A.N - I would like to apologise for the very long delay to the story, especially to those who were nice enough to PM me and ask after it, but as often happens real life jumped me and forced me to pay full attention to it for a while. I'm still relatively busy so any regular update schedule is out the window, but I be will continuing this story, even if it takes me forever. Thanks to anyone who is still following this, so finally, on with the show!

'djsj' - Thoughts, "djsj" - Speech

This Story is un-bata'd so please excuse mistakes

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the related places or characters. No profit is being made from this story.

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Sinnoh Region - 9:55pm - En-Route to Sunnyshore City

A pitch black, military grade, high-end jeep flew down a dusty, little used road on the way to Sunnyshore city. The car was moving so fast it was generating a dust cloud that could be seen for miles in the air behind it. It's driver, a blonde haired trainer that anyone even slightly interested in following the league would recognise, had her foot to the floor and kept throwing worried glances in the direction of her rear view mirror.

'I have to hurry' she thought. 'Theres not much time left, and if she didn't get there in time she didn't know what would happen'. She cast another quick glance at the rear view mirror and mentally willed her car to go faster. She wished she could just jump on her Garchomp's back and get there at the ultra high speeds it was known to travel at, but unfortunately due to circumstances beyond her control, that wasn't an option right now. She was just beginning to think she wouldn't make it when she crested a final hill and spread out below her was the majestic Sunnyshore City.

Reinvigorated by her goal being in sight, she sped down the hill at top speed, startling Pokemon and humans alike who were just settling down for a good nights sleep, or in some cases just waking up. She blurred past the buildings at the edge of the city, navigating her way to her objective and still keeping a careful watch over her rear view mirror. Finally she saw her goal in the distance, but made no sign of slowing down.

With just enough tome left she slammed on the brakes and put the jeep into a skid heading sideways for the pavement where she needed to get to. Any bystanders all stared first in awe at this example of stunt driving, then in horror because it looked like the car wouldn't stop in time before it crushed the occupants of the pavement. Everyone started running and diving out of the way, and the lone man behind a stall, right in the cars path, ducked behind his stand in the hopes he would be safe. Just as he was mentally reviewing whether he had his will in order, he heard a final screech and a thump as if something had just nudged against the curb. He let out a sigh of relief and dared to peek over the counter, yet was shockingly unsurprised at what he found.

"Really Cynthia," he started "I know you love my ice-cream, and the sign says I close at 10:00pm, but you've done this every friday for the last month, so I don't mind staying open a few extra minutes. Especially if it avoids any more attempts of you giving me a heart attack" he said, while giving Cynthia his sternest glare.

Cynthia, for her part, had the good sense to look sheepish as she awkwardly laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry Tony" she said, while silently doing a victory dance in her head when, she snuck a glance at the tiny digital clock embedded in her rear view mirror and saw the time still sitting at 9:59. 'Hah' she thought. 'Made it again'.

"Its just that your ice-cream is the nicest I've ever found and theres nothing better after a week stuck at a dig site than a great ice cream" she laughed, hoping the flattery would work and she could still claim her precious... Ok maybe now she understood a little bit better why her garchomp had refused to give her a lift on the grounds that, if she was translating correctly, she was really 'creepy' when obsessed with reaching her favourite frozen treat.

Tony, the now identified ice-cream salesman, sighed in defeat, knowing the Sinnoh champion wouldn't be changing any time soon and that everyone was entitled to their own little quirks. " Well I suppose I can let it slide this one last time. But next time, just take it slowly." 'Yeah, right, cause' thats gonna happen' he thought sarcastically.

"So, what flavour of ice-cream can I get for our fine champion tonight, hmm?"

20 minutes, and one finally selected ice cream cone later, he finally had the chance to pack up and go home.

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As Cynthia walked along the beachfront, ice cream in hand, she took a moment to finally unwind from the stressful week she had had. She was currently working on excavating some ruins not far from Sunnyshore City that had initially looked like a promising link in her studies in the origin of Pokemon, but so far all the had found was yet another seemingly obliterated town, with surprisingly no evidence of their ever having been Pokemon there. Ruins like those, while probably a shock to anyone not involved in archaeology, could be found all over the world and continued to baffle her. They seemed to pre-date even ancient civilisations such as Pokeatlantis, and yet in some ways where more advanced than current cities and towns. It was this mystery, coupled with her awe of legendary Pokemon and their legends, that drove her to try and find the truth buried in history.

She was just appreciating the great view, when her custom champions Poketch (being the champion does have it perks, she thought) started beeping away at her that she had an incoming call. Wondering who would be calling her at this time of the day, as well as who actually had her number, she pressed the flashing answer icon and the watch started to project a holographic video screen in front of her. After just a few moments she was surprised the see the gray haired head of arguably the greatest Pokemon professor of her time, Professor Oak, appear on her screen.

" Ah Cynthia" he started "it's been a long time. How have you been?"
After getting over her shock she quickly schooled her features into a professional mask, hoping she didn't have any ice-cream smeared on her face.

"Professor Oak, this is certainly a surprise. I've been well thank you, how have you been Professor? I hope theres nothing wrong, we usually don't get the chance to talk unless the world is ending" she nervously chuckled at her half-joke, knowing it to be disturbingly true and hoping this was just a social call.

" Oh I'm great thanks, and nothing to worry about, this thankfully isn't another call for help preventing doomsday" She couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped her then.

"Well, not that it isn't great to hear from you professor, but what exactly was it you were calling me for?" She asked curiously. Despite being a well know champion and expert archaeologist, there was very little she could help the Professor with that he probably couldn't accomplish on his own.

" Oh, I almost forgot why I was calling there" she heard a suspiciously familiar voice shouting in indignation in the background."Yes, yes I'm getting to it don't rush me!" He shouted to someone out of her view.

"Well where was I" he started again " ah yes, I was actually calling you to make a rather large and important request from you, though you are entirely free to refuse it if you wish"

This of course had her attention completely focusing on the Professor again. It wasn't often he ever had to ask anyone for anything, and he was secretly one of her favourite Professor's, her loving both his research and his poems, not that she would ever let that slip to Professor Rowan. " What can I help with Professor, I'll try my best to see if I can help"

"Well, what I have to request is not a small thing, and its a request I'm relaying from someone else. To get to the point, I assume you familiar with the system of established elite trainer taking on apprentices?"

At this the smile dropped from her face. Professor Oak wasn't the first the come to her about this. She had been Champion for 3 years now, one of the youngest ever at the age of 19, and more and more often people were suggesting that she take on an apprentice. It wasn't that she disliked the system, she herself had technically been apprenticed to several elites and gym leaders before becoming Champion. It was a well respected system, one she knew her fellow Champions, especially Lance and the blackthorn family of dragon tamers, took very seriously.

No, her problem stemmed from finding someone she thought worthy to be an apprentice. She didn't want to seem conceited, but she was the top ranked champion out of all the five main regions of the world that were currently part of the league. Their had been plenty of people who wanted to be her apprentice, though very few who actually wanted to learn instead of just receive the prestige that would come from being mentored by her. She had been sorely tempted to sick her garchomp on several of the stuck up idiots that had all but demanded that she have the 'privilege' of being their teacher. On top of that, the few who she could actually tolerate were no where near the level she would want them to be at and, she was sad to say, just didn't have the potential for it to be worth it.

What she was really surprised at was that it was Professor Oak asking. He was a Champion himself long ago and understood the annoyance of constantly being pestered to teach arrogant fools everything he knew just for the asking.

Seeing the shift in her emotions, Professor Oak was fast to continue. "Now, I know that you probably haven't had the best experience with possible apprentices given what Ive heard and what I remember from my own time as a Champion. But rest assured I' m not just doing this on a whim or as a favour to a friend, though he is an old friend of both of us. I think you should at least hear who I have in mind before making any judgements, and remember that you can always refuse and that the requirements they have to meet are entirely up to you."
Cynthia's cheeks reddened slightly partly in embarrassment and partly in annoyance over being read so easily. She put considerable effort into perfecting her professional mask, though she supposed Oak had experience in seeing through those.

Finally she relented "Ok Professor, seeing as its you who is asking I promise to keep an open mind on the matter, though I warn you that my requirements are extremely high. I'm curious though what you mean when you say whoever this is is an old friend of both of us. Who is it that you are representing?"

At this a sly smirk appeared on the Professors face. He started speaking while reaching beyond where she could see for something. He then abruptly continued while pulling a young man and his trusty mouse into her view. "Why, the possible apprentice I have for you is this young man here, Ash Ketchum! I'm sure you remember him from that little escapade with the legendaries and Team Galactic?"

For a moment Cynthia was shocked into silence. The Professor certainly had a skill for understatement when he called that event a 'little escapade'. At the same time Cynthia was very pleased to see Ash again. He had saved her life, and technically the whole world, when they had met and done what many people with far more years and experience than him had attempted before him, in destroying Team Galactic. And if even half of the rumours she heard about this particular trainer where true, then that had been a slow day for him. She really had been meaning to call up the file that the g-men and Pokemon rangers had been gathering on him for a read. Apparently he got involved in so many events and adventures, either minor or world altering, that they decided they needed an in-depth report on what he had been up to during his journey. She'd heard rumours that currently it filled up an entire bookshelf and he was only 16!

She quickly recovered herself though and again schooled her features. Regardless of how much she liked the boy and had secretly started to view him like a little brother she never had, she had standards to maintain and she couldn't be seen to be playing favourites.

She looked Ash square in the eye and started to glare a bit to she if she could read him.

Ash, for his part was staring to sweat a bit. The conversation so far hadn't exactly been encouraging, even if he technically wasn't meant to be listening in, and he was caught by surprise when the Professor had reached around the doorframe he'd been casually and completely innocently pressing his ear against and yanked him into view. And now Cynthia was glaring at him as if she was trying to set him on fire by thought alone. He tried to remember if he had done anything to offend the Sinnoh champion but he was drawing a blank.

Cynthia continued to glare wordlessly for a good few minutes when her composure snapped and she broke into a grin. "Hi Ash," she said " how have you been?"

If it was an anime Ash would undoubtably have sweat dropped at this abrupt change in personality. As it was he tried to take it all in stride and simply answered " Ive been good Cynthia, thanks, how have you been?"

"Great thanks" she replied "now onto business." At this she again morphed into her professional mode. " As I understand it, you are requesting to become my apprentice, is that correct?" She asked while cocking one eyebrow.

Ash took this as his queue to act serious and responded formally as Professor Oak had told him to. He did a formal bow and then began " Yes, I, Aston Satoshi Ketchum, would like to formally request from you, the honourable Sinnoh Champion, that you would take me on as your apprentice, to learn all that you would teach me about Pokemon, and about life" at this he did another formal bow and tried hard to school his face into a neutral look as the professor had instructed.

Cynthia's reaction was to blink a few times and then, to his chagrin, to burst into laughter, at the same time as he heard Professor Oak burst out laughing as well.

"Oh Ash" she said when she eventually could breath again " I needed that thanks."
She continued on with small chuckles for a while as Ash turned increasingly red in embarrassment.

She decided to take pity on him at this and continue on. "I'm going to assume that it was the Professor who put you up to that very good re-enactment of what would have been used several hundred years ago?" Again Ash turned a further shade of red in embarrassment.

"But seriously, you understand what it means to ask this don't you? I assume the Professor explained what becoming an apprentice would entail?"

Ash nodded at this "Yes, when he wasn't busy trying to pull a prank on me he explained everything. I understand that this is a very big thing that I am asking and it is by no means something to be taken lightly. I have thought hard about this and I believe that the best and only way for me to move forward is to learn from an elite, and you are the best I could think of. I promise that if you agree to take me on as your apprentice, that I and my Pokemon will give our all to everything you put in front of us and that I wont disappoint you."

Cynthia was touched at this display of maturity from Ash. She knew he was usually very excitable and seemed happy-go-lucky to most people, so it was a good sign that he had thoroughly thought this through. And she had to admit she was a little flattered that he thought she was the best with the amount of elites and champions that he had met and befriended in his travels. If it were anyone else asking she likely would have said no, but with Ash she thought she may just have found her first apprentice.

That didn't mean of course that he would get this easily. She looked him over one more time and then came to her decision

"Well Ash, I can see that this is something that you have thought hard about, and I'm glad you consider me a good candidate as your teacher. Usually I don't even consider taking an apprentice but I think I'll give you the chance to prove yourself. I will warn you, not only will the training be harder than anything you have ever done" ('at this point she privately set a challenge for herself to somehow concoct a training regime that was harder than repeatedly saving the world') " but the tasks required to become my apprentice will be no easy feat either. If you are prepared to accept this then I think we can work together."

Ash's grin almost couldn't be contained on his face at this answer but he still managed to somehow answer without, to his pride, squealing like a little girl. " I accept Cynthia and I promise you won't be disappointed. I'm ready to do whatever needs to be done."

Cynthia got a very scary smile on her face at that and said " Well see Ash, well see. I'll send the Professor a list of what you need to accomplish and I look forward to seeing the results. Expect the list to arrive with a package in the next few days. I look forward to hearing from you again Ash."

Ash tried to ignore the feeling of dread that her smile settled in his stomach and plastered a smile on his face as he answered "I look forward to getting the list and getting started. I'll talk to you later Cynthia and again, thank you very much for the opportunity. Bye!"

"Goodbye" she responded, and then she heard what sounded like Ash counting down from 5, the Professor starting to make a run for it and his Pikachu starting to build up for a powerful electric attack. The connection cut with her chuckles and a brief flash of almost blinding yellow light along with the Professors dramatic cries of " What a world!"

She quickly finished her ice-cream, that remarkably had not yet melted and headed back towards her car. She was re-energised now with excitement, and she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep for several hours. But that, she thought with a devious chuckle, would give her time to come up with what she deemed, an 'appropriate' list of tasks both to judge if he was worthy as her apprentice and that fit with who he was. To do that, she supposed, she had better get started on that bookcase sized report straight away.

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Well here it finally is. I know there wasn't much action here but this was a necessary chapter to get the story moving and ill admit i had fun writing it. The next chapter will be about the tasks and the preparations for the first of the two big arcs that will make up this story, the first being Ash's apprenticeship. Again I want to give a special thanks to all those who have stuck with this story despite my slow progress. I know I probably shouldn't, given how long its taken to update this, but ill also be posting a second story shortly that will be a highlander/sword art online crossover, something i don't think anyone else has done yet. Anyway feel free to read it or not and any reviews for this story are much appreciated. Goodbye till next time and God Bless