Journey of Dreams: Chapter 4 Start

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is owned by the Pokemon Company. The only thing I own is this story.

CG: Hey Guys! CyberGuardian7 here and I am finally back with Chapter 4 for Journey of Dreams. First off, I apologize for the very late update; life has been immensely chaotic this past year, to the point that nothing is really the same as it was the last time I updated. That being said, I did find some time to finally get this chapter done. It might be a little bit dry, but the good news is that Kanto is finished for now after this chapter.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can send me a Private Message (PM) on this site. I do still use the site to read other fanfics at times when I need inspiration for this story, so I will see the message and reply to it.

I am not sure how far I will go with this story in light of everything that has happened, but as before, updates will be on my profile page for the story and anything else that may be of interest.

Also, I will not be talking or referencing Aura much anymore in this story as I gave it some thought and determined that this story will be better without much reference to it. There may be the occasional reference though.

Lastly, I am aware that this chapter has several time skips, and no, I do not plan on making this a habit. I just needed to speed the story up a bit so we can get started on Johto. I will likely be reviewing this chapter and fixing any errors or other problems that I may see soon.

-10 months ago in CG's house-

*Salamence charges up a Draco Meteor*

CG: *pales* Guys, get out of the house now! Run for it!

*CG, Pikachu & Espeon dash outside the main door. I (CG) turn around and see the shell of my house launching into the sky and exploding in every different direction after it gets 300 feet in the air. I just stand there staring at the sky for about 20 minutes. Espeon and Pikachu decide to walk up at this point.*

Espeon & Pikachu: Um, CG? Are you okay? CG?

CG: ...SALAMENCE, get down here! This ends now!

*Espeon and Pikachu flinch while Salamence is intrigued and comes down to talk*

Salamence: Care to explain why you haven't updated in almost a year!?

CG: Well for your information I've had my life flipped upside down. Now sit while we discuss this.

-Present day, CG's new house-

Espeon & Pikachu: …CG…What did you do!? We thought Salamence hated you.

CG: *chuckles* Ah my dear friends, you didn't think I was completely idle when I wasn't writing this entire time did you? I've gotten to know the dragon a bit more while you guys were off doing who knows what each day. Building a new house with said dragon was a good chance to get to know him as well.

Espeon: …But CG how-

CG: Later Espeon, it's time to start Chapter 4.

"Normal Human Speech"

"Human/Pokemon Thoughts/Megaphone or Speaker"

"Pokemon Speech"

"Echoed/Magnified Voice"

(Time Skip – 3 weeks - July 2000)

Ash knocked on Professor Oak's door and turned to look at the partly cloudy sky while he waited. Brock, Espeon, and Pikachu followed his gaze.

Ash decided to break the silence, "You know guys, I've always loved the sky for some reason. I can't tell you how many times I've dreamt of flying around up there, looking at the world while feeling the cool breeze on my face, especially on a day like today."

Everyone simply nodded in agreement. Brock decided to chime in with his own opinion, "It's too bad that we didn't get to catch any new partners on the way back after traveling to Fuchsia, but I have a feeling that we'll meet a lot of new Pokemon in Johto. Besides, we were in quite a hurry to get here on time anyway."

Everyone again nodded in agreement. A click was heard behind them and they all turned around to see Professor Oak standing at the door.

Professor Oak beamed and exclaimed, "Ash my boy, it's great to see you again! You've arrived early." The Professor then noticed Pikachu on Ash's shoulder and greeted it as well. He then turned his attention to Ash's friend, "Hello, who might you be?"

Brock smiled and explained, "My name is Brock and my dream is to become the best Pokemon Breeder. It's a pleasure to meet you professor." Brock finished with a handshake.

Professor Oak accepted the handshake, "The pleasure is all mine." The professor then noticed Espeon and greeted it as well, "Hello Espeon, it's good to see you again" and started to go back inside, but did a double-take. "Wait, an ESPEON!? Ash, you just got Eevee almost two months ago, how did it evolve already without a stone!?"

Ash chuckled sheepishly, "Well you see professor, it actually happened during a battle with your grandson in Lavender Town. Espeon gave it his all in that fight and we've become great friends."

Espeon rubbed against Ash's leg while purring in contentment, eliciting a smile from everyone present.

Oak shook his head in disbelief but amusement, "Only you could get Eevee to evolve by friendship in such a short time Ash. I'm very impressed! Please, come on in everyone."

Professor Oak started walking toward the lounge with the others in tow. Espeon nudged his trainer, "Hey Ash, are we going to tell the Professor about my telepathy? Can I talk with him?"

Ash thought about that for a moment and replied mentally, "I wouldn't tell him just yet. I don't want to give away all of our surprises just yet and as it is still fairly new to you. It's possible you may not be able to talk with him just yet. Perhaps we'll tell him when we get back from Johto."

Espeon thought about this and nodded as everyone took their seats. Professor Oak took a white envelope from a nearby desk and gave it to Ash.

The professor explained, "Ash, that envelope contains two tickets to New Bark Town in the Johto region. I had a feeling that you may make a friend on this journey of yours, so I took the liberty of ordering an extra one."

Ash and Brock smiled and were impressed that the professor planned so far ahead. That was Professor Oak for you, always making new discoveries and doing the unexpected. There were even quiet rumors that he was a powerful trainer and that he even had a Dragonite, though no one outside the league has apparently seen it.

Professor Oak continued, "The ferry will depart one week from today at 7am. Johto isn't too far away, so you should make it to New Bark Town by late afternoon. Do either of you have any questions?"

Brock and Ash both shook their heads and the Professor sighed, "Well, I guess that's a good thing. Anyway Ash, you may want to head home. Your father should be there waiting for yo-"

*Ash used Extremespeed.* PIIIIKAAAACHUUUuuuuuu!

Everyone just looks down the hall that Ash ran through with Pikachu hanging on to his shoulder for dear life with his voice fading, and blinked. Brock was the first to recover and laughed, "Well that's Ash, once he gets excited you just can't stop him; poor Pikachu." Professor Oak and Espeon just nodded in agreement.

(Time Skip – 10 minutes; Ash's house)

Ash screeched to a halt in front of his door and caught his breath while Pikachu fell to the ground and started kissing the ground, never before so grateful to be back on the stable earth, "Pikaaa." He was in disbelief that Ash was able to run that fast. His Quick Attack couldn't even keep up with that kind of speed, well at least not for long.

Ash took a few more deep breaths and opened the door. He looked around the living room followed by the kitchen to see if his father was in the house, "Hello? Dad?"

A figure walked around the corner into the kitchen and smiled, "It's great to see you again Ash."

Ash spun around and ran to give his dad a hug, "Dad, it's great to have you home again."

Ash's father chuckled, "It's great to be back. How have you been son?" Ash beamed at this question and enthusiastically replied, "I've been great! I've already caught some new Pokemon and made some new friends and my journey hasn't officially started yet!"

Riley smirked a bit and said, "Great, so what would you say to a 1-on-1 battle with your old man? We can catch up afterward."

Ash's jaw dropped, "B-b-but I can't battle you! I've only been a trainer for 2 months! You've been a trainer for years and my Pokemon don't stand a chance right now!"

Riley laughed, "No Ash, you won't be battling my starter or anything like that, you'll be battling a partner I met around a month and a half ago."

Ash sighed in relief, "Oh, well in that case, I accept. I've always wanted to have a battle with my old man" he finished with a smirk.

Riley reciprocated the smirk, "Excellent! Let's head out back."

(Time Skip – 3 minutes later; after prepping the battlefield)

Both trainers stood at their respective end of the battlefield. Riley called out, "As I said before, this will be a 1-on-1 battle with no substitutions."

Ash nodded in response, "Agreed. Although don't we need a judge?"

"…I will… judge… the battle."

Ash looked around and saw Brock and Espeon walking up to the edge of the battlefield. Espeon looked like he just had a nice walk but Brock looked like he just ran a marathon. Brock continued, "But…Ash…you owe me". Ash put a hand behind his head and smiled sheepishly, "Ok Brock, thanks for doing that and sorry for ditching you guys at Professor Oak's place."

"Never mind that Ash. Just focus on the battle right now" Espeon nudged his trainer. Ash smiled in response and thought about who he might use.

Riley looked over at Espeon greatly intrigued, "Hmm, Ash may have accomplished more than I thought." He snapped out of his thoughts and called out, "Well Ash, since I challenged you first, I will select my Pokemon first. I choose Growlithe." The Pokemon materialized on the field growling and ready for a fight.

Ash focused on his opponent and thought, "This won't be very easy, just how I imagined it would be." Ash unclipped a Pokeball from his belt and tossed it up in the sky, "Charmander, let's win this!" Charmander materialized looking pumped and ready to battle and let out a growl as well.

Riley was surprised and a bit confused so he asked, "Hey Ash, did you get Charmander from Professor Oak? I thought I told him I gave you a starter."

Ash frowned and shook his head, "No, I found Charmander on a rock and later learned that he was abandoned by a trainer named Damian. Long story short, Charmander decided to come along with me."

Riley frowned and thought for a moment before telling Ash, "Ash, we are definitely going to need to catch up after this battle."

Ash was a bit unnerved by his father's expression but nodded in response.

Riley started smiling again, "I guess I'll start this off then. Growlithe, use Bite!" Growlithe started charging in at a fast pace.

Ash quickly countered, "Charmander, dodge and use Metal Claw!" Charmander dodged at the last second and struck Growlithe on the side with glowing claws. Growlithe slid back in mild pain, but shrugged it off. Charmander glowed red briefly before the red aura disappeared.

Riley grit his teeth a bit, "Charmander's attack power must have gone up. This isn't good." "Growlithe, use Flame Wheel!" Growlithe started charging at Charmander again, but was coated in a ball of flame this time. Charmander was caught off guard and got hit head on. Charmander slid back wincing in pain.

Ash wasn't sure what he saw with Charmander earlier, but realized that he was distracted and Charmander paid the price. He abandoned his previous thoughts and called, "Charmander, if you can still fight, get up and use Smokescreen!"

Charmander got up and exhaled a cloud of black smoke that quickly covered the entire field. Growlithe looked around in confusion trying to find his opponent. "Growlithe calm down. Use Odor Sleuth!" Growlithe barked in confirmation and began locating his opponent.

Ash, realizing that he was running out of time, called out, "Charmander, we need to finish this up quickly! Use the new move you just learned recently: Dragon Rage!" Charmander began charging a blue aura of energy and shot it toward Growlithe who just located his opponent when the attack struck.

The result of the attack resulted in a mini explosion and when the smoke cleared, Growlithe was on the ground out cold.

Brock looked on Growlithe and declared, "Growlithe is unable to battle. The winner is Ash!"

Ash just looked on surprised before he processed Brock's words and became ecstatic, "Alright, I beat dad!" Ash then promptly started celebrating with Charmander.

Meanwhile, Riley was surprised that Ash's Charmander already knew Dragon Rage. Had he expected that attack, he would have reacted in time. He just shook his head in disbelief and smiled, "Heh, always unpredictable, just like his old man."

He recalled Growlithe and approached his son, "Not bad Ash, but remember you still have yet to beat some of my other Pokemon. While you can certainly celebrate victory, remember to make sure that you don't become arrogant or prideful as a result."

Ash turned to his father and nodded, "I know Dad, I'm just glad I've been making progress. Oh, you should meet some of my other friends! Come on out guys!" Ash tossed 3 Pokeballs in the air and Magnemite, Squirtle and Bagon materialized and Espeon, Pikachu and Charmander joined them.

"This isn't the entire team, but it is who I have with me at the moment" Ash explained.

Riley nodded and replied, "This is a good start Ash; I'm quite impressed."

Ash absentmindedly nodded while thinking for a moment before he remembered something, "By the way, where is mom?"

*ROOOOAAARRR*

Everyone turned toward the sky, but Bagon listened intently and his eyes grew wide. He knew that roar anywhere and looked to the sky with a longing. Ash picked up on this and wondered why until Riley said, "It looks like she is back from the store. Are you ready to meet my starter Ash?"

Ash froze at that. He had never seen his father's starter before as he was too young in the past, but seeing as his starter is Bagon and Bagon was looking at the sky intently, he could only assume it was Bagon's father, and also the Pokemon that Bagon would one day become. Ash smiled, "I've waited five years to meet your starter. I'm definitely ready!"

Ash turned back toward the sky and saw a shadow shoot out from behind a cloud and stop almost directly under the sun and slowly descend. Only one word came to Ash's mind as he was watching the Pokemon descend, "Salamence."

The Dragon Pokemon landed on the grass among everyone present and let Delia off with the grocery bags. Delia turned and said, "Thank you for your help today Salamence. You were a great help!" Salamence roared in response and looked at Ash.

Ash and Salamence looked each other in the eye and evaluated each other before Riley made some introductions, "Ash this is my starter Salamence. Salamence this is my son Ash." Salamence nodded and came over and nuzzled Ash. Salamence then looked over and saw his son and, overcome with joy, nuzzled his son. Bagon was ecstatic and gave his father a hug in return.

Ash and Riley smiled at the scene they were witnessing. Delia also looked at the scene and wanted to give them some time to catch up, so she got everyone's attention, "Hey, why don't we get dinner going and give these two some time to catch up? We need to catch up ourselves." Ash, Riley and Brock all nodded to this and went inside. The other Pokemon went to the front yard to hang out.

(Time Skip – 3 hours later; at the dinner table reviewing the last two months of activity)

Riley and Delia were shocked but for different reasons. Delia was shocked that Ash hadn't left for two months and already encountered trouble in the form of Team Rocket, but thankfully it sounded like they were incredibly weak grunts.

Ash's father on the other hand was shocked because of Ash's Aura. He knew that Ash may start using his Aura abilities soon, but he didn't think that his eyes would start glowing just yet. That was usually one of the last things that an Aura user could do and only after they have had a great deal of training. The only exception was if the user had an enormous amount of aura at their disposal within them. That is very rare and while it is useful for tasks that require a great deal of aura, it is also dangerous having that much energy in your body if you don't know how to use it properly. The results could be disastrous.

Riley's face became serious and Ash gulped thinking he was in trouble. Riley didn't want to scare Ash, but it was important that he understood this, "Ash, do you remember what you said about Nurse Joy claiming that your eyes glowed blue?"

Ash nodded and asked, "Yeah, dad do you know what that was?" Riley nodded and explained, "Yes Ash that was your Aura. Remember during our last conversation that I said that we needed to talk about something?"

Ash thought for a moment before replying, "Yeah, I'm guessing that was what you meant if something odd started happening?"

Riley sighed but continued, "Yes, though it seems that it may be a bit more important than I originally thought. I needed to tell you that you have some abilities that you have not developed yet; that you can use Aura, but it can be dangerous if not handled appropriately.

Riley shook his head, "However it seems that it is even more important that you know this since you seem to have an enormous amount of Aura. Even among Aura users, your eyes wouldn't normally glow blue, even at will, until you have had an extended amount of training unless you have an abnormally large amount of Aura."

Ash looked a bit confused, "Wait, I have this ability? Isn't having it a good thing if it gives you some new capabilities?"

Riley chuckled a bit, "You can use Aura because I can." Riley then caused a small blue sphere to appear in the palm of his hand and Ash, Delia, and Brock stared at it in awe.

Riley continued, "However, I'm sure you've heard the saying that too much of anything can be a bad thing. This is true of most things, including Aura. The more Aura you have, the more potential you have, but you also carry a great risk at the same time. Using Aura incorrectly can have severe consequences or even cost you your life. It is nothing to be concerned about though as long as you don't use it until you've had some training."

Ash started getting fired up, "Awesome, this is so cool! What kind of things will I be able to do? I should go start training!" Ash started getting up from the table-

"NO! You can't practice it recklessly!" Riley exclaimed causing Ash to trip and fall flat on his face.

Brock decided to interject asking the question that Ash needed the answer to, "Excuse me Mr. Ketchum, but will Ash learn to use his Aura if it is dangerous to use it incorrectly? How will he train if he wants to travel?"

Riley nodded, "Excellent question Brock. Unfortunately, he will not be able to train with his aura while he is traveling. He-"

Ash chose this moment to interrupt, "Aww, come on! I wanna learn how to use my Aura."

Riley gave his son a stern expression, "This is not a game Ash; it is very dangerous. Most people don't learn how to use their aura until their late teen years at the earliest. We can practice when you get older, but for now, all you need to know is that you need to keep your emotions under control."

Riley continued, "If you happen to discover anything while traveling though, be sure to inform me as soon as possible and we will discuss it further, ok?"

Ash was a little bummed, but soon got over it, "Alright Dad."

Riley mirrored Ash's smile, "No problem. Now, the other thing I wanted to tell you about was why I gave you Bagon as your starter…"

(Time Skip – 20 minutes later)

Ash just slumped back in his chair processing the information that was just revealed to him, "Wow…I didn't know that we had an affinity with Dragon types…that would explain why I get along with Bagon so well. Does this mean that I can't catch any other Pokemon types?"

Riley shook his head, "Of course not, you can catch other types and be friends with them as well, we just understand Dragon types more naturally than the other types."

Ash sighed in relief, "Whew, you had me concerned for a moment, but that's great! I definitely wanted to catch more Dragon types, but I would like to make a variety of friends as well."

"That won't be a problem, you saw me use Growlithe after all. You can catch other types as well" Riley finished with a smile.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

(Time Skip – 7 days later - August 2000; at the dock in Pallet Town)

The wind was blowing softly as the ocean waters splashed against the Pallet town docks. At one of these docks a ship, the S.S. Anne, was finishing boarding passengers as a group of five individuals stood finishing their conversation.

"Ash, Brock, it was a pleasure getting to see you guys and your Pokemon. I'll expect an update on your progress in a month. Don't forget to check in with Professor Elm when you arrive in New Bark Town" Professor Oak reminded.

Ash and Brock agreed while Espeon simply purred next to Ash and Pikachu gave his signature cry from Ash's shoulder.

Delia came up next and gave Ash a hug, "Ash, be very careful. I'm going to miss you greatly, but I know I shouldn't stop you from your Journey. Have fun but be careful and don't forget to cha-"

Ash started blushing again, "Mom! I'm already 10 years old! I don't need any more reminders about that. I'll keep in touch."

Brock started laughing before managing to calm down a bit, "Ah, I remember my mom did something similar on my first journey. Don't worry Ms. Ketchum, I'll make sure he stays safe and does what he needs to. Thanks for hosting us at your place for the past week!"

Delia smiled, "No problem Brock. It was great to meet you."

Ash breathed a sigh of relief; glad that the conversation quickly switched topics this time around.

Riley took this as his cue, "I've actually got something to tell both of you." Riley looked toward his son first, "Ash, don't forget to train hard and build strong friendships with your current and future friends and have fun!"

Ash nodded with a smile, "Don't worry dad, I haven't forgotten."

Riley adopted a mischievous smirk, "Also Ash, if you happen to notice any girls you are interested in on your journey, make sure to give me a ca-"

*SMASH*

"Ow! Ok, ok maybe at a later time then!" Riley said holding his throbbing head while fearfully looking at the glare his wife was giving him.

*SMASH*

"OWW! GEEZ! Fine, I'll tell him about dating once he gets back from his journey after we talk."

Riley was holding his throbbing head with both hands while Delia just looked at Ash with an innocent look.

Ash was confused but shrugged it off while Professor Oak, Brock, Pikachu and Espeon just sweatdropped.

Riley then faced towards Brock and continued, "Brock, please look out for my son and please keep me in the loop if his aura spikes again."

Before Brock could respond, The PA system decided to interrupt the moment with an announcement,

"FINAL CALL FOR THE FERRY TO JOHTO ON THE S.S. ANNE! REPEAT, FINAL CALL FOR THE FERRY TO JOHTO ON THE S.S. ANNE!"

Brock turned back to the professor and Ash's parents, "Well, that's our cue. We gotta go, nice meeting you guys though! We'll see you again before you know it and don't worry, I'll look out for Ash." Brock then walked toward the ship.

Ash, after watching Brock head to the ship, turned to his parents and the Professor, "Well, I guess I'd better get going as well. I'll see you guys later!"

Ash took off running after Brock with Pikachu on his shoulder and Espeon at his side and flashed his ticket to get on board just before the gate closed behind him.

Ash decided to catch his breath for a moment as a thought came to mind that made him smile, "Now my journey has officially started. Look out Johto, the future Pokemon Master is on his way."

Chapter 4 End

A/N: I'm still amazed with the support you guys have been showing this story despite it being my first one, especially with the lack of updates recently. That is actually very encouraging and I thank you guys for that. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint.

Admittedly, I had been working on Chapter 4 for a while, but then I ended up losing it so I had to start from scratch. This chapter was a bit annoying to write as I was at a loss for ideas for a while, but I have better hopes for future chapters. The next chapter is the beginning of Johto.

Once again, reviews would be greatly appreciated as they can and do help me to keep the story on track, especially with it being my first story. If I didn't think that was the case, I'd be working on multiple chapters at a time and publish them in bulk, but I believe that doing it this way will help make the story as good as I can make it.

Espeon: CG! What did you do to Salamence?

CG: *innocent look* I don't know what you're talking about.

Espeon: *Eyes start glowing a light blue and CG is lifted 20 feet into the air*

CG: GAH! Alright, alright, he said he was tired, so I had my Milotic put him to sleep with Hypnosis. Why?

Espeon: *pales and drops me*

CG: AAAAHHH! *Crash*

Salamence: *Snaps awake and blinks for a few seconds*

Espeon: *pales further* CG! You do not force a dragon to sleep when it doesn't want to outside the battlefield! That is immensely disrespectful!

CG: *slowly gets up* Did you have to just drop me like that? But yeah, I learned that the hard way about a month and a half ago, but now I've got his permission to put him to sleep under certain…conditions.

Espeon: …I'm not even going to ask. It's probably some crazy stunt that only you would do… and illogical.

CG: *smirks* See, you're getting to know me better already.

Until next time everyone.

-CyberGuardian7