Author's Notes: This is my first serious attempt at writing any kind of fanfic. I originally was going to wait until I finished this thing before posting it, but then it would be a HUUUGE post and have much less interactivity to it.

I'll post the Prologue and Chapter 1 for now and update every day until I run out and have to start writing more, when the updates will become less frequent. I hope everyone enjoys. Nobody's posted a serious Altoshipping fic here in quite a long time.

Also, it takes place 8 years after Pokémon Heroes, so I suppose it's a bit of a dimension of my own creation. Is that enough of a disclaimer, or do I have to say I don't own Pokémon? I don't. And I'm broke. And now on to the story...

True Love Never Fades
by darkagumonrants

Prologue

With a loud whistle, a red and white blur cut through the air at a break-neck pace, coming to a complete stop at the top of a large stone building. There dangling from the rafters was a Raticate hanging on for dear life.

"HELP MEEEE!" the Raticate could only scream to the guardian of Altomare before his grip fell slack and he started falling like a bomb to the treacherous rocky ground thirty stories below. A loud scream could be heard from beneath them as he plummeted.

With great concern, but a clear mind focused on the impending severity of the situation, Latias dove down and watched the ground rush at her as she hurried to beat the falling Raticate to the ground. Equaling his falling velocity and pushing herself to the limit, she rushed forward and pulled out of the dive at the last second before hitting the ground, having just enough time to fly forward for the Raticate to land on her back with a heavy thump. Ignoring the pain of the impact, Latias cried out in a loud victory chirp, happy to have averted disaster and to have saved the Raticate.

"Are you okay?" asked Latias sweetly with a touch of worry in her voice.

"Yes... yes... I think so," responded the obviously shaken Raticate. "All thanks to you. If you hadn't caught me, I surely would have hit a jagged rock and found my death. Oh dear me, that would not have been good."

As the Raticate clambered down Latias' back to the ground, another Raticate that was very pregnant came clambering up with tears in her eyes and hugged the other Raticate close to her.

"BABY! You're safe. Thank the stars." After they hugged and cooed at each other for several moments, the female Raticate turned to face her lover's savior. "Thank you so much for saving my mate. If it wasn't for you, he would be gone entirely from my life. I don't think I could have handled that, especially with the new baby on the way. We owe you everything!"

Latias blushed. "Oh, please don't thank me. It's the least I could do. I'm happy to do what I can for everyone," she insisted as she hovered silently half a foot from the ground, reaching up with one of her clawed arms to smooth out her feathers.

"Don't be silly," chimed in the Raticate that had been rescued. He whispered a few words to the other Raticate and she nodded before he readdressed Latias. "What you have done for our family will never be forgotten. In fact, though we can't exactly name our unborn son after you, we would be very happy if you were to choose his name, for without you, he would have grown up without a father."

Latias' eyes widened in flattered surprise. "I really don't deserve such an honor as to name your child. I wouldn't even know what to suggest."

The pregnant Raticate smiled sweetly. "Is there really not any name that comes to mind? A relative or a loved one perhaps?"

Latias stopped for a moment and didn't move a muscle as she seemed to get lost in thought and inner-turmoil. Finally, she spoke. "Ash."