Scraped from
here.
Chapter One - Beginnings
When you start out everyone wants to be a hero. Its only after you've been in the game a while that you realise that villains have higher life expectancies. - Red
*
"You teach me and I'll teach you.
Gotta catch em all
Gotta catch em all
Pokémon."
Gary smiled as he turned off the TV, humming the theme to the show he'd just been watching as he got ready for bed. He turned sixteen today and earlier he'd received his first Pokémon from his grandfather, Professor Oak. When he woke up tomorrow morning he was going to set off on his journey.
His imagination conjured up images of the adventures he'd go on as he drifted off to sleep. Exploring the Sevi Islands with Eevee, standing triumphant after an awesome battle with Red, catching the legendary Zapdos…
And so he drifted off to sleep accompanied by teenage dreams, knowing that they weren't real all the while wishing they were.
*
Satoshi Ketchum yawned as he walked to Professor Oak's lab. He'd gotten up early today to make sure that he had time to get everything he needed to do in Pallet Town before getting on the road early enough that he'd be in Viridian City by dusk.
As he walked up the path to the Professor's lab he saw a figure coming in the opposite direction.
Good, I caught him. "Gary!" He yelled, waving.
The figure stopped, glanced around and then started running towards him. "Satoshi!"
"You're setting out late. You'll have to hurry if you want to make it to Viridian before dinner" Satoshi commented lightly.
"Hah, what about you? From what Grandpa tells me you haven't even collected your starter yet." Gary responded.
Satoshi shrugged "Meh, I live on the edge. Although that reminds me." He pulled a Pokeball off his belt, leaving it empty, and chucked it to Gary. "It's for you. Consider it a setting off present, from both of us."
Gary's face turned solemn. "Thank you. Have you decided on your new name?"
"I'll be going by Ash now. What about you? Did you manage to get Blue?"
"Yeah, I'm not sure how though, colours are really popular. I think Grandpa pulled some strings."
Satoshi smiled, "Probably. Anyhow, I really do need to be off if I want to make it Viridian before dark. So see ya. Oh, and good luck Blue."
Gary beamed. "You too Ash."
*
Ash stared at the test in front of him then looked up at Professor Oak disbelief painted on his face. "Please tell me you're joking."
Oak looked to be smirking "I assure you I am quite serious. In front of you is the Kanto Region test for Pokémon trainer status. It was created after the young trainer fiasco in order to…"
He was cut off by Ash "Yes, I know why it was created. After the intervention of the Elite Four its intended to standardise the tests across Kanto so that there is never another incident like in Vermillion. I understand why it exists, in-fact I agree with it. What I don't understand is why I have to take it!"
Oak was defiantly smirking by this point "But Ash, you're a new trainer just setting out on your Pokémon journey, its part of the regulations that you need to pass this test to receive your starter Pokémon. After all, you wouldn't want me to break Kanto region regulations would you? I hear Lance feels very strongly about this test."
Of course you know that, you taught him. Heck you probably wrote half the test. "Lance doesn't scare me. You know what, I don't have time for this, give me a Pokeball and I'll go capture a wild Pokémon."
"Well maybe if you had come yesterday, like all the other new trainers you wouldn't have to worry about time. But I guess this means you don't want the Pokémon I specially picked out for you."
"Huh? What Pokémon?"
"You'll find out if you pass the test"
Ash contemplated it for a moment. On one hand he really did need to leave if he wanted to make it to Viridian before sun down whilst on the other the starter Pokémon were head and tails stronger than anything he'd be able to catch in the wild with-out support. "Fine, I'll do it. What's the pass mark?"
Oak had a decidedly evil glint in his eye "For most people its thirty percent, however considering your… confidence I wouldn't feel right passing you with anything less than sixty."
Old bastard can get away with it too Ash sighed. "Fine." And got started reading the test.
He'd barley finished reading the test before he burst out again, his voice incredulous. "You've got to be kidding me! There's no way this is the Kanto test."
Oak merely raised an eyebrow "Oh?"
"Ok, so around half the questions are realistic stuff like Pokemon care, survival and relevant legalities, but the rest of it is completely ridiculous."
Oak's eyebrow remained raised and he gestured for Ash to go on.
"The other half are insanely obscure questions about stuff which I can't imagine ever needing to know as a new trainer. For instance, question three and I quote" He began reading off the test sheet "'When is the proper time to attack a Snorlax?' Question fifteen: 'What is the proper use of a masterball?' Question thirty: 'What is the proper way in which to go about capturing a Legendary Pokémon?' Up until Question Fifty: 'Describe the correct manner in which to care for a Dragonite with a torn right upper quartile'"
"Well I guess its unfortunate that you need to get sixty percent in order to pass then."
Ash started at him.
"Well shouldn't you be getting down to work. You do have a time limit"
Ash bent down and got to work, muttering obscenities as he did so.
*
Ash was sat in front of Professor Oak scowling whilst the professor marked his test. Eventually Oak looked up, an evil smile on his lips. "Well Ash, 56%. Looks like you aren't getting that starter after all."
Professor Oak knew that Ash had by this point invested far too much time and effort into this farce to come out with anything less than a Pokemon and so he was unsuprised when Ash grabbed the test out of his hands and started leafing through it, looking for places he could possibly pick up a mark. Suddenly his eyes lit up and he shoved the paper back into Oak's view, a triumphant smile on his face. "Question thirty; how exactly is throwing a masterball at it not a correct way to capture a legendary?"
"You're supposed to ask it politely if it'd honour you by traveling with you after which if it says no you can…"
"All of which you can far more safely do if the legendary is in a masterball" Ash cut in.
"Not everyone has your talents Ash."
"Yet that doesn't make my answer wrong does it?"
"Very well, what was the next one you wanted to challenge me on?"
"Question 41; what exactly is wrong with 'become one with yourself'."
"You were too cryptic."
"Professor, that was a quote from your press statement where you coined the term Pokémon Master in which you described that as the method by which one achieved Mastery."
"I fail to see your point. Next?"
"Question 15."
Oak glanced at the respective question. "Ash, no matter how irritated this test might make you, 'catching Pokémon' is not an acceptable answer."
"What else can you use a Master Ball for?"
Oak thought for a second "Fine you can have the mark. But only because I know you'll never shut up if I don't and I happen to have better things to do today, what little of it there is left." He glared at Ash "Congratulations. You pass. Now if you'll follow me I can get you your starter."
*
Ash looked around the lab with distinct interest. He'd never been in this room before so it was interesting to see just what made up the world's premier Pokémon researchers' workspace.
It was a weird mix of a comfy office space, with plush leather sofas and what looked like an incredibly expensive oak desk in front of a bookcase filled with tomes, and a futuristic laboratory, with machines probably configured to do all sorts of things, a coms unit and a giant water dispenser.
I wonder what he uses that last one for. Maybe he just likes it. Nah-Oak's the type of guy who doesn't keep anything if it doesn't have a value, and it certainly isn't there for aesthetic purposes. Maybe its to keep up an aura a mystique. I mean I wouldn't put it past him… The effect's kinda ruined by the big plastic podium in the middle of the room though.
Oak had apparently seen Ash's eye's drifting to the podium and neatly predicted his chain of thought. "The podium's temporary. I use it to give new trainers their first Pokemon. Its part of the ceremony, apparently it's supposed to reflect the actual podium that they use in Indigo."
At this Ash nodded his head.
Ahh symbolism, the beginning and the end of the journey. What a load of crap. "I can't help but notice that there seems to be something of a lack of Pokeballs on said podium though."
"Indeed. The last one was picked up earlier today. Too bad, you should have gotten here earlier." Oak said chidingly.
"I call bullshit. Regulations state that you have to provide a starter to any trainer who passes the test. Now I have a long trek to Viridian tonight so can you please just give me the starter." Ash countered in an exasperated tone. By this point he didn't care if it was a bloody caterpie – he could use it as bait for a stronger Pokémon. He just wanted this farce over and done with.
"Fine. Ruin my fun." Oak stated and pulled a Pokéball out from one of the pockets of his lab coat.
The hell! He had it on him all along! He tapped the release button. "Ash meet Pikachu. Pikachu meet Ash"
*
"Really old man? A Pikachu? Of all the Pokémon in the world?" Ash exclaimed, once the electric rodent was safely back in its Pokéball.
"Yes Ash a Pikachu. I know they have a bad reputation, but really. That should be no issue for a trainer of
your calibre."
"A bad reputation! That's a fucking understatement if I've ever heard one. I honestly don't know why you keep them on as starters-"
Oak cut him off. "Because they make extremely powerful Pokémon even without training; typically we give them to idiots who need a trial by fire or people with oodles of potential. You happen to fall in the latter category. Although 'potential' may be a misnomer…" Oak trailed off. "Besides, I have a feeling that you'll need the firepower."
Ash sighed. Oak made a good point.
With my luck… "Fine. I'll trust you on this. So is there anything about this particular rodent I should know?"
"He's young. Less than three years old, so don't expect him to evolve for a while. However this one has higher than average electrical potential. It's already equal to that of a fully grown Pikachu. He was originally bound for a lab in the Orange Isles but due to some misfiled paperwork he ended up here instead." Ash's eyes widened slightly, he didn't believe for a second that it was an accident this particular Pikachu got re-routed. Oak must've pulled quite a few strings to get his hands on this particular Pokémon. Not that it would've been hard for him or anything, but still…
Ash nodded. "Could you call Surge and let him know I'll be dropping in within the next month or so?"
Oak nodded. "Well if that's everything then I'll be heading out." Ash started walking out of the lab only to be interrupted by Oak's voice.
"Actually Ash, there is one more thing…"
-
OOC: AN: Ugh, too much time writing quests. So yeah, found some notes based around this on my hard-drive and I wrote them up. Any and all feedback is welcome as is speculation. Also if any of you care I havn't dropped Tartarus or Luna Quest, I'm working on both (if rather slowly), this was/is a Catharsis fic.
