Chapter 1 – Darkfire’s Ghost

…………………………………

A heavily clouded morning greeted the girl named Avani Uma. She skipped slightly in the dreary weather. In her opinion, most days should be like today. The clouds hid the sun, which became little more than an enemy at the start of summer, and the threat of rain kept the tourists of Pallet Town at bay.

Actually, the former ‘Pallet Town’ should be called ‘Pallet City’. With the new police station and Pokemon Center, the hotels and restaurants, and not to mention the tourism rates (through the roof), Pallet Town in now on the map. Oh, the tourism… Not a good spot to touch around Avani. She hated the large, noisy crowds. People, always starring and talking. She could do without it all.

But nothing could bring down her spirits. Today was good as far at the fourteen-year-old was convinced. She loved her job, working with the settled old Professor Oak and the young, boisterous Professor Ketchum. Not to mention the Pokemon! As a bonus, the Lab was off-limits for the tourists. The same people that she avoided as heatedly as they sought her out.

After all, she was a simple-minded fourteen-year-old girl. Surely as she worked at the famous Lab that belonged to Professor Oak, where the famous Ash Ketchum now also worked, she would talk happily about her job. Nope, the crazy fools. She wouldn’t get to work away from them, with Prof. Oak and Prof. Ash (which if he told you he preferred to be called over Prof. Ketchum) and the Pokemon if she told them. So, almost for the sake of her job and nearly in spite of them, she said nothing. As an after thought she added her paycheck to the list of things she liked about working at the Lab.

As she neared it, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She stopped and looked around, suddenly uneasy. A tall young man, easily her age or older, stared back. His hair was long, passed his shoulders and pulled back in a loose ponytail. From this distance his hair seemed black. His eyes, too, appeared black. He smirked and… vanished?

The hairs settled and Avani, formerly unable to move, found the strength to run the rest of the way. Drops of rain found their way to Avani’s face, almost keeping her cool and reminding her to keep running.

 

xxx

 

Inside of the Lab, Avani panted, soaked completely. Prof. Ash’s usual smile faded when he saw her. He told her to sit on the couch and left, a dark concentration on his face. She did so, a bit confused. He came back out, a blanket in hand, followed by Prof. Oak. Prof. Ash settled the blanket across Avani’s shoulders while Prof. Oak sat down across from her.

"What happened?" Prof. Oak asked, his voice heavy with concern.

For a second, Avani considered blaming her odd feeling around the ghost-like man on a trick the tourists had played on her. She shook her head almost angry at her self for even thinking about lying to the people she cared about the most.

"There was a young man… Out there." She paused. "He was watching me. I don’t know why but the sight of him just filled me with dread. Almost as if we both knew he was about to do something horrible." A roll of thunder echoed her words darkly. She flinched. Usually she laughed at people that were afraid of the storms she loved, but the storm only reminded her of the stranger. Dark, mysterious, handsome if you could see it under his dark presence of which still lingered in her mind.

"What was he wearing?" Prof. Ash’s question broke her line of thought. She frowned at her lap and drew the blanket closer.

"Black. And red… A red letter was on the front of his clothes. I couldn’t see it all, though." She added in shame.

"I’m calling the police." Prof. Oak announced as he stood up.

 

vvv

 

Prof. Oak hesitated as he listened to Ash describe the usual Rocket uniform. Avani listened but shook her head and told him that she didn’t get a good look at him. He nodded and told her of his first encounter with Team Rocket. At points she smiled or frowned at his tale.

It wasn’t the thought of Team Rocket that had made Prof. Oak upset, but the fact that it’d upset Avani. She was brave and if anything, she looked down on most people. He knew she didn’t do it on purpose, but she knew that she was good around Pokemon, a gift that called to her. She saw a problem and did what she could, what came to her heart to do, and if she didn’t know what to do, she wasn’t afraid to ask.

The fact that seeing any boy, especially so close to the Lab, had made her afraid was a true concern to Prof. Oak. Usually, she could threaten a person away if they were close to the Lab. The fact that she’d succeeded in calling a Haunter to help her once was amazing. She was no trainer, but her mere existence seemed to call Pokemon to obey her.

Still pondering over this sudden fear, he dialed Officer Jenny.

 

ooo

 

"While the police are coming, let’s play a video game or something." Prof. Ash suggested.

"Could we watch the Indigo Championships?" Avani asked.

"Sure! It’s on channel… 7?" He fiddled with the remote. He then gave up and handed it to Avani. She laughed and pointed it at the large TV in the room.

"Channel 9." She corrected as the TV came on. She turned it to the correct station as they settled in to watch Champion level Pokemon battle it out.

 

ooo

 

"Did he say anything?" Officer Jenny asked. Avani shook her head. Officer Jenny nodded and motioned for the two Professors to follow her. Avani stayed behind to watch a Persian and an Arcanine fight.

"There isn’t really much to go on, but I’ll do my best." She informed them. They both nodded solemnly. "I’d send her away from Pallet City. If this guy is stalking her, she won’t be safe here. She loves Pokemon, or so I hear, send her on a journey. Registration for the Indigo League ends tomorrow." She said before leaving.

Prof. Oak turned to Prof. Ash. "Well?"

"Well, what?" Prof. Ash asked the man that’d started him out on his own journey.

"Is she ready?" Prof. Ash laughed softly.

"By far she is readier than I was." They shared a moment of amused chuckling as they remembered the ten-year-old who came to get his first Pokemon in his pajamas. Avani stepped in just then.

"Ready for what?" She asked. Dry now, she almost acted as if nothing had ever happened. The rain was letting up outside, and Avani’s light green eyes shone, ready for another adventure.

"Officer Jenny said that it is a possibility that this young man may be stalking you. We’ve decided that it’s best if you leave Pallet City. Maybe join the Indigo League?"

Avani could barely contain her excitement. She’d expected to wait for another year before she’d saved up enough money to purchase a Trainer’s License. The thought of the expense brought her mood down again.

"I can’t afford it." She told them. "I don’t have the money…"

"You aren’t going out as an ordinary trainer. You’re going to be paid for the Pokemon that you catch. Say, $50 for each common, $100 for each uncommon, and $200 for each rare. $50 for each evolution, too." Prof. Oak informed her.

"So I’ll still get to keep them?"

"Of course."

"When do I start?"

"You’ll get everything tonight, and you leave in the morning." Prof. Ash said.

Avani then looked at the time. 5:30 P.M.! No wonder he’d said in the morning. Time sure flew during a storm.

"I think it’d be best if you spent the night here, too." Prof. Oak informed her. "Prof. Ash will get your things and after we’ve everything written and faxed we could order out for pizza."

"Oh no!" Prof. Ash laughed. "Watch out Avani, we’re in for another Pizza War!"

Avani laughed as Prof. Ash reminded her that a plain cheese pizza was all he wanted. Prof. Oak ordered the pizzas and brought Avani over to his desk. With Prof. Ash gone, they could speak less and get this over with sooner.

"Okay, as a traveling research-trainer you’ll get the latest in Pokemon technology. This is the latest version of the Poke Nav." He handed her a rather flat looking rectangular device. Avani pressed a green button and it popped open. Inside, the glowing screen displayed a variety of options. Under the screen was a place for her Trainer’s License to be safely stored. "Get to know it while I’m making your License."

Avani sat down and pressed a finger against the screen. She found the telephone option easily as well as a map of Kanto with built in compass and GPS systems. She smiled as she messed around with the touch-screen Poke Nav.

Prof. Oak handed her a card, which she set in the cardholder. A new screen came up as if it knew what she was going to try to locate next. It was a trainer form. She began to fill out her name when Prof. Oak cleared his throat. Startled, Avani looked up at him.

"If that young man was indeed stalking you, he’ll be looking for a girl named Avani Uma. That’s why your name is Darkfire Storm."

Avani flushed, realizing that Prof. Oak had been watching her while she’d been pretending to be a famous trainer with that particular name. He smiled to her in a knowing way and she filled out the form with her new information, looking to her Trainer’s License for anymore trivial information. When she saw her hair color, she chuckled. Red/Brown seemed to fit her. Indoors with little light she did appear to have brown hair, while in the full sunlight she looked as if she had deep fire-red hair.

 

xxx

 

Prof. Ash came back, lightly drenched, carrying a few bags full of stuff for Avani to sort out. She looked around, beginning to get worried that he’d forgotten one of her favorite objects, when Prof. Ash’s Pikachu came in. He was fiercely hugging a small bag as if it meant the world to him. He carried the bag over to Avani and set it carefully next to her.

"Thank you, Pikachu. Thanks, Prof. Ash." She said as she began to sort through the piles of stuff.

"Welcome. Now why don’t we get this stuff up to the room you’ll be sleeping in before you come across something that’ll get all of the guys in this room in trouble for seeing?"

Avani laughed and agreed. Upstairs, she sorted over her favorite articles of clothing until she had nearly everything she wanted. Satisfied, she brought down her book that contained all of the Indigo League rules, new and old, to read while she ate her pizza. However, when she got downstairs, both Professors had another idea entirely.

"Hurry, you’ll be late!" Prof. Ash urged. Avani laughed as he pushed her into another part of the lab.

"What in the-" She began but didn’t finish.

Prof. Oak was standing by a large electronic podium. Inside were three Pokeballs. Avani’s laughter ceased as she drew closer to the elderly Professor. He looked at her, neither as a friend nor as a boss, but as a Professor of Pokemon. All familiarity vanished and as suddenly Avani felt as though she was comparing her knowledge to a dictionary and her age to a giant tree.

"Which Pokemon will you choose?" Prof. Oak asked. Amidst the uncertainty and loneliness in her small void, Avani had a clear image of a Charizard at her side. The mighty beast stood at its tallest, ready to attack at her command. In its eyes burned the passion for battle that she longed to know.

"I choose Charmander!" Avani responded calmly.

"Are you certain? Charmander are hard to control at times and few can actually ever tame a Charizard. Most end up in the Charific Valley."

"I’m positive." Avani told him. She looked him directly in the eyes. He nodded and the glass semi-sphere that’d been protecting the Pokeballs moved aside. She picked up the Pokeball that contained her choice and tossed it to the ground. A flow of pure energy, burning red like fire itself, erupted from the Pokeball. On its hind legs stood a Charmander. It was a deep, rich orange in color with a pale orange chest, belly, and the underside of its tail. It looked at Avani, its eyes serious and considering. Its eyes enchanted Avani because they were the color of pure emeralds. It swished its tail arrogantly and Avani looked to the flame on the tip of it. The fire had many layers of it, from pure white to a red so deep it reminded Avani of blood.

The Professors stepped back as Avani came forward to her new Pokemon. It growled fiercely, baring its fangs. Avani knelt in front of the young fire lizard and looked it squarely in the eyes.

"Now, I may not be able to breathe fire my friend, but I’ll tell you now that if you bit me I’ll bit back. If you do blow flame at me, however, I’ll give you a sissy name such as ‘Fire Fly’, got it?" It eyed Avani as though it’d never seen a human before. "And don’t get me started on scratching and kicking."

It stepped forward to Avani before nudging her hand with its head. She smiled and scratched it behind the ears.

"Amazing! She actually tamed him!" Prof. Ash laughed, obviously overwhelmed with his relief. The Charmander turned to him, about to roast him. Prof. Ash froze on the spot, a bead of sweat inching down his face.

"I’ll call him Hakan." Avani announced calmly. Hakan turned to her, grinning. It took no genius to figure out that he liked his name. Forgetting his previous decision to make Prof. Ash toast, Hakan turned to the door as the doorbell rang.

"Pizza!" Prof. Oak exclaimed as he went to the door.

"Brace yourselves." Prof. Ash muttered. He then turned to Hakan. "Do you want to try some pizza or Poke Chow?" Hakan considered then followed Avani to the living room, intent on the new idea of pizza.

"Double cheese or dare you try Prof. Oak’s pizza?" Avani joked with Hakan. Hakan cocked his head and took one of each. He ate the first one, double cheese, in a few bites and liked it immensely. He looked at the other one and took a large bite out of it. He chewed, more thoughtful this time, and shouted his species’ name in bliss before downing the rest of the pizza slice. Two more slices followed it before he settled down to sleep.

"See? Spinach, anchovy, and pineapple pizza isn’t too bad!" Prof. Oak said smugly. Avani shook her head and ate her fill before recalling the sleeping Hakan to his Pokeball. She bid her friends and teachers good night before going to her room to sleep. Tomorrow she’d begin a new life of traveling with her very own Pokemon and a brand new name.