(Author's Note: This is something I've always wanted to try - my own interpretation of the story told by the Pokémon anime, with a stronger sense of plot and more character development mixed in. I first attempted it about ten years ago as a webcomic, but it didn't last long. Now, on the occasion of Pokémon's 20th American anniversary, I'm giving it another shot in fanfiction form. This is a very ambitious project and I may not be able to update it regularly, but I'm gonna give it a try and see how well it goes over. Hope you enjoy!)

"A devastating Night Shade attack rips into Nidorino! This could be the end of it, folks!"

Gengar's body dimmed to pitch black as the deadly purple energy shot from its eyes. Nidorino buckled under the impact, its feet digging desperately into the dirt of the arena. Its magenta body gleamed with sweat and grime. A crowd of thousands groaned in unison, as if they'd felt the impact too.

Ash Ketchum didn't even register the scrape of his own fingernails against his cheeks. He was too invested in the outcome of this battle. No trainer who came this far could back out now. Not against the Elite Four. This was the stuff that dreams were made of.

"Come on, Nidorino," he muttered under his breath. "You can do this! You're stronger than that, I know you are!"

Nidorino wobbled under the strain of keeping itself conscious. Its steely gaze narrowed as it faced Gengar, refusing to go down like this. There was still one ace up its sleeve. The poisonous horn between its eyes began to spark, and the stadium lit up as a massive Thunderbolt erupted forth. Surely, this would work.

Gengar vanished. The electricity tore apart the ground that the ghost Pokémon had stood on half a second before. And in the blink of an eye, there was Gengar again, its stubby arms outstretched, casting a suspicious wave of pink energy from its claw-like hands. The energy wafted over Nidorino's face, and its eyes began to droop…

Ash's stomach fell. "No!" he gasped. "No! What are you doing?! Get up!"

But it was too late. Nidorino hit the arena floor, fast asleep. And with a horrible shock, Ash realized what must be coming next.

Gengar's eyes glowed red. So did Nidorino's unconscious body. And then the great mouse Pokémon writhed in silent agony, as its lifeforce flew from its brain into Gengar's grinning open mouth.

"Oh!" The announcer's wince was audible. "That's the dreaded Hypnosis/Dream Eater combo! Count Nidorino out for this round, folks, it's all the Elite Agatha's game now!"

Ash couldn't believe his senses. How could this happen? How could the battle have gone south so quickly? "No!" he shouted again. "No, you gotta be kidding me!"

And in his haste, he clonked his head on the upper deck of his bed.

Stars blinked in Ash's eyes as he rubbed a hand over the back of his head. Hissing, he glanced around his cluttered bedroom. The match, still unfolding on live television, had been so engrossing, he'd almost forgotten he wasn't actually there at the Indigo Plateau.

"Nobody's kidding anybody, Ash," said a stern voice. Ash looked up to see his mother glaring at him from the doorway, clad in a lavender nightgown. She didn't seem to be sharing in his enthusiasm. "Particularly not me. This doesn't look like the video that Professor Oak gave you…"

Ash got to his feet, straightening his coveted official Pokémon League hat. "Mom, you don't understand!" he said. "It's the final week of the Indigo Conference! This is the guy who's up against the Elite Four!"

"Oh, I understand plenty," said Ash's mom, raising a disbelieving eyebrow. "I understand it's an hour past your bedtime and you've got to be at the professor's lab bright and early tomorrow! Now did you watch that video or not?"

Ash's eyes darted at the TV again, hoping to catch a glimpse of the action. The challenger seemed to have switched Pokémon; Nidorino was no longer in play, but a massive Onix now filled one half of the battlefield.

"Yeah, sure," Ash mumbled, "if you say I did, why not?"

Mrs. Ketchum sighed. "Ash, if you're serious about this Pokémon training thing, you need to know what you're going into! It's a big world out there, you need to learn about what to expect!"

Ash smirked a bit, putting his hands behind his head. "C'mon, Mom," he said, "this isn't gonna be my first time out in the wild with Pokémon. I'll be able to take care of myself."

"Well," Mrs. Ketchum shot back, stepping over Ash's haphazard collection of Pokémon toys, books, and trading cards that covered the carpet like ants, "I for one will feel much more at ease if you just listen to common sense for once in your life, Ash Ketchum. It's the least you can do before you leave home for God knows how long."

She fished the videotape out from under a pile of dirty t-shirts and plugged it into Ash's VCR. With a brief flash of static, the Pokémon battle disappeared, replaced by a bright blue screen. Moments later came a jaunty synthesizer tune and a bright yellow intro screen: PROFESSOR OAK'S GUIDE TO POKÉMON TRAINING.

"There you go," she said, turning to leave. "And you pay attention, okay? This is stuff you need to know!"

Ash flopped down on the bed, admitting defeat. He turned a bored eye to the screen, recognizing the wizened face of Professor Samuel Oak, Pallet Town's leading authority on Pokémon, standing at the table in the center of his lab.

"Hello there! Welcome to the world of Pokémon! My name is Oak! People call me the Pokémon Professor!"

Ash rolled his eyes. He'd met Professor Oak in real life tons of times, and he was never this perky in person.

The Oak on the screen continued. "If you're watching this, it can only mean one thing - you're about to turn 11, and that means you're almost old enough to be granted your Pokémon trainer's license! Let me be the first to say, congratulations! But surely, you must be full of questions! How do I get my first Pokémon? How do I capture Pokémon in the wild? What's the best way to train Pokémon?"

As the video went on, Ash caught snippets of Oak's lecture - pick one of three starting Pokémon, search for wild Pokémon in tall grass, always carry spare Poké Balls - but he didn't need to be told what to do. This was all instinct. Either you had it or you didn't. And Ash knew he had it. How could he not? He'd grown up around Pokémon all his life - Pallet Town, in the quietest and most homey part of the Kanto region, was teeming with all types. Curious squiggly Caterpie that crawled in the gardens, squawking Pidgey that soared overhead in the early morning hours, bobbing Tentacool that washed up on the water's edge sometimes. Ash had seen them all, and he'd had a passion for training ever since seeing his first Pokémon League match on TV. He knew, once he was old enough, that he'd have no trouble blazing through the gym challenge and becoming Pokémon League Champion.

And he knew he'd make it there sooner than Gary.

Gary the great. Gary the amazing. Gary, the snooty stuck-up grandson of Professor Oak, who'd said Ash would never make it as a Pokémon trainer because he could never hope to catch as many different species as him. Just because he grew up learning about Pokémon at his grandpa's lab, he thought that made him an expert. He thought that made him better than Ash. Well, Ash didn't need friends like him anymore. Not ones who teased him, who made him feel like dirt just 'cause he'd never been on a research trip or seen some dumb Kangaskhan up close.

Ash would show Gary who the real champion was. No doubt about it. And someday, that'd be him at the Indigo Plateau, taking on the Elite Four, being declared the ultimate Pokémon Master…

Enough was enough. Ash couldn't focus on Professor Oak droning on about type advantages or whatever. His eyes flicked back to his bedroom door. He was sure his mom was in bed by now, probably even asleep. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her, right?

Lowering the volume to nearly a whisper, Ash flicked the TV from the VCR feed back over to cable. The Indigo Plateau finals reappeared. Onix was still in play, but Agatha had switched to her Golbat - it fluttered over the battlefield, which now had a massive fissure cut through it. How much had he missed?

He vowed not to miss anymore. He had to know how this battle ended. It didn't matter how late it ran. Ten o'clock...eleven o'clock...midnight…

Ash's eyes flickered open. The morning sun illuminated his bedroom. The familiar sound of twittering Pidgey song met his ears.

He sat up, running a hand through his hair, and smiled. This was it! Today was finally his eleventh birthday! And now all he had to do was head up to Professor Oak's lab. He wanted to make sure he got his pick of the best starter Pokémon - he wasn't the only trainer starting today, and if he didn't make it there on time, the good ones would be gone already. Fortunately, he'd fallen asleep in his clothes again, which would save time…

As Ash rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, he paused. Something wasn't right. The early morning sunlight through his window usually hit the wall of his room at this hour. Why was it just a tiny sliver on the floor?

It was almost as if…

Ash's heart began to pound. He flailed around and glanced at his bedside clock.

It was 11:45. He hadn't set the alarm before he fell asleep last night.

"MOM!" Ash bellowed, leaping out of bed like a bolt of lightning. "Why didn't you wake me up?! It's almost noon!"

Mrs. Ketchum opened the door as Ash whirled around the room, stuffing whatever clean clothes he could find into his backpack. "Oh, so you are finally up!" she chirped. "I was wondering when you'd be ready to go. I would've thought you'd be packed up sooner - this is all you've been talking about for weeks…"

"My stupid alarm didn't go off!" Ash panted, tugging on his sneakers. He quickly threw his blue-and-yellow jacket onto his back, hoping against hope that one of the good starter Pokémon hadn't been picked already. "Man, I can't believe this is how my Pokémon journey is gonna start!"

He shoved a few bags of chips into his already overstuffed backpack and threw it over one shoulder, then made a beeline for the door. "Slow down, Ash!" his mom intoned. "You're gonna break something!"

"There's no time to break anything," Ash said absentmindedly, taking the stairs two at a time as he bolted for the front door. "I gotta get there before Gary does!" He wrenched the front door open, and in a flash, he was across the front yard. A wild Rattata took cover under a bush as he tore across the lawn towards the street. "Bye, mom!" Ash shouted over his shoulder. "I'll call you when I get to Viridian City!"

Mrs. Ketchum stood in the doorway, bewildered. "Ash! You're just leaving?! Don't you want a ride to the lab or anything? It'd be faster!"
"I don't have time!" Ash called back, running full-tilt up the street.

Twenty minutes later, Ash was doubled over, practically wheezing up a lung and clutching a throbbing stitch in his side, as he gripped the fence around Professor Oak's lab for support. He'd made it! Not at all like he'd intended to, but he made it…

But as he wiped the sweat out of his eyes, he recognized the young boy who was just leaving the premises. The spiky brown hair, the smug expression...none of it did anything to brighten Ash's mood.

"Well, well, well, look who finally decided to roll out of bed! What'd you do, Ashy-boy, trip over your own feet on the way here?"

Gary leaned confidently against the front gate, a cocky smirk plastered on his face. Ash's fists clenched as he fought the urge to wipe that smirk right off his rival's stupid head.

"I don't… I don't have…" Ash was still struggling to speak after running over a mile. "I don't have time for you, Gary," he finally managed to grunt. "I gotta go...I gotta pick my starter…"

Gary laughed as he held up a shiny red-and-white Poké Ball. "Too late, Ashy-boy. I already got the last good one. And this thing's gonna be a huge help to me in the first two gyms!" He pocketed the Poké Ball and sneered at his former friend. "Guess you're stuck with the dregs, huh, buddy? Eh, don't worry, maybe Grandpa will feel sorry for you and give you a Caterpie...or a Magikarp or something!"

Ash's body trembled with rage. No part of this day was going right. He tried to wheeze out a retort, but all he could manage was "You...you…"

"Ooh, good comeback, pal," Gary snickered, turning towards the road that led to the Pallet Town border and Route 1. "I guess I'll see you in Viridian City, assuming you even make it that far, you little wimp! Smell ya later!"

Ash tried to catch his breath as he ascended the path to the front entrance. He didn't even bother knocking as he swung the door open, about ready to collapse on the floor.

"I'm here, Professor Oak!" he gasped. "I wanna...I wanna register as...as a Pokémon trainer!"

Professor Oak looked up from his research table, his gray eyes widening with surprise. "Ash!" he exclaimed. "You've arrived! My word, I was beginning to think you'd changed your mind!"

Ash stumbled across the lab, still wobbling slightly. "Sorry, my alarm didn't go off...I meant to be here at like eight...but, uh, anyway, I'm ready to pick my starter Pokémon." He gulped, trying to ease the cold achy feeling in his lungs. "What'd you say on the video? Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle, right?"

Professor Oak's face fell. He rubbed a callused hand across the back of his neck. "Um, yes, well, you see, Ash...the thing is, there were quite a few other young trainers who came to register today, and, ah...well…"

He gestured to a triangular pedestal that stood between a massive bookshelf and a trading computer. There were three empty indents set in it, where Poké Balls would go.

"...I'm afraid all three starters already got picked this morning," Professor Oak finished apologetically.

Ash's insides seemed to turn to lead. He leaned against the table for support.

"I missed them all?!" he squeaked. "But...but now what am I supposed to do? I mean, I can't be a Pokémon trainer without a starting Pokémon!"

"Well," Oak continued, "I'll be receiving another group of starters in about a week's time. You can always come back next Monday, if you don't mind waiting."

Ash ran a hand across his face. A whole week? Who knows how far ahead of him Gary would get? He'd probably have half his gym badges by then…

"I don't know…" Ash mumbled. "I mean… I'd really hoped I could start today, but I guess if there's no other choice…"

Oak's eyes suddenly lit up. "Well, not necessarily, Ash. I mean, I do have other Pokémon in the lab that I've studied from my field research. If you really wish, I could set you up with one of those."

Ash suddenly straightened up. "Really?"

"In fact," Oak added, crossing to the door that led to the Poké Ball containment center, "I think I know just the one for you. It's a little rambunctious, but I bet you two will get along just fine." He got down on his haunches and patted his knees. "Pikachu! That's right, come here, boy!"

Ash blinked. A small yellow Pokémon waddled into the room. Its tiny round face wore an expression of confusion, and its long pointy ears and jagged yellow-and-brown tail were twitching. Its red cheeks seemed to be glowing slightly.

"Ash, meet Pikachu!" Professor Oak said, standing back up. "It's an Electric-type Pokémon. I caught him for observation in the Viridian Forest, but if you want him, he's yours."

Ash knelt down to get a better look at Pikachu. It didn't seem to want to make eye contact with him.

Well, he thought, he does look kinda cool. And it's better than waiting a week, after all…

"What the heck," Ash said, "I'll take him! Thanks, Professor!"

He scooped up Pikachu and held it in his arms, giving it a little squeeze. "So," he said, "I guess you and me are buddies now, huh?"

For a split second, Ash felt his hair stand on end. Pikachu's eyes narrowed dangerously.

KA-ZAP.

Pikachu leapt onto the table as Ash crumpled backwards onto the floor, his muscles seizing, the edges of his clothes smoldering. He'd never been electrocuted that badly before; it felt like he'd just been set on fire.

Oak winced at the sight. "Oh yes, I meant to tell you, watch out for that...Pikachu can be a little moody sometimes. This one doesn't like being confined in a Poké Ball, and, uh...well, it hates being touched."

Ash got gingerly back to his feet, his extremities still tingling with electricity. "Thanks, Professor," he rasped, "I'll try to keep that in mind…"

Pikachu sniffed derisively at Ash, then turned its back to him. Ash instinctively reached out to try and pet him, then realized that probably wouldn't work.

"Oh, and there's a few more things you'll need," Oak said, opening a drawer on his desk. He withdrew five small Poké Balls and a red handheld computer. "Some Poké Balls to get you started on capturing. And this here is my prized invention, the Pokédex! I took the liberty of pre-registering it in your name. This little computer contains everything you could ever want to know about every species of Pokémon you'll find in the Kanto region. Anytime you encounter a Pokémon you've never seen, just look it up in here, and it'll tell you what you need."

Ash pocketed these items, but in the back of his mind, he couldn't fathom wasting all that time looking stuff up. Not when he could learn just as easily from being out there in the wilderness, meeting Pokémon face to face. "Thanks, Professor," he said anyway.

"Well, I guess that's it, then!" Professor Oak beamed. "This is where your journey begins, Ash. Head north up Route 1 towards Viridian City, and you should be on your way. Best of luck to you and Pikachu. And remember, if you've ever got any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch!"

An elated sensation began to swell in Ash's stomach. The day hadn't started quite as planned, but this was it - he was going to travel the world as a real, honest-to-goodness Pokémon trainer!

"Thanks again, Professor Oak!" he said proudly. "And don't worry, next time you see me, I'm gonna be the Pokémon League Champion!" He turned towards the exit. "C'mon, Pikachu!"

He got several steps towards the door before he realized Pikachu hadn't budged. It sat resolutely on the table and stuck its tongue out at Ash, its cheeks sparking.

Oak grinned awkwardly. "Well," he chuckled, "even champions have to start somewhere…"

Ash hadn't really given much thought to which Pokémon he'd wanted to start with. The Fire-type Charmander would probably have been the coolest, since he knew it eventually evolved into something that looked like a dragon, and there was no way that couldn't be awesome. The Water-type Squirtle would've been okay too, though a Grass-type like Bulbasaur seemed like it would've had its advantages as well. Any of them would've made fine traveling companions, he thought.

This Pikachu, however, was not at all what he'd had in mind.

The two of them were barely out of Pallet Town, just about half a mile into the foliage off Route 1, when Pikachu decided it'd had enough. It was now laying spread-eagle on the dirt path, pouting up at the sky, refusing to budge another inch.

Ash sighed in frustration. "Pikachu, enough of this, all right? We gotta get to Viridian City before sundown and we're already late as it is!"

Pikachu snorted and rolled over onto its stomach, sticking its tail up in the air.

"Come on!" Ash snapped. "Enough laying around! What are you, tired? You wanna sit on my shoulder or something?"

He bent down to pick Pikachu up.
Instantaneously, 10,000 volts shot through his body again. Ash stumbled backwards, crumpling against a tree trunk. Struggling to catch his breath, he could have sworn he heard Pikachu laughing.

Blood boiled in Ash's temples. He wasn't going to spend his whole first day as a trainer on this route. "All right, you little brat," he snarled, unhooking one of the empty Poké Balls from its clip on his belt, "let's get one thing straight here - I'm your trainer, all right? Whether you like it or not! And you're my Pokémon, and that means you're going in a Poké Ball, now!"

He pressed the button on the seam of the ball, and a red beam of energy shot out at Pikachu.

With surprising agility, Pikachu leapt into the air. The energy beam hit the ground and plowed up a small puff of dust before vanishing.

"Hey!" Ash yelped. "You heard what I said! Come back here!" He gritted his teeth and hurled the Poké Ball at Pikachu with all his might.

Pikachu swung one of its stubby little arms around and spiked the Poké Ball back at Ash like a volleyball. It nailed Ash straight between the eyes, and he landed flat on his behind, clunking his head against the tree trunk again.

Blinking the stars away from his vision, Ash saw Pikachu doubled over in the tall grass, laughing itself silly. He sighed again.

"Pikachu, why don't you like me? I mean, jeez, I'm trying to be nice, I don't get why -"

He stopped short as a strange robotic-sounding voice interrupted him.

"Pokédex activated. This device is registered to Ash Ketchum. Hometown: Pallet Town. Date of birth: April 1, 1986…"

Ash whirled around. His Pokédex had fallen out of his jacket pocket and opened when it hit the ground. Its screen displayed a photograph of his own face.

The odd mechanical voice continued. "Trainer identification number: 01301…"

"Yeah, yeah, shut up," Ash muttered, picking up the tiny computer. He jabbed random buttons, trying to get it to shut off. His registration screen blinked away - but something else replaced it. A picture of a small brown bird Pokémon he'd seen many times before in his life.

"Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. It does not like to fight. It hides in tall grass and so on, foraging for food such as small bugs. A common sight in forests and woods, it flaps its wings at ground level to kick up blinding sand."

Ash glanced up. Sure enough, there was a Pidgey, hopping around in the tall grass and pecking diligently at the dirt. Either it didn't know it had been spotted, or it didn't care.

A small fire seemed to ignite in Ash's gut. Finally, an opportunity to capture his first wild Pokémon!

"All right, Pikachu, enough standing around! Let's work together and do this! Attack that Pidgey!"

Ash spun to face Pikachu, beaming. His smile vanished like smoke when he saw Pikachu flopped back on the ground again, picking at blades of grass.

"Pikachu!" Ash bellowed. "Will you quit screwing around and get over here? I need your help!"

Pikachu glared at Ash, sparks flying from its cheeks again.

"Uh...right," Ash gulped. "Okay, you know what? Be like that. Maybe I don't need your help - I can catch this little guy all on my own!"

Keeping one eye on the Pidgey, Ash dropped his backpack and took off his coat, holding it in front of him like a net. Slowly, gently, he crept up behind the bird as it kept digging for bugs. He knew he could do this, as long as he kept his cool. As long as he maintained an element of surprise…

"YAAAH!" he screamed, lunging. The Pidgey only had time to squawk in alarm as Ash landed on top of it, struggling to keep the squirming terrified Pokémon trapped under his coat. "Oh no you don't, Feathers, you're not gettin' away that easy! No Pokémon can outsmart Ash Ketchum!"

He let go of one edge of the coat, fumbling toward his waist for a Poké Ball. In the two seconds it took, Pidgey flailed back into the open, its feathers askew, looking very put out. Before Ash could lunge again, it began flapping its short little wings, blowing up a surprisingly powerful dust cloud that rudely invaded Ash's eyes and throat.

Coughing like mad, Ash waved away the cloud frantically. He squinted through his dusty tears enough to see Pidgey flying away towards the treetops. His heart sank.

Pikachu was positively rolling with laughter, pounding the ground voraciously. Ash's eyes narrowed at his disobedient companion. "Oh yeah, laugh it up, Sparky," he snarled, "If you 'n me don't start working together, you realize we're never gonna get off this stupid route!"

As Ash tugged his jacket back on, a rustling sound caught his ear. He turned to where he'd dropped his backpack. Something with a long purple tail was rummaging through it.

"Hey!" Ash shouted. "Get outta there! That's not yours!"

A tiny rat-like Pokémon poked its head out of the backpack. It had one of Ash's bags of chips clamped between its buck teeth.

The Pokédex lay on the ground next to the backpack. "Rattata," it squawked. "The Rat Pokémon. Its fangs are long and very sharp. They grow continuously-"

"Put a sock in it, I know what it is!" Ash said. He raised a fist in an effort to look threatening. "Drop the food, pal, before I punt you clean over Mt. Silver!"

The Rattata darted out of the backpack, chip bag still clutched tight in its mouth. Ash bolted after it. "Get back here, you li'l vermin!" he called. "Pikachu, will you get off your lightning bolt butt and help me already?!"

Pikachu had its hands over its face, laughing harder than ever.

Ash made a grab for Rattata. It dropped the bag, but scampered up Ash's arm instead. "What the heck?" Ash squeaked. "Get off me, you crazy -"
CRUNCH.

Ash yelped in pain and clutched his ear. Rattata leapt from Ash's shoulder and scampered away into the grass.

Gingerly massaging the fresh bite mark on his earlobe, Ash stormed back to the tree, fuming. He shoved his Pokédex back in his pocket, tossed his backpack over one shoulder, then rounded on his still giggling Pikachu, face flushed with anger.

"Look!" he barked as Pikachu snickered. "I don't know what your deal is, all right? I don't know why you wanna make this so difficult! I am TRYING to be nice, you understand me? You're my starter Pokémon! We're gonna be spending the rest of this journey together, so you 'n me had darn well better learn to get along! You got that?"

Pikachu stood up and blew what was unmistakably a raspberry.

"FINE!" Ash shrieked. "I gave you your chance! You wanna go back to Professor Oak, go ahead! You tell him from me that I don't need a Pokémon who won't respect me! I can manage this without you!"

Despite the furious pulse pounding in his ears, Ash caught the sound of flapping wings behind him. So the Pidgey was back, then. Well, Pikachu or not, Ash was not about to let another Pokémon escape him.

He knelt down and picked up the biggest rock he could find. If he couldn't weaken Pokémon in battle, a hit upside the head would have to do…

"Hey Pidgey!" he shouted, hurling the rock with all his might. "Eat dirt, you little feathery moron!"

WHACK.

"Yeah!" Ash whooped as the rock collided with the bird's skull. "A direct hit!"

But then Ash looked closer.

It wasn't a Pidgey he'd just hit. And he hadn't knocked it unconscious either. It was a totally different species of bird Pokémon, and its scowling face suggested that it was less than pleased.

"Oh…" Ash gulped, flicking his Pokédex back open with one trembling hand.

"Spearow. The Tiny Bird Pokémon. It has to flap its short wings at high speed to stay airborne. Even though it is frail, it can be a tough foe that attacks viciously with its talons and beak. WARNING: This species can become hostile. Approach with caution."

Stowing the Pokédex, Ash slowly began to back away as the Spearow locked its flaming eyes on his. "Okay, then," Ash stammered, "I, uh...I guess we'll just be, uh, heading out, then…"

With a piercing shriek, the Spearow was in the air. Ash dropped to the ground, arms over his head, heart racing. He felt the talons scrape his body like needles. A beak tore at his clothes, trying to rip holes in him. Feathers flew. More shrieking cut the air. Ash winced as the pain shot through him, over and over…

And suddenly it stopped. Ash was too scared to stand up. But now there were other sounds among the Spearow's earsplitting cries. Sounds of suffering…

Ash opened one eye and gasped.

The Spearow had rounded on Pikachu. Sparks shot out at Pikachu struggled with the bird, clearly overpowered. Spearow clawed and pecked viciously, aiming to destroy…

"HEY! GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Ash lunged, ripping Spearow off Pikachu with his bare hands. The bird flopped on the ground, then turned a livid eye to Ash. In an instant, it was in the air again, beating its wings about Ash's face as it tried to claw his eyes out.

Ash flailed, knocking Spearow away. Rolling to the edge of the tree, he snatched up a fallen branch with both hands. Spearow flew at him, talons outstretched, glinting…

WHOCK.

The branch connected, sending Spearow tumbling through the air like a feathery baseball. It somersaulted, then righted itself and soared into a nearby grove of trees, weaving dizzily.

Panting, Ash threw the branch aside and dropped to his knees. Pikachu lay motionless on the ground - not spread-eagle as before, but in a limp ball, its ears twitching feebly. Gashes covered its tiny round body. Its breath came in raspy spurts.

"Pikachu…"

Icy panic seized Ash's chest. The ground swayed, or maybe it just felt like it, but Ash gripped the dirt for support, his fingers trembling. Tears were running uncontrollably down his cheeks.

He's gonna die. He's gonna die and it's all my fault. I killed my only Pokémon…

Ash tried to steady his breathing. Now was not the time to lose focus. There was still hope. There was a Pokémon Center in Viridian City, just a few miles away. If he could get there in time, they could heal Pikachu's injuries.

If he could get there in time…

Gently, Ash picked the wounded Pikachu off the ground, cradling it like a baby. "Just hold on, Pikachu," he whimpered. "You're gonna be okay, I promise! You're gonna be okay!"

And then he gasped again as he heard it.

Squawking. Lots of it.

He looked skyward and screamed.

An entire flock of Spearow, at least three dozen strong, was bearing down on the two of them, their tiny wings beating like machines. Right at the head of the flock was the ruffled Spearow Ash had attacked. It had called its entire colony for reinforcements.

One word shrieked in Ash's brain: RUN.

Ash had never moved so fast in his life. Clutching Pikachu to his heart, he charged into the tall grass, hoping against everything that he could outrun the birds. He could hear them getting closer; he didn't dare look behind him to see how close.

The grass got taller. Razor-sharp weeds slashed his face like whips, but he didn't care. The squawking echoed in his ears, egging him on, pushing his legs faster, faster…

And before he could react, the ground ended.

Ash's eyes had a split second to register the river at the bottom of the ravine as he fell. Then a shock of icy cold rushed over him. He was underwater.

The current was stunningly strong. Bubbles trailed from Ash's nose as he clutched Pikachu tighter to him with one arm, attempting to swim with the other. It was no good. The water tossed him like a rag doll. He could feel his hip scrape the river bottom, stirring a cloud of silt.

A huge burst of bubbles exploded from Ash's mouth as he desperately tried to right himself. His lungs burned for air…

Finally, his head broke the surface. Holding Pikachu high above him, he barely had time to breathe before the river enveloped him again. He gurgled futilely as the water fought its way into his mouth.

He had no idea how far the current carried him. It was a horrible struggle, keeping his own face and Pikachu's damaged body above water before the river pulled them both down again.

As he submerged, memories flashed in Ash's mind. The Pokémon he'd seen in the yard as a young boy...the first league match he watched on TV...running out the door that very morning, not even stopping to kiss his mother goodbye…

She'd never see him again. Nobody would. This river would be the end of the great Ash Ketchum, before his journey could even truly begin…

Ash burbled as his head collided with something soft. A second later, a grip tightened on his arm, and he was above water.

Heaving in a lungful of air, he hoisted Pikachu above the current again. Thankfully, his Pokémon still appeared to be breathing. Then a voice met his ears.

"Watch where you're going, kid! And it's kind of stupid to be swimming in your clothes, isn't it?"

Ash blinked the water out of his eyes. He'd been carried smack-dab into the body of a girl wearing a red-and-white two-piece swimsuit. Her short red hair was plastered to the sides of her head, and even through her swimming goggles, he could tell she looked ticked off as she treaded water. On either side of her floated two starfish-like Pokémon - one brown, with a blue jewel in its center, the other purple with a pink jewel and twice as many appendages.

The girl kicked, dragging Ash and Pikachu towards the riverbank. "And your backpack, too?" she jeered. "Man, I don't know what you're up to, buddy, but next time, you wanna keep an eye out for other trainers before you plow headfirst into 'em? The whole reason I was training out here is 'cause it's supposed to be nice and quiet!"

Ash flopped onto the bank, panting heavily, dirt sticking to his soaked clothes. Pikachu twitched in his arms. "I can't…" he gasped. "I can't...stay here…"

The girl stood up, lifting her goggles onto her forehead. She gasped herself when she saw Pikachu. "Oh, you poor thing!" she yelped. "Are you hurt?"

Ash coughed up a bit of water. "I'm fine, I think…"

SLAP.

"I wasn't talking to you, you weirdo!" the girl shrieked, as Ash massaged the fresh sore spot on his cheek. "I meant your Pikachu! Look at the poor guy, it looks like it's been beaten half to death!" Her eyes flashed dangerously. "Did you do this to him, you freak? You know what I do to people who beat their Pokémon?!"

The girl's two starfish Pokémon leapt out of the water, clearly ready for a fight.

Ash struggled to sit up. "I didn't do this to him!" he wheezed. "It was the Spearow!"

"What Spearow?" the girl asked, looking skeptical.

But Ash's eyes widened as he heard it. The cawing in the distance. He looked up - the Spearow flock was drawing closer. They'd followed him downstream!

"Those Spearow!" he bellowed, leaping to his feet. He cradled Pikachu closer as his eyes darted around. He noticed a red bicycle leaning against a tree. "Listen, I gotta get to Viridian City, can I borrow your bike?"

The girl looked like she'd been struck. "My bike?! What makes you think I'd -"

"Thanks!" Ash interrupted, and in one quick hop, he swung his legs over the seat and kicked off, pedaling up the road northward, still clutching Pikachu to his chest like his life depended on it.

"HEY!" the girl screamed after him. "Come back with my bike, you thief! I'm gonna -"

But the rest of her threat was drowned out as the Spearow came sailing down out of the sky, following Ash into the tree cover.

Ash's legs screamed for him to stop, but he couldn't. Pedaling harder, he was finally managing to put some distance between himself and the flock. Pikachu bounced in the basket on the front of the handlebars, still too weak to move.

The path sloped uphill. Ash strained against gravity, forcing himself to keep going, the straps of his backpack cutting into his tired shoulders. Over the breach, through the trees, he could make out the Viridian City skyline in the distance. He was almost there. It was literally all downhill from here…

He didn't see the tree root until it was too late.

The bike tumbled end over end, depositing Ash face first in the dirt. Pikachu sailed out of the basket and landed splayed on the ground, still twitching. The Pokédex flew from Ash's coat pocket again, springing open as it hit the path.

Gasping for air, Ash hoisted himself up. The Spearow were closing in, their talons outstretched. The din of their squawking practically shook the leaves on the trees.

Ash looked back at Pikachu, motionless on the ground.

Then, bruised and battered, mustering every ounce of strength he had left, he got to his feet.

"YOU LEAVE MY PIKACHU ALONE!" he bellowed, voice cracking under the strain, as the birds beared down on him. "YOU KNOW WHO I AM? I'M ASH KETCHUM! I'M GONNA BE THE NEXT POKÉMON LEAGUE CHAMPION! AND NOBODY HURTS MY POKÉMON AND GETS AWAY WITH IT! YOU WANT MY PIKACHU? YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO THROUGH ME!"

He stretched out his arms and grimaced, bracing himself for the impact of beaks and talons, ready to be torn apart…

He sensed movement behind him.

Pressure on his shoulder, as if something had just leapt from him.

And then the air itself exploded, as Pikachu's Thundershock attack ripped through the flock of Spearow, lighting up the forest like a supernova. Ash flew backwards from the shockwave of the lightning bolt, smacking his head on the ground. Just as suddenly, everything went black…

Ash didn't know how long he'd been unconscious for. He blinked up at an orange sky. The sun was setting.

Every muscle ached. He slowly pushed himself to a sitting position and looked around. The Spearow were long gone. Scorch marks emblazoned every tree around him. The girl's bike lay several yards away, its front wheel bent, the frame reduced to a charred and twisted mess.

And there was Pikachu, lying at Ash's side, still beaten and scratched, but looking hopefully up at his trainer. It reached out a stubby hand towards him.

Ash gulped. "Pikachu…"

He gently picked up his injured partner and held him close. "Thanks, buddy," he said softly. "C'mon, let's get you to a Pokémon Center…"

He moved to stand up. But the soft sound of beating wings caught his ear.

His blood ran cold. Oh, please, no, he thought. Don't let them be back…

But it wasn't the Spearow.

Ash's jaw dropped as he looked skyward and saw it. A huge majestic golden bird, soaring gracefully above the treetops. Its magnificent plumage and massive tailfeathers seemed to shimmer. The air around it was almost refracted, creating what could've been a rainbow.

Ash was speechless. He'd never seen a Pokémon that looked like this before.

Almost as if it'd read his mind, the Pokédex flickered to life. "No data available," it reported. "Pokémon species unknown. An upgrade may be required to identify non-regional Pokémon species."

Still clutching Pikachu, Ash fumbled for the Pokédex with his free hand as he kept his eyes fixed on the great bird. Finally, it disappeared over the tree line, heading westward toward the setting sun.

Ash sat there for a moment, blown away by the majesty of what he'd just seen. He wasn't sure why, especially after everything that had happened to him today, but somehow he felt like the bird was a good omen. That somehow, from now on, everything would be okay…

Cradling Pikachu to his shoulder, Ash stood up, his legs still slightly wobbly, as they made their way up the path to Viridian City. It hadn't been a great first day of his Pokémon journey...but then again, it wasn't over yet.