It was half past 10 on a warm evening in the middle of July and most residents of the sleepy little town of Pallet were tucked up in bed or at least on their way. However at least one little boy was determined not to fall asleep tonight and had stayed up way past his bedtime. He had decided to ignore his mother's warnings and had pretended to be asleep when she came to check on him. If she ever found out he would be in for a real scolding but it would be worth it, for tonight was a once in a lifetime (at least, for a young boy like him) exhibition Pokemon battle between Lance the Champion of Kanto and Drake the Dragon Master of the Hoenn region. A battle between two Dragon Type Pokemon Masters, he would not miss this for the world!
Ash Ketchum was sat on his bedroom floor with his face only a foot away from his T.V. screen as he watched the build up to the match. All the lights were switched off so as not to alert his mum and he felt giddy at both the fact that he had successfully tricked his mum and at what the announcer was saying:
"And stepping out onto the battle field first is our very own Drake of the Elite Four! As the longest standing member of the Hoenn elite four, having joined the ranks at the age of 36, almost 32 years ago, he is certainly not a man to be under-estimated!"
"That's right Brendon! Only Agatha of the Kanto Elite four has held her position for longer. And as we all know Dragons only get stronger with age, Will we get to see Drake signature partner Salamence again or we he choose a different Pokemon for this match up?"
"Well the odds on Salamence being his choice are coming out at 3 to 1 so that's where my money would be! Other favourites could be –"
Any other words were cut off at the eruption of cheers as dour, well-built man with white hair and a white moustache came striding out of the tunnel on the left hand side of the stadium. He was wearing a simple pair of jeans, combat boots and a large but frayed Navy Captains coat, open exposing his bare chest. A sailor's cap sat on top of his head completing the appearance of an imposing military veteran. He nodded his head a few time to acknowledge the crowd and then stood silent with his arms folded and eyes closed in his player's box on one side of the field, waiting for his opponent.
As the noise of the crowd died to a normal noise level for a group of 30,000 people the commentator could be heard again:
"Now I should remind you folks that this is only a 1v1 exhibition match so don't go wishing for a full 6 on 6 battle today!"
Ash frowned slightly at this but it was soon forgotten as the camera began focusing on a few famous people and Pokemon in the crowd. Ash tried to name them all as the camera changed. There was a Machop who practised a few punches and kicks for the camera, a menacing looking Charmeleon who was owned by an equally menacing looking man with a scar down his cheek and a large blue mousey looking Pokemon that he thought was an Azurill. Being from Kanto his knowledge of species native to other regions was slightly lacking but he didn't mind too much, there would be plenty of time to learn about them when he went to visit on his own journey.
The camera panned to a group of three good looking young women who when they realised the camera was pointing at them, promptly lifted their shirts to expose their chests. Ash went bright red at this as the cameras promptly changed and was now looking at a bored looking Persian licking its paw next to a man in a dark suit. Being only 3 weeks from his 10th birthday, Ash no longer had the innocence of a small child when dealing with nudity but nor did he have the desire to look either.
As the camera pointed at another young women with bright bond hair, Ash once again picked up on what the commentator were saying:
"And that's Cynthia the youngest Champion of any Region at only 21 years of age! Her defeat of Lucian 3 month ago was a huge upset over in Sinnoh!" Explained the announcer previously identified at Brendon.
"It was a spectacular match though. That Garchomp of hers really –Wait I think Champion Lance is finally stepping out onto field!"
The camera was refocusing on Drake as he said this and Drake Eyes flashed open staring at the tunnel on the opposite of the field. A figure emerged as Lance, slowly, almost lazily walked out onto the battle field. The cacophony of cheers almost matched that for Drake's entrance which was surprising since this wasn't his home region.
Ash's eyes were wide and his grin stretched across his face as he watched his hero march across into his contestant's box, his trademark cape billowing around him. Ash was so engrossed in the proceedings that he completely failed to notice his door click open and open gently as his mother's head appeared round the door again. A small smile on her face as she sighed and closed the door as quietly as she opened it.
"I'll tell him off tomorrow morning or wake him up really early as punishment." She giggled as she went to her room to go to sleep.
Back on the T.V. the field deciding wheel was slowly coming to stop.
"The two battlers will be fighting a Rock type field today! How will this affect their decision? We'll have to wait to find out."
The referee stepped forward onto his podium as the rock type field rose up into view.
"This match will be a 1v1 battle and will continue until either or both Pokemon have been knocked out. Champion Lance will release first"
The camera focused on Lance as he studiously looked out at the field and his opponent pondering his move. He seemed to come to a decision as he gave a nod to himself and grabbed a Pokeball from his belt, throwing it into the air.
Ash was momentarily disappointed when he realised Lance wasn't using his titanic Dragonite but when he saw just what Pokemon Lance had chosen, he stared in awe. The creature was reptilian in nature with a very large jaw which glittered with razor sharp teeth. Its hide was a grey-purple and incredibly battle scarred, though that did not suggest it was weak, on the contrary the fact that it was still alive was a testament to its strength.
"Aerodactyl" breathed Ash as he inched even closer to the T.V. Just where Lance had found a prehistoric Pokemon he didn't know but Professor Oak that those capable of taming and controlling one must be incredibly skilled. By-products of their era, Ancient Pokemon were extremely savage and fought with reckless abandon.
Across the field Drake sized up the Flying-Rock type lizard and gave a rare smile.
"Good! Very good, but let's see how brutal strength matches up against guile and agility. Take to the skies, Altaria!" as he too lauched a pokeball into the air.
A bird about half the size of Aerodactyl emerged from ball in the blaze of red. It was blue in colour and its neck and wings were covered in a white down of feathers. It didn't look very strong in Ash's opinion but it did look graceful.
'Looks like it would be better off in one of those boring Contests that mum watches' thought Ash derisively, 'this should be an easy win for Lance.'
"Begin!" Shouted Referee as the psychic barriers sprang up around the stadium, protecting the crowds from harm, courtesy of a number of League trained Alakazam's and another white green girly looking Pokemon Ash didn't recognise.
Aerodactyl screeched in challenge and it flapped its mighty wings and took off heading straight at the smaller bird. Both owners seemed content to let their Pokemon start the fight themselves without any instructions as they watched on closely. Purple energy was gathered in Aerodactyls jaws and released at high speeds towards Altaria which wove gently through the beams fired at it before closing in on its opponent. The blue bird spun upside down as it flew underneath the ancient reptile and raked its underbelly with its sharp claws. Its victory was short lived as it suddenly collided head on with a grey tail which had swung into its path at the last minute.
The commentator was having trouble keeping up with the fast pace of the moves being used.
"Aerodactyl starts things off with a powerful series of dragon breaths, but Altaria has no trouble evading them and lands an impressive Dragon Claw but Ow that has got to hurt, it flew straight into Aerodactyls tail, quick reactions there from Lance's Pokemon!"
As Altaria plummeted towards the ground, Drake spoke up for the first time; "Mist"
An icy blue vapour was breathed out from Altaria's mouth and covered the lower part of the battlefield hiding Altaria from view. Aerodactyl gliding above battle field looked on calmly of any sign of movement in the fog.
"Clear the field with whirlwind!" Spoke Lance as the flying reptile began to beat its wings towards the ground furiously. As the mist cleared it became obvious that Altaria was no longer there. A look of surprise and confusion flashed across Lances for brief second before he yelled "Quick, above you!"
But it was too late, Altaria came crashing down into Aerodactyl in a powerful Sky Attack sending the prehistoric Pokemon careening into the ground sending up billows of dust.
"Follow it up with Dragon Pulse!" Came the booming voice of Drake.
Building up a purple energy in its mouth, Altaria flew down towards the crash site and just as it was about to unleash its attack caught sight of a pair red eyes amongst the dust glaring up at it cruelly.
"Rock Slide" came the command from its trainer and it eagerly complied, channelling its power into the ground and blasting a group of boulders at the bird. It was Altaria's turn to be grounded as the rocks struck it with devastating force.
"Quickly, use Rock Tomb before it gets back into the sky." An evil glint appeared in the reptile's eyes at this and more boulders sprung up from the earth around Altaria and compacted together trapping it with crushing strength.
"Finish it off with Hyper Beam!" Commanded Lance with a sweeping gesture of his arm and a look of victory on his face. An orange orb of energy was gathered in the Aerodactyl's Jaws and a few seconds later its power was launched at the place where Altaria was buried. An eruption of rock and stone occurred obscuring the cameras and audience in dust. The shockwave was so great that the psychic barrier protecting the audience shuddered and lit up under the strain, the Pokemon holding it grunting with the effort to keep it up.
As the dust was settling the announcer was almost screaming the proceedings, his excitement was so great.
"Lance and his Aerodactyl have used its rock typing and the battlefield to great effect, unleashing a barrage of super effective and powerful moves upon Drakes Altaria, victory must surely belong to the Kanto Champion! I can't see any Pokemon getting up from a beating like that!"
The camera focusing on Drake as he became visible told a different tale however as the serious man actually had a small smile on his face.
"Cottonguard is quite a useful technique, don't you think? I'm afraid your Rock Tomb and Hyper Beam had little effect."
Sure enough as the view changed, Altaria could be seen emerging from a cocoon of white down, looking a little ruffled but not significantly damaged.
Lance to his credit covered his shock well as he replied; "well I guess it would be a little boring if it was over so quickly. Aerodactyl, keep it grounded, use Iron Head!"
"Humph, Giga Impact!"
As Aerodactyl neared with its head glowing with an eerie silver metallic sheen, Altaria suddenly launched itself forward cloaking its body in purple and orange energy, careening at the larger reptile with shocking force.
And just as they were about to collide, Ash's T.V. showed nothing but static.
Approximately 3 minutes before Ash's T.V went kaput, somewhere in Johto a digital construct was currently fleeing in terror, darting down power transmission lines, diving into computers and beaming across home networks in its efforts to escape its pursuer.
It was 22hours 42minutes 13seconds 2milliseconds and 84microseconds at its last calculation and the Porygon knew it would be caught at 22 hours 45minutes 2seconds 434milliseconds and 0microseconds. It didn't know what was chasing it nor why it was being chased only that it was vastly more powerful than itself.
All the Porygon had been doing was breaking past a few firewalls and cracking some encryption on an isolated server somewhere outside Mahogany City. The last file it had managed to access was a security video of a young woman taking a small statue of an Eevee out of a building and the next thing it knew it was being attacked by another digital creature it had no recognition of. The only conclusion was that this was a Pokemon that was not in its databanks but its physical projection form seemed to change as it moved across different electronic equipment.
Regardless, what it was, was irrelevant, all that mattered was that Porygon had to shake it. Now travelling down a telephone wire from New Bark Town across into Kanto, the digital construct decided it must try something new if it was to escape pursuit. Diving down into a house and merging with its power distribution network, it looked for a device that was currently powered up so it could leave its natural environment of its digital world and use its meagre psychic powers to project itself into the material plane. It locate a television in one of the upstairs rooms, if it was quick the Porygon would be able to dart of the screen and leave through a window without the human watching it knowing it was even there, all the human would see was a little static as it moved through the devices internal electronics.
As it moved into the cathode ray beam it began using is psychic power to begin its transition from digital to physical. As it exited the screen, half digital and half physical it realised its mistake. A small human was pressed up against the screen clatching the T.V. frantically trying bring the picture back. Not being able to turn quickly enough the Porygon dove straight through the human's eyes and into its neurons of its brain. From that point on the Porygon was stuck, part digital part physical, inside the human.
"NO! nonononono" exclaimed Ash in panic "Come back, work you stupid thing!"
Shaking the T.V. gently, trying to bring the picture back, he caught a glimpse of something pink and blue emerging from the T.V. and then all Ash knew was pain. He let out a scream of agony and then passed out collapsing backwards with a dull thump.
The T.V. flickered and a second being emerged from the screen. It looked like an upside pin coated in a pale blue electric energy, two flanges of the energy were shaped into lightning bolts. The creature looked wildly around the room, searching for its quarry. The newly created Porygon had gotten too inquisitive and happened upon video of the creatures master stealing a Pokemon before it could delete the file. It had to clear up all loose ends or it would be punished by its master for failure.
Glancing around there was no-where for the Porygon to hide and it wouldn't have been able to move far at its young age. The only devices in the room were the T.V. an alarm clock and the electrical lights, these were dismissed easily; the creature would be able to tell if the Porygon was hiding in these. The creature buzzed around the room looking under the bed and behind the desks and shelves but could find nothing. As it was thinking that its prey must of known a technique like Teleport somehow, hurried footsteps could be heard outside the door. The creature quickly dived back into the T.V. and moved off back into the outside world to report to its master. The T.V. winked innocently back to the match, which had just concluded, just before Delia Ketchum burst into the room to find her son asleep in the floor. The commentator on the T.V. could be hear again
"And an astounding conclusion here at the Ever Grande Stadium! No-one could have expected that turn around. What a Match!"
Delia turned the T.V. off and gently picked her son up and placed him back in his bed and kissed his forehead goodnight before turning and leaving. As she left she thought to herself that perhaps Ash was a bit too young to stay up so late but then again, he would have to be looking after himself in two months' time.
The next morning Ash woke with a splitting headache, groaning in pain he stumbled out of bed grasping his bedside cabinet for support. Thinking that he might feel better if he took a shower he staggered out of his room and down the hall way to the bathroom. He could smell the breakfast that his mum was cooking this morning bacon and eggs he realised and his stomach gave a lurch and a rumble of hunger. Not wanting to miss the feast waiting for him he sped up and entered the bathroom. Stripping off his pyjama top he glanced into the mirror and came to complete stop.
His mouth fell open in shock at sight and all thoughts of breakfast, his headache and the match last night went out of his mind for there, suspended above his head in small white letters were the words
Ash Ketchum. Lvl 2.
Okies, well this is my first time writing and figured I would give it ago. As you can probably tell, this is going to be a Pokemon fic with some elements of the Gamer.
I'm not entirely sure how detailed i should go in regards to how advanced Ash's "Game" should be. I was thinking that initially it would function as more of heads up display where he can just tell peoples/pokemons names and levels. Being able to determine stats etc would come when Porygon evolves and/or if my writing improves and I can figure out how to incorporate lists upon lists of stats for pokemon and trainers etc. What i am unsure of is if Ash should have access to his own stat page or not, so if people would like to see that then let me know and I can incorporate that into the story.
This should be a "slow" story, in terms of levels I cant see Ash and his pokemon being more than level 25 before the end of Kanto. So his pokemon are not going to be fully evolved by the end of one arc. I'm also not planning on having Ash be psychic or be a super aura user either. What he is going to be is a more logical and patient trainer however due to his merging with a digital pokemon. As you might have been able to guess from the name and a throwaway sentence in this chapter the antagonists in this story are going to be the Hunter Organisation. I felt rather than dealing with the "Teams" which are bent on world domination and cataclysmic events this might be more interesting and new. Having said that I might have Ash go to new Island and meet Mewtwo at one point. Mostly 'cos its freaking Mewtwo. I'm not particularly planning on introducing romance into the story either, I'd rather just be focused on the adventure, training and battles to be honest, so if thats not your cup of tea go look elsewhere.
Anyway, read this or dont, review it or dont, whatever floats your boat.