Disclaimer: I do not own any of the pokemon and many of the places discribed in the story. They are the sole property of Nintendo. All original characters, however, are mine. Please do not use them without my permission. Any relation of the characters either in name or in action are purely coincidental. Now kick back, relax and enjoy.

Chapter 1: A Selfless Act

Wind through the roads. Another normal night in Goldenrod City. The flickers of light dance through the eyes of its denizens as they mindlessly shuffle down the well-worn streets. People shout, cars rush by, and the movement of hundreds of bodies, all going their separate ways and all oblivious to each other, fills my view. I always found a bit of comfort in the quiet chaos of a Friday night downtown. It seemed like a form of privacy in plain view, a box where I could see everyone, but they couldn't look at me. In a way, it was like the high skyscrapers that loomed above me even now. Like their reflective glass windows that only rewarded one side with privacy.

I sighed, silently chuckling at the hidden poet within who seemed to spring up at these random times. Tossing my dirty blond hair back and surveying the intersection in front of me, it all seemed pretty normal. Same town, same people, and the same path to my usual Friday night haunt. Relaxing after a hard weeks work at Sylph Co. with a couple of cold beers and good friends at Mickey Finn's Pub and Brewery was just the medicine the doctor prescribed.
The bar was only a few blocks away and I could already see some of my more affluent friends pull up in their cars. I guess having parents that spoil you pays off in one way, even if it makes you an ass. Though they can be dicks sometimes, generally they were all good people at heart, and that's what mattered the most.

It was hard for a guy like me to find friends. I was usually the quiet person who hid in the corner of rooms. It was like that in kindergarten, grade school, high school, college, and even now. I tended to lock myself up as to not reveal too much of myself to everyone else, so anyone who could crack my introverted egg usually was someone to keep close.

The light in front of me turned red and the river of people bunched up as the walkway became a no pass zone. I slipped through the crowd, hoping to save a few seconds waiting for people to start moving again. Upon arriving towards the front of the mass on the street curb, my ears were treated to the shrill screech of a fire truck, several cop cars, and an ambulance as they raced past the intersection.

"Where's the fire?" I softly joked to myself, chuckling. Only then did i pick up a slight whiff of smoke in the air.

The smile instantly vanished from my face. Oh no... My apartment was down the way those emergency response vehicles were traveling. Before the crossway ended in the direction of the fire, I sprinted across the street and slipped through people as I followed the sirens.

Dodging a man with a bushel of apples, vaulting over alleyway fences and slipping between buildings, I managed to keep up with the sirens as they neared closer and closer to my apartment block. I climbed one last fence and ended up on the end of my street.

Looking down, I could clearly see that an apartment block was on fire, but I couldn't tell which one it was. I followed the flow of people, trickling in to see what all the commotion was about.

Upon getting closer, I saw that the apartment block on fire, thankfully, was not mine. I let out a breath of air I didn't even realize I was holding in. However, the revelation didn't stunt my curiosity. I swiftly reached into my back pocket and pulled out a little black earpiece. Tapered at one end and with a silicone hook to stay on your ear, this little device was a prototype pokémon translator from my research and development department at Sylph Co.

I guess being the assistant manager finally pays off. Maybe I can figure out a little more. I thought as I put the little piece on my right ear. Pressing a button, the area around me immediately became less of a rabble and more constructed. From my neighbor's barking poochyena to the gardevoir next to me, a chorus of voices erupted from the bodies around me.

"Is everyone ok? Like, did everyone make it out alright?"

"I think so, the fire fighters are cordoning of the area though, so there's not much we can do."

"What caused the fire?"

"I don't know, one second I was asleep, then I heard an explosion and saw fire shooting through the hallway"

"Maybe it was a pokémon, or maybe it was terrorists."

"Maybe it was Team Rocket!"

"Nah, that's stupid."

I silently chuckled as I heard the stories and claims get wilder and wilder as they passed between pokémon and human alike. I pushed the issue aside as my mind drifted back to the original pursuit of my Friday night. My friends would probably be worrying about me, so I can't keep them waiting.

"OH MY GOD, THERE'S SOMEONE STILL IN THERE!" I heard a woman shriek from behind me. I turned around to see her in horror next to her equally spooked alakazam.

"How do you know?" An older gentleman inquired.

"My alakazam did a psychic sweep of the building; he discovered a body on the 3rd floor!"

"Well someone has to do something" A young teen piped up.

I turned around, startled at the revelation. If I were trapped in that building, I would want everything done to save me.

"Are you sure that there is someone in there?" I asked the woman.

"Positive, old Psych here never makes a mistake on matters of psychic ability."

"I'll go tell them." Immediately parting the crowd, I made my way to the fire chief.

"Sir, you have to go back in there." I told him.

"Excuse me? Do you see the condition of that housing complex son? If we so much as breathe on any of the structures, the whole damn thing will collapse."

"You don't understand sir, there's still someone in there! You have to go and get them." I pleaded with the charred chief.

"No, you don't understand son. I would love to send my men gallivanting off into some suicide mission to save one life, and I would love to explain to their families why they died. 'Some guy said there was someone inside, so we rushed into a collapsing building.' Yeah, that'd go over well. Now run along and go play blocks, son, while the big boys clean up this mess."

I couldn't believe my ears. Not only was this man not going to help the poor person upstairs, but he was willing to let him or her die just because he was afraid that the building would collapse.

I took one look at the chief who had turned away from me to talk on his walkie-talkie and spotted the rest of the emergency crew packing up their gear and preparing to collapse the building to put out the fire. I knew then what I had to do. No one else was coming for this person, so I guess it had to be me.

Taking two steps and vaulting over the barricade, I dashed into the house. The yelling of several firemen and spectators couldn't deter me now as I crashed through the front door and into the burning house.

As I hit the ground, the wall beams above the now shattered door crashed down where an opening once stood. Taking one look back to assure I was well and truly trapped, I pressed on through the glowing hellscape that awaited me. I pulled my cotton jacket off and wrapped it around my mouth as a makeshift gas mask to keep out the smoke and pressed on through the fiery abode. The charred remains of furniture and belongings were no match for my trusty work boots, but the flaming chunks of house posed a great threat for burns. On my way through the first level, searching for stairs, I had a piece of flaming drywall, curtains, or random belongings burn me on their way to the ground.

Finally, I found the stairs up to the second level. Thankfully they were at the back of the complex and made of cinder blocks and steel. As I climbed the relatively safe steps up to the third level, I wondered what awaited me. I sincerely hoped it wasn't a charred body. It would be a great waste for me to have risked myself for a burnt husk.

My thinking came to a sharp end as a crack sounded above my head. One of the I-beams supporting the stairs had failed and a large piece of metal came crashing down, narrowly missing my head, but cutting a deep gash in my left arm and leg as it fell. I bit back the tears and pain, ripping off the sleeve of my jacket to wrap my shredded limbs in. The world began to spin as a combination of blood-loss, shock, and pain set in. I shook it off, convincing my body to keep going, as passing out here would mean certain death.

I carried on, kicking down the burnt husks of doors on my way to where I hoped this person was. Rounding a corner, I saw a mound at the end of a hallway. It certainly didn't look like a pile of ash or embers, so I rushed forward to see if it was the person I was looking for. Upon getting closer, I realized that it wasn't a person, but a pokémon.

This pokémon, a typhlosion by the looks of it, had escaped fairly unscathed due to its fire-proof fur and location slightly away from the bulk of the flames. I tapped its shoulder, trying to wake it up, but it didn't move. Fearing the worst, I put my fingers on its neck. A weak thum-bump feebly made it to my fingers. I don't have much medical training, but nothing should have a pulse this weak I reasoned. Using a nearby beam and a brick to make a makeshift lever to compensate for my torn up limbs, I rolled the typhlosion over to see what might be wrong. As I looked over its body, I couldn't find out anything more than this it was actually a her.

Befuddled, I got down on my knees and attempted to wake her up again, but she didn't even stir. Realizing that the only way we could get out was by carrying her, I pulled her arm over my shoulder and rolled her stomach on to my back. Lightly gripping her leg with my mangled left arm, I stood up and began to carry her back towards the staircase.

I made it down the stairs to the second floor, and began on the first when another creek shot through the staircase. Before I had time to think, a second beam had failed, and another brick was heading for me, the only difference being where it would hit. Smashing me on the head, stars exploded in my vision. I dropped the typhlosion and hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. Before blacking out the only sound was a slight groaning. I knew not where it came from.