"Tentacruel, go!"
"In that case, I'll choose Bellossom!"
Johnny Ketcham was playing by himself in his room. He had a doll that resembled each of the two hundred and fifty-one known Pokémon, and mock-battled with them. Because he was only nine years old, he was still a year away from gaining his Pokémon license, the key to become a Pokémon trainer. Without that license, he could not obtain the tools necessary to become a good trainer. He did have outlets for his interest in Pokémon. His father, Ash, was a professor at Indigo University, where he taught battle technique and strategy, and his mother, Misty, was the gym leader of the Cerulean Gym, in the city of Cerulean, where they lived. He often visited his older sister Rosy at Pokémon Technical Institute, an elite prep school for Pokémon trainers. He had endless questions about Pokémon, and couldn't get enough of them. He held the Tentacruel doll high. "Sludge bomb, Tentacruel," he shouted, tossing the doll in the air.
"Bellossom, counter it with sleep powder," he cried. He hurled the Bellossom doll at the still airborne Tentacruel doll. They collided in mid-air and flopped to the floor. "Unbelievable," he screamed, holding a pencil like a microphone, imitating an announcer. "They both go down. Have you seen anything like it?"
"Hey," Rosy Ketcham yelled from the other side of his locked door. "Mom says get to the table."
Johnny scooped the dolls off the floor and pitched them into his overflowing toy box. "Coming!" He joined his sister and descended the stairs. Already seated were Misty, Ash and their middle child, Derek. He was thirteen, as Rosy was seventeen. Derek was much quieter and reserved than his siblings. He chose music instead of Pokémon, and attended a different boarding school, the Indigo School of Arts and Music. They were gathered for a rare dinner together. When school was in session, both Rosy and Derek were away, plus Ash was often away tending to teaching business, sometimes battling. He didn't battle as often now that he was pushing forty. He'd already proven to the world he was a Pokémon master, by winning the Pokémon League tournament five years in a row. Now, he used his expertise to coach the champions of the future.
"You're all going to have to stick around tomorrow," Ash said to his children. "It's Mommy's birthday, and we're going on a picnic on the beach."
Rosy sighed. "We know, Daddy," she said. "You only told us a zillion times."
"Just checking."
Misty enjoyed the simple dinner of chicken and rice, not for culinary reasons, but to see her whole family for a change. She didn't have much of a family growing up, just her and her sisters, and she was often lonely. They were so much older than she was, and that made it hard for them to get along. Misty shared a particularly close relationship with her youngest, Johnny. With Ash and Derek and Rosy leading busy lives, it left much time for Misty and Johnny. Rosy often teased him, calling him a mama's boy, but in truth he was. He loved his mother dearly, and she returned that great love. He even looked like her, sharing her red hair and sea-green eyes, rather than inheriting Ash's dark features as Rosy and Derek had. She was looking forward to the next day's picnic. She'd always viewed her fortieth birthday with dread, but now that it was just a day away, she found herself embracing her age. She was still madly in love with her husband, as he was completely smitten with her as well. They'd shared that strong love since their teens. She had kept the weight that inevitably comes with age at bay, only gaining a few pounds from childbirth, but she was also an avid swimmer, and a talented synchronized swimmer. That, coupled with her deft Pokémon training and Ash's mastery of Pokémon, had brought much attention and acclaim their way. She sat back in her chair, watching her family eat dinner. Her heart swelled with love and pride, and when she went to sleep that night, her dreams were filled with visions of her happiness.
"In that case, I'll choose Bellossom!"
Johnny Ketcham was playing by himself in his room. He had a doll that resembled each of the two hundred and fifty-one known Pokémon, and mock-battled with them. Because he was only nine years old, he was still a year away from gaining his Pokémon license, the key to become a Pokémon trainer. Without that license, he could not obtain the tools necessary to become a good trainer. He did have outlets for his interest in Pokémon. His father, Ash, was a professor at Indigo University, where he taught battle technique and strategy, and his mother, Misty, was the gym leader of the Cerulean Gym, in the city of Cerulean, where they lived. He often visited his older sister Rosy at Pokémon Technical Institute, an elite prep school for Pokémon trainers. He had endless questions about Pokémon, and couldn't get enough of them. He held the Tentacruel doll high. "Sludge bomb, Tentacruel," he shouted, tossing the doll in the air.
"Bellossom, counter it with sleep powder," he cried. He hurled the Bellossom doll at the still airborne Tentacruel doll. They collided in mid-air and flopped to the floor. "Unbelievable," he screamed, holding a pencil like a microphone, imitating an announcer. "They both go down. Have you seen anything like it?"
"Hey," Rosy Ketcham yelled from the other side of his locked door. "Mom says get to the table."
Johnny scooped the dolls off the floor and pitched them into his overflowing toy box. "Coming!" He joined his sister and descended the stairs. Already seated were Misty, Ash and their middle child, Derek. He was thirteen, as Rosy was seventeen. Derek was much quieter and reserved than his siblings. He chose music instead of Pokémon, and attended a different boarding school, the Indigo School of Arts and Music. They were gathered for a rare dinner together. When school was in session, both Rosy and Derek were away, plus Ash was often away tending to teaching business, sometimes battling. He didn't battle as often now that he was pushing forty. He'd already proven to the world he was a Pokémon master, by winning the Pokémon League tournament five years in a row. Now, he used his expertise to coach the champions of the future.
"You're all going to have to stick around tomorrow," Ash said to his children. "It's Mommy's birthday, and we're going on a picnic on the beach."
Rosy sighed. "We know, Daddy," she said. "You only told us a zillion times."
"Just checking."
Misty enjoyed the simple dinner of chicken and rice, not for culinary reasons, but to see her whole family for a change. She didn't have much of a family growing up, just her and her sisters, and she was often lonely. They were so much older than she was, and that made it hard for them to get along. Misty shared a particularly close relationship with her youngest, Johnny. With Ash and Derek and Rosy leading busy lives, it left much time for Misty and Johnny. Rosy often teased him, calling him a mama's boy, but in truth he was. He loved his mother dearly, and she returned that great love. He even looked like her, sharing her red hair and sea-green eyes, rather than inheriting Ash's dark features as Rosy and Derek had. She was looking forward to the next day's picnic. She'd always viewed her fortieth birthday with dread, but now that it was just a day away, she found herself embracing her age. She was still madly in love with her husband, as he was completely smitten with her as well. They'd shared that strong love since their teens. She had kept the weight that inevitably comes with age at bay, only gaining a few pounds from childbirth, but she was also an avid swimmer, and a talented synchronized swimmer. That, coupled with her deft Pokémon training and Ash's mastery of Pokémon, had brought much attention and acclaim their way. She sat back in her chair, watching her family eat dinner. Her heart swelled with love and pride, and when she went to sleep that night, her dreams were filled with visions of her happiness.