Pokemon: On the Ice (Book 1: Finding the Eevee)

Prologue - Three Battles Lost

Tampa Bay, Florida

Vladislav Namestnikov, often referred to as Vladdy by his teammates, friends and fans, enters Amalie Arena from the Player Lot entrance. He walks inside, clutching a Pokeball in his hand. Inside is his favorite - and really only - Pokemon, his Eevee.

Vladdy loves his Eevee and is going to train him on the ice today. He wants his Eevee, which he calls Yzerchuk, after his famous secret weapon and specially disguised hockey stick, to learn how to handle the ice under his paws if he needs him during a game.

Granted, he knows that he shouldn't use his Pokemon on the ice during a game for fear of breaking the NHL rules. A trainer in the NHL must not, under any circumstances, use a Pokemon during any game.

Vladdy walks through the back ice area and down into the familiar tunnel as though heading to the locker room. He notices something odd as he walks toward the tunnel that leads to the ice. The visitor's locker room is open and he can see equipment on the ground. He cocks his head in curiosity and enters the room, thinking that maybe it's one of his teammates wanting to prank him.

"Boyler? TJ? Killer?" Vladdy calls out.

After no response comes, he shakes his head and leaves the room, continuing on to the ice. He walks down the tunnel and emerges into his home bench.

He halts in place as he finds himself looking at a Raticate on the ice. "Who's are you? Did Boyler or someone get a Raticate?"

The Raticate swishes his tail back-and-forth.

"He's mine, Vladdy," a voice snarls from behind the Lightning player. "And we're training on your precious home ice because you can't do anything about it!"

Vladdy whirls around as a man dressed in a long black trenchcoat emerges from the tunnel. His brow is furrowed, but his look is too familiar to the young Lightning player, who gasps in shock. "Brendan?! Brendan Gallagher?"

"Surprised to see me huh? Turns out I know about your Eevee," Gallagher hisses and shoves Vladdy backward onto the ice, causing the poor forward for Tampa to fall to the ice on his back with a startled yelp and gasp. "And I want him!"

"No! You're not having Yzerchuk the Eevee or Yzerchuk, my stick!" Vladdy snaps.

"So you say...how about a fight, your Eevee versus my Raticate. Whoever wins can walk away. If I win I get your Eevee and if you win, you can have my Raticate?" Gallagher says, to which the Raticate gets down on all fours in a battle ready pose, growling 'Raticate'.

"Fine!" Vladdy responds. "You know I'm not one to shy away from a battle, Gally!" He scrambles to his feet as best as he can on the slippery ice surface and throws his arm out to the side. "Eevee, I choose you!"

The Pokeball in his hand glows blue and electrifies, shooting out a beam of blue and electricity, before an Eevee appears, jumping onto the ice.

"My Eevee is three times stronger than your boring, weak Raticate!" Vladdy boasts as the glow and beam vanish and the pokeball returns to normal. "Even if he's not used to the ice yet."

Yzerchuk, the Eevee, slips on his paws, crashing on the ice and splaying out. 'Eevee?' Yzerchuk squeaks out. He attempts to look up at his master.

"Yzerchuk, get up, please, the ice isn't THAT slippery," Vladdy coaxes, sweetly.

"Raticate, attack!" Gallagher shouts out the command. "Use skull bash!"

The Raticate bounds forward swiftly on the ice and leaps into the air, heading for Vladdy's Eevee, who is getting to his paws. He looks up and squeaks in shock as the rat headbutts him, sending Yzerchuk skidding backward.