This was originally going to be a part of the first chapter, but it was cut out due to length.

The large, open field that Ash and Pichu were taken to by the path exiting Pallet Town was vaster than the young trainer had expected. Tall grass and patches of flowers as far as the eye can see. Ash was sure that various beginner level Pokémon were hiding about in the tall grass, but he would probably choose carefully.

Most commonly, some trainers would focus on trying to limit their catches to a select few Pokemon, or go all out and try to catch as many as possible. Those who only caught a few Pokémon at a time were often very careful about what they did catch, carefully considering what types of Pokemon that they wanted on their teams.

Ash was of the opinion that focusing on only a few Pokemon at a time was the most practical way to go about things, as he couldn't imagine himself being able to divide attention between so many teammates at once, especially with just slightly less than a year before the Conference.

So, his game plan was to explore in hopes of finding Pokemon that piqued his interest. He wasn't picky, but he did want to focus on the qualities that each of his potential teammates would have.

Ash saw a few Pidgey flying overhead, along with the occasional Pidgeotto.

There were even a few Taillow among the bird Pokemon. Taillow were native to Hoenn, not Kanto, but foreign Pokemon had become increasingly common over the years.

The cause of this was a combination of multiple factors. Team Rocket's occasional attempts at getting involved with foreign Regions had resulted in quite a few incidents, but in general, some foreign trainers would end up releasing their Pokemon while in Indigo. Those Pokemon would go off into the wild and breed with other Pokemon, gradually resulting in various species not commonly seen in Indigo appearing much more often.

This wasn't just an issue in Indigo either, as it was occurring in numerous parts of the world. Controversy had been birthed inevitably from the effect that the situation had on the training landscape. The Indigo League did its best to crack down, often scooping up foreign Pokemon in hopes of either placing them in the Safari Zone in Fuchsia or even just shipping them out to their native Region. Although Kanto and Johto both fell under the Indigo banner, they each still had Pokemon native to one Region but not the others. The League tried to prioritize Pokemon from foreign Leagues, but still made attempts at regulating those from within Indigo's multiple Regions as well.

However, many trainers expressed vehement disagreement with this choice. Although the League insisted that they were simply trying to keep Indigo's ecosystems in check, many Trainers loved the idea of foreign Pokemon being more common, as it added a lot of potential variety for team building, and often accused the League of limiting their options.

Movements of protest were becoming more and more common as the years went on, with many Trainers leading rallies against the League's actions. Unfortunately, Team Rocket would often take advantage of these events. Foreign Pokemon benefited them too.

Ash was mixed on the situation. He obviously understood the League's point of view, and given how they explicitly aimed to go about the task in manners that weren't at the foreign wildlife's expense (the main goal was to simply capture and relocate them, and nothing more), he considered attempts at demonizing the League's actions to be overreacting. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but admit how appealing it would be to have some foreign Pokemon on his team. Thankfully, capturing foreign Pokemon was not illegal despite the League's attempts at controlling the situation; if anything, the prospect of a large number of trainers plucking foreign Pokemon out of the wild made the League's job easier, and many of the trainers that opposed the League's choice tried to focus on that silver lining in hope of compromise. Overall, the reaction to the League's response was not black and white, with even certain people of similar stances reacting to and interpeting the issue from a different lens.

Looking back, Ash saw that Pichu was trailing behind him. The small mouse hadn't paid him much mind since the battle with Gary and Squirtle, which wasn't a pleasant sign.

He knew he couldn't blame Pichu for distrust after losing his temper so quickly during their first battle, but the frusturation in his stomach still refused to go away.

Ash decided to stop for a bit. Not paying attention to his trainer, Pichu found himself abruptly bumping into the boy's legs as Ash turned to face him.

At this point, Pallet Town was barely even visible from the distance, in part due to the large hill the duo had climbed.

"Pichu, are you going to be like this the whole way?"

The electric rodent was still doing his best not to make eye contact, and Ash felt the inner frusturation slowly build.

"Look… I'm sorry for what happened with Gary and Squirtle, but you have to admit, you're not absolved from all of the blame yourself."

Pichu's facial features took on a look of irritation, but no reply came.

Ash frowned. "Pichu… this is supposed to be a partnership. I'm not expecting you to do all the work, but I can't do it all myself either, okay?"

Pichu frowned at that, but still didn't say anything.

Before Ash could go any further, the sound of flapping wings nearby stole the pair's collective attention away from one another.

A small bird had landed a few feet away in the field, and Ash quickly recognized it as a Pidgey. His eyes lit up.

This was perfect! Pidgey were practically famous among beginner level trainers. Although Pidgeot weren't among the most widely feared Pokemon in the world, they were still greatly revered and were considered to be top notch Flying Type Pokemon.

It was what made Pidgey so appealing to many newcomers in Indigo: They were normally easy to catch, train, and raise, making them perfect Pokemon for a newcomer's first catch. They were commonly found throughout Indigo, especially in areas that were popular with beginner trainers as it is (or maybe their presence was part of what made those locations popular?) and once they evolved, they would become quite powerful. An easy-to-handle Pokemon that would eventually become quite elite.

Of course, the combination of popularity and accessibility had produced the inevitable downside; Pidgeot were quite common among Indigo trainers, and many therefore knew how to fight against them, which put the species at a disadvantage.

Ash wasn't too bothered by this, though. He could still catch more rare, less commonly used Pokemon later on, but for the moment, the top priority to start out on the right foot.

"Pichu," he said, pointing towards the Pidgey. "Go get it."

When he didn't get a response, he looked over to his Starter Pokemon to see him hesitating.

The mouse was still uncertain, squeaking out a somewhat defiant response.

Ash's patience was just about gone.

"AREN'T YOU EVER GOING TO LISTEN TO ME?!" he quickly turned as he heard the now startled Pidgey flying away after his outburst. "Wait! No! Darn it!" he looked back at Pichu, who seemed somewhat guilty, although that only did a little bit to ease Ash's anger. "Come on! We're not going to get anywhere like this!"

/

He was at his wits end at this point.

By now, he and Pichu had spent a few hours making blunder after blunder.

At first, it was Pichu hesitating for too long, resulting in the Pokemon fleeing. Then Pichu didn't hesitate, and chose to fight, but not trusting Ash's judgement anymore, and acted on his own accord. This time it was ASH who screwed up, with his frustrated yelling driving the Pokemon away.

Somewhere down the line, it had escalated into back and forth bickering between the duo. Although it thankfully hadn't gotten physical, neither trainer nor Pokemon had any patience remaining for the other.

"I wasn't planning on going after a Ratatta since they usually aren't known for fighting in high level battles, but you still even managed to screw that one up!" Hands on his hips, Ash glowered down at his starter.

The frustrated mouse stamped his feet while angrily crying out in protest. Ash didn't know what he was saying, but the tone of the response did not leave much room for interpretation.

"Oh yeah? Tell that to the Nidoran you threw yourself at while his horn was sticking out! You could have been poisoned!"

Grumbling, Pichu planted himself on the ground with a pout.

"I would like to think I at least somewhat know what I'm doing," Ash grumbled in frustration. "But I'm starting to wonder if you even know anything!"

Pichu immediately sprung back to his feet, resuming his protest while shouting aimlessly at the boy.

"Don't you go giving me that! Why did Gary have to get the most well behaved Starter on the face of the earth and I had to be stuck with you?!" He felt the guilt hit him the moment the words left his mouth; there he went again, dragging Pichu right his conflict with Gary. The realization that he wasn't thinking straight frustrated him even further.

Although still glowering, Pichu's shouting quieted, and Ash felt his heart sting upon seeing the dejection on the electric type's face. The boy bit his lip, hands reaching up to massage his temples.

"I'm done with this!" he finally screamed tahe rookie turned around and picked up a rock. He needed to vent. "I've been waiting for this day my whole life! Why did it have to go like this?!"

He chucked the rock as hard as he could, aiming at nothing in particular.

But he did hit something.

Pichu returned to his side as they gazed at the bird-like figure in the distance.

Ash squinted his eyes in hopes of making out the species, but they suddenly widened as he realized what he had just done. "Oh crap."

Spearow were infamous for their vicious behavior. For beginner level standards, they were hard to handle, and dangerous to go up against.

And Ash had just pissed one off.

/

It had happened so fast.

Arguing one moment, being chased the next. Any and all hostility between one another was quickly forgotten in favor of self-preservation.

At first, it was just one Spearow, but things quickly began to worsen as more joined in. It wasn't a full flock by any means, but they were now being chased by a decent few.

At this point, all Ash wanted was for fate to throw them a bone. He wished this was just a bad dream he could wake up from, but knew how useless it was to dwell on that.

As the first Spearow had come flying towards them, Ash and Pichu bolted in the other direction, not even bothering to look back at their mutual attacker. Ash wasn't even sure if they were heading in the direction of Viridian, his mind was too jumbled to tell.

After a few minutes of nonstop running, Pichu had tripped over a small rock, sending Ash into a panic. As he rushed over to help the mouse, the rookie saw Pichu get up and jump on top of the Spearow's back. The small electric type had charged up an instinctive Thunder Shock and given the Spearow a good zapping. Unfortunately, this had resulted in the Spearow calling on its friends.

Thankfully, they didn't need to worry about an entire flock going after them. A few days ago, they would have, but when Professor Oak had heard reports about a flock of Spearow near Pallet Town, he had driven them off to ensure that they wouldn't cause any trouble for the soon to be rookie trainers. Unfortunately, there were apparently stragglers.

Ash didn't have time to count how mahy there were, but it was obvious that Pichu couldn't possibly hope to take all of them on at once. Running for dear life was the only option. More frusturation bubbled in his stomach as the day somehow managed to still get even worse, the feeling intensified by the fact it was his fault.

Unfortunately, he was so caught up in that thought tha the hadn't even noticed the hill up ahead, a stsrtled cry escaping his lips as he abruptly lost his footing. He could feel the dirt on his face as he painfully tumbled downwards, stopping in front of a tree. Pichu stopped in front of him as he tried to gain his bearings, but there was no time.

The Spearow were upon them now.

Before Ash could even stand up, one of them made a break for him, slashing at the boy with its talons. Ash instinctively raised his arm to block, and attempted to strike back, but only got a painful scrape for his efforts.

Pichu began gathering electricity in his cheeks. The other Spearow didn't give him the time to charge, however, one of them immediately flying forward to attack.

"NO!" Ash screamed.

Ignoring the painful cut on his arm, the boy felt a surge of adrenaline go through him as he stood in front of the small mouse, attempting to bat away the vicious Spearow. Rather than go for a slash, this one dedicated itself to a full-on charge. Ash was knocked down onto his back, Pichu immediately jolting to the side to avoid getting crushed.

The Spearow seemed more focused on Ash now, but as another one dove towards him before he could get back up, Pichu leapt on top of it and let loose a charged-up Thunder Shock. Ash had to shield his eyes as the close-up electricity began singing his arms. A pained cry escaped his throat, but it was nothing compared to the horrific shriek that the Spearow let loose, grating all the way into the rookie's eardrums.

NOW the Spearow were all focused on Pichu again, and Ash could only watch helplessly as he lifted his head to see one of them prying Pichu off of the other Spearow, now painfully clutching the mouse in its talons.

Before Ash could verbally or physically, the Spearow flew Pichu straight into the tree, letting go just in time to throw the rodent right into the hard, sturdy trunk.

Ash was panicking now, but before the Spearow could turn their attention back onto him, a series of small streams of fire came out of nowhere in their direction, forcing them to fly out of the way.

The Spearow hovered in place as Ash turned to see the newcomers.

A small pack of Growlithe.

The Spearow had chased Ash and Pichu all the way into their territory.

Thankfully for Ash, the two groups of Pokemon seemed to feel a lot more threatened by each other than by either of them. As the two groups began to battle it out, Ash hastily scurried back to the tree, scooping up Pichu in his arms and making a break for it.

He spared only a second to look back at the two quarreling groups of Pokemon, neither seeming to realize or care about his or Pichu's departure, before speeding up. After crossing a bridge suspended over a decently sized body of water, most likely perfect for fishing or scuba diving, he decided that they had hopefully cleared enough distance between themselves and their attackers. Ash laid Pichu down gently on the grass, finally taking the time to assess the mouse's injuries.

Looking at his own arm, Ash could see a small amount of blood coming out, but he chose to focus on Pichu first.

The mouse was conscious, but seemed to be drifting in and out. No doubt the crash into the tree trunk had given him the worst of it.

Apart from that, he had some painful cuts on his back, likely from when the Spearow had grabbed him in its talons.

Ash felt the tears welling up in his eyes, quickly realizing that he'd caused this.

"Pichu…" He could barely get the words out. "I-I'm… sorry…" Pichu was looking up at him curiously, as if slightly surprised about the sudden apology.

He just had to get angry enough to throw that damn rock. He just had to anger that damn Spearow. He just had to… to… to…

Ash viciously shook his head. NO! He had no time for this. He had to help his partner. As the adrenaline wore off, he abruptly realized that the constant running had left him breathing heavily. He only had about the average athletic ability of a ten-year-old boy, compared to Gary's slightly above average speed and stamina. But he did his best to push that fatigue aside while rummaging through his backpack for something that could heal Pichu. He knew he had packed some potions-

He paused in horror as he found none.

For all of the packing that he'd done, he had somehow forgotten to pack healing potions.

Delia had done a good job teaching her son to never swear out loud, but this time:

"FUCK!"

/

Gary whistled happily as he exited the doors to the Pokemon Center in Viridian City.

Looking up at the sky, he assumed that the sun would probably be setting in about an hour or so. It also seemed like a storm was coming, but if it didn't last too long, he'd still try to make his way into Viridian Forest by tonight.

The thought of sleeping in the Pokemon Center certainly was tempting, but he really did want to cover as much ground as possible.

How many Pallet Town Trainers could say that they had made it all the way to Viridian Forest on their first ever day as a Trainer? Most stopped at Viridian City by the end of Opening Day, bit that was it.

But Gary wasn't them. Gary was better. Much better.

And before he had even gotten into Viridian City, he had successfully made his first catch of his career as a Pokemon Trainer.

Gary smiled gleefully at the Poke Ball containing the Bellsprout that he and Squirtle had just recently captured.

The Type disadvantage hadn't done much to hinder them, thanks to Squirtle's shell providing perfect cover against their opponent's Grass Type Moves, just like before with Pichu's electricity.

Gary snorted as he thought back to that fight. What a pitiful way to start out his career. He knew a battle with Ash was going to be disappointing no matter how low that he set his expectations, but that was just a joke.

Ash was probably still failing right at this very moment.

/

Ash couldn't stop cursing himself. Of all the things he could have forgotten, whi did it have to be...

He needed to get Pichu to a Pokemon Center. But he didn't even know if-

Looking around, he saw a nearby sign pointing to Viridian City. Under any other circumstances, he probably would have been grateful that the chase had led them closer to the city rather than driven them farther, but at this point, he was far too panicked to care. But he needed to get there fast, so he scooped Pichu up and began to run.

However, from the corner of his eye, he noticed a bike near the shore of the water.

Had he been in the right state of mind, he probably would have realized that the conveniently placed bike liekly had an owner. Unfortunately, he no longer was.

/

About fifteen minutes later, a girl swam to shore, and began removing her scuba diving outfit.

She was about Ash's age, had orange hair that was now soaked from her swim, and a yellow starfish like Pokemon trailed behind her.

"Okay, Staryu. Sorry we couldn't find anything. But a storm's coming now, so we should probably get going-" she stopped upon seeing that the bike was no longer where she left it.

For a good few seconds, she was silent. But then, her voice could probably be heard for miles.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE?!"

/

Thunder rumbled throughout the gray clouds in the sky, and the rain pelted Ash as he rode the bike as fast as he could.

Pichu was laying down in the basket, cheeks sparking as the water falling form the clouds hit him.

It hadn't occurred to Ash until a few minutes after taking off that he had probably stolen this bike from somebody; with no way to return it. It was just another screwup to add to today's list.

When the storm had hit, Ash's frustrations only grew. They thankfully weren't all that far from Viridian, but at this point, it felt like the day was doing whatever it took to be as miserable as possible. Opening Day was supposed to be a special day for all newcomers, something that they would remember for the rest of their lives, but Ash was hoping that he would forget this by tomorrow.

The rain had started out as a light drizzle, before progressing a little bit; thankfully never reaching the point of an outright downpour, but certainly more than enough to be uncomfortable. The thunder was only at a low rumble, so Ash's ears thankfully weren't in too much pain. Nevertheless, it was a constant annoyance, and reminded Ash of how much he hated being outside during storms.

He had to be careful to avoid the puddles that were slowly building up on the road. One slip up, and they could-

It wasn't a puddle that did him in.

Ash hadn't taken into account the ledge that he was about to ride the bike over, and the sudden fall caused him to lose his balance.

Pichu went flying out of the basket just before the bike skidded into a tree, the front wheel breaking off upon impact.

Ash tumbled across the ground yet again, feeling more scrapes and bruises piling up as a result. Pichu was much luckier, thanks to the bushes that he landed in cushioning the impact of his fall.

Ash felt the tears coming again, this time mixed with the rain, but did his best to shake them off. Now was not the time. He could see the city from here. They were right there. He could cry later.

Getting up, he tried to hold back his tears while doing his best to dust himself off, before making his way over to Pichu, taking out the mouse's Poke Ball.

Lightly tapping the small orb against his starter's forehead, he watched as the Poke Ball opened up and sucked Pichu inside.

Looking towards the city ahead, Ash quickly broke into a run.

/

Viridian City was one of Indigo's many large, urban areas, complete with tall buildings and large populations, and although it didn't match Celadon in scope, it was still quite imposing in its own right.

Of course, it was also known as the home of Giovanni, one of Indigo's most revered Gym Leaders.

With a reputation rivaled by few of the same position, Giovanni was feared by nearly every Indigo Trainer, rookie and experienced alike. Although this was the first city that Ash had reached which contained a Gym, the boy knew for a fact that he wouldn't even think of challenging Giovanni, even if his situation wasn't as blatantly awful as it was. Giovanni was where Viridian got its big name from.

It was dark out now, approaching the early evening hours as the rainclouds continued to block out the sky. Ash's clothes were drenched, but he could deal with that later. For now, he just needed to reach the Pokemon Center.

He probably would have felt intimidated by the large scope of the city, and the surprisingly large crowd of people for such a rainy night. This was, after all, his first time in a big city. However, none of that was on Ash's mind at this point, and he didn't care how many curious eyes potentially gazed upon him as he ran through the city.

/

Pokemon Centers were always quite big. They doubled not only as medical centers for Pokemon to be healed and treated at exceptionally fast rates (all but the most dire of injuries and conditions could be treated in as short as a day or two, sometimes even less, making them an absolute necessity for the Indigo Conference to continue proceeding at a decent pace) but also as hotels for Pokemon Trainers to stay at. Funded by whatever League in charge of the respective Region, their services were completely free of charge, and a lifesaver for trainers all over the world.

However, the Pokemon Centers in the major cities took this to the next level. Even in his stressed out state, Ash still couldn't help but gawk at the gigantic size of the building as he slowed to a walk practically involuntarily.

It towered over everything in its surrounding area, demanding to be the main attraction, standing several stories high, and was unspeakably wide. Given the number of patients that the Pokemon Centers in the major cities got, not to mention the amount of trainers that often stayed over every night, it made sense for the unspeakable size.

Of course, given that it was Opening Day, Ash wasn't expecting the place to be very busy. Any trainers that started out in Viridian will have already headed out into the infamous Viridian Forest, the largest forest in the Region that struck fear into the hearts of most rookie trainers for its vast, labyrinth like layout, not to mention the rumors of it being haunted and the stories of how it drove trainers to insanity with its complex, unpredictable layout.

This Season, Viridian had seen ninety nine rookie Trainers. Ash didn't envy them for having to start out their adventure in such a widely feared place, especially since he would most likely be going there tomorrow.

It suddenly occurred to Ash that Gary might be at the Center, which made his stomach churn, but now was not the time for that.

Breaking into a run yet again, Ash made his way through the automatic doors.

/

Ash had never been to a Pokemon Center before, but this would be the first of many visits, and despite being aware of how often he would need them, even he would underestimate the amount of time he would end up spending in these places, just in his first Season on its own.

The place was very… clean. To the point of being spotless. Famous for their maintenance, Pokemon Centers offered an unrivaled level of comfort and hospitality for trainers everywhere. Most trainers were left foaming at the mouth at the idea of just being in these buildings, given the amount of time that they would inevitably spend braving the harsh, unforgiving outside world.

It was a somewhat welcoming feeling for Ash as the stressed out boy made his way to the lobby. The expression on his face was still glum, nevertheless.

As he had expected, the lobby was almost completely vacant of Trainers. Potted plants stood on the shelves, and he spotted a few Chansey conversing in the corner, but no humans.

Opening Day was one of the few times of the year when one could genuienly expect a Center to not be busy. Most of the other times took place during the break period between the Conference and Opening Day, along with the Conference itself (as most of the work that Centers saw took place only at Indigo Plateau's Pokemon Center where the Conference was being held, with Pokemon occasionally being transferred to other Centers if needed, while Trainers not competing at the Conference would most often be watching instead of doing any serious training or battling). In just a few days time, Ash imagined that this lobby would be filled with Trainers. But for now, it seemed like it was just him.

Ash made his way to the counter on the other side of the lobby. Nobody was there at the moment, likely because of the probably slowness of work. Despite the highly demanding job, Ash couldn't help but wonder how bored Nurse Joy and her staff were at times like this. Between the overwhelming busy periods they most often saw, and the slow periods such as this one, the job certainly wasn't for everyone. They would either be worked to the bone or bored out of their minds. Rarely ever in between.

Arriving at the counter and adjusting his cap, Ash pressed the button at the side, signaling that there was somebody waiting for service.

It took only a few moments for the pink haired woman to step through the door at the other side of the counter. Initially, her signature smile adorned her features, but was quickly replaced with a frown upon seeing Ash's appearance.

Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny were an odd case. All of them were related, and looked nearly identical most of the time. Ash wasn't sure how that worked, but tried not to focus too much on that.

"Dear me." Nurse Joy spoke in a voice that was filled with soothing compassion. Ash already felt his nerves easing up a bit as she talked. Given that Pokemon Centers were supposed to provide comfort and assistance to any trainer, Nurse Joy was certainly perfect for her job, in more ways than just medical aspects. "What happened to you?"

"My Pichu was injured in an encounter with a group of Spearow." Ash took a moment to find his words. "We just came from Pallet Town." he watched as she typed some things down on the keyboard.

"I see. I guess Professor Oak must have missed a few. Can I see your Pokedex? I need to verify your Trainer info, but it should only take a moment." Ash quickly complied, handing her the red device.

"Here you go." he slightly squeaked out his words.

"Thanks." Joy replied, placing it in a special slot. She watched as the information appeared on her screen. "Let's see… your name is Ash Ketchum, you're from Pallet Town, which is also where you received your License. You received your License today, and currently your only Pokemon is Pichu, your starter. Male gender. This is all correct, right?"

Ash nodded. "Yes."

She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. Even the look in her eyes provided him with some comfort. "Okay, just give me your Pichu and we'll take care of him. We only have one other patient tonight, so it shouldn't be long." Ash nodded and handed her Pichu's Poke Ball. "Are you staying here tonight?"

Another nod. "Yes."

Nurse Joy was typing again. "Okay, I'll assign you a room. We only have one other person staying here tonight. A girl about your age."

Ash blinked. Did that mean Gary wasn't here? Was he already going out in the forest? Maybe it was because the storm wasn't that bad? Or was he just trying to test himself?

Nurse Joy sighed. "I don't envy all the rookies who are staying in the forest tonight. Granted, the storm is supposed to die down in a couple of hours. A young boy about your age even asked me about it earlier."

Oh, so that must have been Gary, Ash presumed to himself.

"It's not like the rain is the only thing to worry about when you're in the forest." Ash pointed out.

Nurse Joy nodded. "True. Especially with those… troublemakers running the place."

She must have been talking about the Bug Catcher Gang, a group of trainers in Viridian Forest who practically dedicated themselves to making the lives of anybody who "trespassed" a living hell.

Joy spoke up again. "If you want, we can have our staff take a look at you as well." she stated, clearly taking note of his cuts and bruises."

Ash nodded. "Thanks for your help."

"Of course. Please make yourself at home. All trainers are welcome for however long they wish."

With that, the kind nurse turned around and walked through a pair of doors, leaving Ash on his own again.

/

Ash was given bandages for his cuts after the staff thankfully determined that he wasn't infected. Just in case, they also applied ointment as an extra precaution, and gave him a container to take with him just in case he needed it later on. Afterwards, he made his way to the bathroom and changed his clothes.

He had packed a few sets of clothes just in case he needed them. Thankfully, the storage technology of the League allowed a trainer's backpack to store more than it looked like it could (apparently utilizing very similar technology to that of a Poke Ball) but it still had its limits, so Ash packed as lightly as he could get away with, just in case. With more money, he may be able to invest in a backpack with upgraded storage at some point, but for now he had more than enough room.

After making his way out of the bathroom, he exited the lobby and made his way into the waiting room.

He had been told that Pichu's injuries, while not completely minor, were still not serious enough to stir up too much concern. His partner had minor infections from where he had received his cuts, but the healing technology would be more than enough to take care of him within a couple of hours, along with an antidote or two.

Ash was more than grateful and relieved to hear that his starter would be okay, but it only lifted his mood in the moment, quickly overtaken by the day as a whole.

Where had the time gone? It was already 8:00 PM. They said that time flies when you're having fun, but apparently fun wasn't a requirement. He had been miserable for this long.

Looking around the waiting room, he noticed that the majority of the walls were made of glass, allowing him to see outside into the city. This part of the Pokemon Center wasn't part of the majority of the building that had stories, instead jutting out a little bit. As a result, there were no floors above it, and the ceiling, which was still quite a bit high above, was made out of glass. On most nights, Ash imagined that it would provide the people in the waiting room with a fantastic view of the starry night sky. But tonight, all Ash could see were raindrops and clouds.

The room was notably spacious, with a few tables and more potted plants. A bunch of cushioned chairs outlined the walls, along with shelves that housed magazines and books.

On one end of the waiting room, Ash saw a purple haired girl sitting in a chair. Seemingly immersed in the magazine she was reading, her posture was shockingly perfect. This was probably the other trainer staying at the Center tonight. Which meant their other patient was probably one of her Pokemon.

Ash imagined that a good few trainers would pass the time with conversation, but he wasn't in the mood. Given that it mostly came in the form of Gary and his lackeys, his track record with people his age was less than pleasing anyway. He had never been satisfied with it, wishing to become more sociable, but tonight, he wasn't going to take the risk; it took an amount of courage he wasn't in the mood to work up. The girl seemed to be doing just fine anyway.

On the other side of the room, he noticed a set of video phones outlining the walls, and an idea suddenly came to his mind.

There was one person that he was willing to talk to right now.

/

Viridian City was quiet tonight. Not many Trainers around, most people were heading home. Opening Day had been eventful, but now the festivities had finally died down.

But some people wanted to keep the excitement going.

Or, in this case, just two people. High in the sky was a large, hot air balloon, the shape of a Meowth. Two figures looked down on the city from the balloon, rising above even the tallest of the buildings in the city.

"Take a look at this." said the man, handing the poster to the woman. "It looks like a wanted poster."

"Blech." said the woman. "Whoever took this picture certainly captured the real you, but I can't truthfully say that the photographer did the same thing for me. This isn't what I look like at all."

"Of course not, you look even worse."

"Oh?"

"I'm talking about evil, not appearances."

"Of course."

The man smirked. "So they want to downplay our capabilities forthe public to see, huh? Well, we'll see who has the last laugh once we have completed our self-appointed mission."

"Yes, of course." said the woman chillingly. "Did they think that we wouldn't see the files? We know exactly what's at Viridian's Pokemon Center tonight. And soon, it will all be ours for the taking."

The man kneeled down to pet the cat-like Pokemon that standing in between them. "Just tonight, in one hour." he said with a grin as he petted the Pokemon.

The woman snarled gleefully. "The people of Viridian City will probably recognize our faces a lot more by the time we're done."

/

Ash made his way to the video phone and dialed his house's number. After few brief moments of waiting, a familiar voice sounded from the other side. "Hello? This is the Ketchum residence."

"Hi, mom, this is Ash."

The squeal from the other end had him removing the phone from his ear, suddenly wishing he had set the device to speaker.

Delia's face appeared on the screen. "Ash! So you did make it there in one day! How are you?"

Ash frowned. "I'm… not great."

Delia was frowning back now. "Has anything gone wrong?"

Ash did his best not to cry in front of his mother, but thankfully, the tears weren't coming just yet. "Pichu and I have been getting along horribly. I accidentally provoked some wild Pokemon, and now he's injured. They said he'll be okay, but…"

Delia silenced her son with a raised hand. A look fo understanding passed over her face as she listened to him, but her expression had turned serious. "Ash, you're just starting out. It's fine. Not every trainer is going to hit it off with their starter on day one. And you headed to the Center for treatment, so that was the right thing to do." her voice was comforting, at least as much as Nurse Joy's. Ash never found more solace in anybody than his mother.

The problem was, she was always the one comforting him. At times it felt like she was just saying what it took to make him feel better, butwords like "Ash, you're just starting out." weren't what Ash was looking for right now. They were certainly true, but his subconscious had no intention of allowing him to see or understand that.

Regretting even bringing it up, he decided to change the subject.

"How are things back at home right now, mom?"

Delia seemed startled by the change of subject, but still responded. "We're doing fine. Trucy's grandparents told me she won't stop talking about how much of a great trainer you're going to be." she smiled. "She really looks up to you, you know."

Trucy… ever since he and Delia had been asked to babysit her, just over a year ago, she had grown so attached to him. Apparently she thought that he was "cool". Ash certainly didn't see it, but hearing it come from her mouth had always sent a surge of warmth through his chest.

Disappointing her was one of the last things that he wanted to do. It was almost as bad as the thought of disappointing his mother.

"And what about the teachers?"

Delia's lips curved up a bit more. "They have high hopes for both you and Gary. Brittany has placed a million dollar bet that both of you are going to make it to the Conference on your first try. Nobody took her up on it, because they all agree."

"Does she even have that kind of money?"

"Who knows? She's unpredictable."

That was certainly true. Brittany's classes were always the hardest to set expectations for, but that's part of why she was considered so fun.

So they thought he and Gary would make the Conference? On their first year, no less? Ash wanted to feel honored, but it just reminded him that there were more people that he was in danger of disappointing now.

As mother and son talked for about fifteen minutes, Ash felt his nerves ease up from his mom's beautiful voice. The conversation went many places in just a short amount of time, from Brittany's antics, to Professor Oak being a work-a-holic, to Delia's teaching training.

All good things must come to an end, though, as even with Ash out of the house, Delia was a busy woman. Before either knew it, they were parting ways again.

"Goodnight, son. I love you, and remember, I'll always welcome you with open arms back at home."

Ash nodded, feeling misty eyed for the upteenth time tonight. "You too, mom. Thanks."

And with that, he was alone again. He made his way to a far end of the waiting room, but before he could, Nurse Joy entered and approached him.

"I have good news, Mr. Ketchum. Your Pichu is going to be healing sooner than expected. It should probably be about thirty minutes." He offered thanks as she left.

That was good news. Even if the night was still awful, at the very least, he could try to make amends just a little bit sooner.

If Pichu even talked to him at this point, of course.

Ash felt himself sinking into the cushion of the chair as he plopped down on it. If he was in a better mood, he probably would have reveled in the newfound comfort. The chair certainly felt quite good. But with his conversation with Delia over, Ash felt the depression slowly coming back to him. He wasn't sure how to deal with it at this point, he didn't feel like reading.

But, at the very least, his mom had provided him with a brief moment of reprieve.

From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw the girl glancing at him a couple of times, but didn't think much of it, taking a deep breath whilst trying to enjoy the relaxing seat. Keeping track of the clock, he sat there for fifteen minutes, occasionally looking up at the glass ceiling, only to see the rain clouds in response.

The drizzle was still going, but at least the thunder had stopped.

He wanted to start thinking about what he was going to say to Pichu once the mouse had recovered, but couldn't come up with anything significant.

How do you apologize for something like that?

Ash didn't notice the footsteps approaching him as these thoughts went through his mind.

"Hey."

Slightly startled, Ash looked up and blinked when he saw the purple haired girl standing near him. He hadn't noticed her come over, but now that she was closer, he had a better look at her.

Really, purple was practically her theme. Although she wore black for her pants and shirt, her vest was purple. As was her backpack. Her eyes were purple too. So were her shoes. It went along perfectly with the color of her hair, which was tied into a spiky ponytail, which Ash had never seen before. Had his mind not been in the place it was, he likely would've found her quite pretty. She was definitely in the same age group as him, likely another rookie.

"Hi." he spoke uncertainly, hoping his tone didn't sound rude. "Need something?"

"I was wondering if you did." the girl replied, taking a seat in the chair next to him.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"I've noticed you since you came in." she replied. Her eye contact was perfect, her gaze finding its way to his with no wasted time. There was something Ash couldn't quite place about her tone; an air of what should've felt like stoicism... but did it? It was replicated in her eyes as well, they weren't cold or unsettling, yet betrayed nothing. "Please forgive me for prying, but you seem pretty down."

Was she actually… concerned for him? Back in Pallet Town, Gary and his buddies would have just shot a sneer his way if they saw him in a depressed mood. Meanwhile, this girl was a total stranger.

"I…" None of the words came to him; he shouldn't be venting his troubles to someone he's never met. He didn't want to drag her into his business, and yet… the way she was talking to him almost felt like an invitation to do so. Like she wanted to help… or, at the very least, wanted to hear him. "My day has just been bad, that's all."

She frowned. "Is it your starter?"

Ash's eyes widened. "Huh?" Was it really that obvious?

"My starter and I spent the first two hours or so of the day bickering nonstop. We're friends now, but it was coming to an… understanding."

Ash frowned. So this girl got off to a bad start with her starter too… and resolved whatever issue they had in two hours. That put him and Pichu to shame for sure.

Sighing, he looked away from her. "He and I have had an equally awful day..." He paused again. Should he really be giving her the details? He hadn't had this kind of talk with somebody his age before, having normally opened up to adults when going through something troubling. Still, the fact that she had essentially offered was a first... and felt tempting. "We botched our first battle... really badly. Next thing I knew, we couldn't stop butting heads. Just constant disagreement, like we couldn't stand each other. Then I lost my temper and accidentally provoked a wild Pokemon that we weren't ready to fight yet. The only reason we got out of that is because our attackers got sidetracked fighting another group. Now my Pichu is injured and it's all because of me, because I kept digging myself deeper for the entire day."

As he finished, he was suddenly... surprised at how much he said. Before he knew it, it had all just come out. Hopefully he hadn't scared her away...

Looking over at her, she was still firmly planted in her seat. For a moment, her frown had grown... sympathetic? It was a look he didn't see from most peers in Pallet, although her neutral expression was back as though it had never left, once again giving off a sense that he couldn't quite read... was mystique the right word for her?

She shifted in her seat a bit, presumably to get more comfortable-was she actually staying to talk to him?- and locked eyes with him once more. "I'm… sorry to hear that."

There it was again. Sympathy. Just like how Delia and his teachers always gave him. But it felt… different… coming from a kid his age. He imagined most of his peers from home would likely say something akin to, "Gary warned you that you would suck at this!" It almost felt… abnormal.

Yet he couldn't help but feel like his shoulders had gotten lighter. The fact it was from someone in his own age group, technically a peer due to them both being rookies... it felt different than an adult sympathizing with him as usual.

The girl crossed her arms. There was a gentler layer to how she spoke, yet her tone was composed, completely professional. He wasn't sure if he'd ever heard someone his age talking like this before, but it almost felt upper class. "Tell me… do you know how often rookies struggle with their starters on the first few days of the Season?"

Ash blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Sixty five percent." she said blankly.

He blinked. "Wait, that much?!"

She smiled at him. Not a smirk, like that insufferable look always plastered on Gary's face, or the condescending expressions often offered by the Oak boy's peers. it was a neutral grin.

"You're not wrong to be upset, but most newcomers are probably going through the same things you are right now." she said. "I'm just one of the lucky ones, and even I had a rough couple of hours. It's not shameful."

Ash scratched the back of his head, not too sure how to respond. If she put it that way... was he really getting too worked up? "Ummm… thanks."

The girl leaned back in her seat a bit. "Listen, I think you should try and see if your starter wants to start over. Today never happened, like a reset button. Let Pichu know that this is not what you want. You two are partners, right? Rather than just saying it, try to get a clean slate with your Pokemon. It worked for my aunt when she and her Oddish spent the first two days of their journey arguing with each other."

Starting over…

For a moment, her grin lit up. "Just think about it, okay? This is the first day of the season. You have nearly a year to come back from this, so you shouldn't let how you start out define you."

That had him thinking back to Professor Oak. The genius Pokemon Researcher who was apparently a below average student growing up... the thought was still surreal.

"...Thanks." he said slowly. "That means a lot." It really had, and Ash wasn't sure if she realized.

She hadn't said a ton, but that same encouragement from the adults in his life… felt ten times stronger coming from somebody in his own, actual age group. Someone who was also starting out.

"Father says that all trainers are rivals, but not enemies." she replied cooly, shifting to look ahead for a moment. As though a switch had been flipped, that almost stoic, unreadable aura was back. "Competing with each other and helping each other reach our true potential both go hand in hand."

That philosophy was... he hadn't heard it before, but it made sense.

Deciding to take a leap of faith, Ash spoke up again. He was almost hesitant trying to make conversation, but she had proven that she was willing to talk.

"So… are you from Viridian? I thought all the Trainers here would have headed into the forest by now."

She shook her head. "No, I'm actually from Fuchsia."

Ash's eyes widened. "But… that's-"

"Far away, I know." the girl leaned forward a bit. "My home territory isn't known for being beginner friendly, so after settling my differences with my Starter, made our first catch, and had a battle with another trainer, I paid the League's teleporting service to bring me out here."

Ash nodded. It made sense. Certain places in Indigo were known for not being beginner friendly. The most common rookie hotspots were Celadon, Viridian, and especially Cerulean. Ash didn't know much about Johto's training environment, or the Orange Islands and Sevii Islands, but he did know that Fuchsia in Kanto and Blackthorn in Johto both had a reputation for NOT being the preferred places for newcomer trainers to be hanging out. The wilds outside of the city borders were teeming with ferocious, hard to control Pokemon, many of which were very strong. They were also known for being very popular training hotspots for the pros to hone their skills.

Cerulean, to his knowledge, was THE most rookie friendly place to be in all of Indigo. There was a reason that that city's Gym received the most early Season challengers. And that was despite the city not being quite as big or populated as Vermillion, or, above all else, Celadon or Saffron.

Thankfully, the League had a clever solution for the "not rookie friendly" problems that certain places in Indigo had. Most places that weren't considered ideal places for rookies to be offered a teleporting service within the first day or so of the Season, usually exclusive to Opening Day. These would allow trainers to be teleported anywhere of their choosing, not just in the Region, but in Indigo in general, usually to a place that was considered more suitable for rookies to be. For a fee, of course.

Apparently, plenty of Blackthorn rookies would head right on over to Cerulean on their first days as a trainer, all thanks to the League.

Some of the League's approaches sparked disagreement among the training community; Some people disagreed with the concept of a Seasonal approach, as it meant that children who turned ten years old after Opening Day would have to wait almost a whole year just to receive their license. Some people disagreed with the concept of regulating foreign Pokemon, which was often viewed as an attempt to limit teambuilding variety. The teleportation service wasn't among those controversies, viewed as a total positive in every way.

"So…what's it like in Fuchsia?" he asked weakly, doing his best to hold the conversation 'She's a lot better at this than me.'

To his surprise, she was positively beaming at his question. It was almost like another switch had been flipped. "Fuchsia is great! It's really dangerous outside of the city's borders, but the city itself has always been harmonious with nature. It's a beautiful place to live." Her response reminded Ash of his realization regarding Pallet this morning. He'd spent all his life just viewing it as... the place he lived, but this girl spoke of her native home with pride to spare. "Father is actually a… League Official there, so I'm… more known there than I'd care to admit."

Ash frowned. "You don't like the attention?" Gary would be laughing his ass off. Not that he cared. He liked this girl way better than Gary.

She frowned slightly. "I enjoy it to a degree, but there's a lot of expectation accompanying it. Father's known to everyone back at home, so when his daughter passed the exam..." She looked down at her lap. "They're good people."

Blinking, Ash pictured Gary for a moment. As Professor Oak's grandson, he was always held in high regard back in Pallet. Everyone thought-knew that he was destined to be great. And he did everything he could to revel in that, not even trying to be humble, but this girl...

"Fuchsia is a very traditional city." she continued, switching back to the previous subject. "I'm not sure what you're into, but if you like culture, we have no shortage."

"Of course you do." he nodded with a grin. "It's said to be the birthplace of Indigo's first leader. It's not where the Empire started, but it's certainly important."

She nodded back. "Before I was even old enough to go to school, father did everything he could to hammer our history into my brain. Part of the reason why I chose Viridian as my first place to go to was because of what I've learned about the rest of Indigo. Since Pewter is where the empire officially had its start, I thought it would be fitting to get my first badge from there. The trek through the forest would hopefully give me time to catch another Pokemon and train for the Gym." she frowned slightly. "Unfortunately, I encountered a Weedle almost right after entering the forest. I captured it, but my two Pokemon fought too roughly, and it was badly injured. So, I had to rush all the way back here to get it treated."

So her new Weedle was the other patient in the Center right now. But that would mean that…

Ash frowned. "You captured two Pokemon on your first day…"

She shrugged humbly. "I was pretty lucky."

Gary would have never handwaved overachieving as "luck".

She crossed her arms. "So, where are you from?"

For a moment, Ash was slightly surprised. She wanted to know about him now. "Pallet Town."

Her eyes lit up. "Professor Oak's home. What's that like?"

Next thing Ash knew, he was telling her his own stories.

Mingling with somebody his age, no determined subject, just allowing themselves to go wherever the conversation takes them. All of a sudden, he wanted to meet more of his fellow trainers.

/

The hot air balloon floated directly above the center as the two figures raised their Poke Balls.

"Have you hacked into the security systems?" asked the man.

"Already told you I was planning to do it." said the woman.

Behind them, the cat-like Pokemon sharpened its claws.

With full force, they chucked their Poke Balls directly downwards towards the ceiling of the waiting room. Which, thankfully for them, was made of glass.

"EKANS! KOFFING! ATTACK!"

/

It had all happened so fast.

One moment, Ash's night was suddenly looking a lot brighter. Pichu would be good to go again soon, which meant that he could take this girl's advice. And although they had just met, and she was fairly hard to figure out, he felt his words coming to him more easily as the interaction progressed. It was a casual talk that went wherever they wanted; in passing, he had even found out that she had turned ten months after the previous Season began, and was therefore among those who had to wait the extra year to receive her license (which she surprisingly seemed less than bothered by, completely accepting).

But just as he was in the middle of telling her about how Professor Oak and his Electrode had cleared out almost an entire flock of Spearow, the glass ceiling suddenly shattered, making way not only for the drizzle from the rainclouds, but the two Poke Balls crashing through. Ash and the girl covered their heads with startled screams as the glass from the ceiling fell to the floor.

Nurse Joy came bolting into the waiting room, Pichu right behind her. He looked like he was in tip top shape again, which would have brought Ash great relief otherwise, but everyone was now focused on the Poke Balls in the middle of the waiting room.

"What is going o-" Joy began as the Poke Balls suddenly opened up.

Out of the light emerged two hostile Pokemon.

One of them was a large, purple and yellow snake. An Ekans.

The other was a large, floating purple-ball like Pokemon with smoke pouring out of the holes in its body. A Koffing.

Suddenly the smoke increased and engulfed the room. Everybody began covering their mouths and coughing as the girl asked the obvious question:

"WHAT IS THIS?!"

"Don't be frightened, children." came a female voice that sent chills down Ash's spine.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves." the voice of a sophisticated yet condescending man filled the boy's ears moments later.

"To protect the world from devastation…"

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evil of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

The girl's face was pale now. "No.."

Ash looked over to her nervously. "What do you mean?'

"Team Rocket hacked into Fuchsia's air waves just a few days ago. They had this speech playing on the radio and broadcasted it across the area as some odd propaganda."

Now Ash's face was pale. "TEAM ROCKET?!"

The terrorist organization of rebels that threatened to ruthlessly tear down the Indigo League's very structure. They were known to kill indiscriminately, even Pokemon and children. A danger to everyone.

The smoke cleared up, revealing a woman with long red hair, and a man with blue hair. In between them was a cat-like Pokemon that Ash immediately recognized as a Meowth.

Their uniforms weren't black like the majority of the organization was, they were white.

But the giant, blood red R that struck fear into the hearts of nearly every citizen in Indigo, was right there to be seen by everyone.

And with that, Ash was in hell again.

"My name is Jessie." said the red haired woman.

"And you can call me James." said the blue haired man.

Nurse Joy immediately put herself in front of Ash and the girl, arms stretched out like a shield. Pichu was holding onto Ash's leg, trying not to be seen.

"What do you want?" Nurse Joy snarled. Even when she was angry and scared, her voice still felt somewhat soothing... or maybe Ash was just trying to grasp the slightest bit of comfort.

Jessie crossed her arms. "You don't need to ask that.

James sneered. "We're here for the Pokemon."

Ash clenched his fists, although his knees were shaking. "You're not getting my-"

"Don't let your ego get the best of you." Jessie mocked. "We're not interested in whatever bottom-rate pipsqueaks that you day-one rookieshave stashed away."

James nodded his head, his hair bopping along with him. "Yes, of course. Team Rocket demands only rare and valuable Pokemon for our cause."

"You're wasting your time." Nurse Joy was sweating, but her voice remained professional and composed. Or was that just what Ash wanted to think? "This place is for weak and injured Pokemon. And you've come on a very slow day, so there is very little for you to steal."

"Lying? In front of children?" Jessie snorted. "How professional of you, nurse. Showing your true colors I presume?"

James stepped forward, causing the group to step back in caution. "We already know your secret. Tonight, the Pokemon Center in Viridian City is housing numerous foreign dragon type Pokemon, including a mighty Kommo-o strong enough to hang with the best that the Elite Four has to offer. It's being raised by the Sinnoh Champion, correct? THAT is what we are looking for. Hand over the lizards, or else."

Nurse Joy's brow furrowed. "We aren't-"

"Don't lie to us." Jessie took a step forward now, triggering anotehr step back from the group. "We've seen the reports."

"You must be mistaken! This Center doesn't have-"

"She's lying again, Jessie." said James.

Suddenly, the girl took a step forward. "I don't know what you two are thinking right now. You've attacked a League facility with just two people and three Pokemon. You're the ones who should be scared."

She was keeping it together better than Ash, but he still noticed that her knees were slightly shaking as well.

Jessie scoffed. "Pfft, everybody knows that Pokemon Center security is at its lowest on Opening Day."

"Viridian City has the second strongest police force in Kanto. And they'll be here any minute."

"You seem to have a lot of faith in the League. A shame." the man flicked his hair. "Team Rocket merely fights to put an end to the unjust tyranny of the Indigo empire. They think they are so special, monopolizing two major Regions and two sets of islands under their despicable banner. There was a time when human society operated independently, without the bindings of government oppressing humanity's primal nature. This "unity" the past has been replaced with is just an artificial, manmade craft promoted under the facade of so-called 'order.' What a joke."

The girl's voice suddenly became dangerous. "Do not insult my father's work-"

"You cannot say that their practices are not absurd." Jessie suddenly cut in. "Although I suppose you were raised to see the Indigo banner's hold on your home turf as 'natural'."

For a moment, a startled Ash could have sworn he saw the purple-haired girl's face darken. "And what's the 'natural' you are referring too? Back before the League's time, when it was every territory for itself, this land was plagued with never-ending disputes and infighting between each of its territories. It was nothing but turmoil, conflict with no resolution. The League's formation brought all of us together and ended that chaos. 'Human nature' doesn't have a singular definition, it evolves, and for society's benefit."

James crossed his arms. "A pity. It seems she has already been brainwashed by the system. Such a shame. Shall we put her out of her misery, Jessie?"

Jessie cackled. "You need to open your eyes to the bigger picture, kids. I suppose you support their xenophobia towards foreign Pokemon, too? Anything the League's empire feeds you is just a bunch of drivel to romanticize their own control over-"

"Don't listen to them, you two!" Nurse Joy shouted. "Team Rocket likes to do this! They prey on trainers, especially rookies, to turn them against the League!" she pointed at the two grunts. "What these two speak of is not freedom, it's anarchy!"

Ash's brow furrowed. Out of all of Indigo's territories, Viridian was consistently the one with the highest number of protests against the Indigo League's more controversial practices. Could Team Rocket be using that to their advantage?

The girl frowned, a cold bitterness in her voice. "Like it or not, there is a reason why most Leagues followed Indigo and Sinnoh by example. It's how we found peace."

James took a battle stance. "It doesn't matter what excuses you regurgitate."

Jessie took her own. "Team Rocket's destiny is to crush the League's banner."

"STARTING WITH THE THREE OF YOU!" Ekans and Koffing charged forward.

"RUN! NOW!" screamed Nurse Joy.

The trio of humans, along with Pichu, dashed into the next room, but the girl suddenly stopped.

"I'll hold them off!" she shouted as their attackers followed them through the door.

"WHAT?!" Ash screeched. "But these are-"

Before he could get another word out, the girl took out two Poke Balls and activated him. Out of the light emerged two Pokemon that Ash immediately recognized.

One was a small, quadruped, dinosaur like Pokemon with a bulb on its back. A Bulbasaur.

The other was a small bat that flapped its wings in place while in midair. A Zubat.

The girl knelt down and patted her Bulbasaur on the head. It closed its eyes with a smile and let out a satisfied grumble.

"These two are Poison Type Pokemon. That makes them immune to the status ailments that Ekans and Koffing can inflict upon us. I'm the best one to take them on."

"You can't fight them alone!" Nurse Joy protested.

"It's the best we can do right now!"

"But-" Ash started.

"Just go!"

Ash and Joy retreated farther into the Center with Pichu in tow.

They arrived in a room in a different part of the Center, where Joy immediately made her way to a computer and keyboard.

"This is where this Center keeps some of its automatic healing machines." she explained to an equally curious Ash and Pichu. "Her Weedle is the only other patient that we have right now. I'm transferring it to Pewter to keep it safe. They aren't much more busy than we are, so they can finish up its treatment there."

Ash nodded, but his frustration distracted him as he clenched his fists. That girl was willing to fight Team Rocket head on, and they were just hiding…

/

Her eyes remained fixated on the fight.

Bulbasaur had engaged Koffing, continuously firing off Razor Leaf, which the Koffing would either tank or deflect with its Poison Gas.

Zubat was flying around Ekans, who was snapping away at the bat-like Pokemon, trying and failing to catch it in its mouth. Whenever Zubat saw an opening, it would bite down on the back of Ekans with Bite, usually its neck.

So far, it was a stalemate. Neither side was doing anything decisive, and she needed to change that.

Team Rocket's delusional rhetoric was a danger to everything their society had accomplished over nearly the past four centuries. A goal to destroy its overarching foundations, and revert everything back to the chaotic mess the land once was.

She wouldn't let them, certainly not a couple of thugs.

"Bulbasaur! Wrap Koffing up with Vine Whip!"

Bulbasaur complied, latching his vines onto Koffing and attempting to pull the rotund poison type towards it.

James growled. "Fight back, Koffing! Don't let that runt beat you!"

Koffing pulled back against Bulbasaur's pull. Despite the grass type's best efforts, he found himself himself struggling against opphis onent, the grass type's feet sliding against the floor as he struggled to get a firm footing against the Koffing's pull.

The Koffing opened its mouth, producing a stream of Sludge.

"Tackle, Bulbasaur!" the girl called out.

Abandoning its vines, her friend charged forward. The Sludge struck the spot on the floor where Bulbasaur was just a few moments ago, just as he jumped into the air and slammed himself head first into the Koffing's face.

The Koffing was sent reeling back from the impact, landing on the floor in front of a frusturated James, who began stamping his left foot on the floor.

"Get up, Koffing! We can't lose to a rookie!"

"I haven't even been a trainer for a full day yet! And you're still struggling against me!" the girl was starting to feel exasperated. "The police are probably entering the Center by now! You really didn't think this through, did you?"

"Can it, brat!" Jessie spat back as Ekans continued to bite at the girl's dodging Zubat. "We'll eviscerate your ass!"

The girl stood firm. These two weren't so tough. Probably a couple of low level grunts who got in over their heads. She could-

She froze as she noticed something was missing.

The Meowth.

NO! It must have slipped by her and she hadn't realised it! It was probably going to go after that boy and Pichu-

In frustration, she shook her head. If she pulled back now, Ekans and Koffing would be on top of her. She'd lead them right to the others. She couldn't do that.

She just had to trust that they would be able to handle the Meowth. She'll do her part and take care of the rest.

She took a battle stance and prepared to continue as Koffing recovered, floating upwards again.

'Just as you said, father.'

/

Nurse Joy had just gotten done transferring Weedle's Poke Ball over to Pewter when something crashed through the door's glass window.

A startled Ash jumped as the Meowth glared up at them, unsheathing its claws with a vicious growl.

Ash gulped. 'Just great.'

"Stay back, Ash!" said Nurse Joy. "I'll-"

Unexpectedly, Pichu suddenly jumped between the feline and the humans. Standing on all fours, he growled at the cat-like Pokemon, taking a stance and doing his best to sound intimidating as electricity crackled from his cheek sacks.

"Pichu?" said Ash.

Pichu looked back at Ash reluctantly. His eyes were still uncertain, but he seemed more… determined… than before.

Ash nodded, a small smile creeping its way to his lips.

This was it. Their fresh start.

"I trust you, Pichu." he tried to stay calm as he spoke. "Let's take care of this."

The Meowth lunged forward.

/

Bulbasaur and Zubat were starting to tire out now, but at the same time, Ekans and Koffing were starting to sustain minor injuries.

It was times like these when battles became truly unpredictable. Each side would sense the weakness of the other, and attempt to capitalize on it while trying to land that final, decisive blow.

The girl had learned this in her first battle, and took it to heart. She wasn't about to let her first defeat be against these people-

Suddenly, in a blur, a man was in front of her and her team. In front of him was a large-skunk like Pokemon. Its fur was purple and spikey, with several tan stripes.

Shocked, she recognized the man immediately.

"F-Father?" When did he get here?

The man sighed exasperatedly.

"I come to Viridian for a short notice business meeting with Giovanni, and then this happens." He was a rather tall man, with black spiky hair. He wore a purple uniform with black shoes, and a bright red scarf was wrapped around him, albeit not completely. He ran a hand through his spiky hair in annoyance. "I may not have jurisdiction here, but..." He faced Jessie and James, giving them a dangerous look that made them shiver. "Giovanni has already given me permission to deal with this in his stead. Surrender."

"But father, I was-" Her face turned pale, flinching into silence as he raised a hand.

"I'm sure you could have won, but your Pokemon are both worn out. Even if you win, there is no need to risk unnecessary injury. I'm finishing this."

"Ummm…" who are you? Asked a confused Jessie.

The girl started. "You seriously don't recognize him? You don't know how much trouble you're in, do you?" There was a reason why Fuschia had one of the lowest crime rates in Indigo. Her father was that reason.

"It matters not." said the mysterious man. His voice was calm, collected, authoritative, and above all else, chilling as he gave the order without motion. "Skunktank, dispose of these imbeciles."

"IMBECILES?!" As James pointed forward, his eyes lit up with pure, unbridled fury. "You pompous cretin! I'll have you know that we are the two most elite, and powerful, and feared members of Team Rocket's whole entire organizatio-"

BAM! SMACK! POW!

Ekans and Koffing fell onto the floor, as still as a living organism could be. Nobody had even seen Skunktank make its move.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Jessie shrieked in horror.

"YOU BROKE MY KOFFING!" shouted James. "You better be willing to pay for that!"

"I'll send you a check the first chance I get." the man responded sarcastically, crossing his arms. "Although, I'm not sure how much good it will do for you in a prison cell."

/

As Pichu leapt backwards, dodging Meowth's Slash as nimbly as he could manage, Ash racked his brain, struggling to not let the stress of the situation overtake him.

This Meowth was obviously stronger than Pichu, just like Gary's Squirtle was. He couldn't rely on Thunder Shock just yet, Meowth would be far too fast to allow Pichu to charge it up.

Slash was a very powerful move, too. At Pichu's level, just one of those would be fatal to the poor mouse. The attack would tear through Pichu's body like tissue paper.

"Try to circle around it! Double Slap!"

The Meowth's eyes darted around the room, easily tracking Pichu as the small mouse dashed around it in a circle. Pichu was putting everything he had into his sprints, determined above all else to win this fight.

Pressing his feet against the floor, Ash's partner propelled himself forward, striking at the Meowth with his tail.

The Meowth raised its forearm to block, deflecting Pichu and pushing him off, into the air.

Pichu flailed around as he sailed across the room, trying to land on his feet, but stumbling.

Meowth rushed forward, its tail lightly glowing with metallic energy. It was using Iron Tail, but an imperfect one.

Before Ash could shout out for Pichu to get out of the way, Meowth was already upon the mouse, slapping Pichu across the cheek with its tail and sending him sailing towards Ash.

Pichu slid across the floor before stopping at Ash's feet. He got up with a slight limp and glared at his attacker.

Ash was growling now. This Meowth was stronger, faster, and more durable than Pichu was. It wasn't looking great, but-

Suddenly he got an idea.

"Pichu, rush forward and hit it with Nuzzle."

Pichu looked at Ash curiously. Obviously, he was confused about the plan. Brute force hadn't worked before, so…

"I need you to trust me, Pichu." Ash pleaded. "This is going to work."

Taking a leap of faith, the mouse charged forward once again. This time, his cheeks crackled with electricity. It wasn't with the same potency as a Thunder Shock, but it will do.

Nuzzle was somewhat similar to Thunder Wave. Rather than being a more offensive focused move, it utilized targeted electrical currents to lock up an opponent's muscles, causing paralysis. It wasn't a very strong move, so the paralysis would probably be minor. Thunder Wave might have yielded better results, but it might have required a longer charging time. Time that both Ash and Pichu clearly did not have.

Plus, with Pichu charging forward, as Nuzzle was a close up move, Meowth would probably assume that they were going for brute force again. That would be its mistake.

Falling right into the trap, Meowth slashed at Pichu in an attempt to cut the young mouse's face open. But Pichu was ready this time, ducking under the claws of Meowth's Slash attack and driving himself head first into the cat's stomach. Releasing a small amount of electricity from his tail, he allowed the electrical currents to flow throughout Meowth's body.

This wouldn't do much damage, but it was an excellent first step.

Pulling back, Pichu immediately dodged another Slash attack from the now pissed off Meowth. The normal type had stumbled forward just a bit, and…

"It's slower now, Pichu!" Ash's fists clenched as tightly as they could be. They could win this! "Use Double Slap! Right to its face!"

Jumping to dodge over yet another Slash attack, Pichu drove his tail into Meowth's face, causing the feline to stumble backward just a bit. Diving forward, Pichu landed a second strike, once again on the Meowth's face. The feline landed on its bottom, struggled its way back to its feet as Pichu attempted to catch his breath, and then cloaked its tail in the metallic energy of Iron Tail once again, and batted Pichu across the room.

This blow to Pichu's chest, however, while painful, was not nearly as forceful as the first one. The Nuzzle had done its job: Slowing Meowth down, making it easier to hit and reducing the amount of force that the feline was capable of putting into its attacks.

In fact, if they could just land another Nuzzle…

"Pichu!" Ash yelled, looking over to his starter as the mouse got up. His tail looked just a little bit sore from striking at the physically superior Meowth two times in a row, yet he seemed to be powering through it just fine, for the moment. "Use Nuzzle again!"

Pichu nodded cooperatively and rushed forward again. Although his movements were somewhat slowed after the two hits he had took, he kept powering through the pain.

Meowth seemed to be having more difficulty dealing with the unexpected paralysis, its Slash attack once again missing Pichu as the young mouse leapt over the feline's forearm and dived head first into the normal type's chest.

Adrenaline rapidly rushed through Ash's chest as even more electricity travelled through the Meowth's body. This was it. They were in sync. And they were going to win.

As Pichu pulled away yet again, the now enraged feline let out a terrible cry of primal aggression as it lurched forward with yet another Slash attack, but this time it was moving even more slowly than before, and Pichu very easily maneuvered out of the way with a quick step backwards.

"Pichu!" Ash called out. "Now's the time to use Thunder Shock!"

Pichu smirked lightly as the electricity flowed through his cheeks.

This was it. The finishing blow.

The Meowth had been slowed down twice now. It was no longer fast enough to react in time to stop Pichu from finishing his attack. And it wished it had the strong, durable shell that Gary's Squirtle did to shield itself from the attack.

Thunder Shock exhausted Pichu easily, a side effect of his inability to control his own electricity. That poor amount of stamina was a very severe shortcoming that Ash could not overlook for this battle. It was what had done them in against Gary and Squirtle.

That was why they had to be conservative, relying only on Nuzzle at first, and then saving up Thunder Shock for the final attack.

"Full power Pichu! Give it everything you've got!" The adrenaline rush was almost too much to bear at this point.

Complying with his trainer's orders, Pichu leapt up into the air, as high as his body could muster. The electricity crackled through his cheeks, flowing throughout his body, mingling together at his tail.

This was it.

"FIRE!"

Pichu released it all at once. The Meowth howled in immeasurable pain as the electrical current engulfed its body, stacking up on top of the electricity that was already limiting its movements. Its fur was turned to crisps in certain patches. The room lit up brightly with the light of the electricity, forcing Ash and Nurse Joy to shield their eyes.

"Good one!" cheered Nurse Joy, doing her best to cover her eyes up from the blinding lights of the lightning.

Pichu landed on his feet, but immediately collapsed to his knees from the impact. He was in a heap now, that last attack having used up the remainder of his power.

But it proved perfectly worth it.

Meowth was an absolute wreck. Its fur was charred and burnt up throughout its body, producing steam as its left eye twitched, seemingly in pain.

It took one step forward, raising a mighty claw…

And then proceeded to collapse face first onto the floor.

The electricity was still flashing on occasion, rolling along the paralysed and now unconscious Meowth's body.

They had won.

That Meowth was certainly strong, and most certainly goo with its tail: Its Iron Tail, while weaker and less fatal, due in part to it being an imperfect and unmastered variation of the move, had been much more difficult to avoid than the Slash attack.

But that Slash had clearly been something else entirely, however. If the Meowth had even landed one direct hit with that attack, Ash preferred not to ponder what may have happened to his starter. Thankfully, it was no longer on his mind.

"Pichu…" he said, tearing up with joy. His lips broke into a smile as the young mouse turned around, still panting from the fight, yet smiling back all the same. 'We did it!"

Using the last of his strength, Pichu took a leap into Ash's arms.

All the bickering, all the differences, all the lack of cooperation and sync between the two of them throughout the day.

For just a moment, both trainer and starter forgot all about it. Even the injuries that Pichu had sustained from Meowth were briefly forgotten, replaced with the pure adrenaline of joy.

And in that joy, something unthinkable happened.

Pichu's body suddenly began to glow. Ash and Nurse Joy had to close their eyes shut from the sudden flash. The mouse's body grew, ever so slightly, until he was noticeably taller, bigger, and wider than he was before. The lightning bolt shaped tail was now much bigger too.

As the light finally died down, Ash Ketchum was left gawking at the newly evolved Pikachu that he was now holding in his arms.

"Pikachu…" he said, stunned.

That was right. "Baby Pokemon" as they were sometimes called, most often evolved a lot more quickly than normal. Pichu were among those Species.

But before the celebration could escalate, the door was suddenly kicked down, a new voice entering the room.

"Oh? What's this?"

Everyone turned to see a blue haired woman in a police uniform, easily recognized as Officer Jenny. The still exhausted Pikachu looked on curiously, but Ash and Nurse Joy's faces lit up in pure relief at the sight of her.

Jenny eyed the unconscious Meowth that was lying in a heap in the middle of the room, and smiled knowingly. "Your friend told us that you might be in trouble, but it looks like you handled things just fine on your own." She gave the group a friendly salute.

Ash smiled down at Pikachu. "Yeah, we managed."

With a weak squeak, Pikachu smiled in agreement.

/

Meowth was scooped up by Officer Jenny and carried out of the room. Pikachu was given a couple of Sitrus Berries from Nurse Joy, and after happily scarfing them down, was good as new.

In oncomparison, the scene in the lobby was… hectic… to say the least.

"LET ME GO!" screamed James, struggling against his restraints as the police force hauled off him and Jessie. "I WAS FRAMED!"

"Dude…" one of the cops walking alongside them spoke incredulously. "We literally have security camera footage of you two."

"WHAT?!" now it was Jessie's turn to scream. "But that can't be right! I hacked into the security system!"

"Actually," Jenny chirped in. "You got the wrong one. The system you hacked into was actually for the convenience on this block."

"WHAT?!" the duo screeched in shock.

"HOW COULD YOU MAKE SUCH A ROOKIE MISTAKE, JESSIE?!"

"AT LEAST I PULLED MY WEIGHT IN THE BATTLE, JAMES!"

As Jenny and her police force dragged the two incompetent Team Rocket grunts kicking and screaming out of the lobby, Ash looked over to Pikachu with an exasperated look.

The small mouse just smiled in overwhelming relief, letting out a deep sigh as the perpetrators of their torubles were hauled out of sight for good. As it finally sank in that they were sank, and the relief slowly overtook the previous, panicked anxiety, Ash realized how lucky they were that they had been attacked by these two, rather than any other member of the organization.

"Hey!"

Trainer and starter turned to see the purple haired girl raising a greeting hand as she approached them, Bulbasaur trotting along by her side.

Ash's face lit up. "I'm glad you're okay!"

"Same here. When I saw that their Meowth escaped I got nervous." She smiled down at Pikachu knowingly, obviously noticing his evolution. "But it looks like you two had everything under control."

"I wouldn't say that…" Ash replied, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. First Officer Jenny, and now her. That was two people in one day that had complimented his training abilities. The blush was creeping its way to his face. He wasn't used to praise. "That Meowth was really strong. We just barely squeaked by."

"As my father says, difficult triumphs are the most satisfying and earned." there she was again, consoling him. If most people his age weren't at all like Gary, then he would have to get used to this.

A thought suddenly occurred to Ash. "What was that they were saying about the dragons?"

The girl frowned. "Oh yeah, apparently they had the wrong Pokemon Center… and the wrong date… those dragon types they were after were actually being kept at the Vermilion Center… two weeks ago."

Ash inwardly facepalmed. 'Did we really almost get murdered by a couple of idiots?'

The girl clasped her hands together. "But let's not worry about that. it's over, we should be celebrating, and you and I aren't fully introduced, right?" she smiled brightly at him, offering a hand. "My name is Janine."

Ash took her hand as the two shook. "Ash." Her grip was strong and firm. At their feet, Pikachu and Bulbasaur exchanged greetings of their own.

"Ah, there you two are!" the pair looked up to see Officer Jenny approaching them. Stopping in front of the group, she suddenly saluted. "As leader of the Viridian City Police Force, I would like to formally apologize for how tonight has turned out for the two of you and your Pokemon. Especially because it is Opening Day. We do, however, want to offer up our gratitude for your assistance tonight."

A smiling Nurse Joy walked up from behind Jenny. "Janine held off both grunts all on her own, and Ash stopped the Meowth. Since what they were looking for wasn't actually here, I fear that they might have ransacked the place trying to find them, but not much damage was done, thanks to the two of you."

Jenny nodded. "The League will be paying you for this. Expect a bonus in both of your accounts by tomorrow morning."

Janine's eyes widened. "You don't need to pay me! I was just-"

"We feel obligated," Jenny admitted. "Both as thanks, and as compensation. You two were both victims tonight."

"It's not your fault." Ash replied weakly, inwardly wincing at his tone of voice. 'I'm talking to a police officer...'

Nurse Joy frowned. "Maybe so, but we really shouldn't have let our guards down just because it was a slow day. If there was one smart thing that those two did, it was taking advantage of the fact that we had such low security tonight."

Jenny crossed her arms. "Speaking of which, please do not underestimate Team Rocket. The two that you fought today were exceptions, but this organization is extremely, EXTREMELY dangerous. I fear what might have happened tonight if this had been an actual attack."

Ash and Janine both nodded. They didn't need the reminder, but it was certainly appreciated.

The fact that those two had been… less threatening than the typical Team Rocket members, certainly did nothing to erase the threat that the organization posed at large.

After a few minutes, Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny both left, most likely to file out paperwork. The cops were still in the lobby, but most of them gave Ash and Janine some space. A few passing cops would thank them for their help and commend them for their bravery. Janine took the compliments in stride, but Ash blushed a deep crimson, much to the purple haired girl's amusement.

"Say, Ash." she spoke up, turning to the boy. "I'm leaving tomorrow pretty early, but do you and Pikachu want to join us in the cafeteria for dinner? Bulbasaur seems to love meeting new people." she smirked lightly, although it didn't make his skin crawlt he way Gary's did. "You also still owe me that story about Professor Oak and the Spearow flock."

Ash's face flushed. That's right! He was just in the middle of telling her that before all of this went down!

"Sure," he shook off the embarrasment to return her smile. "Just give us a minute, please."

Janine nodded and walked off with Bulbasaur, she and Ash each giving each other a light wave as she and Bulbasaur headed off in the direction of the cafeteria.

Ash turned to Pikachu. Here goes nothing.

"Pikachu…" he said, kneeling down to meet his Starter Pokemon at eye level. The young mouse's eyes still held some caution, but if he was reading his starter correctly, not as much. "I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I would really like for us to start over. What about you?"

Crossing his arms, Pikachu seemed to consider Ash's words a moment, before nodding with a smile.

Ash smiled back. "Good. My name is Ash Ketchum. I'm from Pallet Town. I'm not much, but I hope to be great one day. I want to make it to the Indigo Conference on my first year. I want to become a Pokemon Master, and become the greatest Pokemon Champion in history. I want to travel Indigo, making new friends and capturing new, powerful teammates to raise and train up. And I would really appreciate it if I had you by my side for all of that." After a moment of hesitance, he held out a hand. "Pikachu, will you please be my companion?"

Pikachu stared at Ash's hand for a good few seconds. There was genuine intrigue in his eyes.

Then, his paw met Ash's hand, and an accepting squeak was offered in response.

Ash felt the yellow fur on his skin. It felt good. "Thank you, Pikachu."

For Ash Ketchum, Opening Day was just one horrific memory after another. It was the day that he left his home behind. The day he got humiliated by Gary Oak, likely more so than anything prior. The day that his starter was greatly injured. And the day that he and his starter were both almost murdered.

But there was a light at the end of that tunnel. A light that would quickly turn the worst day in their lives into one of the best.

A light that would kickstart a brand new beginning for the ambitious rookie.

A light that would soon shine over all of the Indigo empire, and maybe even the world.

As the partnership between Ash Ketchum and Pikachu officially began, so too did a grand, epic adventure.

But that adventure was merely the beginning of a legend.

Next Chapter: The Twisted Forest

Preview: With newfound resolve, Ash and Pikachu make their way through Viridian Forest in search of new teammates on the road to Pewter City. But with the infamous Bug Catcher Gang hot on his heels, rumors of the forest driving Pokemon Trainers to insanity and being haunted, and the extremely unpredictable wildlife that Viridian Forest was widely feared for, will Ash end up becoming the forest's latest victim?

Character Profiles: Delia Ketchum

Age: 32

Birthplace: Pallet Town

Hobbies: Cooking, cleaning, casual sports, especially soccer, watching Pokemon tournaments with Ash.

Occupation: Teacher in training, cooking for freelance.

Best Friend(s): Professor Oak, Her classmates.

Favorite Memories: Ash becoming a Pokemon Trainer, Being accepted as Professor Oak's student.

Least Favorite Memories: Ash leaving Pallet Town, Professor Oak passing out from overexertion.

Pokemon Profiles: Professor Oak's Clefable

Status: Professor Oak's third Pokemon, Professor Oak's unspoken second in command, Lab Assistant, Caretaker.

Caught At: Mt. Moon (as a Clefairy)

Best Friend(s): Professor Oak, Professor Oak's Charizard, Professor Oak's Golem.

Hobbies: Looking after children, humans and Pokemon alike, Lab Work.

Favorite Memories: Meeting Professor Oak and Charizard (Charmander at the time), Evolving, Winning the Conference, Creating the Pokedex.

Least Favorite Memories: Charizard going berserk at Cinnabar Island, Professor Oak passing out from overexertion.