Chapter Text
Episode 1:
A New Pokemon Journey
“Dewgong! Ice Beam now!” an older woman shouted, pointing her finger out over the large, Olympic-sized pool serving as the arena. She stood on one of several thick mats that lay drifting across the pool, her apponent, a young trainer - looking to win his Cascade Badge - stood on one directly across from her. He clenched his fists and growled. His Pokemon, a small Turtwig, braced itself on a mat in front of him.
“Prepare yourself, Turtwig!” The trainer called.
The woman smirked as the water in front of her burst up, spraying water everywhere, as a large white Pokemon leapt from the pool and landed on the mat in front of her. The Pokemon looked like an elegant white seal, with a large beautiful horn, and mermaid tail. It tilted its head down, as a giant beam of ice shot from its horn.
“Dodge it Turtwig!” The trainer called.
“I don‘t think so!” The woman replied, “Dewgong, don‘t let it get away!”
The small turtle-like Pokemon tried to leap out of the way, but it could not get away from large Dewgong’s attack. The woman smirked again, as the beam of ice collided with the small Turtwig, and sent it flying backwards - soaring at the trainer, and knocking him into the water.
Turtwig is unable to battle. The Opposing Trainer is out of usable Pokemon. Gym Leader Misty has won the battle!
The woman looked up at a speaker as it blasted out, and then back at the kid as he tried to climb out of the pool, a defeated expression on his face.
Misty smiled, “Don‘t feel so glum, kid. You can always try again.”
The kid grumbled something, and then walked out towards the exit.
Misty sighed and leapt from the mat and over to the edge of the pool.
“Pi-pi-pi!”
Misty gasped and looked up as a small electric mouse came running towards her. She laughed and opened her arms as it pounced at her, colliding with her chest and snuggling itself into the nook of her neck.
“Thank you!” Misty laughed,
“Pi! Pichu! Pi!” It cheered,
“Nice match, Mom!”
Misty smiled, and looked up. A kid, barely ten years old walked up from the sidelines. His shaggy black hair spiked everywhere, and Misty made a mental note to send the kid for a haircut soon. His green eyes were only a shade darker then her own, though besides that, he looked almost nothing like her. Whenever she looked at him, she just wished he looked at least a little more like her, and not like his good-for-nothing father.
The small, fluffy, electric mouse in her arms turned, its large ears - nearly twice the size of its own head - twitched. It cheered and jumped from her arms as the boy approached. He held his arms out, catching it, and placing the small Pokemon on his shoulder.
“It wasn‘t that great.” Misty sighed, “Pokemon trainers today are not as strong as the ones from my day.”
“That just means less work for me!” The kid cheered, his hands clenching into fists in excitement, “Man, I am so pumped to start my Pokemon Journey!”
Misty paled, “Azure… I thought we agreed that you‘d stay here and train to be a Gym Leader.”
“But Mom!” Azure complained, “I‘ll never be strong enough to be a Gym Leader by staying here! I don‘t even want to be a Gym Leader! I want to be a Pokemon Master!”
“Pi! Pichu!” Pichu nodded.
Misty sighed, placing her hands on her hips, “You just like your father! So what? You expect me to just let you go, and never see you again - like him?”
Azure frowned, “You‘ll see me again… I have to come back to beat you for a badge!”
“That‘s not my point.” Misty snapped, “I‘d feel much better if you stayed here and trained to be a Gym Leader.”
Azure frowned and reached into his pocket, pulling out a flyer, “Look! Day after tomorrow, they are issuing new Starter Pokemon in Pallet Town to all kids of age to start their Pokemon Journey! And I‘m ten years old now… so please Mom! Please can I go?”
“I‘ll need to think about it some more.” Misty sighed, looking away from him.
“But we‘ve been talking about this for years!” Azure begged, “Look, I‘ll just get my starter Pokemon… and I will remember to call every day, and visit whenever I can. Please Mom!”
“Piiiiiiiii!” Pichu mimicked.
Misty looked up at the little Pichu on her son’s shoulder. Both Azure and Pichu folded their hands in front of them, their eyes widening. She sighed in defeat, “Oh can those eyes get any bigger. Fine.”
“Really!” Azure gasped,
“But how do you expect to get to Pallet Town without a Pokemon? Pichu just hatched last week, she‘s too little to fight.” Misty frowned,
“I‘ll fly over or something.” Azure shrugged, “Thank you Mom!”
“Pichu!” Pichu nodded.
“I‘d feel better if you took one of my Pokemon instead of getting a Starter.” Misty frowned, "I am sure Polytoad would love to go with you."
“No!” Azure gasped, “As awesome as Polytoad is, I need to do this myself! You trained Polytoad, not me, and want to become the world‘s best Pokemon Master, without any help! Right Pichu?”
“Pi! Pichu!” The little mouse nodded.
Misty rubbed her face with her hand, “I guess its two against one then. I suppose you‘ll be taking Pichu with you then?”
“Of course!” Azure nodded, pulling Pichu from his shoulders and holding her in his arms, “Pichu‘s my pal! We go everywhere together, right buddy?”
“Pi!” She nodded.
“And she was my birthday present after all.” Azure finished, “I raised her from an egg and everything!”
“I know.” Misty sighed.
She stepped forward and threw her arms around him, hugging him close.
“M-Mom!” Azure blushed.
“When did you get so big?” Misty sighed,
“Mom!” Azure pushed her away, “I‘m ten years old now! I‘m not a baby anymore!”
“Pichu!” Pichu agreed.
“I suppose you’ll want to leave tomorrow then, huh…do you want me to come with you to Pallet Town?” She asked,
“No!” Azure shook his head, “You‘ve got to look after the Gym after all!”
Misty nodded, “Ok then. You’d better start packing then…”
“Yes!” Azure cheered, “This is so awesome! Come on, Pichu! Let‘s get packing!”
“Pi!” She nodded.
Azure turned and started running from the Gym, and towards the door that led to the living quarters. Misty watched them go and sighed. She knew for ten years now that Azure would probably leave… though she did not want him too…
All she could remember was all the trouble her and her friends got into when she was on her Pokemon Journey… would Azure get in trouble like that? Would he be safe? Would he come home? She wrapped her arms around herself and hugged herself. All she could really do now, was hope… hope he would stay safe, and at least come home once in a while… unlike that useless excuse for his father.
… … …
Azure scrambled through his room, throwing whatever he thought he needed into his backpack…
A change of clothes… a sleeping bag… pajamas… his swim trunks… his phone…
Pichu tried her best in helping. She would go around and pick stuff up, and walk over to Azure with it… a couple of mismatched socks, a book, and then several useless stuff he put aside because he knew he did not need it.
The last thing Pichu grabbed, was a large soft baby blanket from the bed. The blanket was covered with little pictures of Pokemon eggs of all sizes and shapes. She wrapped herself up in it, before hoping off the bed and walking over to him.
“Pi?” She asked, clenching the blanket tightly,
“Of course you can bring your blankie.” Azure smiled, patting her on the head.
“Pichu!” She cheered, she tried to hand it to him, but he shook his head.
“We‘re not leaving till tomorrow, you should hold on to it till then.” He said.
“Chu!” She said softly, before climbing up onto Azure’s lap, wrapping the blanket around herself again.
Azure stroked her head absentmindedly, “I wonder if we‘re forgetting anything?”
Pichu shrugged. Azure laughed and leaned back against the bed. Should he put Pichu in a pokeball? He’d never even thought about it before… he had gotten her as an egg, and just incubated her till she hatched. But, did that mean he intended to use her as one of his Pokemon? The thought never accrued to him before. Pichu was a Pokemon after all, and while Pichu’s were known not to be all that great in fights - due to their inability to control their electric powers - they did eventually evolve into Pikachu…
“Pi…” Pichu sighed, drifting off to sleep on his lap.
Oh well. He’ll worry about it later. He stroked her head, and closed his eyes. He was just drifting off to sleep, when he heard a knock on the door.
“Come in.” He sighed, looking over as the door started to open.
Mom walked in. She had gotten changed from that awful swimsuit she usually wears while battling at the pool, and had tied her hair back up. She looked tired…
“Hey, Mom.” Azure smiled.
“I‘ve got something for you.” Mom said, walking over and sitting on the ground across from him,
“For me?” Azure asked.
Mom nodded, holding out her hand. Azure reached over and grabbed whatever it was she was holding. It looked like a wristwatch, with a large display screen.
“While you were packing, I went down to the PokeMart and bought this for you.” She stated,
“Cool!” Azure smiled, he looked at it in confusion, “Um… what is it?”
Mom laughed, “It‘s a PokeGear. Trainers use them for a variety of different things. You can install different apps onto it as well. I already installed the clock, radio, calendar, map, and phone already into it. ”
Azure felt his eyes get bigger and bigger as she listed off all the neat features of the PokeGear, “Mom… thank you! This is awesome!”
“I just want to make sure your safe, and that you will call every now and then.” Mom frowned.
“You’re the best!” Azure nodded,
“Oh, and I talked to a friend of mine, and he is willing to fly you over to Pallet, he is visiting family there, before heading out.”
“Awesome!” Azure cheered, “This is going to be so cool!”
“Yes.” Mom nodded, “The Kanto region is really a remarkable place. I know you‘ll have fun.”
She reached over and stroked Pichu’s head. The baby Pokemon sighed in its sleep. “You make sure to take care of Pichu. Ok?”
“I will!” Azure nodded,
Mom stood up, “I‘m proud of you, son. But if you want to be in Pallet Town by tomorrow, you should get some sleep. My friend will be here early tomorrow to pick you up.”
Azure nodded, scooping up the sleeping Pokemon on his lap, and placing her gently on the bed, “Man! I‘m too excited to sleep! This is going to be awesome!”
“Good night son.” Mom rolled her eyes,
“Can‘t I watch one more episode of ‘Who’s That Pokemon?’ before bed?” He begged, “I‘m wide awake, and its only nine-o’clock!”
“Fine. Just one episode.” Mom agreed, “Then its off to bed.”
Azure nodded, “You‘re the best!”
Mom sighed, before turning and leaving the room. Azure waited until she left, and then flicked on the TV, before getting into his pyjama’s, and snuggling into bed. He was going to make sure nothing went wrong! He would be in Pallet Town a day early, just to make sure he got the best Pokemon, and to make sure nothing goes wrong! Who would he pick? The Kanto Starters are Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle…
Guess he’ll decide tomorrow.
… … …
“Pi…pi…piCHU!”
Azure woke up with a scream as he felt the electricity course through him, sending him flying off the bed, taking the blankets with him. He hit the ground with a gasp.
“Wha?” He groaned, leaning up, and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
Pichu was asleep on the bed, curled up in her ‘blankie’ and snoring softly. Her cheeks sparked slightly with the after-effects of her unintentional assault. Azure groaned and rubbed his face. This was how he usually got up… Pichu’s had little control over their electricity, and she usually accidentally let out a charge while she was sleeping. The attack was never all that strong, and she never meant to do it.
Azure sighed and looked out the window. The sun was just rising. Perfect! He was up bright and early! With an excited cheer, he quickly threw the last of his essentials in his bag and went snooping for the perfect outfit for his journey. He opened his closet and grabbed some black fingerless gloves, a sterdy pair of blue jeans, a black shirt with the Cerulean Gym logo on it, and threw a green, blue, and white jacket into his backpack for safe keeping. He turned back to the bed, and scooped up the sleeping Pokemon, cradling her in his arms and wrapping the ‘blankie’ around her as he went. He ran down the stairs and into the gym.
It was empty, and the only lights in the gym was that of the early morning sun, casting a golden-pink glow over everything.
“Polytoed.”
Azure stopped and turned around, startled by sudden noise. He looked down and saw his Mom’s Polytoed standing at his feet behind him, blinking in the dull light.
“Hey Polytoed.” Azure smiled, shifting Pichu’s weight to one arm, and reaching down to pat the Pokemon on the head, “Don‘t worry Polytoed. I‘ll come back to visit!”
“You better make sure you do!”
Azure jumped, and looked up, smiling when he saw his Mom standing at the foot of the stairs, her arms folded over her chest.
“Mom!” He cheered, running over to her.
“I thought you‘d be up at the crack of dawn again.” She smiled, reaching down to rustle his hair, “Eager as always.”
“I‘m so excited!” Azure cheered, “I promise I‘ll become the world‘s greatest Pokemon Master!”
“I‘m sure you will.” She nodded, “Just remember, Azure, there are hundreds of other children all with the same goal of becoming a Pokemon Master, so don‘t get carried away with yourself. Being the best Pokemon Trainer you can be is also an admirable goal.”
“I‘m not Dad. I won‘t get carried away and take off to never-be-seen-again.” Azure pouted, “But, I will become a Pokemon Master! I just know it!”
“As long as you do your best, that‘s all that matters.” Mom nodded.
She reached down and pulled Pichu from his arms. The little mouse twitched and slowly opened its eyes, before stretching, and yawning loudly.
“Good morning, Pichu!” Mom smiled, rubbing the Pokemon’s head.
“Chaaaaaa…” She yawned.
She hugged Pichu tightly, and the Pokemon hugged her back, before squirming out of the blanket, and hoping back to Azure’s shoulder. Mom folded the blanket up, and Azure turned around so she could put the blanket into his backpack.
The two headed outside. A man was waiting there with some giant flying Pokemon that Azure recognized from ‘Who’s That Pokemon?’. It was a giant Fearow. The Trainer was a man Azure did not recognize. He was leaning against the Cerulean Gym sign.
“Ready to go, kid?” He asked.
Azure nodded, “Am I ever!”
Mom sighed, “So… you remember to call, ok? And make sure you eat healthy, and take care of yourself… and don‘t get into to much trouble.”
Azure nodded, “I promise Mom.”
“That‘s my boy.” She smiled, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a big hug.
He pulled away from her and the man stepped away from the sign and climbed onto the back of the Fearow, reaching down to help Azure up.
“Hold on tight kid. We‘ll be in Pallet Town before you know it.” He stated.
“Sweet!” He cheered, pulling Pichu off his shoulder, and placing her safely between them.
The giant Fearow cawed out loudly, before taking to the air. Mom waved after them.
“Remember!” She called, “Be safe!”
Azure smiled and turned away from her, looking out at the sky as the ascended.
Finally! He was going to start his Pokemon Journey!