As Team Rocket disappeared from sight, Pikachu had landed safely on the ground, before collapsing in a dead faint!
"Pikachu!" cried Ash as he ran over to the unconscious Pokémon. "Pikachu, are you okay?"
Pikachu was too tired to wake up. However, it was no longer sparking randomly, and soon they were all back in the lab, where Birch and Joshua quickly checked Pikachu over to make sure its condition was stable.
"Professor, it appears that Pikachu's electricity pressure has reached normal levels," reported Joshua as he finished reading the medical monitors.
"So Pikachu's no longer in danger of blowing up?" asked Misty hopefully.
"No, it seems that machine of Team Rocket's must have absorbed all of Pikachu's unneeded electricity," replied Professor Birch. "A good night's sleep ought to do the trick."
"Pikachu," said Ash in relief, as he looked down at his old buddy sleeping on the table.
"What'd you know?" smiled Misty. "Team Rocket ended up fixing the very problem they caused!"
"Togi priii!" said Togepi happily.
Just then, May came into the room and accidentally knocked over a flower pot, which she hastily grabbed before it had a chance to hit the floor.
"Uh hi," she said sheepishly, quickly putting the pot back on the table. "I just thought I'd introduce myself. I'm May."
"Oh yeah, we never got the chance to say hello properly," said Misty. "I'm Misty, from Cerulean City."
"And I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town," grinned Ash.
"So, how's Pikachu?" asked May in concern.
"Sleeping pretty good, finally," said Ash happily.
Birch nodded in satisfaction. "By tomorrow, Pikachu should be as good as new."
"That's good news," smiled May.
"Well now, May," said Professor Birch, turning to the young girl. "Are you ready to choose your first Pokémon?"
"What? Your first Pokémon?" Ash asked May, his interest piqued.
Birch gestured to his three Poké Balls on a nearby table. "These Poké Balls contain three beginner Pokémon. First up, Treecko!"
The Professor opened up one ball, releasing a Pokémon that looked like a small, green reptile, with big yellow eyes and a large dark green tail.
"Hey, that looks an interesting Pokémon," remarked Misty.
"Yeah! Is it a water type?" Ash asked the Professor.
"No, Ash, it's a grass type," replied Birch.
May did not much like the look of this Pokémon.
"It's creepy!" she said, taking a few nervous steps back.
"No it's not, May!" disagreed Ash. "I think it's a really cool Pokémon."
"Yeah, if you want a really creepy Pokémon, you should have seen that bug I bumped into earlier," commented Misty, shivering a bit as she remembered the Wurmple that she had encountered during the search for Pikachu.
"And this is Mudkip," said Professor Birch, as he opened another ball and released the Mudkip that had helped out earlier with the Poochyena.
"Now, that's a water type," Ash correctly assumed.
"Yeah, it was a great help earlier," grinned Misty.
"You think so?" said May doubtfully. "That Mudkip wouldn't do a single thing I asked it to do."
"Only because you didn't bother to tell it where to aim its water gun," replied Misty dryly, causing May to blush in embarrassment.
Upon seeing Misty, Mudkip gave a happy cry and leapt onto the young Water Pokémon Trainer's shoulder.
"It seems that Mudkip has become quite fond of you, Misty," observed Professor Birch. "I think it wants to go with you instead of May!"
"Is that right, Mudkip? Do you want to come along with Togepi and me?" Misty eagerly asked Mudkip.
The water Pokémon nodded happily, much to Misty's delight, and Togepi gave an enthusiastic squeak of approval.
"Wow, Misty, we've only been here a few hours and you've already caught a new Pokémon!" smirked Ash.
The Professor smiled as he picked up the final Poké Ball. "Next, I'd like you to meet... Torchic!"
He opened the ball, and another Pokémon emerged, one that resembled a small baby chicken. Its body was covered in bright orange feathers, with stubby, downy, yellow wings, and two thin legs and a short beak of a light brownish yellow colour.
"Torchic is a fire-type," explained the Professor.
"Awesome!" said Ash.
"And it looks so adorable," added Misty approvingly, as the Torchic bounced up to May and began rubbing its head affectionately against her leg.
"Well this one's not so bad," smiled May as she picked up the chick-like Pokémon. "I like it! I choose Torchic!"
"Be sure to pick up that Pokédex and those Poké Balls too," said Birch as he gestured to the standard Pokémon trainer equipment laid out on the table. "If you work hard, you can become an even better Pokémon trainer than your father!"
"Sounds like a great goal, May," said Ash supportively.
"Uh yeah, thanks Ash," said May anxiously, before muttering under her breath to herself, "I'd give up Pokémon any day of the week just for a trip around the world."
"Huh? What was that, May?" asked Misty, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, I said I wouldn't trade Pokémon for the world!" said May quickly with a timid look.
The next morning, Misty and Togepi got up bright and early, and after getting some breakfast, they stepped out of the lab for some fresh air.
"Well, Togepi, it's been a pretty bumpy road here, but at least we're finally in Hoenn and everything's worked out for the best!" said Misty cheerfully.
"Togi togi priii!" agreed Togepi with a merry wave of its small arms.
But as Misty glanced about, she spotted a cross-looking May checking over the blackened remains of her bicycle.
"Ahh, my gorgeous bike," sighed May sadly.
"Oh, sorry about that, May," said Misty sympathetically.
May angrily rounded on her. "Sorry? Is that all you have to say? Your boyfriend's Pikachu wrecked my bike! I've got a bone to pick with them!"
"But... Ash isn't my boyfriend..." Misty began to say in a somewhat flimsy manner.
But May was not listening. She had already stomped back into the lab and made her way to the guest room where Ash and Pikachu was resting. However, when she opened the door, her mood immediately softened when she saw Ash asleep in a chair, pulled up next to the bed where Pikachu was resting.
"Poor Ash," said May softly, as Misty caught up with her. "He's been looking after Pikachu all night long!"
"Yeah, Pikachu was Ash's first Pokémon," said Misty with a small smile. "They're totally devoted to each other."
As though to prove Misty's point, Ash began to mumble in his sleep:
"Pikachu, please be okay..."
Upon hearing its name, Pikachu gently woke up and strolled over to Ash, nuzzling its head affectionately against Ash's face, making the young trainer wake up as well.
"Hey!" said Ash with a big smile, as he pulled a cheerful Pikachu into a big hug. "Ah, I'm so happy!"
"Well, look at that," whispered May with a smile, as she quietly closed the door.
"Let's leave them to it," suggested Misty, to which May nodded in consent. "How about we check out our new Pokémon outside?"
The two girls headed back out and opened the Poké Balls containing their new respective Pokémon.
"Hi, Mudkip," smiled Misty at the water Pokémon. "Sleep okay?"
"Mudkip, mudkip!" said Mudkip heartily.
"And good morning to you, Torchic," smiled May as she fondly stroked the head of her new fire-type Pokémon.
"Torchic," said Torchic happily, enjoying the stroke of May's fingers against its feathered neck.
As Misty and May made a fuss of the two Pokémon, Ash emerged with Pikachu on his shoulder, the two of them both giving out a big yawn.
"Morning, Ash," said Misty with a delighted look. "Pikachu's looking a lot better today."
"Yeah, he's feeling a whole load better now," said Ash gladly.
"Pika Chaa!" said Pikachu with a cheerful expression on its face.
"That's great!" said May sincerely, as Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and went to say hello to Torchic and Mudkip.
"Look at that," beamed Misty as they watched the three Pokémon play a friendly game of chase with each other. "They've gotten off to a good start already."
"I guess you've found your first friends in Hoenn, Pikachu," grinned Ash.
As the Pokémon continued playing, May cast a regretful look at the remains of her poor bike.
"Ah, who cares?" she said to herself at last with a shrug.
A short while later, the three trainers were ready to set off, with Professor Birch and Joshua giving some final advice before they departed.
"Now, you'll have to register for Hoenn league at the nearest Pokémon Centre you can find, okay?" said Birch.
"And the closest town where I think you'll be able to find one is Oldale Town," added Joshua.
"Okay, thanks," said Ash gratefully.
"Oldale Town, huh? Sounds pretty interesting!" remarked Misty.
"Uh, walking all that way alone makes me nervous. And my bike's destroyed, thanks to your Pikachu, mister," sighed May, casting an annoyed look at Ash.
"I know exactly how you feel," chuckled Misty, with an unsurprising sense of déjà vu. "First time I met Ash, he wrecked my bike too! But I got over it. Eventually."
Ash and Pikachu both shared an embarrassed look at all this.
"Hey, I know!" said May. "Why don't we all go to Oldale Town together? I happen to know the way there!"
"Huh? You want to tag along?" said Misty in surprise, not quite sure how to react to this suggestion.
"Really guys, I don't mind at all," insisted May. "It's no trouble at all! Shall we?"
"Well, okay," smiled Ash. "We'll all go together."
"Oh, all right," said Misty, with a more teasing expression forming. "It'll be nice for a change to have someone leading who won't get us lost, right Ash?"
Ash gave another embarrassed look, knowing full well that Misty was referring to the various times he managed to get them hopelessly lost during their journeys.
"That's a good idea, you can look after one another," said Professor Birch approvingly.
"Yes, be careful," added Joshua.
"Don't worry, we will," assured Ash.
"Thanks a lot," smiled Misty.
"Pi-ka Pika!" said Pikachu.
"Togi!" added Togepi
"See ya soon!" proclaimed May as she waved goodbye, before they all began to head down the path to Oldale Town.
And thus, with Pikachu fully recovered, Ash, Misty and their new friend May begin their Hoenn journey together, ready to discover new Pokémon, and new friends as well, as further exciting adventures lay ahead for them all.
THE END... AND A NEW BEGINNING!
