A/N: Firstly, I like to thank all the people who read the first chapter and liked and followed it. That's the fuel I need, to keep me going. And 25+ followers after the first chapter is a great start. This chapter is dedicated to all of you and also to my man, Namitheking who is my very first reviewer. I'd especially like to thank grosszach72, for being the first reader to favorite my story.
Namitheking: Well, Ash did end up having a Gengar in Pokémon Journeys: The Series, but I will be using a different Gengar in my story. I do love Ghost Pokémon and it's a travesty that it took 23 seasons and 53 other Pokémon, before he caught his first ever Ghost Pokémon. I also absolutely love Agatha. She is a very vibrant character and as a writer, she gives a tremendous amount of room to explore her character. As this is a fanfiction, it's practically a given that he will have at least some non-canon Pokémon and I assure you, you will be pleasantly surprised in the upcoming chapters.
Special thanks to my man, Austin Todd for reading the first chapter and giving me his thoughts on it. Really stoked to know that you liked it. If you haven't read his story "Surmount", please do. It's a really good read.
Without further ado, let's get on with the show.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon in any way whatsoever. The rights belong to Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures.
Chapter 2: A Young Bird Leaves His Nest - Part 1
Next Morning
Ketchum Family Residence, Pallet
After an emotionally-tiring evening, the Ketchum women had settled into a restless night of sleep thinking about the days to come. The morning found them and Ash in the dining room ravenously consuming copious amounts of divine food, courtesy of the talents of both Delia and her able assistant, Mr. Mime. While Delia loved the fact that Ash was a gigantic fan of her cooking, she couldn't ignore the fact that he probably needed to be taught some manners for the dining table. That was definitely going to be one of her future lessons.
Afterwards, they all settled into the porch in the backyard, to watch the beautiful morning in their food-induced coma. Delia figured it was the perfect time to let Ash know about what they had planned for his upcoming years before the start of his much-awaited journey.
"Ash!" Delia called him over. "Sit down son, we need to talk."
At his questioning look, she continued "While it's great that you are doing so well at school and consistently topping the inter-regional examinations, your Grandma and I think it's time that we took an active role in your education."
"How so?"
"Well, your mother and I will be teaching you many things over the next 3 years to prepare you for your journey" Agatha interjected. "You will be coming with me for impromptu trips to some unique places to learn under different teachers and to get you used to certain situations you might face as a trainer. Prof. Oak might be willing to take you and your two friends on as evening students as well in the lab. But, most importantly, along with all these avenues and resources to learn we will be actively providing you with a couple of Pokémon to get a head-start on your journey."
"Really?! Finally, I am getting a Pokémon. So, who will it be? One of the kits of Mom's Pokémon, somebody from the lab, one of the ghosts from our mansion?" Ash excitedly squeaked it out in a single breath. "Or are we catching one from the wild in Pallet right now?" asked an over-awed Ash.
"Calm down, brat! And no, we won't be doing any of those things. I know that apart from your occasional bouts of hotheadedness, you are rather mature for a young one. So, your mother and I have decided that we will give you these two." Agatha interrupted him while releasing two very familiar Pokémon.
"Genji! Metang!" Ash exclaimed happily. He immediately ran over to both of them. The Gengar cackled ominously at Ash, but he allowed Ash to hug him by materializing into existence. He then comically licked Ash showing his own form of affection for him in his own unique way. The Metang appeared next to Ash and warbled mechanically to him while nudging him gently, instigating Ash into hugging them as well. It was then that Ash realized what Agatha meant.
"But Grandma, they were Dad's Pokémon. Is it right to just take them as my own?" Ash looked at them in apprehension.
"It's alright, Ashy. Your Dad would have wanted you to have them and train them, so that they can reach their full potential" Delia smiled sadly at him. "It would be as if he is watching over your journey."
Ash frowned in thought, wondering whether it was the right thing to do. Out of nowhere, Genji appeared right into his face. He started posturing & gesturing wildly towards both Metang and himself and nodding vigorously towards Delia, as if he was agreeing to the arrangement. Then he slid into his shadow and appeared behind him to nuzzle Ash lovingly. Ash looked at the both of them fondly and then smiled in remembrance of all the times he had spent playing with them and his Dad over the years.
It was during this train of thought, that he recalled the numerous memories he had with his Dad. They spent a lot of Richard's free time together and they shared a lot of common interests - their most obsessive one, being the study of ancient mythology and the tales that usually accompanied their respective myths. They went on a ton of trips together to explore ancient sites, temples of worship and even certain cults to pay respect to their respective faiths and listen to their tales. Their favorite pastime used to be playing the card game, Mythomagic*(1) together and to collect cards and figurines associated with the game. His most precious possession was the complete vintage collection of cards & figurines of Mythomagic. And now after his father's death, it was priceless to him.
Nodding to himself, he decided he will honor his father's memory and will train his two remaining Pokémon to the best of his ability. And he thought of the perfect gesture to symbolize this promise to himself. He had spent hours imagining this moment, when he would obtain his first Pokémon and he had decided a long time ago that he would give personalized names to each of his Pokémon and while he couldn't (wouldn't) do that with Genji, who was named by his father, he would definitely give a name to Metang.
"Alright then. If it's okay with you, I would like to give a name to you, Metang, just like Genji." At his emphatic nod, Ash continued "How about Talos? In Greek mythology, he was a giant bronze man, more of an automaton really, built by Lord Hephaestus and commissioned by Lord Zeus, the king of Gods, to protect the island of Crete from invaders - where he kept a strict vigil everyday until his death. When you eventually become a big, strong Metagross, you would be the defensive powerhouse of my team and act as the protector of all my Pokémon, which is why I think this name would be perfect for you. What do you think?"
Uncharacteristically, Metang gave a cheering robotic warble and rotated its arms wildly, zipping across the garden, nodding wildly in agreement. Ash could even see Genji giving him a nod of approval. A pair of arms came around him and hugged him tightly, as Ash turned around in surprise, to see that it was his Mom. He could feel his shoulders getting wet, as his mother sobbed silently. He looked to his Grandma for help, as he could feel his mother's tightening grip. What he saw made him blush from his neck to his ears. Agatha was giving him a look of such tacit approval while shedding silent tears, that he couldn't help but look away shyly in embarrassment. He realized that they both understood the reason he picked a name from the Greek mythology.
Agatha cleared her throat awkwardly, "Alright, alright! That's enough of that" she said, wiping her eyes. "This is a huge responsibility though, Ash. While both of them are fairly young by their respective lines' standards, they will grow into powerhouses. They also will not be registered to you until the start of your journey."
Pulling out an old and used device, she continued, "This here is your father's Pokédex. It is a little old but it's still fairly up to date. You can use it to check them out and keep an eye on their progress regularly. This will also provide you with some information about wild Pokémon characteristic to their species - habitats, known moves, abilities, videos to teach moves etc. But it will only show the abilities and moves of yours or in this case your father's Pokémon. Take good care of it."
Ash took it almost reverently and thanked his grandmother profusely. This was almost as big of a deal as getting his first Pokémon. Trainers were handed Pokédexes only if they were sponsored by the League Professors or they had reached higher ranks in the League forces.
For the average trainer who didn't own a Pokédex, common information about other species was a premium commodity and they usually had to depend on textbooks, libraries and word-of-mouth or barter with other trainers to gain said information. Currently, the Pokémon International League or PIL, for short, only offered 3 Pokédexes per region to the trainers with (usually) the top 3 results in the Pokémon Qualification Examinations (or PQE) for each region.
"Go ahead. Check them. I trained these two for the last few months, so there should be a few surprises as well" Agatha smirked.
Ash pointed the device to both of them individually:
Gengar - The Shadow Pokémon. The evolved form of Haunter. It hides in the shadows. It can absorb the surrounding heat, leaving a sudden characteristic chill.
Gender - Male
Ability - Cursed Body*(2). Nature - Hasty*(3).
Known Moves - Lick, Mean Look, Confuse Ray, Hypnosis, Shadow Punch, Payback, Spite, Curse, Hex, Night Shade, Sucker Punch, Dark Pulse, Perish Song*(4), Shadow Ball, Self-Destruct, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Rest, Protect, Scary Face, Taunt, Shadow Claw, Skill Swap, Substitute, Will-o-Wisp, Ominous Wind. Egg Move - Toxic (unlocked).
"Holy Arceus! Genji is a damn powerhouse. Look at the number of moves he knows. Damn, Dad totally rocks." Ash exclaimed.
"Of course he is, brat. He has been with your father for over 12 years" Agatha rebuked him by smacking him on his head with her cane. "And as I said, I trained him up a little bit. He still needs to improve his Poison repertoire and he definitely needs a little more coverage. But, he is good enough to be a part of a 5-badge battle, at the very least. The rest is up to you, brat. How and what you teach him will be decided by you from now on. I would recommend that you don't use him in at least the first 5 badges, when you go on a journey. You should be good enough to earn them without his help." She smiled seeing Ash's determined nod.
Metang - The Iron Claw Pokémon. The evolved form of Beldum. Metang is created by the union of two Beldum. Its highly developed intellect and strong magnetic force allow it to create powerful psychic energy.
Note - This Pokémon is of a Pseudo-Legendary line. Approach with caution in the wild.
Gender - Genderless (Plural)
Ability - Clear Body*(5) (Hidden - Light Metal*(6)) , Nature - Hardy*(7).
Known Moves - Bullet Punch, Confusion, Metal Claw, Zen Headbutt, Magnet Rise, Flash Cannon, Take Down, Psychic, Scary Face, Steel Roller, Light Screen, Reflect, Protect, Iron Head.
"Wait. What does Plural mean for Metang, Grams?"
"You might learn this later on, little one. Since, Metang and Metagross are a fusion of multiple Beldums together, they are referred to as 'they', instead of 'he/she'. They have multiple brains which fulfill multiple functions pretty much like a computer or a supercomputer in Metagross's case" Agatha replied.
"Whoa! That's awesome. He… I mean, they have a pretty solid moveset from what I can see. Where did they learn Steel Roller and Iron Head though? What is Steel Roller?" Ash asked, confused.
"Those are moves which can be tutored specially. There are many such moves in existence for each species. You can look for them in the Pokédex. I taught them Iron Head, personally. It isn't very tough to learn, really. Steel Roller is pretty much like a Steel-type version of Rollout but it doesn't gain speed after multiple turnarounds. It also disrupts any terrain moves in the field - Misty, Grassy, Psychic or Electric. Moves which disrupt terrain are very, very rare. I know of only one other which is commonly used - Defog. Richard managed to get this from his time with the Stones. So yes, it's definitely awesome" Agatha smiled smugly.
"They have a pretty decent move-set. You should think of giving them some coverage. Maybe the elemental punches, Genji will help you there. And you absolutely need to improve their Psychic moves and abilities. Even their Psychic is pretty weak by any Metang's standards. I can't really help with that because of the lack of Psychic effectiveness in my presence. Once you get those done, then you can start them on Meteor Mash to evolve them. They should be ready to evolve by the start of your journey, I think" she continued.
Ash nodded eagerly, making mental notes to do exactly that. Any advice from his revered grandmother was absolutely invaluable.
"That's not all, Ashy. We have some other news as well. Now that you are well ahead of the schedule in your classes, we have decided that we will actively participate in your education. I will be helping you learn how to cook for both yourself and your Pokémon during your journey. I will be giving you etiquette lessons and teaching you how to interact with fellow trainers, officials and when the time comes fans and the press. I will be also giving you lessons on how to forage for food and survive in the wild, how to avoid causing incidents with wild Pokémon and also, how to heal your Pokémon and provide emergency first-aid. Furthermore, I will be teaching you how to pamper your Pokémon, how to incentivize them and how and when to groom and bathe or clean them. I am not going to sugarcoat this, Ash - the lessons will be absolutely brutal. I will not tolerate anything less than perfection in these matters. You will have to learn all of these lessons before your journey" Delia eyed him seriously. Ash gulped audibly - the otherwise was implied in her tone.
"I have also talked to your teachers, brat. I have been keeping abreast with your progress and I know you have been doing really well. So, after having a chat with them, I convinced them to allow you to leave with me on occasion for special lessons elsewhere depending on my schedule. I will be taking you to some special places for a few weeks whenever possible and arranging lessons for you either with me or someone else. This is important, Ash. I have called in quite a few favors for your impending lessons and I am using the considerable resources at my disposal, so that you can learn everything there is to know before your journey. You will take these lessons seriously and you will treat all your teachers with the utmost respect" Agatha remarked. At his determined nod, she continued - "Good! You will also continue to do just as well in your school despite these lessons. At any time, if your performance dips below acceptable levels," Agatha paused, narrowing her eyes, "your extra lessons will be canceled."
"Yes, Grams" he voiced seriously.
Delia smiled at his expression. She knew that he would be able to keep up with these lessons, regardless of their difficulty. Their warnings were just a reminder and a precautionary measure, at best. "You will also be getting lessons from Prof. Oak every alternate evening you are in Pallet along with Gary and Leaf. I have talked to him and he agreed to schedule hourly lessons for you three. He will be teaching you a little theory, mostly about Pokémon habitats, their daily habits and their needs. He might give you some strategy lessons as well, if he is willing. I don't think I have to tell you how lucky you are to get some personal lessons from him" she declared.
"Yes, Mom. I will give it my best in all the lessons. I will try and make you both proud" Ash exclaimed.
"Alright then, brat. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, be prepared. I will come by to pick you up in a month or so, for a trip outside of Pallet. It will be a short one but it will be really important" Agatha said.
1 month later
Bellchime Trail, Ecruteak City
As Agatha and Ash walked down the short trail beginning at the Barrier Station, Ash could see the mighty Ecruteak City looming behind him. Pokémon typical to the region could be seen all over the trail. A few even caught his interest. He could see an aged but gigantic Noctowl right at the edge of the trail keeping vigil on a number of Flying Types including some Hoothoots, Pidgeys and even a few Natus. A powerful Medicham could be seen meditating with a few Meditites in a small clearing in between the trees. He was tempted to take a small detour and study them, but he didn't.
His Grams had picked him up early in the morning with a serious expression and asked him to pack light for the approaching winter. She had then literally pulled him through her shadow by what seemed an outrageous use of Shadow Sneak by her twin Gengars, Blacky and Shiny, directly to a small cabin outside Ecruteak City, which seemingly belonged to her. A distance of nearly 700-800km in one Shadow Sneak!
Usually, they engaged in banter and talked about anything and everything, but today she had been quiet but focused on their journey. They had gone past the Barrier Station without anybody stopping them, even though he could see numerous monks looking at his grandmother with awed and reverent expressions. He followed her on the path to the famous Bell Tower of Johto. At ten stories, it stood as one of the tallest buildings in all of Indigo with a rich history of over 700 hundred years behind it.
As they quietly climbed to the top of the empty tower, a strange sense of improved vitality washed over him. Instead of feeling tired at the top of the tower, he felt strangely invigorated and ready to climb ten more stories.
"Yes. I know the feeling" she smiled looking into the distance, as if reading his thoughts. "Anybody who decides to take the journey to the top of the tower does not get tired. I believe that it's the lingering presence of Ho-Oh which provides the vitality associated with this tower. Ho-Oh, after all, is the Legendary Pokémon which symbolizes rebirth, a guardian of the skies associated with the mythical being, the Phoenix. Plus, the view from up here is enchanting enough that people are eager to get to the top. You can see the whole of Ecruteak City from up here, with a haunting view of the Burned Tower in the distance."
Ash couldn't help but agree. The view indeed was amazing. "What happened to the other tower? Why is it burnt?"
"That is quite the story. Legends say that about 700 hundred years ago, the locals built two nine-story towers, The Tin Tower and The Brass Tower, in honour of the Guardian of Skies and Seas, The Legendary Duo, Ho-Oh and Lugia. The twin towers were supposed to foster friendship and hope between Pokémon and people. The eastern tower was said to awaken Pokémon but the western tower was where Pokémon were said to rest. For years, both Lugia and Ho-Oh roosted on top of the towers on occasion. But about 150 years ago, both the towers were burned down. Some say it was part of the attacks on Ecruteak during Third Kanto-Johto War, some say twin bolts of lightning struck them both down. The western tower burned for three days straight. Legends say that three Pokémon were stuck in the tower when it was burned down, presumably a Jolteon, a Flareon and a Vaporeon, but it hasn't been confirmed. Some claim that the three-day fire which continued despite the rain pouring down on the city, was an act of mercy on the three Pokémon by Ho-Oh, who used its Sacred Fire to revive them into what are now known as the Legendary Beasts of Johto - Raikou, Entei and Suicune.
Enraged by the loss of its sacred nest and the presumable act of cruelty on the three Beasts, Ho-Oh never returned to roost again in Ecruteak. Locals re-built the Tin Tower into what is known as the Bell Tower today in hopes that Ho-Oh would return here, but it never did. People say that it roams around the world weaving rainbows in search of trainers worthy of its attention and awards those worthy with one of its feathers, marking them for greatness" Agatha kept looking into the distance.
A melancholic atmosphere seemed to envelop the both of them as if the Tower and its residents seemed saddened by the tale. Agatha seemingly ignored this and continued, "It's interesting to note that despite numerous attempts, the locals were never able to rebuild the Brass Tower, almost as if it were cursed. It's now occupied by numerous ghosts and its lower levels is the resting place of innumerable Pokémon. Despite the numerous Ghost-Types residing there, it remains a haven for Pokémon for all types, welcoming any looking for a refuge. Trainers from all around the world come during the Ecruteak Festival to pay respects to the Brass Tower and mourn for the Pokémon buried in there."
They stared there for a while, enjoying the view from atop. After they had their pre-packed lunches along with their Pokémon, they climbed down the tower slowly inspecting each and every level of the tower, even offering prayers to Ho-Oh at the two gigantic bells of the Tower, one at the top and one at the bottom. Afterwards, they walked back down the trail past the Barrier Station to her cabin to freshen up.
"Alright, young one. We will have dinner here and then in a little while, we will leave for the Burned Tower during the night. We will commune with the ghosts there and pay our respects to the place." Agatha said.
"Grams, I have a few questions. Why did the monks not stop us at the Barrier Station on our way to the Bell Tower? I am pretty sure that I read somewhere that it's only open to select people" Ash questioned her.
"It's true that it is only open to select people. But, we belong to that select group. The monks know not to stop us on our journey there. Both the Ketchums and the Matsubas have been ardent supporters and even financiers of these historic places for a very long time. On occasion, we have been even called upon to protect these towers from invasions throughout its existence. In return, we have been blessed enough to be allowed to be on a small pilgrimage on this trail for centuries."
"Who are the Matsubas?"
"Oh, that's my mistake. I forgot that you haven't been introduced yet. The Matsubas are distant cousins of our family who had moved from Lavender to Ecruteak, a few centuries ago when attacks on the towers were becoming frequent by miscreants looking to obtain its secrets and/or capture the Pokémon in there. Like us, they have a unique connection to Ghost-Type Pokémon. It's a fairly small clan like ours but they are still a powerful family. We have an alliance and are on fairly good terms with them and in instances where Kanto and Johto are embroiled in a war, we have an agreement to not enter the battlefield against each other. The current Gym Leader of Ecruteak Morty is the clan head right now. He is powerful for his age and his starter, a Dusknoir, is a match for Dusky (her Dusknoir). He also has a Mismagius, who had been fostered by Missy (her Mismagius) when she was young, before she chose to go with him on his journey" she remembered fondly.
"Now where was I? Ah yes, the pilgrimage" she continued. "Every time a young one in our families starts his/her journey, they are required to pay homage to this place while being accompanied by an elder of their family. I did this along with my father. Your father did this just before his journey with me. It was in the Burnt Tower that he found his starter, a Bellsprout that had been abandoned by her trainer. You knew her as Hanako, his Victreebel" she spoke solemnly. "Maybe, you will find someone here too for your own team. But, that's not why you are here. You are here to establish a link with the Burned Tower and its residents. The guardian ghosts there will recognize you as a member of their extended family and if you grow into it, even a future custodian of the Burned Tower. This is a special honor, Ash. And I know that you will grow to live up to it."
Ash appeared to have grown a few inches, with how straight he was standing. His chest puffed up in recognition of the fact that his beloved Grams believed him to be capable enough for such a huge responsibility in the future. He clenched his fists tightly, and he promised to himself that he will live up to it, all the while nodding seriously to his grandmother.
"So, will I get to meet Gym Leader Morty?"
"Maybe tomorrow, before we leave. I will have to leave quickly as I have a prior engagement in the evening tomorrow. If he is present, we will give him a house call. Anyway, go freshen up, we have a schedule to keep."
A few hours later
Burned Tower, Ecruteak City
Agatha and Ash stood in front of the Burned Tower in all of its haunting glory. Only three stories remained of what once used to be a majestic nine-storied tower. As they took the stairs towards the first floor, they were suddenly accosted by an absolutely gigantic Gengar, who stood in front of them with her arms raised and a menacing smile. Ash immediately made to call for Genji, but Agatha tapped her cane loudly on the ground.
"Stand down, Ash. She is the Guardian of The Tower. Ash, meet Setsuna, the personal Gengar of the 25th Clan Head of the Ketchums. After the Twin Towers were burned, the Clan Head at that time took personal responsibility for the protection of the Burned Tower and his Gengar was donated for the same after his death. She has been the Guardian of the Burned Tower for nearly 140 years and is vastly more powerful than any of our Pokémon. Do not instigate her!", Agatha bowed to the mighty Gengar and presented her grandson. "Lady Setsuna, this is my grandson, Ash. He will be the 29th Clan Head after me. He will be responsible for the protection and patronage of this Tower after I abdicate my position to him, once I deem him capable of the responsibility."
Ash felt overwhelmed by the occasion. He bowed deeply to Setsuna and stayed that way for a while. He looked up when he felt a hand patting his head and looked up to see the Gengar smiling softly at him. Genji rose from his shadow and chittered to the Guardian and offered his own respects. Ash could also see multiple ghosts rising from his grandmother's shadow. They hovered all around the entrance and each of them bowed to the Guardian.
"My Lady, we are here to commune with the spirits. My grandson is old enough to start making towards the beginning of his journey. I request passage to the Tower, so that my grandson can complete his pilgrimage to the Twin Towers."
At Setsuna's eager nod, they all entered the Tower. Ash could immediately feel a strong pressure all around him as if he were being judged. When the presence resided, he looked all around the Tower. He could almost see the remains of what once had been a great monument. There were multiple carvings and sculptures depicting the presence of the Twin Guardians. A giant brass bell stood in the middle of the tower, a relic of the past. He could see some of the refugee Pokémon retreating to the upper floors from the massive holes all over the ceiling which gave a view of the upper levels. He took it all in eagerly.
Suddenly, he saw multiple shadows getting distorted on the floor. He could see some apparitions rising from the shadows, but he couldn't quite make out what they were. He concentrated on them for a bit and the distortions started clearing up after a while. "Grandma, what are those?!"
He turned towards Agatha, only to see her looking at him in shock. "What? What is it?"
She pulled a small mirror and showed him his reflection. He reeled back in shock. His left eye which was usually brown now seemed to be an eerie blue in color and it seemed to be glowing for some reason. It almost looked like his grandmother's mismatched eyes whenever she seemed agitated for whatever reason.
He looked questioningly towards his grandmother and saw her giving him a massive smile. "I am so proud of you, Ash. The Ketchum, or the Kikuno as we were known in the olden days, blood runs strongly in you. We, as a clan, have a strong connection to the netherworld or as the commoners call it The Distortion. The Distortion is governed by a Legendary Pokémon who blessed our clan a very long time ago. When we commune with the Distortion, we are able to see the spirits travelling towards it and the ghosts coming out of it. Almost all of the Ghost-Type Pokémon you see in the world are born in the Distortion and come out of specific points which have a strong connection to it, all over the regions. Examples of prominent points include this place - the Burned Tower, the Pokémon Tower and House of Memories at Lavender, Mt. Pyre in Hoenn, Sinnoh's Lost Tower, Unova's Celestial Tower to name a few. When we commune with the Distortion and are in deep connection with it, one of our eyes turns the same blue color which you just saw", She switched on her connection to the Distortion to show her mismatched eyes. "When you have a sufficiently strong connection with it, you can switch it on or off on command without concentrating on it. But, we will leave learning how to do it for later, when you have more of a connection with your own Pokémon."
"Who is the governor of the Distortion?"
Agatha looked at him gravely, "We do not speak of its name. Just refer to them as the Lord of Distortion, whenever it comes up. This is serious, Ash. Do not bring up this connection we have with anyone outside the clan. Nobody should know that we have a way to reach the Distortion. Otherwise, we might be hunted for it and if the connection is used by someone with evil intentions, then the repercussions would be catastrophic."
"Now you go ahead and meet with the ghosts residing here, while I commune with the Distortion and settle any pending disputes here with the help of Lady Setsuna" she continued.
Ash nodded at her and moved towards the legions of ghosts which seemed to appear out of nowhere. There were numerous Ghost-Types from various lines including the Ghastly line, the Shuppet line, Sableyes, the Duskull line, the Misdreavus line, the Yamask line, the Pumpkaboo line, the Honedge line prominently and some other scattered ones including one rather terrifying Chandelure. As usual, he dived in eagerly with young ones. He laughed uproariously with them as multiple Ghastly made funny faces at him, the Duskull and the Misdreavus jumped into and dived out of various shadows playing peekaboo with him. Some of the Yamask and Pumpkaboo tried to scare him with various tactics but he just laughed and tried to cuddle with them, using his connection to try and see when they materialized solidly.
He was having the best time and he could see the elder ghosts on the fringe happy to see the younger ones having fun. One particular Misdreavus seemed especially interested in playing with him and seemed to love jumping in and out of his shadow, appearing behind him on occasion to cuddle him as if enjoying his very presence in her vicinity. He paid special attention to her, when she started chanting soothingly. She intoned a beautiful melody, with haunting overtones which seemed to calm the ghosts all around him. All the ghosts around the tower seemed to be enjoying the song and nodding along with it. When she finished opening her eyes, he was the first one to clap loudly and gave her a huge smile, as she cuddled with him.
"That was beautiful, Misdreavus!"
"Indeed it was. Well done, young one" Agatha appeared from behind him in a Shadow Sneak tapping her cane. "But, it's time to leave, Ash. The spirits need to rest and all the refugee Pokémon would like some privacy now."
Ash nodded, a little saddened to leave the company of the young ones especially the Misdreavus, he felt he had made a connection with. "Goodbye, all of you. I had a great time. I especially loved your song, Misdreavus. Keep practicing and you will make a trainer very happy when you join their journey." He hugged a few of them and cuddled with the melancholic Misdreavus. "Hopefully, I will see you all again." He turned around to walk away from the Tower. He never saw the ghost disappearing into his shadow with a determined look.
A little while later
Ketchum Cabin, Ecruteak City
Ash had been especially tired after their pilgrimage and had fallen asleep as soon as he hit the pillow. Agatha looked at him lovingly, as she ruffled his hair and covered him with a blanket to ward off the chill.
"You can come out now, young one. I know you are hidden in his shadow." Agatha requested gently.
The Misdreavus which Ash had been playing with earlier, rose from his shadow and looked at Agatha sheepishly. She was startled when Genji rose behind her from the same shadow. He started chattering urgently to Agatha expressing his approval for her following Ash.
"Yes, yes Genji. I am not trying to eject her. I admire her go-getter attitude as well and I especially liked her trickery in trying to sneak into our party. While I think that the idea was sound for any ghost, I suggest not to try and trick experienced trainers like me next time around. Others might not be nearly as gentle as I am" she explained gravely. "Now why did you enter Ash's shadow?"
At the Misdreavus's incredulous expression, she added "Yes, yes. I can understand Ghost-Types. How else would I serve as the Protector of the Tower and commune with the spirits?!" Nodding her head in understanding, Misdreavus started chanting lowly expressing her desire to join Ash in his future Pokémon journey & explaining how she loved the time that she spent with him in the Tower. She hadn't met any person who liked her singing as much as Ash did.
"OK, And how did you end up in the tower? I can sense that you aren't originally from this exit point in the Distortion."
The Misdreavus immediately gained a sad expression on her face. She then explained how she came into existence at this huge mountain a while ago, where many ghosts were congregated, presumably the Mt. Pyre. She was then captured by a young trainer at its base, about 7 full moons ago, when she had gone exploring outside of the congregation.
At first she was apprehensive, but she decided to adapt to her life as a trainer's Pokémon, especially since she had seen how much stronger some of the Pokémon had gotten after they had been captured. While her trainer was young, he seemed to be a decent trainer but unfortunately he had no idea how to handle a Ghost-Type. He expected her to batter other Pokémon with strength, power and various unknown techniques, which was very unlike how she usually battled - through trickery and guile. As time went on, the relationship between them soured with more battles, until she stopped listening to him and started fighting her own way. Fed up with her, her trainer just released her after his loss at Morty's Gym.
When Morty found out about the abandonment, he had been furious with the trainer and decided to ban him from ever battling again with any Pokémon. But, she convinced Morty otherwise, she just wanted peace now. She requested sanctuary with her fellow ghosts and she decided to wait and see if anyone else came along who might be worthy to train her again. Morty reluctantly agreed but ensured that the trainer would never receive the Fog Badge in his life.
Then she met Ash, and was immediately struck with how he treated her fellow ghosts. He seemed to encourage their usual behaviour and just had fun with them. She decided to give him a chance, because of his soothing aura and sang for him. Usually, people were terrified of her chants and ran away expecting that, once they were entranced, she would somehow consume their spirits. Why would she do that?! She was even more sure of her choice when Ash praised her for her singing and seemed saddened to be separated from the residents of the Tower.
Throughout her story, Agatha went through a multitude of emotions - sadness, outrage, anger and finally content that another being found herself enchanted with her beloved Ash.
She nodded to herself mentally, agreeing with the Misdreavus over her decision to choose Ash as her trainer. Once the Misdreavus stopped chanting, she explained, "While I think that it's great that you want Ash to be your trainer, I don't think he is ready yet to have another Pokémon." At her pleading cry, Agatha released her Mismagius, Missy. "Do not worry. That doesn't mean that you can't ever join his team. He still has 3 years before he starts his journey. In the meantime, you can stay with me. Missy here, will be willing to foster you until that time. She has done this before with other young ones and she will prepare you enough to directly join his team. When he starts his journey, if he decides he doesn't want a traditional starter I will give him the option to pick you as his starter. Otherwise, you can join his team, once he establishes a bond with his starter. I am extremely sure that he will want you as a future team member with the bond you two have, even if you aren't his starter. Do you accept?"
The Misdreavus eagerly nodded and started chanting happily at her. "Good. That's very good. You can also spend time with him whenever he comes to visit us. I will let him know that you requested to be fostered by Missy but I won't give him the option to have you as his team member for another 3 years."
Agatha nodded to herself. The Misdreavus would be a great choice for Ash's team. History had a habit of repeating itself, she supposed. Like father, like son. Both of them ultimately did end up finding future team members from their first pilgrimage to the Towers.
4 months later (Ash, 12 years old)
Ketchum Residence, Pallet Town
Ash sat in the backyard gazing at the horizon towards the descending sun, as he fed the Pokémon. He often thought of the Misdreavus he had met in the Burned Tower, who was now being fostered by Missy. He inwardly smiled, remembering how happy she had been the next morning - chattering to him and trying to let him know how she would stay in touch with him whenever he met with his Grams (Grams translated for him). He had readily agreed and even if they didn't meet as often in the following months, he stayed in touch with her through video chats, whenever Grams called.
As the winds grew chillier around the house and signs of an impending snowfall appeared, he decided he should get back to the comfort of his house. He collected the empty vessels and walked to the kitchen to put them in the sink. He never did get to meet his distant cousins, the Matsubas and Gym Leader Morty, as he wasn't in the Gym that day. Apparently, he along with Gym Leaders Whitney and Bugsy were dealing with an errant fire caused in the Ilex Forest by a rookie trainer. He sighed again thinking of the impromptu lecture he was given by his Grams and again by his mother, when he arrived at Pallet the same day, on precautionary measures while dealing with fires especially in forests.
He heard his mother calling him to the dining room. When he reached there, he saw his mother standing there with Mr. Mime and a multitude of raw materials - lots of berries and flour.
"Alright Ash, I have been teaching you how to make basic Pokémon food mixtures for various types for a while now and you have done admirably so far. Now, its time for you to graduate on to harder stuff - the Holy Trinity of Pokémon Food - Pokéblocks, Poffins & Poképuffs. We will start with the simplest one today - Poképuffs. I will show a basic Poképuff to you at first, before you can attempt it on your own. It may take multiple tries to get it right, but do not get discouraged. Even if they are the simplest of the lot, they are extremely hard to make."
After making the first batch and showing him how it's done, she provided him with the materials and asked him to get started.
Batch 1
"Why the hell is the Puff brown in color, when I provided with you materials for a Sweet Poképuff. It's supposed to be Pink, Ash!"
Batch 5
"That has got to be the bitterest Sweet Puff I have ever eaten!"
Batch 12
"What have you done, Ash? What is that mixture in the oven? And why in the name of Arceus is it moving?!"
"I am so sorry Mom! Oh God, it's on me. Get it off, get it off, getitoff!"
3 hours later - Batch 24
Ash finally appeared in front of his Mother with a plate containing 3 Poképuffs. He was covered from head to toe with copious amounts of flour, berry juice and other questionable materials. He looked exhausted, but he presented his product eagerly to Delia.
As it turned out, Batch 12 had been a combined prank by Mr. Mime and Genji - the stupid jerks! He was going to have nightmares about that Puff Mix.
Delia, after giving the Puffs a thorough glance and testing its texture, took a tentative bite out of one of them. "Hmm! Much better. I daresay, this is as good as my own batch. Here, Mr. Mime, try it. You can have the last one, Ashy."
Mr. Mime nodded in approval of the taste while giving him an innocent smile. Ash ate the last puff and sighed in relief, having gotten it just right. He wasn't fooled by Mimey's smile though. He was definitely going to prank both the jerks in retaliation.
"Alright! Now that you have finally made a successful batch, I want you to write a brief essay describing the process and the various pain points in it and why you failed to do it correctly, SO MANY TIMES. I would've liked to teach you all the basic flavors of Poképuffs today itself, but it seems like this will take time. We will continue the day after, since you have an evening session with Prof. Oak tomorrow."
Ash could only look at his Mom in horror, thinking about all the future cooking sessions he'd have to endure and all the essays he'd have to write about his upcoming failures. He could literally feel his spirit getting crushed.
The Next Day
Oak Laboratory, Pallet Town
It was a rather chilly evening in Pallet. But, Prof. Oak stood uncaring of the weather behind his laboratory near the Oak Ranch, in front of his 3 precocious students pointing to a map and a small chart "… And that's all we have today on the habitats of Rock Pokémon in Kanto. I want you three to pick among yourselves three species each of Rock Pokémon found in Kanto and research about them on your own. In our next class, we will share and discuss what you have learned and then we will move onto the next topic."
His students got up off the ground and found themselves accosted by the Growlithe Pack. While they played with the little pups, his own loyal Arcanine, the leader of the Pack stood next to him demanding to be petted. He petted his Pokémon lovingly. He then called for the attention of his 3 students. "Alright students, these are the tasks for you today in the Ranch:
Leaf - You have been requested by my Venusaur. She wants you to go and spend some time with the little ones. They seem to be getting a little rowdy and disturbing her garden. While you are there, I want you to spend some time with the Glooms. Based on your observations, I want you to identify how and why some of them emit the characteristic bad smell of a Gloom and others don't. You will submit a small essay with your inferences.
Gary - You will go along with Arcanine here to the part of the Ranch with all the Tauros and the Equine Pokémon we have. There you will spend some time with the gentlemen handling these Pokémon and find out what they need for the next week. You will also spend some time with Ponyta Herd and try to make observations about how they are training and feeding their young ones. I will need a similar essay from you with your own inferences.
Ash - You are going to spend some time at the Lake. You will be providing the Elder Pokémon with the food for this week, so that they can distribute it among the aquatic Pokémon residing there. While you are there, I want you to calm down the Psyduck Herd with the help of the Elder Golduck. There have been reports of multiple psychic bombs near the lake and while they haven't harmed anybody yet, it's better to be safe than sorry. Talos and Genji should be able to help as well with this task. You will also be writing an essay about the reasons for the bombs which you learned from the Elder Golduck and you will be detailing the common anxieties of the Psyduck in there.
Ah, the value of good old hard work is immeasurable. I feel like gracing you three with a Haiku: 'Even an Onix, Will Crumble Against Hard Work, All Efforts Will Pay.'"
All 3 of them sweatdropped simultaneously. Ash laughed awkwardly, "Err… That's great, Prof. Oak. Very… well said."
Leaf gave the professor a strained smile, "I feel so enthused, Professor. We will… err,… we will go get the work done now."
"Yeah, yeah. Let's get this show on the road. I will see you for dinner, Gramps. Smell ya later, Leafy, Ashy-boy", Gary boisterously exclaimed, as all of them scampered off to work. Oak grumbled to himself, "No respect… I get no respect from my own students!"
He watched them go off in different directions. His two grandsons and their best friend. Strangely, it reminded of the thoughts he had been having lately about their respective futures.
Laura Green, or as the residents of Pallet Town affectionately called her - Leaf - was a brilliant, young girl. Both of her parents worked for him as assistants in the Laboratory. She had been raised in a family which placed tremendous value on knowledge and education and it showed. While she usually finished behind the other two in class rankings, the three of them were so very far ahead of their peers in all of Kanto, that she would likely have been one of his sponsored trainers even without the evening classes he gave them on occasion.
While she dreamed of being a trainer like the other two, she looked to be heading towards a specialization unlike the others. Her name itself represented her severe dedication to the study of Grass-Type Pokémon and she wished to specialize in it. She had a specific set of goals - collect as many Grass-Types as she could from all over Indigo, build and train a solid team, beat Gym Leader Erika on a 5-badge difficulty and then request an apprenticeship from her, preferably while serving as a Gym Trainer. Then, after having accumulated a few years of experience under Erika, she would look at what she wanted to do in the future. Privately he thought she would do wonderfully as a Coordinator or a Performer - after all he had seen her grooming countless Pokémon in the Ranch. He had also seen her eyes light up while seeing performances by famous coordinators like Champion Wallace.
Then there was his grandson, Gary Oak. He had spent most of his young life under the care of Delia and Daisy, so he could see their influence on him but it was likely that he himself was Gary's greatest inspiration. He had seen Oak's Blastoise in action during an incident in the Ranch when he was very young. Overawed by the amount of punishment the Blaistose took, while fending off the wild Pokémon, a young Gary had immediately proclaimed his intention to have one as his starter.
Gary also seemed to model his behaviour around his own. He would often see Gary quoting him to his classmates employing technical jargon which usually flew over their head. Sometimes, he even saw Gary roaming around the Ranch with a small notebook, making notes on what he observed and on occasion, he came and asked questions on what he found. Gary was still a product of dichotomy though - his indecision whether to follow in his, Delia's and now Daisy's footsteps to the research field or try and become a Pokémon Champion like his best friend was a defining characteristic of his personality.
He had decided a while ago that he would present Gary with an opportunity to be a Junior Field Researcher while he went on his journey. After all, it would be a waste to not tap his potential in the field of research. This would also allow him to carry a few more Pokémon, if he so wanted, in his party. Who knows, he might end up becoming a Champion or an Elite Four with a side interest in research. After all, many of the Elite Four were known prominently for their interests/hobbies as well. Come to think of it, Leaf might benefit from this too. She could also provide some valuable insights into Grass-Types in the field, while cashing in on the perks of being a Field Researcher.
And finally, there was his other Grandson, Ash. Easily, the smartest of the lot - Ash was calm, collected and intelligent when he needed to be, but he was also fun-loving, goofy and utterly down-to-earth. While he could see elements of himself, Delia and Richard in him, Ash was Agatha's grandson through and through. He adored his grandmother and while she would be reluctant to admit it, he was the most important thing in the world to her. They both shared the same dream - to be Indigo's Champion. And while it was not usually visible, there was a visible unquenchable fire in Ash's eyes whenever he witnessed battles or discussed strategies or literally anything to do with Pokémon training with him. He had one dream and he was utterly focused towards achieving it - no matter how much effort, blood or tears he had to give for it.
Agatha had supported his dream from a very young age and occasionally helped out wherever she could. But after Richard's death, her efforts had been more pronounced. Of late, she had been even more of a regular fixture in the Ketchum Residence and even deemed it necessary to give Ash a head-start in achieving his dreams. He had felt a little left out, when Agatha had decided to go to other places in search of teachers for Ash. So, when Delia had approached him with the idea to give evening classes to the three, he had jumped at the chance.
While he believed that Ash would still go on to become one of the greatest trainers to ever live even without anybody's assistance, Ash had blossomed in his education even more lately. His battle strategy, his thought processes and his ability to think on the fly while utilizing the terrain to his advantage were nigh unmatched now among his peers all over the world. He consistently finished 1st in the preparatory tests for the PQE, over all the regions. He couldn't help but feel proud of his grandson's achievements already and he hasn't even started his journey yet.
He firmly believed that the new generations will always surpass the old. And these three were prime examples of his belief. They were his students and in the near future, the ones he would be sponsoring in their year and he would make damn sure that they were prepared to face the challenges of a trainer's life. They were going to be the three greatest trainers of Indigo of their generation and her future would ultimately lay in their safe hands. Until then, he would take care of their burden.
Omake
A Serene Delia is a Scary Delia #1
"Ash, could you come to the living room, please?"
"What is it, Mom?"
"Please sit down, Ash," Delia gestured to the living room couch. "Today, we will have a discussion about something that every young boy or girl needs to know. The birds and bees…"
"Ohhh boy! I was afraid of this. Mom, they have covered this in school and I am aware of the general mechanics. There is no need to have this conversation", Ash tried to go around her and escape the room.
"Now, now dear. While, they may have covered the basics. You need to understand many other nuances, including the art of dating, treating girls right etc. You know, the real stuff", Delia smiled serenely at her son.
"Come on, Mom. There's no…" Ash suddenly ran into a barrier and he was seemingly forced back onto the couch. "What the…? Mr. Mime, what are you doing?!" Both Mr. Mime and Gardevoir appeared on Delia's side. "Not you too, Gardevoir!" As if agreeing with his mother, Gardevoir waggled her fingers at him admonishing him for his behaviour.
"Genji, help me get out of here!" Ash cried out. The Gengar appeared in the room and moved to help but suddenly Delia loomed over him giving him a serene smile which oddly terrified him. Gengar shrugged towards Ash in apology.
"That's a good boy, Genji. Here, have a Pecha Berry. Now, where were we?…"
A few moments later, a youthful but haunting scream could be heard from the Ketchum Residence.
A/N: And that's the end of the second chapter guys. Hopefully you like it. If you do, please like and/or follow the story. They literally are my fuel to continue writing. I would also love some reviews.
Sorry for the delay. I expected to finish this one a little earlier. At first, I wanted to write a complete chapter for all of Ash's experiences before the start of his journey, but I decided to stop mid-way because this is already about 9.5k words. The Omake is something new I am trying out. If you guys like it, I might continue the series. I have many ideas for short omakes like this.
The next chapter should be out soon, hopefully within the week and it will also be the last chapter before the start of his journey. Also, I will be adding Ash's Pokémon list to my profile page after the next chapter once they officially become his Pokémon.
* Notes:
1. Mythomagic - Mythomagic is a fictional collectible card and figurine game involving trading cards and miniature figurines, belonging to the Percy Jackson Universe. It is focused on Greek and Roman Mythology. This is a small homage from me to one of the best fantasy series ever written. All Hail Riordan!
2. Ability - Cursed Body - Pokémon with this ability can possibly disable a certain damaging-move used on them.
3. Nature - Hasty - Pokémon with this nature have increased Speed and lesser Defense as compared to the baseline for their species
4. Perish Song - While this move is allowed in unofficial battles, its use is heavily frowned upon in League-officiated battles. In this universe, after the use of this move a certain amount of times, the Pokémon will lose some years off its lifetime. If the use isn't regulated enough, the Trainer might even face a ban from the League.
5. Ability - Clear Body - Pokémon with this ability cannot have their stats lowered by opposing Pokémon
6. Hidden Ability - Light Metal - Pokémon with this ability have half of their usual body-weight thereby affecting the moves used through their body weight and also are consequently doubly affected by moves which are used by the opposing Pokémon using their own weight like Body Slam or Heat Crash.
7. Nature - Hardy - Pokémon with this nature have similar stats as the ones from this species found in nature. However, they are known to be resilient and survive longer in extended battles.
In this AU, a Pokémon can have a maximum of two abilities - one main and one hidden. For more details on the abilities and natures of Pokémon, please visit bulbapedia.
Until next time! I have been a Smart Alec :)
