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A gray-haired man wearing a lab coat was visible on a TV screen, talking while pointing in turn at the diagrams of three creatures beside him. "Now, do remember that you'll need different care tips for each of the three starter Pokémon," said the man. He pointed at the first diagram, of a thick-legged blue creature with a giant green bulb on its back. "Bulbasaur is the easiest to care for," he said. "It thrives best in direct sunlight, away from shady areas, but some time in the shade won't be a serious issue as long as you feed it high-sugar food every hour or so. However, try to avoid keeping Bulbasaur in the shade all day for multiple straight days, as it can then lose its ability to photosynthesize."
The man pointed at the next diagram, of an orange and yellow bipedal lizard with a flame at the end of its tail. "Keep Charmander in high-temperature environments for maximum health and comfort," he continued, "and feed it dry foods so as to limit its water intake. Even Charmander's sweat consists of hydrocarbons rather than water and urea."
Finally, the man pointed at the last diagram, of a blue bipedal turtle, its shell brown on top and yellow underneath. "Squirtle is not picky about the temperature of its environment, since its internal water sacs can easily adjust its temperature to the optimal level - within reason. However, in the absence of rainfall, it should be bathed at least once every six hours so that its body can replenish its moisture. However, if there are no available bodies of water for bathing, a sprinkling every three hours should be sufficient. Its diet should be high in minerals that help it absorb and capture water inside its body - with fresh marine vegetation being the best, of course."
"Wow," said the young, dark-haired boy watching the screen. "I hope I can remember all this stuff. Or at least Professor Oak should give me a manual."
Just then, the bedroom door opened, revealing a young woman wearing a lacy yellow nightgown, her brown hair tied back in a loose ponytail. "Ash?" she said, her voice incredulous. "What are you still doing up? You know you'll need to be at Professor Oak's lab early tomorrow if you want a Pokémon of your own."
"Relax, Mom," said Ash. "What good's having my own Pokémon if I can't even take care of it the right way? Look, that's what I'm watching now."
Delia glanced at the screen, where the gray-haired man was busy describing the symptoms of the most common ailments to befall Bulbasaur in captivity. "Alright," she sighed. "I'll let you stay up just a little longer. But I'll be back soon, and when I do, you MUST go to bed. Got it?"
"Yes, Mom."
"Okay. Keeping learning." Ash's mom shut the door, leaving Ash to learn about suitable home remedies for all the respective maladies for Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.
The man on the screen went on. And on. And on. After treatments for illnesses were recommended exercise regimens. And then, he went on to attacks, and the training techniques to teach them. And then, post-battle treatment.
And tried to drink it all in, but it was too much. He was becoming a Pokémon trainer for the excitement of battling, not for all this technical stuff. Finally, the man started talking about breeding practices, and Ash was completely lost. He had no idea what the guy was talking about. His eyes began to droop shut. "Professor Oak can't shut up sometimes," said Ash drowsily. "I'll just have to ask him myself about this stuff tomorrow." He switched the TV off, and lay down to go to sleep.
However, as his head hit the pillow, he heard a noise on the other side of the wall. It was his mom. Whether she was in pain or not was beyond him, but he didn't call out to her. He'd done that once before after hearing the same kinds of noises through the wall, and she had assured him that it was nothing. And the next morning, she'd been unusually quiet. He'd continued to hear the same noises since that incident, but he'd never asked her about them again. However, he'd noticed that he'd always seemed to hear them when his mom was allowing him an unusual amount of liberty to do what he wanted. Whatever. It was not a problem. His mind was on tomorrow, when he would finally get a Pokémon of his very own.
***
Ash awakened the next morning to the cries of Flying-type Pokémon soaring through the air. He looked at his clock, and his mouth dropped open in horror. It was after ten o'clock already, and he'd somehow slept through his alarm!
Ash dashed out of his room, not bothering to change out of his pajamas. He didn't even hear his mom asking what had happened as he sprinted to the front door. Then, he left the door wide open as he jumped down the porch stairs.
Ash's mind raced as he ran down the road to Professor Oak's lab. The professor was a notorious early bird, and visiting hours at the lab typically started at 7:30. And on the days when he was giving out Pokémon to new trainers (which seldom happened, as Pallet Town was so small), three lucky kids would usually claim them before their parents were due to be at work. Ash mentally pleaded that there would still be a Pokémon available for him.
Finally, Professor Oak's lab was in sight. Pushing his way through the crowd in front, he sprinted up the walkway, and crashed headlong into another boy. "What the hell, Ash?" the other boy exclaimed. "Don't you know enough to see history in the making?"
Ash looked at the other boy, taking in his spiky brown hair, his purple t-shirt, and his blue jeans. Despite being ten years old like Ash was himself, the other boy was a head taller than Ash was. "Gary?" he asked. "What do you mean, 'history in the making?'"
Gary took out a red and white ball with a gray button in the middle. "I got a Pokémon today from my grandfather. This is how greatness starts - at least if you're me!"
"You suck!" Ash spat at Gary. Then, wasting no more time, he ran past Gary to the front door of the lab. He could always count on Gary to yank his chain unnecessarily. Gary was a friend, but also a jerk. Ash couldn't dwell on it now, however. He had a Pokémon to get!
Ash burst through the laboratory door, coming face to face with the man who'd been on his TV the previous night. "Professor... Oak?" he gasped. "I'm... here... to get... my first... Pokémon."
"Oh, really?" asked Professor Oak, a stern look on his face. "I'm not used to giving out Pokémon to children in their pajamas, especially not at this hour."
"Please, Professor," begged Ash, "I swear I didn't mean to be late."
"Alright, Ash," Professor Oak sighed. "Come this way."
Professor Oak led Ash into the next room, where the latter looked expectantly at the table which held the three starter Pokémon... except there weren't any Pokémon on the table. "What!?!?" Ash exclaimed.
"As you can see," said Professor Oak, "three other children were already here. You should remember, young man, that it doesn't pay to be late."
"But Professor, I NEED a Pokémon! I've wanted to be a trainer ever since I was five! You've got to have another Pokémon around here for me!"
Professor Oak sighed. "As you wish, Ash. I'll see what other Pokémon I have. They'll all be more difficult than the usual ones that I give out, but you can still succeed as a trainer if you're willing to put in the extra work."
"I am, Professor! Just please, give me a Pokémon so I can get started!"
Professor Oak smiled for the first time since Ash had walked in his door, and turned to go outside. Ash couldn't believe it. He was too late to get a Bulbasaur, a Charmander, or a Squirtle, but Professor Oak had promised him a different Pokémon anyway, but with the warning that it was "more difficult," and that starting with this Pokémon would require "extra work." Greater difficulty and more work were alright with Ash right about now, just as long as he could start out as a trainer.
Finally, Professor Oak returned, holding a yellow, mouse-like Pokémon with long, pointy ears and a tail shaped like a lightning bolt.
"Professor, is this my new Pokémon?" Ash blurted out.
"Yes," said Professor Oak. "Ash, meet Pikachu." He placed Pikachu on the table.
"Thanks!" said Ash. He bent down to look the Pokémon in the eyes, and smiled widely. "Hey, Pikachu."
In response, Ash got a bolt of electricity surging through his body. "As I said before," said Professor Oak, "this Pokémon is a little difficult to handle. Are you sure you want to continue?"
"Yes, Professor!"
"Alright. Proper care for a Pikachu is as follows." Professor Oak was just as long-winded in person as he'd been on Ash's TV the night before. He started with Pikachu's normal body temperature (slightly lower than that of a human), then its optimal diet (Pikachu would require a fairly high water intake, and large amounts and varieties of alkali salts, whatever those were), then its sleeping habits (roughly the same as a human's), then common ailments (mostly caused by abnormalities in its electrical power level). Last was the topic that had completely stumped Ash the previous night.
"Now, about Pikachu's breeding habits."
"Umm, Professor Oak?"
"Yes?"
"I watched your TV show where it talked about this stuff, and... well... I didn't really understand the whole breeding thing at all."
"Oh." Professor Oak was visibly flustered. "How much do you know about... the birds and the bees?"
"Birds and bees? I dunno...."
"Oh. I see. Well, in that case, you can just take your Pikachu to the local Pokémon Center whenever you arrive somewhere. Since breeding habits don't normally involve frequent care, the staff at the Pokémon Centers will be more than happy to take care of them for you."
"Okay, Professor."
"Alright, Ash." Professor Oak handed Ash a handheld computer and six of the same red and white balls that Gary had shown off to him earlier. "Here are your Pokédex - use it to look up any Pokémon you encounter - and Pokéballs - throw them at wild Pokémon to catch them. Any questions?"
"No more questions. Thanks so much!"
***
An hour later, Ash and Pikachu were outside Pallet Town. Ash was wearing a pair of rubber gloves, dragging Pikachu along on a makeshift leash. "Okay, Pikachu," said Ash nervously, "what do you say we take a break?"
Pikachu shrugged its tiny shoulders indifferently.
"Come on," groaned Ash, plopping down on the ground in front of his Pokémon, "I'd really like to work with you, but I can't work with someone who's like this. Tell me what's wrong, okay?"
Pikachu gave a few squeaks, and holding a hand up to Ash, it squeezed most of its fingers into a fist, leaving only the middle one one upright.
"Hey," said Ash, "will you knock that off? I'm trying to help you, okay?"
Just then, Ash noticed a winged Pokémon land some thirty feet of front of him. It was small and brown, with a tan underside. Ash scanned it with his Pokédex. "Pidgey," a voice inside the machine said, "the Tiny Bird Pokémon. It is normally docile unless attacked."
Ash bent down, and untied Pikachu from its leash. "Let's go, Pikachu," he said. "Show that little bird how strong you are."
Pikachu, however, took the opportunity to a nearby bush. Facing away from its new trainer, it put its tiny hand somewhere on its front. "Pikachu?" Ash asked, puzzled. As before, Pikachu didn't answer, but started moving its hand back and forth, which was followed by rocking back and forth and making cooing sounds. "Pikachu?" Ash asked again, his eyes narrowing. "What are you doing?" Pikachu didn't respond, but kept making the same movements and noises as before.
"Forget it," said Ash. "I have a Pokémon to catch." He picked up a Pokéball and threw it. However, another winged Pokémon, not too different in size from the Pidgey, swooped in front, and disappeared inside briefly before re-emerging in a flash of white light.
Ash blinked in surprise. This Pokémon looked only a little different from Pidgey. While brown and tan like Pidgey, its wings were red, and the long, untidy feathers sticking out of its head and the bent beak gave it a menacing look. Ash scanned it with his Pokédex. "Spearow," said the voice from the Pokédex, "the Tiny Bird Pokémon. It is very territorial, and will cry loudly to warn its flock when its turf is threatened."
The Spearow let out an earsplitting scream. "Let's run, Pikachu!" yelled Ash. "We've gotta get out of here before we have to deal with a hundred of those things!" Not waiting for his Pokémon to respond, he grabbed Pikachu around the sides.
Whooshes and cries in the air prompted Ash to turn around. He just had time to register the giant flock of Spearow before him when one, beating its wings feverishly, flew at him! Just then, however, a whitish liquid shot out of somewhere on Pikachu's body, glowing. It hit the incoming Spearow in the face, and electricity surged through its body, making it stop flapping its wings and fall to the ground. With one of their number down, the rest of the Spearow charged.
Ash ran like he never had in his life. All that mattered was keeping his distance from the flock of Spearow chasing him. His heart pounded against his ribs as he ran, his exhausted-looking Pikachu in his arms.
Ash came up on a creek as he ran, all the Spearow still in hot pursuit. "Okay, Pikachu," he said, "I think Professor Oak said something about the water being good for you. So let's go jump in!" Hoping that the incline of the hill behind him would hide what he was doing, Ash jumped into the creek. However, he regretted jumping almost immediately. The water seemed pretty deep for a creek. Fighting to swim while still holding Pikachu, he kicked, trying to get back to the surface while avoiding getting carried to who-knew-where by the current.
After nearly a minute of thrashing around, he saw the lure of a fishing rod, grabbed onto it, and pulled with his all his might. And something was pulling him back upward. Whoever was holding the fishing rod was reeling him in.
Ash broke the surface of the water, coughing and sputtering as he stumbled onto dry land. He heard the scream of a girl, and looked up just in time to see a girl about his own age, her red hair in a ponytail pointing sideways, throw a towel over herself. His jaw dropped, and he stood transfixed, looking at the girl, every other concern melting away.
"What the fuck are you doing!?" the girl screamed at Ash. "Don't you know that it's rude and creepy to spy on people?"
"Hey," said Ash indignantly, "I wasn't spying on anyone! I was just running away from a huge flock of Spearow and I jumped in the creek to throw them off. It was deeper than I thought, so I grabbed your fishing line to pull us out."
"Us? Who's us?"
"Me and my Pikachu."
The girl slapped Ash across the face. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Hey, what was that for?"
"You should know better than to bring a Pikachu underwater!" She knelt down in front of the unconscious Pokémon and pressed gently and rhythmically on its chest. Pikachu coughed. Water dribbled down the sides of its mouth, and its eyes opened. "How are you feeling, Pikachu?" the girl asked.
An approaching noise made Ash whip his head around. The Spearow flock had found them again! "Thanks!" Ash said hurriedly, scooping Pikachu into his arms. "We gotta run!" Seeing a bike parked by the creek, he tossed Pikachu into the basket, hopped on, and furiously pedaled off.
"Hey!" the girl yelled after him. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? That's my bike! Shit!"
Ash paid her no mind. All that mattered was outrunning the Spearow. Finally, as rain set in, he saw the skyline of Viridian City in the distance. He pedaled faster, even as the rain lashed him harder; surely if he got there, there would be other trainers there to help him out of his jam.
The bike slipped as Ash tried to go through a puddle of water. Ash fell off as Pikachu slipped out of the basket. "Pikachu!" Ash cried. Scooping up the still-weak Pokémon, he shoved it back into the basket, and sat in front of it, blocking the entrance as the Spearow flock came into focus. "You're safe now, Pikachu," he said. "Just stay in there until they all go away." Ash faced the flock, ready to be slashed and pecked into oblivion.
Just then, however, Pikachu squeezed out of the basket, and before Ash could say anything about it, the small yellow Pokémon delivered a powerful bolt of electricity to the whole flock of Spearow. Wet as he was, Ash got a blast of the shock as well.
Ash finally came to. Opening his eyes, he realized that he rain had stopped. His gaze fell on the semi-conscious Pikachu. "Pikachu..." he muttered. "You saved us."
Pikachu gave him a weak smile, extending a hand. Ash took it, and his Pokémon closed its eyes again, now thoroughly exhausted. A winged, golden Pokémon, much larger than either the Spearow or the Pidgey, flew directly overhead, and Ash could make out a rainbow above him.
Ash sighed. He'd have to move soon, but he couldn't right now, limp with fatigue as he was. Every muscle in his body felt like it had been like it had been replaced with Jello. He and Pikachu were now a true team.
His mind then wandered to the girl seen on the way here. She was pretty, no doubt about it. And Ash thought he'd seen a flash of her half-bare body in the brief moment before she'd put the towel on. He'd never seen a girl with anything less than a shirt on her top. Gary and others had claimed to have seen pictures of completely naked women online, but Ash wasn't sure he believed it. He'd never been able to see for himself, however, as his mom had never gotten a computer either for him or for herself. Remembering this redhead girl gave Ash a weird feeling in his stomach. Chalking it up to tiredness, he rolled over for a short nap.