In the western city known as Pewter, the villagers are running around with lures and large nets as Red enters the streets. He picks up a notice with a Pikachu under the words WANTED on it and realizes the people are trying to ensnare the little electric mouse pokemon lurking around. Two blocks away, the villagers have cornered the wild Pikachu to a wall and are about to throw on the nets when the pokemon hops away and grabs an apple from the market stalls. One man crawls up behind it and successfully traps it with a net, only to get shocked and knocked out by its electric attacks afterwards. The Pikachu wiggles free and leaps away again as the villagers continue to give chase. Red watches all this from afar and decides to render some help. He pulls out a pokeball and releases his Bulbasaur, Saur, and this immediately catches the Pikachu's attention as it turns and prepares to battle. The electric mouse lets out a thundershock and the villagers are worried that the grass pokemon wouldn't stand against the attack, but Saur remains almost intact after the smoke clears and it proceeds to release a sleep powder on Pikachu, putting it to drowsiness. Red then throws a pokeball and traps the wild pokemon in it without much effort.

A few moments later, Red is enjoying an extravagant meal prepared by the villagers for him. The people explain that the Pikachu he just captured has been stealing goods and causing all sorts of troubles in the city and they're thankful that he has helped them solve the problem. Red tells them that he came from Pallet and is on his quest to become a great pokemon trainer. He shows off his Pokedex and explains its feature while all the villagers look on, amazed by such a high-tech device. After the meal, Red pulls out the pokeball with Pikachu in it and tries to figure out an appropraite way to make friends with the obviously antagonistic little creature.

Later, out on a piece of grassland, Red is still trying every way he could to befriend Pikachu, but the pokemon pays no interest other than shocking the boy every now and then. A disdainful laugh comes from behind and Red turns to find Green with a look of mockery on his face again. Green remarks that he feels ashamed to have such kind of rivals and Red stands up fuming, ready to face off the arrogant boy. But then, Green steps back with a grin and says he wouldn't waste his efforts here when he has signed up for a challenge at the Pewter Gym the next day. He tells Red that the gymleader, Brock, is looking for new challengers and it would be a great chance to win the Boulder Badge. Apparently, Red knows nothing about badges and Green explains that the Boulder Badge has the mysterious ability to increase the attack of pokemons, without forgetting to insult Red as an inept and illiterate trainer at the end.

Red starts to get mad again and Green suggests they make use of the opporunity to test out their skills, that whomever wins the Boulder Badge first wins this first round of rivalry. Red agrees without hesitation and Green remarks that electric rats like Pikachu stand no chance against the rock pokemons of Brock. The arrogant boy then drops the leaflet of the gym and turns to walk away. Red picks the paper up and learns that the challenge starts at 12 noon the next day. He takes out his pokeballs containing Poli and Saur, which are both quite low in HP, and decides to visit the PokemonCenter first thing in the morning.

Unfortunately, when Red arrives at the PokemonCenter the next day, his discovers the place is closed and a notice is put up saying that the centre is under maintenance due to an unexpected attack by some strangers the night before. Red starts to get worried and nervously looks at the unfriendly Pikachu in its pokeball, which is the only pokemon he possesses that has full HP...

Thanks To Coronis For Writing this for us and doing the pictures