Author Notes: Welcome to the start of my second story! This will be a reimagining of Ash's journey, with the goal being to cover not just Kanto but several other regions. While there are similarities between the anime and mainline Pokemon games, trust me when I say that this reimagining will be a very clear contrast. Like many other readers, the idea of reading the exact same events from the show completely bores me. Please let me know what you think in the reviews and hope you all enjoy.
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An irritating sound echoed throughout the bedroom, making the black haired teen groan and turn to face the wall. It was a second later that he registered something holding his shoulder, pushing it rather roughly. The irritating sound grew louder, slowly morphing into a slightly more recognizable and feminine voice. Still attempting to fall back into a restful slumber, he pulled his bedsheets over his shoulder while laying on his side.
"Five more minutes, Mom…"
"Argh!" The feminine voice rang out, frustration clearly evident in the sound. "Ash, we're going to be late!"
Immediately after hearing the word late, Ash gasped and sat up in less than a second. A pretty brown haired girl barely caught herself, falling backwards due to Ash lurching forwards, with her blue eyes somehow conveying both frustration and worry.
"Crap! Why didn't my alarm go off?!" Ash shouted more so to himself before being cut off by clothes hitting his face.
"Put it on and run to Professor Oak's Lab! I'll let him know your on your way. You have five minutes!" Leaf Green said, throwing his blue jacket onto her friend before jogging out of his room. The two had been friends since they were six, having met in one of Professor Oak's annual Pokemon camps. After Oak's camp, it was common for the two to hang out at school, as well as to spend time in the small confines of Pallet Town or each other's houses. Due to this, Leaf's parents became close with Ash's mom. She was also thirteen years old, just like their other friend Gary Oak, grandson of Professor Oak. Leaf wore her usual attire of a red skirt and blue tank top, as well as white sneakers fitted with red lines. She also wore a white baseball cap while her long brown hair cascaded down her back. Taking his eyes off his departing friend, Ash frantically pushed his sheets off and stood up, ripping off his shirt and shorts.
Today was finally the day the thirteen year old boy could receive his first Pokemon and start his journey. It was a day marked on his calendar for several years, seeming like it would take decades when it was just a matter of years and months in reality. Both Ash and Leaf had been thirteen years old for a few months already, though couldn't embark on their Pokemon journey until Professor Oak's scheduled date. Yesterday felt surreal, as the realization that his Pokemon journey would begin in less than twenty four hours remained prevalent in his young mind. He did everything he could to prepare for this, such as packing all his necessities and not staying up late. Most importantly, he had set his alarm for 7:30 AM, an hour before he was supposed to be at Oak's laboratory.
Not dwelling on the unsolved issue, Ash finally finished putting on his blue jacket to complete his attire. The black haired teen wore light blue jeans, a simple black T shirt, and a dark blue jacket. A black cap was also fitted on the boy's head, struggling to contain his unruly black hair. Looking at his floor mirror briefly, the boy couldn't help but stop to analyze himself.
The past year, he had grown a few inches, now standing at roughly 5'6. It wasn't tall by any means, but he knew he had a couple of years left to continue growing. Ash's clothes fit well, despite his fairly skinny frame. He wasn't out of shape by any means, but it also wasn't like the boy was a professional bodybuilder. His age was also fairly easy to read by strangers, as he didn't appear much older or younger than he looked. The small, almost thunder bolt like birthmarks on his face, drew some attention from strangers, though Ash had gotten used to it throughout his childhood. Realizing he was wasting valuable time, Ash slipped on his black backpack and sprinted out of the room, only having four minutes to meet the Professor.
"Mime Mime!"
"Don't have time, sorry Mr. Mime!" Ash shouted behind him, crashing through his front door and ignoring the protests of his mother's Pokemon. The Pokemon had lived with him and his mother his whole life, taking joy in completing household chores and helping his mom Delia Ketchum in any way he possibly could. It was likely that his mom was out shopping, vaguely recalling her having told him that while they sat for dinner last night.
Ash stumbled slightly, quickly regaining his balance as he continued his sprint through Pallet Town. His hometown was a far cry and complete contrast to other modern cities in the region, but had its own appeal. It was a peaceful town and rarely had issues arise. While there weren't any tourist attractions, it was still considered a pretty and simple town. Not to mention the surrounding forests and environments around the town, which was not an experience you could get if living in a popular city such as Celadon City.
What normally took ten minutes to walk, Ash arrived at the laboratory in under three minutes while running. Ash panted as he finally finished climbing the last few stairs, since the Professor's laboratory sat on top of a small hill. The laboratory didn't appear very large or impressive, but what stood out was the massive ranch sat behind it. The ranch was easily more than a couple acres and was home to many trainers' Pokemon. It was common for trainers hailing from Pallet Town to store some of their Pokemon at Professor Oak's ranch on their journeys.
Fixing his clothes for just a moment, Ash sighed and finally stepped foot inside the laboratory. There, three recognizable faces turned towards the boy. Professor Oak's smile stretched across his face, showing off his white teeth. The Professor was in his fifties, blessed with light brown hair that showed no signs of even a strand of gray hair. The Professor wore brown jeans and a white trench coat, which was a sharp contrast from his tan skin.
Gary Oak had appeared to be in a bright mood at first glance when Ash entered. His former best friend laughed as he conversed with Leaf, both clearly in a conversation of their own. Yet, Gary's face dropped into a neutral expression upon seeing Ash enter. It was a common theme for the past year. Despite the two being best friends since the age of six, they had grown apart this year due to Gary's newfound dislike for Ash. Oddly enough, neither Ash nor Leaf knew the reason for this.
"Ash, my boy! Glad you could make it on time. I would think that someone as enthusiastic about Pokemon would be here hours early." Professor Oak stated, his voice carrying warmth and a joking manner rather than any disappointment or hostility. The older man's hand clasped against the boy's shoulder, eliciting a scoff from Gary.
"Glad you're here too, Ash. I've been looking forward to seeing just how pathetic you'd be as a trainer." Gary laughed, making Ash grit his teeth. Gary wore loose and slightly baggy black joggers. Similar to Ash, the spiky haired teen also wore a black shirt. A white jacket partially covered the shirt. Gary let his hair run free, opting to not wear a hat and instead wore a small gold chain with a Pokeball that dropped down to his upper chest.
Before Ash could respond, Leaf grabbed onto his upper arm and shook her head. Professor Oak frowned at his grandson before lowering his head a few inches to whisper into his ear. It was most likely the Professor reprimanding his behavior, seeing as Gary's smile dropped instantly before sighing and nodding. Trying not to take too much joy from it, Ash responded.
"Thanks, Professor. Sorry for the wait. I hope it wasn't too much of an inconvenience."
"Nonsense, my boy. Actually, we're running ahead of schedule because of Leaf's help in retrieving the Pokeballs for the starters." Professor Oak praised the brunette, who blushed slightly and looked at the ground.
"Awesome! Can we see them now?" Ash asked excitedly, slightly bouncing on his feet while the other two teens also turned their attention to Professor Oak in anticipation.
"Indeed! Come on out, you three!" Professor Oak dropped the three Pokeballs he was holding, letting out three white streams of energy as the Pokemon were revealed. A collective woah sounded, with the teenagers staring with awe at the Kanto starters.
Bulbasaur, the grass type starter, stood on the left of the trio. A vine emerged from the bulb on his back, waving at the group. Leaf dropped down to a crouch, waving at the grass type while smiling brightly.
"Aww, he's so cuteeee." Leaf dragged on, reaching out to pet Bulbasaur, who gladly leaned his head in for the contact.
It was no surprise to both Ash and Gary that Leaf wanted Bulbasaur as her starter, as she always made this fact well known over the years. It was almost a certainty that she would receive the grass type, since Ash had promised his friend he wouldn't pick him if it came down to it. Gary also never appeared keen on selecting Bulbasaur, as the teen always made his interest clear with either Charmander or Squirtle.
Squirtle stood in the middle of the starters, pumping his fist up confidently. The water type repeated its name, shooting a small stream of water from his mouth over the group in an effort to impress them. Due to this, sounds of glass breaking made it evident that this action broke something at the back of the laboratory.
"Squirtle! That's the fifth time you've broken something this week." Professor Oak sighed, giving up while Squirtle simply flexed his small arms in an effort to appear bigger than he was.
"Hm, he looks pretty strong." Gary whispered to himself, though not appearing very confident in selecting the water type. Ash turned his attention to the right of Squirtle, where the last starter stood. Immediately, the fire type starter stood out, as he was clearly uncomfortable in the setting. The fire type had inched away from the other two Pokemon, with his body slightly hunched over and tail hanging low. Ash frowned at this, seeing how the Pokemon was clearly slightly overwhelmed. Yet, it wasn't just the behavior of Charmander but his physical appearance that stood out.
Rather than an orange color, Charmander held a more golden complexion. Holding his hand out slowly towards the fire type, Charmander slowly approached Ash. Charmander let his fingers graze his neck, before relaxing noticeably as Ash scratched his neck and top of his head.
"Hey Gramps, is that Charmander a shiny Pokemon?"
"You'd be correct, my boy. We brought him in just last month from the forest. He wasn't in great shape, but he is doing much better now." Professor Oak answered his grandson, watching contently as Charmander sighed from Leaf joining in on showing affection to the fire type.
Ash's eyes widened slightly at the fact, hearing the starter type's shiny status. It was the first shiny the boy had seen in his entire life. It was considered lucky for a trainer to even see a shiny Pokemon on their journey, much less have one. Despite this fact, Ash quickly shook the notion out of his head, not wanting to desire a Pokemon simply due to its physical appearance. There were much more important things, such as a trainer and their Pokemon's bond. Ash hadn't prepared and studied all these past years just to care about such trivial things.
"Awesome! I'll choose first." Gary shouted, his eyes darting back and forth between Squirtle and Charmander.
"Not so fast, Gary. It would be rude to not let Leaf and Ash select first." Professor Oak interrupted kindly. Gary glared at his grandfather, about to argue while crossing his arms tightly. Before Ash could refuse, Leaf beat him to it.
"Thank you, Professor Oak, but I think Gary should choose first. He was the first to arrive at the laboratory." Leaf remarked, brushing a few strands of brown hair from her vision. Professor Oak frowned, continuing to insist.
"Leaf, are you sure? I'm sure Gary doesn't mind." Gary was about to protest once again, before being cut off by the older man glaring daggers at him. Leaf nodded happily, always being one to play fair and let others go first. She was always a kind girl, putting others' needs in front of her own.
"I see. Ash, is this alright with you as well?"
Ash raised an eyebrow at Gary, growing slightly uncomfortable at his rival's piercing gaze. "More than alright, Professor Oak. Naturally, it should be Gary choosing first." Professor Oak nodded, before thanking the two. Gary grinned cockily, his vision still darting back and forth between Charmander and Squirtle. Charmander now stood a bit more confidently, although still sat a couple feet away from the other two starters.
"I choose…." Gary's voice died off, uncertainly leaking through his tone. Both Pokemon appeared frozen, with Charmander holding a much more nervous expression while Squirtle stood confidently. It was most likely this difference that influenced Gary's decision.
"Squirtle, welcome to the team. We're never going to lose, alright?" Gary said arrogantly.
"Squirt Squirtle!" Squirtle shouted, copying the behavior of his new trainer. Though, Ash couldn't tell if he was copying it or if it was simply the starter's nature, considering his confident behavior during introductions.
"Haha, alright!" Gary laughed, backing up while Squirtle continued to headbutt his leg playfully. Professor Oak smirked at this, clearly enjoying and taking in the start of his grandson's journey.
Ash felt the stare of his friend, slightly turning and meeting her eyes. Ash's brown eyes met her own, though her stare didn't drop. Leaf played with her hands, rubbing them against each other anxiously. It took a second for Ash to recognize that the look was more of a question. Rolling his eyes, Ash flicked his head towards the Pokemon, motioning for her to choose.
"Crap!" Ash barely croaked out while Leaf embraced him tightly. The two stood at almost the same height, with Ash barely an inch taller than the girl. Leaf smiled appreciatively, before letting him out of her death grip. The brunette approached Bulbasaur, who repeated his own name excitedly.
"Bulbasaur, would you like to join me in my journey across the region?" Leaf asked kindly, receiving a quick nod from the grass type. Bulbasaur leaped into Leaf's lap, making the girl laugh as she fell back onto the floor. Enjoying watching the wholesome moment, Ash forced himself to take his eyes off and avert his attention to Charmander. Charmander appeared downcast, most likely due to not having been selected.
"Haha, looks like Ash is last like always." Gary insulted Ash once again, before yelping in pain due to Leaf punching her friend's arm quite forcefully. Ignoring Gary, Ash maintained his focus on Charmander.
Ash walked a couple of feet towards the fire type, who looked up and held a confused expression. Crouching down, the black haired teen spoke.
"Charmander, can I be your trainer? My name is Ash Ketchum, and I want to be the strongest Pokemon trainer in the world. I think you're super cool, and would love to travel with you!"
Charmander's mood visibly brightened, before nodding vigorously. The small fire type quickly ran to the trainer, hugging Ash's knee tightly. The group, with the exception of Gary, smiled at the interaction. Ash patted the Pokemon's back softly, before picking him up to hold in his arms like both Gary and Leaf.
"I'm glad that everyone is happy. With that all said and done, I'd like to say a couple things before you all leave here. Garry?" Professor Oak called, confused as he saw that Gary had disappeared.
"I think that Gary already left for Viridian City Professor." Leaf informed the older man, who shook his head playfully while smirking.
"Well, can't say I expected anything less. Though, I guess it is alright since he already has received what I'm giving you two now." Professor Oak stated, before giving both Ash and Leaf their own Pokedex, as well as a few essentials such as a handful of Pokeballs and Potions.
Ash and Leaf played with the red gadgets while listening to the Professor explain how to use them, as well as its several functions. Both were already familiar with its uses and instructions, although hearing it again wouldn't hurt. After a couple minutes, Professor Oak sent the two off.
"Well, it's been a pleasure Ash and Leaf. I'll give you a proper farewell at the town gate. Before you leave, make sure you say goodbye to your parents." Both Ash and Leaf agreed, before leaving the laboratory together, having returned Bulbasaur and Charmander to their respective Pokeballs.
"You ready? Arceus, I'm so excited." Leaf spoke as the duo walked down the stairs. Ash nodded, already feeling the excitement bubbling in his chest.
"Yep! I can't wait. I was hoping for Charmander too, so I'm happy Gary didn't pick him."
"That's good. Thanks for also letting me pick Bulbasaur. It means a lot." Leaf thanked Ash, who simply smiled in response.
"Anytime. Hey, what time do you want to meet at Route 1?"
"Hmm…" Leaf started, unnecessarily putting a finger to her chin while looking upwards as if in thought. "Half an hour from now?"
Ash agreed, sensing no problem as long as his mother was at his house so he could say goodbye. It was the plan for years now for Ash, Leaf, and Gary to travel together when first starting their journey. Actually, it was like a dream, with each of them thrilled by the possibility of this. However, it was earlier this year that Gary scoffed at the idea, doing a complete reversal in his opinion regarding the topic. Not surprisingly, his reversal also came around the same time as his newfound hate towards Ash.
Gary had argued that only "incompetent trainers" traveled with one another and it was necessary to experience a Pokemon journey by yourself in order to be successful. While unfortunate, it didn't strip away much excitement from Ash and Leaf still traveling together.
The two continued to chat on their way to their respective houses, mostly regarding their traveling plans and those details. After eight minutes, Leaf left Ash to his own thoughts as she went inside her own house. Ash continued to head towards his now visible house, pondering Charmander's hesitancy. Professor Oak had mentioned that Charmander wasn't in good condition when he found him. It was also very noticeable that Charmander was nervous and especially weary of other Pokemon. It was definitely something to keep an eye on and ask Professor Oak about before departing.
With Charmander by his side and the start of his journey less than an hour away, Ash was ready to give everything he had to achieve his goal. A goal that was viewed as a childish fantasy and impossible task to the majority of people. Yet, the pursuit of becoming a Pokemon Master was the only reality Ash was willing to live in.
Short chapter but with summer right around the corner, I will be updating very frequently! REVIEW and I'll see you all soon!