"Good morning team, today you'll be heading to the Johto region. We've found strange reports of, well it's better to just show you." Professor Cerise said flicking on the monitors.
"Gahh! The light!" Goh said wincing.
"He's been bit!" Ren said.
"Ren, relax. Because of the new team, it's just too early for his eyes to be adjusted to the light." Ash said.
"Thanks for that great idea by the way." Chloe said angrily.
With the younger kids also doing research, Ash and Co had to get up at four am to ensure they didn't get involved with the younger kids' research, or worse the younger kids got involved with theirs.
"Are those Sudowoodo?" Serena asked. "Doesn't seem that big of an issue for some to be in Johto."
"Normally it wouldn't be, but this time, well there are hundreds, and it's becoming an issue." Professor Cerise explained. "Find out why they're gathering north of Goldenrod and help with the relocation process to somewhere safer."
On the Mag train
"How can he be asleep again already?" Goh whispered to Chloe.
"He's not, look at them." Chloe whispered back.
Ash was leaning on Serena, his legs curled underneath him and his eyes shut, with Serena's arm draped over him and Pikachu curled up between them. Serena on the other hand was looking between Ash and her phone, mostly at Ash.
"I still don't get it." Goh whispered back.
"In your journeys, did Marnie just ever fall asleep on you?" Chloe asked.
"No, she only recently became physically affectionate." Goh admitted.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realize that you two weren't…". Chloe paused.
"It's fine, she helped me control my anger, and I helped her open up to others. That's why we're great together." Goh said.
"Anyways, Ash is simply relaxing in Serena's arms. He's fully awake, but only pretending so he can lay like that." Chloe said.
"There is so much about that, that I don't get." Goh admitted.
"Don't worry you only have to understand that one day you'll be in Serena's position." Chloe said.
In all reality, Ash had fallen asleep before they were even on the train. Serena was just good at faking him being awake. Looking at her phone, Serena scrolled through the umpteenth page of prom dresses, and no matter how hard she tried, the only one she could imagine wearing them was Ash. The one on her phone currently, she thought would look great. She saved it for later, as Ash nestled in closer.
North of Goldenrod City
"That's a lot of Sudowoodo." Ash said looking over the fields.
"How long have you been awake?" Serena asked, still having been carrying him piggyback style.
"Enough." Ash said triumphantly. "Gahh!"
"We need to focus, plus wasn't it your rule about not being relationship focused on missions?" Serena asked.
"You could've at least given me a warning." Ash said rubbing his rear. "We need to split up, Chloe and I will go and ask around what brought the Sudowoodo here, while Serena and Goh will help keep people from getting hurt or trapped."
"So because she dropped you, I'm on cleanup duty?" Goh complained.
"You're on cleanup duty because i saw you grab Castform. Use Rain Dance only in an emergency, it should get the Sudowoodo to move." Ash said. "Let's go Chloe."
In Violet City
"Yeah I remember where the Sudowoodo came from." An older man said. Ash and Chloe had spent the better part of an hour looking for any clues, and this was the first. "I used to visit them all the time, but I haven't been able to get there in a while. This old hip just doesn't work like it used too."
"So you're saying that you've visited them since they relocated?" Ash asked.
"Of course I have, almost every day." The man said.
"And how long had you been visiting them at their previous location?" Chloe asked.
"Daily for about 45 years, what does that have to do with anything?" The man asked.
"Just a hunch, but can you show us on a map where they used to be?" Ash asked.
"Of course!" The man said.
Heading back towards the location
"Guys, we have a previous location, we're sending it to you now, we'll cover the Sudowoodo in the meantime." Chloe said over the phone. "Now spill Ash. What're you thinking?"
"I did my part and got Seb to visit. How's it been with Serena?" Ash asked.
"Like I said, just talk to her about it. Trust me on this." Chloe reassured.
Elsewhere
"Goh, do you see anything strange." Serena said moving some larger debris.
"No, except that it looks like every Sudowoodo just up and left." Goh said. "Hey, look at this. Looks like there used to be a path up this way."
"Then the damaged path must have been how the Sudowoodo got down." Serena said. "The only question is, why leave? It's secluded, protected from heavy rain, and larger than where they are now."
"Ash and Chloe found this grove, maybe they have some ideas?" Goh asked, dialing Ash up.
"Yeah, the man we talked to said he couldn't get there anymore, and when he visited them in their new grove, they stayed." Ash said.
"Well we can't leave them there, people could get hurt." Goh pointed out.
"I've got an idea, Serena start clearing the path to the village with your Pokémon. Goh come back to the clearing with me. Chloe I need you to get the old man back on the trail towards the grove." Ash said.
Back at the Sudowoodo gathering
"So what's our plan?" Goh asked.
"Our plan is to bring them back to the grove, we do that and hopefully everything else will work out." Ash said.
"And how do you plan on doing that? There's too many Sudowoodo." Goh said.
"We won't be escorting them. Wake them up with Rain Dance." Ash said with a smirk.
"I hope you know what you're doing." Goh said. "Castform use Rain Dance!"
"Now Pikachu use Discharge!" Ash said. "Now, run!"
Ash took off as the Sudowoodo began chasing him and Goh.
"That's your big idea?!" Goh asked.
"It works for Tauros!" Ash replied.
"Don't you get trampled by them?!" Goh pointed out.
"Good point. Don't get trampled." Ash said as they began running uphill.
On the other path
"Young lady, I understand what your doing, but the problem wasn't the debris." The old man said as they reached another set of steps. "I'm too old to keep doing this."
"Then you need to let the Sudowoodo know. They can't keep looking for you, it's causing problems." Chloe said supportively.
"You're right. I guess all things must come to an end at some point." The man said as they continued upward.
Back with Ash and Goh
"We're reaching the clearing! We need a new plan!" Goh shouted.
"I'm thinking! I'm thinking!" Ash yelled back. "There's our plan!" Ash said pointing at the old man.
The two dove past the old man, as he stood fearlessly in front of the Sudowoodo.
"My old friends. I've visited you daily for years, but I can't keep it up any more. And you can't go looking for me. You're safe here, and I'll visit when I can, but please understand leaving here did more harm than good on all of our parts." The old man said.
The Sudowoodo seemed to understand as they began rerooting themselves into the ground.
"Thank you kids for helping them back to their home. Perhaps I will talk to some of the other citizens, perhaps a new youngster would like to visit them." The man said with a smile.