"What a nice day," Misty sighed. She, along with Ash and Brock, were going for a walk. Along with them came some of their pokemon: Pikachu with Ash, Psyduck with Misty, and Vulpix with Brock.
"Yes, very nice," said Brock. "Don't you agree, Vulpix?"
"Vulpix!" cried Vulpix. Vulpix was the pride of Brock's career. He had recieved it as a gift from Susie, the world's greatest breeder.
"You know guys, I've been thinking how awful it would be to lose a pokemon in something tragic," said Ash.
"Don't say that, Ash!" exclaimed Misty. "Pokemon rarely ever die of anything but old age."
"I wouldn't worry about that," said Brock. "You're more likely to have it faint."
The three of them continued to talk when Psyduck inturrupted. "PSY!!!!" it called loudly.
"Shut up you stupid poke-" Misty began, but then she saw the danger. "A car is coming at 100 mph!! Run out of the way!" she exclaimed.
Ash, Misty, Brock, Psyduck, and Pikachu safely got out of the way. But Vulpix tripped over a branch and was unable to get up. "Vulpix!" Brock cried, trying to run out and grab it.
Misty restrained him. "You fool, you'll get yourself killed that way!" she yelled.
It turned out she was right. The car ran over Vulpix, knocking it unconscious. Brock ran to it at lightning speed. "Oh no!" he cried. "Not my Vulpix!"
"We have to take it to the pokemon center RIGHT AWAY!" shouted Ash, who was already running towards it with Pikachu. Brock, carrying Vulpix, and Misty followed him after putting Psyduck back in her pokeball. After running for 15 minutes, they reached the front desk.
"How may I help you?" Nurse Joy asked.
"Please," said Brock. "My Vulpix was run over by a car. Do everything you can to save it!"
"Oh dear," said Nurse Joy after seeing the terrible state it was in. "I'll do my best!" she called as she sprinted into the emergency room.
"Wow, if Nurse Joy was in that much of a hurry, it must be very serious," said Misty.
"Pikachu," agreed Pikachu.
Brock was sitting alone in a corner. Ash walked over to him. "I'm sorry," he said to Brock.
"Do- do you think Vulpix will be OK?" asked Brock.
"I don't know," said Misty, who had also walked over, "But I'm sure Nurse Joy will do the best possible job."
Afterwards, everyone fell silent.
About 15 minutes later, Nurse Joy walked out of the emergency room. "Brock, I have some bad news for you," she said.
"Oh no," Brock said quietly, "What is it?"
"After checking Vulpix over, there is absolutely nothing I can do," she said sadly. "There is only one way to save Vulpix."
"What would that be?" asked Ash.
Nurse Joy pulled out a firestone. "If I evolve it into Ninetales, it will be strong enough to live."
"E-evolve it?" said the crying Brock. "But everyone knows how important it is not to evolve pokemon unwillingly. Especially Vulpixes, who are very stubborn."
"I know, but otherwise it will die," replied Nurse Joy. "Think about it for a few minutes, but let me know soon because Vulpix will be dead within an hour."
"I'll let you know in 15 minutes," said Brock.
Brock thought about Vulpix. Vulpix was like Pikachu was to Ash and Togepi to Misty. He thought of all the good times he'd had with Vulpix, and how it reminded him of Susie, the great breeder. If he didn't evolve Vulpix, it would be dead. Ninetails would be the same Pokemon in a different form. After thinking, Brock realized he would have to take the chance. He would have to give Vulpix a chance to live, which it wouldn't have if he didn't evolve it. "Nurse Joy?" he called.
"Have you decided, Brock?" she asked.
"Yes," he said. "You may evolve Vulpix." As Nurse Joy left, he really hoped he had made the right choice.
One month later, Ash, Misty, and Brock were relaxing. Misty and Ash had just been training their Pokemon, but Brock didn't have the heart. He couldn't bear to take Ninetales out and talk to it. He didn't want to know what he had done.
"Come on Brock, don't take it so seriously!" said Misty cheerfully.
"I'm sure that Ninetales would understand," said Ash.
"No," said Brock. "You don't understand. It isn't Vulpix anymore. It isn't the same pokemon I always loved!"
Misty was about to say something when the friends were cut off by a familiar, annoying song.
"Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"
"To protect the world from desastation!"
"To unite all people within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
"Mewoth, that's right!"
"Not now!" said Ash.
"Yes now!" said Jessie.
"We know your pokemon are too tired to fight, so we thought this would be the perfect time to capture pikachu!" said James
"And today, James is going to use a new pokemon!" Jessie said happily.
Misty knew then what would have to happen. "Brock, you're going to have to battle them!" said Misty.
"Oh, all right," said Brock. "So, what new pokemon is this?"
"Why you actually may remember this pokemon from from the breeding center," James replied, "VictreeBell, go!"
Brock remembered it all right. He also knew that his rock pokemon wouldn't be very effective against it. He would have to take the chance. "Ninetails, go!" he shouted.
"Ninetails!" it replied.
Brock crossed his fingers as he said, "Ninetails, use your firespin attack!" Oh please, let it obey me, he thought.
As it turned out, Ninetails did obey it. It's firespin was much stronger than it was in Vulpix form, and it burned and blew away Team Rocket in one hit.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" Yelled Team Rocket.
"Ninetails, you obeyed me!" Brock said happily as he ran to it. "Do you really still consider me your rightful trainer?"
"Ninetails," it said, nodding it's head.
"Ninetails," Brock said, "I have a story to tell you. The story of why I had to evolve you unwillingly." So he told Ninetails the story of that walk, right from the beginning. After finishing, Brock asked, "Do you understand why now?"
It nodded it's head. "Nine Ninetails," it replied.
"What did Misty and I tell you, Brock?" said Ash. "We knew all along!"
"Well, it may have taken me longer to realize it, but now I know that Ninetails and I will become the best pokemon trainer duo in the world!"
"Ninetails," Ninetails said, affirming Brock's statemetn. And with Brock's determination, Ash and Misty would be suprised if that weren't the case.
THE END