"Attention, citizens of Viridian City! Attention, citizens of Viridian City! We have reports about Pokémon thieves in our area! Be on the lookout for suspicious looking strangers! Repeat - Be on the lookout for suspicious looking-," A woman, named Officer Jenny, yells on her bike as she sees Ash and Dawn rushing to the Pokémon Center. "Huh? Speak of the Devil?"
"Hold on, Pikachu, we're almost there," Ash said as he ran with Pikachu in his arms.
"Yeah. The last thing we want is for you to be suffering anymore," Dawn agreed.
"Where do you think the Pokemon Center is?" Ash asked.
"No clue," Dawn said sadly as Piplup looked down sadly.
Officer Jenny halts the duo before they can continue. "Hold it! And just where do you think you're going with that Pokémon, young man?"
Ash responds with anger born from worry, "It's my Pokémon and it's hurt! And I gotta get it to the Pokemon Center right away!"
Dawn then added on, "Yeah! You see, we ran into a Pokemon and when trying to catch it we accidentally angered a group of Spearow!"
"Pikachu was able to stop them and save us, but was hurt in the process of fighting them,"Ash finished the story.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you might be stealing it. Just show me your IDs and you can both go," Officer Jenny offered kindly.
Ash was surprised to hear that they had ID. "ID? Ugh... I don't have any, at least I don't think we do. You see we just came hear from Pallet and we-"
"You know, you are the fourth and fifth people I've seen today from Pallet Town," Officer Jenny was interested.
"The fourth?" Ash asked.
"Fifth?" Dawn asked.
"Oh... That means Gary Oak is here already," Ash realized as his Snivy popped out of her Pokeball, having been tired of being stuck in there. "Huh? Snivy? What are you doing out of your Pokeball?"
"Do you think Snivy doesn't like being in her Pokeball either?" Dawn asked as Piplup shrugged and Snivy nodded in confirmation to the question.
"You know, one of the thieves I've heard about owns a snake-like Pokemon. Not only that, but it's very unusual for someone to carry a Pokémon around in his arms and not in a Pokéball. How do I know you didn't steal that Pokémon, especially since you don't have any identification?" Officer Jenny asked suspiciously.
"Please let me through! I wouldn't steal a Pokémon and I've got to get Pikachu to the Pokemon Center. Please, Miss. He just doesn't like being in a Pokeball, that's all!" Ash pleaded.
"Please believe us! We're not thieves!" Dawn pleaded.
Suddenly, Officer Jenny noticed the Pokedex in Ash's pocket. "Hey, what's that in your pocket?"
"What? Oh, this?" Ash realized she was referring to his Pokedex.
"This is perfect! A Pokédex. This will solve our problem!" Officer Jenny said as she pushes some buttons. "Let's see, if you're the real deal…"
The Pokedex responds as it shows a picture of Ash, I am Dexter. A Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum of the town of Pallet. My function is to provide Ash with information and advice regarding Pokémon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced.
"Oh, my Pokédex. I didn't realize it was also my ID," Ash nervously answers.
"Really, Ash? You couldn't remember that for us?" Dawn responds, annoyed.
Officer Jenny proceeded to look over at Dawn's Pokedex as well. "Well, it checks out. You two are free to go."
"Thanks so much, Miss…" Ash thanked, not knowing what to call the officer.
"Jenny. Officer Jenny. I'm sorry for thinking you guys are thieves," Officer Jenny apologized.
"It's okay! Now, let's get Pikachu over to the Pokemon Center," Dawn said.
"So, why did you believe us to be thieves anyway?" Ash asked, confused.
"You see, word is that some thieves from a group calling themselves Team Rocket are here in this city. While it normally wouldn't be that big of an issue, we have a lack of Pokemon Trainers in the city currently, so innocent Pokemon can be more easily stolen for the time being. I just was being careful to make sure that a Trainer wasn't losing their Pokemon," Officer Jenny explained.
"Can we please get going now, guys? I don't want Pikachu to suffer anymore," Ash reminded his friends.
"Oh, right. Let's run!" Dawn agreed.
"Actually, I think I can help you out, Ash. Please get into the sidecar of my bike. I'll get you to the Pokemon Center in no time," Officer Jenny offered her assistance.
"Thanks a lot! Pikachu, please hang in there," Ash said as he got into the sidecar while holding Pikachu. Snivy, meanwhile, was sitting on Ash's lap. "Wait, what about my friends?" Ash asked.
"Don't worry! We can just walk there! You make sure Pikachu gets the help he needs!" Dawn reassured Ash.
As Dawn and her Piplup walked away, a fishing hook latched onto a wanted poster of a red-haired woman and a blue haired man wearing Team Rocket uniforms. It went up to a Meowth balloon where the people on the poster along with a Meowth were standing, looking at the poster once it got up to them.
"I can't believe it! We're threatening enough to have wanted posters!" The blue haired man cheered.
"I know! But, did they have to take a picture of me on my bad side?" The red haired woman groaned annoyed.
"Hey! Let's just count our lucky stars that we're finally starting to make it big in Team Rocket! Now remember, we have an operation to steal all the worthwhile Pokemon from the city's Pokemon Center. If we succeed, we may be able to get a promotion! We'll finally make it big!" The Meowth said gleefully.
"Then what are we waiting for?" The blue haired man said.
"Let's go!" both humans cheered as the trio flew their balloon towards the Pokemon Center.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Officer Jenny and Ash get near the Pokémon Center. "There it is," Officer Jenny says as the center soon comes into view.
"The Pokémon Center. It's gigantic," Ash is amazed upon seeing the size of the building.
"This is tricky. Just hold on. Here we go!" Officer Jenny cries out as she hops her bike onto the entryway. The bike comes to a screeching stop at the desk.
"We have a driveway, you know," Nurse Joy comments to Officer Jenny.
At this, Officer Jenny blushes. "Sorry about that. We have an emergency! A Pikachu was injured and exhausted fighting off a bunch of Spearow for his Trainer."
Nurse Joy sees the Pikachu in Ash's arms. "There is no time to waste! Chancey, get a stretcher for an injured Pikachu right away!" At this, a Chancey came out with a stretcher, put Pikachu onto it, and then took the stretcher into the next room. Officer Jenny, meanwhile, left the Center after saying goodbye and apologizing for riding straight into the Center… again.
"Thank you so much for the help. If there is anything I can do to help Pikachu, please let me know!" Ash insisted.
"For starters, be more careful with your Pokemon and with the battles you fight! This poor Pikachu is in very terrible shape right now!" Nurse Joy criticized.
"I'm sorry! It was an accident that we ended up fighting a bunch of Spearow. I'll try to be more careful in the future," Ash apologized as he bowed.
"I understand, but what's past is past. Now, we'll do our best to heal your Pikachu Mr…," Nurse Joy said.
"Ash. Ash Ketchum," Ash introduced himself.
"It's nice to meet you, Ash. Just wait here for right now. Your Pikachu will be better in no time. He should hopefully just need a lot of rest," Nurse Joy said as she bowed and went into the back room.
"Hopefully he will be," Ash said sadly. He was feeling very sad over what happened to Pikachu. It had been his dream to become a great Pokemon Trainer and Master, and his first day ended with Pikachu being hurt and needing medical attention. Needless to say, Ash felt horrible right now.
Noticing that there was a phone nearby, Ash walked over to it and put in the number for his mother Delia Ketchum. Dawn had finally caught up with Ash and was seeing that Ash was about to talk to his mother on the phone.
Eventually, Ash's mother, who was in bathrobes and with a mud mask on her face, looked confused as to who was on the phone line before being happy upon seeing that Ash was on the other end. "Oh, Ash! It's great to hear from you! So, where are you calling from, honey?"
"I'm… calling from the Pokemon Center in Viridian City," Ash answered.
"Oh, that sounds wonderful! You know, when your father started his journey, it took him a few days in order to make it to Viridian City." Delia said happily.
"Yeah. I bet he did," Ash sadly mumbled.
"Ash? Is everything alright? You look really down," Dawn asked in concern upon noticing his mood.
"I agree. What is the problem Ash? You've been dreaming of being a Pokemon Master ever since you were five years old. Aren't you excited?" Delia asked her son in concern.
"It's just… Today has had a lot of bad things going my way. Pikachu hasn't been listening to me for most of the day, we both almost died. If it weren't for the fact that I had my friend Dawn with me I'm not sure if I would be even able to take care of myself. How can I become a Pokemon Master if I run into so much trouble on my first day?" Ash revealed to his mother and friend. At the same time, another teen had noticed the call and was listening curiously.
"Look, Ash. I know that becoming a Trainer isn't easy. But you can't just give it up. This is your dream. I think you'll find that with your friend's help you'll be able to overcome these worries. Good luck and enjoy your journey young man," Delia said to try and cheer up her son.
At this, Ash smiled as he said, "Thanks mom. I do feel a lot better now. I just wish that Pikachu would be doing better." At this point, Ash said goodbye to his mom and hung up.
"I'm sure he will be given time. Still, it was pretty unlucky to run into a bunch of violent Spearow on our first day as Trainers," Dawn admitted.
Before they could continue talking, a voice unfamiliar to the duo said, "So, your Pikachu got attacked and beaten by a bunch of Spearow? How pathetic."
When the duo turned around, they saw a teen around their age with purple hair and a scowl affixed to his face.
"Hey! His new partner got hurt in a battle on his first day!" Dawn cried out angrily.
"Your point being?" The teen asked, still scowling until he noticed the Snivy on Ash's shoulder. "What Pokemon is that?"
"She's a Snivy. We found her on the way here to Viridian City. She decided to come with us after being impressed with Ash and Pikachu," Dawn explained.
"Really now?" The teen thought.
"I guess you're pretty impressed that I have such a rare Pokemon, huh?" Ash said with a bit of an ego.
"Not really. So far, your Snivy doesn't look all that impressive. In fact, it looks kinda weak," The teen admitted as Snivy started to look mad.
"Hey! I'm sure that Snivy is a great Pokemon that any Trainer would be lucky to have!" Ash countered.
"Or maybe you wanna defend having caught such a weak Pokemon and pretend that they're strong when they aren't. I think you'd be better off releasing them," The teen said with a smirk as Snivy sent out a vine from Vine Whip only to change her mind.
"What?! Why you…," Ash started to get really mad. Thankfully, Dawn intervened.
"Ash, maybe we should calm down a bit. I don't like the guy any more than you do, but picking a fight won't solve anything," Dawn reminded.
Ash took a deep breath before saying, "You're right, Dawn. Just because he's being a jerk doesn't mean I should be one," Ash agreed. "So, what are you doing here, anyway? Are you here on a journey to Pewter City and earning a Gym Badge?"
"Of course. I traveled here from the Sinnoh region to watch my older brother battle before deciding where to start my journey. After his battle, I decided that the best place to start would be here in Kanto. So far, I must say I'm very unimpressed with Kanto's Trainers. They're all pretty pathetic," The teen answered.
"So, you're from Sinnoh too? I happen to come from Sinnoh myself," Dawn said.
"And your point is?" The teen asked rudely.
"The point is that maybe we can all be friends and get along if we try," Dawn answered.
"Yeah! I've been having a bit of a bad day so far, but hopefully it would improve making some new friends like Snivy and maybe even you…what is your name?" Ash asked, causing Dawn, Snivy, and Piplup to fall over comically.
"Hmph! The name's Paul, and I come from Veilstone City. And no. I'd rather not become friends with a bunch of pathetic losers like you two," The teen said with a smirk.
"Hey! We're not losers, you know!" Dawn protested angrily. Before she could continue, Ash dragged her back.
"Looks like I need to reel you in this time," Ash noted as Dawn blushed. "How about we settle things with a battle. That'll show you that we're not losers. And who knows? Maybe we'll find some way to get along that way."
"Fine. Normally, I'd ask for a three on three battle, but seeing as how you're unlikely to have three yet, we'll make it a one on one battle, Ash," Paul suggested, with Ash and Dawn trying not to be insulted by Paul.
"Wait. How did you know my…," Ash asked.
"You guys said what your names were earlier. Now, we'll meet to have our battle in about five minutes. Be ready, if you can," Paul walked outside with a smirk.
"So, looks like you're about to have your first proper battle, Ash. A bit bad that it has to be against such a jerk," Dawn said sadly.
"I know. But, maybe we can get him to change for the better. We should give him a fair chance before writing him off as just horrible," Ash explained his mindset.
"I agree with your sentiment, but can we even do that? He seemed to enjoy tearing us down all that he could," Dawn reminded Ash.
"It could just be that he had some sort of bad experience to make him this way," Ash suggested.
"Maybe, but we don't even know if he cares about this brother of his or even his own Pokemon. So, since Pikachu is obviously unavailable, I take it you'll battle with Snivy?" Dawn asked.
"Of course I will! And we'll win for certain, no matter the opponent," Ash said with overconfidence.
"Maybe tone down the overconfidence a bit?" Dawn suggested.
"It's not overconfidence. Snivy and I are gonna win that battle and many more in the future! I mean, she's shown herself to be a very strong and amazing Pokemon that anyone would be lucky to have, just like Pikachu," Ash explained his mindset as Snivy looked on in awe at Ash before smiling at his attitude, finding herself liking her new Trainer a bit more than before in spite of his overconfidence.
At this point, Ash and Snivy began to walk outside with Dawn and Piplup following after. However, before he could make it outside the group quite literally bumped into Misty, who was holding her burnt bike and looked mad. "Oh, um, hi? Sorry about your bike," Ash apologized.
"Well, I'm glad that you're willing to apologize, but that alone won't cut it! You trashed my bike! How am I supposed to travel around the world now?!" Misty demanded in anger as she put down her bike, giving a massive glare towards Ash, who looked a bit scared.
"I know that it won't help, but Ash didn't mean to destroy your bike. If you want, we can find a way to make it up to you. What do you say?" Dawn asked the red-haired teen.
"Simple. Just pay up for the damages to my bike and we'll be golden!" Misty yelled at the nervous Dawn.
"Um, I'm afraid we don't have enough money to pay for your bike Misty," Dawn nervously apologized.
"Oh, come on! How much could a bike cost?" Ash asked without thinking.
"Um, Ash? Don't you remember? A bike costs a lot, about 1,000,000 Pokedollars," Dawn answered a bit meekly.
"Look, I know we can't fix your bike at the moment. But, please! We have a journey to go on and I only took your bike in order to help out my Pikachu," Ash explained.
Suddenly, Misty's glare softened a bit. "Is Pikachu doing okay?"
"Nurse Joy said that his condition isn't great, but that he'll be better with rest," Ash answered.
"Well that's good. Now, back to you paying for my bike…," Misty began as she angrily turned back to Ash.
"Look, maybe we can find a way to make the money up to you later on. You see, I'm a new Trainer aiming for the Indigo Plateau, and I can't stay around here for months waiting to pay you back. Just tell us where you live and we'll be sure to pay you once we've saved up enough Pokedollars," Ash suggested.
"And have that turn out to be a lie and never get paid back? No thanks! Besides, it'll take a long time for my bike to be paid for if I do it myself. I may make a fair amount for being the Cerulean City Gym Leader, but most of that money comes down to the essentials," Misty said.
"Wait. You're a Gym Leader?!" Ash was shocked to know he had run into a Gym Leader so early on his and Dawn's journey. "So, what type do you use in your Gym?"
"My specialty is Water-types. They are simply the greatest when it comes to the different Pokemon that are out there," Misty said with a sigh.
"So, I take it that we'll be battling at some point then?" Ash asked.
"Well, I kinda used to be Gym Leader. Currently, I'm having my sisters take over while I travel the world and search for new Water-types to battle with in my Gym. Also…don't change the subject!" Misty yelled out.
"Sorry! I'm sure Ash wasn't trying to deceive you or get out of paying for your bike! Now, maybe we can come up with a solution that pleases everyone if we just think things over," Dawn suggested.
"Dawn is right. Just tell us what we can do, and we'll do it," Ash said genuinely.
Misty stood there for about a minute, thinking things over and trying to think of a potential compromise that wouldn't completely mess up the lives of these Trainers in order to fix things. Eventually, however, she came up with a solution. "I'm joining you on your journey."
"What?" Ash asked, confused.
"Yeah. Excuse me?" Dawn was puzzled.
"If I wait for you to save up money or leave and come back, anything could happen that would mean I won't get my bike paid for. So, if I come with you, I'll be able to make sure that you two don't weasel your way out of paying me back," Misty explained.
"Well, okay then? It's nice to become friends, Misty," Ash said as he held out her hand.
"Look, you two do seem like decent people. However, this relationship is strictly business and making sure I get paid back. We aren't going to be friends," Misty explained.
"Well, not yet anyway," Dawn said with a smile under her breath as Ash gave her a smile. "Well, we might as well head outside, you guys. Paul is waiting to battle you and chances are he'll be mad to know that we were…one minute late," Dawn said so both could hear.
"Yeah! First battle, here we come!" Ash cheered.
Outside the Pokemon Center…
"So, Ash, you actually showed up I see? Let's see if you're actually worth my time or are a complete pathetic joke," Paul noted with a smirk.
"Oh really? I'll prove that I'm a great Trainer!" Ash cried out.
"Didn't we just become Trainers today, Ash?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah, but it's not like Paul has been a Trainer for long. We can still win this, Snivy!" Ash cried out as she jumped forward, looking battle-ready.
"I think I know which Pokemon to battle with. Turtwig, standby for battle!" Paul cried out as his starter Pokemon materialized. Said Turtwig had a serious expression and looked ready to fight.
"So, Turtwig is his starter," Dawn said.
"A what?" Misty was confused.
"A Turtwig is the Grass starter Pokemon in the Sinnoh region, Misty," Dawn explained.
"Really? Well, depending on how tough this Snivy of his is, the battle may or may not go well for him," Misty bluntly responded.
"Let's see what the Pokedex has to say about him," Ash said as he got out his Pokedex to scan the grass turtle.
Turtwig, the Tiny Leaf Pokemon. Its shell is made of earth and when it absorbs water, it becomes harder.
"Well, Paul? You impressed yet? This battle should be pretty even seeing as how we both are battling with Grass Starters and are new Trainers," Ash said half respectfully and half boastingly.
"An even battle? Please! You and your two cheerleaders aren't even in the same ballpark as me powerwise. Turtwig has undergone a lot of training to become a relatively strong Pokemon for a starter," Paul smirked.
"Hey! Don't group me up with Ash! I happen to be a Gym Leader, you know! Besides, you shouldn't unfairly put down your opponent!" Misty yelled out.
"Hmph, pathetic. Still, we'll see in time if you are a worthy opponent or not, lady. But, for now I'll prove myself to at least be stronger than this fool. Let's begin. Turtwig, use Razor Leaf!" Paul commanded as several sharp leaves were shot out from Turtwig's shell.
"Snivy, heads up! Now, use your Vine Whip to swat down Turtwig's Razor Leaf!" Ash commanded as Snivy did just that, countering the Razor Leaf without breaking a sweat.
"Hmph. Lucky break. Turtwig, you better do better!" Paul ordered his starter harshly.
"Maybe you should be nicer to your Pokemon, Paul. A little kindness wouldn't hurt," Ash suggested.
"Ash is right. Pokemon battling is about the bond between Pokemon and Trainer, not just a powerfest," Dawn agreed.
"You wanna believe in that baby opinion? Do just that. Now, Turtwig, sap his Snivy with Giga Drain!" Paul ordered as Turtwig sent out some green energy vines.
"Snivy, use Leaf Storm on that Giga Drain!" Ash commanded, with both attacks hitting evenly. "Great job, Snivy! Now, rush in and use your Leaf Blade!" As Snivy rushed for Turtwig, her tail began to glow green and she then sliced at Turtwig, knocking him back. "You're doing awesome so far, Snivy! Keep it up!"
"You better improve soon, Turtwig. Now, use Razor Leaf!" Paul ordered.
As the leaves were sent out and spun, Ash commanded, "Now, Snivy, use Leaf Blade to knock back the Razor Leaf!" Snivy halted the leaves with her tail, then sent them back at Turtwig, hitting him with each blow. "Perfect! Now, let's get in close and use Vine Whip!"
As Snivy ran towards Turtwig with her vines out, Paul ordered, "Use Bite to grab the Vine Whip!" Turtwig grabbed Snivy, much to her and Ash's shock. "Now, send her flying, now!" Turtwig was able to do just that, slamming Snivy down on the ground hard.
"Snivy! Are you okay?" Ash asked in concern as his Snivy was able to get back up. "Can you still battle?" Ash asked as Snivy nodded.
"How pathetic!" Paul said as he shook his head.
"Hey! He's just concerned for his Pokemon, you know!" Dawn yelled out.
"You know, Dawn here is right! You shouldn't knock him for caring!" Misty actually agreed.
"Pokemon isn't about that. Battles are about power, and the sooner you accept that the sooner you'll actually stand a minute chance of winning!" Paul countered. "Turtwig, rush into that Snivy and use Bite!" Paul ordered his starter.
"Okay. If I remember right, Dawn said that Turtwigs are not typically known for their speed. I can easily have Snivy dodge the Bite and then att-," Ash said to himself only to be interrupted by Turtwig speedily rushing Snivy getting ready to Bite. "What?! Okay, Snivy, dodge and use your Leaf Blade to counter the Bite!" Ash yelled out, with Snivy, unfortunately, having her tail be bitten on before she could form the Leaf Blade, causing her a fair amount of pain. "Oh no!"
"I bet you thought that my Turtwig was slow based on your reaction to his speedy attack. However, you couldn't be further from the truth. I was fortunate to have a Turtwig that happened to be fairly speedy. Now, throw Snivy once more!" Paul noted with a smirk as Snivy was thrown to the ground painfully.
"Oh no! Snivy!" Ash was worried.
"Clever move. Still, Ash could have made so many better moves in this situation," Misty pointed out.
"Hey! He just didn't have all the information! Though Ash and Snivy are going to need to be careful if they plan to win…Especially seeing as how Snivy looks exhausted," Dawn countered.
"We may have to go for broke if we plan on winning," Ash said to Snivy as he tried to look for a way to win. "Wait. I got it! Snivy, rush into Turtwig and use your Vine Whip!" Snivy looked at him in confusion, not liking being told to make a move that could easily end in failure. Still, Ash may have a plan, so she reluctantly decided to agree to the command.
As Snivy rushed for the turtle Paul smirked. "Looks like you're still pathetic even after all this. Turtwig, rush into Snivy and use your Bite attack!"
As both Pokemon were rushing into each other, Dawn looked on in worry. "Oh no! Ash, call off your attack! Paul will just throw Snivy again!"
"Trust me! We got this!" Ash reassured as Snivy continued to rush at Turtwig. Just as Snivy got close to Turtwig, he cried out, "Now, Snivy, jump and use Leaf Storm! Now!" Ash cried out as Snivy leaped over the Turtwig, ready to use her Leaf Storm.
"Perfect! Go for it, Ash!" Dawn cried out supportively as Piplup also cheered.
"Impressive. Ash may actually pull it off after all," Misty said.
"Turtwig, turn around and use your Giga Drain to counter that Leaf Storm!" Paul yelled out as both Grass-type moves collided with each other, generating a lot of energy before a massive explosion formed. A few moments later, the dust cleared as both Turtwig and Snivy wer knocked out.
"It was…a tie," Misty answered.
"So, they were even in strength then?" Dawn asked as Piplup was also confused and uncertain.
"Doubt it. My Turtwig definitely had the edge in terms of pure power. Still, you weren't purely terrible. But I doubt you'll last for long in the Pokemon League. Now, Turtwig, return," Paul coldly said as he recalled his starter and walked away.
"Wait. Paul, what about healing Turtwig?" Ash asked in concern and anger as Paul walked away, ignoring the young Trainer.
"Well, looks like Paul may not care about poor Turtwig. Right, Ash?" Dawn said sadly.
Ash just stood there for a moment, musing over the fact that he may have a new rival, one that may be even worse than Gary.
