Chapter 01: Friends, Foes and Fire
Our story picks up in a small park just east of Cinnibar Island, where our hero Ash Ketchum decides to celebrate his 7th victory of a Volcano Badge from Blaine, as well as looking for fight while he's still hyped. He may find something more than a challenge!
Ash's Voice (title): Friends, Foes and Fire!
Brock: Ahh, it's nice to finally find a place where we can just sit down and relax, under the bright sun and cool summer air.. [sighs]
Misty: I bet you'd rather be at the Pokemon Center with Nurse Joy! [laughs]
Brock: [blushes] Unh-wha?
Misty: Come on, she's all you ever think about!
Brock: That's not true! I.. also think a lot of Officer Jenny. [huge grin]
Misty rolled her eyes, and turned her attention to Ash, who seemed a little too anxious for a pokemon battle.
Ash: Aww, where IS everyone? I was hoping to show off my amazing pokemon skills to at least one person today!
Misty: And once you've bored them to death, maybe you could show off your goofy hat. [snickers]
Ash: HEY! This hat was given to me by the leader of the Viridian City gym! Or, that's what my mom told me at least. But it's worth a lot of money, I know that!
Misty: Sure, sure, whatever you say, Ash.
Just then, Misty felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see a girl about her height, with long brown hair, and deep brown eyes. She wore a schoolgirl outfit, and a big yellow backpack.
Girl: Erm, I'm kind of lost, I'm looking for-
Brock jerked his head towards Ash and Misty to see how things were going, and he noticed her. He immediately rushed up and took her hand.
Brock: [blushes] Duh-ah-uh.. I'm Brock. You must be.. tired from walking on those lovely little legs of yours.. maybe you should sit down and talk with Brock.. eheheheh.
Girl: Um, are you okay?
Brock: [still blushing] Eheheheh.. I'll be fine.. it's you I'm worried about..
Ash turned around to see what looked to him like a trainer - and a challenge!
Ash: [points at the girl] You! Are you a pokemon trainer?
Girl: Yeah, in my spare time, why?
Ash: I challenge YOU! Do battle with Ash Ketchum in a pokemon match!
The girl turned her head Misty's way.
Girl: Erm, I'm guessing you're the normal one, right?
Misty: I guess you could say that, yeah. [laughs]
Girl: Is your friend here really as good as he's trying to make it out to be?
Misty: Naw, don't worry about Ash. He's all mouth and no brains. [smirks]
The girl turned back to face Ash. She gripped a pokeball in her hand.
Girl: I accept your challenge! Go, Arcanine!
She threw the pokeball, and it burst open to reveal a very large, fiery Arcanine.
Ash: Whoa, you have an Arcanine?!
Ash decided he must have picked the wrong girl to pick a fight with. He shook it off, and prepared for his turn.
Ash: Pikachu, GO!
Pikachu: Piii-KA!
Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and sprung into action. The girl just giggled.
Girl: A Pikachu? Is that really the best you can do? Arcanine, Roar at it, now!
Arcanine breathed in and let out a fearsome roar, freezing Pikachu in its tracks.
Ash: P-Pikachu? What's going on?
Girl: [laughs] Your almighty Pikachu seems a little frightened of my Arcanine, Ash! That won't help it for what I'm about to do now! Arcanine, Flamethrower attack!
Arcanine opened its jaws and let out an enormous line of fire right on Pikachu. Pikachu twirled around in a circle, and collapsed.
Ash: Pikachu, no!
Ash ran over to Pikachu, and cradled it in his arms.
Girl: Don't tell me you're giving up now! We were just starting to have fun!
Ash: I'm.. I'm not giving up! You may have taken down Pikachu, but I'm not finished yet!
Ash set Pikachu gently, and reached for one of his pokeballs. He seemed confident now.
Ash: I choose you, Squirtle!
Squirtle emerged from the pokeball, and stood ready to do battle - until it saw what it was up against. The huge Arcanine towered over Squirtle, and so it began to get nervous. The girl was laughing by now.
Ash: We'll show them! Squirtle, Water Gun, now!
Squirtle began to shoot a stream of water in Arcanine's direction. The girl immediately snapped into action.
Girl: Arcanine, Agility! Dodge those sprouts of water!
The Arcanine did as it was told. It jumped back and forth to get out of the way of Squirtle's oncoming Water Gun offensive.
Girl: Okay, Arcanine, great! Now hit it with your Take Down attack!
Arcanine rushed at Squirtle at top speed. The enormous pokemon, although vulnerable to Squirtle's type, tackled it to the ground, knocking it unconscious without fail.
Ash: Squirtle, no!
Girl: How about now, Ash? Give up?
Ash looked down at Squirtle, and lowered his head. He beamed Squirtle back into its pokeball.
Ash: Yeah.. I give up.
Ash fell to his knees, looking disappointed. The girl knelt down beside him.
Girl: Hey, don't worry about it, it was just a pokemon battle. Just because I won, doesn't mean you're any less skilled.
Ash: But I'm so embarrassed, I mean, I lost to a girl! That's the worst thing that could happen, and it did!
The girl narrowed her sparkling brown eyes, and clenched a fist.
Girl: What did you say?! Why, I oughtta-
Misty came to the rescue.
Misty: Don't worry, he's always like that when he's got pokemon battles on his mind. You just can't reason with a half-wit like him.
Girl: I feel sorry for you, if that's what you have to put up with all the time. [giggles]
Misty: [giggles] Hey, I don't think we were properly introduced. My name's Misty, I'm the younger sister of the Waterflower sisters in Cerulean City.
Girl: Oh, the girls at the Cerulean Gym! Yeah, I've talked to them, they tried to sign me up for swimming practices at the gym, but I told them no, I'm the worst swimmer in the world.
Misty: I bet they tried to get you into their stupid sychronized swimming act. I guess they've been needing someone new since.. well, since I left. But if you really watch them in action, they're not THAT good.
Girl: I dunno, I saw their show while I was in town, and I thought I-
Ash: Hey, that's great. Nice meeting you, let's get going now.
Ash began to walk away from where they were sitting. Brock grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him back. He wore an angry expression.
Brock: Ash! Don't be so rude! Especially not to such a lovely lady!
He turned to the girl, and took her hand, again. She subtly pulled away.
Brock: [blushes] We haven't even heard your name yet. Heheheh..
Girl: Oh my gosh, you're right! I'm so stupid, you've told me all your names, and you still don't know mine! Sorry guys. I'm Britney, Britney Powell. I'm from Ecruteak City, it's a nice little town over in Johto. I'm just here on a visit.
Brock: Oh, really. Who are you visiting?
Britney: My boyfriend, Jason. I haven't seen him in the longest time, I've waited all year for this! [smiles]
Brock: [disappointed look] Uhh.. great.
Britney: We're going on this great cruise together in Dockhatch City.
