Chapter 11: Separating the Gym Leaders From the Wanabees

"Look! There's Vermillion City!" After spending a few weeks at sea the ship was finally approaching Vermillion City. As the port city grew closer Misty took a look at Ash. On the outside he appeared calm, but she could tell he was growing more and more nervous with each passing second.

"He's about to set foot in Kanto for the first time in five years. It's no wonder he's nervous," she mused. Even though she already knew the answer she felt she had to say something just to try and ease Ash's nervousness.

"Nervous?" she asked. Ash turned to her and smiled.

"I'd be lying if I said no," he replied. "It's not every day that you return to a place that turned its back on you five years ago."

"That's true," Misty agreed.

"I'm sure everything's going to be fine," Bianca assured him. "Trust me, you'll feel better once we set foot on dry land."

"I hope you're right," Ash replied. As the ship grew closer to the docks Ash was left to wonder how much had changed in the five years he had been gone.

"Doesn't look like much has changed, has it?" Soon after stepping off the ship the trio of trainers took some time to look around. For Bianca this was the first time she had set foot outside of the Unova region so she was excited, as to be expected. For Ash he had been gone for so long it was almost as if he was returning a visitor rather than a long-time resident.

"Strange… For most of my life I've called Kanto home. Now though, this land feels so foreign to me." Ash was brought out of his thoughts when he felt Misty's hand on his shoulder.

"How does it feel to be back?" she asked.

"I'm sure it feels great to be back home after all these years," Bianca commented.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, it doesn't feel home… not anymore," Ash said. Both girls couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards his situation. For years this was Ash's home region, but not anymore.

"I guess it is hard to see this as home now… especially when you consider what happened five years ago," Misty agreed. They all went quiet for a bit as the mood slowly turned depressing.

"Hey, let's brighten up. We've got the biggest tournament in history just around the corner. This is no time to be depressed," Bianca said. "If anything we should be excited. So let's get with the program, people!" It only took a few moments for Bianca's speech to sink in and in no time both Ash and Misty had smiles on their faces.

"And once again your enthusiasm strikes. Thanks, Bianca," Ash said.

"Yeah, we needed that," Misty added.

"That's what I'm here for," the cheerful girl replied. "So, where do we go from here?"

"I'd like to head to Cerulean City so I can check on Daisy," Misty said.

"Well then, Cerulean City it is," Ash announced. With their destination determined the group headed towards the exit of the city.

"Say, you guys wouldn't have any stories of your travels to share, would you?" Bianca inquired. Right then a mischievous glint appeared in Misty's eyes.

"Oh, you have no idea." Right then a wave of nervousness swept over the former Pallet Town native.

"Please, Misty. No embarrassing stories," he pleaded. The Cerulean City Gym Leader turned to him and winked.

"No promises," she replied.

"Oh shit…"

"You know, I had hoped to never hear about that incident ever again."

"It wasn't that bad, Ash."

"Maybe not to you, but it was to me." While the two of them talked (or in Ash's case griped) Bianca was doing everything she could to keep from falling over laughing.

"HAHA… I can't believe… you had to dress up like a girl… all for a Gym badge HAHAHA!" she said through her laughter.

"I had no choice. It was the only way I could get in to challenge Erika," Ash explained.

"Well if you hadn't insulted her perfume then it wouldn't have come to that," Misty stated. The more Ash and Misty continued their back-and-forth banter the more hilarious Bianca found them to be.

"O-Oh boy… what I wouldn't give to have traveled with you guys back then," Bianca said.

"No offense, Bianca, but there was only so much crazy we could handle back then," Ash said.

"I don't know. I think it would have been nice to have another girl in the group," Misty commented.

"Of course you do. That way you'd have someone else to help you tease me like you used to do back then," Ash said.

"You say that like it was a bad thing," Misty replied.

"And you say it like it wasn't," Ash countered.

"Hey, I think I see a town up ahead," Zorua announced. The three humans looked up and saw they were indeed approaching a town. Misty's eyes went wide as a huge smile appeared on her face.

"We made it! Home sweet home!"

"So that's Cerulean City," Bianca commented. As Misty's hometown came into view Ash couldn't help but smile upon seeing the excited look on her face. Then, before anyone could say anything else, Misty broke off into a run towards the city.

"H-Hey! What's the rush?!" Bianca called.

"I want to hurry home and see my sister!" Misty replied.

"Wait for me! I want to meet her too!" Bianca said as she took off after Misty. It made Ash feel good to see his friends so excited, but there was something about seeing Misty's excitement that made him feel especially good. It was as if her happiness was more important to him than anything else.

"Why do I feel like this?" he wondered.

"Hey! We need to get moving before we lose them!" Zorua barked. Realizing his Pokémon was right Ash hurried to catch up to the two girls.

Just as it was with Vermillion City not much had changed since the last time Ash visited Cerulean City. The people were just as friendly as he remembered with the occasional passerby greeting them with a friendly hello as they passed. After a few minutes the trio found themselves standing in front of a large building with a large Dewgong over the entrance.

"Well, here we are, the Cerulean City Gym," Misty stated proudly. Bianca stared at the building in awe while Ash thought back his first time visiting the Gym, and his first battle against Misty.

"Come on in, guys," Misty said. The trio headed inside, where Ash and Bianca were surprised to see the lobby was empty.

"I figured there would have been some trainers here looking to earn a Gym badge," Ash assumed.

"Normally you'd be right, but with the League Invitational Tournament coming up the majority of the Leagues have ceased all activity so they can be present at the Indigo Plateau," Misty explained.

"That makes sense," Bianca said. Ash agreed with her as they continued on towards the heart of the Gym.

"Wow," Bianca gasped upon seeing the large pool.

"With this being a Water type Gym it makes sense for us to have a battlefield suited for them," Misty explained. She then grabbed her Poké Balls and tossed them, calling out the Pokémon within. When they saw where they were they all dove into the pool.

"Guess they're glad to be back home," Ash commented.

"I thought I heard something." The trio turned towards the voice, followed by Misty running over to hug her sister.

"Welcome back, Misty," Daisy said.

"It's good to be back," Misty replied. "I hope you don't mind that I brought some friends with me."

"Hi there. I'm Bianca. I traveled here from Unova," Bianca said, introducing herself.

"Nice to meet you, Bianca," Daisy replied. When she turned her attention to Ash she gasped, her eyes growing wide in shock.

"Is that… really you, Ash?" she asked.

"It's been a long time, Daisy," Ash said. The eldest Waterflower was so overjoyed she ran to him and threw her arms around him.

"Oh wow! You have no idea how glad I am to see you," she said.

"I'm starting to get an idea," Ash replied as he returned the hug. After a few seconds they separated and Daisy took a few steps back so she could get a good look at him.

"Misty was right. You do look different," she commented. "You're quite the looker now. All things considered I wouldn't mind spending a quiet evening alone with you."

"D-Daisy!" Misty stuttered.

"I'm just kidding," the eldest Waterflower laughed. "There's no way I'd stoop so low as to steal him from you." Misty tried to respond but could only manage a few stuttered words, the redness of her cheeks showing how embarrassed she was.

"So, what have you been up to these past five years?" Daisy asked. At that moment Misty was silently thanking her sister for the change of subject.

"A lot. You may want to have a seat for this," Ash advised.

"How about I get you guys something to drink," Daisy offered. They graciously accepted and followed her into the kitchen.

"… and that's everything's that's happened so far." Ash had just finished telling Daisy about everything that happened to him since leaving Pallet Town. The eldest Waterflower sat there in shock.

"Oh wow… that's a lot to take in," she said.

"I felt the same way when he first told me," Misty said.

"So not only did you save those same three goofs that had been following you around for years, but now they're working for you as double agents?" Daisy questioned.

"That's right, and if I'm correct they'll be somewhere nearby," Ash stated.

"Nearby? You mean here? In Cerulean City?" Daisy inquired. Ash nodded.

"They always seem to appear whenever they have something to report," Zorua explained. "And when they're finished they vanish as quickly as they appeared."

"Still it's a bit hard to believe," Daisy said.

"What I found hard to believe was when Misty told me you were helping her with the Gym and that you're just as good a trainer as she is," Ash stated. Right then a smirk appeared on Daisy's face.

"If you want proof then battle me," she challenged. Upon hearing her challenge Ash sent a knowing smirk in her direction.

"Daisy… you know I never turn away from a challenge," he stated.

"I know," Daisy responded. "I really want to know how much stronger you've gotten and whether I can match you or not."

"Well if you're as good as Misty says you are then this should be a good battle," Ash said.

"I plan on making it one," Daisy promised. Misty looked back and forth between Ash and her sister and smiled.

"Well Bianca, looks like we're going to see another battle from Ash. This one should be good, though," she commented.

"I can't wait!" Bianca squealed.

Minutes later everyone had gathered at the battlefield. Ash and Daisy stood on opposite ends of the large pool while Misty, Bianca, Pikachu and Zorua watched from the sidelines.

"So I take it this is where you have your Gym battles," Bianca assumed.

"Yeah. With this being a water type Gym it made sense," Misty replied. "Of course we put in those floating platforms to accommodate any Pokémon who isn't that great in the water. Just because we use Water types doesn't mean our challengers have to."

"That seems fair," Bianca commented.

"So, how many Pokémon?" Ash inquired.

"Is a one-on-one good?" Daisy suggested.

"Sure. It'll be just like my battle against Misty back in Unova," Ash agreed.

"Did you win?" Daisy asked.

"Yeah, but just barely," Ash answered.

"In that case I have to win," Daisy decided. "Thankfully I have just the Pokémon for the job." She put two fingers to her mouth and whistled loudly. Seconds later the water in front of her shot upwards as a Pokémon emerged from underwater and landed on one of the platforms in front of her.

"I thought you'd use him, Daisy," Misty said as she saw the Gym's Dewgong appear. The eldest Waterflower looked to her sister and smiled.

"Of course. You of all people know how strong he is," she replied. With Daisy's Pokémon on the field it was time for Ash to choose his.

"Pi Chu Pi Ka, Pikapi?" Pikachu asked.

"Not this time, buddy. I have someone else in mind," Ash said. "Just make sure you and Zorua cheer us on."

"Pika!" Pikachu replied.

"Will do, Ash!" Zorua added.

"Not using Pikachu, huh. You had better make sure whoever you use can hang with us," Daisy advised. The Sea Lion Pokémon echoed his trainer's sentiments by letting out a few barks and clapping his front flippers together. Ash merely smirked as he grabbed a Poké Ball from his belt.

"Don't worry. He can do more than hang," he said. "Lucario, take the field!" He hurled the sphere and watched as it opened, revealing the Aura Pokémon.

"(I am ready for combat!)" he declared as he landed on one of the floating platforms. Daisy was momentarily surprised by the appearance of Ash's Lucario, but she quickly got over it and prepared for battle.

"I wasn't expecting a Lucario. This could be a tough one," she mused.

"We're ready whenever you are!" Ash called.

"Alright then! Dewgong, use Aqua Tail!" Dewgong raised his tail into the air. Moments later water began swirling around it. After a few seconds he propelled himself forward.

"Counter with Force Palm!" Ash called. Right as Dewgong swung his tail Lucario thrust his palm forward and blocked the attack with an energy pulse.

"Now go right into Bone Rush!" Ash instructed.

"Counter with Ice Shard!" Daisy shouted. Lucario formed a bone of energy in his hands and took a swing at Dewgong. In response the Sea Lion Pokémon jumped back, putting some distance between himself and the Aura Pokémon. He then spat out large chunks of ice that flew at incredible speed at Lucario. In response the Aura Pokémon twirled the bone in his hand, using the Bone Rush to create a make-shift shield between himself and the incoming Ice Shard. Dewgong's attack was effectively blocked, leaving the two Pokémon locked in a stalemate.

"Doesn't look like either one of them can get an advantage over the other," Bianca commented.

"Yeah, just what I expected from those two," Misty agreed.

"Let's try Metal Claw, Lucario!" Ash called.

"Go underwater!" Daisy instructed. Lucario jumped from platform to platform on his way towards Dewgong, his attack creating three metallic claws on his right hand. Before Lucario could reach him, though, Dewgong dove into the pool and disappeared underwater, causing the Aura Pokémon to cease his attack.

"(Where is he?!)" Lucario wondered.

"Ice Beam!" Daisy shouted. The water behind Lucario erupted upwards as the Sea Lion Pokémon leapt into the air. Lucario had just enough time to turn around before Dewgong fired his attack. Lucario managed to dive and avoid a direct hit, but both he and Ash quickly learned that Daisy had an ulterior motive for the attack.

"Yes! It worked!" she cheered once they were able to survey the results of the attack. In Lucario's haste to avoid a hit he allowed the Ice Beam to encase his legs in a thick block of ice, immobilizing him.

"Oh shit!" Ash swore.

"Now I've got you right where I want you," Daisy declared.

"Quick! Use Bone Rush to break free!" Ash instructed.

"I don't think so! Use Ice Beam again!" Daisy countered. Lucario was in the process of creating his Bone Rush when Dewgong fired another Ice Beam. The Ice type attack struck his paws, freezing his hands together.

"Oh shit, this is not good!" Ash groaned.

"Oh no! Lucario's helpless out there!" Bianca panicked. "All of his attacks require the use of his hands, so now that they're frozen he can't attack!" Misty was surprised by the way her sister was battling. She already knew Daisy was a strong trainer, but going against Ash seemed to push her to a new level.

"Time to finish this up, Dewgong! Use Horn Drill!" The Sea Lion Pokémon sprang forward and began spinning.

"If that hits it's all over!" Bianca shouted. Ash was well aware of this. His brain was working overtime trying to come up with some kind of strategy. Finally, at the last second, he came up with something he hoped would work.

"Lucario, block that with your hands!" he shouted. No one expected that response from Ash, but Lucario trusted his judgment. As Dewgong bore down on him Lucario put his still-frozen hands up. What happened next took everyone but Ash by surprise. Dewgong's Horn Drill struck the ice block that had Lucario's hands trapped, shattering it on impact and freeing Lucario's hands.

"Alright!" Ash cheered.

"How the Hell…" Daisy gasped.

"How did he know that would work?" Bianca wondered.

"He didn't. That's just Ash's style," Misty explained. Lucario's hands were now free, but his legs were still encased in ice.

"Let's try this again! Bone Rush!" Lucario once again formed the Bone Rush in his hands and this time managed to successfully break the ice block encasing his legs.

"(Shall we continue?)" Lucario suggested as he sprang to his feet. Despite how eager Lucario sounded Ash knew better. The Aura Pokémon was merely putting up a front to hide how much the battle had really taken out of him.

"Lucario can't go on for much longer. I have to end this quick," Ash mused. "Lucario, use Swords Dance!" Lucario flexed his muscles. Moments later four swords appeared and began floating around him. They twirled in the air a few times before crossing their blades over his head. Because of this Lucario's attacking power was strengthened considerably. Ash only hoped it was enough.

"Okay, let's finish this! Force Palm!" Ash called.

"Counter with Aqua Tail!" Daisy shouted. Time seemed to slow down as the two Pokémon went into their attacks. Dewgong swung his tail at Lucario to try and intercept the Aura Pokémon's attack, but at the last second Lucario ducked under Dewgong's Aqua Tail and thrust his palm forward. The second it came in contact with Dewgong a massive pulse of energy erupted from his palm, sending the Sea Lion Pokémon hurtling through the air. Dewgong came crashing into the water, his unconscious form floating up to the surface moments later.

"Aw damnit! We lost," Daisy groaned. Now that the battle was over Lucario allowed his body to relax. However the battle had taken its toll on him. His legs quickly gave out and he fell backwards onto the platform.

"Lucario!" Ash shouted. He sprinted out onto the platform and cradled his Pokémon.

"Are you alright?" he asked. The Aura Pokémon looked up at him and smiled.

"(Victory… has a way… of making the pain… bearable,)" he replied. Learning that Lucario was alright after the difficult battle put Ash's mind at ease. With a smile he grabbed the Aura Pokémon's Poké Ball.

"I couldn't have asked for a better performance out of you," he praised. "I promise to get you to the Pokémon Center once we're done here." With a nod Lucario allowed Ash to recall him to his Poké Ball. On the other side of the pool Daisy was doing the same thing, thanking Dewgong for his efforts and promising to bring him to the Pokémon Center later before returning him to his Poké Ball. The two trainers then met on the side of the pool with Misty, Bianca, Pikachu and Zorua joining them moments later.

"That Lucario is something else. I can't remember the last time someone besides Misty pushed Dewgong to his limit like that," Daisy commented.

"Thanks, though Dewgong was no pushover either. Those tactics really threw me for a loop there," Ash said.

"They're very effective against opponents that like to move a lot. Stopping them in their tracks usually throws them off their game and makes them easy to defeat," Daisy explained. "Although that didn't seem to have the same effect on you."

"That's Ash for you. Conventional strategies more often than not don't work against him," Misty stated.

"I'll have to remember that for next time," Daisy said.

"I don't know if I can beat you if we end up squaring off, especially after that performance," Bianca admitted.

"You may have to try," Ash said. "In any case we should hurry up and get Dewgong and Lucario to the Pokémon Center." Daisy agreed with him, but before the group could leave the sound of the door opening echoed throughout the Gym.

"Hey! We're back!"

"Oh shit! Why now?!" All Ash needed was one glance at the looks of frustration on the faces of Misty and Daisy to know who it was that just walked in.

"It looks like we're going to get to see their problems first-hand," he mused. Moments later Lily and Violet walked in, and judging by the looks on their faces they were glad to be done with whatever it was they had been doing.

"Did you hand out your invites?" Daisy asked.

"Yeah, we got rid of them," Lily replied, much to the annoyance of the eldest Waterflower.

"You're supposed to hand them out, not get rid of them," she chastised.

"Look, we did that, alright? So get off our backs already," Violet spat. Before Daisy could respond Lily and Violet spotted Misty.

"Well well, the privileged princess decided to grace us with her presence again," Violet said. "Got tired of abandoning your Gym duties?"

"I didn't abandon anything. Daisy gave me permission to leave, which is more than I can say for you two," Misty retorted.

"Permission? More like special treatment," Violet spat.

"Who are they?" Bianca asked.

"Lily and Violet, the other two sisters," Ash answered.

"Wait, I thought Misty and Daisy were the only ones," Bianca said.

"From what Misty's told me she and Daisy might as well be. She said Lily and Violet hardly have anything to do with the Gym anymore, and the only thing they seem to do around here is cause trouble," Ash explained.

"Did she say what brought this on?" Bianca inquired.

"The attack on Pallet Town," Ash told her. "Misty says that Lily and Violet have the same mindset that most everyone in Pallet Town has in blaming me for the attack. Daisy is the only one that sided with Misty, and because of that the Gym is split down the middle." During their conversation they were spotted by Lily.

"If you're here for a Gym battle then you're wasting your time," she stated.

"We're not here for a Gym battle," Bianca said.

"Then why are you here?" Lily asked.

"I don't think that's any of your damn business!" Daisy snapped.

"I don't think that's for you to decide!" Lily retorted.

"If you must know we're here for the tournament," Ash said. Both Lily and Violet looked in his direction. He expected them to recognize them just as Daisy did, but strangely enough they didn't seem to know who he was.

"You don't say. Well you certainly look like you have what it takes to win," Lily commented. She and Violet approached Ash, gazing at him with dreamy looks in their eyes. Misty was about to lay into them when Ash made a slight motion with his hand telling her to wait. He then glanced in her direction and winked, letting her know he had things under control.

"So, what's your name, handsome?" Violet asked.

"Mason. Mason Cruz," Ash said.

"Mason, huh. Well I'm Violet, and this is my sister Lily," Violet said. "We're Gym Leaders here." As soon as they mentioned being Gym Leaders Ash knew he had the perfect opportunity to not only embarrass them but hopefully put a smile on Misty's face.

"You two are Gym Leaders, huh. In that case can you do me a favor?" he asked.

"Anything for you, hot stuff," Lily agreed. A slight smirk appeared on Ash's face as they fell right into his trap.

"I've got a couple of Pokémon that I want to try out before the tournament and I was hoping you two would agree to a battle with me," he requested.

"Oh… um, okay," Lily reluctantly agreed. "So who do you want to battle against?"

"If it's okay I'd like to face both you and your sister," Ash requested.

"Wait. How are you going to do that?" Lily asked.

"We'll have a modified double battle. You two will each use one Pokémon while I'll use two. It's a battle style I encountered at the Mossdeep Gym in the Hoenn region," Ash explained. "I hope that won't be a problem."

"Oh… uh, no. Not at all," Violet said. Truth be told both of them were nervous about facing him in battle, but they didn't want to appear weak in front of him. As they three trainers took their places Ash had to fight back a laugh as he watched his plan unfold perfectly in front of him.

"We're ready when you are," Lily called.

"By all means, ladies first," Ash said. The two sisters looked to each other as they each nervously grabbed a Poké Ball and threw it out.

"Go, Wingull!" Lily said.

"Come out, Slowpoke!" Violet shouted. Ash looked on as their two chosen Pokémon appeared on the battlefield. At first glance, though, he was sorely disappointed, as was everyone else.

"Oh man… do those two even train their Pokémon?" Misty groaned.

"That would require effort, and we both know how they feel about that," Daisy replied. Lily's Wingull lazily floated down and landed on the back of Violet's Slowpoke, who appeared to be much lazier than others of his species. With a sigh Ash called out to Pikachu and Zorua.

"You two want to handle this?" he asked. Normally the two of them would never consider battling Pokémon as weak as the ones sent out by Lily and Violet, but in this case they were willing to make an exception. The two of them ran out and stood in front of Ash.

"You're using those two?" Violet questioned.

"I just caught them a few weeks ago and haven't had an opportunity to battle with them," Ash lied. Pikachu and Zorua did their best to appear like two newly caught Pokémon, trying to disguise the fact that they were two of Ash's best battlers.

"Okay. You have the first move," Ash offered.

"Use Water Gun, Wingull!" Lily shouted.

"You use Water Gun too, Slowpoke!" Violet called. The two Pokémon launched their attacks, though they came off a more of a light sprinkle than actual Water Guns. The water streams, if they could even be called that, traveled less than a foot before splashing to the Gym floor.

"Oh man… guess we should go ahead and end this," Ash mused. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Zorua, Dark Pulse! … and make sure to take it easy on them." He whispered that last part so only his Pokémon heard him. The two of them nodded and launched their attacks, Pikachu a bolt of electricity and Zorua a pulsing wave of Dark-type energy. Both attacks had considerably less power than they should have due to Pikachu and Zorua not wanting to hurt Wingull and Slowpoke too badly. Despite that, however, the two attacks did hit incredibly hard. Lily and Violet's Pokémon were sent crashing into the wall behind them, easily rendering both Pokémon unable to continue.

"Oops… I guess they're more prepared for battle than I thought,' Ash said. Lily and Violet were left in stunned silence. For a couple of Pokémon he said were captured a few weeks ago they showed incredible power.

Umm, you two really should get your Pokémon to the Center," Ash advised. That seemed to snap them out of their stunned state. They quickly returned their Pokémon and headed for the door.

"Thanks for the battle, girls," Ash called.

"Oh… uh, sure. N-No problem," Lily replied as she and Violet hurried out of the Gym. Once they were gone no one could contain their laughter anymore.

"Oh man, I can't remember the last time I saw them that flustered before!" Daisy said.

"I know! I definitely needed that one!" Misty agreed.

"I'd have to say that was an award-winning performance from Ash and his Pokémon," Bianca stated. While the girls continued to talk and laugh about what happened Ash was thanking Pikachu and Zorua for their assistance.

"Thanks for your help. I couldn't have done it without you," he said.

"Pi Pika," Pikachu replied.

"It was our pleasure," Zorua added. "Those two needed to have their egos deflated a bit anyway."

"That they did," Ash agreed.

"And besides, it put a smile on Misty's face," Zorua commented. Ash looked over at Misty, seeing her still laughing over what he did to Lily and Violet. A smile appeared on his face.

"Yeah," he agreed.

Things were much more peaceful at the Gym following the battle Ash had against Lily and Violet. The two of them thankfully didn't return to the Gym, which meant that Ash and the others had the rest of the day to themselves. It was mostly spent catching up and sharing stories of what they had been doing over the past few years. Pretty soon night came, and rather than letting Ash and Bianca stay at the Pokémon Center Misty and Daisy insisted that they spend the night at the Gym. It was an offer Ash couldn't refuse. As the night went on the girls retired for the night. Ash, however, had important business to take care of.

"So you managed to sneak away without anyone noticing. You're getting better at that," he commented.

"We've had years of practice," Jessie stated.

"But what if someone tries to contact you in Unova? What happens then?" Ash asked.

"Don't worry. Purrloin here took care of that for us," Meowth said.

"That I did," Purrloin confirmed. "I've set it up so that any calls received at our Unova base gets redirected to our personal communicators. That way wherever we are the rest of Team Rocket will still think we're stationed in Unova."

"Clever girl," Ash praised.

"You know it," Meowth agreed.

"So, any new developments?" Ash inquired.

"We're not 100% sure, but we think the large gathering of troops has something to do with the League Invitational tournament that's taking place soon," James said.

"Wait. You don't think he's going to try something at the tournament, do you?" Ash wondered.

"With as many troops as he's gathering it's a possibility we can't ignore," Jessie said. Ash frowned at the mere thought of Giovanni launching an assault on the Indigo Plateau during the tournament.

"That bastard," he seethed.

"Is there anything you want us to do?" Jessie asked.

"Keep monitoring the situation and report any new findings to me," Ash instructed. "And if it's possible I'd like for you to disrupt their operations in any way. If he really does plan to attack during the tournament then we need to do everything we can to stop him."

"Understood," James said. With their meeting concluded Ash headed back inside the Gym with Jessie, James, Meowth and Purrloin left to carry out their appointed task.

That morning the group, which now included Daisy, left the Gym and headed to the outskirts of Cerulean City. Everyone was in high spirits as they headed towards the location of the Pokémon League Invitational tournament.

"Okay, if we keep up a good pace we should arrive in Viridian City in a few weeks time. After that it's a short trip to the Indigo Plateau," Daisy said.

"Alright! Indigo Plateau, here we come!" Bianca cheered.

"But before that I need to make another stop," Ash announced. He didn't need to say where, for everyone already knew.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's hit the road!" Misty shouted. The four of them took one last look at Cerulean City before continuing down the path towards Mt. Moon.

Things in the Cerulean City Gym have changed over the past five years, something Ash learned during his battles against Daity, Lily and Violet. Now though the group is on their way to Viridian City. What will be waiting for them when they arrive? Find out in the next chapter of Regrets & Redemption!

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