Ash Ketchum (サトシ) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
2bamaster) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
pokemonthenovel2015-11-15 02:13 pm
2bamaster) wrote in pokemonthenovel2015-11-15 02:13 pm
Entry tags:
Chapter 1: Departure in Pajamas (English terminology)
I'm Ash, age 10.
I start off putting my Pokémon cap on my head.
I put a throwing glove on my right hand to protect my wrist.
Then I start throwing.
I don't have any Poké Balls though, so it's just shadow pitching.
Once I catch a Pokémon, I need a catchphrase to shout.
Okay, pose!
“Get!”
“Gotcha!”
“Got you!”
“You've been got!”
Ash came up with dozens of poses in front of his mirror.
He was trying to figure out his catchphrase for when he caught a Pokémon.
What pose and catchphrase suit me best?
There's so many lines to choose from.
But the most important part is that I decide on something really cool.
Ash was looking up the word capture on his computer's dictionary.
And chose “get” as the most commonly used word among Pokémon Trainers.
The dictionary gave the following definition for get.
“Get ＜Obsolete (Commonly used in the past) Etymology... get... English word＞ ... Capture, obtain. Colloquialism for trapping. In the past was used when a man obtained a girl (make something yours), girls also used in regards to obtaining a guy, by the end of the 20th century, its meaning had shifted to only obtaining items, such as when buying them... Nowadays it is no longer part of common vernacular. An exception to this is usage among Pocket Monster (Pokémon) Trainers, where it remains in use in regards to the capture of Pokémon.
＜Example 1... “Krabby get (Krabby is a species of river crab Pokémon.) another example is “Magikarp get (Magikarp is a fish Pokémon predominantly made of bones and scales.) ... To obtain a dull Pokémon to catch. On one hand... a waste of effort. Example 2... “I came close to getting Mew (Mew is a legendary Pokémon whose existence is unconfirmed)” ... To obtain a Pokémon whose existence is unconfirmed. On the other hand... unbelievable fortune. As such it is considered a dangerous (high risk) operation. Something that involves considerable effort.＞
***
Ash didn't really know about the older meanings of “get”.
But the use of “get” among those in the Pokémon business is common knowledge.
It was a word used among Pokémon Trainers to the same degree that people in show business always say “Good morning” no matter what time of day it is.
Even among small children playing Pokémon with each other, you'll hear their voices saying “I'll gecchu” or “Gocchu”.
Ash wasn't a little kid any more, but could he use the variant kids used while playing? He pondered a moment... Then again, it'd be somewhat improper to speak with a lisp like that... Was his conclusion. ... Perhaps it's better to use the word he's used to? ... Which would mean... In the end, he settled on “get”.
However, even if he's used to using the word, using it in the real world is another thing.
It may be a word everyone uses, but he wanted his own unique cool pose when he said “get”.
So he had spent the past ten days thinking, maybe not, not cool enough, while researching poses.
Whenever he had the time, he was looking in the mirror.
And so it continued, right up to the night before his planned departure.
***
This country heavily resembles 20th century Japan, but there are some differences.
Allow me to explain a few of those differences here.
For example, compulsory education ends in primary school at the age of ten.
Students are free to continue into middle school if they wish.
When children complete primary school at the age of ten, they are legally considered as adults.
In this facet, it more closely resembles the country England... Engliss, than 20th century Japan.
This is the “All Primary School Graduates are Adults Law”. Or PGAL (Primary Graduates Adulthood Law) for short.
Basically, as of the April following your tenth birthday... you are able to gain a Pokémon License and are permitted to carry Poké Balls to capture Pokémon. However, due to a law for preserving natural habitats, you are only permitted to have six balls at a time.
Of course, there's more to being a legal adult than the right to own Pokémon.
All adult rights are granted. Under 18s don't qualify as minors, not even 14 or 15 year olds. For example, if you were to steal something from a convenience store, the consequences would be more than just the shopkeeper getting mad at you, the police would arrest you. And no matter how much your parents try to apologise, you are still culpable as an adult.
The most important point of this law is... after leaving primary school you make your own life choices.
You can strive to achieve higher education or take over the family business.
Naturally, you're free to search for a job you like as well. If they were so inclined, an eleven year old boy and girl are even free to marry without parental consent. You are considered an adult right down to details like traffic violations. ... And you pay taxes like an adult too.
So, in regards to Ash's hometown, Pallet Town...
Pallet Town is a small town out in the boonies. Despite being legal adults, there's barely any job openings for primary school graduates there.
Due to the lack of jobs, it is a town where most children decide to become Pokémon Trainers.
In fact, most of Ash's seniors had left Pallet Town to become Pokémon Trainers.
But unfortunately, no trainers from Pallet Town ever made it into the national daily top ten charts in the newspapers or TV reports.
However, the popular children's magazine “Pokémon Comic” which boasts a readership of five million as well as the adult oriented specialist magazine “Monthly Pokémon Trainer” and its rival publication “Pokémon Pals (Commonly referred to as PokéPal)” always have a monthly Best 10,000 Trainers list.
Right near the bottom of that list, you may find some trainers from Pallet Town.
When this happens, the trainers is featured on the front page in the local paper Weekly Pallet Town News with a huge photo and are considered a local hero... Everyone in town throws a huge party. The only supermarket in town celebrates with a bargain sale. Outside their family home, congratulatory telegrams and bouquets are lined up, like a wreath at the grand opening of a pachinko parlour.
The following is an old story from over 100 years ago.
A man from the town named Pallet Oak ranked 931st in the national trainer rankings.
It was the first time anyone from the town had ever made it into the top 1000. Pallet Oak was more than just a local hero, he was practically worshipped as a god. In their excitement, the townspeople erected a bronze statue of him in the town square, and changed the name of the town to Pallet Town.
Up until that point, it had been known as Purity Town.
Naturally, the new name of the town was decided by a local referendum.
On top of that, Pallet Oak was also elected as the town's mayor.
Since then the Oak family has been well revered in Pallet Town and has had successive generations of mayors.
Incidentally, the famous Pokémon researcher Professor Samuel Oak is Pallet Oak's great great grandson (the grandson of his grandson... grandson's grandson) and is the youngest of three brothers in the Oak family... The eldest is the current mayor of Pallet Town... The second eldest runs the Pallet Town post office.
Anyway, to become big in this town, your best bet is to become a Pokémon Trainer.
Children of Pallet Town dream of beating out Pallet Oak's ranking... That is to say 931st place, and have the town renamed after themselves.
... That goes for me too... I'll change this town's name to Ash Town... And I'll be cooler than anyone else...
***
Ash was still posing in front of the mirror.
“Get!”
“Gotcha!”
“Did I get it?”
... It wasn't going well.
“Am I interrupting a fashion show?”
A yawning voice spoke from behind.
“You should knock before coming in.”
Ash replied as he turned around.
Nok nok. The one who spoke up knocked on the already wide open door to Ash's room. It was his mother Delia standing in the doorway in her pajamas.
“It's your mama in pajamas. What's the drama? Oh, I'm a poet and I didn't know it.”
Is this really the kind of thing a typical mother would say? ... Sometimes, Ash would stop and wonder about that.
Besides, when she's not in her pajamas, she's usually wearing a miniskirt.
***
Let's take a moment, even though we're already taking a while, and talk about Ash's mother.
What? You don't want to read about annoying parents in a Pokémon novel? You want to move on with Ash's story already? ...
I get where you're coming from, but think of it this way, not all that long ago back when they were your age, everyone's mother were once kids who loved anime and games just as much as you. They weren't always annoying parents who always order you to study. So stop complaining and deal with it. Besides, you may even learn something important about Ash while learning about his mother.
In a lot of ways, Ash's mother may be similar to your own, but there may be some notable differences as well.
***
Ash's mother's name is Delia.
Looking at Delia, who is still under 30, you wouldn't think she was Ash's mother.
In fact, if Ash were to introduce her to someone saying “This is my mother, who'll be turning 30 soon.” they'd probably stare blankly... and shake their head in disbelief.
Then they'd smile politely and think he was joking as they replied.
“Delia could only be in her early 20s.”
Anyway, Delia really didn't look any older than her early 20s.
While Ash would prefer her to become more like an ordinary older woman, if strangers were to see them together they would likely think they were brother and sister.
While Ash wouldn't notice due to being with her all the time, most people would consider her quite the beauty, in fact, when she was 17 she appeared on the front cover of the new year bumper issue of “Pokémon Pals” alongside a flower Pokémon known as Bellsprout.
It was the biggest thing to happen in Pallet Town since Pallet Oak reached 931st on the trainer charts.
It was approximately two years later that Ash was born, however she has never told him about her appearance in that special edition of “Pokémon Pals” because “I was so immature back then, yaaah~ ”
After her mother passed away, Delia took over the family business, the only restaurant in town with an inn (hotel) on the second floor, Pallet House: Delia, which she ran all on her own.
Ash's father isn't around any more.
Ash's father was a Pokémon Trainer.
He left town right after Ash was born and never came back.
While we're on the topic, Delia's father... That is to say, Ash's grandfather, was also a Pokémon Trainer, he also left home when Delia was young and never came back.
But that's enough about Delia for now, let's get back to Ash's story.
***
... That ain't good...
Ash was embarrassed to have his mother finding him practising his Pokémon get pose and replied to her with a furrowed brow.
“So... Does my mama in pajamas have some important business with me?”
When communicating by computer or trying to put on airs, Ash refers to himself by the pronoun "boku", but in general he always says "ore".
“Your mama in pajamas doesn't want any drama... little boy. What are you doing at this hour?”
“Don't call me little boy.”
Ash snapped back at her.
“Ooh. If you're not a little boy, then what are you?”
Their relationship was less like mother and child and more like a pair of friends.
“I'm becoming a Pokémon Trainer tomorrow, that means I'm an adult.”
Delia placed her hand to her forehead.
“Right, my mistake. Anyway, Mr. Adult... Do you know what time it is?”
Delia pointed at the alarm clock on Ash's desk.
***
Delia got that clock for Ash as a present on his tenth birthday.
It was shaped like a Voltorb, a ball-like Pokémon, a clock designed for travel, it opened into two pieces to show the time inside.
When you set the time, it starts of going ririri... Then if you don't wake up biriri... Then eventually kaboom! It would make a sound like an explosion, Pokémon themed goods are quite popular.
They aren't expensive, but Pokémon goods are a perpetual best seller. So it makes them hard to obtain in a small place like Pallet Town where Ash lives, so in order to obtain that clock Delia left her busy schedule for three days and went to the department store in the metropolis of Celadon City and waited in line for five hours to buy it.
Naturally she also bought herself some nice clothes and shoes at great bargain prices while at the department store, but that was only an afterthought.
For Delia, that Voltorb alarm clock held more significance than just a birthday present for her son.
It was an expression of motherly love for Ash to take on his journey with his tenth birthday just being a chance to give it to him.
***
“The time is...”
Ash opened the Voltorb alarm clock and checked the time.
“Wow, it's already 1 AM.”
Delia shrugged as she replied.
“That's right. 1 AM is a time for adults... But not a time for new ten year old adults to be awake.”
“But I'm leaving tomorrow.”
“Not tomorrow. 1 AM. It's already today.”
“... I can't sleep.”
Delia was fluffing Ash's pillow as she replied.
“I understand how you feel. Everyone in this town becomes a Pokémon Trainer when they turn ten. Your dad, your grandpa... And even you...”
When mentioning his father and grandfather, she briefly treated Ash's pillow like a punching bag.
“Dad and grandpa, huh...”
Ash recalled something from when he was five years old.
***
It was the day he got his first computer.
He was staring at the latest model of PC while Delia spoke.
“Hey son, I'm talking to you... Your dad and grandpa are amazing Pokémon Trainers.”
Of course, Ash had always thought so.
“Hey, mom. I wanna know. What's dad like? ... What kind of person was grandpa?”
This was the answer Delia decided to give little Ash.
“Your dad and grandpa are surreal trainers who could defeat even Pallet Oak...”
“Surreal?”
It was a word he wasn't familiar with.
“Beyond reality... Super real.”
“So they're like super awesome.”
“I guess.”
But on the day he got his computer, the illusions he had about his father and grandfather were shattered. And the following occurred...
Delia lowered her head as she spoke to little Ash.
“Sorry. I lied to you...”
Delia spoke to Ash whose jaw hung wide open.
“Lied...”
“Surreal trainers. Beyond reality, throwing logic to the curb, super real, surpassing reality... It's all lies... I give up.”
Ash was the one giving up.
Delia asked the following.
“When you start using your computer, you're going to go online...”
“Yeah.”
Ash nodded.
“And of course, the internet has information regarding Pokémon, so you're going to try and learn more about your dad and grandpa.”
“Yeah. That's right.”
“But, you won't find anything. Probably.”
“Why not?”
“Because I lied...”
“Eh...”
“It's not a lie that dad and grandpa did try to become Pokémon Trainers... That's the truth... It's absolute fact that they left on a journey...”
“Yeah.”
“But... To say that they had any success as trainers...”
“Yeah.”
“It's a lie. Probably.”
“A lie?”
“Your dad and grandpa have never made it into the top 10,000 lists in any of the magazines.”
“Yeah, they haven't.”
“I know that's never bothered you, Ash... The top 10,000 is made up of people who compete in the annual league tournaments. Only Pokémon Master class trainers make it to the big league... There's plenty of great trainers whose names never make it on the list.”
“Yeah.”
“But, it might be a problem if you search for them on the internet.”
“Internet?”
“Yeah, but on the internet, you can easily obtain a list of all the officially registered Pokémon Trainers in the world... If you're officially registered, your name is on the list... Even the names of deceased trainers are listed, there's at least a billion names on the list.”
“There's a list? ... I never knew that.”
“There is. Anyway... With a computer, even with a billion names, it would be easy to search for dad and grandpa on the list. That's why... before you try to search for them, I'd like to tell you... dad and grandpa aren't on the list.”
“Why not?”
“Because, dad and grandpa aren't professionals yet. Or rather, they haven't made it to the point they can be considered professionals.”
“Hmm.”
A long silence hung between Ash and Delia.
“What are they doing? Dad and grandpa.”
Delia shrugged.
“No idea. They left to become trainers, but their names still aren't on the list... I guess... they're just failures.”
“Failures... huh.”
Ash repeated Delia's words.
Delia didn't like the gloomy mood.
Hence why she then spoke up.
“But you aren't a failure, Ash. So don't you worry about dad or grandpa... okay. Whether you become a trainer or not is your own decision.”
Ash muttered quietly.
“How lame.”
“It is lame. Totally lame. Really lame.”
Delia smiled.
She was relieved that Ash wasn't too shocked by this revelation.
Ash's feelings were just as he'd said... “How lame” he thought.
Maybe if he'd known them it'd mean something, but he had only ever seen his dad and grandpa in photos.
Neither of them really meant anything to five year old Ash.
Whether his father and grandfather were decent trainers or not made no difference in his feelings about becoming a Pokémon Trainer.
However if he'd found out on the internet, or even when he was a little older, it may have come as a shock.
Thinking about it later, having the pressure of his father and grandfather's failure on him was a somewhat odd form of encouragement.
For example, there was this guy named Gary.
Gary Oak was the same age as Ash.
He was the grandson of the Pokémon researcher Professor Oak, who was the grandson of the grandson of Pallet Oak whose statue stood in the town square.
He was a self centered jerk who looked down on others just because he was a member of the Oak family, his lineage was all he had going for him, yet he was still full of himself.
Since his grandfather's brother was the mayor, he didn't go to the small primary school in town, he deliberately enrolled into a school in the next town over. Every day he had a two hour round trip out of Pallet Town.
... It must be tough having to live up to your ancestors.
That's what Ash thought sometimes in regards to Gary.
... On the other hand, with a father and grandfather who were complete failures... it's quite possible that Gary thought that Ash... was quite pitiable himself.
***
“I'm not going to end up like dad or grandpa.”
Ash posed with his fist in the air before Delia.
“Well, you can't be sure...”
Delia regretted saying that and then tried to lighten the mood.
“Ah, you've got them beat in style though.”
“Huh? Style?”
“The whole getting thing.”
Delia then mimicked exaggerated versions of the poses Ash had been practising.
“Get, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah”
Ash rolled his eyes.
“You just don't get how cool I am.”
“What, you seriously think that was cool?” Delia asked.
“...” Ash had no retort for that.
“Of course. You're so stylish... But there's no point trying to come up with something before you even catch any Pokémon.”
“It's none of your business, mom.”
“It is too.”
“How so?”
“I don't want people thinking I'm the mother of a totally uncool trainer.”
“You only pull the mom card when it's convenient.”
“Of course. I am your mother after all. Anyway, people who rely on stylish poses to determine how cool they are have a long way to go. You won't understand the joy, the excitement of catching a Pokémon, until you experience it for yourself... Anyway, the natural reaction you have when you feel that sense of accomplishment will provide a natural style. That's the style that will suit you best... You won't know it until you catch your own Pokémon... Besides, there's more important things you should be deciding on.”
“Eh?”
Delia returned his pillow to the bed and pressed the TV button on the computer on his desk.
“There, you're always watching this, aren't you?”
A video of an introductory lecture about Pokémon started playing.
Having already seen it dozens of times he'd already memorised the whole thing start to finish.
Ash figured there was nothing new he could possibly learn from it at this point.
“I've had enough of this video.”
“Really? ... Maybe I'll learn something instead then.”
The video explained that after a week without bathing your hair would be filled with dandruff, the kind of beard you'd grow after not shaving for ten days, how dirty your clothes would get after being worn for a whole month, the video was presented by a man who had probably about 50 years of experience in this world.
Other than Pallet Oak whose statue stood in town, the second most famous person was Professor Samuel Oak.
“As you are aware, the National Pokémon Association are able to provide a single Pokémon to primary school graduates hoping to become Pokémon Trainers. There are many Pokémon suitable for beginners, however for Pokémon Trainers starting their career, I would personally recommend one of the following three...”
“Oh my, even though Professor Oak says so... it that okay?”
Delia asked Ash.
“It's fine. I know all three of them.”
Ash then began to list them off.
“Bulbasaur... It's a Pokémon that kind of looks like a frog which has a bulb planted on its back since birth... It's easy to raise, thus perfect for beginners...”
“I see.”
Delia nodded.
“Then there's Squirtle, which is like a turtle that squirts water from its mouth... It's a little tough to handle at first, but it's better in the long term...”
“Right, right.”
“The last one is Charmander. It has a flame on its tail from the moment its born. It's a little dinosaur-like Pokémon that walks on two legs... It's recommended for people who like a bit of a challenge.”
“You know your stuff. So, have you decided... on your new sweetheart?”
“Eh?”
“I mean your first Pokémon.”
“Ah...”
Ash hadn't decided as of yet.
He was completely lost as to which one of the three would be his best choice.
“No use keeping it a secret, tell me~”
... He'd been practising his Pokémon get pose without even deciding what his first Pokémon would be. How lame. Super lame...
He couldn't admit that to Delia.
“Not telling. It's a trade secret.”
“Right. It'd suck if some other kid got the Pokémon you wanted before you did.”
Delia casually turned up the volume on the video.
Professor Oak flipped images of each Pokémon as he described them.
“Due to the increase of Pokémon Trainer candidates in recent years, I have one of each of these three Pokémon available for distribution at my laboratory. If you wish to obtain one of them, make sure to arrive early on the appointed day. I'll be distributing them starting at dawn.”
“Did you hear what Professor Oak said?”
“Yeah, I know.”
“I'm not going to wake you in the morning.”
Delia always left home in the morning while it was still dark, before Ash woke up.
She had to go to the market in the next town over to buy ingredients for the restaurant.
“No need to worry. I've got this.”
Ash placed his Voltorb alarm clock by his bedside.
“I've got it set for first thing in the morning.”
“Then hurry up and go to sleep. Oh, don't forget to change into your pajamas.”
She pulled his pajamas from the hamper and handed them to Ash.
Ash nodded as he accepted them.
“I know.”
“Well, as long as you know...”
Delia looked around Ash's room.
It was unusually neat.
It was never this neat even after a spring cleaning.
... Ash was really leaving...
This room... Ash had slept here every night for the past ten years since he was a baby, but tomorrow he would be gone.
It'd be quite a while until Ash would return to this room.
If he was anything like his father, he may never be back.
It was really starting to sink in.
But Delia hated teary farewells.
When it came to cuts, bruises or even a tiny splinter stuck in her finger, Delia would overreact and cry like a baby, but ever since Ash's father left she never shed a single tear over a farewell where anyone could see her.
“Get to sleep soon...”
Delia said that once more before she closed the door.
***
Delia wiped the tears from her eyes and wiped them on her shoulder.
... Tears, huh... I'm still young, but I'm already the mother of a full fledged adult at my age... I've had to put on a brave face as his mother... I can recall all the past ten years with Ash, ten years, ten months and ten days... All of the hardships... The times it was too painful to go on... Motherhood really was a struggle... But it was worth it.
This is how Delia felt the day her only son left home.
***
And now from here until the next ***, we're going to speak about Delia a bit more, this may be a little long, so if you don't care about Ash's mother's feelings, feel free to skip ahead.
But if you persevere and keep reading here, you may be rewarded. It may tie in to what Ash does from now on.
Do you know what your mother thinks while you're playing outside or you're playing video games?
This is true. A lot of them are thinking “dammit”. And it's not because you're spending your time playing instead of studying. It's because they want to play too, but can't.
When you spend your allowance on a video game they're thinking “lucky brat”. Because with the money you spend they can no longer buy new shoes or clothes for themselves.
While they're making your dinner they're thinking “I don't wanna do this”. They would honestly rather go out to a restaurant and have some fancy master chef make them a feast. And at a restaurant, there's no need to clean up the table afterwards.
Every day your mother thinks “dammit”, “lucky brat” and “I don't wanna do this”, while doing the jobs a mother has to do.
The jobs a mother has to do include raising you, making sure you attend school, it's hard work.
It may be interesting to observe your mother with her viewpoint in mind.
Anyway, in Delia's case...
Delia didn't consider motherhood to be a burden.
Of course, it was never easy... But still, she felt the need to say “Thanks baby” to Ash every once in a while.
... Looking after a baby is somewhat comparable to looking after a pet Pokémon in terms of effort... But Delia figured it was at least somewhat better than being all alone after her husband left home.
At least a baby provides more thrill than a digital pet, if it dies you can't press reset. Maybe I said too much there.
... He became rebellious for the first time around the age of three.
“Ah, Ash, you're plotting against me.”
She keenly sensed Ash's presence...
“Having such a rebellious son makes me the world's most unfortunate beauty... Sniff, sniff. Waaah, waaaah.” and she began to cry.
Normally at her age, girls would be able to go out and have fun, not working as a single mother, she really did feel somewhat unfortunate. She started off only pretending to cry, but while thinking about her life situation, the tears soon became real.
Ash was taken aback by her crying and stopped his troublemaking. “Mama. What's wrong? Are you okay?”
That was all he could do to comfort her.
When bullies picked on Ash in preschool and school, he'd get the teachers or the bully's father to tell them off. Or well, if the bully's father wouldn't tell them off, he'd make sure the teacher did.
Anyway, Delia's restaurant was the only restaurant in Pallet Town.
For single men and men who'd been kicked out of the house after a marital dispute who were looking for a meal, their only options in town were either Delia's restaurant or a bento from the only convenience store in town.
Delia's cooking is so good that it was featured in the book “Unexplored Regions: The Best Cooking in Small Towns”. However, if you got into an argument with Delia and were on her bad side, her famous cooking would quickly become inedible. Also... With Delia being a beauty who appeared on the cover of “Pokémon Pals”... none of the men in Pallet Town were good enough for her.
“Children need a mother and a father! Especially a father! You can't underestimate the importance of a father! A father can't just be working all the time! He has to spend time at home!”
Delia would complain to the fathers of the bullies.
The fathers would shut up and let her speak.
In exchange... if you can call it that... Delia would hear out their problems with their wives.
Up until Ash's tenth birthday, Delia received at least 100 proposals from men, but she turned all of them down. There were a few rumours about her relationships with men, but none of them were true.
In fact, she had never actually gotten divorced from Ash's absent father.
Because of this, the mothers in town never complained about their husbands going to Pallet House: Delia after work. In fact, when their husbands arrived home late at night and said they'd been at Pallet House: Delia, they'd consider it a relief. Speaking with Delia would inspire the fathers of Pallet Town to do their best to look after their homes and children.
This would help improve the mood of the mothers of the town.
And with both their parents in a good mood, the children would be in a good mood too.
It's hard to say whether this kind of thing would have an effect in the world at large, but at the very least, in a small school in Pallet Town, the bullying against Ash ended.
With him no longer being bullied, Ash loved to play around and cause mischief.
She told him off when he caused too much trouble, but Delia never forced him to focus on his studies.
But sometimes she'd mutter.
“Your dad and grandpa are out there somewhere trying to become Pokémon Trainers... Must be nice out there...”
It was only occasionally that she'd say this, but over ten years it added to quite a number of times.
It was only natural that Ash would come to dream of being a Pokémon Trainer.
Delia's mutterings, were never in regards to having any concern for dad or grandpa.
Delia herself loved Pokémon and wished she could have become a trainer too.
If she didn't have to take over Pallet House as the only daughter of her family, Delia would have ignored any opposition from her mother and left home to become a Pokémon Trainer when she was ten, just like Ash.
When becoming a Pokémon Trainer, it's always better to start young.
But it's not too late to start as a teenager.
If there was anyone else who could take over Pallet House, Delia would have left it to them and left town.
She hadn't given up yet.
However...
When she was 18... While Delia's mother was still alive.
There was a young man hoping to become a Pokémon Trainer who stayed at Pallet House and she fell in love. The relationship escalated quickly and in practically the blink of the eye they were married.
And then in another blink of the eye, the young man left town, never to return again.
And in yet another blink of the eye, her mother fell ill and passed away, leaving her with only Pallet House and the newborn Ash.
If you were to ask her if she still loved that young man... Ash's father... her answer would be a flat “no”.
After leaving a woman like Delia alone for over ten years, she wouldn't even get mad at him if he returned, she'd simply ignore him outright.
Up until the day Ash left home on a journey to become a Pokémon Trainer, Delia had hung in there all by herself.
It's only natural... Delia thought to herself.
Ash was her beloved child. She'd take care of him until the day he left. It was her responsibility.
Delia had decided to continue doing her best on her own... But in the morning, Ash would finally be leaving.
She was sad to see Ash leave home, yet also somewhat excited.
... When the morning comes, I'll be free. I'm still in my twenties... It's a bit too late to become a Pokémon Trainer, but there's lots of things I could do.
Delia briefly reconsidered the hundreds of proposals she'd rejected... Ahaha... I'd rather not... Lalala.
Delia felt like a student about to start a summer vacation without any homework.
She then came to her senses.
Ash isn't leaving until the morning. She had to keep being his mother up until then.
Delia nodded to herself and said “yeah”.
***
Ash couldn't sleep.
He was wearing his pajamas. His light was off and he was tucked under the sheets of his bed.
He'd given up on coming up with a get pose.
However, he couldn't decide which of the three recommended Pokémon he should get at the Pallet Town Oak Laboratory.
Bulbasaur...?
Squirtle...?
Charmander...?
He couldn't decide which one to choose.
How much time was left?
As Ash dozed off, he heard a distant sound... somewhere outside the window...
“Doh... Doh... Dododdooh”
It was a Dodrio letting out a trio of cries to declare it was the morning.
Dodrio is a triple bird Pokémon which is like a three headed ostrich.
Upon hearing the Dodrio's cry, Delia went out to go to the market.
It was still dark outside.
But today, the Dodrio's cry was like a lullaby for Ash.
***
Even in his dreams, Ash was indecisive.
“Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander... Who should I choose?”
But he had to settle on one eventually.
“Okay, Bulbasaur, I choose you!”
Ash threw a Poké Ball within his dream.
A Bulbasaur came out from the ball letting out a cry of “Saauur”. ... Or rather it should have.
What came out instead was a Squirtle saying “Squirtsquirt”.
“Huh? You're not Bulbasaur.”
But Ash then changed his mind.
“A Squirtle is fine too... Squirtle. I'm glad it was you. Squirtle, I choose you.”
But the moment he decided, Squirtle was enveloped in smoke and turned into a Charmander.
“Mander? Mander?” Its tail flame flickered unreliably as it seemed to ask... Am I not good enough?
Ash replied almost on instinct.
“Charmander... I'm sorry. You're the one I really want.”
Then Bulbasaur leapt out.
“Saaauur?”
... That's not what you said before? It asked, pouting with the bulb on its back.
“No, it isn't, it's not. I want all of you.”
He says that, but “I want all three of you” is too selfish.
“Squirt...” “Mandeeer...” Saaaaur...”
All three of them turn their back on Ash and leave.
... Uugh, I'm back at square one again...
“Let's try this again... This time, Charmander! I choose you.”
He threw a Poké Ball again.
But the one who came out of it was Bulbasaur.
“Why is this happening? Bulbasaur... No, one more time, Squirtle...”
He threw the Poké Ball again.
For some reason, it was Charmander.
No matter how many times he tried, the three of them wouldn't come out the way he wanted.
“This time, this time, this time for sure!”
Ash kept throwing the Poké Balls in his dream.
In a half asleep daze, Ash had eventually grabbed the Voltorb clock.
“Thistimethistimethistime!”
Thinking he was throwing a Poké Ball, Ash threw the Voltorb clock.
After smashing into the wall, the clock would no longer go biriri or ririri.
The clock broke without making a sound.
However, having not noticed, Ash continued throwing Poké Balls in his dreams.
***
... Ding dong ding dong.
The bell in Pallet Town Square rang.
9 AM. Everyone in town was going to work.
Ash let out a big yawn.
... Ding dong ding dong... That sound... isn't the alarm clock!...
Ash sprung out of bed.
“The town square's bell!”
Ash threw the curtains to the window open.
Outside the window it was already morning... Oh no, Ash had been planning to leave around sunrise, but it was already closer to noon.
“What! Why?”
The Voltorb clock was sitting next to the wall.
“Why didn't it go off?”
Ash picked up the clock and shook it.
“Please work... Please work... Please work...”
The Voltorb let out an out-of-order sound.
“Oh come on.”
Ash put the Voltorb clock into his pajama pocket and dashed out of the room.
“... Squirtle, Charmander, Bulbasaur, I'll settle for any of you, so please wait!”
He came down the stairs to where the Pallet House: Delia restaurant was.
Having already gotten back from shopping in the next town over, Delia was tidying up before opening the store.
“Oh, you're still here Ash.”
“I'm late. I'm late. I'm late!”
Without even taking any notice of Delia, Ash shot out the front door of the restaurant still wearing his pajamas.
“Same as always... He's hopeless.”
Delia shrugged her shoulders.
He stayed up late and overslept...
Nothing ever changed, even on the day he was supposed to leave home.
“Dad... Grandpa... I suppose he really is your child.”
But she then smiled as she murmured to herself.
“But he's my kid too...”
Delia moved the vacuum cleaner all about the floor.
Well, cleaning is done for now.
“Alright! Time to face another bright day.”
Delia went to the kitchen and started preparing for today's lunch special.
Many people normally tend to only have something light for lunch like a bento or a sandwich. But not Delia. Some people are totally out of it in the morning and don't get moving until the afternoon. To power on without dozing off, you need to fill your stomach with some nourishment. And not just with quantity, you need a good quality lunch packed with energy. Delia felt that out of your three meals a day, lunch was the most important.
That's the truth.
She selected the finest ingredients and used them to make nourishing balanced meals, this is why Delia's restaurant had such a great reputation in town.
Unfortunately, we don't have the time to explain Delia's special lunch menu in any detail. If you wish to know more about her recipes, I would suggest enquiring with the people who set the menu at the cafeteria or someone as a restaurant with a specialised lunch menu.
However something bothered Delia today, she put down the kitchen knife she was using to slice the okra (a nutritious type of vegetable known for its stickiness).
Delia tasted a pinch of the okra, “Nice, this is good...” she said to herself, before going up the stairs to Ash's room.
“Yeah, thought as much.”
Ash had left behind the luggage he was supposed to take on his journey.
She figured she should take the stuff he forgot over to him.
“... I suppose I should see him off properly.”
Delia returned to the kitchen and packed today's lunch special into a bento.
The bento wasn't for Ash.
For the customers coming for today's lunch special, they would find the place closed while she delivered her son's forgotten items... Closed at lunchtime... When they'd come during their lunch break to have the lunch special... It would be almost too much to bear.
***
Professor Oak's Laboratory which Ash was headed for was located on the outskirts of Pallet Town.
When he attended the primary school in the town square, he'd overcome the barriers to be at his desk in time for his teacher to take attendance, but it seemed he wouldn't make it in time today.
Even running at full speed in his pajamas, it was impossible.
Chapter 1 appendix
(... If you're in a hurry, feel free to skip ahead to chapter 2. ... However, there may be some important information written here that nobody has ever seen before.)
... Pokémon Related Reference Material 1...
Let me tell you of a Pokémon legend I know that few people are aware of...
Pocket Monsters... Or Pokémon for short.
Pokémon researchers have published many theories, but there's very little we actually know about them.
Despite existing side by side, there is very little we know about the ecology (way of life) of Pokémon species.
It's understandable though.
Throughout the thousands of years of human history, it was only relatively recently that we came to fully understand the animals known as dogs and cats.
Until that point people thought that dogs and wolves were entirely unrelated creatures.
Nobody would believe that cats and lions were both varieties of feline.
As such with Pokémon... For example, Meowth is a Pokémon that resembles a cat, however we as of yet have no idea what relationship it may share with actual cats.
Firstly, it is only recently that we have started calling these creatures Pocket Monsters (portable beasts).
For a long time, humans divided creatures into to broad categories.
The first was edible animals like cows or pigs, animals like horses you could ride, dogs that could act as guards or sometimes just cute animals that could be kept at pets... Basically, animals that are useful to humans. You could consider them to be humanity's allies. The other category includes insects that destroy crops and wolves that attack sheep, they could be considered humanity's enemies...
Throughout human history, the quest for food and survival has been a constant war.
As such it was a long time before humans came to truly understand animals.
Is it an enemy? An ally? That was all that mattered.
As their way of life became easier, humans gained more curiosity about the world around them, and began the study of creatures other than themselves... The study of animals other than humans known as, this may be a difficult word, biology, is only a recent development in human history.
Anyway, proper research of Pokémon has only started within the past few centuries.
So when a portable beast (Pokémon) researcher known as Professor Oak from a country town known as Pallet Town claimed that Pokémon are fundamentally different creatures from other animals 30 years ago, a large portion of the scientific community took notice.
When did Pokémon first appear before humans? And have Pokémon existed longer than humans have in this world?
The truth is not entirely clear.
It is said that the ancestors of Pokémon existed two million years ago.
However there is no clear evidence for this.
Two million years ago is the time that humanity is estimated to have been born.
That is to say that humans and Pokémon have existed for roughly the same period of time.
At the start of the 20th century, the discovery of Peking Man and Java Man put the origin of man approximately half a million years ago.
But then the bones of Australopithecus were discovered in Africa.
These bones were about a million years old.
And so humanity was thought to be a million years old.
And now the discovery of the bones of a primitive man known as Ramapithecus have placed the estimate at roughly two million years. As new excavations happen, new discoveries about the origin of man may come to light in the following years. Some believe that humanity may even go back as far as three million years.
It is indeed possible that humans have existed for more than two million years.
By examining the chemical properties of unearthed fossils, we can determine the era they lived in.
However this method does not work with Pokémon.
This isn't common knowledge, but it's impossible to detect the chemical make up of a Pokémon's body.
As such, when a Pokémon fossil is discovered on occasion, we are unable to determine the time period it lived in, unlike other fossils.
This isn't the only difference between Pokémon and other creatures. The molecular geometry of a Pokémon's body is also different to that of other creatures.
Basically, Pokémon are highly mysterious creatures.
In regards to the origins of Pokémon, researchers can only say one thing for certain.
That is...
Pokémon have existed since before humans discovered them.
Therefore it is possible that Pokémon existed when humanity originated.
With that said... Or that is to say... There's no way to prove it.
Although thinking about it, the same could be said about humanity's origins.
It is impossible to know if the two million year old human fossils considered themselves as human when they were alive.
That is to say by the time humans realised what they were, they already existed.
These are common questions among humans. Who am I? Where am I? Do I belong here? The answers to these questions... are probably within you already. We're here because we are.
In much the same way, Pokémon exist within this world because they do.
As such, if we were to discover why Pokémon exist in this world, it would likely be related to why humanity exists in this world as well.
This is why other than professional researchers like Professor Oak, many people research Pokémon as a hobby.
Now that the long introduction is out of the way... Let's get to the real issue.
What I know about Pokémon as a small town Pokémon researcher...
I have some rare information that may be of some interest to a Pokémon lover such as yourself.
In a certain rural area, a relatively unknown legend remains.
As people are aware, the universe was created by a great explosion known as the big bang...
Or so they say.
However, according to this legend, the big bang was not the beginning.
There was a god who created the world.
The world had up and down, but was shrouded in complete darkness. And so, light was created so things could be seen. And because being bright all the time would make it hard to sleep, half the day was shrouded in darkness. And so day and night came to be. And this is what God did on the first day.
But though there was light during the day, if you were to look at the world around you it was merely a soupy mess. To use a more complex word, it was chaos.
Well... it was a problem to leave things all jumbled like that, so on the second day... God took the soupy mess and divided it into sea and sky.
But God felt it was a little desolate with nothing but sea and sky.
Nowadays, sets of paints and crayons come in at least twelve colours. Even a rainbow has seven colours.
But the only colours in the sea and sky were blue.
It was quite desolate.
That's why on the third day... God created land on the sea. Having the land all be brown would be boring, so he added greenery... On the land he put grass and trees. Woods ands forests. Basically, he made vegetation.
Then on the fourth day... God looked at the sky... and felt it looked empty. So he made the sun to be in the sky at day and the stars and moon to shine at night.
I wonder, did God feel like a child with their first set of colour pencils or crayons at this point?
... It's an understandable feeling.
But he looked upon the world and felt that there should be something that could move about. If you paid close attention, the sea had waves and the wind rustled the tree leaves... But it was too quiet. God wanted something more lively to move about.
Rather than scenery like a painting on a wall, he wanted something that would move dynamically like an anime.
And so on the fifth day... He made birds to fly in the sky and fish to swim in the sea.
Now, what about insects like dragonflies and cicadas? Or shellfish, squids or octopuses? Do dolphins and whales count as fish?
Eh? Uh... Since this is just a legend I heard... Don't ask me about those kinds of details...
Anyway, day five, God made animals in the sky and sea.
So, the sixth day... This time he made various animals on the land.
It was at this point God realised. He made all these great animals in the sky, sea and on land, but maybe he made too many of them...
If these animals competed over the limited amount of space it'd be trouble.
And so, being a rather whimsical God, without consulting any of the other creatures, he made one in his own image.
They were humans.
Even if the humans resembled him in appearance only, God figured it should be able to communicate with the other animals.
So God told the humans.
“Go rule over the creatures of this world.”
Then he told the other creatures.
“Humans are your masters.”
Whether or not the other creatures objected or not is not recorded in the legend.
Since the legend has been passed down among humans, it'd be easy for them to cut any parts that make them look bad.
Either way...
God probably didn't expect the humans to be creatures that would burden the other creatures or fight wars amongst themselves.
Finally, the seventh day... Having finished creating the world, God took the day off.
We now call this day Sunday.
But this God sure loved making animals.
It was his day off, but he felt like scribbling a few new creatures into the world.
As for the creatures he made on his day off...
After making these creatures on a whim, God never told them to either “Rule over the humans” or “Be ruled by the humans”...
These creatures are what we call Pocket Monsters.
Anyway, that's the legend. As I said before, it's a legend very few people actually know of.
It's quite possible that I, the one writing this, and you, the one reading it, are the only ones who know of it.
In fact, as I send this correspondence, I have as of yet... been unable to verify the validity of the legend.
As such, I would suggest not talking to other people about it openly and keeping it close to your chest.
... A nameless Pokémon Researcher with absolutely no relation at all to Professor Oak...
An excerpt from an email sent to Bill Sonezaki
A Pokémon Analyst who participated in the 97th International Portable Beast Academic Conference
Translation Notes:
• Japan (Nippon) is written in katakana instead of the regularly used kanji, this is uncommon, but not unheard of, so I didn't bother changing the English spelling like in the prologue with America and England. Speaking of England, its mention in this chapter is initially in katakana before the author "corrects" himself by using kanji.
• If you read the version of this with the Japanese names, "Purity Town" is "Masshiro Town". Since Masara and Masshiro have a somewhat similar sound and "masshiro" is Japanese for "pure white", I felt it appropriate for the English name to have some semblance to "Pallet" while keeping similar connotations.
• “It's your mama in pajamas. What's the drama?” This line was even more amazing in Japanese. I did my best to capture it in English. (パジャマのままのママだよ。 おじゃま？)
• Ash uses "ore" in the line just before his use of personal pronouns is pointed out. His previous narration in the prologue and earlier this chapter had consistently used "boku".
• A bento is ajelly filled donut Japanese lunchbox. ... Y'know, just in case you didn't know that.
I start off putting my Pokémon cap on my head.
I put a throwing glove on my right hand to protect my wrist.
Then I start throwing.
I don't have any Poké Balls though, so it's just shadow pitching.
Once I catch a Pokémon, I need a catchphrase to shout.
Okay, pose!
“Get!”
“Gotcha!”
“Got you!”
“You've been got!”
Ash came up with dozens of poses in front of his mirror.
He was trying to figure out his catchphrase for when he caught a Pokémon.
What pose and catchphrase suit me best?
There's so many lines to choose from.
But the most important part is that I decide on something really cool.
Ash was looking up the word capture on his computer's dictionary.
And chose “get” as the most commonly used word among Pokémon Trainers.
The dictionary gave the following definition for get.
“Get ＜Obsolete (Commonly used in the past) Etymology... get... English word＞ ... Capture, obtain. Colloquialism for trapping. In the past was used when a man obtained a girl (make something yours), girls also used in regards to obtaining a guy, by the end of the 20th century, its meaning had shifted to only obtaining items, such as when buying them... Nowadays it is no longer part of common vernacular. An exception to this is usage among Pocket Monster (Pokémon) Trainers, where it remains in use in regards to the capture of Pokémon.
＜Example 1... “Krabby get (Krabby is a species of river crab Pokémon.) another example is “Magikarp get (Magikarp is a fish Pokémon predominantly made of bones and scales.) ... To obtain a dull Pokémon to catch. On one hand... a waste of effort. Example 2... “I came close to getting Mew (Mew is a legendary Pokémon whose existence is unconfirmed)” ... To obtain a Pokémon whose existence is unconfirmed. On the other hand... unbelievable fortune. As such it is considered a dangerous (high risk) operation. Something that involves considerable effort.＞
***
Ash didn't really know about the older meanings of “get”.
But the use of “get” among those in the Pokémon business is common knowledge.
It was a word used among Pokémon Trainers to the same degree that people in show business always say “Good morning” no matter what time of day it is.
Even among small children playing Pokémon with each other, you'll hear their voices saying “I'll gecchu” or “Gocchu”.
Ash wasn't a little kid any more, but could he use the variant kids used while playing? He pondered a moment... Then again, it'd be somewhat improper to speak with a lisp like that... Was his conclusion. ... Perhaps it's better to use the word he's used to? ... Which would mean... In the end, he settled on “get”.
However, even if he's used to using the word, using it in the real world is another thing.
It may be a word everyone uses, but he wanted his own unique cool pose when he said “get”.
So he had spent the past ten days thinking, maybe not, not cool enough, while researching poses.
Whenever he had the time, he was looking in the mirror.
And so it continued, right up to the night before his planned departure.
***
This country heavily resembles 20th century Japan, but there are some differences.
Allow me to explain a few of those differences here.
For example, compulsory education ends in primary school at the age of ten.
Students are free to continue into middle school if they wish.
When children complete primary school at the age of ten, they are legally considered as adults.
In this facet, it more closely resembles the country England... Engliss, than 20th century Japan.
This is the “All Primary School Graduates are Adults Law”. Or PGAL (Primary Graduates Adulthood Law) for short.
Basically, as of the April following your tenth birthday... you are able to gain a Pokémon License and are permitted to carry Poké Balls to capture Pokémon. However, due to a law for preserving natural habitats, you are only permitted to have six balls at a time.
Of course, there's more to being a legal adult than the right to own Pokémon.
All adult rights are granted. Under 18s don't qualify as minors, not even 14 or 15 year olds. For example, if you were to steal something from a convenience store, the consequences would be more than just the shopkeeper getting mad at you, the police would arrest you. And no matter how much your parents try to apologise, you are still culpable as an adult.
The most important point of this law is... after leaving primary school you make your own life choices.
You can strive to achieve higher education or take over the family business.
Naturally, you're free to search for a job you like as well. If they were so inclined, an eleven year old boy and girl are even free to marry without parental consent. You are considered an adult right down to details like traffic violations. ... And you pay taxes like an adult too.
So, in regards to Ash's hometown, Pallet Town...
Pallet Town is a small town out in the boonies. Despite being legal adults, there's barely any job openings for primary school graduates there.
Due to the lack of jobs, it is a town where most children decide to become Pokémon Trainers.
In fact, most of Ash's seniors had left Pallet Town to become Pokémon Trainers.
But unfortunately, no trainers from Pallet Town ever made it into the national daily top ten charts in the newspapers or TV reports.
However, the popular children's magazine “Pokémon Comic” which boasts a readership of five million as well as the adult oriented specialist magazine “Monthly Pokémon Trainer” and its rival publication “Pokémon Pals (Commonly referred to as PokéPal)” always have a monthly Best 10,000 Trainers list.
Right near the bottom of that list, you may find some trainers from Pallet Town.
When this happens, the trainers is featured on the front page in the local paper Weekly Pallet Town News with a huge photo and are considered a local hero... Everyone in town throws a huge party. The only supermarket in town celebrates with a bargain sale. Outside their family home, congratulatory telegrams and bouquets are lined up, like a wreath at the grand opening of a pachinko parlour.
The following is an old story from over 100 years ago.
A man from the town named Pallet Oak ranked 931st in the national trainer rankings.
It was the first time anyone from the town had ever made it into the top 1000. Pallet Oak was more than just a local hero, he was practically worshipped as a god. In their excitement, the townspeople erected a bronze statue of him in the town square, and changed the name of the town to Pallet Town.
Up until that point, it had been known as Purity Town.
Naturally, the new name of the town was decided by a local referendum.
On top of that, Pallet Oak was also elected as the town's mayor.
Since then the Oak family has been well revered in Pallet Town and has had successive generations of mayors.
Incidentally, the famous Pokémon researcher Professor Samuel Oak is Pallet Oak's great great grandson (the grandson of his grandson... grandson's grandson) and is the youngest of three brothers in the Oak family... The eldest is the current mayor of Pallet Town... The second eldest runs the Pallet Town post office.
Anyway, to become big in this town, your best bet is to become a Pokémon Trainer.
Children of Pallet Town dream of beating out Pallet Oak's ranking... That is to say 931st place, and have the town renamed after themselves.
... That goes for me too... I'll change this town's name to Ash Town... And I'll be cooler than anyone else...
***
Ash was still posing in front of the mirror.
“Get!”
“Gotcha!”
“Did I get it?”
... It wasn't going well.
“Am I interrupting a fashion show?”
A yawning voice spoke from behind.
“You should knock before coming in.”
Ash replied as he turned around.
Nok nok. The one who spoke up knocked on the already wide open door to Ash's room. It was his mother Delia standing in the doorway in her pajamas.
“It's your mama in pajamas. What's the drama? Oh, I'm a poet and I didn't know it.”
Is this really the kind of thing a typical mother would say? ... Sometimes, Ash would stop and wonder about that.
Besides, when she's not in her pajamas, she's usually wearing a miniskirt.
***
Let's take a moment, even though we're already taking a while, and talk about Ash's mother.
What? You don't want to read about annoying parents in a Pokémon novel? You want to move on with Ash's story already? ...
I get where you're coming from, but think of it this way, not all that long ago back when they were your age, everyone's mother were once kids who loved anime and games just as much as you. They weren't always annoying parents who always order you to study. So stop complaining and deal with it. Besides, you may even learn something important about Ash while learning about his mother.
In a lot of ways, Ash's mother may be similar to your own, but there may be some notable differences as well.
***
Ash's mother's name is Delia.
Looking at Delia, who is still under 30, you wouldn't think she was Ash's mother.
In fact, if Ash were to introduce her to someone saying “This is my mother, who'll be turning 30 soon.” they'd probably stare blankly... and shake their head in disbelief.
Then they'd smile politely and think he was joking as they replied.
“Delia could only be in her early 20s.”
Anyway, Delia really didn't look any older than her early 20s.
While Ash would prefer her to become more like an ordinary older woman, if strangers were to see them together they would likely think they were brother and sister.
While Ash wouldn't notice due to being with her all the time, most people would consider her quite the beauty, in fact, when she was 17 she appeared on the front cover of the new year bumper issue of “Pokémon Pals” alongside a flower Pokémon known as Bellsprout.
It was the biggest thing to happen in Pallet Town since Pallet Oak reached 931st on the trainer charts.
It was approximately two years later that Ash was born, however she has never told him about her appearance in that special edition of “Pokémon Pals” because “I was so immature back then, yaaah~ ”
After her mother passed away, Delia took over the family business, the only restaurant in town with an inn (hotel) on the second floor, Pallet House: Delia, which she ran all on her own.
Ash's father isn't around any more.
Ash's father was a Pokémon Trainer.
He left town right after Ash was born and never came back.
While we're on the topic, Delia's father... That is to say, Ash's grandfather, was also a Pokémon Trainer, he also left home when Delia was young and never came back.
But that's enough about Delia for now, let's get back to Ash's story.
***
... That ain't good...
Ash was embarrassed to have his mother finding him practising his Pokémon get pose and replied to her with a furrowed brow.
“So... Does my mama in pajamas have some important business with me?”
When communicating by computer or trying to put on airs, Ash refers to himself by the pronoun "boku", but in general he always says "ore".
“Your mama in pajamas doesn't want any drama... little boy. What are you doing at this hour?”
“Don't call me little boy.”
Ash snapped back at her.
“Ooh. If you're not a little boy, then what are you?”
Their relationship was less like mother and child and more like a pair of friends.
“I'm becoming a Pokémon Trainer tomorrow, that means I'm an adult.”
Delia placed her hand to her forehead.
“Right, my mistake. Anyway, Mr. Adult... Do you know what time it is?”
Delia pointed at the alarm clock on Ash's desk.
***
Delia got that clock for Ash as a present on his tenth birthday.
It was shaped like a Voltorb, a ball-like Pokémon, a clock designed for travel, it opened into two pieces to show the time inside.
When you set the time, it starts of going ririri... Then if you don't wake up biriri... Then eventually kaboom! It would make a sound like an explosion, Pokémon themed goods are quite popular.
They aren't expensive, but Pokémon goods are a perpetual best seller. So it makes them hard to obtain in a small place like Pallet Town where Ash lives, so in order to obtain that clock Delia left her busy schedule for three days and went to the department store in the metropolis of Celadon City and waited in line for five hours to buy it.
Naturally she also bought herself some nice clothes and shoes at great bargain prices while at the department store, but that was only an afterthought.
For Delia, that Voltorb alarm clock held more significance than just a birthday present for her son.
It was an expression of motherly love for Ash to take on his journey with his tenth birthday just being a chance to give it to him.
***
“The time is...”
Ash opened the Voltorb alarm clock and checked the time.
“Wow, it's already 1 AM.”
Delia shrugged as she replied.
“That's right. 1 AM is a time for adults... But not a time for new ten year old adults to be awake.”
“But I'm leaving tomorrow.”
“Not tomorrow. 1 AM. It's already today.”
“... I can't sleep.”
Delia was fluffing Ash's pillow as she replied.
“I understand how you feel. Everyone in this town becomes a Pokémon Trainer when they turn ten. Your dad, your grandpa... And even you...”
When mentioning his father and grandfather, she briefly treated Ash's pillow like a punching bag.
“Dad and grandpa, huh...”
Ash recalled something from when he was five years old.
***
It was the day he got his first computer.
He was staring at the latest model of PC while Delia spoke.
“Hey son, I'm talking to you... Your dad and grandpa are amazing Pokémon Trainers.”
Of course, Ash had always thought so.
“Hey, mom. I wanna know. What's dad like? ... What kind of person was grandpa?”
This was the answer Delia decided to give little Ash.
“Your dad and grandpa are surreal trainers who could defeat even Pallet Oak...”
“Surreal?”
It was a word he wasn't familiar with.
“Beyond reality... Super real.”
“So they're like super awesome.”
“I guess.”
But on the day he got his computer, the illusions he had about his father and grandfather were shattered. And the following occurred...
Delia lowered her head as she spoke to little Ash.
“Sorry. I lied to you...”
Delia spoke to Ash whose jaw hung wide open.
“Lied...”
“Surreal trainers. Beyond reality, throwing logic to the curb, super real, surpassing reality... It's all lies... I give up.”
Ash was the one giving up.
Delia asked the following.
“When you start using your computer, you're going to go online...”
“Yeah.”
Ash nodded.
“And of course, the internet has information regarding Pokémon, so you're going to try and learn more about your dad and grandpa.”
“Yeah. That's right.”
“But, you won't find anything. Probably.”
“Why not?”
“Because I lied...”
“Eh...”
“It's not a lie that dad and grandpa did try to become Pokémon Trainers... That's the truth... It's absolute fact that they left on a journey...”
“Yeah.”
“But... To say that they had any success as trainers...”
“Yeah.”
“It's a lie. Probably.”
“A lie?”
“Your dad and grandpa have never made it into the top 10,000 lists in any of the magazines.”
“Yeah, they haven't.”
“I know that's never bothered you, Ash... The top 10,000 is made up of people who compete in the annual league tournaments. Only Pokémon Master class trainers make it to the big league... There's plenty of great trainers whose names never make it on the list.”
“Yeah.”
“But, it might be a problem if you search for them on the internet.”
“Internet?”
“Yeah, but on the internet, you can easily obtain a list of all the officially registered Pokémon Trainers in the world... If you're officially registered, your name is on the list... Even the names of deceased trainers are listed, there's at least a billion names on the list.”
“There's a list? ... I never knew that.”
“There is. Anyway... With a computer, even with a billion names, it would be easy to search for dad and grandpa on the list. That's why... before you try to search for them, I'd like to tell you... dad and grandpa aren't on the list.”
“Why not?”
“Because, dad and grandpa aren't professionals yet. Or rather, they haven't made it to the point they can be considered professionals.”
“Hmm.”
A long silence hung between Ash and Delia.
“What are they doing? Dad and grandpa.”
Delia shrugged.
“No idea. They left to become trainers, but their names still aren't on the list... I guess... they're just failures.”
“Failures... huh.”
Ash repeated Delia's words.
Delia didn't like the gloomy mood.
Hence why she then spoke up.
“But you aren't a failure, Ash. So don't you worry about dad or grandpa... okay. Whether you become a trainer or not is your own decision.”
Ash muttered quietly.
“How lame.”
“It is lame. Totally lame. Really lame.”
Delia smiled.
She was relieved that Ash wasn't too shocked by this revelation.
Ash's feelings were just as he'd said... “How lame” he thought.
Maybe if he'd known them it'd mean something, but he had only ever seen his dad and grandpa in photos.
Neither of them really meant anything to five year old Ash.
Whether his father and grandfather were decent trainers or not made no difference in his feelings about becoming a Pokémon Trainer.
However if he'd found out on the internet, or even when he was a little older, it may have come as a shock.
Thinking about it later, having the pressure of his father and grandfather's failure on him was a somewhat odd form of encouragement.
For example, there was this guy named Gary.
Gary Oak was the same age as Ash.
He was the grandson of the Pokémon researcher Professor Oak, who was the grandson of the grandson of Pallet Oak whose statue stood in the town square.
He was a self centered jerk who looked down on others just because he was a member of the Oak family, his lineage was all he had going for him, yet he was still full of himself.
Since his grandfather's brother was the mayor, he didn't go to the small primary school in town, he deliberately enrolled into a school in the next town over. Every day he had a two hour round trip out of Pallet Town.
... It must be tough having to live up to your ancestors.
That's what Ash thought sometimes in regards to Gary.
... On the other hand, with a father and grandfather who were complete failures... it's quite possible that Gary thought that Ash... was quite pitiable himself.
***
“I'm not going to end up like dad or grandpa.”
Ash posed with his fist in the air before Delia.
“Well, you can't be sure...”
Delia regretted saying that and then tried to lighten the mood.
“Ah, you've got them beat in style though.”
“Huh? Style?”
“The whole getting thing.”
Delia then mimicked exaggerated versions of the poses Ash had been practising.
“Get, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah”
Ash rolled his eyes.
“You just don't get how cool I am.”
“What, you seriously think that was cool?” Delia asked.
“...” Ash had no retort for that.
“Of course. You're so stylish... But there's no point trying to come up with something before you even catch any Pokémon.”
“It's none of your business, mom.”
“It is too.”
“How so?”
“I don't want people thinking I'm the mother of a totally uncool trainer.”
“You only pull the mom card when it's convenient.”
“Of course. I am your mother after all. Anyway, people who rely on stylish poses to determine how cool they are have a long way to go. You won't understand the joy, the excitement of catching a Pokémon, until you experience it for yourself... Anyway, the natural reaction you have when you feel that sense of accomplishment will provide a natural style. That's the style that will suit you best... You won't know it until you catch your own Pokémon... Besides, there's more important things you should be deciding on.”
“Eh?”
Delia returned his pillow to the bed and pressed the TV button on the computer on his desk.
“There, you're always watching this, aren't you?”
A video of an introductory lecture about Pokémon started playing.
Having already seen it dozens of times he'd already memorised the whole thing start to finish.
Ash figured there was nothing new he could possibly learn from it at this point.
“I've had enough of this video.”
“Really? ... Maybe I'll learn something instead then.”
The video explained that after a week without bathing your hair would be filled with dandruff, the kind of beard you'd grow after not shaving for ten days, how dirty your clothes would get after being worn for a whole month, the video was presented by a man who had probably about 50 years of experience in this world.
Other than Pallet Oak whose statue stood in town, the second most famous person was Professor Samuel Oak.
“As you are aware, the National Pokémon Association are able to provide a single Pokémon to primary school graduates hoping to become Pokémon Trainers. There are many Pokémon suitable for beginners, however for Pokémon Trainers starting their career, I would personally recommend one of the following three...”
“Oh my, even though Professor Oak says so... it that okay?”
Delia asked Ash.
“It's fine. I know all three of them.”
Ash then began to list them off.
“Bulbasaur... It's a Pokémon that kind of looks like a frog which has a bulb planted on its back since birth... It's easy to raise, thus perfect for beginners...”
“I see.”
Delia nodded.
“Then there's Squirtle, which is like a turtle that squirts water from its mouth... It's a little tough to handle at first, but it's better in the long term...”
“Right, right.”
“The last one is Charmander. It has a flame on its tail from the moment its born. It's a little dinosaur-like Pokémon that walks on two legs... It's recommended for people who like a bit of a challenge.”
“You know your stuff. So, have you decided... on your new sweetheart?”
“Eh?”
“I mean your first Pokémon.”
“Ah...”
Ash hadn't decided as of yet.
He was completely lost as to which one of the three would be his best choice.
“No use keeping it a secret, tell me~”
... He'd been practising his Pokémon get pose without even deciding what his first Pokémon would be. How lame. Super lame...
He couldn't admit that to Delia.
“Not telling. It's a trade secret.”
“Right. It'd suck if some other kid got the Pokémon you wanted before you did.”
Delia casually turned up the volume on the video.
Professor Oak flipped images of each Pokémon as he described them.
“Due to the increase of Pokémon Trainer candidates in recent years, I have one of each of these three Pokémon available for distribution at my laboratory. If you wish to obtain one of them, make sure to arrive early on the appointed day. I'll be distributing them starting at dawn.”
“Did you hear what Professor Oak said?”
“Yeah, I know.”
“I'm not going to wake you in the morning.”
Delia always left home in the morning while it was still dark, before Ash woke up.
She had to go to the market in the next town over to buy ingredients for the restaurant.
“No need to worry. I've got this.”
Ash placed his Voltorb alarm clock by his bedside.
“I've got it set for first thing in the morning.”
“Then hurry up and go to sleep. Oh, don't forget to change into your pajamas.”
She pulled his pajamas from the hamper and handed them to Ash.
Ash nodded as he accepted them.
“I know.”
“Well, as long as you know...”
Delia looked around Ash's room.
It was unusually neat.
It was never this neat even after a spring cleaning.
... Ash was really leaving...
This room... Ash had slept here every night for the past ten years since he was a baby, but tomorrow he would be gone.
It'd be quite a while until Ash would return to this room.
If he was anything like his father, he may never be back.
It was really starting to sink in.
But Delia hated teary farewells.
When it came to cuts, bruises or even a tiny splinter stuck in her finger, Delia would overreact and cry like a baby, but ever since Ash's father left she never shed a single tear over a farewell where anyone could see her.
“Get to sleep soon...”
Delia said that once more before she closed the door.
***
Delia wiped the tears from her eyes and wiped them on her shoulder.
... Tears, huh... I'm still young, but I'm already the mother of a full fledged adult at my age... I've had to put on a brave face as his mother... I can recall all the past ten years with Ash, ten years, ten months and ten days... All of the hardships... The times it was too painful to go on... Motherhood really was a struggle... But it was worth it.
This is how Delia felt the day her only son left home.
***
And now from here until the next ***, we're going to speak about Delia a bit more, this may be a little long, so if you don't care about Ash's mother's feelings, feel free to skip ahead.
But if you persevere and keep reading here, you may be rewarded. It may tie in to what Ash does from now on.
Do you know what your mother thinks while you're playing outside or you're playing video games?
This is true. A lot of them are thinking “dammit”. And it's not because you're spending your time playing instead of studying. It's because they want to play too, but can't.
When you spend your allowance on a video game they're thinking “lucky brat”. Because with the money you spend they can no longer buy new shoes or clothes for themselves.
While they're making your dinner they're thinking “I don't wanna do this”. They would honestly rather go out to a restaurant and have some fancy master chef make them a feast. And at a restaurant, there's no need to clean up the table afterwards.
Every day your mother thinks “dammit”, “lucky brat” and “I don't wanna do this”, while doing the jobs a mother has to do.
The jobs a mother has to do include raising you, making sure you attend school, it's hard work.
It may be interesting to observe your mother with her viewpoint in mind.
Anyway, in Delia's case...
Delia didn't consider motherhood to be a burden.
Of course, it was never easy... But still, she felt the need to say “Thanks baby” to Ash every once in a while.
... Looking after a baby is somewhat comparable to looking after a pet Pokémon in terms of effort... But Delia figured it was at least somewhat better than being all alone after her husband left home.
At least a baby provides more thrill than a digital pet, if it dies you can't press reset. Maybe I said too much there.
... He became rebellious for the first time around the age of three.
“Ah, Ash, you're plotting against me.”
She keenly sensed Ash's presence...
“Having such a rebellious son makes me the world's most unfortunate beauty... Sniff, sniff. Waaah, waaaah.” and she began to cry.
Normally at her age, girls would be able to go out and have fun, not working as a single mother, she really did feel somewhat unfortunate. She started off only pretending to cry, but while thinking about her life situation, the tears soon became real.
Ash was taken aback by her crying and stopped his troublemaking. “Mama. What's wrong? Are you okay?”
That was all he could do to comfort her.
When bullies picked on Ash in preschool and school, he'd get the teachers or the bully's father to tell them off. Or well, if the bully's father wouldn't tell them off, he'd make sure the teacher did.
Anyway, Delia's restaurant was the only restaurant in Pallet Town.
For single men and men who'd been kicked out of the house after a marital dispute who were looking for a meal, their only options in town were either Delia's restaurant or a bento from the only convenience store in town.
Delia's cooking is so good that it was featured in the book “Unexplored Regions: The Best Cooking in Small Towns”. However, if you got into an argument with Delia and were on her bad side, her famous cooking would quickly become inedible. Also... With Delia being a beauty who appeared on the cover of “Pokémon Pals”... none of the men in Pallet Town were good enough for her.
“Children need a mother and a father! Especially a father! You can't underestimate the importance of a father! A father can't just be working all the time! He has to spend time at home!”
Delia would complain to the fathers of the bullies.
The fathers would shut up and let her speak.
In exchange... if you can call it that... Delia would hear out their problems with their wives.
Up until Ash's tenth birthday, Delia received at least 100 proposals from men, but she turned all of them down. There were a few rumours about her relationships with men, but none of them were true.
In fact, she had never actually gotten divorced from Ash's absent father.
Because of this, the mothers in town never complained about their husbands going to Pallet House: Delia after work. In fact, when their husbands arrived home late at night and said they'd been at Pallet House: Delia, they'd consider it a relief. Speaking with Delia would inspire the fathers of Pallet Town to do their best to look after their homes and children.
This would help improve the mood of the mothers of the town.
And with both their parents in a good mood, the children would be in a good mood too.
It's hard to say whether this kind of thing would have an effect in the world at large, but at the very least, in a small school in Pallet Town, the bullying against Ash ended.
With him no longer being bullied, Ash loved to play around and cause mischief.
She told him off when he caused too much trouble, but Delia never forced him to focus on his studies.
But sometimes she'd mutter.
“Your dad and grandpa are out there somewhere trying to become Pokémon Trainers... Must be nice out there...”
It was only occasionally that she'd say this, but over ten years it added to quite a number of times.
It was only natural that Ash would come to dream of being a Pokémon Trainer.
Delia's mutterings, were never in regards to having any concern for dad or grandpa.
Delia herself loved Pokémon and wished she could have become a trainer too.
If she didn't have to take over Pallet House as the only daughter of her family, Delia would have ignored any opposition from her mother and left home to become a Pokémon Trainer when she was ten, just like Ash.
When becoming a Pokémon Trainer, it's always better to start young.
But it's not too late to start as a teenager.
If there was anyone else who could take over Pallet House, Delia would have left it to them and left town.
She hadn't given up yet.
However...
When she was 18... While Delia's mother was still alive.
There was a young man hoping to become a Pokémon Trainer who stayed at Pallet House and she fell in love. The relationship escalated quickly and in practically the blink of the eye they were married.
And then in another blink of the eye, the young man left town, never to return again.
And in yet another blink of the eye, her mother fell ill and passed away, leaving her with only Pallet House and the newborn Ash.
If you were to ask her if she still loved that young man... Ash's father... her answer would be a flat “no”.
After leaving a woman like Delia alone for over ten years, she wouldn't even get mad at him if he returned, she'd simply ignore him outright.
Up until the day Ash left home on a journey to become a Pokémon Trainer, Delia had hung in there all by herself.
It's only natural... Delia thought to herself.
Ash was her beloved child. She'd take care of him until the day he left. It was her responsibility.
Delia had decided to continue doing her best on her own... But in the morning, Ash would finally be leaving.
She was sad to see Ash leave home, yet also somewhat excited.
... When the morning comes, I'll be free. I'm still in my twenties... It's a bit too late to become a Pokémon Trainer, but there's lots of things I could do.
Delia briefly reconsidered the hundreds of proposals she'd rejected... Ahaha... I'd rather not... Lalala.
Delia felt like a student about to start a summer vacation without any homework.
She then came to her senses.
Ash isn't leaving until the morning. She had to keep being his mother up until then.
Delia nodded to herself and said “yeah”.
***
Ash couldn't sleep.
He was wearing his pajamas. His light was off and he was tucked under the sheets of his bed.
He'd given up on coming up with a get pose.
However, he couldn't decide which of the three recommended Pokémon he should get at the Pallet Town Oak Laboratory.
Bulbasaur...?
Squirtle...?
Charmander...?
He couldn't decide which one to choose.
How much time was left?
As Ash dozed off, he heard a distant sound... somewhere outside the window...
“Doh... Doh... Dododdooh”
It was a Dodrio letting out a trio of cries to declare it was the morning.
Dodrio is a triple bird Pokémon which is like a three headed ostrich.
Upon hearing the Dodrio's cry, Delia went out to go to the market.
It was still dark outside.
But today, the Dodrio's cry was like a lullaby for Ash.
***
Even in his dreams, Ash was indecisive.
“Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander... Who should I choose?”
But he had to settle on one eventually.
“Okay, Bulbasaur, I choose you!”
Ash threw a Poké Ball within his dream.
A Bulbasaur came out from the ball letting out a cry of “Saauur”. ... Or rather it should have.
What came out instead was a Squirtle saying “Squirtsquirt”.
“Huh? You're not Bulbasaur.”
But Ash then changed his mind.
“A Squirtle is fine too... Squirtle. I'm glad it was you. Squirtle, I choose you.”
But the moment he decided, Squirtle was enveloped in smoke and turned into a Charmander.
“Mander? Mander?” Its tail flame flickered unreliably as it seemed to ask... Am I not good enough?
Ash replied almost on instinct.
“Charmander... I'm sorry. You're the one I really want.”
Then Bulbasaur leapt out.
“Saaauur?”
... That's not what you said before? It asked, pouting with the bulb on its back.
“No, it isn't, it's not. I want all of you.”
He says that, but “I want all three of you” is too selfish.
“Squirt...” “Mandeeer...” Saaaaur...”
All three of them turn their back on Ash and leave.
... Uugh, I'm back at square one again...
“Let's try this again... This time, Charmander! I choose you.”
He threw a Poké Ball again.
But the one who came out of it was Bulbasaur.
“Why is this happening? Bulbasaur... No, one more time, Squirtle...”
He threw the Poké Ball again.
For some reason, it was Charmander.
No matter how many times he tried, the three of them wouldn't come out the way he wanted.
“This time, this time, this time for sure!”
Ash kept throwing the Poké Balls in his dream.
In a half asleep daze, Ash had eventually grabbed the Voltorb clock.
“Thistimethistimethistime!”
Thinking he was throwing a Poké Ball, Ash threw the Voltorb clock.
After smashing into the wall, the clock would no longer go biriri or ririri.
The clock broke without making a sound.
However, having not noticed, Ash continued throwing Poké Balls in his dreams.
***
... Ding dong ding dong.
The bell in Pallet Town Square rang.
9 AM. Everyone in town was going to work.
Ash let out a big yawn.
... Ding dong ding dong... That sound... isn't the alarm clock!...
Ash sprung out of bed.
“The town square's bell!”
Ash threw the curtains to the window open.
Outside the window it was already morning... Oh no, Ash had been planning to leave around sunrise, but it was already closer to noon.
“What! Why?”
The Voltorb clock was sitting next to the wall.
“Why didn't it go off?”
Ash picked up the clock and shook it.
“Please work... Please work... Please work...”
The Voltorb let out an out-of-order sound.
“Oh come on.”
Ash put the Voltorb clock into his pajama pocket and dashed out of the room.
“... Squirtle, Charmander, Bulbasaur, I'll settle for any of you, so please wait!”
He came down the stairs to where the Pallet House: Delia restaurant was.
Having already gotten back from shopping in the next town over, Delia was tidying up before opening the store.
“Oh, you're still here Ash.”
“I'm late. I'm late. I'm late!”
Without even taking any notice of Delia, Ash shot out the front door of the restaurant still wearing his pajamas.
“Same as always... He's hopeless.”
Delia shrugged her shoulders.
He stayed up late and overslept...
Nothing ever changed, even on the day he was supposed to leave home.
“Dad... Grandpa... I suppose he really is your child.”
But she then smiled as she murmured to herself.
“But he's my kid too...”
Delia moved the vacuum cleaner all about the floor.
Well, cleaning is done for now.
“Alright! Time to face another bright day.”
Delia went to the kitchen and started preparing for today's lunch special.
Many people normally tend to only have something light for lunch like a bento or a sandwich. But not Delia. Some people are totally out of it in the morning and don't get moving until the afternoon. To power on without dozing off, you need to fill your stomach with some nourishment. And not just with quantity, you need a good quality lunch packed with energy. Delia felt that out of your three meals a day, lunch was the most important.
That's the truth.
She selected the finest ingredients and used them to make nourishing balanced meals, this is why Delia's restaurant had such a great reputation in town.
Unfortunately, we don't have the time to explain Delia's special lunch menu in any detail. If you wish to know more about her recipes, I would suggest enquiring with the people who set the menu at the cafeteria or someone as a restaurant with a specialised lunch menu.
However something bothered Delia today, she put down the kitchen knife she was using to slice the okra (a nutritious type of vegetable known for its stickiness).
Delia tasted a pinch of the okra, “Nice, this is good...” she said to herself, before going up the stairs to Ash's room.
“Yeah, thought as much.”
Ash had left behind the luggage he was supposed to take on his journey.
She figured she should take the stuff he forgot over to him.
“... I suppose I should see him off properly.”
Delia returned to the kitchen and packed today's lunch special into a bento.
The bento wasn't for Ash.
For the customers coming for today's lunch special, they would find the place closed while she delivered her son's forgotten items... Closed at lunchtime... When they'd come during their lunch break to have the lunch special... It would be almost too much to bear.
***
Professor Oak's Laboratory which Ash was headed for was located on the outskirts of Pallet Town.
When he attended the primary school in the town square, he'd overcome the barriers to be at his desk in time for his teacher to take attendance, but it seemed he wouldn't make it in time today.
Even running at full speed in his pajamas, it was impossible.
(To be continued in chapter 2)
Chapter 1 appendix
(... If you're in a hurry, feel free to skip ahead to chapter 2. ... However, there may be some important information written here that nobody has ever seen before.)
... Pokémon Related Reference Material 1...
Let me tell you of a Pokémon legend I know that few people are aware of...
Pocket Monsters... Or Pokémon for short.
Pokémon researchers have published many theories, but there's very little we actually know about them.
Despite existing side by side, there is very little we know about the ecology (way of life) of Pokémon species.
It's understandable though.
Throughout the thousands of years of human history, it was only relatively recently that we came to fully understand the animals known as dogs and cats.
Until that point people thought that dogs and wolves were entirely unrelated creatures.
Nobody would believe that cats and lions were both varieties of feline.
As such with Pokémon... For example, Meowth is a Pokémon that resembles a cat, however we as of yet have no idea what relationship it may share with actual cats.
Firstly, it is only recently that we have started calling these creatures Pocket Monsters (portable beasts).
For a long time, humans divided creatures into to broad categories.
The first was edible animals like cows or pigs, animals like horses you could ride, dogs that could act as guards or sometimes just cute animals that could be kept at pets... Basically, animals that are useful to humans. You could consider them to be humanity's allies. The other category includes insects that destroy crops and wolves that attack sheep, they could be considered humanity's enemies...
Throughout human history, the quest for food and survival has been a constant war.
As such it was a long time before humans came to truly understand animals.
Is it an enemy? An ally? That was all that mattered.
As their way of life became easier, humans gained more curiosity about the world around them, and began the study of creatures other than themselves... The study of animals other than humans known as, this may be a difficult word, biology, is only a recent development in human history.
Anyway, proper research of Pokémon has only started within the past few centuries.
So when a portable beast (Pokémon) researcher known as Professor Oak from a country town known as Pallet Town claimed that Pokémon are fundamentally different creatures from other animals 30 years ago, a large portion of the scientific community took notice.
When did Pokémon first appear before humans? And have Pokémon existed longer than humans have in this world?
The truth is not entirely clear.
It is said that the ancestors of Pokémon existed two million years ago.
However there is no clear evidence for this.
Two million years ago is the time that humanity is estimated to have been born.
That is to say that humans and Pokémon have existed for roughly the same period of time.
At the start of the 20th century, the discovery of Peking Man and Java Man put the origin of man approximately half a million years ago.
But then the bones of Australopithecus were discovered in Africa.
These bones were about a million years old.
And so humanity was thought to be a million years old.
And now the discovery of the bones of a primitive man known as Ramapithecus have placed the estimate at roughly two million years. As new excavations happen, new discoveries about the origin of man may come to light in the following years. Some believe that humanity may even go back as far as three million years.
It is indeed possible that humans have existed for more than two million years.
By examining the chemical properties of unearthed fossils, we can determine the era they lived in.
However this method does not work with Pokémon.
This isn't common knowledge, but it's impossible to detect the chemical make up of a Pokémon's body.
As such, when a Pokémon fossil is discovered on occasion, we are unable to determine the time period it lived in, unlike other fossils.
This isn't the only difference between Pokémon and other creatures. The molecular geometry of a Pokémon's body is also different to that of other creatures.
Basically, Pokémon are highly mysterious creatures.
In regards to the origins of Pokémon, researchers can only say one thing for certain.
That is...
Pokémon have existed since before humans discovered them.
Therefore it is possible that Pokémon existed when humanity originated.
With that said... Or that is to say... There's no way to prove it.
Although thinking about it, the same could be said about humanity's origins.
It is impossible to know if the two million year old human fossils considered themselves as human when they were alive.
That is to say by the time humans realised what they were, they already existed.
These are common questions among humans. Who am I? Where am I? Do I belong here? The answers to these questions... are probably within you already. We're here because we are.
In much the same way, Pokémon exist within this world because they do.
As such, if we were to discover why Pokémon exist in this world, it would likely be related to why humanity exists in this world as well.
This is why other than professional researchers like Professor Oak, many people research Pokémon as a hobby.
Now that the long introduction is out of the way... Let's get to the real issue.
What I know about Pokémon as a small town Pokémon researcher...
I have some rare information that may be of some interest to a Pokémon lover such as yourself.
In a certain rural area, a relatively unknown legend remains.
As people are aware, the universe was created by a great explosion known as the big bang...
Or so they say.
However, according to this legend, the big bang was not the beginning.
There was a god who created the world.
The world had up and down, but was shrouded in complete darkness. And so, light was created so things could be seen. And because being bright all the time would make it hard to sleep, half the day was shrouded in darkness. And so day and night came to be. And this is what God did on the first day.
But though there was light during the day, if you were to look at the world around you it was merely a soupy mess. To use a more complex word, it was chaos.
Well... it was a problem to leave things all jumbled like that, so on the second day... God took the soupy mess and divided it into sea and sky.
But God felt it was a little desolate with nothing but sea and sky.
Nowadays, sets of paints and crayons come in at least twelve colours. Even a rainbow has seven colours.
But the only colours in the sea and sky were blue.
It was quite desolate.
That's why on the third day... God created land on the sea. Having the land all be brown would be boring, so he added greenery... On the land he put grass and trees. Woods ands forests. Basically, he made vegetation.
Then on the fourth day... God looked at the sky... and felt it looked empty. So he made the sun to be in the sky at day and the stars and moon to shine at night.
I wonder, did God feel like a child with their first set of colour pencils or crayons at this point?
... It's an understandable feeling.
But he looked upon the world and felt that there should be something that could move about. If you paid close attention, the sea had waves and the wind rustled the tree leaves... But it was too quiet. God wanted something more lively to move about.
Rather than scenery like a painting on a wall, he wanted something that would move dynamically like an anime.
And so on the fifth day... He made birds to fly in the sky and fish to swim in the sea.
Now, what about insects like dragonflies and cicadas? Or shellfish, squids or octopuses? Do dolphins and whales count as fish?
Eh? Uh... Since this is just a legend I heard... Don't ask me about those kinds of details...
Anyway, day five, God made animals in the sky and sea.
So, the sixth day... This time he made various animals on the land.
It was at this point God realised. He made all these great animals in the sky, sea and on land, but maybe he made too many of them...
If these animals competed over the limited amount of space it'd be trouble.
And so, being a rather whimsical God, without consulting any of the other creatures, he made one in his own image.
They were humans.
Even if the humans resembled him in appearance only, God figured it should be able to communicate with the other animals.
So God told the humans.
“Go rule over the creatures of this world.”
Then he told the other creatures.
“Humans are your masters.”
Whether or not the other creatures objected or not is not recorded in the legend.
Since the legend has been passed down among humans, it'd be easy for them to cut any parts that make them look bad.
Either way...
God probably didn't expect the humans to be creatures that would burden the other creatures or fight wars amongst themselves.
Finally, the seventh day... Having finished creating the world, God took the day off.
We now call this day Sunday.
But this God sure loved making animals.
It was his day off, but he felt like scribbling a few new creatures into the world.
As for the creatures he made on his day off...
After making these creatures on a whim, God never told them to either “Rule over the humans” or “Be ruled by the humans”...
These creatures are what we call Pocket Monsters.
Anyway, that's the legend. As I said before, it's a legend very few people actually know of.
It's quite possible that I, the one writing this, and you, the one reading it, are the only ones who know of it.
In fact, as I send this correspondence, I have as of yet... been unable to verify the validity of the legend.
As such, I would suggest not talking to other people about it openly and keeping it close to your chest.
... A nameless Pokémon Researcher with absolutely no relation at all to Professor Oak...
An excerpt from an email sent to Bill Sonezaki
A Pokémon Analyst who participated in the 97th International Portable Beast Academic Conference
Translation Notes:
• Japan (Nippon) is written in katakana instead of the regularly used kanji, this is uncommon, but not unheard of, so I didn't bother changing the English spelling like in the prologue with America and England. Speaking of England, its mention in this chapter is initially in katakana before the author "corrects" himself by using kanji.
• If you read the version of this with the Japanese names, "Purity Town" is "Masshiro Town". Since Masara and Masshiro have a somewhat similar sound and "masshiro" is Japanese for "pure white", I felt it appropriate for the English name to have some semblance to "Pallet" while keeping similar connotations.
• “It's your mama in pajamas. What's the drama?” This line was even more amazing in Japanese. I did my best to capture it in English. (パジャマのままのママだよ。 おじゃま？)
• Ash uses "ore" in the line just before his use of personal pronouns is pointed out. His previous narration in the prologue and earlier this chapter had consistently used "boku".
• A bento is a