Proofread by: greenparrot08 and MaxTheMagnificent24
Chapter 1: Pokémon- I Choose You
In a stadium located far off at the top northern west side of the Kanto Region. Two creatures standing opposite of each other, facing each other in battle.
On the right side of the field was a purple Pokémon resembling a rabbit with a rugged body, standing on all fours with spikes all over its back had large ears. This was Nidorino.
Meanwhile on the left was a shadow-like, round-bodied Pokémon with two large, pointed ears and short spikes lining its back, and a toothy sinister smile. This one was called Gengar.
"Nidorino, use Focus Energy!" The trainer said as Nidorino glowed, ensuring its next attack was a powerful one.
Roaring, Nidorino charged in with a gleaming horn pointed right at Gengar.
"Gengar, dodge it!" The other trainer said as Gengar leaps back, not allowing Nidorino to get close.
All around them, a crowd roared with cheers as they watched the heated battle with excited looks.
"Nidorino is throwing everything at Gengar, but isn't landing any hits," shouted the match's commentator over the roaring crowd. "Meanwhile, Gengar looks like it's having fun toying with Nidorino!"
"Gengar, Hypnosis!" With glowing red eyes, Gengar put Nidorino in a sleep-like trance. "Now Dream Eater!" Releasing a phantom-like monster, it struck Nidorino making it collapse to the ground.
"Nidorino is down for the count! And what a nasty and wicked combo attack of Hypnosis and Dream Eater! I expected nothing less than from the Ghost Queen, Agatha, herself." The announcer remarked, glancing at an elderly woman with short yellow hair. She is dressed in purple, with a white apron and a brown cane for support.
Meanwhile Nidorino's trainer, a tall and muscular man with his hair in a ponytail, took out a red and white sphere called a Poké Ball from their belt and recalled Nidorino by shooting a red beam of light from the center button, transforming Nidorino into energy and sucking him into the Poké Ball.
"And Bruno recalls Nidorino from the field. Which Pokémon will he choose next to face Agatha's Gengar?"
"Come on Bruno, at least give me some kind of a challenge. These people came for a battle to remember." Agatha smirked.
"Be careful what you wish for Agatha. You might just get it!" Tossing a Poké Ball into the air, a giant rock snake Pokémon appeared at Bruno's side.
"And Bruno has chosen Onix!"
"Onix, charge!" Bruno said to his Pokémon. The fearsome Rock Snake Pokémon roared loudly before slamming its head into the ground, knocking Gengar into the air in the process.
"Gengar, use Hyper Beam!" Agatha shouted. Recovering from the attack, Gengar released a bright orange beam that flew across the arena. The energy beam struck Onix in the face, creating an explosion and knocking it to the ground.
"Gengar used Hyper Beam and hit Onix, but it wasn't enough to take it out!" Onix slowly got back up and glared at Gengar.
"Onix, Fissure Attack!" Bruno called out.
Onix reared its head up and slammed its body onto the ground, sending a wave of bluish-white energy towards Gengar, striking Gengar and knocking it towards the other side of the field.
"Onix retaliated with an explosive and super-effective Fissure attack! But Gengar looks like it's still ready for more!" Gengar got back up on its feet, shaky and bruised, but still wanting to fight.
"How's that, Agatha?" Bruno asked with a smirk.
"Nice to see you have some fight in you." Agatha grinned. "But so do me and Gengar."
"Gengar." Gengar nodded in agreement.
"Better strap into your seats folks, cuz this exhibition match isn't ending anytime soon!" The announcer said as the Pokémon glared at each other before charging.
Many many miles away from the stadium and its roaring fans, the battle was watched on a television by a boy of the age of ten.
"Oh man, this year's battle is intense!" He cried with excitement as his eyes were glued to the match.
He was a young man with brown eyes, black spiky hair, zigzag marks on his face. He wore a white and red short sleeved jacket, a black T-shirt, blue jeans, black and white sneakers with red dots, green fingerless and a red and white cap with a green stylized "L".
This was Ash Ketchum, a young boy from the town of Pallet in the Kanto region.
When a child turns 10, they are allowed to have their first Pokémon and travel the regions.
And tomorrow, Ash was going to start his journey. Needless to say, he was excited.
Around his room, there were quite a number of Pokémon related items: On his desk were a bunch of books stacked. Next to it was a bean bag chair in the shape of a Snorlax. His cubicle included a Clefairy money bank, a Poliwag water pistol, and a few Zubat mechanical flying toys hanging from the ceiling.
On his bed was a green rucksack with a few Pokémon related items spread out for him. "This is it, tomorrow is finally the day." Turning his hat backwards and picking up a Voltorb alarm clock, Ash takes a pose. "I will become a Pokémon Master! The greatest of all time!"
"Ash! Get to bed!" A female voice yelled, startling him. Yelping, he lost his grip of the clock as it flew across the room, and into the hands of a woman with brown hair, a pink shirt, and blue skirt. This was Delia Ketchum, Ash's mother.
"It's 11 o'clock and you should be asleep." She scorned.
"But tomorrow I begin my Pokémon journey. I can't sleep." Ash admitted.
Sighing, Delia pinched her nose, knowing how much this meant to him.
"If you can't sleep you can least get ready for tomorrow." Grabbing the remote, Delia changed the channel to show an educational broadcast.
Turning his attention back to the television, Ash watched as the man giving the lecture was renowned Pokémon researcher Professor Oak, the man who would be giving him his first Pokémon the next morning.
Professor Oak, pointing to three large pictures on the wall behind him, said, "Good evening, Pallet. These are the three Pokémon that beginning trainers tomorrow may choose from to start their journey with." He then continued.
"The first one is the Fire-type, Charmander." He pointed to an orange lizard-like Pokémon that was standing on two feet and had a flame on the tip of its tail.
"The second one is the Water-type, Squirtle." He gestured to a blue turtle with an orange and yellow shell.
"And the third one is the Grass-type, Bulbasaur." He gestured to a bluish-green frog-like Pokémon with a large green bulb on its back.
"Each one is unique and has its own strengths. But the big question is which one do you believe suits you?" He asked.
"Go to bed when this is over. You have to wake up early if you want to get one." Delia stated.
"Yes ma'am." Ash said, not taking his eyes off of the screen. It sucked not having to see the end of the exhibition match, but this was the next best thing.
"And be sure to change into your pajamas." Delia reminded him before leaving the room.
"I will." Ash nodded.
After the program, Ash was sound asleep in bed dreaming about his starter Pokemon.
"Charmander...Squirtle...Bulbasaur," Ash murmured in his sleep as he imagined himself holding a Pokéball. In reality, he was reaching for his Pokéball-shaped alarm clock. "Alright..I...choose...you!" He threw it and the alarm clock sailed across the room to smash against the wall. The noise barely registered in Ash's mind; he merely mumbled in his sleep and rolled over onto his side with a smile on his face.
As he was happily dreaming in his head, he was unfortunately in for a rude awakening the next day.
The next morning, the sun was high in the air as a Dodrio played the role of a rooster and as it cried through the air.
Ash was still in bed, still dreaming about Pokémon battles.
"We almost got it. One more attack!" Ash said before sitting up. "Yes, we won!" Ash cheered, getting out of bed.
Confused, Ash looked around to find he was back in his room. At first, he frowned realizing it was just a dream, but it was soon replaced by fear as he realized something.
"Oh no! What time is it?!" Ash panicked after seeing the destroyed remains of his alarm clock.
"Oh no, oh no, no no no no NO! I'M GONNA BE LATE!"
Ash quickly scrambled out of bed, falling onto his butt in the process, grabbed his shoes, made a mental note to come back home and change, and dashed out of the room, still in his pajamas. As he struggled to put his shoes on, Ash lost his balance and tumbled down the steps.
In the kitchen, Delia heard the loud thud when he reached the bottom.
"Ash, are you okay?" Delia asked, concerned.
"Can't talk, Mom! Be back later!" Ash said, running out the door.
"Wait! Ash, you're still in your pajamas!" Delia called out to remind him that he was still in his pajamas, but stopped once seeing her son dashing down the road towards Prof. Oak's lab.
He ran down the road, not even realizing or caring that he was still in his pajamas and had gotten stares from the neighbors.
Ash didn't care; he had to hurry to make it to the laboratory post-haste!
"Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Charmander! Anyone is fine but please save one for me!" Ash pleaded, running up the hill to a large building with a windmill.
He came to a halt when he noticed a large crowd surrounding it, who appeared to be applauding and cheering for someone. Frustrated that he couldn't see an opening through the mob, Ash took his chances and pushed himself inside, exclaiming, "Excuse me!" or, "Pardon me!"
'Almost there!' He then found himself in front of a cheerleading squad, doing a chant in front of the front gates. So Ash tried to squeeze through, and just as he was about to make it inside, he bumped into someone and fell to the ground.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" snapped a tall, thin young man the same age as Ash. He had brown eyes, and tall, brown spiky hair. He wore a long purple shirt, dark gray pants, a yin and yang necklace, and brown boots.
He looked down at the person who had bumped into him and chuckled, "Well, well, look who finally decided to show up, little Ash Ketchum. Better late than ever, but at least you came to see me off." He smirked.
"Ugh, hey Gary." Ash cringed seeing the last person he wanted to see.
"That's Mr. Gary to you." Gary corrected before seeing his appearance. "Well Ash, you snooze, you lose! First day and you're already behind. I have a Pokémon and you don't!"
"You got your starter already?" Ash gasped, getting up.
"That's right, loser, and it's right inside this Poké Ball." Gary taunted, taking it out and spinning it on his finger. The crowd and the group of cheerleaders began to cheer for Gary even louder, as he embraced their praise. "Thank you, my fans, thank you! I promise to you all now, I will become a great Pokémon Master, and make our proud Pallet Town known all around the world!"
Ash tried to hold back his annoyance and tapped Gary's shoulder, briefly stopping his gloating. "So which one did you pick?" he asked.
Gary's only response was a scoff, "None of your business!" He mocked with a grin, while putting the Poké Ball away. "Why should I tell my competition what I'm using? Not that you ARE in any case qualified for competition whatsoever, but if you had been here earlier, you would have seen that I got the best Pokémon out of the three!" He laughed with the most punchable grin plastered on his face. "It pays to have a grandfather in the Pokémon business, you know!"
Groaning, Ash rolled his eyes, hating whenever Gary brought that up.
"Thank you all for coming out! Now I, Gary Oak, am off to learn about the amazing world of Pokémon!" Gary declared as the car drove off and all his fans followed him, leaving poor Ash in the dust all by himself.
"Why that smarmy, no good…" Ash growled. Him? Not competition? Who was he to say that to him? "I'll show you who's not competition!" He vowed, swearing to take Gary down next time for that.
"So you finally made it after all?" An elderly voice said walking up behind Ash. Turning around, Ash faced the renowned researcher himself. Instantly, his attitude changed as he turned to greet him with a smile. "Oh, Professor Oak! Good morning, I'm here for my Pokémon!"
"You look more like you're here for a sleepover. I hope you're not planning to leave town in that attire." Prof. Oak commented.
"No, of course not. There was just a little mixup this morning and I was a little late, but believe me when I say that I'm ready for a Pokémon." Ash assures.
"Hmm, very well," Prof. Oak nodded as he allowed Ash inside.
"Uh, by the way, Professor." Ash said. "That car Gary has, is it really his?"
"Don't worry about it, he's getting a ride to Route 1 with it but then has to get off. He's still only 10, he's not allowed to drive it between cities." Prof. Oak assures.
"How did you even give him permission to do that, anyway?" Ash asked.
"Gary can be very persuasive, but technically Daisy is usually the one to keep an eye on him and she's traveling." Prof. Oak admitted.
Ash let out a sigh, hoping his older friend was still around to chastise Gary for his actions. Why she decided to leave before his big day was anybody's guess.
Inside of the lab...
"Well I've thought long and hard about this all night," Ash said, following Prof. Oak up the steps to his main laboratory. "And I've decided to choose Squirtle as my first Pokémon!"
"I'm afraid Squirtle was already taken by someone who arrived here earlier," Prof. Oak said to him with an honest look on his face.
"What?" Ash panicked before groaning. He knew this might be a possibility since he overslept it. "Well, that's fine. In that case, my next choice will be Bulbasaur!"
"Sorry Ash, but another trainer came earlier this morning and picked Bulbasaur." Prof. Oak admits.
Frowning, Ash once again blamed himself for sleeping in. Hopefully, just hopefully there was still a chance, but he believed he already knew the answer to it.
"Does…does that go the same with Charmander too?" He asked, hoping he was wrong.
"I'm sorry Ash, I thought I had enough starters for everyone." Prof. Oak frowns, making Ash hang his head in defeat.
"So you mean all the Pokémon are gone? You have nothing left?" Ash asked.
Professor Oak rubbed his chin thoughtfully and regretfully admitted, "Well… I do have one more, but…" Hearing this, Ash's eyes lit up.
"Professor, I'll take it!" He exclaimed. He may have a chance at a Pokémon after all.
"Now hold on a minute, Ash. I have to warn you about this one." Prof. Oak said, trying to calm the boy down. "This one has a bit of a problem." He warned, confusing Ash.
"What kind of problem?" He questioned.
"It's not very good around humans and is particularly shy." Prof. Oak warned.
"That's not so bad." Ash said, not seeing the problem.
Prof. Oak rubbed the back of his head, looking troubled about the decision he was making, "Are you sure you can't wait until the next batch of starters come around?"
"Professor, please! If I do, everybody is going to have a huge advantage over me and I'll be even more left behind than I am already!" Ash begged, clasping his hands in front of the researcher that he considered a grandfather to him. "Whatever this Pokémon has, I'll try to fix it! Just lemme see it."
"Alright." Seeing he was serious, Prof. Oak opened a small hatch where the other balls were revealing a Poké Ball with a lightning bolt on it.
He opened the ball, and a dazzling light emanated from it. A yellow, mouse-like Pokémon with pointed ears capped with black, a flat tail fashioned like a lightning bolt, and brilliant crimson pouches on its cheeks appeared before him and Ash.
"Pikachu?" it said, blinking its eyes.
"Ash, this is Pikachu." Prof. Oak said.
"Whoa, it's so cute." Ash smiled, liking this new Pokémon more and more.
"You'll see…" Oak muttered.
"Hi there, Pikachu." Ash said, picking him up.
"Pika…." Pikachu narrowed his eyes with malicious intent before releasing a "Chuuuu!",zapping Ash with electricity and making him scream in pain.
"This was what I was trying to tell you. Pikachu is also known as the Electric Mouse Pokémon. Like I said, it has a shy personality so one should be careful when handling it," Professor Oak explained as Ash's shock torture died out, making his hair look frazzled and was extended with a stunned look on his face. "Are you alright, Ash?"
"I feel recharged already.." Ash said in a daze as Pikachu scoffed and jumped out of his hands. "You weren't kidding when you said it had a problem…"
"Indeed. I found it munching on some of my cables in my backyard a few weeks ago and caught it to get it to stop." Prof. Oak explained. "I've tried everything to greet it, but like you, I too was on the receiving end of a ThunderShock." He said, watching the electric rodent, scratching itself. "So I gave up and kept it here. For some reason, it has a huge distaste for humans."
"So he hasn't bonded with anyone? He's just been inside his Pokeball this whole time?" Ash asks in disbelief.
"I won't blame you if you want to wait. I'm not sure what will happen if you take Pikachu with you on your journey." Prof. Oak admitted.
"No way! Pikachu just needs to know he can trust me, and soon we'll be pals in no time!" Ash assured.
"Hmm..." Prof. Oak stayed silent as he looked at Ash and Pikachu back and forth.
Ash was determined to have Pikachu, despite its problems. The one Pokémon that wouldn't open up to him. Part of Prof. Oak wanted to say no and tell Ash to wait so he could give him an approved starter, but a small part of him was curious to see if Ash could really pull it off.
"Well Ash, if you want Pikachu then who am I to deny a young trainer his first Pokémon?" Prof. Oak said, grabbing a red device and 5 Poké Balls. "Here, you'll need these as well on your journey. Your PokéDex and Poké Balls."
Ash smiled brightly as he quickly took the items, "Thank you very much Professor!"
"My pleasure, my boy. And here is Pikachu's ball." Prof. Oak handed Ash the Poké Ball.
"Alright Pikachu, return," Ash said, tossing the ball at him but immediately Pikachu smacked it back into Ash's hands.
Confused, Ash glanced at Prof. Oak who was equally perplexed. "That's a new one." Prof. Oak admitted.
Curious, Ash tried again but when he did so, Pikachu knocked the ball back to him.
"Guess he's not a big fan of the Poké Ball either." Ash theorized.
His theory was confirmed once he saw Pikachu growling with a mean look on his face, looking directly at the Poké Ball.
Not wanting to anger it even more, Ash told him, "Alright then, if you don't want to go in, I won't force you." He said, surprising the mouse.
"Pika?" Pikachu said.
"Yeah it's fine. Not that big of a deal." Ash said, putting the ball away. Pikachu tilted its head, looking up at Ash in confusion.
Making their way outside, Ash was surprised to see his mom and a decent crowd of supporters had come to cheer Ash on.
They were holding up signs and banners that said, "GO ASH! GO!" "GOOD LUCK, ASH!" Delia was holding onto his backpack full of his clothes and belongings as she was trying her hardest to not shed tears.
"Mom?" Ash asks, amazed.
"Oh Ash, I can't believe you're finally leaving on your journey." Delia choked, covering her face with his backpack. "I'm gonna miss you."
"Oh Mom…" Ash said with a sad smile on his face, knowing that he was going to miss his mother as well. Pikachu stopped by Ash's feet and looked at the mother and son with a curious expression on its face.
"I packed everything you would need: plenty of clothes, extra underwear, rubber gloves, clothesline, plenty of snacks as well as..." Delia lists.
"Thanks, Mom, but we can go over the list at home." Ash interrupted in a hurried tone.
Almost the entire town was here and Ash wanted to avoid the embarrassment that came with it. Glancing down, Delia noticed Pikachu. "Oh, is that your Pokémon?"
"Yep, he's mine." Ash said but Pikachu looked away. "We uh…have to work a few kinks out." Ash cringed.
"But I thought all Pokémon stayed inside their Poké Balls?" Delia questioned.
Glancing over at the mouse, Ash saw that he was giving hints to the stink eye, with his cheeks sparkling up, as if to warn Ash not to get any ideas. "He doesn't like to be in there." Ash said quickly.
From her eyes, it took Delia only a couple of seconds to see that Ash and Pikachu didn't share a connection with each other. She may not be a trainer like she used to anymore, but she knew from experience that the bond between a trainer and their first Pokémon was supposed to be something that they could cherish.
And she knew that if this went on, Ash wouldn't probably get far…or maybe get hurt in the process. Delia's motherly instincts kicked in as she knew she had to do something.
"Well, if you're done with everything Ash, how about we head back home so you could get changed and have one final meal at home? Of course, Pikachu can also eat with you."
"That would be great, Mom." Ash smiled at the idea. "What do you say, Pikachu? Up for a tasty meal?" Ash offers.
"Pika?" Pikachu curiously said.
After returning home from the lab, Ash went upstairs to change out of his pajamas and go wash up before eating.
"Here you go." Delia said, placing a big bowl in front of Pikachu. Curious, Pikachu inspected and sniffed it for anything off-putting before finally taking a small bite.
"Chaaa~!" He smiled, digging in.
Delia smiles, "I'm glad you like it, Pikachu." She said as she moved in to pet him. Flinching, Pikachu pulled back and growled. "Hey, don't bite the hand that feeds you!" Delia glared at the yellow mouse.
"Pika," Pikachu turned.
"Pikachu, I'm not going to say that I know what you went through before today but my son is a good person who has been waiting for this day his entire life. He loves Pokémon and wants to take a chance on you. The least you can do is give him a chance." Delia stated.
Pikachu slightly turned his head towards the mother, still unconvinced that he should.
Coming down the stairs, Ash was cleaned up and dressed.
"Thanks Mom, who knows when I'll be able to enjoy your cooking again." Ash said, sitting at the table.
"Think nothing of it, sweetie. Can't let my soon-to-be Pokémon Master leave home on an empty stomach, now could I?" Delia teased, gently messing up his hair. Chuckling softly, Ash sat down, putting his hat on his head. "So, have you figured out your plan?" Delia asked.
"First I'm going down Route 1 until I get to Viridian City. Should be a decent start." Ash explained.
"Hmm, Route 1 is kind of a lengthy route," Delia said.
"It's how all trainers start, Mom, and where tons of Pokémon are!" Ash points out, his eyes lighting up at the last part.
"Well I won't stop you, Honey. You make sure you catch a lot of Pokémon and make every single one of them your friends," Delia instructed.
"I'll do my best." Ash nodded, determined.
"Just be sure to call me when you get to Viridian City. I want to be the first to hear about all your progress." Delia urged.
"I will, Mom. I promise." Ash said as he started to eat. As Pikachu slowly joined in, he smiled softly, enjoying the food.
After breakfast, Ash and Pikachu were making their way towards the outskirts of Pallet Town.
"Hmm, let's see.." Ash muttered to himself as he looked at his map. "I think if we go around and take this path, we might make it to Viridian City quicker than usual, Pikachu."
"Pika." Pikachu said slowly, following after with less enthusiasm. He still didn't feel the need to have to go along with some kid like this.
Ash's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he said, "Keep your eyes peeled for any wild Pokémon - I've got a feeling that when our team grows, you'll get more and more excited," just as something whizzed past them.
In a clearing, they saw a little brown bird Pokémon.
"A Pidgey!" Gasping, Ash drew his PokéDex and scanned the Pokémon for its data.
"Pidgey, A Flying-type Pokémon. Among all the Flying-type Pokémon, it is the most docile and easiest to capture. It makes for a perfect target for the beginning Pokémon Trainer to test their Pokémon skills."
Ash closed his Pokédex with an excitement written on his face. "Sounds like the perfect Pokémon for us to have our first battle with. Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash called out but Pikachu didn't move an inch.
Looking at the Pidgey from where he stood, Pikachu thought it wasn't worth its time and scoffed. "What?" Turning in disbelief, Ash gestured that it was time to battle but Pikachu wouldn't budge. "Come on, if we don't move quickly, it'll fly away!."
However sadly, Pikachu just simply yawned in response.
"Pikachu!" Ash groaned.
Bored of the area, Pidgey flapped its wings and took off, not even acknowledging them.
"Wait!" Ash called out to it, but to no avail. "Seriously? We could've had our first Pokémon…"
"Pika!" Pikachu snickered softly at his reaction before he broke out into a laughing frenzy.
"It's not funny!" Ash snaps.
But Pikachu simply ignored his words and kept laughing, angering the young boy. "Grr! Fine! Be that way! I bet I can catch a Pokémon without your help!" Ash exclaimed.
Examining his surroundings, Ash noticed a small purple rat Pokémon in a clearing.
"A Rattata," Ash brung his PokéDex out again.
"Rattata, the Mouse Pokémon. Rattata constantly keep their ears up and will immediately scurry away from the slightest sound. It likes cheese, nuts, fruits, and berries. It also comes out into open fields to steal food from stupid travelers."
"Ok, that's just being mean." Ash narrowed his eyes, checks his backpack to ensure it's zipped and his food is secure, and then a light bulb moment struck him. "Hmm, maybe a little bait could help," he smirked.
Ash reached into his bag and pulled out a few pieces of food and placed it on a rock. He then slowly backed away and hid in between the tall grass like a predator awaiting to strike at its prey.
Waiting patiently, Ash watched as Rattata slowly popped its head out and approached the food before bending down to eat it.
"Gotcha!" Seeing his chance, Ash came out of hiding and threw a Poké Ball, hitting Rattata dead center.
Upon contact, the Pokéball opened up and a red beam sucked Rattata inside before dropping to the ground and wiggling.
"Yes!" Ash cheered with a grin.
However, that excitement was short-lived as after two clicks the ball opened up allowing Rattata to escape. Rattata then hissed angrily at the kid that tried to bait him, kicking some dirt into the air before scurrying off back into the wild.
"Darn it! That's 0-2!" Ash exclaimed in frustration.
"Piiikaaa!" Pikachu fell on his back, busting his gut. This was just too entertaining for him.
"Shut up!" Ash snapped at his Pokémon. "What kind of Pokémon just sits back and mocks their trainer?! You know, everyone thought I was crazy for picking you and I'm starting to think they were right."
Pikachu stopped laughing and briefly looked down at Ash.
"I tried to be nice to you, Pikachu. Numerous times, but no matter what I do, you just won't give me a chance! Why? All I want is for you and me to be friends…"
Pausing, Pikachu recalled Delia saying the exact thing.
'He loves Pokémon and wants to take a chance on you. The least you can do is give him a chance.' Her words rang in his head.
All Ash wanted was just a chance to be his friend, but Pikachu just sat back and laughed at Ash because he didn't even think to try.
"Why do you hate me, Pikachu? Or better yet, why do you hate people like me?" Ash questioned.
Pausing Pikachu didn't expect a question like that. The reason he was this way?
In the back of his head, a small memory came back to him.
'Quick, get it!'
'Don't let it get away!'
'Ugh, damn rat! Why can't it just hold still?!'
'Pikachuuuu!!' Pikachu's electric screams echoed followed by screams.
'You can't run forever! Sooner or later we'll catch you!'
The bad memories resurfaced in Pikachu's mind as he growled and held his head. "Pika…"
"Pikachu? What's up?" Drastically contrasting with his earlier behavior, Ash tried to understand Pikachu's situation with concern in his voice.
Turning his head, Pikachu faced away from Ash, choosing not to answer. Frowning, Ash had a feeling he'd get that answer as a response.
"Whatever. If you don't want to give me a chance I'll…I'll send you back to Prof. Oak the next chance I get." Ash said, turning away in frustration, but he couldn't help but look back at the Pokémon he was about to disown with the slightest bits of compassion he still had before shaking it off and turning his head back.
Some first day this was turning out to be. Ash woke up late, missed out on getting any of the traditional starters and was instead given a Pikachu that was stubborn and mean as a mule.
The only big problem was Ash couldn't keep traveling without a Pokémon so he needed to figure out a way to catch one before getting rid of Pikachu.
With anger clouding his judgment, Ash noticed another bird Pokémon across the field.
"I'll get you this time." Ash muttered, picking up a stone. He didn't care if it was a Pidgey or not, he just wanted a Pokémon that would actually listen to him.
Throwing the rock with all his might, it flew across the field hitting the bird in the back of the head.
"Got it!" Ash grinned, but his victory was going to be short lived as he wasn't aware that he made a grave mistake in doing that.
Turning its head around, the bird was glaring daggers at him. It wasn't a Pidgey at all. It had darker feathers, red wings, and a sharp beak. A giant red bump formed on its head from the rock that beaned him.
"Wait a second, that's not a Pidgey." Taking out his Pokédex, Ash looked it up.
"Spearow, the Tiny Bird Pokemon. Very protective of its territory, it flaps its short wings busily to dart around at high speed. Unlike Pidgey, Spearow has a terrible attitude, it is very wild and will sometimes attack other Pokémon and humans."
"Uh-oh…" Ash exclaimed with a yelp, not liking this at all.
"SPEAROW!" The tiny sparrow caught sight of Ash and rose into the sky rapidly. Ash panicked and made a beeline for the trees, with the Spearow aiming right at him. Ash shouted before diving, avoiding the sharp beak of the wild Spearow before it flew up. Circling around, Spearow saw Ash and Pikachu nearby.
Realizing who the bigger threat was, Spearow changed targets and flew directly at Pikachu.
"Pikachu?! PIKA!" Pikachu screamed, realizing Spearow was coming for him and avoided the dive bomb at the last second. Spearow flew back at him again, but Pikachu ducked.
"Pikachu! Fight back! It's turning around!" Ash called out as Spearow's beak gleaned, signalling it was using Peck.
As Spearow closed in, sparks came from Pikachu's cheeks, releasing a ThunderShock attack that fried Spearow.
The flying type Pokémon screeched in pain from the electric shock and landed on the ground in a scorched and smoky mess.
"Whoa! So Electric attacks really are powerful against Flying types." Ash said impressed as Pikachu climbed down the tree. "Nice to know you actually can fight."
"Pika...chu…" Pikachu panted, not used to the adrenaline rush of being in danger for a while.
Emerging from the grass, Spearow was more enraged than ever. "SPEAR!" Spearow screeched as it flew towards the treetops.
From a large tree, a flock of Spearow appeared and all of them had their eyes set on Pikachu.
Ash and Pikachu both felt the blood drain from their faces as they looked at the coming flock with fear written in their eyes and looked at each other.
"Run? Now?" Ash said in a high-pitched voice. Not needing to be told twice, Pikachu as fast as he could. "Hey wait for me!" Ash said, running after him.
The flock of enraged birds was close on their tail, emitting cries of uncontrollable rage, frenzied caws, and murderous intent.
"Pikachu stay close to me!" Ash called out but Pikachu just kept running ahead of him. "Seriously?!"
Flying past Ash, half a dozen Spearow surrounded Pikachu and attacked him with Fury Attack.
"Leave him alone, Spearow!" Ash yelled as Pikachu fell to the ground in pain.
The Spearow began to pile up around the poor Pikachu and began to attack him relentlessly and ruthlessly by scratching and pecking him back and forth, non-stop. Pikachu cried out and tried to zap them away with ThunderShock, but they just kept coming as more and more Spearow replaced the ones that were electrocuted. Pikachu couldn't even concentrate on getting the energy to use his attack anymore.
"I said, LEAVE HIM ALONE!!"
Swinging his backpack, Ash swats the Spearow away allowing him to grab Pikachu and run away with him.
Briefly glancing down at the weakened Pikachu, he saw that there were scratches and bruises all over the mouse. "Pi…" Pikachu groaned in a weakened state.
"Just try and hang on Pikachu…" Ash said as Pikachu bit his arm making him wince. "Hey! I'm trying to help you!"
Ash snapped.
Even in its weakened state, Pikachu still didn't trust Ash. Running into the forest, Ash hoped he could lose them in the trees. He pushed past every branch, shrub, and bush in his way until finally came to a stop to a dead end at a cliff near a wafting waterfall with a raging river below his feet. Panicking, Ash turned around to see if there was a way to double back, but the Spearow were closing in.
"Hold your breath, Pikachu!" Taking a deep breath, Ash jumped off the edge and into the river.
Once he went underwater, Ash kicked his legs into overdrive and swam as fast as he could with Pikachu still in his arms. However, the current was extremely strong, making swimming difficult for the young boy. Despite that, it wasn't going to stop him.
As he swam, he saw a number of water Pokémon swimming underneath and blanched in fear at seeing a terrifyingly large serpentine Pokémon heading there way. Ash quickly moved in the opposite direction to avoid confrontation.
Upstream, far away from the waterfall, a young girl that looked like she was around Ash's age was fishing on a rock. She had short, orange hair tied into a side ponytail, green eyes and fair skin. She wore a yellow tank top that revealed her midriff, red suspenders, denim shorts that stopped at her thighs and red high top sneakers. Right behind her was an orange bike parked up on a hilltop.
As she waited patiently, she suddenly felt a tug on her line.
"Hey I got a bite! Oh wow it must be a big one!" She grinned, thinking she caught a Pokemon. She grabbed her pole and reeled it in, but to her surprise it wasn't a Pokémon, but instead Ash. His jacket got snagged into her hook and yanked him out of the water, and onto the rocks beside her. "Huh? A kid?" she muttered in confusion before noticing Pikachu in his arms and gasped. "Oh, and a Pokémon! Are you okay?!" She said, crouching over to them.
"We've..been..better." Ash coughed, trying to catch his breath after spitting out the water from his lungs. Looking at Pikachu, he gently placed two fingers near Pikachu's neck and once he felt his heartbeat, he sighed with relief.
"What happened? And what did you do to that poor little thing?" She asked, looking at Pikachu's condition.
"We were attacked. Please, do you know where we can get help? He's really hurt." Ash asked.
"Well, there's a Pokémon Center just north that way to Viridian City," the girl explained, pointing towards the steps. "It could take you an hour or two to get there on foot.." she trailed off, looking at Pikachu again, thinking his condition might worsen by the time Ash gets there.
"2 hours?! There's got to be a way to get there faster!" Ash looked around frantically and noticed she had a bike. "Can I borrow your bike?"
"My bike? But-"
"Please!" Ash begged her with concern in his eyes. She wanted to say no but she knew Pikachu was in a dangerous condition.
"I'll be at Viridian City myself. I expect it to be returned to me when I get there." She states.
"Deal!" Ash said, putting Pikachu in the basket. Just as he was about to hop onto the bike, a familiar string of angry caws filled the air, making Ash freeze up in horror. He quickly looked up and saw the Spearow flock flying in the distance, still out for his blood.
"Oh no! Not them!" Ash panicked as the girl looked up in horror.
"What's happening?!" She panicked at the sight of the flock of angry bird Pokemon.
"They're the ones who attacked us!" Ash declared.
"A Spearow flock?! What did you do?!"
"No time to explain!" Ash stated, getting on the bike and pedaling as fast as he could. "Meet me at Viridian City!"
Before the girl could even think, she saw the Spearow flock heading her way and quickly dove onto the ground to avoid them as they flew overhead.
As Ash was pedaling, the skies darkened up with storm clouds as rain soon poured down. Looking down into the basket, Ash saw Pikachu was panting heavily.
"Just hang on a little longer, Pikachu…" Ash said. When the flock of Spearow managed to catch up to him, they started pecking at the boy's head, making him lose focus on the road as he rode off of a slope, causing both trainer and Pokémon to fall off the bike.
Groaning in pain, Ash slowly got up as lightning flashed and the sound of thunder echoed in the air.
Gazing up, Ash saw the entire flock glaring down at him and Pikachu from the sky as if they were about to pass judgement on them.
As fear coursed through Ash's body, he was almost frozen, unsure how to get out of this ordeal or if he would even survive.
"Pikapi…" Briefly snapping out of it, Ash turned his attention to Pikachu.
"Pikachu..." He muttered under his breath. He reached out and placed a hand onto his injured starter's side as tears began to form in his eyes. "I'm so sorry…this is all my fault."
"Pikachu?" Shocked at the boy's words, Pikachu turned to Ash.
"I was so angry and frustrated with you that I ended up taking it out on Spearow. I'm sorry. I wanted to be a Pokémon Trainer so badly, I wanted it more than anything and it caused all of this and I got you hurt…" Ash confessed, taking out Pikachu's Poké Ball. "Get in the ball, Pikachu. I know you don't like it but you'll be safe if you do."
Pikachu looked at his former imprisonment, and then to the boy he was stuck with with a surprised look on his face. "Just please, for once, listen to me. I'm doing this because I want to protect you." He said sincerely with a light inside of his eyes.
Even after everything Pikachu had done, Ash was prioritizing his safety over his own. As the Electric Type's eyes met his Trainer's, he could sense something brewing inside the human. No more was the frustrated brat who gave up on him, but rather a selfless and understanding person took his place, eyes sparking with determination. It was right then and there Pikachu realized Ash did deserve a chance.
Rising to his feet, Ash turned his hat backwards before staring down the entire flock of angry Spearow and raising his arms wide.
"Hey! You don't scare me, you dumb birds! My name is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and I'm gonna become a Pokemon Master no matter what! You guys aren't going to get in my way! Nothing's gonna stop me from achieving my dream! So if you want to challenge me so badly, COME AND GET ME!!" Ash declares.
And with that, the flock extended its wings and began to dive, each one swooping quickly towards Ash, ready to rip the young trainer alive.
Ash didn't run; instead, he stood there boldly with a determined expression on his face, thinking that if this was how he died, at least he'd do it while protecting someone he considered a friend.
Suddenly feeling someone running up his back, the Pallet trainer looked in surprise to see Pikachu leap off him as lightning struck a nearby tree.
"PIKACHUUUUU!" Pikachu roared at the top of his lungs as he created a powerful electric attack that combined with the nearby lightning, creating a giant flash of light that blinded everything in a nearby radius.
The storm clouds had vanished from the sky, leaving just sunlight to shine down on the land.
Nearby, trainer and Pokémon were lying down. Ash opened his eyes and heard the calm in the air surrounding them.
He looked at his Pokémon and saw that Pikachu, too, was awake. "Pikapi…" the mouse smiled in a weak voice.
"Pikachu..." Ash slowly brought Pikachu over to embrace him when Pikachu leaned in and licked his cheek, surprising him.
"You're finally giving me a chance?" Ash smiled weakly.
"Pika…" Pikachu nodded again. Ash felt his eyes water and he smiled and hugged the mouse softly, who nuzzled him in response with a small 'Cha~'. After going through all of those lengths to protect him, Pikachu felt he needed to return the favor.
Friendships can be formed in various ways, but it took an entire Spearow flock to bring them together.
"Spear…Spear…" A familiar groan soon made itself known, alarming both trainer and Pokémon.
Nearby, next to the charred remains of the tree was a Spearow with a bump atop its head, indicating that it was the one who started it all, on the ground, covered in bruises and too weak to fly.
"Spearow..." the little swallow tried getting up, but it finally fell onto the floor, completely exhausted.
At the sight of the weakened Pokémon, Ash and Pikachu exchanged an alarming look. "Wait here, Pikachu. I'm gonna fix what I started."
"Hey. It looks like your flock is long gone by now." Looking up, Spearow saw Ash approaching him.
"Spear!" Spearow glared at the Pallet boy in anger, exaggeratedly pointing at him and then pointing at the bump atop its head.
Ash sighed and said, "Spearow, you have every right to be mad at me. I'm sorry I threw that rock at you. I didn't meant to hurt you."
"Row," Spearow turned his head, as if it was scoffing at him.
"Listen, there's no excuse for what I did, but you're in no condition to find your flock. Let me make it up to you and get you healed. Once I do, you can leave and forget we ever met. Deal?" Ash offered.
Hearing this off got Spearow thinking. Right now, he was alone, lost, weak and didn't know where his flock had run off to. If he tried finding them in this condition, it could take forever. And that's assuming he didn't run into any more trouble.
Spearow then turned his attention to the human that started this entire thing.
"Spear." Slowly nodding his head, Spearow allowed Ash to take him to be healed.
Eyes widening, Ash realized the situation he was given. Taking out a Poké Ball, Ash pressed it against Spearow's forehead and a red beam sucked him.
Blinking 3 times, the ball clicked, signalling Spearow was captured.
It might not have been what he was aiming for, but technically Ash had just captured his first Pokémon: a Spearow. A small smile crept onto his face as he pocketed the ball and turned his attention over to the bike he borrowed from the girl from earlier.
Cringing, Ash saw the electric attack from Pikachu had barbecued it to the point it was impossible to ride.
"Oh man! That girl is not going to be happy when she sees this…" Ash gulped.
He wasn't going to just leave it there out in the open for her to come and see, so Ash picked the remains of the bike up from the ground. Walking back to Pikachu and putting him in the remains of the basket, Ash pushed the bike up the large hill and when he reached the top he saw a beautiful rainbow.
Smiling softly, Ash and Pikachu noticed something flying towards it.
Up in the sky was a magnificent bird Pokémon far larger than any of the Spearow, surrounded by golden sparkles flying over their heads.
"What's that?" Ash wondered aloud. As if it heard his voice, Ash's PokéDex beeped from his pocket and said:
"There is no data. There are still Pokémon yet to be identified."
"No data?" Ash asked in disbelief. A Pokémon not even the PokéDex could identify?
They stared at the mysterious Pokemon until it disappeared into the sky. After reaching the top of the hill, Ash looked down to see Viridian City in the distance and made his way down the hill to reach his destination.
After what was by far the messiest first day as a trainer, Ash and his official new partner Pikachu made their way to Viridian City, eager for some much needed rest.
Happy (belated) New Year, everybody!
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I'm sorry for not uploading anything for the remainder of 2024. I was just going through a very rough time and couldn't find it in me to write anything storywise. But I managed to pull myself out of that whole and feel a whole lot better now.
How do you like some of the changes regarding the first episode?
1. I decided to have Ash wear clothes similar to what Red wore in the Gen 1 Games and what Ash had on in the Electric Tail of Pikachu.
2. I made Delia help Pikachu give Ash a chance while also giving a small preview on why he dislikes humans at first.
3. I even had Ash ask Misty to use her bike instead of just stealing it. The outcome for this change is that you will have to wait until the next chapter for the answer.
4. Finally, I've made the decision to hold back on Ash getting the Rainbow Wing for now. I'll be saving that for the Johto arc.
Please tell me what you thought of the chapter? Did you like the changes? Still love Ash getting canon and non-canon Pokemon? What more do you want to see in the future?
Constructive critismn is advised. It would help me and my co-writer Cloud4012 want to get better in the future.
Until then, I will see you all in the next chapter.