Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Gold pov:

Gold had not seen his brother for a year now. His brother, Red and his friend Green had gone with their father, Cypress Ketchum to Mount Silver to train. That left their mom, Delia Ketchum, his adorable baby brother, Ash Ketchum and himself to do nothing but wait at home. They were poke fruit growers and outside of Mr Salesman who picked up the fruit and the Oak family, they did not interact much with the towns folk. Gold was turning twelve next month, he was watching over his six years old brother, who was playing with the Pikachu that he had found sick three years ago and taken care of as a Pichu.

Gold shouted, "Ash, do not go too far."

Ash shouted back laughing, "Okay Gold. I won't."

Gold smiled, "We have to return home to eat soon remember that."

Ash nodded his head vigorously, "Un, mama said she was making her special pie."

The little guy had evolved into a Pikachu from a Pichu last year. The two of them had become inseparable ever since then. Red was fifteen this year and would be starting his Pokemon journey after returning. He had finished his middle school two years ago as he wanted to train before he went on a journey. Green had agreed with Red it was a good idea, but then again Green agrees with Red a lot.

It did not help that a few years ago it was Red who gave Green his first Pokemon, a tiny baby Pidgey. Pidgey who was now a Pidgeot, was pretty much Green's most prized, spoiled and adored Pokemon. And man was that Pidgeot huge or what? He remembered listening to Grandpa Oak and a few other researchers talking about a gene in certain Pokemon that caused them to become bigger and larger than normal. He had been very ecstatic to be able to observe and research it.

Gold snorted remembering their shocked faces the first time they saw the large Pidgeot. His mom had a habit of dressing up the youngest however in female clothes and made Gold think she wanted a girl. He also knew Ash thought it was a fun game to dress up, he couldn't help but shake his head. His Dad indulged this habit as well by bringing cute dresses and ribbons. It made him sweat drop whenever he thought about it. At least it was not him being forced into dresses that would be embarrassing and he was not as adorable as Ash either.

Gold was brushing his Vulpix's fur, 'I have all my friends and family here. Plus I am not sure I would have liked being away from my Pokemon.'

Vulpix looked at him, "Vul?"

Gold scratched her chin getting purrs, "Just a few more years girl then you and I will be starting our own journey! Maybe, I should ask Dad for a younger sister before I go though. A baby sister to spoil."

Vulpix perked up, "Vul."

Gold pov end!

The people of Pallet town were curious about the Ketchum family but they never pried. They provided some of the best fruits for the town and they knew the couple had children but they rarely saw them. Gary and his Squirtle, Jewel were wandering around the market with his oldest sibling, Daisy and her boyfriend Bill. She had won the title of "Pokemon Master Choreographer", a few years back and now was considering settling down with her childhood friend slash boyfriend. Gary thought his sister's plan had a lot of merit, become successful then settle down, though his elder brother, Green thought otherwise.

Leaf, Green's twin, on the other hand had agreed with Gary. Career and success first, romance could always come later. Unlike from Green and Daisy, she did not have any interest in romance to begin with. There was roughly five years difference between the siblings. Daisy being the eldest at twenty one soon to be twenty two in a week, Green was sixteen, Leaf was twelve and finally Gary who was and turning seven next month. Bill was older than Daisy by two years making him twenty four. Gary thought about the elusive family and his best friend and how they met.

Flashback two and half years ago:

Gary had wandered off from his Dad and Green who had taken him to visit the Ketchum orchard. His Dad wanted their elusive neighbor's help in growing some poke berry trees so they could feed the Pokemon at his grandpa's ranch better. He met Mr and Mrs Ketchum and their quiet eldest son, who also turned out to be Green's best friend. He was walking around the wooded area aimlessly, that was when he heard the sound of joyful laughter. He looked around and saw a really cute child in a blue dress playing with a Pichu and Eevee. There was an older boy who was playing with a Vulpix and a Poliwag, but his attention was on the youngest one.

Gary gasped, 'A cute angel!'

He was about to introduce himself to the cute angel and maybe become friends and play with them when he heard his name being called. He recognized it was his older brother, Green and his friend Red. He pouted, he wanted to make a friend too! Green had a best friend, couldn't he have one?

Green was looking for him, "Gary! Gary! Where are you kiddo? We are being called for some tea and snacks."

Red called, "Gold! Ash! We made your favorite cookies ~ Come and get it!"

Gary heard his stomach rumbling and he wondered who was who. He heard the older boy answer from behind him.

Gold had perked up, "We are coming Red. Come on Ash, mom made cookies too. Oh, hello there! I did not see you around here before."

Gary looked back to see the older of the two he was watching earlier, "I was wandering around while my Dad talked to Mr and Mrs Ketchum and my brother was busy with yours."

Gold nodded, "Well, I am Gold and this is my sweet younger brother Ash."

Gary was a bit surprised by the fact that the cute kid in a dress was actually a boy not a girl like he had originally thought. But he did not mind he decided, girls had cooties anyway, boys are so much better. The five of them had gone inside together after introductions were done to enjoy the tea and snacks Delia made. Gary had played with Ash and become quick friends after that day. Ash had even given Gary a blue colored Pokemon egg he had found by the stream that went through the middle of the orchard, on his birthday. His grandpa and Dad looked a little worried for some reason though.

Ash explained, "I found it two weeks ago. None of the Pokemon claimed it, so I think it was either:
A. Abandoned
B. The parents are dead
C. Separated from it's group."

Gary had taken the egg promising to look after it really well. It had made his Dad and big brother smile with pride when he took responsibility for the little one. His family had been equally proud of him and his sister had said if he followed a career in Pokemon he would do well. It had made him really happy to make his family proud of him. Around two and half years ago it had hatched and Squirtle had joined their family. He had named her Gem, thanks to her sparkling aquamarine eyes.

Flashback end!

Green may like to think his siblings didn't notice it but they did. Gary saw that Green was spending a lot of time with Red the last two years and he even joined Red in training. Gary was not stupid and he knows there is something going on there between them. And he wanted to have that something for himself and Ash as well. His big brother looked really happy and he wanted to be happy too.

Jewel poked him gently getting his attention, -Is something wrong Pappy?-

Gary who heard his Squirtle looked down at her, he had become good in understanding her now, especially after two and half years of being together. His grandpa had even registered Jewel as his starter. She was a real sweet heart and Gary adored and loved her to bits. She was ready to evolve into a Wartotle but she had decided to wait till the journey started to evolve. Leaf had gotten him an Ever stone when she had found out. She had it designed as a bow for Gem.

Gary hummed patting her head, "Nothing love. I was just thinking."

Jewel gave a mischievous smile, -You're thinking about Meema, aren't you Pappy?-

This was another thing, for some reason Jewel considered Ash her mama. It made Gary blush for some reason, he was not sure what reason though. But then again Ash did find her poke egg to in a way, he was a parent to her, he supposed. Gary did not mind the idea of having and raising many baby Pokemon with Ash. If anything he really liked it, him and Ash raising Pokemon side by side.

Gary didn't deny it, "I was thinking about going and playing with him today later, of course. It has been a few days since he visited us at the ranch."

Squirtle cheered at that, she loved spending time with her savior who she considered as her Meema and Gary was no doubt her Pappy. She knows the two of them cared for each other a lot. Her big brother Pikachu had told her all about how Meema saved him and took care of him when he was ill. Meema is a hero in her book, even grandpa Oak agreed with her. She loved her large family and would not trade them for anything in the world. She also could not wait to start her journey with them by her side. It would be awesome. Her, her Meema and Pappy and her siblings.

Daisy, "Gary, come here for a sec."

Gary, "What's up sis?"

Daisy, "Tomorrow's dinner, I was thinking of making a big hotpot."

Gary perked up visibly, "Can we invite Ash and the others too?"

Daisy, "Hmm why not? As long as Aunt Delia agrees to bring some of her fresh grown vegetables."

Gary, "Okay, I will invite them later when I go over there."

Later on, when Gary and Ash were playing together he informed Delia about hotpot dinner. Gold perked up and Delia grinned absolutely delighted at the idea of a large family dinner. Looks like she was not the only one missing her baby. The Oaks missed their kids too, who were currently learning under her husband. Cypress was a Pokemon Ranger but before that he had been the Gym leader of Celadon. After his junior had taken over he had become a full time Ranger.

Being a Ranger was a very demanding job but Cypress took it seriously. Personally though he just wanted to make sure their kids were safe while they were journeying through Kanto at least. He understood of course, he cannot always be everywhere, be there everytime their kids needed him. But he was going to try his best to support and watch over them. It was a promise he made to himself a long time ago, especially after he got away from his horrid father.

Delia was of a similar situation as him, her parents had neglected her as a child only her grandma was there for her. The farm they now owned was brought by combining both their assets, no way was she going to allow her manipulative parents take advantage of her. She had kids to think about now, besides they made their bed and they could lay on it. It did sadden her that her children would never know the love of grandparents but that was okay, she and Cypress would fill that gap themselves.

Chapter Text

Green had known Red for a long time now. He remembered when he first met the quiet and elusive boy. He was very interested in him, not because he was famous or something like that but because he had seen how calm the wild Pokemon were around him. It had surprised him to see wild Pokemon act so tame and so gentle unlike what he had read before. His siblings and grandpa had refused to believe him in the beginning only to be flabbergasted later on.

Flashback:

An eight year old Green had heard his Dad chuckle when he had noticed his staring. He had followed his Dad out of boredom and curiosity that day to the mysterious orchard as his classmate liked to call it. The orchard was very vast and had many fruit trees ranging from six different oranges to seven different apples, four different grapes and seven different berries. It was basically what people would call a fruit lover's heaven, the orchard smelt of ripe fruit at the end of each season.

Blue nudged him, "I see, he caught your interest Green. Do you want to say hello?"

Green hesitated a bit, "I don't know Dad.. He looks quite happy playing by himself and the Pokemon."

Blue pushed him forward huffing, "Just go and talk to him kid. It will take some time to finalize the contract anyway. You will be bored out of your mind."

Blue had wanted to make a contract between the Oaks and the Ketchums after noticing the high quality berries and fruits they sold and grew. It would be better to feed the Pokemon the locally grown food than waiting for supplies from outside. Mew knows they got charged with ridiculous amounts everytime they tried to order anything beyond Viridian City. Blue understood delivery service could be very high but for sanity's sake. It was fruit, they were ordering, not gold or diamond or some evolution stones. Green had approached the quiet boy while his Dad had gone inside.

Green cleared his throat catching the boy's attention, "Hi! I'm Green. Do you want to play?"

Red had looked up at Green bewildered and surprised by the greeting. He certainly had not expected the green eyed kid he saw in his class to approach him. Green thought the other boy looked really cute with that confused yet happy expression. The Pokemon were simply watching them before they decided the new human was not a threat to Red. The two were lost in their own world as they observed each other.

Pokemon pov:

Spearow chirped, -Should we let him this close?-

Mankey huffed, -Red does not seem to mind.-

Oddish grumbled, -If he tries to hurt Red we can always shoo him away-

Butterfree gave them a strict look, -He's just a kid, you know?-

Weedle was the sensible one among them, -Why don't we observe them first?-

Venonat agreed with his friend, -Yeah, it would be good for Red to have human friends.-

Pidgey cooed softly, -I agree he does not seem that bad.-

Ditto happily moved, -A friend of Red is our friend too.-

Pokemon pov end!

Red answered unsure and in a soft voice, "I am Red. Nice to meet you and sure, we can."

Green squealed inside, 'Ah! He's really cute. No, stay cool, Green, stat cool. Do not scare him off.'

Green, "That would be awesome Red."

Green had been happy to play with Red and his Pokemon friends. He wanted to ask if he considered going to school but did not. Figured, he kind of understood the appeal for personal tutors, helps in avoiding creeps, annoyances, and weirdos. Red had told him of his baby brother Gold and Ash while Green talked about his baby sister Leaf and Gary. Seeing as they were almost similar in age and Green wanted to ask Red if he was interested in going on a Pokemon journey with him but the two boys were called back inside before Green could ask. Green started visiting Red a lot more after their first meet.

On Green's tenth birthday, Red had given him an egg as a birthday gift. He had said he did not know what Pokemon it was as no Pokemon had claimed it and that it was smaller than normal Pokemon eggs should be. Nonetheless, Green had happily accepted the gift and had taken care of it till it hatched into a tiny little Pidgey. Grandpa had worried about it's size though he confirmed she was really healthy and full of energy and stamina. Green had decided to name her Queen after an incident. Red had sniggered at the name though the little Pidgey had puffed up proudly.

Queen had gone from being a little runt to one of the largest Pidgeot in the region, by the time Green turned twelve. Grandpa Oak had then confirmed Queen no doubt had the T gene short for "Titan gene". It had opened a new door into the research on that area. She became a very famous and popular celebrity among the Professors who were involved in that particular research field. Though Green put his foot down when he noticed Queen's patience with the researchers running thin to the point she was about to peck them.

As for Queen, she was very protective of Green and by extension Red. She took a lot pride in being the strongest flier in the region, capable of carrying Green long distances. She was also a proud mother now with five healthy baby Pidgeys of her own. Her mate was a very stubborn Pidgeot who had stubbornly followed her everywhere till she agreed to give him a chance. What she did not appreciate was him kidnapping one of her trainer's baby chicks and taking care of said child to prove himself.

Flashback end!

Green sweat dropped remembering that ridiculous incident, who knew Pokemon would go so far. Now, here Green was going over to Red's place after returning from their training with Mr Ketchum (call me Uncle), a month ago. Today, they would be starting their Pokemon journeys together as they promised. Their choice of starters may have been highly unusual. Green with his Pidgeot and Red with his Pikachu, Green half wondered if Gold would end up with his own Pikachu, Ash certainly did.

Green shouted with a lot of excitement, "Red! Ready to go!"

Red smiled happily, "Ready as always Green."

Leaf rolled her eyes, "I cannot wait to get away from you two love birds."

Green teased her, "Aww, come on Sis. You cannot ignore us forever. If I had my way, Red would be your brother in law first."

Red flushed then pulled Green, "Stop trying to rile her up so much Green."

Leaf rushed behind Red, "Well I certainly know who my favorite is."

They went together to the lab to register then headed out only to see their younger siblings, their Pokemon and family waiting outside to give the two of them a farewell. The three teens were surprised and touched to see the support from their families. Their younger siblings were even carrying cute banners with them looking adorable. Leaf grinned at them hugging them tight before she was hugged as well.

Gold, "You can do it guys."

Daisy, "Yeah, whatever your dreams are you can fulfill them."

Ash, "Call us when you reach the next town."

Gary, "Yeah we will be waiting for you."

Cypress, "Red, before you go your mom and I have something to say."

Everyone turned to the couple curiously.

Delia, "You're about to have another sibling."

Everyone was quiet first then they started to talk simultaneously. Red's eyes were shining with happiness and wonder as he hugged his mom. Green's mom, Rose finally got everyone calm and turned to the three.

Rose cleared her throat, "Green, Leaf and Red, you have both been working hard and training for this day. Go and make your dreams come true. But more importantly take care of each other like you always have!"

Green smiled at his mom, "We will mom, don't worry."

Red nodded at her then hugged his siblings then his parents kissing them both. He was really happy. This was a good way to start a journey with great news. The two of them left the town together and went forward to achieve their dreams and goals. It was nice knowing, they had their loving friends and family supporting them and waiting for them at home. Leaf went her own way meeting another friend and heading to Cerulean directly. The two boys started their journey through Viridian as was the norm but much to both their father's chagrin things started to happen.

Day one and they came across an ancient temple in the forest between Pallet town and Viridian City. How in sanity's name no one found the temple before was anyone's guess! Their fathers told them, they would deal with it and they left reaching Viridian. After they registered for the League, they headed to Pewter where they had to face Team Rocket. Their mothers almost got heart attacks at the news and were tempted to call them back. But both of them calmed down and thought rationally, it was just one time. Unfortunately that was just the beginning as they had to deal with Team Rocket in every major City.

Gold who had been listening in with his Vulpix was wife eyed with fear. Vulpix understood how he felt and the two decided to train together and find partners who would train with them. Ash and Gary were still ignorant of the dangers of the world luckily and thought training together was fun. Gold was just happy they were getting stronger and hoped no one attacked them. It was not just Team Rocket Red and Green had to deal with but Legendary Pokemon as well who decided they would be fine babysitters. Moltress, Zapdos and Articuno basically left their youngest chicks in their hands.

Both Pidgeots had squawked at that action asking if the three had finally gone insane. But no, they were not insane, rather Team Rocket was after them and the young ones. On hearing the reason, Red and Green had decided to call Leaf to explain the situation to her. Leaf had as expected freaked out on hearing about the situation and questioned them asking if they were alright and if their parents knew. It took a while to calm Leaf down and affirm their parents had been informed of the situation and Leaf sat down looking stressed though calm.

Leaf ran a hand across her face, "Only you, only you. I swear."

Green whined, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Red was begging at this point, "Leaf, please, it's not safe for anyone to carry more than one Legendary. We are not even Champion level yet."

Leaf sighed then smiled, "Don't worry. I am coming to join you. Hey, Liza how about I introduce you to my twin and his boyfriend."

A red haired girl appeared on the video feed, "Oh? Sure, I heard a lot of stories about them after all."

Red smiled at the teen, "Hello, nice to meet you."

Green, "You trust her sis?"

Leaf nodded, "With my life."

Red nodded, "Alright."

Meeting Liza was interesting, she was training to become a Master of the Charizard line as her family was a family of Charizard protectors. She told them about the Charizard temple back in Jhoto and that had both boys interested. As for the Legendary Pokemon, it was decided, Red would take Zapdos, Green would take Articuno and Leaf would take Moltress. Liza was happy to have the fire type with them considering Charizards worshipped the fire Legendary.

Red, "We should visit Jhoto."

Green, "Definitely a future prospect."

Professor Oak meanwhile wheezed as he tried to calm his heart. His grandson, granddaughter and future grandson in law caught three Legendaries. He checked and double checked over and over but nope, it's not a mistake at all. He called his son and Cypress over to tell them of the situation. The two men had gaped before all three made a unanimous decision to keep it a secret. It would be bad if the wrong person found out about it.

Blue groaned, "First the temple, then Team Rocket and now this."

Cypress, "Our kids can't catch a break at all, can they?"

Samuel, "At least they are traveling together now. I was worried."

Chapter Text

Red, Green, Leaf and Liza travelled together through the Kanto region meeting new Pokemon and people. It was mostly Green and Leaf who dealt with people while Red and Liza dealt with the Pokemon. It was a strange thing the gym leaders of Kanto had observed about the four of them, but it worked for them. They met a Pokemon called Mewtwo in the Cerulean caves while training together after collecting all badges and battled him. They had to brainstorm a lot to decide what to do with him after winning.

Mewtwo huffed, -Why can't one of you just capture me and be done with it?-

Red hmmed as he applied some potions on the genetically made Pokemon and their own Pokemon, "Because, you are obviously not a normal Pokemon."

Green nodded, "And once you are registered many people will be interested."

Leaf, "The questionable ones especially. It won't be safe for you."

Liza agreed looking worried, "And if everything you told us is true then dangerous people will definitely come after you."

Mewtwo tched looking away, -Like I care.-

Red pursed his lips, "One of those would be Team Rocket."

Green glared at the floor fingering one of his pokeballs, "They would kill us to get to you."

Mewtwo observed them, -You have enmity with them.-

Red hissed, "They killed my Marowak's mother, when he was still a Cubone."

Marowak nodded, "Maro!"

Green, "They hurt my parents too. Our Dad lost my Uncle when he was still young."

Leaf was sad, "We never got to know him except through the stories he told us. We have quite a grudge against them, a very personal one."

Mewtwo was contemplative, -I see, I guess I am not so alone in this fight after all. You have my condolences for the loss.-

The four teens nodded and after making sure Mewtwo was healed, they decided to give him a heal ball. They explained the heal ball was registered to both Red and Green, therefore making any Pokemon they caught be under both their protection. Also no one would know it's him because heal balls were exclusively for hurt Pokemon and designed to protect privacy. Mewtwo would be completely safe from trackers inside a heal ball, the only people who would know was Nurse Joy and the four of them.

Mewtwo looked at the ball curiously, -So aside from healing, no one would know it's me. I see the pros to this. Very well. I shall be caught by this heal ball.-

Red smiled, "That and you can easily come and go from it. You do not belong to anyone but at the same time no one can capture you either."

Green tapped the ball gently on Mewtwo's head and Mewtwo went inside. Red wondered if Mewtwo would come out but the heal ball's light shown a light red. Mewtwo had already gone to sleep. Liza looked at the health ball incredulously before shaking his head and Leaf gave a chuckle. The four of them continued on with their journey getting all the badges, dealing with Team Rocket and winning the League. Well Green won the League first then Red trained hard then won it from him, impressing Lance. After that however Green trained in Jhoto and came back to defeat Red only for Red to journey through Jhoto and defeat Green again.

Mewtwo had a ball of a time making bets with Leaf, Gary, Gold and Ash. They bet on how long it would take for Red and Green to battle each other and for the title of Champion to change hands again. Mewtwo had become a very adored Pokemon between the Ketchums and the Oaks. He especially enjoyed spending his time going through the vast open field and orchards without fear of being caught. Over time he had hunted down the many bases and brought the living clone Pokemon there. The Pokemon were happy to be away from the horrid labs and settled in either the orchard or the Professor's lab easily.

Delia, "Mewtwo dear, I made cookies for everyone."

Mewtwo waved his tail happily, -Thank you, mama. I really appreciate it.-

Delia smiled softly, "Oh, don't mention it dear. As long as you are happy that's all that matters."

Mewtwo nodded, 'If the scientist had been just as kind, we would have stayed instead of trying to escape.'

Ash saw him and waved, "Mewtwo over here."

Gary grinned, "Come join us."

Mewtwo, "Coming little cubs."

Lance and the Kanto elite four were however not amused one bit. Before it took three months for the Championship titles to change hands between Red and Green. Now, it took only half a bloody month. Why weren't they amused? Well, changing the Championship created a lot of horrible unending paperwork. Paperwork they had to do by themselves as both Red and Green were unfortunately still under age. On top of that, no underaged child had ever made it as Champion so according to the labor laws, they could not do any official work legally. Lance had it after a year of too much paperwork from hell and called them for a meeting.

Lance, "Do you hate us?"

Red blinked, "No? Not at all. You are not Team Rocket."

Bruno tried not to pull his hair out, "Then why?"

Green tilted his head, "Why what?"

Lorelei wanted to scream but stifled it, "You seem keen on creating a lot of paperwork for us."

Red looked confused, "How? We have not run into Team Rocket yet, nor have we run into any poachers, the last few days."

Agatha sighed feeling exhausted for once, "The last few days perhaps but that's not what this meeting is about boys. Let's see, busting Team Rocket's hide outs the last few months not days, but months ago. We are still cleaning that up."

Red scowled, "They were asking for it."

Green nodded, "They were experimenting on Pokemon. Who are now safe in Gramps and Ketchums sanctuary."

Lance grumbled, "We know, we had to clear up a lot of paperwork last year and still are clearing them this year."

Bruno, "The poachers you keep running into, which worries us a lot over your safety."

Red shrugged, "Bad place and bad timing?"

Lorelei's left eyebrow twitched, 'For you or them?'

Green, "We are not the ones going to look for them."

Lorelei, "More than that, you changing Championship titles so easily between one another."

Agatha, "It is creating a lot of paperwork and the other regions Champions are questioning us on, pardon my language. 'What the fuck is going on with our Champion?', so we came to a decision."

Lance, "You will be Kanto's first double Champion holders."

Green was skeptical, "Is that even possible?"

Lance was adamant on this matter, "We said so, so it is."

Red looked at them then shrugged, "Fine by me but I wanted to visit Hoenn."

Green, "And I want to visit Kalos, I heard about their mega evolution."

Lance gave a nod and they moved on to different topics and the two were instructed on the dos and don'ts. Red half wondered why he even bothered with being a Champion after leaving the Kanto League hall. They had to follow so many rules and etiquette now. Green traded glances with him before they both sighed in unison. At least, they can enjoy traveling to other regions Champion style.

Green, "Let's go have a long date."

Red blinked, "Sure! We will be traveling to two different regions next week. We can make it a date week, like Leaf likes to call it."

Green, "She is very smug after getting together with Trino."

Red, "Well Trino is not so bad and good at what he does."

Green, "That's true."

Green and Red flew on Pidgeot to a famous restaurant in Celadon City. Pidgeot truly had come very far when it came to strength, she could carry both of them now. And she was very smug about that little fact and lorded it over every flying type. It was very endearing and hilarious to watch her taunt and tease other Pokemon to train harder. They ordered the special lunch menu for trainers and Pokemon.

Green, "There's a contest going on today in the evening. How about we go there to watch?"

Red, "Sounds fun. I remember Daisy's contests. They were amazing."

Green nodded smiling and they left after paying the bill, they had talked about everything and nothing. They even had a good laugh over how they had frustrated Lance and the Elite four. It was a prank idea they had come up with as kids before they became trainers. Only to realize they could actually make it a real prank after becoming Champions. Their Pokemon were very amused by it especially Mewtwo and the clone Pokemon with him.

Mewtwo, -They should be careful all the same.-

Red's Espeon nodded, -Yes, they are still the Elite Four.-

Green's Alakazam, -We can keep an eye on them.-

Pikachu chuckled, -Let them have fun.-

Pidgeot, -Yes, we can deal with them.-

They were wary of humans who were in charge or were in a high level of authority. So, watching two human cubs frustrate them had been hilarious. The clone Pokemon adored them a lot and would pout when they left. But the two had promised to show them around the regions after going there. So now here Mewtwo was enjoying the trip to Kalos, though he could do without the staring. Little Mairin while adorable was a tad too energetic for his tastes.

When Gold had heard about them going to Hoenn and later Kalos he had become very excited himself. Gold had started his own Pokemon journey a few years ago and he had focused on Jhoto instead of Kanto. Green and Red looked like they were having fun driving Lance up the wall anyway. His three friends, Brock, Silver and Crystal had watched it with wide eyes. Lance seeing them had ordered them to not even think about it.

The four of them had raised their hands, saying Gold was the only one interested in being a Champion. Silver was more interested in becoming a Pokemon Ranger while Crystal was focused on becoming Jhoto's number one Master Coordinator. Brock was too focused on her studies to become a Pokemon Doctor like Doctor Abby from the Hoenn region. Brock was determined to become Kanto -Jhoto region's very first Pokemon Doctor and the Nurse Joys encouraged him.

Red and Green travelled through Hoenn meeting Wallace and Steven who were another couple like them. Wallace was very excited to meet them and ask them about what was happening in Kanto. Steven had to stifle his laughter Wallace was actually dying to ask about the Champion titles incident. When Red and Green confirmed what happened Wallace had spent a good amount of time laughing his heart out. Steven shook his head at his husband as he called the other Champions about winning the bet.

Green rolled his eyes, "It was just a bit of competition which went out of hand a little bit."

Red, "It was one of the ways we let out steam after having to deal with Team Rocket. We almost rounded all the known locations anyway."

Wallace calmed down, "I see, that's good to hear."

Steven, "We are still dealing with Team Magma and Team Aqua's shenanigans."

Red frowned, "We heard of them. Do you require assistance?"

Green nodded, "We do not mind helping."

Wallace grinned, "Thank you for the offer."

Steven, "Hopefully we can deal with them without any casualties. So far there have mostly been squabbles over territory."

Wallace sighed, "They cause inconvenience for us more than anything else."

Green, "So like out of control turf wars?"

Red, "That's got to be exhausting to deal with."

Steven, "Understatement of the century."

The rest of the meeting went by peacefully, luckily enough and the two couples parted ways with new numbers. The rest of the their stay in Hoenn was peaceful but on the last day they had to deal with Team Aqua and Magma. It had mortified Wallace to learn their guest were the targets because they had Zapdos and Articuno with them. Green had straight up told them not to blame himself but Wallace and Steven felt very guilty as well and offered to pay for the ride to the Kalos region. Seeing how stubborn they were being Red and Green agreed to it and headed to Kalos region.

Chapter Text

Kalos was a very interesting place in Red's opinion, with the show cases and gym runs though Pokemon contests were still a new concept. Green was more interested in the mega evolution that Professor Sycamore was researching about. Red had to admit the idea of bonding with Pokemon and helping them reach a stronger form was fascinating and out of story books. His Charizard was fascinated by the mega evolutions and wanted it.

Green, "Venasaur is very interested in finding a mega stone."

Red, "Charizard too, though Pidgeot and Pikachu are not interested."

Green, "Not surprising there considering they take a lot of pride in being bonded to us without any item."

Red chuckled as they enjoyed the calm environment of Laverre City. The City was known for it's Fairy type gym and it's many club houses which were scattered across the City. The club houses were one of the main tourist attractions which brought in money for the City. Green even enjoyed going to some of them, they were really sweet and classy. He had worried the members might have been uptight but that was not the case.

Red, "I hear Alain is going to challenge Diantha soon."

Green, "Oh ho! The kid with the scarf?"

Red nodded, "He wants to do a mastery in mega evolution. A very difficult route considering the lack of information on it."

Green, "Yes, but then again most worth while goals definitely are difficult."

Red, "Do you think we could watch his battle before returning home?"

Green, "Most definitely, we could even act as witness to the while thing. As we are ex - Champion's and all."

Red laughed and a few days later they were both watching the fight for the title between Alain and Kalos star Diantha. Her co - Champion Yvonne was currently working with the Rangers who were dealing with poachers. Red was very impressed by the mega evolutions young Alain especially the mega Charizard and mega Metagross. It was impressive he mastered two mega evolutions. Green remembered when they ran into Alain, the dark haired teen was surprised to see them in Kalos.

But the surprise soon faded into excitement as he requested a challenge. Red was amused by the politeness but agreed to the challenge witnessing Charizard's mega evolution for the first time. It was apparently Charizard's first time using the form and it was obvious they needed more training. Alain wanted their perspective however on how to go about it as Red was a fellow Charizard trainer and Champion. Alain had stuck around them after that meeting Mewtwo as well. The genetic Pokemon curious about the evolution.

Alain and Mewtwo had hit it off talking about mega evolution and what they knew about it currently. Mega stones were difficult to find and not easily accessible to everyone. So, it made the study difficult but Alain was stubborn and determined. He was also down to his final Pokemon against Diantha's final Pokemon. Green and Red watched with excitement as mega Charizard and mega Gardevoir fought. It was a very close battle and Alain won by a mere whisker.

They congratulated Alain and acted as witnesses before returning to Kanto. They were just in time for Ash and Gary to start their own journey with their Pokemon. The two were tempted to follow them but the Professor talked them out of it. But soon enough they almost got a heart attack when they got a call from them the next morning recalling what they went through. First a flock of Spearrow attacked, then a Gyarados and finally Team bloody Rocket!

Red was furious hearing the last one but Gary assured them they were safe. Not to forget they had help from Misty who had stayed the night at Viridian. Green however told them to get to the gym, he wanted to check on them himself and share proper breakfast. The teens perked up at the thought of home made food and readily agreed. Red was thankful to Green and when Ash entered through the door glomped him hard. Misty was gaping at them while Green and Red checked then over.

She had heard they were protective but did not realize just how much. It was sweet and funny in a way to watch her new friends try to calm their older siblings down. She then realized she had not called her sisters yet and winced, they no doubt heard the news already. On seeing her wince Green gave her a look and pointed at the phone near the door. Misty called her older sisters to tell them she would be leaving Viridian after breakfast. Her sisters were shouting over the phone asking if she was alright.

Misty, "I am fine. I was not alone. I swear."

Red, "How about we make breakfast while she talks?"

Green, "I am making my mixed scrambled eggs."

Gary, "Yes, I missed eating it."

Ash, "We could make our special berry sandwich."

Green, "I am just happy you are safe."

Gary, "Look on the bright side, I caught a Fearrow. Are there any beginners who can claim they caught a Fearrow?"

Red huffed at the smug look which was adorable in his opinion and got to work. The breakfast was a peaceful affair with Misty joining them. Red asked their plan was and Gary wanted to try his hand at contests like Daisy did while Ash was hitting the Gyms. Misty said she wanted to be a Water Pokemon Master but was unsure how to go about it. Green suggested two ways, she tackled the Gyms or contests using only water Pokemon or write a good thesis on a water Pokemon. Misty bit her lip saying she would think about it and the three soon left after breakfast.

Red watched them go, "I am worried."

Green, "You are not the only one. Team Rocket on the first day. That's got to be a record of some kind."

Pikachu cooed, -Should we follow them?-

Pidgeot, -If they don't call once a week, yes we are stal... Ahem! We are guiding them.-

Espeon drawled, -Guiding, of course.-

Red, "I need to get to work."

Green, "Of course, my darling Ranger."

The rest of their sibling's journey was no less mind boggling or heart attack inducing. Team Rocket in Viridian forest? Red had taken it upon himself to comb the forest inch by inch. At least Misty was slowly getting over her phobia thanks to Ash and Gary's suggestion. She cannot be a water type Master if she got scared of the bug water dual type. They had gone in search of the large Viridian forest river and searched around till they found a Surskit.

Misty had been scared at first but slowly started to get to know Surskit. She admitted she was one of the most adorable Pokemon she had met in her life. Ash and Gary grinned and told her she could get an Ever stone to keep Surskit water bug type as the evolved form was not water type. Misty nodded in agreement but told Surskit in a serious tone, she could remove the stone anytime she wanted to evolve. Surskit cooed and agreed to do that and after a few more misadventures they had left the forest.

Pewter City was a sight for sore eyes and they rushed to get rooms at the Pokemon center. While there Gary sighed up for the contest while Ash booked a slot for gym battle. They spent the days till contest and gym battle training and learning new moves. Misty was smitten by the performance act Jewel would be giving in the first round. The second round would be Fearrow's time to shine, Gary had named him, Spirit as he had a strong fighting spirit. His Mankey, named Ace was training as well, he was not interested in any sort of performances but loved battling.

Ash so far who had Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto and Beedrill was wondering who to use in the battle. His four Pokemon were working very hard and Misty had made a decision as well. She would be challenging the gyms using a water Pokemon team but she would need more. So far she had Staryu, Starmie, Goldeen and Surskit, while the first two Gyms, she could deal with the third gym. Ash nodded, the third one would be hard, Vermilion City was electric type gym and Celadon too, grass type.

Gary mentioned catching a Lotad who was water and grass type or a Chinchou who is a water and electric type might work. Misty bit her lip, those were not easy to find in Kanto, as they were mostly from other region. She was lucky enough to meet Surskit in Viridian forest, she was not counting on it working a second time. Ash then called Red about the predicament and the older man suggested the online trade center. Misty looked dismayed however, she didn't have any Pokemon that she could trade with.

Gary, "Hey, I have a suggestion."

Misty, "I am open to ideas."

Gary, "Why not challenge Brock for now? Who knows, maybe we will get an idea while battling."

Ash, "Yeah, besides Vermilion City and Celadon City are way in the future. So don't worry about it yet."

Misty took a deep breath and let it out, "Yeah, you are right, focus on now first."

Ash battled Brock first and used Pikachu who defeated Geodude with a powerful iron tail to the face. Ash winced hearing the clanging slap coming from it and Brock changed to Onix. Ash returned Pikachu and called Butterfree to fight and the clever bug type put Onix into a deep sleep. Ash, Misty and Gary gaped at the overpowered move while Butterfree looked very smug about himself. Brock could not help but chuckle to himself, despite the loss, seeing their shocked expression.

Brock, "I am guessing that's not what it was supposed to do."

Ash, "No, no, I mean yes, that's exactly what we practiced. I just did not expect it to be so potent."

Gary, "Ash was helping me come up with moves for my contest performance. That was a move Butterfree came up with."

Misty, "I like it. It is pretty and powerful."

Brock smiled at them as they started to chat about the move discussing it's pros and cons while Ash fretted over Butterfree. He cleared his throat and gave Ash his first badge, laughing internally when the dark haired teen flushed pink. He had forgotten about the badge in his worry for Butterfree, yeah he was a good kid alright. Next was Misty's battle and with her water Pokemon she had the type advantage. But this was a gym battle so she had to strategize a bit as well to win the badge.

Gary's performance was next and everything went well with Jewel using her water atackd to charm everyone. Ash and Misty were cheering them on the loudest among the audience as they went to the second round. Misty muttered one of the contestants looked very familiar but couldn't explain why. The second round were fighting rounds and Spirit dominated that round showing off his powerful moves and being majestic about it.

It had been difficult to make Fearrow listen to him but Gary was stubborn as well and refused to give up. Fearrow did eventually come around after a lot of calming baths, massages and food. But he still had his instances of being stubborn during training. Suffice to say Gary won his first ribbon thanks to Fearrow being a natural proud bird who loved showing off a lot. The judges praised both him and Fearrow for their performance though Gary admitted it was like he was following Fearrow's lead.

And then Team Rocket attacked again trying to steal the ribbon which pissed Fearrow off. With Pikachu's thunder and Starmie's hydro pump they defeated them. Their siblings were not happy to hear about what happened and Green was very annoyed by the trio who seemed to cause trouble again and again. But for some unexplainable reason they were unable to catch those three at all. It frustrated both him and Red, they were obviously more dangerous than they let on.

Chapter Text

Pikachu grumbled under his breadth, -Bloody Team Rocket, can't enjoy a day off.-

Jewel heard him anyway, -Yeah, they are so persistent, it's more annoying than scary now.-

Starmie spoke in a way that made them seem like they were scowling, -Wish they would stop bothering our trainers.-

Onix was looking very worried, -Is this normal?-

The group had agreed to relax after the contest fiasco and after that there was the family drama between Brock and Flint. The older teen almost an adult was now joining them in the journey through Kanto. He wanted to become a breeder apparently which was not a bad goal all things considered. In order to get to know each other better they had agreed to meet up at Pewter City's famous museum. They could check the place out and then leave after having lunch together only for the plan to backfire.

Misty huffed angrily, "We are not even back on the road and I am already exhausted."

Gary looked tired as well, "You can thank Team Rocket for that."

Ash complained, "I swear, they are stalking us at this point."

Brock was alarmed, "You dealt with them before."

They nodded feeling very tired of the criminal group already, once was an accident, twice a coincidence but three times was a pattern. Ash was about to say something else but then saw something by the river side. He became very excited and grabbed Misty telling her to hurry as she ran after him surprised. Misty was asking him what the big deal was and Ash shushed her pointing at a rock.

Ash, "Look, look, Misty, that's a Corsula."

Gary approached them and asked quietly, "What? Where?"

Misty bit back a squeal on seeing the pink Pokemon, "Oh Mew! I see it, so adorable."

Brock, "You going to catch it?"

Ash looked at her seriously, "You must catch it Misty. Corsulas are rock and water types. Perfect for you to battle Surge with."

Misty's eyes widened realizing Ash was right about Corsula's typing. It would even the playing field for her against Surge and it was rock and water type. It was perfect for her and she went to catch Corsula, but the little guy was a tough one. He would not give in without a fight but Misty was just as stubborn and did not give up.

Misty, "I did it. I have a Corsula."

Brock, "Congratulations Misty."

Ash, "Yeah, one step closer to getting the Vermilion badge."

Gary, "Remember to train Corsula how to ground himself properly against electric attacks."

Misty nodded, "Thank you and I will."

Ash grinned, "You know, the Corsula from Galar are ghost types. Maybe if you find another Corsula you could trade it for one."

Misty stared at him eyes wide, "Seriously? You are not pulling my leg?"

Gary, "No, he is not. Here, my sister traded one of her Corsula for a Galarian one."

Brock looked at the picture Gary showed them on his phone, "That is one cool looking ghost Pokemon."

Misty had stars in her eyes, "Oh definitely! I am definitely having one of those in my team."

Ash, "Come on guys I see Mt Moon. I want to see if I can get a few Ever stones."

Fearrow who had not taken well to Team Rocket attacking his trainer earlier was flying right above them. He did not like the thought of that foolish trio or a criminal team trying to one up his trainer. Gary was his trainer now and therefore under his protective wing whether he wanted to admit it or not. Jewel smiled at Fearrow, she had evolved into a Wartotle after the contest and wore the Ever stone again not wishing to evolve so soon. Gary nodded, it was always better to master moves and get comfortable in the new body before evolving again.

Red heard his phone ring, "Hello Ash, how are.... "

Ash, "Red, please help."

Red sat up alarmed, "What's wrong?"

The other Gym leaders who were at the moment discussing Flint rejoining them as a Gym leader looked at him. Red's expression turned from worry to furious to completely blank face as he got up and ordered the Gym leaders to prepare for battle. That got everyone's attention and many questions which Red answered as they got their Pokemon ready. According to Ash, a Team Rocket cell had killed the two Rangers in charge of Mt Moon and were holding trainers and Pokemon hostage.

Erika frowned worried, "Little Rose stopped calling home a few days ago. Do you think?"

Red, "It is possible. Get ready to teleport. Sabrina?"

Sabrina, "We will teleport in count of three, three two one."

When the Gym leaders opened their eyes next they were outside Mt Moon and decided to break up into two groups. Green, Sabrina, Blaine and Erika would enter through one of the caves above. Meanwhile Red along with Flint, Daisy, Surge and Koga would enter from the normal route to see what was happening. They quietly moved around the tunnels noticing how the Pokemon avoided them and the bloody bright lights. That was not normal no matter what, Sabrina, Erika and Daisy made a unanimous decision to destroy the lights.

When they found Ash and the group they were already in the middle of a stand down. The four of them standing between the hurt trainers and the Rocket members. Sabrina winced on getting the smell of decay from the Ranger's bodies. How long have they been dead? They would get the answers later, right now they had to deal with the Rockets and their leader Proton. Proton was surprised to see them but then grinned looking between the siblings like he received an early Christmas. His grin faded when he realized he was out numbered and decided to cut his losses.

Proton cooed, "This is not over yet, kiddos, I will be back. Next time however, you will be mine."

Gary blanched, "What does that mean?"

Misty shivered, "I don't know but I don't want to find out."

Daisy, "Misty! Oh thank Mew you are alright."

Red, "Ash, are you okay?"

Ash, "We are fine. The Rangers."

Surge, "We will get them home, give them a proper funeral. What about the rest of you, are you all alright?"

A green haired trainer, "Yeah, could we attend the funeral, please? The Rangers lost their lives protecting this place. I am Drew."

A red haired teen, "What he said. I am Solidad, thank you for coming to help us."

Erika, "How about we all go? This place will be shut down for a while till the investigation is completed."

A purple haired trainer grunted, "I need to treat my Pokemon."

Koga, "Of course young man and your left eye too. What happened?"

Solidad, "One of them punched Paul when he ordered his Metagross to take his poke egg and teleport outside."

Paul, "I need to check up on him."

They stayed at one of the Ranger camps closer to Cerulean City and Nurse Joy helped the trainers. The other Rangers were noticeably very furious to hear about what happened to their fellow Rangers. They pushed for more Rangers to be situated around Mt Moon as it was a large mountain range. Red and the others whole heartedly supported it and many green Rangers were chosen to patrol and protect the mountain together. Ash was eyeing the Rangers as they patrolled together and had written Ranger duty down as one of the possible jobs in the future.

After a lot of reassurances Ash and Gary finally escaped their brother's clutches and headed towards Cerulean. It was a source of great amusement for their friends, even Paul had snorted in laughter. The purple haired teen mostly stayed by himself and his Pokemon though he answered when asked about what happened. He was heading towards Saffron City using a short cut through Mt Moon when he was ambushed by Team Rocket. His brother Reggie had been notified and the two had talked for a while before Paul left.

Following Paul, Drew and Solidad thanked them for their help and left in opposite directions as well promising to attend the funeral. Now, they were at Cerulean and Misty was getting a hug attack by her older sisters. Gary, Ash and Brock snickered quietly under their breaths watching the whole thing. Misty then explained she and Ash would be challenging the Gym after Gary's contest. That caught Violet's attention, while Lily was more interested in being a model and Daisy in Gym battles, she was interested in the Pokemon contest. She even let slip she would be the judge as a previous Master Coordinator she had the qualifications.

Gary, "I am very excited. This will be fun."

Ash, "Yeah, not to forget it'll be your Clefairy's first time taking part in the contest."

Brock, "What are you naming her?"

Misty, "I am curious too."

Gary smiled, "We thought about it and decided on Luna. Since we met at Mt Moon."

Luna nodded, -I have heard about the contest a lot. I can't wait.-

Ash, "You are lucky Clefairy started to follow you. We would not have a new Pokemon with us otherwise."

Brock, "Especially with Team Rocket causing so much trouble."

Misty muttered, "Understatement of the decade."

Green and Red were both tuned in for the contest as Gary performed on a water stage. It was a surprise element round and he passed the first round by the skin of his teeth. Green had released his breath on seeing Gary as the fourth one, to move on to the next round. Red held his hand in comfort understanding what he was feeling at the moment. The semi final rounds went by without any problems till it was only Gary facing a man who went by Harley.

Harley was an interesting character in Ash's opinion, very dramatic and also very opinionated. He had seen them go through a heavy battle training and had asked Gary why he was doing that. Pokemon contests were about control and sophistication not a brawl. The four of them had looked at each other and decided to be honest with the green clad man explaining their run in with Team Rocket on the first day. Then in the forest and finally at Mt Moon which had made the news as two Rangers had died.

Harley had listened to them before his eyes became filled with fury despite his bright smile. That was one terrifying combination to look at in Misty's opinion and she pitied anyone who made him angry. Nah! Those jerks probably deserved it. Either way since Gary had more experience in battling he and Ace won the ribbon from the Cerulean contest. Brock, Ash and Misty cheered loudly as the winner was announced and then left for their Gym battle. Gary headed to the center first and then left for the Gym just in time for Ash's battle.

Misty had won her badge and was smiling smugly while Ash fought using his Pokemon. Ash won despite not using Pikachu who sulked at not being picked but understood other Pokemon needed a chance to battle as well. He and Butterfree already fought at Pewter City, now it was Pidgeotto and Beedrill's turn to battle for a badge. Ash won the matches against Lily's Seal and Psyduck getting his second badge as well. Misty's siblings insisted they stay with them for another night and leave in the morning.

What the four did not know was the Gym leaders along with the ex Champions had learned there were many groups consisting of admins from Team Rocket popping up. The most infuriating thing for Red, Green the triplets was the fact that Team Rocket wanted their siblings to join them. They were planning on brain washing, erasing their memories and then teaching them to become loyal to Team Rocket only. With Flint's help they found three more hidden bases between Cerulean and Pewter which truly made them furious.

Mewtwo was the least amused among them, especially when he found the plans for two more Mewtwo to be created in one of the bases. Red and the other older siblings had blanched on seeing the starting process, two of the base items used were a living human and Mew's DNA. Red, Green Daily, Lily and Violet had nightmares of Team Rocket strapping their siblings down and turning them into Mewtwo. Mewtwo had also explained about the experiments done on him to make him the perfect Pokemon. That did not help with the nightmares so excuse the three sisters for wanting to keep Misty with them a little longer.

Green, "Are you alright?"

Red shook his head, "Why are they reappearing again? I thought Team Rocket was finished."

Green, "I don't know. All I know is I will do everything it takes to keep my baby brother safe."

Red nodded, "Yes, both of us will."

Chapter Text

Ash hummed as he looked over the Pokemon village, "It sure is very peaceful here. I can't believe how many trainers abandoned their Pokemon."

Brock sighed, "It's more common than you think."

Gary scowled, "People like that should never have become trainers. Is Misty still trying to get the name of the trainer who abandoned Chinchou?"

Ash nodded looking sad, "Yeah, she is very pissed and trying to figure it out. Since Chinchou is not from this region it will be easier to contact the Gym leaders from other regions to catch the trainer. Any news on Bulbasaur's trainer?"

Gary rubbed his face, "Gramps is on it. He was not amused you know? The Bulbasaurs are a very rare Kanto line. The fact that this little guy was treated so poorly really pissed him, Koga and Erika off."

Brock had an understanding look, "She is Kanto's Grass type Master, while Koga is the Poison type Master. Of course, they would be very furious. They are basically looking down on grass and poison types which is their specialty."

Bulbasaur was eyeing the group of four trainers as they helped around the village. Melanie was filling up a form to appeal to the Pokemon League to turn the Pokemon village into a full - fledged sanctuary. Gary had helped her find the form online and now she was filling it up. Then, it happened again ,Team Rocket attacked and they had to fight them off once again. It was really annoying at that point. On the bright side, Red and Green approved the request and sent Rangers to help Melanie, plus Chinchou and Bulbasaur decided to join Misty and Gary.

Gary had then informed Bulbasaur about the Pokemon contests and the grass type was very interested in it. Chinchou on the other hand was touched by the effort Misty put in, to catch her bitch of a trainer. On the way they came across a Charmander who they realized with a deep sunken feeling d been abandoned. Ash had managed to convince the little guy with Bulbasaur's help to go to the Centre for a check up at least and the little fire lizard agreed to join them for dinner. Ash promised to bring the fire type back to the rock after dinner so he could wait for his trainer with a full stomach.

Charmander was being held by the warm boy who was gently cleaning him up. It felt so nice, Damien never bothered to clean him or feed him properly, Charmander decided to stop thinking and enjoy himself. He was just going to eat and then meet up with Damien again, only for his hopes to be crushed horribly. There was Damien with his group of friends and Damien was talking about how he got rid of his Charmander, him! Charmander started to tear up and felt himself passed off to Nurse Joy who was trying to comfort him. Then he heard Ash shout at his trainer with everyone looking at him with mouths open.

Charmander watched with awe as Ash jumped on his trainer and punched him three times making his trainer go down. Gary and Brock pulled him off and assured Ash they had called the Officers to get Damien arrested. Damien was cursing Ash out but Misty slapped him then and told him she got everything in her voice recorder. When Officer Jenny arrived Misty played the recorder and Damien paled and when Nurse Joy showed the health results, it was all over for Damien. Charmander was watching quietly as his ex - trainer now was taken away in hand cuffs.

Ash called, "Don't run too far Charmander, remember you are still recovering."

Charmander, -Yes, I won't.-

Misty, "You too Corsula. I know you are a rock type but you have water typing too."

Corsula, -I will be careful.-

Gary, "Don't worry I am sure Bulbasaur will keep them safe."

Brock, "Geodude as well."

Ash, "Yeah, I just worry."

"CHAR!"

"COR!"

"SAUR!"

Ash and the others rushed to check on their Pokemon who had fallen into a hole and looked around warily. They were worried that Team Rocket was around, and started to look around while helping the Pokemon out. They saw a group of Squirtles laughing at them and Charmander recognized one of them. The youngest Squirtle had been with him before she was also abandoned by Damien. The young Squirtle was surprised to see him and apologized to them, they thought the group was more of Damien's posies. Charmander shook his head and told her what happened to their ex - trainer.

Gary, "Will he be alright?"

Ash, "They seem to know each other."

As Misty was about to comment they heard a familiar motto that made the four of them dead pan in annoyance. They looked up as Jessie and James attempted to capture the Squirtle Squad. But Ash and Gary who were already really annoyed with learning the Squirtles had been abandoned as well shouted at them. They did not hold back and ordered their Pokemon to attack the balloon and watched as Team Rocket blasted off again. Brock swears up and down those three were not normal at all.

Ash, "I really can't bring myself to care about them. Squirtles I want you to give the names of your trainers to Jewel over here."

Gary nodded, "We will deal with those assholes."

Jewel, -Do you remember their names and faces?-

The Squirtle Squad looked at the group blinking at the Wartotle who was waiting patiently and told them they already arrested Damien. Then Officer Jenny arrived just as they sat down for a lunch break by a small stream. She was surprised to see them getting along and rightly suspicious of them all but after explaining the situation to the Officer she decided to offer her help. She had heard from one of her younger sisters about the trainer who was arrested a few days ago. If they could find the trainers who abandoned the Squirtles it would be good.

Gary, "We need a name for you, buddy."

Bulbasaur, -Really?-

Jewel, -We all have names.-

Bulbasaur, -Fine.-

Gary, "Hmm, how about Linden?"

Bulbasaur, -Why that?-

Gary, "The Linden tree symbolizes unity and justice. You united the Pokemon at the village and after we met you we served justice to Damien."

Brock, "That's one deep meaning."

Bulbasaur nodded, -I like it.-

Misty, "Guess he likes it."

Squirtle, -Wait for me.-

Charmander perked up, -Squirtle, are you joining us?-

Squirtle, -I thought about it and yes, also …-

Pikachu, -Also?-

Squirtle looked at the fire lizard then blushed, -I missed my friend.-

Ash, "Do you want to join us girl?"

Squirtle nodded, -Yes, please yes.-

Ash took out a pokeball, "Welcome to the team Squirtle."

Jewel cheered, -I am not the only shell Pokemon anymore.-

Charmander and Squirtle started to chatter among themselves and tell each other their stories and experiences. Ash watched them with a sad smile, he wished they did not have to go through what they did at Damien's hands. The group did not have to ask to know what he was thinking, they were all thinking about it after all. The group talked among themselves about what to do next and decided to head to Vermillion City to talk to Surge. While Surge may be a brute of a battler, it was also well known he had a Mastery in Pokemon psychology.

Their siblings had whole heartedly agreed with their plan and encouraged them. So, they rushed towards Vermillion City though on the way they dropped by Red's friend, Bill's lighthouse. There Brock and Bill became really close over their interest in breeding and Bill even offered his help in catching the irresponsible trainers. Apparently the Squirtle that Damien received was one of his own Blastoise's pods. The man was not at all happy to see how his starter's baby had just been abandoned in the middle of nowhere. Ash gave him a full detail on what happened and where Damien was being held.

If Bill had an unholy gleam in his eyes, they did not confirm or deny, not to forget, Damien deserved the hell coming his way. Before they left the next morning, Bill did give Brock a poke egg, since he wanted to become a breeder. One of the biggest responsibilities of a breeder is to help a poke egg hatch and Bill thought it would be good for Brock to learn while on his journey through Kanto. The young adult thanked Bill profusely and promised to take care of the poke egg. After a few more days of traveling and camping they reached Vermillion City which was a sight for sore eyes.

They scheduled a meeting with Surge and went to the Gym in the evening after cleaning up and having a very hearty lunch. To say Surge was not happy to learn about idiotic grown babies, Surge's words, abandoning their Pokemon was an understatement. He was a soldier first and Gym Leader second. He had decided to go over Damien's case himself as the court date was on the same day the SS Anne was sailing. It would give him an excuse to get out of the stuffy celebration as well and if he had the book thrown at Damien well no one had to know about the strings he had pulled.

As for the three Pokemon, Surge had them and their trainers go through different exercises. The results were hopeful, the kids had done well in taking care of the Pokemon but he advised them to always talk with Nurse Joy or with him or Erika. The grass type Gym leader was also studying Pokemon psychology and could give them advice. Misty, Gary and Ash thanked Surge for his help and proceeded to book their battles for the next day. Unlike most Gyms, Surge preferred to have one on one battles with his challengers. He followed the rule, of giving the trainers one chance to prove themselves.

Of course, the trainers were allowed to re-challenge the Gym but the amount of time they had to wait was increased with each failure. It was funny because there was this one challenger who had to wait for ten years in order to challenge the Gym again. Ash snickered just thinking about it, he swears it was Red's idea to add that condition. The first battle was between Ash and Surge, Pikachu wanted to test his mettle against Surge's Raichu who was amused by the little one's spunk. The battle went with Pikachu using his speed against Raichu who was slower. Of course, Ash did not hold it against Raichu, Red had told him the story once.

Raichu had evolved himself to protect Surge once Team Rocket found out he was a spy. If anything they respected Raichu a lot and gave it their best using an iron tail and brick break to land the final blow. The second battle was between Misty and Surge and just like planned she fought against Surge's Jolteon using Corsula. She and Corsula had trained hard with Ash to increase Corsula's immunity against electric attacks. The training had paid off when Corsula grounded himself from the thunder attack getting a surprised look from Surge. Of course, Surge had other attacks up his sleeve and did not give in easily. Misty gave it her all to win the Vermillion badge which she did by the skin of her teeth.

Surge, "Not bad, kiddo, not bad at all."

Misty, "Thank you."

Surge, "I look forward to having another type specialist among us. I am afraid not everyone is cut out to dedicate themselves to becoming an elemental Master."

Brock, "Many get frustrated because of the type weaknesses and quit."

Surge nodded, "Yes, most water type trainers quit after losing to Erika or me. But I see you prepared yourself for our Gyms. Be proud of yourself."

Misty blushed, "I am going to do my best. I want to take over the Cerulean Gym after all."

Surge, "I will be happy to welcome you as a Gym leader, kid. We need more serious specialists like you around. Your sisters may be running the Gym but it is obvious they are interested in Pokemon performance more. There is nothing wrong with it of course."

Gary and the other congratulated Misty on her win. Their siblings were very proud of them as well and Green informed them about SS Anne. Gary got interested after Green told him about the Pokemon contest being held on board the luxury ship. Misty, Ash and Brock encouraged Gary to take part in it but the problem was the price of the tickets. It was too pricey and it didn't seem like a possible venture till two girls approached them. They gave them four tickets which were apparently meant for themselves and their boyfriends but their boyfriends had work and could not attend. So, they were now giving the tickets away.

Gary took the tickets, "I hope these are legit."

Brock, "You worried this is a scam."

Ash, "You would be amazed by the lengths some people will go to sabotage others."

Misty eyed the tickets, "We can get them verified at the clerk counter."

Gary nodded, "Yeah, if it's legit we can enjoy the ride. If not, we can report this incident."

Chapter Text

Gary eyed the tickets in his hands, "Guess these are legit tickets."

Ash smiled, "That's a good thing right."

Misty was excited, "We can support you as well."

Brock nodded, "And meet new people."

Misty twitched in annoyance and started to lecture Brock on not being a pervert while Gary and Ash chuckled at their antics. Ash wonders if Brock just enjoys riling Misty up, he does not actually go beyond flirting or holding someone's hand. But even then, he will wait to be comfortable with the women or girls his age before touching their hands and flirting openly with them. Ash was pretty sure by now, the young adult just enjoys trolling the pony tailed girl. He did mention at one point about how Misty reminded him a lot about Cindy, his youngest sister. The only difference being Cindy was passionate about ghost type Pokemon while Misty was about Water Pokemon.

Gary in the meantime started to prepare for the contest which would take place the next day on board. Gary was determined to win the contest, one of the prizes for the first runner up was a mystery poke egg. He was not losing a poke egg to anyone else, not to forget the poke egg would become his sixth member. Gary would not admit it but watching Brock take care of his poke egg reminded him of the time he took care of Jewel before her birth. Ash and Misty helped him with the battle portion by taking turns battling him and keeping him on his toes. But the first portion he would have to deal with it by himself, he was pretty confident though.

The announcer greeted them, "Good morning and welcome everyone to the Battleship SS Anne's second Pokemon contest. Are you ready?"

Gary sweat dropped, "So many people."

Linden, -Yeah.-

Gary, "Are you excited?"

Linden, -I will admit it is different from Gym battles and Pokemon battles so yes.-

Gary had thought a lot about whom to use and decided that Linden would be the one to start off the first round. After Linden, it would be Luna's turn in the second round and finally the last round would be rounded by Ace. The three Pokemon in question were working really hard especially after seeing what the final prize was. Linden was excited to help take care of a poke egg while Luna and Ace were curious about raising one. Since they were both the youngest, they did not exactly have the chance to raise or care for a poke egg before. They would win the ribbon and the prize no matter what.

Ash cheered, "Go show them Gary!"

Misty shouted, "Yeah, we are rooting for you."

Brock waved, "You can do it."

Gary wanted to hide 0////0, 'Where did they get those ridiculous banners from?'

Linden snickered beside him as they got ready to mystify the audience with their performance. Gary called Linden who appeared among an array of petal dance getting coos from mostly the girls. Gary smirked Linden was already cute as a Bulbasaur, adding the petal blizzard just umped the cuteness up. Linden started to perform using a combination of aromatherapy then a collection of leech seed and bullet seed. This combination was difficult as the bullet seed always destroyed the leech seed but they practiced till it looked like the leech seed vines were growing shiny seeds.

They finished the whole thing off with a solar beam and energy ball that clashed and burst into golden and green sparkles. The audience roared in appreciation of the show and the judges gave him almost full points but he was the highest scorer so far. Ash, Misty and Brock cheered for him as he waved and returned to the back ears red because of their loud cheering. Gary knew his Pokemon were laughing at him and he wondered what prompted his friends to act like his personal cheer leaders all of a sudden. Gary was sure they were wearing cheer leaders outfits but he could not be sure completely.

Gary went to the next round in the second place as the first place was taken by a green haired teen from Hoenn. Drew, the announcer called him, and his Roselia were no joke and impressed the judges to the point he was the only one to get full points. It did not mean he would lose to the green haired boy during the battle rounds however. He has been practicing battling with both Ash and Misty, no way he was going down without a fight. Luna trounced the first opponent who had chosen a Dragonair who was beautiful but not properly battle trained. Then Gary was facing Drew or rather Ace was facing his Roselia.

Gary and Ace had learned to incorporate the fighting type moves in a way that it looked like Mankey was dancing out of reach. This took out Drew's points which irritated the green haired teen and ordered Roselia to use a solar beam. Ace was waiting for this, solar beam required the Pokemon to gather energy and since Roselia had been using attack moves from the start he was no doubt exhausted by now. Ace rushed behind Roselia using agility making the grass type widen his eyes before everything went completely black. Ace did not let Roselia just fall to the ground however and held him before gently settling him down.

Drew gaped, "What did I just see?"

Gary shrugged, "Ace is a gentleman."

The announcer coughed, "Ahem hem! Roselia is unable to battle, Gary and Ace have won this contest."

The awards ceremony happened after the Pokemon were checked over by Nurse Joy who made sure everyone was fine. Roselia was just sleeping thanks to the nerve pinch Ace had done to him and while that relieved Drew he was annoyed at how he had lost the final round. Gary happily received the ribbon and the poke egg which had him and his Pokemon beaming with joy. Not even his friend's embarrassing cheers could stop him from smiling brightly while holding the poke egg.

Brock, "Hey, we can be poke egg buddies."

Gary, "Where did you get the banner and what's up with the ridiculous cheering?"

Misty scowled, "A bitch was saying a Gym runner and a contestant can't be friends."

Ash, "So we decided to prove her wrong."

Brock, "I thoroughly enjoyed watching you put her in her place."

Gary, "Her? Oh you mean the purple haired girl? Yeah, Luna really showed her she was not just adorable and cute."

Ash, "Did she insult Luna?"

Gary nodded, "Yeah, very rude that one."

Misty scowled, "Unbelievable! You would think people would know better than to underestimate Pokemon raised by trainers. The type chart while useful only applies to mostly the non - trainer Pokemon."

Brock, "Indeed, any decent trainer would think of ways to counter the type weaknesses, their Pokemon struggle with. Like Pikachu and his iron tail."

Pikachu puffed up proudly, -I was not going to let some typing stop me.-

Misty, "Yeah, even my Corsula, most would use electric Pokemon against him but we learned to resist those attacks."

Corsula, -It is all thanks to training.-

Gary shook his head, "Some people are just impossible I guess."

Brock decided to change the subject and proposed they check the rest of the ship out. So far they only checked the training areas, their own rooms and the healing centre as they were busy preparing for the contest. They could now check out the dining areas too, they have been ordering food instead of enjoying the fine dining the ship had to offer. Misty and Ash promptly agreed their mouths drooling at the thought of delicious food and drinks. Gary laughed and followed the two to one of the restaurants on the ship where they had a very hearty lunch alongside their Pokemon.

Ash, "Misty, have you thought about catching more dual types?"

Misty, "Um.. I think I will catch one more but I already have six."

Gary, "Why not send either Staryu or Golden home?"

Misty blinked, "Why those two specifically?"

Brock, "Well, most Goldeens require a large water area to be healthy. We are okay right now but the area around Saffron and Celadon is not what I would call water areas."

Gary nodded, "And I said Staryu because you already have a Starmie with you and Starmie is Staryu's evolved form right?"

Misty, "That's true, I don't want Goldeen to suffer so I think I will send her home first. We are still in a water area so maybe after we land. As for Staryu well I am still training them to battle so maybe if I want to catch another Pokemon?"

Ash, "That's a good plan. Besides it's not like you can't rotate Pokemon anyway."

They spent the next two days enjoying the cruise and even got to know Drew who was curious about them. Ash was curious about Hoenn and asked him about it getting interested in traveling there as well. Misty was fascinated as well by the water types available there and was making plans on going to that region a well. But their last night on the cruise was disturbed by Team Rocket appearing and trying to steal their Pokemon. Which really angered the judges, trainers and co - ordinators who wanted to relax on the last night of the cruise. What followed was a raid battle between Team Rocket and the trainers, co - ordinators and the judges.

Gary, "Oh no! The ship!"

Brock, "It's sinking."

Ash, "What did you do?"

Misty, "You just ruin everything!"

Jessie, "That was not us. We want the ship with the Pokemon."

James, "Yeah, why would we destroy the ship?"

Drew snarled, "You were the ones who wanted to steal our Pokemon."

Misty, "Yeah, so you are the biggest suspect."

Team Rocket scowled at the blatant accusation but realized they did not have proof of innocence. A voice came over the intercom telling everyone to jump ship as the SS Anne was sinking. Misty gritted her teeth as she pulled her boys along to one of the rescue boats and got on. Much to their annoyance the purple haired girl who had insulted Luna was there as well. But they decided to ignore her as they watched the ship sink into the water much to everyone's disbelief and fury. The Battleship was one of Kanto's most treasured Navy ships and for Team Rocket to sink it, it crossed a very big line.

Misty was muttering dark threats under her breath that caused the purple haired girl, Ursula to inch away from her in wariness. Drew was checking on his Pokemon making sure they were alright from the fight. Gary and Brock were checking on their Pokemon and poke eggs releasing a sigh of relief when they realized they were unhurt. Ash though was really unhappy as he talked with Red, detailing everything that happened on the ship. He remembered the first time he boarded the ship as a child to watch Red battle in the tournament, SS Anne held many precious memories for them.

Red comforted him, "Do not be sad Ash, as long as you are safe. That's enough for me."

Ash complained, "But Red, we have so many precious memories on the ship. It's gone now, sunken under the sea."

Red sighed, "I understand your anger, baby brother. I do. I assure you, we will deal with Team Rocket soon. At the moment we are preparing our own teams to face them."

Ash took a deep breath and then released it, "Okay, okay, I will see you soon I hope."

Red smiled then, "Of course. We sent a message to the Captain to take you all to the giant Pokemon island. Do you remember the place?"

Ash, "Yeah, I do. Okay I will see you there."

Gary, "Where is he planning to meet us?"

The Captain called for attention using a loud speaker, "As the Captain, I am truly very upset by the loss of my beloved ship and the major disturbance that has occurred today. So to make up for the disaster we shall be escorting you all to Pokemon island. Hope you all will enjoy the stay there. Once again, I deeply apologize."

Misty, "It's not his fault it's Team Rocket who ruined everything."

Ash, "That's where we are meeting our two brothers Gary. No doubt this was their idea."

Gary, "Fine by me."

Chapter Text

Ash and the others met up with Red and Green at the Mega Pokemon park. The older teens were just happy to see them all safe and unhurt. They spent the weekend together with Red calling the rest of Brock and Misty's siblings to join them too. They made a decent sized group together and were a chaotic bunch playing all the games and trying out all the rides. Green still did not like the rides and refused to take part in any of them. After the fun weekend came to an end, they separated from their siblings and went to Porta Vista to catch a ride to Saffron City.

It was a very luxurious ocean City, that is until, trouble cropped up in the form of an angry school of Tentacool and Tentacruel. They met a Horsea who was badly hurt and had to take a while to calm down as the little guy was panicking so much. After Horsea calmed down, they learned about how the Tentacool and Tentacruel were angry because a woman called Nastina was building a resort. Ash wanted to bang his head after meeting the woman though, she was very daft and foolish. So they decided to do something else to solve the problem.

Ash looked around the City, "Where is the radio centre?"

Misty who was cursing Nastina out paused in her rant, "Why do you want the radio centre?"

Gary had a gleam in his eyes, "I think I know. You want to tell everyone about what is going on out there."

Brock paused then grinned, "It's not a bad idea. If people know the truth, then no one will support the construction."

Ash smirked, "Yes, exactly. So let's go find a radio station. Today's news is going to be a hot topic."

Misty nodded determination filling her eyes as they searched for a radio station or even better a TV station to do a live broadcast. Who knew that reporters enjoyed hot controversial news whether the news was the truth or not. In this case, it was the truth and with Misty's knowledge about the habits of the water type explained what was truly going on. The people who were watching the live breaking news were shocked to hear the truth and just in time too. Nastina had appeared to recruit people to destroy the Tentacruel and Tentacool only for the people especially trainers to protest against her. Her offers of a luxurious stay did nothing to change the minds of the trainers who were protesting.

The Tentacruel and Tentacool who were observing the fighting humans watched for a bit and then realized that only one person was trying to steal their home. One of the Tentacool evolved into an Alpha Tentacruel, bigger than the highest tower. Misty went very pale on seeing him and told everyone to get out of the water giant's way as fast as possible. Tentacruel had somehow caught Team Rocket's Meowth, when did they even get there? It was not important Misty decided and focused on giving the giant Pokemon space. The Tentacruel was now talking to the people asking if Nastina was the one destroying their home.

One of the trainers shouted, "It's her alright."

The trainer's Tentacruel nodded, "Ten ta."

Another man shouted, "My daughter is a trainer and has a sweet little Tentacool in her team. I would never imagine hurting a Tentacruel or a Tentacool."

There were many shouts and agreements till Nastina shouted she was building a resort. Misty used a loud speaker to shout at her telling her to stop being so selfish and foolish and her actions would ruin the harbor completely. Tentacruel were necessary to keep the coral healthy and thriving not to forget corals are very necessary for the fishery. Ash was just happy no one got hurt and they could avoid major destruction to the port City.

Ash, "Hey Misty, look over there."

Misty, "Huh? Horsea? Why are you here little guy?"

Horsea, -I want to go with you.-

Pikachu, -Looks like Misty is the chosen one.-

Jewel, -Pfffffffft..., yeah. Congratulations, misty.-

Gary, "He wants to go with you. It looks like he was watching you and your Pokemon train and was impressed."

Brock, "Looks like he chose you."

Misty, "Oh! Is that true?"

Horsea nodded, -Please, I think you are really nice and can help me get stronger. I want to become a strong dragon.-

Misty took out a pokeball, "Welcome to my family, but first I need to send my lovely Goldeen home."

Gary, "Come on! There's a transfer machine here on the ship."

Misty nodded and sent Goldeen home and her sisters were very happy to receive Goldeen. After that Misty happily caught Horsea welcoming him fully into her team. Ash then told her Horsea wanted to become a powerful Dragon so she would have to train him a lot. Misty nodded, Horsea was a water type in the first two stages, the final stage was a water and Dragon type. She would have to train him very carefully during the final stages, it was common for Kingdras to lose their cool and go into rage. After that they landed at the Isle of the Maiden's Peak, a very popular tourist spot.

Misty, "That's the peak over there."

Gary, "People say it's as old as the war."

Brock, "Wow! That's one beautiful woman."

Ash, "Ummm... Brock that's a Gastly."

Brock looked back, "Huh? That was mean."

Misty snickered, "Hey, that means you won't be rejected."

Gary laughed and then linked his hands with Ash's, "Let's go enjoy the festival. I heard that they are celebrating the return of the soldiers from the war years ago."

Ash, "We can rent kimonos. Come on Misty, Brock, let's go have fun. Wait first, we have to do something else."

Misty, "What do you mean?"

Gary, "Oh, you mean the package the Mayor of Pallet town gave us?"

Brock, "Package?"

Ash, "Yeah, we have to send it to the shrine first. It is most probably another couple praying for blessings. Why don't you two head to the kimono shops and pick out nice ones? We will join you guys there."

Misty, "If you are sure."

Gary, "It's just a delivery, don't worry about it."

Brock nodded slowly, "Alright but you better be at the shop by... It's five o'clock now so be there by eight o'clock."

Ash, "You got it."

They split into two groups and Ash and Gary headed to the shrine where they met a Lady called Granny Cho who eyed them. She mentioned they had a similar presence as the Lady of Maiden's Peak and Gary was confused at first then perked up. He took out the package and handed it to the older woman mentioning the contents and the mission their Mayor had given them. Granny Cho checked the item and saw it was a box which contained a ring and a very old and faded ribbon.

Granny Cho, "Come with me, we will see two souls united tonight."

The two boys looked at each other and followed the Lady upstairs to where the peak was located. It was twilight now and the sky was a purple colour almost dark. Granny Cho greeted the priest who was there who was surprised but clapped his hands in prayer. Then they placed the ring in front of the peak and Granny Cho changed into a large Gastly. Ash and Gary eyed him with curiosity but decided to ask questions later as the wind picked up. The Ghost of the Maiden's Peak appeared and from the ring the Ghost of a warrior.

Gary, "Wao!"

Ash nodded, "Yeah."

They watched as the two timeless lovers embraced each other then turned to them thanking them. Ash and Gary smiled wishing them happiness after being separated for so long. The two spirits smiled and then vanished and Gastly told them to return and enjoy the festival which would start soon. Ash and Gary nodded and then left the shrine not noticing the Maiden's Peak now had a very old ribbon and ring.

Misty, "There you are. How did it go?"

Ash, "Mission success. You look great Misty, Brock."

Brock, "Thanks, we picked out a couple of kimonos for you too."

Gary, "Awesome, we will put it on and then head to the festivities."

They spent the rest of the night enjoying the festival and the food before turning in. It was nice to just enjoy a festival without the worry of something going wrong. The next day they headed to Saffron City on foot using the bridge that connected the small island to the mainland. But before that it was time for the annual Butterfree migration when Butterfree would fly across the ocean to have a mate and eggs. Well, that is if Butterfree was single they would buy from the looks of it, Butterfree seemed to have mated with Beedrill.

Ash, "So do you both migrate or not?"

Gary, "Good question."

Misty, "Don't look at me. I am a water Pokemon enthusiast."

Brock, "Maybe we should call the Professor about it?"

Beedrill and Butterfree looked at each other then shrugged nodding in agreement with the plan. But before that, they had to deal with Team Rocket trying to steal the wild Butterfree. Do they never get tired of failing over and over? After stopping Team Rocket they called Professor Oak who was just as confused about the situation. At least the Butterfree were safe and migrated with the Rangers keeping an eye out for them.

Brock, "Here we are."

Misty, "Saffron City."

Ash, "Time for our next badge."

Gary, "I will just train, we missed the contest by four days."

Brock, "Oh! I didn't realize that."

Gary, "Don't blame yourselves, I mean with Team Rocket causing trouble to what happened in Porta Vista. It was unavoidable."

Misty sighed, "Fine but don't pretend to be okay over it either."

Ash, "What Misty said, it's okay to be upset."

Gary smiled softly at them, "Thank you everyone."

After checking in at the Pokemon center both Ash and Misty started to train and practice for their Gym battle. While they were battling each other as practice they would both notice a young girl watching them from behind the safety nets. They were a little worried about the fact she was alone but seeing she always had an Alakazam next to her, they figured she was safe. Soon enough it was time for the battle with Sabrina, the only Psychic Master of Kanto well in the world.

Ash, "Since I challenged Surge first back in Vermillion City, you go first this time."

Misty, "Thank you, I am ready."

A man met them and mocked them making them both raise their eyebrows unimpressed. The little girl from before appeared and used her psychic ability to punish the man for making her wait. Misty and Ash looked at each other, the fight ahead would not be easy seeing how strong the little girl is. Sabrina was waiting for them on a chair and welcomed them looking forward to both of their battles. She had heard from her younger sister how they were diligently training together and was honestly a little excited. Misty went first with Starmie going up against Sabrina's Hypno, their psychic attacks clashing.

It was only when Starmie used rain dance followed by thunder wave that Hypno finally went down. Misty released her breath as she returned Starmie to their pokeball after noticing they had been affected too. Next Sabrina chose Slowpoke and Misty chose Surskit for the battle getting a raised eyebrow from Sabrina at the Ever stone. The battle began and it was another close call between the two Pokemon as Surskit did her best to fight against the obviously older and much more experienced than her. Surskit was stubborn however and refused to give up giving it her best and finally winning.

Sabrina, "Well done, future Gym leader."

Misty turned pink at that, "Eh? How did you know?"

Sabrina's lips twitched amused at the embarrassed look, "Your sisters love to brag about how you won against Surge who has a huge type advantage against water type trainers."

Misty squeaked, "They did?"

Sabrina was grinning now, "Of course, they also love gossiping about how you want to become the Gym leader."

Misty turned red, "Those three really need to calm down. They were drunk too, weren't they?"

Sabrina only smirked then took out a badge, "Congratulations on winning the Marsh badge. I look forward to your progress, my future fellow Gym leader."

Misty was smiling brightly then, "I did it. Thank you so much Sabrina. I will do my best."

Ash, "Great job, Misty."

Gary, "You were awesome."

Brock, "Congratulations!"

Chapter Text

Ash grinned, "My turn now."

Sabrina smiled, "Ready?"

Ash, "Yes, we are."

Referee, "Begin!"

Ash went with Beedrill first while Sabrina chose Slowbro to battle the first round. The battle was won by Beedrill who was pretty smug about it and nuzzled Ash after the win. The dark haired boy giggled at the nuzzling and returned Beedrill and promised to call her back if he needed her. Sabrina chose Alakazam next and Ash chose his Butterfree who was very excited about his own battle with the psychic type. It was a fun battle which ended with Ash winning the Marsh badge as well.

Brock, "Congratulations Ash."

Misty, "Great job, Ash."

Gary kissed his cheek, "I knew you could do it."

Ash turned pink, "Thank you. How about we stay the night and travel in the morning?"

Brock, "Not a bad idea. We can enjoy the night life too."

Gary, "I heard there are bars around here that allow trainers to drink. The drinks have low alcohol content so it's safe for us to go there."

Misty, "Sounds fun... Wait we would need different clothes though. These are mostly business casual right?"

Ash, "Yeah, look here."

Brock looked at the flier, "Yeah, it is written in the left corner, business casual style. So we better dress smart but casual."

Gary, "This means shopping, let's go."

They went to Saffron City's mall and found a few good looking suits and a pretty aquamarine dress. The night was spent celebrating their wins so far in both Gym circuit and ribbon contests. Gary suggested Misty should try her hand at the Pokemon contest next season. Misty paused to consider this and said she would think about it after the Conference. Ash thought it was a good idea, her sisters used their performance to tease her. She could show them she was good at both battling and performance. Brock nodded in agreement and Misty got fired up agreeing to do it after the Conference.

The next day they headed to Lavender town which was known for the Ghost Pokemon and large graveyard sites around town. Ash looked around and in the daylight they only saw a handful of Ghost types like Sableye, Yamask and Frillish. The last one had Misty excited but she did not want to disturb the Ghost Pokemon who was praying in front of a grave. They decided to visit the Ghost tower, once a base for Team Rocket, now it had been returned to the Pokemon. There were many friendly Ghost Pokemon inside who greeted them and even played with them a bit before leaving.

Misty sighed dreamily, "I really want a ghost water type."

Gary chuckled, "You fell in love with the Frillish, didn't you?"

Misty nodded, "Yeah but currently I don't want to send any of my Pokemon back yet."

Brock, "You have been training them hard for Celadon."

Ash, "Grass type, one of the biggest weaknesses that water types have."

They were walking on the highway that had footpaths installed for trainers to use. On the opposite sides of the highway, there were large fields full of flowers and specialized berries being grown for consumption. There was a board at one of the cross roads with a Pokemon center that was asking for volunteers to help out maintain the field. In return, they would be paid with cash and one free berry basket each. They looked at each other and agreed to go work on the fields for a few days. Berries were very costly in the market so a free berry basket was a very tempting deal for them.

They spent a few days working on the land under the watchful eyes of the farm hands. Their Pokemon were always happy to help out especially the bug and grass types. While they were working their group got very close to a forest area which was well known for it's Primeape and Mankey colony. The very Pokemon watching them care for the berries at the moment with curious eyes. Brock being the big softie he was, shared some berries which were already ripe getting happy chirps and shrieking from the monkey Pokemon. Ash giggled at their enthusiasm and noticed one Mankey in particular was eating alone.

Pikachu, -Hey, come here! Join us.-

Mankey looked up, -You talking to me?-

Pikachu, -Obviously, who else is there?-

Mankey, -Why?-

Pikachu, -It is a lot more fun if we eat together. So come on!-

Mankey hesitated but then with more encouragement from other Pokemon joined them. Ash smiled at Mankey who took the offered Pecha berry tentatively and started to eat. Soon, their time to help in the berry fields was up and the person in charge that day thanked them for keeping the angry Primeapes from destroying the berry plants. Brock suggested placing a few tables with berries at a few distance from each other to avoid any fighting so that the farm is not destroyed. The man looked at the monkey Pokemon who were enjoying the berries and nodded in agreement. Sacrificing a few tables and berries was cheaper than losing an entire berry plantation.

Mankey was watching them leave, -I want to go with them... Hey, who are you?-

Frillish stared at the female, -I am a Frillish. Why do you ask?-

Mankey frowned at her, -You are a ghost. Why are you following them?-

Frillish huffed at her, -I am not following them, I am following her. The water trainer.-

Mankey, -Why?-

Frillish gave a small smile, -Most trainers who see me will try to catch me. She did not, she respected my privacy. She even respected my late trainer and mother as well. I think she is perfect for me.-

Mankey, -Oh! I like that younger black haired boy. He is very sweet and kind and shared food with me.-

Frillish nodded in understanding and the two decided to follow the group at a distance watching them. Frillish liked what she was seeing in the orange haired girl, Misty so far. She was very serious about training her Pokemon, listening to what they wanted and helping them. On the other hand Mankey watched Ash train his Pokemon and help them master the moves they wanted to learn. Mankey did not know Charmanders could learn fire punch too, it made her very excited but she did not feel confident approaching the boy. Pikachu frowned looking behind them and excused himself getting an understanding look from Butterfree and Beedrill.

Pikachu, -Oi, you two!-

Frillish jumped, -Oh great Yvetal.-

Mankey jumped too, -I didn't do anything.-

Pikachu eyed them, -Why are you following us? Is there something you needed from us?-

Mankey, -Well, we just... -

Frillish, -We wanted to join. Well I want to join Misty. My friend here wanted to join your trainer.-

Pikachu sighed, -Well then, come on.-

Mankey, -Wait.... Aren't you angry?-

Pikachu raised an eyebrow, -Why would I be angry?-

Mankey, -Well the last trainer I approached.... Their Pokemon did not like it.-

Pikachu, -Ah, one of those jealous types. Sorry, you had to deal with that rabble. We are not like that and would happily love to have you with our family.-

Frillish and Mankey perked up visibly at that and went to join Misty and Ash who were happy to accept them into their respective group. Ace was happy to have another Mankey join them, especially a cute female. Among all the excitement, Brock's poke egg started to glow and change into a Pokemon getting wide eyed looks from every other Pokemon. The Pokemon that appeared from the poke egg was pink in colour and happily greeted them all while chirping at Brock. Brock was not sure what Pokemon it was but he melted at the adorable little one while Gary went through his list. Misty and Ash were congratulating Brock, while Onix, Geodude and Zubat were happily welcoming their newest family member.

Gary, "Here we are, that is a Happiny, a Pokemon discovered in Sinnoh. It is the first form of Chansey."

Misty squealed, "Oh sweet Mew! Brock, this little Lady is perfect for you."

Ash, "Especially if you are planning on becoming a Doctor after being a breeder."

Brock grinned nodding, "You guys are right. Welcome to the family baby girl. We will learn together."

Onix, -We will help.-

Geodude, -Yes, she is our littlest baby.-

Zubat, -I am a big sister. I am so happy right now.-

They celebrated having new Pokemon join them by having a picnic among the flower fields right outside the City proper. They were very surprised to find how close they were to Celadon City but did not complain about it and went in search of a Pokemon center to get some rooms. A check up with Nurse Joy brought another happy news for Ash, his Beedrill was carrying. So he decided to send both Butterfree and Beedrill to the lab where they could nest and have the poke eggs in peace. Beedrill was happy to see her trainer care for her but still worried about him and only left after getting a promise to keep Ash safe from the rest.

Butterfree had a goofy smile on his face the whole time, -That lovely Beedrill is my mate.-

Pikachu rolled his eyes, -Yeah, we know. Don't worry we will keep Ash safe and sound. You just make sure your little ones grow up well.-

Beedrill, -We will. Take care of them.-

Ace was looking at Mankey, -Perhaps one day we can have our own.-

Mankey blushed and hid behind Ash, -I am not ready yet. I want to be strong first.-

Misty who noticed squealed, 'Oh! Oh my! So adorable! I am so shipping them.'

Misty was sending her Staryu to the Gym as she was sure the younger star Pokemon had learned everything they could by now. The Gym would be able to help them Master the skills they already had and after talking to Starmie they had decided to rotate weekly. As much as Misty trusted her sisters to keep Pokemon healthy, she did not trust them to keep up with the training. Starmie understood her reluctance to trust her siblings as they mostly focused on looks, which was why next season she was taking part in the contests. Misty would prove to them that battling and performance could go hand in hand.

In between training they checked out the large metropolitan City, especially the perfume stores that it boasted about. Ash found an olive scented perfume, Lavender perfume and a lotus perfume that he adored a lot for his mom and siblings. Gary found a pine, rose and cherry scented perfume for his siblings. As for Professor Oak and the assistants he had with him, they had to spend some time thinking before picking a perfume for them. The two boys sent the packages separately to avoid any mix up, hopefully the perfumes will sooth the Pokemon.

The shop assistants who had been helping them giggled behind their hands at how adorable they looked together. Their mannerisms were similar to a newly married couple and wondered if the two teen boys were together. Two of the girls helping out were fujoshis and hoped they were together, but kept a professional look on their face. In the end Ash and Gary decided to get scented massage oils for their Pokemon and scented bathing supplies for themselves. The ladies happily rang them up and thanked them for their patronage.

Misty eyed their bag, "Did you guys buy an entire year's worth of bathing products?"

Ash flushed, "I only got one of each type. Not more than one and yeah, we did I guess."

Gary, "This way we won't have to worry about not having toiletries that we need."

Brock laughed, "I know what you mean. I used to do the same thing for my siblings at the start of the year."

Misty, "Huh, maybe I should go back tomorrow and get a year's worth supply myself then."

Ash, "We will go with you after our training is done. I forgot to get the loofahs."

Misty beamed, "Oh, I would really appreciate that."

Gary, "Hey, look, a game center."

Ash, "Red told me about these."

Brock, "They are reopening it? That too tonight. Want to check it out?"

Ash, "I think we should, to just make sure, they are not working with poachers again."

Gary nodded, "Yeah, Green and Daisy still grumble about it."

Misty, "So we are going there to spy on them. Frillish, looks like you are up tonight."

Frillish who had been hiding inside her shadow, -Understood, I will do my best.-

Chapter Text

Misty and Ash were ecstatic as they held their newest Gym badge, the Rainbow badge. It was not easy for both of them to win, Erika was Kanto's strongest Grass type Master for a reason. Her Vileplume and Bellossom gave Misty quite the challenge while her Victreebell and Exeggutor was a tough challenge for Ash. But they and their Pokemon worked hard to overcome their challenge and win the badge. It was not just them who won however, Gary had also won his latest ribbon in Celadon City. Gary's Pokemon had become accustomed to battling and performing though they were more inclined to perform in contest.

Red eyed them seriously, "You guys seem to be doing well."

Ash smiled, "We are Red. Do not worry about us too much. Honestly, just this morning I talked to Gold and he was promising to hunt Team Rocket down himself."

Red laughed, "I am your older sibling, I will always worry. And can you blame Gold? Just wait till our baby sibling is born. You will be no different."

Ash pouted, "No I will not."

Red laughed, "Sure you will not."

Ash shook his head, "Anyway, how are you doing so far, Red? We have only been talking about me, so far."

Red, "I am alright, I have my team and Pokemon to help me. Lance and the Elite Four are a bit busy with their own responsibilities but even they help out a lot from time to time."

Ash, "That is good. I am glad you have people to support you."

Red spoke of his Pokemon and how some of them had gotten together with each other or with Green's Pokemon as well. Ash gushed over all the couples that were together now and he was surprised by the fact some Pokemon had more than one mate like Red's Charizard but she was pretty powerful. Then again Ash remembered Green's Pidgeot had more than one one mate ranging from other Pidgeots to Fearrow to even Altarias. Red's Charizard had six other Charizards who wanted to mate with her, he really should not be surprised by it really. Pokemon are attracted to powerful Pokemon unlike humans, Pokemon preferred strong mates rather than beauty.

Gary was talking on the phone as well, "Sounds like you have your hands full Green."

Green chuckled in amusement, "Understatement baby bro. I not only have to test trainers but have to make sure the security is top notch every week. Though I must admit it is fun to battle those who ask for a higher level battle. It is a fun way of releasing stress."

Gary felt pity for the challengers, "I see, at least you have an outlet. I fear to think about what you would do if you did not have an outlet."

Green gave am impish grin, "Hide on top of an isolated mountain somewhere?"

Gary glared, "If you do I will drag you down the mountain."

Green raised his hand, "Of course not, Gary. Of course not."

Gary, "Humph! You better not even think about it."

Gary and Green then started to talk about their journeys so far and Green at one point confessed that both he and Red lost people and Pokemon to war. Gary was speechless, he knew the two teens had returned home looking depressed a few months after they started their journey. He thought they lost a Gym battle or something like that happened to them, he did not realize they lost someone. Gary then apologized for not understanding Green but the older teen stopped him saying his and Ash's innocence in a way healed both him and Red from all the trauma. It reminded them of the reason they were fighting for in the first place. Gary turned pink at that and simply murmured he was glad Green was doing well.

Misty was talking with her sisters as well, "I am glad Staryu and Goldeen are doing well."

Lily smiled reassuringly, "Of course they are."

Daisy, "Like, we may not like battling."

Violet, "But we do make sure they are healthy, you know. Like we have our pride as trainers too."

Misty smiled, "I know but I still worry, you know."

Daisy, "We understand. Good job in winning against Lt Surge and Erika."

Lily, "Like that was so cool. My friends have not stopped talking about it."

Violet gave a vicious smirk, "Yeah, it was hilarious how they were making bets you will lose to them. We made a lot of money that day."

Misty sweat dropped when Lily and Violet started to trash talk about the girls in the tea club they are basically forced go to by their mother. Those girls were what you would call snotty rich brats who depended on their parents money to do anything. Misty never liked them as they always made fun of her subtly using undertones and double meaning words. Though her sisters tried to protect her, she was not deaf, she knew those girls would use her to insult her sisters. Being the short tempered child she was, Misty of course did not stay quiet and had played pranks on them in retaliation as well. Yeah, she did not like those girls but had to endure because their families were business partners. Ugh!

Flint was talking quietly, "So, the Team that had been hiding here has been dealt with. Everyone is safe and sound, I am very skeptical they are completely gone though."

Brock nodded, "I would not be surprised about that. They went under the radar for so long. I can't believe they had taken over Mt Moon and no one noticed."

Flint sighed, "Especially since it is the main area where the rock type enthusiasts go to get their first rock type Pokemon. I am personally going to patrol the roads connected to the City and the mountain. Your younger brother needs to pick one and start training if he wants to be a Gym leader."

Brock, "Has he decided on which Pokemon to choose then?"

Flint grinned, "Yes, the boy wants an Onix just like his big brother."

Brock paused then smiled, "Ah! I see."

Flint eyed his son, who looked tired but at the same time he had an air of happiness and satisfaction. Sending his son with the three trainers was a good idea, Brock looked really happy traveling and meeting new people and Pokemon. Brock and Flint talked a bit more before Brock decided to join his friends again. The young adult was feeling very happy after hearing his younger siblings were doing well with their Dad. He had been worried they would have a hard time getting along but that was not the case and his fears were all unfounded.

Ash, "My family is doing well, just worried about me. I do not want mom to get too stressed so after getting all the badges and ribbons I was thinking we could go home first."

Misty giggled, "That's a good idea. I was planning on going home and then drag my sisters into training with me."

Gary snorted, "You just want to get back at them while also making sure their battle abilities are up to par, aren't you?"

Misty laughed, "You got me!"

Brock, "I think taking a break home is not a bad idea. I was thinking of volunteering for the League under one of the Nurse Joys."

Ash, "That's a good idea Brock but don't they open volunteer seats one month before the League. Will we finish before that particular month?"

Gary, "Don't worry Ashy, I have been keeping track of our progress. The three of us are funnily enough, more advanced than other trainers."

Misty blinked, "Seriously?"

Gary, "Look here. I found this article a week ago. It talks about how many trainers actually have only two badge so far. The third badge Gym leaders are more difficult to defeat."

Ash, "The fact we defeated Surge was quite the feat then."

Brock, "Yes, your battles are still making rounds on Pokevid. Many trainers still reference it and upload their own understanding of your battles."

Misty eyed the comments, "This comment, 'I cannot believe this is their first time taking part in the Gym challenge', huh. Guess you are right we are pretty advanced compared to other Gym runners."

Gary, "Yup, we are that good, aren't we?"

Brock chuckled, "By the way, I was hoping to meet someone here."

Ash, "A friend?"

Brock nodded, "An old classmate."

Misty, "Ooh! I am very curious now."

Before they could meet Brock's friend who was a beautiful lady called Susie, they had to deal with the missing child problem. During their travel through Hop Hop Hop town they met with Officer Jenny who explained what was going on. To say they were disturbed by the fact children went missing was an understatement and feared for the worst. It would not be the first time a bunch of kids were kidnapped and taken by a criminal organization to be brain washed and trained to become a weapon. They agreed to help and found out the big problem was due to a bunch of rich idiots using a psychic Pokemon.

Ash could not help but deadpan as he called Sabrina explaining what was going on in the town. To say the Psychic Gym leader was unhappy was an understatement. They decided to let the Gym leader deal with the adults and she had ripped into them about the side effects of using psychic waves to sleep. The poor Hypno was exhausted beyond his limit as well and was sent to Nurse Joy to be promptly healed. While Sabrina dealt with the adults, Ash and the others went in search of the children who were missing. They were following Sabrina's Alakazam who was reading the air for psychic waves and headed to a forest.

They were relieved to see the missing children were alright but something was not right. The kids were acting like Pokemon and refused to listen to them when they spoke. Brock then had an idea of bringing the Pokemon who were in a coma to the forest, he had a suspicion what was happening to the kids was linked to them. In the beginning Nurse Joy was skeptical but she did not have anything to lose after all. To everyone's surprise it worked and everything turned normal, well almost everything, there was still one Psyduck that had problems. Misty ended up taking him under her wing as he was a water psychic type but she had to rotate.

Training Psyduck was a challenge for Misty as the psychic Pokemon would lose his control over his psychic powers and lift everything and everyone up. Susie the angel she was, had offered to help Psyduck relax as it was obvious he was tense but that only helped a little. But Misty noticed it helped Psyduck focus on training and she had asked Susie to teach her about calming Psyduck. Susie was happy to show her and Misty used the method to keep Psyduck calm before they started to train. Then there was the fiasco with Team Rocket again, this time they were trying to scam people out of money and Pokemon.

Ash, "They never learn."

Gary, "Nope!"

Brock, "We should probably warn Erika about them."

Misty, "Way ahead of you."

They continued to travel after that fiasco and ran into a man who was training for the Grand Prix a fighting type tournament. Gary and Ash's Mankeys were interested and they registered in the double battle tournament. The two blushed at the idea of fighting side by side but were not against it at all. Gary and Ash worked together like a well oiled machine as they won their rounds and reached the finals. The finals were a bit difficult as the final opponent had been participating for a few years now. But not wanting to lose both Pokemon evolved into Primeapes much to everyone's delight and won.

Gary, "I am very proud of you Ace, good job."

Ash, "I am proud of you too girl. I should probably name you since we have two Primeapes now."

Primeape, -Yes please.-

Ash hummed, "How about Victoria? I hope you overcome every hurdle thrown your way, my sweet Victoria."

Victoria teared up, -Thank you Ash, thank you. I will do my best to become the best.-

Chapter Text

Victoria was huddling close to Ash as they were watching a herd of Kangaskhan move around the area feeding what looked like a human child. Ash was very concerned, this was a sanctuary for Pokemon and at the most, people usually abandoned Pokemon not their own kid. He looked at his Pokemon who looked back at him with concerned eyes and they made a unanimous decision to return back. They turned back and met with the others, Ash explaining what or rather who he found. Brock, Misty and Gary were visibly alarmed with what it implied and returned to the main camp.

Kaiser sighed, "I know. I know."

Ash stared at the frustrated Ranger, "Who is the kid?"

Kaiser, "We do not know who he belongs to."

Misty was surprised, "We? You mean you and Officer Jenny?"

Kaiser shook his head, "No, I mean all the adults in charge here. We all know about him. We tried to approach him before, but he got really terrified."

Brock clenched his fist, "So, is it possible he was abused by an adult human before?"

Kaiser's expression turned dark, "I would not be surprised considering his reaction."

Gary, "How about we try to approach him?"

Kaiser looked at them and after a moment of contemplation agreed to let them approach. Ash nodded and left in search for the kid who was with the Pokemon and at the moment he was being fed fruits. Brock had an idea on how to attract the Pokemon and the human and show themselves as harmless. He set up a cooking area in the field next to where the herd was feeding and started to cook his special curry. The smell wafted down the wind to where the herd was and the child kept looking in their direction over and over. Unable to resist the smell, the kid, Tomo as Kaiser had informed them started to approach them slowly.

Ash smiled and spoke softly like talking to a baby, "Here, this is for you."

Tomo perked up, "Ah!"

Pikachu cooed, -Eat up kiddo. Do not worry we have enough food here.-

Tomo, -Thank you.-

Eevee, -You speak poke - speech. I am impressed.-

Victoria, -Most humans cannot speak.-

Tomo, -I am not a human. I want to be a Kangaskhan.-

Ace, -Why? Being a human is not so bad you know? We love our humans.-

Tomo, -Humans are cruel. They killed my first pack and now they keep trying to take my new pack away.-

When the Pokemon explained what Tomo had told them to their partners Ash and Gary were angry and sad on Tomo's behalf. The two explained what had transpired for Misty and Brock and both of them paled and then felt anger. It was not the first time a kid lost their parents to a bunch of criminals and sadly, it would not be the last either. They reported what they had learned to Kaiser and Officer Jenny who had haunted expressions on their faces. Ash and the others wondered why and Kaiser took out a file while Officer Jenny put the coffee pot on the stove.

Kaiser sighed getting up and taking out a folder, "A few months before we learned about Tomo's existence we came across a horrific scene."

Ash looked at the picture and grimaced, "They murdered them."

Gary was pale, "Oh Mew!"

Misty ran to the bathroom, "Excuse me."

Brock was shaking, "They raped his mother? How could they?"

Jenny was clenching her fists, "Yes, it was that bad a few years ago."

Ash, "Was it when Red was traveling and before he became a trainer?"

Kaiser nodded, "Yes, we met Red before and he was the one who found the carnage. He and his traveling partner, they found the culprits together and put them behind bars."

Gary nodded, "Good!"

Brock, "Are you ok Misty?"

Misty nodded, "Yeah, I was not expecting that though."

Ash put the photos away, "I know what you mean."

The group contemplated what to do next, and decided to approach the young child again. They should at least tell him the bad people had been taken away and could not hurt him anymore. Tomo was wary when he saw them again but Pikachu and Eevee took charge and explained what happened. Tomo had tears in his eyes as he learned about what happened to his family and the Pokemon assured him, he was safe and the bad people gone. They also informed him about Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy who he could trust and would help him if needed.

Jessie was sobbing behind a bush, "I cannot believe those assholes."

James, "Me neither. I don't like my parents but even then I would not want to lose them."

Meowth, "I dun evn remember ma parents."

James, "Hey, how about we pay those bastards a visit?"

Jessie blinked, "Why?"

Meowth, "Do you want to get rid of them or something?"

James, "Or something. Team Rocket is a group of Pokemon stealers but we are not killers. We should make sure they never leave prison."

Jessie smirked, "You make a good point."

Meowth, "Heh! Bring it!"

Ash and the group soon left the Pokemon reserve and came out on the other side facing Grunge City. They clenched their noses at the smell and wondered how anyone even lived there. Then decided not to stay there for too long and went to find a room to stay for the night. Nurse Joy was a delight, Ash thought sarcastically as he placed his items in their shared room and got comfortable. The next day they woke up to realize their Pokemon were not doing well and Brock checked them. Nurse Joy said it was a cold but Brock differed and called for Nurse Joy from Fuchsia to help. Now, unlike the Nurse Joy from Grunge City the Nurse Joy from Fuchsia City was a no nonsense lady.

She tore into the Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny of Grunge City and went to investigate the cause of the sickness in the Pokemon. As it turns out there was an overpopulation of Muk and Grimer in the City which was causing the pollution to increase instead of decreasing. Nurse Joy called for a team and started to order people to send the Muk and Grimer to different cities. It was not an easy feat considering half way through they found a Zapdos had made one of the dams his home. Ash and his group offered to watch over Zapdos and make sure they did not destroy the City.

Officer Jenny nodded gulping when Zapdos stared at her as she left the grouchy electric bird Legendary. Nurse Joy and her group started to gather and move the poison type Pokemon that had multiplied a lot. The constant dumping of waste had created a Muk and Grimer breeding ground that they would have to clean up in one of the main rivers. One of the Grimer did not want to be dumped in another City and rushed towards Ash and his group, hiding behind them. Despite the horrid stench Ash could not help but feel pity for the poison type and offered to catch him.

Grimer was hesitant then thought about it a bit before letting Ash catch him after he explained he would be sent to the laboratory. Gary on the other hand caught a Magnemite that had been following them around out of curiosity. Professor Oak was not amused with the smell and in the next call lectured them in taking proper care of their poison types. Brock and Misty sulked at being scolded as well, they were not the ones to catch a Grimer why were they being scolded. But they did not try to refute as they did not stop Ash from catching the little guy either. They left Grunge City and headed to Fuchsia through a desert area where the City that never slept was located.

Ash looked around, "Everyone here has deep eye bags."

Misty winced, "Yeah, I do not think I could walk around looking like that though."

Gary murmured in concern, "Neither could I. They look like a breeze could blow them over."

Brock, "No kidding! Sleep is important if you want to look good and do your best in whatever dreams you have."

Ash, "Not to forget you need sleep to dream."

Gary nodded, "Agreed."

When they went to the Pokemon center to sleep, they could not sleep properly because of the loud music and noise that kept them awake. It was so annoying to the point that they made the unanimous decision to camp out in the nearby forest to get some decent sleep. The next morning they woke up feeling very exhausted from the previous night and grumbled about crazy people. Now that Ash thought about it the City only seemed to have adults, there were no children there. He wondered why though, it was a very strange thing to realize but it is what it is.

Misty, "Probably sent the kids somewhere else so they can sleep. I would be very cranky if I grew up there."

Brock nodded, "Agreed. Anyway breakfast?"

Gary, "I will help you set up the table."

Ash, "I will get the drinks."

Misty, "I will get the plates."

The breakfast was a calm affair and nothing happened till they were approached by a hungry Jigglypuff who tried to sing to thank them. But the poor thing struggled to sing which prompted Brock to check her over only to realize her throat was actually infected. Jigglypuff was shocked but figured that explained the pain she felt all the time and Brock offered to heal her. Jigglypuff accepted the offer feeling touched by it and agreed to travel with the breeder even joining one of his pokeballs. Misty giggled and congratulated Brock on being caught instead.

Brock laughed, "Well, healing will be the easy part. Her confidence however, is another matter entirely."

Gary winced, "Yeah, the poor thing was really nervous about singing, wasn't she?"

Ash, "So how do we help her?"

Misty, "Um, we could make her sing in the City? Make posters and fliers, send them around and have her sing for the crowd?"

Brock, "Not a bad idea but where would we get a stage for her?"

Ash, "Let's look around the city."

Gary nodded, "It is a large City so there is bound to be a stage where we can burrow equipment somewhere."

Unknown to them they were being eaves dropped on by Team Rocket who had returned to stalking, excuse me following them. They had gone to the jail where the killers had been sent to and entered pretending to be criminals. They found one of their three targets eating by himself and had started to provoke him. None of the other inmates liked them at all and James threw a fork at one of them before grabbing his hand and stabbing himself. The guard heard the commotion and rushed in to apprehend the person who denied attacking.

Jessie however shouted that he saw the guy attack his buddy because he was jealous they would be out soon enough. The guards were taking the bastard away when his other two flunkies saw it and tried to fight the guards off. None of the security were amused and converged on them like Beedrills on honey pots. Suffice to say those killers got another twenty years added to their already thirty years imprisonment. It was very satisfying to the trio and now they were pretending to be stage equipment holders and renting it out to Ash and his friends.

Misty, "I feel like we met before."

Jessie laughed, "You probably met us when we traveled through your home town. We have been to so many we cannot remember everyone we met."

Gary, "Umm... You are probably right about that."

James, "It is nice to see old faces we know though."

Ash smiled, "I guess so."

Meowth was pretending to be a dwarf human, "The stage had been set up."

Brock, "Thank you for letting us burrow the equipment."

Jigglypuff nodded, -I appreciate it a lot.-

Brock, "Now, Jigglypuff give it your best shot, first sing with your disarming voice and then a normal song and finally a sleep song. This City needs it."

Jigglypuff nodded, -Got it.-

Chapter Text

Their experience in the City had been very interesting so to speak. When Jigglypuff had used her disarming voice everyone had stopped what they were doing to listen. Slowly, Jigglypuff moved to her sleep song making everyone fall asleep. Even the group had fallen asleep considering how much the song had been amped up to spread through the City. Jigglypuff had known about it as Luna who was the only one awake had warned her before. The two fairy types had waited for their trainers and friends to wake up and after they woke from their sleep they left the City.

Ash observed their surroundings, "The people are acting nicer after sleeping."

Misty agreed, "They look better too."

Gary huffed feeling exasperated, "Honestly they should take better care of themselves."

Brock nodded sagely, "Agreed."

Ash, "Honestly though, who's idea was it to suggest they never sleep?"

Gary, "I do not know and I hope we never run into them."

Misty, "Yeah, or I will introduce them to my mallet."

Brock grumbled under his breath as well, "I would love to give them a very thorough lecture on healthy habits too."

On the way to Fuchsia City, they came across a breeding center which was very popular for adopting baby Pokemon. It was a really calming activity before they went to challenge the Gym leader Koga at the gym located outside the City. Misty's Surskit and Frillish fought against Koga's Butterfree and Venomoth, it was a very close call for her. Ash on the other hand, used his Butterfree and Beedrill to battle against Koga's Beedrill and Pinsir. It was interesting to learn his Beedrill was on the same level as a Gym leader's Beedrill and Koga praised him for raising her really well.

Ash flushed under the praise, "Thank you."

Koga smiled, "Now here is your badge. I am looking forward to how your future turns out."

Misty, "You will not be disappointed."

Koga smirked, "Show me your strength little water trainer."

They then left for the Pokemon center to get their Pokemon checked by Nurse Joy. As they were resting, Gary informed them about the next contest which would be at Cinnabar Island. It was a tourist spot and Brock recalled the island had a Gym too though it was hidden and they would have to solve a riddle to find it. Ash thought that it was a very interesting challenge and decided he would use his Charmander, Squirtle and Pikachu in that Gym. Misty decided on using Corsula, Starmie and Horsea, the baby Dragon had become more and more demanding.

Misty, "He will not stop asking to battle in the Gym so I will let him take the first fight."

Brock, "It will be a good way for him to become stronger."

Ash, "I am pretty sure Charmander is close to evolving, his tail has become longer and the spike on his head too."

Gary, "My Bulbasaur too. I have noticed Linden's flower bud has become bigger and the stalk longer."

Ash, "It will be really cool if they both evolved."

Gary, "Yeah."

Misty, "My Pokemon require more training first."

Brock, "Mine too."

As they traveled they ran into a potion maker called Cassandra who made potions using mushrooms and herbs for Pokemon. Brock flirted with her or tried to but Jigglypuff got really annoyed and head slammed him dragging him away. Misty and the others snickered at that then introduced themselves and requested to buy some potions. Cassandra beamed and after buying potions from her they left with Brock pouting about saying farewell. Misty simply pulled him away saying he will meet more girls who will dump him in the future so not to worry.

They traveled through the forest, fields and met a photographer Todd who seemed a tad too obsessed with Pikachu. Ash had to calm him down and suggested they travel together to allow Pikachu to get comfortable with Todd first. Todd agreed and started to travel with them till they came across a City with a very popular Pokemon care shop which was run by two people. That set a few alarms running through Ash's head, shouldn't a care centre have more than two people to make sure everything was okay. But he decided to check it out, they looked like they were working really hard on running the place.

Todd who was excited first quieted down as many Pokemon were left at the care centre. It looks like he was starting to get suspicious about what was going on too. No way two people could just run a care centre on their own, something else was going on inside. They decided to break into two groups Todd, Brock and Gary would sneak in and have a look around while Ash and Misty kept watch. It went well till it did not and Todd told them to run while passing his camera to the two of them. Misty and Ash looked at the photos and had grim faces as they went to Officer Jenny with proof of the care centre being part of the black market.

Officer Jenny was not pleased to learn there were illegal activities happening in her town and went to arrest the two criminals. But the two Butch and Cassidy were faster and rushed away with the Pokemon or would have successfully rushed off if Jessie and James had not tampered with their vehicles. The trio watched with dark satisfaction as their rivals were arrested and thrown to jail like a pair of common criminals. Of course, they even found an interesting piece of information in their computers that their boss would be happy to know about. They were having business dealings with Team Flare, their boss's enemy, which was unacceptable.

Giovanni, "Are you positive?"

Jessie, "Yes boss, we found a contract signed and sealed. If you could send a psychic type to teleport this."

Proctor, "Alakazam."

Alakazam nodded, "Al."

Giovanni read the contract with his eyes filled with fury, "I see. Leave those two behind. They are no longer part of Team Rocket. Team Flare can pick them up or leave them to rot. You three stick to your mission. Keep an eye on those brats, test them from time to time but never get caught."

James, "Understood Boss!"

Proctor spoke slowly after the call ended, "You are interested in the two ex - Champion's siblings?"

Giovanni, "If I play my cards right, I get the feeling they will get rid of my rival organizations."

Proctor, "Are you sure boss?"

Giovanni, "Yes, in fact, why should I dirty my hands when there are people out there who will do all the work with just a little nudge. We just need to be patient."

Proctor, "Very well, boss. I will prepare any and all information we have on our enemies. It will be planted around discreetly, when they move to other regions."

Giovanni, "Good, I have a feeling these two will not disappoint."

Meanwhile, Ash and the others were saying goodbye to Todd who had finally gotten his perfect photo. He had heard there was a mountain range where Hooh was always sighted and another where they could sometimes see Articuno flying. It had excited the photographer and he wanted to head to Jhoto right away so he could get those pictures. They wished him the best of luck and exchanged contact information as he boarded the plane that would take him directly to the mountainous region.

On the other hand Gary's poke egg had hatched into a very adorable Swablu who chirped at him. Gary immediately named him Sapphire looking at the beautiful shiny feathers the little girl had. They had cooed and welcomed the new addition to the group and Gary had placed her under the baby Pokemon list. It meant the Pokemon was his but was too young to battle and therefore it was not part of the battle roster. Happiny was very happy to not be the youngest in the group and happily played with the baby chick.

The trip to Cinnabar was filled with fun and laughter as Gary prepared for his final contest while Ash and Misty prepared to face Blaine. They checked in at the Pokemon centre first and were talking about how to find Blaine and his Gym. Then a man wearing a comfortable looking T - shirt and pants approached them and gave them a card with a riddle. Gary wished the two trainers best of luck as he had his contest the next day and needed to sleep. Brock ushered Ash and Misty to sleep as well after midnight advising the two of them to look around the island the next day.

Ash, "Well it is getting late."

Misty, "Yeah, still what does it mean though?"

Brock, "You have the whole day tomorrow to figure it out. Now go to sleep."

The next day Gary was taking part in the contest and the two trainers decided to cheer for him first. They could brainstorm together later and figure out the Gym was located and then challenge it. Blaine who was disguised saw them and smiled as the two cheered their friend on. He had watched his colleague's grandson perform before and was admittedly very impressed. The young lad had talent and knew how to bring out the best in his Pokemon. The Pokemon contest was still a new concept in the Kanto - Jhoto region compared to other places overseas. Oak's sweet grand daughter had taken part in the second season and taken it by storm raising interest in the Pokemon contest.

Blaine, 'Now, little Gary is taking part in it. If he succeeds like his older sister we will have more contestants next year.'

Ash, "Go Gary go!"

Misty, "Show them who's the King!"

Gary ignored the ridiculous banners those two had and focused on his performance for which Luna and Bolt worked together. They combined their charm and thunder to create electric hearts that floated around the arena. It looked very cyberpunk especially when Luna added moon blast and Bolt added electro ball to the surroundings. The pink hearts were surrounded by electric currents as they floated around and finally clashed with moon blast before dispersing into pink, yellow and purple sparks. It was a beautiful finish and the crowd cheered as Gary got full points and was moving to the next round.

Ash, "That's my boyfriend."

Misty, "That's my best friend."

The crowd who heard them moved away from them a little after deeming them to be die hard fan girl and boy. Ash and Misty however ignored their judgmental looks and loudly cheered Gary on instead. Gary was battling with Ace in the semi finals and the Primeape danced around his opponent making her lose points to the fighting type. For the finals Linden was battling and the grass type was very excited he had been reluctant to evolve during the opening of the Mysterious forest. He felt he was not ready but now, he was positive that he was ready and did his best to win against Bellossom.

Announcer, "And we have a winner, Gary and his handsome Linden."

Gary hugged the grass type, "We got our final ribbon buddy."

Linden grinned then started to glow brightly getting bigger in size and his bulb started to grow taller. When the light faded in place of Bulbasaur, now stood a very proud looking Ivysaur who was grinning. Gary laughed and hugged him congratulating him on the evolution and the announcer cheered. Now, Gary had received all five ribbons and would have to prepare for the Grand Festival in a few months. Ash and Misty cheered the loudest and dragged Brock along with them to celebrate Gary winning his last and final ribbon. Gary had agreed to having a party but after they got their badges, which would be tomorrow.

Ash, "We figured out the meaning of the riddle."

Misty, "It took a while to understand though."

Brock, "Oh? That's great news."

Gary, "So? Where is it?"

Ash pointed at the volcano, "Inside that volcano."

Misty, "The only place where water cannot defeat fire. I will have to think about a good strategy."

Ash, "Me too. I was thinking about using Squirtle but simply having a type advantage will not work."

Gary, "I have no doubt you will both succeed in winning your seventh badge."

Brock, "Me too!"

Chapter Text

Misty laid down on her back, outside the volcano, "We did it."

Ash muttered from beside her, "Yeah, our Pokemon did a good job."

Gary chuckled as he fanned Ash, "You both did a good job."

Brock was helping Misty cool down as well, "Not to forget both of your Pokemon evolved."

Ash grinned at his newly evolved Pokemon, "Yes, good job Charmeleon."

Charmeleon grinned then winced at the pain, -The power rush was worth it, despite the strain.-

Misty, "We will need to re - train from the basics though. You have new bodies now."

Seadra nodded slowly, -I cannot wait to learn new moves and attacks. My water gun was so strong though it lacked control.-

Starmie, -Still, it helped us win.-

Blaine was watching them from the corner, 'So, these are the kids that caught the eyes of the Gym leaders.'

Blaine had been listening to the reports of his fellow Gym leaders and especially their interest in the young Waterflower. While young Ash was proving himself to become a strong trainer, Misty was proving herself to be a capable future Water type Master. Many Gym leaders were looking forward to the time young Waterflower will join them. At the moment her sisters were doing a good job running the Gym the best they can though they are not interested in being actual Gym leaders. They were like Brock in that sense, but unlike Brock the Waterflower couple were long deceased.

Misty looked up, "Blaine? Everything alright?"

Blaine smiled secretively, "Everything is fine, I must say I am very impressed by your tenacity though."

Misty beamed, "I always try to do my best."

Ash pat Misty's back, "She is going to be one of the strongest Water type Master in Kanto, no, the whole world. Just wait and watch."

Brock nodded looking at her proudly, "I agree."

Gary, "She is strong, smart, kind and most importantly never gives up."

Misty's face turned red, "Guys!"

Blaine chuckled, "You have good friends, young lass."

Misty nodded, "Yes, yes I do. My best friends."

The boys grinned at her and after their Pokemon were healed they decided to enjoy the tourist side of the island. It was fun and nice to just relax and enjoy the festival with friends and Pokemon by their sides, Gary could do without the interfering fans though. Ash and Misty teased him on becoming very popular already which made Gary huff in amusement. While Gary was being bothered by fans asking for photos and autographs Misty and Ash were being challenged by other trainers to battle. Normally, they would be ecstatic but after their twentieth battle in one day they were getting annoyed.

Ash grumbled, "What is up with the challenges?"

Misty was grouchy as well, "Well if I were to guess, it's no doubt because of the last challenge, the Viridian Gym, probably."

Gary, "I heard an interesting rumour."

Brock, "A rumour?"

Ash, "What sort of rumour?"

Misty, "Is something going on that we do not know?"

Gary, "Apparently strong trainers are being invited to take part in a very exclusive tournament."

Brock, "Sounds dubious, like a scam."

Ash was suspicious, "Is it legal though?"

Misty frowned, "Good question. I do not want to lose my license when we are close to taking part in the League."

Gary, "It's by invite only."

Brock, "So, we may not be invited."

Ash murmured, "Why do I feel like this is a trap?"

Misty looked at the sky, "What is that?"

Gary, "It is coming this way."

Brock, "Scramble!"

Ash jumped away as what appeared to be a Dragonite appeared and flew in between them taking a U - turn and stopping in front of them. The group looked at each other as they stood up again and Dragonite took out what looked like an envelope. Gary took the envelope and a hologram appeared inviting them to take part in a tournament to determine who is the strongest Pokemon trainer. It was bluntly speaking very suspicious and made their instincts shout at them to run away. But Ash had a feeling they would not be able to run from whatever this was and agreed to take part in the tournament.

Misty, "New island is a few hours from here."

Gary, "Let's get going. This will be an interesting tournament."

Misty, "I think it will rain. How weird!"

Brock, "That is not a normal thunder cloud."

Gary, "Brock you are on a ride with Spirit and I."

Brock, "Thank you."

Ash, "Beedrill can carry me."

Beedrill, -You can count on me.-

Misty, "My water Pokemon are tough, this is a good challenge for us."

Starmie, -I am getting through this, no problem.-

They traveled through the strong winds and water that fought against them and almost drowned them. But they persisted and got to the island where they were greeted by a strange woman with glassy eyes. They were on guard, the last time a human had glassy eyes was back in Hop Hop Hop town. The children who were under the effects of the psychic powers and thought they were Pokemon. Ash looked at the others and they quietly agreed to stick close to each other and keep an eye out for whoever was mind controlling the poor lady. As they entered the main hall they were surprised to see familiar faces.

Ash, "Red!"

Gary, "Green!"

Misty, "Why are you guys here?"

Brock, "Don't tell me, you got invited too."

Red hugged Ash, "Yes, we were invited."

Gary pulled away from hugging his brother, "Huh, hologram invite?"

Green, "Yep, creepy lady under mind control."

Brock murmured, "Can we help her?"

Red, "We will need to find out who is behind it first."

Misty, "Team Rocket?"

Ash, "It's possible."

Red was about to answer when the Lady announced her Master was about to join them. They all looked at the glass elevator and watched with surprised expressions when Mewtwo of all people appeared. Red's Mewtwo appeared looking at the other Mewtwo with curiosity noticing the colour difference between the two of them. Red's Mewtwo had a light purple tail while the new one had a dark purple tail. Ash wondered what was going on and where did the second Mewtwo come from? The other Mewtwo was wary of the older one, from the look of confusion Ash could tell Mewtwo was not really expecting to see another one like him.

The tournament was interesting as they watched the fight occur in front of them between the different starters from Kanto and Jhoto. This definitely had Team Rocket written all over it and Ash and the others sneaked away quietly to find out more. What they found out really broke their hearts. They saw Mewtwo being created and being treated like an object instead of the clever Pokemon he was. They saw all the experiments being done on him till he finally snapped at one point and destroyed the island. After that there was a mute video of Giovanni the ex - Gym leader, approaching Mewtwo making them wonder what he may have said to make Mewtwo go with him.

Ash, "Well, that left a bitter taste in the mouth."

Misty murmured, "So what now?"

Gary, "Honestly I am at a loss."

Brock, "Me too, usually we punish those who hurt others."

Ash, "They are already dead in this case so we cannot arrest them and put them to trial."

Gary, "Let's go back and see what we can do."

Mewtwo, -So, you found out.-

Ash startled then calmed down, "Yes, I am sorry for what they did to you."

Mewtwo, -Why? You were a child back then.-

Gary, "Offering an apology is the least anyone can do after everything that happened."

Mewtwo looked away then nodded accepting the apology feeling a little lighter and looking more calm and relaxed. After a few words being exchanged Mewtwo sent them all back to the Pokemon centre their memories feeling blurry. Ash was suspicious but seeing everyone he cared about safe and sound decided to let it be. Though he could swear up and down he saw Mew fly around outside, he did not go after the little legendary. Ash had a feeling it would be more trouble than it was actually worth, plus he was feeling woozy still for some reason. They stayed the night getting their bearings back wondering what happened to them and figured they got caught in a stray move.

Ash, "Final badge, here we come."

Gary, "And after the final badge it is the Grand Festival."

Misty, "I am so excited."

Brock, "I see Cerulean City."

Ash, "Cool! We can stock up."

Misty, "And visit my sisters. I wonder what they have been up to."

Gary, "Check out the poster."

Brock, "A mermaid's tale."

A loud voice came, "MISTY!"

Misty jumped at her name being called loudly, "V? Scare a girl to death, why don't you?"

Violet glomped her holding her close squishing the younger girl to her chest, "I was not expecting to see you so soon."

Misty's strained voice came, "I.. I missed u.. you too, sis. Mind loosening your hold? I... I can't breathe."

Violet let go, "Sorry baby sis. I was just so excited to see you again. I could not help it. Blaine told us all about your latest win."

Misty turned pink, "Oh, he did?"

Violet, "Come on! Lily and Daisy are at the Gym. They are going to be really excited. Ash, Gary, congratulations on your wins too."

Ash beamed, "Thank you, Violet."

Gary, "We worked hard together to get our victories."

Violet, "How have you been Brock?"

Brock smiled at her goofily, "I have been great. In fact, seeing your beautiful fa.... Gaaaah!"

Misty's fist was steaming, "Not with my sister, Brock. That's where I draw the line."

Ash snickered, "You know, you deserved that Brock."

Gary laughed, "Yeah man, you should never flirt with someone's sister so shamelessly."

Brock looked sheepish, "Yeah, my bad. Sorry Misty."

Misty, "I will accept your apology if you don't act weird around my siblings."

Violet cooed hugging her again, "Always the overprotective one, aren't you? You really take after Dad, in more ways than one."

Misty beamed at that, thankful this hug was not tight and they started to walk to the Cerulean Gym where her other sisters were waiting. Just like Violet, Lily and Daisy had jumped on Misty kissing and hugging her making Misty's face turn red from embarrassment. The other three just stood back and watched with amused expressions and snickers as their usually calm friend became flustered. It was really cute to watch and told Misty they would give her some privacy, it was obvious her siblings would not let her go anytime soon. Daisy mentioned they could use their guest rooms as they were Misty's friends to which they were grateful for. After leaving their bags they went to the City in search of items they would require to travel to Viridian then to the Grand Festival.

Gary, "I think that is everything."

Ash, "Yeah, me too. I am really excited for the next challenge. My last badge and your Grand Festival."

Gary chuckled, "How about a date while we are here?"

Ash flushed, "A date like a romantic date?"

Gary, "Yes, I mean the last date we had was back at the giant Pokemon Park. We did not have personal time together after that."

Ash, "Oh yeah, we were either with Brock or with Misty."

Gary, "Right? So what do you say?"

Ash, "Yeah, let's go."

Gary chuckled as he took Ash with him to the park first, it was a very beautiful place with the man made water ways and flowers. It had the appearance of a water way and they spent around half an hour there relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet. After that they went to the food section of the market to try the special Cerulean lunch menu. They had actually forgotten about it last time they were here but this time they were trying it. It consisted of a hotpot which had locally grown fish and shellfish in it that they are to eat with rice or bread. They ended the date by returning to the Gym in time for the new show.

Ash, "Is that Misty?"

Brock saw them, "Yes, Daisy convinced Misty to play the role of the mermaid alongside her."

Gary, "It's a good way to spend time with siblings."

Ash, "Go for it Misty."

Brock, "How was your date?"

Gary, "It was decent. Cerulean City has many places where you can enjoy time together."

Brock, "Well, at least one of us had fun."

Gary chuckled, "I am sure you will find someone who you will want to be serious about soon Brock."

Brock, "How do you know I am not serious?"

Gary, "You act way too comical."

Ash, "It is really hard to take you seriously with all the grand over the top confessions."

Chapter Text

Brock was not sulking, no, he swears he was not after being called out on his behaviour earlier by Gary. When Misty had found out she had just snickered saying someone had to point it out one day. Brock grumbled about wanting his cute and innocent travel partners back not the teasing trolls he has at the moment. The three ended up laughing as they left Cerulean City and headed to Pewter City where they met Brock's family and mom. That was the first time they met her and she wanted to become a water type Gym leader? It was a really hectic, chaotic and drama filled visit with Brock's mother wanting to become a Water type Gym leader till Misty asked to see her Mastery. Now, that shut her up and that was that, in order to become a Gym Leader it is important to have a Mastery in multiple Water Pokemon lines.

Brock sighed exhausted as he left Pewter City, "I am sorry about my mom."

Misty pat his back, "I understand, trust me."

Ash pat Brock's back, "It will be okay Brock. I mean she stopped after she learned the requirements."

Gary hummed, "I do not want to sound judgmental but your mother does not seem like the type to be able to focus on something for long."

Brock, "I know, she has ADHD. Thanks for not blowing up on her Misty. I know what she said was pretty insulting."

Misty snorted, "I have heard worse. Do not worry. To be honest with you though, I did not find it insulting at all. The fact she was interested made me happy. There are not enough water type specialists in Kanto, I am afraid."

Gary nodded in agreement, "That is true. Most of the water specialists stick to the Orange Archipelago region. We hardly see them on the mainland, except for Cerulean City."

Ash, "We mostly got, Grass types, Bug types, Ground types and Rock type specialists. Huh, fire type specialists are rare too."

Misty had a thoughtful look, "True. Something to think about. There are many trainers but specialists and Masters are very rare."

Brock, "Pokemon Doctors are even more rare. I think Pokemon Nurses are more in number."

Ash, "How are they so low in number though? I mean Doctors are needed, aren't they?"

Gary, "That is a good question."

Brock looked a little lost in thought, "You can blame the war. I was still a toddler back then and you three were not even born. I remember my mom sitting on the veranda waiting for dad to return home. It is a fuzzy memory but yeah. Many Doctors were killed during the war."

Misty, "That's when the rule of not targeting Doctors came out right?"

Brock nodded, "Yes, every region agreed on that rule. But the reason I want to become a Doctor is because of Doctor Jack. He healed my Dad's Golem who was badly hurt. If it was not for Doctor Jack, Golem would have been long dead."

Gary smiled at him, "I am sure you will make an amazing Doctor, Brock."

Ash, "We believe in you."

Misty nodded grinning, "Doctor Brock has a nice ring to it."

Brock laughed, "Thank you guys."

The travel to Viridian City this time was less time consuming than the last time where they were leaving Viridian for Pewter. They reached the City safely and went to the Pokemon centre getting rooms for the night and booking gym battles. Gary on the other hand signed up for the Grand Festival which would start in one week. While they were training together Green greeted them and promptly invited them to stay with him. The man would not hear anything else and Brock understood why Ash and Gary only booked for one night instead of a week.

Ash challenged Green for his badge first, it was a six on six battle but before that he would have to find Green first. Pikachu, Charmeleon, Squirtle, Grimer, Pidgeotto and finally Beedrill took part in the Gym battles and won by the teeth. Charmeleon evolved into Charizard, Squirtle into Wartotle and finally Grimer evolved into Muk. Green was very proud of him and rushed the exhausted Pokemon to the Pokemon centre for a check up. The Pokemon were fine and would be okay as long as they wait for their bodies to adjust to the new changes before training.

The next person to battle was Misty who had been thinking really hard about her strategy. She was focused on using her water types very strictly and therefore there were a lot of disadvantages for her. She would be using her Starmie, Goldeen, Corsula, Chinchou, Surskit and Golduck against Green. She stepped in but unlike Gary she had to solve a riddle and depending on which one she answered, a field would be chosen for her. Misty closed her eyes and clicked on one riddle; what is both water and land, but neither either, and still always wet.

Misty thought about it, "Wetlands."

Misty gasped as the room trembled and the floor opened for a field that looked like the wetlands appeared in front of Misty. On the opposite end was Green smirking at her proudly which made Misty grin, she was getting excited about her upcoming battle. She used Starmie, Goldeen and Corsula first using the stream to her advantage till Green's Blastoise appeared on the field. Chinchou had a hard time against the fully evolved starter and had forced herself to evolve to at least weaken him. She had truly struggled but had ended with a weakened Blastoise that was defeated by Seadra.

Misty's battle had the group on edge as it was very evident Green was very strong but she won through the teeth and perseverance. Green was very proud of them and informed he was looking forward to Gary's first ever Grand Festival. Gary flushed then grinned when he heard their families would be there to watch his first performance. Ash and Misty were very excited and supported and helped him practice for the Grand Festival. The Festival would start in three days and one day before the Festival the Oak family was seen in Viridian City. The reporters were all over the family members which forced them to use their psychic Pokemon to escape.

Gary, "Gramps, Dad, Mom, Sis and Bill."

Rosalind hugged him, "Oh, my sweet baby."

Blue joined them, "Look at you now. All grown up."

Gary struggled between them, "Mom, Dad, come on!"

Daisy giggled, "We watched all your performances."

Leaf grinned, "You were awesome."

Bill nodded, "Indeed."

Green, "He is our baby brother."

Ash giggled, "Just go with it Gary."

Misty snickered at his red face, "Yeah, they have not seen you in a while."

Brock laughed as the Oak family basically group - hugged a flustered Gary who just went with it. Soon enough it was time for the Grand Festival to begin and everyone was in the stands. The host Carrina first introduced the judges first and Misty swears they are like Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny. Mr Contesta and Sukizo were in every contest and Grand Festival, it was getting a little bit weird. Ash patted her shoulder knowing what she was thinking and soon enough the first participant appeared.

Gary, "Ready my darlings?"

Jewel, -Yes, I cannot wait.-

Gary, "Oh! Looks like it's our turn."

Carrina, "A big welcome for Gary Oak."

Gary released his Pokemon, Sapphire and Linden for the best double team performance in the Grand Festival. He had been working on the double Pokemon performance and started with rain dance and sunny day creating a rainbow. Then they used a combination of mist and a harmless version of poison powder that made the mist look mystical. Then Gary called Sapphire to sing while calling for a controlled leaf - storm from Linden as support. As Sapphire sang a beautiful song, Linden created a magnificent stage for her using leaves and vines. When Sapphire sang the last notes, Linden made the white and blue coloured flowers bloom.

The audience screamed with cheers at the end clapping hard, Gary was a crowd favourite. The loudest he saw were his friends and family and Gary felt his ears burn at the embarrassing looking banner they were holding. It was no doubt Misty's idea, he was pretty sure, it was her who created the banner. The judges gave him very positive reviews and gave him full points which let him enter the second rounds. The semi - finals were fun especially with the battles which his Pokemon really enjoyed. Gary was able to go to the finals where he was facing Solidad from Hoenn who was a very popular contestant.

Solidad, "Let's do our best."

Gary, "You are on!"

Jewel did her best against Solidad's Milotic but Solidad and Milotic won the Grand Festival in the end. The two just had too much experience and battle performance compared to Gary and Jewel who just started out. The crowd however cheered for Gary as well despite his loss, it was obvious he had won many hearts. His family was very proud of him for coming in second place and they held a party at Green's home. Red and Gold had also managed to make it to watch the finals and congratulate Gary on coming second. Most beginners do not even clear the first round so he was doing much better than other coordinators.

Gary flushed under their praise and thanked them for their support and cheers though it was embarrassing from time to time. Gary was happy to have his family and friends cheer him on to do better and most importantly to enjoy and have fun. A few days later they were traveling through the forest to the Indigo Plateau where the Indigo Conference would be held. Ash and Misty were very excited about their upcoming Conference and also very nervous. On the way they came across a group of archaeologists who were looking for something but they ignored it and found a place to camp.

In hindsight they really should have camped a little bit farther from the archaeological site. As they were battle training their Pokemon's attacks uncovered a very old looking temple. Ash was surprised but before he could say anything he was pushed by one of the archaeologists. Luckily Misty caught him before he could fall and loudly called the archaeologists rude and uneducated. The adults had the decency to look embarrassed by their actions then explained they were excited because of the temple they unearthed. The group looked at each other and wondered if they should stay or go but one of the archaeologists said they could stay.

The problems started at night when a giant Alakazam and Gengar appeared and started to battle each other. They needed to find a way to stop them before they destroyed the entire forest but Pokemon attacks did not work on them. Then Gary decided to ask for Luna and Brock's Clefairy to help them out by putting the Titan sized Pokemon to sleep. They did not see the end result as all of them had fallen asleep in the end to see how the fight ended. The next day Ash woke up first and saw the old pokeballs that held Alakazam and Gengar. He made a quick decision and tied the pokeballs together placing them inside a box and sending it with Pidgeotto to Red.

Ash, 'The letter should explain everything that happened. Red is a Champion, he can handle it.'

Pikachu, -That is probably the best decision. These guys are civilians and would not be able to deal with them if they escaped again.-

Gary woke up next, "Let me guess, they were sent to the League?"

Ash, "Too powerful for us and they are obviously not battlers."

Gary nodded in agreement and they decided to make breakfast for everyone who was yet to wake up from their sleep. The smell of fried bacon, eggs, roasted tomatoes, roasted capsicum and toasted butter bread with coffee woke them all up. The archaeologists looked around wondering what happened and Ash excused the incident as Luna and Jigglypuff had a major singing competition between them. They apologized for letting it go out of hand but the archaeologists did not mind as they had not slept so well in a long time. Misty and Brock however sent them understanding looks and apologized as well for the inconvenience.

Chapter Text

Ash pat his mother's back as she hugged him tight, "Mom, I can't breath."

Delia let go laughing sheepishly, "Sorry honey, I am just so happy to see you back. Your Dad and brothers are still at their work but they are going to be so happy to see you too."

Yellow, the youngest Ketchum cooed, "Ashy."

Ash beamed at her, "Hello Yellow. And I know, mom. Misty, come on, I will show you your room."

Misty nodded, "Thanks."

Delia, "Oh! It is going to be wonderful to have another girl here."

Misty grinned at her, "Thanks Mrs Ketchum. Brock is staying with Gary though I think he is smitten by Leaf more."

Delia laughed, "I see. Well good luck to him then."

Misty laughed as she got settled in with the Ketchums and joined them for dinner. Cypress, Red and Gold joined them using Psychic Pokemon to teleport them home. It was a really nice dinner with Ash's family asking Misty about everything they had been up to. Red had pointedly asked her if Ash and Gary had gone to the next level of the relationship or are they still fiddling their fingers with each other. Misty had choked at that while Ash had turned red cheeked and Misty had to drink water to calm down. Then she was about to refute the idea when she got a thoughtful look on her face.

Misty had a thinking pose, "Honestly speaking, I remember Gary and Ash tried to have a date many times but Team Rocket somehow created trouble every single time. It was really annoying now that I think about it."

Gold frowned, "Team Rocket? I thought I dealt with those idiots already."

Ash cleared his throat, "Yeah, that happened a lot actually. We tried having a date on the ship, Team Rocket tried to steal Pokemon. We tried to have a date at Celadon, Team Rocket set fire to the Gym's green house. In fact, the only date that went well was Cerulean City one."

Cypress, "They set fire to what?"

Red, "You had a date in Cerulean."

Delia, "Oh! Was it when Misty was the main mermaid?"

Yellow, "Team Rocket bad?"

Ash, "Very bad. So if you see them, tell us okay Yellow?"

Yellow, "Yes ~"

Misty sweat dropped at the different reactions and how the topic went from dates to criminals to the upcoming League. The two teens met up with Gary and Brock who had faced a similar situation with the Oaks later. They had laughed together over it before deciding to spend the next few days training. While they were training both Oak and Ketchum families came together to celebrate Gary's first Grand Festival. Gary was flushed red at that but seeing how his friends and family were enjoying did not complain much. Two days after the party they left for the Indigo Plateau.

The journey to the Plateau was a very interesting one, from running into one of the Elite Four to a trainer with a Marowak to Team Rocket again. It was one they would not forget that easily, especially when they had to stop Team Rocket from stealing the Moltress flames. It was quite the predicament as Team Rocket had laid many pitfalls and traps for them when they tried to go after the annoying trio. Luckily they had flying type Pokemon to help them out of the pickle they were in and they found Team Rocket and retrieved the flames back.

Mr Goodshow had even asked them to join the marathon to carry the flames all the way to the League. The four looked at each other and agreed to do so, it was fun and that way they could make sure the flames were safe. The opening ceremony thankfully ended without anymore disturbances and trouble from Team Rocket. The next few days were the elimination rounds and both Ash and Misty cleared their elimination rounds. During that time they had met with old rivals like AJ and Giselle and made new friends like Ritchie and Duplica. They had all made it to the top sixteen of the Indigo Conference.

Ritchie was like Ash focusing on becoming a Generalist Master while Duplica wanted to become a Master of Ditto line. She even had different types of Dittos, from the normal to the albino to the shiny one as well. It was interesting seeing them all together in one place, one Ditto was even bigger than the rest. Ash and Misty were actually impressed by the variety of the different types of Dittos which rarely happened. Ash had to face AJ during the top sixteen while Misty had to face Ritchie and Duplica was up against Giselle. From there Ash won against AJ, Ritchie against Misty and Duplica defeated Giselle.

From there only the top eight were left and Ritchie and Duplica were facing each other while Ash was battling Ethan. Ethan caught Ash by surprise, he was dressed as Gold used to dress, from the hat to the shoes, it was weird. But Ash decided to ignore it and focused on the battle instead because not only did Ethan dressed like Gold, he was strong too. Gold gave Ash a run for his money, even with Pidgeotto evolving into a full - fledged Pidgeot, he lost. Ritchie meanwhile defeated Duplica and there were only four participants left to battle.

Gary, "Ash, you were awesome."

Misty, "Yeah, I can't believe we came so far."

Brock, "Congratulations to Pidgeot on the evolution."

Ash, "Thank you. Ethan sure is strong though. I was basically pushed to a corner by him. Guess we need to train more."

Gary, "It just means we need to learn more and we have a lot of improvement to do."

Misty, "Yup, next time though, we will do better."

Brock, "That's the spirit."

They enjoyed the rest of the Conference cheering for Ritchie in the semi finals but Ritchie was defeated by Valerie. But just like Ash had suspected Ethan had defeated her and became the Indigo Conference winner. Ethan had plans to challenge the Elite Four and then Champion Red for the title of Champion. A little digging had shown Ethan had already challenged Gold and won back in Jhoto. No wonder Gold had more free time lately, he was no longer the Champion, it had made Red very curious about Ethan. Lance from what Gary knew was pretty much interested as well.

Gary, "I hope he does really well."

Ash, "Red is hoping he will get a good battle from Ethan and we may have another dual Championship holder."

Misty, "That is really exciting, isn't it?"

Brock, "It is, considering Lance was the only dual Championship holder before."

A few days later they heard the news of a new Kanto - Jhoto Champion Ethan taking the stage. Red had happily announced it to the media and then booked it home as fast as he could. Ash had to stifle a laugh as the feral Gold look alike did not care much about the questions from the reporters. Instead he was pestering Lance as if they were not in a PR conference much to the Dragon Master's amusement. While Red had taken solace in the mountains Gold had immersed himself in breeding programs to avoid the media. Ethan though point blank ignored their very existence, only interested in the next fight.

Red, "He is something else that's for sure."

Gold, "Good for him though."

Leaf, "Well at least he is not hiding on the mountain."

Daisy laughed, "Agreed."

Green, "I don't know Red, he kinda reminded me of you."

Red, "Funny because he reminded me of you."

Ash, "He seems to be enjoying himself at least."

Gary nodded, "Yeah, that's the most important thing."

Yellow, "Let's have fun."

They melted at the sight of Yellow playing with their Pokemon. She was the youngest in the family at least she would be for a while. Daisy and Bill were not planning to have a baby yet, but they would after saving up for a few years. A few days later Professional Oak had requested Ash, Gary, Misty and Brock to deliver a package for him from the Orange Archipelago. The group had agreed after a while and left for Orange Islands via blimp flight which looked sketchy to Ash but there were no other flight options. It made them suspicious but if it was the only option what could one do.

Ash, "Of course it had to be you three."

Jessie, "We could not just let this opportunity escape."

Gary, "Are you serious right now?"

James, "Your Pokemon are ours."

Misty, "You might want to put a lid on that plan, there is a storm brewing outside."

Meowth, "Dun tell us, wat to do."

Brock, "I do not think this blimp will survive the storm."

James, "What makes you say that?"

Gary, "Famous last words there."

The next thing they knew the blimp was rocking dangerously and was close to crash landing into the ocean below. Somehow they managed to land the blimp on the designated island and there were inspectors sent to check on them. Team Rocket had vanished during that time but their Pokemon were still with them, Ash wondered where they went. What he did not know was while he was making sure the blimp was okay Team Rocket was trying to fix the rotors outside only to be blown away by the storm wind. Pikachu saw it but turned a blind eye to it, they were the reason for the situations they were in, to begin with.

Ash groaned, "Never again."

Pikachu, -Yeah.-

Gary nodded sitting next to him on the bench, "Second it!"

Jewel, -We travel by sea next time.-

Misty was hugging Starmie, "Bloody Team Rocket."

Starmie, -There, there, Misty.-

Brock was on his back on the floor, "I swear to Mew. If I have to deal with them anytime soon, I will.... "

Brock grumbled unpleasant things under his breath that Ash, Gary and Misty did not even bother to try to clear up. The authorities had checked them over then questioned them about what happened in the blimp ride. They decided to stick to facts about how they had boarded at Pallet town port and travelled to the island from there. Everything was alright in the beginning but then the storm happened and the three in charge of the blimp went missing. That had made the authorities worry, they understood as the crew in charge they were responsible for the blimp but it was dangerous to go outside.

Misty shrugged and explained they had warned them but they had been stubborn and left. They left for Ivy's lab and met the eccentric Professor and her three assistants who were triplets. Brock had a crush on Ivy and had cleaned and cooked for her which made Ash and Gary raise their eyebrows but stayed quiet. Misty, on noticing their contemplative look on their faces watched Brock's behaviour more closely. Her eyes widened at what she saw and looked back at the boys who were smirking. Misty grinned while watching Brock act like a complete gentleman, none of his ridiculous acts on the display.

Ash, "Brock, a word."

Brock, "Sure, what's up?"

Gary, "Looks like you found the one."

Brock, "What? What are you talking about?"

Misty giggled, "Oh come on Brock, normally you act like a goof and annoy the ladies."

Ash, "But this time you were a really sweet and a complete gentleman."

Gary, "So Brock, what's next?"

Brock, "I am not sure."

Ash, "Well, think about it. I saw a poster for the Orange Archipelago League and Contest. We talked with Professor Oak and he did not mind waiting for the G. S. Ball."

Misty, "I am taking part in the contest this time."

Gary, "I want to focus on my research paper. The weather trio are said to live on Shamoutii."

Brock, "That sounds really interesting Gary. Moltress is part of the weather trio right?"

Ash, "Basically yes, they are."

Misty, "I only hope nothing crazy happens while we are traveling through the region."

Gary, "You mean, you hope Team Rocket does not do anything stupid."

Brock deadpanned, "That's asking for this impossible, don't you think?"

Ash laughed tiredly, "I am not even eighteen years old but I feel old and tired."

Misty nodded sagely, "Agreed! They never learn."

Chapter Text

Brock looked at everyone around the table, "I have decided guys. I would like to stay here."

Ivy stopped eating, "Are you sure Brock? I don't want you to feel pressured to stay."

Brock nodded seriously, "I am sure. In return for taking care of the house and chores, could you teach me about medicine? I have read your papers on different medical achievements."

Ivy sat up straight, "Ah! Of course, your end goal is to become a Doctor. Very well then. It is a deal. Let's get it on writing, shall we?"

Gary interrupted them, "First finish your breakfast and then you work."

Brock chuckled, "Right!"

The three girls stared at them as they talked and laughed before pulling Ash, Gary and Misty aside. They asked them what was up and the three explained Brock seemed to really like and respect Ivy. The three girls asked if he was interested romantically and Misty answered it was possible but you never know, it could just be mutual respect. They hugged Brock before leaving the island for the next one so Ash and Misty could register for the League and Contest. Gary though was focused on the research his Grandfather had given him while Ash and Misty planned their moves.

While they were talking about the next move and the mystery around the weather trio they came across a group pestering a young Lapras. It made them angry as they called their Pokemon to fight them off only to be interrupted by a Pokemon watcher who commented on their Pokemon's health and looks. He introduced himself as Tracey and complimented Ash, Gary and Misty on the well cared for Pokemon while criticizing the thugs. The criticism did not sit right with those goons and they attacked Tracey only for Jewel, Pikachu and Starmie to attack them together and send them flying off.

Misty, "That should take care of those bastards."

Gary, "Lapras is not doing well. Tracey right? Catch it please. Our rosters are full and I do not want to send it to a lab where they will be more scared."

Tracey nodded, "Okay."

Ash, "Come on! I called Nurse Joy and explained what happened."

Tracey nodded in thanks as he caught the fainted Lapras and rushed to the Pokemon centre to get the little guy checked. Nurse Joy was not happy to learn what happened but thanked them for saving Lapras. The poor thing was obviously separated from his colony and it was forbidden to capture one so young but she understood why it happened. The Lapras was obviously terrified of them and he would move to the furthest corner of the pool. It really saddened them but then Misty had a bright idea to let their Pokemon talk to Lapras, maybe they could help them out.

Ash, "It's working."

Gary, "Awesome idea Misty."

Tracey, "Yeah, he is much more relaxed now."

Misty smiled, "I am just happy it worked."

The first ribbon contest was occurring on Maikan City which was on an island next to Mikan island where Ash would challenge the Gym leader to a battle. They decided to go to the contest first and cheered Misty on her first contest while she looked at the other contestants perform. She then slapped her cheeks getting herself to focus, she was doing this for a reason, she would not back down now. It was now or never, Gary had been guiding her and Ash had trained with her even adjusting and doing as she had requested. She would show the world that she was the fourth Waterflower for a reason.

She picked her beautiful Goldeen to start off with a very beautiful performance by using an aqua ring to hold herself above the dry field. She then used her ice beam to create a pool with water to swim in showing off her beautiful fins. From the cheers she was getting it was obvious she was a favourite of the crowd and then she used a water pulse. Goldeen sent it above her head before using an ice beam on it and finally destroying the ball of ice with a mega horn. Goldeen jumped high above the ice pool hitting her target with a strong mega horn making it break into bright sparkles.

Of course, what earned her more points was Goldeen evolving into a majestic looking Seaking who stood beside her proudly. The battle part was taken over by her Starmie and Surskit who were excited about a new type of competition. Surskit had performed in the first battle round showing off his adorable side to lower the opponent's points. Starmie though performed a light show using a hydro pump and thunder electrocuting his opponent. Misty sweat dropped at the over kill but Starmie looked pretty smug about it and they won, so it's okay she guessed.

Gary, "That's our Misty."

Ash, "She won her first ribbon."

Tracey, "That was amazing."

Misty, "I did it! I did it!"

Gary, "You did, I am so proud of you."

Ash, "We should party."

Tracey, "I know a great place."

Misty, "How about we have a party after your gym battle Ash? We can have a double party and invite Brock, Professor Ivy and the triplets. I have a feeling they have not had a party in a while."

Gary, "That sounds good and I have a few questions for the Professor."

Tracey, "You are close to Professor Ivy?"

Ash, "It's more of a professional relationship but yeah. I guess you could say we are."

Misty, "Come on! I promised to help you train so that's what I am going to do."

Ash trained shuffling between Misty, Gary and sometimes Tracey who spent most of his time making sure the young Lapras was alright. Though Lapras offered to carry them from one place to another, Charizard preferred to carry Ash citing it was good training for endurance and stamina. Blastoise did the same thing for Gary, though Gary was sure it was to spend time with Charizard Ash still did not named Blastoise. Or more like Blastoise had not liked any of the names yet, feeling none had any special meaning to it. Ash did not push either, when Blastoise picked a name he would be there to make it official.

Mikan island was a nice place to hang out in especially with the cool sea breeze and bright sun. Misty liked it and she spent the walk to the gym telling Tracey about the Cerulean Gym back in Kanto. After seeing the beautiful island she now wanted an island Gym as well, as a water specialist it would make sense. The older teen listened to her description of the Cerulean City and Gym with interest as he had not been to the Kanto region only Jhoto. Misty then invited him to visit Cerulean City whenever he wanted and introduced him to her sisters. That ended up with her sisters happily greeting Tracey and teasing Misty making her turn pink.

Misty, "You three, he is a new friend."

Daisy, :Oh! Come on! He is cute.:

Tracey sweat dropped at that, "Thank you?"

Lily, :And really very polite too.:

Misty, "Please, stop before you scare him away."

Violet, :We are just joking Misty. But aside from the jokes, nice to meet you Tracey.:

Ash chuckled, "They are as energetic as ever."

Gary, "There's the Gym."

They knocked and were greeted by a young boy who eyed them, especially Misty and invited them in. Ash saw the looks the kid sent to Misty and introduced them to each other much to Senta's excitement. The young boy had watched her performance and was actually very interested in becoming a coordinator. His sister Cissy found them talking about the Contest before clearing her throat getting their attention. Senta then introduced her to the group and told her Ash was there to challenge her for the badge. Cissy grinned and then welcomed Ash before explaining the rules of the Gym challenges.

Ash, "That sounds like a lot of fun."

Cissy, "Alright then, choose a Pokemon who can shoot and we will start the challenge."

Ash, "Let's go Beedrill."

Beedrill, -Interesting challenge. I accept.-

Cissy, "Let's go, Seadra."

The first challenge was a shooting game, they had to shoot as many cans off the table as possible. Seadra used bubble gum while Beedrill used a pin missile to shoot the cans off the table in front of them. The result was a tie between the two Pokemon, Seadra was definitely well practiced in the shooting game. Beedrill was pretty good at the game too and gave her best at it always making a draw. The next test was a speed test and they had to ride their Pokemon around the pole and back. Blastoise got excited and Cissy grinned calling her own Blastoise.

The two Blastoise eyed each other and Ash was pretty sure he felt the fire of competition burn between them but did not comment on it. He instead focused on securing himself on top of Blastoise and soon enough both Blastoise set off towards the pole in the ocean. Gary and Misty cheered him on while Tracey sketched the two Blastoises and the trainers riding on top of them. Ash and Blastoise won by the skin of the teeth when Blastoise aimed her cannons behind her and used a hydro pump for an extra boost in speed. Cissy laughed impressed by the idea and presented Ash with his first badge of the Orange isle. It was a pretty shell, designed with the Gym's symbol in the middle.

Misty, "Alright! Let's party."

Gary, "I will call Brock and the others."

Tracey, "I know a place. This way."

Ash, "Awesome, our first victories in Orange Archipelago."

Brock, :A party?:.

Gary, "Yeah, it is their first win, after all."

Ivy, :Sounds like a lot of fun. It will give my girls a chance to socialize as well.:

Brock, :We will be there.:

Gary, "Great! Here's the address."

Ivy, :Oh! That is just a five minute flight from here.:

Brock, :We will see you there.:

The party was fun with Brock and the girls joining them in the celebration and the Pokemon enjoying the food prepared. Charizard was a little miffed he could not participate in the Gym challenge but Ash promised the next one for him. Of course, it was not all rosy especially when they reached the next island and their Pokemon turned against them. Almost all except for the bug, steel, dark and ghost seemed to be affected by whatever was going on. Butterfree, Beedrill, Frillish, Surskit and Tracey's Venonat were not at all amused by what was happening. They decided to sneak around with the remaining Pokemon to figure out what was happening and ran into Team Rocket.

Misty, "You three again? Wait where is Meowth?"

Jessie, "That bitch took out Pokemon and stole them."

Ash, "Who?"

James, "Remember Classidy and Birch?"

Gary, "The creeps behind the illegal breeding centre?"

Tracey, "Illegal breeding centre?"

Jessie, "Yeah, they are the ones behind this mess."

James, "We were actually here to investigate. But we can't get inside that building over there."

Ash, "Butterfree, Beedrill, pretend to be under control and follow that flock of Pokemon. Once inside, you have my permission to go full poison mode on them."

Butterfree and Beedrill had gleams in their eyes as they nodded and followed the Pokemon. Once inside they saw a Drowzee of all things, was attached to a machine that amplified their psychic waves. Beedrill took aim at the control panel and shot thin pin missiles at it while Butterfree went and used sleeping powder on the psychic Pokemon. It helped that the poor psychic was already at their limit and fell asleep very easily leaving Cassidy frustrated. Butch checked on Drowzee only to find they were asleep, there was nothing wrong with them. Beedrill gave the signal then and Ash, Gary, Misty and Tracey entered the facility with other trainers who wanted their Pokemon back.

Officer Jenny, "You have caused enough trouble in my town. You are getting deported and banned from the Orange Archipelago."

Cassidy, 'Damnit! Wait, those three! I know them.'

Butch, "It's you! You ruined our life back in Kanto."

Cassidy turned to where her partner was screaming at and growled, "Well, well, if it isn't Jessie."

Jessie, "I will make sure you never bother anyone ever again."

James, "Agreed!"

Chapter Text

Ash was humming as he and the others cleaned the poke eggs they had collected from the two crazies. After Cassidy and Lurch (my name is Butch), were arrested Officer Jenny had found a clutch of Pokemon eggs in their possession. She had offered them to the trainers to pick and some of the trainers aside from them did take a poke egg with them. The rest of the poke eggs would be sent to Professor Ivy, the regional Professor. Brock had been surprised when he heard the news but agreed it would be better to have them checked first. Not to forget thanks to Orange Archipelago's unique set up, you never know how different the Pokemon might come out.

Misty hummed as he placed her poke egg in her holder, "I wish it is another adorable Pokemon."

Gary nodded in agreement, "I want a Fairy type."

Ash smiled and looked at the poke egg, "I don't know what Pokemon they will be but I am excited to find out."

Tracey chuckled, "I think all of us are excited about the new additions."

Misty put the rest of the items away, "You can bet your toots, we are excited. Watching a new Pokemon be born is one of the best things in the world."

Gary got up after cleaning up as well, "Yes, we should get going if we want to get to the next island, it is Sunburst I believe."

Ash perked up, "Mom ordered a few crystal figurines from that island before. They were so beautiful and shiny to look at."

Tracey opened a booklet and nodded in agreement, "It is well known for it's crystal art."

Misty, "Awesome! Maybe we can get some for our families."

After packing up all of them headed to Sunburst island, which was a very bustling island town. Everywhere they looked there were shops and vendors selling either the local delicacies or their products. No matter where they turned their heads there were tourists, buyers, sellers and most importantly the beautiful crystal figurines. Tracey then took them to meet an old friend who told them about the crystal Onix reserve on the island being open. That got their interest and they decided to check the place out and on top of that Sunburst island was holding a contest in two days.

Misty, "I am going to do my best."

Ash, "I am sure you will be amazing Misty."

Tracey, "I think you can register at the event hotel."

Gary frowned, "Oh yeah! The Pokemon centre in Sunburst was destroyed during the storm when we started our journey."

Misty, "Some of the Islands were hit harder but I can see the construction going on though."

Ash, "Red explained it to me once. The centre is supposed to be a safe place for different types of Pokemon so they have to take extra care building it compared to other places."

Tracey, "That's true. Oh! Here we are."

Gary looked around, "Looks like they made this hotel the makeshift centre while the real one is being completed."

Misty, "Well, at least we will not be high and dry if we need help."

After Misty registered herself they decided to train a bit more then do a little shopping late in the evening right before dinner. The training went as well as it could with Misty's Pokemon trying to get used to performing rather than battling. It was a bit difficult for some of the Pokemon but they adjusted and started having fun with their moves and techniques. After the training they went around the island and even had to stop a few poachers from trying to steal the crystal Onix. Those Onix were natives of the island and would not survive anywhere else for crying out loud, but no, some people are just dumb. Misty even bitch slapped one of the poachers, her temper reaching it's limit when they refused to see they were wrong.

A dark haired teen whistled, "You go girl. Show them!"

Misty watched the poachers be taken away, "Sorry I just lost my temper."

Gary, "Any one of us would have done it at some point. We are not saints."

Ash, "Hi, I am Ash, my friends Misty, Gary and Tracey."

The dark haired teen grinned, "The name is Marina and I am one of the water specialists of Orange Islands."

Misty perked up, "Really?"

Marina nodded and they started to get to talking about their favourite water type Pokemon and Misty mentioned taking part in contests. Marina was impressed and wished her luck saying she would stick around to watch the performance. Misty was nervous now but decided to do her best during the performance and soon enough the day of the contest came. Misty was wearing her Goldeen outfit with Starmie and Staryu hair clips on her hair, while on her ears were Seaking earrings. The earrings had been a gift from Tracey who wanted to show his support and Misty was grateful. The contest went by in a flash with Staryu taking the stage and showing off their control and precision. Ash's gym battle had given her an inspiration to show off Staryu's abilities.

Misty received a total of twenty nine points and during the selection was selected as the second participant to enter the battle round. Marina was watching it all with bright eyes and Ash noticed she had pink cheeks whenever Misty performed. Ash had nudged Gary who looked at where the dark haired teen was pointing and saw Marina was looking at Misty with lovey dovey eyes. It was the same eyes Ash and Gary had for each other and the same eyes Red and Green had as well. Gary grinned and nodded, they would give Marina a chance to impress Misty but it would be up to her on how she does it. Misty was now focused on the battle part and took down her opponents as quickly and stylishly as possible.

Ash, "Congratulations on the second ribbon Misty."

Gary, "That was an awesome win."

Tracey, "Yeah, I got really great sketches too."

Marina, "You were amazing."

Misty smiled brightly, "Thank you everyone. It was not easy. That dark type trainer, Riku from Jhoto almost took me out."

Marina pat her shoulder, "Well, you defeated him fair and square. So, give yourself some credit, girl."

Ash, "I agree with Marina. You have been working hard."

Gary, "Anyway, I have to get going to work on my paper. Tracey, could you help me out with a little part with your sketches, please?"

Tracey, "Sure, what do you need?"

Ash watched them go, "I need to train for my gym battle too. Let's meet up for a celebratory dinner later on."

Marina's eyes glowed in excitement at the idea of a girl's outing, "Oh! Misty, there is an awesome spa house on the East coast of the island. It's a really good place, it even provides service to Pokemon."

Misty, "Really?"

Ash grinned, "You should check it out and tell me how it goes. I might go for it tomorrow before we leave."

Marina while disappointed by the fact they were leaving did not let it stop her from taking Misty out for a girl's day out. The spa was definitely a great idea especially after seeing Misty relax as she got the treatment alongside her Pokemon. It was a really nice day too with the cool summer breeze passing through the island while the sun shone brightly overhead. Marina then took the orange haired girl for lunch and the two girls enjoyed the day together talking about everything and nothing. Misty was on her part really happy to have made a new friend that she could talk to about things that she could not talk about with the boys. She loves her friends but there were some things that only another girl could understand. A little late in the evening, Marina guided her back to the hotel she was staying in.

Marina bent down a bit and kissed Misty's cheek, "I am glad I met you before leaving."

Misty turned red, "Wait, you are leaving?"

Marina, "Yeah, I was called to help out at Trovitapolis. I am one of the ones in charge of security there for the next election."

Misty, "Oh! Will we see each other again?"

Marina's eyes softened, "Of course we will Misty. I just met you and you are obviously a trustworthy friend. I am not letting you go that easily."

Misty nodded, "Good! I will see you soon."

Marina waved goodbye to her and Misty entered the hotel smiling before she realized Marina had kissed her and turned red. Tracey, Gary and Ash who had been watching the whole interaction found Misty's reaction really funny and cute. They do not blame her of course, her older siblings always protected and sheltered her. Especially from the boys and girls who wanted to date or rather in their words, steal her away from them. Misty entered their shared floor to find them waiting for her with dinner on the table, it was all of her favourites too. Gary had a grin that made her a little wary as she sat down and thanked them for the food.

Gary, "Never mind the food. How was your date?"

Misty spluttered and almost dropped the spoon, "Date? What date?"

Ash, "Misty, you were taken on a date by Marina. Didn't you notice?"

Tracey, "It must have been fun if you did not notice at all."

Misty turned red, "I thought she was just trying to help me relax nothing more than that.... Oh sweet Mew! It was a date. My first date and I didn't even notice nor did I thank her. She must think I am a selfish brat."

Ash, "Hey, hey, hey! None of that now."

Gary, "I am pretty sure she noticed how sheltered you are and found you cute."

Tracey, "Why don't you ask her out the next time we see her? She is headed to Trovitapolis after all. One of our main stops is Trovita island as well."

Misty nodded, her ears still a little pink in colour but now she was looking forward to seeing Marina again. She had a few questions in her mind though. Were they casual dating? Or did Marina want a more serious dating? Or was it just friends with benefits? Misty was definitely excited, she was not sure how this would go but she looked forward to their next date. She would be the one to ask Marina out next time, just watch her. They enjoyed their dinner talking about the next destination which would be Naval Island for the next badge. The next day however they were side tracked from their destination by the whirlpools which landed them on Pinkadon island.

Ash, "I heard about this island before."

Gary, "Me too! The berries on this island are very special."

Misty, "Look, a pink Tentacruel. So pretty."

Tracey, "Are you okay Lapras?"

Lapras nodded and Tracey returned home so he could rest while they explored the island. But first they headed to the Ranger office to get permission to enter the island. The land was under heavy protection after all and it would do them no good to be arrested. While they were enjoying their stay on the island they saw many pink coloured Pokemon including pink Gengar. Now, that was quite the sight to see, a pink Gengar, Haunter and Gastly flying across the field in front of them. When their Pokemon started to turn pink however there was a bit of panicking but the Ranger calmly explained what was happening.

According to the Ranger the pink berries that were native to the island was the toot cause of the pink pigmentation in Pokemon. The pink berries were even used as natural and non lethal dye in food coloring and making child friendly coloured crayons. Of course, nothing could ever be peaceful as the Team Rocket trio was back to their usual trouble making ways and tried to steal all the Pokemon. The gang worked together to stop them and save the Pokemon from them, besides the pink Pokemon would have returned to their natural colour if they left the island. Their plan was really stupid, if they wanted to cash in on pink coloured Pokemon they should rather find a way to grow the berries instead.

Tracey, "I thought they were on our side?"

Gary, "Not most of the time. Only when their rivals are involved."

Ash, "To think we almost went a week without trouble."

Misty, "At least we saved the Pokemon."

Chapter Text

The next island they stopped at was Navel island, which was known for having the tallest mountain range in the Orange Archipelago. Ash and Gary stared at the large mountain range then decided they wanted to climb it to check it out first. They were joined by a man named Danny who was a very enthusiastic climber as well and joined them. Misty and Tracey however opted to check out the town instead and she wanted to shop for a few things before the next contest took place. Plans made the group separated and went their own ways while staying on the island for a few days before moving. Danny who had been observing Ash and Gary liked what he saw and once they reached the top, he pointed at the rule board.

Ash, "Oh!"

Gary, "Huh! I didn't realize."

Danny chuckled watching them amused, "The two of you looked very excited to climb the mountain I did not want to ruin the mood."

Ash, "So, I can challenge you now?"

Danny, "Yes, come this way."

Ash followed the older man excited about the test and Danny explained they had to freeze a geyser first. That was surprising but Ash was ready for the challenge and called on Blastoise to help him. Danny meanwhile called Nidoqueen and both of them turned to the geyser which was almost ready to burst. Ash called for a blizzard while Danny called for an ice beam and the two Pokemon shot the ice type moves at the target. The geysers were frozen solid after a few minutes at the same time ending the first round in a draw. Blastoise narrowed his eyes at that, he was not happy with the result and decided to train his ice moves more. Ash pat his arm in thanks and comfort.

After the first round was over Danny explained the second round which was to build an ice boat from the frozen geyser. The boat would help them travel down the mountain at top speed for the next test. Ash was skeptical if that was safe, but he understood that a challenge was a challenge and this time he needed three Pokemon to work together and make the boat in record time. He chose Charizard, Victoria and Pikachu to help create the boat and the three Pokemon started to mold the boat. At first Charizard wanted to use his flame thrower but was stopped as the ice might melt completely. Then he thought about using his fire punch and everyone agreed to it even Victoria while Pikachu used his iron tail.

The second round ended with Ash winning after completing the ice boat which had Danny smiling like a proud parent. Ash wondered why it felt like that, other Gym leaders did not make him feel that way except Koga but the Poison Master is a parent. Ash then decided to ask later as Danny congratulated him and explained the final round which was a race, all the way to the bottom of the mountain on their boats. Now, Gary wondered about that and asked if that was really safe to which Danny answered that it was as long as trainers trusted their Pokemon and vice versa. Ash got into the boat despite Charizard's protest over it, not looking safe but deciding to go along with it flying beside his trainer.

They raced down the mountain with Charizard following Ash from behind worried about the speed an the ice already melting away. Luckily, Ash was fine and cleared the final round without getting hurt or any other incident happening. Misty and Tracey were actually waiting for them at the bottom of the mountain and congratulated Ash on winning the second badge. Danny invited them to a festival in town and on remembering how close Ash and Gary seemed to be, he had a suspicion they liked each other. They all seemed excited and accepted the offer to enjoy the Ice King festival. It was a festival dedicated to Articuno one of the main deities of the Orange Archipelago.

Gary, "Come on! Let's check out the rides."

Ash, "Yeah!"

Misty, "You guys go. I am checking the booths for a gift. Next time, I see Marina I want to give it to her."

Tracey, "I am going with you Misty. I might find something I want to send home too."

Danny, "Please enjoy the festival, all of you."

Ash beamed, "We will."

Danny watched the two boys leave holding hands, 'I was right. They are together.'

Tracey, "Oh, this looks nice."

Misty, "It is a nice colour."

Danny smiled leaving, "They are good kids."

"Dad!"

Danny turned beaming, "My little Pearl. What are you doing here?"

Pearl, "I am not little anymore. I told you before I would be helping out remember?"

Danny chuckled, "Of course, of course, I remember now."

Pearl noticed Misty, "Is that one of your new challengers?"

Danny, "No, her friend was and now he went on a date."

Pearl nodded, "Ah! Anyway, Mom is setting up her own stall down East. She's waiting for you."

Danny ruffled her hair, "Thank you, my little Pearl."

Pearl pouted as she got away from his hand, "I am not little."

Danny chuckled as he left to give a report then help his lovely wife with the stand. While he was helping around he saw Ash and Gary enjoying the festival alongside their Pokemon who were very cheerful. Danny saw them off on their last day on Naval Island, they were an interesting group all things considered. The group were heading to another island called Moro Island which was known for the Ghost ship sightings. They saw the Ghost ship late in the evening and decided to check the ship out and went on board. On board however they came across a very pissed off Haunter and agitated Gastly who wanted their help. Turns out the museum had taken their late trainer's trophy, the only thing they had left of him.

Ash, "I am sorry for your loss."

Misty, "We should help them."

Gary smirked, "Breaking and entering into a museum. What fun!"

Tracey, "I would not encourage this but I feel bad for them."

Ash, "I don't think we have to break and enter. Look over there."

Misty, "Team Rocket!"

Gary, "What great timing! Honestly, you can always count on those three to steal things."

Tracey, "Let's get to work."

They raced in the direction Team Rocket was heading with the ghost Pokemon using their ghostly abilities to create a mist. Funnily enough they did not need to do anything as Jessie, James and Meowth were scared till they fainted. Ash giggled at the mischievous way the ghost Pokemon got their trophy back from the thieves before deciding to leave. The four of them waved farewell to the ghost Pokemon and watched them disappear over the horizon. Ash just knew the two of them would be fine wherever they went and the group carried on with their travels. In the background there was now a poster with Team Rocket under the most wanted list by the history fanatics.

The next island they landed in was known as Meowth island and had a large Meowth statue made completely of gold. They stared at the statue then shrugged, deciding to enjoy the festival instead which celebrated the feline Pokemon. According to legend, during their worst famine a Meowth had appeared and used pay day which created money for them. Their old ancestors were able to trade and buy the food and necessities to tide over the famine. Ash was very fascinated and a few days later they met Team Rocket when Ash asked if Meowth knew about the island. Team Rocket stared at him in incredulity then muttered they should check it out for themselves instead of trying to steal their Pokemon.

Tracey, "The next island is Murcott island, known for it's bug Pokemon."

Misty gulped, "Which ones?"

Gary, "Butterfree line, Venomoth line, Scyther line, Beedrill line and a few migrating Pokemon lines too. Like the Cutiefly from Hoenn and Heracross from Jhoto."

Ash, "That's quite the variety but then again I heard the sap trees on this Island produce a very alluring scent that attracts them."

Misty hugged her Pokemon egg, "Well, as long as they don't attack us. I don't mind."

Tracey nodded, "Agreed! I don't fancy being chased by angry Beedrills. I would not mind if it's a Scyther though."

Gary, "Ditto. You want a Scyther, Tracey?"

Tracey looked at his Pokemon egg then smiled, "I am hoping for one."

Ash was about to say something when he heard something, "What's that?"

Tracey gasped, "It's the Scythers? That too, in a hunter net?"

Gary pulled them behind the bushes, "Someone is coming."

A Hunter appeared, "We got a nice load this time."

Another Hunter, "Agreed! We will get a lot of money from this."

Misty whispered, "We need to be careful. They have weapons, they might hurt the Scythers."

Tracey nodded feeling angry, "What do we do?"

Gary, "I know Linden, help me out buddy."

Linden, -What do you need?-

Gary, "Poison powder, on top of them."

Ash, "Good idea."

Misty, "I will try to get a hold of Officer Jenny or Officer Jim."

Tracey nodded, "Good idea. I will take photos for evidence."

Tracey appeared in front of the Hunters as he took pictures and the Hunters who were shocked first yelled at him. But before they could do anything the two Hunters felt weak and fell to the ground. Ash, Gary and Misty appeared and helped Tracey secure the now weakened Hunters when Officer Jim appeared with his entourage. The Officer then explained they had been searching for the Hunters for a while and thanked them for catching them. The group of Scythers who were now free nodded at them in gratitude while the younger ones offered them some of their sap. The group was touched, they knew how important sap was to Scythers but accepted some of it.

The Scythers left after that and Tracey's poke egg started to move and glow getting their attention. Ash, Gary and Misty gave Tracey space and when the new Pokemon joined them, Tracey was beaming with joy. In front of them was a newly born Scyther with very soft looking wings which were becoming stronger by the minute. Ash then offered the sap he had received to Tracey which prompted Gary and Misty to do the same saying Scyther's health was much more important. Tracey thanked them and offered the sap to the young Scyther whose wings fluttered on getting the sweet scent.

The Scyther accepted the sap and ate it all getting coos from everyone who gave Tracey their congratulations. They had heard how Tracey sounded when he was talking about the Scyther line and they were sure Scyther was his favourite Pokemon. They were happy to see Tracey very happy and hoped their poke eggs would hatch as soon as possible, they were excited. Tracey was now taking care of the new born Scyther who was a pretty spunky female already jumping around trying to fly. Maril, Venonat and Lapras were also very delighted to have a new born among them and took turns watching over her.

Misty, "She is adorable Tracey."

Tracey, "Adorable and active you mean."

Ash, "That's a good sign according to Nurse Joy."

Gary nodded, "It means she is healthy."

Misty, "I can't wait for my Pokemon egg to hatch. I really want to meet them now."

Gary smiled at her, "I know what you mean."

Ash, "Watching Pokemon come into this world will never fail to be interesting and amazing."

Tracey, "The next group of islands are the Shamoutii isle."

Ash, "Aren't they known for housing Articuno, Moltress and Zapdos?"

Gary, "Lugia too, if the rumours are to be believed."

Misty, "I think it will be interesting to meet them."

Tracey, "True, imagine getting a live sketch of the Legendary bird trio?"

Ash, "I think it will be really cool though I do hope we don't run into any trouble."

Misty frowned, "Agreed! Legendary Pokemon usually means there are poachers and Team Rocket trying to capture them."

Gary, "And it will be bad if they do manage to capture them. The weather cycle would be messed up beyond repair."

Tracey, "Then we better be careful."

Pikachu, -Don't worry Ash, we will be by your side.-

Starmie, -Agreed, do not stray far from us Misty.-

Jewel, -You too Gary.-

Scyther, -I will protect you Meema.-

Chapter Text

Ash scowled, "I hate my luck right now."

Gary, "Me too."

Misty, "Team Rocket really knows how to mess things up for us."

Tracey, "Understatement."

Melody, "Team Rocket? Those guys are Team Rocket?"

Ash, "Yup, and they just had to capture Moltress."

Gary, "Of course, Zapdos and Articuno will be pissed."

Misty, "They interfered with their dance."

Tracey, "And we need to move. Lapras go."

Ash, "You too Charizard."

Gary held Ash as Charizard flew away, "They are really pushing their luck, aren't they?"

Melody was with Tracey and Misty on Lapras, "We have to free Moltress before the weather birds either freeze or shock everyone out of anger."

Ash, 'No fucking shit. But how are we going to do that?'

Gary, 'I was hoping for an island festival date not fighting to survive because of Team Rocket.'

Flashback:

Ash, "What a beautiful island!"

Gary, "Yeah, hey I think the festival has started."

Misty, "Awesome. Look at the stalls with the beautiful accessories and clothes."

Tracey, "Shamoutii isle, known for it's colorful culture and traditions."

"Excuse me!"

Gary, "Yes?"

A girl wearing green pants and a yellow T - shirt smiled, "My name is Melody. Welcome to Shamoutii isle."

Misty, "Nice to meet you too Melody."

Melody, "Are you all Pokemon trainers?"

Gary, "I am more of a researcher at the moment."

Tracey, "I am a Pokemon watcher."

Misty, "I am a trainer and co - ordinator."

Ash, "Me too."

Melody brightened up, "Welcome to Shamoutii isle. Let me show you around the place."

Gary, "You must be a local then."

Melody nodded, "Yup."

Misty, "That would make things easier."

Melody beamed and started to tell them about the history of the Islands and how the weather trio kept the world in a balance. It was a very fascinating history and mythology, Melody even showed them the main temple on the island. The temple was very large and was meant to hold people and guests who arrived at Shamoutii isle. The islands had a very rich culture that boasted trade routes that were hundreds of years old and kept Kanto's economy alive. Then Melody explained the old tradition of collecting the jewels of the weather trio and returning them to their temples.

Ash, "Interesting tradition."

Melody beamed, "Would you like to take part? It starts tomorrow."

Gary, "I think it will be a fun way to check out the islands. What do you think?"

Misty, "I think it will be fun."

Tracey, "Agreed! So tomorrow right?"

Melody nodded grinning now, "Yes, we go out early in the morning to perform the ritual."

Flashback end!

That was how they were now in this mess, after agreeing to perform a very age old tradition. A tradition that should have ended very peacefully with the weather trio dancing their ice, fire and lightning dance above them. But no, Team Rocket just had to fuck everything up for everyone and Gary was really pissed off. He was looking forward to his date with Ash after the tradition was done and wanted to take part in the dance festival just the two of them. Ash was watching the ship that Team Rocket was using and got an idea on how to bring it down.

Ash, "Charizard we are bringing that ship down."

Charizard smirked, -I am listening, partner.-

Misty, "Be careful."

Gary, "Always."

Tracey watched as they left, "I don't know how to say this but I get the feeling they are really angry."

Misty, "Oh, they are pissed. Their smiles did not even reach their eyes."

Melody, "What a scary expression."

Tracey snorted, "Candle for the fools."

The three of them watched as Charizard used steel type moves to cut off the engine from the main ship making it fall comically to the sea and combust. After that Moltress escaped followed by Zapdos and the two joined Articuno to continue their dance through the sky. Half way through they were joined by a very curious Lugia who had watched the whole thing from underwater. It was an interesting event especially after Ash and Gary placed the last stone in the last temple and the skies finally cleared. Misty and Tracey sighed in relief at the calm ending, they have travelled with the two and knew how they could be when furious.

Melody thanked them for the successful ending of the tradition and assured them, the Team Rocket member had been arrested. Ash, Gary, Misty and Tracey accepted that and moved on after enjoying the last day of the festival. After that they left for a city called Trovitapolis, apparently there was an election going on and the Mayor was worried about a thief slash monster. That had them very curious and asking what was going on which made Nurse Joy explain how small items like food and snacks were getting stolen. That made the four of them raise their eyebrows, it sounded a lot like whoever was doing it was very hungry.

Ash, "Nurse Joy, how about we check it out?"

Gary, "Maybe it's a homeless person who is hungry?"

Nurse Joy, "I appreciate the offer but be careful."

Misty, "We will ask around the City."

Tracey, "Someone might know something."

Gary, "We are checking the sewers."

Ash, "All the places where the incidents happened are close to areas which are connected to the sewers."

Misty, "Good luck."

They went their separate ways and Gary and Ash went into the sewer to look around. Gary called Linden to use aromatherapy to make the smell in the sewer less headache inducing to them. Linden wondered why they were in the sewer then he noticed the other Pokemon on the side. Linden stopped them and went to talk to the Pokemon who was in the sewer but was not a Grimer or Muk. Linden then brought the Pokemon which was a very large Bulbasaur to his trainer and mate. Ash gasped on seeing the large Bulbasaur and asked if he was alright, a sewer was not a place for a Bulbasaur.

Gary, "How about we take him to the Pokemon centre and have Nurse Joy give him a check up?"

Ash nodded, "Good idea. Come with us. I promise it will be alright."

Meanwhile Tracey and Misty were asking around and found out about the Mayor's secret. Turns out the Mayor used to have a Bulbasaur but no one had seen it in years which rubbed Tracey the wrong way. As they returned to the centre the two of them ran into Ash and Gary with the very Bulbasaur in question. When they combined all of their clues, it did not look good on the Mayor's part and Tracey called Officer Jenny. They ushered Bulbasaur to where Nurse Joy was and explained what they found out about the Mayor's dark little secret. Officer Jenny was not at all amused but when she saw the clues and proof they gathered she decided to take action.

Ash was not interested in whatever was about to happen politically but he was interested in the Bulbasaur in front of him. Bulbasaur was a real sweet heart and loved cuddling which Ash did not mind and he cuddled him back. Pikachu was cooing at both Bulbasaur and him, the yellow mouse was hoping they would have a calm grass type join them. He always got a headache trying to keep the peace between so many different types of Pokemon but it was at the end of the day Bulbasaur's choice. Bulbasaur was very smitten by the soft human who was the complete opposite of his previous trainer. The grass type wondered if this was the love he had overheard other Pokemon talk about before.

The grass type talked with Pikachu and then talked with the Ivysaur, Linden, Charizard and Blastoise who shared their stories. Bulbasaur was very interested in Ash after hearing all their stories and wished to join him which made the boy brighten up like the sun. Bulbasaur just knew he was completely gone at that moment and nuzzled the happy boy who was telling him about all the things they would do together. Pikachu cooed while the rest of the Pokemon chirp and rumble around them happy to have the grass type with them. On a happier note, the Mayor lost the elections because of allegations of abusing and abandoning his own Pokemon.

The people were not happy to know that tidbit about their Mayor and voted for the other candidate. It was not their headache though and Ash, Gary, Misty and Tracey left for Trovita island where Misty would be having her next contest and Ash would be challenging the Gym leader. On the way they came across a girl who was drowning in the middle of the sea making Misty jump in while Tracey helped her get the girl. Then after saving the young child, they met her older brother Rudy who was very grateful to Misty and asked her out on the spot. Seeing how uncomfortable Misty was Ash stepped up saying, he could flirt with his sister another time and he wanted a battle.

Rudy grinned, "Of course, of course."

Ash nodded, "So when can we have our Gym battle?"

Rudy, "We can do it tomorrow. I have free time between lunch and tea time in the evening."

Ash, "Nice. Free time? Ah! Are you in charge of security for the contest?"

Rudy, "Yup."

Misty, "Huh! Cool, I will be taking part in it."

Rudy, "Really? Then I better make sure nothing causes any disruption during the contest."

Gary, 'Hmm.. He is not that bad.'

Later on Misty met Rudy again while practicing her idea for the contest and the two started talking. Rudy was very curious about her and asked her questions that she could decline answering if she wanted. Misty just smiled and offered him the same option as they talked while she took a break from practice. Rudy learned about how Misty wanted to prove to her sisters she could be a strong Gym leader and performer. Rudy was very fascinated by her and asked about Ash who looked very protective of her making Misty laugh. She told him, Ash was only scary if you hurt the people he cared about and not to worry about him too much. As the older sister, it is her job to scare others from hurting Ash which made Rudy chuckle in agreement.

The next day Rudy and Ash had their Gym battle with Rudy feeling more and more excited as he battled the raven haired boy. He also noticed how close Gary and Ash were and inquired Misty about it and she affirmed their relationship to him. Rudy nodded and then informed the two boys about places in Trovita island that were popular among lovers. Gary nodded in gratitude planning to take Ash to those places, it had been days, no weeks since the last time they had an actual date. While the couple enjoyed the date Misty performed on the screen and Ash and Gary cheered her on with Bulbasaur watching wide eyed.

Gary, "She keeps getting better and better."

Ash, "Yeah, she does."

Gary, "Are you planning on naming Bulbasaur?"

Ash, "Cottonwood, like Narrowleaf Cottonwood that represents hope, healing and change. You have gone through a lot and your presence changed your City for the better. So, what do you think?"

Cottonwood cooed at him pleased with the name and the reasoning, not to forget it was a nice name all things considered. Cottonwood sat down next to Linden who was happy to have another Pokemon from his line with him was really nice. The two talked quietly as their trainers went on with their date even after the contest ended and Misty won another ribbon. Later on, Misty went searching for them asking their help to prepare for a date that Rudy had asked her out on. Ash chuckled and teased Misty on attracting a very handsome Gym leader that had the orangette turning red.

Gary, "Now, now, let her be."

Misty, "Yeah, I don't tease you guys."

Ash, "Okay, okay, I will stop if you let me dress you up."

Misty eyed him, "What do you mean?"

Ash, "Look here. I found this beautiful blue sequin dress. I was gonna give it to you on your birthday but this is a good reason too."

Misty was gaping, "It is very beautiful, Ash. I couldn't!"

Gary, "Yes, you can take it. It was meant to be your gift anyway."

Chapter Text

Ash grinned, "Go put it on."

Gary smiled, "We will help with the hair and make up."

Misty nodded and went behind the screen to wear the blue dress that she noticed had a very subtle wave motif with the sequins. She had to admit the outfit was very much made in her style and taste. She then heard a knock asking if she was dressed yet. Misty opened the door saying yes and Gary got her to sit down placing a protective cloth over her clothes. Ash started to comb and style her hair into a high pony tail with light curls in the end and Gary started to apply light make up. Once they were done Misty gasped as she looked at herself in the mirror, she had a very light peach make up on with blue coloured jewelry.

Misty stared at the mirror, "This is me? Like seriously?"

Ash smiled softly, "Yes, what do you think?"

Gary grinned looking proud, "It's you alright."

Misty had a beaming smile, "Thank you. I don't think I would have the guts to go on a date otherwise."

Tracey entered the room, "Hey, Rudy is here to pick you up Misty. Oh sweet Lugia. You look fantastic."

Misty flushed, "Thank you."

Ash smiled holding her hand, "Let's go and see what Rudy thinks."

Gary held her other hand, "I bet he will not be able to take his eyes off."

Misty snorted, "You are acting like parents giving away their daughter."

Tracey laughed at that, "Good thing you wore a dress, Rudy is dressed up too. He cleans up real nice."

That got their interest and they went to the lobby of the hotel they were staying at and saw Rudy in a dark green coat suit. Misty's breath hitched and Ash gently nudged her forward towards him and Misty nodded and walked, greeting Rudy. The red haired Gym Leader was staring with wide eyes at the orangette who looked at him shyly. Rudy then offered his arm that Misty took happily as the two left to enjoy the date which he had planned with his young sister. That made Misty smile softly as Rudy told her the plans, they would be heading to the festival first, then to a very famous restaurant and then movie.

Ash hummed, "I think she will be fine."

Gary nodded, "If Rudy tries anything Misty can put him in place."

Tracey snorted, "We are keeping an eye on them though."

Ash, "Yup."

Gary, "Definitely. Well, it is actually our Pokemon making sure she stays safe."

Three of their Pokemon flew around the island at different time intervals and kept a silent eye on the couple to make sure nothing bad happened on their date. It looked like fate was on their side because no problems cropped up during their and the next day when they had to travel again Rudy and Misty exchanged numbers and promised to meet again. They traveled through the day, stopping at one of the islands known for it's very sweet grapefruit. They touched down on one of the populated areas and looked around in curiosity at the factory houses. They were known for creating grapefruit themed candies for both humans and Pokemon.

Gary, "Something is up."

Ash, "Everyone looks tense."

Tracey, "Yeah, I wonder what is going on?"

Misty, "Let's ask around. It is possible something happened like Team Rocket again."

After looking around they found out about the Snorlax problem that the growers were facing and they decided to check it out. They were relieved it was not Team Rocket. When they reached the area which had the Snorlax they were pretty surprised at how large the Pokemon in question really was. They stared at the Snorlax then at the growers then the Snorlax before Ash decided to take out a heavy ball and capture the mastodon. Since Snorlax was sleeping the catch was an easy one, and the growers when they found out about it gave a visible sigh of relief. One of the workers thanked them for capturing the sleeping giant saying he had arrived at the islands as a Munchlax. But as time went by the little Munchlax grew up and became a Snorlax.

Ash, "I will need to come up with a diet plan. I think I will have to call Brock for this."

Misty, "Snorlax are known for eating."

Tracey, "We need to get it checked first."

Gary, "Yeah, he seems abnormally large. I hope he is not sick or anything."

Ash nodded and called for Brock after they reached the Pokemon centre while Misty signed up for the Grapefruit island contest. This time Misty used Seaking and Goldeen as her main attraction on the beach where the contest was held. There were two reasons for holding a contest at a grove, one was for the income and the other was free advertisement. Ash and Gary took this chance to have a date of their own as Misty performed in the background while Tracey was busy sketching art of all the Pokemon. It was a lovely day after the events of the day before and Ash half hoped it would remain that way......

Gary, "Damnit Team Rocket!"

Ash, "Those three have the awareness of a Parasect."

Pikachu, -Understatement!-

Eevee, -Let's just shock them.-

Pikachu, -Helping hand?-

Eevee, -Yup.-

Tracey, "Guys, have you seen Misty?"

Ash, "She is helping the audience get out safely."

Tracey gave a relieved sigh, "Ah! I was worried something had happened when I lost sight of her."

Gary, "Call your Pokemon and let's deal with these clowns, shall we?"

Tracey, "Yeah, let's go Venonat. Start with supersonic."

Jessie screeched, "What is that awful noise?"

Meowth, "Dun knw, Nyarth!"

James, "Wheezing quickly round up the Pokemon."

Ash narrowed his eyes, "Pikachu thunder wave."

Gary, "Helping hand Eevee."

The two Pokemon worked together and created a massive thunder wave that blew up the contraption that Team Rocket was using. Ash stared at their flying figures incredulously half wondering how they were flying away unhurt. That got to be painful unless, they developed the same physique as Brock and Master Bruno though that would require years of training. Gary seemed to have similar thoughts as he observed Team Rocket get away from the area while the announcer calmed everyone. They gathered Misty and headed back to the Pokemon centre detailing their observations.

Misty, "Huh, I had noticed that too but I was hoping I was seeing things."

Ash, "When did you notice?"

Misty, "Back in Shamoutii, they were actually taking the attacks physically and heading to the battle zone."

Tracey gasped, "Taking the attacks physically? You mean standing in the way of the attacks instead of being protected by their Pokemon?"

Misty nodded, "Sorry I didn't say anything earlier. From what I could observe I think there are different factions in Team Rocket."

Gary, "You suspect they are fighting each other?"

Misty, "It is the only way to explain what I noticed. Rudy agreed with me."

Ash, "You spoke about this with Rudy?"

Misty, "He saw us on television and wanted to affirm I was alright."

Gary, "This might be a problem or a break for us."

Tracey, "Agreed! I hope we do not get pulled into an organization turf war."

Ash, "Especially after seeing Hoenn get almost destroyed one year before we started our journey."

Misty shivered, "Agreed! That was really terrifying."

After coming to an agreed conclusion they decided to head to the next island which was Kumquat island for the final badge and ribbon. The island was well known as a tourist location with it's perfect waves for surfing and beautiful forest. Kumquat was one of the larger Islands and had it's own amusement park which followed the local Pokemon theme. As they were looking around Ash was hugged by a woman calling him her son which had them shocked. Gary calmed her down saying his name was Ash and not Travis as she claimed which prompted the Lady to let go while apologising profusely and introduced herself as Luana.

Luana, "Welcome to Kumquat island."

Ash, "It is a very beautiful island."

Misty, "So, does Ash really look like your son?"

Luana smiled producing a photo, "Yes, well, a bit. Not too much."

Gary smirked, "Well, he does not have your birth marks."

Tracey, "And his eyes are green."

Luana, "Those are birth marks? Huh, I thought those were tattoos."

Ash rubbed his cheek, "Born with them, though I suppose it does look like tattoos."

Luana, "So, are you here for the Gym battle or for the contest?"

Misty piped up, "I am here for the contest."

Ash, "I am here for the Gym battle."

Luana, "Good, good! Come this way, we can have the battle fixed one hour before the contest."

Tracey, "One hour before? But isn't the contest tomorrow?"

Luana, "We can make it a blast of an opening. Get the watchers and the participants riled up."

Gary snorted, "Not a bad idea but are you sure? Wouldn't it exhaust you?"

Ash, "I do not mind, of course. It will be really exciting."

Luana grinned, "Great, let's go get you scheduled. Make sure to rest up tonight. Do not worry it will be fun."

The next day Ash and Luana had their battle which was a double Pokemon battle and got the participants really excited. Luana's Pokemon were her Dewgong and Cloyster, very popular among the audience. Ash chose his new Blastoise and Charizard and the battle was intense and had made everyone excited. The battle made Misty really excited about her own performance in two hours. It was obvious Ash's Pokemon were making the battle last longer, she knew they were powerful enough to end the battle quickly. But she was not really complaining, the battle was exciting and made her all fired up. Ash won the battle and got his final badge.

Luana, "Congratulations on your final badge."

Ash, "Thank you. Great job everyone, we won the last badge."

Charizard, -Yes, we can challenge the League and become a Champion.-

Blastoise nodded, -I am very excited.-

Luana turned to the audience, "Is everyone excited?"

Audience, "Yeah!"

Luana, "I hope you are all excited for the contestants who will perform next for all of us."

The audience cheered and hooted as the Pokemon contest started and the contestants performed their best to show off their Pokemon. Misty was very excited about her turn and so were Chinchou and Frillish who combined their lightning show and ghost type moves. It made the field be covered in ghostly lights that had every audience member captivated as Misty and her Pokemon danced and performed. It was a well made story about a young water Pokemon who was wandering around lost and met a mysterious figure. A very popular tale among the children back in Cerulean City and the audience absolutely loved it.

Luana, "Next we have the battle rounds. Since we have double battles on this island. We will be having double battles during the battle round."

Misty blinked, "Well, I suppose I have been using two Pokemon for the first round already."

Starmie, -I am always happy to fight for you, Misty.-

Misty pat their gem softly, "Thank you Starmie. I love you too."

Corsula, -We are ready when you are.-

Misty giggled as the next round of participants were shown which included her and other three contest members. Corsula and Starmie were very excited about fighting together just like Frillish and Chinchou. They started to fight with their first two opponents which were Bellossom and an Applin. Misty could admit the little Applin was really cute but she would gush over the adorable Pokemon later after battle. The battle took a while as the opponent was strong and gave her quite the challenge and almost finished her points. But Starmie and Corsula pulled through and won the match making her one of the finalists.

Misty, "Okay, we can do it guys."

Starmie, -Yeah.-

Seadra, -I want to take part in the last battle.-

Staryu, -Me too.-

Misty grinned agreeing and as the final round started she noticed her friends cheering her on. Next to Tracey were Mahri and Rudy, she was surprised to see them but was very happy to have their support. Later on after her win she learned Rudy and Mahri wanted to cheer her on while getting her last ribbon. Misty was touched by their support and care, thanking them with all her heart for coming all the way to Kumquat just for her. Rudy grinned and said he was really serious about her so he would do his best to be there for her. That made Misty blush while Ash, Gary, Tracey and Mahri gave them space.

Chapter Text

Gary, "Ah!"

Ash's eyes widened, "Gary, your Pokemon egg."

Tracey, "It is shaking."

Mahri, "Woah! A real poke egg!"

Seel clapped, "Seel, seel."

Jewel, -A new partner. How exciting!-

Ash called everyone's attention, "Okay, give them space. We do not want to scare the newborn."

Tracey, "Right, easy there Scyther. I know it is exciting."

Scyther, -I will be a big sister, the best sister.-

Mahri sat next to Ash, "This is my first time watching a poke egg hatch."

Pikachu, -It is glowing brighter. Look, look.-

A white furred pup appeared, "Eevee."

Gary gasped, "An albino Eevee. Oh sweet Mew!"

Mahri had stars in her eyes, "So pretty!"

Tracey, "They are very beautiful, Gary."

Ash, "Is it male or female?"

Gary turned Eevee around, "One sec.... She's a girl."

Mahri cooed, "Such a beautiful girl."

Eevee looked around curiously sniffing the air and Gary produced a bottle of baby Pokemon formula that Eevee sniffed then gave a happy bark while eating. They cooed over the newborn for a bit then Misty and Rudy returned from their second date. The couple was both surprised and delighted to see a new baby Pokemon and congratulated Gary on the young Eevee. Eevee was however sleepy after eating her fill and snuggled up to Gary yawning wide which earned another round of gushing from the group. Rudy and Mahri left after spending some more time with them and then they got a call from Brock.

Ash, "Hello Brock. What's up?"

Brock, :You guys asked us to keep an eye out for the Lapras colony.:

Tracey, "Yeah, I did ask. Is there news about them?"

Ivy, :Yes, you could say that. The colony has been reported close to Pummelo island.:

Ash, "That is our next destination."

Misty, "Yeah, my Grand Festival is being held there in two weeks."

Gary, "And the colony is there. We should head out soon."

Tracey nodded and looked at Lapras then took a deep breath and made a decision about Lapras or rather, he would let Lapras make the decision instead. It was Lapras's life and if he wanted to go with his pod, he would support it and let him go. The next day they traveled to Pummelo island and started to keep an eye out for the pod of Lapras. While keeping an eye out they met with Drake who was very curious about what they were doing as he expected Ash to challenge him tight away. They explained the situation to the Champion of the Orange Islands and Drake understood offering to help them.

Drake, "I have heard of a pod heading this way in a few days."

Tracey, "A few days?"

Drake nodded, "Yes, they were seen on the North West side from here and it will take a few days at the speed they are moving."

Misty, "Which means Ash could have his challenge first?"

Gary, "That is true."

Tracey, "Lapras would enjoy watching that."

Ash agreed and Drake accepted his challenge which would be the next day instead. Lapras truly enjoyed the excitement that came from the battle between Ash and Drake which was a plus one in Tracey's opinion. He was going to miss him if Lapras chose to go with his pod. Ash had won the tournament and was now the official Champion of the Orange Archipelago and Gary was very proud. They spent the next few days keeping an eye out for Lapras's pod, Drake looked very worried when they did not appear after a whole week. He sent out three search parties to go find the pod and to make sure they were okay and unhurt.

Ash and the group decided to become the fourth search party and started to look around the area for the pod. They found the pod being surrounded by Lapras poachers and Tracey sent an alarm to Drake informing him about the situation. Ash, Gary and Misty had already moved to try and get the Lapras out of the trap they were in using their Pokemon. Frillish was sent ahead with Goldeen to paralyze the poachers while Ash and Gary called Cottonwood and Linden to use sleeping powder. The poachers and Lapras all fell asleep because of the sleeping powder and Gary called for medical back up. They had seen the bruises and cuts on all the Lapras which was why they moved as fast as they could.

Nurse Joy reassured them, "They will be alright. Your sleeping powder is very strong, they will sleep this through."

Nurse Jim smiled proudly, "The Orange Archipelago has received a very smart Champion as a successor Drake."

Drake nodded smirking, "Indeed, pity he is still a child or I would crown him on the spot."

Nurse Joy tutted, "Those rules exist for a reason, Drake."

Drake chuckled when his fiance huffed at him, "I know. It would just be nice to finally crown a successor."

While the Lapras pod was healing Lapras cooed and watched over them making sure they were okay. It was really cute to watch and the pod Lapras were happy to see their youngest was alright. After a lot of back and forth Lapras finally made a decision to go with the pod, he was honestly very worried about them and their safety. Tracey understood and supported his decision and let him go but gave him a specialized collar with emergency buttons. If he ever came across a dangerous situation he could not handle alone, Lapras just needed to press the button and help would come. Lapras cooed at Tracey thanking him for everything he did and finally left with his pod.

Gary, "You will see him again."

Ash nodded, "They are travelers after all."

Misty, "The original travelers of this planet."

Tracey, "Thanks guys. I appreciate it."

Next was Misty's turn to take part in the Grand Festival which she did with a lot of gusto. Misty was pumped up for her Grand Festival even with Yvette the newest Queen of Kalos taking part in the Festival as a contestant. Misty was not giving up and gave her all in the final fight or rather show down against Yvette only for Seadra to evolve into Kingdra getting her a win. Yvette was surprised but gave a smile shaking hands with the younger girl who was being glomped by a large Dragon type. Yvette decided she was pretty adorable as the young girl tried to thank her and pat the over excited Kingdra. The ceremony went ahead as normal with no more drama and luckily no trouble.

Ash, "Phew! That was something."

Misty, "Yeah."

Gary, "So Misty. What now?"

Misty, "What do you mean?"

Gary, "Ash and I will be heading to Jhoto region after this."

Tracey, "And Professor Oak agreed to my request for becoming his assistant so I will be in Pallet town."

Misty, "Honestly, I still want to travel with you guys a bit longer. I still do not want to settle."

Ash, "I have no problem with it."

Gary, "Neither do I. You are welcome to join us."

Misty, "Thanks guys. Rudy said the same thing. If I am not ready to settle I should travel more. No matter what people say."

Ash sat up, "Did something happen?"

Misty, "No, why do you ask?"

Gary, "Something did happen. You know you can tell us."

Tracey, "What's wrong Misty?"

Misty, "It's just my sisters want me back to take care of the Gym."

Ash raised his left eye brow, "Why all of a sudden?"

Misty fidgeted, "They got a holiday coupon or something."

Tracey, "That is a dumb reason."

Misty laughed, "Rudy said that too."

Ash, "Call them and tell them they can go on a holiday but you are still not returning yet. You have to be at least fifteen to run a Gym, remember?"

Misty nodded, "Yeah. I do not want to lose any credibility over this."

Tracey, "Besides you only have to wait till next year to turn fifteen."

Ash, "Which is in few months if you think about it."

Gary, "And they cannot skirt around that fact by claiming you to be an assistant either. Gym checks happen for a reason."

Misty smiled, "True, yeah, you are right. I will remind them of that fact and make it clear I will not lie for their sake, to the authorities."

The call went as well as it could with Misty's sisters being upset with her but Gary at that point took the phone and introduced himself. He asked if they remembered him and reminded them of the rules and how the three of them are on thin ice. There were four people who overheard their little conversation and would happily report it. The sisters let it go after that and agreed to watch over the Gym till Misty turned fifteen. Misty gave a relieved sigh at that and thanked all of them for standing up for her in front of her sisters. Tracey ruffled her hair while Ash and Gary hugged her saying they were friends.

Ash, "I just realized Rudy's gonna have to face your sisters too."

Gary, "Agreed, they do not look like the type to let anyone get you."

Tracey snorted, "After seeing them try to get you to stay at home. Who wants to bet they found out about Rudy?"

Misty winced, "No, they wouldn't, would they?"

Ash, "Better call them tomorrow when they cooled off. Tell them you are dating and watch how they react."

Gary, "You will get your answer."

Misty was skeptical but listened to their advice and called the next day to give her sisters the news. It was just like Tracey, Ash and Gary suspected, they did not like the idea of some boy stealing their baby sister. Misty spent most of the day reassuring her sisters she was fine and Rudy was a good and trustworthy person. The boys felt pity for Rudy, if he planned on marrying Misty, he would have three obstacles on his path, not rivals, but literal obstacles. But that was a matter for the future, at the moment they were returning back to Pallet town that was celebrating their win.

Misty decided to forego returning to Cerulean City after seeing her sister's reaction to her getting a boyfriend and stuck around with Ash. Gary meanwhile went off with the Professor to submit his paper on Lugia and the Legendary weather bird trio. The paper outlined how important the Legendary Pokemon were for the survival of the economy of both Kanto and Jhoto. After the conference the four Pokemon were marked as uncapturable and anyone attempting to do so would be arrested on the spot. That had caused many trainers to grumble but they understood the reason behind such a rule, no one wanted to go hungry.

Misty, "Not only would it keep the Legendary Pokemon safe but the trainers will also be safe from people like Team Rocket."

Tracey, "They would not doubt target those trainers if they knew they had Legendary Pokemon."

Ash nudged his boyfriend, "I think you just saved future idiotic trainers from losing their lives."

Gary laughed, "I certainly hope so, Ash. But if a Legendary shows interest and follows the trainers around, that is a different matter."

Tracey, "It usually means there is trouble."

Samuel, "Either way the pokeballs and poke dexes are now being upgraded with the new rule."

Ash, "Congratulations on the first successful conference, Gary."

Misty, "You were so cool, Professor Gary. That actually has a nice ring to it."

Tracey, "Agreed!"

Gary, "Guys, come on. You are making me blush now."

Delia, "Come on kids, let's celebrate, yes?"

Gary, "Are we still partying?"

Red, "You underestimate our mom."

Ash, "Red, when did you return?"

Misty, "Green, you are here too."

Green smirked at her, "Yo, little flower. Your sisters have been complaining about men stealing their precious baby."

Misty turned red >/////<, "Those three!!!"

Gary laughed, "You know they are just being protective, right?"

Blue snorted, "By complaining during Gym leader meetings."

They laughed and talked while enjoying the party Delia threw for Gary as well. She had talked with the Oak couple who were pouting at not being able to join them but they had agreed the kids deserved a huge party to celebrate their wins. A few days later Ash, Gary and Misty had decided to head to the Jhoto region which prompted Ash to tell Misty about their encounter with Hooh. Misty was in the beginning surprised but then calmed down and actually thought about it. If you consider the fact Lugia, Moltress, Articuno and Zapdos approached them for help, it was possible Hooh would too. The journey to Jhoto region would be very interesting in her opinion.

Chapter Text

Jhoto was a very interesting region in Ash, Gary and Misty's opinions as they looked at the different options they had. Misty was very interested in something called the Pokemon show case that was being introduced in Jhoto for the first time. Gary this time around wanted to take part in the Gym challenge, it was about time in his opinion to follow the Oak family tradition of being trainers. Ash was looking at the fliers and after a bit of deliberation he decided he would try to go for the Grand Festival. With the goals set and decisions made, all of them applied to take part in their chosen competition. Gary was pretty surprised when he did well in his first Gym battle at Violet City with the Gym leader, Falkner.

Falkner praised him, "That was a very good battle, young man. Are you sure you did not take part in Gym challenges before?"

Gary smiled back, "Positive, back in Kanto, I was interested in Pokemon contest and during the travel through Orange Archipelago I was focusing on my research papers."

Falkner hummed, "I see. I suppose you will be staying for the contest today then?"

Gary smiled, "Yes, it's the main reason why I chose to have the Gym battle in the morning. That way we can attend both the contest and show case."

Falkner, "Oh? You are taking part in the show case?"

Gary laughed, "Not me but my other friend, Misty is taking part. She is really excited."

Falkner, "If it is your friends I get the feeling they will do really well."

Gary, "I should get going."

Falkner, "Go ahead. I will see you at the show case."

Gary, "Oh right! Sometimes Gym leaders act as judges too. Go easy on Misty, this is her first."

Falkner laughed as Gary rushed off in the direction of the contest hall after picking his Pokemon from the healing centre. Falkner had heard about those three from his fellow Gym Leaders during the international meet ups and talks. The three young trainers with different interests who were traveling together and tackling Team Rocket from time to time. It was a strange group Falkner would admit but they seemed to make it work and not to forget they got a good diversity going on for them. From a battle strategic point of view, having a performer and co - ordinator adds a different and interesting flare to battle techniques.

Falkner, 'I look forward to how you change Jhoto, Gary oak.'

Gary, "There, come on Jewel."

Jewel, -I am coming, I am coming. It would be easier if you just ask Spirit to take you.-

Gary, "Ah! Here we are. We made it."

Misty, "Gary, Jewel, over here!"

Gary, "Are we late?"

Misty laughed, "Nope, you are just in time to watch your boyfriend. How did the battle go?"

Gary took out his Zephyr badge, "See for yourself. Falkner was impressed by Sapphire and Spirit the most."

Misty, "That is to be expected, he is a Flying type Master."

The contest soon started and the hostess, Miss Clarkie announced the beginning of the contest season and then explained the rules. After the rules were explained the judges of the contest were introduced to them which made Misty twitch. They were the same people, from Kanto and the Orange Archipelago contests and Misty said it out loud. Gary wondered if Ash was feeling the same way and Misty commented he most probably was in the back room. Ash was honestly very flabbergasted to see the same set of judges for the Jhoto region but he did not dwell on it. He would talk about it with Gary and Misty at a later date, now it was his time to shine on the stage.

Ash chose Cottonwood, Pearl and Charizard to perform with the theme of starter Pokemon. The three starter Pokemon had been working together to try and put up a good show for the Pokemon contest. Charizard started with an eruption which created a bright firework show, which was followed by Pearl's rain dance. The Blastoise used a very powerful rain to cool down the eruption which was followed by Cottonwood who used leaf - storm to grow flowers. Misty cheered Ash on as he performed for the first time in front of an audience who was different from the usual ones he faced before. Ash did really well in Misty's opinion and even the three judges were very impressed by his first time performance.

Ash was going to the next round and he looked really proud of his three Pokemon who were nuzzling him happily now. Cottonwood was really truly the Pokemon contest, especially the performance part and sat next to Ash as they waited for their turn to battle. Charizard was fighting in the first round and Gary could see Ash had the upper hand especially with his background as a Champion of Orange Archipelago and training with him and Misty. Then again both Gary and Misty gained a lot of experience from having the others around too so Gary was not complaining about it. Suffice to say, Ash won his first ribbon and also impressed the judges with his own style and technique.

Misty hugged and ruffled Ash's hair, "I am so proud of you. All that practice and training together really paid off."

Ash laughed, "You said it, Misty. I am really glad I got my first ribbon."

Gary, "The dress suit I picked out for you really suited you too."

Ash beamed, "Thank you for the dress suit, I was really out of ideas on what to wear."

Misty, "Yosh! Next is my turn tonight. I can't wait."

Gary, "I think you will blow them away Misty. You have been practicing with your Pokemon for months now."

Ash nodded, "Agreed! You will be awesome."

Misty beamed, "Thank you guys! I really appreciate the support. Shall we go get lunch now?"

Gary, "Yeah, it's almost evening. A late lunch sounds good though."

Falkner called, "Gary."

Gary, "Falkner, heading out to eat?"

Falkner nodded, "You could say that, I finished battling my challengers for the day. My Pokemon require a break now. These must be your friends."

Gary beamed and introduced Ash and Misty to the young Gym Leader who was happy to meet them. Falkner had heard about the three of them from the other Gym Leaders of Kanto but meeting them was different. If Gary was sweet alone, the three of them together were very adorable, sweet and bright. Falkner could understand why Erika, Sabrina and Surge now pestered the Orange Archipelago Gym Leaders on news about them. In fact, Falkner could not help but feel a tinge of protectiveness surge through him as he spent time with them. It became stronger when they ran into a young Chikorita, Cyndaquill and Totodile who had been abandoned.

Ash, "Here, you can have this."

Cottonwood, -You are like me.-

Chikorita, -Excuse me? You have your trainer with you. We don't have our trainers, they didn't want us.-

Pearl, -Actually, we were abandoned by our trainers too.-

Totodile, -What?-

Jewel, -Those bastards do not deserve you.-

Sapphire, -Gary, Ash and Misty are sweet people. You will not regret following them.-

Frillish, -My trainer died years ago and I do not regret following Misty either. At least think about it, okay?-

Totodile, -We will. If she does not mind having a freak like me around.-

Corsula gasped, -You are not a freak.-

Cyndaquill, -Todo's trainer called him one because he likes to dance more.-

Chikorita, -Cyndaquill's trainer did not like the fact Cyndaquill could not control his attacks. She failed to understand he has more strength so needs more training.-

Totodile, -Chikorita's trainer did not want her because she liked being pretty more than anything else. He left her because she always tried to make her attacks pretty.-

Starmie snapped, -There is nothing wrong about dancing. Our trainers enjoy dancing too. They are not freaks and neither are you.-

When Ash, Gary and Misty heard about the reasons because of which they had been abandoned, they were furious about it. They turned to reassure the Pokemon they were not freaks at all and there was nothing wrong in being different. In fact, being different made them more unique and very interesting and their trainers, well ex - trainers now, were idiots. Falkner then asked the three teens to see if they could find out who their trainers were and after a lot of questions and answers they narrowed down the trainers. Falkner told the three he would keep an eye out for the trouble makers and advised Misty to focus on her showcase.

Totodile, -Showcase? What is that?-

Kingdra smirked, -Seat with the others, we will show you what it is all about little one.-

Starmie, -You will love it. You will love Misty a lot. I promise you.-

Chikorita looked at them, -What about the other two?-

Pikachu, -Ash is the kindest person I have met, I love him with my life. And Gary is the most protective person.-

Cyndaquill, -Really? I want to join Gary.-

Chikorita, -Ash sounds interesting.-

Jewel, -Come seat with us little one, we got the best seat.-

Totodile joined sitting beside his friends Chikorita and Cyndaquill who sat next to Ash and Gary. The two boys smiled at them kindly and they turned their attention to the front which was a very bright stage with colorful lights. The announcer then announced the start of the very first Pokemon showcase of Jhoto region and the first performer appeared with their Pokemon. Totodile was smitten by the dancing especially when Misty appeared with Starmie, Frillish, Chinchou and Corsula. The five of them danced across the stage and Totodile was sold, he was joining Misty and her Pokemon. At the end everyone voted for their favourite and Misty won by one point.

Falkner, "As the Gym Leader of Violet City I am proud to present the first Key of the first showcase in Jhoto."

Misty beamed, "Thank you. I am very happy to receive it."

Nurse Joy smiled, "You did really well young one. I look forward to how far you go."

Misty grinned, "I will not disappoint you."

Gary, "Misty you were awesome."

Ash, "Congratulations on your first Key."

Misty laughed, "Thank you very much."

Totodile, -Umm.-

Misty bent down speaking in a soft voice, "Hello Totodile. Did you enjoy the show?"

Totodile nodded, -Umm... Starmie could you translate please?-

Starmie, -Of course.-

Totodile, -You were awesome and really cool. If you will have me I would like to join you.-

Starmie, -That is what he wants.-

Misty gasped then smiled, "I would love to have you as part of my family Totodile. I promise you, I will not leave or abandon you."

Chikorita nudged Ash, -I have been talking to your Pokemon and I would like to join you. The Pokemon contest sounds really fun.-

Ash, "If you want to join me I will happily have you as mine."

Chikorita jumped on Ash, -Thank you for accepting me.-

Ash pat her back gently, "You will not be alone anymore I promise."

Gary, "Hello Cyndaquill. Would you like to join me?"

Cyndaquill, -Please?-

Gary cooed as he hugged the little flame Pokemon in his arms, "My little Pyrus."

Cyndaquill, -Pyrus?-

Jewel, -Gary has a habit of naming new members of his family.-

Pyrus, -Oh! I would like that.-

Falkner watched the interaction with the other judges, "They are going to change things, aren't they?"

Nurse Joy, "I agree. They are kind, smart and strong. I look forward to how they change things."

Amanai a Fashionista hummed, "Are they the three people of interest in the Champion circle?"

Falkner, "Yes."

Nurse Joy, "I will request the other Nurse Joy and Nurse Jim to keep us updated."

Amanai, "I will not doubt seeing Misty again four more times. I look forward to how she grows."

Falkner chuckled, "Stay connected and I will inform you about whatever information I get from the rest of the Gym Leaders."

Ash, Gary and Misty left the City the next day with new members joining their family. They were very happy to have new members and looked forward to new battles and challenges coming forward. On the way, they met a red haired teen that Ash had recognized as Silver, the teen who helped Red before. Ash and Gary were happy to see him again and introduced him to Misty who looked at him curiously. Turns out she had seen him before once when he visited Cerulean City to get the badge but they had not talked. It was nice seeing an old face doing well.

Chapter Text

Misty stretched her arms, "What a lovely morning!"

Starmie, -Indeed.-

Totodile was dancing, -Are we getting another key?-

Frillish cooed, -Soon, we just got the second one after all.-

Corsula chirped, -They are calling us for lunch.-

Misty, "Coming."

Ash smiled at her, "Misty, come on over. Gary is almost done with his battle with that lady over there."

Misty looked at the woman, "Oh! She's good."

Ash, "Yeah, your next showcase will be at Greenfield valley. Are you ready?"

Misty beamed at that, "Yes, I am very excited this will be my second key."

Gary bid farewell to his latest opponent, "Thank you for the battle I had fun with you."

Ash, "Wash up first Gary. You are dusty."

Gary laughed at that, "Butterfree really liked using the move, gust, a lot."

Misty, "I can tell."

The last four weeks have been very exciting for all of them, despite the multiple run - ins with Team Rocket in the region. Ash had received his second ribbon while Gary had earned two more badges and their poke eggs had glowed during those weeks. Both Misty and Gary's poke egg hatched and they turned out to be a Seal for Misty, a Chimchar for Ash and a golden Magikarp for Gary. It had excited them and the two baby Pokemon had been welcomed among all the chaos that happened. Now, they were taking a break in a place called Greenfield valley waiting for the next show case for Misty.

Gary had earned his Hive and Plain badge while Ash had taken part in the Pokemon contest in a small town between Azalea town and Goldenrod City. Misty had pouted at missing the show case at Azalea town and there were no showcases in Goldenrod City as the City was just building a stage for it. But Greenfield valley had a stage ready for a Pokemon showcase so they were heading there now for Misty to take part. But as they were relaxing a news crew could be seen reporting on something, they decided to check it out after lunch. After lunch they headed to where the commotion was happening only to be very much surprised.

Ash was surprised to see familiar faces, "Mom? Silver?"

Delia, "Ash, sweetheart."

Silver sighed, "Thank Mew you are alright."

Gary, "Gramps? What is happening here?"

Misty stared at the giant crystal formation, "What is that?"

Samuel, "That is the result of an angry Legendary Pokemon. We are not sure which one it is though."

Ash, "Ah! I see. Does the crystal look like it is growing?"

Silver who was smiling earlier became serious, "It is."

Delia sighed, "That is not even the worst part at all."

Ash, "What's going on?"

Delia, "Do you remember your little cousin Molly? She is missing."

Ash became tense, "Do you think she is inside that thing there?"

They were discussing the possibility of little Molly being either alive or gone just like her late parents. Professor Oak however theorized they were alive and probably in a different dimension as the crystal looked like something from a different world. During breaks Ash, Misty and Gary took care of their youngest new born Pokemon who were happy to play. Misty had entered the building to grab more items, but at that moment something crazy happened to Ash. Entei, a legendary Pokemon of Jhoto appeared and kidnapped him in front of the news crew. Gary was left speechless by what Entei had said but seeing Pikachu grab hard on Ash's shirt knew he would be okay.

Delia, "No, not Ash. Bring my baby back."

Silver, "Delia, no, don't, you might anger Entei."

Delia, "But my baby."

Gary, "No, Mrs Ketchum, think about Yellow. If you disappear too then Yellow will be alone."

Silver, "We will get him back but we should not anger Entei."

Misty, "Gary, are you alright? What just happened?"

Gary looked at them, "Well, Entei said Ash would be Molly's mother.... So, I am guessing Molly is alright and Ash will be too."

Silver nodded, "Good! So, we know they will be fine."

Delia, "But Ash is just a teen boy, he is not even an official adult."

Silver, "Heaven only knows how Legendary Pokemon think. And Ash had been recorded to have contact with them the most."

Gary blanched, "You can't be implying that Entei wants Ash as his wife??"

Misty, "No way! Come on! He is still a kid, you know? I can accept you guys dating but a Legendary Pokemon wanting a human wife?"

Silver raised his hand, "No, no, nothing like that. But sometimes the Legendaries will end up becoming the one in charge of young. If the young are a human child then they sometimes take other older humans to care for them."

Delia, "I do not know if that makes me feel better, Silver."

Samuel, "Oh my goodness! Are you alright?"

Delia, "Entei just kidnapped my son, Professor."

Samuel, "What? Why?"

Silver, "Molly is most likely alive and under Entei's personal care. I do not know what is happening but it is pretty obvious Entei required human help to care for her."

Delia, "Still Ash is still a child himself, so taking care of another child is... It is different from taking care of a Pokemon."

Misty, "Could we calm Chimchar down first?"

Samuel, "Ah! Right, let me call Charizard. He might be able to calm him down."

Before Samuel could call however they heard a very familiar and furious roar coming from the sky. Looking up Chimchar had stopped crying and whimpered as the fire type landed in front of them. Charizard looked at Cottonwood and Chikorita and ordered them to explain what had happened to their trainer. The fire type was really pissed off but held back his anger for the sake of the young Chimchar. The large Charizard picked him up and rumbled calming the baby monkey Pokemon, it had been a surprise for all of them when he was born. After calming down he gave the baby to Delia who nodded and held him close.

Silver, "I suppose you want your trainer back?"

Charizard grunted, "Arrrrr!"

Silver smirked, "Well then, let's go get him back."

Gary, "I am going with you. This is obviously the work of a Legendary and I have been studying them."

Misty, "Me too. Don't worry, we will be fine. We have had run - ins with Legendary Pokemon before."

Silver, "Right then. Delia, take care of the baby Pokemon while we get Ash back."

Delia, "Of course. You can leave them to me. Just... Just be careful."

Gary, "Always, smell you later Gramps."

Misty, "Ash, hang on! We are coming."

The group rushed to where the crystal was growing and looked around the place noticing the water was not crystallized at all. They nodded and climbed up the spring and waterfall while Charizard distracted the crystal attacks from above. Charizard gave a very smug grin when his trainer's three human pack mates entered the crystal cove. Charizard took a deep breath and attacked using overheat to melt the crystal away creating a hole in the crystal wall. Charizard flew in through the hole and grunted as he landed next to the humans while the news copter outside kept giving commentaries about what might be happening. Charizard huffed at them wondering if they were stubborn or just plain stupid staying there.

Silver, "What a crazy place."

Gary, "Tell me about it."

Misty, "I guess we go up."

Silver nodded, "That is where Molly is located according to Delia. She liked to pretend and be a Princess in a tower."

Gary, "I remember playing that with her before."

Misty, "Let's go and get them back."

They traveled through the crystal maze hoping Ash and Molly were alright and unhurt. Up in Molly's room Ash was nursing a major headache that happened because his own aura was fighting off the mind control off him. Ash sat up hearing the concerned voice of his cousin calling him mama which made him worry too. He was not her mother, not to forget his aunt was not even declared dead yet but before he could explain the TV was giving a broadcast of what was going on outside. Ash was very worried about his Charizard who looked very pissed off as he broke in through the crystal.

Molly, "I am going to challenge them but I don't have a Pokemon."

Entei, -You can have anything you wish for molly.-

Molly, "Really?"

Entei, -Just wish for it.-

Ash watched the interaction, 'Why is Entei's eyes so dead? Something else is going on here.'

Molly was fast asleep on his lap and the next thing he knew, he was all alone in the chamber except for his Pikachu. Pikachu cooed at him in comfort while Ash absent mindedly pat his head before getting up picking Molly up in his hold. He was going to figure out what was happening but he was not leaving her behind in case things got very dangerous. Ash and Pikachu slowly walked down the crystallized steps looking around the place curiously. Both Ash and Pikachu could feel the presence of a stronger Pokemon in the floors below and went in that direction.

Misty, "Guys go ahead! I will keep her busy. I challenge you to a Pokemon battle Molly."

Molly, "A real Pokemon battle? Yay! I am so excited. Let's go, Teddiursa."

Silver, "Did you see that?"

Gary, "Yeah, I hope Ash is okay."

Charizard stopped sniffing, -Ash.-

Silver, "Did you find Ash?"

Charizard nodded, "Arrrr!"

Gary grinned, "Let's go then."

Silver, "Molly, which means... "

Gary, "Misty was defeated."

Silver, "Molly I challenge you to a battle. I am Jhoto's Double Battle Champion."

Molly, "You are a Champion? I thought you have to be an adult. Amazing!"

Silver nodded to Gary and Charizard while he started to battle and the two headed in the direction where Ash was heading. They found Ash, Molly and Pikachu inside a room staring at the multiple Unown floating in the room. The Unown did not look like they noticed them and Charizard and Gary quietly approached Ash who motioned for them to be as quiet as possible. The Unown were floating while seemingly chattering among themselves when Entei and Molly, or what looked like a pre - teen version of her appeared. She looked very shocked to see Ash and herself in his arms and the Unown that Molly woke up while the illusion disappeared.

Gary, "So, it was the Unown creating all the trouble?"

Ash, "Looks that way."

Gary scowled, "Oi! Unown are you the one who stole this child's parents?"

Molly, "Huh? But they are my friends, they would not.... Would they?"

Ash, "Molly, do you know what your mother and father were working on before they disappeared?"

Molly, "Um... Ancient runes and I think they found a very old City called Aohika, North from here."

Gary nodded, "Correct and do you know which Pokemon God the people of Aohika worshipped?"

Molly, "Unown, they worshipped the Unown. No, no, no, not my mama and papa. Give them back! Give them back! Wahhhhhhhh!"

Ash hugged her, "Molly."

Gary, "Poor kid!"

Charizard moved grabbing all of them away from a psy beam coming from the angry Legendary Pokemon. Now that the illusion had been lifted they could no longer feed on the little girl's desperation and loneliness. Entei jumped after them and Molly shouted she wanted her Papa and Mama back from the Unown which Entei heard loud and clear. Entei turned around and started to attack the Unown making them hiss angrily at the attack and attack Entei, Ash told Charizard to assist Entei. Even if the battle created damage everything should return to normal when Unown was defeated. After a long battle where Misty and Silver joined them, they defeated the angry Legendary.

Gary, "The crystal is returning."

Molly, "Mama? Papa?"

Ash, "Molly, don't worry. Now that the Unown have been defeated, I am sure your mother and father should return to the places they disappeared from."

Molly, "Really?"

Misty, "We can send search parties to look for them."

Silver, "Good idea. Only heaven knows what condition they are in at the moment."

Gary, "The Legendaries went too far this time."

Ash nodded, "Kidnapping a couple, manipulating their child and the worst of all. They mind controlled one of the main fire deities of Jhoto."

Gary, "Hooh will not be happy."

Ash, "No, he will not."

Molly, "What do we do?"

Ash, "We give Hooh an offering and pray for your parents safe return."

Delia, "Ash, Molly!"

Gary, "Later, for now, everyone was worried so, meet them first."

Chapter Text

Ash, "Congratulations on the new baby Pokemon Brock. Congratulations on evolving too Chansey."

Chansey chirrped through the screen, :Sey chan chansey.:

Brock, :Thank you, Ash.:

Misty, "I must admit when we found those poke eggs, I was not expecting Pokemon from the international community."

Brock sighed, :I know what you mean, Misty. I have been going through a lot of paperwork to get the right to raise those little one. Professor Ivy has been a big help.:

Gary, "I am just relieved all the Pokemon are doing well. Especially after everything that they went through."

Brock, :Understatement of the century Gary. I hope anytime something like that happens we can help them.:

Ash, "Same Brock same."

Brock's poke egg hatched a few days ago but Ash, Gary and Misty were in the middle of a forest and therefore unreachable. It was only after a few days Brock was able to contact them again with the news of his newest Pokemon member. Brock had heard about what happened with Entei but had kept his cool trusting his friends to be safe and alright. After the Greenfield incident they had taken part in the show case where Misty had won the key. Brock was relieved to see them safe and sound. He was going to be honest, seeing one of his friends straight up kidnapped by a legendary was not good for his heart.

He remembers the triplets had panicked and started to question Professor Ivy if they had to worry about Pokemon kidnapping humans as well. The poor woman has spent hours calming the girls down and had to force them to take calming tea so they could relax. Seeing the news report of his friends returning them performing in the show case had calmed them down. But now the three girls would look warily outside the window expecting Lugia or one of the bird trio to kidnap kids. Brock was not gonna lie, he worried for his young friends and sometimes wondered if he made the right choice leaving them as he did.

Ash, "You okay Brock?"

Brock, :I am alright. Do not worry about me.:

Gary, "You sure?"

Brock snorted, :I am not the one getting kidnapped you know?:

Misty chuckled, "True that."

Brock, "Say how many badges, ribbons and keys do you have?"

Gary, "I got four badges."

Ash, "Two ribbons."

Misty, "Two keys."

Gary, "We are heading to Oroville where the next contest and show case are going to be held."

Brock, :That place is pretty close to Aborville. Do be careful when you go there, please.:

Ash, "You are talking about the rumours surrounding the area. The ones about Suicune."

Misty, "We will stay safe, I promise."

Gary, "Yeah, Entei was actually being controlled by Unown. He was not the perpetrator."

Brock, :What? Did anyone give him medical treatment?:

Ash, "He... He ran off before we could."

Gary, "I do not blame him. I would not doubt react in a similar way."

Misty nodded, "Yeah, being controlled is scary."

Brock sighed and then changed the subject to the health of their Pokemon and if they were eating well. Ash, Gary and Misty reassured him they were cooking their own meal and eating well. Plus the forests around Jhoto were rich in natural resources and wild vegetables which they learned to prepare. It took a few days to properly learn and memorize which ones were ready to be plucked but now they were good at it. After they finished talking Ash, Gary and Misty left for their destination and hoped nothing crazy happened. The contest and the show case were peaceful thankfully and Ash and Misty were proud owners of new ribbons and keys.

Ash, "This ribbon is a beautiful green."

Misty, "The key too."

Gary, "Do you think they are matching the ribbon and the key?"

Ash, "That would be really cool."

Mr White who was giving them a ride spoke up, "You are a trainer, a show case performer and a co - ordinator traveling together?"

Misty, "Yes sir. Traveling in a group is just safer."

Gary, "Especially with all the problems we had recently with Team Rocket."

Mr White looked at them, "And what have you three done to get that group's attention?"

Ash, "Not a clue, to be perfectly honest."

Gary, "Most of the time we were just minding our own business."

Misty, "Then Team Rocket will come out of nowhere and attack us."

Ash, "They blame us for their failure when they attacked us in the first place."

Gary, "Right? Make it make sense. If you can't fight do not challenge others to a fight."

Mr White nodded, "I see. I see. That is problematic. How many times have they bothered you?"

Ash had a thinking pose, "Ever since the first day as trainers. They first attacked the centre we were taking rest in."

Misty, "I remember that. That's when I met you guys too."

Gary, "They really thought after insulting us they could walk away by stealing our Pokemon."

Ash clenched his fist, "Yeah, they had the nerve to insult my Pokemon."

Misty, "We should have punched them, you know what let's do that next time."

Mr White, "You kids are so sure they will attack you again."

Gary, "It's not that we are confident."

Ash, "It is a pattern at this point."

Misty, "We mind our own business and they attack us."

Mr White wanted to say more when a sudden explosion rocked the boat and the area around them. A girl who called herself Donna approached them asking if they were alright and Mr White assured her they were unhurt. After disembarking Ash, Gary and Misty wondered what was going on to which Donna's grandmother answered it was most likely Suicune getting angry. Ash, Gary and Misty looked at each other and could feel their eyebrows twitch in annoyance, they could guess the reason for the Pokemon's anger. They still needed to cross the forest to get to the next town that would lead them to Ecruteak City for Gary's next badge.

Ash, "This sucks but we need to get going."

Gary, "Yeah, my next Gym is across the forest."

Misty, "The towns with the next contest and show case too."

Donna, "If you want I can guide you through the forest. I know a short cut that can get you directly to Ecruteak City."

Ash, "That is pretty much appreciated Donna."

Gary, "Agreed!"

Misty, "And it would be nice to have another girl to talk to."

Donna, "Why? The boys are boring?"

Misty, "I just hate feeling like a third wheel."

Donna was confused first then her face brightened as it flushed looking at Ash and Gary who were obviously close. The two girls grinned and started to gossip about the pair with Misty telling her about the different dates they had been on. At one point she mentioned the double dates they had which prompted Donna to ask about her date. Misty was red as she talked about Rudy and Donna teased and squealed about how lucky Misty was to get such a handsome guy. The orangette could only blush as she fumbled and told her about how they just started dating and it was not very serious yet.

Ash, "Everyone get down."

Gary, "What in Mew's name?"

Misty, "That's a Scizor."

Donna, "But why is it attacking us?"

Gary looked up, "Look at it's neck."

Misty gasped, "They are being controlled."

Ash scowled, "Not under my watch. Heracross use mega horn on that collar but make sure to avoid any attacks coming towards you."

Heracross nodded and attacked Scizor and Gary called for Quartz asking the little Eevee to give Heracross a helping hand. Misty called for Kingdra when she saw an Ursaring with a similar device and Donna called for her Houndour to help them in the fight. It took some time but they managed to get those cursed things off the Pokemon who looked around the place looking lost and very confused. Pikachu approached them and explained what happened getting nods from the Pokemon who explained they were just minding their own business as well. Then, a strange man appeared with a strange item and the next thing they knew they were waking up there.

James fell from the bushes then, "Ugh! I hate that man."

Ash, "Team Rocket!"

Gary, "Should have known you were behind Suicune's anger."

Misty, "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

James spluttered in protest, "No, no, no, it was not us this time. I promise! In fact, this was done by this crazy guy. He calls himself the Iron - Masked Marauder."

Donna, "Huh? Seriously? What a lousy name!"

James, "Jessie said the same thing and pissed him off. He caught Jessie and is keeping her captive forcing me and Meowth to do his dirty job. Or he might hurt Jessie."

Ash fumed, "Unbelievable! You know what I will deal with you later."

Misty pointed at one direction, "Is that the guy you are talking about?"

James, "Shit! Jessie is inside that machine he has."

Gary listened to the monologue the man started to give, "He looks and sounds like a narcissist."

Meowth appeared, "He is one kit. Are you okay James?"

James, "I am fine. Did you check on Jessie?"

Meowth, "She's okay. Our girl is one of the toughest Team Rocket members."

Ash, "Why is that jerk here anyway?"

James, "He claimed to have seen the Celebi."

Misty muttered, "Of course he did."

Gary, "Want to mess with him?"

Ash smirked, "Why not? He is one of the reasons why we end up getting entangled with Legendary problems."

Donna blinked, "Huh?"

Meowth, "We will help. Mostly for Jessie, that creep was eyeing her in a way I don't like."

Misty, Donna and James bristled while Ash and Gary were visibly upset on hearing that. It was not uncommon to find people like the Iron - Masked idiot who were really perverted and had no qualms about raping and abusing others. Yeah, that man was going down and never getting up as long as they were alive. Despite their differences and enmity they planned together and decided to work in two groups. Ash and Gary would go in search of the boy who according to Janes found Celebi while the three of them stopped Iron - Mask. Plan made Ash and Gary left searching for Celebi who's Aura was stronger than anyone else and found the two by a lake.

Ash, "Lord Suicune."

Suicune, -Young ones.-

Gary, "Are they?"

Suicune, -They are alive. But that man is a menace.-

Ash was grim, "I know. We will deal with him."

Gary, "We will leave the two with you."

Suicune softened at that, -I will watch over them. Worry not!-

Ash, "Thank you! This will make things easier. Oh before I forget. We need to make sure he doesn't notice you."

Gary smirked, "Leave it to me. Come out Nyx."

Nyx a very cute Misdreavous appeared, "Ous?"

Gary, "Nyx, I need you to use your illusions to keep these three safe from the pervert narcissist we are going to fight."

Nyx gaped at the order but nodded in agreement wondering who managed piss off her normally calm trainer. Gary never cussed anyone before so hearing him name call someone like this was just something else. Nyx decided whoever it was that angered him was probably a really horrible person and deserved the beating he will get. Nyx turned her attention to Suicune and Celebi and floated nervously next to them as she placed her illusion. Suicune then nodded in gratitude making Nyx blush as she checked on Celebi and the human who was gaining consciousness. The boy looked around warily before calming down on seeing no danger around. Suicune sat beside him to calm him down as Celebi recovered in peace.

Meanwhile Gary and Ash joined the others in fighting that crazy masked guy who was spouting stupidity at this point. Something about being a time Lord and ruling the world, Ash wanted to cringe. As far as opponents went, this one was the most irritating one, did he think he was in a movie of some sort? Really Gary looked close to marching all the way up there and just bitch slap the guy to Kingdom come. Anyone with a lick of common sense would understand messing with time was a bad idea. You could end up erasing yourself if you were not careful or your own children would never be born. Really stopping him was just a kindness at this point and if the girls did a number on him well, the iron idiot deserved it.

Chapter Text

Mr White, "So that is what happened."

Giovanni, :I see, and these three kids are now where exactly?:

Mr White, "They are at the moment in Ecruteak City. They plan to take part in the Gym challenge, show case and contest."

Giovanni, :To be perfectly honest, they have been people of interest to my organization.:

Mr White, "Sir? But they are children, I get they are different from others but still. The fact remains they are children."

Giovanni, :They may be children but the Mewtwo project has seen good results thanks to them.:

Mr White, "What? How?"

Giovanni smirked, :They can win the hearts of the Pokemon around them very easily. Even one as suspicious as Mewtwo and bring positive results.:

Mr White, "I see. Should I keep an eye out?"

Giovanni, :No need, I already have three eyes on them. Just make sure the Mewtwo project in Jhoto is ready to meet them.:

Mr White was skeptical but nodded, 'I hope you know what you are doing boss. Those three are very short tempered kids.'

Ash was laying back on the grass feeling annoyed, "Haaaaa! Dammit! Give me a break!"

Misty, "I think you mean Team Rocket should give us all a break."

Gary huffed, "What is up with them anyway? If I didn't know any better they were pretending to steal our Pokemon."

Ash, "You noticed that too?"

Misty, "Maybe they finally went crazy?"

Gary, "I don't get paid to deal with crazy people."

Pikachu, -Guys look over there.-

Jewel, -A Ranger camp.-

Starmie, -Good at least this area is safe for us and our trainers.-

Ash entered the gate, "Excuse us."

Gary, "For the intrusion."

Misty looked around, "Where is everyone?"

A Ranger appeared, "Oh! Trainers, welcome to Mt Quena. I am Ranger Hewley, pleasure."

Gary, "What's going on?"

Ash, "Where is everyone?"

Misty, "Did we come here during a bad time?"

Ranger Hewley, "Oh no, no! Nothing like that."

Another Ranger appeared, "I would not say a bad thing but there has been an increase in poachers lately."

Gary, "Poachers too, come on give me a break."

Misty, "And here I thought we would have some peace from Team Rocket."

Ash, "No rest for the wicked, as they say."

Ranger Hewley was alarmed, "What did you say?"

The other Ranger was shocked, "What did you kids do to get their attention?"

Gary, "Nothing I swear. They are just salty they lost to us."

Misty nodded, "They attacked us first, we just defended ourselves."

Ash, "Yeah, we were just minding our own business. They just won't leave us alone."

Ranger Hewley, "You know what you are safe here. Ranger Rhapsodos and I are in charge of safety here. We will make sure nothing bad happens to you kids, alright?"

Gary smiled, "We appreciate it."

Ash grinned, "Thank you very much."

Misty was beaming, "We are in your care."

The two Rangers felt a little funny in the back of their minds but paid no mind to it helping the three trainers settle down. One of the wash houses had already been commandeered by Misty for her Pokemon and Gary decided to wait for Ash to finish cleaning up. The first night at the Ranger camp was thankfully very peaceful and the three trainers had offered to cook. The other Rangers who returned from their post were skeptical but after trying the meat and vegetable curry they changed their mind. Hewley and Rhapsodos however exchanged glances when the three were not looking and excused themselves after dinner.

Hewley, "They are the group who has the Gym Leaders of Kanto, Orange Archipelago and Jhoto in a tizzy."

Rhapsodos, "Understatement, I believe they were involved with the incident in Shamoutii."

Hewley, "I think so too. Valentine, what do you think?"

Valentine hummed, "We should keep an eye on them. I have a feeling that things might become hectic."

Hewley, "I really hope they get a break. I checked their story and Officer Jenny from Ecruteak confirmed it."

Rhapsodos, "What happened?"

Valentine, "I got the scoop from my niece there."

Hewley, "Really?"

Valentine, "Apparently, the legendary Pokemon Hooh appeared."

Rhapsodos, "You are pulling my leg."

Valentine, "I am not. I wish I was though. This is going to attract a lot of people to this area too."

Hewley, "Something happened, didn't it?"

Valentine, "According to my niece, Lord Hooh presented a feather to the young Oak."

Rhapsodos, "Oh dear! No wonder they are being targeted by Team Rocket."

Hewley, "They probably want the feather too."

Valentine, "This probably also means they will appear here. It will be best if we are alert."

The three nodded and Rhapsodos announced he and his group were taking the watch for the night. His group of young Rangers did not mind especially after the delicious food they had earlier. If only other trainers could cook just as well, they would not have complaints about them either. The next morning Ash, Gary and Misty were preparing breakfast for everyone as thanks for their hard work. The smell of roasted tomatoes and eggplants, with toasted bread, pea soup, omelette and coffee woke the sleeping Rangers. The Rangers who were turning in grabbed the food forgoing the coffee and eating then going to rest.

Valentine, "If you follow the water trail you will be on the outskirts of Mt Quena by noon."

Ash, "Thank you so much for allowing us to stay, Ranger Valentine."

Gary, "Especially after the chaos back in Ecruteak City."

Misty, "We have had to deal with a lot of problems but I am glad we got a break here."

Valentine smiled kindly, "No problem children. Stay safe out there okay?"

Ash, "We will."

Misty, "See you around."

Gary, "Let's meet in the future."

Valentine, 'Future huh? I would like that.'

Misty, "Look, so many Butterfrees."

Gary, "Ladyba too."

Ash, "The Beedrills sure look busy."

Starmie, -Something is wrong.-

Pikachu, -It is too quiet.-

Jewel, -Gary, stop, stop right there.-

Gary, "What's wrong?"

Ash, "Pikachu? We are not alone, are we?"

Misty, "So, what do we do?"

Gary, "Stay calm."

A man appeared, "Well, well."

Ash, "You.... Uhhh... Birch."

The man snapped, "Butch, it's Bitch you little brat."

Misty, "Hey do not shout at my friend you Buck."

Butch, "Shut up wench!"

Gary, "You take that back, you ass."

A woman appeared, "Ara, are these kids causing trouble for you Butch?"

Butch, "Cassidy... We just met."

Cassidy, "We have to pay you back for ruining our little business back in Kanto."

Jewel turned the boat to the shore, -I will not let you hurt my trainer.-

Pikachu, -Jewel, Starmie, shall we?-

Starmie, -We got your back.-

The two sides started to battle causing a commotion which caught the attention of others. The Rangers saw the cloud of smoke and dust rise and headed in that direction remembering the three kids were heading in that direction. A little bit further up the mountain a very familiar bipedal Pokemon observed the battle occurring between Team Rocket and the three trainers. He was very curious about what was happening down there and despite his wariness of Team Rocket he still went to have a look at the battle. The two members of Team Rocket were alerted about the Rangers and were forced to leave the area.

Butch, 'Sorry boss, we could not observe their battle tactics for long.'

Cassidy, 'We did get valuable information on them though. Each of them are raising a Jhoto starter.'

Ash, "Is it me, or did that felt staged?"

Misty narrowed her eyes, "Not just you."

Gary, "I think they were observing us with those rotom cameras."

Ash looked at where Gary was pointing, "Oh sweet Mew! Why?"

Misty paled, "That is not good, right?"

Hewley, "Children!"

Ash, "Ranger Hewley!"

Hewley, "What happened here?"

Gary pointed in the direction the two Rocket members left, "Team Rocket happened. They were waiting for us down here."

Misty, "They must have seen us enter this area last night."

Ash, "It is a little disturbing."

Hewley, "There is another path you three can use. It is actually a closed path, that most people do not know it even exists."

Gary, "Is that alright?"

A younger Ranger, Cissnei spoke up then, "It is more than alright. If Team Rocket was waiting for you here for whatever reason, you do not know what might happen next."

Ash, "That is a good point."

Misty, "I think we should listen to them guys. At least we will not be ambushed on that path like we were here."

Gary, "Alright we will use that path."

Ash, "Ranger Hewley, please lead the way."

Hewley, "Glad you agree, come follow us."

Cissnei was walking next to her leader, talk in a whisper, "Will they really be alright?"

Hewley, "Do not fret they are trainers after all. Facing difficult challenges are part of growing up for a trainer."

Ash, "This path is really nice too."

Misty, "Especially the cool breeze."

Gary, "I agree, look at those Pokemon, so carefree."

Ash, "How long does this path take?"

Hewley, "We will be parting ways here and as for your question. It takes two days, provided it has not rained and there are no landslides blocking the road."

Gary nodded, "Thank you for accompanying us."

Misty, "We appreciate it."

The trio waved goodbye to the Rangers and started to travel through the forest of Mt Quena. Unknown to them they were being observed by another being who was very curious about them. When he was born, he was given memories of another Mewtwo just like him and his encounter with the three trainers back in Kanto. His creator Giovanni had been close to giving up on the project of creating creatures like him but after seeing positive results decided to create more. Mewtwo did wonder if his siblings were alive somewhere out there or if they were still waiting to be awoken.

Mewtwo looked at the evening red sky, 'Life is so complicated. Should I follow them or stay?'

Ash, "We should camp here."

Gary looked around the lake, "Yeah, this place is very peaceful."

Misty, "Let's call all of our Pokemon out too."

Pikachu, -This place is really nice.-

Jewel, -Yeah.-

Starmie, -This water, something is up with it.-

Linden, -What?-

Totodile, -Really?-

Chikorita, -We should warn our partners.-

Pyrus, -Yes, they will be worried if something happens to us.-

Gary, "Is something wrong? Ah! Your scars.... How? It was supposed to take a few more months."

Ash, "What's wrong Gary?"

Misty, "Did something happen?"

Gary, "Look at their scars."

Misty pulled her Pokemon towards her, "The scars are gone. How is this possible?"

Ash, "While I am not complaining about the missing scars how did this happen?"

Gary, "Maybe it is the water?"

Ash, "You think so?"

A voice came, "You got that right."

Misty, "Eh? Nurse Joy? What are you doing here?"

Gary, "Ranger Valentine too."

Valentine, "We have been observing the water here and it's effect on the wild Pokemon."

Nurse Joy, "Yes, this lake is very special you see. It is said that the water of this lake was blessed by both Mew and Hooh."

Ash, "Oh! I see."

Misty was looking around, "That is very interesting."

Gary had a strained smile, "So, it can heal Pokemon easily. What about humans? Can it heal humans?"

Valentine, "Yes, it can."

Ash, "That might be a problem then."

Gary, "People might start coming here and end up destroying this place."

Misty, "The lake would be lost if that happened."

Valentine, "We know."

Ash, "They already destroyed the tower back in Ecruteak City."

Nurse Joy, "That was years ago."

Misty, "It does not change the fact it was destroyed by humans."

Gary, "I will talk to my Gramps about this. He might be able to help secure the area as a reserve though it will take time."

Ash, "I will talk to Red, he is a Ranger too. He might have ideas."

Misty, "And I will talk with the Gym Leaders. I may not look like it but my end game is to take over Cerulean City after two years."

Valentine, "Oh my! How fascinating!"

Nurse Joy, "They are something."

Ash, "We should look around the lake and gather as much information on it as possible. I don't think any type of blessings, even double ones could last this long."

Gary, "You suspect that there is something else going on here."

Misty, "An all healing water is a little too good to be true. In fact it is very suspicious if you think about it."

Ash, "Exactly! We need to investigate it first."

Chapter Text

Ash, "Ugh! I need a break."

Gary, "Me too."

Misty, "Don't these people ever get tired?"

Ritchie, "I don't think they do."

The four of them sighed in annoyance and frustration inside their cage next to a baby Lugia. The little Legendary was throwing a tantrum for being separated from his mother. Ash still remembers the incident with Mewtwo back at Mt Quena very clearly. They were looking around the beautiful lake and found a man made base, which raised many questions as no one was allowed to dig and build around Mt Quena. They had looked around and found many tubes which looked familiar to the ones they saw on New Island. Then Mewtwo had appeared in front of them with other cloned Pokemon around him.

Ash sighed leaning back, 'If I didn't know better I would say they were trying to build an army of mewtwo.'

Misty, "What are you thinking Ash?"

Gary, "You look like you want to punch someone."

Ritchie, "Everything okay?"

Ash, "It's just, I do not understand the motivation that Team Rocket has."

Gary, "Ah! I see what you mean. Just a few weeks ago we found a base that was still working but was completely abandoned in Mt Quena."

Ritchie, "What? What are you talking about?"

Misty, "A few weeks ago we took a trip through Mt Quena. It is a mountain reserve you could say. We went there and found a base that Team Rocket was using to create clones of Mew."

Ritchie, "That's insane!!! And they just abandoned the facilities?"

Ash, "A working facility, yes!"

Ritchie stared speechless unable to say anything else then Gary decided to make a plan to tackle the members who captured Lugia. Ritchie nodded if they were just cloning Pokemon then abandoning them there was no need to hold back from helping Lugia escape from their clutches. Ash half wondered how the new Mewtwo they met who had a light pink tail was doing currently. The new Mewtwo was surprised by the presence of other Mewtwos and cloned Pokemon who happily accepted them among their ranks. Ash hoped they were doing alright, at least Red's Mewtwo said they were settling in fine so he would believe them.

Ash, "Let's do this."

Ritchie, "Yeah! Hang on Lugia, we will get your mother back."

Lugia, "Aaaaaa!"

Gary, "You will get a chance to use your attacks too."

Misty chuckled at the glint in the baby Legendary's eyes, "He definitely is a Legendary Pokemon."

They stormed the facility after Frillish found them appearing from the shadows like the ghost she was known for. Misty praised her as she took the keys and all of them got out of their holding cells or rather cages meant for Pokemon. The four of them sneaked around with Frillish leading the way till they found the room with their pokeballs. All of them released their Pokemon and decided to take over the facility in East, West, South and North style. It was chaos all over the Team Rocket base, as all of their Pokemon went loose on a rampage knocking the Team Rocket members out. When Silver, Champion Gold's advisor, who was investigating Team Rocket activities found them he was actually impressed.

Silver, "Not bad kiddos, not bad at all."

Ash, "You are here Silver. Gold told me you might be around."

Silver smirked, "You are my silly Champion's baby brother. Of course I will check in from time to time. We were very worried after we got the report from Mt Quena."

Gary, "Right! We are okay though, we promise."

Silver, "Let me be the judge of that."

Misty, "I think it will be better if we all get checked out guys or our Pokemon might worry."

Ritchie, "I agree with Misty."

Silver, "There is also the fact your friend came all the way here to check on you."

Ash, "Our friend?"

Brock came out of the building, "He means me."

Gary, "Brock!"

Misty, "You are here."

Ash, "How come?"

Brock smirked at them, "I finished my studies and practicals for the next four semesters."

Ritchie, "Wait, aren't you studying to become a Doctor? Aren't the courses difficult?"

Brock, "They are but when you have people whose lives depend on your abilities. Studying becomes a practice to stay calm. When that happens it is easier to complete studies and help others."

Ash, "Brock, you are not overworking yourself, are you?"

Gary, "Hard work is fine but if you over work then it is a problem."

Misty, "Yeah, you need to take care of yourself too."

Brock smiled, "Which is why I am joining you guys on your journey."

Ash, "Wait really?"

Brock, "Ivy was both impressed and worried when I finished the course for four semesters and even passed the exams. So she insisted I should take at least a year off to get practical experience through journeying. It would help me assimilate what I have learned too."

Ritchie was speechless, "That's a good idea. I hope you do get some rest. You finished four semesters, geez! You need a break."

Brock laughed at that and went to work checking their and their Pokemon's health over. The Pokemon were alright, just exhausted and tired from letting all of their powers and moves loose on the base. Brock was impressed by the collection of Jhoto Pokemon his young friends had managed to capture. Misty had Totodile and Wooper with Corsula which made it three water types from Jhoto region. Gary had Pyrus his Cyndaquill, Shadow his Sneasel, Sugar his Swinub and Spidey his Ariados making it four. Ash on the other hand had his Chikorita, Noctowl and Heracross making it three new Jhoto Pokemon for him too. Ritchie had his own set of Houndour, Ledian, Pinsir and Scizor.

Ritchie, "I am headed to Ecruteak City."

Brock, "See you around!"

Gary, "Man! You have been working hard, haven't you Brock?"

Brock, "I have been trying my best."

Ash, "I think it is cool you are able to finish so many semesters in one go but please remember to take a break."

Brock smiled patting his head, "I will, I am. I am sorry to have worried you all like that."

Misty, "I have an idea guys."

Gary, "What idea?"

Misty, "The Bellossom and Vileplume festival will be starting soon. We should go there and have fun."

Ash, "Woah! That sounds like fun."

Gary, "I heard about that from Grandpa before. The Bellossom and the Vileplume used to fight each other before right?"

Brock, "Yes, they used to fight each other over territory, food, etc but now they get along just fine."

Misty, "I heard it was because of human intervention."

Gary, "Well, normally humans are not allowed to interfere in the wild Pokemon business because it can be very life threatening to humans."

Ash, "True, remember the crazy air battles the Pidgeot and the Fearrow get involved in back in Pallet town."

Gary sweat dropped, "Those were crazy. They would create storms with their moves."

Misty, "We do not have Fearrows or Pidgeots but we do have Kingdra and Gyarados clutches around."

Gary winced, "Oooh! That is no doubt crazy then."

Misty, "Cerulean used to be hit by cyclones, that's all I will say about it."

Brock, "Golem used to have been with the Steelix back in the day but after the Gym was built and the people started sharing food they stopped the bigger fights."

Gary, "Pewter was famous for being an earthquake zone."

Brock, "Yeah, the Gym Leaders before me had their work cut out for them."

The four of them then reached the town known for the flower festival of the Bellossom and Vileplume. It was honestly a lot of fun, they were first greeted by kids who gave them accessories made from flowers. Misty got a crown and bracelets made from dark and light blue delphinium. Gary received a neck piece made from red gerbera and Ash received another one made from white daisies. Brock then received a crown and neck piece made from yellow dahlias from the kids making him melt. They first took photos together that they sent to their families getting happy messages from their families.

Brock, "Ah! I wish my younger siblings were here too."

Misty, "I do not want my sisters here, they would drag me everywhere making me dress up in every outfit."

Gary laughed, "Isn't that how older siblings are?"

Ash giggled, "Ooh! I have an idea. See that booth over there. Let's take a group picture as Bellossoms and Vileplumes. It looks really fun."

Misty, "Sure, why not. Let's do the Vileplume one first."

Gary, "I am in."

Brock laughed as he agreed to get as many photos as possible and then they headed to the food area. The food was special to the area they were in, it used oil extracted from the spores that Vileplume and Bellossom released. It was a sweet smelling oil and the vegetables were grown with the help of the flower Pokemon and then cooked in different ways. The meat dishes were Ash and Gary's favourite however while Misty and Brock enjoyed both sides. The break was pretty much welcome after the last few chaotic months Ash, Gary and Misty had and the intense studying Brock did.

Ash, "Fuwaaah! I don't think I can eat anymore."

Gary, "Me neither. I am stuffed."

Misty, "Me too! I am going to crawl into my bed with my Pokemon."

Brock, "Wait! Brush your teeth first you guys. We ate a lot of food today including sweets."

Misty, "Yes Papa."

Gary grinned, "As you say Papa."

Ash laughed, "We will be good Papa."

Brock's face turned pink, "Yeah, yeah, get going you little trolls."

They laughed as they rushed to brush their teeth and clean up a bit before changing into their pyjamas. They had booked a room with four beds in town as it was not recommended for trainers and Pokemon to sleep outside during this time of the year. It was the pollen season and the different types of Grass type Pokemon were releasing their pollen to increase the rate of pollenation in plants. It was a very beautiful sight from a distance with all the flowers blooming and the shimmery pollen in the air. However people were forbidden from staying outside as the pollen released by the Pokemon tended to carry stun spores as well.

Ash looked out the window, "Would you look at that?"

Pikachu starred warily, -Beautiful and dangerous.-

Bayleef who evolved after the latest tussle with Team Rocket cooed, -Do not worry I will keep you safe.-

Pikachu, -It is not me that I am worried about.-

Heracross, -I really want some honey tight now.-

Noctowl sighed keeping Heracross inside, -He thinks pollen means honey.-

Gary pointed, "Look at that Jewel, it looks like someone poured gold powder all over the forest."

Jewel, -Beautiful indeed but I do not want you going there.-

Proud who had evolved into Quilava as well nodded, -Agreed, fire Pokemon are not allowed to use fire type attacks this time of the year either.-

Shadow, -This is peaceful though.-

Sugar the young Swinub was already snoring away in Gary's arms, "Swi swi swi."

Misty, "Sis, I promise I am fine okay, do not worry too much. Yes, I know I am careful. Hey, Team Rocket is the one who creates trouble for us. We do not go looking for it. We are minding our own business. Yeah, yeah, okay, good night."

Brock, "Daisy?"

Misty, "Yeah, she saw the news and is worried. Not that I blame her for it, I would be worried too if I saw her in a similar situation."

Brock nodded, "Agreed! Team Rocket has been really active lately. I wonder if there is something else happening that we do not know about."

Ash perked up, "Something else? Like what?"

Gary, "What's on your mind Brock?"

Brock, "It is just that I noticed a pattern lately."

Misty, "A pattern? Like what?"

Brock, "Do not freak out."

Ash, "We won't, we have already been dealing with stuff that normal people do not and are still here."

Gary, "Just tell us Brock. We are already dealing with poachers, Team Rocket, kidnapping, etc."

Brock nodded, "Yeah, you are right about that. Well, I have noticed that Team Rocket seems to be more active when you reach an area with their base."

Ash, "Seriously?"

Misty, "Now that you point it out. I did think it was odd that we were running into them in every City."

Gary, "Agreed, should we inform Gold? Jhoto is his territory as the Champion."

Brock, "I think it will be best."

Chapter Text

Pikachu, -This is nice.-

Jewel who was now a Blastoise after the last Gym battle agreed, -Yes, Gary and Ash are enjoying themselves too.-

Gary, "Here try this, it is a very popular ice cream."

Ash, "Ooh! It is very creamy."

Gary grinned, "I think the water race will start soon."

Jewel, -That's our que.-

Pearl, -Yes sister. Let's go show them who is the boss.-

Ash, "I wonder who Misty will use?"

Gary, "Either Starmie or Kingdra, knowing her. Brock is part of the healing group. So much for taking a break."

Ash deadpanned, "Should we tie him up and drag him to spa treatment tomorrow?"

Gary got a contemplative look, "It looks like it is heading in that direction, doesn't it?"

Pikachu, -Ash, we are here.-

Ash, "Cool! Thanks buddy. We should change into our swimwear."

Gary, "Right! Let's go."

The group had stopped by a City called Altomare that was very famous for it's architectural landscape and historical sites. The people who lived in Altomare were staunch followers of the two Legendary Pokemon, Latias and Latios. They believed the twin Legendary Pokemon protected their City and always prayed to them for guidance and safety. The race they were about to take part in was part of the festival that celebrated the twin Legendary Pokemon. The two went to take their positions and were joined by Misty on her Kingdra who looked very excited. The announcer then gave the countdown and the race started with a bang.

Ash, "Let's do this Pearl."

Pearl, -Yeah!-

Gary, "We won't lose."

Jewel, -Heck yeah!-

Misty, "Let's show them who's boss Kingdra."

Kingdra, -You got it.-

They raced through the vast canals that were dotted all over Altomare though half way through Ash's attention was caught by a shimmer in the air. He almost crashed into the wall but managed to avoid it by entering another canal and focusing on the race. He did wonder what that shimmer was though but decided to worry later as he was taken over by Misty who grinned at him. Gary was close behind, well Ash was not about to make it easy for either of them and nudged Pearl to go faster. Kingdra may be fast but Ash had been training Pearl to move fast on water too, almost as fast as Kingdra.

A whistle blew, "And we have a winner."

Ash, "Holy Mew!"

Misty was laughing, "That was so tense."

Gary, "It was fun."

Announcer, "The picture taken will show the winner of the race. Please turn your attention to the screen."

On the screen was a photo with Pearl and Kingdra at the finish line touching the end point at the same time together. Gary started to snicker at the draw that happened and how in order to determine the number one winner they had to battle. From the sounds of it, this was not the first time this happened and the two grinned at each other happy to battle. The crowd cheered as they moved to a battle area where both Blastoise and Kingdra took battle stances and started to fight. The fight was intense as the two water types with one dragon typing fought each other for the final win.

The battle ended with Misty getting the upper hand this time and winning the first prize while Ash got the second prize. Misty received a poke egg and prize money while Ash received a Dragon scale and prize money, Gary as the third runner up only received the prize money. It was not a bad collection if you asked them and Misty looked really happy to get another poke egg in her hands. She had started to miss taking care of one lately, the last one was before they started their journey in the Jhoto region. The others congratulated her and she decided to get her poke egg checked with Brock.

Misty, "I am guessing you are going to continue your date."

Ash, "Yup, there is this museum we were recommended."

Misty, "Ah! I am kinda jealous, I miss Rudy."

Gary smiled, "Well, I am sure you will see him next week. I believe he mentioned he had work at Mahogany town."

Misty nodded, "Yeah, well here's my stop. See you during dinner?"

Ash, "Definitely!"

Gary waved her off then turned to the ravenette, "Shall we?"

Ash, "Yeah, let's go. Oh! I have something to tell you."

Gary nodded and led the way to the museum while Ash mentioned what he noticed during the race. Gary had a thoughtful look and felt a little bit of wariness stir inside him as he looked around a bit. This town was known for it's history as well as it's religious belief in Legendary Pokemon. The town people's belief in Latias and Latios were pretty well known all over the world. While some sneered at them, even they could not deny that Altomare has been protected from invaders and natural disasters for years now. Gary half wondered if they would be getting involved with legendary Pokemon again, he wanted a break and a peaceful date.

Ash, "Umm, we are being followed."

Gary, "Sapphire, could you be a dear and talk to them?"

Sapphire, -Okay, I will try.-

Ash, "Oh right! Altaria is a dragon type which makes Swablu a baby dragon."

Gary nodded, "And the legendary Pokemon here are dragon typing too."

Ash, "Nice!"

Sapphire flew over to where the air was shimmering and started to chirp and talk with the being. Ash and Gary in the meantime took a seat in a nearby restaurant and decided to order food. They had not eaten since the race started and it was already lunch time. The shimmering being decided to join them at the table although Sapphire was looking miffed and puffed up into a Swablu ball. It was not amused by the Legendary Pokemon's antics and settled protectively on Gary's shoulders giving it the glare. And to think just a few weeks ago Gary was babying the little dragon chick, now, the roles were reversed.

Ash, "Five plates of Pokemon food, please."

Waiter, "Five but only two Pokemon are out."

Gary, "They are our Blastoises and another large Pokemon. Do not worry if anything gets damaged we will pay for it."

The waiter had a relieved look, "That is reassuring to hear. I will bring your orders out soon."

Ash smiled, "Thank you."

Gary watched the waiter go then turned to the newcomer, "Now, who are you?"

The air shimmered a bit more than turned this way and that way to see if anyone was watching. Luckily for it it was lunch time and the hype of the race was still high so there were not many people around except for a few Elders. Then the air started to change and twinkled and a girl with reddish brown hair appeared before them grinning widely. The Elders looked at her then turned back murmuring about how their protector had a new form to turn into. Ash and Gary felt their eyebrows twitch a bit at how free the Legendary was but did not complain as the waiter had returned.

Waiter, "Here are some appetizers, while you wait. Oh, Miss Bianca, I did not realise you were here. Your regular?"

Bianca smiled and nodded at the waiter who beamed and left. Ash and Gary watched with fascination as the Legendary Pokemon looked at ease being around humans. Disguised or not most legendaries were wary of humans and avoided human cities and settlements. Gary wrote this down as territory behaviour because technically speaking, they were inside the Legendary's territory. Perhaps if other legendary Pokemon created their own territories where humans stayed they would not be afraid of humans as well.

Ash, "You look very relaxed."

Bianca smiled and made handsigns, :I do come here a lot.:

Gary, "Handsigns? I see you have not mastered speech yet."

Bianca, :It is difficult. You humans have too many pronunciations and annunciations.:

Ash, "I can guess. Why are you following us though"

Bianca, :I can feel it.:

Pikachu frowned, -Feel what?-

Bianca, :Your aura. I can feel it. It is very calming.:

Gary, "I see. But I get the feeling you did not search us out for that reason only."

Bianca nodded, :I have noticed some very questionable people around lately. I was hoping to request your help to investigate them.:

Ash, "I see, very well."

Gary, "Better safe than sorry."

Bianca beamed and they enjoyed the rest of the lunch asking her about the history of the City. She did notice one curious thing though, neither of them asked which Legendary Pokemon she was, not like she was complaining about it. They most likely thought, she took the form of her trainer, though she wondered why they did not ask about her trainer. Most trainers she met would jump at the chance to get a Legendary but Bianca did not bring it up, instead she decided to enjoy the company of two trainers. It was a nice change from the repeated challenges and battles she had to deal with.

Ash, "What do you think?"

Gary, "Sorry guys, we really thought it would be a peaceful break."

Misty sighed, "It is not your fault. We at least had a peaceful journey from Mahogany to Altomare."

Brock, "Unfortunately we all knew it would not last long. We trainers are not exactly known for peaceful journey."

Nurse Jim who was passing by heard their talk, "Excuse me, sorry for just barging in but, I could not help but overhear what you were saying."

Gary, "We were tipped off about Team Rocket being seen in the area."

Nurse Jim nodded, "I see, that is really troubling. I have heard of their attempts to capture Legendary Pokemon."

Ash, "They almost captured Lugia, we think they are trying to capture Latios and Latias too."

Nurse Jim was quiet then took out a phone, "I think I will call Officer Jenny and give the security a heads up about this. Better safe than sorry."

Brock, "Better ask them to be discreet about it. A panic will create confusion which is a perfect way to smuggle away Pokemon."

Nurse Jim, "Right? Why do you sound like you have dealt with this a lot?"

The silence made the Nurse sweat drop and sigh as he went to talk to Officer Jenny about the warning and the group. The Officer was quiet as she heard the information and then she took out a folder and asked the Nurse if the people in the picture were the ones who tipped him. The Nurse was surprised to find a photo of the young volunteer and his young trainer friends. The Officer then told the Nurse about the three trainers and medic who were involved with Legendary Pokemon. Nurse Jim was very surprised to see the young trainers involved in high ranking cases but sometimes luck just went that way.

Misty, "Do you get what you need to do Frillish?"

Frillish, -Yes, you can count on me.-

Ash, "You too Noctowl. Stay close to Frillish and support her okay?"

Noctowl, -No problem.-

Brock, "Remember to stay safe and do not put yourself in danger."

Gary, "We will be located close by."

Misty watched the Pokemon go, 'I hope nothing goes wrong when they are out there.'

Ash, "You okay?"

Gary, "Yes, I am alright. Just a little annoyed with the trouble makers."

Brock, "I agree. Trying to take a break always seems to go fubar with them around."

Misty, "It is like a curse."

Ash, "Well, let's deal with the ones in the City and who knows maybe we can still enjoy the last few days of vacation."

Frillish and Noctowl started to look around the City to look for anyone with the mark R on them. From what they could gather Team Rocket were the only ones who used that symbol on their T - shirt. Noctowl flew to an area that had a lower number of people and saw the symbol R on a flying item. She called for Frillish and pointed the machine out for her which made the Ghost Pokemon look at it suspiciously. Frillish followed the machine which was stalking a young girl that Noctowl pointed out was the new friend Ash and Gary had made earlier in the day. Frillish narrowed her eyes and the two Pokemon decided to keep an eye out on the girl and the machine.

Chapter Text

Ash cursed under his breath as he dodged an attack, "They revived a pissed off Aerodactyl."

Misty, :And a very angry Kabutops.:

Gary, "A Kabutops too? For the love of Mew."

Brock, :Guys, listen, leave Kabutops and Aerodactyl to me and Misty. You two head to the museum with Latias. Get her brother out. That is the only way to stop these two here.:

Misty, :What he said. We will keep them occupied.:

Ash and Gary agreed and left for the museum while Misty and Brock battled the two revived historic Pokemon. When they entered the museum they saw two people, a girl who was obviously Latias' chosen trainer and an old man. On listening in the older man was the teen girl's grandfather and they decided to deal with the Rocket members while telling Latias to help her trainer escape. Latias looked between her brother and her trainer only for Pikachu to hit her with her tail and remind her Latios was a dragon while her trainer was human. Latias had a sheepish look then moved to release her trainer while grabbing their pokeballs.

Meanwhile Ash and Gary were now battling Oakley and Annie who were surprised to see them inside. Annie was pissed as it broke her focus and outside Misty and Brock got the upper hand and started to push back. Annie shouted at Oakley to deal with the two inside while she dealt with the two outside. Brock and Misty noticed the lagging in both historic Pokemon and nodded deciding to do a double team attack with their Pokemon. In the museum Ash and his Pokemon were working on destroying the cage holding Latios by focusing on one joint with a combination of fire, ice and steel type attack. Gary was covering his back fighting Oakley who was annoyed.

Ash, "Now, full power iron tail and steel wing combo, Pikachu, Noctowl."

Pikachu, "Pikachu!"

Noctowl, "Ooooo!"

The girl gasped as the cage broke to pieces, "Latios! Oh sweet Mew!"

The older man, "He will be alright, he is strong."

Gary, "Hey, Latios seems to trust you two. Get him to the Pokemon centre now."

The girl nodded, "Right, thank you very much for your help. We should go grandpa."

The older man nodded, "Yes, we should Bianca."

Bianca, "Latias we need to go."

Latias looked between them and the two trainers, -I will stay. They hurt my brother. I cannot forgive this.-

Bianca, "Latias.... Alright but if you do not appear at the centre in one hour, I am coming here to drag you back."

Her grandfather called for Bianca while Latias nodded smiling at her making Bianca huff. She headed to her grandfather who was already on his Onix mount with Latios staring at his younger sister in exasperation. He knew exactly how short tempered his younger sibling could be and Team Rocket just angered her. Latias shook his head as they left the museum and headed to the Pokemon centre while noticing two more trainers head inside the place. They would have to get the Soul Dew back later, though knowing his sister she will be the one to get it back home.

Brock, "Ash? Gary?"

Ash, "Over here!"

Misty eyed the blond who was being tied up, "I see you have things handled here."

Gary snorted, "Latias is pissed and far be it for us to stop her."

Pikachu, -Understatement.-

Jewel, -Could be worse.-

Latias dumped a bound and gagged Annie at their feet, -She is the last one, I do not think anyone else is here.-

Misty, "Hmm... We can do a sweep of Altomare while you hand these two clowns over."

Brock nodded, "As Gym Leaders we were taught how to do it."

Latias stared then nodded, -I very much appreciate it. I need to return the Soul Dew and decontaminate it.-

Gary, "You do that. We will take care of these two idiots."

Annie protested, "Who are you calling an idiot?"

Ash, "You who else is here."

Oakley, "Why, you little... "

Misty, "Oh just shut up already you old wrinkly bitch."

Annie, "Wrinkly?"

A familiar voice came, "She is right."

Another familiar voice, "You have aged."

Brock stiffened, "Jessie and James, are you here to fight?"

Meowth, "No, we ar not. Nyarth."

Ash, "Then why are you here?"

Jessie, "We were told to report on the situation."

James took out a mirror, "You may not have noticed, but using the machine aged you. Pokemon are not the only sacrifices it takes."

Annie scowled before looking at the mirror and then paling greatly, she had aged a bit. Oakley who had calmed down finally noticed the big difference and paled too realizing if Annie had used the machine a bit more then she could have died. The blond got closer to her partner who was shocked while Jessie and James announced they were going to report to their boss. Gary decided to destroy the machine, as it was nothing but a death trap for everyone. Latias had already left for their hidden garden with the Soul Dew and placed it back under the fountain to be revitalized.

Misty, "What a doozy!"

Ash, "I am just glad no one was hurt."

Brock, "Right?"

Gary, "Come on, we are heading to Mahogany town next."

Misty, "Right my final show - case will be held there."

Ash, "My final contest too."

Brock, "They are a week apart from what I know."

Gary, "Yes, Misty will take part in her show case first then I will have my Gym battle and finally we will finish the week off with a contest."

Misty, "I can't wait."

After travelling for a few days by boat first and then on foot they reached Mahogany town. They had been there earlier but Gary had been unable to battle as the Gym Leader had a family emergency to attend in Unova. It had been a bummer but they understood that it was unavoidable and had headed to the City of Altomare for that reason. The journey was quite the dramatic one with Cassidy and Butch appearing to create trouble for them and using new Pokemon. It had become almost routine now for the two members to appear and cause havoc in the towns and cities they visited.

Misty, "What is their problem?"

Ash, "I don't know."

Brock, "They are starting to get very annoying at this point."

Gary, "Hey, this is a ridiculous guess that I have.... "

Misty, "What is it Gary?"

Ash, "Let us hear it."

Brock, "No matter how ridiculous it may be."

Gary, "Do you think they are testing us?"

Ash, "What? Test? Them? Why?"

Misty, "Yeah, that would be counter productive, wouldn't it?"

Brock though had a contemplative look, "Actually it is possible. They could be testing our boundaries and how far they can push us."

Gary, "Exactly! It feels a lot like they are gathering information on us which does not feel great."

Ash scowled then muttered, "Maybe I should apply for gun use."

Pikachu startled, -What? Ash, that's a bit ... -

Ash, "It is a last resort."

Gary, "It is better to keep our options open."

Misty, "But the three of us are not even eighteen. I don't think they will let us."

Ash, "Not us but Brock can."

Brock, "I could but... "

Gary, "It is not a nice feeling is it?"

Misty frowned, "Yeah, should we change up tactics?"

Ash, "We can try."

So they planned for the next fight and changed things up a bit to battle the Team Rocket duo. From the confused expression on their faces, it worked but they knew it was not possible to come up with new strategies for every encounter. Brock suggested they mix up the strategies a bit depending on the situation to keep them from being able to predict what their plans are. It made sense in Ash's opinion but it was a pain in the neck to deal with, luckily they reached Mahogany town by nightfall. The town was bustling with energy despite the cold, the people were going about their daily routine and work.

Misty got ready for her show case which was the next day and decided to use Psyduck, Totodile, Seel and Wooper. Totodile was a natural dancer and worked with Wooper to make the choreography with Psyduck and Seel flow. They had been working together for a while too, battling against Team Rocket which increased their chemistry together. Misty and her Pokemon performed beautifully with Psyduck using his psychic powers to manipulate the ice Seel created and Wooper dancing with Totodile around Misty. Ash, Gary and Brock cheered them on as the show came to an end.

Misty won the key by getting two points extra than the other performer who was performing with grass type Pokemon. It was a very close call but she won her final key and now she had to prepare for her first Master Class. She was honestly excited for it but first Gary and Ash had their own challenges to face, while she prepared for Blackthorn City. Gary had on the other hand become inspired to battle Pryce for the Glacier badge with Sugar which is Swinub, Shadow which is Sneasel and Nyx, his little Misdreavous. They had been learning ice type battling style and it would be hilarious to beat the ice Gym using Pokemon who can also use ice type moves.

Ash, "That sounds like a fun plan."

Misty, "Yeah, Pryce will not be expecting that."

Brock, "Always keep your opponents on their toes. I like it."

Gary gave a wry grin, "We have Team Rocket to thank for this. All those struggle to come up with strategies to keep them from guessing came in handy."

Ash, "I guess so."

Misty, "For once I will forgive Team Rocket."

Brock, "Not always though."

Gary then went on to challenge and battle Gym Leader Pryce while using only ice type moves to battle the ice type Pokemon. Pryce was surprised in the beginning then he got into the game as well, figures you could not fool a veteran for long. But Gary did not mind as he had a lot of fun battling the Ice type Master of Jhoto and getting the badge. He only had one last badge to collect after this one but first Ash had a Pokemon contest to take part in. Gary had no doubt Ash would be amazing in his performance he had been practicing all this time with them after all. Ash had already planned on using Chimchar, Chikorita and Noctowl in the appeal round, he was influenced by Misty to perform live.

Misty, "Rudy, Mahri, glad you made it."

Rudy, "My beautiful girlfriend brought tickets for my sister and I, of course we would come."

Mahri, "I am so excited. I remember the last contest. Sorry, we could not come to your performance Misty."

Misty waved the apology away, "It is not your fault. Gym Leader meetings are important after all. As a future Gym Leader I understand it is unavoidable."

Rudy nodded, "True, we cannot avoid it."

Mahri, "Still."

Misty, "Come on, it will start soon."

The contest then started with a few performances from the Jhoto contestants and their Pokemon. After five performances Ash appeared wearing a brand new outfit which made him look androgynous. It had Mahri watching the whole performance in awe as Ash moved across the field with his Pokemon performing and showing off their team work. Misty mentioned the theme for Ash this time was team work and they were working together to keep the Princess which was played by Ash safe. Rudy nodded showing he understood what Ash was trying to do and was very impressed by it.

Mahri, "Wao! That was awesome."

Misty, "Yeah, he really knows how to make people focus."

Rudy, "Just shows I can trust him to have your back when something happens."

Mahri nodded, "Yeah."

After the performance was over Ash battled the contestants who were chosen to go to the next round. It was honestly funny what Ash did to win the battle rounds, he and Chikorita spammed the sleeping powder to put the opponents to sleep. Or more like Chikorita never stopped using her sleep powder as she danced around her opponents while battling. It was noticed by the judges though it took a while for the opponent to catch on to the move. The last opponent was from Kalos and went by Arno, he could not help but clap and commend the smart tactic.

Ash, "I got my last ribbon. Grand Festival here I come."

Chapter Text

Ash, "Blackthorn City."

Brock, "The City of dragons."

Misty was feeling giddy, "I am calling Kingdra out. He is gonna love this place."

Gary, "Ooh! Good idea. I will call Sapphire."

Kingdra looked around, -So many dragons.-

Sapphire, -Yup, it is our final badge destination.-

Pikachu, -And the Grand Festival.-

Ash, "Misty, I hear Master Class will be held right before the Conference starts. Are you excited?"

Gary, "Like a grand opening."

Misty laughed, "Just a little nervous but I am excited."

Brock, "Yeah! But first, Gary, let's get you to the Gym."

Gary, "And then prepare for the Grand Festival.

Misty, "I will help."

Gary, "This will be fun."

Ash first pumped, "Heck yeah! Let's get to it."

Nurse Joy, "Welcome to the Pokemon centre. How may I help you?"

Brock, "Nurse Joy, my name is Brock and I am a traveling nurse in training."

Nurse Joy perked up, "Oh yes! Nurse Joy and Nurse Jim speak highly of you, Brock. Here, fill this form up. You are eligible for the yearly Nurse exam that is coming up."

Brock was surprised then read the form, "The practice is during the Silver Conference."

Nurse Joy nodded, "Yes, the theory will be after."

Gary, "That is really awesome Brock."

Misty, "Yeah, you will be the best Doctor."

Ash, "Yes, if you need space to study tell us. Oh and you can practice on our Pokemon."

Gary laughed, "Yeah, Mew knows how much trouble we always get into."

Misty, "No kidding."

Brock laughed, "Aww! Thanks a lot, you guys. You three are really sweet."

Gary, "Nurse Joy, I heard Gym Leader Claire is not at the Gym."

Nurse Joy nodded, "She is currently in the middle of a family emergency."

Ash, "Oh! I hope everything is alright."

Nurse Joy grinned, "Do not worry. I am sure she can handle herself just fine. Why don't you schedule your battle for Saturday?"

Gary, "Will she be back by the day after tomorrow?"

Nurse Joy, "She will be back tonight but for convenience sake let's get the slot for the day after tomorrow."

Gary, "Makes sense. Thank you Nurse Joy."

Nurse Joy, "Welcome!"

The group left after getting rooms for at least six days in order to enjoy the Grand Festival which will be on Monday. They decided to head to the forest to train in peace without any form of interruptions only to hear an explosion going off in the North side of the forest. They looked at each other in concern and started to move in the direction of the explosion while Brock contacted the Pokemon centre to alert them. Nurse Jim who just entered his shift was alarmed by the news and assured Brock they would stay alert and ready. Nurse Jim then told Brock, he would call Officer Jenny to join them if they did not return in half an hour.

Brock, "Appreciated, thank you."

Gary, "What is going on? Who are you?"

Ash, "What are you doing to the poor Dratini?"

Misty, "Miss Claire are you alright?"

Claire thanked Misty for helping her get up, "I am fine and these clowns are poachers. They want to know the route to the Dragon temple to steal the treasures."

Brock, "Not if we can help it. Those scrolls are a very important part of Jhoto - Kanto history."

Poacher 1, "Look, who we have Pam, a hero."

Pam a blond woman laughed, "True, so what do we do Key, Truman."

Truman the third member eyed them, "Look at the Pokemon. We should take them along."

Ash snapped, "Over my dead body."

Gary, "Claire, take Dragonite and focus on completing the Dragon ritual I believe you are doing."

Claire, "Yes, I am surprised you know about that."

Misty, "Professor Oak made sure we knew after everything that has been happening to us."

Brock, "We will deal with them. Get out of here."

Claire eyed them but did not disagree with the decision made, she had to make sure Dratini was safe. She and Dratini moved on while Ash and the rest battled the poachers without holding back. Pikachu worked with Jewel to deal with the Houndours while Kingdra and Graveller who evolved half way through the battle worked together to deal with the Beedrill. It surprised everyone but no one was complaining about it and after a few minutes the poachers were caught. They congratulated Brock and Graveller both and waited for Officer Jenny to arrive at the battle site. There was no way nobody saw the battle, it was very loud and eye catching especially when Kingdra used a twister.

Claire returned by the time Officer Jenny took the poachers with her and she thanked them for the help. Brock flirted with her a bit which made Misty pull him away grumbling about lack of impulse control. Claire gave an amused chuckle at that and asked if they were searching for her for a Gym battle. Gary assured her they had scheduled a match on Saturday and were actually in the middle of training when they had heard the loud commotion. Claire nodded and told him she looked forward to the Gym battle between them and left to make sure her now evolved Dragonair was healthy. Saturday morning came pretty fast and Gary entered the Gym where Claire was waiting for him.

Referee, "This is an official three on three match between challenger Gary Oak and Gym Leader Claire for the Rising badge. The winner will be decided in one of two ways. The first being the best two out of three and the second being the last Pokemon left standing. Choose your Pokemon."

Claire, "I choose Altaria."

Gary, "You know Sapphire was hoping you would choose Altaria. Let's go, Sapphire."

Claire, "Oh ho! A match between two evolution stages. What fun!"

Referee, "Begin!"

The match began and it was very obvious to everyone that Swablu was very much out - matched in the battle against the older Pokemon. The blue stubborn baby Dragon bird however refused to back down from the fight and ended up giving Altaria a headache. Sapphire spammed her two moves moon blast and disarming voice no matter what attack Altaria used on her. It was still not enough and Altaria knocked Sapphire out of the field making the referee blow the whistle when it was obvious she was not getting up. Gary was proud of Sapphire however and praised her before telling her to get some rest.

Gary chose Shadow next and the battle began again with the Sneasel using ucy wind on the roof of the Gym making Altaria fly low. Claire and Altaria were not the type to go down easily and they fought with Shadow, the Sneasel who was obviously stronger than the Swablu. Gary had a plan though and ordered Shadow to create ice pillars using the move, ice shard. Shadow stared at him then grinned creating platforms for himself and then using them to attack Altaria who was not phased. That was a big mistake because Shadow used the pillars to jump higher and create an avalanche to fall on the Dragon bird.

Referee, "Altaria is unable to battle, the match goes to Shadow the Sneasel and Gary. Choose your next Pokemon."

Gary moved to congratulate Shadow but before he could say anything Sneasel started to glow. When the glow disappeared in place of a Sneasel was a very confident looking Weavile who smirked at Gary. Gary hugged him congratulating him on the evolution and was about to take him out of the battle when Shadow jumped and stood in the middle of the battle field. Gary shook his head at his stubborn Pokemon while Claire snorted in amusement and chose the next Pokemon, Gyarados. The fight began and Shadow put up a good battle but it was obvious he was not used to his new body yet. Gyarados used that to her advantage to defeat the new Weavile but not before Shadow used Spite on Gyarados.

Referee, "Shadow is unable to battle. Challenger must choose his final Pokemon."

Gary, "Thank you Shadow, you stubborn fighter. Now, let's go Jewel."

Jewel appeared ready to battle and the fight started. Jewel took advantage of the Spite that Shadow had used previously and fought the Gyarados taking her down. That forced Claire to pick her final Pokemon which was a Dragonite and the battle became intense. Neither Jewel nor Dragonite were giving up on the battle and it became a battle of the will. Ash and Misty cheered Jewel through the fight till she won by giving the finishing blow, Ice punch. It looked like training with Ace, Primeape had many advantages for Gary's Pokemon.

Referee, "Dragonite is unable to battle, the challengers have won the right to a Rising badge."

Claire huffed, "Return Dragonite, thank you for the battle."

Gary, "Jewel you were awesome."

Claire, "I am proud to present the Rising badge. You did really well."

Gary, "Thank you. We did it. We got the final badge."

Ash, "Congratulations!"

Misty, "Now, you are ready for the Silver Conference."

Brock, "We will help you."

Gary, "Thank you but first, the Grand Festival."

Ash, "Yeah, I can't wait for Monday."

Claire, "You are taking part in the Grand Festival?"

Ash, "Yes ma'am. My Pokemon and I are very excited. It will be our very first Grand Festival."

Claire, "I see. I look forward to it. I am in charge of the security so you need not worry about anything."

Ash nodded and then the group headed to the Pokemon centre where Nurse Joy took care of the Pokemon while congratulating Gary. When the day of the Grand Festival came, Ash was very giddy with excitement and happily put on the outfit his mother had prepared. He looked into the mirror and could not help but marvel at the needle work on the gender neutral kimono. His mom really went out of her way to create this beautiful blue and white outfit, so he was determined to do his best in the festival. A knock came and he called the others to enter making them gasp and coo at how he looked.

Misty, "You are going to rock them off their feet."

Brock was feeling a tad protective, 'I will have to keep other men away from him.'

Gary, "Come on! It is almost time for you to show them who the boss is."

Ash laughed, "Yeah!"

The Grand Festival began and the hostess this time was a super model from Goldenrod City, Akako. She was a red headed beauty and Brock gushed over her career as a very successful model making Misty keep an eye on him. Akako started by stating the rules first and introducing the judges who were Mr Contesta, Mr Sukizo, Nurse Joy and Professor Elm who were there to judge them. Ash waited for his turn and when it came entered the field gracefully calling on Chimchar, Chikorita and Cottonwood. The two grass types worked together creating a field of vines using leaf storm while Chimchar showed off his agility and acrobatics across the newly created jungle gym.

The three Pokemon showed off their talents and moves as the grass and fire types of Jhoto, Kanto and Sinnoh region. It was very fascinating to watch them dodge and weave through the storm of vines and leaves which finally ended with Cottonwood and Chikorita using razor leaf while Chimchar used a flame wheel for a very classy finish. The judges clapped and praised them for the fascinating display of acrobatics and control of a powerful move as, leaf storm. That caught everyone's attention and the Professor explained how leaf storm was a very powerful move and it was rarely seen being used by Pokemon in the first evolution stage. That made everyone stare at Ash in incredulity while Misty and Gary laughed saying that was their Ash.

Before more statements could be given Cottonwood and Chikorita started to glow and become bigger in size. Chimchar chartered in excitement as Ash watched his two Pokemon change in wonder from a Bulbasaur and Chikorita into an Ivysaur and Bayleef. The two grass types looked at him in anticipation and Ash grinned hugging them while Akako congratulated them. Bayleef and Cottonwood knew they could not take part in the battle rounds anymore because unlike Weavile they could not jump directly to battle. They would however cheer the others on in the battle.

Chapter Text

Misty was nervous as she looked around the back stage, 'So many performers here.'

A pink haired teen approached her, "Hello, you must be Misty Waterflower."

Misty looked at her and gasped, "You are Aria, the new Kalos Queen."

Aria smiled, "May I join you?"

Misty nodded, "Of course not, I don't mind."

Aria, "You are travelling with the new Grand Festival winner."

Misty, "Yeah, it has been fun."

Aria, "I look forward to your performance. I have a feeling you will be one of the eye - catching ones."

Misty laughed nervously, "I sure hope so. Ash was really awesome during his performance."

Aria, "His boyfriend is cute too. He is the Grandson of Professor Oak, I hear."

Misty, "He is."

Aria, "Does this make the other guy your boyfriend?"

Misty, "Huh? You mean Brock? No, I do have a boyfriend but it is not Brock at all."

Aria smiled as the orange haired girl started to talk about Rudy and how he always tries to attend her show cases whenever possible. Misty calmed down as she talked more about her friends finally relaxing and not feeling nervous anymore. She was talking about the new Pokemon egg Ash received and was wondering if the winner of the Master Class will receive a Pokemon egg too. Before they knew it, the time to perform on the stage had arrived and they got ready to head out one by one. Misty watched as the other performers and Pokemon showed off on stage dancing and singing, it was soon her turn.

Misty, "Okay let's do this. You can do it Misty."

Once on stage Misty called Starmie, Corsula, Chinchou, Frillish and Totodile to join her. The water Pokemon used water gun, ice beam and psychic to create ice sculptures that they danced around. The lights of the stage reflected off the ice creating a beautiful view as Misty danced a very familiar step. Despite her lack of interest in her sister's occupation the three had still insisted she should learn how to dance with her water Pokemon. Now, she was repeating those movements and dancing across the stage with her Pokemon around her having fun.

Ash, Gary and Brock were cheering her on as she performed and soon enough it was time to vote for the winner of the Master Class. Misty then noticed Aria was a special judge on the judges panel, apparently the rumour she always tried to talk to the performers at least once was true after all. Misty was shocked out of her stupor when her name was announced as the winner of the Silver Master Class. She walked up to receive her prize in a daze from Aria and was very happy to receive another Pokemon egg. As she was about to return to her friends she noticed three familiar faces waiting for her.

Misty, "V, Lil, D, you are here."

Violet, "Like we would miss our baby sister's big moment."

Lili hugged her, "You were amazing, baby sis."

Daisy, "We are very proud of you."

Ash, "Congratulations Misty."

Gary, "You did great."

Brock, "I think Miss Aria is waiting for you."

Misty nodded, "I will see you in a bit."

Aria grinned as the younger girl joined her on stage, "Now, the two of us will perform the opening event for the Silver Conference. Ready?"

Misty, "Ready as I will ever be."

Aria whispered, "Stay calm and follow my lead. You will do fine."

Misty nodded and the two ladies and their Pokemon performed one more time that night to mark the start of the Silver Conference. The night ended with cheers, laughter and food shared between friends and family members who were there to support the trainers taking part. Misty's sisters however took her aside to explain to her that the League just accepted her appeal to become an official Gym Leader of Cerulean. Misty paused her eyes widening at the news as she stared at her sisters, while Daisy took out the letter of confirmation. Misty felt her hands shake, she had done it, after months and years of appeal she had finally accomplished her goal.

Ash, "Is that a League letter?"

Gary, "Ooh! It is a confirmation letter."

Brock, "What does it say?"

Misty smiled brightly, "I am an official Gym Leader, guys. I did it!"

Aria, "Congratulations Misty! I have an offer for you too."

Misty, "An offer?"

Aria, "You know I have the title of Kalos Queen right?"

Misty nodded, "Yes, though I am unsure of the process."

Aria, "Well, Master Class winners are trained by professional performers like myself for another competition."

Ash, "Woa! Seriously?"

Aria nodded, "Yes, it is called, battle of the Crown. There are still three years left before Kanto has to host one however. So, during this time I would like to make you my apprentice."

Misty, "Oh! It would be my honor but I have a Gym to run too."

Aria, "That is fine. We can train at Cerulean if that makes things easier."

Misty, "Yes, it would."

Ash, "Cool! Uhh! Do you have to go right away?"

Daisy, "Not yet, there is still the Silver Conference to attend."

Misty, "Perfect! After the Silver Conference then. I am kind of excited."

Gary, "You will make a really awesome Queen Misty."

Brock nodded sniffing, "My little girl is grown up."

Ash grinned, "So do we get to call you, your majesty?"

Misty turned pink, "No, that is too weird. Do not do that again."

Gary, "Rudy will be here next week right?"

Misty nodded, "Yes, I am kind of nervous now. I hope this will not change anything between us."

Ash, "Of course not. You are still Misty at the end of the day."

Misty smiled, "Thank you."

The next day they travelled to Silver valley where the village for Pokemon trainers was located. Gary was going through the leaflet about the village telling them it's history of successfully hosting ten Conferences now. It was interesting to learn about as they headed towards the house they would be staying in for the duration of the Conference. The house was cozy and had enough rooms to give them and their host some privacy. The next day Gary and the rest of the trainers were expected to attend the announcement where they would receive their first challenger. Gary was going up against a familiar face from Kanto, Mandy, Ash was not expecting him to take part in the Silver Conference.

Ash, "I was not expecting him here."

Misty, "It is a change."

Brock, "I will be at the Pokemon centre."

Ash, "For Gary?"

Brock, "For Mandy, Gary has not forgiven him for insulting you before."

Misty, "I have not either. I hope Gary kicks his ass."

Gary, "I will. I need to get to the fourth field. I will see you after the battle."

Ash, "You do not have to Gary. I did defeat him before."

Gary, "I know but it still pisses me off thinking about how he insulted you."

Misty scowled nodding, "It was completely uncalled for. Bragging about himself was one thing but insulting others is different."

The match as Brock predicted was pretty one sided with Jewel who evolved a few days ago pummeling her opponents like no problem. She showed everyone in that fight that type was not everything when you were fully evolved and defeated Mandy's grass type. Mandy gaped looking like he could not believe it while Gary gave a fake smile thanking him for the fun battle. Gary did not like the other trainer but he knew how to be polite and professional in front of the camera. The announcer praised Gary for being humble despite the obviously easy and quick win he had just snagged.

Brock snorted, 'Yup, that fake smile tells you everything.'

Misty, "Ooh! Jewel did not hold back."

Ash, "It was pretty cool though."

The next battle was the day after and Gary and the others spent the day making sure the Pokemon were alright and placating Auryn. The shiny Magikarp has been wanting to battle in the Conference for a while and demanded training. During the training however Magikarp started to glow and get bigger turning into a ruby coloured Gyarados that made the other trainers back off. A normal Gyarados was already terrifying so one that looked an angry red was a hundred times scarier. Auryn however was not paying attention instead demanding to take part in the next battle.

Gary, "Alright! Alright! But first, a check up to make sure you are not missing any vitamins after the growth okay."

Auryn, "Rrrrrrr."

Gary, "After that we will check your abilities, attacks and moves before coming up with a strategy for tomorrow okay?"

Auryn paused slapping his tail and nodded in agreement with the plan to strategize after figuring out his new attacks and defense. Sugar was on the side watching this with interest and approached Gary to take part in the next battle too. The upcoming match was a triple round match where Gary would have to fight one battle after another with different opponents to clear that round. Gary agreed to let Sugar take part in the second round of battling, as after using two water types people would be expecting another water type not a ground and ice type. The last slot would go to Bolt who had been training hard for a while with Pikachu and Gary was pretty sure he was ready to evolve too.

Ash, "Gary, time to eat."

Gary, "Coming. Come on you lot. Let's go get something to eat."

The lunch was a peaceful picnic and after that Misty announced she was going ahead to meet with Rudy. He was scheduled to reach the Valley by evening along with Mahri, Brock offered to go with her to keep the little girl company. Misty smiled and told Brock she was grateful as she needed to talk to Rudy about the offer and what it meant. Brock understood being a Gym leader was demanding especially for a newly minted one, Rudy had three years under his own belt and trainees. The trainees could cover for Rudy easily unlike Misty who would just be starting out after a month.

Brock remembers when his request was accepted for the first time, in the first month he and his family had spent time adjusting to Brock becoming a Gym leader. There was a lot of paperwork that had to be cleared and Misty had started on some of those papers already, Brock noticed. Misty met Rudy and kissed his cheek as a greeting while hugging and kissing Mahri's head who giggled in return. Rudy watched it all with soft eyes then Brock greeted them offering to take their bags while he and Misty talked. Rudy nodded in thanks, he had seen Aria offering Misty an apprenticeship and he was proud of his girlfriend but it changed things and he wanted to make sure Misty was alright.

The next day Gary was battling again and Auryn attracted the attention of many attendees who marvelled at his ruby coloured scales and golden coloured fins. Auryn showed why Gyaradoses were feared as he very stubbornly refused to back down from his opponent Gyarados. The next battle Gary had was against a trainer from Jhoto and his Electrode in a water and ground battle field. Swinub had an advantage against Electrode as a ground type but like Jewel showed before typing was not everything for a fully evolved Pokemon. The battle started with Swinub making the first move and the battle began in earnest.

Gary sighed once the fight was over, "Dang! Two evolutions in one day."

Sugar, "Lo."

Bolt, "Tonnnn."

Rudy, "A Piloswine and a Magneton on top of a Gyarados. I say you are doing really amazing as a trainer."

Gary, "Thanks though I am pretty sure this is their way of demanding the right to fight in the next battle."

Pikachu snorted, -No kidding.-

Linden, -I am taking part in the next rounds which is the last elimination round.-

Sapphire, -Me too. This is so exciting.-

Gary, "Auryn, Sugar, Bolt, you are getting rest and getting used to the new diet and bodies."

Brock stopped the protests, "You either listen to your trainer or I am the one grounding you."

The three Pokemon pouted, that is Auryn sulked a bit but eventually agreed to take it easy for a while. It made Misty coo to see the big Gyarados sulk but it was obvious he wanted to do his best for Gary. She honestly thought it was really sweet, something that Ash agreed on and Gary snorted under his breath about battle obsessed males. What did not amused Gary however was the requests to trade with his Gyarados which rubbed him wrong. One was straight up demanding he give up Auryn to someone better, like what?

Gary, "I need to raise a complaint first."

Rudy saw the message, "Ooh! One of those, Gary in my experience those types turn out to be part of a poachers group."

Misty, "We will go with you."

Ash, "Yeah! Auryn is family. No one gets to steal our family."

Chapter Text

Gary, "Jewel hydro pump."

Jewel, -Take this.-

Gary was in the finals of the Silver Conference and his opponent was Jon Dickson who had five years under his belt as a trainer. On top of that Jon was a previously two times Grand Festival winner so battling him was turning out to be a fun challenge for him. Ash and Misty were cheering for him as he battled and Jewel was battling another Blastoise. Misty was very stoked seeing the final fight was a water type show down. The fight was a close one and with one very quick move and thinking Jewel defeated her opponent. The referee blew the whistle and announced Jewel as the winner of the Silver Conference.

Ash, "They did it."

Misty, "Woo hoo! That's my best friend."

Rudy grinned, "That was awesome."

Mahri, "I want to become a powerful trainer too, big brother but I want to become a beautiful performer as well... This is a really hard choice."

Misty, "You can try performing for one year."

Ash, "And go on a Gym run in the next year."

Misty, "That is what we did."

Mahri nodded, "Cool. I will keep it in mind."

Rudy smiled, "I am sure you will be amazing no matter what you choose Mahri."

Mahri smiled then turned back to the field where Gary was receiving the Silver Conference trophy now. The awards ceremony was being held as quickly as possible in order to avoid any mishap like a few years ago. A few years back they would hold the award ceremony the next day after the Conference ended but one of the winners had been kidnapped. The kidnappers had demanded for money and the opponent had been really pissed at that and hunted the kidnappers down. Only to find out their father had called for the kidnappers to kidnap the winner and scare them for winning.

It had caused quite the scandal and the Silver Conference committee had been dragged and questioned over their security. So now, they did the award ceremony right away, that way if anything else happened they were no longer responsible. Of course, Ash, Misty and the rest would not allow anything to happen to Gary and would do everything to ensure his safety. Gary was grinning as he and his Pokemon accepted the rewards they received which were the trophy, prize money and a poke egg. They posed for a photo for the reporters and answered some of the questions before leaving to meet up with his friends.

Ash hugged and kissed him, "Gary congratulations."

Gary kissed him back, "Thank you Ash."

Misty hugged him next, "You were so awesome bestie. I am really proud of you."

Rudy patted his shoulder, "That was amazing Gary."

Mahri, "You were so cool."

Gary, "Thank you very much, Misty, Rudy and Mahri. I should probably get myself and my Pokemon to Brock before he comes searching for me."

Ash laughed, "Yeah, you should. Come on. I will join you."

Misty watched them go, "They are so cute together."

Mahri, "I ship them too."

Rudy chuckled amused, he had watched his younger Gym trainees especially the girls gush about couples especially celebrity couples. Ash and Gary were like a celebrity couple themselves now with one being a Grand Festival winner and the other being the Silver Conference winner and a possible Champion. Gary met up with Brock who took over the fussing and caring of the Pokemon after shooing Gary out. Ash laughed as he took Gary out on a date, just the two of them this time, his Pokemon were also staying back with Gary's Pokemon. Ash swears Victoria and Ace are going to have baby Mankeys at the rate they are going.

Gary, "Kimono clothing store?"

Ash, "I was thinking we should dress up in something traditional. We are mostly seen in modern clothes."

Gary, "So, wearing traditional clothes should hide us and give us some privacy even in public."

Ash nodded, "Yes, and not to forget in Jhoto many people wear traditional clothing during big celebrations and events."

Gary, "We would blend right in and enjoy ourselves."

Ash smiled and the two entered the clothing store where the owner had an understanding look in her eyes. It seems they were not the first ones with this idea and Ash decided to step it up a notch. He picked a pink and silver female kimono that came with it's own prepared black haired wig and accessories. Gary hummed as he picked a dark green male kimono that came with a black belt that had silver embroidery on it. When the two were done, they looked fabulous and yet blended in with the couples who were out on the street. They paid the price for renting out the outfits and left to enjoy the festive evening.

Gary, "Hey, look over there, a circus."

Ash, "Is that Hayley's circus?"

Gary, "Yup, look at them go."

Ash, "Awesome."

They enjoyed the performance made by the Mr Mime and Mime Jr before leaving to another location. The next area had many game and accessories booths which they looked around getting accessories for themselves, their Pokemon and friends. After that they tried their hand at the game booths in which they won some of the games and lost some. It was a fun date night all things considered and they returned to their room very happy about the date. Gary kissed Ash fully on the lips the moment they entered their shared room and Ash answered the kids very enthusiastically.

Ash held Gary's shoulders to stabilize himself as he felt his breath taken away by the intimate kiss. Gary kissed his cheek then his neck as he pulled the wig off and placed it on the table next to the door. The green eyed teen smiled as the dark haired teen panted trying to catch his breath. Ash felt the belt of the Kimono loosen feeling relief to get out of the outfit, do not get him wrong here. He really loves Kimonos but wearing it for hours on end could feel constricting, so feeling the kimono loosen was a relief. Gary kissed his ear getting a soft mewl from the shorter teen as his hand slipped inside the kimono.

Gary, "Tell me to stop if you feel uncomfortable or feel like you are not ready."

Ash nodded, "I do not think I am ready to go all the way but touching is fine."

Gary, "That's fine. I do not think either of us are ready to have full blown sex either. We are just turning sixteen after all."

Ash giggled, "Yeah, I want to touch you too, Gary."

Gary smiled, "Of course Ash, come here. We can feel each other out."

Ash, "I would love that."

They spent the night feeling each other out and kissing each other and cuddling till they fell asleep. The next day Brock joined them alongside Misty who looked like she had an awesome night herself. Ash pulled her to the side and the two of them talked about their nights making each other giggle and smile brightly. Even though neither couple went full on out they were still happy to be able to get more intimate with their lovers. Rudy was very passionate about her though he kept things slow so they could adjust and move at a pace both of them were comfortable with.

Misty, "I think I like it when Rudy takes charge."

Ash, "Oh?"

Misty, "I have always taken charge of my life. Always putting my sisters ahead of me. Always being the responsible one. Even though I am the youngest. So, for a change I want someone else to take charge, even if it's in the bedroom."

Ash, "That's true. You have always been the next level headed one beside Brock in our group. Makes sense why you want to be pampered for a change actually. I am sure Rudy will not mind if you tell him."

Misty, "You think so?"

Ash nodded, "Yeah, and you are going to be dumped with even a lot more responsibilities now. You are an official Gym Leader."

Misty, "Yeah, I will not be able to travel anymore. I am going to miss traveling with you guys a lot. Ash, I mean this though, if you need help then just call, okay?"

Ash, "I will, promise."

Gary, "There you are."

Rudy kissed Misty's cheek, "Good morning beautiful."

Misty, "Morning Ruru."

Ash kissed Gary in greeting, "Hungry Gary? I ordered the special breakfast."

Gary, "Awesome. What were you talking about?"

Ash, "About Misty's new status as a Gym Leader."

Misty nodded, "I am going to have a lot of responsibilities now that I am a Gym Leader. I will not be able to travel anymore though if you need help then just call."

Gary, "We appreciate it Misty. Do not worry we will keep you updated."

Misty had a wry smile, "The way the two of you always run into trouble I always worry."

Rudy chuckled, "She has a point. You did run into every Kanto and Jhoto Legendary Pokemon, didn't you?"

Ash, "Yeah, but we will be okay. We are planning on staying in Kanto for at least a month."

Gary nodded, "Let the hubbub die down first."

Brock, "Hey guys, good morning."

Mahri, "Morning, how was your date yesterday?"

Rudy grinned, "It was the best."

Misty flushed, "It was dreamy."

Mahri, "What about you Ash, Gary? How was your date?"

Ash, "It was fun. We dressed up and went undercover to have a date."

Gary, "No one recognised us so we were able to do what we wanted to do properly."

Rudy, "Sounds like all of us had fun yesterday."

Brock, "Yeah, I even got a lady's number yesterday. It was awesome."

Gary, "Oh ho! Brocko finally made a move and was not rejected."

Mahri, "It was a full proof plan."

Ash, "You helped him Mahri. That is really cool."

The group congratulated Brock and had a fun time together till they returned to Kanto. Misty was taken by her sisters once she arrived and they started to instruct her on how the Gym worked. Misty knew everything they were saying but it was a formality and she could tell they were worried about her. She just smiled and let her sisters wall through the process while Rudy stayed for a few days to take Misty out on dates to help her relax. He had to return at the end of the week to run his own Gym back at the Orange Archipelago. Mahri pouted at having to leave Misty and her older sisters but she understood why though.

Mahri, "I really hope you and Misty work out big brother. I really like Misty and want her to join our family."

Rudy's eyes softened, "Me too, Mahri, me too."

Mahri, "I will help you stay on top of dates and help out at the Gym too aside from studying. That way you and Misty can be together faster. I just hope she does not overwork herself."

Rudy, "She does have a habit of putting others before her. Ash warned me about it."

Mahri, "Yeah, aside from that she is perfect for you."

Rudy, "I just hope I am perfect for her too."

Mahri, "Yes you are, do not start questioning your worth now. She loves you over all the guys she met."

Rudy, "You are right. Thank you Mahri."

Ash called out, "Hey mom, the clothes are dry so I am going to pick them."

Delia, "Thank you dear. Lunch is almost ready. Are Gary and Professor Oak joining us?"

Ash, "Not today, Gary is joining his Grandpa to Vermillion City. There is a project going on there."

Delia was smiling, "I see, I see. You know when I took you to the lab that day I was not expecting you and him to get together."

Ash grinned, "Well, it just happened, I guess. We have known each other since I can remember. We just clicked I guess."

Delia hugged him, "As long as you are happy, Ashy. As long as you are happy."

Ash, "Thanks mama."