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I'm unsure whether I want Ash to be 10 or 12 in this, though I feel like 12 fits better.

Darkness. It surrounded him, possessing his entire being. The light of the sun was but a distant dream, a memory of better times. A wish whispered by dying voices.

He was running.

Again.

Cold breath escaped his lips. Bare feet hit the ground. Pat. Pat. Pat. He could feel it catching up to him. Chasing him. His throat stung and his feet hurt. Exhaustion began creeping up on him. Couldn't keep running. Tears fell down his cheeks, his small frame trembling like a leaf in the wind. It was right behind him. He staggered and lost his footing. The boy fell to the ground, harsh stone scraping open his arms and legs. He stilled. It had caught up to him. His head rose slowly, almost reluctantly, glossy eyes taking a peek behind him.

A scream tore through the silence.

He awoke with a gasp, drops of sweat running down his temple. Brown eyes focused onto the darkness of the room, searching for something they couldn't see. Finally he calmed down, falling back onto his bed, vanishing underneath the safety of the blanket with a quick movement of his hand.

"Ash? Ash!" The bundle of blanket stirred. One hand crept out of the fort, wildly reaching around until it made contact with a round, ball-shaped object. Fingers closed around the ball and brought it back into the blanket. Barely a second later a surprised yell resounded through the house. The bundle was now moving around the bed wildly, before falling off the edge and tumbling onto the floor. A mop of black hair appeared on top, followed soon by a head with big brown eyes and rather pale skin. The boy tugged at the blanket in frustration, trying to remove the constricting cloth from his body. This was how his mother found him – rolling around the floor while punching against the blanket from the inside. She laughed, hurrying over to her son to help him untangle himself from his prison. "Didn't you want to go to Professor Oak for your starter pokémon?" She asked, freeing his legs from the cloth.

"I overslept! And I got tangled up…" The boy answered groggily as he was finally rescued from his unfortunate position. His mouth fell open in shock when he remembered just how late he was. He jumped up, stumbling due to one of his feet being caught on the edge of the blanket. With an annoyed huff he broke free, and dashed out of the door, leaving his mother sitting bewildered on the floor. Ash burst down the stairs in a hurry, not even bothering to change out of his pajama for the occasion. Delia barely had time to call after him, the blanket lying discarded on the ground when the door fell shut. She shook her head, folding the blanket together and straightening out the pillow, a hint of a smile playing around her lips.

In the meantime, a certain black haired boy was busy sprinting to the Pokémon Professor's house. He grimaced when little stones dug into his bare feet, at first stopping every few steps to brush them off but soon gave up on this futile task. Instead he simply grit his teeth and kept running. In his hurry to get to the professor in time, he had totally forgotten about how he was still wearing his pajama, and he didn't think of putting on his shoes until he left the house, at which point he decided to just bare with it. Not exactly the best start into his new life as a pokémon trainer, but he would do his best with what he had! If only he hadn't overslept… Ash sighed. Now Oak would think that he was a bad trainer, or lazy. And he didn't want to make a bad impression on the professor. And what if there were no pokémon left and he had to start his journey by himself? Could he even become a trainer without any pokémon? How would he be able to catch one without weakening it before? He chewed on his bottom lip, jogging along the road. Would this already be the end of his journey? Just because he overslept? He shook his head, hair flaying wildly. No way! Ash would become the best pokémon trainer that had ever existed!

He slowed down when he saw a large crowd of people that had gathered in front of Oak's house. A bunch of cheerleaders were chanting a name, jumping up and down in excitement. Ash stumbled forward, standing on his tiptoes as he tried to catch a look at whoever was causing the commotion. He leaned onto the person in front of him, yelling as suddenly he lost his footing and tumbled past the people, landing in a heap on the ground. He groaned, rubbing his hurting back.

"Look who finally decided to show up. Did you oversleep Ash?" Of course it had to be him. Ash rolled his eyes as he eyed the boy standing in front of him, all cocky arrogance and self-assurance. He didn't even offer Ash a hand as he stood up, patting the dirt off his pajama bottom. "So what if I did?" Ash snapped back. "I'm here now." His rival regarded his dirty form with a smug grin.

"You should have just stayed at home. We all know that there will be only one future pokémon master from Pallet Town, and it's not going to be you."

"Gary!" The crowd of cheerleaders chanted loudly, much to his joy. He waved to the girls, which caused a new round of overly excited shrieking and chanting. "Well, I'm not going to back down," Ash said, his voice firm and steady. "I will become a pokémon master!" Gary narrowed his eyes at his rivals confidence. The pale boy showed more resolution than he would have given him credit for.

A red car drove up to the laboratory, interrupting the quarrel between the two boys. The driver honked a few times and gestured for Gary to enter the vehicle. He turned around, jumping into the backseat. "Whatever. I have better things to do than arguing with some loser without pokémon. Like becoming the greatest pokémon trainer that has ever existed!" He turned back towards the crowd, his smile so bright it was blinding. "I will make sure to spread word of Pallet Town throughout the world! I promise I will become the next pokémon master!" More cheering followed his words, the crowd waving after the disappearing vehicle until it vanished out of sight. A few of the teen girls attempted to run after the car, but they were too slow. The rest of the people slowly dispersed, leaving behind a slightly battered Ash.

He made sure to pat most of the dirt off his pajama before knocking on the door to Oak's laboratory. It was worse enough to be visiting Oak in a pajama, he didn't need to visit him in a dirty pajama on top of that. The door was opened, revealing a surprised looking professor. He eyed Ash for a second. "Ash, isn't it?"

"Yeah" the boy nodded, stepping closer. "Sorry, I over-"

"You are late." Ash rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"I know, I just wanted to tell you that I -"

"That's not a good quality to have in a pokémon trainer. Are you sure you are up to this?"

"Yes! I just o-"

"Well, I suppose you can give it a try. But don't say I didn't warn you." Ash groaned loudly, giving up his attempts to explain himself.

"Anyways, why are you in a pajama?"

"That's not important! And I just tried telling you that I overslept but you wouldn't listen!"

"I see… well, you are here for your starter pokémon, aren't you?"

"Yes!" The boy said with sparkling eyes. The professor gestured for Ash to follow him as he went upstairs. Ash closed the door behind him, before running after the professor. A circular machine was placed in the middle of the room, three Pokéballs sitting in their own separate spots. The only thing separating them from Ash was a thin wall of glass. Oak pressed a button on the machine which caused the glass to retract. The boy swallowed, his gaze shifting from one Pokéball to the next.

After a lot of thinking he had decided to go with Charmander as his first pokémon. It might get harder to control once it reached it's evolution into the more aggressive Charmeleon, but it's strength and durability made up for this easily. Besides, Ash felt confident that he would be able to handle it. "Charmander… I choose you!" He yelled out in excitement, picking up the Pokéball. It fell open with a flash, revealing – nothing. There was no pokémon inside. "I'm sorry, but a trainer that arrived on time had already taken it." "You could have told me so" Ash muttered, but put the ball back. He eyed the remaining ones, before he decided on his next pick. This was his second choice, but a good one nevertheless. He had argued between Bulbasaur and Squirtle but ended up choosing Squirtle. It's strength would give him a good footing in future battles. Squirtle also had the advantage of being a rather defense-focused pokémon, so it would be able to tank a lot of hits without being as affected by them as Bulbasaur would be. He took the other Pokéball, pressing the release button on the front. "You will be my pick then, Squirtle!"

Again, the ball revealed itself to be empty. The boy slumped forward, placing it back onto it's former spot. "This one had also been handed to a trainer that arrived on time." Professor Oak remarked. Ash decided to stay quiet, instead lifting the last one. Maybe not his first nor second choice, but he didn't care. He just wanted to get a pokémon! And Bulbosaur wasn't a bad pick either. It was renowned for being the strongest pokémon of it's type after all!

He halted for a second, contemplating the Pokéball. Deciding that it was useless to wait around any longer, he opened it, his expression remaining neutral as he saw it's empty insides. He was past the point of feeling surprised, the emotion replaced by crushing disappointment instead. "Again, given to a trainer that had arrived on time." Oak's voice cut through the tensed silence. Ash swallowed his anger at the professor's words. Yes, he had been late but he couldn't sleep! And it was hardly his fault that he slept through his alarm! Okay, maybe it was kinda his fault, but still, what should he have done? He had gotten here as fast as he could! Instead he looked at Oak pleadingly. "What am I supposed to do without a pokémon? I can't be a trainer without one!" The older man scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose I do have one left that I can give to you. But!" He crossed his arms, looking at the boy sternly when he noticed a wide grin breaking out on Ash's face. "It is rather shy and not used to humans. You will encounter difficulties when handling it, and it won't be easy. Are you sure you are fine with that?"

"Yes! I will be fine!" Ash said enthusiastically. The professor pressed another button, revealing a fourth Pokéball that was raised from within the machine. "I suppose you might be able to handle it with your abilities." It was said quietly, barely loud enough for Ash to hear. He suspected that he wasn't supposed to. Deciding to ignore the remark, he took the last Pokéball from it's platform instead, and opened it. A bright yellow flash appeared, blinding the boy for a second. When the light receded, an adorable little yellow pokémon was standing on the machine. It blinked a few times, seemingly getting used to its surroundings. "Pikachu?"

Ash couldn't stop staring at the cute little pokémon in front of him. It was just so… adorable! He inched closer to the pokémon, itching to hug it. Just as he was about to touch it, he recoiled, his gaze alternating between the pikachu and his hand. He took a step back, giving the pokémon some space. The professor surveyed this exchange with surprise. "Pikachu is an electric mouse. It releases electrical charges when touched. I suspect it does this due to fear and discomfort. Like I said, it isn't used to humans." Ash nodded but he didn't look away from his new pokémon.

"It's scared," he said quietly. He looked up when Oak dropped one hand on his shoulder. "Pikachu is your pokémon now. Take good care of it." Ash smiled, holding out one hand towards the yellow mouse. "Let's be friends, Pikachu." He smiled encouragingly. The pokémon tilted its head, shiny black eyes focused on the hand in front of it. One yellow paw cautiously touched the boy's hand. "Alright!" Ash exclaimed excitedly. Suddenly small yellow lightning danced around Pikachu's red cheek marks, growing bigger by the second. "Watch ou-" Oak removed his hand from the boy's shoulder just in time, as the next second the boy was hit by electrical shocks. He staggered back, his black hair standing up in spikes. "Don't worry about it. I think it has taken a liking to you already." The professor laughed. Ash looked at him deadpan. "If that's how it shows his affection, then I don't wanna be on its bad side."

"Don't worry, I'm positive you will handle this just fine," Oak reassured the young boy, patting his back for good measure. "Ash, before you go on your journey, I must ask you if you are really ready for this." The boy tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean? I have a cool pokémon now, and I've been wanting to become a trainer since forever!" The professor sighed, pinching his nose. "Ash, you don't have to leave Pallet Town. There are a lot of professions you can take up instead of pokémon trainer. And I can promise you, you will have just as much contact with pokémon. You don't have to go on this journey." Ash looked away, one hand smoothing down his hair. "I want to do this. I want to become a pokémon trainer. I don't care if it's dangerous, or… about what happened. I won't let the past ruin my dream." The professor recoiled in astonishment as he noticed the determined sheen in the boy's eyes. "Alright. But contact your mother or me if anything ever happens. And remember, if you need help, I will be there."

Ash nodded. "Well, I'm gonna go now. I gotta change my clothes before taking on my journey!" He carefully put his hands around the Pikachu, lifting the hissing pokémon into the air. "Come on, you gotta cooperate with me there." He put it on his shoulder, making sure that it stayed up there. "There, not so bad right?" He released a tensed breath. Looks like he was getting the hang of this! Even the professor seemed impressed. "Pika!" A familiar yellow lightning appeared on the pokémon's cheek. "W-wait! Calm down Pikachu! Don't!" He yelled out, frantically trying to stop the angry pokémon from attacking. "Pika, pii!" Multiple series of yellow lightning lit up the room, visible even for passerby's on the outside. "Gaaah!"

When Ash stumbled outside, his pajama had a charred appearance and his hair was even messier than usual, sticking away in the strangest angles, some of the tips burnt. The pikachu had seemingly calmed down as it was now resting on his shoulder, for once not protesting at the close contact to a human. Ash suspected it had released it's pent up energy on him earlier and was now resting. For once a smug expression was replacing it's usual scorn. He looked up at the sound of people cheering, astonished at the crowd of townsfolk that had gathered in front of the building. His mother led them, standing in the first row. Upon seeing him, she ran towards him, pulling him into a tight hug, much to the disdain of his new pokémon. She took one step back, rubbing her watery eyes. "Geez, you made me worry on your first day already." Ash blushed, looking down awkwardly.

"I'm sorry mom."

"I can't believe that you have grown so much." She smiled gently. "I brought you some things that you will need on your adventure." She followed this up by pressing a green backpack into his hands, filled with his clothes, a map and some instant meals. She eyed the Pikachu curiously. "Aren't pokémon supposed to go into monster balls?" Some people behind her mumbled their agreement at this. "Uh, yeah I guess so," Ash retorted, pulling out an empty ball. He glanced at the Pikachu, the pokémon back to it's usual aggressive stance as it jumped from his shoulder. He paused for a few seconds, before storing the ball into the backpack. "Pikachu really doesn't like being in those." He offered a curt explanation to his mother. She nodded, putting one hand on his shoulder. "Ash… just please be careful out there." She hugged him again, a few tears slipping from her eyes. "I will always be there for you, don't forget that."

"I will be fine mom."

"Visit me sometimes, okay? The house will be empty without you," she smiled, wiping away the tears.

"I will. Don't worry about me." She stepped back, smiling softly.

"You are going to be a great pokémon trainer Ash. I just know it. Now go, before I change my mind about sending my son out to some crazy journey!"

"Mom, it's not crazy! It's my journey to becoming the greatest pokémon master!" Ash protested, sulking as his mother laughed heartily.

"I know sweetie. Go and have the best adventure you could wish for!"

He parted with her, laughing with childish joy as everyone bid him goodbye enthusiastically. He looked down at his pikachu, eyes shining. "Let's go, Pikachu!"

He had taken a couple steps when his hurting feet reminded him of something. "Wait, I gotta get changed before!"