Chapter 3: Goodbye Pallet, Hello Adventure!
Hello Hello All! Welcome again now to Spark! As a warning this chapter is going to be the most quiet and relaxed one. It's not gonna have a lot, but I kinda feel a short chapter like this is needed.
Let's get started!
"Really Ashy-Boy. Cinnabar?"
"Yep."
Ash and Gary were back outside the lab. Their starters had been healed, as evidenced by Bolt on Ash's shoulder and Squirtle standing next to Gary.
The starters had been thoroughly congratulated for their excellent performances on the battlefield. Assunta and the professor had also thrown in a few bits of praise.
And now they were talking about their plans for the future.
Ash continued on.
"First I gotta see mom before I go, and then I gotta walk to the docks. After that, get a ferry to Cinnabar."
"But like, Blaine at this point is invisible. He's a shadow. I'll be surprised if he's even alive at that point." Gary replied.
"You're gonna challenge him, aren't you?"
"...Touche."
"After that, I'm heading to Fuschia, Celadon, Saffron and Vermillion."
"Pretty simple route."
"Yep. Don't wanna get lost."
"You'd get lost in your own house."
"Shut up."
After a few more minutes of bantering, it dawned on Ash.
It was time to say goodbye.
"Well, I gotta see Mom now. Are you heading to Pewter?"
"Yeah. Hey Ash?" Ash perked up. When Gary called him by his actual name, he was being serious.
"Don't die. Kick Blaine's ass."
Ash smirked.
"I'm gonna miss you too."
And off Ash walked, Bolt on his shoulder.
As he walked to his house, he chatted with Bolt on his shoulder about his family, his ambitions, his ideas on training.
He smiled as he saw the familiar red roof house. His house.
Confidently he walked up to the door, and knocked.
"Ashy, is that you?" His mother's voice rang out.
"Yeah mom!"
The door opened. The person behind the door had Auburn hair, with warm brown eyes, and a huge smile.
His mom, Delia Ketchum.
"Hello Ashy! Who did you choose as your starter-Oh my, is that a Pikachu?"
"Mom, this is my partner, Bolt. Bolt, this is my mom." Ash introduced.
"Oh, aren't you just a cutie!" She said, before quickly scooping up the yellow mouse.
He squealed in shock, before starting to coo as Delia gently petted him.
Ash rolled his eyes, amused. No one in history could say they hated his mother. She was too sweet of a woman.
"Come inside Ash! I made you lunch. I figured since you were leaving soon that you would want one last meal…" Her voice took on a melancholic tone.
Ash felt himself go cold. He wouldn't just be leaving his house behind.
He would be leaving his mom behind. His number one supporter. His caretaker.
He had never known his father. It pained him very much. From what little his mother spoke about him, he was a kind man, and a brilliant trainer.
But he knew that this idea of his father would never hold a candle to the person his mother was.
"Yeah…What did you make?" Ash asked, breaking himself out of his reverie. His mom's wistful look faded.
"Your favorite!"
"Your spaghetti!?" He exclaimed in shock, before bolting inside the house. The Pikachu in his mother's arms quickly ran after him.
"Ash, slow down! You're gonna run into something–"
Ash promptly ran headfirst into a wall.
Delia sighed. Her son would never change.
After chowing down (with Bolt getting pokemon food), Ash chatted with his mom about his travel plans. She already knew full well, but she let him talk.
She wanted to have him stay a little longer.
After that. Ash ran up to his room to grab his bag. It was a simple black backpack, with two water bottle holders and a multitude of pockets.
He had already packed in a set of 6 pokeballs, about 10 or so potions and a few other trainer essentials such as Antidotes, Burn Heals and other items, in addition to basic camping gear.
He also had his treasured Fishing Rod and 5 TMs.
The Fishing Rod had been a gift from his mother for his 10th birthday. It was collapsible to fit into a bag. He had practiced almost everyday with it ever since he had gotten it. He'd even entered a few competitions in Viridian City and Pallet Town, and had quite a few medals and cash prizes.
The 5 TMs had been a gift on his 14th birthday, in preparation for his trainer career.
TMs, or Technical Machines, were essentially floppy disks that stored the energy of certain moves. With these, he could teach his pokemon attacks they wouldn't know.
The 5 TMs he had gotten were Brick Break, Rock Tomb, Aerial Ace, Water Pulse and Shadow Ball.
He had insisted that he couldn't take them, that it was too good a gift.
His mother insisted that he should take them. Eventually he relented and took them.
Running back down the stairs, he quickly grabbed his hat off the table.
It was his most prized possession. The official Pokemon League Expo Hat. He won it in a raffle, and it took a million different postcards in order to win.
But it was worth it. It was almost one of a kind. Only two others were in existence, one with Charles Goodman, the head and founder of the Indigo Conference, and Lance Wataru, the Indigo League Champion.
Lance was his idol. Anyone who wanted to become Indigo League Champion looked up to him. He was also considered a prodigy, placing 3rd in his first conference, and a Dragon Master, well known for training Dragon types, namely his infamous Dragonite.
There were also the Elite Four, four powerful trainers you had to defeat to face Lance. Agatha was the leader, an old crotchety woman who specializes in ghost types, the most dangerous type, followed by Bruno, a Fighting Type Master, and then Lorelei, who was well known for her expertise in the Ice type, and finally Will, the most powerful Psychic in the world after Sabrina.
Ash grew up watching them on television, and they were a dominating force. Their power was unrivaled.
And Ash's goal? To beat them all.
Travelling down the stairs, Ash reaffirmed this goal in his head. No matter how much he would miss his mother, he was going to become Champion.
He, Bolt, and his future friends would become champions.
His mom and Bolt were downstairs. Bolt had settled comfortably on his lap, but upon seeing Ash, he jumped up onto his shoulder. Ash stumbled briefly before regaining his balance. He looked his mom dead in the eye before sighing sadly.
The time had come to say goodbye.
"Mom, I've gotten my stuff…I'm gonna have to go now."
His mom's lip started trembling, as tears filled up in her eyes.
"Oh Ashy… I wish we had more time…but you must go…"
"I know Mom. I wish, but I gotta go shoot for the stars." Ash felt tears fill his eyes.
"I wouldn't want anything else for you. Follow your spark." And his mother walked forth and hugged him like never before.
Ash relaxed in her arms. She would always be his mother, no matter what.
Despite his mother's tears, her face hardened and she exuded strength.
That was his mother. The strongest, bravest and kindest person he would ever know.
He quickly dried the tears that had started to fall.
"C'mon Bolt, let's go." Ash told his partner.
Waving his mom goodbye for one last time, he set out on his new adventure.
And that's a wrap! Chapter 3 is now finished! I should probably start titling these chapters. Okay I guess I will!
So here Ash says goodbye to his mother. I tried to give Delia a really sweet and caring personality, in as little words as I could. Tell me how you think I did by commenting! And if you're worried about Bolt not having enough personality, don't worry! I'll make sure he gets more development as the series continues. Ash as well while we're at it. It feels really weird writing from third person, I'm normally a first person thing. But I don't think that fits Ash as well, considering that Ash's actions reveal more about him than his words.
Anyway, thanks again for reading. Luv u guys!