Pokemon: Path to the Unknown

Chapter no.12 Ash: A Winner and A Loser

Ash Ketchum felt different from the other kids at his kindergarten middle school.

He was the one everyone called weird, the one without a dad, the one who was always the last to leave because his mom couldn't afford the bus fee.

Every day, after the bell rang, while the other kids rushed out to catch their rides home, Ash would sit on the school steps and wait. His mom worked late at the local diner, and he knew she'd come for him as soon as she could.

Most of the time, Ash didn't mind waiting. He'd watch the Pidgeys flutter and play in the schoolyard, imagining he was part of their adventures.

It was during these moments that Ash's love for Pokémon and his dream of becoming a Pokémon trainer blossomed.

One day, as Ash sat watching the Pokémon, a group of kids from his class approached him.

"Hey, Ash, waiting for your mom again?" one of them teased.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Ash responded, trying to sound braver than he felt.

"Nothing, just funny how you're always the last one here. Don't you have a home to go to?" another kid sneered, and the group laughed.

Ash felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment but held his gaze steady on the Pidgeys, pretending he didn't care.

"I like it here. I get to watch the Pokémon," he said quietly, more to himself than to them.

The kids snickered and walked away, leaving Ash alone with his thoughts.

He sighed, wishing he could prove them wrong, show them that he was going to be someone important one day.

When Delia finally arrived, her face tired but smiling, Ash jumped up and ran to her. "Mom!" he exclaimed, his earlier troubles forgotten in her comforting presence.

"Sorry I'm late, honey. How was your day?" Delia asked, taking his hand as they started to walk home.

"It was okay. Mom, I've been thinking... I want to be a Pokémon trainer!" Ash's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Delia's smile faltered for a moment, the weight of their financial struggles pressing down on her.

"Oh, Ash," she began, her voice gentle. "You know we're doing our best, but Pokémon training school... it's very expensive."

"But I don't need school for that! I can learn on my own. I'll work harder than everyone else, and I'll become a Pokémon master!"

Delia sighed, looking down at her son with a mix of love and concern.

The gap between a regular school and a Pokémon Trainer Academy was vast.

The academy wasn't just about learning from books; it offered a hands-on approach that a child couldn't get anywhere else. Students there learned everything from the basics of reading and math to how to battle alongside Pokémon, groom them, cook, and camp. It was a world of knowledge and skills far beyond what one could learn alone.

"I'm already stretching every penny for food, bills, and your school, Ash," Delia thought to herself, her gaze drifting to the sky. "But it's his dream." She knew the life of a Pokémon trainer wasn't easy, especially in the beginning. Only the elite could achieve fame and wealth.

"What do I do?" she pondered, her heart heavy. Ash had never really dreamt of anything before; while other kids his age fantasized about becoming superheroes or astronauts, this was the first time Ash had expressed a true desire.

"Ash," Delia finally said, her voice pulling him back from his dreams of grandeur.

"Yeah, Mom?" Ash replied, his eyes full of that same unwavering determination.