Chapter 1

In another dimension, there was a hall of light, almost giving off a heavenly presence. Everything about the area felt divine. In the center of the room, stood a 4 legged creature. A creature who was the god of this realm, and also the human realm. The creature was named Arceus, the god of all Pokemon and Humans. The god was not happy though, and he had good reason to not be happy. He had lately been having visions of a terrible darkness that would sweep all of the regions of the world. A darkness that could come from one source or multiple sources. He did not full know which one, but he knew that the darkness had to be exterminated. For if the darkness had won, it could mean the end of all Pokemon and Humanity. A world that would be thrusted into chaos. A world that would be sent to its knees because of this darkness. And based on these visions, Arceus would not be powerful enough to stop it. Not alone. If Arceus wanted to stop this darkness, the god would have to rely on a human. A human with both the battle tact and strategy to not lose and become the most powerful trainer possible, while creating deep bonds with his pokemon, deep enough to the point that the pokemon would die for them, because the human would do the same for them. A human who could come up with strategies on the fly and have the power to make any one of his dreams come true, while also knowing when to not misuse that power, and stick to their morals no matter what. And a human who had the guts to never give up, while also being able to inspire others to push themselves to be better in order to achieve their dreams. Arceus visioned being captured by this human, and allowing itself to be captured, which shocked the god at first, but it made sense. If this human could prove capable of all these things, and was the human the god was looking for, why shouldn't the god allow itself to be captured. Especially when the human might need its power to face the darkness. Arceus knew that it needed to watch the world for long time to find this human.. Good thing the god could observe the entire world all at once. The god for the next 7 years would search for that human. And one day, the god found him. And that is where our story begins.

A 7 year old boy with black hair and Z marks on his cheeks was going to a summer camp hosted by the famous pokemon professor, Professor Oak. Inventor of the Pokedex, and also would help make major contributions to the creation of the national dex feature, which allowed many trainers to learn about the variety of pokemon around the world, and made them realize how big the world actually was. The big thing about this summer camp was the opportunity that came with it. If one was able to impress Oak enough with the trials and experiences he gave them, they would get a sponsorship from him, which would give them the following 1. Training with Oak for the next 4 years until they officially could become Pokemon Trainers at age 11. 2. They would have the opportunity to get the 3 main starter Pokemon of the region, which were Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. And 3. They would get Oak's pokedex, which means they would help contribute to his research. There were other privileges as well, but those were the 3 main ones that were well known to every aspiring trainer out there. Ash knew that if he could impress Oak enough, he would be a step closer to achieving his dream: to become a pokemon master. The same dream his father had. Ash looked down in sadness, but quickly shook it off, because he was not going to let anything stop him from getting this opportunity. Ash walked up to the bus. He was with a woman named Delia Ketchum. She was his mother. He gave her one last hug, and said goodbye to her, and as he left, Delia said "Good luck Ash, and do your best. You will get that sponsorship!" Ash nodded his head, waved his mother goodbye, and the bus drove away to the camp.

Throughout the entire ride, Ash just looks down, as he is nervous, but he knows he has to impress Oak and get that sponsorship. He will not be left out. Ash knows that Oak only gives his sponsorship to 3 potential trainers. And he will be one of them. Aa little while later, Ash will get off the bus, and he will look around, and sees three individuals who catch his attention, one boy, and 2 girls. The boy is named Gary Oak, the grandson of Professor Oak. He and Ash have been fighting since they met when they met at their school, where they learn about Pokemon and the jobs associated with Pokemon. It is very likely that both Ash and Gary will have an intense rivalry when they become trainers, and while neither one of the kids will admit it to each other, Ash and Gary know that they have immense potential in their own ways. Ash knows that Gary is pretty great at tactics and has great knowledge about Pokemon, which is to be expected form someone who is the grandson of Professor Oak. Gary acknowledges that Ash can form deeper relationships with Pokemon, as any Pokemon that seems to encounter Ash seems to like him instantly. This has been a thing at their school, and none of the teachers can really explain it. Ash is also really good at adapting to any situation, particularly in battles, as even when it seems he is backed into a corner, he can adapt and overcome anything. He also isn't a bad strategist either, and, as much as he doesn't want to admit it, could become better than him given the right resources. But he always seems to shine the brightest when under pressure, and that is great for any Pokemon trainer. Both trainers know that they can easily get the sponsorship, they just have to show up and do their thing. Ash and Gary will take a long stare at each other, before Gary gives him a look, and Ash grins, as he is being challenged and he likes that. One of the girls Ash sees is named Leaf Evergreen. She goes to the same school as Ash and Gary. all three are from Pallet Town, and have in their own ways shown to be extremely proficient students, and look to have a bright future as Pokemon Trainers. Leaf has a bit of balance to her. She doesn't excel in anything really, more of a jack of all trades type of trainer. She can form bonds with Pokemon, she can strategize well, she can perform under pressure, and she has good Pokemon knowledge. She's not as great as Ash and Gary when it comes to these areas of skill, but she can definitely hold her own, and use all of them to her advantage. Leaf smiles at Ash and wishes him good luck, and Ash will smile back.

The second girl is a person Ash has never seen before. Which causes Ash to go up to her, and introduce himself, because she seems incredibly nervous, more so than him when he was riding the bus. Ash goes up to her and says "Hey". The girl turns around, and she nervously says hi back. Ash will say "I can tell you are nervous. Don't sweat it. I was extremely nervous on the ride over here, but I've calmed down quite a bit. Sometimes, you have to find people who will challenge you or can help calm your nerves down. Essentially a rival or a friend" The girls says "Do you have those type of people in your life?" Ash nods, and says "Over there is someone who I consider to be my rival, Gary. And on the other side, is someone who I more so consider to be my friend, Leaf." The girl is in awe of this boy. Ash will then realize he hasn't introduced himself, will blush in embarrassment, and will say "I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Ash, what's yours?" The girl smiles, and will say "My name is Serena. It's nice to meet you Ash." Ash will say "nice to meet you too Serena. I've never seen you before in my hometown or school." Serena will say "That's because I'm from the Kalos region." Ash will be surprised, and asks "Isn't that faraway?" Serena will nod, and will talk about how her and her mom came over via plane. Ash will then remember something about Kalos: It has the highest age requirement to become a trainer out of every other region in the world, at 16 years of age. Ash will say "Doesn't Kalos have a high age requirement to become a trainer." Serena nods, and says "That is true, but my mom told me about a loophole. If you are able to get a sponsorship from one of the other regions, you can become a trainer earlier, based on the age requirements of that region, but you won't get a Kalos starter until you are 16. Instead, you get a Kanto starter." Ash's eyes light up, and will say "REALLY!" Serena will say "Yep. Professor Sycamore is the only professor who has two sets of starter pokemon each year.." Ash will then say "Which one are you gonna pick?! WHICH ONE ARE YOU GONNA PICK?!" Serena giggles at Ash's antics, and says "I have to pass one of these camps first. But it will definitely be Bulbasaur, because I really want Fennekin." Ash nods in understanding "I would pick Charmander, but Bulbasaur is a cool Pokemon. Though what about Squirtle?" Serena will say "I just don't think it fits me." Ash nods again in understanding, and will say "I'm sure you will get a sponsorship, It may not be here, but you will get a sponsorship, trust me." Serena blushes, and says "I don't think I'm that good…" Ash will say "Nonsense, you came all the way here from Kalos to the Kanto region. That has to count for something, right?" Serena thinks for a bit, and says "I guess you're right. That isn't necessarily easy to do." Ash smiles, and says "Look, even if you don't get picked here, I'm sure you will get picked the next time you go to another professor's camp." I'm sure of it." Serena looks to Ash, and smiles, and says "Thank you Ash." Ash smiles, and says "No problem Serena. The camp is about to start, so let's head to the cabin." Serena nods, and both will head to the main cabin.

Oak will give a speech, talking about the importance of the summer camp, but even if they don't get the sponsorship, they should make sure they have fun. He wishes all the potential trainers good luck, and the camp begins. The events at the camp include some mild exercises and activities, before the real exercises with pokemon begin, which is who can bond with a Dratini. The Dratini would open itself to those it felt were worthy of its presence, and if someone could tame a dragon type just off of interacting with it, they definitely should be in consideration for a sponsorship. Out of all the trainers, 3 trainers are able to tame the dragon, in Leaf, Gary, and Serena. This makes the 3 of them pretty pleased with themselves. Ash stands out the most when it comes to interacting with the dragon. Ash goes out to touch Dratini then allows itself to be pet, and even snuggles up to Ash, which it did not do for anyone else. Oak smiles, as this is definitely a good sign for this boy's future, and if he can become friends with a Dragon Type like this, he should definitely become a sponsored trainer,. Gary gets this look of "Of course." While Serena and Leaf are in awe. Serena asks "How is Dratini opening itself to Ash like that?" Gary decides to answer her question "Since I've known Ash, he has been able to form deep bonds with pokemon. He also can somehow understand what they are saying." Serena asks "Wait, right away? Without having to capture and bond with the pokemon." Gary nods, and Serena stares at him in awe. The next activity is berry hunting, and the kids will go into the forest to search for the berries they have to find. Ash will be able to eventually find the berries he needs, but then he hears a pained cry, and will see that Serena has hurt her ankle. Ash decides to step in and help her. Serena will see Ash, and is glad to see someone come to help her. She says "I'm sorry you have to see me like this and potentially waste time collecting berries." Ash will say "It's not a big deal, plus, I've collected all the berries already. Here, let me help wrap your ankle with this." Ash takes out and rips out the cloth from his berry basket, and wraps up Serena's ankle, and will help her up. He asks if she has collected all her berries, and Serena says she just needs one more, and its a yache berry. Ash decides to help Serena find her berry.

A little while later, Oak and the other kids wonder where Serena and Ash are, as they are the only kids missing. Just as Oak is about to send some workers to investigate, a boy carrying a girl on his back emerges. It's Ash and Serena. Oak will ask "Ash! Serena! There you are! Where have you two been" Ash will explain what happened, and Oak will praise Ash for doing a good job. He calls for a camp worker to send Serena to the nurse, and the camp will end off its first day. Oak will tell Ash Serena will be fine, she just needs some rest, but she probably will have to miss the rest of the camp. Ash is upset at this, but Oak tells Ash to not fret, as he will pay for Serena's next camp, since he felt bad for her getting injured on the first day. Ash feels a bit better hearing this, and Oak will allow Ash to go visit Serena. Serena is upset about how everything turned out.. Ash walks in, and Serena at least smiles seeing Ash again, but is still upset that this happened. Ash will say "Don't sweat it. Remember, I said that even if you don't get a sponsorship here, you will get it in the next region. I just know you will." Serena looked at Ash and thought to herself "Ash, you said that you have to have people who motivate you through battling, like a rival, or someone who you can rely on to help calm your nerves, a friend. But Ash, what if I told you that I have found a third type of person. I don't know what to call it yet, but you might be that type of person." Serena will blush a bit, and will say "Thank you Ash. I've never had someone be so kind to me before." Ash will say "No problem. I hope we meet again someday." Serena will say "So do I." And that would be the last Ash would see of Serena, but he would keep in touch with her via video call. And Serena would figure out what that third type of person is: Someone you love. Whether or not it is just a crush, she at least knows Ash motivates her in ways that a friend can't do. But that is for another time. Ash would then keep going through the rest of the trials, and he passes them with flying colors.

A lone god from his own dimension would be watching this camp with great interest, as the god has become very interested in this Ash boy. Is he the trainer from his vision? Only one way to find out. Arceus looks at Ash, and sees if there is something special about him, and there is: Aura. He has the ability to use Aura. This is definitely a revelation. It is in its infant stages, specifically because Ash is a young boy, but if he is able to train it, he would definitely be a fearsome trainer. It does explain why Ash can form bonds with pokemon very quickly, because those with Aura can understand pokemon. Not in perfect English, not until later, but still a very useful tool. Pokemon will also gravitate towards someone with aura, because those with aura usually radiate some type of warmth about them, which can make even the most hostile pokemon bond with them. Arceus looks and says "I don't sense aura from the others in this camp, nor in the other camps as well. It has to be him. But I need to see more from him."

In the next trial, the kids will be given rental pokemon and battle with them. In this trial, 3 trainers stand out, in Ash, Leaf, and Gary. Professor Oak has a feeling he knows who he is gonna give his sponsorships to. Gary after a tough battle with Leaf will face off against Ash in a final battle, and both will tie. Gary had shown a good strategy, but Ash proved to adapt well to the challenge, able to end the battle in a tie. Booth trainers had definitely showed up today. Oak is proud of both trainers. At then end of the camp, Oak will give out his final speech. "I am very proud of everyone who has participated in this camp. A lot of you have shown a lot of potential as trainers. And for the first time in a while, I wanted to give out my sponsorships. To three people. Ash Ketchum, Gary Oak, and Leaf Evergreen, step forward." Ash, Gary, and Leaf will step forward. Oak will say "Congratulations, you three have earned a sponsorship from me. I will be teaching you guys the ins and outs of pokemon and ho9w to be trainers for the next 4 years, and you will receive the 3 starters from me. However, know this. I can revoke this anytime I want, until the day I give you your pokedex, so make sure you work hard over these next 4 years." All three of them nod, and will celebrate when they receive their certificates. Meanwhile, in another dimension, Arceus looks at all this and sees that Ash might just be the person he is looking for. He had shown good battle prowess, showed ability to bond with his pokemon, and doesn't give up when facing adversity. Arceus thinks to himself, and says "I cannot wait to see how powerful you are in 4 years when you start your journey, young Ash."

4 years later.

An alarm can be heard in a little house in Pallet town. And if we look a little bit closely, we will see an 11 year old boy getting ready to start his journey. "The boy will say to himself "It's really happening. I'm really gonna start my journey today to become a Pokemon master." The boy goes downstairs, and will see that his mom has already cooked breakfast for him. She says "Good Morning Ash." Ash says good morning back to her. Delia will ask "Do you know which Pokemon you are gonna choose.?" Ash will say "Mom, you've known the choice for years. I could never not choose Charmander" Delia says "Of course." After having some breakfast, Ash will head over to the lab, as his journey is ready to begin. When he reaches the lab, he sees two other individuals arrive there as well: Gary Oak, and Leaf Evergreen Gary says "Well, if it isn't old Ashy Boy. You ready to pick a starter?." Ash smiles, and says "Well yes, and I can't wait to use it to kick your butt every time we battle." Gary smiles, and says "We'll see about that." Leaf will jump in, and say "Both of you talking about battling right now is making me excited form this. I can't wait to get Bulbasaur." Gary will smirk and say "It won't have anything on Squirtle." Ash jumps in, and says "Both won't have anything on Charmander."

All three of them just smile, and then they hear someone say "I see all three of you are excited today." They turn around and realize it is professor Oak. Oak says "It has been a fun 4 years. All to prepare you all for this moment. Are you ready to meet the starters?" All three kids nod, and head inside the lab. Oak will look to the three of them, and will say "These are the starters you 3 have been waiting for for 4 years. Here they are." Oak throws them all out, and will say "I have a feeling I know which ones you're gonna choose. But let's do this one at a time. Leaf, you're up first." Leaf goes up to a Bulbasaur, and says "Hey Bulbasaur, I'm Leaf. I can't wait for us to start our journey together." Bulbasaur goes up to her and licks her, and Leaf giggles. Oak says "Ash, you're next." Ash goes up to Charmander, and will say "Hey Charmander. I am so excited to begin my journey with you. I hope to make you the strongest Charizard you can be, and I know you will help complete my dream of becoming a Pokemon Master." The Charmander is shocked a bit by Ash, as it has in a way wanted to become a Charizard, and if this kid is serious, then he will be the strongest Charizard possible. And this Pokemon Master goal sounds interesting, so Charmander should stick with this trainer. Charmander hugs his trainers, and Ash hugs the lizard back. Gary is last, and he takes Squirtle, the Pokemon he has wanted since the beginning. Gary will go up to Squirtle, and will say "Hey Squirtle, let's become strong together, and also kick old Ashy Boy's butt." Gary would probably say another word, but Oak would not like hearing it, so he substituted butt with it. Ash looks to Gary, and says "Dang, we haven't even started our journeys yet, and you're already lying to your pokemon." Gary will say "We'll see who's lying to whose Pokemon when I beat you in the Indigo Plateau one year from now." Both boys will have lightning form their foreheads, and Leaf will cough and say "Ahem." and Gary and Ash will calm down.

Oak then says "Now that you have your Pokemon, here is the next gift you get from me: Mega Stones." Leaf, Gary, and Ash's eyes widen in wonder, as they know what mega evolution is. Oak will say "You will be tasked with holding onto these stones. You will get the keystone later when your Pokemon are fully evolved. Use the stones as motivation during your training. Not that you need any more of it. The three kids will thank Professor Oak. Oak finally says "You three will be on a journey like no other. Not many trainers will get my sponsorship, and yet I thought the three of you were worthy enough of these starter Pokemon when I saw how you did at the camp. I can't do anything else right now, but to say this: Good luck on your journey, and remember, don't do anything stupid." The three trainers will nod, receive their Pokedexes, and will go on their way. They will say goodbye to their parents, and all three will go their separate ways.

Ash decides to take a look at his Charmander, and looks up its moves. The Charmander has the ability Blaze, and the hidden ability solar power, which is locked. Pokemon can have one of two regular abilities, and with hard training, they can unlock those hidden abilities. The strongest Pokemon will always have one of their regular abilities, and their hidden abilities, and it is the mark of a strong trainer to have both types of abilities. Ash then checks the moveset of his Chamrander, and sees it has the standard moves in scratch and leer, and also has the moves ember and smokescreen. The Charmander also had the egg moves Dragon Rush, Flare Blitz and Bite, but they were locked. Charmander was definitely a strong Pokemon. A Pokemon can learn an infinite number of moves, but it is based on the strength of the pokemon, the training it does for each move, and the bond between Pokemon and Trainer. There are also times where moves can upgrade into more powerful ones.. For example, ember can be upgraded into Flamethrower as a Pokemon trains and grows. Or evolves, because you are never gonna see a Charizard or and Arcanine use ember. Now, with egg moves, they are in the same boat as hidden abilities. They are locked like hidden abilities, and will only be unlocked after hard training. Egg moves come from breeding, and some of the moves the parent had. It can be more than one from each parent, but it is always at least one move from each parent. Ash looks at Charmander, and says "You seem to be a really strong Charmander. These moves are insane." Charmander just flexes.

Ash will then tell Charmander to stop, and sees a Pokemon he didn't really expect to see: A Nidoran Male. These Pokemon can evolve into Nidoking, a very powerful Poison and Ground type Pokemon, and one of the strongest Pokemon in Kanto. Ash tells Charmander "Charmander, it's time for your first battle." Charmander is excited. Nidoran sees the challenger, and gets ready to fight. Ash says "Charmander, use ember." Charmander unleashes an ember attack, and it strikes the Nidoran. The Nidoran will go in for peck, but Ash will tell Charmander to dodge it. Ash commands Charmander to use ember again, and it will hit the Nidoran again. Ash would tell Charmander to use scratch, but is worried about the Nidoran having Poison Point, an ability that can poison a pokemon if it makes physical contact with it. Ash then remembers the lectures from Oak, about being very careful with certain Pokemon because of their abilities, as it can potentially cause status ailments if they are not careful. The example Oak used, Nidoran and its Poison Point; Nidoran will try to go for leer, but Charmander will use leer back, and both will be cancelled out. Ash then calls from Charmander to use ember again, and this time, it hits the NIdoran hard. Ash, feeling that the Pokemon is weak enough, throws a Pokeball, and the Pokemon will be in the ball. Ash then thinks back to the lecture where Oak told everyone about what to do when capturing a Pokemon. He always stressed throwing a pokeball when it was weakened enough. And to always keep their guards up, because depending on the Pokemon, if they don't capture said Pokemon, they could summon more Pokemon, such as a Spearow summoning its flock, and making their days a living nightmare. Ash looks at the ball. One shake, two shakes, three shakes. Click. Ash has caught his first Pokemon. And for Charmander, it is happy, because it won its first battle.

Ash then releases the Nidoran, and will say "Hey, welcome to my team Nidoran. I'm sorry about the pain me and Charmander inflicted on you earlier, let me help you." Nidoran looks at Ash curiously, and will see him take out some potions and food. Flashback to an Oak quote: "Always make sure you heal the Pokemon you have caught after you catch them. And maybe also give it some food. You don't have to do it, but it is common courtesy to any Pokemon, and they are sentient creatures. Treat them with respect, and they are sure to respect you." "As if I would ever leave a Pokemon out to starve and lick its wounds" Ash said to himself. Ash give Nidoran the potion. It does sting a little bit, but Nidoran feels a bit better afterwards. Ash then gives Nidoran some food,. And it happily munches on that. Ash says "Nidoran, mark my words when I say this. I want to make you the strongest you can be, and I hope you can help me accomplish my dream of becoming a Pokemon master. I will warn you, my training will be tough." Charmander nodded, as Ash had shown the lizard the training schedule Ash had planned for it, and while it looked hard, Charmander knew that it would have to work hard if he wanted to be the strongest he could be. Plus, Ash did not seem to be the type of trainer who would push his Pokemon over their limits. If they were exhausted, he would give them the rest. Nidoran took that as a challenge, and said something on the lines of "Bring it on." This human was interesting, and it did want to become a powerful Nidoking, so why not put trust in this kid. Nidoran tried to lift up it's small paws, but they were a bit short, but Ash saw what the Pokemon was doing, so he fist bumped the Nidoran, and then pet it on its head, around where the horn was.

Meanwhile, Arceus was looking down form his dimension, and said "The boy has finally started his journey. His development has been amazing, but that's what happens when you are taught by a Professor like Oak. His aura seems to have gotten stronger as well. Ho Oh seems to be passing over Kanto. I wonder what he's up to." Arceus then telepathically communicates with Ho Oh. "Ho oh, what are you doing?" Ho Oh responds with "I'm going to reveal myself to the kid and give him my blessing." Arceus's eyes widen. "So, you think he is the one from…" Ho Oh cuts him off saying "It is very possible. I've been watching him for a long time, and I think what you've been saying about him is true." He's not fully ready yet to face his destiny, but he definitely has a lot of potential, and him heaving aura only makes things better." Arceus says "More and more I have been convinced that he is the trainer from my vision. And the fact that you are willing to give him your blessing only confirms my beliefs." Ho Oh nods, and says "By the way, when does it all start, if I may ask?" Arceus will say "Soon. My visions of this darkness have become clearer, and it shows smaller evils using legendary Pokemon for their nefarious purposes that could destroy the world, but based on the visions, it's possible they are taken down by the trainer in my visions. But then, from the ashes of those teams, a greater evil will envelop- the world, and will make the chaos the previous organizations caused look like child's play." Ho Oh nods, and says "Sounds like the boy has a long journey ahead of him." Arceus nods, and says "Yes. I don't fully know if he can stop this evil. Heck, he might not be able to take down the smaller evils. But he may be our last hope, as I don't sense the same hope and promise from anyone else." Ho Oh will say "Agreed. I'm almost near the kid, I'm about to reveal myself to him. See you later, Father." Arceus nods, and will say goodbye to Ho Oh.

Meanwhile, Ash is with his Pokemon, about to return his Pokemon to their Pokeballs, when all of a sudden, he sees a Pokemon flying overhead. Ash takes out his Pokedex, and when he sees the Pokedex identify it has Ho Oh, he freaks out. Ho Oh hasn't shown itself for 100s of years, and the fact he is the first person to see it is insane. Ash has also heard lore about Ho Oh . It is said that those who see Ho Oh are blessed with eternal happiness, and are destined food greatness. It is almost like they are blessed by a god. Ash will say "Well, Charmander, Nidoran. I guess our regular quest has just become a divine quest." Charmander and Nidoran nod with Ash in agreement. What is in store for Ash? Find out, as the Journey continues.