Finally, the lecture was over, and I had my Pokémon. Ace was still out of his Poké Ball, perched on my shoulder.
One thing I gleaned from this lecture was that while much of the Pokémon lore was familiar, there were significant differences I needed to catch up on quickly. Otherwise, I risked being blindsided by the intricacies of this world.
We reached the living room downstairs.
Gary was still sitting on the sofa, his face contorted with frustration, as if he might burst out with anger at any moment. Upon seeing us, he stood up and walked toward us, his gaze falling on me and Ace.
"Pfft!! BWAHAHAHA!!" He suddenly burst out laughing, stealing glances at Ace.
Feeling irritated, I asked, "Hey! You have a problem with Ace?"
"Sorry, sorry." He clutched his stomach, still chuckling. "I never knew there was such a sore loser who would choose a Pidgey as their starter Pokémon. You can catch those just outside Route 1. Hahaha!"
Grr... Ace and I shot him a murderous glare.
"Now, now. Calm down, both of you. Gary, apologize to your fellow Trainer and his Pokémon. Every Pokémon is precious," Prof. Oak chided him.
"Sorry, gramps. Sorry, Pidgey. Sorry, loser. Hahaha."
Prof. Oak sighed, launching into a lecture reminiscent of the one he'd given me at the lab.
"We'll get him later, Ace," I whispered to my partner to calm him down. I was determined to train hard and prove that brats like Gary were mistaken about others being beneath them.
Once he finished with Gary, Prof. Oak led us outside the lab. The warmth of the sun greeted me, a reminder that my journey was finally beginning. Ace fluttered his wings, perched proudly on my shoulder, clearly excited for the adventure ahead.
The crowd that had gathered when I arrived was still there, now joined by some cheerleaders in front of them. A red sports car with no overhead roof was parked behind them, a driver inside. As we stepped outside, the crowd erupted into cheers, with cheerleaders chanting, "Let's go, Gary! Let's go!" while shaking their pom-poms. I couldn't help but admire the scene.
Okay. Focus.
Gary stepped forward to address the crowd, proclaiming how he would become the Pokémon Master and beat the Champion.
At that moment, a familiar boy with black unkempt hair, wearing green and yellow pajamas, rushed to Prof. Oak's lab, huffing and puffing.
Ding
___________________________
[Name]: Ash Ketchum
[Age]: 15
[Profession]: None
[Emotional State]: Determined and Eager
___________________________
Ding
___________________________
[Hidden Achievement Unlocked]
★ Meeting The World Protagonist ★
• Special Effect:
1. The interaction between you and the world protagonist may lead to deviation from the events set in the timeline.
- This effect introduces a degree of unpredictability. Key story events or battles involving the world protagonist may not unfold as they originally would have, causing alternate outcomes. This could include:
∞ Unpredictable Outcomes: Events involving the world protagonist can change, such as battles, storylines, and key decisions. This could result in unexpected challenges, new opportunities, or rare encounters. The timeline may shift in ways that give Alex access to events or items not originally intended for his stage of the journey.
2. Protagonist's Aura: Alex gains a temporary boost when interacting with major NPCs or key characters.
- Charisma Boost: Alex's Charisma (CHA) is increased by +2 for the duration of interactions with important figures (Gym Leaders, rivals, etc.).
XP Gained: +5
___________________________
Okay, so my choices with the world protagonist can totally mess up—or improve—the timeline... No pressure, right? But hey, if I can get that extra boost in charisma during key interactions, maybe I can turn things to my favor. I'll just have to be really careful. Messing up the timeline sounds risky, but it also sounds like a chance to get some cool advantages.
And what's this about his profession being 'none'? I guess he hasn't registered as a Trainer yet.
"Here's another loser, and still in his pajamas, hahaha. Hey Ash. Better late than never, I guess. At least you get to meet me, the future Pokémon Master," Gary sneered.
"Gary?" Ash said, bewildered.
"Mr. Gary to you. Show some respect. Ash, you snooze, you lose. I got a Pokémon, and you don't."
"You got your first Pokémon?"
"That's right, loser. It's right inside this Poké Ball," Gary boasted, spinning the Poké Ball on his finger like a basketball.
The cheerleaders continued their chant, "Let's go, Gary! Let's go!"
"Thank you, fans! Thank you for this great honor. I promise I will become a Pokémon Master and make Pallet Town known all around the world!" Gary exclaimed, basking in the crowd's adoration.
"Yay!" "Way to go!" came the various shouts from the crowd as he delivered his speech.
"Excuse me?" I piped up, stepping forward.
"Yeah?"
"I was just wondering if you could tell me what kind of Pokémon you got."
"None of your business! If you had shown up on time, you would have seen that I got the best Pokémon from Professor Oak. It's good to have a grandfather in the Pokémon business, isn't it?" Gary retorted, climbing into the car with his cheerleaders in tow.
"Thank you for coming out to see history in the making. Now, Gary Oak is off to learn the ways of a Pokémon Trainer!!" he declared, the car speeding off into the distance as the crowd dispersed.
"I'll show you," Ash muttered, determination etched on his face as he watched Gary leave.
Prof. Oak and I approached Ash from behind at the gates.
"So, you decided to show up after all," Prof. Oak remarked.
"Ohh, Prof. Oak! Where's my Pokémon?" Ash said, his voice brimming with passion.
"Your Pokémon?" Prof. Oak asked.
"Yes! I'm ready!" Ash replied, brimming with excitement.
"You look like you're ready for bed, not Pokémon training. I hope you don't think you're going to train in your pajamas," joked Prof. Oak.
Ash's face flushed with embarrassment as he looked down, and I chuckled at his expense.
As he turned to see me and Ace, his eyes lit up. "Oh! Did you get your Pokémon today? Wow, it's a Pidgey!"
Taken aback by his enthusiasm, I scratched my head and introduced myself, "Hello, I'm Alex Riziero. You can just call me Alex. This guy here is my partner Ace." Ace posed proudly as I introduced him.
"Oh, excuse me. I'm Ash Ketchum, and my dream is to become a Pokémon Master!" he declared.
Uhh. Does this guy shout his dream to everyone he meets?
"Nice to meet you, Ash. Hope we can be friends and rivals."
"Me too!"
Prof. Oak interjected, "Well, you need to get yourself a Pokémon, young man. And you're late today."
Ash, his head down, apologized, "Oh no. Sorry, Professor. I messed up and was a little late. But believe me, I'm ready for a Pokémon."
'Little,' my ass. It's almost 2 PM. Even if he did break his alarm clock, how did he sleep in over lunchtime?
"We'll see," Prof. Oak said. He turned to me. "Alex, I'll take Ash to help him choose his Pokémon. It's time for you to depart for Viridian City; don't waste precious daylight. Remember, your Pokémon's health and yours are always the priority. I've added my number to your contact list, so you can reach me whenever you need help."
I thanked the Professor, and Ace and I said our goodbyes to Ash and Prof. Oak.
As the lab door swung shut behind Ash, I took a moment to reflect. I had a unique opportunity to influence Ash's journey. Perhaps I could steer him away from some of the hardships I knew he would face. But I had to tread carefully; too much interference could alter the timeline in unpredictable ways.
"Let's head to Viridian City, Ace. We've got our own path to forge," I declared, determination swelling within me.
With Ace at my side, I stepped onto the road ahead, ready to embrace whatever challenges lay in wait and began our first step toward Viridian City.
---
End of Chapter 8