Pallet Town - Oak Ranch

"Gary…"

Ash uttered the words in shock, seeing the familiar visage of his childhood rival, clad in his typical blue shirt, matching pants, and a yellow and green necklace. There was something different about him though. Gone was the perpetual cocky demeanor that Ash had known. Neither was Gary's face contorted in grief or shock, like it had been when Ash wiped the floor with him all those months ago. If Ash could describe what was there, it would be a cool confidence, filled with focus and desire.

"I have to say Ash, I'm disappointed," deadpanned the boy, keeping his face tight.

"Disappointed?" Ash responded, taken aback.

"Here you are, the guy who crushed me. The guy who saved the whole world. The Orange League's newest Champion. The Indigo League Conference is less than a week, and here you are… having a party? Maybe I wasted my time coming here."

"Why you—"

"Gary!" scolded Professor Oak, interrupting Ash.

"We're having a birthday party here and it's quite rude of you to come barging in and interrupting like this. I thought you were taught better," frowned the old man. Gary scoffed.

"Sorry if I take what you say with a grain of salt gramps. You're the old man who spent more time with this nerd than your own grandson, so stay out of it!" snapped the boy. Professor Oak looked like he had been slapped.

"Here," continued Gary, tossing something onto the table, landing just in front of Ash.

"My gift to you on this special day. I'll be having it back when I crush you at the Pokemon League." Ash looked down, seeing the bottom half of a broken Pokeball. When he looked up, Gary was already walking away.

"Listen punk! You ain't just gonna walk in here, make a ruckus, and skedaddle like that!" barked AJ, standing up and banging the table.

"Not sure I'd put it that way, but he's right. I think you owe everyone an apology," added Ritchie. Gary stopped, turned, and eyed the two with concealed amusement.

"Let me guess? More punks Ash beat on his journey? You two don't even register. Still, you're better than those pathetic excuses for Gym Leaders that follow him around like a puppy," chuckled the boy. AJ was beat red, as was Misty. Brock and Ritchie wore small frowns, but it was Ash's reaction that was the most pronounced. Gary being a jerk was nothing new. Even berating his own Grandfather was in character. Now though, the boy was insulting his friends. Ash was livid.

"Enough!" roared Ash, clutching the Pokeball in his hand, sending a cold stare in Gary's direction.

"You want a battle? Fine. Let's hold it here and now!" A gleam went through Gary's eyes. The boy almost smirked.

"There it is Ash. That fire. Bring it with you. I will beat you at your best, and everyone will see it. See you at the league," finished the boy, resuming his departure. Nobody stopped him this time.

"Ash?" Delia softly called, looking at her boy in concern. He was still staring after Gary, anger still radiating off of him. An elbow to the side caught his attention. Ash looked to the right, seeing Brock giving him a look. All around people were eying him, gaging his own reaction.

Gary, you and I will have a reckoning, but you can wait. There are more important things.

"Sorry for the mid-party drama guys. Let's not let that spoilsport ruin things though. Smile! Have a good time!" encouraged Ash, forcing a smile onto his own face. Much to his relief, that seemed to do the trick, and the happy chatter and banter resumed throughout.

"Well done Ash," Brock whispered, giving the boy a nod of approval, before heading off himself. Ash did his best to enjoy himself, engaging with people as they approached him. Still, Gary's return hung over him, staying in his mind the rest of the day.

Oak Lab - A Few Hours Later

"You have my apologies Samuel. No man should be shamed in such a manner, much less by his own flesh and blood," offered a sympathetic old man, bald at the center with sideburns. He was currently enjoying a nice cool cup of ice tea in the Oak Laboratory. Joining him was of course Professor Samuel Oak, and a fellow scholar.

"I appreciate the sentiment Blaine. I'm just not sure what's gotten into that boy. He goes and disappears for half a year after passing through Celadon City, never making contact, and then shows up like that. Something obviously happened, and I have a feeling it has to do with the young man who was at the center of attention today," Oak thoughtfully sighed. The scholar with the short curly green hair cleared his throat, catching the others attention.

"I'm as sympathetic to the good professor as you are Blaine, but may we get to the matter at hand. Professor Oak and I have serious research to get back to, and you're wasting our time. Why have you called us together?"

"Oh Bill. The youth of today. No patience," tutted Blaine, before turning serious, looking from side to side.

"Are you sure we are alone here Samuel?"

"Quite sure Blaine. The only other lab resident is my young assistant. An enthusiastic boy named Tracey, but the lad is currently off in Viridian Forest doing some field research," confirmed the man.

"Ok then. A few days ago, I received a phone call from certain parties…"

"Care to be more specific?" snarked Bill.

"You know very well who I'm talking about! I'm not the only one who used to run in those circles!" snapped Blaine, clearly irritated. Bill had the presence of mind to look ashamed, flushing from the rebuke.

"As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, a certain party reached out to gage my interest in a project."

"What manner of project?" asked Professor Oak, clearly intrigued.

"They didn't get too specific, but the involvement of Legendary Pokemon was implied." Bill gasped, while Professor Oak seemed to age, adding more wrinkles to his features.

"Out of the fire and into the frying pan," muttered Professor Oak.

"That's it then? There's nothing more? Then perhaps it means nothing," Bill tried to rationalize.

"Bill, he didn't say his name, but I recognized the voice. It was Namba,"

"Then that means…"

"It would seem, that Team Rocket is not as dead as we were made to believe," confirmed Blaine. Professor Oak stood.

"Well gentlemen, what are we going to do about it?"

Pallet Town - Ketchum Residence

While two old men and a young scientist plotted, another young man sat in his room on the other side of Pallet Town. He was currently alone. His bunk-mate was down in the kitchen helping to clean up the remnants of the birthday dinner that Delia had insisted on cooking. Around him was a neat assortment of goodies that Ash had received as gifts. Some of these came from sources Ash would have expected. Misty had given Ash a bizarre lure made in her own image, but she swore it was the secret to her success with fishing. Privately, Ash though the thing might scare the poor fish off, but he wisely kept that to himself.

Brock's gift was as practical as it was thoughtful. The recipes to all the Pokemon food he currently prepared for Ash's Pokemon, broken down to each specific Pokemon. It was the second gift from Brock that made Ash cringe and want to look away. The Young Trainer's Guide to Finding Love… Yeah, that was gonna stay buried in this room, never to be exhumed.

Tracey couldn't make it to the party earlier, but he had left a gift. Ash received some sketches of him and his Pokemon, detailing some unique moments of their travels through the Orange Islands. It was a touching gift and one he would guard closely.

AJ's gift was in a similar vein to Brock. It was a list of notes, detailing some of the workout routines he and his Pokemon engaged in. Could be some useful stuff in there! Ash would look it over later.

Ritchie kept it simple, opting to give Ash some supplies to help him restock for the journey to Indigo. A kind gesture.

Mikey's gift, or rather the gift his brothers had supplied Mikey with, was another set of evolution stones. One Fire, Water, Thunder, and Leaf Stone. Not the most creative, but these things were hard to come by outside of Stone Town, so Ash accepted them graciously.

Ash's mom had come through with some brand new clothing, signifying a new year! Normally Ash wouldn't be super excited about something so trivial, but apparently the red and white jacket had belonged to his father. It was an easy call to switch out his blue one. Wearing it made him feel oddly close to the deceased man. Ash's mom had also given the boy several more pairs of you-know-what, and he swiftly stowed those away in his backpack.

No gift was more expensive or as prestigious than that of Professor Oak. The man had handed Ash a brand new Pokegear! Ash hadn't heard of it before, but it was apparently a top of the line communications device originating from Hoenn. The device was cross-functional as well, allowing it to contact the more common video phone. It was still in the prototype stage, so getting one was a big deal! Professor Oak had even inserted a few numbers in there, including that of Orange League representatives. The boy hadn't even thought of how they would stay in contact with him to communicate about challengers. Problem solved! Other handy features included the ability to download region maps, guidebooks, store notes, and so on. All in all, Ash was stoked about it!

That had been it for the gifts from the usual suspects, but it wasn't the end of the gifts all- together. First, there was a package that had arrived from Sinnoh, bearing the signature of Champion Cynthia herself! It had come with a note that Ash read first.

Ash,

We have not met directly, but we have communicated through a variety of intermediaries. I believe you are familiar with Maren and Professor Oak? Maren is an old friend and Professor Oak and I talked back and forth regarding your visions and the prophecy regarding Shamouti. They both have wonderful things to say about you by the way. I wish I could have been there to help, and am sorry you struggled in your quest to save the world. Still, you did pretty good out there kiddo. Winning the Orange League isn't something to scoff at either. To make up for my absence, I thought I'd send you this gift. A friend from Hoenn sent it my way a while back, saying it had something to do with Ancient Sinnoh. I've studied it myself and think it was favored by a specific Pokemon, but I can't say which one. You seem to be pretty good with Pokemon, so why don't you give it a try? This note is getting pretty long, so I'll leave you with this. "When every life meets another life, something will be born." I look forward to meeting you.

Cynthia Shirona, Champion of Sinnoh

Ash had sat there for a bit, stupefied at receiving something from such an awe inspiring trainer, but curiosity eventually won out and he moved to the package. Inside was a glassy black stone with a sharp cutting edge. He'd never seen anything like it in his life. Ah well. He'd figure it out another day. It too joined the other gifts in his backpack.

The next set of gifts was embarrassingly a bunch of fan mail. Ash's fame was finally catching up with him, and now he was getting contacted by a bunch of strangers. His mom had been adamant about sorting through it first, removing several messages from the bunch, before handing them over. She refused to elaborate when Ash questioned her on these forbidden items. For the ones he was allowed to keep though, they were pretty nice. Words of thanks, congratulations, and best wishes for the upcoming tournament. It put a big smile on Ash's face, helping to remove the stain that Gary had left with his presence.

Speaking of mail, he still hadn't opened up those two cards he had received at the party. Ash pulled out a yellow card and a lavender one. Serena and some girl that used to study under Sabrina had decided to write him. Ash decided to start with Serena's card, figuring that he already knew her, so he might as well.

Hey Ash,

Happy Birthday! It's been forever since we saw each other at Laramie Ranch, and I just couldn't wait to reach out to you again. So, when Brock and Misty got in contact, it was an easy to decision to send this letter. Guess what? I'm on my own Pokemon Journey! Thats' right! I'm actually writing from Aquacorde Town in Kalos. I also have two Pokemon now! You'll have to write back if you want details though ^_^

Taking on my first Gym Battle in the next week or two in nearby Santalune. Pretty excited about it! I never would have had the confidence to go out on my own, well technically not alone (I have a buddy named Shauna who travels with me), without your encouragement. I'm going to chase my dream and be a Pokemon Master! I know I'll see you at the top. Write back soon.

Serena

Ash smiled throughout, enjoying reading about the newly gained confidence and dream his friend was pursuing. Brock and Misty apparently had a way to get in contact with the girl, so Ash would have to ask and write back. He was curious to know about those Pokemon…

His eyes drifted to the other letter. This was entirely out of left field. Sabrina of all people showing up at his party with a letter from one of her students for him? Stranger things happened he supposed, opening up the lavender card.

Ash Red Ketchum,

You don't know me. You're probably actually confused, getting a letter like this from a complete stranger. I know you though Ash. My name is Anabel. Master Sabrina has probably already told you that I used to apprentice under her. Thanks by the way for helping her out with whatever you did. She was a lot happier after that, always smiling and spending time with her father. It was that event though that made you intriguing to me in the first place. I'm embarrassed to say I kind of followed you around after that in Saffron for a bit. I'm sorry for doing it behind your back Ash, but i'm not sorry I did it. What I saw was a boy who loved and connected with his Pokemon on a level like never before. That was a nice battle you had against the Dojo Master. You, Pidgeotto, and Charmeleon showed a real connection. It reminded me of my own bond with my Espeon. By the way, I heard you have one as well now. They're wonderful Pokemon aren't they? Always seeming to know what you need.

I'm rambling now. Ash, seeing you has inspired me to forge even closer bonds with Espeon on my own journey. My heart has called me to Hoenn, and it is from there that I write you. I've already made a new friend here. Perhaps one day you'll meet that friend, and I'll meet you. I hope you consider writing back.

Anabel

Ash wasn't smiling like he had been when he had been reading Serena's letter, but there was still a warm feeling in his chest, evoked by the words on the paper. It felt nice. This Anabel girl, there was something more Ash wanted to know about her. What that was… he didn't know. For now, he would write back. Sabrina likely knew how to get in contact with the girl. Ash might even learn a trick or two on how to get closer with his own Espeon.

"So, enjoy the attention from the ladies Ash?" Brock called from the door, arms crossed and a smirk on his face. Ash jumped up fast, face flushed, scrambling to hide the clearly visible letters.

"Shut up Brock! It's not like that!" denied the boy, his face telling a different story.

"Sure it's not," smiled back Brock, walking towards his bunk with a spring in his step. Ash growled, ignoring the teen altogether, and put away his things. Gary, girls, Brock, and all that other nonsense needed to take a hike! Ash needed some rest. He would be busy in the morning.

Oak Ranch - The Next Morning

Love the feel of that early morning fresh breeze, Ash thought, a smile joining the profuse amount of sweat on his face. Just like the old times, the sun was still rising in the town of Pallet, but that didn't stop Ash and every single one of his Pokemon from an early morning run, flight, or swim. To accomplish the latter objective, today's route was a run alongside a stream, allowing all of Ash's Water Pokemon to stay in clear visible sight. Taking stock, while keeping pace, Ash was pleased to see the Pokemon pushing themselves to their absolute limits. Even Snorlax was giving 110%, pushed and egged on by Hitmonchan. Ash couldn't be prouder. The break line in the trees were nearing, and the end of the stream coming up ahead. One final sprint had the group emerge back into the open fields of Oak's ranch, giving them all a visible view of the lab. Ash finally called a halt to the morning run when they neared his previously discarded backpack, allowing his Pokemon to rest.

"You guys nailed it!" praised the boy, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Several heavily breathing Pokemon shot back grins. Taking a deep breath himself, Ash switched into his lecture mode.

"Well, it's almost time guys. Everything we've done over the past year has been building up to this. The Indigo League Conference!" Ash's Pokemon were enraptured, hanging onto every word. Fierce fighters like Charizard, Hitmonchan, and Pikachu had an added hunger in their expressions.

"Before this, encounters with Team Rocket and tournaments aside, we've always had some way to prepare. We knew who we would be facing. We knew the kinds of Pokemon they would be using. We trained in a way to give us the best possible chance for that. This time, it's going to be different. We're not going to face Gym Leaders, Dojo Masters, or even Champions. Our battles will be against people and Pokemon who have faced hardships on their own journeys, clawing their way to the top with each victory. There's not really a way to prepare for that… except one," whispered the boy.

"We have to want it more! We need to want it more! We do want it more! That desire is going to go into our training. Guys, I need you to give me one final push! When we train today, we give it are all! Tomorrow, our journey towards Indigo begins. Are you with me?" Ash's Pokemon cried out in response, seeming to have regained all of their previously displaced energy from the prior run. Ash smirked.

"Then it's time. I won't be bringing all of you to the Indigo League at once, but each of you will taste battle during the tournament. Snorlax and Hitmonchan, you two have always trained together, and you've done it well. I see no reason why that should change. Go find a spot and hold some mock battles. Hitmonchan, keep that speed up. Snorlax, remember to endure and wait for the right times to strike. Patience can lead to some quick knock outs with your power," advised Ash.

"Chan," huffed the Pokemon, walking off.

"Lax!" roared Snorlax, scratching his belly as he too tumbled off.

"Charizard and Pidgeot, I want the two of you to focus on speed and evasion. After Charizard's nasty shock from Electabuzz against Drake, I don't want to take the chance that something like that can happen again in a flash. Pikachu, you head out with them and send volts of electricity their way, making sure they get a good workout in. Got it?"

"Cha!"

"Pidgeot!"

"Raoo!" Ash smiled, seeing the three speed away to get to it. His attention moved again, focusing in on the others.

"Venusar, I want you to take Ryhorn and show him some of your tricks to be agile despite your heavy weight and size. See if you can pass on Earthquake as well." Like the others, the two of them stomped off.

"Cloyster, you and Lapras will be holding some mock battles of your own. You've come pretty far, but Lapras could still use plenty of experience. See that you give it to her," sternly instructed the boy. The two Water Pokemon swam away.

"Clefable and Gengar, I want to apologize first for not using you guys too much during the Orange League. I don't know why it really happened the way it did, but it happened. I promise to make it up though in the Pokemon League. There's not much I can think of for you guys to learn that you haven't already, so get out there and do some sparing."

"Gar!" smirked the ghoulish Pokemon

"Fable," grinned Clefable, blowing a kiss in the direction Pikachu had wandered off too before prancing away. Pikachu shivered, somehow feeling the thing, even though he was in a far off corner of the ranch.

"Kingler, I want you to work on Hyper Beam. Butterfree will be assisting you and will act as a target. Try chaining your Quiver Dances together as fast as possible while you are at it Butterfree. That move could be a huge difference if used effectively during the league," advised the boy.

"Free!"

"Kingler!"

"Tauros, you will be trying to master Giga Impact. It's an all out tackle attack, putting everything you have into it. Given your normal typing, the attack should be devastating to any opponents. Scyther, your job will be to use speed and agility to avoid those attacks. You're getting pretty fast. I think you may be ready to learn a moved called U-Turn soon. We'll get to that later. Scyther and Tauros went off, leaving Ash with an egg and…

"Wha-What about me?" whined a Pokemon near Ash's feet, nudging the boy with her head. Ash chuckled at the response.

"Now princess, don't think I've forgotten about you. How would you like to learn a few new moves?" Her eyes instantly sparkled.

"Really? Yes! Yes! Yes! What new moves daddy?"

"Teleport and Future Sight."

12 Hours Later

The light had all but come and gone, and night was setting in. Ash breathed deep, in and out, casting his senses out and detecting the aura of the life that surrounded him, just as his master had taught him.

Master… I wonder what you are up to?

"Ash?" His eyes opened and his head turned, peering towards the direction of the voice that had called to him. He instantly relaxed when he saw who it was.

"Hey Misty! Looks like you've put some good work in yourself," commented the boy, eying her appearance. Even in the dark, Ash could see that Misty was drenched in sweat, holding a towel in one hand, and still wearing her bathing suit.

"Well, I have been working hard. Gyarados and the other are putting the work too! Got to keep up the work to impress Lorelei," winked the girl, coming to sit down next to Ash.

"So, what's up?"

"What's up? It's getting late Ash. I walked over her to see if you wanted to head back to your place to grab dinner and then hit the rack. We're leaving pretty early after all," knowingly said the girl.

"Also, your Pokemon look like they are about to faint."

"Heh. Guess we kinda overdid it," sweat-dropped Ash, looking around to see his Pokemon in dire straights.

Maybe an all day training session wasn't the best idea. I blame Gary! Yeah, this is his fault, rationalized the boy.

"Ash?"

"Sorry, spacing out. Yeah, let me go ahead and call off training, and I'll join you in a sec," said Ash, standing up. As he was walking away, he heard Misty call again.

"I'm proud of you Ash. You and your Pokemon have worked really hard for this. You'll wipe the floor with the other trainers for sure."

"Heck yeah we will!" Ash beamed, leaving Misty to chuckle as she walked away.

With my friends and Pokemon by my side, there's nothing that can stop us!

Ketchum Residence - The Next Morning

Perhaps Ash's thoughts had been a bit premature. Currently, something was trying to stop him. Ironically, it took the form of the being that had been so encouraging only a few hours ago.

"Come on Misty, it's time to get up!"

"NO!" growled the girl, holding onto her pillow for dear life.

"But we have to—"

"YOU SAID A FEW MORE MINUTES ASH RED KETCHUM! YOU ENDED UP TRAINING FOR A FEW MORE HOURS AND I WAITED IN THE LAB! I NEED MY SLEEP!"

"Yeah… sorry about that. I really didn't mean for this to happen," weakly answered the boy.

"WELL IT DID! DEAL WITH IT!" roared the monster, er Misty. Ash was terrified. He had no idea what to do. It was fortunate that someone did.

"Never fear, for Brock is here!" posed the boy near the doorway. Misty's head rose, narrowing her eyes at the offending voice with loathing. Then she started to sniff her nose, sensing a pleasant aroma. Her eyes opened and she spotted it.

"That's right! It's my special Brock-O coffee recipe. Just for you Misty," smiled the teen.

"Ash, go downstairs and finish up. We'll be down in a few minutes," whispered the boy. Grateful to his savior, Ash was happy to oblige, running down the stair and straight into…

"Oof!" Delia cried, falling to the floor with her son.

"Woah, sorry about that mom," Ash said, standing up and helping Delia up as well.

"No harm done Ashy. Just about ready to go? I heard Misty having some problems," mischievously smiled the woman. Ash scratched the back of his head, nervously laughing at that statement.

"Yeah, Brock's handling it though, so no sweat."

"So then, you're leaving again," Delia responded, albeit in a more somber tone.

"It's just about that time yes. But, we'll see each other again soon! You're coming to watch me at the Pokemon League right?" Ash asked, trying to cheer her up. Delia smiled, walking over to a growing collection of metal. Two trophies currently stood on the shelf. One representing Ash's efforts at Laramie Ranch and the other from his Orange League victory. She turned back to him.

"Yes Ashy, I'll be there to support you. As long as you do you're best, I'll be one proud mom."

"Uhh… thanks mom. That means a lot."

"Mama's boy," whispered Espeon. Pikachu rolled on the floor in laughter, while Ash sent the two of them a dirty look. Delia merely let out a melodious laugh. Ash was saved from further embarrassment when Brock and Misty rumbled down the stairs.

"Thanks for letting us stay Misses Ketchum. Are you sure you don't need any help cleaning up the kitchen before we leave?" Brock asked.

"Not at all Brock. Mr. Mime has it well handled, and I'm sure he'd be quite irate if you tried. It was a pleasure having you over dear and you too Misty."

"Thank's ma'am," smiled the red head.

"Stay safe you three and have fun!"

"We will!" chorused the trio, exiting the abode and tasting the fresh Pallet Town air once more. The door shut behind them, leaving them alone, well with Pikachu and Espeon of course. Togepi was present as well and then there was Ash's egg, but still mostly alone.

"This is it," Ash simply stated.

"It?" Misty asked.

"Yeah. Our final adventure. One last road trip together!" declared the boy

"Then let's make it count! I want to remember this," added Brock.

"You two are such saps… but I love you for it," admitted Misty with a teary eyed smile. The Indigo League loomed, and Ash and his friends took some of their final steps towards the end of their journey together in Kanto.

END CHAPTER

It took Almost 300K words, but here we are! The Indigo League Conference is about to begin! Today's chapter was mostly transitory, but I like to think I snuck some fun stuff into the chapter. What did you guys think about that mysterious meeting? Also, I wonder what Cynthia sent Ash? Did you like the Pokegear present?

Next Time - The Opening Ceremonies and hopefully Ash's first battle of the conference against a regular face at the Indigo League.

Guest44 - Thanks for the review! I will try to let every Pokemon battle at least once in the Pokemon League.

Talesfanjmf - Thanks for the review! Not telling with the Pokemon Egg. Glad you liked the party. Hope you find Gary's small appearance satisfying.

Jeannot2978 - Thanks for the review! Not telling on the egg. We'll see how Ash does this time around, but 5 years to be champion? I'm not sure about that ;)

RFK22 - Thanks for the review! Gary is still a tool, even if he may be a more competent one. Oops… spoilers!

Guest - Thanks for the review! I appreciate you commenting on the writing quality getting better. Funny enough, I've been getting similar feedback at work. I like to think this Fanfic helped with those reviews lol.

Nasapeepoleover116 - Thanks for the review! I'm always happy to respond if you take time to review. Interesting guesses. We will see how that plays out.

Reader2 - Thanks for the review! I understand your critique here and respect it. I simply wanted to take this story a different way. His Orange League responsibilities will not have much bearing on the story, and as I said, I made it so that it had no real Government authority. I do agree that bigger regions likely come with that power though. Good guess on the legendary. Not confirming if you are correct. Perhaps Espeon did learn early. Maybe I will consider that for future Pokemon who can speak ^_^

StrikertheFallen - Not telling! What did you think of Gary? I wonder where he has been all this time?

Reader - Thanks for the review! Hope you liked the minor interaction between Gary, AJ, and Ritchie.

Espeon860 - Thanks for the review! Not telling with the egg! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Remember to review with your thoughts and critique : )

Smell ya later!