In the rural but beautiful Pallet Town, there lived a young man who was about to celebrate his tenth birthday the following day. This boy was named Ash Ketchum, and he was very happy as he watched the Pokémon tournament on his personal television in his room. He watched with glee as he could only see in awe the inspiring battle.
Pokémon have been, ever since he could remember, spoken of as friends and partners to the humans, helping them with various tasks from constructing buildings to exploration. Many people take Pokémon with them on a journey to gather Badges and to compete in the various Pokémon League as Trainers, using them in battle against Pokémon both owned by other Trainers and found in the wild.
And that was Ash's dream, to become a Pokemon Trainer to then be the first Pokemon Master to ever live. He knew of many other people that had tried, but have never succeeded in accomplishing such a goal.
His thoughts were cut as he gasped in surprise at seeing the Pokémon being released from their respective Poké Balls. He loved each and every single Pokémon, though he had to admit that Pinsir, the Stag Beetle Pokémon, was his favorite so far.
"The red trainer releases Nidorino! Just who will the blue trainer release to counter such Pokémon?!" Ash began to think, beginning to think about the other Pokémon that would be released shortly. He may be a kid in age, but he was far more intellectual than others might think. He had been to various camps related to Pokémon, and even spent a few of his available time at Samuel Oak's, the professor of the Kanto Region, studying under him.
"Maybe a Psychic-type Pokémon?" Ash questioned himself, knowing that he was not going to get answered. But he didn't care, he was enjoying the battle, the beginning of it anyway, way too much to care if he was right or wrong. But when he saw the next Pokémon, his excitement went through the roof.
"And the blue trainer releases Gengar!" Ash saw how the video focused on both Pokémon glaring at each other, and was practically jumping in his bed. He saw just how the battle started, with both Pokémon jumping straight at each other.
"And Nidorino is starting the battle with Horn Attack!" Ash could see Nidorino's horn beginning to enlarge slightly as it gained a white-ish aura around it. The Poison Pin Pokémon managed to attack the Shadow Pokémon, only for the Nidorino to pass through the Gengar as if nothing happened.
"The red trainer seemed to forget that Normal-type moves are non-effective towards Ghost-type Pokémon" Ash grumbled, his excitement going down the moment he saw the attack being mentioned. He knew, even in his young age, the type advantages and disadvantages that Pokémon had. But his excitement skyrocketed as soon as he saw Gengar's eyes sparkle slightly. "And Gengar uses Hypnosis, putting Nidorino to sleep! Just-"
"Yes! A new Pokémon!" Ash saw just how the red trainer recalled his Nidorino, his face showing slight remorse for not thinking through his battle strategy correctly. Ash had to admit that changing the Pokémon mid battle was the best he could do at his current situation.
"And Nidorino is being recalled back. Just who will-" Ash widened his eyes in excitement at seeing the massive Pokémon being released, the one replacing Nidorino. He was visibly shaking, his hand getting sweaty from just the excitement he was feeling. "And it's an Onix! Just look at his height! It has to be the tallest Onix I have ever seen!"
"Soon… That will be me, with my Pokémon…" Ash had a smile on his face as he looked down to his fist. It was clenched, his skin turning white pale as his eyes gained the determination he already had since realizing what he wanted to do. "Becoming the greatest trainer of all time… The unreachable title of Pokémon Master will be mine!"
In Kanto, young boys and girls that want to become Pokémon Trainers must be at least 10 year old to finally become a Pokémon Trainer, and Ash knew that tomorrow was finally the day of his tenth birthday. He even knew who he was going to pick out of the three starter Pokémon, a Charmander.
He grinned, his eyes gaining an unmistaken glint to them as his excitement grew, unable to sleep because of it. He was half tempted to just go to the professor's laboratory and wait outside the door, but he knew that his mother wouldn't even leave him out of his sight until he was certified as a Pokémon trainer by the professor.
"Ash! Go to bed!" A feminine voice was heard from the outside of his room, making Ash freeze in slight fear. His mother was a woman in whom nobody wanted as an enemy, not even the mightiest of Pokémon would survive her anger if directed at them.
"Yes mother..." Ash sighed in defeat. Even though he was still excited to become a Pokémon Trainer, he didn't want to make his debut cut off before it could begin. Turning off the television, Ash also turned off the lights before walking towards his bed and tucking himself in.
"I'm going to be the best... Like no one ever was..." Ash murmured with his right hand stretched out. His eyes were droopy, already feeling the effect of the darkness that his room provided him. In a matter of seconds, he was sound asleep. Unknown to him, his adventure is going to be an eventful one.
Ash's Dream
Ash groaned, his limbs feeling numb. He almost couldn't even move, his strength leaving his body as he almost didn't have the strength to open his eyes. Though he drew strength from unknown sources and managed to at least sit down. His legs were crossed and he finally was able to move his hands towards his face. Rubbing his eyes with the utmost care, Ash managed to open his eyes.
"What the…" Ash muttered, the beautiful scenery upon him being obstructed by the fog that was seemingly in front of his face. He could distinguish a prairie, with shadows similar to those of Pokémons running around and having fun. He wanted to go, have fun with the Pokémons that seemingly were in front of him. "Oh come on~"
"Ri?" Ash noticed one of the shadows getting closer to him, his eyes squinting slightly to see if he could make out the form of who exactly was the Pokémon in front of him. Though before Ash could get a better view of the shadow, a bright light blinded his sight.
"Ash Ketchum…" The aforementioned kid looked everywhere, seemingly finding no one around him. He even was unable to see the shadows that he was looking at earlier. "As thy one mentioned in legends, thyself must partake in various trials" Ash paid attention to the voice that was talking to him. 'Mentioned in legends?', he was only just a nine, probably already ten, year old boy wanting to become a Pokémon trainer. Nothing was making sense in his mind. "Follow the rainbow, as it is thy first trial… The Trial of the Skies"
Then, a godly and powerful screech erupted through the area. With Ash having to move his hands up to his ears to cover them from the cry that was threatening to make his ears unusable. Though Ash opened his eyes wide in shock, his eyes were drawn to something in front of him.
The paleness of the area only began to shift into nothingness. But something was piercing into his very soul. The stoick red eyes just stared right at him, making Ash feel slightly uncertain, but he knew that whoever it may be… that it was not a threat to him.
Kanto; Pallet Town
"Ah!" Ash screamed, or at least that is what he tried to do. His scream came out as a gasp, sweat dripping off his body and he tried to calm himself down. It was unlike any dream he has had before. It was downright terrifying for a ten year old boy. But he had to also admit that the dream was awfully mythical, as if someone was telling him about a prophecy.
"Ashy, are you alright?" Ash looked to the door to see his mother, Delia Ketchum. Ash only looked down, watching his trembling hand with a hint of doubt in his mind. He didn't even know what he could tell his mother. The dream, if it even was a dream to begin with, had impacted Ash to his very core.
"I… don't know" He tried to be as honest as possible without worrying his mother. He had no idea whatsoever about the dream that he just experienced. He tried to think about any sort of Pokémon that may be able to do this sort of thing, but none came to mind. And while he thought about the Pokémon Gengar, he knew that Gengar often caused nightmares and created mischief, they did not give prophetic dreams.
"Well, I have prepared your favorites. Please go and wash yourself" Ash brightened up quite a bit, even as he saw his mother close the door to his bedroom. He ecstatically jumped out of his bed and went straight to get himself ready for the amazing food that his mother always seems to prepare.
"I wonder if uncle is coming again today…" Ash muttered, his eyes rolling a bit as he remembered his insistent uncle trying to recruit him to some sort of academy. He had many times rejected the idea of being secluded, preferring to be free and exploring the many mysteries that their world would provide them. So, with his words being just for himself and with no one else hearing him, he went downstairs after he had gotten ready.
"Good morning, Ash" Ash created a forced smile upon seeing his uncle sitting on the table. His uncle, Giovanni, always donned his black hat with an air of mystery. Most of the time, Ash couldn't even see the eyes of his very own uncle but even he knew that Giovanni had the same eye color as him. "I came here to congratulate you on your tenth birthday"
"Thanks, uncle" Ash whispered, slightly embarrassed as he sat down next to his uncle, who just chuckled slightly. Ash could have sworn that when he glanced at his uncle, that he was grinning. But Ash really didn't want to question everything, he just wanted some food to enjoy.
"To my understanding, you are going to start your journey very soon, correct?" Ash nodded, his mind still wrapped around the notion of food. He was very hungry, skipping dinner the day before because of his excitement for watching the Pokémon battle. "And that would mean facing off against the Kanto Gym Leaders to be able to compete in the Indigo League, right?"
"Yeah…" Ash said, weirded out by the questions his uncle was asking. He may love his family very much, even his uncle… but Giovanni scared the hell out of Ash most of the time. He was always careful around his uncle, whether it was the air of mystery that he always held around himself or anything else, Ash knew better than anyone to not fully trust his uncle. "I have already told you this many times in the past, uncle"
"Ash…" Ash grumbled slightly, still waiting for the food. He just had his hair ruffled by his uncle's hand. Which made things even weirder in Ash's eyes. He just wanted to get everything over with to see if he could go to Professor Oak's laboratory to get his very first Pokémon. "Beat the Gyms, all seven of them and then come straight to mine. And if you manage to beat me, I will give you one of my Pokémon for getting all eight Kanto Badges"
"Really?!" All the fear went straight away as soon as Ash heard his final words. Stars were practically shining in his eyes as he could only imagine getting one of his uncle's strong Pokémon to himself. His mind went immediately to Nidoqueen, one of his uncle's Pokémon that would always take care of him when his uncle and his mother were away resolving some family matters. "Any Pokémon?!"
"Yes. You get to decide, Ash" Ash was extremely happy by now. He watched from the corner of his eyes that his mother was even walking towards them with three plates being carried by herself. So everything was as good as it could be for Ash Ketchum. "But if I find out that you have faced defeat even against a single Gym Leader, then you will have to join me on… the academy"
"Are you still going about that, brother?" Ash was thankful that his mother decided to enter the conversation before he even dignified himself by answering the question. He watched as his mother placed the plate full of food in front of him, making him get fully immersed into the food. "Please, respect Ash's wishes"
"Of course, dear sister. This is but a friendly bet between uncle and nephew, right Ash?" Ash just nodded, he really was excited for whichever Pokémon that he might get from his uncle. His uncle, the final official Gym Leader of Kanto, was considered the strongest trainer apart from the Elite Four members and the Champion of Kanto. "I promise that I won't force him to be in the academy if he wins the bet"
"See that you do, brother" Ash gulped a large amount of food, savoring the taste in his mouth while also scared out of his mind. Seeing his mother like that brought back memories he would rather forget. "Oh my… Ash, it's almost time for you to go towards the professor's…"
Time seemed to stop for the raven haired boy, a spoonful of food near his mouth. His eyes were slowly widening in shock and fear as he glanced at the wall clock. The tick of the clock mocked him, ticking ever so slowly. He couldn't even feel his heartbeat, his mind fully concentrated on the clock.
"I'm late?!" Ash didn't have to say anything else before he left everything. He ignored the rest of the mouth watering food in front of him, grabbed his cap from the nearest chair and almost stormed through the house. Though he did give his mother a kiss on the cheek and a slight hug to his uncle before running out of the house.
"Mime?" Ash saw Mr. Mime, his mother's Pokémon, sweeping the front of the house with a confused stare. He avoided Mimey, Mr. Mime's nickname, and kept on running. He did send a remorseful look towards the Pokémon, feeling a bit sad for not even saying anything to him.
"Sorry, Mimey! But I'm late!" His shout should have surely reached Mimey's ears. So Ash kept on running as fast as he could, making his way through Pallet Town in quite a rush. The thing he dreaded the most was actually climbing through the short stairs that lead to the laboratory. He didn't want to stumble on his feet and fall down straight into them.
"Professor!" His shout could have woken up the entirety of the Town if the laboratory of Samuel Oak was at the center of the town. Luckily for Ash, it was located at the outskirts of town and far enough from other houses. "Professor! It's Ash!"
"Ash?" The far away voice of an elderly man reached Ash's ears, immediately perking up the raven haired boy's attitude. Rummages could be heard as Ash waited for the professor's arrival. It was to his great excitement that Oak didn't take long to open up the door. "My boy, you are just in time. Come in"
"Thanks professor!" Ash's smile could not be dimmed. He knew that he was going to set his course on being the greatest trainer of all in a couple of seconds, and he knew in his heart that he was going to be the best. "When do I get to-"
"Slow down, Ash. We'll get there… Just, try to have an open mind" Ash raised a brow at that. Oak sounded worried, as if something might have happened and he was the last to know of. It made him scared about being able to fulfill his dream to become a Pokémon Master. But he was going to do it, and no one was going to stop him from accomplishing his dream.
When they reached the main room, Ash finally knew what was going on. The pedestal in which the three Poké Balls for the starter Pokémons were supposed to be, was void of any capturing capsule. It made Ash immediately know that he, even if he arrived on time, was late to the most important part of his adventure.
"As you can see, my boy… I don't have any more starters to give out to hopeful trainers like you" Ash looked down, eyes threatening to close shut and hide his feelings away. It was not fair, suffering from this dilemma. Today was even his birthday, and he couldn't even get his first Pokémon. "But I received a very special Pokémon yesterday, one that I think would suit you best"
"W-What?" Ash's hope immediately skyrocketed, his eyes wide in surprise. A positive air surrounding his body as a smile was slowly growing on his face. He was going to receive his partner Pokémon, the one who would be with him from the entirety of their journey. "Really?!"
"Of course. Just give me a second to find his Poké Ball" Ash just nodded, watching happily as the professor went out of the room. Ash fist bumped the air, a full blown grin blossoming in his face. He was going to get his partner Pokémon, and it was a special one to boost! He was honestly very happy that he arrived at the time that he did.
"Just who could it be?" Ash's ponders sent him straight into his imagination. Running through the various possibilities of having Pokémon such as Eevee, Pikachu or even something else entirely. But his imagination was cut short when he remembered the cry he heard in his prophetic dream. It made him question himself if he was going to see that specific Pokémon soon. "Maybe-"
"Here it is, Ash" Ash's whispers were interrupted by the professor entering the room once again, he hand clenched on a very special looking Poké Ball. Ash raised his brow at the design, his intrigue rising even more as he just couldn't wait any longer to see just who his Partner Pokémon was.
The Poké Ball, was anything but a normal one at that, was colored differently. Instead of red it was a light blue, with the white still adorning the lower area of the Poké Ball. Though what made Ash even more curious about it, was the hints of gray that the light blue colored area had on it.
"Now…" Ash's eyes went from the capsule device and onto the elderly professor, which just gave him a sincere smile. Ash knew that this was the moment he had been waiting for, his hand trembling as it reached for the altered Poké Ball in Oak's hand. "I trust you with the little one, Ash. Take very good care of him"
"I will…" His whisper was practically voided, almost a thought. He looked up once again, looking just as the professor nodded at him, caring eyes etched over his face. He glanced back down and nodded, his mind sure of what he wanted to do. So without any other doubt, Ash pressed the circular button that served as a lock on his altered Poké Ball, which caused it to release the Pokémon inside.
What came out was more than what Ash had been expecting. What came out was a small, white, canine Pokémon. He has a black torso and legs, a white tail, and a gray collar. He has rounded bumps on the backs of its forepaws. He has a black 'mask' and he had his eyes closed. The Pokémon slowly opened his eyes, a slight stoic expression on his face. But what made Ash look in astonishment, were the piercing red eyes that stared right into his soul.
"Ash, this is Riolu. He is the Emanation Pokémon, a Pokémon normally found in the Sinnoh Region" Oak's explanation made Ash hummed in understanding. Ash knew that something was quite strange with the Pokémon because he didn't even recognize it. Though he was actually happy to know that there might be even more Pokémon to discover all around their world. "And this Riolu is a very special one at that"
"How so?" Ash couldn't see anything strange with the Pokemon in front of him. In reality, Ash felt at peace as he knelt down towards the Pokémon in question and softly patted him over the head. Ash even chuckled as Riolu closed his eyes in slight embarrassment.
"Ri!" Ash stopped his movements, a smile on his face as he sat down and pulled over Riolu to his lap as he began to caress his fur. He could hear the grumbles of satisfaction coming from the white furred Pokémon, though he also noticed that Riolu was quite embarrassed.
"You see, Ash. He is not any Riolu" At that, Ash could see just how the professor turned on the monitor in front of them, an image appearing instantly. He was able to immediately recognize the figure of Riolu, though it was unlike the same he had just met. Instead of the white and gray fur, it was blue and yellow respectively, increasing the marveled state in which Ash currently was. "Pokémons, like humans, are able to be born with their genetic template altered. It was the sole reason we found the rare 'Shiny' terminology for these specific altered Pokémon" Ash paid close attention to Oak's words, though he had to admit that he was no getting everything that the elder was saying. He was just a ten year old boy wanting to be a Pokémon Trainer, he didn't study to become a Pokémon Professor. "But Riolu's condition goes far beyond the terminology of 'Shiny'. Riolu has the condition we, as humans, have determined as 'Albinism'"
"Albi-what now?" Ash blinked confused, noticing immediately the sheepish smile of the elderly professor. Ash knew he was not the brightest, but all he had ever asked was not to use more difficult terminology so that his head wouldn't explode from extreme information. "Professor… What have I told you about the big words?"
"My bad, my boy" Ash huffed a bit, crossing his arms a bit as he looked down. He saw Riolu with his head tilted to the side, seemingly focused on the words that were being spoken by the professor. "Albinism is an inherited condition that leads to someone having very light skin, hair, and eyes. Hence the white and gray parts of his skin" Ash nodded slightly, now focused on the black 'mask' that was covering the Pokémon's face. His eyes frowned slightly, before looking at the professor with a slight blank stare. "And I know you might be wondering about the black 'mask' Riolu seemingly has staying the same. It is why we are trying to further our investigations to fully understand the condition on Pokémon"
"I see…" Ash muttered, picking up Riolu in his grasp and positioning in front of him. He stared right at the pure red eyes that seemed to stare into his very soul. He inhaled a bit of air, calming his increasing nerves as he decided what he wanted to do as a Pokémon Trainer. "Hey… Riolu?"
"Ri?" Ash gave out a sheepish smile, demonstrating just how scared he really was. Face to face with the Emanation Pokémon was more than what Ash would normally do, but this felt natural and he was more than able to cover up his fears with the determination that was bubbling inside.
"Let us be friends!" Ash gave Riolu an honest smile, slightly stretching up his hand up front. He watched just how the Pokémon's eyes grew in size, a sliver of shock being shown to the world. Ash had half the mind to at least chuckle, but he didn't and just gave Riolu a sincere smile.
"Ri… Riolu?" Ash could see the doubt through his eyes, showing Ash more than what he would have wanted to know. Acting upon instincts, the raven haired boy pulled the Emanation Pokémon into a hug. Ash felt just how the Pokémon flinched in his grasp, telling Ash just how whichever pass Riolu had had affected him.
"Yes…" Ash nodded, his hands hugging Riolu a slight bit tighter. Ash needed for Riolu to understand that he would be there for him, that he would never leave him in solitude. So feeling the trembles of Riolu against his chest were more incentive to make his Pokémon, and his future Pokémons, as happy as he could be. "Forever"
"Ri! Riolu Ri" Ash chuckled slightly as he caressed the head of his partner Pokémon. He couldn't really understand anything that his partner Pokémon was saying, but at the same time it was as if he knew, by instinct, what Riolu's words meant.
"Congratulations on your first Pokémon, my boy" Ash smiled widely, almost a big grin on his face at just the happiness he was feeling. He looked down at Riolu, who also was smiling widely. "Are you going to name him?" Ash's happiness turned into confusion as soon as those words were uttered. He could see just how the professor gave him a sincere expression, trying to explain things as best he could. "Think of it this way. The terminology Riolu is the name of the subspecies of the Pokémon species. You wouldn't want to be called Human, would you"
"Yeah…" Ash muttered, quickly understanding Oak's words. It had been the easiest sentence to understand that came from the professor's mouth. Half the thing would have gone over his head, but he managed to understand everything this time. "Hey, Riolu?" The Pokémon looked at him, his pure red eyes looking at him in wonder. Ash knew that both of them would become stronger together, with nothing stopping them on their way. "Do you have a name?"
The atmosphere suddenly turned quiet, both humans staring at the Emanation Pokémon. Ash, in particular, had his eyes on Riolu clearly awaiting for whichever answer that would come out of his mouth.
"Riolu!" Ash widened his eyes, before smiling at his Pokémon. The words reached his ears, pronouncing strange words that were far from Riolu's cry. And Ash didn't know how he even interpreted his Pokémon's words, but neither did he care. All he cared for was that his Pokémon had a name, just like him.
"Yes, professor" Ash stated, looking straight at the professor of the Kanto Region with a smile on his face. Ash could see just how proud Oak was of him, and it just made him feel even happier. Because he didn't let him down. "His name…"
"His name is Aaron"