Ash and Misty's Wild Kanto Journey

A Pokemon AU fanfiction

By Ryanthebrave

Disclaimer: I do not own anything concerning Pokemon at all. This is just for fun, nothing more. If I did own Pokemon, it wouldn't be a kid friendly franchise. Ash and Misty would have been a canon couple, probably the only major human characters, Ash and Misty would be able to understand Pokemon speech and speak it too, and the Pokemon Anime would have been more like an 'Adam and Eve' type story...and it would also be set in one region.

Also I've decided to give Ash's Pikachu a name, Ryan, not after myself but after Ryan Reynolds who voiced Pikachu in Pokemon Detective Pikachu.

Prologue: The Wild Start

On the night before Ash Ketchum was to start his journey as a Pokemon Trainer, the boy from Pallet Town had an extremely odd dream; perhaps the oddest dream he ever had in his young life. Instead of being in his own bed and house, he was living in the wild jungles of Kanto. Instead of being greeted by his own mother, Delia, he was being nurtured and cared for by an Arcanine female. Instead of being prepared to become a Pokemon Master, he was naturally lording over other Pokemon like a Jungle King. Instead of being clothed, Ash was as bare and naked as the day he was born. His skin was more suntanned and covered in sweat, scratches and Arcanine saliva, his spiky hair was long and wild and he was on all fours like a Growlithe or Arcanine. And he also saw a girl, a peach-skinned, orange-haired girl with teal eyes who was just as naked and as wild as he was.

They explored the vastness of the wild together, growing closer and closer as friends and eventually as lovers. And just when they were about to kiss...the alarm clock went off, waking Ash up from his strange dream and sending him falling off the bed. Ash groaned as he got up and said, "Aww, man. What a weird dream!" Then he gazed at the clock and he gasped in shock and alarm.

"Oh no! I gotta hurry before I miss my chance to get my starter Pokemon!" Ash cried out as he started to bolt out of his house, not bothering to change out of his pajamas. As he ran out into the streets towards old Professor Oak's office, he passed by his doting if ditzy mother Delia, who called out in confusion, "Ash? Sweetheart? You don't want any breakfast?"

Not even bothering to answer his mother's question, Ash ran as fast as he could in the hot, humid heat of Pallet Town. He ran and ran until he started to collapse when he finally reached Professor Oak's office, only to be greeted by the Professor's cocky and arrogant grandson Gary, his childhood friend and rival, who was tossing a Poke-Ball up and down his hand like a baseball. "Gary?" He asked near collapse.

"Hey there, Ashy boy. I see you came to get a starter Pokemon from my gramps, huh? Well, good luck trying. Because most of the Starters have already been taken." Gary said with a cocky grin. "What Pokemon did you get, Gary?" Ash asked with an enthusiastic look on his face.

"Ha. Like I'm really gonna tell you. But...I think a friendly wager should be made, huh?" Gary asked with a smirk, catching Ash's attention as he struggled to stay up. "What kind of wager?" Asked the raven haired boy, wondering what Gary had in mind.

"If you can get an actual Starter Pokemon, I'll stop teasing you. But if you can't, then you gotta do your journey buck-naked. Do we have a deal?" Gary asked as he put his Poke-Ball on his belt and held out his right hand.

"All right then-wait. What was that last part again?" Ash asked, trying to comprehend what Gary just said, hoping that he heard right.

"You heard me, Ash. Since I know you prefer the company of Pokemon over most people and that you can talk to Pokemon, too, if you can't get an official Starter Pokemon...then I dare you to do your journey naked as the Pokemon that you prefer to hang around with. So have we got a deal? Or not? Going once...going twice..." Gary said, forcing Ash to make a decision as Ash quickly shook his hand.

"Yes. We got a deal, Gary. You...you have my word." Ash said though he was blushing heavily and it was almost like his weird dream was starting to come true. While Gary was snickering to himself on the outside, on the inside he was impressed that Ash was willing to humiliate himself and take on this dare. So Ash entered Professor Samuel Oak's laboratory and the Professor looked at Ash with a sigh. "Hello, Ash. So good of you to come in, unfortunately I'm all out of my usual Starter Pokemon. Though I do have a Pokemon in my arsenal that you could try, but he doesn't do too well with most humans." The Professor said, much to Ash's excitement and disappointment.

On one hand, Ash was going to get a Pokemon after all. On the other hand, he had to honor his promise to Gary as this would not be a usual Starter Pokemon like Bulbasaur, Squirtle or Charmander. And he probably might have to live out in the wild.

"So what type of Pokemon is it, Professor?" Ash asked in excitement as Oak pulled out a Poke-Ball and out came a Pikachu. The electric mouse type Pokemon was letting sparks fly from his rosy-red cheeks as if warning Ash to back off and Ash could hear this Pokemon talk to him, even if Professor Oak thought it was all Pokemon speech.

"Back off, kiddo. I've got electricity at my disposal and I'm not afraid to use it!" Said the electric mouse type, which was perfectly clear to Ash. Why and how Ash could understand Pokemon speech and speak back to them was a mystery to him.

Ash was understandably nervous, but he nodded and said back, "I got it." The Pikachu was rather shocked and surprised, "You can understand me? You can talk to me?"

Ash nodded again as Pikachu slowly lowered his guard and hopped over to the boy, nuzzling his leg. This caused Professor Oak to gasp in surprise. "As I live and breathe, I never thought I'd see something like this happen. Ash, how are you able to do that?" Ash was unsure of how to answer, yet he simply shrugged his shoulders and sheepishly said, "I guess I just have a fondness for Pokemon, sir."

Then in an instant, after getting his Poke-Dex, Ash and Pikachu headed out of the laboratory with Delia overly excited for her son and Gary smirking. Ash was proud, embarrassed and nervous all at the same time. How was he going to explain all of this to his mother? Yet he also had some serious questions for her. "So, Ash. Is this your Pokemon?" Delia asked as she knelt down to look at this cute little Pikachu.

"Yep. This is him, Mom...and there's something I need to tell you in private. It's rather personal." Ash said as Delia noticed the tone of his voice, it had to be really serious. So once they got home and after Ash had his breakfast, he explained his deal with Gary to Delia who was understandably surprised and shocked.

"Ash, are you sure that Gary wasn't teasing? I mean this is rather-." Delia said trying to talk her son out of the deal, but Ash looked at her and told her in a determined voice. "Mom, I gave Gary my word. Since I didn't get a usual Starter Pokemon, I have to go out into the world naked as a wild Pokemon."

Delia sighed as she began to speak, "Ash, I've always known that you were different from most children here in Pallet Town. You always had a fascination with Pokemon and that you could actually converse with them. I especially remember that time when you were just a baby...I found you with a family of Arcanine after you wandered off into the woods. You were still naked and suckling from the mother Arcanine-."

This news caught Ash's attention, "I really did that? Does that explain my...gift?" He asked as Delia nodded, as being fed Pokemon milk as an infant had certain effects later in life. "It does Ash. You lived among that pack of Arcanine and Growlithe for nearly a month, and all that time I was afraid that they would eat you, but they didn't. You belong in their world, Ash. I believe you always have." Delia said with tears in her eyes.

"Does this make me a bad mother? I accidentally leave you in the woods to be raised for a while among wild Arcanine, only to see that you could survive among them...and all because I was so angry and scared when your father left...I didn't know what I was thinking." Delia said crying, but then Ash hugged his mother.

"Mom...none of this was your fault. It's because of you that I had a good childhood, and sure I didn't have very many human friends, but that's okay. Now I know why. And because I now know why...I wanna go out there and find the Arcanine family who raised me for a time and if possible see where I truly belong." Ash said, more determined than ever to discover the source of his unusual gift.

Delia sighed in defeat, it seemed that there was no possible way to dissuade Ash from finding out the truth. "Please Mom. I have to do this. And maybe my real journey is discovering my true home, either the wild or civilization. No matter what happens, you'll always be my mom and I'll visit whenever I can. I promise." Ash said to his mother in reassurance, which made Delia smile as she kissed her son's forehead.

"If you really want to do this journey naked and find the Arcanine pack who raised you, then I won't stop you. But I do recommend that you head out at night, so that no one will see you." Delia advised her son, who nodded. It definitely made some sense after all to wait until nightfall.

Many hours passed and after getting to know his Pikachu better, who preferred to be called Ryan, and also a few meals before heading out, Ash looked outside his window and sighed as the sun set and darkness began to creep in. "Well this is it, Ry. Tonight I set out on my own personal journey. As much as I'd love to be the greatest Pokemon Master of all time, I have another family out there that I need to find. A Pokemon family." Ash said as he prepared to get naked starting with removing his hat from his head.

"Oh that's probably a good idea, Ash. But what if you find them and they want nothing to do with you? Or if they find you and decide to eat you instead?" Ryan asked before Ash threw his vest on the Pikachu's body, followed by his shirt. "HEY! Slow down with shedding the extra skins already, Ash. Okay? The last thing I need is your stink on my fur." Ryan said in annoyance as he got Ash's clothes off of him.

Ash was now half-naked and he was trying to show courage, but he had never gone out in public naked at his age, so it was rather nerve-racking for the ten year old boy. "Ryan, I gave my word, but I'm not afraid of not finding my Pokemon family. I'm afraid that people might see me and I might be forced to go back on my promise. What should I do?" Ash asked as he took off his shoes and socks.

"Ash, buddy, if you want my advice? I think you should go for it. If your human mom thinks that you deserve to know the truth and to find the family that raised you for a while, then I would do as she says. After all, it's like that phrase you upright creatures use, 'Mother knows best'." Ryan said trying to get Ash to go on with his promise. "Besides, as your friend, I insist that you return to your roots and live free as a Pokemon of the wild." Ryan finished giving Ash the confidence that he needed. Then he took off his pants and underwear, leaving himself stark naked and bare.

"Now that feels so much better, Ryan. I feel like howling like an Arcanine." Ash said as he prepared to open the window and give a loud howl, before Ryan jumped up and said, "Stop, buddy. Wait until we get to the wild before you can give a loud howl." Seeing his Pokemon buddy's point, Ash stopped and went downstairs to say goodbye to his mother. Delia was waiting downstairs, anxious to see if her son had made his decision.

When Ash came down naked and bare to his mother, Delia simply came over to her son and hugged him tightly. "Mom, it's gonna be okay. I'll come back and visit when I can. I promise. And if I can't find them or they don't take me back in, I'll be back for good."

"Never forget this though, Ash. No matter what life you choose, civilized or feral, you will always be my son." Delia said with a few tears in her eyes as Ash kissed her forehead. "I know, Mom."

Then Ash and Ryan were let out of the house and they headed deep into the wilds of Pallet Jungle, the wilderness that encompassed most of the entire known Pokemon World. Ash's destiny was in that jungle and he would either discover his true home or find out that life in the wild was just as complicated and as complex as life among people. Little did Ash know was that he would not be the only person to try to find a home in Pallet Jungle.