Cinders and Ashes

A/N: Yeah, I have another Pokémon fairy tale adaptation here. This time, it's "Cinderella." But I do have a couple of twists planned that will change things up a bit, coming from the original fairy tale, and with some hints from some other adaptations of "Cinderella."

So, let us begin. And action!

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Chapter 1

The Golden Childhood Years

Once upon a time, there was a little kingdom, rich in tradition and romance. In this little kingdom, out in the countryside, there was a stately manor where a lovely young couple lived, by the names of Jayce and Delia Ketchum. Jayce had wild raven hair, tan skin with little Z-marks on his upper cheeks, and deep blue eyes, while Delia had auburn brown hair, fair skin and warm brown eyes.

Jayce was a handsome and wealthy merchant who travelled far and wide, trading goods with other kingdoms, while Delia was a most lovely young woman who had worked as a humble seamstress. They had been married for a couple of years, living happily with one another and with some kind and hard-working household staff. Though, as time went by, they began to long for a child to call their own.

But within a year, that dream came true. A beautiful little boy was born to them, on a beautiful spring day, filling his parents' lives with more joy ever imaginable, looking very much like his father, with his wild ebony black hair and tan skin with the Z-marks on his cheeks, but he also had the warmth of his mother's chocolate brown orbs.

Jayce and Delia named this little creation of theirs Ash. Since his arrival, they made sure that they gave their son every luxury and comfort they could give him; as if he was the prince of their own kingdom.

As he quickly grew up into a young boy, it was obvious that Ash possessed a kind and gentle heart, while also having an adventurous and confident spirit. His wide smile could brighten up anyone's day, both people and Pokémon. His charming voice, though mostly brash and confident, could uplift anyone's spirits. He treated the servants of the household kindly and loved the local Pokémon very dearly, both that in the manor and that in the nearby forest, as if everyone were his family.

The servants and the Pokémon loved him dearly, though there were quite a few mishaps concerning him along the way. But that was to be expected of a young lad not even ten years old.

But there were a few favorites out of all of the Pokémon who lived at the manor for young Ash. One of them was a young male Pichu that he befriended when he rescued him from a fierce thunderstorm, and the little Electric type stuck by his side ever since then.

The other two belonged to his parents: a male Arcanine that belonged to his father and a male Mr. Mime who belonged to his mother. Both of them acted as sort of guardians for the mischievous boy and his equally cheeky Electric friend, making sure that they wouldn't get into too much trouble.

Also, his father brought him his own Ponyta for his fifth birthday, and Ash was eager to ride the oddly colored blue Fire type. However, the young foal was stubborn and wild, not letting anyone near her. But Ash was determined to get her calm. With his help to calm the wild Fire type, the stablehands soon had her tame. But she was still a bit too young for a rider, so Ash decided to make it his job to personally groom and feed her, establishing a bond between them. He had called the blue-flamed Ponyta Skychaser, as if the blue flames of her mane urged her to chase the sky.

Unfortunately, even though he had a child of his own that he loved dearly, Jayce often had to leave his family for business. Ash missed his father terribly when he was away, but he knew that he would always come back to him and his mother eventually. And Jayce would regale his son with stories of his travels and the people and Pokémon that he had encountered.

Ash was awed by the many places his father told him about, and he would often beg him to take him on his next trip. But Jayce's answer was always the same, much to his disappointment.

"Wait until you are old enough, lad." He said. "Then perhaps one day."

But Ash could never be upset with his father, nor with his mother, for he knew that they loved him dearly and they only wished for him to be safe under their watchful eye. However, he would often get into some rather unusual mishaps, being the carefree and adventurous boy that he was.

Once, he had managed to get himself dangling from a rope from a pulley system on the roof, upside down, a good few feet above the ground. That certainly scared his poor parents half to death as Delia hurriedly pleaded to Mr. Mime to bring her precious son down.

Other than those kinds of incidents, their life was pretty much perfect and happy. Every night, Ash and his Pichu, cuddled up in his arms, would both fall asleep to his mother softly singing to him, while his father carefully pulled the covers over them, his own baritone voice eventually joining in with his wife. A gentle smile appeared on Ash's face as the lullaby pulled him into the realm of sleep as Pichu snuggled into his chest.

However, even the happiest of families had to one day experience immense sorrow. That much was known about reality, no matter what. And that soon came to Ash's home.

One day, Jayce came back to their home early from a trip up north, looking deathly pale and coughing most of the time, sweat dripping down his brow. Ash had never seen his father look so sick and he immediately called out for his mother as some of the servants carefully helped their ill master inside the house while another one quickly fetched for the doctor.

However, as the days passed, even the best doctors in the kingdom couldn't help him. He had only a few weeks to live. The thought of it was unthinkable for both Ash and his mother. They did whatever they could to make sure Jayce was comfortable in his sickly state, but they knew that there was nothing more they could do.

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Ash sat on a chair near his father's room, his Pichu on his lap, trying his best to comfort his friend by cuddling close to him. Ash looked about seven years old, wearing a pale yellow tunic with navy blue pants that his mother had sewed for him and black leather shoes. Both he and his mother were anxiously waiting for the news from the doctor about Jayce's declining health.

Just then, the door opened to reveal the doctor. Immediately, Delia stood up from her seat, wearing a lavender frock with green leggings and white flats. The doctor came over to her and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, madam." He said. "He's.... slipping away. There's nothing more that I can do." Ash's heart sunk when he heard those words. Delia looked ready to cry herself, but she still gave the doctor a tiny kind smile.

"Thank you, doctor." She said with a whisper.

The man nodded at her as Ash slowly came over to them, his Pichu perched on his shoulder now. "I'll let you two have your last moments with him." He said before he left the house.

Delia placed a gentle hand on her son's shoulder, and then both of them entered the room. Jayce was lying in bed, looking as sickly as he had been for the last couple of days. His breathing was quiet, but he was straining for every breath.

Ash took the closest spot next to him on the bed. Jayce opened his dull blue eyes to see his son looking at him with worried brown eyes, and his beautiful wife standing next to him, silently shedding tears.

"Ash." He quietly breathed out.

"I'm here, Dad." He said.

Jayce softly smiled as his son carefully slipped his small hand into his larger, shaky one. "Ash, my son." He said softly. "I have to tell you something. Do you remember what your mother and I.... always say to you when we start the day?"

Ash nodded. "You tell me to have courage. And to be kind."

"Yes." Jayce said. "And do you know.... why we tell you that every day?"

Ash shook his head, and his father gave his answer. "Because we know you are capable.... of great power. Power not like those of your little friends, but that.... of what inspires others."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked him.

Jayce smiled at him. "You have more kindness and strength in your little finger.... than most people have in their entire body."

"It's true, Ash." Delia said softly. "You have shown that many times before already. With Pichu and some of your other friends around the manor and in the forest."

Ash looked over at Pichu on his shoulder, who looked just as awed as he did. Then, he turned back to his father, who continued to speak.

"Just remember that when there is kindness, there is goodness." Jayce said. "And when there is goodness.... there is power. Power that is like magic."

"Magic?" Ash asked.

"Yes." Jayce said. "If you are brave and kind, eventually, it will give you..... the greatest reward you could ever ask for in life. True happiness."

He then lightly squeezed his son's hand. "Can you promise me that?"

Ash nodded, tears filling up his eyes. "I promise, Dad."

"Good." Jayce breathed. "Now....you know that I must go now, Ash."

His young son squeezed his hand even tighter. "Must you?" The little boy asked.

Jayce only nodded, feeling tears of his own starting to leak out. "Can you forgive me, my son?"

Ash wanted to be angry at his father for leaving him and his mother alone, but he learned at a young age, that life is like a circle. Everyone and everything has a part to play and a journey to take; whether they be long or short. And he could feel that it was his father's time to complete his own journey, even though he desperately wished for more time.

"Of course I forgive you." He said, carefully climbing onto the bed and snuggling up next to his father. Jayce held his son close, hearing his quiet sobs. Delia came over and joined the hug, softly crying as well.

"I love you both." Jayce whispered, feeling his breath getting quieter. Then, there were only the sounds of cries echoing the halls.

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As the years went by, pain turned into memory. Jayce was buried in a nearby field where the family would go to have some outdoor fun. Ash and his mother would plant beautiful flowers around the area, and then they planted a little tree, which soon became a strong and lovely birch.

In his heart, Ash remained ever gentle and kind, always remembering the promise he made to his father to always be brave and good. Each day, he always tried his best to put a smile on everyone's faces by helping with chores, humming a cheerful tune as he did.

"Bless his heart." One of the servants would say.

"He is much too good for this world." Another would add.

Eventually, Ash became a strapping young boy of fourteen. His Pichu had evolved into a fine Pikachu, and the two remained the best of friends. Arcanine and Mr. Mime still kept an eye on the two of them, for they still had their mishaps and mischievous fun.

Especially when Ash and Pikachu would go riding out into the forest on the back of Skychaser, who was now much stronger and faster, but she still hadn't evolved, not that Ash really minded. He loved his beautiful steed just the way she was. If she ever wanted to evolve, then he would be happy with that, but he wasn't going to force her.

His mother was glad that Ash still had a good heart as he was becoming a young man. But there was one problem that she was concerned about when it came to her son's future.

Ever since her husband's death, the company that he owned, the workers were always wondering if Ash would one day take over. It was doing quite well with Jayce's second-in-command in charge, but Delia was hesitant to allow her son to go overseas, since he was still quite young. But the company and the household staff needed the money to support their own families. It was a hard decision to make.

Then, Delia finally had an idea. It was a bit risky, but to support everyone who works, and for her and her son, it must be done. But first, she needed to speak to Ash about it.

She then found Ash in the sitting room, with Pikachu curled up in his lap snoozing peacefully, and Ash gently stroking his fur.

"Ash?" She called out to him quietly.

Ash looked over at his mother in the doorway. "What is it, Mom?" He asked her.

Delia took a deep breath and took a spot next to her son. "Ash, I think it's time for a little.... change around here."

Ash raised a curious eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"You know that your father's company has been wanting you in the ranks for a while now, right?" Delia asked.

Her son nodded before she continued. "Well, you know that I don't want you to work like that when you're still quite young."

Ash briefly frowned before becoming passive again. "I know, Mom. And I understand."

Delia lightly smiled at him. "Well, I have thought of a solution that will benefit all of us until you're old enough to take over."

"Oh?" Ash asked, curious.

"I sent a letter to an old friend of mine, the Grand Duke." Delia started to explain.

"The Grand Duke? The one who is the most trusted advisor to the queen?" Ash asked. "You're friends with him?"

"Well, we eventually lost touch soon after I married your father." Delia said. "For some reason, those two could never get along."

Ash felt an odd chill go down his spine briefly when she mentioned that little detail. "But now, I asked him if I could sometimes work as a seamstress at his mansion. And, I would deeply appreciate it if you would join me."

"Work for an old friend of yours?" Ash asked. "For how long?"

"Only until we had enough money to pay the staff and your father's workers for a little while. Hopefully, we'll have enough wages until you turn eighteen. Then, you can take over your father's business."

Ash thought about the offer for a while. It was obvious that this little money issue was starting to get worse. And he knew that his mother would never dismiss the staff or close down his father's business. She wanted to take matters into her own hands, and he felt like he should do the same.

"I think we should do it." Ash finally said to her. "After all, I can be quite handy, and I want to help you in any way I can."

Delia smiled at her son and carefully took him into a hug, mindful of the snoozing Pikachu on his lap. "Thank you, Ash." She said. "Your father would be proud of you."

Ash returned the hug with a smile. It made his heart soar to know that his father was watching down on him, feeling proud of him.

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The very next day, Delia and Ash set out towards the Duke's chateau, which was north of their home and nearly a couple of hours' journey. The tall, dark building with two main towers on the sides somewhat gave Ash a bit of the willies. Pikachu also slightly shivered from his usual perch on his shoulder, giving Ash some reassurance that it wasn't just him who was feeling off.

Soon, they had arrived at the front entrance, where a tall and imposing man stood at the bottom of the stairs. His face was cold as stone and blank with emotion. He had dark brown colored hair cut short and combed to perfection, and lifeless dark eyes. He wore a plain black suit and shoes. Beside him was an intimidating male Persian.

When the carriage door opened and Delia elegantly stepped out of it, his eyes seemed to glimmer with a cold light; a shine that gave Ash a weird chill down his spine. He wanted to pull his mother back inside, but resisted the temptation and stayed inside the carriage.

"Grand Duke Giovanni." Delia greeted him cordially, curtsying to him.

The Grand Duke, Giovanni, had an odd little smile on his face when he saw her. "It's good to see you again after so long, Delia." He said, coming to her.

He wanted to come closer to her, but Delia took a step backward and away from him, so he stopped.

"Thank you for letting me work here for a little while." She said. "My son and I really need this."

The smile that was on Giovanni's face disappeared. "Your son?" He asked.

Delia nodded. "Yes, I've brought my son Ash along with me."

Ash took that as his cue to make himself known. He slowly stepped out of the carriage and stood next to his mother. He looked right at Giovanni, as it was proper, and then bowed his head.

"Your Grace." He said politely.

Giovanni looked over at him with a scrutinizing eye. "So you're Jayce's son?" He asked him.

Something about the way he said his father's name made Ash want to clench his teeth. But he remained courteous.

"Yes, Your Grace." He said.

Giovanni had one thin eyebrow raised up, seeming somewhat impressed. Then he turned back towards Delia.

"You didn't tell me that your son looks so much like his father, or that he was quite the polite young man." He said.

Ash wanted to slump forward with relief, but he remained rigid. Delia just smiled.

"I'm glad, Giovanni." She said. "Both Ash and I will be working here for a little while."

Giovanni only nodded, but then his Persian snarled at the Pikachu on Ash's shoulder, his red eyes glinting with hunger. Pikachu stiffened for a second at the sight of the predatory cat, but then growled back at him, his cheeks sparking dangerously.

Ash placed a gentle palm on his best friend's back and began rubbing it. "Easy there, Pikachu." He said, making his partner lean into his touch. He then looked over at Persian and instinctively pushed Pikachu closer to him, slightly narrowing his eyes at the panther-like Normal type.

Giovanni placed a hand on Persian's head, and he started to purr as he leaned into his master's touch. "Now, now, Persian." He said to the Classy Cat Pokémon. "These are our guests. And the eating of guests is not allowed."

Persian growled in disappointment and just glared at Pikachu, who only gave him a taunting little smirk.

"Now, let me show you two where you'll be staying for the next little while." The Grand Duke said as he began leading Delia and Ash into the chateau.

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Within the next couple of weeks, both mother and son began to work in Grand Duke Giovanni's household. Delia of course was the head seamstress, mending all clothes and making lots of trips into the village and even into other lands for new fabric. Ash on the other hand was more like the assistant with lots of chores, such as cleaning the stables, taking care of the Pokémon, and prepping meals.

However, Ash had noticed that while he and Pikachu slept in the servants' quarters, Delia had her own room, which was pretty close to the Grand Duke's own room. He had a sneaking suspicion that the Grand Duke wanted her close to him, and the thought of it sent chills down his spine. He had to privately ask his mother to lock her door every night, and luckily, she didn't question him and did so, relieving him greatly.

The four servants who were the heads of the household and who were always watching over him and making sure that he did his jobs didn't really seem to like him very much. Their names were Jessie, James, Butch and Cassidy. All of them were conceited and rude, but Ash paid them no mind. He was much younger than them, and yet, he was acting like the mature one.

But like back at his home, the Pokémon were all soon under his spell as he cared for them and made sure that they were fed well. Ash had noticed when he first arrived at the chateau that they were all dirty and looked exhausted and hungry. So he would give them a little extra food and even some table scraps if he could, and he and Pikachu would spend their free time caring for them and talking to them. Those Pokémon had never met such a kind human before and warmed up to him pretty quickly.

One night, Delia had called Ash to her room and told him that she would be leaving in the morning to a nearby kingdom for an order of fabric.

"Do you have to go?" Ash asked her. "You're getting tired from all of these regular trips into the village."

"Don't worry about me, Ash." His mother assured him. "I'll only be gone for a few days, and our contract is almost ending. You and Pikachu will be back home within a couple of days, right?"

"Right." Ash said, nodding his head.

"Anything you would like me to bring you?" She asked him.

Ash thought long and hard about that. Most things were pretty menial to him, but since his mother was travelling, she could bring him something, just like how his father used to bring him little gifts for him whenever he went on business trips.

Finally, he had a thought. "Bring me a cherry tree sapling." He said.

Delia's brow quirked up. "An odd request." She said. "Why? You always seemed so adamant to not help me in the gardens."

"It's not that I don't really like gardening, Mom." Ash replied. "It's just that you always give me too much to do, and then later, I don't have enough energy to do my other chores, including caring for the Pokémon.

"And I thought that it might be nice for that birch tree over in the field to have some company. Since that birch tree reminds me of Dad, I thought that maybe a nice cherry tree next to it would remind me of you."

Delia's eyes began to well up with tears. "Oh, Ash." She whispered, wrapping her arms around her sweet son. "That's so thoughtful of you."

Ash returned the hug. "And the other thing I want is for you to come home safely." He said softly. His mother only hugged him a little tighter.

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When Delia left that day, Ash busied himself with his chores and performed them as best as he could with Pikachu's help until the day came that he could return home. He was secretly happy to be away from the chateau and to be back home at his country manor where he would continue to wait for his mother and away from those odd chills he would get whenever he was near the Grand Duke.

He would receive letters from her from her travels, which was the source of comfort for him as he worked alongside the household staff in their daily duties. Until one rainy day, when a very familiar pain returned to the manor. It started off like any other day, but no one knew what would happen later on.

There was a knock on the door as the day grew to a close, and Ash eagerly answered it. There stood one of the members of his father's company, who was also a close friend to the family.

"Mr. Hale." Ash greeted happily, but then he saw the sad look in the man's eyes, and his own smile vanished.

"What is it?"

Mr. Hale lightly gulped and then looked back at Ash. "Young Master Ash. It's your mother, lad." He said softly. "She took ill on the road."

He breathed out shakily before continuing on solemnly. "She's passed on, lad."

Ash felt like he could hardly breathe. His mother was gone? A couple of tears ran down his cheeks as he tried to put on a strong facade. Pikachu softly nuzzled his master's cheek in assurance.

Mr. Hale put a gentle hand on Ash's free shoulder. "To the end, she spoke only of you, lad. And of your father."

He then removed his hand and went off to the side of the entrance to get something. "She asked me to bring you this."

He then held out a tiny little cherry tree sapling in a large ceramic pot, its branches having pale pinks buds on the ends. Ash took it carefully with shaky hands.

"Thank you." He said, his breath quavering.

"They will bring her body back here within a couple of days for the funeral." Mr. Hale said. "It seems only fitting that we bury her next to your father."

Ash only nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry, Young Master Ash."

The young man only nodded at him as he softly shut the door as Mr. Hale took his leave. Then, he broke down in tears, holding the sapling in his arms, while Pikachu only hugged him, not squeaking a word.

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As promised, they brought Delia's body back and buried her in the same field where Jayce was himself seven years ago. After the funeral proceedings, Ash lingered behind with Pikachu and his parents' Pokémon and planted the cherry tree at the end of the buried plot of dirt, next to the birch tree, where he broke down and sobbed, watering the cherry sapling with his tears. After he cried all of the tears he had to shed, he slowly returned home, with the Pokémon trying to give him some comfort.

But when he got there, he saw the Grand Duke standing in the doorway of the manor with his Persian at his side as all the members of the household had all of their belongings packed.

"What's going on?" He asked.

Mr. Hale came up to him, holding a large duffel bag. "It seems that the Grand Duke has bought your father's company." He explained. "He also decided to dismiss the household."

Ash's eyes widened. "Why?" He asked.

"I promised your mother before she left." A chilling voice answered.

Ash looked over to see the Grand Duke standing there. "She said that if anything happened to her, I would watch over you until you are old enough to manage your father's business on your own."

Ash didn't say a word, not sure if he should believe the Grand Duke or not. "At least this charming manor will not go into disrepair." The Duke continued. "I'll be moving in for a little while to watch over you, along with my head servants. We all will watch over you."

Ash felt a heavy lump build up in his throat, making it hard for him to swallow. But he decided to be courteous.

"That's very kind of you, Your Grace." He said.

Giovanni smiled and patted Ash's free shoulder. "That's a good lad." He said.

A/N: Why did I make Ash the Cinderella character? Well, no offense to any of the girls, I kind of wanted to see Ash in this kind of scenario. And speaking in a critical sense, Ash might as well be like a boy version of any Disney Princess one can think of if they look for similarities.

I even read in a crossover fanfic on fanfiction.net based off Kingdom Hearts that the author put Ash in one of the roles of the Princesses of Heart. Well, not all of them were princesses in the story, so to speak. But I think you get the general idea.

I can't promise frequent updates on this since I have college and I'm also trying to finish "Brave to Dare." Then, I have two more Pokémon stories on fanfiction.net that are in the process: "How to Mega Evolve Your Pokémon" and "Light's Love and Night's Passion." So everything is kind of all over the place right now.

But until next time, I'll see y'all! Please leave a comment about what you think, and remember to stay healthy!

Got to fly! ;)