Disclaimer- I own nothing.
This story doesn't contain many warnings. Some gore here and there. Maximum Rating is T.
Overall summary- A (nearly) ten-year-old boy, named Ash Ketchum, thought it was supposed to be a normal day. To his shock and horror, a criminal gang named (You guessed it!) Team Rocket attack his hometown, having disastrous consequences. After a devastating loss, Ash fights an uphill battle to decimate Team Rocket. He chooses the path of a Pokémon Trainer, getting embroiled in the quote- 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions.' Meeting new allies and enemies, can Ash avenge himself and everybody who has suffered?
And, behold the first chapter of Indigo League - Ash Ketchum.
Ash Ketchum returned to his house from a nearby shop just out of town, after buying some things for his mother. His mother Delia Ketchum always complained Pallet was perfect at everything other than storing general items.
As he was 9 years and one day from becoming ten and an official Pokémon trainer (His mother hadn't been happy about his choice, considering the fact that dangerous criminals and wild Pokémon roamed the world), so his mother and Samuel Oak (The Epic Pokémon Professor of Kanto) had told him about Team Rocket, a criminal gang which stole Pokémon and murdered people for some mysterious goal. A few days before, Pewter City had been burned to the ground. The Gym Leader, Brock had survived narrowly. If he had died, well, who knows? What worried his mother and Oak was that Pewter was a city well-known for its strong security. The possibility of other areas being attacked was strong.
As Ash neared Pallet, he quickened his steps, feeling quite scared of that short memory recollection. He looked at the deep, dark route, and shuddered.
He arrived soon and greeted his mother with a hug.
"Mum, I got the radishes…. What's with all the commotion and why are you looking at me like that?" Ash asked, puzzled.
"Ashy, (Ash scowled at the nickname) Professor Oak saw some criminals marching towards us… we've alerted the police and they are coming here. I was going to search for you if you didn't come back soon," Delia Ketchum said, quietly.
Ash looked around and saw that people were releasing Pokémon near the Pallet Border. Some people with guns were climbing up houses to aim.
He suddenly felt scared and unsure of what to do.
Fortunately, his mother helped out.
"Ash, take a backpack and throw essentials in it. I'm going to pack some food in our bags."
They ran for their house, leaving Mr. Mime near the border, trusting his capabilities to fight.
"Ash, you don't need five shirts. Throw in three or something, we won't be able to carry this!"
"Fine, where are the water bottles?!"
"Damn," Ash was shocked as he saw his mother run off, she never swore.
Finally, after an exhausting period of time, they had two backpacks with essentials. So far, Ash hadn't taken this too seriously, but after hearing gunshots outside, he started panicking.
"God, mum! They're shooting!"
"I know! Stay here, I'll check on the Professor and Mr. Mime."
Ash couldn't help himself. He peeked outside, wanting to know what was happening. He would later wish he hadn't. It was just pure carnage. Smoke littered the air. People in black uniforms were quickly and efficiently moving with blades, ready to strike anybody. He saw still bodies on the ground and hoped they weren't dead. He took the bags and ran to Prof. Oak's lab, using his small size to weave through.
He evaded grunts and charged into the lab, to be greeted with a shocking sight. His mother was handling a crowbar, to beat back criminals. The legendary Arcanine of Oak was standing strong to blast its foes to the ground. Oak himself was in a fist fight with a tall, dark man. Ash quickly grabbed a nearby knife for defense and saw that Oak was in danger. He ran up and stabbed the grunt in the leg. Blood soon seeped into the floors, staining it. Oak quickly knocked the opponent out, proving that age hadn't harmed him.
"Ash, I told you to stay home!" His mother said grunting as she heaved the crowbar for another strike.
"Professor was in danger!" Ash protested, shocked by his actions himself.
Oak breathed heavily, before handing him a Pokéball.
"That's Bulbasaur. He'll obey and protect you." Oak said, before freezing and collapsing to the ground.
Ash screamed as he saw a knife sticking out of the Professor's collarbone. A Team Rocket member had chucked a knife at his mother, which she ducked to avoid. It flew past to lodge itself in Oak's collarbone. Ash did a basic check-up, as he taught to do in school. He checked the pulse and breath, but Oak wasn't responding. He felt shocked tears slip from his cheek, and he lowered his hat. His mother left the defense to Arcanine and knelt beside Ash.
"It's my fault, I ducked out of the way…," His mother said, crying.
"No mum, it isn't," Ash said, even though he himself was crying.
They had no time to grieve as the backup Police Force finally arrived, providing relief.
X-X
Ash fell to the ground, feeling his heart break into a thousand pieces. His mother, the one who wielded a crowbar like it was a spoon, the one who knocked out hordes of criminals, had been brutally stabbed in the stomach.
"NO! MUM!" Ash screamed, requesting help. A Police Officer came and tried to cauterize the wound to stop the blood loss, but it wasn't enough. She looked at him, recognizing the near end, and gasped out words.
"Ash…. *cough, cough*, don't give up. *cough*, Find *cough*, Giovanni. *cough*, ask why? I love you, never forget *cough*, that." Ash's broken heart crumbled further, as his mother breathed her last.
X-X
It still hadn't sunken in. The sun had started to set, trying to cover the carnage on the ground. Most of the Pallet people were… dead. Oak's Arcanine sadly nuzzled his leg, after losing a friendship of 60 years with his owner. He had a Pokéball in his pocket, some empty ones in his pack, a mug of hot chocolate in his hand, and emptiness in his heart. Police Officers were going around, scouring the nearby areas for any stragglers.
The Rockets had nearly overpowered Pallet when the backup arrived to even the odds. The remaining criminals had fled, satisfied with the victory. Ash couldn't even muster up the energy to weep. He sighed, finished the cup that a kind officer had given him, hugged Arcanine for comfort before standing up. The Police had mostly left, probably to deal with this huge disaster in public. Ash wiped away the nearly dried tears and picked up his backpack before starting to walk. He really didn't know what to do, so he just started walking to the route which lead to Viridian City, releasing the Pokémon gifted to him by Oak, a Bulbasaur.
The Bulbasaur looked disoriented as it came out, so Ash knelt down to its height.
"Hey. I'm going to take care of you from now. Your previous owner can't do it. So, let's get along, alright?" Ash said, managing to muster up a smile for his Pokémon.
Bulbasaur took a moment, but smiled at Ash. It might have been a small gesture to most people, but to Ash, it was a symbol of approval.
They started walking, leaving behind the devastated village. Ash hoped to book a room in the Pokémon Center in Viridian City.
Note- This has been completely rewritten, due to the fact that the old chapter barely made any sense.
I'll edit the first couple of chapters, just to fix any naïve errors.
EDITED ON- 2/9/18