Note: Sometimes I use other people’s ideas in my story. I usually acknowledge anyone I take an idea from. If you or someone you know has published the idea for a fanfic similar to this one, please tell me. I’ll put you or whomever published their story first in my disclaimer, ‘kay? Oh yeah, this is one of my many lame attempts at a decent piece of fanfiction. I need reviews!! I won’t post any more of this fic until I get five or more reviews (good or bad).

Manhunt

Part One: Introductions

By Umbreon (Master of Darkness)

(*666* Just as a further note, the idea for Richie and Ash’s pasts are not my own. I read them on the web somewhere. If they were your ideas, please e-mail me so I can revise the disclaimer. Oh yeah and one more thing, I’m using the manga version of some of the characters [like Richie] in this story to make things a bit more…um…interesting. That means that a few of the names are changed, so keep in mind that I’m mixing the TV series and the manga. That would mean that some of the characters are changed quite a bit. What would you expect from a person who doesn’t read the Pokémon comic books? Awww well… On with the story!)

Character Info:

Name- Tai Darkmoon

Age- 14

Height- 5’ 5"

Hair color- Dark blond

Eye color- Dark blue

Character quote- " On this long

road of life, there are winners

and there are losers. Which one are you?"

" So, this it Mirth City… Hmmm, I see the city, but where’s the mirth?" Brock said as he and his friends entered the development. He snickered internally at his joke.

Ash, Misty, and Pikachu rolled their eyes together. Brock had just recently started to make jokes. It was really beginning to get annoying. Unfortunately, Brock’s sudden sense of humor was the least of their troubles.

The city was a disaster area. Almost every building was run down and falling apart.

Suddenly, two tremendous explosions rocked the ruined city.

With a loud yelp, the three humans and two Pokémon all dashed for the decrepit Pokémon Center building.

" Wha—*gasp* What’s going on out there?!" Ash panted, collapsing into an old wooden chair.

" Chaaaaaa!!" Pikachu agreed, also trying to catch his breath.

Misty didn’t say anything. She simply sat down in a chair that was far away from Ash, put down Togepi, and pulled a small photo from her backpack. Gazing mournfully at the picture, she fought back tears that threatened to flow down her cheeks.

Ash looked at the girl and rolled his eyes. He knew why she was so upset, and he really couldn’t have given a damn.

Brock, on the other hand, was concerned with Misty’s behavior. It was very unlike her. He never did quite understand what had happened to make her seem to hate Ash or why Tai had to leave. Just the same, though, he didn’t like to see Misty, or any girl, cry.

Pikachu, much unlike the Pewter City Gym Leader, knew exactly what had happened during the week that the three younger teens had been traveling alone. For some odd reason, Ash had been acting very odd then. He absolutely hated Tai. Ash and Misty had been a real item before he had showed up. Pikachu hadn’t minded Tai. In fact, the electric mouse was rather quite attached to the new boy. Ash couldn’t stand him. Finally, the younger trainer decided to do something drastic. Pikachu never did quite find out what had happened, but he knew it was bad. It had something to do with papers of some sort that were in Tai’s backpack. The rodent had talked to Tai’s Umbreon, Shadow, about it. The Umbreon had explained that Tai had some very important letters in there. When Pikachu asked what they were about, the Dark-type simply gazed at Misty and sighed, ignoring him. Pikachu figured that the notes must’ve had something to do with Misty. How right he was… The letters, as it turned out, were love notes that Tai had received from Misty long ago. That night, Ash had emptied the new trainer’s backpack and burned the letters while Tai was on one of his nightly walks. When the Dark master found out, he was P.O.ed. In fact, Ash and the new trainer had gotten into a very vicious fist fight over the ordeal. In the end, Tai was forced to leave. Before he left, he had told Pikachu to watch over Misty at night and to make sure that she and Ash were never alone in the same room. Pikachu understood that Tai loved the young girl, so he obeyed. In fact, the rodent hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep for about two days.

Another vehement explosion rocked the Pokémon Center, this time causing the front windows to shatter.

A Nurse Joy appeared from seemingly nowhere and called out, " Quickly, come with me. I fear the lobby won’t hold out much longer!"

Ash, Brock, and Pikachu bounded for the door that Joy had entered. Misty dropped the photograph she was holding, picked up Togepi, and made a mad dash for the door.

" Could somebody please tell me what the Hell is going on out there?!" Ash yelled as he trotted into the "safe room".

" Well," began Nurse Joy as she closed the door behind Misty, " Team Rocket has been trying to invade this city for about a week or so. A pair of trainers about your age…" she motioned toward Misty and Ash, "…are somehow managing to hold them off. It’s amazing! That’s why this place is in shambles."

" Refreshingly direct…" Brock muttered before getting his Trademarked " I’m-in-love-with-another-beautiful-girl" look and pretty much drooling over the young red-haired nurse.

Before long, shouting and banging could be heard from the other side of the door. Joy, seeing her chance to escape Brock's assault (as it was now called), reached for the door. As soon as it was opened, two young men and a pair of Pokémon fell in with a loud yell of surprise.

Misty soon found herself with one of the boys on top of her. She opened her eyes to see a friendly and familiar face inches away from her own.

" Hiya, Misty!" Tai grinned.

Without saying a word, the girl wrapped her arms around the boy’s neck and kissed him full on the lips.

" Well, I can’t say I was expecting that!" the second boy exclaimed, looking at his companion and sweatdropping.

" Tell me about it.." muttered the Umbreon, Shadow, as he tried to avoid looking as his trainer who was, at that specific moment, pretty much making out with Misty.

" Pi—ka…" agreed a female Pikachu.

Ash stared at the newcomer with a look of complete and total disbelief.

" Richie?!" he exclaimed in shock.

" What’s the matter, Ash?" Richie asked, grinning.

" Pi pi ka chu!" the female Pikachu, Chuchino, laughed.

Tai broke the passionate kiss abruptly and gasped, " Hiro, you’re crushing my hand!"

Richie sweatdropped again and hopped to his right. Tai pulled himself off Misty (reluctantly) and stood up.

Ash growled an inaudible warning to the Dark-type trainer.

" What are you guys doing here?" Brock asked.

" Getting rid of Team Rocket," Richie stated simply.

" You’re the one’s who are keeping Team Rocket out of here?!" Misty nearly yelled as she, too stood up.

Tai sweatdropped and nodded sheepishly.

Seeing that, the Water-type trainer went into a dead faint. Tai caught her just before she hit the floor.

" Perhaps I shouldn’t’ve said anything…" Richie muttered.

" Sadly, I’d have to agree…" Tai sighed, setting Misty down gently on a small cot that was attached to the wall.

" That would be a first," Shadow commented.

Chuchino simply rolled her eyes.

" You guys are really the only ones fighting Team Rocket?" Brock asked, continuing Misty’s inquiry.

" Yep," Richie nodded, flexing his muscles.

Tai, Shadow, and Chuchino rolled their eyes.

" Why?" Ash asked.

" What a baka…" Tai sighed.

" What did you just call me?!" Ask yelled.

" Nothing…" muttered Tai, looking at the door.

" What did you just call him?" Brock asked.

" Never mind…" Tai muttered again.

" No, really, what’d you just call him? I don’t know what a ‘baka’ is," Brock asked.

Everyone (except Misty) fell to the floor in the typical Animé style.

" We have our reasons," Richie explained simply.

Tai began to snicker.

" What’s so (explicitly deleted) funny?!" Ash snarled, further showing his great dislike for the Darkie trainer.

" Well… no, wait, never mind. You probably wouldn’t see it as very funny…" Tai said in between short laughs.

" Try me…" Ash growled.

" Okay… Well, for starters, if it wasn’t for Delia Ketchum none of us would be in this mess," Tai began.

" Isn’t that your mom?" Brock asked, turning to Ash.

Ash nodded, biting his tongue to avoid saying anything that could be used against him later. Finally, he asked, " What does my mom have to do with anything?"

" Oh, you mean she never told you? Oh my…" Tai said in mock surprise.

" Get on with it, Darkmoon…" Ash growled, reaching for a PokéBall.

" Okay, okay, you don’t have to get all pissed off… Jeez…" Tai muttered.

" Careful, Ren, I don’t think he’s gonna be too happy when he hears this…" Richie warned.

" He’s never too happy when Tai’s around," Misty yawned, slowly coming to.

" She’s got a point," Shadow pointed out.

" Whatever… Anyway, Ashy-Boy," Tai started, imitating Gary, " Since your mom never told you, well, I guess it had to come out some time. It’s just too bad that I have to tell you, I mean with you loathing me to no end and all…" Tai paused dramatically "… Well, your mother, Delia Ketchum, is the official founder of Team Rocket…"

Ash stared blankly at Tai. Brock, Misty, and Pikachu imitated their companion.

" Of course, then again, if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here right now…" Tai continued.

" You’re kidding… You’re (explicitly deleted with a vengeance) kidding!!!" Ash screamed, shooting up and pinning Tai to the wall.

" ‘Fraid not…" Tai said, surprisingly calm for the position he was in.

" So technically, you’re a member of Team Rocket," Richie surmised.

Ash let go of Tai and grabbed Richie.

" Hey, Ketchum, chill. It’s not the end of the world. I’m a born member of Team Rocket, but I don’t really work for them," Tai explained while attempting to pull the surprisingly-strong-for-his-size trainer off of his comrade.

" Yeah, same here," Richie gasped as Ash’s grip tightened threateningly.

Finally, Pikachu could stand it no longer and used a Thunder Wave technique on his trainer.

Ash fell to the ground, twitching involuntarily.

" That worked surprisingly well…" Richie said softly.

" You mean ‘shockingly’ well, right?" Tai grinned.

" Oh my God (*666* Or Allah, Buddha, or any other religious leaders. J )!!" Nurse Joy yelped, rushing to Ash’s side.

" Don’t worry, the paralysis will wear off soon," Tai reassured her. " Besides," he added, " ya can’t say he didn’t deserve it."

" Tell me about it…" Richie moaned, rubbing the red marks on his neck.

Soon, yelling and gunfire could be heard from the other side of the single door.

" Oh boy, here we go again…" Tai, Richie, and Shadow muttered in unison.

" Chuuuu…" Chuchino agreed, hopping onto her trainer’s shoulder.

Tai reached to his side and drew up…

" A GUN?!" Misty yelped in complete and total disbelief.

" You wouldn’t really use that, would you?" Brock asked in a worried tone.

" I have before," Tai grinned. " And judging from the sound of it, I might just have to use it again…"

(*666* Will Tai have to shoot someone? Will Ash recover from Pikachu’s Thunder Wave technique? Will Brock ever learn what ‘baka’ means? Will I ever stop asking stupid questions and move on to part two? Well, you’d better read Manhunt Part Two: Charge! to find out!)