CHAPTER 5

Ash Ketchum, I Presume?

Pain… sharp, stabbing pain… for a while, that's all I was aware of, and then I slowly became aware of my body again. The pains were forming all over me… there was something… no, several things, biting me! I put my hands over my head and waited for it to go away. Suddenly, I heard a voice.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" I heard a sizzling, crackling noise, followed by a wave of heat and a massive squawking, and the pain stopped. Then the voice said, "Hey, kid, are you okay?"

I groaned and opened my eyes, and found myself looking at a pair of green and white sneakers. I slowly looked up, saw baggy jeans, a blue vest, and…. I did a double take when I saw who was standing before me.

"It can't be… Is it you, Ash?" I asked, slowly getting to my feet. This was surely a dream. There was no way I could be face to face with Ash Ketchum.

"Uh, yeah, it's me!" Ash said, bashfully. "Those wild Spearows will mauling you, so I took care of them. What's your name?"

"Uh, my name's Paul. I got zapped by…"

"Pika Pika!" piped up a voice from his side. I gasped.

"Pikachu!" I slowly backed away, not forgetting the shock from before.

Ash laughed. "It's all right, he won't hurt you. C'mere, Pikachu." Pikachu jumped up on Ash's shoulder. "So, are you new in Johto?"

"Umm," I looked around, "Well I don't know… this can't even be possible…"

"Why not?"

"Well, I was at home, in New Jersey, and then your Pikachu zapped me, and now I'm here… is this really Johto?" I looked around at the lush landscape. I snapped my fingers. "Wait a minute! I dropped my Game Boy in the tub with me! That's what must've taken me here!"

"Uh, if you say so," Ash said, laughing nervously. "So, are you a Pokemon trainer?"

"Well, yeah, but all my Pokemon are in my Game Boy."

"So what are those Poke Balls in your bag?"

I looked to where he was pointing, to see a backpack lying on the ground, and six Poke Balls next to it. "How can this be…?" I whispered, but I opened each of the Poke Balls and cried out in delight to see my faithful Pokemon Team appear before me, real as the wind! Meganium… Golem… Arcanine…Politoed… Alakazam… and Magneton. "My friends!" My Pokemon cried out happily, glad to be able to finally meet me for real.

"Wow, you've got a pretty impressive team there," Ash said thoughtfully.

"Well, I put a lot of work into raising them," I said, as I stroked Meganium's head.

"I can see that." Ash said, turning his hat around. "Will you allow me to see exactly how much you've raised them?"

I froze. "You… Ash Ketchum… want to challenge me to a battle?"

"That's right." said Ash with a grin. "How about it?"

I smiled. "It would fulfill my every dream if I could stage a real Pokemon battle with you, Ash. How does 2 Poke Balls each sound?"

"It sounds perfect!" Ash said. "Okay, Noctowl, I choose you!" Ash's Noctowl appeared in a flash of red light and flew forward.

"Politoed, get out there, buddy!" I called. My Politoed bounded forward eagerly. "Politoed, Ice Beam!" Politoed fired a freezing, snowy blast towards Noctowl.

"Noctowl, dodge!" Ash called. Noctowl nimbly flew out of the way. "Noctowl, Wing Attack!" Noctowl summoned two gusts of wind and blew them towards Politoed, who took them, but bounced back easily.

"Politoed, Psychic attack!" Politoed half closed his eyes and focused his concentration, and then sent a massive psychic blast towards Noctowl, who wasn't fast enough to dodge, but still had fight left in him.

"Noctowl, use Drill Peck!" Noctowl set its beak straight forward and dove at Politoed, who fainted from the atack.

"Aww man," I groaned, "Okay, Politoed, return!" I withdrew Politoed, and then said, "Alakazam, get moving!" Alakazam slowly and proudly walked into the clearing.

"All right then, I choose you, Pikachu!" Ash said.

"PikaCHU!" Pikachu squealed, running forward.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu began to glow, and sent forth a fury of electricity.

"Alakazam, use your Light Screen to block it!" I cried, but Alakazam just wasn't fast enough, and he was electrified and knocked out. I had lost. Lost to Ash Ketchum.

"All right, Pikachu!" Ash cried happily, scooping Pikachu up in his arms. "We did it!"

I was frozen for a few moments. Even though I had lost the battle, I had just fought a real, live Pokemon battle, against Ash Ketchum no less!

"Great battle, kid," Ash said, walking forward and shaking my hand. "You fight pretty well for a rookie."

I certainly wasn't a rookie, if you count the badges I'd earned in the Game Boy game. But, I let it go. "Well, thanks Ash." I said.

"Well, I'd better get going…" he said, looking off to the west.

"Where are you going?" I asked curiously.

"I gotta get to Olivine City. I'm meeting my friend Gold there."

"Can I come with you?" I asked on an impulse.

Ash scratched his head. "Well, I don't know…" he said uncertainly.

"Please? I promise I won't be a burden!"

Ash looked down at Pikachu, as if to ask what he thought. "Pikapi!" Pikachu said with a smile.

"Well, all right, you can tag along if you want," Ash said.

"Awesome! You won't regret it!"

"Well, we should get going if we want to get to Olivine City at a decent time."

And so, Ash Ketchum set off down the road, with Pikachu on his shoulder, and I walked next to him. I was living my dream.