Chapter 1: A New Journey
Daisy yawned as she descended from the boat seeing a girl with brown hair and a green bandana waiting there. She waved at Daisy running over saying, "Hey Daisy, it's been forever since I last saw you. Probably when I went with dad the last time to visit Oak. I was so surprised to hear this morning from dad to come meet you."
"Hello, May," Daisy said with a small laugh looking at the 14 year old girl whose looks reminded Daisy a little of Leaf back home.
"Come on," May said taking Daisy's wrist pulling the 20 year old along toward town excitedly, "So you are here to try to be a coordinator, right?"
"Yeah I am," Daisy said with a smile nodding over at May, "Why do you ask?"
"Because you do realize I am the Top Coordinator in this region, I have won the contest circuit the last 4 years after all," May said with a smile over at Daisy, "So you and I might meet up in a few contest once you get started that is."
"I see, well it will be nice to compete with you," Daisy said with a nod smiling over at May as she saw the lab in the distance along with a man with silver hair leaning there waiting for them.
The man looked over at them with a small smile saying, "Hello Dais, it's been a long time."
She went wide eyed memories rushing back to her of her first journey as she heard the trainer's voice. Even if she hadn't seen or heard him in 9 years his name flowed from her mouth as easily as they ever did, "Steven...?"
Flashback: 9 years earlier
"Steven, I'm surprised your dad let you come all the way to Kanto to start your journey," a 11 year old Daisy said her dirty blond hair waving in the breeze as she looked over at the silver haired boy beside her, "Especially since you have been old enough for your journey for 3 years, why did you wait so long anyway?"
13 year old Steven shrugged glancing over at the girl beside him responding, "Well I wanted to be able to travel all the regions and dad wouldn't let me come to Kanto where I wanted to start until now. Plus I get to travel with you, I would take that offer any day. I always enjoy hanging out with you, Dais."
"You are a suck up, you know that?" Daisy said with a small giggle as she glanced down at the pokeball in her hand of a Chansey that her mother's gave birth to.
"Yeah I know but you love it," Steven said laughing softly looking down at the pokeball she had in hand, "Professor Oak seemed so upset when you decided to use that Chansey you hatched instead of one of his starters."
"I really did want to choose Charmander but mom seemed so adamant about me using the baby Chansey I couldn't refuse," Daisy said with a sigh looking up at him, "What pokemon did you bring with you anyway?"
"A Beldum," Steven said showing her the pokemon, "I will conquer all the regions with this pokemon by my side. Then I will return home and be Champion, just you watch."
"I'm sure you will, Steven, I'm sure," Daisy said with a laugh rolling her eyes as they walked through Viridian toward the forest.
"Oh I will, Dais," Steven said with a smirk looking over at her, "Just like I'm sure you will be a Top Coordinator some day soon."
"Whatever you say, Steven," Daisy said with a small laugh shaking her head, "Let's just get a move on to Pewter so we can both have our big first. Your first gym battle and my first contest."
"Alright," Steven said grabbing Daisy's hand quickly starting to run with her into the forest.
Flashback End
"Wait, Daisy how in the world do you know Steven Stone?" May whispered to Daisy quickly in surprise pulling Daisy from the rush of the memory.
Steven came over looking at May saying with a smile, "We are old friends, Miss Birch."
He then looked at Daisy quickly pulling her into a hug whispering, "Apparently the great professor is up to his old tricks again and wants me to travel with you just like it would have been before."
Daisy blushed a deep red slowly hugging Steven back whispering, "Why am I not surprise... Grandfather and I are both like that. It's great to see you though, Steven."
"It's great to see you too, Dais," Steven said pulling away looking at Daisy's flustered face with a smirk on his lips, "You know I did succeed for awhile at what I said."
"Yeah I know you did, though then you lost the title to what's his face," Daisy said with a smile, "I don't keep up with Hoenn Pokemon League."
"Don't blame you," Steven said with a small laugh before hearing a cough from May to get their attention.
"Hello you two, Dad's waiting on Daisy and well I'm sure he will be surprised to see the ex-champion himself here," May said looking at the two of them knowingly.
"Professor Birch already knows I'm here," Steven said looking over at May, "I told him I wanted to wait for Dais outside when I first arrived about 5 minuets ago. Apparently he has a surprise for Dais here."
"Oh yeah that," May said with a nod grabbing Daisy's wrist pulling her into the lab with Steven close behind.
Professor Birch looked up from his computer over at them with a smile saying, "Hello Miss Oak, pleasure to see you again. I'm glad I sent May on time, I was beginning to think I had sent her early or something."
"No you were just right, Professor Birch," Daisy said with a smile toward the Professor, "Steven and May mentioned you had a surprise for me?"
"Oh right, Oak called me this morning after he read your letter and sent me a pokeball that he said he refused to let you use a starter from this region," Birch said with a small laugh, "So I have a Charmander for you that he said was the pokemon you wanted to start with before but didn't."
Daisy looked at him in surprise then a small smile saying, "Well I guess I will need to thank, grandfather for that was well."
Birch came over placing 5 empty pokeballs in her hand saying, "It is quite strange for a 20 year old to be starting their journey but I'm sure you will do fine."
"Technically," Daisy began as she clipped her new Charmander's pokeball to her belt, "I'm restarting, Professor."
Steven looked at Daisy with a small frown on his face remembering why she had to stop her journey before. He shook his head quickly clearing the memory of Daisy leaving his side 9 years prior from it for now. He wanted this Journey with Daisy to be what the one 9 years ago should have been.
Daisy smiled back at Steven saying, "Let me call my grandfather then we can head out."
"No no," May said with a frown, "Dad can't they stay in town for tonight then start out in the morning?"
"Yeah that probably would be for the best, Dais," Steven said looking at Daisy, "You are probably tired from leaving in the middle of the night on that boat anyway."
Daisy looked at Steven then at Birch with a sigh saying, "He is right, I am kind of tired."
"No worry, you both can sleep in the guest room at our house," Birch said with a nod smiling at the two of them, "I will get the air mattress out for Steven to sleep on while you take the bed."
May shook her head saying, "Daisy is sleeping in my room, I never get to have slumber parties."
Daisy laughed slightly looking at May saying, "Alright alright, sounds like fun May."
May smiled with a nod saying, "Great, glad you agreed Daisy."
She then looked at Steven saying, "You stay out, I'll call Brendan on you if you try anything with Daisy tonight."
Steven raised an eyebrow at May shaking his head saying, "I'm 22 you know, I'm not a hormone driven boy like you hang out with Miss Birch. Plus I'm afraid to tell you even the current champion doesn't terrify me that much. He is still 8 years younger then me, you both are."
Daisy let out a soft laugh at the exchange between May and Steven looking at Steven playfully hitting him on the shoulder saying, "He won't try anything... don't worry, May. Steven has always been the perfect gentleman to me through the years. At least he was when we were younger."
Steven's cheeks turned slightly pink as he looking back at Daisy glad she didn't know him during his hormone driven years to much.
Daisy looked at Steven tilting her head to the side curiosity in her blue eyes as she looked at him in wonder having seen the pink on his cheeks before saying, "Well I better go call Grandpa and tell him that I made it alright."
She turned walking away from where the 3 others were standing toward the labs video phone. She typed in the number as she sat down looking at the screen as Green's face appeared at the screen with a glare.
"What the hell, Daisy, you freaking leave in the middle of the night to go to Hoenn of all Arceus forsaken places," Green yelled almost immediately before taking a couple of breaths before continuing alittle quieter then, "You fucking think that we wouldn't be worried about you if you left a note and just leave without telling anyone."
Daisy looked at Green with a sigh saying, "Hello Green, nice to see you as well. I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I was coming out here but I'm 20 years old and if I hadn't done it that way I wouldn't have been able to leave you two. Also stop cussing it isn't good for you, little bro. Or do I need to have Leaf wash your mouth out with soap for me?"
"I'm 14 years old and the Viridian City Gym Leader, I can cuss if I want to," Green muttered before looking up saying loudly, "I'm sorry I cussed at you Daisy but you're supposed to be the responsible one of us. If I did this, Grandpa wouldn't care but since you did it he's basically freaking out over here. Sending you that Charmander, calling up the father of your ex-boyfriend to get him to be your babysitter, arranging a shipment with one of those new Poketch things from Sinnoh to be at the next pokemon shop, and finally waking me up at 5 am with a call on my pokegear when he first found that note. I don't wake up at 5 am for no one, Daisy, at least normally I don't wake up at 5 am."
Daisy blushed at the ex-boyfriend line saying quickly yet quietly, "Steven was never my boyfriend."
"Yeah yeah, I've heard how you acted around him from Leaf and Red all morning," Green said looking at Daisy through the monitor, "I am so glad I have those memories blocked from my mind, it would have been freaky to remember my older sister going gaga over some boy from when I was only 4."
"Green, may I just talk to Grandfather?" Daisy said wanting to end this conversation before Steven over heard a blush still on her face.
Green sighed a little before nodding saying, "Of course, Daisy."
He then pulled back calling out, "Grandfather, Daisy is on the phone."
He then looked back at Daisy saying, "You better be ok, Daisy. If you have any trouble just call me and I'll be there as quick as I can."
"I know Green," Daisy said as she watched Green walk away from the phone and her grandfather taking his place.
"Hello Daisy, I'm glad to see you made it alright," Oak said gently, "I'm not going to lecture you on leaving without telling anyone and such since you are 20 years old and I already heard Green yell at you when answering the phone."
"Thank you Grandfather," Daisy said with a smile over the monitor to her grandfather, "I bet Green was grumpy this morning when you woke him up at 5 am."
"He was," Oak said shaking his head, "That boy needs to learn manners, answering the phone with What the f... do you want at 5 AM is never good."
Daisy laughed softly saying, "Threaten him with having Leaf wash his mouth out with soap, he never cusses around her so it works to get him to stop for awhile. Even back when they were rivals he didn't."
"Ah I see, I shall keep that in mind for future refrence," Oak said with a nod chuckling slightly, "So happy to see that boy, Steven, again? As well as my first little present for you."
"Yes I'm happy," Daisy said with a nod a blush appearing on her face, "Though in actuality I just wanted to check in with you to let you know I was ok. I'll call again once I get that Poketch."
"Alright, have a good Journey, Daisy," Oak said before hanging up the phone.
Daisy hung up on her end leaning back in the chair rubbing her forehead muttering, "Green needs to stop staying out late with Leaf and getting to sleep earlier if he is being grumpy because of not sleeping until noon."
She shook her head getting up walking back over to where May and Steven were waiting for her. She smiled at Steven before looking for May saying, "We can go to your house now, I'm done."
"Yay, alright," May said happily before walking to the door with Steven and Daisy following her. Daisy glanced over at Steven taking in his appearance for the first time. His silver hair was messy and sticking up everywhere. His crystal blue eyes seemed sadder then she remembered them like the joy he had back 9 years ago was gone. He was easily 6'2" and stood about 4 inches taller then herself. She raised her eyes noticing for the first time he was wearing a suit.
"What's with the suit?" Daisy asked motioning to the black jacket with purple design, black pants, white shirt, and red tie he was wearing.
Steven looked down at his cloths before responding, "Haven't you seen me in those magazines from back when I was champion? I always wear a suit but I probably should change into something more casual since we are both restarting our journey after all."
"Wait what?" Daisy asked wide eyed stopping in her tracks staring at Steven her jaw slightly open.
"Oh right I forgot to tell you didn't I," Steven said running a hand through his silver hair nervously before pulling off the pokeball from his belt, "I'm starting over with just this Aron myself, we are both re-beginning. I want to recapture that love of battling I once had before battling Brendan to take back my title."
"I see, well then I'm glad to be traveling with you again," Daisy said with a smile catching up to his side again.
"So what happened to Chansey when you left 9 years ago?" Steven asked her curiously looking over at Daisy.
"I gave her to Nurse Joy in Viridian," Daisy said looking back at Steven, "How about Beldum?"
"Evolved in a Metagross, him and the rest of my pokemon are at my home in Mossdeep at the moment," Steven said with a nod, "My father said he would keep them taken care of while I'm on this journey."
"Oh that's good," she said with a smile looking up at the darkening night sky seeing a quick streak of glowing gold across it like a shooting star in wonder not mentioning it to Steven.
Steven looked at her raising an eyebrow as they followed May back to the Birch Home to sleep for the night.