21st Generation
Nidorino vs Gengar! Will it be Samuel or Agatha who will emerge victorious in the first Pokémon League?
X
Hello and welcome to the Pokémon world! My name is Samuel Oak and I am the professor Pokémon specialized in researching the relationship between humans and Pokémon. For some, Pokémon are pets and others use them to fight. Well, it doesn't matter if you're a boy or a girl because a world of dreams and adventures with Pokémon awaits you!
Let's Go!
KANTO
Year 2002 - Pallet Town
In a room of the now old Ketchum restaurant, a heated discussion was taking place.
"No, Delia! I won't let you commit such madness!"
The girl turned her brown eyes full of anger towards her mother.
"You can't stop me, I'm already sixteen years old!" Delia shouted, tired of that argument. "I want to be a Pokémon trainer and according to the law-"
"I don't care about the law! I am your mother and therefore you'll do what I tell you!" the woman interrupted her. "Do you really think I'm going to let my only daughter walk around alone? With the roads full of thieves and criminals like Team Rocket?"
"Team Rocket?" Delia gave a small laugh. "They're nothing more than petty thieves, not even the police pay attention to them."
"And what about all the wild Pokémon that are out there? Any of them could kill you with a single hit!"
"I'm not that weak." Delia answered.
Her mother gave a long sigh and ran her hand through her dark hair. Unable to handle the accumulated tension, she ended up sitting in a nearby chair.
At times like this, Delia felt bad for pushing her mother to the limit. However she wasn't going to back down. She wanted to be a Pokémon trainer and nothing would change her mind.
"Delia...this world is very cruel, especially to young girls like you," said Mrs. Ketchum. Now that relations between Kanto and Johto aren't good at all, traveling has become twice as dangerous.
"I know, that's why I won't go alone," Delia said after opening a Poké Ball from her belt. "He will accompany me."
Mrs. Ketchum observed little Mime Jr. who always accompanied her daughter everywhere. Thanks to him, Delia had been crowned the strongest young trainer in Pallet Town, she had even defeated several travelers who came to the town.
"You're just as stubborn as your father," Mrs. Ketchum thought with some bitterness. "Okay, you can go."
"Yes!" Delia and Mime Jr. jumped of joy at the same time.
"But promise me that you will write me a letter at least once a week.
Year 2004 - Pallet Town
"You must be very proud of Delia," Professor Oak commented to Mrs. Ketchum one day. "Being among the top 4 in the Indigo Plateau Conference is a great achievement."
"I'm more glad to know she'll be with me soon," said Mrs. Ketchum. "Kanto, Johto and the Sevii Islands…That's too much traveling. There's nothing like home."
"I very much agree with that," said Professor Oak after drinking some coffee. "Still, I'm sure those trips have been a great experience for her."
What no one imagined was that Delia would return accompanied from her travels with a mysterious Pokémon trainer.
"Who is him?" Her mother asked in a serious tone. That man...there was something about him that she didn't like at all.
"His name is…and he's the father of my son." Delia blurted out suddenly.
ooOoo
"How could you?! I told you to be careful with the boys!" Her mother exclaimed. She moved from one side of the room to the other without stopping for a second.
"Mom, please stop," Delia asked. "You're making me nervous."
"Nervous? You have the audacity to tell me that after…?" Her mother pointed to her belly while she gestured exaggeratedly.
"It wasn't anyone's fault, it just happened." Delia defended herself.
"It just happened... are you listening to yourself?" Her mother put her hands to her head and small tears began to appear in her gray eyes. "Delia, you have no idea what trouble you're in."
"Mom, don't be so melodramatic."
Those words were too much. Before Delia could notice her, her mother had smacked her, leaving a red mark on her right cheek.
Stunned, she put a hand to her sore cheek.
"Mother…?"
"Do you think being a mother is easy? That you're not going to have to make sacrifices? That you're not going to feel overwhelmed by having responsibilities you never dreamed of?"
"He will help me, we will get ahead." Delia said with tears in her eyes.
"You're very naive, Delia," her mother said, shaking her head. "You had fun and "that" is the result. "He" will help you during the first few years, but when he sees what being a father entails…"
"What do you mean by that?"
"You know exactly what I mean, daughter," her mother said in a serious and cold tone. "I'm more than old enough to know who's a coward when I see them."
"He's not a coward! He's a good man and I'll prove you wrong." Delia said, getting up and leaving in a hurry.
After leaving her alone in the living room of her house, Mrs. Ketchum fell to her knees on the floor while processing all the information received.
"Grandma...I'm going to be a grandmother..."
Some days after…
"Someone is knocking on the door," her boyfriend said in a tired voice after hearing some noises.
"I'm coming." said Delia, who was closer to the door.
"Why did you come?" Delia asked in a tone stronger than desired.
"I just wanted to… I just wanted to see how you and the baby are doing," her mother said, looking up. "I know that the first months of pregnancy can be somewhat complicated...Perhaps you want the help of someone who has already been through it."
Delia looked at her with surprise and some joy.
"Now... Aren't you mad at me anymore? "
"Yes, I am, but it won't help if we continue arguing. "It's not good for a pregnant woman to have stress," her mother said with a small smile. "Delia, a child is the greatest treasure one can receive. You've made a mistake, but I don't want you to think that your son is that mistake."
Delia could only smile and hug her mother. He watched them from behind, impassive and with a look that was difficult to decipher.
Shortly after in 2005 the legend of Pallet Town was born.
ooOoo
Year 2011 – Pallet Town
When Ash was little, Delia used to tell him stories about how his paternal grandfather and father were great Pokémon trainers who travelled around the world.
"And when will they return?" Ash asked with a mixture of admiration, astonishment and excitement.
"…When they fulfill their dreams." Delia used to say. Her tone of voice was happy, but her gaze conveyed a deep sadness that missed little Ash.
When he was six years old, Ash tried to research about his father and paternal grandfather. For this he used the home computer and after hours of searching on the Internet, he found nothing.
Neither his father nor his grandfather were anywhere to be found. They weren't mentioned by anyone like the great trainers her mother used to tell her about. They weren't even on the list of Pokémon trainers.
Maybe he should have asked more, maybe he should have investigated more…but something inside him had broken and his young mind decided to bury the doubts and questions deep in his psyche.
The rest of Ash's childhood was spent developing a friendship and rivalry with Gary, grandson of the prestigious professor Samuel Oak. The two were known for being the "terror of Pallet Town" because of the numerous pranks they got up to together and separately.
ooOoo
Year 2013 - Viridian City
"You were right, mother." Delia said one day.
Mother and daughter were sitting on the terrace of a restaurant, having tea while Ash played with a boy and a girl older than him.
"In what?" Her mother asked, somewhat disconcerted.
"He's a coward."
"Well, we don't know what really happened, maybe you shouldn't jump to conclusions." she said, wrinkling her forehead.
Delia gave a small, bitter laugh.
"Now you defend him?"
"No, I'm just saying that we need more points of view to understand everything better... What have you told Ash?"
Delia was silent for a few seconds, staring at the gray clouds approaching Pallet Town.
"I told him that his father is a Pokémon trainer and that he's traveling the world.
His mother just nodded. After a pause of several minutes she stared at her daughter.
"What?" she asked.
"There is something important I must tell you."
"And what's that?" She asked her. For some reason she felt anxious.
"Delia, despite your situation, you have raised your son very well," her mother said, ignoring her question. "I'm glad to see that you have managed to start a good family."
"Mother, you are part of my family too," Delia said, giving her a soft hug. "Now I understand how you felt when you raised me. Being a mother is the hardest job in the world."
"We'll be good mothers, but we don't know how to choose our partners." Her mother recalled with some sadness.
"Mother…"
"I wanted to tell you that I have left you the restaurant as an inheritance but you can start running it right now if you wish. It's the only decent one in this town so you'll always have work.
"B-but mom, you can't-"
"You can and will accept it," her mother said in a firm tone. "I no longer have the strength or the passion I had before. The business needs young blood and yours is the most suitable. Plus, this way I can spend more time with my grandson."
"I knew you were up to something," Delia laughed, trying to hide her nervousness. Inherit the restaurant? That was a big step but she didn't know if she would be up to it. It was too much responsibility and she had already learned the hard way not to take on more than you can.
Before they could continue talking Ash ran up to them.
"Mom! Red, Leaf and I are going to go play in the Viridian forest.
"To the Viridian forest?" "Delia asked them, somewhat worried.
The three boys nodded their heads quickly.
"If so, don't go too far away and play near the entrance, please."
"Don't worry, Mrs. Ketchum, we'll take care of the dwarf with our Pokémon." Leaf said, receiving an indignant look from Ash for the comment about his height.
Red took out a Poké Ball and opened it, showing a little poliwag who immediately started jumping around with happiness.
Delia smiled when she saw him. Although he was young he had shown great potential as a water Pokémon.
"Do you promise to protect them for me, Poliwag?" She asked him as she bent down to pet him.
"Poli!" The tadpole Pokémon responded enthusiastically.
ooOoo
Ash, Red and Leaf returned from the forest badly injured and with a blonde girl in their arms. Apparently she had been attacked by wild Pokémon and Ash had launched himself to protect her with his body. If it hadn't been for Red and Leaf, the child prodigies, they surely wouldn't have gotten out of there with just a few scratches.
Delia took them to the hospital and then to Professor Oak so they could tell him what happened. After all, he knew a lot about the Pokémon in the area.
"However, there is something that worries me," professor Oak confessed after hearing the story. "Since when have the golem and dratini inhabited the Viridian forest? Not to mention that dratini are not aggressive by nature and usually hide from humans."
"Right! I was so worried that I hadn't noticed," Delia said sadly. "What do you think all this means, professor?"
"To be honest, I don't know," the professor admitted with some regret.
"Aren't there supposed to be several rangers living inside the Viridian Forest?"
"Yes, they have been helping the Viridian gym leaders to monitor the forest for years. Apparently these rangers are descended from an ancient clan with extraordinary abilities."
"And where were they today? How come they haven't helped my son?" Delia didn't want to sound spiteful but she was too nervous and sad.
"Don't know. What's more, only Viridian City Gym Leaders know who they are and how to contact them. They are a clan with the same secrecy as the ninja clans of the past."
Delia gave a long sigh.
"Secret or not, I hope they do a better job next time... That girl could have been a victim of the Pokémon if it weren't for Ash," Delia said, changing the subject. "I wonder what she was doing, lost in the middle of the Viridian forest."
They both looked with some concern at the two children asleep on the couch. The little girl slept hugging Ash tightly, while Red watched them attentively sitting in a chair and Leaf walked around the laboratory.
Some time later…
"There is a movie on TV, 4 boys are walking down the railroad tracks... Well, I better get going." Red, future Champion of Kanto.
ooOoo
Red and Leaf left the village together to become Pokémon trainers.
"I hope you become the strongest!" "Ash told them. The two trainers smiled at the little boy and patted his head.
"Thank you for wishing us good luck." said Leaf.
"So when I defeat you I'll be the strongest."
"…" Red said. Those words made Ash cry with joy and emotion.
Leaf gave Red a hard slap on the back as she tried to stop the tears from coming out of her eyes.
"You've always had a gift for words."
Yellow, who was behind Ash, bid them both farewell with a shy wave.
"Take good care of Ash, he always gets into trouble." Leaf asked the little girl. She nodded strongly while Ash complained and said that he knew how to take care of himself perfectly.
After several goodbyes, Red and Leaf moved towards their new adventure.
"Raid On the City. Knock out. Evil Tusks." ―Madame Boss, founder of Team Rocket.
ooOoo
Giovanni always had everything. Since he was little, nothing was denied him by his mother, Madame Boss. She was tall, beautiful, powerful and intimidating.
Everyone trembled when they heard her name. The police, the other criminal clans, and the politicians didn't dare to stand in her way. If they did, she was in charge of manipulating them, bribing them or killing them, depending on her mood.
She, along with several of her friends and partners, founded Team Rocket and took it to the top, soon the Mafia Pokémon of Kanto became the terror of the entire region.
When Giovanni turned ten years old he received a meowth as a gift from her. His first step towards being her worthy heir. After her son, what Madame Boss loved most was money.
"Money is power, you little brat," she used to say fondly. "Money can buy everything. People will do anything to have it. Having more than others is the easiest way to conquer the world. Everyone will fulfill your wishes if you are the richest."
But things never go as you expect. Miyamoto, one of the executives of Team Rocket and a great friend of Madame, had disappeared. That was the first sign of the organization's decline.
Madame Boss became obsessed with finding evidence of the existence of mew. She wanted to sell the Pokémon to the highest bidder. However, the international police began to intervene.
Team Rocket's best men were being captured, their lairs were no longer secret, and the other mafias were becoming emboldened. Many things happened and in the end Giovanni had to step forward and take control of the organization.
He never forgot his mother's teachings, so as soon as he could he looked for the best ways to get money.
The first thing he did was eliminate the members who were against him or who could cause him problems. He then murdered other mafia bosses, stole valuable Pokémon, kidnapped, extorted and blackmailed. He even formed a scientific team to conduct illegal experiments.
However, money is of no use if you don't have status and power in both the light and dark world. So he eliminated the Viridian gym leader in his hometown. That way he could take his place and do illegal trafficking with Pokémon using the SS Anne... It took many years of sweat and effort but it was worth it.
ooOoo
September 1, 2014 - Cinnabar Island Pokémon Mansion
"I-I'm sorry but I can't do it, it's too dangerous and we must eliminate it as soon as possible! It's not a Pokémon, it's a monster!" said a frightened, old, bald man.
Giovanni couldn't contain his anger and hit his subordinate hard. Blaine groaned in pain as he fell to the ground. The rest of the scientists retreated in terror.
"Do you know that my mother's dream was to be able to control a mew? A Pokémon that very few believe exists," Giovanni said after placing his foot on Blaine's face and crushing it against the ground. "I have achieved something better, creating a superior Pokémon... And now you tell me that it has to be eliminated?"
"N-you can't control it! I-it's too violent and its instincts are much wilder than normal! He has escaped and killed all of the scientific team in the process!" Blaine exclaimed, trying to bear the pain. Giovanni, enraged, increased the pressure of his foot on the scientist's face.
"True, Fuji is dead and if you don't want to follow him, you will create something to control that monster. I'm not going to allow all the money and resources used to be in vain," Giovanni said very seriously. "The ravages of the post-war are still being felt, this is our opportunity to increase the power of Team Rocket without anyone bothering us. You have understood? Or maybe you need stronger motivation?"
"I-I'll do what I can." Blaine said through gritted teeth.
"You better, or Cinnabar Island won't have a gym leader anymore."
Blaine breathed a sigh of relief as Giovanni left the destroyed laboratory.
"That fool doesn't know that Fuji is the only one who escaped Mewtwo's attack alive. Still, I must create something that can retain or suppress his psychic powers or Giovanni will be the least of my problems," Blaine thought worriedly. "Luckily Fuji placed a tracker on all his clones. Mewtwo won't be hard to find."
Viridian City Gym
"So you're the famous Sergeant Surge, huh?" Giovanni observed the imposing foreign soldier with interest from the table in his office. "What brings you here?"
Surge took off his sunglasses, revealing a fierce look that made Giovanni's bodyguards recoil out of pure instinct.
"I want to join your organization."
Suddenly, the false friendly atmosphere became as cold as Giovanni's eyes.
"Organization? What are you talking about?"
Surge gave a long sigh.
"There are no police or journalists here so you can stop pretending. Getting information is not complicated for a soldier who has had the misfortune of being in the worst places in this region."
Giovanni glanced at his three bodyguards and gave them a small nod. They nodded but before they could take out their Poké Balls, they had a voltorb, an electabuzz and a magnemite in front of them. The Pokémon's bodies ejected small sparks, making the hairs of those present stand on end.
The bodyguards stopped moving instantly. They knew Surge's reputation very well and didn't want to incur the wrath of his Pokémon.
"I haven't come to fight, but I will electrocute your" "bodyguards" if they make a single move." Surge threatened. Giovanni just laughed lightly at those words.
"You dare bring electric Pokémon to my gym? ...I like you!"
Surge grimaced.
"Thank you."
"Ken, Harry and Al. Leave us alone," Giovanni ordered his bodyguards.
"B-but, sir..." The three interrupted their protests upon receiving the furious look of their boss.
A few seconds later they had hurriedly left the office.
"There's something I've been wondering for a while... Why would a foreign soldier of your prestige want to join me?" Giovanni commented, getting up from his chair and approaching Surge.
The difference in height was notable, with Surge being at least two heads taller than Giovanni, yet the sergeant felt smaller in the presence of the mafioso.
"Due to my "heroic" actions I have received numerous Badges and have been named gym leader of Carmine City," Surge explained with some bitterness. "However, that is not what I want. When I came from Unova, I did it because I wanted a real fight, because I wanted to quench my thirst for blood... but the gyms are a battlefield for weaklings accustomed to peace. Too many rules and too many brats who know nothing about life."
A sympathetic smile formed on Giovanni's hard face.
"You can take a soldier out of war but not the war out of the soldier... You're starting to interest me, Surge."
Anyone else would have breathed a sigh of relief, but Surge was a professional and wasn't going to fail in his mission. The International Police and the Pokémon Association were counting on him.
Giovanni observed his new secretary from his seat. Matori was a twenty-something with a calculating look. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail and her black suit didn't have a single wrinkle.
"My last secretary wasn't very competent. You are?"
"That is something that my actions will demonstrate, great leader." was Matori's dry response.
Giovanni gave a small smile.
"I would like to test you before admitting you as my secretary."
Matori didn't even blink.
"What kind of test?"
"I'm building the Rocket casino in Celadon City."
"Isn't there where were have one of our secret bases?"
"That's right, and the casino will be built on top of it. You see, we need money and people need more than just alcohol to forget the aftermath of war."
"Isn't that risky? What will happen if the police decide to investigate?"
"I have many friends in high places so that won't be a problem," Giovanni said, smiling maliciously. "Your task will be to ensure that the construction of the casino is completed quickly and without complications."
"As you wish." Matori responded with a slight bow. Giovanni waited for her to leave but she didn't.
"Do you have any questions?"
"If you allow me to ask, great leader… What did the previous secretary fail in?
Giovanni rubbed his chin as he pretended to think about the answer.
"You see, my casino will be for everyone, children included, and she wasn't willing to cross that line. So I had to force her to cross a different line.
Saffron City Gym
Giovanni relaxed on the tatami floor while drinking the warm tea provided by an eleven-year-old girl.
"Did your daughter do this?" Giovanni asked with some curiosity. "She's very talented."
The man sitting in front of him gestured with his hand to indicate to his daughter that she could leave.
"What do you want?"
"Wow, always straight to the point, eh, Koga? If you read my letter you should already know what I want from you."
"You're right, I've read it and I'm willing to work for you. As long as the payment is fair."
"You shouldn't worry about money...Tell me, don't you feel bad for accepting?"
"My position as gym leader allows me to take care of my clan but it doesn't give me what I need most. Recover my honor as a warrior."
"Honor… Honor is a concept that doesn't fit my vision. Will you be able to complete any mission, no matter how hard it may be? Keep in mind that we are going to cause a revolution in Kanto. There will be a lot of… collateral damage."
"I am a shadow warrior, an assassin and a mercenary. As such I serve the highest bidder, something this modern world has forgotten," Kouga said without hesitation. "We are in an era of peace and our culture will be extinct if this continues…That's why I'm willing to preserve the chaos that you want to impose. Shinobi are only needed when chaos reigns. I'm afraid my sense of honor has nothing to do with your preconceptions."
The words that came out of his mouth made him sick and made him want to vomit the tea he had just sipped. But a ninja never showed the enemy his true intentions. Giovanni had fallen into the trap, now he just had to pretend for a few years before participating in his fall.
ooOoo
"Do you want to delete all the saved data?... Are you sure you want to delete it? Remember that you won't be able to recover it later... Restarting the game..."
"Little brother, why do you delete your game? You already had it almost complete..."
Ash Ketchum turned his head and looked at the small blonde girl sitting next to him. Her green eyes conveyed the curiosity typical of her age. Ash couldn't help but smile.
"It's very boring to play when you've already passed the Pokémon League" He justified. "It's no longer as fun as when I started playing."
"It is very sad." Replied the girl he loved as if she were his family.
"Sad?"
She nodded her head.
"All your Pokémon and what you did with them…has been erased. You will never be able to see them again."
"It's just a game," Ash sighed, worried to see that the girl was taking it very seriously. None of this is real.
Her sister was thoughtful for a few moments.
"The other day, on television, they said that there were many trainers who abandoned their Pokémon when they got bored with them..."
"Those are bad people. A true Pokémon trainer never abandons their Pokémon. That's what mom always says." he reminded her.
"So... when you become a trainer you won't abandon your Pokémon?" she asked him. "If you win a league... won't you get bored with them?"
"I can't abandon my Pokémon if I win a league." Ash said as if it were common sense. Yellow had a lot of love for Pokémon, sometimes too much, but it was part of her charm.
"Do you promise me?"
"Yeah." Ash said as he stroked her head. In a few months he would be ten years old and he could go out on adventures. Nothing and no one would stop him from becoming the very best, that no one ever was.
"Ash, Yellow! Get down right now!"
It was his mother's voice. The children looked at each other and ran out of the room. When they went down to the living room, a woman with brown hair and eyes was waiting for them with the television remote in her hand.
"I want you to see this. "Delia Ketchum told them with a smile as she turned up the volume.
"Before all of you we present the new Kanto Elite Four!" said the presenter. "As you may already know, Kanto achieved complete independence from Johto three years ago. Apart from economic and political changes, this means that each region now has its own Pokémon leagues and Elite Four."
The image changed to show Kanto's strongest trainers walking through the streets of Saffron City, the region's capital. They were accompanied by famous Pokémon trainers, members of the Pokémon Association, and several police officers.
"Agatha, forty-nine years old and a specialist in poison and ghost type Pokémon! As a curious fact, long ago she was the greatest rival of the famous professor Oak," the presenter reported when the camera focused on the members of the Elite Four. "Bruno, twenty-three years old and specialist in fighting and rock type Pokémon! Lorelei, twenty years old and a specialist in water and ice-type Pokémon! Leaf, twelve years old (so young!) and with a very varied Pokémon team under her belt!"
When the camera focused on the champion, Delia watched happily as the children's eyes shone with pure excitement.
"And finally the new champion of Kanto!... Red! At only twelve years old he's considered a battle genius and we hope that he'll proudly carry the Kanto flag in the next Pokémon World Tournament.
"Red and Leaf are too strong," Ash said after a few seconds of silence. "If I want to be a Pokémon Master I will have to beat them one day."
"Then you will have to train a lot, my son."
Saffron City – Fighting Type Gym
"Kadabra, psychic."
A hitmonlee was slammed into the dojo wall at high speed. The force of the crash was such that several of his bones were fractured in the process.
"Hitmonlee!" Kiyo Kochi screamed in horror.
"Use psychic again." A girl ordered her Pokémon.
"H-Hitmonlee is out of action!" The stunned Pokémon referee shouted, stopping the girl before she made a deadly mistake. "Since all three of Kiyo Kochi's Pokémon have been defeated, Sabrina becomes Saffron City's new Gym Leader!"
Nobody in the audience applauded the winner. That fight had been practically a massacre and thanks to the referee the possible death of Kiyo's Pokémon had been avoided.
"N-no...I-impossible... I lost?" Kiyo Kochi fell to his knees on the ground. His mind still couldn't assimilate what had just happened.
"How boring..." Sabrina said without even looking her rival in the eyes. "I expected something more from the acclaimed Karate King. I guess your fame was directly proportional to your weakness."
Those words woke Kiyo up from his state of shock.
"B-be careful how you talk to me." Kiyo warned her furiously.
The shame he felt made him tremble with rage. All of his dojo students, journalists and other spectators had seen his crushing defeat. He could see in their looks compassion, sorrow, shame and a certain mockery in some.
"You should be the one to be careful," Sabrina said in a cold tone that gave everyone present goosebumps. "The only reason I've been able to challenge you, is because the PA doesn't want you as a gym leader."
"W-what are you talking about? If you have been able to challenge me it is because you got the Elite trainer license!"
"This gym has given a lot of problems lately due to the constant defeats you suffer, Kiyo. That's why the A.P. asked me to get you out of the way."
"Y-you lie!" Kiyo shouted as tears welled up in his eyes. "It's true that this last year I haven't won any fight but-"
"No one loves you," Sabrina interrupted with a wide, cruel smile. "You're just a mass of muscles. In these times, having muscles does not guarantee victory. Compared to the other gym leaders you are trash."
"Dam you! How dare you talk to me like that?!"
Giving a mighty scream, Kiyo lunged at Sabrina. His students tried to stop him but it was too late... for him.
Giving a loud yawn, Sabrina raised her left hand and lifted the Karate King into the air.
"Those are his psychic powers?!" exclaimed the astonished audience. Meanwhile, Kiyo writhed in the air, trying in vain to escape.
"I have taken your gym, your city and your throne from you in a fair fight so stop whining. Don't lose what little dignity you have left," Sabrina advised him. "Seeing an adult like that makes me sick."
Kiyo began to notice how his bones creaked under that invisible pressure.
"Y-you're a demon..."
Sabrina completely ignored that comment.
"I heard that you and Bruno trained together in the same dojo...It's hard to believe seeing how weak you are."
"L-let go of me!"
"In this world there are people with enormous potential but who lack the willpower to reach said potential" Sabrina closed her hand a little, making Kiyo's bones creak even more, thus silencing his screams. "Bruno had that willpower and that's why he is a member of the Elite Four, while you are just trash and don't deserve to be here."
After saying that, she threw him out the door, leaving him unconscious on the floor.
ooOoo
"Great leader, it is true that you have grunted the Saffron gym leader." Matori asked him.
"Sabrina is unpredictable, intelligent, manipulative and with great potential."
"And why did you bring such a girl into our organization?" Matori asked worried.
"Because I love controlling power and that girl is power in its purest form," Giovanni responded with a sadistic smile on his face. "We can make her into a perfect weapon…no, we'll. She along with Surge and Koga will be part of our executives.
"A girl like her in such a high position?!"
"A girl who has been named gym leader at the age of ten after humiliating the King of Karate." Giovanni reminded her.
"And what about Proton or Sird? Wouldn't they be better candidates for that position?"
"Yes, but Proton is…somewhat unstable, he still has a lot to learn. As for Sird, I don't trust her. She hasn't failed a single mission despite being a new grunt, plus her combat power is almost equal to mine."
Matori bowed her head and simply accepted her leader's words.
Year 2015 - Pallet Town: A blank canvas of your trip!
"I'm late, I'm late!" "Ash shouted desperately as he ran on the way to professor Oak's laboratory.
He had fallen asleep on the most important day of his life. Upon arriving at the laboratory, the professor told him that the three starters had already been given to three children who arrived at time, Gary being one of those children.
And to top it all off, his mother Delia, Yellow, and Dahlia Oak arrived to congratulate him and found him crying on the floor while clutching the Pokédex Oak had just given him.
"Well...I still have another low-level Pokémon left..." Oak murmured worriedly. While the professor was bringing up the starter, his granddaughter Daisy gave Ash a map of Kanto.
"I bought two just in case and I have already given the other one to my brother." Dahlia said.
"Ash, thank her. "Delia said to her depressed son.
"Thank you…"
After a while Professor Oak brought Ash a Poké Ball with a lightning bolt drawing on the surface. Upon opening it, the legend of Ash and Pikachu began to form.
Just outside Pallet Town
"Ash, technology is really amazing. The modern Poké Balls are much more comfortable for Pokémon than the old ones or at least that's what my grandfather says." Tecno, the fat boy.
Pikachu was surrounded by a flock of spearows led by a fearow. His plump body was filled with deep wounds caused by the ferocious and territorial Pokémon. Pikachu had defeated more than seven and was fighting as if he was a real demon. Moving at high speed, biting and electrocuting anyone who got in its way.
At that moment, Ash could feel his heart racing. Not out of fear or worry, but because he felt that that Pokémon was a reflection of him. He couldn't explain it but he knew that he wanted him to be his life partner.
The fearow, upset at seeing how its flock was humiliated by a pikachu, launched itself into combat and used steel wing against the surprised Pokémon, who could not dodge the attack in time.
"Pikachu!" Ash shouted furiously as he saw the Pokémon fly through the air, leaving a small trail of blood in its wake. Ash ran towards him and held him tightly, preventing him from hitting the ground.
Pikachu looked up and his eyes widened when he saw that the one who had helped him was the same boy he had attacked all day. What was he doing?
"Are you okay?" Ash asked with a smile, surprising the Electric Mouse even more. "Don't worry, you fought very well but now you must rest."
Placing him on the ground, Ash stood up and stood in front of him. The spearows pounced on the boy but he grabbed a stick and several stones with which he tried to defend himself.
For a few seconds they served him but he immediately lost his weapons and his body was filled with bites and wounds caused by the claws of those Pokémon. The spearows didn't stop and Pikachu watched with fear and amazement as that child stood on top of him to protect him with his body.
It was the first time a human had done something like that for him. And although Ash didn't realize it, his selfless action made something inside Pikachu stir.
"…I-I'm Ash Ketchum, f-future Pokémon Master." Ash said as he struggled not to faint. However, the strong wind and the noise of the storm took his words away.
"P-pi, pika." Pikachu was trying to tell him not to continue fighting because it no longer made any sense. They weren't going to survive.
Surprising the Pokémon for the third time, Ash stood up from the ground and cast a defiant look at his attackers. He extended his arms and stood in front of Pikachu to protect him again.
"Have you heard me?!" Ash shouted at the top of his lungs. "My name is Ash Ketchum and I'm from Pallet Town! I'm going to be a Pokémon Master!"
"Spea, spea, spea, spea, spearow!"
Ash didn't need to understand what the flock of spearows were saying, he knew very well that they were laughing at him but he didn't care.
"Someday I will capture you all!" Ash declared with all the strength in his little lungs.
The fearow leader of the flock recoiled slightly as he looked into Ash's eyes. There was something about them that bothered him too much. It wasn't the look of someone defeated or desperate to escape, it was the look of someone superior who doesn't fear you, the look of a winner.
The fearow had to shake his head several times, because he had seemed to see a kind of rainbow fire in that young man's eyes. Surely he must be going crazy if he had those kinds of visions.
The other spearows looked at their leader very confused, because they couldn't understand why he had become paralyzed. The fearow didn't want them to doubt his leadership so he quickly gave the order to attack.
He and his minions swooped down on the helpless Ash and Pikachu. The fearow, to avoid Ash's gaze, turned his body at full speed to execute a perfect drill peck. He was going to get rid of that annoying look and teach those two dwarves a lesson.
Ash didn't back away or close his eyes. He waited for the deadly attack to pass through his body. Pikachu rose from the ground at a more than astonishing speed and jumped into the air using Ash's shoulder for support. The next thing Ash saw was how a powerful lightning bolt fell on the area and the strong light blinded him, preventing him from seeing more.
A rainbow feather slowly fell as the cloudy sky cleared, giving rise to the image of human and Pokémon holding hands as they smiled for having survived, forging an unbreakable bond in the process.
Viridian City: The eternally Viridian city
"Prepare for trouble! And make it double! To protect the world from devastation! To unite all peoples within our nation! To denounce the evils of truth and love! To extend our reach to the stars above! Jessie! James! Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light! Surrender now, or prepare to fight! Meowth! That's right!" ―Jessie, James and Meowth (TRio).
ooOoo
Ash met Misty when he stole her bike. It was an emergency situation and he promised her that he would return it. However, the incident with the flock of spearows had left the bike destroyed.
"So your name is Ash Ketchum! Huh?!" Misty exclaimed furiously. "Well, you're going to fix it or pay me a new bike!"
"I-I just started my journey," Ash confessed, very embarrassed and scared, "I haven't beaten enough trainers yet to have that much money..."
"Well, I'll follow you until you raise all the money, interest included!"
"Ok, ok." Ash said in a vain attempt to calm her down.
While they were walking through the streets they found a poor old man in the middle of the ground. His granddaughter brought him coffee because he had been drunk and then robbed by three members of the infamous Team Rocket: Jessie, James, and a meowth with the ability to speak.
The Trio became obsessed with Ash's pikachu because apparently it had great potential and latent power. So they swore that they would get him no matter the cost.
At first Ash considered them a danger but soon they became just an occasional annoyance.
Pewter City: Between Rugged Mountains
A few days later he had his first match against Brock, the Rock-solid Pokémon trainer. At first glance he seemed like someone very serious and tough but deep down he had a big heart.
"I'm Brock, Pewter's gym leader!" he exclaimed as he took off his shirt and showed off a rather muscular body for a thirteen-year-old. "I believe in the great resistance of the rock and in its determination! That's why all my Pokémon are rock type! It will be very difficult for you to hurt them."
The defeat of Pikachu, Buterfree and Pidgeotto was crushing. Ash had to train a lot to challenge him again without embarrassing himself or his Pokémon.
"Are you coming back to challenge me again? And with those Pokémon that can do nothing against mine?" Brock asked, somewhat surprised. "He didn't expect the boy he had humiliated two days ago to come back for another beating."
"My mother told me a long time ago that anything can happen in a Pokémon battle," Ash replied defiantly. "Being a gym leader you shouldn't underestimate my Pokémon, whatever type they are."
That burning look and his words convinced Brock. For some reason, he felt that this time he shouldn't let his guard down.
"Ju…I know you're moved by the pride of Pokémon trainers. Alright, show me what you're worth! Come get me Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!"
What Brock didn't know was that Ash had received a little training from his own father, who had abandoned him and his brothers a few years ago.
Even so, the fight didn't end in an orthodox way, which made Ash win his first Badge more out of pity than because he deserved it.
After that, Brock's father returned, which allowed him to join Ash and Misty on their trip, and thank goodness because they were both tired of eating fruits and berries from the forests, not that either of them knew how to cook very well or good in general.
Plus he was the only one smart enough to bring enough repellents to avoid the zubats in the caves.
ooOoo
Pewter City Museum
Brock wanted to show his two new teammates the pride of the city. At the museum they met professor Oak, who had gone to see one of his former students, Foster, the current owner of the museum.
"I still remember when I taught him at Celadon University." Oak remembered wistfully as everyone saw a machine capable of resurrecting fossil Pokémon. "I am very proud of how far you have come Foster."
"Well, you'll be even more when I show you my new finds in the ruins of Pokémopolis." Foster commented.
Mt. Moon
That place was full of cleafairy who danced and danced around a huge rock that according to the scientist Seymour, was a moon stone. Apparently some of those Pokémon used it to evolve into clefable during some Mondays.
During the long journey through the mountains, Ash and his companions helped the supernerd Jovan protect some fossils from Team Rocket.
Cerulean City: The Floral Lagoon city
A few days later something happened that Ash didn't expect.
"That's right, Ash," Misty said with a smile to her surprised traveling companion, "I'm the leader of the Cerulean Gym."
Ash turned his head and watched as Brock coughed to hide his laughter.
"You knew it?" Ash asked upset, confused and a little angry.
"Of course!" Brock laughed, unable to hold it in anymore. "It would be very strange if we gym leaders didn't know each other, don't you think? Although it is true that Misty was appointed leader very recently."
Ash couldn't say anything because his friend was right. What's more, it was his fault for not having informed himself properly before. It's not that it was difficult to find information on gym leaders.
"As you already know, my tactic is the all-out offensive with water-type Pokémon," the tomboyish mermaid proudly informed him, "don't think that because we've been traveling together for a few days I'm going to be soft on you."
"I'm telling you the same, Misty!" Exclaimed Ash, who already felt the flames of victory warming his heart.
During their stay at Misty's gym, they met her three beautiful older sisters Daisy, Violet, and Lily. And after saving the gym from another Team Rocket plot, Ash received the Cascade Badge from the three sisters, which Misty didn't like at all.
Later, between the three of them they disrupted numerous Team Rocket operations, attracting the attention of its strongest members such as Sergeant Viper, who tried to grunt them on the Nugget bridge and when they rejected their offer he tried to eliminate them. On that occasion, the unexpected help of Gary, who was passing by, saved the three of them, although Ash would never admit it.
Cerulean Cape - Sea Cottage
"Hello! I'm a Pokémon... No, I'm joking! Call me Bill. In reality, I am a pure Poké Maniac. What? You don't believe me? I'm serious!" ―Bill the Poké Maniac.
One of the strangest experiences Ash and his friends had was when they met Bill, a famous Pokémon researcher who had created the Pokémon storage system.
Ash discovered this when he captured more than six Pokémon and they couldn't be used. They had to be deposited in the storage box since he was only allowed to use six Pokémon at a time. Rules established by the World Pokémon Association.
However, what mattered was that when they met Bill he was transformed into a clefairy. Apparently due to a failed Pokémon teleportation experiment.
"My first Pokémon was an abra, and its ability to teleport always fascinated me. That's why I started the experiments," Bill explained once he recovered his body. "Thank you for helping me, here, as a gift I give you three S.S. Tickets for the S.S. Anne cruise. It's docked in the port of Vermillion City and is usually full of Pokémon trainers, but I'm not interested."
"Great! I can have fights until I get tired." Ash said very happily.
"I would have preferred if you gave us that cute eevee of yours," Misty said as she looked delighted at Bill's Pokémon. "I also don't care if you give me your vaporeon."
"I'm afraid I can't do that since they are gifts from my mother," Bill said with a nervous smile. "Anyway, you can stay with me tonight. I have heard that a strange Pokémon from Galar appears on foggy nights, maybe we can all capture it."
"Then I'll make dinner." You can't catch anything on an empty stomach," said Brock enthusiastically.
"I agree!" Ash said even more excited.
"You know how to cook?" Bill asked curiously.
"Brock is the best cook in the world!" Ash and Misty stated at the same time. "Stop saying the same thing as me!"
Brock put a hand to his face after sighing. Fights between those two were becoming a habit.
"These two exaggerate my abilities." Brock said embarrassed.
"It doesn't seem like it to me. Still don't make tofu or anything with lactose, please, I'm allergic." Bill commented, licking his lips. Apparently his personal cook was on vacation and he had been eating canned food for days.
Team Rocket Lair
"Listen to me, Fighter Squadron! I have chosen you to carry out the most important mission of your lives! Capture Mewtwo! Thanks to the special armor that Blaine created we'll be able to suppress his power."
Giovanni stopped for a moment to look at his squad: Blaine, Surge, Koga, Archer, Ariana, and Sabrina.
Blaine was looking down at his feet, Surge was more serious than ever, Koga had his eyes closed, Archer was looking adoringly at Giovanni, Ariana was smiling a little sinisterly, and Sabrina just let out a small yawn.
"Sabrina, you've done a good job using the Silph Scope," Giovanni said to the preteen. "With the ghost Pokémon of the Lavender Tower this mission will be even easier."
"…Thank you." She responded without altering her expressionless face. Archer looked at Sabrina out of the corner of his eye with sick envy, but he didn't dare say anything.
"Each of you has the skills more than necessary for this mission and I'm sure that you won't fail."
The latter could be understood as a subtle threat.
"We'll never fail you, great Giovanni!" Archer exclaimed.
"You better. With Mewtwo at my side, absolutely no one will be able to defeat us," said Giovanni in an almost hopeful tone. Then he looked from him to one of his bodyguards. "Harry, take the Silph Scope to the casino base. It's too important to lose here."
"Yes sir!"
"The time has finally come for Team Rocket to blast off and dominate this region!"
ooOoo
Finding Mewtwo in the Celeste cave was much easier than Giovanni thought. Manipulate him into working for him too. At least for a while…
Vermillion City: The port of exquisite sunsets
"Hey! But what are you doing with a pikachu, kid? You won't last long fighting! Do you still dare to confront me? You really have the spark! Well come on, let's have a high-voltage fight! My movements will surprise you so much that you will be paralyzed, like my enemies during the war." ―Surge, the Lightning Lieutenant.
Pikachu lost against Lt. Surge's raichu, but they still didn't give up and won the rematch taking advantage of Pikachu's great speed. They didn't need the thunder stone that Nurse Joy had given them. Still, they kept it just in case.
"I'm impressed, kid," Surge said with a broad smile. "The Raichu you defeated was captured recently, but even so he is not a weakling that anyone can defeat. Your Pikachu has the energy to defeat an entire Team Rocket squad!"
"He usually defeats the same guys, but thanks." Ash joked.
Later they went to the port and Ash obsessed for minutes with a truck. He was sure there was something or someone hiding. Pikachu, Misty and Brock thought he had gone crazy.
ooOoo
S.S. Anne
On the ship Ash and his friends met the Gentleman, an agent of the International Police. They had a relaxing conversation over tea and then in the hallways Ash met his rival from Pallet Town again. It didn't take long for them to challenge each other to a Pokémon battle.
"Raticate use tackle several times," Gary ordered with a smug smile on his face. "Let's send that bug to the Pokémon center."
Gary's raticate launched itself at high speed at Ash's Pokémon, leaving it quite stunned with its constant attacks.
"It's almost as fast as Pikachu!" Misty commented surprised.
"Iron Defense!" Ash shouted. Buterfree stiffened his body and Raticate felt like he was hitting a brick wall. "Now use gust!"
"Escape with quick attack and use hyper fang."
Raticate dove to his left to dodge the whirlpool and then leaped at Buterfree, sinking his powerful teeth into his body. Buterfree screamed in pain as small drops of blood from his body fell to the ground.
"Buterfree!" Ash shouted worried.
"Don't let go, Raticate!" Gary ordered him.
It was very clear to the spectators of the fight that Gary had victory within his grasp. But both Misty and Brock knew that they should never trust each other.
"Tackle the ground!" Ash said suddenly.
Buterfree threw his body against the ground and his blow was cushioned by Raticate's body, who received serious damage and was forced to let go of his rival. A few small scales came loose from Buterfree's wings during the process but only a few noticed.
"Well done Buterfree!" Ash congratulated his Pokémon.
"Free!" He responded very happily.
"Don't think you've won, Ash," Gary growled. He was going to give another order to his Pokémon when he saw that it couldn't move. "What happens?!"
"I know what's happening!" Brock exclaimed. "Buterfree has used stunt spore. What was coming off before were not scales but paralyzing dust."
"Has our Ash been able to do something so clever before?" Misty asked impressed.
"Hey!" exclaimed the kid from Pallet Town, somewhat offended. He was going to continue the fight when something unforeseen happened.
A huge explosion followed by several smaller ones caused the ship to completely rock. Team Rocket was attacking them and this time there were not three, but many more members.
"Ha, so this is the famous Team Rocket?" Gary asked in a mocking tone. "Surely some losers like you'll serve to polish my skills."
Everyone who knew how to fight faced them with their Pokémon. They even had to use their own fists on occasion. Luckily they had the help of agent Gentleman, which tipped the balance in favour of the passengers.
Due to the explosions and fighting, the ship ended up sinking. Everyone except Misty, Brock and the TRio were saved. However, after several adventures they managed to return to land safely.
ooOoo
Upon returning to Vermillion City Ash discovered that the truck was no longer there, but in its place there was a strange blonde girl who looked somewhat sad.
"My name is Mina." She was so absorbed tracing waves in my notebook that the ship has sailed and she haven't noticed. "Now I'm going to have to stay in Kanto for a year," the girl explained. "At least I'll be able to enjoy the beautiful Kanto Sea for a little longer!"
"Are you from another region? Then you must have strong Pokémon!" Ash said excitedly.
"Here we go again." Misty said sighing.
"At least he's forgotten about the damn truck." Brock murmured.
"Would you like to fight my Fairy-type Pokémon, Kanto trainer?" MIna asked.
"Hell yeah I would!" "Ash responded, taking out a Poké Ball.
"Hee, hee, hee. Alright, I'm going to show you what Fairy-type Pokémon are made of!"
Lavender Town: The Noble Town - Pokémon Tower
"I play my Poké Flute every day from the top of the tower." That way the music will reach everywhere and the souls of the Pokémon will be able to rest in peace" ―Mr. Fuji.
Fog inside a closed tower. Without a doubt that couldn't be natural. The people could feel the cold seeping through their clothes and digging into their skin and bones.
"Ash... what are you doing here?" Gary asked him with a chilling calmness. "Have any of your Pokémon died?"
His hair was completely dishevelled. Dark, deep circles surrounded his eyes. His clothes were wrinkled and looked like they hadn't been washed in several days.
Ash, Misty and Brock didn't know what to say. That cemetery was already very sinister and Gary, at that moment, fit too well into that terrifying atmosphere.
"… Dead? Don't say stupid things, my Pokémon are fine," Ash replied, somewhat annoyed by Gary's question. "Team Rocket has kidnapped Mr. Fuji and several Pokémon. We had come to…"
Ash stopped when he felt Brock's hand on his shoulder. His friend looked at him seriously. He motioned with his head for him to look behind Gary. Ash obeyed and what he saw left him paralyzed.
The photo of a raticate along with various flowers and offerings adorned the tomb. Misty put a hand over her mouth as she realized what was happening.
Gary saw the looks of the three and turned his head slightly, to look out of the corner of his eye at his Pokémon's grave.
"The fight against your buterfree left him very weakened," Gary explained without any emotion in his voice. "That I then forced him to fight Team Rocket didn't help at all... Heh... I couldn't even get him into the Poké Ball in time when the ship sank... He didn't even have enough strength left to swim..."
"...Gary..." Ash didn't know what to say.
"Ash...Come here and fight me," Gary said suddenly as he grabbed a Poké Ball from his belt. "I'm going to make sure your Pokémon can't walk again either. And then I'll go after Team Rocket."
Celadon City: City of Rainbow Dreams
"Hello... Nice weather, right? It's so nice... ...Oh, dear... I must have been asleep. Welcome. My name is Erika and I am a student of the art of flower arrangements. Do you wish to challenge me? I'm sorry but first I have to take care of a little problem... How about you help me? I will give you the Rainbow Badge as compensation." ―Erika, the nature-loving princess.
Ash, Misty, Brock and Erika trashed the Rocket casino after discovering it had a secret mafia base. While his friends dealt with the grunts, Ash met the mysterious leader of the organization.
"And you are?" Giovanni asked interested when he saw that a child had reached the safest place in the den.
"Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town and this is my friend Pikachu!"
"Pika!"
Giovanni raised his thin eyebrows slightly, because that name sounded familiar to him.
"Are you the kid who's been bothering my grunts all over Kanto?" He asked as he got up from the couch. "The Pikachu brat those three idiots talk so much about? It's a pleasure to meet you, I…"
"I don't care who you are, you're going to fall for everything you've done!" Ash exclaimed, launching his Pokémon into battle.
Giovanni simply laughed as he did the same. At that time he was only carrying his weakest Pokémon on him, yet he almost defeated Ash's entire team, leaving him with only Pikachu standing.
Before Ash could stop him, Giovanni's Onyx used sandstorm and dig to help his master escape from there.
"Don't run away, coward!" Ash shouted furiously as he coughed up sand and covered his eyes. Pikachu couldn't do much else to stop Giovanni from running away either.
"I'm not running away from you, brat," Giovanni laughed. The police must be here by now and I don't have time for little games. You're lucky you didn't let me reveal my name to you, otherwise you'd be dead by now.
By the time Officer Jenny arrived everything had happened.
"I have finally been able to get rid of this damn casino that has given my city so many problems." Erika said relieved, and then gave Ash the Rainbow Badge for his bravery and help.
"Release me! Don't think you'll get away with this," shouted an angry Rocket grunt with blue hair and a sharp look, who was being arrested along with the other grunts by Officer Jenny. "Our leader let you win this time."
"You are the only ones who are going to pay if you set foot in my city again," Erika said, just as furious. "And next time no corrupt politician will stop me from acting on time."
"My name is Archer, you will pay with your lives!" the grunt shouted before disappearing into the police car.
"What a day we've had. "Misty said as she grabbed Brock by the ear to prevent him from going after Erika and Officer Jenny.
"Yes, although it's a shame we couldn't capture the head of Team Rocket." Ash complained.
"The important thing is that there'll be no more casinos or criminals in this city." Brock said after rubbing his sore ear.
"And we also have this." Ash said more cheerfully as he showed them the Silph Scope.
The three friends smiled, until they saw the sad expression on Erika's face.
"What's wrong Erika?" Misty asked worried.
"There were some magikarp at Celadon University but they were stolen," she explained to them. "I believed that Team Rocket would have them in the casino along with other stolen Pokémon, but they were not there."
"Why would Team Rocket want a Pokémon like magikarp?" Ash asked, earning a disapproving look from Misty.
"They were very rare since they knew dragon fury." Erika explained.
"They probably have them somewhere else... I can help you look for them!" Brock said, excited at the idea of spending more time with Erika. However, the excitement was replaced by pain again when he felt Misty grab his ear.
"I feel sorry for the magikarp but we have more important things to do." Misty said, trying not to think about those poor water-type Pokémon.
Erika finally smiled when she saw all that. She immediately bowed and thanked them for their help.
The next day the casino was renamed Celadon Casino and no longer accepted people under thirteen years of age. Although that didn't stop it from attracting people of the worst kind again.
ooOoo
With his self-esteem through the roof, Ash decided to go to the capital of Kanto, Saffron City, to challenge Sabrina. They should have gone straight to Lavender Town but Ash didn't want to listen to his friends.
Sabrina's father, known to everyone as Mr. Psychic, warned him that it wasn't a good idea. The few members of the Dojo-Karate fled when they heard her name. Misty was afraid of her and even Brock, who adored any beautiful woman, tried to persuade Ash not to do something crazy.
Ash found all that just funny. So he challenged her but the only thing he got was to be humiliated by Sabrina's Pokémon and on top of that the girl turned his friends into dolls.
Luckily Sabrina ended up getting bored and after transforming them into humans again she let them go.
"It's best that you use a ghost-type Pokémon next time if you want to beat her." Mr. Psychic advised him.
Lavender Town – Pokémon Tower
Ash and his friends returned to Lavender Town to reveal the mystery of the ghost and discover that she was actually a Marowak whose soul couldn't rest in peace. After reuniting it with her Cubone son, the tower was no longer possessed by that black and sinister aura.
"Hee, hee, hee... Are you the ones who have made the spirits of the tower rest in peace?" said an old woman with a Machiavellian smile.
"Yes, who are you?" Ash asked confused.
"It's Agatha from Elite Four, the ghost and poison type specialist!" Brock revealed surprised.
"It's true, I saw her on TV a long time ago." Ash remembered.
"What are you doing here, ma'am?" Misty asked the old woman.
"I was going to see what or who was causing so many problems in my hometown. I had to put in their place several Team Rocket grunts who were hiding in the area." said Agatha. "I appreciate what you have done, children."
"Can I challenge you to a fight?" Ash asked excitedly. "I'd like to see how strong are the Elite Four."
"Of course, it's always good to show the youth how we fight in the Elite Four." Agatha laughed.
The fight was brief, with only one gengar Agatha defeated Ash's entire team easily.
ooOoo
Mr. Fuji's House
Several angry glances fell on the old Mr. Fuji, who accepted them as the punishment he believed he deserved. Blaine was also there, as he had secretly gone to visit his friend. He didn't imagine that he was going to meet the boy who was giving Team Rocket so many headaches and on top of that accompanied by two gym leaders.
"You helped create Mewtwo so that Team Rocket could control him?" Ash asked Mr. Fuji angrily. He couldn't believe that this kind, scarred old man was a scientist for a criminal organization.
"Calm down, child!" said Blaine. "I also participated in that project. He isn't the only one guilty of creating a monster."
"The real monsters were us, monsters who played to be God," Fuji said in a tired voice. "When I lost my daughter Amber everything stopped making sense to me, I needed to get her back at all costs. I needed a lot of money, so I allied myself with Madame Boss, the founder of Team Rocket. Her son Giovanni acted as intermediary. Everything I did was so I could clone Amber and have her back."
Misty put her hands over her mouth at that revelation.
"… C-clone his own daughter?… but how could you…?"
"Yes, another monstrosity to add to the list…a man like me doesn't deserve to continue living. No wonder my own wife abandoned me."
"Please don't say that." Blaine begged his friend.
"Blaine's right," Ash said suddenly. "I'm not going to let you run away from his problems like that. Don't you want to correct your mistakes, don't you want to do something good for once in your life? Those from Lavender Town say that you spend all day taking care of Pokémon that have been hurt by other people. That means you haven't given up yet and you never should. Your family, Mewtwo... Do it for them, stop being a coward and try to create a world where there are no monsters playing to be God!"
Those words, so simple and spoken by a child, reached Mr. Fuji's heart.
"Wow, you said something right for once," Brock joked, who was surprised. "I thought you hated Mr. Fuji."
"I can't say I like him but I understand how he feels bad about himself," Ash admitted. "In the casino I got carried away by my hatred and I didn't pay attention to you. I wanted to avenge Cubone's mother, Gary's Raticate, and all the Pokémon who had suffered because of Team Rocket, but in the end my Pokémon and I almost died. I've learned the hard way that hate isn't part of the path of a Pokémon Master."
"Ash..." Misty murmured sadly.
"Then you're already wiser than both of us," Blaine told him. "Both Fuji and I hate ourselves and that's why we have had a hard time moving forward in this life...maybe we should follow your example."
"I agree," Fuji said as he wiped tears from his eyes. "I promise you, young man, I will try to never give up."
ooOoo
A haunter who lived in the lavender tower became attached to Ash after seeing how he managed to bring peace to the spirit of Cubone. So he decided to accompany them but without being an official part of his team.
Still Ash saw this as an opportunity to get revenge on Sabrina so they returned to Saffron City.
Haunter didn't want to fight Sabrina, he preferred to enter her soul and solve part of her childhood traumas, and then make her laugh with his ghostly tricks. The serious and somewhat cruel gym leader changed completely that day and she ended up staying with that haunter.
"Since I was the one who brought that haunter, you could at least give me the Badge." Said Ash.
"I give you my gratitude and that of my family for the joy you have brought us."
"B-but the Badge..."
"No."
Fuchsia City: Happening and Passing City
In Fuchsia City Ash participated in the Pokémon Safari, capturing thirty Tauros by mistake. Soon the entire city knew him as "the man who whispered to the Tauros."
ooOoo
"Uahahaha! How dare a child challenge me? As a ninja master, I will teach you what fear is! You will feel the despair of the poisoning and dream techniques!" ―Koga, the Poisonous Ninja Master.
Pidgeotto and Charmander vs Venonat and Golbat.
Luckily his battle against Koga for the Soul Badge was much better. First he had to pass several tests that consisted of discovering and avoiding ninja traps. Then he had to face the leader's younger sister, Aya and was finally able to fight Koga.
"I see great potential in you, young man," Koga said after handing him the Badge. "Even so, you must continue working, since potential without training is nothing."
Those words made the young man from Pallet Town quite emotional. This was the second Badge he had gotten legitimately so he felt invincible.
"I will do that!" Ash said very determined.
"By the way, I heard that you have faced Team Rocket several times."
The three nodded at the same time while giving various sighs.
"Yes, those three never give up." Misty said.
"Still, they are no match for us." Brock said.
"I see... Well, be careful, I think there are several of them making trouble in the area. I've dealt with a few, but you never know..."
ooOoo
Koga was right. Just outside the city they had a run-in with Jessie, James and Meowth, who this time had help from the Biker Federation. Apparently Jessie and James had been members of said group for 2 years before fully dedicating themselves to the mafia.
Even with all that help, Ash and his friends didn't have any problems. Receiving the gratitude of the inhabitants, especially two in particular who turned out to be the grandfather and older sister of Bill the Poké Maniac.
Saffron City: The bright, golden land of commerce - Silph Co,
"I knew you'd come back... but you're not here to challenge me for the Badge, are you? What you want is to destroy Team Rocket. I don't like fighting, but my duty is to protect my city and its inhabitants. I will show them my psychic powers." ―Sabrina, the Master of Psychic Pokémon.
ooOoo
Team Rocket had invaded the capital of Kanto. All its inhabitants hid in their houses while they saw the criminals patrolling the streets through their windows. They didn't hesitate to use their strongest and cruellest Pokémon to strike terror into the hearts of the citizens.
However a rebellion was formed by Ash in a very short time. Misty, Brock, Sabrina, Mr. Psychic (Sabrina's father), the Copycat (child prodigy), several members of the Dojo-Karate and some brave citizens fought and got Ash to reach Silph Co.
Ash was surprised to see his rival Gary already inside the building, leaving a trail of defeated Rocket grunts in his wake.
"I'm not here to help you," Gary told him with a sad smile. "I have come to avenge Raticate. You can go after the boss if you want, I'm going to destroy everyone else."
It didn't take Ash long to reach the company president's offices, although the entrance was guarded by the Trio and their Pokémon Arbok and Weezing.
"Stay there, brat!" Jessie said.
"Our Boss is in a meeting!" James said.
"It can't be bothered!" Meowth said, taking out his claws.
A lightning bolt from Pikachu was all it took to get rid of them.
ooOoo
Giovanni stomped on Ash's hand, making the boy scream in pain.
"Humiliate me at the Rocket casino, steal the Silph Scope, render the TRio useless and interfere with my plans for weeks... If it weren't for the damned International Police, I would have eliminated you a long time ago," growled Giovanni. "This time I'm not going to hold back, and your gym leader friends won't be able to-"
"Boss, boss!" a voice suddenly shouted in Giovanni's ear.
"What happen?" asked Giovanni, answering the call. He walked away from Ash and with a wave of his hand signalled for his Pokémon to attack him.
"We have been betrayed!"
"What?!"
"Surge, Sabrina and Koga have joined the other gym leaders and the police have cordoned off the entire building! Even the traitor Blaine has invaded the building!"
"…I'm beginning to understand how the International Police knew about our secret lairs and plans…I always suspected Blaine, but I never imagined there would be more than one mole."
Giovanni looked out the windows and he didn't like what he saw at all. The champion himself and the Elite Four had arrived in the city and were laying waste to their grunts. Despite using eighty percent of their members, they were losing ground in just a few minutes. It was the brat's fault, who had accelerated the counterattack by infiltrating the city.
Giovanni would have liked to continue talking to his executives, but when he stopped hearing the sound of his Pokémon, he turned around and saw something unexpected. Ash's Pokémon had defeated his Nidorino, Rhyhorn, Persian, and Nidoqueen. Not having been receiving instructions from him, they had ended up being overwhelmed.
"You are the next one!" shouted Ash furiously. The boy and his Pokémon could barely stand because they were sweating and bleeding. His heavy breathing could be heard throughout the office.
"No boy, don't continue risking your life!" pleaded the president of Silph Co.
Giovanni laughed at the brat's audacity.
"You and your friends have ruined my plans for Silph Co, but Team Rocket won't fall so easily." was what Giovanni said before escaping from there with the help of several grunts.
ooOoo
Saffron City Gym
Gym Leaders, Elite Four, Champion, International Police and several others had gathered to discuss very serious matters.
"Giovanni is the leader of Team Rocket?" Several people asked surprised.
"That's right," Surge assured. "It also seemed strange to us at first but stranger things have been seen."
"That explains why there are so many problems in the Viridian forest lately," Misty commented, remembering her trip with Ash through that area. "Ash and I saw Pokémon that shouldn't be there invading other Pokémon's territories. Some of them appeared to have suffered torture at the hands of humans."
"Team Rocket's "failed" experiments used to be discarded in that forest." Sabrina explained. The rest of those present could only frown and hurl insults at Giovanni.
"From now on, Giovanni won't be a gym leader." Leaf, the strongest member of the Elite Four, said. "We must inform the press of this so that everyone is on alert, anything more than adding a champion?"
"…" Red said. His inspiring words filled everyone present with joy and encouragement so much that they felt like nothing could stop them.
Shortly after, Sabrina gave Ash the Marsh Badge as a symbol of his bravery and skill during the invasion.
M1: Mewtwo vs Mew
"The circumstances in which one is born are not important, it is what one does with the gift of life that determines who we are."―Mewtwo.
With six Badges under their belts, Ash, Misty, and Brock headed to Cinnabar Island. However, along the way they had an adventure with the legendary Mew and his clone Mewtwo.
After years of horrible genetic engineering experiments Mewtwo was created to be the most powerful Pokémon in the world. However, he had great intelligence and was unable to understand the meaning of his existence.
Such unease made him create his own army of clones with which he wanted to invade the world. To do it, he sent challenges to trainers who had caught his attention, among them it was Ash.
After numerous confrontations and the "death" of Ash, Mewtwo understood that the meaning of life is what you give it yourself. And that all life has the same value. Therefore Mewtwo decided to take his clones to a place where they could live in peace and erased the events that occurred from everyone's memory.
Just as they were heading to Cinnabar Island, Ash and his friends received a call from Professor Oak.
"The Pokémon Snap project is very important for my research," the professor told them. "Near Cinnabar Island there's a virgin island to which I'll be sending a photographer named Todd Snap. The island contains a wide variety of places and climates, it's a place where Pokémon live freely undisturbed by humans."
The three friends liked all that quite a bit but for different reasons.
"Surely there are strong Pokémon." Ash said.
"Strong and cute water-type Pokémon!" Misty said.
"You can always learn something new from unexplored places." Brock said.
Professor Oak laughed as he watched their reactions.
"I would like you to accompany Todd as his bodyguards. From what those at the Pokémon Association have told me, you are very good at protecting people."
Ash didn't hesitate for a second to accept the offer.
"You can count on us, professor!"Ash said.
Thus Ash, Misty and Brock spent the next two weeks in the company of Todd Snap, exploring the island in depth and even discovering that Mew and the legendary birds used to sleep and nest there sometimes.
As a gift for the help, Todd ended up giving Pikachu a surfboard, which the Pokémon really liked because of how much he got to use it.
Cinnabar Island (Formerly New Island): The Fierce City of Burning Desire
-July 5, 1990. A mysterious Pokémon was discovered in the thick of the jungle in a distant region.
-July 10, 1990. We have identified the Pokémon as the legendary mew. We got D.N.A. samples from her before she escaped.
-February 6, 1996. We have managed to clone Mew. We call the little one: Mewtwo.
-September 1, 2014 Mewtwo is too powerful. His strength is slipping out of our hands." ―Blaine's diary.
ooOoo
The Cinnabar Island gym was inside a volcanic cavern, which seemed dangerous to everyone. Their gym leader, Blaine, was waiting for them there.
At first it took Ash and his friends a little while to recognize Blaine, since he had a new look. Instead of being a man with little hair he was now bald, he had a long moustache and sunglasses covering his fiery gaze.
"I am free from Team Rocket so I have decided to change both my life and my appearance. I have even thought about building a hotel near the hot springs to increase tourism on the island," the hotheaded quiz master explained happily. "Now we'll see if you can quench my fiery spirit!"
Squirtle, Pikachu and Charizard vs Ninetales, Rhydon and Magmar. Ash faced Blaine in a Pokémon battle after solving several of his puzzles, with the help of Misty and Brock, and thus obtained the Volcano Badge.
Viridian City – Gym
"Ahahaha! We meet again, brat! I didn't want to leave Kanto without first crushing your dreams. This time I plan to use my strongest Pokémon, you and your friends will not leave here alive." ―Giovanni, the Self-Proclaimed Strongest Trainer.
"How is it possible that Giovanni is here?" Brock asked as he and Misty fought the eight trainers protecting the gym.
"Yeah! The international police told us that they had seen him leaving Kanto." Misty said as she gave orders to her Pokémon.
"I have my methods of distraction, brats," Giovanni said with a malicious smile. "I did everything in my hands so that no one could bothers us. My revenge against you, Ash Ketchum, is the most important thing right now."
Giovanni's words only made Ash angry.
"Revenge? When I'm done with you, no one will talk about Team Rocket again!"
"Big words for a twerp! This is the last time you will face the great Giovanni, the strongest trainer!"
Giovanni brought out Persian, Dugtrio, Rhydon, Nidoqueen and Nidoking at the same time.
"You can do that!" Misty shouted when she saw that. "I still can't believe they accepted you as a gym leader!"
"Do you have no honour left even as a gym leader?" Brock asked furiously. "You are a disgrace to the position of leader!"
"Honour and shame are for idiots, we are the Pokémon mafia!" said proudly Jessie, James and Meowth, who had come to observe the fall of the twerps.
Ash smiled widely. If Giovanni wanted to fight with everything then he would also do the same. Without a second's hesitation he took out five of his Pokémon: Pikachu, Charizard, Wartortle, Bulbasaur, and Pidgeot.
"For Cubone, for Raticate and for all the people you have made suffer… Today Team Rocket is going to fall! "Ash said.
The battle was so intense that half of the gym was destroyed in the process. Ash, Misty, Brock, and their Pokémon had to be sent to the hospital and the Pokémon Center respectively due to their injuries.
The International Police arrested all the gym's trainers and closed it for the moment. Giovanni, Jessie, James, Meowth and several members of Team Rocket were still on the run.
Still Ash later realized that he had the Earth Badge in his jacket pocket along with a message.
"The boss is furious with us but we think you deserve this, twerp. Congratulations for having done the impossible, even so this won't be the last time we see each other. It's seems Team Rocket blast off again!" ―Signed by the TRío.
"You should stop getting into trouble, kid," said Gentleman, the member of the International Police in charge of monitoring mafia activities in Kanto. "On behalf of the police, I thank you and your friends, but you could have ended up dead."
"We couldn't just let them run away like that." Ash complained. His friends nodded at the same time.
The Agent Gentleman took a long sigh as he put on his trench coat and hat.
"At least you'll be happy to know that almost the entire organization has fallen. The few that remain free will try to flee to Johto, the Orange Archipelago or the Sevii Islands. They won't get very far."
Mount Hideaway
In an attempt to train some more before the league started, Ash and his friends went to a hidden place where they met Bruno from Elite Four, a fighting and rock type specialist.
"Please tell me how you are so strong!" Ash asked him, because he wanted to reach the top as soon as possible.
Bruno, who was sitting on top of his giant onyx, opened his eyes and stared at him.
"There is no secret. Know your Pokémon, know yourself and help each other. Start with that and you'll be halfway there. The rest is pure training and experience. Or at least that's how it has worked for me."
"…At least help me train."
"Well, I have free time so okay."
Indigo Plateau - Kanto Pokémon League
The fire of Moltres had lit the torch, the league had begun.
-"I wonder if you are strong enough for me!"
-"I see you're good! Let's see exactly how much!"
-"I'll beat you up!"
-"Only the chosen ones can win here!"
-"I will show you how good I am!"
"Assunta, Melissa, Jeanette Fisher, Pete Pebbleman and Mandi. Rivals defeated by Ash.
The moment that many had been waiting for had finally arrived. Ash Ketchum vs. Gary Oak. Both from Pallet Town, the same place the Elite Four Leaf and champion Red came from.
Murmurs and gossip filled the room of the Pokémon Center where the Pokémon trainers were resting.
Gary looked with some pride at his three Pokémon: Blastoise, Arcanine, and Alakazam.
"This team is enough to defeat you, Ash." Gary thought very seriously.
"Your team seems very strong." Ash said after getting closer to Gary. His rival immediately turned around. He still had a sad look but he seemed to have regained some fire.
"Charizard, Wartortle and Bulbasaur, huh? Do you really think you're going to beat me with a team in which only one is fully evolved?" Gary commented mockingly.
Ash was a little annoyed by the comment.
"Not all my Pokémon want or need to evolve. They are strong as they are."
"… You know? Unlike you, I have never considered you my rival," Gary confessed. "I have always seen you as someone lazy, dense, too dreamy and with very bad luck."
"Hey!"
"But you ended up surprising me. Not only do you have some Pokémon that love you very much, but you have also defeated the leader of Team Rocket three times."
Gary felt that Ash had avenged his Raticate in a way by being the main cause of the Pokémon mafia's downfall.
"Well, the first two times I won thanks to a lot of luck and certain coincidences." Ash confessed, somewhat embarrassed.
"It doesn't matter. A victory is a victory. During our trip we have fought four times and we are tied two to two. Today, in front of all these people, we will find out who is the best. And since you're my number one rival, I'm not going to hold back!"
"Same here, Gary!"
Misty, Brock, Delia, Amarillo, Daisy and Oak looked at the couple with a smile. There was a certain respect between them and a great desire to show what they had grown during their trip. What no one knew was that they were also being watched by other even stronger trainers.
"Those two are from Pallet Town like you, right?" Lorelei asked curiously.
They were all sitting in a VIP area that allowed them to see the trainers in the Pokémon center room.
"Well yes, and the one with the cap is a very good friend of ours!" said Leaf excitedly. "Despite having grown up, he still has that baby face, how cute!"
"I suppose you'd be interested in Oak's grandson, right?" Bruno said to Agatha. Despite her closed eyes an exciting smile graced her face.
Agatha hit the ground hard with her cane, making Bruno open his eyes.
"Bah! Let's hope he suffers a humiliating defeat!"
"Are you still not over your defeat against Oak?" Lorelei asked, trying not to laugh. "How many years have passed since that?"
"Not enough! Not only did he defeat me, but he also retired to be a Pokémon researcher! How are we going to have the legendary rematch I promised him?"
Leaf ignored the old woman's complaints and spoke to her boyfriend.
"Who do you think is going to win, Red?" Leaf asked the champion.
"…"
"Wise words." Bruno said.
ooOoo
That last seismic move by Charizard against Blastoise ended the epic fight between the two rivals. Gary could barely get over the shock of it. Ash had improved a lot and had won very narrowly, but a victory was a victory.
After the defeat, Gary looked at the half Poké Ball that he always carried with him, a symbol of his rivalry with Ash for years. As a reward for his victory, Gary gave his half Poké Ball to Ash, this way he could complete it and move forward as a trainer.
For Gary, that fight was an unexpected turn of events, since he never imagined losing to Ash. He needed to change a lot to be able to continue being his rival, or at least that's what he felt.
ooOoo
Sadness, surprise, shame, fear and despair. All those feelings came together inside Ash after his fight against Richie.
He had been overconfident. After beating Gary he believed that no one could stand up to him. The victory had completely blinded him, making him more reckless and reckless.
He only managed to defeat five of Richie's six Pokémon and with this he was among the sixteen best in the Kanto league.
The reflection he made after that only made him bitterer. He had won half of the Badges in unconventional ways and his arrogant attitude wasn't good for a trainer.
Delia, Amarillo, Misty, Brock and Professor Oak cheered him up and kept him from falling into depression.
"You have defeated Giovanni, you have saved several cities and helped many people during your journey," Delia told him with a kind smile. "The only thing you need is to train more and not let the victories blind you. A strong mind is the third part of being a great Pokémon trainer."
"We'll always be here to help you." Misty said.
"You'll see how soon you recover and come back stronger than before." Brock said.
"Don't give up little brother." said Yellow.
"Many times you learn more from defeat than from victory." professor Oak said.
Ash could only nod, knowing that he had such good people supporting him made the pain disappear little by little.
ooOoo
Richie was the one who ended up winning the league with his Pokémon team: Pikachu, Charizard, Buterfree, Tentacruel, Fearow and Eevee. However when he challenged the Elite Four he lost completely against Lorelei.
"This defeat only shows that I still have a lot to improve," he explained to Ash with a sad smile. "I couldn't beat a single Pokémon of Lorelei... The Elite Four really is another level..."
Ash gave him a strong pat on the back, preventing his friend and rival from falling into a depression similar to the one he had had.
"Then we just have to train until we have that level... No, until we are stronger than the champion himself!"
Richie just smiled at those words of encouragement. While in the distance Red and Leaf watched both children.
"It's a shame Ash couldn't get further," Leaf complained. "Although he has done very well for being only ten years old."
Red adjusted his cap and smiled happily.
"…"
"Interesting, we'll see if your prediction about Ash is true."
ORANGE ARCHIPELAGO
The Orange Archipelago were a large chain of tropical islands located south of Kanto, and were considered by some to be their own region to the point that it had its own league.
Taking advantage of the fact that Ash wanted to go there to train, professor Oak asked him to do him a favor. It was about bringing him the GS Ball that Professor Philena Ivy, who lived on Valencia Island, had.
ooOoo
"Please!"
"No, you're only eight years old," Ash answered tiredly. It was the tenth time they had that conversation with Amarillo. The girl had been living with her mother in Pallet Town for months. "You can come when you are ten, like me."
"B-but…"
"You're not coming on a trip with me! Let me go!"
"Mom!"
"Ash! Don't yell at your sister," his mother scolded him. Ash couldn't believe what he was hearing. His mother acted as if they had really adopted the girl. He honestly didn't care since he loved her as if she were his real sister.
"It's his fault," Ash said angrily. "Se won't leave me alone."
"Why?
"He wants to go with Brock, Misty and I on a trip to the Orange Archipelago."
"I don't think it's such a bad idea for her to accompany you and your friends." Delia commented.
Both Ash and Yellow stopped instantly.
"W-what?"
"That place is beautiful and you can learn a lot before starting your own journey. Also, Team Rocket has been disbanded so I don't think there are many dangers."
"And wild Pokémon?"
"Aren't you going to protect her if some wild Pokémon attacks you?"
"W-well yes, but…"
"Then I don't see any problem."
"Yeah!" Yellow shouted very happily. "I really want to show you the female pikachu I found the other day in the forest."
"Don't forget to tell your uncle Wilton." Delia reminded the girl.
With that, Yellow joined the group and together they set out for the Orange Archipelago. There they met the beautiful professor Ivy, with whom Brock ended up staying so he could study Pokémon better... or at least that was the excuse he used.
"We have lost a great cook…the only cook in the group." Ash and Misty complained with tears in their eyes.
Yellow gently patted them both on their backs.
"Mom…I mean, Mrs. Delia taught me many recipes when I was with her. According to her, I did it very well."
"Oh really?! We are saved!" Ash and Misty shouted, their tears of sadness turning into tears of joy.
Viridian Forest - Team Rocket Secret Base
"Prepare for trouble... and make it double! Here's our mission, so you better listen! To infect the world with devastation! To blight all people in every nation! To denounce the goodness of truth and love! To extend our wrath to the stars above! Cassidy! And Butch, of course! We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night! Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight! Raticate!" ―Cassidy, Blizt and Raticate.
The witch hunt. This is what it was called when the International Police captured almost ninety percent of the members of Team Rocket. After the consequent defeats in the Rocket casino, the Lavender tower, Silph Co. and in the Viridian gym, no one doubted that the Mafia Pokémon was going to disappear from Kanto.
The main culprit? A ten-year-old boy named Ash Ketchum. And to that they had to add traitors among their ranks, changes of allegiances, failed missions, erroneous reports... Without a doubt, Team Rocket had not blasted off well that year.
"Team Rocket is disbanded?!" exclaimed the remaining members of Team Rocket without being able to believe what they heard.
"Yes, those were Giovanni's last orders," Matori confirmed. "His last battle against Ash Ketchum not only destroyed his gym but also his spirit."
"Are you implying that that kid is stronger than our great leader?" A tall man with purple Mohawk hair asked sharply.
Matori replaced her glasses and gave her a cold look.
"If I remember correctly, you lost to that kid on Nugget Bridge when you were recruting new members, Sergeant Viper."
"That was..." Viper didn't know what to say to avoid losing even more prestige, so he closed his mouth.
"And what about Blaine, Surge, Koga and Sabrina? We haven't heard from them in a while." asked a young blonde named Domino, who was one of the best agents in the organization.
Matori frowned and after giving a small sigh she prepared to reveal everything she had kept secret.
"Blaine fled months ago but it wasn't reported because we didn't want to spread panic. Surge was an infiltrator of the International Police. Koga was planning to betray us from the beginning since he worked with the Kanto Pokémon Association. As for Sabrina, it seems that after facing Ketchum in a gym fight she had a change of ideals. We should have never recruited her, she was too unstable and unpredictable."
Both Domino and Jessie giggles a little at how stressed Matori looked.
"So we had five gym leaders on our side and we are down to zero. It's incredible that this happened while you were present, Matori." Domino said, openly mocking the secretary.
Matori, for her part, completely ignored her and continued talking to the rest of the agents.
"I'm afraid that right now our "great leader" is unable to think clearly. However, I have managed to convince him to take refuge in the secret hideout of Tohjo Falls. There, I and the elite of Team Rocket will be able to protect him better."
In the back of the room, Jessie, James and Meowth exchanged looks of fear and concern.
"Boss..." the TRío murmured sadly.
"It's true that the brat beat him three times, but I never thought it would affect him so much," Meowth thought as he remembered the fight in the Viridian gym. "We told him not to underestimate that twerp's pikachu and he didn't listen to us. Look how we are now!"
"While recovering, I want all remaining members to disperse and await further orders." Matori continued saying.
"Aren't we going to disband like the boss has asked us?" Jessie asked confused.
"Dissolve? Ha! It's obvious that, as Matori said before, our "great leader" is not right in the head," Domino said. "We cannot dissolve an organization like ours."
Matori nodded slightly. Even though she didn't like agreeing with Domino.
"I must clarify that the International Police, the police and the Kanto Pokémon Association have been emboldened. They are destroying all our hideouts and businesses. Still, we cannot allow this witch hunt to continue. Remember, we are Team Rocket, the whole world is our rocket and we will blast off again!"
The entire Team Rocket roared with joy and excitement. They weren't finished yet, Giovanni would return stronger than ever and everyone would fear them again!
"I have a question," a member with green hair said when ervyone calmed down. "What are we going to do with Ash Ketchum? We can't allow a kid to humiliate us like that."
"Good question, Basil." said Matori adjusting her glasses.
"My name is Butch!"
"You and your partner Cassidy will be in charge of eliminating Ketchum." Matori said.
The members of Team Rocket, except the TRio, smiled upon hearing his words.
"Did you hear that, Bitch? We're going to be able to get revenge!" Cassidy exclaimed excitedly, slapping him hard on the back.
"My name is Butch!" He said crying, "how is it possible that you don't remember if we have been companions for years?"
"According to his stalkers," Matori said, taking a quick look at the TRio, "Ketchum is headed toward the Orange Archipelago. You can take as many members as you want and use whatever methods are necessary, but remember, Team Rocket no longer "exists," so if you get caught, you'll be on your own. Do you still want to complete the mission?"
"You're so smart that you ask really stupid questions," Cassidy said, winking at her. "Did you hear that Jessie? They have given us one last and important mission. It shows that we are the elite."
"What did you say, witch?!" Jessie roared.
James and Meowth looked at each other and gave a long sigh. For having been in front of both of her rivals, Jessie had held up pretty well without exploding.
Tangelo Island - Pokémon Center
"Who are you looking for?" Nurse Joy asked.
"Professor Oak's new assistant," Yellow answered. "He told us he would be here."
"And so it is." Said a voice behind her. The three turned around and saw a boy of about twelve years old smiling at them.
"My name is Tracey Sketchit and I'm the person you are looking for." said the boy, shaking Ash's hand.
"Pleased to meet you! I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town and this is my friend Pikachu," Ash said, greeting him back.
"Pika!"
"And you must be Yellow of the Viridian Forest and Misty, am I wrong?" Tracey asked the girls.
"How do you know?" Misty asked, frowning slightly.
"The professor gave me photos of you." Tracey responded.
"Mrs. Delia was also the professor's assistant for a few years, why do you want to be his assistant?" Yellow immediately asked.
"I have always liked to research everything about Pokémon. Since I got the highest grade in the Pokémon School, the professor has given me the opportunity to study under his tutelage."
"Pokémon School? Did you just get out of it?" Misty asked in a less aggressive tone.
"That's right," Tracey confirmed. "But the professor wants me to travel with you, he thinks it will be a good experience before working with him."
"I agree!" Ash exclaimed excitedly. "There is nothing better than traveling and meeting new Pokémon. Much better than spending all day reading boring books at school!"
"You say it as if you knew how to read." Misty commented.
"What have you said!"
"What you have heard."
"Repeat it if you dare!"
"I'll say it as many times as you want!"
Tracey watched in surprise as they both got into a loud and crazy argument.
"Are they always like this?" He asked, somewhat scared and astonished.
"Unfortunately, yes," Yellow responded with a long sigh. "Don't worry, they will stop when they get hungry."
"Pika..." Pikachu confirmed, also giving a long sigh.
During the trip to the islands Ash and his friends had to suffer several assassination attempts by Cassidy and his companion. Some of these attempts were sabotaged by the TRio, although Ash never knew this.
On the other hand, to win the Orange league, Ash had to beat the Orange Crew. Which was made up of four members and the leader Drake. Beating all five of them meant becoming champion of the Orange League.
After passing Cissy's two tests on Mikan Island, Ash earned the Coral Eye Badge.
Danny from Navel Island imposed three tests on him to get the Sea Ruby Badge.
Mandarin Island
"You're Ash Ketchum, the boy who lost in the Pokémon League, right?" A woman said to Ash when he and his friends were eating quietly.
What the woman said bothered Ash a lot.
"And who are you? Do you want a fight?"
"Ash, she's Lorelei from Elite Four, the ice and water type specialist!" explained an excited Misty. "Forgive my friend, Miss Lorelei."
"Don't worry, it's normal to get upset when a stranger reminds you of your worst moments." Lorelei said apologetically. "You're the new Cerulean gym leader, right?"
"Y-yes!"
"I once trained your sisters for a few months."
"I know, they just brag about how lucky they were."
Lorelei stayed with them for a day, advising Ash and Misty, tasting Yellow's food, and letting Tracey draw her Pokémon.
M2: The power of one
Halfway through his journey, Ash was forced to fulfil an ancient prophecy involving the legendary Pokémon Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Lugia. If he didn't do it the whole world could be destroyed.
The famous collector Lawrence III didn't make things easy for our hero, as he sought to capture the legendary birds and lugia without caring at all about the balance of the world.
Despite the pressure, with the help of his friends and the maiden Melody he managed to fight alongside Lugia and save them all. Also, perhaps, there was something more than friendship forming between Ash and Misty...
After the adventure he faced Rudy from Trovita Island in several battles and won the Púas Badge.
Finally she had a double match against Luana from Kumquat Island and obtained the Jade Star Badge.
TCG Island
Upon arriving at the TCG Island, they met Doctor Manson, who was an old friend of Professor Oak.
"Would you like to participate in the TCG championship?" He asked the travellers. "At the moment it's a national championship but one day I hope it'll be a world championship. But in order to participate you must defeat the eight club masters."
Much to Misty's chagrin and Tracey's curiosity, Ash and Yellow quickly agreed. So they stayed on the island for a whole week.
And the truth is that they were both very good at playing with Pokémon cards, because soon they, a boy named Ronald and James...yes, James from Team Rocket, got the eight medals.
-The Grass medal from Nikki, leader of the Grass club.
-The Science medal of Rick, leader of the Science club.
-The Fire medal of Ken, the leader of the Fire club.
-The Water medal from Amy, leader of the Water club.
-The Lightning medal from Isaac, leader of the Lightning Club.
-The Psychic medal from Murray, leader of the Psychic Club.
-The Rock medal from Gene, leader of the Rock Club.
-The Fighting medal from Mitch, leader of the Fighting Club.
ooOoo
Ash, Amarillo, Ronald and James were in front of the door to the Pokémon Pantheon, where the top of the TCG was.
"What are you doing here James?" Asked Ash when he saw that one of the four winners was his enemy.
"I swear I'm not here to cause trouble!" James shouted scared at the twerp's fierce gaze. "I've been a fan of Pokémon cards since I was a kid!"
"That must have been a long time ago, old man." Ronald laughed with his hands in his pockets.
"Old?! I'm only seventeen years old!" James complained.
"You should put down the cards, old man," Ronald continued saying. "Losing against younger people is embarrassing."
"Then I hope no one loses to me." Amarillo said with a smile that hid how unpleasant Ronald was to her. Ash laughed as he saw the sour look that formed on Ronald's face. Even James smiled slightly.
ooOoo
In the pantheon they had to face the grandmasters, who were the five best players in Kanto. However, only one could do it, so they fought among themselves and James ended up winning.
Shortly after, James defeated Courtney, the fire queen. Then to Steve, the great master of thunder. He began to have difficulties against Jack, the ice man. And he almost couldn't beat Rod, the dragon master.
Finally he had the final battle against Mark, Kanto champion in the TCG. Ash was surprised to realize that a part of him wanted to see James win. Even his friends thought the same.
Despite the support James had from his friends and enemies, he couldn't do anything against Mark and lost. Jessie and Meowth, to encourage him, convinced him to steal all the cards on the island. Unfortunately for them the twerps made them blast off again.
Pummelo Island Stadium
Pikachu, Wartortle, Charizard, Tauros, Lapras and Bulbasaur vs Dragonite, Ditto, Gengar, Onix, Venusaur and Electabuzz.
"The Orange League is more than 300 years old," Drake commented to Ash when they were face to face on the battlefield, "and has had many champions... However, since I have been the leader of the Orange Crew, I have never been defeated."
Those words made Ash's friends nervous and excited the public who adored Drake. However, they also excited Ash.
"That's better, because it'll make my victory much greater!"
Drake gave a small laugh.
"Everyone says that...But none of them can get past my first Pokémon... Let's go, Ditto!"
ooOoo
After a series of intense battles, the final was decided in a Pikachu vs Dragonite, but Ash's Pokémon once again showed its potential and defeated the feared dragon/flying type Pokémon.
Drake and almost the entire stadium were surprised, not only by the fact that Ash had made history, but that a pikachu had defeated a dragonite.
"Congratulations on your victory."
"Thank you so much! It was a great fight." Ash said very happily as he shook Drake's hand.
"Thanks to you I can finally see that I am a goldeen in a small pond. If you are that strong, the Kanto Elite Four must be made up of monsters."
Ash scratched his head while laughing.
"Well yeah, they are very strong!"
"Good, now you will receive the Winner's trophy and they will take a photo of you that will hang in the Palace of Victory," he explained as he guided him off the battlefield. "This way future generations will know your feat."
Ash and Pikachu looked at each other smiling, feeling that at least they had gotten rid of some of the shame they had suffered in the Kanto League. Soon his friends came to him to congratulate him and give him hugs and pats.
"You're the best little brother!"
"Do you see how you can do it if you don't trust yourself, Ash?"
"Your imagination when it comes to combat is very inspiring."
"Thanks guys." Ash responded, feeling his pride increase by the second.
Pikachu could only sigh when he noticed that. Both his trainer and him still had a long way to go.
After receiving the trophy and the photo, Ash and his Pokémon put their hand/paw prints on a clay tablet that was kept in the Victory Palace.
A Time Later - Tohjo Falls
Matori drummed his fingers on the table as she waited for Cassidy and what-his-name to give her a report on what happened on the Orange Archipelago.
Jessie, James and Meowth watched their rivals with expressions of evil and satisfaction. They knew perfectly well what they were going to say because they had witnessed the mission.
"And?" Matori asked impatiently.
"W-well you see...W-we've had c-complications..." Cassidy began to say.
"Complications? What kind of complications?"
Jessie's smile was so wide it practically deformed her face.
"….We couldn't kill Ketchum." Beard finished saying while sweat bathed his entire body.
For several minutes, which seemed like hours, Matori said nothing. She simply picked up a paper from the table and read it calmly. Cassidy and company could only wait nervously and watch the TRio's mockery out of the corner of their eye, bitterly.
Finally, Matori put the paper back on the table and turned her cold gaze towards them.
"Misty, Tracey Sketchit and Yellow of the Viridian Forest...Those have been his companions during his trip through the Orange Archipelago" each word was loaded with hidden anger and those present in the room trembled when they detected it. "A rookie gym leader, a Pokémon watcher, and a savage... And you couldn't kill him."
"Well," Cassidy began, "the savage has some strange abilities."
"I thought the TRio were the ones with the excuses," Matori interrupted. Cassidy closed her mouth instantly. Meanwhile, the TRio was about to complain about that comment but they thought better of it and remained silent.
Matori took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.
"The villains of the Kanto Rangers are more competent and they don't even exist. Team Rocket is in its lowest hours, for that reason alone I will forgive you for this great failure."
"T-thank you for your kindness!" Cassidy and her partner shouted instantly after kneeling and bowing their heads.
"They have too much luck." Jessie complained softly.
"And I'm glad of it," said Meowth. Jessie and James looked at him somewhat confused.
"Since when do you care about those two?" James asked him.
"Well, if it had been the boss instead of Matori, right now we would have seen a disgusting and bloody execution...The last time we saw that we were vomiting all day and had nightmares for a week."
An unpleasant, deep shiver ran down Jessie and James's spine. Meowth was right, they had to be happy about Cassidy and what-her-name's luck.
"Hum… who wants to play Pinball?" James asked, trying to change the subject.
"Pinball? We've played too many times already," Meowth complained. "When are we going to play Picross?"
"Never, I've heard that they cancelled it." Jessie revealed to a dismayed Meowth, "but we can play Puzzle League!"
Pallet Town - Professor Oak's Laboratory
"The Stadium Tournament is a new competition in which any trainer can participate as long as he is from Kanto, this includes territories such as the Orange Archipelago and the Sevii Islands. From gym leaders to Elite Four, champion included. The winner would receive the Stadium Trophy and if he is among the top 5 he will be considered an Elite trainer by the Kanto Pokémon Association. That's if it isn't already, of course. Trainers, sign up now and prove that you are the strongest in Kanto on the Indigo Plateau!"
"Such an impressive tournament deserves an equally impressive winner." said Ash watching how the tournament was announced on television.
"Since you won the Orange League you have become unbearable." Misty said worried.
"You're just envious because I'm better than you." Ash said. The boy narrowly dodged a blow from Misty.
"Misty is right, little brother," said Yellow. "Last time you were so confident you lost the Kanto League."
Ash growled slightly and his proud smile disappeared instantly. There were things he preferred not to remember.
"That doesn't matter anymore! The important thing is that I'm going to win this tournament!"
"So much positivity." Tracey said, willing to support his friend in anything. Misty and Yellow however looked at each other.
"We're also going to participate." Misty said after several seconds.
"Wait, really? Yellow, I thought you didn't like tournaments." Ash said surprised.
"If I want to become the protector of the Viridian forest, I need to get stronger," she explained. "This tournament will make me see what my true level is compared to the rest of Kanto."
"I just want to have the opportunity to humiliate you." Misty said very sure of herself.
"You wish!"
"…I'll pass, fighting is not my thing. In any case, I will support you from the stands." Tracey said.
"We have to tell Brock to participate." Ash suddenly remembered.
"True, with the depression that professor Ivy left him, he needs something to distract himself." Misty said.
Just then professor Oak entered the room with several documents in his hands.
"Well, I'm going to participate."
"Are you also participating, professor?" Asked Ash, Misty, Yellow and Tracey, confused and surprised.
The professor laughed before nodding his head.
"That's how it is. I haven't fought in a tournament in a while but I couldn't pass up the opportunity. I don't think I'll do it again as this is more about remembering old times." the professor explained.
"I'm afraid your chances of going far in the tournament are getting slimmer." Misty said with a condescending smile as she patted Ash's head.
"What are you saying? The stronger rivals, the better it'll be when I win."
No one believed his words because they could see his nervous smile and sweat running down his face.
"Pika…pi." Pikachu said worried.
If the tournament was already causing a lot of talk, when the public found out that the first champion of the old Indigo League was going to participate, there was a stir at the national level. The number of participants, which was already high, multiplied.
"Finally I will be able to have my long-awaited revenge..." Agatha murmured after learning the great news.
ooOoo
The professor's Pokémon team consisted of: Tauros, Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur, Jolteon and Nidoking. Despite their age, they managed to defeat rival after rival.
Ash faced a mysterious moustachioed guy named Mr. G, who used ground-type Pokémon brutally and effectively. He wasn't talkative and his voice seemed distorted.
For some reason Ash had a very bad feeling about it but luckily he was able to beat him. The look of hatred that G gave the boy from Pallet Town didn't go unnoticed by anyone.
Oak vs Agatha, Gary vs Sabrina, Erika vs Koga, Amarillo vs Surge, Lorelei vs Blaine, Rojo vs Misty, Leaf vs Brock...
The rest of the tournament was very intense and Ash only managed to make it to the top sixteen before being defeated by Bruno of the Elite Four. He couldn't even beat a single one of his Pokémon.
ooOoo
"The Poké Ball Trophy for Bruno for his fifth place. The Super Ball Trophy for the fourth place: Agatha. The Ultra Ball Trophy for the third place: professor Oak. The Master Ball Trophy for the second place: Leaf. The Stadium Trophy goes to the first place: Red. Congratulations to all the Stadium tournament participants!" Stadium commentator said. "To finish, here is a song sung by the artist Jigglypuff."
"Don't worry, Ash," Leaf told him as she tried not to show off her trophies too much, "with how successful the tournament has been, they'll surely repeat it. You will have more opportunities."
"…" Red said to him.
"I don't think the cult of god Helix can make me stronger." Ash said confused.
"…"
"Johto? You're right, I'm sure I can get stronger there." said Ash excitedly thinking about a new trip through a region unknown to him.
Professor Oak, who had heard everything, approached them.
"So you are thinking about going to Johto with, huh? It comes in handy because I need someone to do me a favour."
"Whatever you ask professor!"
"What a nice fella, but at least wait for me to tell you what it is."
Soon after everyone fell asleep due to Jigglypuff's song.
ooOoo
After the tournament Misty and Brock returned to their respective gyms. Tracey was staying on as professor Oak's official assistant. And Yellow had had the idea of traveling alone through Kanto.
-Misty: The next time you stop by my gym I will force you to fight until the end. Only then will I accept that you deserve my Badge. Good luck with your trip and I hope you bring me water Pokémon from Johto!... I'm going to miss you Ash...
-Brock: I can't let my brothers and my useless dad to take care of the gym all the time. Visit me when you can and I'll make you something delicious!
-Yellow: Our trip to the Orange Archipelago has made me want to get to know all of Kanto better. The next time we meet I'll be a guardian of the Viridian Forest.
-Gary: I have decided to take the gym leader exam in Viridian City. I'm still not sure what I want to do but at least I hope to get stronger. When you return from Johto I will challenge you to a fight and I'll defeat you! The eevee that Bill gave me is burning with the desire to beat Pikachu.
-Tracey: I have learned a lot from you, I wish you luck with your travels. But don't forget to visit me in professor Oak's laboratory!
ooOoo
"Alright Pikachu, it's time to go!" Ash exclaimed excitedly as he left his house.
"Pikachu!" His friend exclaimed just as excitedly.
"Be careful and don't forget to change your underwear!" Her mother reminded him with a smile.
"Mom!"
End of the first generation
-Ash's Pokémon in Kanto: Pikachu, Charizard, Wartortle, Bulbasaur, Tauros (x30), Muk, Kingler, Snorlax, Primeape (In training), Lapras (Released) and Pidgeot (Released).
-Misty's Pokémon: Togepi, Psyduck, Starmie, Poliwag, Horsea and Goldeen.
-Brock's Pokémon: Onix, Graveler, Ninetales and Golbat.
-Yellow Pokémon: Rattata, Doduo, Buterfree, Graveler and Omanyte.
-Tracey's Pokémon: Venonat, Marill and Scyther.
-Gary's Pokémon: Eevee, Blastoise, Arcanine, Nidoking, Exeggutor, Rhydon, Pidgeot and Alakazam.
Save game… Saving data… Game saved!
Inspirations:
-Games: Yellow, Fire Red, Leaf Green, Stadium, Snap, Let's Go Pikachu and Eeeve, Picross, Pinball and Puzzle League.
-Anime: Seasons 1 and 2; Movies 1 and 2.
-Manga: Pokémon adventure arcs Red, Green, Blue and Yellow.
This whole story is a tribute to Ash, who has been one of the heroes of my childhood. Watching him go from a child who knew nothing to world champion has been a very happy odyssey. Each chapter will cover a generation, with eight in total, with a chapter nine and an epilogue.
A little advice for those starting to write fanfics: Always have several chapters done before publishing the first one in case it's going to be a fic with more than three or four chapters. If not, fatigue and stress will accumulate. And you won't have to worry about not publishing on time if you impose a deadline on yourself.
And always be clear in which part and how you want to end the story. For example, I have already done the chapters and it has taken me about three months or so because as you can see this fic is going to be an amalgamation of anime, games and manga and there are many characters and information to read and adapt to my story.
And last piece of advice, rest frequently if you write a lot or you will end up bored with your own work.
Until the next chapter!