Chapter Five
"Hey Mom, which hat should I wear to Lumiose?"
Serena didn't even bother turning around as her door was opened– since her mother was the only possible person that could be there. She picked up the two hats she was trying to decide between– a brown beanie hat and a red boater hat. She turned around, holding each up to her mom. Grace paused, before pointing to the beanie.
"I like that one," she said, and Serena gave her a nod, letting it fall to the floor.
"This one then," she said happily, setting the felt hat on her head. She turned, facing the mirror– and with a flutter of wings Fletchinder landed on top of her hat. She gave the Pokemon a smile, before scooping her backpack off of her bed.
"Why did you even bother asking if you already have one picked out?" Grace asked with a sigh.
"Because whatever one you don't choose is the cuter one," Serena said, grinning.
"I see," Grace said, and Fletchinder let out a chitter. "Anyways, make sure you pick up all these hats before you leave– when did you even get this many?"
She smiled, but didn't give an answer, scooping up the hats she had been chosen from. She stuffed them away into her closet, which was more bare than it had ever been. She had packed as much as she could into her backpack, which was much heavier than she would have liked– but that was the life of a trainer.
"Are you sure you want to wear a dress?" Grace asked with a frown. "Not the best thing to ride in."
"I'm not wearing my riding outfit to Lumiose!" Serena cried, picking up her bag. "You're supposed to look nice in the big city, not like an escaped convict! Besides, I won't be riding Isla to Lumiose, I'll just be walking and then going by taxi– I have about a week until my plane leaves anyways."
"You got your ticket?" Grace checked, and Serena pulled the plane ticket out from her pocket. "And you've packed everything? Kanto is a long way away, and if you forget anything I'm not mailing it to you."
"I'll be fine, Mom," Serena said. "I've been planning this for months now."
"I know, I know," Grace said, placing her hands on her shoulders. "I'm just worried, that's all. Not only are you setting off on a journey, you're going to be setting off in a whole other region."
"I'll be fine," She said again, and Grace smiled. Fletchinder let out a chirp, then jumped from her hat onto Grace's shoulder.
"I'll be keeping my eyes on the racing results for the Kanto novice division," she said, poking Serena in the nose. "I'm sure it won't take you long to move up to the amateur division."
"Yeah," Serena said, putting on a much more confident smile than she actually felt. It had been several years since she had accepted her fate of being a Rhyhorn racer– she had no idea how to tell her mother how much she detested the sport, but with the purchase of a Rhyhorn of her own years ago it seemed to have set her fate in stone. Besides, she had no idea what she wanted to do otherwise.
If there was one thing she did love about racing though, it was Isla, her Rhyhorn. She had formed a tight connection with the Pokemon, becoming a surrogate mother for her after she had been taken from hers. Isla was a powerful, but gentle creature, and was one of Serena's closest friends. While technically her mother's Pokemon, as soon as she made it to Lumiose she would be officially a trainer, and Isla would be hers.
And then they'd be off to Kanto.
She still wasn't quite sure how she had convinced her mother to let her take up racing in a whole other region, but she had a feeling that Kanto being where Rhyhorn racing had begun had something to do with it. She seemed proud with Serena starting in a region with a harder circuit, where racing was much more competitive, but this of course had nothing to do with Serena's reasoning for going to Kanto.
She just wanted to see if she could find Ash.
There was a part of her that had always felt empty– she knew that as soulmates they were meant to be by each other's side, and the thought of perhaps being able to see him once more filled her with a hope she hadn't felt in a long time. This was really happening, she was really going to Kanto again, and she just might be able to find the one person who had accepted her for who she was.
"Well, I better go make sure Isla's ready," Serena said, inching past her mom and towards the door.
"You two be careful– even with a Pokemon it's still dangerous out on the roads!"
"I will! Bye, Mom! I love you!"
"I love you too," Grace said, a soft smile on her face as her daughter bolted down the stairs. Fletchinder landed on the stair rail, making a soft clicking noise. "I'm going to miss her."
"Fletch," Fletchinder replied, ruffling his feathers.
"What do you mean you can't give me one of the starter Pokemon?"
"I'm sorry, Ash," Professor Oak said, unable to meet Ash's eyes. "The Kanto League are the ones that breed the starter Pokemon, and they want them to go to trainers that are taking on the gym challenge– and so I'm only allowed to give them to trainers doing so."
Ash took this in silence, the fifteen year old's brow knitted together as he tried to make sense of this news. He had been looking forward to having one of the three rare starters for a long time now, his heart had personally set on the Squirtle. But to be told that he wouldn't be able to get one...
"I see, Professor," Ash said quietly, not wanting to cause a big scene. It wasn't Professor Oak's fault, it was what the League had decided. If they didn't want to give a Pokemon Coordinator one of the rare Pokemon, then there was nothing he could do about it. Getting a starter from a professor was rare in Kanto, and there was plenty of other ways he could start a journey. He could catch one from the wild, or maybe–
"Now, don't look so forlorn, Ash," Professor Oak said. "Just because I'm unable to give you one of the starters doesn't mean I won't give you a starter. There are plenty of Pokemon on my ranch, and we'll find you one that will be a good Pokemon for you."
"Huh?" Ash looked up at him, blinking.
"Do you think I'm just going to leave you hanging?" The professor asked, raising a brow. "I would most certainly not, and if the league won't let me hand you one of the starters I will still be giving you your first Pokemon," he turned, making his way through the lab, Ash following after him. "Now, obviously I don't have an endless supply, so tell me what you want in a starter."
"Well, er, I was leaning towards Squirtle, because I think water and ice type moves look really nice in a contest– so I guess maybe a Pokemon that could learn moves like that?" Ash said uncertainly.
"I do have a few Psyducks that would be an appropriate level for a new trainer, but I don't think they'd do well in contests," the professor mused. "They are hard to train, not because they're stubborn, they're just not the... brightest. A Golduck I think would work well, but they take a long time to evolve."
"Well, it doesn't have to be a water type," Ash said. "Honestly I'm just so excited to be a trainer. I want a Pokemon that I'll work well with, one that can learn a ton of moves for a performance!"
The professor grinned. "You know, I think a Nidoran would be a good choice for you. They are fairly popular for a first Pokemon, but that's for a good reason. They're good natured and quick learners, and can evolve into pretty powerful Pokemon– and their evolution line also has a very wide movepool. They can learn ice, electric, fire, and ghost type moves– just to name a few."
He chuckled when he saw Ash's eyes light up.
"And Nidokings do look really awesome," Ash said, thinking back on the purple titan he had seen many times on TV. "You know, I think that does sound pretty good, a Nidoran..."
"Then I think we're settled," Professor Oak said with a smile. "I'll see you here first thing tomorrow with the rest of the kids setting off then, okay?"
"Okay, Professor!" Ash chirped.
"Tell your mother I say hi, won't you?" The professor asked as Ash bolted for the door. The teen nodded, giving the professor one more wave, before he bolted outside.
Professor Oak smiled, hardly believing that Ash was going to be setting off on his journey. It only felt like a couple of years ago he was a tiny baby in the hospital, cradled in Delia's arms. Now he and Gary were going to be taking their first steps into the real world, becoming trainers like they had dreamed about for so long.
"Ah, how time flies," he said softly.
"Hey Ashy-boy, looks like you're the last one to arrive."
Ash tried not to roll his eyes as he headed up towards Oak's lab. He may have only been here yesterday, but that didn't mean that the excitement he was feeling had died down. Today he was going to be heading off on his journey, and he wasn't going to let anyone ruin that moment. Not even Gary.
"You say that like it actually matters," Ash replied, looking over everyone there.
There was Gary, who was as haughty as ever, leaning right up against the lab door as they waited for the professor. Then there was Damian, right by his side like usual, the blue haired boy sneering at him. Finally there was Marina, the only girl among the four of them, who was doing her best to ignore all the males, standing a ways off. Ash drifted a bit closer to her as he approached, not necessarily friends with her, but they both didn't want anything to do with Gary. However the distance didn't do much, as they were still very much able to hear his insults.
"So, Ashy, how does it feel to be going down the girly route?" Gary asked with a smirk. "I don't blame you, of course, I mean you had to do something else once you realized you'd be no good at battles."
"There is battling in Pokemon contests," Ash growled.
"Oh yes," Gary said, holding his hands up mockingly. "Clefairy, use twirl attack! Now a ballerina attack!"
"At least Ash is actually doing something interesting," Marina said, not even looking at them. "Unlike you guys, just going down the same path as everyone else. Boring."
"No one asked for your opinion!" Gary snapped, and right then was when the lab door opened. And with Gary leaning up right against it, he was sent toppling to the ground, letting out a groan of pain. "Ow..."
"Gary, are you alright?" Professor Oak asked, his grandson swiftly pushing himself to his feet. He winced, but tried to hide it, giving a smirk.
"Of course I am– why wouldn't I be?" He puffed up a bit. "Well, we're ready for our Pokemon now, Gramps."
"And the Pokemon are ready for you, come on in," Professor Oak said, stepping aside. None of the four were able to hide their excitement, the smiles on their faces swiftly growing as they followed the professor to the main section of the lab.
Resting on the table were three Pokemon, the three creatures sitting proudly and calmly, looking at the humans with just as much excitement. Even though Ash knew he wouldn't be getting one of them he couldn't help but look them over, as their species were some of the rarest in Kanto. First there was the Bulbasaur, with a large bulb sprouting from his back; then there was Charmander, a flame sparking on the end of his tail; and finally Squirtle– who was slowly peeking his head out of his shell.
Ash stared fondly at the Squirtle for a few moments, letting out a soft sigh. Gary noticed this right away, eyes gleaming. "Hey Gramps, I think I changed my mind– I want Squirtle."
"A good choice, but let's see what everyone else–"
"And I want Charmander!" Damian cried, cutting off the professor.
Marina sighed. "I wanted either Squirtle or Bulbasaur– so I'll take Bulbasaur so we don't have any fighting."
"Thank you, Marina," the professor said, and he gestured to the table. "Their Pokeball and a Pokedex is right in front of them. If any of you decide to have a battle please do it outside– I do not need Pokemon rampaging around my lab."
"Sure, whatever," Gary said, bolting past them and snatching the red sphere in front of Squirtle. The water type looked up at his new trainer hopefully– who didn't even glance at him as he recalled him to the Pokeball with a burst of red light. Gary shot a smirk at Ash. "Looks like I got the best starter."
Ash just merely shrugged– though on the inside his stomach was twisting. Gary was just trying to get under his nerves by choosing the starter he had wanted, and he wasn't going to give him the pleasure of knowing how much it bothered him.
"What about my Pokemon, Professor?" Ash asked.
"Ah yes," the professor said, and he pulled out a Pokedex from his pocket as the others picked up theirs and their Pokemon. "Here is your Pokedex, and I have several Nidoran out back that I think would be a good choice for you. I'll bring them inside so you can make your choice, if you'd just wait here for a moment."
"C'mon, Damian," Gary said, holding up his Pokeball. "Let's have a battle!"
"Type advantage or not, you're still going down!"
"Boys– take it outside!" Professor Oak snapped, waving his hands at them. The two best friends grinned at each other, before scurrying for the door of the lab. Marina turned towards Professor Oak, giving him a smile.
"Thank you for the Pokemon, sir," Marina said. "I promise that I'll take good care of him."
He smiled. "You'll be a wonderful trainer– I wish you the best of luck on your journey."
"Goodbye, Professor!" She said, giving them a nod. "See you around, Ash."
"Bye!" Ash said, waving as she headed towards the door– but the moment she was gone Ash wheeled back towards the professor, the excitement shining on his face. He was ready for his Pokemon, and he didn't want to wait another minute.
The professor chuckled. "I'll be right back, don't you worry."
And with that Ash was left alone in the lab, rocking back and forth on his heels. The thought of Gary's taunting smirk was long out of his head, only the thoughts of a Pokemon filling his mind. He pictured the two different kinds of Nidorans in his head, wondering just which one he would want. He knew that in terms of power the males were stronger, but when it came to contests power wasn't everything, but still the idea of a strong Pokemon appealed to him. Perhaps he shouldn't let that be the deciding factor though, but rather the Pokemon themselves. Whichever one liked him the most, that was definitely an important trait for a partner.
Ash was torn from his thoughts when he heard the sound of something crashing to the floor. He jumped, spinning around, where he saw a jar lying shattered on the ground. His eyes flickered up to the counter where it had fallen from, staring at the small yellow shape perched there. The Pokemon peered over the edge, ears unhappily pressed against the back of its head. He stared at the Pokemon for a moment, then at the Pokedex in his hand.
The little Pokemon jumped as a red light appeared on its chest, whipping its gaze towards Ash. He was holding the Pokedex up to it, the small machine beeping as it scanned the Pokemon in front of it. A picture of the Pokemon appeared on the screen, a robotic voice filling the room.
"Pichu, the tiny mouse Pokemon– electric type. The electric sacs on its cheeks are undeveloped compared to its evolved forms, this can result in the Pichu accidentally shocking itself in moments of distraction," The Pokedex whirled.
The Pichu stared at Ash for a moment, before letting out a squeak of a hiss at him. It scurried down the side of the counter, inching its way towards the shattered jar. Glass and pellets of Pokemon food littered the ground, and the Pichu sniffed the air. Ash's eyes widened as he crept forward again, paying no heed to the shards of glass around him.
He didn't hesitate, stuffing the Pokedex into his pocket and rushing forward. He plucked the baby Pokemon up before it could step into the glass. It stiffened up in his grasp, before the mouse began twisting in his hands. Its red cheeks began to crackle with electricity, and a Thunder Shock engulfed Ash. He let out a yelp, the Pokemon squirming from his grasp and scurrying down his leg.
Gritting his teeth Ash swiftly stepped between the Pichu and the glass, hair standing on end from the electric shock. "Are you trying to get hurt?!" He snapped, the Pokemon halting in its tracks. "That food is now full of glass! If you're hungry then you should have just told the professor. Here, I have some Pokemon food in my bag."
The Pichu was watching him with wide eyes as Ash knelt down, swinging his backpack off of his back and digging through it. He soon found the packaging he had intended to use for his first Pokemon, but he wasn't about to let this Pichu walk into shattered glass. He opened the bag and fished out a handful of the pellets. He offered them to the Pokemon, who tensed as his hand drew near.
It was just a basic Pokemon food, a simple mixture that was good for most species, though it was recommended that you buy a specialized blend for each Pokemon you had. A basic blend was carried by trainers as a reserve– in case they ran out of their Pokemon's main food or if they captured a Pokemon they didn't have a mixture for. Ash hoped that it would be good for the Pichu, who was currently staring at him with wide eyes. His ears twitched, sniffing the air, before slowly creeping forward on four legs, cheeks sparking.
Ash couldn't help but flinch, even if the Thunder Shock hadn't been strong it had still hurt. Pichu sniffed the air, going still for a moment– and then he bolted forward, snatching a piece of food in each paw before retreating as fast as he could. He slipped a bit on the tiled floor as he ran, darting behind a leg of a chair and stuffing the food into his mouth. Ash couldn't help but smile a bit, the Pokemon peering out at him, and he grabbed a few more pellets of food.
Pichu slunk forward again, ears flat against his head. He took his time, coppery eyes never leaving Ash's as he crept forward. That was one thing Ash loved about Pokemon– the fact that he was able to see their true eyes. He wondered if Pokemon could see his, or if all humans simply had a gray gaze like it was for him.
Except for Serena's– with her beautiful sky-blue eyes.
Serena... he couldn't help but look a bit down as he thought of the girl that he hadn't seen in years. He had been absolutely devastated when he had learned his mom had no idea of how to contact her after summer camp, as she was the only friend he had in years. It had been a hard time for him, and even after the years that had past there still seemed to be a part of him missing when he thought about his soulmate.
He wondered if Serena still remembered him.
"Okay Ash, I managed to round them all up..." Professor Oak's voice came from the back, the sound of the lab door opening. Ash didn't look up though, not wanting to startle Pichu again. "Ash! Get away from him!"
The professor's voice suddenly rose, causing Ash to tense up and Pichu to scurry back to hide under a table. Ash glanced over his shoulder to watch as the older man rushed towards him, pure concern on his face– three purple creatures lingering near the door.
"Are you okay?" Professor Oak asked, grabbing Ash's shoulders and pulling him to his feet. "How did Pichu get in here– I had him in the other room!"
"You scared him," Ash muttered, eyes flickering towards where Pichu was hiding.
Professor Oak let out a sigh. "Ash– that Pichu is highly defensive with humans. I have been shocked many times and I didn't want him to do the same thing to you."
"He already shocked me," Ash replied, kneeling down and inching towards the table, offering out the Pokemon food once more. "He knocked over a jar and I had to grab him before he could cut himself on the glass."
The professor glanced at the shattered jar of Pokemon food, and then back at the three Nidoran by the door. There were two males and a female, all of them huddled together as they looked at the human curiously. Professor Oak beckoned them forward, and the three poison types hurried towards him, darting around his feet. He watched as Ash tried to lure Pichu out once more, inching closer to the table.
"Ash, leave him be, he doesn't like humans," he said. "Don't you want to come and pick out your starter?"
He looked at the Nidoran, who were all watching him with interest. Just minutes ago he would have been rushing towards them, but now his gaze just slipped back to the yellow shape hiding under the table. He didn't move, just waiting for Pichu to come out once more.
"Why doesn't he like humans, sir?"
"How many times do I have to tell you, don't call me sir," Professor Oak said, and he looked at the Pichu. "And as for him... it's a long story. The league had to take away his last trainer's Pokemon and trainer's license. I am rehabilitating the Pichu here, and then when he's ready I'll give him to a trainer that can handle him."
Pichu inched out of the shadows, clearly wanting the food, but also not wanting to approach with so many figures in the room.
"He had an abusive trainer then?" Ash asked softly.
"...Yes," Professor Oak said after a moment of hesitation. "There are unfortunately horrible people in this world, but I'm going to make sure that Pichu gets a proper trainer. I know you're worried, but I promise you he'll be okay."
Ash let out a sigh, as if deciding that Pichu wasn't going to come out with so many people around. He tossed the food towards him– causing the Pokemon to dart back into the shadows. After a moment he bolted out, grabbed the food, then swiftly raced back under the table.
"Come on, today is supposed to be a happy day for you," Professor Oak said in a slightly warmer tone, as if sensing the heaviness that had come over him. "Come meet the Nidorans– they're not going to stay still forever."
He pushed himself to his feet, looking down at the three poison types, and then up at the professor. He bit his lip for a moment, then took in a deep breath. "I've decided what Pokemon I want."
The professor blinked. "That quickly?"
Ash pointed to the table. "I want Pichu."
Silence.
"...Ash, I can't give you the Pichu," Professor Oak said slowly.
"You said you planned on giving him to a trainer!"
"An experienced trainer," The professor emphasized. "Someone who has worked with many Pokemon before, and that will be after I'm able to help Pichu learn to trust humans again. A starter Pokemon is supposed to be a Pokemon that works well with humans, what kind of... professor would I be if I gave you a Pokemon that wouldn't be afraid to attack you?"
There was a conflicted look in Ash's gaze, but he just took in another deep breath. "I want Pichu, Professor, I can handle the risks! He's just scared, that's all, and I want to earn his trust."
"You need a Pokemon to protect you, not–"
"Professor– please?" Ash cut him off, taking a step closer to him. He just stared into Professor Oak's eyes, knowing that words probably wouldn't work. Gray eyes slipped away from him, hesitation on the professor's face.
"...I'm going to regret this, aren't I..." he muttered, rubbing his temple. "Very well, if you really think you can handle him, Pichu is yours. You aren't a kid anymore, after all..."
"Really?" Ash said– genuinely surprised that the professor had relented. "Thank you, sir!"
"Don't call me sir..." Professor Oak muttered, and he shot a worried glance at Pichu. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a red Pokeball. "This is Pichu's Pokeball– but before you take this I want you to really think about this. Accepting Pichu isn't going to give you a partnership, it means you're going to be taking care of him fully, with no one to take care of you. You'll be on your own."
Ash snatched the Pokeball out of his hand. There was a small lightning bolt sticker above the release button, and excitement pulsed through Ash. He officially had his first Pokemon– he was now a Pokemon trainer. He turned towards the table, where Pichu was still huddling behind a leg, watching him with wide copper eyes.
"Hey Pichu," Ash said, kneeling down. "Do you want to come out? I have more Pokemon food."
"Chu," the Pichu hissed, cheeks sparking. Ash wondered if the term 'food' wasn't enough, and if the mouse had to see the food to be interested. But he knew that he couldn't linger in Professor Oak's lab all day, and there would be plenty of other times to work on earning the mouse's trust. He held out the Pokeball, pressing the button on the front.
A burst of red light shot out from the Pokeball, snaking towards the Pichu. He noticed that the mouse's eyes widened even farther, but before he could do anything the light lit the Pokemon. The electric type was drawn back into the sphere, the Pokeball twitching in Ash's hand before it went still. He stared down at it for a moment, frowning, before pushing himself to his feet.
The Nidoran were watching Ash in confusion, their ears twitching. They didn't seem particularly disappointed by not being chosen, but clearly surprised. He regarded them, and as cool of Pokemon they were, he felt no regret for the choice he had made. He clutched the warm Pokeball in his hand, knowing that this Pichu needed him. No random trainer would do– and an 'experienced' trainer just meant someone with a lot of Pokemon– in other words someone that couldn't give their full attention to Pichu.
"Come on," Professor Oak said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know your mother is waiting for you."
He sounded a bit nervous, which only made Ash's grip on Pichu's Pokeball tighten. He wasn't going to let him take back his starter from him, because he was determined to make the nervous Pichu his friend. The Pokemon had clearly had a hard life, and being stuck in a lab all day was the last thing he needed.
Besides, how hard could it be to earn a Pokemon's trust?
True to Professor Oak's words, Delia was waiting right outside the lab– a huge smile on her face the moment the professor and Ash walked out of the lab. She bolted to her son's side, looking down at the Pokeball in his hand with a gleam in her eye. She reached out, pulling Ash into a hug, before pulling back.
"Oh, I can't believe it," She said. "My little Ashy is now a trainer– all grown up! Now, what Pokemon did you end up choosing?"
Judging by the look on her face, Ash knew that she already knew, or at least she thought she did. Professor Oak had probably already told her about the Pokemon he planned on giving him, and was now expecting a small Nidoran to be sent out of the red sphere. Ash smiled up at his mother, squared his shoulders, and held up the Pokeball.
"I got a Pichu," Ash said proudly, trying not to laugh as he saw the look of confusion in his mom's eyes– which quickly turned to worry.
"A Pichu..." she turned towards the professor. "He's not talking about that crazed rodent you got last week, is he?"
Professor Oak scratched the back of his head nervously. "Now Del, it wasn't crazed..."
"You gave him that Pichu?!" She cried, voice rising. "Are you kidding me, Samuel? That thing attacked you and Gary! And you gave it to Ash?!"
Ash snickered upon hearing Gary had been a victim of Pichu.
"I wasn't planning to– it just sort of happened! He was practically feeding it from his hand when I found them and then he insisted on choosing it! I tried to talk him out of it, and I told him that it wouldn't be a good starter–"
"Samuel Oak I thought you were more responsible than this!"
"Now Del, I'm sure Ash can handle one little mouse–"
"Maybe if it was a Sandshrew– not a Pokemon that can hit him with electricity!"
"If you're so worried then you make him change his mind!"
Delia turned towards Ash– who immediately stuffed Pichu's Pokeball into his pocket. "No. He's my Pokemon– you're not taking him."
"Ash, sweetie," Delia said, and despite her efforts there was no hiding the worry on her face. "If you didn't want a Nidoran then I'm sure Samuel could have shown you more Pokemon to choose from, you don't have to choose one that could hurt you–"
"He's not going to hurt me," Ash said confidently. "He's just scared– and he needs a trainer to show him that he doesn't need to be. And that trainer is going to be me."
"You're only fifteen–"
"Which is old enough to be a trainer!" Ash said, taking a step forward. "Do you think that every Pokemon I capture is going to instantly like me? How is this any different?"
"Because when you capture a wild Pokemon you'll have starter Pokemon to protect you! That's why you have a starter, so you won't get hurt!"
"But he's scared, Mom– he needs to have a good trainer!"
"Now I'm sure Samuel will find a good trainer for it–"
"I am a good trainer–!"
"Now you two, I think that's enough," Professor Oak said, stepping forward and putting a hand on each of their shoulders– earning a glare from Delia. He pulled his hand back, since she still clearly wasn't happy with him giving Ash the Pichu. "How about we give Ash a few days? The route from here to Viridian isn't that dangerous, and if he can handle Pichu there's no reason why he can't keep him."
"I don't see how this is your decision to make," Delia said, crossing her arms.
He raised an eyebrow. "Actually, I do think I have the right to have a say in this. He's... he's my neighbor, Del, and since he wasn't able to have one of the League starters I think he should at least have the chance with the one he wants."
"Yeah, just give me a chance, Mom– I'll show you that I can handle Pichu! We'll be best friends!" Ash said, looking up at Professor Oak gratefully.
"The Pichu is young, he can't do any lasting harm," Professor Oak said, once again touching Delia's shoulder. "And an energetic trainer may just be what Pichu needs."
"...Fine," Delia finally said, and Ash's eyes lit up. "But if you can't handle it then you need to transfer it back to the professor," her gaze softened. "Ashy... please be careful."
"You don't even need to worry," Ash said, earning an eye roll from his mother, who pulled him into a hug. She let out a soft sigh, before adjusting his hat and smiling down at him. "Me and Pichu will get along just fine, you'll see."
"Now," Delia said, opening up her purse. "You forgot a few things– here's an extra bottle of sunscreen, make sure you put it on every couple of hours or else you're going to get burned! Then here's some water purification tablets– I know there's trainer stops along the routes but just in case you get lost. And then I also packed you a lunch and dinner for today, and then–"
Delia was swiftly piling the 'few' things that Ash had forgotten into his hands, and Professor Oak had to hold back a chuckle.
"Mom, I already packed a first aid kit–"
"But what if you end up needing two?"
"I don't have room in my bag for all this!"
"Oh– I think I might have some rubber gloves back home you can use to handle Pichu..."
"Mom I–!" He paused. "Um, that actually might be a good idea."
"Perfect!" Delia said, wrapping her arms around Ash and steering back towards the house. "Let's go grab them and I see if there's anything else you might need before you leave. Oh... I can't believe my baby boy is going on his journey..."
"Professor, help me!"
He turned to head back into the lab, a smile on his face. "Good luck on your journey, Ash– don't forget to stay in touch."