Pokemon 1-5-1

[Mister Myuu]

When I first got into fanfics about three years ago, I wrote a trainer fic with the intention of making it more than just about winning badges. That was when the concept of Pokemon 1-5-1 was born. After a failed three chapter fic that turned out disasterous, I abandoned the project for a much more accepted fic (it was called To Be A Master.. A Legend). A year later, I decided to give P151 another try and re-wrote it, keying it more toward 'good v. evil' than an ordinary trainer fic. It was liked a little more but still needed work. the second version died when I quit writing fics due to personal problems (this was around the time I left TPM last year). It was during this hiatus that some new ideas came to me. Now I've decided to put pen to paper once again and write a third version of Pokemon 1-5-1.

What is this fic about? I honestly can't say too much because I don't want to give a lot away. I can say this: there will be a little bit of everything from comedy to action to drama. There will also be plot twists and shockers that I think will keep people reading.

In essence, P151 will be a darker fic but with elements of comedy, action, drama, romance, ext.


Now, there are a few points to clear up before getting to the story.

<arrows indicate noises>

simple italisized lettering indicates that the narrator is speaking

{{ words with brackets around it indicates the main pokemon of the story is speaking telepathically with characters}}

'Finally, italiszied words witha single parenthesis indicates character thoughts'

Ok, now that I have that covered, on to the fic, Pokemon 1-5-1.


***Please scroll down to the next post for chapter 1***

[Mister Myuu]

Chapter 1 – The Story Begins…


<Swish, swish, swish… shlump… plop… swish, swish, swish… shlump… plop…>

“Boooooooooring…” A young adolescent boy groaned, swishing a mop back and forth across the tile floor of the lab. “Why do I always get stuck mopping the floors every day?”
The boy continued to grumble to himself as he mopped the floors, moving around tables and cabinets filled with pokeballs and other Pokemon-related items.

Hey. In case you’re wondering who that grumpy fourteen year old is, that’s me. Or, at least, that was me ten years ago.

“Finally! Finished at last!” The boy exclaimed as he finished his chore.
After unceremoniously tossing the mop into the broom closet, the boy headed toward a window in order to rid himself of the dirty mop water.

His name, and my name for that matter, is Rick Lancing. Why was I mopping the floor inside a Pokemon laboratory, you ask? The answer to that is simple…

Rick opened one of the windows and dumped the water down into the courtyard as he had done countless times before. This time, however, the splash of the water hitting the ground was accompanied by a loud yelp.

I was one of Professor Oak’s Aides.

“Rick!!” Prof. Oak bellowed from right below the window.
“Oops… err.. sorry Professor. I didn’t see you there,” apologized Rick.
“Don’t worry about it,” Prof. Oak said with a sigh, “could you throw me down a towel?”
“Sure thing!” Rick answered before disappearing into the lab.
Moments later, a towel soared out from the window, landing over Professor Oak’s head.
“Thank you.. Rick” muttered Oak.
“No prob!”

Obviously, I wasn’t the best aide he had but the Professor was a friend of the family and felt he owed me the opportunity to support myself. You see, who was a pokemon trainer, ran off with a female trainer when I was young. Rumor was he had become a gym trainer in some far off town. As for my mom… well, you’ll find out about her later.

After giving Oak time to dry off, Rick called out “Hey professor, do you mind if I take off for now? I’d like to run home and check up on mom.”
“Go ahead,” consented Oak, “But be back here by noon. I have a few more tasks that need completed before the new trainers arrive at two.”
With a groan, Rick closed the window.

Oh, I forgot to mention, unlike most kids in Pallet Town, I had absolutely no interest in becoming a Pokemon trainer. I actually didn’t care much for Pokemon, thanks to my father, and only worked at the Pokemon labs because no one else would hire teenagers.

After removing his lab coat, combing his short, dirt blonde hair, and straightening the dark blue t-shirt and black jeans he wore, Rick exited the lab and headed down a small path which went passed the Pokemart and eventually lead to his house.

Up until then, that day had been just like any ordinary day in the town of Pallet. Of course, I wouldn’t be telling you this if it had remained an ordinary day. On that day, my life would change forever. From that day on, my actions would effect the future of the world for human and pokemon alike.


+++++++THE NIGHT BEFORE+++++++

A flash of lightning and the distant rumble of thunder heralded the coming of yet another summer storm to Viridian City. Rain was the last thing the city needed, its reservoir already filled to the brim. But not many cared that another storm was coming… it was four in the morning and everyone was fast asleep. The streets, however, were not entirely empty. The faint pitter-patter of feet signaled the coming of a small creature running as fast as it could. The creature stopped and turned for a moment; listening intently in the direction it had come.
“It went this way, I think” A not too distant voice called.
‘Those evil men are still on my tail’, the creature thought. Then, wasting no more time, it turned and continued running deeper into the heart of Viridian City.

>< >< >< >< ><

’Oh no, A dead end’
The creature came to an abrupt halt at a wall, trapping it in the alley behind the PokeCenter. The small pink cat-like creature spun frantically around, looking for an escape route.
’If only I could get this thing restraining my psychic powers off, I could fly out of here…’ it thought, desperately tugging at the device fastened around its neck.
Seeing no other way, the creature headed back the way it came. But it was too late; three men had just rounded the corner and blocked the creature’s only means of escape.
“Well, well, well,” the center man said with a grin, “Looks like our little fugitive has no more places to run.”
The men inched closer to the creature, driving it back against the wall. A streetlight revealed the men as members of Team Rocket; two men wearing black uniforms with a red R on the front (the typical Grunt attire) and the man who had spoken wearing a red uniform with a black R (worn only by Team Rocket’s Lieutenants).
“It’s all over ya little dang nuisance. Time ta take ya back to the hideout,” grunt one threatened, extracting a pokeball from his pocket and enlarging it. This, however, was no ordinary pokeball. It was pure gold with a silver M engraved on it.
’A MasterBall! No! I can’t let them take me back there! I must get away… I’ve got to…’
The hope seemed to drain all at once. It was useless so long as the strange device kept its psychic powers at bay.
’I can’t be caught again… I won’t be caught again!’
Suddenly, the creature’s eyes begin to glow, startling the three men. The device began to smoke then burst into countless pieces. Freed from the restraint, the creature surrounded itself in a blinding pink light and slowly rose into the air. It only hovered in place for a second before shooting off into the distance at a great speed. The bedazzled men stared after the pink ball for some time before recovering from shock. By then, rain had begun to fall.
“****… how did it over-power the Psychic restraint?” Grunt two muttered, astonished.
“I don’t know,” the Lieutenant answered, turning to his comrades, “I do know that the boss isn’t going to be pleased though.”
“Man… we’re dead if we go back to headquarters,” grunt two whined, “I’d rather stay out here in this storm than go back and face the wrath of Giovanni.”
“If ya did that Giovanni would have ya hunted town in a matter ‘a days. Ya’d be better off goin’ back ta face his wrath,” warned grunt one.
“Yeah, and we best get back as soon as possible,” added the Lieutenant, “the sooner we tell him the bad news, the less severe our punishment… I hope.’
Hesitantly, the Rockets turned and head back to their hideout.

>< >< >< >< ><

Rick made his way down the path slowly, his eyes on the ground ahead of him. Checking up on his mom hadn’t eased his mind one bit. He had arrived at his house only to find her lying in the middle of the living room floor surrounded by numerous empty beer bottles and, on the whole, completely disheveled.
’This is bogus…’ he thought, ’working all day just to support my mom’s drinking habit…’
He kicked a small rock as he ventured away from the sidewalk, making his way to the small path behind the PokeMart.
’We barely get by as it is and she has to go and blow her paycheck on booze! This isn’t how I expected to spend my life… supporting a mom who’s drunk ninety percent of the time…’
“There’s got to be more to my life than this…” he said to himself out loud.
A faint sound coming from the alley behind the PokeMart startled Rick out of his thoughts. He froze in mid-stride and listened intently, not sure whether he really heard a noise or if it was his imagination. He heard the noise again. Something was rustling through the dumpster. Rick quietly crept up to the dumpster and peeked in. He caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a long pink tail before retreating a few steps.
’An alley cat,’ Rick thought at first, …no, it couldn’t be. I’ve never heard of a pink cat.’
The rustling noise suddenly ceased as if whatever was in the dumpster knew it had been discovered. Rick held his breath, expecting some rabid beast to jump out and maul him to death. That didn’t happen, much to Rick’s relief. Instead, the head of a small, pink, cat-like creature slowly peeked out from the dumpster, its large blue eyes filled with fear.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you,” Rick said softly with a smile, something telling him that, whatever the creature was, it meant no harm.
The creature mewed happily then rose into the air, giving Rick a chance to study it. Recognition instantly stuck him.
“I know what you are! You’re a Mew, aren’t you?” he exclaimed, “I remember professor Oak talking about you in one of his classes. You’re supposed to be one of the rarest of all pokemon.”
The mew Rick received in answer almost sounded like a yes to him. He never pondered this as other questions formed in his mind.
“What is a rare pokemon like you doing rummaging through a dumpster in Pallet Town?”
No sooner had Rick asked the question when a soft feminine voice penetrated his mind, saying {{to get away from the evil men…}}
The fact that Mew had suddenly spoken to him telepathically didn’t unnerve Rick like it would of most people. It was almost as if he had expected it.
“What evil men?’ Rick asked.
{{The evil men that took me away from my home…}}
“Why would someone want to do such a thing?”
Mew paused, as if remember something painfully, then answered {{they wanted to use me in their experiments…}}
“Experiments! What kind of experiments??” Rick asked, enraged by the thought of someone doing such a thing to any living thing.
Mew said nothing more on the matter, stating that the pain was too much to recall the horrors of its captivity. Rick nodded understandingly then thought for a moment before reaching a conclusion.
“I know a place where you can go and be safe until you can find a way to get back home.”
{{Really?}} Mew exclaimed hopefully.
“Yeah. There’s a man who lives just up this hill who takes care of pokemon. I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to give you shelter from those evil men.”
After many a thank you, Rick finally settled Mew down enough to get it to come him up the small path leading to professor Oak’s lab (hidden under his shirt, of course, just in case any trainers got ideas about catching a rare pokemon.).

>< >< >< >< ><

Giovanni leaned back in his chair behind the large mahogany desk that occupied one corner of his dimly lit office. There had been one too many setbacks as of late and the leader of Team Rocket was none too pleased with the incompetents that worked for him. With a sigh, he stared at the battered old notebook that had occupied his thoughts since it was found inside the Silph Company laboratories by a Rocket spy several months ago. Its contents would elevate Team Rocket to new heights in crime. Tests had proven the theories within the notebook and now was the time to go to the next level. All that was needed was one more component… a component that was allowed to escape.
A Persian jumped onto Giovanni’s lap, as if sensing its master’s discontent, and received a pat on the head.
“Soon, my pet, our plans will come to fruition. It will take more than a blundering imbecile to stop Team Rocket’s accent to the top of the world,” Giovanni said as he petted the cat pokemon.
“Perrrrrrrrsian,” It answered in agreement.
Giovanni returned to his thoughts for a short time before having them interrupted by a knock at his office door.
“Come in,” he beckoned and in walked the three Rocket’s Giovanni had sent to retrieve the escapee (despite their resolve to report as soon as possible, they put off approaching their boss until the morning.).
“Ahh… I see my gophers have returned carrying a full MasterBall I assume,” the Rocket guessed.
The Lieutenant hesitated a moment before answering, “Well.. you see.. It’s like this…”
“I have no patience for back talk,” Giovanni interrupted, “give me the goods.”
With a less than enthusiastic look on his face, the Lieutenant turned to the grunt carrying the MasterBall. He extracted it from his pocket and handed it to the boss, a nervous sweat already pouring from his forehead. Giovanni enlarged the pokemon capturing device and clicked the opening mechanism. The ball sprung open but nothing appeared. A frown formed on the lips of Giovanni, increasing the uneasiness in his three underlings.
“And where, pre-tell, is our fugitive?” the Rocket leader asked in an irritated tone.
“You see, it’s like this,” the Lieutenant began, “we had it trapped behind the PokeCenter but…”
Giovanni held up his hand, halting the flabbergasted Rocket in mid-sentence, “No need to explain. The little nuisance somehow released itself from the restraint and flew away. I knew this the very moment it happened…”
The three Rockets stood stunned, not expected the boss to know about the incident already.
“You couldn’t do anything about that. It is a powerful creature, after all, and one should expect mishaps such as this,” Giovanni explained, “therefore, it would be foolish to give punishment over such a matter.”
The Rockets seemed ready to burst with relief and gratitude but were stopped, as Giovanni continued, “Not coming forward with such vital information as soon as possible, however, is unforgivable. For that, you will be punished.”
Any gratitude the underlings had felt moments before instantly melted away as several guards walked into the office and restrained them.
“Take these three to the brig until they can be dealt with properly,” ordered Giovanni as the guards escorted the pleading Rockets from the room.
After they had been led away, a man wearing a light blue uniform with a black R on the front (the colors of a Rocket General) entered the office and saluted his boss.
“You wished to see me, sir,” the general stated.
“Brett, you are one of my most trusted generals. I should have handed this assignment to you in the first place but I was foolish enough to entrust a team of idiots with such a top priority mission,” Giovanni said with a shake of the head.
“You can count on me, sir,” assured Brett, “what mission do you wish for me to carry out?”
“I want you to find the fugitive pokemon, Mew,” the Rocket leader answered, “and bring it back here so that we may finally commence with Project Zero.”
“It may take a while since the target could be anywhere by now,” the General commented.
“I thought ahead for just such a situation,” Giovanni said as he took a device out from a filing cabinet, “I had a homing device implanted behind Mew’s left ear. Use this transmitter to track it.”
“Yes, sir, I will capture the fugitive and return here with it immediately,” Brett declared after receiving the transmitter then turning to leave.
“One more thing, General,” Giovanni called to Brett, “I want you to take Project 001 with you.”
Brett turned around with a dubious look on his face.
“Are you sure about that, sir?” he questioned.
“Yes. Mew has over-powered the Psychic restraint we had on it and can now battle at its full potential,” explained Giovanni.
“Understood, sir. I will have Project 001 accompany me.”
With a salute, General Brett exited the room leaving Giovanni sitting at his desk, Persian still on hip lap. The Rocket leader stroked the silky fur of the cat pokemon, a slight grin on his face.
“Soon, my pet… very soon we shall hold this pitiful world in our iron grip…”


To Be Continued...


What did you think? I'll appreciate any feedback.

[Shadowed Mewtwo]

Neat ^^ Very neat! I like Mews... They make Mewtwos! *laughs* That was so cute! And it was told in a formal, easy to understand way that I enjoyed reading! :) I'll keep my eye on this fic, k? It's original, just like you wanted, and originality is cool! :P

[Mister Myuu]

Thank you for your kind comments, Shadowed Mewtwo. Also, just to tease you, I'll say that Mewtwo will be involved in this story. I just won't say how :P

Anyway, I'm on a creative roll of sorts and already have chapter two written and ready to go. The plot thickens and the action begins. Here comes the duece!!


Chapter 2 – Sugar and Splice

“Professor Oak, it’s your favorite aide, Rick. Can you hear me?”
{{Is he going to be ok?}}
“Yeah, he’s just in shock, that’s all.}}
{{In shock?! Why?!}}
“I don’t think he ever expected to see a rare pokemon to appear right before him in his own home.”
{{Oh…}}

Rick Lansing, resident of Pallet Town, stood before a dumb-founded Professor Oak who, upon seeing Mew creep out from under his aide’s shirt, had yelped ‘Great Scott!’ then fallen back into his chair and frozen in a state of utter astonishment. Oak’s blank stare resembled that of a Slowpoke’s, which Rick found kind of amusing.
{{How long do you think he will be like this?}} Mew asked in a worried tone.
“He should snap out of it any time now,” Rick answered, remembering a previous occasion when Professor Oak did this after a chance encounter with the Legendary Cat, Entei.
No sooner had Rick said this when Oak seemed to take a deep breath then look in his aide’s direction, a flabbergasted expression still present on his face.
“Tell me,” Oak began, “Why was there a Legendary Pokemon hiding in your shirt??”
{{Let me explain,}} Mew cut on as Rick was about to say something.
Rick nodded and Mew began to explain its story from the time of its capture up to when Rick found it. Mew had once lived with a colony of Mews and a strange creature which called itself Mewtwo in some far off mountains. One day in the late fall of last year, a group of strange-looking men that Mewtwo called ‘Team Rocket’ appeared and attacked the colony. In the confusion, Mew had gotten separated from the rest and was later captured.
Mew described in little detail its imprisonment in some strange laboratory where tests were frequently run on it. One topic Mew seemed to linger on was a green door that caused it more fear than all the experiments combined:
{{They were constantly taking other pokemon behind that door and none of them ever came back out. there were also screams constantly coming from there. Some of them were screams of fear and pain… while others were like nothing I’ve never heard before or care to hear again… all I know is all of the screams must of come from the pokemon taken in there…}}
Mew went on to describe the fortunate break that had led to its escape. The Rocket scientists were preparing to take Mew into the much-feared room when one of them lost his grip and dropped the cage. The door flew open and Mew was able to slip out and make a run for it. After escaping Team Rocket’s hideout through the air ventilation system, Mew had run as fast as it could through Viridian City all the while being tailed by several Rockets.
Mew finished its story with its last minute escape and chance meeting with Rick then looked at Professor Oak as if expected some reassuring words. Instead, Mew noticed that the professor seemed greatly disturbed by the story. Rick was also silent, having heard Mew’s full story for the first time as well. Finally, after a long and uncomfortable silence, Oak spoke up, “this is terrible news… not only does it seem Team Rocket has reoccupied their base inside Viridian City Gym (TR had abandoned the Gym after Mewtwo’s rebellion and escape) but it seems they’re up to something far more devious than usual.”
“What could they possibly be up to professor?” Rick asked, also beginning to feel disturbed by this turn of events, “I thought they were just a bunch of Pokemon thieves.”
“They still are a band of thieves it just seems they have far worse plans in store now,” Oak explained, “as for what they’re up to… I hate to even think about what they think they’ll gain through this unnecessary pokemon cruelty.”
That said, another long, uneasy silence filled the laboratory and remained for quite some time; Oak being deep in thought, Rick trying to make sense of everything, and Mew troubled by its ordeal.
The professor broke the silence again after standing up and pacing the floor for a moment, “I know one thing for certain,” he began, “Team Rocket mustn’t be allowed to recapture Mew. I have a sneaking suspicion that there would be severe ramifications if they were ever able to accomplish whatever task they had in mind.”
Mew looked down at the gray tiles that made up the floor of professor Oak’s lab and said nothing.
“Will Mew be safe here with you, professor?” asked Rick.
Oak hesitated before answering, “I honestly don’t think so. They’ll come in force once they find where Mew went and I don’t think a mass invasion would be good for a small town like Pallet.”
“There’s got to be some place we can take her! (Rick somehow knew Mew was female, though he wasn’t quite sure how)” he exclaimed.
“And I’ll find it if such a place exists,” Oak responded, “until then, we’ve got to keep this to ourselves. We can’t tell anyone about Mew because you never know who might be a undercover member of Team Rocket.”
After finding a suitable hiding place for Mew (inside the broom closet, much to her dismay) Rick and Professor Oak attempted to return the day back to normal with little success. Both of their thoughts constantly strayed to the poor creature in the broom closet and the predicament with Team Rocket.
As the day dragged on, other lab aides showed up for work and the newest batch of trainers showed up to receive their starting pokemon. At one point, a curious ten year old began noising around near the broom closet:
“What’s in here, I wonder,” the kid said to himself, reaching got the broom closet doorknob.
“Don’t go in there!!” Oak and Rick shouted in unison, pulling the boy away from his exploration.
“Why not!” the kid demanded crossly
“Because there’s nothing interesting in there. It’s just a broom closet,” Rick stated uneasily.
“Oh… how boring. You’d think the lab of the great Pokemon Professor would be more exciting,” complained the kid.
“It can be very interesting if you stay in the designated area,” Oak replied as he led the child back to the rest of the new trainers.
Rick sighed a big sigh of relief before going back to showing trainers how to use a pokeball.

>< >< >< >< ><

“Finally!” Oak exclaimed as the last kid left to begin his pokemon quest, “as much as I love this job, those kids can be a terrible nuisance sometimes!”
“Tell me about it,” agreed Rick as he plopped down into a chair.
Sensing that all was clear (the other aides had left when things began to wind down), Mew sheepishly emerged from the broom closet and hovered over to Rick and the Professor, {{I’m glad to be out of there,}} she said, {{it smelled like Meowth.}}
“Yeah, sorry about that,” apologized Rick with a grin.
Suddenly, Professor Oak, who had been looking over his list of things to do, shouted ‘Dagnabit!’ and turned toward his aide.
“Rick, in all the excitement of today I forgot to have you go pick up some medicine I had ordered from the PokeCenter. Could you run down there and pick it up for me?”
“Sure thing,” Rick said, “It’ll give me a chance to say hi to Jayce.”
“You do that but remember, don’t mention Mew to anyone. Not even Jayce,” warned Oak, “and when you return, we’ll discuss exactly what to do in regards to finding safe refuge for our little friend.”
With a nod and a wave, Rick left the lab and headed down the main path from Oak’s lab, which led directly toward the PokeCenter.

>< >< >< >< ><

Jayce Collins and Rick Lansing had been best friends for as long as they could remember. Their parents had also been best friends and had even traveled together when they were young pokemon trainers. Unlike Rick, however, Jayce loved pokemon but refused to leave on a journey without his best bud. Instead, he got a job at the PokeCenter working alongside Nurse Joy so that he could still work with pokemon all the time. Jayce had even mentioned becoming a registered pokemon nurse on several occasions (which would make him the first non-Joy, non-female nurse in sixty years).
In appearance, Jayce looked like your average fifteen year old. He was of average height and build (while Rick was a little taller but also of average build) with short brown hair and green eyes. His usual clothing consisted of light pink shirt and dress pants, which was his PokeCenter uniform (which rose questions throughout Pallet though everyone thanked God he didn’t wear a skirt like the Joys did).
Rick entered the Pallet PokeCenter and was immediately spotted by his friend.
“Yo, Rick, what brings you here?” Jayce called out while waving.
“The professor sent me in to pick up some medicine,” answered Rick as he walked up to the counter.
“That order just arrived this morning!” Nurse Joy chimed as she appeared from a back room carrying a small parcel, a bright smile on her face, “I saw you coming down the road and got the package ready for you.”
“Thank you Nurse Joy,” Rick said as he accepted the parcel.
“You’re welcome,” she responded with a wink. Joy then turned and headed for the back room, waving goodbye to Rick as she went.
Once she was gone, the two friends stood and chatted about menial things for a while. Occasionally, Jayce’s eyes would wonder to the ladies restroom as if hoping for someone to come out at any time. Eventually, someone did and Jayce grasped Rick’s arm, directing his attention in the direction of a fourteen-year-old female with long, flowing black hair, deep sapphire blue eyes. A shirt matching the color of her eyes, a pair of dark blue shorts, and a belt harvesting three pokeballs fitted firmly over her slim frame.
“Check out that babe, man! Isn’t she a looker?” Jayce exclaimed in a semi-whisper.
“Yeah… not too shabby,” agreed Rick, “a seven out of ten?”
“Definitely,” Jayce concurred.
Rating girls they saw was a sort of game Rick and Jayce had played since the age when boys become interested in the opposite sex. Though this gave them a slight reputation as perverts, the two friends didn’t see the big deal (since many of the girls did the same exact thing only with guys).
“She’s been coming in and out of the Center all day,” Jayce stated, “I think she’s got a thing for me.”
“I think you’re delusional,” Rick replied in jest.
As the two friends went back and forth in whisper, the girl walked casually toward the counter, as if oblivious to their existence. She leaned against the counter and looked up at the ceiling for a moment then said with a grin, “I would of given myself a ten, but thanks for the compliment nonetheless.”
Rick and Jayce stared at the girl in amazement, their faces turning red in embarrassment.
“Y-you heard us!?” Jayce exclaimed in disbelief.
“This isn’t exactly a large room, you know,” she responded, glancing around the 20x20 main lobby of the PokeCenter, “besides… voices carry.”
“We meant no offense, really!” apologized Rick in a feeble tone.
“None taken,” she assured him, “anyways, I’d being lying if I said I didn’t do the same when I’m with my friends.”
Her assurance triggered an instant recovery in Jayce, who decided then to lay on the charm. Jayce fancied himself a ladies man (even at such a young age) and jumped at any chance to prove he didn’t ‘swing that way’ like many of the kids at school said.
“Well,” Jayce began, moving to stand beside her, “since you now know what I think about you and its obvious what you think about me, how about you and I go to a movie tonight?”
The girl’s grim quickly turned into a frown and she glared crossly ay Jayce.
“I said no offense was taken from your friend. You, however, have been undressing me with your eyes every time I’ve walk in here today. You’re a pervert and I would never even consider going out with you!” she barked then raised her hand in preparation to slap the bewildered Jayce.

>< >< >< >< ><

It was at that exact moment that a loud explosion ripped through the air. The girl halted her slap in mid-swing and cried, “What the hell was that!?”
“Sounds like something big blew up not too far away,” Jayce answered.
A great unease descended on Rick and fear clutched at his heart. Something was dreadfully wrong.
“There’s been an explosion at Professor Oak’s lab!!” a middle-aged woman shrieked as she ran into the PokeCenter, “someone call for help!!”
Nurse Joy, who had rushed into the lobby upon hearing the explosion, then turned and ran to the phone while Jayce raced into the back for medical supplies. The girl just stood there, hand still raised in the air, not sure what to do. Rick was a statue, his face contorted in horror.
“Are you alright?” the girl asked after noticing his expression.
Rick paid no attention to her question, his mind racing at a blinding pace.
’They couldn’t have found out so soon… But this is too much of a coincidence… I’ve got to get back…’
“I’ve got to get back to the lab!” Rick stated then bolted out of the PokeCenter.
“No! Rick! Don’t! It’s too dangerous!!” shouted Jayce, who had just emerged from the back room with his arms full of medical equipment, which he dropped as he started after his friend.
The girl stood there dumb-founded for a second before taking off as well, calling out “Hey, Wait for me!”

>< >< >< >< ><

Professor Oak groaned as he sat up, his head pounding and ears ringing. Everything had happened so fast. A Team Rocket member had burst in and demanded the return of Mew. When Oak refused, the Rocket had grinned and said, “Very well, we’ll do this the hard way”. After that, it all became a blur. Something big blasted had though the wall and attacked. Oak barely had enough time to call forth his Kangaskhan before being blown against the wall by an unbelievably strong gust of wind. As the professor’s vision cleared, he suddenly wished it hadn’t. The scene was one of utter chaos: pokemon that had been released from their pokeballs ran every which way in panic while countless others lie motionless on the floor and small fires burned here and there as some water pokemon with enough sense tried to put them out. Professor Oak’s Kangaskhan lie nearby, a gaping hole in its torso where it had been pierced by something large. But what scared Oak the most was that Mew was nowhere to be found.
“Now then…” said a menacing voice from behind the professor, “Have you learned you lesson? Will you give up Mew quietly… or shall I commence with lesson two?”
Rocket General Brett appeared from the smoking ruble that once was a lab and approached Oak, a cocky grin on his face.
“I can never let you have her back! Even if it means my life!” Oak shouted in anger.
Brett sneered from a moment before regaining his cocky grin, “Good, All the more fun for me. Now prepare to meet your maker, old man.”
Before the General could carry out his threat, Rick rushed onto the scene. His worst fears were confirmed as he noticed the Rocket standing over his friend and boss.
“Professor, are you alright?!” Rick called out.
“I’m fine,” replied Oak, “but don’t worry about me, Rick. Get out of here before it’s too late.”
“Stay right where you are, boy,” Brett countered, “tell me where you’ve hidden Mew or the professor dies.”
“No!” screamed Rick, “You can’t have her! Never!!”
“Is that so? Perhaps a little persuasion will change your attitude, kid.” Brett suggested, “Allow me to introduce you to Project 001.”
The Rocket General let out a whistle that echoed through the dreary scene. Moments later, the sound of flapping wings filled the area and a strong wind picked up loose dirt, flinging it every which way. A silhouette became visible through the cloud of dirt then the creature Brett called ‘Project 001’ appeared. Rick couldn’t believe what he was. The creature was obviously a pokemon, but one like Rick had ever seen before. Its razor sharp talons dug into the wall it perched on, making some of it crumble. The creature’s broad chest was tan in color with a pattern of black triangles running across it in vertical rows while its wings and back were an iridescent dark brown. Its face, colored tan like its chest, harvested a beak, which gleamed as the sun hit it. A plume of head and tail feathers colored tan and dark brown made it look similar to a Pidgeot while a pair of long, silver eyebrows gave it the appearance of a Noctowl. The creature’s voice rose in a loud ‘GEOWWWWWWWWWL’ as it stared down on the scene from its perch.
“Say hello to Pidgeowl,” said Brett, “it’s both a Pidgeot and a Noctowl and it’s very deadly.”
“My God…what have you monsters done…” Professor Oak muttered as he gazed in horror as Pidgeowl.
“It’s quite simple. We’ve spliced the DNA of two inferior pokemon in order to create a more powerful and more efficient being. For instance, Pidgeowl here has the keen intellect of a Noctowl as well as the sheer speed and unbridled power of Pidgeot. All weaknesses have been eliminated.” Brett explained, pride beaming from him.
Just as Brett was finishing his explanation, Jayce and the girl from the PokeCenter appeared through a cloud of smoke and gazed on the destruction.
“Oh God…” a shocked Jayce said.
“It’s so terrible…” the girl whispered, covering her mouth with her hand.
Their gaze then fell on Pidgeowl looming over Rick and Oak and the two ran to their side.
“What the hell is going on here, Rick, and what the hell is that thing!?” demanded Jayce, fear apparent in his voice as he looked up at the genetically altered pokemon.
“It’s a long story and that thing is a monstrosity created by Team Rocket,” Rick stated with a scowl.
“Team Rocket?” the girl said questioningly, “I thought they were just a group of petty thieves?”
“Petty thieves!?” shouted Brett furiously, “You’ll pay for that comment, little girl! Pidgeowl, wipe this scum off the face of the Earth!”
With a shriek, Pidgeowl rose into the air, its beating wings causing winds to rip through the area, knocking everyone off balance. Higher and higher Pidgeowl rose before arching up into the sky and beginning a blinding decent. Fear paralyzed Rick and the others. There was no time to even think about moving. Hope drained from Rick and he closed his eyes, preparing to be ripped apart. When Rick opened his eyes again, he was standing in the middle of an open field.


To Be Continued…

==============================================
RockeDex
==============================================

Welcome to RokeDex. My function is to enlighten readers of this fic on the particulars of the Pokemon genetically created by Team Rocket. In this way, things will less confusing.

Name: Pidgeowl
Pokemon Created From: Pidgeot, Noctowl
Type: Flying

Other Info:
Using its amazingly high intellect and blinding speed, Pidgeowl gains the upper hand in battle by perpexing its enemies. The normal type has been removed from its DNA making Pidgeowl much more deadly.

[Shadowed Mewtwo]

Pidgeowl sounds cool! ^^ Though I doubt that such a weak pair of Pokemon as Pidgeot and Noctowl would make a Pokemon that makes others tremble like that. I mean, maybe some legendaries... or dragons... or Scyther :P would be terribly scary to face, but an average powerful well-trained Pokemon should be able to beat that. ^^;; Sorry if I'm being skeptic.

lol at the closet! Poor Mew! Teehee!

And aww... Mewtwo's livin' with tha Mews... *pat pat*

So, is this girl becoming a main char? And if she hangs out with them, what if she's a spy? oo;; Ack, so many things to worry about!

Thanks for writing so quickly! :)

[Mister Myuu]

Thanks for the comments again, Mewtwo. I'm glad at least one person is enjoying this fanfic. Hopefully I'll be getting more feedback soon so that I know what everyone thinks about how this story is progressing.

As for the weak combonation... even though it isn't stated in the story yet, I'll say that splicing somehow enhances the pokemon quite a bit, making them more powerful.

As for writing so fast... guess what! I just finished chapter 3!!! I do have bad news, however. I may only be able to post one more chapter before I have to pause for a time. You see, my grandfather in Arizona is on hisa deathbed and I'll be flying out thursday to see him one last time and I'm not at all certain as to when I'll be back. The good news is that the uncle I'll be staying with has the internet so, if I get the time, I may still write a chapter while there.

Anyways, I won't belabor you with my life story lol. Here's chapter 3. Now the action really starts!

DISCLAIMER: This chapter contains a graphic battle. If you're weak-stomached, please look away. It also contains many scene changes so if you have motion sickness, look away as well :P


Chapter 3 – Out of the Frying Pan…

“Pidgeowl, wipe this scum off the face of the Earth!”
With a shriek, Pidgeowl rose into the air, its beating wings causing winds to rip through the area, knocking everyone off balance. Higher and higher Pidgeowl rose before arching up into the sky and beginning a blinding decent. Fear paralyzed Rick and the others. There was no time to even think about moving. Hope drained from Rick and he closed his eyes, preparing to be ripped apart. When Rick opened his eyes again, he was standing in the middle of an open field.

>< >< >< >< ><

Three bewildered teens and one befuddled elderly professor stood on the path known as route one instead of at the gates of heaven, where they expected to be.
“How did we get here?” the girl asked, a look of utter confusion on her face.
{{I teleported you here,}} answered Mew as she floated down into everyone’s line of sight.
“Oh…” the girl muttered, not exactly sure how to react to one of the rarest of all pokemon.
Mew looked towards Professor Oak, great concern apparent in her eyes, and said, {{this is bad, isn’t it?}}
“Exponentially,” answered Oak, “they found your location much sooner than I had expected and now that have us on the run… not to mention the fact that I’m now
homeless,” Oak concluded in a whiny tone.
“So now what do we do?” Rick asked no one in particular.
“Now…” Jayce starting, turning to his friend, “you’re going to explain to me what in the heck is going on around here.”
“Yeah, I’d like to know what this is all about too,” the girl added.
“An explanation will come in due time,” Oak stated, “but first, we should really find ourselves some cover in case the Rocket member and that monstrosity come looking for us.”

>< >< >< >< ><

Ring, ring….. Ring, ring…..
Giovanni turned on the videophone with a sigh of impatience.
“This better be important,” he barked, not bothering to look at the individual on the screen.
“It is, sir,” Brett stated with a salute, “I managed to track down the target and locate it.”
Giovanni looked up, his interest peeked, “and…”
“It appears that the fugitive was acquired the assistance of Professor Oak as well as others,” Brett explained matter-of-factly, “I had the ancient goof and some kids that interfered until that little sneak, Mew teleported them away, the coward.”
“Then why are you wasting your time calling me!” Giovanni shouted, “go after them!”
“No worries, sir,” Brett said coolly, “we have all the time in the world as long as I have the transmitter. Besides, they’re trapped between me and you right now, though I doubt that they know it yet.”
The leader of Team Rocket grinned, “I see your point. Nonetheless, keep on their tail and don’t give them time to rest and formulate any sort of plan.”
“Aye, sir,” Brett said with a salute before ending the transmission.
Giovanni leaned back in his chair, the grin growing on his face, and closed his eyes.
“It won’t be long now,” he said to something sitting in the shadows of his office, which made a sound of agreement.
“Still… I would like you to track down Mew and his friends just in case Brett fails me again,” Giovanni ordered the unknown something, “and take some of those miserable rodents I made the mistake of creating with you.”
The something made another, almost inaudible noise followed by the sounds of it exiting the room.

>< >< >< >< ><

“Amazing…” Jayce commented once Mew, Oak, and Rick had finished their tale, “it’s all almost too amazing to believe.”
“Believe it because you’re right in the middle of it now,” Oak responded.
{{And we’ve got to find a way out of it before Team Rocket finds us again,}} added Mew.
“Speaking of Team Rocket,” the girl (who’s name, it had been discovered, was Melissa Cartwright) began, “what was that thing that attacked us?”
“I have a theory on that,” answered Professor Oak, “you see, several months ago I heard that a scientist at Silph Company had made a monumental discovery; he had found a way to splice to genes of two different species of pokemon. In this way, a superior hybrid pokemon could be created. Obviously, Silph chose to keep this a secret until it could be perfected. Unfortunately, soon after he made the discovery, the professor and all his notes mysteriously disappeared. Some thought he didn’t want his work to be abused by the money-hunger heads of Silph Company and had ran off to some far away place. It’s apparent now that this was not the case. Somehow, Team Rocket found out about this discovery, kidnapped the professor and stolen his notes.”
“So you’re telling me Team Rocket now has to ability to create super-pokemon like Pidgeowl whenever they please!?” exclaimed Jayce.
“Yes, that is the case and it bodes ill for the rest of the world,” Oak said dubiously.
For some time after this revelation, everyone was silent. The world seemed to be spinning around them wildly putting them in a daze. Mew was the first to speak.
{{It’s far worse than you know,}} she whimpered, {{I heard them talking about their plans all the time while I was their captive. They don’t just plan to use their creations to steal pokemon… they plan to take over the world…}}
A gasp escaped from Melissa’ lips as Jayce and Rick sat in grim silence. The professor hung his head and said, “I feared as much. I doubted someone as insane as Giovanni would stop with petty thievery with this technology in his grasp.”
“Giovanni… is he the leader of Team Rocket?” Melissa asked quietly and received a simple nod from Oak in return.
“What do we do now? We can’t just sit idly by as the world is overthrown,” Rick stated, breaking his long silence.
“I couldn’t agree more,” concurred the professor, “But we can’t do it alone.”
“So where do we go from here?” asked Jayce.
“What I had planned to do originally was to head for Saffron City. There, Mew could have found sanctuary with a friend of mine. Unfortunately, this is no longer the time for hiding. I still think heading for Saffron is the best course of action, however. That same friend could provide a lot of help.”
“You never mentioned having a powerful friend in Saffron, professor,” Rick mentioned, “Who is he?”
“She,” Oak corrected, “Is none other than the Saffron City gym leader, Sabrina.”
“I met her once while I was in Saffron with Nurse Joy for a convention,” Jayce said, “she didn’t look very powerful though.”
“For your information, Sabrina happens to be the head of an organization who’s soul purpose is to stop pokemon abuse,” the professor explained, “and what Team Rocket is doing most definitely falls into that category.”
“Oh,” Jayce responded sheepishly.
“Alright, so that settles it,” proclaimed Rick, slapping his hands down on his lap, “Mew can Teleport us to Saffron and we’ll tell Sabrina about this whole mess.”
{{Uh… it’s not quite that simple,}} Mew said in a sad tone.
“Why? What’s the problem?” asked Melissa.
{{Well… you see…}}, Mew began, struggling for the right words, {{…it’s like this… I have a condition that only one Mew each generation has where I use Teleport when my emotions are at their peak…}}
“This is most unfortunate,” Professor Oak stated with a shake of his head.
“So we’re gonna have to travel out in the open all the way to Saffron with Team Rock on our tail all the way?? I don’t like the sound of that at all,” complained Jayce.
{{I’m sorry…}} apologized Mew sorrowfully.
“You’re a real insensitive jerk, you know that?” Melissa reproached him with a scowl.
“I didn’t mean it that way!” Jayce exclaimed apologetically.
{{It’s all right; no harm was done,}} Mew said in as cheery a voice as she could muster.
“Nevertheless, remind me to slap you when our lives aren’t in such mortal danger, Jayce!” demanded Melissa, causing the boy to spit and sputter as he stumbled over his words.
“I’m afraid that won’t be for quite some time,” Oak said, cutting off the one-sided argument, “and, speaking of time, we’ve spent too much sitting here. The journey to Saffron must begin immediately.”

>< >< >< >< ><

No sooner had Professor Oak finished the word ‘immediately’ when the beating of wings became audible directly above the cave that had taken refuge in. Suddenly, at the mouth of the cave, the monster pokemon, Pidgeowl glided to the ground and landed. On his back, Rocket General Brett sat, a mischievous grin across his face.
“We know you’re in there!” the Rocket called out, “surrender Mew to me or we’ll finish what we started earlier!”
“GEOWWWWWWWL!!” cried Pidgeowl in agreeance as Brett hoped off his back and took a few steps toward the cave entrance.
“Damnit! How does he keep finding us?” Jayce said more to himself than anyone else.
“I don’t know but I’ll handle him and his birdie,” announced Melissa as she reached for one of her pokeballs.
“No, Don’t!” cried Oak, “that Pidgeowl is much more powerful than it seems. My Kangaskhan that it killed was at a high level. It’ll rip right though your pokemon.”
“I can hear you in there so come out and give yourselves up this instant,” beckoned Brett, sounding much too much like a angry mother at the moment.
“We’ve got to get out somehow,” roared Jayce desperately.
“This cave only had one entrance and one exit… and that Rocket is blocking both,” stated Rick, remembering how he used this cave as a hideout when he was young.
Amidst the confusion on how to get out, nobody noticed Mew start toward the cave mouth until it was too late. Despite their cries for her to come back, she continued, determination glowing in her eyes.
’I can’t let them hurt my new friends,’ she thought to herself, ’I’ve got to stop them… I have to.’
Mew emerged from the cave and came face to face with a grinning Brett.
“Decided to give yourself up, I see,” he said cockily.
{{No, I didn’t,}} growled Mew as she struck Brett with a psychic energy ball she had been hiding behind her back, sending the General flying back into a tree.
Brett groaned and rubbed his back as he stood back up. The Rocket glared furiously at Mew, then screamed, “You insolent whelp! Pidgeowl, teach this little nuisance a lesson!!”
Pidgeowl began ascending into the sky, its eyes fixed on the small, pink creature that had dared to attack a member of Team Rocket. As it rose higher, Mew’s eyes started to glow bright white as she formed another, much larger ball of psychic energy. Pidgeowl reached the apex of its ascent and, twisting in mid-air, readied to strike. At this moment, Mew let the energy ball fly with a screeching war cry like none ever uttered by any of her race. Pidgeowl saw the attack coming and dodged it easily as he soared toward the cat-like pokemon at a blinding speed. Within seconds, he arrived at his target and struck her with a massive head butt, sending Mew careening back into the outer wall of the cave. She fell to the ground with a ‘thump’ and lie there, motionless.
Pidgeowl, assuming the victory was his, landed looked down on its fallen advisory. Pleased with its job, Pidgeowl raised its head and let forth a thunderous victory call… this was his fatal mistake.
Before the bird knew what was happening, Mew jumped up, a psychic bubble forming around her, and shot straight at the celebrating Pidgeowl. The effect was much like a shotgun at close range. Mew went in one side of the genetically altered pokemon and out the other, leaving a gaping hole in Pidgeowl’s torso.
The bubble faded from around Mew and she turned to view the scene behind her. The now lifeless body of Pidgeowl lay on the ground, a dumb-founded Brett looking on in a mix of shock and terror. Her friends stood at the mouth of the cave in a state of astonishment. The surprised looks on their faces were the last thing Mew saw before she blacked out. As the rest rushed to her aid, Brett made a hasty retreat.

>< >< >< >< ><

While Mew rested, Rick insisted that everyone stay behind and let him and Mew go alone. Jayce, however, would have none of it:
“Oh no you don’t, Rick Lansing,” he had scalded, “you’re not gonna go running off to save the world and leave your best bud behind. Besides, a registered pokemon nurse would come in handy on such a trip.”
“You’re kidding me!” Rick exclaimed, astonished, “you actually became a registered nurse!?”
“Yup, I even have my very own Chansey,” he had responded, proudly holding up a pokeball.

Even though she had only known them half a day, Melissa was equally stubborn to let them go off on their own:
“You two are going to need all the help you can get,” she had stated, “besides, such and important task shouldn’t be left to two boys alone. You’re going to need an experienced pokemon trainer to protect you from all the dangers that lie between here and Saffron City.”

Professor Oak, on the other hand, elected to stay behind. He was worried about the pokemon back at his lab and also knew that someone needed to keep an eye on Rick’s mom. He assured them, however, that we would see them again soon before giving them some parting instructions:
“It would be best if avoided Viridian City all together. Team Rocket’s main headquarters is there and it would be unwise to travel into the wolf’s den, so to speak. Instead, cut across the eastern fields and head for Diglett’s Cave. Use it to reach Vermillion City then go on north from there directly into Saffron.”
Once the goodbyes were said, Rick, Jayce, and Melissa (a still sleeping Mew in tow) began their journey to Saffron City.

>< >< >< >< ><

When Mew awoke, she found herself cradled in Rick’s arms. Looking up at him, she noticed a grim look on his face as well as on the faces of Jayce and Melissa.
{{What’s wrong?}} she asked, startling her three friends.
“It’s all flooded…” Rick answered.
The four travelers stood at the crest of a hill, looking out on a large body of water where the eastern fields should have been.
“All that rain Viridian had been getting must have finally caused the Viridian River to overflow,” Melissa explained.
“So now what do we do?” asked Jayce.
“We have no other choice… we must try and sneak through Viridian City and hope we can find a path to Diglett’s Cave to the north.” Rick stated dubiously.
Hesitantly, the group turned back to the north and started toward Viridian City, heading directly into the bee’s hive.

>< >< >< >< ><

Little did the companions know that they were being observed. Down in the flood water across the eastern fields, a pair of beady eyes watched them as they turned back north. Once they had disappeared behind another hill, the eyes sunk down into the water. Then, for an instant, a blue reptilian tail broke the surface then went back under, leaving only ripples where it had emerged.


To Be Continued...

[burakkichu]

hey, i'm enjoying this too. ^^ (well, i just barely read it, tho)...lol, mew gets stuck in the closet all day. keep going...i'm kinda interested to see where the plot goes from here. ^^;;

[Shadowed Mewtwo]

Whee! Lotsa hybrids! :D How many are they gonna meet? This is so cool... Evil Team Rocket, a thing in the shadows, another thing in the water, and plans of doom! Yay! ^^ And Mew's so cute... and powerful! *points and laughs at the dead hybrid* That's what you get for messing with a Mew!

[Mew Trainer Rose]

Ooo, story starring my fave pokemon. ^_^ *tries to grab Mew and hug it, but it flies away* aww, you're no fun...

The first thing I thought when I saw the title was "151? That's Mew's number! Yay, must be a Mew ficcy!" ^_^ and it is! I'd say more, but my mom's making me get off now. Yay for good fic!

[Mister Myuu]

I tried to get chapter 4 written before I had to leave for Arizona but, unfortunately, I didn't quite make it. Therefore, the forth chapter of Pokemon 1-5-1 will not be posted until Augast the 27th/28th... not posted in its entirety, that is. I will, for now, post what I managed to complete to quench the thirst of those who read my little fic. Enjoy what little I got done :P


Chapter 4 – …Into the Fire

“I’m finished… I’m a dead man walking! Giovanni’s going to have my head on a silver platter!”

Rocket General Brett paced back and forth in secluded glade he had taken refuge in after the defeat of Pidgeowl. A portable videophone was clutched in his hand as he argued with himself on whether to call his boss or not.
“If I don’t report as soon as possible, I’ll have the same fate as those other three goofs…” he commented to himself, “but, if I call and give him the bad news, he’ll hunt me down for sport!”
Brett halted and hung his head with a pathetic sigh, “…I’m a goner…”
Just then, the videophone rang, startling the depressed General.
“It’s got to be the boss calling for an update…” he muttered, letting the phone ring several times before hesitantly answering.
The caller was, indeed Giovanni who grumbled, “About time you answered,” once his underling’s grim face appeared on his screen.
“W-what is it you want, sir,” Brett half-whispered, fearing the wrath of his boss once he told him about Pidgeowl’s fate.
“I have new orders for you. You will disengage in your pursuit of the Mew,” explained Giovanni, “Project 003 will continue that mission once the target reaches Viridian City.”
“Why the sudden change in plans, sir?” asked Brett, temporally forgetting about Pidgeowl.
“First, because you foolishly allowed Pidgeowl to be killed!” Giovanni snapped, sending his General into a state of complete shock,”
Y-you already knew, sir?!” stuttered Brett, though thankful he was only getting a new assignment and not a death sentence.
“I always know,” the boss answered, “Your new assignment is to find Project 002, who has escaped from its cage.”
“Again? This is the third time in a month,” mentioned the General, “I knew it was a bad idea to combine the genes of those two pokemon. ‘It’s a recipe for disaster’ were my exact words I believe.”
“Enough with the I told you so!” barked the Rocket Leader with a frown, “you know very well they were chosen because their evolutions are powerful. If Project 002 is successful, it should evolve into an extremely powerful hybrid.”
“But until then, we’re stuck with a stupid, worthless creature,” Brett stated with a smirk.
Giovanni scowled at the General, who wiped the smirk from his face immediately.
“If you’re quite done questioning my decisions, I suggest you carry out your new orders before I decide to have you hanged.”
“Yes, sir! Right away, sir!” called Brett with a salute.
After ending his conversation with the boss, Brett gave a deep sigh of relief.
“Find Project 002… that shouldn’t be too hard since that thing is as dim-witted as a Slowpoke.” Brett said to himself as he began to turn
The Rocket General had barely gotten turned around when a rock-hard fist connected with his jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground, unconscious. A Sandslash scampered up to the KO’d Rocket and rummaged through his pockets before scampering off towards a man standing nearby. The ground-type pokemon handed the transmitter it had filched from Brett’s pocket to the man and looked up at him eagerly.
“Hmmmm… a homing beacon… how very interesting, isn’t it,” the man said to the pokemon.
“Slash, slash!” it agreed.

>< >< >< >< ><

Rick and his friends walked along the path called route one, ever alert for another attack by Team Rocket. At first, they had tried to stay as far from the main path as possible, but the floodwaters from the Viridian River restrained how far they could go almost to the point where they felt confined. In some places, the floodwaters even reached the road itself, filling the travelers with a certain unease as they expected something terrible to emerge from the dirty water and devour them whole. Now, much to their chagrin, they made their way down the main path directly toward the city in which Team Rocket had their main headquarters.
“I don’t like this one bit…” Jayce muttered more to himself than anyone else, “We get closer and closer to Viridian City, yet it’s been quiet since the attack at the cave yesterday.”
“I’m not liking it anymore than you are, but we’ve gotta move on. Maybe we’ll come across a place where the flood hasn’t reached so we can cut across toward Diglett’s Cave,” suggested Rick, though he didn’t actually think they’d find such a place.
From inside a small backpack slung over Melissa’s shoulder, Mew peeked through a small opening and watched the scenery. The group had decided it would be better if no one saw Mew and had found the first hiding place they could, inside the hot, stuffy backpack.
She sighed and blinked her eyes tiredly as she gazed at the muddy waters that were once again converging on the path.
’I can’t even see my reflection in these waters,’ she thought sadly, memories of her home with the colony flashing in her head for a moment, ’not like the waters back home… they were so clear and…’
Mew halted in mid-thought. It was either her imagination or she had seen something erratically swimming in the floodwaters. She peered into the waters for a long while, watching intently for anything that moved. Save for the occasional bewildered Magikarp, she saw nothing. Mew shrugged it off and sent back into her daydreaming about home.

>< >< >< >< ><

Professor Oak knocked on the front door of the Lansing residence and waited. After a few minutes, he could hear someone stumbling over things as they approached the door then someone fumbling with the doorknob. The door swung open and a disheveled middle-aged woman with ratted shoulder-length brown hair and bloodshot hazel eyes stood there, staring blankly at the elderly professor.
“Don’t I know you from ssssomewhere?” the woman, Rick’s mother, slurred as she took a swig from a beer bottle in her hand, some of the liquid escaping her mouth and falling onto her stained pink blouse and unwashed blue jeans, “were you at tttttha bar lash night?”
“No, Ms. Lansing,” Oak said with a sigh, a look of pity on his face, “I’m your old friend, Professor Oak.
Rick’s mom thought about this revelation for a moment before stepping back from the door with a grunt, her way of inviting someone in. The professor took one look at the condition of the house and sighed in dismay. After only one day with Rick to tend things, Becca (Rick’s mom’s first name) had relegated the entire house into a disaster area. Countless beer bottles lay thick on the carpet, the telltale sign of a recent binge-drinking get-together Becca had had with some of her friends. Furniture was over-turned, some even ruined, and numerous vomit stains marred the carpeted rooms.
“What have a gotten myself into,” muttered Oak, somewhat regretting his promise to look after Rick’s mom.
The drunken Becca turned to say something when her feet got tangled in the ruble on the floor, sending her to the ground with a shriek. When she sat up, a piece of half-eaten pizza was stuck to her face and a new bottle of beer, which she had discovered under the mess, was in her hand. Oak shook his head sympathetically and sighed, “Looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me.”

>< >< >< >< ><


The rest will be posted within a week of my return. Sorry for the inconvenience.