Chapter Text
A/N: And thus, The Ash Ketchum Chronicles begins. RJ49er's rewrite of the Pokemon anime which'll contain awesome pokemon battles, character development, Aura, and lots of Pokeshipping. Things will start off as a simple anime retelling at first. But I promise it'll diverge into interesting new directions as the fic goes on. An early draft of this was a straight-up transcription of the first episode. But I decided to skip all of that nonsense and just cut to the action. So to be clear, pretty much all of EP1 prior to where the fic starts is canon. With all of that out of the way, let's get right into the fanfic, shall we?
Chapter 1- I Choose You!
Most trainers have humbling beginnings. They pick their first pokemon, then head off to start their pokemon journey. Maybe they battle some wild pokemon, build their team, or even train for their first gym battle. But regardless, the beginnings of a young pokemon trainer are usually uneventful. Certainly not worth documenting.
As for Ash Ketchum, his journey began with the thirteen-year-old and his starter, the electric mouse Pikachu, running for their dear lives from a flock of angry Spearow.
I knew I shouldn’t have tossed that rock at that wild Spearow, Ash thought as his legs grew numb from the running. He then looked down at his starter pokemon, the yellow electric-type running on all fours at a similarly fast pace. “Don’t worry, Pikachu! No matter what I’ll save you!”
Pikachu ran ahead of Ash, ignoring the young trainer, which bothered him slightly. But he should’ve expected that. In this world, when a person turns 13, they are old enough to get a pokemon license, the first step of being a pokemon trainer. They are then given the choice of three starter pokemon. For the region of Kanto where Ash lived, the choices were the grass-type Bulbasaur, the water-type Squirtle, and the fire-type Charmander. However, Ash arrived at Prof. Oak’s laboratory late so his only choice was Pikachu.
Since Ash first got him, Pikachu had been disobeying his commands all day. The reason the two were even in this mess was because Ash threw a rock at a wild Spearow since his Pikachu didn’t want to battle the bird. The Spearow went ahead of Ash and focused their attention on Pikachu, attacking the poor mouse and making him trip and fall.
“Leave him alone, Spearow!” But the Spearow didn’t listen, instead surrounding Pikachu and pecking at him profusely. “Pikachu!” Ash said with great worry.
Ash went into the pack of pecking Sparrow, pushing them away to grab Pikachu. He held Pikachu in his arms and kept running through the tall grass, Spearow tailing behind him. He reached a dead end at the cliffside of an immense waterfall. With no other choice and the Spearow just inches away from him, Ash flipped his baseball cap and dived straight into the river at the bottom of the waterfall.
Ash’s body was pushed through the river at a rapid pace. The water was cold. Ash struggled with the current whilst simultaneously struggling to fill his lungs with air. He held Pikachu close to his chest, making sure the electric mouse didn’t get lost in the current. Ash's eyelids slowly forced themselves down. He tried staying conscious but eventually, Ash passed out. His last thought before going into the black was I’m sorry, Pikachu, I’ve failed you as a trainer. I’m sorry.
Misty, a girl close to Ash's age, was fishing at a lake. The young girl loved water pokemon and was hoping to add another one to her collection. That was why she felt a pinch of joy when her fishing pole had a heavy snag. She smiled as she pulled in her fishing pole. "Hey, I got a bite! This could be a big one!" she said excitedly.
But instead of the water-type pokemon she had hoped for, the young girl pulled out a boy and his pokemon. Misty stared at the boy with a confused expression. He wore a backwards red-and-white baseball cap, a blue jacket with white sleeves and a black undershirt, pale blue jeans, black-and-white shoes, and green fingerless gloves. He had dark raven hair and slightly tanned skin.
Misty initially felt annoyed and disappointed that she caught a boy instead of a water type. But that annoyance quickly turned to concern when she noticed the boy completely passed out and stiff as a board. “Oh my god!” she shouted as she rushed over and pressed her hands on his chest. After doing that a few times, Misty lifted Ash’s chin, pinched his nose shut, then blew air twice down Ash’s throat. Then she went back to pressing on Ash’s chest. Misty had practiced CPR on dummies but had never applied those techniques to an actual person before. Only after Ash started coughing up water did Misty stop and let out a huge sigh of relief.
Ash opened his brown eyes. He looked up at the girl in front of him. She was a redhead with some of her hair tufted into a side ponytail. She wore a yellow tank top and blue shorts with red suspenders.
“You look hurt. Are you okay?” Misty said.
Ash was caught off guard by how cute she was. His cheeks turned bright red as he spoke, “Yeah, I’m okay. Although, I appreciate your concern.”
“Not you, you idiot! I’m talking about that poor little Pikachu. He looks hurt,” she said.
Ash looked down at the Pikachu by his side and he agreed with the girl’s assessment. Luckily, Pikachu was coughing up water and breathing normally. But he looked pained and beyond exhausted. The electric mouse was clearly in need of medical attention.
“Oh no, this is serious.” Ash got up from the ground, clutching Pikachu to his chest. “Do you know of a Pokemon Center nearby?”
“There’s one in Viridian City. That way.” Misty pointed in a direction. She then gazed at the sky, her eyes widening in shock. “What the-?”
Ash followed her gaze and saw the flock of Spearow flying towards him. “Oh god! They’re coming back! Run for it!”
Ash rushed over to a nearby bike, put Pikachu in the front basket, and placed himself on the seat. Of course, that bike belonged to Misty who wasn’t too happy letting a complete stranger borrow it. “Hey, that’s my bike. What are you doing?”
The thirteen-year-old raced off on Misty’s bike. He took a moment to look back at Misty. “I’ll give it back someday.”
Misty gave an annoyed huff as she put her hands on her hips. That kid is a load of trouble, Misty thought.
Ash Ketchum cycled his feet on the pedals at a breakneck pace. The sky above had dark grey clouds that signaled the start of a fierce storm.
“Pi-Pikachu,” the pokemon said weakly.
“Just hang on, Pikachu. We’re almost there,” Ash said urgently.
The first droplets of rain hit Pikachu’s face. He felt slightly relaxed by the droplets even in his weakened state. But not even the rain stopped the fearsome Spearow from attacking Ash on his bike. Ash’s eyes widened as he careened off a cliff, too late to change direction.
Ash crashed off the bike with a painful thud. He forced his head off the ground and gazed at Pikachu’s limping body a few inches away.
“Pikachu!” Ash screamed as he crawled over and placed a calm hand on Pikachu’s body. He then grabbed Pikachu’s pokeball from his hip and showed it to his pokemon. “Get inside. I know you’re afraid. But you’ll be safe once you’re inside. Please Pikachu. Just trust me.”
Ash dropped the ball next to Pikachu, making sure it was Pikachu’s decision to make despite his pleading. He then stood up and bravely faced the onslaught of Spearow rushing towards him.
“Spearow, do you know who I am? I’m Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town,” he said confidently. “It’s my destiny to become a Pokemon Master and nothing will get in my way. Especially not some stupid Spearow. So go ahead! Do your worst! I can take it!”
Pikachu moved himself up slightly, looking at Ash’s confident display. Even though Pikachu knew Ash was scared on the inside. How couldn’t he be when facing the threat of angry Spearow? Pikachu glanced at the pokeball, weighing his options.
“Pikachu, get inside your pokeball. It’s the only way,” Ash pleaded.
Then lightning struck in the sky which gave Pikachu an idea. The Spearow launched themselves at Ash, moments away from tearing the young trainer to shreds. But Pikachu was not about to let that happen. Pikachu raced on his four legs, jumped up on Ash’s shoulder, and in one huge leap, put himself between Ash and the pissed-off flock of Spearow.
“PIKA-CHUUUUUUUUU!” he shouted as he released all the power he could into a single giant electric shock. The blast could be seen for miles. Even Misty, who was a fair distance away, noticed it.
“What the heck?” she said, perplexed by the sight.
Suddenly, the storm cleared. The dark clouds disappeared, replaced by a clear blue sky. Unfortunately, the powerful attack didn’t just scare off the Spearow flock. It also struck Ash to the ground and charred Misty’s bike to a crisp. Ash laid down, only a couple of inches away from Pikachu. Their faces met each other and they stared warmly.
“Well, we beat them,” Ash smiled.
“Chu,” Pikachu nodded.
Ash laughed for a moment, then tears formed in his eyes. “Why did you do that, Pikachu? You could’ve gotten yourself hurt.”
“ Because... ”
“Huh?” Ash couldn’t believe his ears. He could’ve sworn for a moment that he heard his Pikachu talk. He stared at Pikachu with wide-open eyes.
“ Because you’re my friend. ”
“Pikachu?”
“Pikapi,” Pikachu struggled out despite his exhaustion. It seemed Pikachu talking was just in Ash’s head. Though he could’ve sworn it was real.
Ash and Pikachu then heard a piercing cry from the sky. They both glanced up and saw a giant golden bird flying toward a shining rainbow. Never before had Ash seen such a majestic sight. He checked his Pokedex for more information on the creature. However, the Pokedex came up blank, claiming that the pokemon was of an as-of-yet-unidentified species. This both fascinated and perplexed Ash. He had a million questions rushing through his head. But eventually, he let those questions subside and simply focused on the beautiful creature that glided through the sky above him.
Ash felt a strange feeling in his chest. It wasn’t the pain or the exhaustion caused by the Spearow flock nor the newfound love he had for his Pikachu. It was rather a feeling of hope. Hope for the future. Hope for his dream of becoming a Pokemon Master. Ash was certain this was the start of a long and difficult journey ahead. But in the end, he believed he had what it takes. And maybe one day, the rest of the world will see that too.
Still, Ash had more pressing matters to deal with as he glanced at his Pikachu who was fully passed out. Although he felt a twinge of fear at the prospect of losing his first Pokemon and true friend, Ash showed the world a confident smile. “Don’t worry, Pikachu. I’ll get you to Viridian City. You’ll be okay. I promise.”
He picked up Pikachu from the ground, holding the yellow mouse in his arms. He then made what was to be a long march to reach the nearest Pokemon Center. But he wasn’t fully deterred. A brief lick on the chin from Pikachu was the motivation he needed to keep on trekking despite how exhausted he was. But Ash was still confident, despite the rocky start, that this was only the beginning of what was sure to be a magnificent journey.
Meanwhile, in a secret research facility on Cinnabar Island, a mysterious figure in a dashing suit walked through a giant laboratory. He pressed a finger against the cold machinery, wiping a line of dust off it. He pinched the dust away from his fingers and kept walking.
Upon seeing the man walk through their facilities, all the scientists stood up straight, their bodies tensed. Some of them bowed and made their greetings known. The man ignored them all, keeping his focus ahead as he paced through the lab. Eventually, he reached an old man with grey hair and a beard who stood in front of a giant tube filled with liquid. Hearing the man’s footsteps, the old man turned around and faced him. A light smile came across the old man’s face.
“How’re the experiments going, Dr. Fuji?” the mysterious man said.
“They are going swimmingly,” Dr. Fuji said as he pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose. “We have the formula for cloning almost perfected. Just need to perform a few more tests but I believe we have something here. Can you imagine it? With this technology, we could bring people back from the dead. A scientific discovery of this magnitude-”
“Enough!” the suited man interrupted. “I could care less about that nonsense. I just wanna know the status of Project Legendary.”
Dr. Fuji sighed. “Very well.”
Dr. Fuji moved out of the way, leaving the man to examine the giant tube more closely. He could see inside the tube was a small pale creature. It had horns, a pronounced chest, and a long purple tail. The creature had its eyes closed and was hunched into a ball. Upon seeing it, the man smiled. “Excellent. All’s going according to plan. I knew this was a worthy investment.”
The man then casually walked off, leaving Dr. Fuji behind to examine the creature in the tube. His eyes peered at it with a fascinated intensity. “I’m not sure if you can understand what I’m saying,” Dr. Fuji said to the creature. “But you have the potential to be the world’s most powerful pokemon.”
The creature merely stayed in its balled-up form, floating in the tube, patiently waiting for its moment to strike.
TO BE CONTINUED...
A/N: This is the beginning of what I hope is a consistent and fun little go-through of the Pokemon anime. I've been a fan of Pokemon and its anime since I was a kid back in the early '00s. I even own a bunch of Pokemon VHSes and had been a consistent watcher of the anime until Diamond and Pearl (a good stopping point I'd say). But there were always parts of the anime that pissed me off and I wished were done differently. So this fanfic was my opportunity to do just that. The wasted potential of Pokeshipping being the biggest one. I was the BIGGEST Pokeshipper as a kid and still am. I believe Ash and Misty had the best chemistry and best couple potential out of any pairing. It was truly a shame when that didn't go anywhere. Hopefully, this fic rectifies that for any heartbroken Pokeshippers out there. And even if you aren't a huge Pokeshipper, I still think you'll enjoy the routes this story takes (as you can see, I'm already foreshadowing the appearance of a certain legendary pokemon). So I hope you stay tuned for more awesome Pokemon content from me in the coming future.