Ash Ketchum sat in his bedroom, a pencil twirled around his hand as he bit the inside of his lip. He stretched his back out as he looked at his old notes as if they had greatly offended him. He'd thought to refresh his mind of the finer details of his notations from the Pallet Academy. When he wrote the notes he'd thought they were alright, good even. Now he was tempted to burn them. His handwriting was atrocious and his letters took up twice the space they should. He'd gotten used to taking all his notes shorthand but his older notes lacked any such method. He shuddered as he closed his notebook titled ' Basics' and reached for a different one titled ' Pillars' .
Ash flipped through the notebook without really paying any attention to the words on the page. He felt something smack the back of his head. He rubbed his scalp as he automatically picked up the fallen eraser that had been used as a projectile and sent it hurling back to its owner. "Heads up."
"Ow! I didn't throw it that hard!" Gary bit out as he rubbed his forehead where the pink eraser bounced off it. "Good throw though."
Ash laughed. "Thanks. What's up, Gary?"
The grandson of the notoriously famous professor plopped down in Ash's snorlax beanbag. The Oak poked the pidgey alarm clock on the bedside table with a smirk. "Nothin', I'm bored and you have to entertain me. Gramps made me take a break from studying. Too much sharpening dulling the blade or something."
The Pallet teens shared a look before breaking into laughter. It was a well known fact that Samuel Oak liked to drop bits of wisdom he ripped from the pages of famous literature.
"Was that Kraft or Gram?" Gary asked.
"Volten, actually." Ash answered with a smirk as he closed his notes. A break would do him good too. "Getting rusty on your Alolan poets?"
"Volten was Hoennese."
"He was born in Alola then moved to Hoenn."
Gary scoffed and rolled his eyes. Ash gave a grin. "Whatever. On a less boring note, did your mom ever send you a postcard?"
"Yeah, standard pidgey mailing." Ash handed Gary a letter from his desk. His mother had been on a sightseeing trip ever since she retired. Delia Ketchum was young but she'd had enough inheritance and shrewd investments to retire in her late thirties. So, she was seeing the places she'd always wanted to but never had the chance. The postcard she had sent recently showed herself in front of the Bell Tower of Ecruteak City.
"Seems like she's enjoying herself. Good for her." Gary inspected the card. "Ecruteak City is cool as hell. I can't believe you skipped out to stay in this dead-end town."
"I wouldn't have nearly enough time to study. Besides that, I wouldn't have been back in time to take the TLEs," Ash replied. "You really think I'd skip out on becoming a trainer for a vacation? Grow up."
Requirements existed that had to be met before someone could be a licensed Pokemon Trainer. After all, the League couldn't just let anyone go into a world full of creatures capable of mass destruction, let alone train them, without being prepared.
The title of Pokemon Trainer itself was fairly prestigious. A person could by all rights own a pokemon as a non-trainer, a one week course and a small fee was all it took, but anything deemed excessive by the League was vetoed. To travel the routes meant the necessity of a pokemon, but only a trainer was allowed to participate in regulated battles and own pokemon the League filed as excessively dangerous. A non-trainer might have a skitty but a trainer could have a dragonite.
To be licensed as a pokemon trainer, a person was required to pass a Trainer Licensing Exam, commonly referred to as a TLE. However, to many people's chagrin, they must first have graduated from a League approved academy to be eligible to take the exam. After the batch of qualified students graduated from an approved academy, they could apply to take their TLEs. They would then be assigned a testing time and date at the nearest testing facility, which was usually a Ranger's Station or Pokemon Gym but happened to be Oak's lab for the graduates in Pallet Town. To be a pokemon trainer in the eyes of the League they then simply needed to pass the exam.
It sounded fairly easy, yet the exam was anything but. The licensing exam was broken down into two different sections, the written and the practical. The written portion of the exam tested the prospective trainer's memory of various species of pokemon, applications of different native plants and other more region-specific knowledge. The practical consisted of a mock battle with a randomly assigned pokemon to measure their ability to adapt and command a pokemon they may find themselves possessing in the future. It also helped them make sure they memorized various attacks any pokemon could know, as an examinee wouldn't know which beast they could get assigned. Besides the mock battle, practical applications of many different skills such as making a fire, identifying edible plants, setting up a camp and directional awareness were assessed as well.
It was a very thorough exam. Understandable given the constant danger that plagued the life of even the most average of trainers. The Indigo League needed to make sure that the trainers they licensed wouldn't come back severely injured or in caskets.
"Grow up? I'm taller than you." Gary handed back the letter. "Still trying for the top spot?"
"Did you expect anything else?" Ash asked in faux surprise. The Pallet Trainer Academy worked differently compared to the numerous other schooling facilities in Kanto. The class size at the school almost never went above fifteen and only a single class was held at a time, another being authorized once the previous group had all been finalized. Of the fifteen, only a few usually graduated. The requirements and expectations of the curriculum were high. Ash had worked hard to graduate from the course, but it had been well worth it.
Ash knew he had worked hard in the trainer course, but he would work even harder in the licensing exam, striving for first place amongst his peers. He needed to get first place in order to get a coveted Kanto starter.
The Kanto starters were three incredibly promising pokemon handed out to three select trainers every year. One such trainer earns that spot by placing first in the toughest and most in-depth trainer school in Kanto, The Pallet Trainer Academy. So, in order for Ash to receive one of the rare starters he'd need to place first in the TLE since it was essentially his final for the class.
"Nah, but I thought I'd ask," Gary responded. "By the way, Ethan and Leaf are waiting for us at the diner for lunch."
Ash Ketchum, despite what Gary Oak would say, did not throw a notebook at his friend's head. It merely slipped. "You should have told me that earlier! How long have they been waiting?"
"How long have I been here?"
.—.—.—.
"Ketchum, about time you showed up!" Leaf waved him down and Ash slipped into the booth in the Pallet Diner. He gave Gary a glare for leaving him while he was getting ready. He sat directly across from her and got a full view of the half-chewed bread in her mouth.
"Gross, swallow your food. No one should have to see that, Lavern ." Ash teased. It was a running gag between them that he'd only call him by her given name, one she detested for a reason none of them really knew. It was, as Gary had put it, an old woman's name so he thought that might be it.
Leaf grinned as she said, "I think you should follow your own advice, Ketchum . Didn't Instructor Mathers get on you about chewing on your pens?"
Ethan, the Golden Boy from New Bark Town, shook his head. "You two are both children."
"Children? Weren't you just arguing with Gary about colors?" Leaf asked pointedly.
Ethan nodded seriously. "Of course, it's very important." He held the professional persona for a few more seconds before grining. They all joined him in the laughter.
Ash swiped his gaze over to his friend. "Colors, really Gary? Are we in art class? Need a pack of crayons and a kid's menu?"
"It's not as dumb as she makes it sound, you ass. Professor Sycamore–you remember that kalosian playboy that was in the lab a few months back? That guy–published a study finding that arbok from Kanto, Kalos and Hoenn all varied slightly in their hood patterns. Kanto arbok were more dominantly purple, Hoenn's had more yellow, and Kalos' had blacker marking." Gary explained.
Ethan wiped his mouth. "Professor Sycamore thinks it has to do with their genetic predispositions and environmental factors. Gary disagrees."
Ash gave Gary a quizzical look. The Oak sipped from his water glass before continuing. "I think it has to do with their training instead. In Kanto ekans are often consuming eggs, bug-types or small flying-types. In Hoenn and Kalos, the areas where ekans are found are often littered with larger pokemon that they can't steal eggs from nearly as easily. Ekans adapted differently between the two. In Hoenn they grew to commonly hunt water-type from ponds and lakes. In Kalos they have a more debilitating venom to weaken their prey."
"So how does this not count as genetic predispositions and environmental factors?" Ash asked after he gave a waitress his order.
"Their hoods are all about giving other pokemon a warning, so theoretically you should be able to train an ekans in a specific area and they'd evolve to look similar to a different region's arbok. A Kanto ekans could evolve to look like a Kalos arbok if given the proper training."
Leaf swallowed a piece of food just as Gary finished talking. "Oak, your theory needs some work."
"So says you, Miss Background Character."
"I told you not to call me that, Gare-Bear."
Ash ignored them as they bickered. Ethan all but sprayed them with a spray bottle to separate them. Ash was preoccupied. His meal arrived and he dug into his burger ravenously and put the approaching TLEs out of his mind.
This break had been completely worth it.
.—.— .
A week later Ash admired Pallet Town's main contribution to the modern world. Professor Samuel Oak's research lab was large and sparkling white. The attached corral was dozens of acres big and confined by a wall thicker and taller than a doors slammed behind him as he entered the awe inspiring building.
"Ah! Ash, my boy, good to see you!" Professor Oak greeted the fifteen year old in surprise as he walked into the office. The older man looked tired, understandable considering the size of his workload, but chipper nonetheless.
"Good morning, Professor Oak," Ash greeted the man with a grin and a wave. His spiky hair looked disheveled as he swiped away a few strands that were stuck to his forehead by beads of sweat. He made a note to have his hair groomed soon, he certainly wouldn't be able to cut it while on the Routes.
"You certainly are early," Professor Oak noted with a smile. "Gary is going to take his time to sleep this morning, so don't expect him to be arriving until the last second. Ethan, as I'm sure you have already heard, failed to meet the requirements of the TLE and will not be able to receive a starter until he retakes and passes it. I have him set up with another testing date in a month."
Ash nodded. He had been disappointed when he learned his friend would be unable to start his trainer career at the same time. Ethan had seemed prepared, but maybe that was the point. No one could ever truly prepare you for the TLEs.
"What about Leaf?" Ash asked Oak after realizing he'd neglected to mention the girl.
"She should arrive at the designated time. I believe I said noon, yet you get here at eight." The man said with a twinkle of humor in his eyes.
"Yeah, I figured I'd get here early and help out around the place. I'll be gone and away from here for a while. I'll miss it." Ash said with a lopsided smile. "Besides, a little extra work won't kill me."
"True enough. I would certainly appreciate the help, my boy. A large section of the staff have come down sick because of a muk's stench. Thankfully Dragonite was able to clear it out. Nonetheless, they have taken off work so I'm a little short on employees at the moment. Gary has helped around a bit, but you know how he is." Oak sighed as picked up and read a few sheets of paper. He didn't seem to like what they said as he frowned and picked up a pen to sign them.
Ash rolled up his sleeves. "Put me to work."
"Thank you, Ash. Feeding stations B3 and K9 need to be refilled with the usual mix, the ponyta and mudbray in the western stables need brushed, and the solar panels on the roof need cleared off. Dragonite managed to whip up every bit of sand and dirt not under the building itself." Oak listed off the jobs that needed done quickly. "Before you do that, a couple of the maturing nidoran were battling and provoked Nico, who proceeded to break a hole in the fence of the corral."
Ash winced. Nico was the Professor's Nidoking from his younger years. Grumpy on the best of days and lethal at the worst. He was sure the nidoran were punished for that provocation.
"As a result, two growlithe have gotten out. They're both just a week old and can't even manage an Ember, so you should be able to round them up fairly easily. I have a couple interns already gathering the proper materials to begin working on the fence, but they're new enough I can't trust them to round up the pokemon. I know you can handle it. I would send Lady but I need her to keep the corral pokemon clear while the interns fix the fence."
"It's fine, like you said, I can handle it. I only worked here for a couple years," Ash said jokingly as he leaned down and laced his boots tighter than they had been. "What are their ID numbers?"
"Numbers seven and three of clutch nine, the ending code is the same as always. Thank you again, Ash." The Professor said as he left to start on his own list of things that needed doing.
"Of course. Anytime you need some help, just ask." Ash assured the man. "The growlithe got out in the what section?"
"Section F7. A male and a female." Oak informed Ash. "Please try and be back here by noon."
"I will." Ash assured the man as he left. His first priority would be the growlithe. If they were as young as Oak had said then they wouldn't go far before running out of steam. First, he'd need their pokeballs. The Digital Transfer Machine in the lobby of the building would retrieve them easily. After a few moments of quickly making his way to the machine and navigating it with practiced ease, Ash left the building with the fire-types' pokeballs. He was ready to retrieve them.
.-.-.
"Damn it." Ash muttered to himself at the sight in the clearing. Blood was splattered across the grass and the surrounding shrubs. Two spearow were picking at the form of one of the growlithe that he had set out to retrieve. "Get outta here!" He yelled at the birds and made a shoo-ing gesture with his hands. The pair squawked as they took flight and flew off. The larger of the two had a large bite taken from its left wing that gave it some trouble but flew off nonetheless. It would certainly heal just fine, but might leave a slight scar.
Had there been the whole flock of the flying-types, Ash would have most likely avoided the clearing. Lucky for him, the two spearow were seemingly flockless. Rogues that most likely challenged the head of their own flock and lost, their punishment being exile. The growlithe's body was still in mostly one piece, fur matted and missing in places but still relatively unharmed. Had a flock been responsible for the fire-type's death, the fearow in charge would have been first to eat and would most likely have been able eat it himself. He kneeled down and inspected the corpse with a frown. It was the female growlithe.
No pulse, no breathing and no light in its eyes. Definitely dead. Ash sighed in disappointment, he had known it wasn't alive the minute he saw it but still held on to some hope. The puppy pokemon was only a week old. It had no way to defend against its attackers.
He straightened up when a bush rustled from his right. Ash readied himself to flee at a moment's notice. He relaxed slightly when the other growlithe came into view. It was in far better shape then the other one, alive and breathing at least. Ash grabbed the appropriate pokeball and prepared to return the pokemon.
He barely sidestepped an Ember attack from the young pokemon. Ash wasn't as lucky with the second Ember as it managed to hit his arm as he moved out of the way. He dropped the pokeball as his other arm instinctively grabbed the spot of his injury. He clenched his teeth in both annoyance and pain.
The growlithe rushed him while he was distracted. Before he could comprehend what it was doing, it bit his ankle. Ash grunted and leaned down to it. He grabbed it by the scruff and jerked its muzzle from around his leg. He held its snout to the ground in case it tried to fire another Ember. He reached for the pokeball he dropped and returned the fire-type quickly. In an instant, the canine under his hands was gone.
"Not able to perform an Ember my ass." Ash grunted, annoyed. He hissed in pain as he rubbed his left forearm. The burn from the growlithe was minor–not his first scar and it wouldn't be his last–but the bite wound on his ankle was shooting lances of pain up his leg and trickling some beads of blood.
He pocketed the two pokeballs as he walked with a slight limp back to the lab. He retrieved the corpse of the female on his way. He'd need to return the pokeball with the now recaptured pokemon to the Digital Transfer Machine and let Oak know he had gotten the puppy under control and pass on the death of the female.
Ash knew he'd need to apply antiseptic to the bite, which he didn't look forward to, but he was fine all things considered. After unloading the retrieved pokemon and the fallen one, he grabbed a medical kit and patched himself up. It was a simple procedure, one he'd gotten used to performing, and soon enough he was back on his feet and working. Oak was disappointed in the death of the growlithe but understood. Ash left the situation in the man's hands now, not much else he could do. The researcher apologized profusely for the burn he had sustained but Ash waved it off as an inevitability of life.
No pain no gain and all that.
He returned to his duties soon enough. The pokemon in sections B3 and K9 seemed pleased as he filled the feeding stations. A few of the less skittish herbivores–namely a rowdy deerling that kept getting under his feet–even followed him until he left for the stables. The stables were fairly empty, just a few rapidash and a select population of ponyta and mudbray that belonged to trainers. Professor Oak had a good side business of boarding trainers' pokemon. Some pokemon were there to be researched, such was the case of a psyduck with a distinctly different coloring than the rest of its species, while others were pokemon that's trainers paid the researcher to house. Many pokemon were from trainers who exceeded their carry limit and needed a place to keep their excess team members.
He groomed the pokemon quickly, the process going far faster than it would have had the pokemon not already been trained. By the time Ash finished his last task of clearing off the solar panels, it was past eleven and nearing noon.
Ash barely had enough time to use the employee shower to clear him of the sweat and dirt he had accumulated before he needed to return to the Professor's office. He threw the towel he had used into a laundry basket before making his way to the office of the Old Oak.
"Hey, Professor." Ash knocked on the open door as he entered. "Am I the first one?"
"It would seem so. Did you finish everything then?" The older man asked as he typed a few keys on his computer.
"Of course. I said I would, didn't I?" Ash smiled cheekily. "Shouldn't the others be here by now? Leaf is-"
As if responding to a cue, a brunette girl with tan, unblemished skin and a white beanie entered the room and cut him off. She waved lazily at them both as she finished chewing whatever food item was in her mouth.
"What about me, Ketchum?" Leaf asked playfully after she swallowed her food.
Ash grinned at his friend as she walked in. "You actually passed then?"
"Of course. Did ya' think I wouldn't? You still owe me a battle." She snarked at him with a grin.
"Of course," Ash agreed. They had agreed before they had even entered the Oak's Trainer Academy that they, along with Ethan and Gary, would all be each other's first official battles. That would be a problem now that Ethan had failed to pass the exam but it would work itself out.
Professor Oak cleared his throat. They grinned bashfully at the man. "Now then, once Gary arrives we can begin. While we wait, how about I give you both something. A graduation present, if you will."
Leaf and Ash both perked up in excitement at the thought of a gift from the one and only Professor Samuel Oak himself. The older man reached for a bag sitting on his desk made of oak wood–Ash was sure that design detail was intended–and pulled out two shiny red devices. He smiled broadly as he handed one to each of them.
Ash recognized it immediately and judging from the look on Leaf's face, she did too. Ash explored every inch of the Pokedex with wonder. The Pokedex was an invention by Samuel Oak himself. The man had made the oldest versions years ago and the technology was still a rare sight. The use of the device was wide, it was an encyclopedia of pokemon knowledge, as well as a way to contact the professor in an emergency. It kept notes, contacts and gave news reports of pokemon activity. The biggest feature, and the one Ash looked forward to using the most, was that it could display the known moves of a trainer's pokemon and learnable moves. That did however require you to link your pokeball to the device.
He knew the device had more functions but that was off the top of his head. Ash continued to marvel at it as he flipped it open to try it out. He knew it was a newer model when he read the words on the bottom of the device. "Mark Four?" Ash questioned the pokemon researcher.
"Yep! It's the latest in pokedex technology and I thought that you two, as well as Gary, could put them to the best use! It will save my weary bones from having to collect data in the field." Oak grinned widely. "It has a few new features, but I'll let you two figure them out yourselves."
Ash fiddled with the Dex as they waited for Gary to arrive. He skimmed the knowledge it gave, barely scratching the surface of information it could provide him.
Leaf and Ash grinned as the heavy door swung open and a spiky brown-haired boy walked in with swagger. "About time, Oak." Leaf remarked as Gary gave a smirk and a wave.
"I'm on time. Five minutes early actually." Gary told her. "You and Ash just like being awake at the crack of dawn."
"Alright," The Professor interrupted, knowing if Leaf and Gary started arguing they wouldn't stop. "I say we should begin with the formalities."
Ash didn't let that stop his grin, even as both his friends groaned. The formalities, as the older Oak referred to them, was paperwork. Ash listened to Leaf and Gary quip at each other constantly as they all signed their names, checked boxes and stapled dozens of papers.
.—.—.
"Firstly, I want to congratulate all three of you. Graduating from any academy, let alone Pallet Academy, is a worthy accomplishment and you should all feel exceptionally proud. And now you three have all passed your Trainer Licensing Exams." Professor Oak said happily. When he saw they were unimpressed and fidgeting he sighed. "Alright. The impatience of youth," He mumbled, though a hint of a smile was on his face.
"Leaf," Oak started. "I know you worked exceptionally hard. However, you came in last. You missed a few questions on the written test, most of which pertained to proper dietary needs of specific pokemon, and your practical was less than perfect. Nevertheless, you did splendidly on the questions involving pokemon habitats and behaviors as well as utilizing your assigned pokemon to great lengths in the mock battle."
Leaf groaned and rubbed the nape of her neck. "I kinda figured. To be fair, who memorizes the dietary needs of a skarmory?"
"It is important that you are at least vaguely familiar with any native pokemon or common migrant you may encounter." Oak pointed out with a disapproving tone.
Leaf accepted the response with a nod. She turned to Gary as he let out a slight snort. "Be quiet, Gary. Ash, you better not let this prick beat you."
Ash laughed at the shocked look on Gary's face and the Professor's chastising of Leaf's language. "Sure."
Oak moved on before Gary could formulate a reply. "Ash, Gary. You both did exceptionally well. Ash, you excelled in the practicals but failed to recall certain information in the written portion. Gary, you excelled in the written portion but fumbled in the mock battle."
Ash met Gary's eyes. They stared at each other. Both of them wanted a Kanto starter. Their friendship and rivalry had all led up to this very moment. Professor Oak smiled. "It's impressively close, you both came within a single percent of each other." Ash and Gary both froze. They had certainly not expected that.
Ash didn't care who came first, he simply wanted the starter and getting first would achieve that. The League gave out only three of the official Kanto starters every year. All three were mind-bogglingly rare and practically extinct outside of captivity. The odds of encountering one of them naturally was abysmal at best, so it was effectively here or nothing. Only small numbers of all three of the pokemon's population remained and the League guarded them furiously. Squads of ACE Trainers, also known as Advanced Combat Experienced Trainers, and League Rangers guarded the threatened pokemon from poachers and other threats religiously. The point being that he couldn't even go out and buy one.
Bulbasaur are dual grass/poison-type pokemon and the most endangered of each of the starters. The fire-type starter, charmander, was the most aggressive of the starters due to their diluted dragon-type genes. The water-type, squirtle, was formidable in its own right. Ash saw the appeal the pokemon held to Gary. Gary had declared his intent for the water-type the minute he could form words. Ash had heard many long-winded talks on why squirtle were superior and how Gary would get one as his starter.
Each of the starters had their strengths but a great trainer could train them regardless of their weaknesses. Ash hadn't even bothered to consider which one he would want. Each time Oak handed out the starters, the League appointed trainers always chose first. The trainer from Pallet Academy would always complain about the order.
Ash didn't care which of the three starters he got, but he was slightly partial to charmander. He'd seen the professor's own charizard in action and he had been in love from the sight of the massively powerful pseudo-dragon. Samuel Oak was the person Ash wanted to emulate. His team were monsters and he was revered as one of the best trainers Indigo had produced in decades until Lance had come along.
"Gramps, who gets the starter?" Gary asked with impatience.
"That is the question, isn't it?" The professor smiled happily. "Gary, congratulations. You achieved a score of ninety to Ash's eighty-nine."
"Yes!" Gary exclaimed as he fist pumped. Ash hadn't seen his friend actually jump for joy since they were kids, yet here he was hopping like a lopunny. Leaf rolled her eyes as Gary gave her a condescending smirk.
Ash's eyes met Gary's own. The Oak's excitement dulled as he realized that Ash might be slightly offended by the display. Ash smiled and clasped arms with his best friend before dragging him into a hug. "Hell of a job, Blue."
"Thanks, Red." Gary said with a smile that spread ear to ear.
Professor Oak smiled and cleared his throat to regain their attention. "I will notify the committee that you accept the honor of receiving a starter. On another note, you should all celebrate. You all passed and will be licensed as trainers!" The three of them all smiled at each other, even if Ash's was tinged with disappointment.
"Your trainer licenses and identifications will arrive within a week and once you have a League approved starter, you'll be all set. Leaf, Ash, do you both have a backup starter available?"
Leaf nodded. "My uncle knows a breeder in Goldenrod City. League representatives already approved one of the machop as my backup starter." Leaf said with a small smile.
"Good, then I wish you well. I will speak with your parents and retrieve your machop for you, as I am obligated to inspect it before you obtain it." Oak said as he sent the girl off. Ash smiled at the retreating figure before she left with the door swinging behind her.
Samuel Oak looked at Ash with a smile. "My boy, congratulations. Though you did not place first, you did very well nonetheless," Oak paused for a moment. "Do you have a backup starter?"
"The Viridian City Gym has an open house in two days. They'll have a few pokemon I can choose a starter from." Ash said.
"For the price of an arm, a leg and your first born child." Gary snarked.
Ash couldn't disagree with him. For the average trainer it was up to themselves to acquire a suitable starter. Most turned to breeders or spawn of family pokemon that were approved by the League. For those who had no better option they could go to their closest Gym's open house and, for a snorlax's weight in gold, pick a starter from the selection they had there.
For Ash the closest Gym meant Viridian. It was the Gym Leader's responsibility to capture the pokemon and curb them into starter quality pokemon. While the Gym Leader wasn't forced to stick to any specific typing, many Gym Leaders ended up catching pokemon convenient for them and that usually meant their preferred typing. For Ash that meant his starter was more than likely a ground-type.
"I'll take the hit to my savings. Hey, I might even be able to snatch an onix," Ash said optimistically.
Gary snorted. His grandfather was much kinder in his reply, "I highly doubt it. Unless the person is an apprentice of some sort, an onix would never be approved as a starter. I believe I heard that there would be a couple cubone, a few sandshrew, a small variety of geodude and one or two rhyhorn this year. There were also a couple rumors going around that Giovanni had acquired a few specimens from his recent trip to Hoenn, not all of them ground-types."
"If there are Hoenn pokemon, that would be a good pick depending on what they are. I suppose if nothing else, a rhyhorn could be a good starter. Rhydon are pretty powerful, rhyperior even more so. Though they aren't the most intelligent." Ash shrugged. "Cubone wouldn't be too bad either. Any pokemon is better than none."
"Oh come on!" The grandson of the pokemon professor groaned. "Gramps, just give him a starter from the corral."
The professor smiled and hummed thoughtfully before addressing Ash. "I would not be opposed to that. I could procure you a starter, if you would like. It won't be a Kanto starter like Gary's but hopefully I can make up for that."
"That'd be great! " Ash tilted his head slightly. "What do you mean by make up for it, Professor?" He asked quizzically.
"May I see your Pokédex for one moment?" Oak asked with a smile. Ash handed him the device and the older man entered a room off of the lobby. His office, Ash knew. The man returned almost as quickly as he left. "Now, this is what I mean." He handed Ash back the red device. Ash took the Pokedex with confusion.
"Change to the profile screen." Oak said with a smile.
After fiddling for a few moments, Ash figured out how to get back to the screen he'd seen earlier when exploring the device. It had his information in it, same as it had earlier when Ash viewed it, but it now listed the man as his sponsor. Ash's jaw nearly hit the ground.
Sponsors were a rare occurrence in the League's average trainer population. It was more than simply putting your name forward to help validate a rookie trainer. Once a person was verified as a sponsor, they essentially became everything for their sponsee. Their pokemon that exceeded their carry limit were the sponsor's responsibility, a sponsor was contacted before even the parents for emergencies. Any actions the trainer does reflects on the sponsor's name. Being sponsored by higher ranked League officials generally gives you a few more perks, such as being able to have an increased carry limit and go into zones generally restricted.
Ash's thoughts raced as he thought of the benefits of being sponsored by the great man. The sponsored newbies of ACE Trainers and Ranger had advantages, and Ash was sponsored by the former Champion.
The Oak name was a title with great status behind it for a reason. Samuel Oak had been born in Pallet Town when it was nothing but a budding village in the south. Surrounded by forests to its east and west, sea to the south and rugged mountains practically in its backyard, it had been cut off from the rest of the world. Samuel had been raised by his father, Evan Oak, to be a simple farmer. While not rich, Evan provided for his son as well as he could. When the boy had set his mind to being a pokemon trainer, his father procured him a growlithe. The young Samuel Oak had been promised the small canine for a starter if he could pass a Trainer School and get his license.
A growlithe was an easy option for the lower class family. The fire-types were commonplace in both rural and suburban areas and could be trained easily. They also lacked the prideful aggression that most other fire-types were notorious for. While the canine species was easily trained and loyal to a fault, they were also fairly weak. While their final evolution, arcanine, are renowned as a force to be reckoned with, growlithe aren't able to take hits very well and are vastly slower (though still speedy in their own right). And while their evolution was dangerous, they weren't easily obtained. Fire Stones were rare, expensive, and only evolved the highest caliber of pokemon.
However, it didn't deter the young Oak. If at all possible it seemed to push him to do better. To prove that a growlithe could be powerful and utilized effectively in the correct hands was now his mission. The boy passed his TLE with flying colors. Evan Oak kept his promise and gave the boy the growlithe. The pokemon went with the boy and, together, they started crafting the legacy of the legendary Oak family name.
While he started as a rookie, the boy quickly made his way up the rankings and caught many eyes. The boy managed to evolve the growlithe early on in his career and caught other notable pokemon. It was a legend and achievement that Samuel Oak had never caught more than six pokemon in his famed career as a trainer.
The Professor's starter stayed at the corral most of the time. The gigantic fire-type kept the peace around all of Pallet Town. While the powerful pokemon was capable of incinerating him in a second, she was just as energetic as she was in her growlithe days. Lady never lost the puppy in her, Oak would always say.
His charizard and dragonite were pretty similar in that they both loved to battle. He had seen the two spar once and it was devastating. The battlefield they'd used had taken weeks to fix and was still half-sunk in the far reaches of the corral. While Dragonite was far more kind and willing to help like most of its kind, the fire-type was different. The charizard, named Maverick, was submissive enough that Oak could give the fire-type orders, but not much else. They both stayed in the nearby valley northwest of town with occasional flights to Mt. Hideaway.
Oak's Nidoking, Nico, migrated between the valley and the corral on a whim. Only the Professor knew where he was at any given time. A good thing if everyone was honest as the purple behemoth was not nearly as playful as the man's other pokemon.
The man's alakazam, Karma, was an enigma. She was an extremely powerful psychic that constantly held a barrier around the lab to protect it from stray attacks. She was generally helpful, so Ash assumed she liked him and the residents of Pallet Town well enough. Alakazam as a species usually mediated most of the day and Oak's was no different.
His sixth and final pokemon was never revealed, even as a champion. The only proof of the man ever owning a sixth pokemon was his own admission and some loose reports of an unrecognized pokemon under the man's command wiping out entire trainers' teams near Lavender Town.
He went on to win the Indigo Conference after only three years of training, a feat previously unheard of for a fresh trainer.
After a riveting battle with the Elite Four and the Champion, he won. He was awarded the Champion's throne with his team by his side and became the youngest trainer to best a champion at the age of seventeen. Of course, he wouldn't be able to take up the throne until he turned twenty.
When he did take up the mantle, Samuel Oak reigned as the unbeatable Champion of Indigo for a single decade. He implemented changes in that time period, such as the Refined Starter System and position of Regional Professor, and brought a time of peace for the joint Kanto/Johto League. The man stepped down from the throne after ten years, intent to focus on his research and take up the Regional Professor position he himself created.
Even as a Professor, the Oak made significant changes. He'd pulled strings over the years, eventually getting a committee to oversee the handing out of the official Kanto starters to three prospective trainers. He funded the founding of the Pallet Trainer Academy and worked it up to be the most prestigious schooling in Kanto. It was the man's influence that gave the graduates of the academy the chance to obtain the rare starters of the Kanto region.
Ash jumped slightly as Oak cleared his throat loudly. Ash realized he'd let his thoughts trail off and been in them for a minute or two.
"I assume you know the importance of this?" Oak asked seriously.
Ash nodded vigorously. "Thank you, Professor! I won't let you down! Not that I'm not grateful, but you don't need to get me a starter in the first place. Why sponsor me?"
The professor chuckled and put a hand on his shoulder. "In truth I had planned on sponsoring you anyway. You impress me, Ash, and I expect great things from you." The older man smiled before sitting down. He gestured for Ash to do the same. "Of course, I'll need to finalize it with the League. I also need to inform you of what I expect of you. First, however, we can get the formalities out of the way."
Ash watched as the legendary man set down a pile of papers in front of him. He groaned as he grabbed a pen and started signing documents. Gary laughed at his plight as he left the lab.
.—.—.
Ash wheezed as the air left his lungs. His mother ignored him and hugged harder. He was happy to see her but his brain demanded he remove himself from her grasp lest she break a rib.
"What are you doing here, mom?" Ash asked after finally freeing himself. "I didn't think your trip was over for another month?"
Delia Ketchum smiled brightly. "I postponed it for a week! I refuse to not be here before you start your journey! Oh, Ashy, I'm so proud of you!" She grabbed him back into a hug as he went limp in resignation.
The week that it took for his license and identifications to arrive had gone slow. Far too slow for Ash's liking. While he was happy to see his mother again and taste her delicious cooking, he dreaded the wait. He and his mother had gone to the Viridian City Shopping Mall - with the ever helpful teleportation from Karma - to grab the last of the supplies that he'd need. He found that his old backpack, a beat up blue and green pack with the Indigo League logo on the back, would not cut it. He bought another one, a rather expensive black traveling pack that could hold what he needed.
Ash felt bad about costing his mother so much, but she waved him off with a smile saying she had more than enough in savings. He offered up his own savings, but again his mother waved him off. She said he'd need as much as possible in the future. The life of a trainer wasn't cheap, and Ash truly realized that as he stocked his bag with supplies for his journey.
Journeys were considered a right of passage for trainers, a harsh reality check for the egotistical bunch looking for an easy way to money. A trainer's life was rough and the first year was where it showed the most. Statistically, most only lasted the first year before they dropped from their aspiring career as a pokemon trainer. Some dropped because of the lifestyle and some because of the sheer expense. While trainers had a great many privileges that saved them a good amount of cash, even that came with caveats. Pokemon Centers offered free healing and housing, but that didn't always mean there would be available rooms.
Ash shook the thoughts as he packed away his purchases. A large canteen, a few dozen ration bars, ten feet of inch-thick rope, a flashlight, multiple batteries, a map, two changes of traveling clothes, a small pop-up tent, a sleeping bag, a fire starting kit, a collapsible metal pot with utensils, a hatchet, a survival knife, a week's worth of the most basic nutritional pokemon chow (he'd get a more comprehensive and species specific food in the future), a few revives and a dozen of the basic potions. Ash wasn't sure how it all fit in the pack, but there was a surprising amount of room left to spare. Silph Co. had truly outdone themselves with the expansion pack.
.—.—.
The rest of the week came to a close and soon enough Ash was tying his shoes and walking to Professor Oak's lab. It wasn't too long a walk and in no time he was sitting with Leaf and Gary in a side room off of the Professor's office.
"So, you got a machop?" Ash questioned Leaf as they waited for the Professor.
"Yeah, the Professor has him. I'm gonna call him something tough. Maybe Brute? No... Brawler. Or Stunner." She brainstormed with a thoughtful expression.
Ash listened as Leaf rattled off names. "Champ?" He suggested. "I think Bruno has a hitmonchan named Spartan, that's a good name."
Leaf shrugged. "I think I'll see what my starter is like first."
"A wise choice." Professor Oak said, startling them, as he entered the room with an assistant following him.
Gary perked up as his grandfather entered. His hair was noticeably uncombed and spikey, a rare sight. "Gramps! Have they come in yet?"
The older Oak sighed at Gary's question. One Ash was sure he'd heard plenty of that week. "Yes, both your licenses and identifications have arrived."
"The starters, Gramps." Gary corrected with a scowl.
"Ah, yes, those. They are here as well." Oak told him with a look that said he'd known exactly what Gary had been asking.
The pokemon researcher held out his hand and gave them all a chain with two metal tags bordered by rubber on the end. Ash took the identification tags and slipped them around his neck, it was a snug fit but it certainly wouldn't slip off accidentally. One of the metal tags gave his full name, birthday, blood type and birthplace. The other tag held a series of numbers and letters directly above a barcode. Should he lose his tags, he'd need to remember them to get a replacement. He'd also need to pay a fee of almost five hundred dollars. He'd certainly keep it safe. If not for the value it now had to him emotionally, then to keep from paying the steep price.
"As you know, those are your identification should something unfavorable happen. You are legally required to wear them at all times that you are in possession of pokemon. And here," Oak handed each of them a small plastic card listing much of the same information as the tags and accompanying a picture Ash had all but forgotten taking, "are your official trainer licenses."
Ash took his with a smile and took out his Dex. He pushed a small button on the side. A rectangular compartment opened and he slid his license in. Apparently, trainers losing their licenses was a common enough occurrence for Professor Oak to install a storage feature in the new version of his invention.
Judging by the looks on Leaf and Gary's faces, they hadn't known it could do that. Ash saw that the Professor seemed pleased that he'd noticed the feature. Soon enough, both Leaf and Gary stored their cards away like he had.
"Now, can we get our starters?" Gary asked impatiently.
"Yes, yes. I think it is about time for that." Oak smiled broadly. "Gary, the League has sent a kadabra that's going to teleport you to the meeting where you will receive your starter. It is waiting in the lobby."
Gary groaned. "You couldn't have had it take me earlier? I waited for these two for an hour."
The Professor tilted a brow. "I did not choose the time of the meeting. Of course, Ash could always go in your stead." Gary rolled his eyes as he left the room to go with the teleporting psychic-type. The older man returned his gaze to the other two trainers in the room. "Without further ado, ladies first."
Leaf smirked smugly at Ash as she went first. Ash rolled his eyes. The Pokemon Professor handed Leaf one of the pokeballs the assistant had been carrying. "Finally!" Leaf exclaimed with a wide grin.
Oak smiled as his eyes twinkled with humor. "As you said last week, the League has already approved this machop. Of course, it is always a recommended idea to have another Pokémon around with new additions. So, please release your machop under Karma's watchful eye." Before he had even finished his sentence, the Professor's alakazam appeared next to him. Ash blinked away the dots in his vision from the blinding light of the psychic-type's sudden teleportation.
Ash heard a pokeball release as a pokemon emerged from the light. A machop stood a few feet away from Leaf and looked around curiously. The blue skin of the pokemon seemed brighter than normal, a sign of good health and toughness if Ash remembered correctly.
"Alright, I'm Leaf and I'm your trainer. I'll make you stronger, you just need to do as I say." She introduced herself in a strong voice. Ash saw the reasoning in appealing to the machop's natural urge for power.
"Good." She continued as the small reptilian bipedal pounded his chest. "How about a name?"
The machop pounded his chest again. "Alright, Brute? Stunner? Brawler?" She listed off the names. All turned down almost immediately.
It went on for a few minutes as Leaf rattled off names that the pokemon soundly refused. "Victor? Spartan? Bruiser? Throttler? Champ?" She asked exasperatedly after saying every name she could think of.
The last name caught the fighting-type's interest and he nodded vigorously after considering it. Leaf glared at Ash as he stifled a laugh. "Alright then, Champ it is. I'm going to return you now. I'll release you later."
"Quite the specimen, that machop. Throughout his screening I could tell he was itching to fight. At one point he even challenged a trainer's primeape. He'll be a good starter, dedicated and ambitious for sure." Professor Oak said before moving on as the machop disappeared inside the pokeball.
"Now, Ash, I told you I would acquire a starter for you, and I have. Here you are." Ash took the sphere containing his starter gratefully. "I believe you shall find an adequate partner in it. The League has already approved it, with some nudging that is."
Ash breathed deeply. In the pokeball was his first pokemon. The first partner he would face all the Gyms with, his companion for the rest of his trainer career. He extended his arm and released the inhabitant of the pokeball. The black and white creature that materialized was one Ash didn't recognize at first. It stood above the other starter in the room at three feet tall but was hunched over, making its heavy body look smaller so he may have estimated its height wrong. It's white furred face caught his attention along with the black rings around its eyes. It reminded him of a teddiursa slightly, though less cuddly and far bulkier. Ash finally connected the pokemon to a faraway name in his memory. A pancham.
Pancham were fighting-type pokemon native to the region of Kalos and as such, Ash knew almost nothing about them besides the most basic of information. Trainer schooling and the TLEs focused on native Pokémon and the frequent migration visitors. Ash had come across mentions of the panda and its evolution, pangoro, in the past but had never read into them too much. He was punching himself for that now.
"What is that?" Leaf asked in bewilderment. It was obvious she had never seen nor heard of the panda pokemon before seeing his pop out of its ball. Ash didn't blame her, he knew nothing of the pokemon himself save for its name and origin.
"Pancham are native to the far off Kalos region, where my good friend Bill recently visited. He brought me many different specimens of pokemon that exclusively inhabit the region, such as this pancham. There is also a bunnelby that can't seem to stop building burrows around my ranch and a helioptile that enjoys chewing on my electrical wires. This pancham is rather large compared to most of its species."
Ash absorbed the extra information the aged man gave. Who was he to throw away any possibly helpful information? He eyed the pancham with a critical eye and it looked back at him with a look similar to his own. It appraised him the same as he appraised it. "Hello, I'm Ash and I'll be your trainer. I'll toughen you up and, together, we'll evolve you into a powerful pangoro. Can you handle that?"
Its eyes narrowed slightly, but dipped its head nonetheless. Pancham, like most pokemon, had an inherent need to grow stronger. Whether out of an instinctual determination to claim more territory or to impress a mate and spread their genes. Though this one seemed different to Ash. Its eyes were laced with more than a simple yearning to grow stronger. Ash thought it looked as though the fighting-type was greedy for power, ready to snatch it any way possible. Ash grinned. Perfect.
Ash fought the urge to lean down to speak to the pokemon face to face. He was sure his starter would find that to be nothing less than an insult. "Good, I'm sure together you and I will be monsters to fight against. How about a name?" Ash offered his starter the choice of his own name. The pancham seemed neutral about it and Ash was never one for thinking of names anyway. "Alright, I'm going to return you now, but we'll train soon." The fighting-type disappeared in a red light as Oak cleared his throat.
"Now, I-" The man was cut off when Gary made his entrance into the room.
"Guess who's back?" He exclaimed excitedly. "And with his brand new Kanto starter!" Without even waiting for a response from the people in the room he held up his pokeball and released its occupant.
Ash already knew what pokemon was gonna be released before the squirtle fully materialized. Gary would not be nearly as happy had he been forced to get anything else. The blue turtle seemed more standoffish compared to Leaf's machop or Ash's pancham, even if it was a bit shorter than either of the fighting-types. Gary sized it up for a few seconds, seeming to like whatever it was he saw, before he hunched down to the water-type and met its eyes with a smile. "So, you wanna get tougher? Good. I'm gonna need a strong starter to help lead my team. Are you up for that?" Gary asked his starter.
The squirtle sized Gary up quietly before it blinked and stepped back slightly. The tiny turtle pokemon made a growling noise that seemed too vicious to come from such a small creature. Gary took it as acceptance and smirked cockily. "Great, then how about I call you Delta?" The water-type nodded agreeably, seeming to not particularly care what his trainer would call him. Gary grinned and gave Ash a superior glance. "I'll bring you out later, for now I'll return you." A red light and the water-type was gone.
"Well then," Gary's grandfather continued on after Gary's intrusion. "I know all of you are smart enough and disciplined enough to work with and train pokemon. Before I send you off, I'll leave you with this last bit of advice. People die everyday from underestimating the danger of wild pokemon and overestimating the loyalty of their own. You all already know that being a trainer offers its fair share of risk, but please refrain from escalating the chances of you being harmed." The Professor finished pointedly, his gaze lingering on them for a second too long and making them shuffle slightly.
Ash knew that being a trainer was risky, they all did. Pokemon were responsible for so many deaths in a single year that it wasn't even possible to remember the statistics. While wild pokemon claimed many lives, so too did trained ones. Many pokemon turn against their trainers if they perceive them as weak. Different types behaved differently, so a list had been made of the most dangerous types and their likeness of turning on their trainer. Ghost-types were number one on that list. Followed by the Dragon-type and Dark-type.
The Elite Four were respected for a reason. Elite Four Agatha was a specialist in ghost-types. She was the second strongest trainer in all of the Kanto/Johto mainland, second only to the Champion. Champion Lance was also highly respected for the same reason, he wasn't called a Dragon Master for nothing. Both trainers had monsters on their teams, whether it was Lance's hard hitting dragonite or Agatha's strategic gengar.
Ash blinked as the older man offered him something in an outstretched hand. The rookie took whatever was in the man's hand without even looking. After a moment, Ash brought himself to examine the items he'd been given. Almost immediately he realized they were pokeballs, unoccupied he could tell as they were shrunken down to the size of marbles. Four standard capture devices with a single greatball and a single ultraball mixed in.
"Now, I believe that is all. Please contact me regularly to check in and call should you need any assistance. I am more than willing to help, but do not expect me to give you the answer to every problem you face. Ash, please stay and talk for one moment." Oak waved them off before beckoning Ash to remain behind.
"Yes, Professor?" Ash asked nicely, but he was itching to return home so he could begin his career as a trainer. After seeing his mother, of course.
"I realize I've asked this once, but may I see your Pokedex?" Ash handed it over without a thought. "Thank you, my boy. Wait here."
Ash shuffled as he waited for the aged researcher to return. While he waited, he took out Pancham's pokeball and compared it to an empty one.
Pokeball technology was a mind boggling breakthrough that was in constant use in present times. It was often overlooked as it was so widely used, but the true genius of the invention escaped even him. In recent years, additions and alterations had been made to the standard pokeball for simpler use. Things such as the ability to have them reduce in size to help save some storage capacity. Unoccupied pokeballs were able to become the size of a marble, while the occupied spheres were only able to reduce to a little less than three fourths the original size. While pokeballs in use didn't reduce nearly as much as empty ones, every trainer would tell you that every little bit of space helped. He'd keep his pokeballs with his team in his brand new bandolier and the empty ones in a small pouch attached to said bandelier.
When Ash had seen the bandelier on his bed when he'd gotten back from a walk, he initially refused it. His mother refused to take no for an answer and said that his 'Uncle Spencer' had sent it especially for him as a present for getting his trainer license. Spencer wasn't truly his uncle, but rather a family friend that his mother had met through her work for Professor Oak. Ash himself had only met the man a couple of times. Immediately he called and told him it was too expensive and he would send it back as quickly as possible.
"Ash," Spenser said with a smile. "I want you to keep that and use it. I bought it for you after all." When Ash had protested, Spenser interrupted. "If you keep complaining, I'll buy you a stack of ultraballs." Ash kept quiet after that.
He hated the feeling of being a burden on people. Since he was little and had decided to become a trainer, he'd been saving his money. His mother still reminded him of the time that he as a five year old went around Pallet Town offering to help teach people the piano if they paid him, which was especially humorous given that he had never learned the piano himself.
When he was older, Ash truly began helping the people of Pallet Town in exchange for some extra cash. He'd tend to lawns, paint fences, clean gutters, and anything else to help him afford his dream.
Both his mother and Professor Oak encouraged him greatly. The experienced man could tell he was serious about being a trainer and liked his dedication. It was at the age of twelve that the man surprised him. He offered him a job. The older man had said that a position opened up when a member of his staff retired and had felt that Ash was the best suited for the position. Ash began working for the man soon after.
Samuel Oak was a considerate man, but he was very strict with his staff. He wanted the best work from them and anything less was frowned upon. Reports were mandatory and had to be submitted every other Friday by no later than ten in the evening. For all the work the man required, he paid well. Safe to say that Ash had sufficient funds for when he became a trainer.
He worked for the man for two years before he enrolled in Trainer School. The training school started at eight in the morning and lasted until four in the afternoon. It had cut into his schedule and he had had to take a lot of time off from his position in the man's lab. Not only from the school hours, but also because of the sheer amount of studying he had to do. It had been a challenging curriculum.
"It was worth it." Ash hadn't even realized he voiced the thought aloud as he passed Pancham's pokeball between his hands.
"What was worth it?" Ash jumped as Oak entered the room again, shiny red Pokédex still in hand and voice amused.
"Nothing, Professor. Just thinking aloud." Ash said quickly, rubbing his neck sheepishly.
"Some people might call you crazy if you talk to yourself." Oak joked with a twinkle of humour in his eyes as he handed Ash his Pokédex
"Some might." Ash agreed in good nature as he took back the device. "What did you need with it anyway?"
"Since I'm sponsoring you–and I should tell you I'm sponsoring Gary as well–along with the fact you have an unorthodox starter, I've been given permission from the League to give you a little more access. Nothing too much, just more information about pokemon you already know and new information about some you don't. I'm pushing for this access to all trainers, but I can at least give it to you."
Ash vibrated with excitement as he pocketed the machine. A national database of pokemon knowledge would certainly help him, as well as provide a good source of information on Pancham that he'd struggle with otherwise. "Thank you, Professor. I'll make good use of it, I promise."
"Yes, that is why I gave it to you. Remember, though, you and Gary are both sponsored by me and reflect on me personally. You both have excellent starters and more resources than most other rookie trainers. I expect great things from both of you." Oak told him seriously.
"Of course, Professor." Ash said sincerely, nodding as the man talked.
"One last thing, Ash."
"Yes, Professor?"
"Get strong enough so that you can give my pokemon a work out." The aged man said with a wide smile.
"I will, don't you worry." Ash grinned. And he meant it. He would get strong enough that his team would be able to stomp any opponent. Even a man as powerful as the former Champion.
.—.—.
When Ash walked out of the lab, the first thing he noticed was the breeze. It was rather nice to have a draft hit his face after being in the rather hot building. The other thing he noticed was that Leaf and Gary were standing in the road facing each other, their pokemon fighting as they commanded them.
"Water Gun!" Gary ordered as Leaf ordered her starter to dodge. "Water Gun again! Aim for its eyes then headbutt it!"
Delta did as his trainer ordered and attempted to blind the machop, but the fighting-type dodged the attempt. The water gun barely whizzed by his head as the machop sidestepped. Ash noticed that the squirtle seemed tired. It was obvious it had not used multiple Water Guns in such quick succession before. Ash knew Gary would train some endurance into him.
"Champ, kick up dirt then Low Kick!" Leaf instructed with vigor, determined to win. "After it's on the ground, Bullet Punch!"
Delta had already been charging forward, intent on completing the headbutt, but swiveled to stop as Champ kicked up dirt that impaired the water-type's vision. He was helpless as the machop used Low Kick to knock him to the ground then followed up with Bullet Punch.
Ash was surprised that the reptilian fighter could use the steel-type attack, but knew it must have been an egg move. It was fairly common for offspring to inherit the base knowledge of moves from their parents. Given that starters were required to have at least one advanced move to be eligible candidates for a trainer's starter, the occurrence was even more common.
The small series of punches landed, though they were noticeably unrefined and not as effective as the Low Kick, but all hit the shell of its target rather than the body as the squirtle withdrew into itself. When the machop gazed down into the darkness of the shell, Delta poked his head out and hit him point blank with a Water Gun. The attack seemed far more powerful this time, which made sense when Ash saw the squirtle's eyes flash viciously. Torrent. The ability seemed to push the water-type in an adrenaline enhanced fury, a last ditch effort to win.
When Champ stumbled slightly, stunned from the hit, his opponent wasted no time in tackling him to the ground.
"Jump onto his head but withdraw into your shell as you do!" Gary gave the instruction. Ash realized the strategy of what he was doing just as Leaf returned her pokemon and a heavy impact of a shell hitting the ground sounded out. Had Leaf not recalled him, Champ would have surely felt the blow.
Ash clapped politely at the battle. It was nowhere near the Elite battles he'd watched, but it was the first time he'd seen a proper trainer-on-trainer battle in person. Gary bowed in an exaggerated manner at his applause.
"Alright, I concede. You win," Leaf said with a bitter undertone. She clearly disapproved of the tactics he used.
"Of course, did you truly expect otherwise?" Gary asked cockily. "You put up a good fight, but Delta and I are just too good of a team." The mentioned pokemon seemed just as smug as his trainer as it walked up to Gary. Truly a duo made for each other.
"Nice battle," Ash complimented as he approached further. He'd kept his distance in case of a stray attack. "Is Bullet Punch an egg move, Leaf?"
"Yeah, it is. It's sloppy right now, but once we start training it will be powerful enough to knock the Gym Leaders to Sevii," She boasted.
"You'll need to be able to win a battle before that happens," Gary jabbed. Ash didn't say anything to him though, he deserved a bit of gloating after his win.
"If you hadn't used such dirty tactics, Champ would've stomped that turtle!" Leaf retorted with anger.
"Gary, how was the meeting?" Ash asked in order to interrupt the fight before it could begin. He was sure he saw Gary's eye twitch.
"It was fine," Gary said as he apparently decided arguing his point wasn't worth it. "It was me, some other guy and a girl. The head of it was Charles Goodshow."
Ash wished he had been there even more now. While Charles Goodshow wasn't a trainer figurehead like Lance or the Elite Four, he was certainly a figure worth meeting. "Wow, so what happened?"
"Not much. There was too much talking for my taste so it was kinda boring. Oh, and apparently there was an issue with the bulbasaur this year. The girl chose the chikorita they replaced the bulbasaur with. The guy picked the charmander and I obviously got Delta."
Ash nodded as Leaf scoffed. "Figures you would get lucky and get the one you wanted. Gary always gets what Gary wants, right?"
Ash sighed as Leaf provoked Gary. They had a strange relationship. They were all friends–more rivals really–that wanted to be the best and surpass everyone. Including each other. Okay, mainly each other.
Leaf and Gary especially had a love-hate relationship. They constantly found disagreements, whether that be on something as mundane as which pokemon type was stronger or as complex as whether or not Silph. Co was a monopoly and if they should be supported. It depended on the day.
Ethan was generally the moderator, but with his failure in his TLE and the fact that he'd been intent on leaving Kanto for Johto to complete the circuit there, Ash was having to stop most of the bickering between the two. Admittedly he was far from neutral in most cases.
Leaf lived on the other side of Pallet Town and spent almost all her time with her family, so that helped cut down on the arguments. Most of the time, Gary was found at his grandfather's lab trying to get the older man to teach him everything he knew (thankfully the pokemon professor was all about self studying being important) so that also helped keep the number of times they were at each other's throats down. However, if they ever all got together to hangout, it was assured that a disagreement would happen.
Ash's mother had once gossiped with one of the neighbors that she thought it was their way of showing affection to each other. Ash wondered what his friends would think of that if he told them. It would certainly be entertaining.
"When were you both heading out?" Ash asked.
"I'm gonna leave tomorrow. My parents want to be sure that Champ can listen to me and fight well enough to protect me. I'm not too worried about starting a day later, I have three months to earn my first badge. I have to take on the Big Eight before the Indigo Conference but I have almost two years to do that." Leaf told them as she released her starter and gave him a potion from her handbag. Champ glared daggers at Delta, which the squirtle returned.
Ash saw the sense in the idea. Once a trainer was legally licensed and had a League approved starter, they had three months to earn their first badge or they were put under review. Another three months with no progress and they lost their license. After they earned their first badge, they had half a year to earn their second. It was a system put in place to stop freeloaders from taking advantage of the benefits trainers received. Free lodging and pokemon medical care at Pokemon Centers, tax-free pokemon and trainer rations and the ability to legally purchase Technical Machines, also known as TMs.
With the benefits, also came the restrictions and requirements. For local attacks, trainers were required to be on the front lines. It was also expected for trainers to notify the Rangers should they note any pokemon activity they see on their travels, whether that be as simple a problem as a particularly confrontational fearow flock or as big as a stampeding herd of rhyhorn heading for a city.
Ash found them to be acceptable. He had heard trainers be referred to as 'Hounds of the League' before, which was true in a very basic sense, but he didn't mind that either. What was life without risks?
The more catching part of Leaf's statement had been about the Big Eight. The Big Eight referred to the eight biggest Gyms in Kanto. Pewter, Cerulean, Vermillion, Saffron, Celadon, Fuchsia, Cinnabar, and Viridian. Each of these cities had a Gym that's Leader was one of the thirteen best trainers in Kanto. Any city or town can have a Gym (fill out some paperwork, get inspected by an Elite, get funding, and you have a Gym) but the Big Eight were the best of the best. They not only protected the biggest cities in the region, but their main teams were leagues above the other Gym Leaders.
"Well, I'm heading out this afternoon. Cousin Samson is visiting and he's gonna have his xatu drop me off close to Viridian, from there I'll train and head to Pewter through the Viridian Forest, then challenge the Gym. Should be easy with Delta," Gary said as he patted his starter on his scaly head. "You can hitch a ride if you want, Ash. After all, it's only natural to want to be near someone as awesome as me." The other teen offered.
"Thanks, but I think I'll wanna go solo for at least the beginning of my journey. Can't reveal all my training secrets," Ash joked. "I'll head out after lunch. Speaking of, I should start going."
"Yeah, me too." Leaf agreed.
"Same here." Gary paused for a second. "You guys wanna meet at the diner for lunch? I'll pay. We can even invite Ethan." He tried sounding nonchalant, but Ash could see through it.
Leaf shook her head. "I can't, my parents expect me to have lunch with them and stay home until I leave."
Gary deflated ever so slightly when he saw Ash shake his head as well with an apologetic look. "Mom wants me to have lunch one last time before I head out. Sorry, Gary. We'll do it in the future. When Ethan has passed his TLE and we're all trainers." Ash reassured him. "Speaking of, have either of you talked to him?"
Gary shook his head. Leaf did as well. "I stopped by his place two days ago. His mom said he hasn't left his room for anything other than food and the bathroom. He took his failure in his TLE hard. Studying every second until he can retake it, I think." She told them both with a frown. Ash remembered that Leaf had never liked Ethan's mom much, but he'd never met the woman to judge for himself.
"Did his mom mention his starter?" Gary asked.
"She wouldn't say what it was gonna be, but she did tell me that it was an electric-type." Leaf informed them, glaring at Gary slightly for his nonchalantness to their friend's plight. "Better watch that water-type of yours"
"Yeah, sure. The guy that failed his test is gonna beat me, the number one trainer of Pallet Town!" Gary remarked.
"If you-"
Ash cut Leaf off before she could finish the sentence. "Good luck, you two. I need to go. Next time we see each other, we're gonna battle!"
"Yeah, good luck. You're gonna need it if you think you can surpass me!" Gary boasted.
Ash waved as he began his walk home. He hoped he and his friends wouldn't grow apart. They hadn't all been extremely tight, except for him and Gary, but they were still friends. Maybe it was naive of him, but he wanted to keep it that way.
.—.—.
Ash took off his signature hat, a red one with a white front that showed the official joint Kanto/Johto Pokemon League logo on it, and ran his hand through his ruffled hair as he walked. He considered leaving the hat with his mother as opposed to taking it with him. It was one of a kind that he'd somehow won in a raffle despite the small odds.
The hat itself wasn't one of a kind, but if he looked inside of it he could see the signatures of Champion Lance and the rest of the Elite Four. His mother had a video somewhere of him unboxing it and being understandably hyper. He also had the congratulations letter signed by Charles Goodshow that came with it hung in his room. It was simply precious to him, to risk it getting destroyed was something he didn't want to do. He decided to take it anyway, if only to avoid buying a new hat which would attack his savings he'd need for his journey.
Ash slipped it back on his head as he wished he'd brought his bandolier. He knew he'd have looked ridiculous with it on as he was only wearing a simple pair of navy blue shorts with a black shirt, but it would save him the trouble of having to carry Pancham's pokeball. His empty ones he had simply put in his pocket, but he couldn't do that with his starter's ball. He would have released the panda pokemon for it to walk with him, but he decided he should have it in a controlled environment for a more in-depth introduction. In the meantime, he would link his pokeball to his Pokedex.
Ash tapped a button on the left side of the device and, after going through a couple of selection screens, a tray with a dock big enough for one spherical ball to be slotted into emerged from the side of the device. The compartment was similar in size to the one on the right that housed his licenses. He put his only pokemon's ball into the slot and watched as more screens popped up. By the time he had successfully connected the pokeball to his Pokédex, he was on his front porch and heading inside.
"Mom!" Ash called as he entered the house, not bothering to take his shoes off. "I'm back!"
"In the kitchen!" She called back.
Ash entered the kitchen with a wide grin on his face. "You'll never guess what pokemon the Professor gave me."
Delia Ketchum turned from the food she was preparing for lunch with a small smile. Ash knew his mother was in her thirties, but she looked no older than her late twenties. Her auburn hair and cheerful brown eyes only exemplified that fact. "Oh? Just what pokemon is it?"
"I'll show you outside!" Ash said quickly before exiting into the backyard. A smiling Delia followed him.
When Ash released Pancham, he made sure he was the first thing he saw. "Pancham, good to see you. This is my mother." He gestured to said woman. "I expect you to treat her as you would myself."
Pancham nodded in understanding and looked at Delia with a tilted head. The woman cooed at the black and white pokemon. "Aren't you just adorable? Pancham are extremely rare anywhere outside of Kalos, Ash, where did the Professor get one?"
"The Professor said a researcher buddy of his took a trip to Kalos recently. Brought back a few species only found there. I'm surprised you've heard of them. " Ash explained as his mother patted Pancham on the head. The bipedal fighting-type rumbled happily as she scratched a spot just out of his reach.
Delia giggled as Pancham decided to munch on a couple leaves from an Oran berry bush. When the pokemon reached for one of the berries that had barely begun to ripen, Delia gently moved his paw away. He growled at her, to which Ash responded by flicking him on his left ear. He whined and stared at Ash with a pleading look. Ash was hard pressed to believe this was the same pokemon he had seen such a fiery determination in earlier.
Ash knew if Pancham had been a recent capture from the wild, a simple reprimand like he had been given would have gotten him to attack. Starters were required to go through conditioning to make them more comfortable around trainers and more easily commanded. "No eating the garden and no growling." Ash said uncaringly as Delia muffled a laugh. "I can give you some pokefood for lunch. Speaking of..." He trailer off with a look to his mother.
"It's about that time. Go set the table." Ash grinned and returned Pancham as he raced to the table to set it. It would be the last home cooked meal he would have in a while, he would savor the cooking with relish.
.—.—.
Ash looked at himself and thought he looked prepared. He had his new black hiking boots laced tightly and they fit him snuggly. The soles of the boots were made for constant movement, perfect for a trainer's lifestyle. The end of his faded jeans went under the top of the boots. It was certainly different from how he usually wore his shoes but he'd get used to it. Better than water entering his boot and getting his socks and feet wet. He wore a comfortable stretchy black shirt with his sleeveless vest slipped over it. His usually bare hands sported fingerless gloves and his pokeball bandolier was strapped and holding Pancham's pokeball in the topmost slot.
Ash truly felt ready to enter the dangerous world of pokemon training.
"You're sure you have everything, Ashy?" Delia asked one last time as Ash stepped onto the front porch.
"Yes, I'm sure. I've emptied and reorganized this bag more times than I can count. I think I've dulled my knife and hatchet just by looking at them." Ash assured her.
Delia nodded while patting his shoulder. "Of course you have, I just can't help but worry about you. I expect you to call me every chance you get. As well as message me at least once every two weeks using your Pokédex. Remember to-"
"To check the news for anything that might affect me, I know. And I'll make sure to notify you when I'm challenging a gym so you can watch my battles on the League website. Mom, I'll be fine." Ash said firmly.
"I know, but trainers have such a dangerous life. You can't stop me from worrying." Delia said as she gave him one last hug before her gaze turned wicked. "And remember to pack your underwear!"
Ash sighed at the old joke. He supposed he'd never outlive it after he had mistakenly forgotten to pack his undergarments to one of the Professor's summer camps. Of course, he wouldn't put up a protest. He would be away for months or possibly longer, so he would let her have her fun. Soon enough, he'd been on Route 1 and on his way to taking the Champion's mantle.
Ash smiled with a determined gleam in his eyes. He was ready and he wasn't someone who settled for less than the top. Lance better watch out because Ash Ketchum was coming for his throne.
.—.—.
Edited 4-8-25