Chapter 1

The Beginning.

A/N: Hello Guys! I hope you all are doing well. This is my first new story with Ash as a protagonist, and I am still a Newbie writer, so please don't judge me, hehe. Any suggestions or criticism are acceptable. I hope you all will enjoy this! Stay Safe!

I was also inspired by Traveller by Straight Elf and Surmount by .315. Please check out their works because I assure you, they are brilliant writers and most definitely my betters. If you haven't read these, I implore you to do so.

Alright, Guys Sit back and Enjoy! Don't forget to leave a review.


Goldenrod City. An odd name for a city, yes, but the major metropolitan city in the Johto region, and is considered as one of the biggest cities throughout the region. It is called to be the fifth-largest city in the Pokémon world, after Unova's Nimbasa City and Castelia City, Kalos' Lumiose City, and Galar's Wyndons. The bigger part of the city itself was where the commerce and shopping districts were found and all of that was mostly isolated in the middle of Goldenrod. Many cars sped up and down the different streets, the sidewalks were well-trodden by respectable numbers of people, and the shops and stores scattered about the city were rather numerous.

The colours that dominated the city landscape wear bright colours that mixed in extremely well with the main colour scheme of everything else. The City has its National park and Pokéathlon Dome in the north while the Pokémon Daycare is located in the south of it. The City also holds a Goldenrod Department Store, which is the largest store within Johto, the Name Rater's house, and the Magnet Trains which connects Johto and Kanto, starting in Goldenrod and ending in Saffron City.

Even though being one of the busiest cities, The Goldenrod seemed to be with nature, boasting lush trees out as a town that seemed to be one with nature, boasting lush trees, gardens with flowers in abundance, reds, blues, whites, and purples dotting the fields, and grass grew tall and wild, unrestrained, making it stand as a monument to nature. It helped that many of the native pokemon there were relatively tame and easy to domesticate.

For those not in the know, Pokemon, also known as Pocket Monsters. No, they don't fit in your pocket if that's what you're thinking, are the animals of this world.

Unlike regular animals, they are far more intelligent, more so than most humans give them credit for, capable of understanding human speech. They come in all shapes, sizes, and elements. Some can be as small as an eraser, while others are as big as giant cruise ships, maybe even bigger. There are many pokemon in this world, with over 700 confirmed species worldwide, with possibly more undiscovered species lurking around. Whether it be soaring the vast blue skies, digging deep in the earth's mantle and crust, frolicking in the grassy terrain, leaping in the thick jungles, and even in the endless cosmos of stars itself, space, pokemon are everywhere, and humans rely on them for many things.

For some, pokemon are pets. Others pit them against other pokemon in non-lethal, completely safe battles as long as they obeyed battle regulations. Some people make careers out of battling others and helping train pokemon. Tragically, some use them for crimes, ranging from petty crimes to horrific and downright unspeakable crimes. Pokemon and humans alike dominated the world, and both species have coexisted for thousands of , Over eight hundred years ago Pokémon and People didn't live in harmony, making the world a much more dangerous place.

A wild Pidgeot could kill dozens before it was put down and humans would avoid the areas with stronger Pokémon at all costs. No one wanted to meet a Charizard or Gyarados by accident. It wasn't until scientists invented a way to capture Pokémon in capsules, that change began. The first capsule or as they are known now, Pokéballs, were the size of car trunks and didn't always work or even killed the Pokémon. Ten years after that, humans began searching for ways to communicate with Pokémon, to learn about them and capture more of them. It was then that Humans began to live alongside Pokémon. Centuries have passed since then and the world has gone through many changes.

No longer were gunning truly necessary. When a man or woman could command a Pokémon, who could destroy buildings with a well-placed Hyper Beam and take bullets without so much as a flinch. Pokémon became partners and now children dream of their first Pokémon Partner.

While some commanded Pokémon to do evil things, there were far more who used them for good.

Plus, The International Pokémon League, alongside the Pokémon Rangers worked together to keep order in the world. The sun was just beginning to set over the City of Goldenrod and people and Pokémon were going back to their respective homes. However, in a big mansion situated right in the centre of the beautiful city in one of the many bedrooms on the second floor, was a boy and his father.

"No No No, that's not right." The middle-aged man exclaimed it out, as he dodged his son's hand and quickly made his way out of the room. The man in question is a gentle and caring father, He had raven black hair that was cut short, except for at the top of his head, which was longer and spiked up with a single strand of hair coming down over his forehead and held up a high position of Chief Executive Officer in Silph Corporation.

Silph Corporation, The largest Conglomerate on Earth.

They were responsible for the very first Pokéball, the ones that didn't always work and would rival the size of car trunks. Many, many years later they were responsible for a variety of inventions that revolutionized the way people and Pokémon live. After the miraculous invention of Potions and different more potent versions of the Pokéball, their Billions became trillions.

The only company in the world that could rival them was the Devon Corporation, which was responsible for the Pokémon fossil revival technology as well as a variety of different Pokéballs such as the dive ball and lure ball. Other companies have risen throughout the decades that have tried to stand on their levels, but never came close and were subsequently bought out by either company keeping their monopoly on most of the world's products.

No one, other than Mr. Goodshow had the same level of power as the CEO of Silph Co. and Devon Corp. But the man who held so much power was currently feeling very helpless as he made his way into the living room to avoid his youngest child, irritation written all over his face.

"But dad, please-" The ten-year-old Ash cried out aloud, Lily giggling in his chest as he ran to catch up with his father.

Lily was a cute little Cleffa who was Ash's best sister - his only sister, who never leaves by his side in any case. On his tenth birthday, his father had surprised him with a gift of a small cute pink Pokemon, much to his happiness. Ash is a skinny, slender preteen with dark black hair, slightly tan skin, with a mess of dark locks that were somewhere between wavy and curly and thus always had a bit of volume to them. With light caramel eyes and a face of softer features, the boy looked remarkably like his mother, skin, and hair aside.

The young boy was currently in his pyjamas, but still wore his trusty hat, the hat usually kept his hair away from his eyes no matter how long it grew, so the boy didn't cut his hair as often anymore. The hat in question was a cap with the Indigo League logo, also known as the Kanto League because it is the official league of that region or prefecture. There were only 100 of these hats which were given away by the Pokémon League, and Ash claims to have "sent in about a million postcards" to obtain it. Wearing this hat in public implies that you'll accept any challenge because you intend to be the very best.

Richard rolled his eyes as he entered the room and sat on his favorite couch. "I said no, didn't I ?" He said sternly, ignoring the heated glare of his child, while Lily giggled in amusement.

"What happened, dear?" This time his mother Delia Ketchum - Montgomery intervened, as she kept on glancing between Ash and his father. Delia Montgomery, a sweet and caring woman. She and Richard had met for the first time back in Pallet Town, where she worked as a Research Professor under the care of Professor Oak.

As expected, both Delia and Richard have fallen in love with each other, in the end, Richard proposes to Delia. After the marriage, she had to leave her position, unfortunately, as they shifted to Goldenrod city. Her mother only had two Pokemon in Johto, one being Gardevoir, and the other being were others too, but they are currently in the care of Professor Oak in kanto.

"Nothing Mom, I just asked dad for.. something, and he isn't giving me," Ash muttered as he placed Lily gently on the nearest chair and crossed his arms in an attempt to look more intimidating—or as intimidating a ten-year-old could be.

"What is this about?" This Time it was Ash's favourite brother - his only brother Bill who intervened, as he raised an eyebrow, soon joined by his mom. This was Ash's big brother. Bill Montography - a Pokémon Researcher widely regarded as an expert in my field. Bill invented the Pokémon Storage System and also helped create all of its successor systems.

"Yeah Ash, tell them what permission you are asking," Richard chided sarcastically, ignoring the heated glare the teen was giving him. Ash muttered something incompressible under his breath, before sighing in irritation and rubbing his temples, a single habit he has got from his father.

"I want to be a Pokemon trainer."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"What?" Both Bill and His mother exclaimed flatly, as they stared at Ash with wide eyes. Ash hid a wince at the sound of it, it wasn't like he was expecting some other kind of reaction.

"Yup," Ash nodded in return and crossed his arms to stare blankly at his mother and brother. "I wanted to be a Pokemon trainer, you all know I am already mature enough to handle myself." He puffed out his chest at the last part, as gently patted Lily on her forehead.

"Oh yeah?" Richard rolled his eyes. "What kind of mature boy sleeps with his mom every single day?" He remarked sarcastically. Ash's high induced confidence was cut like a hot knife through butter as he stammered, a small tingling of pink spread across his cheeks.

Delia and Lily giggled in amusement at seeing Ash flushing a bright red as both his father and Bill rolled their eyes.

Delia giggled slightly, she had already gotten over her shock. "Yeah, that's good. So, what's the problem with it?" His mother smiled softly, ignoring the disapproving stare of her husband. Richard stared at his wife for a second, before putting down the newspaper and rubbed his temples in irritation and fixed them all with a flat stare, and passed down the newspaper to Ash.

"Here, Read it."

A perplexed Ash took the paper as he stared at a wanted poster, who in question had the image of a man and woman on the front. Their faces were shaded around the eyes to not give the full identity, however, they looked distinct enough to pick out of a crowd even without a clear face to go by. They were both wearing a white uniform with a large red "R" printed on the chest and what appeared to be black gloves on their hands that went up to the elbows on the woman and just to the forearms on the man. From what was visible of his one arm at least.

The man's white shirt had long sleeves and a slight v-cut at the sternum that showed a black undershirt beneath. He had blue hair that hung down to around neck level and in his left hand was a red rose; which he was smelling while looking away from the picture. The woman looked to have magenta crimson hair that seemed like it was long and styled into a very unusual fashion; though all of it could not be seen. She was wearing green, bobble-shaped earrings, red lipstick, and her white uniform and black undershirt. Which were identical to the man's, only they were cut off at the middle to show her smooth and slim belly.

The female in question was holding her left hand out in the picture as if trying to stop it from being taken. Though, by the smirks on both of their faces, it seemed they didn't overly care who saw them or not. After Ash examined the pictures, he held his finger near the writing at the bottom of the poster and read aloud.

"Wanted: Known thieves and Pokémon kidnappers. Crimes are listed as but not limited to; larceny, destruction of private and public property, breaking, disturbing the peace, evasion of police, unlawful operation of hot air balloons in private air spaces, and kidnapping of Pokémon."

Delia's right eyebrow raised - as Bill listened attentively now - Ash's eyes squinted as he moved to the next paragraph below the first.

"Suspects are male and female, ages unknown, and identities are likewise unknown. Appears to work in only a team of two but could be involved with others. Uses Pokémon in their crimes; Ekans and a Koffing. The potential danger of suspects is unknown but if seen do not approach, rumored to be affiliated with mysterious criminal organization Team Rocket."

He finished with his finger tracing the last line at the bottom of the poster. "If spotted please notify the nearest police station or call the emergency hotline to file a report with proper authorities." Ash finished, frowning at the mention of Team Rocket.

Team Rocket. The first iteration of the infamous Criminal Organization was over twenty years ago, right after the league forbade trainers from capturing Pikachu as their population had fallen to record lows. They originally protested league laws barring trainers from catching any Pokémon they wanted, they wanted all trainers to have the freedom to catch whatever Pokémon they wanted whenever they wanted. Nothing came of their protests, the Pokémon League was famous for putting out new laws and regulations and not changing them despite protests. Unless there was a serious scandal they didn't acknowledge the opinions of the people. The most powerful organisation in the world didn't consider the average person's complaints as anything more than noise.

Not until the signature symbol of the once peaceful protesters, the blue R on Team Rocket's chest, turned red did the voices start being heard and taken seriously. Since then many changes to the Rockets have happened and now their names were synonymous with terrorism.

"But," Ash whimpered a bit, as he passed the newspaper to his brother quietly. "I will be a safe dad. You know my Pokemon will be there to protect me." He remarked, glancing at his mother desperately. Richard sighed as he glanced at both Bill and Delia.

After a few minutes of hesitation, He finally gave up. "Okay,"

"..."

"..."

"Really, Dad!?" Ash yelled in excitement as he picked up an equally amused Lily, to cradle her in his arms. "You saw this Lily. I finally got the permission." He yelled happily, a goofy grin could be seen on his face. Lily giggled in amusement and nodded her head softly.

"However..," It was Richard's chance to smirk, immediately stopping the young boy's dance. "You won't be traveling alone," He smiled, enjoying the look of horror on the young boy's face and the other's raised eyebrows.

"There will be someone who is travelling with you." Richard completed. Ash blinked a few times, before rolling his eyes in annoyance, he figured that much who.

"Who?" Ash asked rather impatiently, even his brother was looking at his father questioningly. Richard grinned, a little slyly for Ash's liking.

"That's for me to know, and for you to Dot Dot and Dot." He winked.

Ash frowned in annoyance. This wasn't fair, this was supposed to be his journey. Sending a desperate glance to the two elders who seemed more amused than anything. When Ash knew he wasn't going to have any help, he sputtered slightly. "But dad, this was supposed to be my alone journey."

Richard shook his head, the previous amusement was long gone. "Sorry Ash, if you want to be a Pokemon trainer, this is my condition. It's for your security." He said sternly, and Ash knew he couldn't argue with that.

After a moment of awkward silence and hesitation, Ash sighed and nodded to his father, it is not like he has any choice anyway.

"Don't worry Ash," His mother assured him back. "I am sure it will be okay, but for now why don't you tell us your plan." She smiled softly.

Ash's sour mood was brightened. "Yeah, So I want to start a journey from Pallet Town in Kanto to participate in the silver conference." He explained proudly.

Richard and Bill raised their eyebrows. "Why Kanto, Not Johto? You can participate in the Silver Conference. It is just in 8 months." Bill asked in slight confusion.

Since it was the same administration that was in charge for both the Indigo Conference in Kanto and the Silver Conference in Johto and those two events, which were the biggest ones during the year for each region, took a long time, dedication, and coordination to organize, it was decided, for the sake of convenience and effectiveness, that each conference will be held every two years, making it so there was one conference each year instead of two. However, this year's conference had been the Indigo one and it had happened a month after he had turned ten years old, which was roughly the time it always happened ever since he could remember.

While he could aim for the Silver Conference in Johto just like his father said, he decided that it wouldn't be worth the hassle. Not only would he have to travel to another region altogether, no matter the fact that he could make the journey on foot, especially from Pallet Town, but there was also the fact that it would give him less than a year to travel the Johto region collecting badges and training his pokemon.

If he was honest with himself, Ash preferred a hundred times over having to wait almost two years to participate in a nation-wide competition and take his time building and training his team while not rushing his journey over the option that involved participating in the next Silver Conference, which was due to happen in about ten months.

"Nah," Ash shook his head. "I would rather prefer to go to the Indigo League." He simply answered. Bill rolled his eyes.

"Say it clearly, You just want to see Daisy, right?" Bill snickered.

Ash gave a mature reply to that by sticking out his tongue, ignoring the heat spreading through his soft cheeks

His brother had often teased him about having a crush on Samuel Oak's eldest grandchild and though he would never admit it out of fear of being mercilessly tormented with embarrassing comments, he wasn't necessarily wrong. Anytime he was ever around Professor's beautiful young granddaughter, his belly would always end up doing somersaults and flip-flops that could make an Aipom jealous. Admiring the girl in question, he found her silky, light brown hair gorgeous and her rich, chocolate brown eyes - so different from anyone else - seemingly to radiate a tender warmth. Her eyes were similar to Ash's in color but in his humble opinion, he would never take more than a second to glance at his own. Whereas with Daisy, on the other hand, he could easily stare into her pretty irises and never grow bored.

"Anyways," Ash cleared his throat. "So, Can I start my journey tomorrow?"

Richard snorted. "It's not that easy Ash, to be a Pokemon trainer you have to pass a test for it." He explained.

Ash blinked. "Huh? What type of test?" He asked with a healthy mixture of confusion and curiosity.

This time his mother intervened as she smiled down at him. "They are called PTLEs - Pokémon Training License Exams. Anyone who wishes to be the Pokemon trainer has to get a minimum percentage of 90% in it." Delia paused for a moment.

"As far as I remember, this usually takes a year..." Delia added with a slight hesitation as she took in the sight of a pale looking Ash.

Bill shook his head. "It is not necessary." He reassured, and Ash sighed in relief. Bill continued without a second thought. "Because of these current circumstances I am sure the Professor can register Ash as a Pokemon trainer in just a few months. "

He paused for a second and squinted slightly at Ash. "If you ask me nicely, I can ask the professor about it." He remarked.

Ash, jittery with excitement, jumped at his brother Bill and tackled him in a big hug. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou Bill!" Ash repeatedly exclaimed while hugging his brother tightly.

The Pokémon Researcher chortled at his reaction but hugged Ash back. "You are very welcome, my boy. Now go on, have fun!"

"So, then it's decided. I will be the best Pokemon trainer this world has ever seen. " He folded his chest across his arms, looking like a Hollywood hero.

A second later, before anyone could say anything, Ash's stomach growled, and he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"So, what's for breakfast today?"

Rolling of eyes was the only response he got back there.

XxXx

Later that night,

"Mom, Can I come in?" The ten-year old whined as he pulled the doorknob.

He opened the door to see his father sleeping soundly on the bed, while his mother held a small book in her hands.

Delia smiled as she saw her son entering the big room. "Yes, dear?" She whispered.

Ash fidgeted with his pillow nervously. "Can I sleep with you, please?" He requested, as he closed the door not so loudly. Lily was already asleep, Ash knew that he wouldn't be able to take her on his pokemon journey as she is very young. Maybe someday later…

Delia smiled and gestured Ash to her hand to the empty side of the bed. Ash was too happy to respond as he quickly walkes and lay down next to her mom.

Delia smiled and kissed the top of his head. "Goodnight Ash." She whispered, the young boy in response grasped onto his mother tightly, hugging her and breathing in her scent since he knew it might be the last days where he can sleep with his mom.

Yeah, he would definitely miss this.

XxXx

This was three months before, Ash remembered as he walked down a well worn path, was the day his new chapter in life would begin. He did his tests and passed the theory, written, and physical parts of the tests with flying colours. Then yesterday he had gotten confirmation that he could begin his journey. That brought him to today, walking down the path, to Samuel Oak Laboratory and PokeFields.

Today he would get his starter and set off into the unknown to discover the lands for himself and also to discover himself and would be finally able to travel around the world with his Pokemon. Ash trudged along uphill to the front doors where he could see three other trainers that would start with him. Two males and a female. One of the males had spiky auburn hair and black eyes, his name was Gary Oak, his friend and rival for the past months.

The other male was Ray, his other friend and Leaf's neighbour's nephew. He had blond hair and brown eyes. Ray basically grew up in Pallet town with Gary and Leaf, even though Gary and Ray don't like each other too much…The last trainer, Leaf, a newer resident of Pallet, a young girl with brown hair and brown eyes. She wears a white hat with a red Poké Ball logo with a light blue sleeveless shirt, along with a red miniskirt. Underneath she has matching, long socks, and athletic shoes. Leaf's father owned a greenhouse on the hill adjacent to Mt. Hideaway was a business associate of Erika, the Celadon City gym leader.

She had taken after her father, and wanted to become a grass-type breeder, but before all that, she wanted to score some experience, and become a trainer for a single year.

"Ash!" he heard Ray call out and waved down at him once his friend saw him, "About time you got here! Grandpa wouldn't open the doors until all of us got here. The great Oak was too happy to be called grandpa by other kids not only by his own grandson

Ash Ketchum, dark black hair and brown tinted honey whiskey eyes, nodded at the other two soon going to be trainers. Leaf smiled and returned, but Gary on the other hand was not too happy to see Ash, if that's what his sneer says. Ash and Leaf rolled his eyes at Gary who scoffed and looked in the other direction. Gary is a polite kid, and first met Ash when they were just toddlers. He is usually a fun kid, but he looks quite angry today. Ash knows the reason, when the pokemon trainer results were given by Professor. Everyone expected Gary to be at the top, but much to their surprise Ash topped the exam, followed by Gary.

The youngest oak couldn't believe this and blamed that Ash cheated on the test. This made everyone except Gary roll their eyes, and from that day Gary is upset about it. When Ash tried to talk to him about it, Gary ignored his presence. But Ash knew his friend won't be angry with him for too long, at least he hoped so.

Ash smiled and laughed as he met up with the trio. "Sorry sorry," he said as he put his hands in his pocket.

"You know how Mom is."

"Ah that explains it then," he said as the doors to the building finally opened. Standing there was a tall older man with greying blond hair and kind black eyes, this is the one and only Professor Samuel Oak, revered all over the world as 'The Pokémon Professor'.

An undefeated Champion for over eighteen years, Samuel Oak had decided to leave the world of Pokémon battling and change his career, much to the shock of the rest of the world. He had willingly stepped down from the throne, allowing the previous Champion Calem to take over the reins.

He had progressed into the world of research, leading the world through several important discoveries, his most well-known invention being the pokédex technology. Once a ruler of both the Kanto and Johto sub-continents and now a researcher who single-handedly built the world's largest Pokémon research network, Oak was a living legend, a model for trainers and researchers alike. He had come out of nowhere, sweeping through the pokémon world and ending up as champion for the next twenty years. Then, he had given it all up and taken pokémon research as his new passion and sunk into it wholeheartedly. And reached the top again

"Come in! Come in! I bet you all can't wait to get on the road," he said as he ushered the four of them in. The four kids were practically bubbling with excitement and enthusiasm as the Old man led them to another room. It didn't take long for them to reach the room. It was comparatively small, the young trainers mused as they took in their surroundings, they were only table and chair placed in the middle of the small room.

As the large table where the three Pokeballs were laid out finally came into their sight, The Senior Oak heard the children let out gasps of varying intensity and resisted the urge to chuckle, lest he risk ruining the private magic that this day would undoubtedly have and hold to each of them. Today, they'd meet their first partners, after all.

"Alright," he started, attracting all of their gazes unquestionably. As he spoke, he moved to stand in front of the table, with his back turned toward the pokeballs so he could look each child in the eye. "We all know each other, but I'd like to welcome you formally to my Lab nonetheless. I'm Professor Samuel Oak -"

Gary let out a theatrical sigh.

"Really, gramps?"

Ah, that boy this time, Oak didn't resist the urge to chuckle.

"Yes, really. Patience, Gary. I have to follow League Regulations before I can hand out your partners and official IDs."

That shut him up, of course, and Oak was free to continue, thank the heavens. Still, he took a moment to analyse each of them before continuing.

"As I was saying, I'm Professor Samuel Oak, and I'd like to welcome you all to my Laboratory. As you have all reached the minimum age of 10 required to travel, or will reach it in the next month, I'm glad to announce that each of you is now eligible for the position of Official Trainer as per Indigo Regulation on Pokemon Possession. As soon as you each pick your starter, it will be registered to your Trainer Card and you will be, in the eyes of the Indigo League, Pokemon Trainers."

Ah, he never got tired of this.

There was a reason Oak hadn't denied the League's request to act as an official Starter Distribution Professor despite the fact that he was, more often than not, astronomically busy with all of his research. Sure, knowledge was his passion, but there was a joy to be gained in starting a young trainer's journey into their world that he couldn't really get from anywhere else.

"However," he continued, his tone shifted from affection to complete seriousness. "If I heard any one of you break the laws stipulated by the joint Kanto/Johto League in either shape or form. Your sponsorship will be revoked without a second thought. Are we clear?"

Ash, Leaf, Gary and Ray, while a bit intimidated despite the Professor's best attempts to assure them, nodded their heads resolutely. "Yes, sir!"

"Now, as we do have one extra trainer in this batch of beginners, I wasn't able to prepare another regular starter. I will have to ask one of you to stay behind to get another starter for you. Any volunteers?" he asked once he had trainers stop in front of a machine that held three balls.

The fours stayed silent as they looked among themselves wondering and hoping someone would speak up. It seemed like each of them had their hopes up in wanting one of the starters. Ash took a deep breath before speaking up without looking at the other three, "I'll stay behind." He didn't let any emotion fill the words as he couldn't believe he had said them.

He saw Oak look at him then smile in pride, "Very well dear boy," he said as he gestured for the other relieved three trainers to the machine

"In each of these balls holds a pokemon. There is the grass type, Bulbasaur. The water type pokemon, Squirtle. And last, but not least, the fire type pokemon Charmander.

"You will have the choice of selecting either Bulbasaur the Grass-Type, Squirtle the Water-Type or Charmander the Fire-Type. Each of these Pokémon has unique characteristics and personalities that will benefit a Trainer depending on their personality. As well as what goals they wish to aspire to on their respective journeys."

The Professor then held up his finger. "Bulbasaur the Grass-Type Pokemon with great versatility. It specialised in immobilising opponents with various spores and toxins, which made it invaluable for battles and captures. Bulbasaur could trap a wide variety of wild Pokemon and make them incredibly easy for any trainer.

He held up his second finger. "Squirtle the Water-Type is the most defensive option of the trio. Its evolutionary line had developed a rigid shell that was nigh impenetrable from most attacks. Along with its sturdy defences, Squirtle could pack a punch with high-pressure water blasts, and it's hard skull and powerful jaws gave it options to work with close-ups.

Finally he held up his third finger. "Charmander the Fire-type. Its breed was primed for attack power and speed, two attributes that could be put to great use in battle. Charmander and its evolutionary line could slash enemies with sharp claws and then blast them with intense flames. Even against a Pokemon with a type advantage, their onslaught could usually pull them through to victory." He explained

"Remember, while they have already been tamed and are apt to be given to newly starting trainers, they still have their own personalities and ambitions.

"Now," Oak said. "You three are almost ready to start your journeys. If you accept it, I want all of you to have a pokedex. It'll record pokemon you encounter and help you along the way as well as having a built in map of the region, Don't forget that as you start to bond with them. With that said, ladies first," he said before moving to the side after giving Leaf an encouraging smile.

She stepped forward a little hesitant to the machine before picking up the first ball. She pressed the button and Red light burst out of the pokéball, releasing a small green leafy pokemon, who was left standing once the light faded.

It was not exactly clear how pokéballs captured pokémon within them and released them back without any form of physiological changes to their form. There was a rather nefarious rumour about pokéballs using alien technology to forcefully convert pokémon into mysterious, red-colored poké-energy, and sucked them into the device, before keeping them in some form of suspended animation. Another rumour talked about how pokéballs had some form of restraining abilities, that allowed a trainer to tame wild pokémon captured by these spheres. Whatever the real technology might have been, it was viciously guarded by Silph Co. and Devon Corp. His dad never told him about this. After all, this was the very same technology that allowed them to become corporate giants, crushing all the competition in the process.

Ash watched as a short, green Pokemon with four stubby legs and a plant bulb on its back materialised following a brief flash of light. Bulbasaur has red eyes with white pupils, pointed, ear-like structures on top of its head, and a short, blunt snout with a wide mouth. A pair of small, pointed teeth are visible in the upper jaw when its mouth is open. Each of its thick legs ends with three sharp claws.

On Bulbasaur's back is a green plant bulb, which is grown from a seed planted there at birth. The bulb also conceals two slender, tentacle-like vines and provides it with energy through photosynthesis as well as from the nutrient-rich seeds contained within.

The Bulbasaur glanced around curiously at its surroundings. It eventually spotted the Professor and gave him a wary look.

"Easy, Bulbasaur. Your trainer is here, see?"

The little grass-type looked at Leaf when Oak pointed and seemed to consider his words for a second. The Bulbasaur regarded her with some warniness but didn't attack her.

The League Starters were both bred and prepared to be handed to newbie trainers, and thus were always non-aggressive. Unlike a wild Pokemon, the Bulbasaur wouldn't lash out at Leaf

Leaf knelt down so she was at Bulbasaur's level and held her hand out for the Pokemon to scan. She politely waited as Bulbasaur ran its two vines over her fingers.

When the grass type finished and looked up at her, she smiled and spoke quietly so as not to startle it. "Hi there, Bulbasaur. My name is Leaf. It's nice to meet you! Would you like to travel with me?"

Bulbasaur's eyes immediately lit up and it nodded vigorously.

"Hehe!" The girl laughed, as he petted the dual-type, who leaned against her hand. "It's so cute. Thank you, professor."

"I will take it as a compliment." Professor said with some exasperated amusement. "Why don't you use your Pokedex on your new partners? It'll act as a tutorial of sorts and give you a bit of information about your Pokemon."

The young trainer nodded and held up her Pokedex's cameras to their new Pokemon so as to scan them. Before long, they each beeped. They all listened curiously as the Pokedex began to recite information in a mechanical, feminine voice.

Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokemon. It is born with a large seed on its back to accumulate nourishment for growth. Energy is also stored in the bulb that can be utilized in battle. Bulbasaur often take frequent naps in bright sunlight shortly before evolution.

This Bulbasaur is female and knows the moves: Vine Whip, Tackle, and Power Whip. Its ability is Overgrow, which boosts its grass-type moves when it is low on health.

Leaf grinned. "Wow, Bulbasaur! You've got some moves, huh?" Bulbasaur puffed up and seemed to be thoroughly proud of Leaf's assessment. The Professor smiled, as Leaf returned it back to her pokéball before attaching it back to her belt.

Professor Oak chuckled as an excited Leaf made her way back to where she had been standing. "So, who wants to go next?" he questioned as he glanced between his grandson and Ray.

Ray and Gary stared at each other for a minute as the tension in the room grew thicker each second. Finally, with a resigned sigh Gary gestured to Ray to go ahead. Ray smirked triumphantly as Ash and Leaf rolled their eyes whole-heartedly.

Ray immediately went for the last ball holding the Charmander. In the same flash of red light popped out a small orange lizard with sharp teeth and claws with a burning tail. The little lizard let out a small growl as it approached its trainer already accepting that Alex was his. Ash smiled seeing his friend getting his dream pokemon. Ash isn't one of those who dreams of an specific pokemon, he is the type of person who likes and loves every type of pokemon.

Gary was left for last. Gary's squirtle was a bit taller than bulbasaur, he noticed as Gary released his water type starter. It was easily reaching Gary's, who was taller than Leaf by a few inches, upper knee as it stood in its two hind legs.

Gary didn't get down on its level to talk to it but he had the friendliest expression Ash had seen on his face as he talked down at the squirtle, who was looking up at Gary eagerly. After a few moments later, the Squirtle nodded as Gary muttered something to it. Before, he removed his Pokedex from his shirt. Everyone in the room watched with interest as the same mechanical voice began to recite information.

Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokemon. During battle, it hides itself in its shell and strikes with bursts of water at every opportunity. Squirtle uses its hard head to stun prey with tackles, then delivers fierce bites. As Squirtle prepares to evolve, its shell grows harder and it begins to develop sharp teeth.

This Squirtle is male and knows the moves: Water Gun, Tackle, and Skull bash. Its ability is Torrent, which boosts its water-type moves when it is low on health.

Ash's lips curled up as Squirtle puffed out his chest in pride as his trainer complimented him. The next second Gary returned it back to her pokéball, although he didn't attach it back to the belt, keeping it in his hands instead.

He watched as trainer and pokemon left one right after the other leaving him and the Professor alone in their area of the lab.

After they left, Oak smiled at Ash, and he thought he saw some tears., "Let's go back in. I have got the perfect pokemon for you," he said as he wiped his eyes and started walking back to the door with a confused Ash following behind him.

"What kind of pokemon is it?" he asked as they entered a room Ash had never been in before. It was a small room with a small table and lamp on it. But there in the middle of it, was a pokeball, but it was of different colour.

Ash was confused, he had only seen the red normal Pokeballs. As they grew closer, Ash could see the ball clearly. It is a black ball with a yellow stripe. It has a black and yellow top, often with the yellow forming an "H" on the top of the ball. Like the normal pokeball, it has a white bottom area.

Professor Oak picked up the ball and handled it to Ash. The young trainer curiously picked up the different Pokeball and began to check it down. It seems pretty same to the normal pokeball except the colour

"What kind of pokeball is it?" he asked curiously. The professor smiled at the young trainer before answering his question.

"This is called Ultra Pokeball." He explained. "It is almost same as normal Pokeball but there is a higher chance of catching the pokemon by this" He finished smiling at the stunned expression of Ash

Ash slowly nodded his head, that was interesting before striking the most important question.

"What kind of pokemon is it?"

" See for yourself " That's the only reply Ash got from his grandpa. Ash shook his head and pressed the button and in a beam of red light covered the whole room. When Ash opened his eyes, he saw something different. Something he wasn't expecting.

There was a very small pokemon with a white body. It has thin arms and legs that widen toward the feet. There is a wispy extension trailing off the back of its feet, creating the overall impression of a nightgown or oversized dress. Most of its face is covered by green hair that resembles a bow cut but there are two flat, red horns on top of its head, a large one toward the front and a smaller one at the back.

"A Ralts," The old professor said as said pokemon approached the two humans. What caught Ash's attention was Ralts's left hand A sharp painful looking scar ran straight through the whole left hand, but miraculously it didn't seem to have affected the arm at all, Ash judged by the innocent look present on Ralts's face.

"What happened?" Ash asked as he looked between the pokemon and the Professor.

"It appeared that Ralts had a previous trainer. Not a very good one at that. From what we could gather the trainer abandoned Ralts after a battle that left Ralts with the scar," Oak said as the baby pokemon looked closely at Ash.

Ash looked down at the curious pokemon before slowly reaching forwards and holding out his hand palm down for Ralts to sniff him.

"Ralts," he said softly as he smiled down at him or her. He doesn't know, "Want to go on an adventure with me?"

The green pokemon tilted his head slightly and a few silent moments passed before it beamed and jumped on his young trainer. Ash laughed and confirmed it was a female, as he hugged back his starter.

Oak smiled and nodded at the duo, "I knew you two would be just fine together. Now, as you both have accepted each other." He removed a blue device from his pocket and handed it to Ash. But this Pokedex looked different from the Pokedex given to the other three trainers.

" This is a Pokedex, an ingenious invention of mine. " He took a second to look proud before continuing. "It is a device that uses information generated across several regions and landmasses to create a universal database for pokémon, listing their names, features, abilities, common locations, food habits and the like. Furthermore, it also had the ability to scan a pokémon in front of it, comparing it to its ever-updating database before providing the relevant information, thus providing efficient means to identify a pokémon on sight. Trainers were given out the pokédex as proof of their coming of age and becoming a licensed pokémon trainer. " He took a deep breath, before continuing again

"Since you are from Kanto, the pokédex in question would allow you access to the pokémon found in Kanto and probably the adjoining Johto regions, though only because of the common biodiversity between the two regions." He finished. Ash rolled his eyes, the Professor had just repeated what he said not five minutes before, but brushed it off seeing as the professor was still speaking.

"The pokédex gives more detailed information about owned pokémon, by scanning them through their pokéballs. Scanning Ralts now,"—Oak demonstrated.

"Uh-oh," Ash murmured, mimicking the professor's motions and checking on Ralts. The electronic device spoke up.

Ralts: A Psychic/Fairy type Pokémon . It is known as the Feeling Pokémon. Ralts senses the emotions of people using the horns on its head. This Pokémon rarely appears before people. But when it does, it draws closer if it senses that the person has a positive disposition.

This Ralts is female. Typing: Physics/ Fairy. Known move set: Disarming voice, Growl, Double team, confusion and teleport. Ability: Confused Ray

"That's… a rather diverse move pool." Ash admitted, impressed.

"Well, that's Ralts for you," Oak answered, gently rubbing the ralts's head. "She is an amazing pokemon, if trained right. I still don't know how can someone abandon someone like her '' The professor shook his head. Ash nodded in agreement.

"Confuse Ray," Ash muttered. "What's that? "

"It's a ghost type of move, not very common either " Oak explained.

"Check this out." He clicked on the pokédex, and the mechanical voice went on.

Confuse Ray — an ability commonly found in Ghost pokémon. The Confuse Ray allows a sinister flash of light to confuse the target.

"That's interesting," Ash commented, "Fairly unusual for a physics Pokemon"

Professor nodded.

"Wicked."

"This is mind-blowing. You are a terrific little thing, aren't you?"

The Ralts blushed red at that.

"Also professor, why is this Pokedex blue in colour? The one you gave to the others was red right? "

The professor nodded and explained. "You see this one isn't limited to Kanto and Johto pokemon. It's called the National Dex," He allowed himself a moment to bask in his achievement. "It is connected to the Oceanos Data Center, a centralised database that keeps information of pokémon species in almost all the regions of the world. Most pokédexes are usually connected to their regional databases. It will update whenever in range of a Pokémon centre."

Ash blinked.

"Well, Ralts isn't exactly a Kanto native, and considering the influx of foreign trainers into Kanto over the years, I decided to give you a National Dex instead of a standard one. Consider it my way of not getting you a regular Kanto Starter. "

Ash opened his mouth, then closed it. Finally, after a moment, he replied. "Thanks a lot, Professor"

The old professor smiled and ruffled his hair. Lucky for him, Ash wasn't wearing his trusty hat, which the boy had been insistently wearing at almost all times since he got it a few years ago, usually kept his hair away from his eyes no matter how long it grew, so the boy didn't cut his hair as often anymore.

He held back a snicker as the self - proclaimed champion tried to dodge away his hand. "Come now Ash, don't spoil my fun. In a few minutes, you'll be gone on your own journey, leaving this old man all alone." he smiled a little sadly.

It would be a little lonely without them around, he thought to himself. He'd miss all of thems constant presence. After deciding to be a pokemon trainer Ash usually spend most of his time in Pallet town. For all of their bickering, they were a light in Pallet's life that wouldn't easily be replaced. Mew knew he'd had many a conversation with Delia while they played about their impending empty nest syndrome.

Alas. All boys leave home one day. It said so on the TV, after all.

The messy haired boy stepped aside and rolled his eyes at the Professor. "Whatever you say, old man." Ash crossed his arms in an attempt to look more intimidating—or as intimidating a ten-year-old could be.

He narrowed his eyes. "And, Stop trying to manipulate me into staying back as your field research apprentice. I'm not falling for that." he accused.

Oops.

The old professor cleared his throat disconcertingly. Well, it didn't hurt him to try, the young boy would be a good researcher just like his mother. "That obvious huh?"

Ash rolled his eyes, "Duh!"

The wisened and learned Professor chuckled and nodded at that and then walked up to Ash and Ralts. "Well, I wish you both the best of luck on your journey. I would walk you down to the road but I need to take care of something. Take care of yourself Ash, I look forward to hearing from you at Viridian!"

After saying their farewells, Ash made his way back out into the main area of the Lab and allowed Professor Oak to see him off at the front door.

From there, he and Ralts sitting on his shoulder walked down the long stone steps to the gate at the bottom of the hill. Ray and Leaf have decided to travel together and even asked Ash to accompany him. Ash politely declines, saying he wants to travel alone. Gary decided a few months ago that he was going to be making his journey with an older group of friends he was introduced to during his last year at Pallet Primary.

Ash doesn't know how Gary got introduced to them but it's mostly a bunch of older teenage girls that live in town. They know who Gary's grandfather is and they also knew that he would be starting his Pokémon Journey this year. Ash was happy that his identity was hidden by his parents. No one except Professor Oak knows that Ash is the son of one of the most powerful man in the world.

These girls come from fairly well to do families and apparently, one of them has a fancy red convertible. They talked Gary into going on his journey in it with all of them tagging along. And Gary just thinks these girls want to go around with him and be his adoring fan club because they see his potential. When Ash tried to talk him out of it but you know Gary, so strong willed and convinced that he's always right. Ash just hopes Gary wouldn't be influenced by these kids.

He greeted some neighbours he knew and pokemon alike until he made it to his house. It was a penthouse with a large garden in the back. This house was mainly bought by his father so her mother could visit Professor Oak laboratory and meet her pokemon there sometimes and as Ash is starting his journey, he could visit it anytime. Standing in the garden was his mother's pokemon Mr. Mime, "Hello Mr. Mime!" Ash greeted as he walked past with a small wave. He heard the pokemon greet back as he entered the house.

"Mom I'm back!" he announced as he walked into the house. His Mom, with long auburn hair and kind honey whiskey eyes, greeted him from the drawing room.

"Oh Ash! You got a Ralt?!" she said as he entered the drawing room and ate some cookies present on the dining table. The ralts joined him soon as they both ate hurriedly. The only difference between the way Ralts and Ash ate was that when the former sat down to a meal, it was with the table manners of a wild Mankey and the appetite of a ravenous Snorlax.

Delia shook her head with a smile. His son has the appetite of a Snorlax, before her smile turned into a little mischievous. "U know Ash, you could apply for the field researcher too, you don't need to travel then. And you can eat a lot of food too. "

Ash rolled his eyes and shook his head at his mom, his mom has an obsession of him being a researcher. He was surprised if he was being honest as his mother was the first one to give him permission to be a pokemon trainer. But Ash figured out that his mother got to know she won't be able to see his child for God knows how long. Ralts was looking curiously between Ash and Delia. Ash looked directly into his mother's eye and said it.

"No mom, It's my dream to be a pokemon master! " Cliche.

Yeah, it was cliche he admitted but coincidentally it worked on his mom as she gave up with a sigh. After eating the leftover cookies, Ash went into his room to change into his outfit brought by his mom while ralts rested on the couch.

The outfit was quite good, he admits. It was an all black tracksuit with splashes of red here and there. The sleeves of the jacket and the legs of the pants were both interchangeable. Meaning that they could be turned into a more comfortable and cooler version of the outfit for hotter, summer weather and any other conditions that called for a "shorts and T-shirt" occasion. The pants were also lined on the inside which meant they could double as swim trunks. There were red lines running down the sleeves of the track coat, up around the cuffs, on the collar, at the waist and also at the front of the jacket where the zipper pulled down. There were red streaks going down the sides and along the waistband of the pants as well. To complete the outfit was a pair of cross trainers that were also all black except for red colouring on the sides of the shoes.

All in all, Ash was very impressed with the travelling clothes his mother had chosen for him and knew it would suit him perfectly for his soon to be life on the road. The apparent versatility of it was important too since he would always be doing something physical. He then looked to the next items of interest and noticed his survival and camping gear; complete with black sleeping bag, a small compact portable tent, portable cookware and food that his mom had packed for him (as well as his future Pokémon) all rolled up neatly next to a sizable but still manageable looking new travelling pack.

The pack was, indeed, quite large - enough to carry all he had - with many different pouches and pockets everywhere. It was even black and red, just like his tracksuit. There were other essential items and random things his well-meaning mother had packed for him as well and as he went about putting it all away and finding proper places for everything, he soon found himself hoping it would all fit.

As soon as she saw him, Delia clapped her hands and did a small leap in place. "Oh look at you honey! You look so handsome in your new outfit!" Ralts smiled and nodded in agreement too, though Ash thought he saw her cheeks turn a little pink.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Ash rubbed the back of his neck and smiled modestly. "Thanks, it feels really comfortable and loose. I really like the shoes and the pack too, I think they're gonna work great."

At that, Delia raised her finger and winked at her child. "Well don't go running off just yet, I have something to give you. "

She then went over to the cupboard under the stairs and opened it up before reaching in, searching around and finally pulling out a small square box that was wrapped in blue paper with Poké Ball designs on the surface.

Walking back over to her son, she held it out and smiled brightly. Ash took the box from his mother quickly unwrapped it was. Then, once that was done, after fully opening it, he gasped at what he saw. Inside, laying upon a soft bed of blue cloth, was a black wrist watch-looking device with blue strips of colouring on the sides and bottom. It had a square touchscreen on the front of it and a big blue button up on the top right side of the device. There was also a black one above the screen.

Delia smiled and addressed the surprise that was on his child's face. "That Ash, is an Xtransceiver. It is a communication device that allows you to have a multi-way call with up to four people at once. It is all done in a video feature as well so that you can see the person whom you are talking to."

She reached out and touched the device with his finger. "It also has a built-in satellite GPS navigation system. With it, you can be assured that you will never get lost. It also will tell you where all the best routes to travel on are located and it shows you where all the towns and cities are in every region, no matter how big or small.

The Xtransceiver will display the location of places such as Pokémon Centers, Poké Marts, hotels, Pokémon Gyms and nearby attractions, as well as many other establishments and locales of interest. It has a search feature too that you can use to make finding a particular destination easier and with less time involved. If the place in question is registered in the Xtransceiver's extensive satellite database then you will always be able to find the location you want to head to."

The mother of Ash smiled and crossed his arms behind himself. "This device is the Unova region's answer to Johto's Pokégear, Hoenn's PokéNav and Sinnoh's Pokétch. It is also the most advanced device in this particular line of equipment than the former three. In fact, it is not even going to be available in Unova itself yet for quite some time."

She winked at his son and held up her finger. "This is not only, I have one more surprise for you, much bigger than this, Follow me. "

Ash nodded dumbly and didn't hesitate and followed his mother to her room. The ralts woke up and Ash laughed as she jumped on his shoulder.

The room was located through a door off to the left side of the dinning area. As they made their way to the room in question, he slipped the Xtransceiver onto his right wrist and marvelled at the fit. He slid the sleeve of his jacket down over the device though to save himself from potentially unending questions about what was on his wrist.

"Uhh... Mom, why are we here?" He asked in confusion as they reached the room.

Delia smiled as she searched around and finally pulled out a Rectangular box that was wrapped in red paper.

Walking back over to her son, she held it out and smiled brightly. "Take this sweetheart!"

Curiously, Ash took the thin, wrapped item from her and swiftly undid the paper covering it until he could see what she had given him. When he did, the tender hearted pre-teen felt a warmness settle in his belly again while his eyes once more became misty. What he saw resting on thin white wrapping paper made a soft smile across his lips. It was a small, framed picture of his father, Richard, standing outside of their house holding Delia in his arms. And there was a small boy, Ash assumed that was Bill, he was holding the hands of their parents.

All of them were smiling brightly at the camera and they looked quite young, which meant that the picture had to have been taken some time after they got married and bought their house in Goldenrod City

The amber eyed boy continued to smile gently and then ran his hand over the image of his family in the picture. Unfortunately, His father and brother got some very important work and they had to leave very early. Bill assured Ash that Ash can meet him in his house in Cerulean City. As for his father.. Ash really hopes he can see him again soon.

Soon, he looked back up at his mother and nodded. "Thanks mom, I love it. Really, I do, thank you. "

Before he could say something more, a small soft hand wiped his tears. Ash and his mother smiled as Ralts wiped her eyes before muttering some comfort words to Ash in her own language.

Delia stepped forward and hugged her son tightly. "Take care Ash, we all will miss you. ."

Hearing that caused his eyes to grow a little moist and he grasped onto his mother tightly, hugging her and breathing in her scent since he knew it would be awhile before he saw her again. Delia herself became a little wet in the eyes as they hugged and when they finally separated a short time later, she quickly wiped her eyes and her son did the same. Ash even saw Ralts getting a little emotional. He wasn't surprised, The professor told him that Ralts is highly attuned to the emotions of people and Pokémon.

With that said, the two of them turned their backs on Pallet Town and set off for Route 1 and the first leg of their journey. His father told him that he will see the one he is going to travel with soon . The sun was starting to shine brightly and the wind was blowing a pleasant breeze through the air. It was a perfect day to begin an important and life changing journey.


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