Ash and Ray (Amourshipping)

The night before journey

Pallet Town

It was the night before Ash's journey begins and he wasn't enjoying it. He began to have major doubts of what Oak would give him as a starter Pokémon. He knew that Gary would be prioritized over everyone and was guaranteed a Kanto starter. He then knew that there was Leaf as well who was a favorite of both Oaks because of her looks and Pokémon knowledge which surpassed Gary's but didn't get close to Ash's. Then there are two others who Ash doesn't know but were placed at the top of Oak's list because they had to wait a month because the lack of starters from when they last came. Ash's chances of a good starter were grim from one side, but from the other, he already had a league winner...Ray. Ash smiled at himself at the thought of his giant pet snake being his league winner, but knew that if he was going to succeed at being a Pokémon master as well as fulfilling his role as the chosen one, he needed two things. An army of the best Pokémon he trained and to get Oak of his back. He needed to get him out of his life forever, so he decided to talk to Ray through their aura bond.

"Hey Ray, you awake?"

"Ugh...I am now Ash. What do you want?"

"I've been thinking about the starter selection tomorrow and I need a little help."

"What with?"

"I need advice Ray but it's not the selection itself but the aftermath of it."

Ray would've raised an eyebrow if he had any but instead hummed for Ash to continue.

"What I mean by aftermath is you, Ray."

"What do you mean me, Ash?" Ray asked alarmed.

"As soon as I catch you, my Mum is going to flip out that I caught you because your kind is naturally dangerous. Am I right?"

"Yes, you are. I am the last of my time but not of my kind and if there was more like me from my time, the younger ones would be wiser and less agitated. Anyway, what do you propose we do about your mother?"

"I reveal you to her and tell her about my destiny. She'll see reason...hopefully."

"Ash, how do you know she'll accept the truth and how do we know she won't try prevent it?"

"I'll tell her about the times when you were there for me at my weakest and stopped me from doing things to those who insult hers or my name and make me worst than the monsters who spoke out of spite about us. You kept me going forward and gave me the drive to go on with life, Ray. And surprisingly, you're a big softie once someone gets to know you."

Ray let out a huff and a small chuckle while deep down inside he was proud to be such a conflicting figure in Ash's life.

"Ok Ash, I'm with you like I said five years ago. I have faith that your mother is going to see reason after you telling me that. So what starter are you thinking?"

"Actually Ray, this is my second dilemma that I think might be beneficial and damaging."

"Go on."

"I've been thinking about the starters and who's going to get one and who isn't."

Ash let out a long sigh before continuing.

"Professor dick-face will have two pairs of each starter plus one random Pokémon if there are a lot of trainers attending."

"Who are the trainers attending?"

"Gary, Leaf and two guys who've been waiting since last month for a starter because there weren't enough starters last time."

"So that's four people and you so there will be two Pokémon left out."

"No Ray, you got it wrong."

Ray grunted but let Ash continue knowing it would lead to a logical outcome.

"How so?"

"Let me explain how the trainers in tomorrow's selection look, okay?"

"Okay?"

"From Oak's perspective."

"Alright then."

"He's got two trainers who have potential and deserve a Pokémon after waiting a month for the next batch. There are two starters gone. With me so far?"

"Sure."

"Then there's Leaf, who is his top student under his wing and his grandson's love interest. By the way Ray, it's a sex interest only not a love interest. I'm speaking from Gary's angle now."

"I know Ash. So that's..."

"...Another starter gone with and he has got another three Kanto starters and a random Pokémon that was probably just caught within a week or so before. And then there are two trainer: one being his grandson who he praises and supports and the other is me, who is always that one step better than his grandson like my mom to him."

Ray's eyes widened at the revelation that Ash uncovered.

"You think Ash?"

"I don't think Ray, I know. He's going to give Gary all three starters while giving me a handful of a Pokémon."

"Why though?"

"My mom went a league above him when she made that discovery and now he wants to get her back by..."

"...Getting Gary to go a league above you while..."

"...Downplaying me even further by giving me an uncontrollable Pokémon and honing the start my journey by giving me faulty equipment."

"How would he give you faulty equipment. I thought most things created for starting trainers are reliable?"

"They are but there are ways to make them harder or even impossible to use."

"How?"

"When you break a poke ball in two and put them back together without calibrating it. It causes the release and catches times to be extended. Another way is to place a virus into the Pokedex, which makes it virtually unusable, but Oak might just make it barely usable and use its date of invention as an excuse for its lack of reliability."

"What a vile excuse for a human being, transferring your own hate from a person who has the ability to fight back to a teenager who has no ability to even speak out. What are you going to do?"

"Use that to my Advantage."

"How are you going to use it to your advantage?"

"It goes like this..."