Ash Ketchum: Road to be a Pokémon Master
0.First, a Foreword
It's been a while since I wrote fan fiction, and I must say it makes me happy to return to the writing world. Some of you who have come here through alerts must know me through by my previous works and maybe even hope for a continuation to the fanfic I abandoned a while ago. I know it is disappointing, but unfortunately, the long gap from writing made me take the decision.
My first Pokémon fanfiction was "The Legend of Dark Prince", which I had since removed because I never intended to finish it (you see a pattern). Midway, I started my second work 'Road to be a Pokémon Master', a really battle focused work that revolved around a long "World Championship" tournament. The story was intended to be long similar to a typical Shonen magazine work. It had some character focus, power boosts and a lot of battles planned that are to last over at least six books – each book with about 30 plus chapters and about 65k words of content each.
That was an ambitious attempt, but the inspiration fizzled away when XY came along and suddenly my story world and the canon series had a vast disconnect. I knew I couldn't shoehorn Clemont, Serena or the mega evolutions just like that without keeping my story in sync. I felt it was important because my own writing experience comes from enjoying the canon work and exaggerate things for my guilty pleasure. Obviously, I cannot write something I cannot enjoy.
So, this time – after giving myself a long time to adjust to adult life, I have come back with a new piece of work that I intend to take forward with some commitment. This time, I am putting my story in a format where I can rewrite things the way I want by completely building up the story world right from scratch.
It will be a rewrite (of the canon) of sorts, but not so much that you will have to put yourself through the entire sagas of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh etc. and its ubiquitous fillers again. Instead, you will be going through some important pieces of each of them that will shape Ash's career as a Pokémon trainer and set the stage that will take us to a level beyond!
And that's about what I will divulge here without spoiling the entire story. I promise, no incessant rambling of mine shall disturb you before and after each chapter. If you do want to go through the ramblings, I will probably open channels for us to have some debate. But that's not something we have to worry about now.
Of course, all kinds of criticisms and suggestions are welcome, but it will be up to my discretion as an individual to take up new ideas. After all, it's my story and it will remain so only if I don't dilute it with someone else's ideas.
And lastly, there are many ways to tell the story of Ash Ketchum. Some call him a great trainer, one with great battle instincts and immense love for Pokémon. Some call him the Chosen One, blessed and courageous. Some just call him a lucky brat. Regardless of their personal views, there is one thing that everyone agrees with – his story is riddled with inconsistencies. Probably, because the records of his life were improperly compiled in the first place. This work is the attempt of a storyteller to recreate a universe, where, perhaps some consistency can be made in narrating the journey of Ash Ketchum.
- Writer Under Training
1.Kanto – The Beginning
Faint Memories
Though his memories of that age were only vague, as a five year old, Ash remembered admiring his dad a lot. He had a great Pokémon with him, whose name he could not recall. But what he did remember very well was the Pokémon's fiery mane, waving majestically with the wind. They rode that flaming Pokémon together far to the north of Pallet Town— almost all the way to Viridian City. He was excited because he never saw so many wild Pokémon before.
Ash's father controlled his Pokémon with ease, an unimaginable feat to him as a child. Could he ever be as good as his father? Ash wondered at times. It was then Ash decided that one day he will become a great Pokémon trainer like his father. 'Imagine riding my own fire Pokémon!' He thought with glee.
But as much as he admired his father, Ash found it jarrring that he rarely saw him home. His mother told him he was taking part in an important competition and needs to train alone. Ash asked her if his father was popular, to which she smiled and said that one day he will be popular enough to be on TV. After that. Ash started watching Pokémon battles on the television, eagerly hoping that one day his father would appear on the screen.
As time passed and he grew older, his father came home less often but he never appeared on the television.
"These things take time," his mother said when he inquired her. "Appearing on the television is really difficult!"
"One day," he told himself. "I'll be on the television."
A few weeks later, the five-year old Ash decided that he was going to start on his own Pokémon journey. His mother told him that he needs to be ten years old to become a trainer but he could not wait so long. If someone cool like his father was taking so long to appear on the television, it was only natural that he needed a head start. The earlier he started his journey, the faster he can become the world's best Pokémon trainer.
Thinking so, the young man packed his backpack and slipped from his house on a cloudy evening. The cool breeze was pleasant, he was convinced that he did a good thing leaving in the evening. Ash crossed the outskirts of Pallet Town and was not even a few meters into Route 1, when he suddenly realized that he was lost.
To add to the trouble, there was a downpour that day. Alone and terrified, young Ash was close to crying. Using the bag as his cover, he fervently searched for a place where he could take some shelter.
The heavy rain had wet his bag, clothes and shoes. The entire area slowly became damp and difficult to walk. His face felt cold, and fear gripped his mind completely. Regret filling in his mind, the young Ketchum felt defeated but he persistently searched, hoping to find a shelter. His efforts didn't go in vain as he stumbled into giant tree with a hollow, large enough to fit him in.
But as he went closer, he saw a bunch of small wild Pokémon – all taking cover much like he wanted to. He stood by the entrance, wondering if they would attack him if he approached, just like his mother mentioned once.
The rain showed no signs of letting up. Ash knew he had no other choice. He gingerly entered the hollow, the Pokémon moved away as he sat down, wet and shivering. He laughed nervously, "I guess you guys have an uninvited guest today."
He looked at their eyes and they into his, each curious about the other. Later when the rain grew stronger and cold wild blasted at them, the Pokémon and the boy moved closer. By the time the rain passed and the sunlight let up, the Pokémon were all over him, nuzzling his cheek, resting on his lap, crawling on his shoulder and pecking at his face.
Ash's mother always told him how wild Pokémon attack humans that trespass their territories. But to Ash, who lay in comfort with them— that was definitely a lie. 'Pokémon are amazing!' he thought.
That was probably when he vowed to himself—that he will not just become the strongest trainer but he will also travel far and wide to meet all kinds of Pokémon and become friends with them.
That was when he told himself, he will become a Pokémon Master.
A couple of years later…
Professor Oak's Camp
That day, the Oak's laboratory was noisier than usual. The living room brimmed with rows of excited kids and parents who tried their best to contain the children in their seats. Professor Oak smiled at the gathering, happy that it was much bigger and livelier than he had anticipated. His grandson, Gary sat in the front row with an annoyed face, as if he didn't belong in there. Beaming next to him was Delia's son, the young boy Ash Ketchum— a polar opposite.
All the children were about the same age – seven years old, a while away to be a Pokémon trainer but at the right age to start growing familiar with them. He thought it'd be a great idea to conduct a Pokémon camp just outside Pallet Town where the young ones could get first-hand experience in interacting with wild Pokémon under the supervision of him and his aides.
He cleared his throat slightly before he began. "Hello there, my name is Professor Oak. Are all of you excited to meet Pokémon?"
The camp kicked off after a brief introductory session, following which all the parents left the lab. One of the rules of the camp was that the parents should in no way interfere with the experience. It was vital as these kids will one day travel on their own after getting their Pokémon trainer's license. Once the morning session ended, the group of young children, the Professor and his aides all together set out towards the north of the town, a long walk to a place far inside Route 1.
The long walk turned out to be smooth without any complaints as most of the children were busy introducing themselves to each other and excitedly chattered about the upcoming experience. Amidst their contagious excitement, he couldn't help but notice that some exceptions did exist. He noticed that few kids seemed nervous or scared, perhaps it was their first time away from their parents. Luckily, his aides knew enough to comfort them.
The oddest of them all though was his own grandson, Gary, who walked next to him, with a bored look on his face. Professor Oak knew his grandson enough to understand why he would feel that way. He remained silent, hoping that the camping experience would probably change Gary's mood.
By afternoon, they were at the campsite. The kids were busy figuring out which tents they would take while the aides were busy setting them up. Oak stood there at a distance, a hand on his hip and a smile on his face as he watched all of it.
"There's no point in me being here, gramps." Gary said, watching the kids in disinterest. "I know more about Pokémon than Pokémon trainers." His tone indicated the air of arrogance. "I have nothing new to learn here."
Oak looked at his grandson. There was no doubt that Gary knew more about Pokémon than most trainers do. Even as a kid, he would go through Oak's research materials and prod him about things that jumbled him. Having access to the Pokémon that travelling trainers left in his lab gave him the opportunity to learn more about the Pokémon, first-hand. His inquisitiveness reminded Oak of himself when he was young. In fact, Oak doubted if he even knew half of what Gary knows at his age. But...
"Well, this camp is more than just theoretical learning, Gary. You also get to see how Pokémon interact in the wild. More importantly, you get to make good friends."
Gary narrowed his eyes. "I get along with people fine enough. Well, as long as they know how to use their brains." He pointed at Ash, who was being chased by a bunch of Pidgey at a distance. "Hey Ashy-boy!" Gary yelled before walking towards him. Oak couldn't hear their conversation, but Gary must have made some remark to rile Ash up because the latter's face grew red and furious after that.
They weren't exactly getting along, but watching his grandson who spent most his time studying interact with someone his age made Oak happy. "I guess you could call them friends."
He walked around, hoping to have a chat with some of the other kids. He always enjoyed hearing about Pokémon from their innocent and naïve perspectives. A kid with a broken front tooth saw him and jumped excitedly. "Professor, we just saw a bunch of Tangela!"
"Oh, a Tangela! Now, isn't that rare?" He laughed, patting him on his head. As far as he remembered, there were no Tangela in the area. Unless he made a new discovery, he must have mistook it for another Pokémon.
He looked forward to take them all around. The Poliwag at the pond or the Mankey at the edge of the forest will be an uncommon sight for those who had not ventured far from their towns and cities.
He spotted a lone girl with a straw hat sitting at a distance, looking angry at a piece of rock. "Hello, young lady!" The girl looked up at him, her anger turned into surprise. "If I recall, you are Ms. Grace's daughter…Serena, was it?" The girl nodded meekly.
Her mother had introduced the girl to him in a hurry before leaving. Apparently, she had to catch a flight from the Viridian City. She was a Rhyhorn racer from Kalos who came all the way to participate in the Vermillion Grand Prix.
"I think it'll be a great experience for her! And I rarely get a chance to visit Kanto so…" Those were her words, anyway.
"Hmm," he mumbled, scratching his chin. "Are you angry that your mother left you here?"
The girl pulled her hat down to cover her face."My mom just brought me to Kanto in a hurry and…" She bowed, apologetically. "Nevermind me, Professor."
For a child her age, she seemed to control her emotions very well. But his camp was not a place for people to bottle up their emotions. "Come on, you can tell me whatever you feel about this."
She sighed. "I'm just a burden to her. Isn't that why she left me here?"
Professor Oak raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, I don't think that's true," he said. "Look at those kids over there, for example. They are here because they genuinely enjoy playing with Pokémon. Your mother has brought you here so that you can spend some time with them as well."
The girl narrowed her eyes at that. "Professor, I honestly doubt that." The slight sarcasm in her tone suggested that she had good reason to feel that way. He couldn't entirely say she was wrong either. Her mother's motive might not entirely be an honest one, as far as he knew.
Oak blinked for a second. Was this young girl really seven years old?
"Well anyway, it's important to have fun. Why don't you join the others and find some Pokémon too?" The girl nodded, hesitatingly.
He wasn't sure if he had entirely convinced her, but she seemed to have listened to his advice and started talking with the other kids. He mused how different the kids were— an energetic boy like Ash who looked forward for something like this for ages, a disinterested Gary who had always been around Pokémon since he was a kid, and Serena who assumed the only reason she was in the camp was because her mother didn't want her around—each of them view Pokémon in their own way, and Oak was excited to hear them all.
After listening to the Professor, Serena had felt a little bit more at ease. She joined a group of kids who were about to set out on a Pokémon hunt with one of the lab assistants. She was reluctant to be a part of the camp, mostly because it was something her mom sprang upon her in the last minute. She tried resisting her mother and stay back in Kalos alone, but her mother was so worried about her, she dragged Serena all the way across the ocean and left her to spend three days in a place full of wild Pokemon with a group of complete strangers.
Still, she wanted to make the best of her time, it was her first time spending outside with a lot of people that weren't extended family or friends of her mother.
For a couple of hours, they were going around trying to spot wild Pokémon. At first, she couldn't see any but as they went deeper into the woods, the Pokémon appeared one by one. Most of them were small and timid, unlike the giant monsters that appeared in bedtime stories. They hid behind rocks and in the crevices of the trees whenever they spotted the humans and peeped at them from a distance.
"Caterpie, Rattata, Pidgey and Spearow," a boy wearing glasses was naming the Pokémon one after the other. Serena felt mildly irritated because it was clear that the kid was trying to show off.
"What you saw till now are staple Pokémon in Route 1," the Professor's aide said, a thin man in his teens. He carried a strange red device, which she assumed was some kind of a recording machine. "A little deeper than this, you will find Pokémon that most trainers tend to overlook in this area."
The kids including Serena looked hopeful, eyes and ears peering in every direction in hope to see something rare.
"But I must warn you kids," the aide continued. "I don't want you guys to scurry away from the group just because you saw a rare Pokémon. Remember to stick to the rules and—"
He was cutoff by an excited kid. "Look, over there!"
Everyone looked in the direction the boy pointed at. Serena saw a blue blur disappear into the bushes just as she set her eyes on it. Everyone else must have done the same, she realized, because they all exclaimed at once.
"I think it's a Squirtle!" The guy with glasses exclaimed, and without warning he dashed after the Pokémon. The blue blur moved away in time and ran away deep into the forest.
"Wait, don't run!" The aide exclaimed. But by then, the entire group except Serena started chasing the Pokemon. Serena didn't want to risk breaking the rule and get lost. Though she had begun to like Pokémon, she was still very terrified of wandering around in the wild all alone.
"What should we do?" She asked the aide, but then came no response.
"Wait a minute…" Serena looked around, realizing that the aide went chasing after them, perhaps he had not noticed that she was left behind in the panic. "Oh no, this isn't happening to me."
After realizing that she was alone, the previously assuaged fears had come back to her. Despite that, Serena thought it'd be a great idea if she just stayed there in case the Professor's aide came back.
Unfortunately, Serena couldn't do that for long, because her own overacting imagination combined with the constant disturbance around, took over her common sense. She hoped to find her way back by walking along what seemed like the path they came from. But her hopes died in vain when the seconds turned into minutes and more but she was not even remotely close to the camp. She wondered if, in her confusion, she had only landed herself in a deeper mess.
"Where did everyone go?" She looked around nervously as she walked forward, each step filled with fear and uncertainty.
'Calm down,' she told herself, but her heart only continued to beat faster. She looked around scared as she found herself going deeper and deeper into the unknown. She prepared herself for any monster that would jump at her, firmly telling herself that nothing would catch her by surprise. But when a bush behind her moved at once, Serena couldn't help but jump back in surprise. The sudden action caused her to trip and fall awkwardly on her leg.
She looked back, terrified that a large Pokémon would attack her— only to see a small blue creature spring out and land before her. "Poli?" The Pokémon growled before continuing ahead. 'It must be the Pokémon the others were looking for.'
Though she could see that the Pokémon didn't seem capable of harming her, Serena wanted to get up and move away quickly, pnly to stopped by an intense pain that made her realize her knee was badly sprained.
Tears started rolling down her cheeks. "I didn't want to be here. I didn't want to come to the camp." She told her mother that it was a bad idea. "Mommy!" She began to cry.
Her crying was shut off immediately when the bushes moved again. Serena couldn't help but shut her eyes tightly, keeping herself blinded from the danger. She waited for the worst— whatever her mind could let her imagine at that point—and remained completely frigid.
"Hey, are you okay?" It was a human voice that called out to her.
She opened her eyes to find a boy her age, looking at her curiously. "My name is Ash," he introduced himself. She recognized him from the camp and felt her heart lighten up in relief.
"I hurt my leg," she said, wiping her tears.
He bent down to examine her leg, before taking a handkerchief out and tied it firmly around her knee. "Well, that's going to help. And…" He seemed to try recollecting what to do. "Oh yeah. My mom did this whenever I was hurt." He waved his hands around in the air, as if he was doing a magic trick. "Pain, pain go away!"
The girl didn't really know if magic existed or not, but she could tell that she was already feeling better. Noticing the relief on her face, he got up to his feet. "Alright, let's go back to the camp."
She nodded before attempting to stand again, but her leg didn't cooperate. The boy smiled and extended his hand. "Let's go."
As the two walked towards the camp, Serena remained awkwardly silent. She was ashamed at how helpless she was. "What were you doing there, all alone?" Ash asked her, breaking the silence.
"I," she hesitated for a second, not sure if she was going to divulge the fact that she had lost her way. "I got separated from my group." She made it sound as nicely as she could. The boy made a noise in acknowledgment.
"What about you?" She asked after a pause.
He turned around and smiled, putting out all his teeth in a goofy grin. "I was looking for a Pokémon and got all excited. I think I lost my group after that." She wondered how long it took him to realize that he was no longer with his group. "Don't worry, I know the way out." He grinned, sheepishly.
She nodded as they walked. "Soyou were looking for the Pokémon, alone?"
"Yup."
"But aren't Pokémon dangerous?" She asked. "We're always told not to go into the wild without adults until we have our own Pokémon."
"Not at all! Pokémon are really amazing." His eyes shone, as if they were made of the stars. "They aren't scary at all. In fact, they even help you out if you are lost." The boy's words suggested that he might have had such an experience. "I really love Pokémon," Ash said and she knew it was true.
The sunlight filtered down the canopy of trees at a distance. They were getting closer to the camp at the clearing. "That's why I want to travel together with Pokémon and get stronger. And then one day, I'll become a—"
"Pokémon Master, right?" His sentence was completed by someone else.
Standing outside the camp was a brown-haired boy their age, his hands folded and a smirk on his face. "Are you going to tell the same story to every person you meet, Ashy-boy? Let's face the reality, you can't even tell a Pidgey from a Spearow."
Ash left her side and stepped forward. "Well Gary Oak, I know what the difference is and I'll also become the strongest trainer like I said."
Oak?
The brown-haired boy stood coolly and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, why don't you tell me what is the key attribute that differentiates Spearow from Pidgey?"
"Well," Ash started. "Well," he scratched his cheek. "They're almost the same but look a bit different…and…"
"Forget it," The brown-haired boy said, brushing him off. "If you were to become a trainer, you'll not even make past Route 1, Ashy-boy."
Ash grit his teeth. "Well, whatever you say I am going to be the strongest trainer like my dad! And I'll make sure I'll beat you in a Pokémon battle."
"Your dad?" Gary raised an eyebrow. "What are you even talking about?"
"That's enough, both of you." Professor Oak appeared out of nowhere. "I want you to stop fighting and be good friends." For some reason, the professor glared at the brown-haired boy.
"Why are you getting angry at me, gramps?" Gary asked, to which Oak remained silent. He grumbled, "Well, I'm outta here."
After his grandson walked away, the Professor turned to Ash and spoke in a calmer tone. "Well, Ash. Did you run off your own again?"
Ash nodded, his head down in shame. He pointed at her, "Professor, she hurt her leg."
The Professor noticed the handkerchief wrapped around her knee. The tension on his expression faded. "Well, I'll take care of her. Why don't you run along and see if anyone at the camp needs your help?"
A few minutes later, Serena was in the Professor's tent. She was being tended to by the Professor's aide as her colleague was getting reprimanded by Professor Oak. He seemed upset, an incident like that would have made the camp unpopular. But for some reason, that didn't seem to be the only reason to her. Serena wondered if that argument between Ash and his grandson had upset him a little. "It's just a small sprain, you should be okay by the morning." The woman treating her smiled.
The Professor took a break from scolding his aide and walked to her. His face turned calm as he spoke to Serema, as if all his anger disappeared suddenly. "Well, you seemed to have had a rather eventful day. Don't you want to thank your mom for that?" He asked, laughing.
Thanking her would be going too far, she did not say aloud. But...
"I know my mother is busy," Serena said, her voice low. "I really hated coming to this camp at first but I was excited when I made friends and started exploring. But then…I lost my way and I was all alone in that forest. I was really scared and..." She sighed. "I think it was my fault that I was lost. I should've been more brave."
The old man smiled. "Well, you are definitely responsible for a child your age. Wish my grandson could be a bit more like you," he patted her head. "Keep using that head of yours and one day you will become an amazing trainer." She did not say anything because she was not sure if becoming a trainer was her thing.
"Professor," she said. "That boy who saved me…" The conversation between Ash and the other boy didn't turn out right. She wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but the Professor seemed to have stopped it at the right time.
"Ash? Don't worry about him. He's got a thick skull, so he's probably goofing off somewhere, trying to find some Pokémon again. Why don't you forget about it and enjoy the rest of your time here?" Serena smiled and nodded. "Hope you leave this place with some better opinion of Pokémon."
After that, Serena did spot the boy once or twice but he was usually doing his own thing, chasing after a Pokémon or being chased by one. Though most people in the camp laughed at him, she could only remember his eyes when he said he loved Pokémon.
Before she left the camp, Serena wanted to thank Ash and return the handkerchief back to him. But as luck would have it, the day before she left the camp her mother dropped out of nowhere in the middle of the night. "I'm sorry sweetie, we need to go home. I've already spoken to Professor Oak."
Serena complained but her mother promised she would take her to the mall once their flight touched Lumiose. Smart as she was, Serena had her own weaknesses. She agreed to go with her that night. Regretfully, she never got the opportunity to thank Ash before she left the camp.
After a brief stop at Lumiose, they shopped a ton and took the local train to Vaniville. The mother and daughter were carrying heavy bags on their way back from the Vaniville station to their home. "You must thank that boy, sometime." Her mother said, after listening to her story.
Serena pouted. "I would've done that, if you hadn't dragged me back, mom."
"I'm sorry," Grace said, looking apologetic. Serena replied with a simple 'hmph', her mother laughed at her expression. "Well, don't worry. If you become a Pokémon trainer, I'm sure you'll run into him someday."
Serena nodded. "Maybe if we walk the same goal, we'll meet eventually." She balled her fist. "Mom," she looked at her mother with a serious expression. "I've decided, I'll become a Pokémon Master too."