(Oak was sitting in his chair in his lab. He stretched his arms and slouched into the chair.)
(It had been a few hours, and he was finally finished with his report.)
(It's been pretty busy for him, with the League business and the experiments and research they asked him to do.)
(But he chose this, and hey, it is a lot better than when he was Champion.)
(Yeah… never again.)
(He sure was glad he'd decided to retire, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't sometimes miss it.)
(As he was lost in thought, suddenly he heard his phone ring.)
(He sighed as he got up and walked over to the three Poké Balls he had set on a table, the starters he was preparing to give out to Ash, Green, and Gary.)
(He picked up the phone and brought it to his ear.)
Oak: "Hello—"
(Then he heard the voice on the other side, the same one that had been calling him for the past few months.)
Oak: "No... how many times do I have to tell you this? No means no, th—"
(He was cut off.)
Oak: "...How much?"
(He sighed.)
Oak: "Fine. When can he come get it?"
(Oak had to hold himself back from punching his own face.)
(Seriously, getting bribed? He was getting washed up, and he knew it.)
(The old him would have hung up and had his Dragonite fly over to that person's house and tell him no directly.)
(He shook his head and looked at the three Poké Balls on the table.)
(He knew which Pokémon the kids were planning on choosing.)
(Green wanted Bulbasaur, and unlike Ash, she didn't have an extra Pokémon to help her, so that was a no.)
(Gary wanted Squirtle, and he had made that very clear.)
(He also told him that he didn't want to take that Eevee of his out on the journey yet; he wanted to get more experience first, to get the evolution he wanted.)
(So Gary was out, too.)
(That, unfortunately, left Ash... and the one he wanted: Charmander.)
(And unfortunately, that seemed to be what he had to do, even if he didn't want to.)
(He could have contacted the breeders to get a new Egg, since the starters he gives out aren't the same as the ones you can find in the wild.)
(But after Professor Sycamore and Professor Birch had requested a shipment of Kanto Royal starter eggs, they were running low.)
(And it would take way too long.)
(The best he could do was hope Ash could understand.)
(Maybe he could make it up to him and get him a new Charmander Egg once the breeders restocked.)
(So he sighed and took the Poké Ball.)
(There was something nagging at the back of his mind about this Pokémon, something he couldn't quite remember... but if he couldn't remember it, it probably wasn't important.)
(Oak sighed again as he looked over at his desk and pulled out an old picture he had drawn back when he was young.)
(It was a picture of Pikachu... and Ash, drawn over forty years ago.)
Oak: "I hope everything works out in the end..."
(he muttered as he left the lab.)
(Ash's POV)
(It was Ash's birthday.)
(His friends, Professor Oak, and Daisy had come by to wish him a happy birthday.)
(He was finally 10, and tomorrow, he'd be starting his Pokémon journey. Everyone was excited, well, almost everyone.)
(Delia tried her best to smile, but Ash could tell she was feeling a little sad.)
(Her boy was about to leave home.)
(As the cake was brought out, Daisy grinned and clapped her hands.)
Daisy: "Congratulations, Ash! Now you, Gary, and Green are all going on your journey together! So, what are you going to wish for?"
Oak: "Now, now, my dear."
(Oak cut in with a chuckle.)
Oak: "He shouldn't tell us his birthday wish, otherwise it won't come true!"
(His voice was overly cheerful, almost forced, and his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.)
(It was like he was hiding something.)
(But before Ash could think too much about that, Gary jumped in, holding a present in his hands.)
Gary: "Yeah, yeah! Blow out your candles already, so you can open your presents. But open mine first!"
(He smirked.)
Green: "Hey! No fair!"
(Green huffed, elbowing Gary.)
Green: "I want him to open mine first! I worked really hard on it!"
(Ash laughed, holding up his hands.)
Ash: "Okay, okay! Chill, guys!"
(He picked up Pikachu and set him on the table.)
Ash: "Ready, buddy?"
Pikachu: "Pika!"
(Pikachu grinned, his cheeks sparking slightly.)
(They both took a deep breath, and with a big whoosh, Ash and Pikachu blew out the candles together.)
(Later that night.)
(Ash lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, while Pikachu snuggled on his chest, softly snoozing.)
(Ash smiled, absently rubbing Pikachu's head.)
Ash [in mind]: 'Finally.'
(he thought.)
Ash [in mind]: 'the journey begins...'
(But as the excitement started to wear off, a few nagging thoughts crept in.)
Ash [in mind]: 'Wait a minute... It's just me, Gary, and Green. So... does that mean I'm getting a starter? I mean, I don't mind, but... what's going to happen to that poor abandoned Charmander?'
(He frowned a little.)
Ash [in mind]: 'I wouldn't mind having two Fire-types following me around. Fire dragons are cool, but... ahh, future me's problem not mine.'
(He yawned and shook his head, trying to relax.)
Ash [in mind]: 'Ah, I should just sleep. I might have an alarm clock, unlike the OG Ash, but even that won't help if I stay up too late and sleep through it.'
(Ash gently patted Pikachu's head, feeling his little friend's soft fur under his fingers.)
(Then he leaned back into the pillows and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.)
(The next morning...)
(Ash woke up early, feeling surprisingly refreshed.)
(He quickly got dressed, he'd chosen the same classic outfit the original Ash wore, blue jacket, black t-shirt, fingerless gloves, and all.)
(The hat had arrived in the mail from the League, just like it had in the original story.)
(Pikachu sat on the dresser, happily hugging the bottle of ketchup he'd gotten as a present.)
(He looked like he was in heaven.)
(Ash chuckled.)
Ash: "Guess I better bring extra ketchup."
(He started packing his bag, but honestly, it was mostly for show.)
(He kept most of his necessities and supplies in his storage space.)
(Once everything was ready, Ash slung his bag over his shoulder, gave Pikachu a grin and picked him up, letting him snuggle up on his shoulder, and stepped out of his room.)
(As he came down the stairs, Delia was waiting for him at the bottom.)
(Her eyes sparkled with pride, but there was a bittersweet smile on her face.)
Delia: "Ready, honey?"
(she asked softly.)
Ash: "Looks like I should be the one asking you that."
(Ash said, giving his mom a small, teasing smile.)
Ash: "You look like you're holding back tears."
(Delia sniffled and wiped at her eyes with her finger.)
Delia: "Can you really blame me? My little boy is all grown up and leaving home... I'm going to be so lonely."
(Ash sighed.)
(The truth was, he had gotten attached to Delia as his mother.)
(It felt a little sad to leave her behind like this, but he had put too much effort into his journey to stop now.)
(That didn't mean he was heartless.)
(He walked over and hugged Delia tightly.)
Ash: "I love you too, Mom. And I'm going to miss you. I promise I'll call."
(Delia smiled softly, wiping another tear away as she hugged him back.)
Delia: "I know. I love you too, Ash. You're the best son a mother could ask for."
(Pikachu's ears drooped as he hopped onto Delia's shoulder, patting her gently on the head as if trying to cheer her up.)
(Delia chuckled at the sight and gave Pikachu a hug as well.)
Delia: "Now, Pikachu."
(Delia said, gently booping his nose.)
Delia: "promise me you'll take care of Ash for me. Make sure he stays out of trouble, okay?"
(Pikachu saluted with a determined look.)
Pikachu: "Pika!"
(Delia smiled and hugged them both one last time, though she was clearly reluctant to let them go.)
Delia: "Go on now. Before Gary and Green get angry waiting for you."
(Ash nodded, giving her one more smile as he headed for the door.)
(He paused, waving back at her with a small smile, then stepped out and closed the door behind him.)
(He made his way over to Oak's lab, where he spotted Green and Gary waiting for him just outside.)
(They were both dressed differently today, Green in her game-inspired shirt and skirt, and Gary in his classic Season One clothes.)
(As Ash approached, Gary noticed him and waved.)
Gary: "Hey, took you long enough! You were almost late."
(Ash jogged up and smirked.)
Ash: "Come on, when have I ever actually been late in all the years you two have known me?"
(Pikachu, perched on Ash's shoulder, gave a little shrug and waved his paw in front of him.)
Pikachu: "Pika pika" [I mean, there have been a few close calls].
(Of course, none of them except Ash could understand Pikachu's words, thanks to his Aura, but that didn't stop Green from reaching over and hugging the little mouse tightly.)
Green: "Aww, aren't you just the cutest!"
(she cooed.)
(Still hugging Pikachu, she glanced up at Ash and Gary.)
Green: "So, how should we decide who picks their Pokémon first?"
(Ash shrugged casually.)
Ash: "You two go ahead. You got here before me, and honestly, we all know what Pokémon we're picking."
(Gary crossed his arms and smirked.)
Gary: "Yeah, fair enough. We don't even need to ask, do we?"
(Green nodded as she handed Pikachu back to Ash.)
Green: "Nope. Didn't we decide this, like, last year?"
[To Be Continued...]