1. Ash's Story (Part 0: Prologue)

Chapter 22: The First Road

Ash turned nine on a morning filled with pancakes, candle smoke, and too many people trying to keep birthday plans secret.

Atem Castle had been repaired after Team Terror's attack, though Ash could still spot places where the replacement stone was newer than the rest. Most visitors probably would not notice. Ash always did.

Serena stood beside him in the grand hall while Mark and Insey argued over whether nine candles looked better in a straight line or a circle. Lillie arranged plates at one table, while Alice guarded the presents from Gina's curiosity.

Gina raised both hands. "I only wanted to inspect the wrapping for suspicious ghosts."

Alice stayed in front of the table. "You are the suspicious ghost."

"Technically," Gina said with a grin, "I am much worse."

Minami sat near Aurora with a Fairy-type ribbon charm that Lillie had helped her choose for the party. She still watched every room carefully, but she no longer looked ready to run whenever someone entered. When Ash caught her eye, she smiled.

Adam entered carrying a polished wooden box, and the room quieted almost at once.

Ash stared at it. "That looks serious."

Adam smiled. "It is a serious gift."

Aurora stood beside him. "You are old enough to begin preparing for the trainer license test. That also means you are old enough to understand that some journey equipment needs training before you can use it."

Ash straightened at once. "I understand."

Adam opened the box for him.

Inside were several things arranged neatly: battle items, a pouch of Poké Ball seals for future Contest work, a new travel journal, and a Key Stone set into a simple bracelet.

Serena leaned closer, her eyes widening. "A Key Stone."

Ash looked quickly at his parents. "For Mega Evolution?"

"Eventually," Adam said. "You are not ready to use it whenever you want. The bracelet comes first. Learning how to use it comes later."

Aurora lifted the bracelet from the box. "Mega Evolution depends on you and your Pokémon working together. Being excited is not enough."

Ash held out his wrist. "Then I will train for it properly."

Aurora fastened the bracelet around him. Ash looked down at the Key Stone, then around at everyone watching. For once, nobody was teasing him. Even Gina looked serious.

Insey broke into a grin. "Now you really look like someone getting ready to travel."

Ash glanced down at himself. "I thought I already looked like that."

Serena smiled. "The bracelet makes it more obvious."

Mark immediately announced that the cake should happen before everyone became too distracted to remember Ash's birthday.

The weeks before the license test filled the study rooms with notebooks, practice battles, and arguments over rules.

Ash had expected the battle part to be hardest. It was not. The written material made him groan more than any sparring session. Pokémon Center procedure, League travel laws, capture registration, emergency reporting, and trainer responsibility all made traveling sound like it required almost as much paperwork as training.

Minami enjoyed that part more than anyone expected.

She sat across from Ash with a law book beside the trainer handbook, tapping a pencil against the page. "Do not just memorize the answer. You need to know why the rule is there."