Welcome one and all! For around a year and a half now I've had this chapter typed up. I've edited, rewritten, and reworked this quite a lot, mostly because I don't know where I want to go with it. All I know is that since I first began reading fanfiction seven years ago, this idea is the one that has always persisted in my mind. A rewrite of Ash's journey through my eyes and mind. I know it's not original, but this is a project I had tried to start and continue back when I was in high school. Had I kept up with this eons ago, I would've gone a similar route to FanaticLAguy06's The Road to Be a Pokemon Master series. The way he blends the games, anime, and manga is so great and although I don't show it, I've been a fan of his works since the very beginning. I just caught his latest update to the Hoenn arc, and I love it. Do read it if you can.

For now, I can't promise when an update will come. I do have the second chapter ready to publish and it will go up later. Mostly, this is just for me. This is to post something I made and hopefully either lay this to rest or give me the spark I need to continue. So please read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any other worldly reference made in this work. This is merely for leisure and as a hobby.

Chapter 1: I Choose You!

****(*)****

Ash Ketchum sighed as he looked up at his ceiling. He was supposed to go to sleep three hours ago, but just couldn't. Not only had he watched one of the greatest matches ever between Bruno and a challenger to the Elite Four, but tomorrow was a special day. Ash had turned fifteen three months ago in May but since the Pokemon League tournaments were held every summer, Ash thought better to wait. After passing the certification exam, he could now start his pokemon journey.

Now Ash was very much excited, this was all he had dreamed about for most of his life, but for some unknown reason Ash just couldn't calm down enough to fall asleep. He wasn't nervous per say, more anxious than anything. Even then though, he felt more restless than a vigoroth which was bad because he needed to be well rested for tomorrow. It wouldn't do well to start his journey sleep deprived after all. Moments passed once more before Ash sighed again and got up. There was no point fighting it, so instead Ash put some shoes on and headed downstairs. A little stargazing in the backyard wouldn't be bad. It would definitely help him clear his head.

As he laid in the grass, tracing the constellations of Tauros and Kingler, his thoughts once more drifted to the next morning, where he would be selecting his starter pokemon. It was a tough choice, as all three pokemon had their merit, and each one had a case for best starter. Those in the training biz say Charmander is the way to go, but Squirtle holds more of an advantage according to analysis. Even then, Bulbasaur is usually calm and easy going, making it the best beginning pokemon. One would think that by now Ash would know what pokemon he would choose, but it just wasn't that simple.

Beyond choosing a starter, there was everything else he had to think about. There was a little under a year until the next Indigo League Tournament. That left plenty of time to collect the eight badges needed to participate, if Ash proved competent enough.

Studying never really was Ash's strong point, so while he did know basics and common knowledge a more in-depth analysis was a much difficult concept for Ash. For him experience was the greatest teacher. Sometimes though Ash would take things too far. Letting a growlithe test out its moves on you was certainly one way of learning its move-set, but there are more efficient, easier, and safer methods of doing so.

The professor had led him in the right direction, but Ash still preferred the firsthand experience of interacting with the pokemon. It just wasn't in his nature to do it any other way. Speaking of natures, it had taken Ash ages to get those all down. Even then he would still forget one or two. Though not as major an aspect as some people make them out to be, natures do help beginners train pokemon. If a pokemon is mild, it's a lot easier to train than an adamant one, but an adamant charmander or say if he somehow got lucky, dratini, would be great battlers once fully evolved. But again, natures weren't everything. Ash knew that, because he would interact with as many pokemon as possible whenever he could, and just because a pokemon was timid in nature did not mean it did couldn't pack a wallop on the physical side. The best trainers could train their pokemon to be powerful in every aspect imaginable.

Ash couldn't wait. The more he thought about it, the more he calmed down as he closed his eyes. No matter the outcome, no matter which pokemon he ended up choosing tomorrow, Ash knew that he would work with it to become the very best, like no one ever was. True Pokemon Masters.

****(*)****

"Ash. Ash. ASH! Wake up or you're gonna be late!" Ash heard.

He woke up startled and looked around. It seems he had fallen asleep in the backyard, and his mom Delia thankfully woke him up.

Getting up slowly, and still tired seeing as he didn't get as much sleep as wanted, Ash made his way inside. Delia watched him carefully, worried since she had found him outside instead of in his bed. Normally Ash was old enough to take care of himself, but she didn't want to risk it when she saw that he had slept outside. Half an hour later Ash came down, more awake and alert than he had been, and Delia sighed in relief, having believed he had gone back to sleep.

"Good morning dear. How was your night? Seems to me like you couldn't sleep," Delia commented, knowing her son all too well. Ash grinned mareepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, I tried really hard, but it took me a while to fall asleep. Thanks for waking me up by the way, didn't want to be late," Ash said, as he sat down to eat breakfast. Delia smiled at him, though she still worried by his lack of sleep, she understood that today was a big day, and for anyone it would be difficult to sleep. Setting down all the food, she sat across from Ash and the two began to eat. Well Delia ate, Ash seemed to suck as much food as he could into his mouth. She may love her son, but his eating habits were not to her liking.

"Slow down before you choke, honey; you still have a bit before you have to be at Professor Oak's lab. Nine o'clock right?" she asked as Ash swallowed the food in his mouth. He smiled brightly, knowing that he needed to work on his table manners. He confirmed her assumption though, and the duo continued their breakfast. Small talk here and there as Delia made sure Ash was prepared to leave. While a bit annoyed, Ash understood that she only questioned him so much because she loved him. When it got to the subject of his you-know-whats though, Ash decided to draw the line a little.

"Yes mom, please don't ask that question again. Anyway, I have to go, it's almost time," Ash said as he got up and put away his plate. His mom sighed, getting up as well before quickly embracing him. Ash smiled sadly, holding her back, He knew this had to be tough on her.

"I'll be safe, I promise. Besides, I'm stopping by after I get my pokemon," Ash told her, pulling away and looking her right in the face. Delia nodded, but even so it was difficult to know that in just a few hours, her baby boy would be on his way. Saying goodbye again, Ash made his way out and in the direction of the lab.

Coming upon the entrance gate, Ash pushed his way through a large crowd, rolling his eyes as he hears the chants for Gary. He runs up the hill and makes it to the front entrance, as the other three trainers all watch him.

"Late as always huh Ashy Boy? Got to do better than that if you hope to keep up with me," Gary exclaimed arrogantly.

"You know I'll do loads better than you Gare-Bear," Ash yelled, causing Gary to frown. The two definitely knew how to get under each other's skin. Before he could retort though, the girl next to him spoke up. She wore a pink knee-length skirt with a green tee and a white hat with the pokeball insignia.

"Can both of you cool it? Not even lunch time and you two are already at each other's throats," she said sternly, causing both boys to frown but back off. Gary being the pettier of the two, shoved Ash and walked over to the fourth person. He sulked at being scolded like a child and started muttering under his breath. Like before, Leaf stepped in before Ash could continue the fight and calmed him down.

"Thanks Leaf, I needed your dose of reality," Ash said, still peeved at Gary for his attitude. While once upon a time Ash and Gary were great friends, but as they grew so did their rivalry. Gary though, being the grandson of the professor and being that his dad is Champion of the Kanto Champion League, grew an ego problem bigger than a durant infestation. Leaf merely smiled kindly before striking casual conversation.

"So have you finally decided which pokemon you're going to choose?" she asked as she rocked on her feet and looked at Ash intently. Ash stayed silent at first, deciding the best way to approach the question.

"Hello? Earth to Ash? You in there, buddy?" Leaf joked, making Ash smile and herself smirk in satisfaction. Ash decided to go for broke since there was only one way to approach this. His answer was simple. "No."

"No what? That you aren't in there? I think that's been established," Leaf commented, continuing to tease Ash as he playfully shoved her before turning serious once more.

"I mean no, I don't know which starter I'm choosing. I won't know until the moment comes for me to choose," Ash said, leaving Leaf quite shocked. The duo stood in silence, listening to Gary boast to the other poor soul about him winning next year's league and leaving everyone behind. Eventually, the door opened, and Professor Oak stepped out, smiling to everyone.

"Ah! Welcome, you four are here to choose your starter pokemon right?" the Professor asked, slightly surprised that all of them were here on time.

"Of course, Gramps! Can we cut the semantics? I want my pokemon," Gary replied, much to the man's annoyance. After reprimanding him for his impatience and rudeness, the professor let everyone in.

"Now then, I assume everyone is ready to go, so I will briefly go through certain items that I think need to be readdressed," Oak said. And he did, as he touched upon a few basic rules and tips that everyone needed to hear. The pokedex serves as one's ID, as well as many other functions that would be of great use throughout one's journey. Many laws severely punish the poor care and mistreatment of pokemon. And finally came the big news that the professor needed to reveal.

"Now then, each of you will get your very own starter pokemon, but as there are four of you, I did not have enough of the three main starters ready to begin journeying with each of you," the Professor explained. "Because of this, I had to choose a different pokemon as the fourth option. I will warn you, this one is not as easy to handle so think carefully before choosing."

After that, the man flipped a switch at a small station and four pokeballs rose on a platform, each one with a special sticker on it, denoting the type of the pokemon within. From left to right; grass, fire, water, and finally electric. Ash became even more intrigued upon seeing the lightning bolt sticker on the fourth pokemon. Not only was this pokemon apparently more difficult to handle, but it was an electric type. Still, the other regular starters were good choices as well, and he always had a more specific interest in squirtles.

"Right, well I believe ladies should go first. Leaf, please choose the pokemon you would like," the Professor motioned towards the pokeballs. Hesitant at first, Leaf walked up and almost immediately picked up the one with the leaf sticker.

An obvious choice, but now Ash could no longer choose Bulbasaur. While not upset, there was still a small pang of regret since that could've been his. Quickly moving on though, Ash was still unsure of what pokemon to choose, the three before him were all good options. Before he knew it though, the other unnamed boy went up and chose Charmander. Now there was only Squirtle, and the mysterious fourth pokemon to choose from. A loud groan interrupted his thoughts.

"Come on Gramps! Why are you making me wait?! Squirtle could've been chosen by now," Gary whined, making Ash wince. The Professor sighed, knowing that while his grandson was highly intelligent, his manners and attitude still needed to mature.

"It is precisely because of your impatience that I am making you wait. You must learn to wait and respect the time of others, because not all life revolves around you," the Professor explained before turning to Ash. "Now, if you would like Ash, you may choose next."

Ash smiled softly, but then frowned. He could very easily choose Squirtle right now. It was the pokemon he wanted the most to begin with, and it would feel so good to rub it in Gary's face that he got the water type instead. Ash's frown deepened. That wasn't the type of person Ash was though, and despite how easily he could Ash didn't find it in his heart to be so cruel to Gary. They may be rivals, and Gary may be a real asshole sometimes, but this was still the start of his journey as well. Why sour it by taking the one pokemon he so clearly wanted? Knowing in his heart how he truly felt about the situation, Ash walked up and took the ball with a lightning bolt on it. Besides, if Ash could become friends with this pokemon then he could become friends with them all. He looked up and saw Gary take Squirtle off the station, smirking like he knew something they didn't.
"And saving the best for last. Thanks Gramps! I know we'll be on our way soon so see ya! Smell ya later Ashy-boy," Gary taunted, laughing as he left the lab, tossing the pokeball up in the air repeatedly. The Professor sighed once more before wishing everyone good luck.

"Oh, and Ash, if you wouldn't mind staying behind a bit. I think it best if you become acquainted with your new partner here, rather than outside," Oak advised, to which Ash agreed. Saying goodbye to Leaf and promising to battle the next time they saw one another; Leaf left the lab followed by the fourth trainer.

Smiling, the Professor gestured for Ash to release the pokemon, and Ash did so without hesitation. Emerging from the blinding light is a small, yellow rodent with a lightning shaped tail and red circles on its cheeks. Ash stared for a moment before smiling wide. Using Dexter, he listened to the information on his new partner.

"Pikachu, the Mouse Pokemon. Pikachu is sometimes struck by lightning, as it raises its tail to check on its surroundings. Pulling on said tail will lead to Pikachu attacking the culprit. This Pikachu is male and knows the moves Tail Whip, Thundershock, and Quick Attack. It has an egg move that can be unlocked," Dexter droned on. Ash was seriously impressed and knew even more so now that he had made the right choice. Looking up from Dexter, he was surprised to see the professor on the floor, static coming off him every few seconds. Rushing to him, Ash helped the older man off the floor and to a seat.

"Part of the reason this Pikachu is hard to control is because he doesn't like to be in his pokeball, but I can't let him roam because he tends to fry or eat my circuits and wires," the Professor explained. Ash understood but wasn't sure how to approach this. Trying to be strict might lead to more mistrust, and more shocking.

"Another theory I believe may be a reason is that Pikachu just has had bad experiences with humans," Oak said.

"Though I have nothing to back this up, he was very wary of me when I had first caught him," the Professor explained. This prompted Ash to question why he would even think about giving Pikachu to one of them.

"Because my boy, nothing would be better for a pokemon than for it to experience the special bond of being a trainers first pokemon," Oak explained. Ash could see some truth to this and looking at Pikachu, he really did feel such happiness and pride in knowing that it was his. Slowly approaching the pokemon, Ash knelt and smiled at it.

"Hi Pikachu! My name is Ash, and I'm your trainer. I promise not to put you back in the pokeball if you behave," Ash pleaded. While not exactly a guarantee of trust, it would earn him some leeway hopefully. The small mouse seemed to size him up, and determined he was being truthful. It wouldn't misbehave, but it also wouldn't really obey the trainer just yet. He had to prove himself.

"Well at least he hasn't shocked you, yet," Oak said, getting up to walk Ash out of the lab. As they walked out, Pikachu reluctantly walked behind them, knowing that either way he would be going with the boy. Better to do it outside of the pokeball. The Professor opened the door and followed Ash out of the lab as they began walking down the hill.

"Normally I wouldn't allow someone to start with a disobedient pokemon," Oak explained. "But I know from experience that you will be able to tame this pikachu in no time."

Ash thanked the Professor for his belief and appraisal, though he found it odd that the man said Ash specifically. He looked down at Pikachu who was scampering around before it noticed Ash. It turned its head away and pretended to ignore Ash. It would not be "tamed" by this person. Just because he was forced to follow it around does not mean he would have to listen. Ash frowned, knowing that the pikachu would be a handful.

Hearing lots of talk and cheering, Ash looked down to see his mother and a small crowd at the foot of the hill. Smiling he ran to everyone hugging his mom.

"Oh Ash, so many people wanted to see you off, well we felt it only right to come to you," Delia said, handing Ash his bag full of supplies.

"Now don't forget everything we talked about this morning okay?" Delia asked rhetorically, looking down and hugging her son closely. She held him for a moment, knowing that this would be the last hug she'd be able to give for the next few months. She pulled back, as tears started to slowly trickle down the side of her face. Ash smiled sadly, as he hugged his mom of his own accord.

"I'll be alright. I may not know exactly how, but I know what I need to do," Ash said, letting go of his mom and looking down at Pikachu. "Hopefully he'll help me along the way."

Pikachu for his part merely observed everything. He didn't know what to make of the human yet, but so far he couldn't say he hated what he saw. Pikachu cried out though as Ash's mom picked him up and began to cuddle with him, much to his disdain. When it became clear that she wouldn't let go, Pikachu became angry and his cheeks began to spark. Professor Oak quickly yelped and backed up as Ash's mom and everyone else was zapped. Ash let out a sigh as he looked at everyone next to him on the floor. They had lots of work cut out for them.

****(*)****

Ash was walking along Route 1, looking at his Pokedex and trying to figure out all its functions. So far he'd only been able to unlock the most basic stuff, such as scanning his pokemon or giving details of the route he was currently on. Route 1 was full of pidgey's and rattata's, but other pokemon had been seen on rare occurrences. Lately a flock of spearow had flown in and while not as common as its tamer counterpart, they were still more common than the evolved forms of both pokemon. Glancing at the time, Ash saw it was nearly one, so he decided to move to a clearing and set up camp. He glanced at Pikachu, who was reluctantly following behind him. Sitting on a rock, Ash pulled out a canister and a small bowl. Opening the canister, he poured out the food and set it down for Pikachu, then likewise, took out a sandwich for himself. Pikachu sniffed the food, unsure of what to do.

"It's not much, but it's food," Ash said, biting into his sandwich. Pikachu took a small bite and chewed. It wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't terrible either.

The two ate in relative silence. Ash had yet to gain Pikachu's full confidence and Ash knew it wasn't going to happen in one day. Thinking about it, the pokedex had said Pikachu currently knew Thundershock, Quick Attack, Tail Whip, and Charm. A decent moveset for this stage in their journey, but Pikachu would need to learn another move if he hoped to take on tougher opponents. It wouldn't hurt to capture a new pokemon, either. Unlike his rival, Ash didn't plan out his entire team before he started. He had some ideas on Pokemon he wouldn't mind capturing, but nothing was set in stone. Today proved that much. Pikachu had only briefly crossed Ash's mind for pokemon to capture, much less for it to be his starter. From the pokemon on the route, pidgey seemed like a good option. While not immediately strong, Ash had seen what its final evolution Pidgeot, was capable of in the Ranch. Mind made up, Ash cleaned up and prepared to move on.

"Keep an eye out for any bird pokemon, hopefully we can add a friend to the team," Ash said, hoping Pikachu was willing to help after being fed. Pikachu merely walked forward, so Ash followed suit. It was some time before Pikachu stopped, his ears twitching as it looked to the right. Ash stopped as well and looked over, and lo and behold a Pidgey was hidden among the grass.

"Alright Pikachu! Thanks for helping, now let's go capture it," Ash said, creeping forward as he kept an eye on the pokemon. He didn't want to scare it away after all. Pikachu followed, slightly annoyed at the boy's antics. When they were a few feet away, Ash looked down at Pikachu, asking for its help. The mouse considered it for a moment, and reluctantly agreed.

"Alright, get in close with Quick Attack and use a Thundershock to paralyze it," Ash commanded, and Pikachu scoffed. Why waste its electricity when it could simply attack head on? Running away as a white light trailed behind it, Pikachu rammed its body into the tiny bird, dazing it for a second.

"Pikachu! That's not what I said, use your Thunderschock!" Ash exclaimed indignantly, running closer to observe the battle. Pikachu rolled its eyes before unleashing a small current of electricity towards the bird. This pidgey though seemed experienced in battling and kicked up sand to cancel out Pikachu's attack.

Pikachu was shocked, thinking the bird was too dumb and weak to counter his attack. This had proved his point though that it'd be better for him to not waste electricity.

"Alright Pikachu use Charm to distract it," Ash said, pointing straight towards the pidgey. Once again though Pikachu disobeyed and used Tail Whip. It needed to lower the pidgey's defense first and this could be a distraction as well.

Ash cried out, looking upset and trying to scold Pikachu for disobeying. Things were not going well after all, and they would only get worse. Pikachu, tired of the boy's cries, looked back and yelled. He knew what he was doing, the boy should just let him be. Before he could turn back around though, Pikachu was struck from behind as the pidgey rammed its glowing wings. Pikachu was sent tumbling straight to Ash, and before Ash could react, the Pidgey flapped its wings and started a mini sandstorm. Blinded, Ash did his best to search for Pikachu, but ultimately waited until everything settled down. As the dust cleared and Ash looked around, he wasn't surprised to find the pidgey gone. Seeing that Pikachu was missing as well though, that worried Ash.

"Pikachu!" Ash called, looking around as he grabbed his bag. "Pikachu where did you go?"

Thirty minutes later and Ash had yet to find the little mouse. This was terrible! How could he be a Pokemon Master if he couldn't even take care of his starter? All that time trying to decide, the lack of sleep he had last night, all the anticipation and anxiousness he had for this journey had all been for nothing! Sighing, Ash slid into a crouch at the base of a tree. Hanging his head in dejection, Ash thought about the others that had started their journey today as well. The fourth teen he didn't know all too well. He grew up on the outskirts of Pallet, and his family owned a small general store. Leaf, well Leaf wouldn't be happy that he was giving up. But what was he supposed to do? He'd be considered a laughingstock if he returned to Pallet in his current situation, and the one leading the charge would be none other than Gary Oak.

Heh, Ash couldn't help but have a fire swell inside him when he thought about his rival. They had grown up as brothers, but as they grew closer to this day, Gary let the fame of his parents, and his grandfather inflate his own ego. Gary started acting like he was king of the world. Granted, the young Oak knew very well who Ash's dad was, but that only helped to fuel Gary's desire to belittle Ash and beat him in everything. It aggravated Ash to no end. If there were two things Ash didn't like in this world, one of them was for sure losing to Gary. Confidence rising back up, Ash smiled. Ash had pokeballs. He was a trainer! He would catch another pokemon on his own. Jumping up, he pumped his fist and turned his cap backwards, then yelled in determination.

****(*)****

Pikachu looked down at the boy as he searched frantically, calling out his name. Served the boy right to be worried and anxious for him. He knew what to do in that battle; if the teen had just let Pikachu do things on his own he would've won. Regardless, he was quite content relaxing in the branches of the tree. He picked some fruit and began to it. He'd reveal himself eventually: After all, Pikachu was still tied to the wretched ball the teen wore on his waist. Looking down it seemed the boy had given up, and was slouching against the very tree he was in. Oh well. Minutes passed, and Pikachu was startled when Ash jumped up and started to yell. Annoyed, it threw one of the fruit cores at the teen.

****(*)****

Looking up, Ash was surprised to see Pikachu up in the tree looking down at him.

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, smiling wide, excited that he had finally found the small electric mouse. Yelling for the mon to come down, Ash was surprised when Pikachu didn't. Instead it looked away, as if annoyed, and resumed eating.

"Come on Pikachu, we have to keep going if we want to make it to Viridian by tomorrow," Ash said, slightly confused by the pokemon's action. Even more so, it looked like it would rain that night, so Ash knew they would need to find shelter. Still though Pikachu ignored Ash, this time yawning and preparing for a nap. Ash finally understood that Pikachu wasn't going to listen to him. What was he going to do? Ash knew he could simply put Pikachu in his ball and that would be the end of that, but then how would Pikachu trust him? How could he form a bond with him? Ash was determined though. He knew that if he could catch a pokemon without Pikachu, then Pikachu would see how competent Ash was. Was his logic flawed, maybe? But Ash needed to prove himself. He needed to show Pikachu just what kind of trainer he was.

"Fine! Stay up there and sleep," Ash told the mouse. "I'm not going to be cruel and send you to your ball, but I also don't need you! I'll show you that I'm competent."

Pikachu merely cared about the part with the Pokeball. So, he wouldn't force him in it? Strange, but then again, the teen did seem to be missing a few screws. He watched as Ash looked around in the tall grass. Was he seriously going to try and catch a pokemon on his own? The mouse noticed some feathers pointing up in the distance, and apparently so did Ash.

Picking up a rock, the teen chunked it as hard as he could at the pokemon. Smirking as he saw it strike, he quickly picked up another, prepared to throw it again. The bird looked up, and Ash gulped. What he had presumed to be another pidgey, was actually a spearow, and it looked very angry. Cawing, it flew towards Ash, beak glowing and eyes gleaming with malicious intent. It would put this human in his place and spilling the humans guts seemed the ideal way to do so.

Ash turned and ran, knowing that his best chance was to hopefully escape the bird. Before he got too far though, Pikachu ran by and towards the spearow. Turning, Ash glimpsed the moment Pikachu unleashed a Thundershock on the aggressive avian. It crashed into the ground and went limp. Ash was stunned, though that lasted all of two seconds when he felt a shock course through his body. Pikachu couldn't believe the stupidity of his trainer and made it obvious that he disagreed with his decision. Looking towards Pikachu, Ash smiled. It confused the small mouse, making him want to shock the teen even more. Before he could though, his ears perked and he turned to see the spearow get up, angrier than before, and a clear desire to kill both of them in its eyes. Opening its beak wide, it let out a great screech repeatedly. Ash's hairs tingled as he could feel the tension in the air, and Pikachu's ears persistently twitched, signaling that something was coming. A minute had gone by and both were anxious to see what would happen. Then, a giant black mass emerged from behind a tree in the distance. Several screeches and caws could be heard, as they picked up in volume and quantity. Ash froze for a second, before realizing his best option was to run. Looking down, he was going to tell Pikachu the same before noticing the mouse was already gone. Looking ahead, he could see the small, yellow mouse running along the path as rain began to fall.

Ash's body acted on its own accord, giving a response to the dire situation he was in. It responded to the instinct of survival, as there was no fight option in this scenario. One could only run, and fear. While normally not as fast as the pikachu species, Ash's desire pushed his body to new limits. His muscles ached as they swelled with each new step, as Ash continued to push himself. He caught up to the tiny mouse and ran alongside it, not daring to look back. The cacophony of noise produced by the giant mass of birds grew louder and louder, as if a slumbering monster had been awoken and was making its way towards the two. Ash pushed himself more, knowing that he couldn't fall back, that he couldn't relax for a second in this situation. He remembered stories of various trainers meeting their demise in the wild, he did not want to be another story.

He slowly passed the small mouse surprisingly, and had he taken a second to analyze the situation, he would've seen the faintest hint of blue. His lungs froze with each new intake of air, as the wind and rain pelted his face and the noise reached new levels. He knew the flock was right behind him. Then he stumbled, not because of a tree root or the slick ground, but from shock. Looking back, he could see all the spearow swarming Pikachu, and despite its advantage with Thundershock, there were just too many. One after another they struck Pikachu with their wings, beaks, talons, whatever was available or usable. Wing Attack, Peck, dark auras all struck Pikachu, and Ash moved. With his bag he swung and hit birds down, more than likely crippling them as they fell to the ground. Picking up the small Pokemon he ran once more, not only for his life, but that of his partners. Ash felt like he had run miles and miles, his body burning and his breath short and sharp as he gasped for air. He saw a cliff ahead but knew that his options were limited. Charging forward and drawing as big a breath as his heaving lungs allowed him, he jumped and plunged into the icy water of the creek below.

The spearow cawed angrily, knowing that they could not follow the human and its rat, but they would not give up. Breaking into multiple groups, they began to search for signs of the human resurfacing.

****(*)****

Misty Waterflower II was hastily putting away all her fishing equipment and the multiple rods she was using. The storm had come faster than she had thought, and she needed to escape. Luckily, she had her bike that would help her reach Viridian, or at least some shelter from the rain, quickly. As she moved to put away the last rod, she felt a tug, and an internal battle waged on. On one hand the storm was worsening, on another, she could lose a potential ally. Letting her love for water-type pokemon get the best of her, Misty pulled and pulled as hard as she could. The rod was struggling, and the weight she was feeling was big, meaning she possibly could've have snagged one of the rare encounters on the route such as a poliwhirl, or better yet, a gyarados. Pulling up with all her might, Misty fell back when out of the creek came not a pokemon, but a boy. In that boy's arms was a small, yellow mouse, and both were shivering and coughing up quite a storm. As they each gasped for the sweet treasure of air, the boy sat up wildly looking around before sighing.

"Oh my gosh are you okay?" Misty asked, clearly shocked by what had happened. Although Ash would've liked to say no, he knew that Pikachu was in worse condition, and needed medical attention.

"Spearow… chased… Pikachu… hurt," Ash said in between gasps of air. The girl looked at the two, very worried about the trainer's pikachu. She began to dig in her bag for potions and whatever other medicine she could to help, the pokemon would need everything she had.

Ash was slowly regaining his breath, though his body still ached from the overexertion it had just endured. Finally, he could relax. Looking over, the girl seemed to be pulling out various medicines to help them, which reminded him of his own. Carefully moving around so as not to disturb Pikachu, Ash shook his bag off before he heard an unmistakable noise; a caw and screech so ingrained in his memory, that his blood froze, and his heart stopped for the slightest second. The girl knew well what this sound was and knew it meant danger was coming. Ash looked around, saw the girl's bike, and resolved himself then that he was not going to involve her in this mess. Quickly getting up, he muttered an apology before placing Pikachu in the front basket and pedaling as fast as he could. Misty cried after him, before covering herself as she felt a horde of spearow fly by her. Some were too close, and scratched her, but she was not their prey. Looking ahead, she prayed for the boy and his pikachu.

****(*)****

Ash wanted to cry out, he really did, but he also needed to keep going. To save himself, to save Pikachu. As he rode up a small hill he frowned when he noticed how much he had slowed down. Unable to stop, Ash pushed forward, as the spearow began to catch up to him. He finally reached the top when the first of the spearow caught up to him and began to attack. More and more of the angry birds began to attack, and Ash tried his best to shield them both and pedal. It proved to be too much though and Ash crashed into the ground as he lost control of the bike. Pikachu went flying away and Ash held his arm as it surged with pain. The burning sensation meant that Ash had scraped it, and badly by the look of things. The birds continued to assault him, and he saw Pikachu cry as another part of the flock flew towards the mouse. Ash needed to protect Pikachu, but how? As he crawled forward, Pikachu's pokeball became unclipped and rolled forward. The realization of what Ash needed to do was tearing him apart, because he knew Pikachu would not want to be put in the ball. Reaching the mouse, Ash shielded him as best as he could, and looked down at the injured mouse.

"I need you to get in the ball buddy," Ash said softly, as the spearow scratched and pecked at his back, causing it to bleed. Ash continued to plead as he protected Pikachu. "I know you don't like it, but I need you to get in so I can keep you safe."

With that, Ash placed the ball by the mouse and started lashing out violently. Smacking and kicking any and all birds that he could to keep them at bay. Pikachu, with what little strength it had, shocked them all, causing the nearest birds to fall and the rest to back away. Ash cared for him, so he needed to help as well.

"Pikachu, get in the ball!" Ash pleaded, falling to a knee. He looked and saw that the spearow were eyeing them warily, knowing that they were afraid of another shock. They were scared, and Ash knew it. It created a resolve in him to stand, albeit barely. He looked up, turned his cap backwards, inwardly surprised he still had it, and stared down at the birds.

"Spearow! Listen to me!" Ash exclaimed, finding more resolve in their rising screeches. He would not back down.

"Do you know who I am? My name is Ash Ketchum, of Pallet Town," Ash yelled! His voice raised, cracking slightly from the stress as he continued, "I am going to become the greatest Pokemon Master there ever was, and I will not lose to the likes of you."

"I will capture every single one of you," Ash said calmly, his eyes hardening with determination. "I will not fail!"

With the last remark, Ash charged, as did the spearow. Feeling a weight traveling up his body, Ash's eyes widened in horror as Pikachu leaped off his shoulders, cheeks sparkling. A glow surrounded the two very briefly and Pikachu charged up his attack. The electricity in the air built up rapidly, and in a mighty boom, Pikachu unleashed multiple arcs of lightning, shocking everything around him and causing a giant explosion. The explosion sent them all flying in various directions, multiple spearow fried from the heat of the explosion and the electricity surging through their bodies. Ash himself felt his body burn and sting and he heard the thud of Pikachu falling beside him. Looking over, he smiled but cringed in pain as the small mouse gently licked his singed face.

The clouds cleared, as if all the negative energy had been dispensed and all the tension released with that move. Ash had never seen anything like it, as it was no ordinary thunderbolt or thunder. Looking into the sky, Ash saw a brilliant rainbow as the sun set before him. He then glanced down the hill and saw the signs of Viridian's outskirts.

"We made it buddy," Ash said gently, as he held Pikachu closely. Hearing a soothing cry, the duo looked up and saw a majestic great bird flying in the sky, its beautiful tail feathers releasing waves that seemed to envelop the whole area. A feather fell straight to Ash, and he held it in his hand. A warmth enveloped the two and most of their injuries seem to be healed. Once again turning to Pikachu, he smiled softly wondering what pokemon that could have been. Pikachu licked his cheek, and both closed their eyes, darkness overtaking them.

****(*)****

Well there it is. I know there are probably still some mistakes, but this has almost 7000 words of story that I've changed quite a bit over the past year.

If any of you remember the original, quite a bit has changed. I wanted to keep true to Ash's core character but also tweak some of his secondary traits. Overall I think what I have is an Ash that is similar to the Ash of the anime, but also quite different. It helps that I made him 15, so the maturity he has is easier to explain. Even so he is still a teenager, so he still has a lot to grow and learn. He still makes plenty of mistakes, and in the right conditions, acts without thinking. Overall though Ash is good-natured, he is kind, and he cares for his friends and family. So I hope I captured that much of him.

Hopefully you guys enjoyed. For now, I'll say this is a two-shot. I won't say it's complete just yet but it doesn't mean that can't change, but it doesn't mean it will. I make no promises because I know that for as much as I want to hold true to what my bio says, I can't. I'm older, have more responsibilities, and to be honest, I might just not be cut out for this. Once again though, I hope you enjoyed, and I hope this helped your day.

AcePotterBlaziken63, out!