Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or Ash Ketchum or his teams.
From Unova to Home, Kanto
Welcome Back, Ash of Pallot Town!
Kanto, a nice region. It has all four seasons regularly while the other regions stay one for the entire year. And right now, it is the spring season. Kids are begging for the park, the playground and ice cream of their parents. Workers are hoping for some outdoor work in the warm, not hot, sun with an occasional, gentle breeze. It is like everything living, or otherwise sentient, wants to spend the day outdoors in their own way; that includes Pokémon.
Pokémon, short for 'Pocket Monsters', are curious creatures. They are more than a species, they are their own kingdom of living species. Pokémon can be based off pets (cats or dogs), insects (bugs or butterflies), fish (sharks or goldfish) and birds (sparrows and hawks). They can also be based on nonliving beings, like robots and anything made of metal, running on electricity.
As Pokémon are like any other kingdom of species, humans wanted to study them. But the term 'Pokémon' came only later after humans were aware of them. Until then, they were just called 'magical creatures', created by a god of a Pokémon that appeared eons ago. Once technology was invented that can store and carry these creatures efficiently, they were called Pokémon from then and since.
Humans that use this gadgets, named Pokéballs, they are called trainers. And trainers can be all sorts of types when it came to training Pokémon. The most common type is the Battle Trainer, participating in duels and completive battling to discover limits and new horizons for their Pokémon and their battle expertize.
The other types are as follows; Breeders, Coordinators and Professors. Breeders focus their attention and learning on how to raise Pokémon, about eating habits and behavior; essentially, a lot like raising human children. Coordinators do some battling but train their Pokémon to have grace and beauty more than raw strength; to show them off in Pokémon Contests. And Professors are in charge of international Pokémon research, into questions remaining unanswered to this very day; and are also in charge of preparing young trainers with their first, Starter Pokémon and see them at the start of their Pokémon journeys, free to choose their own paths.
Pokémon journeys are as they may sound like. Children of ten years old or older, are given a Starter Pokémon to be their strongest and closest. But they are allowed to travel their home Regions with other trainer if they prefer. And, while Pokémon Coordinators undergo Pokémon Contests, those traveling trainers do Gym Battles.
Gyms are facilities. Ones that are owned and run by a Gym Leader, an expert that specializes in a certain style of battling or type of Pokémon. This was to help trainers learn more and more about Pokémon themselves. And not just to use Pokémon with the advantage, but to have a good idea of how strong the real specialists that are called the Elite Four.
When a trainer does defeat a Gym Leader, they receive a badge. A badge that proves the trainer is showing some progress in their journeys. Once they receive eight badges, from defeating eight Gym Leaders, they can sign up for the Pokémon League tournament of their region. And there could only be one winner of the tournament, who is granted the right to challenge the Elite Four members that are scattered throughout the region.
If the trainer succeeds in defeating all the members in the Elite Four, then it is type to take on the Champion. The Champion is the strongest trainer in their respective regions and once they are defeated, the winning trainer gains the title and the previous Champion is asked to retire. But since there could only be one winner of the regional tournament and the Elite Four & the Champion will still be training, some Champion keep the title for years.
"Champion eh?" A young man talked to himself as he approached the clearing out of the forest he was just previously trekking. His voice was like a pre-teen but then again, he was wearing a heavy cloak that covered most of his appearance; thus, it was hard to be sure. "I hate to be the one to give all those kids the heartbreaking news." Then the figure continued down the trail he choose to follow, right into a small and modest town.
It was a small one for sure but it had all the features that defined a town; shops, homes, streets and lights. As the figure happened to pass a shop with mirrors on display, he gazed into one. 'Hard to believe that I am only ten years old.' He thought to himself and then screams and sounds of destruction were heard in his head, silent to everyone else.
"Sir." The figure was snapped out of his trance by the shop owner. "If you are going to gaze at one of my products and hold up the line, then go and buy it. It is a bargain."
"Sorry, bad memories. Good day." The figure then gazed away from the mirror but not for showing a bit of the face he was hiding under that hood to the shop owner. And let's just say, that poor man with his mirrors never looked the same for the rest of the day.
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Sometime later, the figure hadn't made his way out of the town yet. His destination seems to be the outskirts of the town; given that he was heading towards the opposite entrance/exit gate of the town.
But once the figure arrived at a playground that was on his route to who knows where, he stopped. Stopped like a robot, whose last command on the programing list was completed. And he acted a lot like a robot who wants to keep moving, but only his neck. To see children laughing and playing on the playground equipment.
That sight should make people smile and maybe laugh along to see children with such a carefree and fun-only lifestyle. But not this man. He cried. Tears fell like miniature waterfalls down his cheeks and somehow out of his cloak. Then, on his belt, several balls started to shake, all at once.
The figure noticed and wiped off his tears. Then he glazed his hand over them all, "Sorry my friends. I will be fine. Let's go." And just like that, the figure walked right through the park, ignoring the children at play.
'Play…' The figure thought to himself, 'Who would have thought that playing was all on my mind before it happened? When my life was changed forever. How am I going to be who I once was now?' Then the Pokéballs on his belt started to rumble at once again.
"Right, right." The figure rubbed away his tears and continued on his path. But he couldn't resist some soul food, and some reflecting.
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Flashback Begins!
"A cruise? With Pokémon!? Really!?" A little boy, named Ash Ketchum, asked of an old man that wore a lab coat. A woman that must be his mother was nearby, trying to calm him down.
"Yes Ash. I did write down the wrong number of tickets. I asked for three, and there was just me and my grandson. So I figured you will want that last ticket." The old man said and the boy jumped high in the sky, despite the strong arms of his mother on his shoulders.
"Yah! Thank you!"
Later,
"And don't forget to…" The woman said to Ash who was up to his neck with suitcases, a backpack and extra clothes.
"MOM!" Ash knew what she was going to say, and even among the other people on the pier! He just had to stop her from embarrassing him. And this woman could only say that she was doing what the job of a mother calls for. "Bye!"
The mother waved for Ash, boarding the ship and waving back. But while this was a happy farewell, it will turn sour. Spur with a news report that same night, saying that the St. Anne has disappeared, never came back. And the St. Anne was the ship Ash left on!
There were no survivors found.
Flashback Ends!
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Once the figure was finished with his trip down memory lane, he saw that he had subconsciously walked himself to a certain house. It was like he didn't need to focus on the way, his reflexes and instincts can the job all the same, by themselves alone.
"Here we go."
"Mom." The figure then embraced the housewife like a long lost lover. But instead of a child in an adult's body that finally found his mother. "I am home."
"I do have a son sir, but he is not that old." Delia could have screamed but she wasn't that type of woman. But her answer will be one that she will never forget.
"Ash Ketchum. That's me, Mom." The figure looked up to show the face of twelve year old man with scars shining off the sunlight. "I am Ash Ketchum." Delia Ketchum didn't speak another word, and she fainted once she saw the Pokémon behind the man.
The one on the furthest of her left was a primarily pale green, serpentine Pokémon. Its face and throat are white, while its back is dark green. Curled, mint-colored patterns extend into the white portion of its face, and it has narrow red eyes. In the lower jaw, two fangs are visible when its mouth is open. There are two pointed yellow extensions on the back of its head. Coiled, dark green extensions spread out from the sides of its lower neck, forming a curving pattern lower down the body. It has curved yellow markings around its middle and several palmate leaves on its tail.
Second from the left was a quadruped, blue, sea lion-like Pokémon. It has two pairs of pointed teeth, one in the upper jaw and one in the lower. Long, white whiskers extend from its snout and head, and it has a red nose and eyes. On the back of its head is a large, rounded beige helmet-like shell with spikes and a spear-like, pointed protrusion in the front. A dull bluish gray seashell-like carapace covers its underbelly, and its limbs are covered with beige, sectioned bracer-like coverings, that appear to be comprised of seashells. The forelimbs' bracers are actually swords called seamitars. The lower two segments of these bracers are the scabbards for the two swords, and the upper segment and spike make up the seamitar and its handle. Finally, it possessed three black digits on each limb, and a fin-like, splayed tail with the innermost section being beige.
The third from the left was a Pokémon resembling a gamebird. It is primarily dark gray with lighter gray markings. The light gray markings consist of a heart-shaped patch covering its face and throat, two patches divided by a lacy line on its wings, and intricate stripes with dark rimming on its tail feather. Its beak and eyes are yellow, and it has light gray legs with three clawed toes and a spur on the ankle.
The one in the middle was an eel-like Pokémon that resembles a lamprey, with a long tentacle-like, finned limb extending from its head. It has red eyes, dark blue body, and possesses clawed, paddle-like arms with yellow spots and yellow-and-red palms. It has a beige fin on the upper portion of its body and beige fin-like legs below.
The one furthest from the right was a Pokémon that has a large pink head reminiscent of a helmet that is curled in the back. Green stripes run from its eyes to the top of its head, and there is a black star-like marking or hole on the front. Its eyes are hidden in a shadowed crevice in its head. The rest of its body is covered by a dull blue, cloth-like membrane, which keeps Accelgor from dehydrating, with ribbon-like extensions at the top of its back. Its arms, when crossed, portray an aggressive mood.
The second from the right was a centipede-like Pokémon that usually stands with the front half of its body raised vertically off the ground. Its segmented body is dark magenta, except for its smooth, dark gray underside. Long, slightly bent horns similar to antennae extend from its head, as well as an identical pair of horns on its rear. Purple bands decorate these horns, and teardrop-shaped rings of the same color mark each body segment, one on each side of its body. It possesses four pairs of short, purple fore-claws on the body segments that make up its neck, which are used to inject poison. The four hind legs are longer, thicker and spaced farther apart. Each hind limb has curved dark grey bands around the middle.
And finally, on the furthest right, was a three-headed, draconic Pokémon with six thin, black wings that each end in two points on its back. It has a fuchsia-colored collar on its neck which surrounds its head. The main head is dark blue and has black eyes with fuchsia pupils. Its two hands are also black and each one harbors a head; these are similarly blue with black eyes with small fuchsia collars on the inside. Its abdomen has two fuchsia stripes and its feet appear atrophied, having no claws or defined soles and two or three small toes. Its tail also sports a fuchsia stripe and ends with a black tuft.
"And this is my team, directly and entirely, from Unova." Ash said, witnessing his mother drop with a chuckle that was shared with his Pokémon.
*Here is a new story for July! June was a big letdown since I had a personal deadline hanging like a concrete block on a thread over my head. I couldn't focus on anything other than that and videogames. I hope that July will be better, even with this trip to California as soon as the fireworks are all done.
And to clear things up, Ash looks and acts like a twelve year old but he is still ten years of age. This is because of the Theory of Relativity that is used on space travel; it said that time moves different in different parts of the universe in comparison. This means that Ash spent two extra years in Unova while only three months had passed since the Disappearance of the St. Anne. Thanks for reading!*
Ash's Current Team:
Unova; Serperior (Female; Overgrow; Lv 71), Samurott (Male; Shell Armor; Lv 80), Unfezant (Female; Super Luck; Lv 84), Eelektross (Male; Levitate; Lv 74), Accelgor (Male; Unburden; Lv 78), Scolipede (Female; Speed Boost; Lv 69), and Hydreigon (Female; Levitate; Lv 83)