Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Satoshi Tajiri and I only own the plot and the modifications I made to the preexisting universe of pokemon. I would like to go to the corner of my room over this fact now. Enjoy the chapter.
A groan of annoyance and discomfort was heard as the harsh and unforgiving rays of the yellow rising star that was the center of the solar system rose from the east horizon, bathing the sea and the land with its warmth. Said warmth was not appreciated, however, by Ash Ketchum as he was forced to get up by the natural glare of the sun and his own biological clock. Light brown eyes fluttered open as the transaction from unconsciousness to awareness was made. It took a few seconds of blinking and pressing his eyelids together before his eyes were able to comfortably look around the room in search of something that would tell him the current time.
He quickly found it and much to his pleasure it was only a few minutes past seven o'clock in the morning. As he took a sitting position on his bed, the covers sliding down to show the thin body upper body that he sported at his twelve years of age, which astounded many of the townspeople of Pallet since he ate a lot.
A grin soon stretched across his surprisingly narrow face as he spotted the calendar perched on his door. There was a big, red circle done with marker on a specific day of march, today, and that indicated that today was going to be the start of his journey. It didn't take long for Ash to bolt out of bed in direction of his bathroom so he could get ready to go to Professor Oak's lab to receive his starter pokemon.
For as long as he could remember Ash had wanted to be a pokemon trainer and being the best pokemon trainer was his dream. Ash didn't want to be just your run in the mill trainer, nay, Ash Ketchum wanted to be the best pokemon master to ever exist and if one knew how much he had looked up to this day, one wouldn't be surprised to see how much dedication he had put into his studies and preparation for this particular day.
Local professors were required by the League to prepare at least three hopeful trainers for two years once they became ten years old in order to make them ready for the absolutely dangerous world in which they lived in. Pokemon trainers needed to be knowledgeable, intelligent and responsible and it was the job of the local professor to prepare the trainers to be both mentally and physically prepared since the world, the Kanto Region specifically, was a very dangerous place. And the only reason was because of a pokemon's nature itself.
Pokemon were basically animals only that they had the potential to cause mass destruction on a whim should they desire it or deem it feet. And while pokemon weren't necessarily rampaging and evil beasts, with very few exceptions, Pokemon were still animals, savage beings that were very, very intelligent and in some cases Pokemon surpassed humans in brain capacity and capability, the most prominent case being the physic types with brains powerful enough they could construct barriers with the power of their minds.
In the last two years, Ash had dedicated himself to get ready for his oncoming journey, always listening to Professor Oak's, the local professor and the official sponsor for trainers that started their journey on Pallet Town, lectures and advice on how could prepare himself physically, which involved on getting up at the crack of down to exercise his body regularly with a huge amount of cardio workouts that used to leave him sore on the first few months after he began to do them.
And after Ash turned twelve, which happened three days ago, and the Indigo Conference passed, a week ago more or less, it was time for him to start his own adventure. Ash inspected himself on the mirror and he nodded at his reflection, approving of it. He was wearing black cargo pants that were tucked into brown, hiking boots. His pants were held up by a brown belt that had attached to it circular magnets for his pokeballs. His upper body was covered by a long sleeved polyester shirt that clung to his body and over that he wore a black and white, high collared vest that was zipped up a third way up.
He adjusted his black, red and white cap to keep his unruly and utterly disobedient black hair in place before he bolted out of his room, his bed left unmade. It wasn't like he was going to use it again for quite some time anyways.
Ash reached the end of the stairs and the kitchen/dining room combo of his house and his mouth watered at the sight of the onigiri and vegetable soup that his mother did for breakfast. He spotted his mother, as radiant as ever with her youthful face and brown hair and brown eyes, similar to his own, waiting for him with a small smile on her face.
"Good morning, honey," she greeted him more subdued than usual but he could see that there was nothing wrong with her, at least not that he knew off but if his mother had any issues that he needed to know about then she was certainly going to tell him about them so he decided to overlook this. "How did you sleep?"
Ash grinned sheepishly as he sat down and helped himself with some onigiri that he simply dropped lightly on the soup so as not to make a mess. "I could barely sleep with all the excitement mom! It took me a long while to finally go to sleep after you went to my room to tell me that it was already late. I think I need to thank you for making sure that I was always up by this time no matter what time I went to sleep since I'd probably be late today otherwise," he said with a sheepish tone of voice that matched his expression.
Ash didn't notice how Delia's smile faltered for a second but she thankfully managed to cover up her slip… for the time being. She laughed into her hand as she watched her son eating the food earnestly but not looking like a barbarian without etiquette. It took Delia a while to beat, somewhat literally as Ash's head had very painful meetings with her many spoons, manners into him and while he still ate fast it wasn't disgusting to watch. And he swallowed his food before speaking so it was a plus too.
She managed to control her amusement but her eyes showed it clearly. "I know exactly how that feels. It was the same thing when I became a trainer for the first time ever," she told him with a nostalgic smile and a matching gleam on her eyes as she reminisced of past times. She then looked at her son with curious eyes. "Did you decide which pokemon are you going to choose?" She asked him, and Ash noted an odd inflection in her voice.
He shrugged it off, both literally and figuratively as his shoulders rose and fell. "No, I haven't. I don't really care which pokemon is my starter, although charmander is very cool, but I just want a friend to train and to become close with so we can reach the top together," explained Ash with a small smile on his face and his eyes were full of fondness for the marvelous and incredible creatures that made up the world where they lived in.
Ash didn't notice the sigh of relief that Delia gave before she looked at the clock above the window near the stove. Her eyes widened and she stood up, drawing a confused look from Ash. "You should get going, honey. If you don't, you are really going to be late and I doubt Professor Oak is going to tolerate that," she told hastily as she pulled him out of his chair and began to push him towards the door of their house.
A bewildered Ash couldn't do anything as he was pushed out, told that he was to come back after he got his pokemon to get his backpack and say goodbye and the door was closed on his face. Delia gave a prominent sigh as she started to make the way up the stairs to tidy up Ash's mess. He might be responsible and intelligent for his age, but 'trivial' things like this always seemed to escape his notice. Delia smiled nonetheless. He was her son and she couldn't be more proud of him.
And for that reason there was a very good surprise waiting for him as Oak's Lab today. And she was more than sure that he was going to absolutely love it.
XxXxX
It didn't take him too much to reach Professor Oak's Ranch/Lab, fifteen minutes at the most. The research facility of the most renowned pokemon professor in Kanto was located very near of Ash's house so it was basically a straight line from his home towards there. The main facility was located on a hill that overlooked all of Pallet, a very good idea since Professor Oak was also its protector, and it was rectangular building with solar panels on its roof and a windmill behind it. It certainly made use of nature as a source of electricity.
When Ash arrived he got a curious look on his face as he was sure he was going to be last one to arrive but much to his surprise he was the only one there, not even Gary was waiting outside. And that was even more surprising since Gary Oak's eagerness to start his own journey was only matched by Ash's own and Gary's arrogance, which was the reason they stopped being friends a few years ago. Ash couldn't really stand him.
Ash took a few steps forward and stood in front of the closed gate that guarded the stairs one needed to take to reach the lab. He scratched the back of his head in confusion before he shrugged his shoulders. If the others were going to be late then it was their problem, not his. He crossed his arms and decided to wait. It was still a few minutes earlier before the time he was supposed to be here so it wasn't like he couldn't wait. Maybe the others would arrive before the supposed time.
Ash's eyes widened and he turned towards the gate sharply as he noticed that it was being opened. A man wearing a white lab coat over a red polo-shirt and khaki pants walked out. He seemed to be on his early fifties and his sharp and intelligent eyes quickly found his and there was a small, approving smile on his face. It made Ash feel like he had succeeded splendidly in a test he had not been prepared for.
"Good morning, Ash. It's good to see that you are on time. How are you feeling?" Oak inquired as he peered down at who he knew was the most promising rookie from Pallet this year. Ash's dedication to learning everything there was to learn about the pokemon world was unparalleled and the fact that he was also intelligent, something that he surely inherited from both his mother and father, and responsible, this one was thanks only to his mother.
His own grandson was also highly intelligent and dedicated but his attitude let a lot of things to be desired and unless Gary changed his way, he wasn't going to reach the heights that Ash was surely going to reach and not after too long also surpass. It was basically on his blood.
Ash grinned at the professor. "I'm pretty good, Professor Oak, pretty excited to finally be able to start my journey and go on my own and catch and befriend pokemon. What about you?" This made Oak chuckle as he knew that it was thanks to Delia's 'disciplinary techniques' that he inquired about his state of being.
Oak shook his head lightly. "I am very good myself, thanks for asking. Since you are already here, come with me. We need to discuss some matters," he said before he turned around and began to go up the stairs towards the lab.
Ash frowned in confusion. Weren't they going to wait for the others? He shook his head and hastily walked until he was two steps behind Professor Oak. He wasn't going to argue with him and he knew that if the others didn't get a Pokemon then it was their problem and their fault for not being at the requested time. He felt sorry for Zack and for Leaf, they were good friends of him but he wasn't going to be sorry for Gary. That jerk didn't deserve it.
Oak led Ash through the lab and while it wasn't the first time, the black haired preteen couldn't help but marvel at the impressive machinery that was used to study and research pokemon. He could see several aides by those machines taking notes on many pokemon; he spotted something that resembled a pink grimer, a ditto: a strange pokemon with the ability to turn into any pokemon and anything it observed that appeared recently, a few years ago actually. Its cells were starting to be used on medical treatment as a matter of fact and it seemed like Professor Oak was helping on that matter.
They eventually reached Professor Oak's office, which actually was the entire third floor, and now they stood next to a metallic desk that had a red device and eleven shrunken pokeballs. And this made Ash frown again. He knew that the red device was a pokedex, a digital encyclopedia that could be used to scan pokemon with a lot of precision. But why did Professor Oak only had one when there were four kids supposed to be starting today?
Professor Oak coughed and that gained Ash's undivided attention. "I'm going to be honest with you Ash. I actually told you to come earlier than Gary, Zack and Leaf today." Ash's eyes widened in realization and Oak gave a small smile. "I see that you were at least suspecting something like that."
Ash shook his head lightly. "I thought that the others were just late but that didn't explain why you only had one pokedex and exactly eleven pokeballs. It's obvious that you were expecting only one of us, me specifically as you just pointed out, but why?" He asked with a frown on his face.
Oak reached into his pocket and presented Ash with a plain, red and white pokeball. "It's essentially because of this. Delia is aware of the fact that you wouldn't mind which Pokemon you started with and she decided to acquire this one for you in light of certain circumstances that she is going to make you aware off. Since this Pokemon is quite rare I knew that the others were going to be jealous of you and claim that I was playing favorites but that is not the case here since it was your mother who did this."
Ash nodded his head before he took the pokeball from Oak's hand and tapped the release bottom. Anxiety and nervousness swelled up in his stomach as the white energy soon began to form a medium sized, bipedal shape. His eyes widened when he saw a small, blue, canine pokemon. It had black legs and torso, a blue tail, and a yellow collar. It had rounded bumps on the backs of its forepaws. It had a black "mask", with long, black prostitutions framing its face and red eyes. It was standing on its toes instead of its entire foot.
Ash immediately recognized the pokemon as it shook its head and took in its surroundings: a riolu. They weren't exactly rare since the Kingdom of Rota in Kanto was known to house a clan of riolu and lucario and they were commonly seen in Sinnoh too. What was rare, extremely so, was for them to be seen accompanying a trainer since the riolu line were known to be empathetic and if they didn't find a trainer worthy, they were not going to let themselves be captured.
And believe it or not, there were almost no trainers worthy of the companionship of a riolu or a lucario these days.
Ash ignored Oak's expectant and calculative look as he knelt down, finally getting the undivided attention of the jackal like pokemon. Its red eyes were fixed on his and Ash couldn't shake off the feeling that his own soul was being judged. Those red eyes looked at him blankly but ash refused to look away. He wanted to get this riolu's respect and he need to how strength in character and the unwillingness to back down.
A gleam of approval appeared in the riolu's eyes before it moved towards him with graceful steps that simply astounded him. When the riolu was practically on his air bubble, it raised its right arm and pressed its palm into Ash's chest before closing its eyes. The appendances on its head rose and they began to gently float and Ash felt riolu's presence inside of him and he gasped as images flashed through his mind at a fast pace.
Kindness: Ash Ketchum you are, indeed, kind. Your love for anything living is something very hard to find nowadays.
Humility: Ash Ketchum, your humility, although forced by your female progenitor, is one of your main traits.
Intelligence: Ash Ketchum, your intelligence surprises me for it is a respectable quality within you humans.
Dedication: Ash Ketchum, your dedication to reach your goals is the reason why…
… You are worthy.
Ash gasped again and he took in a deep breath and he looked down to see Riolu looking up at him with warm, red eyes full of acceptance. The black haired boy couldn't help himself and he wrapped his arms around Riolu, and he laughed when Riolu did the same. Somehow, Ash knew that Riolu was beyond happy and he knew that what Riolu wanted the most was to find a companion: A friend that would stay by his side through everything. And Riolu found that in him.
And Ash was more than sure that he also found that in Riolu.
They separated from the hug and Ash stood up and Riolu took a standing position by his right flank. Oak noticed that Riolu looked just perfect there and he was sure that that spot was for ever going to belong to him. He smiled genuinely at them. "It seems like Riolu found you worthy of his companionship but I knew that it was going to happen. You are a kind and intelligent young man, Ash and I'm sure that Riolu saw that immediately." There was another reason why he knew that was going to happen but that information wasn't going to leave his mouth anytime soon.
Ash looked down at Riolu, noticing that the lithe pokemon almost reached his mid thigh, and he smiled in fondness. "I'm going to make sure not to let him down and be there for him always. I'm sure that we are going to be great friends, right?" He asked Riolu, even though he already knew the answer and as he expected, Riolu nodded his head while looking up at him with a similar look on his eyes.
Oak's smile widened at the display before he schooled his features and coughed into his hand. "Well, since that is out of the way, here," said Oak as he handed Ash the pokedex and the twelve shrunken pokeballs, which he clipped into the magnets of his belt. "I'm sure that you know how to use the pokedex. It's already configured with your info and linked to the League database to handle winnings and loses from battles." He then gave ash a stern look. "You are aware of your limitations right?"
Ash nodded his head. "Yeah. A pokemon trainer can carry up to twelve pokemon on his person but he or she most only use up to six on any pokemon battle. We can get our licenses revoked if we abuse of it," said Ash and it wasn't like it bothered him. He wasn't planning on catching a bunch of pokemon and twelve just seemed like the right amount for him. In the past the limit had been six but the League soon realized that the more pokemon a trainer carried on his person, the more he or she was likely to survive out there. And since trainers nowadays were more prepared they were given more responsibilities. A bigger number of allowed pokemon was one of those.
Oak nodded his head. "It seems like you are ready to go. Good luck Ash and remember to keep me up to date with your progress. I know you are going to go far." The 'just like your mother and father' was not said out loud.
Ash nodded his head and pocketed the Pokedex. He was going to scan Riolu later. "Alright. Thanks for everything Professor Oak. I'll make sure to keep in touch regularly and I will make sure to represent Pallet Town to the best of my abilities. I promise you that," he said before he bowed, an action mirrored by Riolu, before they were both out of the lab.
As he stared at his back, Oak couldn't shake of the nostalgic feeling deep within his heart.
He is going to go the farthest of us all.
He witnessed it a long time ago after all.
XxXxX
The moment Delia saw her son walking into the house with a riolu in tow, she gave an humongous sigh of relief that was noticed by Ash and his new friend too, who cocked his head to the side in confusion as the feelings of pride and happiness were the most distinct within the myriad of emotions this human was giving off. Ash's eyes widened when his mother ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him a strong hug.
Riolu just continued to look at the scene with some confusion.
"Oh my god Ash! I'm so proud of you!" She said with some happy tears trailing down her face as she tightened her hold around Ash's frame. "I thought that you wouldn't be found worthy because you weren't directly exposed to the original teachings but there was nothing I had to worry about! You are worthy!" She claimed with so much happiness that it made Ash also give small, and confused, smile of his own.
"Mom, umm, I don't really know what is going on. Can you explain it to me?" Ash asked at best as he could since his mother was basically trying her best to force all the air within his lungs by her hug. He was sure that he was turning blue right now.
Delia quickly released him, allowing him to regain his breath, and she wiped away her tears. "I'm sure you are very confused right now, honey but I will explain it right now." When she got Ash's undivided attention, along with Riolu's, she started her explanation. "We are originally from the Kingdom of Rota here in Kanto." Ash's and Riolu's eyes widened to size of dinner plates. "I grew up there with my parents until I decided to become a pokemon trainer when I turned twelve. When a boy comes of age, that being twelve, they receive a Riolu as their companion. Normally, a man from Rota wouldn't go out of the kingdom and go on an adventure since their oath is to stay within Rota and protected it with their lives."
There was realization on Riolu's eyes and he was now looking at Delia and Ash with a new gleam on is eyes. It was almost reverent. Ash, however, was still confused. "Okay, so we are from Rota. That's a very big deal. But we are not there, so…" He trailed off as he signaled to blue and black jackal that stood at his right side diligently. "Why am I receiving a Riolu if I'm not going swear my live to the protection of that Kingdom, even if you and I are technically a part of it?"
Here Delia smiled with profound sadness and it surprised Ash. Riolu looked at her with some concern as he could feel her emotions running rampant within her. "The current queen and I are very, very good friends Ash. You could say we are almost like sisters. When she found out I had a son, with the man I loved and that also helped the Kingdom in times of peril, she insisted on you following the tradition. The Council of Rota was not against it so it was very easy for us to procure him." She nodded at Riolu who was now looking at her intently. "The rest depended on whether or not you were found worthy of his companionship."
She had made sure her son cultivated the traits that were characteristics of the knights of Rota all this years: Kindness, Humility, Intelligence and Determination. With his love for pokemon and anything living, along with the fact that he didn't think himself as anyone's better, his high intelligence and dedication to learn, Delia didn't know why she worried too much about her son not being found worthy by a riolu.
Ash blushed as he heard the pride she had for him in her tone and he rubbed the back of his head. "Well this is a lot to take in but I guess I can live with it. I would give my thanks to the queen and the council if I could but I have my own goals to reach first. I'm going to participate in the Indigo Conference and go as far as I can. I will go personally to Rota after I do so and they will see that their thrust was not wasted in me," he said with conviction and a smile on his face.
Delia was almost moved to tears but she reined them in. She handed him a yellow backpack and some fingerless black and red gloves that he slipped on. "You should head out now. Viridian is two days away and you should cover up as much terrain as you can." She then gave him a stern look that was eerily reminiscent of the one Professor Oak had given him. "Remember that while you must train your pokemon hard you must also let them rest. You also must train with them." Her stern look turned towards Riolu. "Make sure he doesn't slack off, okay?"
Riolu straightened up and nodded his head before he barked a sharp affirmative as he pounded his chest. Ash just grinned at his mother as he adjusted his backpack and then his hat. "You don't need to worry about any of that mom. I'll make sure to train hard along with my pokemon but I'm not going to become a harsh and cruel trainer. Hard work and rest are needed in tandem to get the best results, right?" He asked her cheekily.
Delia tried to keep up her stern expression but she couldn't after seeing the look on Ash's face. She giggled before she wrapped her arms around Ash once again but this time it was softer and more meaningful. "Take good care of yourself and your pokemon Ash and they are going to take good care of you. Call me always when you reach a pokemon center and keep me updated on what is happening and future plans so I don't get too worried," she almost pleaded him with a thick voice.
Ash felt a lump on his throat but he swallowed it as he smiled and wrapped his arms around his mother. "Of course I will mom. I'll always keep in touch. I promise," he said softly as he tightened his hold on his mother. Riolu watched them with concerned eyes. He could feel the sadness and nostalgia coming from them and while there was also happiness, the first two feelings were the most prominent of the three.
The two of them soon separated from their embrace and Delia waved him off towards the door and smiled as she tried her best to stop the tears from falling but she was doing a poor job at it. Ash smiled with some sadness but his excitement was still prominent so he just nodded at her before he went out of the house. Riolu stayed for a second and patted Delia reassuringly on her leg before he was out too.
And as she watched him go Delia couldn't help but cry. She was happy and at the same time sad. But this was her son's dreams and she would rather kill herself than prevent her dear son from doing what he dreamed. And she was going to support him all the way. That was what mothers did.
XxXxX
"Alright! I think this is a good spot!"
Riolu looked around them and he inspected the clearing with critical eyes. The sun shone brightly in the sky, showing that it was very well past noon judging by its position and how the shadows created by them were exactly below them. The clearing they were in at the moment had many tables and chairs that were put there for travelers that walked across this route and it was located a few meters away from the main road.
Ash decided that it was time to get some lunch and for him to see what Riolu was capable off so he could determine on what to work with him. Lunch was a very mundane affair as they ate some sandwiches Delia had prepared for them; he shuddered at the thought of knowing that he was going to be living off of ration bars from now on.
The walk up to this point was done in comfortable silence. Riolu and Ash already shared a bond that was beyond mere trainer and pokemon so there was not a need to 'know each other better. They were friends. They were partners. They were companions. They already understood one another.
Ash looked down at Riolu and he pulled out his pokedex before he flipped it open. "I'm going to scan you now to see the moves you now. Then we are going to test them and see what we can improve on. Does that sound good?" Riolu nodded simply and Ash smirked before he pointed the pokedex at Riolu. There was a beep and then a male, mechanical voice was heard.
Riolu: The Emanation Pokemon. Its body is lithe yet powerful. It can crest three mountains and cross two canyons in one night. t has the peculiar power of being able to see emotions such as joy and rage in the form of waves. This Riolu is male and has the ability Inner Focus. He knows the moves: Endure, Quick Attack, Foresight, Counter, Force Palm and Blaze Kick. Note: Blaze Kick is an egg move.
Ash brought down his pokedex and looked at Riolu with wide eyes. The blue and black jackal pokemon couldn't help but puff of his chest in pride. It seemed like his move pool had impressed his new friend and he couldn't wait to show them off and see if Ash approved but had worked hard to learn and master them to his own satisfaction so he was sure that Ash was going to be proud of him whatever happened.
"Wow Riolu! You certainly know a bunch of moves! Let's test them out," he said before he stopped. He looked down at his pokedex and rummaged through it before he looked sheepish. "Well it says here that endure is a move which helps you take attacks better and you need to be attacked first to use counter. And foresight let's you predict attacks so you can evade them better. I guess we can only test out quick attack, force palm and blaze kick until we find someone to battle," said Ash before he shrugged and pocketed the pokedex.
Ash looked around the clearing before he turned towards Riolu. "Mmmm, use quick attack to do some laps around here. I want see how fast you are," he said and Riolu nodded before he shot off in a blur. Ash smiled as he could see Riolu moving around the clearing surrounded by streaks of white energy. While he was certainly fast he was sure that Riolu could be even faster so it was something they were going to work on.
Ash raised his hand. "Alright stop! I've seen enough." Riolu stopped a few feet away from Ash and he waited for his opinion. "Your quick attack is pretty good but I'm sure we can make it faster. The best way to do that would be to have you run around while using quick attack to strengthen your muscles, right?" He asked for confirmation and Riolu nodded, pleased with Ash's analysis. "Let's see force palm now. Use it against a tree."
Riolu nodded his head and he sprinted towards a random tree and pressed his palm against its bark. Not a second later and Ash's eyes widened when the bark cracked and a fist sized indent was made into the trunk of the three. Ashy grinned at the sight of that and Riolu inspected his handiwork with approving eyes. That technique had a lot of potential they could capitalize on and he was sure that they just needed to grind it constantly to make it stronger.
"Alright Riolu. I just need for you to use Blaze kick on that same tree now," called out Ash and Riolu nodded his head before he took a few steps back. Riolu then crouched slightly and jumped forwards pulling his leg back before it was ignited in flames. Riolu's leg snapped forward in a graceful roundhouse kick and Ash's eyes widened in complete and utter shock when the flaming kick snapped the fairly thick tree in half.
Ash covered his ears to protect his senses from the booming sound but the grin never left his face as he stared at Riolu who was staring nonchalantly at the tree. He was sure that Riolu managed to break the tree because of his previous use of force palm on it but it didn't make it the less bit impressive. In the few seconds that it took Riolu to pad back to Ash on his two feet gracefully, Ash decided in what they were going to work on and how.
"You should start with the laps around the clearing using quick attack all the while until you get tired and rest for some time and then go back to that. You do that for half an hour and then work on the strength of your force palm, building up the power a little each time so you keep control of it. I think you shouldn't use the threes around here…" Ash trailed off before he looked around and he snapped his fingers before he pointed at a thick boulder near the edge of the clearing. It was as tall as him and many times thicker. "You should use that for that and when you are done, rest and then work in blaze kick in the same manner. We should start meeting trainers tomorrow so we are going to be able to test your other techniques."
Riolu nodded his head in acceptance before he looked at Ash expectantly. Ash returned the look with a confused one of his own before it eventually dawned on him that Riolu wanted for him to train alongside him. Ash thought about it for a moment and shrugged. He was not stranger to physical activity and he was sure that by doing this, he could bond further with his pokemon. Not that he needed to do that with Riolu, but it was going to be easier for him to do so with any other pokemon he caught if he got used to it by now.
Ash laughed before he pulled his vest and polyester shirt off, exposing his slightly defined and thin upper body. "Well, I suppose there is no harm in training by your side." Ash got a determined look on his face and he smirked. "Let's work hard, Riolu!"
Riolu barked an affirmative before he shot forward, his body covered in streaks of white light and Ash fallowed behind as he began to sprint across the clearing. There was a grin on his face and he doubted that it was going to go away anytime soon; no matter how much idiotic it may make him look.
XxXxX
"Mankey, use karate chop!"
Ash grinned as he gave his own command. "Endure and counter!"
It was early on his second day as a trainer and it hadn't taken too long for him and Riolu to find their first battle. A young trainer, around his age, had spotted them and had demanded a battle the moment he had spotted Riolu. It was not a common thing to see one fight and the excitement he could see on his opponent's eyes made it all clear that he was enjoying himself as much as Ash was.
There was an angry rumble coming from the pig monkey pokemon before it shot forward, eyes wild with rage as he brought its glowing paw back to deliver a powerful blow to Riolu. The blue jackal held his ground, just as Ash commanded, and raised his own upper right limb to block the attack. Riolu grunted as he successfully did so and then his body was outlined by a red shine before he surged forward with a hit of his own.
Mankey's eyes widened and it grunted as it was sent flying back to his trainer and Ash's grin widened. Endure and counter were complementing of each other. With endure, Riolu absorbed the power of the strike and with counter, he harnessed the power he absorbed and then liberated it in a powerful blow that was twice as strong as the blow received. Ash was sure that he was going to perfect that combo with Riolu and make it a part of his battle style.
Ash's opponent had awed eyes as he pointed at Riolu who looked calm and collected. "Focus energy and go for a fury swipes!" Mankey shook of the powerful blow before it stood up and it was surrounded by a white outline of energy before it shot forward with glowing claws.
Ash knew that Mankey didn't have long range attacks so it was forced to keep getting in close but that just worked on their favor. There was another move he needed to test. Endure and counter had worked perfectly and those moves would only grow if they were used in battle which he was going to make sure he did. "Foresight."
Riolu nodded his head in a calm fashion before his red eyes began to glow just in time for Mankey to close in and it began to swipe its glowing claws at Riolu wildly but gracefully. Fighting types had a natural grace to them that they instinctually performed so it wasn't surprising that even in its rage Mankey could keep up that grace. Riolu, however, was on an entire different level as he began to evade all of Mankey's attempts to attack him.
Ash's friend danced around the strikes, evading them without any wasted moment and by a wide enough margin that he didn't overstretch since he needed to build up the momentum to keep dodging continuously and without issue. Ash frowned when Riolu's eyes stopped glowing, making the blue and black jackal do a double take which resulted in taking a direct hit to the chest. Riolu growled as he retaliated with force palm that caught Mankey directly in the chest and sent it flying back, unconscious.
Ash smiled as he gave a thumb up to Riolu, who looked down at his chest and winced as the spot he was hit was still tender. It wasn't strong enough to draw blood but still stung quite a bit. As Riolu walked back towards Ash, the black haired trainer decided that they were going to also work in the time that Riolu could keep up Foresight, until it just became second nature to keep it up for as long as he needed it.
He grinned and patted him on the head, getting a pleased growl from his friend. "Good job buddy! You just won our first battle. Endure and counter are pretty good but we are going to work on perfecting that combo. We are also going to work on the duration of foresight," said Ash and Riolu nodded in agreement. He knew that he did very well on his first official battle but there was always room to improve.
Ash's opponent recalled his fallen pokemon walked up to Ash with widened eyes. "Holy crap man! That riolu of yours is very strong. I don't think you are going to have any troubles with Brock," complimented the boy as he kept looking at Riolu with almost shining eyes.
Riolu nodded his head at the praise and there was a proud glint on his eyes but he stayed cool for the most part. Ash was more vocal about it. "Thanks." He then got a curious look on his face. "How far is Viridian City from here?"
The boy just pointed towards where he had come from. "You should be able to reach it if you walk directly that way and follow the river in a few hours. You should know that you can't challenge the gym there until you have seven badges. Giovanni doesn't accept them if that is not the case."
Ash nodded his head in thanks before but he began to walk in that direction with Riolu in tow. He seemed to have forgotten by the scratch that Mankey caused to him. It was that or Riolu was simply ignoring it in hope of keeping up his image of a calm, cool and collected individual. Ash snorted but since it wasn't anything serious and it was not going to get infected anytime soon, he decided not to do anything about it. It was going to heal completely in a few minutes anyways.
He stopped suddenly as his pokedex blipped and he brought it out getting a confused look from Riolu who also stopped to stare at him.
Ash Ketchum has won the battle against Austin Broomer. In light of your victory two hundred and forty three pokedollars have been transferred to your account. Keep up the good work.
Ash blinked in surprise at that and grinned. He had momentarily forgotten about the fact that with every time he won, he would get a sum of money for his victory. This was done so as to encourage trainers to keep getting better since he doubted that anyone would want to be poor just because they slacked off. And it certainly worked to motivate trainers to be the best they could. Ash wasn't sure how the League kept track about the battles but he supposed it had something to do with their pokedexes and trainer IDs. He wasn't complaining though and he gave a massive grin at Riolu.
"Let's find us some more people to beat."
XxXxX
Ash handed Riolu a sandwich and he smiled at the jackal who almost greedily, but composedly, snatched it out of Ash's hand and began to take steady bites out of it. "We are on a roll today Riolu. If we keep this up you are going to master all of your moves in no time and you'll be ready to learn new ones," complimented Ash as he reached into his back pack and pulled out a sandwich for himself.
Riolu swallowed the mouthful of sandwich he had on his mouth before he barked in agreement and then he was bat to focus on his treat. Ash smiled as he looked down at Riolu, leaning back into the tree and absently taking bites of his own sandwich. Riolu had done a pretty good job at fighting every foe they had encountered. The only one they had some trouble with was a feisty little pikachu that due to its electrical attack was difficult to get in close but thanks to the use of foresight, Riolu had managed to get in close with minor scrapes and had delivered a devastating blaze kick.
Ash decided that he wasn't going to battle more with Riolu and that they were going to focus on reaching Viridian as fast as they could so Riolu could be checked on the Pokemon Center. He was just going to stay for a day there to get the supplies he needed for the Viridian Forest. There was no need to stay longer than that and Ash was excited about getting his first badge so that was another factor to consider. He could do the training needed for Brock while he stayed in the forest which was going to be for about one and half weeks to two weeks.
Ash was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Riolu give an indignant bark and he looked up to see him glaring at a pidgey that was a few meters away from then on the ground. Ash noticed that it was bigger than normal, so that meant that it was nearing evolution. The pidgey had a gleeful, fierce gleam on its eyes as it reached down with its beak and ate the last bit of sandwich which he knew had been previously on Riolu's possession.
Ash grinned. The pidgey looked powerful and he knew that a Pidgeot would be an excellent addition to the team he was going to build. They were powerful and they were fast. So it was no wonder that he made the decision to catch it. "Quick attack!"
Riolu smirked before he shot forward in a blur of blue, black and white. The pidgey only had time to widen its eyes and shriek sharply before it was hit and sent tumbling backwards in a heap. Ash noticed the gleam on Riolu's eyes and he smiled nervously. Pidgey had made terrible mistake when it stole Riolu's sandwich and it was going to pay.
It didn't take long for the pidgey to regain its bearing before it glared fiercely at Riolu. It flapped its wings and it took to the skies before it zeroed on Riolu who barked furiously. The pidgey shrieked in anger before it shot forward and its wings began to glow faintly. Ash grinned as he recognized the wing attack and that sealed the deal. This pidgey was going to become a part of his team.
"Breaker!" Ash called out as the pidgey descended on Riolu at decent speeds. 'Breaker' was the name he had come up for the combo of endure and counter because it essentially did that. The technique broke the enemies attack and since Riolu retaliated with an attack twice as powerful it also broke the limits of the attack he took to perform the counter. In his mind it fit rather well.
Riolu kept his smirk in place and he raised his arms just in time to catch the surprised pidgey. Riolu grunted and growled as he was pushed back a few feet due to the momentum of the strike but he held his ground perfectly. The eyes of the canine and the avian met for a second before riolu glowed red and then delivered a devastating kick into the pidgey's chest.
The tan bird was sent flaying back with a shriek of pain and it landed on the ground, rolling to a stop and it didn't look like it would get up. Ash grinned with delight as he reached for a pokeball and enlarged it before he chucked it at the fallen bird. When the ball passed by pidgey, it stopped and opened before it sucked in the avian in a white stream of energy and snapped shut. It shook for two times before it dinged.
"Yes!" Ash shouted and he opened his palm. The ball floated back to him and he looked at it with happy eyes before he showed it a Riolu who looked at it, trying to look indifferent, but there was an interested gleam on his eyes. "We caught another friend for us Riolu and it is going to be a great addition to the team! What do you think?" Ash gave Riolu an expectant look as he clipped his pokeball to the magnet that was next to the one that was holding Riolu's.
Riolu looked indignant at the thought of that thieving bird becoming a part of their team and Ash snorted in amusement. "Get over it," he said with a laugh. "I'll give you another one." Ash laughed when Riolu apparently forgot about his previous vehemence at pidgey being a part of the team. His eyes were even looking up at him happily as his tail was wiggling, probably even unconsciously. Ash laughed more.
Ash's laugh was cut short, however, when he heard the rumble of distant thunder and he looked up to see a few gray clouds in the sky. He looked towards the horizon and he spotted the dark clouds nearing towards his position. He hurried towards his backpack and strapped it on before he turned towards Riolu. "Let's head towards Viridian. I don't want to be caught up in the rain."
Riolu nodded in agreement before he followed his trainer and friend.
XxXxX
Ash and Riolu reached the Viridian Pokemon Center when the rain began to fall down upon them. Other than a feisty red haired girl wanting to battle, which he politely declined since he didn't want to get caught up in the rain (and it turned out to be a good idea since he just made it in time) and an Officer Jenny stopping him when he entered the city to inquire about Riolu, who he had returned to his pokeball, there wasn't anything remarkable on the last few moments of his trek to Viridian.
As he walked towards the counter, he spotted a few trainers that gave him some cursory looks before they dismissed him. Ash shrugged at that and approached the pretty pink haired woman, who he recognized as Nurse Joy. She smiled at him warmly. "Good afternoon young man. How may I help you?"
Ash nodded at her with a smile on his own, her cheerfulness sipping into him. "Good afternoon to you too Nurse Joy. I just need a room and for you to give my pokemon a check up," he requested politely as he unclipped the two pokeballs from his belt. He decided that for convenience sake it would be the best option to put the other ten pokeballs on his backpack.
Joy nodded cheerfully. "I will be more than glad." She put a trail containing six slots on it. "Just put your pokeballs in here and we are going to make sure your pokemon are at one hundred percent in no time at all." She then reached down beneath the counter and produced a key that he handed to him. "The rooms are on the second and third floor. Your room is two hundred and thirteen on the second floor. When your pokemon are ready we are going to call you over the intercom. Is there anything else you need?"
Ash took the keys from her hand and nodded at her. "Yeah. Where can I make a call?"
Nurse Joy helpfully pointed to a door nearby that was labeled 'Video call room'. Ash smiled sheepishly and nodded at her in thanks before he watched her go towards the back with his pokeballs. Ash then shifted his backpack and then moved towards the room he had been pointed at and slipped inside. He found several booths that had a chair with a screen that had a phone attached to them. He sat on the second booth as the first one was occupied by a blonde girl and promptly dialed his house.
There were only a few rings before the line was picked up and the beautiful face of his mother was presented to him through the screen. Her visage lit up and she smiled happily at the sight of him. "Ash! It's so good to see you even if it is through here. How are you honey?"
Ash smiled at her fond tone and answered her question. "I'm doing pretty good mom. I just reached Viridian, but don't worry, I managed to get inside the Pokemon Center before it started raining. How is it going over there?"
Delia got control over her excitement at seeing her son as she answered. "You know how is always here. I'm just taking care of the house and the restaurant with Mimey's help. I'm sure you've had a more exciting two days, right?" She asked him teasingly and with an interested glint in her eyes. "How is Riolu? Are you guys getting along well?"
Ash nodded his head happily. "Well the first day wasn't as exciting as the second one since we only trained the whole afternoon. Today we battled a lot through the morning and in the afternoon a caught a pidgey. Riolu and I are getting along more than great mom," he said with a grin. "He loves your sandwiches, by the way." He snickered a little. "Poor guy. What do you think will happen when he starts eating pokemon food?"
Delia laughed heartedly at that and she was joined by Ash. "I suppose when that happens he will be heartbroken. Make sure you come back here soon so I can make him more sandwiches," she said wistfully and Ash nodded. She soon got a stern expression on her face. "You aren't working him and yourself to hard, are you?"
Ash gulped and shook his head almost frantically. "Of course not! Whenever he is tired Riolu takes a good rest before he continues training and I don't force him to battle when he is pass his limit. I'm taking good care of him mom, I promise," assured Ash waving his hands around to emphasize his point.
Delia looked at him like that for a few seconds before she smiled and nodded. "Alright." There was a ping over the phone and Delia's eyes widened. "I would like to talk more Ashy but I'm working on a new recipe for the restaurant. Remember to stock on everything you need before you head into the Viridian Forest and keep both your pidgey and Riolu out at all times. I love you!"
Ash only had time to instinctively reply that he loved her too before the call was ended. He stared at the black screen for a few moments in bewilderment before he shrugged and dialed Professor Oak's number. It wasn't seven yet so the professor was still working so he should attend the call at the moment.
Just like Ash supposed Oak picked up at the fourth ring. The old man's eyes lit and a small stretched across his face at the sight of him. "Ash, my boy! How are you?" Oak asked as he put something aside that Ash couldn't quite see.
Ash ignored it as he smiled at his sponsor. "I'm pretty good Professor. Mom told me things were not exciting over there. Is that true?" He asked with amusement. His mother tended to exaggerate on some stuff so he wanted to confirm was she said.
Oak chuckled as he knew this and he nodded his head. "She indeed told you the true. Other than you, Gary, Leaf and Zack leaving for your journeys, the town has been quite dull. So…" Oak trailed off as he looked into Ash's eyes. "Did you catch any pokemon? Gary bet that you wouldn't," said Oak with some amusement on his tone.
Ash snorted at that but nodded his head in affirmative. "I caught a pidgey that is nearing evolution. I haven't talked with it or scanned it with the pokedex yet since I hurried to Viridian after I caught it because I noticed the storm. It and Riolu are healing at the moment but I will make sure to do it before I go to sleep."
Oak hummed and nodded his head as he cupped his chin. "You did well on catching a pidgey. While they are generic pokemon, well trained Pidgeots are very good and fierce battlers. Make sure to earn its respect as fast as you can since you said is nearing its evolution and it will be harder to do so if it is a pidgeotto." Ash nodded he head. He understood Professor Oak's point. "How's that Riolu of yours?"
Ash grinned. "His is very well. We haven't lost a single battle yet and we are already working on strengthening his current move set. When he masters them I'm going to help him with new techniques," said Ash, some cheekiness evident on his tone.
Oak frowned a little. "Don't let that fact go to your head, Ash. One grandson of mine is enough," said Oak with a tired sigh but his tone was full of fondness. "What techniques are you going to teach Riolu after his masters his current move set?"
Ash waved him off. "Don't worry about me becoming another Gary. Mom would kill me if that happened," said Ash with a nervous chuckle and Professor Oak laughed. "As for what moves I was thinking about teaching him… brick break and double kick." If Riolu could master those techniques to the point in which he could keep them on for indefinite periods of time then he would be set until he evolved, when he could learn steel type techniques.
Oak nodded. "Good choices. Make sure you don't work your team too hard but don't slack off either as those things are both detrimental to correct development. You have to balance training and relaxation to get the best results," advised Oak before he looked down at something on his desk. "It was good to talk to you Ash but I must return to my work. Don't forget to call every once and again, alright?"
Ash nodded and said goodbye before the call was ended. He stood up with a sigh and stretched his limbs, groaning when some bones on his back popped before he moved towards the door. His eyes widened in incredulity when the same girl from before was still on the phone. He tried his best to ignore that but he couldn't help but ask himself how much time had she been there talking to whoever she was talking to.
He shrugged his shoulders after he went out of the room and moved to go towards his room on the second floor but as he was passing the counter, he saw Nurse Joy coming out of the back with the trail containing his two pokeballs. She beamed as she saw him stop in front of it she handed him that two red catching devices. "Your Pidgey and Riolu are on perfect health. They only need a good night rest and they will be at a hundred percent," she chirped.
Ash nodded at her in thanks before his clipped his pokeballs and moved upstairs towards his room. He quickly found it and slipped inside. He noticed that it was significantly bigger than his own room back at his house in Pallet Town. It had a bed shoved into the corner, a chair and a desk and there was a metal pole with a perch for bird pokemon. Ash sighed in relief as his backpack slipped off his shoulders and fell on the bed dully.
Ash quickly released Riolu and the blue and black jackal shook his head before looking up at Ash. He barked and waved his blue arm in greeting and Ash rubbed his head, earning a pleased growl. "How are you feeling bud?" Riolu inspected himself and after a minute nodded at him with a bark. Ash took that as a sign that he was good. "Nice. Look. We are going to earn pidgey's respect now. Can you help with it?"
Riolu nodded his head and Ash stood up and his first friend positioned himself at his right, slightly in front of him in case the pidgey tried to do something funny. Ash took a deep breath to calm his nerves before he tapped the release bottom on Pidgey's pokeball and human and pokemon watched as the white energy condensed into Pidgey's form.
The tan bird chirped as it shook its head to get rid of the disorienting feeling that occurred after being in a pokeball for the first time. It ruffled its feathers before quickly spotting him and Riolu standing in front of it. The pidgey glared at them fiercely and puffed up its chest in defiance but made no move to attack. It seemed like the bird new that he was caught but there was still some fight left in it.
Ash made himself look taller to the pidgey by also sticking up his chest and leaning forward. The pidgey deflated a little when Riolu growled at it but there was still a fierce glare on its features. "Look Pidgey. I know that you don't like us that much right now but I'm sure we can work our differences. I have a proposition for you," said Ash.
Pidgey got an interested gleam on its eyes and chirped but the glare was still in place. Ash grinned. "I want you to be my and Riolu's partner. I promise that we can help you get strong enough to become a pidgeot and I can also provide a steady income of food. In exchange I just want you to be our friend and for you to listen to me. What do you say?"
Riolu growled a few things at the Pidgey when the glare refused to let go of the Pidgey's face but after Riolu ended talking to it with a sharp bite after the pidgey chirped in uncertainty it nodded its head in acceptance. Ash grinned and hesitated before he stepped forward and crouched in front of the pidgey. The tan bird flinched but let Ash stroke its crest. It's eyes widened and it chirped in pleasure before looking up at Ash with interested eyes.
"I promise to take care of you," whispered Ash and Pidgey chirped softly. Ash then reached towards his pocket and pulled out his pokedex, which he flipped open and pointed at pidgey, who looked at it warily. "Don't worry. I'm just going to scan you to see what techniques you know." Pidgey chirped again, understanding and let Ash do that. The pokedex beeped before the male mechanical voice was heard.
Pidgey: The Tiny Bird Pokemon. PIDGEY has an extremely sharp sense of direction. It is capable of unerringly returning home to its nest, however far it may be removed from its familiar surroundings. It rapidly flaps its wings in the grass, stirring up a dust cloud that drives insect prey out into the open. This pidgey is male and has the ability Keen Eye. He knows the moves: Quick attack, sand attack, gust, whirlwind and wing attack. Note: Pidgey has the egg move Brave Bird but has not been unlocked yet.
Ash whistled and Riolu looked on interested as Pidgey puffed op his chest in pride. Ash grinned and he tenderly stroked Pidgey's small crest, getting a pleasured chirp in response. "I know you were going to be a nice addition to the team." He then turned stood up and addressed both of his pokemon. "We can worry about training tomorrow. What do you guys say about a nice hot dinner?"
He got an affirmative chirp from Pidgey and Riolu nodded his head. He winced slightly when Pidgey flew and perched himself on his shoulder, his sharp claws clinging firmly onto his flesh but thankfully not penetrating his clothes and into his skin and drawing blood. It seemed like pidgey already had enough self control not to cause him harm.
Riolu still gave the bird a disapproving growl and pidgey chirped and apology but he waved them off as he went out of the room and closing it behind him. Menial thinks like that failed to bother him and he decided that having pidgey perched on his shoulder would lead to the both of them to establish a bond the much quicker and it seemed like Riolu understood that too.
XxXxX
The next day during the early hours of the morning, Ash stepped out of the supply shop, Riolu at his right flank, with his backpack feeling a few pounds heavier. He had purchased a few potions and paralysis heals for his pokemon that would last him a minimum of two weeks in the forest. The place was full of bugs and it was better to be safe than sorry. He had also filled with backpack with ration bars, water and food for his two friends that would last him the same amount of time if he was smart about them.
As he walked north towards the edge of the city Ash finally took his time to admire Viridian. The city was definitely big and while it didn't have the enormous buildings that were common in Celadon and Saffron it still possessed a characteristic modern feel to it. The people were friendly, even if they stopped in their tracks to gawk at Riolu who took the stares in stride. Ash liked the city enough to look forward to the time he would come back to challenge Giovanni.
He had already registered for the Gym Circuit of this season before he went to eat dinner the day before and he was looking forward to face the most brutal Gym Leader in all of Kanto, with only Sabrina and Lt. Surge matching him in brutality. He knew that he would have to step up his game since the gym leaders would use lesser pokemon until he got his third badge and then all the bets would be off but he was sure that he could pull it off before the time of the Conference, which will take place roughly a year from now. That was more than enough time to build up a powerful team.
Ash stopped when he found himself in the outskirts of the city and he could see the thick edge of Viridian Forest in the distance. He released Pidgey from his pokeball and he looked down at the expectant bird. "We are going into the forest. I want you to keep a sharp eye for people and bugs inside, alright?"
Pidgey chirped and nodded before he flapped his wings and with a small gust of wind he was flying overhead. He was sure that he at least he had the bird's respect but he wanted for them to be even closer than that. He wanted for him to have a deep bond with each one of the pokemon he caught and he was going to try his hardest to make that a reality.
He looked down at Riolu who staring straight ahead with eager but patient eyes. When he felt Ash's eyes on him he looked up and he nodded when Ash grinned at him and motioned with his head. Ash laughed and began to walk forward. He nodded his head. "Yeah. Let's go."
And this is the rewrite of Aura Master. As you can see this is very different and it was done for one sole reason: Ash's and his team's development. In the previous version they got too strong too fast and it was like things just happened like some Deus Ex Machina (Ignore the fact that I have a story called Deus Ex Naruto). I want to develop ash and his team in a proper way.
Since I wanted to do something different I decided to don't go with Pikachu and only gave Ash Riolu as a starter and I found the explanation for this to be good enough. And yes, Ash has Aura and Delia knows that he has the potential to use it but we are not going to see it for some time. It didn't show in this chapter but this world is darker and I'm going to make sure to portray it at the best of my abilities.
As for Ash's future team… you will have to wait and see. I decided to take a different approach and have him build up a team that will be well versed in both raw power and estrategical thinking. As I pointed out and showed, Ash is very intelligent (he has to be knowledgeable in order to be able to be allowed to go on his journey) and while he does like raw power, which was also showed, he will know that strategy and planning are also fundamental parts fora balanced and well built team.
Please point out anything that I should fix or praise me as you rightfully should do in the reviews as I need someone other than my mother to stroke up my ego further than what it already is.
Love y'all.
