Sometime after Ash had finished travelling through the Sinnoh Region he and his sister were both staying in Pallet Town for some time off after journeying through many different regions and seeing many different Pokémon. Ash's sister, Ashleigh was his twin. Although they had been separated at birth, Ashleigh going with their father to the Orange Archipelago and Ash, as we all know, stayed with his mother. Ash and Ashleigh had actually met quite by accident as it was not through contact with either of their parents but, typically, through a Pokémon battle. It was as part of a battle tournament that they had both entered. They met each other in the final round, not having seen or heard anything of the other throughout the entire tournament. In the end it was a tie between the two and they each got an Eevee as a prize. Right now though they were sitting on opposite sides of the dining room table and Ashleigh was saying "and then I had Fearow use Steel Wing on Altaria and..."

"Alright, that's enough Ashleigh. I've just about heard enough of how your battles went. Ash, you too."

"Alright" was the twins' echoed reply, both slumping down onto the table, no longer having any idea on what to talk about.

After about five minutes of staring at each other Delia said "oh, alright fine. Go on talking about battles for as long as you want then."

"Alright, where was I? Ah yes, Altaria used Dragonbreath..."

Just then there was a knock on the door and Delia called out "Ash honey, can you answer that?"

"Yes mum..." Ash groaned out. Ashleigh sniggered at the name that their mother still used for her brother. "Stop laughing."

"But I'm not laughing" Ashleigh said, schooling her face into an unreadable mask.

Ash growled at his sister before opening the door. It was Professor Oak. "Professor! What are you doing here?" Ash queried.

"Ah Ash, Ashleigh, just the trainers that I wanted to see."

"Oh-h-h, Professor, how are you today?" Delia asked.

"I'm fine Delia. How about you?"

"I'm fine...so, why have you come here?"

"Why, I'm glad you asked. You see, I'm pretty sure that by now Ash and Ashleigh are getting pretty bored just staying here when they could be out seeing the world."

"No no, we're just fine" Ash said.

"Yeah" Ashleigh said, echoing the sentiment.

"Well, even so. I thought that I'd come over and tell you that they've opened up a new Safari Zone in the Johto Region."

"A Safari Zone huh?" Ash asked.

"Sounds interesting" Ashleigh said.

"I thought that you might think so. To celebrate the opening of it they are holding a onetime only promotion where you can enter into the park with two Safari Balls and catch Pokémon that reside there."

"Really? Only two? The Safari Zone here you can take in thirty at a time."

"Yes, well I suppose that in the end it is a business. If they give people thirty Safari Balls for free then there will be no Pokémon left in the park for normal use."

"Makes sense."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"Well, go there of course."

"I thought that you might say that" Professor Oak said "but the opening tomorrow and the Johto Safari Zone is in the westernmost part of the Johto Region. You'll never make it in time by normal means."

"Then why are you..."

"That's why I went and retrieved this for you" Professor Oak said, holding a pokéball out to Ash.

"What is...?" Ash trailed off, thinking of only one possibility of what could be inside the pokéball. Ash then ran outside, threw the pokéball into the sky, calling "come on out, Pidgeot."

The ball flew up and, a few metres off the ground a red light appeared as the pokéball opened. Out of the light a brown Pokémon with long, pink, feathers stretching back away from its face burst out, crying "Pidgeot, Pidgeot, pidgeo-o-o-o-o-o-o!" flapping its wings in an ostentatious manner. It then came down and landed next to Ash.

Ashleigh, standing in the doorway asked "so, this is the Pidgeot that you were telling me about then?"

"Yes" Ash replied.

"Well then, I must admit, I was wrong after all. It is indeed every bit as majestic as you claimed."

"That's a first."

"What's that?"

"I said 'that's a first'."

"What is a first?"

"That you've admitted that you've been wrong about something."

"That's because it's the first time that I've been wrong about something."

"Why you-u-u!"

"Alright, that's enough. I contacted Professor Ivy and had Fearow sent over for you Ashleigh" Professor Oak said, handing her another pokéball.

"Come on out, Fearow" Ashleigh called out. A Fearow appeared in a similar fashion to that of Ash's Pidgeot.

"Wait here just a second" Ash and Ashleigh said simultaneously "I just need to get my bag." The twins then rushed up to their rooms and, on their beds were a new backpack, each fully packed and, on Ash's was a blue, high collared, coat that reached to halfway down his calf that had no outside pockets, but there were two deep pockets on either side inside the coat, along with a new pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. On Ashleigh's bed there was another coat, in the same style as Ash's, only hers was a light mauve. There was also a mauve skirt and a black tank top. The twins donned their new clothes, made for them by their mother, and then rushed downstairs, through the front door, jumped onto their birds and then took off, Ash leaving behind Pikachu and Ashleigh leaving her Skitty behind in their rush to get to the new Safari Zone. "I'll beat ya there Ash/Ashleigh" and they were off, competing in a high speed race towards the far side of the Johto Region.