Et In Spiritum

by LordTicky

To take one look at Ash Ketchum's team you would think him some kind crook with all of the evil Pokémon that he has with him. Truth is, his Pokémon aren't evil, they just have a bad reputation! Join Ash on his Journey as he sets out to redeem the name of the 'evil' Pokémon of the world, starting with his starter, Ekans!

1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any of its related titles or characters.

A new story! And after so long! I truly am a lazy writer. Anyways, this is a Pokémon story that's been rattling around in my brain for a while now. Ash is eventually going to gather up a team of Pokémon that, be it from the manga, anime, or games, have a bad reputation. These Pokémon, of course, will be even-tempered and mild-mannered. Ash will also have a few Pokémon from more 'acceptable' breeds. These will be evil as FUCK. Quick note before the story starts, Pokémon journeys in my story do not start until you are 15 at the earliest. This is merely so that the trainers in question can be stronger/smarter ect... I love a mature Ash who can take care of himself, but no 10-year old should be released to survive in the wild on his own while capturing and taming dangerous creatures. I also apologize if some sections seems wordy and out of place. I was trying my hand at world and character building. I'm not entirely certain how it worked out. Anyways, I hope that you enjoy! More notes will be below!

"Dooooo~ Dodrio!"

The call of a Dodrio echoed throughout the small town of Pallet, a joyous greeting to a new day, as well as an alarm clock to many of the still-sleeping inhabitants of the town. Including a certain dark-haired child who had spent the last several years getting ready for this day.

"Gah…" Ash Ketchum, aged 15, groaned as he rolled out of his bed. His tired body wanted nothing more than to crawl back into his warm and comfy bed and sleep to a decent hour like, say, noon. But a sudden thought struck him as he was lifting the covers up.

"Today's the day I become a trainer!" Ash thought excitedly, ditching his bed in favor of a shower as he hurriedly scrubbed himself clean and got dressed. "I need to hurry and get to Professor Oak's lab right aw-"

"And just where do you think you're going young man?" A woman's voice interrupted Ash's thoughts as he was trying to rush down the stairs. The voice belonged to one Delia Ketchum, Ash's mother, who had clearly already been up to a while and was standing at the bottom of the stairs with an amused smile spreading across her face.

"Hi mom! I'm just heading over to Professor Oak's to pick up my first Pokémon!" Ash said, excitement clear in his voice as he tried edging around his mother.

"Not so fast!" Delia said, grabbing Ash's ear and dragging him over to their small kitchen table, which was groaning under the weight of all the food that Ms. Ketchum had piled onto it. "I doubt that you've cared to glance at a clock since you woke up, but it's only just past 7:00. Professor Oak said that he was going to give out the starter Pokémon at 8:30. Which gives you more than enough time to eat your breakfast like a healthy growing boy should."

"Moooom!" Ash whined, but obediently grabbing some food and piling it onto his plate. Within minutes, the plate was demolished and Ash was moving for seconds, then thirds. Delia Ketchum was a fantastic cook, and owned and worked out of a small restaurant located near the prestigious Oak laboratory. Ash would frequently gorge himself on the delicious food she made, and later work it off by interacting with the Pokémon at the nearby lab.

Soon enough, by the time 8:00 had rolled around, all of the food was gone and Ash was groaning contentedly as his mom was transporting the dishes to the sink.

"Go on ahead to the lab Ash." Delia said, running the water as she began to wash their breakfast dishes. "I'll clean up here and then meet you there. And hopefully I'll be able to meet your cute new Pokémon too!"

"I'll see you then mom!" Ash said, grabbing his bag which he had prepared the night before from a nearby stand and rushing out the door.

PKMNPKMNPKMNPKMNPKMNPKMNPKMNPKMNPKMNPKMNPKMNPKMNPKMNPKMNPKMNPKMN

Ash jogged lightly to the Oak laboratory, occasionally nodding to several of the townspeople as they shouted out greetings and encouragement to his passing form. Ash slowed down as he reached the edge of the extensive lands that surrounded the lab. It was a precaution to prevent the Pokémon that Oak studied from getting startled and running, or worse, attacking. Though even at a leisurely pace, Ash made quick time and was soon opening the door to the entrance of the main lab.

"Hey there Ashy-boy!" A snide voice called out from the corner. "Here to come cheer me on?"

Ash turned and beheld the smirking visage of Gary Oak, Professor Samuel Oak's grandson.

"I'll cheer you straight to to second place Gary!" Ash called back, a grin spreading across his face. "Since first place is reserved for me!"

"Ha! In your dreams maybe!" Gary said, motioning Ash over as he headed deeper into the lab.

Ash smiled and followed. Him and Gary had a rather strange relationship. Ash didn't know why Gary was raised by his grandfather, and he knew enough not to ask. But during a guest lecture from the eldest Oak at the public school that they both attended, Ash had been noticed by the esteemed elder and was extended an invitation to visit the labs.

The one visit had quickly turned into several as the great Professor Oak noticed Ash's talent with Pokémon, and the deft hand with which he handled the ones at the lab. Combined with a great knowledge of the various types of Pokémon, it was soon apparent to all that Ash was a diamond in the rough. This had made Oak happy, as he had a chance to mold a brilliant young mind. It had made Ash's mom happy, as hanging out with the Oaks was a great opportunity for her child. And it had made Ash himself happy as he got to interact with all of the Pokémon at the lab.

The one person who wasn't happy was the young Gary Oak, who had grown jealous of the attention that the elder Oak was lavishing on Ash. This jealousy had grown and festered until almost a full year later, when Gary had eventually succumbed to his darker feelings and had tried to goad Ash into wandering into the preserve of a rather bad-tempered Rhydon.

Luckily, Professor Oak's Alakazam had sensed the duplicitous thoughts in the young Oak's head and had warned the Professor, who had managed to catch Ash just as he was entering the preserve. After the both of them had received a rather thorough tongue-lashing, Gary had eventually confessed why he had goaded Ash. Learning of this, Samuel Oak started spending more time with his grandson, while still encouraging Ash in his studies. Nowadays, the two young boys shared a tense friendship. Gary was still feeling guilty for his childhood prank, and while Ash had forgiven Gary he had never forgotten.

"So you know what you're going to get Ash?" Gary asked as they wandered into main lab area. He gestured to a machine with a sealed glass dome, where three red and white spheres were gleaming in the fluorescent light.

"Hell yeah!" Ash said grinning. He had thought long and hard about it. Logically, a Bulbasaur was the best choice, especially once you considered the first two gyms along Ash's planned route. And while getting a Charmander would get you a powerhouse of a Pokémon once fully evolved, the routes favored by new trainers held an abundance of rock, ground, and water types. All of which Charmander was disadvantaged against. In all honesty though, Ash wanted Squirtle. Even in its primary stage, it was a tank. High defense, high offense, and its bipedal body made it able to learn moves such as Mega Kick/Punch.

"Hah! Knowing you, you've probably not only figured out what you want, but figured out its moveset all the way to the Pokémon League!" Gary crowed, taking a jab at Ash's tendency to overthink when presented with the opportunity to do so.

"I intend to finish off my last match with Ice Beam." Ash says casually, smirking at his rival as he approached the pedestal containing the starters. Idly tapping the reinforced glass, he turned to face Gary. "And with any luck, I'll be using it to take you down."

"Pfft… Whatever Ashy-boy!" Gary scoffed as he too stepped up to the pedestal and began staring at the pokéballs within with an intensity that was slightly at odds with their casual banter. Gary then turned a sharp look to Ash. "I'm going to be the Champion. And not even you are standing in the way of that!"

"Wouldn't even dream of it." Ash said automatically, this being a longstanding discussion between the two of them. Gary had always wanted to usurp Lance and take over as Champion, though he had never divulged the reason why. Ash merely wanted to travel and train with his Pokémon.

"Hmph. Good." Gary said, turning back to the pokéballs, this time with a slight smile tugging on his lips. "So, Ice Beam huh? Guess I know what starter you've got your eye on!"

"More than one Pokémon can learn Ice Beam Gary." Ash reminded his rival casually. "And that's just counting the good 'ol Kanto species." What Ash failed to mention was the fact that he was currently leaning towards Squirtle as his starter.

"And if either of you want a Pokémon, capable of learning Ice Beam or not, I'd suggest that you step back from the pedestal and join the rest of us!" An authoritative voice rang out, startling the two teens. Slowly turning to the source of the voice, they were awarded with the stern visage of the legendary Professor Oak.

Professor Oak was nothing short of a legend of in the Pokémon world. He had come from a small nowhere town and had traveled the world as a young boy, returning to the Kanto region only to take it by storm. He had scored first place in the Pokémon League, conquered the Elite Four, and became Champion. He had only been Champion for a day before returning the title to the previous Champion, citing that he had different work to do.

Over the course of decades, Professor Oak had changed the world. His travels all over the world had introduced him to many Pokémon that he had taken the time to study. These studies had formed the foundation of data that he had programmed into a small handheld device later named the 'Pokédex.' He had been on the team that had produced the prototype for mass-produced pokéballs, and had collaborated with Bill Montgomery to create the Pokémon Transfer System. He was a big voice in terms of the fair treatment of Pokémon, and in nature conservation.

And in accomplishing his many scientific and economic goals, Professor Samuel Oak had rubbed elbows with many people of great political influence, gaining much influence himself in the process. And with his patents, he had ensured that the Oak family and labs would never have to worry about something as petty as money.

And somehow, despite all of this, he had also managed to stay a decent guy. Absolute power may corrupt absolutely, but Oak was trying his damndest to prove that saying wrong.

"Hey Gramps! What took you so long?"

"Hey Professor! Starting to get slow in your old age?"

Of course, no reputation is safe from the smart mouths of two cocksure teenagers.

Oak pinched the bridge of his nose, willing his developing headache to go away as Ash and Gary approached. The two were good boys, honestly, but would a little respect kill them? Although, and Samuel Oak would never admit this (outside of five shots of eggnog at the yearly Christmas party), but he was glad his grandson and his son were so mouthy. It helped keep him level. Reminded him that he was, after all, just a man.

"Hello everyone." Oak said as Ash and Gary joined him and the two other teenagers behind him. "I do believe introductions are in order before we continue to the main event, as it were. Of course, you all know me, my name is Professor Samuel Oak. This brat…" Oak pointed at Gary who grinned cockily. "Is Gary Oak, my grandson. This other one…" Ash smiled and gave a small wave. "Is Ash. He's a native of Pallet Town, and from what I've personally observed, a rather talented trainer. Boys, why don't you say something."

Gary, always eager, piped up first. "As Gramps said, I'm Gary Oak. I don't care about much, but I'm going to be Champion one day. And it'll be on my own merit too."

Professor Oak subtly flinched at that, though the only one who noticed was Ash, and only because he was expecting it. Gary Oak had grown up in an enormous shadow, and while Professor Oak would never regret any of his accomplishments, he did regret that it meant that Gary would have to struggle all the harder in order to be recognized by his own talents.

"Anyways, you scrubs best stay out of my way! As far as I'm concerned, you're just background characters!" Gary turned towards Ash. "Except you Ash. You're going to be with me at the top, even if I have to drag your miserable ass up there with me."

"Language Gary!" Ash and Oak said simultaneously, admonishing Gary for his foul mouth.

"Whatever." Gary shrugged nonchalantly. "It's your turn Ash."

"Hi, I'm Ash Ketchum." Ash said to the two other teens. "I grew up here in Pallet Town, and my best friend is that abrasive jerk over there." He pointed towards Gary who sneered back at him. "While I do intend to take on the League at some point, I have no desire to be Champion. I just want to train my Pokémon to the best of my abilities."

"Seriously Ash… No Arceus-damned ambition…" Gary sighed, ignoring the scathing look his grandfather gave him for his language.

"Anyways…" Professor Oak said, rubbing the back of his head in slight embarrassment at the actions of his two protégés. "Now who's next? How about you Mr. Toriyama?"

One of the teens stepped forward. He was rather short, with a really flat nose that almost seemed to not be there at all. He had a shaved head with two rows of three vertical dots on his forehead. He wore what seemed to be an orange gi with the kanji for 'Turtle School' displayed prominently on the back. On his feet were a pair of soft-looking black slippers.

"Hello everyone. My name is Akira Toriyama, though my nickname is Krillin. It's a bit of a joke, because I'm bald and I practice martial arts." Krillin clapped his hands together and gave a short bow. "It's an honor to meet everyone here."

The other teen stepped forward. This one was a young woman with short, brown hair and large expressive eyes. She wore a close-fitting blue dress with a stylized white bird on the chest. Underneath the dress it seemed she wore a pair of long blue pants with leather boots. All in all, an outfit that revealed very little skin. On her belt, she wore what looked like gas mask.

"My name is Nausicaä Miyazaki." The now introduced Nausicaä said, not bowing like Krillin but giving a short nod to each person in the room. "The place where I grew up lies near a toxic waste dump, necessitating the use of breathing masks." Nausicaä gestured to the mask dangling off of her belt. "I intend to battle and raise money to help clean up the environment near my town."

"A noble goal." Professor Oak said, nodding his head back at the girl. "Come find me when you deem yourself ready. I'll be more than happy to help you out." Oak then turn his attention to all three teens. "So, are you children ready to choose your Pokémon? We have one of each of the three Kanto startes here for you to choose from."

Krillin and Nausicaä immediately approached the pedestal, eagerly muttering to themselves as they tried to figure out which one they wanted. In the background, however, Gary and Ash could only frown.

"Uh… Gramps?" Gary began, somewhat hesitantly. "There are four of us."

"So?" Oak said, a puzzled look on his face.

"So there are only three Pokémon here gramps."

An expression of shock that was so over-the-top that it was almost comical came over Professor Oak's face before he hung his head in shame. "Never grow old children." Oak said mournfully. "I am so terribly sorry for not anticipating this. I can put a rush order on a fourth starter, but we might have delay handing them out for a week or-"

"Do you have any Pokémon around the lab that you can give away?" Ash's voice rang out unexpectedly, cutting off Oak mid-sentence.

"Er- Pardon?" Oak said, a bit flabbergasted by the sudden interruption.

"Well…" Ash began, now feeling a little self-conscious as all eyes turned on him. "In all honesty, I don't really care about what kind of Pokémon I get as a starter. And I know that you own several Pokémon around the ranch for research purposes and if you can spare one… Well… It'd just be faster and probably better for everyone involved?"

Oak smiled and nodded as Ash's sound logic reached him and a trickle of pride invaded his soul. "You're a fine young man Ash." Oak thought. "Willing to let go of a rare starter just so that no one has to wait for their journey to begin."

"We'll look at what I have after the others choose." Oak declared, approaching the pedestal and tapping a button, causing the glass lid covering the pedestal to retract as Nausicaä and Krillin both nodded somewhat hesitantly, neither sure of what to do or say in the unusual situation. Gary, or course, had no such hesitation.

"I'm taking this one gramps!" Gary said, swiping the pokéball marked with a sticker featuring a single drop of water.

"A fine choice Gary!" Oak said, congratulating his grandson. "Squirtles require a lot of care, as do most water-types when they're away from the oceans and rivers, but it will grow up to be a strong battler and I guarantee it'll be the cornerstone of your team in no time!"

"Feh! Tell me something I don't know gramps!" Gary said, idly stroking the release mechanism with his thumb but not pressing it. He was going to wait until later to meet his new partner.

"Aw man… I wanted Squirtle…" Krillin said as he too approached the pedestal. "My master had a Blastoise, named his school the turtle style after the martial arts he developed watching Blastoise fight. I was hoping to continue that." Krillin reached down and grabbed the ball marked with a flame sticker. "But Charmander's also pretty good. Who knows? Maybe I can even add to the style when Charmander evolves!"

Oak smiled at Krillin as his eyes went out of focus, dreaming of future glory. "A fine choice as well young Krillin. Charmander are tough to raise as Kanto plays host to many types that weaken it, but with dedication you'll have an absolute beast of a partner!" Oak let out a laugh as he reminisced about his own Charmander, now a heavily scarred and battle-hardened Charizard, and the adventures that the two had together.

"Not like I have much choice, but it's fine." Nausicaä said as she grabbed the last pokéball, this one marked with a leaf sticker. "After all, Bulbasaur was what I had wanted anyways."

"And a Pokémon very well suited for your future goals!" Oak added. "As he is part Poison-type, he can resist and even absorb toxins. And when he evolves into a Venusaur, he'll be able to seed the land around your town with plants capable of detoxifying the soil."

Nausicaä nodded happily as she clutched the ball tightly.

"Now then, everyone." Oak addressed all the teens as one. "First off, I thank you for not releasing your new Pokémon here in the lab as the equipment here is rather delicate. There are special rooms here that we use for testing purposes that you can release your Pokémon into if you wish to introduce yourselves before you leave. Gary can show you. Gary?"

"Right gramps." Gary sighed as he reluctantly pocketed his new pokéball. "All right scrubs, follow me!"

Krillin and Nausicaä followed Gary out of the lab while Ash stayed and turned to face Oak.

"Er… Professor…?"

"I didn't forget about you Ash." Oak said as he stepped around Ash to grab a tablet lying on a nearby table. Turning it on and quickly thumbing through the files, he quickly brought up a list of all of the Pokémon that he, personally, owned.

"Hm… I have a few Rattata and Pidgey… Though I highly doubt you'll want either as a starter."

Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Not even gonna deny it Professor. I mean, I'll be happy with just about anything, but I'd rather not have as my starter a Pokémon that I could capture myself with a pillowcase and a bit of cheese."

Oak grinned at Ash. "I remember that incident. One of the Rattata I was going to offer was even the one you caught that day. But if you're not interested… Nidoran? I have both male and female."

Ash shook his head. "Maybe in the future, but they start out unruly and stubborn. Some even try to attack their trainers! Not exactly starter material."

"Indeed not." Oak agreed, thumbing down the list again. "I have a wild Pikachu. Caught him just this morning actually. Little rascal was chewing on my computer cables."

Ash actually thought on this one a bit. Pikachu were solid Pokémon if trained right, just look at Lt. Surge! But they needed regular access to electricity, which Ash wouldn't have if he spent weeks traversing the wild. There were ways to mitigate that, cheap batteries could be used to supplement their charge until they reached civilization, but if it had only been caught this morning, than it was completely wild and more likely to attack him than hear him out, much less help him.

It took some time, but Ash finally shook his head. "Too risky. If you only just caught it, it'd be far more likely to be a hindrance, maybe even a danger, than any form of help."

Oak nodded and sighed. Ash was correct, but beyond Pikachu he didn't have many other decent Pokémon that he could spare. "Well, continuing down the list… There's some Geodude that just came in from Mt. Moon… Some Oddish that Erika gave me… An Ekans… Some Diglett that were causing some trouble over by Vermillion City…"

"Ekans." Ash said suddenly.

"What?" Asked Oak, startled out of his reverie at Ash's sudden input.

"I'll take the Ekans." Ash said.

"Er… Are you certain?" Oak asked, and not without reason. Ekans weren't bad Pokémon, far from it in fact! Despite their reptilian nature, they were rather easy to train and get along with. But the breed carried a stigma. Ever since Team Rocket had come into the picture a number of years ago, their usage of poison types in general and breeds like Ekans and Zubat in particular had created a black mark over both breeds names.

"Yeah." Ash nodded. "I know they have a bad name, but that's because of criminals and scum using them. Like Gary said, he's going to drag me to the top. And he's going to do so, than with an Ekans or Arbok on my team, maybe a bit of that stigma will be removed."

Oak smiled, that feeling of pride pervading his being once again as he internally reflected on what fine young men his grandson and his friend turned out to be.

"Very well then, Ekans it is." Oak said, nodding as he tapped a button on the tablet. A few seconds passed by before a nearby machine started whirring to life. With a bright flash, a pokéball appeared.

Ash reached for the pokéball with slightly shaking hands, idly noticing this ball was unmarked.

"You know where the testing rooms are Ash." Oak said, smiling down at the boy. "Go on and meet your Pokémon. After all, with it by your side, you'll be starting your Pokémon journey!"

I don't normally write chapters so long. I guess I really WAS inspired for this story huh? This is a good thing. Hopefully I can keep that steam going forward. For anyone wondering about my other stories, they are not... Completely abandoned. I do intend to add to them over time. It's just... How you can you write if the spark's not there? It's not something you can force and still expect to come out with an acceptable product. Anyways, those with keen eyes might have spotted some cameos I slipped in. I needed two other trainers to take the two other started, so I decided to do a shout out to some other series I enjoy. Akira Toriyama is the creator of Dragon Ball and all of its subsequent incarnations, as well as one of the lead design artists in the Dragon Quest games. I had him featured as Krillin, one of my favorite characters from his work who, sadly, gets nowhere NEAR enough credit. For those wondering about the 'nickname', Krillin's name in the manga is actually Kuririn. This was changed to Krillin in the English anime. 'Kuri' means 'chestnut' and is a joke on Toriyama's part because of how Krillin is bald for most of the series. 'Rin' (also -lin) is derived from the word Shaolin, which is a modifier term for any sort of martial art taught at a Shaolin temple. Nausicaä is from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. She is the main protagonist in a post-apocalyptic where the earth is reduced to a toxic wasteland. She was the most fitting character to snag Bulbasaur, but since her creator was male I made do with just giving her the series creator's surname. Please look up both manga if you have the time. Below is a list of Pokémon I intend to give Ash over the course of his Journey. Not just into Kanto, but into Johto and beyond. Please feel free to leave a comment or PM if you feel you have a Pokémon that should make the list. Please provide a detailed reasoning as well or I will just disregard.

Ekans

Sandshrew

Magikarp

Gloom (Eventually a Bellossom.)

Seel

Haunter

Eevee (eventually Umbreon)

Growlithe

Aerodactyl

Sneasel

Ursaring

Ralts

With that out of the way, until next time! Please leave constructive criticism. Or flames. I care not. But to tide you over until my next post, I present 'Essence' by vincentgrey21! A thrilling and well-written tale, this is my absolute favorite Pokémon story by far! As I go further in to my own story, I'll also be borrowing certain ideas that his story introduced. Or at least, they're the only place I've seen said ideas/concepts. When they come up, I'll be sure to give him credits in the notes!