Hello everybody! Well, here's the second installment of my fic! I think y'all will like it. I answer a few questions from the previous chapter, and I answer some questions that I always had about the Pokemon world back when I watched the show (such as, how does Ash get an education while on the road?). I hope you all enjoy it, and please remember to continue writing reviews for this story. I relly think I can take it places, but only if you show support. Otherwise, I'm just wasting my fingers (ha ha). Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, or any of its affiliated companies including, but not limited to, 4Kids, The Pokemon Company, Game Freaks, or Cartoon Network. The characters written within this fic are soley based upon the fictional characters created by these companies, and the story is not meant to, nor will it, receive any monetary funding.

Characters' Ages:

Ash: 16

Brock: 21

Misty: 17

Dawn: 13

Delia: 40

Oak: 55

Gary: 16

"Hello?" asked an almost middle-aged woman, who was tiredly rubbing her eyes. It was almost midnight, but her sluggish attitude quickly brightened when she saw the smiling face on the monitor.

"Hey ma!" exclaimed Ash. He was grateful that his mom was where he guessed. "So'd you see what happened tonight?"

"Of course honey! You were absolutely amazing in battle! Oak couldn't quit telling me how impressed he was with your abilities as a trainer, and everyone kept agreeing with him. I ended up having to shut them up 'cause I couldn't hear what the announcer was saying on the television-".

At this point she was interrupted with a unison of "HEY!!!"s in the background. Ash of course immediately knew who those people were.

"We were not that loud Delia!"

"Yeah Mrs. Ketchum!"

"As a matter of fact, I recall you couldn't stop squealing after Pikachu took down that Garchomp!"

Ash couldn't help but smile, as he realized the entire gang must still have been at Professor Oak's house waiting for his call. However, along with happiness, he also felt a pang of remorse. He really wished they could have come out to see him in the match. He figured friends and family would be given top priority for seating arrangements, but as it turned out, the second the news spread that Cynthia had a new challenger tickets evaporated instantly. He was only given two tickets by the league, and while Brock and Dawn both understood if he wanted his mom instead of them, his mom would hear none of it. "They've been with you throughout your time in Sinnoh, dear, it just wouldn't be right for me to take their tickets," his mom had replied when he had hesitantly suggested taking Dawn's seat and giving it to her. He knew she was right, but wished there was another way.

"Hey Ash!" exclaimed Tracey knocking Ash out of his thoughts and bringing his attention back to the monitor. "I just wanted to say you did a great job. I think that was the best match I've seen in a long time!"

"Yeah!!!" shouted Misty from behind Tracey. The instant Ash saw her, he felt himself blush slightly. "That was SO cool how Bulbasaur evolved right in the middle of that match with Milotic! In my opinion, it was pretty obvious you had the win after that."

"Thanks," Ash replied to all of them, "yeah, I'm glad it finally happened. I mean, I didn't want him to evolve before he was ready, but he seemed very prepared when it happened. And did you see how quickly he shot off that Solarbeam immediately after it happened? I think he'll be even more useful than he was before, if that's possible."

"Yeah, I know" Misty replied, having shoved everyone else away from the monitor, "but I hope you remember the coach that got you to where you are today!" she hinted in a not-so-subtle way.

"Of course! How could I ever forget Brock?" Ash replied teasingly, earning himself a semi-vicious glare from Misty. However, the smile quickly returned as Pikachu eagerly jumped onto Ash's shoulder, waving at the image of Misty on the monitor.

"Speaking of evolving, you think you're almost ready Pikachu?" she asked teasingly, already knowing the answer.

"PIKA!!!" shouted Pikachu loudly while shaking his head almost off his shoulders. Ash could tell that after that victory, Pikachu would probably never consider evolution again. After all, he was strong enough to single-handedly defeat a Garchomp, so who needed to evolve?

"Well, that's good. I think Pikachu are cuter than Raichu anyway," Misty winked at the electric mouse as she said this. "So anyway, what are you gonna-"

"Let me talk for once!" shouted Gary as he shoved Misty off the screen. "So Ashy-boy, feel pretty good now, huh?" The rivalry between Ash and Gary had pretty much officially ended when Gary quit training and began going to the Marlin Institute of Natural Science, to get his degree in Pokémon research and studies. However, he and Ash both seemed to feel like their rivalry would never really go away. It was hard to shake off that mixed feeling of camaraderie and animosity that the two had developed for each other ever since they met as kids.

"Yeah Gare-bear," replied Ash mockingly.

"Hey! I told you never to call me that!" yelled Gary into the screen, as he watched Ash smirk.

"Yeah, and I told you to never call me Ashy-boy, but I guess life goes on, right?"

"Whatever, I just wanted to say congratulations. But remember that you'll have to go through me to reach your dream."

Ash wondered silently what he could've meant by that. Wasn't this his dream, to be a champion of one of the regions?

"Sure, whatever Gary," Ash said flippantly as he tried to maintain his air of coolness and not let Gary's words provoke his curiosity any longer. "Go on back to your textbooks now."

"Yeah, well just remember that you're going to college too! Two years, tops!" cried his mother from somewhere in the back.

"Yeah, Ma, I know", he said while rolling his eyes. She really wanted him to get an education, and truth be told he kind of wanted one too. Throughout his journey, he basically had to home school himself while on the road, and the Kanto School System (KSS) would send him his quarterly tests to see if he was eligible to continue his journey. What happened to many trainers was that they would be so preoccupied with their training they would not study, and when the KSS got their grades, they were immediately banned from travelling for one year. However, despite his dense demeanor, he did very well on most of his tests (history was a problem), and was bound to graduate from the high school system in about a year. With this championship under his belt, he was sure to be a millionaire with all the advertising agencies, and the books, and the speeches, and the television shows he would be involved in, but he knew that would not deter his mother from his getting a good education at her alma mater of University of Kanto in Virdian.

"Well Ash, I know you're tired, so we'll let you go for now," said Professor Oak.

"'Kay, thanks Professor, and thanks to all of you for helping me to get here. I know I couldn't be the Sinnoh champ without the encouragement of everyone in that house, except maybe for Gary," he said humorously.

"Smart-alek," mumbled Gary.

"Oh, and dear, you'll be home in a few days, right?" asked his mom excitedly at the monitor.

"Sure will. We're taking the S.S. Anthony from Sinnoh to Johto, where we're spending one day at Disney, and then we'll get to the house by foot from that point. Should only take a week, or maybe even less time if we hoof it!"

"Okay then, you be good and sleep late tomorrow! You more than deserve it."

"CONGRATULATIONS!!!" Everyone roared in the house, and Ash thanked them once more before hanging up the phone. He turned back towards the bed to see Pikachu already asleep. As he climbed in to join his slumbering buddy, he thanked God he had such great family and friends.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The next few days flew by. Ash, Dawn, and Brock all had a great time at Disneyworld where they rode every ride, and Brock hit on every girl in sight. However, the unfortunate end of their journey loomed over them throughout the week, and by the time they reached New Bark Town, everyone was a little down in spirit.

"Well, I suppose this is goodbye," Dawn said hesitantly. She really wished this wasn't happening right now. If only she was more interested in battling than in contests…

"It's only goodbye for now," Ash said in a desperately hopeful tone. He too was very down about the departure, but he knew it was in Dawn's best interest. "Listen, I've had to leave behind lots of friends before, Misty, Tracey, May, Max, and even Brock, but it's never been goodbye forever. I'll catch ya' real soon. Who knows, we may end up travelling together sometime!"

"That's true!" squealed Dawn trying to sound optimistic, but in her heart she knew that was unlikely. She wished she could explain what she was feeling. It was stronger than friendship, she knew that much, but she couldn't believe that it was what she was imagining… could it? As she fought back tears, she began to turn away from Ash and Brock. "Well, then I'll see you a little later Ash. You too Brock."

"We'll miss you Dawn!" Brock yelled as she walked away. He admitted this felt strange. He and Dawn were good friends, but he couldn't help but feel that she wasn't as upset about leaving him as she was Ash.

"I'll call you when I get to Cherrygrove tomorrow!" Dawn exclaimed as she turned around. She faintly heard them utter a reply, and she turned back around and headed west. Maybe this separation time will give me a chance to think about what I'm feeling. Yeah, that's it! Next time I see you Ash Ketchum, I think things will be a little different. She thought this as she continued west, and began to ponder her and Ash's relationship.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"So Brock, you think we'll make Pallet by tomorrow?" inquired Ash as he sat in the Viridian PokeCenter.

"Heck, we'll probably make it before noon, if we leave at eight," replied Brock.

"I want to have plenty of rest before I see everyone, so let's make it ten, alright?"

"Fine, fine. Whoa!" Brock was suddenly thrown off guard as Nurse Joy sauntered past them. Actually, only Brock thought she was sauntering. In reality she was very tired and getting ready to lock up for the night, not noticing the two young men talking in the PokeCenter's diner. "Uh, Ash, I'm gonna go take care of some business real quick. Order a coffee or something till I get back."

"No thanks, I'm good. I'm hitting the sack."

"Oh, okay then. See you bright and early at eight."

"Ten!"

"Fine, whatever," Brock mumbled as he glided towards the young nurse. Ash figured he had never stopped Brock from hitting on women before (someone else had always done it) so he decided against stopping his hormonally crazed friend right now. Besides, he was tired, and he didn't need Brock in a bad mood in the morning.

As he walked into his room, he decided to get a shower in the morning. He simply wanted to get in bed. The day had been tiring emotionally (from leaving behind a good friend), and physically as they had walked at least twenty miles to get from New Bark Town to Viridian. As he got into his pajamas, he noticed something in his bag; the box. He had completely forgotten about it until now! The exhaustion gone from his body, he quickly searched in the pockets of his recently discarded jeans hoping against hope that the key was still there. "Eureka!" he exclaimed joyfully as he felt the small metal object between his fingers. Now he understood why Cynthia had kept it on a necklace the whole time.

His fingers almost trembling, he placed the key inside the locket of the small grey box. It popped open after the key had been turned three times, and inside Ash saw a small, folded piece of notebook paper. He opened it up and read the contents:

Ash,

If you are reading this letter, then congratulations! You beat me in what was surely a stupendous battle. I am sure that we both tried our hardest (I know I did) and that the battle was not an easy one. As the champion of Sinnoh, you have only one obligation; to battle anyone who challenges your right to this grand title with all your heart. However, I know that this is not your ultimate goal.

It's not? Ash thought as he looked up from the paper. He was the champion of an entire continent, what more could he want?

He continued reading:

No, I know from a very reliable source (your mother) that your goal is to become a Pokémon Master! This is a very ambitious goal. The current Master, whom I am sure you already know a great deal about, has not been challenged in twenty years, and as once again I'm sure you already know, the challenger lost! Do you know why this is? It's because he is indeed the Master. Anyone who wishes to become a Master has a lot of work ahead of them. After all your travels, and all that preparation, by defeating me you have only begun your Master Journey. The following are the secret League Guidelines for becoming a Pokémon Master:

Become a regional Champion in any of the four continents. If one is attempting to attain Master Rank and loses a Championship battle, they will immediately be disqualified for nomination. The only way to try for the title again is by reclaiming Champion status over the region they lost.

Capture every Pokémon, excluding legendary types. Whether a Pokémon is indeed legendary or not will be decided upon by the Pokémon League Board annually, or in rare emergency sessions of the PLB.

Defeat a Trainer of equal or higher merit than the trainer hoping to attain Master Rank. Another trainer attempting to attain said Rank can be deemed eligible. Whether or not a trainer is of merit will be decided by the PLB, when the case arises.

Defeat the current Pokémon Master in a six-on-six battle. Whether the battle will be broadcast, witnessed, or completely private can be decided upon by the aspiring Master.

Remember, you cannot share these rules with anyone. I know what you're thinking right now, because it's the same thing I wondered for a long time. Why can't everyone know the rules? The truth is that the Board has believed for several decades now that if a trainer is really capable of Master Rank, then he or she will eventually become a Champion and earn the right to know the guidelines. Also, between you and me, I think they like to have their own little secret. The PLB's such a boring organization, you know? Well, anyway, as you can guess I too received these instructions, but I never tried my hand at becoming a Master, mainly because I have other interests, but also because it sounds really hard. I completely understand if you receive this letter and decide against it. I mean, really, Champion Rank is a lifetime title, even if you're defeated at some point, and frankly I am very happy with it. However, if you choose to follow the path of a true Master, then know I am rooting for you all the way, and will help in whatever ways I can.

Sincerely,

Cynthia

As Ash finished the letter, he could not believe that he had forgotten his original goal. Before he left home, he had promised himself that one day he would be a Pokémon Master, yet somehow that seemed to fall to the wayside as he got sidetracked by what he now thought of as desperate attempts to win random battles and raising several Pokémon. Suddenly, all of those victories, all of that knowledge, seemed miniscule. He would have to start a whole new journey, and catch every Pokémon. This was going to be hard, but there was one thing he knew; he was going to do it all.

Author's Note: Well, I hoped everyone appreciated the slight hint of Pokeshipping I added in this chapter. Trust me, there's a lot more later on, so let's consider this chapter a foreshadowing of things to come, okay? Seriously, this chapter has a lot of hints, if you read in between the lines, about where I plan on taking this fic later on, so make sure you didn't miss anything. I wouldn't mind hearing your predictions if you have any. However, mere praise is good enough (ha,ha). Okay, I'll take critiscism too. If it seemed like I rushed a little bit, that's because I did slightly. I am very excited about the next chapter, and I did not want to drag out the goodbyes and the Disney thing, or it would have taken me at least two more chapters. Besides, I think the goodbye is more realisitic short, especially considering how Dawn's feeling right now (you know). Anyway, please review. I am going to my grandmother's retirement ceremony this next Friday in Dallas (she's taught in the Texas elementary school system for thirty years), and as some of you know I live in Italy, so I will be very busy this week between the jet lag, and the catching up with relatives for a few days before I fly back here for school finals, so I may not be able to update next Sunday. Rest assured though, I will have chapter three up no later than May 29, and no matter what, Chapter four will be up by May 31, to put me back on my "every Sunday" schedule.

P.S. Please review!