Chapter 1

Just inside the tree line, a small child growled as he tried to block out the infernal racket that had been going on fro the past few hours. We re not going to get any rest while they re still up, Bolt, so let s grab the others and do a bit of training he said to the Shinx that was sat next to him, looking out over the tree tops from a wooden platform. They walked down the stairs that connected the platform to the rest of the tree house, and crossed the rope bridge that connected that tree to the center. A group of five trees each had a separate tree house, each connected to the one on either side by a rope bridge, with more rope bridges connecting them to the sixth tree in the center.

The boy that lived there, with pokemon he had befriended over his two years of isolation, was called Ash Ketchum. When his parents were killed by a Spearow attack, he was four years old, and when he heard of their death, he ran away and no-one had seen him since. He had run to the tree houses that his father had built in secret, only going into public when he needed to steal supplies that he couldn t grow in the trees, like clothes. After collecting the rest of his friends, they headed down to the ground to pass the time with training. Captain, Ash said, as a Riolu stood to attention with a salute. Keep working on your speed with Crash . Riolu nodded, walking away from the group with a blue flamed Ponyta, racing it from tree to tree. Trixie and Blur, a Zoroa and Starly looked at their human friend. Trixie, you perfect Shadow Ball by firing them at Blur, and Blur, you will hone you maneuverability by dodging them The little black fox nodded, charging a ball of dark energy, firing it at the bird pokemon that had taken to the air. The small blue and black pokemon that was still stood next to Ash gave a yip of it s name, trying to get Ash s attention. Don t worry, Bolt. I haven t forgotten about you. You and me are going to work on your none electric moves Ash replied softly, stroking his best friend s head. There was one thing all of the friends, both human and pokemon, had in common: they were different. Ash was blind in his right eye, due to an accident involving a wild Spearow when he was younger. Captain was born unable to use Aura, causing him to be banished by his own kind. Crash s mane and tail were an azure blue, owing to the fact that some random genetic mutation, coupled with an encounter with an angry Seaking and losing the will to carry on from being rejected by her family, had caused her to become a water type, canceling her fire type and attacks. Trixie was able to turn her illusions into reality, which intimidated her pack and caused her to be kicked out, and Blur was able to fly at supersonic speeds, which led to him being kicked out of his flock because of jealousy. Bolt was born with an inability to use electric attacks, or even produce the smallest amount of his own electricity, and was abandoned by his family because of it. Together, this group of misfits formed the most unlikely family, and were all closer to each other than if they were blood related.

A few hours later, Ash heard something coming towards them through the undergrowth. Everyone, hide! he whispered, darting towards the nearest bushes, pokemon following suit. A young girl of about six, same age as Ash, stumbled through the undergrowth, nervously looking over her shoulder. She stopped in the clearing Ash and his friends had been training in moments earlier, and brushed her long brown hair out of her face, revealing emerald eyes that Ash recognized instantly. Leaf? he breathed to himself, wondering what his best friend from before he ran away was doing in the middle of a forest. Unfortunately, the reason behind it was suddenly revealed. The person he despised most swaggered into the clearing, followed by his usual gang of lackeys. They surrounded Leaf, and Damian stepped towards her, smirking. What s the matter, Leafy? Sad your mom s too drunk to come again? he taunted in a sickly sweet voice, which made Ash s blood boil. He turned to his team. Alright team, let s give Leaf a hand. Blur, Trixie, scare tactics on my mark he whispered, as Leaf backed up to where he was hidden, Blur and Trixie running off to prepare their attack. After a few seconds, Ash saw Blur in a nearby tree, ready for the signal, and Trixie in a bush, also ready. Ash suddenly grabbed Leaf, pulling her into the bush, as Blur launched from the tree and used double team to make it look like there was a flock of Starly swarming overhead, while Trixie mad an illusion of a pack of Houndour approaching Damian and his group of bullies. The group turned and fled, while Blur and Trixie dropped the scaring once they were sure they were gone, both returning to Ash, who was trying to revive a fainted Leaf. Crash looked at Ash, who nodded, and used a weak water gun on Leaf to wake her up. Slowly sitting up, she opened her eyes, looking at the pokemon surrounding her. She turned to look at Ash, blinked, then tackled him in a hug. Ash! I knew you were alive, I just knew it! she squealed in delight. Letting him go, he gestured her to follow him, taking her up to the tree house. It s great to see you, Leaf, but next time, please don t try to break my ribs he complained rubbing his chest as he sat down on a log bench, Leaf sitting beside him as the pokemon went back to training, with Trixie making practice dummies for Bolt to use swift on. Are all these pokemon yours? she asked. Ash shrugged. I d say they were my family, not my pokemon. So how have you been? I know your mom can be hard to live with he admitted sympathetically. As they continued to talk, the mood got lighter, and they went back to being the best of friends, as if Ash had never run away. Until they heard a shout from below. What are all these pokemon doing here!? Ash bolted for the ladders going down, racing to protect his friends, his family. He skidded to a halt in front of them, Blur landing on his shoulder, Bolt standing ready to battle next to him, and the rest ready to battle behind him. Back off, your not getting these pokemon! he growled, a chorus of calls from behind him. The boy stepped back, as Leaf ran to stand next to Ash. Gary? she yelped in surprise. Gary looked at her, then at Ash, then back again. Ash? Your alive? Where have you been all this time? he asked, reeling of his questions without giving Ash time to answer. Ash relaxed slightly. Come up to the tree house, and I ll explain everything he sighed, walking back the way be had come.

After explaining everything to both his old friends, introducing all of his pokemon friends, and making them swear not to tell anyone about him, Gary and Leaf went back to the summer camp, but visited Ash when they could, with Leaf visiting more to get away from her mother. These visits, however, had not gone unnoticed by one of the professors that had come to help with the camp. As the camp came to a close, the professor confronted the children. Hello, my name is Professor Kukui he said, watching the children s reactions. Ash and his pokemon dived in front of Leaf and Gary, trying to protect them. Kukui explained that he wasn t going to reveal Ash to the world, and promised him that he would help him become a trainer when he turned ten.

True to his word, Kukui returned on Ash tenth birthday, giving him everything he would need for a pokemon journey. A few days later, both Gary and Leaf also became trainers, and they all set out together, just as they planned, but how long would it last...