Rise of a Champion Chapter One:

The world of Pokémon. A place of adventure, triumph and dreams. A world inhabited by creatures called Pokémon. For some people, Pokémon are pets. Others use them for battling. For all people though they are friends and allies who they form strong bonds of friendship with.

People who use Pokémon for battling are called trainers. They catch Pokémon and help them reach their full potential. Those who bring out the very best in their partners are those who rise to the top as Champions.

Now a new tale is beginning to unfold. A story of a young boy and his Pokémon who will rise to the top. They will encounter new friends along the way, hardships, and maybe even love. This is the story of Ash Ketchum from Pallet town; a future Pokémon Champion

-Line Break-

A TV screen flared in a multitude of colours as a beam of light flashed across the screen. A young boy, no older than seven or eight, sat entranced in front of the display, analysing every detail of what he was watching.

A small, yellow mouse with red patches on its cheeks was covered in electricity as bolts of lightning arced around it in a beautiful but deadly display. Across from the small rodent was a large sea serpent, writhing in pain from the received electric attack. The dragon-looking serpent was mostly blue and had a dark blue crest on its head. If you stared closely enough you could notice the large fangs which seemed to line its mouth.

"Gyarados!" A man shouted behind the great beast as it collapsed into the pool, only to resurface moments later with swirls in its eyes. Burns marks were clearly visible along the Gyarados' body, indicating it had received multiple attacks.

On the other side of the field a man in a red vest and cap was hugging the small mouse, known as a Pikachu, who in return was nuzzling its trainer's face.

"We did it Pi," the man murmured as he hugged his Pokémon gratefully. Overhead on a scoreboard you could see a picture of his opponent's Gyarados fade, indicating it was defeated. Now the picture matched the other five spaces on his scoreboard, indicating that the man had been defeated. On the other side of the board were five spaces which were also faded but one picture was still illuminated; the man's Pikachu.

"And after that close battle we have a new Champion!" An announcer roared from above before clearing his throat. "Now for a round of applause for-"

"Ash Ketchum!" A voice shouted as the TV was switched off. The small boy, now identified as Ash, turned around in shock, meeting the glare of a women who was in her early thirties. Brown eyes stared at him in frustration as the boy scrambled to his feet.

"I thought I told you to get to bed two hours ago!" The women told Ash sternly, tucking a mahogany brown strand of her hair behind her ear in order to get it out of her face. At this point the boy shuffled onto his feet and met her own hazel brown eyes with his own.

"Sorry mum," Ash murmured at the women, whose firm gaze softened into a motherly smile at his words. The women walked over to her son and wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. The boy relaxed under her grip as waves of exhaustion hit him.

"It's ok honey, now let's get you to bed," his mother whispered into his ear. As the two of them turned around to leave the room the door started to swing open, revealing the man who had won the battle on the TV with his Pikachu.

"It's ok Delia I'll take him up," the man begun as he rubbed his raven black hair absent-mindedly. A small yawn escaped his lips as he started to stretch out his joints. The women smiled at this and walked past the man, kissing his cheek as she went.

"Thanks Red," Delia whispered as she left the room. A soft thump could be heard as she walked up the stairs to their room.

Ash's disappointed look became more excited as he watched the man walk towards him. He looked entirely different from on the TV, having discarded his red vest and cap for some comfortable night clothes.

"Dad I watched your battle with Blue again and it was so cool!" Ash said, almost on the brink of shouting with excitement. The man smiled at this and ruffled the boy's raven black hair.

"That was one exciting battle, you've got that right," his Dad replied with a faraway look in his eyes, remembering the battle that won him his title.

"Dad…" Ash began quietly, yawning slightly as Red picked him up. The older man's brown eyes stared down at his son as he started to fall asleep. Placing his son on his back, Red started to walk up the stair towards Ash's room.

"I 'wanna' be just like you…" Ash whispered as his eye lids started to close further. The man's eyes lit up with happiness as he held his son. Entering Ash's room Red noticed all the different posters of Pokémon scattered across the walls.

"You're not going to be like me Ash," Red whispered as his son's eyes started to droop shut. The champion carefully laid the boy across his bed and tucked him in. Softly rubbing Ash's head Red got up and left the room.

"You'll be greater than what I ever was," the man finished before turning off the light and closing the door behind him.

- The Next Morning –

The sun shined brightly over Pallet Town as the day began. Pidgey could be seen flying across the clear, blue sky as a cool breeze blew through the small town. In the distance you could just make out the sound of laughter from one small boy.

"Pikachu!" The boy cried as he nuzzled the small mouse Pokémon. In response the Pikachu started to smile and made a satisfied "Chaaa," as the boy continued to laugh in joy.

Standing to the side of the two of them was Red, smiling as he watched his son play with his Pikachu. Ash had always loved playing with his Pokémon, regardless of whether it was his Pikachu or one of his bigger Pokémon such as his Venusaur.

Without warning the boy and Pokémon pair started to run off into the distance, Ash laughing as he followed the electric mouse.

"Dad!" Ash shouted as the two ran off in the direction of the forest surrounding Pallet Town. "Pikachu and I are going to explore the woods," the boy finished as he carried on running into the forest.

Red watched with a small smile on his face, reminded of how he was as a child. "Keep him safe Pi," Red muttered as he walked back towards the Ketchum residence.

Meanwhile Ash and Pikachu were exploring the forest land around Pallet Town. The boy's mouth was open in awe at the plethora of Pokémon they had found. Pidgey nested in the branches of the trees whilst other, smaller Pokémon, such as Rattata, scuttled along the floor, darting in and out of bushes. Pikachu was still bouncing ahead of Ash as it started to make its way further into the forest.

A lone Beedrill hovered past above their heads, its long, conical stingers held in front of it as it zipped between the trees.

"Pika," Pikachu muttered as it stood up its hind legs, ears twitching slightly as it listened out for danger. His raven-haired friend suddenly stop staring at the masses of Pokémon and started to listen too.

"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted as it started to run off. Ash broke into a sprint after the small mouse as fast as his seven year old legs could carry him.

"P-Pikachu wait up!" Ash panted as he followed the electric mouse through the forest, pushing stray branches out of his face as he tried to keep up. As the two of them kept travelling through the forest the distinct sound of water crashing against rocks could be heard. Pikachu abruptly stop sprinting, causing Ash to almost trip over the small Pokémon.

"Pika-Chu!" Pikachu exclaimed, frantically waving its arms around. Ash cocked his head to a side before he looked around him.

The clearing which they had reached had a large waterfall running directly through the centre of it. Small shrubs grew either side of the lake at the bottom of the waterfall which had Pokémon, such as Caterpie and Rattata, running through them. Larger Pokémon such as Raticate and Pidgeotto could be seen around the edge of the clearing and Butterfree were engaged in an enthralling dance over the waterfall basin.

"Oww!" Ash yelled suddenly, turning to glare at his yellow companion. Pikachu simply stood there, glaring back at the small boy before gesturing towards the top of the waterfall. As Ash started to focus closer on where Pikachu was pointing he noticed something which made him freeze in fear.

A lone Pokémon was backed up against the edge of the waterfall. From what Ash could make out it the creature seemed to have a blunt spike situated on the top of its head and a small tail surrounded by plate-like scales. Even from the distance Ash was standing he could clearly see that the Pokémon's rocky skin was severely scratched and charred. Standing across from the clearly injured Pokémon was a small canine which short black fur and a red muzzle. Two upper fangs protruded from its mouth as it growled at its injured opponent and rib-like appendages sprouted from its back to cover its main body. The canine opened its mouth and inside Ash could make out a blazing inferno starting to form. Meanwhile the other Pokémon had started to sprint towards the canine, its mouth opened as a dark aura started to form around its mouth, indicating the beginnings of a Bite attack. However before the rock-looking Pokémon could reach its adversary it was blasted with a Flamethrower attack. The scaled Pokémon screamed in pain as it was blasted off the edge of the waterfall and into the water below…

Ash gasped as the Pokémon fell into the water, its opponent howling into the sky as it glared down at the water below. However, a few seconds later the defeated Pokémon resurfaced, flailing wildly as it tried to stay above water.

"Lar-vitar!" It spluttered as it cough out some water. Without hesitation Ash dived into the water and attempted to swim over to the defeated Pokémon, which was still flailing in the water. Ash grabbed the injured Pokémon, which latched instinctively onto the small boy. With his remaining strength. The two of them clambered to shore tiredly. The small Pokémon weighed a ton considering its size.

With a sigh of relief Ash stretched his arms as he looked around. Pikachu was prodding the now unconscious Pokémon that Ash had rescued and for the first time Ash got a proper look at the creature.

Its small body a slight shade of green and red scales covered its diamond shaped belly. Along with this there were several holes in its body which Ash curiously prodded, provoking a moan of discomfort from the unconscious Pokémon to which the boy removed his finger and rubbed his head sheepishly. Finally Ash noticed large black triangular marks around its eyes which came down its face.

"What kind of Pokémon is this…?" Ash murmured as he picked up the Pokémon. Water started to gush out of the holes in the Pokémon's sides, causing it to become considerably lighter. Whatever it was it was definitely not designed to be afloat in the water.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed as a look of realisation appeared on his face. Ash looked curiously at his Father's Pokémon.

"Pii-Pikachu," Pikachu exclaimed as he curled up into a ball before attempting to make itself look bigger and stomp around.

"Huh?" Ash said, titling his head in confusion. Pikachu merely face palmed in annoyance.

"Pika," Pikachu sighed before he started to walk back in the direction of Pallet Town. Ash, carrying the injured Pokémon and following the small mouse.

The three of them walked back in silence; Pikachu occasionally stopping to listen out for danger. Ash meanwhile was thinking about this unknown Pokémon. What was it?

After a while Pikachu stopped walking and stood upright on its hind legs, its tail twitching slightly in anticipation.

"What is it Pikachu?" Ash asked as Pikachu's cheeks started to spark.

"Pika," Pikachu whispered in anticipation. The bushes surrounding the trio started to shudder before an all too familiar howl echoed throughout the area. The same canine Pokémon from earlier step out of the bush in front of the three of them, snarling slight as its black fur stood on end. A familiar rustling started to occur on all sides of them as more of the black Pokémon appeared. Some of them looked slightly different from the others as they were larger and had curved horns which were bent behind their heads. What all of them had in common was a fierce snarl which was directed at the small Pokémon in Ash's arms. Ash felt himself grip the small injured creature in his arms a little tighter as the canines started to prowl closer. Pikachu was glaring at all of the Pokémon whilst sparking his cheeks aggressively.

At this one the larger Pokémon stepped forward, baring its fang like teeth at the small electric mouse. Without hesitation it leaped forward, dark energy coalescing in its mouth to form a powerful Crunch attack. Ash cried out in fear for the small mouse as it stayed rooted to the spot.

Then, at a speed that was difficult for the seven year old to comprehend, the canine was flung into a nearby tree as a sharp crack could be heard at the impact. Ash stared at the small mouse which had flung the large Pokémon. In the dimmed light of the forest Ash could see the slight metallic shine on its lightning bolt shaped tail, indicating it had use an Iron Tail attack. Meanwhile the other unknown Pokémon started to growl and charge the electric type in retaliation for hurting one of their own.

Without any hesitation Pikachu sprung into battle. Its tail once again taking on a metallic coating as it smacked one of the smaller ones in the jaw, once again causing a sickening crack to echo throughout the area. Ash merely gulped at the sound and relaxed his grip as he felt the Pokémon in his arms stir slightly.

"Lar…" It began before groaning in pain again and passing out. Ash stared at the small Pokémon in front of him in surprise before he started to smell the distinct smell of ozone.

"Pika…." Pikachu began as he began to charge an attack up, its cheeks sparking wildly. The canine Pokémon sensed danger and started to run. However they didn't make it very far before Pikachu had finished getting ready to release the attack.

"CHU!" Pikachu shouted as its body started to release enormous amounts of electricity. The Thunder attack sped through the forest towards the group before exploding at it made contact. Distinct yelps of pain could be heard as the attack collided with the pack of Pokémon. Ash shut his eyes as a blinding flash moved throughout the area, cause everything to illuminate.

Slowly opening his eyes Ash stared at the destruction that lay in their path. The forest around them had been turned to a charred shrubbery. Trees had disappeared and the ground had been churned up. Ash daren't turn around the face the direction of where the Pokémon had been as the smell of burnt meat permeated the air. Finally, staring at Pikachu Ash realised that the small mouse wasn't even out of breath. The small mouse was simply glaring in the direction of their attackers, its ears once again up; sensing for danger.

After a while the raven haired boy watch his father's Pokémon visibly relax and the small happy smile which it usually wore on its face returned. Ash shivered as he looked at the small mouse again. Whilst he knew his father's Pokémon were strong, the sheer level of power Pikachu had just displayed made Ash's mouth hang open in shock.

"Pika?" Pikachu questioned, tilting its head in confusion at Ash's expression. Shaking his head to clear his mind Ash slowly walked up to the mouse and, whilst shifting the unknown Pokémon into one arm, gently rubbed the small red marks on its cheeks, eliciting a relieved "Cha" for his efforts as the mouse nuzzled into his hand.

Smiling as he withdrew his hand from the electric type Ash rubbed Pikachu's head affectionately before murmuring, "Let's go home Pikachu."

And with that the two of them started to trek back towards Pallet Town, eager to get to help for their unconscious passenger.

In about 20 minutes of a mixture between both walking and running the three of them had managed to make it back to Pallet Town. Without hesitation Ash ran in the direction of the Pokémon laboratory located there, the research centre that belonged to their region's Professor known as Professor Oak.

Bursting through the front doors of the building, Ash sprinted into the lab, almost colliding with the ageing professor. The greying Professor caught the small boy who almost dropped the injured unknown Pokémon.

Almost instantly the old man noticed the small green Pokémon in Ash's arms and a mixture of shock and surprise filled the Professor's face before it was replaced with a serious look when he noticed its injuries.

"Ash follow me," the Professor began as the two of them hastily walked towards the back of the lab. Ash noticed a wide variety of desks filled with various piles of paperwork as he passed by, but he refrained from commenting. He knew that the Professor's work was seen as complex and frustrating, reflected clearly in the state of the old man's workspace.

Professor Oak rushed ahead of Ash and started to type rapidly onto a computer next to a small piece of machinery. Almost instantly the machine started to emit the same comforting green glow of healing machine seen in most Pokecentres.

Ash immediately set the Pokémon down and heard it sigh in relief as the healing machine started to work. The seven year old could clearly see the mysterious Pokémon sigh in relief as its pain started to recede.

"That Pokémon is called a Larvitar," Professor Oak began, causing Ash to stare at the small green Pokémon in confusion. "It's an extremely rare species of Pokémon found only on Mount Silver, which is between our region and the Johto region, for a Larvitar to found this far away from its home is highly unusual," Professor Oak finished.

Ash stared at the small Pokémon. "Larvitar huh…" he mused as he inspected the small Pokémon. Looking around he noticed that the small electric mouse that was with him earlier had disappeared.

"Hey, where's Pikachu?"

- Meanwhile -

"Pika, Pi Pikachu," Pikachu exclaimed, waving his arms around frantically. His trainer got up and smiled slightly as hit small Pokémon's actions.

"Thanks Pi," Red murmured as the electric type jumped up onto his shoulder. With a small sigh Red looked back towards the Pokémon lab and then towards his house nearby. The champion could clearly see his wife working away in their front garden and a sad smile found its way onto his face.

"Pi," Red began as he tore his eyes away from his loving wife. The small electric type looked at its master, titling its head in confusion at the tone of Red's voice. The raven haired man gave a small smile as he looked at his Pikachu.

"I think it's about time we took that long overdue training trip…"

-End of Chapter!-