[Pokémon] Closed Door

The opening line of this wouldn't leave as soon as I thought of the prompt. I decided to go with a Pokemon fanfic, rather than my usual fandom for short stories.

This also sets up a little of the alternate universe my Pokemon fics take place in.


If she had the chance to do it again, she wouldn't have.

Delia Ketchum hurried past the closed bedroom door. It was right at the top of the stairs. That was a fight she gave into, allowing her son to have the room of his choice upstairs. She had worried then. Her hurried clumsy son never tumbled down the stairs, though. His tiny hands grasped the handrail as he stumbled down them, and he always jumped down the last step, his feet stomping against the wooden floor.

Then he was out the door. The same door Delia had opened one day to greet a police officer from Viridian City. The officer saluted her and said, "Mrs. Ketchum? We regret to inform you that--"

How many months has it been? Two? Three? Twelve?

In those months, she had many visitors. Even Professor Oak took the time out of his day to see her. He apologized to her, many times in that day and beyond. If only he had known. If only he had a Bulbasaur or a Charmander. No, a Squirtle just like Ash always wanted. But Gary Oak took the Squirtle and was off battling in tournaments.

And Ash...

Turning around, Delia opened the closed bedroom door. Faces of various Pokémon toys greeted her. Pokémon posters covered the walls, and Pokémon books lay scattered on the floor. Sunlight streaming through the open window caught the gold statue of Ho-Oh above the bed. Ho-Oh had always been her son's favorite Pokémon, and he told her one day that he was going to find it. It was his dream, right after becoming a Pokémon Master.

The room was exactly as it was the day he left on his journey. He had been so excited. Nothing would hold him back from being a trainer. Not even his worried mother.

"I'm sorry, Delia. If I didn't give him that Pikachu, this never would have happened."

Not even a Pikachu unused to humans, who unleashed a Thunderbolt during a lightning storm strong enough to kill a young boy who loved Pokémon enough to die for them.

The same morning Delia opened the door for a police officer, there was a reported sighting of Ho-Oh on Route 1. Right where her son had died.

Ash fulfilled his dream.

If Delia had the chance to save her son, she wouldn't take it.

Caught your link from Twitter, thought I might check it out haha.

Have to say, this already sets up to be an interesting AU. Since you have Ash die at the very beginning, am curious your take on this and how much you planned out already. Do feel sorry for Delia there. D:

Overall, nice take on the reset prompt and an enjoyable read! I won't mind this concept being explored more.

Finally, a dark alternate story that doesn't involve Ash being in a coma. And, it's much more logical.

Well written. I'm impressed. Though, from some of your other works I've read, I expect nothing less.

My only critique, and it's slight, is that this didn't feel as tragic as it should have. I mean, the memory of your son walking off in the world with a small mouse and not coming back . . . she should be falling with he back sliding down the wall, failing to hold back the tears rushing down her face. She let her 10 year-old son walk into a world he was unaware of with a Pokemon that didn't fully respect or listen to him. She saw the signs.

Bay Alexison said:

Since you have Ash die at the very beginning, am curious your take on this and how much you planned out already.

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Not a lot more than that Ash was getting in the way, and the only way for him not to was to kill him. It's always been planned that he'd die, but the way he has in this AU has changed from my first idea.

I know that there are a few changes though.

Thanks, Bay! You're too nice.

dudebot said:

Finally, a dark alternate story that doesn't involve Ash being in a coma. And, it's much more logical.

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Haha, thanks. While the coma theory does interest me, it's too happy for my writing tastes.

My only critique, and it's slight, is that this didn't feel as tragic as it should have. I mean, the memory of your son walking off in the world with a small mouse and not coming back . . . she should be falling with he back sliding down the wall, failing to hold back the tears rushing down her face. She let her 10 year-old son walk into a world he was unaware of with a Pokemon that didn't fully respect or listen to him. She saw the signs.

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I guess my response to this could be that this takes place at least a year-and-a-half since Ash had died. So Delia wasn't as distraught by Ash's death as she would have been when it first happened, but it's a dull pain that stays with her. And she would have stopped Ash from leaving on his journey, since it is a dangerous world out there (that she also probably knows well from Ash's father being gone), but that wouldn't make her son happy. So she let him go.

There's more to this (the story's looking to be part of a much larger chapter), so hopefully that will be better. And I'll revisit this then and work on Delia's emotions more to make them stronger.

Thanks, dudebot. I'll keep your review in mind for future improvements!

This was a neat concept and well explored, I felt, Astinus. I think it'll work well as a set up of your AU.

In those months, she had many visitors. Even Professor Oak took the time out of his day to see her. He apologized to her, many times in that day and beyond. If only he had known. If only he had a Bulbasaur or a Charmander. No, a Squirtle just like Ash always wanted. But Gary Oak took the Squirtle and was off battling in tournaments.

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Damn that Gary Oak!

I agree in part with dudebot's point about her reaction to visiting his room and thinking about his death. I feel that a bit more emotion could have been had there, but I do agree that the dull pain feeling makes sense if it's a good year and so after, and I don't think a sliding down the wall and crying reaction is quite the extent to reach (and perhaps a bit too cliché?). It could also take away from the flashbacks/thoughts about Ash as well, in a way. My thoughts anyways, each to their own I suppose.

Ho-Oh had always been her son's favorite Pokémon, and he told her one day that he was going to find it. It was his dream, right after becoming a Pokémon Master.

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I don't recall too much about the anime, but I think that Ash hadn't know what Ho-oh was when he saw it? Although this can be ignored in favour of this being an AU story, of course.

bobandbill said:

This was a neat concept and well explored, I felt, Astinus. I think it'll work well as a set up of your AU.

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Aw, thanks! That's reassuring to hear. There are still some finer details I have to figure out, but the basis of the world is there.

Damn that Gary Oak!

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Gary Oak keeps demanding that I write about him. How can I deny him?

I agree in part with dudebot's point about her reaction to visiting his room and thinking about his death. I feel that a bit more emotion could have been had there, but I do agree that the dull pain feeling makes sense if it's a good year and so after, and I don't think a sliding down the wall and crying reaction is quite the extent to reach (and perhaps a bit too cliché?). It could also take away from the flashbacks/thoughts about Ash as well, in a way. My thoughts anyways, each to their own I suppose.

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I will admit that I was focusing more on Delia's thoughts over her emotions in this. And yeah, an excuse for that is that this takes place a year-and-a-half since Ash died. But as I told dudebot, I'll keep this in mind when I revisit this story to see how it will fit as part of a larger chapter.

I don't recall too much about the anime, but I think that Ash hadn't know what Ho-oh was when he saw it? Although this can be ignored in favour of this being an AU story, of course.

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I just tossed that bit of canon right out the window!

Actually, the way I have it, knowledge about everything up to Generation 5 is well-known. It just seems really odd to have characters not know what some species of Pokemon are. I do have one character who was raised on stories of all the legendaries (especially Ho-Oh) and prays to Uxie, even though the character is from Hoenn. It just makes more sense than characters from Kanto only knowing Kanto Pokemon or some such.

And yes, AU. :D

Cheers for the review!