Me: I would like to apologize for not getting this out sooner. I am discovering that being a sophomore means having, at least in my case, less free time than I would like. I will try harder to actually start writing, but I won't make any guarantees. Okay then, disclaimer!

Disclaimer: Morce does not own, will not own, but probably would like to own Pokémon, and any other related franchise.

Update:5/20/14

-Tense altered to past tense.

-Fixed missing accent marks.

-Training Scene expanded.

-Other slight, less noticeable additions.

Tales of a Dimensional Traveling Immortal: The Legendary Pokémon Master

Chapter 1: The Start of a Journey.

It was a usual day in Pallet town. The sun was shining, a flock of Pidgey was flying past, and all was peaceful. *Boom!*...Well, maybe not so peaceful, although hearing such a noise so early in the morning was no longer a surprise to the town residents. Why? Well, everyone knew of Professor Oak, and everyone knew of Ash Ketchum. Now, make Ash smarter while giving him Pokémon Trainer "in training" status, while also having him become Professor Oak's assistant, and at the same time, make Oak a little bit of a pyromaniac(Not that he would admit to having such a tendency). That should suffice as a plausible explanation. There was one person, however, who didn't expect anything at all…

Morce walked back down Route 1, at the end of a rather long journey. 'Ah, the sky is clear, the Pidgey are flying overhead, and nothing can possibly-'

*Boom!*

'...Maybe, I thought too soon.' With that, Morce dashed towards where he heard the explosion.

Meanwhile Ash and Professor Oak were charred and on the ground with a sheepishly grinning Pikachu standing besides them. This is the scene Morce ran up to. He looked to Ash, then Oak, back to Ash, and finally to Pikachu. A light bulb appeared over his head, as he figured what had probably happened. "I don't think that was your best idea, Ash."

"Neither do I," Professor Oak grunted as he gets up from the ground. "Gah! My back! I think I'm getting too old for this..."

"Yeah, I know, not my best idea, but-! M-Morce?" Ash stammered as he turned to see his mentor standing, with a grin on face, behind him. "You're back! Finally!"

"Yup, and it doesn't look like much has changed," he said jokingly, causing Ash to pout. "Speaking of change, I'm a little concerned. Why? Well, where has our cute pink ball of energy wandered off to?" he inquired in a much more serious tone.

"Oh, Mew? Don't worry, she's somewhere on the ranch, but she should be-" Before Ash could comment any further, a pink bundle of something crashed into him, almost knocking him off of his feet. While Ash greeted Mew, Professor Oak decided to ask a few questions.

"I thought you said you were returning a year earlier, so why are you here now?" Oak inquired.

"Yeah, about that…I kind of got involved in some stuff that happened in Unova, and I ended up beating the League there, as well as discovering that the one we're planning on searching for might be there."

Oak's eyes widened to the extreme. "You mean him? But he's been missing for years!…*sigh* Just don't give me a heart attack by surprising me if you actually do find him. Anywho, back to what I was going to ask next. How exactly did you meet Mew?" Oak inquired.

Morce's eyes glazed over in memory of the event.

Flashback

It was an average day…as average as a day can be when it comes to one Morce Ryudo. He had just started training, and at the time, he just happened to be rather close to a space bridge that somehow linked something, somewhere in Sinnoh to the Tree of Beginning. All was going well, until an angry Spearow flew by, chasing a glowing pink ball. Immediately Morce and his Pokémon froze and blinked rapidly.

'This seems a little too familiar…wait a minute!' Morce hit the brick wall that is revelation with wide eyes, and he immediately called out an order.

"Electroshield!" A Pikachu jumped in front of the pink ball, which immediately flew behind it, and it unleashed multiple sparks of electricity. Each one swirled around in front of the Pikachu, creating a spinning shield of pure electricity. The Spearow, who had been flying too fast to stop or dodge, ran straight into the wall of spiraling electric energy, effectively scorching it. It fell over on the ground with spirals for eyeballs, signaling its defeat.

The pink ball, now identified as a Mew, peeked out from behind the Pikachu and breathed a sigh of relief.

'Thank Arceus! I thought I was actually going to have to battle him.' Mew said telepathically. However, she didn't know that Morce had heard it, as he had picked up on the psychic energy wave.

"I'm just glad you're okay."

"Mew! Mew mew, me ew, e ew?" Mew asked, which simply got a blank stare in return.

"...You do realize you were using telepathy, right?" Morce deadpanned.

'Wait, so you can't understand our language, but you can pick up telepathy…and you're not a psychic? I mean, I would assume so, as you aren't giving off any psychic energy...'

"Pretty much, and yeah."

'Well, since you did save me the trouble of fighting that Spearow…whom I might have angered by accidentally borrowing from without permission...I suppose I could teach you,' Mew replied hesitantly. Morce blinks in surprise.

"Seriously? Wow, I never thought that a Pokémon would be the one training me. Regardless of that, thank you for the opportunity…Although, I am curious, if you don't mind. What did you do exactly? Steal his Pecha Berry?"

Flashback End

"The shade of red not only reminded me of Hinata, it was also the answer I needed," Morce finished while grinning. All he got in return was a sweatdrop. "Okay, next question please." Oak simply shook his head.

"From what I've heard so far, I'm guessing that the answers will be mind blowing and I've had enough surprises for a week…or three." Morce only grinned even wider in response. "Anyway, does this mean you'll be sticking to your original plan of traveling with Ash?" Oak inquired.

"Well, sort of." A raised eyebrow. "I'll be sticking with him through the Indigo League. After that, he'll most likely be going through the Orange Islands solo, unless he picks up some traveling friends along the way. He will, however, definitely be going through Johto alone, along with Hoen. I'll rejoin him for Sinnoh, and then Unnova…that will depend on what happens at that point. Anything after that is yet to be determined," Morce finished with a gulp of air. Before the professor could comment, Ash returned from chasing Mew, who had apparently insisted on a game of tag.

"So," Ash started, "Does this mean…"

"Eeyup. Tomorrow, we set out on your journey. For now, though, how about you tell me how life's been over lunch at your place, and then prepare for tomorrow. Sound good?" Ash nodded enthusiastically, and started the walk back to his house, with Morce following in animated conversation.

Oak smiled as he watched the two-er, four, counting Mew and Pikachu, walked away(or in Mew's case, hovered away with psychic energy). 'Ah youth. How I wish I were young again.'

A few minutes later found the group at Ash's house. This left Morce speaking to Delia about Ash's training among other things, and Pikachu chasing Ash, who was chasing Mew, who had 'borrowed' his hat in order to force him into a game of tag to get it back. This went on for a while until Pikachu and Ash teamed up. They managed to snag his hat via surprise attack from behind a bush. After that ended they all decided to train a bit before dinner. (Lunch occurred in the middle of the chase.) Said training consisted of simply physical exercises that were meant to be at least somewhat challenging. It wasn't long before they were called in for dinner. (And a shower.)

Later that evening, we find Morce doing...well, something, in the guest bedroom and Ash sitting on his bed with Pikachu in his head, and Mew sitting next to him. Their eyes were all glued to the T.V., watching the match between a Gengar and Nidorino.

"Ash! Are you still up? You need to get some rest if you want to get a good start tomorrow!" his mother scolded him. Ash only sighed and shut off the T.V.

"Yeah, I know. It's just, I'm so excited! Tomorrow will be my first day as a trainer, and with two Pokémon already to boot! I just don't find sleep all that appealing, but... I guess I can try," Ash says, defeated. Delia only smiled and hugged him before leaving the room, most likely to check up on Morce. Not long after she left the room, the human and Pokémon quickly fell asleep.

Ash woke up, jumping out of his bed, before realising that the noise he was hearing was only his alarm clock. He groaned in frustration and hit the button to turn it off, before he headed outside to do his daily routine of morning exercises that Morce had left for him. They might be strenuous, but they had done a number on his body. His muscles were not what you would expect from a ten year old, and he knew a very basic fighting form. Morce had said that it was the very basics of the Dragon Style he uses, with the key word being 'basics'. His style was obviously more advanced, at least from what Ash had seen.

As for the exercises themselves, they consisted of running a few miles, with weighted training clothing (not very much at this point, mind you), some push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups, among other things. He had just finished and was nearly back to his house when Morce walked out.

"Well, seeing as you don't seem very tired this morning, how about we do a few other things while I'm here, eh?" Morce questioned as Ash walked into the kitchen, only to be met with a groan. He chuckled before dashing out into the woods with Ash trailing behind him.

While running Ash sighed mentally. 'Well, so much for getting a little relaxation...Although, maybe this won't be so bad,' Ash thought. Not much later, he immediately regretted ever thinking such a thing. 'Why must my mentor be such a slave driver?' Ash questioned after about five minutes, before he remembered exactly what Morce is capable of. 'Oh, right...that's why,' he sighed mentally before picking up the pace.

By the time they were done, the sun was up much higher...and Morce could be found sheepishly rubbing his head in a Son fashion with one Ash Ketchum glaring at him with an eye twitching. "Not only did we miss breakfast, but we probably also missed my chance to get a starter. It is WAY past the specified time." Morce simply chuckled nervously.

"Now, now, let's go and check after you get dressed...You never know, after all." Morce nervously proclaimed before dashing towards Ash's house with him in pursuit. Despite the difference of conditioning between the two, Ash sometimes appeared to be faster than Morce. Of course, he never noticed and Morce never used half of his full speed, so it was a moot point. It could still be considered impressive, nonetheless.

A few minutes later, Ash was dressed in a red and white jacket with a black undershirt underneath. He also had on a pair of black jeans and black shoes with a white stripe going down the side. On his head was a red cap with a silver line going across the middle. If you looked closely, you could see a small insignia on the corner of the silver line in the corner. (AN:Basically, he looks mostly like red.)

As soon as he was done, they both bolted towards the laboratory near the edge of town. They arrived there slightly out of breath, and behind a rather large crowd. Using a skill Morce had taught him, he gently made his way to the front of the crowd, only to see Gary in the middle of the circle, bragging about his Pokémon and how it's the best one, etc. He soon noticed that Ash was watching him.

"Well, well, Ashy-boy decided to show up after all! And I thought you were going to chicken out, seeing how late you are," Gary said smugly.

"It's not MY fault! Blame him!" Ash exclaimed with a temple throb while pointing towards Morce, who grinned sheepishly. "Anyways, which one did you choose? And are there any left?" Ash asked in curiosity. 'Of course, if there aren't any, I can still begin my journey anyways, but he doesn't need to know that.'

Gary simply sneered, "I see no reason to tell you which one I picked, though I suppose I will anyways. I happened to get the best one, Squirtle! Also, I heard that the other two were already taken." Ash sighed. It looked like he was right. "Well, you snooze, you loose Ashy-boy. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some catching to do!" And with that, he hopped in a red convertible and drove off with the crowd following.

Ash simply raised an eyebrow and shrugged while walking towards the lab. "Hey, Professor Oak! You here?" Ash called as he stepped through the open door.

"Just a minute!" Oak shouted from another room. Not much later, he entered the room. "Ah, Ash! I thought you would be here sooner?" He heard Ash mutter something unintelligible, and simply shrugged. "As Gary may have told you, all of the standard starter Pokémon have been taken. Now, while I could let you start off with Mew, seeing as how she is technically your first Pokémon, that might not end well. After all, a legendary Pokémon is not something that new trainers, especially on their first day, would normally have, and that would cause un-needed suspicion to arise. I do have a solution, though," Oak said after noticing Ash's downcast look and grimace, as a lightbulb appeared over his head.

"The Pikachu?" Ash asked questioningly.

"Precisely. It has been itching to explore the world and become stronger apparently, but I haven't yet found a trainer that could handle it. Now, there was one trainer, Red, I believe, who may have been able to after a week or three, but he chose Bulbasaur and it seemed like the right choice to me. The really peculiar thing about him, though, is that he looks almost exactly like you, minus a few minor wardrobe choices. Not to mention that he did eventually capture a Pikachu."

Now this was a surprise. Ash didn't remember seeing anyone who looked like him in town before. 'Maybe it was just a coincidence that we never met...' Oak continues on, unaware of Ash's thoughts.

"If only you were alive back then to meet him..."Oak tailed off, lost in memories of a time gone by.

'That might explain it,' Ash thought. The aged professor suddenly snapped back to the present.

"His hat was almost the same, except for the fact that your insignia is a couple of dragons forming the symbol for infinity. It is a symbol I haven't seen since I was much younger...Anyways, I think I got off track," Oak said while rubbing the back of his head. "What I was originally saying, was that you are the only on who is experienced enough to handle it. That, and you two seem to have a bond of sorts that isn't shared with the other Pokémon here at the ranch."

Ash thought for a minute and realized that he was right. He had felt that there was something odd about the Pikachu he had met. What he hadn't realized was that a bond had formed without either of them knowing, and it had only grown stronger since.

"His Poke-ball is the one with the lightning bolt on it," Oak said while pointing to a pedestal in the middle of the room, where three Poke-balls sat. One had a fire symbol, another a water symbol, and the last, a grass symbol. However, Professor Oak pressed a button, causing a new ball to appear. Just as he had said, there was a lightning bolt of the front of the ball. Ash picked up the ball before tossing it in the air. A yellow flash lit up the room as a Pokémon materialized on the floor. When it died down, a small rodent like creature stood on it's hand legs, looking up at the two humans in the area (Three, if you count Morce, who just went unnoticed in the background). It had yellow fur, black eyes with a white dot for a pupil, two red pouches on it's cheeks and two brown stripes on it's back. It also had a lightning bolt shaped tail that is brown at the base. "Pikachu, Pika pi!" Pikachu yelled in excitement before jumping up to Ash and sitting on his shoulder.

Professor Oak smiled at the scene before handing Ash a few things. "Here are your Poke-dex and Poke-balls. Now, remember that your Poke-dex is your I.D., as well as a special prototype." When Ash gave him a confused look, Oak simply(or not so simply) explained, "Since you have proved yourself to be serious about trying to become a Pokémon Master, what with all the studying you did, among other things, such as how you started to prepare years before you would become a trainer, I decided to let you test some newer functions of the Poke-dex. First of all, it has a move encyclopedia, of which is the national version. Second, the Poke-dex itself is the national version. I know that you won't be outside of Kanto for a while, but just in case you do come across a Pokémon from another region, it can be a handy feature. Third, I've equipped it with an experimental hard drive that shows signs of possible sentience. It is rather peculiar, and if you ever find yourself at a tech. company, don't hesitate to let them have a look at it. Even I can't understand it completely, but it could actually be some type of Pokémon that we have yet to discover. A fascinating idea, but very unlikely, however. Lastly, it has the ability to reveal Egg Moves and Abilities of the Pokémon you capture, both of which are new concepts that were recently discovered, and the data bank is not yet complete. I will send you an update once we have more information, and will continue to do so until they are completed."

Ash's jaw had dropped long before the good Professor had gotten to the last of the Pokédex's abilities. The last part almost made him fall over in shock. Egg moves? Abilities? He hadn't read anything about either of them, although Morce had briefly mentioned abilities...He would have to do some research on them later.

"In any case, I ask that you be careful with it, as it is irreplaceable, regardless of the extra features, and I also ask that you scan any and every Pokémon that you come across in the event that you discover a new, or rare, Pokémon, or find data on one that was otherwise unknown." Oak finished, leaving Ash thoroughly shocked.

"T-Thank you, Professor! I won't let you down! Of course I'll be careful with it, and I'll be sure to tell you about anything I find. Now, I do have a question...what time is it?" Ash asked while tapping his wrist where a watch would normally be.

Oak looked around for a clock, before Morce answered with an "It's about one-thirty." The other three beings in the room nearly jumped a foot in the air, with Oak hiding behind the pedestal, and Ash and Pikachu hanging onto each other for dear life. Morce sweatdropped. "I've been here the whole time...Now I know how Shino feels..." He muttered as he walked away grumbling.

Moments later, after regaining their composure, Ash and Pikachu made their way out of the lab and towards the small crowd of people that had arrived to see Ash off, including Delia.

"Oh, Ash I'm so proud of you! You're finally going to be a Pokémon trainer. I'm going to miss you so much...You had better call me every once in a while, mister!" she demanded. Ash quickly agreed, sensing the quick mood change. Delia blinked when she noticed Pikachu. "So, this is your first Pokémon, huh?"

"Pikachu."

"Oh, it's so adorable!" As she said it, Pikachu smiled and climbed in to the backpack that Ash had brought with him. He had made sure that he packed the night before, leaving Delia to wonder when her son had become so independent. "Well, just remember to be careful..." Delia trailed off worriedly.

"Don't worry, I will mom!" Ash replied as he turned and began to walk towards Route 1, with Morce falling in next to him. "And don't forget to change your underwear!" Ash tripped, but managed to catch himself. He tried to ignore the partially concealed chuckling from Morce both because of the statement and his blush. The billowing laughter coming from his backpack didn't really help either...

"Mom!" Ash yelled. His mother only laughed and waved as he walked away.

An hour or so later found the travelers had stopped by a tree to rest, and Ash had finally pulled out his Poke-dex. "Hey, I never scanned you, did I, Pikachu?"

"No, and you just now thought of that?" Pikachu deadpanned. Ash had the decency to look sheepish before he pressed the button, and male, electronic voice sounds from the device.

"Pikachu, the Electric Mouse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pichu. It stores electricity in the electric sacs on its cheeks. When it releases pent-up energy in a burst, the electric power is equal to a lightning bolt. This Pokémon is male, has the ability Static, and the hidden ability(Blocked) Lightningrod. If Lightningrod is unlocked, Static will remain active, and the combination of both abilities will prevent Pikachu from ever being Paralyzed. The downside would be that it's electrical power may eventually overbalance it's control over it, especially if it gets a charge from an outside source. Extensive training in manipulating electricity is recommended. Other possible unknown methods of training may also be effective. It knows the moves Thundershock, Thunderwave, Tail Whip, Growl, and Quick Attack. It also has the Egg Move Volt Tackle(Unusable). On a side note, an Unusable Egg Move has yet to be observed. So far, they have been found to be blocked, but not unusable. This could mean many different things, and I certainly don't have the answer, seeing as how the oh-so-smart-people don't, and they programmed me."

The information about the species in general was already known, and received nods from both Ash and Pikachu(Morce was silently listening in while meditating). The fact that Pikachu could use both abilities left Morce with a raised eyebrow, and the other two with confused looks on their faces. Ash, because of his lack of knowledge on the subject, and Pikachu from the fact that two abilities could be used at the same time, and what the backlash would be. Pikachu's known moves were mostly standard, but proved that he was stronger than the average starter. However, the last bit about the Egg Move left even Pikachu baffled while Morce suddenly became serious. Then, the last line caused all in the area to blink in surprise. It didn't take long for Ash to comment.

"Well...I suppose that's what Professor Oak was talking about when he said 'possible sentience'. I suppose I should give him a name now...I guess Dexter and just Dex for short. Not very original, but who cares about originality? It's a Pokédex for goodness' sake! Speaking of names, I should probably give one to Pikachu as well..." As Ash contemplated on the name he should give Pikachu, the newly named Dexter tried to give his input, but is cut off before he can speak.

"It's not the weirdest thing I've seen by far, but it is most unusual...I think I'll look into the matter a bit more extensively when I get the chance." Morce replied, eager to study the anomaly.

"Hey, I am right here you know..." Dex said back, a little miffed at their comments.

"Ah-ha! Storm! How does that sound, eh Pikachu?" Ash inquired.

"Hmm...I like it! It makes me sound strong...Of course, it doesn't hurt the my original name that my mema gave me translates into Thunderstorm as well..." And the four sweatdrops dropped in unison.

'Wait...four?' Was the last thought that Morce had before the presence of another creature was noticed by the party. A nearby patch of grass rustled slightly, causing Ash, the newly named Storm, and Morce to both turn their heads towards the intruder. The creature meekly stepped forward, revealing it to be a Rattata. Ash was about to use Dexter to scan the Pokémon, when the Rattata made a statement that delivered another surprise to the group.

"You smell very familiar..." The now noticeably female Rattata stated while looking and sniffing at Ash, who merely scratched his head in confusion.

"Do I know you? You seem familiar..." As soon as the words left his mouth, Mew decided that now was the perfect time for her to make her entrance.

"Remi! Is that really you?" Mew asked hopefully. All of a sudden, the Rattata's eyes widened in recognition.

"Mew? Oh my goodness! What are you doing here? Who are they, and where's Satoshi?" She asked without taking a breath. Ash's eyes widen as he realized just who this Rattata is.

"Remi!" Ash exclaimed, "It's so good to see you again! I actually thought that the last time we saw each other would be it, as my days of being transformed into a Pokémon were almost over."

Now, Satoshi was what Ash went by every time Mew Transformed him into a Pokémon. Morce, much to his ire, was refered to as Draco, due to his relation to dragons. He constantly complained, saying that the name was NOT meant for him, though no-one else really thought much of it. He sulked for about two hours after Mew made it official. After that, Ash decided to not question his (new) name, and to just go with it. After all, when Mew decides on something, it is unwise to disagree.

"Who?...Wait...Satoshi? Is that really you?" Remi was now confused. The Satoshi she knew was a shiny Mew, not a human.

"Yeah, it's me...I guees I never really told you I was a human did I?" Ash asked while scratching the back of his head nervously.

"No, you really didn't..." she deadpanned. "Wait, so if you're a human, does that mean you're a trainer?"

"Actually, yes I am. You wouldn't want to become my Pokémon by any chance, would you?" Ash asked. He hoped she did, as he didn't want to say goodbye to his friend so soon after meeting her again. Ash really had nothing to worry about, as Remi back-flipped in excitement.

"Yes, of course I do!" She exclaimed before she jumped over to an empty Pokéball and pressed the button herself. The ball instantly dinged shut, signifying a successful capture. Ash blinked in surprise.

"Well, I didn't expect that." He immediately called Remi back out of the Pokéball and scanned her with Dexter.

"Rattata, the normal mouse Pokémon. A Rattata is cautious in the extreme. Even while it is asleep, it constantly moves its ears and listens for danger. It will make its nest anywhere. This Rattata is female, and has the hidden ability Hustle. It knows the moves Tackle, Quick Attack, Focus Energy, and Bite. It has the Egg Move Last Resort(Blocked)."

Ash then pointed the Pokédex towards Mew. "Mew, the New Species Pokémon. A Mew is said to possess the genes of all Pokémon and therefore can use every move in existence, bar a few exceptions. It is capable of making itself invisible at will, so it entirely avoids notice even if it approaches people. This Pokemon is assumed to be Genderless, and has the ability Synchronize. However, I detect that this Pokemon is female. It is possible that the scientists who made my database are simply unaware of the attributes of Legendary Pokemon. It knows the moves Pound, Reflect Type, Transform, Mega Punch, Metronome, Psychic, Thundershock, Thunderwave, Tackle, Charm, Heal Pulse, and Recover. It has no Egg Move. This Mew knows a surprisingly small number of moves when compared to the full amount available, but still has a good moveset."

Ash blinked in surprise at the last part.

"Interesting. Okay, so what do you three think about the idea of training a bit before we move on?" Two loud shouts of agreement were all he needed. "Alright, so to start, how about we work on your base stats? After all, they are a major factor that can change the course of a battle. I want all three of you to run around with a large rock tied on your backs and a smaller rock tied to your tails. This will improve your speed and tail strength. And Mew, no flying with or using Psychic powers allowed. You need the exercise in the case you are left without them for some reason."

Ash had been picking up rocks the entire time he had been talking. "Okay, I'll tie them on for you and then we can start. I'll be running with you too, but I have to find a couple of rocks first."

This lasted for about an hour. Surprisingly, Storm had proven to be the fastest, though Remi had him beat in endurance. Mew was the slowest of the group, but tried her hardest to keep up. Ash only looked slightly winded.

"Good grief Ash, how are you not dead from that?" Remi asked while lying flat on the ground and panting.

"Morce has a very tough training regiment, especially considering what I want to achieve. Speaking of which, we should get back to it." With a few groans, Ash's Pokémon were ready to continue.

"Now, I want to focus on your individual moves. Due to the fact that the first gym is a rock type gym, all of you should learn Dig, to start off with. Mew, I want you to work on learning Focus Punch and Pursuit. Storm, I want you to start attempting an Iron Tail by using our earlier training method. Remi, I want you to work with Storm to attempt Iron Tail. I will help all three of you to perfect Dig, and will then move to each of you individually. Does this sound good to you guys?"

"Pika!" "Mew!" "Ra!"

"Alright! Start by scraping at the ground in an attempt to burrow yourself. Speed up if you can, but control your movements precisely above all else. This should help you to move the dirt with less trouble." Ash explained.

After an hour and a half, the ground was littered with holes and three Pokémon were happy and exhausted. Ash had decided to give them a five minute break before he started them on their individual work.

"Ash sure is a slave driver..." Remi panted.

"Well, he does want to be a Pokémon Master, and the best there ever was at that. One has to train hard to meet that goal," Storm explained while trying to catch his breath.

"And he thinks that I'm up to it?" Remi asked uncertainly. Surely Ash didn't think she could be that good...did he?

"Remi, if he didn't think you could do it, he would encourage you until you managed to do the impossible. Ash isn't one to give up, and he believes that all Pokémon have potential. He says it just has to be brought out," Mew said.

"And she'd be right," Morce said, startling the Pokémon. "Every Pokémon has the potential to be great. The only thing stopping them is possibly their trainer and their belief that they can't do it. you can achieve just about anything if you truly put your mind to it, and let me tell you that Ash has definitely done that." Morce smiled as he watched Ash take a drink from a water bottle.

"If anything, he doesn't know the meaning of the word 'quit'," Morce laughed, with the three Pokémon joining in soon after. "Seriously though," Morce said after he had calmed down. "I believe that Ash can do it, and he believes he can too. He also believes in all of you. So why don't you show him that you have confidence in him by pushing yourselves to the limit and beyond?" Morce suggested with a smile as he walked away into the distance, presumably to train some himself.

As they watched him walk away, Ash came up to the group. "Hey guys! Are you ready to finish up our training for the day?" Ash asked, only to receive three overenthusiastic cheers in response. "In that case, let's get to work!"

After another hour and a half, the group of three was once again splayed across the ground, recovering from the intense effort that they had put forth, though not without results. Remi and Pikachu had managed to actually do slight damage to the rocks that they had bashed their tails against...while their tails also had rocks tied on. As such they, were quickly building up tail strength, though Iron Tail was still out of their grasp. Mew had managed to learn Focus Punch using a similar method, though the power was slightly below average. She had also managed to scratch the surface on Pursuit by chasing Ash around while trying to channel her dark energy. She succeeded in drawing it out, but didn't have a chance to use it as it left her exhausted.

Ash was tired from helping his Pokémon while working out at the same time. He had been using rocks as body weights while doing a variety of exercises. Ash checked his backpack for anything that could help energize his Pokémon and lightly grimaced at finding nothing helpful.

'Incentive to stock up on berries for Morce's special energy blend, I guess,' Ash thought before he addressed his Pokémon.

"I don't have anything to help restore your energy with me at the moment and we are a bit aways from a Pokémon Center. I don't want to turn back now, so you guys might want to go back into your Pokéballs for the time being." Mew and Remi agreed, and both proceeded to return. Storm climbed in the back pack as Ash picked it up.

"I'm impressed Ash," Morce told him, "I thought that you might need help in finding a way to train them, but I guess I was wrong. I wasn't doubting your abilities," he said after Ash glared at him, "but you are a new trainer and I simply thought you would have liked some advice."

Before Ash could reply, a cry sounded out from the nearby grass. "Spearoooowww!" Ash and Morce looked at each other with wide eyes before they both started running like the wind. Unfortunately for them, the Spearow had spotted them before they could get far enough, and it chased after them.

Soon they came to a waterfall and a cliff. Rather than taking their time to climb down, they both jumped into the river below, after giving Pikachu a warning (and Morce somehow making the bag waterproof), to throw the Spearow off their trail. After a minute or two of being forcefully kept under the water, Morce spotted a fishing line and pointed toward it, getting a nod from Ash. They both grabbed the line, and after a few failures, they were yanked out of the water.

When they both caught their breath, they noticed a girl with fiery red hair off to the side, gawking at them. "Sorry about that, but a Spearow decided to chase us for no reason and we jumped into the river to escape. My name is Morce Ryudo, and this dummy next to me is-"

"Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. I can introduce myself thank you, and I am not a dummy!" Ash glared at Morce vehemently, making him sweat a bit.

"Yes, well...*ahem*. I apologise for our unexpected visit Miss..."

"Please, call me Misty. And you have no reason to apologize. Spearow can be nasty, especially if there is a Fearow nearby." All three shuddered at the implication.

"So Misty, would you happen to know where Viridian is from here?" Ash asked, hoping the river didn't flow too far off course.

"Oh, yeah. Just follow this path, and you'll get there in an hour or two. Speaking of Viridian, do you mind if I tag along? I need to heal my Pokémon and I don't want to camp out again." Misty asked, with a bit of hope. Both Ash and Morce agreed. "Okay, just let me grab my...bike..." she trailed off when she saw no bike. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me! That thing cost me a fortune!" She wailed.

"I'm sorry about your bike Misty. Perhaps we should travel together until you can get a new one? You know, safety in numbers, not to mention that it's always more fun to travel with other people," Ash offered. Mist smiled and agreed.

After half an hour of traveling, the skies began to turn dark and thunder boomed in the distance. "Guys, I don't mean to be a bringer of bad news, but I think that a storm is coming," Morce said

"No duh, Sherlock. Seriously, though, we should probably start-" Speeeearooooowwww!"

"RUNNING!" Ash finished while sprinting away, with the others not far behind. After a short while, a flock of Spearow came into view behind the small group.

"It's no use. We have to fight!" Morce yelled above the howling of the storm. Ash had already stopped, and had told Pikachu to be ready, while Misty called out a couple of water Pokémon. Then, Morce had a brilliant idea.

"Ash, Storm might be able to use this storm to his advantage! He could jump in the air while charging a Thundershock, which will draw any lightning towards him, super charging the move!" Morce exclaimed. "The only issue would be us possibly getting fried in the process...Well, better than getting pecked by a bunch of Spearow, I say."

Everyone quickly agreed to the plan and Misty called back her own Pokémon so they wouldn't get zapped. She was not a moment to soon. The angry Spearow had just arrived about twenty feet away from the group when Ash called out a command.

"Storm, use Thundershock!" Storm gave a mighty battle cry while jumping into the air and preparing to fire.

"Pika-CHU!" Storm yelled, as a bolt of lightning hit him. The unleashed Thundershock was so powerful that it instantly KO-ed all of the Spearow. In fact, it could've been considered a Thunderbolt. Unfortunately, Morce was right, as the entire group felt the backlash of the move. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but they were temporarily Paralyzed, leaving them all on their backs.

About twenty minutes later, the Paralysis had worn off and everyone was just getting up when a Pokémon passed them overhead. Only Ash and Morce knew who it was. Morce was left with wide eyes, while Ash was openly gaping. He quickly scanned the Pokémon with Dexter, but whispered to him to keep quiet. The reason why is because the Pokémon was none other than Ho-Oh.

"Ho-Oh, the Rainbow Bird Pokémon. Ho-Oh's feathers glow in seven colors depending on the angle at which they are struck by light. It is said that those who see Ho-Oh are promised an eternal happiness," Dexter read off quietly.

"That Pokémon was beautiful," Misty commented in awe.

"Pika." Storm said before climbing onto Ash's shoulder.

"Yup," was Morce's intelligent reply. "Well, I think we've been standing around long enough. Let's get going shall we?"

And thus our heroes continued towards Viridian City, unaware of the full magnitude of the journey they've just began. To find out what will happen, stay tuned for the next chapter.