A/N: Thanks for taking the time to check this story out. The first and second chapters are short, so I hope you give the story a chance until chapter three. By then, most of the characters will have been introduced. Early chapters are also dedicated to developing Ash's friendships with other characters, so naturally, pairings will not be revealed anytime soon.

One last thing for those of you who are not aware: Vermilion City Pokémon School is an actual school featured in the anime Pokémon Journeys.

Thanks!

Chapter 1: Vermilion City Pokémon School

A raven-haired preteen opened his eyes as sunlight streamed through his window. His room was filled with Pokémon memorabilia—action figures, posters, and other knick-knacks that reflected his love for Pokémon. With a burst of energy, he jumped out of bed, quickly bathed, and got dressed.

Standing in front of the mirror, he fidgeted with his yellow tie, making sure it was straight. His outfit—a white, short-sleeved button-up shirt, matching shorts, knee-high socks, and running shoes with dark blue patterns—looked crisp and clean, though he still struggled to make the tie sit perfectly.

Grabbing his dark green backpack, he headed downstairs, smiling at the scent of pancakes wafting from his destination: his mother's restaurant. Their two-story house had been remodeled so the lower half served as a small family eatery. The tables and the expanded kitchen were a comfortable distance away from two single-use restrooms, one for males and one for females. The upper floor had been left as it was, with a master bedroom, two spacious rooms, and a big terrace.

"Good morning, Ash," Delia greeted him, her voice warm. She was a woman in her mid-thirties, with mahogany hair tied back and kind amber eyes.

"Morning, Mom!" Ash replied, sitting at the kitchen table, where a stack of pancakes awaited him.

"You're growing up so fast," Delia said, sitting across from him with a mixture of pride and sadness in her voice. "Sometimes, I can't believe you're already twelve."

Ash paused mid-bite, noticing her tone. "Yeah, but I'm not leaving anytime soon," he said with a reassuring grin. "I've still got three more years before I can become a Pokémon trainer."

"Yes, thankfully," Delia said, "the League made it mandatory for kids to finish elementary school and complete a three-year Pokémon course before applying for a trainer's license." She nodded, recalling the League's decision a few years back to address parental concerns about letting children venture into the wild. While the change had initially disappointed Ash, Delia appreciated the extra time it gave her with her only child. "It's for your safety, so you better study well."

Ash groaned at the word "study." It wasn't that he disliked learning—his name had consistently been in the top five of his class throughout elementary school. He simply preferred hands-on, active learning, like field research. (Not that his ranking was too hard to achieve in Pallet Elementary, where each year only had one class with an average of five students.)

"Time's ticking, Ash," Delia said, gesturing to the clock. "You don't want to be late on your first day of Pokémon School, do you?"

Ash grinned. "Of course not! Thanks for breakfast, Mom!"

He rushed to the sink, where Delia's Mr. Mime waited to wash the dishes. As Ash grabbed his backpack, Delia slipped a lunch box and thermos inside before he darted toward the door.

"See you later!" Ash waved, nodding in thanks to both his mom and Mr. Mime.

"Take care, Ash!" Delia called after him as he dashed out the front door into the bustling streets of Vermilion City.

A year ago, Delia had used her savings from her days as a Pokémon Coordinator and part-time model to buy their property in Vermilion. She'd remodeled it to support Ash's education while giving them a convenient place to live, just a few hundred meters from the Pokémon School. They had moved here shortly after Ash graduated from elementary school in Pallet Town. Delia had even sold their old home to a young couple, creating some extra emergency funds.

"Another day, another dollar," she said to herself with a smile, preparing ingredients as she waited for her hired helper to arrive.

:･ﾟ(ꈍᴗꈍ)･ﾟ:

Ash stood outside a large building, his student handbook in hand. 'This is the place,' he thought, scanning the map for his classroom.

The school was massive, which made sense given its reputation. Some students from other regions moved to Vermilion City to study here, often living in dorms or apartments just to attend. Renowned for producing elite trainers, the Pokémon School had been teaching students long before the League enforced licensing requirements.

As he made his way through the halls, he heard a girl's sharp voice echo behind him.

"Wait up, Goh!"

Ash didn't think much of it until—bam!—someone crashed into him from behind, nearly knocking him over.

"Whoa!" Ash stumbled forward but managed to regain his balance. He turned to see a tanned boy about his age getting back to his feet.

"You okay?" Ash asked, brushing off the incident with a friendly tone.

"Yeah, sorry about that," the boy said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"You shouldn't have run off like that, Goh!" scolded a maroon-haired girl who caught up moments later. Her green eyes flashed with frustration as she smoothed her neatly tied ponytail.

"But Chloe, I wanted to get the best seat!" Goh protested, dashing off again with barely a glance back.

Chloe sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Did he even apologize to you?" she asked Ash, clearly exasperated.

"Yes he did, don't worry about it," Ash nodded, waving a hand in dismissal. "We should be going too," he added, realizing they were headed in the same direction.

"Okay," that was all she needed to say before she walked ahead of Ash.

Moments later, to their slight surprise, they learned that not only they were heading in the same direction but also in the same room.

Wen they entered the classroom, most of the seats were already taken. Goh, sitting in the front row with a triumphant grin, waved at Chloe as if to show off the best seat in class.

Ash scanned the room and instantly spotted a familiar auburn-haired boy, sitting a few rows ahead. His face darkened slightly, but he quickly shook off the irritation and focused on finding a seat.

The only available desks were two at the back of the room, bathed in direct sunlight.

"Which one do you want?" Ash asked Chloe, letting her choose first.

Chloe set her bag down on the desk furthest from the window. "This one," she said simply.

"Alright," Ash replied, taking the seat to her left without complaint.

"Thanks," Chloe added quietly, appreciating his consideration.

To Chloe's right sat a honey-haired girl with soft blue eyes, who stole a quick glance at Ash. Her puzzled expression suggested she was trying to place him.

A few more minutes passed, and the door opened to reveal a middle-aged woman with dark blue eyes framed by red-rimmed glasses. Her short violet hair gave her a sharp, no-nonsense look. She stepped into the room and introduced herself as their homeroom teacher. Without wasting time, she instructed the class to introduce themselves one by one, sharing their names and their dreams for the future. The introductions began from the front row, moving seat by seat to the back, before continuing to the next column.

Chloe barely registered Goh's introduction, where he predictably declared his dream of catching a certain Legendary Pokémon. She had heard it countless times throughout their childhood and didn't feel the need to pay attention. Truthfully, she wasn't too concerned about remembering her other classmates' names either. With nearly thirty students in the room, she figured it would take her a while to remember them all anyway.

"The name's Gary Oak," a boy near the front announced with a smug grin. "You better remember it, because this name will soon be chanted across the globe!" His confident proclamation made a few girls squeal in admiration while some boys rolled their eyes in exasperation.

"My name is Serena Yvonne," said the honey-blonde girl seated to Chloe's right. She hesitated briefly before finishing, "I aim to be a…top-class Pokémon Performer." Her voice carried a hint of uncertainty, but her determination was still evident.

"I'm Misty Waterflower. I want to become the best Water Pokémon Trainer in the world and eventually take over the water gym in my home city of Cerulean," a viridian-eyed girl stated confidently. She had short orange hair tied into a single pigtail on the left side of her head, and her strong voice carried an air of determination that was hard to ignore.

"My name is Dawn Berlitz," said a dark blue-haired girl with an energetic tone. "My goal is to become a top Pokémon Coordinator." Her bubbly personality seemed to instantly captivate some of the boys in the room.

Finally, it was Chloe's turn. She stood and introduced herself in a calm but firm voice. "My name is Chloe Cerise. I haven't decided on a dream for the future yet, but for now, I'll study as much as I can about Pokémon."

Her honest response drew a few raised eyebrows from her classmates. Most of them already knew who she was—or, more specifically, who her father was. She could hear their whispers, speculating that she would inevitably follow in her father's footsteps to become a Pokémon professor. The assumptions annoyed her. Chloe hated when people made decisions about her future just because she was the daughter of one of the most prominent Pokémon professors in the world.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the boy seated to her left stood up. They hadn't introduced themselves to each other earlier; there hadn't been time or need. But now, as he stood, Chloe found herself curious to learn his name.

"My name is Ash Ketchum," the raven-haired boy announced boldly, his voice carrying an infectious energy. "And I dream of becoming a Pokémon Master!"

As he spoke, a gentle breeze swept through the room, ruffling his messy black hair. His brown eyes glimmered in the sunlight streaming through the window, and his wide, confident smile seemed to brighten the room even further. Some of the students looked ready to laugh at what they considered an impossible dream, but the sheer determination in Ash's voice stopped them.

There wasn't a trace of arrogance in his tone—just pure, unwavering belief in himself.

"Like no one ever was!"

:･ﾟ(ꈍᴗꈍ)･ﾟ:

A/N: Thank you so much for reading the first chapter! Please let me know your honest thoughts—I'd love to hear your feedback. Popular characters may appear in different years or classes, so stay tuned.

Again, thank you for your time!

-Areyem Meyera