The next day, when all four trainers were up, they had a breakfast of pancakes, cooked by Whitney's uncle, before getting ready to leave. Once they were ready they met in the living room and Mikki said, "Thanks for letting us stay here last night Milton."

"That's fine," Milton said, "Any friends of Whitney are always welcome here."

"That's great Uncle, we really need to be going now," Whitney said. As she smiled Whitney thought, 'We need to leave now in case I get us lost.'

Ashley was thinking, 'She probably wants to give herself time if she gets us lost. I had better keep an eye out.'

Amelia called out, "Yeah, thanks for letting us stay here," before she ran out of the house to wait with Mikki for her sister at the gate.

As Ashley and Whitney exited the house, Ashley waved over her shoulder and said, "Thanks," before whispering to Whitney, "You better not get us lost."

"I won't. Don't worry. I know this area like the back of my hand."

"Alright. But if you get us lost even once, I'm using you for target practice with Mareep, got it?"

"Yeah, I got it," Whitney said, gulping, knowing that Ashley was one to follow through on her word.

About three hours later Amelia said, "Whitney."

Whitney said, "Yes Amelia?"

"We wouldn't happen to be lost, would we?"

"No. Why would you say that?"

"Because I'm pretty sure that this is the third time we've passed that tree there."

"Which tree?"

"That charred one there."

Whitney looked at the tree that Amelia was pointing to and saw Ashley fingering one of her pokéballs. She said, "No no, there was a fire here last year. It's not really that surprising that there are many burnt trees around this area." Ashley moved her hand away from her pokéballs.

"Oh," Amelia shrugged, "alright then."

The group of four continued walking for another half-hour in peace when, all of a sudden, the earth opened up under them and they fell into a hole. Ashley groaned as she stood up, rubbing her lower back. She said, "A pitfall?"

"That's right Jiggly," a voice called out from above them.

Ashley recognised the voice and said, "Matchstick?"

Whitney looked at her friend and asked, "Matchstick?"

"You'll find out." Whitney shrugged, accepting the answer. "But in the meantime, how about we get out of this hole?"

"That's great," Whitney said, "but how do you suggest we do that?"

"That's easy," Ashley said, drawing two of her pokéballs from her belt. "Come on out, Braviary." Once the two birds were out of their Pokéball, Ashley returned her pokéballs to her belt before saying, "We need to get out of here, so grab me 'n' Whitney and fly us out of here." The two Flying Types called out, somewhat annoyed at being used as a delivery service, but grabbed the two girls as requested, clamping their talons around their shoulders and flying straight up, out of the hole before flapping backwards, away from the two Team Rocket members.

Ashley was about to order her Braviary back down the hole to get Mikki and her sister, but she heard, "Come on out, Fearow / Pidgeot." Ten seconds later she saw her sister being lifted out of the hole by a Pidgeot and Mikki by a Fearow.

Ashley said, "Now what is it this time, Matchstick?"

'Matchstick' yelled, "Stop calling me Matchstick, Jiggly!"

Whitney, getting the insults being launched between the two, rolled her eyes and said, "Alright, just who are you anyway?"

"If you're looking for trouble," " 'Matchstick' said

"Then you might as well make it double," the guy said.

"To infect the world with devastation"

"To unite the peoples within every nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To reach the stars above."

"Christie."

"Francis."

"Team rocket, blasting off day and night."

"Surrender now for you will surely lose this fight."

Amelia said, "That's…"

Mikki said, "Rather odd, right?" to her friend.

Ashley said, "Eh, you get used to it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, after a while."

Amelia said, "I'd rather not have to get used to it. Anyway, why are you calling her Matchstick?"

Ashley said, "Uhh…don't mind that." Ashley looked to her sister and her friend and asked, "Do you two want to take care of this?"

"Hey!" Christie said, "What do you mean 'take care of us'? Besides, we're here for you, Jiggly."

"For me?"

"Yeah, for you."

Amelia asked, "What do you want my sister for?"

"Team Rocket is on the lookout for rare and powerful Pokémon. Not only does she have a Gible, she also has those two birds that we've never seen before. Since they can carry Jiggly they must have some impressive strength." The two flying types hovering above Ashley's head called out in anger at the insinuation that they were anything but.

Ashley looked up and said, "Calm down you two." She looked back at Matchstick before sighing and saying, "Fine then, have it your way Matchstick. Braviary, use Sunny Day." The left Braviary's wings glowed golden before the light faded from its wings and a ball of light formed in front of its mouth. It looked up and shot the glowing orb into the sky. The six people all felt it suddenly become warmer.

Christie smirked and said, "Why thank you Jiggly. Come on out, Houndour," facing the circular area on her Pokéball at Ashley.

Frank said, "It's a two on two battle, so no complaints, I choose you, Nidoran ."

"That's fine," Ashley said. "It's your turn."

"Nidoran , use Thunderbolt."

Ashley thought, 'That thing can use Thunderbolt?' she called out, "Braviary, drop down." Both of her Braviary stopped flapping their wings and raised them up above their heads, dropping down a foot, dodging the Thunderbolt before starting to flap their wings again. Ashley saw a plume of fire headed towards her two Pokémon and said, "Get back up." Her Braviary flapped their wings once, regaining the extra foot that they had just lost to dodge the Thunderbolt. She said, "Braviary, use Heat Wave." The Braviary on the right fired a massive stream of fire that had fiery rings rushing the length of it that ran just above the plume of fire being shot by Houndour. "Now, use Aerial Ace," Ashley commended her first Braviary, which flew around both plumed of fire, headed towards Houndour, a white energy surrounding it as it flew.

Christie said, "Houndour, redirect your Flamethrower to counter Heat Wave, but keep an eye on the secon…"

Frank said, "Don't worry about it, Nidoran , charge a Thunderbolt and use it on Braviary as soon as it spins around the top of the fire streams."

Braviary didn't go around the top of the streams though as Ashley called out, "Now Braviary, use it on Nidoran ."

Christie exclaimed, "What?"

Frank's eyes widened as he realised what Ashley had done and said, "A distraction!" but it was too late as Braviary slammed into Nidoran , knocking it out.

Ashley said, "Braviary, stop heat wave and spin around the Flamethrower."

Christie said, "Not happening," before she ordered, "Houndour, change the direction of your Flamethrower so it cuts Braviary's path."

Ashley said, "Use Crush Claw," to the Braviary that had just taken out Nidoran. It flew the short distance between them too fast for Christie to try and make a command, let alone think of a way out of the situation. She could only watch as her Houndour was one-shotted by the same Pokémon that knocked out Frank's Nidoran . Ashley, seeing Christie and Frank's irritation at being defeated so easily, she said, "It's customary that I send you Team Rocket goons flying into the distance, but this time I'll settle for you just leaving."

Christie said, "Houndour return," pointing her Pokéball at her unconscious Pokémon, returning it so it could rest. Christie spitefully said, "You won this time Jiggly, but this isn't over," before running alongside her partner, off into the forest.

Ashley watched as Christie's form disappeared into the forest, thinking, 'Those two aren't like Jessie, James and Meowth. They will be trouble.' She rubbed the necks of her two Braviary, congratulating them on their performance in the battle that they had just had before looking at her current travelling companions. She saw that her sister had stars in her eyes as Mikki lost all tension in her body, falling to her knees on the ground. Whitney was silent. Ashley said, "What?"

Amelia said, "That was…so Cool!"

Mikki, regaining control of her voice exclaimed, "Cool?! How was that cool?"

Whitney said, "What I think she means, is how could you do that when you only caught those Braviary yesterday?"

Ashley said, "What do you think I was doing yesterday? Dancing a jig?"

Mikki said, "But even so…"

Ashley said, "Look, don't we have somewhere to be?"

"Right!" exclaimed Whitney, "come on, this way," as she headed towards Goldenrod City while Amelia helped Mikki up.

As Amelia helped her up, she whispered to her, "I don't care what you say, there's something wrong with your sister Amelia."

"Something wrong? What do you mean?"

"I've said it before, she's a monster."

Amelia smiled and said, "Come on, you know that's not true," as she and Mikki looked at Ashley interact with her Pokémon before she returned them, jogging to catch up with Whitney. Amelia and Mikki returned their respective flying type to their pokéballs before running after the two older teens.

XXXXX

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Kanto Region Jessie James and Meowth were standing in an elevator, going to the lowest basement of the building that they had entered mere moments before. James nervously asked, "What are we going to tell the boss this time?"

Jessie said, "We could tell him that I got to the finals of the Grand Festival."

James said, "I'm not sure that Giovanni would be too interested in that. The fact is that we…" there was a 'ding', signifying that the lift had arrived at its destination. Jessie and James exited the lift preceded by Meowth.

Giovanni frowned as he said, "Oh, it's you three."

Jessie and James knelt on one knee, saying, "Boss Giovanni."

Giovanni said, "Get up!" Jessie and James did so. "Since you're here you must have something to report."

Jessie and James looked at each other and said, "Uhh…"

Meowth stepped in to save his teammates' hides. He said, "We was instrumental in tha downfawl of Team Galactic in tha Sinnoh Region."

"Ohh," Giovanni said, surprised that the trio could get anything right. "I had Cassidy and Butch in the Sinnoh Region as well." Jessie and James, hearing the names of their respective rival coming from Giovanni's mouth sent shivers of rage through them. Their rage was quelled though when Giovanni continued. "All they managed to do was make a measly one million dollars and send back 40 Pokémon." Beads of sweat started to run down Jessie, James and Meowth's faces at the information being given. "If what you're telling me is true, then what you have done in the Sinnoh Region eclipses their achievement by far."

"Oh thank you Giovanni sir!" James said.

"Thank you very much," Jessie said.

Giovanni said, "There is no need for that. Given your recent achievements I would like you to do something for me in the Johto Region." The three members of Team Rocket eagerly accepted the assignment, as soon as Giovanni had laid it out for them.