Author's Note: This is word emphasis.

Prologue

How it happened would be the subject of much discussion, how the Moon Princess ended up being born in the Sinnoh Region to Johanna Berlitz four years before Dawn Berlitz is born. Natsuki Berlitz, daughter of a Top Coordinator. Where Dawn took after their mother in appearance Natsuki took after her father. The Berlitz siblings were half-siblings, and Johanna had never told Natsuki's father that he happened to have a daughter. Natsuki had received the blonde hair, and blue eyes of her father, the Sunyshore Gym Leader, Volkner. Natsuki had chosen Chimchar as her starter when she was old enough, and was going through Kanto when one Ash Ketchum was challenging the Battle Frontier.

Chap 1

Pallet Town/Boat to Sinnoh:

Natsuki stares at Ash, " You're going to Sinnoh next? "

Ash and Natsuki were on Route 1 talking while Ash searches for his old friend Pidgeot, Natsuki had watched him beat Brandon, they had met just after the Kanto Grand Festival. " Yeah, I really want to try, and get a Chimchar for myself, your Infernape is awesome. "

Natsuki sighs, " You get to deal with my mother then. "

Ash looks at her, " Have you ever gone home since you started on your journey, Nat? "

" No, I haven't, I'll send my little sister gifts, but that's about it. "

" Why don't you want to go home, Nat? "

The blonde haired trainer looks at him, silently gauging whether or not she should tell him. She trusted him, there was no doubt of that, they'd actually met because Ash had helped her out of a tricky situation with a guy that just wouldn't take a hint. His friends all thought he was dense, but Ash just acted that way. He'd read the situation, and had played the part of the boyfriend to the rescue perfectly. She hadn't been expecting the kiss though. Still, there were worse ways to lose your first kiss, and Ash had been a perfect gentleman. Then again, Natsuki had met Delia, no way would Delia raise her little boy to be anything, but respectful to women. " I haven't gone home mostly because of the major blow up mom, and I had. She was pissed I chose to go to Kalos first, but I had saved my money up, paid for a Teleport Transport to pick me up from Professor Rowan's lab, and I haven't looked back. "

Ash looks at her, she'd been the runner up in the Indigo League. He and Brock had been able to watch, but May, and Max had, had to go home. " How bad could it have been? "

Natsuki barely stopped herself from shivering, " Bad. I'm just glad Dawn wasn't there at the time. It was a blistering shouting match, she basically said that if I went through with going to Kalos that I wouldn't be welcomed back. Dawn doesn't even know whom her gifts are from. "

Ash winces, pulling the blonde to his side, only Brock really knew what his relationship to Natsuki was. Ash was damned good at acting densely oblivious to the opposite gender. He did not want to deal with his mother yet, in that regard. Misty and May were both attractive in their own ways, but Ash was not going to date a tsundere, which Misty might as well be, and May...yeah, that was not happening. Natsuki, on the other hand, she accepted him, quirks and all, she only asked that he try to tone down the recklessness. She had also given him an egg, and refused to tell him what would hatch out of it. He had been stunned to meet her Lucario though, he still felt guilty about not being able to save Sir Aaron's Lucario. With the help of Natsuki's Lucario he was slowly learning how to actually use his Aura.

Regulating it throughout himself was apparently the first step, he had to master it internally, before he could use it externally. Natsuki leans into him briefly, " You don't have to come with me, Natsuki. "

The look she gave him reminded him of Misty, " Like hell I'm letting you go alone. Can't have opportunistic females thinking you're available, now can I? Besides, you're very good at dealing with idiots. "

Pikachu, having been silent up to this point, sensing the conversation between the two was important, gives his species version of a laugh at this, " I learned that glare from my mother. "

" Doesn't hurt that you're damned possessive, and protective of those you consider friends, right? " Natsuki asks him.

Ash whistles innocently, not fooling either one of them, when they hear a loud caw of the one they came out here looking for, " PIDGOOOOOOOOOE! "

Ash hugs his second ever captured pokémon, " I've missed you, Pidgeot. "

Pidgeot nuzzles her trainer, Ash had never officially released her, mostly to keep idiots from catching her, and keeping her from defending the Pidgey from the Spearow. That was when Fearow arrived, and Natsuki moved faster than Ash, or his pokémon, calling out her Talonflame. Talonflame caws his name out in challenge, and Natsuki gives him his head for the fight, Ash wraps his arms around her from behind, propping his chin on her head, " Thank you, Nat. "

" I know you came out here with every intention of reclaiming your old teammate, Ash. Besides, this gives Talonflame an opportunity to show off. "

Ash looks at his Pidgeot, and he can see she's watching Talonflame as opposed to Fearow. Well, his Pidgeot might finally find a mate. " If they get along well enough, would you be willing to let Talonflame stay at the Oak Ranch? "

Natsuki grins, " Considering this is the first time he's shown off this much, and yes, there is a difference, I might. "

Pidgeot looks more interested now, and Ash grinned, " Is there anyone you trust to take over for you, girl? "

Pidgeot nods, she'd been training the strongest Pidgeotto to take over for her. Once that Fearow was gone he could handle it. After every journey Ash would check in with her, work with her some so she could gain new attacks that would help her defend his home from the Spearow/Fearow flock. Her chosen replacement had heard the story of how her trainer, and his starter had bonded, he would make sure the Spearow/Fearow Flock did not get too out of hand. Yes, it had partly been Ash's fault for throwing a rock at a Spearow, but the flock should never have chased him that far. Talonflame slams his opponent into the ground, and Fearow gets back up, going after him with Fury attack. Natsuki cheers when Talonflame's ability of Flame Body activates, most bird pokémon had Keen Eye as an ability which meant moves like Smokescreen, and Sand-Attack wouldn't work on them.

" Let me guess, Talonflame has Flame Body as an ability, right? " Ash asks her.

" Yep, so useful when you have an egg you want hatched as well, as it halves the required walking time. " Natsuki says, " Since Eevee can actually be found in the wild in Kalos near Geosenge Town I hunted down a rare female Eevee, and I bred her when she was ready so I could get every Eeveelution I wanted, well, except for the Fairy Type that was discovered in Kalos, my little sister would probably love one though. "

" I've heard of Sylveon, what's your problem with the Fairy evolution of Eevee? "

She calls up Sylveon on her Pokédex, and Ash blinks, it was so pink, and ribbony, and...okay, he could see why his girlfriend shied away from Sylveon. Natsuki was not in any way a girly-girl. She didn't care what people thought about her, she wore what she wanted, and damn if Ash didn't miss traveling alone with her. In Pallet Town she wore more conservative clothing, as she had also grown up in a small town she knew how bad the gossip could get, and she would not do anything to subject herself, or Ash to that. Ash is surprised when she primes a Timer Ball, and then he understands, Talonflame was taking his time with his beat down of Fearow, which meant a Timer Ball was the perfect choice to catch that ornery Fearow. Pikachu's warning has him backing away from Natsuki, though he really didn't want to. Pikachu knew his partner didn't want his mother to know the truth yet.

Ash blinks when Natsuki dives to her right to avoid Fearow, and she comes up firing an Aura Sphere. She just manages to catch him before his mother arrives, and her Talonflame gives her a wing up. " Ash, does this mean Pidgeot will be traveling with you again? " Delia Ketchum asks her son. The poor mother despaired of getting her son to notice girls, or even boys if he were so inclined. Sure, she'd like grandbabies, but she wanted her baby boy happy as well. Years later she would be torn between anger, and amusement at how well her son played the dense idiot. He hadn't wanted to have her interfering in any relationships he might develop, and he most certainly didn't want her embarrassing him in front of potential girlfriends either.

Delia looks over Natsuki's Talonflame that she had called over when she heard about the problem Ash's Pidgeot had, " He's so majestic, Natsuki. " Delia says. She watches Talonflame puff up proudly, and Natsuki gives him a look, " Do I need to call out Pelipper to keep your ego in check, again? "

Talonflame shakes his head hurriedly, he had learned his lesson the last time. Ash snickers at the reaction, " Is Pelipper male or female? "

" Female, and she pwned his ass, badly. " Natsuki says, and Pidgeot chuckles, good, her potential mate had learned that the females had the power.

Talonflame droops with a caw, and Ash goes over to pet him, " You want to meet my Swellow, and Noctowl? "

Natsuki and Delia both giggle, apparently Ash was commiserating with the male Scorching Pokémon. Then a trill is heard, and a massive Butterfree tackles Ash. Delighted laughter comes from the fifteen year old, " Butterfree, I've missed you. Where's your mate? "

Another trill is heard, and a pink shiny Butterfree can be seen, " There you are. Butterfree, why are you here? "

Butterfree trills again, and butts his head against Ash's chest, Ash had never officially released him, not wanting some idiot trainer to hurt his first captured pokémon. " You mean you're going to live in Pallet Town now, you missed me? "

Butterfree trills in the affirmative, and Pidgeot caws a greeting to her old teammate, she'd still been a Pidgeotto. Pikachu adds his own greeting as well, Butterfree had been missed. Natsuki smiles at this, and walks forward, " Going to introduce me, Ash? "

Ash grins, " Butterfree, this is Natsuki Berlitz, Natsuki, my first official capture, Butterfree, when he was still a Caterpie. "

" You did a good job with him, Ash. " Natsuki says as she recalls her Talonflame. Ash recalls Pidgeot, and pulls out Butterfree's ball as well.

He looks to Butterfree's mate, " Would you like me to catch you as well, you could stay with my mom? " Ash asks her.

She nods, and Ash pulls out a free Pokéball, tapping it against the pink Butterfree. Then he hands the Pokéball to his mother, along with Butterfree's, " Help Mr. Mime look after my mom, Okay, Butterfree, and help Pidgeot's replacement with keeping the Spearow/Fearow flock in check. Pidgeot won't be here to do that anymore. Bulbasaur is also at Professor Oak's lab keeping the peace, and Charizard is still at the Charicific Valley in Johto. Squirtle is back with his Squad to help lead them in fire fighting. "

Butterfree nods, he would meet the other new team members later. Natsuki would be taking her Infernape, and Talonflame with her. Mostly because of Ash's personal Team Rocket entourage, they followed him everywhere. The next day they get on the boat that would take them to Sinnoh, though they left early enough that Natsuki could go Growlithe Hunting, Ash's mischievous Aipom following them. It was only after they were out of sight of Kanto that Ash pulls the blonde to himself, relaxing now that he didn't have to keep up the dense idiot act around his mother, Tracy, and Professor Oak. Gary had found him when Natsuki was getting to know his pokémon. Gary's Electivire was a pain in the ass to beat, but he would do it, dammit!

Pidgeot was getting to know her new teammates at the lab for the moment, and was sticking close to make the transition of leadership smoother. Natsuki lets herself relax, she had never travelled with another human before, not until Ash, Brock, May, and Max, she had gotten to know Misty better as well, and had given her an Eevee egg so she could have a Vaporeon. She had several in storage, and would give one to her little sister, should she run into her. Ash looks down at her, it had taken her a little while to get used to travelling in a group, and now that he knew what had gone down between her, and her mother before she left, he could understand why she had been so leery of making human connections, until he'd come along she'd avoided humanity as much as she could. He really hadn't thought he'd end up with a girlfriend that day, and it had been really sweet watching her end up as the Runner Up in the Indigo League as well. People that couldn't take no for an answer annoyed him.

Pikachu and Aipom were currently keeping the idiot males, and females away from the young couple. Aipom approved of Natsuki, so did Pikachu. Ash was occupied with just enjoying having Natsuki in his arms, not with staking him claim. It wasn't often Ash just took time to relax anymore. It was only when the pair were in their room that Pikachu, and Aipom relaxed their vigil. Ash sighs as he looks at his girlfriend, " Nat, you didn't have to come with me. "

" I got word from the starting trainer that chose Piplup, the other one that started at the same time as I did is back in Sinnoh that chose Turtwig, and according to what I've heard his ego has gotten way out of hand, so I am morally obligated to beat him down again. You could do it with say your Sceptile against his Torterra, the final evolutionary stage of Turtwig, or really insult him, and use Bulbasaur, but I am the only one whom he has never beaten, he followed me to Kalos, and I kicked his ass every time he challenged me to a battle. His name is Paul, and he's from Veilstone City. " Natsuki says.

Ash groans, he really hated trainers like that. They needed someone to beat them down every so often, or their egos really got out of check. " I get it, still, don't shut yourself off from me, Nat. I can help. "

Natsuki sighs, she wasn't used to having someone around that actually cared about how she was feeling anymore, that was human, at least. Infernape did all he could to help his trainer back when he was a Chimchar. Being disowned like that had really hurt Natsuki. She couldn't even contact her little sister directly. Ash knew coming back to Sinnoh was going to bring up bad memories for Natsuki. The fifteen year old male just cradles her in his arms, she'd go into more detail when she was ready. He wouldn't force her to talk. Natsuki had forgotten what it was like to receive comfort from a human being. She relaxes into him, and Ash adjusts to supporting more of her weight. It had taken patience to get her to this point. Her mother disowning her essentially had really messed up Natsuki's ability to trust.

Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh Region, Berlitz Home:

Johanna Berlitz smiles sadly at the last picture of herself, and both of her daughters. She regretted how rash she had been that day, she had ruined the beginning of her daughter's journey. Natsuki had never once called home, she knew the gifts Dawn received were from Natsuki though, even if Natsuki never signed them. Natsuki had said several harsh things that were completely true on the day she started her journey. Johanna hoped she would get a chance to reconnect with her oldest daughter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Pokémon.