27(Marches into room and crashes down on nearby bed)
Ash: Um... You okay?
Yeah...
Tomo: Where the heck have you been anyways? We're you dead?
I sure felt like I was. I had to take a class over the summer, but my mom was so furious about it she took away all my devices for five weeks.
Molly: Are you okay now?
Yeah, the class was just torture, especially when I was trying to get it all done near the end. Now, there weren't many reviews recently, so just a quick thanks to Derpeon, Amourshipper35, and frankieu for leaving a review. Without any further ado, Let's Go!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. If I did, Ash would probably be a lot smarter in his battling.
An alarm rang through a bedroom as the sun peeked over the horizon, the shrill sound filling the room. From the bed, a boy with raven hair groggily awoke, almost breaking his alarm clock when shutting it off.
I really need to change that to something less ear splitting, he thought.
He rubbed his amber eyes as his feet hit the floor. When he wasn't half-asleep anymore, he noticed a nearby calendar. His eyes fell on the current day, causing any remaining sleepiness to be replaced with pure excitement.
Today's the day!
He leaped off his bed to get ready for the day ahead and, by extension, all the days that would follow. He took a quick shower and put on his laid out clothes. His outfit consisted of a black tee and blue jeans with a simple yet durable pair of trainers on his feet. He also wore a blue and white vest and green fingerless gloves.
When he was fully dressed, he went over to his backpack to make sure he didn't forget anything. His supplies checked, he went over to his window sill for the last item. There sat an egg, blue with a patch of black near the top, resting in the sunlight. He checked it over, making sure it had no cracks, though he could only do so much without any technology.
When he saw there was nothing wrong, he decided to help it a little more. Moving the egg away from the window and onto his bed, the boy focused on the excitement and joy he felt. A faint blue glow formed over his hands and entered the egg, fading as soon as it appeared.
I wonder if this really works like Mom said it does, Ash wondered as he put the egg into an incubator.
He secured the incubator into his bag and zipped it shut before he bounded out of his room. Feeling a bit risky, he slid down the railing rather than walk down the stairs. He landed near the doorway to the kitchen, where his mother saw him.
"Can't you walk down the stairs, Ash?" She asked.
"Sliding is more fun," Ash told her as he walked in, placing his bag against the wall.
"Well, don't do it in a public building. You don't need to be causing too much trouble."
"I won't. I'll cause just enough trouble," Ash snarked as he grabbed some of the food his mother made.
Just as he started eating, two bouts of laughter came from the stairs, and two more children came flying down the same way Ash did.
"You three are all going to get into trouble one day," Delia sighed.
"Isn't that why you trained us?" Tomo said as he walked in. He was wearing a yellow T-shirt and black shorts, along with a pair of black trainers with yellow highlights.
"It's not causing trouble, Mommy," Molly added. "It's having fun!" She was wearing a white shirt with blue, strap shorts and brown shoes.
"Just make sure your 'having fun' doesn't cause the end of the world," Delia told them. "We've already had enough issues."
"Alright…" All three children said, though Delia knew they were only saying it.
Rather than getting angry, she just laughed. Her children were angels, but they were also tricksters who loved having fun. After a few months, she got used to most of it.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright without any of us here, Mom?" Ash asked in between bites.
Delia smiled. "It's okay. I have Oak and someone needs to look after the Pokemon with you three gone. Plus, I have Mimey to keep me company."
On cue, a , appeared behind her.
Mimey was one of Delia's oldest Pokemon from when she was first starting out as a trainer. She didn't get a normal starter, and got Mime as a Mime Jr. due to some complications with the Professor messing up on the number of Pokemon. While he did battle from time to time, nowadays he would help around the house or take part in small hobbies alongside his trainer.
"She'll be fine with me," Mimey said to the three.
"I just can't believe we are going on a Pokemon Journey!" Tomo cheered.
"It's Ash's, were just joining him to help," Molly giggled.
"Hey, if you're with me, it's your journey too," Ash stated. "You guys are going to have just as much fun as I am. I'll make sure of it."
The family chatted a bit more as they ate, each child getting their fill. By the time they were done, it was only seven in the morning.
"So, are you going to wait until later to get your Pokemon or…" Delia asked as the three got up from the table.
"We should go now!" Molly cut in, "He's probably leaving earlier. We don't want to miss him and he can't wait!"
"Oh yeah! Let's hurry!" Ash agreed, "We'll be back to get our stuff and say goodbye when we're done!"
"Alright, just don't cause too much trouble on the way there," Delia told them, "He wants to leave without anyone else knowing about it, remember? It won't do him any good if you wake the entire town on your way there."
"We know!" The three told her as they moved for the front door.
The trio made their way out as Delia and Mimey started to pick up. The three rushed through the streets, making sure they were quiet enough not to wake anyone. They went up the hill the Professor had his lab on, the thought of seeing their friend causing them to pick up speed.
Not bothering to knock, they all entered the lab, coming face to face with another boy the same age as Ash. When he saw them rushing in, he smiled widely.
"Glad ya made it!" He said. "Thought I would have to leave without saying goodbye."
The boy walked over, gave Molly a hug, Tomo a high five, and Ash a fistbump.
"Fangirls still giving ya trouble, Gary?" Ash asked with a smirked. (1)
"Tell me about it," Gary sighed, rubbing his head. "Seriously, just because I'm the grandson of a professor doesn't mean that I'm going to be rich and famous as soon as I set out. I wish they would leave me alone for once."
"I think those crazy girls just want to know someone who they think will be really popular in the future just so they can have some sort of benefit," Tomo said.
"Ha, the only thing they're getting from me is a restraining order," Gary remarked. "I just hope they don't start following me around. That would be a horror movie."
"Attack of the Stalkers, coming to a theater near you," Ash joked. "I wonder if Champions have to deal with them?"
"They probably do. Heh, you'd better watch yourself out there when you start making it up the ladder, Ash. Or else they'll be after you next!"
"Do you have your starter?" Molly asked, shifting the tone of the conversation.
"Yep! Got him right here!" Gary threw a Pokeball he was carrying.
To the surprise of the trio, it wasn't a normal starter that popped out of the ball. It looked similar to a Squirtle, but it was slightly larger, along with having a white fur on its tail and ears and being a darker blue color.
"How did you get a Wartortle?" Tomo asked as he looked at the turtle Pokemon. "I thought all the starters were in their first evolutionary stages."
"I was helping Gramps out with taking care of the starters about a month or so ago. This guy seemed to take a shine to me, so we started training together and decided that I would be his trainer, no matter what. He evolved last night."
"That's right! Me and Gary are great friends!" Wartortle agreed.
"You understood that, right?" Ash questioned Gary. "I wouldn't want to see two years of training almost non-stop go down the drain."
"Sure did. Thanks for teaching me by the way. Sure made working with Gramps easier when I could understand what the Pokemon were saying."
"Speaking of which, are you going straight into research, or are you actually going to try for a League?" Tomo asked.
"I'm going to go into the League just to get some Pokemon and train them a little. Not to mention the funds I get for competing will help out. Still, with Ash in the same League, I'm going to hope that I'll only face him in the finals, or else i'm screwed!"
"That's because Big Brother is the best!" Molly exclaimed.
"Don't say that Gary," Ash told his friend. "I don't even have my starter yet."
"Trust me, with the way you train, I'm sure being able to beat one of your strongest Pokemon with all of mine would make me at the level of an Elite."
The group shared a laugh before moving over to another part of the lab. There they saw an elderly man, though he was still in good shape for his age.
"Hey, Gramps! The Ketchum's are here," Gary called out.
"Ah, perfect!" The professor exclaimed.
Before the group stood an odd machine containing three Pokeballs: one with a teardrop sticker, one with a leaf sticker, and one with a flame sticker.
"So, these are the starters I have to pick from?" Ash questioned, frowning slightly.
"Oh, no," Oak told him. "These are for the other three who are coming in later today. You've already met your starter."
Oak then turned. "Ash is here!"
The group was confused until a yellow blur ran quickly ran in. It hit Ash with enough force to knock him off balance, though he quickly righted himself before he landed on his butt. He looked down in his arms to see a Pikachu staring up at him.
"Did you think I was really going to let you leave without me?" Pikachu said, though only four people could understand.
Ash now was grinning ear to ear. Of course he would have gotten Pikachu. He had known him for at least a year by now. His mind then flashed back to the promise they made.
(Flashback: Roughly a year)
Ash and his two siblings were out on Oak's ranch again, Gary currently inside, helping his grandfather with some work, along with getting some basic credit as a researcher. They had finished up their morning classes with their mom and were now starting to interact with the Pokemon.
Molly and Tomo were playing with some of the younger ones while Ash started looking around for any Pokemon new to the ranch. He always took it upon himself to make sure all the newcomers, whether in captured or wild, felt welcomed.
As he was walking around, waving to some of the Pokemon, a Primeape rushed up to him. One might have expected him to attack, but the Fighting Type stopped in front of him.
"Hey, Primeape," Ash happily said. "How's it going?"
"Pretty good," Primeape replied. "You or the other two find any place to use some of your moves?"
"Not at the moment," Ash said back. "Though I am about ready to kick one of Gary's crazy fangirls in the face. They were stalking us again!"
"You said it," Primeape agreed. "Wish I could do a little more, but I'd rather teach than fight nowadays. Better to teach and have respect than fight and have others taunt you."
"I hear that," Ash said. "Any new Pokemon around?"
The Pig Monkey Pokemon placed a hand to its face as it thought for a second.
"Now that you mention it," Primeape replied. "There's this yellow mouse Pokemon, a Pikachu I think, who got here last night. He doesn't seem to be too happy, because he keeps shocking everyone who comes near him."
"Why is he here?"
"I think he was abandoned and looking for food. Apparently, he was chewing on electrical wires, so Oak isn't too happy about it."
"Let me see if I can help," Ash suggested before Primeape started taking him to where the mouse Pokemon was.
Near the edge of the ranch, there sat the little Pokemon. It had a scowl on his face as he looked at the fence, the only thing preventing his escape, as it was made to do. If he had help from one of the larger Pokemon, he might be able to leave, but none of them even cared about that. Pikachu swore that they were all brainwashed or something.
Ash saw this and slowly approached the electric type. Pikachu's ears swiveled a bt before the Pokemon turned around and glared at the boy. Ash slowed down and calmly waved to the Pokemon.
"Hi."
Zap!
Pikachu let off some electricity, shocking Ash, who fell over with smoke coming off him. Almost immediately after, he got over the shock and sat back up.
"How the heck did you shake off my attack so quickly?" Pikachu snarled in surprise.
"It happens around here," Ash calmly said. "A Jolteon is sometimes here when his trainer rotates him out and he has the habit of hugging and shocking at the same time. I'm pretty used to it by now."
"You can understand me?" Pikachu asked, his surprise taking over.
"Something special I've always been able to do," Ash replied. "Mom said it had something to do with my Aura."
Ash stayed seated on the grass, making no attempts to go after the Pokemon. This unnerved Pikachu, keeping him on guard. There was a dead silence between the two until Ash decided to break it.
"Are you trying to leave?" He asked.
"No duh!" Pikachu snarled. "I don't want to be stuck here so you people can brainwash me and take away all my freedom."
"We don't brainwash Pokemon," Ash replied sternly. "And only about half the Pokemon here are captured for trainers. A good chunk of them are retired or just here because they got hurt and will be released when they are healed up. You're only here because you were chewing on the electrical wires to machines that are important to the lab."
Pikachu looked down for a second. He clearly didn't want to speak anymore as it was a losing battle, or one he felt he might as well be having against a brick wall. He turned around as Ash gave a sigh at his actions. Ash didn't want to leave him, knowing he would likely get into trouble without someone watching him, so he decided to look over to some of the other Pokemon while he waited for the electric type to start talking again.
Little did he know that Pikachu had actually found a way out in the form of a small hole in the fence, just large enough for him to squeeze through. Without Ash's full attention on him, he used his speed to race over to the hole. By the time Ash looked back, Pikachu managed to fully get out of the hole, only his tail giving him away.
"Hey! Wait!" Ash yelled when he saw what the electric type was doing.
Pikachu bolted, using Agility to speed up. Ash hopped the fence as he focused on Pikachu's Aura so he wouldn't lose him. He then pooled some of his energy into his legs, increasing his speed to the point where he could keep up with the Electric type, but he decided to stay behind to give Pikachu a break.
The two ran for a few minutes before Pikachu finally stopped near Route 1, believing he had lost the boy. Unfortunately for him, Ash was only a few paces behind him.
Realizing that he couldn't just go and grab Pikachu without making him angry and even less trusting, Ash waited, trying to find a way to reason with the Pokemon. He could try using one of his powers, but he knew that was a cheap way out. The fact that he also had to get back soon or else his mom would both freak and probably ground him also came into his head, so he need to go fast.
Lucky for him, he didn't need to think of a plan.
As Pikachu was resting, a Spearow came up and pecked him, startling the the mouse. Looking around, he saw dozens of Spearows surrounding him.
"What do you want?" Pikachu asked with a hint of venom in his tone.
"You are trespassing on our land," one of them said sternly.
"Look, I've had a trying day," Pikachu responded. "I just want to rest a little and then I'll be off."
"No! All trespassers must be punished!" The Spearow shouted, the others shouting in agreement.
Before Pikachu could say anything else, the Spearows all dove at him. He was getting hit left and right by them before he could even make a move. Eventually he managed out a few rounds of electricity, but any time he knocked one out, two more would take its place.
Ash couldn't let the fighting continue, he hated seeing others hurt for no reason. Acting on instinct, he filled his body with Aura, making it both faster and increasing its durability, knowing fully that he might be attacked as well. He ran right into the swarm and grabbed Pikachu before bolting for Pallet Town, managing to avoid getting hit.
Unfortunately, the Spearow quickly began following him after the shock wore off and managed to knock him off his feet. Pikachu fell a few feet in front of him while the Spearows went for Ash, more focused on attacking the one who had intentionally defied them rather than the one who just ran onto their land.
Pikachu picked himself up to see Ash being attacked, the boy holding out well, but it wouldn't last forever. Ash looked over to him and mouthed the word 'go' while protecting his eyes from being pecked out.
Something stirred inside Pikachu. Realization came over him as he knew the boy had saved him. He saved him even though the Pokemon had attacked him and run away. He couldn't just leave the boy there to be injured or possibly even die.
As his emotions flared, a power burned within him. Instead of leaving, he ran back over to Ash before jumping into the air.
"TAKE THIS BIRD BRAINS!" He shouted as he let out one of the most powerful streams of electricity he could conjure up.
The bolt ran across each bird, frying them. By the time Pikachu was done, every bird had either run away out of fear or was on the group in defeat.
Pikachu was panting, but other than a few scrapes, he was fine. He looked over to Ash, the boy luckily not caught in the crossfire and mostly unharmed thanks to his defense. He rose to a sitting position when he sensed that all the Spearow were gone or down for the count.
He looked over to Pikachu who slowly moved over to him with his head hung low.
"Listen kid," he said. "I'm… I'm sorry I got you into that mess. I haven't had good interactions with people so far so I just assumed that you were bad."
Ash smiled softly before petting Pikachu behind the ears. Pikachu looked up with a surprised expression.
"It's okay," Ash explained. "I understand that it's not always easy to trust a person you just met, especially if you've had a hard time in the past. I've seen it so many times with Pokemon and other people. What matters is finding a way out of it."
Pikachu nodded. Ash grabbed the mouse and let him ride on his shoulder as he ran back to the ranch. He hopped the fence again and went to go find his siblings.
Since he was covered in dirt with a few small scratches, his siblings asked what had happened. Ash decided to tell them the truth if they didn't tell anyone else. When his mother and Professor Oak saw him, he calmly said that he and the Pokemon accidently played a little too rough and he fell down a few times. They both accepted the answer without question.
The two played together the rest of the time, Pikachu having a blast now that he opened up his heart to the place. Ash also introduced Pikachu to some of the older Pokemon.
Before the group was about to leave for the day, Pikachu had Ash come over to him.
"Listen kid… Ash," he said, finally using Ash's name. "You showed me a lot today. This morning I would electrocute anyone who even looked at me funny, but you showed me that I didn't need to."
"It was nothing," Ash calmly said.
"But it means the world to me," Pikachu said. "I know that you will make me stronger and always treat me like family."
"What are you saying?" He asked.
"I know that you want to be a Pokemon Master in the future. Ash, when you go on your journey, take me with you."
"Are you sure?"
"Never been more sure about anything in my life."
Ash happily smile as he and Pikachu shook hands, promising they would become partners in the future.
"So Pikachu's my starter," Ash stated.
"Correct," Oak replied, "Since you and him get along so well I decided to let you have him as your starter. It also helps me as that means I don't need to get any extra starters."
"Thanks, it means a lot," Ash said as Pikachu hopped to his shoulder.
"Well, with that out of the way, let's move onto the next part," Oak added. "Wait here for a second. I need to get your equipment."
"Told ya I would be coming with you," Pikachu said once the professor was gone.
"And I couldn't have picked a better partner," Ash replied. "This beats having to leave you behind and pick a starter that I don't know what so ever."
"I'm glad you're coming with us," Molly said as she reached out to pet Pikachu.
"Yeah, you're one of our closest Pokemon friends," Tomo added, also trying to pet the small Electric Type.
Ash had knelt down so the two could easily pet Pikachu without having to reach. Pikachu gave a grateful 'Chaaa~' every time they hit the right spot for him.
"Heh, I wonder how many people are going to underestimate him because he's cute," Gary said as he watched the scene.
Pikachu turned his attention to the other trainer. "Hey, being adorable is my best quality and you know it!"
"Yes, Pikachu, you are adorable," Ash said with a chuckle.
The Professor soon came back, ready to hand out what he had retrieved. First, he took out two Pokedexes, one red, one black, from his coat pocket and handed them to Ash and Gary, respectively. Then, he pulled out two more Pokedexes, one blue, one yellow. He handed the blue to Molly and the yellow to Tomo. The two took them in surprise.
"Why are we getting Pokedexes?" Tomo asked.
"I thought they were for Pokemon Trainers," Molly added.
Professor Oak chuckled a little at the two's cluelessness.
"Pokemon Trainers aren't the only people who can get one," Professor Oak explained. "You see, there is a special branch of Pokemon Trainers known as Junior Trainers. They are under ten, but they have proven that they can handle Pokemon despite their age, thus allowing professors, like myself, to give them the ability to catch their own."
"Are me and Molly really that good?" Tomo questioned.
"Of course," Oak confirmed. "However, you are only allowed to legally travel if you are with someone who is already a Pokemon Trainer, no matter how long. This restriction can only be removed if you enter and place in a League or Grand Festival. Your mother is the one who actually asked if it was possible with all your training, so your Pokedexes already have Ash as the official Trainer you have to be with."
"We got that covered," Molly said as she patted her older brother's leg.
"Now for your Pokemon," Professor said.
Before he could even call out, two Pokemon ran up to Molly and Tomo, thankfully not slamming into them like Pikachu had done with Ash. By Molly, there was a little bear shaped Pokemon with orange fur and a yellow crescent moon in the middle of its forehead. By Tomo, there was a small brown Pokemon that had a skull covering its entire head save for its eyes.
"Teddiursa!" Molly squealed as she hugged the bear Pokemon.
"Should have guessed it would be you, Cubone," Tomo said to the skull wearing Pokemon.
While they didn't have as big of a story as Ash and Pikachu, the Pokemon still did have a history with their respective trainer.
Molly had found Teddiursa a few months earlier. Teddiursa didn't want to evolve as he likes his smaller and cuter form, but he also wanted to fight in normal battles, not Contests or Performances. This left anyone that caught him rather frustrated, either wanting him to evolve for strength or wanting him to be in Contests. Eventually, he was left at the ranch where Molly found him. She accepted that he didn't want to evolve while still fighting.
Tomo had found Cubone around the same time. Cubone was a mournful and lonely Pokemon because he never knew his true family, though he seemed to be taking it in the worst way possible. Oak even stated it was worse than what most Cubone are known to show. Tomo had connected with him as he never knew his real parents and was stuck living with his mean aunt and uncle for most of his life. Cubone proved to be loyal and a hard worker, if not a little serious and a bit of a loner at times.
"I had been watching your interactions with these Pokemon," Oak explained. "I hand picked them for you the same way I did with Ash's Pikachu. They went crazy after I said they were going to be traveling with you."
He then handed the group a few empty Pokeballs, six for each of them, before handing them the Pokeballs that their Pokemon had (excluding Gary who had his). Instead of recalling them, they merely stuck them inside their bags or onto his belt in Ash's case.
"I could guess that you won't be quick on recalling your Pokemon," Oak chuckled.
"No way, I hate those things!" Pikachu stated.
"I want to stay with Molly and see everything!" Teddiursa practically cried.
"Tomo needs my help, I will watch him with my life," Cubone said calmly.
Professor Oak couldn't understand them, but he could guess what they were saying.
"So is that everything, Gramps?" Gary asked.
"Not quite," Oak began. "I don't normally do this, but I am allowing all of you a limit of ten on hand Pokemon rather than six for now. You all deserve it, seeing as you have been helping around my lab and ranch for the past few years, showing you can take care of Pokemon. Just remember, at any time I can alter the number back down if you are not properly taking care of all of them. However, I could just as easily let you carry more or take the limit away if you have proven yourselves capable."
The group hastefully nodded before Oak went into a few reminders. He explained how to register for the league, some basic tips, and a few things about the Pokedex. The group wasn't too concerned with what he was saying as they already knew what they needed due to being around the lab for so long.
"Okay," he said. "Now, I should check your eggs before you leave. You all have them, correct?"
All four nodded before digging into their backpacks. Molly pulled out a light green egg with a few lines decorating it, as if it was a bud. Tomo pulled out a tan egg with a red circle on it. Gary pulled out a brown egg with a zig-zag tan stripe on the center. Ash pulled out the same egg from before.
The group had found the eggs a month ago. They were playing out in the forest during their free time when they stumbled upon them, not even in a nest. They brought them to Oak so he could check their health and give the group incubators, which they all decided to take with them on their journeys if they didn't hatch before then.
It didn't take long before the eggs were handed back in their incubators, all of them having a clean bill of health.
With everything taken care of, the group turned to head out. However, just as they were leaving, another Pokemon ran out from the back and jumped onto Ash's remaining shoulder. Ash luckily didn't fall this time, but he almost did as the force nearly knocked him over.
He looked over to see a Fennekin, one of the starter Pokemon from Kalos, as the culprit. However, rather than it having the normal yellowish fur with bits of a fiery orange the normal version had, this one had silvery fur with bits of bright red, displaying its status as a Shiny.
Ash knew this Fennekin, though it had only been a month or two since she came. From what she had explained, she had been outcasted by her family as her coat attracted predators, like most Shinies often do as it makes it harder for them to blend in. After being abandoned, she was captured by poachers for her coloring. She was luckily rescued, but Trainers didn't see much in her and often captured her just for her coat until they either abandoned her or traded her away. Needless to say, she had developed fears of abandonment after that. (2)
At the moment, said Pokemon was bawling, crying out desperate pleas.
"Please take me with you!" She begged. "I don't want to lose my friends!"
Ash, after the shock dissipated, quickly placed a hand on her head to calm her down after a few rounds of different pleas, ranging from just begging to trying to bribe him. He looked over to Oak who nodded while chuckling softly. He left once again and returned with a Pokeball in hand. Ash took it and showed it to the fox.
"Don't worry, Fennekin. I'm not going to leave my friend behind," Ash told the Fire type. "I got your Pokeball right here. You're coming with us."
"Dang, not even out of town and already two Pokemon under his belt," Gary joked.
"That's Big Brother for you," Molly giggled.
"You know I could never resist a Pokemon like this," Ash said, motioning to Fennekin. "Unless they're faking it and just trying to steal our stuff. Then we do whatever."
The group gave a big laugh at this while Fennekin started nuzzling Ash, happy she wasn't losing her friends.
Soon enough, the group was allowed to leave lab, their Pokemon resting on their shoulders, aside from Gary whose Wartortle was in his ball. As they neared the sibling's house, they started saying goodbye.
"So, your going to leave now?" Ash questioned.
"Yep. I'm going to travel on Route 1 for today until I reach Viridian City. Daisy is there with her car so she can drop me off in Pewter City. Then I'll train for a bit and maybe catch some Pokemon on the other side of Viridian Forest before challenging the gym there, though I think Wartortle might be enough to defeat their beginner challenge."
"You really want to avoid those fangirls," Tomo stated.
"Take my word of advice: if you have fangirls, run."
"Tell your sister we said hi," Molly told Gary. "Bye!"
"Smell ya later!" Gary said back to the three as he departed for the entrance to Pallet Town, his exit in this case.
The trio then entered their house, finding their mother already waiting for them. She handed them their bags, bugging them a little by checking to see if they remembered everything, while Mimey looked at their newly gained Pokemon, making sure that there would be no incidents early on.
"Are you going to protect your trainers from everything?"
"Of course!" Pikachu answered.
"Do you promise not to harm them or get them into trouble?"
"I'd need to be possessed to do that to Tomo," Cubone responded.
"Are you going to do the best you can in battle?"
"Yep!" Both Fennekin and Teddiursa said.
Meanwhile, the trio all had on their backpacks, Molly also having a purse with her. Delia looked over all her children, being the mother she was, making sure they were all ready to go out into the world. Right before it was time to leave, Delia suddenly pulled out a bag, smiling widely.
All three looked with curiosity as their mother dug into it, finally pulling out a book that looked old and worn but not enough that it was falling apart. She handed it to Ash, whose eyes widened in shock.
"I've taught you all much of what you need to defend yourself," Delia explained, "but there is more to Aura than that. Aura Guardians found ways to increase the power of their Pokemon and their moversets through Aura, which is detailed in another section of this book. Use it wisely to improve both yourselves and your Pokemon."
Ash nodded, unable to speak. He had seen the book several times before, his mother giving him a good description of what it was and what it was capable of teaching. He carefully put it into his bag, making sure it was secure.
Delia returned to her bag, soon pulling out a sleek box with a latch cover. Molly gasped.
"My friends!"
While Molly could originally use the tiles almost as much as she wanted to summon the Unown, she often times got into trouble along with her brothers. After their mother would scold them, she would take away the tiles for some time, varying depending on what they did and how bad it could have been. They all understood in the end, no matter how upset they would be. After all, they didn't want to cause too much trouble.
The last time they used the tiles almost resulted in them destroying a forest. They managed to stop it, thankfully, and they ended up changing the box permanently from it's stone form into one slightly less noticeable, as well as somehow changing the tiles from their ancient stone form into a sleek modern form. Somehow. They were honestly too busy dealing with almost destroying a forest to figure out how the box and tiles changed.
Still, Delia took the tiles away, scolding the three on both how they could of attracted unwanted attention with the destruction and how they could have destroyed the homes of numerous Pokemon in the forest. All of them were upset, Molly especially, but they understood the troubles their actions could have caused and didn't fight their mother's jurisdiction. Though that didn't stop Molly from asking on a weekly basis if she could have them back.
"They want to come with you," Delia told her. "I'm sure you'll be able to do great things with their help. Just don't misuse them, or I'll come over and take them back."
Molly stood up straight and nodded, understanding the threat underneath. Delia handed the tiles to her, which she carefully placed into her purse.
Next, Delia pulled out a boomerang and a holster from the bag. She handed the to Tomo, who looked at them, confused. (3)
"This is more than an ordinary boomerang, Tomo. It's made with a special design that allows Aura to flow through it. Because of this, it can become stronger than steel and it will always come back to you. You're birth parents planned on giving it to you, and it was one of the few things your aunt and uncle didn't sell."
Tomo's eyes were now wide. He didn't have much left of his birth parents, mainly because everything they had was sold by his aunt and uncle. The important stuff was hidden, thankfully, but he didn't know if he was ready for any of it.
He gratefully accepted the boomerang, placing its holster on his waist to keep it close.
Finally, Delia pulled three simpler items out of her bag. A blue bow, a yellow headband, and a red cap. The simple blue bow was tied into Molly's hair, the tiger striped headband was wrapped around Tomo's forehead, and the red cap was placed on Ash's head.
"These are all just little gifts from me. I thought it would be nice for you three to have some accessories on the road."
"Thanks, Mom!" Ash said as he looked at the hat. "Man, where did you get a Pokemon League Expo hat?"
"There was a contest not to long ago," the woman smiled. "I may have had to send in a million postcards, but it was worth it for you."
Seeing as she had given them all she wanted to, they decided it was time to head out. The entire family left the house, walking through the streets as some of the residents came out. A few greeted them, giving words of encouragement to the kids. Soon, they arrived at the gates.
It was time for them to say goodbye.
The family shared one last group hug, the Pokemon off to the side to give them some space.
"Keep up your training," she told them. "Your powers will help you in the long run. Just remember not everyone should be trusted, but not everyone should be feared either."
The three nodded.
The trio gathered up their Pokemon, all of them outside their Pokeballs, and started heading down Route 1. Delia and Mimey watched them go, waving to them as they did.
Our heroes have now taken the first steps on their journey. How will things play out for them, three Aura Guardians with great Pokemon, in the Kanto region? What adventures lurk around the corner? Find out as the journey begins...
(1): Okay, I have Gary not as such a cocky jerk because I like it when people aren't such jerks and because it gives me more options for him as a character. Also, I probably would have just gone crazy bashing him until he learned his lesson because I greatly enjoys seeing people suffering for their bad actions. Though mostly in fiction.
(2): I like Fennekin and I don't see many stories where Ash has a Fennekin unless it's a case of having several dozen Pokemon which he doesn't use more than once. So I thought it would be fun to add Fennekin, who also deals with the struggles of being a Shiny and issues with abandonment.
(3): I changed Tomo's gift from an amulet to a boomerang for several reasons, the main one being that it fit him more. I also didn't really think of the effects of the amulet, mainly because I was just trying to give Tomo something like his siblings.
Done! I'll try and get the next one out as soon as I can.
Ash: Try to get it out before you go back to school!
Yeah, yeah. Just know that writer's block is the worst. If you've ever written a story and posted it, you know what I mean.
Tomo: Well, we're going back to doing whatever the heck we do here when you aren't here.
Alright.
To all my readers, watchers, and reviewers, Stay Golden!
