A/n Here goes my first attempt at a fanfic. I should apologize up front for the length of this chapter. I wanted it to be longer, but I couldn't come up with anything more to add since I knew where I wanted it to end. Shippings and stuff... read and find out.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.
-Summary
Things change. Ash Ketchum knew this better than anyone. He had always improved in his carrier as a trainer, however, when his long chain of success crashes down, he shows the most improvement. Ash learns what makes a trainer different than an elite, and he's ready to take the world by storm. All it took was a little push towards maturity from a childhood friend.
'Why did I do that… That was my year…'
-Flashback-
"Welcome to the 43rd Unova League! Today we have a series of intense battles for you in the first elimination round!" An announcer's voice rang loudly through the speakers. A young man no older than 15 stands in the waiting area for participants wearing a simple blue hoodie jeans and hat.
'This time. This time I will win.'
He pulls his gloves and a small yellow mouse climbs onto his shoulder as he walks out to the arena. The air was thick with tension. He felt this was his final test. Something was different about this match and he knew it as he entered the field.
The stands were packed to the brim with fans looking to see great battles. The stadium was very impressive with a massive field large enough to hold even a Wailord. The trainer walked out onto the red colored side of the field and stood facing the trainer standing on the opposing green side. The wind picked up and the immense tension of this match became clear to the audience's view.
The speaker screeched through the air, "The two trainers are now entering the field. On the red side we have Ash! And on the green side, Trip!"
'That's why I felt so uneasy.' He though with a grimace. Trip had been Ash's rival since he came to Unova, while Ash was the superior trainer, Trip had a large amount of formidable pokemon at his disposal.
"This will be a one on one single elimination match, begin!" The announcer screamed enthusiastically through the speakers.
"Go, Serperior." Trip called out his starter with little enthusiasm.
Ash looked to the little yellow mouse on his shoulder, "Ready Pikachu?" The mouse looked at his trainer, gave a, "Pika!" and jumped onto the field.
The battle dragged on and on. Swift exchanges of Leaf Storms, Electro Balls, and Thunderbolts carried on for nearly an hour. The announcer had lost all bearing in reality as he screamed the play by play at the very top of his lungs. One on one matches like this were completely unheard of outside of battles between regional champions. Both sides were feeling the heat of the battle. Trip's Serperior was breathing very heavily and struggled to move, while Ash's Pikachu had used so much electricity it had a hard time aiming its attacks. As it looked, Ash was in a good position to win, then, it happened.
Trip's Serperior managed to catch Pikachu in a wrap attack, however, he did not just simply wrap Pikachu as he had done earlier in the match. Serperior completely engulfed Pikachu's head in its mouth, preventing its usual Thunderbolt escape and chocking the rodent in the process.
'What is Trip doing!?' Ash thought angrily. 'Pikachu can't escape without seriously injuring Serperior!'
"Trip what are you doing!?" He shouted at his opponent. Pikachu was running out or air fast, he had to think or risk serious injury to either Pikachu or Serperior.
Trip put on a smirk, "I'm ensuring my win. You wouldn't dare call an attack such a high risk of permanent injury."
Ash could hardly believe Trip would pull such a cowardly trick. His mind was racing tring to figure out a way to overcome this situation, 'That's what he's doing! Come on Ash think!'
"Pika pi…" Ash heard the cry of his Pokemon through all the noise. Then his mind came across a possibility that he had never even considered in his carrier as a trainer.
'What if I give up? Pikachu won't be hurt anymore, Serperior won't be injured, and I will go home just like every previous league, what's the difference?' The air around him suddenly felt heavy and all noise ceased in the arena. To all the spectators in the arena and watching on television it felt as if Ash was the only person in the entire arena. Ash Ketchum, the trainer renown throughout many regions as the trainer who never gave up, stood with a white cloth held above his head. The audience knew Trip had pulled a dirty trick to try to squeeze a win, but not a single person had expected Ash to give up. To Ash, Unova was over.
Serperior released a heavily panting Pikachu and returned to its trainer's side. Trip stood there with a smug look on his face. Ash Ketchum was the prime target to take victory in this league and with him out of the way, Trip knew he stood a much better chance of winning.
The stadium fell quiet. The announcer stood with his mouth wide open starring at the field as Ash walked into the middle of the field, took Pikachu into his arms, and walked out of the arena.
"I-I don't believe it folks, but Ash Ketchum has forfeit! Trip is the winner!" The announcer stuttered out.
-End Flashback-
Ash sat, looking towards the floor, on his bed back in Pallet, 'Why, why couldn't I figure a way out…' he mentally chastised himself as Pikachu quietly slept beside him. Ash's mother, Delia, looked at him with worry. He had been home for five days now and had yet to even do so much as visit his Pokemon. She had decided the best thing to do was leave him alone, but he was only becoming worse.
'Was I too weak? Did I not prepare enough?' Ash was beside himself. In every league he had ever participated in he had made it to the top sixteen full battle rounds. This time he lost his first match, no, the first match. It took one move, one, for Trip to take complete control of the match. Trip could have done that at any time, and the outcome would have been the same. The more Ash thought about, the further and further and answer seemed. He couldn't find a way to win no matter how hard he tried. Ash began to think of himself as a weak trainer. He couldn't face his Pokemon. He couldn't face anyone. "I-I'm a disgrace…" he mumbled quietly to himself.
"Ash Ketchum you are anything but a disgrace!" His mother shouted. Ash looked up from his position, his depressed state etched into his face. His mother approached him, "How many trainers can claim to have done what you have?"
Ash spoke softly, "What have I ever done but let down everyone…"
"Honey, you haven't let anybody down. You were in a no win scenario. It isn't like you to be so down about a loss." Delia spoke softly to her son.
Ash returned to looking at the floor, "I suppose you're right mom. I've always bounced back from defeat before, but, I don't even know why anymore. It always ends the same."
Delia stood straight and took a commanding pose. "Ash, it's about time you visited your Pokemon don't you think?" She projected with an aura of superiority that could command even the most hardened individual. Ash, however, continued to sit there, unmoving. Delia grabbed Ash by the back of his collar and dragged him up from his depressed position and made him look directly at her eyes, "I said, isn't it time you visited your Pokemon."
Ash knew that resisting his mom when she's like this was a bad idea. "Alright mom alright." He groaned out.
"That's better, now I expect you at Professor Oak's lab first thing in the morning, and home no later than five." Delia spoke with her usual jovial motherly tone.
Ash woke up early the next morning; the sun had yet to rise. He gently woke Pikachu and prepared for the day. 'Will they even like me?' he wondered. Ash had lost all confidence in himself and had begun to think his Pokemon had lost their confidence in his skill as a trainer. Ash left a note for his mother and headed out to the Oak Pokemon Research Facility.
Ash took the longer seaside route to the Professor's lab. The ocean was very calming in the early morning, something Ash needed. Surprise hit Ash when he found the Professor standing on a sea cliff looking out into the sunrise. Ash approached the Professor, but froze behind him; afraid to face one of the people he respected most.
"It's a beautiful sight." The professor spoke softly as he looked out to sea, knowing very well of Ash's presence. "This sight is the reason I stayed in pallet Ash. It inspires me every time I see it. I remember when I first came here on my journey." The professor rarely talked about his time as a Pokemon trainer; always saying it was in the past. "I was a mess of a Pokemon trainer. I had no confidence whatsoever. I came here after losing to Blaine. He was just a young guy way back then, the newest gym leader and first on the circuit. I was crushed after losing to him. But when I saw this, I somehow gained the confidence to move forward. It gave me enough confidence to go all the way to the Pokemon league and win." He declared with a gentle smile as he turned away from the sunrise to face Ash. "I made a promise to myself the day I first saw this. I promised that I would return and make my life here."
Ash saw the professor in a new light. He never thought of him as anything but a tower of knowledge and strength. "I hope I find a place that does the same for me. It doesn't feel like I belong here anymore." Ash whispered the last bit.
Oak looked Ash in the eyes, "Ash, you will keep traveling and find a place that you can call home. You are the most stubborn gutsy trainer I have ever met. You have gone through experiences that would make most trainers turn tail and quit, one on your first day. Stay true to who you are, don't stop being a gutsy risk taker. It's who you are Ash." The Professor's voice faded as he began walking. Ash picked himself out of the stupor he was in. 'The Professor is right, I can't stop now, I may not know why I do these things anymore, but that won't stop me' Ash thought as he walked behind the Professor. 'I will be your strength' the phrase randomly entered Ash's head.
Once Ash arrived at the Professor's lab he was instantly tackled by the horde that was all of his Pokemon in their usual fashion. Ash was shocked. 'You guy's…' he thought with joy. "H-how can you guy's still be so nice to me even after I let all of you down?" Ash asked with strong emotion in his voice.
"They all love you as their trainer and master. A simple defeat is nothing to their relationship with you." Oak answered his question in a sagacious tone. "That's why I have a proposition for you."
Ash looked up from his Pokemon to the Professor, "What kind of proposition Professor?" he inquired, his voice still filled with emotion.
"I know of a region with Pokemon you have never seen before, and, debatably, the toughest league in existence." Oak stated with a rather unusual grin. "If you want to prove to yourself that you are a strong trainer, I can think no place better."
Ash looked to his Pokemon and back to the Professor, "If there is any way I will get my confidence back, it'll be by taking on the toughest challenges I can. Professor when do I leave?" a voice came from Ash. It sounded the same but carried a much more mature feel to it.
Oak's face pulled into a huge grin, "Ash, you are going to the Kalos region."
A small red flying Pokemon enters a room and lands on a sleeping girl with long dark blonde hair. The small bird raises its head and pecks the person sleeping beneath it.
"AAAAAAEEEEEEE!" A young girl, roughly the same age as Ash screams as she is rather rudely woken by the small red bird.
"Fletchling~" is the bird's simple response to the girl's scream as it swiftly dodge's a pillow thrown its way.
"I've told you a million times not to wake me up like that!" the girl screams as she makes a dive for the bird who simply dodges and give another, "Fletchling~" as the girl lands face first on the floor.
"Serena time for morning training." A voice rings through the girl, Serena's, room. Serena pulls herself up from the floor with a groan, "Not again…" she says to herself.
Serena opens the window and peers out into the morning sun, "Hope today's interesting." If only she knew how interesting.
So review, critique, flame, whatever. I'll try to update as often as I can which should be at least once a week.