The sun barely peeked through the clouds as Ash Ketchum stood at the edge of Pallet Town, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on his chest. At 15, life was already much harder than he had ever imagined as a child.
The house he grew up in was more like a shelter than a home, and it was silent. His mother had died when he was too young to remember her face, and his father was just a story shared by strangers. His life had never been comfortable. The streets of Pallet Town had been his playground, where every day was a struggle to find food, keep his head down, and stay out of trouble.
As a child, he dreamed of becoming a Pokémon Master like the legends he heard about in the orphanage. These were the heroes who battled and traveled across regions, fighting for glory. But that dream always felt distant, like a tale meant for someone else—someone who had parents to support them and a home to return to.
Now, the dream seemed less like a fairy tale and more like a tough reality he had to confront.
At 15, he was finally old enough to start his journey—at least legally. Without any family to send him off with smiles or advice, all Ash had were a few belongings in his bag and the one constant in his life: Pikachu. The small electric mouse perched on his shoulder, its soft fur against his skin. Its sharp, intelligent eyes reflected the same quiet understanding Ash had felt for years—they didn't have much, but they had each other.
There was no cheering crowd waiting for him. No one to wish him well as he left. No legacy to uphold, no family pride to defend. Ash Ketchum was a 15-year-old orphan starting his journey with nothing but his Pokémon and his desire to prove that he wasn't just another abandoned kid in the system.
The road ahead wouldn't be easy. Ash knew that better than anyone. But as he turned away from the orphanage and began down the path toward a new life, he wasn't just chasing a dream. He was running toward something much more important: a chance to belong.
He could still make a name for himself. Still fight for more than survival. A chance to leave the past behind and shape his future.
The weight of it all settled on his shoulders, but for the first time in a long while, Ash felt something stirring inside him—a spark, not unlike the one in Pikachu's eyes.
This wasn't just the start of a Pokémon journey. It was the beginning of his story.