Ike Ketchum: A New Journey Begins
Part One

Today was the day.  Ike was to leave for his Pokémon Journey today.  He still didn’t understand 
why his father would send him a gift; in all his life, Ike had never received a gift from Ash.  
Then, yesterday, for his tenth birthday, Ash had sent Ike a female Pikachu named Sasha.
Sasha was a beautiful Pokémon.  She had sleek yellow fur and a wonderful tail with a crook in 
the end that reminded Ike of a heart.  Her little cheeks were still pink, like a Pichu, and she had 
an extra tuft of fur on her forehead.  Sasha was obviously a very special Pokémon.
Ike didn’t care why Ash had sent him this wonderful Pikachu.  All that Ike knew was that he 
was going to raise Sasha to be stronger than his father’s.  All of Ike’s Pokémon had to be 
stronger than Ash’s.  He had to prove that he was not just “The son of a Pokémon Master”.  Ike 
planned to be THE Pokémon Master of the world.  I’m better than Ash, Ike thought. I’m better 
than anybody.
Ike was knocked out of his thoughts by his mother, Ima.  “Are you daydreaming? Listen to what 
I’m saying to you!”
Ike was outside with his mother.  She had helped Ike pack a brand new back-pack with 
provisions for him and his pokemon.  She had been droning on for over an hour about safety and 
first aid.  Ike had been learning about all this for his entire life, so listening to her got really 
boring, really fast.
“My son.  I will really miss you when you’re gone from here. Do you remember where you’re 
supposed to go?”
“Pallet Town. I have to go get a Pokedex from Oak,” Ike answered automatically.
“No, not ‘Oak’,” Ima corrected.
“Professor Oak,” Ike revised.
“Thank you,” Ima said.
Professor Oak. What an old man.  Ike wondered how old he was, and how he was still even 
alive.
“Well, you better get going if you want to get to Pallet before it gets too late.  Hurry now!” Ima 
was obviously trying not to burst into tears.
Ike lived in Viridian City.  By foot, it took the average trainer three days to reach Pallet town 
from where he was.  Ike had heard that Ash had made it to Viridian from Pallet in one day when 
he had first begun training.  Ike also knew that his Pikachu was injured, and he hadn’t captured a 
single Pokémon on his way to Viridian.  Ike knew he could do better than that. He didn’t care if 
it took him one whole week to reach Pallet.  He was going to have at least one new Pokemon 
before he reached Professor Oak.
“Come on, Sasha!” Ike said, acknowledging his mother’s orders.  “Pika!” Sasha yelled.  She 
jumped enthusiastically onto Ike’s shoulders.  Ike smiled faintly; only briefly though.  Ike didn’t 
smile very often, or long.  Then he turned away from his mother, and headed into the horizon, 
scowling and looking determined.  
Be good to your Pokémon Ike, Ima thought to herself.  And be careful. 
As Ike headed out to Viridian Field, he never felt more liberated.  The morning sun was shining 
warmly, Pidgeys were singing loudly, and the air smelled extraordinarily flowery.   The glory of 
the day distracted Ike.  He wandered along with a half grin on his face (which looked extremely 
eerie, because he still had a scowl in his eyes), and he paid no attention to what he was doing.  
This is why when he heard, ‘Pika, Pikachu, PIIIKA!!’, he didn’t turn around until the rock was 
already sailing for his head.  Ike jerked to the side, but the rock still gazed his cheek, drawing 
blood.
“Where did that come from!” Ike wondered aloud.  It wasn’t long before he had his answer. 
“Mankeeey!” the culprit screamed.  There it was; a white and brown Pokémon with long legs and 
arms, and a pig nose.  It had the same scowl in its eyes that Ike had, but Ike didn’t notice that.  
Ike saw a prize; he knew this Pokémon was a tough customer. 
“Let’s show this monkey that we won’t take any bullying, Sasha!” Ike said.
“Pika!” Sasha agreed.
“Sasha, use thundershock right now!” Ike ordered.
Sasha obliged right away, sending yellow-white streaks of light from the little pink pouches on 
her cheeks.  The agile Mankey just side stepped the electric attack.  It came down with a stiff 
karate-chop, and hit Sasha square on the forehead.  Sasha squealed in pain, and held her stubby 
paws up to her forehead where the strong hand had clubbed her.
“Sasha, are you alright?” Ike asked.
“Pi….” Sasha replied.  Then, slowly, she removed her hands and positioned herself into the 
crouched position. “Pikachu!” she shouted with more confidence.
“Okay, Sasha! You’re going to have to focus! Use thundershock again, but be ready for another 
karate chop!”
Sasha nodded a little, and then with a “PIKACHU!” she let loose another jolt of thundershock.
Mankey side stepped again, and again it came down with a stiff karate chop.  Sasha was ready 
this time and she side-stepped too.  Then, with a triumphant grin, she used Thundershock one last 
time.  As it was enveloped in the electric attack, every hair on Mankey’s body stood straight out.  
It yelled in anger and pain.
Mankey fell to its knees.  With an enraged light in its eyes, it tried to lift itself off of the ground.  
It didn’t want to be done yet.  With a grunt of exertion, it pushed itself to its feet, but its legs 
gave out beneath it.  It fell with a look of shock on its mean little face.
“Amazing job!” Ike crowed.  Then he reached for one of the Pokeballs his mother had given him, 
and he held it up.  “You will be my first example to my father,” he declared.
With a twist of his arm, he threw the red-and-white ball.  With a flare of red, Mankey was 
trapped inside the Pokeball.  The ball shook around for a while, but then the middle lit up, and 
Ike knew. Mankey was his.
Only a few hours into my journey, and I’m already better than him, Ike thought to himself.