Disclaimer: Before we start I don't claim to own any of these characters because that would be stupid; they are most likely owned by Nintendo and 4Kids etc. I am just writing this for fun, no money is involved.
Anything between [] is an authors' note.
Anything in Bold Italic is a thought of a character
For most of my fics the ages are as follows:
Ash: 13
Misty: 14
Tracey: 16
Set in Ash's house after the Orange League
*AN* This is my first attempt at an ongoing story – this is the prologue and merely sets up the groundwork; unfortunately I could not make the prologue that exciting, but it is fairly essential to understanding the actual story. Part 1 should be posted in a few days.
P.S. Kenji/Tracey haters don't worry – He's only in it for the prologue.
The Path of no Return? - Prologue
Ash woke up to the welcoming smell of breakfast; after spending so long on the road it was nice to wake up to a cooked meal. Quickly slipping on his clothes and hat he walked out to the kitchen and saw that Misty and Tracey were in the kitchen at the table and Mr. Mime was preparing breakfast.
"Morning everyone." Ash greeted.
"Hey Ash." "Mime!" (Morning) They all replied.
"Mmm, something really smells good." Ash said referring to the breakfast as he sat down next to Misty.
Misty looked shocked.
"Why thank you for noticing Ash! It's not often that I wear perfume. I just thought today that maybe I should; just to see what it's li.." Misty stopped as she saw Tracey sniggering.
"JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK IS SO FUNNY!!?" Misty hollered.
Tracey taken aback by her quite sudden ferocity stopped laughing.
"I think Ash was talking about breakfast." Tracey replied.
Both Ash and Misty had gone red.
Misty slowly turned around to look at Ash
"Is that what you meant Ash?"
Ahhh..! I'm in trouble. Quickly think of a way to get out of it!
"Oh! I better go wake up Pikachu." Ash replied quickly and ran off.
"ASH KETCHUM GET BACK HERE AND TELL ME IF YOU THINK I SMELL NICE!"
Unbeknownst to Misty; at that moment Ash's mum walked into the kitchen to hear the fuming teens' outburst.
Mrs Ketchum had a puzzled look on her face.
"Why I'm sure you smell lovely dear." Mrs Ketchum said apprehensively.
Misty up to this point had not noticed that Mrs Ketchum came in.
Why me!? Why must I always pick the wrong moments!?
"Ah no! You see; I was, um…."Misty stuttered going a deeper shade of red.
"I'm sure it was perfectly innocent dear!" Mrs Ketchum smiled.
Ash had heard all of this from outside the kitchen door; and forcibly holding his mouth closed was the only way he could stop himself from laughing.
Although you do smell good.
Ash realised that he would soon be missed in the kitchen so hurried of to his room to get Pikachu up for breakfast. Pikachu never liked being woken up; Team Rocket had discovered this a number of times when they tried a night attack; but Ash was able to coerce Pikachu down with the promise of ketchup.
When Ash returned to the kitchen breakfast had finally been prepared and everyone was just about to start. Tracy was almost drooling at the eggs, bacon and pancakes prepared by Mr. Mime. Ash had retaken his seat beside Misty; not out of any disregard for his personal safety; but more because it was the only seat left.
Anyway, I like sitting beside her.
Nobody was talking much at the table. Mrs Ketchum was tired from working out in the garden. Misty was too embarrassed; clearly shown by her beetroot complexion and down turned face. Ash and Tracy however were concentrating on eating in peace without bursting into laughter. They would occasionally snigger but Misty would look threateningly back at them whenever they did. Then Ash made a rather large sniffing sound with his nose, with this the will of Tracy and Ash crumbled and they both broke into laughter; even Mrs Ketchum cracked a smile. Misty was just about to pound them with her mallet when the telephone interrupted.
"Ring, ring, ring. Telephone! Telephone! Ring, ring, ring.
"I'll get it!" Ash exclaimed; happily escaping the wrath of Misty.
Noticing Ash was out of reach Misty inwardly cursed. Oh well, I'll just hit Tracy. Twice.
Ash picked up the telephone; the videophone flashed into operation bringing up the familiar face of Professor Oak.
"Hi Professor!" Ash greeted his long time friend
"Hello Ash, it's nice to see you looking well; because I have got a favour to ask of you."
"OK, what is it?"
"Well you would really need to come over; I'll tell you about it when you arrive."
"Alright, I've just finished breakfast, so I should see you in about 10 minutes."
"Oh Ash. Bring your pokemon with you."
"OK. Bye."
Ash walked back into the kitchen and became the immediate centre of attention as everyone wondered who had been on the phone.
"Well dear who was it?" Mrs Ketchum asked.
"It was Professor Oak. He needs my help with something. It sounded really serious; he even asked me to bring my Pokemon."
"Oh well then you had better get going."
"Yeah. I'm just going to go get my Pokemon from my room."
"I better go with him then; goodness knows what trouble Ash can get himself into without me there to hold his hand." Misty joked.
"Hey, I can take care of myself!" Ash retorted. Although the holding hand bit might be nice.
"Guys; come on, give it up for one day." Tracy cut in before the argument could get any further."
Mrs Ketchum smiled at Mistys' remark; she had been watching them since they returned. It's funny how they always make up excuses to be around one another.
"I'm telling you Professor Oak; things are getting really strange down here. Lavender has been home to ghost pokemon for years now but we've never seen them act this way. They're all freaked out by something; and I sure don't want to see something that can scare a ghost pokemon."
"Is it just the ghost pokemon that are affected?"
"No, everything is getting weird down here. The weather is acting totally out of season. It's the middle of winter and just yesterday there was a huge storm, only it wasn't cold; the thermometers read the temperature at 35 centigrade. Pokemon who are normally loyal stop obeying their trainers; and just this morning an Arcanine gave birth to a MEOWTH!"
"That is indeed strange! But what has it got to do with the ghost Pokemon?"
"Well you see; everybody acts normal until something strange happens; but the ghost Pokemon are going crazy all the time. I believe they know what it is that is causing all of the unexplained events."
I'll send somebody down to have a look at the situation for me. When they return and give me the information I need then I can decide what we should do."
"Thanks Professor. Bye"
Professor Oak put down the telephone; Lavender town always had been strange with all the ghost pokemon but now something was making them worried. I can't shake the feeling that I've read something about ghost pokemon before. Oh well, I'm sure it will come back to me.
After a short walk, Ash Misty and Tracey soon arrived at Professor Oaks' lab. Muk noticed right away that Ash had arrived and showed his affection by bringing Ash crashing to the ground, not unlike the attack it used against Bellsprout in the Indigo League.
"Muk, muk!" (Ash!)
"Yeah Muk." Ash said while trying to get oxygen to his breathless lungs. "It's nice to see you too! But I've really got to speak to Professor Oak."
Sometimes I wish I could do that to him. Just fall on him and never let him away from me. Misty thought quietly to herself.
"Ash. Come here Ash." Professor Oak's voice called from the next room.
Ash [after he finally got away from Muk] Misty and Tracey walked into Professor Oaks' pokemon research room. Professor Oak was at his computer sorting through the pokemon that had to be released for exercise that day.
"I see Muk has already said hello!" Professor Oak giggled.
"Yeah," Ash replied. "Professor what did you call me here for?"
"Something very strange has been happening down in Lavender Town; and I want you to go and check out the situation for me."
"What do you mean by strange?"
"Well the weather has gone haywire; pokemon aren't obeying their trainers. And just this morning an Arcanine gave birth to a Meowth!"
"Whaa! How did that happen?" Ash and Misty asked simultaneously.
"I don't know; and that's why I'm sending you to find out."
"You can count on me Professor Oak! I'll find out what's happening in Lavender and stop it immediately because I am Ash Ketchum destined to be the greatest Pokemon MASTER!!"
Misty whipped out her mallet and banged Ash on the head a few times.
"AHH! Sorry, guess I got a little carried away." Ash apologised.
"Do that anymore and you will have to be carried away! ….On a stretcher!" Misty threatened him.
Professor Oak walked to the next room filled with pokeballs and came back out again with three in his hand. Two of them were red and the other was green –noticeably a safari ball.
"Here is your Kingler and a Tauros." Professor Oak said handing over two full Pokeballs to Ash.
"And here is the pokeball for Muk. You will see him on the way out."
Ash Misty and Tracey walked outside after Ash had recalled Muk.
"Guess this means more camping for us; eh Ash?" Misty asked him.
"Well you don't have to come along." Ash said rather nervously. Please come along I need you with me.
"Oh, no! You think I'm going to let you get all the glory and adventure yourself!? Not a chance Ash Ketchum. I'm coming with you."
Ash smiled.
"What about you Tracey?" Ash asked.
"Well if you guys don't mind I think I would like to stay here with Professor Oak; I am a Pokemon Watcher; and I need to learn as much about Pokemon as possible. Beside Professor Oak is the perfect place to do that."
"You can stay here if you want Tracey." Ash and Misty replied.
"I guess that means it's just me and you Myst." Me and Misty…alone!
"You're right about that Ashy Boy." Me and Ash…alone!
"I suppose I better get back to my mums and get packed up."
"Yeah and don't forget to ask for some money as well."
"Why?" Ash asked dumbly
"We do need to eat Mr Pokemon Master! Besides, there are towns on the way to Lavender and you would be fooling yourself if you thought I was going to sleep on the ground when there are perfectly good hotels!" Misty shouted back, expecting an argument to follow.
"OK, OK Misty; no need to have a fit! If you want to go to a hotel that's fine."
"Really?" Misty asked genuinely surprised.
"If it's what you want."
"Thank you Ash!" Misty jumped towards him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him in a tight grip. Maybe he does like me.
All this over a hotel! I'll sleep in a hotel forever is this is the way she is going to act.
"Misty you seem very moody today." Tracey noted.
"What do you mean?" Misty asked threateningly, slowly unwrapping her arms from Ash.
"First of all you were happy, then you were snapping Ash's head of; now you're happy again. All I mean is…"
Tracey started to run out of reach. When he was 20 meters away he turned around and shouted back. "….Are you sure Ash hasn't got you… well you know!?"
They knew all right.
"What how dare you! NO!! Me with HIM/HER! HE/SHE wishes!!" Misty and Ash replied, once again together.
With that Ash and Misty ran after Tracey intending for a great amount of bodily harm. Tracey saw his doom descending upon him and prudently decided to run away from it.
This is the end of the Prologue. Now I can finally get to the real story line; not to mention get rid of Tracey. For those who were wondering Togepi is not left out he was just asleep through breakfast like the rest of the pokemon – except pikachu. The first Part should be posted in a few days; I've already got the basic idea for it just need to type it out. It will be called: The Path of no Return? Part 1 – A Journey Begun.
Someone should give me an award for my imaginative titling!