Author's Note:
This is a prequel to my "Destiny" series. It's about the journey of Micheal Ketchum, Ash's father.
No, I am not giving up on my "Masters" series, but I'm taking a little break to get over some writer's block about Rob and Ash's fight.
-----------------------------
Pokémon: Generations
Chapter 1 – A Journey's Beginning
"Michael, get up, or you'll be late," a voice called to the sleeping boy.
"Sure thing, Dad," was his groggy reply as he slipped out of bed.
With eyes closed, he walked out his room to the bathroom across the hall. As he made his way to the shower, the event his father reminded him about popped into his mind.
"Aw, I better hurry," he shouted as he leapt into the shower.
In the kitchen, his father shook his head after hearing his son running frantically to get ready.
"That boy would forget his head if it weren't attached," he sighed.
"Don't be so harsh on the boy," his wife laughed. "I recall you were a little dense when you were younger."
"I was not dense," he replied.
He looked at Michael as he made a mad dash back to his room.
"I still don't see why he wants to be a trainer," he remarked to his wife. "He would make a fine gym leader."
"Let the boy discover what he wants himself," she answered. "After all, he'll soon have more responsibility than most children his age."
"Not if I can help it," he replied as Michael wearing his red T-shirt and jeans rushed past him out the door.
"I want a Bulbasaur," a blonde girl told the man at the pokémon center.
"Okay," he replied as he handed her the pokéball. "And here are five empty ones and a pokédex."
"Thanks," she replied as she walked out the door.
"Next," he called.
A ten year old black hair boy walked up to the counter.
"Name?" the man asked.
"Gio Rocket," he replied.
"You from Viridian?" the man asked as he filled out the information on his computer.
"Yes," he answered.
"All right," he replied as he looked up at the boy. "Which type of pokémon do you want?"
Gio looked at the five pokéballs on the table. He knew the girl in front of him took the only grass-type available and two of the others would be a Charmander and Squirtle.
"What are these two?" he asked pointing to the unmarked pokéballs.
"Just some mouse pokémon I caught this morning," the man replied. "A Rattata and Sandshrew."
"Hmm," Gio hummed as he decided between the five pokémon. He always liked the ground-types, but Sandshrew was the only one available.
"I'll go with Sandshrew," he told the man.
"All right," the man replied as he handed Gio his new pokémon, pokéballs, and pokédex.
As Gio walked out the pokémon center, he was knocked down by a blur of red.
"Watch where you're going," he shouted.
"I'm so sorry," the other boy replied.
Gio looked at the guy who knocked him down and hissed.
"Michael Ketchum," he snarled.
"Oh, it's just you," Michael said as he picked himself off the ground. "I thought it might have been someone important."
Gio gave him a glare that an Arbok would envy.
"What are you doing here?" Gio demanded. "Is helping your dad at the gym not enough."
"I don't got time for dealing with you," Michael snapped back. "I need to get my trainer license."
"You, a trainer," Gio laughed. "You should've stuck with being a gym leader, 'cause you would make one sorry trainer."
Michael gritted his teeth. He received something along that line from his father last night but not because he would fail at being a trainer.
"We'll see who's the best," he shouted as he walked into the pokémon center.
"Have a nice day," the man behind the counter told the boy walking away with Squirtle. "Next!"
Michael stepped up to the counter.
"Name?"
"Michael Ketchum," he replied.
The man raised an eyebrow. "The gym leader's son?"
"Yes," he sighed.
"Okay," the man replied filling out the rest of the form. "I assume you have a pokémon?"
"No," Michael replied. "I want whatever starter is left."
"That would be Charmander," the man replied as he handed over the pokéball.
"Thanks," Michael replied as he started to walk off.
"Wait," the man called to him.
"You almost forgot these," he continued as he gave Michael five more pokéballs and a pokédex.
"Thanks," Michael replied weakly.
He walked outside and looked at Charmander's pokéball.
"Come on out," he said as he opened it.
In front of him appeared a bright red Charmander.
"Char?" it asked as it looked up at its trainer.
"Hi," Michael greeted his pokémon. "I'm Michael, your trainer."
He was replied by an ember attack to the face.
"You're welcome," Michael replied before he fell to the ground.
"Hey, kid, you all right?" a voice sounded in the darkness.
Michael slowly opened his eyes to see a thirteen year old standing in front of him.
"I'm okay," he replied as he stood up.
He then remembered about his pokémon.
"Where's my charmander?!" he shouted as he frantically looked around for his pokémon.
"Relax," the older boy replied. "I saw it go back into its pokéball after he fell down."
Michael let out a sigh of relief when he picked up the occupied pokéball.
"I've never seen a charmander attack his trainer before," the boy remarked. "They're usually the easiest of the starters to train."
"Guess I just got lucky," Michael murmured.
"Or your just that pathetic even a charmander won't obey you," the boy laughed.
"Hey," Michael snapped back. "It's only my first day."
The boy tried to stop from laughing at the younger trainer but was failing miserably.
"Fine, I don't have to take this kind of abuse," Michael huffed as he started to walk away.
"Hold up," the boy called to him.
Michael paused and looked back at him.
"Let me introduce myself," the boy said. "I'm John Waterflower, and I'm looking for the gym here."
"Okay, John," Michael replied, "but the gym leader there is pretty tough."
"From what I hear," John said as he followed Michael to the gym, "the leader only uses normal-type pokémon."
"Don't let that fool you," Michael laughed. "My dad, I mean, the gym leader uses all kinds of attacks."
"Your dad?" John asked catching Michael's slip.
"Yeah," he sighed. "He wanted my to eventually take over the gym, but I want to be a Pokémon Master."
"Get in line, kid," John laughed. "Just be grateful I want to be a Water Pokémon Master."
"What's great about water pokémon?" Michael asked. "Most of them out of water are pretty useless."
Michael noticed a little vein on John's forehead begin to throb.
"A magikarp could easily defeat that charmander you got," he snapped back.
"Listen, I don't want to argue," Michael told the older boy. "I get into enough fights with some of the kids around here."
"Fine," John replied. "Just show me the way to the gym, and I'll be out of your hair."
"These trainers get tougher each year," Mr. Ketchum sighed as he handed an earth badge to a trainer. "And you only took three tries."
The trainer moaned at being reminded how many attempts it took him to beat Kyle in a three-on-three match. His pokémon all needed to be rushed to the pokémon center since they barely won this last time.
"Dad," Michael called from the door. "I got fresh meat for ya!"
"Michael, home so soon?" Mr. Ketchum said as he used some potions on his pokémon. "I though you go back home first, then come here."
Michael walked up to the arena with John.
"This guy wants a match," he replied, "so I showed him the way here."
Mr. Ketchum looked over at his new opponent. "Three-on-three okay?"
"Sure," John replied. "Starmie, go!"
"Water pokémon, huh?" Mr. Ketchum grinned. "Persian, I choose you!"
The giant cat pokémon appeared before the starfish.
"Starmie, water gun," John commanded.
"Persian, thunderbolt," Mr. Ketchum countered.
As Starmie sent the stream of water to its opponent, Persian used it to carry its attack to Starmie.
"Starmie is out," Michael called from the judge's booth. He was used to officiating his father's matched and knew most of the rules in the League.
"Starmie, return," John said as he recalled his fallen pokémon. "Go, Kingler."
"Persian, fury swipes," Ketchum commanded.
"Kingler, crab hammer," John called.
As the cat pokémon leapt onto the large crab, Kingler brought its large claw on its head, driving it to the ground. Persian lifted up its head only to have it fall back to the ground.
"Persian out," Michael called.
"Not bad," Ketchum remarked. "Most trainers usually don't get past one of my pokémon the first time."
"I plan on breaking this gym's tradition concerning first time challengers," John replied.
"We'll see," Ketchum grinned. "Clefairy, I choose you."
"What's that?" John said as he pulled out his pokédex.
"Clefairy," it chirped, "It is believed that this pokémon came from outer space."
"A space freak, huh?" John said as he pocketed his pokédex. "Kingler, I don't want to risk this. Use your hyper-beam."
"Clefairy, metronome," Ketchum told his pokémon.
While Kingler powered up its hyper-beam, Clefairy was singing and keeping time with its hands. When Kingler was fully charged, Clefairy stop and started to glue a soft blue. Kingler also began to glow as it released its hyper-beam attack. The beam reversed its course and returned to the crab sending it into the gym's wall.
Michael walked over the pokémon. After checking it, he declared that Kingler was out of the match.
"Only one more left," Ketchum warned his challenger. "Better choose your next one wisely."
John pulled out his final pokémon and glared at the gym leader. "Gyarados, go."
The Ketchums and Clefairy gasped as the dragon pokémon appeared.
Seeing their shock, John quickly used it to his advantage. "Gyarados, ice beam attack."
Ketchum was too slow to give Clefairy an order before she was frozen solid.
"Now, who should choose wisely?" John smirked.
Ketchum looked up at his young challenger. "Jigglypuff, I choose you."
John laughed when the small pokémon appeared. "This one will be easy," he replied. "Gyarados, just bite it."
As Gyarados approached the pokémon, it began to sing it lullaby.
"What's happening?" John said as he began to fall asleep.
"Jigglypuff's song," Michael replied as he slowly fell to floor. "Works every time."
Soon, both boys and Gyarados entered dream land.
"No one beats me the first time," Mr. Ketchum as he woke up John.
"Huh?" John said as he opened his eyes. He looked over at his pokémon sleeping in the arena.
"Listen," Mr. Ketchum told him. "I'll give you the earth badge if you do me a favor."
"What do you want?" John asked as he recalled his pokémon.
Mr. Ketchum looked over at his son, still sleeping off Jigglypuff's song.
"I want you to travel with my boy," he told him. "He'll need help on his journey, and I think you could teach him more about being a trainer than I can.
John looked at the boy. He knew the boy had spirit, even if you was a little dense.
"All right," he said as he held out his hand.
"Thank you," Mr. Ketchum replied as he shook his hand.
When John pulled his hand away, he saw the earth badge in his palm.
"Michael, wake up," Mr. Ketchum said as he shook his son.
"Who won?" he asked as he opened his eyes.
"John here just broke a long tradition here," Mr. Ketchum replied as he helped his son to his feet.
John proudly showed the earth badge he just received.
"Also," Mr. Ketchum added, "he has agreed to guide you on your pokémon journey."
"But, Dad, I can do it on my own," Michael whined. "I don't need him."
Mr. Ketchum shook his head. "Michael, John here has already defeated five gyms. He was on his way to Pewter to challenge the gym leader there for boulder badge. That will be your first badge since you can't challenge me just yet."
"All right," he finally agreed.
Michael turned to John. "Which badges to do you got exactly?"
John reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blue case. He opened it to reveal four badges.
"The cascade, rainbow, thunder, and marsh badge," he replied, "and now the earth badge."
"Most trainers get the soul and volcano badges before coming here," Mr. Ketchum remarked.
"Viridian was closer than Fuchsia or Cinnabar Island," John replied as he placed the case back in his pocket. "I figured I would stop here, get your badge and swing up to Pewter."
"I hope you don't mind going through the other gyms again," Michael said hoping that would scare John away.
"Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing some of them again," John replied. "I'm from Cerulean, and I wouldn't mind going to my old home again."
"How long have you been on your journey?" Mr. Ketchum asked.
"Three years," he replied, "but I've only been going to gyms for the last six months."
"What have you been doing the rest of the time?" Michael asked.
"Training my pokémon," John answered. "And after seeing your charmander, I suggest you do the same."
Michael lowered his head at being reminded about Charmander's little greeting for him.
"A charmander?" Mr. Ketchum looked at his son. "Let's see it."
"Okay," Michael said as he tossed the pokéball.
"Char?"
"Hello," Mr. Ketchum greeted.
Charmander eyed the human then released another fire attack which Mr. Ketchum dodged.
"I see you got a very spirited charmander," Mr. Ketchum said as the charmander laughed at the humans.
"I think I'll call him Redd," Michael told his father and John. "I've never seen a charmander so red. There usually more orange."
"Must've been raised on Cinnabar Island," Mr. Ketchum replied.
"But why is it so hostile?" John said as Redd sent a flame over his head. "I though charmanders were usually very friendly."
"I guess Michael will just have to train," Mr. Ketchum answered as he dodged another fire attack, "but in the meantime, please get it out of my gym before it burns it to the ground."
"Sure thing, Dad," Michael said as he recalled his pokémon.
"Well, looks like we're going to be together for a while," John said as they headed into the Viridian Forest.
"You can leave anytime you want," Michael replied.
"I think you're going to need my help, kid," John said as they passed by a caterpie.
"I don't need your help," Michael shouted, frightening some pidgeys. "And stop calling me kid!"
Michael ran off into the forest hoping to lose John.
"Maybe, I should've just asked for another battle," John sighed as he followed after him.