Author's Note: The age to get a trainer's license has been bumped up to thirteen for the sake of this story.

Act 1: The Departure

"The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say"

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Ch. 1

Sitting perched on the edge of his bed in eager anticipation, thirteen year old Ash Ketchum watched the exhibition match between Elite Four members Agatha and Bruno. The tournament had aired hours before, but Ash had missed the majority of it after spending most of the day with his mother thoroughly preparing for his journey. As much as he had pleaded with his mother for them to hurry home from Viridian City, she wouldn't be swayed no matter how much he begged or complained.

It was just as well that he couldn't sleep. And how could he? Come tomorrow morning he'll be on the road towards realizing his lifelong dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. The excitement alone was keeping him up well pass when he ought to have gone to bed.

When Bruno switched out his sleeping nidorino in favor of onix, Ash couldn't help but holler in approval. Hopefully this would even the playing field just a bit in spite of Agatha still having four pokémon while Bruno was down to his remaining two. The odds weren't in his favor, hadn't been since the start of the match, but Ash admired his determination to see the battle through all the way to the end.

Almost immediately he realized his mistake when his mother entered his room without the usual knock. She stood with her arms folded and her face heavy with disapproval.

"Ash Ketchum," she scolded, "Don't you know what time it is?"

His eyes fleeted over to the pokéball shaped alarm clock sitting on his desk. Sheepishly he looked back to his mother and answered, "Way passed my bedtime?"

Delia heaved a heavy sigh, some of her anger abating. "You've got a big day tomorrow, sweetheart. If you want to be ready bright and early, I suggest you go to bed."

"I know," he moaned as he flopped back on his bed. "I'm just too excited to sleep! I can't stop thinking about which pokémon I should get from Professor Oak. They say bulbasaur is the easiest to train, but charmander might be the way to go and then there's always squirtle to think about. Ah, I just can't decide!"

While he lay staring at the ceiling bemoaning his upcoming decision, Delia went about diligently gathering his pajamas from the dresser.

"I'm sure your decision will come to you when you sleep on it," she remarked pointedly as she handed him the clothes.

Ash glanced at the pajamas and took them with an irritated frown. She sure was laying it on thick this time.

"You act like this is easy . . ." he grumbled.

"I just think you're making it harder than it has to be."

Staring intensely at the green fabric as he worried it between his fingers he asked, "What did you end up doing when you started your journey?"

Delia's features softened in sympathy. "I'm afraid I can't help you there, Ash. I never visited Professor Oak to receive a starter pokémon."

"How come?"

"It was too far of a trip," she admitted. "Plus, I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do when I first set out. So it didn't matter."

Ash hummed thoughtfully, wishing she could somehow make this decision easier for him. He wanted to ask her another question, but that one would only upset her, so he banished it from his mind. Even if he was dying to ask.

Sensing his hesitation, Delia sighed softly and said with the utmost sincerity, "Ash, whatever you end up deciding tomorrow morning, just know that it'll be the right one. Go with whatever feels right, okay?"

He looked up at his mother and saw the gentle smile she was sending him, trying to ease away his concerns. A smile of his own crept up on his lips as he decided that she was right. He would know what to do once he got to the lab. At least, he hoped.

He thanked his mother and wished her good night. She wished him the same and left him to change into his pajamas.

Once dressed for bed, Ash turned off the lights and flopped down on the mattress, his head turned back to the television. He watched as the match between Agatha and Bruno ended with Agatha as the victor and a new battle commenced.

One day, it was going to be him on that screen.

.

Side by side with his trusty charmander, bulbasaur, and squirtle, Ash took Kanto by storm. No one seemed to pose him much of a challenge as he travelled from gym to gym. People hailed him as Champion Red come again, the strength of his pokémon renowned throughout the Kanto region. When he was finally able to enter the Indigo League, he and his team breezed through it like it was nothing, coming out as the winner and qualifying for a challenge against the Elite Four and Champion.

Nobody could withstand the awesome might of his charizard, venusaur, and blastoise. Champion Lance was defeated in a stunning victory that left the audience in a frenzy. Ash could only stand and bask as the stadium broke out in cheers, the sound of his name being chanted into the air.

It was the single greatest feeling in the world.

Suddenly, the lights of the stadium dimmed until all he could see was darkness. The sounds of the audience's cheers died down into silence. His pokémon disappeared and Ash was left all alone.

Before he could begin to panic over being trapped in an endless void of nothing, a spark ignited before his eyes, temporarily blinding him. When his vision began to clear and he could finally see again, he found the world doused in a blue haze that moved like fire.

He couldn't make out his surroundings with the constant shift and change of the environment as it flared to life. The only thing that didn't seem to be moving was a distant shape that vaguely resembled a figure. It was too far away to make out clearly, but Ash had a distinct feeling that the thing was looking right back at him.

"Where am I?" he hollered into the vast space that spanned between them. "And who are you?"

"Who am I?" the figure responded with a hint of bafflement in his tone. "Who are you?"

The question shook something inside of Ash, stirring up a strange inkling of doubt over whether he really knew himself. He was Ash Ketchum, the boy from Pallet Town. Wasn't he?

Ash took an uncertain step back, which seemed to set off a chain reaction. The blue filter faded and erupted into actual fire that surged toward him at an unprecedented speed. He only had time to lift his arms up in front of him in a futile attempt of blocking the attack before he was engulfed by it.

He was just cognizant of the heat blistering his skin when he was suddenly pushed back by a rough shove.

As he fell, he stared up at his would be savior. It was a girl, shrouded in the flames that had threatened to consume him. She stared right back down at him, her eyes a strange mix of despair and hope. Her features were impossible to make out as he continued to fall, gradually getting farther and farther away until she was nothing more than a fiery silhouette in the distance. Until she and the fire were somehow one.

He hit water then, plunging headfirst into the dark, cold abyss. Onward he continued to fall as if he was made of stone, flailing desperately for air. Gradually his lungs began to burn with a need for oxygen, his chest tightening with each passing second. He had to wonder if maybe he'd been better off with the fire instead.

When he was unable to fight the natural urge any longer, Ash opened his mouth in hopes of breathing in air and was met with only salt water. Choking as his lungs filled with water, he could only clutch vainly at his throat as he began to drown.

Gradually, his consciousness began to fade. Everything grew dim and distant to the point where it didn't feel like he was in his body anymore. It felt as though he was floating, drifting into some unknown while sleep beckoned him forward.

Just before his eyes fell shut, a large, marine pokémon swam forward, the glow of its eyes piercing through the darkness.

A voice whispered itself in his head.

"Wake up."

Ash sprang up with a mighty gasp, his bed sheets pooling into his lap as he sat forward. His heartbeat felt uncomfortably fast inside his chest, as if he had some kind of nightmare. He could remember fragments of what he dreamt, of fire and water and of strange figures speaking to him, but even that was starting to fade. What had that been about?

Scratching his head in search of answers, Ash glanced idly at his alarm clock before doing a double take. Even though it read 5:37 a.m., light from early morning was already filtering in from the windows. Somehow the clock had stopped working in spite of the fact that he had recently changed the batteries just a couple weeks ago.

"Oh no!" Ash exclaimed as he tumbled to the floor in a frantic heap. "What time is it?!"

Oblivious of the actual time and fearful that he had overslept, Ash moved like a madman as he went about shedding his pajamas to put on the outfit he and his mother had picked out. Everything seemed ten times more difficult as he struggled into a pair of jeans, tripping himself in the process. It even took him few tries until he was finally able to put his shirt on without getting an arm awkwardly trapped in the wrong sleeve.

Delia was just about to check in on Ash when he burst through the door and rushed past her on one foot.

"Ash," she called as he made it to the stairs. "Watch your step."

Her warning proved futile. As soon as he had gotten the other shoe on his foot, he pitched forward from a sudden loss of balance. Delia could only watch in slight horror as her son tumbled down the stairs in an ungainly fashion. She rushed after him, reaching him as he stopped at the landing.

He seemed unfazed as he got back up, bolting towards the front door without a moments delay. He was already gone when she had opened her mouth to ask if he was alright.

Exasperated, Delia sighed and smiled after him ruefully. In his haste to leave, he had failed to notice that he was missing something from his fall down the stairs.

She wondered how long it would take him to realize he had forgotten his cap.

.

Ash raced through the streets of Pallet as fast as he could, fearing the worst. Just how late was he? Would he not be able to pick his starter pokémon simply because his alarm clock had decided to stop working on this particular day? At this point he didn't care what was left so long as he got a pokémon of his very own.

He made it to the lab in record time, finding the entrance suspiciously empty. This couldn't be a good sign.

Furiously Ash knocked on the front door. "Professor Oak! It's me, Ash Ketchum! I'm sorry I'm late. Please tell me you still got some pokémon left."

Just as his knuckles began to ache from the ferocity in which he pounded his fist repeatedly against the wood, the door opened.

"My my," remarked Professor Oak with a slight chuckle, side stepping Ash's incoming fist. While the boy righted himself from the displaced swing he added, "Someone's in quite a hurry to receive their starter pokémon."

This brought Ash pause. "Wait, so . . . I'm not late?"

"I'd say you're exceptionally earlier," he replied as he opened the door wider to give Ash entrance. "Though, I must admit, I hadn't expected to see you so soon. Out of the four of you coming to me today, I'd thought it'd be my grandson who'd arrive here first. I'm afraid you aren't usually so punctual."

He did make a fair point. Ash usually wasn't such an early riser, having relied on either an alarm clock or his mother to wake him up. Perhaps it had been a good thing that he'd been woken up by his nightmare.

"If I'm early, then what time is it?" Ash finally asked, still basking in the fact that he was by no means late.

Oak looked to his wrist watch and answered, "It's a little after eight. Two hours ahead of schedule."

"Does that mean I have to wait for the others to get here?"

The professor mulled this over for a moment. Normally he would, but something had been nagging him for a few weeks now concerning the boy. It had started ever since he'd come across one of his old sketchbooks sitting benignly on a bookshelf and it hadn't resolved itself until just last night.

"Actually, I've got something different in store for you, Ash. Come with me."

Curious, Ash followed Professor Oak into the heart of his lab. All around were machines that did things that Ash truthfully didn't know, but seemed important enough with their large scale. Lining the walls were numerous bookcases filled to the brim with textbooks whose titles seemed unpronounceable. Monitors almost as tall as the ceiling displayed data that made no sense to Ash's untrained eye, though nonetheless held some kind of importance.

Oak led him over to a contraption that contained three pokéballs. Ash looked on eagerly, his excitement building. Just what was Professor Oak going to give him? Was it in one of the pokéballs or were all them something special that only he got to choose from? The anticipation was killing him!

The professor pressed a button on the machine and from the center a fourth ball appeared, this one marked with a distinct lightning bolt. Ash could only guess what that meant and secretly hoped he wasn't wrong.

"Now, I must warn you, this pokémon is a bit different from the rest and may prove to be a challenge when it comes to training, but if you think you can handle it . . ."

The temptation was too much. Whatever the challenge, he would gladly take it on. "Professor, I'll take it!" Ash answered hastily.

Oak handed the pokéball to Ash with a smile, having expected nothing less from the passionate youth.

Almost immediately the pokéball reacted to Ash's touch, opening up suddenly to release the pokémon inside. He watched eagerly as the white energy that shot out gradually coalesced into the shape of a small, yellow rodent.

Ash's suspicions had been correct.

"It's a pikachu!" he exclaimed. The former Indigo League champion had one on his team, and ever since he'd witness that awe inspiring battle back when he was five years old, he'd wanted one of his very own. "Ah, he's perfect!"

When Ash brought his hand forward to pet his new partner, a spark of electricity jumped at his fingers. The electric mouse stared back at him with animosity in its dark eyes. This left him feeling a little disheartened, but he refused to be cowed by the small pokémon.

Slowly and with bit more caution he moved to pick Pikachu up, making sure that he knew what his intentions were. He experienced a few more warning shocks, but thankfully he wasn't putting up much of a fight once cradled in his arms. Only now he was ignoring Ash, refusing to acknowledge him as his trainer. No doubt it was troubling, but they had plenty of time to work on that later.

"It might behoove you to know that Pikachu tends to be a bit finicky when it comes to returning to his pokéball. You might want to exercise caution should you try to do so."

Ash nodded as he cradled the pokémon in arms, ecstatic despite the fact that his would be partner was giving him the cold shoulder.

"And here, you'll need these."

In Professor Oak's hands were six pokéballs and a pokédex. Carefully he slipped the pokédex into the back pocket of his jeans and clipped the pokéballs to his belt, all the while glancing at Pikachu to make sure he wasn't doing anything that would lead to even more stinging shocks. Thankfully the otherwise mundane task was finished without any sort of hiccup and Ash turned to Professor Oak with a large grin on his face.

"Just you wait, Professor," he assured, "By the time you see us again, Pikachu and I will be ready to take on anything."

Oak smiled and nodded idly, bidding the boy a fond farewell as he exited the lab at a subdued jog.

The road wouldn't be easy, and there was certain to be many hardships along the way, but if there was anyone who could weather the proverbial storm, it was Ash Ketchum.

He had full faith in the lad, and in time, he was sure Pikachu would as well.

Far across the ocean on a different continent, in the town of Vaniville a mother went about her home putting on the finishing touches to her daughter's gift.

"There, that should do it."

Grace smiled down at the pokémon she had recently bought, now sporting a pink ribbon wrapped around its neck. It had been quite the ordeal trying to keep it a secret, having had to keep it in its pokéball during the day and let it roam around the spacious backyard after being fed. Several times she feared her surprise would be discovered, but thankfully Serena had been known the wiser.

"Now, let's go say hello to Serena," Grace said as she picked up the pokémon from off her bed and moved to her daughter's room.

The pair peered in to find the girl fast asleep, sprawled out wildly upon her bed. Grace was unsurprised to find her daughter still fast asleep. If she could have her way, she'd sleep until noon.

She set the pokémon down and urged it forward. It looked to her then scampered forward on nimble feet. When it made it to the bed it crouched down and leapt up onto the mattress, hopping over the sea of bunched up blankets to reach the girl's face. It sniffed tentatively at her cheek for a second before it began to lick her.

The girl rolled away with a slight groan, drawing the duvet closer as she tried to drift back to sleep. Grace watched in slight bemusement as the small fox pokémon hopped onto her daughter's shoulder to continue licking her cheek in hopes of rousing her.

Eventually the fire-type's efforts were met with success when Serena finally opened her eyes groggily to take in whatever was trying to get her attention. It took a couple of seconds for her to clear away the fog from her vision with a few lazy blinks, but when she could finally comprehend what was sitting inches from her face, a huge smile grew on her lips.

Serena squealed joyously and drew the pokémon close, the pair nuzzling their faces together in obvious delight.

"Happy birthday, Serena."

She looked up to find her mother standing at the doorway, arms folded and a smile on her face. "I hope you like her," she added. "The breeder had said that fennekin were popular amongst beginning trainers."

"She's perfect!" Serena assured. "It's just what I wanted!"

A part of her was relieved that her mother had gone out of her way to get her a fennekin instead of, perhaps, her very own rhyhorn. As much as she appreciated the pokémon, and the sport associated with it, it just didn't suit her very well despite what her mother might think.

Glad that she hadn't gone with her first plan, Grace turned to leave and said, "I've got breakfast already waiting for you downstairs, so don't take too long getting dressed."

"Pancakes?" questioned Serena.

Her mother laughed. "Pancakes."

.

After enjoying a pleasant breakfast, Grace went about clearing the table while Serena doted on the fennekin sitting on her lap. The small fox pokémon stared back at her with clear, intelligent eyes, tail wagging idly as Serena stroked her fur.

"So," her mother began as she deposited the plates into the sink. "What do you want to do today? We could check out the races."

Serena tried not to groan in annoyance over the suggestion when a knock on the front door interrupted her. Grateful for the distraction, she breathed a sigh of relief and got up to answer it, Fennekin cradled securely in her arms.

On the other side stood her friend Calem, fidgeting nervously in place while clutching at a white envelope. He perked up at her presence, a shy grin pulling up the corners of his lips. A slight blush colored his cheeks as he stammered, "Happy birthday, Serena."

She was a bit surprised though nonetheless grateful that he'd remembered. "Thanks, Calem! Come on in."

"I hope I'm not bothering you guys by stopping by . . ." he muttered as he followed Serena inside.

"Not at all," Serena assured.

Calem's breathed a sigh of relief before noticing the pokémon in Serena's arms. "I see you finally got a fennekin. You must be pretty happy."

Serena nodded and hugged Fennekin closer to her. "My mom surprised me with her this morning."

"Hey, Mrs. Young," greeted Calem as he took a seat at the kitchen table.

She acknowledged him with a nod over her shoulder before returning to the dishes, letting the two teens catch up.

"So . . ." began Serena as she idly stroked Fennekin's head. "What brings you all the way to Vaniville Town? I figured you'd be too busy working with Professor Sycamore to stop by, let alone remember that it was my birthday."

Calem wanted to tell her that, even though his family had moved to Lumiose City some years ago and had a tendency to get distracted by his work with the professor, he hadn't forgotten. But it was a far too embarrassing thing to admit, especially with her mother within earshot. Thankfully he had a valid excuse to fall back on.

"Actually, the professor wanted me to give you this." He handed the letter he had been carrying over to Serena, waiting anxiously as she opened it.

Scanning the contents quickly, Serena had to read it a couple of times just to see if she understood correctly but even then she was still confused.

"I don't understand," she admitted as she set the letter down. "Why does the professor need my help?"

"One of his assistants left him quite suddenly, so he's been looking for a trainer who'd be willing to collect data on mega evolution in the other regions. I . . . well, I thought it might be something you'd be interested in, instead of . . ." his eyes darted over to her mother, her back turned to them. "You know . . ."

Immediately catching on to what he was hinting at, a brilliant smile lit up her face. This could be the chance she'd been waiting for, the chance to branch out from her mother's passions to discover her own. She couldn't let the opportunity slip away.

Serena turned to her mother and asked, "Professor Sycamore needs someone to help with his research on mega evolution. Now that I'm thirteen and have my very first Pokémon, I can go help, can't I?"

Grace wiped her hands on the pants of jumpsuit and turned around to face the two teens, leaning back against the sink with a slight frown. "Are you sure that's what you want to be doing? Maybe you should think about it a little more. It seems like it'd be a lot of work you'd be committing yourself to."

Her doubt caused Serena to falter, her excitement slightly dashed by the skeptical look her mother was sending her.

She'd be reluctant to admit that she didn't always commit to one thing completely. If something became too difficult, or she simply became too bored with it, she'd give up and move on to something else. Nothing had captured her attention, and if it wasn't for her mother's insistence that she practice rhyhorn racing, she wasn't sure what she'd be doing with her time.

Embarrassed by her mother's subtle implications, Serena lowered her gaze and clenched her teeth together, hoping to hide how upset she felt. It was her birthday after all, and it wouldn't do well to spoil the mood by snapping at her mother.

Calem looked to her in sympathy, knowing how much it bothered her. He turned to her mother and said, "Don't worry, Mrs. Young. It's not super complicated what the professor will have her doing. She'd just need to travel outside of Kalos to gather whatever she could find on mega evolution. But even then she'd be free to do whatever she'd want, so long as she reported to the professor every so often with her findings."

She thought it over and still had her reservations. "Are you sure, sweetheart? Kalos is one thing, but places like Hoenn and Johto are another. If things get tough, I won't be there to help you."

"I can do this," Serena insisted, a bit of anger biting her tone. "Why don't you believe me?"

They both knew why. Serena could only hope that her mother didn't go and start listing all the times she'd start a project and never finish it.

The two stared each other down while Calem watched, fidgeting nervously in his seat and feeling grossly out of place amidst the slight tension.

Finally, after a few, long seconds, Grace relented. With a heavy sigh and small smile she responded, "Alright, Serena. You can do this. Just promise me you'll be careful when you're travelling and do whatever the professor asks you to."

Serena sat back in her chair, stunned. She'd half expect her mother to put up more of a fight in trying to dissuade her, not agree with only the tiniest bit of resistance.

Bursting with relief and joy, Serena sprang forward to embrace her, laughing aloud while Fennekin circled around their feet with eager chirps.

"Thank you, mom! You won't regret it, I promise."

Grace was sure she wouldn't, though that didn't keep her from worrying. Was her daughter ready for a journey such as this? The task didn't seem too difficult, but could she handle it? Would she see it through to the end?

There was no way she could answer those questions now. It was up to Serena to prove her concerns wrong.

She watched Serena chatter away a mile a minute with her friend, clearly excited. Hopefully that excitement would sustain her in the months to come.

.

That afternoon Grace drove the two teens over to Sycamore's lab in Lumiose City to learn more about what he would have Serena do. All throughout the relatively short drive Serena sat gazing out the window, imagining what kind of adventure she'd be having. Admittedly, the prospect of leaving Kalos to travel across an unfamiliar region was a little frightening, but things should be fine so long as she had Calem by her side.

When they reached their destination, Grace pulled over to drop them off.

"You're not coming in with us?" Serena asked with a slight frown.

Grace eased away her concerns with a smile. "There's something I want to do while we're here. I'll meet you back here in about an hour. Then we'll all go out for ice cream. Ok?"

Serena nodded and the two waved her goodbye as she drove off.

The lab appeared unassuming amidst the streets of Lumiose City, blending in with the grandiose buildings with its elegant façade. If they hadn't had Calem as their guide, Serena was sure they would've passed it without a second glance.

It was truly magnificent and she couldn't blame Calem for working there. And from what he had told her about the professor, he was just as great as the news made him out to be.

They had just walked through the gate when a man exited the building. He was tall, with a mane of fiery red hair and sharp blue eyes, dressed in a black suit trimmed in red with a furred collar. At his side was a pyroar, who stared them down as they passed.

"Who was that?" Serena whispered to Calem.

He peered over his shoulder briefly before answering. "That's Dr. Lysandre. He's a friend of Professor Sycamore. He stops by the lab every now and again."

Serena watched him pass the wrought iron fence and turn to walk along the sidewalk. It was then that their eyes met. His gaze was a look of appraisal that left her feeling unsettled. Even though his expression hadn't change, and the whole thing had lasted no more than a second, Serena still felt as though something wasn't quite right with the man. She just didn't know what.

They found the professor already at the entrance, his face set in a contemplative frown. Distracted by his thoughts, he didn't seem to notice them until Calem made a discreet cough into his fist to alert him of their presence. His face immediately brightened at the sight of them, an easy smile transforming his handsome features into something much more pleasant.

"Back so soon, Calem? I thought I gave you the day off?" he asked, crossing his arms and shifting his weight over to one leg.

Calem rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and said, "You did, but Serena was dying to head over here. She's eager to lend a helping hand."

He directed his smile to her and held out a hand in greeting. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Serena. Calem's told me much about you."

Calem tugged his hat lower over his eyes as he quietly groaned, cheeks rapidly coloring with an embarrassed blush.

"Good things I hope," chuckled Serena before glancing to her friend, who only seemed to shrink further in on himself.

Sycamore sent Calem a teasing grin and replied, "Only the best, I can assure you. Now then, I take it you've received my letter from Calem. I hope that means I can count on you to help me with my research."

Serena nodded. "I'd be more than happy to help you in any way that I can."

"Good, good," Sycamore rummaged through the pockets of his lab coat and pulled out a small, handheld device. "You'll need this. It's a pokédex. It acts as a sort of electronic encyclopedia that contains information on all known pokémon across the world. Should you stumble across a pokémon that can mega evolve, please don't hesitate to record your findings with it."

"Simple enough," remarked Serena as she deposited her newly acquired pokédex into her bag.

"I like to think so," agreed Sycamore. "Now then, to show you my utmost appreciation, I want to give you something. Please follow me."

She followed after him into a large atrium that housed a small ecosystem of various pokémon living together in harmony. Spotting a couple fennekin and zigzagoon playing near a pond, Serena smiled and released her own partner to join in on the fun. The small fox pokémon took in the new surroundings with wide eyes before spotting the playing pokémon. With a cry of delight she rushed forward to meet them and joined in on their game of tag.

Serena smiled fondly at her partner while Sycamore continued deeper into the foliage. Distracted by the playing pokémon, she hadn't realized he had gone until he'd return with three pokémon in tow.

"I see you've already acquired a starter," he remarked as he observed her fennekin amongst the others. "Hopefully you wouldn't be against gaining another."

She looked down at the pokémon he had gathered and was immediately reminded of her early childhood spent back in Kanto.

A bulbasaur, charmander, and squirtle looked to her with slight hope in their eyes, each one of them hoping that they would be chosen.

Put on the spot, Serena knelt down to interact with them. They all approached her readily, taking turns being stroked by her gentle touch. The bulbasaur had a calm, relaxed spirit as it sat beside her, keeping close while still maintaining a bit of distance. The squirtle, on the other hand, was climbing up her lap vying for her attention, doing tricks an attempt to impress her. It certainly solicited a chuckle from her when he lost his balance and tumbled back onto his shell, only to regain his composure by spinning back onto his feet with a bit more grace than was to be expected.

Sitting well out of the way was the unassuming charmander, watching them with patient yet doleful green eyes. The way he just sat there, accepting the situation without trying to sway her decision as if anything it tried meant nothing next to squirtle's vibrant personality, resonated with her. It reminded her a bit of herself.

"You're all so amazing, and you'd make any trainer proud," Serena began, trying to come across as sincere as possible. She didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings with her decision. "But I think I'm going to choose Charmander."

The lizard pokémon perked up in evident surprise, a sharp toothed grin slowly spreading across his reptilian face. With gusto he jumped to his feet and ran up to her, latching onto one of her legs.

The other two starters stared with varying amounts of disappointment, but congratulated their friend nonetheless.

"So, you've decided on Charmander," Sycamore remarked as he handed Serena a pokéball. "Are you thinking about specializing in fire-type pokémon?"

Serena thought this over for a moment. She wasn't exactly sure what she planned on doing as a trainer, and truthfully hadn't given it much thought until now.

Trying to not to feel discouraged by her lack of direction, she shrugged it off for further pondering later and replied, "I'm not quite sure yet. Do you think I should?"

"I think it'd be best to keep your options open before settling on something. You've got quite a bit of time to figure out what it is you want to do, so I wouldn't worry."

"Thanks, professor," she said with a grateful smile, thankful that someone understood.

"No problem," he assured. "Now, with that settled, care to know where I'll be sending you?"

Serena nodded, her stomach starting to knot in anticipation. She was nervous and didn't really understand why.

Where would her journey begin?

Author's Note: What'd you guys think? I know Ash's portion felt very much like a rehashing of the anime, but I promise that it will get more and more original as the story progresses. Hopefully what was different and Serena's half helped, if only a little.

I meant to post this sooner, but school work took precedence and I had to rework Serena's portion a bit.

Thank you all who reviewed/favorite/alerted the story!