"And Nidorino begins the battle strong with a Horn Attack!"

A camera zoomed in on a battlefield setting as a stout, pink-hued creature somewhat resembling a cross between a rhinoceros and a jack rabbit lunged forwards, aiming the pointed horn on its forehead directly at its foe - an almost spherical creature that seemed to be made of shadows and gas. The second creature leapt back, almost dancing as it hopped back and forth to evade its attacker's ferocious onslaught before holding out its hands as it seemed to emit waves of mysterious energy.

"Oh, but Gengar bounces right back! And there it is folks, the Hypnosis power of Gengar at work!"

The pink creature, identified as Nidorino, braced itself as the energy passed over its body, wobbling on its feet slightly before seemingly falling asleep right there on the spot. Almost immediately, a beam of red light shot out from the side of the battlefield, seeming to absorb the Nidorino and removing it from sight as the Gengar cackled in delight.

"Wait, the trainer recalls Nidorino! Which Pokemon will he use now, folks!?"

As the red beam retracted back to its source, the camera panned to show a shadowed figure on the sidelines of the battlefield, who quickly stowed the spherical device he was holding before pulling out a second, shown as a two-toned ball of some sort in green and white. He quickly tossed the ball onto the battlefield, where upon impact it burst open in a shower of light, allowing a truly gargantuan, snake-like creature made of pure stone towered over the battlefield.

"Oh, it's Onix! Now this giant Pokemon's on the attack, but Gengar jumps to the side-"

"Yes, go Gengar!" a young man cried out, pumping his fists as he stood in his room, watching the seemingly one-sided bout on his small television screen. Ash Ketchum grinned in excitement, his hat turned backwards, shoes laced tight, gloves fastened securely to his hands, as though he were ready for an epic journey to begin at that very minute, one that would define his life for years to come.

"Tomorrow is the day I'm finally able to get my Trainer's License!" Ash said to himself, seemingly psyching himself up. "I will journey to gain the wisdom of the world through Pokemon Training, and I hereby declare to the Pokemon of the world, I will become a true Pokemon Master!" Turning, Ash grabbed a ball from his desk, one that looked very similar to those he'd just seen used on the TV. "Ash Ketchum, Pokemon Mast-"

"ASH! Get to bed!"

"Gah!" Ash cried, stumbling from his practiced victory pose and accidentally tossing the ball in his hand across the room, where it was caught by a middle-aged woman with long, reddish-brown hair and a scowl on her still-young face. In her hand, the ball opened up to reveal its inner workings as a clock, with a small bird-like creature on a spring cooing eleven times before falling silent.

"It's eleven o'clock, young man, you should be asleep!" Delia Ketchum scolded, and Ash wilted under her disapproving gaze.

"But Mom, tomorrow I begin my Pokemon journey!" Ash protested. "I can't sleep!"

"Well then you should at least be getting ready, not watching these League Exhibition matches all night," Delia sighed, snatching up Ash's TV remote and switching the channel. "Here, Professor Oak has one of his info-shows playing right now. Watch this, and then straight to sleep!"

Ash nodded dutifully. "Okay Mom, g'night."

"Goodnight, Ash. I love you."

"Love you too, Mom."

"And make sure to change into your pyjamas! I've had enough of finding you sleeping in your clothes."

"Yes Mom."

Ash awoke the next morning with a panicked gasp, breathing heavily before he glanced out of his bedroom window to find the sun already high in the sky.

"Oh no!" he cried, leaping out of bed and pulling on his sneakers in a panicked rush. "What time is it! Why didn't my alarm go off!?" He paused as he glanced to the floor across from his bed, where his clock lay in pieces, the bird inside letting out one last, sad chirp before falling silent. "Oh… must've been a good dream, at least…"

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Ash rushed out of his room, down the stairs, and out the front door,completely missing the plate of breakfast and the note left on the kitchen table for him, and the fact that his Mom was missing. Instead he rushed down the empty, dirt roads of Pallet Town in a mad panic, begging to any power that would listen that at least ONE Pokemon would be left for him, regardless of which one it was! He'd take any!

As he approached his destination, Ash slowed slightly to take in the large, cheering crowd surrounding the entrance, completely blocking his way in. Taking a breath, Ash gained a determined look and began gently pushing his way through, uttering an "Excuse me," here and a "Pardon me," there and ignoring the looks of indignation sent his way.

Finally, he managed to make it to the other side of the crowd, stumbling forward as he did so and running headlong into a young man with wildly spiked hair wearing a long, indigo-blue shirt.

"Hey, why don'tcha watch where you're- Ash?"

Ash blinked, looking up at the other person for a moment before his eyes widened in realisation. "Gary? Gary Oak? I haven't seen you in years!" he cried.

"And haven't I been better off for it!" Gary cried, laughing to himself. "Nice to see you turned up after all, just in time to see me!" Pausing again, Gary pulled one of the spheres from his belt. "Well Ash, you snooze you lose I suppose, and you're waaaaay behind right from the start!"

"What do you mean?" Ash asked, glaring slightly in indignation as he got to his feet.

"What I mean is, I have a Pokemon already, and YOU don't!"

Ash clenched his fist in frustration. "You got your first Pokemon already, huh?" Ash asked, feigning amazement as he forced himself to calm down.

"That's right, loser!" Gary taunted, spinning the ball on the tip of his finger. "And it's right inside this Pokeball!"

Ash made to respond, but jumped as the crowd behind him began to roar in celebration once again, with a squad of cheerleaders lined up in front chanting "Let's Go Gary, Let's Go!" louder than anyone else.

Gary smirked at Ash before turning to the crowd. "Thank you, my fans, thank you!" he called, raising his arms and gaining even more cheers from the gathered crowd. "I promise to you now, I will become a great Pokemon Master, and I'll make the town of Pallet known all around the world!"

Ash ground his teeth, but forced himself to take a breath. "Hey, Gary?" he asked, waiting as Gary turned to him in confusion. "You think I could get a look at the Pokemon you chose?"

Gary stared at Ash for a moment before letting out a bark of laughter. "None of your business!" he shot back, seeming to snatch the ball away from Ash despite his lack of desire to take it. "Why would I tell my competition what I'm using? Not that you ARE any competition, that is, but if you'd been on time you'd see that I got the best Pokemon in there!" Gary paused in his gloating to send a domineering smirk Ash's way, putting his Pokeball away. "It pays to have a Grandfather in the business, you know."

Ash sighed to himself as Gary turned and left, jumping into the back of a bright red convertible with a waiting driver and waving to the crowd as the car drove off. "Thank you all for coming out to see history in the making!" he called. "Now I, Gary Oak, am off to learn the ways of the Pokemon Trainer!"

Ash growled under his breath as he watched Gary drive away. "I'll show you…" he muttered, startling as a much older, distinguished voice scared him out of his thoughts.

"So you decided to show up after all, then?"

Ash turned to see a taller, wizened man in a red polo shirt and pristine white lab coat stood before him, regarding him with an eye of scrutiny.

"Oh!" the young man cried, snapping to attention before the distinguished Pokemon Professor. "Professor Oak, good morning! I'm here to start my journey today!"

"Your journey, hmm?" Oak parroted, once more looking Ash up and down. "You look more ready to go back to bed, young man. I hope you're not planning to train Pokemon in your pyjamas?"

Ash blinked, looking down to see he was, indeed, still dressed in his pyjamas, and yelped in surprise. "Gah! N-no, Professor! I just got a little messed up this morning because my alarm broke, and had to rush to get here! But please, believe me, I'm ready for a Pokemon!"

Oak regarded Ash for a moment longer before nodding, turning around and starting the walk back up the path to his lab. "Very well," he allowed. "Follow me, please."

Ash nodded, quickly falling into step behind the Professor and doing what he could to focus even as he looked around. Countless Pokemon roamed Oak's many acres of land, no doubt caught by the many trainers the aging Professor had provided with their own starter Pokemon. As the thought entered Ash's mind he began hopping on his toes slightly, giddy with excitement.

Oak led the young Trainer hopeful up the stairs into a room lined with machines and monitors, none of which Ash knew the use of and so he didn't spare them a second thought. What he did focus on, however, was the Pokeball Diagnostics Machine set in the floor before a large wall monitor, in which sat three marked Pokeballs.

"Here you go, Ash," Oak said as he stopped at the side of the machine. "Make your choice."

Ash approached the machine with a determined gaze. "I've thought long and hard about this," he said, and Oak blinked in surprise before smiling slightly. "And I've decided that the Pokemon I want is… this one. Squirtle!"

Ash picked up the Pokeball marked with Squirtle's name, holding it in the air and holding his breath as it opened… only to show that it was empty!

"Already taken by someone who was on time, I'm afraid," Oak said informatively, offering an apologetic smile.

"Oh…" Ash muttered. "I wish I hadn't overslept… but nevermind. You don't always get your first pick, but a true Master can work with any Pokemon!" Oak again blinked in mild shock. "So now I will choose as my Pokemon… Bulbasaur!"

Again, Ash selected the correctly marked Pokeball, raised it into the air, opened it up… and let out a cry of frustration when it too was revealed to be empty.

"That one was also taken by a kid who wasn't late," Oak informed him, somewhat saddened. Ash was displaying a surprising amount of maturity, and it seemed overly cruel to make this example of him so soon in his journey… but it was a lesson all trainers needed to be taught.

"Ok, well that's no problem, because my Pokemon will be Charmander!"

Again, the marked Pokeball was raised and opened. Again, it was empty, eliciting a sound of distress from Ash.

Oak rubbed his chin in contemplation. "The early bird gets the worm, it seems. Or in this case, the Pokemon. That one went to a promising but brash young Trainer named Damien."

"Does…" Ash began, faltering as he set the empty ball down again. "Does that mean all the Pokemon are gone?" He asked.

Oak gave the young man an apologetic look, before glancing up in thought. "Well, there is still ONE left, but-"

Ash jumped on the chance. "Professor please, I'll take it!"

Oak regarded Ash for a moment before smiling. "Very well, I think you'll be able to manage this Pokemon." The Professor paused, turning to press a button on a console and causing a fourth Pokeball to rise from the center of the Diagnostics Machine, this one simply marked with a lightning bolt sticker. "I think I should warn you though, this last Pokemon does have a bit of an attitude."

Ash simply gave Oak a determined look. "I have to have a Pokemon," he started firmly. "Even if it's extra work, even if it's dangerous, I'll put my best effort in to train it!"

"Well, in that case…" Oak muttered, holding the ball out and releasing the Pokemon within with a flash of white light.

Ash watched in awe as, on the desk in front of him, a small Pokemon materialised. Yellow-furred with bright red cheeks, the Pokemon looked up at Ash curiously. "Pika?"

"It's name is Pikachu," Oak informed.

"Wow, it's so cute!" Ash cried, reaching out to lift Pikachu gently. "It's the best of all!"

"You'll see…" Oak muttered.

As Ash smiled up at Pikachu, the small rodent gave an agitated growl of warning. Struggling within Ash's grip for a moment, it then began sparking dangerously. "Piiikaaaa…" it growled.

Ash blinked. "Oh, sorry, do you want me to put you down?" He asked, gently setting Pikachu back on the counter, much to the rodent Pokemon's surprise but ultimately it's delight. "I didn't mean to upset you. I'm Ash, and I'll be your trainer now!"

Pikachu regarded the trainer quietly. He was young, yes, and probably quite stupid, but he'd listened when told to put him down. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to go with this trainer… of course he wouldn't just listen to everything he was told! No, the boy would have to EARN that!

Oak watched as Pikachu gave a brief nod before settling on the edge of the counter, allowing Ash to gently pet it. "Pikachu is also known as the Electric Mouse, and can use a variety of Electric attacks in battle," he informed, quickly recovering from his surprise.

Ash beamed excitedly. "Cool!" he cried, causing Pikachu to start preening proudly.

Oak chuckled. "Shockingly so," he joked, before handing over a satchel of Pokeballs and a strange, red, rectangular object. "Here are your Pokeballs, and this is your Pokédex. It'll let you learn about Pokemon as you encounter them, and it also acts as your Trainer ID and access to your own personal account with my Pokemon storage center, the Oak Corral."

"Awesome, thanks Professor!" Ash beamed, accepting the gifts. "Well we better get going. You coming Pikachu?" As he spoke, Ash turned to Pikachu and held up it's Pokeball, causing the mouse to start growling again. Ash blinked. "You don't wanna come?" He asked sadly, before noting that Pikachu was glaring at it's Pokeball angrily. "Oh! You don't like the Pokeball?" He watched as Pikachu looked at him and shook its head. "Okay, you can walk with me then, if you want!" He beamed, putting the ball away, and Pikachu instantly calmed.

Oak watched as Ash walked out of the lab with Pikachu on his heels. That boy has instantly managed to calm a Pokemon that's been causing me issues for months… he thought. He's got potential!

Ash stepped out of the main gates to Oak's Lab and paused, gazing in shock at the small crowd that had gathered, all the neighbours and shopkeepers from his neighbourhood having gathered to send him off. Right at the front of the crowd was his mom, clutching a backpack and looking to him with watery eyes.

"Mom?" he asked.

"Oh Ash," Delia sighed, smiling proudly. "I'm so proud of you, finally about to fulfil your dream and start your journey. But, I… Well, I…" she paused, burying her face in the backpack as proud tears fell. "I'm going to miss you so, so much… my little boy…"

"Mom…" Ash began, smiling sadly with tears forming in his own eyes before he blinked and looked down at Pikachu, standing by his side.

"Pika-chu?" It asked inquisitively.

Delia recovered quickly, drying her eyes before opening the backpack and launching into one of her patented 'mom-talks'.

"Now, I've packed your sneakers and jeans, nice clean shirts and underwear, and your favourite snacks and some hot chocolate in case you want something hot on a cold night! But be careful not to burn yourself! And a pair of rubber gloves to do your laundry, and a new clothesline to hang it to dry, and-"

"Mom!" Ash called, laughing slightly as his mom blinked at the sudden interruption. "Thank you so much, but you're embarrassing me showing off everything in front of everyone!" He laughed.

Delia smiled slightly. "I understand," she chuckled, before looking down at Pikachu, which had begun cleaning itself quietly. "That's your Pokemon?" she asked, gaining Pikachu's attention, who looked away in embarrassment at being caught.

Ash laughed. "Yup, that's my new partner!" he confirmed. "With Pikachu at my side I'm sure I'll be able to become a Master in no time!"

"I thought all Pokemon stayed in their Pokeballs?" Delia asked in confusion. "Why doesn't this one?"

Pikachu glared up suddenly, growling angrily as it charged an electric attack. Ash's eyes widened as the lightning began to spark, quickly jumping in front of his mother. "Pikachu no!" He cried, reaching out to try and deter the electric mouse, only for Pikachu's Thundershock to leap directly into his hand, shocking him greatly and causing him to let out a pained scream.

Delia gasped in horror as Oak watched in utter shock. Soon realising what had happened, Pikachu let up it's attack, watching with worry and sadness as Ash collapsed onto the dirt path and convulsed as the electricity shook his body. Thinking quickly, Oak leapt forwards, grabbing Ash's wrists and planting his palms on the path, effectively grounding the boy.

It took a few moments, but Ash quickly recovered, gasping for breath as he rested on the ground. He looked at his shaking hands, noting a web of burned scars across his palms and leading down his wrists and forearms. "O-ouch…" he stammered.

"Ash!" Delia cried in worry as Pikachu approached Ash slowly.

"I-I'm okay, Mom," Ash muttered, quickly pulling the long rubber gloves on to hide the markings. "Pikachu doesn't like being in the Pokeball, so I think he got upset when you mentioned putting him inside."

"Oh…" Delia muttered, looking at Pikachu, who was regarding her warily. "I'm… sorry, Pikachu."

Pikachu folded its ears back sadly. "Pika…"

Ash smiled. "I think Pikachu's saying he's sorry too."

Delia smiled as Pikachu gave a short nod. "Well that's okay then," she allowed, looking to Ash. "Now we'll let you be on your way, but please remember to change your underwear, every single day!"

Ash blinked before blushing furiously. "Mom!"

After quickly borrowing Professor Oak's bathroom to change and treat his burns, Ash made his way out of Pallet Town onto Route 1 with Pikachu following behind.

After a short walk, Ash stopped, turning to face Pikachu. "Wanna tell me what happened back there?" He asked, raising his brow at the electric rodent.

Pikachu tilted his head at the Trainer and opened its mouth wide, before shaking his head.

"Right," Ash muttered. "Pokemon can't talk. Well if you don't mind, can you try not to shock anyone anymore? That hurt."

Pikachu's ears folded back in a look of shame before it turned around and ran up a tree, resting on one of the many branches.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried, running up to the base of the tree. "Come on, Pikachu, I'm not mad! Please come down!"

Pikachu glanced at him before turning it's back indignantly.

Ash sighed. "Alright, I suppose we can rest here for a bit," he allowed, taking off his backpack and setting it on the ground against the tree as he looked around. "I wonder if there's any wild Pokemon around here?"

Searching the area for a moment, Ash smiled as he saw a small bird-like creature wander into the clearing, covered in brown and cream feathers and pecking at the ground. Ash pulled his Pokédex out and pointed it at the Pokemon, flipping the lid as the device began talking.

"Pidgey - A Flying-Type Pokemon," the device began. "Among all the Flying-Type Pokemon in Kanto, Pidgey is the gentlest and easiest to capture - a perfect target for the beginning trainer!"

"Alright!" Ash cried, quickly covering his mouth with his hands and crouching as the Pidgey looked around at the noise, waiting until it settled again. "It's our lucky day!" He continued in a quieter voice. "Pikachu, come on!"

When no answer or action came, Ash looked up, spotting Pikachu still sat in the tree. "Pikachu?" He asked, only for the rodent to make a show of turning it's back to him. "Still upset, huh? Alright, I'll try myself this time."

Producing an empty Pokeball from his belt, as fell into a ready stance. "I pledged to become a Pokemon Master, and to do that I need to train as many Pokemon as I can to hone my skills. It's time to take the next step on my journey!" As he spoke, he stepped forward, gaining the Pidgey's attention. "Enjoy your last day of freedom, Pidgey, cause you're mine now! Pokeball, GO!"

Quickly turning his hat backwards, Ash reeled his arm back before pitching the Pokeball through the air directly at the Pidgey, scoring a direct hit and absorbing the bird into the ball in a flash or red light. He watched with bated breath as the ball hit the ground and shook violently, the creature within struggling against the device… before it burst open, the ball bouncing back to Ash's feet as the Pidgey re-materialised and spread its wings to flee.

Ash frowned as his Pokédex piped up. "To capture a Pokemon you usually have to battle it with your own."

"Yeah well," Ash muttered, glancing at the tree where Pikachu was still sulking. "I don't really have that option right now…" Thinking for a moment, he retrieved his pyjama shirt from his backpack - quickly closing it and suspending it from the tree by his clothes line when he spotted a Rattata in the distance, as the Pokédex noted their habit of attempting to steal food from inexperienced trainers.

Returning to the field, Ash searched for the Pidgey again, slowly creeping up behind it with his shirt at the ready. Waiting until he was positioned right behind the Pidgey, he then pounced, covering the bird with his shirt and attempting to hold it down.

"Calm! Down! Pidgey!" He cried, grunting with the effort of subduing the surprisingly strong bird, before blinking as his shirt seemed to begin inflating. "What the- WAH!"

With a cry of panic, Ash flew off his feet, travelling backwards several feet before landing hard on his rump. The force of the landing knocked his Pokédex from his pocket, where it began speaking again.

"Pidgey can create small tornadoes with their Guat attack. They also have a Sand Attack."

"A what-" Ash began, before sputtering as he was hit with a billowing cloud of dust and dirt that stung his eyes and filled his mouth with grit. "BLEH! Guess this isn't my lucky day…"

Standing to brush the majority of the dirt off of himself, Ash grit his teeth in frustration as a group of three Pidgey flew down to land nearby, as though taunting him. In a fit of frustrated anger, the young trainer grabbed a pebble from the ground and hurled it at the small flock, causing it to scatter as a fourth bird wandered into the clearing in the distance.

"Alright," Ash said to himself. "This time you're mine, Pidgey. Get ready to taste my Rock Throw attack!"

With that and a grunt of effort, Ash grabbed and hurled another stone at the bird in the distance, succeeding in hitting it in the back of the head and giving a whoop of victory at the sight. As the bird turned to face him, however, closer inspection revealed it was not in fact a Pidgey.

Ash blanched as a thought occurred to him, something he had read a long time ago. "It's not… is it?" He asked himself, edging slowly towards the tree where Pikachu and his bag were. As he retreated, he once again pulled out his Pokédex.

"Spearow. Unlike Pidgey, a Spearow tends to have a terrible attitude. It is considered very Wild in nature, and is prone to attacking other Pokemon and humans when provoked."

Ash gulped heavily as he slid the Dex into his pocket once more, looking up and watching the irritated Spearow in trepidation. "Uh…" he began, once more stepping back as the Spearow spread its wings. "I'm very sorry?" He offered lamely.

The Spearow seemed to regard Ash for a moment… before letting out a shrill cry and taking wing, rising into the sky rapidly. Ash yelped in panic, scrambling to retrieve his bag and the line it hung from even as the Spearow took a wide flying arc and came bombing down upon him. In a panic, Ash dove onto the ground, landing heavily on his stomach and narrowly avoiding Spearow's head-on charge.

"Hey!" the young Trainer hopeful cried, jumping back to his feet. "I said I was sorry, knock it off!" He ducked as Spearow took another pass, yelping as the avian's claw nipped his shoulder. "That's it - Pikachu!"

Pikachu glanced up, ear twitching at it's name being called, before turning his back again.

Ash grumbled angrily. "Fine!" He cried. "I'll do it myself!" Turning, he searched the skies, having lost sight of the ornery avian for a moment. He quickly found it again, however, when it delivered a solid and painful Peck to his head. "Ow!"

Spearow flapped away, seemingly cackling before it noticed Pikachu in the tree. Its eyes narrowed at the sight of the electric rodent, and Ash gasped as the bird turned in the air, zeroing in on it's new target.

"Beware!" Dexter chimed in suddenly. "Some Wild Pokemon can become jealous at Trained Pokemon and May attack!"

"Oh no you don't!" Ash cried, grabbing the first thing he could and throwing it at the Spearow with all his might. The Pokeball expanded mid-air, colliding with Spearow's underbelly right as it reached Pikachu and sucking the bird into itself with a flash of red.

Ash blinked for a moment, watching in surprise as the orb fell to the ground and shook violently. After a moment it stopped, letting out a victorious chime as the glowing button in the middle of its face switched off.

"I…" Ash stammered, lost in the heat of the moment. "I caught it?"

"Pika?" Pikachu squeaked, hopping down from it's branch to poke the ball curiously.

Ash stood frozen for a second longer, before a manic grin spread to cover his face. "I caught it," he said again, more confidently. "I caught it! I caught Spearow!" Rushing forward, Ash scooped the dormant ball off the ground and raised it triumphantly. "YA HEAR THAT, WORLD!? I CAUGHT A SPEAROW!"

Giggling with excitement, Ash began hopping from one foot to another as his declaration rang out across the plains. He soon froze, however, when the rustling of leaves in a nearby tree - accompanied by angry squawking - filled the air, with a flock of Spearow revealing themselves as the source soon afterwards.

Ash shrugged his backpack on. "We should run," he said to himself quietly, looking to Pikachu. "Now!" he added, before breaking into a panicked sprint with the electric rodent hot on his heels, soon followed by the flock as they let out a cacophony of angered and indignant cries.

As they ran, Ash looked back at Pikachu, panting heavily. "Don't worry Pikachu!" he called, stumbling for a moment before getting his feet back under him. "No matter what happens, I'll protect you!"

"Chu!"

With a sudden burst of speed, Pikachu began to pull ahead, quickly leaving Ash behind as the Spearow closed in, attacking with furious pecks and scratches against Ash and Pikachu both!

Ash grit his teeth as Pikachu fell to the ground, hitting its head and seeming to fall unconscious. "Hey, leave him alone!" he cried, charging through the frenzied flock and scooping Pikachu into his arms before once again making a run for it.

Ducking through a wall of bushes and shrubbery, Ash skidded to a halt on the other side, narrowly avoiding falling over the edge of a ravine into the rapid rivers below. However, with nowhere else to go and the flock of Spearow closing in, Ash took a deep breath, held Pikachu close, and readied himself.

"Here we go!"

With those words, Ash jumped, aligning his body feet-first as he fell alongside a small waterfall and breaking the surface of the water easily, his entire body getting swept away by the current soon after. Still he held tight to Pikachu, even as a great blue sea serpent swept past them and sent them hurtling further down the river. Ash struggled in the water, trying to find which way was up, before spotting and grabbing hold of what looked like a small, pink fishing lure and pulling hard.

Within moments, Ash found his whole body being pulled along once again, the light of day visible above as he rushed towards the surface of the water and broke through, practically flying out of the lake he'd arrived in and landing heavily on the embankment, coughing up what water he had swallowed.

"Ah, it's just a kid…" a strange voice commented, and Ash glanced up to spot a young girl that looked about his age, dressed in denim shorts, a yellow top, and red suspenders, with short-cut ginger hair tied upwards in a side-ponytail. The girl gasped a second later and leapt towards him, crouching down. "Oh, and a Pokemon! Are you okay?"

"We've been better…" Ash muttered, looking down at Pikachu and gently pressing two fingers against the Pokemon's neck, sighing in relief to find his partner was breathing. "We got attacked by some wild Spearow, had to jump into the river to get away. Could you please tell me where we are?"

The girl blinked for a moment. "Oh, well we're just south of Viridian City, maybe an hour's walk…" she muttered, before shaking her head. "Oh, but you need to get there right away, your Pokemon's hurt! There's a medical center for sick Pokemon that can help your Pokemon!"

Ash nodded. "I know, thank you," he said as he stood, cradling Pikachu once more. He made to move, but froze as the familiar sound of angry wings caught his attention. "Uh oh…" he muttered, looking up into the distance to find the Spearow flock once more closing in on him. "They're coming back! We've gotta run!"

Turning in a panic, Ash spotted what he assumed was the girl's bike and ran to it, placing Pikachu in the basket. "I'm really sorry, but I need to borrow this!" he cried, climbing on.

"Hey!" the girl cried indignantly, running after Ash for a moment as he began peddling away. "My bike!"

"I'll give it back in the city!" Ash shouted over his shoulder, before turning to focus on the road as he pedaled frantically along the uneven dirt roads. As he broke out of the treeline, the clouds above seemed to turn dark, with thunder rumbling in the not-so-far distance as flashes of lightning arced across the clouds.

Ash grit his teeth as he pedaled, distinctly aware of the Spearow closing in around him. "Just hang on Pikachu," he whispered, ducking as one of the avian attackers dove at him. "We're almost there!"

More and more the Spearow dove to attack, causing Ash to duck and dodge frantically, not watching the road as he veered away from the well-worn path and began crossing grass once more, only to ride his borrowed bicycle over a high ridge and come crashing down with a mighty thud. Looking up, Ash saw his partner lay nearby and pushed through his own pain to crawl closer, placing a hand gently on Pikachu's side.

"Pikachu…" Ash muttered, as tears built in his eyes. "This can't… be happening…"

Squawks and cries drew Ash's attention as the flock drew closer, and the young Trainer narrowed his eyes in determination as he pulled out the lightning bolt-marked Pokeball at his belt and placed it on the ground before standing up.

"Get in the ball, Pikachu," Ash ordered firmly, standing protectively over his partner. "I know you don't like it, but it's the safest place for you now. So please, just this once, go inside so I can protect you."

Pikachu watched as Ash knelt, picking up a handful of stones.

"Spearows of the wilds!" Ash cried, taking one of the stones and hurling it into the flock to gain their full attention. "Do you know who I am!? I am Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, and my destiny is to become the world's number one Pokemon Master!"

Pikachu pushed himself up slightly, watching in amazement as the Spearow circled around Ash, seemingly drawn to the boy and his aura of confidence.

"I can't be defeated by the likes of you!" Ash went on, hurling another stone at the birds above him and eliciting a squawk of indignation. "I've already caught one of you, and now I'll defeat the rest, do you hear me!?"

Ash paused, looking back and frowning. "Pikachu, go into the Pokeball, now!" he ordered before returning his attention to the Spearow. "COME AND GET ME!"

Lightning struck in the distance as, as one, the Spearow flock came together and dove, aiming directly at Ash as the boy flung his arms out wide readily. Without even knowing what he was doing, Pikachu rushed forwards, clambering up Ash's back and leaping from his shoulder as a powerful bolt of lightning crashed down, drawn to the rodent's tail and arcing up his body as he released the most powerful electric attack he'd ever used!

"PIIII-KAAAA-CHUUUU!"

With a flash of blinding light, electricity filled the air, zapping and scaring away the Spearow with enough power to split the cloud layer above, clearing the skies as the sun began shining once more.

Some time later, Ash and Pikachu awoke with a groan, their bodies hurting and their energy sapped. Ash noted with a touch of guilt that the bicycle they'd borrowed had been fried completely, and was now simply a mangled heap of metal and plastic. Still, he reasoned, it was better a broken bike than his life.

Shaking his head, Ash looked up, blinking at the blinding sun above before his eyes focused. "What… is that?" he asked aloud, at the sight of a large, bird-like shape flying across the sky, over the rainbow that had formed, and out of sight.

"There is no Data," his Pokedex chimed in, having fallen from his pocket in the fight. "There are still many unrecorded Pokemon."

"Huh…"

Picking Pikachu up gently, Ash smiled as the little Pokemon leaned up to lick his cheek, making his way slowly and achingly towards Viridian City in the distance in the hope of rest and medical care.