Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, so any recognisable characters are not mine.
Prologue: New Beginings
Waiting. Always waiting. Waiting on a strong trainer to climb to the top of the stupid mountain to give him a short, probably boring battle. All around him, the peak of Mt. Silver was covered in snow, a seemingly flat field of white broken only by him and his Pikachu who was training nearby. His other Pokémon taking a break inside their Pokéballs around their trainer's waist, waiting for their turn to train, or battle patiently.
How long had he been up here? Five years? Maybe even six? He didn't know for certain, only that in the last few months he had been challenged once by the new Johto champion, and they had been surprised to see him. He thought back to the old days, when he first climbed the mountain and had a new challenger every few days. Now, he was just that legendary trainer, the 'Ghost of Mt. Silver', a myth that only a handful believed existed.
Sighing, he turned his head and pushed his cap up so he could watch his Pikachu lashing out with immensely strong lightning attacks on nearby rocks. As he watched, he thought about why he was still up on the mountain. He could easily become a Gym Leader if he wished, but then he would make an impossible Gym, he was sure. What else could he do?
I could always go on a new adventure. He thought. Take up a new name and no one would realise. I'm sure a lot has changed while I've been up here.
With that thought in mind, he called his Pikachu back over through the bond they shared. Thanks to helping Blaine and Mewtwo several years ago, Mewtwo had created a mental bond between him and the Pokémon he possessed at the time.
"Alright Pika, we're going on an adventure again. Sort of." He said, realising that he should probably get new Pokémon so he didn't just destroy every trainer he met with his unstoppable team.
"When you say sort of…" Pika asked curiously.
"Well, I don't want to use you guys and smash everyone when I'm pretending to be a newish trainer." He replied, thinking of what his first Pokémon would be this time.
"OK, that's a fair point." Pika agreed. "Hey Red, if you need a new 'starter' why not go talk to Professor Oak? Ask for a starter if he doesn't recognise you, and explain your idea if he does."
Red thought about Pika's suggestion and agreed to it, before calling out his Charizard and flying towards Pallet Town.
When he arrived, Red took the opportunity to get rid of his old clothes that he had been wearing for years and put on a relatively fresh set from his back pack, before recalling both Scorch and Pika and putting his entire teams Pokéballs in his backpack.
I should probably find somewhere to let them roam free while I'm not using them. He thought, only to have a voice answer in his head: Taken care of.
Deciding to investigate what that meant later, Red walked into town, heading for Professor Oak's lab. He felt strange walking through his hometown and seeing just how much had changed, the town being larger than before. He caught a glimpse of his reflection for the first time in years, and decided he looked the part he was playing with his hat and bag, the blue cargo pants and red T-shirt just finishing the effects along with his black gloves.
As he finally reached the lab, he heard a new Pokémon trainer, supposedly called Gary Oak, giving a speech to an adoring fan group about being the next champion, before walking into the lab to get a Pokémon. Sighing, Red followed him in, pushing through the crowd and looking around the familiar lab. Spotting the Oak's over by a trio of Pokéballs, Red walked over.
"And this one is Charmander, the fire lizard. She'll be a bit of a handful, at least at first, but will grow into a powerhouse later on." Professor Oak was telling Gary.
Gary was glancing between them all before reaching down for one. "Squirtle, I choose you!" He yelled, letting the turtle Pokémon out to meet its new trainer.
Nodding Oak turned towards Red, studying him for a moment. "Hmm, I don't think I've seen you before. What's your name, and are you here for your first Pokémon or something else?" Oak asked.
Probably much too late, Red realised that he probably shouldn't use his actual name unless he wanted to let the Professor know who he was. As he was thinking of the Charmander he was about to adopt, and the images of fire that popped into his head, his reply was not a name even he would normally have thought of.
"My name's Ash." He replied, swiftly thinking up a last name if he needed it too. "I'm here to start my Pokémon journey. I thought this was where I could get a Pokémon."
"Ah, another new trainer. Just let me finish with Gary and I'll sort you out in a moment." Professor Oak replied obviously delighted to hear another new trainer was starting their journey here.
Red watched as Gary was given a handful of Pokéballs to start with, along with a Pokédex and a number of potions. Soon after that, Gary left, barely even glancing at the other trainer as he did.
"Now, your choices are either Charmander, the fire lizard," Oak gestured to one Pokéball, "Or Bulbasaur, the bulb Pokémon." As he gestured to the second Pokéball.
Red nodded before picking up Charmander's Pokéball. "I'll take Charmander."
Oak nodded before handing a few Pokéballs to Red as well as a Pokédex. "Using these Pokéballs, you will be able to add new Pokémon to your team. This Pokédex will allow you to record the data on any Pokémon you encounter, check moves, locations and countless other useful things." Oak said. "Normally, I would only give these out to trainers I'm certain will use it properly, and I get the feeling that you would be one of those trainers. Now, that Charmander is supposed to be, well, different in some sort of way. It was looked after by a college of mine who sent it to me late last night and I haven't let it out of its Pokéball yet, so be prepared. Well, good luck on your journey Ash!"
Red thanked the Professor before leaving. While he wasn't expecting the gift of a Pokédex, it did solve the problem of his old one suddenly being in use again and alerting Professor Oak to his status as 'Alive and adventuring' when he needed to check new Pokémon.
Now he was starting again, as a different person no less. The Pokémon world would have to deal with a Pokémon trainer that had conquered the Elite Four and Team Rocket before the Indigo League system was changed slightly.
Red shook his head; at least it would be easier to battle the Elite Four this time around.
