Quemar is the Spanish Verb to burn… I think. Freetranslation.com was not very helpful. Maybe I’ll use my dictionary…

Disclaimer: I don’t own pokemon. Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfic belongs to me.

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Alternate Universe, post-Indigo/Orange, 4 years later, Ash is 15.

Chapter 1: Setting the Stage

She almost didn’t recognize him. It wasn’t just the name change; it was everything. Brilliant eyes, crimson, met hers from across the room.

“Ash?”

“Red.” He corrected, walking over. One part of her mind noticed that he had grown taller, not as scrawny as she remembered, but it had been a few years since he had bade her farewell after Orange.

Oh. Yes. The bike debt had been paid then, hadn’t it? Now she had no reason to follow him around…

Now she might actually want to.

“How have you been?” It was a feeble conversation starter, but she tried.

“Well, so and so. I’ve been pretty good.”

“What happened to Pikachu?” She had been wondering about the lack of the mouse on his shoulder. She had never expected to see him without it. Perhaps that was why identification had been so difficult.

Ash/Red hesitated for a split second, than shook his head. “It didn’t work out.”

“What do you mean? I thought…”

“No. Pikachu left me.”

“That’s terrible!”

“It’s true…” Ash sighed. “Fire wasn’t right for pikachu anyways.”

“You lost me there. What are you talking about?”

“My family… oh, well, it’s nothing I should be spreading, so...” Red abruptly shut up. Very confused expressions fluttered across Misty’s physiognomy, but she tried to nod in understanding.

What was all that about?

Bizarre…

He was dressed quite neatly, though, in black jeans and a long red jacket with the kanji for fire on the back in black ink, white gloves on his hands instead of the ugly green of earlier, and these weren’t fingerless. His hair was held away from his face with a red headband. It looked more proper than the clothes he had worn while traveling with her, but then, he had just been a kid. Looked like Ash had grown up.

Ash smiled oddly. “Never mind. Nice talking to you, Misty.”

Misty blinked and waved goodbye.

How odd…

It was raining in his dream. In his dream, he was standing on an island and it was raining. Sheets of water sloshed down over his body.

He didn’t flinch. It was the Test. If he passed, he could wield fire as promised. Would he pass?

He didn’t’ move.

The icy chill bit into his arms and legs.

He closed his eyes and waited.

Deluging continued, as more rain poured down. The island started to flood.

No movement.

The water was up to his neck when the rain finally stopped. The sun came out, scorching everything to dryness.

Finished.

< Congratulations. > The Ninetails said, as she stepped up to him. < You have passed the test of Fire Mastery. >

He smiled gratefully. < Arigatou, Ninetails-san. >

< It is nothing. Now, which one of your pokemon have you chosen to be your Alpha? It is important that you decide now. >

He had Charizard, his first ever fire pokemon. Ninetails, the sly vulpix he had picked up in Cinnabar’s abandoned mansion. Rapidash, a tearful present from Lara Laramie, after she had been paralyzed from the neck down in a riding accident three years ago and could no longer train her pokemon. And…

Houndoom.

The fire/dark type was dual type, and much more equipped to change than his Charizard. He was sure that if he made Charizard his strongest, it would wreak havoc. Rapidash obeyed him, but he knew that deep in the horse’s heart, Lara was still first. That wouldn’t do.

So Ninetails or Houndoom?

Both were manipulative and sneaky, but brute force never won fair battles, at least not in Ash’s opinion.

Ninetails was a girl though, would that cause problems?

< Ninetails-san, does the gender of the partner matter upon melding? >

< No, although it is generally recommended to bond with a partner of the opposite gender. The power complements better that way. >

Ash nodded. < Very well. I choose Ninetails. >

The poke ball opened in a dazzling array of flame. The Tester, Ruby the Ninetails, nodded. Ash’s Ninetails took her place next to her master.

< I, Ruby the Ninetails, accept Ashura Ketchum as a Fire Master, level 4. His partner – Shadow the Ninetails, his team – Charizard, Rapidash, and Houndoom – are from now on, members of the League of Fire. So mote it be! >

Sparks and glitter and fire and warmth and it just surrounded him and became one with him and it was perfect.

The first sign of change had been the eyes. That was something he couldn’t change, but he had to admit the shimmery crimson looked nice. Then, there had been the subtle shift in diet, but he had never liked vegetables much anyways.

He stayed lean and thin and sleek, because that was the way foxes were built. Aside from that, well, he could shift his nails to claws, and he had enhanced sight, hearing, and smell, and his speed and agility had gone up, but…

He couldn’t fly.

No, it would be selfish though, to bond another. He’d lose what he already had – trust and loyalty, just to fly?

Not worth it.

Charizard had been awfully miffed that he hadn’t been chosen.

I was your first!

“But you hated me. I don’t want any trace of that.”

The dragon roared angrily, but his flames just went through his trainer. Ash flicked invisible fox ears in annoyance.

He acted more ninetails-ish now.

What surprised Ash was that Misty hadn’t noticed, he thought, as he slipped out of the dream, which was really a memory, from several months ago.

His four fire-types were sleeping on the ground next to him.

Wasn’t she a water master? Or had she lied? Well, it was none of his business. For the moment, he was content.

His family was glad.

Blaine, his grandfather, had taken the test for Fire Mastery so long ago, and had encouraged his grandson to do the same.

Flannery, his older sister, had gone to train in Houen. He hadn’t seen from her in a while, but she had passed the test. Ruby-san had told him.

His real mother, Amanda, not his adopted mother, Delia, had died trying to pass the test for Poison mastery. The family had disowned her. Why hadn’t she stuck with the tried, safe, and true? It was her fault for turning her back on ideals.

Ash also had a cousin named Bob, who was trying for dragon mastery – the grandparents tsked about this all the time. Still, they were quite pleased with him, so life was good. For the time being…

End Chapter

Completed 11/2/04

Phantomness: Well, it seems ok

Ash: I hope it stays that way!