This is the disclaimer that never ends; yes it goes on and on my friends. Yes, this is the disclaimer that never ends; yes it goes on and… (SMACK) Ouch. No, not the head! Don't pull that! Why I ought ta… Ite! Okay, I don't own anything but the plot. Happy now? Sheesh! Hey, put away the chainsaw! Mommy!

Thank you all for your votes. I think that I got enough to continue, but I will continue to accept your votes. I still need votes on pairings though. These are the current girls that I'm thinking of:

Laura Laramie

Ia, Koga's sister.

Sabrina

Jeanette Fisher

Erika, the Gym Leader

Any other girls I will think about, but not May or Misty. They are too young.

Chapter Three

It had been two weeks since Pikachu had decided to stay with Ranma. Ranma started training Pikachu, and Pikachu took to the training like a fish to water. Pikachu was quite adept at Anything Goes, but he still lost four falls out of five against Guardian. Ranma had also stepped up Ash's training as he was doing very well. He still couldn't handle certain parts, but he was doing well enough. Ranma decided, since Ash was doing so well, that he'd take him fishing as a break from training.

"Really? When?" asked Ash excitedly.

"Well, as soon as we can get our stuff, we can… go," Ranma told the dust cloud where Ash had been.

Ranma just shook his head as he watched Ash disappear in the direction of their house. He looked around and, seeing that no one was around, jumped onto the roof of the nearest house and started roof-hopping. As he was heading back, he saw Ash running full speed and smirked as he sped up to get home first.

Ash was panting as he arrived at the house, but he was sure that he had managed to arrive before Ranma. So his surprise was complete when he saw Ranma come from around a corner carrying their fishing supplies.

"How… how did you get back first?" he asked in surprise.

"Huh? Oh, I ran," Ranma told him as he handed Ash his stuff.

"But…but…but…" Ash sputtered.

"Come on, Ash. Let's get going," Ranma told him as he headed out the gate. "Come on, Guardian, Pikachu."

Two forms, one red and black, the other yellow, ran out of the house. The yellow one, turning out to be Ranma's Pikachu, ran up Ranma's leg and sat on his head. The red and black one was Guardian, Ranma's Growlithe, stopped at Ranma's feet and growled at Pikachu, who just gave him a raspberry in reply. Ranma sighed and pulled Pikachu off his head and looked him in the eye.

"What did you do now?" Ranma asked him.

"Pika." /Nothing./ Pikachu replied, trying to look innocent.

"Uh huh, nothing. Guardian?" Ranma asked.

As Guardian barked and yipped his reply, Ranma listening carefully to make sure he didn't miss anything. After Guardian was done, Ranma turned back to Pikachu.

"Nothing indeed. Now, why did you shock him?" Ranma asked, barely hiding his growing smile.

"Pi Pikachu Pika Chu Pi. Pika Pikachu Pika Chu Ka," /He was too busy eating when you called. So I shocked him a little to get his attention./ replied Pikachu.

After Pikachu's curt reply, Ranma could no longer hide his smile. "Alright, just don't do it too often, alright?"

"Pika,"/Sure./ Pikachu nodded as he replied.

Ranma then looked down at Guardian. "Just think of it as training, okay?" he told the Growlithe.

"Arf." /Ok./

It took the small group fifteen minutes to walk to the beach and set up. Ranma was still wary around water, but ever since the transition, he hadn't changed at all. The problem was that he still felt the magic of Jusenkyo within him. Ranma didn't know what that meant, but he knew that Jusenkyo wasn't done with him. Ranma shrugged off those thoughts and cast his line into the water and sat back. Next to him, Ash did the same thing. Neither of them said a word, both of them just relaxing. In the background, Guardian was chasing Pikachu after having been tripped and taking a nosedive into the sand. After a little while, they both collapsed and leaned against each other, exhausted.

Ranma was just about to doze off when he felt a tug on his pole. He quickly sat up and started to reel in the line. As soon as the line got short enough, Ranma saw what was attached and smiled. It was a Magikarp and it was splashing hard. As soon as it was on the sand Ranma took out his Pokèdex. After hearing the info on it he called for Pikachu. When Pikachu didn't come up to fight, Ranma looked back to see what was keeping him. A sweatdrop formed when he saw that Pikachu was sound asleep. He shrugged and walked up to the flailing Pokèmon and slammed his fist against its head. It instantly stopped flailing as it slipped into unconsciousness. As Ranma took out a pokeball, Ash spoke up.

"Isn't Magikarp really weak?" he asked.

"Yeah, but it'll be extremely powerful when it evolves," Ranma told him. Ranma then threw the pokeball. "Pokeball go!"

The pokeball struck the fainted Pokèmon and turned it into energy. The pokeball fell to the ground and shook a couple of times before going still and the red light turned to white. Ranma calmly walked over and picked up the pokeball before shrinking it and attaching it to his belt. He then turned back to Ash.

"So, you catch anything?"

As Ash continued to fish, Ranma checked out his new Pokèmon. Aside from the bruise that had formed from where Ranma had hit the Pokèmon, it was in great health. Ranma knew that it was surprised at being beaten by a human instead of a Pokèmon. He smirked at the confusion in its eyes. He then turned serious.

"If you want to go back to the wild, I'll let you," he told it as he looked it straight in the eye.

This surprised the Magikarp even more. She had heard of honorable Trainers, but she had never expected to meet one. Most trainers didn't want to even bother with a Magikarp, so almost all of the trainers that had caught her on a line threw her back, saying that she was too weak. But now this trainer, who had beaten her himself without using his Pokèmon, wanted to know if she wanted to return to the ocean. She thought about it for about two seconds and wiggled her body while saying, "Karp, Magikarp Karp." /No, I want to stay. /

She felt warmth spread through her when he smiled and she knew that she had made the right choice.

Ranma knew that with proper training, he'd have a great addition to his team. He felt a little nervous with having water Pokèmon on his team, but he'd get over it. The fact of the matter was that he now had a valuable partner and friend.

An hour later found them packing up their equipment. Ash had caught a couple of Magikarp, but as he wasn't old enough to train he threw them back. The two highlights of the day were Ranma's catching his Magikarp and when a Krabby pinched Ash's foot and wouldn't let go. When Ranma finally stopped laughing, he had Pikachu shock it. That got the Krabby to let go just as Ash was trying to kick it off, sending it flying into the ocean. Ash was both happy and sad, happy because the Krabby was off his foot and sad because he was now a little crispy. He twitched a little before falling to the ground. Ranma laughed as he helped Ash to his feet and dusted him off. They hadn't caught anything after that so they packed things up and headed home.

Time passes as all things do and Ranma's 12th birthday was coming up quickly. Delia was planning on having a big party, well as big as you can have in a small town. Ranma on the other hand wanted a small party, just his family and his Pokèmon. Professor Oak was invited since he was practically family. Delia went out to get a big cake for Ranma, Ash having disappeared to get his present for Ranma, and Professor Oak was coming back from Viridian City.

The moment was almost upon them as they just waited for the Professor to arrive. The cake was ready, the decorations set, and the birthday boy was being distracted by his brother. Yup, everything was in place except the wayward Professor. Finally he arrived, breathless because he ran from his lab. He was getting too old for this.

Ranma was outside training with Ash. He knew that his mom had planed a surprise party for him, but he was playing ignorant. That brought back memories of Nerima and his letting Nabiki manipulate him. Oh well, no sense living in the past. He ended the training by throwing Ash into one of the many trees in the yard. Ash had gotten tough enough lately that he could easily handle being thrown around.

"Good job, Squirt. You're doing better with your high kicks, just be sure to keep your defenses up, okay?" Ranma told Ash as he helped him up.

"Alright, Bro. Hey, lets go inside. I'm really thirsty," said Ash as he brushed some dirt off his clothes.

Together they went inside, talking about how to properly perform a high spinning axe kick, when Delia and Professor Oak jumped out of hiding.

"SURPRISE!" they yelled as Pikachu pulled a party popper and Guardian barked in happiness.

Ranma smirked. "What's the occasion?" he asked.

"Why, it's your birthday, silly," said Delia as she pulled him in for a hug.

"Yeah, I know. I was just messing around," Ranma told her as he hugged her back.

"Happy Birthday, Ranma," said Professor Oak as he shook Ranma's hand.

"Thanks, Prof. I hope you had a good trip," Ranma told him as he took a seat at the table while Delia went to get the cake.

"I did," the Professor replied as he too sat. "I got everything taken care of that I needed too." As he told that to Ranma, he got a strange gleam in his eye, as if he knew something that Ranma didn't.

"I'll be right back," said Ash as he headed towards the stairs. "I have to go change."
"Don't be too long, Squirt. Mom won't like it if your late for the cake," Ranma warned him.

"Alright," came Ash's voice from the top of the stairs.

Delia came into the room five minutes later with the cake, just as Ash came down the stairs holding a wrapped present. Ranma smiled as he looked around at his family, not people claiming to be his family. He couldn't help but compare what he had here with what he had in Nerima. There was no comparison. He had a life of his own here, as well as family and friends that loved him unconditionally. A tear escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek before he wiped it away. He smiled brightly at everyone before blowing out his candles. He didn't even make a wish as he had everything that he needed.

After everyone had cake, Ranma got to open his presents. He got clothes from his mom, as well as a ton of boxers. From Ash, he got a fire stone, for when he wanted Guardian to evolve. Ranma gave Ash a big hug after opening his gift because he knew that fire stones weren't cheap. From Professor Oak, he got a new Pokèdex. Ranma looked at the Professor curiously.

"But Professor, I already have a Pokèdex," he told him.

"Why don't you open it," Professor Oak told him in reply.

Ranma shrugged and opened it. A robotic voice spoke up.

"I am Dextron, recording device and license to Ranma Saotome Ketchum. Ranma Ketchum is a licensed Pokèmon Handler and can carry as many Pokèmon as he wants. He can only use six Pokèmon per battle though," said Dextron.

Ranma looked up at the Professor in shock. This was quite a gift. Not many people were allowed to carry more than six Pokèmon at a time. To be a Handler was what Ranma had wanted to be ever since he had heard about them. They were a mix of a Pokèmon Trainer, Breeder, and Healer. Just what Ranma was meant to be. He gave the Professor a big hug and thanked him profusely.

"Ranma… air," gasped the Professor as he started turning blue.

"Oh, sorry," said Ranma as he let go and stepped back.

"So, when are you going to go on your journey?" asked Oak later on that evening.

"I don't know, when I'm ready maybe," replied Ranma as he pet both Guardian and Raigeki, Pikachu's new name.

"Well, I happen to think that you're ready. Most Trainers leave when they are ten, but you didn't because of your 'special condition'. I don't know why you haven't yet, nor am I asking, but I think that you should do it," Professor Oak told Ranma. "And don't worry about me, I found someone who can help me at the lab."

"Really? Who?" Ranma asked suspiciously.

"Why Ash, of course. I admit, he doesn't have your gift, but he wants to learn and he has potential," said Professor Oak as he took a sip of Delia's homemade lemonade.

"Hmm," Ranma said as he thought about it. His wanderlust had been bothering him for a while, but he had stayed because he was helping the Professor at the lab. He also couldn't leave when he was in the middle of training Ash, but now Ash was at a point where he could start teaching himself through experience.

"You know what? I think I'll do it. I'll go on a journey to better myself and my Pokèmon," said Ranma finally.

"Good for you, Ranma. I wish you the best of luck. Now, I have to get back to the lab before Gary destroys something valuable," said Oak as he stood up.

"That kid needs a smack on the head," muttered Ranma.

"I heard that," Professor Oak told him. "But I agree; he is a little too arrogant."

"Good-night, Professor," said Ranma.

"Good-night, Ranma," replied Professor Oak.

I was going to make this chapter a little shorter, but I just couldn't stop writing. The only good thing about being sick is that you get a lot of time to write. I want to know if anyone has any good ideas. If you do, send me them. If you don't, don't. As for updates, don't expect any in the near future. I'm working more hours and my schedule is packed for a while. This is going to be the last update for at least a week or two. It might take me longer.

Love it? Hate it? Please review. Flames will be used to light my incense.