A Forked Road

I don't own Pokemon, except the main characters in this story.

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"Why did you do this?"

"You could have done something else! Why take this path?"

"You made the wrong choice, my dear."

"Why would anyone want to do this to himself and be hated by everyone else for it?"

But then again, do you think I had a choice?

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Chapter 1:

When I was young, I was like every other person in school – I aspired to get all eight Pokemon gym badges, make the Pokemon League, and become the Champion. Except that I was at a better position to aspire for that dream. In school, I thumped everyone whether it came to Pokemon Theory Studies or when I attended the Pokemon Raising modules. Not that I worked especially hard to attain the status of being a 'pro' in school. Dealing with Pokemon just came naturally to me. Everyone said I was gifted.

Every year, the academy I worked with gave out prizes to the top in the sixth grade – a Pokeball with a relatively rare Pokemon inside. That was the best gift a sixth-grader could receive – he or she would have become ten years old, eligible for a Pokemon license and a world of fun battling Pokemon.

In the middle of my sixth-grade, I was told that the Pokeball already had my name inscribed on it. I tried to conceal my pleasure and pride. In the middle of classes, I would start scribbling training plans for any possible Pokemon that I would find in the Pokeball. As the months past, I had covered "plans" for all the Dragons and the typical Fire, Water and Grass starter Pokemon.

Sixth-grade ended, and I went up on the podium in front of the school to receive my Pokeball from the headmaster. Not that I had no idea what the Pokemon within was – I had had to rehearse that event from three weeks before. I would receive the Pokeball (with two hands, the teachers constantly reminded me), and I would press the release mechanism to reveal a cute male Pichu for the school to see and applaud, before returning it to its Pokeball and walking off.

That day, I was mobbed by half the guys in school (and even a few girls) about the Pichu.

"Boy, that Pichu sure looks cute!"

"What do you know? It will evolve into Pikachu and subsequently Raichu. Those aren't strong Pokemon!"

"Well, if you give it enough training and love, it will do well!"

"Let's see… Pichu is an Electric type! That means it's good against… um…"

"Water and Flying types! Honestly, Greg, you better brush up on your facts if you want to be a good trainer!"

"Who cares, Roy and his Pichu will thrash all of us! Congrats, Roy!"

What did they know about Pokemon? I thought as I walked home. Hmm… Pichu. I hadn't thought of a good training plan for it. I guess I'll have to spend the whole of tonight charting out tomorrow's exercise drills. For… Pikachu! Raichu! And for the Pokemon League!

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mooty: This may start off like a normal goody-goody story about a young kid's drive to being Champion, but the deviations from an Ash-like character starts next installment. You may already have picked up traces of Roy's character by now.