After their exploration into Granite Cave, Ashlyn gave Steven his letter, Steven and Winona went to the gym to talk to Brawly and May sent the Loudred to her dad telling him a little about him before she went to her room to head to bed. That morning Nurse Joy knocked on Ashlyn's door with good news for her
"You wouldn't believe it Ashlyn but he can talk human language" Nurse Joy said smiling giddy
"Thank you Nurse Joy" Ashlyn said smiling at the nurse before she stepped into the room
"So you're the kid who save me" Meowth said his voice slightly high but not in pleasant
"Yes I am my name is Ashlyn Aurora Ketchum" Ashlyn said before she sat down on the chair next to his bed
"Ketchum like the champion?" he asked looking at her wide eyed
"H-How do you know that?" Ashlyn asked now very guarded
"He-He saved me and a friend from Team Rocket" Meowth said making Ashlyn stiffen again
"How did you end up in Hoenn?" she asked still guarded
"My friend and I were ambushed a few weeks ago and we got separated and I guess I landed into the water cause all I remember is drowning" he said his voice becoming raspy making Ashlyn get him a glass of water
"Rest for now I can tell nurse Joy to take extra good care of you" Ashlyn said smiling now
"You know you have your dad's smile. I thinks his smile was the thing that stuck with me and my friend made us trust him" Meowth said before Ashlyn smiled some more as he dozed back to sleep
On the way back to her room Ashlyn couldn't stop thinking about what Meowth had said her papa saved him and his friend, did Meowth know anything about that day did his friend know anything. Those thoughts kept repeating themselves in her mind as she got ready for her gym battle especially since her aunt Winona and uncle Steven would be watching too
"Ashlyn-nee who are you going to use?" Max asked before noticing that his eldest sister seemed distracted
"Ashlyn?" Alain asked nudging her shoulder with his
"Hm?" she asked once she was focused
"Is something wrong?" May asked worriedly
"No nothing and as for your question Max that's a surprise" Ashlyn said as they entered the gym building
"Children this is Brawly the Dewford Town gym leader" Winona introduced before glaring at Brawly who had the decency to look sheepish
"Hey like sorry for making you wait and not getting a sub" Brawly said scratching the back of his head
"It's alright just don't let it happen again" Ashlyn said as they made their way to the opposite ends of the battle field
"You first dudette" Brawly said before Ashlyn took out a pokeball
"Persian I choose you!" Ashlyn said as she released her father's pokemon and now her pokemon
"Machop" Brawly called out before he released his Machop
"Brawly is underestimating her" Steven said as he watched
"Well he doesn't know Persian like we do" Winona said smiling
"Persian is her oldest pokemon older than Ashlyn in fact" May said smirking
"Yup and the strongest too" Max said making Alain lean in to watch the match better
"Persian WaterPulse!" Ashlyn commands before Persian launched a ball of water towards Machop so quickly that Machop didn't have time to dodge
"Waoh that was like radical fast dudette Machop Karate Chop!" Brawly called out before Machop started running towards Persian only for her to leap behind him with great speed
"Thunderbolt while Machop is still wet!" Ashlyn said before Persian roared into the sky and summoned lightning to hit Machop
"Machop! Try another Karate Chop" Brawly said but he soon realized that Machop was now paralyzed
"Now Play Rough" Ashlyn said before Persian started to hit, kick and scratch Machop in every angle and because the attack was 2* effective
"Machop is unable to battle Persian wins" the referee exclaimed before both gym leader and challenger returned their pokemon
"It ain't over yet dudette Makuhita!" Brawly said before he released his Makuhita
"Rowlet your turn to battle!" Ashlyn said before releasing her Grass type Alola starter
"When did Ashlyn get a Rowlet?" Winona asked observing the adorable grass flying type
"Um maybe later it's a bit of a long story" Max said sheepishly
"Just make certain that you tell us" Steven said as he looked over their body language
"We promise" Max said "They are not going to like the fact that we almost got hurt"
"Rowlet start with Leafage!" Ashlyn said before Rowlet send a tornado of leaves towards Makuhita
"Bulk up" Brawly said as Makuhita just stood their not even trying to dodge the move
"That would make sense with all the bulk Makuhita has the attack lessens because of the defense it provides" Ashlyn thought before she had a plan in her head "I guess I could try that"
"Arm Thrust Makuhita" Brawly commands before hsi Makuhita jumped into the air in front of Rowlet readying an Arm thrust attack
"Rowlet Protect!" Ashlyn called out just in time as Arm Thrust attack collided with the green barrier Rowlet threw up around himself "Now Leafage and Brave Bird just like we practiced!"
Once Ashlyn finished saying the command Rowlet surrounded himself with leaves before igniting Brave Bird then headed towards Makuhita and colliding with him and due to the power behind the attack Makuhita took a lot of damage enough to make him faint
"Makuhita is unable to battle Rowlet wins the winner is the challenger Ashlyn Ketchum" the referee said
While Ashlyn was at her gym battle a mysterious pokemon appeared in Meowth's room as the Scratch Cat pokemon was just awakening
"Meowth" the mysterious pokemon said as he walked over to his friend
"I think I found her Mewtwo I think I found Red's daughter the one he asked us to look after" Meowth said an arm over his closed eyes
"Are you sure my friend?" Mewtwo asked but already knowing the answer
"She has the same smile and she and kind heart I could hear that Nurse talking on and on and on about it" Meowth said before looking at his friend in the eyes
"Will you join her journey?" Mewtwo asked
"Someone has to take care of her we promised Red and besides we know that Team Rocket is going to go after her if they find out where she is" Meowth said sitting up
"I will do everything it takes to keep my promise to Red and if she really is his daughter then I can be at ease knowing that you shall be in safe hands my friend" Mewtwo said as he turn towards the window
"See you around Mewtwo" Meowth said smirking
"Until our paths cross again Meowth" Mewtwo said before he teleported away
"That final combination was amazing nee-san"Max exclaimed as they all walk back to the pokemon center after Winona and Steven took them out for lunch
"Rowlet was the one who actually came up with it I just made sure that it was executed well isn't that right Rowlet?" Ashlyn cooed at the little owl resting in her bag
"Well it was certainly interesting" Alain said smiling
"Yeah and it gave me inspiration for my contest" May said smiling
"Don't worry our next stop is Slateport City remember" Ashlyn said smiling
"Oh my first contest I can't wait" May said excitement in her voice
"Oh Ashlyn there you are Meowth wants to speak with you" Nurse Joy said before Ashlyn nodded and went into Meowth's room
That night Ashlyn introduces Meowth to everyone who was in awe at his ability to speak the human language without any aid of a Pokémon translator and his knowledge about machines but overall they welcomed him to their little group never the less.