A/N: sithlorde1988 here. As you can see by this chapter going up, Pokemon Shuffled Journeys won the poll in a 6-1-1 vote. The other two fics to get votes were Total Drama: The Movie and (surprisingly to me) Untitled Mario Story. Apparently there's not that many Digimon fic fans these days, or at least none that read my stories. That said, congrats to the winning fic! Prior to starting the chapter, let me just explain a bit more about this fic. First and foremost, I don't have a set shipping for Ash as of yet mainly because I'm still deciding on that. Nor do I have a fully set order for him to tackle regions in other than I know that the first region will be Galar (partly since I don't really see a lot of fics where Ash starts out in Galar) though the first chapter will probably be set in Kanto. And with regard to the Gen 9 region (assuming I cover Gen 9 in the Shuffled Journeys series), it will be towards the last regions visited (probably 2nd-last IF I COVER GEN 9, since that'll give more time for further details of that gen to be revealed). However, I will say that as the name Shuffled Journeys implies, DO NOT EXPECT MUCH IF ANY ELEMENTS TO BE THE SAME AS IN THE ANIME. Sorry for the all caps there, just felt that statement needed the extra emphasis. That said, a lot of things in this story will be very different. However, some things will still be kind of the same. And I've had some people leave reviews on the A/Ns of other stories relating to the poll giving input into how the story should work. That input is much appreciated and will be considered as this story progresses. However, I have already more or less decided on Ash's starter, and I very much doubt most, if any of you, will expect it to be who it is. Hint: It's a Galar region pokemon (but not one of the Galar starters). That said, before I forget let me do the disclaimer.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, whether it be the games or the anime, or any characters/plot elements shown therein. The credit for those belongs with Game Freak, Nintendo, The Pokemon Company, and Netflix (since they air Pokemon Journeys/Master Journeys), and anyone else I didn't list here that was involved with either the games or the anime. If I missed anyone, by all means let me know (either in a review or by PM) and I'll correct the disclaimer in future chapters.
That said, I'm sure you didn't come here to read a long A/N, so without further ado, let's begin chapter 1 of Pokemon: Shuffled Journeys!
POKEMON SHUFFLED JOURNEYS
Prologue: Setting the Stage
(Pallet Town, undiclosed time period in the Kanto region)
Clear skies, lovely weather, lively people, and friendly townsfolk. These things and more are often used to describe Pallet Town, in the Kanto region. And on the day our story starts, a young man known to his friends and his family simply as Red is about to start his Pokemon Journey. But though most of Pallet Town is excited to see him go on his journey, some are not...
(Red's house, in Pallet Town)
"Red, are you up yet? Don't want you sleeping in on your big day!" Delia Ketchum, mother of two, called up to her son Red, who was just waking up as she called up to him. However, what Delia didn't know was that Red's younger brother, Ash, was also up, but unlike most of Pallet Town, Ash was less than pleased to see his brother leave.
"Red, why do you have to go? I thought you would have to wait a couple more years? Or did they waive the rules for you?" Ash asked his older brother, frowning at why he got to start at the age of 11, instead of 13 as most trainers are usually required to be.
"We've been through this, Ash. That requirement was added AFTER I got my license. Besides, that requirement is moreso for those who want to take extra study under a Professor so they can be better prepared for their Pokemon journey. Fortunately for me, I didn't need such extra preparation since I studied in Pokemon classes. I'm aware you're not happy that I'm leaving, but there's not much more to be said for it. But I do hope you can be happy for me and wish me well, brother." Red said to Ash, gently ruffling his younger brother's hair, hoping that Ash, despite only being 6 to Red's 11, would be mature enough to accept that this was something Red had to do.
"I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it though. At least I only have a few more years to wait before I can start my journey." Ash said, sighing. He knew he needed to not be petty. Red heard Ash sigh, gently leaning in to hug Ash.
"I get it, bro. You're probably gonna miss me. But I'll try to at least call when I can, though such chances may be far and few between as Pokemon Trainers are usually focused on getting stronger, bringing out the best in their Pokemon, and being their best. So that usually doesn't leave much time for a social life, or so I'm told." Red said to Ash, before smiling as he had a thought come to him.
"Say, how would you like it if I caught you a Pokemon so that when you're old enough, you'll already have your own Pokemon to go with whatever starter you end up choosing?" Red asked Ash, who looked at his brother with excitement.
"Really? You mean it?" Ash asked. Red nodded.
"Yep, I mean it. Though to be fair it might take awhile to get you a good Pokemon and you might not be able to work with it until you're older, but I intend to catch you a Pokemon if I can." Red said, as he proceeded to make sure his knapsack was packed, before smiling.
"We should probably get downstairs so Mom doesn't worry about us." Red said to Ash. Ash nodded.
"Okay, big bro." Ash said, as the Ketchum brothers went downstairs to have breakfast. Afterwards, the three Ketchums (Delia included) went to Professor Oak's lab so he could pick out his first Pokemon. When they got there, they saw that instead of the usual Kanto starters, Professor Oak had just two Pokeballs out on the table in his lab.
"Ah, there you are Red. As you can see, most of our Pokemon have already been picked. But I managed to save two for you and Blue to choose from." Professor Oak said, as a young man about Red's age with spiky brown hair walked in, smirking.
"Well, well, looks like Red showed up after all. What's the matter? Sleep in? Or were you scared?" the young man teased Red, smirking. Professor Oak facepalmed.
"Now Blue, I'm sure Red was just dealing with calming down Ash since I'm sure Ash wasn't eager to see his brother leave him yet. And don't pretend you don't know how that is, because I'm sure you had at least some of that problem with Gary." Professor Oak said to the now named Blue, who shrugged.
"Fair enough. And Gary did pout a bit, but cheered up when I told him I'd bring him back some Pokemon if I could manage it. He seemed excited about it." Blue said. Red blinked, surprised at the similarity between his and Blue's brothers.
"That's the same thing I promised Ash." Red mentioned. Blue laughed.
"That sounds like something Ashy-boy would probably like. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if he and Gary end up as big of rivals as you and I when they're of age to start their journeys." Blue said to Red.
"True. Shall we pick our starters?" Red asked Blue.
"Yeah, might as well." Blue replied. At that point, Professor Oak opened the two Pokeballs to reveal a yellow mouse and a brown and cream colored fox (or what looked like a fox) sitting on the table.
"Say hello to Pikachu and Eevee, your choices of starters. Red, since you got here first you get first choice of the starters." Professor Oak said to Red, who nodded and walked over to the Pokemon. Eventually, he stopped in front of Pikachu, smiling softly at it.
"You seem strong, little one. Yet I can sense a great deal of potential inside of you. What do you say? Wanna be my partner?" Red asked Pikachu, who tilted its' head at Red in confusion, eventually walking up to him, sniffing him cautiously before smiling and nodding.
"Pika-pi! Pikachu!" Pikachu said, trying to communicate to Red despite only being able to say its own name that it was interested in being Red's Pokemon. Red nodded, picking up the Pokeball with a thunderbolt symbol on it and clipping it to his belt before looking at Professor Oak.
"Looks like I choose Pikachu, professor." Red said to Oak.
"Excellent! Here's some Poke Balls and your Pokedex to get you started." Professor Oak said, handing Red the aforementioned objects. Blue then looked at Eevee, before nodding and petting it gently. "I think you and I will get along just fine, little Eevee." Blue said, before returning Eevee to its' Pokeball, only for Eevee to break back out of it, looking at Blue with a disappointed expression.
"Oh right, should've mentioned this. It seems that neither Eevee nor Pikachu care to spend time in their Poke Balls. They'd rather be out travelling with you." Professor Oak said, shocking both Red and Blue. As he was explaining this to Red and Blue, Pikachu had spotted Ash and Delia standing behind Red, walking over to them before sniffing them both, eventually rubbing its' face gently against Ash's leg, to the surprise of not only Red and Ash, but of Professor Oak as well.
"That's the first time I've seen Pikachu openly take a liking to anyone like that. But maybe it's because you and Ash are brothers that Pikachu's taken a liking to Ash." Professor Oak said. Ash chuckled, gently leaning down to pet Pikachu on the head.
"So you like me, huh Pikachu? My name's Ash, and the trainer who picked you out is my older brother, Red. I hope you two get along real great on your journey." Ash said to Pikachu, carefully hugging the yellow mouse. Pikachu stiffened up slightly at the unexpected hug before relaxing into it, despite its' initial urge to want to let loose a mild Thunder Shock in self-defense. But it had a sense that Ash was harmless. So it let Ash show it some love. Eventually Delia put a hand on Ash's shoulder.
"Now Ash, you know this is your brother's Pokemon. I like that you and Pikachu get along, but you're not old enough yet to have a Pokemon. Maybe you'll get a Pikachu of your own when you're older." Delia said to Ash, who blinked before nodding at his mother.
"You think so?" Ash asked Delia.
"I know so. You can be anything you want to be sweetie." Delia said to Ash. Ash nodded.
"Okay, mom. Pikachu, you should go back to Red now." Ash said to Pikachu, who frowned, not looking like it wanted to leave Ash, but did as it was told nonetheless. After getting his Pikachu back from Ash and Delia, Red gave them both hugs before he and Blue walked out of the lab to start their journeys.
(TIME SKIP, 4 years later)
(Ketchum house, in Pallet Town)
"Morning mom." Ash, who was now 10 years old said as he came downstairs for breakfast. Delia smiled at Ash.
"Morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?" Delia asked Ash. Ash nodded.
"Yes, very well, thanks. Though I won't deny that I still miss Red. I get that he can't really spend time with us like he used to, being the Kanto Champion now and all, but I sitll miss him." Ash said. Delia smiled, ruffling Ash's hair.
"I know you miss your brother. But you know he's living his dream, as a Champion, he's on the path of becoming a Pokemon Master. So we should be proud of him, even if he did have to defeat Gary's brother to get where he is now. At least the league let Gary's brother take up the open spot of Viridian City's Gym Leader. I still can't believe what happened to the previous Leader." Delia said, before remembering who she was talking to. "But never mind that, what're your plans for today son?" Delia asked Ash.
"Most likely make my bed, then go see if Leaf, Gary or Chloe might want to hang out. I'd have said Serena, but it's hard to hang out with someone who lives in another region." Ash said, referring to his main friends. Besides Gary, Leaf is Gary's half-sister who came to live with him about a year after Red went on his journey. Chloe was the daughter of a researcher who lived in Vermilion City, a city that was a bit of a trip from Pallet Town. As for Serena, she was a honey-blonde haired girl who Ash helped find her way back to camp at Professor Oak's Pokemon Camp one year after finding her with a bruised knee crying. However, she lived in Kalos so it made hanging out tough for them, though they occaisionally spoke via video calls. Delia smiled, thinking about her son's friends and how well Ash had adapted to not having Red around. She was proud of Ash.
(meanwhile, elsewhere in Kanto...)
"So, Red Ketchum, you think you've disbanded Team Rocket. But the reality is you've just delayed our plans. But as you'll soon find out, nothing stops Team Rocket from long. So enjoy your time as Champion, while you can." A shadowy figure said as they sat at a desk watching footage of Red's latest match on television, laughing evilly as they plotted their revenge. The figure then grabbed a phone on their desk and dialed a number. After a few rings, someone picked up.
"Hello, Namba Labs. Dr. Namba speaking." The voice on the other end said. The figure smirked.
"Perfect, just who I was hoping to speak to. How goes the status of Project RR?" The figure asked Dr. Namba through the phone.
"Project RR? It's going as well as can be expected. Is this about getting revenge on that brat who messed up our plans two years ago?" Namba asked.
"Yes, yes it is. We shall make him pay for thinking he could not only turn his back on his birthright, but that he could disband Team Rocket as well. Such audacity will not go unpunished." The figure said coldly.
"I know how close you were to that brat at one time, Boss. But surely there're less violent ways to resolve this?" Namba questioned.
"Do not question me, Namba! You know as well as I what the punishment is for meddling in Team Rocket's affairs! Now get your grunts to launch an ambush on first the Indigo Plateau then on Pallet Town. If Red Ketchum wants to try and take everything from me, let's see how he likes it when the same is done to him." The figure said evilly, slamming the receiver down and ending the call before Namba could acknowledge his orders. The figure stared at Red's figure on the TV screen, grinning evilly.
"Enjoy being Champion while you can Red, for soon, you're going to lose everything." The figure said, laughing evilly...
(at Indigo Plateau)
"Fearow is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner! As the challenger has no more usable Pokemon, the winner is the champion!" The referee said, raising their arm to signal Red's victory against his latest challenger to try and take his title from him. As he nodded to the referee, he walked over to Pikachu, smiling at it.
"Great work, buddy. You're as strong as ever. I'm proud of you." Red said to Pikachu, petting it on the head. Pikachu gave a contented "chaaa" as Red petted it. Red then looked at his challenger. "You did well, but your choice in type matchups could use a bit of work. I think you'd have had me if you'd been able to get better type matchups against me." Red said to his challenger, a blonde-haired girl who smiled.
"Thank you, . I agree I could've chosen my matchups better. But in my defense, I didn't think my Gabite would go down so fast, especially to a Fire-type." The challenger said, smiling at Red.
"That, Cynthia, is because type matchup can be very important to consider in battles, not just the strength of your moves. Of course, you do have a strong bond with your team, so I think you have potential to be great. You just need to get better at your type matchups. Who knows, maybe one day you'll be a Champion yourself." Red said, smiling at the now named Cynthia, who ducked her head slightly to hide her embarrassment at the praise that Red was giving her.
"Th-thank you for the kind words, Mr. Champion. I'll be sure to take them into consideration." Cynthia said, smiling. Red nodded.
"No, thank you, Cynthia, for giving me such a good battle. If you ever find yourself in Kanto again, don't be shy about trying the Elite Four challenge again. I'm always up for a challenge, especially from such a talented up-and-comer like you. You've got a bright future ahead of you." Red said, smiling at Cynthia, who subconsciously blushed in embarassment at how nice Red was being. She then took her leave of Red, walking out of the stadium before her resolve failed her and she found herself unable to leave the Champion's side. Red watched Cynthia leave, a bit of a wistful smile on his face as he thought about his mother and brother.
As he did so, Red found himself wondering how they were doing, and hoping Ash had at least half of Cynthia's talent, since he could do great things if he did, or so Red felt. Before he could muse overmuch on his thoughts, explosions could be heard outside the stadium, prompting Pikachu to hop onto Red's shoulder as he went outside to investigate, but not before sending a signal to his Elite Four to assist him in case it was another Team Rocket attack.
As he went outside, Red was stunned and speechless when he saw an army of grunts wearing black jumpsuits with an "R" on the front swarming the stadium. Red's first thought was that this shouldn't be possible, as he'd defeated the boss of Team Rocket years ago, or so he'd thought after defeating Viridian City's now-former Gym Leader, Giovanni, who was outed as Team Rocket's boss. But if the army heading his way was any indication, apparently not.
"RED KETCHUM! SURRENDER YOURSELF TO TEAM ROCKET NOW, OR ELSE!" The leader of the grunts said, a figure Red recognized clearly.
"Well, well, if it isn't Dr. Namba. I thought you were done with being a criminal?" Red said, reaching for a Poke Ball.
"Quite the contrary, Champion. I've just been biding my time, waiting for the right moment to strike and get my revenge. Giovanni sends his regards by the way." Namba said, throwing out two Poke Balls, revealing a male and a female Pokemon, both looking rugged and strong.
"Nidoking and Nidoqueen, capture the Champion and bring him to me!" Namba ordered the now-named Nidoking and Nidoqueen, who lumbered forward to do Namba's bidding. Red saw this and frowned, looking at Pikachu.
"Pikachu, do you trust me?" Red asked Pikachu, who nodded, confused by the question.
"Then run and go find my mom and brother. You'll be safer with them. I can hold off Team Rocket just fine with the others, but I want them protected in case Team Rocket goes after them. Can you do that, Pikachu?" Red asked Pikachu, who nodded and ran off towards Pallet Town, leaving Red to face the Team Rocket army alone. As this went on, sounds of pain could be heard as more Rocket Grunts could be seen dragging several bound hostages from the stadium, hostages Red recognized with horror as his Elite Four, or at least three of the four. Red looked at the leader of the Elite Four, a younger man wearing a cape with spiky red hair.
"Lance, I see Team Rocket got you, Agatha and Bruno too. But where's Lorelei?" Red asked the now named Lance, noticing that he was with a rugged tall man who was bare-chested and muscular, wearing shredded white karate pants as well as an elderly woman who had a cane in one hand, both of whom were unconscious, presumably the victims of sneak attacks by Team Rocket.
"She went back to her hometown on vacation a few days ago." Lance said quietly to Red so Team Rocket wouldn't hear. Red nodded.
"Do you think we'll get out of this in one piece?" Red asked Lance, who shrugged.
"I don't know. But I do know if all else fails, you and Blue's brothers can hopefully pick up where you two left off and save us from captivity." Lance said to Red, who frowned at the mention of Blue, who he'd had a falling out with after he beat him and become the new Champion of Kanto. Hopefully Blue would be left alone to continue his duties as the Viridian Gym Leader. As they spoke, the Nidoking and Nidoqueen that Namba had sent out tied up Red, dragging him and the captive Elite Four over to Namba who laughed.
"At last, we've conquered the Elite Four and Champion! Will you four come along quietly, or do we have to use force to persuade you?" Namba asked Red and Lance, who were the only captives conscious. Red sneered as he looked at Namba.
"We may be captured today, but rest assured, others will rise up to save us. So savor this victory while you can, Namba. But eventually you and Giovanni will be brought to justice." Red said defiantly, sneering at Namba who backhanded him across the face.
"So defiant as always, Champion. You're lucky Giovanni wants you all alive." Namba said, pinching nerves in the back of Lance and Red's necks, knocking both men unconscious before the army of Rocket Grunts loaded the hostages into a Team Rocket chopper, watching as it lifted off with the hostages onboard to airlift them to Giovanni's lair. After it was safely away, the Rocket Grunts looked to Namba.
"Your orders, Sir?" One of the Grunts asked Namba who smirked.
"Burn this place to the ground! Giovanni wants it destroyed as an example to those who would defy Team Rocket! Eventually Kanto will be ours!" Namba said the grunts saluted before running inside the stadium and some time later, the grunts ran out laughing maniacally as the Indigo Plateau stadium went up in flames, but not before the grunts and Namba escaped on their own chopper, leaving behind a burning stadium as the only remaining trace of the Elite Four or Red...
(back in Pallet Town)
Delia Ketchum was cooking lunch for Ash, who was due home at any point from hanging out with Leaf and Gary. However, her attention was drawn to what was on the TV. It was a shot of what she could clearly tell was a burning Indigo Plateau, prompting her to give a horrified gasp as she looked at the TV which read 'INDIGO PLATEAU IN FLAMES' before showing a news reporter who came onscreen.
"We bring you a news report from outside the Indigo Plateau which you can see here in flames. Apparently an evil criminal group attacked the stadium and absconded with the Elite Four as well as the Champion. All that was found was this note." The newscaster said, holding up a note which read:
'BEWARE, KANTO, FOR THE WHOLE REGION WILL SOON BELONG TO TEAM ROCKET!'
"This reporter can only hope that our Champion and Elite Four are doing well." The newscaster said on TV, before Delia heard a knock on the door, walking to get it, expecting it to be Ash. But she was surprised as not only was Ash there, but so were Professor Oak as well as a concerned Blue, Gary and Leaf standing behind him with Ash.
"Come on in everyone." Delia said, standing aside to let the group in. After everyone was assembled, Blue looked over at Gary, Leaf and Ash.
"You three go play in Ash's room while me and Grandpa have a grown-up discussion with Mrs. Ketchum." Blue said to the three ten year olds, who nodded and went into Ash's room to play. After hearing the door close, Blue and Professor Oak looked at Delia.
"I take it you saw the news too?" Blue asked Delia, who nodded.
"I did. But why would Team Rocket choose now to come back, and more importantly why would they capture not only Red, but Lance, Agatha, Lorelai and Bruno too?" Delia asked, confused.
"Because they want revenge on Red for disrupting their plans two years ago. And you know as well as I that Giovanni especially would take Red's interference personally." Professor Oak said, prompting both Blue and Delia to stare at him in confusion but for different reasons.
"Giovanni? What does he have to do with any of this?" Delia asked at the same time Blue asked, "Why would Team Rocket's Boss take Red's meddling personally?"
Oak frowned at the two.
"Delia, you know as well as I of the connection between Red and Giovanni." Professor Oak said to Delia, turning to Blue.
"Giovanni is the Boss of Team Rocket, Blue. And Delia here knows him personally, but that's her story to tell when and if she chooses to." Professor Oak said to Blue, who gasped, not knowing who the Boss of Team Rocket was previously, echoed by Delia who was stunned at the revelation.
"No wonder Giovanni's so hateful of Red. I had no idea he was involved with Team Rocket." Delia said. Unknown to the three of them, Ash had crept downstairs to get a glass of water, having felt thirsty, but had ended up overhearing the part with Team Rocket being after Red, prompting him to silently gasp before slipping back upstairs in horror.
"So what should Ash and I do, Professor?" Delia asked Professor Oak, who frowned before speaking.
"I hate saying this, but it might be for your and Ash's safety if the two of you were to flee Kanto for the time being. The last thing Kanto needs is for you two to be captured by Team Rocket. After all, if Blue and I are unsuccessful in saving Red and the Elite Four, it might fall to Ash and Gary to be the ones to save them. I hear that the Galar region is quite nice this time of year. Plus I hear they have an opening for a chef of your talents, Delia." Professor Oak said sadly. Delia nodded.
"I'm not happy about it, but I agree with your suggestion. Though I can't guarantee Ash will be so pleased." Delia said. Unbeknownst to her, Ash had come back downstairs to confront the adults as they mentioned the possibility of fleeing Kanto. And as she predicted, Ash was less than pleased.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE'RE FLEEING KANTO WHILE MY BROTHER IS IN DANGER?" Ash yelled from behind Delia, making the three adults jump, turning as one to face Ash.
"And how long have you been eavesdropping, young man?" Professor Oak said to Ash, frowning.
"Long enough to know that you and Blue are either suicidal or foolish if you think you two can stop Team Rocket on your own. Granted, you're both former Champions, but even then if a current Champion AND his Elite Four couldn't stop them, what hope do you two have?" Ash asked coldly, glaring at Blue and Professor Oak before looking at his mother. "Should I start packing then?" Ash asked Delia, who sighed but nodded sadly.
"Yes, sweetie. We need to get out of her, and the sooner the better. The professor was saying he could get us a place in the Galar region, which happens to be really close to the Kalos region if memory serves me correctly, so it'd be a bit easier to see Serena, if nothing else." Delia said, hoping to pacify Ash with the knowledge he'd have at least one friend he could hang out with in Galar. Ash sighed, but nodded.
"Yes, mother. Should I say anything to Leaf and Gary, or are they not allowed to know?" Ash said, the last part being said in an icy tone of voice to Professor Oak and Blue.
"No, they can know, but we ask that you let us be the ones to tell them." Blue said, speaking up for the first time since Ash had yelled. Ash turned to Blue, glaring slightly.
"Very well. Just promise me you won't let anything happen to my brother. He's one of the most important people to me. And I know you and he are best friends, so if you're as good a friend as you say, you won't let anything happen to him." Ash said to Blue, storming back to his room without looking at him or Professor Oak. Had Ash looked in the window at that moment, he'd have seen a very worried-looking Pikachu looking in on the exchange between Ash and Blue. As it was, Pikachu went unnoticed until Delia looked up and saw it at the window, gasping.
"Professor, look. Isn't that Red's Pikachu in the window?" Delia asked, pointing towards the window. Professor Oak and Blue looked, and sure enough, it was Red's Pikachu.
"Yes, that's Red's Pikachu, alright. Let it in." Professor Oak replied. Delia promptly did as she was told, and Pikachu hurried inside, shaking its' head carefully so the letter tied to its' neck fell to the ground for Delia to see. She frowned as she saw it was addressed specificially to Ash, but had a part for her as well according to the envelope. She opened it up and read the note.
'Dear Mother and/or Ash (whoever reads this),
If you're reading this, then I'm the prisoner of Team Rocket. I knew I'd be fine, but I didn't want you and Ash unprotected so I sent Pikachu to stay with you guys. In case I can't reunite with it at any point, I want Ash to take it with him when he starts his journey when he's old enough. As for you Mother, I hope I'm not worrying you unnecessarily. Arceus willing, my Elite Four and I will get through this unharmed. Much love and hugs, Red.' The note read, causing Delia to hold her mouth to her hand as she fought back the urge to break down in tears after reading the note, deciding that for Ash's sake Pikachu had to stay with Professor Oak until Ash was old enough to train it, for its safety.
"Professor, while Ash and I are in Galar, can I ask you to look after Red's Pikachu until Ash is old enough to do so himself?" Delia asked Professor Oak, who nodded.
"I'd be honored, Delia. Hopefully we can get Red back safely so he can look after Pikachu himself, but in the meantime I'll look after him." Professor Oak said, missing the horrorstruck expression of panic on Pikachu's face at what the two humans in front of it were discussing. Professor Oak then looked at Delia.
"Let's get you packed up so you can get on your way to Galar." Professor Oak said to Delia, who nodded.
"Yes, let's do that." Delia said, looking sad.
(Meanwhile, upstairs with Ash and the others)
"WHAT? What do you mean you're moving away?" Gary said, horrified at what Ash was telling him, not noticing the sad expression on Leaf's face at Ash's news due to being to preoccupied with being stunned himself. Ash looked sadly at his friends.
"Exactly what I said. Apparently Mom and I have to flee Kanto for our safety, while apparently you and Leaf get to stay in Pallet Town and not have to uproot your lives just because some criminals decided they wanted revenge on Red! I'm not happy." Ash replied, before noticing the sad expression on Leaf's face, gently walking over to her and giving her a comforting hug (or what he thought was comforting), looking at her.
"Leaf, just because I'm moving doesn't mean you and I will stop being friends. It'll take more than that to tear that apart from us." Ash told Leaf, smiling at her.
"A-are you sure? You're one of the few friends I have, Ash. No offense to my brothers, but out of everyone in Pallet Town, you're one of the people I feel the closest to." Leaf said quietly, shocking not only Ash, but also Gary, neither of whom had known Leaf to say more than a few words to and/or around Ash previously, causing Gary to often tease her for being shy and/or scared of Ash, much to Ash's constant irritation.
"Absolutely sure, Leaf. If not for the fact I know that your brothers and grandpa will keep you safe, I'd be trying to bring you with us, but I know that's not gonna happen since the adults probably won't see a reason for it to. Besides, no reason for all of us to uproot our lives. You and Gary should enjoy your lives. Even if I can't stand him at times, Gary's a good guy and does do a good job as your brother for the most part. Besides, I'll make sure we stay in touch even if its just through letters or phone calls, Leaf." Ash said to Leaf.
After this, Ash found himself smiling as he gently brushed a stray hair out from in front of Leaf's face so he could wipe a stray tear off that had trickled down Leaf's cheek during her outburst, ignoring the dumbstruck expression on Gary's face as well as the embarrassed look on Leaf's at the suddenness of Ash's actions. Ash then started packing his things looking frustrated. Gary finally found his voice.
"Ketchum, do you have feelings for my sister or something?" Gary asked Ash, prompting both Ash AND Leaf to turn to him, the two sporting identical wide-eyed looks as they looked at him.
"W-what? No! Leaf and I are just friends, Gary! Besides, we're all 10 here, way too young for anything like that, so quit it with the bad jokes." Ash said, huffing. As he turned back to his packing, he missed Leaf glaring at Gary, hands on her hips.
"I agree with what Ash said, Gary. And even if we did have feelings, which we don't, as I see him as a brother of sorts, what business is it of yours?" Leaf said in an irritated voice to Gary, who shrugged, crossing his arms.
"Just trying to be the protective brother here since Blue's downstairs and can't do it. Personally, I don't care if you two do like each other as I know neither of you would ever hurt the other. But in all seriousness, I just am making sure you don't end up hurt, Leaf." Gary said to Leaf, looking at her with a serious look on his face. Before Leaf could reply, the door opened to show Blue's head poking in.
"Leaf, Gary, time for you two to come home with me while Grandpa helps the Ketchums pack and head to the airport for their flight to Galar." Blue said, as Gary and Leaf sighed before following Blue downstairs, though not before Leaf quickly hugged Ash goodbye before heading downstairs, much to Ash's surprise and slight embarrassment as he'd usually been the one to initiate hugs between him and Leaf, not the other way around.
But he found he didn't mind Leaf initiating hugs as they were just as nice as when he initiated them. But he quickly turned his attention back to his packing, and in no time his room was packed up, leaving him to start hauling his bags downstairs, where his mother and Professor Oak were waiting. Ash sighed before turning to Professor Oak.
"Professor, I'm sorry I yelled at you before. That wasn't right of me. I was just upset that no one bothered to consult me before deciding that Mom and I have to flee our home." Ash said, before surprising Delia AND Professor Oak by walking up and hugging the Professor. Professor Oak smiled, ruffling Ash's hair.
"That's quite alright, my boy. I'd have done the same were I in your position, I'm sure. And don't worry about your friends, I'm sure we can work out ways for you guys to stay in touch." Professor Oak said to Ash who nodded before smiling slightly.
"At least I'll still have one friend who I can hang with sometimes, unless Mom was mistaken about Galar being closer to Kalos than Kanto is." Ash said, prompting laughter from his mother and Professor Oak.
"No, she's quite correct on that, Ash. But I also know that there's two kids your age in the town you two are moving to. Postwick is actually quite similar to Pallet Town in that both are smaller communities where the locals are quite the tight-knit bunches, always being willing to help each other out. So there will be kids your age there to hang out with. If memory serves me, one of them is a girl named Gloria and the other is a boy named Hop." Professor Oak said to Ash.
"Actually, it's funny you mention Gloria, Professor, since her mother offered to let me and Ash stay with them until we get our own place in Postwick, so Ash will definitely have at least one friend in Postwick, maybe two if we can arrange for Serena to come for visits occasionally." Delia said, prompting Ash to look at her excitedly and Professor Oak to nod in acknoweledgement of Delia's statement.
Eventually, the rest of the Ketchums' things (even Red's, for Delia refused to leave Red's stuff behind in case Red was able to be rescued) were packed up and loaded into a moving truck, which would deliver the belongings to the airport to be flown on a seperate flight from Ash and Delia, after which Professor Oak drove Ash and Delia to the airport to board their flight, staying to see the Ketchums off as their plane flew off into the Kanto skies towards Galar, waving goodbye for what he hoped wasn't the last time as Ash and Delia flew off, towards their new home...
end of chapter
A/N: Wow, how was that for a first chapter? Not very Ash-centric, I know, but as this was a prologue, I think that can be forgiven, especially since the next chapter will have more Ash in it. And either next chapter or the one after will have a time jump to Ash starting his journey. This was just to set the stage. And because I know people will be confused, let me clarify a few things here:(
1)Red and Ash are half-brothers (same mother, different fathers). Ash's father is unknown for now, but anyone who was looking closely can probably guess who Red's dad is. For those who can't, it'll be revealed later in the story. Also, on the subject of Pikachu, for now he's Red's Pikachu, though I'm undecided on if I'll just have Ash take it over for his journey or if he'll get his own Pikachu instead. (**SPOILER**Ash will have a Pikachu because of course he will. *END SPOILER*)
2)For the purposes of this story, rather than being Gary and Ash's dads, I thought it'd be more unique if Blue and Red were their older brothers. As for the subject of Leaf, she's sort of their adopted sister/cousin, which will be explained more later in the story.
3)This prologue was focused on the events of R/B/Y (mostly Yellow hence the choices of starters), but the latter half was set around the same time as G/S/C/HG/SS, hence Blue being the Viridian Gym Leader instead of Giovanni. Again, more on that when the story gets to Ash travelling through Kanto.
4)Ash WILL travel through at least the first 8 gens' regions (possibly Gen 9 if I can get enough info on it before getting through the other 8), though whether or not they'll all be in one large fic or if I'll split the series up and do one fic for each region I'm not yet sure.
5)For those who noticed, YES I mentioned Chloe at the start of the prologue. NO, I didn't forget about her after. She will be in the story more later on when Ash gets back to Kanto (unless I have her run into him while in another region as part of a research mission with Goh)
6)On the subject of shipping (since I know I'll get reviews asking about it), at this point I have no plans for a specific shipping as yet. However, I'm open to input on that topic. Though I'll admit I was considering having it possibly be an Ash/Harem pairing later in the series (or story if this is just one fic with all regions). AGAIN, the girls he'll be with (IF it's an Ash/Harem pairing) are still to be decided. Though I will say that if I do go the Ash/Harem route, odds are good at least one of Leaf and Chloe (and possibly Serena) might be considered for said harem.
Any other questions you can ask through reviews or in a PM. I'll try to have the next chapter up eventually. Feel free to leave reviews or PM me with your feedback on the prologue.
Until next time, sithlorde1988 out!