The Mysterious Mr. Ketchum
Well, hi there! Here is the new story I promised. It's gonna be really different and unique I hope. A few elements will be kept from Beginning of the End, for those of you who know what I'm talking about.
Summary: At 22 years old, Ash Ketchum knows nothing about his father. But when he finds a check from the very man, he wants to know more. In fact, he wants to find him. So Ash, along with his girlfriend May, and his friends Max and Brock, set out to find Mr. Ketchum. But it won't be easy. Can they pull it off? Advanceshipping, and of course, Brock is still hitting on random women while Max views girls as space aliens.
Disclaimer: I am a lowly high school freshman that doesn't own Pokémon. Alright, ready, set, go!
Edit: 7/20/12- I forgot to add in Pikachu! Shame on me! Any who, he's there now.
Chapter 1: Discovery
Ash Ketchum had it all. He was living the good life. He had a great, beautiful girlfriend in Legendary Top-Coordinator May Maple with whom he shared his small apartment in Viridian and loved very much, loyal friends he had known for years, unbreakable bonds with his pokémon, the lofty title of Pokémon Master he had always dreamed of, and a very loving mother.
But he didn't have a father.
Sure, his mother tried to be his mother and father, everything he would ever need, and he was grateful. He loved his mother very much. But it just wasn't the same.
But the rectangular paper he held in hand changed everything.
While May had gone for groceries, he had gone to visit his mother. But she wasn't home, so he decided to wait for him. But on the table, he had found a sealed envelope that said it was from a man called Andy Ketchum. Ketchum- this man must be his father. But why wouldn't his mother tell him if his father was still in touch.
The envelope's return address seemed to be from the Pokéo region, a region of which he had never heard. Ash began to tear open the envelope, a single thought in mind.
My dad… this is my father, Ash thought as he feverishly opened it.
He fumbled for a few moments, but finally got the envelope open and plucked out its contents.
A check, Ash thought dumbfounded. That was it! No letter, no information whatsoever?
Just as his eyes drifted down to check the amount, he heard a loud crash.
Jerking his head up, he saw his mother standing there, mouth ajar. Fallen groceries littered the ground around her feet.
"Ash, honey, let me explain…" she whispered, tears pricking in her eyes.
Oh, how he wanted to be angry! But those tears in her eyes… he couldn't find in himself to be mad at the woman who raised him alone. So he sighed, put the check down, and looked at her expectantly, not saying a word. Even if he had spoke- what could he possibly have said?
Delia let out a heavy breath and began gathering the fallen groceries. Thankfully, nothing was broken. After silently putting the items away, she led her son to the living room where he sat down mechanically.
Sitting down beside him, Delia began.
"For the last 20 years, your father has been sending been sending me child support checks. I used them to run the house and take care of you and everything you needed. Now, since you've moved out, I've been saving… I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just didn't want you to get hurt. I'm sorry, honey."
Well, that made sense. Ash had always wondered how they had so much money, with his mom not working at all. Of course, Professor Oak had tried to help, but most of his money was eaten up by his ranch. Ash titled his head up slightly, removing his feet from his line of vision.
"What was he like?" Ash whispered. "And why did he leave?"
This time it was Delia who looked down.
"Well, he was a wonderful man. Caring, handsome, he looked a lot like you, funny… everything you could want from a man. We loved each other very much."
Ash repeated his second question slightly louder. "Why did he leave?"
Delia took a moment to ponder, still staring at her spotless floor.
"He had dreams. And I didn't want to hold him back. He wanted to be the world's best Pokémon Doctor. And so I let him go. You know what they say… 'If you love them, let them go.' And I haven't heard from him since."
Ash blinked. He hadn't expected his dad to be an aspiring doctor! But why wouldn't he contact them? He furrowed his brow and pushed that question to the back of his mind.
"Can…" It was hard to say, but he had to ask. "Can I see a picture?"
Delia's head flew up as she sprang off the couch.
"Of course, honey!"
The woman rushed to her room and returned moments later with a wooden picture frame.
"This is him…" his mother said softly, handing the frame to Ash.
Behind the glass was a photo of a man who bore a remarkable resemblance to him. The man's sable hair was a bit shorter and slightly tamer than Ash's; their faces had roughly the same structure, like their noses. The most obvious similarity was the lightning shaped marks on their cheeks. As far as Ash could tell, the only thing he inherited from his mother was his eyes. While his were a warm, chocolaty brown, his father's were the stormy gray of a turbulent ocean.
"Andy Ketchum, right?" Ash asked, recalling the name on the envelope.
"Yes… his full name is Alexander," his mother responded.
He took in a big breath and slowly exhaled. It was so much to take in. He needed to go home and think it over.
"Oh… well, thanks, Mom," Ash said. "I'm going to go home and think about it." He walked over to his mother and hugged her. "Thanks, Mom. I love you." He was now standing by the door. "Bye."
And with that, he speed walked out the door.
As her son left, Delia frowned a little, her eyes sad.
I hope he's okay with all of this, she thought worriedly.
Ash was in his car (1), about thirty minutes away from his and May's apartment in Viridian, when his cell phone began to ring. Quickly pressing his index finger onto the dashboard's screen, the magic of Bluetooth came to life.
"Ash, where are you?" May's voice sounded through car's speakers.
"I'm almost home; I'll be there in a half an hour, tops," he replied. "I have something I want to talk to you about when I get home."
"Alright." Ash could detect the underlying worry in his love's voice.
"Nothing bad, I promise," he reassured her. He heard a relieved sigh from the other line.
"Ok," May said. Her voice suddenly took on another tone. "I'll be waiting for you…"
And then she hung up.
Ash grinned and pressed on the gas pedal.
If one of those Officer Jennies Brock was so smitten with had used a radar at him, she would've clocked the Pokémon Master going about 60 miles an hour in a zone where the speed limit was forty.
After Ash had gotten home, he was ambushed by May and Pikachu. After calming them down, he had sat down his girlfriend and the electric mouse and told them everything that had transpired at his childhood home.
"So, what now?" May asked, concerning lacing her voice. Pikachu's shocked face reflected her concern.
Ash braced himself for a very shocked girlfriend and Pokemon. But he wasn't too worried. He knew they'd support him, no matter what.
"I want to find my father."
Dun, dun, dun! I'm so evil! Anyways, about the idea- I have never seen a fic where Ash goes off to find his father so I decided to write it myself. Course, I'm just a little bit cruel when it comes to my characters so, there will be quite a few plains to cross during their quest. Anyways, please review and tell me how I did! Anyone who does gets a virtual hug and cookie! Love ya guys, I'm out! Bye!
(1) He's twenty! He can drive instead of walking everywhere now :)