Author's Note: Welcome to the third story in the Pokemon NG storyline! Me and my co-author, XashXdawnX, hope that you enjoy the continuing adventures of Adam Ketchum and his friends, especially if you read and enjoyed the first two stories.

Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based story. Neither my co-author nor I own Pokemon. All rights are reserved to their own respective owners, which include Nintendo, Game Freak, and Satoshi Tajiri.

I laid on my bed, home in Pallet Town. A few months had passed since my Johto journey had come to an end and I had recently turned twelve years old.

My name is Adam Ketchum, son of Ash and Dawn Ketchum. After finishing my Johto journey with my friends Jason Oak and Michelle Waterflower, Michelle and I had taken a trip to the city of Altomare to relax, along with my dad and her mom.

However, after two journeys with Michelle (across Kanto and Johto), our experiences brought us closer together and my feelings for her changed as I saw the amazing, wonderful person that she was. I no longer saw her as just a friend, but as something even more than that.

I gave her some time to think things over after I poured my heart out to her, and finally, she gave me her answer there in Altomare. But...she said that she only thought of me as a very close friend or like a brother. That was the last time that I'd ever seen her, since we went our separate ways afterwards.

Ever since I had returned home from Altomare, I wasn't myself. I was depressed and in pain from Michelle's rejection. I had barely left my house or talked to anyone since I had returned to Pallet Town. Not even Pikachu was able to lift my mood and he had tried his hardest, even going as far as to steal a bottle of my dad's Pikachu's ketchup in attempt to get me to laugh. I was suffering from heartbreak and rejection, which gave me a new kind of sadness that I had never felt in my life.

I looked up as I heard my bedroom door open. I saw my parents standing there with concerned looks on their faces.

"Come with us. We need to talk." said my mom.

I followed my parents downstairs and into the living room where my cousin Brittany was. She had wanted to spend some time with us, so she had been staying with us for the past week. I sat down on one of the chairs and looked at my parents, waiting for them to speak.

My mom wore a pink t-shirt, blue skinny jeans, and pink flats.

My dad wore his Sinnoh hat, blue jeans, and a plain black tee under a red hoodie.

Brittany wore a black tank top, a lavender skirt, and lavender knee-high boots. She was nine years old and had grown up so much in the short time that I had known her.

"Adam, we've mostly left you alone, letting you deal with your grief on your own, since this is another life lesson that you have to learn. But it's been a few months now, and you're still not feeling any better. It's time for you to talk to us about everything." my mom said softly.

"I understand how you're feeling, Adam. I had lots of girls who admired me throughout my journeys, and who I was close to. And many women still admire me to this day, even though I'm married. But once I fell in love with your mother, I knew that I'd have to disappoint them all. I know that you're hurting. There's nothing worse than opening up your feelings to someone and being vulnerable like that, only to discover that the person doesn't feel the same way. Recovering from that is very difficult." my dad said.

"But Adam, your father didn't end up falling for Misty, the first girl that he traveled with. So this just proves that you should be patient and wait, sweetie. You're still young and there are plenty of Magikarps in the sea, so to speak. You have a lot of journeys ahead of you and plenty of other girls that you'll inevitably meet along the way. So like with your father, maybe Michelle not returning your feelings is just a sign that there's someone even better for you that's still out there, just waiting to meet you. After all, it took your father until his Sinnoh journey to meet me." my mom added.

"Still, I'm proud of you for being able to fully understand what love feels like at such a young age, Adam. I never understood it until I was much older." my dad finished.

Brittany looked at us, confused. It was clear that she didn't fully understand what we were talking about. "I don't think I understand. Did Adam and Michelle have a fight or something? Why doesn't she love him? Everybody loves Adam! He's a great cousin to me and he's nice to everyone!"

My mom tried to explain in a way that Brittany would understand. "Yes, that 's right, Brittany. But this 'love' that we're talking about is different. This is the kind of love that I have for Ash, which is different from the love that I have for Adam and you. It's like how your dad's love is different to you than it was to your mother. Sometimes love goes beyond friendship and that's the kind of love that Adam had for Michelle. One day, you'll have that kind of love for someone, too. Right now, Adam is hurt because he had his first love, but Michelle didn't feel the same way."

Brittany nodded her head, having a better understanding.

My dad then handed me a letter, saying, "This came in the mail today. It's from Michelle."

I opened the letter and inside, I found a photograph of Michelle, Misty, and Ross in a group photo with Misty's three sisters and their families. Michelle was smiling brightly and she looked happier than I had ever seen her before. Along with the photo was a letter addressed to me.

Dear Adam,

I hope that you're feeling okay after we last met in Altomare. It took me some time, but I managed to recover. My recent family reunion, which you see in the photo, was a big part of that. The entire Waterflower family was together for the first time and I met my mom's sisters' families. After having only my mom in my life for so many years, it was great to see just how big my family has gotten!

Ross has really fit into our home and into our lives. He helps my mom run her gym, keeping everything clean, and caring for the Pokemon. This gives her more time to focus on her battles and lightens her workload so that she's not as stressed or as tired every day. Plus, it gives her more free time to spend with Ross and I.

My mom's seemed a lot happier since Ross came into her life and I don't mean that just because she's less tired every day, thanks to him helping with her work. It always seemed like a piece of my mom's heart was missing for as long as I could remember. But now I understand that it was because she had nobody to share her life with. I can tell that the deep connection that they have is genuine because he treats her with a lot of love, care, and respect.

I've been a lot happier since he came into my life, too. Ross is like the dad that I never had! He seems just as interested in me as he is in my mom, since he usually includes me if he wants to spend some quality time together. I like that he's inclusive, since it proves that he wants to have a strong relationship with me too, just like a real dad would!

Anyway, I hope that you get back out there and continue your quest to become a Pokemon Master…if you haven't started another journey already, that is. I'll be watching you battle in whatever Pokemon League tournament you choose next and I'll be rooting for you, all the way to victory! I know for sure that you can do it, Adam Ketchum!

Your friend,

Michelle

P.S. If you see Amber or Ashlyn in your travels, tell them that I said hi!

As I finished reading the letter, I felt something inside me change. I felt the depression that I had been feeling for so long leave me as I realized what Michelle's final words in the letter meant. I stood up and faced my family with a grin on my face.

"From the look on your face, I'd say you're feeling a lot better after reading that letter." my mom commented.

"Yes. Michelle reminded me of something that I'd forgotten. As my closest and most supportive friend, she wouldn't want me to just sit around and feel sorry for myself like I've been doing since Altomare. She'd want me to get back out there and keep striving to achieve my goal! By wallowing in my own self-pity, I'm not just wasting my time, but I'm letting down everyone who wants me to succeed, including her; the most important friend in my life. I care about her too much to let her down like that!"

"So what do you plan to do now, Adam?" my dad asked, seeing that familiar determined look come back in my eyes.

"I'm going to start a new journey tomorrow with Jason. We're going to head to Hoenn, the next region you traveled through when you were young, Dad."

"Glad to see you're back to your regular self." my mom said with a smile.

"Go and tell Jason, so that he knows your plans." my dad added.

I nodded my head and hurried out of my house and next door to Jason's house. I barged in and found Jason on the couch, reading a book on Grass Pokemon. Ever since coming back to Pallet Town, Jason had been helping his dad out at the lab and studying Pokemon, just like he had done after our Kanto journey.

Jason looked up at me and saw my expression. He smiled and said, "Glad to see that the old Adam is back. It's about time things went back to normal for you. Where are we going next?"

"I'm heading to Hoenn tomorrow. Are you in?" I asked.

"You didn't even need to ask. Of course I'm coming! I'm not about to let you get a head start in your training and leave me behind. What kind of rival is that?"

"Since it's a new journey to a new region, we should get something new to wear. Our old clothes have been through a lot."

Jason nodded his head in agreement.

The next morning, Jason, our parents, Brittany, and myself were standing together in the field behind the lab with our Pokemon gathered in front of us.

I was now wearing a red hoodie with a Pokeball design on it, black cargo pants, and red and black sneakers. I had added red fingerless gloves and my dad's Hoenn hat to complete my look.

Jason now wore a black tee with a green hoodie over it, which he had halfway zipped, blue jeans, and black boots.

Leaf, who is Jason's mom, was wearing a green tank top with a white knee-length skirt. Her shoes had been discarded, since she usually preferred being barefooted while standing in grass instead of wearing shoes. It must've been a habit due to her love of Grass Pokemon.

Gary wore a pair of tan pants with a black shirt and a white lab coat.

"So we're going to Hoenn. I can't take you all, but if you stay here, you'll get to come to me whenever I need you in Hoenn, whenever I need to change my team." I said to my Pokemon.

I decided to bring Pidgeot, Rhydon, and Pikachu. Jason chose Machamp and Typhlosion. As we returned our Pokemon and Pikachu hopped onto my shoulder, Brittany said my name.

"Um...Adam?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll be turning ten next year and beginning my Pokemon journey. I wanted to ask if I could…" She trailed off and a look of uncertainty appeared in her eyes and on her face.

"Would you like to join me on my next journey, Brittany?" I asked, finishing what I knew she wanted to ask me.

She smiled brightly and hugged me. "I'd be happy to join you, Adam! I just wasn't sure if you'd want a new trainer like me to join an experienced one like you. I wouldn't want to slow you down."

"Brittany, you're my cousin. You'd never be a burden to your family, who love you." I reassured her as I released her from her hug. "Also, don't forget that my mom was just starting on her journey when she met my dad, and he didn't mind having her travel with him."

"Be careful and have fun." my mom said, hugging me and kissing my head.

"And if you two see Team Rocket, please tell me, when you get the chance. They're still out there somewhere, planing their next scheme." my dad said.

"Give me a call whenever you need your Pokemon team changed." said Gary.

"Be safe, both of you." Leaf said, hugging Jason.

With a final goodbye to our parents and Brittany, we walked off, hoping to catch a boat to Hoenn.

Normal POV

Meanwhile, in Petalburg City in Hoenn, two sisters were walking out of the city en route to Littleroot Town to get their first Pokemon from the lab.

The older of the two was eleven years old. She had mint green hair that was styled in a bob with bangs. A fake red rose was tucked behind her ear. Her emerald green eyes were focused on the path ahead of her. She wore a pair of black skinny jeans with an open purple midriff jacket over a green tank top, and purple sneakers.

The younger of the two girls was ten years old. She had blue eyes and brown hair that reached just past her shoulders, which was pulled into a low ponytail. She wore a sleeveless top that was yellow with a white collar (which was identical to the orange top that her mom had worn on her own Pokemon journey), white biker shorts, and yellow and black sneakers. She also had a black fanny pack around her waist and white fingerless gloves.

"I'm picking my Pokemon first, so don't get any ideas." the older sister said confidently.

"That's fine with me." the younger sister replied with a smirk. Secretly, she was planning to choose the Pokemon that would have the type advantage over her sister's Pokemon.

"Maybe during your Pokemon journey, you'll meet a cute boy that you like. After all, that's how Mom and Dad met." the older girl teased.

The younger girl blushed and stuttered out a reply. "M-Maybe I will. I would have beaten you to the punch with something and found a cu-cute boy that you wouldn't be able to have."

Author's Note: Adam and Jason are on their way to Hoenn to begin a new journey together, after a letter from Michelle is able to get Adam out of his depressed state. Meanwhile, two sisters in Hoenn are ready to begin their first Pokemon journeys.

What will Adam and Jason face on this journey? Who will they meet along the way? What challenges, dangers, and Pokemon await them in Hoenn? And who are these two sisters whose paths will inevitably cross with the boys'?

Find out as the new adventure begins in the next chapter of Pokemon NG!