I Choose You!

As we exited our room for the last time in the foreseeable future, Riolu and I walked slowly through the halls of our home filled with both excitement and melancholy before making our way downstairs, where mom was already making breakfast.

"Good morning mom." I told her, making Delia look up with a start before a sad smile appeared on her face.

"Good morning Ace, Riolu."

"Lu!"

"I made you all some breakfast, but I seems as if Ash isn't up yet." Mom said as she prepared a plate for Riolu and I.

"I'm pretty sure he was up REALLY late from excitement. This is Ash we're talking about after all." Mom smiled wryly as she set my and Riolu's plates down in front of us, allowing us to dig in after saying our thanks.

I ate slowly in order to savor each and every bite I took, not knowing when I'd be able to eat my mother's cooking again. Riolu did the same beside me, but mostly because he wanted to avoid making a mess of himself after being scolded by mom so much.

So focused on the food and my excitement to begin my adventure, I barely even registered the tv as a reporter discussed a rash of attacks by Carvahna and Sharpedo. When I had taken the last bite, I stood while collecting mine and Riolu's dishes as I told mom,

"I'll wash our dishes real quick before heading to the lab." Mom however surprised me as she grabbed the dishes from my hands while saying,

"Nonsense. You go ahead, and I'll clean up here before going to wake your brother." With her tone leaving no room for argument, I hopelessly turned around and went to leave the house.

Together my partner and I made our way to the lab while taking in the sights of sleepy little Pallet town around us, knowing that after today it could months at the earliest until we returned. Strangely enough we didn't see any of the people around town though, until we rounded the corner and saw a large crowd gathered in front of the lab.

"Ace!" Daisy cried out as she raced over to Riolu and I, her little Vulpix at her side.

"Daisy." I greeted her as she approached, before warily eyeing Gary in the background. The guy already hated me, so I had been trying to not give him even more of a reason by revealing that I was banging his sister. And for the most part Daisy agreed, but it appeared today was different as she laced her fingers through mine, and accompanied me the rest of the way to the group.

"Good morning Ace." Professor Oak greeted me as we approached.

"Good morning professor." I replied, before being assaulted by a storm of cries from his Pokemon that had come to see us off.

"Good morning to all of you too." I said to them, before glancing around to locate a certain Pokemon that I had gotten closer to than the rest. "Professor, where's Dragonite?"

Professor Oak also looked over his Pokemon at my question, before looking upwards and around to see if Dragonite was flying in the sky. Failing to locate him though, the professor said to me,

"I'm not sure Ace. Dragonite took off suddenly the other day, and I haven't seen him since." Frowning, I spread out my aura sense as far as I could to see if I could detect the pseudo legendary, but couldn't find any trace of him.

"What about Ash, Ace?" The professor asked suddenly, drawing my attention back to him as I smiled wryly.

"He's still asleep."

There was variety of reactions from the crowd around us as I explained my twin's absence, some chuckling while others were groaning or sighing. The professor was among the latter as he said,

"No matter, the early Pidgey gets the Caterpie. Let's get started." Saying the last part loud enough for everyone to hear, the groans and chuckling turned to muttering and excitement as Gary and I prepared to receive our Pokedex, and starters.

"Ace, step forward." Professor Oak said, and once I was standing directly in front of him, the professor held up a couple things as he stated out loud,

"Ace Ketchum. For scoring at the top of your class I am pleased to grant you your Pokedex, which also serves as your proof of ID as a participant of the Pokemon League."

I gratefully accepted the Pokedex from the professor as a certain feeling welled up within me. A simple red and white box, the Pokedex had a cover that flipped open to reveal a screen that would display the Pokemon that was being scanned, while a speaker below it would tell me additional data about it. The only other feature was a small white button off to the side, which would allow me to swap out my Pokemon with those staying with the professor whenever I wanted.

Giving me a second to admire and examine the Pokedex, professor Oak then continued a moment later as he removed a card from his coat,

"Additionally, I am also pleased to announce that you have been accepted as a member of the Breeder Association. This, combined with your exemplary scores on the League exam, allows you to carry up to ten Pokemon on you at a time, as well as those who have been registered as your breeder Pokemon. Congratulations."

There was a round of applause and cheering around us from the professor's announcement, while a giddy feeling welled up within me at the news. This meant that on top of the ten Pokemon I can carry at a time, I can also carry those registered as my breeder Pokemon, such as a Chansey if I got one.

And then came the moment I had been most excited for, as professor Oak said, "Alright, now it's time to choose your starter."

I had to actually fight from jumping in place as I finally got to choose my starter Pokemon. Riolu would always be my first partner, but all three of the Kantonian starters were badasses in their own right.

With the one I wanted already in my mind though, I turned to pick it out when I saw a cart being pushed towards us with three eggs in it, instead of the pokeballs.

"Sorry Ace, but this was decided to help even things up between yourself, Gary and Ash, since you've already got your first Pokemon."

Though he gave me an apologetic smile, I didn't mind the professor's choice at all. In fact, it could actually work in my benefit with a little bit more patience.

"I don't mind professor, but are they all the same choices?" I ask eagerly, to which the professor nodded and pointed to each egg while saying,

"Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander. The choices are the same, and they should all hatch in a day or two."

My smile widened as I ran my eyes over each egg, the first looking almost like a moss-covered oval stone, the second appearing like it had a soft and leathery circular shell, and the third an orange oval with blue spots that otherwise looked like an ordinary egg. It was obvious which egg belonged to which Pokemon, and my hand immediately reached the one I wanted, the one I decided upon years ago.

"Charmander. I choose you." I whispered as I gently picked up the egg, it's shell smooth and warm from the fire type growing inside.

While I admit they were all badasses, Charmander was obviously the best of the Kantonian starters(personal opinion). But there was more to my choice than just that, as I planned to obtain all three of them in my travels.

Of the three Charmander was the hardest to find in the wild because of how reclusive they could be, while I already had an idea of where I might find one of the other starters, and planned to check before going to Viridian city. On top of that, their biology as pseudo-dragons made them a difficult Pokemon to raise after they evolved due to their draconic pride, meaning that it wasn't too unusual for trainers to end up releasing or trading them away due to being unable to handle them.

My hope was that by having a domesticated Charmander from the young age our starters were at, as well as the connection I could build with it through my aura, I could avoid the difficulties other Charmander trainers encountered when they caught one in the wild. Having one from an egg though would further help me avoid such difficulties, as the little Charmander within would most likely see me as it's parent when it hatched, and make it even more loyal to me in the future.

Nodding in affirmation at my choice, professor Oak motioned for the other two eggs to be taken away, before he then removed the Charmander pokeball from the three options Ash and Gary had to chose from. Now there was only a Squirtle and Bulbasaur to chose from.

"Gary, step forward." Professor Oak then said, gesturing for his grandson to approach him.

"Gary Oak. For your exemplary results on your exams, you are not only accepted as a participant of the Pokemon League, but you also have a carry limit of eight Pokemon." Handing him his Pokedex as he finished speaking, professor Oak then gestured to the stand with the remaining two pokeballs, one of which Gary grabbed without any hesitation.

"Obviously, I pick the strongest one!" Gary exclaimed as he activated the Pokeball, releasing the Squirtle within.

I smiled wryly at Gary with his Squirtle, finding the scene amusing while also wondering what he would've done if I had picked Squirtle instead. After all, I had realized he'd been training it already in secret a while ago.

But I also quickly dismissed the idea as I tightened my hold on the egg in arms, which Riolu was also looking at curiously as he tried to probe it with his aura. Though it may be another couple days until it hatched, I was looking forward to turning the little Charmander into a powerful Charizard that would make all who face it tremble in fear.

"You know..." Gary said suddenly, drawing my attention back to him in time to see a shit-eating grin on his face.

"I'd challenge you to a match 'Ace-the-waste', but all you got to use is that cheating little runt of yours."

"Squirtle squirt!"

I cocked a brow at Gary's taunt, while Riolu put his paws up like he was ready to go, before snorting with a smirk while shaking my head wryly.

"It's alright Gary, I wouldn't want your first few moments as a real trainer be tainted with a loss anyways."

"Ri!"

Scowling at me and Riolu, Gary just turned around and stormed off in the direction of Viridian city, saying as he walked away,

"Smell you later, Ace-the-waste."

The group of people watched as Gary walked away, and once he was out of earshot the professor uttered,

"That boy really needs to learn there's more to life than just being better than everyone else..." I just nodded slowly in agreement, as even if I too wanted to be better than everyone else one day, I still made time to look around and acknowledge others.

"Well, I think it's time I was also off." I said while glancing skywards, raising my fingers to my mouth as I did so.

Before I could do what I was about to do next though, I paused as I noticed two figures rapidly approaching us in the sky. Through my aura enhanced sight though, I quickly identified the two as a pair of Staraptor carrying a couple of people.

"It's a couple of Rangers!" I exclaimed as their signature Ranger-red jackets came into view, and I began to make out the features of the two Rangers. One appeared to be a woman in her twenties with long light green hair that flowed behind her, while the other seemed like a younger woman that was roughly the same age as me, with shorter brown hair tied into bushy twin tails.

The two Rangers circled us once as they dropped lower, before their Staraptor made a graceful landing beside our group.

"Welcome Rangers! To what do we owe this pleasure?" Professor Oak asked as he greeted the two newcomers.

"Greetings professor Oak." The older woman said as she dismounted her Staraptor and approached us, before holding her hand out as she introduced herself.

"I'm Wendy, and this is Kate. We're Top Rangers of the Union that were sent to assist Kanto and Johto with Team Rocket." Wendy then directed her attention at me specifically before adding, "we also wanted to welcome our newest recruit, Ace Ketchum."

Every eye turned to me in surprise, as the only ones who knew that I applied to the Rangers was professor Oak and his aides, before I was suddenly showered with praise and congratulations on all sides.

"Way to go Ace!"

"I wish I could say I was surprised."

"We have a Ranger from Pallet town!"

As I was dealing with the numerous praises from the crowd, Wendy began digging through her pack while Kate came and excitedly said while taking my hand to shake it,

"Congrats Ace, and welcome to the Rangers! If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask, I'll be more than happy to show you the ropes as your senior!" Kate then released my hand and puffed out her diminutive chest with pride, as Wendy stood once again and added,

"While she's only been a Ranger for a short while, Kate has a very impressive track record for how short it is. She and one of her fellow graduates from the Academy, Keith, are two of the youngest Top Rangers in the history of the Union."

"Pa pa!" Cried out a voice from Kate's red jacket, before a small head poked out to reveal a Pachirisu that then crawled out onto Kate's shoulder.

"Yep, you said it partner!" Kate exclaimed, as Pachirisu obviously cried out in pride of Kate's accomplishments. Meanwhile I accepted a package from Wendy as she explained,

"This is your equipment that the Union provides to its Rangers. You have your jacket, communicator, and the badge that identifies you as a Ranger."

Though I accepted the package and began looking through it as Wendy explained its contents, I couldn't help but to ask,

"Do all Ranger Associates receive all this? The badge I can understand somewhat for identification, but the jacket and communicator make it seem like I'm an actual Ranger." Even as I said that I pulled out the Ranger-red jacket and shook it out, before slipping it on to discover that it felt pleasantly snug, while not being too tight to restrict my movements.

It was only then that I picked up the badge to pin to my jacket, and saw what it read on it.

"Honorary Ranger? What's that mean?" I asked confusedly, while the professor and Daisy also looked at the badge over my shoulders.

"It's a special position the Chairwoman just created for you." Wendy said, surprising me more than a little bit, but then she became serious as she explained,

"The truth is that we Rangers need all of the help we can get right now. So instead of just an Associate, the Chairwoman gave you a position that would allow you to make the most of your ties to the Union, while also giving you the freedom to participate in the League and Breeder Association.

"Basically, you have the authority of a full-fledged Ranger, but you don't have the same day-to-day duties we do. The Chairwoman didn't create this position lightly, so I hope you understand just how much the Union needs the help of someone like you, and how much trust she's giving you."

This time my expression turned serious as I listened to her explanation, before nodding slowly as I said,

"I understand. Please convey my thanks to the Chairwoman when you speak to her next." Wendy smiled wryly at my request, while Kate just stated playfully,

"Why don't you tell her yourself? Your communicator gives you a direct line to the Union itself you know!" Blinking in surprise, I held up the communicator Kate was talking about then, a small device designed to fit around my ear, and put it into place before flipping the switch to turn it on.

"Check check... This is Ranger Ketchum performing a radio check." I said out loud after turning on the communicator, before a female voice answered,

"This is Operator Rhythmi, reading you loud and clear Ranger Ketchum. Welcome to the Union."

A smile formed on my face and widened as it sunk in that, not only was I finally an official trainer, but I was also an actual Pokemon Ranger as well. And perhaps realizing the feelings going through me at the moment, I felt Daisy wrap her arms around my neck before she gave me a loving kiss despite the whistling and jeering we received.

"Congratulations, mister Ranger." She said after our lips separated, before adding with a smirk, "Just don't be going around and seducing even more young girls with that fancy new jacket and badge of yours."

"Only other Rangers." I replied jokingly, though I couldn't help but to notice Wendy and Kate blink in surprise from my comment, while their surprise seemed to grow as Daisy didn't take offense from it. Instead she giggled lightly before giving me a light push, and saying,

"Now get out of here! I know you're itching to leave already!"

"Yes ma'am!" I declared in affirmation, before finally putting my fingers to my mouth to give a shrill whistle that echoed throughout the town.

Though I confused a few people by doing so, they all suddenly looked upwards in shock as a cry answered, "GEOOOOOOO!"

They all then looked upwards to see a large figure flying towards us, over ten feet long from tail feathers to the tip of its beak, and with a wing span of nearly twenty.

With the egg safely tucked into the crook of my left arm, I raised my right while looking to Riolu and asked,

"You ready partner?"

"RI!"

Riolu cried out, before grabbing onto my clothes tightly.

It was definitely necessary, as the Alpha Pidgeot grabbed my outstretched arm in its powerful talons and hauled us up into the air.

"GEO!" Pidgeot cried out as it began a series of acrobatics, allowing Riolu and I to latch onto the leather straps wrapping around its body as we secured ourselves into place on his back. I then pulled a pair of goggles out of my backpack with a mask to cover my mouth and nose, before saying,

"Alright, let's go boys!"

"Ri!"

"Geo!"

The two of them cried out in agreement, as Pidgeot turned south to head towards a certain island he had told me he found during one of his journeys to find new opponents, an island shaped like a turtle shell, that a certain type of Pokemon called home.