A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing if you feel inclined please do so. I think it helps encourage more people to read this plot that won't stop filling my head. Also, some subtle references to ptsd/psychological trauma if that's not your cup of tea just know you were warned. Oh and shout out to my Miwok speaking friends for helping me with a phrase and a word for this chapter.

Charlie, seeing the Pikachu and hearing what it said, just asked, "Are you…Ash Ketchum?" After hearing that Pikachu said, "Pika." With its cheeks beginning to show electricity. August stepped in front of Charlie saying, "We mean no harm, we just heard from the waiter in town that a trainer was up here on the mountain."

At that the Pikachu stopped charging its cheeks, then the figure took down his hood revealing a face that looked older, battered, with a decent gruffy black beard, and long messy black hair. "What exactly did this waiter say?" The man asked.

Charlie decided to speak, "Nothing, he just said a trainer who looked tough had been in town the day before and that you were going to be up here on Mt. Silver."

Stepping closer towards them Pikachu hopped off his shoulder looking concerned. Then the man roughly picked up Charlie by his shirt and asked, "How do I know you are not from Team Rocket sent to track me?" Just as August was going to intervene the Pikachu jumped between August and the man ready to attack August, when Charlie pulled out his Pokedex which said, "I am Dexter, programmed by Professor Samuel Oak for Charles Oris." The man's nostrils began to slowly stop fuming, and Pikachu relaxed back to a non charged state. Setting Charlie back down he looked at August although he was still shorter than August he asked, "What about you?"

Keeping his hands up showing he had nothing on him Agust said, "I am August Wawona I come from a land not far from Orre across the sea. Kan:i' 'eyangeṭ:in." Charlie looked at August having never heard him utter any words like that. Pikachu said, "Pikapi." Pulling on the man's pants almost to say we can trust them. Charlie chose at that moment to look into the man's eyes and he could see it like he was battling within himself to trust them. "Please leave and never say who you ran into up here on the mountain." The man said.

August decided to ask, "So we can assume that means you are Ash Ketchum, the missing monarch?"

The man looked at him like he still wasn't sure what to say next before he said, "Drop the title, it belongs to Iris." Then he proceeded to walk away from the boys back to his sleeping bag. Charlie and August followed after him and Pikachu.

"What happened to you?" Charlie asked as they sat down near a fire circle Ash had set up.

"Nothing that concerns you." Ash responded without even looking at Charlie or August.

"How did you go missing?" Charlie asked. Looking up Ash gave a look that said never ask that question again. August just observed him and Pikachu before he asked, "What happened to Pikachu?"

"Too much." Ash said.

"Is this the same Pikachu you got from Professor Oak?" Charlie asked.

"Yes…did Oak tell you?" Ash responded.

"No, it's a bit of a story about you." August said.

"So even all the way near Orre they hear about me." Ash said in no particular tone.

"You were or are the very best we have heard about." Charlie said, still in awe of whom he was staring at.

Ash just grunted like someone spit near him, "Don't try to kiss my ass, as you can tell I have been out of it for years." Ash said.

"So then how did you become the monarch?" Charlie retorted back.

"By being the best." Ash said, "But that was a long time ago."

August said, "Your mother's name is Delia."

Ash's head snapped up with fire behind his eyes before he could say anything. August continued, "We…I met her about a week ago, at her home in Pallet Town." The fire in Ash's eyes eased then looking at Charlie asked, "Was he alone?"

Charlie responded, "I met Delia a couple months ago, August returned with Skye and I from the Orange Islands."

"So you three are just fangirling over some nostalgic legend you grew up on." Ash stated turning his attention back to the fire.

"No when we…or I met your mom I had no idea she was your mom." Charlie explained, "She never said her last name and Skye introduced her to me as her aunt."

"I am an only child, what did Molly have a daughter?" Ash seemed to ask.

"Molly?" Both August and Charlie asked. Charlie then upon realizing an assumption was made said, "Skye is Misty Waterflower's daughter." At that Pikachu said, "Pi-ka-chu-pi?"

Ash looked over like he was trying to discern the truth from Charlie. Ash, seeing no attempt at deceit said, "I just hope that girl's father understands how lucky he is, to have a family with her."

"Misty is single." Charlie said, as Ash looked up, "Skye has no idea who her father is."

Ash didn't say anything but Pikachu seemed to be looking at Ash understanding what was being said. "It sucks growing up without a father." Ash said before finishing eating and climbing into his sleeping bag. At that both August and Charlie pulled out their sleeping bags and proceeded to crawl into them falling asleep.

The next day when they awoke they saw Ash already tending the fire and cooking a very basic meal of bread with some rather dark coffee. August immediately went and Ash offered him some bread when August looked back over at Pikachu. Noting the now healed over wounds on Pikachu along with the scar that was just above the left red cheek. Charlie came up and Ash handed him a piece of bread as well. "Can you show me some training methods?" Charlie asked.

"What?" Ash responded.

"You are a former monarch, can you show me ways of training my Pokemon that could help me become a Pokemon master?" Charlie asked.

"No." Ash said, "Its me, Pikachu and Charizard. That's it."

"Then why have you let us hang around?" August asked.

"You both mean no harm, and to be frank I see a bit of myself in you both." Ash said.

"Ok." Charlie said, as he began to try and warm closer to the fire. They discussed hanging around Mt. Silver but maybe not staying at the top. While they climbed down Charlie let out Larvitar whom Ash looked at fondly. He shared about how he hatched a Larvitar that had been stolen from its mom when it was an egg. Explaining that the poachers left a scar on the Tyranitar's stomach, leading to both Charlie and August saying they ran into that Tyranitar when they crossed the rope bridge into the preserve. Ash merely laughed saying we accidently did that too, him, Misty, and Brock.

"Is there a region or area where we won't run into some adventure you did?" August asked.

"I don't know, where have you been?" Ash asked back.

"All over Kanto, Orange Islands, and this little bit of Johto." Charlie said.

"Well I doubt you heard about my adventure in Shamouti." Ash said.

"We did actually, or at least I did what you did." Charlie said, Ash looked at him with his eyebrows raised questioning Charlie. August merely laughed at Charlie's statement before Charlie continued, "Minus the whole beast of the sea coming out of the water and almost destroying the world."

"Doing the ceremony without an actual fear of death is quite different." Ash said with a bit of mirth. Pikachu said jovially in agreement with Ash.

"Were you into Melody?" August asked.

"She is talented and pretty, but I haven't seen her for about 20 years." Ash said, "That's a weird question."

"I think because we are trying to figure out if you were into Misty." Charlie said, August merely looked Charlie like as if to say what the hell are you doing?

"No more questions about my past." Ash said.

Continuing down the mountain they finally came upon SilverTown which they said they would get a spot at the Pokemon Center. Charlie and August were surprised Ash stayed with them when they checked in he said, "My name is Red" to Nurse Joy.

"Why the name Red?" Charlie asked.

"Just an easy name that no one remembers." Ash said going to his bed and Pikachu snuggled on the pillow falling asleep.

Without much else August and Charlie climbed into their own beds seeing Ash going straight to sleep. While they were all sleeping Ash got up from the bed and left the center, with Pikachu noticing and following subtly behind him. Ash pulled out his phone and began looking up all he could about Misty. When Ash was freed he didn't look up anything about Misty, just hoping she was at Cerulean City gym even after all these years. All he remembered was that he went back to Cerulean hoping to tell her about what happened. When Ash found the Gym locked with a note saying she was gone for the day, he went to the one place if she was still in Cerulean she usually went to. At the lookout he noticed her and was about to call out her name, when he saw her. A young girl, with her similar orange red hair, her beautiful viridian eyes, and her pale skin, runs towards her and Misty picks her up and spins her. As she kissed her cheek, Ash knew at that moment the girl had to be Misty's daughter. Ash didn't see the girl's father but he didn't stick around to find out, seeing Misty be happy with someone else would shatter him to nothing. Though he was feeling so defeated he decided at that moment, he couldn't even let his mom know. He knew if he let his mom know he was ok, he would have to face Misty. Although he would deserve all her derision for staying hidden for so long, Ash just didn't want to see the man and be tempted to do him harm. Misty looked so happy with her daughter. Whomever that man was, he just knew he couldn't face that. Since he saw most of the world thought he was dead he felt it was easier. Pikachu saw how down Ash was at that moment and tried to talk him into at least saying hello to Misty. Ash shut that idea down and ran as fast as he could. When he was far enough away calling out Charizard and they just aimlessly flew till he ended up on the other side of Kanto near the Safari zone. The search results finally downloaded. He could now see Misty and the data that was available on her. He also saw data pop up about her daughter Skye. Apparently, she had just finished her first Pokemon League tournament at Indigo, finished in the top 16. Going through the list he found Charlie Oris, also finished in the top 16, but they didn't face each other. Closing the phone, he got up only to notice Pikachu right there, "Buddy, do you think I would really leave you behind?" Ash asked.

Pikachu shook his head saying, "Pika."

"Were you worried I was having another…moment?" Ash questioned.

Pikachu merely nodded, at which Ash merely scratched under Pikachu's chin. "Thanks buddy, but right now I am ok, promise." Pikachu then climbed up to Ash's shoulder and he came back into the Pokemon Center room, and kicked Charlie's bed causing him to awake groggy. Charlie upon seeing Ash with a stern look on his face said, "Why did you wake me up?"

"I am going to train you, be up early." Ash said with a grunt before going into his own bed and going to sleep. Charlie, surprised, was at first too jazzed to sleep but then realized as Skye would say, 'you need your sleep.' Though Charlie woke up early for himself, he found both Ash and August not in the room, when he went to breakfast both were there eating, Ash was eating pretty voraciously. Charlie just thought he must not eat with other people too often.

"How are you always up so early?" Charlie asked, August.

"Just part of my routine." August said, "Wake up early, eat, workout or meditate, then you have the rest of the day to do pretty much whatever you want." With a smirk he drank some more coffee.

Ash just smiled at that comment and said, "Trust me, if I took that advice sooner, maybe it wouldn't have taken me so long to do what I did." August merely tilted his mug at Ash when Charlie sat down and began to eat.

"Now if I am to train you, you need to do everything I say." Ash said.

"Ok." Charlie said with a mouthful of food.

"Lesson number one don't talk with your mouthful, now I understand why Iris kept calling me a little kid." Ash said with a bit of disgust.

After breakfast Ash motioned at a tree saying to Charlie, "Cut this tree down, and after that begin splitting this tree into usable fire wood." August was there and saw Charlie begin to struggle trying to cut down the tree.

August asked, "Does this actually help someone become better at training Pokemon?"

Ash merely chuckled, "No, but I am sure you knew that nana."

"I am certainly not against meaning less work to build character." August smirked, "So long as it's not me." Both of them laughed at August's comment.

After a couple hours Charlie finally cut down the tree, then began to split it into firewood which took a bit longer. By the end of the day, when they made it back to the Pokemon Center Charlie was exhausted and fell right into his bed asleep. Waking early again he was again upset that Ash and August were there waiting for him. Both of them having an almost jovial chat by the looks of it to Charlie.

"Master, what is the plan for today?" Charlie asked.

"You'll find out soon enough, young Charles." Ash said.

When they made it to the river not far from the mountain Ash instructed him to carry buckets of water from the river to a storage unit he had a little up the mountain. After Charlie made the first trip he was exhausted but knew he had to keep doing it to try and become a better Pokemon Trainer, maybe even the Monarch one day. Charlie hoped the 2nd time doing it would be easier but instead it was harder. By the end of the 3rd time it was almost sunset at which point Ash came and had Charlie come back to the Center for some food. Charlie ate and again was conked out on his bed.

On this third day of training, Charlie woke up at the same time as August and Ash, and actually did what they did. Got themselves ready, did some meditation, and a physical workout, though Charlie felt the last few days had been an over exhausting physical workout.

Over at the exit of the Viridian Forest, Skye and Misty were a bit frazzled. Misty kept running her hand through her hair and pulling out her mirror to see no strands of her hair had actually been cut. "Again mom, I am so sorry Scyther almost did that to you." Skye said very apologetically the sweat dripping off the back of her head.

"Don't be silly honey, especially when it didn't actually get me." Misty said trying to be ok with almost having her worst case nightmare happening in front of her daughter. Scyther was called out to try and scare away some of the bug Pokemon they had been encountering in the Viridian Forest only for it to turn on them. Mistaking Misty as Skye it went after Misty and Misty's scream scared off the bug Pokemon, thankfully Skye had recalled Scyther back to its Pokeball in time. Inside the forest Misty was telling Skye all about how the first real night she spent alone with Ash was uneventful cept for Ash catching a Caterpie earlier that day, and how proud he was of the first Pokemon he captured. Explaining that he was such a blockhead, he didn't realize sending in Caterpie to face a Pidgeotto was a bad idea. He recalled Caterpie to send in Pikachu who did very well against Pidgeotto allowing Ash to capture it. Not long after that experience they had apparently been followed by the same Team Rocket agents who they encountered at the Pokemon Center with their human talking Meowth. Koffing one of the Pokemon they brought with them unleashed a sludge attack blinding Pikachu and making it unable to battle. Misty held Pikachu while Ash sent out Pidgeotto to battle Koffing and Ekans before eventually being recalled because of being outnumbered 2-1 battling. With no other choice Ash had Caterpie battle, only to surprise Team Rocket and Misty as it took out both Koffing and Ekans and caused Team Rocket to flee.

"It was at that moment that I truly felt Ash cared about Pokemon." Misty said.

"So why do bug Pokemon, well…bug you?" Skye asked.

"They just always have." Misty said

"I am still sorry mom, I am sure a bug Pokemon coming for your hair is…well up there for nightmares for you." Skye said in her most empathetic tone.

"Again Skye, you don't need to keep apologizing." Misty said, patting her daughter on the back with a genuine smile.

"Thanks mom…does my father know about me?" Skye asked. When Misty didn't respond right away Skye said, "I realized while traveling with Charlie and August, you haven't stated one way or the other as far as that question."

"He does not know about you." Misty stated, but then saw Skye's expression sour, leading Misty to continue, "He just didn't have the chance to know about you, I was ready to tell him I was pregnant with you."

"What happened?" Skye asked, looking hopeful that her mother would finally answer this question.

"He was adventuring in Galar, then no one heard from him again. I know if he was still alive he would have sought us out years ago." Misty said a tear forming in her eye, "I really wish I knew for sure what happened to him."

"Did other people know you and him were together?" Skye asked, already getting more than she could hope for from her mom.

"Our really close friends and family did, but we kept it a secret from the public." Misty said. Seeing Skye about to ask for a follow up Misty said, "Being a gym leader that was rumored to become an elite 4 member of a region…" Misty held back before saying, "We were afraid of unnecessary press coverage."

"But if you both were in love why did that matter?" Skye asked.

"We saw Lance and Lorelei's relationship fall apart due to unnecessary pressure from the press." Misty said, "In particular when they would get engaged, to even speculation that Lorelei was pregnant multiple times." Misty stopped and looked at her, "Though it is possible they still would have broken up anyways, it made it almost impossible for them to just try and figure out their relationship, without prying eyes."

"So he was a high level trainer too." Skye said.

"Yes." Misty said. "We wanted the ability to stay friends even if our relationship as a couple didn't work out."

"If you had made it to him proposing would you have come public?" Skye asked now looking but pretty sure she knew who her mom was talking about.

"Yes, we would have." Misty said but then she noticed a woman in their way on the road before Pewter City. Taking a protective stance in front of Skye she said, "Who are you? And why are you blocking the road?"

Looking up with her violet eyes the woman smirked and said, "We have been expecting you Misty."