I actually had a dream about this idea, and I wrote it down in bullets right when I woke up. :D So enjoy this story with my OTP~ *SHOT*

An eight year old Ash stared blankly at the walls keeping him enclosed. He was being punished for getting in his father's way as he "disciplined" the Pokémon. He hugged his knees loosely as the dim light overhead flickered. Things had been going smoothly today, until he couldn't keep his feelings contained anymore after his father's abuse.

"If I've told you once, that's all I need to tell you! If you can't even steal Johto's weakest Gym Leader's Pokémon, what are you good for!" Giovanni yelled, the grunt he was reprimanding shaking in fear. Ash stood next to his father's desk, watching as to build up "experience" as the next Rocket heir.

"B-but sir! It wasn't my fault at all! The Houndour I was given wouldn't listen to any of my commands! I was so close to catching Falkner's Pidgeotto, but the Houndour refused to use Flameth—!"

"Enough." Giovanni interrupted. "It was only your incompetence that led to this. Leave the Pokémon here and await further orders. I'll be sure to give you a more "obedient" Pokémon later. I'm sure a Zubat will do."

"Sir?"

"Now."

The grunt reluctantly placed the Pokeball on Giovanni's desk, saluting his boss before walking away to avoid further shame. Giovanni sighed as he walked to his desk, causing Ash to flinch. Ash knew his father wasn't the kindest when tired, and news of a failed mission would make him all the more irritable. Persian, whom had been lounging on a imported pokebed from Hoenn, got up and stretched as it trotted to its trainer's side.

"Remember this Ash. If a Pokémon cannot obey orders, then it's useless. No matter how strong, or how weak they may be, they are still useless." Giovanni took the Pokeball and released the Houndour inside, the fire type lying damaged on the floor. Giovanni sneered.

"The only way to keep a Pokémon in order? Discipline and fear, two vital parts in a Pokémon's obedience." Giovanni now gave the Houndour his full attention. The Houndour recoiled, intimidated.

"Houndour, use Flamethrower."

The Houndour quickly spat out fire, but it was easy to tell it was a simple Ember. It was a slightly bigger than average burst, but it was still undeniably an Ember. Giovanni frowned.

"Persian, use Scratch."

Persian gave a swipe of her paw, the Houndour yelping as the attack hit. It stayed where it lay, even further injured. Ash felt himself become sick.

"Houndour, use Flamethrower." Giovanni repeated.

The Houndour whined, yet did as told. It's mouth opened to prepare the Flamethrower move, but only a Ember smaller than the first came out. Ash started to worry.

"Father, I don't think Houndour knows Flamethrower. Maybe it's just—"

"Quite Ash! Even if it doesn't know Flamethrower, Pokémon have the ability to learn moves in times of desperation. We just have to place it in that desperate situation. You still have much to learn." Ash looked to the floor, shutting up. His father was never one to reason with him.

"Persian, use Water Pulse."

"Pra!" Persian cried, gathering water in it's mouth. The Houndour started to shake at it stared at the super effective attack, but continued not to move. With a flick of it's head, Persian fired the attack, and the Water Pulse hit it's mark. The Houndour gave a cry and fell over, looking critically damaged. Ash couldn't help but start shaking.

"I'll give you one last chance. Houndour, use Flamethrower."

The Houndour twitched a little, but laid still. It didn't have the will to get back up. Giovanni gave a sigh, petting his Persian.

"Persian, finish it with Water Pulse." The cat started another Water Pulse. Yowling as the water gathered. Ash looked up to glance at the fallen Houndour, and knew the dog wouldn't last another attack. His father wouldn't reason, so there was only one other option. He might be hurt, but that was alright if he got to safe the Houndour. No amount of pain could be worth more than the life of another.

Persian let loose the Water Pulse, giving a cry as Ash jumped at that moment, putting himself in front of the Houndour, his 8 year old frame barely covering the fallen form. Ash closed his eyes to brace for impact.

"Ash!" Giovanni yelled in alarm, but coughed abruptly as steam filled the room. Tense moments passed as the smoke cleared and alarms blared. Grunts could be heard running outside the room to confront a possible enemy. But, nothing could prepare Giovanni to the glowing energy revealed after the smoke dissipated.

Ash stood still, shaking. A blue energy protected him from the attack, the partials rippling in power. He slowly opened an eye as he realized he felt no pain, seeing a look of disbelief on his father's face and started Pokémon. If he were to look behind him, he would see another stunned face of the Houndour whose life he'd just saved.

"Impossible…" Giovanni murmured to himself, right as three grunts filled the room, quickly finding no danger. Moments passed yet again, and Ash swallowed before speaking.

"I-I'm sorry father. I don't think this is right…" He trailed off, knowing this would only anger Giovanni further as it had the times before this. But the older man remained silent, until addressing one of the three grunts.

"Cain, take Ash into the time out room. Keep him there until further orders." Giovanni grunted, the grunt Cain giving a salute. Ash was quickly tugged out of the room by Cain, flinching a little from the firm grip, but completely cooperative. It wouldn't help his situation by making a fuss. As Ash left the room, Giovanni gave more orders.

"Fernando, take this Houndour to the forest. Let it free. There isn't a use for useless Pokémon. Iana, I need you to find someone for me. He's in the Sinnoh region, so take one of the planes. I expect you to be swift." The remaining two grunts nodded, Fernando taking Houndour's pokeball and returning it before he left.

Giovanni stayed standing, a smile creeping up on his face. Leaning on his desk, he languidly stroked Persian.

"Interesting… interesting indeed." Persian looked up, shivering at the cruel smile on her trainer's face.

Ash didn't know how much time had passed by the time the door opened. His punishment room consisted of a closet space big enough for a single bed, and a space to stand. That was it, and the steel soundproof walls left struggling fruitless. But he didn't mind, as a punishment as this was what he knew, and although depressing, it did its job.

Most of the time, anyways.

For as long as he could remember, if he did something as break a vase, the room would make sure he was more wary after the ordeal. But anything Pokémon related, all bets were off. This wasn't the first time he'd messed with one of his father's Pokémon methods, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. But Ash could live with it, knowing he'd helped a Pokémon.

The door opened with a creek, the grunt from before, Cain, leading Ash to his room. Ash's room wasn't anything special, a bed, dresser, and desk filled with Pokémon type match ups and techniques were the only things in the room. He didn't spend much time inside, usually accompanying his father to observe, but the time he did spend there involved studying and sleeping, so the space furnishing suited his just fine.

But it wasn't just him in the room. A man, in his early twenties dressed in a blue suit and hat sat on his bed, handcuffed with a blue cloth with some type of gems sewn throughout it. The man looked disgruntled, though gave him a small smile as he saw Ash. Ash flinched as the door slammed shut behind him, the grunt leaving the two alone.

"Hello there." The man said, still smiling. "I'd shake your hand right now, if I wasn't, you know, handcuffed and all." He continued sheepishly.

Ash blinked, confused. "Right."

"My name is Riley, what's yours?" Riley asked, unaffected by the child's curt reply.

"Ash. My name is Ash." He replied, blinking again at the strange man. The two stared at each other for awhile, before Ash asked the obvious. "Sorry for being rude, but what exactly are you doing here? In my room? Not that I don't find your company… great and all, but…"

Riley looked down at the questions, sighing a bit dejectedly. "A Team Rocket grunt took my Lucario's egg. I would've taken on the guy easily, if Lucario wasn't in such a panic at the thought of losing his egg. I used to have two Lucarios, a female as well, but she was needed somewhere else. I suppose he just rushed in, so there wasn't a real battle. Not to sound arrogant, but I'm not a shabby trainer! I got caught trying to get the egg back on my own, so here I am." Riley looked at Ash with a scowl. "I wasn't expecting the Team Rocket boss to look so intimidating though!" He laughed good naturedly, looking more than a little awkward with his hands cuffed.

"You still haven't answered my last question though. The one about my room?" Ash said relieved. This man was much less intense then previous captives he'd met.

"Oh, I don't know. Who knows what goes in the workings of Team Rocket? I don't, and I don't think I want to. What about you, kid? What are you doing here?"

"I'm—"

"He's my son."

Giovanni entered the room, Persian beside him as she carried an egg incubator in her mouth. Riley looked noticeably more serious, the smile long gone from his face. Ash looked on, surprised.

"Father, was are you—"

"I have a need for you and your ability, Riley Gen. I know of you're proficiency of aura, and I need your knowledge." Giovanni drawled. Riley looked disgusted.

"I have no desire to help you or your organization. You can do whatever you want with me, but as an Aura Guardian, I cannot help you in any ill deeds. Not very sorry." Riley spat, frowning.

Giovanni, for his part, gave a smile. Persian set the incubator down, readying a Shadow Ball in her mouth. Ash and Riley tensed at the threat, the latter jumping up from his sitting position on the bed.

"You bastard! Threatening an innocent life like that is pure cowardice! You have a problem with me not this egg, so why bring it into this? That's pure madness!" Riley yelled, enraged.

"Call it cowardice if you like, but its effective isn't it? All I need you is to teach someone, and that's all? That's not an unfair trade is it? The life and return of this egg, in return of your teachings, it's equal, no? I think so." Persian's Shadow Ball gained more dark energy, wayward wisps of purple hitting the incubator and beginning to crack the glass.

"Father! Stop this, Riley is right! The egg is innocent, and it has nothing to do with anything!" Ash interrupted, lunging for the incubator and startling the Persian into letting the Shadow Ball loose. Ash squinted as the blue particles emerged again, protecting him and the egg from harm. Riley looked on shocked, as Giovanni looked intrigued.

"That is…"

"Aura, Riley. I need you to train Ash to use it effectively. He's a bit unruly as you can see now, but he's young, and that can be disciplined out of him soon enough. What's your answer now?" Giovanni asked, though it was clear no was out of the question.

Riley remained silent, staring at Ash. The boy had stepped a fair distance away from the three, talking to the egg with soothing words. "There you are little guy. It's ok, don't be afraid…" Ash continued to coo. Riley had made his decision.

"All right. But I need these Aura bindings off of me, as well as my Lucario back. I won't do anything unless those two conditions are met. Really, it's more that can't more then I won't. Hope you understand. Even if you don't, I don't really care." Riley smiled tauntingly at the man.

Giovanni frowned, yet ignored Riley's jabs. "Of course. I expect lessons to start as soon as possible. You'll sleep in Ash's room, so I'd become acquainted if I were you. Somebody will come by later to cut your restraints and return your Lucario to you. I expect results quickly." With those final words, Giovanni and Persian left, the door locking shut behind them.

Riley allowed himself to relax, Ash finishing his coddling of the egg. Riley cleared his throat. "So Ash, do you know what exactly an Aura Guardian is?"

Ash frowned, shaking his head. Riley sighed. "Well then, I guess we're starting from the beginning. Long ago, in times where pokeballs didn't exist, there were…"

AND THIS IS THE END OF THE FIRST CHAPTER.

I've debated with myself whether or not Riley should travel with N and Ash… I'm like, 60% to 40% right now, in favor of him traveling with them. Also, I kinda want to incorporate Silver into the fic, maybe have him travel with them too, but again, I am in a 60 40 ratio…

N shows up next chapter, and they actually leave to Unova in chapter 3. I have a vague outline for this story, so I'm not completely blind writing this.

Any-who, review, favorite, and all that jazz my darlings~ *Throws popcorn in faces*

-Cecile