Author's Note: As with DNA, I've come back to writing this after several years of silence. Not much has changed with this chapter, just that Cyndaquil is now Quilava, and accidentally having Max in Twin Leaf instead of Littleroot Town...my bad! Everything up to Sinnoh is fair game here; the Best Wishes and beyond are not included. Sorry, but Iris and Cilan just rub me the wrong way.

Ash is 17 and Max is 15, just because I wanted their ages closer. Hope you don't mind!

I actually have a whole universe that comes with this story, which I hope to put focus on when I've got the time.

~Lady Venamisa~

Chapter One: Regions Apart

There comes a point in time when there isn't anything left to win. Eventually, all the challenges a person takes up are met and triumphed over, leaving them with nothing else to achieve. At seventeen years of age, Ash Ketchum had finally reached that milestone in his life. For seven long, wonderful years, he had traveled from region to region in hopes of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Master. After having encounters with every legendary known to man, stopping the evil plots of various, nefarious villains, and winning countless championships, it was said that he had finally gotten there.

The only thing left to do was raise the other Pokémon he captured, but even that left Ash with far too much free time on his hands. His mother suggested that he look for a job, find a place of his own, and settle down, but he refused; there was plenty of time for things like that down the road. Right now, he still wanted the freedom to spend time with his friends, both human and Pokémon.

I can't believe how different things are now! Ash thought, as Bayleaf dodged Quilava's Flamethrower and countered with a powerful Razor Leaf that sent the shrew flying.

"That's the way, Bayleaf!" he praised, smiling encouragingly at them both. "Quilava, don't give up yet! Come at her with everything you got!"

"Bay Bay!" the dinosaur nearly squealed, staring at Ash with adoration in her eyes. Quilava used this chance to come at her with a powerful Fire Spin. In turn, Bayleaf snapped out of her daze and came at him with Zen Headbutt. Ash watched his Pokémon dueled, but was unable to pay attention; his thoughts kept going back to his friends.

From their last conversation, Ash found out that Misty was still at the gym in Cerulean, battling all sorts of trainers and putting on shows with both her sisters and Pokémon. She had called about a month ago, and only stayed on for a few minutes; the trainers were getting anxious, and one of the older boys pushed a girl in the pool. Undoubtedly, her free time was limited, considering the recent influx of trainers from other regions. There were also rumors flying around that a certain gym leader from Celadon stopped by on occasion, and that the two of them were currently an item. Ash smirked, remembering the squeak in Misty's voice when she denied such claims. Yes, she was definitely a busy person..

Most notably, Gary and Tracy were becoming important researchers in their own right, (together, they were second only to Professor Oak). The duo were currently working with Blaine, Professor Ivy, Professor Hastings, Celio and Bill to solve a crisis that involved fossilized Pokémon that were recently resurrected. From what Oak had explained, quite a few of them seemed to be catching the a new strain of the dreaded Pokémon virus, Poke'rus. So far, it was contained to small areas around tropical regions; places like the Sevii and Orange Islands, for example. From what Gary wrote in his last letter, it was apparent that they were on the verge of a breakthrough.

Meanwhile, Brock had finally decided to go after his goal of being a top breeder; he was currently somewhere in the Johto Region, competing in a series of contests, in hopes of entering Johto's "Next Top Pokémon Breeder" competition, which was being held in Blackthorn City next year. The winner would win forty-five million poke' to fund their business, and a deal with the Contest Channel for a TV series. Brock's last phone call was from Goldenrod, where he was currently working with the infamous "Haircut Brothers" in order to perfect his skills.

As for Dawn, she was currently working toward her goal of becoming a top coordinator in Hoenn; so far, she has won a total of three festivals, and had taken to traveling with Zoey and Paul, of all people. When Ash had first heard of this, it had thrown him for a loop. After all, Paul was his most hated rival. The man had openly abused his Chimchar, for crying out loud! Apparently, there was something in the lavender-haired trainer that only Dawn could see. Whatever it was, it had to be something recent; she had hated Paul almost as much as he did back then.

May, however, had decided to make the jump from a coordinator to a full-fledged trainer; she was currently wondering around Sinnoh, working her way toward competing in her first league. When asked about what caused this change, she simply stated that she wanted a change of pace. This, of course, was understandable; So far, she had won a total of seven festival cups, and had a nearly endless collection of ribbons from countless contests. In her last call, she proudly claimed to have six badges.

Thinking of May also reminded him of her little brother, Max. In the last five years, he had only called a few times, but never really stayed on for long. Ash assumed that, like Misty, he was just too busy. Wherever he was, the kid was probably enjoying his freedom and focusing on raising his Pokémon.

I wonder how he's doing... he thought, smiling faintly.

"Ash, it's time for dinner!" Delia called out, interrupting his thoughts.

"Okay mom! I'm almost finished!" he shouted back, caught completely off guard. Was it really that time already?

"Pika?" the mouse inquired, tilting his head to the side. Ash knelt down and scratched behind his ears, which, in turn, caused Pikachu to squeal in delight.

"Wow, you two really messed up the back yard!" Ash said, with a pang of horror; both his mother and Mimey were going to be furious! Out of the three trees planted, only one of them had remained unharmed: the other two had been cut down by Bayleaf's powerful Razor Leaf attacks. There were also patches of burnt grass across the yard, and the flower garden had been completely trampled upon. To make matters worse, the side of the house had been hit with some sort of fire attack; it would take ages to repaint!

Sighing heavily, Ash returned Bayleaf and Quilava to their poke balls, and entered the kitchen through the back door. Once inside, a heavenly aroma caused his mouth water and his stomach growl; his mom was making her infamous onion-garlic meatloaf.

"Dinner smells great, mom!" Ash said, as Delia removed the meatloaf from the oven.

"Thanks, dear!" she said, smiling sweetly. "Oh, do you think you could set the table for me?"

"Sure, no problem!" he beamed, relieved that she didn't seem to notice what had happened to the back yard.

"Make sure to set an extra place! Sammy-dear is going to eat with us tonight!" Ash snorted at his mother's cutesy name for Professor Oak, but did as he was told.

"Mime, Mime, Mr. Mime~!" Mimey said in a sing-song voice, as he put a bowl of mashed potatoes on the table. It wasn't long before the table was set, and everything looked perfect.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried excitedly, as he darted around the room with a bottle almost as big as himself.

"Um, why is Pikachu running with the ketchup?" Ash's mother inquired, sharing a bewildered glance with Mimey. Ash laughed at Pikachu's silly antics, as he explained the mouse's unhealthy obsession with the condiment. It wasn't long before they were laughing too.

"Yeah, that's Pikachu for ya!" he finished, as Pikachu cuddled with the ketchup bottle under the table. The doorbell rang, and Delia blushed.

"Oh goodness, he's here already!" She did a quick check of her hair, makeup and breath before nearly sprinting to answer the door. Ash and Pikachu watched them from the kitchen with great interest.

"Delia, you look absolutely beautiful!" he complimented, beaming at her.

"And you're rather dashing in that lab coat," she replied, with a flirty, playful tone. "You know I just love a man in uniform!" Oak giggled sheepishly, as the color rose to his cheeks.

"Hey, lovebirds, are you going to stand there all night, or are we gonna eat?" Ash teased, smirking at them. The two of them made their way to the kitchen, giggling like children along the way. With everyone in good spirits, dinner was an enjoyable affair. The three of them talked about Gary and Tracy, and their work in the Sevii Island and Oak made several corny jokes; all of which Delia laughed at. After dinner, she served a delicious Figgy Berry cheesecake; it was so good that Pikachu put down the ketchup and gobbled down three pieces of it.

"My, what an excellent cook you are!" Oak said, patting his stomach. "That was the best meal I ever had!" Delia blushed and looked at him with bright, happy eyes. "I am one lucky man." The two of them gazed lovingly in to each other's eyes.

"No, I'm the lucky one." she stated, her tone soft and airy. "You're the sweetest guy in the world, Sammy!" Oak took Delia's hand, and gazed at her with bright, warm eyes. In a matter of seconds, it dawned on Ash that this was one of those moments where they needed to be alone. Grinning from ear to ear, he excused himself from the table. Pikachu took the hint and followed as well.

I think you're both pretty lucky. he thought, as he walked up the stairs to his bedroom. In the past seven years, this was the only part of the house that had really changed. As a kid, he used to have tons of Pokémon posters plastered on his walls; bedsheets with little Poké Balls on them, and a few pictures of his parents sitting on top of his dresser, which had been in the shape of a Charmander. Hell, he had even collected action figures of Pokémon like Rhydon, Bulbasaur and Pidgey. Basically, his room would have put even the biggest Pokémaniac to shame. As he matured, the room slowly matured with him. The walls were white, clean and devoid of any posters; the bed simply had blue, cotton sheets, and the dresser looked like any ordinary dresser. The pictures which had resided on top were moved to a scrapbook that his mom had taken the time to make. In fact, the only signs that a Pokémon trainer owned this room were the six trophies placed inside a glass case, as well as a large array of badges.

"We've been through a lot, eh, Pikachu?" Ash asked, not even noticing that the rodent was already fast asleep at the foot of his bed. Smiling fondly, he opened the case, and took out the frame that held his seven Frontier Symbols. Out of all the challenges he had taken, nothing had been as challenging as earning each and every one of them. With every new Frontier Brain, there was always a higher challenge. Each one was far more difficult then the last, which made victory that much sweeter. He assumed that was the reason why his time traveling Kanto with Brock, Max and May had been the highlight of his adventures. After all, Ash practically lived off the excitement from a good battle. All of the training and journeying were just the minor events that led up to each new, exciting fight. Even events in Sinnoh paled in comparison. Gym battles were tough, but not anywhere near what he had been used to in the past. And while Dawn was a good friend, he couldn't help but feel that something had been missing back then. As to what it was, he couldn't say. Still, it sat there inside him, small and unbidden.

Looking out from his bedroom window, Ash watched as a shooting star darted past. And though he wouldn't admit it, the trainer did harbor a secret wish...finding something meaningful in his life.

Meanwhile, many miles away, in the region of Hoenn, a teenage boy layed in his bed, staring furiously at a note. For the second time this evening, he re-read the hasty chicken scratch.

Dear Max,

Sweetheart, I know your father and I promised to be here to welcome you home, but something important came up. See, May called your father a couple days ago and asked if he could give her some extra guidance. Did you know that she's getting ready for her seventh badge in Sinnoh? We were just so proud that we had to go pay her a visit! Isn't this great? She's become such a little champion! Your father and I feel bad for leaving you, but we just got lost in the moment, you know? I promise to make it up to you when we get home, okay? We can't wait to hear all about your adventures!

Love always,

Mom

P.S. We left you plenty of money to use while we're gone. Stay as long as you like; your father and I have no idea when we're going to come back.

P.P.S: The Festival of Titans is next week, so why don't you use the money to spend it with one of your little friends? Love you!

Max took the note and crumpled it up in to a little ball. Yes, it was great to hear that his sister was going to get her fifteenth badge, (she already had eight from the gym leaders here), but it didn't make the hurt at being left behind go away. Why hadn't they waited for him? They knew that he would have been more than happy to watch her battle for the first time! The fact that this sort of thing almost always happened didn't make it any easier, ether. If anything, it only pissed him off even more. He understood how special and important May was, but wasn't he just as every bit so? Didn't it matter that he had become the youngest champion that Hoenn had ever seen? Or what about just a month ago, when Max had told them about winning third place in Johto's Pokémon League? It seemed like no matter what he did, or how much he achieved, that May was their favorite child. In the back of his mind, he always knew, but this was the first time he admitted it to himself. A sudden knock at the door brought the trainer back to his senses. Sitting up straight, he smiled for a brief moment, thinking that his parents might have come back.

"Come in!" he said hopefully. His smile drooped when a Gallade and Gardevoir entered instead. "Oh, hello, guys. Do you need something?"

Sorry for the intrusion, mi'lord. Gallade apologized before bowing like a proper gentleman. But Lady Gwen sensed that something was troubling you. Being your Pokémon, it is our duty to make sure that you are well.

Lancelot, would you just act normal for once? The Gardevoir said, letting out an exasperated sigh. You just make things more complicated when you go all 'noble knight' on us! She gazed meaningfully at her trainer. Max, what's wrong? I've never felt you this sad before.

Max shifted his gaze over to the wall in front of him, unable to meet their crimson eyes. Somehow, over the years, he had become able to talk with them via telepathy. It definitely had its advantages in battle, but sometimes they had to know why he was feeling one thing or another. The only reason he tolerated it was because they seemed to care more then his parents did at times like this.

"I-its nothing." he lied, still refusing to look in their direction. "I'm just a bit tired, that's all."

Lancelot, why don't you check on Severus and Zan? I have a feeling they're going to be fighting again soon. Gwen suggested, her mental voice sweet and light. Sure enough, there was a loud crash coming from the living room.

"ZANGOOSE!" Zan snarled.

"SEVIPER!" Severus hissed menacingly. Looking back on it, perhaps using both a Zangoose and Seviper in the same party wasn't the smartest choice

I will stop these foolish ruffians! Lancelot declared, rushing out of the room. "Gallade!" he shouted, using his real voice. Gwen and Max listened intently, until the fighting stopped.

You know, you're a good friend to have, Max. she said, smiling warmly at him, before sitting beside him.. You're knowledgeable, compassionate and an overall genius when it comes to battles. Best of all, you have a big heart, with nothing but love to give. Max let her compliments wash over him, not really listening. "You know, one day-"

"Not to be rude, but it's late, Gwen." he interrupted sullenly. "Could I be alone for a while?" Gwen looked hurt at his dismissal of her, but nodded her head in understanding. Wordlessly, she got up, and moved toward the door. Just before opening it, she beamed at him.

"Have sweet dreams, Max." she said warmly. Before he could reply, there came another crash from the living room.

"ZANGOOOSE!" Zan snarled, followed by a loud ripping sound.

"SEVIPER!" Severus growled ferociously, followed by the unmistakable sound of breaking glass.

"Gallade! Gal!" Lancelot shouted, before an almost ear-breaking Screech attack. Sighing wistfully, Gwen rolled her eyes.

"I should have KNOWN that Lancelot wouldn't be able to handle them on his own..." And with that, she stormed off, shouting in her real voice along the way. Thus, leaving Max to his own devices. Thinking of just going to bed, Max walked over to his dresser and pulled out his favorite, blue silk pajamas. While undressing, he happened to gaze over at the scrapbook on his desk. It didn't look like much on the outside, really; just a dark green scrapbook, with no wording or decorations on the front. Originally, it was going to be May's, but once May got her new cellphone, she discovered that it could hold an almost infinate amount of pictures. Not wanting it to go to waste, Max took it for himself, and decided to fill it with memories of all his adventures. A smile spread across his face as he flipped the book open to its first page. The first thing he saw were pictures of him with the people and Pokémon he met while on his latest travels in Johto. One photo had him standing with four others; two pre-teen sisters with blond hair that were alike in every way, (Cassie and Nadine); a Native American male in his late 20's, (Maka) and his nine year old son, (Helki). Max smiled, recalling many wonderful adventures with them.

After flipping through five pages, he came across the pictures of them during his journey through Sinnoh. His gaze lingered on the picture of the five of them standing in front of Sinnoh's Pokémon League. In the photo, Nadine and Cassie were on ether side of Max, with their usual flirty winks. Behind them stood Maka, grinning slightly. In front of them all was little Helki, beaming innocently as always. Three days before the photo was taken, they had all attempted to win at the League in their respective groups, (Cassie and Nadine in one group, Maka, with Helki cheering him on, and Max by himself). As they got closer and closer to the finals, they grew to respect and admire each other's fighting styles. After the second night of competitions, they all met at the Pokémon center, and swapped stories. Friendships were quickly formed, and after the final round between Maka and Nadine, (Max and Cassie's semi-final fight ended in a draw), they quickly decided to travel together.

There were very few pictures of his travels through Hoenn as an official trainer, but there were pictures of his days with May, Brock and Ash. May had taken it upon herself to take as many pictures as possible, and gave copies to Max. At the time, the yet-to-be trainer was embarrassed, but now he was glad she had. Max looked over each picture, and remembered each moment in which the shots were taken. Some of them had to do with May's contests, but there were quite a few involving Ash's battles, and some of them just relaxing. The one picture that caught Max's eye was the one of him hugging Ash. It had been out of sheer and unthinking gratitude, of course...

Flashback...

It was the day before they headed off to Kanto for Pokémon contests and the Frontier Challenge. Max had been hiding behind the Pokémon center, sulking about not being a proper trainer. It wasn't fair that May, Ash and even Brock got to carry Pokémon around! Not having his own Pokémon also made him feel pathetic, bitter and jealous, all at once. Even to this day, Max couldn't figure out why it hit him in that moment. Perhaps it had something to do with not having anything to face like they did. Whatever it was, all he knew was that he couldn't stand another moment of it. About an hour or so later, Ash came looking for him, concern brimming in those brown eyes of his.

"Hey Max, is everything okay?" Ash asked. Max pouted and turned away.

"Why should you care?" he muttered in a sulky voice. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for the Battle Frontier?" There was a moment of silence between them, before he felt Ash's hand touch his shoulder in encouragement.

"Max..." he trailed off, somewhat sadly. "Is that why you stopped talking to me today?" Max refused to look at his friend, feeling slightly embarrassed. Apparently, Ash took his silence as a yes, and moved so that the two were facing each other. "Look, you're going to be an amazing trainer someday, I can feel it!" Ash assured him. "You're a lot smarter now then I was when I started, and you seem to have this amazing connection with Pokémon. First that Ralts, and then Jirachi..." he paused, causing Max to look up at Ash's face.

For the first time, Max really appreciated the sense of confidence that the older trainer exuded. What made it even more noticeable was that the confidence was placed in him."Trust me, Max! You are going to be one of the best someday, guaranteed!" Blushing with embarrassment at the sudden praise, Max adverted his gaze. Grinning from ear to ear, Ash reached in his pocket, and handed Max a friendship ball. "I got this a long time ago when I went to Johto." he explained, almost as though he were remembering the event in his head. "Now I want you to have it, and use it on that Ralts someday!"

Max took the friendship ball in his hands, feeling a surge of emotion. This item obviously meant something to Ash if he hadn't used it yet. To think that he would give something so valuable away, just to cheer him up...it was too much. His words of thanks wouldn't come out; it was as though his throat had been glued shut. Instead, Max's body moved on its own accord, resulting in a sort of tackle-hug that wound up with him on top of Ash. Needless to say, the moment was awkward, and was only made worse when May and Brock made their way over, laughing.

"Awww how cute!" May gushed, as she took several snapshots. Feeling completely humiliated, Max got up off of Ash, and stole May's camera. "Hey, come back here with my camera!" she yelled, chasing after him. Max's blush had lasted for a good long while, but nobody really commented on it. Though, at dinner, he had the impression that Ash had been staring at him now and then...

End Flashback...

It was midnight before Max grew too weary to look at the scrapbook anymore. Putting it on the floor, he turned off the lights and crawled in to bed. For a while, he attempted sleep, but the trip down memory lane left him feeling uneasy and alone. Once again, he was reminded of how little his parents seemed to care, and how lonely he felt inside. Finally, the urge to talk to someone became unbearable. He reached for his cellphone, and scrolled down the list of people to call.

Maka? Max considered it for a moment, decided against it.

Nadine and Cassie? Nah! Those two would tease me...

Mom and dad? Hell no! They're too busy with May! Which led him to turn down his next person. "Ha! she's too busy training!" he whispered, spitting out the last word like it was poisonous.

After his family came Brock and Misty...but neither of them seemed like someone he could talk to...That left one more person on his phone...

Ash Ketchum...

As always since that day, the mention of Ash's name made him feel the tiniest bit of excitement. Was it because Ash was now a famous League Master? No, not really. Even before the trainer from Pallet became so well-known, there had always been something special about him. Unlike most trainers, Ash was the epitome of confidence and enthusiasm; his love of Pokémon and battling was unmatched thus far. There was something more, something else that made Max feel alive,just by thinking about all those adventures that they took part in.

Even though he couldn't seem to speak the words out loud, the trainer from Littleroot had made Ash his standard of training. What would Ash do in a battle? How would he raise his Pokémon? Eventually, it became second nature, and the questions no longer needed to be asked. In time, Max took Ash's style, and made it his own. For a moment, Max's finger lingered on the SEND button, when a horrible thought occurred. He hadn't spoken with Ash in such a long time...how weird would it seem if he suddenly bombarded the guy with his problems. Surely, Ash would try to help, but still...it just wasn't right. Sighing to himself, the trainer put his cellphone back and prepared for a night of uneasy sleep...