A/N: Welcome to the Holy Kantan Empire. There are a few things you should know about this world before you proceed.

This is a Pokemon/Ancient Rome AU. For Roman flavor, I've modified names. I think it's still pretty obvious who is who. If you know how to pronounce Spartacus, Ulysses, etc, you're good to go.

Pokemon are called "Glademon," and they are bred, bought, and sold, not caught. Each Glademon is unique, so there are regular animals in this world besides Glademon. Also, all Glademon are large. There are still size differences, like Onix is the biggest, but Pikachu is about 4 feet tall.

Lastly, all the kids are fully grown in this fic. Ash and Misty are about 20.

I'll try to stay out of your hair and let you just enjoy the story. I've worked really hard on it. If you're a history buff or master of Roman names and culture, I did minimal research and it's all fiction so please just enjoy the story haha. I was inspired by reading classic epics, mythology, and Spartacus.

I used the anime as an outline, but my versions of the characters are pretty different.

Ashus Ketchumo touched the torch to the funeral pyre. Smoke seared his tear-stained face. Silently, he stood beside Mistermimes, and they bowed their heads in reverence of his late mother.

They were officially alone now. Ashus had been just a baby when his father, the great Glademon trainer Pyrus Ketchumo had died in battle. Ashus had no memory of him, but he had heard legends in passing while he ran errands for his mother in the Palletus market with Mistermimes. His mother had attempted to shelter Ashus from the stories for fear that her son would desire to follow in his father's footsteps and meet the same fate. Her efforts had been in vain. That desire to bond with Glademon through battle was hard wired into the Ketchumo blood.

Pyrus's funeral had been a lavish affair attended by the who's-who of the Kanto Glademon circuit. His mother's was a small town affair attended only by the locals. There was one notable attendee, the Professor. The Professor of Palletus was Kanto's premiere breeder of Glademon. His creatures were the most sought-after and the most expensive.

When the blazing pyre had turned to mere embers, the Professor placed his hand on Ashus's shoulder. "If there's anything I can do for you, young man, don't hesitate to knock on my door," he said.

"Thank you," said Ashus. "Of course, I will always have Mistermimes here."

"One of my finest specimens, for sure," said the Professor. "Let me know if you ever think of taking him out to the arenas."

Ashus laughed. "Mistermimes has become rather accustomed to the domestic life, I'm afraid. His lust for battle died with my father."

The Professor sighed. "It's often the case, I'm afraid. But what of you? You must be in search of a wife now that your mother has passed, or are you going to take up the womanly duties of the house?"

"If you know of a suitable woman, do please introduce us," Ashus laughed again. It was the second time he'd laughed since his mother's passing.

"I'm afraid not, my boy," said the Professor. "My house hosts only Glademon."

"Well," said Ashus, "that might suffice as well."

Professor raised an eyebrow. "There the Ketchumo blood rises to a boil. You are, then, inclined to follow in your father's footsteps?"

Ashus chose his words carefully. "Inclined, yes. I would say I am very much inclined."

The Professor's eyes gleamed. "I'm auctioning three exciting specimens tomorrow at 3:00. Feel free to take a look. No pressure to buy, just get an idea of what you may be looking for, if you do decide to travel that path. And it is a dangerous path, Ashus, not for the faint of heart."

Ashus nodded solemnly, thanked the Professor, and returned to his empty home. He lit a small fire and burned a stick of incense in offering to the patron gods of Kanto: Zapdo, the Creator; Moltreus, the Sustainer; Articuno, the Undertaker; and Mewa, the mind and soul. Mistermimes sat behind him watching silently. Ashus knew that the Glademon fighters of today were mere shades of the gods of the past, mankind's vain attempt at wielding divine power.

Ashus knelt before the altar and prayed. "I come humbled before you," Ashus began, "the last of the house of Ketchumo, with a heavy and bewildered heart. My mother, Embria, now resides in the Underworld. As a child she forbade me from attending the Glademon battles and began to school me in the fine art of making wine. An honest trade, and I would do well to honor her memory and grow this empire of fermented grapes. And yet...I feel another stirring in my heart. As dominus [master] of this house I now have full rights to the wealth my father had accumulated, and I fear I may do something very, very reckless with this money. Articuno, Zapdo, Moltreus, Mewa...grant me strength that I may not dishonor my mother's memory and her wishes by throwing away the family's savings on the fleeting joy of battling Glademon. Grant me wisdom in leading this house to a bright future. Grant me a wife and children to fill these halls with laughter."

Mistermimes had breakfast ready in the morning. Ashus arose with a bittersweet smile on his face, slipped on a tunic, and ambled to the kitchen. "It's almost as if Mother hasn't left," Ashus said, accepting a plate of food.

"Mimes," said Mistermimes. Ashus tried to ignore that Mistermimes had set out a second plate of food, untouched, clearly meant for Embria.

After breakfast, Ashus accompanied the field slaves in the vineyard. He wandered absent-mindedly to the far end of the vineyard when he heard a faraway voice call above him: "Ashus."

Ashus raised his head and saw a massive bird leaving a rainbow in its wake. Ashus shielded his eyes and studied the bird. The bird was red with a white breast and had an impressive yellow plume. It looked down and stared directly at Ashus and squawked, "Ashus."

Ashus fell to his knees. It was Ho-us, the guardian of the skies. Ashus fell into a daze. A golden speck light descended onto Ashus, and Ho-us's voice filled his brain:
"Be the very best like no one ever was."

Ashus blinked, and Ho-us, and the rainbow, were gone. Heart pounding, Ashus sprang to his feet and ran through the field, ignoring all of the field slaves as he passed.

"MISTERMIMES!" he shouted as he burst into his home. "Mistermimes! What time is it?"

"Mimes?" Mistermimes asked.

Ashus ran to the sundial in the courtyard. 3:00. "Fuck! Mistermimes, we need to go to the bank. We're going to withdraw all of the money, and we're freeing all the slaves."

"Mimes? Mistermimes!" gasped Mistermimes.

"Oh, fuck the grapes," Ashus said.

It was 4:00 before Ashus and Mistermimes left the bank. The bankers had naturally been very suspicious of his request to withdraw the entirety of the Ketchumo family's wealth and to relinquish all of the slaves. "I was blessed by a god," was not a convincing enough reason to do so. When they left, the workers all got straight to work on spreading the rumor that Ashus Ketchumo had gone mad from grief.

Ashus pounded on the door of the Professor's home. The Professor opened the door in confusion. "Ashus, hello," he said. "Come in, come in."

The Professor's home was the most lavish in Palletus. Busts of great Glademon trainers, all the Professor's friends and patrons, lined the walls. A mural of the pantheon graced the ceiling. In the courtyard there was a beautiful pool and fountain. Another young man sat beside the fountain flanked by two lovely female slaves, one feeding him grapes, the other fanning him with a large palm branch. "Ashus, you've met my grandson, Garius Okus?" asked the Professor.

"Ashus Ketchumo?" asked the young man, nonchalantly dismissing the two females. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, and my greatest sympathies for your loss." He spoke the words obviously because he knew it was the polite thing to do, not because he truly meant them. Ashus nodded politely in return.

"Garius just purchased a Glademon from me today," the Professor said with pride. "An excellent starter, Squirtiles."

The pool rippled, and a blue head and round shell appeared. The Glademon spat a jet of water at Mistermimes, who scowled in displeasure.

Ashus felt a tingle of excitement. "Wow," he said, "it's beautiful."

"Ashus, I'm afraid I don't have anything left to show you today," said the Professor. "I sold all three of my ready starters."

"All of them?" Ashus repeated in disbelief.

"My grandfather is the number one purveyor of Glademon in all of Kanto," Garius sneered. "Of course he sold all of them, and if you don't have the courtesy to show up on time, then you're not worthy to be a trainer."

"Garius!" barked the Professor. "Some tact, please, in the presence of friends."

Garius rolled his eyes and walked off in the direction the slaves had gone, leaving Ashus alone with the Professor and Mistermimes. Squirtiles spat another jet of water into the air before disappearing again below the surface. Ashus's heart ached. "Are you sure, Professor? I...I drained my family's account. I freed the slaves, I..."

"Woah, Ashus," said the Professor with concern. "Slow down, son. I had no idea you were so serious about this. Last night you seemed rather tentative. Perhaps you should give it some time before you commit yourself to this path. You're under great emotional strain."

"I saw Ho-us," Ashus blurted.

The Professor's lips tightened and his eyes widened. "Ho-us?" he repeated. "Are you sure, Ashus?"

"Last night I prayed to the gods, and the gods have answered me," said Ashus. "I am not destined for a domestic life."

The Professor appeared to be looking deep into himself. "Come with me, Ashus. I do have one Glademon left here. Although, I have been largely unsuccessful at training him..."