“This is terrible,” Brock says as they run into the burning city.
“Don’t just stand there and watch! Lets get our Pokemon out and help these poor people,” Misty says in complete urgency.
One by one, each trainer pulls out their most useful Pokemon. Staryu, Starmie, Squirtle, Geodude, Vaporeon. The four trainers spread out doing their best to douse the flames but being in so few numbers was not enough. Early the next morning the people of the city were finally able to put the enormous fire out, however much of the city was burned to the ground.
Sitting outside the wreckage of the Pokemon Center, our band of trainers contemplates their hallow victory. As Nurse Joy walks up Ash asks, “Do you know how such a large fire could have started?”
“It was Team Rocket,” Joy tells him as she looks down.
“I can hardly believe they would sink so low,” Brock replies in an angry tone.
Ash adds in the same tone, “Jesse and James are really going to pay for this.”
“Jesse and James? No, it was just one Team Rocket member,” Joy informs them. “He didn’t wear the regular Team Rocket uniform, but he said from the beginning that this was all in the name of Team Rocket.”
Misty inquires further, “Can you tell us more about what he looked like?”
“Well, he had slick jet black hair, and he was wearing a blue denim jacket with slate gray slacks. Oh, just thinking of what he done...” Joy trails off as she covers her face in her hands.
“Here Brock. Go with Joy and take her mind off of all of this,” Nina says as she pulls Brock over to Nurse Joy. Joy and Brock walk off and Nina sits down with the rest of the trainers staring at the ground.
Ash looks over to Nina and asks, “Do you know something about all of this?”
“I happen to know the member of Team Rocket who attacked the town,” Nina says as Ash and Misty crowd around. Nina continues to stare at the ground as she goes on, “They call him Skripter, the smoking poison Pokemon trainer. He’s one of Team Rocket’s best, a real professional. I’ve heard that his Pokemon can faint your own five times before they even hit the ground.”
“How do you know so much about him, Nina?” Misty questions.
“You see, he was the one who taught me how to be a Pokemon trainer,” Nina says as Misty and Ash try and take in the information. “He’s not a Pokemon trainer, he’s the Terminator. Ash, I don’t ever want you to challenge him.”
Later on, our four trainers eventually stumble onto the Cinnabar Gym having nothing else to do on the island. As Ash enters the arena he calls out to the gym leader, “I’ve come to challenge you for a Volcano badge.”
The rather old looking gym leader walks over to the group and looks them all over. He goes on to say, “Hm, are you all Pokemon trainers?”
“Uh, sure we are. Why do you ask?”
“You should all come with me so I can explain,” the gym leader tells them as he walks off the arena floor. While our trainers sit down at a table with the gym leader he continues, “As you may or may not know, I’m Blaine the Cinnabar gym leader. What I’m sure you don’t know is that the Cinnabar gym is associated with the Pokemon research center as well. This is partially the cause of last nights fire. When Team Rocket arrived to claim our gym I completely refused and in retaliation, they set the city ablaze.”
“It would make sense,” Brock says while scratching his chin. “There’s a lot of money to be made in Pokemon research.”
“The trainer told me that the fire was just to help me make my decision. He then told me that four young Pokemon trainers should be on their way, and to send them to him with my decision.”
“What exactly are you getting to?” Nina asks.
“I can see that Team Rocket will stop at nothing to get this gym, but my Pokemon alone cannot stop them. If we can surprise him with a small band of trainers there might be a chance.”
“You want to bring together a group of trainers to help you stop them?” Nina asks.
Ash tells him, “If you need us to stop Team Rocket then we’d be happy to.”
“You’re right Ash. We’ve beaten Team Rocket before and we can do it again,” Misty adds.
“I guess I’ll go and make sure you all don’t get hurt too badly,” Nina tells the rest of them. With that, our four trainers set out along with Blaine to stop Team Rocket.
Despite the fact that Cinnabar is an island it is very large, and the group has to set up camp in hopes of making it to their destination in the morning. As Nina sits near the fire drinking from a pop bottle a few Dittos come rolling forward trying to get her attention. She gets right in their faces asking, “What do you want slime Pokemon?”
They roll away scared as she says, “You’re no fun. Go bother a dragon Pokemon,” and she takes another drink.
They come back balancing on one another and knocking each other over. Nina begins to use her trademark laugh before telling them, “I’m afraid I don’t have anything to give you but you are quite entertaining.”
Ash and Pikachu are the first ones to wake up in the morning, and Ash notices Nina still asleep with the Dittos asleep along with her. “What are you doing still asleep Nina? Pikachu, Thunder Shock!”
“Pikachu!”
“What?! Yeeeoow!”
A while later the five trainers start to close in on their destination. All the while the Dittos were still following Nina however, upon reaching their destination the Dittos stop following with frightened faces. Nina just smiles to them and moves on with the others. Embedded in the side of a mountain, our group finds some type of crumbling ruins.
