Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any of its characters
A/N: After returning home to Pallet Town after his defeat in the Vertress Conference in the Unova Region, Ash decides to start his Pokémon Journey all over again and take his training more seriously while competing for the Kanto League and receives a surprising visit from someone he never expected to see: his old friend, Tory Lund whose now a Pokémon trainer as well. While traveling to challenge the Gyms and capturing new Pokémon, Ash and Tory develop romantic feelings for each other.
P.S. - Both Ash and Tory will be 15 years old in this fanfic, because according to the Fandom and if my math is right, Ash would've been 15 during the Pokémon Black and White series and it would've been five years since he last saw Tory at the end of Destiny Deoxys.
Chapter 1: Epilogue
It was a bright and beautiful day, as the sun was shining bright over Pallet Town. However...it was strangely quiet at the Ketchum residence, as Ash had been in his room the past two hours after dropping off his Unova Pokemon: Pignite, Oshawott, Boldore, Scraggy, Unfezant, Leavanny, Palpitoad and Krookodile off at Prof. Oak's Lab to bond and socialize with his other Pokemon residing at his mentor's ranch. Delia had been sitting in the living room, drinking a cup of tea while watching TV with her Mr. Mime, Mimey keeping her company...while glancing worriedly up towards her son's bedroom, especially since he barely said a word after dropping off his Pokemon at the Professor's lab.
'He's been up in his room for two hours. I know Ash was upset that he came in 3rd place in the Unova League, but...I didn't think he would take it so hard.'Delia mentally said to herself, feeling deeply concerned for her normally energetic boy as she just knew from the depressed/saddened look on Ash's face when he first came home that he was deeply disgusted with himself for making Top 8 in the Vertress Conference.
'I...I should probably check on him, just to make sure he's alright.'She mentally stated while standing up from the couch and started walking up the staircase to her son's bedroom...and silently praying that Ash wasn't thinking about hurting himself.
"Ash? Honey, are you okay in there?" Delia gently asked while knocking on the door to her son's room and hoping that he would answer, to reassure her that he was somewhat alright...and gave a sigh of relieve as she heard the latch to the doorknob unlock.
"Mom, do you need something?" Ash asked while opening the door, wondering if his mother needed him for something and was surprised that she had pulled him into a strong motherly hug, much to his confusion.
"Is something the matter?" The raven haired boy asked again, as he was caught off guard by his mother hugging and holding him tightly against her chest while slowly returning the embrace.
"I'm just glad that you're alright. You've been up here for 2 whole hours and I hadn't heard a sound." Delia answered before releasing her hold of her boy, stating that he had been holed up in his room for two straight hours and was simply concerned by how abnormally quiet he had been after dropping off his Unova Pokémon at Prof. Oak's laboratory/ranch.
"Oh, I'm sorry for worrying you Mom. I was just laying down, thinking back to how I battled while competing in...the Vertress Conference." Ash replied as he quickly understood why his mom had pulled him into that hug: she was worried that he was thinking about hurting himself and explained that he had simply been laying on his bed, contemplating about his incredibly poor battling performance during his travels in the Unova Region.
"Ash, you know you can talk to me about anything. What's troubling you, hon?" His brunette mother stated softly, reminding him that he could talk to her about anything before entering her son's room and sitting on his bed, while patting the mattress, asking him to sit down so they could talk. Once she stepped inside, Delia had spotted Pikachu curled into a small ball, showing he was taking a nap before blinking his eye a couple of times before becoming fully awake and smiled at the sight of his trainer's mother.
"...I...I guess...I guess that I'm angry at myself for ending up at the Top 8 during the Unova League." The raven haired boy answered softly while sitting down on the bed next to his mother and stated that he was simply disgusted with himself for ending up in 3rd place, just like he did in the Silver Conference in Johto and Ever Grande Conference in Hoenn.
"Chu..." The Electric Mouse Pokémon chirped sadly while glancing towards the wooden floor, showing he was just as disappointed as his human partner and best friend: how they ended up in 3rd place when they made 2nd during the Lilly of the Valley Conference back in Sinnoh.
"Ash, you did the best you could. You gave it your..." Delia started off softly, reminding her boy that he did the best he could during the semi-final rounds...only for Ash to cut her off.
"But that's just it Mom...I didn't give it my best. My friend Iris...she was right all along." He countered softly, correcting his mother by stating that he wasn't battling at his best during the Vertress Conference...and swallowed hard, as he realized that his annoying friend, Iris was right about him during their travels around Unova.
"She was right about what?" She asked softly, curious to what her son's friend, Iris was right about...and would be stunned by the answer.
"About me. She would always annoy me by calling me 'a little kid', by the way I way acted and battled while challenging the Unova Gym Leaders...and she was right. I...acted the exact same way when I first started my journey as a Pokémon Trainer: a clueless rookie who was completely in over his head. I never took my training serious, helped my Pokémon reach their full potential and made incredibly stupid and reckless choices." Ash replied, stating and admitting that the purple haired girl was right about him while pointing out everything he did wrong during his time in Unova: how he went back to being the clueless idiot who had no idea what he was doing when he first got Pikachu and was disgusted at himself for it, especially since he had matured and improved greatly over the years and came in 2nd place while competing in the Lily of the Valley Conference in Sinnoh.
Delia was surprised to hear her son admitting how disgusted and disappointed he was in himself during his time in Unova: claiming that he never took his training seriously, which would've helped his Unova native Pokémon reach their full potential...especially since Tripp had beaten him so easily and why he had lost to Cameron in the semi-finals during the Unova League.
"...Mom, do you think I'm a good Pokémon Trainer?" The raven haired boy asked softly while trying not to break down in tears, as his loss in the Vertress Conference had dealt a huge blow to his confidence and made him doubt his abilities as a Trainer.
"Oh Ash, of course you're a terrific Pokémon Trainer. You've grown and improved so much the past five years: always improving your battling strategies in order to overcome impossible odds and more importantly, you've shown nothing but love for your Pokémon, especially towards the ones who've been abused or discarded by their previous Trainers." His brunette mother answered truthfully while wrapping an arm around her boy and pulling him in close, reassuring him that he was a fine Pokémon Trainer by bringing up his greatest qualities: how he never gave up or backed down from a fight, stood up for his moral beliefs and more importantly, gave the Pokémon who were abused and abandoned by their previous trainers the love/affection they deserved, which he proved by saving Charizard as Charmander from Damian, Infernape as Chimchar from Paul and Pignite as Tepig from Shamus.
"Just because you didn't do so well in Unova, doesn't mean that you're a horrible Trainer. You just weren't prepared." She added while reminding Ash that just because he wasn't at his best during the Vertress Conference, it wasn't the end of the world and that he could always do better the next time he decided to venture out and explore another Region.
"Pika Pikachu." Pikachu replied while nodding in agreement, showing he agreed with everything Delia just said, especially since he never thought of or saw Ash as a horrible Pokémon Trainer. Sure, his human best friend made common mistakes every now and then during their past adventures, but he had a good heart and noble/selfless personality that won and earned the rodent's trust and respect, along with the rest of his friends residing at Prof. Oak's ranch.
"...Thanks, Mom. That means a lot." The raven haired boy replied with a soft grin, showing he deeply appreciated his mother's support and how her reassuring words had helped him feel better about his battling performance during the Unova League and placed a tender kiss on her cheek.
"You're welcome sweetie." Delia stated with a motherly smile, glad that her boy was returning to his usual cheerful and energetic self due to their mother-son talk.
"And maybe..." Ash stated softly, as he was considering of making a rather important change to improve his battling skills as a Pokémon Trainer.
"Maybe what hon?" His mother asked softly, as she was intrigued about what was going on in her son's head...and would be deeply surprised by his answer.
"Maybe...It'd be a good idea if I started all over again, by competing for the Indigo League." He answered honestly, revealing that he was thinking about re-doing his Kanto journey by challenging the Gyms and taking his training more seriously while competing for the Kanto Pokémon League!
"Ash...I think that would be an excellent idea, starting your journey all over again." Delia replied with a soft grin on her face, showing she agreed with her son's plan in order to improve his skills and maturity as a Pokémon Trainer, especially if he was going to challenge the Gyms in order to compete for the Indigo Conference.
"But...you're not going to leave right away, are you?" She asked softly, while hoping that Ash wouldn't be leaving Pallet Town the first thing tomorrow: especially since she wanted to spend as much quality time together with him after returning home from Unova.
"No, of course Mom. After everything Pikachu and I went through back in Unova, we could use a break. Ain't that right buddy?" The raven haired boy replied, assuring his mother that he wouldn't be leaving to begin his Pokémon journey all over again immediately and wanted to spend as much time with her after being gone from home for so long while turning to Pikachu, asking his loyal partner and best friend if he agreed about wanting to take a break.
"Pikachu!" The Electric Mouse Pokémon chirped out happily, showing he agreed with Ash and was perfectly fine with taking a small vacation from all the traveling they did while back in Unova: challenging the Gyms, battling wild Pokémon that were causing problems for the locals residing in small villages/towns and more importantly...saving the world from Team Plasma's and Team Rocket's schemes for world domination by attempting to enslave Reshiram and Forces of Nature trio: Tornadus, Thunderus and Landorus into doing their bidding.
"I'm glad honey. Since you have plenty of free time, how about you help Mimey with the garden outside?" Delia stated with a warm smile, delighted that her boy had decided to take some time off from his previous adventures in Unova to spend quality time with her and asked him to help Mimey water the garden outside in front of the house, since he had plenty of free time and wasn't doing anything at the moment.
"Sure thing Mom. I'll go help Mr. Mime with the garden right now." Ash answered with a grin on his face, showing he didn't mind helping his mother's Mr. Mime with the garden, especially since he was bored out of his mind and needed something to do to keep himself preoccupied.
"Thanks hon. While you're helping Mimey, I'll be cooking in the kitchen." She stated while placing a motherly kiss on her son's forehead before he got off the bed, walked down the stairs and stepped outside the house to help Mimey with her garden and was proud of him, for wanting to improve his battling tactics and more importantly: for wanting to grow up, due to his poor performance during the Vertress Conference.
The moment she witnessed Ash walk down the stairs and stepped outside to help her Mr. Mime with the gardening, Delia simply chuckled softly before leaving his bedroom herself and headed into the kitchen, as she knew her boy would be hungry once he came back inside after helping Mimey with her garden and more importantly, was looking forward to spend as much quality time with Ash before left to start his Kanto journey all over again.
~Meanwhile at LaRousse City, Hoenn~
At the Lund residence, Professor Charles Lund was currently helping his son, Tory packing clothes and traveling guidebooks into his newly purchased blue/grey backpack for his trip to the Kanto Region in his bedroom while his starters, Plusle and Minun were playing together and climbing over the furniture in the living room.
"Alright Tory. I've just packed up the last of your clothes, along with the guidebooks you'll need once you arrive to Kanto in your backpack. " Prof. Lund stated while glancing towards his now 15 year old boy, who was currently trying on the new clothes he picked out for his journey in the Kanto Region in his bedroom closet.
"Thanks Dad. I really appreciate you helping me pack what I need while Plusle, Minun and I are in Kanto." Tory answered from the closet, thanking his father for helping him packing the clothes, along with the necessary supplies he'd need once he and his starters left Hoenn for the Kanto Region.
"So...how do I look?" The beau blue haired teenage boy asked softly while stepping out of the closet while wearing the clothes he had chosen to wear for his trip: a which consisted of gray blue t-shirt with orange lining around the collar and cuffs underneath a red/gray leather jacket, coal grey jeans, white ankle length socks and white/blue sneakers with a purple zigzag logo on the left and right sides.
"You look fantastic kiddo." Charles answered honestly, stating that his boy looked terrific in the new clothes he chose to wear for his Pokémon journey in Kanto.
"Thanks Dad." Tory stated with a warm smile as he always appreciated his father's honesty, especially since he would be heading to Kanto by himself, with only Plusle and Minun accompanying him.
"Tory, are you sure you're ready for this? Because you can always take your time." His father started off softly, asking his teenage boy if he was completely sure if he wanted to head to the Kanto Region in order to compete for the Indigo League.
"I'm sure Dad. You and Yuko helped prepare me the past five years while we were traveling around Hoenn and walked me through on what to do when I was building my team. I'm ready." The beau blue haired boy replied with a soft grin as he appreciated his father looking out for him and reassured him that he was indeed ready to compete for the Kanto Pokémon League, thanks to him and Yuko preparing/tutoring him while they were traveling around Hoenn and assisted him in building his own Pokémon team five years ago.
"I'm proud of you son. You've come a long way the past five years. Just promise me you'll be careful and call if you ever need help or just need to talk." Charles stated with a soft grin, showing he was proud of his boy, since he was no longer the boy who was scared of Pokémon, due to being traumatized from the Sealeo and Walrein stampede when they and Yuko first encountered Deoxys and witnessed the battle between Rayquaza and the mysterious DNA Pokémon in the North Pole and asked him to be careful while he was in Kanto.
"I promise Dad." Tory replied with a gentle smile, promising his father that he would be careful while he traveling around Kanto and would call him whenever he could when he was at a Pokémon Center or checking in at a hotel.
"Say Dad, would it be alright if I took Plusle and Minun for a walk around the block?" The beau blue haired boy stated, asking his father for permission if he could take the two Cheering Pokémon for a stroll around the city, as the sun was still out.
"It's alright with me kiddo. Just remember to be careful." Charles answered with a warm smile, as he had no problem with Tory taking Plusle and Minun on a walk through LaRousse City
"Don't worry Dad. I'll be alright with Plusle and Minun with me." Tory replied, assuring his father that he'd be careful during his walk before exiting his bedroom and walking into the living room, where he spotted the small red and blue Electric type mouse like Pokémon playfully wrestling on the couch.
"Hey guys. You wanna go for a walk?" The beau blue haired boy greeted while asking his two starters if they'd like to accompany him on a walk through the city and smiled, as the two Cheering Pokemon had jumped off the couch and jumped into his arms.
"Plusle/Minun!" The two Electric type mouse like Pokémon cried out happily and he chuckled softly at their answer.
"Okay, let's go." He stated with the smile before Plusle and Minun jumped out of his arms and followed him as he opened the front door and closed it behind them while Charles went over the contents in Tory's backpack to make sure his boy had everything he needed before he departed for the Kanto Region.
The moment the beau blue haired boy and his Starters stepped outside of his house, he couldn't help but admire how his hometown had returned to its beautiful and peace state: as if the incident between Deoxys and Rayquaza never happened...but the memories of that fateful day would always be on their minds and more importantly...how he had finally overcame his fear of Pokemon.
'In three weeks...Plusle, Minun and I, along with our team leave for Kanto. Maybe...I'll bump into Ash along the way.'Tory mentally stated, reminding himself that he had three weeks to prepare himself and his Pokemon before they departed Hoenn...and entertained the possibility of seeing the raven haired boy while challenging the Gyms to earn the necessary badges in order to compete in the Indigo League.
'It would be great to see him after all these years. I wonder if he'll even remember me? Probably not.'He added, stating that it would be nice to see his friend and pondered to himself if Ash would even recognize him since they hadn't seen each other for five years after the Deoxys-Rayquaza incident. What Tory didn't know however...was that fate was going to throw both him and the raven haired boy a curveball that neither of them would expect or foresee.
A/N: There it is everyone, the first chapter to my new Starting Over. I apologize if it seems off or lacking in detail, its would I come up with on short notice. Please be sure to read and review.