To any new readers: For some reason fanfiction won't let me use the word "Ms. Ketchum" without it being deleted, so please be understanding if there's anywhere in the story that is missing names and such...

Hello! I haven't posted anything in a while! But I started writing this story and I like the way it sounds so far so I decided to share it with you guys! This chapter is mainly just character and story development, the main plot won't be revealed until chapter 2 (or 3 depending on where I get to!) So anyways I hope you enjoy! I guess I'll put ages here, but only on this chapter!

Disclaimer: I sadly do not own Pokemon or any characters, merchandise, or otherwise mentioned in this story. I am merely writing for fun not profit.

Characters:

Ash: 14

Misty: 14

May: 14

Iris: 14

Cilan: 15 3/4 ;)

Tracey: !5 1/2

Ms. Ketchum: 42

Professor Oak: 47

It was late at night. Outside the sky was pitch black besides the full moon and the many stars surrounding it, but inside was a completely different story. Lights were burning in the small motel and TVs were flashing in almost all the rooms.

There was a special reason for this occurrence though. On many of these TVs a local news channel was broadcasting a report from a small town in the Kanto region called Pallet. The woman on the news was explaining that a young boy who had left on his journey to become a Pokemon master a few years earlier had returned home. That wasn't what was keeping everyone's interest though.

"Oh look! Here's Ash now! Ash, what do you have to say about your latest victory? What do your friends think about it? You must be so tired from your journey from Unova!"

"Um well I-" The raven haired teen looked around at all the cameras surrounding him and seemed to go blank.

"I'm sorry, Ash can't talk right now!" A tall teenage girl around Ash's age made her way in front of the cameras and dragged Ash with her towards a house in the distance. One of the motel's guests in particular chuckled at this occurrence, she was 14 years old and had brown hair tied back in a red bandana. Her little brother was also intrigued by the special report.

"We gotta call Ash! Why didn't he tell us that he beat the Unova league?" Max Maple crawled towards the edge of his temporary bed so that he was closer to the TV, he couldn't see very well without his glasses on...

"I'm sure Ash was planning on telling us eventually, but right now he seems pretty busy with all the news reporters bugging him and such" May told her little brother

"Plus it's kind of late at night to be calling Ash, don't you think?"

"We already know he's awake! He just was on TV! Come on, Mom and Dad are still out so why don't we call him before they get back!" Max insisted, he had always thought of the older boy as a role model and he loved having the chance to talk to him.

"Oh-Fine! But it'll be a short phone call!" May gave into her brothers plead and pulled out her brand new smart phone "who knows if he'll even answer, you saw Misty with him!"

"Yay!" Max didn't pay any attention to his sister's reasoning, he was just happy that he got his way.

May scrolled through her limited number of contacts and stopped at Ash's name. His contact picture was very outdated, May had been surprised when she saw him on the TV. Even though it was dark outside she could still tell that he had changed.
Back to reality, May pressed the green call button on her phone and then turned on speakerphone so Max could hear too. The phone rang at least 5 times before itclicked and Ash answered.

"Hi May!"

"Hey Ash! I saw you on the news!" May smiled at the sound of her friend's voice, she didn't realize how long it had been since she had talked to him.

"Oh they're playing that in Hoenn too? Jeez I'm famous!"

"Well actually" May chuckled "I'm not in Hoenn right now I'm actually in- get this- Kanto!"

"What? No way!" Ash seemed genuinely surprised "What city? We should see each other! Is Max with you?"

"I'm right here!" Max called into the phone, happy that Ash remembered him.

"Wow this is awesome! Misty is with me right now, well you probably already saw that on the news. She surprised me at the airport when I got here!"
May smiled when she thought of Misty, she knew that Misty had always liked Ash a bit more than she let on.

"Oh and Tracey is coming over tomorrow! You know how he works with Professor Oak? Yeah! And Cilan and Iris are here too, but I'm not really sure where they are right now." There was a slight pause from Ash's end.

"Well you sound pretty busy" May concluded, "but maybe me and Max could visit you soon. My Mom and Dad should be back to the hotel room soon. That's where we are right now, in a motel".

"Oh okay. I gotta go! My mom's yelling at me to be a good host and not ignore my guests... I'll talk to you tomorrow. I hope we can see each other soon! Bye!"

"Bye Ash" Max and May both called into the phone right before Ash hung up.

"Wow I can't wait to ask Mom and Dad if we can see Ash! When are they going to be back?" Max was obviously very excited.

"Uh I don't know they should be back soon I guess, but it's getting pretty late maybe you should go to bed" May was beginning to become a little annoyed by Max's persistence.

"I'm not tired though!" Max groaned "why are you the boss anyways?"

"Because I'm way older than you!" May rolled her eyes "just be quiet and watch TV until Mom and Dad get back ok?"

"Fine but change the channel! This is stupid" Max pointed to the TV which was now playing a sitcom from the 80's.

"Ok" May fissured the TV remote out of a gap between two pillows on the bed. "Let's find something to watch".

"Ash, it's getting rather late, don't you think you should be getting ready for bed?" Delia Ketchum walked into the living room where Ash, Misty, Cilan, and Iris were sprawled out on multiple pieces of furniture watching a cartoon on the small TV in the room.

"Mom" Ash moaned "I'm not ten anymore!"

"I don't care how old you are young man! You still need your rest!" Misty and Iris had a giggle fit while Ash's mom was scolding her son.

"Shut up guys" Ash frowned in the girls' direction.

"Ash don't be rude to your guests! You must be grumpy because you're tired! Come on let's go get your pajamas!" The middle-aged woman led her son upstairs against his will.

"Wow Ash's mom sure is overprotective" Iris laughed as soon as the two were out of earshot.

"Yeah has always been like that" Misty laughed along "I come over here quite often actually, to help with cleaning and stuff".

"Wow you must know pretty well" Iris concluded.

"Yeah I guess so" Misty agreed "and in knowing her, I know that she'll be back right about-"

"I"m back dearies! Do you need anything to eat or drink?"

"Now" Misty muttered.

"I can't speak for the others, but I'm fine at the moment. Thanks for offering though!" Cilan smiled politely.

"Oh Cilan you are so polite! If only Ash would learn a thing or two from you!" Ash's mom chuckled at the thought of her son learning manners.

"Why thanks , but I'm only acting as I was taught to" Cilan blushed slightly.

"Don't let Cilan fool you, he's not as polite and mature as he tries to act" Iris laughed.

"Hey!" Cilan frowned at Iris, but he obviously wasn't actually angry.

"Oh you kids are so silly! I'm going to call Professor Oak, call me if you need anything!" Delia winked at the three teenagers and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

"Is she gone?" Ash peered around the corner from the staircase.

"Yes Ash" Misty rolled her eyes "nice pajamas".

"I didn't have a choice!" Ash looked down on his spaceship pajamas "my Mom hid my other ones!"

"Whatever Ash just tell us what May told you! You seemed pretty happy about whatever it was!" Misty looked down on Ash's phone which was sitting on the coffee table.

"Oh! Max and May are in Kanto! They want to plan a time when they can visit me, or well us" Ash looked around at his friends expectantly.
"I still haven't met them!" Iris pointed out "but then again, I haven't met this Tracey guy either!"

"Well you'll meet Tracey tomorrow" Ash rolled his chocolate-brown eyes "and maybe you'll meet Professor Oak too! I'm surprised he wasn't already here when we got here" he contemplated "Tracey must be keeping him busy".

"Enough about you and all of your friends ! I'm going to be a good girl and go to bed! Walking from Cerulean City to Pallet isn't exactly a five-minute walk!" Misty stretched her arms out as a cat might and yawned.

"I think you're sleeping in the guest room with Iris- if that's alright with you" Ash added quickly.

"Yeah whatever that's fine, goodnight" Misty pulled herself up off the couch she was sitting on and trudged up the stairs until she was out of sight.

"I think we'd all better get ready for bed, tomorrow is going to be a busy day!" Cilan, being the 'responsible one' eventually convinced his friends to at least go to their designated rooms and try to rest. He knew that if Ash or Iris stayed up any longer they would be a handful to take care of the next day.

As the digital clock blinked from 11:59 to 12:00 the whole house was silent except for Delia Ketchum's muffled voice from behind the kitchen door, still talking on the phone with Professor Samuel Oak. And if you listened close enough you could hear the faint buzz of excitement that Ash was giving off at the thought of seeing his old friends for the first time in a very very long time.

Well I hope you enjoyed chapter one! Chapter two will either be up later today or tomorrow depending on how lazy I am...

~~~ Wisrac17dew