Today was by far the longest day of Ash’s life. Ever since he was old enough to learn what Pokémon were as a child, he knew he wanted to be a Pokémon Trainer and become a coveted Pokémon Master.
He vividly remembered being late on his first day of trainer school after his 10th birthday because he had stayed up late rewatching matches from the Indigo League finals.
Professor Oak wasn’t happy, but he understood, so long as Ash had promised to be on time for the rest of the program, he would be able to stay in the school. It helped that he had lived in Pallet his whole life and Professor Oak knew how dedicated Ash could be and the potential he held.
But the legendary Samuel Oak didn’t just sponsor anyone. So everyone had to prove themselves in Trainer School, even his own Grandson.
After that day and realizing how close he came to being kicked out of the most elite program that hopeful trainers could get into, he was never late again. Ash even went so far as being twenty minutes early each day they had classes.
It wasn’t like trainer schools were exclusive to Pallet either, all the cities and towns in every region had some version of a trainer school. However, Professor Oak was the Pokémon Professor. A lot of trainer hopefuls traveled across regions to be a part of his school.
Not just for the knowledge he could provide, but Oak, like all Professors, was known to give out rare and powerful Pokémon to the few trainers they selected as their sponsors for that year.
Six years had passed since Ash turned ten and started Trainer School. Their graduation was yesterday, and now Ash along with three of his fellow graduates were to meet Professor Oak tomorrow. There, they would receive their starter Pokémon and license. After that, they were deemed ready to start their journey.
Honestly, Ash was proud of himself and the work he had done to be one of the four trainers Professor Oak had selected out of their graduating class to be his sponsored Lab Trainers.
Sighing as he remembered Gary was one of the four, and while they were friends for most of their life, they became fast rivals once they started showing similar skill in Trainer School. The only other two trainers that got their starters and sponsorship from the legendary Professor this year were Dakota & Amelia.
Thankfully, Professor Oak started his trainers a week before everyone else in Kanto, perks of being the premier Pokémon Professor Ash supposed. Which meant that they would all have a slight head start on other rookie trainers. From there, they would have a whole year to collect all 8 Gym Badges for the Indigo Conference held every Spring.
He was hoping to get the Charmander, it was an open secret as to what rare Pokémon the Professor gave out every year as starters to his sponsored trainers. He would always have a Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle on top of whatever other rare Pokémon he could procure if there were more than three chosen sponsors.
While the responsibility of starters went to the Gym Leaders of every province, Pallet was different. Since the town was basically founded solely so the Professor had plenty of room to work with and study Pokémon. The League allowed him to handle the starters for his chosen trainers.
Professor Oak was a legendary trainer, at least that’s what the Pokénet said, and looking at the Professor’s team that helped keep peace in the Corral, it was obviously true. The man’s Arcanine was as massive as it was rare considering only several hundred trainers across the world owned one of the mythical beasts.
It was also crazy strong & fast, easily managing to keep a majority of Pokémon in the Corral in line. The few that didn’t, had to answer to Oak’s old Dragonite. It was gigantic, a little over 9 feet tall, and had to weigh nearly 800 lbs. It was strong and intimidating but was a real softy if you weren’t causing any trouble.
If a Pokémon did act up though and Dragonite had to put its foot down, let’s just say the Pokémon listened to Arcanine after that. Ash prayed to Arceus that he would never have to face Oak’s temper if one of the Pokémon he caught had to be put in line by his Dragonite, the Professor saw it as a sign of the trainer not being worthy of the Pokémon, or not caring enough.
There was one incident where Oak took away a trainer's license and sponsorship a few months into their career as the Pokémon they caught were just wild and untamed. Professor Oak released all of their Pokémon, and the trainer even lost their starter.
The young man rubbed a hand across his face. He really hoped Gary didn’t pick the Charmander, Ash had spent countless hours coming up with a strategy for how to beat Pewter City’s Gym Leader with the fire lizard. It could learn Metal Claw fairly young which would be the only thing the Rock-types would feel. Plus, he wanted a Charizard.
He didn’t have to try to figure out a tactic for Bulbasaur or Squirtle as the Rock Gym would be a breeze with their natural advantage. And while Blastoise & Venasuar were great Pokémon, they were nothing compared to a Charizard in his eyes.
Realizing he was just wasting precious hours of sleep as it was already 11 o'clock at night and he had to be up at 7 am. Ash went over to his bag, double-checking it had everything he needed to start his journey tomorrow. He had a couple of Potions, Trainer meals, a change of clothes along with his sleeping bag tightly rolled up, and a pillow.
The first thing that was taught in Trainer School funny enough, was how to survive without Pokémon. Thus, he made sure to add some matches just in case he wasn’t able to get the Charmander.
After setting several alarms, satisfied that they were set at the right time, Ash drifted into sleep. Ready for what tomorrow would bring and his new teammate, no matter who they were.
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The excitement was palpable as Ash waited outside Professor Oak’s lab doors with Dakota and Amelia, for a brief moment he thought Gary overslept and would miss his chance at getting a Pokémon. That sadly only turned out to be a pipe dream when he heard his rival walk up the small hill.
“Oi Ash, I didn’t realize Gramp’s was just giving losers Pokémon now.”
Ash’s blood boiled, but he took a deep breath to reign in his temper. He didn’t want to keep letting himself be bothered over everything the young Oak said.
“I mean come on; Gramps is just wasting a perfectly good Pokémon on you.”
Ash’s resolve crumbled and he exploded toward the spiky-haired teen.
“Oh yeah Gary? I‘ll show you when I beat that smug grin off your face when we get our Pokémon.”
Gary’s smirk grew even larger.
“You're on Ashy-boy, you being my first win as a trainer is only right after all. But don’t come crying to me when Gramps has to heal your Pokémon.”
Ash grinned, ready to wipe that confident smirk off his rival’s face. A few moments later the doors slid open and out came Professor Oak, smiling at the kids who had grown up in Pallet their whole lives and greeted everyone by name. Completely overlooking the tension between his Grandson and Ash.
Ash supposed this was a more special sponsorship class for the Professor. Considering most of the time there were at least a few non-Pallet trainers who did well enough in school for the Professor’s sponsorship. This time however, all of his sponsored trainers grew up in Pallet.
“Come now, I am sure you are all excited to choose your new partner, but we have a bit of paperwork to fill out first.” Professor Oak drawled as he led everyone through the Research Lab until he stopped at the back.
“Now first, your Trainer IDs.”
“This ID is what will help you excel out in the world; IT is very important.” Professor Oak stressed.
“This acts as your debit card, where you receive your $1,600 stipend every two weeks with that number increasing with every Tournament win & Gym Badge as I am sure you all know. It also marks you as my Lab Trainers & Sponsors. In the face of an emergency and there is no Police or League Personnel YOU are in charge.”
The four teens nodded their heads having been told about this once already after they all graduated Trainer School. Oak just smiled at them, proud of his students.
“Alright, with that out of the way let’s get you your partners.”
Professor Oak led them into the other room where three Pokéballs sat on cushions on a table. Ash looked concernedly at the three Pokéballs before voicing his thoughts to the good Professor.
“Um Professor, I can’t help but notice there are only three Pokéballs and four of us?” The oldest Oak looked confused for a moment before realizing the issue.
“Oh, silly me, don’t worry all of you will get a Pokémon.” The Professor said hastily seeing the panicked looks on the young trainers' faces.
“In the rush of the new year I must’ve miscounted. One of you will just have to wait a minute while I procure one, who wants to wait?”
Ash looked at everyone and realized no one wanted to volunteer, his mother’s voice echoed in the back of his head getting Ash to begrudgingly volunteer. His mom would be disappointed in him if he was so selfish.
So, with a sigh, he resigned himself to his fate. “I will professor.”
“Good, thank you Ash. Now why don’t you three pick your starters. on the left is a Charmander, in the middle is a Bulbasaur, and on the right is a Squirtle.”
Gary confidently strolled up first and grabbed the Squirtle, Amelia then chose the Bulbasaur, and Dakota grabbed the Charmander. Ash did his best to hide his disappointment, but a slight frown still marred his features.
Before anyone could release their new Pokémon, Professor Oak spoke up.
“Now I am sure you are ready to meet your new teammates, but I must ask that you wait till you are outside my lab, I don’t need more messes to clean up.”
Everyone laughed slightly at that, and Ash watched as everyone attached the Pokéball to their magnetic belt. He couldn’t wait for that to be him, fighting hard to shove his jealousy to the back of his mind.
“Before you all start on your journey, please take these Pokédex.” Oak handed out a Pokédex to everyone from a bag, Ash’s frown returning as he got one.
“Professor, why did you have enough Pokédex but not enough Pokémon?” The Professor grinned slightly.
“Good question Ash. Although, as the person who created the Pokédex I can promise you I have plenty! There are 10 in this bag alone.”
Ash nodded at the professor’s answer. Before anyone could think about leaving though, the Professor grabbed another bag.
“Now, since all four of you have lived here your whole lives and helped me with my research, I want to give you each a choice.”
Ash looked over to Gary and saw that even he was a bit shocked, Ash figured it was just as much a surprise to him as it was to the rest of them. Which was shocking considering the relationship between the two.
“You can either have five Pokéballs, or the lab will donate each of you $800 to help start your journey.”
Ash immediately accepted the Pokéballs as well as Amelia & Gary. Dakota meanwhile asked for the donation. Ash was a bit confused by his decision as Pokéballs cost $200 a piece, and if a Pokémon broke out of the ball it wasn’t able to be reused.
Once the donation was processed, Dakota & Amelia turned to leave only to stop when Ash called out to them.
“Hey Dakota, Amelia, could you guys wait up a second?”
They looked at each other in a bit of shock, and Ash grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as he elaborated.
“Um I actually don’t have anyone I am traveling with, and I was hoping we could go together. I know how dangerous it is traveling alone and I’d rather not die ya know.”
The two laughed at that before nodding their heads. Amelia was the one who spoke up. “Yeah, sure Ash, we still gotta talk with our parents. Do you want to meet at the gate in a couple hours?”
Ash bobbed his head up and down, “Yeah that’d be great, Thanks!”
They smiled at him as they turned to leave, while Ash turned back to the Professor, who smiled before realizing why he was still there.
“Oh right, your Pokémon, give me one second Ash and I will return with your new teammate.”
The Professor turned and went out the back door to the Corral, leaving Ash wondering who his partner would be. His mind starting to go through several possibilities, he hoped it wasn’t a Pidgey, or a Ratta, or Nidoran. While all those Pokémon were cool, they were so common in this area he would just catch one if he wanted one.
Thankfully it wasn’t long until Oak came back in with a Pokéball in his hand, and Ash eyed it greedily. He couldn’t help the shivers that ran down his spine as he practically snatched the Pokéball out of the Professor’s hand.
The Professor smiled at him before speaking, “Go ahead and let your new friend out, she won’t cause too much of a mess.”
The rookie tapped the button on the Pokéball, grinning in anticipation as white energy condensed into a small shape on the ground until an Eevee was sitting directly in front of Ash. She cocked her head to the side before mewling at her new trainer.
Ash’s mouth dropped open, Eevees were notoriously expensive and rare. For a second Ash wondered how the Professor got one, but forgot he is the Pokémon Professor.
Ash couldn’t keep the grin off his face; as he crouched down to meet his partner, it didn’t matter that he didn’t get Charmander. He was perfectly fine with Eevee, they could become a true menace on the battlefield, and he had several options on how to evolve his new companion if she wanted to.
Oak smiled at Ash before clearing his throat.
“I am proud of you Ash; I know you wanted Charmander to be your partner.”
At the rookie trainer’s shocked look, the Professor continued.
“Delia couldn’t help herself and during one of our lunches, she told me how excited you were and all the strategies you had already planned.”
Ash stood up and smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.
“Yeah, I was, but Eevee will make a great partner, I can feel it.” At that, Eevee rubbed against his leg. Making Ash smile as he bent down to scratch behind her ear.
Professor Oak grinned, “I am glad to hear it Ash and that’s why I want to give you this.”
Ash looked up from Eevee and was shocked to see Professor Oak holding out a white egg with black dots all about it.
Ash was confused and stared at the egg as the professor set it on the table.
“You see Ash. A colleague of mine in Hoenn gave this egg to me so I could research the Pokémon inside. They are quite a unique Pokémon with a very interesting history that causes humans to fear them. Although I promise you, you are in no danger.”
The Professor added the last part, seeing Ash’s eyes widen at the proclamation. Mistaking the young trainers' excitement for fear.
The Professor continued, “Now I don't want to ruin the surprise of what’s inside should you choose to care for the egg, and Pokémon inside, but once it hatches. I am positive you will find yourself an ally like no other.”
Ash smiled at the Professor, proud that he was giving him this opportunity. However, he only had one question.
“Why are you giving this to me? Don’t get me wrong Professor, I’ll happily take care of the Pokémon, but won’t your colleague in Hoenn get upset? And it’s been a long time since we went over caring for eggs and newly hatched Pokémon in Trainer School, what if I mess something up?”
Oak’s smile grew larger at the questions, seemingly more convinced of his choice.
“Great question Ash, and normally I would take care of and hatch the Pokémon myself. However, I just got a bunch of new high-priority work from Silph Co. & The League that will eat up almost all of my time. And this isn’t a Pokémon that I could pass off to my assistants as I fear they would judge the Pokémon before ever giving it a chance despite my teachings.”
“You were never one to judge a Pokémon based on their species, but who they were as an individual. I could think of no one I would rather have taking care of this egg, let me see your Pokédex.”
Ash handed the Professor his Pokédex while realizing he should scan his Eevee. Who had curled up around his leg and was softly purring as he and the Professor had their conversation. Ash bent down and started to scratch behind her ear again, while the Professor connected his Pokédex to a computer.
Eevee just stretched and curled even more into Ash, and after a couple of minutes, Oak returned with his Pokédex.
“Now normally this feature isn’t accessible to trainers in their first year. However, considering the lack of material on this Pokémon in Kanto, I am authorizing you with this feature as well as giving you this.”
Ash put the Pokédex in his pocket and looked at the small book the Professor handed him ‘Caring for Pokémon; Eggs & Newborns.’ Ash looked at the lack of space in his bag and hid his frown.
He and his mom weren’t poor, but the luxuries such as Silph Co. Bags that used the same technology as Pokéballs were especially expensive. They were useful though, in fact, one of those bags would be the first thing he saved up for.
The Professor waited for Ash to store his new book & egg in his pack and helped him secure it with his sleeping bag and pillow. While Pokémon Eggs were extremely durable, he didn’t want to risk it and the Professor appreciated his sentiment.
Then, the legendary Oak went over the new feature of his Pokédex.
“All I really did was allow you access to the National Pokédex which is where all known information about the Pokémon inside your egg can be found, and please let me know when it hatches so we can talk more about it.”
Ash nodded at the Professor who smiled before waving him off and letting him start his journey. However, right before Ash stepped out the doors, he remembered he didn’t scan his Eevee with his Pokédex.
Taking a second to pull out the technical wonder that is a Pokédex and scan his new companion. Who for her part just sat on her hind legs and stared at her trainer. The Pokédex blurred to life, spitting out information on the Pokémon and its species.
Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon. Its genetic makeup makes it highly susceptible to certain energies and day/night cycles. Its tail will get bigger depending on its happiness with its partner.
This Eevee is a female and knows: Wish, Double Kick, Tackle, Growl, and Quick Attack. Its ability is Adaptability, which allows the Pokémon to master new moves faster.
Ash looked down at his friend who was quite powerful. Eevee weren’t known for their strength before evolution, but she seemed to be ready for battle and had a really impressive move pool.
With that, Ash walked out of Professor Oak’s lab, and straight into Gary who scoffed at him at first but burst out laughing when he noticed his Eevee. Ash was slightly satisfied when she growled at his nemesis, understanding that she was being made fun of.
Ash grumbled to his rival, over his laughter, while his Eevee looked absolutely murderous.
“What do you want Gary?”
“The battle Ashy-boy, did you forget already, or are you afraid to battle me? I don’t know what Gramps was thinking, wasting such a rare Pokémon on you.”
Ash grimaced at the insult before his face hardened.
“You’re on Gary.” The rookie trainer turned to Eevee and crouched down in front of her.
“I know we just met but I wanna wipe that smug smirk off his face, don’t you?”
Eevee bobbed her head and dashed in front of Ash, crouched down & ready for battle.
Gary smirked, “Squirtle let’s battle!”
The young Oak’s Pokéball was in the air in a second, and his Squirtle appeared with a flash of light. It looked around before noticing Eevee and getting in a battle stance as well.
“Squirtle use Tackle!”
Squirtle wobbled a little bit as it got itself moving but slowly picked up speed before charging straight at Eevee, who was growling and crouched low, waiting for her trainer's command. Ash grinned, glad that Eevee already trusted him enough to lead her to victory.
“Eevee dodge at the last second then use Double Kick, follow up with a Quick Attack.”
Right as Squirtle was about to hit Eevee with Tackle, she jumped over the Water-type, hitting it in the back of the head with Double Kick. The turtle-like Pokémon fell on its face, then went into a roll, hitting with a resounding ‘thud’ against Professor Oak’s lab.
Squirtle got up slowly, looking around in confusion after such a hard hit. But before it even had time to refocus on the battle Eevee was on it with Quick Attack, knocking it back into the wall of the lab.
Eevee jumped back as Squirtle slowly managed to get to its feet, breathing heavily and shaking its head in confusion.
“Squirtle use Bubble!”
At its trainer’s command, Squirtle spit forth a flurry of bubbles that Eevee had no time to dodge and was knocked back as the bubbles exploded with a concussive force. She looked up in a grimace, her fur was soaked from the attack and Ash was sure she had some bruises due to the force they exploded with.
“Eevee you got this! It’s weak, use Quick Attack. Follow it up with a Double Kick if it’s still standing.”
Gary wasted no time as he gave Squirtle commands as well.
“Squirtle, Bubble again and follow it with Tackle.”
It didn’t matter though. As soon as Squirtle fired the first couple of Bubbles, Eevee appeared in front of the weakened Water-type with all the momentum she could carry, slamming it against the building again. This time knocking the poor thing out.
Ash couldn’t help the grin that appeared on his face as Gary frowned, returning his Squirtle.
“I suppose even a broken clock is right twice a day Ash, you won’t get so lucky next time.”
With that, the young Oak walked off, muttering to himself while Ash just smiled. Walking over to Eevee who was trying to shake the water out of her fur, not even noticing the lack of insult or nickname as his rival left.
“Good job Eevee, I'm proud of you.”
Eevee mewled and straightened herself at the praise while Ash helped to dry her fur a bit before he stood up.
“I am going to show you to my mom but it's a bit of a walk. Do you want to go in your Pokéball?”
Eevee shook her head immediately and Ash laughed as she then climbed up his leg and curled up around the back of his neck. He started off in the direction of his mom’s house absentmindedly scratching Eevee on his shoulders.
All the while, he thought this was a great start to his Pokémon journey. A win over his rival, a new friend in Eevee, and the egg in his bag. Yeah, Ash was definitely on cloud nine right now.
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“Mom, I'm home!”
“Ash! Welcome home honey, come over here. I wanna see your new partner, and who will be taking care of you on the road.”
Ash walked into the kitchen where his mom was sitting reading the Viridian Newspaper. The paper was quickly disregarded though as Delia Ketchum’s focus went to the Eevee around his shoulders.
“Oh, my, goodness!! She is adorable.” His mom cooed.
Eevee seemed to inflate at the praise and jumped off Ash’s shoulders and into his mom’s arms as the matriarch Ketchum coddled her like a baby, which Eevee was just soaking up.
His mom smiled up at him as she pet his starting Pokémon, straightening Eevee’s coat and finished drying her off with one of the clean towels in the kitchen.
“You already got into a battle?”
She of course already knew the answer based on Eevee being soaked and her coat being in disarray from the concussive blast and wetness of Bubble. Ash understood she was asking for details.
“Yeah, Gary thought it would be easy because Eevee weren’t known for their strength pre-evolution, but we proved to him you're not weak, right Eevee?”
She yipped in agreement before leaning into Delia's touch as she pet her. Ash’s mom chuckled before looking up at her son.
“Well, I'm glad you boys got a friendly spar in.”
Ash snorted at that. His mom frowned but didn’t comment, sighing as she got up. Eevee jumped down and curled around Ash’s feet while his mom made her way toward him.
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“I hate that you're leaving on your adventure so soon. But I suppose I knew this day was coming ever since you saw Lance on TV. I’m gonna miss you, and I want you to call me when you can please. It’s a dangerous world, and a mother worries.”
Ash nodded, embracing his mom in a hug. “I will mom, I love you.”
His mom hugged him even harder, and he felt damp stains on his shoulder. “I love you too, my little boy.”
After what felt like an eternity Ash pulled away, trying to leave on a happier note as he remembered Professor Oak’s gift.
“Oh yeah Mom, I forgot to mention. Look at what Professor Oak gave me!”
His mom’s eyes widened dramatically at the egg Ash pulled from his bag, her analytical eyes examining it closely. Ash always forgot his mom used to study Pokémon, only to give it up when she had him.
Deciding to take care of him full-time so she could pay for his Trainer School and their house after seeing his interest in battling. Pokémon research was only lucrative after years and years of study and internships with very little pay.
Delia’s face brightened and gained a huge smile.
“Ooo I know what this is, but I don’t wanna ruin the surprise for you. Although I agree with Samuel, I think you will do nicely with this egg.”
Ash smiled before he looked at the time and cursed. It had been a little over two hours and he didn’t want to keep Dakota and Amelia waiting. They were nice enough to allow him to join them on their journey after all.
His mom scolded him for his language, while Eevee jumped up and curled around his neck upon seeing her trainer’s urgency.
“I love you Mom but I gotta go, Dakota and Amelia are waiting for me at the gates.”
His mother nodded in understanding before hugging him again. Leading him to the door.
“I love you, be safe, and don’t forget to call!”
Ash nodded but right before he turned to leave his mom stopped him again.
“Oh, and one more thing, I got this to commemorate the start of your journey. I know it’s not much, but the restaurant hasn’t had a great year…”
Ash looked at the badge case his mom gave him like a man might view his first meal. The upper third was gold while the bottom quarter was a dark red metal, with a silver bar inlay separating the two sides.
The most interesting thing about the design to Ash though, was the Charizard engraved into the gold, spewing flames from its jaw. It was in a typical pose of dominance, which Ash found all the more exciting.
Ash brushed his hand over the cool metal before hearing the crisp ‘snap’ as he opened the case. Running his fingers across the black velvet interior that had specialized slots made for this season’s gym badges.
He shut the case and put it in his empty pocket, before engulfing his mom in a massive hug, stopping her rambling.
“I love it Mom, really, I do. I wouldn’t want anything else. Thank you so much!”
The mother and son stayed like that for a while, as Ash realized this would be the last hug he would get from his mom until he came back to Pallet.
Eventually, the young Ketchum pulled away, his & his mom's eyes both slightly damp.
“I gotta go Mom, Dakota & Amelia are waiting for me. Thank you so much for everything, I love you.”
His mom kissed his cheek.
“I love you Ash, now go and show the world who the next Pokémon Master is!”
With that, Ash turned and jogged towards the gates of Pallet Town. Doing his best to not turn around so he wouldn't see his mother’s tears.
Ash arrived panting slightly, while he definitely wasn't out of shape, he wasn’t exactly fit either. To get a trainer’s license you didn’t need to be in peak shape, one just had to pass a physical, which Ash did easily. It wasn’t the hardest thing, but jogging from his mom’s house to the gates of Pallet Town was at least half a mile.
Dakota and Amelia looked over and smiled. Dakota spoke up first.
“Finally man, it's been ages. What took you so long?” Amelia nodded but her gaze quickly shot to the Eevee curled around his neck.
“Awe, your Eevee is so cute! I didn’t realize Professor Oak had one.”
Dakota nodded his head and both of them seemed to have a similar thought process as Ash, which was first shock followed by understanding because Professor Oak is the Pokémon Professor.
Ash scratched Eevee’s neck, who was glowing at the praise. before explaining the past two hours. Showing them the egg Professor Oak gave him, his new badge case, and describing his short but fun battle with Gary.
By the time he was done the two of them had huge grins on their faces.
“Good I’m glad you showed it to Gary, he needed to be knocked off that pedestal.”
Ash nodded, any blow to Gary’s ego was a necessary one. Once he finished putting away the egg and slung his bag over his shoulder Amelia spoke up.
“Come on let’s hurry, Veronica made it to Viridian in three days when she started her journey. I wanna beat her record.”
The boys nodded and started following after the impassioned girl, Eevee jumping off his shoulder to walk beside him as they took their first steps to start their Pokémon journey.
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Dakota’s grunt of exhaustion was followed by everyone else’s grunt of acknowledgment as they sat down in a large clearing. They had been walking for hours without seeing a single trainer and only a couple of stray Pidgey. It wasn’t what Ash was expecting for the start of his journey, but it made sense.
They had chosen this clearing as more of a rest stop than to make camp but as Ash took in his surroundings & the time of day, he believed they would be hard-pressed to find a better location before nightfall.
“Guys, I think we should just go ahead and set up camp here. It's a good-sized clearing & the sun’s about to set, I don’t think we will find a much better spot.”
The two quickly took in their surroundings before agreeing that they should set up camp. So, Ash got up and set out to look for the stones for their fire. Meanwhile, Dakota looked for firewood, and Amelia started on everyone's food.
When Ash returned to camp with some sizable stones for the fire pit he collapsed on the ground in exhaustion, releasing Eevee after a few seconds.
She had wanted to return to her Pokéball several hours into their adventure, and Ash had given her the reprieve since there weren’t many super dangerous wild Pokémon in the area. The worst he could think of was Spearow, and they would be fine so long as a flock didn’t attack them.
Once released, Eevee quickly spotted her food and dug in with Amelia's Bulbasaur. Ash just focused on clearing an area of debris for his sleeping bag, setting it down before digging around his bag for a trainer meal. They were bland but super nutritious and supplied their bodies with the energy needed for a traveling trainer.
Glancing at the label that read ‘Pidgey a la King’ Ash opened it up and started to chow down, only to stop after the first bite. It tasted absolutely horrible, and he wondered if it was fit for consumption by Pokémon or humans.
After another glance in his bag to reveal only enough meals to get to Viridian and a rumble in his stomach, Ash ground his teeth. Trying to inhale and not taste the slop that someone deemed good enough to call food.
He only prayed that the other meals weren’t nearly as bad, or else he would have to pick up cooking instead of pre-bought food. Eevee made her way over to him, having finished her dinner, only to take one sniff of his remaining slop and turn her head away in disgust causing Ash to laugh.
After a couple more minutes Dakota returned carrying several logs, before pulling out the hatchet his dad gave him and started cutting the logs into smaller pieces to conserve fuel. Once that was done, he released Charmander who looked just as exhausted as Eevee and Bulbasaur; they had all walked with their trainers most of the day.
“Charmander, light this before you go eat please.”
Charmander nodded, turning its tail to the dry logs which combusted immediately before dragging itself to the food that waited for it, digging in soon after while its trainer did the same.
Once Dakota finished eating it was almost universally agreed that it was time for bed. Dakota, Amelia, and their Pokémon going to sleep almost immediately. Despite his tiredness however, Ash wanted to refresh his memory on how to take care of his egg.
He quietly began to unzip the front zipper of his bag and just started reading when Eevee came over, curling up in his lap and promptly dozing off as he read the prologue.
The first thing new Pokémon Egg owners need to realize is that the egg grows best when it is warm. While cold and normal weather environments don’t negatively affect the egg, warm environments make the Pokémon inside more comfortable and relaxed, helping it develop more quickly.
Ash silently moved his pack closer to the fire, hoping the close proximity would help it. He went to turn back to his book but screamed out in excitement when he saw his bag waddle slightly.
Accidentally waking everyone up in his elation after they had just gotten to sleep. Charmander was especially annoyed and even Eevee was a bit upset at the rude awakening.
Dakota was the first to say something. “Ash. What in the name of Arceus was that for? We are all trying to sleep here.”
Ash just pointed to the bag as it shook again. This woke everyone up even further as Ash carefully took the egg out of his bag, excited to see what would come of it, and set it down a little ways from the fire but still close enough to feel its warmth.
He didn’t want the Pokémon to step into the fire and hurt itself within the first few moments of its life, especially if he was correct in his assumption that it was an Ice-type.
They all watched with bated breath for the next several minutes before Ash turned back to the book wondering if there was some special thing that he was forgetting to do. The young Ketchum grinned sheepishly as he read the second rule about eggs. No one was going to be too happy about this.
The second important note that new egg owners need to realize is that the egg will move periodically without being close to hatching. This is a good sign as it shows the Pokémon is healthy. Most new egg owners mistake this for signs of the egg hatching and are concerned, rushing to a Pokémon Center when in reality nothing is the matter.
Ash sighed and explained what he read to his friends, whose moods flipped, becoming very grumpy at being brought to such alertness after a very insubstantial amount of sleep. After a moment though, they slowly returned to their sleeping bags and let sleep embrace them.
Meanwhile, Eevee curled up in Ash’s lap again after he put the egg back in his bag next to the fire, the rookie deciding to read a bit more of the book before calling it a night.
The third rule about Pokémon Eggs is that they are a marathon, not a race. While some eggs have very short hatch times, several days to a couple of weeks to hatch. Some, such as the Dragonite and Salamence line, can take upwards of several months, a reason for their rarity in the world. Rushing the process along will either lead to a very underdeveloped Pokémon or a deadly outcome.
With those key egg notes out of the way, this book will now go into the base standard that all Pokémon experience when hatched without any of their kind nearby. Along with the different nuances that come with hatching certain types, ending with best practices for caring for newly hatched Pokémon.
First, Pokémon hatched outside of their parents' care will not know they were hatched outside their parents' care and will look for guidance. It is almost immediately that the trainer must become that Pokémon’s family. Instincts will teach the Pokémon its species' way of life and guide it in that aspect. It is up to the trainer to shape those instincts.
For example, if one hatches a rough dark-type like Houndour who are usually prideful and arrogant, having a violence and brutality seen in few other Pokémon. The trainer might curb those natural superiority instincts by establishing dominance early in the relationship, forcing the creature to see and understand mercy.
Another important aspect of freshly hatched Pokémon is that they are born fully developed. While it is strongly discouraged that recently hatched Pokémon battle within their first week, they are technically capable right from the start. Leaving some industry leaders to theorize that a Pokémon being hatched is more of an evolution than birth.
In some cases, Pokémon that breed with their own, or different, species that have developed special moves, may pass those moves onto their offspring directly. While move complexity varies, they are rare and usually the only way these Pokémon can obtain those moves. More is still being learned about Pokémon Eggs every day.
The final important note of this chapter on freshly hatched Pokémon is that while they are fully developed straight from the egg, they will need massive amounts of nutritious foods. Most parents stockpile many berries when they feel their egg is close to hatching. A freshly hatched Ponyta would easily eat half a bag of Pokémon food hours after hatching.
Ash slowly shut the book and slid it into his bag before laying down on his bedroll, trying to not jostle his Eevee a second time. He had a lot on his mind and plans for his newest teammate when they were ready to hatch. However, before he could truly fall asleep, he whispered to his partner.
“Wake us up if you hear something alright?”
Eevee’s twitch of the ears was all Ash needed before he closed his eyes and embraced the sleep that awaited him.
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The sunlight streaming down on his face was somehow the best and worst thing at the same time. Ash groaned as he slowly woke up, burying his face deeper into his pillow only to get a very wet lick across his face that woke up his senses.
“Ack Eevee, why’d you go and do that?”
Eevee just snickered and Ash could hear Amelia giggling as well, at least Dakota was still asleep if his snores were anything to go off of, saving him from more embarrassment. Ash sighed as he stretched in his sleeping bag and was about to go to sleep again before Eevee’s tongue forced him up.
“Ughh, fine Eevee.”
Eevee headbutted Ash a little bit more as he sat up before getting out of his sleeping bag in the cold brisk air. Immediately he wished to get back to the warmth his bed roll provided, but stopped himself, and started making breakfast for everyone and their Pokémon while Amelia woke up Dakota and cleaned up their campsite.
“I’m up, I’m up,” Dakota muttered as he nursed his raw skin where Bulbasaur had hit him with a very weak Vine-Whip.
Everyone laughed and even Charmander was chuckling. Although one look from its trainer and it stopped but still smiled. Once the campsite was cleaned and everyone had eaten, they continued their journey to Viridian. Hoping to encounter at least a few trainers now that they were a bit closer to the massive city. The largest one actually on this side of Mt. Moon.
It wasn’t for several hours later that they finally found luck and came across a pretty girl with red hair and pale skin who was fishing in the river. Dakota and Amelia were hesitant to approach her, but Ash walked right up to her.
“Hey, do you wanna battle?”
The girl looked up and sighed although she seemed slightly interested in the Eevee beside the red-capped trainer.
“I guess, what’s your name? Mine’s Misty.”
“Ash Ketchum, future Pokémon Master at your service.”
“Well nice to meet you, Ash 1 on 1 work with you?”
Ash nodded his head as Eevee jumped forward and got into a ready position. Ash grinned and gripped his hat, adjusting the bill slightly in front of him to help block out the sun.
Misty smirked before throwing out her Pokéball and releasing a Staryu that just stared at Eevee.
Misty was the first to break the silence. “Staryu use Swift, follow it with a Water Gun then Tackle!”
Ash watched in fascination as stars formed from light while Staryu’s jewel glowed with power. Then, without warning, they rocketed towards Eevee.
“Eevee dodge it with Quick Attack, then Double Kick! Follow it up with another Quick Attack!”
Eevee glowed with the white aura from Quick Attack before rocketing to the side, as Swift flew past her, moving too quickly for their natural homing to make such an aggressive turn. The stars flew past Ash into the forest with several resounding booms as they cut into trees.
Eevee then ran at the Staryu, but before she could use Double Kick. Staryu blasted her with Water Gun, launching her backwards. Staryu chased after Eevee, finishing the combo with Tackle knocking Eevee in the air. Ash grimaced, realizing he forgot about the Water Gun. He wouldn’t let it happen again though.
“Eevee, use Double Kick when you land!”
If it wasn't for the slight twist in her body Ash would’ve thought that she hadn’t heard him. But right as Staryu was about to hit Eevee in midair with what looked to be another Tackle, her back two feet glowed as she channeled her energy. Striking Staryu right in the jewel and cracking it.
The light died as Staryu fell over, unconscious. Ash whooped and hollered and made a mental note that Staryu gems were very sensitive. That, or Eevee just landed a critical hit.
Misty grunted before returning Staryu and Ash just congratulated his starter who stood a bit straighter at the compliment. But Ash could tell she was in a little bit of pain, he’d need to feed her one of the Oran Berries they found earlier.
The rookie trainer was confused however when Misty came up to him and asked for his Trainer ID number.
“It’s a new rule introduced by the League, any trainer who loses and agrees to battle must pay the winner a fee, so long as they have over $5,000 pokédollars in their account.”
Ash just shrugged and gave her his trainer ID number, watching as his then-previous balance of $0, since he hadn’t gotten paid yet, jumped up to $350.
“You have a really good Eevee there, most are pretty docile and just like helping their team, what’s your secret?”
Ash just smiled as Eevee growled at the idea of being called weak.
“Let’s just say we had some early motivation.”
Misty nodded seemingly content with that answer. “Well, if you make it to Cerulean be sure to stop by the gym. I want a rematch now that I know not to underestimate that Eevee you got there.”
Ash smirked, he was thrilled with the outcome and Eevee’s performance. Then her words hit him.
“Wait, you're a gym trainer? Why are you so far from Cerulean?”
Misty grimaced slightly, clearly not meaning to mention the gym. “Um, yeah! I help out there, and the Leaders took me under their wing. I was actually trying to catch a new member for my team in this river here.”
“Which I should get back to, thanks for the battle Ash!”
The rookie trainer watched as she made her way back to her bike and fishing camp before turning to his friends who just looked in awe, which made sense considering that he beat a gym trainer. They were some of the strongest trainers around.
The reason they existed in the first place was to help the Gym Leaders themselves as they couldn’t all be in one place at once. They were above the police in some cases and right under any Ace Trainers that were employed by the League.
Dakota spoke first. “Dude that was awesome I call dibs on the next trainer we face.”
Amelia nodded along. “And I got the one after that!”
Ash smiled as they continued towards Viridian, all of them feeling excited about the coming battles and to truly start their journey as Pokémon trainers.
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“Ughhh, why does the ground have to be so hard?” Dakota grumbled, as he set his sleeping bag on the ground.
Ash couldn’t blame his frustration; the ground had worked a bunch of knots into his neck. Not to mention his legs were sore from the past two days of non-stop walking, and the hard ground didn’t really relax those muscles either.
“Tell me about it,” Ash mumbled. Rolling his shoulders which was followed by several satisfying pops.
Amelia grunted her agreement before they all got a little bit closer to the fire. While their Pokémon were exhausted from the battling they had gotten into that day, the trainers were much more awake than the first night on the road.
“So what’s the plan tomorrow?”
Leaving his question in the air, Ash looked down to where he was petting Eevee who had curled up beside him. Her fur was a little matted and full of knots which is what Ash was working on untangling, as his feline-like Pokémon purred in contentment.
He realized that he never heard his companions' plans, as the first day of their journey was mostly spent in silence as they explored the world of Pokémon on their own for the first time. While the second day was spent battling.
“Well.” Amelia started, “My older sister Veronica actually owns a house in Viridian, so Dakota and I were going to stay there for a couple days while we trained for the Viridian Forest and got ready to face the Pewter Gym. My sister has room for one more if you want to stay with us Ash.”
The youngest Ketchum nodded his head, “I’d love to, but I don’t wanna intrude.”
He cursed the good nature that his mother instilled in him. He would love a bed rather than sleeping outside the city limits while waiting on his friends. Since the season didn’t start for a few more days, Pokémon Centers didn’t provide free lodging for the first-year trainers.
Amelia just laughed.
“Trust me Ash, it's fine. I know we are all trying to get 8 Gym Badges and make it to the Conference this year but what’s your guy’s goals after that?”
Dakota smirked, speaking up for the first time that night. “Well, I wanna travel the world, before settling and finding my own Gym. And everyone knows you wanna be a world-class breeder Amelia.”
Ash couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his lips, as Amelia’s face turned scarlet not realizing her dreams were so obvious. Not wanting to embarrass his friend further, he explained his aspirations.
“I wanna become a League Champion and help maintain peace. I also want to help get Orre under control and a member of the Pokémon League.”
Both Dakota and Amelia looked at him and smiled.
Maybe it was the convection that he said it with, the fire in his eye, or the fact that it was coming from a 16-year-old’s mouth who had matured enough to know that becoming a League Champion was hard, extremely hard actually.
Hell, most first-year trainers didn’t make it to the conference. Few died unfortunately, and the only reason the death toll wasn’t higher was mostly due to the increased age limit after the last war, plus the increased restrictions on who could get a Trainer license. But he was glad that his two new friends didn’t laugh at his dreams as most people did.
“So, is anyone wanting to catch any Pokémon from here to Pewter? I mean I know there's not much variety here on Route 1, but in & around the Viridian Forest are tons of different Pokémon that call that place home.”
Ash and Amelia looked up at Dakota’s question. It wasn’t something he thought about a lot, but he definitely had some favorites. Amelia was the first to go.
“Well, I think Pidgeot would make a great teammate and I’d love to get a Shroomish. I know they are rare in the Viridian Forest, but some wild ones have been spotted there. A Nidoran would be nice too. I also heard that some Deerling and Lotad could be found. What about you Ash?”
He pondered to himself for a moment what he would want that he could properly train & feed this early into his journey. Since Silph Co. had recently updated Pokéballs to train a Pokémon virtually, he could technically train any Pokémon safely with a Pokégear.
Ash wasn’t a fan of that method though as it wasn’t really training in his mind and made for lazy trainers. Plus, he figured it made it harder to build a true bond with your Pokémon. It might be something he’d look at more though when he could afford a Pokégear.
Overall, he felt it disingenuous to catch a Pokémon and have it go through virtual programs to learn new moves and be forced to respect the trainer. Realizing he had been silent for a while, he spoke up, not wanting his friends to think he was ignoring them.
“Well, I think a Noctowl would be really cool to have, and I know both Hoothoot and Noctowl go on the hunt in the forest at night. A Deerling would also be nice and so would a Heracross, but I don’t think I’m ready to train one yet. They aren't as temperamental as Scyther or Pinser, but they are still dangerous.”
“Other than those Pokémon there isn’t anything I'd really want to hunt for around there. What about you Dakota?”
“I’m with you Ash, I’d like a Scyther, but I couldn’t properly train one right now. I do want to catch a Mankey while we are at Viridian, and I couldn’t afford a Munchlax if we found one.
Maybe a Pikachu, but they are super rare and I don’t want to spend more time than necessary in the Forest. I’ve heard horror stories of what can happen.”
They all nodded at that. There was a reason there were three Ranger stations and a League-sanctioned path that was routinely monitored. The Viridian Forest was one of the most dangerous areas in Kanto as Pokémon like Weedle, Venomoth, Spinarak, and all their evolutions called the forest home.
The group fell into a comfortable silence as Ash finished cleaning Eevee’s hair and mane. Lying down in his sleeping bag and staring up at the night sky, which twinkled with hundreds of stars, the sounds of nature filling his ears. At that moment Ash thought,
‘Maybe sleeping outside wasn’t the worst thing’.
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“Okay... Sleeping outside is still definitely the worst thing.” Ash mumbled to himself as he stretched his legs and rubbed the red mark on his back.
Amelia had decided that it was his turn to wake up via Vine Whip. The rookie trainer definitely had more respect for Dakota now, because it stung... a lot. Once he got done packing up his things and eating breakfast, he and his companions started the short 10-mile hike to Viridian.
Having passed a sign that mentioned the distance from it to the city. Which had what was arguably the most powerful and respected Gym Leader in all of Kanto, not counting Blaine from Cinnabar.
Halfway through their hike, the group's Pokémon suddenly became alert, growling, and getting into the battle-ready stances the trainers had been teaching them over the past two days. The trainers themselves were immediately on alert, curious as to what was going on.
Then, the sound of dozens and dozens of wings flapping caused them to frown before they looked up and behind them in the sky. Curious as to what was causing a ruckus, only to pale at the flock of Spearow that was coming right for them.
“Run!”
Dakota and Amelia didn’t need to be told twice as they all quickly recalled their Pokémon and started running toward Viridian. Spearow were fiercely territorial Pokémon, and it was almost Summer, which meant they must have stumbled into the Spearow’s breeding grounds.
They ran as fast as they could through the rough path of Route 1 before the Spearow caught up to them, attacking the humans that had entered their territory. Tearing at hair, clothes, skin, and anything else they could get their beaks into.
At Amelia's sharp cry of pain, when one of the Spearow nicked her ear, Ash had had enough. In a flash of light, Eevee appeared ready to attack.
“Eevee quick, use Wish then Double Kick.”
Eevee focused and Ash saw her body sag slightly as the energy for Wish was consumed before, she jumped in the air, using Double Kick and knocking one of the Spearow to the ground. She was then swarmed by at least seven of the birds, the flock finding her the real threat.
Ash fought his way over to his companion kicking and punching the angry birds away. Amelia and Dakota stopped their run at the commotion, hesitating as they saw Ash and Eevee fighting the angry Pokémon.
“Dakota, Amelia, run and get help!”
They stared at the duo getting swarmed by the twenty-plus Spearow before making up their minds, and in a flash, both Bulbasaur and Charmander appeared entering the fray. Bulbasaur’s Vine Whip brought down a couple of the birds before it became a target.
Charmander also managed to take down several of the birds with Ember, before it too started getting overwhelmed. There were still a little over a dozen of the avians in the air, hammering the new trainers.
Ash grunted as one of the Spearow tried to get at his bag where the egg was and punched it in the face, it squawked in anger before pecking at his arm. Creating a long deep gash that began to spurt blood. Egg and bag thankfully forgotten.
Ash screamed in pain, and then anger as he saw Eevee collapse under the might of the birds before he fought them all off his Pokémon, covering her and his bag with his body as the Spearow relentlessly tore at the protective trainer's back.
Dakota and Amelia watched in horror as their Pokémon, too overwhelmed by the several Spearow attacking them, to help. It looked to be even worse for the new trainers as the tell-tale squawk of a Fearow and several more Spearow appeared on the horizon, intent to kill or drive the trespassers off its land.
“Enough!” A voice shouted before bolts of electricity started striking the birds down, taking the ones attacking Ash down first followed by the ones attacking Bulbasaur and Charmander who promptly collapsed in exhaustion.
Dakota and Amelia turned to look at the newcomer while Ash struggled to his feet, they had a yellow bipedal Pokémon minus its white underbelly and black stripes around its neck; it stood a little over 5 feet tall.
They watched as it then looked at the approaching Fearow and Spearow before letting loose a massive Thunderbolt that struck the avians, shocking their nervous systems and knocking them unconscious with one strike. The creature then smiled and waved at the two trainers as the unconscious birds fell from the sky like it was the most casual thing in the world.
The trainer of the impressive Pokémon jogged over to Ash and laid him on his side, taking off what was left of his shirt and jacket before spraying his body with some Potion. Ash sighed in relief as the more serious gouges slowly stopped their bleeding and began to stitch shut before getting his tattered shirt and jacket back on, looking at his partner with concern.
Although there was nothing to fear, as before the mysterious trainer could even apply the Potion to Eevee. It slowly glowed a soft white before receding as Eevee’s Wish finally manifested, healing her cuts and contusions until dried blood was all that remained.
Ash sighed in relief as Eevee slowly walked over to her trainer, licking one of the scratches on his hand in concern, causing him to smile as he ran his hands through her fur. Letting her know he was alright, before she curled into a ball next to him, resting.
Wish was clearly a very draining move on her energy, but very useful. Ash already started thinking of plans on how to increase her energy reserves, as it could be a lifesaving move. With that, the trainers all turned to the newcomer who smiled at them. Now that they got a better look, the trainer was a female in their early to mid-20s.
She had honeyed blonde hair and a kind face. She had a green cap, and she struck an amazing figure which Ash and Dakota couldn't help but notice, with a blazer the same green as her cap, a tight-fitting white shirt, and dark blue pants.
“Hi.” She said brightly waving at them,” My name is Jasmine, what's yours?”
The trio introduced themselves and the girl smiled. “Sorry I wasn’t here sooner. The League hired me to take care of that Spearow flock since I was in Viridian catching up with a friend.”
Ash was the first to speak up. “Thank you. It’s one thing seeing the ferocity and brutality wild Pokémon have in the training videos, and a total other actually experiencing it.”
Dakota and Amelia nodded along as the girl smiled at Ash before her face contorted into a thoughtful look for a second, throwing a Pokéball at the unconscious Fearow and catching it. She then walked over and picked up the ball, clipping it to her belt. Ash stared in jealousy at the now ten Pokéballs at her hip.
Only the most skilled trainers proven by the League were allowed to use more than six slots at a time, not including the temporary access one got when raising a freshly hatched Pokémon that Ash had read about in his book.
“They normally don’t chase people or Pokémon so far, lest they leave the nests unprotected. The Fearows usually drive this aggression so this pesky one will get sent to the League to roam in a different area.”
“Come, I assume you three were heading to Viridian? I should escort you as your Pokémon are exhausted, all of you did great by the way. Not many would’ve been able to hold out as long as you three did while taking down so many of them.”
“Oh, and don’t worry about the Spearow, most of them will be fine once they wake up.”
They all smiled at the praise before they followed the woman towards Viridian in comfortable silence, content in knowing they didn’t just witness a Spearow massacre.
Once they arrived at the Pokémon Center. They handed their allies, and Ash his egg, to Nurse Joy who took them to the back for care. Moving to the lobby as they waited for Nurse Joy to give their Pokémon a checkup.
Ash was the first to break the silence. “So, what was that yellow Pokémon you had?”
Jasmine smiled at him, “That was Aphy, he is an Ampharos, actually got him on my third day as a trainer!”
Ash was shocked, Mareep’s evolutions were rare Pokémon to see in battle, and wild Mareep even more so as most were domesticated and owned by the League for their valuable wool. With Mareep becoming a regulated Pokémon, after a vast majority were poached for their wool & gem.
Dakota and Amelia also seemed to be impressed. Dakota beat Ash to his question “How’d you get a Mareep?”
Jasmine smiled at him, and Ash smirked as his friend's face reddened, not that he could blame him too much he also thought Jasmine was very beautiful.
“Well, my family is great friends with a Mareep Farm owner, who, after hearing I had my starter and was about to set out on my journey, asked me to find and return some Mareep who were scared off by an Arbok. As a reward for returning them all, he let the one who I had played with the most as a girl join me on my journey!”
“That’s amazing!” Amelia said while the boys just nodded, Ash was the next to ask a question.
“So what Pokémon do you have? Since the League allows you 9 of them at a time.”
Jasmine smiled at Ash before it slowly turned into a mischievous grin. “Where you just checking me out Ash, is that how you noticed?”
Ash reddened as his friends laughed at his plight, what did he say to that? Jasmine just laughed along before lightly patting him on the shoulder.
“I'm just messing with ya. My starter was my Typhlosion, then there’s Aphy, followed by Noctowl, Meinfoo, Golduck, Donphan, Skarmory, Nidoqueen, and Stantler. I also have a Butterfree & Pidgeot at my family’s house.”
Ash had no idea why he was surprised, someone employed by the League had to have been strong but those were some powerful Pokémon and a well-rounded team.
Before they could continue their conversation Nurse Joy called them.
“You three are very lucky, you know. It looks like just exhaustion for all of your Pokémon, although Eevee did have a bit of dried blood which we cleaned out of her fur. As for your egg Mr. Ketchum, it is in great shape, keep taking good care of it.”
“Although I would check the Pokémart for an incubator, they are great for taking care of Pokémon Eggs. Oh, and please look out for the signs next time, the Spearow’s common breeding grounds are marked.”
The three nodded, thanking Nurse Joy and taking their team before walking out of the Pokémon Center with Jasmine.
“It was nice getting to meet you all but I gotta get this Fearow to the League. Take care you three.”
She then released a giant metal bird that must’ve been her Skarmory. It screeched at the three teenagers before taking off into the sky, probably going to the Indigo Plateau. Once the League trainer was a spec in the sky, Amelia spoke up.
“Well she was nice. Come on, my sister's house is this way. After today I'm ready for a quick nap and dinner. Tomorrow, we’ll begin training for the Pewter Gym and Viridian Forest!”
The boys couldn't agree more, following Amelia as she led them to her sister's house.