Pokemon: The Journey

Lonely.

Afraid.

Despair.

Dying hope.

Hopelessness.

Approaching death.

Decay.

Rot.

'..h...p...'

A black sun...

Cracked blood-red skies...

'...s...v...'

Black pus oozing from cracks and forming sky-high waterfalls of blood, waste, and decay...

Lightning in the patches of ash clouds in the sky, forming lava-like eyes of fallen gods...

'...s...v...me'

A rain of ash, black blood, and small chunks of flesh...

The cracked and scorched dry land dyed red with blood, littered with the skeletal, rotting remains of both humans and Pokémon...

'pl...s...v...me'

Malevolent shadows rising from the cracks, reforming into shapes vaguely reminiscent of people, and beasts of power corrupted into nightmares...

Both human-like and Pokémon-like shadows fighting, tearing, and killing each other, among themselves, with themselves...

'pl...save me'

Cacophony of screams, and howls of crying, agony, pain, suffering, hatred, anger, sorrow, ...

The shadowy viscera falling and covering the destroyed buildings, covered with rotting, pulsing flesh...

'Please save me.'

The voice of a weak, frail girl of a similar age, begging for help, salvation...

Reaching out a hand to a silhouette obscured by yellowish lines...

Vision and body being restrained by those shadow hands...

Pulling you back, covering your vision, and hearing the screams of pain...

SNAP

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Ash awoke with a screaming start, sweating all over, and a rapidly beating heart.

Hurried footsteps on the stairs, the hallway.

With a great speed, the door opens.

Standing with tears in her eyes, Delia is looking concerned and scared.

"Asshhh! Are you okay?!!"

Hearing the concerned and scared tone of her voice, he replies with a dried and parched throat, "W-water."

She had hurriedly given him some water to drink.

"Ash?"

"I-I am fine, I think. I just had a bad dream. Can you stay here for a few moments? Please."

A comfortable silence descended in his room.

'You okay kid?'

'Yeah. Give me a moment.'

Taking some deep breathes, he started calming down.

"Mom."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"It's okay."

"What time is it?"

"You do not have to worry you can stay in the home today and rest..."

"Mom. I am, no, will be fine. I need to be ready to go to Professor's lab."

"It's 7:20 am."

"Why didn't you wake me up mom? I am supposed to be there by 8 o'clock to receive my starter! Didn't the alarm ring?"

She just pointed at a corner with a dry unamused look.

He looked.

There, laying broken on his floor, was his alarm clock.

"Wha...?"

"You must have broken it in your sleep, again."

Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, he apologized.

Huffing, she said, "Before you go, take a bath and eat your breakfast. I will bring your bag to the lab before you head out. You will eat, no excuses."

"Mom, can't I just bring my starter home, have breakfast with them, and then go?"

Stopping in her tracks near the door, she thought about it, and sheepishly admitted that she had not thought of that believing that he would go directly on his journey.

Ash the brushed his teeth, went through the morning rituals, and got dressed in his Kanto outfit.

Going down the stairs, he opened the door and said he would be back to collect his bag and have breakfast with his Pokémon.

'You are going to be late, you know.'

Stopping abruptly, he looked at the clock which read 7:55 AM.

Yelping, Ash started running for the lab. Hey at least he would not embarrass himself by going in his pajamas.

---------------------------------------------

It was 8:10 AM when he reached the lab.

He saw Gary in front of the lab with a lot of people around him.

"Look who's here? If isn't Ashy-boy. Why are you here?"

Gary sneered with a condescending tone.

With a little bit of heat in his voice, Ash said, "To get a Pokémon, I am starting today after all."

"Well, I got the best Pokémon. You do not even have one. I will be a Pokémon Master before you. You will always be late for everything. Hahahaha."

Some of the people started laughing at him. Holding back his tears, he was not going to him the satisfaction of seeing that, Ash said with a little anger, "We will see who does better. I will get better than you in no time."

Scoffing, Gary said, "Dream on. Well, I should not spend my time around tr-ash like you. I have a journey to go on after all."

While saying that, a red convertible filled with cheerleaders had stopped in front of the lab.

Getting into the car, and seating in the driver's seat he said with the same condescending tone, "Smell you later Ash. You will never amount to anything."

Gary sped on his convertible and the other townsfolk also left.

Psyching himself up, he started going to the front door of the lab and rang the bell.

DING-DONG-DING-DONG.

After some time, Professor Oak opened the door, saw who was there, and gave an unamused look.

"You are late."

Grinning Ash said, "Better late than never, right?"

Shrugging, Professor Oak let him inside the lab and to the machine holding the starter Poké balls.

"You know what to do."

Taking a moment to calm down his heart, he chose a ball with the water sticker.

"I choose you, Squirtle."

No Pokémon came out.

"It was taken by a person who was early."

Having a little panic set in, he took a ball with a fire sticker.

"I choose you, Charmander."

No Pokémon came out again.

"The early bird gets the worm, or in this case, the Pokémon."

Having a little more panic settle in, he took the final ball with a leaf symbol.

"I choose you, Bulbasaur."

No Pokémon came out again.

"Unfortunately, all the Pokémon were taken by those who came early. You cannot get a Pokémon."

With a full-blown panic, he asked the Professor, "Isn't there any Pokémon left? I can do with anyone. I really wanted to go on this journey. You even knew about it for over two weeks..."

The Professor saw Ash stopping mid-speaking during his panic, a look of realization, and hurt came over him.

He spoke with a voice filled with hurt.

"You knew over two weeks, and did not even bother to get me a starter? You really did not want to have me on the journey, huh? Was I that unimportant as a person? Did asking and helping you in the lab meant nothing to you?"

The Professor cursed inwardly. He had totally forgotten about getting an extra starter. Why didn't he remember?

Remembering about a Pokémon that he had just caught the previous night and the incident from forty years ago, he put on his best professional look without trying to convey any of his thoughts.

"Welll, you see there iss an exx-tra Pokémon."

Cringing internally at his acting skills and drawing out the words to get his attention, he at least got the job done in having Ash's attention.

"Can I, have it?" Forgetting entirely about the injustice he was talking about earlier, Ash asked with some hope in his voice.

"Well, it is troublesome. It also has an attitude, so I do not know whether to give it to..."

"I will take it!"

Sighing, he pressed a few buttons on the machine from which a Poké ball with a lightning sticker came out on a small pedestal.

Taking the Poké ball, Ash was about to call out the Pokémon, when Professor said, "You should be careful with that one."

"I will take care of it. I did spend time under you to take care of Pokémon after all."

Pulling back his hat, he took the ball and threw it.

"I choose you, Pokémon."