Operation Sisyphus Pallet Town ParkKiara Lee walked eagerly through the gate leading into the park, her single Poké ball clutched in her habnd. She only had one Poké ball because of that miserable Team Rocket, who insisted that anyone not in their ranks could only possess one Pokémon, and they tightly regulated the supply of Poké balls. She had heard stories of a group that was fighting them, but their activities were apparently confined to Lavender Town and Celadon City.
Kiara lived at the Pallet Town Orphanage, and she had pretty well accepted that no one was going to want to adopt her. At twelve, she was just too old for that. Before the coming of Team Rocket, she might have been able to get her Pokémon license and set out on a trainer's journey, but Team Rocket didn't accept kids, and Kiara would have eaten a dead Muk before joining them anyway.
The only pleasure she got was in the daily Pokémon battles that took place in Pallet Town Park. With her Charmander, she nearly always won those battles, even against Water or Rock types. She was looking forward to beating her old rivals once again.
She knew all of the kids in Pallet Town, so she realized immediately that there was someone new there. He was about her age, with a mop of black hair that hung below his shoulders. He wore blue jeans, with a blue and white vest. He was in the battling area now, facing Billy, a trainer she knew well. Billy was fourteen, and planning to join up with the Rockets next year. His Tauros was a tough customer.
The new kid had a Pikachu. Kiara knew at a glance that the yellow electric mouse was in fine shape. The condition of its coat and the shine in its eyes confirmed that much.
Tauros charged toward the smaller Pokémon, intent on obliterating it, but the Pikachu leaped aside and countered with a Thunderbolt. Tommy's Tauros swayed with the hit. It was still up, however, and it used Earthquake. It was a Ground attack, strong against both Fire and Electric types. Kiara's Charmander had been hit by it twice, and he had been finished off both times.
The attack hit the Pikachu solidly, and it went down, but it managed to regain its feet and retaliate with a second bolt of electricity. Tauros fell to the ground, and did not move again.
"S***!" Tommy swore. "Tauros, return." Tauros vanished.
"Pikachu, return," the newcomer said. Kiara waited for the Pikachu to vanish, but it didn't. Instead, it hopped up onto the young trainer's shoulder. Kiara nodded to herself. Pikachu, Meowth, and their respective evolved forms often disliked Poké balls. It was not uncommon to see trainers walking along with these Pokémon following behind them.
Kiara walked into the battling area. "Who's next?"
One of the braver Pallet Town kids stepped forward. Kiara beat him easily. She also beat her next opponent. Afterward, she uncapped her bottle of Celadon Lemonade and gave Charmander a drink, restoring what little damage he had sustained.
When she straightened up, the new kid was in the ring, facing her. He had also healed his Pikachu up. Kiara smiled. She knew that he was good, but her Charmander was no weakling. She could beat him, with a little luck. "Charmander, go!" she ordered.
"Pikachu, I choose you!" the new boy returned. Not that he had a choice, with the one-Pokémon rule.
The two Pokémon went into action. Pikachu struck first, with a Thunderbolt, but Charmander evaded the attack and retaliated with a tail whip. The Pikachu was flung back, but it responded instantly with another blast of electricity. This time it hit, and Charmander was engulfed in electrical energy.
"Charmander, Flamethrower!" Kiara ordered. The Fire Pokémon loosed a gush of flame, and it hit solidly and painfully. The singed Pikachu fell back, squealing.
Kiara smiled to herself. It had to be over. Charmander's Flamethrower was unbeatable.
No! The Pikachu was on its feet again, and it loosed another Thunderbolt, striking solidly. Charmander did not fall, but he was badly weakened. At Kiara's command, he loosed another Flamethrower, but the Pikachu had stepped aside. It responded with a Quick Attack, ramming into Charmander and loosing another burst of power at contact distance.
Charmander was badly weakened, but he had heart, and he stayed up. He responded with a wicked Slash, and the Pikachu reeled back, but responded instantly with a tremendous shock, and Charmander had finally had too much. He sank slowly to the ground.
"D*** it!" Kiara swore. "It's all right, Charmander. Good job." She pressed the Return button, and Charmander vanished. "You're good, whoever you are."
"You can call me Ash," the stranger said.
Kiara nodded and left the park. She did not have Revives, so she would need to get Charmander to a Pokémon center. With any luck, she could get him healed and return in time to do more battling, though she had no intention of facing Ash again. Not until her Charmander was a lot stronger.
As she exited through the gate, she was aware of someone beside her. It was Ash. "Where are you going?" he asked.
"Well duh," Kiara said acidly. "I'm going to the Pokémon Center. You just took out my only Pokémon, in case you forgot."
"I'm sorry. I..."
Kiara shook her head. "I'm not angry because you won, I've lost battles before. But I can do without the stupid questions."
Ash shrugged. "You're a lot better than the other people here. Why do you keep coming back here? Why not join up with Team Rocket?"
"Because I'm not old enough. And because Team Rocket are a bunch of a******'s," Kiara snarled. "You think I'd join the creeps who stole everyone's Pokémon? Who drain money from everyone and sic their Pokémon on them if they object? Are you crazy?!"
Ash's face darkened. "I suppose you're one of those idiots who support the Resistance, then?"
"Darn right I am."
"Really? They're pathetic, sneaking around the way they do and sending nine-year-olds into battle. I hope that Team Rocket wipes them all out and uses them for Muk chow."
"Well let me tell you something, you little geek," Kiara snapped. "If I ever find a Resistance member, the first thing I'm gonna do is beg them to take me on! What do you say to that?"
Ash opened up his vest, revealing a small patch with an attacking Gyarados on it. The emblem of the Resistance. "You just did," he said simply.
Kiara's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She was literally speechless, something that was rarely the case with her.
Ash nodded and closed up his vest. "Come with me," he said.
© Oddish c.2000
