It's a sunny day in one of the many regions of the Pokémon World, the Kalos region. The location in Kalos that is being focused on is Cyllage City. At a nearby fountain-side bench, a young boy, about 13 years of age is hanging out with a couple of his friends, 2 girls plus another boy. The 13-year-old has a blue collared shirt with short sleeves and a white trim. Underneath, the said shirt is a black undershirt. His lower area has clothing such as dark blue jeans and red high-top sneakers. On his head, is a red and white hat with a semi-circle-like symbol on it. He also has red-bordered, black fingerless gloves on both of his hands. He also has a mouse-like creature on his right shoulder. "I still can't believe that I won my Cliff Badge at the Gym here."

The other Trainers are all shaking their heads in agreement. The other boy in the group is a short and skinny boy, with fair skin, blue eyes, and messy medium-length bright yellow hair with a lightning-bolt-shaped tuft on top. His outfit consists of large round glasses, black shoes with white soles, and a yellow-collared skin-tight blue jumpsuit with yellow stripes on the knees and bottom cuffs. Underneath his clothes, he wears a white tank top, white socks with blue stripes, and light blue bloomers with horizontal dark blue stripes and a matching ribbon. He also has a white backpack on him as well.

"You've done a great job, Ash." The girls in the group shake their heads in agreement. "You've done a great job too, Pikachu!", the youngest girl says to Ash's mouse-like Pokémon. "Thanks, Bonnie. You and Clemont both do have a liking for electric types," Ash says, making them blush at the compliment. Bonnie is a small and slender young girl with shiny golden-blonde hair tied in a side ponytail with an orange band and sky blue eyes. She wears a brown short-sleeved top with a soft black bow on the neckline, knee-length black compression shorts covered by a puffy white skirt resembling a cloud, some pink colored Mary-Jane shoes on her feet, and a yellow shoulder bag.

The oldest girl of the group is a beautiful fair-skinned girl with waist-length honey blonde hair. The hair is tied in a loose ponytail at the end with bangs hanging on the left side and light blue eyes. Her main outfit consists of a dark gray tank top with a white collar, dark gray stockings, red double waist side buttons pleated skirt, black hi-tops with a pink printing on the sides, and a dark pink hat paired with a black hatband and ribbon bow. "Don't forget about me, Ash. I also think that you did a good job, you too, Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu smile at that, "Thanks, Serena. You've given me support everywhere since my victory at the last Pokémon Gym." Serena smiles and her cheeks turn a light red. "How many badges is that so far, Ash?", the youngest girl in the group said to him. "That makes 2 Badges, Bonnie," Ash said to her with a smile. Bonnie smiles as her golden hair moves in excitement. She brushes off some dust on her brown shirt and black shorts, a small mouse-like Pokémon joins her at her pink shoes. She then picks it up and places it inside her yellow purse-like bag.

Their laughs and smiles soon turn into concern as over a few blocks, sirens are sounding. Despite his 16 inch height, Pikachu's black-tipped ears perk up at the sound. "(Guys, over there!)", Pikachu says, even though the trainers can only hear Pikachu's name in a variety of ways. The other trainers look to where the sirens are coming from. In the distance, they see a few ambulances coming into the town square, as a police car trails behind them. All the trainers move out of the way to make room, as they are also near the local Pokémon Center and a Hospital. As soon as the ambulances stop, doctors and nurses come out with five people and one cat-like Pokémon.

The police car soon stops and a female police officer comes out. "Clear the area, everyone, we've got a big group that's hurt!", the female officer announces. A few minutes pass before Ash comes over to greet the officer, "Pardon me, Officer Jenny, but what's going on?" "Oh, hello," Jenny greets the young boy, "We've picked up some people that were hurt badly. Grant, the gym leader here found them lying in the forest." Bonnie comes up to Jenny quickly with a panicked expression on her face, "Can we see them? Are they going to be OK?!" Jenny kneels to her level and lays a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Yes, you can. Just give Nurse Joy and the doctors a few minutes." The foursome each look at each other with relief at the news. Serena steps forward, "Do you know what happened? Can you tell us the full story?" Jenny shakes her head as together, the group sits on the benches near the hospital door.

"It's a long story, I hope that you guys are ready." The group shakes their heads, ready for Officer Jenny's story. "As I said, we were called in by Grant, the Gym Leader here. Grant said that he was exploring the forest with his Pokémon, Onix, and Tyrunt when he saw some people lying on the ground." "Just how many did you find, Officer?", Serena asks Jenny. "Five people, three boys, two girls, a variety of ages, and a Skitty too," Jenny confirms with her. Bonnie looks at a red device near Serena, "May I use the Pokédex?" "Of course, Bonnie, here," Serena says as she turns it on by pressing the blue button in the middle. "Pokédex?", Bonnie asks it, "Can you show us data on Skitty?" The Pokédex opens up and the middle becomes a screen in the center, shows the Pokémon known as Skitty. It is a pink and white cat-like Pokémon, with a tear-drop-shaped tail, and three mini tails that look like little dandelions. A female voice then describes the Pokémon: "Skitty, The Kitten Pokémon, A Normal Type. Skitty will get completely caught in pursing by any moving objects that catch its eye. As the device closes, Bonnie gives it back to Serena.

Jenny smiles at Bonnie, "My my, Bonnie. You love Pokémon, don't you?" Bonnie shakes her head as Pikachu comes from Ash's shoulder to her shoulder. "I sure do, Officer. I love taking care of everyone's Pokémon too!" Bonnie then brushes Pikachu's fur to prove it. Jenny smiles as she gets back to her story, "Anyway, when we got there, I immediately called for doctors and Nurse Joy, as you have seen, with Skitty." "Officer Jenny?," Clemont says to her, "What kind of injuries did they have when you saw them?" "When Grant saw them," Jenny begins, "He told me that they had scratches across their arms and legs, plenty of bruises, and this is also not to mention that they were knocked out too." Everyone cringes at each of the injuries that the officer describes.

"As if it wasn't strange enough, there was also this card," Jenny says as she reaches for something, "I'm not sure where or what game this is from... but it does look cool." "Can you watch over this for me, please?", Jenny asks the trainers. They all shake their heads "Yes", as Jenny steps into the lobby. "Gotta say," Clemont starts as he looks at the card, "I've never heard of this Vanguard game, but this is one cool card." Serena's face is turning red as she imagines Ash as the knight on the card, Blaster Blade Seeker. As each of the trainers look at the card, it glows and the Pokédex opens as well. Everyone isn't paying attention to the mysterious light, especially when the Pokédex mysteriously glows again. But, this time, the light splits into two lights, and then out comes two more Pokédexes. All of the Pokédexes now have a "V" marker on the top left.

After 15 minutes, Officer Jenny comes through the hospital door with a smile on her face. "Good news, everyone. Nurse Joy says that you can come inside." Everyone smiles as Ash gives back Blaster Blade Seeker to Jenny, but as he turns around, he notices his Pokédex as well as the extras. "Hey guys," Ash says with uncertainty, "Look at this..." everyone turns around to see what Ash is talking about. Clemont and Bonnie are shocked to find the extra Pokédexes, while Serena and Jenny are puzzled at the sight. "I've never seen this before, Big Brother," Bonnie says to Clemont, who's flustered in every sense of the word. "I guess... these are for us because Ash and Serena already have their own." Bonnie takes the Aqua and Gold Pokédex, while Clemont takes the White and Silver Pokédex. Ash and Serena each look at their respective Pokédexes, while Ash's Pokédex is now Blue and White, Serena's is now Glowing Green with a Pinkish White. Ash shakes his head, "I don't know what's going on, but this is pretty cool." He then turns to Jenny, "How are the patients doing?" "They are doing just fine, Nurse Joy says that you guys can see them. Just follow me." Together, the team packs up and heads inside the hospital to meet the new people in their world.

Inside the hospital, Emi's vision is very blurry as she slowly opens up her eyes, "Oh man... What happened?" She then looks around her area before gazing at Kai and Kamui near the door and Misaki with Shin near her bed. "Hey there, Emi," Misaki says in a motherly tone, "Are you OK?" Emi shakes her head as she sits up to see the group. "Are you guys all right?" Everyone shakes their head, but Shin has a worried expression. "Misaki, Where's our cat?", Shin says to Misaki. She just shakes her head, "No, I haven't, especially after falling through the portal and then all of us blacking out." The next thing they know, they hear a meowing sound as a Skitty, with a green collar, with a bell around its neck, comes through the door and hops onto Misaki's lap.

Nurse Joy then pops in, "Everyone, I have good news, your Skitty is doing just fine." Everyone in the group is baffled at the statement. "Excuse me?", Shin says in confusion, "It's supposed to be our Assisticat, not a Skitty." Nurse Joy just shakes her head in disbelief, surprised by what she has heard Shin said. "I'm sorry, sir, but this is not an Assisticat. It's a Skitty, a Pokémon. I guess you've never heard of it?", Nurse Joy asked the group, despite being shocked. Everyone shakes their head to confirm her question. "This world is filled to the brim with fascinating creatures that we know as Pokémon They each have amazing powers and they can even be part of our regular lives." Emi raises her hand, which grabs Joy's attention, "Yes? What is it?" Emi looks at Skitty and back at her, "Are Pokémon like animals? Such as Shin and Misaki's Cat to that Skitty?" "Yes, Emi. Some Pokémon have animal-like features or behaviors." Misaki looks at the Pokémon and thinks to herself, "Hmm... Like Vanguard, there are animals with amazing powers too." "You guys aren't from around here, are you?," Nurse Joy asks the group as they shake their heads, "Yes". "I can bring in some more people who not only want to see you but also know more about Pokémon." Kai then speaks up for the group, "Yes, we would like to see them."

Nurse Joy then leaves the room with glee and confidence. She returns just a few minutes later, bringing out a few chairs, and then escorting Jenny, Ash, Bonnie, Clemont, and Serena in along with their Pokémon. As each one of the Pokémon group walks in, they are amazed and marvel at some of their Pokémon. "So, Doctor," Kai says with a few scars on his head, "Pardon us for not introducing ourselves to you first. My name's Kai, Toshiki Kai." Kai then points at each member, and they take turns introducing themselves. "The name's Shin, this is my niece, Misaki Tokura. I guess you already know our Assisticat, who is now Skitty." Misaki waves as she pets Skitty with a little relief. "The name's Kamui, and on the bed is Miss Emi Sendou." "Thanks for taking care of us," he says as he straightens up his hair. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Joy says blushing a little, "But please, call me Nurse Joy. This is Officer Jenny, she helped with the rescue."

As she leaves the room, Shin looks at Ash and his group, "Are you guys the ones that assisted the rescue of us?" Ash looks at his friends before responding, "You can say that. The name's Ash Ketchum, this is my good buddy, Pikachu." Pikachu waves and smiles making the girls blush at how cute he is. The guys take a liking as well, considering his lightning bolt tail. "I'm Serena, I'd like you to meet my partner, Fennekin." She looks down at a waving paw, coming from a pale yellow fox. She has dark orange fur that covers the interiors of the ears and the end of her tail, red eyes, and a black nose. Misaki looks at Fennekin, thinking, "It kind of looks like one of my Oracle Think Tank units..." "I'm Clemont, this is Chespin." Chespin waves at the boys and they take in its appearance. It seems to resemble a porcupine or hedgehog. It has a tough spiky green chestnut-like shell covering its head and back. Chespin has brown fur, a large orange triangle-shaped nose, black oval-shaped eyes, and a toothy grin. It has sharp claws on its large feet, and an orange tip on the end of its pointed green tail. "I'm Bonnie, I'm Clemont's big brother, he caught me my friend, Dedenne." A mouse-like Pokémon pops out of Bonnie's little yellow purse-like bag. Dedenne has a small, rodent-like Pokémon. Most of its round, pudgy body is a vibrant orange color, and it has a cream-colored belly. It has a very long, black, wire-like tail and spiny, black whiskers on its reddish-orange cheek patches. It has small oval ears that are black on the outside with cream-colored insides. Dedenne has small, black eyes, a tiny black nose, and small, sharp incisor teeth. Its feet and paws are short and stubby, with tiny digits.

Emi does show a mix of emotions during Bonnie's introduction. She's happy to see another girl her age and to see another cute Pokémon, but at the mention of "Big Brother", she solemnly thinks of her brother, Aichi. Bonnie notices Emi's sudden change in emotion and slowly heads in her direction. Pikachu jumps off of Ash's shoulder to join Bonnie and Dedenne stays in her bag as she makes her way to Emi. "Are you OK, Emi? Do you have a big brother?" As Emi shakes her head "Yes", slowly, Misaki speaks up as she directs her words to Bonnie. "Yeah, Emi does have a Big Brother, but he's gone missing." Kai looks at Ash, "He's not just a big brother to him, he's a mate or a friend to all of us." Kamui then notices the bag in Jenny's hand and sees the card, "Excuse me, Officer, that card, that's ours." Jenny looks at the card and hands it back to Kamui. Kamui then hands it to Emi, "We'll find him, no doubt about it." Jenny looks at Kai, "What do you mean by "Mate" and what's that card? I have never seen anything like it, before, so... that are you not of this world?" Kai shakes his head, as the Pokemon group takes a short gap. "Yes, Jenny," Kai admits, "Even though we are not of this world, we do have a similar world to yours. But that card, it's our own unique and signature feature. It's our card game, Vanguard. "I run a card shop with my nephew," Shin says, "These guys are not only frequent visitors, but we are all players or CardFighters." "Vanguard...," Ash says to himself before speaking to Kai, "Hey Kai, is it a cool game, and is it similar to Pokémon?" Kai smiles a little, "Yeah, similar, in a couple of ways." Emi then looks at Pikachu as he hops up to her, "Are Pokémon cool and can we use Pokémon ourselves?" Jenny looks at her, "Of course, people all around our world can have Pokémon with them."

Ash then lights up, "I know what we can do!" "What is it, Ash?" Shin says, surprised by Ash's sudden response, "Do you know something that can help us?" "It's a someone, Shin," Ash informed the group, "I'm gonna call Professor Oak back at my home at Pallet Town in the Kanto Region. I'm gonna see if we can arrange something for you guys." Serena then looks at Misaki and the others, "Hey, if you guys can teach us about Vanguard, can we teach you about Pokémon?" Clemont then stands and smiles, "We can show you many things about our world. In return, we can help you find your friend, Aichi." Bonnie then smiles at the group and soon looks back at Emi, "We can not only stand up to help you, but we can stand up as a team!" Jenny then smiles at the Vanguard Group, "So, what do you say?" Shin and the others look at each other, uncertain about what to come, but smile after a while. Misaki first hugs Serena, "I'd be a fool not to waste this chance. I'm ready to fulfill my destiny and find Aichi." Shin shakes Clemont's hand while Kamui pats his shoulder, "Let's see what we can do, not only as allies," Shin starts. "But as friends, too!", Kamui ends. Jenny looks at Emi, then proceeds to help her off the bed and into her clothes. "I may not have Aichi at my side, but I have you guys." Emi then holds Bonnie's hand, "Show me your world and show us yours!" Bonnie smiles and shakes her head "yes". Kai then stands up and then shakes Ash's hand. "If you teach us, we'll teach you." The groups then each come together and shout together about new goals, new friendships, and new journeys...

"VANGUARD, WE CHOOSE YOU!" "STAND UP, POKÉMON!"

Ash and his friends have met Team Q4 and are getting set to help each other!

The time has come to begin a new journey for all of our heroes!

Next time: "It's Drafting Day!"