Chapter Text
Kalos
Somewhere in the Kalos region, tucked behind a curtain of reeds and lily pads, there was a pond that most trainers never found. It wasn't marked on any map, and it wasn't the kind of place people went looking for rare pokemon.
It was simply home to a small colony of Froakie, who spent their days the way Froakie usually did by leaping from lily pad to lily pad, blowing bubbles at each other, and dozing in the warm afternoon sun.
All of them, except one.
While the others played, this particular Froakie trained. He practiced his footing on wet stones, threw bubbles at targets far smaller than any of his pond-mates would bother with, and pushed himself through drills long after the sun had gone down.
He didn't know exactly why he felt so restless, only that lazing around didn't sit right with him. Something told him his future didn't belong in this pond. The other Froakie didn't understand him. What started as strange looks turned into shoves.
The shoves then turned into open attacks. One evening, after being ganged up on by half a dozen of his kin, the lone Froakie was found half-conscious at the pond's edge by a passing Nurse Joy. She scooped him up without a second thought and rushed him back to her pokemon center.
Once Froakie had healed, Nurse Joy made a call to Professor Augustine Sycamore. He was always looking for homes for pokemon that needed a fresh start. Sycamore gladly took the bubble frog pokemon in. For a while, it seemed like things might finally look up for him.
They simply didn't.
Froakie was one of Kalos’ native starter pokemon, so Sycamore tried placing this one with several new trainers over the following months, hoping one of them might be the partner he was searching for. Every time, he came back.
Sometimes Froakie would simply hop his way back to the lab in the middle of the night. Other times, a frustrated trainer would march their way back through the lab doors, unwilling to deal with a pokemon that wouldn't listen to a word they said.
Lumoise City: Sycamore Pokemon Lab, Afternoon…
"It's not that he can't trust people." Sycamore watched Froakie train alone in the courtyard outside his lab, throwing perfectly aimed bubbles at a stack of crates. "It's that he won't settle for just anyone. He’s waiting for someone worth all that effort."
His two research aides, Sina and Dexio, stood nearby watching the same scene from the courtyard doorway.
Sina tilted her head, dark eyes following Froakie's every move. "So, what do we do? He’s been through five trainers already. At what point do we just admit he doesn't want a trainer?"
"I don't believe that for a second." Sycamore hadn’t taken his eyes off the courtyard. "Look at him. He hasn’t given up. If Froakie truly wanted to be left alone, he would never return to this lab nor would he ever leave here with any new trainers.”
"She's got a point." Dexio crossed his arms as he leaned against the doorframe. "Five trainers in just a few short months is a lot. Every one of them came in excited to work with him, only to end up frustrated by the end. Even you have to admit that's a lot of chances."
"It is." Sycamore let out a small sigh. "That said, I don't think the problem has ever been Froakie. Each of those five wanted a pokemon that would simply follow orders. This one wants someone who'll earn his trust first. That's a rarer kind of trainer than you'd think."
"So, we’ll just keep trying until we run out of trainers in Kalos?" Sina questioned.
“We could accept he’s just happier on his own.” Dexio shrugged. "Even if he seemingly wants a trainer, not every pokemon needs one."
"This one does." Sycamore voiced with a certainty that made both his aides glance at him. "I've watched him long enough to know that. Froakie is not training this hard for no one, he’s training this hard for someone he just hasn't found yet." He considered this for a long moment.
"Maybe Froakie just needs somewhere new. A place with less history for him to run from." He turned back toward his desk where a photo of a smiling, grey-haired man in a lab coat sat propped against a stack of journals. "I think it's time I gave Samuel a call."
"Kanto’s professor?" Sina raised an eyebrow. "You think sending Froakie off will fix things?"
"I think a fresh start never hurts anyone." Sycamore was already moving towards one of his lab’s video phones. "Samuel has a knack for matching pokemon with the right people. If anyone can find this one a home, it's him."
Kanto: Pallet Town, Evening…
Professor Oak had come in after helping his aides feed the pokemon when his video phone rang.
Upon answering it, Sycamore appeared with his usual, easy smile. "Samuel, it's been too long!"
"Augustine." Oak smiled back. "You only call when you want something. What is it this time? A rare berry seed, a research trade, or another one of your papers you need me to proofread?"
"None of the above, for once." Sycamore laughed. "Although, I wouldn't say no if you wanted to look over my Mega Evolution notes sometime."
"Later, perhaps." Oak leaned back in his chair. "Go on, then. What is it really?"
"A pokemon, actually." Sycamore's smile faltered slightly. "Froakie, one of our region's native starters. This one's had a rough go of it. Talented yet stubborn. He’s burned through every trainer I've tried him with. Five in just a few months if you can believe it."
"Five?" Oak's eyebrows rose. "That's a new record, even for the difficult ones."
"He’s not aggressive nor lazy. If anything, Froakie works harder than most pokemon I’ve seen." Sycamore shook his head as said pokemon leapt onto the table. "He simply refuses to follow anyone he hasn't decided is worth it. So far, no one in Kalos' has managed to convince him."
Oak studied the bubble frog pokemon through the screen. Even sitting still, there was something sharp in his gaze. He wasn’t hostile, just watchful, like he was sizing up the whole conversation.
"You think Kanto will suit him better than Kalos?"
"I think Froakie needs a person, not a place." Sycamore admitted. “He can't look for one sitting in my lab, surrounded by the same faces he’s already turned down. I thought a change of scenery might do him some good, and I remember you always had a soft spot for the strange cases."
"I do have a ranch full of strange cases, don't I?" Oak chuckled. "What exactly are you asking, Augustine? For me to find a trainer myself?"
"I'm asking you to take him in." Sycamore responded. "Let Froakie roam your ranch, see what turns up. If nothing does, I'll gladly take him back, but I have a feeling Kanto might surprise us."
Oak was quiet for just a moment, his mind mulling Froakie over.
…
He then smiled. “Alright, send him over, and I’ll see what can be done.”
"I owe you one, old friend."
"You owe me several, though who’s counting?"
Morning…
Professor Oak’s ranch was filled with the noise of children's laughter. This was one of a handful of spring days where Delia Ketchum brought her son to play while the professor caught up on his fieldwork. As always, Ash wasn't alone.
Gary Oak stood a short distance away, his arms crossed as he lectured a Rattata that wandered too close for his liking. He was the third generation of Oak men, the prior two having been skilled trainers in their own right to the point both had held the title of Kanto’s champion.
Blue was even the youngest trainer in Kanto’s history to do it, though only held the title for a year before losing it to Red Ketchum. Blue ended up becoming the gym leader in Viridian not long after and wasn’t around Pallet much these days to the point Samuel ended up raising Gary.
Despite this, Gary brought up his father's old title more than anyone actually asked him to. Beside him stood Cross, a boy with messy orange hair and a permanent smirk who considered most conversations beneath him unless they were about battle strategy.
Weaving circles around both of them, laughing the whole time, was Leaf. She was a bright, energetic girl who visited from Viridian City every chance she got, hitching a ride over whenever her parents came to visit.
She'd known Ash since before either of them could walk, and the two of them acted more like siblings than friends. Leaf had already decided, in the confident way only a six-year-old could, that she was going to grow up to challenge the Grand Duke of the Kantonian Battle Chateau.
"Tag, you're it, Gary!" Leaf shouted, tapping his shoulder before sprinting away.
Ash was hot on her heels with a grin plastered across his face.
"Hey, I did NOT agree to play!" Gary huffed, though he chased after them anyways if only to avoid looking left out.
"Nobody agrees to tag, Gary!” Ash called back over his shoulder, laughing as he ducked around a fence post. “That's the whole point!"
"Well, maybe I've got better things to do than run around in the dirt!" Gary shouted, even as his legs carried him faster to close the distance.
"Sure you do." Leaf grinned, weaving past a grazing Miltank. "That's why you're already three steps behind me."
"I'm choosing to go easy on you!"
"Uh-huh." Leaf spun around long enough to stick her tongue out at him before taking off again.
Cross, leaning against the fence with his arms crossed, watched the whole spectacle with an expression between boredom and secondhand embarrassment. "You do realize you're the professor's grandson, right? Chasing each other around like Rattata isn't exactly dignified."
"Come play since you've got so many opinions about it!" Leaf called, not even slowing down.
"I'll pass." Cross examined his nails, unbothered. "Some of us would rather spend our time actually preparing to be trainers."
"Suit yourself!" Ash shouted back, already three fence posts away and closing in on Gary. "More tag for us!"
It was in the middle of all this chaos Ash noticed something odd near one of the ranch's smaller outbuildings. Curious, and always the type to wander off from a game the second something interesting caught his eye, Ash slipped away to take a closer look.
He soon got a good look at a pokemon he’s never seen in any of his picture books. It was blue-green and frog-like with a bubbly texture around his neck and wrists. The pokemon stared at him with sharp, guarded eyes the second he noticed this boy crouching nearby.
"Whoa." Ash breathed. "Hey there. You're not from around here, huh?"
Froakie said nothing as he shifted back slightly, putting a little more distance between himself and the boy. Ash didn't take offense. If anything, he just sat down cross-legged in the dirt a few feet away and started talking the way he did with every new pokemon he met.
"I bet it's weird, being somewhere totally different.” Ash stated. “I'd probably be freaked out too." Froakie didn't answer, of course, but his eyes tracked him all the same. "This is Professor Oak's ranch. It's a good place, promise.
There's a ton of pokemon, so you’ll probably like it once you get used to it." Still nothing, though Ash didn't seem to mind. "That's Gary over there, by the way, the one who just got tagged." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder without turning around.
"He's kind of a pain yet means well…I think. Then, there’s Leaf who’s basically my sister even though she lives in Viridian City. Lastly, Cross who just stands around looking bored all the time, but I think he secretly likes hanging out with us."
Froakie's eyes flicked briefly towards the sound of Leaf's laughter in the distance, then back to Ash. "You don't have to talk or anything. I just figured somebody should tell you what's going on since nobody else bothered to introduce themselves properly. That seemed kind of rude."
He kept going, describing his mom's cooking, explaining why Gary definitely ran like a Slowpoke, and wondering out loud what kind of moves a pokemon like Froakie could learn. Ash didn't ask him to come closer or try to touch him.
He just sat there, chattering, giving Froakie the space he clearly wanted. It took nearly twenty minutes before Froakie inched forward even an inch. It took another ten before he allowed himself to sit just outside arm's reach, watching this strange, loud boy with curiosity.
"See?" Ash said softly, like he didn't want to scare him off. "Told you this place isn't so bad."
Professor Oak found them like that an hour later, Ash still talking while Froakie now sat directly across from him close enough their knees very nearly touched.
"Well, would you look at that?" Oak murmured.
He'd tried to introduce Froakie to three of his aids earlier that very morning, and it had bolted from every one of them.
"Professor!" Ash beamed. "Whose pokemon is this? He’s really cool! He has this bubbly stuff around his neck, and I think he might actually be kind of shy. I've been talking to him for like a whole hour, and he’s finally starting to come closer!"
"Is that so?" Oak crouched down slowly, careful not to spook Froakie who studied him. "That, my boy, is a Froakie. He’s freshly arrived from a colleague of mine over in the Kalos region."
"Kalos?" Ash's eyes went wide. "Like, all the way from a different region?”
"Despite how instantly he was transported here, Froakie has had a long journey." Oak said. "He hasn't taken well to anyone I've introduced him to so far. Frankly, I was starting to lose hope in him settling down with any of my staff today.”
"Really?" Ash glanced back at Froakie, who was still watching him with that same careful, appraising look. "He seems okay with me. I mean, he’s not jumping into my arms, but he’s not running away either. Does that count?"
"That counts for quite a lot." Oak said slowly.
He'd seen plenty in his years as a researcher, but a pokemon known for burning through five different trainers settling down for a six-year-old within the hour was new. He thought of the video call with Sycamore yesterday shortly before Froakie was sent over and smiled.
"Ash?" Oak began carefully, drawing the young boy’s attention. "How would you feel about this fellow being your very first partner when the time comes for you to start your journey?"
“Really?” Ash's eyes went wide as saucers. "You mean it? Like, for real for real?"
"For real." Oak chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm.
"But, I'm not old enough to be a trainer yet!" Ash looked from Oak to Froakie and back again, as if worried the offer might be retracted if he didn't say something quickly enough. "Won't he get bored waiting around for me?"
"I doubt it." Oak replied. "He'll stay here and grow alongside you the way he wants to by training in his own way, in his own time. You can visit whenever, and by the time you're ready to set off, I imagine the two of you will know each other better than most trainers ever get the chance to."
"So, I just have to wait?" Ash asked.
"You just have to keep doing what you're doing right now." Oak glanced at Froakie.
Ash turned back to the Froakie with a grin so wide it nearly split his face. "Did you hear that? You and me, partners! Well, someday but still!"
Froakie tilted his head slightly, unreadable as ever yet without so much as twitching away.
The Next Four Years…
From that day on, Froakie made his home among the tall grass and quiet corners of Oak's ranch. He never became the type to play fetch or nap in anyone's lap. He simply kept training alone, exactly the way he always had. He also refused every attempt by Oak's aides to correct his form.
Whatever had made him so selective back in Kalos clearly hadn't changed because he had crossed an ocean. Sitting near a boy during his visits and letting that same boy actually direct him in a real battle were, far as Froakie was concerned, two entirely different kinds of trust.
He simply wasn't ready to hand over the second one to anyone. So, his reflexes merely sharpened with every season that passed. He became quicker on his feet now than most Froakie twice his age, yet his move pool hadn’t grown much.
Growl, pound, and water pulse, with occasional bursts of Quick Attack whenever he really committed to a sprint. Real growth, the kind that only comes from working through an honest battle alongside someone, wasn't something he let himself have.
Training alone could only take a pokemon so far, and Froakie seemed to understand that better than most. This was exactly why he had never been in any hurry to settle for just anyone. What those four years actually built wasn't power but a bond.
Every time Ash visited, Froakie would appear from wherever he had been hiding, sit a little closer than he did with anyone else, and watch him with something that almost looked like trust. There wasn't another trainer in Kanto he would have let this close.
Pallet Town: Afternoon…
It was now the day before Ash would set out on his journey, and he’s already made the walk to Oak's lab twice. The first time had been right after breakfast while the second came just as he finished lunch. Both times were to sit with Froakie for a while.
He wanted to remind himself tomorrow was actually, finally coming. Four years of visits, and it still didn't feel quite real that the wait was almost over. With all his restless energy, Delia eventually shooed her boy out of the house with an old rod in hand.
This is how Ash found himself down at the riverbank trying and failing to think about anything other than tomorrow. He currently sat cross-legged at the water's edge, fishing rod in hand, glaring at the water like it had personally wronged him.
"Come on…" Ash muttered under his breath. "Just one bite. That's all I'm asking."
As if the pond had heard him and decided to be difficult on principle, the line went taut a second later. Ash yanked back hard with a triumphant shout, only for a Magikarp to come flying out of the water and smack him clean across the face with its fin before flopping back into the river.
"OW! Hey!" Ash rubbed his stinging cheek, glaring at the ripples where the fish had vanished. "That's not fair! You're not even supposed to be strong!"
"How about that? Ashy-boy, beaten by a Magikarp." Gary's voice carried easily across the bank, thick with amusement as he strolled up looking entirely too pleased with himself. "I didn't think it was possible to lose to the single weakest pokemon in existence, but you found a way."
"I wasn't battling it, Gary, I was fishing," Ash shot back, still rubbing his cheek. "There's a difference."
"Doesn't look like much of one from here." Gary crouched beside him, peering out at the water with a considering look. "Decent spot, though, I'll give you that. My grandpa says this bend gets more bites than anywhere else along the river."
"Yeah, well, tell that to the Magikarp that just used my face for target practice."
Gary snorted while dropping beside him without waiting to be invited. "You know Magikarp can't even do that on purpose, right? It's not smart enough to aim. You probably just got unlucky."
"That somehow makes it worse."
They sat like that for a while, Gary getting his own line in the water, saying nothing in particular. It was almost peaceful if you ignored the fact they were rivals more often than not.
"So, you nervous?" Gary questioned eventually, tilting his head back. "About tomorrow?"
"No." Ash returned a little too quickly, seeing Gary raise an eyebrow. "Maybe a little. Are you?"
"Please. I've been ready for this my whole life." Gary smirked up at the sky. "In just a few months I’ll have half of Kanto's Gym Badges while you'll be stuck figuring out which end of a poke ball to open."
"First, I know how poke balls work. Second, watch, I’ll beat you to the Indigo League."
"You always say you’ll beat me to something, yet who's always the one ahead?” Gary remarked.
"That'll change."
"Sure it will, Ashy-boy." Gary smirked, then nodded at the water. "Since you clearly don't know the first thing about actual fishing, let's see if four years hanging around my grandpa's ranch taught you anything useful. Name the moves Magikarp learns naturally."
"Splash, Tackle, and Flail." Ash paused before deciding to add something more. "It's not much of a moveset, sure, but I bet they’re a lot tougher than people give them credit for given what pokemon any one of them can evolve into. Besides, they survive out here just fine, don’t they?"
That actually got Gary to pause himself. "Huh." He recovered a second later, clearly annoyed at himself for being caught off guard. "Okay, fine, you know the moves. Big deal. Knowing what a Magikarp can do and catching one without getting your face slapped are very different skills."
"Hey, I never said I was good at fishing." Ash shot back. "I said I know pokemon, apparently more than you do given you didn't know Magikarp's moveset a second ago?"
"I was testing you, obviously."
"Sure you were."
"I was! Besides, even if you know a few moves, that's not gonna help you catch anything if you can't land a hook properly." Gary nodded at the water where Ash's line was drifting, untouched. "Honestly, I don't know how you expect to beat me when you can't even out-fish a Magikarp."
"I'll figure it out." Ash retorted stubbornly. "I always do."
"You keep telling yourself that." Gary leaned back. "Face it, Ash. Every time we've gone head-to-head, I've come out on top. Tag, races, that time we both tried to climb the big oak behind my grandpa's ranch—."
"You cheated on that one by going around the side!”
"—and tomorrow won’t be any different." Gary's tone was light, yet there was an edge of real confidence underneath it that came from genuinely never having lost to the boy sitting next to him. "Some of us were just born to be champions."
"Yeah, well, my dad was born to be champion too, and he ended up taking the title away from yours in the end." Ash shot back, grinning. "Professor Oak's still got the newspaper clipping hanging up in his lab. I've seen it."
Gary's easy smirk faltered, just for half a second. "My dad got there first. Youngest Champion in Kanto history. People still talk about it."
"Maybe for the year he was champion." Ash remarked. "Then, my dad came back around and knocked him down to gym leader."
"It was one battle!" Gary's voice dropped a notch, not quite as light as before.
Ash decided against pushing further given he knew better than to needle Gary about something that clearly stung more than he let on.
"Anyways." Gary cleared his throat and reached for his usual smirk like it was a piece of armor he'd almost forgotten to put on. "Doesn't change anything. I've still never lost to you at anything, and tomorrow won’t be the start of anything different."
"We'll see about that." Ash retorted, letting him have the subject change without comment.
"We will." Gary held out a hand, the smirk still there but looking a little more real than it had a minute ago. "I'm not my dad, and you're definitely not yours. We'll both just have to actually earn it this time. Deal?"
"Deal." Ash shook on it.
Before either of them could say anything more, both of their rods jerked hard enough they nearly lost their grips entirely.
"Hey, that's mine!" Ash scrambled to his feet, reeling as fast as he could.
"In your dreams.” Gary was up just as fast, yanking back with everything he had. “That's my line pulling!"
Whatever was on the other end fought them the whole way in, and by the time it finally broke the surface, both boys nearly toppled backward in surprise. It wasn't a pokemon at all. It was an old, weathered poke ball that was scratched and faded from what must have been years underwater.
"That's mine." Gary states immediately, reaching for it. "My line hooked it."
“I felt the tug first!" Ash grabbed the other side before Gary could pull it free. "It's mine!"
"You've gotta be kidding me. Let go, Ketchum!"
"You let go!"
Neither of them budged an inch, both hauling on the ball from opposite sides like it was the last poke ball in the world. Then, there was a sharp crack, and the old ball split clean down the middle. Both boys were sent stumbling back with a jagged half clutched in each of their hands.
…
"Well, guess that settles it." Ash stared at the piece in his palm. "It's a draw."
"A draw?" Gary looked personally offended by the suggestion. "There's no such thing as a draw with you, Ketchum. A draw with you is basically the same as losing."
"That doesn't even make sense!"
"It makes perfect sense. I don't do ties." Gary turned his own half over in his hands, examining the jagged broken edge with a considering look, some of the usual smugness fading into something quieter. "Guess we'll just have to keep our own pieces."
"Yeah." Ash turned his half over as well, noting it was lighter than he expected. "Guess we will."
Neither of them said much else about it after as they proceeded to pack their rods. Each boy had also pocketed his half of the broken ball without another word. Whatever became of it, it was between the two of them now.
"See you tomorrow, Ashy-boy." Gary said as they parted ways at the fork in the road, tossing the words over his shoulder the same easy way he always did. "Try not to oversleep."
"See you tomorrow, Gary." Ash called back.
Ketchum Residence: Night…
Ash stood in the middle of his room, having tried on the new clothes his mother made for his journey. "Tomorrow, I get to start my journey with Froakie.” He was getting excited. "To be a Pokemon Master, that’s my dream!”
Delia threw the door to Ash's room open, finding her son stood in the middle of it while striking a pose with his pokeball alarm clock. His television was also on, showing a special battle between two trainers. One of them had Gengar out, floating around with a menacing smile.
The other trainer withdrew a pokeball and released an Annilape. This was the Kanto Champion's League Battle, between Bruno of the Elite Four and last year's Indigo League champion. Any trainer who won that region's pokemon league could enter that region's Champion League.
There they’d face its Elite Four and Champion. If they won, they could take the position of champion. Kanto's Champion League consists of: Lorelei, Sven, Bruno, Agatha, and the champion Lance. This trainer had defeated Lorelei and Sven, though was struggling with Bruno.
It looked like this was the end of his Champion League Challenge. Delia, was in her night robe, with a towel wrapped around her head and a some sort of green face mask on. She was not amused, given it was twenty to midnight.
"Ash, get to bed." Delia ordered.
Shocked by her presence, Ash jumped slightly, which caused the pokeball alarm clock to pop out of his hand and fly at her.
Delia didn't even flinch as she caught the alarm clock with one hand and a hard glare. "It's late, and you should be asleep."
This was timed with the pokeball opening, seeing a model pidgey chirping.
"I know, Mom." Ash moaned, before realising his tone, which seemed to harden Delia's glare. "I'm just excited since tomorrow I finally get to set off on my journey with Froakie.”
Delia knew how long Ash had dreamed about tomorrow, and she honestly couldn't blame him. "Fine, you can stay up for ten more minutes." She then walked over to the television as her son nodded in understanding. "For now, you can at least watch something educational.”
The screen switched over to a familiar face, Professor Oak. “...Tomorrow is the big day for the newest class of pokemon students. I’d like to introduce you to Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Each one is available for new trainees. Which one shall you choose?”
"I already got my partner sorted.” Ash thought, looking at the screen. “Though, I do wonder who’ll end up with each of them between Leaf, Cross, and Gary.”
“Before you climb into bed, change out of those clothes, or they'll be too dirty to travel in." Delia scolded before leaving the room.
Later…
As Ash slept, he dreamed of walking into Professor Oak’s lab where he’d finally be handed Froakie’s pokeball. Then, it transitioned to him standing at the Indigo Plateau across from some opponent obscured. He threw one of his pokeballs to release the pokemon inside.
In the real world, his alarm clock had rolled into his open hand. He proceeded to throw it against the wall, producing a cracking sound that would have woken anyone else up. The alarm itself was destroyed to the point it didn’t work at all, let alone being able to wake Ash tomorrow.
Morning…
"ASH KETCHUM, GET UP!" Delia's voice rang through the house. "You're going to be late for the professor!"
“Late?” Ash bolted upright so fast he nearly toppled out of bed, tangled halfway in his blanket. "What time is it!?"
"Nearly nine!" Delia threw open her son’s bedroom door. "I came up to check on you when I didn't hear your alarm go off, and would you like to explain to me why your alarm is in pieces all over your floor?"
Ash blinked blearily at the shattered remains of his alarm clock, the pieces scattered halfway across the room. "Uh, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Ash Ketchum.” Delia voiced sternly.
"I'll clean it up later, I promise!” Ash leapt to his feet. “I just got to go now!”
He sprinted past his mom, still dressed in his pajamas.
Professor Oak’s Lab
Gary had arrived first, always did and never let anyone forget it. He then leaned against the porch railing with his arms crossed, watching the road for any sign of a certain raven-haired disaster.
"Ashy-boy's cutting it close." Gary said, checking an invisible watch on his wrist just to make the point. "It wouldn't be a proper first day if he wasn't running late."
"You say that like it's not a given at this point." Cross arrived and proceeded to lean against the porch railing a short distance away, entirely unbothered. "Some things a guy can just count on."
"Maybe he's finally learning responsibility." Leaf said, though she didn't sound like she believed it either and even glanced down the road herself.
"Doubt it." Gary and Cross said, almost in perfect unison.
"Anyways." Gary smirked, rolling his shoulders. "At least I know who I'm picking. Bulbasaur, obviously. Given Ash will have Froakie, it’s now the starter here with an edge over two starters gramps is handing out today. Not to mention they’re reliable.”
"Charmander." Cross retorted simply. "Even if it didn’t have the edge over Bulbasaur, it’d be the only one worth taking seriously. They’re known for raw power, something you just can’t quite say about Bulbasaur or Squirtle by comparison.”
"You're both wrong." Leaf grinned. "Squirtle's clearly the best pick because it looks the coolest, which counts for something."
Cross raised an eye brow. "You're going with 'looks the coolest' as your actual reasoning?"
"Absolutely.” Leaf crossed her arms. “Confidence matters."
Before Gary could fire back, a familiar, out-of-breath shout came tearing up the road toward them. "WAIT! I'M HERE! DON'T START WITHOUT ME!”
All three of them turned to see Ash sprinting towards the lab.
"Bought time.” Cross muttered.
Ash skidded to a stop, hands on his knees, gasping. "Did…did I make it?”
"Barely." Gary smirked. "Are those pajamas?"
Ash looked at himself for the first time since leaving the house and visibly deflated. "Maybe…"
"Oh, this is incredible." Gary looked like Christmas had come early. "I am never letting you live this down."
"Please, can we not right now?" Ash begged.
"Absolutely not.” Leaf was grinning. “You decided to come out here wearing that, so we’re one hundred percent doing this.”
"To be fair, his shirt's on backwards too." Cross added, unable to resist. "That's almost impressive. It takes real commitment to mess up that badly."
"I hate all of you." Ash muttered, tugging uselessly at his collar.
"Love you too, Ash." Leaf returned cheerfully.
The front door opened before Ash could retort.
"Ah, everyone's here after all.” Professor Oak stepped out and chuckled at the state of things. “Cut it close, Ash, but you’re here all the same."
"Sorry, Professor." Ash said, straightening up and attempting, with limited success, to look presentable. "I promise, I'm ready."
"I don't doubt it for a second." Oak's eyes crinkled with warmth as he looked over the four trainers. "If you follow me inside, in the order of arrival, we'll get everyone set up."
Gary took the lead with Cross, Leaf, and Ash falling in line behind him. Professor Oak led them into a homely, sitting-room-like space just off the main lab. Three poke balls were arranged neatly atop a low table at its center. Oak signaled for the four of them to stand in a line.
"Today, you four will set off on your own journey with your pokemon partners." The professor announced. "To help you along with that, my assistant will now hand each of you a pokedex and pokeballs. The pokedex gives you information on any pokemon you find.
Although it has the capability for all pokemon, I wish for you to record the 150 species native to Kanto. Now, as is tradition, you'll each choose in the order you arrived. Gary, you were here first. Would you please step forward?"
Gary strode forward without a moment's hesitation and scooped up a poke ball, pressing the release button with practiced confidence. The seed pokemon that emerged blinked up at him.
"Yo pal." Gary remained standing and looked down at the pokemon. "What's say you and I take the Indigo League by storm?"
Everyone sweat dropped at Gary's attitude, with the grass starter taking a considerable amount of time to look over his new trainer. Eventually, the little guy moved over to his trainer and rubbed up against his leg in acceptance. Gary used his dex to get a read on him:
Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. A young Bulbasaur uses the nutrients from its seed for the energy it needs to grow.
Type: Grass/Poison
Ability: Overgrow
Sex: Male
Current Moves: Growl, Tackle, Vine Whip
"A fine choice." Oak voiced as his grandson returned the seed pokemon. "Cross, you're up next."
Cross wasted no time either, claiming the second poke ball and releasing Charmander. The lizard pokemon eyed him critically, sizing him up.
"Hey Charmander, are you up for taking the world by storm with our strength?" Cross questioned, seeing his pokemon nod before displaying power by scratching at the air rather quickly for a starter. “Seems we understand each other then."
Cross used his dex to get a read on him:
Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon. When the tip of Charmander's tail burns brightly, that indicates it's in good health.
Type: Fire
Ability: Blaze
Current Move: Growl, Scratch, Ember
"I must say, Charmander is the perfect starter for you." Professor Oak nodded. "You two will make a powerful duo."
Cross smirked as he recalled his pokemon and rejoined the group. "There's no question."
"Leaf, if you would."
Leaf scooped up the last ball with a grin, releasing Squirtle in a flash of light. The tiny turtle pokemon blinked up at her for a moment before happily clambering into her open arms.
"Aw, hi there!” Leaf smiled. “I'm Leaf, and we are going to be an amazing team."
Squirtle chirped happily in response, already nuzzling into her sleeve.
Leaf used her pokedex:
Squirtle. This Tiny Turtle Pokémon draws its long neck into its shell to launch incredible Water attacks with amazing range and accuracy. The blasts can be quite powerful.
Type: Water
Ability: Torrent
Sex: Female
Current Moves: Tail Whip, Tackle, Water Gun
With all three poke balls now empty, Oak turned to Ash.
“Last yet certainly not least." The professor’s expression softened. "Ash, why don't we all head out to the ranch. I believe someone's been waiting on you a good deal longer than the rest of us have been waiting on him."
The four trainers followed Oak t into the ranch. Froakie was waiting, perched atop a low fence post at the edge of the field where he could watch the doorway. The moment Ash stepped outside, Froakie hopped down and closed the distance between them.
"Hey, buddy." Despite how this morning began, Ash grinned as he crouched. "Guess today's finally the day, huh?"
“Froak.”
For the first time in longer than Ash could remember, Froakie let himself be scratched behind the bubbly patch on his neck.
"About time." Gary muttered.
There wasn't much of a real edge to it, the guy watching the two of them with an expression that might almost have been fondness if he'd ever admit to such a thing.
"Been waiting four years for this." Leaf nudged Cross. "Never doubted it for a second."
Cross shrugged. "Neither did I, honestly."
Oak approached with Froakie’s poke ball in hand, watching the two of them with open fondness. "Since the two of you have known each longer than most trainers know their partners, I don't think there's any need for introductions, but it couldn't hurt to make it official."
"Right." Ash straightened up while suddenly looking a little nervous, as though the years of visits somehow counted for less now that it would be official. "Do I, um, is there something specific I'm supposed to say?"
"Just be yourself." Oak nodded towards the pokédex. "That seems to have worked well enough for you two."
Ash pulled the device from his belt, using it to scan the pokemon before him:
Froakie, the Bubble Frog Pokémon. From its chest and back, Froakie creates bubbles called Frubbles, which act as a cushion and soften the blow of an opponent's attack.
Type: Water
Ability: Torrent
Sex: Male
Current Moves: Growl, Pound, Water Pulse, Quick Attack
"That's you, alright." Ash pocketed the pokedex with a grin before holding out his partner’s poke ball. "So, what do you say? Officially, this time?"
Froakie studied his ball for a moment with the same, careful look he gave everything. Eventually, the bubble frog pokemon reached out to tap the button. He vanished inside with barely a flash of light, the pokeball ball giving one satisfied little click.
“Now that you have all become acquainted with your pokemon, it’s time for you to set off on your respective journeys." Oak declared.