The opening chapter is here.

There will not be any OCs yet so just bear with me for awhile.

For your info, Ash will be a bit more mature than his canon counterpart since I am not sure I can 100% describe the latter.

The English terms of Generation V are slowly being revealed so I'll be using them in this story. For example, Isshu shall now be called Unova.

Happy reading.

In this world there are many strange things. However, no matter how strange or bizarre a sight may be, if there is no one there, if there is no one to see it, if people are not involved, then it is simply a phenomenon. Just something that happens. That is because in this world, people are the strangest and most mysterious beings.

One such being was currently on a journey on board a cruise ship towards his fated destination: Caelum City. The city was widely known as 'The City of Heavens', hence the term 'Caelum'. It was also going to be the site for the inaugural Zenith League to take place. The staging of the tournament was announced earlier in the year by the PLO, otherwise known as Pokemon League Organization. Simply put, it was a tournament where the best Trainers in the world would compete for the right to bask in eternal supremacy and glory.

The mysterious being leaned against the railing of the upper deck of the cruise ship and sighed. Boredly, he placed some tobacco leaves into the bowl of his exotic-looking pipe and lighted it up. He then enclosed the mouth piece with his lips, sucked and blew a few rings of smoke into the air. Since there were some people on the upper deck, the mysterious being's action had the effect of glares being sent his way. If the crowd thought that their glares would make the teen stop his rude display, they thought wrong. The object of their displeasure simply continued smoking whilst giving them an amused yet nonchalant gaze. The crowd once again sent him a wave of glares before dispersing. Shaking his head in amusement, the mysterious being turned around and faced the rising sun. As he watched the eye of heaven slowly reveal itself to the world, he thought of the event that led him to where he was now.

The apathetic teen, dressed in his casual robes which design was inspired by sakura petals, sat crossed-leg on the verandah of his temple-like house with his trusty pipe in his right hand and a plate of fish balls within arm's length to his left. Technically, it was his adoptive grandmother's home but as she was absent most of time, he had come to regard the house, which was situated on top of a mountain near Castelia City, as his own. He did not bother to question his grandmother's choice for building a house on top of a mountain as he preferred the calm and serene atmosphere compared to the hustle and bustle of city life. The mysterious being took a puff of his pipe and gazed at the setting sun. He did this almost every day as it would always fill him with a sense of calmness. However, on this specific day, his peace was short-lived as he heard a squawk in the distance.

His sights promptly switched from the sun to the source of the squawk. There was speck in the distance and it was getting bigger and closer towards him. He narrowed his eyes and found out that the speck was a Flying-type Pokemon; a Pidgey, to be exact. The teen calmly placed his pipe on an ashtray and held out his right arm. Sooner than later, the Pidgey reached its destination and perched itself on the teen's right forearm. He promptly retracted his arm, thus bringing the Pidgey closer to him. The teen noticed right away that the Pidgey had an envelope in its beak. Said Pidgey dropped the envelope into his right hand when he held it out. As a reward, the apathetic teen picked up a fish ball and held it in front of the Pidgey; it grabbed the food with its beak before flying off the teen's forearm.

With the Pidgey gone, the teen examined the envelope he had received. He could somewhat tell that this was not any ordinary envelope. The front of the envelope was blank so he flipped it to the other side and lo and behold, he found himself staring at the seal of the Pokemon League Organization. Normally, any other normal person would get all head over heels over receiving a letter from the PLO but not him. He simply opened the envelope, took out the letter and slowly skimmed through it. He read:

Dear Mr. Seishirou Syuusuke,

Hello and a very good evening to you, Mr. Syuusuke. My name is Charles Goodshow whom you may remember from back when you were still active in the Pokemon battling circuit. As you may already know, the Zenith League shall be commencing soon and I would like to cordially invite you to participate in this inaugural tournament. I understand if you are unwilling but I also know that your body is probably aching to feel the rush of battle once again after so many years off the scene. The same goes to your Pokemon as well. Aside from the Champions, Elite Fours and Gym Leaders, you are one of the people whom I regard with the utmost respect. I personally think that a veteran such as yourself would be just the spark that the Pokemon battling circuit needs. Should you accept, just give me a call and I shall provide the details. I would have asked you to send in your reply via the messenger Pidgey but she would have probably left by now. My humblest apology.

Sincerely,

Charles Goodshow

If there was one thing the mysterious teen who went by the name of Seishirou Syuusuke disliked about the president of the PLO, it was his dry sense of humour. However, the man was pleasant enough in Seishirou's opinion. He re-read the letter a couple of times before folding it up and tucking it into the sleeve of his robe. The black-haired boy then thought long and hard about whether or not he should accept Mr. Goodshow's invitation. He had once enjoyed battling and worked hard to shape his Pokemon into a team capable of achieving victory. However, after winning the Sinnoh League five years ago, his enthusiasm began to wane. It was not just him as his Pokemon shared his feelings as well, especially Noctis. Even though they finished in the Top 3 in the Johto and Hoenn Leagues, Seishirou completely lost his drive and Noctis chose to retire from battling. The latter, who was Seishirou's starter Pokemon and best friend, was now travelling the regions but would always drop by from time to time.

"After a five-year absence, is it really worth it if I return to battling once again?" he asked himself. "Can I rediscover my enthusiasm for it? What of my Pokemon? Do they feel the same way as well?"

The enigmatic teen finally stood up after debating with himself for a good thirty minutes. He dusted himself and swept a hand through his hair before once again settling his gaze upon the setting sun.

"Caedes," Seishirou called out.

On cue, a small figure emerged from the shadows. "Yes, Seishirou?"

Seishirou gazed at the figure before he informed it, "A reappearance is on the cards. Inform the others."

"Understood" was all that the figure replied as it vanished into the shadows.

With the figure gone, Seishirou made his way towards the telephone inside the house. It was a rather old-fashioned phone unlike those found at Pokemon Centres but it was adequate enough. He picked up the receiver, dialed Mr. Goodshow's number and hovered the receiver near his right ear.

"Hello, this is Charles Goodshow," a voice on the other line introduced itself. "May I know who it is that I am speaking to?"

"This is Seishirou Syuusuke," he announced. "Mr. Goodshow..., I accept your invitation."

Seishirou stared at the folded letter in his left hand as he held it over the railing. He then looked at the sun which had all but revealed itself the world. Its yellow rays were a welcomed sight to Seishirou as the full beauty of the sea was now displayed before his eyes. The sea sparkled with immense beauty that rivaled those of the stars at night.

"You should not stare at the sun for very long," a voice half-heartedly chided Seishirou. "Unless you would not mind having damaged retinas, I suggest that you turn your attention elsewhere."

Seishirou looked down towards the source of the voice which turned out to be his Pikachu, Caedes. The male Pikachu was like any other Pikachu, save for a diagonal scar in between his eyes. Speaking of eyes, Caedes' were amber in colour. They were rather intimidating to say the least. However, the intimidation factor of his eyes plus his strict personality helped keep the other members of the team in line. For that, Seishirou was grateful. Noctis was right in choosing Caedes as his successor, even though the latter was rather unwilling at first. Nevertheless, Caedes accepted it and gradually grew into his position as captain.

"I appreciate your concern, Caedes," Seishirou said earnestly.

The Mouse Pokemon responded by offering a faint smile and folding his arms over his chest in a 'casually guarded' pose he had picked over the years.

"Once you're captain, you mustn't let your guard down, even for a second" was Caedes' usual reply when his opponents or teammates question him about it.

Back to Seishirou, he was once again staring at the folded letter in his left hand. He then channelled a bit of his aura into the folded piece of paper. On cue, the letter folded itself into a paper crane before flying off Seishirou's hand. The enigmatic teen watched as it flew away into the distance. He deftly turned around and walked towards the main deck on the cruise ship, taking a puff of his pipe in the process. Caedes simply followed him without a word.

"He did it, ladies and gentlemen!" the commentator exclaimed with vigour. "Ash Ketchum has won the Unova League! He is officially the youngest Trainer ever to win this tournament! Give him a round of applause!"

On cue, the spectators stood up and applauded the victor. However, Ash Ketchum did not acknowledge them as his whole body suddenly became rigid. He could not believe it. After enduring lots of disappointment and heartbreak, he had finally won a Pokemon League. He honestly did not know how to react. Should he jump up and down with joy? Should he act cool and keep his emotions in check? Ash honestly did not know. Fortunately, his moment of indecisiveness was cut short when something barreled into his chest, thus knocking him down onto his back.

Once he had regained his breath, he craned his neck to give the perpetrator a piece of mind but stopped when he noticed that it was just his Pikachu. The Mouse Pokemon looked utterly exhausted and his body was covered with bruises and scratches. Despite all this, Pikachu still managed to crack a smile at Ash. Ash smiled at his faithful companion before slowly standing up while cradling Pikachu close to his chest. The Electric-type happily nuzzled against his Trainer's chest, expressing his joyfulness towards the brown-eyed boy. Ash in turn hugged Pikachu, expressing his gratitude towards the Mouse Pokemon. He then looked up and finally noticed that the spectators, including Iris, Cilan, Professor Oak and his mum, were giving him a standing ovation. Tears trickled down his cheeks as he punched the air triumphantly. He had finally achieved his dream. Ash promptly closed his eyes, relief flooding his entire body.

As he lifted his eyelids, he was greeted by an entirely different scenery. He was not in a stadium full of passionate spectators. Instead, he was just on a bed in a luxurious cabin on a cruise ship. Ash blinked once, twice and thrice before shifting his body into a sitting position. A silent yawn escaped his lips as he tiredly rubbed his eyes.

"Guess it was just dream," he said in realization. "Still, it was kinda nice to live in the moment, even if it was all in my head."

The black-haired boy felt something snuggle against his side. He did not need to look down as he knew that it was Pikachu but he did anyway. Ash noticed that Pikachu had a peaceful expression on display as if the Electric-type did not have a care in the world. Ash gently lifted Pikachu and affectionately rubbed the Mouse Pokemon's right cheek with his own, eliciting soft 'Cha' from Pikachu's lips.

"Did you sleep well, Pikachu?" he asked his best friend softly.

Pikachu licked the bridge of Ash's nose and replied, "Of course. As long as you're here, I always get a good night's sleep."

Ash chuckled happily. "Thanks, buddy."

"You're welcome" was Pikachu's short but sweet response.

The sweet moment between Trainer and Pokemon was interrupted when the pair heard a voice mumbling coherently about plants and tea. They both turned to the source of the mumbling which turned out to be their travelling companion, Cilan, who was talking in his sleep again. Ash and Pikachu chuckled silently at their eccentric friend. Ash then placed Pikachu back onto the bed before getting off it himself.

"I'm gonna take a bath and then we'll do a little sight-seeing before waking Cilan up for breakfast," Ash informed Pikachu of their morning routine. "Get the plan?"

Pikachu flashed Ash a 'peace' sign, signifying that he understood the plan.

Ash nodded at his buddy and grabbed a fresh pair of clothes and a towel before entering the bathroom to freshen up. After a nice warm bath, Ash brushed his teeth before putting on his usual travelling attire. As he zipped up his jacket and adjusted his cap, he gazed at his reflection in the mirror. Ash saw a boy wearing a grey shirt under a short-sleeved jacket; dark blue on the upper half and light blue on the lower half, grey cargo pants and sneakers with red and black as their primary colours. The boy also donned fingerless red gloves and a cap with black, red and white accents. However, Ash decided that he liked the boy's eyes best. They were light brown in colour.

The black-haired boy sighed. He thought of his journey in the Unova region and it was anything but dull. The ever-changing terrain and climate of the region plus dealing with an evil organization were extremely taxing on his body. He had only been in the region for a month and already thoughts of giving up surfaced within his mind. He would have given up if it were not for Iris and Cilan. Though Ash was a little sad that Iris could not accompany him and Cilan to Caelum City, he understood as she needed to look after the Opelucid City Gym while Drayden was away on business. Ash had already gathered all eight badges to compete in the Unova League but was disappointed to learn that it would not take place for another two months. Coincidentally, he had received an invitation to compete in the Zenith League so all thoughts of disappointment were erased then and there. Also, he had not been bothered by the Rocket Trio ever since he stopped Team Plasma so he was kind of grateful to them.

Ash honestly did not know what to think of Team Plasma. Unlike the other organizations he had faced in the past, Team Plasma's goal was to separate humans and Pokemon, thus creating a black and white world. Technically, they were not hurting Pokemon and just wanted them to be free. Team Plasma's leader, N, really placed Ash in a state of dilemma. N was not a typical megalomaniac like Giovanni or Cyrus. The green-eyed man truly cared for his Pokemon as do they care for him. He had never even once used the terms 'slaves' or 'tools' but instead referred to them as 'friends'. Ash was so confused. He did not how to act back then. However, he resolved to meet N once again to question him more about his ideals. It was lucky that Ash did not abandon his plan for if he did, he would have never discovered the truth behind Team Plasma's formation.

The peak of N's castle. That place shall be forever burnt into Ash's memory for as long as lived. It was the site where Reshiram and Zekrom had their fated duel. Ash was surprised that he had managed to capture Zekrom but he was not given a moment to enjoy it as N immediately challenged him to a battle. The battle was intense but Zekrom barely managed to defeat its counterpart. N did not seem relatively disappointed in the outcome of the battle but merely accepted it. The event that succeeded the battle absolutely angered Ash to the very core. Ghetsis, N's father, proclaimed that he had just been using N so that at the end of the day, only he would have Pokemon and dominate the region. Though N remained apathetic, Ash saw hurt and betrayal in the green-haired man eyes. Ash truly wanted to beat up Ghetsis right there but his Pokemon were far too injured to even move a muscle. Luckily, the Unova Champion arrived and defeated Ghetsis in a hard-fought battle. With Ghetsis arrested, Alder was kind enough to allow N to keep his freedom. Ash did not know what N was thinking but he looked a bit grateful.

The two of them were eventually left alone. Ash requested that Iris and Cilan leave him so that he may talk to N. Being the good friends that they were, they honoured Ash's wish and left him alone with N. The conversation that they had would be forever engraved in his heart.

"N..., are you okay?" Ash asked out of concern.

The green-haired man kept his head down and remained silent. For a second, Ash thought that the trauma of having your own father speak to you in such a grotesque manner might have been to much for N to handle. Just as Ash was about to close the distance between them, he was stopped when N's soft and melodic voice broke the silence that hung over them.

"There's something I want to tell you... it's about when we first met in Accumula Town," N began. "What I heard your Pokemon say really shocked me... because they said that they loved you and wanted to be with you." His eyes drifted to the side as he continued, "I could not understand it. There were actually Pokemon in the world that loved humans. I had never met any Pokemon like that before... and the more I continued on my journey, my beliefs started to falter. All I met were people and Pokemon putting their lives on the line for each other." N then found the ground more interesting to look at but he still resumed, "In order to make sure exactly what I was believing in, I wanted to fight you..., to face each other like the heroes we both were chosen to be, that's what I wished for... but I who only understood Pokémon..., no, I who did not even understand Pokemon..." Finally, his emerald eyes meet Ash's brown ones as N said, "There was no way I could beat you, who was blessed and surrounded with many Pokemon."

"Shut up, N!" Ash screamed at the top of his voice. Ash saw that N's eyes widen a fraction at Ash's outburst. Ash did not even apologize as he broke eye contact with N and continued stutteringly, "Your such... an idiot, N. H-How could you disregard the feelings... of your Pokemon like that? How could you... think like that just... because Ghetsis said those hurtful words to you?" Ash was so frustrated with N that tears started to trickle down his cheeks but he still managed to choke out, "I may not be able to... understand Pokemon like you do... b-but I know that they l-love you with all their hearts. T-They want to be with you, N. How can you be so... selfish and say that they do not deserve you? They will not settle for anyone but you! Just stop burdening yourself with all this guilt and open your eyes! J-Just s-stop it, N."

N allowed a small smile to grace his features. "Thank you, Ash. I really appreciate that," N thanked Ash. N added, "Even the Champion had it in his heart to forgive me... but in the end, I am the one that shall decide which path I will walk on."

With resolve firmly sewn into his heart, N turned around and faced the opening in the wall than Reshiram had created when it flew in. He then held up a Poke Ball which promptly snapped open. The white light it released subsequently materialized into the Vast White Pokemon, Reshiram. It gave out a melodic cry upon its release.

Smiling at the legendary Pokemon, N turned around to face Ash yet again. The black-haired boy froze as their eyes locked. Ash no longer saw eyes filled with indicisiveness but instead saw eyes full of determination.

The emerald-eyed man closed his eyes before he exclaimed, "Ash! You said that you had a dream... That dream... Make it come true! Wonderful dreams and ideals give you the power to change the world! I believe that you can do it if anyone can!" With that said, he leaped onto Reshiram's back before giving Ash, who had closed the distance between them until they were about ten feet apart, a parting smile. "Well then..., farewell and good luck."

Ash wanted to stop N but ultimately decided against it. Instead, he simply watched as Reshiram - with N on its back - flew into the distance until it became nothing more than a small speck in the sky. The brown-eyed boy cupped his face with both his hands and exhaled tiredly. Ash then unclipped Zekrom's Master Ball and released the Deep Black Pokemon. The teen secretly wondered how N managed to capture a Legendary Pokemon such as Reshiram with only a Poke Ball. It was rather unfair in Ash's opinion. However, he was not given any time to ponder about it as Zekrom, unlike its counterpart, gave out a demonic cry that sent chills down Ash's spine.

"Um..." Ash began uncomfortably as Zekrom's demonic red eyes were locked with his, "y-you're free. I've been through a lot and... I'm not sure that I'm in the right state of mind to own a legendary Pokemon but... I'm glad that we saved the world again like we did in Eindoak Town. I... um... hope that we can work together again, I really do." When Zekrom floated closer towards Ash, he took a step back in fear, thinking that he may have angered Zekrom. He stammered, "E-E-Er..., I'm sorry if you are upset but if you go with me, then who will..., you know, look after the region? Reshiram is away with N so... I'm afraid that you have do your job alone for... I don't know how long Reshiram will be a-away but p-p-please don't eat me...!"

Zekrom did not look the slightest bit amused at Ash's pathetic pleading as the Deep Black Pokemon kept on floating closer and closer towards Ash until it practically towered over him. It then bent down and inched its face closer towards Ash. Zekrom noticed that even though the human before it was absolutely terrified, the boy still tried to act brave by maintaining eye contact with it. The Deep Black Pokemon was impressed, albeit slightly. It slightly opened its maw and began to concentrate a tiny fraction of its energy into a tiny ball, noticing that the human had closed his eyes and was now shaking uncontrollably. The legendary Pokemon resisted the urge to roll its eyes. If the boy was afraid of its demonic appearance, then he should put the blame on Arceus. Back to business, Zekrom took a deep breath and slowly dispersed the energy in the tiny ball into sparkles of corrupted light.

Ash expected himself to be blown to smithereens when he saw Zekrom charging up a miniature version of Energy Ball. However, he certainly did not expect to be showered with sparkles of corrupted light. The sparkles were absorbed into his body, making it glow a bright purple before slowly dimming down. Ash examined his body, searching for any changes that it might have undergone. He found none. Actually, he felt great as if a giant weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Consider it... a gift, Chosen One. I've grown quite fond of you and hope to battle alongside you in the near future," a voice echoed in his mind.

Ash did a double take. "W-What was that?" he stammered. "Is it just me or did I just hear Zekrom's voice in my head?"

The black-haired boy wanted to seek some confirmation from Zekrom but by the time Ash glanced up, the Deep Black Pokemon was gone.

Ash was shattered out of his reminiscence by the banging of the bathroom door. He calmly checked the time with his Poketch and found out it was seven o' clock in the morning. He had spent close to an hour in the bathroom. The brown-eyed boy sighed. He guessed that he would be facing a very ticked off Pikachu. When he opened the door, his guess was proven correct. The first thing that greeted his sights when he stepped out of the bathroom was Pikachu who glared at Ash whilst tapping his foot impatiently. If looks could kill, Ash would be dead ten times over.

"What took you so long?" Pikachu hissed. "Do you have any idea how boring and torturous it is to hear Cilan mumble about the same stuff again and again?" To emphasize his annoyance, Pikachu emitted sparks from his cheeks. "If I had to spend another hour with him, I would've gone crazy and give a wake-up call he'd never forget. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Ash fixed Pikachu with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, buddy," Ash apologized. "It's just... I'm wondering how N is doing. Has he found his purpose in this world? Is he still travelling the regions? Or has he returned to Unova? I just want to know that he's okay."

Pikachu's sparks effectively died down at the mention of the green-haired man's name. The Mouse Pokemon knew how Ash felt about N as Pikachu felt the same way. When they first crossed paths with N, Pikachu immediately took a liking towards the man. He was pleasant and cared for Pokemon just as much as Ash does. When Pikachu found out that N was Team Plasma's leader, Pikachu found it extremely hard to hate him. Everytime Ash and N battled, win or lose, N would release the Pokemon he had used back into the wild. Pikachu's doubts about N's sincerity were erased when N's Zoroark told him about N's upbringing. It saddened Pikachu greatly that N was brought up just for the sake of summoning Reshiram. N did not have the oppurtunity to live a carefree life like Ash or make friends with his own kind.

Pikachu knew that Ash's enthusiasm was going downhill so he leaped onto Ash's shoulders and gave him a lick on the cheek. "Don't worry, Ash," Pikachu assured his Trainer. "I'm sure that N is fine. He has his Pokemon with him. He'll break out of his shell soon, I'm sure of it."

Ash smiled. "You always know how to cheer me up, buddy. Thanks."

Pikachu smugly replied, "It's what I do best."

The pair of Trainer and Pokemon chuckled in unison. Noticing that Cilan was still asleep, Ash slowly tip-toed to the cabin door, opened it, exited the cabin and slowly closed the door as to not awaken Cilan. Should Cilan wake up before they got back, Ash already left him a note stating that he and Pikachu were out. With that taken care of, Ash and Pikachu began exploring the cruise ship.

The cruise ship, which went by the name of S.S. Supremacy, was primarily divided into five sections which displayed the different cultures of the five main regions: Kanto; Johto; Hoenn; Sinnoh and Unova. The plan was initiated last year to give the passengers a chance to experience the world's different cultures in just one spot. Ash was extremely impressed by the architecture of the cruise ship. He had never been on one that was so traditional and yet modern at the same time. Ash liked the Kanto section best; it was like he never even left home.

Ash and Pikachu gradually found their way to the main deck. It was not like anything he had expected. There was a Lugia-shaped swimming pool in the middle which was surrounded by a beautiful garden. There were so many flowers ranging from roses to morning glories. Ash also spotted a grass battlefield where a Zoroark and a Floatzel were duking it out. Though Ash had matured greatly ever since the events in the Unova region, he was still a sucker for battles as he made his over to the battle. He was so transfixed by the battle that he did not notice that he was about to fall into the swimming pool. He would have if it had not been for a certain enigma who pulled on Ash's collar, thus snapping him out of his reverie.

"Though I enjoy a bit of amusement every now and again," the enigma who stopped Ash stated, "I think that a shock from your Pikachu was not what the people in the pool signed up for, don't you think?"

Ash looked down and noticed that he was only a step away from falling into the pool together with Pikachu who would have probably released a Thunderbolt in surprise and therefore shocked the people in the pool. As he did not to be responsible for any loss of life, Ash slowly retreated until he was a good ten feet away from the pool's edge.

The brown-eyed youth scratched his head sheepishly before turning around to face his 'saviour'. "Hehe, sorry for troubling you like that," Ash apologized sincerely.

"I would much prefer that the atmosphere remains calm and serene," the enigma said. "The last thing I want is people making a fuss about a complacent soul causing the deaths of a dozen people."

Ash chuckled nervously before setting his sights on the person in front of him. The enigma had wavy, cropped, neck-length black hair with a fringe that stopped just above his eyes with longer bangs at each side of his roundish face, sapphire eyes with the left iris more faded than the right, lightly tanned skin and was taller than Ash by about four inches. He was wearing a white collared-up shirt under a dual-coloured vest - white with three black pentagrams at the bottom hem of his jacket on the left side with contrasting colours on the right. He also donned a long necklace with the symbol of an inverted pentagram, two fingerless gloves - a black one on his left hand and a white one on his other hand - a pair of black slacks with two white belts criss-crossing each other around his lower abdomen and a pair of midnight-blue sneakers with a logo of a silver Pokeball emblazoned on each sneaker.

Besides deciding that the person in front of him had very cool clothes, Ash also noticed that there was a Pikachu leaning against the railing right beside the enigma.

"Hey, Pikachu," Ash alerted his best friend. "Why don't you go have a talk with that Pikachu right there? It's been awhile since you last saw a member of your kin."

"Sure thing, Ash," Pikachu agreed as he leaped off Ash's shoulders and made his way to the other Pikachu.

"Hi, my name's Pikachu," Pikachu introduced himself. "What's yours?

"How original," the scarred Pikachu stated in a sarcastic tone.

"Huh?" Pikachu mouthed in confusion.

The scarred and obviously older Pikachu uncrossed his arms and lifted his eyelids, displaying his amber eyes to the younger Pikachu. Needless to saw, Ash's Pikachu was rather frightened by them.

"Forget it," the older and slightly taller Pikachu suggested. "My name is Caedes. Caedes 'Umbra' Telum. Pleasure to meet you, kid."

Pikachu's left eye twitched a little. "What d'ya mean by that? You're only taller than me by a few centimetres. What right do you have to call me 'kid'?" he snapped.

"It was just a figure of speech, kid," Caedes countered calmly. "Would you rather have me call you 'Pikachu' seeing as I am a Pikachu as well?"

"Oh..., um..." Pikachu stammered, "I'm sorry for raising my voice against you. I hope there are no hard feelings."

Caedes waved a paw dismissively. "As if I would get angry at you for such a petty thing. There is absolutely no need for you to apologize, kid."

Though Pikachu understood that Caedes calling him 'kid' was just a figure of speech, it was still pretty annoying. "Could you... um..." he began, "please stop calling me 'kid'? I'm not angry... it's just that the term makes me feel rather uncomfortable."

Caedes casually folded his arms against his chest and leaned against the railing. Before closing his eyes, Caedes replied, "Unless you can convince your Trainer to give you a new name, I shall continue to refer to you by that term."

Pikachu wanted to protest but by the time Caedes closed his eyes, Pikachu knew that the conversation was over.

If Pikachu thought he had it bad, Ash would have begged to differ. He had it worse.

"Do you have a name?" the sapphire-eyed teen asked.

"Huh?" Ash mouthed in confusion.

The enigma repeated, "I asked you for your name."

Realization dawned upon Ash. "Oh..., my name is Ash 'Satoshi' Ketchum."

"Hmm..., 'Ketchum' would not happen to be a pun on the cliched motto, 'Gotta Catch em' All', would it?" the older teen guessed knowingly.

Ash's eyes widened as he stammered, "H-Huh? How did you know that?"

The mysterious youth simply ignored Ash's inquiry. Instead, he in turn inquired, "What about your birthday?"

Ash took his time to answer the teen's next question. He thought of the date of his birthday which was the 22nd of May. He did not sense anything wrong with the date. At least his birthday did not fall on the 1st of April. That would have been embarassing.

"The 22nd of May," Ash answered firmly.

"Hehehehe," the normally apathetic teen chuckled softly.

Ash tilted his head in confusion before snapping, "Hey! What is wrong about the 22nd of May?"

"You are such an amusing soul," the object of Ash's displeasure stated. "I have never met someone who would simply give away their name and birthday date to a complete stranger. I never thought that those type of people even existed."

Ash scratched his head in frustration. "But didn't you ask for them?"

The enigmatic teen elaborated, "By letting someone know your name, you are giving them something akin to the ability to take hold of your soul. By letting them know the day you were born, you are giving them the ability to see your past and your future, plus the ability to direct your life."

"Ooooookay," Ash played along, still confused.

"Would you like to know my name?" the sapphire-eyed boy offered.

"Er..., sure," Ash hesitantly confirmed.

"My name is Zephyr," 'Zephyr' said.

"Oh, nice to meet you, Zep-"

"Though it is only an alias," 'Zephyr' added as an afterthought.

"Hey! That's not fair at all," Ash retorted.

'Zephyr', whose real name was actually Seishirou, smiled and suggested, "Calm yourself. There is no use in you getting angry over such a trivial matter. You shall find out about my true identity in the Zenith League." Before he walked away from Ash, he simply advised, "Until then, stay patient. It may help you in the long run." With nothing left to say, Seishirou disappeared from Ash's sights.

The scarred Pikachu, Caedes, promptly detached himself from the railing and obediently followed after his Trainer.

Ash simply watched as the enigmatic person departed and disappeared amongst the crowd. He then felt a tug of his pants and hesitantly looked down. It was only Pikachu who had a dejected expression on his face. Ash concernedly picked up his sad friend and asked Pikachu if he had something on his mind.

"Ash..." Pikachu began, "can you give me a name?"

Ash sighed. "Let me hazard a guess. This is because of what Zephyr's Pikachu said to you."

Pikachu shot Ash an exasperated look. The Mouse Pokemon whined, "Caedes won't stop calling me 'kid' until I get a name."

The brown-eyed boy shook his head. "Okay, okay," he conceded. "Just... give me some time. All that aside, what do you think of Caedes?"

A serious look immediately replaced Pikachu's exasperated one. "He is very strong. Maybe stronger than all of your Pokemon, including me, Ash," Pikachu concluded.

"Why do you think that is the case?" Ash asked curiously.

Pikachu elaborated, "I really... can't say. It's... just about the way he carries himself. There is an aura of extreme confidence radiating from him. Also, when I gazed into his... amber-coloured eyes, I sense that he has experienced a lot of hardships and overcame all of them. He speaks with the tone of a very experienced and seasoned battler. I would bet that he is most likely the leader of Zephyr's team."

Ash nodded at Pikachu's elaboration and grinned at the Mouse Pokemon. "Well, that just means we have to train harder then," Ash exclaimed with vigour.

Pikachu promptly punched the air with his fist. "You bet'cha!"

Ash then gazed at the spot where Seishirou had disappeared into the crowd. "Zephyr... or whoever you are..., should we meet in this tournament, you're in for the match of your life," Ash resolved. "Count on it."

Done. I hope this was a nice appetizer for you.

Read and review please.

Arigatou and sayonara.