Note: The character of ‘Deshi’ and ‘Denchu’ are the property of the Soldier page

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Chapter 5: Trial By Fire

---

“Dang, I look good,” Jimmy said as he examined his new Cerulean City Citizen’s ID Card. “Good thing I got that haircut yesterday.” His hair was slightly shorter now, which is why he said he looked good on his ID card.

 

“What I want to know is,” May began. “Is why you had a copy of your birth certificate and your old Social Security card with you?”

 

“Why not?” Ash asked. “He must have been prepared.”

 

“Exactly,” said Jimmy. “You learn these kinds of things in the Boy Scouts.” It was just two days after Jimmy and May became Power Rangers. In order to do anything in Cerulean, Jimmy had to get a citizen’s ID. If you’re wondering, Deshi and Denchu already got theirs, so they weren’t at the ID office. Applying for a citizen’s ID was sort of like applying for a Driver’s License; all you needed to do was fill out a form at the ID office and provide any valid identification; a birth certificate is a good example of valid identification.

 

Well anyway, now that was settled, Ash and May had other things on their mind. And it involved an old friend. “So Ash,” May said. “Are we going to see Brock?”

 

“You know, I wasn’t thinking about it at first,” Ash said as he stopped to think for a moment. “You know, that would be a great idea.”

 

“Who’s Brock?” Jimmy asked.

 

“Oh, right, you’re the newbie,” May said. “Brock Harrison is an old friend of ours, especially Ash.”

 

“When I was a Pokemon trainer, he and I would travel along with my lady friend Misty,” he said. “He was my first Gym Leader opponent and ended up becoming one of my closest friends. He’s also always wanted to be a Breeder.”

 

“Sounds good,” said Jimmy. “So why didn’t you make him the Blue Ranger?”

 

“Because he’s out of commission,” Ash said. “He was involved in a nasty car accident some time ago, and was gravely injured. He’s been in recovery for a long time and has just started rehab.”

 

“Damn,” said Jimmy. “I hope he recovers.”

 

“I do too,” said Ash.

--

The room was pitch-black. The only thing in view was a crystal ball in the center. A figure walked in, their footfalls making only the slightest noise. Two more pairs of feet could be heard, approaching the crystal ball. “Well, well, well,” one voice said. “You decided to show up.”

 

“Why are you mocking me?” The other voice asked.

 

“You lost your targets,” the same voice replied. “The newcomer escaped.”

 

“To be honest, I’m not sure why he’s so important,” replied the other voice. “He’s not one of us and he’s just some kid who evaded the orcs for five months.”

 

“Speaking of which, the orcs that entered were slaughtered,” said the third voice. “Any reason why?”

 

“The CDF must have been involved,” said the first voice.

 

“YOU STILL FAILED!!!” All of a sudden, a loud voice came from the crystal ball as it began to glow. “I want answers!”

 

“My apologies!” The second voice said. “It will not happen again.”

 

“IT HAD BETTER NOT!!!” The crystal ball shouted. “Do you have any other plans?”

 

“Why yes, we do have some good news,” the same voice said. “Two platoons of orcs managed to get in to the city when the barrier was lowered and two monsters got in, as well.”

 

“Not bad,” the crystal ball said. “Monitor both monsters. Have them coordinate an attack on the city. I want Cerulean BURNED TO THE GROUND!!!”

 

“We will,” said the first voice. The light from the crystal ball faded, leaving the room pitch black again.

--

Back at the Cerulean Gym, Luna and Artemis were lecturing Misty, Deshi and Denchu about being responsible Sailor Warriors. The three did their best to listen, but being the teenagers they were, they got bored pretty quickly, save for Misty the ‘veteran’. This of course, brought back memories of the last Sailor group, especially Sailor Moon. “You guys are as bad as the last Sailors!” Luna half whined.

 

“We’re not that bad!” Misty said. “We’re just bored!”

 

“That’s what Sailor Moon would say!” Luna said. “Please concentrate!”

 

“We already swore that oath to Princess Serenity, why would we have to go through some lecture?” Deshi asked.

 

“You guys are hopeless,” Luna said, shaking her head.

 

“It’s not that we don’t want to do this,” Denchu said. “It’s just that we haven’t had anyone to fight yet.”

 

“She does have a point,” Artemis said. “But it’s not the best excuse in the book.”

 

“Oh darn,” said Misty. “So what did you say, again?”

 

Luna sighed. “We were talking about not using your powers for personal gain.”

 

“That’s pretty much a given,” said Denchu.

 

“It’s still important!” Luna said. “Now you swore an oath to the Moon Kingdom, but your ultimate loyalty is to the human race.”

 

“That’s pretty much a given,” Deshi said. “I’m going to get some Oreos.”

 

“More!?” Misty said with dismay on her voice. “Can you please stop eating all my cookies?”

 

“Oh, but I haven’t had any in two years!” Deshi said in a half whine.

 

“That’s not a great excuse, you greedy little lady!” Misty shouted.

 

“What’d you call me!?” Deshi shouted back.  The shouting match continued and Artemis and Luna could only watch in dismay.

 

“Can you guys quit fighting?” She shouted to Misty and Deshi. “They’re just cookies!”

 

“But she’s been eating me out of house and home!” Misty complained. “What do you expect me to do?”

 

“Luna, she’s a little frustrated about the food,” said Artemis. Then he turned to the Sailors. “But you should also be on alert 24/7. The enemy may get more orcs in the city, so they may attack any time soon.”

 

“But until then… OREOS!!!” Deshi tried to use the lull to get away, but Misty would have none of it.

 

“Oh, no you don’t!” She said as she grabbed Deshi’s collar, stopping her in place. Luna and Artemis could only watch and shake their heads.

--

At the Cerulean General Hospital, Ash, May and Jimmy were shown to Brock’s hospital room by an orderly. “Here he is,” the orderly said as he ushered them into the room. Inside, Brock shifted on his bed, his face brightening (as much as it could what with those constantly-closed eyes) as he saw Ash and May. Jimmy lagged behind. Ash and May’s faces also brightened at Brock.

 

“Ash! May!” He said as they came to his bed. “How’s it going?”

 

“It’s great to see you Brock,” Ash said as he gave Brock a ‘bro-hug’. May gave Brock a regular hug. “How are you doing?”

 

“I just started rehab yesterday,” Brock said. “I got some more today.”

 

“How long have you been here for?” Jimmy asked. Of course, Brock didn’t recognize Jimmy, so he was pretty confused.

 

“Who’s he?” He asked. Jimmy hung his head behind May.

 

“His name is Jimmy McAndrew,” said Ash. “He survived for 2 years outside the dome.”

 

“Wow,” said Brock. “Impressive. So he’s the newest member of your entourage and I’ll be pushed to the side?”

 

“Brock, you know that’s not true,” Ash said. “You’re one of my best friends, he’s just a noob.”

 

“HEY!” Jimmy said in return.

 

“You’re still a noob, noob,” May said, just to make Jimmy feel bad. Jimmy’s displeasure could clearly be seen on his face.

 

“Okay guys, stop making fun of him,” Brock said. “How’s your mom been, Ash?”

 

“She’s been fine,” he said. “For some reason, she’s been talking to Col. Ketchum a lot.”

 

“Maybe they’re friends,” May said, offering the most mundane explanation possible.

 

“She’s been working on her roof,” Ash said, moving on from the Col. Ketchum bit. “She turned it into her own garden!”

 

“Roof?” Jimmy asked.

 

“We’re a self-sustained living environment, so we have eco roofs,” Ash said. “She’s been helping out with them, which is probably why she’s talking with Col. Ketchum lately.”

 

“Well, that’s a justifiable reason,” Jimmy said.

 

“What about Misty?” Brock asked.

 

“Misty?” Jimmy asked.

 

“An old friend of mine,” Ash said. Apparently he missed May’s reaction, which was a minor cough that sounded like she said something. Although Jimmy did hear it, he couldn’t make it out.

 

“What did you just say?” Jimmy asked her.

 

“Oh, nothing,” May said in a sing-song voice while coyly looking away. Jimmy narrowed his eyes at her but went back to Ash and Brock’s conversation.

 

“Do you have any good stories for me this time?” Brock asked as Ash had sat down next to him.

 

“Yeah,” Ash said. “Other than picking the noob up, I’ve been helping to set up a Pokemon league.”

 

“Oh, and I let all of mine go!” Jimmy groaned behind him.

 

Ash, of course, ignored him. “Lance and I have been discussing the possibility of neighborhood gyms,” he said. “Misty could be a possible candidate, sort of as the main gym leader.”

 

“Sounds good,” said Brock. “Am I going to be one?”

 

“If you can recover within a month,” Ash said. Brock groaned and threw his head back once Ash told him. “Sorry, Brock,” Ash said.

 

“It’s okay,” Brock said in response. “I’ve been studying up on how to be a successful breeder instead.”

 

“Breeder?” Jimmy asked May.

 

“He wants to be a Pokemon breeder,” May said.

 

“Oh,” Jimmy said in response. The conversation continued for a few more minutes, with Brock and Ash talking about things ranging from funny stories to how Professor Oak was doing (he survived). Eventually, the conversation wrapped up when a male orderly came in and told them that they would have to leave soon. “Already?” Jimmy asked.

 

“I have to get some X-rays,” Brock replied. “It’s been nice seeing you Ash.”

 

“It’s been great to see you too,” Ash replied. He gave Brock a pound. “I hope things haven’t been too bad for you.”

“Oh they’ve been fine,” Brock said. Just then, a good-looking nurse came in the room and Ash got a pretty good idea of what Brock meant.

 

“You haven’t changed a bit,” he said. “And that’s what I like about you.” May chuckled to herself and Jimmy, being the noob, just looked on in confusion.

--

“It’d be nice if you could tell me about your friends before I meet them!” Jimmy said as the trio left the hospital. “I didn’t know your friend was a skirt chaser.”

 

“And you are?” Ash asked.

 

“Well, no,” Jimmy said. “Well, I do like girls but—”

 

“Then you’re a skirt chaser,” May said jokingly.

 

“HEY!” Jimmy said. “So this Professor Oak guy, is he your mentor?”

 

“And a family friend,” Ash replied. “He lived in Pallet Town up until the orcs attacked.”

 

“So you’ve known him a while,” Jimmy said.

 

“Most of my life,” Ash replied. “I think his house is just outside of the Vermillion area.”

 

“I see,” Jimmy said. “Oh wait.” He suddenly said.

 

“What?” May asked. “Are you going to admit you’re a skirt chaser?”

 

“That’s not it!” Jimmy said. “I just remembered, I need a place to live. Maybe this Oak fellow can let me live at his place.”

 

“I doubt it,” Ash said. “His place only has two bedrooms and my friend Tracey is living in the guest room. But I do know someone you can stay with.”

--

Back at the Cerulean Gym, Misty was just stepping out to go grocery shopping. Luna stepped out with her, apparently wanting to get away from the insanity going on inside. But there was only one way to find out. “Are they too much for you?” She asked.

 

“Yeah,” Luna replied. “They’re about as bad as the last Sailor Soldiers.”

 

“We can’t be that bad!” Misty said. “By the way, what brand of cat food do you want?”

 

“Where did that come from?” Luna asked.

 

“Well, you’re going to be living in my gym, I might as well feed you too,” Misty said. “Just as long as you’re not like Deshi, though.” Luna could sense some hidden hostility in that tone of voice.

 

“You’re going to have to get along though,” Luna said. “You can’t be constantly fighting amongst each other.”

“Yeah, I know,” said Misty. She picked Luna up as they reached the bus stop. The talking cat seemed to be a little nervous about the situation.

 

“Are you sure they’ll let cats on the bus?” She asked.

 

“They let Pokemon on all the time,” Misty said. “Well, if they’re small, anyway. They’re not going to let a Charizard on board. So I think a cat or a dog will be okay.”

 

“That sounds good.” Luna said.

 

“Just don’t say anything, or else people will freak out,” Misty said.

 

“A talking cat might be the least I’d be worrying about in a post-apocalyptic city,” Luna said. “But I’ve had to keep my mouth shut before, so I’ll do just that.”

 

“That’s a good kitty,” Misty said. Luna frowned in annoyance. Apparently she didn’t like being called a mere kitty. “Oh come on, I mean that in an endearing way,” Misty said.

 

“I’m not a mere kitty!” Luna said. “I’m an alien cat from the planet Mau!”

 

“But here on Earth, you’re just a cat,” said Misty. “And you should know that by now.”

 

“I just hope you don’t lose focus of your mission,” Luna said.

 

“I haven’t,” Misty said. “I’m just focusing more on groceries right now.” The bus finally arrived, and Misty stepped on board, paying the bus fare. The driver ignored Luna, which was consistent with some of the Pokemon on board. The ride lasted about ten minutes before the two arrived at their destination, a grocery store not too far from the Cerulean Gym.

 

Once inside the grocery store Misty had to convince the employees to let her bring Luna inside, coming up with the excuse that she didn’t want anyone to steal Luna (whom she named Mrs Jynx, much to Luna’s embarrassment) if she left her outside. The clerks must have been gullible because they let them past.

 

“You have a way with words,” Luna said once they got past them. She was sitting in Misty’s shopping cart unlike most cats, which will simply leave when they feel like it. But then again, Luna isn’t like most cats.

 

“Really?” Misty asked as she picked up some apples. “Really I was just trying to figure out what to say.”

 

“Well you still didn’t have to call me ‘Mrs. Jynx’,” Luna said with an annoyed tone. “A name like ‘Samantha’ would have been nice.”

 

“Really?” Misty asked. “Samantha?”

 

“Um…” Now Luna was even more embarrassed about what she just said. “Oh, forget it. I guess Luna is a popular enough cat name.”

 

“I think I knew someone who had a cat named Luna,” Misty said. “Oh, here’s the cat food. What do you want?” Luna looked at Misty as if she had just called her something offensive. But Misty kept smiling at the talking cat. “Do you want Meow Mix?” She asked.

 

“No,” Luna said. “Just get me some Cat Chow or something like that.”

 

“That’s a good kitty!” Misty said as she grabbed a bag of cat food. Luna only sighed in embarrassment. This girl was going to be the death of her!

--

Meanwhile, Ash, Jimmy and May got off the bus in one of the residential areas of Cerulean, in a more semi-suburban area. This area was filled with houses that had the eco-roofs that Ash had been talking about. Indeed, many seemed to have been turned into personal gardens. Some of them had some crops growing on them. A few looked as though they hadn’t been tended to in a while. In the distance, some kids could be heard playing while a car drove past some ways away.

 

Of course, there was one house that stood out. It had a large menagerie of various plants and vegetables growing on the roof. And instantly, as soon as he saw the house, Jimmy could easily tell who it belonged to. “I’ll bet that’s your mom’s?” He asked.

 

“You win,” Ash said. The house was a two-story building. The house was painted yellow and white with some bits of red. Ash, Jimmy and May walked up to the house and Ash knocked on the door. It was a few seconds before the door opened and a brown-haired woman stepped out. She took one look at Ash, smiled and enveloped him in a big bear hug. Needless to say, Jimmy and May were pretty surprised.

 

“Ash!” The woman said in an excited tone. “How have you been?”

 

“Um, mom,” he said. “Can you please go a little easier, I can’t breathe!”

 

“Oh, sorry,” Delia said as she let go of Ash. “I just got excited honey. Hello, May.”

“Hi, Mrs. Ketchum,” May replied. “It’s nice to see you again.”

‘It’s nice to see you, too,” Delia said. Then she turned to Jimmy. “Hello,” she said. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Jimmy McAndrew,” he said. “I just got to this city a few days ago.”

 

“Oh, you’re the one the CDF arrested,” Delia said. Jimmy frowned in response. “Well, come on in!” She said. “I was just having company, but that’s okay.” She led them into the kitchen where another woman was sitting at the kitchen table. She had long, blue hair and when she turned around, she smiled at Delia. “Ikuko, this is my son, Ash,” Delia said. The woman, named Ikuko got up and walked over to Ash to shake his hand.

 

“Hello,” Ikuko said. “I’m Ikuko Tsukino. It’s nice to meet you.”

 

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Ash said as he shook Ikuko’s hand.

 

“And these are his friends May West and Jimmy McAndrew,” Delia said.

 

“Hi,” May said.

 

“Hey,” said Jimmy.

 

“Hello,” Ikuko said. “They look like nice kids. I just hope your Ash isn’t like my Usagi.”

 

“He’s not,” Delia said. “Well, he isn’t lazy, anyway.”

 

“How do you hope he’s not like your Usagi?” Ash asked, as though he was slightly offended.

 

Usagi’s a good girl, but she’s so darn lazy,” Ikuko said as she sat back down at the kitchen table. “But she’s got a big heart and is loyal to her friends, so that’s a good thing about her.”

 

“Just like my Ash,” Delia said. She, Ash, Jimmy and May had also sat down at the table. “He looks out for his friends.” As if on cue, Jimmy gave Ash a dirty look.

 

“If only you could be like she describes,” Jimmy said, “instead of calling me a noob.”

 

“Ash, that’s not very nice,” Delia said. “You never called Dawn or May anything like that.”

 

“Sorry mom,” Ash said. “But actually, there’s something I need to ask you.”

 

“What is it, honey?” She asked.

 

“Well Jimmy needs a place to stay,” Ash said. “Do you mind if he stays here until he finds some place?” Instantly, Jimmy whipped his head towards Ash, surprised he said this.

 

“What?” He asked. “Why here? Isn’t this your mom’s house?”

 

Delia herself was surprised at Ash’s request. “Ash, I’m not entirely sure. I don’t really know him. Why can’t he stay at your condo?”

 

“Because I only have one room,” Ash replied. “I think that—”

 

“I have a better idea,” Delia said, cutting him off. “Why don’t you move back here and let Jimmy live in your condo.”

 

“What!?” Ash shouted. “I’m not going to do that!”

 

“Well Ash, unless you agree to stay here and sleep in your old room, then I’m afraid I won’t allow it,” Delia said. “I know you have your new friend’s best interest in mind, but to have a stranger live with me and you’re not here it’s kind of rude.”

 

“How is it rude?” Ash asked. “I’m offering him a place to live.”

 

“I didn’t expect your mom’s place,” Jimmy said. “And I’m not too crazy about it myself.”

 

“Besides Ash, what’s so important about that condominium?” Ikuko asked. It was strange for someone who barely knew him to be getting into the conversation but she was getting into it anyway. “Why don’t you keep your mom company?”

 

“I’m offering her company!” Ash said.

 

“This isn’t like you Ash,” Delia said. “It’s either you stay here and he lives in your condo or you both stay here.”

 

“Why are we having this conversation anyway?” May asked.

 

“Alright,” Ash said. “I’ll stay here on occasion.”

 

“That’s a good boy!” Delia said. For some reason, Jimmy suspected that Delia only did that so Ash would move back in with her. And if it was, it had clearly worked.

--

“So you’re the monster that got in?”

 

‘Yes, that’s right. What do you want from me?”

 

“I want you to take some orcs and attack the city center. Can you do that?”

 

“Can I? Of course I can!”

--

“I need you to do something for me.”

 

“What is that?”

 

“Take some orcs and attack a random part of the city.”

 

“Gladly!”

--

“I can’t believe that just happened,” May said as the trio took the bus back into the downtown area. “If your mom just planned that, she’s a genius.”

 

“Can we stop talking about that?” Ash asked.

 

“Oh come on Ash,” May teased. “You really can’t be mad to be living at your mom’s again. Are you mad at your mom or something?”

 

“Well no, but—”

 

“Then why were you objecting to your mom’s offer?” Jimmy asked, after he got what May was trying to do. “Some son you are.”

 

“Hey!” Ash shouted back. “I love my mom!”

 

“Then why don’t you be nicer to her?” May asked.

 

“I think you’re just trying to get on my nerves,” Ash said. He looked out the window and noticed it was their stop, so he pulled down on the cord that told the driver they wanted off. The bus came to a stop outside of Cerulean City Hall. They were there because it was close to Ash’s condo. The condo building was a few blocks away.

 

Now it seemed like a normal walk for a while. But, being Power Rangers, they should know that things wouldn’t remain peaceful for long; and they didn’t. Suddenly—

 

BOOM!!!

 

A concussive force knocked the trio down. A nearby explosion must have been the cause. Wait, explosion?

 

“What the hell was that!?” Jimmy shouted.

 

“I don’t know!” Ash replied. “But are you guys alright?”

 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” May said.

 

“I’m good,” Jimmy replied. All around them, people scurried about trying to find out what had just happened. The explosion seemed to have come from the north. Sirens could be heard in the distance, probably some fire engines racing to the scene. A news crew that was in the area hurried in the direction where the explosion came from and some police officers and CDF soldiers also ran in that direction. Everyone else ran away.

 

“Come on, let’s go!” Ash said as he got up. He then took off, leaving Jimmy and May behind.

 

“Ash, wait!” May said as she helped Jimmy up. The two had to catch up to Ash, who had already gotten a head start. “I have a bad feeling about this,” May said as they ran to catch Ash.

 

“Why do you say that?” Jimmy asked. “Do you think it’s—“

 

“Yeah, I think it is,” May said. “Orcs.”

 

“Finally!” Jimmy said in excitement.

--

“What was that?” Misty asked. She too, had heard the explosion. A crowd of people also noticed it, and a fire engine sped by, just turning on its siren. It must have seen the explosion too. The people in the street began to discuss to one another what was going on. There was fear evident in their voices, as they feared it might have been some orcs that got in. Some of them even ran away with terrified looks on their faces.

 

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Luna said. “I think it could be orcs.”

 

“Could be,” Misty said. But then, her phone rang suddenly. “Hello?” She answered.

 

“Misty, we’ve got a problem!” Denchu said over the phone. “It’s an orc attack!”

 

“It is?” Misty asked. “Where?”

 

“Not too far from the gym,” Denchu said. “They’re near Monument Park.”

 

“Monument Park?” Misty asked. “That’s not near the explosion!”

 

“We’ll we’re on our way to Monument Park,” Denchu said. “We’ll see you there!” Then she hung up, leaving Misty and Luna to deliberate. Okay, so there wasn’t much to deliberate. “Let’s go Luna!” She said. “Monument Park!”

 

“What about the groceries?” Luna asked.

 

“We’re almost to the gym,” Misty said. “We can just drop them off there!”

--

Sure enough, once May and Jimmy caught up to Ash, they saw a horde of orcs attacking the area. “How did they get in?” Jimmy asked.

 

“I don’t know,” Ash replied. “But we’re going to have to stop them.”

 

“Hey, you humans!” A voice said. Just then, a strange-looking creature stepped in front of the orcs. It looked like no orc they had seen before. “Get out of here, now!”

 

“No way!” Ash shouted back. Jimmy and May were flanking him, Jimmy on his right and May on his left. “If you want to destroy this city, you’re going to have to go through us!”

 

The monster, who looked like a rabid anthropomorphic rabbit laughed. “You think you can stop me? HA! Just who are you, anyway?”

 

“Your worst nightmare,” Ash said. Then he said just to Jimmy and May, “I think it’s time to put those powers to the test.”

 

“About damn time,” Jimmy said with a cocky smile and tone.

 

“I think it is,” May said.

 

The three then grabbed the Engine Cell from their lanyards and took out their Cell Shift Morphers. They opened the top of the morpher, inserted the Engine Cell and closed the top. “READY!?” Ash shouted as he held the morpher.

 

Ready!” Jimmy and May replied. Then they all said,

 

RPM! Get in gear!” As they said it, they pressed the ‘morph’ button on their morphers and held the morphers out. Then a flash of light engulfed them, temporarily blinding the orcs and monster. When the light subsided, the orcs and monster recoiled at the sight.

 

There they were, standing in their Ranger outfits. Ash in red, Jimmy in blue, and May in yellow. “Nice! Now this is what I’m talking about!” Jimmy said as he got a look at his new suit.

 

“I love this!” May said.

 

“What the hell are you!?” The rabbit monster shouted at them.

 

“We’re the Power Rangers!” Ash shouted.

 

On a nearby rooftop, a lone figure watched. “What!?” he said. “Power Rangers? What are they? How is this possible? No matter. The orcs should handle them.”

 

“Big deal!” The monster said back. “Orcs, get them!” The orcs bellowed and charged the Rangers.

 

Kiya!” The Rangers, meanwhile, got ready to go. The wheels on their boots began to spin, revealing grooves of red, blue and yellow. Then they sped towards the orcs and attacked.

 

Ash gave an orc a swift reverse roundhouse kick before dodging another. One orc came up to him but Ash punched the orc in the gut. Once the orc doubled over he elbowed the orc in the back. He then pulled out his nitro blaster. “Engine Cell, activate!” He inserted the chip and pointed the blaster at an orc, firing and blowing the orc away. Then he aimed it at several more orcs and fired again. When an orc got close, he leapt over it, leaving the orcs in awe. And then he landed a few feet away before changing the blaster into its sword mode. He charged the orcs and swung it at several orcs. A shower of sparks flew, and the orcs fell to the ground. An orc tried to sneak up from behind, but Ash simply side-kicked the orc away. He then spun around and struck several orcs, beating them down before finishing the job with a nasty backhanded strike.

 

To his surprise, Jimmy was actually fighting well. He round house kicked an orc easily, then punched one in the face, knocking out a few teeth. He spun around, his boots screeching like tires before launching himself at the orcs again. He slammed into one, knocking it to the ground and punched another. Remembering what Ash had done, he pressed on his belt buckle. His number projected in front of him, producing a large blue-colored cannon that resembled a garage. “Turbo cannon!” He shouted as he pointed the weapon at the orcs. He knew the name of the weapon because Professor Gearhead told him what it was. He then pointed the cannon at the orcs and fired, knocking several down. “Nice!”

 

May meanwhile, found herself surrounded by orcs. But no matter; she would still take them down. An orc charged her, but she ducked to make the orc fly over her back. Now the fight was really on. The orcs closed in, attacking her from all sides. But she didn’t panic and instead fought back ferociously. She punched an orc in front of her and then side-kicked one that was behind her. She back flipped over the orcs, landing like a gymnast. The orcs attacked her again, but this time she had the advantage. She too, pressed her belt buckle and the number on her chest began to glow, projecting out. Her weapon appeared; it was a small yellow car-like weapon. “Zip Charger!” She called, revving the weapon up on her arm, and then launching it at the orcs. As though it was on a string, the Zip Charger flew through the orcs, knocking them all down.

 

“Impossible!” The figure on the roof said. “They’ve beaten all the orcs! There’s no way they can be this good!”

 

“Have you had enough?” Ash asked the monster. He, Jimmy and May had gathered in front of the rabbit monster, their weapons in hand.

 

“You wish!” The monster said as it sent a bolt of electricity at them. The trio dodged the attack, scattering.

 

“Damn!” Ash said. “You’re not going to get us that way!”

 

“Try me!” The monster said.

 

Ash put away his blaster and pressed his belt buckle. Then his Street Saber manifested in front of him. “Let’s get him!” He shouted.

 

Right!” Jimmy and May shouted. They were right about to attack the monster when Ash’s Cell Shift Morpher began to ring. Ash quickly flipped the cell phone-like morpher and answered.

 

“Hello?” He asked.

 

“Ash, you weapons can combine!” Professor Gearhead said. “They can combine into the Road Blaster. It can destroy the monster!”

 

“Got it!” Ash said as he closed the phone. But he, Jimmy and May did not get a chance to do that yet. The rabbit monster again sent a bolt of lightning at them, scattering them. But it also gave them a good chance to attack. Ash’s boot wheels began spinning and he sped towards the monster. “Street Saber strike!” He shouted as he swung his sword at the monster. The attack struck the monster, knocking it down. “Let’s do it!” He said, referring to the Road Blaster.

 

Road Blaster!” The trio shouted. The Street Saber combined with the Turbo Cannon, as it was a street attached to a garage, while May put the Zip Charger in the Turbo Cannon, finishing the weapon. Ash stood behind the weapon, while Jimmy and May stood on the side, holding it up.

 

“Engine Cell, activate!” Ash said as he inserted his red Engine Cell into the Turbo Cannon. Part of the Street Caber popped up, creating a targeting computer. The Road Blaster locked onto the monster.

 

“Ready!” Jimmy shouted.

 

“Aim!” May shouted.

 

FIRE!!!” Ash pulled the trigger and the Zip Charger sped down the Street Saber blade towards the monster. The projectile was charged with the energy of the Engine Cell and struck the monster. The monster groaned in pain and fell to the ground, exploding.

 

YEAH!!!” The Rangers celebrated, knowing that they had just won their first battle. On the rooftop, the figure left the scene. He had a lot of explaining to do.

--

In Monument Park, Misty just managed to meet up with Deshi and Denchu. The orcs were about 200 yards away, attacking everything in sight. They attacked the monuments to WWII veterans, Gulf War veterans and other monuments (hence the park’s name). People fled in terror, and the orcs just pursued, even getting to some. The descriptions of the carnage will end there. It was indeed time for the three to reveal themselves to the enemy. “You must transform without them noticing!” Luna said.

 

“And be sure to let them know who you are,” Artemis said. “Yes, that does mean saying that silly introduction.”

 

“So they don’t know we exist?” Misty asked.

 

“From what it seems,” Luna said. “But do it now!”

 

“Got it,” Misty said. “It will be a piece of cake!

 

“You mean—” Luna was surprised. “I thought you’d be reluctant to do this!”

 

“Are you kidding?” Misty asked. “This is perfect!”

 

“I’m with her!” Denchu said.

 

“Me too!” Deshi said. Luna and Artemis looked at each other. These Sailors were nothing like the last ones as far as they could tell.

 

“Alright, it’s time!” Luna said. “Transform!”

 

“Got it! Water elemental Power… Make-UP!!!” Misty cried, holding her transformation pen aloft.

 

“Thunder elemental power… Make-UP!!!” Denchu cried as she held hers up.

 

“Fire elemental power… Make-UP!!!” Deshi cried as she held up her pen. The three then transformed in equally elaborate and unnecessary transformation sequences into the new Sailor Soldiers.

 

“HAHAHAHAHA!!! Kill them! Kill them all!” The monster shouted. It was more woman-shaped, but still monstrous. The orcs continued their rampage, attacking anyone and anything, even cute little puppies. On a rooftop, a figure watched the carnage unfold. But the carnage was not to last.

 

“Hey you!” A voice called. The monster stopped, looking for the source of the voice.

 

“Who was that!?” She called out. “Who’s there!”

 

“Over here!” The voice called again. The monster turned to the WWII memorial and looked up. What it saw shocked it completely.

 

“No way!” It said. “Sailor Warriors! But how?”

 

“Are you surprised to see us?” The lead one asked. She was clad in blue. The other two were clad in red and yellow, respectively. “If you think you can destroy the last refuge of humanity, you’re wrong! I am the soldier of the seas, Sailor Ocean!”

 

“I am the soldier of electricity, Sailor Thunder!” The yellow clad one shouted.

 

“I am the soldier of the flames,” the red-clad one shouted. “Sailor Fire!”

 

And in the name of the moon,” the three said in unison. “We shall punish you!

 

The figure on the rooftop watched in shock as well. “Sailor Warriors?” The figure said. “That’s not possible! We beat the Sailors 4 years ago!”

 

“What!?” The monster yelled. “But we thought you were defeated!”

 

“You thought wrong!” Sailor Ocean/Misty called back. “Now we’re here to stop you!”

 

“Oh really?” the monster yelled back. Now it was past the shock of the sight of the Sailor Warriors. “We’ll see about that! Orcs, GET THEM!!!” The orcs charged the monument and the Sailor Soldiers leapt of the monument and met the orcs.

 

Sailor Ocean twirled on her hands, kicking the orcs all the while. Then she flipped over backwards and challenged the orcs. The orcs then rushed her, but she dodged several before roundhouse kicking one in the head. “Tidal… WAVE!!!” She then used her normal attack on the orcs. The wall of water crashed into the orcs, sending them down in a flood. Suddenly, she felt one orc grab her from behind and tried to cut her throat with its sword. But, she threw the orc off and kicked it in the chest, digging her boot heel in. Then she punched another orc in front of her, and ducked avoid one behind her. “Tidal… WAVE!!!” She used the attack again, this time finishing off the orcs she was facing.

 

Sailor Thunder flipped over one orc before kicking it in the chin. The orc fell into a pile of its comrades; then Sailor Thunder jump-kicked the same orc, knocking each of them down. She spun and reverse roundhouse kicked another orc. The orcs were many but not enough to beat her; or at least that was her mentality. Denchu could still not believe the power she currently wielded, almost as if it was a dream. But she was shaken back to reality when an orc almost got her. But she kicked the orc down. “Thunder… Ball!!!” She called, using her attack. A ball of lightning formed in her hands and she brought it down on the orcs. There was an explosion of electricity, and the orcs were knocked down.

 

Meanwhile, Deshi, AKA Sailor Fire, was having fun. She wasn’t playing; she just enjoyed what she was doing. She flipped over on her hands several times, taking out orcs all the while. A quick punch to the gut knocked one orc out and then kicked another. With a quick spin move, she reverse round house kicked a group of orcs. Now it was time for her attack. “Fire… SOUL!!!” She shouted, trying to imitate her predecessor. Too bad that didn’t work. “Oh, wait!” She said, now figuring out her attack. “Flame… THROWER!!!” This time, she got it right, and the flame she shot at the orcs consumed them in the flame. The smell of burning flesh permeated the area, and Sailor Fire wished she hadn’t done that. But the job had been done anyway.

 

“Damn!” The monster shouted. “I must have underestimated you three!” All three of them had beaten the orcs and now it was this monster’s turn to go down. The three had regrouped in front of her and were ready to finish the job. They just needed to figure out how to beat the monster, though.

 

“What do you think we should do?” Sailor Thunder asked.

 

“Maybe if we used our attacks again,” Sailor Ocean replied. She waved her arm around and shouted, “Tidal… WAVE!!!” The force of water struck the monster and knocked it down, but it did not destroy it. All it did was make it wet and mad.

 

“GRAAAHHHH!!!!” The monster cried as it charged the Sailors. The three scattered and now their situation was much like the Power Rangers earlier. But they didn’t have a combining weapon. As it seemed, they were out of options. Again, the monster charged at a Sailor, this one Sailor Fire. Deshi tried dodge, but just barely made it.

 

“Fire!” Sailor Thunder cried. Her eyebrows furrowed in anger. She wasn’t going to let anyone hurt her best friend. “Thunder...” She called as she held her hands up. Then she leapt in the air and went down on the monster. “…BALL!!!” She slammed the ball of lightning on the monster. The monster looked on in horror as Denchu brought her attack down. The ball exploded and the monster was thrown 20 feet away, crashing into the ground.

 

“Damn you Sailors!” The monster growled. It looked weak, as if one more attack would do the trick.

 

“Flame…” Sailor Fire held up her hand and a ball of fire materialized. Then she spun around and pointed her hand at the monster. “…THROWER!!!” The monster could only watch in horror as the flames approached her. She tried to shield herself from the fire, but holding your hands in front of your face isn’t going to do anything. The monster was struck by the flamethrower and once again thrown 20 feet away. But it still wasn’t enough, as it managed to get up.

 

“It’s not working!” Sailor Thunder said. “We need to try something else!”

 

“Sailors!” Luna called. “Maybe if you combined your attacks, it could work!”

 

“Do you think we should try it?” Sailor Fire asked.

 

“I’d say so,” Misty said. “And we should do it now! Tidal… WAVE!!!”

 

“Thunder… BALL!!!” Sailor Thunder cried.

 

“Flame… THROWER!!!” Sailor Fire called.

 

The three attacks sped towards the monster. Again, it could only watch in horror as the attacks struck her in unison. But this time, the monster exploded. It was over.

 

“NO!!!” The figure in the distance yelled. “This can’t be happening!” it was time to leave. “They’re not going to like this…”

 

“You did it, Sailors!” Luna cried as she and Artemis ran over to the three Sailors. The three of them all smiled as the two cats came over. “You guys did great!”

 

“But you still had some issues,” Artemis said with a stern voice and face, cutting off the happiness. “Your coordination could use some work and although you fought well, it seemed as though the orcs could have taken you out easily.”

 

“Really?” Denchu asked. “I thought we did just fine.”

 

“Yeah, it was only our first fight,” Deshi added. “Lay off of us.”

 

“That’s not good enough,” Luna said. “You need to start working as a team more. And we need to find the other two Sailors.”

”Other two?” Denchu asked. “Are you talking about those other two gems in our dream?”

 

“Correct,” Artemis said. “The enemy knows you three exist now and they will throw everything they can at you. You need the fourth and fifth Sailors in order to beat them. Otherwise, they will overrun you. Of course, you may also have to join forces with the Red Ranger.”

 

“Don’t worry,” Misty said. “We’ll find the other two. The enemy won’t know what hit them.”

 

“You’d better,” Luna said. Her face was tern as if she was threatening to punish the Sailors if they didn’t do their job. The three Sailors practically rolled their eyes in response. “But like Artemis said, your teamwork needs improvement. But, there is one thing I like about you three already. Unlike Sailor Moon, who hated her duty, you have embraced your duties whole-heartedly.”

 

“Hey, if we get to kick butt, then I’m not complaining Denchu said. “And we’re going to be kicking butt for a long time!”

 

“But you also need to enroll in high school,” Artemis said. “And that’s going to be a challenge.”

--

Back at Ash’s condo, the three Power Rangers had just gotten back from their battle with the orcs and the rabbit monster thing, whatever it was called [1]. “Alright!” Jimmy said as he came in. “I’ll bet the bad guys know we’re about us now!”

 

“They’ll probably think twice about messing with us!” Ash said. Yes, he still acted the same way he did on occasion. “Now that we’ve shown up.”

 

“I’m thinking we taught them a lesson!” May said. She went into the kitchen for a moment and came out carrying three bottles of cola. She handed both of them to Ash and Jimmy. All three opened the bottles and held them up. “To our first victory!” May said. “And also to many more victories to come! To victory!”

 

To victory!” Ash and Jimmy said as the three clinked their bottles together and they took a sip. But their celebration wasn’t to last.

 

Vy are you celebrating?” Professor Gearhead’s sudden interjection startled the three, who practically spat their pop out in surprise at his sudden interjection. His face was on the TV screen, and it did not look pleased one bit.“You fought terribly!” he shouted at them. “You need to learn teamwork!”

 

“Hey, we used the frickin’ Road Blaster, didn’t we?” Jimmy asked. “What are you complaining about?” That wasn’t a good enough response.

 

“That’s not good enough!” Professor Gearhead said. “Ze orcs nearly had you at times there!”

 

“They did?” Ash asked. “I though we handled them perfectly.”

 

“There is always room for improvement,” the professor said in his French accent. “For one thing, you can use your weapons individually, but strike the enemy in a coordinated manner. Also, coordinate your fighting—are you listening to me?”

 

“No,” Ash said. “You were kind of rambling there.”

 

“Oh wait,” Jimmy said. “I have a question.”

 

“What is it, Ranger Operator Series Blue?”

 

“I was just—HEY!! I have a name, you know!” He shouted. “Anyway, I found I was able to fight better than I usually can with the suit on. Why is that?”

 

“Remember when I said ze suit is an exoskeleton?” Professor Gearhead said. “Ze bio-suit guides a beginner through the fight with a set of pre-programmed martial arts techniques; when the operator is able to fight on his own, ze exoskeleton stops guiding them.” Jimmy looked at the screen with a confused look on his face. Professor Gearhead sighed in exasperation. “It means you don’t have to worry too much about learning martial arts!” He said.

 

Oooohhhh!” Jimmy said. “Now I get it.”

 

“But there is also something else I must say,” Professor Gearhead said. “You need to recruit the users for Series Green and Black. Otherwise, the enemy will overrun you. And I think you should work with this Sailor Ocean girl. She might be of some help.”

 

“Forget it,” Ash said. “We’re independent, we don’t—”

 

“Just because you operate independently doesn’t mean you can’t work together!” Professor Gearhead said. “Oh, and I need to get Operator Series Blue enrolled.”

 

“Enrolled?” Jimmy asked. “Into what?”

 

“Are you that dumb?” May asked. “High school!”

--

In a dark room somewhere, some footsteps approached a faint glowing crystal ball. The footsteps then stopped before reaching the crystal ball. Then the glow of the ball got brighter. “What is it?” The voice in the ball asked.

 

“We have a problem,” another voice said, possibly belonging to the one who made the footsteps. “Our monster and orc platoon was defeated.”

 

“DEFEATED!?” The crystal ball shouted. “By whom or what, tell me NOW!!!”

 

“Three individuals wearing what looked like red, blue and yellow spandex,” the other voice replied. ‘I heard their leader, the red one, call them the ‘Power Rangers’.”

 

“POWER RANGERS!?” The crystal ball shouted. “WHAT are they?”

 

“I’m not sure,” the other voice said. “But they took the orcs and the monster out with ease! They had these weapons that combined into a cannon or something like that.”

 

The voice in the crystal ball growled. The glow of the crystal ball flared. “Dammit!” The voice said. “This is unexpected. I never foresaw them coming! Where did they come from?”

 

“I’m not sure,” the other voice said. Suddenly, more footsteps could be heard. A second person had entered.

 

“I have terrible news,” the new voice said. “But the monster and orcs in Monument Park were defeated!”

 

“By whom or what, tell me!” The crystal ball said.

 

“They were beaten by Sailor Warriors!” The new voice said.

 

The crystal ball remained silent. The voice coming from the ball stammered and sputtered before finally roaring. “WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?! SAILOR WARRIORS!?!?!?!?!?!? THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!

 

“But it’s true!” The other voice said. “I saw them with my own eyes!”

 

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!!!!” The crystal ball roared again. “I THOUGHT WE DEFEATED AND DRAINED THEM FOUR YEARS AGO!!!! WHERE DID THEY COME FROM!!!!

 

“They were new ones!” The other voice said. “They introduced themselves as Sailors Ocean, Thunder and Fire.”

 

“YOU MEAN THEY WERE THE ELEMENTAL SOLDIERS!?” The crystal ball shouted again. “DAMMIT!!! This cannot be HAPPENING!!!”

 

“What do we do now?” The first voice in the room asked.

 

“WHAT DO YOU THINK WE DO!?” The crystal ball shouted. “We can’t get our crystals into the city, the barrier won’t let us! Dammit! We’ll have to send in stronger monsters to defeat them!”

 

“But what about us?” The first voice asked.

 

“What about you?” The crystal ball said. “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU DO!?? NOW KEEP DOING IT AND DO NOT FAIL ME AGAIN!!!!” The light from the crystal ball faded, as the black-haired and red-eyed young man who saw the Power Rangers and the brown-haired, green-eyed woman who saw the Sailors watched. Their princess was not going to lose again.

End chapter

 

[1] Buffy speak! HAHAHAHA!!!

 

A/N: Yeah, I know at times it feels rushed, but I really wanted some action scenes in there so I had to hurry it up. Sorry. But this is an action story! I need some fight scenes! And I know there’s too much dialogue. I’ll try to reduce that in coming chapters.