On this beautiful day the Pidgey are chirping, the Magikarp are drifting and "An amazing dust cloud tries to out maneuver the Houndoom express Bob!" "Wait a minute, what?" Bob the narrator complained. "Yeah, some kid in his pajamas has got to be using agility to try and out run a fresh Houndoom." Al the announcer in training exclaimed. "I think you mean is that a kid in his pajam's is running alongside the express Houndoom postal service, not outrun it." Bob clarified. "Oh, my bad." Al sounded sheepish. "Happens to all of us at least once. We now go directly to the events happening in real time so as to progress the plotline". Bob finished with a relish.
We join our hero of the story Ash Ketchum, running all out to get to Professor Oaks lab with all intentions of getting a starter pokemon. Regardless of the fact that Ash overslept and broke another window by throwing the alarm clock out said window. It doesn't help that pokeball shaped alarm clocks are cheap and sold in bulk.
"Gotta get a pokemon. Gotta get a pokemon." Ash's train of thought was running towards the lab. Ash was making good time in all fairness, until the crowd appeared. Without hesitation Ash attempted to use rollout to make it through the crowd. Unfortunately the spherical properties of the technique weren't quite right. "That's what I get for adapting five years of gymnastic training into pokemon moves." Ash thought remembering that it was supposed to be a cartwheel for humans and came to a stop in front of a pair of boots.
These boots were attached to a pair of feet, then to a pair of purple pants, a purple long sleeve shirt, a green pendant and punch able face with brown (not quite) spiky enough to be the main character hair style Gary Oak.
"Well if it isn't ashy boy. Running a little late aren't you? Are you still in your pajamas?" He asked noticing the green and yellow clothes. He started to laugh as Ash turned red from embarrassment. "Well, I'm off to make Pallet Town famous, later loser." He sauntered off with his groupies and into a car driving off.
"I thought Professor Oak had already made Pallet town famous by being here." Ash said out loud getting up off the ground while watching Gary drive off. "And you are correct Ash, about me having made Pallet town famous, but onto more pressing matters." Professor Oak explained from behind.
Ash jumped back into action. "Professor I need a pokemon!" Ash begged. "I just gave out all the starters' Ash." He said crushing Ash's dream. "I'll take any pokemon you have. I don't care if it's not a normal starter." Ash countered desperately. "Alright, just mind my other guest while I collect a starter for you." Professor oak said leading the way into the labs waiting room.
Ash noticed the other guest right away. With a red hoodie, red shirt, black pants and black sneakers it was the professors other guest. Upon closer inspection, in other words focusing on the only other person instead of thinking of what pokemon Ash was going to be getting, he had black hair, red eyes, wire frame glasses and was definitely older if his height of 6ft was anything to go by.
Ash's attention in turn was broken by the pokemon next to him waking up and staring at Ash like it had seen something impossible. It had white fur, black claws, a black tail, and scythe jutting out of the right side of its head. "Soul." Was its comment before continuing to stare at Ash? It creped Ash out a bit as it felt like it was judging him.
"Don't mind Absol, he's just being himself around you." The stranger said extending his right hand. "I'm Lloyd by the way." He gave as introduction. "I came here from Hoenn intending on challenging the league here in Kanto."
"Nice to meet you. I'm ash Ketchum." Ash remembered the etiquette lessons from four years ago. "I'm starting my journey today." Ash finished shaking the offered hand.
"I can tell you got the whole, newbie vibe going." Lloyd joked. Ash was mortified at the reminder. "Oh you know how it goes." Ash said trying to joke it off. "You stay up late, too excited to sleep and then you're late to an important event in your life. Ash finished lamely.
"No, not really I had Absol before I even started my journey." Lloyd replied reminiscing about the past. Trying to think of a new topic to avoid silence Ash focused on what Ash knew best: pokemon. "So, is Absol a starter pokemon in Hoenn?" Ash asked full of curiosity.
"Nope, he's different than the starters there. Just like your situation actually, except I didn't sleep in." Lloyd finished smiling. "So what type is Absol?" Ash continued asking. "He's a dark type." Lloyd answered. "Dark type?" Ash sounded surprised.
"A dark type, didn't your pokemon school cover them?" Lloyd wondered at the schooling Ash had gone through. "Ashes schooling of pokemon was more hands on and covered a wider selection of things rather than focusing too much on types as most schools do." Professor Oak explained returning with a pokeball with a lightning bolt on it.
"I must warn you Ash this pokemon was only recently caught and put up quite a fight before it was caught." Oak explained. "Are you sure you want such a pokemon?" He continued in all seriousness. Ash stared back a light of determination in the eyes. "If I couldn't handle such a pokemon, what right do I have to try and become a Pokemon Master?" Ash answered taking the pokeball.
"A pokemon master, huh. He's even crazier than bro." Lloyd thought to himself. "You're nuts you now that Ash?" He said trying to get a gauge of his seriousness. Ash turned to Lloyd, the light still in those eyes. "Just you watch me Lloyd; I will become a pokemon master with this pokemon by my side." Ash finished releasing the pokemon.
It was a foot tall yellow electric mouse with black tipped ears, brown stripes and lightning bolt shaped tail. "Pikachu?" It said shaking its head. "That Ash is a Pikachu." The professor explained. Ash squatted down to get a closer look at it. "It's an electrical type so do be careful not to get shocked." He warned.
"Pikachu." Ash said getting its attention. "Do you want to travel with me?" Ash asked with that light shining in those deep brown eyes. As if hypnotized, Pikachu nodded his head in agreement and climbed Ash's shoulder.
"Well that just happened." Lloyd said surprised by Pikachu's actions. "Now here's your pokedex Ash and six pokeball to start out with. And yours as well Lloyd, you're all set for the indigo league." The professor finished. Thanks were given by both parties. "Now, let's see you both off shall we?" He said ushering them out of his lab. Absol followed at Lloyd's side. Pikachu was on Ash's shoulder.
Stepping out and descending Lloyd saw a crowd had gathered in front of the steps to see Ash off. "Mom what's everyone doing here?" Ash wondered. "Oh, I got everyone together to see you off, silly." Delia said with a smile. Lloyd looked at the crowd and saw some red marked cheeks and black eyes. Mrs. Ketchum was obviously a force to be reckoned with.
"You're all grown up Ash." Delia complained wiping tears from her eyes. "Mom." Ash groaned. Then Delia noticed the yellow mouse on Ash's shoulder. "Oh, what a cute Pikachu." Delia exclaimed picking it up and scratching it behind its ears. "Chaa." Pikachu cried in content. "Now, why aren't you in a pokeball?" She inquired holding Pikachu out from her. It gestured with its body about its dislike for cramped spaces.
"It appears that Pikachu doesn't like his pokeball." Lloyd answered with an intense look of concentration on his face as he deciphered Pikachu's actions. "Ahh, so that's why he kept running so much." The professor joined in remembering Pikachu dodging the thrown pokeballs. "It's not unusual for a pokemon to not like pokeballs, especially if they've had bad encounters before." "Oh." Was the crowds response.
"And you are young man?" Delia focused her attention on Lloyd. "My names Lloyd and I'm going to be competing in the indigo league while watching Ash's attempt at being a pokemon master." Lloyd finished with a bow.
"At what point did you decide you were going to watch Ash?" Delia asked a false smile on her face. The crowd flinched at the tone of voice. "Ash here, asked me to watch him become a pokemon master with that Pikachu by his side." Lloyd explained quickly. "So I've decided to follow him to see how he does." Lloyd said trying to smile. Delia cheered up as if that was the answer to everything. "If he does it in his pajamas though then that would definitely make him better than everyone." Lloyd joked.
"That's right I've got to change and get my stuff from home!" Ash exclaimed about to take off. "Oh, no you don't Ash." Delia said grabbing Ash's ear. "You're going to replace that window first, then eat and then go off on your journey." She said dragging Ash. "Mom!" Ash groaned. Pikachu followed in their wake. "So I'm with the crazies it seems." Lloyd mused. The crowd dispersed quickly trying to get away from it all.
Back at the Ketchum house.
Ash changed cloths while Lloyd got aquatinted with Mrs. Ketchum. Turns out she ran the only restaurant in all of Pallet Town, had apprenticed under professor oak when she was younger and had stormed the pokemon league in an unparalleled victory to the then current champion and only barely just lost.
Even with the loss she was content to return to being a researcher with Professor Oak specializing in the bonds between humans and pokemon. It was then that all the suitors she had picked up during her travels tried to win her over and had she met Ash's father.
The suitors apparently had a massive pokemon battles over her and Professor Oak had to call in some favors from the pokemon league to borrow the league stadium to get rid of them all. The winner would get the chance to court Delia if she agreed to a date. Ash's father won the whole thing. Six months later she was married, and with child. She left the strenuous work of pokemon research and opened a restaurant in Pallet Town with her and her husband's earnings.
Now when a mother threatens you at knife point to look after her child you agree really quick and without much fuss. It was shortly after this that Ash had rejoined the group wearing sneakers, blue jeans, a black shirt, green fingerless gloves, a blue, white sleeve open shirt and an official pokemon league hat.
Now we should be off Ash. Lloyd gestured towards the door desperate to be away from the crazy mother. Ash and Delia exchanged one last glance before hugging. "Stay safe and call me once you get to Viridian." Delia ordered Ash as they separated and we walked out the door. "And you Mister Lloyd." Delia's eyes hardened. "Don't let anything happen to Ash." "Got it Mrs. Ketchum." Lloyd answered. And with that our hero's were off.