(Rated E for Everyone!)

In celebration of Pokemon's 20th anniversary, I give you a story that is a remix of Pokemon Yellow and the Kanto season of the anime--so this is not quite the Pokemon Yellow you remember, nor is it the anime you remember!

Prologue: The Night Before

A yellow morning comes, and it sparkles like the sun
I don't think that I, ever will, forget its simple beauty
All this light from the heavens raining down--

"Ash?"

"Yeah, Dad?" a black haired boy asked as he pressed PAUSE on the small blue CD player he had been listening to while half heartedly watching the battle between a Gengar and a Nidorino raging on the TV.

A black haired man made his way into the room and sat down on the bed by his son. "Is everything okay? Your mom's worried because usually you're in bed by now..."

"It's just...I can't sleep, Dad." Ash explained. "I'm so excited about leaving tomorrow on my own Pokemon journey, and maybe prove myself as the Pokemon Master."

"Well, every Pokemon Master and Mistress had to start somewhere." the man replied. "They didn't get to the top overnight--they practiced with their Pokemon, they met new friends, battled terrifying foes, overcame many challenges, and even made a few mistakes on the way. But through it all, they never gave up." The Nidorino ramming the Gengar on the TV punctuated his point. "No matter what happens on your journey, Ash, know that your mom and I will always be proud of you...you have the drive and the courage to go all the way to a Pokemon Master. But have you thought about what it really means to be a Pokemon Master or Mistress?"

Ash froze as he pressed STOP on his CD player. "Well...they've met every Pokemon, including Legendaries?" he asked.

"Not quite--quantity of Pokemon does not necessarily a Pokemon Master or Mistress make." Ash's father cautioned. "Some Masters and Mistresses only owned a few Pokemon, and they were revered as being some of the greatest trainers of their day."

"I know, we studied many of them in history class." Ash replied, sighing nostalgically about a memorable lecture.

"What sets apart a Pokemon Master or Mistress from the rest is how they treat their Pokemon." Ash's father explained. "They understand Pokemon are living creatures at heart, and so treat them with dignity and respect, not as tools to batter opponents into submission."

"Tell that to Gary..." Ash muttered.

Ash's father just smiled. "That reminds me...even if you do cross paths with Gary on your journey, do not stoop to his level. a Pokemon Master or Mistress treats everyone, even sworn enemies, with respect."

"I guess there's more to being a Pokemon Master than just winning the League medallion..." Ash mused.

"That's right--travel to other regions, enter their Leagues, and earn their medallions too." Ash's father grinned. "But remember that on your way to the top, you will likely lose a few times. While it does hurt to lose, remember that losses have lessons to be learned from them, even if you lost due to situations beyond your control."

The TV remote got his attention as Ash put away his CD player into his bag and gathered a few more supplies. "Although if you must watch TV this late, you could watch this." With that, he changed the channel, displaying Professor Oak on a plain somewhere talking about the native Pokemon of Kanto.

Ash turned to look back as his father turned to leave. "No matter what, I will make you and Mom proud!" he smiled back, a new confidence welling up in his heart. "I hereby declare to the Pokémon of the world...I will be the greatest Pokémon trainer...the greatest Pokémon master...of all time!"

Ash's father just chuckled at his son's triumphant pose. "At any rate, you'd best get to bed...you don't want to be late to get your first Pokemon, do you?"

"Course not!" Ash replied as he changed into his pajamas for the night...