The obnoxious cry of a Combusken abruptly cut off as Ash silenced his alarm. Shaking his head groggily, he struggled to remember why he set the alarm before clarity filled his head and he shot out of bed to get dressed. Today was the day he had been waiting for his whole life. In just a few minutes he and a few other trainers would be given their first pokémon.
Ash had a little more reason for his excitement than the others. Having managed to obtain the top score on his qualification exam came with a rather unique perk. Unlike the other rookies whose starters were predetermined before they ever took the exams, Ash got to put in a request for a more unusual starter pokémon. His first choice was a Frigibax, but understanding that Professor Oak may not be able to get one fit for a rookie, he also asked for a Torchic as a backup plan.
Pulling on his black jacket, he glanced at the mirror hanging from his door. As usual, his hair looked as though a Murkrow had been nesting in it, barely staying out of his amber eyes. But with his dark grey t-shirt, thick blank pants, and an empty belt, he never felt more like a trainer.
After rushing out the door, barely taking the time to wish his mother good morning, he booked it all the way to Professor Oak's lab. Only once the towering three story structure entered his vision did he finally slow down enough to appreciate the cool morning air. The everpresent scent of pine and sea salt permeated Pallet Town, and the chirps of Pidgey could be heard from the trees.
When he arrived the other rookies were waiting outside. Only three of them passed the qualifications in Pallet this year. Iris Blackmore was a blonde haired slip of a girl with dreams of being a coordinator. Her emerald eyes were wide with excitement, and her usual braid was absent, replaced by a sloppily down ponytail. Seemed Ash wasn't the only one in a rush this morning.
Nick Iomi on the other hand was a rather reserved young man. He planned on competing in the conference and someday joining the league. To this day Ash had never seen him smile, despite having known him for the last three years. With his ever present frown, and being the tallest of the four, he could be quite intimidating at times.
And lastly…
"Hey Ashy boy, it's about time you showed up. If you took any longer I was going to head over with my new pokemon and give you a wake up call," Gary Oak called out as Ash approached. Despite being friends since diapers, the two of them could never stop trying to get a rise out of each other. Slightly taller than Ash, he leaned against the side of the lab, allowing his dirty blond hair to fall in front of his face. Hazel eyes peeked out from behind the curtain of hair as he stood to his full height, standing half a head above Ash. His crooked nose would have been intimidating, if the sight of it didn't bring back the memory of nine year old Iris clocking Gary in the face after he made fun of her haircut.
Ash just ignored the comment, far too focused on his future pokémon to bother for once. Instead he turned to Iris, knowing this would get under Gary's skin more than anything he could say would.
"Hey Iris, any idea when they're going to let us in? It's already almost eight, right?"
"Not a clue," she sighed, fiddling with the hem of her yellow shirt. "We've been waiting for almost half an hour now, and no one has told us anything yet."
As if on cue, the doors to the lab opened to reveal Professor Oak in all his glory. A man entering his mid fifties, Samuel Oak had a presence to him. It wasn't from his greying brown hair, or the scars stitching his hands together, or even the stains on his frayed lab coat. It came from the kindness always present in his eyes. With a wordless smile, he beckoned the four youths inside.
For the first time since he could remember, Ash was able to finally observe the inside of the lab. Surprisingly, the famous Pallet Town lab wasn't too impressive at first. The aroma of hot coffee and Freshly printed papers wafted through the air, and the faint symphony of machinery echoed faintly from the back. Very little equipment could be seen, and most of the space was dominated by filing cabinets and tables piled high with what Ash could only assume were handwritten observations. One particular table caught his eye, having only four PokeBalls on it. For a place he and Gary had been trying to sneak inside of ever since they learned to walk, it certainly didn't live up to his expectations.
Judging by the sheer size of the building, and the multitude of doorways towards the back, this was probably just the entrance hall, or a meeting room.
Once they've settled, Professor Oak moved over to the table with the four PokeBalls resting on it.
Gee I wonder who those could be for . Ash thought with some amusement. Judging by the twitch of Oaks aged Alakazam, he did not think it quietly enough
Indeed you did not, came the quiet echo in his mind.
Realizing that the Professor was speaking, Ash quickly returned his attention to him.
"As I'm sure you've all realized by now, these four PokeBalls behind me contain your starters," he began, "While I'm sure you are all eager to head off on your journeys, please indulge an old man while I go over all of them one last time, for my own peace of mind, if nothing else"
Seeing that he had all of their attention he began his speech. "Each of these PokeBalls here contain a single pokémon. This pokémon will be your starter and with any luck a lifelong companion. I personally picked each of these for you, taking into account your goals and personalities"
"This first PokeBall here contains Charmander. Charmander are a fire type pokémon with some draconic attributes, though not enough to be classified as dragon types. They tend to be fast growers and need to be treated with respect, but its final evolution Charizard is an asset to any young trainer's team."
With that he handed the PokeBall to Nick, who took it with trembling hands that betrayed his neutral expression.
"Next we have Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur can be impressive battlers, but they would not be out of place in coordinating either. Be warned however, they tend to hold grudges and will not suffer mistreatment lightly. This one in particular is particularly unique, as you will soon see. Don't worry, it's nothing bad "
With that he gently placed Bulbasaur's PokeBall into Iris's awaiting hands.
"Here we have Squirtle. Squirtle are versatile pokémon capable of handling a variety of foes and situations. Their final evolution Blastoise are tanks, shrugging off attacks that would cripple lesser opponents."
He went to hand Squirtle's ball to his grandson, pausing right before he could. With a mischievous twinkle in his eye he said, "they are also known for being quite stubborn and difficult to work with, which I thought was fitting considering who I was giving him too."
Gary simply grabbed the ball from him, trying in vain to ignore the red flooding his face. While everyone chuckled, professor Oak simply moved over to the last PokeBall.
"This particular pokémon gave me quite the headache to acquire, Ash. If I wasn't quite so fond of you, I may have even given up. Nonetheless, they're here now.
"Frigibax are ice-dragon types native to northern Paldea. They belong to a class of pokémon known to most as 'pseudo legends'. This term is a bit misleading as they are not Legends in the slightest. It comes from back when a single irritated pokémon could level a small city.
As with most pokémon in this class, Frigibax grow extremely slowly. I'm sorry to say Ash, but this particular one might not be fully evolved by the time the conference rolls around. They might not even evolve into their second stage by then."
With a sharp glance at Gary, who had begun to snicker towards the end he continued. "Having said that, pokémon like Frigibax are considered an incredible investment. While it may take a great deal of time for them to even begin to reach their potential, once they do they are juggernauts in battle. And while it is far easier to catch a fully evolved pseudo legend than it is to train them, there is a reason why the three reigning champions of the National League all have pseudo legends as their cornerstones."
With that Professor Oak finally handed Ash the PokeBall. With trembling fingers, he grasped it gingerly, as if it was made of glass rather than hardened steel.
The young trainers, and it felt good for them to finally refer to themselves as such, stood there. Ash couldn't help but puff up a little at the thought of his new official title.
"Well, what are you waiting for," Samuel Oak laughed. "It's time to meet your new friends, is it not?"
With that the lab was filled with the red light of several pokémon being released simultaneously. Iris squealed, seeing the lime green coloration of her shiny Bulbasaur. Nick actually cracked a smile at the sight of his Charmander crossing its stubby arms in an attempt to imitate him. Gary was inspecting every inch of Squirtle's shell, making sure his starter was as perfect as possible. Finally, Ash pressed the release switch on his own Pokeball.
Instantly, Ash's attention was firmly on the tiny Frigibax before him. Grey hide frosted its stout, bipedal body . Its face was large compared to the rest of its body, complete with eyes containing yellow sclera and black pupils, a protruding light gray snout, and a large mouth. On its back was a small dark ridge, which Ash knew would one day become its massive dorsal crest.
Getting down on his knees, Ash addressed the little dragon, trying to seem as friendly as possible.
"Hello there, my name is Ash, I'm going to be a pokémon trainer. Would you like to join me?" He asked.
After a moment's hesitation, Frigibax nodded and Ash returned him with a smile.
Professor Oak then handed everyone a red digital computer he called a Pokedex.
"In this Pokedex is access to information on almost every known species of pokémon. It also contains your trainer ID so I recommend you keep track of it, as they are a pain to replace."
With that he gave them one last smile. "Well off you go. No point in staying here any longer now."
Once outside of the lab, Gary turned to ash with a sheepish grin. "I know we used to say we'd have our first battle as soon as we got our starters, but after what gramps said, I think we should wait a bit. Don't want my first win to be because of a handicap, ya know."
While Ash wanted to argue that Frigibax could handle Gary's Squirtle just fine, he wasn't willing to throw his new friend into a fight mere minutes after meeting him. So with a muttered thanks from Ash and a "smell ya later" from Gary, the two friends went their separate ways, Ash to see his mother before he left, and Gary to Viridian City.
Walking down the old dirt path, Pallet had never seemed smaller. Cobblestone roads lined with towering pines and ancient oaks. Following the winding path back home, he quickly lost sight of the lab, instead being greeted with a sight he would soon miss.
His home. An old 2 story farmhouse with weathered grey siding, and a small front porch with three old chairs. He could remember all the times he and Gary played out front. Even now he could still pick out the loose plank on the porch he used to trip over when he was younger.
Dammit, he hadn't even left and he was already homesick.
Ash's mother was waiting outside for him on the porch when he arrived, holding a fully packed backpack and strangely enough a wrapped box.
Seeing him squint at the package in confusion Delia Ketchum laughed and explained, "since you're going to be leaving now and probably won't be home for your birthday, I thought I'd get you an early birthday present. Here, open it."
Gingerly taking it, ash grunted as the surprisingly heavy box landed in his arms. Tearing off the wrapping paper revealed a brand new incubator.
"Mom, not that I don't appreciate it but is it practical for me to carry an incubator on the off chance I find an egg?"
With a teasing smile she said, "why don't you open it up and take a look at it before jumping to conclusions."
Having no choice but to do as she said, Ash pulled the incubator out of the box revealing…
"Mom, is this an actual egg?"
Indeed, sitting inside was a milky white egg, dotted with crimson starbursts.
"Of course it is, sweetie. And before you ask, I'm not telling you what it will hatch into."
Indignation shocked him out of his awe, his voice growing whiny as he turned his attention back to his mother.
"But Mom, how am I supposed to properly care for it if I don't know what it is?"
Delia laughed. "Honey, isn't that what your Pokedex is for? To tell you what it is and how to care for it?"
Ash grumbled but knew he'd lost this battle. After taking his bag from his mother, he fell victim to his mother's Ursaring hug. The familiar act was equal parts soothing and suffocating, easing his worries and straining his ribs. After a few moments he reluctantly pulled away, the smell of her fresh sourdough bread fading as he did. He tried not to tear up as he did.
"Bye mom, I'll call you once I reach Viridian." And with that he set off towards Route One before she could embarrass him.
Near the border of Pallet and Route One, Ash released Frigibax. The young pokémon took a second to take in the grassy road winding between the towering trees that dominated so much of the Viridian territories. Frigibax observed their surroundings with wary eyes, jumping at the distant squawks of a flock of Spearow. To distract him from the unfamiliar sights and sounds, Ash knelt down and addressed the frost dragon.
"Hey Frigibax, it's me, Ash. I just wanted to talk to you for a bit and get to know you. I'm a pokémon trainer, as you know. I'm planning on competing in the gym circuit and my goal is to be a pokémon master. Would you like to help me with that?"
Receiving a hesitant chirp of affirmation, he plowed forward.
"Some pokémon have nicknames, would you like one?" Seeing the dragon nod, Ash felt a little hopeful.
"I had a name in mind, if you wouldn't mind hearing it. It's Gojira. It came from a movie about a giant Tyranitar. It means 'King of the Monsters'."
Seeing the little Frigibax perk up at that last part, he knew it was a hit.
"What do you say to that, buddy? Do you wanna be a king?"
With another happy chirp, the newly christened Gojira let out a plume of frost, coating the thick grass.
"Then allow me to officially welcome you to the team, Gojira." With that Ash held his fist out, laughing when Gojira headbutted his fist.
Before Ash could recall him into his ball, Gojira began waddling down the road, turning to chirp at Ash as if to say "hurry up, we have places to be." It seemed that the shy dragon was braver than Ash thought.
Giggling as he rose to his feet, the two of them began making their way down Route One, towards Viridian City, into the great unknown. No Legends graced the sky's above them. No prophecies foretold their arrival. A rather ordinary start to an extraordinary journey.
Many thanks to Helia and Alastor, without their help i may never have posted this.