AN: I can honestly say I'm surprised to get so much positive feedback for this, but I'm very happy. Within the next 2 chapters, Ash is going to be introduced to his two "starters". I'm very unsure how I feel about this, but I'd appreciate comments on Ash's Gardevoir being a part of said Harem. I'm incredibly torn about this, so I'm leaving this entirely up to you guys! Now, enjoy the first Chapter, "Rising from the Ashes"
A young boy sat curled up on a hill, the dark sky looming over him, illuminated only by the moon that shined brightly through the night. His dark hair ruffled gently in the wind, his tears flowing down his face as he sobbed under the darkness. Many would wonder why he was out alone in the ranch, but anyone who knew the story would understand.
They boy's mother had just passed away. There is only so long that the human body can stand up to cancer, and his mother's time had run out long ago, but she wanted to see her child grow, at least for awhile. She had left him with Professor Samuel Oak, the most esteemed Pokemon researcher in all of Kanto, and world renowned for his brilliance. However, even with all his brilliance, the professor knew not what to do here. The boy had just lost the only parent in his life, leaving only Professor Oak, his father figure, all that he had left.
Sam leaned lightly against the door frame as he watched the boy in the distant sob his sorrows out for the world to hear. Sam let a single tear of his own fall, while praying mentally for someone, anyone, to help the boy he saw as his own, before turning around into the lab, sitting down and waiting for the boy, for Ash to come back in.
Ash's tears stopped flowing so rapidly, as he looked up into the sky with red-rimmed, brown eyes as he whispered, "Why... why did she have to die...," for as young as he may be, he was far more mature than children his age normally were. He had no other choice. It was either stay young, stay naive, and lose himself, or grow up. Grow up and acknowledge that sometimes... sometimes there's nothing that you can do.
He stood up, staring blankly at the forest around him. He picked a random direction and started walking. Most people would be afraid of walking through the Ranch's forest at night, due to how many Pokemon wander the woods. Not Ash though, no, he had practically grown up here, and the Pokemon knew him very well. They also knew that sometimes, it was better to cry alone. As Ash walked, he took calming breaths as he thought of his mother's last words to him.
**Flashback**
"Ash... Ash I need you to promise me something..." his mom lay on her bed, staying awake only so that she could talk to him.
"Mom... Mom you don't need to say anything. Save your strength," he insisted quietly, tearfully.
She gave a sad smile as she gripped his hand tight, "I'm not long for this world, love. I can't leave without making sure," she let out a wracking cough that shook her thin, far too thin frame, "Please Ashy... please don't waste away your life mourning me. I love you with all my heart, I cannot bear to imagine you wasting over me... promise me this."
His head fell as the tears that he had been trying to hold back this entire time fell onto the bed, "Mommy please don't go. P-Please don't leave me..." he forced out past the sudden block in his throat.
His Mom smiled sadly, before whispering insistently, "Promise me Ash. Promise me that you'll move past me," A few of her own tears sliding down her cheeks.
Somehow, his slump became even worse as his sobs raised their volume, "I promise Mommy. I promise." With those words, his Mom smiled and leaned back, before whispering her last words.
"Don't worry Ashy. I have a feeling that things will look up from here, but don't forget, I'll always love you."
**Flashback End**
He walked deeper into the forest, desperate to escape from his woes, at least for a little while, the moonlight filtering through the leaves, creating an ethereal world around him. Unbeknownst to him, a someone was watching him, and had been watching him all his life.
(?'s POV)
'This won't do, Arceus's chosen one can't be allowed to mope around like this. Oh I know! I'll give him tons of toys and playthings, those always make me feel better!' She did a happy, invisible twirl in the air before hearing a voice in her head.
'Mew...' The voice of Arceus was powerful, commanding, and incredibly amused, 'He has just lost his Memma, there is good reason for his sorrow. Besides, you can't just give him mountains of toys and expect him to magically feel better.' he chuckled through their minds.
Mew pouted adorably, her plans ruined. She brightened up as she remembered something, an incredibly old and powerful Garchomp had left her only egg at the Tree of Life, saying that it should go to a worthy trainer. What was surprising, was that the egg was nothing like any Garchomp egg she had ever seen. It was a shadowy black, with faint swirls of dark, forest green. Who was more worthy than the Chosen One? The definition of good, pure, and righteous. There was also the fact that the boy had extremely potent, but dormant psychic and Aura powers. She couldn't do a lot about the Aura, but she could definitely do something about the psychic powers.
She flashed back to the Tree of Life to retrieve the egg, before teleporting to a clearing that the Chosen one was sure to stumble on soon, and placing the egg on a stump gently, as it was so close to hatching. She then reached out mentally and untapped Ash's psychic potential. Now all that was left to do was wait!
(Ash's POV)
He remember his promise, the promise he had made to his Mommy. To live on without her, and to not mourn her death for long. He smiled, a very, very small smile but a smile nonetheless, 'Just like her to only be thinking about me,' before his mouth contorted into a grimace as a brief headache pounded through his mind. Weirdly enough, as soon as it was over, his mind felt free. As though it had been under lock and chain this entire time without his knowledge.
These were his thoughts before he looked around him, realizing he had walked far, farther than he had ever ventured in the forest before. That's when he saw something he couldn't believe was real.
A Pokemon Egg.
His jaw fell open, and his small hands came up to rub his eyes quickly before he moved forward slowly, staring at the egg that he had never seen anything like. Ash was a prodigy, plain and simple, he was Professor Oak's apprentice, and knew almost everything there was to know about Pokemon. Even with this knowledge, he could say confidently that he this egg was the only one of it's kind.
Which is why he had a mild panic attack when it started glowing white.
He looked around pointlessly, hoping that by some miracle there was someone who could help him. There was nothing. He was completely alone. He took a shaky breath before looking back at the light that was starting to take shape, but was still too bright to determine what Pokemon it was. When the light died down after a minute, Ash was sure he was going to die of shock.
It was a Gible, but a Gible unlike any that he had ever seen, or even heard of. Where it was supposed to be a blue-gray, it was black. No, just 'black' didn't do it justice, it was pure black, darker than the shadows cast by the night sky, darker than the deepest abyss in the ocean. It's normally red underbelly was a gorgeous, deep emerald green. It's strips were a dark gray, but easily visible against the shadowy scales of it's body. It opened it's eyes, looking around cutely, before seemingly seeing Ash standing there, still awe-struck by the beauty of the land-shark.
It seemed to grin, before trying, key word trying, to run over to him. It was still young and it's stubby legs weren't best suited for running. It tripped before picking itself up without a care in the world and making it's way to Ash's leg, which it hugged tightly, while saying, "Gible!" joyously. However, that's not what made Ash's jaw, somehow, drop even further. Because he didn't just hear that. In his mind, he heard, "Daddy!"
AN: Okay that's a wrap. Now, to reviews! (I need more of those by the way xD)
Guest: Okay, now, I don't know if I'd ever include that many people in a Harem. It'd be hard for me to juggle, let alone Ash. I'm not sure where it'll go, but I wouldn't get your hopes up for too many. There's also the fact that I'm definitely making Cynthia the first, as she's the main pairing.
Johnwolf234: Thank you for saying that, I do really appreciate it. I really did try to emphasize that this story is going to have a Bullshit overpowered Ash, like absurdly so, but there are always going to be nitpickers. Onto Shaymin, well since you requested, I honestly might. I went through the list of all the Pokemon that are definitely possible/required, and I realized I only had two grass-typing's at all, including legendaries. Sooooooo... yeah. Good chance of that happening xD
Once again, thank you all for reading, and I hope you'll enjoy the story! Please Review and follow and the works, I always write better with motivation, and very little motivates me better than readers!
