Misty tapped her foot with both worrying and impatiently. "Ugh, where is he? He should be here by now!"
Brock calmed her down, "Now now, Misty. I'm sure that Ash won't miss this event for the world. You know how much he wants to win."
Misty rolled her eyes, but calmed down a bit. These last two months had been alright for them. Brock reconnected with his father a bit and Misty took over the role of gym leader for her sisters. The two knew Ash wouldn't miss his first Pokémon League, but if he missed registration, all that work in traveling would become a waste.
Suddenly, there was a flash in the nearby woods before it died down. Footsteps could be heard and revealed the identity of the person. The figure was a boy with a slightly muscular build in a black t-shirt, blue jacket, jeans, green gloves, white and black sneakers, and an Indigo League hat that covered his black hair. And on his face were two z marks while on his shoulder was a Pikachu.
The two gym leaders saw the boy and mouse exit the woods as he made his way to the Indigo Pokémon Center. The doors opened with Brock and Misty sharing a glance at the person before. He strode by the two as he made his way over to the registration.
"I am here for the Indigo League," he said.
"Okay, can I see your Pokédex and get your name," Nurse Joy asked.
"Ash Ketchum."
The two gym leaders did a double take as they heard that name. "Ash?!" Ketchum finally recognized his friends and addressed, "Hey, you guys!" "Pika!"
"Wow!" Misty let out, "Look at you! I guess two months on an island can change you." Ash just chuckled, "Well, I personally decided to start putting my own time and effort into training myself and my Pokémon. Those trainer tips and catalogs I got from Professor Oak really helped me," before whispering, "along with some training equipment on the island. It really helped."
Misty and Brock nodded. They knew Ash would want to keep the secret of him owning a Legendary and a Mythical Pokémon. Not to mention, his own personal island.
Then Ash's stomach began to growl, much to his embarrassment. "Hehe," he said, "So, lunch?" His two traveling companions just sweat dropped. Typical Ash, serious until food is involved.
After downing his fifth bowl of rice, Ash was finally satisfied. Brock and Misty both went bugged eyed at this. They had forgotten how much Ash usually eats. "Ahhhhh~ That hit the spot!" Ketchum chimed. His starter chirped in agreement, having chugged down an entire bottle ketchup.
After lunch, the trio made their way over to Pokémon Village, the town were competitors come to stay. There was a small commotion near the center of the village which drew the heroes to the scene. "What's going on here?" Ash asked as they approached. They saw a trainer, holding his knee in pain with Officer Jenny and a short man with a long beard. Misty refrained Brock from flirting by pinching his ear.
"The torch runner sprained his leg," Officer Jenny said.
"Torch runner?" Ash repeated.
"Yep, usually one trainer runs with a torch said to have the flame of Moltres before the league begins. It's the same for all regions except Johto."
"But we can't have a hurt torch runner to start the league off," the short man said, "oh, where are my manners. My name is Charles Goodshow, head of the Pokemon League Association or PLA for short."
"I'm Ash Ketchum and this is my partner Pikachu," Ash introduced.
"I'm Misty." "And I'm Brock." "Priii~" His friends introduced, or announced in Togepi's case.
"Pleasure to meet you," Goodshow said. "Say are any of you competing in the league?"
"I am, sir," Ash said.
"How would you like to be the new torch runner?"
"Me? Are you sure?" Ash asked, "I wouldn't want to step on anyone's toes..."
"Nonsense," the head of the PLA said, "I insist. Officer Jenny would that be ok with you?"
"Hmmmm," Jenny thought aloud, "well we are on short notice and no one else is here at the moment. So why not?"
"Alright then," Charles turned to Ash before getting Ash in a runner outfit with Pikachu at his side. He did some practice running with the torch before getting ready for the final run. His two traveling companions made their way to the stadium while he was practicing. Ash was used to running a lot now, and worked on his stamina during his training regiment.
Ash and Pikachu were running down the path with Officer Jenny on her police bike and Goodshow in the side car. Ash ran before almost feeling something beneath his feet. The ground felt lighter and Ketchum, having been in this situation before, jumped as Pikachu followed in suit. Jenny and Charles were confused before the ground revealed a pitfall.
"A pitfall?" Jenny questioned.
"Who would do such a thing?" Charles added.
Ash and Pikachu didn't waste a second on who had been behind this attempt. Hearing the bushes rustle, the trainer and Pokémon made haste on revealing the culprits. "Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu let loose a charge that churned the bush and revealed the three infamous stalkers of Ash's journey.
"Figures," Ash muttered around his breath.
"Who are you?" Charles asked as he and Jenny pulled up behind the torch runner.
(Cue Team Rocket Motto)
"We'll be taking the Pikachu of yours now!" Jessie haughtily said.
"Then will give him and the rest of your Pokémon to the boss!" James spoke.
"And all our hard work will be rewarded!" Meowth fantasized with his two human friends.
"Yeah, no way that's happening," Ash said, "Pikachu, Zap Cannon!"
The Mouse Pokémon generated an orb of electricity before firing it. The Zap Cannon hit the TRio before they even had a chance to react and it resulted in their usual catchphrase when being blown away.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off againnnnnnnnnnn! *twinkle*"
Officer Jenny and Goodshow watched as Ash had flawlessly commanded his Pokémon to send those interlopers from stealing. "My, this boy is truly something else," the head of the PLA commented. Jenny just nodded along.
"Well, let's not keep the others waiting at the stadium!" Ash brought their attention back to the task at hand, which the two adults nodded to.
At the Indigo Plateau, various trainers in the stadium were waiting for the torch runner to come and ignite the bowl for the league to begin. Each trainer had prepared themselves and their Pokémon for the Indigo League.
Ash entered with Pikachu at his side as he ran with the torch. All eyes were on him as he continued to run before reaching the center of the stadium. Officer Jenny escorted Charles to the stand, where he stood at a microphone.
"Welcome, trainers to the Indigo League! You are here because you have managed to past the challenges from gym leaders and now you have the chance to demonstrate your abilities to win the Indigo League! I wish you the best of luck in this competition!" Goodshow announced before allowing Ash to lit the torch.
Ash was about to do so before an all too familiar robotic hand swiped the flame out of his hand. The hand retracted to a giant robot with a giant R on it.
"Hahahaha!" the TRio manically laughed as descended in their robot.
"Team Rocket!" Ash shouted as they took the flame.
"That's for earlier, twerp!" Jessie retorted.
"We didn't even get to explain our plan earlier!" James mentioned.
"Not that matters now. We got the flame of Moltres in our grasp!" Meowth finished.
The robotic hand retracted back into the robot, allowing the flame to enhance all of its flame properties. All the competing trainers avoided the flamethrowers, some even trying to use their Water type Pokémon to fight the flames.
Ash dodged a searing blast from the Team Rocket as Pikachu took cover himself. The Pallet Town grit his teeth at the chaos unfolding as Team Rocket continued their madness. 'If this keeps up, they melt the entire stadium to the ground,' he thought. And he knew one Pokémon that could prevent any further harm. Pulling on his Pokeball, he whispered, "Don't get seen," and sent out the ball's inhabitant: Mewtwo.
In a rush, a blinding blue light obscured where Ash and the robot was before the robot was seemingly sent blasting off from Mewtwo's attack before the flame seemed to reappear in the bowl, courtesy of Mewtwo using Teleport. A shockwave echoed across the stadium caused the foundation of the torch's location to crumble and spill flames. Unfortunately, Ash and Pikachu were too close to the flames and shielded themselves to best of their ability.
'Ash! Pikachu!' Mewtwo telepathically shouted in fear.
But to his surprise, the flames didn't hurt the boy or Pikachu and they began to morph into a shape. The flames took the appearance of a bird covered in the element and it let out a cry. "TRESSSSSS!"
"Wow! I don't believe it folks! Moltres has seemed to make an appearance at this year's league!" the announcer took note off.
The phoenix like Pokémon hovered in place, seemingly observing the gathered trainers here before taking off into the night, leaving the flames as it was originally. Ash used this as a distraction to return Mewtwo before being spotted by anyone.
"And just like that folks, Moltres leaves. No doubt wishing luck to all the trainers competing this year."
After the usual, for him and his traveling companions, Team Rocket fiasco, the Indigo League began under way.
And Ash couldn't be more excited to start.
That night in the Pokémon Village, where the competitors come to stay, Ash wasn't sleeping in his bed as he was rather restless. He took this time to exit the lodge and walk around the area, hoping to clear his mind.
As he strolled, he began to reflect on him and his Pokémon training, all they went through these past two months. He eventually wondered into the main stadium, which is when Mewtwo and Mew both appeared out of their Pokeballs.
'Ash, is everything alright?' Mewtwo asked.
'Eww...' Mew let out a small worried whine.
"I'm fine you two," Ash reassured, "it's just... I'm here. The place I have been dreaming about since I first saw it. And everything I've done to get here... what if I lose it all? All this training from the past two months for nothing..."
'Ash. no matter how far you get, we will be by your side," Mewtwo said as Mew chirped in agreement.
That brought a smile to Ash's face. It didn't matter if he won or lose the league. The new friends he made along the ay would be worth. But he wasn't going to put all their training to waste.
He was going to win.
To show everyone here what he had learned during his journey.
"You're right," Ash said with a determined smile before pumping his fist in the air, "Tomorrow, we show what we have learned and we will win this league."
Both of his legendary Pokémon nodded in agreement before returning to their Pokeballs as Ketchum leaves the stadium, ready for the league.
Unknown to him, Goodshow had seen him enter the stadium, make that declaration, and even saw the two legendaries on hand. The head of the PLA was shocked but managed to crack a smile at the young boy. He had heard from his old friend Samuel Oak that a trainer had managed to catch a never before seen legendary and Mew. Imagine his surprise when he found out it was the same torch runner this year.
"This will surely be a league worth remembering," he said.
And with that he would retire for the night.
The Indigo League would officially begin.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Been alternating between my different stories and starting college. I will be trying to work on this from time to time.