Hello readers and welcome to my new fic. So, I wasn't ever planning to do a Pokemon fic. I wasn't planning to make another fic period, at least not at this moment. There are other stories on my page that I want to finish here, and my knowledge of Pokemon is limited, so I was not confident in writing a good Pokemon fanfiction. However, when I encountered two Pokemon time-travel fics where Ash restarts his pokemon journey from the beginning… let's just say the writer in me screamed to do my own version.

One drew me in with great pokemon battles, as well as compelling interactions with Ash and his pokemon team. Another had certain plotlines and ideas that were fun to read. Both also had a mature Ash getting a second chance to make up for his mistakes (Not to mention saving the universe from imploding), a harem sub-plot that I had fun reading, and a display at how dangerous a world of supernatural creatures would really be.

So, after reading those two fics, I decided that I wanted to do my own interpretation of Ash's journey resetting. I want to try my hand on creating pokemon battles, on making heartfelt interactions between Ash and his companions (Both human and pokemon), and make my own version of the pokemon world.

As you might see as the story continues, there will be similarities between this fic and previous installments. I don't plan on doing any copy and pasting, but there are aspects of those stories I would like to try out myself. However, I do intend on making this fic come into its own, and not be a mere imitation. Will I succeed? We shall see.

That's all I'm gonna say for the time being. Apologies for the lengthy AN; just wanted to explain why I'm doing yet another fic (For those who read my previous ones). So with that out of the way, enjoy.

DIsclaimer: I do not own the Pokemon series.

Chapter 1: A Whole New Timeline

Ash Ketchum. A veteran pokemon trainer, with the strive to become a pokemon master. For this very reason, he travelled all over the world, challenging gyms and competing in pokemon leagues in order to obtain that goal.

Throughout those regions, he held several accomplishments, both minor and major. The top 16 in Kanto; the top 8 in Johto, Hoenn, and Unova; the top 4 in Sinnoh; the Battle Pyramid in Kanto; runner-up in Kalos. The Pallet Town trainer has progressed far throughout his journey, becoming an incredibly skilled trainer, catching and training very powerful pokemon.

The young boy became a source of admiration for many, for both humans and pokemon; not just because of his powerful pokemon, however, or his unpredictable tactics that earned him many victories. No, it was his unshakable will, his limitless pool of courage, and his compassion for both people and pokemon alike that won admiration from several; even love from multiple girls of both species.

His headstrong determination, his kindness and empathy for others, that courage to help and protect others no matter what, and his tactical mind that had developed throughout his experience made him into a powerful trainer. All of this is why most, if not all legendaries, view him as the chosen one. Why many of them hold the young trainer of Pallet Town in such high regard. And is why… he is chosen to go back in time, to save the world yet again from destruction.

*Pallet Town, Alternate Timeline*

While the world of pokemon is such a wondrous place, it's also quite dangerous.

Criminals out for their own gain, terrorists with goals of domination or destruction, and even pokemon with little love for humans; there are many things in the pokemon world, capable and willing to kill traveling trainers. As such, it was determined by many to take up some form of self-defense, other than their pokemon of course.

In the past, that was in the form of melee combat. Some still take that up even now, with varying forms of melee weapons, but the most modern form of self-defense is now…

"A gun." Ash Ketchum said softly to himself, his eyes set on a small glock in his hand. The fourteen year old boy was sitting at the dining table, a frown on his face as he gazed at the weapon.

"What do you think?" His mother, Delia, asked from the opposite side of the table. A smile was fastened to her face, although it's clear that her heart wasn't in it. "It's one of the more common pistols used, but I heard it's reliable. It should keep you safe if you ever need it."

"I guess…" The boy muttered, still clearly bothered that he's holding something like this.

At his response, Delia sighed and her smile dropped. It's clear that her son doesn't want to even have that gun in his possession. Ash has always been like that, caring for all forms of life and never wanting to hurt anything or anyone. And she loves that about her boy.

But still… letting him go out in the world, without that extra bit of protection, is something she couldn't do. "I understand that you don't like owning this gun, honey." Delia said, smiling sadly at him. "But it's only for emergencies; in case your pokemon isn't enough to protect you. Hopefully, you won't ever need it. It's just… I would feel better if you have something else to protect you."

In response, Ash looked up, wanting to say that he doesn't need it. That he can pursue his journey safely without a gun. But the moment he saw his mother's eyes, eyes that are filled with sadness and fear for him… he couldn't say a word.

The black haired teen does understand his mom's worry; he really does. As much as he loves pokemon, he understands that there are many of them that are capable, and willing, to kill him; not to mention the criminals out there that wouldn't so much as flinch from killing a person.

Still, the thought of having to use a gun, of having to kill a human or pokemon… it makes a bile come up his throat.

But for his mother's sake, he swallowed his distaste for the weapon, and smiled reassuringly at her. "It's okay, mom. I understand." He told her softly, reaching out and placing his hand over her's. "Let's just hope that I'll never need to use it, like you said."

That brought a more sincere, yet sad, smile from the mother. "Let's definitely hope for that."

Soon after, Ash headed to his room, seeing as it was night and close to his bed time. As an hour or so passed, the disgruntlement about owning a gun faded away, and excitement for his pokemon journey came forward.

'One night. Just one more night.' Ash thought eagerly, lying face up on his bed. 'And I'll be starting my journey! My first step in becoming a pokemon master!'

It's something that he's been training for ever since he was ten. From learning the basics of being a pokemon trainer, to taking up a few lessons in close combat, (He ain't using that gun if he can help it!) he did all that he could so that he can start his journey on a good note.

He even tried to pay attention at school to learn more about pokemon. Keyword, tried. He can't count the number of times he nearly fell asleep to the mind numbing lessons.

And much of that training will pay off soon. He won't be going into his journey blind, having to figure things out on the go. Instead, he'll have a decent start, a solid foundation on his path on becoming the best there ever was!

'I'll need to make sure I wake up earlier than I usually would. I don't want to end up late and-' Suddenly, Ash suddenly felt his… mind clench. That strange feeling caused him to sit up in alarm, that eagerness fading. "What was-?"

"Prepare yourself, Chosen One." A cute, yet mystical sounding voice entered in his mind. "This will be a painful experience."

"Wait, hold on!" The boy was now standing up, on guard on whatever was speaking to him. "Who are you and wha-?"

The soon-to-be-trainer could not finish his questions. Cause the next thing he knew, all he felt was pain.

Sheer, agonizing pain as his mind was bombarded with foreign memories; as the emotions for said memories came along with it; as he's filled with knowledge and experience that he had never gotten before.

The boy could only scream out in agony as he gained the memories of a pokemon world different from his.

Of a world that wasn't so dangerous as this one is.

Of one where he starts his journey as a cocky, ten year old kid.

Of all the pokemon he captured and bonded with.

Of the various friends and rivals he had gained.

Of gyms and leagues he had participated in.

Ash Ketchum could only scream, as he felt his mind merge with a more mature, more experienced version of himself.

XXXX

For Ash, the time he felt his mind merging felt like hours, close to endless. However, in reality, the process only tooked around fifteen seconds. Once it was over, the boy could only stay as he was, kneeled on the ground and forehead on the ground. He was breathing heavily, with sweat adorned on his face and his eyes shaking over the experience.

' Did I… went back in time?' Ash thought to himself. Slowly, he got to his bed and laid on the side of it, thinking over what had just happened. The last thing he remembered, or at least his… future self remembered, was heading to Pallet Town, coming back from the Kalos Legion. He was introducing his new pokemon to the others when…

'Those… pokemon. They attacked us.' The fourteen year old boy remembered. He and all of his pokemon were attacked by a mass group of pokemon that he had never seen before. Creatures so foreign looking that he'd even wondered if they were actually pokemon.

As he and his pokemon fought, those creatures had been constantly trying to target him. Sending attack after attack that could've killed him. If it wasn't for his main powerhouses protecting him, Pikachu, Charizard, Sceptile, Snorlax, and Infernape, he would've been killed.

But in the middle of that fight for his life, as he attempted to instruct a few of his pokemon on what to do… he heard a voice from his head. The same voice that spoke when he was about to go to sleep in this timeline.

"Prepare yourself, Chosen One. This will be a painful experience."

'But wait… this timeline is different.' Ash realized, starting to shift through his memories of this timeline. 'It's not exactly the same as the original. I'm… not the same.'

For one thing, the world wasn't so dangerous that he needed to carry a gun. Sure, there were criminal organizations he had to deal with, along with the occasional world ending threats; but it was nothing he, his friends, and his pokemon couldn't solve without any weapons.

He never went to any sort of self-training as a kid. While in hindsight, that probably would've been good to have, he went on his journey without it. He didn't take up any self-defense lessons either.

And he definitely doesn't remember being a -

"Big brother!"

The cry of a little girl, as well as the sound of the door being opened, broke Ash out of his thoughts and got him to look up. Next thing he knew, a small figure tackled him while he was on the ground.

"Yellow?" Ash voiced out in confusion, looking at the yellow haired girl clinging to him tightly. At the eight-year old sister he never had in the original timeline. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in bed."

"We heard you screaming." The soon-to-be-trainer looked up to see Red, his eight-year old younger brother. Behind him was their mom, who looked just as concerned as his younger siblings. "It sounded like you were in pain."

In response, Ash tried to give them all a reassuring smile, though it came off as a grimace. "Sorry about that. Just… was having some bad memories."

That caused Yellow to lift her head from his chest, a sympathetic look on her face. "Another bad dream?"

Ash nodded. "Something like that…" Not exactly dreams, and definitely not the dreams he usually has, but...

In response, Yellow went back to hugging him once more to comfort him. In return, Ash hugged her back in the hopes of reassuring her.

"The dream must've been really bad if it had got you to scream…" Red murmured, still looking worried for his brother. "Are you sure you're okay Ash?"

The older boy nodded, giving a comforting smile. "I am, don't worry. I'm pretty sure that this will be a one time deal." His smile then turned sheepish, as he used one hand to rub the back of his head. "We should probably get back to bed; I don't want a bad dream of mine to be the reason why I'm late."

His family still looked plenty worried for him. Thankfully though, his mom decided to take charge. "Alright, then; Red, Yellow, let's go back to your rooms." Both kids looked reluctant to leave their brother, but Delia remained firm. "I'm worried for Ash too, but he needs to get up early for his starter pokemon, and I can't let the two of you stay up too late. We can make sure he's fully ok before he leaves for his journey."

The two relented at that, with Yellow giving one final squeeze before running up to Red and Delia. The three said their goodnight to Ash, with the boy responding in kind, before closing the door; leaving to think about… everything.

Siblings. He has two younger siblings. Adopted ones, but still… a younger brother and a little sister.

He's not sure about how he should feel. On one hand, while the two of them haven't been in his life for too long, they still became a natural part of his life; yet at the same time, there's this shock and joy at the fact he had siblings. That he has a brother and sister that he loves dearly, and vice versa.

It's a weird feeling, to say the least; to see them as a constant in your life, yet feel the shock at the fact that these siblings actually exist. Which brings in another can of weedles… the fact that his mind merged from two different timelines.

If his feelings about his siblings is odd, then thinking about the two different lives he lived is already giving him a headache. In one life, he's been going on his pokemon journey; caught several pokemon, competed in different leagues, and made several friends and rivals along the way. There, he grew, he matured, he learned from his mistakes, and became a veteran trainer that experienced much of the world.

Here, he has yet to go onto his journey; that starts tomorrow, once he gets his starter pokemon. Yet this timeline was already so different from the other, so unlike the childhood that he had experienced previously. From Red and Yellow getting adopted, to the training he went through for years for his pokemon journey; there are so many differences in his childhood, all of it was just so much, too much, TOO MUCH…

"ASH!" Ash jumped at the quiet yet sharp shout, whipping his head up in alarm. His eyes were met with none other than one of the time travel pokemon itself; Celebi. "Please, calm yourself. Don't think too much on the merging of your original and alternate self; it will just overwhelm you."

"Ce… Celebi?" Ash spoke warily, looking worn down already. These past couple of minutes, along with the events of the future, was clearly taking a toll on him. "What are you doing here? Do you know what had happened?" His mind then registered an important fact. "Wait, did I just understand-?!"

Quickly, the mythical pokemon placed it's small hands over the trainer's mouth. "Sshh, don't make too much noise. You don't want your mother or sibling to come back here." Taking a moment to see that Ash won't scream or anything, Celebi moved back and took her hands off his mouth. "Yes, you can understand me. Though it wasn't anything that I've done to make this happen, at least not directly."

That's when Ash remembered; he was trained to use Aura one he was younger. When he was just ten years old, by a cloaked man who came through Pallet town. He offered to teach him to use aura for his journey, and with his mother's permission, he accepted. One of the things he was taught? How to understand pokemon language through aura.

Yet another mind jarring thing to think about. Another thing that was so different from his previous childhood. "Celebi… what on Earth just happened?" Ash asked weakly, looking so lost and afraid.

The mythical pokemon looked down in sorrow. "We had to take you back to the past." She explained. "You weren't the only one was attacked; the entire world was swarmed by the ultra beasts."

"Ultra beast?" Ash caught, perking up in attention. "Is that what those things that attacked me called?"

Celebi nodded. "They are… pokemon that are not of this world. They come from a dimension different from ours. Originally, they mostly originated through portals in the Alola region, and the threat was contained there. But then… out of nowhere, those same portals appeared all across the regions. No one had time to react properly, not even the legendaries. The entire world was consumed into chaos in just a few hours."

Ash's eyes widen in horror at that. The whole world… was attacked by these ultra beasts? Every single region was swarmed by these things? "B-But… it can't have been that bad, right?" He protested, sounding frantic. "Trainers still would have fought back against the ultra beasts, could they?!"

In response, Celebi gave Ash a regretful look. "Ash, why do you think we had to send back in time in the first place?" She said softly. "Their attacks were strategic; they attacked and overwhelmed all of the Elite Fours and Champions first, along with any other powerful trainers. At the same time, they appeared around the areas where the legendaries and mythical pokemon reside, keeping us occupied for their remaining forces to come through. By the time anyone could make a proper response… the damage they did was unsalvageable."

Ash could only look down, his eyes haunted and his mind processing this horrible news. His world was destroyed; regions burned and many were likely dead. What happened to his friends? To Misty? Serena? Brock? Dawn? What about his mother? Was she okay? Or was she…?

He was tempted to ask Celebi; the time travel pokemon must know something about the state of his loved ones, right? However, he stopped himself; he wasn't sure if he'd like the answer. So instead, he asked this. "How?" He said softly. "You said that they only appeared in the Alola region, right? So how did they appear all around the world? What did they do to achieve that?"

"And...why?" By now, his voice started to crack and tears slowly went down his face. "Why did they attack us? What did we do to deserve our homes getting destroyed?!"

"...We don't know why." Celebi admitted. The pokemon looked close to tears themselves. "We often assumed that they attack trainers and pokemon in Alola due to being in an unfamiliar place. Now… we're not so sure. But as for how… we manage to find a clue. Cyrus."

That caused the boy to shot his head up, shock clear on his features. "Cyrus?! But he's-!"

"We thought so too. But apparently, he was more resilient than we had thought." Celebi stated grimly. "We don't know how he exactly survived; we're still attempting to figure that out. But from what we had gathered, Cyrus managed to gain some control of space-time reality. Obviously, it wasn't enough to change anything in that world, and he nearly went insane by the time he had that little control."

"However, what kept from stepping into the brink… was his singular hatred for the one who had stopped his plans."

It didn't take Ash long to figure out that it was him. And that led to another realization. "Wait, does that mean…?!"

"He led the mass attack against you and your pokemon, yes." Celebi confirmed. "We don't know if the attacks on the other regions was entirely his plan, or if it was something the ultra beasts came up with themselves; however, it's clear that he assisted them with the use of his new abilities."

Never before did Ash ever truly feel furious in his life. He got angry, sure, especially as a kid; but never the chest tightening, blood boiling fury. Now though, after hearing that Cyrus was the one that tried to kill him… that he was the one that destroyed his entire world…

Let just it take every inch of willpower not to let himself lash out with that fury.

Seeing his reaction, Celebi flew down and placed her hand on his own. "I understand your anger, Chosen One." She told him earnestly. "What Cyrus did was despicable. But don't let that anger take control. Push it back, at least until you confront Cyrus himself."

It took a moment for Ash to take Celebi's advice. After a few deep breaths, he managed to calm himself down. Still, there's a few more questions on his mind. One of which being about this current timeline.

"If we traveled through time… how come everything is so different here?" Ash asked the pokemon. "From just looking through my childhood memories, it's obvious that this timeline isn't the same. I have a brother and sister, guns are more common than before, and…" Lifting his hands, he formed a small, swirling ball of energy from his hand. "I know how to use aura now. I never learned to use aura, before or even after my journey." Used it a few times, sure, but never learned to hone it.

Celebi looked down at that. "That's my fault." The pokemon claimed, guilt entering their face. "Transferring one's mind to the past is not an easy process. It took much of my focus to link your mind with your past self. Unfortunately… Cyrus knew what we were doing and attempted to intervene. In doing so, there were alterations to a few things in history. Those alterations led to the timeline we live in now."

Ash took a deep breath, trying not to let his anger over the leader of Team Galactic take over. He doesn't know how bad things are yet, so he can't let himself get too angry. "How bad are things?"

Celebi shook its head. "I don't know yet." She stated. "I'll need to take the time to see how much has changed. I just… hope it isn't too bad."

Seeing how guilty the mythical pokemon look, Ash decided to reassure her. So he patted her head, gaining Celebi's attention. "It isn't your fault." He told her softly. "You did the best you could in a bad situation. Cyrus was the one who caused all this; if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't even be here in the first place. So don't blame yourself for this, Celebi."

From the words, the tears that were gathered in the mythical pokemon's eyes slowly started slipping. In the next moment, she flew up and hugged Ash around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder. Muffled words of apologies came out occasionally, but the trainer merely shushed her softly, keeping the pokemon from taking any blame.

A short amount of time passed before Celebi calmed down some. She moved away from Ash, still teary faced yet somewhat better. "I'm sorry, it just… the past few hours from the previous timeline has taken a toll on me."

In response, Ash gave a sad smile. "I understand Celebi, believe me." All of what happened so far, from the Ultra Beasts to this alternate timeline, is still very difficult to chew through.

"But, Celebi… why travel me back to the beginning of my journey?" Ash asked her, confusion now entering his face. "Why not right before Cyrus could enter that portal? I could've just given him a good punch in the face and stopped him right there."

Celebi shook her head. "We thought about it, but there's too many unpredictable variables there. Cyrus was determined to create his new world no matter what; it's doubtful that a punch, or even a pokemon attack, would've stopped him from entering the portal."

"Plus, the attack from the ultra beasts was not a mere flight of fancy. They've been preparing for this." Celebi continued, a serious look on her cute face. "That likely means that even if you defeat Cyrus, you still have the ultra beasts to contend with. In order to face them, you need time; time to hone your skills as a battler, and to further strengthen your pokemon. Sending you back to the very beginning of your journey, will give you that time."

"But… why me?" The trainer asked the final question that's been plaguing the back of his head. "Why did I choose me to go back in time?"

That caused Celebi to tilt her head, blinking in confusion. "Why not you?"

"You could've chosen any of the regions' Elite Fours; could've chosen any of the champions." Ash told her, confusion and doubt reflected in his eyes. "There's also plenty of trainers out there who are much stronger than I am. So… why me?"

The time travelling pokemon stared at him for a moment, before letting out a melodic giggle. "You underestimate yourself, Chosen One." She told him. "Yes, there are trainers out that are more skilled than you currently are; with pokemon much stronger than what you have. Despite that, however, you are an incredibly skilled trainer yourself, especially at your age; in time, you could've been equal to those of the regions' Elite Fours or Champions."

"But strength isn't the only reason you were picked." Slowly, Celebi floated closer to Ash and placed a hand over his heart. "It's your heart that was the deciding factor. You care about us; care about all pokemon and humans alike. You have the courage to do what is right, to save anyone that is in trouble. And your will is one that even the willpower pokemon Azelf recognize."

"Those factors, not just your ability to battle, are the reasons we recognize you as the Chosen One." Celebi concluded. "And why we chose you, above all others, to be sent back into time."

With that, Celebi moved back and waited for Ash's response. The fourteen year old took that time to take in that speech, including the sincerity in Celebi's words. Honestly, he still doesn't think he's that special compared to other trainers. He was certain that others would've done what he did; he's just the lucky one to encounter so many legendary pokemon, as well as criminal organizations.

Still, if Celebi, as well as many other legendaries, have this much confidence in him… he'll do his best not to disappoint. "It's gonna be difficult doing it alone." Ash told the mythical pokemon. "I'll have to rebuild my team from scratch, retrain them and rebuild relationships with them…"

"No need to worry." Celebi said reassuringly. "While I sent your mind to the past, the lake trio linked your mind to your pokemon's, so they can be sent back as well. We also made sure to let them know that they'll be back in time; all of them will seek you out or wait for you."

That brought about an immense sigh of relief from Ash. That's probably the first bit of good news he heard tonight. Now all he had to do is find them, and train them up once again. "We won't disappoint you, Celebi." Ash assured her, reaching out to pat her head. "We'll stop Cyrus, as well as the ultra beasts, from destroying the world. This won't happen a second time."

Celebi could see the confidence and determination reflected in his eyes. In return, the time travel pokemon felt hope arise in her. "I know you will." She then started floating upwards. "Be sure to get plenty of rest. That should help settle the memories of both timelines, as well as the merging of your original and alternate self. Until next time, Chosen One." With that, Celebi teleported away.

Ash took a moment to give himself a moment of silence, to think on what will be in store. 'Well, restarting my journey won't be boring at least.' He thought to himself. 'I have pokemon to re-catch, friendships to remake, and the chance to make up a lot of my mistakes. I won't let that chance be thrown away!'

His heart is heavy at the fact his original timeline had likely gone into flames; and he rather not think about what had potentially happened to his friends and loved ones. But he has a second chance to save it; to stop the ultra beast from destroying the world. He won't let depression get in the way of doing that!

There's a whole new timeline to live in. He's not gonna let any of that time go to waste!

And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I tried to make the beginning chapter different from previous installments of the time travel fic, but like I said before, there are elements that are similar to those fics. If you've read them, you probably recognize them.

Before I end it here, there's one more thing I would like to say. While I've watched some of the pokemon anime, I haven't watched everything; so my knowledge of pokemon is limited. I'll research what I need to, but I don't plan going through every single episode of the series. So because of this, as well as the fact that this is an alternate timeline, personalities of characters and pokemon will likely not be a 100% accurate.

That's all for now. Let me know if the first chapter is good or not. If you want to know more of what I got in store, I'll tell you what I can in the next chapter. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.