Title: Divergence
Summary: Waking up early one morning could very well change your whole life.
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Chapter 1
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His mother was sleeping. Hell, even the pidgeys were sleeping- the sun had barely broken over the horizon.
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Ash Ketchum, was wide awake.
He clumsily yet silently dressed himself, ready to go out and conquer the world. He had missed the League match last night, one of Elite Four Agatha's even, but it did not matter.
No.
What mattered now was Ash's own journey, his own trials to become the Pokemon Master. He'd woken up early. He'd get a headstart; he'd leave Gary Slowpoak eating his dust.
Ash tiptoed down the stairs, taking care not to make a single sound. Surely his mother would be against him leaving so early, wouldn't she? His heart leapt to his mouth as he saw the dark figure in the middle of the dining room, barring his way to the door.
Ash kept silent, not daring to move. He peered at the figure more carefully.
Oh wait.
That's just mom's Mr Mime...
The creepy fucker was meditating, while hanging upside down in the air.
Ash shook his head at the sight. Goddamn psychics.
He crept around the mime, his blood pounding in his ears. And then...he reached the door. Unlocking it made a bit of sound, but the mime made no motion to turn around or even twitch.
Maybe it was just sleeping?
Mr Mime took that moment to turn its head around a perfect one-eighty-degrees, a smile stretched from ear to ear or whatever those blue things on either side of its head were. Its eyes were still closed, but the mime kept smiling.
Ash took that moment to slam the door shut and run without looking back.
"Ah..ah..ah," he wheezed out when he was sufficiently far away from the creature that had been a subject of many a childhood nightmare. Why couldn't his mom keep a less creepy psychic pokemon around? Like maybe those cute gardevoir from Hoenn?
"When I'll be the Pokemon Master, I'll have a Gardevoir...in a maid outfit if possible," the boy solemnly declared.
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Ash walked in through the sliding doors of the Oak Laboratory.
Professor Oak was one of the few men in Kanto who'd certainly be up at such ungodly hours. Sure enough, Ash wasn't led down in his expectations; the good prof was standing around nursing a cup of coffee in one hand, all the while directing two of his half-asleep minions on doing esoteric science-magic for the benefit of mankind.
"No, they're just sorting paperwork," Samuel Oak said in an amused tone, while his minions groaned. Had Ash spoken his thoughts aloud?
"Good morning to you, Ash. I certainly did not expect you to come running through these doors for another three or four hours."
"Good morning Professor," he greeted back. "I really wanted to start out early; that'll leave me more time to explore Viridian and get to know my pokemon, you know?"
"I do. I see you've put some thought into this."
Ash grinned nervously. It was a spur of the moment thought that came to him while brushing his teeth the previous night.
"I used to be a serious trainer back in the day, you know," Professor Oak mused while moving towards the back of the lab, Ash following him. "Good to see yet another young man taking his journey seriously. That was also a cue for you two not to slack off by the way."
The two minions sat up straighter.
Ash merely swallowed, opting not to say anything. Professor Oak wasn't just a serious trainer; he was The Serious Trainer. Champion of Indigo by his late twenties, and then the foremost expert regarding pokemon by the next decade.
To young Ash Ketchum, Samuel Oak was the closest thing to a Pokemon Master.
"Aha, here you go!" the professor exclaimed while opening a grey briefcase. Three shiny new pokeballs were firmly clasped inside. "Your first pokemon lies in front of you, Ash Ketchum. But it is you who must choose your destiny."
With those words, he collected the three balls and opened them in quick succession. The three pokemon on the table were ones he knew by heart.
To the left was a...well Ash didn't know what the fuck a Bulbasaur really was. A bizzare symbiosis of a poisonous plant and a herbivorous baby dinosaur. The thing stared at Ash, and extended a knobbly vine to greet him...
Ash stared at the vine. He imagined it wriggling, invading places not meant to be invaded...
Yeah, no. Plus, everyone knew grass was the one of the most pathetic types of them all, just a notch above bug.
He looked to the right.
A blue turtle with a muscular, curled tail. Now there was a proper pokemon. The squirtle flexed its tail muscles and showed off how the sunlight glinted off its shiny shell.
Cool man, you're on my list, Ash thought. He then turned to the final 'mon...
Really? You put the squirting turtle on your list when you have me?
Charmander gave a lazy yawn, exposing dangerously sharp teeth that made the bulbasaur back away in worry. His tail swayed from side to side, a glorious flame ignited at its tip. Charmander gave Ash a smug look, already knowing that he'd won.
Ima dragon, baby. The other two reptiles here got nuthin' on me~
"I want Charmander," Ash said, before doing a fist bump with his new partner. Sorry Squirtle, but you just weren't cool enough.
Professor Oak put a dejected Bulbasaur and Squirtle into their balls. "Now that's settled, here's your pokedex..."
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Ash walked out of the lab with a swagger in his step. Charmander seemed to be in a similar mood, tail swaying to an unheard tune.
"So yeah, I'm Ash. Ash Ketchum."
"Char. Charmander."
"Pleasure to meet you, Char. I'm sure we'll be the best of buddies."
Ash wanted to carry Char around on his shoulders, but he quickly gave up on that idea after getting some hair at the back of his neck burnt by the tail.
"So here's the plan, bro. We're gonna be the pokemon master."
Best of the best, hotter than the rest?
"Yeah yeah, the very best, like no one ever was and all that jazz."
Great. My mum rules a valley. I'll one up her and rule the world, baby.
"Cool. Onwards to Viridian then! We'll beat up some rats on the way to warm you up, before you beat the crap out of those slobs in the Viridian Gym."
"Char!"
The boy and his pokemon walked out of Pallet and into the grassy fields of Route One. They headed for Viridian City, the first stepping stone on their path to eternal glory.
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This, is how the tale of Ash begins.
Ash Ketchum. The future Pokemon Master, and more importantly, the little asshole who didn't even say goodbye to his mother before he left...
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AN: Do leave a review on your way out, dear reader.