Chapter 1 - Thunder, Fire, and an apology   

It was all in slow  motion....the lightning attack coming down upon my body.  I really couldn't move too well as I was still suffering from his last attack, but I was saved.  I have absolutely no clue as to what saved me, but  it looked like a giant white blur. At first I was surprised...but even more so that the same white blur not only took the bolt of electricity without flinching, but then inhaled and shot a trail of fire from it's mouth.   

The Raichu instinctively jumped backwards to avoid the fire, and shouted "Hey! What's wrong with you? I was about to make that Squirtle pay for hurting my younger brother."  And it was only then did I notice the smaller yellow rodent pokemon...and Raichu's unevolved form of Pikachu.

The little one seemed to be holding his head, and I found enough strength to speak and said "So, that's what I hit on my way down."  I finally had enough sense to roll out from under the still unconfirmed white blur that saved me. I then stood up still facing the Raichu, when I felt something soft and fluffy wrap itself around my head. It immediately felt awkward and I brushed it away, only to see that it was a tail.  

I looked over following the tail and I could see many more...I actually took the time to count those tails too. I ended with a final number of nine. Then I grabbed my TCG book off the floor, and flipped through several pages as I came across the one picture I was looking for...  "So..." I asked as I turned around to face the other white pokemon "You're a Ninetails aren't you?"  

The giant white fox nodded and said "Yeah...and your a Squirtle...so are you going to thank me or not?"  I blushed as I realized two things...one the Ninetails in question was a girl, and two she was right...I now officially owed her one for saving my shell.  

"Okay. Thank you for saving me." I then asked a question I'm sure she saw coming..."What is your name?"  The Ninetails smiled and said "Well my real name is Jio-Wei, but just for an easier time on your brain, just call me Winter."  

I nodded my head and just as I was turning to speak, I was forced to jump out of the way as another electric attack from the still pissed off Raichu.  "Apologize." He demanded, and natrually I was confused as my face must've given that away and he stepped closer with his fist crackling with energy.  

"Not to sound stupid...but could you explain what you mean?" Of course the look on the Raichu's face said otherwise.  "Okay, I'll put this in words even you can understand...aplogize to my little brother and me, or we're going to have roasted turtle for dinner!"  

Now I was all for apologizing when I was in the wrong, but an outright threat I just wasn't going to take. So I did the sensible thing. I nodded my head and walked over to the smaller Pikachu, who was still holding his head and crying.  

"I'm sorry I hurt you." I then reached into my shell once more, and I felt several large items, I was starting to wonder just what was in this shell, when my hand came out with just what I wanted....a candy bar!  I handed said object to the little pikachu and he smiled brightly at me as he replied "Thanks...my name is JJ, nice to meet you!"

I smiled as I replied “Nice to meet you too. My name is….” A moment passed as I suddenly struggled to remember my name. Aparently Mewtwo wasn’t smart enough to give my name back! ‘Stupid cat bastard!’ I thought to myself.

But I needed a new name so it only took me another few seconds to come up with one.

“My name is Rick…Rick the Squirtle.”

JJ smiled and said “Nice to learn your name Rick.”

However just as JJ was about to take a bite out of the candy bar Jon snatched it away. JJ cried out and tried to take it back, as he said “Hey give that back! Rick gave it to me!”

The older and bigger Raichu held the candy bar away and said “NO! This is mine now! Remember I gave you most of the apples in that tree we slept in so you wouldn’t complain when we started walking! Now this candy bar is mine, and if you shut up, I may just give you a piece.”

At that point JJ started to cry, and that is when I got angry. I took a deep breath and walked over to Winter and smiled as I exhaled the breath out and in its place was a bubble…the size of a two or three oversized basketballs and I suppose it didn’t help that the sound of the bubble popping sounded like a large bomb going off.

‘And in his ear too. That must’ve hurt.’ I thought to myself as I winced. JJ’s brother sat there and I could feel the air changing as Raichu began to vent his anger. I took a step back and said “S-sorry ‘bout that.”

And then after a few seconds of silence the Raichu started to laugh. I found this odd, but the fact that I wasn’t getting cooked was a glorious thing in itself.

JJ’s older brother smiled as he turned around and said “Well, that’s one way to stop a fight between brothers.”

Winter and I looked at each other with a shocked expression on our faces as I replied “You two are brothers?”

JJ smiled and said “Well, I’m his adopted brother, but we tend to get along just fine.”

I smiled and said “Oh, that’s cool!” I then turned to Raichu and asked “Hey, I never got your name buddy?”

The Raichu smiled and said “My name is Jon.” Then he did something unexpected as he socked me…right in between the eyes with a charge to boot.

It hurt….it hurt a lot! The next thing I knew…I opened  my eyes, and while I was in pain…I was also pissed off now.

My feet touched the bottom of the pond and I shot up and out of  the water and fired the only attack I knew…Bubble beam.

While I was firing I was also watching where my attack was going….and I gotta say…what I saw was really disappointing.

JJ was standing around looking like he was watching a festive parade, Jon was just using his paw and popping the bubbles that came near him, and Winter was busy jumping and hopping over the bubbles in her path, making it look like she was dancing.

As I landed I shouted “What the hell was that for?!”

And the response I received was this: “Can you do that again?”

I stared at JJ for a moment and sighed as Jon said “Yeah…you need some serious training…” However I cut him off by shouting “What do you know?!”

He continued by saying “Well for one, my brother and I could train you and make you a stronger pokemon.”

As much as I wanted to throttle the giant mouse bastard….I sighed and retorted “Well…maybe I could use the training after all…” I then looked Jon in the eyes and said “Just as a fair warning, I’m going to get you back for that cheap shot. Just wait…you won’t expect a thing when it comes.”

Jon just smiled and said “Deal, so you coming with us?” I nodded and said “Yeah, sure…got nothing better to do.”

Winter then nudged me and as I turned to her she spoke and said “I guess I’ll go with you as well…after all Rick here owes me one. And I can’t very well call it even if I don’t tag along.”

Rick and JJ nodded their heads and I said “Well, you two seem to know where you’re going…lead the way!”

The brothers then said “You got it! The Thunder Brothers are gonna lead the way!”

‘The Thunder Brothers…it has a nice ring to it!’ I then took all of two steps before a pokeball opened and in a flash of light as the light faded a vulpix was standing there looking poised and ready to strike.

Just as I was about to ask the vulpix as to what it was doing, when a human stepped out of the bushes as well and said “Hold it right there you four!”

I looked confused for a moment before the pokemon trainer spoke up “My name is Rachel Ransby. I challenge that Squirtle to a pokemon battle! Now step up!”