Fist of the Pikachu

Disclaimer: I think we know the drill by now.

< >: Thoughts
* *: Pokedex Responses

                             Chapter 10
                         Wildfire Gets Wilder 

     "Where are we?" Ranma said aloud as he looked at the map. It had 
been about five days since he left Crimson City. He had used that 
time to start training his new Machop. The martial arts Pokemon had 
taken to the Anything Goes style like a fish to water. Sparring with 
him was also good training and the other Pokemon seemed to get 
along very nicely with their newest member, whom he named Bruiser. 
Machop had earned that name after he actually managed to catch 
Ranma in midair and put him into a Seismic Toss. Fortunately, after all 
the training Ranma had done with the other Pokemon, he had 
survived Machop's strongest attack. The Pokemon's best moves 
consisted of grappling maneuvers and throws, but the Machop also 
proved to be very adaptable at the Saotome style of aerial combat 
and ki techniques. 
     Ranma continued to stare at the map and had thought that he and 
his Rapidash had made an error in navigation again. It wasn't easy 
reading road signs when his mode of transport was moving at an 
average speed of over 175-mph. It was made even worse due to 
Wildfire's tendency to race against any fast moving cars, planes and 
such. His Pokedex had informed him that Rapidash were like that and 
they loved speed contests. They would race against anything that 
was fast just for the thrill of it. 
     This time was different however. When they had gotten back on 
the highway, they had encountered some construction crew doing 
repair work and had to make a detour. Then all of a sudden, Wildfire 
had put on a burst of speed and started galloping off in a new 
direction. Now they were overlooking a vast area of plains and rolling 
hills. Checking his map, Ranma discerned that he was somewhere 
near the Safari Zone. He wondered just why his Rapidash seemed so 
excited to be here and seemed to feel right at home.
     Before he had a chance to ponder it some more, he and his 
Rapidash had begun to feel an ominous rumbling noise. The ground 
began to shake as Ranma pulled back on the reins to steady his 
steed. On his backpack, Raiden clung tight to keep from falling off.
     "Whoa! Steady Wildfire! Easy does it!"
     The Rapidash soon calmed down and Ranma looked over and saw 
a huge cloud of dust fast approaching from the east. He reached into 
a side pocket of his backpack and took out a pair of binoculars. 
Looking through the eyepieces, he let out a gasp as he saw what was 
coming.
     At the front was a small herd of Tauros. On either side of the 
thundering group were two riders, each mounted on fire-horses. 
Ranma smiled as he noted three Ponytas and one Rapidash. The rider 
of the Rapidash caught his interest. He observed her riding her 
mount with all the skill of the cowboys he had seen on those gaijin 
TV westerns as a kid.
     It was then that he noticed that the herd of Tauros was heading 
toward a small town and saw that the riders were trying to head off 
the stampede. Even though the herd numbered about a dozen or so, 
even that small number would cause great damage and injury. He 
could see that the townspeople were scrambling to take cover. Seeing 
that the riders would not be able to stop the rampaging Tauros in 
time, he decided to intervene.
     "Let's go, Wildfire!"
     The Rapidash reared up on his hind legs, then charged down the 
slope on an intercept course. Leaving a blazing trail of embers behind 
it as he raced to head off the herd.
     Laura Lareme was desperately urging her Rapidash to go faster, 
but it was apparent that they were not going to be able to stop the 
stampede in time. It was then that she saw that something was fast 
approaching on a course perpendicular to where the herd was 
heading. She could only make out a red comet as it streaked across 
the ground. When it came closer, she gasped as she made out a 
Rapidash and its rider.
     "What is that dang fool doing?" Laura gasped as she saw them 
charging across the plains. 
     Ranma smiled as they came across a large area of sand between 
the herd and the town. He then came up with an inspiration. Grabbing 
the Pokeball that contained Wind Rider, he then directed his steed to 
race across the front of the herd of Tauros.
     "WILDFIRE! HEAD THEM OFF WITH A FIREBLAZE TRAIL!"
     The Rapidash let off a whinny as he put on another burst of 
speed, putting out intense flames that formed a wall behind them. The 
lead Tauros of the herd was forced to turn to the right to avoid the 
wall and started to run parallel to the flames. The rest of the herd 
followed.
     "NOW, USE THE SUPER FIRE SPIN! KEEP THEM INSIDE THE CIRCLE BUT DON'T 
HURT THEM!"
     Wildfire's mane and tail flared again as he began racing around in 
a wide circle. The Tauros tried to outrun the fire-horse, but were 
unable to keep up with his superior speed. The flames being caused 
by Ranma's Pokemon soon formed a ring to corral the beasts, Ranma 
knew that it was only a temporary solution. As soon as the flames 
died down, the Tauros would likely stampede again. As he urged his 
Rapidash to continue racing around the herd, he let fly with Wind 
Rider's Pokeball.
     "WIND RIDER! USE YOUR SAND ATTACK AND KICK IT UP BEHIND 
WILDFIRE'S TRAIL!"
     The Pidgeotto did as he was asked and used controlled bursts of 
wind to cause sand particles to be swept into the intense flames. The 
silicon particles began to harden into glass under the intense heat. 
They started piling up and fusing together into mounds. More and 
more sand was added as Ranma's Rapidash slowly widened the circle 
with each pass, causing a glass barrier to be formed. After several 
dozens of turns, a ring of glass more than five feet thick encircled the 
herd. The Tauros tried to butt their way through, but with so little 
space inside the makeshift corral, they couldn't build up enough 
momentum. Eventually, they began to calm down as they realized that 
they had nowhere to go.
     When Ranma saw that the herd had stopped he then brought his 
steed to a halt. Patting the side of his horse's head, he praised both 
of his Pokemon. "Great job Wildfire. You too, Wind Rider!"
     The Rapidash snorted with pride and the Pidgeotto let off a happy 
squawk. Ranma wiped his brow of sweat as he surveyed their work. 
Around the glass corral, there was nothing but bare rock now. 
However, the town had been saved. The people were just coming out 
of their shelters and begin cheering. It was then that he saw the riders 
approaching him with Laura Lareme in front. They all came to a halt in 
front of him.
     "That was amazing! You saved the town and stopped the 
stampede! We're right grateful to you and your Pokemon."
     Ranma smiled at her Old West accent. He decided to respond in 
kind. "T'weren't nothin' ma'am. Happy to oblige." He then gave here 
a salute with his two fingers. He wished he had a cowboy hat.
     Laura nodded as she got off her mount. Ranma did the same as he 
got a good look at the girl. She was wearing a kind of headband in her 
light green hair. She also had a red bandanna around her neck and 
wore a red flannel, short-sleeved shirt, tan Bermuda-style shorts and 
leather shoes that resembled hiking boots. Ranma gauged her to be 
around Jeanette's age and she had an athletic figure, which wasn't 
surprising considering that she worked on a ranch. 
     "What's yer name, stranger?"
     "Ranma Saotome." Ranma took her offered hand and shook it.
     "Well, I'm Laura Laramie of the Lareme Clan. We'd all like to give 
you a warm welcome to the Big P Ranch."
     "Thanks. I'm glad to be here."
     "Pikachu!"
     Ranma smiled as he gestured to his Pokemon. "Oh, where are my 
manners? I'd like to introduce you to my Pokemon. This is Raiden, 
Wind Rider and Wild… fire?" Ranma had just waved to his horse 
when it suddenly moved forward and gave Laura an affectionate 
nuzzle with the side of his head.
     The girl was a bit surprised at how friendly this strange horse was 
with her. Usually, fire-horses would burn anyone that they did not 
completely trust. "Er, you got yourself one friendly Rapidash."
     "Uh, yeah…" Ranma continued to stare at the horse as Laura 
started to stroke and pet him. "You know… if I didn't know better, I'd 
say that he knows you."
     "Well, I can't say that I ever met this Rapidash before. My 
Rapidash over there is the only one that I've been with. Most of my 
time is spent tending to our ranch's Ponytas."
     It was then that Wildfire gave a happy snort and nuzzled her 
again. It was then that Ranma got to think about the time he first 
encountered Wildfire. He had never tried to figure out where the 
horse had come from when he had rescued him from Billy Bartonne 
and his friends. He also thought about how much at home Wildfire 
felt at this place. <Could it be that Wildfire had come from here?>
     Ranma tabled these thoughts for later as Laura invited him and his 
Pokemon to travel with her group back to the ranch. On the way, she 
called for a few of the hired hands to go and free the Tauros from 
their glass prison. 
     Sometime later, near the stables of the Big P Ranch, Ranma and 
Raiden were walking alongside Laura as she led her Rapidash to the 
stables. Ranma had accepted Laura's offer to set him up for the night.
     "I have to admit, you've got yerself one fine Rapidash." Laura 
commented. "I don't think we could raise one any better. I ain't never 
seen a Rapidash do what yours did with that herd of Tauros."
     "Thanks. Yours is really nice too. He looks strong."
     "Pikachu." Raiden nodded his head in agreement.
     "You better believe it." Laura said with pride. "Why Rapidash here 
won the Pokemon Challenge Race last year. I'm mighty proud of him. 
In fact, I intend to win this year's race with him. He did so well with 
his rider last year, that I'm sure that he'll win this year as well."
     "Well, seeing how you and Rapidash are so close, I can't help but 
think that you'll be the winner."
     Just then, the two noticed a big cloud of dust being raised in the 
distance. Ranma and Laura stopped as the cloud sped toward them. 
Laura's Rapidash and Wildfire were a bit startled when the cloud 
suddenly stopped in front of them and cleared. Ranma stared at the 
strange bird and its rider before taking out his Pokedex.
     *DOTRIO, A THREE-HEADED BIRD POKEMON. IT CAN RUN FASTER THAN IT 
CAN FLY. ITS HEADS REPRESENT JOY, SORROW AND ANGER. *
     "Howdy Laura. All set 'fer the big race tomorrow?" The boy 
snickered as he gazed upon Ranma. "So who's this, yer new 
boyfriend?"
     Laura had become a bit flustered, as she replied, "No, he's a guest 
of ours, Dario. He rounded up a herd of Tauros fer us." Though a 
small part of her didn't really find the idea of Ranma as a boyfriend as 
unpleasant. He was really cute and seemed to know how to handle 
horses. She then quickly changed the subject. "Anyways, I hope 
you're ready to lose! Rapidash is gonna whup yer Dotrio's tail, just 
like last year!"
     "Hmph! You were just lucky last year. I would have won if that 
horse of yers hadn't have gone and cheated!"
     "Don't you go calling Rapidash a cheater1 I may not be able to 
prove that you tried to fix the race last time, but I know you were 
behind all those accidents, including the one that hurt my arm!"
     "You ain't got no proof, and besides I was never involved in any 
of it. Well, I'll see ya tomorrow. Then again, the only thing you'll be 
seeing all through the race will be my Dotrio's tail feathers." Dario 
gave a short laugh and then rode his bird off.
     Ranma frowned as he watched Dario leave. "Something tells me 
that guy is not only a sore loser, but also a bad winner. So what did 
he mean by your horse cheating?"
     Laura smirked as she relayed the events of last year's race.
     "No kidding? Your Ponyta became a Rapidash?" Ranma smiled as 
he remembered the events that made Wildfire evolve.
     "Yep. I'm mighty grateful to Ash Ketchum for helping Rapidash 
win the race and kept Dario from becoming an honorary member of 
the Laramie Clan."
     "Excuse me?"
     "Well, every year we hold this race to see who have raised the 
best Pokemon and the winner of the race becomes an honorary 
member of our clan. I shudder to think what would've happen if Dario 
had won."
     Ranma nodded as he and Laura neared the stables. After tethering 
her horse, Laura then invited him to accompany her to the festival 
that was being held in town before the race. Ironically, it was the 
same town that had almost been run over by the stampeding Tauros. 
After some gentle prodding and an attack of cuteness (something 
that Ranma still couldn't defend himself against), Raiden's trainer 
reluctantly agreed to be Laura's escort. Ranma had decided to take 
his Rapidash with him. The fire-horse walked alongside them as Laura 
showed him the sights.
     It was sometime around nine o'clock when Ranma and Laura 
returned to the stables to check on her Rapidash before turning in for 
the night. The pigtailed martial artist and his Pikachu were quite 
happy. It's not every day that they had a chance to relax and just 
enjoy themselves. Ranma had also let out his other Pokemon to enjoy 
the free food and watch the sights. Laura had proven to be good 
company and her presence helped Raiden's trainer become more 
accustomed to being with girls. 
     However, when they came back to the stables, they were quickly 
approached by one of the hired hands.
     "Laura! Come quick! Something's wrong with your Rapidash and 
the other Ponytas!"
     Without hesitation, Laura ran to her Rapidash's stall. A moment 
later, she cried out in shock.
     A while later, in the main house of the ranch, Laura shook her head 
despondently as she and Ranma sat on a bench on the front porch.
     "I can't believe that the oats were poisoned!" Laura said sadly.
     "Well it's a good thing that it wasn't anything lethal." Ranma 
remarked. "Nurse Joy said that all of your Ponyta and Rapidash 
should recover in a day or two."
     "But the race is tomorrow!" Laura exclaimed. "What am I going to 
do? I can't ride Rapidash or the other Ponytas, and they're the 
fastest Pokemon that our ranch has! There's no other Pokemon that 
could beat Dario's Dotrio! I just know that Dario was the one who did 
this!"
     Ranma looked at the girl and he just couldn't stand to see a girl 
cry. He was silent for a long time, then said in a quiet voice. "I have 
an idea, Laura. You can use my Rapidash." Ranma held out the 
Pokeball that contained Wildfire. "He didn't eat those poisoned oats 
so you can ride him in the race."
     Laura smiled sadly as she shook her head. "That's nice of you to 
offer, Ranma, but that won't work. The Pokemon that I have to ride 
has to come from our ranch. Ash Ketchum was allowed to ride in my 
place since my Rapidash was raised here. Your Rapidash is very nice 
and strong, but we need a representative of our clan."
     "Well, if I'm right, then Wildfire should be able to race with you 
then."
     "What do you mean?"
     Ranma tossed the Pokeball and released Wildfire. As soon as the 
horse appeared, he automatically trotted over to where Laura was and 
gave her an affectionate lick.
     "Why is he so friendly to me?" Laura inquired as she gently 
pushed him away.
     "Because… I think you raised him at one time."
     "Huh?"
     "Tell me, have you ever lost a Ponyta or had one stolen?"
     Laura thought for a moment, then nodded. "About a couple of 
months back, some rustlers tried to make off with some of our 
Ponytas. We managed to track them down and get back all of them, 
except one that had run off scared. We never did manage to find 
him."
     Ranma smiled as he saw Wildfire nuzzle against Laura's chest. 
"Well, I think Wildfire may be that lost Ponyta. He's way too familiar 
with you." Ranma then told her of how he had come across Wildfire 
and adopted him as his Pokemon.
     Laura was still a bit skeptical after Ranma had finished his story. 
"That may all be just a coincidence. Besides, if Wildfire was that 
missing Ponyta, then he'd have the special brand of the Big P Ranch 
printed on his left hind hoof. It uses a special dye that doesn't rub 
off, and it isn't affected if he evolves."
     Ranma smirked as he went over to Wildfire's left hind leg and 
motioned for him to lift it. "I always wondered what this mark was 
when I nursed him back to health."
     Laura gasped as she saw the mark of the Big P Ranch imprinted on 
the hoof. She looked the horse straight in the eye and said in a 
trembling voice. "Were… y-you that… lost… Ponyta?"
     Wilier nodded his head vigorously and snorted in agreement.
     Ranma's smile became even wider. "Well, it looks like you're back 
in the running Laura."
     Laura was close to tears as she grasped the sides of Wildfire's 
head and quietly asked him, "Do really want me to be your rider?"
     The fire-horse gave her another affectionate lick and nodded.
     "Well, I guess we're going to have to pull an all-nighter to get you 
ready for tomorrow."
     "What do you mean? I know how to ride a horse. I've been riding 
them since I was six."
     Ranma gestured with a thumb to his Pokemon. "Wildfire here isn't 
your average Rapidash."

Some time later…
     "WHOOOOOOAAAAAAA!!!!"
     Laura was thrown forward a dozen feet as Wildfire screeched to a 
halt after doing ten laps around the corral. It was a lucky thing that 
Ranma had been there to catch her in his arms. She hadn't expected 
her mount to go from 0 to 170 mph in less than six seconds. She had 
hung on for dear life when Ranma's Pokemon made those tight turns 
at speeds that would have broke the legs off any other horse. The 
way that the Rapidash could stop almost on a dime also shocked her. 
Wildfire's training in ki control allowed the horse to reverse and 
decrease inertia and momentum to aid in decelerating and 
maneuvering.
     Ranma was a bit uncomfortable as he held the slim and athletic 
figure close to his body. He gave a slight gulp and asked, "Hey, are 
you okay?"
     Laura nodded slightly as she was helped back onto her feet. She 
more than intimidated at how powerful and fast the horse was. "I 
never knew that Wildfire could move like that. Rapidash are fast, but 
not THAT fast!"
     "Yeah, well I've been pushing Wildfire to reach new speeds during 
our travels. It's a good thing he was holding back that time."
     "THAT was holding back?!"
     Ranma gave her a sheepish smile and shrugged. "Well, yeah. Last 
time I checked, my Rapidash could hit 230 mph."
     "Two hundred and thirty?!"
     Ranma nodded. "He can only maintain his top speed for about two 
or three minutes before tiring out. I've trained him in endurance and 
he can cruise at about 180 mph for a couple of hours though."
     Laura looked back at Wildfire, who seemed to convey an 
expression that seemed to apologize for accidentally throwing her. 
She then felt some anxiety and her confidence began to lower. 
"Maybe it would be better if you rode him in the race tomorrow."
     Ranma shook his head. "Nah, I can see it in your eyes. You want 
to beat that jerk Dario and I don't blame you. This will make up for the 
time he put you out of the competition last year. Besides, you know 
the layout of the course and Wildfire needs you to guide him through 
it. You know what kind of terrain he'll be up against. My Rapidash 
may be strong and fast, but that doesn't mean he'll automatically win 
on a course he's never been on." Ranma became silent for a moment 
as he waited for Laura's reply. When she gave him a reluctant nod, 
the martial artist and Pokemon trainer walked up to his horse and 
patted the side of his head. "Wildfire, for now I want you to restrict 
your speed to under 120, until Laura gets used to going that fast. 
We'll work up from there, okay?"
     Wildfire snorted in agreement and bobbed his head.
     Ranma smiled as he glanced back at Laura. "Oh, and I think it 
would be best if you knew of some of Wildfire's attacks."
     "I know all the attacks that a Rapidash can make."
     "Oh, you mean Stomp, Fire Spin, Ember, Takedown and so on? 
That's kid's stuff."
     "Kid's stuff?"
     The pigtailed teen smirked as he watched his Pokemon power up 
his battle aura.

The next day…
     "Welcome ladies and gentlemen," the announcer said as the 
crowds began to fill up the stadium at the start of the course. "The 
Annual Pokemon Challenge Race will be underway in thirty minutes. 
Each competitor must follow a grueling and dangerous course as well 
as against each other to win the race. For all you Pokemon racing 
fans, there is no other challenging competition more exciting than this 
one!"
     The crowds soon packed the stadium to full capacity as the 
participants of the race began positioning themselves at the starting 
line. Near the head of the group, Dario was perched on his Dotrio and 
smirked as he saw his rival Laura approach the line on foot, with no 
Pokemon in sight.
     "Howdy, Laura. You here to cheer me on?" Dario snickered.
     "Like I'd ever do that." Laura replied with some irritation as she 
crossed her arms. 
     "Aw, don't be like that." Dario said with a mocking tone. "I mean, 
I'm really sorry that you don't have any Pokemon to ride in the race. 
When I heard about your Rapidash and Ponyta getting sick, I felt 
really sorry that you couldn't race against me. But then again, even if 
you did have a Pokemon, it wouldn't be able to beat my Dotrio. It's a 
lot faster than last year and more than a match for that cheatin' 
Rapidash or yours." 
    Laura then gave him a smug look and replied, "For your 
information, my Rapidash could beat your Dotrio anytime of the 
week. And besides... who says I'm going to be missing out on the 
race?"
    "You can't ride in the race without a Pokemon, Laura." Dario 
sneered.
     Laura looked over her shoulder and smiled as she caught sight of 
Wildfire being led toward the starting line by one of her hired hands. 
Ranma had decided to leave early that morning and keep an eye on 
the race.
     Dario's eyes widened as he watched Laura mount the fiery steed 
as the announcer started speaking over the loudspeakers.
     "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a surprise announcement. The 
local favorite, Laura Laramie of the Big P Ranch WILL be in this 
year's competition!" A big cheer erupted from the stands as Laura 
and Wildfire was given a standing ovation. "Due to the unfortunate 
incident that occurred last night at her ranch, a fellow trainer had 
generously loaned his Rapidash to her for the race! The Rapidash's 
name is Wildfire! Let's all give them a hand!"
     Dario became infuriated at the news as the crowds gave his rival 
another round of applause. He turned toward the judges' stand in 
outrage. "Hey! That can't be right! She's supposed to be riding a 
Pokemon from her ranch, not some stranger's! She should be 
disqualified from running!"
     The head judge looked down at the papers in his hand and then 
shook his head. "Miss Laramie has already shown me authentic proof 
that her mount had come from her ranch and is therefore qualified to 
enter the race."
     "What?!"
     Laura smiled in triumph as she turned Wildfire around and showed 
off the Big P Ranch brand on his left hind hoof.
     Dario gritted his teeth, then turned away in disgust. "Fine then. I 
don't know what kind of scheme you're pulling, but it won't work! I'm 
still going to beat you Laura!"
     "We'll see about that." 
     The two of them began taking their positions at the starting line as 
the final preparations were being made.
     Looking through a pair of binoculars, Ranma watched from a high 
ridge that was at the halfway mark of the racecourse. Beside him, he 
had let out all of his Pokemon to get ready for any traps and dangers 
that he was sure that Dario had laid out for the other competitors, 
especially Laura. He focused the eyepieces to maximum magnification 
and saw that the race was about to begin.
     Back at the starting line, the head judge stood up with a starting 
gun as the lights in front began changing colors.
     "On your marks…"
     The red lights switched off and the amber light switched on.
     "Get set…"
     The amber lights switched off as the judge held up the gun and 
pulled the trigger. The green lights then lit up.
     "GO!"
     BANG!
     The race was on!
     Dario immediately pulled forward from the group and took an early 
lead with his Dotrio, leaving a trail of dust behind him. Laura and 
Wildfire managed to take a comfortable position in second place as 
they too pulled away from the pack. As per Ranma's instructions, his 
Rapidash kept from going full out, as Laura would have not been able 
to stay on his back at such velocities. As of now, he was going at 
about 85 mph.
     The course for this year's race was a lot longer than Ash Ketchum 
had rode before, with more obstacles, twisting paths and wide gorges 
to cross, as well as climbing a steep mountainside and traversing a 
wide river. Back with the rest of the group, the riders and their 
Pokemon were jockeying for position and some were even getting 
into fights. Several riders who were riding Rapidashes were thrown 
from their mounts as they lost control at such high speeds. Laura 
barely missed being sideswiped by another rider as she urged her 
mount to go faster. Dario had not been kidding about his Dotrio 
being even faster than before as she watched him pull even further 
away. Soon the pack began to thin as more and more riders were 
eliminated. 
     Wildfire saw that he needed to catch Dario and put on an added 
burst of speed, kicking up to 110 mph. He couldn't go any faster as 
they were now entering a treacherous canyon, riddled with huge 
boulders and ditches. Laura carefully maneuvered the Rapidash 
around the obstacles as she saw another few riders stumble and 
crash into the ground.
     From his lookout point, Ranma could see that his horse and Laura 
were doing well, but Dario had a commanding lead. The jerk had the 
advantage of knowing the terrain and Laura was forced to slow her 
mount down to guide him through the narrow passes and turns. 
Ranma had no time to familiarize his Rapidash with the course and 
right now, Laura was Wildfire's only means of guidance. 
     Raiden's trainer frowned as he saw Dario's Dotrio cross the wide 
river that lay across the racecourse. Using the large stones that 
formed a pathway across the waters, it took them only a few seconds 
to get to the other side. About twenty seconds later, Laura was seen 
racing toward the riverbank.
     The announcer gasped as the scene was shown on the giant 
monitor that displayed the race to the audience. "Uh oh! Laura 
Laramie is heading toward the river, but at the speed she's going, she 
and Wildfire are in danger of falling in! And we all know how fire-
type Pokemon are vulnerable to water."
     It was true. Wildfire had no intention of stopping as he increased 
his speed. Laura tried to make her mount slow down so they could 
navigate the stepping stones laid out for them.
     "Wildfire, please slow down!"
     The Rapidash gave whinny as he suddenly accelerated to 140 mph 
and then made a huge running broad jump. Laura clung onto him for 
dear life as he traversed halfway across the river. Wildfire then made 
a landing on one of the stones, then with a flash of ki energy and no 
loss of momentum, propelled forward like a rocket and landing on the 
opposite bank. He then dashed off after Dario.
     "Whoa fans! That was amazing! Wildfire had just cleared the river 
in two jumps! A distance of more than four hundred meters! 
Whoever Wildfire's trainer is, he must be really proud of his Pokemon 
right now!"
     Ranma smirked at the compliment from the radio he carried as he 
continued to watch the race. Dario had begun to slow down as he 
started running the mountain pathways. The steep hillsides made it 
hard for the Dotrio to get a stable foothold. He then caught sight of 
Laura gaining on him as his Rapidash blazed a fiery trail behind him. 
Perhaps Laura didn't need his help to win this race.
     He opinion soon changed as Raiden started tugging at his left 
pants leg. 
     "Pika! Pikachu!"
     He looked down at the electric rodent who was pointing in the 
distance toward another ridge that overlooked one turn of the 
racecourse. Dario passed under it as Laura came into sight of it. He 
then saw a glint of metal as sunlight reflected off it. He trained his 
binoculars on the light and gasped as he saw what it was.
     <Damn! I knew Dario wouldn't play fair!> The pigtailed boy 
gestured to his Pidgeotto as they were too far away. "Wind Rider! 
Take out that guy on that ridge!"
     The bird Pokemon took off and flew toward the ridge. On the ridge, 
one of Dario's thugs had a tranquilizer gun aimed directly at Wildfire's 
hindquarters. He was just waiting for the horse to come within range 
and…
     "Pidgooooo!!!"
     The thug was startled by the squawk and then saw a flash of light 
at the corner of his eye. As he looked up, twin beams of ki energy 
blasted the rifle out of his hands. Before he could react, Wind Rider 
dive-bombed him and knocked him off his feet. One blast of 
compressed air and Dario's man was out cold.
     "Good work, Wind Rider!" Ranma smiled as he saw Laura and 
Wildfire pass by the ridge in safety. As they were getting toward the 
halfway point, Ranma gestured for his Pokemon to follow him as he 
went down a narrow path that would take them to where Laura and 
Dario would be. 
     At the halfway mark, near the entrance to another canyon, only 
Dario and Laura were left in the race, as the other riders were too far 
behind to have any chance of winning. As with last year, the 
Pokemon could only continue on after consuming some food that 
had been laid out for them. Dario became frustrated as the three 
heads of his Dotrio began fighting over which one would eat first.
     <Dang! This thing happened last year!> He looked up and saw 
that his rival and Pokemon had come onto the scene and made their 
way toward a trough. He was especially surprised to see her mount 
gobble up the food like a vacuum cleaner. In less than a minute, 
Wildfire had consumed the entire thing and was ready to race off 
again. 
     (Hey, when you're able to go over 200 mph, you burn up a lot of 
calories!) 
     "Arrgh! I ain't going to lose THIS year!" He then let off a whistle 
to signal his ace, or rather aces, in the hole.
     Ranma and his Pokemon had just gotten to the scene when he 
heard several explosions. He then saw some strange projectiles flying 
through the air, exploding into thick clouds of fog, obscuring 
visibility. The people at the stadium were puzzled, as the giant 
monitor showed nothing but dense fog and static.
     Back at the canyon, Ranma was wondering just what was going 
on, when he heard some ominous and sickening theme music.
     <Oh no! Not again! What are these guys, a franchise?>
     Sure enough, two figures appeared the smokescreen and took a 
pose. Both were dressed in team Rocket uniforms. One was a girl with 
short blond hair in a short-cropped hairstyle, while the other was a 
guy that looked like her twin brother. 
     "Don't cause us trouble!"
     "Or we'll pay you back double!"
     "To subject the world and cause it devastation!"
     "To raise our position to a whole new station!"
     "To annihilate the goodness of truth and love!"
     "To extend our rule to the heavens above!"
     "Billy!" The girl announced.
     "Kidd!" The boy followed.
     "Team Rocket, destroying all good within our sight!"
     "Surrender now for it is useless to fight!"
     "Hitmonchan!" A new Pokemon showed up in front of them. 
     Ranma let off a dejected sigh, but then became interested at the 
appearance of a new Pokemon.
     *HITMONCHAN, A FIGHTING-TYPE POKEMON. IT IS VERY PROFICIENT IN 
BOXING AND HAS A VERY FAST PUNCH. *
     Dario smiled as he said to the new Team Rocket, "Okay, I paid you 
guys a lot of money and I expect you to do a better job than that 
other Team Rocket!"
     "No problem." Kidd replied as he and Billy threw out several 
Pokeballs. Each device opened up and released a Blastoise. The 
heavy turtles began aiming their water cannons at Wildfire and his 
rider.
     Laura pulled on the reins and the horse took a few steps back. 
"Dario, you're nothing but a big cheater!" She could tell that Wildfire 
was really nervous at the moment. One Blastoise he could take. A 
dozen of them was another story.
     "I do what I have to, to win. See ya at the finish line, if you make 
it!" Dario let off a sneering laugh as he urged his Dotrio toward the 
canyon.
     Billy and Kidd looked down at their cornered victim and were 
about to give the order for their Blastoises to open fire with their 
cannons.
     "MOKO TAKABISHA!"
     The two became startled by the sudden shout as Ranma's voice 
echoed out. They were wondering whom it was when two balls of 
blue energy flashed and blasted into them, knocking them off their 
feet.
     With their trainers momentarily out of the way and not giving any 
orders, the Blastoises stood there and waited. Suddenly they heard a 
squawk from overhead and saw that a Pidgeotto was circling above 
them. The bird began spinning around and released huge winds that 
blew the clouds of smoke back into the faces of the water Pokemon. 
They became temporarily blinded and began firing their water 
cannons wildly, drenching each other with their weapons. 
     This is what Ranma and Raiden had expected as they both began 
powering up for a massive twin Thunderblast Bomb attack. Ranma 
glanced over to the side and saw that his Sandslash was throwing ki 
blasts to deflect any stray water that got too close to Wildfire. 
"Laura, get going! We'll take care of these jerks! Win the race!"
     "But…"
     Laura was unable to finish as Wildfire understood his master's 
command and began galloping off after Dario.
     Above their heads, Raiden and Ranma had just created huge balls 
of electrical energy, just as Wind Rider stopped using his Gust 
Attacks and the smoke cleared.
     "Blastoise?" The lead turtle said with confusion.
     "DOUBLE-TEAM THUNDERBLAST BOMB!"
     "Pikachu!"
     KABOOM!!!

     Billy and Kidd were just regaining consciousness when they saw a 
gigantic flash of electrical energy and wondered if a big lightning bolt 
had struck near them. They suddenly heard the screams of their 
Blastoises as they were subjected to more than 200,000 volts. Being 
wet from their water cannons had caused all that power to be 
conducted right through them.
     The two Team Rocket members were in total shock (though not as 
much as their Pokemon). Their entire group of Blastoises was now 
sprawled on the ground and out of action. Knowing that they were 
now at a serious disadvantage, they now noticed that someone was 
missing.
     "Hey, where's Hitmonchan?" Billy asked.
     She was answered a moment later as they heard their Pokemon 
screaming as he flew through the air and slammed into a wall next to 
them. The boxing Pokemon had gotten into a scuffle with Ranma's 
Machop. Guess who won?
     "Hit… mon… chan." The pugilistic Pokemon slid painfully into the 
ground and was out like the Blastoises. 
     "Machop!" Bruiser appeared from one side, his face displaying a 
wide smile as he dusted off his hands. Hitmonchan were good at 
punching, but never learned to use their legs. One ki-powered Mega 
Kick was all that was needed.
     "Now then…" Ranma as he and his Pokemon began to advance on 
their adversaries.
     "W-W-Who are you?" Kidd asked fearfully as he and Billy backed 
up against a wall.
     "Say hello to Butch, Cassidy, Bonnie and Clyde for me when you 
see them." Ranma smirked as he cracked his knuckles. The Machop 
did the same as he and the others began powering up their battle 
auras. This was going to be messy.
     (We now close the curtain on this scene of intense and gratuitous 
violence to protect our younger readers.)
     Meanwhile, Dario was ecstatic as his Dotrio emerged from the 
canyon, and was now heading back toward the stadium. There was 
no way he could lose! Then he heard the sounds of a horse coming 
from the exit of the canyon. He looked back and saw a blazing ball of 
flame approaching in the distance.
     <Oh no, you don't Laura! Not this time!> He reached into his 
pocket and pulled out a small device. Pressing down on the activator 
button, he smiled as he heard the detonations of the explosions he 
had Team Rocket plant at the exit of the canyon to prevent anyone 
else from getting through.
     Ranma and his Pokemon were just finishing putting Billy and Kidd 
into la-la land when they too heard the explosions. Ranma became 
concerned as he heard an ominous rumbling in the distance. It felt 
familiar and he thought back to the time that he was trapped in that 
cave. There was nothing more that he and his Pokemon could do to 
help Laura now. It was all up to her and Wildfire.
     <Win Wildfire! Win!>
     Laura gasped as she saw the exit to the canyon suddenly become 
blocked by a huge boulder. Wildfire was still going at over 150 mph 
and they were less than a few hundred meters from the blocked off 
passage. There was no time to stop, so Wildfire did the only thing he 
could do. He sped up while focusing his ki into his aura to protect his 
rider. His horn began to glow with an intense light as he leveled it 
down in front of him.
     Laura tried desperately to get Wildfire to slow down, but then 
remembered what Ranma had told her about the Rapidash's special 
attacks. She nodded and braced herself as close to the horse's back 
as possible.
     "BLAZING HORN CHARGE!" Laura cried out.
     Wildfire sped forward and plowed into the huge boulder, causing 
it to explode into gravel, thereby clearing the way for them to get 
though. The battle aura of the horse deflected off the fragments of 
the rock, and protected the girl. Without slowing down, the Rapidash 
poured on the speed to catch up with the Dotrio, who had just 
entered the homestretch.
     The announcer caught sight of Dario as he neared the stadium. 
"Well, fans it looks like Dario and his Dotrio will become this year's 
winner and… hold on! What is that?!" The camera panned over and 
showed a comet streaking across the plains and heading toward the 
stadium. The crowd let off a cheer as the cameras focused in and 
gave the image of Laura Laramie as she held on for dear life. Wildfire 
was going full out at more than 200 mph and was quickly catching up 
to Dotrio. 
     "No! I can't lose now!" Dario urged his mount to go full out. He 
was less than one thousand meters from the finish line. He was so 
close that he could taste it!
     Ranma was now flying thought the air toward the stadium as his 
Pidgeotto gripped him by his shoulders and carried Raiden on his 
back. Through intense training, Wind Rider could carry weights that 
exceeded his own for several miles. Ranma had left Team Rocket and 
their Pokemon tied up back at the canyon and planned to call the law 
after the race to pick them up. The pigtailed boy looked down 
through his binoculars and frowned. Despite Wildfire's tremendous 
output of speed, he wouldn't be able to catch up to Dario before he 
crossed the finish line. The Dotrio was less than five hundred meters 
and Laura was still more than a kilometer away.
     Wildfire kept on pushing himself to go faster. He just had to win! 
He had returned to the place of his birth and was reunited with an old 
friend and she was depending on him to beat Dario! Ranma had 
shown him kindness and taught him to be strong! Everything was 
riding on him! He couldn't let them down! He couldn't! Wildfire 
reached into his innermost strength and pulled forth more speed.
     Laura was too busy holding on and shutting her eyes to notice as 
Wildfire began to radiate more power and its fiery mane and tail 
turned from red to a blue-white hue. The horse began burning up the 
ground, leaving a blazing trail of fire of not flame, but pure ki energy. 
A kind of corona of light surrounded the horse, making it appear like 
a blazing blue meteor. The aura also made a pocket of air around 
Wildfire, making it possible for Laura and the horse to breathe and 
survive the effects of air friction. Suddenly, Wildfire's speed jumped 
up to 300 mph!
     The crowds gasped in amazement as Wildfire shot forward in a 
second and overtook Dario's Dotrio when it was less than one 
hundred meters away from victory. The three-headed bird staggered 
as it was caught in Wildfire's jetwash. By some miracle, it managed to 
stay on its feet, but it was too late. Wildfire had crossed the finish 
line and kept on going. The crowds let off an enthusiastic cheer, 
which then became silent as Laura overshot the stadium! 
     Ranma stared in amazement as his Pidgeotto flapped his wings 
furiously to follow the Rapidash as it disappeared over the horizon.

Some distance away…
     Wildfire had finally managed to stop after overshooting the 
stadium by at least 5 miles. The horse was totally exhausted and was 
about ready to drop as Laura stood beside the Rapidash. She was in 
total awe as she beheld the vibrant colors of his mane and tail against 
the setting rays of the sun.
     "Ranma raised you well, Wildfire."
     "Thank you."
     Both turned to see Wind Rider setting Ranma and Raiden down on 
the ground. In the distance, camera crews in their vans and other cars 
began converging at the spot. Soon crowds of enthusiastic fans and 
reporters surrounded the two as the judges came up to present her 
with the winner's flag.
     "Congratulations Laura Laramie, you and Wildfire are this year's 
Pokemon Challenge winners!"
     Laura smiled as she pulled Ranma into the spotlight with her. "I 
couldn't have done it without this trainer's help and his Rapidash. 
This here's Ranma Saotome and I'm pleased to proclaim him an 
honorary member of the Laramie Clan!"
     Ranma became flabbergasted at the announcement as he timidly 
waved hello to the people watching him on TV. He wasn't used to all 
this publicity, but figured that it wouldn't hurt. Little did he know that 
two people in particular had become very excited at the sight of him. 
They also felt a little bit of jealousy at the sight of the Laramie 
clinging onto Ranma's arm and snuggling close. With that in mind, 
they began making a beeline towards the Safari Zone.

A day later…
     Ranma nodded as he and Laura rode on their Rapidashes toward 
the edge of the Safari Zone. It was time for them to part ways. He had 
considered leaving Wildfire at the Big P Ranch, since he seemed so 
happy running with the other fire-horses, but as soon as he 
suggested it, the Rapidash shook his head and nuzzled him. It was 
great to be back at its place of birth, but Wildfire knew that his place 
was beside his master's side. Laura may have raised him in the 
beginning, but Ranma was the one he was truly meant to be with. 
Wildfire's show of loyalty almost made Ranma burst out into tears, 
but he managed to control himself, barely.
     "Are you sure you won't stay with us, Ranma. I mean, you're a 
great fire-horse trainer. I'll bet you could make all of our Ponytas and 
Rapidash as strong as Wildfire." She also turned away a bit when she 
felt her cheeks reddening a bit. The thought of Ranma being at the 
Ranch all the time made her think of very… intimate thoughts.
     "Thanks but no. I'm just like Wildfire and I'd feel pretty cooped up 
staying in one place too long. I'm on a Pokemon journey after all. 
Besides, I'm sure that you could raise your horses to be really strong 
without my help. You rode Wildfire well enough. I think you'll do 
fine."
     Laura blinked back a tear as she took a deep breath and said, "All 
right, if that's what you want. But know that you'll always be 
welcomed at the Big P Ranch, Ranma. Good luck!" She then leaned 
over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
     Ranma held up a hand to touch his cheek while blushing a bit. 
Smothering the surprising warmth, he smiled and waved goodbye as 
he urged his steed down the path to the Safari Zone.
     Laura wiped away a tear as she directed her Rapidash back toward 
the lands of the Big P Ranch. When she got to the main house, she 
was informed that two girls had arrived on a Fearow and a Rapidash 
and were looking for a certain Pokemon Trainer with a pigtail and a 
Pikachu.

To be continued…

Author's Notes
     For those of you who thought I should have had Laura become 
another one of Ranma's suitors, well she's got a ranch to handle so 
she doesn't have time to go chasing after Ranma. Then again, she 
may just turn up in the near future. Jeanette and Sam are now closing 
in on Ranma and it won't be long before the fireworks begin. As for 
the sixth Pokemon, it will be along in the next couple of chapters or 
so.