Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, I do not have any rights to Pokémon and I do not make any money from writing these fics.

A/N: Written for the Random AU Challenge which mine is alternative characters and The Multi Map Chap Challenge.

Chapter 3

The following morning as the sun rose over Nuvema Town four people and two Pokémon, one child and three adults, a Mr. Mime and a Pikachu, stepped out of Professor Jupiter's lab with large excited smiles on their faces. Ash quickly ran out of the lab only to pause and run back to where the adults and Mr. Mime was slowly walking out with Pikachu following behind him happily.

"My, what a beautiful morning!" Delia said with a relaxed smile on her face as she looked up at the blue sky which still held a touch of red and orange that had yet to fade from the sunrise, "It looks like today is going to be the perfect day to start our journey Ash."

"I cannot wait!" Ash cried out excitedly as he punched the air, Pikachu nodding his head in agreement while Delia, Professor Oak, Professor Jupiter and Mr. Mime watched on with fond faces, "I wonder what type of Pokémon I will catch first? A bug type? A grass type? Maybe even a-"

"Well how about letting me give you both your Pokedex's back before you go running off Ash," Professor Jupiter suggested good naturally as she reached into her white lab coat pocket and pulled out Delia's Pokedex with five Pokeballs before reaching into her pocket again and pulling out Ash's Pokedex and five Pokeballs, "The closest Pokecentre is on the other side of the forest if you need any help."

"We will," Delia replied happily as accepted her Pokedex and Pokeballs from Professor Jupiter, "This is so exciting! I cannot believe I am really travelling with Ash and not just waiting at home for him!"

"Well spare a thought for me," Professor Oak said with a smile on his face, "I want phone calls and letters from both of you, I will continue to look after your Pokémon Ash and I will also look after any Pokémon both of you capture in this new region."

"Thanks Professor," Ash answered as he happily took his Pokedex and Pokeballs from Professor Jupiter and slipped his Pokedex into his pocket before clipping his empty Pokeballs onto his belt around his waist, "I cannot wait for my first gym battle!"

"We need to get to the other side of the forest first Ash," Delia said calmly before Ash could become too excited, "And do you even know where the closest Pokémon gym is?"

"Errr...no," Ash replied with a blush as he turned and looked to the two Pokémon Professors for help.

"The closest Pokémon gym is in Striaton city, so I would challenge the Striation gym first," Professor Jupiter replied as she smiled at Ash's enthusiasm and excitement, "Good luck Ash and take care."

"Thanks Professor! I will," Ash replied as he turned to face his mother who had just finished placing her Pokeballs into the special belt that she had brought while shopping with her son in the B and C store, "Ready to go mum?"

"I think so, we have forgotten nothing...I think," Delia said as a thoughtful expression appeared on her face, "Professor Oak w-"

"I will send you two anything you have forgotten and if you two want to send anything home you can just send it to my lab where Tracey and I will be happy to look after the items and place them in your house for you," Professor Oak replied knowing what Delia was going on about, "I will also make sure to check on your house every day to make sure nothing goes wrong, if you want I could always ask Tracey to housesit for a few days."

"I bet he will say yes and want to housesit in a week's time," Ash said with a teasing grin on his face, "Brad has managed to get a week off while the editors go over his new film and he is planning to spend it with Tracey."

"Brad? Tracey?" Professor Jupiter asked in confusion.

"Tracey is my lab assistant and Brad is his boyfriend, the two of them live in different regions and Brad's work makes it hard for them to be together," Professor Oak explained calmly causing Professor Jupiter to nod in understanding, "Delia, is it alright with you if Brad and Tracey-"

"As long as they keep the house safe, dust free, tidy and clean than I do not mind," Delia replied with a smile, "It is nice to know that I will not have to come back to a dusty house and a garden that needs weeding."

"Can we set out now?!" Ash whined out causing everyone to laugh, "I can't wait until any longer!"

"Take care then Ash, Delia, make sure to keep me updated," Professor Oak said with a chuckle, "Look after each other and have fun."

"If you need any help feel free to give me a call," Professor Jupiter said with a smile, "Good luck with your gym battles Ash, I hope you enjoy your first journey Delia."

With their goodbyes said Ash and Delia turned around and began to walk down the stone path while waving to the two Pokémon Professors as they went. Excitement and determination shone on Delia's face as she silently made a promise to herself in her mind to find the perfect bodyguard for Ash and to track down her husband.

"Bye Professor!" Ash shouted out as they turned around the final corner, out of sight from the two Professors, "Are you ready mum?"

"Ready as I ever will be," Delia replied with a nervous grin as she turned around to face forwards, "I hope that nothing too bad happens on our journey."

"Don't worry mum, with have each other and our Pokémon," Ash replied with a grin before speeding up, "Look! It is the forest!"

"Ash! Slow down!" Delia cried out as Ash suddenly began to run leaving Delia to trail behind him as they made their way out of Nuvema town, "We agreed to take it slow!"

Running after her son Delia followed behind as he ran along the dirt road, past a sunflower that had a bug type Pokémon looking at it, leading from Nuvema town towards the large forest up ahead. In no time at all the pair had made it along the road and had taken their first step into the forest.

"Look! There is that Pokémon we saw yesterday!" Ash cried out in excitement as he came to a stop just a few footsteps into the forest only to get no reply.

Frowning in confusion Ash looked around him only to find his mother was not standing beside him like he expected. Just as he wondered if he should turn back to find her Delia suddenly appeared, jogging slightly and out of breath.

"Ash...you got to remember that I am not used to travelling like you are," Delia said as she came to a stop next to Ash, "I might be used to walking lots but we just ran from Nuvema town to the forest."

"Sorry mum, I just got a bit carried away," Ash replied with a sheepish grin as he waited for his mother to catch her breath, "So are you ready to capture our first Pokémon?"

"As long as it does not have a family that needs it," Delia replied calmly, with her husband doing his disappearing act and Ash going away on Pokémon journey's she knew what it was like for family to be separated for long periods of time, "I wonder if there is any of those cute pink deer like Pokémon around here like the ones I saw yesterday."

"I am not sure mum, let's go and look," Ash replied as they began to walk forwards.

Not wanting to startle any of the wild Pokémon Ash and Delia walked in silence, only using their hands to motion to each other about the direction they were heading in. As the pair looked high and low a soft rustling sound with the familiar voice of the Pokémon they had seen the other day came to their ears. Sharing a grin with each other Delia and Ash slowly and quietly made their way forwards only to come to a stop when they found themselves standing in front of a rustling bush.

Being careful not to spook which ever Pokémon was in the bush Delia pulled out her Pokedex and waited for it to tell her all about the cute pink deer Pokémon she had seen the other day only to find a picture of a small dark green-grey Pokémon with red eyes and two large white tusks.

"Axew, the tusk Pokémon. Axew eats berries that it crushes with its tusks. The tusks can sometimes break off but they will grow back harder and sturdier," the Pokedex informed Ash and Delia causing the pair to share a look of confusion.

"That Axew looks nothing like the pink Pokémon we saw," Ash said softly as he let Pikachu to jump to the ground ready for battle, "Do you want to capture it mum or can I?"

"Wait just a moment Ash," Delia said quickly with a frown on her face as she pressed a button on her Pokedex, "It says here that Axew cannot be found in this forest or on any close by route, if there is an Axew in this forest I think it must belong to someone."

As if agreeing with Delia's words a head with long purple hair suddenly popped up out of the bushes with an Axew sitting in the purple hair happily eating a berry. Blinking in shock and confusion Ash began to open his mouth to speak only to be cut off as the head turned around to show the face of a young girl with large brown eyes.

"Hi, my name is Iris, and this is Axew, who are you?" the purple haired girl, Iris asked as she happily munched on a berry.

"It is nice to meet you Iris, my name is Delia and this is my son Ash," Delia greeted with a kind motherly smile on her face, "We are travelling together on a Pokémon journey."

"You are travelling with your mother?" Iris asked in surprise as she shot Ash a thoughtful look, "Man, you are a little kid."

"Hey!" Ash shouted angrily only to be ignored by Iris as she disappeared back into the bushes, "I am not a little kid! I-"

"Ash it is alright," Delia said calmly as she placed a hand on her son's shoulder, "I guess it is a little strange to be on a journey with your mother besides I am sure that girl is long gone by now, how about we go back to finding that Pokémon?"

"Alright mum," Ash answered as he turned to the right to walk in the direction that they had heard the Pokémon, through not without shooting the bush a glare.

Smiling at her son's actions Delia simply ignored the bush and walked alongside Ash as she began to look for the adorable cute Pokémon she wanted to capture.

"Mum! Look!" Ash cried out breaking Delia out of her thoughts.

Following her son's line of sight Delia found the deer like Pokémon they had been looking for standing a few feet in front of them with a careful look on its face. Not wanting to waste any time Delia's hand quickly flew down to Mr. Mime's Pokeball.

"Battle time Mr. Mime!" Delia cried out as she threw her pokeball causing a bright red flash of light to appear as Mr. Mime came out of its pokeball before it was returned to her waiting hand, "Ready to battle Mimey?"

"Mime! Mr. Mime!" Mr. Mime replied as he prepared himself to fight.

The pink Pokémon looked around only to find no escape, turning its attention back to the humans and Pokémon the deer like Pokémon prepared itself for battle.

"Deer! Deerling!" the Pokémon said as it lowered its head before charging forwards.

"It is using tackle, Mr. Mime, dodge and use Light Screen!" Delia called out quickly as she kept her eyes on the battle.

"Mr. Mime!" Mr. Mime shouted out as it quickly used its Light Screen attack causing the Deerling to crash into the invisible wall and be thrown backwards.

"Good work Mimey, now use double slap!" Delia called out as she quickly grabbed one of her Pokeballs and pressed the white button causing it to grow in size.

Mr. Mime nodded his head and waited for the perfect moment which came when the Deerling stood up on shaky legs, took one look at him and charged forwards using quick attack. With a determined cry Mr. Mime dodged the attack and used the closeness to his advantage and attacked using his double slap causing the Deerling to fall to the ground and not get back up.

"Good work Mimey," Delia called out as she threw a Pokeball at the unmoving Pokémon.

With baited breaths Delia, Mr. Mime, Ash and Pikachu watched as the deer Pokémon was sucked into the Pokéball only for it to rock side to side a few times before a soft ding sound was heard.

"I did it! I caught my very first Pokémon!" Delia cried out happily as she rushed forwards to grab the Pokeball only to let out a startled yell and freeze when a large metal claw like hand suddenly came out of nowhere and grabbed the Pokeball.

"What's going on?" Ash asked as he rushed forwards to grab his mother's Pokeball only to fall to the ground as the Pokeball was lifted up into the air and a familiar voice came to his ears.

To Be Continued...

So there are no confusion about what Pokémon belong to what trainer:

Delia's Pokémon: Mr. Mime, Deerling.

Ash's Pokémon: Pikachu.