A man named Mr. Ketchum had just become the Pokemon Master. A few days
later his son was born, his name was Ash. One of Mr. Ketchum's best friends
was Professor Oak, the ultimate Pokemon authority. Prof. Oak got all of
Pallet Town together to have a celebration at the Pallet Town Memorial
Hall. The whole town cheered for the returning PokeMaster and his new
family.
"I hope that one day my son will follow in my footsteps to become the Pokemon Master." Mr. Ketchum announced to the crowd of television paparazzi and rooting fans. He never saw a dark figure in the corner though, who was ignoring the whole thing.
"Uh, Mr. Ketchum?" Mr. Ketchum looked around for the voice. His wife Delia nudged him and he looked down. It was the future Pewter City Gym Leader, Brock.
"Hey Brock, you came like I asked." Mr. Ketchum grinned. "Now, if my son is like me when I was a kid, he'll go run into trouble. So I need you to hang around him to watch him."
"Yes, well I know someone who didn't come." Mr. Ketchum looked at Brock in shock and then followed him to find out who it was.
"Giovanni." Mr. Ketchum saw him sitting at an empty table flicking a piece of crumpled trash.
"What?" Giovanni snapped in an unnoticeable way, he looked up at Mr. Ketchum.
"We missed you at the party, is everything ok?" Mr. Ketchum asked with concern.
"Fan-bloody-tastic." Giovanni grumbled.
"Well, you're a gym leader and you should've come." Brock stepped in. "After all, he is the Pokemon Master." Mr. Ketchum looked up as Giovanni stood. Brock stepped back, losing his bravery.
"Well duh." Giovanni walked off. Mr. Ketchum just shrugged back at Brock.
"He'll come around." Brock assured.
As time went on, all of Pallet Town watched Ash grow older and become more curious. Soon he was five years old. Ash sat in bed one morning, remembering what his dad had told him four days ago on his birthday.
"Now that you're half way to getting a Pokemon Trainers License, on Monday I will start teaching you all about Pokemon."
And it was Monday now, Ash couldn't wait to start. He went into his parent's room. The floor was a mess. His dad had just gotten a Nintendo 64 with a bunch of sports games. Ash walked to the bed, avoiding paper, cardboard, controllers, games, and even the system itself, until he finally made it over to the bed. "Dad?" Ash whispered. He turned in his sleep and faced Ash.
"Don't worry Ash, I'll get your Mario 64." He said in his sleep.
"Cool." Ash smiled, then leaned closer. "Dad, dad." He finally started banging on his forehead. "Are you in there?"
"Ow, ow, ow, ow." Mr. Ketchum woke up. "I'm up honey, I'm up."
"I'm not honey, I'm Ash." Ash turned up his nose, but then grinned to himself. "Though that does sound good right about now."
"Oh, Ash." Mr. Ketchum laughed. "Well, give me some time and we'll be off. I went to bed late last night, I think I like video games as much as you do."
"Yea, well." Ash muttered absentmindedly as he looked through the games.
As Mr. Ketchum went into the bathroom to shower and get ready, Ash decided to play the basketball game called NBA On NBC. He liked to be Shaq and have the computer be Kobe. He liked to call Shaq 'big head' and Kobe 'shorty' for some reason.
"Let's go." Mr. Ketchum finally was done, he and Ash left.
"Sure, leave the wife to clean up." Delia sighed to herself and folded her arms when she came into the room to see the mess. She shook her head but couldn't help but smile.
"But now, I'm the Pokemon Master and someday, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, you will too." Mr. Ketchum was explaining.
"Do you think I can?"
"Sure, but you have to too. And since you will be the most powerful trainer in the world, our hometown, Pallet, will rely on you to protect them from any danger."
"Mr. Pokemon Master sir!" A voice called, it was Brock and he was panting.
"Please, just Mr. Ketchum."
"Hi Brock." Ash cried cheerfully.
"Hi." Brock turned back to Mr. Ketchum. "When my dad was leaving to start training, he saw a boy and girl who looked about twelve, and a Meowth. They looked pretty suspicious and they're headed this way."
"What's a Meowth?" Ash asked, but rather than an answer, Mr. Ketchum got out a Pokeball. "I'd better deal with this. Take Ash back." He ran off.
"I wish I was a trainer." Ash sighed and started back home.
"Don't worry, when you get a Pokemon you can battle to your hearts content." Brock said as he walked back with him.
Later, Ash ran into Giovanni.
"Hey." Ash ran over.
"Yes?" Giovanni turned to Ash, he had to try and act nice.
"I'm gonna be the next Pokemon Master." He boasted.
"So." Giovanni grumbled.
"My dad told me about Pokemon so now I can catch 'em all." Ash laughed but Giovanni just shrugged. "Hey Giovanni, when I'm Pokemon Master, what's gonna happen to a tough trainer like you?"
"Well I'll be laughed at for letting you win one of my badges and I'll still be only second best." Giovanni grumbled absentmindedly.
"Don't take it so hard." Ash said apologetically.
"Oh I wont. So, why don't you go see the north fields, I hear there's Pokemon."
"Well I don't have one."
"But everyone knows a real trainer doesn't receive their first Pokemon, they catch it." Giovanni's remark caused Ash to perk up. "But like you said, you can't go there, you're too young."
"I won't." Ash said slyly and began to slink off.
"Kids." Giovanni laughed, he knew Ash would go there, just like he wanted.
Later, Ash found his friend Misty, one of the sister gym leaders of Cerulean City.
"Well my first Pokemon will be a water type, like a Staru." She was saying.
"I don't care who I get, all Pokemon are cool." Ash replied. They had got so caught up in talking that they didn't see a small ledge. They fell into an area with tall dry stalks of grass. "The north fields."
"Not much of anything." Misty shrugged but noticed Ash looking at a cave. Pokemon could live in there.
"Stop where you are!" Someone demanded, Brock.
"Great." Ash groaned, he thought his mom was talking with Brock. "Here. Let me show you I don't need a seven year olds protection." That caused Brock to scowl. Ash walked up to the cave. "Hey Pokemon, come on out!" A blast of smoke shot Ash back towards his friends. He got up and hid behind them.
"Yoo-hoo!" A boy's voice was heard. Two figures appeared, a boy and a girl, about twelve.
"You're the good guys, we're the bad."
"When we are happy, you are sad."
"I'm Jessy."
"My name's James."
"Playing rotten is our game."
"Trouble is our name."
"That's right." A furry white cat concluded.
"That's a Meowth." Brock whispered to Ash.
"But I thought Pokemon couldn't talk." He whispered back.
"I guess that one cant." Misty whispered in.
"I could get used to this, but it doesn't sound right." James said thoughtfully to Jessy.
"We'll work on it, let's battle." She replied.
"Use your newly gotten Pokemon!' Meowth cried.
They each threw a Pokeball. Meowth jumped next their Pokemon, James had a Koffing and Jessy had an Ekans.
"We don't have Pokemon." Ash said.
"It gets even easier." Jessy grinned at James.
"Attack!" Meowth leaped up and the two Pokemon followed.
The three chased after the kids. Ekans slapped Brock with his tail and he rolled away. They then continued after Ash and Misty.
"Let's climb up there." Ash said when they were cornered by a dirt hill. They started up when they saw the Pokemon and their trainers.
"Ash!" Misty called.
Ash turned to see the dirt give in below her. Just before Jessy could grab her, Ash pounced on her and helped Misty along. Jessy growled at Ash and they all continued after. On top of the hill was a dead end and it was too late to turn back. They cowered by the wall.
"Scardey cats." James taunted.
"Hey!" Meowth growled.
Ash got in front of Misty and stood bravely. He ran towards Jessy and pounced, but it barely affected her, he just bounced back off and hurt himself. They just laughed at Ash as he got up off the ground, ready to try again. But before he could leap, a shadow fell on them. The figure shoved Jessy, James and Meowth to the floor. They landed in front of Ash. Misty opened her eyes and looked shocked, she thought Ash had hit them. Jessy, James and Meowth thought the same. Who else could it have been?
"So, it's you again." It was Ash's dad, Brock appeared behind him.
"We didn't mean to do anything wrong again." Jessy gulped.
"Leave my son and his friends alone!"
"Your son?" James gulped.
"Uh oh." The trio whispered.
"Here's a second helping." Mr. Ketchum got out his Pokeball. "Go, Raichu!"
"No!" James yelled.
"We're gonna hate electricity all our life!" Jessy cried.
"Rai!" Raichu growled and his tail glowed yellow. He swung it at the three and they flew off screaming.
"Good job Raichu." Mr. Ketchum nodded. "Rai." Raichu went back into his Pokeball. Mr. Ketchum glared down at his son. Ash was going to speak, but he lowered his head instead.
"Dad, I'm sorry." He whispered.
"Come on." Mr. Ketchum led the three kids out of the north field.
"I'll never forget this." Ash told himself. Misty and Brock left Ash and his dad to talk.
"What were you thinking Ash, you have no Pokemon. You put your two friends in danger, what if you were all killed?"
"I, I'm sorry dad." Ash choked, not knowing what else to say. His dad looked down at him, he looked very ashamed.
"You know," Mr. Ketchum wore a slight grin. "I won't always be around to protect you. Be more careful. Now, let's get home so we don't worry your mom."
"Ok dad." Ash grinned up at him and they walked back home.
Meanwhile, Team Rocket was very upset.
"Lousy Pokemon Master." James growled to Meowth who nodded in agreement.
"He's stupid." Jessy agreed.
"And dumb."
"And above all he's,"
"So idiotic."
"Hey lame brains." Meowth cut in. "Those are all the same things." Just then their boss appeared, an angry and disappointed Giovanni.
"You have failed. For some reason I predict more failure in the future. If you want to become lifetime members of my new organization, Team Rocket, you have to perform at least one of my tasks properly."
"Sorry." Meowth apologized and turned to his partners.
"You know," Jessy spoke up. "It's not like we had a fair fight out there."
"Yea." James agreed. "It wasn't like they were alone, they had the Pokemon Master there to help them. He's the brats dad." "Well duh." Giovanni grumbled. "That's why I made that plan. Oh, if only I was the Pokemon Master. But no, I'm just the most powerful gym leader."
"And isn't that enough?" Meowth stepped up. "Hey, at least your second best."
"So? If that Mr. Ketchum wasn't around, I could be able to regain my title as the most powerful trainer in the world."
"Well, how are we going to get rid of them?" Jessy asked.
"Get rid of them, Mr. Ketchum and his son? The Pokemon Master and his son who will most likely follow in his footsteps? But how would that help.. wait, a minute." Giovanni perked up. "I have a plan, come closely and listen."
The next day, Giovanni took Ash to talk with him. They sat on a bench in an open park.
"You know, you shouldn't have gone there." Giovanni was saying. "You need to stay out of trouble. All of town heard about that you know."
"Yea I know, pretty dumb of me haw?"
"Well anyway, I got you a present to apologize.. for the whole telling you about the north field thing."
"Really?" Ash perked up at that, excited.
"Now wait here while I got get it. Oh, and it has something to do with Pokemon." He walked off.
"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" Ash whispered to himself in excitement, he felt better now.
Elsewhere..
"Where is he?" James asked. "My Koffing wants to fight."
"Well Ekans does too." Jessy grumbled back. "We have to follow instructions this time or the boss will kill us after he gets killed."
"You don't have to tell it like it is." Meowth moaned. "Hey look!"
"It's time." Giovanni came up. Team Rocket let Ekans and Koffing out of their Pokeballs and with Meowth, ran towards a herd of wild Pokemon. "Perfect. And now, the baitie." Giovanni walked off again.
During this, Ash was thinking of his present.
"Will it be a Pokeball with a Pokemon in it? Will it be one of those new kinds of Pokemon or special Pokeballs like I heard about on the news?" Ash stopped his wonderment when he saw a cloud of dust rising in the distance. It was a herd of wild Pokemon, and they were out of control. "I don't think that's my present!" He started to run.
"Yea, this is fun!" Meowth cheered as he socked a Sandslash. Ekans hit a Beedrill and Koffing knocked a Mankey.
"You said it Meowth." James smiled. 'The plan is working."
"Yea, no more brat and a great big raise." Jessy added. They cried out for joy when all of the Pokemon were headed for Ash. They ran to their next position.
Meanwhile, as Ash was running for his life, Brock and Mr. Ketchum were talking.
"So how long did it take you to capture a Bulbasaur?" Brock was asking.
"Well, I used my Poliwrath to." Mr. Ketchum stopped when Giovanni literally ran into him. "What is it, trouble?"
"Ash is in trouble." Giovanni said frantically. "A bunch of wild Pokemon are attacking him."
"What Ash? No!" Mr. Ketchum cried.
He and Brock followed Giovanni. As Giovanni got them, Ash had been avoiding attacks from Pokemon. A Ratata tried to trip him and a Fearow nearly took his head off. Ash was running next to a wall and had found a ledge to get onto.
"I'm safe now." He panted as the Pokemon ran just below him. "Oh, I need help." Finally Giovanni and the others arrived.
"Ash!" Brock cried, but Ash only heard his voice.
"Brock, help!" He called back.
"Your dad is coming to help, just hold on a little longer."
"Got it!"
Brock pointed out Ash and Mr. Ketchum knew what he had to do. Without even considering his own safety and well being, he leaped into the river of Pokemon.
"Oh yea you.!" Mr. Ketchum growled to a Pidgey that hit him. He got out a Pokeball but he heard Ash cry out. He put it away and kept moving. Just as he was going to reach Ash, the same Pidgey knocked Ash off the ledge. But Mr. Ketchum leaped over a Pinser and caught Ash just in time.
"Oh dad, I'm so glad you came. I was so scared." Ash said as his dad put him on his back.
"I got worried too, now let's get out of here." Mr. Ketchum found a smaller ledge and climbed on. "It's ok now, we're safe." Just then, on the higher ledge above them, they heard Brock cry out in pain. Mr. Ketchum thought he'd better go see what was up. "Here Ash, I cant' climb with my Pokeballs. Watch them, I'm counting on you." Mr. Ketchum gave his son his Pokeballs and climbed up like a skilled mountaineer.
"Don't worry dad." Ash said quietly. "Just be careful."
"What happened up here?" Mr. Ketchum demeaned.
He had pulled himself half way over the ledge. He didn't see Brock, but he saw Giovanni. As he tried pulling the rest of himself over the edge, the rock he stood on gave loose and he slipped, just barely hanging on.
"Whoa!" Ash cried.
The rock almost hit him. He thought he'd better help, but then he saw the Pokeballs. Ash knew his dad had told him to watch them. But he also knew that his dad would be ok, he was always ok.
"Giovanni." Mr. Ketchum said as he hung on. "Don't just stand there." He tried putting his feet on another rock but it gave away too. "Help me." Giovanni grabbed Mr. Ketchum's free hand and pulled him up but stopped.
"I can't pull you in." He said, pretending to struggle.
"Yes you can, just pull!" Mr. Ketchum growled.
"Did I say can't? Oh, I meant to say won't." Giovanni corrected with a grin. Mr. Ketchum's eyes widened with fear. "Good day." And with that, he let go. Mr. Ketchum slipped back. He waved his arms to try and maintain any balance he had, but he fell anyway. "Title, here I come." Giovanni walked off with a satisfied smile.
"No dad, dad!' Ash cried when he saw him fall. He picked up the Pokeballs and went to see if he was alright. When he got down, he dropped a Pokeball. He picked it up only to find that it was the Pokeball look-a-like, Voltorb. He used explosion. Ash coughed away the smoke and found the real Pokeball, it had rolled next to his dad's still body. "Dad, are you ok, can you get up?" No response. Ash started to cry.
"Ash." Ash turned to see Giovanni. "It's ok. You didn't mean for this to end up this way. But you won't ever be able to see your dad again, he is dead after all." Ash looked up at him but turned away. "What will the town think?" "What's gonna happen to me? I don't want anymore trouble."
"Then leave Pallet." Ash looked Giovanni, confused. "Go and find a new town that won't know what you've just done." Ash looked at his dad's dead body and Pokeballs and then turned and ran.
"It worked." Jessy and James laughed as they appeared by their boss. Giovanni pointed a finger at Ash and they ran after him to seek and destroy.
"There he is!" Meowth called.
Ash turned confused and startled to see that Team Rocket had appeared behind him. He turned and ran even faster. He climbed up a tree. Koffing tried to tackle him but banged his head. Ash got out of the tree and came to the edge of a tall hill. He started down when he saw Team Rocket. He tripped and rolled down to the bottom. Meowth, Koffing and Ekans followed as Jessy and James watched from the top of the hill.
"I gotta split." Ash panted as he crawled under some bushes and escaped on the other side.
"Look out!" Jessy called.
Koffing skidded to a halt just as he was going to crash into them. He sighed with a grin. But then Ekans landed on top of him, causing him to be pushed closer to the bushes. Meowth banged into the back of them and Koffing flew into the sticky bushes. James and Jessy ran down. Jessy, Ekans and Meowth laughed at Koffing when he came out with glue like stuff all over him and leaves and twigs stuck to him.
"It's not funny!" James moaned as he started to brush off Koffing.
"Well, the brat split." Jessy sighed.
"Well the sun sure will finish our job." Meowth said, looking out towards the sunset.
"And he'll never show his stuck up face here again." James agreed.
"Yea, he knows we'd beat him up and then let our Pokemon kill him." Jessy nodded.
"Yea, I guess you're right." Meowth laughed.
Jessy and James returned Koffing and Ekans and made their way back to Giovanni. Ash had heard them talking and believed them, he knew he'd never come back. Back in Pallet at the main meeting center in the town square, Delia and the others had just received the news from Giovanni. Brock patted her on the back. Misty started crying and her sisters hugged her.
"Even thought we have lost the Pokemon Master and his son, you shall be protected by myself. For I shall rise to no longer be the second best trainer, by the Pokemon Master of the world, Pallet Town's new protector." As Giovanni spoke, his army of Rocket's appeared. Everyone gasped, there were so many they were larger than the town's population. "Welcome Pallet, welcome to my allegiance!" He laughed.
Everyone cowered in fear, all too many bad things were happening at once. Professor Oak slipped away to his home and picked up a clipboard. It had some names on it, they were the next generation of trainers. Gary's name was on it, as well as a boy named Damian and a girl named Melony, and at the bottom was Ash. Prof. Oak took his pencil and turned it around, and erased Ash's name.
"I hope that one day my son will follow in my footsteps to become the Pokemon Master." Mr. Ketchum announced to the crowd of television paparazzi and rooting fans. He never saw a dark figure in the corner though, who was ignoring the whole thing.
"Uh, Mr. Ketchum?" Mr. Ketchum looked around for the voice. His wife Delia nudged him and he looked down. It was the future Pewter City Gym Leader, Brock.
"Hey Brock, you came like I asked." Mr. Ketchum grinned. "Now, if my son is like me when I was a kid, he'll go run into trouble. So I need you to hang around him to watch him."
"Yes, well I know someone who didn't come." Mr. Ketchum looked at Brock in shock and then followed him to find out who it was.
"Giovanni." Mr. Ketchum saw him sitting at an empty table flicking a piece of crumpled trash.
"What?" Giovanni snapped in an unnoticeable way, he looked up at Mr. Ketchum.
"We missed you at the party, is everything ok?" Mr. Ketchum asked with concern.
"Fan-bloody-tastic." Giovanni grumbled.
"Well, you're a gym leader and you should've come." Brock stepped in. "After all, he is the Pokemon Master." Mr. Ketchum looked up as Giovanni stood. Brock stepped back, losing his bravery.
"Well duh." Giovanni walked off. Mr. Ketchum just shrugged back at Brock.
"He'll come around." Brock assured.
As time went on, all of Pallet Town watched Ash grow older and become more curious. Soon he was five years old. Ash sat in bed one morning, remembering what his dad had told him four days ago on his birthday.
"Now that you're half way to getting a Pokemon Trainers License, on Monday I will start teaching you all about Pokemon."
And it was Monday now, Ash couldn't wait to start. He went into his parent's room. The floor was a mess. His dad had just gotten a Nintendo 64 with a bunch of sports games. Ash walked to the bed, avoiding paper, cardboard, controllers, games, and even the system itself, until he finally made it over to the bed. "Dad?" Ash whispered. He turned in his sleep and faced Ash.
"Don't worry Ash, I'll get your Mario 64." He said in his sleep.
"Cool." Ash smiled, then leaned closer. "Dad, dad." He finally started banging on his forehead. "Are you in there?"
"Ow, ow, ow, ow." Mr. Ketchum woke up. "I'm up honey, I'm up."
"I'm not honey, I'm Ash." Ash turned up his nose, but then grinned to himself. "Though that does sound good right about now."
"Oh, Ash." Mr. Ketchum laughed. "Well, give me some time and we'll be off. I went to bed late last night, I think I like video games as much as you do."
"Yea, well." Ash muttered absentmindedly as he looked through the games.
As Mr. Ketchum went into the bathroom to shower and get ready, Ash decided to play the basketball game called NBA On NBC. He liked to be Shaq and have the computer be Kobe. He liked to call Shaq 'big head' and Kobe 'shorty' for some reason.
"Let's go." Mr. Ketchum finally was done, he and Ash left.
"Sure, leave the wife to clean up." Delia sighed to herself and folded her arms when she came into the room to see the mess. She shook her head but couldn't help but smile.
"But now, I'm the Pokemon Master and someday, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, you will too." Mr. Ketchum was explaining.
"Do you think I can?"
"Sure, but you have to too. And since you will be the most powerful trainer in the world, our hometown, Pallet, will rely on you to protect them from any danger."
"Mr. Pokemon Master sir!" A voice called, it was Brock and he was panting.
"Please, just Mr. Ketchum."
"Hi Brock." Ash cried cheerfully.
"Hi." Brock turned back to Mr. Ketchum. "When my dad was leaving to start training, he saw a boy and girl who looked about twelve, and a Meowth. They looked pretty suspicious and they're headed this way."
"What's a Meowth?" Ash asked, but rather than an answer, Mr. Ketchum got out a Pokeball. "I'd better deal with this. Take Ash back." He ran off.
"I wish I was a trainer." Ash sighed and started back home.
"Don't worry, when you get a Pokemon you can battle to your hearts content." Brock said as he walked back with him.
Later, Ash ran into Giovanni.
"Hey." Ash ran over.
"Yes?" Giovanni turned to Ash, he had to try and act nice.
"I'm gonna be the next Pokemon Master." He boasted.
"So." Giovanni grumbled.
"My dad told me about Pokemon so now I can catch 'em all." Ash laughed but Giovanni just shrugged. "Hey Giovanni, when I'm Pokemon Master, what's gonna happen to a tough trainer like you?"
"Well I'll be laughed at for letting you win one of my badges and I'll still be only second best." Giovanni grumbled absentmindedly.
"Don't take it so hard." Ash said apologetically.
"Oh I wont. So, why don't you go see the north fields, I hear there's Pokemon."
"Well I don't have one."
"But everyone knows a real trainer doesn't receive their first Pokemon, they catch it." Giovanni's remark caused Ash to perk up. "But like you said, you can't go there, you're too young."
"I won't." Ash said slyly and began to slink off.
"Kids." Giovanni laughed, he knew Ash would go there, just like he wanted.
Later, Ash found his friend Misty, one of the sister gym leaders of Cerulean City.
"Well my first Pokemon will be a water type, like a Staru." She was saying.
"I don't care who I get, all Pokemon are cool." Ash replied. They had got so caught up in talking that they didn't see a small ledge. They fell into an area with tall dry stalks of grass. "The north fields."
"Not much of anything." Misty shrugged but noticed Ash looking at a cave. Pokemon could live in there.
"Stop where you are!" Someone demanded, Brock.
"Great." Ash groaned, he thought his mom was talking with Brock. "Here. Let me show you I don't need a seven year olds protection." That caused Brock to scowl. Ash walked up to the cave. "Hey Pokemon, come on out!" A blast of smoke shot Ash back towards his friends. He got up and hid behind them.
"Yoo-hoo!" A boy's voice was heard. Two figures appeared, a boy and a girl, about twelve.
"You're the good guys, we're the bad."
"When we are happy, you are sad."
"I'm Jessy."
"My name's James."
"Playing rotten is our game."
"Trouble is our name."
"That's right." A furry white cat concluded.
"That's a Meowth." Brock whispered to Ash.
"But I thought Pokemon couldn't talk." He whispered back.
"I guess that one cant." Misty whispered in.
"I could get used to this, but it doesn't sound right." James said thoughtfully to Jessy.
"We'll work on it, let's battle." She replied.
"Use your newly gotten Pokemon!' Meowth cried.
They each threw a Pokeball. Meowth jumped next their Pokemon, James had a Koffing and Jessy had an Ekans.
"We don't have Pokemon." Ash said.
"It gets even easier." Jessy grinned at James.
"Attack!" Meowth leaped up and the two Pokemon followed.
The three chased after the kids. Ekans slapped Brock with his tail and he rolled away. They then continued after Ash and Misty.
"Let's climb up there." Ash said when they were cornered by a dirt hill. They started up when they saw the Pokemon and their trainers.
"Ash!" Misty called.
Ash turned to see the dirt give in below her. Just before Jessy could grab her, Ash pounced on her and helped Misty along. Jessy growled at Ash and they all continued after. On top of the hill was a dead end and it was too late to turn back. They cowered by the wall.
"Scardey cats." James taunted.
"Hey!" Meowth growled.
Ash got in front of Misty and stood bravely. He ran towards Jessy and pounced, but it barely affected her, he just bounced back off and hurt himself. They just laughed at Ash as he got up off the ground, ready to try again. But before he could leap, a shadow fell on them. The figure shoved Jessy, James and Meowth to the floor. They landed in front of Ash. Misty opened her eyes and looked shocked, she thought Ash had hit them. Jessy, James and Meowth thought the same. Who else could it have been?
"So, it's you again." It was Ash's dad, Brock appeared behind him.
"We didn't mean to do anything wrong again." Jessy gulped.
"Leave my son and his friends alone!"
"Your son?" James gulped.
"Uh oh." The trio whispered.
"Here's a second helping." Mr. Ketchum got out his Pokeball. "Go, Raichu!"
"No!" James yelled.
"We're gonna hate electricity all our life!" Jessy cried.
"Rai!" Raichu growled and his tail glowed yellow. He swung it at the three and they flew off screaming.
"Good job Raichu." Mr. Ketchum nodded. "Rai." Raichu went back into his Pokeball. Mr. Ketchum glared down at his son. Ash was going to speak, but he lowered his head instead.
"Dad, I'm sorry." He whispered.
"Come on." Mr. Ketchum led the three kids out of the north field.
"I'll never forget this." Ash told himself. Misty and Brock left Ash and his dad to talk.
"What were you thinking Ash, you have no Pokemon. You put your two friends in danger, what if you were all killed?"
"I, I'm sorry dad." Ash choked, not knowing what else to say. His dad looked down at him, he looked very ashamed.
"You know," Mr. Ketchum wore a slight grin. "I won't always be around to protect you. Be more careful. Now, let's get home so we don't worry your mom."
"Ok dad." Ash grinned up at him and they walked back home.
Meanwhile, Team Rocket was very upset.
"Lousy Pokemon Master." James growled to Meowth who nodded in agreement.
"He's stupid." Jessy agreed.
"And dumb."
"And above all he's,"
"So idiotic."
"Hey lame brains." Meowth cut in. "Those are all the same things." Just then their boss appeared, an angry and disappointed Giovanni.
"You have failed. For some reason I predict more failure in the future. If you want to become lifetime members of my new organization, Team Rocket, you have to perform at least one of my tasks properly."
"Sorry." Meowth apologized and turned to his partners.
"You know," Jessy spoke up. "It's not like we had a fair fight out there."
"Yea." James agreed. "It wasn't like they were alone, they had the Pokemon Master there to help them. He's the brats dad." "Well duh." Giovanni grumbled. "That's why I made that plan. Oh, if only I was the Pokemon Master. But no, I'm just the most powerful gym leader."
"And isn't that enough?" Meowth stepped up. "Hey, at least your second best."
"So? If that Mr. Ketchum wasn't around, I could be able to regain my title as the most powerful trainer in the world."
"Well, how are we going to get rid of them?" Jessy asked.
"Get rid of them, Mr. Ketchum and his son? The Pokemon Master and his son who will most likely follow in his footsteps? But how would that help.. wait, a minute." Giovanni perked up. "I have a plan, come closely and listen."
The next day, Giovanni took Ash to talk with him. They sat on a bench in an open park.
"You know, you shouldn't have gone there." Giovanni was saying. "You need to stay out of trouble. All of town heard about that you know."
"Yea I know, pretty dumb of me haw?"
"Well anyway, I got you a present to apologize.. for the whole telling you about the north field thing."
"Really?" Ash perked up at that, excited.
"Now wait here while I got get it. Oh, and it has something to do with Pokemon." He walked off.
"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" Ash whispered to himself in excitement, he felt better now.
Elsewhere..
"Where is he?" James asked. "My Koffing wants to fight."
"Well Ekans does too." Jessy grumbled back. "We have to follow instructions this time or the boss will kill us after he gets killed."
"You don't have to tell it like it is." Meowth moaned. "Hey look!"
"It's time." Giovanni came up. Team Rocket let Ekans and Koffing out of their Pokeballs and with Meowth, ran towards a herd of wild Pokemon. "Perfect. And now, the baitie." Giovanni walked off again.
During this, Ash was thinking of his present.
"Will it be a Pokeball with a Pokemon in it? Will it be one of those new kinds of Pokemon or special Pokeballs like I heard about on the news?" Ash stopped his wonderment when he saw a cloud of dust rising in the distance. It was a herd of wild Pokemon, and they were out of control. "I don't think that's my present!" He started to run.
"Yea, this is fun!" Meowth cheered as he socked a Sandslash. Ekans hit a Beedrill and Koffing knocked a Mankey.
"You said it Meowth." James smiled. 'The plan is working."
"Yea, no more brat and a great big raise." Jessy added. They cried out for joy when all of the Pokemon were headed for Ash. They ran to their next position.
Meanwhile, as Ash was running for his life, Brock and Mr. Ketchum were talking.
"So how long did it take you to capture a Bulbasaur?" Brock was asking.
"Well, I used my Poliwrath to." Mr. Ketchum stopped when Giovanni literally ran into him. "What is it, trouble?"
"Ash is in trouble." Giovanni said frantically. "A bunch of wild Pokemon are attacking him."
"What Ash? No!" Mr. Ketchum cried.
He and Brock followed Giovanni. As Giovanni got them, Ash had been avoiding attacks from Pokemon. A Ratata tried to trip him and a Fearow nearly took his head off. Ash was running next to a wall and had found a ledge to get onto.
"I'm safe now." He panted as the Pokemon ran just below him. "Oh, I need help." Finally Giovanni and the others arrived.
"Ash!" Brock cried, but Ash only heard his voice.
"Brock, help!" He called back.
"Your dad is coming to help, just hold on a little longer."
"Got it!"
Brock pointed out Ash and Mr. Ketchum knew what he had to do. Without even considering his own safety and well being, he leaped into the river of Pokemon.
"Oh yea you.!" Mr. Ketchum growled to a Pidgey that hit him. He got out a Pokeball but he heard Ash cry out. He put it away and kept moving. Just as he was going to reach Ash, the same Pidgey knocked Ash off the ledge. But Mr. Ketchum leaped over a Pinser and caught Ash just in time.
"Oh dad, I'm so glad you came. I was so scared." Ash said as his dad put him on his back.
"I got worried too, now let's get out of here." Mr. Ketchum found a smaller ledge and climbed on. "It's ok now, we're safe." Just then, on the higher ledge above them, they heard Brock cry out in pain. Mr. Ketchum thought he'd better go see what was up. "Here Ash, I cant' climb with my Pokeballs. Watch them, I'm counting on you." Mr. Ketchum gave his son his Pokeballs and climbed up like a skilled mountaineer.
"Don't worry dad." Ash said quietly. "Just be careful."
"What happened up here?" Mr. Ketchum demeaned.
He had pulled himself half way over the ledge. He didn't see Brock, but he saw Giovanni. As he tried pulling the rest of himself over the edge, the rock he stood on gave loose and he slipped, just barely hanging on.
"Whoa!" Ash cried.
The rock almost hit him. He thought he'd better help, but then he saw the Pokeballs. Ash knew his dad had told him to watch them. But he also knew that his dad would be ok, he was always ok.
"Giovanni." Mr. Ketchum said as he hung on. "Don't just stand there." He tried putting his feet on another rock but it gave away too. "Help me." Giovanni grabbed Mr. Ketchum's free hand and pulled him up but stopped.
"I can't pull you in." He said, pretending to struggle.
"Yes you can, just pull!" Mr. Ketchum growled.
"Did I say can't? Oh, I meant to say won't." Giovanni corrected with a grin. Mr. Ketchum's eyes widened with fear. "Good day." And with that, he let go. Mr. Ketchum slipped back. He waved his arms to try and maintain any balance he had, but he fell anyway. "Title, here I come." Giovanni walked off with a satisfied smile.
"No dad, dad!' Ash cried when he saw him fall. He picked up the Pokeballs and went to see if he was alright. When he got down, he dropped a Pokeball. He picked it up only to find that it was the Pokeball look-a-like, Voltorb. He used explosion. Ash coughed away the smoke and found the real Pokeball, it had rolled next to his dad's still body. "Dad, are you ok, can you get up?" No response. Ash started to cry.
"Ash." Ash turned to see Giovanni. "It's ok. You didn't mean for this to end up this way. But you won't ever be able to see your dad again, he is dead after all." Ash looked up at him but turned away. "What will the town think?" "What's gonna happen to me? I don't want anymore trouble."
"Then leave Pallet." Ash looked Giovanni, confused. "Go and find a new town that won't know what you've just done." Ash looked at his dad's dead body and Pokeballs and then turned and ran.
"It worked." Jessy and James laughed as they appeared by their boss. Giovanni pointed a finger at Ash and they ran after him to seek and destroy.
"There he is!" Meowth called.
Ash turned confused and startled to see that Team Rocket had appeared behind him. He turned and ran even faster. He climbed up a tree. Koffing tried to tackle him but banged his head. Ash got out of the tree and came to the edge of a tall hill. He started down when he saw Team Rocket. He tripped and rolled down to the bottom. Meowth, Koffing and Ekans followed as Jessy and James watched from the top of the hill.
"I gotta split." Ash panted as he crawled under some bushes and escaped on the other side.
"Look out!" Jessy called.
Koffing skidded to a halt just as he was going to crash into them. He sighed with a grin. But then Ekans landed on top of him, causing him to be pushed closer to the bushes. Meowth banged into the back of them and Koffing flew into the sticky bushes. James and Jessy ran down. Jessy, Ekans and Meowth laughed at Koffing when he came out with glue like stuff all over him and leaves and twigs stuck to him.
"It's not funny!" James moaned as he started to brush off Koffing.
"Well, the brat split." Jessy sighed.
"Well the sun sure will finish our job." Meowth said, looking out towards the sunset.
"And he'll never show his stuck up face here again." James agreed.
"Yea, he knows we'd beat him up and then let our Pokemon kill him." Jessy nodded.
"Yea, I guess you're right." Meowth laughed.
Jessy and James returned Koffing and Ekans and made their way back to Giovanni. Ash had heard them talking and believed them, he knew he'd never come back. Back in Pallet at the main meeting center in the town square, Delia and the others had just received the news from Giovanni. Brock patted her on the back. Misty started crying and her sisters hugged her.
"Even thought we have lost the Pokemon Master and his son, you shall be protected by myself. For I shall rise to no longer be the second best trainer, by the Pokemon Master of the world, Pallet Town's new protector." As Giovanni spoke, his army of Rocket's appeared. Everyone gasped, there were so many they were larger than the town's population. "Welcome Pallet, welcome to my allegiance!" He laughed.
Everyone cowered in fear, all too many bad things were happening at once. Professor Oak slipped away to his home and picked up a clipboard. It had some names on it, they were the next generation of trainers. Gary's name was on it, as well as a boy named Damian and a girl named Melony, and at the bottom was Ash. Prof. Oak took his pencil and turned it around, and erased Ash's name.