‘What do I do?’ Ash thought to himself, with a heavy sigh.
Ash tossed his license next to his lamp and walked downstairs. His mom smiled at him.
“Tomorrow is the big day. My little boy will get his first Pokemon and start on his journey,” Delilah Ketchum said.
“Maybe not, Mom. I have to call Professor Oak,” Ash said, as he picked up the phone.
After dialing Professor Oak’s number, Ash screwed up his courage.
When Professor Oak came on the screen, he gave a resigned sigh and started talking.
“Ash, like I have told....”
Ash interrupted, “I know that Professor. How long before you get a new group of Pokemon?”
Professor Oak blinked at that question. “A week, maybe two. Why?”
Ash took a deep breath and replied, “I can wait. Even though I want to start my journey tomorrow, I’ll wait. That way we won’t have four kids fighting over three Pokemon.”
Ash quickly hung up the phone before he started crying. His mom came over and gave him a hug.
“That took a lot of courage, Ash. I’m proud of you.”
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Back at Oak Laboratories, Samuel Oak thought about the phone call he just received. Ash had sacrificed a lot of happiness to allow others to follow their dreams.
'That settles that. I know who gets this Pokeball,' Professor Oak thought, as he picked up a black Pokeball with gold trim. 'This combined Master Ball/Luxury Ball is Ash's.'
Professor Oak stood up and stared at the three Pokeballs that would be given out tomorrow.
Shaking his head in disgust muttered to himself, "What was the Pokemon League thinking? They should have caught that error."
Leaving his lab, Oak headed over to the Ketchum residence. Knocking on the door, he waited with the black Pokeball in his pocket. As soon as Mrs. Ketchum opened the door, Professor Oak greeted her.
"Delilah, it's good to see you again. I came to talk to Ash about his phone call."
Delilah smiled and let Professor Oak in. "I'm very proud of what Ash did. I know how much it meant to him."
Sitting on a couch in front of a coffee table, Professor Oak nodded. "I know that. I've already let the Pokemon League know about the bind they put me in. Please get Ash. I think I found a way for him to go on his journey tomorrow."
Delilah Ketchum looked at Professor Oak for a moment and left to get her son. While she was doing that, Oak pulled out the black and gold Pokeball, enlarged it, and set it on the coffee table.
"You wanted to see me, Professor?" Ash's voice came from the stairs.
Professor Oak turned and saw that even though he had done the best to hide it, Ash had been crying recently.
"Yes, Ash. I do thank you for your sacrifice. Which is why I'm here now. A couple months ago, I had this Pokeball specially made for me."
Confused, Ash asked, "I don't understand what this has to do with me?"
Oak smiled, "Let me finish. There are many types of Pokeballs. I always give beginning trainers ordinary Pokeballs. However, there are more than fifteen types of Pokeballs. The best is called the Master Ball. It is able to catch a Pokemon without fail. There is no need to battle to weaken the Pokemon."
Oak held up the black Pokeball. "Kurt the Ballmaker was able to create this specialized Master Ball for me. I want you to take it and catch your starter Pokemon."
"Professor Oak," Delilah Ketchum said. "It's getting late. Shouldn't Ash wait for tomorrow to do this?"
Professor Oak shook his head. "Normally, I'd say yes. However, since all the owned Pokemon will be inside tonight, Ash will be able to catch a wild Pokemon with ease. After the other three trainers leave, I want you to bring your Pokemon to the lab, so I can complete the registration."
Ash took the black Pokeball reverently and dashed out of the house. Delilah smiled at Professor Oak.
"A couple months ago? I seem to recall that you had the ball made back before Ash was born."
Oak sighed. "It wasn't doing me any good. I had that Pokeball made shortly before I gave up my wandering and settled here in Pallet."
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As soon as he left the house, Ash quickly hid the Pokeball inside his jacket. He let out a low groan, as he saw Gary heading his way.
"So, loser. Think you'll be one of the lucky three to get a Pokemon tomorrow?"
Ash turned away, while replying, "Actually, no. I called Professor Oak up and told him, that I could wait. They'll be a shipment in a week."
Seeing Gary was stunned by that proclamation, Ash headed to his secret place just outside of Pallet Town. A very shallow cave that Ash could watch wild Pokemon without being seen. Ash waited a couple hours after sundown before pulling out the Pokeball and leaving the cave. As soon as he left the cave, the moon and stars turned red and red rain started falling. A minute later the strange weather abated.
"That was weird," Ash muttered, as he saw something in front of him.
It seemed to be humanoid in form and at first, Ash though he could see through it. Ash went through the most common and well known of the humanform Pokemon.
"A Machoke? An Electabuzz?" Ash mumbled. "Well, either one would be a decent starter."
Ash threw his Pokeball at the figure and grinned, as the Master Ball opened up. A beam of light was emitted from the ball and the figure was digitized and pulled inside the Pokeball. Ash ran over and picked the ball up.
"My first Pokemon," Ash declared, and then yawned. "I better get some sleep."
Ash went home and saw that his mother was waiting for him.
"Ash, sweetie? Are you all right?"
"Yeah, Mom. I caught myself a Pokemon. I'm not sure what, though. I think a Machoke. I'll find out for sure tomorrow at Professor Oak's Lab."
Ash hurried up to bed with the Pokeball that held his first Pokemon
The next day, his mother woke him up after she saw that the last kid had left Professor Oak's
Ash rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and grabbed the Pokeball and went over to Oak Laboratories.
Professor Oak greeted Ash as he came in. "It's good to see you, Ash. Your mother called and said that you caught a Machoke."
Ash shrugged. "I think it was a Machoke. All I know it is a Pokemon and shaped like a human. It wasn't small like a Machop, though"
Oak pursed his lips and thought aloud. "Machoke, Jynx, Mr. Mime, Electabuzz, Magmar, Alakazam. I doubt Magmar though."
Ash scratched his head. "What's a Magmar?"
Professor Oak absently answered, "A fire type Pokemon that has only been found at the Cinnabar Island Volcano. At any rate, let's see what your Pokemon is."
Ash nodded and tossed the Pokeball, revealing an older blonde girl wearing a skintight blue legless leotard trimmed with a red miniskirt. A red cape with some weird design on the back of it flowed behind the girl. On the girl's chest was the same design as on the back of the cape. However, part of the design was done in red: a red S on a yellow pentagon. The girl was also wearing a red headband. Ash and Professor Oak were shocked to say the least.
"Professor, I thought Pokeballs didn't work on humans," Ash said.
"They don't. Or they shouldn't," Professor Oak said.
The girl sighed and looked at the two. "My name is Supergirl. What is a Pokeball?"
Professor Oak and Ash looked at each other.
Professor Oak slowly began, "Do you know what a Pokemon is?"
Kara shook her head. "I'm sorry. The last thing I recall was fighting the Anti-Monitor before he destroyed the five remaining universes."
Ash blinked in shock. "Anti-Monitor? What's that?"
"An evil being born in the Anti-Matter universe bent on destroying all life. He's already destroyed over a thousand universes. What super-heroes are in this universe?"
"Superheroes?" Ash asked. "Just actors."
Professor Oak replied, "There are none in this universe Supergirl."
Supergirl stared at Professor Oak in shock. "But all five of the remaining universes had superheroes. I recall something after fighting him. Meeting a Boston Brand, but it's vague. Something about a reset."
Oak sat down on a chair and said, "I think that you have been cast into a universe far from your plane of origin. This world is far different than what you are used to probably." Supergirl looked around and saw a couple chairs. She sat down at one, and Ash sat down on the other and kept turning over the black and gold ball.
Oak gave a lecture about Pokemon, Pokeballs, and how the world worked. He finished up by taking the Pokeball from Ash. "Pokeballs should not work on humans. They only work on the magical creatures called Pokemon. What is it, Supergirl?"
Supergirl had wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Magic. It figures."
Kara went into a history about herself and her various weaknesses. She told about the fight against the Anti-Monitor.
"It gets very vague after I talked to my cousin, after getting blasted. I do recall a bit before getting hit by that Pokeball. All I could say was 'Supergirl' over and over."
Oak bit his lower lip and picked up the Pokedex he was going to give to Ash. He opened it up and pointed it at Kara.
"Pokemon Species: Unknown. Nickname: Kara Zor-El Pokemon Type: Steel/Flying. Attacks: Flame Thrower, Icy Wind, Strength, Quick Attack,...."
Professor Oak closed the Pokedex, and said, "I see. Your weakness to magic, along with a dimensional shift turned you into the closest analogue we have here in this universe: a Pokemon. By the way, you have a nickname."
Supergirl grimaced. "That's my actual Kryptonian name. When I'm not acting as Supergirl, I go by Kara. So what does that mean. I have to stay hidden, or every child on this planet will be hunting be with those Pokeballs?"
Professor Oak shook his head. "No. You've already been captured, by Ash here. You're his Pokemon."
Ash protested, "Professor, she's a human being, not a Pokemon. I mean...."
Ash's voice trailed off.
Professor Oak smiled at Ash. "You have a good heart, Ash. That's why she should stay with you as your starter Pokemon."
Oak brought Kara up to speed on the deal with Ash. Kara looked at the young boy with some respect.
Supergirl asked, "What is expected of a Pokemon?"
Supergirl listened to the explanation and put a hand to her head in shock. "This world is so different. Legalized slavery."
Oak shook his head. "Not slavery, no. If a Pokemon really doesn't want to do something, he or she won't do it and the trainer will back off. I guess the closest equivalent would be recruiting for a baseball team. The Pokemon are the team and the Trainer is the manager. It's ritualized fighting and...."
Kara shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm judging using the cultures I know. This culture is so different. Since I'm now part of it, I'm going to have to learn to live with these rules."
Kara smiled at Ash and asked, "So what do I call you? Master? Or do you have a name?"
Flustered, Ash stammered, "M-my name is Ash Ketchum."
Kara held out a hand. "Well Ash, I guess I'm your Pokemon."
Ash took Kara's hand and shook it. "I'm sorry. I thought I was getting a Machoke, not a...."
"Supergirl," Kara answered. "Professor Oak was right about that. I've been listening to some of the other Pokemon nearby and hearing them repeat their names over and over. The funny thing is, I can understand them. When I first appeared here, I was constantly saying Supergirl."
Professor Oak looked up from the table, where he was working on Ash's Pokedex. "The ability to understand other Pokemon is natural to all Pokemon. Which reminds me, since you are now a Pokemon, your powers have probably changed to reflect that."
Kara nodded. "Fair enough. What are you doing, Professor Oak?"
"I'm finishing Ash's Pokedex and making a sending certain information to the Pokemon League about you. I don't want Ash arrested due to this. A piece of advice, when your around other people, talk in Pokespeech."
Kara nodded and turned towards Ash. "I think it's time to head out."
Ash nodded and held up the black and gold Pokeball, "Supergirl, return."
A beam of red light shot out from the Pokeball and digitized Kara. As soon as she was fully digitized, she was pulled back into the Pokeball.
Professor Oak handed Ash his starting equipment; "Here's your Pokedex, some Pokeballs, and a couple of Potions. Good luck, Ash."
Ash still a bit numb replied, "Thanks, Professor."
Professor Oak watched him go with a wistful look on his face. "I'd love to have Kara here in the lab to study and help with my studies, but she is Ash's. Maybe later, I can get Ash to leave her here. Her stats are through the roof. I think only Shuckle ties her in her two defense stats."
Insider her Pokeball, Kara was using telescopic x-ray vision to view the surrounding countryside.
She thought with some amusement, 'There are no wars here. I guess I can think of this as a vacation, until I figure a way back home.'
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(Posted Sat, 29 Jan 2005 02:00)
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