Pokemon: A Ketchum Journey. Vol 1

I Choose You!

"Choose it or lose it." said Ash, sitting up in bed.

It was morning and a Dodrio was crowing as the sun rose. "Oh, hold on." Ash said in his sleep, still in bed. "Charmander. Those in the know say that's the best way to go."

"I choose you, Charmander!" shouted Ash and Charmander appears.

On the bedroom floor was Ash's broken Pokéball alarm clock. Hayley, wearing a blue short sleeved t-shirt and a pair of purple shorts, cracks the bedroom door open a bit to check on her brother. "Brothers. Can't live with them no matter what mom says." she said, shaking her brown ponytail head just as he sits up.

"Oh, no! What time is it?" asked Ash, suddenly hearing her.

"Late enough to go pick up your first Pokémon, sleepy head." said Hayley and he runs past her. Ash ran out the door in his pjs with Hayley not too far behind. "Ash! Wait for me!" Hayley called out after him.

"Squirtle...Bulbasaur...Charmander..." said Ash, not bothering to slow down for his sister. "Anyone is fine. Just please save one for me."

"Gary, Gary, he's our man. If he can't do it, no one can!" said a group of girls.

"Oh, sorry. Excuse me!" said Ash as he weaves through the crowd, holding Hayley's hand but were knocked down by Gary Oak.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" said Gary, then looks down at Ash. "Well, you must be Ash. Better late than never, I guess. At least you get the chance to meet me."

"I tried to get you up earlier, Ash." said Hayley. "But you didn't hear me the first couple times."

"It's okay. I'm not mad at you." said Ash.

"And who's this little cutie?" asked Gary, looking down at Hayley with a smile on his face.

"I'm Hayley, Ash's little sister." said Hayley, introducing herself as she glared at Gary.

"Gary?" asked Ash, standing up.

"Mr. Gary to you. Show some respect." Gary tells him.

"Huh?"

"Respect is earned, never demanded from people." muttered Hayley, crossing her arms.

"Well, Ash, you snooze, you lose, and you're way behind right from the start." said Gary, gloating. "I've got a Pokémon and you don't."

"You got your first Pokémon?" asked Ash.

"That's right and its right inside this Pokeball." said Gary as he spins the Pokeball on his finger and the cheerleaders were cheering for him again. "Thank you, fans. Thank you for this great honor. I promise you that I will become a great Pokémon master and make the town of Pallet known all over the world."

"Excuse me." said Ash.

"Yeah?" asked Gary.

"I was just wondering if you could tell me what kind of Pokémon you got." said Ash, curiously.

"None of your business." said Gary. "If you showed 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?"

He then gets into the car and faces the crowd. "Thank you for coming out to see history in the making!" Gary shouted, waving as the driver takes off. "Now I, Gary Oak, am off to learn the ways of the Pokémon trainer!"

"I'll show you." growled Ash as the crowd disappears.

"I don't like him already." said Hayley. "Even if he is the grandson of Professor Oak."