Chapter 1: Pichu

My name is Willow Ketchum, the god daughter of Ash Ketchum. He's actually the famous Pokémon Master. The reason I have his last name is because I was originally adopted and then my adoptive parents died when I was 3. And since no other couple came to take me I became the ward of Viridian City. No one knows who my real parents were, but now I live at the Pokémon Center with Nurse Joy. Professor Oak told Ash about me after my adopted parents died, so I inherited his name. But it's no big deal, I never actually meet my godfather. So it feels really embarrassing whenever visitors make a huge fuss believing that I am his kid. Professor Oak visits the Center to check on me every once in a while, but it's usually just once a year.

I got up one morning to the regular smell of medicine. Chansey was at my door, "Chansey Chan" she smiled lifting up my assistant nurse uniform. "It's ok Chansey I'll be up in 5 minutes." I smile sleepily; "Chansey!" replied Chansey putting my uniform on the bed and wobbled out to work. I run my hands through my tangled mass of silver hair. I go into the bathroom and take a shower with the Pecha, Mago, and Bluk berry shampoo Nurse Joy got me for my birthday. I step out and wipe the steam off the mirror facing my light blue eyes determined and ready for work. I put on my assistant nurse uniform and tuck in my water stone fragment necklace, while practicing my greeting smile.

I descend to the bottom floor to the busy area of a Pokémon Center. I go up to the front desk. "Hi Nurse Joy I'm ready to take over the desk today." Nurse Joy smiles her caring smile, "that won't be necessary Willow the Professor called this morning he wants you down in Pallet Town, he said it was important. Now sense you have never been anywhere but Viridian City I have received a map from the PokeMart for you."

"Thank you Nurse Joy." I take the map and put it in my pocket and start for the entrance. "Take your emergency Pokémon aid kit, and Chansey made your lunch! Be good for the Professor and don't stray from the route!" I look back at Nurse Joy her face showed worry and heart ache. I run to her for a hug she strokes my hair and I smell the familiar scent of perfume and medicine. "I'll be back soon! I love you Nurse Joy." "I know Willow say hello to the Professor for me. Also there is a letter I put in your lunch that goes to a friend of mine down there, she lives right across from the Lab her name is Delia." Her smile coming back again.

"I'll come back as soon as I can!" I call back to her waving as I run towards the path leading to Pallet Town. I shiver as the trees start to come closer together as I go farther away from my home town. The grip on my lunch carrier tightened with each movement. Don't get me wrong I love pokémon but I'd be no chance against a wild pokémon without a single pokémon of my own. I barely noticed how far I went when I came to a turn in the path. "Oh no which way do I go?" I sigh as I rummage in my pocket for my map. I gasp as I find my pocket empty. No I lost it! I almost turn around when I hear something… a pokémon? I run up the path and hear the sound more clearly "Pi! Pichu Pi!" It was coming from off the path. I hesitated for only a second and bolt towards the trees.

I came to a patch clear of trees and a sad sight meet me eyes. An Ekans was tackling a Pichu that was already about to fainted. "Stop it! Leave it alone!" I run and tackle the Ekans; I'm pushed back by its tail and hit a tree. I grimace at the impact "Pi!" came the cry of the Pichu as Ekans grips it and starts dragging it away. "I won't let you hurt that Pichu!" I yell as I throw a rock at the Ekans. My strength doubles as I keep throwing rocks at the Ekans, till finally it drops Pichu. I snatch it up just as it faints. I run back on the path and collapse exhausted.

0_-=+=-_0

A shadowy figure came out of the shadows of the trees looking at his defeated Ekans. "Return!" he says absently. "You are so useless."

0_-=+=-_0

"I should go back to the Center Nurse Joy would know what's wrong, but what if I don't make it in time?!" I look at the Pichu in my lap "Pi…Pi…Pi…" came the faint breath of the Pichu. That's when I knew it couldn't make the journey. I look through my Poke Aid and bring out a regular potion and spray Pichu it's breathing went back to normal. But I could hardly get it to eat an Oran Berry. I put it in my apron pouch, maybe when I get to Pallet town there will be a Center…

I was really tired from all the walking and the sun was on the other side of the sky by the time I saw the first house. Pichu was still unconscious every house I saw seemed to be deserted till I came to a pretty little house with white fence and a Pokémon tending to a beautiful garden. At the porch is a woman sitting in a rocking chair she had red hair with a couple of gray hairs; she looked up and nodded to me. "Uh excuse me ma'am is there a Pokémon Center nearby?" Her face creased show some wrinkles I didn't notice before. "No I'm sorry young lady there isn't a Center in Pallet. Is there something the matter?" I run up to her and cradle Pichu in my arms. "Oh that poor Pichu! Come in and tell me everything."

We go inside and I looked around curiously because I'd never been inside a home before… I looked at pictures all around me mostly of a young boy my age with black hair and hat, he had a Pikachu on his shoulder he must have been a trainer. "Is this your son?" I spied a young and red haired woman with bright green eyes hugging a younger boy with the same hair as the other. "Yes that he is, he's all grown up now." She smiles, "he has a great heart for pokémon."

She took me to the kitchen and gave me food so good I almost forgot about how in a hurry I was. "Uhhh can I ask you something?" "Why of course." I had a lot of questions but the only one that came out was, "do you know who Delia is she's a friend of Nurse Joy of Viridian City?"

"I sure do I'm Delia, Delia Ketchum." She smiles gingerly. I froze to let it sink in but I still couldn't help say. "Ketchum? So that boy in the photos…" "Yep Ash Ketchum my little Ash." I never knew how but all of a sudden Nurse Joy's letter was in my hand and she took it gingerly from me. I didn't ask what it said and just watched as she read it for what felt like an hour. After a while I decided to tell her my story. I told her about how Nurse Joy raised me and how I found Pichu and that I was on my way to Professor Oak's, and last who I was Willow Ketchum her god granddaughter. "I see well you should get Professor Oak that Pichu so he can heal it quickly before it's too late. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything for it." She hugged me as I left. I ran fast, worrying that I had wasted too much time.

Oak's Lab was huge, I felt small looking at it from the gate. But as I looked at the Pichu in my arms I went past the gate and ran to the entrance. I knock on the double doors and am faced with a young man in he's 30's with spiky brown hair and bright eyes. "May I help you?" "Please I need to see Professor Oak this Pichu's hurt." "I'm Professor Gary Oak. If you're referring to my Grandpa his busy trying to find a pokémon that escaped this morning." "Please Professor, at least you can help this poor Pichu!" He steps back, "Come on, let's have a look inside."

"It's not too bad, Pichu seems to be fine only needs a little rest. How did this happen to Pichu anyway?"

"I really have no idea! Just that this Ekans was attacking it without stopping, even when it was about to faint." I answer still puzzled by the whole thing.

"Gary I still haven't found her!" Came the voice from the back of the lab. "In here Grandpa! He'll help now he's much better than I am, more experience you know."

An old man came in with gleaming blue eyes that showed a younger self deep within this shell of a frail old man. His gaze went straight to the Pichu on the table in surprise. "That's the Pichu that ran off this morning! How did you find her?" Professor Oak's gaze rested on me.