Pokemon: 2024

~The Long Game~

Prologue

Author's note: This story is based partly on characters and events appearing in one of my other stories, Pokemon 2024, however, the events of this story take place somewhat separately from the main plot of the other one.

Twenty-two year old Ash Ketchum hopelessly held up a map as he walked through some woods in the middle of nowhere. But he knew this would happen eventually. When he was a kid, he would get lost all the time while he was traveling, even with someone like Brock who could actually read a map. He had been wandering through the area for hours and with no further idea of where to go, he decided to take a break and sit on a nearby log to eat his lunch, a peanut butter sandwich and a fruit cup he had gotten for free from a nearby Pokemon Center.

It took him two minutes to hungrily devour the food and he let out a dejected sigh when his stomach began to grumble again shortly after. He had no more food in his pack and he had no idea where the next town was. He was screwed…

"Excuse me sir?"

"Huh?"

Ash whirled around to see a young girl who looked to be about ten years old smiling at him.

"Are you okay?"

Ash smiled back. "I'm fine…well…actually I'm kinda lost. You wouldn't know where the nearest town is would you?"

The girl smiled wider. "Do I?! That's my home town!"

Ash sighed in relief. "Can you take me there?"

The girl nodded. "Sure!"

She took off her backpack and began fishing around for something inside it until she pulled out a Pokeball. She looked at Ash for a second and extended a hand which he shook.

"By the way, I'm Leaf."

Ash had no time to tell her his own name before she held up the ball and pressed the button to release her Pokemon.

"Come on out Wing!"

A red light erupted from the ball and began to slowly fade to reveal a huge Pidgeot.

Ash grinned. Seeing a Pidgeot again actually brought back really fond memories of the one he used to have.

Leaf climbed onto the bird and extended a hand to Ash.

"Climb on!"

Ash got behind her on the Pidgeot as it gave a loud squawk and prepared to take off before shooting into the sky so fast, Ash nearly fell off.

A minute passed before Leaf turned to look at Ash behind her.

"You look familiar…it's like I know you."

Ash smiled. "You've been to Pallet Town?"

She nodded. "You could say that." She gasped. "Wait a minute! It's you—I didn't recognize you without your hat…but…it's you…"

Ash scratched his head in confusion. "I'm sorry…where did we meet again?"

At that moment Pidgeot began to swoop down at a startling speed toward a small town below them and Ash decided that they would have to continue the conversation later.

Once they landed, Leaf recalled Pidgeot and they began to walk to a nearby house.

Ash looked around and noticed something odd about the town.

"This looks just like Pallet…but we're nowhere near Pallet Town at all."

The girl frowned. "What are you talking about? This is Pallet Town."

Ash shrugged and thought to himself. I guess there could be two Pallet Towns.

But everything looked the same. The houses, the stores…

Ash stopped. There was a Pokemon lab on a huge hill, just like Professor Oaks!

Leaf tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at a small house in front of them.

"In here, come on."

Ash followed her in a daze and entered the house.

Once inside, he saw a young boy sitting at a table in the main room. The boy turned to look at him and smirked.

Leaf glared at the boy. "Hey Blue, guess who's back to kick your butt just like I said he'd be?"

Ash's jaw dropped as he looked at the boy. "Wait…you're…Gary! But…you're ten…"

The boy laughed and got up from his seat. "Cut the crap Red. Did you really think you could run forever? If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. But you won't. And to be completely honest, I'm just looking forward to crushing you like the little bitch you are."

Ash felt an uneasy feeling in his gut as he stared at the boy.

"What the hell are you talking about Gary? It's me. Ash. I thought we were cool now."

"Gary" rudely laughed as he stepped forward. "No. I am cool. YOU are anything but."

Leaf angrily stepped toward "Gary". "Look Blue! Red is going to take back what's rightfully his and you'll just go back to being the punk you are!"

Ash looked at her in confusion as if she had two heads. "Who the hell is Red?"

"Gary" chuckled as he stepped closer to Ash, who tried to back away but was stopped when "Gary" grabbed his arm.

Ash tried to pull away in alarm. "What are you doing? Let go of me!"

"Gary" held onto his arm tight. "The only thing little Red is going to do is go back to being a little punk bitch!"

He shoved Ash backward and Ash drew back his fist on instinct before remembering that he was still just a kid and he couldn't do anything about it.

Ash grimaced and began to turn. "You know what Gary? Screw this. I'm gone."

Leaf grabbed his arm this time. "No Red! You have to put a stop to this and take back your title as Champion!"

"Gary" pulled out a weird looking device that looked kind of like a portable game system. He held it up and showed Ash the screen as he turned on the device and it began to glow and whir to life.

"Gary" snickered as he held the device up in front of Ash.

"Let the games begin…"

He smirked for one last time as he looked at Ash.

"By the way, my name isn't Gary."

His finger moved to lightly rest on a button that said START.

"Call me…"

Ash's eyes widened as he realized that for once he was genuinely terrified.

"Blue."

His finger pressed down on the button of the device he held in front of Ash. Ash felt himself becoming engulfed by a blinding silver light and he heard the boy cackling as he became light headed.

Then everything went black.

NEXT: Pallet Town