Dream
A bright yellow sun rose over the hills of Pallet Town, bathing the world in a warm blanket of light, as the distinctive crow of a Dodrio alerted all, Pokémon and human alike, to the dawn of a new day. Amidst the crowing, a fourteen year old Ash Ketchum woke up with a disgruntled sigh. It had been four years now, four years to the day to be exact, that he had become a registered Pokémon trainer at the tender age of ten. In fact, he had become a Pokémon trainer along with Gary Oak, the grandson of the renowned Pokémon professor, Samuel Oak. Joining him in this endeavour was his childhood friend, Leaf Green, whom he had known since he was but a baby.
However, unusually for a boy of his age, he had been uninterested in becoming a Pokémon Master, as Gary had shouted out to the world that he would be, on a regular basis. In all honesty, he would be lying if he had said he had never been interested in such a goal, but life always had a way of putting things into perspective. Often harshly too.
In this case, Ash Ketchum was not your ordinary run of the mill happy and carefree child. Unusually serious and mature for his age, even at ten, he had discarded the silly notion of being a Pokémon Master without a second thought. The fanciful dreams and boasts to his mother Delia and his best friend Leaf had been forgotten, thanks mainly to one defining event that changed the way he viewed the world forever. Nothing in life is ever simple. He often imagined that if it had never happened to him, he may have wasted countless years chasing a dream that gained him nothing. And wouldn't that just make him a bitter man when he inevitably gave up?
As he stretched his limbs, easing off the stiffness of early morning, he thought back on the eighth anniversary of his accident. Fate was indeed ironic, having the national day for registering new trainers, happen to be the same day as his accident. Though, four years ago, he had registered himself, he didn't actually consider the day as something to be a bad one, mixing what would normally be the best moment of his life, with a traumatic experience. This day had often been one of quiet reflection for Ash, and became even more important today, as it was the day he decided it was his time to journey out into the wider world.
But eight years ago, it was nothing more than a horrendous event that caused him months of nightmares and sleeplessness. At least he had become stronger as a result, and that was all that was important now. When he was younger and far more impulsive, he had taken to spending days outside, looking for Pokémon for fun. It had been a normal day, Ash exploring the hills and footholds of the mountain range just north of town. He had come back however, missing an eye, and causing his mother a great deal of panic. He was rushed to Viridian Hospital, courtesy of Samuel Oak, who Delia had once been an official assistant for, before quitting to look after her child. Ash had remained tight-lipped about what had actually happened, before folding and tearfully confessing all that had happened to his gently coaxing mother. It transpired that he had tripped over a rock and taken a little tumble. Now that wasn't all of the story, as he haltingly explained how he had smashed straight into a Sandslash, the evolved form of Sandshrew, and with deadly claws to boot. The Sandslash could perhaps be forgiven for acting out of instinct and anger, but this shattered Ash's world view on how all Pokémon were intrinsically good. Though even that was not the whole story, which didn't come out until he registered as a trainer at ten years of age.
Needless to say, his mother was distraught that the cause of her son's pain was a Pokémon, and that she had failed in her duty to protect her only child. Things had been quite awkward for several months as Ash seemed to become depressed, along with the standard nightmares about vicious, shapeless Pokémon with bloody claws, which were expected. It had been made awkward by Delia's self-recrimination, further compounded by the fact that even Professor Oak had reluctantly admitted that she should have taken more interest in her son's whereabouts. She could barely look her son in the eye… and that was just a cruel reminder of her failure every time she realised she could never actually look him in the eyes again. Even when she did, she could hardly find the words to say, so she instead desperately searched for the bright side, often going as far as blinding herself to the reality of the situation. She often seemed a little mad at times, wittering on about how his eye patch made him look distinguished, and that was all that mattered. At least, one thing got through to her son amidst her half-sane ramblings at the time. Losing an eye wasn't the worst thing that could have happened to him. And so began his quest to think of things so much worse than that. He could imagine more gruesome injuries, paralysis, being totally blind, dead even, but nothing was worse than an unfulfilled dream that you had devoted your life to achieving.
And he had come to his conclusion so much earlier than even some adults did, if at all. So he gave up on his dreams, and instead focused on things he could actually do. Flights of fancy were left by the wayside. In the end, he had come to the conclusion that he wanted to see the world, and experience what life had to offer.
Today was the day that his adventure began. The day that he took his first steps out into the wider world, four years after the first trainers of his generation had already taken their first walk into the wild. Four years since he had-
"Ash, you're daydreaming again." A soft feminine voice murmured in his mind.
Blinking himself out of his stupor, he turned his head to look at his greatest friend, who was staring at him from her vantage point on top of his dresser, with her soft purple eyes and white irises staring at him with a slight hint of boredom. Her fine lilac fur looked silky smooth, and her twin forked tail curled around her, but his attention was always drawn to the gleaming red gem on her forehead, and the soft slightly whitening tufts of fur under her large and distinctive ears. All in all, she was a beautiful specimen of an Espeon, as Professor Oak had told him. Ash didn't particularly care for other's opinions, but to him, she was the reason his journey was becoming a reality. And without her, he didn't think he'd be the young man he was today.
As he looked at her eyes, he was once again drawn back into a memory of the past, as she seemed to huff slightly amused at his wandering thoughts once more.
It had been nearly eight years since he had met Efi, the name he used for her, much to her delight at the time. Back then, she was but an Eevee, who had ran across him when he come afoul of the Sandslash. Though he barely noticed at the time, she had tackled the Sandslash, drawing its attention as Ash scrambled away and ran for home, holding his hands to the right side of his face, covering what was later hidden by an eye patch. It had been a few months later before they met again, Ash having overcome his fear of Pokémon, and in the midst of deciding where his life was headed. He was nearly seven at that point, and had already decided he needed a new goal in life. At first, neither of them recognised the other, but Efi remembered first, having eventually driven off the Sandslash, recognising the familiar human scent. It hadn't taken much longer for Ash to connect the vague memory of a brown charging creature barrelling into Sandslash with the Eevee bouncing around in front of him with excitement. And since then, they had forged an unbreakable friendship, spending almost every day in each other's company, Efi because she had no other Pokémon to spend time with, and Ash because he couldn't bear being cooped up inside a melancholy house.
That soon changed as Ash's happiness improved, also affecting Delia, and his home life restored itself to some semblance of familiarity. Of course, the underlying worry of his mother was always present, but her pain slowly dulled. Barely two years after they had become steadfast friends, and Ash even dared to consider her part of the family, she evolved into a Pokémon he had never seen before. It was a few short months later that the first reports on the discovery of a new Eevee evolution had come out of Johto, finally giving Ash a name for the Pokémon he had befriended. Espeon.
By this time, he was now nine and just over a year away from registering as a trainer. It was also around this time that he had come to the conclusion that he wanted to explore the world, meet people and Pokémon, and be able to look back on his life with no regrets once he finally settled down. During this time, it was then that Efi first spoke to him. It had seemed gradual at times, he somehow thought he could hear snippets of her speech as they played around and spent time together, but it finally came to him one day, as she spoke the first full sentence via telepathy. "Can you hear me Ash?" she had called often, until the day he could return the answer. "I can hear you Efi." He had cried out in rare joy. He had found it odd that she rarely spoke out loud in Pokéspeech as most people referred to it as, but then again he rarely spoke either. Perhaps it was this uniqueness that had developed a form of communication that no Espeon recorded was capable of. In fact, it was supposed to be beyond the physiological capabilities of the species, but even Ash understood that not everything was explainable. Some things were just meant to be.
Eventually, he turned ten, and registration was looming ever closer. He had confided in his mother at this time, that he planned on sticking around for a few more years, citing wanting to learn how to look after himself when he went travelling. Delia had been reluctant to let him go at ten, but his reassurances and the fact he was going to be around for a few more years before she had to let her little man out into the world, made all the difference.
Efi would remain his secret for a while yet. Not to say that he couldn't trust his mother or Professor Oak, but Efi was his, a part of his family, a sister in all but blood, and a part of his heart forevermore. Besides, who said he ever had to tell anyone of his and Efi's ability to communicate directly to each other? That could be a family secret, so to speak.
Eventually, the day came. Ash had broken his alarm clock when it first rang with a bang of his fist, before settling back into his sleep. Naturally, this meant he was rather late for collecting a Pokémon from Professor Oak. Still, he didn't rush, merely joining his mother for breakfast, before freshening up and walking out towards the lab, absently touching a finger to the Pokéball he had in his jacket pocket. Stifling a sudden urge to grin, he continued on to where Professor Oak awaited him.
Having reached the lab, the sight that greeted him was as predictable as it was oddly amusing. Gary Oak was bragging to all his female fans about how he'd put Pallet Town on the map, as it were. He turned to Ash when he noticed him, already beginning to boast that he had taken the strongest Pokémon for himself, and that Ash would never be able to face up to him and his might. Ash simply looked at him blankly, causing Gary to scowl at his lack of reaction, before Leaf interrupted what was certainly going to be a string of unintelligible insults coming out of the arrogant Oak's mouth, inquiring nicely as to how Ash was doing, and talking about the Pokémon that were available.
In Kanto, the region that he lived in, there were three Pokémon that were gifted to trainers by Professor Oak. One was a Charmander, an orange, bipedal, reptilian creature. It was a fire-type, and it eventually evolved into a Charmeleon, as he had learnt from his studies, and then into the monstrous and draconian Charizard. It wasn't a dragon type per se, but it was a ferocious Pokémon, the average standing at around eight foot and weighing in around ninety kilograms. Of course, amongst all species, each Pokémon had their own unique personality, and many differed from the norm. Professor Oak's Charizard for example, stood at a colossal eleven feet tall for a Charizard, and weighed in even heavier than the average. It was easy to forget that Samuel Oak was once a brilliant trainer, and a ferocious battler who gave no quarter, as evidenced by some of his Pokémon, his Charizard in particular. That thing had battled thousands upon thousands of times, honing it's prowess and fuelling its spirit. That battle-scarred monstrosity was an inspiration to even the haughtiest of Charizards, having crafted itself a timeless legacy of unending victories, before it retired peacefully along with his old master Oak. Even today, Lance's Charizard respected the fierce warrior that Oak's was, even if time had dulled his claws slightly, it was still a born fighter at heart.
Another starter that could be chosen was the grass-type Bulbasaur, picked out by Leaf, who was fond of flowers and plant life in general. Bulbasaur fit her personality well, being well-mannered and a lover of plant-life too. They were quadrupeds, with blue-ish green skin with dark patches of teal mixed in. On their backs they had a green bulb, grown from a seed they had at birth. Eventually they evolved into Ivysaur, before becoming a Venusaur. Where there once was a bulb, would now be a giant flower, supported by a thick brown trunk. The average stood at six foot and weighed in at a hundred kilograms.
The final starter was the water-type Squirtle, which Gary had chosen as his starter Leaf explained, and proclaimed to be the strongest Pokémon out of all of the starters. It was a small blue creature, encased with a hard turtle shell, yellow underneath and brown on top. It was remarkably tough and well suited for traversing water. It evolved into Wartortle, before the final evolution of Blastoise. It was a large bipedal creature, with thick arms and a stubby tail. Its shell held two cannons capable of firing powerful blasts of water. The average stood at five foot and weighed in around eighty-five kilograms.
These starter Pokémon were bred by professional breeders specifically for the purpose of new trainers. They were rather rare in the wild, and such a programme was necessary at times. For others who were unable to get a starter Pokémon, they often had to get a wild Pokémon if necessary, or use one that belonged to the family.
Having spoken briefly to Leaf about her Bulbasaur, she eventually asked whether he wanted to come along with her to keep each other company. She seemed to be oddly shy about asking, but Ash initially chalked this up to nervousness about possibly being rejected. Though he later realised it was because she had a little crush on him. He never brought it up though, not wanting to get into that weirdness with someone he had only ever considered a friend. Hopefully she'd grow out of it. Of course at the time, Leaf had realised that all of the starter Pokémon had gone, but Ash had quickly misdirected her by egging her on to go and get her journey underway and catch some new friends for her Bulbasaur. Just because he didn't speak often didn't mean he was incapable of using the power of suggestion, as it were. He could tell she was itching to get going, and she only needed a little push in the right direction.
Finally, having seen Leaf walking off towards the edge of town and the woods with a big grin on her face, and Gary Oak make his exit with a car filled with giggling girls, he finally allowed himself a moment to quirk his lips in a small smile, before heading up the many steps towards Oak's laboratory.
Stopping in to see Oak, the old man had the gall to ask him what starter he wanted, somehow forgetting he had already given them all away. Oak had then mentioned that unfortunately he had no Pokémon to give away, and that Ash should have gotten there on time. At this point, Ash coolly pointed out that someone would have come away without a Pokémon anyway and that was just bad planning on his part. But considering that he didn't need a Pokémon from Oak, there was no issue.
At this point, Oak looked at him with confusion before slight comprehension took a hold of him. He began to talk about the fact that his accident didn't mean he shouldn't be a trainer, but Ash yet again cut him off, saying that the only reason he didn't need a Pokémon was that he already had one. He only required registering it.
So Professor Oak was now suitably curious at this fact and asked to see her, having been told that his Pokémon was female. Ash allowed a subtle smile to form on his face as he pulled out a Pokéball, before smoothly releasing Efi, much to Oak's disbelief. "An Espeon? My boy, do you have any idea how rare that Pokémon is!?"
"Does it matter?" Ash had returned with a sigh. "It's not as if she's a Pokémon you've never seen before."
Thankfully, Oak quickly let the matter drop, only commenting on how she seemed to be an extremely healthy specimen of her species, before programming the relevant details into Ash's black Pokédex with navy blue trim around the edges.
Ash then quietly informed Professor Oak that he would be around Pallet for a while yet, learning some things about looking after himself and his Pokémon in the wilderness from his mother, as Oak merely nodded in acknowledgement. As a friend of his mother's he had already heard about it, mainly because she called him up immediately and waxed lyrical about her boy spending more time with her.
"Is your trip down memory lane finished yet? Only, some of us would like to eat and get going." Efi voiced dryly, snapping Ash out of his pondering.
"I suppose it is Efi." Ash replied smoothly. "I'll join you downstairs after I get ready. Mom will be doing some breakfast, but knowing her, it's probably an entire feast, given what day it is."
"Alright. See you!" Efi replied with a slight cheer, before bouncing off the dresser and landing lightly on her lithe legs with natural poise, tails waving gently behind her. Ash couldn't be certain if that was a characteristic shared by all Espeon, or his Efi was simply one of those naturally graceful Pokémon. Efi looked back at him with a happy glow in her eyes, before the moment passed and she sprinted out of the room, footfalls incredibly light and almost silent as she did so.
Ash shook his head wryly for a moment, before snatching up a towel to grab an early shower. It wouldn't be long now.
/
At fourteen, Ash had come a long way since he was a young boy, his stature naturally relaxed, and almost lazy at times, standing around five foot nine, slightly above average, but he had remained in Pallet for several more years, and was often fed very well by his doting mother. As such, he had grown up pretty well, though he still had more to go. During his lessons, he often spent much time helping Oak look after the Pokémon on his property, having a large area of land dedicated to housing as many Pokémon as naturally and as comfortable as possible. He was fairly trim and fit, mostly due to his work with Oak's Pokémon habitats, though he still carried a faint scar across his right eye, mostly covered by his distinctive eye patch that everyone in town recognised. Of course, he didn't need the eye patch, but seeing a completely white and dead eye as opposed to his other deep and calming brown, was not something most people liked, and neither did Ash enjoy displaying it for all to see. The eye patch didn't stop many of the girls from liking him though, as he was deemed fairly attractive. The eye patch was just a hint of intrigue and danger that seemed to call to quite a few women too, and not just the girls around his age.
His mother relentlessly teased him about this, though Ash believed she only did that to try and take her mind off what had actually happened, though she no longer allowed her failure to run her life. As he grew older though, he became less and less affected by her pokes about romance. Ash had since come to the realisation that his mother was incredibly crafty. By constantly enforcing the idea of romance, she had practically made it so that romance didn't seem to repulse him like it would most young children who had yet to learn the ways of the world. He had gone through a phase where he couldn't even talk to a girl in full sentences because of what his mother would say, but he eventually spoke to them as normally as any other person, when he wanted to talk, that was.
Having dried himself off, he pulled on his clothes, and began collecting his gear. He was wearing a white shirt, fitting close to his skin, and showing the slight hint of muscle beneath. This was paired with a simple pair of blue jeans for ease of trekking though the wild, and a black duster jacket over the top, providing a lot of warmth and protection from the weather. He wore a pair of padded black fingerless gloves, and a sturdy pair of black hiking boots as well. Aside from that, he had a black shoulder bag, accented with a navy blue Poké Ball insignia, and settling against his right hip. Looking at himself in the mirror and giving a quick nod as if to say, 'You're Ready', he turned around hearing his mother call out to him.
"Come on dear, breakfast is ready and poor Efi is waiting for you!" Delia called out in good cheer, voice carrying up the stairs.
"Coming now mom!" Ash called back simply. Pausing for a moment to pick up Efi's Pokéball, he smiled wistfully before shutting his bedroom door behind him, the last time he would do so this year he thought to himself. Ash wouldn't stay away much longer than a year at a time, he had said, wanting to come back and share stories of his adventures, even though he could do it by phone, it was not going to be the same.
Finally traipsing into the kitchen, he was greeted by a firm hug from Delia, who seemed slightly tearful at his little farewell today. She knew he'd ring up as often as he could, but she would miss having her little man around the house, particularly having been a big help these past few years. He had learnt to cook and clean, look after his clothes and all manner of odd things here and there. This in turn allowed him to help around the house even more, meaning Delia could spend a little more time working on her garden, one of her pride and joys, the other being Ash.
Finally getting out of the superhuman strength hug that only mothers could have, Ash seated himself down for breakfast. Breakfast fit for a king, it seemed, with all manner of his favourites there, and in large quantities that perhaps only Ash would have managed out of all the denizens of Pallet Town. He used to wolf down food as rapidly as he could, but he had matured over the years and now seemed to act like the perfect gentleman at meals. That said, the amount he could put away was still legendary all over Pallet Town.
The meal was partaken of in companionable silence, neither Ash nor Delia needing to say anything more. The food now having dwindled into small leftovers, all having eaten their fill, Ash rose from his seat smoothly, before putting his jacket back on, followed by his gloves and bag. Efi took this moment to hop up onto the bag, burrowing in slightly until only her head and front paws were visible poking out of it.
Running a hand through his onyx hair for a moment, Ash tried to find some words to say before he left his mother to go on his adventure. However, seemingly understanding that he found it difficult to find words to say, Delia spoke for them both.
"You had best be going now dear. You'll want to be well on your way by nightfall, and you need a good spot to stay at." She smiled tremulously. "Don't go forgetting your mother now dear, and ring me when you get to Viridian City."
This settled Ash's worries about leaving his mother alone. "Of course. I'll ring as often as I can. I should hit Viridian in a few days, Efi will want to explore a little first." He spoke calmly, with a small smile as he mentioned Efi's desire to go exploring.
"Of course dear!" she replied, face lighting up happily. "And look after him for me, won't you Efi?"
"He'd be hopeless without me!" Efi voiced loudly, almost causing Ash to wince, and though Delia could not hear her telepathic shout, Efi's nod of the head was enough for her.
As Ash was just about to leave though, Delia left him a parting comment that caused him to groan slightly, and his eye to twitch.
"And don't forget to change your underwear every day!" she sang out as one foot had stepped out the front door.
Huffing a silent sigh, he replied without looking back. "Take care mom." Strolling down the path and turning right to head up the hill, he glanced back for a moment, seeing his mother waving cheerily at him. He simply raised his hand in acknowledgment, before turning back and walking away footsteps lightening as he did so.
/
"We're finally going aren't we?" Efi murmured suddenly, slightly apprehensively.
"Yes." Ash replied simply.
"It's really happening." Efi added with a slight twitch of her ears, as she craned her head around to watch the houses disappear into the background, beyond her keen eyesight.
"A whole new adventure." Ash returned with a slight knowing glance at the nervous Espeon riding in his bag.
"I'm nervous too Efi." He added with a sigh. "We're doing something completely new, but I know we can handle it. We're prepared aren't we?"
"I should hope so!" Efi piped up. "I wanted to go four years ago!"
Biting back the retort he wanted to reply with, he instead chuckled quietly before replying. "Well thank you for waiting for me."
At this, Efi looked at him with shining purple eyes. "You're my family. I would always wait for you." She remarked with a tangible tone of honesty.
Ash merely hummed for a split second in reply, casting his eyes on the road ahead. They were now nearing the edge of town, and the Pokémon Lab, where he had promised to stop by before he left.
"Need to say bye to the old duffer before we go Efi." Ash initiated conversation this time. "We owe him a great deal."
"Ah he'll just be happy you're out of his hair." Efi replied glibly. "Though I wouldn't be averse to listening to him compliment my beauty. You don't do it often enough for my liking." She added haughtily.
"Just because I don't say it every five minutes?" Ash remarked, with the familiar tone of a conversation often revisited.
"Exactly." Efi nodded affirmatively.
"And I keep telling you, I've always considered you beautiful." Ash pointed out calmly. "I don't need to tell you, because you already know."
"That's true." Efi conceded. "Still, it's nice to hear."
Ash deigned not to reply to that comment, having proven his point already, instead pausing as he reached the greying-white steps leading up to Oak's Laboratory. As he slowly ascended them, he began to slowly feel the excitement that always thrummed through his veins when he was younger, and now it was itching at him, as though it were an entity of its own, almost trying to get Ash to run out into the wild, and to freedom. He reigned in the slight impulse though, his heart only quickening slightly, as he knocked on the door, calling out for Oak.
"Hey Professor! Stopping by to see you!"
"Me too!" Efi called out beside him, yet again reminding Ash that she just liked to irritate him, especially as no other Pokémon or human could hear her telepathic chatter. It was something special that had formed between them after years together, something he felt would forever bind them together, though neither of them ever conceived the thought of not being together, even in their darkest nightmares.
A moment later, the door was opened, revealing Samuel Oak with a small smile on his face. He was wearing a white lab coat with a smart red formal shirt underneath, along with beige cargo pants and brown loafers. His slightly greying brown hair indicated his advancing age, though his black eyes seemed to shine with youth not yet extinguished.
"Ash! Efi!" he called out with a smile. "Today's the day hm?"
"Yes Professor." Ash replied simply, stepping inside when Oak gestured him to.
"Have you given any thought as to what you're going to do Ash?" Oak cocked an eyebrow at him curiously. "Exploring is all well and good, but what do you want to do?"
"Well, I was planning on travelling off the beaten path, with Efi here." Ash replied after a moment's thought. "We're both looking for sights to see that the regular trainer would never run into, I suppose."
"How about taking the Pokémon League Challenge? You might find a little spark of inspiration there." Oak hummed in reply, as he picked up a pot of noodles he had set aside for lunch.
"I gave up on being a Pokémon master ages ago professor." Ash replied with a sigh. "I realised that's not what I want."
"That's all well and good, but who says you need to dream of being a master to do such a thing?" Oak smirked slightly at the slightly confused look now on Ash's face.
"What do you mean professor?" Ash queried smoothly.
"Oh I'm only saying you don't have to want to be a master to be a battler, if you understand my meaning." Oak returned shrewdly. "Besides, I know that beautiful Espeon of yours is quite the adrenaline junkie."
"That's true…" Ash replied hesitantly.
"Old man has it right Ash!" Efi chimed in. "We aren't always content with just living life and exploring. To battle is our instinct!"
"You know, Pokémon aren't just creatures that live in perfect harmony in the wild." Oak started in his soft lecturing tone. "Life with a trainer is often better than in the wild, but not in all cases of course." He added, placating Ash for a moment. "Besides, Pokémon are born with the instinct to grow stronger, to fight for their territory, their survival. I know most kids your age wouldn't even consider the actual implications of life in the wild, but I know you're a deep thinker. Wouldn't you want to make your Pokémon as happy as they can be?"
"Sure, not every Pokémon has the instinct to enjoy battle, but they all know there are times when it's necessary to survive. They fight for resources, land, and food, anything they require to live." Oak continued. "Not every group of Pokémon can live peacefully with each other. They're not perfect beings that live lives of pure goodness, though not many act out of malice, some still do."
At this, Ash could only nod in response, having come to that conclusion years ago. Pokémon were not perfect, after all. That was only an optimist's view, rather than the realistic view of them.
"It's because of this instinct to battle, that they take so well to Pokémon trainers. They fit into the world so seamlessly, it's like one was not meant to exist without the other, don't you agree?" Oak ended.
Ash couldn't help but agree. He felt that he couldn't really exist without Pokémon in the world. The Pokémon were integral to the world in which he lived. Without them, everything would lose meaning. And if he had never met Efi, where would he be now? The mere thought was bone chilling.
"Take it from me. The relationship between Humans and Pokémon is all about give and take." Oak added a moment later. "If your Pokémon is happy, won't you be as well? There are those who don't respect these values today, organisations like Team Rocket only consider them tools, for example."
"Disgusting." Ash interjected with a faint hint of anger, before his face smoothed over into his usual cool expression.
"Quite." Oak nodded in confirmation. "I believe Pokémon will live beyond the age of humanity, you know?" he asked rhetorically, causing Ash to raise his eyebrow in curiosity. "It is merely up to us, what we decide to do with our fleeting lives on this earth."
"Why would you say Pokémon battle so hard for their trainers?" Oak again questioned rhetorically, Ash watching him stoically as he spoke.
"It's because they can see the love and trust they have for them." Oak pointed out with a smile.
"Every Pokémon is different. Some are peace loving, others enjoy the thrill of battle. Help them obtain their dreams, and they will fight their hardest to help you obtain yours." Oak sighed. "Life will always be richer because of these magnificent creatures. Let the Pokémon shape your desires, Ash, and you will have no regrets."
"Old man has a way with words." Efi interjected smoothly, cutting through the silence of Ash's mind. "What do you say? Let's go show off my beauty and power on the world stage!" she ended with an excited shout.
Finally, Ash responded with a wry smile. "A way with words huh?" he murmured.
"You got my attention Professor." He spoke to the curious Oak, having seen him mumble under his breath for a moment. "I guess I might as well give it a shot."
"Excellent!" Oak beamed at him. "I know you'll love putting that thinker's brain of yours into action in Pokémon battles. You're the kind of young man that puts everything he has into achieving something, and you always have been!"
"You manipulated me into this though, old man." Ash suddenly spoke up with an irritated tick. "Even Efi is buying into this now."
"I like to think of it as trying to convince you." Oak replied hastily. "I certainly would never stoop so low as to have to guilt trip you into doing such a thing!"
"It's just as well you know I hate taking back my word." Ash scowled slightly, causing Oak to pale rapidly.
"Now now, we both know you could do it if you really wanted to!" Oak pointed out with a slightly nervous chuckle.
At this, Ash simply scowled even more harshly, causing Oak to quickly change the subject.
"A-Anyway, you should register in Viridian City at the Pokémon Center with your Pokédex. Nurse Joy will be happy to assist!" Oak hurriedly threw out. "There's a gym there too, but you need seven badges for that one. I assume you already know about the gyms?"
"Yes." Ash replied with a narrowed eye and a harsh voice.
"G-Good!" Oak shivered.
"I think I'll go now Professor." Ash added calmly, though the twitching of his hands indicated that he wanted to do far more than just leave.
"Of course!" Oak replied rapidly, ushering Ash and Efi to the door at a near sprint, before wrenching it open, allowing them to step through.
However, before Ash could turn away and leave, Oak piped up once more. "Dreams never die Ash. Remember that." Then he quickly shut the door, the visible sound of locks and deadbolts from behind it now being used.
Gritting his teeth for a moment, he finally turned away and descended the stairs. "Dreams are nothing but trouble, you old duffer." He murmured, exhaling his annoyance gently.
"I'd say dreams that are easy to achieve are boring." Efi sighed, causing Ash to tense slightly in response as he walked. "What does it matter if you fail anyway? I know you're already expecting to, so why not just have fun along the way?"
"I suppose I might as well enjoy the adventure." Ash eventually replied. "Ah what the hell, might as well just do the best I can and have fun with the Pokémon we befriend."
"You said it!"
AN 20.08.2014
This fic is an exercise in writing about dreams and aspirations, and the bumpy road to fulfilment and even the dark side of humanity. Sometimes never getting there, but enjoying the journey is something people may have experienced in reality. So this is a fic grounded in some kind of reality, while hopefully retaining the magic of the Pokémon world. Will Ash achieve all he wishes to? Probably not. Dreams evolve all the time. What you start with, may not be where you finish. Will he be satisfied? Is anyone ever satisfied? Maybe. Needless to say, this fic will not be your standard kids fare, it's more suited for more grown up readers. This will be replacing Variance when the second chapter is written.
Can I just say, if you're reading for a certain pairing, just stop now, or throw away your deepest and darkest fantasies for this. I may inadvertently fulfil some, but that's nothing I can really stop. This is the journey through life of Ash Ketchum, and not an exercise in harems and daft romantic comedy. This is grounded in reality. Nothing is ever so easy. Some people click, others need to work at it. Sometimes, it doesn't work even when trying to make it work.
I intend to write Ash in such a way, that you may not be clear on who fits him best if any fit him best at all. Would I say there's a perfect fit? No, don't be stupid – there's no such thing! I will not write a character that perfectly suits another. To complement each other, perhaps, but not to be the perfect other half, as it were. Will it end with a defined relationship? To be honest, it may not. I am intending to end it with an established relationship, but if the mood strikes me in a particular manner, it may never end up resolved in such a way. There is a resolution whatever Ash's dreams eventually become though. There is a reason it's Adventure/Romance and not Romance/Adventure.
And it's not AshxEspeon or any kind of HumanxPokémon. Ash and Espeon have an unbreakable relationship, but not a romantic one. You'll eventually understand how deep their relationship is, but no one ever said it had to be romantic. Love, perhaps, but romantic, nah. Love doesn't mean one thing, and that's something so many writers of romance forget. I intend to write an AshxF pairing, so no slash either.
I fully intend to write this in such a way, that you'll not mind who Ash ends up with, and merely be satisfied or thrilled, or whatever, with it, unless it really doesn't work at all. Unlikely, since I know what I'm doing, or at least, I like to think so. I also intend it to be an unorthodox one, or one rarely used, but plans can change as the characters evolve. I doubt I'll write a shipping that doesn't exist in some form, but I won't be writing a romance with any of his companions, particularly after Kanto as the age discrepancies kick in. They're all far too naive, wouldn't you agree already?
Final Note: I am unsure whether I will complete this fic after the Kanto Arc, and write a sequel for each region he goes to, but it depends on the final word count by the time I reach the Indigo League - plus there's not only Kanto characters introduced. Pokémon he catches are planned through all regions - but I may add one or two if you give me a good suggestion I hadn't thought of.
Fic planned right to Sinnoh League at the moment - may be writing in the Unova journey too, by that time, I believe Ash would be 19 or 20 by that point, assuming that Orange Islands and Kanto will be 1 year, and Hoenn and the Battle Frontier are also one year, otherwise he may be 20-21, depending on what I do. Also some interesting facts to note - I have a several thousand word document dedicated to one character in particular, called Giovanni, who will have a big part to play in Kanto, tapering off later on in his travels though. Should be good.
Til next time!