Disclaimer: No ownership of Pokémon (Nintendo) or Digimon (Bandai)
Summary: Final part of the "Population" trilogy. Ash, Mimi and Kari travel to Unova for a new adventure. However, Digimon have appeared in the Pokémon World and vice versa. How can they reverse the situation? Hikarishipper, some SincereShipper and maybe some RayShipping.
Three Worlds: Population, Switched
Chapter 1: Unova & Why
Two paths. Two boys stood, one carrying bags. One was a raven-haired young man in a red baseball cap. He wore a light black vest over a white t-shirt and jeans. The other was a spiky brunette in a green/brown travel vest and slacks. He's the one with the many bags. "Well, this is it," the brunette huffed. He put some of his bags down before petting a yellow mouse with the lightning bolt for a tail and a collar around its neck. "You be good now, Pikachu."
"I will, Brock," Pikachu replied. "I'll make sure Ash is behaved."
"Pikachu!" Ash reacted. Back to Brock, the boys shook hands. "I guess this is it...Pokémon Doctor Brock." Brock hadn't seen much action in this series. It's like he was nonexistent.
"It is...Pokémon Master Ash," he responded. They broke grips. "Take care." Ash nodded, promising Brock that he'd be fine.
"You, too." Picking his bags up, Brock walked down the right path while Ash and Pikachu traveled the left road. "Well, Pikachu, it's back home. You excited to see Mom?" Pikachu giggled. It didn't sound like a joke.
"Come on, Ash," he sassed. "You know I miss Mom as much as you do." Ash agreed, knowing that he's missed his mother as much as Pikachu had. As they reached Pallet Town, all they could think about was how the townspeople would greet them.
"We're here, Pikachu. Pallet Town." Home sweet home. The two entered town but weren't really greeted with a hero's welcome. "I take it no one saw the Lilly of the Valley Conference?" Don't make an immediate assumption. Maybe they don't know you're back. Someone...or something spotted them.
"Ash!" a young female voice called from nearby. "Pikachu! Welcome back!" The two turned to the voice on a fence. There was a white cat with yellow gauntlets and blue eyes. The two realized that their mother wasn't the only person to expect Ash and Pikachu home.
"You're the welcoming party, Gatomon?" Gatomon bounced off the fence and scaled Ash in a second and perched herself on his shoulder as Pikachu retreated to the head.
"Well, everyone's back at your house. Of course, I couldn't wait to see my Pokémon warrior." That would explain why she's gazing at Pikachu. Did this cat fall for the mouse in heart's content or was she willing to play with him before eating him?
"Wait, when did you have feelings for me?" he wondered. Gatomon teased Pikachu by rubbing her claw on Pikachu's cheek.
"Since that battle on Mt. Quena, silly." She made her approach and point clear when...SMOOCH! Wow, already the first chapter and there's a little furry love. Pikachu's cheeks were redder than normal.
"Hey, let's save some of that when we get home," Ash giggled. Pikachu and Gatomon broke lips and proceeded on into the house.
"Surprise!" a crowd cheered. Friends, neighbors and family were there waiting for him, showering him with confetti and fizzy drinks...but that was in his dream. The house was empty, and so was any hope that Ash would be happy about his return.
"Well, so much for a happy return. Guess no one cared about my conference run." Heartbreaking.
"Yeah, they said they watched how you pulled a victory against Conrad and Paul," Gatomon pointed out. Who would they be? "Not to mention they saw it here. That's why I assumed they'd celebrate at the home." Ash looked around the house when the TV hinted a note. Ash removed the note and read the only word on the paper: "DINER." This clue told Ash where everyone was.
"Mom's work. Lovely." Someone didn't want to go see Mom at her job. "You two think you can be all right alone?" Pikachu and Gatomon didn't mind. Ash raced out to the diner at the edge of town. When he entered...
"Surprise!" a crowd cheered. This time, the confetti and juice were real. Joining was a brunette young man sporting an Afro wearing a blue jacket, goggles and light-brown shorts. There was a blond haired boy in a green long sleeve shirt, gray cargo shorts, and an ivory fishing cap. Another was a brunette haired girl in a pink and white striped sleeveless shirt, skinny yellow shorts and full-arm pink gloves. Then there was a lavender-haired girl with glasses who wore a blue bandanna, a magenta button-down t-shirt over a blue blouse and a magenta long skirt. There was another brunette boy who wore a plain black shirt and shorts. One more was a violet-haired male who had like a gray jumpsuit on. There was also five tall teens in green school uniforms: a redhead male and female, a brunette wild hair male, a blue-haired male with glasses and a blond male. There was one more who had pink hair and wore a a multicolor stripe shirt and white skirt. The young brunette female had her camera out and had taken pictures of Ash getting mugged by his good friends. It was a smaller crowd than he anticipated but it's a celebration nevertheless.
"Couldn't wait for me to meet you in the DigiWorld, huh?" No, they wanted to give you a congrats in a big way.
"Your best finish ever and you expected us to do it back in Odaiba?" the younger blond male laughed. "No way!" They all had their chance to mess with Ash. Unlike Gatomon to Pikachu, no one gave Ash a kiss. There's wonder what those other two were doing back at home. Better yet, let's keep the concern on the humans. They relented in which everyone had a moment to eat. The redhead male dinged his fork on his glass, darting everyone's attention to him, including an adult brunette ponytailed female, donning a pink button-down t-shirt under a blue apron and jeans and an aged, silver-haired male in a white lab coat.
"Ash Ketchum, after hearing about your other tournaments from the past, it's agreed that this has been your best finish by placing in the Top Four," he congratulated the trainer. "It's also a privilege to have also entered the Top 100 talented trainers according to some of the top magazines around the regions." Well, two accomplishments: Top Four in the Lilly of the Valley Conference and being ranked in the Top 100 of a list. Ash thought he was getting too much credit.
"Izzy, stop," he bashfully chuckled. "You're embarrassing me." He calmed enough for his two cents. "But I guess Tobias has a point. I was the only trainer to beat his Darkrai and Latios, despite losing to him." That would be his opponent in the semifinals since he ended in the Top Four. The Afro watched the door, irking the adult brunette to worry.
"Davis, is there something wrong?" she asked. Davis felt something not right but nothing that hinted trouble. Just not proper good vibes.
"Nothing terrible," he answered as he turned to Ash. "Say, Ash! You know where Dawn is?" Did we miss someone else? Ash remembered something involving this Dawn person.
"You're still remembering what she wore for her Grand Festival, huh?" the lavender-haired teased. The blonds and brunettes chuckled like an audience in front of a great comedian.
"Yolei!" She even had a laugh at how red Davis' cheeks bled. Ash even giggled but quietly, knowing how flustered and frustrated the young Afro got.
"Actually, Dawn's with a modeling agency," he finally replied. It had to be that Grand Festival dress she wore. Dawn, a model? Davis suddenly pictured a blue-haired girl wearing a yellow dress which the skirt lengthened down to her knees as well. Her hair was in a ponytail since she shed her hat and her hair wrapped around her ears. The gloves were also arm-length almost to where the shoulder sleeve touched. To top it off, she wore white inch-high slipper pumps. That figure and wardrobe on the cover of many, many glamorous magazines, articles of travel with friends and rivals and a secret crush on an out-of-this-world boy. Davis drooled, unable to control temptation and wanting to get each magazine with her. By the way, this wasn't unnoticed.
"Way to go, Ash," the elder brunette teen mulled. "You just made Davis dream of Dawn on front covers of magazines." Apparently, Ash was ready to drop a buzz kill. Wait for it...
"Well, Tai, it's actually Dawn's Buneary that's the model." That tiny fragment of information knocked Davis for a loop. Now, he imagined a small brown bunny with fleece wearing the same outfit that Dawn wore, now that we know who she looked like, being on front covers of random magazines and her trainer talking about affections for Ash's Pikachu. Davis' world suffered Armageddon.
"N-N-N-N-Not her but...her bunny?" he badly stuttered as he sunk below the tables. Ash wasn't certain with Davis' sudden altered jolt of emotions from desired to dejected.
"I know I was telling the truth, but did Davis really need to do that?" Well, who put him in that position to begin with?
"Don't worry," the violet-haired teen huffed. "I did it to him and TK as well. The classic shock treatment." TK remembered that moment pretty well.
"Right, when you showed me and Davis that backwards clip of Yolei and Kari chasing Ash's and Pikachu's tail," he reminded. "Ah, it's probably the only time Ash called your tactic stupid, Ken." Ken laughed it off. The group ate on when the brunette boy had a question.
"Ash, what are your plans?" he wondered. Ash paused and wondered, himself. What could he do now since his stint in Sinnoh?
"Good question, Cody," he murmured. His mind focused on his journeys of then. 'Let's see, I beat all the gyms in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Orange and even beat the Battle Frontier here in my home region. Could I try the Battle Frontiers in the other regions?' Before Ash could come up with a plan, the silver-haired man had a suggestion.
"Then it's a good thing I got a phone call when you were using Noctowl on Conrad's Lickylicky," he announced. The kids turned now to the senior in the dining hall. "You see, the call was from a student of mine from back in Celadon University, the same university your mom attended. She's now a renown professor in the Unova Region, far east of Kanto which can only be crossed by plane." Ash became stoked. This was a ticket to a new adventure.
"Are you serious?" gasped the young brunette girl. This wasn't one who would prank a school of children...if they were really in a classroom.
"I am, Kari. The Unova Region has all sorts of new and never-been-seen Pokémon from our side of the ocean." Ash got more fired up and rapidly stood, already raring to go to this new region.
"Then call this professor and tell her I'm coming right away!" he proclaimed. Everyone enjoyed a laugh and even the blue-haired male with glasses offered some advice.
"Relax yourself, Ash," he comforted. "Spend a few days of R&R before you go on a new trip. Besides, I think you could use this short time to organize representatives for the Peace Corps." Ash nearly forgot. He got so excited about wanting to go to Unova that he didn't have his duties on his mind. The silver-haired scoffed, humored at the exchange between Ash and the glasses.
"Take it easy, Joe," he advised. "This is Ash's normal behavior. He's not one to hang around one place for long. However, the flight won't be for a week. Plenty of time for him to get ready." Joe eased. The redhead female seemed content with the news that Ash's career would immediately continue.
"You know, it's not gonna feel the same when you travel overseas," she expressed. "We won't see you as much." Ash understood, not wanting to split up with everyone.
"I know, Sora," he returned. Before Ash could wonder how to keep touch, the silver-haired was heard snickering. "Prof. Oak?" The good professor straightened out before he had this to say.
"I neglected to mention that I have two extra tickets to the Unova Region," he informed. Well, that could mean that he and the other adult would be going and that didn't really help the kids. "Delia and I have our tickets. I'm sure Ash could choose who would like to join him on this trip." Now the others were in glee. Two lucky kids were going to travel with Ash over to Unova.
"So, son," the other adult cooed. "Anyone special you wanna bring along?" Ash had a hard thought on who he wouldn't mind tagging along.
"Well, Kari and Yolei have been by my side since Pallet Town was abandoned. But much has changed like Yolei and Ken are dating and that Mimi's been enjoying me more than Kari, but Gatomon was all over Pikachu upon arrival..." Kari's eyes widened. This would be the first time she heard about Gatomon's affections. Just when Kari had to wonder why, Ash came up with who he wanted to have as human partners overseas. "I got it! Kari, Mimi, what do you say? Us over in Unova?" Kari and the pink-haired girl were pretty stunned. That would mean the pink-haired was Mimi. Invited to be with Ash in Unova?
"Oh, no!" Davis shot. "You're not taking-" Making Davis' mouth a card scanner, Ash shoved a business card in his beak and left it there. Removing the card from the trap, he read the tiny piece of paper.
POKÉMON STYLIST
PARIS, COCOA AND HEROMINE
HEARTHOME CITY, SINNOH
"If you want to look for Dawn, you could ride ExVeemon and check it out." Yeah, something to keep him occupied.
"Ash!" Kari opened, having Ash to turn to her. "I'd be honored to travel with you to Unova. We'll be partners to the end." That wasn't a loved proposal, more like accepting the invite. So Kari's ready to team up with Ash once more, much to Davis' chagrin.
"Ash, I accept your offer," she cooed with a slight southern accent. "Perhaps this would be a great chance to see if maybe there's some chemistry between us." Whoa, the first chapter and someone's ready to get off...or on.
"Did Mimi really need to be full frontal about the offer to Unova?" Yolei groaned. It's only now that Ash realized something missing.
"Say, TK, where are your Digimon?" he asked. "I mean, Gatomon was the only one I saw."
"Don't worry," TK reacted. "They're in the ranch spending time with your Pokémon." Getting the message, Ash relaxed.
"So the bus to Unova doesn't leave for a week, right Prof. Oak?" Kari wondered.
"Well, the plane ride but indeed," Oak confirmed. "You should have plenty of time to make sure you have the essentials for the trip." The week would fly by and that flyover was on the chosen girls' minds. Packed up and ready to go, Mimi and Kari returned to Ash's house for Unova. Mimi's hair now looked reddish blond under a green bandanna and decked out in a magenta sleeveless shirt and jeans. Gatomon and a walking plant thing with a pink flower for hair made it to the door.
"I'll go check to see if Ash is awake," Gatomon volunteered. Before they could acknowledge the cat, she leaped onto the wooden porch cover and raced around the storm drain until she found Ash's room. His room was decked out with all sorts of plush dolls and medals. Ash was getting dressed and got his belt for his new jeans latched. He was topless but since this is a male, it's all kid-friendly. There was a piece of Ash that got Gatomon purring for some human flesh: his chest and how toned and fit it was. "I don't normally see six-packs on young teens." Ash and Pikachu jumped in surprise and twisted to see the feline Digimon.
"Gatomon!" he irked. "I take it Kari and Mimi are ready?"
"Yeah, we're ready for Unova. All we're waiting on is you." Ash rustled on a sky blue t-shirt before wearing a white/blue summer coat and a new red baseball cap. The one he wore back had a black front. This front was white. With his cap on, Ash signified that he's raring to go. "Not too shabby!" Ash giggled a little from the review. "By the way, is Brock coming too?" No one informed the girls that Brock's no longer available?
"I thought Tai and Kari told you. Brock's gonna study Pokémon Medicine and become a doctor." Gatomon got disappointed. Did she like Brock? The mom entered, her suitcase packed.
"Ready to go, Ash?" she wondered. Ash nodded, excited to see Unova. That's when she saw the kitty. "Ah, Gatomon! Kari and Mimi ready?"
"Oh, yeah!" was her answer. "Though, I am a little upset that Brock's unable to join." Mom would forgive her. Mom and son exited to meet his posse and Oak's ride: a red convertible. Sweet ride! All boarded the car on their way to the airport. After everyone cleared customs, they boarded the airplane which took to the skies 85 minutes after the last passenger was on. The group enjoyed stories which one included how Ash managed to save Christmas trees nearby Rockefeller Center in New York City. Hours after leaving Kanto, new land appeared in the airplane's view. It had to be the Unova Region. The plane landed in the water perfectly and rested by the concrete dock. Grabbing their luggage and bags, the group left the plane. Their first steps on a new region. Ash, Kari, Mimi and the creatures stretched a little bit, fending off lazy joints from the long ride.
"I thought that with all of your traveling, you'd be used to it by now," Oak teased.
"Hey, hey, ease off!" Mimi shrugged. Ash recovered enough to get a scenic stare at the region he and his partners were going to traverse on.
"The Unova Region," he awed. "Breathtaking!" First impressions...
"Sam?" a female shouted. "Samuel Oak, is that you?" All turned to see a tall brunette female with a hairdo that looked like ice cream served at fast food chains. Her wardrobe had Mimi wondering if this was for real. She wore a spring blue trench coat over a white tank top and a green skirt while wearing tennis shoes. Oak was pleased to see his pupil from Celadon U.
"Ah, Aurea!" he greeted. "I was wondering if you didn't get my e-mail." Her charismatic laugh sounded like she's good mannered. Mom came up to see Aurea.
"Aurea, how long has it been?" she welcomed.
"Too long, Delia," Aurea replied. "What happened to you after you left?" Delia could explain but Ash and the girls were interested with the meeting of adults. "Ah, so this is the young man who finished in the Top Four in Sinnoh, is it?"
"He is! This is my son, Ash." Now, she gazed Ash. "Ash, this is Professor Aurea Juniper, the lead professor here in Unova and in charge of the starter Pokémon in her lab at Nuvema Town." Ash and Aurea, or Prof. Juniper for that matter, shook hands when she saw Pikachu and got excited.
"A Pikachu!" Pikachu was startled, even more when Juniper picked him up. "So, you're the Pikachu that Prof. Oak had in storage." Pikachu calmed down but was still bewildered with the sudden reaction.
"Yeah, it's my Pikachu and we've been pretty great friends," Ash explained. Juniper was humbled and humored with the details.
"Well, it's nice to finally meet you, Ash, and you too, Pikachu." That's when she saw the other two. "So, you friends of Ash as well?" Kari and Mimi bobbed nods. Ash decided to introduce the two.
"They're Kari and Mimi. We've helped each other in our respected lands with dangerous issues." In a moment of acknowledgment, Juniper just nodded.
"Why don't you tell us more when we get to my lab." With agreements, the group followed Juniper into a van. As she drove, the youngsters saw creatures they never seen like pink deer and cotton balls with leaves hanging out.
"The Pokémon here are never really seen in any of the other regions you've visited, Ash," Oak pointed out. "Same goes with the Pokémon back home that never live here." So the kids were viewing Pokémon that only reside in Unova and nowhere else. When the group made it to Juniper's lab, Kari and Mimi told their stories of how they met Ash and how they helped with every problem that came between.
"My, this may be the first time I let Digidestined become trainers," she scoffed. "But now that you mentioned the abandoned town, Kari, I remember hearing a story and how a few kids brought everyone back." Kari and Gatomon itched their redden face in humbled embarrassment. "Well, it's such an honor to meet Digidestined like you, and Gatomon and Palmon."
"Thanks, Professor," Mimi praised. Just as they were settling in, an assistant entered the scene and tapped Juniper. Something was whispered. Nodding, Juniper had business to conduct.
"I've been informed that another new trainer has arrived. This could work both ways since you'll be seeing which starter Pokémon I possess." Juniper and the kids entered a new room in which a dirty blond boy in an orange coat was photographing the area. Hearing the doors, the new blond spotted the group. "Hello there. Are you the new trainer ready to start your journey?"
"Yeah, I am," he quickly responded. "I'm Trip. My home's about a mile from here." A local. Trip saw the trio, slightly curious about who they were.
"Hi, there!" Ash greeted. "I heard you're getting your starter Pokémon." Trip nodded, though he felt uneasy.
"And who are you?" Ash had a hand out for a shake.
"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, over in Kanto." Trip huffed, now realizing why he had an uneasy feeling. He also saw Pikachu.
"How typical. You and your Pikachu are from the boonies, huh?" Ash flinched in a cringe. He got dissed. "In case you haven't figured it out, you're in a new crowd of Pokémon." Man, the audacity. Juniper tried to keep Ash's emotions in check.
"He's visiting this region, no need to start a war," she murmured. "I don't think you wanna make your first battle with someone ranked in the Top 100." Trip scoffed it off, saying that it meant nothing.
"Whatever. It's not like he can stand up to me." Tough talk coming from a new trainer.
"Last trainer I saw arrogance like that, he had less care for Pokémon," Kari mulled. "Put up a pretty good battle." Trip continued his scoffing. Juniper thought of an idea to put Trip in his place.
"Well, you can't prove you're better than him without a Pokémon, right?" she stated. "Allow me to show you the starter Pokémon you get to choose from." She grabbed one ball and opened it up. From the disposed ray of light, a reddish-orange piglet with black ears emerged. "This is Tepig, a Fire-Type." Ash studied Tepig, impressed with the look.
"You're pretty cool for a Fire-Type," he awed. Tepig snorted, flashes of ember shooting out. Trip, not so much. Juniper opened the second ball. That one was a blue sea otter with a white head and a shell on its chest.
"This is Oshawott, a Water-Type." Oshawott punched the shell with its arm, acting proud and making Kari giggle.
"Boy, aren't you a cutie pie," she cooed. Oshawott blushed at the compliment but Trip didn't see anything interesting about it. Picky, picky. Juniper opened the last ball. That one had a tiny green snake with little arms and legs.
"This last one is Snivy, a Grass-Type." Snivy grinned, a rather determined gaze shone and one Mimi couldn't resist. It could be because she had Palmon.
"This one has the looks to work hard," she complimented. That irked Trip. Mimi's words opted his choice.
"Thanks for your help," he praised. "Prof. Juniper, I would like Snivy to be my starter Pokémon." Juniper was happy to see Trip make his choice. Same cannot be said for Tepig and Oshawott. Tepig growled that he wasn't chosen and Oshawott was petrified in dismay. "And I wouldn't mind taking my first crack than to battle Pikachu." A challenge and Ash cocked a grin. He was anxious to try and work out his strength in Unova.
"Well, prepare for your first fall, Trip," he sneered. Kari and Mimi wondered how Ash and Trip got so competitive so fast. That, or...
"Really, Ash?" Palmon sighed. "Pun his name?" This battle should be good.
TO BE CONTINUED... (Thanks for your votes. By the way, the previous two titles were not ripoffs of shows that were on National Geographic. Merely coincidence. Never watched those shows.)