Ash reveled in the feel of the soft green grass underneath him, wind slightly whipping his black hair cross his face as he slowly opened his eyes against the bright sunlight. Time like this, he reflected, would be sparse in his coming journey.
15-year-old Ash Ketchum had found the tallest hill on Professor Oak's spacious ranch, tossed his cap aside, and promptly laid back in the tall grass, intent on enjoying the oddly cool summer morning. As his eyes adjusted to the encroaching light, he brought a hand up to shield them and looked across the plains in front of him.
Pokémon of every shape and size strolled across the ranch: some in familiar groups, some taking time to themselves like Ash himself. In the distance, a herd of the Nidoran family led by the Professors gargantuan Nidoking roamed to a large waterhole. Even from several hundred feet, the deep magenta of the Nidoking's plates were visible, giving an already imposing air to the 10 foot tall veteran of the former champion's team. Several Nidoqueen could be seen accompanying the alpha of the pack in a loose circle, spacing him from the gaggle of smaller Nidorans that swarmed the mid-stage Nidorinos and Nidorinas.
Ash snorted - Nidoking might be getting older, but still managed to draw in all the ladies he wanted. On the other side of the field rested a pack of hulking brown Tauros, calm for a rare moment, accompanied by the gentle Miltank that followed the males around contentedly.
He turned his eyes to the sky to watch a migrating flock of birds move across the blue Kanto sky. Sparse clouds dotted the sky, but the avians flew high in the atmosphere, well out of identification range. Ash squinted, trying to pick out any recognizable features. The birds almost blended in with the sky – that knocked out Kanto's very own Pidgeot family, and perhaps the Altaria line?
Ash shook his head and closed his eyes again, quickly giving up on the focus of his study. Migrating pokémon had become more and more frequent in the recent years as regions warmed up to each other after years of isolationist practices – leftover hard feelings from the great war 40 years prior.
He quickly shook himself from his thoughts and made to rise. The young man popped his back and shook his legs out – sleeping on the ground would have to become an acquired taste in the coming months – and made his way towards the lab.
The white, pristine walls clad in floor-to-ceiling windows was a stark contrast to the green countryside of Pallet Town and made it impossible to miss as long as it was in sight. Professor Samuel Oak had invested the majority of his winnings from his days as a trainer into starting the research ranch, and in the decades it had grown to one of the most renowned institutions in the regions despite its location in sleepy Pallet. The small town had grown out organically as the lab grew: families put up houses, businesses expanded to accommodate a rising population, and eventually the frontier town had grown from one man and his pokémon to a town of several hundred workers.
Ash's thoughts turned to his mentor as he navigated his way down the hill. The esteemed professor primarily focused on Pokémon and human relationships, a fact that the old man consistently reminded Ash was the foundation of his philosophy in his early days of battling. While human-pokémon relations was still a focus of Oak Labs, different specializations had emerged as young minds moved to Pallet to study under the professor: technology, breeding and physiology were a handful of the practices being studied and developed. All of it, however, cumulated in Oak's most noteworthy contribution to the modern world: the Pokédex.
A blend of all the disciplines at Oak labs, the Pokédex was the modern-day solution to understanding the vast natural world. Given to prodigious new trainers, the sleek device served as a field guide for trainers to reference while in the wilds. Training and domestication of pokémon had come a long way since the days of Oak's youth, but the human population was still restricted to dense populations in cities, safely behind reinforced walls to keep wild pokémon out. The wilds remained dominated by the creatures, and only a fool with a death wish would venture out unprepared. Enter the Pokédex – an advantage to any young adventurer wishing to enter the battling scene. It gave a slight edge over the wild creatures and helped give more trainers a fighting chance.
The youngest Ketchum was one of the members of that group. The professor, in an attempt to cultivate a new generation of trainers, took in a group of the town's most promising children to train. Starting at 10 years old (because who would send a 10 year old out with a fire-spitting dragon all by themselves), students worked on the ranch and studied under different workers, soaking up as much knowledge as possible in preparation for their final 'exam' at the age of 15. Ash's original class of 14 starry-eyed children had been whittled down to 5 as the less dedicated students were weeded out.
Learning about the ease a Scyther can remove limbs in the blink of an eye, or reality of an untrained Kadabra accidentally releasing a psychic wave strong enough to tear into flesh and bone was enough to dissuade a number of the children from taking the path of the trainer.
Ash let a small grin break out across his freckled face as he thought about the creatures he would soon be working with. Sure, he acknowledged that he wouldn't be finding a Scyther within the first few days of his journey, but the thought of standing stoically next to a battle-hardened creature brought shivers down his spine in anticipation. He had already decided he would start small: there was no need to rush out and find the most dangerous creature to work with. "Build up a team slowly and form bonds" the old man had beat into his head over the last half-decade. The importance of assuring his team was loyal and dedicated prevailed over foolish thoughts of capturing a legion of creatures that could immediately be controlled effortlessly. Even if it sounded awesome in principle.
The to-be trainer finally approached the lab and swept open the reinforced glass-pane door, embracing the air conditioning the lab offered. Kanto's humid climate had come back in full force as summer entered, and despite the cool morning sweat still trickled down Ash's face from the short trek. He looked around the front lobby and spotted one of Oak's young assistants paying attention to a news report being projected on the small TV. Ash walked over and joined the young man – he thought his name was Josh, but names always escaped him – and inquired about the current news.
"What's Sliph doing on the news this time?" Ash asked, after quickly glancing at the bolded headline at the bottom of the screen, reading Sliph Reveals Newest Invention Through Gym Leader Sabrina.
The assistant turned – his nametag said Josh, and Ash mentally pumped his fist – and acknowledged the curious trainer. "They just released a new ball, they're calling it an 'Ultra Ball' - " He let out a short scoff. "- they claim it can catch a moderately powerful 2nd stage 87% of the time." Josh answered, a skeptical look on his face. The picture on screen showed Saffron City's own Sabrina Freeman beside her infamous Alakazam, with both floating a series of Ultra Balls around their body. Both had eyes tinged with the trademark florescent violet of psychic power as both sets of eyes stared emotionlessly at the viewer. The powerful image was not lost on Ash as he took in the ramifications of such a ball.
Capture devices (an essential tool to training of any sort) were still a part of a developing industry that was attempting to emulate the work of the late Kurt Hirose, a Johtoian who revolutionized the practice with his apricot-based balls. Kurt, an old friend of the Professor's, had stoutly refused to give away his secrets to corporations, fearing a misuse of the technology. Before his death he passed on his secrets to his granddaughter Maizie and Professor Oak, and burned his notes assuring that the practice remained in the family and close confidants. He and Samuel had been the original creators of the Poké Ball – a simply designed device that was, at best, somewhat reliable to capture pokémon – and the money from the rights kept the lab and research going.
Ash hummed. "Is it in the mass-production stage yet?" He wondered out loud. Balls beyond the basic Pokéball were hard to manufacture efficiently and often rose above the means of most average trainers.
John exhaled through his nose, whether in exasperation or relief Ash wasn't sure. "They're not saying, but anything that strong has to be extraordinarily expensive. Great Balls are hard enough, these must be monsters to create."
Sensing an end to the conversation, Ash said a quick goodbye and moved deeper into the building in search of his mentor. White tiled floors and light blue walls that were kept clean and in good shape betrayed the chaotic feel to the offices within the labs. While some workers managed to keep a relatively organized workspace, if one peaked into any one room they were likely to find dozens of folders stacked haphazardly, pinned notes covering others, and coffee cups littering every surface. Ash's hiking boots made an audible 'clunk – clunk' as he meandered towards the central workspace, a room where Oak conducted a number of experiments at any one time. It would also be the location where he would finally receive his starter after years of waiting. Ash's pace picked up at the thought and he moved forward with new intent at the thought of his mystery partner.
Finally reaching the open door that led to Oak's workspace, Ash knocked loudly on the trim and announced his arrival as he entered.
"Sam, you in here?" Ash called into the seemingly open room. A rustling was heard from a far corner, hidden by some machinery whose purpose was unknown to him.
"Ash?" a voice croaked. A head of greying hair popped around the corner, and eyebrows rose at the sight of the trainer. "Is it time already?" the older man drawled in a teasing voice.
Ash rolled his eyes and smiled good naturedly. "Nah, I think we just pushed the date out a year." He shot back, catching onto the nature of the game.
The oldest Oak stepped out from his workspace and stretched out his back with a large 'pop'. The years, while long, had been good to the old man. His hair, grey with age, still had hints of its original brown tracing through it. Eyebrows, bushy and overgrown, seemed to frame his twinkling bright green eyes. Half-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, held somewhat crookedly due to a broken nose suffered from an incident with a stray Marowak bone years before. Wrinkles adorned the old man's face – he was pushing 75 after all – and dimples were a permanent feature regardless of jovial laughter or intense concentration. Crows feet sprouted on the side of his face, made more prominent when smiling (as he usually was), and tanned skin betrayed the common belief that he holed up in his lab from dusk to dawn.
As the researcher rose to greet Ash, he straightened out his fresh pressed lab coat that was stained from countless coffee spills and flattened out his kakhi trousers in an attempt to look presentable. He looked around and quickly found his discarded purple loafers near his desk and slipped them on before making his way to Ash.
Oak chuckled before reaching out to shake his young apprentice's hand. "Ashton, my boy, I couldn't hold you off for another year if I tried."
Ash gave him a mock glare at using his full name before smiling back. "Nope! It's time and I'm not waiting another day longer!" he replied determinedly. Oak let out a hearty laugh and returned his hands into his coat pockets.
"That sounds just about right. You know the procedure, correct?" Oak asked as he walked over to a long glass paneled case. Ash replied with a confident "Yep!" before following the old man over, anticipation giving him a bounce in his step.
A small button was pressed and from the case rose 6 Poké Balls, the metallic red and white design gleaming under the bright lights of the lab. One spot was revealed to be empty, missing a ball. Each held one of the marquee starters of the 7 current established leagues, a result of the 'exchange program' done between regional professors to foster relationships and new study. After years of exclusively giving out region-specific creatures; the famous Charizard, Blastoise and Venusaur lines for Kanto, an effort was made to broaden the selection for trainers who have proved themselves worthy.
For Ash's class, the 5 that remained all passed under Samuel Oak's watchful eye and earned the responsibility to raise one of the elemental creatures. Ash had placed 2nd in his class, just behind Gary "Blue" Oak – Samuel Oak's own grandson.
His other classmates and neighbors took the 3rd, 4th, and 5th spots, respectively. Ash's childhood friend and confidant Eliza "Leaf" Colden placed behind Ash in the rankings. A bubbly, energetic girl, "Leaf" had been a constant in Ash's life growing up, whether it was chasing each other around the ranch as kids or studying for exams as peers. She was never as interested in battling as Ash and Gary were, but took to research like a fish out of water.
The students in 4th and 5th place were twins Mike and Sue Watterman, children of one of Oak's senior partners. The redheaded twins' personalities constantly clashed: Sue was the brash and excitable, while Mike was composed and contemplative. Both were stuck to each other's side despite their differences and there was no doubt they would be accompanying each other on their journey. While both smart in their own right, they had never shown the same ability that the other three did.
Eyes widening in realization, he took a glance out the window of Oak's office. "Old man, not that I don't want to get started already or anything, but where's everyone else?"
Samuel smiled and patted the young man's shoulder. "They will come at different times of the day, I didn't want to overwhelm myself dealing with 5 overeager youths." He explained, grinning to show he was teasing (mostly). "Gary, since he placed first, came this morning. You're second, and the others will follow later."
Ash felt a spike of irritation move through him as his eyebrows furrowed slightly. It made sense Gary would go first – he did score the highest after all – but his deep-seeded competitiveness with the other boy started to rear its ugly head. Oak noticed the change in demeanor and quirked one eyebrow.
"Ashton," he started "you know very well this is not an act of favorism, but of process. If you had scored higher then you would have been the first one in here and out the door, but Gary nudged you out." The professor stated, a hint of disappointment in his voice at the young man's behavior.
Ash let out a sigh and shook his head. He threw a hand behind his head and scratched his hair, smiling sheepishly and letting out an awkward chuckle. "I know, I know. I can't help it if Gary's a nerd and couldn't keep his head out of a book." He remarked, poking fun at his longtime friend and rival to lighten the mood.
Samuel's eyebrow lowered and a grin emerged, eyes laughing at the young man's playfulness. He shook his head in exasperation and moved behind the Poké Balls, facing Ash and spreading his hands out in presentation.
"Remember that he gets his studious habits from his grandfather, young man." He jibbed back. "Between you boys and the twins I feel half my age." He sighed, the weight of his age hitting for a moment. "I'll miss Leaf, at least she listens to me…"
Ash rolled his eyes as the professor coughed quickly. "Nevertheless. Before you are 6 choices for your starter. You've studied them intently and know each's strength and weakness." Oak started to fall into his much-used lecture tone. "Gary picked up the water type from Hoenn this morning, Mudkip."
Ash snorted in quiet laughter. Gary had been eyeing the prideful mud fish pokémon for weeks since Oak got the batch of starters from his colleagues. While not the Turtwig that he had originally wanted, Gary had clicked with the small water type and had formed a bond quickly.
Oak acknowledged Ash's laughter with a slight grin. "Yes, it was a quick choice for him. I have no doubt the two of them will go far between my grandson's knowledge and his starter's determination." A bit of pride shone through with his words as he cleared his throat and brought them back to the matter at hand.
"Now, Ashton Ketchum. Who would you like to pick to begin your adventure?" Samuel asked formally as Ash rose to pluck a shiny ball up from the case, a smirk forming as he tossed the ball up and down experimentally.
With a quick look at Oak to gain permission, he tossed the ball underhandedly onto an open space of the room. A bright flash and 'crack' exploded from the ball as the red data materialized a young creature, barely reaching thigh-high as it stretched its small, stubby arms and let out a wide yawn from its reptilian snout. Aqua-colored scales glistened from the moisture as the Tiny Turtle Pokémon moved amber eyes around the lab, looking for the reason its rest was disturbed. The small segmented shell on its back shifted as the turtle settled, and the swirled tail that protruded from its rear twitched as it balanced the creature on the cool floor. A soft, creamy underbelly rumbled as it took in the smells of the lab – leftover curry from the Old Man's lunch was particularly fragrant to the young turtle's nostrils – and its eyes settled on Ash. Reptilian eyes widened in recognition as it let out a loud click in greeting, mouth forming into a smile as small clawed hands waved at the young trainer.
"Squirtle!" Ash exclaimed, kneeling to greet the creature. At an estimated 2 feet tall, the Tiny Turtle stood well above the average height of its species, a sign that it had reached maturity for its stage and would be nearing evolution in the future. Ash raised a hand in a fist bump, momentarily confusing the pokémon until it caught on and returned the gesture. A bright smile overtook his face as he went over his rehearsed speech for the chosen partner.
Determination steeled his voice: "I know you've heard my talk before, but I want to travel around Kanto and build up a team and take a shot at the Indigo League. Feel like you're up to being my second-in-command?" He challenged, noticing a light fire in his future partner's eyes. He received a loud click and a nod, assuring cooperation for the future. Standing up to address the professor, Ash was greeted by a sleek red device and a small cloth bag.
"It's always a joy to see a bond formed between two kindered souls." The professor began, a smile on his weathered face. "Now that that's handled, it's time for your starting kit." He handed the Pokédex to the newly minted trainer first.
"You know how all that works from my rambling, your ID is linked now and your official carrying capacity is set at 6 for the moment." Ash laughed lightly in response and in joy as he took the dex in his hands and flicked the on switch. "Go ahead and scan Squirtle so the system can get booted up and start receiving new information." Oak encouraged, stepping back from the duo.
Ash turned to his new partner and quickly explained the process, so as to not alert it. Receiving a nod in acknowledgement, Ash flipped open the camera and pointed it downwards towards Squirtle and started to read off the information given.
Squirtle: the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. In times of danger, it pulls its arms and legs inside its shell to protect from enemy attacks. When it conceals its neck, it also shoots a powerful stream of water from its mouth. Its shell not only protects its body, but also reduces water friction when in water.
Gender: Male
Height: 2'2"
Ability: Torrent
Known Moves: Tackle, Withdraw, Bubblebeam, Water Gun, Bite, Icy Wind, Yawn
Ash's eyebrow rose after reading the moveset. "Professor, I know the starters are a little older, but what's up with the move pool?"
Oak smirked and raised a finger as he launched into a quick explanation. "As you know, I've been working closely with Augustine Sycamore of the Kalos Region and Paul Elm of Johto about the possibility of younger Pokémon having the knowledge of moves instilled to them at birth. Squirtle and the rest of the starters are a product of that research, with each of them knowing what we're dubbing 'Egg Moves'." The Professor exclaimed with pride.
"Now, this doesn't give them full use – Squirtle will be much more adapt at using Water Gun than Icy Wind at the moment, but that doesn't mean the move can't be mastered with dedicated training. Water types are after all closely linked with the Ice type." He ended as he pressed the button on the PokéBall case to seal it again until Eliza came through.
Ash looked down at his partner in pride. "Well aren't you a little fighter?" he stated, bending down to give a firm pat to Squirtle's head. He quickly took a contemplative look. "How about a nickname? Something to set you apart for now?" Squirtle's eyes bunched up as it considered Ash's words and nodded in acceptance.
The trainer from Pallet crossed an arm and brought one up to his face in thought. "Wedge?" he offered experimentally. Battling was a strong point of his, names was absolutely not. The Squirtle look confused for a second then let out a chirp, signifying its acceptance.
"Great! Ash and Wedge! It'll be the names in the history books!" Ash cheered as he held out another first for Wedge to bump. This time his starter caught on quickly and leaped in the air to meet his fist, a loud smack occurring from the light punch, then landed gracefully on blue webbed feet.
"I'm going to recall you for now, and we'll talk more about our plans when I'm home, 'kay?" Ash prompted as he held out the new ball to recall the Tiny Turtle. Getting a nod in acceptance, he pressed the recall button and watched his partner dematerialize and get absorbed into the small orb. Staring for a moment longer, Ash turned to his mentor and placed the ball on a metallic clip on his belt. The oldest Oak smiled in contentment and held out the cloth bag seen earlier.
"In here I've collected a few spare balls lying around the lab. I've procured half a dozen Poké Balls and two Great Balls, so save them for when you need them." Oak wisely said as he handed off the bag. Ash looked in slight awe as he placed the balls on his belt, clipping them in the order he would use them.
"Thanks, Old Man." Ash exclaimed, surprising his mentor with a quick hug. Great Balls were a commodity that he couldn't hope to afford to indulge in until he had a sizable account. The Professor laughed jovially in response and returned the hug, patting the young trainer firmly on the back.
"It's no problem at all m'boy, think of it as a thank you for all your hard work these years." He offered, placing his hands in his coat pockets and stepping back. "Now I believe you need to go show your parents your starter and get packing!" he exclaimed, smiling and showing Ash the door. Talking with his favorite student would have to be put on hold for now and done through video for the near future.
"I expect you to call every time you reach a major town and update me on your adventures. Remember to take your own field notes, I'd expect nothing less from a youngin' like you!" His mentor exclaimed; pride evident in his voice as his student left the lab.
Ash turned around quickly, reaching a hand back to rub the back of his head in slight exasperation. "'Course I will, between you and Mom calling I'll hardly have a break!" he shot back, a lightness in his voice now that he was officially a trainer. He gave one final wave to his mentor and walked out of the lab, following the dirt path down to his parent's house, the eagerness in his pace one of the many signs he was itching to begin his journey.
Ash Ketchum, emerging pokémon trainer and Pallet town native, was getting impatient.
Now, there was no real reason to be – he was only a short bit from embarking on a months-long trip across the region with nothing but his gear and companions, and it made sense that his parents would want to draw out his goodbye as long as possible. And if they just so happened to prepare a larger-than-usual lunch before his sendoff, who was he to truly complain about the circumstances? The bland trainer-rations sold at pokémarts could hardly compare to his mom's home cooking. Their dinner had consisted thus far of excited chatter about his new starter, gossip of the town, and progress at his father's work.
"Ash, sweetie," his mother, Delia Ketchum called to him just as he took another overly large bite of his Tor-chicken pot pie. Ash looked up with a bulging mouth and held a finger up as he chewed. His mother let an exasperated sigh escape her mouth as she glared at her teenaged son's lack of proper manners around anything remotely edible. His father, Jack Ketchum, chuckled softly and hid behind his spoon when his wife's malice was turned onto him.
"I've told you multiple times young man to take smaller bites. You're going to drive away all the young ladies at this rate and you'll never give me a grandchild!" she sternly told him.
Ash's eyes bulged at the last comment as he choked on a particularly large piece of chicken and reached for his water to wash down the lodged food. Delia's mouth turned upwards into a smile as she reveled in one-upping her son. Certainly not a common practice of hers, but one that was needed every so often to help keep the teen in check.
The general consensus of the town was that Delia Ketchum, 44, looked half her age. Long auburn hair hadn't greyed one bit as she aged and had slowly taken on a fiery orange tint when directly in the sun. She was petite, only standing at 5 foot 5 and hardly filling out her body – a result of vigorous yard and garden work on top of running one of the local diners that served the small population reduced any potential body fat. Thin, delicate eyebrows sat on top of almond shaped eyes that held two sky blue orbs which twinkled in joy when she wasn't busy scolding her son or husband. Freckles adorned her narrow nose and cheeks, and thin lips that seemed to be permanently curved in a polite smile rounded out her pretty features. Her trademark magenta cardigan sat atop her shoulders, giving her a soft look that matched her features.
If the town's consensus that Delia Ketchum looked half her age was to be believed, then it stood to make sense that they were correct in saying that her husband, Jack Ketchum, looked exactly his age. A man of substantial size, Jack "Red" Ketchum; 48, stood tall at 6 foot 3, towering over both his wife and son. A strong, chiseled jaw accentuated his usual 'no-nonsense' attitude when dealing with people and tight, narrow eyes aided his serious demeanor. Salt and pepper hair matched his greying beard and his mouth was straight, as if stuck there after pressing it into a firm line for so long. Large muscles from manual labor around the ranch and dealing with the rowdier species made the man look like a miniature mountain: unmovable and unfeeling to the world around him. However intimidating he managed to look on the exterior, the man had a soft heart for those close to him, namely his family and previous travelling companions. Jack's chuckling at his son's expense revealed this side of him - dark brown eyes danced as he exchanged a look with his wife and he shook his head.
"Delia," Jack rumbled, his gravelly voice slightly lighter from the laughter. He moved to shift the family away from the uncomfortable topic and raised a hand in a 'carry on' motion. "Was there something you were going to ask the boy before he got ahead of himself?" Ash rose a single eyebrow as he recovered, inquiring to the matter at hand.
The matriarch's face lit up as she remembered and broke into a wide smile – an oft-seen look on Delia. "Yes! Thank you dear." She folded her napkin neatly beside her plate and folded her hands.
"Nina! Would you come in here for me please?" She called lightly into the house. Ash's head quirked in confusion. Nina – his mother's Ninetails from her travelling days, emerged from the adjoining living room and floated along a solitary pokéball. The Ninetails was starting to show signs of age, unlike her trainer: her once golden hair was dulling to a pale yellow, and the tips of her 9 silky tails were turning a dull burnt orange – a far call from the vibrant red she sported at her peak. Her muzzle was whitening slowly and she moved with just a little less grace than in Ash's younger years. Calloused paws and sharpened nails clicked against the kitchen tile as she came to sit by her owner, waiting stoically until further instructions.
Delia lifted a delicate hand and plucked the ball from the quasi-psychic's grasp, reaching down with the other to scratch the fox behind one of her pointed ears as a reward. A soft purr escaped the fire fox as a hind leg began to tap up and down out of pleasure – a rare break in character from the princess of the family.
"Thank you Nina, go back to napping and I'll be in in a little bit to brush your fur out." Delia said softly as she retracted her hand. The Ninetails shook her body as if being released from a trance and walked out self-importantly to await her future pampering, not giving a glance to the males of the family.
Father and son shared a brief look in mutual exasperation at their usual received treatment of Nina – complete indifference – and turned towards Delia to see her holding out the pokéball to her son.
Ash, in a moment of 'adult maturity', folded his napkin like his mother and rose to circle around the table. Unsure looks were exchanged between the married couple at the lack of exuberant celebration as they tracked their son moving towards his mother. Maintaining his closely controlled façade until he approached her, his face split into a wide smile and excitedly crashed into his mother in a grappling hug an Ursaring would have been proud of.
"Thank you thank you thank you!" He exclaimed, making his mother laugh in relief.
"Sweetie, you don't even know what's inside yet!" she said, gently removing him to hold him at arm's length.
She smiled gently as she examined her son's youthful face: he was a mirror image of his father at his age. Charcoal black hair moved in wild locks atop his head in an oddly charming way that only a Ketchum could pull off. Brown eyes that looked almost like a rich chocolate were wide in excitement and dimples at the corner of his mouth only intensified his natural joyful look. Two 'z' marks mirrored each other on his cheeks – a byproduct of a run in with an over-excited Corphish on Samuel's Ranch while working with his dad. While a young man of 15, he stood at an average 5 and a half feet and only just filled out his body with lean muscle earned from light workouts and ranch work. Broad shoulders revealed that he still had growing to do in the coming years, something that would only be encouraged by the rough travelling ahead. Delia reached up to noisily kiss him on the cheek, which Ash good-naturedly accepted with just a slight protest, rolling his eyes as his father laughed at his antics.
Laughing quietly to herself as she enjoyed one of the last moments with her son, just pushed her son towards the back door. "Go see who it is, your father will go out and explain everything to you. Mimey! Come help me clean up please!" His mother's faithful psychic-fairy type poked a head around the corner and hopped excitedly towards the kitchen sink, picking up dirty dishes and utensils in a soft violet glow.
Delia shooed the two men outside to the backyard, where her award-winning garden populated the spacious yard. Vibrant oranges and pinks populated the ground as Delia's flowers bloomed gorgeously in the temperate climate they were bred to thrive in. Shutting the door behind them to keep the house cool, Jack gestured towards an open section of grass for his son to release his newest partner as he leaned against the nearby bannister and folded his arms.
"You're not going to give me a hint at all?" Ash asked, looking at his father with a bit of trepidation. While still excited, nerves were building about meeting a future life-long partner.
"Nope." His father answered, adopting a slightly smug grin across his lips. He did, however, reach down to his pocket to take out a weathered Fast Ball and idly tossed it out beside him. From the bright flash of light emerged his father's Arcanine. The Legendary pokémon's muscles bulged as it shook out its coarse cream-colored fur and stretched out long, powerful legs. The iconic orange and black pattern of his flank rippled with power and gargantuan paws the size of Ash's head kneaded the ground beneath him, flattening and lightly scorching the vegetation. Small embers escaped and drifted in the wind as the canine barked in greeting, sitting on its haunches and looking over at his trainer expectantly.
"The kid's getting his present." The senior Ketchum offered a simple explanation to his longtime partner, who yipped in response and turned his large head expectantly to his master's offspring, taking up the same impassive face. Sharp eyes examined the young man and his moist snout shifted as he picked up the surrounding smells. The serious façade was broken, however, with a large tongue lolling out of the canine's mouth which dripped hot saliva onto the grass below.
Ash gave up with his father's (and partner's) antics and turned to face the yard. He tapped his fingers along his belt, searching for his new starter's ball so he could release him before the gift pokémon. It stood to reason that if he were to create a hierarchy within his team, it should be shown that his starter was clearly the de-facto leader if he wasn't present. Having the team work together as a unit was important, but what was equally important was everyone understanding their role day-to-day.
He found the slightly cool ball – a result of Wedge's water typing – and tossed it in the air. Reaching out his hand and catching the pokéball as it bounced back, he bent down on a knee to greet his new partner. The Tiny Turtle pokémon emerged from the shower of red and reeled in the bright light of the afternoon sun. Squinting up to meet his trainer, he released a short shower of bubbles in greeting and waved his clawed hand. When the Arcanine behind them let out a bark and jumped up to pop the multitude of bubbles, the Squirtle backpaddled and puffed his cheeks up to prepare a Water Gun to defend his trainer.
"Whoa!" Ash shouted, stepping in between the gargantuan dog – who looked more like its pre-evolution Growlithe than the Legendary Pokémon amidst the bubbles – and the comparatively miniscule turtle. "He's a friend, see?" He slowly shifted his body to show a curious Arcanine and a bemused Ketchum. "This is my dad, and one of his partners. Want to give them a hello?" Ash asked hesitantly, unsure how his surprisingly protective starter would react to the perceived threat. Wedge's cheeks slowly deflated as he moved the water back into his internal stores and raised a hand in salutations. The Arcanine lolled its head to the side and let out a loud 'woof' in greeting, muzzle turned up in an imitation of a grin.
"Good. Samuel did good making sure you'd be somewhat protected out there." He stated in his baritone voice in response to his son's starter.
Jack had yet to move from his leaned position against the banister, unfazed from the almost-confrontation in his backyard and continued. "Did you scan 'em yet? Know what you're working with?" Interest leaked into his voice. His father's early days of a competitive battler started to shine through at the prospect of a new challenge.
In lieu of responding, Ash unhooked his Pokédex from its holster on his belt and tossed it to his dad, letting him take the initiative of scanning his starter and reading the given information. While his father was occupied, Ash turned down to look his starter in the eyes.
"Wedge, this is my parents' house." Ash paused for a second, furrowing his eyebrows. "Well, it's my house too, but we'll only be here for a little longer." He pulled out the gifted pokéball and showed it to his starter, preparing to toss out the occupant. "Mom and Dad gave us our first partner to get started with, and I wanted you out so you could meet them with me!"
Squirtle looked at his trainer with an air of anticipation. Despite being reaching maturity for the Squirtle stage, Wedge had only interacted with the other chosen batch of starters which limited his social skills to an extent. Amber eyes looked up at his trainer's chocolate ones and the Squirtle gathered his resolve and put on a mask of determination. "Tile." The turtle responded, nodding.
"Great! Just be friendly enough, yeah? I don't think Mom and Dad would have given us an aggressive partner to start with." Ash said resolutely to himself and his partner. A chuckle sounded off behind Ash as his dad laughed at his son's comment, making him glare at his father for planting a further seed of doubt.
Giving one more supportive smile at his partner, he twirled the red pokéball into the air and stepped back as the flash revealed a small figure, barely reaching above a foot in height.
"Exe!" the 5 eggs – seeds? – shouted in unison, greeting the tall figure in front of them. All 5 individuals that composed the Exeggcute had a smile and eyes squinted in joy, blatantly displaying their emotions at greeting their new trainer.
Ash's face lit up: Exeggcute was one of the more curious specimens of the native Kanto population, in that the organism consisted of 5 separate bodies – if you wanted to classify an egg as a body. Each egg was a vibrant pink in color and was considered by researchers to be able to operate on its own if needed. However, the power that the dual grass and psychic creature held was fullest when the 5 eggs were in close connection with each other. It had been suggested that the eggs formed a psychic link between the separate bodies that allowed the 5 to work in tandem, giving it more complete control over its abilities. While reports and videos Ash had seen of previous clusters of Exeggcute seemed to show that each creature had an individual personality, it appeared that all five eggs expressed similar expressions.
Curious.
He reached down to brace himself as he plopped down on the grass to get a better look at his new teammate (Teammates? He wasn't sure on the technicality of that).
"Hi! My name's Ash Ketchum, and I'm guessing you know who I am?" He asked, breaking the ice between the new creature and himself. Exeggcute started jumping up and down, exclaiming "Exe!" and "Cute!" repeatedly in affirmation. Ash laughed at the shenanigans and reached out a hand to settle the eggs so they could talk. He stroked the front's head softly, marveling and the smooth surface. It didn't appear to be brittle at first touch – it would merit more research later on to understand the properties and how they translated to battling.
"Then you know what my plan is." He started, looking expectantly at the Exeggcute. Upon receiving 5 nods of affirmation – or what passed as a nod for an egg – he smiled and pumped a fist. "Alright! Then you're all ready to train and take on the Kanto Gyms?" He exclaimed, raising a fist in determination. Exeggcute, in its obvious excitement, started jumping again and leaked a few tears of joy at the situation. Ash stared a bit in bewilderment: he was excited, but not crying excited. Nevertheless, he accepted the feverish joy of his new partner in stride.
Ash glanced over at Wedge who looked equally confused at their new teammate's dedication and waved him over. Exeggcute, in its excitement about the upcoming adventure had yet to notice the arrival of Ash's starter. Perturbed, Wedge sent out a light wave of bubbles to get the eggs' attention.
A stern look from Ash stopped the outpour of translucent bubbles, but it quickly faded when he saw Exeggcute's collective faces staring up in wonder at the balls of loosely held water. He held back putting his face in his hands – his parents sure picked out a partner for him – and waved to get his two Pokémon's attention. Each egg jolted itself out of its stupor and then collectively greeted the blue turtle in front of them. Squirtle shot a curious look at its trainer before chirping a hello and waving slightly.
Ash started the formal introductions. "Exeggcute, this is Wedge, my starter. Wedge - Exeggcute, your newest partner on the team." Both creatures once again acknowledged each other then looked back at Ash – one unsure of where to go from here and the other smiling widely, practically shaking in excitement.
Ash blinked as he pushed aside the headache he'd have in the future dealing with the differing personalities on his team. He stood up and directed the two to get to know each other – he thought there no time like the present and they might as well start. As he turned, he winced as all five eggs started clamoring to talk to Wedge at once. His starter took a step back in response, nervousness leaking out like the previously created bubbles. Wedge could deal for a moment, Ash decided. Character-building was an important part of training.
Turning towards his father and the orange canine standing next to him, he held out his hand to receive his 'dex.
"It's a solid set to start with." His father started, nodding gruffly towards the Tiny Turtle. "Good coverage for a young one, but he's going to start taking hits and you'll run into trouble there. He's too small to take on some of the larger species you'll start running into around Mount Moon, let alone Slate's larger rock types. You'll have to get creative with that there shell." Ash nodded, following his dad's logic.
"The professor told me he's getting close to evolving – he's already larger than the average size for his species and depending on how his water stores are that could be another indicator." Ash mused as he leaned against the large fire type, recalling his studies of the Blastoise line. A sloppy tongue got dangerously close to his face and he quickly backed up to escape smelling like slobber. The dog-like pokémon rolled back it's tongue in response, whining at the lack of contact from his temporary play-mate.
His dad hmmed in response and gestured towards the still-enthusiastic eggs hounding his starter. "Like him? Think you can make 'em fit?" he asked, holding back a smile as he anticipated the answer. He reached over to give Arcanine a firm pat on its flank, supplementing it with much needed attention.
His son vigorously nodded. "Yep! The grass and psychic typing give him a bunch of options and I know that Exeggutors are super underrated." He responded, mind turning as he thought ahead to the possibilities. "Actually, let me check the move set–"
He whipped around and focused the Pokédex's camera on Exeggcute, who had managed to surround Wedge with its five eggs. The squirtle was quickly turning, attempting to face all five at once and was failing spectacularly. "Exeggcute!" Ash called out. "Can you move over so I can scan you?" He shook his 'dex and gestured to the side of Squirtle. The heads all nodded and bounced to the side, posed for scanning. Each egg became ramrod straight and adopted a stern expression on its face as if lining up for an inspecting general. The quick shift in emotions confused his previous talking partner, who turned to look at his trainer in confusion – a shrug was all the Turtle received in response. Ash lined up the camera and read out the information so his dad could hear as well.
Exeggcute: the Egg Pokémon. Exeggcute gathers in swarms of five. The heads communicate with each other by using a form of telepathy that only they can understand. Despite looking like eggs, Exeggcute is actually more closely related to plant seeds. It is believed to carry genes of plants and other species.
Gender: Male
Height: 1'4
Ability: Chlorophyll
Known Moves: Barrage, Confusion, Leech Seed, Sleep Powder, Ingrain, Refresh, Barrier, Magical Leaf
As Ash finished his reading, his father cleared his throat to talk. "Your mother and I wanted to make sure you had a psychic on your team from the get-go." He began, unfolding his arms to begin speaking with his hands – a habit he had picked up to further emphasize points. People seemed to listen just a little closer when a large man was swinging muscled arms around.
"Mimey and Slowking saved your mother and I's asses more than a couple times around Kanto, and it'd be irresponsible of us if you weren't taken care of." Ash nodded in agreement, thinking back to the numerous stories his father had told him in the last few years to prepare his son. His mother tended to keep out of those talks, preferring to leave unsavory memories in the past.
"Some of the guys from the lab helped me pick it out. Abra was a little out of our price range and we wanted one that was ready to go for you." He finished explaining. Jack's work at the lab had brought him close to the researchers, and they were happy to assist the older man in preparing his son for a journey. Ash was well liked around Pallet, after all.
Ash walked over to bring his dad into a manly hug, holding him for a second longer than he usually would. Stepping back and blinking away a stray tear that had made its way into his eye, he looked to Exeggcute to compose himself.
"Does he have a name yet?" Ash wondered out loud.
The eldest Ketchum laughed softly in response. "Your mother wanted his name to be Palme. I wanted to tell the woman that it was an unintimidating name that was befitting of a house plant, but the couch has gotten particularly lumpy recently and I wasn't gonna risk it." He declared mock-grumpily, a slight frown appearing. Ash smiled at his father's teasing of his wife and walked over to Exeggcute. He had calmed down (marginally), and the eggs were taking turns speaking to Wedge who had grown slightly more comfortable and was talking in frequent chirps. Ash paused and attempted to decipher the subject of their conversation but quickly gave up: more would come to him in the coming years. For now, it was unintelligible gibberish.
"Exeggcute, my dad told me your name is Palme – you ok with that name?"
Exeggcute jumped as one and loudly agreed. His antics were slowly being impressed onto Ash and he smiled in amusement, the happiness infectious.
"Great! We'll talk more when we set out towards Viridian. For now I'm going to recall you, ok?" he explained as he rose Palme's ball. An excited goodbye escaped the eggs as the red beam of light hit and sucked him into stasis. His amused smile was kept plastered on his face as he turned to face his starter.
"We've got quite a character on day one, didn't we buddy?" Ash laughed as he reached back to scratch the back of his head. Wedge gave a non-committal shrug in response: the Exeggcute had certainly been a different personality than the group of previous starters.
A door swinging shut behind him alerted to his mother stepping out onto the porch, accompanied by her Mr. Mime. The lanky creature hummed in disappointment at the scorch burns created in the grass by the excitable Arcanine and turned to tell off the larger pokémon, his protectiveness of the garden coming out. Delia placed the large backpack she carried on one shoulder down on the porch and wrapped an arm around her husband.
"Ashy!" He rolled his eyes at the nickname but hid it well as he turned to face his mother. "How'd you like Palme?" She asked, smiling at her created nickname.
He beamed in response and jogged up to wrap his parents in a tight hug. "He's fantastic! I'm sure he'll be a great battler and good companion." He muttered into the crook of her shoulder. The delicate arm of his mother pulled him in tighter and a strong hand held his shoulder, deepening the family's embrace.
"We just wanted to make sure you would be protected until your team got built up more." His mom said, voice quavering at the prospect of his adventure become more immediate. "Palme already has some rudimentary control over its abilities from spending a few days with my Mimey and Slowking."
Ash leaned back and hummed in appreciation. Both species specialized in very different forms of psychic manipulation. The Mr. Mime line was famous for their ability to create nigh-unbreakable barriers and their specialization in defensive strategies. While not an offensive menace, the mimickers could wear down even the most aggressive attackers with carefully timed walls and control. The Slowking line was different – more relatable to Kanto's famous Alakazam line. While not as adapt at telekinesis as the Psi Pokémon, they were no slouches and held vast amounts of control that made up for lacking power stores. Slowking, and its evolutionary partner Slowbro, were terrors on the water – able to manipulate water far easier than pure water types due to supplementing their control with telekinesis. His father's Slowking was a fierce combatant in its heyday, controlling battlefields and crushing opponents while barely moving from one spot.
Jack Ketchum gave his son a firm pat on the shoulders and stepped away from him, wanting to get the goodbye out of the way so his son could get moving.
"You have a plan for getting to Viridian?" He urged, moving the family towards the white gate that led to the gravel street. His wife shot him a displeased look at ending the family moment, but he ignored it in favor of addressing his son.
Ash quickly picked up his pack – organized neatly with the essentials of travelling – and thanked his mother for bringing it out. "Yep. It's a good 50 miles away, so I'm giving myself a week to get there. That should be plenty of time to get the guys and myself used to travelling and get some training in. No need to rush at all!" His eyes started to glaze over as his mind raced to start accounting for the next week. His parents noticed the look on his face and his father reached out to snap his son out of it.
Delia looked at her son in amusement and quickly brought a hand up to brush away a tear. "We know you're ready to go, so come give me one more hug and you can leave." She opened her arms wide for her son as he met her, holding on tightly in the last embrace they would have for several months. His dad, meanwhile, squatted down to talk to his son's starter.
"Now I know you two are new to each other," He began with the Tiny Turtle, who shifted underneath the gravel road uncomfortably. "But I want you to watch each other's back. Can you do that for me?" He requested, holding out a calloused hand. Wedge looked up at the man – who still towered over him, even in a squat – and met the large hand with his own, shaking it up and down in agreement.
"Thank you." Jack said simply and rubbed Wedge's cool reptilian head which earned a chirp in response. As he stood, mother and son broke apart with a few tears. He held out a hand to his son, but then was surprised to be pulled into a ursaring hug. He laughed loudly and gave his son a few loving pats on the back, then gently drew him away to hold him at arm's length.
"You be careful out there, ok?" he said gruffly. "I know Route 1 isn't the most dangerous stretch o' land we have, but one wrong mistake can compound itself into a disaster." Jack imparted, firmly looking at his son to assure his message was received.
Ash reached down to shoulder his backpack, then gestured for Wedge to jump up to the top of the pack behind his head. The Squirtle bent down to prepare to jump, flexing its growing muscles, only to be surprised when the large hands of Mr. Ketchum lifted him up and placed him on Ash's pack. Trainer and Pokémon looked at each other and laughed as they both got settled: Squirtle holding onto the cap on Ash's head with his small claws and Ash adjusting for the extra weight.
"Oh! We need a picture before you leave!" His mother exclaimed, whipping out her disposable camera. Ash began to protest but shut his mouth quickly when fixed with a glare by his mother.
"Now say 'cheese'!" She exclaimed, holding up the camera to immortalize her son's humble beginnings.
Her son's chosen outfit; dark brown travelling pants, hardy hiking shoes and a simple navy top that stretched across his lightly muscled torso, rustled in the increasingly humid summer wind as he got situated. The partners looked at each other and both Ash and Squirtle adopted the same expression: a sheepish smile and a hand placed behind their heads in embarrassment. Delia rolled her eyes as she clicked the capture button and decided that it would have to do for now. Next time he was home they would try again – and Ashy might even bring a girl home with him! That would be one for the mantle!
She shook herself from her fantasy and saw her son was impatiently shifting from foot to foot, itching to leave. "Ok, now go on! Call often and keep us updated." She requested, lowering the camera and turning to hold her husband in a one-armed hug.
Ash nodded determinedly. "You know it! Love you guys, I'll call when I reach Viridian!" He exclaimed, and turned to walk down the road, gravel crunching beneath his feet. He had hardly made it 50 feet when a loud, feminine voice called after him, causing him to stop and turn around.
"And don't forget to change your underwear, Ashy!"
Delia broke into a fit of laughter as she watched her son's shoulders visibly slack as he turned and walked quickly away, cheeks burning in embarrassment. The clicking laughter coming from his starter brought a smile to her face – her son was in good hands.
AN: That's a wrap on chapter 1! Just a few notes:
Writing is extremely new to me, so I'll be learning as I go. Comments and advice is welcome!
Exeggcute is a joy to write, personally. He's modelled slightly after Ash's Haunter from the anime, where its emotions were everywhere and could change at the drop of a hat. I think I'm going to have a blast developing that character, and the challenge of writing about Exeggcute should be fun (is it one entity? Is it 5 separate ones? Pronouns for 5 eggs was not covered in my English class. Comments/advice is welcome).
The chapter was a bit slow, but world building is a must and making the background is essential early on (or so I understand). Trust me, the action will pick up in the coming chapters.
I don't have a firm schedule at the moment. My guess would be that I'll pump out chapters rather quickly for a few weeks, then slow down to releasing chapters on a weekly basis. Again, this is all still new to me (This is my first attempt at creative writing), so there'll be a learning curve!
I'll start posting Ash's team/other important character's teams on the main page of my account as they're introduced. If anyone has suggestions for future team members, drop a review or dm me! I have a rough outline at the moment, but nothing firm at the moment.
Note 5/6/20 – I'm combining chapters 1 and 2 as well as doing a few small edits – nothing big. Sorry for the extra notifications!