"Hmm…"

Ash looked at Rotom's screen, then around him at the lush landscape.

"So… where do we need to go, again?" he asked.

"Don't ask me," Rotom replied, playing a rude noise. "You're the one who got excited about Sceptilite and rushed down to Hoenn without considering where to go from there."

"I guess," Ash said, then frowned. "Well, maybe we'll find something… what do you think, Pikachu?"

"Pika pika," Pikachu snorted, ears going down, then struck a pose with his arms together, a stick of grass in his mouth and his tail curled up into a tree-shape behind him.

"Oh, yeah," Ash agreed, sending out Sceptile. "Well, Sceptile, here we are! Let's see if anything turns up!"

"cept," Sceptile said, with a shrug. "Ile?"

"I guess we'll find out!" Ash replied. "Let's see if we can spot anything!"

"Pika-chu!" Pikachu agreed, bounding up onto Ash's shoulder and scanning the area.

Ash frowned, putting the elbow of one arm in the palm of another, and rested his chin on the palm of his free hand. "The question is, how do people find Mega Stones? Lucario found us his, but he used Aura to do it, and so did Korrina's Lucario I think… does that only work for Lucarionite?"

He glanced at Sceptile. "Do you have some kind of… grass powers, that would let you sense a Mega Stone?"

Sceptile shrugged. "Tiiile."

"I guess so," Ash decided. "It was worth asking, right?"

"Pika Pika-pi," Pikachu judged.

"Hey!" Ash protested. "You don't have to say it like that!"

He considered. "I wonder how Brock and Misty found their Mega Stones…"

A few hours later, Ash was still on the move, and he'd brought out more Pokémon to help.

Corphish was more enthusiastic than anything else, scuttling around and looking underneath random stones, but Ash guessed he couldn't really ask for much more than that and decided to just keep an eye on him. And Squirtle listened attentively to Ash's explanation of what they were after, then rummaged around in her shell and brought out her pointy sunglasses to show that she was determined to help out.

Rowlet had had a quick look around, then settled into a snooze because Ash had forgotten what time it was on Alola, and Leavanny had considered the situation for about five seconds before picking Rowlet up and parking his fellow Grass-type on his head.

"It's great you two are getting on so well," Ash smiled. "Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

Then Sceptile pointed. "Tiile?"

Ash looked at where Sceptile was pointing, spotting that Corphish was scuttling straight ahead down the path, and hurried to see what Corphish had seen. "Come on, guys!"

"Rr-tle!" Squirtle announced, breaking into a run before jumping to slide along on her belly, blasting water out the back holes in her shell as an Aqua Jet. That helped her keep up, while Leavanny began running in a sort of precise way that avoided jostling Rowlet and Sceptile just jogged along in a ground-eating way with his tail bouncing up and down.

There was a bend in the path up ahead, and Corphish rounded it before them. Ash hurried around it after the Water-type, and saw that he'd skidded to a halt and was facing off in the middle of the path against a Clauncher.

The two of them were staring intensely, then raised their claws in unison, and behind Ash his three Grass-types and one Water-type all slid to a halt to avoid running into him.

So did a blur in the sky that none of them noticed.

"I wonder what's going on there," Ash said, curious.

"Isn't it obvious?" a familiar voice asked.

Ash looked up from the crustaceans, brightening. "Misty! What are you doing in Hoenn?"

"Pikachu-pi!" Pikachu waved.

"I'd ask what you were doing in Hoenn, Ash, but I bet I know the answer," Misty replied. "You're lost again, right?"

"What?" Ash asked. "No, I know I'm in Hoenn!"

Misty waited.

"I don't see why I have to give any better explanation than that!" Ash protested. "I know we're in Hoenn, isn't that enough?"

"You have a lot to learn about geography, Ash," Misty said. "And you have a lot to learn about what your Corphish and my Clauncher are doing!"

"Oh, that's your Clauncher, then?" Ash asked. "They look like they're challenging one another to a duel!"

"That's not what they're doing," Misty replied. "They're in a manly bond! A bond of respect and love!"

Ash scratched his head. "So… how do you know about manly bonds of respect and love?"

"That's none of your business!" Misty said. "Besides, they're Water-types, I know about Water-types!"

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cheered, waving her arms and stashing her sunglasses away again, and Misty blinked.

Looked at Corphish, then at Squirtle.

"You actually have two Water type Pokémon with you at once?" she asked. "Ash, that doesn't seem much like you."

"Hey, I have loads of Water types!" Ash defended himself. "I just have loads of other Types of Pokémon, too! Like Grass!"

"Sceptile," Sceptile said, with a nod.

"Eav-anny!" Leavanny waved, then used a pincer to carefully tap the snoozing Rowlet on the head. "Leav."

"And others, too, but… just not with me," Ash went on. "If I'd known I was going to run into you I'd have brought Dracovish and Palpitoad and Oshawott along, though, that way you could meet them."

He paused. "Though, I guess I would have brought along Leavanny anyway, just to see your reaction when I tell you he's a Bug-type-"

"You take that back!" Misty said. "Or, don't take it back, I mean, you stop trying to provoke a rise out of me! Is this how you greet an old friend, Ash Ketchum?"

Not long afterwards, they were sitting together for lunch.

"Hmm," Misty frowned, chewing a bite of a sandwich, then swallowed. "Well, I don't think I can help you… I don't know anywhere you find a lot of Sceptile, and that's how I found my Gyaradosite. Brock never told me how he got his Steelixite, either."

"Huh," Ash said, a bit disappointed, then shrugged. "That's okay, I guess! It's better than we had before!"

"So… you really were just considering roaming randomly around Hoenn until you tripped over a Mega Stone, huh, Ash?" Misty said, giving him the side-eye.

Ash huffed. "Well, how come you're in Hoenn, then?"

"Oh!" Misty's attitude changed immediately. "I'm actually here to visit the Togepi Kingdom, to see how Togetic is doing! It's been ages, after all."

"Then let's go and visit together!" Ash decided.

"Squirr?" Squirtle asked, glancing at Pikachu.

"Pikachu-pi Pika, PiPiPi Pikaa-chuu!" Pikachu explained. "Pika, ka piii."

"Oh, yeah, she's the defender of the kingdom," Ash agreed. "Pikachu, did you not tell her before?"

"Pika-pii," Pikachu said, a bit embarrassed, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Pika?"

"I guess there was a lot that happened," Ash admitted.

"Or maybe it's how Pokémon and their trainers get more similar," Misty suggested.

"Don't you have a Gyarados?" Ash said. "How would that work, how much more similar is there to get?"

"So, how does it feel?" Misty asked, several arguments later and once they were on the road again. "You know, not having some big goal you're working towards?"

"Honestly…" Ash began, then stopped and frowned.

He kept walking, and his face went through several expressions.

"So far, it's relaxing?" he tried. "It's great to be able to just… work with all my Pokémon, rather than be trying to work towards a specific Pokémon League or Trial or other challenge like that. But I guess I don't really know what it's going to feel like in a few months, because I haven't got to that point yet."

He shrugged. "I guess my answer is, ask me later?"

Misty snorted. "If that's your answer, I'm wondering how you won any of your tournaments."

"Squirtle!" Squirtle said, folding her arms.

"Yeah, we could always have another rematch some time," Ash offered. "Have you come up with a new unbeatable technique for us to beat?"

Pikachu sniggered, and Misty grumbled something.

In front of them on the path, Corphish and Clauncher kept either fist-bumping with claws or trying to beat one another over the head, and Ash watched with a smile before getting out his Rotom Phone again.

"We are going in the right direction for the Togepi Kingdom, right?" he asked.

"You are," Rotom said.

"I'd ask why you checked, because I know where we're going," Misty sighed. "But I know how easily we all got lost in the old days..."

Then they rounded the next bend, and Misty blinked. "Oh. That was quick."

"The Mirage Kingdom!" Ash said, excited. "I thought it was on the other side of a desert!"

"Leeeav!" Leavanny chided.

"Oh, sorry," Ash realized, lowering his voice. "Sorry, Rowlet, I didn't mean to wake you."

"Rowwwl," Rowlet yawned.

"There is a desert on the other side of the Mirage Kingdom," Rotom told them. "But it is not surrounded by a desert. You came from the other direction this time."

"Pikaaa," Pikachu giggled.

They had only just entered the Mirage Kingdom itself – not even reached the palace – when a white shape came flying down to meet them.

"To-ge-tiiic!" she cheered, skidding to a halt in the air in front of Misty, then hugged her.

"Togetic!" Misty said, putting her arm around Togetic and patting the Fairy-type with both hands. "It's been such a long time… how are you doing?"

"Tiic!" Togetic said, then flew up a little and did a spin.

"Guest of the Mirage Kingdom-" Princess Sara began, hurrying down the stairs from the palace, then gasped. "Oh! Misty, you're back! And… Ash as well, I think?"

"That's us!" Ash agreed. "It's great to see Togetic again. She seems happy!"

Sara looked slightly troubled. "Well… actually I'd like to talk to you about that, if that's okay."

A few minutes later, after being welcomed into the palace by a set of guards – apparently Togetic's pleased reaction to see them meant they were considered honoured guests as Togetic had decided they had kind hearts, even though everyone knew why Togetic was so pleased to see Misty especially – Misty, Ash, Sara and Togetic were all sat down in a room in the Mirage Kingdom.

Princess Sara's own Togepi was on her lap, and she patted the little Fairy-type before sighing.

"It's… a bit hard to explain this," she admitted. "Because it feels like I'm admitting that I've done something wrong."

"Have you?" Misty asked.

"Tiic!" Togetic said, shaking her head firmly.

"I don't think so, but it feels like I have," Sara explained. "You see… well, this is the happiest Togetic has been in months. And Togetic's always missed you, but it feels like she was getting worse lately...and there isn't really a reason Togetic has to stay here, except that she's the only Togetic here."

"And she's keeping the Togepi safe," Ash realized. "I get it."

"Yes," the Princess agreed. "And I don't know what I'm doing wrong with my own Togepi."

"Priii-rii!" her Togepi said, waving his arms. "To-ge-prii!"

"Togepi are supposed to evolve when they're happy," Princess Sara clarified. "So… I must be doing something wrong, I think."

"Tiic," Togetic said, sitting on Misty's own lap.

"I'm sure we can work out a way to help!" Ash said. "We'll do our best!"

It was some minutes later, and they were now having biscuits.

Leavanny had cut some up with his Leaf Blade, and was now taking a nibble to test each one before offering the other half of the same one to Rowlet. Then dipping that in tea, and trying again, which seemed to make the Flying-type much more interested.

"So my Togepi evolved to Togetic to protect the local Togepi," Misty said, frowning. "But… I don't really think that that's the kind of thing we can rely on, and the only way to make it work would be to threaten the Togepi. And that's not an option."

"Yeah, but that's not the only way that a Pokémon can evolve," Ash told them. "Well, we know that Togepi to Togetic doesn't involve… actually, hang on, I need to check something."

He got out his phone, and started dialling something.

Misty watched as he walked over to the corner of the room. "That's Ash for you, I guess," she said. "He'll always just go straight ahead and do whatever it is he's focused on."

"Why would he need to make a phone call?" Princess Sara asked.

"Tiic?" Togetic suggested.

"Prrr-ii!" Togepi laughed.

"Pika pika," Pikapi said, with an air of authority, then did a pose. "Pikaka, Pi-pika!"

Sara frowned. "I… actually don't know what he's trying to say."

"I'm not sure either, Ash is much better at understanding him than I am," Misty replied. "But I think… Pikaka is someone's name, and that second bit sounded like the way he talks about Togepi, but not exactly. I don't know what he's doing an impression of though."

"Pikaka!" Pikachu said, frowned, then struck a different pose. "Pi-Kachu!"

"I recognize that one," Misty said. "That's… Piplup?"

"Pi!" Pikachu nodded. "Pi, Pikaka!"

"Oh, Dawn!" Misty realized. "She's got a Piplup – oh, I see! You're talking about her Togekiss, right?"

Pikachu nodded. "Pi, Pikachu-Pi!"

"If she's got a Togekiss then she might know how Togepi evolve to Togetic," Princess Sara realized. "Then-"

"I've got it!" Ash reported. "I asked Dawn to put me in touch with Princess Salvia, who's the original trainer of her Togekiss, and Princess Salvia said that Togepi evolve to Togetic when they're happy! Which I knew already but it's great to have it confirmed!"

He frowned. "Then she reminded me that that doesn't mean they're not happy if they don't evolve. Which I knew already. If a Pokémon that evolves that way doesn't evolve, it means that they're not truly happy about how they'd be if they do evolve. Because being happy with how you are sometimes means you don't want to change it, right?"

"So you mean… for Togepi to evolve, he needs to feel comfortable with the idea of being a Togetic," Sara said. "How would I do that?"

There was a crash, as the window broke in.

Pikachu immediately jumped onto the table, cheeks sparking, and Ash reached for his belt, but the first figure through the window struck a pose.

"Prepare for trouble and you'll be in the wrong!" she said, revealing herself to be obviously Jessie.

"And make it double, we'll all get along!" agreed her counterpart, who was clearly James.

The two Rockets brushed the glass off their outfits with gloves, then resumed.

"To protect this place from evil tyrants!" Jessie said.

"To help a Togetic aspirant!" James agreed.

"To pay back our dues for Togepi!" Jessie explained.

"And earn another appearance fee!" James confided.

"...I think I remember these people," Princess Sara said. "Why haven't the guards shown up yet?"

"I've wondered that so often," Misty sighed.

While that conversation was happening, Jessie and James had introduced themselves. Now they pulled out a set of tools… which included a hairdryer, miniature comb, loofah and shampoo?

"Team Rocket!" Jessie said. "Pampering Pokémon just right!"

"Our backstory means we'll do this right!" James clarified.

"That's right!" Meowth agreed, then looked perplexed. "Hey, guys, did we just rhyme right with right with right? That can't be right."

Wobbuffet materialized on top of him. "Wabba!"

"Didn't you guys do a spa treatment in Alola as part of a plot to steal our Pokémon?" Ash demanded. "Though I guess you did such a good job that you didn't steal them anyway…"

Meowth explained, in tearful tones (and then in less muffled tearful tones once he'd been pulled out from underneath Wobbuffet) that he'd always felt that Togetic was someone he should take care of, and that that still applied now, and that it was sad that she'd had to leave Misty behind to defend the Mirage Kingdom but that after so long it really should be possible for her to stay with Misty again.

Sara was unsure about what to do, but Jessie huffed.

"Really, and after we helped you out when Colonel Hansen attacked!" she said.

"You helped him attack the kingdom," Misty pointed out.

"Yes, but that's in the past," James replied, waving his hand. "What's much more important and much more recent is that we then told Princess Sara exactly where the King was kept!"

"That wasn't you," Sara frowned. "I remember who did it-"

"-and it was some fortune tellers!" Jessie said. "Which was us, in a marvellous and stylish disguise!"

James nodded. "I'd say it was fortunate, but when Team Rocket is around nothing involves luck!"

"Including your plans," Misty said.

"Pika, Pipika?" Pikachu asked.

"That's a good point," Ash agreed. "It's up to Princess Sara, but Togetic should have a say too… what do you think?"

Togetic flew around Jessie, then James, then Meowth, inspecting all three of them carefully… then nodded.

"Really?" Sara asked, surprised. "Well, I suppose you'd know if they're kind people…"

Ash looked contemplative. "I guess if there's one thing that you can say about Team Rocket, it's that they treat their own Pokémon well."

"Hey, you take that back!" James said. "That's not the only thing you can say about us!"

"It's the only positive thing," Ash replied.

Sara had looked down at her Togepi while they were talking, then looked back up again.

"All right," she said. "So… what first?"

"First we gotta land da balloon," Meowth said. "And, you might wanna tell the guards not to arrest us or somethin'."

Despite Ash's trepidation (or, worry, which was at least a word he could spell), Team Rocket immediately drew up a list of half a dozen different ways that Princess Sara could get a stronger bond with her Togepi and make Togepi feel better about herself and about the idea of evolving as a whole.

"So, number one!" James said. "Cooking!"

"Cooking?" Sara repeated. "How would that work?"

"You guys can cook?" Ash asked. "I didn't know that."

"We're fantastic cooks!" Jessie snapped. "That's our main way of raising money!"

James smirked. "You ate at our Malasada stand more than a hundred times while you were on Alola!"

"Pika!?" Pikachu asked, distraught, and rubbed his belly for a moment. "Pikakaaa…"

"In hindsight, we probably should have used the Tomato Ketchup Malasada as a way of luring Pikachu away from da Twerp," Meowth pondered, a claw to his chin. "But I guess dat's kinda water under da beach now."

"How would cooking work?" Sara repeated, since the question seemed to have been forgotten.

"It's all about presentation," Jessie informed her. "And it's also all about love! Making food for someone that takes account of their preferences is a great way to express a deep affection for them, especially since the effort involved means that it's a truly custom gift and one you can keep making."

James made an airy gesture with his hand. "And take it from me, having marvellously cooked food from a soulless kitchen is nothing like how delicious it tastes to have a single fast-food meal with people you care about!"

"So, we'll be starting by finding out what it is that Togepi likes," Jessie resumed. "And Togetic, so the Original Twerpette can take part. We don't need to find out what Pikachu likes because we already know."

"Pika-kaa?" Pikachu asked.

"Yeah, since you were making those ketchup Malasadas knowing what Pikachu likes, does that mean…" Ash trailed off.

Everyone contemplated that.

"Let's get to da kitchen!" Meowth said loudly. "Come on, we ain't got much longer left before commercial!"

The cooking went okay, mostly, though Ash demonstrated an impressive ability to completely ruin something that should have been really simple.

There was a reason he preferred to mostly work with berries without processing them, much, when he was out in the wilderness by himself.

Then after that there was a spa treatment, a game which Meowth explained to them all was called Head-It, another game which involved playing catch with berries that Togepi found was great fun, and after that cleaning the Pokémon from all the berry juice that Togepi had accidentally got everywhere.

Ash and Misty's Pokémon got involved too, with some suspicious glances at the Rockets at first, but by the time Togetic was giving Togepi a soaring, laughing ride through the air in the evening sunlight it really had been long enough that they'd relaxed a bit.

"So, what did ya think?" Meowth asked, as Togetic brought the giggling Togepi down to ground level.

"Toge-Toge-priii!" Togepi announced, waving his arms.

"Tii-tiic," Togetic chided gently.

"Yeah, it seems like he really liked flyin' around!" Meowth told them. "But… huh. Now dat might be somethin' to do with it."

He waved to Sara. "Hey, you might wanna know this, but it seems like Togepi thinks that if he evolves he's gotta leave, like the only Togetic he knows had to leave her best friend and kinda-momma because of dat."

"What?" Sara gasped. "That's not – no! Togepi, if you evolved of course you could stay here!"

She scooped him up to give him a hug. "It's always your choice, you know? None of us would mind you staying here, or even leaving if that's what you wanted to do, but… I'd want you to stay here even if you evolved. You're my friend."

"Priiii…" Togepi said, softly, then began to glow.

Sara relaxed her arms, and watched in delight as Togepi became Togetic.

"Oh, thank you!" she said.

"Tiic!" Togetic cheered, hugging Sara back.

"All right!" Meowth agreed.

"Isn't it such a delightful moment?" Jessie said, hands clasped together. "Such a wonderful expression of love!"

"There's nothing like it for showing the bond between a trainer and a Pokémon!" James agreed. "Now, let's steal him!"

Everyone else stared at them.

"...what?" Ash asked, fist clenched. "You mean, all this time it's been a trick?"

"Of course not!" Meowth replied, sounding terribly offended. "We were here to help Togetic! And now dat there's another Togetic, we don't got to steal Togetic if we want to steal a Togetic!"

"Tiic!" Misty's Togetic said, her hands glowing with silver light.

Jessie and James both raised Pokéballs with a flourish. "And, since we understand the importance of a bond between trainer and Pokémon…"

"...we've gone far back into our pasts to get help!" James finished.

He sent out a Growlithe and a Weezing, and Jessie added an Arbok and a Blissey.

"Bli-ss," Blissey waved, sounding a bit embarrassed.

"Pika-ka-kachu," Pikachu shrugged, then his cheeks sparked.

"Let's do this!" Ash decided. "Leavanny, get Rowlet behind them – Rowlet, Razor Leaf!"

Leavanny sprang into the air and lobbed Rowlet like a volleyball, and the Flying-type chirped as he woke up.

"Clauncher, Crabhammer!" Misty said, prompting her Water-type to scuttle forwards, and Corphish followed to use exactly the same attack alongside his new friend. They both hit Weezing, who bounced back with a coughing sound before using Poison Gas.

"Togetic, look out!" Sara called.

"Arbok, Poison Sting!" Jessie said. "Blissey, Heal Pulse!"

Blissey adjusted her medic hat and healed Weezing, then did the same to Arbok as Pikachu lit the Poison-type up with a Thunderbolt.

"Hey, geddof!" Meowth complained, as Misty's Psyduck held onto his tail. "Hey, Jessie, order Arbok to use one of them fancy moves like Ice Fang or something!"

"Growlie, Flamethrower that Sceptile!" James said, with a flourish.

"Squirtle, Hydro Pump!" Ash ordered. "Keep Sceptile wet so Growlie can't set him on fire!"

Squirtle turned out to have an extremely enthusiastic Hydro Pump, but then again she had been a fire-mon for a long time.

"Wabba!" Wobbuffet said, saluting, and dropped in the way of the Hydro Pump. He Mirror Coat-ed much of the force to shoot it back at Squirtle, but the Water-type took the impact on her shell, and Sceptile hit Wobbuffet with a tail whack that launched him into the air.

Eventually, thanks partly to Misty Mega-Evolving her Gyarados, partly to a Moonblast from both Togetic working together and partly to Pikachu accidentally hitting Misty's Psyduck with a Discharge, Team Rocket was sent Blasting Off Again.

"I… don't really know what to think of that," Princess Sara admitted, as the Rockets vanished into the distance.

"If you work it out, let me know!" Ash replied. "Team Rocket's always a surprise… kind of like Misty's Psyduck, I guess. You never quite know what you'll get."

"And it's hard to get rid of them," Misty added, though she did reach down to pat Psyduck gently on the head. "Still, they helped us out."

Ash frowned. "You mean Team Rocket, or Psyduck?"

"Both, obviously," Misty answered. "Your Togetic looks lovely, Princess!"

"Tiic!" the new Togetic caroled, doing a loop-the-loop. Then he flew up to Misty's Togetic, and gently turned her around so she was looking at Misty before giving her a little push.

The Fairy-type swooped down and gave Misty a hug. "Toge… Toge-tiiic!"

"It's great to have you again," Misty said. "You're sure you want to come with me?"

Togetic nodded, several times, and Ash smiled.

"That's great!" he told them both. "I'm glad we could help you out!"

"Pika-pika!" Pikachu agreed, brightly.

As they left the Mirage Kingdom, with Sara and her Togetic waving them goodbye, Misty's Togetic looked back at the place that had been her home for years.

Then she frowned, looking up into the sky. There was something weird there, an odd distorted shape…

Then she shrugged, turned around, and flew over to sit on Misty's shoulder. The landing caught her trainer by surprise, and Ash laughed, then danced out of the way as Misty shook her fist at him.

Overhead, Latias wondered about what she'd seen, then floated a little higher and continued following Ash.

She hadn't worked out what was going on with him yet, but she was sure she was making progress.

AN:

So, episode 4 involves cleaning up a few loose ends with Misty. A lot of the original MPM episode interactions involving Misty and Ash, Clauncher and Corphish, and Rowlet and Leavanny are good anyway – but having the focus be the Togepi Kingdom/Mirage Kingdom and the Pokémon Misty left behind there seems like a worthwhile approach.

And given that theme, well, Arbok, Weezing, Growlie and Blissey seemed entirely appropriate!