Author's Note: Pokémon. A word that is known throughout the globe by people of almost all ages. The anime that has been running for more than a decade, and has shown no signs of ending. Yet, it is also the anime that most people eventually gotten fed up with. People craved for Ash Ketchum to grow up, to capture more Pokémon, to win leagues. Yet, it seemed that to Satoshi Tajiri, that none of this mattered.

And so, people started writing fanfics about it. Even then, the number of good stories for this fan favorite anime is in just a few dozen.

So, here is my interpretation of the Pokémon anime, the way I want it. This fic starts after the end of Battle Frontier and shall contain Ash's journey to the regions across. This fic will be a part of a series, each story depicting one specific region. I have taken inspiration from works such as Sinnoh Revamped by Analon and Working Sinnoh with Skill by 0Jordinio0. Unfortunately, despite being a brilliant fic, 0Jordiono0 deleted it. So, if any of you missed you, let me tell you it was one hell of a fic.

In this fic, I have tried to answer the question as to how Ash aims to become a Pokémon Master and why he takes part in the various competitions.

I'm keeping the rating M because of swearing, eventual romantic situations, as I sure as hell don't want to show Ash as an impotent, and maybe, maybe lemons.

Pairings have been decided, and no it is not Ash/Dawn. If anyone doesn't like that, they don't have to read the fic.

As with my Naruto fic, I will update this fic on a biweekly basis i.e once every two weeks. I lack a beta, so if anyone wishes to help me in that sense is encouraged to PM me.

Finally, let's start with the fic. But first...

Disclaimer: Pokémon is the property of Satoshi Tajiri and GameFreak, and I hold no control over them whatsoever.

Chapter 1: A New Path

He couldn't believe it.

A multitude of emotions ran through his mind. Anger at being defeated, disappointment at the fact that it had been so easy for his opponent. However, the most prominent one on his face was that one of shock.

Ash Ketchum didn't pay attention as his opponent, Gary Oak, grandson of the renowned Pokémon Professor, Samuel Oak, and a brilliant researcher in his own right, recalled his Electivire into its Pokéball and started walking towards the center of the small clearing that they had chosen as their makeshift battlefield

The shock quickly turned into self-procrastination as various thoughts churned within his mind.

'How did he defeat me so easily?' The young trainer thought. 'He defeated Pikachu as though he was nothing. Wasn't Pikachu strong enough?' He immediately discarded this thought with an internal scoff. 'Of course he is. He defeated Brandon's Regice just a week ago. This means he is a strong Pokémon. So why was he defeated so easily.'

His thoughts were answered from the all too familiar voice of his childhood rival turned friend, "You were overconfident Ash."

The suddenness of the voice made him jump abruptly, as he finally noticed Gary standing in front of him, his hands cradling his injured Pikachu. He was all the more shocked to see that instead of the infuriating smirk that he thought would see on his face, it had an expression of complete seriousness that he hadn't ever seen on his rival before.

The shock quickly receded, as he gingerly took Pikachu from him, followed by a super potion that Gary handed to him. He sprayed the potion almost mechanically on the Pokémon, grimacing as the small mouse Pokémon hissed before the potion started having its effect and healing the more severe wounds marring its body.

As the expression on the asleep Pokémon's face changed from a grimace to a more peaceful one, Gary's words registered the youngest Battle Frontier winner.

"What do you mean by that Gary?" he spoke, an undertone of anger evident in his voice.

Gary, having noticed this, decided to not pay any attention to it. "You heard what I said Ketchum. I said you were overconfident. You thought that just because Pikachu had defeated a Legendary a week ago, he could take on any other Pokémon easily. When I released Electivire you had shown some apprehension at seeing a new Pokémon, yet as soon as the battle began, you completely disregarded everything and started using attacks in the hope of simply overpowering me."

"You got flustered when your attacks were not causing Electivire any harm and soon abandoned any form of plan you may have had and started calling out your powerful moves hoping that they would hit."

Ash looked towards Gary, anger evident in his face, to reply to his speculations. But the seriousness on the young Researcher's face simply made him keep quiet. Gary placed his bag on the ground and sat down on the ground, his elbows supporting his upper body and motioned for Ash to do the same. Not hesitating, Ash sat in a similar manner, with Pikachu on his lap, sleeping soundly.

"You know Ash," Gary continued, "Ever since you defeated me in Johto, I knew that you were a better trainer than I could ever be. I have even followed your battles ever since then."

Seeing the questioning and perplexed look on his face, Gary elaborated, "As your sponsor, Gramps has the option to get videos of your official gym matches or any League battles from the League. I had asked him to simply send me those whenever possible. Even your mom gets them from him."

"You mean Mom has watched every one of my matches?" Ash asked, astonished at the fact.

"Only the official gym matches, the tournaments and the entire Battle Frontier, since they are League sanctioned."

Ash nodded his head, indicating Gary to continue.

"You see, every battle that I have seen you fight, either win or lose, I have noticed a few things. In fact even Gramps noticed them. When I asked him why he didn't point it out to you, he simply answered that while he is your sponsor, he doesn't want you to be over-reliant on others. He wanted to see those flaws for yourself and fix those weaknesses yourself. He wants you to grow into the kind of trainer all of us in this town know you can be."

Ash, who was still not over the fact that his rival and his mother had seen every one of his official battles, was overwhelmed by the words if his friend.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, the undercurrent of anger still not abated completely.

Gary sighed at the childlike behavior of his friend. "Ash…" he began, the slight annoyance not missed by the black haired trainer, "When someone is trying to give you some advice, you must first listen to that person before flying off the handle. Most of the times it is for your own good."

The remaining anger quickly receded from Ash's face, as he scratched his cheek somewhat sheepishly, and muttered a quick "sorry!"

Seeing that his friend had calmed down, Gary spoke once again, "Gramps was okay with you finding your weaknesses yourself, however I do not think that is right for you. We both know you have the capability to achieve much more than the top eight of the tournaments and therefore I told him what I was going to do today."

"You mean Professor Oak knows about this battle?" Ash asked, perplexed.

"Yes" Gary nodded, "and while he thinks it unwise, he fully supports me. However, he warned me that this is the last time I can directly help you."

Seeing him nod at this he continued, "Now, what I am about to say may be somewhat hurtful to you Ash. You may even get furious at me because of that. But I want to get past that anger and think what I say. You must understand that everyone wants you to be the best Pokémon trainer and accomplish your dream, just like you helped me find mine."

Ash nodded, "I'll listen to what you have to say Gary, don't worry."

"Good." Gary said, before getting up and changing to a cross-legged sitting position, prompting Ash to do the same. "The biggest problem that we, Gramps and I, have seen is that you get overconfident too easily. Every new region you go, you straight out challenge the gym in whichever city you visit. You don't research the leader, his preferred Pokémon or even which type Pokémon they use. Moreover, when you defeat a few gyms in a row, you start thinking yourself undefeatable. It is only when you lose a battle that you give serious consideration to what you should have done and what you need to defeat the person."

Ash simply nodded, knowing most of this to be true.

"The same thing happens to you in the tournaments. In Johto, when you defeated me you, you became overconfident there. I don't know if you know or not, but the League shows other trainers the list of Pokémon another trainer has used throughout the tournament. Had you used that to at least get an anticipation of the Pokémon your opponent had, you could have won the Conference."

Ash, as though struck by the words could only gape at Gary, who looked like he was on a steamroll. "The same thing happened in Hoenn. Had you checked Tyson's Pokémon, you could have prepared beforehand that match. And that was one Tournament that you would have won had you defeated him."

The young Pokémon Researcher took a deep breath and looked at Ash, who seemed to be in deep thought. And indeed, Ash was thinking back to all the instances that he had lost an official match. The various gym leaders and trainers who had defeated him. What felt like hours to him, but was in fact just a few seconds later, he truly saw the truth in Gary's words. He realized how, he was more successful whenever he planned for an opponent rather than when he simply ran headlong into a match without any plan.

Gary, seeing that Ash was listening like he said he would, decided to continue. "Ash… how do you train your Pokémon?" he asked.

Seeing the confused expression on Ash's face, he elaborated, "I mean, how you train your Pokémon? What training regimen you use? When you decide to teach them a new move and all that?"

Seeing the thoughtful look on his friend's face, Gary sighed, wanting nothing more than to rub his temples in irritation. Not getting an answer, he took a deep breath. "Do you know that just to reach the level I was at, during the Silver Conference, I had to train my Pokémon almost on a daily basis, regularly teaching them new moves, increasing their move pool, upgrading their old moves with more powerful ones?"

"The few times that I have talked to Brock, he tells me how often you guys run into those three Team Rocket members and how most of the times it is Pikachu himself who gets rid of them. Don't you see how that is making him one of your most powerful Pokémon? Take your Charizard as well. Isn't he constantly training in the Chartcific Valley?" Getting a mute nod from the trainer, he continued, "So…Don't you see how much training on a daily basis benefits your Pokémon's strength?"

Seeing the affronted look on his face, Gary got confused for a moment before he realized how it looked to Ash. He sighed, "Ash… I'm not saying that the rest of your Pokémon are weak. What I'm saying is that if you train them, each of your Pokémon can reach the level at which you're Pikachu and Charizard are at, maybe even exceed that."

Looking towards the sky, he spoke, "You know, whenever I see you and your Pokémon, be it in the Ranch or in the battles, I can't help but feel jealous. The level of devotion and love that you and your Pokémon show towards each other is something that is seen only in the Elite Four and the Champions, even Gramps agrees on that."

Ash couldn't help but feel proud of that. He always cherished the bonds he had with his Pokémon. They were more important to him than anything in his life, bar his mom.

"Then why did you abandon them?"

Ash's thoughts were brought to a screeching halt as Gary spoke these words. He looked towards Gary, a look of fury marring his face. Gary, however, seemed unaffected by this and continued, "So why did you abandon them? Why not take them on your journey? Had they not done enough for you?"

"I wanted to have a new beginning in whatever region I went. They understood that." Ash grinded out.

"Of course they'd understand." Gary spoke slowly, as though talking to a baby. "They are your Pokémon. They are supposed to understand. But did you never feel how bad they must have felt when all the sweat and tears that they shed getting stronger for their trainer, suddenly went down the drain just because said trainer wanted a new beginning?"

"I have way more Pokémon than you, still I rotate them so that I can get in touch with most of them. Did you know that anyone who has accomplished as much as we have can get their maximum carrying capacity increased?"

Seeing his bewildered expression, Gary shook his head. "Of course you don't. You didn't even bother asking Gramps if it could be extended. Had you done so, he would've easily done that. You just decided to forget everything you learned on getting a "new beginning"."

"When was the last time you used Tauros, or you Kingler or even Muk? Most of your Pokémon train by themselves thinking that someday you'd use them and they don't want to disappoint you. So tell me this, why completely disregard all your other Pokémon and focus on your newest ones?"

Ash, despite his anger, processed what Gary had spoken. Soon, he couldn't help but feel guilty at how badly he had treated his Pokémon, almost abandoning them in the way Charizard was abandoned as a Charmander by his trainer. The thought of his Pokémon brought a sting of pain to Ash's troubled mind. He had neglected to train many of his older Pokémon for quite a while now. He hadn't used some of his Kanto Pokémon for years. Then there were the ones he caught from the other regions. He could have rotated his team like Gary said, but he didn't. Why? Did he unconsciously want to cut off all the links to the regions that presented him failure?

This thought very much upset Ash. He cared for his Pokémon, he really did. But he ignored many of them for a long time. How could he call himself a trainer? What did his old friends think of him now? Would they forgive him? Had they forgotten him, like he had forgotten to train them? Sure, he had spent some time with them after his return, but he didn't accomplish any serious training.

He was broken out of his thoughts by a hand being placed on his shoulder. He looked up to see his rival turned friend looking down at him.

"Ash, I know people say that becoming a Pokémon Master is next to impossible."

And truly, it was considered an impossibility by a majority of people across the regions. A trainer would have to win the tournaments of at least five regions, followed by defeating the Elite Four of each of those regions as well as the Regional Champion. And even then, you had to be sanctioned by the League chairman to get a Master's license. It was for this particular reason there hadn't been a Pokémon Master till date.

"- But I do know that if you try really hard and work with your Pokémon in a similar manner, then you can get there. You have the skill, the dedication and the love of your Pokémon, who are ready to go that extra mile just for you. Now, you only need to do what you should have done as a trainer and instead of having a new beginning, learn from your previous mistakes and rectify them."

By the end of the monologue, Pikachu had woken up from his exhaustion induced sleep. His first instinct, knowing his trainer, was to assure his how it wasn't his fault that he lost and that he shouldn't be depressed. This plan was derailed as soon as he heard his trainer's friend talk instead. He was initially confused what he was talking about, but somewhat understood what Gary was talking about.

Ash turned his attention to the now awake Pikachu, "Hey buddy. You awake? How are you feeling?"

"Pi Pika Chu." The small mouse Pokémon replied with a smile. The smile however was somewhat subdued as he thought of how easily he was defeated.

Ash immediately caught on to his starter's demeanor. "Don't be like that Pikachu. I should've known better than to get cocky after we beat Brandon. Look where that got us." Ash's eyes mirrored his sorrow. "I'm sorry you had to get hurt like that, Pikachu."

Pikachu shook his head emphatically, refusing to admit that the loss was his trainer's fault. "Pika pi! Pikachu pika pi pika!" Pikachu pointed to himself, as if to say that it was his fault, not Ash's.

"How can it be your fault?" Ash asked incredulously. "Don't be silly. You did your best, and that's all I could ask for. You trusted me with the strategy and did exactly like I told you to. But since I was so sure we'd win, I didn't think things through. I made some stupid mistakes. This loss is entirely my fault." Pikachu opened his mouth to protest again, but Ash cut him off. "I know you mean well Pikachu, but there's no way around it. Don't beat yourself up over this battle. I made the mistakes, not you." He said in a tone leaving no room for argument.

Pikachu made a face, clearly dissatisfied with his trainer's decision to blame himself. "Pii Pikachu." he muttered.

Ash shook his head at his Pokémon's stubbornness and rubbed the back of his head, gaining a 'Chaa' from his starter. He stood up, taking care to not cause any kind of pain to his starter. Gary watched the entire scene with an amused glint in his eyes.

"You know, this is what I was talking about." He said, indicating at them. "This, this is the thing that I was talking about earlier. Pikachu is sad not because he was defeated, but because you lost the match. And the level of care that you guys show for each other is something that decades to achieve."

Picking up his bag, Gary moved away from the duo, "Anyways, what was your plan for the future?"

Ash looked at Pikachu, who had by now taken his customary place at his shoulder, before shrugging, "I don't know really. I hadn't decided actually. Seeing your Electivire, I think I will go to Sinnoh next and compete in the tournament."

"Then I think I'm going to give you one final suggestion." Seeing that he had the trainer and Pokémon's attention, he continued, "The Conference for Sinnoh begins in four months. And while I know that you can qualify for it, it will be extremely tough. Moreover, you would be neither catch that many Pokémon, nor train them appropriately."

"Essentially, what I'm saying is that use these four months to train your existing Pokémon as much as you can. Learn as much as you can about Pokémon, and still continue learning after that. Gramps told me how you were over-relying on Brock all this time for Pokémon knowledge. But he won't always be there for you. Eventually, you will have to learn to rely on yourself."

"Thanks Gary." Ash spoke with conviction. "Do you think that on the way you could tell Professor to inform mom that I'll be out for a while?" Seeing his rival's questioning gaze, he elaborated, "I need to take some time to think over what you said."

Gary shook his head in exasperation. "All right, Ashy boy." He spoke with an all too familiar smirk, "I'll inform Gramps, but don't take too much time. Smell ya later."

Ash couldn't help but smile at familiar tone of his friend. Truth be told, the tone he was using during the entire conversation had been creeping him out a bit.

"See you later, Gary."

"Pi pika pi."

Both of them waved Gary off before turning towards each other.

"You know buddy" Ash began, "I really need to think about what Gary told me." Seeing his friend's questioning look, he spoke further. "You were asleep at that time. By the way, how are you feeling? You alright?"

"Pi Pika Pi." Pikachu shrugged, the worst of the injuries having already been healed with the super potion, while his sleep healed the remaining injuries.

"Good to hear that bud." Ash spoke, relief evident in his voice. As he moved into the forest, he spoke, "Gary told me about my mistakes and it made me truly realize that I have been truly winging it all this while. I have been way too dependent on others and apart from battling I have very limited knowledge about you guys."

His expression became more pensive as he thought about his Pokémon. "Moreover, I basically abandoned most of you guys."

"Pika?" the mouse Pokémon shouted, perplexed at the last comment.

"It's true bud." He spoke, with a somewhat pained expression. "I never trained you guys personally unless it was absolutely necessary. I didn't pay attention to many of you guys unless I required your help. Every time I go to a new region, I never bring anyone but you, I don't even tell the others that I am going to use them in a fight or not. They train so much, just for me, and I never even pay attention to them."

Pikachu, stumped at his trainer's words, could do nothing but sit on his shoulder and hear his trainer berate himself. Frankly, Pikachu had been wondering when Ash would come to this realization. He knew that Ash wasn't purposefully neglecting them. He never brought this up because he trusted Ash to realize it sooner or later. He didn't want to give Ash the impression that he was being reprimanded by his own Pokémon.

However, that didn't mean that he was going to let his trainer wallow in self-pity. So, he did the only thing he could.

The good old Thundershock.

Ash was thrown out of his musings, courtesy of a minor Thundershock from Pikachu. He stood there twitching for a few moments before his body functions returned back to normal, having grown accustomed to Pikachu's electric shocks. He turned his attention towards his companion.

"Thanks for that bud. I know I can't start wallowing in self-pity. I just can't help but feel bad that I was so bad to our other friends. Anyhow, I now know I have done many things wrong so far and the only thing now I can do is rectify them."

Pikachu nodded, happy that his human had finally started to show the determination that he had always shown and not started acting like and emo. It even sparked determination in the mouse Pokémon, something which was not present ever since the morning.

Ash continued, his voice laden with determination, "For the next four months, I will do everything I can to make up to you guys. And then, together, we will conquer Sinnoh and the Championship."

"Pi Pika Pi." Pikachu added, an equal amount of determination on his face.

They stood there, facing each other, poses matching, with the resolve to conquer the Sinnoh league, nothing stopping them. However, nature seemed to be against them, as out of nowhere the heavens erupted, bringing with them a downpour of rain that drenched them within moments.

Ash immediately scooped up Pikachu and ran further into the forest, intent on finding a safe haven from the rain. They ran for the next several minutes, hope slowly diminishing, before they reached the face of a cliff. On Ash's shoulder, Pikachu's ears twitched as he looked in a certain direction. His eyes twinkled in happiness, apparently at having found something. He quickly jumped from his trainer's shoulder, gaining an exclamation of 'HEY' from the fully soaked trainer.

As soon as Pikachu jumped from his shoulder, Ash followed him knowing that there had to be an explanation for the sudden action of his Pokémon. He moved towards the cliff, and only then did he notice what his friend was running towards. The cliff had some kind of plant on it, the long leaves of which covered almost half of its face. However, his attention went towards the ground where Pikachu suddenly disappeared into the think foliage.

A look of understanding came upon Ash's face as he realized that his friend had found a place to weather this sudden rainstorm. However, as he moved towards the most likely cave, this turned into one of dread as Pikachu darted out of the foliage, a look of panic on his face. He tugged at Ash's pants, pointing towards the cave.

"What happened bud? Is someone in there?" Ash asked, concern marring his voice.

"Pi Pikachu. Pi pika pi." Pikachu nodded, and ran back into the foliage.

Ash, knowing that his starter wanted to follow him, went after him. As he reached the cliff, he pushed some of the bushes aside, and was not surprised to find a crevice. What surprised him, though, was the size of it. It was small, its width just enough for his lithe body to enter it. And even that was going to be a tight squeeze.

As he squeezed his way into the crevice, he heard the panicked voice of Pikachu, making him focus even more in helping whosoever was hidden in the most likely cave. After what felt like hours of squeezing, but was in fact just several seconds, he finally emerged from the crevice, the sudden darkness taking him by surprise.

His eyesight quickly got accustomed to the darkness, the small amount of light coming from the crevice helping him. He quickly in the direction where he heard Pikachu's voice come from, only to see him desperately trying to shake a figure.

"Pikachu?" he asked, gaining the attention of the Pokémon. "Who is there bud?" He moved forward to see who the person or Pokémon was, but stopped short as Pikachu moved aside, some amount of light deciding to filter into the cave at that exact moment, making the figure clear to his eyes.

And what, or rather who, he saw turned his eyes wide with disbelief and astonishment. Lying on the ground, most probably asleep, was a Pokémon.

It was a blue qilin-like creature, with white diamond-shaped spots and a white underside. It had a purple cape that resembled flowing river and two white streamer-like tails. It also had a hexagonal, aquamarine-colored crest on its forehead, a protrusion on the underside of its chin and small paws, the paws having a small white oval on their undersides.

Ash remembered the Pokémon. How could he not? After all, this was the first Pokémon that he had encountered when he had entered the Johto region. He remembered how he had been mesmerized when he had first seen the Legendary, standing in the middle of the lake. Of course he would remember…

"Suicune."

Ash spoke the name in reverence, knowing that being a Legendary it almost commanded respect. His awe immediately vanished when he saw Pikachu pointing at the resting Pokémon.

"Pika pi! Pikachu chu pika pi pika." The panicked voice made alarm bells ring in Ash's head, as he quickly made his way towards the sleeping Pokémon. He was all the more surprised to see that the downed Pokémon didn't make any movement at his approach.

The pit in his stomach deepened when he reached close enough to see the state the Pokémon was in. It's usually blue hide was marred with several burns, similar to those caused by Pikachu's attacks, making it clear that it was harmed by several electric attacks. Further, it was huffing very quickly, indicating that it was almost out of energy.

Ash didn't know what could have caused Suicune such harm, having already seen the Legendary in action, already knowing the strength of the water Legend. It didn't matter to him though. A Pokémon was hurt and he'd be damned if he didn't help it.

As he made to sit down beside the downed Pokémon, Pikachu jumped on his shoulder, as though giving his place to his trainer.

"CHAA!" Pikachu cooed in happiness, as Ash rubbed the Pokémon under his chin.

"Great job Pikachu." He spoke, "You did a good job finding Suicune. Do you know how she got so injured?"

Pikachu shrugged, not knowing the answer to the one question that perplexed even him.

Getting his answer, Ash turned his attention back to the Legendary to check for any further injuries and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw none visible. He then cursed at the fact that he had forgotten to bring his pack or any kind of potion.

He went to pet the Legend, but stopped when suddenly it opened its eyes, its red irises boring into his amber colored ones. Suicune growled, though Ash assumed it was due to its close proximity from the trainer. Ash quickly got up and took a couple of steps back, arms extended in a placating manner.

Suicune tried to get up and away from the unknown trainer, but failed and cried out in pain as it collapsed. However, it still glared at Ash, almost as if challenging him to do something.

"Suicune, I know you are injured and don't want to trust a trainer. But I promise you that I mean you no harm." He spoke, Pikachu nodding his head. "You remember me, don't you? I met you a few years ago in the Johto region. We even helped you fight those idiots from Team Rocket."

"Pi Pika Pi Pikachu." Pikachu added, trying to get the legend to remember the incident.

The growl from Suicune lessened a bit as it focused on the Pokémon trainer, as though scrutinizing him. A few seconds later, its eyes widened for a second, most likely in recognition, before it sighed in relief and collapsed completely, its eyes replaced with swirls, signifying that it had fainted.

"SUICUNE! / PIKA PI!"

Ash and Pikachu shouted as soon as they saw the Pokémon faint, and quickly ran towards it. Ash, having seen it cry out in pain when it favored a foot, understood that it had somehow hurt its feet.

"Bud." He spoke, getting Pikachu's attention, "Did you see what I see?"

Pikachu looked a bit confused, so Ash decided to explain, "When it favored a feet, it cried out in pain. It means it most probably has hurt its legs. And there is no way I can heal it by myself. So, the only thing we can do right now is wait for it to wake up so we can take it to Professor Oak's to heal it."

"Besides, with the rain, it seems that we are going to stay here for a while." He continued, before he made way behind the asleep Pokémon and leaned against the wall of the cave. He gingerly took the head of the sleeping Pokémon and placed it on his lap, the heavy head not affecting him that much. Running his hands through the Pokémon's head, he gained a soft mewl from it, making both Ash and Pikachu realize that the injured Pokémon had started healing from its injuries.

A soft smile came upon Ash's face, one that was returned by his starter. "You know bud, it's nice that Suicune is here." As he closed his eyes and leaned towards the wall, he continued, "the last time we saw it when we started our Johto journey. And now that we have seen it once again, it is when I have decided to give my journey another beginning. I can't help but feel that it is somehow a good sign."

Pikachu nodded, before yawning loudly, and nuzzled into his partner's side, letting sleep take him into its warm embrace. Ash smiled, before he too let sleep take over him. However, before he fell asleep, another thought ran through his mind.

'Yes, a new beginning. But this time with the help of all my friends. And family.'

XXXXXXXXX

The shaking of his body brought the young trainer from his sleep. He rubbed his eyes and extended his arms, and was surprised to find his neck and back quite sore. As he opened his eyes, it took him a few moments to get used to the darkness. Feeling an unknown weight on his lap, he looked down, only for his eyes to widen when he saw Suicune's red irises boring into his amber colored ones.

As a whole, the memory of the entire day and the incidents came back to him. Unbidden, a smile came to his face, as one hand started stroking the Legend while his other went to his starter's head, getting a loud 'CHAA' from the Pokémon.

His ministrations seemed to have a good effect on the Aurora Pokémon, as it leaned into his hand. He gave the Pokémon a once over and was delighted to see that most of the electric burns had been healed. However, he was still unsure about the damage that its leg had received.

"Hey Suicune…" he began, getting the Pokémon's attention, "You feeling alright?" Getting a nod in reply, he continued, "I saw that you had an injury in your leg. Is that all right?"

In reply, Suicune tried to get up, but cried out in pain and collapsed as soon as put some pressure on its leg. Before it could fall down however, the trainer quickly caught his head, breaking the fall. He placed the head on his lap, and once again began his ministrations.

'Suicune's leg is injured quite badly if it hasn't healed yet.' He thought, 'I still can't understand how it got injured so badly?' He looked at the Pokémon and smiled when he saw it conversing with Pikachu. 'I cannot simply leave it here. It needs to be healed properly. I would have carried it had it not been so heavy, and it's clear that it cannot walk. As it is, I only see one possible option and I don't think that it's going to like that.'

He cleared his throat, catching the attention of both the Pokémon. "Suicune…" he began, "how did your leg get so injured? I know there are very few Pokémon who are capable of doing that."

Immediately, the Pokémon's demeanor darkened a bit. It spoke in a low growl, and by the expression on Pikachu's face was, it was evident that the answer wasn't good.

Pikachu himself started growling in fury as Suicune described what had happened to it. Pikachu, knowing that his trainer was unable to understand what the Pokémon were talking about, translated as much as possible. Not surprisingly, Ash understood most of what Pikachu was speaking, surprising the Legend as it didn't know any human who was capable of understanding Pokéspeech.

Meanwhile, Ash was infuriated. Pikachu had explained what Suicune had told him, and the trainer was seething on the inside. Apparently, a poacher had caught Suicune in a trap that had most probably broken his ankle. He had further electrified the Legend to such an extent that he was barely able to stand up. Some of the local Pokémon however had helped in creating a distraction long enough for the Legendary to escape. And somehow gathering the rest of its energy, Suicune had caused the rain and hidden itself in the cave.

"Pika pi?" Pikachu asked his trainer, knowing that he despised poachers, having had to deal with the pesky Team Rocket trio for the last nearly six years.

"Don't worry bud." Ash spoke, as he took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "I just cannot believe how despicable some people can be." He then turned towards Suicune. "I would really like to apologize for the mistreatments you had to suffer because of my race Suicune."

The sudden apology caught the Pokémon caught the Pokémon off guard, before it nuzzled into the trainer's face, licking it all the while. Ash pet the Pokémon once more before continuing, "Suicune, if your ankle really is injured then we need to get you healed properly. Now, I know you won't like what I'm about to suggest, but could you please hear me out?"

Curious, as to what the black haired trainer wanted, Suicune nodded, giving Ash the go to continue.

"There is a Pokémon Professor living nearby, going by the name of Samuel Oak. He is one of the leading authorities on Pokémon across the regions and has one of the best facilities in Kanto. I know you don't want to show yourself to humans, but could you please give him a chance? He is the best person that can heal you properly."

Suicune seemed to ponder the question. On the one hand, it would have to show itself to a human. On the other, it knew that the broken ankle was something that wouldn't heal by itself. It then looked towards Ash and made up its mind. Besides, having already met the trainer, it knew that if the young man trusted someone so much, he must be someone special.

It gave a nod, getting a sigh of relief from Ash.

'One step down.' The trainer thought. 'Only one more to go.'

"Thanks Suicune." He spoke, before a frown marred his face. "We have another problem Suicune." Seeing that he had the undivided attention of both Suicune and Pikachu, he continued, "Right now I can see that you are barely able to stand, let alone walk. Moreover, you are somewhat on the heavier side-" Hearing a growl, he stopped mid-sentence and was surprised to find the Pokémon glaring at him, almost challenging him to complete the sentence.

Having already dealt with situations, like that courtesy of an irate Misty and May, he saw the female fury burning deep within the Pokémon. In that moment, whatever doubts he had regarding the Pokémon's vanished in a puff of smoke. Understanding what he had said wrong, he altered his sentence.

"Because you are well built, I cannot carry you over to the Ranch. Besides, if the poacher is still out, he may see us travelling. So, the only think that I can do right now is…" here he took a deep breath before continuing, "to capture you."

Both Pikachu and Suicune stood there, laid there in the case of the Legend, before what Ash had spoken registered in the mind of Suicune and she growled. Loud.

Ash quickly started petting her, trying to diffuse the Pokémon's anger. "Please listed to me Suicune." He almost begged. "Right now this is the only viable option. I promise you that as soon as you are completely healed, I will release you so that you can be on your way. I swear that it is not my intention to capture you. But I only want to see you completely healed."

"Please think. Had I wanted to capture you, I could have done that while you were asleep and there was nothing you could have done. What I am asking of you right now to trust me. I promise, as soon as you are completely healed I will release you."

Suicune's growl subsided as it thought over what Ash had said. She realized that what he said was indeed true as it gave them a huge chance of reaching the facility undetected. And having met the trainer before, she knew that he was a good person. One who would think about his Pokémon's wellbeing before his own. Finally, making up her mind, she took a deep breath before nodding.

Ash brightened in delight at getting the Legend's approval, a sentiment which was shared by Pikachu, who gave a loud shout of "PIKA". Ash quickly unplugged a spare Pokéball from his magnetized belt before enlarging it. Suicune stiffened a bit, prompting Ash to resume the petting her, getting the Pokémon to relax once again in his lap.

"Don't worry Suicune" Ash spoke in a comforting voice, "I swear on my life, that as soon as you are healed I will let you go." As silence ensued in the cave, Ash noticed something else. And if twitching of Pikachu's ears were evident enough, he too had finally noticed it.

Ash smiled and turned towards Pikachu, who himself had a smile on his face. "Finally some good news, isn't there bud?"

"Pikachu." The mouse Pokémon nodded.

Suicune looked at Ash, who focused his attention back on the injured Pokémon. Seeing her somewhat confused expression, he elaborated, "Oh nothing Suicune. I was just telling Pikachu how it seems the rain has subsided. So, we can finally head back to the town. You ready to go?"

Suicune looked conflicted for a moment, before giving a firm nod and touching the center of the already enlarged Pokéball, resulting in getting sucked into the ball in a red beam of light. The Pokéball immediately dinged, indicating a successful capture. This surprised Ash as he had thought that there would some struggle due to the fact that Suicune was apprehensive of getting caught.

"I guess she trusts me a lot to let herself be captured so easily." Ash muttered, before once again turning towards his oldest partner, "Anyways, no need to waste any time. I promised that I would get her healed, and we don't back on our word, do we bud?"

"Pikachu", the rodent Pokémon replied with a shake of his head.

Ash got up, working out the kinks in his body by flexing a bit, before he turned towards the small crevice that brought him into this cave.

"Let's go Pikachu. We need to get Suicune healed and also inform Professor Oak that there might be a Pokémon poacher in this area."

Pikachu jumped and took his customary position as the pair headed out of the cave. Once again, squeezing through the tight crevice, Ash slowly made his way outside. Not a few moments later, he finally took a deep breath as he finally exited the tight crevice.

Both trainer and Pokémon smiled as they saw the scene before them. The black clouds had almost parted, letting sunlight fall from between them, giving the trees and plants surrounding them and unearthly glow. A rainbow had formed across the sky giving it an even more beautiful look.

Ash took a step back towards Pallet Town, however a loud caw, from high above in the sky, caught his and Pikachu's attention. Both looked up and were shocked beyond belief with what they saw. Flying high in the sky was a Pokémon. It was a large bird with a bright red plumage, green-tipped wings and a white underbelly. However, the thing that caught their eyes the most was the tail feathers which, seemed to reflect light in such a way that made it seem as though a rainbow was being emitted from it.

Both of them recognized the Pokémon. It was the first Legendary that they had ever seen. It had appeared whenever they were in a quandary, and seemed to guide them through tough times. Ash and Pikachu's smile widened as they saw Ho-Oh fly over them, as though guiding them once again.

"You know bud…" Ash finally spoke as the figure of Ho-Oh went past the horizon, "I think this was Ho-Oh's way of telling us that what we have decided is right."

"Pikachu." The mouse Pokémon, whose attention was still on the horizon, nodded in reply.

Taking a deep whiff, as the aroma of the forest entered his nostrils, he motioned for Pikachu, who didn't waste a moment before jumping on his partner's shoulder. Taking one look at the near setting sun, he made his way towards Pallet Town, knowing that it was going to be a somewhat long trek.

"Pikachu, keep your eyes and ears open for any human movement, would you? I don't want to encounter the poacher right now before informing Professor Oak about him." He stopped to look at the sun setting in the horizon, "Though there is a good chance that he is not here anymore. Otherwise, he'd have seen Ho-Oh fly overhead. Still, can't help but be careful."

"Pi Pika Pi." Pikachu nodded, agreeing with his trainer on that front.

After half an hour of walk, they reached the outskirts of the town and Ash started walking a little bit faster in the direction of Professor Oak's Laboratory. He had wanted to go meet his mom as well, but right now the well-being of the Legendary was on the front of his mind. Eventually, he saw the familiar windmill, sitting atop the hill that was the starting point of his journey all those years ago.

His pace increased to a near run, as he reached the facility and sprinted up the steps. Ringing the doorbell, he waited for someone, most probably Tracy, to open the door. He was therefore completely shocked to find the visage of Professor Samuel Oak at the door.

Not much had changed in terms of his look through all these years. He still wore the similar khaki cargo pants, with plain colored t-shirts and a large white lab-coat that Ash from his travels knew were almost a trademark for Professors across the regions. Except for the increase in a few number of grey hairs, nothing much had changed in his outward appearance.

Back at the entrance, Oak grabbed Ash by the hem of his collar and quickly pulled him inside, surprising the trainer with the strength in the old man. Pikachu squawked at such sudden force and jumped off his trainer to keep himself from falling. Professor Oak immediately closed the door and locked it, before turning towards Ash with a giddy look on his face.

Ash unconsciously took a step back, along with Pikachu, when he saw the look on the Professor's face.

It was the face of a child.

A child who had been locked in a candy store.

Pikachu and Ash looked at the Professor warily for a few minutes, though to them it felt like hours, before the Professor finally seemed to have lost his cool.

"Well, come on. Aren't you going to show me?" Oak almost shouted in delight.

Both trainer and Pokémon took another step back.

"Um…show you what Professor?" Ash squeaked.

The Pokémon Professor gave the trainer an annoyed look. "Ash, did you forget that I oversee your Pokémon database? And that I get an alert whenever you catch a new Pokémon?"

Realization dawned upon the duo as they understood what, or rather who, the Professor was talking about. They immediately sagged in relief, before looking at the Professor imperiously.

"Professor, do you think we could sit down before I show her to you? You need to first listen what happened with us." Ash spoke seriously.

The look on both Pikachu's and Ash's face showed how serious the matter was. He motioned them to his living room, where he sat on the recliner while Ash took the sofa, Pikachu sitting by his side.

Ash then recounted the events of the entire day, beginning from his defeat at the hands of Gary.

Throughout the dialogue, Oak had a stoic look on his face, though a myriad of emotions ran through his mind. He was annoyed, yet proud, that his grandson had shown Pallet's resident trainer a path that he knew would one day take him to greatness. However, it soon changed to awe when he heard how the boy had encountered another Legendary. The boy was either blessed or cursed to have met so many Legendries throughout his journey. And it hadn't even been six years since he had given the young trainer his Pikachu.

The awe turned to anger when Ash described the state of the Pokémon and how it had reached that state. He stopped Ash in between his accounting.

"Are you telling me that Suicune's ankle is fractured?" he asked.

Ash nodded solemnly, "Most probably. She tried getting up a few times but failed. Any other kind of injury should have healed by that time."

Professor Oak immediately got up and started moving towards the healing area of the facility, Ash and Pikachu behind him. Ash continued recounting the events, and by the time they had reached the room, Ash had finished retelling everything.

Oak ushered Ash and Pikachu into the room. "Ash," he spoke, catching the trainer's attention, "I am going to place a call to Officer Jenny and tell her to be on the lookout for a poacher. Meanwhile, could you get Suicune out on the examination table? It would be better if you get her accustomed to the new environment before I start healing her."

"All right-" he hadn't even finished the reply before Oak left the room in a hurry. "Professor."

Ash turned towards Pikachu, "Professor really was angry at finding out that a poacher was so close to his facility."

Pikachu nodded, his eyes fixed on the door which the Professor had just used.

"Anyways," Ash continued, "its time I get Suicune out."

He gently brought forth the Pokéball containing Suicune and tossed it into the air, something which Pikachu noticed seemed way cooler than his usual dramatic shout. He immediately decided to talk to his trainer about it, though that would have to wait.

The Pokéball opened and the silhouette of Suicune formed on the examination table, the Pokémon appearing moments later. She had a guarded expression on her face as she noticed the unknown surroundings, before her gaze fell on Ash and Pikachu. Both trainer and Pokémon could see her visibly breathe out a sigh of relief. However, she immediately tensed when the unfamiliar to her voice of Professor Oak came from outside the room.

"Ash, I have informed Officer Jenny to be on the lookout for any poacher." He spoke out loud as he entered the room, only to stop short when he saw the Pokémon seated on the table.

Suicune growled as the new human entered the room, its distrust of humans coming forward. She would have blasted the person across the room with one of hers attacks had Ash not stepped in front of him.

"Suicune, please calm down." He pleaded. "He is the Professor I was talking about. He will help you heal properly."

"Pi Pika Pi Pikachu Chu Pika." Pikachu pleaded alongside his trainer.

Suicune mellowed down a bit, letting the Pokémon Professor approach her, alongside Ash and Pikachu. As Ash petted the Pokémon's back, Oak couldn't help but be awestruck by her.

"You truly are a magnificent Pokémon, Suicune." Oak spoke on reverence. "I would like to thank you for trusting Ash enough to let him capture you. I will see to it that you are properly healed. And I have already seen to it that the person who did this to you is properly punished for committing such a heinous act."

Suicune, courtesy of Ash's petting and Oak's words, nodded in acknowledgement. She really was starting to like these humans. Oh she had heard about the younger ones from many of her counterparts. They had told her about the times he had helped them in one way or another. This second human was also starting to get in her good books. She wouldn't completely trust him like she had done with Ash, but she was ready to give him a chance at least.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the Professor began to speak, "All right Ash, I will have to ask you to wait outside while I treat Suicune." Seeing that the young teenager was somewhat apprehensive of leaving the Pokémon alone, he immediately added, "It's not that I don't want you to be in here Ash, but you know that treating Pokémon is a difficult process. And I can't do it with you breathing down my neck. Besides, if you want Pikachu can stay in here with us."

Liking the idea of having at least one face that she trusted near her, Ash turned towards Suicune. "Hey girl," he began softly, "I am sorry I can't stay in here while Professor is treating you. But as he said, it will only hinder if I am here. Besides, Pikachu will stay by your side all the time."

Pikachu nodded his head vigorously, giving his assent to the idea.

"I will be just outside in the Corral, along with the rest of my Pokémon. As soon as Professor will be done with your treatment, I will come and meet you. Is that okay with you?"

Suicune simple nodded in reply, before fixedly staring at the Pokémon Professor.

Understanding that Suicune wanted him to begin the procedure, he ushered Ash out of the room. However, before he could close the door, Ash held his arms in a tight hold.

"Professor, look after her, will you?" He asked in a concerned tone, gaining a soft smile from the Professor.

"Don't worry Ash. I know how to properly treat a Pokémon. Besides, I would never harm her, you know that."

Ash nervously scratched his cheek with his index finger. "Ah! Sorry Professor." He apologized sheepishly, "Didn't want to doubt your skills. Anyways, after you are done with her could you look at Pikachu as well? I don't know if he healed properly after the match with Gary or not."

Oak simply nodded before closing the door, the red light atop the door lighting up, showing that the room was in use.

Ash sighed. He had fulfilled his promise to Suicune. Now, he just had to wait till she was completely healed and then he would let her go free, like she should be. He then focused back to the decision he had taken in the afternoon and decided his next course of action.

He quickly went towards the back of the lab and entered the Corral. It was a beautiful place, with moonlight shining on the green meadow, giving it an iridescent glow. There were a few wild Pokémon and Pokémon caught by other trainers who started from this part of Kanto, though most of them were either asleep or on the cusp of falling asleep.

He made his way further inwards, before finally reaching his destination and saw all the Pokémon he caught on his journey, either sleeping peacefully, playing, or, in some cases, training. He had unforgettable adventures and memories with all of them. Even Tauros, one of his underused Pokémon, had performed magnificently against Drake. The guilt once again racked up his mind as he thought about his mistake. He immediately crushed it, knowing that wallowing in self-guilt was not going to do anything for him.

'It is time for me to rectify my mistakes.' "Hey guys! Over here! I'm here to tell you all something." He shouted, getting the attention of his Pokémon. Those who were awake recognized the voice, and nudged those asleep to get them to wake up.

Ash spotted a dust cloud, closer and closer it came and stopped in front of him. There they were. His friends, his life. Bulbasaur, Kingler, Muk, his 30 Tauros, Snorlax, Heracross, Bayleef, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Noctowl, Donphan, Swellow, Sceptile, Corphish, Torkoal, Aipom and Glalie.

"Guys-", a few shouts of protest "and gals," Ash sweatdropped.

"I have decided to visit another region named Sinnoh." Here, he could visibly see how a few of his Pokémon got sad, most probably due to the fact that he wouldn't spend time with them. He continued nevertheless, "But first I would like to apologize to all of you."

Seeing their confused expression, he took a deep breath and elaborated, "I want to apologize because I know that I haven't been the best trainer-" A massive protest came from the group making Ash smile at the support they showed him. "Thanks Guys, but it's true. It's my duty to train each of you and help you in getting stronger. We're partners, but I haven't been doing my part well. Can you guys forgive me?"

Ash's smile widened when the group collectively responded in a yes. He moved towards a tree nearby, and sat down, his Pokémon surrounding him in various ways. He gently petted Bulbasaur, who was sitting on his lap, while Bayleef huffed at not being the trainer's center of attention. "Thanks everyone. You don't know how much this means to me. Anyways, like I was saying I have decided to visit Sinnoh region next. But the fact is, that I only have four months to get all the required badges and enter the tournament."

"And while I'm confident that with you guys, I can do that easily, it will still be extremely hectic and any Pokémon that I do catch in the region will not be prepared to enter a tournament. Therefore I have decided that, for the next four months, I will stay here in Pallet and train with you guys. And when the time comes to go, I'll take as many of you as possible."

The group sat there, stunned at their trainer's words. However, that surprise soon turned to delight and they all decided to pounce on him in happiness. However, it seemed to be too much for the trainer, who tried desperately to get himself out of the pileup but failed in his endeavor. So, he simply decided to enjoy the feeling of acceptance.

After several minutes, the horde of Pokémon stepped back, quite a few of them with sheepish looks on their faces, letting Ash take breaths as though the air was his only life-sustenance. He yawned, as he felt blissful sleep slowly envelop him. His Pokémon, feeling his drowsiness, simply laid around him and let sleep overtake them.

One final thought ran through Ash's mind, as he laid there surrounded by his friends.

Look out, Sinnoh! Here I come!