"Ash, I think we took a wrong turn." Cassie said worriedly.
"What makes you think that?" Ash asked.
"Because I don't remember think that there was another town on the way to Saffron." Cassie said, looking at the town ahead of them.
"The town of Harmony." Ash said, reading the signpost. "Sounds pleasant."
"Get out, I said get!" A man shouted, chasing a Raticate.
"Or not." Ash said. "Let's see if we can find a Pokémon Center, find some directions if we can."
At the towns "Pokemon Center"
"Well it's not what I thought it was going to be." Ash admitted, stepping into the building at the back of town, the doors swinging shut behind him.
"Hello, and welcome to the Pokemon Center." The Nurse Joy said.
"Hi, I seem to be a bit lost, I was trying to get to Saffron." Ash admitted.
"Oh my, we're a ways off from there." The Nurse Joy said.
"Could you maybe give directions to get there?" Ash asked.
"Well, taking the main road is a bad idea, but there is a trade route you could take, going through a few other towns." The Nurse Joy said. "I'll see if I can find a map for you."
"Okay, if it's alright I'm going to take a look around town for now." Ash said.
"Do be careful, the townsfolk aren't welcoming to outsiders, or other siders for that matter." The Nurse Joy said.
"What do you mean other siders?" Ash asked.
"The town is split in two seperate, rival groups. This building is the only safe space." Nurse Joy said.
"So much for Harmony." Ash said.
"It didn't use to be like this, the previous mayor of the town, we'll his two boys are the leaders of the respective sides now. Before he passed, the town was at peace, but once it came to decide who would take over, the fighting began." Nurse Joy said.
"Well, isn't it by voting?" Ash asked.
"Normally yes, but the last mayor was the founder, it was always assumed leadership would stay in the family." Nurse Joy said.
"Is that them?" Ash asked, seeing a photo on the desk.
"Yes our mayor Jebodiah, his oldest son Marcel, and his youngest son Patrick." Nurse Joy said.
"Whose that?" Ash asked, pointing at the baby.
"Thats his daughter Annalise." Nurse Joy said. "Baby girl left with her mom."
"Well, I can't find the girl, but maybe I can settle things between the brothers." Ash said.
"Ash, what are you thinking?" Cassie asked.
"I'm thinking they need help, and how Jonas said that everything can't be solved with fighting." Ash said, as they left the Pokemon Center, heading for the older brothers side of town.
"Halt who goes there!" A guard asked.
"A traveler, looking to restore balance." Ash said.
"You may enter, but be warned, we are watching you." The guard said, opening the door for Ash.
"Now who do we got here?!" Marcel asked.
"An outsider, looking to help." The guard said.
"Well then outsider, you picked the right side, the older side, the more knowledgeable side." Marcel said.
"What do you mean more knowledgeable?" Ash asked.
"Pops taught me everything I needed to know to run this town, but that idiot Patrick thinks it should go to someone younger!" Marcel said.
"You don't seem that old." Ash said.
"That's what I'm saying!" Marcel exclaimed. "He says we should have someone young running the town, he's just a kid! At least I'm twenty four!"
"Look, I can't help until I know everything." Ash said.
"You won't get any useful information from the other side, but if you can find a way to get some of them into our side, it'd be much obliged." Marcel said, leaning back in his chair, his hat covering his eyes.
"Okay then." Ash said, as he was led out. "Onto the other side."
Unlike with Marcel's residence, Ash was able to walk into Patrick's place easily.
"Hello there." Patrick said, greeting Ash.
"Umm, hi." Ash said.
"Well, come on in, make yourself comfortable, how can I help you?" Patrick asked.
"Wait, you aren't going to attack me?" Ash asked.
"No, I want peace." Patrick said.
"Then why not let Marcel lead and end this fighting?" Ash asked.
"Because, he doesn't care." Patrick said. "Life is always a party to him, and I just can't let our town run like that."
"Do you know how to run it though?" Ash asked.
"I mean I don't know everything, but I'd figure it out quickly." Patrick said. "Look, I get that you're a new face, but I'm telling you it's better to let someone with a level head run the town."
"I can't argue that, Pallet Town's mayor is one of the calmest men I've ever known." Ash said.
Back at the Pokemon Center
"Well that went nowhere, neither brother seems to agree on anything." Ash sighed.
"Well their sister used to be able to." Nurse Joy said.
"She did?" Ash asked. "How long was she here?"
"Long enough that when she screamed they stopped what they were doing." Nurse Joy said.
"I think I have a solution." Ash said.
A bit later, after rummaging through the Pokemon Center's lost and found. Ash had on a pair of cowgirl boots, some jean shorts, a pink flannel shirt, and a cowgirl hat, with his hair in short braids.
"Ash, this plan is terrible." Cassie commented.
"I just need them to get along, that's all." Ash said, as long as they don't know it's me, there'll be no problem." Ash said.
"Ash the girl in that photo." Cassie said.
"I know she was a baby, but look at her brothers, she's probably around my age now." Ash said. "Watch Pikachu for me, they already know he's mine." Ash said.
A bit later "Annalise" rode into town on Ponyta.
"Marcel! Patrick! Enough is enough!" Ash shouted in a falsetto.
"And who are you?" Marcel asked.
"Don't you recognize your baby sister?" Ash asked.
"I don't got one." Marcel said.
"Come on, you couldn't have forgotten Annalise." Ash said sweetly.
"Aunt Annalise?" Patrick said in confusion.
"Wait Aunt?" Ash said in confusion.
"What's going on out here!" An man in his thirties shouted coming out from behind Marcel.
"This girl said she's Aunt Annalise!" Marcel shouted.
"MARCEL! IS THIS SOME SORT OF GAME!" The man shouted.
"YOURE ONE TO TALK PATRICK!" A second man said stepping out from behind Patrick.
"What's going on?" Ash asked in confusion.
"We don't take kindly to liars in this town." The older Marcel said.
"Especially one's pretending to be our baby sis." The older Patrick said.
"Now this is just a silly misunderstanding." Ash said backing up.
"I'm sure it is. Electabuzz, get her." The older Patrick said.
"You too Magmar." The older Marcel said.
"Dratini, come out!" Ash said, tossing out the Pokeball.
"Magmar use Flamethrower!"
"Electabuzz use Thunderbolt!"
"Dratini use Hyper Beam!"
Ash held on tightly to Dratini as it launched a hyper beam at the two Pokémon.
"Magmar use Fire Blast!"
"Electabuzz use Thunder!"
"Uh oh." Ash said.
The two attacks hit Ash at full blast, knocking him backwards and off of Ponyta.
"I…just…wanted…to…help." Ash groaned.
"And you thought this was the best way to do it?" The older Patrick said angrily.
"In retrospect, not my best." Ash said.
"This isn't your problem." The older Marcel said.
"No, but I'm thinking it's mine." The Nurse Joy from earlier said. "If I had known you'd try to imitate me, I would've stopped you."
"Wait, you're Annalise?" Ash said in surprise.
"The one and only. I was hoping my brothers could sort this out themselves, but it looks like I have to fix things again." Annalise said angrily.
"Sis, come on, I can handle this." The older Patrick said.
"No, I'm handling it, or I'll get ma." Annalise said sternly.
"Not ma." The older Marcel whined.
Back at the Pokemon Center
"Sorry about not telling you Ash, I really didn't want to get involved, but I couldn't let you get hurt." Annalise said.
"But why disguise yourself as a Nurse Joy?" Ash asked.
"Why disguise yourself as me?" Annalise said. "I felt that I could help from here without being present."
"Okay, sorry about trying to be you." Ash apologized.
"No harm done." Annalise said. "Ponyta and Dratini seem to be back to full strength now. If you're still heading to Lavender Town, you'll want to head straight out of town towards Gravel City." Annalise said, handing Ash a local map.
"Thanks again." Ash said.
As they were leaving town
"You know I always wanted a sister." Cassie commented.
"Yeah, I don't plan on making a habit out of that." Ash said.
"Good, you weren't a very pretty girl." Cassie taunted before running ahead.
"Hey! Get back here!" Ash shouted chasing after her.