A Master Rises

It's been 7 years since our hero has last competed in a league. As a matter of a fact it has been 7 years since all but few have seen him. Some say it was pride that drove him off, some say humiliation. But, since his loss at the age of 15 in Unova he has kept a low profile. Most would have been proud of their accomplishments at his age. He made it far in all of the tournaments, he even won the battle frontier but winning a league…..winning was what mattered to him. How was Ash ketchum going to become a pokemon master if he couldn't win one of the 5 region's. He wanted to be a champion but the only way to do that would be to get stronger. Ash always put travel first, friends first, a good philosophy but it wasn't enough he needed to do this on his own. So after his loss he made a phone call. A call to a certain famous professor that had done so much for him.

Flash Back 7 years earlier:

Ring… ring… ring….. "Hello, oh Ash! I watched the tournament, so close this time dude!" said a boy about 15 with jet black hair that parted down the middle and hung about shoulder length.

"What's up tracy it's been a while, I was wondering, is professor Oak around? I got to talk to him about something" Ash replied.

"Yeah, bro I'll go get him he's outside feeding the pokemon, and by the way man don't look so down you looked great out their you'll get em' next time." Ash grimaced at that remark, he'd been hearing it for the last two years. A handsome older man in his mid-fifties slowly made his way to the video phone.

"Ash my boy, it's great to hear from you, great job out there today I know you must be disappointed but you've really made a lot of progress. It's hard to believe that you're the same ten your old boy who could hardly control his Pikachu from thunder shocking everyone in the room" said Professor Oak enthusiastically.

Ash chuckled but got serious real fast "Is anyone else in the room professor I want to talk to you about something really important." Oak gave ash a concerned look and paused for a moment before answering "Nope, just me I sent Tracy outside to finish feeding the pokemon, what's wrong kid-o?" Ash thought hard about how he wanted to answer this question. "Well professor, it's just I feel like I need to try something different." Oak looked curious "You see I feel like I have been doing the same thing over and over again, traveling with friends, starting over in every region I travel to… only bringing Pikachu along" said ash with a somber attitude.

Oak didn't say anything for what seemed like forever until he answered abruptly "I think I know what you're getting at Ash and honestly I don't know if it's a good idea."

Ash was a little amused, how could professor Oak possibly know what he was planning. "And what exactly would that be Professor?" asked Ash curious to see what conclusion the professor had come to.

"Well it's quite obvious Ash, knowing you and your ambitions I'd say you are planning on going it alone. You probably have come up with the idea that you've been held back by all your friends and that in order for you to become a master you're going to have to go off on your own and travel the regions trying to catch every pokemon you come across. And the reason you have come to me is because you plan on not telling anyone that you are leaving. But…. you obviously can't go without talking to me because I have all your pokemon at the lab. Am I right?"

Ash shouldn't have been surprised the man has known him his entire life and not to mention he is kind of a genius when it comes to pokemon trainers and pokemon. "I should have known you'd figure it out Professor" ash stated really sarcastically. "So professor, why don't you think it's a good idea? I mean I feel like I have to do this I'm sick of losing and I want to be a master. I need to train my pokemon, and I need to catch more-"

"Ash" professor Oak interrupted "You don't need to explain yourself to me I understand. Have I ever told you that I gave Lance his very first pokemon when he was 10 years old just like I gave you yours."

Ash had a look of shock on his face "Lance, you mean THE Lance, like kanto champion Lance the one I met at lake rage a year ago?"

Professor oak had a proud smirk on his face as he answered "Yes ash, THE Lance now let me finish my story and don't interrupt me. Ok, now where to begin… so yes I gave Lance his very first pokemon, a charmander. Lance as a little guy always had an infatuation with dragon types so his obvious choice was a charmander. Well Lance and charmander set out on a journey throughout the Kanto league just like you did when you were just starting out. He made friends and was having a blast I'd hear from him whenever he'd make a stop at a city where he could get a hold of a video phone. He was having so much fun just like you were when you just started out, and when the time came and he had collected all eight badges he entered the pokemon league. A couple of my colleagues and I thought it would be a good idea to travel over to Indigo Plateau and cheer Lance on. Just like your mother and I traveled there to cheer yo-"

"Did he win! Is that when he became champion, did he win the league and then beat the elite four?" Interrupted ash enthusiastically he'd always been a huge fan of Lance, and he was getting really antsy hearing Professor Oak talk about him.

"Well, maybe if you wouldn't interrupt me like I told you not to do you'd find out" said professor Oak with a stern expression on his face. Ash decided he would shut-up and let the professor finish before he said anything again. "Ok, so where was I…. Oh yeah so we traveled to the Indigo Plateau to watch lance battle in the kanto league championship. Him and his charmeleon had grown a lot and made a lot of progress as trainer and pokemon. And also during his journey he had caught a dratini, dragonair and a horsea. Well to make a long story short he lost in the quarter finals to another trainer who's name I can't recall."

Ash couldn't believe this the champion Lance had lost in the pokemon league. Ash didn't even think Lance was capable of losing he had been champion for so long. "Lance Lost! Well what kind of story is that professor Oak."

Professor Oak smiled at ash and said "Well the story doesn't end there. Over the next couple years Lance and his friends traveled the other regions, but same as you ash he couldn't win a league. Lance was frustrated just like you are now after losing in the semi-finals of the hoenn league championship to Wallace (who eventually became hoenn league champion) and decided to give me a call just like you did. He had come up with the same exact proposal that you have given to me today."

Ash was shocked to find out that Lance had struggled just like he has he always pictured Lance as the perfect trainer. Never in a million years would he have guessed that Lance had lost so much when he was starting out.

"Can you guess what I told him Ash?" asked the professor.

Ash didn't need to think about it he thought he knew the answer "You told him no, right professor."

The professor started to laugh "Jeez Ash my boy give me more credit, I was young once. No I actually told him it was a great idea. And that every young trainer aspiring to be great needed to find his own way at some point."

Ash started to get angry, he was wondering why professor Oak didn't think it was a good idea for him to go off on his own. But he thought it was a great idea for Lance to go. "What the hell! If it was such a good idea to let Lance go on a journey by himself why isn't it a good idea for me to go?"

Professor Oak put a really serious look on his face and waited until Ash calmed down before answering him. "Ash, now listen to me and listen closely. I don't think it's a bad idea for you to go on a journey alone. You have a bright future ahead of you and just like Lance I think this is a step you're going to have to take. But I'm going to ask you this now and I want you to think carefully before you answer me. Are you sure you don't want to tell any of your friends that you're leaving and more importantly your mom?"

Ash had already made the decision that he wasn't going to tell any of them. He knew it wasn't fair to any of them that he would just leave without saying anything. He also knew that he would probably worry them to death and that his mom would probably think that something horrible happened to him. But, he couldn't risk any of them following him and even more importantly risk the fact that his mom might not let him go. This was his future not theirs and he was willing to do whatever it takes to win a league and become a master. "Yes, professor I'm sure" answered ash quietly.

Professor Oak gave a long sigh before answering ash. "Ok son, I understand. I'll play dumb and when your mom and friends come crawling to me asking for information about where you went I'll act like I don't know anything. But, listen up I want you to stop by the nearest pokecenter as soon as possible so I can send you the latest model of pokegear that we can keep in contact. I'm going to need to know that you're safe as well as be able to contact you about any pokemon transfers that were going to have to make. I also would like to know right now how long you plan on being away?"

Ash took sometime before answering professor Oak "Ok professor it's a deal I'll head over to the pokecenter as soon as I hang up with you. As for your question I have no idea I guess as long as it takes for me to be comfortable enough with my strength to know I can win one of the leagues."

Professor Oak didn't like Ash's answer about his journey he would have liked a solid time frame but it's about what he expected. "Ok ash, I'll let you go then, I'm going to put my pokegear number in the one I'm sending you so you can contact me as soon as you get it. And I expect you to contact me as soon as you get it do you understand me?"

Ash nodded and answered the professor sarcastically "Yes professor I understand."

Ash ended the video call and started making his way to the pokecenter from the telephone booth he was using. He had a giant grin on his face as he knew he was about to start a journey that would be unlike anything he has ever done before.

To Be Continued…..