This just came into my head one day and I couldn't get it out. Combines a couple of fan theories I've read.

This was going to be a one shot, but I've decided to split it into chapters.

I don't own Pokemon.

Chapter 1: An Innocent Question

It was Serena who brought it up originally.

"Hey Ash, didn't you have a brother?"

Ash blinked twice, thrown off by the strange and unusual question. Ash had just fought Clemont for his fourth gym badge and won. After the fight, Clemont and Bonnie decided to stay behind for a few days with their father. They had been walking to the next city when Serena just popped up the question to him.

"What are you talking about Serena? I'm an only child."

Serena looked at Ash with a frown on her face, as though she was struggling to remember something. "No, I'm sure you had a brother. I remember, after you left helped me out of the forest, there was an older boy with a red jacket. I remember he looked like you. He took us to your house and gave me a bandage. Don't you remember?"

Ash's confused expression turned into a nervous one. "Well, the truth is Serena, I don't really remember much back then."

"Huh? Why not?" Serena asked. She was always curious about why Ash didn't remember him. Sure, they were three years olds, but she always remembered him, so why didn't he?

"Well, the truth is…" Ash began, before he sighed. He didn't want to explain this, but he felt Serena deserved an answer. He sat down on a nearby tree stump. "When I was three, there was this…accident."

"Accident?" Serena inquired.

"Yeah, at Professor Oak's lab. There was this…family of Beedrill that the Professor was studying. One day, they got out and started going crazy. They started to attack people around them."

Ash swallowed, nervous about what he was going to reveal. "I…I was playing around the Professor's ranch. I got to close to one and…" He couldn't finish the sentence.

Serena gasped in horror. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Ash…" she began, but couldn't finish.

Ash brought his hat down, trying to cover his face so Serena wouldn't see his tears and failing. "I…I woke up in a hospital a month later. I couldn't remember a thing. The doctors said that the Beedrill used Poison Sting on my and it hit my head. They said I was lucky to even be alive. But I couldn't remember a thing they said that the Poison Sting caused some damage to my head, and I couldn't remember a thing. I had forgotten everything about who I was.

"…And…They said that…there was some…permanent brain damage…"

"B-brain damage?" Serena said with even more growing horror. She couldn't believe what Ash was confiding in her. "So your…"

"I'm not stupid, Serena!" Ash yelled, before seeing Serena's hurt expression and calming down. "I'm just... a little slower then I used to be, that's all. I wasn't as smart as I was before the accident. The doctors said it was because the poison reached my brain, and since I was so young, it caused it be damaged."

"When I found out, I cried for days. I felt like everything was over. When my mom told me who I was, what my dream was, I thought I was finished. I couldn't be a Pokemon Master if I couldn't even remember who I was, and with my brain damage, I felt like giving up."

"So what happened?" Serena inquired.

"Professor Oak came by, and told me a story," Ash said, a smile on his face as he recalled the memory. "He told me a story of a boy who lived in Pallet Town. A boy who wanted to be a Pokemon Master. But nobody believed in him. Everyone insulted him or thought he was crazy. A Pokemon Master, coming from Pallet Town? They thought it was ridiculous."

"So he went on his journey. He took with him a Charmander, and the two set off on their journey. They caught new Pokemon defeated the eight gym leaders, won the Pokemon League, and defeated the Elite Four and the Champion. That boy had done what everyone else said was impossible, and had become a champion."

"After I heard that story, I realized that I wanted to be a champion too. I wanted to do what everyone said was impossible, and become a Pokemon Master, despite my disadvantage. That I could be the very best that ever lived! And I've never given up since."

Despite herself, Serena allowed herself a smile. This was the Ash she knew and cared about, the young boy who, despite the odds, never gave up, and always fought to make sure his dream came true. She was glad that that part of him was still there.

But one thing still bothered her. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

Ash frowned. "Well, the truth is, I didn't want people feeling sorry around me. See, after the accident, people started to treat me differently, started to make things easier for me, and treated me specially. I didn't want that. I didn't want to win my battles with trainers and gym leaders because they felt sorry for me. So I kept it secret from all my friends. The only one else who knows is Pikachu." The yellow electric mouse nodded in agreement.

"But why are you telling me this?" Serena asked.

Ash's face started flushing, and he nervously began scratching his hair. "Well the truth is…I feel like I could trust you with it Serena. I mean, I've met many people and made many friends, but with you, its different. I feel like I can trust with you every part of me, Serena."

Serena blushed. Whether he knew it or not, Ash's words sounded like a love confession, which made the young trainers heart soar with joy. "Ash...," She said with a happy voice this time, feeling a warmth in her chest.

"So what were you saying about a brother?" Ash asked.

Serena shook her head clear of her earlier thoughts and frowned. "Yeah, it's strange. I remember there was an older boy who lived with you and your mother. I noticed you never talked about him when you bring up Pallet Town, so I was curious. I thought maybe he was you brother because you two looked alike."

Ash frowned, and concentrated. He tried to bring up the memory of that day, but it was mostly a blur. He vaguely recalled meeting Serena in the forest, holding her hand, and heading home, and then…

Ash's eyes flew up in shock. "I think I do remember! There was someone else there, who took us home!" Serena nodded.

"Do you remember who he is?" She asked.

Ash frowned. "No I can't. But I remember he used to come by the house. Maybe he was a cousin or something. I'll ask Mom when we get to the Pokemon Center."

Serena nodded her head in agreement and the duo began continuing their walk down the path. As they did, Ash tried to concentrate on the memory, but failed. He still couldn't remember who the boy was, but he felt a sense of familiarly. Ash couldn't let the boy out of his thoughts.

Who is he? Why was he there that day? Why didn't Mom tell me anything? Ash shook his head. It's probably nothing. Just a friend or a relative or something. But why do I feel like I really know who he is? That he's a part of my life.

As the duo continued walking, one last thought remained.

Why do I feel like I'm not supposed to know who he is?

In the region of Kanto, in a quiet rural town called Pallet Town, a long figure was walking down the streets.

The figure was not a boy, but thought of a man. He had dark, spikey hair, barely being continued under a red hat. He wore a red jacket with the button unopened exposing his black undershirt. He had on blue jeans and carried a bag on him. On his shoulder was a Pikachu, who had spent years alongside the man, and was incredibly powerful.

He walked down a street and right in front of a door. He looked around, making sure no one was there to see him, and knocked on the door.

Seconds later, the door flew open, and a young red haired woman looked out. "Yes, who-" She stopped her own sentence, and smiled at the young man standing in front of her.

"Welcome home dear." She said with a warm tone.

The young man, who until then had a serious, stoic expression on his face, allowed himself to have a small smile.

"It's good to be home again, Mother," Pokemon Champion Red Ketchum greeted.

A/N: Well, that was shorter than I expected. I thought it would be longer. I promise to try and make the future chapters longer.

So yeah, the story runs on the whole "Red is Ash's older brother and Ash is unaware he exists" theory, which I've seen a few stories floating around about. Unfortunately, they either never finish or never show Ash discovering Red, which disappoints me. I've decided to put my own spin on this story, as a way of getting back to writing fanfiction.

The part about Ash getting a Poison Sting to the head and suffering some brain damaged (Just to be clear-he's not mentally retarded or anything like that, he's just slower and more forgetful because of the accident, is all. He's not a complete idiot), is, to my knowledge, original. I could be wrong though.

Next time- Ash questions his Mother about the young man he remembers, but as she evades his questions, he grows more suspicious. What is his Mother hiding from him? And why has Red returned home? Find out next time. The next chapter should be up soon.

Until then, this is UltraCronos, signing off.