Chapter 4

Author:Hi! No author's note today since Zoroark is still missing. *grins evilly* Sorry for the slow updates, my mom has been berating me on my grades. I decided to take Brayan Mariachi's advice. Now on with the story!

"Talking"

"Thinking"

"Pokedex"

Ash was woken up by three things: His alarm clock, pidgeys chirping and Snivy shaking him with her vines. Ash groaned and rolled over, but to no avail. The grass type simply pulled off his blanket. Ash gave a weary sigh and sat up. He should have expected this. Snivys were known for their love of battle after all. She was as excited as him, if not more.

"I'm awake, I'm awake." Ash said, his hands held up placatingly. Snivy gave him her species trademark smirk and hopped off the bed. Ash rolled his eyes and went to the bathroom, stretching his arms and yawning all the way.

"How do I look?" Ash asked his longtime friend. Snivy gave a nod of approval. Ash wore an open dark blue hoodie with white highlights, a white shirt under it with a pokeball logo, his trusty pokeleague cap, and black fingerless gloves as well as a pair of light brown cargo pants. His sneakers were blue and red. Ash gave Snivy a smirk and put on his backpack.

"Snivy, can you stay here for now? I don't want to make a scene with Gary today, if only for the Professor's sake." Snivy frowned at the mention of Gary. Her first meting with the Oak didn't go too well. The boy thought Ash had borrowed her from his granddad to try and impress him. When he found out she was really Ash's Pokémon, Gary threw a major temper tantrum and spewed insults at them both. Not only that, he had the audacity to demand for a Pokémon of his own without any kind of effort whatsoever! It was only Ash's tight grip that kept Snivy from launching herself at him. Luckily, Professor Oak put his foot down and refused.

"Then again, I don't think he'll be awake yet." At this both Ash and Snivy snickered. It was a well known fact that Gary was not a morning person, as he could sleep through any kind of noise and event.

Snivy jumped into Ash's arms and they both went down together. Ash gaped at the sight that met him when he entered the kitchen. It was a feast! All his favorite foods were laid there, and even Snivy looked hungry. Their mouths watered and they immediately dug in.

"Wow this is great!" Ash said in between bites. He was practically inhaling the food. Snivy looked up and nodded. She was busy slathering a pecha berry with mustard. Ash winced. Snivy ADORED mustard, ever since she tasted one a year ago. She ate it with everything, even sweets! It made Ash a bit sick looking at the yellow mess on his friend's plate.

"Of course! My little baby is going away. Who knows when he could eat my cooking again?!" Delia bawled as she entered the kitchen, ladle in hand. Ash and Snivy sweatdropped.

"Mom, I'll be calling often." At this Delia perked up again. A chilling grin lit up her face., and Ash shuddered as a chill went down his spine. Forget Darkrai, his mother was scary enough!

"You will won't you?" She asked sweetly, brandishing her ladle like a weapon. (or was it threatened?) Ash quickly nodded. Delia sighed and turned to Snivy.

"Take care of him, won't you?" Snivy gave a smirk and solemn nod, ignoring Ash's indignant cry.

"Okay,see you both later!" He shouted, as he ran out and towards Professor Oak's lab, ignoring his mother shouting that he haven't finished his
meal. Even he couldn't stomach all that!

"Ah Ash, you're early! Not that it's a bad thing of course." Professor Oak greeted when Ash entered. He motioned for Ash. "Now come over here." He led Ash into a room with thousands of pokeballs on it's shelves. No matter where you looked, there was one. Some were even scattered on the floor!

Oak then handed Ash a tablet like computer device. It was a sleek red, with an occasional black and blue. The Pokeball ignisia was stamped on it's cover. Ash's eyes glittered in excitement. He knew exactly what that device was.

"This is your Pokedex. It provides you with information on a Pokemon and records the data of all the Pokemon you have seen. This is a regional Pokedex, so it will provide information on Pokemon from other regions as well, such as Snivy. The Pokedex also serves as a trainer ID." Oak demonstrated by pushing a button. Immediately, Ash's photo and trainer info appeared. The Professor handed Ash some Pokeballs as well.

"Thanks Professor." Ash said gratefully, a smile on his face. "I'll be going now." He had just turned around when the Professor seized hold of his arm. Ash looked at the old man in puzzlement.

"Wait, I have some things for you." The researcher took out two eggs from a nearby machine that Ash recognized as an incubator. Oak then examined the shelfs, and giving a triumphant "Aha" he took one out and gave it to Ash, along with the eggs. Ash never did find out how Oak could identify the pokeballs without any kind of identification.

Ash examined the eggs. One was a deep obsidian black and splattered in crimson specks while the other was a mixture of a dark blue, light gray and black. When Ash placed a hand on them, he could feel the faint heartbeat and the growing life inside. A surge of protectiveness went over him. He wasn't expecting what the Professor said next however.

"These are for you."

Ash nearly fell over in shock. The Professor was entrusting these to him? The boy knew just how rare Pokemon eggs were, and he was still a starting trainer after all. He looked at the amused researcher in disbelief. Oak was defiantly enjoying this, if his grin was any indication.

"Why would you give them to me? Why not Gary? In fact, why give it to a starting trainer at all?" Ash asked. He was half expecting the Professor to say it was all just one big joke and ask him to hand the eggs over. Instead, Oak just shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips.

"There are no outstanding trainers from Pallet these days. I need a honest, trustworthy trainer who I deem capable. You fit the criteria. And Between you and me, I don't think Gary can handle the responsibility of taking care of an egg, let alone two. And the pokemon has some….problems but I'm sure you can handle it. You're the number one most surprising trainer after all." Ash felt touched, he really was.

Oak gestured towards the pokeball. "Go on, release it. Don't be shy." Ash obeyed, albeit a bit hesitantly, and out came a yellow mouse like pokemon, with a lightning shaped tail and red cheeks. It blinked at the both of them.

"Wow, a Pikachu! Wait, it looks familiar..." But the pikachu must have known him, for it grinned and waved at him. Oak looked bewildered. It was comical actually.

"Ah,now I remember!"

Flashback

Ash and Snivy were taking a walk near Pallet. It had been a year and a half since their first meeting. Ash gave Snivy a smile.

"Remember when we first met Snivy?" He asked,pointing to the forest. Snivy shuddered at the sight of it. Realizing what he did wrong, Ash knelt down and picked her up, holding her close. Sometimes he forgot that Snivy was still traumatized over the event.

'I'm sorry Snivy, for saying that." He mumbled guiltily. Snivy said nothing, but hugged him back to say that she understood. The two realized then that there was a noise coming from the forest's entrance. They both stood up.

"What was that?"Ash whispered quietly. They both inched closer cautiously and found, to their horror, an Ekans squeezing a Pichu in it's coils. The poor thing was red due to lack of air. Snivy growled. She might still be scared to venture into the forest, but she could not leave the electric type alone to the Ekan's mercy. Ash nodded, agreeing.

There followed a battle which ended with Snivy triumphant, and with only a few scratches and bruises. Ash took out a cheri berry and a rawst berry, which he gave to Snivy and the Pichu. Once the Pichu was calmer, Ash gently inspected it for wounds. When he found none, he smiled and patted the little pokemon.

"You're safe now little guy. Go back to your family, they must be worried sick. Try to be careful next time, okay?" He and Snivy stood up and left, while the Pichu waved and squeaked a grateful thank you.

Flashback End

"So you evolved huh?" The Pikachu nodded proudly and as if to show how strong he was, let out a burst of electricity. It hit Ash and Oak by accident and caused their hair to stand at end. The Pikachu took one look at them and rolled around laughing.

"Pika Pika Pika Pi!" He said, still laughing. Ash gave an amused smile. He placed the Pokemon eggs in the portable incubator and put it in his backpack, making sure it was well padded.

'Come on Pikachu." The electric type jumped up to his shoulder and stayed there, letting Ash do the walking while he enjoyed the view, occasionally snickering when he saw Ash's charred hair.

"Snivy!" Ash shouted when they reached Ketchum's Residence. "She's my first Pokemon. She's the one who rescued you, remember?" Pikachu nodded, though secretly he was a bit disappointed he was not the first. That line of thought sputtered to a stop when he saw Snivy bounding down the stairs. Her eyes were a beautiful crimson, her skin a shining emerald and she looked radiant as she smiled at him. He blushed and his his face in Ash's neck. He felt embarrassed having to be rescued by such a pretty Pokemon. He mustn't look weak in front of her!

"Ash!" He heard his mother say. Delia exited the living room holding something in her hand. She smiled at Ash, even as her eyes sparkled with unshed tears.

"Over the years, me and the residents of Pallet Town have made a trust fund for when you become a trainer." Saying so, she pressed the envelope into his hand, gently closing her son's fingers around it."Don't be reckless, okay?"

Ash's eyes misted over as he realized just how much he would miss his hometown, and everyone in it. Mrs Johnson, the old widow who had thousands of Meowths and persians in her house. The Adams, whose garden was filled with butterfrees in the Spring, which he was allowed to observe before gaining access to Oak's Ranch. He hugged his mother tight. It would be his last hug for quite some time.

"Thanks Mom. I promise to write." They held the hug for a few minutes. Delia then broke out of it and gave Ash a little push outside. The boy said farewell to everybody in Pallet, as they gathered around to wish him luck and to promise to watch his exploits on television.

By the time Ash entered Route 1, he wore a bittersweet smile on his face and pulled his cap over his eyes.

For those who were disappointed with the non-appearance of Gary, keep in mind that he won't bother waking up early, knowing that his grandpa will give him any pokemon he wants. I made Pikachu unafraid of pokeballs. Reviews and constructive criticism will be
welcomed. Flames will be ignored.

I always felt there was a lack of sorrow in Ash for leaving behind everybody he knew. Didn't he miss anyone in Pallet at all?