A/N: Well, I was going to do an anime fic eventually. This is a reboot! of the canon, with some character facets changed. First person, not sure how it happened but it's working so far. At the moment, considering where the fic is going, there are no pairings. Ash will be close to his canon self, but not entirely. This fic does not take XY (ie, Serena) into account as of yet, as I haven't been keeping up with it. I don't even think Kalos will be covered in this fic. Let's get through Kanto first.

The setting will have elements of the anime, mangas, and game verse. But that doesn't determine everything. :D

I really hope the length of the prologue isn't a sign of things to come. My hands hurt.

"Words"- are humans talking

'Words' are Pokemon talking, whether someone understands or not. Just a quick mention

At the moment, this story is rated T, but if enough people say otherwise, it can be booted to M. I warn in advance for child-unfriendly violence, swearing, things harmful to minors, character death, Pokemon abuse (possible), and alternate versions of characters.

Prepare for a wild ride. Read and review and thanks for any support!

I've always had a love-hate relationship with fire.

My name was the biggest irony, like I was just the remnants the phoenix was kicking off its wings. Ash, engraved on the Arcanine tags in my baby fist. Left in a soot-covered blanket on the outskirts of a pollution-free town. I was sniffed out immediately.

I don't know any of this from memory, obviously. It's just the story I was told every time I asked who I was to any available civilian old enough to remember. Of course, the whole thing is full of exaggerations and slander about how I had Absol eyes and Houndoom tail. I think I would have noticed if the tail wasn't there anymore.

Though if I had one, that would be cool. I'd be warmer at night, or something.

Anyway, like I said, fire and I are some kind of romantic dance with knives and murder.

I don't know who named me, but everyone else seems to. To be honest, the older I get, the more annoying it turns out. I don't care. My family was a bunch of bad people and bad names and bad blood. As far as most people are concerned, I'm just the same.

I only wish I knew how to prove them wrong.

prologue

soot stains

Pallet Town was one of the best places to see the stars.

There were no factories, no big smoke-making clouds to fill the air with ugly, gray puffs. The moon was always bright and cold and on nights where the temperature was the same no matter where I was, I often sat and watched it. I quickly found there wasn't much there, and usually had to make things up for the friends under my house. That was usually pretty fun.

Tonight was one of those nights, a month after the snow melted and two weeks after the weaker Berries were planted for harvesting. My hands were grimy with dirt, and they really didn't have to be. I had enough hot water to take a nice bath. I just didn't want to go down and clean up, not when it was warm enough to wear a thinner set of clothes and the moon was just so bright. So I just sat against the tiles, laying back and thinking of patterns traced with an invisible pencil. Below me, the little chittering voices that made up more space in my tiny house than I did quieted slowly as one by one, they each drifted off to sleep.

"You're going to fall and crack your head."

I sat up and looked down, having to lean my seven-year-old, skinny frame over the railing to see the speaker. "Hi Daisy," I said, smiling at the sight of one of the humans I actually liked. "It's a nice night up here."

She chuckled a little, which was a kind of laugh I always thought only the rich and the Oak family did. It sounded so beyond everyone else, so much better. But that could just be because Daisy was pretty and kind.

"It's a nice night down here too," she told me, and I couldn't stop my smile from growing stupidly wide.

"It's closer to the stars up here."

"Theoretically," she countered and a part of me fell a little because I had no clue what that word meant and I knew she would never tell me. She always had me look things up myself.

It got to be a little annoying when I had to borrow Gary's library card for a dictionary all the time. Maybe that would be my Christmas gift, since last year was a gardening kit.

"What's going on, Daisy?" I finally asked because, like I said, she never just tells me things. She always makes me work for it. She gave a jerk of her head and I groaned, half to mess with her. Why did I have to get down? She could have told me what was going on from where I was! But I went to my open window and dropped back inside. I unconsciously smoothed my hair out of my face, mentally debating if it was worth washing my hair tonight. She was probably going to scold me about it as soon as I made it downstairs. Well, that or my distinct lack of shoes.

My birthday shoes were nice. I didn't want to ruin them from being out in the sun all day or climbing roofs.

'Ash?' I turned, seeing the russet fox head of Vince, one of the many Pokemon living in my house. The Vulpix made a mewling yawn. 'Wha's wrong?'

I rarely met a Pokemon that I couldn't try to translate, and even the drawls of sleep and talking over fangs didn't get in my way now. "Daisy's here," I said, picking at my nails before I could stop myself. "She wanted to talk to me about something."

'The eggs aren't hatched yet tho',' he mumbled, padding over to me as lightly as he dared over the weak floor. I gave him a rough pat on his messy fur. He made my hair look tidy.

"It's too late for her to be by for that, and she wouldn'a dragged me downstairs." Yeah, cause she knows I would have jumped off the roof and broken my neck. "Come on, let's see her together!"

Together has always been my favorite word.

Vince yawned at me and rubbed at an eye with one paw before following me. He didn't really care either way, but he nipped at my fingers to say 'you should know better about humans.' A lot of the Pokemon here thought the same way. Sometimes I agreed with them. With the Oak family, it was always a topic we had to disagree on.

"Okay, do I look cool?" I asked her as I left the front door, reclining on the frame like I had seen her brother do. Not that Gary was an expert on cool but it looked fun.

"No," she said at once, and we laughed.

I pouted at her now, skin bubbling with impatience. "Daisy, what's the big fuss, I need to take a bath." A playful smile crossed my lips. "Did you get a new love letter?" I didn't know much about them, but they always made Gary mad and her face like a bright Magikarp crayon.

She rolled her eyes. "Shush! Gary might have followed me outside."

"It was," I said gleefully, toning my voice down a little to not wake the other Pokemon. "Do you need me to hide it?"

She rolled her eyes at me for a second time, which I think is a boys-only gesture because of the seven kids in Pallet, I've never seen the girls get that face, unless talking about a boy. "I know how to hide a dork wooing me, Ash. No, you got a letter."

"But I don't have a mailbox," I said, feeling my face turn into that blank stare it got when I read for three hours straight instead of two-and-a-half and felt my eyes crossing. Daisy sighed, rubbing her green eyes like I had given her a headache.

"That's why I'm here to give it to you, silly." She held out the crinkled envelope for me to take. "I didn't know you knew a 'Mr. Hale'."

"I don't," I murmured, turning the envelope over. The address was written in tight symbols and I could barely make it out. Greenfield? "Adults don't like me much, remember?"

"More fool, them," Daisy said in a nasally voice that sounded like her grandfather. I muffled giggling because that was exactly what he would say. "Now, come on, let's go in! The paper looks fancy! Maybe you're secretly rich!"

"I could have a computer!" I joked right back, both of us knowing how unlikely that was. I didn't even have a town designation or a last name like Daisy and Gary did, at least I didn't know one, there was no way I had some missing riches somewhere. That would be cool and all, but I just wanted a new clothesline and a library card. Money for much more than that would be hard to count.

Vince nudged my leg and I, suddenly fidgeting, realized that yeah, we did have to go inside, didn't we? She'd been in there before, but never for all that long. I looked at my dirty hands and her white, loose sweater, and felt my face flush.

It wasn't like it was Pallet Town's fault. There were more old people than kids, and the richest person was trapped in research. And all of the big machines and extra Pokemon said that was expensive.

At least I can always buy the basics.

Daisy picked at my shirt and its threads. "I need to teach you how to sew." My blush deepened and I tried not to sputter at her, because Gary and I were sure that wasn't cool. Vince yawned again near my foot and I hurried to sit on the carpet, which I had swept an hour ago. There were, unfortunately, silver furs everywhere anyway, but she grew up with a ranch of Pokemon everywhere, so there was no reason for her to care. Daisy leaned over my head to watch me pull the envelope open.

"I feel weird holding this," I said. "Like I'm... I dunno... worth less than this paper."

Daisy made a snort, which I often compared to the oink of a Spoink. "You are not; just open it."

"You sound like Gary," I mumbled, pulling a carefully folded sheaf of papers from the envelope. "Wa-ah, more fancy writing." I unfolded it, and a piece, a photograph, dropped to the floor. I put the rest of the papers down, leaving the first one out. "Uhm... this person't handwriting is bad."

"Here, I'll try. Grandpa's writing is horrible." Daisy snatched it, which would have been annoying if it weren't for the fact that now I was curious. My leg began to shake as she scanned it. "Um," she paused. "Wow, Ash."

"Wha-at?" I whined. "Daisy, just read it!"

Daisy flicked my forehead (which hurt!) and cleared her throat. "'To a boy named Ash'-"

"Okay," I interrupted, sarcasm in my throat. "This guy already knows more about me than I do."

Daisy clicked her tongue and continued. "'My name is Spencer Hale. It's very likely you have no idea who I am, and no idea who you are. If you have received this, you are likely on hard times, am I right?'"

"Well, that's not creepy at all."

"Hush! 'I am a researcher in the Johto region, studying into the mirage Pokemon of the world, though one of my main interests is in the mythical Pokemon known as the Unown. I'm certain, with that little tidbit of information, you're wondering what this has to do with you.'"

I bit my tongue, hard, and focused on stroking Vince's side.

"'I was once a student of the great Professor Oak, alongside your mother, who at this point, I'm assuming you've never met, or even seen.'"

I opened my mouth to speak, but Daisy kicked me. I shut up, glaring at her.

"'I am sending this letter because she is unable to care for you herself and requested my help. I wished to immediately accept this request, but before I can do so, I would like to meet with you in person. My wife will soon be giving birth to a daughter, so she cannot come with me, but she too, would like to meet with you. If that is at all possible, I have attached a paper and envelope for you to send a reply with. There are also a few photos, of myself and my wife and of myself with the professor and your mother as a young girl. I believed you would like one picture of her, regardless of circumstances.'"

"'I await your reply. Spencer Hale.'"

We sat in silence for a few moments, until Vince yawning caused me to start, moving to pick up the photograph. The professor was instantly recognizable, messy gray hair and all. "He wasn't kidding about the premature hair thing yesterday," I said, breaking the mood. Daisy glanced at it and giggled.

"He's had to dye his hair black since dad became a trainer, he told me. Stopped trying when I was born."

"You'll look good in gray," I told her and for some reason, she blushed. Then her expression returned to normal and she picked up the letter, leaving me to turn over the photograph again. "I... that's my mom there, huh?' I traced her outline, braided red hair and plaid clothes. "Look, Daisy, she has freckles!" I tugged at my scraggly black hair. "I don't look like her at all... think he's telling the truth?"

"I don't know many adults who would use expensive paper like this in a lie to a kid, especially not since Grandpa got it first," Daisy murmured.

"You stole it off his desk, didn't you?" I said. She pouted.

"Well, it looked interesting!"

I snickered. "Not such a goodie-two-shoes, are ya Daisy?"

Daisy rolled her eyes and flicked me in the nose. I rubbed it, whining, and this caused a snuffle from the other side of my tiny home. It was more like a giant snore, followed by a really clumsy thump. "We're in here, Sora," I said loudly, and there was a squeak beneath my feet. I pulled up a loose floorboard (the repairman wasn't due for two more days) and out popped a green head.

"Piddo!" I greeted, picking up the squirming caterpillar. He made his usual indecipherable mumble whine and I handed him to Daisy, who proceeded to coo at the baby Caterpie like she hadn't seen him three days ago. Following that, I felt the gentle brushing of large claws against my scalp. I yelled (okay, I actually screamed like a baby) and bolted to the other side of Daisy. I had seen her flip her brother over her head before. She would keep me from-

"Sora!" I whined, crawling gingerly back over to my spot. I had the photo clenched in one hand and my cheeks hurt from embarrassment. The Absol purred, mildly amused. She was always like that, smoothing my hair, sniffing behind my ears if I didn't wash them enough.

'You need a shower, young master.'

"I know..."

"She's right, you reek," Daisy said, filling her voice with this weird scolding click. "You can't meet Mr. Hale if you smell like the mud!"

"Who says I'm gonna meet him?" I argued, glowering despite myself. I didn't know who he was! Maybe Oak did, but... but he had just come out of nowhere.

Though... if he was studying mirages, he had to be kind of cool, right?

Daisy laughed. "Oh you will. It's your shot, Ash! Maybe you can talk to him, you know..." She gestured to the photo that I uncurled from around my fingers.

I blinked, mollified. "Yeah... yeah, I could, right? But couldn't the professor tell me stuff too, now that we know who she is?"

Daisy scoffed. "Not much recent stuff! Grandpa's bad with keeping up with his pupils. They all tend to run off or drop calls and stuff. He probably doesn't even know where she is! But!" She stood, gingerly, but with a quick bounce. She had to teach me how she did that. Tomorrow! "It's probably old stuff, like how she was as a girl or something. Mr. Hale will know about her now, maybe where she is and what she's like and everything! Maybe even-"

"Maybe why she's not here, and why Dad's not here," I finished, showing Sora the photo. The Absol peered at it with her mild expression of curiosity, Piddo climbing to look at it from her horn.

"Exactly," Daisy said, smiling in that way that always made my heart swell with pride. We were silent for a while and I looked up at the faraway stars.

"Hey, Daisy, why do you think I was left here alone?"

It was a question I always asked the professor when the two of them weren't around. Because he was an adult, and adults should have the answer to that, but they never did. They ahd all their guesses, and everyone said them, but that was nothing real. Up until now, I had been forced to accept it.

"If you talk to Mr. Hale," she said, folding up most of the letter again. "He might know."

Now I don't have to.

"Can your grandpa send a reply?" I asked, looking at my hands and wondering if I had a pencil left on the floor somewhere to write with.

Daisy grinned. "Course, he can call and tell him. It'd be easier than trying to send a letter. I'll go tell him now! I'll let you know what's going on tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, sure!" I said before I could stop myself. "See ya then!"

Daisy left with the letter in hand before I could hand her the photograph. I almost went with her, but now I could feel the dirt in my skin, and I really just wanted that bath now before my skin crawled off.

Hours later, I was awoken from sleep by rough paws clawing at my arms and a strange smell in my nose. I coughed and opened my eyes to orange and red and Absol fur.

'Up, young master, up!' she shouted, scratching again. 'The house is burning!'

Now my nose knew the smell and I bolted up so fast I thought I hit the ceiling. "Is everyone okay?"

'Most are out, but I can't find Piddo. Vince is trying to quench the smaller fires, but he could burn up soon.'

I coughed up smoke and nodded, moving quickly to my desk, grabbing a patched leather bag, a hand-me-down from a passing hiker. Almost everything that mattered was in here, everything but...

"Crap! The safe!" The most expensive thing I had, fireproof and with anything I thought valuable. My dog tags, my money, anything I needed to start from the ground up. "Sora... can you find the safe? I'm gonna throw this out the window and find Piddo."

I didn't wait for her answer, pitching the bag through my open window. Then I ran through the door past her and towards the back of the house. Piddo loved the back. It was always quiet and cool and there was a tree from next door that he could climb into when he got scared.

"Piddo!" I shouted, drowning out Sora's call. "Piddo!" I didn't hear the crack of the creaking old wood, or feel my feet nearly plunge through a cracking tile. I covered my nose with my shirt and breathed before shouting again. "Piddo!"

'Ash, what are ya doin'?'

Vince skidded towards me, panting for air. A little green form gasped little noises and I beamed.

"Piddo!" I coughed after the relief hit me. I suddenly could hear the house groan. "Vince, you found him!"

'Yeah, I did, now come on before you're both dead!' His voice is weak and raspy and I see the heat rolling off of his fur. I obeyed, almost managing to run, but my foot caught and I fell. Vince turned to see the noise and I saw his eyes widen. 'Ash, mo-'

I tried to see where his eyes were looking, and to move, really I did, but before I could do more than crawl up on my knees, something heavy hit me in the back and I crashed into the ground again.

That was the last thing I felt, the pain of that crash, and then nothing.

The paramedics who had pulled me out from my burning house said I was a lucky little boy. I still had the use of my arms and legs. I even could mostly see. The fact that I had burns on a lot of my body, and that the smoke had badly hurt my vision and that my lungs were weak, that one of my legs was broken to where you could see the bone and that my nerves were fried, that was a small price to pay. Even when I healed, I would have to be careful of climbing, or building, or tending to plants. My hearing would never be so great in my right ear because of where I crashed, and I was going to need rehabilitation for at least six months.

All of this was said to Professor Oak, like I was somehow stupid because I was injured. The professor, who kept looking between me and the doctor. Me, who just looked down like an idiot and hugged Piddo even though my arms were bandaged and the position was probably more painful than I knew. The doctor, who probably was really sympathetic and nice and meant well. Oak nodded and listened and wrote things down and I just sat and wondered what I was going to do.

I couldn't afford this. I couldn't afford these bandages, this room. All I had was in a black box given to every person who lived in Pallet town for a year and a big leather bag, and they contained almost nothing.

My house, creaky and warm on winter nights and with Pokemon to scamper in it, was gone.

I didn't cry, I wanted to, but that wouldn't have been fair. It was likely the professor was going to have to do a lot to help me through this. I couldn't give him my tears to take care of too. That wasn't fair.

Gary was glaring at the doctor from where he sat next to me. If it wasn't for the professor and Daisy I think he would have flown over my bed and beat the doctor up. I wanted to do it too. But, seeing as I was stuck and he was stuck, we had to settle for glaring.

His face looked kind of funny, twisted like that. But it was nice that it was for me. Not that I would ever tell him that.

The doctor left, and Oak soon after. He didn't lie and say, don't worry. But he patted what was left of my hair and told me I would someday be okay.

That was probably why I cried after he left the room.

I cried until I thought it was supposed to hurt and Gary and Daisy never left.

"You look like a girl," he told me when I could pick up a tissue.

"Am I at least a cute girl like Daisy?"

My voice was hoarse, and the joke asked for a fight, but it was funny and it was the best I could do, and it helped us all laugh a lot. Gary actually grinned, him, who only knew how to smirk about everything!

"The little guys are all in the lab," Gary said after the laughter had stopped again. "Except the dork trio, obviously. Vince is still getting the fire out of his system."

I winced, vaguely remembering the way his body had glowed during the fire. "Vince... they saved my life."

"They are your friends," interrupted the voice of an adult from the doorway. "If anyone could help another, it is a friend."

Gary tensed, and I raised my head. His lined face, forcibly straight hair, just like the photograph burned away in the fire.

"Are you Mr. Hale?" Daisy blurted out, shifting to sit near my good leg.

The smile we saw was quick, exhausted, like his eyes. "that is correct. And you're Ash, laying there like a mummy."

"He ain't in the shape to be talkin' for an interview!" Gary snapped and Daisy clamped her hand over his mouth.

I just stared. His shirt was in good condition, like his hair. He looked strong, kind of like a large cat Pokemon I had seen once in one of Gary's books. "You knew my mom?" The words slipped from my mouth like a Seel, and I blushed. I hadn't even said "Nice to meet you!'"

He didn't really seem to care. "We were decent friends. I got the height, she got the pretty smile." I couldn't contain my own grin and Mr. Hale laughed. "Exactly like that, actually."

"Was she nice?"

"If you kept her happy, sure, like everyone else." This made Daisy laugh with triumph, and the weight that had grown in my chest shrank a little.

Even so, I paused before my next question because he may not know. "Where is she now?"

His face turned like a storm cloud and my shoulders sagged. Was she dead? Gone? "She went missing about a week ago. I never got a response to the letter I sent her."

I didn't cry. Knowing that hurt a lot less than it should have. "So, why are you here? I don't have any money or anything..."

"You, Ash." Mr. Hale sat down in one of the spare chairs beside me, sober eyes and folded hands. "I'm here to meet you. What I do from here is up to you."