The next day, Ash and his friends were back on Route 12, traveling at a slow but steady clip toward Lagoon Town, where Serena's next showcase was taking place. While Ash and Brock were traveling in relative quiet, Iris and Serena were once again discussing their plans for their upcoming Performance Battles, specifically how much time they had to prepare.

"So there aren't going to be any Performance Battles at the next showcase?"

Serena shook her head, looking back at an inquisitive Iris. "They're giving everyone some time to find partners and get their routines ready. The showcases will start incorporating them in a few weeks."

Iris nodded. "Huh. So it sounds like we might not have to do many of these, at the end of the day."

"Maybe not, no." Serena nodded in response. "If I'm lucky, we may only need to do one, in Lumiose City. If I'm ridiculously lucky, we won't have to do any, but that will never happen."

"Why not?" Ash glanced backward.

"That would mean winning my first three showcases, one after the other, and that's not going to happen."

"It might!" he responded, optimistic. "You were great in your first showcase. Don't sell yourself short."

Serena laughed. "Thanks, Ash, but I'm not selling myself short. I'm being realistic. I'm pretty sure nobody has ever done it before." She playfully kicked her feet forward as the group walked through a patch of dead leaves, strewing them about. "The competition is just tough. It always is."

Iris nodded. "Well, I don't mind doing-" She quickly cut herself off, stopping short as she realized that Ash and Brock were no longer moving. Ash was holding his arm out in front of him, stopping Brock from taking another step, and the girls behind him quickly stopped as well.

"Hold it, guys," he spoke, eyeing the ground in front of him carefully. "This doesn't seem right."

"What doesn't seem right?" Serena stood on her toes, looking over Ash's arm, seeing a large patch of leaves strewn about in front of them. He didn't answer, kneeling down and poking at the patch of leaves, before pounding his fist on it, as Pikachu leaned in curiously from his shoulder. After a couple of firm pounds, everyone else jumped as the leaf patch fell away, collapsing into what looked like a twenty-foot pit.

"What the…?" Iris exclaimed, stepping closer and looking more closely. "Did someone seriously put some sort of trap in the middle of the road? Who does that?!"

"Who was that supposed to capture?" Serena wondered aloud, unnerved. "That… wasn't meant for us, was it?"

"Maybe it was," Brock answered, frowning, arms folded. "There's only one kind of person I know of who does things like thiWHOAH!"

He yelped as he was quickly and suddenly lifted off of the ground, along with all three of his screaming companions and their Pokémon. Once the dust had settled, they all found themselves trapped and tangled together in a large net, hanging from the branch of a nearby tree.

"What the heck?!" Ash looked around at the upside-down world around him, disoriented. "What's going on?!" He tried to turn himself around, eyebrows raising as he heard a familiar laugh, one that caused his stomach to drop.

"Hahaha! Nobody expects the booby trap to be booby-trapped!" a female voice called out. "A simple but brilliant plan!" Ash watched with wide eyes as a familiar pair stepped out of the trees, walking underneath them. He would never forget that combination of blue and red hair for the rest of his life, or the small cat-like Pokémon at their feet.

"You two again?! You've got to be kidding me!"

Jessie smirked up at him confidently. "Good to see you twerps again, too. Now… prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!" James added, brushing his hair back, trying his best to look cool.

"To protect… to protect the…" Jessie paused for a moment, her expression blank. "Wait… how does this go again?"

"It's…" James racked his memory, eyes widening as it came up short, holding his head in one hand. "I don't know… it's been so long since we've said it, I've completely forgotten!"

"You can remember our motto later, you nincompoops!" Meowth pointed upward at the net of trainers they had captured. "We've got work to do!"

"Right!" James quickly came to his senses, raising his hand, which held some kind of claw device at the end of a pole. Moving around the base of the net and looking upward, he grinned as he spotted the target he was searching for. He aimed the claw upward and extended it toward their captives; seconds later, the claw managed to snag Pikachu and yank him out through one of the large holes in the net.

"No! Pikachu, use Thunder Bolt, quickly!" Ash called out, panicking. His Pokémon started charging up electricity, ready to zap his attacker, but before he had the chance, a small panel extended from the claw, and a large, transparent, rubber ball quickly formed around Pikachu. When the Thunder Bolt attack was finally unleashed, it bounced around uselessly inside the non-conductive sphere.

"We did it! A perfect heist!" Jessie reached out and snagged Pikachu off of the end of the claw, grinning from ear to ear. "The boss is going to fall in love with us when he sees this!"

"Argh! I can't believe this!" Ash yelled down at them, trying his best to move in any way, which was a difficult task in their current position. "You haven't bothered me in years! I thought I was finally rid of you!"

Jessie smirked up at him. "Counting us out was your biggest mistake!"

"Now Pikachu's free for us to take!" James continued, slapping the side of the rubber ball.

"And now a daring escape we'll make!" Meowth concluded, as all three of them ran off down Route 12 in the direction of Lagoon Town, on cloud nine, leaving the four captives hanging awkwardly in the net.

"No! We have to go after them!" Ash tried again to move, wanting to get closer to the top of the net, but he was barely able to budge, due to his awkward position and the weight of the others bearing down on him.

"How are we supposed to chase them? I can't move an inch!" Iris responded, wriggling about. "And who has their hand on my butt?!"

"It's not on purpose!" Brock insisted, red-faced, also trying and failing to move. "I'm stuck, too!"

"Ouch! Ash, you're elbowing me!" Serena protested, feeling his elbow digging further and further into her side.

"Sorry! I just need to reach my Pokémon…!" After shifting his elbow a bit, Ash managed to get his pinky finger on the button of one of his Poké Balls; he quickly pressed it, not caring which one it was. He sighed in relief, glancing down as the energy from the ball was deposited onto the ground below, forming into his Skorupi.

"Skorupi! Climb up here and cut us free!" The Pokémon quickly sprang into action, climbing up the tree as fast as possible, then traveling along the branch. He crawled along the outside of the net, causing several of them to yelp as they felt his feet brushing against their backs, as he started cutting away at the net with his claws. As he clipped more and more of the ropes, everyone could feel themselves shifting downward more and more, until they all spilled out of the net and landed on the ground in a large pile.

They all quickly detangled themselves, standing up as fast as they could, as Ash returned Skorupi to his Poké Ball. "After them! We have to get Pikachu back!" All of them quickly took off down the road, praying that they could catch up.


Several hundred yards away, the former members of Team Rocket were sitting in the basket of one of their trademark Meowth balloons, heating up the gas inside, getting ready to take off. Pikachu was still trapped in his rubber prison, repeatedly slamming his Iron Tail against it in a bid to break free, but he was unable to get the leverage he needed to break through.

"And here I thought we were wasting our time by keeping this last balloon on hand," Jessie commented, looking upward at the giant Meowth head. "Who knew it would fly us back into the arms of Team Rocket?"

"The boss is going to flip when he sees what Pikachu here can do!" Meowth exclaimed cheerfully. "Finally, we ain't gonna be complete screw-ups anymore!"

Soon, the gas in the balloon was sufficiently heated, and they felt themselves starting to take off, rising above the tree line. All three of them had ear-to-ear smiles, already imagining their reinstitution into Team Rocket, with new outfits, new supplies, and occasional pay. James glanced downward, watching the ground as they flew away, when something caught his eye that caused him to groan.

"Oh, boo. Looks like they're already trying to spoil the party." Jessie and Meowth looked downward, following his eyes, seeing Ash and his friends running after them as fast as they could.

Down below, Iris was reaching for the Poké Balls at her waist, being the only one among them who had any flying Pokémon on hand. She grabbed two of them and quickly tossed them out in front of her, with the Pokémon inside quickly emerging.

"Altaria! Dragonite! Fly up there and get Pikachu back!" Both Pokémon quickly took off, flying upward toward the slowly-rising balloon, which was still fairly close to the ground.

Jessie sighed. "They have to make this difficult, don't they?" She reached down into the basket of the balloon, pulling out what looked like a hollow bazooka, with fans built into either end of the barrel. "Oh, well. At least now we get to use the fun stuff."

Both of the approaching Pokémon eyed the device carefully as they flew closer, not sure what it was going to do. Jessie quickly took aim at Altaria, pulling the trigger of the gun, causing the fans in it to spin wildly, as a sound like a jet engine rang out. Altaria was immediately knocked off course as a massive blast of air slammed into it, causing it to flap its wings wildly in an attempt to regain its balance.

"Direct hit!" Meowth cheered, hanging onto the edge of the basket and watching the action. Jessie grinned wide, taking aim at Dragonite and firing again, watching as he had to wildly dodge to avoid the blast.

From down below, Iris watched nervously as her Pokémon tried time and again to get close to the balloon, which was slowly getting farther away. She cupped her hands to her mouth, shouting out a command while she could still be heard.

"Dragonite! Hyper Beam! Keep moving while you do it, and take out the balloon!"

Dragonite snorted, irritated with these foes and more than happy to launch an attack. He opened his mouth, a yellow ball of energy forming in it, as Altaria tried one more time to fly in close. It started to focus, preparing a Dragon Pulse, when James suddenly pulled out an air bazooka of his own, grinning wide.

"Happy landings!" he called out, pulling the trigger and scoring a direct hit. Altaria flew backwards toward the ground, slamming into Dragonite on the way, causing the Hyper Beam to fire off harmlessly into the blue sky. Both Pokémon hit the ground heavily, dazed and sore.

"Oh no!" Iris ran over to both of them, checking on them to make sure they were alright. Ash, Brock and Serena watched the balloon fly farther and farther away, their hearts sinking, having no idea how they were going to get Pikachu back now.

"And that is that!" Jessie proclaimed, lowering her air bazooka and wearing a triumphant smirk. "Finally, after all these years, we've beaten back those twerps! They won't be stopping us now!"

James grinned wide, his chest puffing out proudly. "So this is what success feels like… I could really get used to this." He lowered his weapon as well. "This is the first day of a new chapter in our lives!"

All three of them turned toward each other, sharing a three-way high five and laughing happily. Their celebrations were quickly interrupted, however, by the sound of something like small airplanes approaching them quickly. They stopped and turned toward the sound, eyes widening as they saw two people flying through the sky toward them, wearing helmets with visors, jetpacks, and what looked like jet wings on their backs.

"No, no, no, not now!" Jessie started to panic, recognizing them immediately, not having prepared for this. "Not them, not when we're so close!" Both she and James reached down for their weapons again as the two airborne travelers quickly grew closer.

Back on the ground, everyone turned their attention to these new challengers as they approached. Ash, Brock and Iris were both confused and curious, not sure what sort of people traveled Kalos flying through the sky. Serena recognized them immediately, gasping.

"Ah!" Her eyes lit up excitedly. "No way! It's the Ace Patrol!"

"Huh?" Brock glanced in her direction. "The what patrol?"

"The Ace Patrol!" she reiterated, stepping forward for a closer look. "They travel around Kalos to help people in need! I can't believe they're here!" Ash took a step closer after her, watching as the two patrollers came to a stop on either side of the balloon, hovering in the air as Jessie and James pulled out their air weapons.

"So Team Rocket is still in Kalos after all!" one of the patrollers spoke into the microphone built into her helmet, communicating with her partner. "We'll take care of you guys!" She reached down to her side, pulling out a Poké Ball and pressing the button on the front. "Let's go, Hawlucha!"

Her partner nodded, pulling out a Poké Ball of his own. "You too, Staraptor! Let's stop these pesky criminals!"

Seconds later, both the Hawlucha and the Staraptor had emerged from their Poké Balls. Jessie and James started firing air blasts at them, desperate to keep them away, but both birds darted away, much too agile to be hit. The two patrollers took the blasts head on, both of them being knocked away, but they managed to regain control and fly back into position.

"Get them!" James called out, firing wildly. "Lead your shots! Get them away from the balloon!"

The male patroller called out, trying to be heard over the sound of jets and air bazookas. "Staraptor, use Steel Wing! Take out that giant Meowth!"

Staraptor cawed in response, flying closer, as its wings sharpened and turned as hard as steel, glowing white. Dodging multiple blasts, it flew right along the side of the balloon, slicing an enormous hole in the side. Hot air immediately began rushing out, sending the entire balloon flying in the direction of Lagoon Town, as the basket started shaking about wildly.

"Whoa! Hang on!" Jessie cried out, gripping the basket for dear life, as James and Meowth did the same. As it rocked about, wildly moving up and down, the rubber ball containing Pikachu eventually bounced its way out, starting to fall to Earth.

"No! Pikachu! Come back, please!" James called out, despondent, reaching out with one hand as if he could summon it back, but he quickly grabbed the basket again, not wanting to fall out himself. All three of them watched in despair as their futures slipped away, as the balloon continued flying away and sinking, eventually crashing into the trees.

Ash gasped as he saw Pikachu falling through the sky, running forward to try and catch him, even though he knew in the back of his mind that he wouldn't make it in time. Shortly before he hit the ground, one of the patrollers managed to swoop down and snatch the ball out of the sky, holding it tight as she turned herself upright and slowly lowered herself to the ground.

"You there! Is this your Pikachu?" she called out, turning off her jetpack, as Ash approached, with his friends close behind.

"It is!" he exclaimed, overjoyed as he ran right up to her. "Thank you so much for saving him!"

"My pleasure," she answered, handing the ball over to Ash. He looked it over, finding a button on the top and pressing it, causing the rubber to retract and release his Pokémon. As soon as he was free, Pikachu leaped happily into his trainer's arms, as Ash held him tightly, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Sorry that Team Rocket was troubling you," the male patroller called out, landing and turning his jetpack off as well, as the others ran up behind Ash. "Hopefully they won't be bothering you again. If they do, though, you can always call on Team Ace to lend you a hand."

"Team Ace?" Iris asked, curious. "That's who you are?"

"That's right," the girl answered, launching into a well-rehearsed monologue. "We're dedicated to improving the lives of all the citizens of Kalos, in every way we can. Crime fighting, philanthropy, community outreach, we do it all!"

Serena smiled wide, nodding, highly familiar. "Thank you so much for helping us. We really owe you for this."

"No need for that," the man answered. "Just pay it forward at your next opportunity." Both patrollers turned their jetpacks back on. "All of you, stay safe!" The four trainers watched, along with Axew and Pikachu, as the pair flew off into the sky, off to find more crimes to fight.

"Geez, talk about a lucky break," Brock commented. "I don't know what we would have done if the Ace Patrol hadn't come by."

"Me neither," Ash agreed, looking down at the Pokémon in his arms. "I can't believe I have to deal with Team Rocket again, after so long. What a pain."

Serena frowned and nodded. "At least we're not fighting them alone this time. Hopefully Team Ace helps keep them off our backs."

Iris agreed, starting to walk along the road again, Axew back in his usual perch. "We should get into town as soon as we can. I'd hate to run into them a second time." Everyone else agreed, resuming their walk toward town at a much quicker pace than before.


Some ways away, the wreckage of the destroyed Meowth balloon was resting in the forest, not too far from Route 12 or Lagoon Town. All three of the former Team Rocket members were lying on the ground right outside the basket of the balloon, partly because they were sore from the crash, partly because they were too depressed to move.

"I can't believe it…" Jessie groaned. "We had him in our grasp… we had finally beaten those twerps… it's not fair."

"Nothing ever goes right with us," Meowth added. "Even when we win, life finds a way to make us lose."

James sighed deeply. "We're never going to rejoin Team Rocket, are we? No Pikachu, no balloon, no luck at all…" He covered his eyes with his arms, as if he was trying to shut the world out. "We're just going to be losers for the rest of our lives. We might as well face it."

Jessie sat up a bit, looking over at her partner as she heard the defeat in his voice. Even though she couldn't see his eyes, she was still able to pick up on a deep sadness in his expression. She clenched her fists, standing up, feeling a surge of energy.

"No, we're not! We may have lost today, but we can't give up just yet!" She marched over to James. "So long as that Pikachu is here in Kalos, we're going to keep trying to capture it, like we always did! And when we do, things are finally going to turn around!"

James uncovered his eyes and looked up at her, surprised, as she reached her hand down toward him. "Come on, you two!" she continued. "We know they're on their way to Lagoon Town. Let's beat them there and come up with a foolproof plan!"

He lay back for a moment, surprised by her sudden vigor, before reaching out and taking her hand. "You're right, Jessie. We can't give up just yet!" He quickly stood up with her help, as Meowth got to his feet as well. "Let's get moving, quickly!" All three of them turned and ran once again in the direction of Lagoon Town, already starting to plan out their next steps.