A/N this takes place about 15 years before Ash is born. So, I guess it would be between 25 and 30 years before Ash’s adventure.

This is my first other trainer story, its been burning in the back of my mind for awhile now, so I finally decided to write it.

Disclaimer: I don’t own and never will own pokemon. However, the combat nurses are my original idea haha (yah, like anyone cares or would want to use them)

Disclaimer: Do I really need this? Guess so. Anyways, *clears throat*, I’m hear to tell you I don’t own pokemon. Astonishing.

Private Surge clutched his wounded Pikachu to his chest and huddled closer to the ground. Covered in the red mud that was the offspring of soldiers’ blood and the rust colored dirt native to this hell-hole, he blended well into his surroundings. Bullets whizzed over head, and the sound of artillery firing filled his ears, punctuated by the occasional scream that symbolized a man had been hit.

A whimper brought young Surge’s attention back to his Pikachu. Shushing her, he ripped off a strip from his shirt and wound it around the ragged hole in her tail. Hopefully, the rough bandage would slow the bleeding until he could find a Combat Nurse Joan.

Gripping Pikachu tightly, he stood up, keeping as low to the ground as he could. Staggering he made his way towards where the camp was, at least, he hoped it was still there. How could this have happened, he moaned silently. The Kanto troops were better trained, had better pokemon, and outnumbered the enemy 6 to 1. The only thing the enemy had that was better was intelligence, he thought bitterly. If their spies had been correct, this would’ve been the perfect spot to launch an attack. The intelligence was, as it had been since the beginning of the war, faulty, and this location had turned into the perfect position for the enemy to ambush them. Surge cursed silently, wishing they had better spies and more competent leaders.

He loathed this place. It was at least a hundred miles south of Cinnabar, and about three times it size. It was hot humid, and covered in dense jungle. Mosquitoes carrying horrid tropical diseases swarmed the Kanto soldiers, and the guerilla warfare Team Rocket was waging took the lives of hundreds of men each week. They would pursue the enemy into the jungle, only to be ambushed. Why were they here even? They had kicked Team Rocket out of Kanto, the abductions and murders they had committed had ceased. Who cared if they had some “tropical” stronghold left. No one ever came here anyways, except for psycho researchers!

By the time Surge stumbled into the camp, or what was left of it, his beloved Pikachu had fainted, only giving an occasional, painful tremor. He hugged her sympathetically, wishing the bullet had hit him, instead of her. The camp had been overrun, but it was in better shape than he had expected. The guerrillas of Team Rocket had overrun them that night, managing to get past the sleepy sentries. They had then proceeded to execute their first real attack of this whole Mewforsaken war.

Now, bodies lay everywhere, only a tiny percentage of them in the black uniform with a red R on it that showed they were members Team Rocket. However, the damage wasn’t as bad as he had feared; worse than he had hoped, better than he had expected. He made a beeline for what had been the tent of the Combat Nurse, hoping to find anything that might help. It seemed that the enemy had left in pursuit of those who, like Surge, had managed to escape. Before he could make it to the collapsed tent, a hand shot out of some nearby rubble and grabbed his ankle. Biting down a yelp, Surge yanked his foot out of the assailants grasp, and yanked a short knife out of his boot, the only weapon he had left.

“Get down you fool!” a voice hissed. From the rubble, C.N. Joan arose. Surge stared at her, she was a mess! Her normally tidy green hair was snarled and twisted, scratches covered her bare face and arms, deep purple bags hung under eyes, though he probably looked worse in all fairness.

Nodding his assent, he crawled down beside her, still cradling his Pikachu. Looking up at the C.N.’s tired face he asked, “Why are you hiding? We need to get out of here!”

Silently, she pointed straight ahead, sure enough, black clad Rockets were patrolling the area, their dark uniforms helping them hide in the shadows of the huge jungle trees. It was a miracle that they, or their Arboks, hadn’t spotted him.

“Do you have any supplies?” Joan whispered into his ear.

Surge shook his head, “All I have is what I’m wearing, my Voltorb,” he patted the pokeball at his belt, ‘And,” his face fell as he looked down on his Pikachu, “my Pikachu.”

For the first time, she seemed to notice Pikachu. Taking her from his arms gently, she unwrapped the crude bandage. Examining the bloody bullet hole in her tail, the nurse grimaced. “Bullet went clean through,” she mused to herself. Reaching into a large pack next to her, she grabbed a mostly clean washcloth and a bottle of water. Emptying the bottle’s contents onto the cloth, she cleaned the wound. Next she pulled out a potion and doused the tail. Finally, she wrapped it up in a cleaner bandage, and gave Pikachu a revive. “There,” she sad, “You’re lucky you got her too me. Any longer and infection would’ve set in, but she’ll heal. It will take time though. If she let’s you, I’d put her in her pokeball, the healing process will be faster. As for supplies, I managed to grab a good deal, enough to get us to the fort if we’re careful.”

Surge looked at her for a moment, “Are you sure I wouldn’t be a burden?”

The nurse snorted, “Look man, all I have is food and medical supplies, I left all my pokemon on Kanto, unlike soldiers, Combat Nurses aren’t required to bring their pokemon into war. If we want to get through this, we’re going to have to work together, but first, we need to properly introduce ourselves,” she stuck out a small, hard palm and grasped his hand firmly, shaking it, “I’m Combat Nurse Joan of Celadon.”

He shook her hand and replied, “Private Surge of Vermillion, former trainer before being drafted.”

“Good,” stated Joan firmly, “First we need a plan,” she took a map out of the pack and laid it out before them, keeping her voice low she pointed to a section on the map, “This is the camp. The fort is over here, to the west. The Rockets attacked from the north and east, which means we have a clear road to the fort. If we travel by dark, we should make it in two or three days. Agreed?”

Not wanting to make any unnecessary noise, Surge nodded, and glanced over at where the Rockets were. They were gone.

“Well, would you looky here Drake,” a feminine voice purred behind him. Stiffening, Surge turned around, before him stood a pretty woman with her long pink hair worn in two braids and sporting an immaculate Team Rocket outfit. Next to her stood a tall, sneering man with close cropped blue hair, also wearing an unnaturally clean Team Rocket outfit. Behind them were two large, mean looking, hissing Arboks.

“Looks like a mudman, a hag, and a rat Cathy,” the man sneered in a cold voice.

“I suppose we should dispose of this rabble, shouldn’t we?” laughed the woman known as Cathy coldly.

“I concur.” The two villains stepped to the side and let their snake pokemon slither past.

A/N Ooooo, a cliffhanger. Well what do you think? Review please.