I had been thinking about writing this story and it's finally here. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Ash breathed a deep, long puff of air as he gazed at the entrance of Professor Oak's lab. His heart raced at the rate of knots, his stomach tingling in anticipation. Today was the day; today he would get his trainer's licence, allowing him to travel around, catching and battling with Pokemon. The day that he'd looked forward to his entire life had finally come. He'd turned thirteen not long back, and he'd have done anything to start his Pokemon journey as soon as he did. After all, it was at that age that one qualified to get a trainer's license.

He'd been so anxious the night before that he found it difficult to sleep a wink. And even after he did - he tried numerous methods which he'd never even thought of before, even going as far as counting Mareep - he was awake well before dawn.

Long before today, Ash had decided on his starter. Bulbasaur was amazing and its evolved form, Venusaur, was a sturdy battler. It was a popular choice amongst starting trainers. Squirtle turned into a tank that could shatter the defenses of most Pokemon with ease - Blastoise. Yet Ash wished for neither of those as his very first Pokemon.

His starter had to be a Charmander.

How he'd dreamed of owning a ferocious Charizard for as long as he understood even the tiniest fundamentals of Pokemon battles. Each time he watched a Charizard in action on TV, adrenaline pumped through him. He awed at the power a Charizard could display with ease. One day, he assured himself every time; one day, he'd have his own and conquer battles the world over with his very own Charizard.

After what felt like an eternity, Ash strode forward. He wore a red jacket and dark blue jeans and sported a red hat to top it off. Restraining the urge to barge into the two-storey lab, Ash rang the bell.

Seconds passed with no answer; his breathing hitched to a crawl. Heat rushed across his neck as his heart hammered in his chest, for he'd waited his entire childhood for this moment, dreaming of the day he'd take the first steps of his journey. Everything was within reach, and the moments of silence that followed left him breathless.

A few arduous seconds later, the door opened and a young woman dressed like a researcher greeted Ash. "Oh, Ash," she smiled at him and Ash returned it with frantic vigor. "Good Morning!"

"Good Morning, Ms. Cecile."

Cecile glanced at her watch and arched an eyebrow. "You sure are early today. Couldn't wait to get your starter?"

Ash scratched his forehead but kept the grin. "Would you believe me if I said no?"

"Gotten quite sharp, have we now?" Cecile leaned forward and pinched Ash's cheeks playfully. He grimaced through his smile, feeling the urge to shove her hand, but knew she was just playing around with him, so resisted it. She was one of Professor Oak's assistants and he'd known her for years. "Come on inside," she chimed as she finally let go of Ash's cheek. Ash rubbed the spot where she'd pinched him - a little too harsh for his liking - but the slight pain vanished hearing her next words. "The Professor's already here. He's got the starters ready too."

Cecile motioned for him to follow as she turned around. Again, Ash fought the temptation to leap through the lab, and quietly trailed after her. Soon, he stood at the door of the main hall of the lab.

"There's the Professor," Cecile beamed, tapping him on the head. She had a habit of messing his already messy hair up, but he had his new hat to thank for being saved from that this time. "Best of luck, Ash!"

"Thanks, Cecile!" Ash boomed as the young researcher waved at him before disappearing into a nearby room.

Ash walked inside the room - feeling his stomach do things that he could hardly describe - and greeted the white-haired Pokemon Researcher. "Good Morning, Professor!"

Professor Oak appeared so preoccupied with taking notes while gazing into one of the many machines that the lab housed that he hadn't noticed Ash. The words snapped him though, as he turned around and his lips curled up. "Good Morning, Ash, my boy," he said, placing the notepad on the desk and walking towards Ash. "Are you ready to get your first Pokemon?"

"You bet I am!" he grinned and the Professor returned it.

"I can't believe you kids are already at that age," Professor Oak's eyes narrowed, glittering as if lost in cherished memories from a distant past. "Time flies these days."

A dominating presence entered the room, walking behind Professor Oak; Ash's grin turned to awe as he watched the man walk closer. Goosebumps unsheathed from his skin and chills ran down his spine, his breath stolen by the sheer magnificence of the figure that the man was. What was he doing here? Ash's heart raced even faster than it already did.

"What perfect timing, Ash!"

The man smirked as he strode forward, each step making his presence even more dominant. He settled barely a few steps from Ash, but towered over him in more ways than one.

"Lance…" Ash mumbled in disbelief. His shoulders stiffened. He didn't expect the Champion himself to be present on the day he was supposed to receive his first Pokemon. As the sole leader of the Elite Four of Kanto and Johto, Lance was a man of the highest stature.

Ash had known Lance; he'd known the Champion for a few years now. He recalled just how excited he'd felt when he'd talked to Lance for the first time. His nerves had almost gotten the better of him at that point, and it had taken him a while to comprehend that he was actually meeting one of his idols.

"It's been a while, Ash," The man with red-hair said, snapping Ash out of his stupor. The gentle breeze from a nearby window fluttered Lance's cape magnificently behind his back, and Ash found himself awed by everything about him. Ash thought capes to be nothing more than adornments for children, anyone who wore them asked to be laughed at, but with Lance, everything was worth idolizing. "I was just waiting for you to arrive."

Ash's eyes widened even more, if that was at all possible. Was this real? The Champion himself was waiting for him? What was the reason? Ash's thoughts wildly marauded into millions of questions that he couldn't find answers for. He'd demand those answers if he could.

Ash shook his head and snapped himself out of his stupor, as difficult as it was. "Waiting for me?" The Champion grinned at him, a fiery gaze honing into Ash's amber eyes.

"The Professor told me that you were going to choose a Charmander as your first Pokemon," Ash nodded at which Lance stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. Ash almost shivered at the contact but hid the feeling well. "I am sorry Ash," Ash frowned at the apologetic tone, Lance's hand gripping his shoulder more firmly. "I was supposed to provide the Charmander to Professor Oak today but sadly.."

At what Lance was apparently pointing at, Ash's jaw slackened. His eyes stalked and his body shuddered. Silence invaded the room for the next few moments before he eventually gathered the courage to ask if what he thought was true. He violently shoved the thoughts out of his mind, unwilling to believe it.

"Do you…" he faltered and could no longer stop himself from shivering. "Do you mean that there's no Charmander for me?" Ash's gaze remained fixated at Lance, practically demanding a reply. His arms hurled themselves wide, and his insides screamed for the Champion to deny his claims.

However, that reply never came. Lance shook his head, his grim eyes unmoving from Ash's gaze.

Ash couldn't believe it. Lance had ruined his perfect day. His Charmander, the one which he had planned to conquer the world with was not here. His shoulders stiffened at first, then slumped in defeat as his gaze disappointingly moved from Lance to the floor. He hadn't expected this to happen in his worst nightmares. Why couldn't this be one?

He'd just wake up and realize that he's still in his bed and he's going to start his journey today, right? Then, he'd get his Charmander from Professor Oak.

Exactly as planned.

But that wasn't the case. No matter what he tried to tell himself, he knew this wasn't a nightmare. This was reality. A truly brutal one.

Eventually, Ash calmed himself. His breathing normalized; his racing heart pulling back speed. However, this wasn't because he'd come to terms with what had happened. He was devastated.

As Lance placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, Ash glanced back at him with eyes as dead as a fish. Lance's expression changed. Ash had seen this expression before; he'd seen the Champion wear the same intense, blazing look in his most fierce battles. Lance removed a Pokeball from his pocket. "I am sorry, Ash," he spoke in a low voice, his own disappointment seeped through his apology. "I couldn't get you a Charmander, but I have another Pokemon that you might like."

Ash looked at him absentmindedly. He didn't nod, didn't move his body in the least. He considered Bulbasaur and Squirtle to be great Pokemon. But the one he wanted was a Charmander – the Pokemon which would turn into a terrifying dragon. Nothing but a Charmander would do for him.

Lance narrowed his eyes at the lack of response. "It's a Pokemon that is just as good as a Charmander," His words brought Ash no relief. Eventually, Ash picked up his shoulders and faced Lance, although he still sulked, his heart barren as an empty shell. "The Pokemon that I have here is a Dratini."

At the mention of the name of the Pokemon, Ash's lifeless face lit back to life. He gasped audibly, blinking several times. Had he heard right? "A Dratini!" he hollered. His heart raced again and his blood pumped so hard that he felt it could gush out at any moment. Instead of a Charmander, he had the choice of getting a Dratini? A Dratini that would turn into a Dragonite, the Pokemon considered to be Lance's strongest?

His mind could hardly control itself as it veered into the various possibilities that opened themselves if he was to have a Dragonite.

A Dratini wasn't a Charmander, but a Dragonite was just as awesome as a Charizard. Dragonite were considered to be almost mythical, such was the rarity of their sightings, especially in the wild. Ash wouldn't have dreamed that he could get one. Not as his starter anyway. If owning an intimidating Charizard was his wish, owning a majestic Dragonite was something that had never crossed his wildest dreams.

"I want the Dratini!" Ash declared, excitement in his voice. He pumped his arms with clenched fists, almost lunging at Lance. His spirits flew higher than ever before as he awaited Lance's response with breathless zest.

"Then that's what you'll get," Lance grinned and raised the Pokeball in his hand. The red light from the Pokeball shone through, and on the table materialized a blue serpentine Pokemon. The Dratini roared its arrival, its gaze observing its surroundings before its eyes settled on Ash, its glare as piercing as sharp glass.

"That really is a Dratini!" Ash exclaimed. This was real.

"Yes, that's now your Dratini," Lance chuckled. Ash's cheeks flushed when realization dawned that he'd been too obvious with his little show of excitement. Lance glanced at the Dratini briefly, then frowned. "But that Dratini is somewhat different to a normal one," He warned with a stern gaze.

"Different?" Ash asked, a brow cocked. "What do you mean?"

"As you probably know, Dratini are generally very calm Pokemon," The Dragon Master said solemnly. "But this Dratini is very aggressive."

Just as Lance had finished speaking, Dratini launched a greenish-blue breath of draconic energy. The Dragon Breath whizzed past Ash by mere centimeters, the accompanying current brushing Ash's hair, a frightening shiver driving down his entire being. It vehemently pelted into one of the machines in the room, and Ash didn't need to look at the poor machine to know what had happened, but he still did. To say the Dratini's reckless attack destroyed it would've been an understatement. The round machine, whose functions Ash had no clue about, cackled with electricity, and a hole gaped where the Dragon Breath had struck.

"Hey!" Professor Oak, who'd been listening to the conversation between Ash and Lance until then, roared. "What are you doing letting it out in my lab like this, Lance?!" His raised eyebrows and stomp on the floor was enough to show his anger. Ash rarely saw the Professor agitated at anything, and this was one of the rare times it had happened. The man loved his lab though, so this shouldn't have been a surprise.

Lance sported a sheepish smirk as he sighed. He tapped the Dratini on its head with the Pokeball. "You see Ash," he turned back to Ash and offered him the Pokeball. "This is the kind of trouble this Dratini can cause. Do you still want it?"

From the corner of his eye, Ash even saw the Professor dismiss his rage and look at him. Not to mention, Lance's eyes glittered as he grinned, which Ash returned. Were they possibly thinking that he wouldn't accept this Dratini after he'd seen its unruly nature? Not a chance. Ash wanted this Dratini. Now more than ever. Once he'd seen what it could do, its power was obvious and it chilled Ash down to the very core.

"That's one heck of a Pokemon. I definitely want it."

A Dragonite, he remarked in his head. That was the Pokemon he wanted now.

Lance was all too eager - and happy - to hand Dratini's Pokeball to Ash. "I am looking forward to what you can do with this Dratini."

Ash grasped his starter's Pokeball. "I'll do my best," he grinned. He hadn't realized this until now, but he'd been calm once he'd seen Dratini. Excited, yes but controlled. "Thanks!" Lance nodded as he tapped Ash's shoulder again. Ash waited for the Champion to move his hand before he turned to look at Professor Oak. "My Pokedex, Professor?" Patience was becoming increasingly difficult for Ash to muster. He could barely wait to take his first steps as a licensed Pokemon trainer.

The Professor glanced at the destroyed machine and sighed. Soon enough though, he wore a warm smile again. He opened a drawer and removed a flat, red-colored device alongside several Pokeballs and placed them on the desk. "Here's your Pokedex. Not only will it provide you with information on Pokemon, but it will also give you detailed information about the Pokemon you've captured like the moves they know and what their ability is. It also acts as your trainer identification," he explained as Ash took the Pokedex and examined it for a second. This was all standard information that he already knew, partly due to the Professor having drilled them into his head. This was probably standard protocol before giving them to new trainers. When Ash nodded, Oak continued. "And here are some Pokeballs."

Without another thought, Ash grabbed the shrunken Pokeballs from the desk after he'd kept his Pokedex in his pocket. "Thanks for these!" He gripped the belt of his backpack before turning to Lance. "I won't disappoint you, Lance. I will train Dratini well."

"I am sure you will," Lance beamed. "I believe in you, Ash!"

Unsure of the truth those words held but happy enough to soak in the praise, Ash smirked at him. He had gotten the tiniest bit more comfortable in Lance's presence.

Ash waved to the Champion and then at the Professor before walking off the room and towards the exit of Professor Oak's lab. "Bye, Professor,"

"Aren't you going to wait for your friends?" Professor Oak's eyebrows tilted. "They'll be here soon."

Ash shook his head with a smile. "I already met everyone yesterday," His face saddened a touch briefly. He desperately wanted to be with his friends, but that would make it even harder for him to say goodbye. Sadness would overwhelm him and that emotion had no room before his long-awaited journey; he knew his friends would meet him someday. "I'm sure I'll come across them soon, anyway," He said, boasting a grin. He absolutely hoped it would happen.

Professor Oak shrugged but smiled soon enough. "If that's what you want. Take care, Ash. A trainer's journey can be difficult at times, but don't let it affect you."

Ash was glad to know that the Professor seemed so worried about him, but he'd rather not trouble the Oak. "I will, Professor!" he declared confidently, and Professor Oak nodded. He turned to look at Lance. "Bye Lance."

"Good luck, Ash," Lance smiled. "I'm eager to see how far you'll come the next time we meet."

The burden of those words weighed heavily on Ash's shoulders. His body tingled for a moment, then calmed itself. He waved at the Champion and turned around. He felt better with each stride through the hallway and eventually, outside the lab.

He was finally a Pokemon trainer.

The calm breeze of Pallet Town gently caressed Ash's face, his shirt fluttering as he stood on the edge of the town he called home. He gazed at the board which pointed forward and read Route 1 for more than a few minutes. The path that connected Pallet Town to Viridian City, which wasn't that far away, had plenty of wild Pokemon, especially numerous in those that would be perfect for a new trainer. He'd been through the road more times than he could count and the Pidgey, Spearow, Rattata, Mankey amongst other Pokemon were a common sight.

Excitement surged through his bones at the mere thought of fighting and catching Pokemon with his Dratini.

Ash winced when images of his home filled his thoughts. He desperately wanted to head home and hug his mother one last time before he left, but he understood the importance of self control. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't let memories of home distract him.

He turned to gaze at his hometown one last time before he began his trek towards Viridian. The floral aroma intoxicated him, and he lazed in the sweet familiar scent of the flowers, trees and meadows. He allowed his eyes to drowse in slow, easy flaps. The morning jogs, the evening strolls, the picnics that he so often had with his friends; Ash would miss those. But the lingering familiarities of home paled to his exuberance which conquered it.

And just like that, Ash Ketchum had begun his journey to be the best with his Pokemon. He'd begun his journey to fulfill his lifelong dream. He'd begun his journey to become a Pokemon Master.

And we're done with the first chapter. I know it's a little short but I wanted a short intro before we jump into the main journey. The upcoming chapters will be much longer than this.

Trainers start their Pokemon journey at the age of 13 in this fic. I don't think it's realistic for 10-year-olds to be going on dangerous adventures in the wild starting at just 10. Starting at 13 also allows me to show a lot more development and emotions.

If you have any suggestions, ideas, or critiques, please let me know about them in the reviews.