Sipping on his morning tea, Ash scrolled through his social media feed on the kitchen counter, feeling somewhat comfortable with the place he would call home for 3 years. His attention was disrupted when he heard a door opening from Dawn's room, signifying that she was awake. The young Ketchum glanced at the wall clock in the kitchen, reading 8:30 AM sharp. The sound of home slippers flip flopping to the ground grew louder and louder and soon enough, a disheveled Dawn appeared right in front of him.
"Morning." Dawn waved to Ash with a yawn and headed towards the water filter with a glass cup in her hand. Ash smiled in amusement when Dawn chug the drink down, giving a satisfying "ah" by the end of it. The blunette placed the empty glass down before sitting opposite of Ash, glancing at him in an embarrassed manner.
"Erm, so what happened last night?" Ash shrugged, all he knew was that the two were clinging to each other for dear life when he found them. What happened before then was anyone's guess.
"Your guess is as good as mine. I found you and Misty by the living room passed out. How much did you two drink?" Dawn thought back to the party she attended the night before, images of people dancing, taking shots and making out filled her mind. The last thing she could only vaguely remember is that she was drinking with a bunch of girls that taunted her to drink more, only for Misty to take her place.
"I don't know, a few shots I guess? We were mixing drinks." Ash raised his eyebrows, surprised by how hardcore Dawn was going. While the young Ketchum knew underage drinking is the norm, he wasn't sure that he was supportive of that idea for his two roommates.
"Damn, you two need to control yourselves." Dawn sighed, running her hand through her hair in order to straightened it.
"Didn't have much of a choice, we wanted to get out but May insisted that we should stay. Ugh, I hate it." Sipping on his tea, Ash was secretly glad he declined May's offer. He would not have the courage to say no to drinking in front of so many people.
"Where's Misty? Is she awake?" Upon noticing the absence of her other roommate, Dawn looked around before she glanced at the redhead's room door that were still closed.
"She got as hammered as you did, she hasn't come out yet." The blunette felt a sense of guilt stirring within her chest, partially blaming herself for causing Misty to drink overboard for her own sake. She sighed and stared at the living room before a thought clicked on her head, she turned to Ash and hesitantly spoke.
"Wait you said Misty and I passed out in the living room, yet I woke up in my bed." Alarm bells immediately rang off in Ash's head, his head already conjured with millions of justification and reasons to justify his actions to the girls. He placed the cup on the table and attempted to speak in a calm and collected manner, failing miserably.
"I carried you two to your beds- I didn't do anything I swear! I just carried you two to your bed, nothing else. I am a man of-" Dawn giggled when Ash looked more nervous by the second as he explained himself, his hand movements in the air become more and more drastic, to the point that it almost hit cup.
"Chill, I know you didn't do anything. That's nice of you though Ash, thanks." To say he was relieved was an understatement, Ash straightened up and rubbed his arms, feeling a little embarrassed that Dawn spoke in such a sincere and cutesy manner with her thanks.
"W-Welcome, but if taking care of two drunk roommates on a daily basis is part of the deal, then I might need to move out." He meant that as in a joking manner, but he could tell Dawn was genuinely worried for a brief moment before she spoke in a more casual and whinny tone to mask her worriedness.
"Hey come on, it's just a one time thing! Well, maybe once in a few months type." Once in a few months huh, that's sounds manageable and horrible at the same time.
"As long it's not everyday." Ash added dryly, though really he was hoping that it wasn't everyday. He didn't agree to be his roommates butler, that agreement he signed had said nothing about that. That being said, seeing Dawn nodding to him seemingly cemented her promise to him that will she refrain from drinking too much.
"Do you drink Ash?" To Dawn, Ash didn't seemed like the type to drink, and she would be right about it. The young Ketchum only drink in moderate amounts and even then, it was in the comfort of his own home with his mother's supervision. Yeap, just like your typical goody two shoes who doesn't want to disappoint his mother.
"Nah, call me a loser but I'm don't really drink alcohol. Tried it a few times but its not for me. That and I do not want to destroy my body, the cup noodles are enough as it is." The amount of sodium inside a cup noodle is enough to turn fresh water into sea water. Given the amount of cup noodle intakes, Ash predicted he would get a heart attack before he turned 25.
"You're not a loser for not drinking, I think it's cool that you can say no to people who egged on you to drink." Ash would have verbally disagreed with Dawn but he decided not to anyway, wanting to bask in the compliment she just gave him.
"Most of my friends don't drink, I rarely hangout with those who do." The best way to not succumb to peer pressure is to not to hangout with those who apply that pressure in the first place. Dawn nodded to Ash's words, feeling quite envious of Ash who has a small but close group of friends that appreciates him for who he is. The young blunette idly stared at the clock casually, only to noticed that the clock read 8:46 AM.
"I'm going to go shower first, our class starts at 10 AM right?" Ash gingerly checked his phone to look at the timetable, confirming Dawn's words with a nod.
"Yeap, you should go wake Misty up first though."
"Right, say can you make a cup of coffee for Misty and I? We really need our morning coffee, especially after a wild night." Ash glanced at the rows of coffee jar that were positioned nicely on the kitchen shelf, each type of coffee were labeled with beautiful handwriting that showed what variant they are.
"Sure." He spoke in a reluctant manner, rinsing a random glass jug from the shelf before working his way around the kitchen he was not familiar with. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a Kalos press right next to the coffee jars, making his life much easier. Placing the glass jug underneath the instant hot water machine, Ash waited for a few seconds before the steamy hot water from machine poured out onto the jug.
"Misty?" Dawn knocked on Misty's door 3 times before entering the room after hearing a small grunt from her. Ash glanced at Misty's room for a few seconds before turning his head back to the glass jug that was almost half filled. Instinctively, Ash reached for the first coffee ground bottle and placed a few teaspoons of the coffee grounds in the Kalos press, pouring the hot water soon after.
'Right then I press it with the thing right?' Stirring the breaker with a spoon in a rapid manner, Ash placed the lid on top before pressing the plunger down in a gentle manner, filtering the coffee grounds to the bottom of the Kalos press. Admittedly, while Ash is not a coffee drinker himself, the fragrance smell of caffeine did wake him up good. It wasn't long before he heard the waters running in the shower, and the sound of Misty's footsteps appear behind him.
"Oh hey Misty, good morning." Ash turned around and saw the redhead waving hello to him in a wordless manner. rubbing She rubbed her eyes while mumbling something about her pounding headache. Her groggy state soon turned perked up when she saw the hot brew of coffee in front of her, causing her to reach for her personal mug instantly.
"Ooh you made coffee, thanks." Ash smiled to himself when Misty smelled the fragrant aroma of her coffee with her eyes closed, seemingly revitalizing her spirit and mood instantly as she took her first sip.
"No problem, I bought a few croissants from the bakery for breakfast." He reached towards a bag of croissants he bought from the local bakery, each flavored with deep rich butter that enhance the taste and texture of the Kalosian style pastry. It was by sheer luck that Ash stumbled upon the bakery that was producing loafs of bread and pastries fresh from the oven. His intention of waking up early and walking around Jubilife city was to get a good grasp of the cities layout and to know where are the essential buildings located at. The police stations, the hospitals, the clinics and of course the local supermarket. He didn't want to rely on Dawn and Misty on every little thing, after all this was a learning experience on how to be independent as a student.
"Thanks Ash, Dawn and I really owe you one." Ash nodded as he munched on the crescent shaped pastry, scrolling through his YouTube feed in process to see what the gracious algorithm has recommended him today. To his dismay, it was just a bunch of videos of people complaining over something trivial and making it seemed like it's more important than it looked.
"No problem, it's just breakfast." He didn't mind forking out the cash to pay for his roommates breakfast, knowing they had a crappy night and would probably missed out on breakfast due to their hungover.
"I didn't meant just that, I meant last night as well." Ash paused his body visibly, he turned to Misty who was holding onto her mug while gazing at Ash with a small but genuine smile that captured her sincerity and gratitude.
"Ah, uh no worries."
"Arceus it's so embarrassing, I hate going to parties with May." Misty lamented with an annoyed expression, not liking the fact her brunette friend was a party animal and is eager to jump into a stranger's party at a moments notice. Seriously, one of these days she might enter a cult or something by accident.
"Wild party?" We all have that friend who we reluctantly hangout with, for Dawn and Misty, it was May.
"Stupid one." The vivid memories of people doing stupid challenges to satisfy their own ego and attempted to look cool in front of others were horrifying. Worst still, she was part of it as well. As Misty was about to rant on how much of a horrible night she had during the party, an energetic Dawn appeared from the bathroom with a bubbly smile on her face. She wrapped her arms around Misty's shoulder and grinned at the sight of hot coffee and fresh croissants on the kitchen counter.
"Ooh coffee and croissants?" She sat down next to Misty, pouring a cup of coffee for herself while reaching for a croissant. She halted herself momentarily, staring at Ash as if wanting his permission to take a piece, to which Ash answered with a hand gesture that encourage her to take one.
"I went down and bought some from the local bakery, thought I buy extra just in case." Ash watched at Misty walked to her room, only to emerge back out with a towel and a pair of clothes in her hands.
"That's really sweet of you Ash, we'll pay you back later."
"Nah its fine, considering it my treat." Ash spoke between his bites while reading a few online news article on the Kanto Daily. Despite being in Sinnoh, his Kantonese soul still long and care for Kanto. So naturally, Ash was interested in the development of Kanto and how the region was doing as a whole. As the two roommates conversed, a freshened up Misty appeared not long after and the three started to make their way towards school.
"Good morning class, my name is Erika and I would be your homeroom teacher for the year. I look forward to teaching you everything you need to know about pokemon and what it takes to be a trainer." The warm and pretty looking teacher spoke in a courteous manner, writing her name on the chalkboard in the process. She wanted the first class of the day to be casual and laidback, to make it fun for everyone so the students can grow as an adult and as a pokemon trainer.
Ash crossed his arms as he looked around his classmates, half listening to what his teacher has to say given that this was the first day of class. The moderate size classroom could fit around 30 people, and Ash could tell the school has taken great steps to ensure the facilities of the school are well furbished. He turned his attention to Barry who happened to be his deskmate, smiling to himself when he was jotting down the list of girls he wanted to ask out.
"Why don't we start with a brief introduction? So that everyone can introduce themselves and get to know each other better." Ash sighed inwardly, not liking that he has to stand up, say his name, where's he's from before sitting back down again. Still, getting to know his classmate on a friendly basis would be nice.
"I will start first then miss Erika. Hello everyone, my name is Gary Oak. THE grandson of the renowned professor Samuel Oak." A round of applause showered Gary who stood up with his arms out, the smug grin on his face only furthered Ash's desire to punch him in the face. While Ash knew Gary was a pompous asshole who loves the fame and the spotlight, he also knew that the young Oak was actually talented as a pokemon trainer and is academic intelligent enough to walk the talk. So in other words, Gary can flex his muscles and proudly showed them to the public.
"Hello Gary, I heard a great deal of you from your grandfather. I have high hopes of you becoming a wonderful trainer." Watching each individual classmate in front of him introducing themselves, ranging from being humble and shy, to proud and obnoxious. Ash was starting to get a good grasp on his classmate's personality by judging their first impression.
"Thank you for introducing yourself Conrad. Next please." Upon realizing he has to introduce himself to his class, Ash stood up and tried his best to conjure a normal smile that doesn't seemed too forced.
"My name is Ash Ketchum. I am a Kanto native from Pallet Town, nice to meet all of you." Short and simple, he certainly didn't want to stand out in the class. Just head down, survive the 3 years and become a full fledged pokemon trainer.
"Thank you Ash, you're from Kanto too? I'm surprised by how many people in this class are from Kanto." Misty, Gary and miss Erika herself is from Kanto as well. He instantly recognize the charm around his homeroom teacher's neck, the distinct and unique patterns are native to Lavender town, where the famous Cubone and Marowak shrine are located. It's a renowned tourist spot that drew millions of visitors locally and abroad. It didn't seemed like his teacher was a tourist who happened to bought souvenir too, he recognized the Kantonese style writing that was similar to her handwriting on the chalkboard. So chances are, she wrote the charm herself.
"Are you from Kanto miss?" Erika blinked, seemingly was caught off by that surprising yet not entirely unexpected question from her student.
"I am, but what made you say that?" Ash crossed his arms, feelingly somewhat insecure when he became the spotlight of attention with more than a dozen pair of eyes staring at him.
"The charm you are wearing is from Lavender town right?" The teacher in question took off her charm, allowing the entire class to see the trinket she brought back from home. The floral patterns and the customary well wishes labeled on it was both mystifying and beautiful.
"You're very observant Ash, that is correct. I'm actually from Celadon city." Celadon city, Ash vividly visiting that city a when he was a young child. The bustling city of Celadon that was filled with karaokes and night pubs were a contradiction to the beautiful lakes and the mountainous forest of the surrounding area, yet it gave Celadon it's unique identity as a vibrant city that offers a getaway to the countryside at a moment's notice.
"Thank you for introducing yourself Ash, please sit. Next please." Giving a polite nod, Ash sat back down and watched as Barry stuttered his introduction like the bumbling clutz he is. The Kanto native held back a chuckle, when Barry stated he look forward to be friends with everyone, to which he knew it was a complete lie.
Well half of a life, Barry just wants to make more friends with girls. As the blonde next to him sit down, he felt his arm pulled by Barry with a force akin to a Machamp.
"You see that? I think one of the girls is interesting in me!" Pointing towards a girl who maybe lingered her gaze on Barry for a bit too long, Ash was taken aback by how ecstatic Barry was over a girl's gaze that probably meant nothing.
"Really Barry? That's amazing!" His sarcastic tone couldn't be more obvious, but to Barry, he mistaken Ash's words of mockery as a source of encouragement and praise. The energetic blonde jot down the girl's name in a feverish manner, probably quite creepy to anyone who just happened to walk by but to Ash, it was somewhat normal. Barry might be a bit desperate, but he was a good lad who won't try anything excessive.
With the classroom introductions out of way, Erika clapped her hands and took out a chart that showcased the different elemental typings of pokemon.
"Alright the, let's start our first lesson of the day, pokemon typings!" Ash opened his notebook hastily, paying full attention to the lessons that his mother worked so hard to pay for. He wrote down every bit of detail of the different pokemon types, most of it are common knowledge but it was interesting to the young trainer that the environment place a crucial role in type resistance and the amount of moves a pokemon can learn.
As the class with miss Erika slowly came to an end, the loud school bell rang that informed everyone that the new classroom session has started.
"Ah looks like our class has ended, your next class would be with Mr Brawly. He would be teaching you the practical lessons." Practical lessons? That caught Ash's attention with great interest, just like his classmates, he is looking forward to meet his new pokemon partner that would stay with him for life.
"Does that mean we get to battle each other?" A student by the name of Virgil beat others to the question, pondering if a pokemon battle would ensue on the first day of class, though it did seemed very unlikely.
"No not that quickly, you all would be introduce to the pokemon first." The collective nods from her class made Erika question how eager the new generation is to become full fledged trainers.
"So we get to choose our own pokemon?"
"Nope, the pokemon gets to choose you." The teacher from Celadon ended with a cheeky wink, which undeniably made the class laughed. Ash himself was wondering what did the teacher meant, it would make sense for the pokemon to choose their trainer rather than the other way around. Otherwise, people would only want the pokemon of their choice and neglect the other pokemon of this world.
"Hey Ash, what pokemon do you think you will end up with?" Barry spoke while packing his bag, glancing at his deskmate every now and then.
"Well just like Genshin, I know I'm not gonna pull a 5 stars. But honestly, any pokemon is fine, even a Magikarp would be fine by me." Barry nodded, knowing that Ash is indifferent to any pokemon he acquires. The "go with the flow and see whatever goes" mentality from Ash was admirable to some extent.
"Yeah Gyarados is scary, and an amazing pokemon if you can get it under your control. Personally I would like a starter but I know the chances are slim. I do hope I get a powerful pokemon though." Ash knew the energetic blonde's favourite pokemon is an Empoleon, majestic and simply powerful. It was not surprising that Barry would like to be the proud owner of a Piplup.
"To each of their own."
"Hey Ash." Misty approached the young Ketchum with a smile on her face, such close proximity with a hot girl caused Barry to step back before glancing at his best friend in a flabbergasted manner. To Barry's surprise, Ash casually waved her back, walking next to her as the two held a casual conversation of their potential pokemon partner.
"I was hoping for a water type pokemon." Misty's fascination and maybe obsession with water type pokemon wasn't surprising to Ash.
"Right I remember I saw a lot of water type pokemon posters in your room." Misty halted upon hearing that statement, staring at Ash with her eyes narrowed which almost caused Ash to have a heart attack given how serious she looked.
"You been to my room?" Ash nodded before rubbing his neck, it wasn't like he was snooping around her room for no good reason. He just happened to see the posters and the photos in her room.
"Uh yeah when I carried you-" Misty slapped herself in the forehead, totally forgetting about that part. Internally, she was very embarrassed that Ash has to take care of her and Dawn on the first night. She was glad that Ash didn't try anything funny and that he actually took care of them for the night. Hell, he even bought breakfast for them.
"Oh yeah, sorry." Ash waved her off, seeing that she genuinely felt bad for being mad at him. As the two exited the room, Misty quickly changed the topic to further their conversation.
"Anyway, I guess there's no harm telling you this, but I'm aiming to become a water type master." Not many people dedicate themselves to train one type of pokemon, unless their goal is to become a gym leader or a member of an elite four. Maybe that's what Misty is striving for?
"Huh, that's an ambitious goal, but I will be supporting nonetheless." Misty raised her eyebrows, bemused at how quickly Ash was to support her rather audacious dream. Most of the people question her ability and even resolve, even Dawn was skeptical of whether she can succeed. So it was nice to know that Ash was supportive of her goals and did so without casting doubt into the question.
"Thanks Ash, how about you? What's your goal?" Of course Misty, didn't want to say those thoughts she held to Ash out loud.
"Not much compared to yours, I just want to travel around the world and see the different regions and sights." If he had to be completely honest, he simply just want to live comfortably and travel around the different regions. Try out the different food and enrich himself in the different cultures and traditions, to get a good grasp of his view on the world. He may be a gamer and a weeb, but he still have the intense desire to become wondering traveler, where adventures and discovery awaits him.
"That sound wonderful, though to be honest I didn't expect that from you." Ash shrugged, it may be his dream to travel around the world but whether he can realistically achieve that dream is beyond him. Deep down, he always knew he was lazy and is great at finding excuses to procrastinate.
"Looks can be deceiving." Ignorant to a bewildered Barry who was still following Ash and Misty, he glanced at Misty's body for the briefest moments before Dawn almost knocked him off his feet with her running. She jumped and glomped Misty from behind who took the sudden embrace well, almost as if she expected it on a daily basis.
"Oh hey Dawn." Misty stated casually, while Ash was surprised by how affectionate Dawn was. He watched as the blunette dislodged herself from the redhead and stood next to her, peering into what they were discussing earlier.
"No way, no way. Ash is with TWO girls? The hell happened to him?" Flabbergasted, gobsmacked, utterly astounded by how his friend managed to befriend two attractive girls of their age, Barry made mental notes and the hundred and one questions he would ask Ash whenever they are alone.
The instructor before them wore a tracksuit while donning a pair of fingerless gloves, his orange pair of goggles were placed above his forehead with his long blue hair spiking from behind. He was relatively handsome with a muscular figure that any girl can swoon over. His approaching aura that beckons everyone to befriends him and his charming charisma was something to be admired.
"Hello, I will be your pokemon instructor for this semester. You may directly call me Brawly if you want and together, I hope we can help each other achieve our respective goals and dreams." He's tone was friendly and calming akin to a gentle flowing river, yet if provoked, could soon turned into a raging tsunami that screamed authority and focus.
Seeing the collective nods from his student caused his lips to curl up, liking the obedience and cooperation his students were giving him.
"Good, now before anything happens, I will like to show you the pokemon ranch. Follow me children." Speaking the last part of the sentence with a hint of mockery and charm, Brawly led the entire class to the large pokemon enclosure. From gushing rivers that provided a place to call home for aquatic pokemon, to the sprawling trees and manmade hills and mountains that burrows for ground type pokemon. Ash was truly at awed at the sheer biodiversity the large pokemon ranch has to offer, there were no shortage of life here and he could truly spend ages here exploring every corner and lake.
"Now before you all run in and get lost, I would like to introduce you to Hariyama, my ace pokemon." Brawly tossed his pokeball in the air, releasing a large bulky pokemon that hid much of its strength behind its muscular arms and legs. Intimidated by the sight of such powerful pokemon, some of the students started to walk behind and cower behind the more braver ones who were more awestruck than scared of the pokemon.
"Hariyama here would be our overseer. He knows every nook and cranny of the pokemon enclosure, so he will be our guide for today if you will. In fact, most of the pokemon are willing to guide you to the exit if you ever get lost." A loud reassuring grunt from the fighting type calmed most of the students who seemed eager to find their potential partner.
"Most of the pokemon here are young adolescence, almost the same as all of you to be frank. And if you are worried they are aggressive or territorial, fret not, the pokemon here are all docile and would not attack you if they are not provoked. So without further ado, you may begin to find your new partner. Be careful! Don't try to do anything stupid, because I'm probably gonna join you if you do." Earning a few chuckles from the students, Brawly watched as his students begin to explore the pokemon enclosure at their own pace. Feelings of pride and nostalgia immediately filled him with indescribable joy, knowing full well that the generation of trainer has just begun. He chuckled when some of the male students begin to climb over the steep hills and mountains in search of more battle hardened and seasoned pokemon that lurks within the mountain range. How he knew? Well, he did the exact same thing with his friends Crasher Wake and Bruno when they were students.
Ash himself wondered through a secluded part of the ranch, not really looking for a specific pokemon in particular. Gaing upon plains of the enclosure that were comprise of grassy terrain, he caught sight of Tauroses grazing in the field with a family of Bidoofs swimming around the creeks and lakes. He continued to walk idly, enjoying the lush green grass beneath his shoes and the beautiful sight of the vibrant wildlife.
'Hmm, maybe I should try to approach a random pokemon and see how they react.' With those closing thoughts, Ash walked inside the berry rich forest and smiled at how beautiful this part of the forest looked. If memories serves him right, many pokemon often build their burrows and nest near their source of food and water. The scenery itself was worth mentioning as Ash felt like he transported back in Pallet during the Autumn season, with the light shade of yellow and red leaves decorating the forest floors.
"Pika." The sound of a cute Pikachu squeaking his name out caught Ash's attention, he walked towards the source of the sound with careful steps, not wanting to send the young pokemon running. He poked his head behind a tree and smiled in amusement at the sight of a young Pikachu munching into some Oran berries while staring at the gushing lakes filled with Wishiwashi and Ducklett swimming around freely.
"Hello." The electric rodent turned towards Ash, almost as if it already knew Ash was watching him from behind. It paid Ash no mind as it continue to munch on the berries, glancing at the Ducklett who swam in front of him. Pikachu cocked his head aside before smiling, sharing his berries to the water type pokemon and watched as it held it between his beak before swallowing it whole.
"You are nice little fella huh." Ash decided to sit down next Pikachu, staring at the aquatic pokemon that made the river ever more so vibrant. The electric type stared at Ash for the briefest of moment and sniffed him, which admittedly irked and surprised Ash.
"Woah hey." Without any warning, the little rodent jumped onto Ash's shoulders, causing Ash to almost fall back to the ground with the sudden impact. It analyzed and evaluated Ash for a few moments before jumping front of Ash, pointing its stubby paw towards the direction of the School gymnasium. Pondering what the electric type was implying, Ash snapped his fingers when he realized what the Pikachu meant.
"Oh I'm a student here, I'm supposed to find a partner pokemon." Pikachu nodded, it expected that much. It paused for a few moments before pointing at himself, questioning Ash if he was interested in catching him. The young Ketchum crossed his arms, pleased that the Pikachu is bringing up the question instead of the other way round.
"Well I don't mind a Pikachu, but question is, do you want to be me partner?" The electric type squinted his eyes, his arms in a human thinking pose, staring at Ash's brown hazel eyes and his unkept hair in a serious manner. He's gaze soon softened and started to nod his head, jumping onto Ash's shoulders once more before nuzzling his red pouch cheeks to Ash.
"I take as a yes then." Ash scratched Pikachu's ears, earning a short yet adorable coo from it that made Ash's heart melt. Normally, cute pokemon doesn't catch Ash's attention or make him feel giddy, but this Pikachu happens to be the exception. Overjoyed at the fact he has a pokemon partner and the fact he didn't need to do much to obtain him, Ash stood up and started to make his way towards the campus's gymnasium with many students already waiting for the rest of their classmates with their pokemon partners in their arms or by their side. Naturally, Ash seek out his close friends and pondered what pokemon they have befriended with for life.
He looked around with Pikachu holding onto Ash's shoulder, curious over the other humans who also have pokemon partners wit them. Ash's eyes lit up when he saw Dawn standing with Misty, hugging a cute looking Buneary in her arms. While Misty held a derpy looking Psyduck in her arms, though admittedly it did look cute like that.
"Dawn, Misty." The Pallet town native waved to the two girls with Pikachu perched on his shoulder, causing his two roommates to smile and waved back, their eyes sparkled at the sight of the adorable electric mouse on Ash's shoulder.
"Hey Ash! Your Pikachu looks so cute! I befriended Buneary here." Dawn extended Buneary outwards, it's fluffy ears and fur were a delight to touch. The Rabbit pokemon waved hello to Ash who couldn't help but to pat the pokemon's hat, as he glanced at Misty's Psyduck who seemed confused at what's happening.
"A Buneary and a Psyduck huh, I heard that Psyducks suffers from permanent headaches and even amnesia."
"They do, but I don't mind. This cutie here wants to evolve into a majestic Golduck and I'm gonna help him." The Psyduck in her arms nodded, agreeing with the idea of becoming a powerful and cool looking Golduck. That and it would help get rid of the constant migraines and headaches all Psyduck endures.
"That's good, but uh what's going on there?" Pointing towards a crowd that seemed to surround someone or something, Ash crossed his arms as he glanced at his class instructor Brawly who sat on the bench, watching the scene unfold with a disproving look on his face.
"Ugh Gary Oak." The way Misty lamented Gary's name was surprising, while Gary is a well known arrogant asshole. It sounded as if Misty knew Gary on a first name basis, or at the very least, the two were familiar with each other.
"What about him?" Dawn pipped in, knowing the annoyed expression on Misty's face meant she was about go on her usual rants again.
"He befriended a Squirtle and everyone is gushing and going crazy over it." Colour him surprise because Ash was not expecting that. He patted Pikachu in the head, reassuring him that he wasn't jealous of Gary and was in fact glad to have him as a partner instead. Regional starters are notoriously hard to approach, all of them convey an aura of pride and arrogance as they viewed themselves as superior compared to other evolutions. It wasn't surprising considering their status and symbol as a region's starter solidify their superiority and importance.
So chances are, Squirtle is probably have a personality similar to Gary's as well.
"A Kanto starter, and the starter he wanted ever since he was young? Seems kinda sus." Ash wasn't oblivious to the certain privileges' Gary will receive as the grandson of a renowned pokemon Researcher. Though in hindsight, it wasn't something worth complaining and frothing your mouth about over on Twitter. Ash did not want to stir up drama or exaggerate something so trivial.
"You suspect the school were pulling some strings?" Dawn spoke while walking next to her two roommates as they headed back into the shelter of the school gym.
"He's grandfather is professor Oak and he help founded the school we are in. So you know." He wasn't accusing the school of anything. All he's saying that it was a bit suspicious, that the stars were too aligned.
"Hmm well as long he treats his Squirtle right, then its fine I guess." Misty's words were met with agreeing nods from her friends, knowing that in the end of the day, if Gary treats Squirtle right and care for him like a proper trainer, then it is fine for him to have some leeway.
"Alright students, let's head back to the gym. We still have one more step to ensure your partner is officially yours." Brawly raised his pokeball out, hinting that the students can finally capture their first pokemon that they will befriend for life. He silently watched all of them walking into the center of the gym, observing how their interact with their pokemon. Immediately, he could tell that few of his students live for the battle and not for the bonding, something which worried him greatly.
"Mr Brawly, when can we start our pokemon battle?" The eager tone from one of his students made him smile, shaking his head with his hands on his waist.
"Not today, today it's more so of a bonding experience."
"Ooh I can't wait to bring my Cubone back, my parents would be overjoyed." A young beautiful teen raised her little Cubone in her arms, being careful around the spikey back and the sturdy bone helmet of the pokemon. G
"I'm sorry, Gissele was it?-" The teenager in question nodded, she is a well known beauty of the school, wherever she goes heads turn. Unfortunately, such power she wields also resulted a pompous and arrogant attitude that was nothing short of frustrating and annoyance. That being said, her fame and influence over others, particularly over males is extremely potent and lethal. It didn't help to Ash, that his friends Barry and Tracy are quick to get any chance to interact with Gisselle in any shape or form, even if it means humiliating themselves.
"Yes sir." Brawly sighed, crossing his arms with serious and firm expression that captures his reluctance to talk about the issue.
"I'm afraid I can't allow you to bring your pokemon home with you. All pokemon our students capture from the school premise must be left in the ranch and in the property of the school." The disappointing expression from his students was heartbreaking to watch, but he expected such reaction from them
"So the school own our pokemon?" Gary spoke slowly, patting his Squirtle's head as he glanced at his instructor.
"In a sense yes, we are technically lending our pokemon to you. But there is actually a serious reason why we do so. Unfortunately, your seniors in the past have not all been kind trainers. Most of them do not know how to groom and care for their pokemon. Some even go as far as to abuse them, causing their pokemon to fight back, resulting in serious injuries for both parties. So to prevent any form of abuses and mistreatment, Trainer schools across the world have come to an agreement that no students are allowed to bring their pokemon back home." Ash nodded, rubbing Pikachu's back as he stared at Misty and Dawn who seemed saddened by the revelation. It was disgusting to hear people abuse pokemon out of their own problems and frustrations, and to think most of these culprits are so called "responsible" adults.
"Why would they do such a horrible thing?" One of the girls in class spoke in a saddened manner. She had long flowing ponytail hair and an attire that consist of a sleeveless white and red dress and a pair of black cycling shorts. She held a small Riolu in her arms that nuzzled her neck briefly.
"Humans are unpredictable, while most of us see pokemon as friends, the harsh reality is that a substantial amount of people also see them as tools and weapons that can be used to further their own agenda." It was a depressing thought that more and more trainers are becoming more selfish and abusive. Worst still, gifted trainers often are corrupted by their own power and greed, resulting in creation of tyrants and crime organizations. It's harsh, but it also necessary to expose the students to the harsh side of reality. Noting that the air of excitement in the room was ruined by him, Brawly started to speak in a positive and boisterous manner.
"But don't worry, when all of you graduate, you will be able to claim full ownership over the pokemon partner that you have chosen. So in other words, study hard if you want to graduate with your starters by your side."
"We understand Mr Brawly." Brawly nodded, heading towards a table with paper forms stacked on the table with a box of pokeballs next to him.
"Good, now that you understand the reason why you aren't allowed to bring your pokemon home. Please line up based on your class number that is on your trainer card and I will officially give all of you your pokeballs." Ash lined up behind Barry and waited for his turn, seeing his classmate capturing their partner officially, hugging and turning them around out of joy. Some were even just calling their pokemon out and recalling them over and over again, to which Ash was wondering how childish can someone get.
"Next." Upon noticing its his turn, Ash took the pokeball from his instructor, he stood out of the line and knelt down to Pikachu's level.
"Are you ready Pikachu?" A firm nod from the electric rodent made him smile as he rolled the pokeball towards it, only for it to tap the pokeball with his paw. The pokeball showed no signs of struggle and before long, a loud "ding" was all he heard. Hastily, he released Pikachu as it scowled at the contraption, not liking the fact that he had to be confined to the mechanical ball.
"Don't like that huh?" Shaking his head, Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulders and nuzzled his cheeks against his. Brawly gave the last pokeball to his students before glancing at Hariyama who took the empty box to the storage room. Once he seen his students have settled down with their pokemon, he clapped his hands together to grasp their attention.
"Fantastic with all of that out of the way, I will let all of you roam around the campus grounds with your pokemon out. Get to know each other, I do not want to see any pokemon battles between students alright? That can be reserved for our next session." With the students dissolve into different groups, Ash walked around the gym until he saw a familiar face standing next to a rather exotic pokemon.
"Barry." The blonde in question looked around before he saw Ash waving to him in the distance. He held his starter in his arms and rushed towards him all excitingly.
"Hey Ash! Look who I have." Ash couldn't believe his eyes, Barry actually got the pokemon he wanted. The young water type starter before him clapped its fins when it saw Pikachu, as the two exchange greetings in pokespeech.
"No way, you actually have a Piplup!" Ash let Pikachu jump down to the floor, allowing the two pokemon to run around and play with each other. Akin to two fathers looking over their children playing with each other, Barry and Ash walked with each other as Barry proudly explained how he found Piplup.
"And then after soaking myself in a lake, I found Piplup just chilling there. Though it did took a while to convince this little fella to join me." That explains why Barry's hair looked like it was wet, he had submerged himself in the lake just to catch a Piplup. That's some dedication there though.
"That great, you really wanted a Piplup ever since you were a kid." Barry smirked, crossing his arms in a cocky manner as he stared at Ash with flames of determination in his eyes.
"Mhmm, looking forward to battle you Ash." Ash rolled his eyes, knowing full well that Barry was still angry over the fact he won the loot roll from the dragon boss in ruins of Geneva.
"You're still salty because I won the loot roll." Barry's face flushed red, anger flailing up in him as Ash mentioned his defeat.
"How is that fair? I roll a 78 and you roll a 96! The RnG legendries are with you." Indeed it was, the item was a rare drop and Ash was fortunate enough to won the gamba.
"To be fair, as a marksman who applies constant DPS, I needed that more than you." Crit chance boost and constant slow? It was made for class that is meant for kiting around. Barry grumbled and shrugged it off, before noticing that Ash's Pikachu had went missing.
"Ugh, wait where's Pikachu Ash?" Panicked set him for a few seconds, wondering if he had already lost his starter on the first day. He calmed down and soon sighed a breath of relief when he saw Pikachu in the arms of Misty and Dawn who were busy bonding with their pokemon. Dawn's Buneary especially took quite a liking towards his Pikachu.
"Ah, its with Misty and Dawn." Barry glanced at the direction at where Ash was looking before slowly staring back at Ash, shuffling closer to him and pulled him closer to a whisper. His eyes never leaving Misty and Dawn, as he slowly and albeit creepily admiring them.
"About that, uh WHAT THE HELL ASH? Who are they and why are you friends with them?" Ash rubbed his ears with Barry's shouting, he resisted the urge to slap the back of his head before calming himself down, secretly wondering how is he going to explain the situation to them.
"They're my roommates." The look on Barry's face was priceless, the look of disbelief and the slow realization hitting him was amusing to watch. He stood there patiently, letting Barry sink in his words before the inevitable denial came out of his mouth.
"No shot." Ah there it is.
"Mhmm." The tone was casual, but Barry knew that Ash was enjoying this.
"Is that what you meant by "I got pretty lucky and found nice roommates"? " The various awkward and perverted scenario in Barry's mind was too explicit to describe.
"Pretty much."
"Damn man, I'm so jealous, had I known two hot girls were looking for a roommate, I would have volunteered immediately." Ash sighed to himself, it was unfortunate Barry and Tracy were staying with their parents. If the three of them can become roommates, Ash was certain that wacky adventures between the boys would ensure. That and he can finally beat Tracy in Smash, that bastard was only a joker one trick. Speaking of his other friend.
"Where's Tracy by the way? I haven't see him all day." Barry snapped his fingers, pointing towards the pokemon ranch.
"He's with the Marill he befriended at the ranch, he said he wanted to draw some sketches of the pokemon ranch before heading home." Another water type? That's 3 of his friends that befriended a water type for a starter. Then again, it wasn't really surprising considering water type pokemon are the most common.
"I don't blame him, its a beautiful scenery." Indeed, Ash was itching to go back to the ranch and explore the ranch. But he was certain he needs the permission from his instructor and school before stepping foot inside the ranch again.
"But hey back to your roommates, did the three of you-" Placing his fingers on his nose bridge, Ash shook his head and gave Barry a firm look that screamed no nonsense.
"No Barry, they're just friends. Misty herself said she would cut my balls of if I try anything with them. That and I do not want to make it awkward between the 3 of us." Barry nodded, how Ash resisted the urge to flirt with them or try something on them was beyond him.
"Damn Misty is the redhead right? She's pretty hot, the tomboy aesthetic look." Admittedly, that was one of Ash favourite fetishes and type, though he was wise enough to keep that thought to himself.
"Let's just shut up about it alright?"
"So you have a Pikachu now? Ooh let me see it." Ash laid on his bed with his phone held to his ear, he glanced at the ceiling above him as he converse with his mother who he missed dearly.
"Sorry mom, the school won't allow us to the bring pokemon back home." The verbal pout from his mother made him chuckle, knowing that she has a soft spot for cute pokemon that she can cuddle with.
"Aww, that's sucks, I really wanted to see it." Ash grinned, shifting his body on the bed to a more comfortable spot.
"Well I did take some pictures." Speaking in a singsong voice, Ash could hear the inaudible gasp from his mom.
"Sent it to me, now." The serious and commanding tone from his mother voice would have normally terrified him, but given the context of the situation, he was more entertained than afraid.
"Hehe sure, sure." Ash scroll through the dozen of pictures he took of Pikachu, knowing that his mother would be ecstatic to his new adorable starter. He found a suitable picture of Misty and Dawn hugging their respective starters, with Pikachu in the middle. He didn't think that Misty and Dawn would posed for him with their starters, but they were quick to agree upon his request. In fact, they wanted a copy of the picture as well. Clicking the photo, Ash sent the picture to his mother, waiting for her inevitable excited response.
"Gah! He looked so cute- wait who's the two girls hugging him?" Ash sat upright with a deadpanned expression plastered on his face, his mother has to be kidding right?
"What? Mom I mentioned this before, they are my roommates, Misty and Dawn."
"No, you're kidding." The voice of disbelief from his mother was genuine, which only further annoyed Ash. Did she not believe him when he said he found a place to stay with two girls?
"Mom I'm not. Wait, you didn't believe me when I said I found a place to stay?"
"No no, I believe that, I just didn't believe that you found a place to stay with two girls that's all. I thought you were just bluffing." What kind of a loser would lie about living with two girls? Only idiots who want to inflate their own ego and boast their image would do that.
"What you want me to hand the phone to Misty and Dawn and let them talk to you to prove your son is not a loser who lied about living with two girls?"
"Yes." She just loves to torment him doesn't she?
"For the love of- fine fine, hold on." Begrudgingly, Ash went outside to the living room and found Misty and Dawn together watching a Netflix documentary. He held the phone in his hand and waved towards the two, catching their attention.
"Misty, Dawn do you all have a moment?"
"Hmm what is it?" Misty spoke halfheartedly, with her attention focused on the intriguing documentary about Pokemon evolution.
"My mom wants to talk to you to make sure that I'm not lying when I told her I'm staying with two girls." The collective chuckles from his roommates made Ash sighed, with a less than pleased expression plastered on his face. Misty calmed herself from laughing before crossing her arms, staring at Ash with her eyebrows raised.
"She doesn't believe you?"
"Not really and to be honest, I don't blame her." Misty glanced at Dawn before shrugging, extending her hand to usher Ash to hand the phone to her, to which Ash gave almost immediately. He just dearly hope his mother won't ask any personal question or embarrass him in any way shape or form.
"Hello Mrs Ketchum? Yes Ash is staying with us, my name is Misty. What? Your son Ash has been really kind and nice. No, he hasn't try anything funny, yet." Ash nodded with his eyes close, as the conversation they had was smooth so far, until Misty said the word "yet". He opened his eyes and stared at Misty with an incredulous look, did she expect him to step out of line in the future?
"What?" Misty cheekily grinned at him before returning back to the conversation.
"Truly he's been really nice, hmm? Yeah he does his own laundry. Cook? I guess I know how to cook, Dawn is better at cooking though. Oh you want to talk to Dawn? Sure. Nice to meet you too Mrs Ketchum." Passing on to Dawn, the blunette held the phone to her ear, internally nervous at what Delia has to say. Ash on the other hand was sweating buckets at what the girls might tell his mom, what if they secretly hate him and spout malicious things about him to his mother right in front of his face?
"Hi Mrs Ketchum! Ash? He's been nice, I mean we only know each other for two days. Aww thanks Mrs Ketchum, I guess we are lucky to meet Ash too. H-Huh? No, I don't have a boyfriend-" Ash hastily snatched back his phone from Dawn, knowing his mother is up to one of her shenanigan. He placed the phone near his ear and spoke in a hasty manner, wanting to end the conversation as soon as possible.
"I think that's enough mom, yeah that's enough proof right? Alright it's late now, go get some sleep. Yes, yes I will take care of myself. Bye, love you." The two girls stared at the red hue on Ash's cheeks, watching him fumble his phone around as he stuffed it inside his pocket. He faked his cough to break the awkward silence, with his hand behind his neck.
"Sorry. My mom is a bit uh, overprotective." Ash spoke while lingering his gaze on Dawn who wore a white tank top and a tight pair boy shorts. She snugged into her sofa while hugging the pillow, oblivious to Ash's staring who quickly shifted his gaze to Misty when she started to talk.
"Understandable, she seemed really nice."
"She is."
"Are you sleeping soon?" Dawn spoke suddenly, her eyes never leaving the TV screen.
"Nah, I'm up probably up to 1 AM or something. Don't worry about the noise, I will keep it a minimum." Ash knew he had to be careful with the type of noise he makes at night, especially when he is sharing a roof with two girls.
"Right, make sure you wear headphones. Dawn and I don't want to hear any moaning when we sleep." Referring to the frequent late night activities for boys, Misty crossed her arms and spoke bluntly. Knowing full well, her male roommates would indulge in watching porn in the dead of night.
"Hey hey hey, I- alright." The victorious smirk on Misty's face only further Ash's embarrassment.