The Journey of the Pokemon Master
Hello! This will be my first fan fiction, so I'm not entirely sure how this will work out. I hope that I'll be able to finish it but since it's a very long anime… don't expect too much. I'm making this entirely for my personal pleasure so I'll post when I want to and when I have the time for it.
This fan fiction will follow the anime; some episodes will be present and some will not. The events from the games won't really be featured in it.
Some important things you should know before you start reading:
Pokemon are not limited by the usage of only four moves
Pokemon are able to learn a bigger extent of moves (they're limited by their typing and their physique however)
The species of a Pokemon is always the same as the mother while the egg move is chosen from its father's collection of moves.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in association with Pokemon.
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Chapter 1
Ash Ketchum: 7 years old
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A small energetic boy with black hair and warm brown eyes ran happily over the path. His mom followed behind calmly, watching the boy fondly. His brown eyes, so much like his mothers, sparkled in fascination and delight as they darted around from Pokemon to Pokemon, his mind taking in all the different colors and shapes.
He filed away every Pokemon he came across, not able to hold his excitement in as they hopped or flew close by. His eyes widened when a blue Pokemon, a Shinx if he remembered correctly, ran out of the surrounding forest and fired off an electric attack towards a tree. A second later a dark green Pokemon fell down towards the ground.
"Who's that?" He asked his mom while pointing towards the little dark green Pokemon who had just fallen.
"It's a Burmy. It's the same Pokemon we saw yesterday, Ash, but instead of the yellow cloak, also known as the Sandy Cloak, this one changed it into his Plant Cloak, which they use anywhere that isn't in a building, cave or on a beach." Delia said.
"That's so awesome!" Ash said as he grinned. "How much longer until we reach Alamos Town mom?"
Delia quickened her pace until she walked next to Ash again. "We're almost there. You can actually see it already Ash, you just have to stop looking at the Pokemon for a second if you want to see it." Delia said teasingly.
Ash pouted but looked away from them and followed the pointed finger of his mother instead. He had to admit that his mother was right, he had totally forgotten to look around for anything but Pokemon, because now that he really looked Alamos Town was easy to spot; it was settled on a big plateau in a small lake. Most of the houses had golden brown roofs but the most striking construction was the big Twin tower, known as the Space- Time Tower.
They weren't far away from the town and he was quite happy about that fact too. He could use some food right now.
The only problem was how to get there.
Ash had quickly realized after scanning their surroundings that they were on the wrong shore. A large bridge hung over the water, connecting Alamos Town with the west shore.
His mother looked at the map in confusion. Her eyes slowly narrowed in dawning realization. "O dear, we took the wrong path in the forest, you know where we weren't sure if we had to go right or left. Now lets see…"
Delia grimaced as she followed an alternative route with her finger. It would take more time than they had to make the detour to the west shore. "We can easily backtrack and take the left path, but it will take far much longer than I would like it to take and I don't have any food or drinks anymore."
"Oh," Ash said, disappointed, "But mom, I'm hungry…" Ash said, not sounding as excited as he did before. He had his eyes on her, waiting for her decision.
Delia crouched down and stroked the black hair on his head, "I'm sorry love but-"
"Do you need some help?" Ash and Delia both jumped up in surprise as they heard the cry from above. They looked up and to their surprise they were met with the sight of an air balloon, which was already descending.
The air balloon landed safely and Ash and his mom walked up to the girl in the balloon. After getting over their slight shock Delia shook her hand.
"Hello! It's nice to meet you, I'm Alice and this is Chimchar. I could give you a lift." The girl, now known as Alice, said as the Chimchar jumped down from the basket onto the ground.
"We would really appreciate it if you would." Said Delia.
"We got lost." Ash said as if to check that Alice knew that fact. It was the only thing he said however, since he was already back to staring at the rare fire type Pokemon.
"Many travellers get confused easily in this large area while on their way to Alamos Town. Most of the maps aren't up to date either, so that's where I step in, helping people who are lost." Alice said.
"Well than, if you're ready, hop on!" Alice stated as she jumped into the basket, Chimchar following her.
Delia helped Ash into the basket before getting in herself. Alice gave the safety instructions while Chimchar heated up the air balloon. They lifted off the ground in no time.
"So what brings you here to Alamos Town, Miss Ketchum?" Alice asked curiously.
"We're on vacation here in Sinnoh. We'd planned to go back to Kanto earlier but than we heard of this place with the Space- Time Tower and Ash got rather excited by the whole concept so we made a detour."
Ash hummed in agreement while he leaned against the railing, trying to take everything in. He'd come to Sinnoh with an airplane but traveling with an air balloon was far more exciting since he could actually see the wildlife form up above.
"And, what did you want to do?" Alice asked.
Ash turned around unsteadily, and faced Alice. "Well mostly meeting all sorts of new Pokemon…" Ash said, looking at Chimchar with a big grin plastered across his face, "That's about it actually…" Ash concluded. Ok, so maybe he hadn't been entirely honest about why he had wanted to come to Alamos Town so badly. He wasn't really interested in the Space- Time Tower but something in this town felt important.
He didn't mind pending a bit more time in Sinnoh either of course.
"Really? So you're a fan of Pokemon?" Alice said while she smiled, almost every child she had ever met were like that, always wanting to see and meet new Pokemon and experiencing daring adventures with them. Ash nodded eagerly while Delia smiled knowingly. "Yes, yes he is definitely. He wouldn't mind being a trainer already."
"Yeah, but mom says that I'm not old enough and that I have to learn many things before I may go on my own journey." Ash said.
"Oh? So what do you need to know than?" Asked Alice curiously.
"Well, almost everything." Ash said, making a big gesture with his arms. "But it's really cool, because everything is about Pokemon. They tell me everything about how you need to take care of them, their different typing and their advantages and disadvantages, and how-" Ash continued while the grin on his face became even bigger and bigger as he mentioned the things he had already learned from his mom's books.
Alice kept on listening as she steered the air balloon. Ash was quite adorable really, and he gave off a good vibe that she hadn't felt since grandma had died.
"When I told him that he couldn't go on his journey without some basic skills and knowledge he complained immediately." Delia continued speaking as the different Flying Pokemon carried Ash away again in his daydreams. "So I switched from reading bedtime stories in for reading books with information about Pokemon before he went to sleep. He didn't actually mind the change, he was, and is, happy with anything that's linked to Pokemon."
Alice looked at Ash from another angle while Delia kept talking.
"So after a year, when he was finally able to read on his own he accidently stumbled upon a book 'The Evolution Cycles' and he began to read on his own. He found it really interesting but he didn't quite understand everything mentioned in the book so he began to read easier books about Pokemon or things revolving around them till he was full on studying every aspect he could get his hands on." Delia said as she opened one of the bags they had with them. She showed what was inside and Alice's eyes bulged at the amount of books.
She looked up at Ash again, her eyes full of surprise. Of course every kid wanted to be friends with Pokemon nowadays, but to already study them like this from such a young age was something that she had only stumbled upon once before. This coupled with the fact that she got a good and familiar vibe off him was something she had never experienced.
Alice thought about their gift, Oración, fondly and settled her gaze upon Ash again. Oración was a composition that you could only learn with certain traits in your character. This restriction made sure that the calming song couldn't be used as a weapon. His grandmother had uncovered its secrets years ago and had passed them onto her.
When Alice had asked why she hadn't taught her mother Oración however, grandma had told her that she wouldn't have been able to learn it, and when Alice had asked for an explanation Alicia, her grandmother, had told her: "You'll know who it is when you have to pass on our gift, no listen Alice, my dear, you'll meet him someday and when you do, you'll know, understood?"
That her grandmother had said him when they had been talking about this issue indicated that Alicia had known something.
Whatever it was, Alice knew whom she wanted and could teach Oración to. Oración was very important to her. It was one of her last real connections to her grandmother. She held the song close to her heart. The realization that she wanted to teach Ash this song surprised her; Alice had never thought that she would give such a powerful tool to someone who was practically a stranger and well, a child.
She hoped that what her grandmother had said about Oración's restriction was true, because she couldn't even think of the horrible consequences if Ash were to use it for other purposes than good. So Alice dearly hoped that, yes, Oración could only be learned by certain people.
With this in mind she snapped out of her musing and turned herself towards Ash completely. She searched her pocket and took out one of the leaves. Chimchar jumped on her shoulder instantly, making sure to keep an eye on the fire that heated the air balloon.
"So, if I may ask," Alice began as she bit her lip nervously. "How long will you be staying in Alamos Town and have you already thought about a sleeping place?"
"Well, if we like it here we'll stay a week and uhm I think a hotel will do." Delia said.
"Oh, you could rest at my house. I've got enough room for you two, if you would like of course." Alice said her eyes straying to Ash from time to time.
Delia's face lit up with a smile. "Well if you wouldn't mind it we do appreciate it. What amount of money do you need in return, if you want to charge us of course?"
"No I don't need money… I uhm. Maybe this is going to sound a bit weird, but in exchange I would like to teach Ash something." Alice said, laughing nervously. It seemed a bit weird didn't it?
Delia furrowed her brows slightly confused but a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "What would it be?" She asked after poking Ash to get his attention.
Ash who had been staring at a flock Starly and Staravia snapped his head towards Delia in question. She motioned towards Alice, making sure he was listening to what was being said instead of dozing off. He turned fully and looked at Alice expectantly.
"I would like to teach you something I've been doing for most part of my life, but to give you an impression I'll have to demonstrate it." Alice said, trying to come over as confident.
"Sure!" Ash said, a grin on his face as he looked at her expectantly.
She smiled in relief before bringing the leaf up to her mouth, settling it gently against her mouth. She closed her eyes and breathed in one time to calm herself.
She released her breath gently and the first note of Oración spilled from under the small gap between her lips and leaf. It was a soft and gentle tone but the Pokemon flying in the air around the balloon heard it. The volume grew bit by bit, turning stronger and louder, but still having the calming effect of before. Chimchar and the other wild Pokémon relaxed and every sound they had been making before Oración had stopped instantly, letting Oración flow through the air without resistance.
Ash, who had been looking at the leaf full of curiosity, felt something bubbling up in him. It was something hidden so deep that he would have never known about it, but weirdly enough it felt as familiar as the feeling of his own touch. Whatever it was, it seemed to want to open up for the first time in his life, reaching out to places never felt. It was as if it seeped through every pore in his body, to every strand in his being and going even further, passing his skin. It claimed him in a way like nothing had ever claimed him before. He couldn't think clearly, as if a blanket fell over his mind, while his body felt out of control. Weirdly enough he was completely at peace with it. His body and mind came to a stop, only focused on the melody.
It seemed to soften again, and regrettably, after what seemed like a lifetime, his mind and body righted itself again as the song came to an end. For a minute he was still, then, after a second he shook his head, still a bit dazed. His wide eyes met Alice her eyes.
A few seconds passed by.
"Teach me."
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They descended slowly towards the ground. Ash looked around, eagerly anticipating the next few days.
He jumped out of the basket as soon as they hit the ground. His mother, whose eyes had been searching through the crowd, perked up as she saw a supermarket.
"I'm going to buy some food for lunch. You stay with Alice for now okay dear?" She said, looking pointedly at Ash.
Ash nodded, trying to look innocent. He was known for running off into the crowd or wild at spontaneous moments. He couldn't help it really; everything was always so new and exciting outside of Pallet Town that he just had to explore.
Delia nodded with satisfaction as Ash sat down beside Alice quietly. She walked towards the supermarket, disappearing in the crowd.
"Soooo…" Ash said as he turned towards Alice. "Why did you decide to teach me Oración?" Ash asked, curiosity flooding his mind.
Alice looked at Ash for a second before answering. "I'm not sure, you just seemed to… fit it." Alice her brow was furrowed. "My grandmother, Alicia, taught me Oración. She once said that I would know when to pass on our skill. I didn't believe it then of course, but today when I met you, I just knew." She continued while she looked him over.
"Does that sound weird?" Alice said laughingly.
"Sometimes you just know." Ash said smiling as he fidgeted with his shoe.
It was strange really.
How his mind and body had shut down was something he had never experienced. The weirdest part however was that throughout the ordeal he hadn't felt surprised or scared at all. Not having any kind of control over his body felt only uncomfortable as he thought about it now, but back than he had felt completely at ease with the sensation.
When Alice had offered to teach him, a complete stranger, Oración he had been curious already. Now that Alice had confessed that she didn't quite know why however, it only made the whole situation stranger.
"I suppose you're right." Alice said, giving him a winning smile. "I'm sure that this will be the start of something beautiful."
Whatever this was, Ash couldn't wait to start.
His mom chose that moment to step out of the crowd, a bag full of food clasped in her hand. She walked up to them. "Shall we eat then? I'm sure you're famished. I know Ash is." She said, winking at Ash cheekily.
Ash jumped up immediately, eager to look around as they searched for a nice spot to eat. They found it quite easily; it was an unoccupied clearing with a pick nick table in the middle. The three of them readied everything quickly and efficiently.
Delia took out a Pokeball and opened it as they sat down.
A shape began to form and as the light dimmed, Machoke, a humanoid grey Pokemon, appeared.
Delia beckoned them over and introduced them, "This is my Pokemon, Machoke. Machoke meet Alice. She helped us get to Alamos Town." She greeted Alice with a grunt, as she sat down on the ground, eating her own Pokemon food.
When they were done eating they walked through the town garden peacefully, Ash laughing when Pokemon came out to play with him.
They seemed just as enthusiast as Ash felt when he came in contact with them, which made Ash grin the whole time. They spent hours playing hide and seek, Ash always the one who had to find them. Delia and Alice couldn't smile wider at the playfulness of them as they tackled each other to the ground when not busy with hiding.
And so Ash spent an hour playing around, enjoying life.
So it wasn't really surprising when Delia looked around and was unable to find Ash. He had gotten separated from them again because he was off, playing harmless but distracting games.
Delia, while being worried, sighed deeply. This had happened so many times she had lost count.
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Ash looked at the darker patch of shadow under the tree curiously. He crouched down, trying to get a better look of what it was exactly.
"You don't have to be scared you know." Ash said when the shadow began to take form.
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A few hours later
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"Mom, I'm back!"
Delia's head shot up as she heard Ash's voice. She stood up immediately, racing towards him and enveloping Ash in a tight hug.
"I'm okay." Ash said with a grin as he hugged back.
After a short while Delia withdrew. She immediately gave him a flick over his head, a thundercloud above her head. "Where were you? You've been gone for hours!" She scolded.
Ash avoided eye contact guiltily when he told her about how he had been busy trying to find Marill when he had totally lost his way and hadn't been able to find his way back.
"So how did you find us again?" Alice asked curiously after Ash had been scolded.
Ash looked at the both of them for a second before his head turned to the trees where he had come through. "Someone helped me find you guys, he knows the area like his back pocket -even if he doesn't have one- and accompanied me back to you guys." Ash said, a soft smile on his face. "He was really nice."
"You were lucky that someone found you. Why didn't he come with you though? It would be nice to thank him for bringing you back." Delia said, a frown on her face.
"He's just shy." Ash said with a fond smile.
"Well just keep an eye on your surroundings the next time ok? You had us worried." Delia said as she took Ash his hand, not planning to let it go until they had reached Alice's house.
Just as they were leaving the clearing Ash's head turned back.
He searched for the lonely bright blue eye in the darkness between the trees and when he found it he smiled.
"Thanks." He whispered.
He grinned when a wave of a presence flowed over him in response.
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The following morning Ash and Alice were up early, planning to begin learning Oración in the early hours so Ash and Delia could do other stuff around the afternoon.
They made their way to the park as the sun began to set.
When they found a quiet spot Alice ordered Ash to sit down quietly and wait. Next she walked up to a tree and searched with her eyes through the leaves. Not moments later she stretched herself out and plucked a leaf that was protected by the outer layer of leafs.
She closed her eyes and spun in a circle while blowing the first few notes of Oración on the leaf. She stopped after a second and focused her gaze on Ash again.
"Oración, as you can see and hear, can make a very big impact on every living being in range of hearing it. I'll be teaching you first how to whistle on a leaf and then we'll progress to playing Oración."
"Before we start however, I'm giving you a few cautionary warnings. Oración can wreak havoc when it's used in the wrong way; I want to press the importance that you hold the gift very close to yourself. For now no one but you may learn it. Also, try to use it as less as possible in the presence of other people that you don't trust, Oración can be recorded and still be used in a lot of awful ways without you wanting it to happen after all…" Alice said, a grimace present on her face.
"Ok, let's get started."
Lecture mode turned on as she stood before Ash. "The first step to success is a good leaf. You can use any sort of leaf, the only thing you have to keep in mind is that it should be flexible enough to not crumble when you use it." After we've found you a leaf I'll teach you how to blow in the right way to get an actual whistle from the leaf. That will be, by far, the hardest part, but when you've got that down, teaching you the notes will be easy. And after I'm done with you, you'll be flawless." Alice said, an easy smile on her lips.
"Well get on, go search for a leaf." Alice continued as Ash stayed put.
Ash nodded eagerly as he jumped up. He ran to a random tree and reached for a leaf after a second, plucking it.
"Whistling on a leaf is just like playing a clarinet and saxophone. When you blow into the leaf, it'll vibrate in different pitches. With enough practise it'll become second nature in no time and you won't need any instructions anymore."
"For now however I'll help you along. To get a sound from the leaf you'll want to create an air chamber with your hands so the vibrations can resonate. To get a sound out of the whistle you'll need to place the leaf between the inner thumbs of both hands. Cup your hands like this-" Alice said as she showed how to do it and readjusted Ash's grip slightly. "-to create an air chamber and stretch the leaf as tight as possible. Then you blow in the middle of the leaf to make it vibrate- and voila!" Alice said.
Ash blew against the leaf.
Nothing happened.
"I don't think I've got it right." Ash said grumbling.
"Oh no, you do. You just have to practise. It's quite a delicate process to accomplish, but when you've done it a few times successfully it'll become easier." Alice encouraged.
And so Ash started again, going through the hand movements, before blowing into the leaf. An hour passed this way and the only thing he had been able to produce was a soft hissing-like sound.
His lungs began to cramp and he felt a bit light headed from blowing in the leaf constantly.
"How about we take a break and get back to it after that?" Alice asked, seeing him struggling.
Ash agreed wholeheartedly.
They went back to Alice her house, eating breakfast with Delia and enjoying the warming sun. The three of them went to the market, where they bought several groceries and items. Ash was persistent in buying honey, which Delia did after enough whining.
After that they went to the city park again, but instead of practising leaf whistling Ash had fun with the other Pokemon. And surprise, surprise, not even an hour passed before Ash disappeared into the trees.
When he returned, an hour later, the container that had held the honey was empty.
They restarted the lesson after Ash had gotten a far too known scolding from his mother.
Two days passed in the same manner. Learning Oración, having fun and disappearing into the wilderness again and again.
The lessons paid off however, because at the end of the second day Ash was able to produce a steady whistle. His lungs had become familiar with all the strain and he was able to keep the tune on for almost a minute.
"Nicely done Ash! You've got it down, just like I said. The next phase is teaching you the notes of Oración." Alice said as she ruffled Ash's hair fondly, a big smile on her face. "We'll start tomorrow. You deserve a nice rest for today." She added.
"Thanks!" Ash said while a grin was plastered on his face.
Delia chuckled as he zoomed off into the trees. It was getting a bit to familiar.
"I swear, he's deliberately getting 'lost'." She said, as Ash's body disappeared.
Alice looked towards the spot where Ash had disappeared. "I think he found a friend." She concluded with an easy smile.
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"I brought you chocolate!" Ash shouted as he ran into the shadow covered clearing.
The trees had grown just so that all the branches made a ceiling above the clearing, covering the clearing in shadows.
One tree in particular seemed to have a darker shadow however.
It seemed to move for a bit before it began to shift into a tangible presence.
A bright blue eye glowed as a hesitant smile appeared on its face.
"I'm sure you'll love it." Ash declared as he sat down next to it, breaking off a few pieces meanwhile.
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Ash groaned as he rubbed his raw lips pitifully. After four days of having a leaf against it and making unnatural movements with them, his lips had become irritated. He had to grease them up every evening now to not have it escalate further.
Today he would be done luckily.
He had memorized and practised Oración as well as possible for the last two days and his week in Alamos would come to an end soon.
Alice had declared him ready for the real deal.
After five days of constant lessons and sore lips he would be done.
There were many Pokemon gathered around the clearing, all facing Ash. Alice had asked them to come, so that she would be able to see the effect of his Oración.
To help him Alice played Oración one last time so he could have a last mnemonic. Ash tried to control his… whatever it was, as she played the song but sadly it didn't corporate.
It wasn't comforting to know that a song had such control over him, but what really was disconcerting was to not now the effects the song would have on his body when he played it himself.
"So how about it. You want to try?" Alice asked, handing over her leaf.
Ash nodded, his hands shaking lightly as he accepted the leaf nervously. Before he set the leaf against his mouth he breathed in deeply, trying to calm down.
Alice gave the awaited signal and Ash began, blowing against the stretched leaf.
A soft, calming tune resonated from Ash, it's affects more extreme than Alice's had ever been.
As the Pokemon around him fell into a peaceful trance, his body responded too.
His body and mind were relaxed, but not so out of proportion that he couldn't control them. The feeling of absolute freedom was very overwhelming. All the stress he had ever known were loosened and eliminated. His positive emotions were all over the place while all the negatives had disappeared. Every stimulus was converted to something entirely else. It seemed as if his body was cleaning and shaping his very being in something more peaceful.
And before he actually was aware of it, Oración had ended.
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After a long holiday Delia and Ash would finally be going back to Kanto. While Ash was excited to go home again, he didn't quite want to leave Alamos Town.
At home he would be able to assist Professor Oak again with chores at the Oak Corral, but Alamos Town had become something of a second home to him, with Alice, who always seemed to be able to amuse him, and with his shy friend in the woods.
He had promised himself that when he returned he would dedicate more of his time to studying the Pokemon outside of Kanto and preparing himself for his journey. Professor Oak had agreed to test him to make sure he was prepared.
Ash snapped back from his thoughts as he felt himself being hugged by Alice. "It's been fun the last few days, hasn't it? Don't lose that spark you've got Ash. You keep yourself safe and somewhat out of trouble and I know you'll end up in the right place. Don't waste the talent I've seen when you handled Pokemon. And be careful in the ranch." said Alice fondly.
Ash smiled as he hugged her back tightly.
"Thanks Alice, for everything."
She loosened her hold on him and hugged Delia next. "Keep in touch with me, will you. It will be awfully quiet without you to talk with. Ring me when you're home. Just so I know you got home safe and sound."
"Of course I will. You're welcome at any time." Delia said as she stepped back.
"Well then, it's time to go." Delia said a smile on her face.
Alice waved at them as they began their journey home. Ash's head shot up abruptly when he felt a familiar presence at the edge of the trees. He looked at the spot and smiled widely when he saw a shadow darker than the ones of the trees.
Ash waved unnoticeably at him and as he turned away he saw a bright blue eye shine from the darkness.
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"Ash, breakfast is ready!" Delia shouted from the kitchen.
Ash looked up before he made a dog-ear on the page he had been reading. He placed the book on his desk before making his way downstairs.
The smell of his mother's pancakes was recognisable when he got to the kitchen. He inhaled the scent greedily as he sat down. A murmured thanks popped out of him as he ate them eagerly.
Ash hummed, his thoughts straying to another topic. Today he would return to work with Professor Oak again. He was excited but also slightly nervous. Before the vacation he had helped Professor Oak out at times, but that had been different. Most of the time he had helped inside the lab and when he did go into the ranch he wasn't allowed to go out without an adult at his side. But this vacation had been to prepare him for some new practical Pokemon experiences. If he passed the test he would be allowed to go in the ranch without adult supervision.
Now that he had Oración at his disposal however, he did feel more confident. At least he would have a method to calm raging Pokemon down. That gave a lot more reassurance than having an adult at his side.
He finished breakfast and put his plate away before making his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth.
"Ash!" Delia shouted. "You've got another visitor."
Ash made a sound that vaguely resembled 'I'm coming'. He finished quickly before going back to the kitchen.
A Butterfree sat on the ledge of the window.
"Freeeee."
"Well hello!" Ash said enthusiastically.
The Butterfree flew towards him, settling on his shoulder. He gave it a slight pet before opening a cabinet, taking out the self made Pokemon food out and placing some of it in a bowl.
"It's so distracting, even when I see it everyday." Delia began, looking at Ash.
"What is?" Ash asked curiously.
"This. I just don't get how you do it. All Pokemon so far have been immensely at ease in you presence. You treat them and give food when they want, but how they trust you in the first place to come to you is astonishing really. It's something I'll never get used to, I think."
Ash blushed from the praise. "It's always been this way, now that I think about it. It's second nature for me I guess. It's easy to accept them in our home, because I've never seen them as strangers, weirdly enough. I don't even think about it really."
"I can see that." Delia teased when another Butterfree flew into their kitchen. "Like I said, it's just really astonishing when I think about it. I know you've been helping Pokemon before you could even read, but sometimes I see you interact with one of the Spearow and I just get reminded of what a special kind of kid I've been gifted with. The fact that there has never been a Pokemon in this area that has seen you as a threat or has been scared of you is unbelievable."
Ash blushed even harder, his whole face, ears and chest lighting up red.
He did know that the Pokemon had never troubled him before. In comparison to most children and adults he had been lucky. It wasn't strange to hear someone say that Beedrill or Spearow had chased him or her out of the forest. In fact, you heard it come up daily in most conversations.
Ash had always felt at ease around Pokemon. They were easy to read, it was easy to know what a Pokemon wanted or needed, and Ash had always acted accordingly. Maybe most people didn't get that feeling when they were around Pokemon, but it had always been present with him.
"Let's just say you're a natural." Delia winked, shaking Ash from his pondering.
Ash shoved his plate in the dishwasher before straightening and kissing his mom. "I'm going to Professor Oak again!" He shouted as he raced out of the door.
\***/
Ash made his way to the front door of Oak's lab and knocked. The door opened after a few seconds of waiting and a friendly greying man, wearing a lab coat, appeared in the doorway. Professor Oak didn't look particularly old, but you could say he wasn't a youngster either anymore. Still, his personality and body build wasn't bad for the years he had lived.
"Come in Ash!" Samuel Oak said enthusiastically, ushering Ash inside. "It so great to see you here again! It was becoming awfully quiet around here. How was your vacation, Ash my boy? I hope you learned a lot about different Pokemon that can't be found in Kanto." Professor Oak asked, his voice ringing through the lab.
"It was so great! We've been to so many cities and towns. I've seen a lot of new Pokemon I had no idea existed before the vacation. I've learned a lot about them from mom." Ash said, just as enthusiastic as Professor Oak.
"Great, great! I hope you've missed me and the lab though?"
"Of course, I missed you and the lab." Ash said, a fond smile on his face.
"Well let's get started then, shall we? Here is the test Ash, there will be a small theoretical part but mostly it'll be practical. You'll have to score 90% to pass. If you pass the test, you'll be able to go into the ranch without an adult at your side. My Tauros'll accompany you though. You never know when you'll need the back up power."
Ash nodded eagerly as he took the test and sat down. His eyes rolled over the paper and he caught sight of the questions; 'What is the most important thing you need to look out for when you do field work?' 'What will you do if there is a rampaging Pokemon loose between the Pokemon?'
Ash set his pencil on the test and began to scribble away.
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Ash had been working in the ranch for a month now. He has passed his test with 97% and Professor Oak was very happy to see Ash accomplish his tasks efficiently, meanwhile befriending the Pokemon.
Ash and Professor Oak didn't really have a steady schedule; every day there was something else to do. Ash did have to wake up at an early hour every morning, except for Saturday and Sunday, which was a challenge in itself. Then around seven he would shoot off to Oak Corral. Once there he fed one half of the Pokemon present, while Professor Oak did the other half. After they were done with that Professor Oak gave Ash little tasks. One time he had to clean up the dung of a hoard of Nidoking and Nidoqueen, which wasn't pleasant at all, while the other time he had to check up if all the Pokemon were present. It wasn't strange to see him help in the lab however, helping out with sorting the Professor's massive pile of daily paperwork. The jobs were of course the most fun when it would bring Ash in contact with the actual Pokemon, and luckily that happened often enough.
Most of the time, when Ash had no tasks to fulfil, he would be found between the Pokemon. It was easy for him to befriend the powerful beasts and cute fluff balls.
All in all, the life of Ash, sans the dung, was quite perfect.
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Ash Ketchum: 9 years old
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After working at Oak Corral for more than two and a half year Ash his appearance had changed. The time he spent as apprentice of Professor Oak had made him far healthier than he had ever been.
Now that he woke up a bit earlier than normal and slept far earlier because of the exhaustion that came with the job he had a regular sleep pattern. He had been eating more than he did because he wouldn't even reach the end of the day without enough energy. His endurance was much better now than it was before too, even his strength had improved with leaps and bounds.
He was getting taller too, still not as tall as Gary unfortunately, but he wasn't the scrawny kid he was before the vacation two and a half years ago. And because of the running around the ranch, lifting heavy objects, repairing things and even playing with numerous Pokemon of all sizes it made him fill out. Between working with Professor Oak, sleeping and helping out Pokemon who visited his house, he hadn't had much free time. But it didn't bother him. He was constantly in contact with Pokemon, which was all he wanted really.
His skin looked a lot healthier too; his pale skin had in the course of the years gotten a permanent tan because of the hours of working in the sun.
Ash had to admit that he liked his new appearance.
Today was one of the more special days. Over the last month Professor Oak had been negotiating with all sorts of professors for an egg trade. Professor Oak had been searching for a specific egg in trade for a Vulpix and he had finally found a match with someone from the Unova region. He hadn't told Ash what Pokemon egg he wanted, but he had stated that it was necessary for one of his researches.
Today was the day that the Professor would get the egg finally.
Ash was a bit uncomfortable with the whole situation. He hadn't been informed about what the new project actually contained. Professor Oak had told Ash about almost everything he examined over the two and a half year they had been working together. Ash had been out of the loop with this whole research however. The only piece of information he held was that Professor Oak required an egg and that was it really.
A loud knock on the front door snapped him out of his thoughts. The professor, who had been sitting at his desk, shot out of his seat and raced to the door enthusiastically.
Ash frowned in curiosity and stood up, following Professor Oak down the hall. When he arrived at the front door Professor Oak had already closed the door and was almost jumping on his feet with excitement while clutching a package.
"Come on, come on, and follow me Ash my boy!" He said joyfully as he sped back into the lab, meanwhile staring at the box.
When Ash met Professor Oak again in his lab, he had already started to unpack the package. Ash stood next to him as the Professor threw all the Styrofoam out of the box and onto the floor.
At last he took out the egg. His eyes were twinkling even more than usual, which happened often when he found something decisive or started a new exciting project. Ash was sure however that his eyes had never been so full of pure joy.
Ash focused his gaze on the egg next and raised an eyebrow as he saw how small it was. All the eggs Ash had seen until now had been a lot bigger than this one. The egg was mainly blue, but it was covered by a few black markings here and there.
"Professor, why is the egg so small?" Ash questioned, as he looked up at him.
Professor Oak smiled and stroked the egg. "So you noticed." He stated while throwing a brief glance towards Ash.
"Well Ash, when you were born, you were a lot smaller than, let's say, two months after your birth, were you not? Pokemon are the same as us in that aspect, even when they haven't hatched yet. The eggs that trainers receive from a competition or a breeder are always more than five months old, that's why they're a lot bigger than this egg, since this one isn't even a month old yet." Explained Professor Oak in his unmistakable lecture voice.
Professor Oak shifted towards Ash, holding the egg towards him. "Now, take it."
Before Ash could fully react Professor Oak placed the egg in his hands. Ash stumbled, not having expected the weight, and clutched the egg against his chest.
Professor Oak looked at Ash expectantly.
Ash gave him a confused glance. "Uhm, Professor-" Ash's question was cut off however as a spike of energy came from the egg, surging into him. He took a sharp intake of breath as his knees buckled under him. Without noticing he dropped to the floor, subconsciously curling around the egg, ultimately protecting it from the fall.
Ash gasped for breath when he felt something, almost like a foreign presence, heating his body. The heat rose, making him squirm around the egg, not being able to lie still as the presence surged through his body. Ash gasped again as the warmth reached its peak.
After what felt like hours, but had been a few second in reality, the presence halted itself. His body recovered slowly, returning back to normal as the presence flowed out of him gently, taking the heat with it.
Ash breathed in and out deeply, trying to control his beating heart and his squirming body. Just when he began to feel in control again, a tingle went through him, originating from the egg. Ash sucked in a panicked breath, not wanting to repeat the former experience.
This time however the presence flowed into him without anything changing, neither rising heat nor an uncomfortable feeling surged through his body. The first time had felt more like an invasion, but now his body and mind seemed to want to relax and welcome the presence inside him. Vaguely Ash knew he should feel violated by the whole experience, but strangely it felt natural to him, even if it had been totally unsuspected seconds ago. So with a towering trust for something he didn't even know, he gave in, relaxing his body and mind. The presence, which had felt vaguely there before, had an overpowering feel to it now. It wasn't an uncomfortable feeling exactly, just different. While before the only thing he had felt was a vague presence not knowing what it had really intended, now it had taken shape. It felt almost like a palpable presence, but not really. It gave away its mood and impressions easily, hiding nothing from Ash. Several emotions such as happiness and acceptance were displayed sharply from the presence, while others were more vague, displayed on the background.
Minutes flew by before Ash reacted to the outer world again, snapping out of the trance he had been under. The presence was still present but if he didn't focus on it, it wasn't as distracting as it had been before. He uncurled himself, the egg visible again. He still clutched it against him as he took note of Professor Oak kneeling in front of him.
It took a second to get something out of his mouth.
"Hey Professor." Ash said sheepishly, his voice croaking.
"You alright Ash?" Professor Oak asked, his face lined with worry.
"I think so yeah." Ash said, still a bit out of it as he stroked the egg without noticing.
"Good, good, I was worried, you seemed almost comatose. Let's get that away from you."
A foreign emotion washed over Ash and before Ash could get himself under control he had already backed away from Professor Oak, his body hugging the egg protectively.
"No." He stated.
Professor Oak's eyes widened and he backed up slowly, his hands up in surrender.
Ash his eyebrows furrowed as he looked down in confusion at the egg. He tried to say something to the Professor as apology but nothing except a stutter came out. He frowned before he slowly pried the egg away from his chest, holding it in his stretched arms. He looked at it while another foreign emotion swelled in him. He walked towards Professor Oak and offered the egg. Something in him protested at the action as Professor Oak took it back, but he willed himself to not think about it, as the Professor looked it over. Even with the egg not in his grasp, he could still feel the presence of it on the edge of his mind.
"What's going on with me?" Ash asked eventually, feeling small.
"Well, what did you feel?"
"I- I'm not sure. It has a kind of presence to it. As in, it gave off signals and emotions and at one moment I couldn't quite discern where I ended and where the presence began. I- it was really overwhelming, but it didn't feel uncomfortable. If that makes sense to you…" Ash said, his voice shaking slightly.
Ash looked at Professor Oak again and he couldn't quite believe his eyes. Just a minute before, when he had protected the egg without reason the Professor had looked extremely wary and careful. Now however he seemed extremely happy and satisfied, but with what, Ash would never be able to guess.
"Hmm, well I was right then," mumbled Professor Oak excitedly. Professor Oak handed the egg back to Ash again and said, "From now on I want you to take care of the egg until you go on your journey. Take it everywhere you go; to the lab, the ranch even your mother's house. The duty of caring for the egg has just fallen upon your shoulders young man, and I'm expecting the best care from you."
Shock coursed through Ash, not quite realizing the full situation yet.
It was not like he didn't want to take care of the egg. No he would love to really. He had never had any experience with this however. He had lapped up hundreds of owned and wild Pokemon, he had repaired whole habitats in one day over and over again, but he had never in his whole life taken care of an egg. He had studied it certainly, but he had no practical experience with raising an egg. Adding up the fact that it wasn't even a month old, it would be even harder.
It wasn't something that someone would expect from an almost ten-year-old boy for Mew's sake! But then again this was the opportunity to actually learn it, wasn't it? It was better that he could pick up some experience now so he wouldn't actually be taken by surprise when he had to take care of an egg on his journey.
Professor Oak had likely picked up on his oncoming panic, because before he could get a full panic attack going, his mentor had already laid a hand on his shoulder, gripping it soothingly. Ash looked up in the eyes of Professor Oak and took a shaky breath. He stepped away from Samuel while keeping a lid on his turbulent emotions. Slowly he started to calm down. "O-ok. Sorry I just kind of lost it. I think that today is a bit too much for me with all this excitement, but I'm willing to do it if you would check the egg every few days to make sure that its healthy."
"But of course Ash. Just because I appointed you as caretaker doesn't mean you won't receive help."
Ash nodded, feeling quite normal again.
For the rest of the day they discussed about several things, including how to efficiently take care of the egg, the Pokemon the trainers would get when they started their journeys, and even about Gary Oak, the grandson of Professor Oak.
When Ash got home, he ran upstairs quickly. He changed into his pyjamas and snuggled into bed after placing the egg carefully on his nightstand. Before falling asleep he pictured himself on his first day of his official journey, his new companion at his side.
That night he fell asleep with a smile on his face.
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Well I hope you liked the first chapter of this planned fanfiction. For now I haven't decided if I want any kind of romance in it or not, because I want my story to be focused on the relationship between Ash and his Pokemon and the journey they have.
Next chapter: The beginning of Ash's journey
POKEMON ACQUIRED:
On hand: Mystery Egg