The night before Ash was set to receive his first Pokémon Ash was having trouble going to sleep. He was thinking, 'It's finally here, the day that I get to begin my Pokémon journey, and my first step to becoming a Master of Dark-Types. I wonder what kind of Pokémon I should choose...there's the
fire-type Charmander, which evolves into Charizard, a Fire and Flying type Pokémon. That'd be a good choice for me as Flying types can counteract the weakness that a Dark type has against Fighting types. Then there's Bulbasaur, a pretty good all-rounder and it can also stop fighting type attacks with moves like Vine Whip. Squirtle is out of the question, it evolves into the super-slow Blastoise. Ah well, I guess that I might as well just decide between the two by de-petalling a flower tomorrow. Now...off to sleep...zzzz '

At 10 o'clock the next day Delia called out "Ash, if you don't get up now you're not going to be able to receive a Pokémon from professor oak!"

Ash's eyes shot open as he thought 'That's today!' he then threw the quilt off his bed and, grabbing a piece of toast off the kitchen bench, blasted through the front door and ran, still in his pyjamas, to Professor Oak's Laboratory in the hopes that there was still one Pokémon left for him to choose from. When he got there it was to see Gary leaving Professor Oak's Laboratory, kissing a Pokéball as he was surrounded by cheering 'fans'. Ash went up to him and asked, "So Gary, did you get a Pokémon too?"

"Yeah, I sure did Ashy-boy, and if you'd been on time you'd know that I got the best one!"

"The best one! What was that?"

"Hah, you snooze you lose, later Ashy-boy."

Ash growled in irritation as Gary drove off in a car with an entire cheer squad as passengers.

As Ash was about to yell something at Gary's disappearing car Professor Oak came out of the gates to his Lab and took a step back in alarm as he said, "Ash! You're here!"

"Well, yeah, this is the day that I've been waiting for for most of my life."

"Well...I'm sorry, but there are no more starter Pokémon here."

"Huh?"

"Well, they all got taken by trainers that, like Gary, were on time."

"Oh come on, I've just got to have a Pokémon...I don't care what it is!"

"Well, alright, if you come back in half an hour I'll see what I can do."

"Alright, thanks Professor, you have no idea what this means to me!"

"Alright alright, just get going now."

Alright, be back in half an hour."

As Ash left Professor Oak sighed to himself as he thought 'jeez, now just what am I supposed to do now? There's no starter Pokémon here, nor is there any at the starter breeding centre that I use. And I certainly can't give Ash someone else's Pokémon...if only I had caught that Pikachu that I saw the other day...Well, I suppose that I could always try one of the other Kanto breeding centre's...' with that thought in mind Professor Oak called every Kanto breeding centre, but each of them gave the same reply 'sorry, but we can't give you any, they aren't of a high enough level yet.' With that avenue denied him, Professor Oak went to his backup plan, calling his various contacts from different regions in the hopes that they might have one. Professor Oak decided to go with his newest acquaintance, Professor Juniper from the Unova Region. He dialled in the number of the Pokémon Research Laboratory in Nuvema Town, hoping that the professor was indeed there, as she was known for going off and doing field research. When the vid-phone was picked up on the other end Professor Oak said, "Professor Juniper, you're there!"

"Yes, it's good to hear from you professor, I read your article in Pokémon Professor's Monthly, your theory about Eevee and it's evolutionary capabilities was very interesting."

"Why thank you, your dissertation of variation based on location was just as riveting. But that's not why I called you now."

"It's not?"

"No, you see one of the new trainers got here late today and I am currently unable to supply him with a Pokémon for him to begin his journey with."

"I see, that's terrible, so what can I do about it?"

"Well, I was hoping that you could transfer over one of the starter Pokémon from your region."

"I see. Well, I'm sorry, but I don't have any right now, we just gave all of ours away to new trainers as well."

"I see. Well then I won't bother you on this matter any further."

"Although..."

"Yes!"

"Well, we had this Deino walk in to our lab the other day and it is on a level that a normal starting Pokémon would be on."

"Deino? What is that Pokémon?"

"Ah yes, out databases are yet to be added to those in your region of the world, aren't they?"

"Indeed, damn those pirates."

"Yes I agree, well anyway, Deino is the unevolved version of Hydreigon, the Unova Region's equivalent to Kanto's Dragonite."

"I see...can you tell me anything more about this Pokémon?"

"Why certainly. It's a Dark type Pokémon with a subsidiary Dragon type."

"A Dark type! Send it over immediately."

"Why is it being a dark-type important?"

"Yes, this Pokémon is going to go to a trainer called Ash Ketchum, he's always wanted to specialise in Dark type Pokémon so this is a brilliant situation."

"Alright, I'll transfer it right away," Professor Juniper said as she ran from the vid-phone to the room in her lab that contained the Pokéballs, retrieved the one containing Deino and then returned to the room with the vid-phone in it and placed the ball in the Pokémon Transfer Device and then sent it to Professor Oak. When it was done she said, "Alright Professor Oak, I just sent it over."

When the Pokémon Transfer Device in Professor Oak's Laboratory had a flash of energy surge from it and a Pokéball had materialised Professor Oak said, "Thank you, I just received it. Well, if ever you have something to discuss you can call me anytime."

"Thank you Professor, I might just take you up on that. Well, goodbye for now."

"Yes, see you later."

As the Professor was bidding Professor Juniper farewell Ash came bursting into the room and hyperactively demanded, "So, do you have a Pokémon for me Professor Oak?"

"Why yes Ash, I do indeed, and you'll like this one a whole lot more than you would have any of the normal starters."

"Really? Why is that Professor Oak?"

"Because Ash, it's a Dark type from a little known region that has lots of Pokémon not seen in this part of the world."

"Really! I suppose in my studies I only really focused on Pokémon and their attacks from here in Kanto and the other nearby regions."

"Yes well I'm not surprised, like I said, not many people from Kanto even know that the Unova Region exists!"

"Well, alright then. So, what Pokémon did you get me?"

"It's called a Deino. It's a Dark type Pokémon that also has the traits of a dragon type. I just received its Pokéball before you came in," Professor Oak said as he retrieved the Pokéball.

As Ash received it he profusely thanked the Professor for doing such a thing for him. Professor Oak told him to get going before Ash said, "Alright, see you later Professor," as he rushed out of the Lab, still in his pyjamas. When he exited through the gates to Professor Oak's Laboratory he found that his mother and all of her friends were there to send him off. Jessica, a co-ordinator that also just received her first Pokémon, was there as well. Ash, ignoring all of the other people that were there, turned to Jessica and asked, "Hey Jessie, what're you doing still here?"

"What do you mean by that Ash? How could you have forgotten?" Jessica replied, a teardrop appearing at the side of her left eye.

"Forgotten? Forgotten what?"

"You know, the promise that we made under the willow tree."

Delia, knowing the tree that they were talking about, saw red as she said, "Ash Ketchum! What have I told you about going near that tree!"

Ash gulped in fear as he foresaw the rant that his mother was about to go on. Trying to pre-empt her Ash said, "Uhh...what's that bag that you've got there?"

"Oh! This?" Delia asked, hefting the bag in her arms.

"Yeah, that's pretty much the only thing that I could be referring to. Isn't it?"

"Well...now that you mention it...Well no matter, it's your bag that has everything that you'll need on your journey. I've packed spare shirts, spare jeans, socks...oh yes, your spare underwear along with clothes washing detergent some plastic plates so you can't break anythi..."

Ash whined, "Mum, you're embarrassing me."

"Yes well I'm sorry, but I just worry about you."

"Well, thanks, but I think that we'll get going now."

"'We'? What do you mean 'we'?"

"Well, that's the agreement that Jessie and I were talking about. Before we go through the Kanto region we're heading through the Hoenn region first."

"Hoenn? Why is that honey?"

"Well, there's really not that many Dark type Pokémon here in Kanto, so I figured that, since the Hoenn Region has the most Dark type Pokémon I'd go through there first, and Jessie decided to go through there as well since the Pokémon contests there are considered more prestigious than the ones here."

"Oh, I see...but wait a minute, you'll need boat tickets to get to the Hoenn Region."

"I know, that's why both Jessie and I have been saving up our money for this past year, then we bought the tickets last week."

"I see...well good luck on both of your journeys."

"Thanks, see ya later," Ash waved as he started to walk off.

Jessie, with a bright red face, yelled, "Ash, we're not going anywhere just yet!"

Ash turned to look at his friend and asked, "Why not?"

"Even if you seem to be alright with it, I refuse to leave Pallet Town with someone that hasn't changed out of his pyjamas!"

Ash looked down at what he was wearing and gulped, saying "Your right, sorry," before rushing back into the professors lab to get dressed. When he re-emerged he was wearing a pair of black jeans, a black t-shirt and a black ankle-length coat that had detachable sleeves, and, most importantly, no hat. When he got back down to the gates he found that the crowd had dissipated, leaving only Jessica remaining. He said, "That better Jessie?"

Jessie smiled as she said, "Much, now, let's go, our boat leaves from South Pallet Town Port at twelve o'clock tomorrow, it's probably going to take us the rest of the day just to get there."

Ash said, "Yeah, you're right, let's go," as they started heading south, to Pallet Town Port.