Episode I: Part II
The New Trainer, May!

Ash and Aria could only hear their own panting from how long they felt like they've been running.

How could Pikachu have gotten this far without losing consciousness?

"How much farther, Houndoom?" Aria asked her partner.

"Rar!" Houndoom responded, moving his head in the direction they were running.

"We've got to be close now!" Aria responded, glancing at her brother. "Pikachu should be just up ahead!"

Once they reached the an open part of the forest where the grass was slightly taller. Houndoom barks, getting their attention that Pikachu was in the grass.

"Thanks Houndoom," She pulls out its Poke Ball. "Return for now friend."

Ash walked ahead of her, looking through the grass carefully so he didn't step on something. Aria soon enough caught up to him, looking a bit of a distance away in hopes to find Pikachu.

All of a sudden she could hear Ash muttering something. When she turned around all she could see what electricity flying all over the area.

"Ah!"

Things went black for a moment. She couldn't tell how much time had passed once she regain consciousness. When she sat up, she spotted Ash was already up and heading for the unconscious electric mouse. Soon enough it woke up and spotted Ash walking towards it which increased its anger.

"Ash! Get back!" Aria called to him in worry, forcing herself to stand up.

"I got to help Pikachu!" He exclaimed before Pikachu unleashed a bunch of electricity into the area.

"Ash, get away from it!"

Aria turns around and saw Professor Birch running over to them and a brown hair girl with a red bandana on her head, riding a bike.

Pikachu stood up and ran away once again.

"Pikachu!" Ash called.

Pikachu was nearly out of their sight until they saw it running straight off the cliff. Ash chased after Pikachu until he jumped off after it.

"Ash!" Aria exclaimed worriedly.

The professor, Aria, and the girl ran over to the edge of the cliff and looked down to see that Ash caught Pikachu but was holding onto a branch with his other arm to keep themselves from falling. Aria then opened her bag and pulled out a Poke Ball.

"Ivysaur, we need your help!" She called out her Pokemon as it appeared by her side. "Use Vine Whip to help Ash climb back up here." She commanded.

Ivysaur nodded before he sent them down to him.

"Ash, just hold on tight, help is on the way." She shouted down to him.

"Okay, thanks." He replied.

Ash had a bit of trouble of getting back up with Pikachu using Thunder Bolt to try and get out of his arm to run away, but Pikachu also bit him too which made him come to a quick stop for a second until Pikachu realized what he had done. Ash continued before anything else had happened until he reached the cliff.

Ash sat down on the ground taking a deep breath.

"That was close, thanks Aria." He said.

"It's not big deal, just doing something for my brother." She replied with a smile.

Ash smiles as well before standing up.

Before the professor could remind them about what is going to happen to Pikachu, they heard a loud crash, which made them turn around. In front of them stood a tall robot that was made like a battery, but it had arms and legs, also an outlet on the very top of it.

On the top two people stood up there until a Meowth was between them.

"Team Rocket!" Ash shouted. "Not you guys again!"

"These guys again? Didn't we get rid of you last time?" Aria asked, sounding a bit confused.

"Who are they?" The brown hair girl asked.

"I've never heard of them." The professor said.

"Trust us, there always up to no good." Ash replied.

"They steal Pokemon from people and try to use them against the world." Aria explained before glaring daggers at Team Rocket.

Pikachu knew Ash didn't have any other Pokemon to battle with them, so it tried to jump out of his arms but Ash wouldn't let it.

"Don't do anything Pikachu." He said.

"That's how you want to play? Fine with us!" Meowth shouted.

A claw was shot out from inside of the robot and grabbed Pikachu out of Ash's arms. The arms then used a suction cup on both of Pikachu's cheeks. The robot then started suck away all of Pikachu's electricity as sparks were flying everywhere.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

The meter on the robot keep going up and up very slowly still taking away Pikachu's electricity.

"Professor?" Aria asked, noticed that the sparks were now everywhere.

"Pikachu's output is incredible!" He exclaimed.

It soon stopped and Pikachu shook its head before grinning and using Thunderbolt on the robot.

The others gasp at the power the Pikachu had, even Ash was surprise at this. The robot then blows up as Team Rocket were flying through the sky until you couldn't see them. When the smoke cleared Pikachu stood tall and proud until it collapsed.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried as he ran over to his partner.

Aria and the professor ran over to it as well to check on it. A small thought ran through Aria's head as she began to get worried.

I hope Pikachu is okay...

"Professor Birch, it appears that Pikachu's electricity pressure has reached normal levels." Said Joshua once the professor and the others made it back to his lab.

"Good," He said. "That machine of Team Rocket's must have absorbed all of Pikachu's un-needed electricity. A good night sleep should do it."

"Great, thanks professor." Ash said, looking back down at Pikachu.

But they didn't realize that the brown hair girl was standing behind a door watching them, at least until a pot of flowers nearly fell and she had to catch it, which made her almost fall. The others heard her and turned around.

"Hi! I thought I introduce myself." She said quickly, hiding the pot behind her. "I'm May."

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and this is Aria my older sister." He said.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." Aria said with a slight wave.

"So, how's Pikachu?" May asked turning to the Pokemon.

"Just needs a good night sleep." Aria said. "He'll be fine in the morning."

"That's good news."

The professor turned to May.

"Well now May, are you ready to chose your first Pokemon?" He asked.

This caught Ash's attention quickly.

"What? Your first Pokemon?" He asked.

Aria walked over to a table and picked up the three Poke Balls that sat there and held them in front of them.

"These three Poke Balls contain three beginner Pokemon." She said, looking up at May. "Each trainer in the Hoenn region get their start Pokemon from the professor in order to start their journey."

Professor Birch takes one and the Pokemon appears out of it, which was a Treecko.

"This is Treecko." He said. "And it's a grass type."

May looked at the Pokemon carefully before it turned to her which made her back up. "It's creepy!" She cried.

"No it's not." Ash said. "I think it's a really cool Pokemon."

The professor picked up another and this time it was a Mudkip.

"This one is Mudkip, a water type."

"Yeah but that Mudkip didn't do a single thing I asked it to." May pointed out with a frown.

"Each Pokemon has different kinds of personalities May, it takes time to get use to the personality before becoming good friends with it." Aria said.

She called the last one out and it stood right beside her.

"And this one is Torchic, a fire type."

Torchic then hopped over to May and started to rub against her legs, which made May think for a moment.

"Well this one's not so bad." She said, picking up the Pokemon. "I like it. That's that, I chose Torchic."

The professor gave her the Poke Balls and the Pokedex she needed for her journey as a Pokemon trainer and a few tips too. Aria and Ash also suggested a few things as well as they recall their journey they had through Johto and Kanto. All of their adventures were being remembered in seconds.

The Pokemon they captured and became friends with, Pokemon they had to release for them to have a better life, and most of all, being together. The two of them met so many nice people, after saying their goodbyes to Misty and Brock, they knew they would meet again some day.

Since Ash was staying the night they had an extra room for him to sleep in a watch over Pikachu as well, including May too was staying the night there. Aria couldn't sleep at all and she decided to walk around in the lab for a few minutes.

"You're still up?"

She turns and saw the professor on the computer. He was still doing his research from before and nearly had it finished.

"I'm worried," She said. "I can't sleep with Ash like this. I didn't even think this would happen when he got here for his first time."

The professor nods.

"He's your brother, you're going to be like that." He said.

Aria sat down on a chair across from him.

"I guess so, do you think that Pikachu is going to be okay after what happened? I mean," She looks away. "Team Rocket did all of that stuff and it risked its life to stop them. I have a feeling that this won't leave Pikachu's mind for a while."

"Team Rocket did indeed help in a...odd way," He says to her. "But Pikachu should be much better in the morning without anymore terrible conditions that made it have such a panic."

Aria nods and looks at the one Poke Ball that sat on his desk. The professor noticed her staring at the Poke Ball, and picked it up.

"Something on your mind about this one?" He asked.

"Isn't that the one who was abandoned by its trainer?" She asked.

"Yes, why do you ask?" He answered confused.

"Is it alright if I go on a journey with it? To the Hoenn League."

Birch smiles and hands her the poke ball. "Of course, but you know this means you have to treat it right, so that it won't run away like it did before." He said.

"I will, I'm sure my Pokemon would love to have her around. They'll be great friends." She stares down at the Poke Ball before looking up at the professor.

"Remember that it's still has feelings and-"

"I know, I know. I'm never going to be like that." Aria said cutting him off. "I want to be friends with different kinds of Pokemon, that's why I'm going on this journey, so I can make some more friends."

The professor nods before looking back at the computer screen.

"You should get to bed, it's late, and tomorrow is a big day." He said.

Aria nods and stands up out of the chair. She walks down the hall and into the room the professor gave her when she first arrived in Hoenn, to practice and learn more to become a great Pokemon Trainer.

She placed the Poke Ball in her pocket and pulled out a different one.

"Come out, Ivysaur." She whispered as her very fist Pokemon appeared in front of her.

"Ivysaur." It responded.

Aria smiles and the two of them walked towards the window and opened it up.

"Our new adventure starts here and," She stared at the full moon that was out and bright. "There are so many wonders that need to be discovered, and that's what we're going to do."

"Ivysaur!" Ivysaur replied in joy.

The two of them looked at the sky for a short time before they headed off to bed, thinking about the new journey that is to come.

The next day, Aria was walking down the hallway until she noticed May peeking through one of the doors that Ash and Pikachu were sleeping in.

"You worried too?" She asked.

May turns around and noticed her as she looked back at the two that were asleep.

"I guess so." She answered.

"I'm more worried though, he's my younger brother and he does many things that maybe I might end up doing some day." She said, looking at them as well.

May looks at her and nods.

They then saw that Pikachu was awake and started to rub at Ash's head until he woke up which bright him up. May and Aria smiled before she closed the door and were outside.

May then calls out her Torchic and rubs it's neck. "Good morning Torchic." She said.

"This reminds me when I got my first Pokemon back in Pallet Town." Aria said, holding her partner's Poke Ball in her hands and called him out.

Ivysaur stood in front of her as the two exchanged a half five but Ivysaur used the Vine Whip to make it easier. May smiles at this as they notice Ash walk out of the lab with Pikachu on his shoulder as they yawned. The two of them walk over to him as Aria lightly gave him a playful shove in the shoulder.

"Is Pikachu all better now?" Aria asks, glancing at the electric mouse on his shoulder.

"Yeah, thank goodness." Ash replied, rubbing his partner's head.

Pikachu waves at Aria as she smiles. "Hi Pikachu, it's been a while." She greeted.

"Pikachu!" It said as it jumped into her arms.

"It's great to see you too." She said with a laugh. "I missed you both for those past days. Ever since the Silver Conference I've been practicing for a long time!"

Pikachu noticed the other two Pokemon below them and started to play with them.

"Yeah, it explains why your Houndour now is a Houndoom. I'm amazed." Ash said as he looked at their Pokemon. "Wow, what Pokemon is that?" Ash asked Aria when he noticed the other Pokemon that he hasn't seen her have before.

"Electrike." She answered. "Professor Birch gave him to me when he was only in an egg. I wish you there to see it. He was so clumsy for the first couple of days, but now he's doing wonderful. All of the training that we've been doing helped him move faster to run."

Ash smiles as they watched them play.

"Alright, looks like they're hitting it off okay. I guess you found your first friends in Hoenn here Pikachu."

"Now, you three have to register for the Hoenn League at the nearest Pokemon Center you can find, okay?" The professor said.

"And the closest town where I think you'll be able to find one is Oldale Town." Joshua said.

"Okay, thanks." Ash replied.

May sighs, "Walking all of that way alone makes me nervous." She said. "And my bike is destroyed, thanks to your Pikachu..."

Ash tensed up a bit, including Pikachu. They both felt a bit guilty about it, but they recall when starting their journey they burnt Misty's bike into nothing. Oh those memories...

"Why do we go together then?" Aria suggested. "It'll make it more safe if the three of us go together."

"Well okay, I agree." Ash said.

"Me too." May said.

"That's a good idea, you can look after one another." The professor replied.

"Yes, and be careful." Joshua told them.

"Don't worry, we will thanks a lot." Ash assured.

Once they said their goodbyes, the three of them started to head off on the trail they were taking and starting their journey to Oldale Town where they can register for the Hoenn League once they reach the Pokemon Center.