AN: Whaaat? A new story? Haha, bet you guys didn't expect this huh? So yes, in the newest chapter of my other story, I was talking about maybe doing a new story relatively soon. After my abysmal start here at Fanfiction with my first story (which I deleted) I didn't really want to write another one. After seeing how popular Betrayal At Its Worst was with everyone, I wanted to spend all of my available time with writing chapters for that story. Although after thinking for the past few days, I decided to write another story. I've noticed that most writers usually write more than one story here on Fanfiction and I feel like I've been holding back on everyone. So, on with the main idea of the story
Ash Ketchum and Leaf Green have been best friends for many years now. They met each other in Oak's Summer Camp while Gary was bullying her. Since Ash doesn't like seeing anyone hurt, he decided to step in and on that day, the two of them became inseparable. With a more mature and smart Ash, he won't be messing up so much on his journey. Trainers have to be at the age of 15 before they can start on their Pokémon journey. Because of too many accidents happening, the Pokémon League decided that trainers had to be more mature and older to ensure that they can protect themselves and know everything they need before starting.
So, that's the basic premise of the story. If you haven't realised already, this is going to be a Furthershipping story. There will likely be sequels later on too. Also, unlike a lot of other stories that have Ash and one of his female friends starting out from Kanto together, the relationship is already there... Kind of. Don't worry; the romance won't be here immediately, although I won't wait until the last story for that. So, on with the chapter!
Disclaimer: Although I own the story itself along with my own OC's, everything about the Pokémon franchise itself belongs to Nintendo. In no way, shape, or form am I writing this story to make money or claim Pokémon as my own. Everything within the Pokémon universe belongs to Nintendo.
Normal POV - Pallet Town:
Pallet Town was a beautiful and peaceful town. The townsfolk tended to be kind and helpful to any and all passing travellers. Since it was a relatively secluded town, with no Gym trainers didn't usually come to the town. Although, there was one area that was known to almost every trainer in Kanto. And that was Professor Oak's Laboratory. Professor Oak was a kind, greying old man. His work and dedication would make most trainers believe him to be younger than he actually is. It is in Oak's lab that we see a young boy and girl. While the girl was playing with all of the different Pokémon on the ranch, the young boy watched with a small smile on his face. These two were Ash Ketchum and Leaf Green, best friends. Currently, they were at the age of 15 and were nearly ready to get their very own Pokémon!
"Ash~" Leaf called in a sing-song voice, catching the young boys attention.
"What's up Leaf?" Ash called back, making her run over to him. Leaf was an energetic young girl; being at the young age of 15 would do that after all. Although, Leaf didn't exactly have a great life growing up in Pallet Town. Ever since she could remember, a lot of the kids never wanted to play with her. She had moved to Pallet Town when she was only 5 years old with her best friend, Serena Gabena. Being the 'new kid' in town along with enjoying to read, a lot of the kids didn't want to play with her. And then, at the age of 7, she was bullied mercilessly at the Summer Camp. Luckily, Ash was there. Her knight in shining armour. Although she would never admit it herself, she's had a crush on Ash ever since he saved her from Gary Oak and his group. Ever since then, the two of them were inseparable. You could always see them playing in Pallet Town and having fun together. Many people joked that they were like a young version of Red and Delia Ketchum.
"Come on, let's play." Ash would never admit it to anyone, but Leaf's voice always soothes his heart and put's a smile on his face. Ash looked at Leaf more closely, realising that she just got more beautiful every day. Leaf was at the rather petite size of 5"3', although that simply made her even cuter to Ash. With long, flowing light-brown hair and beautiful blue eyes that always expressed such happiness, Leaf was the literal vision of beauty, to Ash at least. Even if certain people didn't think so, namely Gary Oak. Although it wasn't her physical looks that really attracted Ash. It was her inner beauty, her wonderful personality. Leaf was kind to everyone, even those who weren't particularly kind to her. Although, with people like Gary or those who went too far, she was a little spit-fire. She didn't take kindly to people who made fun of her excessively, along with those who smack-talked Ash.
"Sure Leaf. What do you wanna play?" Although Ash was generally mature, he still let some of his more childish self out when around Leaf and his parent's. When he was around Gary or other people he didn't know, he tended to show little emotion. It was simply a way to better protect Leaf and himself.
"Let's go play with the Grass type Pokémon. They're my favourite." Leaf said giddily, causing Ash to smile lightly. Play wasn't really the correct word, they were the age of 15 after all. Although, Ash could probably study the Pokémon. Considering they were going to be starting their journey tomorrow, a little bit of extra studying wouldn't hurt.
"Sure. It would be good to study some of the Grass types." Ash said, causing Leaf to smile lightly. With Leaf already deciding to have Bulbasaur as her starter, she was trying to learn as much as she could before she left.
Ash though, already had his starter for tomorrow. Since a lot of trainers don't live in Pallet Town and are unable to choose Bulbasaur; Charmander or Squirtle, the League decided to allow trainers to choose their own starter. Even though many people would love to have one of the 3 starters, Ash didn't. He had caught and befriended quite a special Pokémon a few years back. Luckily, Professor Oak learned about this and allowed Ash a Pokeball so he could catch said Pokémon. Ash though, wanted to keep it a secret from the other trainers starting tomorrow. When this was said, Oak simply decided to let him choose one of the three starters too. Since there weren't rules against already catching Pokémon before the trainer started their journey, Professor Oak was fine with it.
"You're a bright young lad Ash." Oak had said during their conversation, causing Ash to flush slightly from the praise. "You can interact with Pokémon unlike many others. I know that you're going to go far. I just wish Gary could let his arrogance go. He would be a wonderful rival for you, and you both would grow from it." Oak said with a sad sigh.
After that conversation, Ash realised that Gary wasn't only hurting Leaf, he was hurting his own family. Ash could see as plain as day that Gary's own grandfather was disappointed in him. On that day, Ash decided that he would help the Professor like he had helped himself. So, with this in mind, Ash decided that he should defeat Gary in battle. If Gary loved anything, it was Pokémon battling. If only he could get his ego sorted out like the Professor said, he would be a great battler and friendly rival.
After a fun day for the two teens, they travelled back home, tired but happy. With the two of them knowing what was going to be happening tomorrow, they knew sleep was going to be a hard thing to come by. With the addition of starting their Pokémon journey, the thought of travelling together was exciting, yet also quite nerve-wracking.
"I'll see you bright and early tomorrow Ash. Good night~" Leaf said as she walked away to her own house. Luckily for the two of them, Pallet Town was quite small, so they lived close to each other.
"See ya tomorrow Leaf!" Ash called, waving his hand. Leaf looked back with a small smile while waving herself before continuing. Ash continued watching until she got into her house before going to the kitchen. There, he saw his mother and father(1) sitting around the table and having some coffee and talking with each other. Upon seeing Ash there, his father immediately stood up with a smile.
"Here's the new Pokémon trainer." He said in a slightly booming voice. Although Red Ketchum was usually quiet and reserved, around family and friends was when he showed his true personality. He was a great father through and through, although in a battle, he completely decimated his opponents. "Ahh, you been hanging out with Leaf again huh? Well, you've got better luck with the ladies than I did at your age." Red said with a small wiggle of his eyebrows. It was quite amusing to see such a tall and strong looking man teasing his son about girls.
"Dear leave him alone. I think they're absolutely adorable together." Delia said with a small smile. Delia Ketchum, like Leaf, was a rather petite woman. Although, unlike Leaf, Delia didn't mind putting people in their place if they're harming her family. Ash blushed at the banter, before sitting down at the table. Red immediately handed Ash his own cup of tea, before sitting down himself.
"We were studying the Grass type Pokémon again today. Leaf wants to learn everything she can before we head off." Ash said with a small smile.
"Good, it's always a smart idea to get a bit of extra studying in before anything. I just wish I studied a bit more before heading off on my own journey. Using a Charmander against the Pewter City Gym leader wasn't exactly smart." Red said with a small chuckle. It was always great to hear about Red's own adventures through the Kanto region. They were usually amazing and had lots of action; although sometimes it was good to hear about the funnier instances as well.
"Haha, don't worry dad, I won't do anything like that. My starter has an advantage against Rock/Ground type Pokémon." Ash said with a proud smile. Even though he couldn't start his own journey yet, the wild Pokémon around Pallet Town still gave some good experience. It was always best to be as ready as possible before heading out and with the moves his Pokémon had, it would be relatively easy to get to Viridian City.
"That little Pokémon sure packs a punch. When it evolves, you're bound to have a great powerhouse on your team." Red said with a proud smile. Ash blushed slightly at the praise. Being the previous Champion of Kanto, it was always amazing to have Red tell you your Pokémon are good.
"That reminds me, I haven't let him out of the Pokeball today. Come on out." Ash said, holding the Pokeball in his hand and releasing the Pokémon. Out came a small Pokémon with yellow skin and a red belly. It was looked to have rocky skin with a small, blunt spike protruding from its head. This Pokémon was a Larvitar. It was a special Larvitar though. This was what the Pokémon professors dubbed a 'Shiny Pokémon'. The rarity of these Pokémon were quite phenomenal and it was even harder to find a shiny Larvitar.
"Hey buddy. Sorry I didn't let you out today. Leaf was studying the Grass Pokémon and I thought it would bore you." Ash said, patting its head lightly. From his research, Ash knew that as long as you were careful when touching a Larvitar, its rough skin wouldn't actually hurt or damage you.
"Lar!" Larvitar cried happily, enjoying the attention it was being given.
"Oh, he's such a cutie." Delia squealed quietly. Ash and Red looked at her in amusement before Red turned back to Ash, a serious look on his face now. Upon seeing the look, Ash tilted his curiously.
"Son." Red said, catching Delia's attention as well. "You and Leaf are really mature. You know everything you need to about Pokémon to start your journey. But I want you to be careful. Watch out for each other and if you meet up with your other friends who are starting their journey tomorrow, make sure to always check up on them. The Pokémon world is rather fragile at the moment, with a lot of wild Pokémon being more aggressive lately. If you ever need help or advice, don't hesitate to call us." Red said quietly, putting a hand on Ash's shoulder.
"Yes hon." Delia said, catching their attention. "If either you or Leaf ever need help, we'll be happy to give you advice or help in anything you need. You two are very mature and like your father said, you know what you need to know about Pokémon. Leaf's parents are sure to be having the same conversation with her. Don't hesitate to call Sarah and her husband if you need help too." Ash smiled slightly and nodded at them. He knew Leaf's parents, they were great people and really kind.
"Also." Delia said, stopping his musings. "I don't want to see any grandchildren yet. Maybe a few more years, okay?" She said with a sly grin and a wink. Ash immediately blushed and quickly ran from the room, muttering about crazy parents. Delia and Red immediately burst out laughing; their son and Leaf sure were adorable to tease.
Ash knew he was going to have problems sleeping tonight. Upon getting into bed and trying to sleep, he kept tossing and turning. The thought of starting his own Pokémon journey tomorrow was keeping him awake.
"Ugh, I'm too excited to sleep." Ash muttered to himself. He couldn't watch TV either, since his parents were asleep now too. So, rather than watch TV, he decided to play with Larvitar for a while.
"Hey bud." Ash called, making his Pokémon sit up. "You excited for tomorrow?" Ash asked, causing Larvitar to nod excitedly. Ash wasn't the only one excited to start his journey; the thought of getting stronger and one day evolving was amazing to Larvitar. The thought of being a big Tyranitar made the little Pokémon hop up and down in excitement.
"Shh." Ash said quietly, causing the Pokémon to stop and sit on the floor. "You can't jump around; it'll make too much noise." Ash said with a small chuckle, causing Larvitar to nod sheepishly.
"Lar." Larvitar said in a whisper, apologizing.
"Don't worry about it buddy. I feel like jumping up and down myself." Ash said, his thoughts going inwards. Winning against Gary, to finally show him some humility. Battling all of the Gym leaders and winning easily. Going to the Pokémon League. Winning against all of the other trainers. Beating the Elite Four and Champion like his father had. Travelling with Leaf on many journeys to come. All of these thoughts were what Ash wanted the most. To show the world that he is a great trainer. Although, he knew Leaf would be battling in the Pokémon League as well. Ash didn't know if he had the heart to actually defeat Leaf.
"Larvitar!" He was broken out of his thoughts by Larvitar crying its name quietly and tapping his leg.
"What's up?" Ash asked, patting his Pokémon's head. Larvitar simply pointed towards the alarm clock and then his bed. Ash chuckled slightly, getting back into bed. Larvitar nodded to itself before going to its own bed. Ash couldn't help but laugh at the Pokémon's antics as it simply gave him a thumbs up before lying back down. Like with Leaf, Ash and Larvitar were inseparable. Although to Ash, while he did realise he liked Leaf in a more romantic way, Larvitar was essentially his best friend. If he wasn't with Leaf, Ash was always seen with the little Pokémon. Gary tended to be a complete idiot though, declaring that a 'second rate trainer' like Ash shouldn't have such a rare Pokémon.
"Ugh, he's so annoying lately. I can still remember the time Leaf and I became friends." Ash said with a small smile on his face.
-FLASHBACK-
"Haha, you're pathetic. Why can't you stand up for yourself? Too scared?" Gary asked mockingly. He and his group of 'thugs' had cornered Leaf on her way back to their camp during the Pokémon Summer Camp. It was unknown to most of the kids why Gary picked on her so much; probably the fact that she was the smallest and tended to stay out of conflict.
"I want to be friends with everyone. I've never done or said anything to you. Why d-do you do this G-Gary?" Leaf asked quietly, holding back her tears. She wouldn't cry in front of people like this. They didn't deserve to see her sad. She did in fact have friends here in Pallet Town, but Gary made people stay away. He constantly berated people who tried to be nice to her. Professor Oak, Gary's own grandfather was getting sick of it, like many others. He had to constantly pull Gary away to stop him from being verbal with Leaf. When Leaf thought of her friends, she also thought of Ash. Ash and Serena were the only people who stuck up for her and stopped Gary. Leaf had only known Leaf for a short time, but he was so nice to her. 'Please Ash' Leaf thought to herself. 'I need help!' She cried in her mind.
"Oy! Gary!" Ash shouted, causing Gary and his friends to turn. Leaf also turned to see Ash standing there, giving Gary a rather heated glare.
"Go away Ashy-boy. The bookworm needs to learn her place." Gary said imperiously, causing Leaf to grind her teeth. Leaf was generally a kind person, able to make friends with people and Pokémon alike. With people like Gary though, she couldn't help but hate him. Hate may be a strong word, especially for Leaf, but she was sick of Gary.
"Shut up. Leaf has done nothing to you. Why do you pick on her so much?" Ash asked heatedly, causing Leaf to hide a smile. Even though Leaf wished she could fight her own battles, it was kinda cute to see Ash standing up for all of his friends. Ash himself was generally a soft spoken, kind person(2) but he hated bullies with a passion.
"She's a bookworm." Gary said, as if that meant everything he was doing was for the better of the world. Leaf herself face-faulted at this. Even though Gary said it many times before, it was always completely ridiculous. Ash himself looked at Gary like he was a complete idiot.
"What's that got to do with anything?" Ash asked with slightly wide eyes incredulously. Gary looked at Ash like he was an idiot too, making Leaf growl slightly in her throat.
"Eh? She's a bookworm, that's all that matters." Gary said simply.
"So? Just because she doesn't like the same things you do doesn't make her less of a person. I like books as well but you don't come after me. From memory, whenever you tried to insult me, you were on the other side of the room. Is it because Leaf is a girl and smaller than you? How about you pick on someone your own size." Leaf gasped slightly, looking thankfully at Ash. He really knew how to make whatever Gary said seem completely ridiculous.
"Pfft, whatever. Let's go guys, I don't want to catch the bookworm disease from these two." Gary said, walking away with a strut. "Oh." Gary said, turning around. "You're an enemy too now Ashy-boy. Watch out, for when we start our Pokémon journey, I'm going to win against you in everything." With his little 'speech' done, Gary strode off, his little gang following behind.
Leaf sighed softly to herself, glad he was finally gone. She was really getting sick and tired of constantly dealing with him.
"Hey Leaf, you okay?" Leaf looked up, seeing Ash's kind brown-eyes looking back at her. He had crouched down, checking to make sure she wasn't actually hurt. Upon seeing his worried face, Leaf just broke down. Throwing her arms around his neck, surprising him, she started crying lightly.
"W-why does G-Gary always do this? What have I ever done to h-him?" Leaf sniffled, making Ash look around in panic. Like many young boys, he didn't really have any clue on how to comfort a crying girl.
"D-don't worry Leaf." Ash stuttered slightly, rubbing her back. "Don't listen to Gary. You have friends who really care about you. Gary only has a few friends and they're only there because he is Professor Oak's grandson." Ash said quietly. After recovering her composure, Leaf looked at Ash thankfully. He looked pretty bashful right now, rubbing the back of his head with an infectious grin. Leaf giggled quietly to herself.
"Thank you Ash." She said quietly, giving him a small peck on the cheek. He looked shocked, with a small blush adorning his face. Leaf couldn't help but giggle again, quickly standing. "Come on Ash." She said, holding out her hand to help him up. "Let's go back to camp." Without realising it, the two walked back to camp, hand in hand. And on that day, a wonderful friendship was born.
-FLASHBACK END-
When the short but sweet memory ended, Ash realised that he was tired now. Thinking about all of the friends he actually made on that day, including Leaf herself, Serena, Calem and Yellow. Serena and Calem were twins, along with the oldest of their small group. Yellow was a rather timid girl that didn't usually dress up too 'girly'. Dresses, to her, were completely repugnant and she refused to wear one. With Ash and the others, that made 5 new trainers starting tomorrow. Gary was going to be going his own way, with his 'friends' deciding to not go on a journey. That didn't bother Gary though, considering he somehow had his own car and little 'cheerleading squad'.
"Heh, he wishes." Ash said quietly to himself. Now that he was finally tired, he was able to fall asleep, a smile on his face thinking about all of his wonderful friends, with Leaf starring the most in his thoughts.
Next Morning:
Ash woke up the next morning, the alarm clock playing a hit song in the Kanto region. With his mind finally catching up and realising what today was, he immediately flew out of bed, rushing to the bathroom. Red watched Ash go; chuckling to himself as he remembered he did something like that on the first day of his own Pokémon journey. Walking sedately downstairs, Red found Delia in the kitchen, making breakfast along with some tea. Red sat down at the table, reading the newspaper and drinking his coffee.
"Is Ash awake yet, dear?" Delia asked, causing Red to look up with a small smile.
"Yeah, the exact same way as I did on my first day as a Pokémon trainer." Red said with a small chuckle, causing Delia to smile. She turned back to the food, frowning slightly though. With the current state the wild Pokémon were in for unknown reasons, it was quite scary to think of Ash and Leaf going out into the world on their own. Red apparently saw the frown though, as he put the paper down and looked at her with a gentle smile.
"Don't worry honey. Ash is a very capable trainer and he can easily protect himself and Leaf. With not only their own Pokémon, they do know some fighting techniques themselves(3)." Red said with a small smile. Delia smile back for a second before seemingly going into thought.
"I know Red. But it's a bit scary. They're still only children to me. They've just grown up so fast." Delia said, letting a small tear escape. Red was about to continue before he was interrupted.
"Don't worry mom." Ash said, walking in the room. He gave his mother a hug, causing her to smile slightly. "We wouldn't have went if we weren't ready. We'll be sure to call you guys whenever we get in a new town. We both have a Pokegear too, so we can call you if there's an emergency. We'll be fine and we'll be back before you even know it." Ash said with a smile and thumbs up. Delia giggled to herself lightly, bringing him into a crushing hug.
"Thank you Ashy. You always know how to ease my heart from the worry you can cause it." Delia said jokingly, causing Ash and Red to grin.
"Just keep ding that son. You'll have Leaf as your girlfriend in no time with all that sweet talk." Red said with his own grin and thumbs up. Delia giggled to herself as Ash flushed in embarrassment, glaring at Red.
"She's not my girlfriend." Ash said with a put, causing Red to laugh.
"Ahh, not yet. But soon maybe." Red said with a wink, causing Ash to groan and lower his head into his hands.
"Okay enough teasing. Let's have breakfast and then you can go to the lab." Delia said brightly, causing father and son to smile at each other. Just as they were about to start eating, there was a knock on the door.
"Hmm, wonder who that could be." Red said curiously, rising from the table. He quickly walked out the kitchen, towards the front door. There was some quiet talking before Red came back through with three people.
"Oh, Mr and Mrs Green, it's nice to see you again. Hey Leaf." Ash said with a smile.
"Ashy~" Leaf chirped, throwing her arms around his neck. "We're starting our journey today! Aren't you excited?" Leaf said, bouncing up and down slightly. The adults laughed at her enthusiasm while Ash grinned back.
"Yeah. You wanna stay for breakfast then we can all go to the lab together?" Ash asked, looking at his mother for conformation.
"Really? Could stay Mrs. Ketchum?" Leaf asked brightly, causing Delia to smile.
"Of course dear. Also, what did I tell you about calling me Mrs. Ketchum? It makes me feel old. Friends can call me Delia." Delia said with a gentle smile, causing Leaf to grin sheepishly.
Upon finishing a nice and relaxed breakfast, the group headed out. With Leaf and Ash in front, holding hands without even realising it (again!), the group headed towards Professor Oak's laboratory. Soon enough, they were there, passing the few citizens of Pallet on the way there.
"Yo Ashy-boy, Leaf." Gary called, walking towards them. Luckily, Gary had mellowed out as he aged and wasn't like what he used to be. He still had his 'quirks' but he was much more tolerable to handle now. The group gave their own greetings, with Mr. Green giving Gary a slightly heated look. Gary's change in personality was slightly due to Andrew Green having a talk with Gary's grandfather. After that, Gary targeted less people and wasn't much of a bully anymore. He was a rival for Ash and his friends, but not exactly a friendly rival.
Soon, the last of the trainers were there, with Serena and Calem giving enthusiastic greetings to Ash and Leaf, while Yellow simply smiled and gave a quiet hello. The group didn't really understand why Yellow didn't want to be seen as 'girly' but she would never talk about it. The group also decided to not bring it up, since it was a sore subject for the poor girl and she was already shy and timid enough.
"Ah, hello everyone." Professor Oak called, catching everyone's attention. The huge group looked towards where his voice came from, seeing him standing near the door straight to the lab. "Right this way. Do the adults want to come with the kids as well? Or would all like to wait out here?" Oak asked, with only Red and Andrew deciding to follow.
Since the teens were excited, it didn't take long for them to be standing in front of the table holding 6 Pokeballs.
"Okay everyone." Oak said, getting their attention. "Since there are six of you, we needed extra starter Pokémon. So, I know that Leaf wants Bulbasaur, Gary wants Squirtle, while Calem wants Charmander. Are you three okay with that?" Oak asked, referring to Ash, Serena and Yellow. The three simply smiled, indicating they were fine with it. "Okay excellent. So, would you three like to come forward and meet you starters?" Oak asked the other three, causing them to nod enthusiastically. Without further ado, they quickly stepped forward picking up the Pokeball with the correct symbol.
"Go Bulbasaur!" Leaf called, releasing her new Pokémon. Upon seeing the small plant Pokémon, Leaf started cooing about how adorable it was. Ash couldn't help but smile and roll his eyes.
"Go Charmander." Calem called, more quietly than Leaf had. Out came a rather strong looking Charmander, considering its level. Upon seeing its new trainer, Charmander immediately rushed towards Calem, jumping into his arms. Calem smiled slightly at his new Pokémon before his eyes turned towards Gary.
"Okay, Go Squirtle!" Gary called, releasing the small water turtle. Funnily enough, the Squirtle came out the Pokeball in a show of light with a small, arrogant smile on its face. Upon seeing the look, the others couldn't help but think the Pokémon was perfect for its trainer. "Yes, this'll do nicely. Welcome to the team Squirtle. We're gonna totally beat everyone." Gary said with his own arrogant smirk. Without saying anything else, he quickly walked out of the lab. The others watched him go in mild exasperation before turning back to the table.
"Serena, you and Yellow can choose. Since I already have Larvitar, I don't mind picking the last Pokémon." Ash said with a small smile, causing the two girls to smile brightly and thank him.
"Which Pokémon are left professor?" Yellow asked quietly, indicating towards the remaining Pokeballs. With a small smile, Oak pointed at each Pokeball while stating which Pokémon was in it.
"Well, this one is a Fennekin. I got it specially ordered from Kalos as I knew how much Serena like this Pokémon." Oak said with a small smile towards the girl. Upon hearing the name, Serena's eyes widened.
"Could I have that one Ash, Yellow?" Serena begged, with the other two merely smiling and nodding. With a grin, Serena quickly picked the Pokeball up. "Fennekin, let's go!" Serena shouted in excitement, with the small Pokémon appearing with a happy yip. Upon seeing its new trainer, like Charmander did with Calem, it rushed towards Serena, jumping into her arms. "Aww, aren't you just the cutest." Serena cooed, making Calem facepalm at his sister. The others chuckled at this.
"Okay, these last two Pokémon are Pikachu. One is male and the other is female." Oak said, with Yellow immediately choosing the female one.
"Okay. Come one out ChuChu!" Yellow called, with the small yellow mouse appearing with an adorable little "Pika!" Yellow, like the two girls, immediately started cooing over Pikachu, with 'ChuChu' soaking up the attention. The others smiled at the two as Ash turned to the last Pokeball.
"Okay guess it's my turn." Ash said. "Go!"
"Wait Ash!" Oak called in a slight panic, although it was already too late.
"Pikachu!" The yellow mouse appeared in a spark of electricity, shocking both Ash and Professor Oak in the process. The others looked at the two worriedly, none more so than Leaf.
"Ash! Professor Oak!" She called, quickly rushing towards them, Bulbasaur still in her arms.
"I forgot to tell you Ash." The professor coughed slightly as Leaf helped Ash up. Andrew and Red rushed to help Oak up as well. "This Pikachu can be a bit disobedient. This is why I thought you were the perfect choice for him. He's not a bad Pokémon, he just hasn't found the right trainer yet." Oak said in slight exasperation.
"Hmm." Ash hummed to himself, walking slowly towards Pikachu. He knew that with new Pokémon, especially disobedient ones, which you had to be careful and go slowly, so as not to spook them. He crouched down to Pikachu's level, causing the mouse Pokémon to look at him curiously with a cute tilt of its head. "Hey there Pikachu, I'm Ash. I know that you may not like being caught, but the whole world is a great place to explore. With a trainer, you could go on wonderful adventures and grow strong." Ash said quietly, holding his hand out. Pikachu looked a bit conflicted, probably unable to trust humans but seeing no malice from Ash or his actions.
"Pika." Pikachu said quietly, looking around at the other people apprehensively. Ash seemed to catch the look as he smiled gently
"Don't worry, Pikachu, no one's here to hurt. We just wanna be friends." Ash said with a kind smile. Seeing the smile, Pikachu seemed to make its mind up. It quickly rushed towards Ash, rubbing its cheek against his hand. Ash smiled before standing slowly. "Okay, welcome to the team then Pikachu. You wanna go back into the Pokeball? That was quite a big jolt of electricity you made." Ash said, holding the Pokeball out. Pikachu, upon seeing the infernal contraption shook its head quickly in a negative.
"Ah yes, this Pikachu is rather curious. He doesn't like staying in a Pokeball." Oak said, causing Ash to smile at the Pokémon.
"Don't worry, you can stay out. How will we get around like this though?" Ash asked, thinking hard about it. As soon as he looked at Red though, he suddenly had a eureka moment. "I know!" Ash called, catching the others attention. "Pikachu, you could ride on my shoulder. My dad's Pikachu used to do it all the time." Ash said with a smile, causing Pikachu to quickly nod with its own smile. Surprising the others with its speed, Pikachu rushed up and sat on Ash's shoulder.
"Haha, what did I tell you son? Spitting image of your old man." Red said with a small smile, ruffling Ash's hair. Ash merely smiled while Oak clapped his hands together.
"Excellent. You have quite a way with Pokémon Ash. How is it you get their trust so easily? Anyway, that's far from the point. So, here are 5 Pokeballs for you all, along with the newest version of the Pokedex. Luckily, Gary already collected his last night so he's fine. Anyway, I wish you all the best of luck in the Indigo League or what you will be doing. I can already tell you will all make Pallet Town proud." With that said, Oak quickly walked back towards his desk, working on some paperwork for the league.
"Okay, great! We've finally got our own Pokémon. Serena, Yellow and I will be travelling together. Hope to see you on the road, Ash, Leaf." Calem said, giving Leaf a quick hug and shaking Ash's hand. Serena and Yellow, though, were much more enthusiastic in their goodbyes, pulling Ash and Leaf into a four-way hug. To Red, this was the perfect time to tease the four of them.
"Oh, look at my Ash. My son is all grown up. You're a hit with the ladies, huh Ash?" Red asked with a smirk, causing Ash and Leaf to blush, while Serena and Yellow merely smiled, saying their goodbyes as they walked out of the lab.
"Oh well, looks like it's time we headed out too, huh Leaf?" Ash asked with a small smile, causing her to nod.
"Yep, we'll be the greatest Pokémon trainers ever. Pokémon League, here we come." Leaf said excitedly, pumping her fist. With a smile between the two of them, Ash and Leaf quickly rushed out, saying goodbye to their mothers as they finally set out on their journey. Red and Andrew watched them go, smiling slightly,
"They group up fast, huh bud?" Red asked, with Andrew giving a brief nod as the two headed towards their wives.
"Oh well, they'll make us proud." Andrew said, watching the kids running in the distance.
AN: And that's a wrap! So, finally finished the first chapter of my new story! I hope everyone enjoyed it. Be sure to see the next chapter for Betrayal At Its Worst next Monday and the new chapter for this story next Thursday. So, that's all I have to really say for this AN; see you guys next time!
(1) I decided to make the story more happy and light-hearted than my other one. So, I decided that Ash's father was alive and there for him. Also, I have saw many stories have Red as Ash's father and the idea simply resonates with me. So, I hope you guys enjoy that little bit.
(2) I know that canon Ash is quite loud and abrasive, but I decided that since this one is older, he will be more mature. Also, since like with Leaf, he enjoys reading, I think Ash simply works better as a softer spoken character in this fic. So yeah, fair warning, Ash will be slightly OOC in this story. Don't worry though, that's the only thing different about him. Ash still has his 'saving people' thing along with his love for Pokémon. This is simply an improved version of Ash.
(3) With this Pokémon world being a bit harsher than canon, parents tend to teach their kids martial arts or some other kind of technique to ensure they stay safe and protected.
So, that's it for this chapter. I hope everyone has enjoyed it and I'll see you all next time!