Chapter One: Viridian Forest

It was noon in the Viridian Forest. The sun was high in the sky. A mother Pidgeot flew about the trees, searching for a fat, juicy Caterpie to feed her young. Several Mankey scurried about, playing and wrestling in the grass. A single Dodrio pecked at a tree, alternating its heads with each peck.

A young girl started coming up the hill. She looked about thirteen years old. She had very long dark brown hair pulled in a neat low ponytail at the back of her head. Her deep brown eyes seemed very alive.

She wore a short, sky-blue skirt, white shirt with a yellow star-design, and a pair of purple hiking boots. She wore a deep purple jacket over the outfit. She had a large pack on her back over her jacket. A belt with six Pokéballs on it hung from her waist.

A Pokémon followed her: a Bulbasaur! It squealed happily as it trotted along beside her (it must be her Bulbasaur).

"C'mon! I can't wait all day!" the girl yelled behind her back.

"Okay, okay already! Sheesh." A voice from over the hill replied.

Another girl raced up the hill! She looked about thirteen years old too, however she was less physically developed than her companion. She carried a pack larger than her companion's with six Pokéballs inside, as well as some supplies. Her long, blonde hair was tied back in a high ponytail. Her bright-green eyes were full of excitement and wonder.

She wore a beautiful, long purple skirt. She also wore a white shirt with an unusual tie-dye design on it and knee-length boots, though black.

What? There's a Pokémon on her shoulder. It's a Charmander! It sat contently on its rear, squealing with joy as the girl ran to catch up with the other girl.

Panting, the girl said, "How far to Pewter City, Gloria?"

"I'll check my map, Julie. Be patient." Gloria replied digging a map out of the pocket of her jacket.

Julie snorted and grabbed the map out of Gloria's hand. "You IDIOT!" she groaned throwing the map at her face. "I told you to turn left at the big tree!"

"But I did turn left." Gloria replied calmly stuffing the map back in her pocket. "It's just a little further…"

"Hey…huff…puff… Wait up!" another voice yelled.

A young boy raced up the hill. His deep blue eyes were dark and serious. His short red hair was messy and poked under a red cap.

He wore a pair of blue jeans and a white T-shirt with a picture of a Squirtle on it. He was younger than the girls, only about twelve. He also wore a pair of sports sneakers with white socks. Hey! There's something with him… A Squirtle! It waddled along excitedly as it followed the boy.

He also carried a pack over his deep blue jacket. Around his waist, a belt with three Pokéballs on it hung.

"Where were you, Joshua?" asked Julie.

"Huff…long…puff…story…explain…later…" Joshua panted.

The grass rustled behind Gloria.

"Shhh. Listen." She said holding Julie behind her.

"What…puff… now?" Joshua said.

She ignored him. The rustling sounded again. This time, a cute-looking bug creature flew out.

"Eee! Free!" it squealed.

Gloria pulled her Pokédex out.

"Butterfree," it said, "a bug type Pokémon. The dust on its wings is highly toxic." The Pokédex hummed for a moment, then said, "Experience scan indicates its level is twenty-nine."

"Not bad for a Butterfree." Said Joshua. "Most Butterfree are no higher than level twenty-two."

Gloria puffed up with pride. She tossed a Pokéball onto the field. "Go Beedrill!"

"Bee! Drill! Bee! Drill! Bee! Drill! Beedrill!" the Beedrill buzzed.

"Beedrill, Poison Sting now!"

"Bee!" A sharp, poisonous dart flew out of its mouth and missed the Butterfree.

"Free! Eee! Free!" The Butterfree flapped its wings rapidly.

Surprised, Gloria ducked just as the cloud of Poison Powder flew over her head. "Poison Powder!? It can't possibly be wild! It learns it wild at fifty-four."

"Free, free!" squealed Butterfree.

"Okay, Beedrill, use Twineedle!"

"BEEDRILL!" It stung the Butterfree, HARD!

"Free? Free!" it used its Confusion attack.

"Beedrill! BEEEEEEEE!!!" The Beedrill had just fainted.

"Okay, that didn't work…" Gloria said as she recalled the fainted Beedrill. "Go Bulbasaur!" She pointed to her green companion.

"Bulbasaur! Bulba!" it squealed as it raced toward the Butterfree.

"Free?" squeaked a surprised Butterfree.

"Bulbasaur, Stun Spore!"

"Bulb-a-saurrrr!" Bulbasaur crouched down. Out of its "bulb" came a shower of Stun Spores.

"I've got you now! Pokéball, go!" Gloria threw her Pokéball at the stunned Butterfree.

"Free!" It squealed as it was caught.

"Yeah! That's one for our side!" Gloria cheered grabbing the Pokéball.

"Shall we get a move on? I'm tired." Julie said.

"Tell me about it." Gloria replied, "It feels like forever since I left Saffron City."

Gloria continued down the path. She then felt something snag on her leg.

"Ow!" she yelled after falling on her face. She turned around to see who/what tripped her. It was Bulbasaur! It had its vines wrapped around Gloria's leg.

"Bulbasaur! Bulba, bulba!"

"What's wrong, Bulbasaur?" she asked picking up her prized Pokémon.

"BULBA!!!" yelled the Bulbasaur in Gloria's face, causing her to drop it in surprise.

"I think it wants to show us something." Suggested Joshua.

Bulbasaur raced to some bushes. "Bulbasaur!" it pointed beyond the bushes with one of its vines.

"Well, Cut it down, and show us!" Gloria commanded.

Bulbasaur Cut the bush down. "Bulbasaur!" it sung happily.

Gloria couldn't believe her eyes. A cute-looking mouse-like Pokémon stood in the middle of an open field.

"PIKA!" it yelled as it ran off into a bush.

"Bulbasaur! Bulba bulb!" Bulbasaur called. "Bulb!"

The Pikachu poked its head out of the bush.

"Bulbasaur, bulba." Bulbasaur continued.

The Pikachu raced back into the bush. This time, however, Bulbasaur ran after it.

"Hey! Come back!" Gloria yelled chasing after Bulbasaur. What she saw made her jaw drop. A bunch of things that looked like Bulbasaurs in Squirtle shells ran about. One of them approached Joshua cautiously.

"Bulbasquirt!" it said putting its front paws on his legs.

Gloria pulled her Pokédex out. "Maybe it has information on these…"

"Pokémon unidentifiable." It said. "Possible new species. Recording all available data. Please record a name to refer this specie."

"WOW!" said Julie. "A new species…"

"Don't be too sure…" Gloria said as she stared at a cute little one that waddled over to her.

"Bulbasquirt!" it squealed.

"Bulbasquirt new Pokémon name. Confirm?" Said the Pokédex.

"Hey! (Stop! That tickles! ) I (Stop that!) have an (Giggle, giggle! ) idea." Joshua said between laughs; one of the Bulbasaur-Squirtles had climbed into his arms, and was licking his face. "Let's (Quit that!) Call these (Hee! Hee!) Bulbasaur-Squirtle (Cut it out!) things Bulbasquirts! (Ha, ha! Stop it already! )"

"Bulbasquirt." Gloria repeated. "Not bad. I guess this explains where Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle went last week-hey!" a Bulbasquirt leapt into Gloria's arms and begun to lick her face.

"But (Ha! Ha!) where's Bulbasaur (Cut that out!) and (Get off!) Squirtle?" Julie said. She too had a Bulbasquirt clawing its way into her arms.

"Good (Okay, okay! Get off! Get off! ) question." Gloria replied pushing off a surprised Bulbasquirt. She stood up quickly before another one could climb up on her. "Playful little creatures aren't they?" She tossed a Pokéball at the smallest Bulbasquirt. She had learned that the younger a Pokémon is when it is trained/caught, the stronger it will become as an adult.

The other Bulbasquirts stopped playing and stared at the Pokéball with the little Bulbasquirt inside. They crowded around it and squealed at Gloria. They banged their heads on the ball, apparently trying to get inside, all five of them at once! (Okay, there were six, but Gloria caught the smallest one.)

"(Haha!) Look at them! They want to go in one too! (Heeheehee!)" Said Joshua, bending over to pick up his hat. (A Bulbasquirt had knocked it off earlier.) Just as he was about to pick it up, Charmander ran over and grabbed it!

"Charmander! Char!" It squeaked waving Joshua's hat. "Charmander! Char!"

"Hey!" He yelled at the laughing lizard, "Gimmie back my hat!!!"

"Charmander! Char! Charmander! Char! Charmander! Char!" The seemingly crazed lizard repeated running off into a bush to the west.

"C'mon!" he yelled chasing Charmander, "Let's follow it!"

Gloria bent over, grabbed the Pokéball, and ran after Joshua/Charmander. Julie followed. Little did they know, the other little Bulbasquirts followed them too…

The duo made their way to the bush where Charmander ran. What they saw was even stranger still, the Pikachu they saw when they had first seen the Bulbasquirts, was sitting in the middle of the field. Julie's Charmander sat in the grass nearby.

"What's-" Julie started before Gloria clapped her hand over Julie's mouth.

"Shhh." She said, "You'll scare them."

"Who?" Julie started before she saw what Gloria was talking about: several Charmander-like creatures strutted about. They had long ears like a Pikachu, and yellow lightning-bolt shaped tails. One of them hopped over to Joshua.

"Charchu?" it said cocking its head sideways. It turned around and yelled to its look-alikes, "Char!"

Gloria got out her Pokédex again. It said "Pokémon unidentifiable. Possible new specie. Recording all available data. Please record a name to refer to this specie."

"Wow! What shall we call it, Pikamander, or Charchu?" asked Joshua.

"I personally think we should call it Charchu. After all, it looks like a Charmander with a Pikachu's tail." Julie said.

"Charchu new Pokémon name. Confirm?" said the Pokédex.

"She's got a point." Gloria replied. "Looks like there's six of 'em. Enough for us to have two each; one to fight with, another to keep for study. After all, it is a 'possible new specie.'"

"Hey! These guys are almost as playful as those Bulba-what's-their-names." Julie laughed as a Charchu leapt up onto her lap.

"Char?" it said staring at a Pokéball in her hand. It grabbed the ball and banged its head on it.

Gloria couldn't help laughing. "Look! It wants in!"

Julie tossed an empty Pokéball at the Charchu. It squealed as it was caught and dropped the Pokéball. She repeated it on another one. Gloria and Joshua did the same.

Joshua was about to catch his second one when he realized it wasn't Charmander that stole his hat; it was a Charchu!

"I'll take that hat!" he said snatching his hat off the Charchu's head. He then tossed his last Pokéball at the Charchu before it could take his hat again.

"Okay we've got two each right? Good. Let's go." Julie said.

"Bulba!"

"Huh?" Gloria said turning around. The other Bulbasquirts had followed her!

"Heh. They want to come too. I'll catch one more for study. Looks like there's enough for each of us to have two." Said Gloria. Julie and Joshua each caught two Bulbasquirts, and Gloria caught another one. "Maybe I should catch 'mom' too. If I were a Pokémon, I'd hate to leave without my mom." She caught a still surprised Pikachu.

The trio continued to follow the path. A short while later, the companions made their way to the top of a large hill.

"Okay, by my map, we should be able to see Pewter City from here." Gloria said pulling out her map again.

Sprawled out before them, like some giant model, lay Pewter City, the place most trainers get their first badge...

"Yeah!" Joshua yelled. "Finally!" he raced ahead of the others. "C'mon. We haven't all day, you know!"

Sighing, Julie followed Joshua over the hill, Gloria not too far behind her.

Little did the our heroes know, that behind them, a small pinkish cat-like creature, better known to you and me as Mew, watched them from afar and followed them for a few minutes. Then, a short time later, as the companions entered Pewter City, it vanished into the lengthening shadows beyond the forest.