AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is Chapter 11 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu. Bill from the anime makes an appearance in this chapter. Please fee free to read, review, leave feedback, and ask questions.
TEASER: Tristan and his intrepid friends make their way across the Nugget Bridge. But there's something fishy going on. And why is a Charmander following Tristan?
Chapter 11: A FIERY NEW FRIEND
(Music Cue: Opening & Title Screen 1997-1998 (as heard in "Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon"))
After welcoming Bulbasaur to the ever-growing group of traveling heroes, Tristan and Hillary continue their journey around and through Cerulean City. Their next challenge: The Nugget Bridge.
"Check it out, Hillary!" said Tristan excitedly as he noticed a sign. "This is our lucky day!"
Hillary read the sign. It said:
THIS IS NUGGET BRIDGE.
BEAT ALL FIVE TRAINERS ON IT AND WIN A FABULOUS PRIZE.
THE PRIZE IS A FIERY NEW CHARMANDER.
TODAY ONLY!
"A Charmander?!" squealed Hillary in delight. "You're right, Tristan. This IS our lucky day: namely, yours! Just think of how much more firepower you'd have if you added Charmander to your already strong team!"
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" said Tristan, as he, Hillary, and Pikachu dashed onward toward the Nugget Bridge. But little did they know that across the bridge, an orange Pokémon with a flame on its tail was watching them in wonder.
"Are you scared yet, Tristan?" asked Hillary. "Do you wanna back out?"
"Are you kidding?" replied Tristan. "Of course not! The only thing I'm scared of is giving these five trainers the defeat of a lifetime, especially with a potential new friend on the line. After all, the more Pokémon friends I make, the more fun we'll have together. And besides, I couldn't get a Charmander at Professor Oak's laboratory back in Pallet Town because the only choice I had was Pikachu."
"YOU seem confident today, Tristan," remarked Hillary.
"Speaking of confident," said Tristan, "I'm confident that the Nugget Bridge covers most of Route 24. If we cross that, I'm sure we can make it to the lighthouse to see Bill."
"Focus, Casanova," said Hillary. "We need to get that Charmander first."
As they spoke, the first of the five trainers appeared on the bridge in front of them.
"Hi there. My name's Cale. I'm a Bug Catcher," he said. "Welcome to Nugget Bridge. Beat us five trainers and win a fabulous prize. Think you've got what it takes?"
"My name''s Tristan, and I say bring it on," said Tristan. "The sooner we can do this, the sooner I can move on to my next challenge and make even more friends."
(Music Cue: Kanto Wild Pokémon Battle)
"Okay, you asked for it!" said Cale. "Go, Caterpie!"
A green worm with red antenna emerged from the bright white light that shot out of the Pokéball.
"Go, Butterfree! I choose you!" shouted Tristan, throwing his Pokéball.
Butterfree materialized from the white light that shot out of its Pokéball.
"Caterpie, Tackle attack!" ordered Cale.
Caterpie charged toward Butterfree in a full-body style attack.
"Butterfree, Confusion attack!" shouted Tristan.
Butterfree's eyes and Caterpie's outline glowed in a light purple color.
Caterpie rose into the air, and with Butterfree's forward thrust from its head, Caterpie was tossed back down toward the ground. It had been knocked out.
"Caterpie, return!" said Cale as he aimed the Pokéball's button at Caterpie.
A red beam of energy shot out and transformed Caterpie into a red energy field, which shot back inside the ball.
"I'm ready for your next Pokémon, whatever it is," said Tristan as he waited patiently.
"Weedle, go!" shouted Cale as he threw another Pokéball.
Weedle materialized from the white light that shot out of it.
"Weedle, Poison Sting!" ordered Cale.
Weedle launched itself toward Butterfree with the stinger on its head.
"Butterfree, Confusion!" shouted Tristan.
Once again, Butterfree's eyes glowed purple, just as Weedle's outline did.
Like the Bug Catcher's Caterpie, his Weedle suffered the same fate, causing him to lose the battle.
"Whoo! Good stuff, Tristan!" said Cale.
"Thank you," replied Tristan. "That was a good battle."
"Good luck with the Nugget Bridge challenge!" called Cale as Tristan, Hillary, Butterfree and Pikachu raced away, little suspecting that the same orange fiery Pokémon sneaked over to the other side of the bridge, and was now following them.
They didn't race for long for they stopped right in front of the second trainer, who just happened to be a young lass.
"My name's Ali, and I'm second," she said. "Now it's serious."
"My name is Tristan, Ali, and I accept your challenge," replied Tristan.
(Music Cue: Let's Run! (as heard in "Volcanic Panic"))
"Go, my cute Pidgey!" shouted Ali as she threw her first Pokéball.
Pidgey materialized from the white light that shout out of it.
"Go get it, Pikachu," said Tristan.
"Pika!" replied Pikachu as it jumped in front of him to face the Pidgey.
"Pidgey, Tackle attack now!" ordered Ali.
"Pikachu, Thundershock attack now!" countered Tristan.
Pidgey charged head on toward Pikachu with a full-body Tackle attack, but Pikachu shot a yellow stream of lightning straight at it. Pikachu's Thundershock had scored a direct hit on Pidgey, easily knocking it out.
"Oh, no!" gasped Ali. "I should never have done that!"
"Well done, Pikachu," said Tristan.
"Pika," replied Pikachu. It was sounding rather modest.
"Return, Pidgey!" called Ali as she aimed the Pokéball toward Pidgey, which transformed into a red energy field and disappeared inside.
"This one won't be so easy, Tristan, because I will use my Nidoran!" called Ali as she threw her second Pokéball.
A small blue quadruped rodent-like Pokémon materialized from the white light that shot out of the ball. It also had large spiny ears, oversized front teeth, and a pair of whiskers on each cheek.
"What's a Nidoran?" asked Hillary.
"Let's see what Dexter says," replied Tristan as he scanned it with his Pokédex.
"Nidoran Female: The Poison Pin Pokémon," it said. "This mild-mannered Pokémon does not like to fight. Trainers, beware—its small horns secrete venom, and they're smaller than the male's."
"Wait, so there are two Nidoran?" asked Hillary.
"That's right," replied the lass. "I just caught this little cutie because it acts like a lady."
"Yeah, but what's the difference between the female and the male?" asked Tristan. He pushed a few buttons on his Pokédex and looked up information on the male Nidoran.
"Nidoran Male: The Poison Pin Pokémon," the Pokédex said. "Its large ears are always kept upright. If it senses danger, it will attack using Poison Sting.
Tristan looked and noticed some differences between the two Nidoran. The male Nidoran had a pinkish purple color with darker spots and had a large horn on its forehead. Its horn was larger than the female's.
"I can see why Nidoran is such a unique Pokémon, but I'm ready to continue my battle," said Tristan.
"Yeah, so let's get back to it," replied Ali. "Are you going to stay with Pikachu or are you going to switch your Pokémon?"
Tristan thought for a minute. He noticed that Pikachu hadn't received any damage, but he figured he should save the majority of his strength for when he was at the end of the bridge, and he still had a long way to go.
"You battled enough for now, Pikachu. Why don't you take a little break?" said Tristan.
Pikachu came back to Tristan's side.
Tristan petted Pikachu on the forehead and turned to Butterfree, who was flying right beside him. "Okay, Butterfree, it's your turn," he said.
(Music Cue: Wreakin' Havoc! (as heard the first time in "Showdown at Dark City"))
Butterfree flew in front of Tristan, and was ready to face the Nidoran.
"Nidoran, use your Tackle attack now!" shouted Ali.
Nidoran charged toward Butterfree while aiming the horn toward its target.
"Quick, Butterfree, get out of the way!" ordered Tristan.
Butterfree climbed and gained altitude, much to the lass's surprise.
"Whoa, that's fast!" gasped Ali.
"Butterfree, Confusion!" commanded Tristan.
Butterfree's eyes and Nidoran's outline glowed in a purple color.
Nidoran was lifted up into the sky, and with a forward thrust of Butterfree's head, Nidoran was blown out of sight toward the other side of the bridge, much to Ali's shock.
Tristan was taken by surprise, too.
"Nidoran!" shouted Ali.
"I didn't mean to do that!" gasped Tristan.
"Tristan, I call foul on that last attack!" called Hillary as she blew a referee's whistle.
"Where'd you get that?" asked Tristan.
"I got it from Grandma when she coached a Pokémon team many years ago," replied Hillary.
"What?!" exclaimed Tristan.
"It's okay," said Ali. "I'll just go to the other side of the bridge and grab my Nidoran. I've got to go, but that was a very nice battle." And she made her way to the other side of the Nugget Bridge posthaste.
"Butterfree's Confusion attack is strong, perhaps a little too strong," remarked Hillary.
"But Confusion's been one of my keys to victory in most of my early battles, Hillary," insisted Tristan. "Poison-Type Pokémon like that Nidoran have a big disadvantage against Psychic-Type attacks like Confusion. I didn't mean to blast Nidoran away."
"I know," said Hillary, who was being sympathetic. "I was just giving you a hard time before. That just shows that you've raised your Butterfree very well. I hope you do the same with your other Pokémon, including your new Bulbasaur."
"That's right!" said Tristan. He had almost forgotten that he had caught Bulbasaur recently, and wanted to put its skills to the test. But just then, that same fiery Pokémon who had been following them showed up right behind them. Hillary was very surprised.
(Music Cue: Today's Pokémon Curiosity (Kanto)
"Hey, Tristan, look!" said Hillary.
Tristan turned around and saw the orange Pokémon. He was just as shocked as Hillary was.
"Isn't that the same Charmander who was supposed to be a prize for defeating the five trainers on the bridge?" he asked.
"It must be!" answered Hillary.
Tristan took out his Pokédex and scanned Charmander.
"Charmander: The Lizard Pokémon," it said. "A flame burns at the tip of its tail from birth. The flame makes a sound as it burns, but can only be heard in quiet places."
"But what's Charmander doing following us?" asked Tristan.
"I don't know," replied Hillary. "It's hard to tell whether it's a wild Pokémon or someone else's Pokémon."
"Well, maybe we should let it come with us anyway," suggested Tristan. "It will be a great way to see if we're both ready to make new friends with Charmander. Plus, it may know something that we don't."
"Good idea," said Hillary.
Charmander was delighted with the idea and followed them toward the third Trainer. The Trainer was a youngster and was wearing a hat.
"My name's Timmy!" he said. "Here's number three! I won't be easy!"
"We'll see about that, Timmy," replied Tristan. "Choose your first Pokémon."
"Go, Rattata!" shouted Timmy as he threw his first Pokéball.
(Music Cue: Chaos)
A purple mouse with oversized front teeth and curvy tail materialized from the white light that shot out of it.
"Let's go, Butterfree!" ordered Tristan.
Butterfree flew in front of Tristan, ready to battle Rattata.
"Rattata, Quick Attack!" yelled Timmy.
Rattata charged toward Butterfree with a white line trailing behind it. It rammed into Butterfree, but Butterfree shook it off and looked ready for more.
"Hang in there, Butterfree! Give Rattata your Confusion attack!" instructed Tristan.
Butterfree's eyes and Rattata's outline glowed in a purple color.
Rattata was lifted up into the air and, with Butterfree's thrust, was tossed back down onto the bridge. Rattata struggled to get up, but its legs gave out, causing it to faint.
"Return, Rattata!" called Timmy as he aimed the Pokéball's button at it.
Rattata disappeared inside from the red field of energy.
"Butterfree seems to grow stronger with each battle," remarked Hillary.
"You're right, sis," replied Tristan. "But let's not get too carried away just yet."
"Let's go, Ekans!" shouted Timmy as he threw his second Pokéball. A purple snake emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"That's a nice Ekans," said Tristan, "but we're here to battle our way across the Nugget Bridge, so use your Confusion attack, Butterfree!"
Again, Butterfree's eyes glowed purple as wells as Ekans' outline.
Ekans was lifted into the air. With another forward thrust from Butterfree, Ekans was tossed back to the ground. It had been knocked out.
"Ow! Stomped flat!" cried Timmy as he returned Ekans to its Pokéball.
"I guess that's it, isn't it?" said Tristan.
"Not quite," replied Timmy. "Go, Zubat!" He threw his third Pokéball and Zubat materialized from the white light that shot out of it. It looked like a blue bat with wings and no eyes.
"Butterfree, use your Sleep Powder!" commanded Tristan.
A blue powder was scattered as Butterfree flapped its wings.
Zubat yawned and landed on the ground. It had fallen fast asleep and couldn't be moved.
"I think you're too strong for us, Trainer," said Timmy as he returned Zubat to its Pokéball. "You may proceed to the fourth Trainer and...WHAT?!"
He was totally surprised to see the Charmander who had been following Tristan and Hillary.
"What's Charmander doing following you when it's supposed to be today's prize at the end of the bridge?" Timmy asked.
"Don't ask us," replied Tristan. "We don't know ourselves."
"This is strange, even for this bridge," said Timmy. "Anyway, go on ahead."
Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Butterfree raced ahead to the fourth Trainer on the Nugget Bridge with Charmander tagging along. The fourth Trainer was a lass, too.
"My name's Reli. I'm number four. Getting tired?" she asked.
"No way, Reli," replied Tristan. "Let's go."
"I'm the sister of Ali," said the second lass. "We tend to raise the same kind of Pokémon."
"That's interesting," said Tristan. "Now, let's battle!"
The fourth battle went the same way for Tristan as it did the second battle. Pikachu easily beat Reli's Pidgey while Butterfree made quick work of her female Nidoran; both defeats caused her to lose the battle.
"I lost, too, but I have no regrets," said Reli. "I'll continue to train my Pokémon for future battles."
"That's the spirit," said Tristan.
"Good luck on the rest of your Nugget Bridge challenge!" she called as she left for the Pokémon Center.
"Well, Tristan, it looks like you're one step closer to winning this Charmander, even though it's following us," said Hillary.
"But we still don't know why it's following us," replied Tristan.
Just then, another Trainer, spotted Tristan and Hillary. He identified himself as a Junior Pokémon Trainer. He was in a camper's uniform, and looked slightly younger than Tristan.
"Okay, my name's Ethan. I'm Number five on this bridge," he said. "I'll stomp you!" He threw his Pokéball.
Out came what appeared to be a tan monkey-like Pokémon with a round body and the nose of a pig. It also had long limbs and a tail.
Tristan scanned the Pokémon with his Pokédex, Dexter.
"Mankey: The Pig Monkey Pokémon," it said. "This agile Pokémon lives in trees. "It angers easily and will not hesitate to attack anything."
Mankey was jumping up and down. It appeared to be ready to take on whatever Pokémon Tristan used against it.
"You'd better be careful," Hillary said to Tristan. "Who knows how powerful Mankey can be when it's angry?"
"Right," responded Tristan.
Tristan thought about what Pokémon to use against the seemingly powerful Mankey. Pikachu and Butterfree had already battled at least once. Even though neither had received much damage from the last four short battles, he figured that he should go with somebody fresh.
"Pidgeotto, I choose you!" shouted Tristan as he threw its Pokéball.
(Music Cue: Raid!)
Pidgeotto materialized from the white light that shot out of it and awaited Tristan's instructions for battling Mankey.
"Mankey, Scratch attack!" yelled Ethan.
Mankey lunged forward toward Pidgeotto with its fingers, ready to scratch it.
"Quick, Pidgeotto, get out of the way!" ordered Tristan.
Pidgeotto got out of Mankey's reach by climbing higher into the air.
"Now, Pidgeotto, use your Quick Attack!" commanded Tristan.
Pidgeotto dove down on Mankey with a white line trailing behind it. It successfully rammed into it, giving it a clean hit.
Mankey fell down on the ground, but it was able to bounce right back up again. It seemed to be even more angry after Pidgeotto's Quick Attack connected with it.
"Okay, Mankey, Karate Chop!" shouted Ethan.
Mankey once again charged toward Pidgeotto, but this time it readied itself for its attack using the sides of its open hands. It successfully landed chop after chop on Pidgeotto.
"Wow, I'm glad I'm not Pidgeotto right now because those chops have got to hurt," said Hillary, nervously.
Pikachu, Butterfree, and Charmander were getting worried about Pidgeotto, too.
"Tristan, do something before Pidgeotto becomes a chopped onion!" shouted Hillary.
"Pidgeotto, climb quickly and use your Gust attack!" commanded Tristan.
Pidgeotto gained altitude and got out of Mankey's reach. Then it furiously flapped its wings, creating a huge gust of wind, which made it hard for Mankey to stand its ground.
"Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!" yelled Tristan.
Pidgeotto once again quickly dove down on Mankey with a white line trailing behind it. It seemed to be much faster than the last Quick Attack, and when Pidgeotto connected with Mankey, it scored a direct hit, knocking it out.
"That was too much for me to handle," said Ethan as he returned Mankey to its Pokéball. "Now that you've beaten me, you can receive your prize just ahead."
"Thank you, Ethan!" called Tristan, as Ethan made his way back to the Pokémon Center.
"That was awesome, Pidgeotto," said Tristan as he petted it.
Pidgeotto responded happily and rubbed its head on Tristan to show its affection.
"Wow!" said Hillary, who was rather amazed. "Did you see what Pidgeotto just did?"
"Of course I did," replied Tristan. "It showed its affection because it seems to like me a lot better than when I first caught it."
"You give it love and care, and it cares for you in return," said Hillary.
"I guess you're right," said Tristan. "Now, let's go to the end of the bridge."
Just then, Charmander jumped onto the bridge rails. It seemed to want to do some tricks after celebrating Tristan's latest five victories. It didn't know of the danger of the raging waters below. This made Tristan and Hillary worry.
"Charmander, get off of there!" yelled Tristan.
"Watch out!" added Hillary.
"Pika Pika!" finished Pikachu.
(Music Cue: Kanto Champion Battle (as heard in "Friend and Foe Alike"))
Unfortunately, their warnings came just a little too late, for Charmander slipped off the rail toward the water below. Tristan, his other Pokémon, and Hillary all gasped in worry.
Tristan immediately sprang into action. "Bulbasaur, grab it with Vine Whip!" he ordered as he threw Bulbasaur's Pokéball.
Instantly after materializing, Bulbasaur shot two green vines from the bulb on its back and managed to grab Charmander just before it fell into the water.
Tristan and Hillary each grabbed a vine and pulled it very carefully in order not to bump Charmander against the bridge.
"We've got you, Charmander!" called Tristan. "Just hang on!"
Charmander was trembling as Tristan and Hillary pulled on Bulbasaur's vines.
Eventually, they managed to haul Charmander back to safety. Everyone sighed with relief.
"That was close. Are you all right, Charmander?" asked Tristan to Charmander.
"Charmander," it replied happily and jumped onto Tristan's lap.
Tristan turned to Bulbasaur. "Thanks, Bulbasaur," he said. "That was some very fancy roping."
Bulbasaur replied happily.
"That was very dangerous, Charmander," said Hillary. "Your tail flame could have gone out."
"What would have happened if Charmander's tail flame ever did go out?" asked Tristan.
"Trust me, you don't want to know," answered Hillary.
Just then, a voice said, "Congratulations! You have successfully defeated the five fabulous Trainers who were guarding this bridge!"
Tristan and Hillary turned around in surprise. They turned to see what appeared to be a smartly dressed energetic man.
"Who are you?" asked Tristan.
"I'm the person who awards the grand prize for defeating the five Trainers on the Nugget Bridge," replied the new person.
"So, did we win a Charmander?" asked Hillary hopefully.
"Today, your prize is...wait for it...a NUGGET!" he replied as he held up what appeared to be a gold coin.
Tristan and Hillary fell on the ground in embarrassment.
"Wait a second!" said Hillary. "A Nugget? A NUGGET?! We came all the way from the other side of the Nugget Bridge hoping to win a Charmander and you have the nerve to say that today's prize is a measly little NUGGET?!"
"I sure do," replied the gentleman.
(Music Cue: You Have to Earn Respect)
Charmander started glaring directly at him. That was when Tristan and Hillary became suspicious.
"Something's going on here," said Tristan.
"I agree," added Hillary. "Why are you here in the first place, anyway?"
"Besides awarding the grand prize, I'm here to make you an unforgettable proposition!" replied the gentleman.
"What are you talking about?" asked Tristan suspiciously.
"Here's the deal..." he said. "...How would you like to join Team Rocket?"
"WHAT?!" gasped Tristan and Hillary together. They were most shocked.
"We're an organization dedicated to using Pokémon for our evil purposes," replied the gentleman. "Wanna join?"
"No way!" replied Tristan. He grabbed Hillary by the hand and started to walk away. "We're outta here."
"Are you sure?" asked the gentleman as he grabbed Hillary's other hand.
"Let us go!" demanded Tristan, as he played tug of war with the gentleman using Hillary as the rope.
"He said no!" said Hillary, raising her voice.
"Come on!"
"No!"
"Join us!"
"No!"
"I'm telling you to join!"
"N-O!"
"Do it or else!"
"Let go of me!"
Charmander became annoyed as its tail flame grew hotter. It was so angry that it shot multiple balls of fire from its mouth and aimed them at the gentleman, burning him in the process.
The gentleman's disguise was burned to a crisp and he was revealed to be wearing a black uniform with a red letter R on it.
"You're from Team Rocket!" gasped Hillary.
"I knew something was fishy!" said Tristan.
"All right, you need convincing!" said the Rocket Grunt. "I'll make you an offer you can't refuse!"
He threw two Pokéballs. The first Pokémon that materialized was a purple snakelike Pokémon: Ekans. The second one was a blue bat with no eyes: Zubat.
"Hey, two against one is unfair!" shouted Hillary.
"Unfairness is my trademark, you little brat!" countered the Rocket Grunt. "Ekans and Zubat, take these kids out!"
Ekans and Zubat lunged toward Tristan, Hillary, and the Pokémon with a Bite attack, but just then...
"Not so fast!"
(Music Cue: Get Pokémon!")
Tristan and Hillary turned around to see the five trainers, Cale, Ali, Timmy, Reli, and Ethan all standing right behind them, ready to take on the Rocket Grunt.
"It's the five Trainers we battled!" exclaimed Tristan.
"They've come to help us out!" added Hillary.
"Oh, I'm so scared," said the Rocket Grunt, who was clearly acting sarcastic.
That remark only made the five Trainers even madder.
"You won't get away with scamming this Trainer and his friends!" shouted Cale.
"Do you honestly think that we would stand by and do nothing?" added Ethan.
"Let's show this phony what we're made of!" finished Ali.
"Yeah!" agreed Reli and Timmy.
"GOOOOO!" yelled all five Trainers as they threw their Pokéballs.
Cale sent out Caterpie and Weedle; Ali and Reli both sent out their Pidgey and the female Nidoran; Timmy sent out his Rattata, Ekans and Zubat; and Ethan sent out his Mankey.
"No fair!" cried the Rocket Grunt. "That's ten against two!"
"Perhaps you should have thought about it before you decided to cheat," remarked Hillary.
"And tried to scam us," added Tristan.
"Attack!" ordered the five trainers to their Pokémon.
All the Trainers' Pokémon charged toward the Rocket Grunt and his Pokémon, who were no match for the combined might of all the Pokémon's Scratch, Bite and Tackle attacks.
The Rocket Grunt and his Pokémon were knocked out.
"Serves him right," said Tristan.
"You said it, Tristan," replied Hillary.
Officer Jenny arrived on the scene a moment later to arrest the Grunt. She had seen everything.
"There have been reports of a scammer promoting an evil organization called Team Rocket, and getting Trainers to join," she said, "and it looks like this guy fits our description perfectly."
She put the Grunt in handcuffs and called for a paddy wagon.
"I'd like to thank you all for helping bring this person to justice," she said to the Trainers.
"You're very welcome, Officer Jenny," replied Hillary.
"We were just glad we could help," added Tristan.
"What they said," finished the other five Trainers.
(Music Cue: Meeting and Parting)
A moment later, a wagon came and whisked the Rocket Grunt away to jail while Officer Jenny sped off on her motorcycle.
The other five Trainers prepared to say their goodbyes to Tristan and Hillary.
"We'll plan to go on a journey together real soon," said Ethan.
"Yeah," agreed Ali. "After seeing the way you battled, we just got inspired to go with our dreams together."
"I'd like to be a great Trainer like you are, Tristan," said Timmy.
"And we plan to make new friends, too," added Cale.
"Teamwork, friendship, and trust between us and our Pokémon are keys to victory for all of us," finished Reli.
"I wish you nothing but the very best for all five of you," said Tristan.
"Good luck to you all," added Hillary.
"Thanks, guys," replied the five Trainers. "We'll do our best."
The five Trainers then left the Nugget Bridge some time later, leaving Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Charmander alone. Presently, someone arrived on the Nugget Bridge, panting as he went.
"Excuse me, but has anyone seen a wild Charmander around here?" he asked. "It's been looking around for a Trainer who would give it love and care, but it always has a tendency to run off, and I've been looking for it all day."
Charmander happily ran into that person's arms.
"Charmander, thank goodness you weren't hurt," he said. He was relieved to see Charmander again. He turned to Tristan and Hillary. "Thank you both so much for keeping Charmander safe."
(Music Cue: Bill's Lighthouse)
"Who are you?" asked Tristan.
"My name's Bill," he replied. "I live at the lighthouse near the beach.
"I've heard that name somewhere before," said Hillary.
"Aren't you the one who gave an Eevee to my grandparents?" asked Tristan.
"Guilty as charged," replied Bill. "I spoke with your grandparents over the phone a few hours ago, and she told me to expect your arrival. It also turns out that this Charmander was following you the entire time."
"But why would a Charmander be following us?" asked Hillary.
"This Charmander came to the lighthouse and wanted to see what living with a trainer was like," replied Bill. "It was just starting to enjoy itself when suddenly, a stranger came by. Charmander spotted him immediately and angrily ran after him before I could stop it. It was obvious that this Charmander doesn't like mean people like that guy. Then, when you two came along, Charmander decided to follow you around to see if you could help it stop that guy. Even a foolish disguise wasn't enough to hide his true identity."
"I guess we made the right call by letting Charmander follow us," said Tristan.
"Things would have been a lot more interesting if it didn't," added Hillary.
"Why don't you come with me to the lighthouse?" suggested Bill.
"We'd like that," replied Tristan and Hillary together.
Pikachu and Charmander were delighted with the idea.
At Bill's lighthouse, Bill and the kids spoke with Veronica, Tristan and Hillary's grandmother, on his video phone.
"It looks like I was right about you making it to the lighthouse," said Veronica.
"How did you know we were going to make it, Grandma?" asked Hillary.
"I just felt it in my heart," replied Veronica. "And besides, I wanted you to meet Bill because he's a very interesting person. I have a feeling you will learn a lot from him."
"We met a Charmander, too, Grandma," added Tristan. "It decided to follow us."
"Charmander!" chimed Charmander happily.
"Well, well," said Veronica. "It looks like that Charmander likes you very much. You must have done something very brave to befriend it."
"We recently rescued it from falling in the river," answered Tristan.
"Fascinating," said Veronica.
"Charmander wanted to know what to expect from living with a Trainer," explained Bill, "but ran off to chase a bad guy. It turned out that guy was from Team Rocket. Let's just say that he got fired thanks to that Ember attack."
Everyone laughed.
"Good one, Bill!" chuckled Veronica.
When everyone stopped laughing, Bill asked Veronica, "By the way, how is that Eevee I gave you?"
"It's doing well," answered Veronica. "It just loves getting all the attention from both Eric and me."
"That's very nice to hear," said Bill.
"Well, I suppose I should let you all go for now, but Bill, could you give my grandkids a test for me to see if they're actually learning something?" teased Veronica.
"Grandma!" exclaimed Tristan and Hillary together.
"Just kidding!" said Veronica. "I love you, kids."
"We love you too, Grandma," replied Tristan and Hillary.
"Pikachu!" chimed Pikachu.
Tristan hung up the phone and the screen turned off.
Bill turned his attention to Tristan and Hillary. "Just so you know, the latest number of Pokémon that has been discovered is at least 150 Pokémon," he explained. "However, recently there have been new reports of some newly discovered Pokémon."
"So you're saying there may be more than just the 150 original Pokémon?" asked Hillary.
"That's awesome!" said Tristan. "I want to meet them all!"
"My advice is to search everywhere until you do find them all," said Bill.
"We will," said Tristan and Hillary.
"Charmander!" added Charmander.
Bill then turned to Charmander. "As for you, Charmander, you seem to be very happy following Tristan around," he said.
"What do you mean by that, Bill?" asked Tristan.
"What I'm saying is this, Tristan," he said. "Would you like to take this Charmander with you on your journey? It seems to be the happiest when it's with you."
(Music Cue: A Future Hope)
Tristan thought about it, and then turned to Charmander. "Well, do you want to come with us, Charmander?"
"Char, Char, Char!" replied Charmander excitedly.
Tristan held out an empty Pokéball while Charmander touched the button.
Instantly, Charmander transformed into a field of red energy and disappeared inside the ball.
The button flashed and clicked, signaling that Charmander had been caught.
"All right!" said Tristan excitedly. He struck a pose and proclaimed, "I got a Charmander!"
"Pi-Pikachu!" added Pikachu.
"You've got another new friend, Tristan," said Hillary.
"And we've got another new team member," added Tristan.
"Your grandmother should be very proud, Tristan," said Bill.
"Thanks, Bill," replied Tristan. "I promise to take good care of Charmander."
"I know you will, so good luck to you and Hillary, too," said Bill.
"Thanks, Bill," said Hillary.
"Oh, I have one last thing for you both," said Bill.
He handed out two tickets to the children.
"What are these?" asked Tristan.
"These are tickets to the S.S. Anne in Vermilion City," answered Bill. "I was invited to a party, but I wasn't in the mood for one because it's full of rich people."
"We understand," said Hillary.
"We'll go in your place," said Tristan. "It's the least we can do."
"Actually, the S.S. Ticket was the favor for taking care of that Charmander, so I should be thanking you," said Bill.
"So how do we get to Vermiliion City from here?" asked Hillary.
"You'll have to take the underground between Route 5 and route 6," explained Bill. "All gates to Saffron City are closed. Officer Jenny and three of her other sisters are guarding the entrances to Saffron City in all directions."
"Then that settles it," said Tristan. "We'll just have to take the Underground on Route 5."
With a new Charmander on his side, and another Team Rocket scheme foiled, Tristan and his friends, Hillary and Pikachu, leave Bill's lighthouse behind to make one last trip to Cerulean City so they can plan for their adventures in Vermilion City and the S.S. Anne.
► TO BE CONTINUED
