FOREWORD

Hey, guys! It's me again...Borj! As I have promised, I present you the first chapter of the story, which I reimagined as an episode. This is mainly an introductory piece, so don't be surprised if it's much shorter compared to the prologue. It's basically intended to build the story's atmosphere and provide insight on plot and characterization that would be helpful in understanding some important events in future episodes... I had so much fun in writing this and I hope you'd feel the same way reading it.

To those who have already read, reviewed, followed, and faved... I am so grateful for your support! It's my driving force to keep on writing, so please don't stop reading 'n reviewing! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story! If you have any suggestions and critiques, they're greatly appreciated! (Well, for flames...not so much. Hehehe.) *calls out my Froakie*

Watch out for Episode Two next week! :D

DISCLAIMER

I don't own Pokémon...but I proudly own the story and all plot elements deviating from the animé canon. (But wouldn't it be fun if I owned Pokémon? *sigh*)

EPISODE ONE - A BLACK AND WHITE REUNION

White Forest
south of Reversal Mountain
Unova Region

08:30 AM

Resembling a checkered quilt, only magnified a thousand times, eastern Unova's White Forest blankets a vast expanse of land, stretching from the southern foot of the Reversal Mountain on its northern and eastern sides with the East River bordering it from the west and south. Within its boundaries exists a biodiverse environment, the perfect sanctuary for countless species of Pokémon and plant life, safe and secure from the dangers of modern society.

A wonderful feat of creation untouched by the passing of time, this massive forest is adorned with alternating sections of towering white trees, lush grassy meadows, and large patches of water that create wonderful patterns of blue, white and green when viewed from the sky. Truly, only a handful of places across the Pokémon world can deem themselves worthy of comparison to this amazing marvel of nature.

To those fortunate souls who had already explored and witnessed the breathtaking grandeur of the White Forest, it's not a surprise if the words coming out of their lips would almost mean the same: Enchanted. Serene. Pure. Heavenly. Blissful.

Yet despite that general sense of peace cultivated by the forest's relaxing ambiance, not everyone can be easily infected with the contagious positivity suspended in the air, especially one Pokémon trainer in particular...

Wandering aimlessly along a leaf-littered footpath under the protective shade of one of the White Forest's natural archways, Max found himself unimpressed with the pristine beauty of the exotic world around him, albeit aware that he was just lying to himself. The truth was, his mind was overly preoccupied by that crippling sense of dread to divert his attention to anything else. He felt his self-esteem gradually crumble with every step he took, unwillingly allowing a plague of hesitations to consume his very being.

The bespectacled teen has never felt (and looked) this anxious in his entire life, which was pretty obvious given the telltale signs of moisture forming on his brow despite the perpetually cool climate around him. In spite of the countless hardships he faced as a seasoned Pokémon trainer, conquering one league conference after another within the past nine years with his exceptional skills, even with those prior the beginning of his own journey, Max considered the purpose of his visit to the White Forest as his most nerve-wracking challenge yet.

Trying his best to reassert what little control he currently had over himself, he shook his head fiercely and screamed his heart out to the heavens, a desperate attempt to drive away those disturbing thoughts that pestered him since he stepped into the forest. As he calmed himself down with a huge sigh, he felt himself cracking up deep inside for his uncharacteristic display of craziness, and much to his surprise, he actually felt a little better as the cumbersome emotions started to lift up from his shoulders...and for the first time in hours, a hesitant smile finally splashed across his youthful features.

On the other hand, most of the forest Pokémon nearby had a different reaction altogether upon hearing Max's sudden outburst. Trees shook for a brief moment as an agitated flock of Pidove and Tranquill flew away from the place in unison, but not before an angry-looking Unfezant (possibly the flock's leader) screeched at his face for his insolence. Deeply ashamed, Max apologized to the Proud Pokémon, who just huffed with indignation as it flew away.

Around the same time, a group of small Pokémon composed of a Magby, a Shinx, and an Azurill playing in the underbrush wailed as they froze in their places in utter shock, their piercing cries making them upset all the more. Recovering from Unfezant's scolding, Max felt sorry for the unintended commotion he caused. Afraid to approach them as he might scare them further, he decided to becalm them with the help of one of his friends...

"Gallade! Come on out!" Max called out to his most trusted partner as he tossed its Pokéball in the crisp forest air, releasing a bright form of energy that immediately morphed into the Blade Pokémon, standing on alert when he heard crying sounds.

"Gal...lade?" asked Max's starter, looking at him with concern as he straightened himself from a long rest in his ball, tilting his head inquisitively after he noticed right away that something was a bit off about his master. 'Hey...you okay?'

"I'm fine, buddy, but I need your help. It was my fault that those little guys over there were crying, I scared them somehow 'cause...er, long story," rattled a blushing Max, who was slightly embarrassed for his actions. "Sorry for dragging you into this mess, but please talk to them for me, would you?"

"Gal!" said the starter, smiling affectionately as he placed a green hand on Max's shoulder, assuring him that it's fine. Heaving a big sigh of relief after realizing that it wasn't something really serious, Gallade went to the bawling Pokémon with slight caution.

After a few minutes, the Blade Pokémon finally managed to calm down their sobs, telling them that there was nothing to worry about and that his master was sorry for what had happened. Convinced, the trio bade goodbye to Gallade with a chorus of sniffling sounds and ran off to play in a different section of the forest.

Max, on the other hand, silently watched the whole scene from a distance, amused with how his best friend was acting like a big brother to the little Pokémon, the same way someone was for him...only to realize that his worries are starting to haunt him again.

Bracing himself for another emotional struggle, he heard Gallade approach, snapping him back to reality. Silently grateful for the welcome interruption, Max composed himself as he thanked his best friend for helping him out. Gallade confidently shrugged in response, as if saying 'No sweat, buddy!'

Not wanting to be bothered by any more internal drama, Max asked Gallade another favor. "Hey, buddy, can you walk with me? Feels kinda lonely in this forest." The Blade Pokémon was more than happy to comply.

Now feeling the pangs of exhaustion after hours of traversing the forest's confusing network of pathways, Max has decided to take a pit stop at the forest's Pokémon Center, whose generic facade was already visible at a distance, nestled in a grove of white-wood trees. There, he plans to get himself a decent lunch and possibly take a power nap afterwards while waiting for Nurse Joy to completely reenergize his equally-beat Pokémon team (as he unexpectedly encountered adventurers who challenged him to a battle on sight) before he prepares for his next step. Thus, with the prospect of a full stomach in mind, the bespectacled teen (he had returned Gallade to its Pokéball a few minutes prior) gathered his remaining ounce of patience, his weary feet finally dragging him in front of the fiberglass entrance of the multipurpose facility.

Carefully wiping away the stray beads of sweat with his left hand before they start to collect on the upper rim of his spectacles (in his haste to compose himself as he sped past the electronic sliding doors), Max walked at a brisk pace straight to the triage, where he was greeted cordially by the Center's resident Nurse Joy.

Smiling weakly as he bowed in response, he didn't need any further instruction as he detached six Pokéballs from his belt, placing them gently on the hemispherical indents of a simple stainless steel tray provided by the nurse's assistant Audino.

Repeating its name with a singsongy inflection as a gesture of thanks, the Hearing Pokémon retrieved the tray carefully as soon as Max was done, bringing it right away to a glass-walled room behind the front desk. After informing Max of the approximate waiting time, Nurse Joy excused herself as she followed right behind Audino to supervise the healing station.

Rubbing his stomach after hearing it complain with a low grumble, Max chuckled under his breath as he slowly walked away from the triage. Now determined to finally have his lunch, he made a beeline for the cafeteria, passing a row of vending machines as he steadily made his way through the connecting lobby.

Suddenly pausing to admire the beautiful view of the forest through the transparent panels, he found himself subjected by an overpowering wave of discomfort as the bright colors of the scenery before him were gradually consumed by an encroaching grayscale mantle.

Max struggled in his spot, trying his best to contain his volatile emotions. As strong winds mercilessly buffeted the world outside shortly after the onset of darkness, he knew right away that his bane has finally arrived...and he has no choice but to be strong enough to face him.

Slowly descending at constant speed over the verdant canopies of the White Forest, a colossal black pyramid propelled by four powerful hovercraft-like turbines zoomed past a Pokémon Center towards its landing site, a wide meadow situated a few kilometers to the north. Since it was hovering on a level much closer to the ground relative to its usual flying altitude, the gigantic fortress stirred up a strong gale as it made its course, causing the sturdy trees below it to sway violently, their branches thrashing wildly, almost to the point of breaking. Fortunately, the agitated wind quickly died down as soon as the pyramid passed over, causing no further instance of damage or injury.

Now finally settled at its new temporary residence, the Battle Pyramid anchored itself on a square tract of lush grassland, its turbines already retracted to their respective compartments hidden inside the base.

Squinting his eyes from the sudden burst of light as he stepped out of the facility, the new Pyramid King (Brandon gave up the post to fully dedicate his time protecting Regigigas in Sinnoh) decided to take a brief leisurely stroll on the forest grounds while waiting for his challenger to arrive, his most powerful Pokémon perched comfortably on his shoulder.

As he inhaled the fresh cool breeze wafting from the woods, the young Frontier Brain suddenly found himself fully absorbed in his thoughts, the unpolluted air slowly lifting the thick fog suspended over the deep confines of his psyche. In an instant, his mind was swept back in time, drifting along the scenes of his recent memories...

A couple of days ago, while he was staying at the Village Of Dragons when he paid his friend and former traveling companion a visit, the young Frontier Brain received a surprise call on his Xtransceiver from Scott, informing him that a Battle Frontier challenger just acquired his sixth symbol after defeating Anabel, the Frontier Brain of the Battle Tower, now located in Unova's Rainbow Valley*.

Although he hadn't heard anything from the Battle Frontier handler for almost half a year, the news wasn't all too surprising for him. In fact, he knew that someone would eventually overcome his fellow Frontier Brains sooner or later. Why, 'cause he's one of the few who managed to do it back when he was in his home region twelve years ago! But despite his relaxed attitude on the matter, Scott's next question totally caught him unprepared...

"Hey, where's the Battle Pyramid at? I thought you transferred to the White Ruins** after your last battle, but you weren't there the last time I checked. I was actually going to talk to you about it, but it had slipped my mind as I'm always busy scouting for promising talent...well, you know me."

"Well, um...I think you might have misheard me. It's actually in the White...Forest, yeah," prevaricated the young Pyramid King, smiling weakly at the screen on his wrist, praying to the heavens that he sounded convincing enough. Fortunately, the man with the oval shades seemed to have bought the lie, the building tension in his body dissolving. 'That was a close call...' he mused with relief.

"Well, forgive me. My memory isn't as sharp as it used to be..." Scott reasoned out with a hearty laugh, his shoulders shaking visibly. "If that's the case, then I'll contact the kid about it immediately. He's probably pumped up for this battle, even more so once he finds out it's with you. Anyhow, I actually have to hurry. Palmer wants to meet me right away to discuss plans in establishing a Battle Frontier complex in Orre. So, just update me on the results of the battle, okay?"

"Sure, no problem. Oh, by the way, Scott, did you happen-"

But before the Frontier Brain can finish, the Xtransceiver screen had already cut into black, the rest of his question left unspoken, only to be replaced by a sigh of frustration. Intrigued by Scott's words, he found himself curious of his new challenger, which was a surprise to him since he doesn't really bother asking anything about his opponent every time Scott alerted him. That time, however, he felt something different about the upcoming battle.

If his guess was right, his challenger would be someone he personally knew, but he wasn't really sure what to make of Scott's words. Wrinkling his nose in annoyance, he thought, 'Maybe I'm overthinking it. Scott was just probably teasing me.'

In any case, he still needed to prepare the Battle Pyramid and have it moved to the White Forest right away since the challenger could be there anytime soon, given that Scott already provided him the location.

After saying goodbye to his friend, who happened to be the new Champion of Unova after defeating Alder, the young Pyramid King called his Charizard out of its Pokéball, requesting his feisty Fire-type to Fly him straight to the Decolora Archipelago***, where the Battle Pyramid was concurrently staying on one of its rarely-explored islands. Throughout the duration of the flight, he contacted every crew member of the facility, informing them of the situation and ordering them to report back to the Pyramid as soon as possible.

Holding on tight to Charizard's sinewy neck as it soared Unova's airspace with breakneck velocity, the young Frontier Brain found himself deeply troubled.

As he self-evaluated his actions for the past five months, he couldn't help feeling a twinge of guilt. He wasn't guilty because he lied to Scott, he was guilty because of those stupid decisions he made that led him to do it.

True, nothing bad had happened during those months, but still he chose to abuse Scott's trust and confidence in him with a sheer display of negligence for his responsibility as the highest-ranking Frontier Brain. The fact that he got away with it fueled the flames of his crippling guilt.

It may have sounded funny then, but little did Scott know that he didn't really mishear anything, that the last intended location of the Battle Pyramid was indeed the White Ruins. During its stay there, no trainer showed up to battle for the Brave Symbol within two straight months from the last official battle. For the record, that was by far the longest time that the facility remained unchallenged.

During those days, the lack of activity in the facility took its toll on the young Pyramid King, the poisonous boredom slowly eating at him. Anchored by his duty, he couldn't just go out in the fray and challenge anyone to a battle as much as he wanted. He was growing desperate, his sanity crumbling.

Sadly, the temptation to break free proved too great as the sweet nostalgia of his younger years began to beckon him to the outside world. Thus, by the middle of the third month of not hearing anything from Scott, he decided it was time for him to take a break from his responsibilities, with Scott completely unaware of his plans...or so he thought.

Confident that he thought it over, he proceeded to call the entire facility staff for a meeting, where he asked them to take a vacation for the meantime and requested the crewmen to transfer the facility to the Decolora Archipelago (as a security measure), where it will stay for an indefinite amount of time until an alert would be received from Scott, by then they would reconvene and resume work as usual. Since the staff members were excited with the idea, they were more than happy to oblige. His plans came to fruition, and no one was stopping him.

After he parted ways with the staff at one of the islands of Decolora, the young Pyramid King rejoiced in the scent of freedom and spent the next few weeks traveling alone, catching up and having a great time with some of his old friends along the way. He also stopped by his hometown, where he visited his loving and ever-supportive mother, whom he dearly missed, and went to check up on his other Pokémon, who were ecstatic to see their master and friend.

But in spite of the freedom that he was relishing that time, he realized that he wasn't really enjoying it. Yes, in some instances he had to keep a low profile, feeling like a fugitive, for the sake of not attracting suspicion, especially the likes of which that would possibly reach Scott's ears. Despite the difficulty it was putting him through, the emptiness that he was harboring was entirely of a different reason.

Apparently, the only thing that would complete his happiness was located in the Johto Region, in the form of a person...a renowned researcher by the name of Dr. Gary Oak, also known as the boy who holds the complement of his white half-Pokéball, an unlikely symbol of their perseverance to succeed in their chosen paths. A testament to depth of their unconditional friendship, and hopefully, a catalyst to evolve it into something more.

He just needed to see him at least once, before he goes back to Unova...

...and he was there, Ash Ketchum, the new Frontier Brain of the Battle Pyramid, watching discreetly from the sidelines inside the Lake Of Rage Research Institute auditorium as the symbolic keys of responsibility were handed over by Professor Oak to his auburn-haired grandson, now inaugurated as the institute's new chairperson.

Despite what little hope he had for the two of them, the reality of their situation only worsened the crippling hurt that took up the much larger space in his heart. He knew full well that as much as he wanted to be close to him, it would only cause trouble for himself and for Gary. What's worse is that it could even end up with the dreaded (and most likely) possibility that his feelings for his ex-rival might be unrequited.

Still, Ash chose to stay throughout Gary's acceptance speech, allowing himself to drown in the sound of his voice as the tears of longing escaped the confines of his chocolate-brown eyes. For now, what was important for him was the fact that his best friend was happy that he finally achieved his dream...and as long as Gary was happy, it was more than enough to keep him going.

Fast forward to his aerial ride with his Charizard to the islands of Decolora, the raven-haired Frontier Brain used that same motivation to dispel the guilt that was gradually swallowing him, lifting his spirits little by little, until the two of them arrived at the isle where he last left the Battle Pyramid, where they planned to transfer it to the White Forest the day after...

After breaking away from his mental time travel, Ash found himself standing on a random patch of dirt somewhere within the White Forest. Confused as to how he got there, he started to imagine himself walking in autopilot mode. He chuckled as he composed himself, earning an odd look from his Pikachu.

Before he can pronounce himself lost, he turned around, looking for a familiar landmark. Luckily, he immediately spotted an imposing black structure from his vantage point. With the Battle Pyramid as his guide, he steadily wove his way through white-wood trees of varying sizes. Taking a quick look at his left wrist, he deduced that he and his trusty companion were probably walking around in circles for almost an hour, judging from the time currently displayed on the LCD screen of his inactive Xtransceiver: 12:30 PM.

Finally emerging into the open, Ash heaved a sigh of relief. Gently twisting his hat, the twenty-two-year old Frontier Brain adjusted it so that the bill would shield his eyes from the piercing gaze of the noontime sun. Despite his direct exposure to sunlight, he barely felt any heat thanks to the forest's unique climate.

Pikachu, on the other hand, felt something more than a temperature change in their midst, his black-pointed yellow ears twitching feebly in the air. Leaping away from his best friend's shoulders, the Electric Mouse Pokémon scuttled through the soft grass until he stopped at a short distance from Ash, standing alert on its paws in the direction of the detected presence. Whether friend or foe, he wasn't sure. "Pi-kaa, pikapi!" 'We've got company, Ash!'

Seeing the sparks emitted by Pikachu's ruddy cheeks, Ash asked his friend with concern.

"What is it, Pikachu?"

Tracing Pikachu's line of sight with his eyes, he swore could make out a shadowy figure camouflaged a few meters away from him, slowly approaching in their direction.

As Ash stood his ground, waiting for the right time to strike (if the person was a threat, that is), the shadows coalesced into a tall bespectacled guy wearing a tight, collared shirt awash in a familiar shade of green, complemented by loose brown jeans. Noticing the stranger's cautiousness, Ash becalmed the Electric Mouse Pokémon.

"Hey, buddy... It's all right."

Pikachu, upon hearing his master, relaxed and ran back up to Ash's left shoulder and stared at the approaching human, devoid of emotion. Ash, however, was appraising the stranger quite differently.

The innocent stranger, now smiling, looked a couple of years his junior. Despite his nerdy image, matched with a know-it-all glint in his eyes, the guy was seriously...hot. Surprised with his line of thinking, Ash backpedaled rapidly from his lecherous thoughts.

'Fuck, Ash! Get a grip, will ya?' Ash scolded himself silently as he masked his discomfort with a look of apprehension, only to falter a bit when he noticed a hint of familiarity past the stranger's boyish charms. As he racked his brain for a name, the bespectacled teen broke the awkward silence.

"Ash, it's been so long! Still remember me?"

From the sound of his voice, the fire of recognition in his head was rekindled. Although his voice is a few octaves lower now, its timbre gave it away.

"Max? Is that you?!"

"Yup! In the flesh!"

"Pi-ka!"

'Oh, you gotta be fucking kidding me...' Ash cursed under his breath, mentally facepalming himself.

NOTES

*In the universe of this story, Scott has decided to move the Battle Frontier from Kanto (Hoenn in the games) to Unova. As with the animé, each facility is situated in a fixed location in the region, except for the fact that the Battle Pyramid transfers from place to place.

**The White Ruins was not something I created. If you're updated with the recent Japanese episodes, Ash and the gang (along with N) visited this place in BW120.

***The Decolora Archipelago is canon to the animé, too. It's like the Unova Region's counterpart for the Orange Archipelago, which was featured in the original series. However, the episodes concentrated in this location have not been shown yet, even in Japan. Its English name is not yet confirmed.

So, how was the first episode, guys? Did I do good? Well, honestly, I think I was having plot transition problems and I might've been adjective-crazy on some parts. Despite that, I would still like to know how you feel about it, guys... Just simply type in your review in the text box (for PC users) or click the cute dialog button below (for mobile users). *wink, wink*

I can sense the questions swirlin' in your heads: What happened to Gary (and Umbreon)? Was Scott aware of what Ash did? Why do I smell a hint of AlfShipping? Will the vampire appear again? When are we gonna witness a lemon? All I can say is that everything will be revealed in time, some may even be answered in the next episode... Who knows? Hehehe...

Anyway, enough chit-chat for me, because I'm now almost halfway through Episode Two... Stay tuned! ^^,

P.S. (as of 04/11/2013, 04:00AM CST) I'm quite sad... Although I'm happy that I have readers on a daily basis, but no one's been reviewing since I posted Episode One. My reader review ratio is currently at 2.76%, which doesn't really motivate me to do faster. I'm just a newbie and I'm not in the position to demand, but if you're a fellow writer, you'd feel the same way, right? Reviewing is not a 'fame checker' for me or whatnot, it's my way of finding out what you like (or don't like) about the story or what you think about my skills as a writer. Help me improve, guys...or else I'll kill Gary with sunlight! Kidding! *sniff* Sorry 'bout the drama, guys. I got carried away... Anyway, Episode Two is scheduled to be released on my birthday, April 15th! Your R&R's would be a huge birthday gift! -Borj-