This is a story that, I hope, will grow into a series about Ash's twin sister, Ashley Ketchum (an OC of mine who is on the spectrum), who will travel together with him based on the anime. You can see her on the cover.
In this fanfic, Ash will be a little bit smarter and mature, but still have the traits we Pokémon fans love about him. His full name will be Ashton Joseph Ketchum.
The fanfic will be slightly different from the original anime with hints from the manga series "Pokémon Adventures" or "Pokémon Special" as it's called in Japan.
This is also based on Pokémon Firered/Leafgreen, so steel-type and dark-type exist in the fanfic. Pokédex entries will be based on the two mentioned games.
The year in this saga is 2010.
Now… Let the journey begin!
The chapter begins in my OC's point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 1: Pokémon, I Choose You
I couldn't believe I had been able to sleep when I was super excited about today. Why, do you ask?
Because today was the day my twin brother and I would go on our first Pokémon journey together with our starter Pokémon! Every ten-year-old would get the chance to receive their first Pokémon and go on a journey and today was it our turn to take the first step into adulthood.
We had our tenth birthday two days ago on February 27th, so we were going to set off on our journey on the first day of March, a Monday morning.
I have been looking forward to it since I was a very little girl. My brother, Ash, had also been on the same page. His dream was to become a Pokémon Master. My dream was to become a great dragon tamer, like Champion Lance of the Indigo League.
I sat up on my bed after I pushed the snooze button on the Poké Ball alarm clock. Ash and I had been sharing a room for years now. At the beginning, we took turns on watching the alarm clock, but after Ash threw it in his sleep multiple times and breaking one clock after another I was put in charge of it.
I stretched my arms before looking at the bunk bed above me. Ash's snores echoed in the room, meaning he was still sleeping. He could be such a heavy sleeper that I often had to wake him up for important days, like the times we went to Professor Oak's Pokémon Camps.
I climbed up the bunk bed and grabbed his leg to lightly shake him. "Ash, wake up."
"Squirtle… I choose you…", Ash sleep talked.
I groaned softly and climbed onto him before shaking him violently. "Ash, wake up!"
Ash yelped before he suddenly sat up and bumped his forehead into mine. "Ow!" we both yelped simultaneously before we rubbed the sore spots.
"Ouch…", Ash mumbled before he softly glared at me. "Why did you wake me up like that, Ashley? I thought I was being hit by a Thunder Shock!"
"Because you will sleep in and we'll be late to get our Pokémon", I replied after getting over the pain.
"Our Poké- Oh no! What time is it?!" Ash panicked as he looked out the window to see the morning sun.
"8:05 a.m.", I replied as I crawled to the ladder of the bunk bed.
"Oh, okay. We've got less than an hour to go to Professor Oak's lab", Ash sighed in relief. "Good thing you're in charge of the clock, sis."
"Yes", I giggled softly.
We brushed our teeth and changed into our traveling clothes before hurrying down to the kitchen where Mom was making breakfast. The table was already set with three plates of three stacks of pancakes with butter and little syrup. There was whipped cream and strawberries on two separate bowls if we wanted to add those.
"Good morning, my little Pokémon Trainers", Mom greeted us with her warm smile.
"Good morning, Mom!" Ash and I greeted simultaneously as we sat down by the table.
"I'm impressed you managed to wake up Ash, Josephine", Mom giggled as she put down three glasses of milk on the table before she joined us.
Josephine was my middle name while Ash's middle name was Joseph. Mom would call me Josephine when she said Ash's name before or after mine and the other way around.
"Yes, but I had a hard time falling asleep, so I'm surprised I managed to wake up", I confessed before adding strawberries on my plate.
"I would've slept in for sure", Ash added as he put some whipped cream on his pancakes.
"Have you decided which Pokémon you're going to choose?" Mom asked.
"Charmander", I answered without hesitation.
"And I'll go for Squirtle!" Ash said seriously. "Not because to be in a type advantage with you, sis, but it's my favorite Pokémon!"
"I see. Well, let's eat breakfast before you head to Professor Oak to get your Pokémon", Mom smiled.
XXXXXXXXXX
After devouring our breakfast, Ash and I grabbed our backpacks we had prepared the night before and ran to Professor Oak's laboratory. We still had fifteen minutes to spare, but we wanted to be there early so we wouldn't miss our chances to pick our Pokémon.
We walked into the laboratory and saw Professor Oak was talking to his grandson, Gary Oak. Gary was a, you could say, childhood friend to me and Ash, but I had bad experience with him. He loved bullying me and made fun of me because of my autism and my boyish looks. He even said once I would grow up to become a boy if I kept dressing as a boy and kept my hair short.
"Good morning, Professor Oak!" Ash greeted as I hid behind him, avoiding eye contact with Gary.
"Good morning, Ashton, Ashley", Professor Oak smiled warmly. "You've come early today."
"That's 'cause we're ready to become Pokémon Trainers!" Ash said excitedly. "And I'm gonna be the very best Pokémon Master!"
Gary snorted loudly in amusement. "You, being a Pokémon Master? Puh-lease, that's going to be me and I'll put Pallet Town on the map with my name and achievements!"
"Oh yeah? Wanna bet?" Ash growled softly.
"Nah, that's just a waste of time", Gary shrugged nonchalantly.
"Now, now, children. There's no need to brawl", Professor Oak intercepted. "Today should be a joyful experience for you three, since you're becoming Pokémon Trainers."
"Three?" Gary raised an eyebrow before he saw me behind Ash. "Oh, hi, Ashley! You were so quiet I didn't see you there!"
I bit my lower lip and kept my head now, feeling humiliated by his teasing.
"Hey, leave Ashley alone, you jerk!" Ash snarled.
I tugged his jacket to get his attention. He looked over his shoulder as I shook my head to him. I didn't want him to pick a fight now. Ash understood my message and lowered his fists.
"Hah! That's right, Ashley! Keep your Growlithe-brother on a leash!" Gary laughed.
"Gary!" Professor Oak said in a strict voice, which caused his grandson to shut up. "Now then… It's time for you three to receive your Pokémon." He led us to a pedestal where there were three Poké Balls that had an emblem based on the type the Pokémon inside the devices had. "Gary, you get to pick one first."
"Awesome!" Gary grinned widely before he grabbed a Poké Ball. "I choose…Squirtle!"
"Wait! That's the Pokémon I was gonna pick!" Ash complained.
"Finders keepers!" Gary said with his nose up like a snob.
Ash growled for a few seconds before he calmed down. "Whatever. Ashley, you can take Charmander and I'll take Bulbasaur."
"Is it really okay with you…?" I asked softly.
"Finally speaking up, eh?" Gary teased.
Ash threw a glare at him before turning to me with a smile. "Yeah, go on, sis. You want to become a dragon tamer, right? Charmander is perfect for your journey."
"That's very thoughtful of you, Ash", Professor Oak chuckled.
I slowly walked up to the pedestal and grabbed the Poké Ball with Charmander. I looked at the Poké Ball while Ash grabbed the last one with Bulbasaur. My twin stared at his Poké Ball before he suddenly got a mischievous gleam in his eyes and a grin grew on his lips. I suspected he realized he got the Pokémon that was in type advantage against Gary water-type starter.
I called out Charmander who looked at me with big and curious eyes. I crouched down so I could talk to it without being intimidating for it. "Hi, Charmander. I'm Ashely, your new Trainer."
"Char?"
"My brother here…", I pointed at Ash who was busy becoming friends with Bulbasaur. "…and I are going together on a journey across Kanto. Would you like to become friends with me?"
Charmander tilted its head before nodding with a big smile. "Charmander!"
I giggled softly before I picked it up in my arms before standing up. "I'll call you Firered. Do you like the name?"
"Chaaar!" Firered smiled.
"Only you would nickname your Pokémon", Gary laughed as he held Squirtle in his arms.
"Now, youngsters, before you head out on your journey, you're going to need a Pokédex", Professor Oak spoke up as he gave us each a red device. "This does not only serve as an encyclopedia with data of every Pokémon in Kanto, but also as your Trainer's license, so make sure to never lose them."
"Promise, gramps!" Gary nodded as he put away his Pokédex in his backpack.
I opened my Pokédex to see what it had to say about Firered.
Charmander, the lizard Pokémon. Fire-type. From the time it is born, a flame burns at the tip of its tail. It has a preference for hot things. Its life would end if the flame were to go out.
"I promise I'll take good care of you, Firered", I told my partner.
"Char…", Firered purred softly.
XXXXXXXXXX
Besides the Pokédex, Gary, Ash, and I got five empty Poké Balls each to catch more Pokémon. We had to buy more in PokéMarts in the future while stocking up on supplies. Gary's fan club with girls over the age of fifteen and max eighteen had been waiting outside for him, since they were going to travel and cheer for him. That meant Gary could travel around comfortably in a car, which felt very unfair.
After Ash and I got over our frustration at Gary, we headed to Route 1 with Firered and Bulbasaur outside of their Poké Balls.
"Now then… Which Pokémon should I catch first?" Ash questioned himself. "A Pidgey or a Rattata?"
"I want to find something…unique", I said softly.
"Like a rare Pokémon? That'd be awesome to find", Ash agreed. "Maybe a water-type Pokémon to have a balanced team against the first Gym Leader?"
"Bulba!"
"Yeah, the first Gym Leader is specialized in rock-type Pokémon", I nodded. "But before we can challenge the Gym Leaders across Kanto, we have to sign up for the Indigo League."
"And where do you do that again?" Ash asked sheepishly.
"At the Pokémon Center."
"Chaar!"
We stopped walking by Firered's sudden yell. "What's wrong, Firered?" I asked.
"Char char!" Firered pointed at the trees.
We looked up and saw a Mankey sitting on one of the branches eating some fruit it had found.
"A Mankey!" Ash exclaimed in joy as he brought out his Pokédex.
Mankey, the pig monkey Pokémon. Fighting-type. Light and agile on its feet, and ferocious in temperament. It could be docile one moment, then thrashing away the next instant.
"Awesome! I'll catch this one for the Gym!" Ash declared as he picked up an empty Poké Ball from his belt. "Bulba-"
"Wait!" I yelled, stopping my brother.
"Huh?"
"Um… Since Firered spotted Mankey first… I think I should try catching it…", I said hesitantly.
"What?! C'mon, sis, I want to catch it…", Ash trailed off before his eyes widened in realization. "Oooh, right. You want to get a Pokémon that's at type advantage against the first Gym?"
"Yes…", I nodded.
Ash pondered about it for a second before he nodded and put away the empty Poké Ball. "Alright. I already have Bulbasaur who is grass-type, but Firered is at disadvantage, so go for it."
"Thank you", I smiled softly before turning to my Pokémon. "Ready for your first battle, Firered?"
"Charmander!" Firered nodded as the flame on his tail grew a little bigger.
"Use Growl to get Mankey's attention!" I called.
Firered ran to the tree and stood below the branch where the wild Mankey was sitting and let out a loud growl. Mankey jumped in surprise by the sudden cry and dropped its apple that fell down to the ground and broke apart. The wild Pokémon saw its food was in pieces before it turned to Firered and gave him a harsh glare. I suspected that was the move Leer. I had to act fast as Mankey jumped down to the ground to attack my partner.
"Firered, use Scratch!" I shouted.
Firered's claws glowed as he attacked Mankey. The wild Pokémon cried in pain before it used Scratch too and hurt my partner.
"Mankey knows Scratch too!" Ash shouted.
"Bulba ba!"
"Firered, use Growl and then attack directly with Scratch!" I shouted.
Firered growled again, but this time a little louder that it forced Mankey to cover its ear to withstand the noise. It was enough distraction for Firered to attack the wild Pokémon with Scratch again. Mankey got thrown back and landed on its stomach, already looking weak.
"Now's your chance, Ashley!" Ash called.
I nodded as I picked up one of my empty Poké Balls strapped on my belt. I enlarged it before aiming the device at Mankey which was pushing itself up. "Poké Ball, go!"
I threw the Poké Ball at the wild Pokémon. The device hit Mankey before it opened and absorbed the Pokémon. It then shut itself and landed on the ground while shaking back and forth. My brother, our Pokémon, and I were watching the wobbling Poké Ball as the button in the middle was glowing red. It meant the Pokémon inside the device was struggling to get out.
I didn't realize I had been holding my breath until the Poké Ball stopped shaking and the button turned to green. I blinked my eyes to process what just happened.
I had just caught my first wild Pokémon!
"Alright! You did it, sis!" Ash cheered in joy. "You caught your first Pokémon!"
"Bulbasaur!"
"Char charmander!"
I blinked as I returned to reality and hurried to pick up the Poké Ball from the grass. I looked at the device for a moment with a smile before kneeling down to Firered. "Thank you for helping me to catch Mankey, Firered."
"Charmander!" Firered smiled widely.
I looked at my Poké Ball again and held it up. "Come out, Mankey."
Mankey came out and sat on the grass. The scratch marks he got before from Firered were now gone from its fur. The Poké Balls were, after all, designed to heal some of the physical injuries on the Pokémon.
"Manki?"
"Hi, Mankey", I began softly. "I'm your new Trainer, Ashley."
"Kii?"
"Will you come with me and my brother and our Pokémon on a journey?" I asked as I held out a hand.
Mankey stared at my open hand before he nodded and placed his hand on my palm. "Manki!"
"Charman!" Firered smiled.
I giggled softly before I gently grabbed Mankey and held him in my arms before standing up. "Welcome to the family, Bruce. Do you like the name?"
"Manki kii!" Bruce smiled with his eyes.
"Bruce? As in Bruce Willis the actor?" Ash asked as he and Bulbasaur walked to us.
"Yes", I nodded as I caressed Bruce's fur, finding it very soft to the touch. "I think it's a good name and suits Mankey."
"Kii…", Bruce purred as I kept brushing his fur.
"I think it sounds good too", Ash smiled. "Welcome to the team, Bruce!"
XXXXXXXXXX
It didn't take long before Ash and I had to run for our lives.
Why?
Because Ash had kicked a pebble that accidently hit a wild Spearow and angered it.
Spearow went direct to attack, so Ash tried using Bulbasaur to fend it off, but the wild bird Pokémon knew the move Peck which was super effective against grass-type Pokémon. My brother called back his Pokémon into its Poké Ball as I told Firered to defeat Spearow with an Ember.
It worked, but Spearow refused to give up and called for its flock that was resting on a tree. There were at least over thirty of them and I knew Firered couldn't take them all out, so I called him back into his Poké Ball before Ash and I ran as fast as we could to get rid of the Spearows.
Some of them caught up to us and pecked us with their sharp beaks. I yelped in pain each time I felt the beaks through my clothes and on my head. Ash grabbed my hand as he led me in a certain direction, but we reached a large cliff with a river at the bottom.
"A dead-end!" I exclaimed in shock.
Ash looked over his shoulder before he grabbed my hand. "We have to jump, sis! Hold on!"
I shrieked as Ash jumped and pulled me down with him. He wrapped his arms around my waist before we fell into the water. We were forced to stay under the surface because of the harsh current, so I tried holding on my breath for as long as I could. We almost swam into a wild Gyarados' mouth, but we managed to swim away before it could unconsciously eat us.
Unlike Ash, I had a hard time holding my breath for a long time, so I was beginning to struggle. I knocked on my brother's chest to signal time was running out for me.
Next thing I knew, I was lying on the solid ground and breathed fresh air. I coughed a little by the feeling of my lungs almost exploding while an unfamiliar voice spoke up.
"What were you two doing in the water?"
I got up on all four before looking up at the source of the voice. A girl with orange hair, tied up in a short side-ponytail, green eyes, and fair skin was standing in front of me and Ash while holding a fishing rod. She looked very confused, but also a little annoyed. I flinched by her eyes and moved my glance at her mouth, since I had a hard time with direct eye contact with strangers.
"W-We a-are…being c-chased…by Spearows…", Ash gasped as he coughed to clear his throat.
"You're being chased by Spearows?!" the girl exclaimed in shock before she got an angry face. "What did you do to anger them?"
"A-An accident…", I gasped before I stood up on jelly legs.
Ash helped me stand straight as the flock of Spearows appeared in the far distance. They hadn't given up on us. Ash noticed a bicycle near the lake. I assumed it belonged to the girl. "Hey, can we borrow your bike?" Ash asked as he pulled me to the object.
"Wait, what do you think you're doing?!" the girl yelled angrily.
Ash made me sit at the back of the bicycle while he sat on the saddle. "We just need it to get away from the Spearows! You'll find your bike in Viridian City's Pokémon Center!"
With that said, we left the girl behind on her bicycle which we kindly "borrowed".
XXXXXXXXXX
The Spearows were still chasing us and we had been going for more than an hour. The sunny sky had slowly been covered by dark clouds that poured cold rain on us and lightning echoed around us. It felt like we were in a horror movie, except this was reality.
I had my arms wrapped around Ash's waist as he pushed himself to keep pedaling. "Are you okay, Ash? Want to switch place?"
"N-No…!" Ash gasped tiredly. "I-If we stop now…t-they'll get us…!"
The speed of the bicycle was dropping and it was more than enough for the Spearows to catch up and peck us again. I used one of my arms to shoo them away, but they wouldn't budge. A lightning struck the ground very close to us and the sudden light caused Ash to lose control and we bounced off the bike and onto the muddy ground. The Spearows got surprised by the lightning too and flew back, but they circled around us waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
I was lying on my back while grunting in pain. I turned my head at my brother and saw he was pushing himself up. "That's it…!" he growled determinedly.
"A-Ash…?" I mumbled softly as I sat up on my backside.
Ash turned to me with a determined glance before he put a hand on my left shoulder. "Ashley. I promised a long time ago I will always protect you. Now… I guess this is the last time I can do that."
"What…?" I said confusedly.
My brother got up on his feet and turned to the flock of Spearows and stretched out his arms to shield me. "Ashley, when I give you the signal… Run", he told me over his shoulder.
"No!" I exclaimed in shock, realizing what he was going to do. "We promised we would go on a journey together! I can't do this by myself!"
Ash ignored me as he kept his eyes on the aggressive Spearows. "Listen up, Spearows! Do you know who I am?! I'm Ashton Joseph Ketchum from Pallet Town, and I'm going to be the best Pokémon Master! I'm gonna catch you all before you can touch me and my sister, Ashley Josephine Ketchum, the future best dragon tamer! Ashley, go!"
"No!" I shook my head. "I'm staying with you!"
The Spearows didn't hesitate to fly toward my brother as I quickly got up and pushed him down to protect him from the wild Pokémon. He yelped in surprise as I pushed him down on the muddy ground and used my body to shield him. I closed my eyes as I prepared myself for the worst. I felt a warm tear run down my cheek as I whispered a quick prayer.
"Please… Protect us, someone…"
A loud shriek in the distance suddenly echoed around us. It didn't sound like the Spearows' cries. Speaking of, they all got silent after they heard the new powerful cry. I slowly opened my eyes and saw the wild bird Pokémon were flying inches from me and Ash, but they had their attention at the sky instead.
One of the Spearows chirped something in fear before the flock flew away from me and my brother. I got off Ash and let him sit up as the rain slowly came to a stop and the clouds opened to reveal a clear sky and a rainbow.
"What…was that?" Ash mumbled confusedly.
"The Spearows…got scared by that cry and flew away…", I said softly.
The unknown cry echoed around us again, but this time we saw something in the sky. A large bird Pokémon flew underneath the rainbow as it glowed in the same colors as the phenomenon. It looked majestic and powerful, like it was a wandering rainbow with a mysterious aura.
Was it…a legendary Pokémon?
It didn't look like the ones I read about in a book I once borrowed from Professor Oak; Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres.
"What's that?" Ash said in awe as he pulled out his Pokédex to check the new Pokémon.
Unable to identify the Pokémon.
"The Pokédex doesn't know what Pokémon that is…?" Ash mumbled as he stared at the Pokémon as it slowly disappeared by the horizon.
"Could it be…a new Pokémon?" I wondered.
Ash sighed in relief as he put away the Pokédex. "Well, whatever it is… It saved us from the Spearows. I hope next time we see it, we can thank it for saving us."
I nodded with a small smile. "Me too…" I turned to Ash and hugged him tight. "Never do something like this again, okay?"
"I promise, Ashley", Ash said as he patted my head.
I let go of him and turned to the bicycle to see it got dented after we crashed on the ground. "Oh no… The girl's bike is broken."
Ash gasped in shock by the sight. "Aw, Rattata! Well, we did promise she can find it by the Pokémon Center in Viridian City. Let's bring it with us and see if we can pay for the damage."
I nodded as my brother picked up the bike to inspect the damage. Besides being dented, it also had a flat wheel. I just hoped we could pay it off or at least save up some money to repair the damage in the future.
But for now… Our goal was to reach Viridian City and get some rest after we almost lost our lives on our very first day as Pokémon Trainers.
