My first Pokemon fic. I can only hope this goes well.

Okay, so this is an alternative Pokemon Advanced series. Where May embarks on her own adventure and does not meet Ash (which also means Max does not meet him either). May goes through the events of Omega/Alpha (which mean teams Magma/Aqua will be mentioned but will not appear) while Ash has a completely different experience. This story will not be a reflection of the anime in any way, I may keep some details the same however.

A quick disclaimer, this story does include two OCs as part of the main cast. If that's not your thing, then you know what to do.

Alrighty, that's about it~

The ship lightly rocked as the waves pushed it to and fro; the breeze was soft and the fluffy clouds blocked and hint of harsh sunlight. Tranquillity prevailed – every passenger felt relaxed as they approached Hoenn.

Everyone but Ash Ketchum.

The distraught ten-year-old was looking down at his yellow companion, Pikachu. Holding him in a tight embrace, trying hard to hold back tears; Pikachu was very sick.

"It's gonna be alright buddy, It's gonna be fine."

Pikachu opened his eyes and inch, "P…pika…"

Charges of electricity could be seen spiralling around Pikachu's body, out of his control. It was a clear sign he was overcharged and could not handle the amount of charge he was currently holding. Ash could only imagine what Pikachu was going through.

Suddenly, the peace outside of Ash's lobby was disturbed.

"Attention passengers. Unfortunately, we will not be able to dock at Littleroot Town due to a problem outside of our control. As a result of these circumstances, we will instead be docking at Slateport City. Thank you for your patience."

Ash let out a heavy sigh as the intercom cut out.

It felt like a ton of bricks just landed on him full force.

Time was what he did not have.

He looked out the window, curious to what caused the boat turn around. A trio of territorial Wailmer followed the ship with disapproving eyes – they were guarding their area. They would have most likely attacked if the ship had gotten any closer.

Ash turned back around to Pikachu; he was asleep. Relief washed out his thoughts, "Get some rest Pikachu, I promise you will get better soon."

Thirty excruciating minutes later, the ship finally came to a stop.

"Excuse me!" "Sorry!" "'Pardon!"

Despite Ash's mannerly pardons he shoved through crowds of people as the glared and cursed at him. He leaped out of the ship and ran into Slateport City with one thing on his mind.

"Sir!"

A market person turned as Ash hastily approached him, "Whatcha cravin' kid?" He asked, gesturing to the many fruits on sale.

Ash shook his head, "Sorry, I was wondering if you have a phone, you see I need to contact Prof-"

"No phone here kid! If ya ain't buyin' then scram!"

Disappointed Ash turned to the next store, "Um, excuse me ma'am, I- "

"Can't you see I'm talking to a customer?!" She snapped.

Ash backed off, shocked at the temper the market owners had towards a troubled kid. Within his arms, Pickchu started to violently stir, "PIKA…Pikachuuuu!"

Ash jumped, surprised at the pokemon's outburst, "Pikachu, what's wrong?"

Failing to gather his senses, Pikachu broke out of Ash's grip and began to run around the marketplace in severe confusion, "Pikaaaa!"

"Pikachu, no!" He cried, chasing after him.

Pikachu crashed into many crates as he ran, leaving many market owners red in the face as they shouted after the confused creature. He had no idea where he was going, but he couldn't stop, he felt like death itself was right on his tail. Not far behind him, Ash was sprinting, panting heavily. He nearly tripped over some crates Pikachu had knocked down, but it did not slow him down. As he reached the centre of the market, he saw a flash of beige before crashing into someone.

Landing on his back, Ash let out a groan of pain and rubbed him head.

He pushed himself up to find someone else in his position, a blond girl wearing a beige shirt, covered with badges, and beige shorts. On her head was an explorer's hat which was also beige with a lining of dark brown. He looked down at her shoes – they were the kind of lace boots you would see a zoo keeper wear, and dark brown to compliment the look.

The girl opened her green eyes and picked up her dark green rucksack, glad nothing she purchased had fallen out of it. She then offered a hand to Ash, who accepted.

When he got back to his feet, he was eye to eye with the girl. Worried she would shout at him, he raised a hand to apologise, but she just grinned, "I'd watch your pace around this place. Also, no need to apologise, I've taken harder knocks before." She said with a wink.

Ash returned the smile, "Oh, thanks! I'm really in a hurry though so-"

"How come?"

He was getting tired of interrupted, so he decided to be blunt, "My Pikachu is running loose around here and he is really sick! I have to catch him before it's too late."

She raised her eyebrows, "Oh man, I'll help you! C'mon!" She grabbed his arm and took off.

As the two newly met kids ran around the market, Pikachu was lying on his back near the dock area, gripping the ground in pain. He had turned around when Ash was not looking and was completely lost as delusions cover every corner of his sight. It looked like a storm was about to begin to Pikachu, as the electricity messed with his eyes.

He got back up, crying for assistance to a sheltered area, "Pika, PIKA!"

However, no one payed and attention to the Pokemon, causing him to charge into random people for help.

"Hey, beat it!" Someone growled, as they shoved the Pokemon with their foot.

Pikachu tripped over, letting out a squeal.

That was it.

Many bolts of electricity built up around the Pikachu's body as he tried to release the unwanted charge. A crowd of people formed, gawping at the Pokemon as he became absorbed with electricity, "Pika, Pika, PIKAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Everyone was bewildered as a bolt of electricity shot straight into the sky. Even from a distance, all eyes turned toward the bright display.

Ash stopped in his tracks, yanking the girl back, "Ouch!"

She followed Ash's gaze and saw the electrical phenomenon, "Woah, what is that?"

Ash's eyes widened, "It's Pikachu."

On a ship nearby, Team Rocket were also on their way to Hoenn. James stretched and leaned on the edge of the balcony, letting the breeze run through his hair, "I hope we're as successful here than any other region we tried to catch the twerp's Pikachu in." He said aloud. Meowth looked up and tutted, "You better hope we do, or the boss will sack us. He's only got so much patience – it'll soon run out!"

Jessie looked down to the talking Pokemon, "If he was going to sack us he would have done it back in Kanto! Obviously, he has a soft spot for us." She claimed with confidence.

Meowth rolled his eyes, catching a sudden ray of light. He whirled his forward and leaned out to get a better look, "Are you two seein' dat?"

Jessie and James looked to where Meowth was pointing. Jessie gasped, "What's with the light show?"

James put his hand on his chin, "Do you suppose it's Pikachu shooting all that charge?"

Meowth grinned, "Only one way to find out!"

Ash found himself pushing through crowds again, but this time, not say a word of apology. As he entered the dock, the mouse Pokemon had finally given up and panted harshly, still lying flat on the ground. The electricity cut off, and everyone left to continue with their day.

"Pikachu!"

He turned to see Ash approach him, and closed his eyes.

"Pikachu!"

The panicked trainer kneeled down and scooped Pikachu up into his care once again.

"I'm sorry buddy…" He murmered, heaving out a sigh.

Ash stood up, and the girl put a hand on his shoulder, "I know we just met, but no matter what I'll help you get that Pikachu to Professor Birch." She promised with a smile. He nodded his head, "Thank you so much… I'm Ash Ketchum, by the way."

"Sparrow McCann, nice to meet you." She replied, "Let's go, I'll get us a ride!"

They began to run back to the market as a ship pulled up to the dock. Many people left the ship, but more notably, three team members in search for a Pikachu.

"Say, all that electric buzz has worn off…and no Pikachu in sight!" Meowth complained.

Jessie narrowed her eyes at James, "Or maybe you were wrong, per usual!"

Unfazed, James kept his eyes fixated on Ash, Sparrow and Pikachu running further into the market, "No, they just left before we got here." He said, pointing at them.

Jessie and Meowth gasped, "Twerps on the run!" They cried in union. All three ran after Ash.

Within the marketplace, Sparrow lead the way with Ash not far behind her. She made a sharp turn to the nearest fashion stand and surely enough, her sister was there. Sparrow called out to her, "Sis! Hey sis!"

The older girl turned around with a hint of annoyance in her face, "Sparrow, can't you let me shop in peace?"

"No! We need you're moped to get Ash's sick Pikachu to Professor Birch's laboratory!" Her sister explained.

"What? But my moped only carries two people."

Sparrow sat in the driver's seat and Ash sat in the passenger's seat, "I know, bye!" She waved, driving off in her sister's moped.

"HEY! You're in BIG trouble sis, BIG trouble!" The frustrated teen shouter after her.

Ignoring her sister, Sparrow drove out of the market place and down the path leading into a forest. She turned to Ash, "This is a shortcut; I know Hoenn like the back of my hand."

He looked down at Pikachu, "Thanks Sparrow, this means a lot…"

She noticed he looked like he was going to cry, so she quickly changed the subject, "H-hey, it's pretty funny, I was going to go to the laboratory today anyways. You know, to choose my starter."

"That was my plan too, until…"

"Oh, really? What were you thinking on choosing?"

Ash sighed, "I'm…not really sure yet…"

Sparrow focused on the road again, knowing there was no way of brightening Ash's mood. Until Pikachu was cured of his illness, Ash was going to stay miserable. She decided to bump up the speed, determined to get to the laboratory. A rustle in the bushes ahead caught her attention, but she did not pay any heed to it. As she drove, she noticed a flock of Tailow abandon their trees, as well as a pack of Zigzagoon flee from the bushes.

"Hmm, this strange…" Sparrow noted.

Suddenly, a large tree crashed down in the middle of the path, causing Sparrow to slam down on the breaks, "WOAH!"

Pikachu flew out of Ash's grip and over the tree blocking them.

"PIKACHU!" Ash yelled.

Maniacal laughter filled the air, as a large shadow covered Pikachu's lifeless body. Ash and Sparrow looked up in utter shock, as the top of the giant metallic machine in front of them slowly raised, revealing three figures.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our nation."

Sparrow and Ash exchanged looks.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

Sparrow jumped, "Is that a talking Meowth!?"

Jessie took offense to the girl's response, "What? Was our motto not good enough for you?" She snapped.

Sparrow turned back to Ash, "Who are those guys?"

Ash gave his usual response, "Bad people who steal other people's Pokemon!"

Meowth chuckled, "And look who just dropped by!"

He grabbed and lever and pushed it forward, activating a metal claw to grab Pikachu and lift him up.

"NO!" Ash cried, running up to the massive tree blocking his way. He attempted to climb over it, but slipped and crashed to the ground, "Ugh…"

Team Rocket laughed at his failure, "With no Pokemon, the twerp doesn't stand a chance!" James beamed.

Moewth nodded in agreement, "Whaddya say, let's charge this baby to the max!"

With a flick of a switch, two plungers latched onto Pikachu's pouches and began to drain the electricity from them.

"PIKAAAAAAAA!"

Team Rocket's machine was gaining tons of power from Pikachu's excess electricity; they watched as the power tank progresses with wide grins. Ash continued to climb over the tree, but to no avail, "The-the bark of t-this t-to smooth!" He stuttered, falling to the ground again.

Sparrow frowned, but quickly realised something, "Ash, look!"

He looked up to see Team Rocket's machine going haywire. Meowth was panicking, "Da machine is taking in too much power!" He screeched.

Pikachu suddenly felt lighter; the plungers were not taking any more charge from his pouches. In an ironic twist, Team Rocket had cured Pikachu. He cracked a smile, and went for a relieving thunderbolt, "PikaCHUUUUUUUUUU!"

The machine was absorbed with electricity and Team Rocket with it.

"I felt the shock of a thousand bolts again!" James squealed.

"It's light's out for us!" Jessie added.

A large explosion occurred, and Team Rocket began to fly away into the distance, "Looks like Team Rockets blasting off agaaaain!" They cried in union.

A sparkle of light in the sky signalled their disappearance.

At last, Pikachu was free from sickness, and he landed into Ash's arm, "Pika!"

Ash hugged him, "Awh Pikachu, I knew you'd be okay!"

Sparrow approached them, glad that they were reunited as trainer and Pokemon, "That was pretty crazy, huh?"

Remembering he had not properly introduced himself, Ash spun around and stretched a hand out, "Thanks Sparrow, I couldn't have gotten Pikachu better without you!"

She shook his hand, "No problem – happy to help!"

The three turned their attention back to the massive tree blocking the way.

"What are we going to do about that?" Ash wondered.

Pikachu pointed to himself and leaped out of Ash's arms. Before they knew it, Pikachu speed up using quick attack and bounced onto top of the tree, rolling it further down the path. Sparrow saw what Pikachu was getting at and started the moped up, "Come on Ash, let's follow him!"

Once Ash seated himself, Sparrow drove after Pikachu as he cleared the path. Eventually, they reached an intersection to where the tree was no longer blocking the straight path. Sparrow made the turn, "Hop on Pikachu!" She said. The mouse Pokemon jumped onto Ash's shoulder, "Pikachu."

"Good to have you back buddy." Ash responded.

About an hour of driving later, Ash, Sparrow and Pikachu had made it to Professor Birch's laboratory.

"We're here!" Sparrow proclaimed brightly.

The moped was left parked where May's bicycle had been not so long ago. Ash and Sparrow knocked on the door and were met with an immediate response, "Oh, hello." The professor greeted, "I was not expecting more company so soon."

Sparrow giggled, "Well it we had a rough time getting here, so I hope we're welcome."

Birch nodded, "Why of course! I have just enough starters left for you two."

They both entered, looking around. For a laboratory, the interior was quite humble and cosy. The professor's work area was quite unorganised, yet coordinated; many pictures of Pokemon hung from different parts of the room, with many ink annotations scribbled onto them. Ash's eyes rested on the table in the centre of the room – there were two pokeballs set on it.

"Are they the starters Professor?" Ash questioned.

"Indeed they are, allow me to introduce them to you."

Professor Birch picked the two pokeballs up and a flash of red light escaped out of them, forming into two Hoenn starter Pokemon – Treecko and Mudkip.

"Wow!"

Birch put the pokeballs back, "This is Mudkip and Treecko, which one catches your eye?"

Sparrow eyed the two Pokemon, something popping into her mind, "Wait, isn't there meant to be a Torchic too?"

"Well there was, but a young trainer by the name of May chose that certain Torchic to be hers; I'm sorry if this comes as a disappointment to you."

Sparrow did not seem fazed, "No, that's okay. I've already made my choice." She said, patting the Treecko's head.

"Treecko, tree!" It celebrated.

"Treecko seems to take a liking to you! Make sure to treat him well."

Sparrow lifted him up, "I will!"

Ash looked down to the last Pokemon on offer, the Mudkip. It stared back at him with beady eyes, "Kip..?"

"Hey there Mudkip!" Ash greeted, kneeling down.

The Mudkip gave him a sideway glance, slightly confused, "Mudkip?"

The Professor spoke up, "This is Mudkip, she's a water type."

"Cool, a water type!"

"Pika pika!"

Mudkip walked up and nudged Ash's knee, "Mudkip, mud mudkip."

Birch smiled, "I think Mudkip wants to tag along with you Ash!"

He stood up, nodding, "Then it's settled! I choose Mudkip!"

Ash took the Mudkip's pokéball and returned the Mudkip. Sparrow was still playing with Treecko; he popped out from underneath her hat, "Treecko!"

"Haha, Treecko's the best!" Sparrow cheered, "I don't really want to return him to his pokeball yet!"

Ash immediately responded, "You don't have to. I always keep Pikachu on my shoulder!"

"Pika!"

Treecko climbed on top of Sparrow's hat and sat casually, "Tree, Treecko!"

Laughing again, Sparrow put Treeko's pokéball in her rucksack and joined Ash's side, "Well, I'd say we're all set!" She told him, "Thanks for everything Professor Birch!"

"You kids stay safe!"

Sparrow flung the door open and took a big breath of air, "This is it! We're about to start our very own journey!"

Ash perked up, "You want to join me?"

"Sure, why not? What's your goal?"

Ash clenched a fist in confidence, "I want to become a Pokemon Master – battle every gym until I reach the very top!"

"Awesome! I want to battle a bit too, but my main goal is to study the lives of wild Pokemon and how they act outside of human influence!"

Her answer came to a surprise to Ash, "That sounds really exciting!"

"It is! And now I have Treecko to help me out!"

"Treecko!"

Sparrow smiled, "Well what are we waiting for, let's get started!"

She ran to the side of the laboratory to collect the moped, but suddenly stopped in her tracks, paralysed in shock. Ash tapped her, "You okay?"

Sparrow quickly hid behind him, exposing her sister in his line of vision. Ash got a better look at her; she had mousey blonde hair, much darker than Sparrow's and grey eyes; she wore a petite pink jacket with red buttons surrounded by two hearts; underneath the jacket she wore a white sweater; she also had a pair of cream jeans on. The older girl turned to see Ash standing there with a poker face. She speed-walked up to him, "Aren't you the kid my sister was with when she stole my moped?"

Ash did not know how to reply, "I…uh…"

"You are. I'm not blind." She said, tapping her glasses.

She caught a glimpse of a Treecko's tail and pushed Ash out of the way, "Sparrow!"

Sparrow flinched, "Heh, hey Babs…Pikachu's all better now."

"I'm getting sick of you running off without permission! I can't keep chasing you around, I'm going to wear my boots out!" Babs complained, pointing at her oddly designed shoes; they were light brown with three pink highlights and a red button on each one – Babs always tried to make a fashion statement.

"Don't you remember what mom said?"

Sparrow crossed her arms, "Stick together, for the better." She mumbled.

"Exactly." Her sister hissed.

"Uh, you guys?"

Babs glared at Ash, "Keep out of this."

Sparrow got up, "Don't talk to him like that! He didn't do anything wrong!"

"Yeah well this is none of his business! Now hurry up and get on the moped, I didn't run all the way here for nothing!"

"No."

Babs sighed sharply and put her arms on her hips, "Are you kidding me right now?"

Sparrow raised an arm in Ash's direction, "I invited Ash to travel with me."

"With you! Now that I'm here, there's no space left on my moped!"

"Who said we have to take the moped? We can walk-"

"What?! You expect me to WALK?!"

"GUYS!"

Sparrow and Babs fell silent, staring at Ash.

"If your sister doesn't want me to tag along with you, then I won't."

Sparrow looked down, "But…I was looking so forward to traveling with you…"

Babs expression softened; she was not prepared to travel with a complete stranger, but her sister meant the world to her. With regret in her voice, she spoke, "Okay…he can join us."

Sparrow's frown turned into a wide grin and she pulled her sister into a hug, as well as Treeko, "Thank you so much sis!"

"Treeko, tree!"

Babs rolled her eyes, "Whatever…"

Ash could not help but feel a special connection between the two sisters. He approached them, tipping his cap, "I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, nice to meet you Babs."

Babs shrugged, "Just don't get in my way, okay?" She warned, before heading into the laboratory.

Confused, Ash looked over to Pikachu, "What's her deal?"

"Pikachuuu..."

Sparrow shook her head, "She can just be so hostile sometimes; don't let her words get to you."

"Alright! I'm sure I can handle her – I'm sure traveling with Misty has helped me toughen up!"

Sparrow raised an eyebrow, "Who's Misty?"

Memories were flooding into Ash's mind; he could tell Sparrow every little detail of his adventures in Kanto. However, with intentions to start fresh, Ash decided to keep his answer simple, "She was a great friend who I used to travel with."

"So you've been on a real journey before?"

Ash gave a nod, "Sure have!"

Sparrow clapped her hands together, "Sweet stuff! It's always better to have experience, so it's a good thing you do! I'm sure you'll put up a challenge for the gym leaders!"

Ash laughed, "Hahaha, thanks!"

The door to the laboratory opened and Babs strolled out with a chain in her hand. She chained her moped to a pole next to it and sighed, "I'll miss you…"

Sparrow ran up to her, "What are you doing, sis?"

"The professor granted me permission to keep the moped here whist we travel, so I can just ring him if we ever need it."

"Nice!"

Babs tutted, "No, not nice. We're going to have to walk everywhere now!"

Ash intervened, "You already had that argument, remember? Let's just get to the nearest Pokemon Centre so we can sign up for the Pokemon Leauge!"

Sparrow enthusiastically agreed, "Yeah! Let's go already!"

From the bushes, Team Rocket were spying on the trio. Despite being blasted off, it did not take them long to locate Ash and Pikachu again. They knew they had to make a recovery after their earlier failure, or Giovanni would be having a word with them.

"So, has anyone got a plan?" James asked.

"I've always got somethin' up my sleeve." Meowth chuckled, "We'll strike just before the twerp gets into Oldale Town."

"Perfect, let's get ahead of them!" Jessie concluded.

At last, Ash's adventure had come to a start, as he walked through the very first route of Hoenn. The presence of Sparrow gave him an extra boost in confidence; she very full of positivity. He knew they would be great friends. However, he was not sure he felt the same way about Babs. In short, she did not like him, and he could tell, but he had no idea why. She would constantly avoid making eye contact with him as they walked. Sparrow sped up to join him and nudged his shoulder, "Hey, do you see that guy up there?"

Ash saw a flash of yellow and blue quickly approaching them – a young trainer.

"Wanna battle?" He challenged.

Ash looked to Sparrow.

"Show me what you can do, Ash." She requested.

Smiling, Ash turned back to the trainer, "Alright! Let's battle!"

"This is a waste of tiiiiiiime." Babs said under her breath.

Ash took out Mudkip's pokeball, "Pikachu, I want you to rest today."

The mouse Pokemon nodded in understanding.

"So, Mudkip, I choose you!"

The water Pokemon was released from her pokeball and stood directly in front of Ash, "Mudkip!"

The young trainer took out his pokeball and released a Zigzagoon, "Zigzagoon!"

Ash and the trainer had a five second stare down, they were both taking this battle very seriously. Sparrow and Babs were watching from the side-lines, "That kid has a Zigzagoon, how pathetic." Babs whispered to her sister. Sparrow held back a laugh, "Stop being so mean sis." She whispered back.

"Okay Mudkip! You ready?"

"Mudkip!"

"Alright, then use water gun!"

Mudkip took a deep breath and shot a blast of water at the opposing Zigzagoon.

In response, the young trainer gave his Zigzagoon an order, "Dodge it using quick attack!"

The Zigzagoon zigzagged around the water gun with quick speed, then bashed into Mudkip full force.

"Muuuuud!" She cried.

"Crud, are you okay Mudkip?"

Instead of responding to Ash, Mudkip shot daggers at the Zigzagoon, making it feel much less confident.

"It looks like Mudkip is using leer!" Sparrow acknowledged.

"Yeah, but Ash didn't give it the order." Babs added.

Mudkip got back on her feet and began to charge toward the Zigzagoon, "Muuuuuuuuud!"

The trainer began to sweat, "Oh, uh, dodge it Zigzagoon, hurry!"

But it was far too late, as Mudkip gave Zigzagoon a swift blow to the face. Zigzagoon fell back, hurt but not knocked out. Mudkip collected herself and turned to Ash, "Mud! Mudkip!"

Ash knew Mudkip wanted to finish the job, "Okay then, use water gun!"

As told, Mudkip used water gun and hit the fallen Zigzagoon, knocking it out cold.

Sparrow jumped out, "Zigzagoon is unable to battle, Ash wins!"

"YES!" Ash yelled, fist pumping the air, "I won! Way to go Mudkip!"

Mudkip jumped in excitement, "Mudkip!"

The trainer returned his Zigzagoon and shook his head in disappointment; he really thought he could win for once.

"Looks like you win…see you round, I guess." He murmured, walking away.

Sparrow gave Ash a slap on the back, "That was awesome! You're good at this!" She praised.

"Yeah, but I sure hope I didn't upset that trainer back there…"

"Nah, he'll get over it!" Sparrow reassured.

Babs walked ahead of them, looking bothered, "Hurry up, I don't have all day!"

Sparrow and Ash followed.

"I call dibs on the next battle." Sparrow winked, pointing to Treecko.

"Tree, Treecko!"

Okay, so there's the start of it; not that much going on yet. The first chapter is always the most boring to write, but I hope you enjoyed reading it! Leave a review if you want, but don't go any lower than constructive criticism (hint: no flames).

See ya next time!