Hey y'all! This is my first crack at a fanfic after years of reading. Just starting to get my feet wet, and I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing.

Comments/Advice on writing/Feedback/Suggestions is greatly appreciated!

Disclaimer: Of course I own nothing and this is all just in good fun

Ash reveled in the feel of the soft green grass underneath him, wind slightly whipping his black hair cross his face as he slowly opened his eyes against the bright sunlight. Time like this, he reflected, would be sparse in his coming journey. 15-year-old Ash Ketchum had found the tallest hill on Professor Oak's spacious ranch, tossed his cap aside, and promptly laid back in the tall grass, intent on enjoying the oddly cool summer morning. As his eyes adjusted to the encroaching light, he brought a hand up to shield them and looked across the plains in front of him.

Pokémon of every shape and size strolled across the ranch: some in familiar groups, some taking time to themselves like Ash himself. In the distance, a herd of the Nidoran family led by the Professors gargantuan Nidoking roamed to a large waterhole. Even from several hundred feet, the deep magenta of the Nidoking's plates were visible, giving an already imposing air to the 10 foot tall veteran of the former champion's team. Several Nidoqueen could be seen accompanying the alpha of the pack in a loose circle, spacing him from the gaggle of smaller Nidorans that swarmed the mid-stage Nidorinos and Nidorinas. Ash snorted - Nidoking might be getting older, but still managed to draw in all the ladies he wanted. On the other side of the field rested a pack of hulking brown Tauros, calm for a rare moment, accompanied by the gentle Miltank that followed the males around contentedly.

He turned his eyes to the sky to watch a migrating flock of birds move across the blue Kanto sky. Sparse clouds dotted the sky, but the avians flew high in the atmosphere, well out of identification range. Ash squinted, trying to pick out any recognizable features. The birds almost blended in with the sky – that knocked out Kanto's very own Pidgeot family, and perhaps the Altaria line?

Ash shook his head and closed his eyes again, quickly giving up on the focus of his study. Migrating pokémon had become more and more frequent in the recent years as regions warmed up to each other after years of isolationist practices – leftover hard feelings from the great war 40 years prior. Opened borders allowed free movement of breeders, naturalist, and trainers, bringing with them new and exotic pokémon to dot the landscape. There were, of course, the die-hard traditionalists of the older generation that stoutly refused allowing new pokémon making new habitats in their beloved Kanto. They were quick to cite outdated knowledge of pokémon behavior, stating that native Kantoians could not possibly coexist with new breeds, as they had been fine by themselves for centuries, perhaps longer. However, their protests were slowly quieted with the introduction of a revolutionary new practice: the Safari Zone. An ambitious project by a war veteran that had traveled his way across several continents and had picked up his fair share of different species decided to settle down and bring his pokémon into one place. Backed financially by the newly emerging Sliph Company (an industrial company that thrived in the post-war economic boon), the veteran brought together his collection and many other's on the plains outside of Fuchsia City and proved over the course of years that species from different regions could not only survive, but thrive together. His project was only made stronger by other regions taking on the same idea: The Great Marsh in Pastoria City, Sinnoh; created by famous wrestler and trainer Michael "Crasher" Wake, and the Jungle Expedition west of Lilycove City, Hoenn; funded by conservationist and gym leader Winona Birnbaum.

He quickly shook himself from his thoughts and made to rise. The young man popped his back and shook his legs out – sleeping on the group would have to become an acquired taste in the coming months – and made his way towards the lab. The white, pristine walls clad in floor-to-ceiling windows was a stark contrast to the green countryside of Pallet Town and made it impossible to miss as long as it was in sight. Professor Samuel Oak had invested the majority of his winnings from his days as a trainer into starting the research ranch, and in the decades it had grown to one of the most renowned institutions in the regions despite its location in sleepy Pallet. The small town had grown out organically as the lab grew: families put up houses, businesses expanded to accommodate a rising population, and eventually the frontier town had grown from one man and his pokémon to a town of several hundred workers.

Ash's thoughts turned to his mentor as he navigated his way down the hill. The esteemed professor primarily focused on Pokémon and human relationships, a fact that the old man consistently reminded Ash was the foundation of his philosophy in his early days of battling. While human-pokémon relations was still a focus of Oak Labs, different specializations had emerged as young minds moved to Pallet to study under the professor: technology, breeding and physiology were a handful of the practices being studied and developed. All of it, however, cumulated in Oak's most noteworthy contribution to the modern world: the Pokédex. A blend of all the disciplines at Oak labs, the Pokédex was the modern-day solution to understanding the vast natural world. Given to prodigious new trainers, the sleek device served as a field guide for trainers to reference while in the wilds. Training and domestication of pokémon had come a long way since the days of Oak's youth, but the human population was still restricted to dense populations in cities, safely behind reinforced walls to keep wild pokémon out. The wilds remained dominated by the creatures, and only a fool with a death wish would venture out unprepared. Enter the Pokédex – an advantage to any young adventurer wishing to enter the battling scene. It gave a slight edge over the wild creatures and helped give more trainers a fighting chance.

The youngest Ketchum was one of the members of that group. The professor, in an attempt to cultivate a new generation of trainers, took in a group of the town's most promising children to train. Starting at 10 years old (because who would send a 10 year old out with a fire-spitting dragon all by themselves), students worked on the ranch and studied under different workers, soaking up as much knowledge as possible in preparation for their final 'exam' at the age of 15. Ash's original class of 14 starry-eyed children had been whittled down to 5 as the less dedicated students were weeded out. Learning about the ease a Scyther can remove limbs in the blink of an eye, or reality of an untrained Kadabra accidentally releasing a psychic wave strong enough to tear into flesh and bone was enough to dissuade a number of the children from taking the path of the trainer.

Ash let a small grin break out across his freckled face as he thought about the creatures he would soon be working with. Sure, he acknowledged that he wouldn't be finding a Scyther within the first few days of his journey, but the thought of standing stoically next to a battle-hardened creature brought shivers down his spine in anticipation. He had already decided he would start small: there was no need to rush out and find the most dangerous creature to work with. "Build up a team slowly and form bonds" the Old Man had beat into his head over the last half-decade. The importance of assuring his team was loyal and dedicated prevailed over foolish thoughts of capturing a legion of creatures that could immediately be controlled effortlessly. Even if it sounded awesome in principle.

The to-be trainer finally approached the lab and swept open the reinforced glass-pane door, embracing the air conditioning the lab offered. Kanto's humid climate had come back in full force as summer entered, and despite the cool morning sweat still trickled down Ash's face from the short trek. He looked around the front lobby and spotted one of Oak's young assistants paying attention to a news report being projected on the small TV. Ash walked over and joined the young man – he thought his name was Josh, but names always escaped him – and inquired about the current news.

"What's Sliph doing on the news this time?" Ash asked, after quickly glancing at the bolded headline at the bottom of the screen, reading Sliph Reveals Newest Invention Through Gym Leader Sabrina.

The assistant turned – his nametag said Josh, and Ash mentally pumped his fist – and acknowledged the curious trainer. "They just released a new ball, they're calling it an 'Ultra Ball' - " He let out a short scoff. "- they claim it can catch a moderately powerful 2nd stage 87% of the time." Josh answered, a skeptical look on his face. The picture on screen showed Saffron City's own Sabrina Freeman beside her infamous Alakazam, with both floating a series of Ultra Balls around their body. Both had eyes tinged with the trademark florescent violet of psychic power as both sets of eyes stared emotionlessly at the viewer. The powerful image was not lost on Ash as he took in the ramifications of such a ball.

Capture devices (an essential tool to training of any sort) were still a part of a developing industry that was attempting to emulate the work of the late Kurt Hirose, a Johtoian who revolutionized the practice with his apricot-based balls. Kurt, an old friend of the Professor's, had stoutly refused to give away his secrets to corporations, fearing a misuse of the technology. Before his death he passed on his secrets to his granddaughter Maizie and Professor Oak, and burned his notes assuring that the practice remained in the family and close confidants. He and Samuel had been the original creators of the Poké Ball – a simply designed device that was, at best, somewhat reliable to capture pokémon – and the money from the rights kept the lab and research going.

"Huh." Ash responded intelligently. "Is it in the mass-production stage yet?" He wondered out loud. Balls beyond the basic Pokéball were hard to manufacture efficiently and often rose above the means of most trainers.

John exhaled through his nose, whether in exasperation or relief Ash wasn't sure. "They're not saying, but anything that strong has to be extraordinarily expensive. Great Balls are hard enough, these must be monsters to create."

Sensing an end to the conversation, Ash said a quick goodbye and moved deeper into the building in search of his mentor. White tiled floors and light blue walls that were kept clean and in good shape betrayed the chaotic feel to the offices within the labs. While some workers managed to keep a relatively organized workspace, if one peaked into any one room they were likely to find dozens of folders stacked haphazardly, pinned notes covering others, and coffee cups littering every surface. Ash's hiking boots made an audible 'clunk – clunk' as he meandered towards the central workspace, a room where Oak conducted a number of experiments at any one time. It would also be the location where he would finally receive his starter after years of waiting. Ash's pace picked up at the thought and he moved forward with new intent at the thought of his mystery partner.

Finally reaching the open door that led to Oak's workspace, Ash knocked loudly on the trim and announced his arrival as he entered.

"Sam, you in here?" Ash called into the seemingly open room. A rustling was heard from a far corner, hidden by some machinery whose purpose was unknown to him.

"Ash?" a voice croaked. A head of greying hair popped around the corner, and eyebrows rose at the sight of the trainer. "Is it time already?" the older man drawled in a teasing voice.

Ash rolled his eyes and smiled good naturedly. "Nah, I think we just pushed the date out a year" he shot back, catching onto the nature of the game.

The oldest Oak stepped out from his workspace and stretched out his back with a large 'pop'. The years, while long, had been good to the old man. His hair, grey with age, still had hints of its original brown tracing through it. Eyebrows, bushy and overgrown, seemed to frame his twinkling bright green eyes. Half-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, held somewhat crookedly due to a broken nose suffered from an incident with a stray Marowak bone years before. Wrinkles adorned the old man's face – he was pushing 75 after all – and dimples were a permanent feature regardless of jovial laughter or intense concentration. Crows feet sprouted on the side of his face, made more prominent when smiling (as he usually was), and tanned skin betrayed the common belief that he holed up in his lab from dusk to dawn.

As the researcher rose to greet Ash, he straightened out his fresh pressed lab coat that was stained from countless coffee spills and flattened out his kakhi trousers in an attempt to look presentable. He looked around and quickly found his discarded purple loafers near his desk and slipped them on before making his way to Ash.

Oak chuckled before reaching out to shake his young apprentice's hand. "Ashton, my boy, I couldn't hold you off for another year if I tried."

Ash gave him a mock glare at using his full name before smiling back. "Nope! It's time and I'm not waiting another day longer!" he replied determinedly. Oak let out a hearty laugh and returned his hands into his coat pockets.

"That sounds just about right. You know the procedure, correct?" Oak asked as he walked over to a long glass paneled case. Ash replied with a confident "Yep!" before following the old man over, anticipation giving him a bounce in his step. A small button was pressed and from the case rose 6 Poké Balls, the metallic red and white design gleaming under the bright lights of the lab. One spot was revealed to be empty, missing a ball. Each held one of the marquee starters of the 7 current established leagues, a result of the 'exchange program' done between regional professors to foster relationships and new study. After years of exclusively giving out region-specific creatures; the famous Charizard, Blastoise and Venusaur lines for Kanto, an effort was made to broaden the selection for trainers who have proved themselves worthy.

For Ash's class, the 5 that remained all passed under Samuel Oak's watchful eye and earned the responsibility to raise one of the elemental creatures. Ash had placed 2nd in his class, just behind Gary "Blue" Oak – Samuel Oak's own grandson. His other classmates and neighbors took the 3rd, 4th, and 5th spots respectively. Ash's childhood friend and confidant Eliza "Leaf" Colden placed behind Ash in the rankings. A bubbly, energetic girl, "Leaf" had been a constant in Ash's life growing up, whether it was chasing each other around the ranch as kids or studying for exams as peers. The students in 4th and 5th place were twins Mike and Sue, children of one of Oak's senior partners. The redheaded twins' personalities constantly clashed: Sue was the brash, excitable and Mike was composed and contemplative. Both were stuck to each other's side despite their differences and there was no doubt they would be accompanying each other on their journey.

Eyes widening in realization, he took a glance out the window of Oak's office. "Old man, not that I don't want to get started already or anything, but where's everyone else?" Ash asked, not wanting to get ahead of himself.

Samuel smiled and patted the young man's shoulder. "They will come at different times of the day, I didn't want to overwhelm myself dealing with 5 overeager youths." He explained, grinning to show he was teasing (mostly). "Gary, since he placed first, came this morning. You're second, and the others will follow later."

Ash felt a spike of irritation move through him as his eyebrows furrowed slightly. It made sense Gary would go first – he did score the highest after all – but his deep-seeded competitiveness with the other boy started to rear its ugly head. Oak noticed the change in demeanor and quirked one eyebrow.

"Ashton," he started "you know very well this is not an act of favorism, but of process. If you had scored higher then you would have been the first one in here and out the door, but Gary nudged you out." The professor stated, a hint of disappointment in his voice at the young man's behavior.

Ash let out a sigh and shook his head. He threw a hand behind his head and scratched his hair, smiling sheepishly and letting out an awkward chuckle. "I know, I know. I can't help it if Gary's a nerd and couldn't keep his head out of a book." He remarked, poking fun at his longtime friend and rival to lighten the mood. Samuel's eyebrow lowered and a grin emerged, eyes laughing at the young man's playfulness. He shook his head in exasperation and moved behind the Poké Balls, facing Ash and spreading his hands out in presentation.

"Remember that he gets his studious habits from his grandfather, young man." He jibbed back. "Between you boys and the twins I feel half my age." He sighed, the weight of his age hitting for a moment. "Nevertheless. Before you are 6 choices for your starter. You've studied them intently and know each's strength and weakness." Oak started to fall into his much-used lecture tone. "Gary picked up the water type from Hoenn this morning, Mudkip."

Ash snorted in quiet laughter. Gary had been eyeing the prideful mud fish pokémon for weeks since Oak got the batch of starters from his colleagues. While not the Totodile that he had originally wanted, Gary had clicked with the small water type and had formed a bond quickly.

Oak acknowledged Ash's laughter with a slight grin. "Yes, it was a quick choice for him. I have no doubt the two of them will go far between my grandson's knowledge and his starter's determination." A bit of pride shone through with his words as he cleared his throat and brought them back to the matter at hand.

"Now, Ashton Ketchum. Who would you like to pick to begin your adventure?" Samuel asked formally as Ash rose to pluck a shiny ball up from the case, a smirk forming as he tossed the ball up and down experimentally.

With a quick look at Oak to gain permission, he tossed the ball underhandedly onto an open space of the room. A bright flash and 'crack' exploded from the ball as the red data materialized a young creature, barely reaching thigh-high as it stretched its small, stubby arms and let out a wide yawn from its reptilian snout. Aqua-colored scales glistened from the moisture as the Tiny Turtle Pokémon moved amber eyes around the lab, looking for the reason its rest was disturbed. The small segmented shell on its back shifted as the turtle settled, and the swirled tail that protruded from its rear twitched as it balanced the creature on the cool floor. A soft, creamy underbelly rumbled as it took in the smells of the lab – leftover curry from the Old Man's lunch was particularly fragrant to the young turtle's nostrils – and its eyes settled on Ash. Reptilian eyes widened in recognition as it let out a loud click in greeting, mouth forming into a smile as small clawed hands waved at the young trainer.

"Squirtle!" Ash exclaimed, kneeling to greet the creature. At an estimated 2 feet tall, the Tiny Turtle stood well above the average height of its species, a sign that it had reached maturity for its stage and would be nearing evolution in the future. Ash raised a hand in a fist bump, momentarily confusing the pokémon until it caught on and returned the gesture. A bright smile overtook his face as he went over his rehearsed speech for the chosen partner.

Determination steeled his voice: "I know you've heard my talk before, but I want to travel around Kanto and build up a team and take a shot at the Indigo League. Feel like you're up to being my second-in-command?" He challenged, noticing a light fire in his future partner's eyes. He received a loud click and a nod, assuring cooperation for the future. Standing up to address the professor, Ash was greeted by a sleek red device and a small cloth bag.

"It's always a joy to see a bond formed between two kindered souls." The professor began, a smile on his weathered face. "Now that that's handled, it's time for your starting kit." He handed the Pokédex to the newly minted trainer first. "You know how all that works from my rambling, your ID is linked now and your official carrying capacity is set at 6 for the moment." Ash laughed lightly in response and in joy as he took the 'dex in his hands and flicked the on switch. "Go ahead and scan Squirtle so the system can get booted up and start receiving new information." Oak encouraged, stepping back from the duo.

Ash turned to his new partner and quickly explained the process, so as to not alert it. Receiving a nod in acknowledgement, Ash flipped open the camera and pointed it downwards towards Squirtle and started to read off the information given.

Squirtle: the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. In times of danger, it pulls its arms and legs inside its shell to protect from enemy attacks. When it conceals its neck, it also shots a powerful stream of water from its mouth. Its shell not only protects its body, but also reduces water friction when in water.

Gender: Male

Height: 2'2"

Ability: Torrent

Known Moves: Tackle, Withdraw, Bubblebeam, Water Gun, Bite, Icy Wind, Yawn

Ash's eyebrow rose after reading the moveset. "Professor, I know the starters are a little older, but what's up with the moveset?"

Oak smirked and raised a finger as he launched into a quick explanation. "As you know, I've been working closely with Augustine Sycamore of the Kalos Region and Paul Elm of Johto about the possibility of younger Pokémon having the knowledge of moves instilled to them at birth. Squirtle and the rest of the starters are a product of that research, with each of them knowing what we're dubbing 'Egg Moves'." The Professor exclaimed with pride. "Now, this doesn't give them full use – Squirtle will be much more adapt at using Water Gun than Icy Wind at the moment, but that doesn't mean the move can't be mastered with dedicated training. Water types are after all closely linked with the Ice type" He ended as he pressed the button on the PokéBall case to seal it again until Eliza came through.

Ash looked down at his partner in pride. "Well aren't you a little fighter?" he stated, bending down to give a firm pat to Squirtle's head. He quickly took a contemplative look. "How about a nickname? Something to set you apart for now?" Squirtle's eyes bunched up as it considered Ash's words and nodded in acceptance.

The trainer from Pallet crossed an arm and brought one up to his face in thought. "Wedge?" he offered experimentally. Battling was a strong point of his, names was absolutely not. The Squirtle look confused for a second then let out a chirp, signifying its acceptance.

"Great! Ash and Wedge! It'll be the names in the history books!" Ash cheered as he held out another first for Wedge to bump. This time his starter caught on quickly and leaped in the air to meet his fist, a loud smack occurring from the light punch, then landed gracefully on blue webbed feet. "I'm going to recall you for now, and we'll talk more about our plans when I'm home, 'kay?" Ash prompted as he held out the new ball to recall the Tiny Turtle. Getting a nod in acceptance, he pressed the recall button and watched his partner dematerialize and get absorbed into the small orb. Staring for a moment longer, Ash turned to his mentor and placed the ball on a metallic clip on his belt. The oldest Oak smiled in contentment and held out the cloth bag seen earlier.

"In here I've collected a few spare balls lying around the lab. I've procured half a dozen Poké Balls and two Great Balls, so save them for when you need them." Oak wisely said as he handed off the bag. Ash looked in slight awe as he placed the balls on his belt, clipping them in the order he would use them.

"Thanks, Old Man." Ash exclaimed, surprising his mentor with a quick hug. Great Balls were a commodity that he couldn't hope to afford to indulge in until he had a sizable account. The Professor laughed jovially in response and returned the hug, patting the young trainer firmly on the back.

"It's no problem at all m'boy, think of it as a thank you for all your hard work these years." He offered, placing his hands in his coat pockets and stepping back. "Now I believe you need to go show your parents your starter and get packing!" he exclaimed, smiling and showing Ash the door. Talking with his favorite student would have to be put on hold for now and done through video for the near future.

"I expect you to call every time you reach a major town and update me on your adventures. Remember to take your own field notes, I'd expect nothing less from a youngin' like you!" His mentor exclaimed, pride evident in his voice as his student left the lab.

Ash turned around quickly, reaching a hand back to rub the back of his head in slight exasperation. "Of course I will, between you and Mom calling I'll hardly have a break!" he shot back, a lightness in his voice now that he was officially a trainer. He gave one final wave to his mentor and walked out of the lab, following the dirt path down to his parent's house, the eagerness in his pace one of the many signs he was itching to begin his journey.