Welcome to the first side chapter for the Kanto story! Summer may not be the main character in these chapters, but the events will factor into her journey. Thank you for everyone who voted in the poll! Based on the results, this chapter and future ones will be written in the third person narrative and will be published in the main story. Let me know how I can improve my writing, as the side stories and a special story will also be in the third person. Now, onto the first side chapter!
Side Chapter 1: Power Times Dos
"So, Samir," Brock asked his intern as they were flying on Aerodactyl. "Are you ready to meet Lt. Surge and his mentee?"
Samir shifted anxiously. "I-I guess. I didn't know Lt. Surge has a mentee."
Brock smiled. "Yeah, I'm just as surprised as you are. Anyway, I'm going to drop you off."
"What?! You're not going to come with me?"
"I would, but I have a meeting with another Gym Leader. But you'll be fine."
Samir wasn't so sure. He'd never been by himself for something of this importance. Plus, he was still getting used to battling like those who were planning to compete in the Indigo League.
The rest of the flight was silent until they spotted a long, abandoned building in between some mountains and a river. Aerodactyl saw a good landing spot and descended near the building. Samir slowly got off the ancient Pokémon's back.
"Good luck, Samir!" Brock shouted. He waved goodbye and the Aerodactyl flew towards the southwest.
As Samir looked at the broken windows and rusted pipes leading to a broken generator, a booming voice shouted, "YOU'RE LATE, SOLDIER!"
Samir jumped and turned around. A tall man in an army uniform and a familiar Trainer were waiting in front of the entrance.
"Weldon, what are you doing here?" the research intern asked. "I haven't seen you since the Pallet Town New Trainers Festival."
"Weldon, you know this nerd?" Lt. Surge asked his mentee.
Samir became slightly upset. Nerd?! Well, better than geek, I suppose.
"Yes, sir," Weldon responded. "He's one of Summer's friends as well."
The Gym Leader laughed. "So you know her as well! What a small world."
"Anyway, what are we doing at the old power plant?" Weldon asked.
Lt. Surge looked at the dilapidated building with a smile. "I'm sure you know the reason Samir, based on what Brock told me."
"You think Zapdos is here now?" Samir asked, astonished.
The Gym Leader nodded. "Weldon told me his uncle's rock climbing class recently experienced some electrical interference on the mountains. That means Zapdos arrived that day."
"So we're here to capture Zapdos?" Weldon asked.
"No. If we do forcefully, Zapdos will become angry and not listen to us. We have to convince him to join us."
"And how are we going to do that?!" Weldon shouted, frustrated at this course of action.
"Stand down, Weldon. We just have to go inside but anticipate the worst."
The two boys nodded and followed Lt. Surge into the building. The doors still held up despite their smashed condition, and the three entered a lobby with broken walls and loose cables and wires.
"Be careful about those wires," Lt. Surge warned. "They might be active because of Zapdos' presence."
Samir nodded and carefully walked around them. After walking through a maze of a building, the trio ran into a boy and spiky yellow hair and his medium-sized yellow Pokémon with black stripes and two antennae.
"Rai, is that you?" Samir asked, recognizing him from his time in Viridian Forest.
The boy and his Electabuzz looked at them. "Yeah. It's good to see you again. Samir, right?"
Samir nodded.
"I have to thank you and your friend for clearing things up for me in Viridian Forest," Rai said, gratefully shaking Samir's hand. "I'm now a member of the Random Egg program."
"You mean the organization that lets Trainer adopt abandoned Eggs?! That's so amazing!"
"Right! My team's a testament to that."
"Ahem!" Lt. Surge coughed. The boys stopped their conversation and looked at the burly Gym Leader.
"If we're done with catching up...we need to get going."
"Sorry," Rai apologized. "Can I join you guys? I kind of got lost in here."
Weldon was about to say no when Lt. Surge interrupted. "Sure. We need more troops where we're going."
Rai eagerly followed them as they ventured farther into the abandoned building. After about ten minutes, the lights suddenly flickered and turned on.
"What was that?" Samir asked.
Lt. Surge put on his sunglasses. "We're getting close. Stay together and be cautious."
The boys nodded and slowly walked behind him. Samir stayed slightly behind, not wanting to interfere. Suddenly, he felt a small spark course through his body. He paused and felt it coming from an abandoned office. He was curious of the source but knew he needed to stay with the group. When a stronger surge hit him, he was forced to leave the group and enter the room.
The office was in disrepair, with torn papers strewn along the floor and damaged desk. As Samir looked at the desk, something shiny caught his eye. He walked to a metal lamp that was broken in two. Inside the base of the lamp was a bright red watch.
Samir carefully picked it up. The watch looked ordinary except for one feature: the minute, hour, and second hands were all in different colors. The hour hand was blue, the minute red, and the second yellow. The watch wasn't working, which slightly disappointed him. Suddenly, a strange tingling feeling came over him. It appeared the watch wanted him to be his owner. As Samir put the watch on, He watched in surprise as the hands immediately moved to the correct time. Before he could think about it, Weldon appeared at the doorway.
"Come on, Samir! The Lieutenant found something."
Samir nodded and followed his friend. When they approached the Gym Leader and Rai, a loud screech echoed throughout the building. The men covered their ears, and a group of Voltorb and Magnemite appeared.
"A Voltorb and Magnemite ambush!" Lt. Surge cried. "Boys, time for war!"
As he sent out Sarge, his Raichu, Weldon sent out Geodude and Rai sent out a red Pokémon with a puffy looking head. Samir sent out Banksia, who was ready to defend her Trainer. The Electric types released a combined bolt of electricity.
"Banksia, Light Screen!" Samir commanded. Banksia jumped in front and created a yellow barrier, reducing the damage to her allies.
"Good thinking, Samir!" Rai complimented. "Magby, Fire Spin!" Magby released a ring of fire that surrounded the Voltorb and Magnemite. The Magnemite fainted from the intense heat, but the Voltorb resisted most of the damage.
"Geodude, Rollout!" Weldon commanded. Geodude quickly rolled into the fire and hit the Voltorb into the air.
"Excellent, Weldon! Sarge, Mega Punch!" Lt. Surge shouted, punching the air. Sarge jumped up and punched one of the Voltorb, knocking it into its companions. After the impact, the Voltorb started to shake violently.
"Quick everyone, behind me!" Rai shouted. Once everyone was behind him, he shouted, "Electabuzz, Magby! Use double Protect!"
His Pokémon nodded and created a powerful translucent barrier around everyone. The Voltorb exploded, sending shockwaves throughout the building. This made the ceiling collapse, revealing the blue sky above. Because of the Protect barrier, the group escaped unharmed. Once the vibrations subsided, Electabuzz and Magby stopped the barrier.
So, you're stronger than I thought, a deep, crackling voice echoed in Samir's head.
"Huh?" he responded looking around. "Who said that?"
"Who said what, Samir?" Weldon asked.
"You mean you didn't hear that?"
I guess it's time for me to appear, the mysterious voice said, then cackled.
A loud humming noise started, and dark clouds suddenly covered the clear sky. A large yellow bird with jagged feathers descended from the sky and landed inside the structure.
I-it can't be… Samir thought, shocked at the sight of the bird. It's Zapdos, the Legendary Bird of Thunderstorms! And I think that's the same one I saw over Viridian City!
Everyone else was in awe of the sight. "I never thought the day would come that I would see Zapdos up close," Lt. Surge said.
Zapdos looked at each person carefully, paying very close attention to Samir. Samir felt the same tingling sensation from earlier when he touched the watch. As he approached closer to the Pokémon, several smoke bombs fell to the ground, creating a smoke distraction.
"Boys!" Lt. Surge shouted. "Looks like our real enemy's here!"
Two men laughed, and when the smoke cleared, revealing themselves as Archer and Proton.
"Team Rocket!"Weldon angrily shouted.
Archer and Lt. Surge locked eyes with each other.
"Nice to see you again, Surge," he said, mockingly bowing.
Lt. Surge scoffed. "You're no friend of mine, Archer. If I know you, you're here to capture Zapdos."
The Grunt laughed. "Nothing gets past you, Surge." He then became serious. "Let us capture Zapdos, and we'll leave you and your 'comrades' unharmed."
A sudden wave of determination crashed into Samir's mind. He couldn't explain it, but he felt he needed to protect Zapdos at all costs. He looked at his new watch and nodded.
"I won't let you two take Zapdos!" Samir shouted as he placed himself in front of the Legendary Pokémon. His friends were shocked by his unusual outburst. Zapdos, however, was curious at his actions.
Archer and Proton stared at the kid. "Isn't that the kid that helped ruin Ariana's plans?" Proton asked.
"It appears so," Archer acknowledged. He then gave a sinister smile. "How about a deal, kid?" We battle one on one. The winner gets Zapdos."
"Let me do it, Samir," Weldon offered. "I can handle Archer."
Samir looked at his friend and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Weldon. This is something I have to do on my own."
Weldon was surprised, but he nodded and returned to the rest of the group.
"Are you ready, Banksia?" the intern asked his starter. She nodded and walked forward.
Archer chuckled. "This should be easy. Golbat, time for battle!"
The Grunt sent out a large blue bat with purple wings, large eyes and fangs, and a long tongue. He looked at Banksia and salivated.
"Your move, kid," Archer offered.
"Banksia, set up a Light Screen!"
She nodded and created a yellow translucent barrier.
"You think a flimsy defense is going to stop us?!" Archer mocked. "Golbat, Wing Attack!"
Golbat flew towards Banksia with his glowing arms. Samir was shocked at the Light Screen did nothing to stop the Bat Pokémon. Banksia was hit by the super effective attack but stood her ground.
I forgot Light Screen doesn't reduce damage from physical attacks! Samir angrily thought. Time for another strategy.
"Wing Attack again!" Archer shouted.
"Grab it with Vine Whip!" Samir commanded.
Banksia waited until Golbat got closer, then shot two vines at his wings. She caught him in midair causing Golbat to stop flying.
"Interesting. Golbat, Sludge Bomb!"
Golbat formed a ball of sludge from his mouth and spat it at his captor. Although the attack was weakened as it passed through the barrier, Banksia winced and let go of the Bat Pokémon. He laughed and repositioned himself. The Leaf Pokémon slightly turned purple and started breathing heavily.
Samir knew that Banksia needed to recover quickly. "Banksia, use Synthesis!"
She nodded and let absorbed the sun's bright rays. She instantly recovered most of her strength but still felt the effects of the poison.
"Just admit defeat," Archer said with a smirk. "You have no move that can hurt Golbat. Why would you even choose a Chikorita anyway? They're one of the worst starters!"
Banksia lowered her head, hurt by Archer's words.
Samir hated to admit it, but the Grunt was right about the type disadvantage. But he remembered why he chose a Chikorita in the first place.
"Because they are loyal and caring Pokémon," Samir firmly said. "Chikorita are great for Trainers who still need help with battling, like me. I know Banksia has the potential to become powerful, despite her being a Chikorita. I won't let you use the Legendary Birds to hurt anyone! Banksia, let's show them what we can do! I know you can beat them!"
Banksia became more confident from her Trainer's words and nodded in agreement. Zapdos slightly smiled, then nodded at the boy who wore the watch worn by a previous ally.
Archer sighed. "Fine. I'll use my strongest attack to prove my point. Golbat, Poison Fang!"
Golbat dove towards Banksia with his fangs filling up with poison. Banksia's eyes briefly flashed purple, and she stomped on the floor. Five boulders shot up from the broken floor, and she used her head to fling them towards her attacker. The Poison type was caught off guard and was fell to the ground after being hit.
Everyone had shocked expressions, except for Zapdos.
"I-isn't that Ancientpower?" Weldon said with surprise. "A regular Bayleef can't use that."
"You're right," Samir acknowledged. "But they can through breeding. I guess she was secretly able to do it, but she needed a little encouragement."
Banksia looked at her Trainer with a big smile, then focused on the injured Golbat.
"Banksia, use Ancientpower once more!" Samir commanded.
Banksia nodded and she sent five more boulders towards Golbat.
"Get up and use Poison Fang!" Archer yelled.
Golbat flew up and dodged the boulders. He then charged at Banksia with his fangs filled with poison.
"Grab it, and use Ancientpower again!"
Banksia stopped the Poison type with her vines, making him an easy target. After the barrage of boulders, Golbat collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
Archer gritted his teeth and returned his fainted Pokémon.
Before Samir could congratulate his partner, the Grunt took out another Pokéball.
"Hey, that's cheating!" Samir cried.
Archer chuckled. "Did you forget who we are?!" He turned to Proton. "Ready, Proton?"
The teammate hesitated. "I think you should look again, Archer…"
Confused, he did and saw Lt. Surge, Weldon, and Rai were ready to battle in Samir's place.
"Fine, you win this round," Archer said. He and Proton threw smoke bombs on the ground, giving them a chance to flee.
When the smoke cleared, Zapdos looked at Samir. I see that you are indeed our chosen one.
"Chosen one?" Samir asked, confused by the bird's words. "What do you mean by that?"
Look at your watch.
Samir did, and was shocked that the watch was now yellow instead of red.
We can discuss details later. I can see that my siblings will be in danger. I will accompany you until that time had passed. Please hand me an empty Pokéball.
Samir took one from his belt and showed it to Zapdos. He touched it with his beak, and the Pokéball captured him.
"What just happened?" Weldon asked.
Samir grinned. "It's a long story, but I think Zapdos wants me to help protect him against Team Rocket."
Everyone was awestruck. "That's so cool, Samir!" Rai shouted. "I wish I had a Legendary Pokémon with me!"
"It may be cool, but it's a lot of responsibility," Lt. Surge sternly warned.
Samir looked at his new Pokémon and nodded. "I'll make sure he's safe."
Lt. Surge looked around the building. "Good. Now let's get out of here."
Thanks to the Voltorb earlier, the group exited through a large hole and once they did, the rest of the building collapsed.
"I hope a new power plant will be built," Rai commented.
Lt. Surge laughed. "Well this incident should encourage them to." He then looked at the three boys solemnly. "Don't tell anyone else what happened today. Who knows if Team Rocket will come after you or anyone you tell about this."
The three nodded.
"Now then, Weldon, Rai. Go ahead and continue on your journeys. I'll take you back to Brock, Samir."
"Yes sir," Weldon said. "See you around, Samir."
"Bye, Samir!" Rai shouted, waving his hand.
Both boys returned their Pokémon and walked through the new cave entrance made by the Voltorb. Samir then followed Lt. Surge back to Cerulean City, beginning the path towards his destiny.