Hey everyone! This is my very first fic, so please forgive me if the formatting is off at all.

I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon, or the characters! This is a story just for fun and nothing more!

Enjoy!

Yugi Moto had just turned eighteen. Yes little Yugi Moto, who would run around his grandfather's house with fake Pokéballs and pretend to "catch" his Pokémon stuffed toys, was finally of age to receive a Pokémon license. This license would enable him to buy real Pokéballs, battle gym leaders in different cities for their badges and train real live Pokémon! He would finally be able to fulfill his dream of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon master. He had been looking forward to training and battling with Pokémon ever since he was old enough to understand that they were very different from regular animals. As a child, he was fascinated by their various abilities and powers, because this was what made them special. This was what trainers from all over the world found interesting enough to commit their entire lives to becoming the best Pokémon trainer, collector, breeder – you name it! Yugi saw them as more than just a tool to win glory and money from battles or championships, but they could be actual companions. Although Yugi may have been small in stature, he was big in heart. Little did anyone know that it would be this special trait that would enable Yugi to become one of the highest ranked and most well-known trainers in the world.

As all beginning trainers, he could not wait to finally receive his Pokédex and a starter Pokémon from the famous Pokémon scientist Professor Oak (he had long ago made up his mind which one he wanted), who happened to be good friends with his grandfather.

Solomon Moto could not have been more proud of his grandson. The day before Yugi had planned to leave on his Pokémon journey, Solomon had thrown him a surprise party, to congratulate him on starting his adventure. In attendance were mostly neighbors and local people from Pallet Town who had stopped by to wish him good luck. Many were counting on him to bring honor and fame to Pallet Town, which wasn't exactly recognized for producing top trainers, small town as it was. Yugi's best friend and long-time sidekick Joey Wheeler had also come to the Moto house, with a surprise of his own.

"Alright everybody, I got an announcement to make!" Joey stood in front of the party-goers and waited for the various conversations to die down. His honey-colored eyes shown with excitement. "I would like to congratulate my best friend, Yugi, for taking such an important step in his life. Him and I have been friends for longer than I can really remember." He turned to Yugi, whose creamy complexion was turning redder by the minute from embarrassment at his friend's sentimental speech. "We've always stuck by each other and we won't stop now because of your journey – I'm going with you, bud!" Joey could no longer contain his excitement and wrapped little Yugi in a tight bear hug.

"Joey!" Yugi could hardly breathe in his friend's embrace. Finally, he managed to wiggle out of Joey's vice-like grip and catch his breath. "Are you sure you want to come with me? I have to collect all of the badges from the gym leaders before I can even make it to the Elite Four. That's no easy task. Not to mention, I don't even have a single Pokémon to my name yet! I know you have your mom and little sister here to watch out for, and I don't want to keep you away from them."

"No sweat, Yug," Joey said with a wink. "I'm always down for an adventure. It'll give me a chance to travel the world and see everything from Mt. Moon to the Seafoam Islands. Besides, you shouldn't worry about a thing. Tristan said he would keep a close eye on my family while I'm away, especially on Serenity. But that punk better not get any bright ideas involving my sister! In fact, I better set him straight before we leave to make sure he understands his boundaries."

A smile graced Yugi's lips at his best friend's predicament. "I'm sure Tristan will take great care of your family, Joey. And I would be honored to have you come along with me. Who knows, maybe you'll find your own calling while we're away."

Solomon chuckled at the pair. The two had been inseparable ever since they first met as kids. Truth be told, he was glad Joey had offered to escort his grandson on his journey. It could get too dangerous for Yugi to travel alone, especially if all of the news about Team Rocket's recent criminal activity was true. According to many news articles from various cities, the criminal gang had been nabbing Pokémon trainers and stealing their hard-earned badges and (worst of all!) their beloved Pokémon!

"I'm glad you'll be together," he said with a glint of mischief in his old eyes. "But for now, I have one more surprise for you Yugi. Professor Oak will be stopping by for dinner tonight to give you some valuable Pokémon training tips."

Yugi's face instantly brightened at the news. "I can't wait to see Professor Oak, gramps! Even though he lives just down the street, it's been ages since I've seen him! I can't wait to ask him all about what starter Pokémon he thinks is the best – "

"– and he'll be bringing over his grandson Yami," Solomon interrupted. "I trust that you remember him." Yugi's face fell and as Joey bit back a small chuckle at seeing the tables turned on his friend. Oh Yugi remembered Yami alright. He remembered the arrogance, the signature smirk, his stupid 'smell ya later' catchphrase, and how he would stop at nothing to prove he was the best at everything. How could his grandfather spring this on him now! This was supposed to be his big celebration, not a day for torture. He looked at his grandfather with worry clouding his amethyst eyes.

"I know you two have had your differences," Solomon continued, "but he's been your rival ever since you two were practically babies. You should also know that Yami will be starting his own Pokémon journey tomorrow as well. He's been preparing for it ever since he turned eighteen last month."

"WHAT?!" Joey and Yugi exclaimed in unison. This was the first that they had heard of Yami beginning his own Pokémon adventure! And why would he choose to share Yugi's big day? Of course the arrogant Yami couldn't let Yugi have a special day all to himself. Instead, he had to intrude on what could possibly be the most important day of Yugi's life!

Yugi's face fell even more at the thought of everyone now comparing him to Yami – their Pokémon, their gym badges, everything. He could just imagine calling his grandfather with news of catching his first Pokémon or winning his first badge from a gym leader and being told "Oh that's nice, but Yami already has a full lineup of six Pokémon. And he already won all of his gym badges. And there aren't any more Pokémon left because Yami caught them all! And he is now being crowned Champion of the World! Better luck next year, Yugi!" Yugi shuddered at the mere thought.

Joey glanced down at his worried friend, who was clearly beating himself up over the news about Yami. "Don't worry about it, Yug! I'm sure you'll do great and just remember – this isn't a race, alright? Training Pokémon is supposed to be about your own skills and accomplishments, and you should be able to train at your own pace." He gave Yugi a small wink.

"Thanks Joey," Yugi said. "I'm just nervous. I only know some basics about training Pokémon and Yami's grandfather is Professor Oak! I'm sure he'll be fighting the Elite Four in a championship match by the time we even make it through Viridian Forest!"

"Don't sell yourself short Yug," Joey teased. "Even though you're just a little guy, your heart has been all about training Pokémon ever since we were little. And that's the way it should be. This is your big dream and I know you wouldn't let anything or anyone get in your way. So cheer up and look on the bright side, yeah?"

"I'll cheer up when that egotistical jerk leaves after dinner," Yugi muttered. He turned back to his party guests. Well I guess I should go around and thank everyone for coming to celebrate with me, he thought as he made his way around the party. Everyone has been so supportive of me and I just hope I don't let them down.

After a couple of hours, the party attendees started to dwindle down. Joey eventually left to get ready for their big morning. Yugi could feel himself getting more and more nervous for this dinner as the once numerous crowd thinned out more and more. He hadn't seen Yami since school had ended and the summer began. His stomach tightened as he thought about his very first meeting with his crimson-eyed rival…

Flashback: Age 5

A young boy around the age of five was playing with his ball in his front yard. It seemed like an ordinary kickball, but it was one of his most prized possessions – bright red on the top and white on the bottom with a small circle in the middle. Just like a Pokéball! He was attempting to bounce the ball as high as it would go, but he found that it would not bounce very high in the grass. Little Yugi frowned with disappointment as his grandfather and caretaker emerged from their house.

"Hello Little One," said the elder. "Come with me, we have some new neighbors who have just moved in down the street. One is a good friend of mine and he has a grandson your age. I'm sure you two will be great friends. Let's go meet them. You can even bring your ball with you." He took the younger's hand and they set off down the street towards the mysterious neighbor's house. Yugi clutched his ball tighter to his chest. Meeting new people was sometimes scary for the small child. What if the new neighbors were mean and did not like him?

When the pair arrived at the house, they were greeted by a wise-looking older man with salt and pepper hair. His coffee-colored eyes shown with kindness and warmth and Yugi grinned when he realized that his new neighbor was not scary at all.

"Solomon! It's been ages since I've seen you! Thanks for coming to visit," said the nice old man, taking his grandfather in a hug.

"Gary, it's so nice to see you. I'm glad you've moved back to town." His grandfather returned the embrace. "I would like to introduce my grandson, Yugi." He pushed the younger forward.

"Pleased to meet you, Little Yugi," said the gentle old man, shaking his hand. "You can call me Professor Oak. You seem like a very nice little boy and from what your grandfather has told me I'm sure you will get along splendidly with my grandson, Yami. Speak of the devil, here he is! Yami introduce yourself to Yugi here while Solomon and I sit on the porch and catch up. Just stay in the front yard where we can keep an eye on you boys. Come on, Solomon. I made some lemonade for us." The two grandpas made their way to the front porch where they settled into comfortable chairs.

Yugi turned to the other boy and got his first good look at his new playmate. Though still slightly taller than Yugi, he was on the shorter side, which pleased Yugi as he was short too. He didn't look like he was from around here, like he was born somewhere hot and sunny… did something smell like cinnamon? His jet-black hair and blonde bangs stuck up in a star shape, similar to Yugi's naturally wild hair. But Yami's most mesmerizing feature was his eyes. They weren't rounded and innocent, like Yugi's but seemed sharper and held a hint of danger. They were tinted a deep red and shown like twin cherries in the afternoon sun. And they were looking right at him. Although Yugi was usually shy, he was determined to introduce himself to this exotic stranger. He gathered his courage and broke the silent staring contest between them.

"Hi Yami! I'm Yugi. I live down the street with my grandpa. Do you like my ball? It's special because it has the Pokéball colors on it. I'm going to become a great Pokémon trainer someday!" He began bouncing the ball in the yard, trying to get it to bounce higher than it had earlier.

"Well my grandpa is a famous Pokémon scientist," Yami said proudly. "He promised to teach me everything he knows about Pokémon training so I can become a Pokémon champion when I grow up."

"Maybe we can train together one day," Yugi said excitedly. He was glad that his new playmate shared his love of Pokémon. "Do you want to play ball with me? I'm trying to get it to go really high."

"Okay, Yugi. I bet I can bounce the ball higher than you can!"

He took Yugi's ball and walked to the small driveway that was next to the yard. Yugi watched with curiosity as Yami drew the ball up above his head and slammed it down on the pavement with all his strength. The ball rocketed towards the sky and angled towards the roof of the house. It started rolling down the roof but got caught behind the chimney, where it was hidden from view.

When the ball didn't roll down into Yami's waiting hands, Yugi started to panic.

"What did you do?! That's my favorite toy! It's the only ball I have that looks like a Pokéball!" Yugi's large amethyst eyes started to well up with tears.

"I don't know what happened, it must have gotten stuck up there." Yami's eyes trailed up the rooftop but he was blinded by the bright sun. He turned to face Yugi and smiled, trying to make light of the situation. "See? I told you I could bounce it higher than you can!"

"It's not funny, you Slowpoke!" Yugi wailed. "How am I going to get it back? Why did you have to be such a show-off! Grandpa! Yami lost my ball and now it's gone forever!"

"Tattle tale," Yami muttered, casting his eyes to the ground. He had only been trying to make friends with Yugi by impressing him with how high he could bounce the ball. His attempt to joke and cheer up his little playmate had been taken the wrong way.

Solomon and Professor Oak had been watching the whole scene unfold and were chuckling with amusement at their grandsons' interaction. The two boys were completely different, yet more alike than they would realize at the tender age of five.

"It's alright, Yugi. I'm sure your ball isn't lost forever," his grandfather called from the porch. "Gary, I'll come by tomorrow with my latter and retrieve the 'lost' ball. But for now I better take my dramatic little grandson home and get dinner started. Come along, Little One."

Tears continued to fall down Yugi's cheeks as he took his grandfather's hand and was led back to their home down the street. He glanced over his shoulder at Yami, who watched him walk away. Was that regret in his eyes? Yugi doubted it. Their first attempt at friendship had ended in disaster, until later that night –

End Flashback

Yugi was brought back to reality as the doorbell rang. "Yugi, can you answer the door? I'm stuck in the kitchen for the moment," his grandfather called. Well I better go and get this over with, he sighed.

When he opened the door, a pair of blazing red eyes confronted him.

"Hello Yugi," purred a deep voice as smooth as velvet.

"Hello Yami. It's nice to see you," Yugi lied. He turned to the older man standing next to his nemesis. "Professor Oak! I'm glad you could make it tonight."

"Me too, Yugi. I wouldn't miss it for the world." Professor Oak's familiar cheery smile made him feel more at ease.

"Please come on in. Grandpa's made something special for dinner." Yugi led his guests through the house to the dining room where his grandfather had set the table and arranged their meal. The food was quite a sight to behold. Vegetable stir-fry with noodles, spicy ginger beef, and shrimp pancakes. For dessert, his grandfather's famous double-chocolate cake. The aroma was simply heavenly.

Solomon looked up from his work to greet his guests.

"I'm so glad you could join us for dinner, Gary. I thought it would be nice to have a special celebration for our boys!" Solomon hugged Professor Oak like they were long-lost brothers before turning to Yami.

"Goodness Yami, look at you all grown up! It seems like just yesterday that you and Yugi were little kids who would run around my yard chasing Pidgeys. My, how time flies!" He took Yami into a hug, which the younger happily returned.

"I'm so happy to be here, Grandfather Moto," said Yami. "Both you and Yugi have been like kin to me, and I'm very grateful for the delicious-looking meal you've prepared. I hope you didn't go through too much trouble on our behalf."

Yugi rolled his eyes at Yami's sentiments. Oh yeah. Kin. Totally. Just like brothers, us two.

"No trouble at all, my boy!" Solomon said with a laugh. "Now let's eat! The table is set and the food is hot. Everyone enjoy!"

The four took their seats and began eating the exquisitely prepared dishes. Solomon was a wonderful cook. Yugi was going to miss his grandfather's tasty meals. The food was so delicious that he didn't even let it bother him that Yami had chosen to sit across from him. He always has to be in my face. I guess he always has to make his presence known.

The light table banter between Solomon and Professor Oak soon turned towards the subject of Pokémon training and Yugi was all ears. Professor Oak was one of the top Pokémon researchers and anything he had to say would definitely help him on his quest to be a Pokémon master.

Professor Oak was happy to share his knowledge with the younger two. "You see boys, each gym leader has their specific kind of Pokémon. It is important to remember each gym's Pokémon type before you battle with them so that you can train the Pokémon whose type they are weak against. For example, the Pewter City gym is the first you will come to. That particular gym leader's specialty is rock-type Pokémon. So you may want to catch a few water and grass-types, which are strong against rock-types. It is also best to keep this in mind when you both choose your starter Pokémon tomorrow. I'm sure you already know that you will be able to choose between water, grass, and fire Pokémon. Ultimately, the choice is a personal decision and I've seen trainers choose each type but just remember that this decision can make your training easier or harder depending on which type you choose."

Professor Oak finished his last bite of shrimp pancake. "Well boys, enough Pokémon-talk for tonight! Some training secrets you must learn on your own, eh? That was an excellent meal, Solomon, I give it five stars! Now, what say you to a quick game of chess before Yami and I leave for the night?"

Solomon began collecting the empty plates. "You're on, Gary! You must be in such a hurry to lose to me again. Just like the old days!" Once the table was cleared, Solomon brought out his old chess set. The wooden pieces were smooth to the touch from the countless games he and Gary had played together. "As always, you can be the black pieces, Gary, and I'll take the white."

"Grandpa, I'm a little tired," Yugi yawned. "I'm going to go upstairs to rest and prepare for tomorrow. Goodnight everyone and I'll see you tomorrow, Professor Oak."

"Goodnight, Yugi. Make sure you rest well for your big day." The two older men turned back to their chess game.

Yugi walked up the stairs and closed the door to his bedroom. He began to pack his clothes and other personals for the trip. His preparations were interrupted by a soft knock on his bedroom door. As soon as Yugi opened the door, he wished he had left it closed. Without being invited in, Yami waltzed right into Yugi's bedroom. An intrusion of cinnamon attacked Yugi's nostrils. He could not believe this man's audacity.

"I just wanted to wish you luck for tomorrow," Yami said. Yami's eyes glinted at him like two red candy apples and the smirk on his lips was just as sickeningly sweet.

"I don't need luck," Yugi snapped. "Get out. I need to pack."

Instead, Yami sat down on Yugi's bed and continued to stare at him with that goofy grin of his.

"You're distracting me, go away!" Yugi snarled. Thirteen years of this man was enough…not that he was counting! He was ready to leave him in the dust and never see him again after tomorrow morning. "Besides, I'm sure you have packing to do too!"

"I've already packed, Little One." Yami laid his head down on Yugi's pillow and sprawled out on the bed to get more comfortable. Great, now it's going to smell like him.

"Ahhh, comfy. I'm not surprised that you're leaving all your preparations for the last minute. Then again, you've always started things after I've already accomplished them."

Alright, that does it. "Get OUT or I'll get Professor Oak to drag you out of here by your tongue!"

Yami seemed amused by this concept and feigned debating on whether to leave. Finally, he stood up and walked over to where Yugi was standing. He deliberately got close enough to feel like he was swimming in those large amethyst eyes.

Ignoring the invasion of his personal space and seeing it as a personal challenge, Yugi moved closer to Yami until they were almost nose to nose. I'll play his stupid little mind games. I won't let him intimidate me.

"So you think you can keep up with me?"

"I don't need to keep up with you! It's not a damned race."

"I just hope you don't fall too far behind, Little One."

"I'm not going to be behind anyone, especially you!"

The staring match continued in silence. Amethyst glared at crimson. Yugi ignored the increasing heat rising in his chest. His mind hated this man with a passion and he refused to let his body betray him. But passion can swing both ways.

Yami sensed the other's dilemma and graced Yugi with another classic smirk as a pink tinge danced across his cheeks. Satisfied, Yami turned to leave. But first, he had a point to reiterate. He bent slightly to whisper in the other's ear.

"Smell ya later, Little One."

He was abruptly shoved out the door, which Yugi slammed in his face. He let out a deep breath he had apparently been holding in. He considered this his win as he walked back downstairs to join the two grandpas, a triumphant smirk on his face.

Yugi continued glaring at the barrier between him and the arrogant jerk. He'll do anything to rile me up. He's just trying to get under my skin. Whatever, I can't let his stupid antics bother me. He continued gathering his things and was soon packed and ready for tomorrow.

Yugi lay in bed that night, as the smell of cinnamon and spices wafted into his nostrils. He vaguely remembered learning that the sense of smell is the most connected to one's memory and emotions. His thoughts drifted back to his crimson-eyed rival. I can't believe he chose the same exact day as me to leave home. He's so full of himself; I bet he'll challenge me to a battle as soon as we get our starter Pokémon tomorrow. Neither one of us have any battling experience, but I'm sure he'd love to show off as Professor Oak's grandson. Yugi closed his eyes and relaxed as he let the exotic scent surround him. How can I still smell him if he left hours ago? Feeling himself giving in to sleep, his rival's parting words to him echoed through his barely conscious mind… Smell ya later, indeed, Yami.