A.N. Hello! I'm FeraligatrMan, and welcome to my first fanfiction ever! I'm pretty excited about it, and I hope it turns out.
Anyhoo, this story is M-rated, mostly to give me a bit of wiggle room… and for swearing. This is just a thought that popped in my head and I have no real direction with it as of now. At least, until I find a decent plot that hasn't been touched or has been underwritten. It might be a while folks, so don't hold your breath. HA! Who am I kidding? Nobody will, not yet at least. XD
Otherwise, reviews are highly appreciated, and any questions that do not end up spoiling anything will most likely be answered in future author's notes, if I deem them good enough questions to answer. Flames will be used to heat my room. Minnesota is cold, let me tell you.
I also appreciate constructive criticism. If you do like it, leave a review. (Hint, hint: Reviews are huge motivators for me. I am a lazy ass so reviews will highly increase chances of future chapters.)
Oh, and I do not own Pokemon or make any money off of this fanfiction, unfortunately. This goes for all future chapters as well.
Now, you can sit back, relax, and (hopefully) enjoy the first chapter of "Only Human".
Thunder boomed as a startled Ash bolted upright in bed. It was still dark out, but Ash wasn't sure he could go back to sleep. Bleary eyes sought out the alarm clock that would decide if sleep was still an option.
5:38
Ash rubbed his eyes before blinking owlishly at it again.
5:39
'Damn, why did I have to wake up so early?' Ash thought as he groggily slid out of bed. Another flash of lightning was quickly accompanied by a bone-rattling boom, signaling the approaching thunderstorm.
Ash sighed. What a great way to start what he could easily consider to be the most important day of his life. The teen stepped into the bathroom down the hall to relieve himself and prepare himself for the day with a cold shower. Hot showers always made him drowsy, while cold ones focused him and got him out of the shower quicker, which was a bonus because his mother always reprimanded him about taking too long in the shower and wasting the hot water. Ash grimaced as he stepped into the shower.
Delia Ketchum could scare anybody with the low, emotionless voice she would use when she was just a little pissed off. You could forget when she was truly angry. You had a better chance charging a stampeding herd of tauros head-on.
Ten minutes later saw Ash out of the shower, shivering. He looked into the mirror above the sink and spotted small, dark circles perched just below his eyes, a result of the endless studying into the night he had been doing for the last few nights. No sense in charging out into the wilderness and forgetting everything you need to know to survive.
But now, the one day he actually went to bed on time, he was torn from sleep by a stupid thunderstorm of all things. He wasn't afraid of thunder, or lightning for that matter. He shook his head as he brought himself down to earth.
He brushed his teeth and attempted to tame his unruly raven hair before stepping out of the bathroom wrapped in only a towel, still a bit wet. Ash silently made his way towards his room, hoping he didn't wake his mother. One time, he dropped the shampoo bottle in the shower at four in the morning when he couldn't get to sleep.
Never again.
The doorknob was just in reach before a light tap on his shoulder startled him into nearly dropping his towel. Ash spun around only to see a surprised mr. mime, who was slowly bringing down its arm. Ash sighed in relief. It was only Mimey, his mother's pokemon and part-time housekeeper.
"Arceus, Mimey. One day you're going to give me a heart attack," Ash whispered with half-hearted anger. Mimey's shocked look morphed into an embarrassed one, which quickly turned into a questioning expression.
Ash chuckled before replying in a hushed tone, "It's the day I start my journey, Mimey. The thunder didn't exactly help either." Mimey nodded her head in understanding. She could sympathize with the young man.
Ash nodded to her before accidentally backing into the door. Both he and Mimey winced at the loud noise before the teen opened the door to his room much more quietly and slipped in. The moment the door was closed, he let out a loud sigh of relief. Maybe this day would go better than he expected.
All other thoughts were cast aside as Ash fully began to comprehend the idea of finally beginning his journey after years and years of watching the older kids battling in the small field in the center of town. Ever since one lady brought an incredibly rare dragonair to town when he was seven, Ash had wanted to explore the world and catch as many pokemon as he possibly could.
Nine years later, the years of agonizing waiting would finally come to an end. Ash grinned stupidly as he thought about his starter. Long ago, he had decided that a charmander would be the best partner for him. The charmander line was known for their ferocity in battle, as well as their loyalty to a good trainer. Bulbasaur and squirtle were both good options, too, but the majority of bulbasaur he had met before were meek and quiet. Ash didn't have any idea if they were all that way, which he doubted, but the deciding factor would be the battle style.
Squirtle and charmander both had an offensive presence on the battlefield, judging by what Ash had seen in the hundreds of battles he had witnessed in town over the years. Although he did admit, squirtle had pretty decent defenses with the hard shells they carried on their backs. Bulbasaur, on the other hand, tended to rely on status effects and craftiness to win, which was not usually the approach an overexcited teenage boy would take.
There were battle simulators on the computers at the small school in Pallet Town, which offered aspiring trainers a small glimpse into the world of battling. Ash learned a lot about his battle style while demolishing hundreds of digital pokemon with his own, such as the fact that he would usually charge right into a battle and use brute force to win. Eventually, he learned that tactics and the use of status effects would be useful, too. It would not do to lose just because of a hot head and loss of common sense. His battle style could have changed, but at the time, it had not.
With bulbasaur out of the way, that left squirtle and charmander to decide between. It was pretty obvious that charizard, charmander's final evolution, were highly offensive while blastoise, squirtle's final evolution, were a mixture of defense and offense, which Ash really liked. But charizard were able to fly and were extremely fast and agile, even if they weren't trained very well. Blastoise had the disadvantage of bulk and low speeds. Now, Ash wasn't a genius when it came to battling, but he could see that a squirtle would be a bad decision for him if he wanted a pokemon that could move around quickly- and charizard looked cool.
So, Ash chose charmander.
The teen grinned as he pictured himself walking down Route 1 with his charmander, battling any stray pidgey or rattata that foolishly walked into their path.
Ash blinked before realizing that if he wanted to get a starter at all, standing around wrapped in a towel wasn't going to do much good. He whipped around before grabbing the outfit he had laid out for himself the previous night. He slipped on his underwear and socks before his blue jeans and white t-shirt went on quickly after. A thick grey-and-black hoodie followed as well as his signature hat.
He grabbed his new pack, which contained many things he would need on the road, and dashed out of the room. He took the steps down two at a time and doubled back towards the kitchen only to collide with his mother. A load of clean laundry fell to the floor before Delia lightly smacked Ash in the back of his head.
"Why are you in such a rush? You have an hour before you need to be at Oak's." Delia sighed. "Now I'm going to have to refold all these clothes." She gave her son the stink-eye before hustling him into the kitchen, where she whipped up a nice plate of eggs and pancakes. Ash began to devour everything in sight the moment the plate touched the table. Delia frowned.
"I hope your manners improve on your journey. If you meet any girls, they won't want to be near you or your terrible table manners." Delia smiled. Ash blushed.
"You know I don't plan on traveling with anyone anyways, Mom. I don't want anybody getting in my way." Ash frowned.
More people meant having to make sure they were safe and fed, which was a nuisance. Ash wasn't exactly social, either. The only people he ever really spent time with were his mother and the Professor, as well as many of the pokemon that inhabited Oak's ranch, near the labs.
"Well, sweetie. Sometimes things don't work out the way you want them to, and sometimes, it's better than if you had it your own way," Delia said before handing Ash a tall glass of orange juice.
Ash grunted in acknowledgment and gratefully gulped down the proffered beverage. Thunder boomed again as both looked out the window. Rain had begun to pour down, soaking everything.
"Shit, not now," Ash muttered under his breath.
"Language!" Delia reprimanded.
"Sorry, Mom. Um, I think I should go, now. I want to get there early," Ash stated, slightly cowed. His mother had hearing like none other, unfortunately for him.
"Alright then. Be careful, and I want you to make sure you're changing your underwear every day. I know you forget." Delia said before giving his son a motherly hug.
Ash blushed really hard this time, his face redder than a tamato berry.
"Mom! Don't say stuff like that! People think I'm weird enough as it is." Now he really wanted to leave, if only to escape further embarrassment.
"Fine," Delia's voice turned cold. "Call me when you reach any town with a Center, you hear?"
Ash nodded vigorously before giving his mother a quick hug. Then, the young boy dashed towards the door, pack in hand, and slipped on his black-and-white tennis shoes.
"I'll be back so you can meet my new pokemon and then I'll finally start my journey!" Ash called back towards his mother as he jogged off the porch and into the heavy rain.
Back at the house, Delia was on the floor refolding the fallen laundry with Mimey.
"I wonder what he'll choose. Now that I think about it, Ash hasn't said much about what he wanted for a partner." Delia looked out the window. "I hope he doesn't get sick out there. He should have worn a jacket."
Mimey shrugged, focused on the chore at hand.
Mud clung to shoes as Ash half-ran down the once dirt road towards the large windmill silhouetted in the distance. Luckily for him, he opted for the waterproof pack for his travels.
Ten, miserable minutes later, the teen arrived at the Lab, soaked to the bone and shivering. As he raised his hand to knock, he remembered the rainjacket he had stored in his pack for situations just like this.
He mentally facepalmed before rapping on the wooden doorframe which stood between him and the Lab itself. Unfortunately, the Lab door did not have an overhang to shelter Ash from the storm.
An earsplitting boom followed an intense flash of light that nearly blinded the poor kid. A couple minutes dragged on before the door finally opened, revealing a bedraggled Oak.
"Ash! Get in here! You're soaked!" The older man scolded before yanking a shaking Ash into his home.
"Sit down and let me get you a nice cup of hot tea and a blanket." Oak said a bit shakily, which Ash didn't fail to notice, before disappearing down the hall, returning a few moments later with a large blanket and a towel.
"Here, sit down. Now why were you out in the rain without anything warm on? You have a half-hour before you would have to be here. I know you're excited, but you need to be more careful. Hypothermia is no joke." Oak paused, letting his words sink in. "Speaking of, let me get you that tea. Arceus knows you could use it."
Before Ash could say anything, Oak moved out of the lab and into the adjacent living quarters. Ash heard Oak muttering to himself as he moved about the kitchen, making strange noises as he did so.
After a few minutes of listening to pots banging and the occasional muttered 'Shit!' after each bang, he made an appearance with the promised cup of tea, which he handed to Ash. He sipped the drink, finding relief as warmth spread throughout his body. The shivers soon stopped and Ash looked up to the Professor.
"Thank you, sir. That helped a lot." Ash said.
"You're welcome m'boy. Just don't go marching out into the rain without at least something to protect you next time. I'm happy to help, but not everyone will be."
Ash nodded. That made sense to him. Not everyone was as helpful or kind as Professor Oak was.
"Professor?" Ash inquired, "Are you okay?"
The man looked confused for a moment before he spoke.
"Oh, it's not much. I forgot to feed Dragonite again. You know how he gets when he gets hungry."
Ash nodded, all too familiar with the dragon's terrifying temper, even though he personally had never experienced it.
"Well," Oak continued, "as long as you're here, you may as well get a few things. Not your starter, of course, but I can at least give you your Pokedex and you can play around with it while you wait."
Ash nodded again, not feeling up to talking. So far, this day hadn't been going as great as he had first expected it to be. In his mind, the day was going to be cliché-sunny with the pidgey chirping and a smile on his face from a fantastic dream he would have just had. Then, he would go downstairs after getting ready for the day, be surprised with a special breakfast just for him, and he would walk to Oak's lab and soak in the good weather. He would get his charmander, and he would walk out of town proudly with his buddy by his side. Ash even went so far as to include destroying Gary in his first pokemon battle ever.
Ash pulled himself back into the real world and instantly regretted it. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Sure, part of it was his fault for walking out into the rain with nothing to keep him dry, but the weather was supposed to be perfect, like out of a storybook. If this was how his journey was going to be, Ash was quite unsure about it.
At least it wasn't the worst it could be. He would be getting his Pokedex before Gary or any of the others would, which he counted as a personal victory, however small.
Ash looked up to see the old man approach him with a thin, red, rectangular object in his hand. The professor was beaming.
"This here is the Pokedex, now fully updated." Oak's smile widened even more.
"I finished it just last night as a matter of fact. I had it done sooner, but I wanted it to be perfect for you four so you could begin your journeys right." Oak handed the device to Ash, who turned it over in his hands, admiring the shininess of it.
Oak cleared his throat. "There's a few things to mess around with. It's not much, but your Pokedex will be a bit more personalized than they used to be. Oh, and I forgot to mention, th-."
The door opened abruptly and quite loudly, cutting off the professor. Both Ash and Professor Oak watched as a boy about Ash's age walked in, collapsing his umbrella as he did so.
"So, Ashy-boy, how was the rain? A bit wet? Hey! What do you have there?" A slightly nasal voice called out.
"Oh! Gary! You're a little early, but not enough to worry about. How are you? It's cold out there." Oak questioned the young man, who sported a purple, long-sleeved shirt and jeans.
"I'm fine grandpa. I'm not that cold; I had my umbrella." Gary's eyes slid over to Ash, who was still shivering a bit, however much he tried to suppress it.
"You look a little cold. Did you forget to bring an umbrella, Ashy-boy? Your lips are a bit blue, there. Did decide to take a dip in the ocean?" Gary mocked.
Oak frowned. "Enough with the snide remarks, Gary. He was just excited, that's all. Right, Ash?" Oak directed the question at Ash.
"Mm-hm." He shrugged.
"Anyways," Oak turned to Gary, "how long until Richard and Emily arrive?"
Gary looked out the window. "I don't think they are too far behind me, Gramps. The weather's letting up so there's no excuse if they're late. Anyways, you didn't answer my question. What does Ash have in his hands?"
Ash frowned. He disliked Gary. He always thought of him as presumptuous and judgmental, and he was one of the few who saw that through his bright smile and popularity within the small community. He never did understand how he got so popular with his callous personality.
"You'll see in a bit. Ah! Here they are now!" Oak announced as a small knock was heard on the Lab door.
He ushered the pair of teens in and closed the door behind them. "Now that we have everyone here, we can get started." The professor turned and walked into the depths of the laboratory, Gary following close behind. The other three stood there for a moment before following soon after. Emily cleared her throat.
"Umm, Ash…" she trailed off, blushing and looking away at the many devices littering the Lab. Luckily for her, Richard cut in.
"Why are you so wet? Did you walk here in the rain or something?" Ash only nodded. He liked Emily and Richard somewhat. They were two of the few people who didn't treat him like shit and didn't follow Gary wherever he went like obedient growlithe. Emily had jet-black hair, a shade darker than Ash's own, and deep green eyes. Contrary to her timid attitude, she wore bright colors and tended to keep her hair in a large ponyta-tail. Her lime green t-shirt and her above-the-knee jorts were always clean and were a staple of her everyday wear.
Richard wore a hoodie nearly every day, just like Ash. Aside from that, the two were complete opposites. With his hoodie, Richard wore dark tan cargo shorts that were frayed on the edges so badly, it looked like he had ripped them on purpose. He had blonde hair and light blue eyes, which contrasted his darker clothing.
Richard and Emily were both quiet and meek, except around each other. When alone, they were as outgoing and boisterous as Gary was when he was surrounded by his ever-so-devoted followers. Ash had stumbled upon them once or twice during these times and he had enjoyed the laughter that the two had constantly given out.
Richard spoke up, "Are you okay? I know you don't talk a whole lot, but you seem more down in the dumps than usual."
Emily discreetly elbowed Richard in the gut and smiled at Ash warmly.
"Don't mind him. He just needs to learn when to say something and when to shut up." She directed the last part at Richard, who nodded hurriedly.
"It's alright. I already know I'm not the social type. It's fine." Ash said, gripping his Pokedex a bit tighter.
Emily frowned. "We don't think you're that antisocial, probably because we both are, too. Right, Rich?"
Richard nodded again, gingerly rubbing his stomach.
The trio had reached the end of the building, where both Oaks were standing, one with his face pressed against the glass of a container, which held three pokeballs within.
"Alright, now we can get started. First," the professor turned to a desk and retrieved three Pokedexes from a drawer. "these are your PokeDexes. When you scan a pokemon with this device, you can obtain some basic information about that particular pokemon and its species."
He handed the devices to Gary, Richard, and Emily, who all began to look through the 'dexes, only to find it devoid of any pokemon entries.
"Umm, sir. There's nothing on here about any pokemon. What are we supposed to do with this?" Richard inquired.
"Yeah, Grandpa, what's up with that?"
Oak only chuckled. "Well, here's something I'm going to need a little bit of help with. I am currently working on a project that is very important to me. You see, the Pokedex is special because it is going to be the first complete encyclopedia on pokemon ever made. Most of these encyclopedias that have been made are only for a certain region, and none of them are electronic, either.
He could see he had the teens' interest.
"However, it is obviously not complete, and I need some help getting information about the different species. This is where you all come in." All four teens leaned in, including Gary, who had lost interest in the stationary pokeballs.
"I need you to encounter as many pokemon as you can, and for you to scan them, to collect data."
Gary just made a raspberry. "Sounds easy enough. I could get twenty done before the day is over no problem." He grinned. "This'll be over before you know it."
The professor shook his head. "There is more to it than that. We don't know every species of pokemon that exists. There are more and more being discovered each year, and I would like information on these pokemon to be documented and put into this." He tapped Ash's 'dex.
"Not every pokemon you scan will have information, either. I have not programmed a whole lot into the database, so you may encounter a pokemon that does not have any information on it whatsoever. That's why I'll be working on the 'dex while you travel. If there is no information on a pokemon, I would like you to take a photo of the pokemon. This way, I can look to see what it is and I can eventually program data into the database if there is information available elsewhere." Oak took a deep breath.
"Now. If there are no more questions, it is time to choose our partners."
If the Pokedex held their attention, it was nothing compared to how focused the quartet was now.
"I already know what I'm going to choose! Grandpa, you should let me pick first!" Gary had his face pressed against the glass again, which muffled his voice a bit.
The old man shook his head. "Unfortunately, there are no more than three starters, so one of you will have to wait to get one."
Ash unconsciously shook his head slightly. He had been waiting too long for this.
"So, who will it be?" He arched an eyebrow.
Nobody moved. Everybody was looking away from the professor except for Gary, who decided that the question was not meant for him and kept his face to the glass.
A couple minutes passed before Ash slowly raised his hand. "I will."
Oak and Gary both grinned before the elder Oak spoke.
"Thank you, Ash. I'll make sure you are rewarded for your patience." He beamed at Ash, who was trying his hardest not to look too disappointed.
Richard and Emily both looked at him, gratitude shining in their eyes and a small smile on each of their faces. Ash only nodded at them and took a step back, looking down.
"Now that that business is over, you can each pick a starter. Gary! Get off the glass!" Oak said. Gary only took a step back, his eyes glued to a particular pokeball, unfazed by his grandfather.
The glass raised a foot or two, exposing the three pokeballs.
"The pokeball to your left contains bulbasaur, your middle, charmander, and your right, squirtle. Choose wisely, now. This pokemon will be your partner for life."
"Richard, you may pick first."
Richard grinned as Gary scowled. Richard had noticed Gary's focus on the ball to the right, so he hung his hand over it, smirking as he watched Gary twitch with suppressed anger. He laughed before moving over to another pokeball.
"Pokeball, go!" He shouted, tossing the sphere into the air. It popped open, and a red energy coalesced into a stout, green reptile with a large bulb on its back. It stood on four legs and had darker patches of skin that decorated its entire body.
"Bulba!" The creature said before locking red eyes with Richard, who nodded. He recalled the bulbasaur before turning to the Pokemon Professor.
"Thank you. I'll get to know it better later." He said with a grin.
Gary was bouncing on his heels and fiddling with his fingers as Emily calmly observed the remaining two pokeballs. At this point, Ash had begun to think about how long he would have to wait to get his starter, if he would get one at all. He shook his head. Of course he would get one. It would just take a while, that's all.
He looked up to see the professor tentatively nod his head as Gary threw himself at the pokeball farthest to the right. In his excitement he tossed the pokeball high enough to smack the ceiling, which was easily fifteen feet above their heads. This time, however, the red energy morphed into the shape of a squirtle, its shell gleaming.
The pokemon looked around cockily, its stubby arms folded and its mouth turned upwards in an all-too-familiar smirk. Within moments it saw Gary, who also had his arms crossed. Pokemon and human judged the other before nodding in satisfaction.
"It's good, Grandpa. Me and Squirtle are going to kick some ass later on!" Gary smirked as he recalled the water-type.
Oak's visage darkened before he turned to Emily, his face brightening again.
"I know 'Ladies first' is an important rule to live by, but I'm sure you can understand why I didn't do it this time. It's not necessarily fair, either." Oak smiled brightly at the girl, who smiled back a bit shyly.
"No problem. I got who I wanted, and I don't mind being last every once in a while. It mixes things up a bit."
She slowly walked up to the container and grabbed the final pokeball. After a brief moment of hesitation, she took the orb and gently tossed it up.
"Come on out, Charmander."
A small, orange reptile appeared, its eyes a little unfocused. It was bipedal and had a flame on the tip of its tail. Ash looked on in jealousy, though he didn't show it. That was his charmander, his friend, his companion. The pokemon looked around and Ash forced down his scowl before anyone could see it. He gave it a lopsided smile before it was recalled into its pokeball.
"Alright. Now that you have your pokemon, you can each start your journey. If it interests you, there is a Pokemon League Tournament every year in which the strongest of the strong compete to see who is the toughest trainer of them all. If you wish to join, you must sign up at a Pokemon Center with a Nurse Joy. I would recommend doing it as soon as you can if you choose to go that way. Other than that, I have nothing else to tell you. Make sure you stop by to see your parents, Emily and Richard. I believe they would like to see you before you go off."
The two nodded and gave their thanks again to both Professor Oak and Ash, Emily with yet another blush, before leaving the Lab.
Gary soon followed after, pokeball in hand and practically jumping down the stairs outside. The weather had somehow become pleasant, the only sign a storm had occurred were the large puddles decorating the roads. A large cloud could be seen moving south towards the ocean, an occasional thunderbolt contrasting the darkness beneath the nimbus.
Professor Oak sighed, running a hand through his graying hair. "Giving out the starters is exhausting, I think." He turned to Ash. "Are you dry yet?"
Ash looked down only to see that, apart from his hair, he was bone dry. He hadn't even noticed he was so distracted.
"Huh. I guess." Ash said, toweling off his hair.
Oak curtly nodded, satisfied.
"I presume you want your starter soon, correct?" he said, moving towards a small hallway off to the side.
Ash nodded with vigor, following him.
"I may not have any traditional starters on hand, but I do have a few pokemon you could select from. I'll have to warn you, though. They are a bit harder to handle than those I gave to the others, but I think you can handle it. You do seem to have a bit of a knack for pokemon." the professor said. "I mean, you did calm down Dragonite that one time the tauros herd decided to stampede right into his cave, and then you managed to calm down the herd as well. I think you'll be able to handle one of these. It's not like I'm going to hand you a hydreigon or something right off the bat."
Ash only nodded again, eager to meet the pokemon he would choose from. The pair stopped at the end of the hallway, where a simple, wooden door stood, blocking the way. A cheap, brass plaque on the door read 'Janitor's Closet'. The professor produced a silver card from his lab coat. He swiped the card through a slot near the door which Ash had not noticed before.
Ash heard a faint ding before the door swung inwards, revealing a small room that was not much bigger than an average bedroom. On the steel walls hung shelves that held pokeballs of many different colors. Boxes littered the floor in an oddly organized way, creating a path around the room for access.
Oak chuckled embarrassedly. "Oops, I keep on forgetting to clear out this space. I use it quite a bit, but I can't find anywhere else to put stuff. I should get an assistant..." the older man trailed off.
He continued to gripe to himself while Ash carefully wove his way through the room. Many, many pokeballs were here, and Ash wondered what they all contained. He reached up to grab an ultra ball from a shelf that was slightly separate from the rest, perched on the far side of the windowless room directly in the center of the wall. He took a moment to admire the way the dim light played off the shiny surface. It appeared to be well taken care of, albeit faded.
"Oh, Ash! Be careful with that! I know pokeballs are pretty tough, but that one has been around for much longer than you have, and it's also a much older make as well."
Ash startled, nearly dropping the 'ball before replacing it back to its rightful place.
"Professor, why are these pokeballs in here? Don't pokemon need to be out of their 'balls more?" Ash inquired. With the professor's terrible memory, pokemon could easily be forgotten in here.
The professor looked at him strangely. "Now why would I leave pokemon in here to rot? No, no, m'boy! None of these pokeballs actually contain pokemon. I just keep them in here for safekeeping. Most of the 'balls in here are for the pokemon that trainers have here. I feel better when I know that people can't find these and kidnap the pokemon that have bonded with their trainers. Many of the pokemon in the Ranch are wild, but the ones that have been captured are taken extra care of. There is a protection system for the wild ones, but I do need to work on it. Wild pokemon don't give off the same energy as caught ones do. The system can tell if a pokemon is caught or not, and it keeps those that have been caught out." The man seemed pleased with himself.
"But Professor, what if someone sent their pokemon here and they couldn't get in because of your system?"
"Well, for starters, when you capture a pokemon, it is logged into the Lab's pokemon database, which the system recognizes. If you caught a pidgey and sent it here, for instance, the system would notice that that particular pidgey was yours and would admit it. The only problem is uncaptured pokemon that are still a registered trainer's. But enough of that. We didn't come here to discuss how I keep the pokemon safe. We need to get you your starter." He said. He raised his hand to his chin in thought, eyeing the pokeballs within the room with a discerning eye. He moved about the room, occasionally picking up a pokeball, which he would appear to ponder over before sticking it in his pocket or returning it to its place.
After five minutes of this, he stopped and gestured to Ash to follow. They moved out of the room and Ash could hear another beep as the door closed. They continued out the back door of the Lab, which led to the Oak Ranch itself. Ash saw many, many pokemon doing various things throughout the vast space. A pair of poochyena were messing around in the dirt, trying to gain an edge on the other in their games. A lone ponyta ran across the large grassland area. The forest's tree line was about a half-mile in, casting shadows on the ground where Ash knew many pokemon lurked and crawled.
"There are five pokemon I would like you to meet, Ash. They are all a bit reclusive, but they should at least be willing to meet you. I'll take the jeep and you can stick around while I get you your mystery pokemon." Oak was grinning stupidly, which made Ash grin, too. It was contagious.
In a minute, the vehicle was a small speck on its way to the expansive forest. Ash sighed. He really wanted to go to bed. He woke up way too early, and he was having doubts about his journey altogether. Not too long passed before a small whimper brought to his attention a growlithe pup sitting at his feet, looking up at him expectantly. Its tongue was lolled out drool dripped from its mourth
Ash pulled out his pockets. "Sorry, I don't have any food."
The growlithe continued to whimper at him. It pawed at his pant leg and gave him the saddest eyes it could muster.
"Go on now. I don't have anything. Shoo!" Ash waved his hands in the regular shooing motion and the pup got the hint, turning tail and running off to play with the wrestling poochyena.
Soon, Ash's feet and legs began to tire and he searched around for a bench or something to sit on. Finding nothing, he sat down cross-legged on the ground. It only took a moment for him to realize that the ground was still wet and muddy. With a yelp, he stood up, futilely attempting to brush the mud off his jeans. He managed to get most of it off, but the seat of his pants was still soaking wet, and his hands were filthy, too. He groaned. What a crappy beginning to a great day.
An hour passed, and the Professor was nowhere to be seen. Ash had given up and sat in the mud, not caring about the wet anymore. By now all he wanted was his starter so he could go home and change his pants and maybe take another shower. Many pokemon had approached him, most of them wanting food and attention. He had no food to give, but he did give them as much attention as he could. Even though he was not quite as happy as he wanted to be, he wouldn't feel right if he ignored the pokemon just because he felt like it.
Ash heard the jeep approach as he was tending to a poliwag, who was sitting in his lap, gurgling contentedly.
"Ash, what are you doing in the mud? Delia won't be too happy when she sees you." Oak said as he exited the cart. Ash only grimaced a little.
"Well, I managed to find all five pokemon and I got them to leave their homes for a bit to meet you. All of them are ready for someone to take them and care for them, so don't be afraid to choose whoever you want. Oh, and as I told you before, these pokemon are not very common, especially since four of them aren't even from Kanto."
Ash's eyes brightened at this. Gary could eat shit, he was going to get a pokemon most people from these parts would be lucky to see.
The Pokemon Professor produced the five 'balls from his pocket, each of them the standard red and white.
He tossed the first one in the air, revealing what appeared to be six eggs all clumped together, one of them broken and revealing the yolk. The eggs were all pink and had faces besides the broken one. Ash recognized it as an exeggcute. They weren't extremely common but they weren't quite rare either.
Ash took this opportunity to scan it with his PokeDex. A computerized, masculine voice began to speak.
Exeggcute, the Egg Pokemon.
This pokemon consists of six eggs that form a closely knit cluster. The six eggs attract each other and spin around. When cracks increasingly appear on the eggs, exeggcute is close to evolution. This pokemon evolves with a leaf stone.
Ash took a look at the cluster, and noticed that only a few cracks decorated the shells of the pokemon. The 'Dex continued to read off information.
This pokemon is male and has the ability Chlorophyll.
Ash looked at the pokemon again, a bit confused on how they had one gender, but he shrugged it off.
He nodded at the professor, who tossed another pokeball into the air. This time, a short, purple creature appeared. It was clearly a bug-type. It also had black markings and large yellow eyes. Ash had never seen one before. The PokeDex, he thought, would be very handy in his travels.
Venipede, the Centipede Pokemon.
It discovers what is going on around it by using the feelers on its head and tail. It is brutally aggressive.
This pokemon is female and has the ability Swarm.
Ash cringed when the device read off the words 'brutally aggressive.' He took a quick look at the venipede, surprised to see her just sitting there, eyeing him. Ash shuddered a bit before Oak released the next pokemon.
This pokemon was another Ash had never seen before, although it looked familiar. It was stout and tan with green spots. It had stub legs and no arms. It appeared to be frowning.
Shroomish, the Mushroom Pokemon.
Shroomish live in damp soil in the dark depths of the forests. They are often found keeping still under fallen leaves. This pokemon feeds on compost that is made up of fallen, rotted leaves.
This pokemon is female and has the ability Effect Spore.
Venipede seemed to regard the shroomish with strange interest. Shroomish seemed to be dozing off. She was probably woken up by the man.
The fourth pokeball was soon in the air, and a small, canine pokemon appeared. It had a half-skull growth on its forehead, and other bone-like growths on its back and ankles. It also sported a red underbelly. Ash knew it was a houndour from his short forays into the Johto region with Professor Oak.
Houndour, the Dark Pokemon.
Houndour hunt as a coordinated pack. They communicate with each other using a variety of cries to corner their prey. This pokemon's remarkable teamwork is unparalleled.
This pokemon is male and has the ability Flash Fire.
The other pokemon each shied away from the fire-type, who was giving dark looks to each of them.
"Hey. Don't be mean. They didn't do anything to you." Ash said to the houndour, remembering to keep his voice calm and soft. It wouldn't do to get attacked before he even started his journey
He flinched a bit when the houndour turned its gaze onto Ash. It glared at him for a bit before its gaze softened ever so slightly. Ash barely noticed. The 'mon promptly sat down on a dry patch of earth and began to groom himself.
Oak cocked an eyebrow before tossing up the final pokeball.
A small, bipedal pokemon appeared. It was black and blue and had long claws that extended from its short paws, which appeared shovel-like in nature. It had a long, white snout with a red nose at the end. Ash raised his 'Dex before it began to scan.
Drilbur, the Mole Pokemon.
It makes its way swiftly through the soil by putting both claws together and rotating at high speeds.
This pokemon is female and has the ability Sand Force.
Ash sat back, looking at his options. They all seemed to be well-behaved for the most part. Even the houndour appeared to be quite tame in comparison to the horror stories he had heard about the species.
"Professor, the 'Dex says that houndour is a pack species. Didn't you say that these pokemon were loners?" Ash said. He looked at houndour, who looked right back at him.
"Uh, yes, they are. Most houndour are pack members, but this one isn't for some reason. It may explain why it tends to push away others. Maybe it was kicked out of its pack." He shrugged. "I couldn't tell you for sure."
He looked at the group of five again. Each pokemon seemed to be strong for what they were. Venipede, drilbur, and shroomish were all new pokemon species to him, and he didn't know much about them besides their abilities. Luckily, the Pokemon Professor had logged in the information for these pokemon and their evolutions or he would have been s.o.l.
He browsed through the data, still sitting in the mud, while the pokemon and professor all waited for him patiently.
After five minutes of browsing through the dex, the teen set the 'Dex on his lap. The pokemon all leaned forward, interest showing each of their eyes.
Ash cleared his throat, "I know you all want to go, but I can only choose one of you. I looked to see what you could do and I have decided on who I want to bring with me."
The pokemon leaned forward even more, Shroomish nearly falling over.
"I choose-"
I know, I'm an asshole. You can deal with it. I don't know if anybody will check out this story, but if you are that random person who looks at crap stories, sorry. You'll find out soon enough. I don't even think I've chosen who I want to go with Ash. :/
As of now this is just an idea, and I will probably end up revising chaps as I go on.
Also, I may miss important stuff, so don't freak out if I miss something important.
I apologize if you wanted him to get something like a riolu or some other thing like that, but this story is meant to explore pokemon that nobody wants to write about.
(Poor exeggcute ;_;)
Other than that I don't have much to say besides review, review, review. It is oh so important that you do this.
I will see you in the next installment of "Only Human"!
Buh-bye!