Ultimate Pokemon: Red Vol 1:

The Adventure Begins

Part 1:

First Blood

Chapter 1:

Team Rocket Revealed

Six Years Ago - the Sky Above the Viridian Forest

The wind roared in Crimson's ears. He knuckles were white from holding tight to his Charizard's back as they rocketed through the chill night air. The cold bit at his fingers and ears, he hadn't expected to be flying tonight. Ahead of them, barely a speck in his night vision goggles, was the criminal Giovanni, fleeing on the back of his Dragonite.

"Charizard, fireball!" Crimson shouted over the roaring of the wind. Crimson lifted his night-vision goggles so he wouldn't get blinded by the blaze. His Charizard roared in response. Crimson could feel the heat growing in Charizard's torso beneath him. There was a scorching blast of light as an enormous ball of flame erupted from his flying pokemon's maw and hurtled toward his fleeing enemy.

Thanks to the light from the fireball he could see Giovanni's Dragonite veer to the left just in time to avoid the blast, it had been so close. Giovanni may have avoided the fireball but likely it had at least scorched the man's expensive clothing. Crimson wished it had done more than that.

Crimson was far from a violent man and he rarely even liked to battle with his pokemon except for practice, but Giovanni and his ilk filled Crimson with rage. Their callous use of pokemon as tools rather than treating them like living beings was unconscionable. They stole pokemon from their loving owners and abused them into obedience and resentment. Just thinking of it was making Crimson tremble in rage.

"Again!" he shouted, his faithful companion knew him well, it already had a fireball ready. A split second after the command Charizard let loose with an even bigger fireball, Crimson had to shield his eyes with his hand. Again the criminal's Dragonite dove to the left. Crimson cursed. "I hope you can hear me, Giovanni! I will hunt you down to the ends of Kanto if you don't let them go! You hear me? I won't stop!"

It was a waste of breath, there was no way the criminal could hear him. Crimson settled for glaring at Giovanni's tiny well-dressed form. The Dragonite dove downward toward the mountainside. Crimson didn't have to say a word, Charizard knew to follow. They had been together twenty years now and little ever needed to be said between them for the two to completely understand each other. Crimson watched as Giovanni and his Dragonite disappeared as they landed in the thick pine forest below.

"Careful, buddy," Crimson shouted, despite the fact the noise from the wind had died down considerably as they slowed to land. The winds rustled his medium-length black hair. "He could be waiting for us!"

Charizard flapped his leathery wings heavily and landed about thirty feet uphill from where Giovanni had disappeared. Crimson slid off his pokemon's back and stretched for a moment. He looked up at the night sky, as if expecting someone else, then trotted forward into the forest, letting his Charizard stay out of his Pokeball, he was expecting trouble after all. He didn't want to put his night vision goggles back on over his brown eyes as they totally destroyed his peripheral vision, and he had a feeling he was going to need it.

His heart was beating rapidly in his chest, he gulped down some air. Lives are depending on you. He reminded himself of that fact over and over. It gave him courage. He flexed his hands over and over, an old nervous habit. He didn't even notice he was doing it.

Crimson had experience with dangerous situations, being a pokemon ranger prepared you for that, but never had he gone face to face against a dangerous kidnapper and possible murderer like Giovanni. He could hear Charizard behind him, breaking twigs and breathing heavily as it slid about on the steep rocky slope. He should have probably chosen one of his smaller pokemon to search the forest with him but he couldn't imagine having any other Pokémon at his side during the most terrifying night of his life. Well, the night I asked Scarlet to marry me may have terrified me more, he reminded himself, wiping the sweat off his hands.

"Well, I wasn't expecting it to be you who followed me," Giovanni's bemused voice caused goosebumps to crawl their way up Crimson's spine. The ranger spun to his left, there stood Giovanni. Worse yet, there stood several other members of his accursed criminal organization. Crimson swallowed hard.

"You should know I would never let you leave my sight once you kidnapped Professor Oak, and now you've sunk even lower by kidnapping his granddaughter, a child."

"And his assistant," one of the other members of Team Rocket stepped forward. "Don't forget." She had long dark blue hair but a shadow fell across her face and Crimson couldn't make it out.

"You were wrong about me, you know, Crimson," Giovanni smirked arrogantly and looked at the blue-haired woman. "I am not who you think I am. I am not the boss of Team Rocket."

"That honor goes to me," the blue-haired woman declared jabbing a thumb at her suited breast. The moonlight glinted off a string of pearls on her neck when she leaned aggressively forward.

"Meet Madame Boss," another woman, this one with long purple hair, stepped forward, she was dressed in the standard Team Rocket black and red suit, unlike the two leaders, who wore business suits.

"What is the point of all this?" Crimson demanded of the criminals. "Why are you kidnapping all these people?"

"Business," Giovanni said coldly. "That's all it ever is with Team Rocket. Persian, go!" Giovanni shouted before Crimson could reply. The lithe cat-like pokemon leaped out from behind its master where it had been waiting to strike.

Charizard let loose a stream of white-hot fire at the Persian. The smaller more agile pokemon twisted in mid-air and dodged the attack, but at least Charizard had interrupted its headlong charge toward Crimson. Pokemon were never supposed to be trained to attack humans unless you were a police officer it was strictly forbidden. Charizard snorted angrily, a bit of flame shot from his nostrils, he stepped forward aggressively, never letting Persian out of his sight.

"We don't have time for anything that isn't business," Madame Boss looked sternly over at Giovanni. "End this quickly!"

Crimson couldn't believe his ears. They thought a veteran ranger was going to go down quick and easy? Especially one who had acquired all eight gym badges as a trainer, and that was back when most members of the current Elite Four had been gym leaders. Crimson grabbed another Pokeball from his belt.

Giovanni only nodded at his boss and turned back to Crimson, his face hardening, his eyes going flat. "I'm sorry I don't have time to take my time with you, I would have enjoyed toying with you before I destroyed you."

"Bulbasaur, go!" Crimson tossed his Pokeball in the air. In a flash of light, Bulbasaur appeared. While Bulbasaur couldn't run very fast his vine whip made him one of the fastest attacking pokemon of its level. This particular Bulbasaur had only been with him for six months, but it was a quick learner.

The Persian leaped toward Crimson's face. Charizard launched a flamethrower attack, Persian twisted in mid-air just dodging the deadly stream of yellow flame. It was out of luck however as Bulbasaur's vines wrapped around its legs and slammed the Persian to the ground. It mewed in pain as Bulbasaur slammed it into the rocky slope again.

"Nidorina, go!" Giovanni let another Pokeball lose. With a flash, the purple Poison-type pokemon landed on a boulder in front of them. It immediately charged toward Bulbasaur who dropped Persian to face its attacker. Persian immediately got to its feet. Charizard wasn't going to let it get off that easy. A quick small stream of weak red flame shot from its nostrils and hit the Persian in the neck.

With a yowl the cat-like pokemon dashed about, trying to put out its burning fur, there was nothing but pine trees and rocks on the steep slope. Also lots and lots of rocks. Another pokemon came flying from one of Giovanni's pokeballs, a Dugtrio.

Crimson hadn't been planning on a battle tonight when he had gotten dressed. He only had one more pokemon on him, a Spearow. He let it fly free. The flying type dodged a poison sting attack from the Nidorina to dive after Dugtrio's head, its claws extended. Dugtrio dodged by disappearing under the earth. Spearow quickly dove aside, a wise move as a boulder suddenly shot up from the ground and flew right where Spearow had been. Dugtrio emerged from the ground. It was three on three now and Crimson cursed, it was hard to keep track of six constantly moving pieces on the battlefield.

"Finish this!" Madame Boss demanded angrily. The blue-haired woman at her side opened a Pokeball and revealed a slithering poisonous Arbok. Crimson didn't like to admit it to himself but he didn't much care for any snake pokemon. The poisonous purple Arbok raced toward Charizard.

"Watch out, buddy!" Crimson shouted at his best pokemon. Charizard turned his flame toward the snake and it stopped just short of Charizard's feet. It was a standoff as the two pokemon faced each other.

"You're not the only one with backup, Team Rocket!" a young voice suddenly called from upslope.

"Ash, Misty, Gary!" Crimson's heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach. He had thought they had followed him, but they had stayed just out of his sight. "Get out of here, these guys are killers!"

"Which is why we can't leave you to fight them alone!" Ash called back, his faithful Pikachu screeching its agreement. Gary and Misty at either side nodded their agreement, pulling out pokeballs. A Fearow and Wartortle joined the charging Pikachu as they joined the fracas. With the appearance of the three teenage trainers, Giovanni pulled out his last three pokemon, a Graveler, a Sandslash, and a Marowak

The battle was a sight to behold, streams of bright orange fire danced in the air above alongside yellow sparks of electricity and pure blue streams of water. The cacophony of pokemon battle cries was enough to freeze your blood in its veins. There was no way this could end well for all of those involved.

"Ash!" Crimson shouted back at his young admirer. "Don't you have a Pidgeot?"

"Yeah," Ash nodded, pulling out a Pokeball. Crimson felt terrible about pulling sixteen-year-olds into a deadly battle but they had left him little choice, besides, several lives hung in the balance.

"See if your Pidgeot can scout around and find where they have hidden Professor Oak and the other captives."

"Right!" Ash let loose his bird pokemon.

"Go find Professor Oak and come back for me," Ash commanded. With a single cry, the flying pokemon took off over the trees.

"Giovanni, we are running out of time!" Madame Boss shouted angrily. "I told you to end this quickly!"

"Fine," Giovanni sighed. "Dragonite, end this!" His dragon pokemon growled its acknowledgment and opened its rounded muzzle. A brilliant white light formed in its mouth, growing larger by the millisecond.

"It's the Roar of Time!" Crimson shouted above the battle. Just then Pidgeot returned, crying triumphantly. "Everyone run!" This move could take down whole buildings with a single blast, Crimson didn't want to find out what it would do to a human. Fearow and Pidgeot dove for their masters, Misty luckily had hung back. Charizard realized there was no escaping the blast for him or his human. He charged.

Charizard slammed into the Dragonite just as it let loose its lethal blast. The blast cut through trees and slammed into the mountainside around them as Dragonites head rocked back and forth with the force of Charizard's blow.

"No, you fool!" Giovanni shouted as the mountainside exploded. Rock and dirt flew into the air obscuring the mountainside as it rumbled. Then it was as if the mountain itself sighed as the ground heaved up then down. Tons of boulders and soil slid down the side of the mountain like water, tumbling down in a deadly avalanche of rock, Dragonite and Charizard disappeared under the roaring rubble, most of the pokemon and humans followed suit.

Above the disaster Ash and Gary were held by their flying pokemon, each of them holding onto one of Misty's arms, a maneuver they had employed on several occasions, Pikachu sat astride Pidgeot. The three trainers watched on in horror as below them Crimson reached upward all too late and disappeared under the heaving earth.

"No!" Ash choked out. Crimson had been his idol. After what seemed like an eternity, but was truly seconds, the rockslide ended. The quickly tiring flying pokemon flew a slow circle over the disaster area. They couldn't spot a single living thing. Ash and Misty wiped away their tears the best they could on their shoulders. Gary was quiet for once.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Ash. "Pidgeot, did you find the Professor?" he managed to blubber out after several seconds of fighting his tightening throat. More tears streamed down his cheeks. Ash had never seen someone die before.

Pidgeot cried out in the affirmative and the group slowly turned from the rubble and flew back uphill.

Several minutes passed before there was any movement in the rubble. A single rock shook slightly then finally tumbled aside revealing a sleeved arm and a bloody hand. Several more rocks tumbled aside and a bloodied and dirty Giovanni crawled achingly slow from the rocks. Dragonite had protected him from the worst of it with its own body.

The criminal mastermind glanced about hoping, wishing for a single glance of Madame Boss or even more desperately for a glance on Miyamoto, the blue-haired woman. Nothing. He stood stiffly to his feet. Still nothing. This was impossible. How had a simple Pokemon Ranger take down every leader of Team Rocket in one battle? Giovanni cursed himself. He never should have let Miya come along with them. Madame Boss had insisted she come. He stumbled over boulders and uprooted trees. One of them had to have survived. They had to. He didn't know how he was supposed to go on without either of them in his life.

Desperately he started to roll boulders aside with his bloody, broken hands, leaving crimson streaks in their wake. "Miya! Madame Boss! Miya! Madame Boss!" His voice was so hoarse it was barely recognizable as human. There was no answer. He stood still and silent, unmoving waiting achingly for some reply. Then he started shouting again. "Miya! Miya . . ."

He stumbled about the wreckage in his torn and stained suit for nearly another hour. That was when he finally heard something. A low moan. He cried out in surprise but it just came out a choked sound. He stumbled toward the sound.

"Miya?" He asked with desperate hope. He tripped and fell, limply recovered his feet and struggled on. Finally, he found someone alive. Crimson. The ranger lay broken, both his arms covered by rocks but still at such odd angles that they were obviously broken, his nose had bled all over his face. His eyes were blackened.

"You!" Giovanni choked out in shock and anger. He pointed one broken swollen finger at Crimson's nearly swollen shut eyes. The ranger moaned in response, obviously he couldn't speak.

"You had to stick your nose in my business, where it doesn't belong. Team Rocket is my business and you never mess with a man's business!" Giovanni glanced about for a boulder the right size. He saw one and stumbled over to it. He leaned over to pick it up, found his trembling arms unable and rested for a second before continuing his diatribe.

"Even worse than that you messed with my family. Madame Boss was my mother and Miya! Miya . . ." with this Giovanni trailed off and began to sob before shaking his aching head, snapping himself out of it. In his brutalized state he was completely compromised, physically and emotionally.

"Miya was better than you or me could dream of being. A gift to this Earth from God himself. And you killed her! She should have been the one that lived! She has a daughter! You murdered a young girl's mother! Murdered her!" Giovanni was doing his best to shout with his failing voice, but then his voice went flat and cold. "Don't worry though, I'll help you pay recompense."

Giovanni finally hoisted the boulder over his head and made his way unsteadily toward Crimson's broken body, his head the only thing completely uncovered.

"I'll help you pay the price for killing my mother and my Miya!"

Crimson managed to lift a broken and bloody middle finger before Giovanni brought his boulder crashing down. Again and again ne brought the rock down until he was completely exhausted and nothing remained of Crimson's head but a bloody pulp.

Giovanni fell to his knees, completely exhausted and broken. He alternated between weeping and laughing at Crimson's limp corpse for a while until he fell asleep, still on his knees. When he woke one single thought came blaring through his damaged mind.

He would finish what his mother and Miya had started.

Slowly Giovanni rose to his feet, he turned and repeated his purpose over and over again in his head. He would finish what his mother and Miya had started. He would finish what his mother and Miya had started. He would finish what his mother and Miya had started. . .