Pokemon: An alternative adventure
“Settle down please class.” The teacher announced from the front of the class. The twenty-strong class of teenagers settled down slowly, glancing every so often at the government official standing at the side of the class. Once silence had finally been achieved, the teacher coughed slightly as he shuffled his papers.
“Now then, I am pleased to introduce to you the official sent by the government who has a few words to say to you before you receive your Pokemon.”
The official nodded his thanks to the teacher and moved to the front of the class, looking at each and every one of the assembled students in the eye as he did so. “Students, before I begin, congratulations on passing the final exams. You first began this class at the ages of 11, choosing to become Pokemon trainers. You are an important link for our nation now. You are the people who will bring honour and prestige to our nation. As you know, our nation is but one amongst twelve. Our history began under the rule of Emperor Orochimaru, who brought together our tribes and clans through defeating each of the eight rulers of the clans through a Pokemon battle. This is symbolised in the gyms throughout our nation. All of you, out of the many hundreds who applied for Pokemon trainer applications were the best. You represent the greatest our nation can offer.”
“There is a reason that war no longer exists in our nations. The use of Pokemon in our wars was too destructive, and nearly destroyed us. Instead, you will wage our wars for us in competitions abroad. I am authorised by the Council of Enlightenment to issue you with your first Pokemon and your first mission. Once you have received your Pokemon, you will follow the steps of Emperor Orochimaru and wander around our nation, fighting each of the Gym leaders and eventually join the ranks of international Pokemon trainers. This task you have chosen to undertake will last for the rest of your lives. Once you take your Pokemon, you are one of our nation’s warriors.”
“And so, you will begin your mission here today. You have one hour to bid farewell to your parents. Keep in mind this may be the last time you will ever see them again alive. All the training you have been given is not a joke. Death is now amongst you. He will follow you on your journey, watch as you capture new Pokemon and as you fight other trainers in an effort to join the elite.”
The man suddenly saluted the entire class. “I am proud to be amongst you today, for no longer are you children, but you are men and women of the great and honourable Kanto. You have one hour ladies and gentlemen. Make sure you remember them.”
The class slowly got to their legs and walked out. Amongst the last of them were two boys, Gary and Ash. Both looked at each other outside of the classroom and nodded once to each other. Once the best of friends, in a mere hour they would be sworn enemies, duty-bound to reach the top through any means necessary. Such was the code sworn to by the Emperor Orochimaru whose words bound all those in his nation. To reach the top by any means necessary...such was the way of the warrior.
Ash walked slowly through Pallet Town next to Gary, their feet scuffling the dirt. Once both reached the halfway point between their houses, they stopped and stared at each other for a few seconds before walking away from each other silently.
Ash entered the house, his nostrils hit with the smell of burgers, his favourite food. He approached the kitchen silently as he heard his mother bustling around in the kitchen. Standing in the doorway, he watched the image of his mother moving around the cooker, putting food into a plate. Turning around, she gasped in shock as she saw Ash standing there in the doorway.
“Ash, honey!” She said loudly. “What have I told you about doing that? If you enter a room, then let the person inside know that your there!” She sighed with exasperation, barely concealing a smile. “Sit down honey, I’ve made your favourite meal before...before you leave.”
“Thanks,” Ash said quietly, his voice hardly penetrating the distance between him and his mother. Quickly putting the food onto a plate, she placed it in front of him and sat opposite to him on the table, watching him as he began to eat half-heartedly. The two of them sat there quietly, the clock ticking away on the mantelpiece.
As soon as Ash had placed the last mouthful of Miltank burger in his mouth, Ash’s mother grabbed the plate and moved over to the sink where she began to turn the tap on. “Ash, honey,” she began. “I just want you to know...that...that...” There was a sudden smash as the plate slipped from her hands and broke against the floor. Barely concealing a swear word, she bent over and began picking up the broken pieces.
“Mum,” Ash said quietly. Not hearing any response from her, he spoke louder. “Mum!” He watched his Mother kneeling on the floor, facing away from him as her body began to shake. “Mum...” he said helplessly as she began to cry, rocking back and forth on her knees.
“I’m sorry Ash...it’s just...you look so much like your father when he was ordered back to active duty.”
“He was a brave man,” Ash said dully. “He died for Kanto, like any soldier should.”
His mother laughed bitterly, turning around and staring at Ash through red eyes. “Is that what you still think, Ash, after all these years? Did they really indoctrinate you that badly that you can’t, or won’t remember?”
“He died a soldier’s death in the defence of Kanto,” Ash said loudly.
“He died for Team Rocket!” Ash’s mother suddenly screamed.
“He died for Kanto!” Ash suddenly roared, smashing the table onto its side. The two of them stared at each other in silence as Ash’s mother moved her mouth up and down, words escaping her. They both remained that way for several minutes before Ash scoffed in contempt, turning on his heels and left the house and his mother on her own, still in that quiet kitchen where the clock continued to tick.
Gary stood outside, waiting for Ash. “Are you alright?” He asked, looking at Ash through his thick eyelashes that gave him a permanent bad-boy look.
“I’m fine,” Ash said quietly. “Mother is just having another episode again. She’ll soon snap out of it when I’m gone.”
Gary nodded, looking back at the house where he and his sister had once lived. Once he left, the house would either be boarded up or sold. In any case, he would never return to Pallet again, nor would any of the other teenagers who had joined the class those fateful six years ago. Their families were part of their old life now. No longer could they remain emotionally or physically attached to that life now. Kanto was their life, and their life was Kanto, Ash repeated the mantra in his head as he and Gary walked up back to the classroom.
The official glanced at the two of them as they walked back in; apparently they were the last two to return. Next to him was a rucksack full of Pokeballs where they would receive their first Pokemon. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said as soon as Ash and Gary had sat down. “You will come up in alphabetical order. There you will receive your first Pokemon. They have been shipped in fresh from the wild. Whether they listen to you or not will be part of your first test as Pokemon trainers. No matter what their attitude, they will belong to you for as long as you remain alive. Now, first on the list, if Alicia Brendon could step up first.” The girl in question stood up and reached the front of the class. Grabbing a pokeball from near the top, she opened it up and revealed her Pokemon. In front of her was an Ekans, who hissed as it saw its new trainer. The man marked down the name of the Pokemon on his sheet and moved onto the next name.
The list continued in this way until they reached Ash. Standing up slowly, he moved towards the front of the classroom, watched by everyone in the room. Once he reached the man, he reached into the open rucksack and began to feel around, allowing his hand to move through the smooth texture of the pokeballs, each holding a pokemon that could potentially decide his whole future. Taking a chance, he gripped one of them and pulled it out, staring at the red and white Pokeball.
“Alright then,” the man said, watching Ash. “If you could please reveal the Pokemon in question?”
Ash nodded, his mouth dry as he clicked the button the middle. The Pokeball opened up and turned into a white light for a second before becoming physical matter on the floor. Ash stared at his first ever Pokemon as its several heads stared back at him.”
“Alright then,” the man said. “So you’ve got yourself an Exeggcute,” the man murmured. “Not a bad choice for a first Pokemon. Of course, you’ve gotten yourself quite a challenge trying to control each of its heads at once. Very tricky creatures these at the start. Still, if you’re as good as your teacher has boasted to me, you should be able to handle it with relative ease.”
“Th-thank you sir,” Ash murmured.
“You can thank me by moving on, Mr. Ketchum. I have another twelve candidates to get through. So if you could collect your Pokemon?”
“Yes sir.” Ash recalled the Pokemon and returned to his seat, hardly listening as Gary was called up. Not wasting any time, Gary simply reached deep into the sack and pulled out a Pokeball. “Come on out then,” he murmured to the pokeball as he pressed the button. The pokeball flashed white once again before revealing itself to be a Growlithe. It barked once as it chased its tail around, making the man chuckle as he marked down the Pokemon. “Not a bad choice,” he said to Gary. “Smart and dependable. You won’t find this one much of a challenge to master, but whether it’ll see you through the future is another story altogether.”
Before Ash realised it, the man had left and only he and Gary were left in the room together. Gary was sat in front of a desk as he stared at Ash. “Ash, you with us? The man said that we all have to meet at the stadium for our final farewells to the town itself.”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Ash asked, staring at Gary in confusion.
Gary shrugged, staring at the floor. “I guess I just wanted to spend a few minutes alone with you. We’ve been friends since we were eleven. Call me selfish, but I’m going to miss you, even though I’m going to have to be the one to kill you in order to take my rightful place.”
Ash smirked, “dream on. Sorry to tell you this, but I will be the one to fulfil my father’s legacy and accomplish everything he didn’t.”
“Even though he-” Gary snapped suddenly, cutting his words off just in the nick of time. He sighed heavily, “Sorry man, I didn’t mean to. It’s just you’re not the only one with a sob story. My own parents died a year apart doing what we’re going to do. You may have one destiny to fulfil, but I want to avenge my parents against the murderers who did it.”
Ash stared at Gary sadly, “then it appears we both have destinies to fulfil, and only one of us can accomplish them. I am sorry, Gary, but I cannot give mine up. You will die by my hand, for it is the only way forward.”
Gary stared back at Ash in anger. “Like I said before, you’ll never get the chance. Good luck Ash, these are the last words of kindness you’ll ever receive from me.” Turning away, he stalked out of the classroom leaving Ash all alone.
Ash sighed as he stood up and began to follow Gary to the stadium where the rest of the class was assembling. Once he arrived, more than two hundred people had turned up cheering the newly graduated class. In front of them were their Pokemon, staring around in bewilderment at the noise generated by the noisy crowd.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” An announcer yelled from a microphone. “Standing before you here today are twenty of the best that Pallet Town has to offer! They will be facing off against trainers across the entirety of Kanto, and one day that of the world! In one year, you will see them on the TV, you will hear them on the radio and you will gossip about them in your workplaces as they attend the Indigo League and fight to join the honourable ranks of the Kanto Warriors!” A roar of appreciation rippled through the stadium at those words. “Let us bid farewell to the honourable trainers that leave here today with our national anthem!” At those words, the entirety of the crowd stood up, their hands to their hearts as they began singing.
“Oh hail to Kanto, beautiful Kanto,
Our lives we’d give for you,
From shore to shore we’ll go afar,
In the quest to do honour to you!”
“We’ll fight in the name of Kanto,
In the blessed name of our Lords,
We’ll fight against the dangerous hordes,
Or sacrifice our children too!”
“Our lives are worthless, mighty Kanto,
We dedicate them only to you,
Oh hail to beautiful Kanto,
Our blessed souls live for you!”
At the end of the song, the crowd began to cheer once again. The announcer glanced at the trainers and pointed them towards the door at the end of the stadium. “Out there lays the path to Viridian City. You have one year from this moment onwards to prove yourself worthy of Kanto. If you have not gathered all eight badges by that time then you will not be eligible to join the ranks of Kanto’s warriors. You will be condemned to a life of eternal wandering, where you will pay penance for your failure by attempting to give the same fate to those other candidates, awaiting yourself for the sweet bliss of death. Farewell, brave trainers, and may you triumph against all.”
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