Episode 2 - Kick rocks, Ketchum - Part II
"Are you still out here, Ash?" was the professor's question.
No sooner had he stepped out, he saw that Ash was still sitting on the front steps of the lab. He was hunched over, holding his head low, shuffling his Trainer ID back and forth between his fingers. The sky was clear now, the air had turned humid, and all that was left of the storm was a puddle here and some humidity there.
"The weather's good now, Ash. You should get moving. From the looks of things, Gary left ages ago. What are you waiting for?"
"Professor," he began to reply, "do you ever wonder if maybe you just really weren't cut out for any of the stuff you'd always wanted to do?" he asked without even bothering to lift his head to look at the professor. But that was when he decided to take a seat next to him.
"Giving up so soon, are we?"
"I didn't say that."
"And I hope you never will, Ash; but it seems like you're already calling it quits on your journey before it's even had a chance to properly start."
"It's just…"
"Let me guess. You're not good enough. You might never be good enough. You want to believe you can achieve something worthwhile, but something in you is too scared to try. Gary is already so much better than you are, and there are people who are already so much better than Gary too. So where does that leave you? Are you really meant for this? Is this really what you want?
"You've probably spent the last hour or so telling yourself these things and asking yourself these questions, correct?"
"..."
"Ha ha ha. Ash, my boy. Do you think you can be brave?"
"Brave?"
"Brave. Courageous. Tenacious. Unstoppable. Do you think you have it in you to be all that and more?"
"I…I thought I did. But I'm not so sure anymore."
"Of course. Your loss against Gary placed doubt in you, didn't it? The way he seemed to read you like an open book, seemed to somehow know you even better than you know yourself, seemed to have it all figured out before the match'd even started. And now. Now you're stuck wondering whether or not you truly can achieve what you're after, whether or not you're even worthy of trying."
"Am I?" Ash interjected. His head rose and he turned his eyes to meet Prof. Oak who was staring off into the distance. "Do you think I am, Prof. Oak?"
"Ash, I think anyone and everyone is capable of astounding, awe-inspiring, and absolutely undeniable achievements; but, funnily enough, it would also seem we oftentimes find ourselves too scared, too weighed down by our insecurities and our inhibitions, to even give it a shot."
"But I gave it a shot, professor. I gave it a shot and I messed up big time. You saw what happened back there. Gary mopped the floor with my Geodude and me. He schooled me. I failed. There's just no other way to say it. I failed and that's all there is to it."
"Ash–"
"I studied every night, professor. Every night. I went back and forth through those books, memorized every flash card, bought every mock test I could get my hands on; and some way, somehow, I still only just scored high enough to barely pass. Meanwhile, Gary went in, aced it perfectly, and, on top of that, he crushed me like a bug and made it look easy. So please, professor. Just say it, okay? Just tell me I'm no good. Just tell me I should throw in the towel and try something else. Please!" he yelled with tears that ran down both sides of his face.
"And if I did, and if you did try something else only to fail at that too, would you come back crying a second time and ask me to tell you the same thing again?"
"..."
"..."
"I…"
"Failure isn't the end of the road, Ash; and success is even less so. You want me to tell you that you've no future as a Pokémon Trainer, not because you honestly believe you don't–and you're trying very hard to convince yourself, that much is certain–but because, in doing so, I would free you from the responsibility of having to come to terms with your shortcomings, get back up, and try again. And I'm afraid that that, my good Ash, is something which I cannot do. As both a Pokémon professor and respected pedagogue, it would go against every last one of my deepest held beliefs."
"So…there's still hope for me?"
"That would depend, Ash. Do you think you could be brave enough, courageous enough, tenacious and unstoppable enough to walk this road and find out for yourself?"
He looked back down to the Trainer ID card in his hand.
"I don't know about brave; but how's about crazy, stupid, and stubborn?"
"Ha ha ha. Yes, I suppose those'll get the job done just as well. So then, will you be setting off?"
"No turning back now, I guess."
"Then do me a favor, will you? I ordered a package not too long ago that ought to have arrived in Viridian City by now. Could you check if they've received it? And if they have, mind bringing it to me? Here, take this. With it, they should allow you to accept the package in my stead."
He held out a special card with the words "Oak Labs - Pallet Town" printed on it.
"Careful to whom you show this, alright? It can either win you some big favors or get you into some deep trouble."
"Alright, professor. I'll be careful."
And, in Ash's defense, he was indeed planning to be careful. After all, wild Pokémon were out and about, and he would need to exercise prudence if he wanted to get to Viridian City unscathed. Nevertheless, things were rarely ever so simple, and he'd need more than prudence and sharp-mindedness to complete his trek. But not to worry! He had his Geodude; and with such a cooperative, selfless, and absolutely loyal teammate, there was no doubt he'd reach Viridian City in a matter of minutes…theoretically speaking, of course.
"Rattata!"
A purple rodent jumped out of the tall grass and bared its fangs at Ash. Without wasting any time, he threw out his Pokéball.
"Geodude! Scare it away with Growl!"
At that moment, there must have been a little misunderstanding. It often happens. Geodude misheard its Trainer and, instead of growling at the Rattata to scare it away, it spun around and shot out its fist with enough speed to knock the wild rat in front of it completely out cold.
"Oh, um. Not what I was going for but that works too, I guess. Geodude, retur–"
"Pidgey!"
The pair turned their gazes upward to find a small bird just above them. The hostile avian rose a bit to get some impulse and then immediately took a dive. It was headed right for Geodude.
"Ah! Geodude, watch out! Defense Curl!"
But Geodude's ears (or lack thereof) were being very uncooperative that day. Once again, mishearing its Trainer, Geodude spun around a second time and knocked the speeding Pidgey to the wayside. It smashed into a tree and fell just as unconscious as its purple-furred predecessor.
"Wow. Not bad, Geodude. Okay, we can't waste anymore time. Retu–"
"GEODUDE!"
It launched itself into the air and came crashing down onto the almost lifeless Pidgey.
"Geodude! What're you doing? You beat it already! Stop hurting it!" Ash yelled. "Return!"
Ash shot the return beam and succeeded in hitting Geodude; but before it could return to its container, the beam collapsed.
"GEODUDE!"
It raised its fist high into the air.
"Geodude! No!" screamed Ash. He ran toward his Geodude and wrapped his arms around his Pokémon's raised extremity to keep it from violently thrashing its downed opponent. Bad idea. Geodude effortlessly tossed him aside as though he were just a ragdoll.
"GEODUDE!" it bellowed at Ash.
"What's wrong? Why're you so angry?"
"GEODUDE!"
"Forget it. I'll figure this out later. I got to get to Viridian City before sundown. Geodude, return!"
But Geodude dodged the beam, jumped into the air once more; but this time fell right on top of Ash. He felt the wind violently leave his lungs and his legs immediately buckled under the weight of his starter.
"Geodude!" He could just barely speak. "You're crushing me."
In the span of a few seconds, Geodude ripped the Pokéball out of Ash's hand and crushed it, releasing itself. Before Ash could so much as even react, it leapt off into the trees and escaped far off into the distance. Something was in its hands; but as the oxygen slowly made its way back into his chest, all Ash could concentrate on was the deep, choking pain–heavier than even his ex-Geodude–crushing his heart. It was over now. He was done for. Without a Pokémon, he couldn't even make it back to Pallet Town, much less finish his journey to Viridian City. What was he going to do now?
"Looks like you could use some help, man," said someone from behind some bushes. A young boy stepped out from the brush wearing a pink shirt with red stripes, light brown cargo shorts, brown shoes, black gloves, a camera hanging from his neck, and a leather satchel bag. His hair was curly, reddish-brown, and it reached the tops of his ears. "That was rough. Was that your Geodude?"
"Yeah. Was."
"Dang," he said, holding his hand out to help Ash up. Ash took it and did his best to dust himself off. "My name's Todd. Todd Snap. I was surveying this place to see if I could catch some nice pictures of the Pidgey or Rattata in the area. I heard a ruckus and made it just in time to see your Geodude attacking you. What happened? And what was up with its color? I thought Geodude were only brown or gray; yours was black as coal."
"I don't know. I got it as a starter."
"That was your starter? Why'd you pick it?"
"I didn't."
"...there's a story to be told here, isn't there? Hold on. Are you from Pallet Town?"
"I am. I was headed for Viridian City; but now I'm not even sure I can make it back home."
"You're in luck. I live there. If you want, I can help you make the trip to and from. I have always wanted to visit Pallet Town."
"It'd mean a lot to me. Are you a Trainer too?"
"Yep; but I'm taking the Pokédex challenge."
"Really? But then what's the camera for?"
"My entries."
"What do you mean? Don't all Dexes come preloaded with images of the Pokémon or something?"
Todd showed off a big, toothy grin in response.
"Not the one I use."
"What do you mean? Can I see it?"
"Sure. But it's at home. Come on, follow me. Viridian City's not too far now."
And Todd was not mistaken. Further along the route between the two destinations, past a few bushes and tall, wild grass, Ash found himself before a sign:
Viridian City - The Evergreen Paradise of West Kanto
"Here we are," announced Todd. "Come on, I'll show you around."
Viridian City was only ever so slightly larger than Pallet Town. Unlike Ash's little corner of the world, Viridian City housed a Pokémon Center and a Shop; but what truly caught Ash's eye was the gym. His gaze stayed fixated on it, refusing to break away. The building was tall and broad like a warehouse; but something was off. The grass around it had become overgrown, the welcome sign looked a bit the worse for wear, and there was a paper sign reading "closed" starting to peel off from the front door.
"What happened to this place?"
"No idea. Truth be told, it's been closed for as long as I can remember."
"Why? What happened to the Gym Leader?"
"No idea there either. Dad once told me they just up and left one day and never came back."
"But then, wait, how do Trainers apply to participate in the Indigo Plateau Conference if they can't get their eight badges?"
"The Admissions Exam, probably."
"Admissions Exam?"
"Yep. For example, I'm taking the Pokédex challenge because I want to go to college someday, right? But let's say I still wanted to participate in the Conference. I can take the Admissions Exam."
"What?!" yelled Ash. "But what if you don't pass it?"
"Uh…then you don't get to participate? But, I mean, come on. If you're good enough to beat the gyms, you should also be good enough to pass the exam, don't you think? And the conference is held annually. You have to pass eventually, don't you?"
"...yeah. I…I guess so."
"...is there something on your mind? You've been real melancholy ever since, well, you know."
"Don't worry. I'm just…tired is all."
"Well, come on. My house isn't far from here. Let's keep going."
Past the Gym, on the outskirts of the town, built on the bank of a little lake was Todd's home. It was a bit smaller than Ash's; but alongside the body of water it looked cozy. The boys walked up to the door and Todd slipped out a key. Opening the door and looking inside, Ash was immediately taken aback by the sight before him. Picture frames hung from every wall and a small table next to the door served as the landing for a family of cameras. However, what really caught Ash's attention the most was a glass stand housing a large book. It was a paperback encyclopedia with creases and small tears probably gained from years of use. In big bold letters on the cover, Ash read:
The International Index of Pocket Monsters
3rd Edition
"Hold on," said Ash. "Is that…a National Dex?"
"You best believe it. This bad boy is my dad's. Apart from Kanto, he also traveled to the Jotoh and Hoenn regions; and he caught them all. He got pictures of every Pokémon. But there's more. Check this out!"
Ash turned his head and found Todd holding out another paperback Pokédex; but this one was the fifth edition.
"So, wait. You don't use a Pokédex? The digital one we use nowadays, I mean."
"Nope. My folks and I, we're photographers. We do things the old-fashioned way. Well, not that old-fashioned. Otherwise we'd be sketch artists. Anyways, just like my dad, I want to travel the world and fill my index. This one here was a gift from dad for my tenth birthday. Check it out, I've already got some entries from the Pokémon here in Viridian."
Todd flipped through the pages and showed Ash an ape with a round body but the nose of a pig: Mankey. He flipped and showed him a large-eared rodent with sharp spines and purple fur: a male Nidoran.
"That's awesome. So you don't catch them?"
"Nope. We take pictures of them while they're still wild and untamed. Makes it more authentic, you know?"
"But, I mean, wouldn't it be easier to catch them, have them hold still, and take a picture of them like that?"
"Of course it'd be easier; but catching them in nature, fully wild and free, that's the good stuff, you know? Besides, just because you caught it doesn't mean it's going to obey you; but I think you know that a lot better than I do. No offense."
"None taken."
"By the way, why did you want to come to Viridian…um…oh yeah. What was your name again?"
"Ash. Ash Ketchum. And I'm here to pick up a package for Prof. Oak."
"For real? Oh, then we ought to get to the Shop before they close!"
Ash hadn't noticed it, but the blue sky outside had started giving way to a red tint. Night time was fast approaching. Without wasting a second more, the two boys rushed out back to the main square of the city and bolted for the Shop. Fortunately for the both of them, there were no problems with the clerk, and Ash was able to accept the package without a hitch. The problem instead was the red sky which, once they'd stepped out, they noticed was dark blue and dotted with stars.
"Uh-oh," said Ash. How am I supposed to get back now?"
"Hmm…we do have a guest room," answered Todd. "How's about you spend the night at my place and, come morning, we get you back to Pallet Town?"
"Is it alright? I don't want to be more of a burden than I already am, Todd."
"Burden? Man, quit sweating the small stuff. Besides, if you're really going to be traveling all of Kanto like you say, you got to get used to either lodging with kind strangers or camping; and from what I can see, you don't exactly have a tent on you. Actually, now that I think about it, where is your backpack?"
"What do you mean? It's right…wait."
Ash reached for where his backpack strap would've been only to find his jacket.
"But I had it right here! Where did…? My Geodude! It took my stuff!"
"Welp, that's got to suck. So, how's that stay over at my place sounding?"
"I don't really have a choice here, do I? Listen, one of these days, I swear I'll repay all these favors."
"No sweat, man. For now, let's just get home."
"Yeah. Hey, do you think you can hold this package in your satchel for me?"
"Sure thing."
Unfortunately, in spite of Ash's intentions, fate would play him one last dastardly trick that night. Unbeknownst to either him or Todd, a dark-feathered fiend had been observing the boys ever since they'd stepped out from the shop. It was a curious, little critter with head feathers resembling a witch's hat, a crooked beak that looked as though someone had smashed it in the face, and tail feathers that resembled an old broom. Its eyes scanned the area for any potential risk factors, anything that could jeopardize the success of its mission. Nothing. All that was left for it to do was to execute its objective without failure. And so it did.
From atop its darkened perch, the feathery fiend dove down toward the concrete walkway; but before it could impact the ground, it spread its wings, tilted forwards, and sped in the boys' direction. It slipped between them like a silent specter, dug its talons into the package while Ash was in the middle of handing it to Todd, and flew off with it into the night sky.
"Hey!" yelled Ash.
"The package! No!"
The two young boys sprinted as fast as they could after the nocturnal avian; but their legs soon failed them.
"Darn it! Darn it all!" he yelled, stomping the ground in anger. "Why? Why is it that whenever I try to do something right, life just spits in my face? Why?" he asked as bitter tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Calm down, Ash," said Todd, trying to catch his breath. "There's a silver-lining here. I know that bird and I know where your package is headed."
"Really? Where? Tell me. I need to get it as soon as possible."
"Just a bit north of here. Viridian Forest."
TO BE CONTINUED…