"Alright Pikachu, let's go." Ash said, stepping out of a tunnel. "We know where our task lies."
"Pi." Pikachu said in agreement.
"Now, if I were to find Articuno, where would I begin?" Ash asked.
"Creeee!"
Ash looked up in the sky to see Articuno flying overhead.
"Pi." Pikachu said building up electricity.
"Not yet, it does no good if we can't find her, we need her to be on the ground." Ash said.
Flashback
"Here is a team to help you." Kazor said, handing the Ash clone five Pokeballs.
"Father, would I not be best suited to have a full team?" The Ash clone asked.
"My Pikachu will accompany you on this mission, the boy has one with him at all times." Kazor said. "It is not to be left behind or put in a Pokeball."
"What about capturing Articuno?" The Ash clone asked.
"Once you have insured it can't escape we will be nearby ready to capture it." Xia said. "Now hold still, your hair is to neat."
"Stop it mother." The Ash clone argued.
"This is what he looks like." Kazor said, showing the photo of Ash and Cassie he had swiped. "Articuno will know something is amiss if you don't act the part."
"What of the girl?" The Ash clone asked.
"Irrelevant, now go." Kazor said.
Back to the present
"We should maintain a distance just in case. Tentacruel come out!" The Ash clone said.
Ash and Pikachu leapt onto the Tentacruel taking off after Articuno.
"Is that.. Ash! Hey Ash, over here!" Megan exclaimed seeing Ash rushing across the water, paying no mind to her. "Rude." Megan said with a tinge of anger.
"Keep on it Tentacruel, we can't afford any mishaps." Ash said.
Tentacruel followed Articuno to another island where she landed but was lost in the foliage.
"Just great!" Ash said angrily. "Articuno has landed, but I don't have eyes on it yet." Ash said into a microphone.
"Remember to smile." Kazor reminded. "You have to be Ash if we want to succeed."
"Yes father." Ash said, making his way through the woods.
"Pika." Pikachu said running ahead. He would not follow this child if he could help it.
"Alakazam get out here!" Ash said tossing out a Pokeball.
"Ala?" The Alakazam said.
"Which way is the Articuno." Ash demanded.
"Ala. Kazam." Alakazam said meditating to find Articuno.
"Ash! What's with you? I know you heard me?!" Megan demanded, rushing up to the clone.
"I don't have time to deal with you. Parasect use Spore!" Ash said, sending out a different Pokémon.
"Venusaur stop it!" Megan exclaimed. "You aren't Ash…" Megan realized in shock.
"Nope, but you'll never tell." Ash said, snapping his fingers.
Powder poured out from Parasect's mushroom, floating down and on Megan and Venusaur, covering them completely.
"Let's go, Alakazam found the way." Ash barked at Parasect and Pikachu.
"Not without the girl." Kazor barked.
"I thought you said she was irrelevant." The Ash Clone said.
"That was the other girl, this one may be of use in convincing Articuno." Kazor said.
A bit later
"Artículo help! My friend was attacked!" The Ash Clone said, carrying the unconscious Megan.
"Cuuu?" Articuno said, standing up.
"Gotcha." The Ash clone said triumphantly. "Parasect use Spore!"
As Articuno went to sleep, Ash went back over the comms.
"The package is secured and ready for pickup." The Ash Clone said.
The large mech landed nearby, the other capsules already glowing yellow and red.
"Good work my child, you have done everything we asked of you." Xia said.
"Thank you mother." The Ash Clone said with a bow.
A pair of mechanical arms shot out from either side of the remaining capsule, ensnaring Articuno as they reeled him in.
"And what of the girl?" The Ash clone asked.
"Leave her, she saw nothing aside from you." Kazor said over the comms.
"I must agree, it's less to clean up." Xia said calmly.
"Then I shall see you both back at base." The Ash Clone said. "All hail Giovanni."
"All hail Giovanni." Kazor and Xia responded.
On a seperate channel
"Kazor does he know." Xia said emotionlessley.
"If he was aware he wouldn't be so quick to return, but we need only one for our plan to succeed." Kazor said.
"What if we made adjustments, then perhaps." Xia said.
"Don't go getting emotional on me, you know what happened with minor adjustments in the last clone project, we need the two linked on a genetic level." Kazor said. "This will bring in a new age for Team Rocket, a new age for all of Kanto."
"Of course." Xia said, turning off her comms.
Elsewhere on a beach
"Don't you just love it when a day goes perfect." Ash said, relaxing on a beach.
"Shouldn't we be focused on getting back to mainland?" Cassie asked.
"Already working on it, a boat heading for just outside of Viridian will be here tomorrow." Ash said, leaning back. "For now we enjoy the sun, sand, and a peaceful afternoon."
"Pika." Pikachu said with a similar attitude.