Hey everyone, thanks for checking out my story! This will be my first ever Pokémon FanFic. As you can see, it's taking place many years after the anime. It's also a LOT darker. I'm not sure how long it will be between chapters, it really depends on how much this story takes me. I hope you guys enjoy it though and feedback is always welcome! (Whether you post your feedback here, or PM it to me, either is fine!)
**This will be rated PG-13. Violence will be heavily involved.**
**This will be rated PG-13. Violence will be heavily involved.**
Springtime! The Pidgey are chirping and Poliwag are splashing around on the shores of Pallet Town. It's another beautiful day and one for celebration! It's Professor Oak's 70th birthday! There’s quite the party happening at the Oak Pokémon Research Lab, most of the festivities taking place on the grounds where many different Pokémon are currently running around. Trainers and Professors from all over have come to celebrate an old man’s parting farewell. Samuel Oak was a blessing to the advancement of Pokémon research, so much so, that even beyond friendship, many came to show their respect to a man that would be announcing his retirement.
“It is not an easy thing I do…stepping away from my work, but it is a necessary thing. Taking care of Pokémon is for the younger men. I have always enjoyed the time I spent with the Pokémon and trainers who sent them to me, doing my best to impart what wisdom I have on our youth. It is time for someone else to fill my shoes though. With that said, I would like to announce my successor. The new head of the Oak Pokémon Research Lab will be none other than my grandson, Gary Oak!” Professor Oak’s speech was met with applause as he stepped away from the podium and off of the stage. He moved slower in these days. The years had been kind to him, but every flower must someday begin to wilt. It was that time for Samuel. Gary had begun his own speech, speaking about how he would do his best to uphold his grandfather’s values and continue his work. Professor Oak had a smile on his face; as he neared the end of his time at the podium, he spotted a few more guests arriving. Amongst them was someone he had been looking forward to seeing all day.
Oak approached the three late guests, a man, his redhead wife, and their son. “Late as usual, I see, Ash.” The old man quipped. The grown man before him rubbed his hand against the back of his head, his facing heating up slightly in embarrassment. He had arrived just in time to miss almost everything, just like he had on that fateful day 20 years ago, when he first started his journey.
“Gee, sorry about that Professor. Misty-“ Ash began to explain before being suddenly cut off. “Better watch what you say, dear. We wouldn’t want there to be any misunderstandings about why we’re late!” The red haired woman said, shooting him a cold glare. Shivers went down his spine, “What I meant was, we didn’t want to show up improperly dressed!” Letting out a slightly intimidated laugh, Oak could only smile before looking down at the young man standing slightly behind Ash, as if to hide himself.
“It’s good to see you again, Collin! Happy birthday! I must say, I’m quite pleased to share such a wonderful day with you. Did your father tell you about the surprise?” Oak asked the young boy. Collin shook his head, but didn’t utter a response. He had met the Professor before, but the number of people here was a bit overwhelming for a boy his age. Oak placed a hand the young boy’s auburn colored hair and mussed it up a bit, a warm smile on his face. “So he didn’t spoil the surprise? Good! I’ve arranged for you to meet a very special someone today. Someone I hope you’ll become fast friends with.” Straightening his back out, Samuel Oak places his fingers between his lips and lets out a sharp whistle. It is but a few seconds before a figure rushes forward, knocking the child onto his back and licking his face.
“Growlithe!” Chimed the small canine. Collin was caught up off guard, but sat up laughing. “Growlithe is my favorite Pokémon! How did you know? I wanted to bring Pikachu along to play, but dad said he had something important that needed taken care of and only Pikachu could handle it!” Collin gasped with excited exasperation between licks the fire dog continued to lay into him with. At the mention of Pikachu, Oak quickly glanced at Ash, his eyes sharpening for but a moment. “Oh, I have my sources. Now, why don’t you two run off and play? I have something I need to discuss with your parents.” The Professor spoke kindly and soft to the young boy, but there was a slight tone of urgency in his voice, though his ever-smiling face was enough to hide it from the boy. “Okay! C’mon, Growlithe!” Collin shouted as he ran off into the open grass, Growlithe close on his heels.
As they ran off, Oak turned his attention back to the married couple, “I take it that Pikachu is taking care of that thing we discussed?” Oak’s face had taken on a far sterner semblance as he spoke with a slightly hushed tone. Ash nodded, Misty shivered slightly before speaking. “Golduck is helping as well. I still can’t believe Team Rocket could be involved with such things. Stealing Pokémon was one thing but…murdering Professors? That’s disgusting, even for them.” Oak sighed, glancing back over his shoulder at his grandson whom was still discussing some of his ideas, the crowd was absolutely enthralled. “Unfortunately, it’s true. With my retirement, I shouldn’t have anything to worry about, but promise me that you two will help watch Gary’s back. He may be speaking with confidence right now, but I know all this business has him terrified as well. Arcanine and Nidoking are both on alert, right behind the stage. He took a lot of convincing not to have them up there with him. This is supposed to be a day of celebration, having them up there as body guards would have the other professors even more on edge than they already are.” The old man’s hands were clenched tightly behind his back. Ash placed his hand on his mentor’s shoulder, this man had been like a father to him. “You can count on us. Now, let’s put this nasty business aside and enjoy the party, alright?” He tried to smile after speaking, but it was a guise, an unconvincing one at that. Misty linked her arm with Oak’s, “Come on, let’s go make those other professors jealous of you for having such a lovely young woman at your arm.” Her words were bright and calming, she was much better at this sort of thing than Ash could ever hope to be.
Gary finished his speech and was met with nearly as enthusiastic an applause as Samuel had received. With the final speech finished, the party-goers began to socialize amongst themselves. Many of them were discussing Gary’s ideas, especially what he mentioned about putting serious research into the link between trainer emotions and Pokémon evolution. It wasn’t something unheard of; it was just something that had never been given a serious look, often chalked up to being purely coincidental.
The remained of the party went off without a hitch. The wide open field allowed for many different events to happen; a small tournament (Which ended with a draw between Ash and Gary in the finals.), Brock was there giving a demonstration about his latest tips as a breeder, including food preparation techniques, there was even a contest for Coordinators. It was certain to go down as the event of the year. No one would ever forget this date, the 9th of May…
***
The sun had set and the party had ended and everyone had gone home. Well, nearly everyone. It was just an old man and his grandson sitting in the center of a quiet lab. They had been sitting there in silence for a while, just enjoying the peaceful serenity of one another’s company. There was nothing needed to be said that had not already been said. Tomorrow would be business as usual, Samuel beginning his life as a retiree, and Gary trying to fill the shoes of his beloved grandfather.
The sound of glass shattering disturbed the sudden silence, followed by the clinking of metal skipping across the floor. The room began to fill up with a thick layer of smog. Gary and Samuel began coughing, Nidoking emerged from one of Gary’s Poké Balls, having sensed the danger. The brawny Pokémon did not last long before it collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. Gary heard the thud and knew Nidoking was down for the count. “What kind of gas is this!?” Gary’s mind was rushing, it was able to completely shut down Nidoking in an instant.
“Prepare for trouble…”
“…and make it double!”
“To infect the world with devastation!”
“To blight all people in every nation!”
“To denounce the goodness of truth and love!”
“To extend our wrath to the stars above!”
An all too familiar motto echoed throughout the room. Even over their coughing, there was mistaking what was going on here. Something was different though. The pressure Gary felt was like nothing he had ever experienced. He had been afraid before, this went beyond that though. The sheer terror left him frozen, caught between instincts of fight or flight. Time was standing still for him, his legs beginning to buckle underneath his weight. Another sound rang out through the lab, but it wasn’t the motto. This sound sliced right through the middle of the motto, gunfire. Multiple shots rang out through the air.
“Cassidy.”
“Butch.”
“We’re Team Rocket, circling Earth day and night.”
“Surrender to us now, or you’ll surely lose the fight.”
A few more gunshots followed the end of the motto. Gary felt horrible pain rip through the side of his abdominals, then again through his shoulder, then a horrible popping sensation inside his head, then silence. His legs gave out, there was no more holding himself up. The smog began to clear and two figures in black clothes came into view, their faces covered by masks with filtration units and infrared goggles built in. A single pistol was in the woman’s hand. “Oops, guess it’s too late to surrender. Sorry about that.” She sneered, though her words were fallen upon deaf ears. Gary wanted to send out Arcanine, wanted to do something… The smog began to clear and all fight left Gary. He was greeted with the sight of his grandfather lying dead on floor, the blood beginning to pool around him, his lab coat had become completely soaked in the crimson substance.
No words. No sound at all. His mouth was open but nothing seemed to be coming out of it. All he could feel was his heart pounding in his chest, drowning out everything else. A bloodcurdling scream; Gary couldn’t hear it, even though he was the one doing the screaming, but Ash certainly could. He had heard the gunshots too. As Gary’s screaming stopped, he sat there in silence, his eyes becoming completely void of all sense of existence. His hearing hadn’t returned yet. He saw the gun get pointed at him once again, there was no reaction from him though. Gary was broken in this moment. A blinding flash filled the room, Gary looked on seeing a lightning bolt strike the two criminals, dropping them with a single strike.
Adrenaline began to subside, the loss of blood began to take effect. Gary fell onto his side, everything starting to fade to black. The last thing he saw was Ash and Pikachu rushing towards him, their mouths were moving frantically, trying to speak to him. Silence.
“It is not an easy thing I do…stepping away from my work, but it is a necessary thing. Taking care of Pokémon is for the younger men. I have always enjoyed the time I spent with the Pokémon and trainers who sent them to me, doing my best to impart what wisdom I have on our youth. It is time for someone else to fill my shoes though. With that said, I would like to announce my successor. The new head of the Oak Pokémon Research Lab will be none other than my grandson, Gary Oak!” Professor Oak’s speech was met with applause as he stepped away from the podium and off of the stage. He moved slower in these days. The years had been kind to him, but every flower must someday begin to wilt. It was that time for Samuel. Gary had begun his own speech, speaking about how he would do his best to uphold his grandfather’s values and continue his work. Professor Oak had a smile on his face; as he neared the end of his time at the podium, he spotted a few more guests arriving. Amongst them was someone he had been looking forward to seeing all day.
Oak approached the three late guests, a man, his redhead wife, and their son. “Late as usual, I see, Ash.” The old man quipped. The grown man before him rubbed his hand against the back of his head, his facing heating up slightly in embarrassment. He had arrived just in time to miss almost everything, just like he had on that fateful day 20 years ago, when he first started his journey.
“Gee, sorry about that Professor. Misty-“ Ash began to explain before being suddenly cut off. “Better watch what you say, dear. We wouldn’t want there to be any misunderstandings about why we’re late!” The red haired woman said, shooting him a cold glare. Shivers went down his spine, “What I meant was, we didn’t want to show up improperly dressed!” Letting out a slightly intimidated laugh, Oak could only smile before looking down at the young man standing slightly behind Ash, as if to hide himself.
“It’s good to see you again, Collin! Happy birthday! I must say, I’m quite pleased to share such a wonderful day with you. Did your father tell you about the surprise?” Oak asked the young boy. Collin shook his head, but didn’t utter a response. He had met the Professor before, but the number of people here was a bit overwhelming for a boy his age. Oak placed a hand the young boy’s auburn colored hair and mussed it up a bit, a warm smile on his face. “So he didn’t spoil the surprise? Good! I’ve arranged for you to meet a very special someone today. Someone I hope you’ll become fast friends with.” Straightening his back out, Samuel Oak places his fingers between his lips and lets out a sharp whistle. It is but a few seconds before a figure rushes forward, knocking the child onto his back and licking his face.
“Growlithe!” Chimed the small canine. Collin was caught up off guard, but sat up laughing. “Growlithe is my favorite Pokémon! How did you know? I wanted to bring Pikachu along to play, but dad said he had something important that needed taken care of and only Pikachu could handle it!” Collin gasped with excited exasperation between licks the fire dog continued to lay into him with. At the mention of Pikachu, Oak quickly glanced at Ash, his eyes sharpening for but a moment. “Oh, I have my sources. Now, why don’t you two run off and play? I have something I need to discuss with your parents.” The Professor spoke kindly and soft to the young boy, but there was a slight tone of urgency in his voice, though his ever-smiling face was enough to hide it from the boy. “Okay! C’mon, Growlithe!” Collin shouted as he ran off into the open grass, Growlithe close on his heels.
As they ran off, Oak turned his attention back to the married couple, “I take it that Pikachu is taking care of that thing we discussed?” Oak’s face had taken on a far sterner semblance as he spoke with a slightly hushed tone. Ash nodded, Misty shivered slightly before speaking. “Golduck is helping as well. I still can’t believe Team Rocket could be involved with such things. Stealing Pokémon was one thing but…murdering Professors? That’s disgusting, even for them.” Oak sighed, glancing back over his shoulder at his grandson whom was still discussing some of his ideas, the crowd was absolutely enthralled. “Unfortunately, it’s true. With my retirement, I shouldn’t have anything to worry about, but promise me that you two will help watch Gary’s back. He may be speaking with confidence right now, but I know all this business has him terrified as well. Arcanine and Nidoking are both on alert, right behind the stage. He took a lot of convincing not to have them up there with him. This is supposed to be a day of celebration, having them up there as body guards would have the other professors even more on edge than they already are.” The old man’s hands were clenched tightly behind his back. Ash placed his hand on his mentor’s shoulder, this man had been like a father to him. “You can count on us. Now, let’s put this nasty business aside and enjoy the party, alright?” He tried to smile after speaking, but it was a guise, an unconvincing one at that. Misty linked her arm with Oak’s, “Come on, let’s go make those other professors jealous of you for having such a lovely young woman at your arm.” Her words were bright and calming, she was much better at this sort of thing than Ash could ever hope to be.
Gary finished his speech and was met with nearly as enthusiastic an applause as Samuel had received. With the final speech finished, the party-goers began to socialize amongst themselves. Many of them were discussing Gary’s ideas, especially what he mentioned about putting serious research into the link between trainer emotions and Pokémon evolution. It wasn’t something unheard of; it was just something that had never been given a serious look, often chalked up to being purely coincidental.
The remained of the party went off without a hitch. The wide open field allowed for many different events to happen; a small tournament (Which ended with a draw between Ash and Gary in the finals.), Brock was there giving a demonstration about his latest tips as a breeder, including food preparation techniques, there was even a contest for Coordinators. It was certain to go down as the event of the year. No one would ever forget this date, the 9th of May…
***
The sun had set and the party had ended and everyone had gone home. Well, nearly everyone. It was just an old man and his grandson sitting in the center of a quiet lab. They had been sitting there in silence for a while, just enjoying the peaceful serenity of one another’s company. There was nothing needed to be said that had not already been said. Tomorrow would be business as usual, Samuel beginning his life as a retiree, and Gary trying to fill the shoes of his beloved grandfather.
The sound of glass shattering disturbed the sudden silence, followed by the clinking of metal skipping across the floor. The room began to fill up with a thick layer of smog. Gary and Samuel began coughing, Nidoking emerged from one of Gary’s Poké Balls, having sensed the danger. The brawny Pokémon did not last long before it collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. Gary heard the thud and knew Nidoking was down for the count. “What kind of gas is this!?” Gary’s mind was rushing, it was able to completely shut down Nidoking in an instant.
“Prepare for trouble…”
“…and make it double!”
“To infect the world with devastation!”
“To blight all people in every nation!”
“To denounce the goodness of truth and love!”
“To extend our wrath to the stars above!”
An all too familiar motto echoed throughout the room. Even over their coughing, there was mistaking what was going on here. Something was different though. The pressure Gary felt was like nothing he had ever experienced. He had been afraid before, this went beyond that though. The sheer terror left him frozen, caught between instincts of fight or flight. Time was standing still for him, his legs beginning to buckle underneath his weight. Another sound rang out through the lab, but it wasn’t the motto. This sound sliced right through the middle of the motto, gunfire. Multiple shots rang out through the air.
“Cassidy.”
“Butch.”
“We’re Team Rocket, circling Earth day and night.”
“Surrender to us now, or you’ll surely lose the fight.”
A few more gunshots followed the end of the motto. Gary felt horrible pain rip through the side of his abdominals, then again through his shoulder, then a horrible popping sensation inside his head, then silence. His legs gave out, there was no more holding himself up. The smog began to clear and two figures in black clothes came into view, their faces covered by masks with filtration units and infrared goggles built in. A single pistol was in the woman’s hand. “Oops, guess it’s too late to surrender. Sorry about that.” She sneered, though her words were fallen upon deaf ears. Gary wanted to send out Arcanine, wanted to do something… The smog began to clear and all fight left Gary. He was greeted with the sight of his grandfather lying dead on floor, the blood beginning to pool around him, his lab coat had become completely soaked in the crimson substance.
No words. No sound at all. His mouth was open but nothing seemed to be coming out of it. All he could feel was his heart pounding in his chest, drowning out everything else. A bloodcurdling scream; Gary couldn’t hear it, even though he was the one doing the screaming, but Ash certainly could. He had heard the gunshots too. As Gary’s screaming stopped, he sat there in silence, his eyes becoming completely void of all sense of existence. His hearing hadn’t returned yet. He saw the gun get pointed at him once again, there was no reaction from him though. Gary was broken in this moment. A blinding flash filled the room, Gary looked on seeing a lightning bolt strike the two criminals, dropping them with a single strike.
Adrenaline began to subside, the loss of blood began to take effect. Gary fell onto his side, everything starting to fade to black. The last thing he saw was Ash and Pikachu rushing towards him, their mouths were moving frantically, trying to speak to him. Silence.
Last edited: