Chapter 1: Darkness on a New Horizon

Ash Ketchum stood anxiously in Professor Oak's lab, dressed only his shoes and green pyjamas. The professor stood beside him as a transparent dome retracted before them, revealing three pokéballs resting on an indented platform.

"I've thought about this a lot and it took me a long time," said Ash as he reached his hand over one of the pokéballs. "But I've finally decided to choose, Squirtle!"

The pokéball suddenly popped open in is grasp, but there was nothing inside. Ash gasped in disbelief.

"Already taken by someone who was on time," the professor said indifferently.

"Oh, I wish I hadn't overslept," the disappointed trainer sighed and resignedly placed the empty pokéball back in place. "But now I will choose as my Pokémon, Bulbasaur!"

Ash confidently reached for the next pokéball and opened it. "Wha-!?" He yelled, astonished as the pokéball was once again empty.

"This one was also taken by a kid who wasn't late," Prof Oak explained.

"Oh…" Ash's shoulders slouched as he reluctantly put the empty pokéball back in on the platform. "That's no problem because my Pokémon will be… Charmander!"

The shaggy haired boy lifted the final pokéball triumphantly and it popped open… to reveal nothing. "Ahh!"

The professor shrugged. "The early bird gets the worm- or in this case, the Pokémon."

Ash looked defeated as he lay the last empty pokéball back from where he had taken it. He then turned to the professor with disheartened eyes. "Does this mean all the Pokémon are gone?"

"Well…" Prof Oak pondered and scratched his chin nervously. "There is still one left, but I-"

"Professor, I'll take it," Ash interrupted in desperation.

At that moment, a pokéball emerged from the platform in between the three empty pokéballs. The sphere was marked with a small yellow thunderbolt.

Prof Oak carefully took the pokéball. "I think I should warn you there is a little problem with this last one."

"I have to have a Pokémon!" Ash pleaded.

"Well, in that case…" The professor gingerly bestowed the marked pokéball to Ash.

The pokéball suddenly burst open in a magnificent flash of electricity that momentarily lit the entire lab. As the light faded, a small, yellow mouse Pokémon materialised before them. Two red pouches dotted each of the Pokémon's pudgy cheeks. It blinked innocently up at its new trainer, Ash.

"Pikachu."

Eight years later…

"Grrrruff! Gruff!

A young boy lay sound asleep, his cheek nuzzling the soft pillow.

"Grrr"

His eyelids began to twitch as he felt his quilt being tugged away from him. Groaning, he reluctantly peeled open his heavy eyes and glanced over his shoulder to identify the culprit.

A growlithe sat by the edge of his bed, its tail wagging, the boy's blanket in its jaws.

"Ahnek, just give me five more minutes, please", the boy begged, tightening his grip on what little covers he had left.

Ignoring his pleas, the growlithe continued to tug even harder at the quilt. After a brief struggle the boy gave up and let go, sighing as the last bit of blanket brushed off his legs.

Now cover-less, he massaged my eyes and rolled out of bed. With a stretching yawn he glanced over at his alarm clock in the shape of a voltorb.

8.03

He smiled at Ahnek and tickled the back of his pointy ears affectionately. The growlithe stared back at him, panting happily.

"You really are the best alarm clock ever," the boy smirked before walking over to the bedroom window. Sunlight poured into the room as he drew back the curtains and opened the window. He closed his eyes and inhaled a scent of freshly cut grass. The morning light seemed to almost sparkle against his shaggy, silver hair as it continued to rise over Viridian City.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes and grinned. "It's almost time."

After a few minutes, the boy raced downstairs, fully dressed in a blue and red checked shirt, and navy t-shirt. A leather belt lined with small clips was fastened tightly around his denim jeans which hung loosely over his black sneakers. Ahnek pranced down the stairs after him.

"Good morning, Wyatt", the boy's mother greeted him as he sauntered into the kitchen and took a seat at the table, pouring himself a glass of orange juice. She set a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of him. "Are you all set for your big adventure?" Her voice was filled with a mix of pride, nerves and excitement.

"Uh-huh," Wyatt mumbled as he swallowed back a mouthful of egg. "I packed everything last night."

"Did you remember to pack your sleeping bag? It can get very cold at night time," his mother warned.

"Yes." Wyatt rolled his eyes, knowing the onslaught of questions that was about to follow.

"Toothbrush?"

"Yup."

"Town map?"

"Of course."

"Washing gloves? Spare socks and underwear?"

"Mom!" Wyatt yelled far more abruptly than he had intended to. He quickly took a deep breath and regained his composure. "I'm sorry, Mom, but there's no need to worry. I'll be fine. Seriously," he reassured her.

"I know you will, honey," she sniffed as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him gently on the back of the head. "I'm just going to miss you so much."

Wyatt stared passively at the kitchen table, a sudden realisation sweeping over his thoughts. He began to look at his journey in a whole new perspective. Apart from the odd phone call, he probably would not see his mother for many months, and with the exception of Ahnek, she would have no one to keep her company. As a house wife without a husband, she would be so lonely.

Wyatt knew very little about his father, only that he was killed in an accident shortly after Wyatt was born. As interested as Wyatt was of learning about his father, he knew his mother did not want to discuss it, so he never brought it up in conversation.

Zoning back into reality, he forced a smile. "Say, do you want to come down to Viridian Square and see me get my first Pokémon?"

"Oh, I'd love to, sweety, but I've already made plans to meet up with an old friend of mine," she said hesitantly, "Besides, I'd just embarrass you in front of your friends."

"Well, if you're sure?" He shrugged apathetically and took a big slug of orange juice.

At that moment the doorbell rang and Ahnek began to bark excitedly. Wyatt's mother perked herself up straight and dusted down her apron. "I'll get it," she insisted and rushed out of the kitchen.

Wyatt listened carefully as his mother answered the door.

"Good morning, Mrs. Castelle," a familiar female voice chimed through the house.

"Good morning, Vanessa, and please, call me Gloria."

Wyatt immediately jumped up off his seat and ran out of the kitchen, a half-eaten slice of toast still in hand.

"Vanessa!" A grin of excitement stretched across his face as he greeted his best friend.

Vanessa fastened the straps of her backpack tightly around her red jacket. "Wyatt, aren't you ready yet? We don't want to be late," she said impatiently, ushering him to hurry on.

Wyatt forcefully swallowed his last piece of toast and grabbed his rucksack which had been lying against the wall. Swinging the bag around his shoulders and rubbing the crumbs off his hands, he finally nodded back. "Ready."

"Wyatt, wait!" He rolled his eyes at his mother's words, now eager to get going. He briskly turned around.

"You forgot these," she giggled as she held up a pair of black, fingerless gloves.

The young boy shook his head and smiled. "Thanks, Mom." He pulled the cotton cloves over his fingers and adjusted them around his wrists. "Ok, now I'm ready!"

"Finally, let's go already! Goodbye, Gloria!" Vanessa screamed as she ran down the front pavement and out on to the street.

"Good luck, you two! We'll be here rooting for you all the way." Mrs. Castelle waved after them.

"See ya later, Mom! And Ahnek, make sure to look after the place while I'm gone, you hear?" Wyatt called back as he reached the front gate.

The pet growlithe howled and whined beside his tearful mother, watching the two children turn the street corner and out of sight.

Wyatt and Vanessa walked briskly, venturing from the outskirts of Viridian City, where they lived, towards the central plaza where the Receiving Ceremony would soon take place, as had become the recent tradition.

They meandered through the bustling streets of Viridian with skyscrapers, business buildings and apartment blocks towering either side of them.

"I can't believe it's almost time to get our first Pokémon," Vanessa squealed in excitement, occasionally adjusting her red designer cap that covered her dark brunette hair which curled short of her shoulders. "Have you decided which one you're going to pick yet?"

Wyatt averted his eyes to the ground in thought as they walked past the old, vacant Viridian Gym. "I've been thinking about it a lot. They all seem like good choices and they all evolve into really powerful Pokémon." He then lifted his head and smiled determinedly. "But after a lot of research and consideration, I've decided I want to choose the fire starter, charmander!"

Vanessa's eyes widened in shock as she digested his words. "What!? You can't choose charmander! That's the Pokémon I'm choosing," she protested, raising her voice in concern.

A look of puzzlement befell the boy's face. "I thought you were choosing squirtle?"

"I… I changed my mind," Vanessa stuttered, her eyes shifting away from his glare nervously.

"When?" Wyatt asked suspiciously. The two soon-to-be trainers quickened their pace as they turned the corner, leading on to the main shopping district in the city. The entire street was bustling with shoppers and their Pokémon, even at this early hour of the morning.

"Ages ago," she insisted.

Wyatt had known Vanessa for years. They lived relatively close to each other and had developed a close friendship. Unfortunately, their competitive natures also meant that they had a close rivalry at being the best at everything. Wyatt knew how unpredictable she could be. He could also tell when she was lying.

"Listen, I made my choice knowing that you had a fondness for squirtle, and now you're telling me you want charmander!? No way! That's the choice I've made and I'm sticking to it!"

Vanessa glared back at the silver haired boy. "Well we'll just see about that!" Without warning, she took off down the street, leaving Wyatt momentarily stationary and dumbfounded.

Quickly regaining his senses, he gritted his teeth sprinted after her. The two rivals rushed through the crowded street, side stepping and brushing past startled pedestrians.

Wyatt matched Vanessa's quick pace, running as fast as he could to keep in sight of his so called 'best friend'. 'Best friend or not, charmander's mine,' he thought, encouraging himself to move even faster. However, Wyatt knew Viridian Square wasn't far off. He would never catch up with her in time unless he took a short cut.

Eying a narrow side street to his left, he took a sharp turn down the deserted alley. A few trash bins were propped up against the aging walls. The alley was a lot darker than the main streets with little sunlight leaking through from overhead. A pack of rattata watched cautiously from the shadows as the silver haired boy dashed by. If his guess was correct this alleyway would lead him directly on to Viridian Square, hopefully just ahead of Vanessa.

Suddenly, a figure appeared from a conjoining side street and crashed into him. The impact knocked him off his feet and he bundled to the ground, the other person landing awkwardly on top of him.

Wyatt moaned and winced in pain.

"Oh, I'm sorry," a soft female voice said apologetically.

Wyatt blinked his eyes open. A girl who looked to be of similar age peeled herself off his throbbing body. She brushed back her long, blue hair over her black shawl and dusted down her black jeans. She then extended a hand to help him up.

"Thanks," he mumbled as he took her hand and lifted himself up.

"Again, I'm really sorry," she apologised once more, her voice filled with haste, "but I really have to go now. Bye!"

Before Wyatt could even utter a word, the mysterious girl continued past him and disappeared around the corner. "Well, that was weird," he muttered to himself. His eyes then widened. "Charmander!" Without a second to spare he carried on down the alley.

After a short run through the winding passage, the path finally opened out on to Viridian Square. Wyatt slowed down to a brisk walk, taking a moment to catch his breath and adjust to the brightness of the sun which bathed the plaza in heat. The place was crowded with people and Pokémon, many of whom had congregated around the centre of the square.

Wyatt nudged and ducked his way through the hordes of spectators, screaming apologies at those he accidentally elbowed or shoved. He covered his face after disturbing a spearow that he had knocked off a woman's shoulder. The furious bird Pokémon pecked relentlessly at his arms and head until he managed to lose it in the seemingly never ending sea of people. When he finally found it safe to glance up, he spotted a gap in the crowd and was not hesitant to make one final lunge forward.

He burst through the front row of spectators and stumbled up the steps of Viridian's central square. The marble platform before him was set up with a counter supporting three computer screens. Beneath each screen lay a pokéball, resting on small cylindrical platforms. A stack of what seemed to be miniature laptops were neatly positioned to the very right.

Three people stood beside the table, each with a different expression.

Wyatt first took note of a grey haired man with a long white lab coat draping over his red shirt and beige pants. He was one of the most well-known men, not just in Kanto, but all over the world. Some knew him as the leading head in Pokémon research, particularly in Pokémon interaction with humans; others knew him for his intricate and sometimes, rather absurd Pokémon haikus. Wyatt, however, knew him as the man who was about to present him with his very first Pokémon. It was indeed, the famous Professor Oak, and he was looking at the silver haired boy in bemusement.

A young, unfamiliar boy with a dark complexion stood next to the professor, eyeing Wyatt suspiciously. A red beanie sat atop his head, falling short of his narrowing eyebrows. His black leather jacket was zipped over his white tee and a belt, similar to Wyatt's was fastened around his baggy trousers.

The last person made Wyatt's heart sink as she stared at him with a victorious smile. It was Vanessa. She had made it to the square before Wyatt and was now set to get charmander before him.

"Oh, Wyatt, you made it I see. Please, come this way," Prof Oak said, motioning Wyatt towards him.

Wyatt quickly broke his glare from Vanessa and nodded respectfully towards the Professor as he approached the other soon-to-be trainers.

"Now that everyone is here, we may as well get under way," the professor addressed the children. The spectators surrounding the plaza cheered and applauded. "As you are very well aware, each of you are about to undertake your very first journey as Pokémon trainers. You may choose to challenge gyms or Pokémon contests, or maybe even specify into a certain area of a Pokémon profession. It is with each little decision on your journey that will define who you are and what you will become." The crowd erupted into a rousing cheer, inspired by the professor's strong words.

"But like every trainer that has gone before you, you must start somewhere," he continued and ambled over to the table with the three pokéballs. He pressed a button near one of the computers and all three screens suddenly lit up, revealing three Pokémon. "Here are the three traditional Kanto starters; bulbasaur, charmander and squirtle."

The three trainers gazed mesmerizingly at the starter Pokémon images on the screens.

"Justin, since you were the first to arrive, you may have first choice of which starter you will choose."

Both Vanessa and Wyatt exchanged nervous looks before watching the third trainer step towards the table. He glanced back at them indifferently and proceeded straight for the middle pokéball.

"I've waited for this day my entire life and I've always known which starter I was going to choose." He looked at the speculating professor before picking up the middle pokéball.

The other two trainers gasped in disbelief as Justin turned to face the anticipating audience. Stretching his arm out, he expanded the pokéball in his hand. "Charmander, I choose you!"

A white light suddenly shot out from the bi-coloured sphere and a small lizard-like Pokémon with a flame on its tail materialised before him.

"Charmander Char," the little Pokémon said in a cheerful voice, turning to greet its new trainer.

Everyone, with the exception of Wyatt and Vanessa cheered for Justin and his new charmander. A woman wiped a proud tear from her eye and blew a kiss at the new trainer. A man stood by her side, clapping calmly, both parents supporting their son.

"You and I are going to be best friends, charmander. We're going to work hard and make it all the way to the Pokémon League," Justin said confidently to his new Pokémon. "Now, return."

Charmander was absorbed in a red beam of energy and recalled back into its pokéball. Smiling at the pokéball, Justin made his way to the professor's side.

"Charmander, a fine choice," Prof Oak commended before looking back at the other two children, still upset that neither of them got Charmander. "Vanessa, I do believe you were second to arrive."

Vanessa shook her head and forced a smile. She walked nervously towards the table, waving briefly back at the applauding crowd. Her parents were cheering excitingly in the front row, screaming out to her of how proud they were. Her younger brother, Diego, sat in his wheelchair also cheering for her.

She stopped a couple of feet away from the two remaining pokéballs. Neither of us had considered that there may have been a third trainer.

Wyatt stared motionless at Vanessa as she contemplated her decision. Finally perking up with a more genuine smile, Vanessa's hand gravitated towards the pokéball on her right. "I guess I'll choose you after all."

She took the pokéball and expanded it in her hand. Turning to face the crowd, she stretched out her arm. "I choose you, squirtle!"

With a flash of white light, a small, baby blue Pokémon materialised in front of the surrounding audience. Its tail and limbs stretched out from its protective shell.

"Squirt Squirtle."

The tiny turtle Pokémon gazed in amazement as the crowd cheered for it and its new trainer.

"Go Vanessa and squirtle!" Diego screamed, leaning forward on his wheelchair with excitement.

"C'mon, squirtle. You and I can get to know each other a lot better later," Vanessa said gently as the squirtle was returned to its pokéball. She then gave another small wave before joining the professor and Justin at the opposite side of the table.

"Congratulations, Vanessa. I'm sure you and squirtle will get on great," Prof Oak said cheerfully before turning his attention to Wyatt. "Wyatt, I know sulbasaur may not have been the Pokémon you had originally planned to choose, but please, take your new Pokémon with your head held high. This world has many strange ways of bringing out the best in both people and Pokémon. I'm sure you and bulbasaur will have many great adventures together as you both grow as a team."

Wyatt nodded back at the professor as he reflected on his words. The crowd cheered once again as he slowly made his way towards the table with bulbasaur's pokéball resting on it. He stood in front of the pokéball. It was true that bulbasaur was not the starter he had hoped for, nor his second choice, but right now he was just glad to receive any Pokémon and finally begin his journey.

"It looks like it's you and me, buddy." His eyes softened as he reached out for the pokéball.

His hand suddenly froze over the red and white sphere as gasps and murmurs from the crowd orchestrated behind him. The sunlight that had previously shone brightly over Viridian Square was now gone. It had become dark. Too dark. Wyatt glanced from the pokéball over to the professor and the other two trainers. Their faces were mixed with confusion and fear. He slowly turned around to see the cause of this disruption.

Everyone's attention was fixed on the sky as a sprawling dark mass approached the plaza at great speed.

"Is that a storm cloud?" Diego gulped, cowering back into his wheelchair.

"That's no cloud," Justin muttered. His eyes narrowed as he stepped forward. "That's a horde of Pokémon!"