Chapter 2: The start of the journey
Once Alice arrives at Soltree Town, she decides to meet her only friend in the school, Rodney. Alice is a target of being bullied at school, and Rodney is the one that saved her from those bullies. But he wasn't always there when she gets bullied, and it becomes worse. Valerie decides to drop her out of school and arrange tutors for her, so she will have the basic knowledge in the end. Now that she becomes a trainer, Valerie also sends her to the Rikoto Region for applying the test of being a Gym Leader, and she becomes the Ice Type Gym Leader in the end.
As for her friend Rodney, he manages to graduate from school, so Alice invites him to come to the region and he agrees. Right now he is preparing for the journey as he is going to challenge the Rikoto League Championship.
Alice: (Walks into his room) Rodney, there you are.
Rodney: Hey, Alice. (Still watching his computer and sees a mail coming towards him) Alice! It came! My message came! They've processed my application and I was accepted!
Alice: (Smiles) That is great, you can finally start your journey.
Rodney: Yeah. And since you are a gym leader now, which means I am going to battle you eventually! But first, I am going to the lab and get my starter Pokemon. I'm so excited...
Alice: That is great, I am also on my way to the lab as well, since my sisters are going to arrive soon. Why don't we go together?
Rodney: That will be great. Let's go!
The way towards the Professor's Lab is not long, so they arrive there without taking much time. A pink-haired girl also arrives at the lab, and she is standing at the doorway of the lab.
Girl: So, this is Professor Pinewood's Laboratory... (Notices Rodney and Alice) Oh hello, are you two here to get your Pokemon too?
Alice: Well, only he, I just accompany him.
Rodney: She's right. I just got accepted so I wanna get my starter Pokemon as soon as I can!
Girl: Oh, I was accepted a while ago. I live in Mossy Town, so I had to walk from there. I just got here myself. (Just as she walks a step forward, she has an idea) Hey, you know what? We should all go in together!
Rodney: Um...sure, why not? By the way, I'm Rodney, and this is Alice, she is the Subhail Gym Leader.
Keira: Wow, a gym leader? That's so cool. I'm Keira! Nice to meet you both. Now let's go get our Pokemon!
Keira grabs Rodney's hand and then rushes into the lab, Rodney is blushing because of the action she made with him.
Alice: (Chuckles as she chases after the two of them) Hey, wait for me.
Once they get into the lab, they already see Professor Pinewood talking to two girls. One of the girls notices Alice and she greets her.
Girl: Alice! There you are.
Alice: (Shocked to see the two of them already arrived.) Sister Eve? Sister Flora?
Eve: So how is our little sister doing? Are you doing a fine job here?
Eve hugs her and rubs her hair, much to her embarrassment as Rodney is watching.
Alice: (Breaks the hug) Please stop, Eve...this is not fun and people are watching.
Professor Pinewood: It sure is good to see you again, Alice. (Turns to Rodney and Keira) Oh, what's that? Ah, I take it you two are the new trainers. Have you come to collect your Starter Pokemon?
Rodney: Ye...yes, sir! My name is Rodney, and this is Keira. We all just got our messages to come to the lab to get our Pokemon.
Professor Pinewood: Well then! Excellent! So, welcome to my Pokemon Lab. As you know, I'm the Professor here, Professor Pinewood is my name. I study the environments on where Pokemon like to live and how they grow, survive, and evolve in those conditions.
Rodney: Wow, I bet you've seen so many Pokemon!
Professor Pinewood: (Chuckles) I have indeed, young one! I've traveled all over this region and visited many others. The world is full of amazing Pokemon, so many I've lost count!
Rodney: Wow...Alice, this is incredible!
Alice: What the Professor said is right, though.
Professor Pinewood: Haha! I can see you're quite the energetic one! Anyway, over here on this table are three Pokeballs, and they each contain a special Pokemon. These three Pokemon are the starter Pokemon of the Rikoto Region. Every new trainer that starts their journey with us can choose from these three.
Keira: Oh wow! I bet they're all super cute!
Rodney: And powerful!
Professor Pinewood: Raise your Pokemon right and they will be!
At the same time, Alice turns to Eve and Flora as they are chatting.
Alice: So how are you, Eve? Did you manage to get a status of a Professor yet?
Eve: (Frowns and nods) Well, I am a regional Professor, but not in a good way. As you can see, I am now the current Professor of the Kanto Region because Professor Oak is murdered.
Alice: (Gasps) You mean...Professor Oak is dead?
Flora: We are shocked by the news, since Eve's performance, she manages to be the successor of the Kanto Lab, giving out the Kanto starters just like what Professor Pinewood is doing now.
Alice: Who would have done this? Professor Oak is a nice person...
Eve: We don't know what is going on, the cameras are destroyed, and we also found broken Pokeballs with dead Pokemon inside, and all of them belong to Ash Ketchum.
Rodney, Keira, and Professor Pinewood also hear the conversation, and Rodney interrupts Professor Pinewood's talking and he turns to the girls.
Rodney: Ash Ketchum? Do you mean the Alola Champion who has been declared missing ever since he got back to Kanto?
Flora: Yeah, his house is also gone, but we can't find his or his mother Delia's bodies.
Eve: Right now the police are still in investigation. (Sighs) But there is little to no evidence they found.
Professor Pinewood: Well, I hope that the police can find the criminals. Professor Oak is my mentor and it is heartbreaking to learn about his death.
Keira: (Turns to Professor) So Professor, have you met them before?
Professor Pinewood: Delia was my travel companion of the region, she is the champion and also the queen of the Rikoto Region, and the other name of this Rikoto is the Sevestar Kingdom.
Alice: A Queen? Do you mean...like the one in the fairy tale?
Professor Pinewood: Indeed. But then she moved away from the Kingdom due to her husband's death. You see, his husband, Red, is a great trainer, and he was also a romantic person who always wanted Delia to get happy.
Eve: I don't know why, but somehow we feel the story familiar, don't you think, Flora?
Flora nods at Eve's question. But then, they hear a sound of the ship
Professor Pinewood: That is quite strange, we haven't got any new visitors to the island...
Then they decide to go outside, it is the same ship that Ash was riding.
Eve: Wow...that is a nice ship...
Professor Pinewood: That symbol...it belongs to the Ketchums...
Then they see a boy with a Pikachu on his shoulder coming down from the ship, he turns to the ship and waves at the staff members.
Ash: Thank you for everything. Please return to the castle and tell mom that I am fine.
The ship then leaves out of their sight and then Ash turns to his partner.
Ash: Pikachu, we are going to conquer the league this time.
Pikachu nods and then they go to the lab. The girls are seeing how handsome the boy is, they start to blush a little.
Rodney: Wow...he looks so...
Flora: Princely...
Once they go back to the lab, Ash Ketchum is there waiting for him. Ash sees the oldest man and turns to him.
Ash: Excuse me, are you Professor Pinewood?
Professor Pinewood: I am. And you are...
Ash: I am Ash Ketchum. And this is my partner Pikachu. (Pikachu greets the Professor)
Eve: (Gasps in surprise) Wait, he is Ash Ketchum? When did he change his face...and to a handsome one...
Flora: (Whispers back) No clue...
Ash also notices the people behind the Professor, as he bows to them as well.
Ash: I am sorry that I haven't noticed you. I am Ash Ketchum, the heir to the Sevestar Kingdom.
Rodney: Cool...I am Rodney, and this is Keira. Then they are Alice, Eve, and Flora.
Ash: (Bows) Okay, it is nice to meet you.
The girls are blushing at how Ash is reacting, but Eve knows that she has some business to do.
Eve: So...Ash, can I ask you a question? You see, I recently become a Professor in the Kanto Region after Professor Oak's demise. So if that is possible, can you tell me everything regarding what happened to him? The PLA needs a report about it.
Ash freezes a little as he didn't know that the new Professor of the Kanto Region is chosen and the fact that she is standing in front of him.
Ash: (Sighs) Sure, I'll tell you everything from my perspective.
Then they all sit down at the table as Ash begins his tale, he tells them about the betrayal thing and also how he was about to get killed.
Keira: (Gasps) How can they do this to you? Just because that you won the Alola League, and they wanted your Pokemon? The Pokemon you owned refuse to listen to them, so they just killed them?
Ash: Yeah, besides my Alola Companions and the ones who were training...I have no Pokemon... Mom suggests that I challenge the league here to help me recover from the pain I got from betrayal. (Turns to the Professor) By the way, Professor, my Mom wanted to give this to you.
Ash then gives the letter to him, after reading it, Professor Pinewood turns around.
Professor Pinewood: I see...with your mother's orders, I will be taking care of your Pokemon as well as letting you participate in the league. I'll help you register for it.
Eve: (After seeing Professor Pinewood leave the room, she turns to Ash) Thank you for telling me everything, Ash. I will report this to the league and then Brock and Misty will lose their titles as well as their licenses for their actions.
Ash: But please don't make them lose their status as Pokemon trainers. (The others are surprised) I want to destroy them with my battling first.
Eve: But if you do so, who knows what they might do again...
Ash: (Gives a begging look) Please...
Eve: (Sighs in defeat) Okay. But I am still going to tell the Champions and the Professors about this.
Ash then notices Alice, who suddenly hides behind Flora. Ash doesn't know why, but he thinks that she is kinda cute.
Rodney: (Notices it) Oh, this is Alice, she has lower self-esteem because of bullying in school. But right now she is also the gym leader of the Subhail City.
Ash: A Gym Leader? That is quite nice of you.
Alice: (Blushes at how Ash is smiling at her) Thanks...
Ash: (Turns to Rodney) But what is the thing about bullying in school?
Eve: Like what he said, she suffered bullying from her classmates. You see, Rodney and we are from the Kalos Region, and the school we attended, let's say that there are a lot of bullies that keep picking her. Eventually, our mother has to use the earnings from models and also fashion to give her tutoring so that she can get a license to become a trainer.
Ash: I see. (Turns to Alice) I don't know why those bullies are hurting you, but right now you are a Gym Leader, which proves that you are strong. Believe in yourself and you can overcome everything.
Alice feels warm at Ash's words, she smiles a little.
Alice: Thank you, Ash. Your words mean a lot to me.
Ash nods, and he doesn't know why, he feels a little comfortable with Alice compared to the other girls he met, but his thoughts are cut off as Professor Pinewood is back.
And I'll end this chapter right here. Ash has met the others and what is going to happen to them? Please find out in the next chapter.