POKÉMON:  WARRIOR'S DESIRE

Usual disclaimers apply.  These characters do not belong to me.

Oh, and for all you Garyholics out there who are wondering how I figured out his win/loss record between him and Ash, I’m using a combination of Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow (where the main protagonist fights his rival a handful of times) and the anime.  Don’t worry; like everything else in this fanfic, it’ll make sense in some way.

TIME:  Between Chapters 2 and 4

LOCATION:  Study; Oak Laboratories, Pallet

            “Oh, Gary, stop being so difficult!”

            “Who’s being difficult?  I told you ‘no’ enough times already!”

            Still in the professor’s study, Gary and Professor Oak were in a bit of an argument.  Not long after Ash made his decision to enter the tournament – handing Professor Oak the entrance fee, knowing he would take care of it for him – he, Brock and Misty left the plantation to go about the rest of their business for the day.  All the time as he watched the three leave, Ash was throwing punches and kicks this way and that as he walked the path from the Oak labs to the Ketchum house.  He couldn’t help but smile to himself, as this young, new Pokémon master was once again getting ready to show his stuff to the world.

            He suggested to his nephew that he take up lessons under the same instructor Ash was heading back to.  But...that didn’t go too well with the jaded Oak.

            “Why should I be in the same area code, let alone the same building as him?” he asked, harshly.  “He’s my rival, not my ass buddy!  I’m not Brock, you know!”

            “Gary!” Oak snapped.  “Watch your mouth!”  He went back to his desk, and pulled out the chair, sitting down in it.  Gary flopped onto the sofa, his Umbreon walking up to him, nuzzling his face against his.  He rubbed the back of his head and scratched the backs of his ears, paying little attention to what his grandpa was saying.

            “I don’t want to be bothered with him, gramps,” Gary said as Umbreon laid his head on his lap.  “Besides, it’s not like it takes much to kick his ass.”

            “You’re awfully confident about your abilities, Gary.”

            “Aren’t I always?”  He got up off the couch, Umbreon standing by his side.  “I’ll beat Ash using my own methods.  I don’t need to follow the same path as him to get to my destination faster.”

            Professor Oak sighed.  “I was just offering because if you were to study under Genju like Ash is, I’d be happy to pay your entrance fee for you.”

            “Feh...no thanks!”

            “Well then, what do you propose to do?”  Professor Oak folded his arms over his chest.  “You certainly won’t last long if you go into this as you are.  You’ll get your butt handed to you...and I’m not saying this because I’m trying to degrade you; I’m saying this for your own good!”

            Gary turned to walk out of the study, throwing the professor one more glance.  “Don’t worry.  I’ll be just fine.”  Umbreon followed Gary out the door, up into his bedroom.  The Professor just looked at the door where Gary exited.

            “Umbreon?”  {What are you doing?}  Umbreon asked, her head cocked to the side.

            “We’re going on another journey, Umbreon,” Gary answered.  He plopped his backpack on his bed, and was rummaging through his closet.  “We’re gonna find the best martial artist in Kanto and we’re gonna train under him.  I know if I stick to this, I’ll be tough enough to put that sorry loser and his friends in their place.  Just you wait and see!”

            “Eon...”  {Whatever...}

            Going through his closet, Gary quickly pulled out a number of outfits of clothing.  He laid them on the bed, intending to fold them after he got the rest of his stuffed squared away, and went to his drawers.  Amongst pulling out clean underwear and socks, he found several sets of old sweatpants, t-shirts that have seen better days, and a pair of old tennis shoes in his closet.  These would be his workout gear until he could afford to buy a gi from his would-be master-to-be.

            Gary took all of his good clothing off the hangers, and neatly folded the shirts, jeans, etc. one by one.  He placed them in his bag neatly, then more or less threw all his other stuff in there haphazardly.  He mentally went over what he had to pack – clothes, underwear, socks, training garb, toiletries...yep, that’s everything – and shouldered his pack.  He snapped his Pokéballs to his belt, one empty space where the ball that should belong to Umbreon at the end.  With a final nod to the evolved form of his first Pokémon, they strolled out of his room and down to the main part of the house.

            “I’m going on a journey, grandpa,” Gary said to Professor Oak.  “I’m off to train for the ‘Lord of the Fight’.”

            “Have you decided where you’ll go?” he asked his grandson.

            “Don’t worry about me.  I’ll pull through.  Like I always do.”

            And with that, he ushered Umbreon out, and shut the door behind him.

            In the massive garage of Oak Laboratories sits a handful of cars owned – and occasionally driven – by the Professor himself.  Among them was a royal blue Lexus, which was worth more than some of the houses in Pallet Town, and a silver Mercedes-Benz.  The garage was spotless, and everything was well maintained.

            Towards the far end of the garage was Gary’s car.  He drove a bright red Camaro – well, didn’t drive, but was chauffeured around in.  He clapped twice, signaling to the driver, and dumped his bag in the trunk.  Umbreon joined him in the back seat just as the chauffeur started the engine.

            “Where to?” the chauffeur asked.

            Gary thought about it for a little while.  He rubbed his chin, then came to a decision.  “Take me to Vermilion City,” he ordered.

            “Right away, master Gary,” he said, pulling out of the driveway.  Gary leaned back in the seat, his hands behind his head.  The top was down, so he had a perfect view of the valley where Pallet Town was nestled in.  Thoughts of his bitter rival ran through his head.  Of all the times he challenged him, Gary only won once – after he returned from the Orange Islands, his Nidoqueen bailed the Oak plantation out of a Team Rocket attack, and then beat his Pikachu in a battle.  But even on his Pokémon journey, he was always a step ahead of Ash.  He caught more Pokémon, and won all his badges quicker than he did.  Five times they fought on their journeys, and five times, Ash won.  To rub salt in the wound, he even did better than he did in the Indigo League.  Ash made it to the semifinals, while Gary was ousted in the first round.  He growled inwardly at his nemesis’ success.  His Pokémon weren’t as strong as Gary’s, but somehow, Ash always had luck on his side.  Or something....  Lost in his thoughts, he started to talk to himself.

            “No matter what happens, no matter what I have to do, no matter what low I’ll have to stoop...I will defeat you, Ash Ketchum.  I swear to it!  You may only lose one battle, but that loss will be given to you by one person and one person alone...” His eyes narrowed and his tone became harsher as he finished his proclamation.  “...me.”

            “Umbre, umbreon,”  {You’re the boss,}  Umbreon replied.

TIME:  Later that day

LOCATION:  Vermilion City outskirts

            “This’ll be fine,” Gary said.  “Pop the trunk.”

            Just as the car pulled into the city limits of Vermilion, Gary ordered the car to pull over.  The afternoon sun and the tall buildings of the city greeted him like they do everyone else – emotionless, cold, stoic...to the city, Gary was just another boy with a dream.

              The trunk door opening up, Gary and Umbreon got out of the car, and Gary hefted his bag out of the trunk.  As he slammed the lid closed, the driver, as instructed, pulled away, and Gary watched as the car sped off back to Pallet Town.

            “Well, here it goes, Umbreon,” Gary said to the evolved Eevee.

            “Umbre!”  {Right on!}  Umbreon called.

            For about an hour or two, Gary and Umbreon patrolled the streets of Vermilion City, pausing every now and then at a red light or for whatever reason.  The people were all the same, just like in any city – ants scurrying about, taking care of their business, whatever.  He stopped in the park for a while to play with Umbreon for a bit.  Across the other side of the lake that ran midway through the park, two young kids were engaging in a Pokémon battle.  One kid’s Charmander up against a Kadabra belonging to a 13-year-old girl who, through extensive makeup, high-priced clothes and her obsession with girly pop singers, tried (and was failing) to look as old as 18.  The Charmander tore into the Kadabra with a Slash attack, but not without paying for it in the form of a Psybeam from the psychic Pokémon.

            With a sigh, Gary rose from the bench he was sitting on, and whistled to Umbreon.  The Pokémon was quickly on his heels as he walked out of the park, and back into the city streets.  As he walked down one busy street, the Pokémon Center came into view, and he saw another young man rush into the center with his Cyndaquil in his hands.  He just challenged Lt. Surge to a Pokémon battle for a Thunder Badge, and had been beaten.  Apparently, badly.

            As he looked at the gym itself, memories returned to him.  Memories of how his Pokémon beat Lt. Surge’s fat Raichu and walked out with a Thunder Badge with little effort.  The mistake Surge made was that he evolved his Pikachu – via a Thunderstone – as soon as he got it, and as a result, the Raichu was a slow moving being.  A speedy Pokémon like his then-Eevee had no trouble overcoming it.

            Gary continued on, and saw a building with various Korean symbols on the billboard, as well as the phrase TAE KWAN DO in big, black letters on it.

            The wheels in his head turned.  Tae Kwan Do...yeah, that’s perfect!  “All the techniques in the world won’t have a chance up against my Tae Kwan Do!” Gary said, strutting up to the door.  “I’m gonna sign up right now!”

            When Gary went in, he saw a class already going on.  About 20 or 25 students were practicing moves their instructor was banging out.  Gary sat down on one of the chairs in the part of the dojo where practicing wasn’t taking place.  Every move, every instruction, Gary was mentally writing down.  He was just as eager to learn as he was to leave on his Pokémon journey.

            Both would ultimately have the same goal – to defeat and humiliated Ash Ketchum.

            Once class was dismissed, Gary stood up, and waited for the other students to leave.  All that was left was the instructor, who saw this unknown boy and his Umbreon standing there.  The instructor was in his mid 50s, and sported a long braid of black hair going down the back of his head, just below his shoulders.  He approached the two.

            “Can I help you?” the sensei said.

            “Yes, you can,” Gary said bluntly.  “I’m Gary Oak, of Pallet Town, the grandson of Professor Samuel Oak.  I would like you to teach me your style.”

            “Is that so?” the master, known as Hong Lin, stated.  “You say you’re from Pallet Town?”

            “Am I ever?  I’m the best trainer to ever come out – ”

            “You must know Ash Ketchum, don’t you?”  At the mention of that name, Gary’s face sunk into a disgusted glare.  “My nephew is a great fan of his!  Could you get me his autograph?”

            He didn’t want to go off on this man, telling him about how much he despises Ash, how he thirsts for revenge on him day in and day out.  Instead, he quickly covered up.  “Maybe later.  So, do we have a deal?”  His hand found his wallet.  “I’ve got plenty of money, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

            “Ahh, so you would like to take private lessons, then, is that right?”

            “That would be alright.  I’m willing to learn, no matter if I’m with a class like what you teach or one-on-one training.  It doesn’t make a real difference.”

            “So be it, then.”  Lin led Gary into a small room on the other side of the dojo, where his office was.  Aside from the desk, several chairs, and bookshelves filled with assorted awards and Korean artifacts, numerous martial arts awards and trophies hung on the walls telling of his past accomplishments.

            “You’re pretty good at this, I take it...”

            “Yes, well...it is what I enjoy the most.  Now then Gary, just fill these forms out here, please...”

            Gary’s pen raced over the application form at light speed, as he filled out the information necessary to join this school.  All the time, his thoughts were focused on defeating Ash Ketchum, Pokémon master.

NAME:  Gary Oak

STYLE:  Tae Kwan Do

DOB:  2 June 1987

HEIGHT:  5’3”

WEIGHT:  124 lbs.

HOBBY:  Training Pokémon

FAVORITE FOOD:  Eurasian cuisine

MOST IMPORTANT:  Himself, his accomplishments

LIKES:  Winning

DISLIKES:  Losing, especially to Ash