Hey before the chapter starts I want to say something before someone else says it, according to a wiki Ash was 6 when he went to the Pokemon camp, but that doesn't make sense because he was also 6 when he missed the one where Goh and Chloe go to, so my thought process is that Ash just goes to the camp the next year making him 7, just figured I should say something before someone else dose.
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Ash yawned as he leaned against the window of the bus, trying not to squish Pichu, who had curled into a warm little ball on his lap. The bus rumbled gently along the dirt road toward the campgrounds, and most of the kids inside were already dozing off, lulled by the soft hum and the occasional bump in the road.
Next to him, Gary snored softly with his mouth half open, his head tipped against the window. Across from him, Green had her arms crossed and her hat tilted low over her face, pretending she wasn't asleep. Even Yellow, who they somehow managed to convince to come along with them, had nodded off ages ago, her sketchpad still open in her lap, a half-finished doodle Pichu sleeping on Ash's shoulder on it.
Ash smirked a little. "Heh, guess they're all out."
He glanced around at the other seats, mostly empty. Aside from a few Pallet Town kids, the rest of the bus was quiet. Apparently, this year most kids had chosen to visit their families instead of going to Oak's summer camp. Not that Ash minded. He liked the peace. And more importantly…
He looked out the window again.
He actually managed to get Green to come out, he managed to help her with her fear of birds, and surprisingly managed to stop her and Silver from getting kidnaped, but that's a story for another time, but a lot happened between the end of the school year and them coming out to camp
All that matters is that he managed to help Green leave, but that didn't mean she was cured, she still hid behind Ash and Gary if a bird was around, it's just she wouldn't freeze if she saw one, and this camp might be a good way to help her slowly
Yellow had practically begged to come. She wanted to meet every Pokémon at the camp and probably draw them too. It really was fascinating how much her attitude changed when it came to Pokemon,
Speaking of Pokemon, unlike everyone else, Pichu liked Yellow, how you may ask, well it's her stuped BS, power of friendship power she has, it's called Viridian forest's blessing, long story short it lets her actually talk to Pokemon, along with other things.
But of course she was keeping it a secret, she was too nervous thinking everyone would think she was a freak if she revealed she had powers, so she was keeping it a secret, which was fait, Ash wouldn't force her to reveal anything if she didn't want to, maybe he'll tell her about his Aura powers so she doesn't feel lonely anymore.
He sighed and leaned his head back, shutting his eyes briefly. 'Other regions' kids must be getting picked up later or are already there… i wonder when the thing with Serena happens. What even makes her run off into the forest? Guess I'll find out eventually.'
He opened one eye and glanced at Pichu, who gave him a quiet "Chuu!" and stretched. Ash grinned and scratched the little Pokémon between the ears.
"Guess I'll practice my Aura later."
—
About an hour later, the bus squeaked to a stop on a gravel road, and the door creaked open.
Ash stepped off first, holding Pichu on his shoulder as the warm summer breeze hit him. He stretched his legs, arms overhead.
"Finally," he mumbled, "That bus ride was forever."
He looked around the clearing. The campgrounds were wide and grassy, bordered by woods on all sides. Tents had been set up in neat rows, and some small cabins dotted the area too. Trainers in ranger uniforms were already tending to Pokémon out in the fields, and a few Growlithe pups yapped at a Butterfree drifting lazily above.
He blinked as a crowd of unfamiliar kids began to file in from the other direction, some chatting in different accents and others staring wide-eyed at the Pokémon.
And this confirmed what he knew, there are different languages in Pokemon, but Kantonian was considered 'common' since it was considered the easiest to learn, so most people knew how to speak Kantonian,
'Wow… looks like there are kids from Hoenn, Sinnoh, and, yep, definitely Kalos.' Ash nodded looking around
Then, his eyes stopped.
There she was.
A small, nervous-looking girl with short blond hair, wearing a sunhat too big for her and a pink dress that looked just slightly too neat for the woods. Serena. She was clinging to the strap of her backpack like it might fly away if she let go. Her eyes darted everywhere, at the Pokémon, at the trees, at the crowd of unfamiliar faces.
Ash tilted his head. 'So that's her. She looks so nervous. I guess she hasn't met anyone yet… wonder if she'll talk to anyone before the thing in the forest happens.'
He was about to wave at her when Professor Oak stood on a wooden crate and clapped his hands.
"Alright everyone!" he called with a bright smile. "Welcome to my Pokémon Summer Camp! This week, you'll learn how to care for, observe, and even train Pokémon, thanks to the help of our local breeders and rangers who've brought in a wonderful selection for you to meet!"
The crowd erupted in excited chatter. Some kids were practically bouncing. A pair of twins from Sinnoh had already run off to chase a Togepi.
All except one.
(I'll give you three guesses who didn't react, and the first two don't count.)
Ash sighed and folded his arms. "Welp. Guess it's time for me to 'learn' about Pokémon." He gave Pichu a playful nudge. "Better act like I don't already know half the things Oak's about to teach."
Pichu squeaked and tried to puff up his cheeks like he was ready to battle someone. But instead of looking intimidating, he just ended up looking like a round, fuzzy marshmallow.
Ash snorted. "Yeah, you're super scary."
—--
(Meanwhile, in Hoenn…)
In a modest house nestled in Petalburg City, voices went back and forth. The normally quiet home trembled with the emotion in the air.
"No, Wally. I said no." Wally's uncle had his hands planted firmly on the table, frustration and worry etched in every line of his face. "Your body can't handle it. We're only doing this for your own good—"
"I don't care!" Wally's voice cracked mid-sentence as his chest suddenly tightened. He staggered forward, grabbing onto the edge of the table, his breath catching,
He coughed, sharp and painful, his body trembling, as he quickly grabbed his inhaler and took a breath
His aunt rushed to his side, her hands on his shoulders. "Wally, sweetie, stop. Please, please stop before you collapse. You can't even speak for too long without, without this happening. How are you supposed to survive out there?"
But Wally wasn't listening anymore. "I–I don't care," he rasped, his voice hoarse but determined. "This is what I want. I want to go out. I want to walk without fear. I want to catch Pokémon, and train, and battle, just like everyone else. Just like Norman. Just like Brendan. So what if I'm sick? This has always been my dream." He looked up at them with eyes that were still watery, but he wasn't backing down
Wally's uncle was the first to break, sighing and saying, "Well, I can say you've grown up. I don't know what they've been teaching you in school, but I'm glad we let you go." Looking at his wife, he continued, "I think we should let him. If this is what he really wants, then who are we to stop him?"
"What? But he's ill! We can't let him go—he'll never survive," she tried to protest.
"He's not a helpless Torchic anymore. He's smart and resourceful. I know he'll be okay. Besides, he's learning under Professor Oak himself—he'll be ready when the time comes. It's his dream, and we can't take that away from him," Wally's uncle responded.
Hearing this, Wally's aunt hugged him and said, "Okay… if it's what you really want, then I'll let you. The last thing I want is for you to run away hating us."
"Only one condition: if this is what you really want, then go—and come back with at least all 8 badges. I want you to return satisfied with what you did," Wally's uncle said, looking at Wally with a smile on his face.
Wally, with tears starting to swell in his eyes, said, "Yes! Don't worry—I'll be sure to bring back the badges, and I'll find my dream."
"Well, okay! Let's celebrate then. When Wanda comes back from seeing her boyfriend, we'll tell her the news and go out to celebrate."
(Hours later)
"WHAT?! Are you serious?! Congratulations, Wally! You always told me how much you wanted to do this, and now they're finally going to let you!" said Wally's cousin, Wanda.
Wanda looked very similar to Wally—so similar you could confuse the two if you weren't paying attention.
"We need to go celebrate!" Wanda yelled, dragging Wally with her, as Wally's uncle and aunt shook their heads and followed.
Wally smiled and thought, "Finally… and it's all thanks to the advice Ash gave me. I need to thank him when school starts again."
(Back to Ash)
It's been a few weeks, camp is nearly over, and—surprisingly—Serena seemed calm enough not to run away. Probably thanks to Dragonite and Oak keeping watch. 'At this rate, I'll need to approach her before the camp ends.'
But just as he finishes his thought, he hears Oak call out, "Gary, can I talk to you privately?"
To which Gary responds, "Sure thing, Gramps," as he gets up and walks over to Oak.
Oak tells Dragonite, "Take my spot, old pal. I'll be back in a bit. You're in charge." He walks off, leaving Dragonite behind.
"Huh. I wonder what that's about?" said Green, who was talking to Yellow and Ash nearby. "What do you think happened?"
"I don't know… maybe he did something to make Professor Oak mad," said Yellow.
"Or maybe he'll try and show Gary the wonders of being a Pokémon Professor," Ash said, getting a small laugh out of Green. Yellow didn't understand.
So, as they spent the next few minutes explaining the joke, Ash noticed something, a certain blonde was missing and nowhere to be seen.
"Uh-oh," Ash mumbled, suddenly standing. "I think a Pokémon might've wandered off into the forest. I'll go check it out."
Green narrowed her eyes. "You sure?"
"I'll be fine. If I'm not back in ten minutes, tell Dragonite, okay?" Ash said as he lifted Pichu off his lap and handed him to Yellow. "Hold onto this for me."
Before either girl could argue, Ash was already sprinting toward the trees.
Behind him, Green sighed and muttered to Pichu, "Five PokéDollars says he falls into a pond this time."
Pichu laughed, waved his tiny arms, and nodded, placing a leaf, crudely drawn to look like a dollar, onto the table.
—-
Once inside the forest, Ash glanced around, 'I don't see Serena or that Poliwag anywhere. I guess now's as good a time as any to use Aura to sense them.'
He closed his eyes and sent out a wave of Aura, feeling the life around him. One presence stood out, scared and alone. Another was quickly approaching it.
'That might be her… but there's no good way to know for sure.' "Well, I guess I cou—"
A sudden scream cut him off, "Mommy!!!"
Ash almost wanted to give a deadpan stare into nothing "Welp, that works," he said, taking off at a sprint.
Bursting through a bush, he found Serena on the ground, clutching her leg and tearing up.
"Hey, are you okay?" Ash asked, trying to sound as calming as he could
"I-I hurt my leg…" Serena whimpered, her voice cracking with tears.
'Alright. Good time to try it.'
Ash pulled out a handkerchief. "Don't worry, I can help you feel better." As he tied it gently around her leg, he channeled Aura into the wound. The healing worked, though it drained him slightly, 'Still not good enough yet,' he thought, wiping his brow.
Serena blinked. "It… feels a little better. But it still hurts."
"It'll heal soon. Let's get back to camp before Dragonite notices we're gone," Ash said, giving her a little smile, helping her to her feet and guiding her slowly back.
On the way, Ash glanced at her. "Hey… I don't think I caught your name. I'm Ash."
Serena looked down nervously, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm Serena."
As they neared camp, Serena opened her mouth to say something, only to be interrupted by a massive bear hug from Dragonite, who swooped in behind them with a relieved hum.
"Dragonite!" Ash squeaked, arms pinned to his sides.
Behind Dragonite stood Green and Yellow with Pichu crossing his arms, watching as Green and Pichu had barely-concealed grins.
Ash shot them a betrayed look before turning back to their Pokémon guardian. "Hey, Dragonite, we're okay. Could you put us down, please?"
Dragonite nodded and gently lowered them to the ground.
Serena turned to Ash. "U-um, hey—" she started.
But before she could finish, Oak's voice called from behind. "Ash, can I talk to you for a moment?"
Gary returned to the clearing at the same time, looking more confused than anything.
"Alright," Ash replied. He glanced at Serena and the others. "I guess we can continue this later," he added, walking off toward Oak while passing Gary, who gave him a blank stare.
Ash walked over, Pichu hopping up onto his shoulder with a cheerful squeak as they made their way toward the cabin where Professor Oak was waiting.
When they stepped inside, Oak smiled warmly and gestured for Ash to sit. "Ash," he began, "there's something I've been working on with my cousin in Alola. It's a special exchange program. I'd send one student to Alola, and he'd send one here to Kanto. I wanted to ask if you'd be interested in being the student who goes."
Ash blinked, caught off guard. "Wait… really? Is that why you called Gary over earlier? I'm guessing he said no?"
Oak chuckled softly, though there was a touch of disappointment in his eyes. "Yes, it would've been easier to send him since he's older and already familiar with my cousin. But he turned it down… so, you're my best option."
"Gee, thanks, I sure love being the second choice," Ash shifted in his seat, thinking. "Alola… I mean, I've never been there, and it sounds kinda fun. But I'd need to talk to my mom first."
"Of course," Oak said with a grin. "We can call her now. Think of it like a vacation with Pokémon training mixed in. I'm sure she'll agree."
Ash gave a small nod, though his fingers fidgeted a little as Oak turned on the computer, 'This isn't what I expected today… but maybe it'll be fun. And if that professor studies Pokémon moves, I might be able to learn some more…'
As soon as the plans were set, the camp wrapped up.
Ash looked at Pichu, "Well, you wanna come with me?"
Pichu looked up at him, and slowly nodded, as he thought in his head, 'Yeah, maybe i can leave there in Alola if I like it, I'll stay a little longer…'
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Love Wally, he is probably my favorite rival and he is relatable.
Welp now that Wally got some time to shine here are some facts about Wally
- His cousin Wanda is a real character in the games and manga, I forgot about her completely
- it was pretty much confirmed that Wally's illness was either acute bronchitis or asthma, he only had breathing problems, I thought he had cancer as a kid.
- There is a theory that in the final battle before the elite 4 Wally dies after he loses, hinted by the flowers being similar to the flowers meaning death and the soundtrack.
- I believe that the theory is that the old shy and timid sick boy is gone and was replaced by this now more confident Wally.
- In the manga, Wally had a whole different team, he never even had a Ralts in the manga, his first Pokemon was a Kecleon and he was lent Ruby's Ralts
- it is implied that he carved his mega pendant out of wood himself in ORAS, it is even in the shape of his Gallade.
- in the manga he has an entire respirator suit with some gauntlets, and over the story he just stops needing it.
- In the manga, Wally awakens Rayquaza without the green orb.