Fist of the Pikachu Chapter Four Wind Rider and Wildfire Ranma and Raiden were traveling along a dirt road that was going through the forest near Pallet Town. It had been two days since Ranma had left Professor Oak's compound and started on his Pokemon journey. Since then, he had been trying his best to follow the rules of being a Pokemon trainer, but it had not been easy. Apparently, he had begun to have second thoughts about becoming a Pokemon trainer. The day before… Ranma and his Pikachu were just setting up camp when Raiden spotted something and tugged at Ranma's shirt to get his attention. "Huh? What is it Raiden?" "Pika! Pika!" Ranma looked to where the electric mouse was indicating and saw a bird that landed nearby. Ranma wondered what all the fuss was about. Then his Pikachu tapped the pocket where he kept his Pokedex. "Huh? Is that a Pokemon?" "Pika! Pika pi!" Raiden nodded. Ranma opened up the device and pointed it at the bird. *PIDGEY. A BIRD POKEMON OF THE FLYING TYPE. THESE POKEMON HAVE A PLEASANT DEMEANOR AND ARE EASY TO CATCH FOR BEGINNERS. ITS ATTACKS INCLDE SAND, WHIRLWIND AND GUST. * "Well…" Ranma wasn't too sure if he wanted to catch such a gentle-looking creature. He certainly didn't like the idea of using Raiden to battle it and then use a Pokeball to capture it after it was weakened. He had been taught not to pick on the weak. "Pikachu!" Raiden was more than ready to battle and test his new abilities. Ranma sighed as he gave Raiden the go ahead with a nod. This was why he was out here in the first place. The little electric Pokemon wasted no time as it charged the Pidgey. The bird noted the sudden rustling of the grass and saw Raiden coming at it with its cheek pouches sparking. When it saw the human standing behind it a few meters away, it immediately realized that Ranma was a Pokemon trainer. It then took to the air. To the Pidgey's surprise, Raiden had not automatically released his electric attack. Instead, the Pikachu leapt high into the air and the Pidgey found itself looking up at its opponent. The electric rodent had leapt more than twenty-five feet! Raiden then seemed to defy gravity as it turned and twisted in midair. Just as Pidgey came to the same height as Raiden, the Pikachu moved forward and began delivering several kicks and punches to the bird. Pidgey was caught off guard to a midair physical assault from an electric mouse and was stunned for several seconds. That was all Raiden needed as he gracefully landed back on the ground and let loose with a light Thunderbolt attack. "Pika… chu!" The lightning hit the Pidgey dead on and the bird fell to the ground in a daze. Ranma nodded at Raiden's performance. He had demonstrated his aerial skills as midair combat was a specialty of the Saotome School of the Anything Goes Martial Arts. As he watched the bird plummet toward the ground, he let off another depressed sigh as he reached around his belt, pulled out a Pokeball and pressed the activator button. The device expanded to its full size and with a casual toss, Ranma sent it up toward the Pigey. The Pokeball struck the Pidgey lightly and opened up. The bird's form glowed with an eerie light, then it was instantly sucked into the capture device. The Pokeball closed up and landed lightly on the ground. Ranma looked at the activator button and waited. When the button turned from red to white, the capture was complete. Pidgey was his. Ranma stared at the Pokeball for a long while as he thought about the capture meant. By all rights, he should feel proud at his first Pokemon catch. Unlike regular trainers, Raiden had needed no instruction from him in this battle, and had demonstrated that Ranma's martial arts training was effective. But it had been too easy. Pidgey had never stood a chance against Raiden's superior skills and Ranma felt badly about sending Raiden after it with no real cause other than to catch it. "Pika pi!" Raiden said happily as he ran up to the feet of its trainer. Ranma said nothing as he continued to gaze at the Pokeball. "Pi? Pikachu?" Ranma finally noticed his friend when it started tugging at his pants. He looked down at the slightly puzzled expression of his Pokemon, then gave him a small smile. "Uh… you did a good job Raiden. I… guess Pidgey should be… uhhh…. well…" It was then that he huffed in frustration as an image of the injured Pidgey came across in his mind. "Aw nuts! I can't do it!" "Pika?" "I'm sorry Raiden. You did a great job, but I just can't do it!" Ranma walked over to the Pokeball, picked it up and then tossed it up in the air. "Pidgey! Come out!" The Pokeball split open and the bird Pokemon was released. It fluttered to the ground and landed in front of the Ranma and Raiden. The martial artist frowned as he saw the injuries that Pigey had sustained in its battle with his Pikachu. The winged Pokemon stared at its new trainer and waited for its orders. The pigtailed martial artist pointed to the sky and said, "Go. You're free. I… I'm sorry that I… we attacked you." "Pidge?" The bird Pokemon was confused. Pidgey wasn't the only one who was confused. "Pika pi?" Ranma repeated himself, this time a little more forcefully. "Go! You're free!" Pidgey was still a little confused at the human's actions, but it was a command. Flapping its wings, it took to the air. A minute later, it had disappeared from sight. "Pika! Pikachu!" Raiden couldn't believe it. All that hard work, and all for nothing! It became a little steamed at his trainer's reluctance and turned to give him a piece of his mind. When he looked up at Ranma, the electric mouse's irritation faded when it saw that Ranma was sad. He was trying very hard to hold back his tears. Raiden's trainer said not a word as he went back to the campsite. The present… "Pikachu?" Ranma still didn't comprehend his Pokemon's dialect, but he could guess at what he was saying at the moment. "You're probably asking me why I let that Pidgey go, right?" From his position atop Ranma's backpack, Raiden nodded. Ranma sighed as he said, " I think it was a mistake to become a Pokemon trainer." "Pika pi?" "I… just couldn't do it. It… didn't feel right for me to put that Pidgey into that Pokeball. I mean, you did hurt that Pidgey pretty bad, didn't you?" Raiden paused to consider it. It had to admit that it was too easy. His new skills had made his far more formidable. That Pidgey had not stood a chance. "And I really felt bad when I put it in that Pokeball. I… just couldn't go through with it! I was trained to be a martial artist! I'm supposed to protect the weak! Now here I am, catching Pokemon by weakening them and putting them in Pokeballs! It… feels like I'm collecting slaves. It seems like I'm going against everything that I was taught." Raiden was about to protest, but then thought about it. Like some Pokemon, he didn't like to be confined. He could understand Ranma's reluctance to capture Pokemon. However, that was what trainers do. That was the reason why they were out here. Raiden was registered as his Pokemon and now they must catch and train other Pokemon so that they could achieve their best potential. Raiden had already exceeded the limits of a normal Pikachu. "Pika pikachu!" Ranma shook his head sadly as they continued on to Viridian City. Unknown to both of them, flying high above them, the same Pidgey that Ranma had caught earlier was quietly following them. It had become intrigued at the behavior of this Pokemon trainer and his Pikachu. The human showed genuine regret over having his Pokemon attack it and had set it free. This, and the fact that the Pikachu had displayed some extraordinary skills, had caught the bird's interest. If that human could train his electric mouse in midair combat, then it was possible that Pidgey could learn some new tricks as well. There was something about the human that made him unique and the Pidgey wanted to know what it was. It was near sundown as Ranma and Raiden set up camp for the night. During the day, Ranma had passed up several opportunities to capture Pokemon. Raiden had become exasperated when his trainer refused to send him out to battle a Venomoth, a Beedrill, a Gloom and a Nidoran. Although he understood Ranma's reluctance, Raiden was getting frustrated. At this rate, it would be a long time before they would have the minimum of six Pokemon that all trainers were supposed to have. Raiden wanted to see if his new martial arts and ki techniques were effective against other Pokemon and his trainer wasn't cooperating! As he sat by the campfire, Ranma noted the mood that Raiden was in and said, "I'm sorry Raiden. I know that I'm supposed to catch Pokemon, but I just can't bring myself to do it. Maybe… you'd be better off with another trainer." Raiden's features softened at the saddened expression of his friend. Its frustration was forgotten as it moved forward and nuzzled against Ranma's leg. "Pika!" The electric shook his head. He wouldn't have any other trainer. Ranma had saved his life and taught him things that he would have never achieved on his own. They had been through too much together and Raiden wasn't going to abandon him now. Ranma smiled as he stroked his Pikachu behind his ears. It was then that he heard a noise. His Pokemon also heard it as both turned their heads toward the sound of a… horse? Momentarily forgetting the current crisis, the two raced off toward the sound. As they got closer toward the sound, they reached the edge of the forest and saw something that was bucking about. Nearby, two large and burly-looking boys were pulling hard on ropes that were tied around the horse's neck. The horse itself was a sight as its mane and tail flickered and glowed like… flames? He could also see smaller flames near its hooves. Its body was a light cream color and when Ranma looked closer, he could see several marks and bruises. Whatever it was, it had been fighting hard to avoid capture. Ranma brought out his Pokedex. *PONYTA. A HORSE POKEMON OF THE FIRE ELEMENT. ITS HAIR IS ACTUALLY MADE OF LIVING FLAME AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TAME EVEN FOR EXPERT TRAINERS. * Ranma was astounded at the sight of such a magnificent animal as he watched the three boys pull hard on the ropes. He wondered why the ropes were not catching on fire. Then suddenly, a fourth boy appeared and threw a large, weighted net over Ponyta. "I got him!" The newcomer shouted as the net covered Ponyta and brought it down. The first boy smiled as he and the others converged on the downed horse and began securing the lines and nets. "He's a beauty!" The second boy said as he secured Ponyta's hind legs. "Man, I can't wait to take this one back home! He's going to do great in the Pokemon League! Making those ropes and net out of asbestos was a good idea!" The third boy said as he tightened the ropes and netting round Ponyta's neck. Ranma became sickened at the sounds of Ponyta's cries of pain and suffering. The sight of those boys beating on such a magnificent animal was more than Ranma could bear. Without a second thought, the pig-tailed martial artist started charging toward them. Sensing that this could turn into something ugly, Raiden quickly scampered after his impulsive trainer. Far above them, in a nearby tree, Pidgey watched with interest. "Watch it you guys!" The first boy yelled as Ponyta let off a stream of flame from its mane. "I got it covered!" The second boy said as he brought out a Pokeball. "Cool him off with you water cannons, Blastoise!" The Pokeball opened up and the final evolved form of a Squirtle appeared. The upper sections of its shell opened up to reveal two huge nozzles that pivoted toward the downed Ponyta. Twin streams of water shot out and doused the fire horse. Ponyta let off a shriek of pain as it felt its flames begin to die under the massive torrent of water. Huge clouds of steam rose up as the horse desperately tried to raise the temperature of its flames to keep them from being extinguished. "Stop it you idiot!" The first boy yelled. "If Ponyta's flames are put out, then it'll die!" The second boy held up the Pokeball and recalled his Blastoise. "Blastoise return!" After the turtle Pokemon was recalled, the three boys carefully began approaching their soggy catch. Ponyta groaned and whimpered as it lay on its side. Its mane and tail were flickering, narrow flames and it seemed as if they would disappear any moment. The flames near its hooves had been reduced to pitiful embers. Added to the other injuries it had sustained during the battle, the outlook did not look good. "Aw geez! All that trouble and three weeks of work down the drain! This is all your fault!" The first boy shouted to the second. "Hey I'm sorry!" The second boy said. "But I couldn't think of anything else to do!" "You jerk!" The third boy said. "We spent three weeks tracking this Ponyta, not mention the trouble it took to make those fireproof ropes and nets!" "I said I was sorry! What more do you want?" "You stupid jerk! I ought to…" "Hey! Leave that Ponyta alone!" The three boys turned and saw Ranma running up toward them. Raiden was hot on his trainer's heels. When the two came to the scene, they stopped and gasped at the sight. Ponyta's flames were nearly out and it was bleeding from several open wounds. "Who the heck are you?" The first boy asked. "Butt out pal, if you know what's good for you!" The second boy said. "This is our catch, so get lost!" The third boy added. Ranma couldn't believe the condition Ponyta was in. Remembering what Professor Oak had told him about various fire-type Pokemon, he said, "Ponyta won't last through the night! Its flames are nearly out! It needs to be brought to a Pokemon center, now!" The three toughs became more angered at being told what to do. The first boy brought out a Pokeball and yelled, "We don't need some know-it-all telling us what to do! Looks like we're going to have to teach you to keep your nose out of other people's business! Golem… go!" The Pokeball released the rock-type Pokemon, which appeared before them. The creature resembled a giant boulder with arms and legs. Its head pooped out of the front and it stared at its opponents with its beady little eyes. "Golem!" Ranma took out his Pokedex. *Golem. A rock-type Pokemon. Golem is the evolved form of Graveler. Every year it sheds is outer skin and grows larger. Its skin is tough enough to withstand a bomb. Ranma took a battle stance and prepared to attack it. It was then that Raiden tugged at his pants leg, causing him to look down. "Pikachu! Pika pika!" "You… want to do this?" Ranma asked as he looked deep into his Pokemon's eyes. "Pika!" Raiden nodded as he hopped forward and faced off against the Golem. Ranma was about to protest, but then thought about how much Raiden wanted to prove his skills in battle. Though Ranma preferred to fight his own battles, he could understand the electric rodent's desire to fight. After all those missed opportunities to catch Pokemon, Raiden was entitled to this battle. Nodding his head, Ranma resigned himself to the role of directing his Pokemon in the battle. Besides, Ponyta was fading fast and they had to get it away from these boys as soon as possible. "Okay Raiden! Let's do it!" When the Golem's trainer saw the Pikachu with the white headband, he gave off a short laugh. "Hah! And you call yourself a trainer! Everyone knows that electric-type Pokemon are weak against rock-types! Golem! Take them out with your rolling attack!" "Golem!" The Golem retracted its limbs and head and began tumbling toward Raiden at a fast clip. The ground rumbled as the massive Pokemon rolled toward Raiden with the intent on flattening the electric mouse into yellow pancake. Ranma nodded to Raiden. Raiden understood his trainer's silent command and began focusing his ki. The three boys stared in amazement as they saw the Pikachu glow with a blue aura. The light began to intensify as Golem neared it. Just as the Golem was about to crush Raiden, the Pokemon leapt high in a spectacular jump to evade it. The trainer of the Golem and his two friends looked up in shock as the Pikachu rose to a height of twenty-five feet! As Raiden reached the apex of his jump, he brought his paws forward and aimed them down at the area in front of the still rolling Golem. "RAIDEN! KI BLAST!" "Pika… CHU!" Ranma smiled as Raiden released a small, blue ball of energy at the ground where the Golem was about to roll onto. The energy impacted the ground with a large detonation, causing a ditch to be formed. The Golem went crashing down into the depression and ceased rolling, its forward momentum halted by the sudden appearance of the ditch. Finding itself wedged in the hole, the rock Pokemon extended its limbs and head and began to pull itself out. Just as it got back onto levelground, Raiden landed behind it and took a stance. When Golem turned around, Ranma gave out the final command. "RAIDEN! STONEBREAKER QUICK ATTACK!" "Pikachu!" The little electric rodent charged at its larger opponent with lightning-fast speed. Before the slow-moving Golem could begin to even defend itself, Raiden was already upon it. Using his agility to avoid the clumsy flailing of its arms, Raiden began zipping back and forth, making many passes at the Golem. Every time he passed it, he delivered several ki-enhanced strikes to its rocky surface. The Pokemon was moving far too fast for the three boys to follow and all they could hear were the sounds of something striking the Golem's body. A few seconds later, Raiden completed his attack and landed in front of Ranma in a ready stance. For a long while, no one spoke. The Golem was standing with a confused look on its face. "Hah! Cute trick, but your Pikachu didn't do nothing to my Golem!" The first boy scoffed as he saw that his Pokemon was unharmed. "Oh really?" Ranma said with a smirk. He then pointed to the Golem. The three boys looked back at the Golem and their expressions paled. The rock Pokemon let off a long and pitiful; moan as it began to experience a new sensation, pain. Its massive body shook as cracks began to form on its skin. Large chips and shards of its protective armor fell to the ground. Its arms and head had bruises and bumps forming on them as the results of Raiden's attack were made visible. Raiden had struck Golem in strategic areas of its body, making certain that each strike either hit a vulnerable spot, like the legs, arms and head, or cause the skin to crack under the strain. One moment later, the Golem toppled forward to the ground. The ground shook slightly as more than a ton of rock Pokemon came crashing down. "Go… lem." Half a second later, Golem was out like a light. "Golem!" The trainer couldn't believe that an electric rat had felled his mighty Golem. "I don't believe it!" The second boy said. "Impossible!" The third boy shouted. Ranma took a stance to match that of Raiden's and spoke again. This time, his voice was low and deadly. "That was just a small sample of what Raiden can do. I think it's fair to warn you that I'm no pushover either." Ranma began focusing his own ki. Raiden followed suit and the two were soon glowing with blue auras. This was not lost on the toughs who thought that a Pikachu was no match for a Golem. They began to back away as they each pulled out a Pokeball. "Last chance boys. Either clear out now and leave this Ponyta alone, or else!" "We're not scared of you!" The first boy said defiantly, although he and his friends were trembling like leaves. "Yeah!" The other two boys said as they prepared to launch their own Pokemon. Ranma frowned as he and Raiden prepared to let loose with their ki. Meanwhile, Pidgey had seen enough. It had been very impressed at the way Raiden had defeated the Golem. The Pikachu and his trainer were very special. Furthermore, this human and his Pokemon were risking their own safety to save an injured Ponyta from the cruelty of those three boys. The compassion being demonstrated was more than enough to convince the Pidgey that Ranma and Raiden were of a good sort. With that in mind, Pidgey decided to help them. It took off from the tree it was perched on and began flying toward the scene. It was at the time, the three boys were about to release their Pokemon. "You may have beaten Golem, but there's no way we're going to give up our catch to you! Let's go guys!" "Right!" The other boys said as they all reared back to throw their Pokemon. Then suddenly, they heard a squawking and looked up to see something diving at them. Pidgey swooped down and buzzed the boys, before taking off into the sky again. The sudden attack caused them to drop their Pokeballs. Ranma and Raiden were a bit puzzled at why a Pidgey would suddenly attack their opponents, but they weren't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. "RAIDEN! DUAL SHOCK ATTACK!" Raiden nodded as he began charging up his cheek pouches. Ranma focused a ball of ki in his palms and pulled his hands back. The blue energy began changing to yellow and crackled as power within was being converted. Just as the boys got over their surprise, they looked up and their faces lost all their color at the sight before them. "Pika… CHU!" At the same time that Raiden released his electric attack, Ranma let loose with a blast of his own. After practicing this move for months, the twin bolts of lightning were perfectly coordinated and Ponyta's tormentors were subjected to more than 40,000 volts. The boys screamed out in pain as their bodies twitched and flopped about. When the voltage ran its course, the mean teenagers were sprawled out on the ground. Their hair was frazzled and their clothes were badly singed. They let off a series of painful moans as they looked up and saw and angry Pokemon trainer and his Pikachu preparing for another blast. They knew when enough was enough. "I'm outta here!" "They can have that Ponyta!" "Wait for me!" Ranma and Raiden relaxed in their stances as they watched their opponents pick up their Pokeballs and make a mad dash from the scene. The first boy lingered for a moment longer to recall his fallen Golem before hightailing it. After the boys had left, Ranma and Raiden rushed to the side of the fallen Ponyta. Later that night… Ranma carefully began applying an herbal remedy to a bandage before wrapping it around one of Ponyta's legs. The injured Pokemon was lying on its side as Ranma tended to its wounds. It had been a difficult first few hours as it had been quite skittish and didn't want to be near another human. Ranma could understand its reluctance to be near him, but it needed help. With Viridian City still more than four days away, he had to make do with the medical supplies in his pack and the training in Pokemon First Aid that he had learned from Professor Oak. Even though he was only trying to help it and had no intention to catch it, Ponyta was still suspicious and would try to burn him whenever he got close. Ranma had been forced to tie it down with the fireproof ropes so that he could help. During his administrations, Ranma had discerned that Ponyta was a male stallion and a very young one at that. After many attempts and several burns later, Ranma was almost finished with his treatments. This was the last bandage. The fire-horse flinched a bit as the stinging solution seeped into his injury, causing his flames to flare a bit. Ranma grit his teeth, as the living flames brushed against his arm. A moment later, Ponyta calmed down and the pigtailed martial artist managed to secure the bandage before getting out a canteen and dousing his arm with water. "YOW! That smarts!" Ranma commented as the cool waters ran over the burn. He looked down at the injured Pokemon and saw that Ponyta was still trembling. However, he was not making any sudden movements and was at least tolerating Ranma's attempts to help him. When the burning sensation stopped, Ranma sat down and let off a tired sigh. Looking up at the Ponyta, he said in an exhausted voice, "You're making it any easier Ponyta! I told ya that I'm only trying to help! I don't wanna catch you!" Upon hearing this statement, Ponyta stopped struggling and looked at Ranma with a puzzled expression. He let off a confused sound and stared at him. Ranma nodded as he sighed. "Look, if I wanted to catch ya, then I would have put you in a Pokeball a long time ago. You were pretty weak when Raiden and me found you. I don't think that it's right to do that to ya. So lay off with the fire okay?" Ponyta continued to stare at the human for a long time. He was bewildered at the human's actions. He was certain that the pigtailed martial artist was a Pokemon trainer. Why else would he be carrying a Pokedex, Pokeballs and have a Pikachu obey his commands? With the fire-horse in such bad shape, it would be child's play for Ranma to capture him. So why wasn't he? It seemed as if he was totally disgusted with the idea. After a long moment, Ponyta decided to relax a bit. Ranma nodded as he saw Ponyta calm down. It was then that Raiden popped his head out of Ranma's backpack. "Pikachu." Ranma smiled as he said, "Did you find them?" Raiden nodded as he disappeared into the pack. A moment later, several cans of Pokemon chow were ejected from it and landed near Ranma's feet. Raiden came out of the pack afterwards. Ranma smiled as he set about making dinner. Ten minutes later, Raiden was happily munching on a plate of food. In front of Ponyta, Ranma had placed a large plate of food and waited for the fire-horse to eat. After long moments of watching the electric rodent eat, Ponyta was eventually convinced that it was all right to eat the food. When he began to eat, Ranma smiled as he experienced a feeling of déjà vu. Ten days later… Ranma, who was holding onto the reins of the makeshift bridle that he had made out of the ropes that those boys had used, was leading Ponyta down a path. Raiden was in his usual place on top of his backpack. When they got a clearing, he began removing the straps. "Well Ponyta, this is it. You should be well enough to make it on your own now, so I… guess this is goodbye." Ranma felt a bout of sadness as he looked into Ponyta's fiery red eyes. It had been a hard ten days, but the Pokemon had recovered from its injuries and was ready to run free. Ranma and his Pikachu had been by Ponyta's side the whole time, caring and feeding him until he was well. Now at full health, the fire-horse's mane, tail and other hair areas glowed with a bright, intense color. In the last few days, Ranma had earned Ponyta's trust and the living flames no longer burned him. As the bridle fell away, Ranma felt a sharp pang of regret at having to let this magnificent Pokemon go. However, he still couldn't just put this horse into a Pokeball. It would be too much like slavery and Ranma was still unsure about the whole thing. When Ponyta shook his head as the bridle was removed, Ranma stepped back and said, "GO! You're free!" Ponyta just stood there. "Didn't ya hear me? I said GO! You're free!" Ponyta did the opposite and leaned forward, nuzzling his head against Ranma's chest. It let off a contented neigh. Ranma was getting a little irritated and tried to push him away. Ponyta resisted. "Ponyta! I told you! You're free to go! I'm not going to keep ya!" He looked up at his Pikachu and said, "Raiden, what wrong with him?" Raiden smiled as he realized what was going on. History had repeated itself and now Ponyta was just as attached to Ranma as the electric mouse had gotten to be, all those months ago. It seemed that Ranma's honesty and kindness had netted him another friend for life. It was then that the horse began leaning toward Ranma's waist. At first, Raiden's trainer didn't understand, but then he noticed what Ponyta was trying to do. He was trying to get at the Pokeballs on his belt. "Oh no you don't! I told ya! I'm not putting you in any Pokeball! I…" "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" The sudden laughter caught Ranma and Raiden off guard. They were so busy with Ponyta that they had failed to notice the approach of some old enemies. Turning around, they saw the three boys they had battled ten days ago. They were standing on a nearby ridge and they weren't alone. They had brought along a few friends. Ranma noted that they all were holding a Pokeball and that they outnumbered him and Raiden by more than ten to one. Not very good odds. "Well, now isn't this touching." The first boy said as he looked down at the trio. "I never heard of a Pokemon trainer who refuses to catch Pokemon." He then smiled evilly as he gazed upon Ponyta. "By the way. Thanks for caring for our Ponyta. We'll take him off your hands now." Ranma snarled as he saw the smug look on his face. He got into a stance and began focusing his ki. Raiden also prepared himself for the coming battle. "I don't think so. This Ponyta was hurt once before by you jerks and I'll be damned if I'll let you hurt him again! You want him? You'll have to beat us first!" "Pikachu!" "That can be arranged." He gestured to the other members of his party who were brandishing their Pokeballs. Things looked grim. Fortunately for Ranma, his guardian angel was still watching him and had sent his messenger, a little Pidgey. Pidgey had been watching Ranma and Raiden in secret for the past few days and now it saw that they were in trouble. From out of the sky, it dived down at the group of boys. The ridge that they were on had large areas that were covered in sand. As it swooped down, it began to furiously flap its wings and let off a series of squawks. The boys turned around at the sound and were soon hacking and coughing as Pidgey released its Sand Attack. The dust cloud blanketed the group, obscuring their sight and causing many of them to drop their Pokeballs. Ranma and Raiden were again shocked to have been saved by a Pidgey and were still standing in their stances when Ponyta decided to take the initiative. It wouldn't do for his new trainer to be in such danger. It quickly went under Ranma's legs and began galloping off from the area. "What the…?" Ranma was totally taken by surprise as he found himself clinging for dear life on top of Ponyta's back. Raiden was also taken off guard and barely managed to hang onto Ranma's pack as the fire-horse sped away at better than 50 mph. The leader of the group was still coughing and hacking when the dust cloud lifted. When he saw his prize galloping away, he went into a rage. "I've worked too hard to let him take my Ponyta! Go get him Tauros!" The boy threw the Pokeball forwards, releasing the buffalo Pokemon, which began chasing after the runaway Ponyta. A few hundred meters ahead of the rampaging Tauros, Ranma was trying desperately to get Ponyta to stop. "Whoa! Hold it! Stop Ponyta! Slow down!" Ranma pulled hard on Ponyta's flaming mane, but the fire Pokemon would not stop until he was sure that they were far enough away. Ranma could do nothing but hold on tight. He had never ridden a horse before and it was taking all his strength and balance training to keep from falling off the horse's back. It was then that he heard the sound of something behind them. It sounded like a runaway freight train. When he glanced behind them, his widened at the sight of a Tauros that was bearing down on them. The mean looking Pokemon let off some snorts and had red in its eyes. "On second thought, don't slow down! Giddy up! Faster! Faster!" Ponyta was more than happy to oblige. With a sudden burst of speed, the fire-horse sped ahead of the three-tailed buffalo and pushed harder to outrun it. For a moment it seemed as if they would get away as they began to slowly increase the distance between them. It was then that Raiden saw something bad up ahead. "Pikachu! Pikachu!" "Huh?" Ranma looked forward and saw that they were heading toward a wide ravine. The gap was more than a hundred meters across and there was no way for Ponyta to make such a jump, even when they were going at 65 mph. They were less than two hundred and fifty meters from the edge. With a raging Tauros after them, they couldn't stop! "Ponyta!" Ranma screamed as he shut his eyes and waited for the end. "Pika!" It was then that Ponyta started to glow with an intense white light. Ranma opened his eyes when he felt a tingling sensation. Looking down, he saw that Ponyta's form was changing. Its form became larger and hotter. Ranma could feel the increased heat of its living flames but they still did not burn him. He then looked up and saw something emerge from Ponyta's forehead. When the light faded, Ponyta was no more. In his place was his evolved form… Rapidash! The horse was now the size of an Arabian stallion and had a horn on its head, which made it resemble a unicorn. Its living flames burned even more brightly than before as it put on a tremendous burst of speed. The new form of the fire Pokemon let off a whinny as he began galloping at better than 100 mph, leaving behind a flaming, swirling trail of flames that burned the Tauros. The buffalo Pokemon stumbled and fell to the ground as it was caught in Rapidash's Fire Spin. Ranma was still in shock over the sudden evolution when he suddenly found himself soaring though the air. "Pika!" Ranma looked down and saw the tiny line on the ground far below that represented a river below. It was then that he realized that Rapidash had jumped! He looked forward and saw the other side of the gorge coming straight at them. With less than a foot to spare, Rapidash landed on the other side and kept on running. They were soon a distant dot that was heading toward the horizon. Late afternoon… *RAPIDASH, THE FLAME-HORSE POKEMON. THE EVOLVED FORM OF PONYTA. RAPIDASH IS THE FASTEST SPRINTER OF ALL GROUND POKEMON AND IS ABLE TO ACHIEVE TOP SPEEDS OF WELL OVER 100 MPH. * "Awesome!" Ranma said as he put away his Pokedex. He began stroking Rapidash's flank. The new form of Ponyta let off a contented neigh as it nuzzled Ranma with its head. The horse took care not to poke him with its new horn. At Ranma's feet, Raiden stood and watched. Ranma kept on stroking the Pokemon as he considered what to do with it. It was obvious that Ponyta… er, Rapidash wasn't going to leave him alone. It had proven himself to be totally loyal to him and wanted to go with him and Raiden. As Ranma thought about it, he then the flapping of some wings. Looking to one side, he and the Pokemon saw Pidgey land on a large boulder near them. Ranma smiled as he saw it. "I guess we have you to thank for our escape, and for that time ten days ago." "Pidge!" The bird squawked as it hopped off the rock and trotted to where Raiden was standing. It then began making a series of chirps and sounds to the electric Pokemon. A minute later, Raiden's eyes widened in surprise. He then glanced up and began gesturing frantically at his trainer. "Pika! Pikachu! Chu! Pika!" "What is it Raiden? You know this Pidgey?" "Pika!" Raiden nodded as he pointed at the Pokeballs on Ranma's belt. "What are you talking about? I told you before. I'm not going to…" It was at that moment that Ranma realized what his Pikachu was trying to tell him. "Wait a second… are you saying that this Pidgey is the same one that I let go two weeks ago?" "Pika!" Raiden nodded. Ranma became even more confused as he stared at the bird. "Hold on! Why would you want to help us? Not that I'm complaining, but still…" Pidgey nodded to him and gestured with a wing to Rapidash. Ranma began to consider what Pidgey was trying to tell him. At that thought, Ranma looked down at the Pidgey with an intense gaze. "Is that the reason why? Because… I'm not forcing you to do anything? You… want to come with us? Is it because I gave you and Rapidash a… choice?" "Pidge!" The bird hopped up and down happily. Ranma was amazed. They wanted to be with him. They wanted to be his friends. At the thought of having friends, Ranma couldn't help but feel warm at the prospect. His old training journey with his father had been a long and lonely one. He had never been able to hold onto any friends for long as Genma had forbidden it or taken him away from any chance of forming any attachments. Now, with him not present, Ranma had a chance of finding making true friends. He had already had one in Raiden. Why not make some more? And if they were willing to come with him, then it wouldn't be called slavery, now would it? Ranma separated himself from the others and stepped back to face them. Reaching behind his belt, he pulled out two Pokeballs and said to the horse and bird. "I really don't like the idea of putting you in Pokeballs, but if you really want to come with me and be my Pokemon, then they'll be times in which I have to use them. Are you sure that you want to be with us?" Rapidash stomped a hoof and nodded his head in enthusiastic agreement. Pidgey also nodded in agreement. Ranma took one look at Raiden, who smiled and nodded his head. "Pika. Pika pi!" Ranma took a deep breath and then activated the two capture devices. "POKEBALLS…. GO!" The two Pokemon were instantly placed within the Pokeballs, which then returned to the hands of their new trainer. Ranma looked down at them and then allowed something to happen. He let a tear form in his eye. A day later… On a ridge that overlooked Viridian City, a Rapidash and its riders came to a halt. Ranma smiled as he took in the sight of the urban area. A moment after they stopped, a Pidgey came down and landed on his left shoulder. On his backpack, Raiden looked over at the sunset that bathed Viridian in its vibrant colors. Ranma had given the names of Wildfire for Rapidash and Wind Rider for the Pidgey. As he looked down at Viridian, he began to think of the adventures that they had shared and the ones that were yet to come. "Wildfire, Wind Rider, Raiden. Are you all ready?" The three Pokemon nodded as Ranma urged his fiery steed down the slope. To be continued… Author's Notes Well, now that Fist of the Pikachu has joined with the ranks of my regular stories, I would like to hear some comments and suggestions. This chapter has dealt with Ranma's uneasiness as he enters the world of Pokemon trainers.