The large, open field that Ash and Pichu were taken to by the path exiting Pallet Town was vaster than the young trainer had expected. Tall grass and patches of flowers as far as the eye can see. Ash was sure that various beginner level Pokémon were hiding about in the tall grass, but he would probably choose carefully.
Most commonly, some trainers would focus on trying to limit their catches to a select few Pokemon, or go all out and try to catch as many as possible. Those who only caught a few Pokémon at a time were often very careful about what they did catch, carefully considering what types of Pokemon that they wanted on their teams.
Ash was of the opinion that focusing on only a few Pokemon at a time was the most practical way to go about things, as he couldn't imagine himself being able to divide attention between so many teammates at once, especially with just slightly less than a year before the Conference.
So, his game plan was to explore in hopes of finding Pokemon that piqued his interest. He wasn't picky, but he did want to focus on the qualities that each of his potential teammates would have.
Ash saw a few Pidgey flying overhead, along with the occasional Pidgeotto.
There were even a few Taillow among the bird Pokemon. Taillow were native to Hoenn, not Kanto, but foreign Pokemon had become increasingly common over the years.
The cause of this was a combination of multiple factors. Team Rocket's occasional attempts at getting involved with foreign Regions had resulted in quite a few incidents, but in general, some foreign trainers would end up releasing their Pokemon while in Indigo. Those Pokemon would go off into the wild and breed with other Pokemon, gradually resulting in various species not commonly seen in Indigo appearing much more often.
This wasn't just an issue in Indigo either, as it was occurring in numerous parts of the world. Controversy had been birthed inevitably from the effect that the situation had on the training landscape. The Indigo League did its best to crack down, often scooping up foreign Pokemon in hopes of either placing them in the Safari Zone in Fuchsia or even just shipping them out to their native Region. Although Kanto and Johto both fell under the Indigo banner, they each still had Pokemon native to one Region but not the others. The League tried to prioritize Pokemon from foreign Leagues, but still made attempts at regulating those from within Indigo's multiple Regions as well.
However, many trainers expressed vehement disagreement with this choice. Although the League insisted that they were simply trying to keep Indigo's ecosystems in check, many Trainers loved the idea of foreign Pokemon being more common, as it added a lot of potential variety for team building, and often accused the League of limiting their options.
Movements of protest were becoming more and more common as the years went on, with many Trainers leading rallies against the League's actions. Unfortunately, Team Rocket would often take advantage of these events. Foreign Pokemon benefited them too.
Ash was mixed on the situation. He obviously understood the League's point of view, and given how they explicitly aimed to go about the task in manners that weren't at the foreign wildlife's expense (the main goal was to simply capture and relocate them, and nothing more), he considered attempts at demonizing the League's actions to be overreacting. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but admit how appealing it would be to have some foreign Pokemon on his team. Thankfully, capturing foreign Pokemon was not illegal despite the League's attempts at controlling the situation; if anything, the prospect of a large number of trainers plucking foreign Pokemon out of the wild made the League's job easier, and many of the trainers that opposed the League's choice tried to focus on that silver lining in hope of compromise. Overall, the reaction to the League's response was not black and white, with even certain people of similar stances reacting to and interpeting the issue from a different lens.
Looking back, Ash saw that Pichu was trailing behind him. The small mouse hadn't paid him much mind since the battle with Gary and Squirtle, which wasn't a pleasant sign.
He knew he couldn't blame Pichu for distrust after losing his temper so quickly during their first battle, but the frusturation in his stomach still refused to go away.
Ash decided to stop for a bit. Not paying attention to his trainer, Pichu found himself abruptly bumping into the boy's legs as Ash turned to face him.
At this point, Pallet Town was barely even visible from the distance, in part due to the large hill the duo had climbed.
"Pichu, are you going to be like this the whole way?"
The electric rodent was still doing his best not to make eye contact, and Ash felt the inner frusturation slowly build.
"Look… I'm sorry for what happened with Gary and Squirtle, but you have to admit, you're not absolved from all of the blame yourself."
Pichu's facial features took on a look of irritation, but no reply came.
Ash frowned. "Pichu… this is supposed to be a partnership. I'm not expecting you to do all the work, but I can't do it all myself either, okay?"
Pichu frowned at that, but still didn't say anything.
Before Ash could go any further, the sound of flapping wings nearby stole the pair's collective attention away from one another.
A small bird had landed a few feet away in the field, and Ash quickly recognized it as a Pidgey. His eyes lit up.
This was perfect! Pidgey were practically famous among beginner level trainers. Although Pidgeot weren't among the most widely feared Pokemon in the world, they were still greatly revered and were considered to be top notch Flying Type Pokemon.
It was what made Pidgey so appealing to many newcomers in Indigo: They were normally easy to catch, train, and raise, making them perfect Pokemon for a newcomer's first catch. They were commonly found throughout Indigo, especially in areas that were popular with beginner trainers as it is (or maybe their presence was part of what made those locations popular?) and once they evolved, they would become quite powerful. An easy-to-handle Pokemon that would eventually become quite elite.
Of course, the combination of popularity and accessibility had produced the inevitable downside; Pidgeot were quite common among Indigo trainers, and many therefore knew how to fight against them, which put the species at a disadvantage.
Ash wasn't too bothered by this, though. He could still catch more rare, less commonly used Pokemon later on, but for the moment, the top priority to start out on the right foot.
"Pichu," he said, pointing towards the Pidgey. "Go get it."
When he didn't get a response, he looked over to his Starter Pokemon to see him hesitating.
The mouse was still uncertain, squeaking out a somewhat defiant response.
Ash's patience was just about gone.
"AREN'T YOU EVER GOING TO LISTEN TO ME?!" he quickly turned as he heard the now startled Pidgey flying away after his outburst. "Wait! No! Darn it!" he looked back at Pichu, who seemed somewhat guilty, although that only did a little bit to ease Ash's anger. "Come on! We're not going to get anywhere like this!"
/
He was at his wits end at this point.
By now, he and Pichu had spent a few hours making blunder after blunder.
At first, it was Pichu hesitating for too long, resulting in the Pokemon fleeing. Then Pichu didn't hesitate, and chose to fight, but not trusting Ash's judgement anymore, and acted on his own accord. This time it was ASH who screwed up, with his frustrated yelling driving the Pokemon away.
Somewhere down the line, it had escalated into back and forth bickering between the duo. Although it thankfully hadn't gotten physical, neither trainer nor Pokemon had any patience remaining for the other.
"I wasn't planning on going after a Ratatta since they usually aren't known for fighting in high level battles, but you still even managed to screw that one up!" Hands on his hips, Ash glowered down at his starter.
The frustrated mouse stamped his feet while angrily crying out in protest. Ash didn't know what he was saying, but the tone of the response did not leave much room for interpretation.
"Oh yeah? Tell that to the Nidoran you threw yourself at while his horn was sticking out! You could have been poisoned!"
Grumbling, Pichu planted himself on the ground with a pout.
"I would like to think I at least somewhat know what I'm doing," Ash grumbled in frustration. "But I'm starting to wonder if you even know anything!"
Pichu immediately sprung back to his feet, resuming his protest while shouting aimlessly at the boy.
"Don't you go giving me that! Why did Gary have to get the most well behaved Starter on the face of the earth and I had to be stuck with you?!" He felt the guilt hit him the moment the words left his mouth; there he went again, dragging Pichu right his conflict with Gary. The realization that he wasn't thinking straight frustrated him even further.
Although still glowering, Pichu's shouting quieted, and Ash felt his heart sting upon seeing the dejection on the electric type's face. The boy bit his lip, hands reaching up to massage his temples.
"I'm done with this!" he finally screamed tahe rookie turned around and picked up a rock. He needed to vent. "I've been waiting for this day my whole life! Why did it have to go like this?!"
He chucked the rock as hard as he could, aiming at nothing in particular.
But he did hit something.
Pichu returned to his side as they gazed at the bird-like figure in the distance.
Ash squinted his eyes in hopes of making out the species, but they suddenly widened as he realized what he had just done. "Oh crap."
Spearow were infamous for their vicious behavior. For beginner level standards, they were hard to handle, and dangerous to go up against.
And Ash had just pissed one off.
/
It had happened so fast.
Arguing one moment, being chased the next. Any and all hostility between one another was quickly forgotten in favor of self-preservation.
At first, it was just one Spearow, but things quickly began to worsen as more joined in. It wasn't a full flock by any means, but they were now being chased by a decent few.
At this point, all Ash wanted was for fate to throw them a bone. He wished this was just a bad dream he could wake up from, but knew how useless it was to dwell on that.
As the first Spearow had come flying towards them, Ash and Pichu bolted in the other direction, not even bothering to look back at their mutual attacker. Ash wasn't even sure if they were heading in the direction of Viridian, his mind was too jumbled to tell.
After a few minutes of nonstop running, Pichu had tripped over a small rock, sending Ash into a panic. As he rushed over to help the mouse, the rookie saw Pichu get up and jump on top of the Spearow's back. The small electric type had charged up an instinctive Thunder Shock and given the Spearow a good zapping. Unfortunately, this had resulted in the Spearow calling on its friends.
Thankfully, they didn't need to worry about an entire flock going after them. A few days ago, they would have, but when Professor Oak had heard reports about a flock of Spearow near Pallet Town, he had driven them off to ensure that they wouldn't cause any trouble for the soon to be rookie trainers. Unfortunately, there were apparently stragglers.
Ash didn't have time to count how mahy there were, but it was obvious that Pichu couldn't possibly hope to take all of them on at once. Running for dear life was the only option. More frusturation bubbled in his stomach as the day somehow managed to still get even worse, the feeling intensified by the fact it was his fault.
Unfortunately, he was so caught up in that thought tha the hadn't even noticed the hill up ahead, a stsrtled cry escaping his lips as he abruptly lost his footing. He could feel the dirt on his face as he painfully tumbled downwards, stopping in front of a tree. Pichu stopped in front of him as he tried to gain his bearings, but there was no time.
The Spearow were upon them now.
Before Ash could even stand up, one of them made a break for him, slashing at the boy with its talons. Ash instinctively raised his arm to block, and attempted to strike back, but only got a painful scrape for his efforts.
Pichu began gathering electricity in his cheeks. The other Spearow didn't give him the time to charge, however, one of them immediately flying forward to attack.
"NO!" Ash screamed.
Ignoring the painful cut on his arm, the boy felt a surge of adrenaline go through him as he stood in front of the small mouse, attempting to bat away the vicious Spearow. Rather than go for a slash, this one dedicated itself to a full-on charge. Ash was knocked down onto his back, Pichu immediately jolting to the side to avoid getting crushed.
The Spearow seemed more focused on Ash now, but as another one dove towards him before he could get back up, Pichu leapt on top of it and let loose a charged-up Thunder Shock. Ash had to shield his eyes as the close-up electricity began singing his arms. A pained cry escaped his throat, but it was nothing compared to the horrific shriek that the Spearow let loose, grating all the way into the rookie's eardrums.
NOW the Spearow were all focused on Pichu again, and Ash could only watch helplessly as he lifted his head to see one of them prying Pichu off of the other Spearow, now painfully clutching the mouse in its talons.
Before Ash could verbally or physically, the Spearow flew Pichu straight into the tree, letting go just in time to throw the rodent right into the hard, sturdy trunk.
Ash was panicking now, but before the Spearow could turn their attention back onto him, a series of small streams of fire came out of nowhere in their direction, forcing them to fly out of the way.
The Spearow hovered in place as Ash turned to see the newcomers.
A small pack of Growlithe.
The Spearow had chased Ash and Pichu all the way into their territory.
Thankfully for Ash, the two groups of Pokemon seemed to feel a lot more threatened by each other than by either of them. As the two groups began to battle it out, Ash hastily scurried back to the tree, scooping up Pichu in his arms and making a break for it.
He spared only a second to look back at the two quarreling groups of Pokemon, neither seeming to realize or care about his or Pichu's departure, before speeding up. After crossing a bridge suspended over a decently sized body of water, most likely perfect for fishing or scuba diving, he decided that they had hopefully cleared enough distance between themselves and their attackers. Ash laid Pichu down gently on the grass, finally taking the time to assess the mouse's injuries.
Looking at his own arm, Ash could see a small amount of blood coming out, but he chose to focus on Pichu first.
The mouse was conscious, but seemed to be drifting in and out. No doubt the crash into the tree trunk had given him the worst of it.
Apart from that, he had some painful cuts on his back, likely from when the Spearow had grabbed him in its talons.
Ash felt the tears welling up in his eyes, quickly realizing that he'd caused this.
"Pichu…" He could barely get the words out. "I-I'm… sorry…" Pichu was looking up at him curiously, as if slightly surprised about the sudden apology.
He just had to get angry enough to throw that damn rock. He just had to anger that damn Spearow. He just had to… to… to…
Ash viciously shook his head. NO! He had no time for this. He had to help his partner. As the adrenaline wore off, he abruptly realized that the constant running had left him breathing heavily. He only had about the average athletic ability of a ten-year-old boy, compared to Gary's slightly above average speed and stamina. But he did his best to push that fatigue aside while rummaging through his backpack for something that could heal Pichu. He knew he had packed some potions-
He paused in horror as he found none.
For all of the packing that he'd done, he had somehow forgotten to pack healing potions.
Delia had done a good job teaching her son to never swear out loud, but this time:
"FUCK!"
/
Gary whistled happily as he exited the doors to the Pokemon Center in Viridian City.
Looking up at the sky, he assumed that the sun would probably be setting in about an hour or so. It also seemed like a storm was coming, but if it didn't last too long, he'd still try to make his way into Viridian Forest by tonight.
The thought of sleeping in the Pokemon Center certainly was tempting, but he really did want to cover as much ground as possible.
How many Pallet Town Trainers could say that they had made it all the way to Viridian Forest on their first ever day as a Trainer? Most stopped at Viridian City by the end of Opening Day, bit that was it.
But Gary wasn't them. Gary was better. Much better.
And before he had even gotten into Viridian City, he had successfully made his first catch of his career as a Pokemon Trainer.
Gary smiled gleefully at the Poke Ball containing the Bellsprout that he and Squirtle had just recently captured.
The Type disadvantage hadn't done much to hinder them, thanks to Squirtle's shell providing perfect cover against their opponent's Grass Type Moves, just like before with Pichu's electricity.
Gary snorted as he thought back to that fight. What a pitiful way to start out his career. He knew a battle with Ash was going to be disappointing no matter how low that he set his expectations, but that was just a joke.
Ash was probably still failing right at this very moment.
/
Ash couldn't stop cursing himself. Of all the things he could have forgotten, whi did it have to be...
He needed to get Pichu to a Pokemon Center. But he didn't even know if-
Looking around, he saw a nearby sign pointing to Viridian City. Under any other circumstances, he probably would have been grateful that the chase had led them closer to the city rather than driven them farther, but at this point, he was far too panicked to care. But he needed to get there fast, so he scooped Pichu up and began to run.
However, from the corner of his eye, he noticed a bike near the shore of the water.
Had he been in the right state of mind, he probably would have realized that the conveniently placed bike liekly had an owner. Unfortunately, he no longer was.
/
About fifteen minutes later, a girl swam to shore, and began removing her scuba diving outfit.
She was about Ash's age, had orange hair that was now soaked from her swim, and a yellow starfish like Pokemon trailed behind her.
"Okay, Staryu. Sorry we couldn't find anything. But a storm's coming now, so we should probably get going-" she stopped upon seeing that the bike was no longer where she left it.
For a good few seconds, she was silent. But then, her voice could probably be heard for miles.
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE?!"
/
Thunder rumbled throughout the gray clouds in the sky, and the rain pelted Ash as he rode the bike as fast as he could.
Pichu was laying down in the basket, cheeks sparking as the water falling form the clouds hit him.
It hadn't occurred to Ash until a few minutes after taking off that he had probably stolen this bike from somebody; with no way to return it. It was just another screwup to add to today's list.
When the storm had hit, Ash's frustrations only grew. They thankfully weren't all that far from Viridian, but at this point, it felt like the day was doing whatever it took to be as miserable as possible. Opening Day was supposed to be a special day for all newcomers, something that they would remember for the rest of their lives, but Ash was hoping that he would forget this by tomorrow.
The rain had started out as a light drizzle, before progressing a little bit; thankfully never reaching the point of an outright downpour, but certainly more than enough to be uncomfortable. The thunder was only at a low rumble, so Ash's ears thankfully weren't in too much pain. Nevertheless, it was a constant annoyance, and reminded Ash of how much he hated being outside during storms.
He had to be careful to avoid the puddles that were slowly building up on the road. One slip up, and they could-
It wasn't a puddle that did him in.
Ash hadn't taken into account the ledge that he was about to ride the bike over, and the sudden fall caused him to lose his balance.
Pichu went flying out of the basket just before the bike skidded into a tree, the front wheel breaking off upon impact.
Ash tumbled across the ground yet again, feeling more scrapes and bruises piling up as a result. Pichu was much luckier, thanks to the bushes that he landed in cushioning the impact of his fall.
Ash felt the tears coming again, this time mixed with the rain, but did his best to shake them off. Now was not the time. He could see the city from here. They were right there. He could cry later.
Getting up, he tried to hold back his tears while doing his best to dust himself off, before making his way over to Pichu, taking out the mouse's Poke Ball.
Lightly tapping the small orb against his starter's forehead, he watched as the Poke Ball opened up and sucked Pichu inside.
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Looking towards the city ahead, Ash quickly broke into a run.
/
Viridian City was one of Indigo's many large, urban areas, complete with tall buildings and large populations, and although it didn't match Celadon in scope, it was still quite imposing in its own right.
Of course, it was also known as the home of Giovanni, one of Indigo's most revered Gym Leaders.
With a reputation rivaled by few of the same position, Giovanni was feared by nearly every Indigo Trainer, rookie and experienced alike. Although this was the first city that Ash had reached which contained a Gym, the boy knew for a fact that he wouldn't even think of challenging Giovanni, even if his situation wasn't as blatantly awful as it was. Giovanni was where Viridian got its big name from.
It was dark out now, approaching the early evening hours as the rainclouds continued to block out the sky. Ash's clothes were drenched, but he could deal with that later. For now, he just needed to reach the Pokemon Center.
He probably would have felt intimidated by the large scope of the city, and the surprisingly large crowd of people for such a rainy night. This was, after all, his first time in a big city. However, none of that was on Ash's mind at this point, and he didn't care how many curious eyes potentially gazed upon him as he ran through the city.
/
Pokemon Centers were always quite big. They doubled not only as medical centers for Pokemon to be healed and treated at exceptionally fast rates (all but the most dire of injuries and conditions could be treated in as short as a day or two, sometimes even less, making them an absolute necessity for the Indigo Conference to continue proceeding at a decent pace) but also as hotels for Pokemon Trainers to stay at. Funded by whatever League in charge of the respective Region, their services were completely free of charge, and a lifesaver for trainers all over the world.
However, the Pokemon Centers in the major cities took this to the next level. Even in his stressed out state, Ash still couldn't help but gawk at the gigantic size of the building as he slowed to a walk practically involuntarily.
It towered over everything in its surrounding area, demanding to be the main attraction, standing several stories high, and was unspeakably wide. Given the number of patients that the Pokemon Centers in the major cities got, not to mention the amount of trainers that often stayed over every night, it made sense for the unspeakable size.
Of course, given that it was Opening Day, Ash wasn't expecting the place to be very busy. Any trainers that started out in Viridian will have already headed out into the infamous Viridian Forest, the largest forest in the Region that struck fear into the hearts of most rookie trainers for its vast, labyrinth like layout, not to mention the rumors of it being haunted and the stories of how it drove trainers to insanity with its complex, unpredictable layout.
This Season, Viridian had seen ninety nine rookie Trainers. Ash didn't envy them for having to start out their adventure in such a widely feared place, especially since he would most likely be going there tomorrow.
It suddenly occurred to Ash that Gary might be at the Center, which made his stomach churn, but now was not the time for that.
Breaking into a run yet again, Ash made his way through the automatic doors.
/
Ash had never been to a Pokemon Center before, but this would be the first of many visits, and despite being aware of how often he would need them, even he would underestimate the amount of time he would end up spending in these places, just in his first Season on its own.
The place was very… clean. To the point of being spotless. Famous for their maintenance, Pokemon Centers offered an unrivaled level of comfort and hospitality for trainers everywhere. Most trainers were left foaming at the mouth at the idea of just being in these buildings, given the amount of time that they would inevitably spend braving the harsh, unforgiving outside world.
It was a somewhat welcoming feeling for Ash as the stressed out boy made his way to the lobby. The expression on his face was still glum, nevertheless.
As he had expected, the lobby was almost completely vacant of Trainers. Potted plants stood on the shelves, and he spotted a few Chansey conversing in the corner, but no humans.
Opening Day was one of the few times of the year when one could genuienly expect a Center to not be busy. Most of the other times took place during the break period between the Conference and Opening Day, along with the Conference itself (as most of the work that Centers saw took place only at Indigo Plateau's Pokemon Center where the Conference was being held, with Pokemon occasionally being transferred to other Centers if needed, while Trainers not competing at the Conference would most often be watching instead of doing any serious training or battling). In just a few days time, Ash imagined that this lobby would be filled with Trainers. But for now, it seemed like it was just him.
Ash made his way to the counter on the other side of the lobby. Nobody was there at the moment, likely because of the probably slowness of work. Despite the highly demanding job, Ash couldn't help but wonder how bored Nurse Joy and her staff were at times like this. Between the overwhelming busy periods they most often saw, and the slow periods such as this one, the job certainly wasn't for everyone. They would either be worked to the bone or bored out of their minds. Rarely ever in between.
Arriving at the counter and adjusting his cap, Ash pressed the button at the side, signaling that there was somebody waiting for service.
It took only a few moments for the pink haired woman to step through the door at the other side of the counter. Initially, her signature smile adorned her features, but was quickly replaced with a frown upon seeing Ash's appearance.
Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny were an odd case. All of them were related, and looked nearly identical most of the time. Ash wasn't sure how that worked, but tried not to focus too much on that.
"Dear me." Nurse Joy spoke in a voice that was filled with soothing compassion. Ash already felt his nerves easing up a bit as she talked. Given that Pokemon Centers were supposed to provide comfort and assistance to any trainer, Nurse Joy was certainly perfect for her job, in more ways than just medical aspects. "What happened to you?"
"My Pichu was injured in an encounter with a group of Spearow." Ash took a moment to find his words. "We just came from Pallet Town." he watched as she typed some things down on the keyboard.
"I see. I guess Professor Oak must have missed a few. Can I see your Pokedex? I need to verify your Trainer info, but it should only take a moment." Ash quickly complied, handing her the red device.
"Here you go." he slightly squeaked out his words.
"Thanks." Joy replied, placing it in a special slot. She watched as the information appeared on her screen. "Let's see… your name is Ash Ketchum, you're from Pallet Town, which is also where you received your License. You received your License today, and currently your only Pokemon is Pichu, your starter. Male gender. This is all correct, right?"
Ash nodded. "Yes."
She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. Even the look in her eyes provided him with some comfort. "Okay, just give me your Pichu and we'll take care of him. We only have one other patient tonight, so it shouldn't be long." Ash nodded and handed her Pichu's Poke Ball. "Are you staying here tonight?"
Another nod. "Yes."
Nurse Joy was typing again. "Okay, I'll assign you a room. We only have one other person staying here tonight. A girl about your age."
Ash blinked. Did that mean Gary wasn't here? Was he already going out in the forest? Maybe it was because the storm wasn't that bad? Or was he just trying to test himself?
Nurse Joy sighed. "I don't envy all the rookies who are staying in the forest tonight. Granted, the storm is supposed to die down in a couple of hours. A young boy about your age even asked me about it earlier."
Oh, so that must have been Gary, Ash presumed to himself.
"It's not like the rain is the only thing to worry about when you're in the forest." Ash pointed out.
Nurse Joy nodded. "True. Especially with those… troublemakers running the place."
She must have been talking about the Bug Catcher Gang, a group of trainers in Viridian Forest who practically dedicated themselves to making the lives of anybody who "trespassed" a living hell.
Joy spoke up again. "If you want, we can have our staff take a look at you as well." she stated, clearly taking note of his cuts and bruises."
Ash nodded. "Thanks for your help."
"Of course. Please make yourself at home. All trainers are welcome for however long they wish."
With that, the kind nurse turned around and walked through a pair of doors, leaving Ash on his own again.
/
Ash was given bandages for his cuts after the staff thankfully determined that he wasn't infected. Just in case, they also applied ointment as an extra precaution, and gave him a container to take with him just in case he needed it later on. Afterwards, he made his way to the bathroom and changed his clothes.
He had packed a few sets of clothes just in case he needed them. Thankfully, the storage technology of the League allowed a trainer's backpack to store more than it looked like it could (apparently utilizing very similar technology to that of a Poke Ball) but it still had its limits, so Ash packed as lightly as he could get away with, just in case. With more money, he may be able to invest in a backpack with upgraded storage at some point, but for now he had more than enough room.
After making his way out of the bathroom, he exited the lobby and made his way into the waiting room.
He had been told that Pichu's injuries, while not completely minor, were still not serious enough to stir up too much concern. His partner had minor infections from where he had received his cuts, but the healing technology would be more than enough to take care of him within a couple of hours, along with an antidote or two.
Ash was more than grateful and relieved to hear that his starter would be okay, but it only lifted his mood in the moment, quickly overtaken by the day as a whole.
Where had the time gone? It was already 8:00 PM. They said that time flies when you're having fun, but apparently fun wasn't a requirement. He had been miserable for this long.
Looking around the waiting room, he noticed that the majority of the walls were made of glass, allowing him to see outside into the city. This part of the Pokemon Center wasn't part of the majority of the building that had stories, instead jutting out a little bit. As a result, there were no floors above it, and the ceiling, which was still quite a bit high above, was made out of glass. On most nights, Ash imagined that it would provide the people in the waiting room with a fantastic view of the starry night sky. But tonight, all Ash could see were raindrops and clouds.
The room was notably spacious, with a few tables and more potted plants. A bunch of cushioned chairs outlined the walls, along with shelves that housed magazines and books.
On one end of the waiting room, Ash saw a purple haired girl sitting in a chair. Seemingly immersed in the magazine she was reading, her posture was shockingly perfect. This was probably the other trainer staying at the Center tonight. Which meant their other patient was probably one of her Pokemon.
Ash imagined that a good few trainers would pass the time with conversation, but he wasn't in the mood. Given that it mostly came in the form of Gary and his lackeys, his track record with people his age was less than pleasing anyway. He had never been satisfied with it, wishing to become more sociable, but tonight, he wasn't going to take the risk; it took an amount of courage he wasn't in the mood to work up. The girl seemed to be doing just fine anyway.
On the other side of the room, he noticed a set of video phones outlining the walls, and an idea suddenly came to his mind.
There was one person that he was willing to talk to right now.
/
Viridian City was quiet tonight. Not many Trainers around, most people were heading home. Opening Day had been eventful, but now the festivities had finally died down.
But some people wanted to keep the excitement going.
Or, in this case, just two people. High in the sky was a large, hot air balloon, the shape of a Meowth. Two figures looked down on the city from the balloon, rising above even the tallest of the buildings in the city.
"Take a look at this." said the man, handing the poster to the woman. "It looks like a wanted poster."
"Blech." said the woman. "Whoever took this picture certainly captured the real you, but I can't truthfully say that the photographer did the same thing for me. This isn't what I look like at all."
"Of course not, you look even worse."
"Oh?"
"I'm talking about evil, not appearances."
"Of course."
The man smirked. "So they want to downplay our capabilities forthe public to see, huh? Well, we'll see who has the last laugh once we have completed our self-appointed mission."
"Yes, of course." said the woman chillingly. "Did they think that we wouldn't see the files? We know exactly what's at Viridian's Pokemon Center tonight. And soon, it will all be ours for the taking."
The man kneeled down to pet the cat-like Pokemon that standing in between them. "Just tonight, in one hour." he said with a grin as he petted the Pokemon.
The woman snarled gleefully. "The people of Viridian City will probably recognize our faces a lot more by the time we're done."
/
Ash made his way to the video phone and dialed his house's number. After few brief moments of waiting, a familiar voice sounded from the other side. "Hello? This is the Ketchum residence."
"Hi, mom, this is Ash."
The squeal from the other end had him removing the phone from his ear, suddenly wishing he had set the device to speaker.
Delia's face appeared on the screen. "Ash! So you did make it there in one day! How are you?"
Ash frowned. "I'm… not great."
Delia was frowning back now. "Has anything gone wrong?"
Ash did his best not to cry in front of his mother, but thankfully, the tears weren't coming just yet. "Pichu and I have been getting along horribly. I accidentally provoked some wild Pokemon, and now he's injured. They said he'll be okay, but…"
Delia silenced her son with a raised hand. A look fo understanding passed over her face as she listened to him, but her expression had turned serious. "Ash, you're just starting out. It's fine. Not every trainer is going to hit it off with their starter on day one. And you headed to the Center for treatment, so that was the right thing to do." her voice was comforting, at least as much as Nurse Joy's. Ash never found more solace in anybody than his mother.
The problem was, she was always the one comforting him. At times it felt like she was just saying what it took to make him feel better, butwords like "Ash, you're just starting out." weren't what Ash was looking for right now. They were certainly true, but his subconscious had no intention of allowing him to see or understand that.
Regretting even bringing it up, he decided to change the subject.
"How are things back at home right now, mom?"
Delia seemed startled by the change of subject, but still responded. "We're doing fine. Trucy's grandparents told me she won't stop talking about how much of a great trainer you're going to be." she smiled. "She really looks up to you, you know."
Trucy… ever since he and Delia had been asked to babysit her, just over a year ago, she had grown so attached to him. Apparently she thought that he was "cool". Ash certainly didn't see it, but hearing it come from her mouth had always sent a surge of warmth through his chest.
Disappointing her was one of the last things that he wanted to do. It was almost as bad as the thought of disappointing his mother.
"And what about the teachers?"
Delia's lips curved up a bit more. "They have high hopes for both you and Gary. Brittany has placed a million dollar bet that both of you are going to make it to the Conference on your first try. Nobody took her up on it, because they all agree."
"Does she even have that kind of money?"
"Who knows? She's unpredictable."
That was certainly true. Brittany's classes were always the hardest to set expectations for, but that's part of why she was considered so fun.
So they thought he and Gary would make the Conference? On their first year, no less? Ash wanted to feel honored, but it just reminded him that there were more people that he was in danger of disappointing now.
As mother and son talked for about fifteen minutes, Ash felt his nerves ease up from his mom's beautiful voice. The conversation went many places in just a short amount of time, from Brittany's antics, to Professor Oak being a work-a-holic, to Delia's teaching training.
All good things must come to an end, though, as even with Ash out of the house, Delia was a busy woman. Before either knew it, they were parting ways again.
"Goodnight, son. I love you, and remember, I'll always welcome you with open arms back at home."
Ash nodded, feeling misty eyed for the upteenth time tonight. "You too, mom. Thanks."
And with that, he was alone again. He made his way to a far end of the waiting room, but before he could, Nurse Joy entered and approached him.
"I have good news, Mr. Ketchum. Your Pichu is going to be healing sooner than expected. It should probably be about thirty minutes." He offered thanks as she left.
That was good news. Even if the night was still awful, at the very least, he could try to make amends just a little bit sooner.
If Pichu even talked to him at this point, of course.
Ash felt himself sinking into the cushion of the chair as he plopped down on it. If he was in a better mood, he probably would have reveled in the newfound comfort. The chair certainly felt quite good. But with his conversation with Delia over, Ash felt the depression slowly coming back to him. He wasn't sure how to deal with it at this point, he didn't feel like reading.
But, at the very least, his mom had provided him with a brief moment of reprieve.
From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw the girl glancing at him a couple of times, but didn't think much of it, taking a deep breath whilst trying to enjoy the relaxing seat. Keeping track of the clock, he sat there for fifteen minutes, occasionally looking up at the glass ceiling, only to see the rain clouds in response.
The drizzle was still going, but at least the thunder had stopped.
He wanted to start thinking about what he was going to say to Pichu once the mouse had recovered, but couldn't come up with anything significant.
How do you apologize for something like that?
Ash didn't notice the footsteps approaching him as these thoughts went through his mind.
"Hey."
Slightly startled, Ash looked up and blinked when he saw the purple haired girl standing near him. He hadn't noticed her come over, but now that she was closer, he had a better look at her.
Really, purple was practically her theme. Although she wore black for her pants and shirt, her vest was purple. As was her backpack. Her eyes were purple too. So were her shoes. It went along perfectly with the color of her hair, which was tied into a spiky ponytail, which Ash had never seen before. Had his mind not been in the place it was, he likely would've found her quite pretty. She was definitely in the same age group as him, likely another rookie.
"Hi." he spoke uncertainly, hoping his tone didn't sound rude. "Need something?"
"I was wondering if you did." the girl replied, taking a seat in the chair next to him.
"What do you mean?" Ash asked.
"I've noticed you since you came in." she replied. Her eye contact was perfect, her gaze finding its way to his with no wasted time. There was something Ash couldn't quite place about her tone; an air of what should've felt like stoicism... but did it? It was replicated in her eyes as well, they weren't cold or unsettling, yet betrayed nothing. "Please forgive me for prying, but you seem pretty down."
Was she actually… concerned for him? Back in Pallet Town, Gary and his buddies would have just shot a sneer his way if they saw him in a depressed mood. Meanwhile, this girl was a total stranger.
"I…" None of the words came to him; he shouldn't be venting his troubles to someone he's never met. He didn't want to drag her into his business, and yet… the way she was talking to him almost felt like an invitation to do so. Like she wanted to help… or, at the very least, wanted to hear him. "My day has just been bad, that's all."
She frowned. "Is it your starter?"
Ash's eyes widened. "Huh?" Was it really that obvious?
"My starter and I spent the first two hours or so of the day bickering nonstop. We're friends now, but it was coming to an… understanding."
Ash frowned. So this girl got off to a bad start with her starter too… and resolved whatever issue they had in two hours. That put him and Pichu to shame for sure.
Sighing, he looked away from her. "He and I have had an equally awful day..." He paused again. Should he really be giving her the details? He hadn't had this kind of talk with somebody his age before, having normally opened up to adults when going through something troubling. Still, the fact that she had essentially offered was a first... and felt tempting. "We botched our first battle... really badly. Next thing I knew, we couldn't stop butting heads. Just constant disagreement, like we couldn't stand each other. Then I lost my temper and accidentally provoked a wild Pokemon that we weren't ready to fight yet. The only reason we got out of that is because our attackers got sidetracked fighting another group. Now my Pichu is injured and it's all because of me, because I kept digging myself deeper for the entire day."
As he finished, he was suddenly... surprised at how much he said. Before he knew it, it had all just come out. Hopefully he hadn't scared her away...
Looking over at her, she was still firmly planted in her seat. For a moment, her frown had grown... sympathetic? It was a look he didn't see from most peers in Pallet, although her neutral expression was back as though it had never left, once again giving off a sense that he couldn't quite read... was mystique the right word for her?
She shifted in her seat a bit, presumably to get more comfortable-was she actually staying to talk to him?- and locked eyes with him once more. "I'm… sorry to hear that."
There it was again. Sympathy. Just like how Delia and his teachers always gave him. But it felt… different… coming from a kid his age. He imagined most of his peers from home would likely say something akin to, "Gary warned you that you would suck at this!" It almost felt… abnormal.
Yet he couldn't help but feel like his shoulders had gotten lighter. The fact it was from someone in his own age group, technically a peer due to them both being rookies... it felt different than an adult sympathizing with him as usual.
The girl crossed her arms. There was a gentler layer to how she spoke, yet her tone was composed, completely professional. He wasn't sure if he'd ever heard someone his age talking like this before, but it almost felt upper class. "Tell me… do you know how often rookies struggle with their starters on the first few days of the Season?"
Ash blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Sixty five percent." she said blankly.
He blinked. "Wait, that much?!"
She smiled at him. Not a smirk, like that insufferable look always plastered on Gary's face, or the condescending expressions often offered by the Oak boy's peers. it was a neutral grin.
"You're not wrong to be upset, but most newcomers are probably going through the same things you are right now." she said. "I'm just one of the lucky ones, and even I had a rough couple of hours. It's not shameful."
Ash scratched the back of his head, not too sure how to respond. If she put it that way... was he really getting too worked up? "Ummm… thanks."
The girl leaned back in her seat a bit. "Listen, I think you should try and see if your starter wants to start over. Today never happened, like a reset button. Let Pichu know that this is not what you want. You two are partners, right? Rather than just saying it, try to get a clean slate with your Pokemon. It worked for my aunt when she and her Oddish spent the first two days of their journey arguing with each other."
Starting over…
For a moment, her grin lit up. "Just think about it, okay? This is the first day of the season. You have nearly a year to come back from this, so you shouldn't let how you start out define you."
That had him thinking back to Professor Oak. The genius Pokemon Researcher who was apparently a below average student growing up... the thought was still surreal.
"...Thanks." he said slowly. "That means a lot." It really had, and Ash wasn't sure if she realized.
She hadn't said a ton, but that same encouragement from the adults in his life… felt ten times stronger coming from somebody in his own, actual age group. Someone who was also starting out.
"Father says that all trainers are rivals, but not enemies." she replied cooly, shifting to look ahead for a moment. As though a switch had been flipped, that almost stoic, unreadable aura was back. "Competing with each other and helping each other reach our true potential both go hand in hand."
That philosophy was... he hadn't heard it before, but it made sense.
Deciding to take a leap of faith, Ash spoke up again. He was almost hesitant trying to make conversation, but she had proven that she was willing to talk.
"So… are you from Viridian? I thought all the Trainers here would have headed into the forest by now."
She shook her head. "No, I'm actually from Fuchsia."
Ash's eyes widened. "But… that's-"
"Far away, I know." the girl leaned forward a bit. "My home territory isn't known for being beginner friendly, so after settling my differences with my Starter, made our first catch, and had a battle with another trainer, I paid the League's teleporting service to bring me out here."
Ash nodded. It made sense. Certain places in Indigo were known for not being beginner friendly. The most common rookie hotspots were Celadon, Viridian, and especially Cerulean. Ash didn't know much about Johto's training environment, or the Orange Islands and Sevii Islands, but he did know that Fuchsia in Kanto and Blackthorn in Johto both had a reputation for NOT being the preferred places for newcomer trainers to be hanging out. The wilds outside of the city borders were teeming with ferocious, hard to control Pokemon, many of which were very strong. They were also known for being very popular training hotspots for the pros to hone their skills.
Cerulean, to his knowledge, was THE most rookie friendly place to be in all of Indigo. There was a reason that that city's Gym received the most early Season challengers. And that was despite the city not being quite as big or populated as Vermillion, or, above all else, Celadon or Saffron.
Thankfully, the League had a clever solution for the "not rookie friendly" problems that certain places in Indigo had. Most places that weren't considered ideal places for rookies to be offered a teleporting service within the first day or so of the Season, usually exclusive to Opening Day. These would allow trainers to be teleported anywhere of their choosing, not just in the Region, but in Indigo in general, usually to a place that was considered more suitable for rookies to be. For a fee, of course.
Apparently, plenty of Blackthorn rookies would head right on over to Cerulean on their first days as a trainer, all thanks to the League.
Some of the League's approaches sparked disagreement among the training community; Some people disagreed with the concept of a Seasonal approach, as it meant that children who turned ten years old after Opening Day would have to wait almost a whole year just to receive their license. Some people disagreed with the concept of regulating foreign Pokemon, which was often viewed as an attempt to limit teambuilding variety. The teleportation service wasn't among those controversies, viewed as a total positive in every way.
"So…what's it like in Fuchsia?" he asked weakly, doing his best to hold the conversation 'She's a lot better at this than me.'
To his surprise, she was positively beaming at his question. It was almost like another switch had been flipped. "Fuchsia is great! It's really dangerous outside of the city's borders, but the city itself has always been harmonious with nature. It's a beautiful place to live." Her response reminded Ash of his realization regarding Pallet this morning. He'd spent all his life just viewing it as... the place he lived, but this girl spoke of her native home with pride to spare. "Father is actually a… League Official there, so I'm… more known there than I'd care to admit."
Ash frowned. "You don't like the attention?" Gary would be laughing his ass off. Not that he cared. He liked this girl way better than Gary.
She frowned slightly. "I enjoy it to a degree, but there's a lot of expectation accompanying it. Father's known to everyone back at home, so when his daughter passed the exam..." She looked down at her lap. "They're good people."
Blinking, Ash pictured Gary for a moment. As Professor Oak's grandson, he was always held in high regard back in Pallet. Everyone thought-knew that he was destined to be great. And he did everything he could to revel in that, not even trying to be humble, but this girl...
"Fuchsia is a very traditional city." she continued, switching back to the previous subject. "I'm not sure what you're into, but if you like culture, we have no shortage."
"Of course you do." he nodded with a grin. "It's said to be the birthplace of Indigo's first leader. It's not where the Empire started, but it's certainly important."
She nodded back. "Before I was even old enough to go to school, father did everything he could to hammer our history into my brain. Part of the reason why I chose Viridian as my first place to go to was because of what I've learned about the rest of Indigo. Since Pewter is where the empire officially had its start, I thought it would be fitting to get my first badge from there. The trek through the forest would hopefully give me time to catch another Pokemon and train for the Gym." she frowned slightly. "Unfortunately, I encountered a Weedle almost right after entering the forest. I captured it, but my two Pokemon fought too roughly, and it was badly injured. So, I had to rush all the way back here to get it treated."
So her new Weedle was the other patient in the Center right now. But that would mean that…
Ash frowned. "You captured two Pokemon on your first day…"
She shrugged humbly. "I was pretty lucky."
Gary would have never handwaved overachieving as "luck".
She crossed her arms. "So, where are you from?"
For a moment, Ash was slightly surprised. She wanted to know about him now. "Pallet Town."
Her eyes lit up. "Professor Oak's home. What's that like?"
Next thing Ash knew, he was telling her his own stories.
Mingling with somebody his age, no determined subject, just allowing themselves to go wherever the conversation takes them. All of a sudden, he wanted to meet more of his fellow trainers.
/
The hot air balloon floated directly above the center as the two figures raised their Poke Balls.
"Have you hacked into the security systems?" asked the man.
"Already told you I was planning to do it." said the woman.
Behind them, the cat-like Pokemon sharpened its claws.
With full force, they chucked their Poke Balls directly downwards towards the ceiling of the waiting room. Which, thankfully for them, was made of glass.
"EKANS! KOFFING! ATTACK!"