The next morning came as Ash rolled out of bed awaking to the pleasant sent of pancakes and sausages. "Come on, Pikachu, that smells great!" Ash exclaimed, returning to normal.

"How'd you sleep, well I hope?" Delia asked considering last night's drama.

"Pretty good, are the pancakes almost ready?" Ash asked earnestly as Pikachu licked its lip to show its agreement.

"Coming right up!" Delia said cheerfully, she was glad Ash was feeling better after seeing his so terribly upset the previous night. Delia served breakfast even allowing Pikachu and Mimey to have some. Delia was adamant about bringing Red up again but, she did feel obliged that Ash challenged him, after all Ash was sabotaged by her lousy husband too.

"Mom, I'm gonna visit my Pokemon at Oak's, okay?" Ash asked.

"Sure, that sounds like a good idea, I'm pretty sure Gary's in the neighborhood as well." Delia said informatively.

"Gary! Why didn't you say so!" Ash exclaimed as he gobbled up his food slipped on his vest, threw on his gloves, tossed on his cap and dashed out the door. "Come on, buddy. Bye mom, I'll be right back!" Ash called as he raced out the door to Professor Oak's Laboratory.

"With that boy's reckless streak I'll never get to ask him if he's willing to..." Delia stated to Mimey.

"Mr. Mime!" said the creepy , perverted clown thing in agreement.(God, Mr. Mime needs to be shot...)

Ash walked up to Oak's Lab down the familiar path that he sprinted to on the very first day of his journey.

"Hey, Professor!" Ash said greeting Professor Oak as he stepped inside the lab.

"Ash, hello!" said Oak as muk tackled him in a harassing way.

"Cut it out, Muk!" Ash scolded as the ball of gunk went over and assaulted Ash next. "Alright, alright I'm glad to see ya too but, Muk ya gotta get off!" Ash said shooing Muk away. "Say, Professor, is Gary still around? My mom told me that he was in town?" Ash asked anxiously.

"Yes, as a matter of fact he's right outside there, observing the Pokemon." Oak replied.

"Thanks, professor!" Ash said as he went outside to find his old, childhood rival. Ash spotted Gary sitting on top of a fence with a notebook on his lap and a pencil leaning on the top of his ear.

"Hey, hey, Gary!" Ash called.

"Hey, it's Ash!" Gary exclaimed.

"Gary, long time no see, what brings you here?" Ash asked.

"Hey, you gotta come home sometimes, I should ask you the same thing? I'd get terribly homesick without stopping by every now and again, what about you, you ever get homesick?" Gary said sarcastically.

"Well, of course I do! What are you trying to say that-" Ash began

"Hey, hey, calm down Ashy -boy I'm just messing with ya! I'm researching the Pokemon's natural behavior in their natural habitat so gramps's corral was the perfect observatory. I was recruited here from Sinnoh for a special assignment. Aye, Ash I saw you on the Sinnoh League at the Lilly-of-the-Valley conference. Not too shabby." Gary chatted.

"Top four. I would've won too if that Takuto guy didn't have so many legendaries." Ash explained in defense of himself annoyed by Takuto's excessive amount of the extremely powerful legendary Pokemon.

"So, Ash how long you planning on staying here in Pallet Town , where ya headed next?" asked Gary curiously.

"I haven't really thought about it yet. I think I'll stay home while before deciding." Ash responded.

"Well, my Gramps is headed for a place called Unova for a conference maybe you should check it out too, Ashy?" Gary suggested.

"Yeah, maybe. Well, I gotta get going, Gary I promised my mom I'd be right back."Ash said.

"See ya, Ash." Gary said waving farewell.

"Bye, Gary!" Ash waved as he ran back home. Ash arrived home to see none other than Team Rocket in disguise, though he was blissfully unaware of it. Team Rocket was masked as two elderly people in search of a talented Pokemon trainer.

"Oh, you're home, hi, Ash. Ash, this is Jessica and Jameson and they're looking for a Pokemon Trainer. Jessica, Jameson, this is my son, Ash, he's a great trainer." Delia said introducing her son to the senior citizens.

"Hello, why do you need a trainer, mam?" Ash said suspiciously. " Have we met, I feel like I know you? " Ash asked skeptically.

"He's on to us, James, the jig's up." Jessie surrendered the plan.

"You're right, Jess" James agreed.

"Listen is that a voice I-" Jessie began before being abruptly interrupted.

"Pikachu,thunderbolt,go!" Ash ordered.

"Hey, we didn't even get to finish our motto." James snapped.

"Yeah twerp, what's with that, we didn't even steal nothin' yet!" Meowth continued but Pikachu's thunderbolt struck sending them spiraling off into the stratosphere yelling "We're blasting off again!"

"Team Rocket still chases after your pikachu?" Delia asked obliviously.

"Unfortunately...(talk about determination.) " Ash muttered with a sigh.

"That's awful, I'd wish they'd leave my little boy alone." Delia sighed.

"It's okay, they're not that much of a threat." Ash laughed.

"Ash, will you come inside with me, I need to talk to you, it's important." said Delia.

"Is everything okay? What I do this time?" Ash moaned.

"Nothing, honey I just need to ask you a favor." she explained.

"Sure." Ash agreed as he followed his mother inside to sit in their living room.

"Ash...I-I know how much you've grown as a trainer and after watching you on the Lilly-of-the-Valley Conference I think you're ready." Delia stated.

"Ready? But, ready for what mom?" Ash interrogated cluelessly.

Delia then said, dramatically "Ready to face your father."