HeartGold and SoulSilver

Chpt. 1: Loser to Loner (Prologue)

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

May 22, 2005 - Ever Grande, Hoenn

"Pikachu, Thunder!"

Ash has reached the finals of the Ever Grande League and is battling a trainer he met before: Tori Lund.

"Snorlax, you can do it! Endeavor!" Tori shouted. Pikachu's Thunder packed a punch, but Snorlax's Endeavor caused Pikachu to be damaged, too.

"Now, Tackle!"

That last command did thr trick and Pikachu was defeated.

"Pikachu is unable to battle! Snorlax wins! The winner of the 2005 Ever Grande League is Tori Lund!"

"Thanks for the battle, Tori!" Ash smiled, bringing out a hand.

"You're welcome, Ash!" Tori replied happily, shaking the hand. "Hope to battle you again soon!"

"Wow, that battle was intense!" Ash said to his friends, Sceptile and Pikachu. "Right guys?"

His five companions nodded, albeit Max, May, Brock and Pikachu nodded warily.

"Hey, Ash," Max said.

"Why?" Ash asked innocently. Maybe it's about my birthday, he thought.

"Well, we have to break something to you," May explained.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Scep?" Sceptile was just as curious.

"Remember when you went to the bathroom before we left? Well Pikachu decided about something," Max said.

"What?" Ash demanded, not liking where the conversation was going.

"Sigh, how do we say this?" Brock asked.

"Just do it," May admitted. She grabbed Max's bag and rumaged through it. What Ash saw next confused him.

It was Pikachu's Pokéball.

"Ha ha ha, very funny," Ash deadpanned, but saw everyone was serious.

"Pikachu chose to join me, because you were too weak," Max explained.

"Wha- this can't be happening," Ash sighed, holding his head with his hands.

"Sorry, it was her decision," May apologized. "She wanted to come with us." Pikachu nodded defiantly.

"Tile!" Sceptile shouted, enraged.

"And one more thing," Brock added.

"What?" Ash asked. Surely nothing else can do anymore harm, except-

"We won't be going with you to Sinnoh," May declared. "We're all going to Kanto."

Ash wanted to scream right now, but instead he asked one single question. "Why?"

"Scep! Sceptile!" Sceptile agreed with Ash. They've been with his master for three years! And now they want to leave him?

"We were invited by Drew and Gary," May explained. "They wanted us to join them in the Contest Circuit in Kanto."

Sceptile was taken aback. How will his master, his friend think?

But Ash's reaction surprised everyone: he laughed.

"So after all these years, you just leave me?" Ash asked, then chuckled. "Some friends you are," he blurted, spitting the word 'friends' like a curseword.

"Tile!" Sceptile added after breaking out of his stupor.

"We're sorry," May apologised. "We just-"

"Let's go, Sceptile," Ash ordered, to which Sceptile immediately obliged.

"Where are you going?" Brock asked, worried about his friend.

"Yeah, we wanted to go to the Amusement Park with you! For old times' sake" Max added.

"Who cares?" Ash retorted, with an mad smile. "You're just gonna use me, like what you did before!"

"No, you misunderstood," May explained. "Pikachu-"

"-chose to, I know! That's acceptable. But leaving me after three years? Good luck, traitors," Ash declared, then he and Sceptile ran off.

A deafening silence followed Ash's departure.

"What have we done?" Brock asked no one in particular.

"Pika," Pikachu shouted, worried about his former trainer. Maybe she should-

No, she thought. She will not look back. She knows Max will make him stronger.

So she just looked away, suppressing a tear.

"Tile," Sceptile comforted Ash, who was smoking some Cheri leaves.

"I'm okay," Ash lied. Deep inside, he knew he was broken to no repair.

"Scep. Tile!" Sceptile said.

"Huh?" Ash asked.

"Tile! Sceptile Tile Sceptile! (Don't let that traitor break you!)" Sceptile pepped.

"You're right," Ash sighed. "Plus, I shouldn't smoke- hey, I understood you!"

"Scep, Sceptile! (Hey, you're right!)" Sceptile noticed.

"Why is that, I wonder?" Ash wondered. He didn't notice Sceptile slowly get drowsy. "Hey, Sceptile, do you know?"

Sceptile didn't respond.

"Sceptile?!" Ash shouted, worried about his friend. He grabbed Sceptile and tried to shake him awake.

"Sceptile!" Ash screamed as he felt himself getting pulled in to Sceptile's body. "Scep, wake up!"

Sceptile involuntary opened his mouth, to which Ash was completely sucked in. He screamed as loud as he could, which was softer than a tap. Then he lost consciousness.

A/N: Prologue done! So hopefully, Gekkouga13 won't make any more snarky comments, and I will continue this fic with all the others I have (except TF Circus). Please review, and non-constructive flames will burn in the sun and decrease its life! Wohahahahaha!

TBC