"Thank you so much for the lift!" Whitney said, once they'd arrived in Sinnoh.

"It's my pleasure!" King Dragonite told her, which was something he could do now that Lokoko was out of her Pokéball. "Would you like a hug?"

"I would love one!" Whitney agreed, and promptly got swept up by Dragonite for a nice proper hug.

Ash chuckled. "I guess you've made a friend just from that."

He took out Ibid, who transformed into a map of Sinnoh. "Let's see, uh… we're not far from Twinleaf Town, and Professor Oak said something about meeting up with Professor Rowan… where does he live, again?"

"There," Pikachu pointed. "Sandgem Town."

"Oh, Rowan, I remember him," Whitney said, thinking, as King Dragonite let go and returned into his Safari Ball. "He's kind of fun, a bit boring sometimes though."

"The good news is, we're not too far from Sandgem Town," Ash announced. "I think. It's only about, uh, half a centimetre on this map, but hopefully that doesn't mean very far in the real world."

"If it is a long way when it's that small on the map, then the map's not very good," Whitney agreed. "And since I'm sure the map's good, it can't be a long way."

She sent out her Galarapidash, who struck a pose and swished his mane.

"Did you overhear the plan?" Lokoko asked. "I am not sure if you were awake or not."

"Nope," the Unique Horn Pokémon said, tapping a hoof on the ground. "Or, yes, if the plan was to go to Sandgem Town."

"We are doing that, but that's not the plan," Ash replied. "Instead, the idea is that Lokoko's going to teach you Hypnosis."

"And then you'll be able to translate Pokémon for their trainers," Whitney agreed. "It'll be like you're casting a spell to let people and Pokémon communicate freely."

"That does sound like it would be an appropriate use of magic," Rapidash nodded, considering. "It's no magical rainbow friendship beam, but it's got at least two of those words."

"That's what I thought!" Whitney said.

Ash checked the map again, and pointed. "I guess it's that way?"

A small arrow appeared on Ibid's map. It moved when Ash turned which way he was looking, and he brightened. "Oh, that's helpful! So yeah, we are going in the right direction – in which case, let's go!"

"I know you had a Deerling, a Miltank, and a Nidorina as well as Rapidash," Ash said. "And Regigigas, kind of. Who did you bring with you to Sinnoh?"

"Well, I did want to bring just about everyone," Whitney told him, half her focus on Tiny Shiny Rayquaza who she was gently petting as they walked. "And I just had to bring Miltank, because she's my starter, and I couldn't bear to be parted from Chatot… but apart from that I left the rest to the substitute gym leaders to give them more options."

She smiled. "And don't forget, Rayquaza, let me know if I should stop! I know the difference between being happy and being shy with all my Pokémon, but sometimes for a new Pokémon I can get it wrong at first so it's good to check."

Rayquaza nodded, lazily – floating in mid-air and propelled along by Whitney's hand. "I'm fine, thank you."

"She is still as adorable as when I first heard about her!" the Gym Leader added. "I'd ask if she's learned Charm yet, but it'd be redundant."

Aten made a humpf sound, possibly just on general principle.

"And I haven't forgotten you, either," Whitney added. "I know you're a grumbly grumpy miseryguts, but I bet you're sweet deep down!"

"That is as inaccurate as it is possible to be," the Zorua declared.

Whitney chuckled.

"I know you've got other Pokémon I'd like to see, but I'm willing to wait," she told Ash. "I've heard something about a Pidgey, though?"

"Yeah, Pidgey is a great Pokémon," Ash said. "She's got a really cool way of evolving!"

There was a faint sound, then, and Ash looked up. "That sounded like…"

"I think that was a Piplup," Pikachu said.

"I concur," Lokoko declared, loping up behind them from where she'd been talking with Rapidash. "And it sounded like it was in distress."

"Then let's go help!" Ash decided.

Whitney made a clicking sound with her tongue, and Rapidash cantered up beside her. She put her foot on thin air next to him, the Psychic-type held her shoe in place, and she hoisted herself up to sit on his back.

"Lead on!" she said.

"Rayquaza, you go ahead!" Ash instructed. "See what's going on!"

There was, indeed, a Piplup in distress.

There was also a young girl in almost as much distress. The two of them were stuck in a String Shot cage and being attacked by Ariados, or at least that was what Ash and Whitney gathered – by the time they got there the attacking had stopped, and Rayquaza was hovering both protectively and literally over the girl and the Piplup.

"And I don't think that was very polite," Rayquaza was saying. "I know you felt like they were doing something wrong, but most humans can't understand Pokémon. Or so I've been told."

"Wait…" the girl said, blinking. "I understood that last bit – how come?"

"Oh, that means Ash is here," Rayquaza replied.

"Yeah, we just arrived," Ash confirmed. There was a thump as Whitney swung down off Rapidash's back again, but most of the attention was on Lokoko as she padded into the clearing alongside her trainer.

The girl sighed with relief. "I'm glad someone's here," she admitted. "I'm really not doing well… some of Professor Rowan's Pokémon fled the lab and got lost, so I went to get them."

"Ahem!" the Piplup coughed, folding his flippers. "I am not lost! I was simply curious about the outside, which I have never seen before."

Whitney giggled. "Piplup, approved!" she said.

That confused Piplup slightly. "What do you mean, approved? You mean there was a possibility I wouldn't be?"

"Hey!" one of the Ariados said. "We're still here, you know! What are you doing getting in the way?"

"Trying to make sure everyone's fine," Ash replied. "Actually, if you're taking that Piplup back to Professor Rowan, that means you know where he is, right? We're just working on the idea that he's somewhere near Sandgem Town."

The girl nodded. "Yes, I… think I know? I can show you. Probably show you, at least."

"Oi!" the Ariados protested. "Don't just walk away!"

"We could have a battle, if you'd like," Pikachu said, sparking his cheeks. "Would that make you feel better?"

"Yes!" the loud Ariados said.

"It wouldn't make me feel better," another replied, scuttling away a bit. "Did you not see the Legendary Pokémon on that Pikachu's team?"

"Come on, there's a Ninetales there too!" said the argumentative Ariados. "Are you telling me you don't think illusions are involved here?"

"I think there's a Ninetales involved here, thanks for reminding me," a third one of the Bug-types said.

After Pikachu had had a quick battle with the only Ariados who still wanted one, and after Rayquaza had caught him and set him back on the floor to sleep it off, Ash and Whitney introduced themselves to the girl they'd rescued and the girl introduced herself in return as Dawn.

"I'm hoping to be a Coordinator," she explained, as they walked. "My mother was one – but I haven't even got my own Pokémon yet."

She looked down at Piplup, and smiled a little. "Though… I think I know who I'd like."

"Of course you'd want me," Piplup said. "There's no Pokémon better!"

"One of my friends from Hoenn is a Coordinator," Ash volunteered. "And Brock does Contests sometimes, but it was May's main thing."

"May?" Dawn repeated. "As in, May Maple – you know May Maple? That's cool!"

"Yeah, she was just starting out when I met her too," Ash agreed.

Then they came out of the trees onto the shores of a lake.

"...now, I don't think we're lost," Whitney said. "But I think we just found exactly where we are. That's Lake Verity, isn't it?"

"It must be," Dawn admitted, and sighed. "I think I got turned around when those Ariados attacked."

Then a Pokémon appeared out of the lake.

"Hi, Mesprit!" Ash waved. "Are you just visiting?"

"No, I felt the presence of someone I can connect with," Mesprit replied, then blinked. "Wait, no, I wasn't actually supposed to tell you that, it was meant to be this big mystery thing."

"Well, it's about lunchtime, so you could join us for lunch?" Ash suggested. "Ibid, can you switch out Dragonite for Dragonite if he's available?"

Ibid teleported one Safari Ball off Ash's belt, and replaced it with another one.

The Dragonite who came out put a chef's hat on his head, cracked his knuckles, and got to work.

Lunch was nice, principally based on pasta-stuffed Sitrus Berries, and then – now that she knew where she was – Dawn led them all to where Sandgem Town actually was.

When they got back, it turned out that the missing Starly and Chimchar had been found, so Piplup made the last one.

"Hm," Professor Rowan said, looking Dawn up and down. "Could have done better, but not bad for your first time."

"Thank you, Professor," she replied, still a little nervous.

"And as for you… Mr. Ketchum," Rowan went on. "Oak told me you were coming. "

He frowned slightly. "Called it a warning. Not sure why."

"Maybe he just wanted to make sure you paid attention?" Whitney suggested. "Anyway, I assume Ash is here to do the Gym Challenge, and I'm mostly here to meet cute Pokémon."

Professor Rowan contemplated that.

"I'm sure you'll find plenty in Sinnoh," he said. "Now, Mr. Ketchum."

"Call me Ash," Ash asked. "We're friends now, right?"

That made Rowan smile slightly.

"I suppose we are," he chuckled. "I suppose we are. As for the matter at hand, Oak mentioned that you had a certain amount of experience with unusual Pokémon evolution methods. I would be interested in hearing about those."

He waited.

"Ash, I think he's talking about… Charizard, and Pidgey, and possibly Rayquaza," Pikachu hinted. "And so on. Though I can understand your confusion."

"Oh, right," Ash realized. "Yeah, he was interested in Pidgey, I remember that."

He took Ibid out of his pocket, and the Pokédex teleported away before coming back with Pidgey's Level Ball.

"So I caught her as a Pidgeotto," Ash explained, sending her out, and Whitney gasped.

"Is that a Pidgeotite?" she asked. "Is that a Pidgeotite backpack? That's amazing, I never thought about how a Mega Stone would work on such a small Pokémon before!"

"That's her, all right," Ash agreed. "And she can do this!"

He held out his Mega Ring, and Pidgey briefly Pidgeyvolved up to Pidgeotto, then Pidgeot, before reverting again.

"Fascinating!" Rowan said, moustache bristling. "Now, did anything unusual happen before she gained this ability?"

"She did get tapped by Celebi, who said she was giving her a gift," Ash suggested. "So there's that? That was when she was a Pidgeotto, though, before she evolved into Pidgey."

As Ash continued explaining, things were happening back in Johto as well.

"So, I just got a text," James said. "Do you remember those costumes we made for the attempted heist in Ecruteak?"

"I remember those," Jessie agreed. "The special kimonos?"

"The very same," James confirmed. "Well, a fashion house has tracked me down and wants to sell the designs!"

He paged down. "Also, the Boss is back in Kanto."

"Hey, uh… are you sure you wanna do that?" Meowth asked, as Aipom passed herself a screwdriver.

"Well, yeah," Aipom agreed, unscrewing one of the wall panels. "The turbines on this side are going at the same speed as the rest, but they're not in sync. That means there's something up with the synchro gear, and if it's not a software issue it's a hardware issue. Which means the problem's in here."

"Declaration: a properly skilled technician," Porygon announced over the tannoy. "Oversharing addition: I am weeping with simulated joy. And simulated weeping."

"Hey!" Meowth protested. "We kept dis ship in flyin' shape, didn't we?"

"Sarcastic comparison. Keeping the Hikokyu in shape the way you did is like keeping a sandwich in the shape of a taco."

The virtual Pokémon emitted an electronic chuckle as the turbines smoothly returned to synchronization. "Unscientific IQ assessment: By early observations, this Pokémon is smarter than you, Jessie and James put together."

"I mean, I ain't arguin' against dat," Meowth said. "Just that we want some acknowledgement for our efforts..."

AN:

And welcome to Sinnoh.

With Whitney.