Pokemon: The Beginning of the Legend

Later that day, after a quick lunch break and a short review quiz, the class was herded into the school's gymnasium. The air inside smelled faintly of rubber mats and clean sweat, the floor polished to a dull shine.

Overhead lights buzzed gently, illuminating a wide array of equipment: jump ropes coiled in bins, tall climbing ropes dangling from ceiling beams, hula hoops scattered in colorful stacks, and thick mats laid out in tidy rows.

But what caught everyone's attention wasn't the usual layout. At the far end of the gym stood a large, newly arranged obstacle course—complete with orange cones, balance beams, a low crawl net, and a final climbing wall with a buzzer at the top.

The class murmured with curiosity and unease.

Standing beside the course was their PE instructor—a lean, weathered woman with a chiseled jaw, high ponytail, and a commanding presence that demanded attention without a single shout. She clapped her hands once, the sound echoing through the gym.

"Listen up, trainers!" she barked. "Today's focus is coordination, reflexes, and adaptability. The three pillars of surviving out there with your Pokémon."

"Today's exercise is about coordination, reflexes, and adaptability. The three pillars of surviving out there with your Pokémon. You won't just be battling with them—you'll be out in the field, in the wild, in caves, forests, deserts. You move slow, you get caught. You hesitate, you get hurt. You get lazy…"

She trailed off, letting the silence linger ominously.

"…You lose."

A few students squirmed.

She pointed to the wall. A digital timer blinked.

"Complete the course in under one minute, and Professor Oak has agreed to award a special prize."

That got their attention.

A chorus of whispers spread like wildfire.

"Did she say prize?!"

"Maybe it's Pokédollars!"

"No way, Oak only gives out educational stuff."

Green raised a brow and leaned toward Ash. "Prize, huh? What kind of reward do you think we're talking about?"

Ash gave a half-smile. "Knowing Oak? Probably a Pokédex page or a 'starter candy'—he's obsessed with making us learn while pretending it's fun."

Green laughed under her breath. "Ugh. That is educational."

Still, her eyes locked back on the obstacle course, laser-focused. She wasn't the type to back down from a challenge—not when she could smell the competition thick in the air..

...

The runs began.

Names were drawn at random.

The first few students stumbled their way through with various degrees of success. Some tripped at the cone slalom. Others got tangled in the crawl net or lost their footing on the balance beam. One boy face-planted and popped up red-faced, earning a short, barked "Again!" from the teacher before being allowed to finish.

The course was harder than it looked.

But no one beat the timer.

Then…

"Gary Oak."

He stepped up like a showman approaching center stage. His smile was smug, movements loose and confident. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles like he was about to ace a test he hadn't studied for—and didn't need to.

He gave Ash a pointed look. "Watch and learn, loser."

Ash raised a brow but said nothing.

Gary took off at the whistle.

His speed was real—no one could deny that. He was agile, making sharp turns and clearing the cones with smooth steps. His form on the hurdles was solid, his crawl quick. But at the climbing wall, he hesitated—just a fraction too long as he searched for a foothold—and it cost him.

BZZT!!!

The buzzer blared.

"57 seconds"

The class clapped politely, some genuinely impressed. Gary turned and flexed like a Kantonian Machop, smugness on full display.

"Easy."

Then came Ash's name.

A hush fell over the group.

He calmly stepped onto the starting line. No cocky smirk, no fidgeting. Just a calm readiness. His eyes scanned the course once, memorizing the layout. Breathing steady. Balanced. Poised.

Gary crossed his arms and scoffed. "Let's see if all that textbook talk actually means anything…"

Green narrowed her eyes, watching him closely. It was like watching someone who knew exactly what they were doing—and more than that—knew how to do it without wasting an ounce of effort.

The teacher raised the whistle to her lips.

"Ready… go!"

Ash exploded off the line.

He ducked low under the first rope, twisting like water around the cones without losing a single step. The hurdles came next—he cleared them smoothly, barely shifting his weight. The crawl net? He was through in seconds, elbows tucked tight. The balance beam was almost a blur as he sprinted across it without faltering.

Then came the climbing wall.

He launched himself up without pause, fingers moving with practiced efficiency, as though he'd climbed it a hundred times in his past life. Which, in a way… he had.

BZZT!

The buzzer sounded.

He dropped down with cat-like control.

"38 seconds"

The room erupted.

"WHAT?!"

"No way!!"

"Did you see how fast he—?!"

"He beat Gary by— by twenty seconds?!"

Even Yellow gasped, clutching her hands to her chest. "That was amazing…"

The teacher nodded once, her professional demeanor cracking just slightly into a look of genuine approval. "Excellent form, Ketchum. That's the new record. Controlled speed, zero wasted movement. Very impressive."

Ash nodded respectfully and walked back to the group, breathing evenly. No gloating. Just quiet satisfaction.

Green was staring.

At him.

'He didn't try to show off. He wasn't loud. He didn't act like he had something to prove… he just was. Like a mountain in motion. Calm. Solid. Focused. And the way he looked at the course—it was like he already knew how to beat it.'

She felt heat rise in her cheeks.

She swallowed hard, and crossed her arms tightly to disguise the sudden flutter in her chest.

"I'm going next."

Ash turned slightly and gave her that soft smile—the one that didn't mean "I'm better than you," but rather "I believe in you."

That made it worse.

Green flipped her ponytail and smirked, masking her storm of emotions. "You didn't think you'd hold that record all day, did you?"

Ash's smile widened just slightly. "Looking forward to the challenge."

Inside, Green's heart pounded like a runaway Ponyta.

--------------------

Gary stalked over, jaw tight. "Big deal," he muttered. "I wasn't even trying when I ran it."

Ash gave him a small shrug, unbothered. "Then next time, try harder."

A few kids snorted, and even Green covered a smirk with the back of her hand.

Gary stormed off to the water fountain, fuming.

After the final few runs—none of which came close—the teacher blew her whistle, signaling the end of the session.

The gym doors opened, and Professor Oak himself stepped in, smiling warmly and holding a small silver case.

"Congratulations to Ash Ketchum," he announced. "For setting today's record and showing exemplary trainer conditioning."

He handed over a case. "Your reward: a Field-Use Pokédex Entry Kit. Includes a scan cartridge, two type-specific trainer tags, and early-access integration for your future Pokédex account."

Gasps rippled through the class.

Even Gary looked jealous.

Ash accepted the case and popped it open, inspecting the sleek tools and labeled tags. A few classmates leaned over to get a better look. Green peered in with barely hidden intrigue.

"Oak never gives those out. You really earned it," she murmured.

Ash caught her eye. "Soooo, still planning to beat my time next time?"

Green smirked. "Already plotting it."

Yellow clapped her hands happily. "Ash, that was like something out of a movie!"

He smiled at her. "Hope it had a good soundtrack."

As they left the gym, the sun spilling through the high windows, one thing was clear:

Ash wasn't just the weirdly smart kid anymore.

He was becoming the one to watch.

--------------------

[After School — Ash's house]

Ash was walking around his bedroom, thinking about everything that had happened today.

But a knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.

"Come in," he called.

The door creaked open, revealing his mom holding a small tray with a sandwich and a cup of tea.

"You were so quiet, I figured you'd forgotten dinner," Delia said with a smile.

"Thanks, Mom," he said, taking the tray. "I was… just reviewing stuff."

She eyed him for a moment—her motherly radar on full alert—but said nothing. Instead, she ruffled his hair and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"You did great today," she said softly. "Professor Oak told me about the obstacle course. He sounded really proud."

Ash blinked, caught off guard. "Wait… he did?"

Delia chuckled. "Of course he did. That man never shuts up about his students. Especially the ones that remind him of himself."

Ash gave a crooked smile. "Guess that means I'm in trouble, huh?"

Delia winked. "You have no idea."

She closed the door behind her, leaving him alone once more.

Ash stared at the tea for a moment, then picked up the sandwich and took a slow bite. As he chewed, his gaze drifted to the window again. The sun had gone down. The stars were starting to peek through the darkening sky.

He set the empty tea cup on his nightstand and let himself fall backward onto the bed, arms spread out like he was trying to feel the pulse of the world through the mattress.

The psychic presence. The tension. The obstacle course. The strange clarity he moved with. Green's look at the end. Yellow's quiet admiration. Even Gary's childish attempts at rivalry.

It all settled over him like a heavy blanket. Comforting and suffocating in equal measure.

His fingers closed slowly into a fist.

'This world… it's moving faster now. Everything's beginning to shift.'

And it wasn't just the dream from this morning. It was the way people were starting to look at him. The way Professor Oak paused just a little longer when speaking to him. The way Green's gaze had turned sharper. More focused.

He turned onto his side and pulled his notebook from under the pillow this time, flipping it open to the latest page. No drawings, no energy signatures this time. Just a list.

"Goals before my 10th birthday:"

- Earn Professor Oak's respect without needing to prove it every time.

- Outperform Gary in something without making it obvious.

- Master controlled Aura use: project outward, scan a small area, maintain steady pulse for over a minute.

- Get a starter before the official distribution date.

- Visit Viridian Forest alone. Find something rare.

- Find out who my real starter is going to be.

- Prevent Green from being kidnapped, and if possible, Silver too.

- Find a bunch of Mega-stones.