but maintains his balance and runs out the building with his friends, and Jenny and Gary, in tow. Placing Serena on the ground, Ash looks at her with a look of pure admiration, then he looks back at the gang of Squirtle, "Come on! Let's stop this fire!"
The gang just silently look on, but they all decide what to do. They cheer and all proceed to shoot out their Water Gun attacks.
Maybe… just maybe, these kids aren't so bad after all.
Within an hour, the fire finally dissipates, leaving an exhausted group of people. The fire department and ambulance came by a couple of minutes after the rescue, to then help the entire group with putting down the fire. Ash was vehemently against their help until after Serena was checked on first. One of the paramedics make a sly joke about Ash wanting to protect his girlfriend, but he doesn't bother with them. Luckily for everyone, she's fine as she lost consciousness from the heat and there were no side effects of inhaling any of the smoke. Once she was finished being checked, they all got themselves checked. Gary got nursed for his bruises and busted lip, though he refrained from telling the paramedics how it happened.
It wouldn't be until morning in which Serena would finally wake up. Sore out of her mind, she whines as she stretches her joints. "Ow, ow, ow…" she hoarsely complains, feeling parched. She looks around curiously when she finally realizes she's not in the warehouse anymore. She's in someone's room. To her left is the Leader, who has been sleeping on a chair and she smiles, rubbing its head. It wakes up with a cute yawn, making her giggle. "I guess I should say 'good morning', right?" The Squirtle smiles at her and nods, relieved to see her alright.
"Squirtle squirt!"
Squirtle jumps down and races out of the room. Moments later, everyone slowly enters her room. "Hey, guys!" She greets them ecstatically.
"Serena!" Ash, Misty, and Brock rush to hug her, making her laugh at how everyone is reacting.
"I'm fine, guys! Honest! Goodness, I'm just glad you're all okay!" She sighs contently, staring at everyone warmly. Ash holds her hand and squeezes it gently. She responds by holding his. The two stare at one another, taking in each other's eyes. Brock fake coughs to gain her attention and she yelps, embarrassed. "H-huh?!"
Brock hides a smirk, "Well, we're just glad you're okay. Some of us more so," he discretely gestures at a bashful Ash, "we had to force him away from you. Luckily for us, Squirtle here took his spot, and watched over you until you woke up. Otherwise, you'd have to deal with a smelly boy in your room, and we wouldn't want that." Ash looks away with a pout.
"I didn't smell…" he retorts weakly, childishly pouting.
"Oh, please," Misty rolls her eyes playfully, "you practically smelt of soot and sweat. No girl likes to smell that on their men."
"C-can we talk about something else?!" Serena sheepishly exclaims, trying to change the subject. Luckily for Ash, she covers her blushing face with her long hair. Luckily for her, nothing is singed. Brock and Misty both laugh in good fun at their friends. She then begins to laugh as a result, and Ash finally laughs. The laughter lifts their entire spirits. Soon after, Officer Jenny walks in. There's an awkward silence as she rubs her arm nervously, with everyone giving her a wary look.
"I-I'm glad you're alright, Serena," Jenny stammers lamely, "Uh, I hope… we can, you know, start over from this whole experience? Y-you were right… I should have taken my job seriously, a-and… Lt. Surge agreed… Because of what happened, and my lack of initiative… I'm, uh, no longer an Officer… I'm forced to start as a cadet again, but I think that's for the best… I'm so sorry… And I hope that when you come to see me at some point, I'll have changed and become a better officer." Jenny bows to them, leaving after doing so.
Serena blinks completely shocked at what transpired. She glances at her friends, with Brock nodding, "Lt. Surge demoted her and forced the Police Academy to demote her back to cadet. In all honesty, we didn't even say anything. He just found out and took it upon himself to get her demoted. I'm just surprised he didn't outright take her badge. But, I guess, even the good ol' Lightning Unovan has a soft spot for happy endings."
"Lt. Surge is Unovan?" Serena asks.
"Yep. Nimbase City, Unova. Or at least, that's what he told me," Brock muses.
"Anyway, what happened with Gary?" Serena asks, and Ash gives her a dark smile, something that looks worrying, but also amusing.
"I called Professor Oak about him," Ash started, "Gary called him, demanding him he take my license away, but when I told my side of the story, Professor Oak sided with me and scolded Gary for such behavior. Although, I did get a mouthful from him and my mom, but it's just the usual 'don't let Gary get to you' spiel. Although, mom wants you to talk to her when you get the chance to. She kinda reamed me good after not having the chance to call her when I picked you up, so she wants to catch up with you before we do your contest."
Serena laughs, "Of course. I love your mom, so it'll be great talking to her again!"
Misty whispers to Brock, "You think we should change our bet?"
Brock whispers back, "Nah, I think it's on pace, if you think about it."
Serena raises an eyebrow at them, "What are you guys talking about?" They both stammer, trying to change the subject, but Serena eyes them, suspecting something is amiss. However, Squirtle taps her arm, wanting her attention. "Hm? Oh, yes, Squirtle!" Squirtle blushes, looking away and Ash laughs, patting the Leader on the head gently.
"He wants to come with us!" Ash states loudly. Squirtle nods bashfully, holding his sharp lenses nervously.
"Really? And who does he want to go with? You?" She asks Ash since he already has two of the three Kanto starters. While she would like Squirtle, if he wanted it to be part of his team, she's not going to fight him over it. It's whatever Squirtle wants. To her surprise, Ash gives her a Poké Ball and puts it on her lap.
"He wants you as his main trainer, and me as a side trainer," Ash proclaims. Serena blinks in absolute shock.
"Wait, how is this going to work?"
Brock chuckles, "Well, normally, it wouldn't. If both of you were doing the League Challenge, then only one of you is allowed to register Squirtle as your Pokémon. However, since Contests and League challenges are two different bodies and entities, there's nothing in the rules to prohibit sharing a Pokémon. That being said, I do recommend you both talk it out and decide how you two will share Squirtle. It seems as though Squirtle chose you, Serena, for your kindhearted and gentle nature, but he also chose Ash for his power and strength. I recommend having Squirtle join Ash for battles, but also have Squirtle join you for Contests. That way, he can experience the best of both worlds." Squirtle nods, eager to gain the approval of Serena. He doesn't know what a Contest is, but if it means having the girl as his trainer, he'll do it.
"And what about the other Squirtles? What'll happen to them?"
"Don't worry. It seems as though word has spread that they helped out in stopping the fire. It also seems that our original deduction was true: each Squirtle had been abandoned by their trainers or were forced to fend for themselves. When their backstories were found out, the townsfolk took it upon themselves to give them a home and offer to give them food in exchange for their help in being firefighters. So, now, they are going to be protectors of this small district!" Brock proclaims, explaining everything with a smile. The former Leader nods with a smile, giving Serena a hopeful look, nudging the Poké Ball closer to her.
She begins to think about it, but ultimately nods and smiles, "Welcome to the team, Squirtle!" She presses the Poké Ball against his head and soon enough, the Poké Ball dings. The capture is done. Serena looks at Ash and gives him a coy smile, "It seems we both have a new Pokémon."
"You just have to pose, and it'll be perfect!" Ash gives her a grin and she rolls her eyes playfully. She slowly gets out of bed and does an Ash pose.
"I just caught a Squirtle!" She exclaims, imitating Ash's voice, and he laughs sheepishly. It doesn't help that in the room next to theirs, you can hear Froakie and Pikachu cheer for her, doing the same cheer they do for Ash but for her.
"Fro-fro!"
"Pipikachu!"
"I hate you all," Ash mutters, making everyone laugh.