"Finally, we're here!" Ashly exclaimed, bouncing off the ship and onto the port of Littleroot Town. Beside her, Totodile danced in circles, matching his trainer's enthusiasm and splashing the ground playfully with his tail.
Ash stood behind his sister, smiling at her excitement. It had been two days since they left Kanto, and the journey to Hoenn had been surprisingly peaceful. There were no Team Rocket ambushes or attempts to steal Pikachu, something Ash found both relieving and oddly surprising. In the back of his mind, he had expected Team Rocket to show up and try to steal Pikachu, as they always did in the anime. But this time, there were no sudden ambushes, no over-the-top mechanical traps, and no Jessie, James, or Meowth in sight.
Still, the lack of their usual antics left Ash feeling slightly uneasy. Team Rocket might be goofy, but they were far from incompetent, often building incredible machines to pursue their schemes of stealing Pokémon, or his Pikachu in particular. Yet, Ash didn't worry too much as he had Charizard with him. Ash knew that his fire dragon could almost handle anything Team Rocket could possibly throw their way.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Ash and Ashly walked out of the port and into the bustling streets of Littleroot Town. Almost immediately, Ash spotted a familiar face in the crowd—a tall, broad-shouldered man with wavy brown hair, a squarish face, and a friendly beard. He was wearing casual clothes beneath a lab coat, clearly looking for someone.
Ash approached him and asked, "Professor Birch, are you looking for someone?"
The man turned and smiled kindly at Ash. "Ah, young man, I'm indeed looking for two people arriving today. They're students of my senior, so I'm supposed to pick them up."
"The senior you're talking about... would that be Professor Oak by any chance?" Ash asked.
Birch's face lit up with recognition. "Why yes, Professor Oak is my senior! How do you know him?"
"That's because the students you're looking for are us," Ash explained, gesturing to Ashly. "I'm Ash, and this is my sister, Ashly. We just arrived."
"Ah! So you're Professor Oak's students!" Professor Birch said, chuckling warmly. "I've been waiting for you. Did Professor Oak give you something to pass on to me?"
"Yeah, he did," Ash said, reaching into his bag and pulling out the sealed packet of documents that Oak had entrusted to him. He handed it to Birch, who smiled in relief.
"Excellent, thank you! I've been waiting for these reports," Birch said as he tucked the documents into his own bag. "Now, why don't we head to the lab so I can get both of you set up with your Hoenn Regional Pokédexes?"
They followed Professor Birch to his SUV. Ashly eagerly hopped into the front seat, cradling her Totodile in her lap, while Ash lingered outside, deep in thought.
"Brother? What are you doing?" Ashly asked, noticing Ash hadn't moved to get in the car. "Aren't you coming?"
Ash smirked mischievously with a familiar twinkle in his eye. "I could, but... I've got a better idea." With that, Ash reached for a Pokéball and released Charizard. The large, fire-breathing lizard stretched its wings, letting out a low, confident growl. "Professor, you go ahead. I'll follow from behind."
"That's quite a strong Charizard you've got there, Ash," Professor Birch raised an eyebrow, impressed. "However, Ash, are you sure you want to follow us by air? It's not always safe to fly without practice."
Ash grinned, patting Charizard's back."Don't worry, Professor. Charizard and I are used to flying together. Besides, we just arrived in a new region, and I want to feel the Hoenn air firsthand. What better way than flying with my partner?"
"That's so unfair!" Ashly pouted, crossing her arms. "I want to fly too!"
"Sorry, Ashly," Ash said, shaking his head. "I don't have Noctowl with me right now, so you'll have to wait for another time."
"Ugh, fine... but I'm holding you to that promise!" Ashly huffed, though she quickly dropped the subject.
Professor Birch laughed heartily. "Ah, the energy of youth! Very well, Ash, you can follow us in the sky. Just don't fall too far behind!" He started the SUV, and Ashly waved from the passenger seat as they began to pull away.
Ash turned to Charizard with a playful smirk. "What do you think, buddy? Can you keep up with them?" he asked, already knowing how Charizard would answer.
And just as he had expected, Charizard growled confidently, puffing out his chest in pride as if saying that keeping pace with the car was no challenge at all.
Ash chuckled at his partner's bravado. He climbed onto Charizard's back, and Pikachu settled himself comfortably inside Ash's backpack for safety. "You ready, Pikachu?"
"Pika!" Pikachu chirped, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Alright then! Let's go, Charizard!" Ash shouted.
With a mighty roar, Charizard took to the skies, effortlessly following Professor Birch's SUV from above. Ash couldn't help but grin as the wind rushed past him, the vast landscape of Hoenn stretching out below. 'I can't wait to start my adventure for real!' he thought, feeling the refreshing air on his skin.
******
Meanwhile, in the peaceful suburb of Littleroot Town, a young girl with long, chocolate-brown hair tied back by a red and white bandana, wearing a red short-sleeved shirt and a white mini skirt over dark blue cycling shorts, pedaled her bicycle toward the entrance and exhaled in relief as she reached her destination.
This was May, a 12-year-old from Petalburg City and an aspiring Pokémon trainer, visiting Littleroot Town for one special reason.
"Finally, I'm here! I can't wait to get my first Pokémon from Professor Birch!" May exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with excitement. Without wasting any time, she sped toward the professor's lab, her heart pounding with excitement.
As she approached the lab, May noticed two figures standing outside: a man with green hair wearing a lab coat, and a boy with a white beanie, deep in conversation. Curiosity piqued, she hopped off her bike and approached the pair.
"Excuse me," she said. "What's going on here? Where's Professor Birch?"
The green-haired man turned toward her with a kind smile. "Ah, you must be May, the new trainer scheduled to receive a Pokémon today," he said. "Where are my manners? I'm Joshua, one of Professor Birch's lab assistants. The professor's out at the moment, but he should be back soon."
May sighed, a little disappointed but her excitement didn't wane. "I guess I'll wait, then," she said, knowing there wasn't much else she could do.
"Thank you for your patience," Joshua said, appreciative. "Feel free to wait inside the lab if you like. I've got some work to take care of," he added before heading indoors.
As May stood outside, the boy in the white beanie turned to her. "So, you're a new trainer too, huh? I'm Brendan, by the way."
"Nice to meet you. I'm May," she replied. "Yeah, I'm here to get my first Pokémon. I take it you're here for the same reason?"
"Yep," Brendan replied with a wide smile. "So have you decided which Pokémon you're going to choose as your starter?"
"Not really," May hesitated, rubbing the back of her neck. "I think I'll just choose the one I feel the most connected to when I see them."
"Oh, is that so? Well, I already have a partner I want to choose in mind," Brendan said.
Before May could ask him which Pokémon he had in mind, their conversation was interrupted by a loud roar from the sky. They both looked up just in time to see a massive Charizard descending toward them, landing with a powerful thud. The fiery lizard let out another mighty roar, firing a stream of flames into the sky.
"What!!!" May and Brendan screamed in horror, seeing a giant fire lizard land in front of them. Their minds quickly caught up to the fact that at that moment they had no means to defend themselves, which only added to their fears, and by that point, they were so scared that they felt their souls leaving their mouths.
Just as panic began to set in, a voice called out from behind Charizard. "Looks like we won the race," the voice said casually. May and Brendan stared as a boy with messy black hair jumped off the back of the Charizard, patting the large Pokémon on the side. "Good job, buddy. You can rest for now," he said with a grin, returning the Charizard to its Pokéball.
Before the two dazed new trainers could fully comprehend what had just happened, Professor Birch and Ashly arrived in a car, pulling up just as Ash landed.
"As I thought, not even modern vehicles can keep up with a powerful Pokémon like Charizard!," Professor Birch stepped out of the car with a hearty laugh. He clapped the boy on the back. "Well done, Ash!"
He then turned to the two still-stunned figures in front of his lab. "Ah, you must be Norman's daughter, May," Birch said kindly, addressing May. "You're here to get your first Pokémon today, right?" He then turned to Brendan and chuckled. "Good to see you didn't sleep in for once, son."
Brendan, still recovering from the shock of the Charizard's dramatic arrival, stared at the boy who had just scared him senseless. "Dad... who is this guy?" he asked.
Professor Birch chuckled. "This is Ash," he said, gesturing to the boy. "And the girl over there is his sister, Ashly. They're students of my senior, Professor Oak."
Ash smiled and waved, clearly enjoying the reactions he was getting. Ashly, meanwhile, jumped out of the car with Totodile in her arms, greeting Brendan and May with a cheerful, "Hi!"
"Now that everyone's here, let's head inside," Professor Birch said, motioning toward the lab door. "I bet you two are excited to meet your new Pokémon partners."
******
Inside, Professor Birch led them to a table where three Poké Balls sat, each containing one of Hoenn's starter Pokémon. "Alright, May and Brendan, these are the Pokémon you can choose from."
Birch gestured to the Poké Balls as he introduced each Pokémon. "First, we have Treecko, a Grass-type," he said, tapping the first ball. "Then, we have Torchic, a Fire-type," he said tapping the second. "And finally, Mudkip, a Water-type," he said tapping the final ball.
Brendan didn't hesitate and went first. "I don't need to choose, Dad. I already know which partner I want," he declared confidently, picking up the Poké Ball containing Treecko. Tossing it into the air, Brendan released a small, green, bipedal Pokémon with yellow eyes and a large, dark green tail. Treecko landed gracefully and immediately struck a calm, confident pose, eyeing Brendan with curiosity.
"Hey Treecko, I'm Brendan. Nice to meet you," Brendan smiled down at the small reptile. "I'm going to be the best trainer in the world! What do you say? Want to help me get there as my partner?" Brendan extended his hand.
Treecko scrutinized Brendan for a moment before placing its tiny hand on Brendan's, signaling its acceptance. Brendan's face lit up as joy overwhelmed him. He picked up the little Pokémon and spun around. "Thanks, Treecko! We're going to be the best of friends!"
"Good choice, Treecko is really a great starter," Ash said, nodding to himself. "Especially down the line when it evolves into a Sceptile, it becomes a great Special Attacker with monstrous speed. Not to mention, if you could get your hands on a Keystone and a Sceptilite, the additional Dragon-Typing is just icing on the cake."
Ash's brief monologue drew everyone's attention, and he blushed slightly upon realizing they were all staring at him. Brendan and Treecko, however, were visibly more excited, their eyes gleaming with anticipation of the future potential Ash had described.
"You're quite knowledgeable, Ash," Professor Birch said with a chuckle. "As expected of one of Professor Oak's students."
Ashly groaned and playfully swatted Ash's arm. "Brother, stop raising the bar! How am I ever going to catch up to you at this rate?"
Ash smiled down at his younger sister and ruffled her hair affectionately. "You don't need to catch up with me or anyone, Ashly. This is your journey, and you can achieve your goals at your own pace," he reassured her gently, earning a sweet smile from his sister.
"Well said, boy," Professor Birch gave Ash an approving nod, silently hoping Brendan would take Ash's words to heart as well. After all, what kind of father would want his own son to feel pressured to achieve his own goals? He would rather see Brendan forge his own path, whatever it may be.
Meanwhile, May couldn't help but smile, seeing the interaction between Ash and Ashly as it reminded her of her own interactions with her brother. However, Ash's words also resonated with her due to the expectations that were put on her because of who her father was. Sometimes she really wished she could switch places with her younger brother since he was more interested in being a trainer like their father, unlike her.
"Now that Brendan has chosen his Pokémon, it's your turn, May," Professor Birch said, turning toward her.
Nodding at Professor Birch, May stared at the remaining two Poké Balls, wondering who she should choose as her partner. Unable to make a decision on her own, May just stood there staring at the two Poké Balls, gnawing at her nails.
Seeing her indecision, Ash stepped forward. "May, what kind of trainer do you want to be?" he asked gently.
"Huh?" Upon hearing Ash's question, May stared at him blankly for a moment before her face flushed and she stared at the ground. "I... I'm not sure," she said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. She didn't know how to tell him that she cared more about traveling than being a Pokémon trainer.
"It's alright, I'm sure you'll figure it out soon," Ash said, offering a kind smile. "Now, since you don't know what path you want to take, why don't you go with Torchic as your starting partner?"
"Why Torchic?" May asked, tilting her head.
"Well, in terms of potential, both Torchic and Mudkip are the same as they both have quite a high ceiling," Ash explained. "The main difference comes with the final evolution of both of these Pokémon: Blaziken, Torchic's final form, is much more agile compared to Swampert, which would be good for you if you ever want to take part in Pokémon Contests.
He paused, letting May process. "Now, just to be clear, it's not like you can't train Swampert to be in a Pokémon Contest, but generally speaking, it's harder to train bulky Pokémon for a Contest since their main trait, which is their bulk, cannot be used for the presentation rounds."
"In short, Swampert is a great Pokémon for a trainer who wants to build a team around it, but for you, Blaziken offers much more versatility at the moment," Ash finished, noticing May once again staring at him with a dazed expression on her face.
Ash snapped his fingers in front of May's face, bringing her back to her senses. May flushed a little but then went into deep thought, thinking over Ash's words. After a moment of reflection, she made her decision and picked up one of the Poké Balls.
She tossed the ball into the air, releasing a small, yellow, chick-like Pokémon with stubby wings and a bright yellow beak. "Torchic!" the Pokémon chirped, immediately running up to May and affectionately nuzzling her legs.
May's heart melted seeing the little chick showing affection to her. "Hehe, I like this one," she giggled, picking Torchic up and cuddling it close. "It's decided. Torchic is going to be my partner."
Professor Birch clapped his hands together. "Excellent! I'm glad to see both of you have chosen your Pokémon," he said proudly. Then, from his bag, he handed each new trainer five Poké Balls and a shiny new Pokédex. "These will help you on your journey," he added, distributing Pokédexes to May and Brendan before turning to Ash and Ashly. "And as promised, here are your Hoenn Pokédexes as well."
Ash took the Pokédex and slipped it into his pocket without much thought, knowing that the one Guide had integrated into his eyes was far more advanced compared to whatever this world could offer to him.
"Now," Professor Birch continued, smiling warmly at the group, "it's time for the next chapter in your lives as trainers and to start your journeys. Take good care of your new partners, and remember—your bond with your Pokémon is what will help you face any challenge the world throws at you."
But then, just as they were about to head out of the lab, something shifted in the air. Suddenly, Brendan stepped forward, his face filled with determination. Treecko stood at his side, mirroring his trainer's confident stance. He pointed directly at Ash, fire blazing in his eyes. "Ash, I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"
To be continued...