A/N: Hey, you guys! Sarah here with my latest fic! It's got Pokeshipping in it (of course!), but at least this time the story doesn't revolve around it. Anyway, it's also gonna have Contestshipping, some MangaPokeshipping, OldRivalshipping, and plenty of LeafGreenshipping!;) I hope you enjoy, and also, as a side note, this takes place in the middle of the Red, Green, and Blue chapter of Pokemon Adventures (though you don't have to read the manga to understand this, really), and it starts with the departure of Ash and Brock from Sinnoh in the Anime. :) Anyways, I'd appreciate any comments or criticism you'd have, so don't forget to R&R. :D

P.S.: For the sake of having two consistent trios, Leaf is considered Green's counterpart in the anime world. ^.^

A trio of colors to create white
Must be in darkness, to obtain light
Apart they are unsteady, alone they are weak
Only banded together shall they find what they seek
An allotted amount of time, an entire world to save,
Trials and temptations, a testing of their faiths
When it seems all hope is lost, another trio shall arise
Poké Balls in hand and a fire in their eyes
By themselves they are nothing, but together they are strong
Turning darkness into light, and ridding the world of its wrong
Hope is not far from where this trio is found
For where victory is celebrated, peace and love abound.

Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

"Now… Get rid of the fakes… And put in the real ones!" Green exclaimed, replacing the two fake Boulder and Cascade badges she'd given Red with the originals. The energy amplifier emitted a bright white ball of light, responding to the power of the Gym Badges. "It's working! Finally! The new Pokémon is mine!"

But wait…? Something wasn't right about the machine. "Ouch!" she wailed, dropping the device. It was going berserk, discharging sparks of electricity and spinning wildly out of control. "What? What's going on?!"

The light was growing bigger and brighter with every second, sure to envelope the entire room in less than a minute. This wasn't supposed to happen. "Red!" she screamed, trying to grab the raven-haired boy's attention. "Get out of here! Something's wrong with this thing!"

Red averted his eyes in the direction of her cry, just to find the growing ball of light had enveloped her entire body, and was now heading straight for him. He turned to face Sabrina, who looked just as baffled as he did. This isn't part of the plan, she thought, her violet eyes growing wider with every inch closer it got. "Zapdos! Articuno! Moltres! Bust a hole in the wall and retreat!" she exclaimed, pointing at the part of the room that hadn't been swallowed by the light yet.

Doing as they were told, the trio of birds took off for outside, Sabrina following closely behind. "You should leave too if you know what's good for you, kid!" she suggested, though she couldn't say she cared less what happened to the raven-haired brat.

"But what about Green?" he wondered aloud, turning toward the illumination and slowly edging away from it.

"Red! Come on!" Blue called from atop his Charizard as he appeared outside the hole the legendary birds had created. He just released his grandfather and all the other Pallet Town citizens, and was waiting for Red and Green to come on so they could get out of there.

"Blue!" he exclaimed. "But what about Green?!" What was going to happen to her?

"What about Green, Red? Isn't she with you?" Red frantically shook his head and pointed at the incandescence that was just about to close in on him as well.

"The light, it swallowed her up. We have to save her, Blue!"

Blue sighed. "We can't, Red. We don't know what it's done with her."

"But we have to try! Come on, Pika! We're going in after her!" Pika nodded vigorously, feeling just as passionate as its trainer did about the whole thing. Before Blue could react, Red leapt forward, fully expecting to find his footing in a matter of milliseconds, but instead dropping farther and farther down into the abyss of light.

A glow enveloped his entire body, and he felt lighter, almost weightless, floating in limbo between two worlds. He had no idea where he was headed, but hoped desperately that wherever he ended up he'd be close to Green. I wonder if Blue followed us or not… He shook his head, and then realized he was missing something. Er, someone.

"Pika!" he screamed. "Pika! Where'd you go?!" Try as he might, he couldn't see even an inch ahead of him, blinded by the outstanding light he'd thrown himself into.

"Pi pi pi!" the little mouse called, his voice growing more distant the farther they fell.

"Pika!" But it was no use. "I should've returned you to your Poké Ball when I had the chance…" he muttered, looking down in dismay. "I promise I'll find you Pika! If it's the last thing I do!"

Then he started feeling faint, the radiant beams closing in around him. What's going on? What's happening to me? He started fighting against the sudden vertigo, flailing his arms and legs wildly as the glow grew brighter and brighter, swallowing him whole. He kept trying in vain to fight back, but within minutes couldn't find the strength to continue. He was just so tired, and the light around him was so welcoming, so bright, so warm.

Just… hold on… a little bit longer. But he couldn't fight it any longer. Giving in to the beautiful incandescence, he let his eyes flutter shut and almost immediately blacked out, his last thoughts being of Misty Waterflower, one of the only people he knew he'd miss seeing while he was gone.

Where am I? the brunette wondered, flinching at the sunlight as it scorched her eyesight. When her vision finally adjusted, she took a glance around. Trees dotted the landscape, bushes and flowers of all sorts surrounding the remote area. It almost looked like she was in the middle of nowhere, but she knew where she'd landed. And she didn't like it one bit.

She had to get out of there, and fast. "Go, Jiggly!" she exclaimed, tossing her Poké Ball in the air. "Fly us out of here!"

The Jigglypuff did as she was told, allowing Green to grab her foot before taking off. She'd recognized the place as well, and didn't much fathom staying any longer than they had to. "Jiggly? Puff puff?"

"Yeah, 'course I'm fine, Jiggly! And, well… I'm not sure where we should go actually. I know we're in Hoenn, but… Wait, is that who I think it is?" She narrowed her eyes and held her arm up, blocking out the sunlight so she could get a better view of the person. "Blue!"

The spiky-haired boy looked up, a confused expression on his face. "Leaf? What're you doing all the way up there?"

Leaf? Who's Leaf? "Blue, it's me! Green!" she called. "Jiggly! Land down there!"

"Puff!" the Pokémon replied, diving full speed toward the ground, but Green soon realized she was aiming for a head-on collision with the boy.

"Blue, watch out!" But it was too late. Wham! She hit the boy full force, knocking him flat on his back and landing somewhat askew on top of him. "Eh, sorry about that," she muttered, lifting her face up to meet his dark-eyed gaze and smiling.

"Ngh…"

"That sure was a doozy, Jiggly! Thanks for breaking my fall, Blue!" She giggled, hoping her charm would dissipate the boy's growing agitation at her. The boy sighed.

"Would you please get off of me?" he asked, staring up at her irritably. "And my name isn't Blue!"

"Oh, yeah, uh, sorry." She peeled herself away from him and rose to her feet, brushing the dirt from her little black dress. The boy quickly did the same. "Wait, you're not Blue?" Come to think of it, he was dressed kind of odd compared to what she was used to seeing. He was wearing a white lab coat, and looked at least a few years younger than the brunet boy she knew. His hair was also more an auburn shade than Blue's.

The boy shook his head. "Sorry, you must be mistaken. My name's Gary."

Green stared at him dolefully. "And clearly you're not Leaf," he mumbled, running his fingers through his spiky auburn locks. "But you sure do look like her."

"Who's Leaf?" Green wondered, a thoughtful expression on her face. "She your girlfriend?"

Gary grunted. "As if. She'd kill you if you even thought something like that around her. She's Gramps's crazy know-it-all lab assistant back home in Pallet." Green narrowed her eyes. She was from Pallet, yet she'd never met this boy in her entire life. True, she'd grown up in Hoenn, but still... She should at least recognize his name. Right?

"You're from Pallet Town?" she asked incredulously, her eyes growing wider in disbelief.

Gary nodded. "Uh, yeah. Gramps is the professor there."

Wait, Professor Oak's his grandfather? That can't be right. Blue's his grandson, not this kid. Green shook her head in frustration. It wasn't adding up.

"You can't be. I'm from Pallet Town! And Blue's grandpa is Professor Oak!" she exclaimed, irritated by this boy's ignorance.

"No, Lea—I mean, Green, I'm the professor's grandson. I think I'd know if I was related to some Blue kid. I'm his only grandkid."

Green let out a whine of exasperation. "But you're not!" she wailed, dropping to her knees and holding her hands over her ears. "Quit trying to mess with my head, Blue! I know it's you! You can stop pretending now!" She started to cry, but quickly averted her gaze so the auburn-haired boy wouldn't notice.

Gary sighed. There was just no getting through to this girl. "Green, calm down," he pleaded, placing his hands on her arms. "I'm not sure what's going on, but Gramps might know. We'll get this figured out."

"Why should I trust you? How do I know you're not trying to trick me, Blue?" she asked, raising her eyes defiantly to meet his and jerking away from his touch.

Gary groaned. "For the second time, I'm not Blue, Green. I'm Gary. And why should you? Well, you kind of don't have much of a choice. If you wanna kneel in the middle of this road for the rest of the day, be my guest. Otherwise, take my hand and come with me," he answered softly, offering to help her up.

Well, he is my only lead right now… Maybe, with his help, I can find out how that ball of light transported me all the way to Hoenn like it did.

"Fine, but don't try any funny business, or I can promise you you'll regret it," Green warned him, taking the proffered hand and hoisting herself up.

Gary snickered. "Tch. As stubborn as Leaf too." Green let out a huff of annoyance. She hated being compared to people she didn't know. "We'll just head on to Lavaridge and call him at the Pokémon Center."

"But Blu—I mean, Gary, wouldn't it be easier to backtrack to Mauville? It's definitely closer since we're not even near the Desert Ruins yet," she told him, gesturing back at her Jigglypuff to follow them.

"Well, yeah…" Gary trailed off, scratching his head. "But I was sent to Lavaridge by Professor Birch to collect a Wynaut egg from an old friend of his."

"Oh, I see." Green couldn't help but notice that Gary still hadn't let go of her hand. She wouldn't admit it to him, but she kind of liked how warm and soft it felt, as opposed to some boys' hands she'd held, particularly Red's when she would tease him on their little misadventures. "Guess that means we should get going! Don't wanna keep the professor waiting," she added, smirking.

Dropping his hand, she took off in the direction of Lavaridge, her Jigglypuff following closely behind.

"Wait up, Green!" Gary called, chasing after the strange brunette.

"Catch me if you can, cutie!" she exclaimed, winking back at him and holding up a peace sign. Gary groaned. She might look like Leaf, but they certainly didn't share the same personality.

Still… It made him more curious about her. Just who was this Green girl, and why did she seemingly appear out of nowhere, falling out of the sky like an uncoordinated Pidgey?

So many questions, and Gary could only hope that his grandfather had the answers.

"Hey! You! Kid up there!" a voice called from below. Red's eyes fluttered open, searching for a face to put with that voice. That strangely familiar voice. "How'd you get stuck in that tree?" He finally found her.

"Misty!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?!" And where in the world am I? he added to himself.

"I think I should be asking you that. And how do you know my name? Don't tell me you've met my sisters!"

"You have sisters?" Since when did Misty have any of those?

"Well, duh, kid. How dense can you be? They do the Water Shows in Cerulean City all the time. Jeez, you act like you're from some totally different world. Now, are you coming down or not?" she inquired, tapping her foot impatiently.

"I would, but I'm kind of stuck…" he trailed off, gesturing at the branch he was hanging from by the nape of his jacket. Misty sighed.

"Don't you have some kind of Pokémon that can help you?"

"Oh yeah! Saur, come on out!" He tossed the Poké Ball in the air, releasing his starter, Ivysaur. "Use Vine Whip to get me down!" Saur did as he was commanded, but ripped Red's jacket in the process.

"Well, it was about time to get a new one anyway," the boy said, shrugging his shoulders and taking the jacket off. "Misty! Long time no see! Gyara's doing great! Thanks again for letting me borrow hi—"

"First off, who the heck are you, and how do you know me? Second off, who in Arceus's name is Gyara, and why would I let you borrow him?" demanded Misty, her brow creasing in frustration.

Red shot Misty an incredulous look. "You don't remember? I'm Red, from Pallet Town. We met a few months ago when Team Rocket made your Gyarados go berserk and I saved you by catching him. Then you let me borrow Gyara when none of my Pokémon could learn the move Surf so I could cross the ocean to get to the Seafoam Islands."

It was Misty's turn to be confused. "I don't know what you're talking about, kid. I know, like, five people from Pallet Town and not one of them are you. And my Gyarados was never stolen by that stupid syndicate of no-good idiots. They couldn't steal a Trainer's Jigglypuff in the middle of an open field in broad daylight. Don't lie to me, kid. I don't like it when people lie to me," she threatened, flashing her mallet in front of him to further prove she meant business.

Red gulped. He did not like the looks of that mallet. "But… I'm telling the truth, Mist!"

"-y," she added. "Mist-y. Only one kid has ever been allowed to call me that and get away with it."

"I called you that not even two months ago, Misty! If I didn't know you how would I know that you're Cerulean City's Gym Leader?"

Misty rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Any idiot could figure that one out. Try again."

"I have the badge to prove it!" he exclaimed, reaching into his pocket to pull out the Cascade Badge. Then he realized it was still stuck in the energy amplifier back in Saffron. Red let out a huff of annoyance. "Never mind."

"Mhmm, that's what I thought."

"Okay then, how would I know you live in a mansion with a bunch of maids to look after you?"

Misty's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Because I don't, genius. I live at the Gym with my three sisters and absolutely zero maids. What made you think up something like that?"

"But you do, Misty! We trained together for a few days and you gave me a Cascade Badge before I left. I swear I'm not crazy!"

"Are you sure about that?" Misty asked, cocking an inquisitive eyebrow in his direction. "Hm, you sure do look a lot like Ash…" she commented randomly aloud, strolling over to stand beside him. Apparently the raven-haired hero had been on her mind. "But you aren't Ash, of course. You don't even have a Pikachu. And you're too old."

Red's eyes widened in alarm. "Oh crap! I almost forgot about Pika! Where did that Pokémon run off to? Misty, have you seen Pika around anywhere?" he asked frantically, his eyes instinctively searching the area for his missing yellow partner.

"Pika? So you do have a Pikachu? Hmph. Funny coincidence. Can't say that I have though…" she trailed off, glancing around at the rest of the trees dotting Route 4.

"Well, would you mind helping me look for him? We got separated when we were… on our way over here," he explained, purposely avoiding the whole "falling through the ball of light" thing to prevent her from thinking he was any more insane than she undoubtedly already thought he was. He was pretty sure she was ready to throw him in the first loony bin she could find.

Misty shrugged her shoulders. "The Gym's closed for the week due to remodeling and stuff, so I've got nothing better to do. Besides, Ash would never say no to a kid who needed help looking for a lost Pokémon. Where did you last see Pika?"

"Uh, well… There's the thing. I'm not really sure."

Whack! Misty bonked him on the head with her mallet.

"Ouch! What was that for?!"

"You lost your Pikachu and don't even know where in the entire Pokémon World to look for him?! How in Arceus's name are we supposed to find him now?!"

"Jeez, Misty calm down. He can't be too far away." At least I hope not, he thought, glancing up at the sky. Or I'm as good as dead.

"Oh yeah? And how're you so sure about that?" she quipped, glaring at him balefully.

"Well…" he trailed off, trying to come up with an answer that sounded believable enough. "He's probably just wandering the route for something to eat, like some berries or something." He had to admit, while it sounded an awful lot like a lie (and Misty could definitely see right through it), it wasn't the worst story he'd told and still managed to get away with.

"Whatever," she muttered, rolling her eyes and heaving a sigh of irritation. "Well, what are you waiting for? Spoink to fly? You can't find your Pikachu by standing there like a Sudowoodo," she snapped, flashing her trusty mallet to get his attention.

"Alright, alright, I'm going. Jeez, Misty, you sure are more hotheaded than I"—he was abruptly cut short by an icy glare in his direction—"remember," he finished, much quieter than when he'd started. He nervously averted his gaze from an undoubtedly angry redhead, and silently wished he'd find Pika soon so he could get the Mew away from the crazy girl.

Pika, where are you?

"Chaaaa!" Thwack!

"Yeowza! What was dat?!" a dazed Meowth screamed as he was sent flying backward against a tree. Instinctively, his eyes flung open and he extended his claws, glancing around for the monster that had the gall to attack him. Then he saw a tuft of yellow fur hiding in the bushes. "Tink ya can get away wid sometin' like dat, Pikachu? Well, ya have no idea what's comin' to ya's once I gets ahold a ya."

He crept up behind the Pikachu, who appeared to be unconscious, and realized that it must've been some sort of mistake. Either that or the Pokémon was faking. "Well, eitha way da Boss's gonna be happy. I'll just take ya back ta Jessie and James and see what dey tink about dis. Hey, get up, Pikachu!" he exclaimed, shaking the little electric mouse.

"Cha," the Pikachu mumbled, his eyes slowly fluttering open.

"Red? Wait, you ain't da twerp's Pikachu," he noticed, scratching his head. "Aw, shucks. And ta tink I was finally gonna do sometin' right. I can't just leave ya here dough. Who's ya Trainer?"

The Pikachu rubbed his eyes and got to his feet, taking a look around before finally saying, "Pikapi? Pi pi pi?"

"Is Red ya Trainer?" The Pikachu nodded. "And you're a-lookin' for him, aren't ya?" Again, the Pikachu nodded in response.

"Pi Pika pi pikachu!"

"Oh, well nice ta meet'cha, Pika! Da name's Meowth!"

"Meowth!" a lady called in the distance. "Where did that Pokémon go?!"

"I don't know, Jessie. He doesn't normally do this kind of stuff," a man's somewhat nasally voice replied.

"Jessie! James! I'm ova here!" Meowth exclaimed, waving his arms in the arm. "Looky what I found, you guys!"

The two appeared from behind the trees, the lady magenta haired with blue eyes and the man a green-eyed blunet. Both, Pika realized, were wearing Team Rocket uniforms. He jumped back, his fur bristling and sparks of electricity discharging around his entire body. "Pi pi pi!"

"A Pikachu!" James exclaimed, walking over to pick it up.

"It ain't da twerp's eitha," Meowth remarked. "Hold on a sec dere, James! It knows you guys is from Team Rocket! And it don't look too happy about it."

Pika shook his head. He hated Team Rocket for what they did to Pokémon. Especially after what they did to Gyara and Vee. But there was still one thing he didn't understand. Why were they in white uniforms?

Normally Grunts dressed in all black, and they didn't exactly look like Gym Leader Triad material…

But despite Meowth's warnings, James picked up Pika anyway and received the shock of his life. "Pikachuuuu!" the little mouse exploded, letting out every ounce of electricity it had stored up and burning James to a crisp.

"Don't say I didn't warn ya's," Meowth muttered, rolling his eyes.

Pika turned to face him. "Pika? Pi pikachu?"

"Well, dat's a good question, Pika. Jessie and James are my friends, and yeah, we're all apart a Team Rocket. What's ya point?" Meowth asked, scratching his head once again.

"Pi pi pikachu, pi pi pi!" Pika exclaimed, sparks emitting from the pouches on his cheeks.

"Pokémon experiments? I don't remember da Boss sayin' anytin' about dat. Sure, dere was dat ting wid Mewtwo, but he—" Jessie clamped a hand over his mouth before he could continue.

"Uh, what I think Meowth's trying to say is that we aren't going to hurt you, Pika. We're Pokémon thieves, not scientists. We couldn't experiment on a Pokémon if we tried!" Jessie exclaimed, chuckling lightly in a desperate attempt to get her point across.

Scraaatch! Meowth attacked Jessie, leaving big red claw marks across her face in the shape of an X.

"Meowth!" Jessie screamed, covering her face with her hands.

"What she's tryin' ta say is, just stick wid us, Pika, and we'll help ya find ya Trainer in no time!"

"Pi pi, pika, pikachu?"

"Well, dat's anotha good question," Meowth answered, scratching his head.

"What is he asking, Meowth?" James wondered, finally starting to recover from the shock Pika had given him.

"He's wonderin' why he should trust a bunch a Pokémon tieves ta take him ta his Trainer. I hafta say, he's got a point dere, you guys," Meowth told him, frowning. "How about dis? Ya don't gotta trust Jessie or James if ya don't wanna, but why don'tcha trust a fellow Pokémon like me? I ain't gonna tell ya wrong."

"Pi pi pi… Pika pi pi pikachu."

Meowth facepalmed. "He said I hads a point, but he still can't trust me because I'm one a Team Rocket's Pokémon," Meowth interpreted. "Look, Pika, just 'cause I run wid da bad guys don't mean I'm a bad Pokémon."

Pika pondered it for a moment. These three seem harmless enough, he thought. And right now, they're the only chance I have to find Red.

"Pi, pi pi pi. Pika pika pi pikachu," the little Pokémon warned, discharging a few sparks to emphasize the threat.

"Great! I just knew ya'd sees it our way!" Meowth exclaimed.

"So he's coming with us after all?" Jessie asked, raising an eyebrow. Pika couldn't help but wonder how the two recovered so quickly from such brutal Pokémon attacks. In order for James to even withstand his Thunder attack, he had to have been shocked multiple times before. And judging by the width of Meowth's scratches, he could tell Meowth had attacked Jessie sometime in the past as well.

"As long as we don't try ta take him ta da Boss. Oterwise it's blasting off again for da tree a us."

"Feisty little Pokémon, aren't we, Pikachu?" Jessie remarked, sighing.

"Pi pi Pika," he angrily retorted, narrowing his eyes at the magenta-haired Rocket.

"His name is Pika, Jessie," Meowth informed her, facepalming once again. But his words fell on deaf ears.

"Oh-ho-ho, I always wanted such a cute little Pokémon!" she cooed, walking over to Pika and attempting to take him in her arms.

Pika backed away, expelling warning sparks from his cheeks. "Pi? Pika pi pikachu?"

"Eh, she's only crazy when she wants ta be," Meowth replied, waving the question away. Jessie wasn't always this crazy. "Well, where did ya last sees ya Trainer, Pika?"

Pika gave him a confused expression. "Pika pi pi. Pika pi pikachu."

"Saffron City? In the Silph Co. Building?" Pika nodded. Meowth's eyes widened in amazement. "Ehhh, Jessie, isn't dat in Kanto?"

"I believe so, Meowth," James answered in her place, scratching his head. "So how did this little Pokémon wind up in Johto?"

Johto? Where's Johto?

"Hm, it pains me ta say it, but are ya sure ya Trainer didn't abandon ya, Pika?"

"Pi pi pi! Pikapi pika pikachu!" Pika screamed angrily. No one accuses Red of abandonment and gets away with it!

"Chill out, Pika! Jeez, forget I even asked. Well, we was headin' ta Team Rocket HQ for a special missi—"

"What he means to say is we have some business to take care of first. After we're done we'll take you to Saffron and help you look for your Trainer," Jessie cut in, again covering his mouth with her hand. He just didn't know how to shut up sometimes.

"Pi pi pi pikachu?"

"Uhhh, dat's a good idea! Why didn't I tink a dat one?" Meowth exclaimed, his eyes widening in amazement.

"What is it, Meowth?" Jessie snapped, growing impatient from having to rely on Meowth's undependable interpretations.

"Why don't we just take him ta da Professor here?"

"Meowth, do you remember what happened last time we met the Professor?" Jessie hissed, tugging at her hair.

Meowth sighed. "Oh yeah, da Totodile ting…" Then Meowth had an idea. "Who said we had ta take Pika ta him? Why don't we just drop Pika off ova dere?" He could tell Jessie still didn't like the idea.

She probably wants ta keep Pika all ta herself... the Cat Pokémon thought, frowning. Meowth genuinely wanted to help Pika find his owner, but he knew Jessie would be against it. James would probably go along with Jessie, too. And two humans against one walking, talking Pokémon wasn't exactly a dream match-up. "Jessie?" Meowth pleaded with his eyes. Don't she know dis Pikachu is ten times stronger dan da twerp's? He'd kill us witout a second tought.

To his surprise, Jessie conceded. "Fine, but if the little rat even tries to shock any of us, off to the Boss he goes. Understood?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at the Pokémon.

"Well, he said as long as we didn't take him ta da Boss we was safe anyways, so dere we go!" Meowth exclaimed in relief. "Follow me, Pika! We'll get ya ta New Bark in no time!"

"C'mon, Brock! For old times' sake?" the raven-haired boy begged. "This is our last journey together. And May would be so surprised to see us up in the stands cheering her on!" They had just boarded the ferry and departed from Sinnoh, leaving their newest blunette companion behind to follow her own dreams.

Ash wanted to go see May compete in the Johto Grand Festival at Goldenrod City, since it was conveniently dated to take place only a few days after the Lily of the Valley Conference he'd just competed in. So far, Brock had already said yes, but most apparently his response hadn't been heard. "I said okay, Ash. I wanna see how she's doing anyway," Brock relented, rolling his almost nonexistent eyes and staring out at the sunset.

"You know I—Oh, so that's a yes?" Brock nodded, a smile creeping at the corners of his mouth. Pikachu shook his head in amusement.

"Ash, do you ever wonder why the sunset is always red?" he asked randomly, to which Ash gave a confused expression in reply.

"Uh, can't say that I have," he replied, scratching his head and staring off at the distant sun. "Why is it always red?"

"Well, light is made up of colors, and red is the color that travels the farthest," he answered, glancing over at Ash.

Random Brock fact #482, the young Trainer thought, a very bored look on his face. "So how much longer till it stops at Goldenrod? That's where the festival's at, right?" Ash wondered, staring over at his traveling companion.

"Ash, we just got on about two hours ago," Brock told him, both he and Pikachu facepalming. "It'll at least be a few hours before we even pass the rest of Kanto."

"Well, excuse me for"—Splash!—"wait, did you just hear that?" Pikachu's ears perked up as he searched for the source of the sound.

"I think it came from somewhere in the ocean," Brock muttered, glancing around at the water. Then he saw a head bob to the surface. "Gary?"

"That jerk?! Where is he?" Ash growled, swerving in a circle in an attempt to find his ex-rival.

"Down there, Ash!" Brock exclaimed, pointing down at the water. "I think he's unconscious. Ash, use Buizel while I go grab a life preserver!" Before Ash could think to reply, Brock took off.

"Buizel, go!" Ash tossed his Poké Ball in the air, releasing the Weasel Pokémon out into the ocean. "Grab Gary before he drowns!" Buizel did as he was told, inflating the collar around his neck to keep the two afloat until Brock could return, all the while managing to keep up as best as he could with the ferry. Then Ash had an even better idea.

"Staraptor, I choose you! Lift Gary up out of the water!" As soon as the Predator Pokémon was released from the confines of his Poké Ball, he obeyed Ash's orders, swooping down to where Buizel and Gary were floating and locking his talons around the spiky-haired boy's arms. "Buizel, make sure Gary's nice and secure before Staraptor comes back!" Ash ordered as he saw Brock round the corner, red and white life preserver in hand. Buizel gave a thumbs up, and Staraptor began his ascent back to the ferry.

"Well, looks like I won't be needing this," Brock commented, staring down at the life preserver and letting it clatter to the ground. Staraptor swiftly reached the deck, carefully dropping the boy to the floor and landing right beside him.

"Great job, you guys," Ash remarked, ruffling Staraptor's feathers and returning Buizel's thumbs up with one of his own. "Return, you two!" After the Pokémon were safely inside their Poké Balls, Ash knelt down beside his ex-rival. Pikachu strolled over to stand beside him. Brock had already begun CPR, and there was little else for Ash and Pikachu to do but sit and watch.

Within the next minute or two, the boy started coming to. "Argh…gak!" he choked, coughing up water. His eyes slowly blinked open, and Ash let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Whew. That was a close one."

The boy jerked up, a shocked expression on his face. "Red?" he asked, scrutinizing the kid with the Pikachu in front of him.

"Nope. Gary, it's me, Ash!" the raven-haired boy replied, clapping him on the back. "Brock and I just rescued you. You almost drowned."

The boy coughed slightly from the clap and scratched his head, confusion apparent on his face. "Gary? My name's Blue," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Umm, I'm pretty sure your name is Gary. Brock, do you think he might have amnesia?" inquired Ash, frowning over at his traveling partner. Brock shook his head.

"I don't think so. He wasn't in the water for very long, and he didn't hit his head on anything that we know of. Maybe his name really is Blue, and he just looks a lot like Gary," Brock suggested, shrugging his shoulders. Ash looked back over at the boy in question, and realized that Brock was right. Whoever this person was, he definitely wasn't Gary.

He wasn't wearing his lab coat, and he actually looked a few years older than Gary did. His hair was also more of a brunet shade, as opposed to Gary's signature auburn spikes. "Well, you still look kind of like him," he mumbled, particularly to himself. "Nice to meet'cha, Blue! The name's Ash Ketchum, and this is my partner Pikachu!"

"Pi pi pi!" the Pokémon exclaimed, waving at their newest arrival.

The boy shook his head. He had to be dreaming. Where did Red go? he wondered, glancing around the ferry. Better yet, where am I? "Uh, where's this boat headed?"

"Well, its first stop is Kanto, but we're staying on and getting off at Goldenrod in Johto to head to the Johto Grand Festival," Ash replied, to which Blue gave him a very quizzical look.

"Grand Festival?" Ash nodded.

"Yeah, in Goldenrod City. They hold it every year for Pokémon Coordinators to compete for a chance at the title of Top Coordinator," Brock answered, glancing over at the confused boy. "You mean you've never heard of it?"

Blue shook his head. What the heck is a Coordinator?

"Hmmmm… I know! Why don't you come with us and see for yourself?" Ash asked, a spare light bulb going off in his otherwise vacant and dim head.

Blue thought it over for a moment before replying. I've still gotta figure out exactly where I ended up anyway… And it's not like I have anything better to do… Heck, maybe I'll run into Red or Green along the way. "I guess it's worth a shot," Blue finally told him, shrugging his shoulders.

"Great!" Ash exclaimed. "Goldenrod City, here we come!"

Blue sighed. He really was a lot like Red after all, and not just because he shared some of the same looks. "Ash? Do you think we could stop by Cianwood after the Grand Festival?"

Ash quickly nodded, not even giving it a second thought. "Sure!" he answered. "But… why?"

"Well…" Blue trailed off, unsure of whether he should tell the boy or not. "Chuck used to be my teacher. He taught Scyther and me when I was younger." Instinctively, Blue grabbed at his belt loops to make sure all of his Pokémon were still there. Luckily, they'd stayed.

It's a wonder they did after a fall like that, he thought, remembering his little escapade into the light that brought him to the ferry in the first place. "By the way, have either of you seen a girl scam artist or a guy with a Pikachu around here?"

Ash pointed at himself first. "Other than me? No, can't say that we have. What're their names, and we'll be sure to ask around."

"Eh, the guy's name is Red and the girl's is Green," Blue replied, running his fingers through his spiky brown mane.

"Boy, your parents sure loved colors, didn't they?" Brock remarked, shaking his head in amusement.

"Wait, no, they're not my brother and sister!" Blue exclaimed, waving his hands frantically at Brock. "They just… come from the same hometown."

"Oh. Well, where're you from, Blue?" Ash asked, pulling off his cap and ruffling his unkempt raven hair before placing it back on his head.

"Tch. It's a wonder you don't know," Blue answered starkly. "Pallet Town. Professor Oak is my Grandfather."

Brock, Ash, and Pikachu stared at the boy in amazement. "Uh, Brock?" Ash inquired. "I think we have a problem."

"Why? What is it?" Blue snapped impatiently, glancing between the three. "This is exactly why I never tell people that… They start acting really strange around me."

"Blue, is your last name Oak?" questioned Brock, to which he received a somewhat irritated nod in reply.

"Well, duh! I just said that Professor Oak was my grandfather, didn't I?" He still didn't understand why they were staring at him like that, and it was becoming increasingly annoying. "Why are you staring at me like I'm some kind of ghost?!"

Because, Blue. It doesn't make sense. None of it does. Ash is also from Pallet, and Gary is also Professor Oak's grandson, he heard a voice say in his head.

Wh-who are you? he wondered, and what are you doing inside my head?!

That is for me to know, and you to find out, Chosen Color, the Voice replied.

Chosen Color? What in Mew's name is going on?!