Two years ago…

Gary Oak was beaming like a radiant sun. His purple shirt and jeans fluttered against the wind as he ran. In his hands was a tiny blue Squirtle, just given to him by his grandfather, Professor Oak. As of today, he was the absolute first of his age to ever get a Pokemon! Normally, you would have to be twelve to be a licensed Pokemon trainer, but in Gary's case, he was the grandson of the most respected and accomplished professor in Pallet Town!

At least, he was the respected and accomplished professor in Pallet Town. His researched helped propel the development of great balls and ultra balls! It was even said he had successfully developed a Pokeball that had a 100% catch rate with any Pokemon! But that had changed 10 years ago, before Gary had been born. No one knew why, but he had quietly resigned as the head of the Pokemon research facility, and when asked why, he would laugh and say, "I need time to take care of my precious grandson."

That was the reason that most people had come to accept. And it seemed completely reasonable to Gary before, until one day, when he was having trouble sleeping. As he got a glass of milk from the fridge, he heard bone chilling screams from the revered professor. "Please no! I already did what you told me to! Don't go after Gary! He's my last hope!"

Even thinking about it made his entire being shudder. He knew that his grandfather was keeping an indescribable heavy secret, and he could do nothing to help. And yet, his grandfather had always treated him with love and kindness, teaching him about the three laws of a true scientist.

"Never stop asking. Never stop thinking. Always keep believing," He mumbled the tune the professor had drilled into him since he could remember. At the moment, he was just happy he finally got a Pokemon of his own. A crazy glint appeared in his eyes as he stared at the boundless grass patches. His grandfather had warned him of the many dangerous Pokemon living in the area. If he ever saw any Pokemon in the wild, he had to flee immediately.

However, that was assuming he was alone. Nobody ever said anything about him having his own Pokemon accompanying him.

00000

Ash stared into the distance atop a grassy hill surrounded by a luscious forest. In front of him stood the town he lived in for 10 years of his live. It always amazed him how much he had come to love the morning breeze, coupled with the hearty buzz of everyday life. He would always wake early in the morning to help his mother take care of the Pokemon in the Pokemon care centre. He loved the energetic chatter of the Pokemon as they greeted him.

At the same time, he had come to hate that these Pokemon were used as tools of war. It had never seemed right to him to use his closest partner in a fight to the death. If anything, he would stand in front of his Pokemon and let himself die before anything bad happened to them.

And so, he had come to hate the most notorious gang in Pallet Town, the group of bullies who were older than 12, and as such, had Pokemon of their own, and yet used their Pokemon bully younger children to do whatever they say. It absolutely disgusted Ash that the adults often paid little attention to the little war that was going on, and what was even worse than that, something that made Ash scorn every single child born in Pallet town, was that no matter the person getting bullied, their response would always be along the lines of, "Just you wait until I get my own Pokemon, then you'll see! My Pokemon will beat yours up so badly, you're gonna regret this!"

"If you wanted to stop getting bullied, I would have agreed with you," Thought Ash. "But bullying others who have bullied you would make you no different." And yet, even as he thought those words, he realized he had absolutely no way of trying to solve the situation without the need to fight back. The bullies would just keep coming again and again unless they were beaten at their own game.

For that reason, Ash hated that Pokemon were so much better at fighting than humans were. And for that reason, he had sworn never to take a single Pokemon to use in a fight. Instead, he would be the one protecting them for a change. And so, he began training his body at a mere age of 8. His mother then had laughed, flashing perfect, pearly white teeth as she looked at the sight of him trying to lift weights with a makeshift dumbbell made of a stick and two baskets full of potions at either end. When asked why he was doing all of this, Ash had replied that he wanted to save all Pokemon. His mother back then had closed her mouth, her eyes staring at Ash with an almost imperceptible gaze.

Thinking back, it really was a funny scene, trying to hold up lesser healing sprays with his stick. But that was the start of his exercise. Now, he had a lean body, with gently calloused muscles that complimented the blue shirt and denim jeans he had worn for years. Of course, he could not win a wrestling match with a Machomp or anything, but he was certain he would not be powerless in a fight.

His eyes casually glanced at the vast grassy plains surrounding Pallet Town, and suddenly, he spotted a purple figure holding a tiny Squirtle heading for the tall grasses. Instantly, he knew it was Gary. No one else other than him and Gary would have no friends at their age.

Ash knew little of Gary, but he was very familiar with Professor Oak, his grandfather. He knew that Professor Oak liked to teach the three laws of a scientist to everyone he saw, almost as if it was his life goal to say them to every single person he met. He would always help out at the care centre every once in a while, and always teased Ash and his seemingly magical way he could connect and be friendly to any Pokemon in the centre.

However, no amount of connection could bridge the gap between him and the wild Pokemon outside the town. They had been living a life of constant fear, always not knowing when they would be captured, forced to change their home almost every day. Ash had observed this from the hill top all these years, but the pain in his heart did not subside, instead, it only grew bigger and bigger as he continued to see this phenomenon. As such, the Pokemon in the area had always acted hostile towards any human, often even engaging in combat even before they did anything!

Such existed the deep enmity that Pokemon had for humans. But that was only to be expected. Humans capture Pokemon in these miracle Pokeballs and make them do their bidding. What part of this was acceptable to any person or any Pokemon?

"What is he doing…" Muttered Ash, his eyes squinting at the faraway figure. However, as he continued squinting, he was shocked to see little blue wriggly things appearing out of that Squirtle. Eyes narrowing, he concentrated all his eye power on the tiny Squirtle. He could see five strands of that wriggly thing moving around the Squirtle! Furthermore, it seemed as if they were alive! They seemed to grow more frantic as Gary had approached the plains. Ash sighed. Gary was going to get that Squirtle killed. He was about to turn away when he suddenly sensed an insurmountable sense of dread. He quickly scanned the area Gary was head, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Just a few hundred metres ahead of Gary stood a mother Pidgeot taking care of its baby Pidgeys! He didn't even need to see closely to know that she was capable of wiping the entire Town if she wanted! The strands coming off of her were lightly purple and were so extensive, it covered her very being! It looked like she was a purple angel of death!

"This is bad!"

00000

Gary was getting frustrated as he waltzed into the patches of grass. There was literally no Pokemon in sight! He could camp overnight in this place and he would still be fine the next day! If his grandfather had not personally said that this place was dangerous, Gary would have kicked himself for believing such a fool.

However, Professor Oak was not a fool. Gary knew that his words carried the weight of more than 80 years of Pokemon research! And yet, it was so empty he could almost imagine a tumbleweed rolling across the field at the corner of his eye. It almost seemed like something had scared the Pokemon within a hundred metres of here.

But that was impossible. Such a powerful existence had no point being in this relatively peaceful town. Gary was confident of this, and eventually convinced himself that it was simply migrating season, or possibly a lack of food in the area, that caused the Pokemon here to disappear.

He was oblivious to the soft, desperate squeals of his Squirtle as it trembled in his arms.

"I guess I'll keep going for just a little bit longer. Maybe I'll find an extremely rare Pokemon here!" His eyes glittered as resolution filled his spirit. He stepped forward for a few more metres until he came across a Pidgey.

"Finally!" He exclaimed, bending down to look at his first Pokemon sighting in ages. The Pidgey simply stared at him, tilting its head to the side curiously. Everything about this Pidgey seemed ordinary to him, and yet, He could not shake off the feeling of impending doom. It plagued him as he stared at the Pidgey, as if taunting him to even try to think of doing anything to it. He took a deep breath, and shaking off that feeling, proceeded to pull out a Pokeball from his pocket.

All of a sudden, the Pidgey screeched, and three seconds later, an ancient, archaic voice penetrated the very air, its roar giving off a feeling of indignation and fury.

"ROOOARRRR!" A massive figure then descended in front of the Pidgey. This was none other than its mother Pidgeot! The Pidgeot landed, and stared at Gary unblinkingly.

Gary was shaking in his boots. How could he have known that such an abnormality lived around here! He had never seen such a massive Pidgeot before!

Scratch that, he had never seen any hostile Pokemon in his life before! The only Pokemon he knew were the ones that were in the care centre! Even then, they were extremely docile, and would not hurt a fly!

Today, his eyes had been open, both literally and mentally. Inwardly, he cursed himself for being so reckless and rushing headfirst without even thinking of a plan! Come to think of it, he had never even thought of bringing even any lesser healing sprays!

He laughed grimly as he faced off against this monstrous bird. If his grandfather would have known, would he have stopped him? Would he be happy that his only hope, the one shining beacon preventing him from falling into his nightmares would willingly throw his life away because of his incredibly stupid, big head? He gazed directly into the Pidgeot's eyes, a steel resolve solidifying as he stood there.

Suddenly, the Squirtle in his arms began to squirm, and wrested free from the young trainer. Gary's initial reaction had been one of shock, then grim realization, and then regretful sadness. He knew that his Squirtle had no chance of surviving against this, and wanted to flee away from this sad excuse of a trainer. Gary couldn't blame it- he himself would have run away from himself if he were the Squirtle! As he forcefully shoved his pained emotions back in, he suddenly yelled, "Get away, Squirtle! From now on you are not my Pokemon! Get lost from here!". Heart bitter, he gritted his teeth as he knew it was the only way the Squirtle would survive the Pidgeot's wrath, if he severed all ties and claimed he stole the Squirtle from someone else. Maybe the Pidgeot would take pity and raise the Squirtle as one of her own.

However, to his shock and amazement, the Squirtle just stood there trembling. It obviously knew it had no chance against the Pidgeot, and the hesitation in the mother's eyes meant that at the very least, it would not be slaughtered along with Gary. It could have just left him, yet it protected him, its body trembling like a leaf in the wind as he faced the massive bird Pokemon. "S-Squirtle! Squirtle!" It squealed, trying to get into a fighting stance.

Gary was stunned. "What…what are you doing?!" He yelled, fear and anxiety worming its way into his heart. "Get lost! I don't need you anymore! Did you hear me!" He did not understand. Why? Why was it so determined to protect him when he had no chance of winning, furthermore he was assured of survival if he had just pleaded innocence!

The Squirtle turned to look at Gary. If a picture could speak a thousand words, the Squirtle had written a life story in its expression. All Gary needed to understand from that gaze were two words.

"Thank you."

It was at that moment when Gary smiled, seemingly free from his endless fear. "Look at me, getting all desperate, when my Squirtle has not given up in me! Who am I to call myself Gary Oak if I cannot even die saving the things I care about!" His eyes flashed with an intimidating resilience. With just one look at his Squirtle, they exchanged glances, nodded, and turned to the Pidgeot.

"SQUIRTLE! WATER GUN!"

00000

Ash was agape. His mouth was so unhinged his jaws could kiss the grass. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that the Gary Oak, the boy he had never once considered to be a trainer, would inspire such a fanatic reaction from his Squirtle. It was like he was the emperor, and it was its bodyguard. One could only imagine the amount of trust and determination the two of them had!

Unfortunately, will cannot exceed strength alone. Within a minute, his Squirtle was already battered and bruised, and all it took from the Pidgeot was a flap of her wing. But Gary and his Squirtle were unfazed. If anything, they seemed more intent on fighting to the death!

Such willpower and resilience far exceeded the maturity of a ten year old!

It was at this moment when Squirtle had flown through the air and Gary had caught it, tumbling dozens of metres before colliding with a tree. Blood spurted out of his mouth, and yet, the first thing Gary had asked his Squirtle was, "Hey buddy, are you okay?! Come on, don't give up yet!"

Ash didn't realize it, but he had already come to admire the selflessness of Gary. His will determined, he shot forward and grabbed the spectating Pidgey. "Hey, you ugly bird!" He yelled as the struggling Pidgey tried to fly away, only to be forcefully locked in place by Ash's monstrous strength.

With a jolt, the Pidgeot slowly turned to look at Ash. Its features were one of confusion, then shock, and finally utter hatred as she eyed her child. She roared a massive howl that tore away the tall grass in a ten metre radius! Even the trees around here swayed away from her, as if their very being wanted to run from this monstrosity.

"One more step, and i'll throw it!" Ash warned. The Pidgeot's eyes grew cold, but she did nothing. Ash slowly walked in a giant arc around the Pidgeot, her eyes continuing to bore into his soul. But he resisted shuddering. If he ever showed weakness to her, she would rip him apart immediately.

00000

Gary was dumbfounded. In all the years he had lived in Pallet Town, he would never have imagined that the day he met the quiet Ash Ketchum would be the day he gets saved by him. He knew literally nothing about him except for the fact that he had been his grandfathers' assistant's child, and that was it. He did not even know his actual age for that matter!

With a rueful smile, he realized how much of a frog in the well he had been. He only could see a portion of the sky, and yet wanted to pick a fight with the wild Pokemon in the area, believing that he could beat any of them with just a baby Squirtle.

As Ash slowly neared him, he realized how much of a predicament he was in, and how costly his actions had been. If he were dead, his mind could accept it, but if his own Squirtle and a random guy he never knew before in his life died because of him, the remorse in his mind would never cease. "Ash! Get out of here before it's too late!"

The blue-shirted trainer snorted and turn to him. "You idiot, I came here to save you!"

Gary's mind was sent in a loop. But before he could process any of this, the Pidgeot let out an earth-shattering roar, even louder than the previous ones. Comparing them to this was like comparing sleeping and a children's playground!

"Got any ideas on getting out of this alive?!" Gary asked nervously.

"Umm…" Ash mumbled.

Gary was more agape than Ash had been earlier. "You mean, you came in without a plan?"

"Shut up! I'm trying to…" Ash yelled, before he stopped and stared curiously at the Squirtle. It was still trembling- the psychological effects of a life or death scenario on a newborn could be imagined.

"Grab on to the Squirtle! Now!" Ash yelled, as he suddenly threw away the trapped Pidgey at hyper speed. It spun towards the distance, squawking in fear. The Pidgeot's eyes widened, and roared. It took off for its child, leaving behind a centimetre deep indentation. Interestingly, there was a huge 'R' symbol on its back, and it was red, as if it was written in blood…

"Damn!" Gary cursed. He did not know what kind of miracle Ash could do in this situation, but he had no choice but to trust him. He grabbed on tightly to his Squirtle. As he slowly peeked his eyes, he saw Ash gently caress the Squirtle, smiling like a proud father. "Don't worry boy, you can do it."

He saw Ash leaning in and whispering into the Squirtle's ear, "Hydro pump."

Immediately, a massive jet stream of water shot out of the Squirtle, propelling the two boys across the plains. The last thing Gary could see as he was screaming in terror was a giant rock, and then everything was covered in black.

00000

Gary's eyes slowly opened. He was in a hospital bed, with a whole set of blood bags, scalpels, and medical instruments at his side. His body felt like it had been through a grinder, then slowly stretched like pasta, and then finally condensed into a paste like a roller on pizza. His muscles ached, and he let out a painful moan. His headache was only increased when a pair of calloused hands grabbed his shoulders and hugged him.

This was, of course, his grandfather.

As Professor Oak hugged Gary, a mixture of feelings exploded from him. He did not know whether he should be angry that he was almost killed, or glad that he was safe, well at least alive. He sensed Gary was about to say something, so he put a finger to his lips. "Don't worry, Ash told us everything. He told us how you were suddenly attacked by a massive Pidgeot, and how you two barely managed to escape. Don't ever scare me like that!"

Gary forced a smile that made it seem like he was guilty of something. "What about Ash?"

"The caretaker's son? He's recovering. You know, you should thank him," Professor Oak chided. "If he hadn't covered your frail body against my observatory, you would be dead by now."

Gary shook his head, laughing. It perplexed Professor Oak, but he decided not to ask. They just stayed that way in silence, until Gary suddenly stood up from his bed.

"Hey Grandad. What do you know about Hydro Pump?"

"Mmm?"Professor Oak was surprised. "Why do you ask? It is a very powerful move used by water type Pokemon, like your Squirtle. Unfortunately, the amount of practice it takes to master that skill is incredibly long. You would need at least two years to fully master this move, provided you don't sleep, eat, or drink." He stared at his grandson. "Why?"

Gary smiled again. "No reason. Just curious." He looked out the window, where the sun was shining brightly on his lap.

Professor Oak could only guess what was going on in his mind.

00000

Now…

Same hill, same routine, same town. Even after two years it still had not changed. Ash was now a whole head taller than he was before. His back was lean, and his posture only served to highlight his body. He sighed. Today was the day that he had to go out and adventure on his own. Today was the day he had to pick a Pokemon to fight for him.

As Ash sauntered over to the Professor's lab, he thought of all the events that had conspired up till today. On a side note, the Pidgeot was still not found, and most people had speculations that the two of them made it up to grab some attention. The most unforgettable moment, however, had been when he had told his mother of the little strands he could see in every Pokemon. She had gone wide-eyed, and trembled in a fit as she held Ash in a vice grip. "Does anyone else know?! DO THEY KNOW!?" Ash had never seen his mother so scared in his life before. He nervously shook his head, which caused her to sigh, relaxing a little bit. But then she had stared into Ash's very soul and begged him not to tell a single person, to which Ash agreed immediately.

Till today, his mother would act a little paranoid now and again whenever they met new people. Ash didn't want to see her suffer any more, so he set a firm resolution in his heart to absolutely not tell a single human in this world of his freaky skill.

Even if hell freezes over.

"Hey Ash!" A familiar voice cried out. Ash turned around to see Gary Oak. He looked nearly the same as two years ago, albeit a bit taller. Even the clothes he wore were the exact same. "Ready to go adventuring?"

"No." Ash said simply. "Adventuring is a nice way of saying 'I'm going to make my Pokemon fight to the death for me!'. And you know how much I hate that." The two of them had grown extremely close over the last two years. So close even, that they knew what each other was thinking."

"Come on Ash! Think of the other things you could do while adventuring!" Gary laughed. "You could-" Before he could finish his sentence, he stopped, eyes cold and ruthless. Ash turned his eyes to meet, the bully gang.

Even after two years they still terrorized the children of Pallet Town. The oldest in the group were fourteen. There had been members who were older, but were forced to leave since the town had an unspoken rule, where teens older than fifteen were required to adventure and experience the world for themselves. If they wanted, they could return to Pallet Town and live as a resident, or they could go to other cities and live there as well.

These bullies, however, were the worst. They clearly had more powerful Pokemon than the twelve year olds who had just received them, and yet they continued to bully the kids here. It was like they had gotten bullied in the outside world and came to vent it on the children of Pallet Town.

Currently, they were just lazing about the entrance, intimidating anyone that tries to leave. They let any child in the laboratory, they just didn't let anyone out without a 'peaceful demonstration', as they called it.

"Oh look, its the loser kids. The ones who don't have anyone but themselves." One of them said. The others snickered in response. The kids who were frightened by the bullies turned to look at Ash and Gary, and their utter disregard for them was only secondary to the fear they had for the bullies.

"They're not even worth picking on. Professor Oak should be ashamed that he has a kid like him."

Gary clenched his fist. He wanted so badly to rush up to the bullies and send them to wherever the Pidgeot was residing in this world. It was only when Ash grabbed his shoulder that he calmed down, glaring at them.

Ash looked indifferent as he walked into the lab. The bullies didn't seem to intimidate him one bit. The other kids saw this opportunity and began to rush behind him. Gary, begrudgingly, followed suit, giving one last look of contempt at the bullies.

"Ah! Children! You're finally here!" Professor Oak smiled. He was completely oblivious to the commotion outside. Behind him were a group of Pokemon out of their balls. You may begin picking your Pokemon. However, I must give you the introductory tutorial every trainer receives. As you all know…"

Gary looked left and right. It was obvious no one was paying attention to the lecture. They were either eyeing the strongest Pokemon, or were playing around with their friends. He sighed inwardly. Was it really a good idea to send twelve year old children who have nothing in their brain except having fun?

After the lecture had lasted for what seemed like an eternity, Professor Oak smiled at them. "That concludes it. You may now choose your-" Before he could even finish, the kids had already rushed to him, trying to get the best Pokemon for their journey. Gary stared nervously at Ash. He was already assured of his Squirtle, but Ash had no Pokemon of his own! But even as the kids clamored over the Pokemon, Ash showed no signs of moving. Rather, he was just bored of the whole thing.

Eventually, there was only 1 Pokeball left, belonging to a weak looking Pikachu. It seemed to want a partner so badly, but everyone had glanced over it in favor of the other stronger Pokemon. Professor Oak saw that Ash had not chosen a Pokemon yet, and coughed in his direction.

Ash smiled. "That's quite all right. I don't need a Pokemon for my journey."

"WHAT?!" Even as he finished speaking them, the others stared at Ash with a look of incredulity. Even the gang leader, Azriel, had wide eyes as he stood behind the laboratory door. All of a sudden, he let out a laugh. Everyone, including the ones inside the lab, turned to look at him.

So this the legendary Ash Ketchum, rumored to survive a mutated Pidgeot and lived to tell the tale? The same Ash that just refused to even want a Pokemon? Is your head too big for your boots, boy?" He sneered. He was already near fifteen, and eventually would be forced to leave Pallet Town. But before that, he swore he would torment all the pitiful souls in this place, namely Ash Ketchum.

In particular, he loved it when Ash did not reply to any of his threats.

"You think you're some bigshot in the town, do you?" He smiled savagely as he waltzed in. Professor Oak gave a look of confusion, but Azriel did not care. "Well listen up, you little punk. I know that whatever crap you spouted two years ago was a lie. You guys were probably just scared of a tiny little PIdgey!"

Seeing the silence from Ash only fueled his desire. Gary was next to him. Doing everything he can to not walk forward and strangle Azriel to death.

"Just go back to the care centre and take care of Pokemon where you belong!" He laughed viciously. "I didn't think your mom would be that weak when I came to that dump!"

Ash's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"You mean you don't know?!" Azriel's eyes glimmered, then a malicious smile plastered on his face as he yelled, "I enjoyed the look of fear she gave me when I asked where was Ash Ketchum! The way she shook in front of me was so satisfying!"

He arched his back and laughed. The kids who were already infuriated by him grew more unsightly. Nobody deserved to be treated like this.

It was at this moment that Ash calmly walked to Azriel, grabbed his face, and gave it a firm slap with his hand! Azriel howled and retreated a few steps.

"Even Pokemon who steal food are better than you." Ash said coldly. "They steal it to give to their families."

Azriel's mind was reeling. He was about to retort when Ash held up a sign. It looked like the upside down gesture of Spiderman's hand when he web slings. In the Pokemon world, however, that is a sign of a challenge!

"Azriel Devan," Ash said smoothly. "I challenge you to a duel. My Pokemon will be that Pikachu." He pointed to the depressed Pikachu in Professor Oak's arms. "And your Pokemon, or Pokemons…." He smiled wryly.

"Your Pokemons shall be any Pokemon whatsoever!" Ash said coldly. "My Pikachu will take any number of Pokemon you throw at me!"

00000

She could only hear the sound of her heartbeat.

Nothing in this world existed except for her. She was alone. Always had been, back when she took shelter in an abandoned temple.

Until one day, when a group of people forcefully pulled her away. They did so many things to her…too many to speak of.

It was cold inside this prison cell. The scar of an 'R' shaped brand still glimmered in the moonlight. She poked at the tray of food she was given. It tasted exactly like Pokemon food. And yet, she was so hungry, she didn't care even if it were the rotting meat of a dead animal. She would gladly eat the maggots off the carcass if she could.

As she gulped down her meal, a single tear fell from her eyes. It glistened in the moonlight, and as it fell off her face and dropped to the ground, the quiet whimpering of a girl could be heard.

"Someone…someone please help me…"

Hey guys! It's me, NanoMari! Currently this is a new series for me, so I hope that you will be able to support me all the way! But for right now, I'd like some opinions on my story.

1. Is it too long winded? Too much info? Too little info? Fast paced?

2. Who might this girl be? :3 I will see the most popular girl and choose her as my character. Be warned, she plays a vital role in this story :D