Chapter Text
"Be careful out there, Ash! Stay close to the trail or else you might get lost!" Delia Ketchum called after her seven-year-old son, Ash, as he raced out the door. "And make sure you're back home in time for dinner!"
"I will, Mom! Bye!" Ash shouted over his shoulder.
He raced down the path that led out of his hometown of Pallet Town and into Viridian Forest, ignoring the curious looks he was receiving from the few passing trainers. The sun was shining brightly overhead with just a few fluffy-looking clouds in the clear blue sky. A gentle breeze was blowing through the trees, a cool spring wind. All in all, it was the perfect day to see lots of Pokemon in the forest.
For as long as he could remember, Ash had always dreamed of the day he would finally become a Pokemon trainer. Unfortunately, at only seven years old, he was still three years shy of reaching the legal age to receive his license. It was one of the many rules of life that Ash still didn't understand. Was there really such a big difference between being seven and being ten? From what he could see, the only thing ten-year-olds could do was recite facts on Pokemon a little more quickly. But the rules were the rules, so he had no choice but to accept his fate and wait.
But even so, it wasn't all that bad. He might not have been allowed to catch or train any Pokemon yet, but that didn't mean he wasn't allowed to watch them. So every chance he could get, Ash would venture out into Viridian Forest, the closest route to his hometown. A few of the smaller Pokemon in the forest, such as the Caterpie and Rattata, had even befriended him, although he made sure to stay out of the way of the more dangerous Beedrill and Spearow. The rest of the Pokemon didn't exactly make an attempt to be friendly, but nor did they go out of their way to attack him either. Ash supposed that as long as he didn't bother them too much, there was no need for them to bother him.
As he walked through the forest, Ash gazed around in awe at his surroundings. It had become something of a game for him to see if he could spot any new Pokemon, even though he hadn't seen any in quite a while. Viridian Forest wasn't exactly known for its wide variety of species, which he supposed made sense considering it was the first route trainers from Pallet Town would have to traverse upon starting their journeys. Rounding a corner, he noticed a Pidgey that he had befriended nibbling on a berry. He waved excitedly as he ran up to her, and she chirped happily in response.
"Hey, Pidgey! How's it going today?" Ash asked cheerfully, sitting cross-legged on the ground.
"Pidgey! Pidge!" the small bird Pokemon replied.
"Isn't it a nice day out? I almost thought I wouldn't be able to come. The weatherman said it was supposed to rain this weekend, and Mom doesn't like me going out in bad weather. She says I might get sick or hurt," he told Pidgey, pulling a face. "I mean, come on, really? It's not like I'd go out without a jacket and a little rain wouldn't hurt me."
Pidgey chirped something in reply, and he chuckled. "Yeah, I know she just worries about me. I just wish she wasn't so over-the-top sometimes, you know?"
"Pidge, pidgey," she replied, patting him sympathetically with her wing.
After chatting with Pidgey for a few more minutes, Ash got back up and continued on his way. There were only a few hours left until he had to return home for dinner, and he was determined to make the most of every minute.
Upon rounding another corner on the trail, however, he came to a stop as he found himself face to face with an unfamiliar Pokemon. This Pokemon was a small blue frog-like creature with a strange white substance around its neck. Ash stared at it for a few moments, racking his brain to try to figure out what sort of Pokemon it was. He certainly didn't remember seeing it in any of the books he studied at school.
But the shock of seeing such an obviously foreign Pokemon in Viridian Forest wasn't even the strangest part of the situation. The moment he had locked eyes with it, Ash had felt a tug on his chest, almost as if something were drawing him to the strange newcomer. He wasn't sure if the new Pokemon had felt it as well, but it hadn't run away from him or attacked him yet, so perhaps there was a chance.
"Er...hi there," he said finally, feeling a bit awkward. "Sorry to bother you. I'll get out of your way now."
"No, it's alright. I'm not doing anything important anyway," the unfamiliar Pokemon replied in an obviously male voice.
Ash's eyes widened. "Wait a minute! You can talk?" he exclaimed.
The Pokemon gave him an odd look. "Er, yes...all Pokemon can talk, you know."
"No, no. I mean, yeah, I know you can all talk," Ash amended, waving his hands about sporadically as he tried to explain himself. "It's just that, well, I've never met a Pokemon that I could understand before. How did you do that?"
"Oh. I, er, I don't know, actually," the Pokemon replied, blinking with a look of confusion on his face. "I'm not doing anything, if that's what you're wondering. So you say you've never been able to understand Pokemon before?"
Ash shook his head and smiled. "No, but it's pretty cool to know that I can understand you, er...sorry, what's your name? I don't think I've ever seen a Pokemon like you around here."
"My name's Froakie, and that doesn't surprise me. I'm the water-type starter for new Pokemon in the Kalos region," the newly-named Froakie answered.
"Kalos?" Ash repeated, startled. "But that's really far from here and you don't look like you have a trainer. How did you get all the way here? And why are you in Kanto anyway if you're supposed to be a starter Pokemon for Kalos trainers?"
"I stowed away on a plane, and as for why I'm here, I wasn't exactly having good luck with the trainers in Kalos. None of them were the right one for me. So I came here to Kanto to see if I'd have better luck here," Froakie told him.
"What's wrong with your old trainers?" Ash asked curiously, tilting his head to the side. "Were they mean or something?"
"No. Well, some of them, yes," Froakie answered, shuddering slightly. He shook his head and continued, "Others of them were alright. But they just weren't what I wanted."
"Oh." Ash didn't know what else to say to that. He had heard of trainers choosing their Pokemon, of course, but he had never heard of Pokemon choosing their trainers. "Sorry to hear that."
"It's alright," Froakie assured him.
"So how many trainers have you had anyway?" he asked.
"Five so far. The latest one brought me back to Professor Sycamore's lab just a few days ago," the blue frog told him. At Ash's puzzled look, he added, "Professor Sycamore's the one who gives out starter Pokemon to new trainers in Kalos. Kind of like, er..who's the guy who works here?"
"Oh! You mean Professor Oak!" Ash exclaimed, feeling a sudden burst of understanding. "So was Professor Sycamore the guy who sent you here?"
At that, Froakie looked a little sheepish. "Actually, no. To tell you the truth, I kind of snuck off on my own. I'm sure he's looking for me by now, though."
"You really snuck all the way from Kalos all by yourself?" Ash asked, his eyes widening in amazement. Froakie nodded, a slight grin on his face. "Awesome. That's so cool! You must be really strong and brave if you made it here without help."
The little blue frog blushed. "Well, thank you...er...?"
"My name's Ash," the raven-haired boy introduced himself, silently kicking himself for forgetting to mention his own name. "I want to become a Pokemon trainer and travel the world someday! But I'm only seven, so I can't go on a journey for three years."
"It's nice to meet you, Ash," Froakie replied, giving him a warm smile.
"I can't wait until I get to go on my journey. Then I can make friends with all sorts of Pokemon!" Ash said cheerfully. "I'm going to challenge the Indigo league first, and then I want to explore the other regions. Maybe I'll go to Kalos next. What's it like in Kalos? Is it nice there?"
"It's very nice," the frog Pokemon answered, chuckling. "The people and Pokemon there are very friendly–most of them anyway."
The longer Ash spent with Froakie, the more he liked the little blue frog. He was funny and friendly. But at the same time, Ash couldn't help feeling a pang of regret. While he would have loved nothing more than to take Froakie home with him, he knew he wasn't allowed to have a Pokemon yet. Besides, Froakie probably wouldn't want to go with a kid who wasn't even allowed to be a trainer yet.
"What's the matter, Ash?" Froakie asked, looking at him in concern.
"Nothing, really," Ash sighed. "It's just that...well, I really liked playing with you today, but I have to go home soon. Mom's going to get worried if I'm not back in time for dinner."
Froakie blinked. "Oh. Is that all? Why don't I just come with you, then?"
Ash jerked his head up in surprise. "You-you want to? Really?" he stammered. "But...but I'm not a trainer yet. I'm not even allowed to have a Pokemon. And didn't you say you wanted to find a trainer anyway?"
"That's okay! I don't mind waiting. I want to go with you anyway," Froakie replied cheerfully. "And don't worry about me being there. You're not allowed to catch me yet, true, but that doesn't mean I can't stay with you."
"Really? Sure, then, you can come with me," Ash agreed, his spirits soaring. Glancing up at the sky, he added, "Let's go home first, and then I'll take you to meet Professor Oak tomorrow! He's really smart and knows a lot about Pokemon. You'll really like him. And my mom makes really great food too. She'll make you something to eat if you're hungry."
"Well, I can't say no to that," Froakie chuckled, hopping onto the boy's shoulder. "Alright then, Ash. Lead the way."