Welcome to Chapter 2!
"Well, Ashy-boy, I've gotta hand it to ya! You've done it!"
Ash laughed as Gary patted his shoulder. The two of them were sitting in the Champion's Chamber. Or, as Gary liked to call it, Ash's office.
His laugh turned into a slight cough when he saw Gary grin before he reached into his bag to pull out a bottle.
"Really, Gary? It's not even lunchtime..." Ash sighed, but there was a smile on his face. Gary laughed as he took out two small glasses before pouring a modest portion of the bottle's liquid into them. Ash readily took the glass that Gary offered him.
"Maybe. But this, Ashy-boy, is something that we both agreed would happen whenever you took this office for yourself," Gary answered with a smirk, raising his glass.
Ash chuckled and raised his own glass.
"To you, Boss Ashy-boy!"
Ash couldn't help the expression of annoyance he made, something Gary was obviously counting on as Ash saw his smirk widen.
"That'd better not become a thing, I swear..." he grumbled before he drank the alcohol. The fire in his soul was soothed as the liquid touched his throat. Ash tasted the aged citrus in the drink, and he closed his eyes as he slowly downed the entire content of the glass before sighing as he felt the mellow aftertaste of the alcohol.
"Holy crap! That is good!" Ash said with slightly wide eyes. His fire felt like a purring Litten that had just been fed. He handed the glass back to Gary, who nodded as he put everything back in his bag.
"Yup! That's an aged Kalos Liqueur for you," Gary said with a toothy grin, "Not many bottles like this one make it outta Kalos, so you'll forgive me if we only share one drink each."
"Kalos, eh?" Ash murmured, stroking his chin pensively, "I remember Wallace and Cynthia mentioning that Region before..." he trailed off as he recalled brief conversations about the far-off region where the phenomenon of Mega Evolution originated.
"How do you think I'd fare against Diantha?" Ash asked with wonder. Wallace had mentioned her in passing, but Cynthia was the one more acquainted with the Kalos Champion. He'd always enjoyed battling strong opponents. Now that he was the Indigo Champion, Ash had his sights on his fellow Regional Champions.
"Well, are we talking about you going all out or actually going all out?" Gary asked with a raised eyebrow.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ash asked with narrowed eyes, "I always give each battle my all! And so do my Pokémon!"
"Ashy-boy, if you actually gave it your all, you would automatically win every battle because your opponents would be reduced to... ashes!" Gary smirked annoyingly towards him. Ash wondered if he could slash the budget of any research Gary worked on while in Indigo. As Champion, he could do that, right?
"But if you want my honest opinion, Ashy-boy, I'd say you would need to be using your newest captures to lose to Diantha. She's strong, but I don't think she's as overwhelming as, say... Cynthia?"
He acknowledged Gary's words with a slow nod. Ash knew perfectly well what it was like to go against Cynthia in a full battle.
"Heh, since we are on the topic of the Kalos Region, do you remember the Summer Camps that Gramps hosted back when were children?" Gary asked.
"Yeah... Yeah, I do. Why?" Ash questioned with a raised eyebrow. He recalled the camps hosted by Professor Oak. Ash missed the first, but he was able to attend the next one.
"There was this Kalosian girl our age in the registry for the one you and I attended. Always struck me as odd that someone from that far away attended a Summer Camp in Kanto. I knew Gramps was a big deal back then, but wow!"
Ash narrowed his eyes a bit as he digested Gary's words. A Kalosian girl attending the same camp that he did... His brain flashed back to being a little child, having the time of his life at the Summer Camp. He'd been playing by the forest near the Oak Corral, chasing after a Poliwag...
And then... hadn't he encountered a little girl his age who spoke with a funny accent? She was lightly injured, and he helped her as best as he could back then.
Ash wracked his brain momentarily as he felt that he was on the verge of remembering something else...
"Hey, Ashy-boy! Earth to Ashy-boy!"
Ash's train of thought was interrupted by Gary's loud voice. He blinked, noticing Gary staring back with a raised eyebrow.
"Sheesh, dude! I could practically see the gears in your head turning. Whatcha thinking about?"
"Er..." Ash was caught flat-footed, not knowing how to answer.
"Come on, Ashy-boy! You are the Indigo Champion now. You gotta act more Champion-ish!" Gary smirked, causing Ash to growl in annoyance.
"Whatever..." Ash closed his eyes for a moment, deciding to keep his thoughts to himself for the time being. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him.
"Hey, you up for a battle?" Ash asked with a smirk. His smirk only widened when Gary tried to look aloof and uninterested.
"What? Little ol' me go against the Fire Soul?" Gary answered with an air of self-deprecation that was obviously fake, "Unthinkable!"
Yeah, they were going to battle. His fire flared up at the thought of battling Gary.
"Let's go," Ash said, standing up. Gary smirked and followed him to the elevator located at the back of his office.
Once the two of them were inside the elevator, Ash pressed the button to transport them to the Champion's Battlefield, which was a private arena that only the Champion could access.
"So, what are you planning on doing for the next few months?" Gary asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, I'm planning on doing a small tour of Johto," Ash responded, thinking about the plans that he'd made alongside Charles, "I've never been there. As the Indigo Champion, I gotta correct that."
"Heh, and how did the Private Ceremony go? Any of the Leaders give you any trouble?"
"I... don't think so?" Ash said, thinking back to the Private Ceremony. Unlike the Public Inauguration, the private one was meant so that every Gym Leader of the Major and Minor Gyms in Indigo could meet the newly crowned Champion and their Elite Four.
"A.J. said he was challenging me for the title as soon as possible," he said after remembering the eager grin that A.J. had while issuing his challenge.
"Good for him," Gary said rather dismissively, but Ash knew A.J. will give him a good battle any day. He'd earned his spot as the Top Gym Leader of Kanto.
"Anything more interesting?" Gary asked, fishing for information.
"Well, Whitney, er..." Ash tried to choose his words carefully, thinking back to how the Goldenrod Gym Leader had acted towards him.
"Yes?" Gary asked with a mischievous smirk.
"She, uh, flirted with me... I guess?" Ash whispered in a low tone. He winced when Gary burst out laughing.
"Oh, precious! Wish I could've been there! Hey, how did your bodyguard take her advancements? Did she try to drown Whitney later that night?" Gary asked. He was at his most obnoxious, and that was saying a lot.
"Misty isn't my bodyguard. Stop it!" Ash growled towards Gary, whose smirk only grew more.
"She technically is now, dude," Gary waved a finger in the air, "She's the last line of defense against anyone wishing to get to you."
Ash rolled his eyes. If that was the case, he had four bodyguards now, and Ash was willing to bet good money that the next winner of the Indigo Conference won't even make it to Misty.
The doors of the elevator opened, and they both entered the Champion's Battlefield. It was a large arena that could match the Champion's League Stadium. The arena was meant for private bouts with the Champion outside of official League Matches. That Gary was the first opponent he brought here was fitting, Ash supposed.
Gary made his way to the opposite side of the field at a leisurely pace.
"One versus one?" Gary asked as he took a Pokeball from his belt. Ash wanted a full battle or even a three versus three, but he had some of his first official business as Champion to take care of.
"Sure!"
Now that the two of them were facing each other, Ash felt it. The fire that resided within him wanted to be unleashed against anything that Gary threw at him.
Said feeling only intensified when Gary's Blastoise appeared on the field. Blastoise locked eyes with him, and the two stared at each other for a few seconds. Then, Blastoise smiled and dipped his head with a smile. Ash smiled as well.
"Hi, Blastoise!" Ash waved towards him, "How are you?"
Blastoise answered with a low rumble and a slight shrug, as if to say that he was well enough.
"Gary treating you well?" Ash asked with a smirk that was mirrored by Blastoise, "Misty can always use another strong fighter!"
" .Ha... Hilarious..." Gary said flatly when Blastoise pretended to think about his offer, "You two are a riot!"
Ash chuckled as he released his own Starter. She appeared in a flash of red from her Pokeball. When she observed who was facing her, she cocked her head to the side. Then, she raised one arm and curled two fingers upward to form a V, signifying that she was declaring an early victory for herself. This caused both Gary and Blastoise to gain a twitch in their eyes.
"Hey, now! Awfully cocky aren't we, your highness?!" Gary's expression became competitive. Blastoise mirrored his trainer as well, "Don't go counting victory just yet! We've learned a few new tricks just for you!"
Ash tensed with eager anticipation when Blastoise's arm disappeared into his shell to take out a small stone. At the same time, Gary grinned wildly as he brandished the bracelet on one of his wrists.
"Let's do this, Blastoise!" Gary yelled as he pointed his bracelet toward his starter. Blastoise shone brightly as the energy emanating from both stone and bracelet connected with each other, changing Blastoise and granting him the power of his bond with Gary.
When the light disappeared, Mega Blastoise released a loud rumble that shook the arena briefly.
Ash felt his fire thrill with delight. A strong opponent faced him. Despite becoming a researcher, Gary's kept up training his Pokemon, and he had a knack for training that Ash sometimes wished he could emulate. Not that he'd ever admit it to him.
But the power of Fire will prevail. Now and in the future.
Ash concentrated for a moment, tapping into the bond that lay at the very core of his soul. His fire flared up as Ash connected with his partner, who released a loud roar in response.
It was now her turn to shine, and as her form changed, Ash felt a sizeable chunk of his own fire leave him as it was transferred to his partner. Their combined fires joined together, completing her transformation.
She was now clad in jet-black scales, and the blue fire that made people call her Fire Moon released constantly from her mouth. His partner roared loudly enough to leave the arena trembling as the energy of Mega Evolution burst out.
Ash took a deep breath, locking eyes with Gary as both stared at each other from across the battlefield.
Just like that day, five years ago.
Ash woke up groggily, blinking for a moment as he tried to shake off his sleepiness. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the broken remains of his alarm clock. What had happened to it?
He was startled when it hit him what the broken alarm meant, and he scrambled towards the computer on his desktop, desperate to check the time. The computer's clock indicated that it was fifteen minutes until it was six. Ash released a sigh of relief, thinking about how he was supposed to be at Professor Oak's Laboratory at six in the morning sharp. He closed his eyes for a moment, smiling at the thought of getting his Starter Pokemon.
Then, his eyes opened as he realized that he had less than fifteen minutes to get to the Laboratory.
Ash was dressed in his green and yellow pajamas, but he didn't care as he bolted out of his house in slight panic. His legs moved as fast as he could move them as he quickly made his way to the hill where the Oak Laboratory was.
On his way, many of the people in Pallet Town already minging about greeted him, and he returned them hastily. He finally saw the stairs leading to the laboratory. Ash took a deep breath as he climbed the long stairway up the hill, his heart beating fast in his chest.
When he reached the top of the hill, his panic was relieved as he saw that no one was waiting in line. It was first come first served when it came to Starter Pokemon, and it looked like he'd made it in time. He knocked hastily on the door of the Laboratory, and after a few seconds that felt like forever passed, it opened. Ash expected Professor Oak to be the one to greet him, but that wasn't the case.
"Well, well, well! If it isn't Ashy-boy!"
His grin was wiped from his face as he heard the mocking tone in Gary's words, who looked back at him with a smirk of superiority. Ash growled back in response for a moment before he smirked nastily.
"Gary. I figured you'd be late. Don't you spend an hour in the shower?"
"What can, I say, Ashy-boy? I have to look good for my admirers as the future number one Trainer in the world!" Gary's eyed him mockingly, "Look at you! Still in your pajamas!"
Ash growled, feeling a bit embarrassed about his attire.
"Shut it! Just you wait, the moment I have my Pokemon..." he trailed off threateningly.
"You'll fall against the awesome power of Gary Oak and his Pokemon!"
Ash glared, and Gary glared back. He wouldn't back down, and he knew Gary wouldn't back down either. It was only when a voice interrupted them that they both stopped.
"Ah! Hello, you two!"
Professor Oak offered a smile to both of them, and Ash returned it with a smile of his own. Ash had always respected the aged Professor. He allowed Ash to play with the Pokemon that lived in the Corral that he managed, and he was his Mom's teacher once upon a time.
But also, it was the Professor allowing him to see the battle between his Pokemon that had changed his life. Ash decided to become a Fire Specialist since that moment and had picked Charmander as his starter Pokemon ever since he witnessed that battle between Professor Oak's Charizard and Dragonite all those years ago.
He felt a grin form on his face as he thought back to that battle, and the awesome firepower that Charizard had shown. Ash wanted that for himself in his quest to become the best.
"Good morning, Professor Oak."
"Morning Gramps..."
The Professor chuckled and motioned both of them to follow him. Ash shot Gary one last glare that was immediately returned before following Professor Oak.
When Ash was inside the main area of the laboratory, the one that had many machines in it, he began feeling his excitement grow more and more. This was it. He'd decided on being a Trainer the moment he understood what it meant, and the time had finally arrived for his quest to begin.
"Now, Ash, Gary, as it was explained to you, you'll each be picking a Starter Pokemon. You'll also receive a Pokedex alongside a set of Pokeballs. The Pokedex is a very important tool that-"
"Aw, come on, Gramps!" Gary grumbled, "Let's get to the fun part!"
Ash wouldn't ever dare to speak like that to the Professor for fear of what his Mom would do if she heard, but a very tiny part of him agreed with Gary.
"Ah, the youth..." The Professor gave a rueful sigh, "No patience at all... Very well!"
The Professor motioned towards the machine that held three Pokeballs. Each had a sticker on them that showed which of the three Kanto Starters was inside. Ash eyed the one with the Fire sticker with laser focus.
"Ash, for the sake of fairness, you can choose first," The professor smiled at him. Ash turned so fast towards the Professor that he almost hurt his neck.
"I can?!" He confirmed with excitement.
"Wha-? Gramps! I was here first!"
"Now, now, Gary," the Professor raised a hand to calm his grandson, "You asked me to spend the night here. And even if you hadn't, you have a key to the Laboratory. I'd say that barring some truly bad luck, you were always going to be the first to arrive. As I said, this is for the sake of fairness, which is something I dearly wish you two learn about on your journey."
Gary grumbled in a low tone, and Ash could feel his glare on him. He tried to not look too smug when he looked back at Gary.
Ash took a deep breath. Without hesitation, he took the Pokeball with the Fire sticker and opened it, releasing the Charmander that was inside.
Ash grinned when he saw Charmander materialize. He'd pictured this moment a thousand times, and now it was a reality. Charmander looked at its surroundings with curiosity before focusing on him.
"Hi, Charmander!" Ash greeted with excitement, "My name is Ash. Ash Ketchum, and my goal is to be the very best! Would you like to become my partner?"
Charmander was quiet as it observed him. Ash knew that he was being judged. Charmander's face remained neutral for a moment before it released a small sound of acknowledgment and nodded toward him. Ash felt as if his grin was going to split his face.
"Yes! Thank you, Charmander!" Ash hugged the small Fire-type, who answered back with another quiet murmur.
"Congratulations, Ash! You've got yourself your Starter Pokemon!" The Professor smiled at him, and Ash answered with a smile full of gratitude towards the Professor. Ash looked towards Gary with curiosity and found Gary tapping his foot impatiently. Well, at least Ash hadn't picked the Starter that Gary wanted.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever! Move aside, Ashy-boy!" Gary smirked with superiority, causing Ash to glare slightly. He took Charmander with him as Gary made his way towards the machine. He instantly took the Pokeball with the Water sticker and released the Squirtle inside it.
"what's up, Squirtle? The name's Gary Oak. Wanna be part of the future number one's team?" Gary asked with a smirk. Ash saw Squirtle observe Gary for a moment before the small water-type nodded with a smile on its face. Gary grinned back towards Squirtle before he turned towards Ash.
Gary's smirk of superiority told Ash everything before he even opened his mouth.
"Let's have a battle, Ashy boy! It's time for you to learn your place!"
Thanks for reading!
Now, some things about this fic.
First of all, as you can see, each chapter will be divided into two segments, which are set in the future and the past of Ash. No particular reason why I decided on this other than to shake things up a bit.
Now, as for Ash's Pokemon...
Every canon Fire-type of Ash will be part of his team... eventually. As stated in this chapter, Ash never traveled to Johto. That, however, doesn't mean that he and Cyndaquil won't meet. As a writer, I have access to the convenience button, which I can press at any time.
Until next time!