Chapter 1

What goes on, everybody?

I had this idea rolling around in my head for a while, and I finally decided to write a Pokemon fic. This is my first Pokemon fic, but I have been playing Pokemon for 17 years, as well as watching the anime. (I've watched all of the Indigo League, Orange Islands, Johto Journeys, and the Hoenn League. I watched Daimond and Pearl off an on, Black and White off and on, and I've watched all of Pokemon XY that's on netflix) So I'm pretty savvy in Pokemon, or so I like to think.

This story is going to be my interpretation of Ash's Pokemon journey. Ash will be catching more than the ones he caught in canon. He will catch rare Pokemon, but it won't be a common thing. It's going to be one, maybe two rare Pokemon per region. The other Pokemon are going to be common to uncommon, but still encounterable.

So, please enjoy Ash's Story.

Special thanks to my beta, Chibiusa. She's also a Pokemon fanatic, so some of the things in this story will be her ideas.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Pallet Town. If one was asked to describe the town, many would call it quiet, quaint, and homely. There was no hustle or bustle like many of the larger cities in Kanto. The roads weren't paved like the large cities either. Simple dirt roads, lined with cute little houses with white picket fences. At the end of the main road was the infamous Oak Research Laboratory.

The Oak Lab was the pinnacle of the town, resting on the largest hill in the small valley. Behind the lab was a large grassy plain that connected with a small forest. Pokemon of all different types, species, and from different regions peacefully resided; playing, training, and enjoying the quiet life in the quiet town.

Every summer, however, the quiet little town was brought to life with the annual Oak Summer Camp. Children from all over Kanto and other regions, attended the camp in hopes of learning and interacting with Pokemon. Professor Oak himself taught the children all there was to know about Pokemon.

As fate would have it, the annual Oak Summer Camp was scheduled to start today.

Ash Ketchum was a typical nine year-old boy: energetic, happy-go-lucky, kind hearted, and very passionate about Pokemon. He constantly talked about how he was going to grow up and go on a Pokemon Journey, just like his dad.

He sat at his kitchen table, shoveling the breakfast his mother made him into his mouth. He turned towards his mother, who was washing dishes in the kitchen sink. It was just him and his mom now. His dad was on his own journey, catching and training Pokemon from all over the world. He would call and check in every so often, and would come home for the holidays. But he could tell it was affecting his mom more than she let on.

Delia Ketchum was a kind and gentle woman, who loved her family more than anything else. Being a former Pokemon trainer, she was more than supportive of her husband's dream to travel and become stronger, as well as her son's similar dream. Deciding to follow her husband's footsteps, she followed her own dream and opened a small cafe in the quite town. Delia's talent for cooking and baking was an instant hit, and with the summer camp starting, her business was always much more busy with all the children in town.

"Ash, honey." Delia smiled, turning towards her son. "You need to get ready. It's almost time to go to Professor Oak's lab."

"Okay Mom. I'm done anyways." The boy smiled, taking his plate to the sink for his mom. "I'll be over to help you at the cafe once camp let's out for the day."

Delia smiled, kissing Ash on the forehead and scooting him along to get ready.

Ash ran up to his room to change for the day. He put on a white t-shirt with a red trim around the collar and end of the sleeves, and a pair of blue shorts. He put on some socks and his black sneakers and rushed back downstairs.

"Okay Mom! I'm heading out now." He said, approaching the woman.

Delia smiled and kissed her son's forehead again. "Have fun, Sweety. Remember to play nice with Gary." She reminded.

Ash groaned. "But he's such a jerk! Just because he's the Professor's grandson, he thinks he's the best thing ever." He pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.

Delia giggled and placed a hand on Ash's messy hair. "I know, Honey. Just try and play nice, okay?"

Ash nodded and hugged his mom goodbye, running out the door.

Ash ran down the dirt path that lead to the laboratory, waving and greeting anyone that he passed. As he grew closer to the lab, he could see children being invited into the lab. He rushed to the front door and walked inside, greeting the assistant that was there.

"Hi Alena!" Ash beamed.

"Hello Ash. It's good to see you. You excited for camp this year?" She asked. Alena was one of Professor Oak's most dedicated assistants. She was tall and had bubblegum pink hair tied into a bun on top of her head. She wore a lab coat over her lavender blouse and charcoal gray pencil skirt. Alena was also a favorite of Ash and Gary. They consistently fought for her attention, wanting the beautiful woman to dote on them.

Ash blushed and nodded. "Yup! I'm so excited!"

Alena giggled and ruffled Ash's hair. "Good. Why don't you head out to the corral. Gary and some of the other children are already gathering out there."

Ash nodded again and bid farewell to the assistant, rushing outside. Once outside, he saw a bunch of children sitting together and chatting. As he scanned the children, one spiky haired boy caught his attention. He walked over to him and sat down.

"Hey Gary." Ash greeted politely.

"Well well, if it isn't Ashy-Boy." Gary snickered. "Here to learn all you can about Pokemon?" He said mockingly.

Ash growled and ignored Gary's statement. He saw a girl with long brown hair and brown eyes sitting next to Gary. She looked just as annoyed as he felt.

"Hey Leaf! I haven't seen you in a while." He greeted happily. Leaf was one of his best friends, along with Gary. All three of them had grown up in Pallet, playing and studying together. "How was Hoenn?"

Leaf smiled at Ash, happy to have someone who wasn't Gary, to talk to. "It was okay. There are so many beaches in Hoenn." She giggled. "Almost every town I went to was next to the ocean."

Ash nodded. "Awesome! Did you meet any cool Pokemon?" He asked, more interested in that aspect.

Gary leaned in closer as well, not wanting to miss the chance to hear about some cool Pokemon.

Leaf nodded, pulling out her Pokegear. "Yeah! One of the towns I went to had a day care, where I got to play with some of the Pokemon. Look!" She said handing Ash the Pokegear.

Ash pressed a few buttons and brought up a couple of pictures. There were a few Pokemon he recognized: Eevee, Pikachu, and Zigzagoon. But there were a few he didn't.

"What's this Pokemon?" He said showing the girl the picture. The Pokemon was a green, lizard looking Pokemon with a red, jagged stripe on it's belly.

"That's a Kecleon! They're kind of rare in Hoenn, apparently. That was one of the Daycare worker's Pokemon. He was so friendly! And he's really good at hide-and-seek." She giggled.

Gary blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? How's that? Could he turn invisible?" He asked sarcastically.

"Yes, actually." Leaf smirked.

Gary blushed slightly with anger and turned with a pout.

Leaf continued with her explanation, smiling at the two boys. "He's able to blend in with his surroundings. Well...except for his red stripe. That's how I always found him." She giggled again.

"What are these Pokemon?" Ash asked, trying to defuse the tension between Leaf and Gary.

Leaf looked over at the picture, Gary sneaking a glance out of the corner of his eye. "Oh!" Leaf beamed. "That's Swablu and Altaria! They're flying types, and Altaria seconds as a dragon type!" She gushed. "Their wings were so soft...like a cloud." She sighed contently.

"Woah...that's a dragon type? That's so cool! I'd love to have an Altaria one day!" Ash exclaimed, handing Leaf back her Pokegear.

"You want a lot of Pokemon, Ash." Leaf teased.

"Yeah! I want to catch 'em all!" He shouted, throwing his hands up in the air for emphasis.

Gary scoffed. "Like you could. You're a loser, Ashy-Boy! I bet you won't even make it to the Pokemon League your first year." Gary said, throwing Ash a cocky grin.

Ash growled and clenched his fists. He wanted nothing more than to tackle the spiky-haired jerk and rub his face in the dirt and force him to apologize. But he promised his mom he would try and be nice.

Before Ash could throw Gary any sort of retort, he heard someone loudly clear his throat.

Ash, along with the rest of the children turned to the noise. Children gasped and awed at the older man standing before them.

"Hello everyone! And welcome to this years Summer Camp!" The professor greeted. "My name is Samuel Oak and I am the Pokemon Professor of the Kanto region, as well as your main camp counselor." He chuckled. "Who's ready to get started?"

All the children cheered, throwing their fists up to cheer.

"Now...before we get started, there is one thing I wanted to inform you children. I know some of you are ten years old, or will be turning ten this coming year." He said, looking at Pallet Town's three prodigy children: Ash, Gary, and Leaf. "Now...that means you'll be starting on your Pokemon journey, correct?"

Many of the children nodded.

"Well...as much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, the Pokemon League has upped the age limit to when a child can start their Pokemon journey."

"What?!" Gary shouted.

"That's not fair!" Ash chimed in. "They can't do that!"

Leaf didn't say anything, but she did look rather disappointed, as well as many of the other children who were getting ready to begin their journey.

"I understand you are all disappointed. I know it isn't an ideal situation, but it is what the League has decided." The older Professor sighed.

"Why did they decide this, Professor?" Leaf asked, raising her hand.

"A good question, Miss Green." Oak nodded. "There are several reasons, actually." He started. "One is...ten year-olds are not mature enough to handle being on their own at such a young age."

"That's not true!" Yelled one boy in group.

"Yeah! I'm way more mature than these losers!" Gary boasted, puffing his chest out in pride.

Oak narrowed his eyes at his grandson, who shrunk under the glare. Oak cleared his throat again, continuing his lecture. "Yes...well then, how many of you know how to set up a tent? Or know how to prepare your own food without the use of a stove or microwave? Who knows which berries are safe to eat for humans? What should you if you were to fall sick out in the wild?"

Oak scanned the large group of children, waiting for any one of them to answer. "As I said...you are not mature enough to handle to stress and challenges that are faced with traveling." He said firmly. "Secondly, the Pokemon world is a dangerous place. While many Pokemon are friendly and do not mind the presence of humans, there are some that will attack you without any given warning. Children and adults have been hurt and even killed because of rampaging Pokemon. And not just rampaging Pokemon. I've seen too many reports of missing children because they've gotten lost in the woods or caves. The League wants children to be more prepared before setting off on their journey." Oak lectured.

"So...do we have to wait until we're adults to go on a journey?" Ash asked quietly, afraid of the answer.

Oak chuckled and shook his head. "No Ash, my boy. The League has decided that children are able to start their journey at the age of 14. They believe that is enough time for children to learn how to care for themselves when out in the wild."

Ash, along with the other attendees sighed in relief.

"Now...usually my Summer Camp consists of fun and games, along with interacting with Pokemon. But this year, I've decided to do something different." Oak smirked when he saw the children lean forward, waiting for him to speak again. "I've decided this Summer that I, along with several of my assistants, will begin to prepare you for your journeys."

Children gasped, and others began to smile.

"What will you teach us, Professor?!" One girl exclaimed loudly.

"Will we not interact with the Pokemon?" Another girl asked quietly.

"Now now." Oak said, trying to settle some of the children. "We will still have a lot of fun doing scavenger hunts, and interacting with Pokemon. I've come up with a schedule that will allow us to do all sorts of things. In the morning, I will be teaching you what you need to know as a trainer: camping, cooking, map reading, and other lessons that will help you on your journey." He nodded. "Then in the afternoon, we will be interacting with the Pokemon here at the ranch, some arts and crafts, as well as games."

"So basically...it's school in the morning, and play time in the afternoon." Gary scoffed. "I didn't come to camp to go to school." He sighed. He grunted in pain when he felt a sharp elbow meet his ribcage.

Leaf frowned at Gary. "Stop it." She said firmly. "You're being mean."

Gary's eyes widened slightly, turning from Leaf with a huff. He frowned up at his grampa, expecting some sort of punishment, but the old man just sighed.

"Alright children." Oak said, clapping his hands. "There are several stations set up where we will begin the morning lessons. Everyone is to form an orderly line by Miss Alena," He said, motioning towards his pink-haired assistant. "And she will give you a color. There are four colors. Everyone will get into your groups based on the color you receive, and you will pick a Pokemon based on that color. That will be your group name, and your teams for the rest of camp." Oak said with a nod. "Alright everyone. Line up and we'll get started."

Everyone lined up in front of Alena, Gary pushing his way to the front. People rolled their eyes at his antics, used to his 'holier than thou' complex.

When it was Ash's turn, he blushed and smiled brightly when he stood in front of Alena. "Hi Alena! What color am I getting?" He asked, holding out his hand.

"You have yellow, Mister Ketchum." She smiled. "They're meeting over there." She said pointing to the group.

Ash looked over and groaned. Gary was in group yellow...

"Sorry Ash. It wasn't on purpose." Alena said with a sympathetic smile.

"It's okay Alena." He smiled and walked over to his group.

"Look who it is! It's Ashy-Boy! I see you're lucky enough to be on my team." Gary said proudly.

"Yeah, whatever." Ash grumbled. He stood with the rest of his group. He watched Leaf get her card and head towards a different group. He sighed in defeat; looks like he was dealing with Gary alone, then.

Once the groups were sorted, the group decided on the team name, Team Abra, and went to the first lesson station: camping and cooking.

One of Oak's assistants, Richard, taught the group. He explained how to set up a campsite, and how to pitch a tent, which he made every child attempt. Of course, no one got it on the first try; Gary boasted how his attempt was best.

After everyone attempted to pitch the tent, the assistant had several piles of wood set up.

"Alright children. Now...We're also going to learn how to set up a campfire."

"Feh! I don't need to know that if I have Charmander as my starter." Gary said with a flick of his hand.

"True," the assistant smirked. "But what if you don't get Charmander? Or any of the fire starters of your region? What if you don't catch a fire type at all? How will you build a fire then?" Richard was well adept in putting Gary in his place. He saw Gary pout and look away, something the boy did when he was proven wrong.

"As I said," He said kneeling down beside a pile of wood. "Something you should always carry is a flint and steel. It's a little old school, but they're more reliable than matches." The man stated, pulling out the flint and steel from his lab coat pocket.

Richard explained how to use the items, and showed them by starting a campfire with the flint and steel. "You won't be using these today. But I want you to know that these are very valuable in a trainers reservoir."

As Richard finished his sentence, a whistle blew, signaling changing of the stations. The yellow group went to their next station, which was cooking. The lesson on cooking wasn't even how to cook, more along the lines of what valuable cooking tools someone should bring when they leave on their journey: a small camping stove, a small pot, and a set of cutlery. There was also talk about what kind of foods would be beneficial to bring for the journey: such as dehydrated foods like jerky or instant soups and stews, trail mix, and the all important water. The assistant also started on which berries were safe to eat out in the wild.

The next station was with Alena, and she went over Pokemon care. She explained Pokemon need grooming, whether it could be baths, haircuts, brushing, massages, and sometimes special oils and lotions for Pokemon. She also started explaining the dietary needs of Pokemon. While all Pokemon were omnivores, some needed more meat than berries or plants.

The final station was with Professor Oak, and he went over the behavior and habitats of Pokemon in the Kanto region. He started with the three starter Pokemon of the region, explaining each habitat in detail and their behaviors thoroughly.

By the end of the last station, it was time for lunch. The assistants all handed out bagged lunches to the children, consisting of sandwiches, some kind of fruit, carrot or celery sticks, and a juice box.

Ash got his lunch and found Leaf sitting by herself, under one of the trees on the ranch. Ash smiled and sat down next to his friend, reaching into his lunch bag.

"Hey Leaf."

"Hi Ash." She smiled. "How were your stations?" She asked, taking a bite of an apple.

"It was okay, I guess." the raven-haired boy shrugged. "Gary was bragging about how he was the best camper, and how he could set the tent up the best." He said in his best Gary voice.

Leaf laughed at Ash's impression, giving him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, Ash."

"It's okay, Leaf. I mean...I know Gary's gone camping with Professor Oak before, so I can understand why he thinks he knows about how to camp." Ash shrugged, taking a bite out of his peanut butter sandwich. "But I think the worst was when Professor Oak was telling us about Pokemon habitats and behaviors. He wasn't listening to his grandpa and just...didn't seem to care. I mean...that was the coolest thing we learned today!" He exclaimed.

Leaf nodded her head. "I know! I was so cool! I want to see every Pokemon there is!"

Ash and Leaf continued their conversation as they ate their lunch.

Once lunch was over, it was time for fun. The children were able to choose any station they wanted today. They were given the choice of arts and crafts, board games, or playing on the play structure that was on the ranch (which was usually used for the younger Pokemon to play on).

Ash and Leaf went to play on the structure, with a lot of the other children. The two switched stations several times, doing some arts and crafts, and they played a few board games with some of the other kids. They even tried to get Gary to play a game of Candyland with them, but Gary claimed the game was for babies and went and did his own thing.

By 4 pm, Oak had dismissed the children for the day. Several children, including Ash, Leaf, and Gary bid the professor goodbye and went home. The other children were staying at the Professor's lab in smaller living quarters that was built for these summer camps and live-in interns.

Ash walked with Leaf and Gary back towards town. Gary was rambling on about how his team was the best team there was. Ash and Leaf tuned him out, walking in silence. When the trio finally reached town, Leaf was the first to leave.

"Bye guys! I'll see you tomorrow." She waved, running towards her house.

"Bye Leaf!"Ash waved with a smile.

Gary gave a small wave without saying anything. He turned towards Ash with a smirk. "Well, what are you going to do now, Ashy-Boy?"

Ash shrugged. "I have to go to the cafe. Mom might need help closing it up for the day."

"Aaw! That's so cute." Gary said, grabbing hold of one of Ash's cheeks. "Going to help your mommy."

Ash growled and shoved Gary.

Gary stumbled backwards, falling onto his but. He looked up at Ash, with a mix of shock and anger. "What the heck, Ash?! Why'd you push me?!"

Ash clenched his fists, his body shaking. "Because you're being a jerk!" Ash screamed. Tears started to well up in the raven-haired boy's eyes. "You've been one of my best friends since forever and you do nothing but be mean to me and Leaf, and make fun of us! That's not what friend's do!"

Gary sat there on the ground, staring at the boy with wide eyes.

"Wh-What'd we do to make you be so mean to us, huh?! What'd we do...?" He said, using his arm to cover his eyes. Tears could be seen cascading down his cheeks, dripping off the ends of his chin.

Gary slowly stood up and stared at his friend, listening to the boy's crying. After what seemed like an eternity, Gary finally let out a sigh.

"Nothing. You didn't do anything..." He said softly, turning and walking away from Ash.

Ash watched his friend leave, sniffling to himself. He wiped away the remaining tears and walked to his mom's cafe.

When he reached the cafe, he walked inside and saw his mother wipe down one of the tables.

"H-Hi Mom." He said softly.

"Ash, Sweety! How was your first day of Summer Camp?" Delia asked, straightening up.

"Oh...it was good." He said, forcing a smile. He immediately started helping his mother, grabbing chairs and stacking them on the table.

Delia eyed her son for a moment, but returned to cleaning off the tables. "What'd you do today, Sweetheart?"

"Hmm...well, Professor Oak told everyone that we can't start our journey next year." He complained with a pout. "He said the Pokemon League thought being ten means we're too young..."

Delia silently sighed in relief. While she wanted her son to live out his dream, she wasn't comfortable with him going out into the world at ten years-old! She turned to her son, with a soft gaze. "Don't worry, Sweetheart. I know it's hard to wait, but you'll be able to travel soon."

Ash sighed. "Yeah...I know. Professor Oak is teaching us things we need to know on our journey like cooking, camping, and Pokemon care!" He exclaimed.

Delia thought a moment, moving away from the small tables. "Really?" She asked with a bright smile. "I think I know what you can do, Ash."

Ash, who had just finished putting up a chair, turned to his mother.

Delia smiled, putting a hand on her hip. "How about you ask Professor Oak if you can study at the lab, even after the summer camp."

Ash's eyes widened, his face contorting into a hopeful smile. "Do you think he'll let me?"

Delia chuckled. "Of course. Now, come on. Let's finish up so I can make you some dinner."

Ash cheered and quickly finished his work. He couldn't wait to get some of his mom's cooking.

.

.

The next day, Ash went to Oak's lab earlier than usual. He was so excited to talk to the Professor, that he'd skipped breakfast. He ran up the dirt path to the lab, where he knocked on the door when he arrived.

He smiled brightly when he saw Alena open the door, though she looked a little worse for wear.

He blinked, cocking his head to the side, looking oddly like a confused growlithe. "Alena? What's wrong?"

Alena gave the boy a tired smile and ruffled his hair. "Hello, Ash. The Professor kept us up late with some special research. Nothing a strong cup of coffee won't fix." She chuckled with a yawn.

"Oh...sorry you had to stay up late. Can I see Professor Oak? I have to ask him something." He asked, bouncing on his toes.

Alena nodded, moving aside. "Go ahead, Ash. He's in the kitchen."

Ash smiled and thanked Alena, rushing towards the kitchen. Once he reached the kitchen, he saw the Professor pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Professor Oak!" Ashe greeted, walking up to the older man.

Samuel turned around, surprised by the boy's presence. "Ash, my boy! Why are you so early?" He asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I wanted to ask you a question, Professor!" Ash exclaimed excitedly, rocking back and forth on his feet.

"And you couldn't wait to ask me when camp started?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nope!"

The older Professor chuckled, sipping his coffee again. "Alright, my boy. Ask away."

Ash nodded, getting a look of determination on his face. "I wanted to know, Professor, if...if after camp is over, if maybe...I can keep coming back? You know, to study more about Pokemon."

Samuel's eyes widened, staring at the raven haired-boy with bewilderment. His look of shock turned to one of pure joy. "Why Ash, I'd be delighted for you to continue studying here at the lab." He said, placing his hand on top of Ash's head, affectionately.

Ash smiled brightly, and began to jump up and down with excitement. "Yes! Thank you Professor Oak! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Samuel chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair. "Of course, my boy. Now, how about we enjoy a little breakfast before we start our day?" He said holding up a box of cereal.

.

.

The rest of the summer camp went the same as it did the first day: lessons in the morning, Gary bragging that he was the best and smartest, lunch, fun and games, more of Gary claiming to be Arceus's gift to the world, and repeat.

Ash hadn't really talked to Gary after their fight. He tried to talk to him again, wanting to apologize for pushing him, but Gary ignored him; even during scavenger hunts and team oriented games.

Leaf received similar treatment from the young Oak boy; he gave her the cold shoulder whenever she was around.

The more Gary pushed his friends, the closer they grew with each other. Ash and Leaf hung out whenever they had a spare moment.

When the summer camp ended that summer, Ash immediately started studying with the Professor. Samuel started Ash with simple lessons, similar to the ones during camp. Ash was so eager to learn, that he soaked up the information like a sponge.

Soon, the Professor was bringing him into the main part of the lab, where he was doing some basic research with his assistance. Samuel gave him books to read, to help him further his education. It surprised Samuel, how quickly Ash read and retained the information. No matter what he gave to the boy to learn, he read, studied, and locked it away in his brain by the end of the week. As the years went on, Ash's studies intensified, and he even went out into the field with the Professor.

Gary found out about Ash studying with his grandpa not long after the boy started his studying. It made the youngest Oak seethe with anger. He had asked his grandpa before if he could study with him, but was told that he was too young to be in the lab, that he would be in the way. Why was Ash so special?

For four years Ash continued to attend lessons at the laboratory, gaining valuable information. Four years Ash's friendship with Leaf grew, as his friendship with Gary dwindled.

Ash sat on his bed at home, cross-legged with a book in his lap. He casually flipped a page over in his book, and heard a knock on the door. He looked up, closing his book. "It's open."

Delia Ketchum walked into her son's room with a smile. "Ash, honey. It's nearly ten o'clock. You should be getting ready for bed. You have a big day tomorrow."

Ash smiled and placed his book on his bedside table. "Sorry, Mom. I was trying to get some last minute studying in."

Delia chuckled. She looked at her son with pride. Ash had grown into a handsome fourteen year old boy. His hair didn't change much; it was still a black, shaggy mess, no matter what she did to it. He still had his healthy tan, as well as the small lightning bolt shaped birthmarks under his gray eyes. While it was hard to tell with him sitting on the bed, Ash had started his growth spurt; reaching a respectable 5' 6". The years studying with Professor Oak had also done wonders for him mentally. He not only learned about how to be a trainer, but also learned invaluable information on Pokemon: habitats, natures, personalities, eating habits, breeding cycles, and much more. He also learned to control himself: while he was a loud and energetic child by nature, having to keep calm and quite in the lab taught him patience and humility.

"You know, Sweetheart. I just wanted to tell you...that I'm so proud of you." She said wiping away a stray tear that threatened to fall.

"Aw Mom...don't cry." Ash said, getting out of bed. "You promised you wouldn't cry." He chuckled.

"I know, I know. It's just...my little boy is all grown up." She sniffled, hugging her son.

"Mom..." He laughed again, hugging his mom back.

"I'm so proud of you, Ash. And I know your father would be proud too." Delia nodded.

Ash sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah...I just wish he could be here to see me off. I mean...it's not every day I start my first Pokemon Journey."

"I know, Sweetie. But...maybe this will cheer you up." Delia reached outside Ash's bedroom door, pulling out a package.

Ash blinked, taking the package. "Dad sent a gift? What for?" He said, inspecting the package.

"He feels bad he couldn't make it to see you off. So he sent this, hoping it would make up for it." She said with a soft smile.

Ash shrugged, opening up the package. "Woah!" Ash exclaimed, yanking out the contents. "No way! It's a Pokemon League official hat! I tried to win one of these like...5 years ago!" He said with excitement.

Delia chuckled. "I remember that. You must have sent in a million postcards for that hat." She teased.

"Yeah, no kidding. And to think I didn't win it after all those postcards." Ash laughed. He put it on his head and smiled. "How does it look?"

"It's perfect, Ash. Now...off to bed. Tomorrow you start your day as an official Pokemon Trainer." Delia said proudly.

Ash nodded, taking his hat off and putting it on his bedside table. "Thanks Mom." He said kissing her cheek. "Goodnight."

"Good night, Sweetie." She said, kissing his forehead. She left his room, closing the door behind her.

Ash immediately changed out of his casual clothes and into his pajamas. After setting his alarm clock and double-checking his travel pack, he turned off his bedroom light and climbed into bed.

He stared up at his ceiling, excited for what the next day would bring.

'This is it. When I wake up tomorrow...I'll finally be a Pokemon Trainer.' Ash smirked, determination filling him. He took a deep breath, rolling onto his side. He slowly let his breath out and closed his eyes. After several minutes, he was asleep.

~End Chapter

So? What did you guys think? I thought that this turned out pretty well.

Just an FYI, I don't plan to follow canon completely. I might change up the traveling companions, but that's still up in the air. Now here's the thing. Pretend everything that happened in canon: Team Rocket, Misty, Brock, etc. all happens four years later, okay?

Please review! Thanks guys!

~Lu Lu-Chan25