We join our heroes as they're being assaulted by Team Rocket. We know how one of them found themselves in this situation, but in order to learn what became of our girls on the ground, we'll have to go back a bit...

The two girls are walking through a path that leads into Mt. Coronet, when Sam suddenly yawns.

"We've been walking forever... When are you going to catch your Pokémon already so Mama can get something to eat?"

"Seriously?" Carly asked wearily. "You just ate thirty minutes ago!"

"To my stomach, that's like a billion years ago..."

The brunette ran up in front of the blonde before pointing a maternal finger at her. "We're going to work on that appetite of yours someday. I happen to like my money being in my pockets, which clearly isn't going to be a very common occurrence with your eating habits."

"I don't know what you're so worked up about, mother," Sam said the last word with a strange tone to her voice, as if the term was foreign, "You're a trainer, right? You'll just battle another one, make some money, and there you go..."

Carly looked away. "Um... About that... I..."

She didn't get to finish her thought, as the two had actually strolled into the mountain during their conversation, to be besieged by a horde of Zubat, blasting out their Supersonic move with abandon.

Both teens were covering their ears while gritting their teeth, though Sam had a plan of her own forming in her mind. Fumbling in her bag, she found the Ball she was looking for. Houndour was released into the madness.

"Use Roar, now!"

It did as instructed, despite its own increasing headache, and sent the Zubat flying in different directions.

When the swarm disappeared, Sam turned to her companion. "What was that you were saying earlier?"

The brunette stumbled nervously before replying, "Well, um, I don't really battle... I'm not much of a trainer."

"Where did you get the Ralts and Pichu from, then...?"

Her next word was nearly inaudible. "Mom..."

A stab of guilt pierced through the blonde at the sound of that word. Strange feelings ate away at her stomach. She swallowed to keep herself from saying something...weak. Instead, she painted on a grin.

"Don't worry, I'll fix that for you. I'll teach you everything you need to know about this stuff. Watch and learn."

Sam scanned the cave, as if perusing it for the perfect catch. Eventually, she came across a blue and white humanoid Pokémon, a Meditite doing its namesake and meditating, apparently dead to the world.

"That should do. Send out a Pokémon, Carls."

She did so, sending out Pichu.

The blonde cringed at the appearance of the diminutive mouse, but said, "Okay, then. We can work with this. Have it use Thunder Shock!"

Doing as instructed, Carly watched as the Meditite took the shock, only for it to use its Confusion attack out of annoyance and throw its enemy around like a rag doll. At least it was over in a few minutes, with the wild Pokémon promptly fleeing.

"Don't worry," Sam reassured, even as her friend recalled her Pokémon in dejection. "We'll keep at this. Maybe Ralts will catch one at some point..."

Sadly, Ralts was too concerned with defeating its foes and causing them to flee than leaving them in a weakened and catchable state. The depopulation of the local area of Pokémon went on for an entire hour before Carly was sitting beside her friend in the grass outside the mountain, curled up in a ball of despair.

"This isn't going anywhere. At this rate, I'll never catch a stupid Pokémon..."

Sam was strangely silent for a moment before she randomly began to dig in her friend's backpack.

"What are you doing?!"

"This." She hoisted up a Great Ball in her hand. "Just throw it at the first one you see."

"Um... Okay." Then she realized that she didn't remember buying any Poké Balls of any kind. "Where did you get...? Are you actually taking money out of my bag and spending it without my permission?!"

"Does it matter? Just throw it."

Carly shot Sam a disdainful look before throwing the blue and red ball at a black and white bird, a Starly, particularly the first one she saw.

It hit the shocked bird before converting it to energy and closing.

One shake...

Two...

Three...

Click.

Sam beamed with pride. "Congrats kid. You just caught a Starly."

Carly, for her part, almost didn't believe it. She cradled the ball in her hands. This was her Pokémon, not her mother's or even Spencer's.

She was about to celebrate before she saw an old man pass by. He seemed to be running as fast as he could before he saw them

"I'd hate to interrupt you young ones and your training, but there's some kind of commotion going on in the city. I would be careful..."

The man ran off before either girl could respond, and both followed after finishing things, weirded out, but intrigued.

Most activity in Hearthome had ground to a dead stop, and it would only take a passing glance to the skies to find out why.

Just low enough to be visible hovered a plane that wasn't flying, but hovering suspiciously close to a balloon with a big fat "R" plastered on it.

"H... How...?" The brunette finally got out, wide-eyed.

Sam, however, was furious. The only reason why they would do something this extreme was if they wanted to pluck every Pokémon on board and use the lives of everyone on board as leverage.

She had always planned on getting as far away as possible from the gang, but this just cemented the choice in her mind as right.

Quickly tunneling in her own bag, she dug for the Pokémon she'd "borrowed" the day before.

There had to be something that could fly up and...

"What are you...

Sam barely heard her friend's protest as she got to the one she was looking for (after a few false starts, since for some reason, the Rockets loved plucking random Zubat and Rattata from just anywhere). A Murkrow materialized, its eyes soulless.

She merely gave the order for it to fly up and attack the balloon, and it obeyed without a single protest or even a sound.

Back in the air...

Freddie's mom had been very silent about her time as a trainer. In fact, she'd never admitted it personally. He had to deduce it rather easily from instances like where she would Instinctively chime in whenever she would happen upon a battle before she could catch herself, as well as the Professor flat out telling him once, but whenever Team Rocket came up, she would get this look of fury that was far beyond anything Freddie could even fathom, and any attempt to talk about it would be shut down instantly.

Seeing this, he could see why his mother had been so evasive...

...until Team Rocket started talking.

A female voice rang out throughout the cabin. "Attention all passengers! all of you should promptly prepare for trouble!"

A male voice added,"And be sure to make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation…"

"To unite all people within our nation…"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love…"

"To extend our reach to the stars above…"

"Jesse," came the female voice.

"James," followed the male.

"Team Rocket, clear for takeoff at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare for quite the bumpy fight…"

An awkward silence followed.

"You know," Jesse began. "Somehow I feel like something's missing…"

"You're right. Maybe we really should get Paperclip in on the action…"

Suddenly, a distant, nasally voice rang out. "Oh, no. You can forget it. There's absolutely no way I'm lowering myself to partaking in your ridiculous 'motto'!"

An argument ensued, with all aboard the plane as the unwitting captive audience. Eventually, the pilot managed to establish communication with the apparently two way line.

"Might I ask that you please let us go? I have other flights to get to and these passengers have lives, unlike you crooks…"

Jesse was furious. "I'll have you know, Grandpa, that we have lives, too, and right now, our life goal is to confiscate all of your Pokémon! So I'd advise that you get everyone in your little crate to start lining up."

While all this was going on, the gears in Freddie's mind were turning rapidly. There had to be a way out of this mess… Looking around, he saw that quite a few people on board were indeed trainers, many clutching their Poké Balls for dear life. Was there some way that they could help…?

Meanwhile, the conversation continued on with a response from James to something the pilot had said.

"Our Team Rocket Brand tractor beam as well as Pumpernickel's expertise is the only thing keeping this thing aloft. I would watch your tongue if I were you."

A distant growl could be heard in the background. "Do I look like bread to you?!"

"Well, you do look rather pasty…"

Something whizzed by before James finished his sentence, and loud screams started coming over the line.

The aide looked outside to see a bluish black blur relentlessly attacking a figure with red hair and one with blue hair, the two apparently manning the balloon. Had that been a Murkrow?

A few minutes of this bought Freddie enough time to think as well as to ask the pilot for a favor. He initially refused, but seeing the situation, eventually relented. He spoke to everyone on board.

"Everyone, we're opening the doors for only a split-second. If you have any 'mon that can fly or levitate, send it out. If this kid's scheme works, no one has to lose anyone today. We're not going down without a fight."

Within a minute or two, an armada of the aforementioned types of Pokémon were let out of the plane and heading straight for the Rockets' balloon, with them barely getting to scream.

The last the passengers heard of their captors was, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Everyone cheered as they recalled their Pokémon and the pilot got his plane back on track. Freddie couldn't help but blush as he was bathed in more attention than he'd ever known…

Carly's mouth was agape as she watched the plane, and then Murkrow, land. What just happened?

Sam, on the other hand, had a satisfied smirk etched on her face. "Well then, all's well that ends well, right?"

When Carly didn't respond, the other girl waved a hand in her face, "Yoo hoo! Earth to Carly..."

Another lack of response required another tact to be taken.

"OW!" Carly clutched her cheek, feeling the sting of a slap, and stared at Sam. "What was that for?!

"You were busy drawing Cutiefly. Now let's get to the parade…"

"Parade? What are you…"

Carly didn't get to finish, as Sam hoisted her up, choosing to carry her on her shoulder against her will.

"Come on, Time's a' wastin'…"

After some fighting, she finally gave in with an exasperated sigh…

All's well that ends well, indeed. It seems, despite Carly's protests, the adventure has only just begun. Of course, not everyone's happy with how things turned out...

A scream echoes out from a certain house in Pallet Town, scaring away practically every living creature within earshot. It came specifically from a certain woman that was watching these events on the news. A woman that bore a striking resemblance to Freddie…

...yikes! Stay tuned…

TO BE CONTINUED...