"Max, wake up, today's the big day, Kiddo." Max's mother said, knocking on her son's bedroom door.
Max didn't have to be told twice, today was the big day, today he turned 10, and could finally become a trainer and start his journey; but, more importantly, he could finally battle Ash. That's what he had been looking forward to the most.
Max jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom. He slid out his pajamas and into the shower. He made short work of the shower, not wanting to waist a second; otherwise all the good pokemon might be gone. He dried himself off and tossed the wet towel onto the floor, his mom shouldn't be too mad, it was his birthday after all. He walked out of the bathroom naked, he never bothered taking clothes in with him, he had his own bathroom, and it was at the back of the house with his room, so no one ever saw him.
"Oh, Max, you better-" His Mom started, hearing him in the hallway.
"Yea, I'll be right there Mom." Max said, cutting her off. He walked into his room, and to his dresser, he bent down to the bottom of his dresser, his underwear and sock drawer.
"Nice view, Maxxie." Max heard a voice from behind him, and spun quickly around on his heels, surprised. He was shocked to see Ash Ketchum and Pikachu sitting on his bed, so shocked, in fact, that he forgot he was still completely naked, as he ran over to give Ash a hug.
Ash wrapped his arms around the boy hugging him, only the least bit awkwardly.
"ASH! It's been forever!"
"Uhhh, Max…."
"Yea, Ash."
"Umm, you're naked, ya know."
Max quickly covered himself and blushed deeply.
"Don't worry." Ash said, pulling his hat down over his eyes.
Max walked back over to his dresser, and reached back into the bottom drawer. When he was sure Max was looking in his dresser, Ash slightly moved his hat so he could see. He kicked himself for being such a perv, but Marveled at how Max had grown in the past two years.
"Okay, you can look now." Max said when he had a pair of underpants on.
Ash moved his hat, even though he'd already been looking. Max pulled out a shirt and a pair of pants out of another drawer, and started to put them on.
"No, wait, Max." Ash stopped him.
"Huh, why?"
"Just wait a minute, come here."
Max set him garments on top of his dresser and walked over in front of Ash. Ash looked at Max, taking n all the changes that Max had gone through since they last met. He was a good three inches taller, but he wasn't so skinny, like he was back then. He wasn't fat, not at all, but he was a little chubbier, to the point of being really cute, in Ash's mind. Max turned red, having his friend look at him like this.
"What are you doing?" Max uncomfortably shuffled his feet.
"Okay, you can dress now; I was just looking at how much you've changed."
"Oh. Have I?" Max asked, walking back to his dresser and sliding his clothes on.
"Yea, you have, you're a lot taller now, but we've gotta get in the kitchen, or your mom's gonna kill us."
Ash stood up off the bed and the two of them walked in the kitchen, where Max's mother was waiting with his gifts. They stepped into the room, she yelled "Happy Birthday" to Max, and told him to hurry and open his presents, or he'd be late.
First Max opened the boxes that were from his Mother. One contained a really cool trainer's backpack with pockets for everything from extra clothing, to pokeballs, to medicine, and even had a strap he could hook his sleeping bag too.
The next present was, coincidently, a sleeping bag. It was weather resistant on the outside, but a soft fleece on the inside. She also gave him a pair of really nice cargo pants for his journey; it would be far too cold for shorts. His aunt had sent him a pull over for the cold weather, and some first aid medicine and gauze, all of which he put in its proper place in his back pack.
He picked up a box that was from Ash, and opened it. Ash had given him quite a few pokeballs and a new pair of shoes for the journey.
Max looked around, but didn't see any presents from his dad.
"Hey, Mom, didn't Dad get me anything? Where is he, anyway?" Max said with a sad look on his face.
"Oh, sweetie, your dad is going to be waiting for you at the lab, of course he got you something!"
Max brightened up, pulled on his new shoes, and stood to leave. He swung his new backpack over his shoulder and started for the door, Ash and his mother following.
When they arrived at Professor Birch's lab, it was hardly crowded. Max began to worry. But his mother assured him they weren't too late, it was just a small town. Max saw his father and ran up to him. His father picked him up into a hug.
"Happy birthday, Son, are you ready to get your pokemon?"
"Yea!"
Max and his dad walked inside the lab, while his mom and Ash stood outside.
"Are you sure you wanna do this, Ash?"
"Of course, it'll be a blast."
Five minutes past and Max bounced back outside, holding his pokeball high in the air.
"Which did you get, Max?" Ash asked, almost as excited as Max was.
"I got a Mudkip!" He said, and started to release it from the ball, but felt his father's hand on his shoulder.
"Not so fast, Kiddo, Professor Birch has something to ask you."
"Yes," Birch started, appearing behind Max's father, "With your father being the gym leader, I know you were raised around pokemon, so I know you have potential, especially from what Ash has told me about you when you were with him. That leads me to this question, there's a new region nearby that we have recently made alliance with. This region is called Abboth. It's a lot different from us here, but I think you can handle it. What do you think?"
"I think that would be awesome!" Max yelled, excited beyond belief.
"I know he can handle it if I'm there!" Ash said.
"Ash, are you serious? Are you-"
"Yep, I figured I'd come along with you on your pokemon journey. If you'd have me, that is."
"I'd love to have you as a companion, Ash!"
Ash and Max started talking about how excited they were with exploring a new land, while Max's mom was questioning Professor Birch about how safe it was. After all of the excitement and questioning calmed down, Max walked over to his parents.
"Do I have everything?"
Max knew this was going to happen, his Mom burst into tears and hugged him, and his dad was saying how proud he was. He hugged his mom, and told her not to be worried, and smiled at his dad. His mom realeased him, and he stepped in front of his dad.
"When I come back, I'll be grown up, right Dad?"
"That's right, Son." His father beamed with pride, and if Max didn't know better, he looked like he was about to cry.
"Well, then," Max shuffled his feet again, "will you put me on your shoulders one last time, before I'm to big?"
Max knew his father was tearing up then, as he was lifted and set on his shoulders. Max began to tear up himself. He was going to miss his family, and his home town so bad, but he couldn't miss this, not his rite of passage. He was set back on the ground, and he dried his eyes.
"I'm so proud of you, Max."
"Thanks, Dad, but the boat leaves soon, to Abboth, so we better get going." Max hugged his parents again, and turned around, starting to walk toward Ash.
"You're forgetting your present, Max."
Max turned back around and walked over to his father, who handed him a wrapped box.
Max, joyfully, unwrapped the box, and opened it, finding it filled to the top with pokeballs."
"Thanks, Dad!" Max said, pulling his father into another hug."
"You're welcome, Max. Take care of yourself, out there. We wouldn't want your mom to worry."
"I will, Dad."
Max turned to see that his mom was talking to Ash, he walked over and asked what they were talking about.
"Oh, I was just telling Ash to look after you, make sure eat right, shower, and change your socks and underwear."
"Mom….!" Max groaned, embarrassed.
His mom hugged him again, before turning back to Ash.
"And, Max has been known to get into trouble, but you know that, you've traveled with him before. But, keep him out of trouble, and, if he's acting up, he's ten, they do that, don't be afraid to spank him, you have my permission."
This made both Ash, and Max go red, so they took this opportunity to take their leave.
"We don't wanna miss the ferry." Ash said, both of them turning around, and heading down the road.
"Bye, Max, I love you, Honey!"
Max's mother waved and cried, and her husband put his arms around her, and pulled her close.
"He's growing up, now."
"I know."
The bay came into sight, along with the ferry, and Max began to pick up his pace. He had started to all out sprint when something stumbled out into the path in front of him. He jumped to his right to avoid hitting whatever had stumbled into the path. He lost his balance and fell, face first, into the bushes.
"Max, are you okay?" Ash asked, dashing over to where Max fell.
"Yea, I'm fine. What got in my way, though?"
Ash and Max both looked back on the path, a pokemon with an alien-like appearance and red hair stood in the path.
"It's a Ralts." Ash started.
"Ralts, Ralts!" The Ralts said its own name, happily, and walked over to hug Max. Max looked at the pokemon embracing his leg, and a realization washed over him.
"Ralts?"
The pokemon looked up at him.
"Are you the Ralts I met back then?"
The Ralts smiled and nodded its head.
Max picked the pokemon up and pulled it into a hug.
"Did you come all this way to find me?"
The pokemon nodded again.
"Would you like to come with me, now that I can start my journey"
"Ralts!" Max took that as a yes, and pulled one of the pokeballs hid dad had given him out of his backpack. The Ralts pressed the button on the ball, releasing the beam of red light, and let himself be encaptured in it. The beam pulled the Ralts in the ball, and it didn't even struggle.
Max had tears in his eyes again when he connected the ball to his belt.
Wordlessly, he continued walking to the ferry, Ash and Pikachu close behind.
NOTE: Sorry for the short chapter. I'll try to update soon.
And remember: Reviews are welcome. And flames are accepted. Either way, you're reading my shit.
