Authors Notes: I've been wanting to try a New Trainer fic for awhile now. Two weeks ago I started this fic, not sure where it was going and just now I saw it as an opportunity! Enjoy! (I hope)

Ketchum: The Journey Continues

Guardian Angel
Prologue

Hi, my name's Ash Ketchum, ring a bell? I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't recognize it, check the Pallet town death records. That's right, I'm dead. But it really doesn't bug me anymore. For those of you who do recognize my name you'll probably want to know how this happened to the great Pokemon Master. I'll tell you, Charizard.
No, not my Charizard, a wild one I was trying to catch for Nurse Joy so she could heal it, poor pokemon had gone rabid. Squirtle was literally drenching it with Hydro Pump after Hydro Pump and Pikachu was shocking the drenched Fire Dragon, but the pain never registered in it's brain. Pikachu and Squirtle were getting tired so I sent out my own Charizard, and you know how he is, seeing another Fire type challenges his strength. Yeah, he listened to me now, but there were times nothing short of a cyclone could get his attention when he's like that.
Finally the real opponent registered in the rabid Charizard's mind, mainly, me. The last thing I remember hearing before it's Flamethrower engulfed me was my Charizard roaring in outrage and Pikachu screaming ‘PIKAPI!'. I never saw it coming.

Next thing I knew I was sitting in an office type setting with an angel at the desk calling names for interviews. The only thing running through my mind at the moment was my wife Misty and our unborn child.
"Ash Satoshi Ketchum." The desk angel called, I stood up and walked nervously into the office where an old angel with a gentle face was waiting for me. I was scared nonetheless though.
"Well Ash, do you know where you are?"
I gulped out an answer.
"Heaven?"
"Sort of, this is the place where it's decided which place you go depending on your record." He smiled a reassuring smile.
"Don't be afraid, honestly I don't think you'll be going to the other place according to your file here. Sufficed to say you've led an interesting life."
He took off his glasses and handed them to a Pidgey I hadn't noticed earlier. It cheeped and hopped over to me.
"Does this Pidgey look familiar to you?" I blinked and looked at the little bird.
"Cheepy?" I asked, recognizing the pet of my younger years. She chirped and flew to my shoulder before nuzzling my cheek as she often did when I was five. I smiled and stroked her feathers, finally relaxing.
"Now Ash." He said, gaining my attention again. "According to this file you have two choices. One, you can work with newly arrived Pokemon in our Pokemon Sector. Or two, you can be a Guardian Angel for your soon to arrive son. It's totally your choice."
"Misty's going to have a son?! YEAAAAH! Didja hear that Cheepy? It's gonna be a boy!" I hugged the little bird and danced around. The angel patiently waited for me to finish.
"I take it that's your answer then?"
"Huh?" I stopped and looked at him, having totally forgotten about my job choice.
"Do you want to be your son's Guardian Angel?"
"Definitely!" I looked at Cheepy. "Can Cheepy stay with me though?"
He chuckled.
"Of course, Cheepy has been waiting for you."
"Wow! Thanks man! Where do I go now?"
"When you leave my office go left, it's the fifth door to the right. There, you'll get your wings, be taught how to use them and be told what you can and can't do in your new position."
"Ok! Thanks again! C'mon Cheepy!"

When I walked through the door wings appeared on my back and the knowledge to use them came to me. The angel motioned for me to sit down and began citing the rules. I groaned inwardly, this was just like school, only worse, no recess!

So now you've just been brought up to date and I'm on my way down to earth. Only I was shocked to discover I'd been dead for two weeks! Mom, Misty, Pikachu and all my pokemon looked positively awful! My heart sank as I ran my ghostly hand along Misty's cheek. She stirred in her sleep and moaned my name.
"Oh Misty . . ." I said softly as I sat on the bed beside her.
"Pi?" Came a drowsy, welcome and familiar voice.
"Hey Pikachu." I said out of habit. I knew she couldn't hear me but I needed something familiar in the situation I was currently in. She looked awful, I don't think she's been eating at all.
Her ears perked and she looked around.
"Pikapi?" She shook her head and hopped on the bed, worming her way under Misty's arm and crying silently.
"Don't cry Pikachu, I'm here." I said softly. Her head raised and she looked in my direction. Rats! I had forgotten that my pokemon would be able to sense me because of the bond I had with them! Pikachu and I had been so close she might even be able to see me.
"Ash? Is that you?" Now I was surprised, did she just . . .?
"No, she didn't actually talk, us Angels understand pokemon like they were people."
"Huh? Who're you?"
"I'm Misty's Guardian Angel, Lola. Nice to finally meet you in person Ash."
"Uhhh . . . yeah . . ." I nodded dumbly. Lola laughed and I noticed a remarkable resemblance to Misty just then.
"You're Misty's mom?"
"Yeah. And you're your son's Guardian Angel."
I nodded and looked out the window. Outside were three familiar figures skulking in the direction of the Cemetary.
"Team Rocket?" I asked quietly to myself before following them.

Let me tell you it's unnerving to see your own gravestone. But there it was. They let out their pokemon and James gave them all a rose. One by one they put it on the mound of dirt that held my mortal shell. Just then I noticed the little girl with them, she looked pretty young, maybe a year old with Jessie's flaming red hair and James's cool emerald eyes.
"We are here tanight ta say goodbye ta Ash Ketchum, or known by us as da twerp in past years. Meowth just wants ta say dat yer da reason we dacided ta quit Team Rocket. See ya later in da afterlife Ash."
"Meowth, though I loathe to admit it, is right. All our bungled attempts to capture your Pikachu made us realize that the bad guys never win." Added Jessie.
"I just hope you don't decide to haunt us twerp." James said with a grin. "But just in case you're still hovering around here somewhere Jessie and I brought our little girl Musashi for you to see."
All of them bowed their heads for a moment. I watched them with a smile, I had been hoping they would straighten out and fly right. Musashi looked straight at me and burbled cutely in happiness. Kids up to when they can talk can see Guardian Angels. I nodded in acknowledgment to Jessie's, James's and Musashi's Guardian Angels. They grinned and nodded back at me.
Then the eight of them lifted their heads.
"Dis is fer you kid, just one last time fer old times sake."
"Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all people within our nation!"
"To embrace the goodness of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Ex-Team Rocket no longer blasts off at the speed of light!"
"We no longer say ‘Surrender now or prepare to fight'!"
"Meeeowth, dat's right!"
Musashi burbled again. I laughed at their altered speech, it wasn't the first time they had altered their speech to fit the occasion. Cheepy looked at me from her position on my shoulder as if to ask ‘What was that all about?'
"I'll explain later Cheepy."
"Ash!" I heard Lola yell. "It's time!"
"For what?" I yelled back, totally clueless.
"Ash are you truly that dense?! The baby's coming!" She yelled.
"Whaaaaaa!" I followed the ambulance to the hospital.

I paced in the corner of the delivery room, frustrated because I couldn't physically be there for Misty and hold her hand or something like that. At the exact moment the sun rose our little boy came into the world. I was immensely relieved when the birth went without a hitch and looked at our little bundle of joy.
"He's beautiful Misty." I whispered in her ear as I looked at my son and now charge. I would take good care of him, he'd always be safe because I'd keep him that way, I'd bet my status on it.
He was absolutely adorable, his hair was pitch black like mine. Gee, you'd think with an orange haired mother he would've gotten a lighter shade . . . But he had his mother's cerulean blue eyes, and cheek bones.
"Hey little man, I'm your dad and I'm gonna take good care of you. This little Pidgey is Cheepy."
Cheepy chirped at him and he reached for me, chubby little hands trying to grab my finger.

"Lola, I don't think I can do this." I moaned as I looked at the sleeping Misty. One of the things I had to learn on the job was entering peoples dreams. "Isn't that like invading her privacy?"
"No Ash, it's reassuring her. She needs to know that you're the one looking out for your son."
"C'mon Ash, how hard could it be?" Cheepy asked.
"Ok ok! I'll do it!" I sighed. It's been about a year now and I desperately wanted to talk to Misty but going in her dreams wasn't exactly what I had in mind. I put my hand on her head and concentrated.
When my eyes opened I saw myself in the field where I had popped the question. Misty was by the river crying.
"Awww, Misty stop it. You know crying doesn't suit you." I said as I put my hand on her shoulder. She whirled around and her jaw dropped in shock.
"Ash . . .?"
"Yeah, it's me Misty. I'm an angel now." I told her, spreading my wings. She rushed into me and hugged me as though I would vanish.
"Oh Ash . . ."
"Shhhh . . . I'm always here for you and our beautiful little boy Satoshi. I'm his Guardian Angel. So even if you can't see me, be rest assured I'm there for you and him."
"I don't want to wake up."
I smiled, and I didn't want to leave her dream, but the sun was starting to come up and I had to go.
"Misty, it's almost sunrise. I have to go now, but remember that I'm always there for you and Satoshi. Do me a favour will you?"
"Anything for you."
"Take care of yourself, don't let my death ruin your life. And take care of Pikachu and all of our pokemon, k?"
"I'll try Ash, I'll try."
"That's my beautiful wife. See you later when I'm allowed another dream sequence, k?"
"Alright."
We kissed and I left her dream. I went to Satoshi's room and prevented him from climbing over the bars of his crib by making his feet slip on the bars.

When Satoshi was older and in school, I tried to help him out as much as I could with bullies. He was the shortest boy in the class and was often picked on for that. One day, after a rather unpleasant day at school he ran home and cried for an hour in Misty's lap, saying in choked sobs how mean all the other boys were. Pikachu offered to Thunder Shock them all but he didn't want that to happen. Pikachu was very old after all, arthritis was already in her steps. But even at her age she still packed a mean Thunder Shock.
"Ash . . ." She whispered one night to me after Satoshi had gone to sleep. I turned and smiled at her.
"Yeah Pikachu?"
"I . . . don't think I'll make it through the night. I'm so sleepy, more-so than usual. My heart's giving out."
"Oh Pikachu . . ." I reached down and stroked her fur. For the first time since my death she purred. As soon as her eyes closed her heart, her brave, spunky, open heart stopped. I began to cry. True, she had lasted longer than all my other pokemon had but in the end she had to go to.
"Hope I'll see you soon Pikachu." I whispered to the heavens, where I was certain she was.

I sighed, tomorrow was Satoshi's 12th birthday and the day he was eligible to get his Pokemon Training License.
"Don't worry Ash. Satoshi will be fine on his journey. After all, we are his Guardian Angels you know." Cheepy reassured me.
"I'm just worried about Team Rocket."
Cheepy sighed.
"Those idiots? They won't pose a problem. They didn't for you."
"Not all of Team Rocket are like Jessie and James! The rest are all ruthless!"
My little advisor remained silent.
We watched as Satoshi laid out his clothes for tomorrow before looking at a picture of me while I was still dating Misty.
"Which one should I choose dad? Bulbasaur, Squirtle or Charmander?"
Cheepy looked at me.
"That reminds me, on the night before your journey which one were you going to chose?"
I put my hand behind my head and laughed nervously.
"Actually I hadn't decided. And by the time I got to Professor Oak's I was desperate for any pokemon."
I could almost see a sweatdrop the size of the tsunami wave running down the back of Cheepy's head.
I turned back to Satoshi and put a ghostly hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry about it son, you'll figure it out soon. In fact, if you're anything like me Pokemon will come to you and you'll have a group of misfits like I did." I chuckled at the memory of how I had gotten each of my pokemon.
"Just hope he isn't anything like you."
I whipped around to face Cheepy.
"And why would I hope that?!"
"Remember your first day Ash? First you woke up late. Next you got the worst starter possible, a Pikachu . . . ."
"Pikachu and I worked it out!" I protested.
"Then Pikachu wouldn't listen to you, which led to beaning a Spearow on the head with a rock, which led to an unscheduled swim down a river. Then you were fished out by a girl, then you proceeded to steal her bike, which got trashed by a Thunder Shock. And to top it all off you blow up the Viridian Pokemon Centre!"
I felt like crawling under a hole.
"It's truly a miracle you survived." Cheepy finished.
"Ok you've made your point! But it all worked out for the best!"
I walked over to the sleeping Satoshi.
"Sweet dreams son." I said as I brushed some unruly hair from his face.

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