Ash, Brock, and Misty had all decided to head over to Alto Mare to continue their eternal Pokemon journey across the globe. Misty in particular had been quite keen on visiting it, as the city was advertised as being, 'Like Venice, but without all those greasy Italians.' Ash, on the other hand, only saw it as a place to participate in the local sports festival, which in this case happened to be boat racing through the canals.
Once Ash started the race, being towed by his trusty Totodile, he found that nothing seemed to be going his way. His boat kept being lurched back and forth off the main path, abruptly stopping in places, and even accelerating backwards at a nerve wracking pace. Naturally, he ended up dead last, having to get out of the boat before reaching the finish line as it had began ramming itself into a dock over and over again.
"Alright," Ash said, "I've had enough. Who's messing with me?"
A previously invisible Latias revealed itself by the boat. followed by a Latios. They both took the moment to laugh at Ash.
"What was that for?" Ash said.
"It was just a prank," the Latias said.
"Hmph. Who are you two, anyway?"
The Latias smiled. "I'm Columbia, and this is my brother Challenger!"