Jessie, James, and Meowth screamed as they fell from the sky. The ground then shook as they landed with a crash.

"Ugh… I'm never gonna get used to that," Meowth groaned.

"You can say that again," James moaned.

"This is unbelievable!" Jessie yelled as she got to her feet. "Even when that twerp is all alone, we still can't capture that Pikachu!"

"Yeah," Meowth said angrily. "It's almost like the universe wants us to fail forever."

"Well," said James, " if there's one silver lining to all of this, it's that the Boss wasn't around to see that failure."

"Maybe," said Jessie. "But he's still going to be mad if he finds out."

"Then maybe we should avoid mentioning that any of this happened," said Meowth.

"Oh, you don't have to mention anything."

At this moment, the trio felt a collective shiver crawl up their spine. Cursing their luck, they turned around to see the angry face of Giovanni.

"B-Boss!"

"Yes, indeed," Giovanni said angrily. "Now, would you three failures mind explaining why you landed right in front of Team Rocket headquarters?"

At this moment, the trio realized where they were. The intense wind had launched them flying to the outskirts of Viridian City, where the current headquarters of their organization was located. And right into Giovanni's hands.

"Please don't fire us, Boss!" the trio pleaded together as they fell to their knees.

"We've been working so hard to catch an extremely powerful Pokémon for you!" yelled Jessie.

"We may have failed a couple of times, but that's just 'cause of how strong it is!" Meowth cried.

"And we know we can win eventually, so please have mercy!" pleaded James.

For a moment, the intimidating man simply stared at them. The trio held their breath as they watched with pleading faces, hoping that he would allow them to remain.

Finally, Giovanni's frown turned into a smirk.

"Perhaps I can find a use for you after all."

Immediately, three huge smiles formed on the trio's faces. They got to their feet and began to thank their Boss endlessly, grateful for not being tossed to the side.


Jessie, James, and Meowth all shivered as Giovanni led them to his office. While it was an honor to be given a new assignment by him, they were all worried about just what said assignment would entail.

"Here we are," Giovanni said as they reached the office. He opened the door and gestured towards the three to enter. They looked at each other nervously, but eventually chose to go inside. Once they had stepped in, their leader followed and closed the door behind him. Meowth heard something hiss in his direction, and turned to see Persian glaring at him. Feeling a shiver crawl up his spine, he hid behind his two partners.

Once Giovanni was certain that they were not being heard by anyone, he began to speak.

"As you know, Team Rocket is the most prominent criminal organization in the Kanto and Johto regions. However, at times we have had to deal with… rivals from other regions."

James raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"There are other organizations that wish to become as powerful as Team Rocket. If that were to happen, they would become a major threat to us. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that we keep these rival groups in check, or better yet, eliminate them altogether."

The trio grimaced. The thought of other criminal groups strong enough to overthrow their own was a disturbing idea.

"Just a few years ago, one such organization rose in the Orre region. It was known as Cipher, and it was one of the greatest threats Team Rocket has ever known. No law enforcement agency has ever come as close to destroying us as Cipher has."

"Really?" Jessie asked nervously. "Why were they so dangerous?"

Giovanni closed his eyes as he recalled the events.

"The scientists of Cipher discovered a way to corrupt Pokémon while increasing their power to unbelievable levels. These 'Shadow Pokémon' had their emotions and free will removed, turning them into obedient, unquestioning, remorseless slaves. In addition, they possessed powerful attacks that did massive damage to all other Pokémon. They were the perfect slaves."

The trio grimaced. The description of Cipher reminded them of a person they were all too familiar with.

"As you can imagine, such an organization would be a great threat to Team Rocket. Therefore, I sent a high-ranking agent to infiltrate Cipher in order to destroy it. Fortunately, with the help of some… outside assistance, Cipher fell."

The three other Rockets looked at each other, wondering what Giovanni had meant by 'outside assistance.' However, there were more pressing concerns at the moment.

"So does that mean that you want us to take down some other bad guy team?" Meowth asked.

"Partly, yes," said Giovanni. "Tell me. Are you familiar with the Kalos region?"

"Isn't that where Lumiose City is?" Jessie asked curiously. "Potentially the biggest city in the world?"

"Correct," said Giovanni. "In the last few months, our spies have reported suspicious activity from an organization known as Team Flare. While we haven't been able to find out who leads them or what their motivations are, we have reason to believe that they represent a potential threat to Team Rocket."

"So what do you want us to do about it?" Meowth asked nervously. "You think we can take them down all on our own?"

At this, Giovanni burst into laughter, causing the other three to stare blankly.

"Oh, of course not," said Giovanni. "I have chosen an elite member of Team Rocket to go to the Kalos region. They have been tasked with investigating Team Flare 's motives, and eliminate them if necessary. I have also sent several lower-ranking members to offer assistance for this mission."

"So you want us to go with them?" Jessie asked.

Giovanni nodded. "While you three have a poor reputation within Team Rocket, I believe that you can be very useful for this mission, provided that you actually follow orders instead of endlessly chasing some child's Pikachu!"

The trio shuddered as their boss mentioned this last part. However, they quickly snapped out of it when he cleared his throat.

"You will be sent to the Kalos region within the next few days. Once there, you will report to our agent. While you are in the region, you shall report to them, and complete any and all objectives that you are assigned to do. Most important of all, you shall refrain from messing with useless Pikachu trainers unless necessary. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir!"

Giovanni smiled. "Good. I shall inform my agent. I expect the three of you to obey every order given to you be your new supervisor.

The three nodded. While they weren't sure about taking orders from someone who wasn't Giovanni, they were determined to prove that they still belonged in Team Rocket.


A few days later, Giovanni relaxed at his desk as he drank a cup of coffee. His Persian was purring contentedly as it sat next to him, with his fingers passing through its glossy coat. Both of them had to agree that it was so nice to be able to sit down and enjoy the simple things.

But, alas, when one is the leader of a powerful criminal organization, such moments never last, and it was so that he was interrupted by a knock on his door. Sighing to himself, he set his mug back down on his desk.

"Come in."

The door opened to reveal a man in white clothes with short cyan hair. The man saluted him before he began to speak.

"Sir, all agents are ready for departure. As soon as you give the order, they shall leave for the Kalos region.

"Excellent," Giovanni said with a pleased tone. "Thank you, Archer."

"Although," Archer continued, "I must admit that I am surprised that you chose agents James, Jessie, and Meowth. After all, their reputation has always been… less than stellar."

"True," said Giovanni. "However, they are tenacious, as evidenced by their constant attempts to steal a useless Pikachu for almost two years. I believe that, if they would stop focusing on a lost cause like that, they could become a great asset to Team Rocket. That is why I have included them on this mission."

Not to mention that I'd enjoy some time without those idiots bothering me, he thought to himself.

"I see," Archer said hesitantly. "But how do you know that they won't do more harm than good?"

At this, Giovanni chuckled darkly as a smirk formed on his face.

"Because the agent they now work for shall ensure that they stay on task… or else."


It had been about a week since Serena had returned to Vaniville Town, and she could not be more excited. Today was the day that Ash Ketchum would come to Kalos, and she could not wait to see him again. She knew that he wanted to take part in the Kalos League, and she wanted to be there to support him all the way.

Of course, this meant traveling. And if she was going to travel through Kalos, she needed to have Pokémon of her own. And therefore, she had finally decided to get her very own starter from Professor Sycamore in Lumiose City.

At the moment, she was wearing a sleeveless black shirt with a white collar, a red skirt, black stockings, and black shoes. There was only one thing she was missing.

"Mom!"

As Grace entered the room, her daughter held up two hats.

"Which do you like the most?"

Grace paused. One hat was pink, with a black ribbon running along the middle. The other was a red hat with a white border at the bottom.

"Hmm," said Grace. "I like the red one the best."

"Okay!" Seems said as she tossed the hat her mother had indicated away. "Pink one it is!"

Grace sighed. "Why did you ask me if you had already chosen?"

"I wasn't asking you to choose," Serena said as she put the pink hat on. "I asked which one you liked the most. Whichever one you didn't like is obviously the better choice!"

Grace rolled her eyes. "I'm sure Ash would love any hat you chose, Serena."

"Yes, but you can't say that about every other person. I have to look my best when I get my first Pokémon!"

Grace chuckled as Serena got everything else ready. While she wasn't certain about her daughter leaving her Rhyhorn Racing training behind, she was at least glad that she had found a good friend to travel with. Who knows, maybe she'd find her true calling on her journey.

"Well, I guess you're going to meet up with Calem and Shauna at Aquacorde Town before you all go to Lumiose together?"

Serena nodded. After they had returned to Kalos, Calem had gone to visit his girlfriend, and was overjoyed when she revealed her intention to start her own journey. Unsurprisingly, Shauna wanted to travel with Calem, as well as fulfill her own dreams. Serena didn't know what those dreams were, but she knew that they were probably much more thought out than hers.

"Well, then you should probably get going," said Grace. "You don't want to keep Calem and Shauna waiting, do you?"

"Right!" Serena said as she grabbed her backpack. "I'm going to have a great time with Ash!"

"I know you will."

The two smiled at each other, enjoying each other's company for the last time before they were separated again. Then, the honey-blonde girl began to walk out her room, with her mother following close behind.

"See you later, mom!" Serena called as she ran out the front door.

"Have a great time, Serena!" Grace called back. "And say hi to Ash for me!"

The soon-to-be Pokémon trainer waved as she ran towards the town's gate. She then ran towards Aquacorde Town, ready to begin her journey with her old friend.


Ash stood on the battlefield of Viridian City's Pokémon Center. He was wearing a brand new outfit, which consisted of a black t-shirt, gray pants, red and black sneakers, red and black fingerless gloves, and a red hat with a white semicircle at the top. He also had a new jacket; it was a bright blue, with a white border going along the edges, along with the sleeves and the zipper. Were it not for the short sleeves, it would be almost identical to Calem's jacket.

He didn't know when or where his mother had gotten the jacket, but he had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with Grace.

The most notable part of his new look, however, was hanging from his neck. There, an old, rusty Pokeball hung from a metal chain, forming a rather unconventional necklace. While many would find it unfashionable, Ash liked to keep his new good luck charm close by.

He was still surprised that Gary told him to keep both halves of the old Pokeball. Perhaps since he no longer wished to become a Pokémon Master, he felt that keeping his half was incompatible with his current goal. Or maybe he didn't think that he needed a good luck charm anymore. Whatever the reason, he'd told Ash to keep both pieces of the ball.

I dunno. Make yourself a necklace like mine, it you want.

Ash chuckled as he wondered what Gary would say when he found out that he'd actually taken his advice.

For now, however, he chose to focus on his training. And so he turned to Pikachu and gave his command.

"Pikachu! Use Magnet Rise!"

Pikachu's cheeks began to crackle as he slowly lifted off the ground. His body went higher and higher, and his tail spread out beneath him like a surfboard. Down below, Larvitar and Pidgeot watched with fascination.

Finally, the mouse Pokémon placed his feet onto his tail and began to move forwards.

"Pikapika!"

"Awesome!" Ash yelled as he watched from below. "Let's see how fast you can go!"

Pikachu was happy to oblige, and it spun around in the air, going as fast as it could. It seemed to have a relatively good control of its aerial ability, even if it had only been able to use the technique for a short time.

"Great!" Ash called. "Now use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu's cheeks sparked again as he prepared to unleash a powerful current of electricity. He then let out a cry as he began to let his power loose.

And promptly fell back towards the ground.

"Pika!"

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled as he ran towards his partner. Larvitar and Pidgeot gasped as they saw their friend falling, but Ash was able to catch Pikachu before anything serious could happen, causing them both to sigh in relief.

"Hey, Pikachu," Ash said as he cradled the electric rodent. He then winced as he was shocked by some residual electricity.

"Pika-pi," Pikachu said apologetically as Ash set him back on the ground.

"It's alright, buddy," said Ash. "You're doing great even if you're having trouble using that attack."

Pikachu blushed as he scratched the back of his head. Ash's other two Pokémon then decided to join in, giving Pikachu words of encouragement.

"I wonder why your Magnet Rise always fail right when you decide to use Thunderbolt."

"A good question, for sure."

Ash looked up to see Professor Oak walking up to him, with Delia following him closely.

"Do you have any idea why?" asked Ash.

"Well," Oak began, "it's possible that Pikachu has a limit to how much electricity it can generate at any given time. Usually, since it only uses one electric type move at a time, this isn't an issue. However, if it attempts to use two, such as Magnet Rise and Thunderbolt, then it can't generate enough power to sustain both attacks simultaneously. Therefore, one of its two moves has to fail, and since it's focusing on Thunderbolt, Magnet Rise fails."

"Oh," said Ash. "So that's why it can't use them both at the same time?"

"I believe that is the case."

Ash sighed, but didn't let the news bother him too much. He knew that he and Pikachu could find a way around the problem.

"Thanks, Professor," he said with a smile. "I'm glad I could get that figured out before we went to Kalos."

"Ah, Kalos," Oak said happily. "It's quite a lovely place, if I do say so myself. And Professor Sycamore is quite an amazing individual. His studies on Pokémon evolution are famous among us professors."

"I sure hope so," said Ash. "Serena wants to get her first Pokémon from him."

Oak nodded, then reached into his pocket. He then took out a red object and handed it to Ash.

"Before you go to Kalos, Ash, I think you'd like to have a new Pokedex."

"A new Pokedex?" Ash said as he took the device into his hands.

"This is the newest and most unique Pokedex ever designed," Oak said proudly. "With a little help from a cousin of mine who lives in the Alola region, I've created a truly amazing Pokedex, full of wonderful functions that will assist you in your journey through Kalos!"

Ash's eyes widened as he looked at the device he held, as his Pokémon did the same. He didn't know much about technology, but he was still impressed by the professor's description. And if it was truly as amazing as he said it was, then Ash couldn't wait to see what it could do.

As he took a good look at it, however, he couldn't help but feel that something was off. The shape was unlike any Pokedex he'd ever seen before; the bottom was rather square, while the top had two thick points on the sides, and one thin point at the top. In addition, the screen had two round holes at the top, almost like eyes.

It was very strange. Indeed, if Ash hadn't known better, he would have thought that it had an uncanny resemblance to-

"WATCH IT! YOU'RE GONNA SQUISH ME!"

Ash and his Pokémon yelled out in shock as he dropped the device. However, instead of falling to the ground, the Pokedex began to float in midair, coated with a light blue aura. And, to Ash's shock, it had gained a pair of bolt-shaped arms and short circular legs. However, the most notable change was on the screen, where the two holes had been replaced by a pair of eyes, and the rest of the screen was taken by a mischievous grin. The Pokedex then burst into laughter.

"Oh man, you should see your face! You look like you just saw a ghost! Although, I guess you technically did? Ah, who cares?!"

As the Pokedex continued to laugh, Ash stared in shock. He had no idea what was happening with his new Pokedex, but a cursory glance at Oak suggested that he did.

"Professor? What just happened?"

The old professor sighed as he watched his creation laugh hysterically.

"I was afraid this would happen. You see, one of the things that makes this Pokedex so innovative is the integration of a Rotom into its computer matrix."

"The Pokedex… has a Rotom living in it?!"

"Exactly," said Oak. "You see, my cousin Samson had the idea that integrating a Rotom into the Pokedex would vastly increase its power, allowing it to obtain new functions that no other Pokedex could have on its own. It's a revolutionary idea for sure, but not without… issues."

"Hey!" the Rotom Pokedex snapped. "I don't have issues! I'm perfectly happy with myself!"

Ash sighed. As if having his old Pokedex possessed by a Pokémon wasn't strange enough, it would now be joining him on his journey while possessing the new one. Then again, it wasn't like this sort of thing didn't happen a lot to him already.

Wait… his old Pokedex…

"Professor?" Ash asked suddenly. "Is this-"

"The very same Rotom that possessed your old Pokedex? Yes, that's the one."

Ash stared at his new Pokedex, apprehensive about its intentions. However, he finally decided to take it into his hands.

"So," he said as he held the Pokedex. "Do I just point you at Pokémon like a normal Pokedex?"

"Nah, I can point myself."

The Rotom then floated over to Pikachu.

"Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pichu. Pikachu's tail is sometimes struck by lightning as it raises it to check its surroundings. Honestly, you'd think they'd have figured something better out by now!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out in indignation. Rotom ignored him, however, and continued.

"Male Pikachu with the Static ability. Knows Thunderbolt, Agility, Quick Attack, and Magnet Rise. Not a bad moveset, but I'd suggest a move like Grass Knot, Brick Break, or Iron Tail. You need something for ground types, man!"

Ash blinked. He'd never really thought about that. As he looked at Pikachu, he could tell that he was thinking the same thing.

"Actually, that would be a good idea," said Professor Oak. "Pikachu needs a way to fight back if it's forced to go against a ground type Pokémon. I would suggest-"

"Moving on!" said Rotom, interrupting Oak. "You're up next!"

Rotom floated up to Larvitar, causing a drop of sweat to climb down his forehead.

"Larvitar, the Rock Skin Pokémon. Larvitar feeds on soil. After it has eaten a large mountain, it will fall asleep so it can grow. Exactly how it manages to eat a whole mountain is a mystery. And if that's the case, then why haven't any mountains mysteriously disappeared due to sudden Larvitar invasions?"

Larvitar turned harder than rock, causing Rotom to frown. Nevertheless, it continued with its analysis.

"Male Larvitar with the Guts ability. Knows Rock Slide, Dig, Hidden Power, and… Harden? I thought Larvitar couldn't learn Harden!"

"Yeah," said Ash. "Well, Larvitar is really unique."

"Whatever," said Rotom. It then floated up to Pidgeot.

"Pidgeot, the Bird Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pidgeotto. By flapping its wings with all its might, Pidgeot can make a gust of wind capable of bending tall trees. Which means that all the deforestation in Kanto can be blamed on Pidgeot!"

Pidgeot huffed angrily, but Rotom ignored it.

"Female Pidgeot with the Keen Eye ability. Knows Hurricane, Sand Attack, Heat Wave, and Double Edge. Pretty good, I must say. How did it learn Heat Wave, though? I mean-"

"Wait," Ash said, preventing Rotom from snarking. "Pidgeot's a girl?"

"Apparently."

Ash looked at Pidgeot in surprise.

"Huh. I wasn't expecting that."

Pidgeot shrugged and placed her wing on Ash's shoulder, causing Rotom to laugh and Pikachu to sigh. Larvitar, who had de-hardened a moment ago, was simply staring in confusion.

"Well," Oak said, clearly exasperated. "This has been all been fun, but I believe that your plane shall be leaving shortly, Ash. We should get to the airport now."

"Good idea, Professor," Ash said as he grabbed two Pokeballs. "Larvitar, Pidgeot, return."

As the two were sucked back in, Ash turned to the Pokedex.

"So, are you going into my pocket or something?"

Rotom shrugged. "Eh, I guess. Personally, I'd rather be outside. It's so much easier to mess with random schmucks when I'm out in the-"

Ash grabbed the possessed device and shoved it into his pocket. He could hear some muffled protests, but he didn't pay it much attention.

"I can tell this is going to be complicated."

"Pikachuuu."

"I'm sure Rotom will be helpful to you," Oak said with an awkward-looking smile. "Well, most of the time, at least."

Ash sighed, then turned to his mother. She was holding a new backpack for him.

"I put everything you need in your backpack," she said. "I also made sure to include enough pairs of under-"

"MOM!"

Pikachu and Delia both burst into laughter, and Ash was certain that he'd heard Rotom's muffled laughter as well.

"Well, as long as you make sure to stay clean, I'm sure you'll have no trouble sweeping Serena right off her feet!"

Ash groaned as Pikachu laughed. However, he then gave his mother a smile. "Thanks mom."

"You're welcome, dear," said Delia. "Now why don't we go to the airport? Your angel is waiting for you, isn't she?"

Ash's face turned red. "Well… let's just go.

The three humans, along with Pikachu, made their way to the airport. The journey was a rather short one, and they quickly arrived.

"So, Ash," said Professor Oak. "Are you sure you don't want to take any more Pokémon with you? After all, there's no telling what kinds of situations you'll encounter in the Kalos region, and I feel that you'd be better prepared if you took more than just three Pokémon."

"I know, Professor," said Ash. "But I feel that it would feel better if I only took three Pokémon with me. That way my team has enough space for me to catch and train new Pokémon when we get to Kalos. Truth be told, I was considering having a fresh start with just Pikachu, but since I just caught Larvitar and reunited with Pidgeot, I feel that it wouldn't be fair to leave them behind."

"I see," said Oak. "But if that's the casel, you would only three empty spaces. I wonder if that will be enough."

Ash felt a twinge of worry. How many Pokémon would he find in Kalos? Would three team slots be enough? What should he do?

Finally, he shrugged off those thoughts. He'd cross that bridge when he got there.

"I'll figure something out," he said simply.

The old professor thought to himself. He knew there was a simple solution to Ash's problem, though he'd have to see if it could be applied.

"Well, Ash," said Oak. "I wish you luck in your journey through Kalos. And please give my regards to Professor Sycamore!"

"Of course, I will," Ash assure him. "And thanks."

"Pikachu!"

"Have lots of fun, Ash," said Delia. "Make sure to stay safe and eat well. And make Serena the happiest girl in the world."

Ash blushed at this last comment, but smiled anyway.

"Thanks, mom."

Oak and Delia smiled, then pulled Ash and Pikachu into a hug. It lasted only a few seconds, but they savored every moment.

"Okay, then," Ash said as he pulled away. "Me and Pikachu had better get going."

"You have fun, Ash!" said Delia. "Don't forget to call home every once in awhile!"

"Make sure to tell me everything about the Pokémon you find in Kalos!" Oak reminded Ash.

"Okay!" Ash said as he headed towards the gate. "I'll keep in touch! See you soon!"

He then grinned as he walked away.

"Are you ready, Pikachu?" We're going to travel all around Kalos, and this time we'll win the league!"

"Pikapika!"

Ash pumped his fist. "Get ready, Kalos! I'm going to win it all!"

As he walked, an idle thought entered his mind.

And I'm going to have a great time with Serena too.


A/N: Meanwhile, another Kanto boy with a Pikachu was on his way to start a journey of his own in the Hoenn region. Once he arrived there, he was surprised to meet the daughter of the Petalburg Gym Leader, who he'd met many years prior at a summer camp held by Professor Birch. Traveling with her, along with an adorable young trainer with green hair, they had all sorts of adventures in Hoenn, many of which involved two troublesome organizations with visions of re-creating the world in their own image through the power of super-ancient Pokemon. Eventually, with the help of the Champion, the Sootopolis Gym Leader, and a mysterious woman with a Mega-Evolving Salamence, they became the greatest heroes the region had ever known.

That, however, is a story for another day.