"Gyaaaaahhh!?"
Ash woke up with a start as he trembled from the electricity shocking his body. He shot up from his bed to see Pikachu innocently blinking at him.
"What's the big idea, Pikachu!?"
"Pika."
Pikachu pointed at the alarm clock blaring. Ash stared for a moment as he processed what was going on. He belatedly noticed the sun was up too.
"I'M LATE!" Ash screamed as he scrambled to his feet and put on some proper clothes. Pikachu shook his head exasperated and followed him out of the room.
"Ash Ketchum, where are you running off to!?" Delia yelled when she saw him run out the door and into the streets.
"I'm already ten years old, it's finally time for me to become a Pokemon Trainer!"
Weeks went by since Ash was discharged from the hospital. He was now ten years old, the minimum starting age for one to begin as a Pokemon Trainer and has graduated from school.
"Geez…that child forgot to take his backpack with him." Delia sighed.
Despite her grievances since the boy's reckless behavior for saving Pikachu, she honestly didn't know what to do to really make him stop. A near-death experience failed to leave any mental scars or impede his youthful enthusiasm to explore the world. She just prayed her boy would look after himself more carefully on his own from now on.
Ash and Pikachu arrived at Professor Oak's laboratory where a crowd gathered in front of it.
"Look, Pikachu, the town locals have appeared to cheer for the new trainers!"
"Kapi!"
Ash recognized many of the people. The people he served during his time at the family diner, the school staff, and even a few other kids from school.
He was even more elated to see his friends Gary and Leaf at the front of the gates.
"Gary! Leaf!" Ash called to them.
"Well look who's finally decided to show up." Gary huffed.
"You're late!" Leaf complained.
"Sorry, sorry!" He repeatedly apologized.
Professor Oak came out from the lab and went up to them. He eyed Gary from top to bottom first.
"…What on Earth are you wearing, Gary? Go put on some proper clothes."
"This drip is fire 100 you 100 deadass boomer no cap. Sheeeeeeeeeeesh fr fr."
Professor Oak gave Gary a blank look of disappointment. He sighed and regarded Ash.
"Better late than never, my boy." The boy in question rubbed his head sheepishly. "Come inside when you're ready."
"Gary and Leaf aren't going?" Ash asked.
"We already have our Pokemon and Pokedex. By the way, my starter Pokemon is Bulbasaur." Leaf made a peace sign.
"I stayed around to laugh at you for being late. One other kid was here, took Charmander, and left in a hurry." Gary said.
"Oh, so you got Squirtle." Ash nodded in understanding. "Hey, who are these cheerleaders you've got?" He looked to the group of women behind him cheering for Gary.
"My father's secretaries. Anyways, I've seen what I needed to see. Smell ya later, Ashy-boy." Gary got in his red convertible and drove away. The crowd of people cheered for him as he disappeared into the distance.
"…How did that guy earn a driver's license?" Leaf asked.
"Some questions are better left unasked." Ash simply replied.
When Ash went inside the lab, Professor Oak welcomed him in and presented the red Pokedex to him.
"Here is the standard model Pokedex that catalogs every Pokemon in the Kanto region."
Ash took it in his hands and tested it out by pointing it to Pikachu. A mechanical voice recognized him and stated Pikachu's Pokedex entry he remembered learning from class. It then listed the moves and abilities his Pikachu knew as well.
"Well that's convenient." Ash then remembered the feather he received from the mysterious Pokemon since that day he woke up in the hospital. He took it out and scanned it with the Pokedex.
[No data found.]
"Eh, how come?" Ash asked.
"What is that feather you have, Ash?" The feather piqued the professor's interest.
"I saw a majestic Pokemon from out the hospital's window together with Pikachu the day I woke up. This feather floated into my room through the window after it disappeared." Ash said.
"Interesting. May I see it? If it's not registered in the Kanto region, perhaps it has an entry from the other regions." Professor Oak kindly requested.
Ash handed the feather to Professor Oak who placed it on a scanner and typed a few keys on his keyboard.
The pc then answered.
[Ho-Oh. Legendary Pokemon. God of Rejuvenation and Resurrection. Legends say it will reveal itself before a pure-hearted trainer by shining its bright rainbow-colored wings.]
"Legendary Pokemon…?" Ash widened his eyes as did Pikachu.
Professor Oak's reaction was even more animated. His entire body trembled and his eyes dilated. He placed his hands heavily on Ash's shoulders and peered into his eyes sternly.
"Ash, you must never show anyone the feather you have or let someone see your Pokedex!" Professor Oak gravely warned.
"I-Is it that big of a deal?" Ash was a bit startled.
"A hundred years, no, a thousand years! That's how long it takes to even catch a glimpse of a Legendary Pokemon! If someone with bad intentions were to find out that you happened to have a fortuitous encounter with Ho-Oh, who knows what might happen to you!"
Ash was floored by the seriousness of the situation. Professor Oak took back the Pokedex and fiddled with it.
"I'm going to place a password lock on your Pokedex so that it will hide the entries and data collected from Ho-Oh. Only you, I, and whomever you can trust will know this password. I've also updated it to recognize Pokemon from the Johto region as well. The Pokedex also works as your ID along with your Trainer ID card. Here is the one issued to you."
Ash dumbly received back his Pokedex, the feather, and his Pokemon Trainer card. Professor Oak turned his back to him and gave a look over his shoulder.
"Heed my warning, Ash. I can confidently say no one has quite a beginning in their journey such as yours. Now go!"
Under the scrutiny of his former teacher, Ash straightened his back and nodded. Once the boy left, Professor Oak raised his head to stare at the ceiling.
"Is this a mere coincidence or is it fate watching over him closely?" He muttered to himself.
After the debriefing from Professor Oak, Ash's mother reached the lab and gave him his backpack full of camping equipment, medical supplies, clothes, and pokeballs for him.
"Now remember Ash, don't try to get involved with every freak incident or else your mother's heart will explode from worry." Delia lectured.
"Hearts don't explode…but I'll be sure to behave and not act like a fool…" Ash said awkwardly.
"Do you really?" Delia reiterated.
"…" Ash had no response to that and averted his eyes. Delia could only sigh at his hesitance.
"Leaf, when out on the road, be sure to keep a close eye on Ash when you have the chance." She could only turn to Leaf to keep him safe.
"You got it Ma'am!" Leaf saluted her.
"I can look after myself…" Ash grumbled.
Delia and Leaf had very unconvinced expressions.
"Then, this is goodbye, Ash. I knew this day would come, but know that I'll miss you lots when you're away." Delia said with tears forming at the corner of her eyes.
"Mom…" Ash and Delia wrapped each other up in a tight hug. They stayed that way for a few minutes until they let go.
"Take care, Ash…"
"Thanks, Mom."
Ash waved back to Delia who returned home soon after.
"Looks like it's just the two of us. C'mon, despite how he acts, Gary's waiting for us at the entrance of Route 1." Leaf pulled the hem of Ash's jacket.
"Right, let's go." Ash nodded.
The two reached the start of Route 1 and saw Gary's red convertible parked with him inside the driver's seat. Gary himself looked over his shoulder to see the two.
"Yo. You got an idea of where you're heading first?" Gary asked them.
"Viridian City of course, it's the closest city to Pallet Town. From there I'm going to Pewter City for the gym!" Ash said.
"Hmm…I guess I'll do that too." Leaf hummed.
"So we all think alike then." Gary summarized.
"Since we all have the same plan, why don't you drive us there, Gary?" Ash suggested.
"How about no?"
"Why not!?"
Ash was rankled by Gary's refusal to help them. His friend simply smirked at him.
"I got this drivers license and car with my own abilities. Why should I lend my strength to you? We're rivals, so I'm not going to miss out on the chance to have you eat my dust."
"The only strength you've got is coming from your mouth!"
Gary ignored the jab and directed his attention to Leaf.
"How about you, want a free ride to Viridian City?" Gary enquired.
Leaf made a thoughtful face. "That does sound enticing…"
"Seriously!? Leaf's okay but I'm not!?" "Ash grit his teeth.
"It's only polite to give girls preferential treatment." Gary remarked.
Ash turned to look at Leaf. "You're not gonna accept it, right, Leaf?"
Leaf crossed her arms and closed her eyes to think further. "Going on foot with you is also good…but it would be an even better time to be ahead of you instead. This time, you'll be the one chasing me." Leaf mischievously smiled and got in Gary's car. "See you at Pewter City, Ash!"
Ash dropped his jaw gobsmacked at his two friends ditching him, leaving him alone with Pikachu. His Pokemon patted his head sympathetically.
"Argh, fine! I'll get to Viridian City on foot! I'm faster than any car anyway!" Ash declared with fire burning from within his eyes.
Pikachu rubbed his chin, musing over how Ash's statement might actually have merit which gave him chills.
Ash did not go far when an intense pressure weighed down on him and Pikachu, rooting them in place.
Cold sweat flowed down their bodies. Ash nervously snapped his head up to see a radiant light almost blind him.
The silhouette of a majestic phoenix dazzling with golden rays shooting around its body stood before him.
The boy's mind reeled at how something this large could appear from nowhere without him noticing.
'You can hear me, can't you?'
Ash and Pikachu shuddered from the majesty of the voice projected inside their head.
"T-Telepathy…You're, Ho-Oh!?" Ash stuttered from surprise.
Ho-Oh looked down at him with solemn silence. The Legendary Pokemon observed, noticing how the initial fear Ash held was overshadowed by wonderment and curiosity towards itself.
'Isn't it a Trainer's instinct to battle and capture wild Pokemon?' Ho-Oh enquired with a challenge in its voice.
Ash gulped, trying to calm down and steel his nerves. "That's right."
'Then will you send out your Pikachu to battle me?'
"I won't."
'Why is that?'
Stabilizing his breath, Ash looked at Ho-Oh calmly. "Because it wouldn't be a battle. We'd lose. Badly"
Ho-Oh peered into Ash's eyes for a few moments that were agonizing for the boy. A smile of satisfaction graced the phoenix's beak.
'You refused to battle not out of fear, but because you understood where you stand and your powerlessness. Excellent.'
Ho-Oh spread its wing wide, covering all of Ash's vision as seven different colored rays of light radiated from it.
'What is your dream?'
Ash exchanged glances with Pikachu and shared smiles with each other.
"My dream is to become a Pokemon Master, to befriend every Pokemon in the world and many other people!"
'Then you desire to befriend me as well?'
"Without a shred of doubt!" Ash answered with boundless energy and fearlessness.
Ho-Oh regarded him for a few seconds. 'I understand. Your heart is truly pure. I have not seen one like yours for a long time. However, you are far too weak to make me your friend.'
Three pillars of light shot down from the heavens and the shapes of three quadrupedal Pokemon manifested within them as the pillars dissipated.
'If you wish to claim the destiny we share, you must first defeat my three sacred beasts and make them submit to you. Only then are you worthy enough to face me at the height of my power.'
Ash was stupefied at the sight of the three Pokemon and their divine aura that were similar yet much more inferior to Ho-Oh's. He took out his Pokedex and scanned the three of them.
[Raikou. Legendary Pokemon. God of Lightning Bolts. The rain clouds it carries let it fire thunderbolts at will. They say that it descended with lightning.]
[Entei. Legendary Pokemon. God of Volcanoes. Volcanoes erupt when it barks. Unable to restrain its extreme power, it races headlong around the land.]
[Suicune. Legendary Pokemon. God of Purification. Said to be the reincarnation of north winds, it can instantly purify filthy, murky water.]
It felt like his eyes would pop out from the realization that he was in the presence of four Legendary Pokemon. Ash thought to himself that his luck could only be described as miraculous.
'Recognize the distance between us.' It was like looking up close at a mountain without witnessing its peak reaching far above the clouds. 'And remember my words. Fortuitous encounters are decided by fate, but the outcome of these encounters is determined by effort!'
Ash blinked and came to his senses, soaking up the words spoken to him and stared with unshakeable resolve behind his eyes. Pikachu hopped off his shoulder and took a battle-ready posture in sensing his Trainer's will.
Raikou growled lightly, the sound of booming thunder across the clouds echoed.
Entei huffed in amusement, ash and fire billowing from its mouth.
Suicune serenely smiled, the white stripped tendrils flowed behind its back as an aurora flickered around its body.
In the blink of an eye, all three dashed out of sight and Ho-Oh went into the air. 'Live up to your destiny, Ash Ketchum. By your own hands, forge your path. By then it will be decided if it is a blessing…or a curse!' Ho-Oh left these parting words and vanished behind the clouds.
Ash and Pikachu stood there for a long while processing everything that occurred.
"I don't fully understand what just happened, but Ho-Oh was interested in me, right?"
"Pika."
"And it wants me to fight it someday."
"Kapi."
"…We've got a long road ahead of us."
Pikachu nodded.
Ash trudged onwards on the road, his mind lingering to earlier as Ho-Oh's words reverberated in his head.
Then the clouds became dark and the rain poured down.
"Oh for crying out loud!" Ash went into a sprint alongside Pikachu. He rummaged through his backpack in search of something. "I'm sure my mom would pack an umbrella for me. Ah, here it is!"
Ash breathed a sigh of relief when he unfolded the umbrella and raised it above his head. Pikachu got back on his shoulder to enjoy the protection from the rain.
"Hmm?" Ash stopped and noticed a redhead girl in front of the road getting drenched by the rain. "That girl over there doesn't have an umbrella." He went up to the girl in concern and shouted to her. "Excuse me, are you okay? I noticed you don't seem to have an umbrella."
"Ah, hello! I forgot to pack one and stayed around for too long when fishing for Water-type Pokemon." The girl greeted him back. She looked up to the clouds worried. "Viridian City is still a ways off from here."
"Well, why not come along with me? I have an umbrella we can share." Ash suggested. He didn't want to abandon the first person he met as a Trainer to catch a cold from the rain.
"My, how kind of you!" She smiled and was touched by his consideration for a mere stranger. "But my bike…" She trailed off.
Ash saw the bike lying on the side of the road. He handed her his umbrella and Pikachu, then went to grab the bike and hung it over his shoulders.
"With this you won't have to worry about losing your bike. I'm much stronger than I look." Ash flashed a sunny smile.
The girl blinked and a smile graced her face again. "Well, I'm lucky to have met a gentleman such as yourself." She giggled.
The two kids who met by chance walked under the comfort of the umbrella.
"Oh, I didn't catch your name." Ash started.
"Shouldn't it be the man who introduces himself first?" The girl said with token sarcasm.
"Um…"
"I'm joking! My name is Misty Waterflower, the most beautiful girl in the world!" Misty proudly stated.
"A girl should show some restraint and humility." Ash blankly replied.
"Geez, and you were doing so well just now." Said Misty with a hand resting on her hip.
Ash sighed. "I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. I'm starting out as a Trainer today. Nice to meet you, Misty."
"Likewise." Misty smiled. "So a beginning Trainer, huh? Might I ask who's your starter Pokemon?"
"Pikachu!"
"This cutie?" Misty looked surprised and scratched Pikachu's cheek who cried happily from the touch. "Quite an unconventional choice."
"Oh yeah. When he and I met I felt like we were destined for great things together." Ash grinned. "Yup, I definitely wanted him as my partner no matter what!"
They ushered into a calm silence and quietly enjoyed the soothing tapping of the rain around them. A nice, warm feeling comforted them from the presence of having a companion next to them.
Meanwhile with Leaf and Gary
"I feel like I made a huge mistake that I'll regret big time." Leaf said with a pale face.
Gary laughed loudly next to her.
Afterword:
And that marks Ash's official start as a Trainer. Of course, he'll have Misty and Brock as his traveling companions in Kanto like in canon.
Sammy-1000:
Yeah, Elesa and Caitlin will be included. The latter would be much sooner than Unova as Ash tries out the Battle Frontier in Sinnoh.
Hamel Dynas:
Yeah, a lot of the early stuff was inspired by Festival of Champions. Sorry to say, but Serena is also included in the harem, though she won't have much prominence before the Kalos arc.
UltimateCCC:
I wouldn't say Ash is invincible so much as he'll eventually become the most durable human on the planet like in canon.
Actually, this is a good time to say what to expect out of this fanfic and my intentions. Some have questions about the harem and who they want in it and I'll preface this by saying that there are very loose policies and standards for characters to be in it. I don't have much of an issue with age-gap romances even if they're more than a decade apart. Heck, Cynthia in my fic is only 18 years old when Ash has started his journey. Yup, that's right, Cynthia is confirmed to be in the harem and will meet him pretty early in Kanto. There you have it. I intend for the harem experience to be like those old school harem anime, light novels, and visual novels. I am wondering what other characters the readers want to see in the harem.
What else should you expect from my fic? No original characters save for extremely small chances for two because trying to imagine an OC with their own backstory is a chore for someone like me and kills my motivation. One of them is Ash's dad who is inspired by an iconic father figure from Final Fantasy. The other is a Pokemon who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Ash and his broken ass Pikachu on demon time, but that's a long way off and their character is something people might be very familiar with if they ever played any Mystery Dungeon game. So yeah, only those two are OCs in the story. Even the mysterious female Trainer who chose a Charmander as her Pokemon in Pallet Town is an established character in the franchise and will be a recurring rival to Ash. I'll give a hint as to who, there's a nickname attached to her, 'Char-ly.'
Ash is special, no bullshit. He's the chosen one, the world revolves around him. He is the first AND last line of defense any person will expect to solve a world crisis. Endgame Ash like in Journeys can raise five random Pokemon into champion tier Pokemon in two seasons and this is reflected by their in-game version you get as gifts. As expected from the 10 year old with 25 years of experience under his belt who later became the world champion at the age of 10. He'll have rivals that can give him a challenge like Gary and Paul since he needs strong and worthy rivals to push him to his limits. It makes his victories look more spectacular and his losses more graceful.
This fanfic doesn't work on game logic. Outside of the games, in other media of the Pokemon franchise you see unevolved starters become strong enough to defeat Legendaries such as the player character and partner Pokemon in explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky defeating Dialga and almost every other Legendary before generation 5. It is shown in the manga, movies, and anime that any Pokemon can square up against opponents 10 times its weight class and win due to the power of friendship and become Legendary tier if they have a powerful Trainer and will. Ash is someone who deeply loves Pokemon who ends up making them strong through the power of trust, hard work, and friendship and it'll be anime asf in this fanfic.
No politics. Worldbuilding is pretty loose and vague for the most part in this fic.
If you reached this far and aren't filtered by any of the above, I'll be very happy if you still choose to stick around. Next chapter should jump to Pewter City and then after that would be Rota Kingdom where Aura finally gets introduced.