Omega: So-

Ohirume: Filler.

Mizuro: Seriously?! How long has it been since the last Gym Battle?

Seishin: By this point, ten chapters/seven episodes(winter themed special episodes not included). ;P

But don't worry, it's just another sixtee- fifteen episodes until Cinnabar.

Omega, Mizuro, Nuevo, and Illavera: WHAT?!

I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.

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WAKE UP!

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The group set up camp for the night in a forest clearing and Brock got to cooking. Geodude and Onix stayed by his side and helped where they could.

Misty and her team lounged around in the pool and mostly talked amongst themselves. The Water trainer couldn't get enough of the vaporeon form. Seriously. She's been considering asking Ash to Lockdown with her.

Ash and his team kickstarted another training session. Speaking of which, all of the Pokémon finally got to see what a porygon was.

Pikachu looked at his trainer with a bright smile, "I can learn that?!"

"Yup." Ash said happily, "Signal Beam is one of the stronger and more versatile Bug-type attacks that a lot of non-Bug-types can learn. It'll help against Grass, Psychic, and Dark-types, has a decent chance of inducing Confusion, and you'll even be able to use it for propulsion so long as you keep Thunderbolt. I almost couldn't believe that Franz managed to program it into Porygon."

Pikachu clenched a fist and smirked, "Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's get to work!"

The Virtual Pokémon took on a determined expression, "Oh yeah." Ash turned towards a tree and the tip of his face became shrouded in pink energy.

.

*Ash and Brock's Pokémon

The large group just sat off to the side and watched as the pair got to work.

"Woah." Bulbasaur muttered while staring at Ash in awe.

Muk laid next to him in about the same state, "His voice… not even the magnemite line talk that much like robots."

Everyone else just stared silently in pure awe. Mostly.

Vulpix's eyes were sparkling in amazement, Psyduck was lying on the ground about a foot away because of course he was, and Electra…

"Human-made Pokémon…" Electra mumbled aimlessly, "Human-made Pokémon. A human made a-" She let out a soft squeak and hugged her tail tighter.

After finding out the porygon species was human-made, Electra resigned to laying on her side and curling up in a fetal position as she struggled with this overwhelming conflict of her interests.

Soot looked down at the Electric-type worriedly, "Geez. This is the worst one yet."

"Well sure." Pidgeotto said, "But, seriously. A Pokémon made by humans is- is-"

Clefairy giggled, "Insane?"

Pidgeotto glanced back at her with a raised brow, "Not what I was really going for, but yeah. I guess."

Squirtle looked back at Clefairy and Soot with a raised brow, "And you two knew about this all along?"

Soot shrugged with a smile, "Eh, sort of. Dad and I knew Franz had been working on the species for a while, but we didn't know he actually succeeded until we got to Matcha City."

Clefairy raised a paw with a happy smile, "And I had no idea before meeting the chafer guy."

Soot sweat dropped, "Schaffer." She looked back around at everyone, "And, by the way, human-made Pokémon are a little more common than you all think."

Everyone -except Clefairy- perked up and looked at her in surprise. Electra snapped out of it, scrambled to sit up, and looked at her in shock.

Charmander blinked in surprise, "Wait, what? Really?"

Soot snickered, "Yup. Not counting evolutions, porygon's the seventh man-made Pokémon on earth."

Electra's jaw dropped.

Muk's eyes narrowed, "Name one."

Soot grinned and looked the Poison-type in the eye, "Why? I'm looking at one right now."

Muk's eyes widened in shock as he flinched; causing all of him to start jiggling. Everyone else jumped and looked at the Sludge Pokémon in shock.

Muk glared at Soot, "Wait a second! I was not made by humans. I hatched out of an egg just like every other grimer."

Soot smirked, "Well, yeah. You all did. Can't say the same for your ancestors. Grimer and trubbish were created a little over a century ago from irradiated human pollution."

Muk stared at Soot in shock. He brought up his hands and stared down at them, "I'm-"

Soot frowned, 'May have been a little too blunt.' "You alright?"

"Y- yeah." Muk stuttered. He put a hand to his head, "That's just- a lot to take in all of a sudden." He perked up and looked at Soot in surprise, "Wait. Does that mean my kind aren't responsible for pollution?"

"Huh?!" Soot cried out as she jerked and stared at him in shock, "That's what you thought?!" She smirked with a raised brow, "Muk, that couldn't be further from the truth."

Muk blinked in surprise, "R- really?"

Soot nodded, "Yeah. I read it in an old history book. After your kind started popping up, pollution levels plummeted worldwide. Yours, the trubbish, and the koffing lines have the ability to consume toxic materials and waste, and safely integrate them into yourselves." She snickered, "Obviously shaymin do it better. But they aren't nearly as common or easy to find." The Dark-type looked back at the Poison-type with a soft smile, "Your kinds' appearance played a part in fixing the world's pollution problem before things got out of hand. You weren't the cause. You were part of the cure."

Illavera, Mizuro, and Nuevo: *blank, dumbfound stares*

Nuevo: *muttering* Their world doesn't even have to worry about pollution…

Illavera: *muttering* I knew the air seemed fresh. But I thought it was because we were in a dense forest.

Mizuro: ****. That is just unfair.

Illavera: *flinches upon realizing something* Wait. Does that mean they don't have to worry about global warming?

Nuevo: *eyes widen before face-palming* Which also means they don't have ******* arguing over whether it's real.

Mizuro: Son of a *****! That's even more unfair!

Omega: *sigh* It really is.

Gem: *whispering to Faux* What are they talking about?

Faux: No idea.

Muk blinked in surprise and looked at his hands again. After a moment he smiled softly, "huh." He perked up and looked at Soot in confusion, "Hold on. What about Gringey City? It's packed with my kind and is still a wreck."

Soot smiled sadly, "Every cure has its limits. Gringey City's one of the better-known examples of that."

"OH! Right!"

Everyone perked up and looked at Ash. The porygon hovered over to his backpack. Pikachu watched and pouted as he flew away.

"That reminds me." Ash said before he pulled out a zip lock bag and hovered over to Muk with it in his appendages.

Muk raised a brow as he stared at the gold-ish ring in the bag, "What is that?"

"It's a gasket we got from Electra's microwave."

Electra perked up and looked at Ash in surprise, "Huh?"

"It has beryllium in it." Ash continued, "It's a metal that's incredibly toxic and can damage a being's lungs if inhaled." He held out the bag to the Poison-type, "Mind eating it?"

"What?!" Mankey blurted out, "But, you just said-" He stopped and blinked, "Oh."

Electra stared at the ring frightenedly, "I- I had something that dangerous?" She gulped and her ears drooped, "Really not insane."

Pidgeotto glanced back at her in surprise before perking up, 'Ohhhhh. Right.'

Muk looked at the gasket curiously. He smiled softly and took the bag, "I'm happy to help." He tossed the bag into his mouth and swallowed.

The Sludge Pokémon perked up and shivered for a bit, "Woah." He looked at Ash, "Do we have any more of that?"

.

**Short Skip**

Charmander and Vulpix stood on either side of the clearing and stared each other down. Ash stood off to the side and looked back and forth between them.

Soot sat next to him with Clefairy and Bulbasaur on either side of her. Squirtle and Mankey were sparring with Muk. Krabby was firing Bubble Beam at Pidgeotto as she flew around and deflected the Water-type attack with Gust and Ominous Wind.

Electra lost all interest when Ash transformed again and went over to watch Brock cook. No change for Misty and her team. Though, Ash had to cut the Cerulean girl off after the fourth Lens.

"You guys ready?!" The ponyta called out with a smirk.

The Lizard and Fox Pokémon nodded, "Yeah!" Vulpix started stomping the ground with her forepaws repeatedly.

Ash got up on his hind legs, "Then," He fell back down and stomped, "GO!"

"Flame Charge!" Charmander and Vulpix cried out before breaking into a sprint towards each other.

The Fire-types started sparking a bit before a large plume of flames burst out and shrouded them. The pair picked up speed and rammed into each other with a pair of headbutts. An explosion immediately erupted, and the pair disappeared into a large cloud of smoke.

"Vul!" Vulpix cried out as she flew out of the smoke and tumbled along the ground for a second.

The dust cleared to reveal Charmander staring at her in shock. His eyes lit up, he smiled brightly, and threw up his paws in triumph, "YES! I did it! I won!"

Vulpix got back to her paws, shook it off, and looked at him with a sly smirk, "Well, enjoy it now. Because I'm not losing the next one."

Charmander looked back at her with a determined smirk, "We'll see about that."

Ash couldn't help but smile softly at his Fire-type, 'Charmander.' He perked up with a regular smile and spoke up, "You two can worry about a rematch later. For now, take a break. You've earned it."

Vulpix nodded happily, "Sounds good." She turned towards Brock and started running over. After a second, she flinched and skidded to a halt. The Fox Pokémon blinked in surprise and looked back, "What the Yvel?"

Soot grinned, "That'd be the side effect of Flame Charge. Your speed jumps a bit every time you use it."

Vulpix stared at Soot in surprise, "E- every time?" She looked down at her paws in awe, "Wow. No wonder Suzie wanted me to learn this so bad."

Ash chuckled.

"Hey Ash?" Charmander asked.

The ponyta-trainer looked down to see the Lizard Pokémon looking up at him hopefully, "So … um-"

Ash raised a hoof, "Hold that thought." He reached down and tapped the watch's symbol with his muzzle. Ash lit up green and reemerged in dragonite form.

The Dragon-type kneeled down in front of Charmander with a smile, "You were saying?"

Charmander chuckled softly before continuing with a smile, "I wanted to ask how I did. So …" he trailed off.

Ash smiled softly and pet him, "You did great. I'm proud of you, bud-"

He was cut off by a loud crash. Everyone flinched and looked over. They found squirtle struggling to get his shell out of a hole in a tree. The spiral of water around his tail faded.

Muk glared at him, "I warned you about using Aqua Tail from a tree like that! You need to remain steadfast against my skill!"

Squirtle glared back, "Shut up and get me out of here!"

Mankey raised a paw, "On it!" He ran around the tree before anyone could respond.

Squirtle flinched, grimaced, and glanced back, "Wait! How exactly are you-"

"Karate Chop!" Mankey shouted as he shoved his fist through the back of the tree and hit Squirtle in the shell.

"SQUIRRRRRR!" The Tiny Turtle screamed as he shot towards the pool, hit the rim, and fell in with a splash. Misty and her Pokémon managed to get out of the way just in time. Squirtle reemerged floating on his back with his eyes in swirls and water slowly pouring out of his mouth.

Everyone started laughing wildly at the dazed Water-type.

Ash glanced down at the happily laughing charmander and smiled softly again, 'Very proud.'

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*The Next Day

The group continued on their journey towards -eventually- Cinnabar Island. They were currently walking down a trail alongside a forest.

Electra and Clefairy were sleeping soundly on Brock and Ash's backpacks, respectively. Pikachu sat on Ash's shoulder and lounged against his trainer's head with a calm smile and his paws behind his head. Misty was pouting with her arms crossed.

Ash sighed before looking at the girl with a frown, "Misty, I'm sorry. But you can't just keep burning through the Lenses like that. It's not fair to Brock."

Brock sweat dropped and waved his hand with a nervous smile, "Really, it's okay. I'm fine with wait-"

Misty cut him off with a sigh, "No. Ash is right. I guess I'm being a little selfish." She looked up with a sad smile, "But I Just can't help it. It was everything I'd dreamed of and so much more than I expected." She took a deep breath and smiled sadly again, "Fresh air almost tastes bitter now."

Ash smiled softly, "Trust me, I get it. It can be one Yvel of an experience."

Brock smiled softly and nodded, "Yeah."

Soot looked up at Misty with a grin, "And don't forget. Dad is still working on upgrading the Lenses."

Ash nodded, "Yeah. I think I'm already getting close to upping the time limit by another minute."

Pikachu sweat dropped and glanced at Ash, "Just a minute?"

Ash shot back a glance at the Electric-type, "Hey, these things aren't exactly simple machines." He perked up and looked back at his friends, "Also, I think I'm gonna try and find a way to add a Lockdown Mode into the Lenses."

Misty looked at Ash in surprise, "I thought they already had that."

Ash chuckled and shook his head, "Not exactly. If you remember before, I said that my Lockdown would carry over to you." He raised a finger again, "What I'm thinking of is a standalone Lockdown with a much shorter time limit."

Brock raised a brow, "So, it won't last for a few days?"

Ash smiled, "That's the plan. I'm thinking of just a few hours. That would tie in pretty well since the Lenses aren't as powerful as the watch." He put a hand to his chin and looked down thoughtfully, "But, I'm still not sure if I can do it without the time randomizer."

Misty smiled brightly, "Well, however it works, be sure to let us know immedia-"

Soot whistled; catching the quartet's attention. She looked at them, "Guys. You're gonna wanna cut the watch talk for now." She looked back ahead.

The group followed her gaze to find a short man sitting on a large rock. He wore faded green clothing, had long white hair covering his eyes with a mustache, and had a blue, diamond-shaped charm on a necklace.

The man noticed them as they walked up to him, "Groovy. Greetings, children of the universe."

Soot tensed up and her eye started twitching, "Hi."

Misty raised a brow, "Are you all by yourself?"

"I have my music." The man said before reaching around and pulling out a yellow flute that looked like it was skewering a pokéball.

He began playing a soft melody. Ash, Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Soot smiled softly and enjoyed it. Clefairy and Electra stirred awake calmly and stretched. They moved over to their trainers' shoulder to look at the source of the music. Electra's eyes widened in awe.

The song ended and everyone -except Soot, Clefairy, and Electra- applauded. The female Fairy and Electric-types noticed and joined in. The Dark-type looked down at her forepaws and sweat dropped.

"Thank you." Brock said.

"That was really nice." Misty followed.

The man looked at them, "Glad ya liked it." He held out a hand, "But now that you've heard my music, you've gotta give me some food."

"Huh?" Everyone said in surprise.

Soot sweat dropped, "We assumed it'd be free."

The man frowned, "Can't I at least get a sandwich for my performance?"

Ash frowned, "We're actually heading to the nearby town to restock." He perked up upon remembering something, "Oh, wait." He reached around, removed his backpack, and dug around in it, "We don't have sandwiches-" He stopped, perked up, and looked at Brock, "Right?"

Brock frowned, "I'm afraid so."

Ash shrugged and went back to sifting through his bag, "Would you settle for some fruit, though?"

The man perked up in surprise, 'Wait, really?' "Uh, yeah. Sure. Ya have apples?"

Ash smiled and pulled out two large apples, "Enough that we can be a little generous." He walked over and held out the fruit, "Here."

The man stared in surprise before taking them, "Th- thanks."

Ash walked back over to the others and slung his backpack back on, "Alright. See ya."

Brock and Misty waved, "Bye."

The group continued down the trail.

The long-haired guy watched in surprise as they left. He looked down at the fruit, 'My concert wasn't free for once.' He smiled softly and bit into one of the apples, "Nice kids."

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*Group

Electra looked back in the direction the man was in while standing on Brock's shoulder.

Misty noticed and smiled at her, "I take it you liked the music?"

Electra looked at Misty with a raised brow, "Huh? Yeah, it was nice, I guess." She looked back in his direction, "But, what was that thing he was using?"

Soot snickered, "A flute. The finger holes on the front were what he used to change the sound."

Electra smiled brightly and her tail started wagging, "Coooool."

Brock held up a hand to keep the tail from smacking him in the face. He looked at Ash and smiled, "That was pretty nice of you to give him those apples."

Misty nodded, "I didn't actually know we had that much fruit left."

Ash chuckled nervously, "Um … about that. I may have exaggerated a bit."

Soot glared at him, "And exactly how much is a bit?"

Ash cleared his throat, "I gave him half of what I had left."

Everyone jerked and looked at Ash in surprise.

Misty deadpanned, "Of course you did."

Ash rubbed the back of his head nervously, "At least we're planning to restock, right?"

Soot sighed, "Yeah. Fine. It's not like we can take the fruit back from that hippie anyway." She perked up and muttered, "At least, not without feeling like total scum."

Brock smiled, "Well then, let's move. The town should be close."

Electra perked up and looked down the road, "A town?" She smiled brightly again and pointed ahead, "Yeah! Let's go! Come on!"

Ash chuckled, "Alright, alright."

The group continued down the path.

Clefairy looked at Soot, "Hey, what's a hippie?"

.

**Time Skip**

The group walked down the not-at-all busy streets of the small town.

"Wooaah." Electra said as she stood back on Brock's backpack and looked around in awe, "So insane. This place doesn't look like that other town at all."

Ash smiled at her, "Yeah. That can happen. Some towns may have a few things that'll look similar, but you're not gonna find an exact copy that easily."

Electra started bouncing happily, "Insaaaaane." She looked over to an alley way, perked up, and pointed at it, "Let's go that way!"

Soot snickered, "Not so fast. We're mainly here to restock, remember?"

Brock smiled, "Still, we might be going to a lot of different places while we're here."

"Like over there!" Misty said while pointing ahead and smiling, "It's a bakery!" She ran over to it, "Come on!"

Ash and Soot blinked in surprise and looked at the building. They each raised a brow, 'Why don't I smell any-'

"What the?!" Misty blurted out.

Everyone else ran over and looked at the display counter. Every shelf was completely empty.

Brock stared in surprise, "There's no bread at all?"

Electra frowned and her ears drooped, "That's bad, right?"

Soot raised a brow, "More like weird." She looked at the front door, "I mean- they're still open."

Ash walked closer and knocked on the top of the counter, "Excuse me! Is there anyone here?!"

A man dressed up like a chef walked up to the counter, "What's that? A customer?"

Ash nodded, "Yes. Hello. Do you have any bread in the back or something?"

The chef frowned, "I'm sorry. But we don't have any bread left."

Misty slumped forward, "No bread at a bakery?"

Soot raised a brow, "Wait. If you don't have anything in stock, why are you open right now?"

The chef looked down at Soot in surprise, "Wha-" He looked back at the trainers, "Where did you get a talking Pokémon?"

Ash deadpanned and spoke in monotone, "I raised her from an egg." He raised a brow, "But Soot has a point. Why are you currently open?"

The chef raised a finger, "Well, that's because-" He stopped, perked up, and blinked in surprise, "Um…" He looked around the shop, "Huh."

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**Time Skip**

It'd been about an hour since the group started looking around town for … well, anything at this point. For once, they had no such luck.

The group resigned to sitting around a rounded stone … bench(?) by the road. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra sat on the ground next to their trainers and Soot laid down in front of Ash. Ash, Brock, and Misty went ahead and cut up the two apples they had left. Thankfully, they had enough Pokémon food for now.

Misty swallowed before looking up with a worried frown, "What the Yvel is going on here?"

"I don't know either." Brock said, "I mean, how can every bakery, produce market, and restaurant in this town be out of food?" He took another bite of the apple slice.

Ash sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "It doesn't make any sense. It's insane."

Soot swallowed, "And not in a good way."

Electra and Pikachu's ears drooped and Clefairy frowned, "Yeah."

"Excuse me."

The group looked over at the squint-eyed, gray-haired man who had just walked over to them. He wore a long-sleeved blue shirt, gray pants, a brown and beige hat, and was using a cane.

The two Electrics and the Fairy-type blinked in surprise and looked back and forth between him and Brock, 'Their eyes are the same…'

"What seems to be the matter here?" The man asked.

"We came here to restock." Brock responded, "But everywhere seems to be out of everything."

Misty looked at him curiously, "Would you happen to know what's going on around here?"

Soot raised a brow, "Also, we still have no idea who you are."

The man looked at Soot in surprise, "Oh my."

Soot rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Talkin' dog. Wow. Cool." She looked at him, "Now, who are you?"

The man jerked slightly, "O- oh." He put a hand to his chest, "I'm the mayor of this town."

Electra's ears sprang back up and she looked at the mayor curiously, "Mayor?"

The mayor frowned, "As for the food. I'm afraid our river has completely dried up and is killing all of our produce. As a result, food in town has become scarce."

Misty blinked in surprise, "Really?" She raised a brow, "I didn't think the weather had been that dry this year."

The mayor shook his head, "It isn't the weather that's the problem." He gestured for them to follow before walking down a pathway, "Come look."

The group followed.

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*Town river

Everyone stared in shock at the sight of the large river that had been reduced to a collection of puddles.

The mayor frowned, "This is the river that used to flow through our town. It's been like this for two weeks now."

Soot gulped, "Yikes."

Ash looked over at a field near the river. He frowned at the sight of the dried-out garden, "And the plants have all dried up too."

The mayor nodded, "We can't produce wheat or vegetables. Our town's in real trouble."

Misty perked up, "Wait." She looked at Ash with a smile, "What if our Water-types just started spraying around the field? That'd help, wouldn't it?"

Ash considered that and shook his head, "It would definitely help for the time being, but it won't be a permanent fix."

Misty frowned, crossed her arms, and looked down thoughtfully.

Brock perked up and looked at the mayor, "Maybe the problem is somewhere upstream?"

Soot looked up at him, "It's at least worth checking."

Misty smiled and nodded, "Yeah. I'm sure we'll find the problem easily."

"Yeah!" Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra cheered; each with a raised paw.

The mayor frowned, "I'm afraid that's easier said than done. We went to investigate ourselves, but the pathways have been blocked off by thorny vines. It's dangerous to go there."

The group shared a look, smiled and nodded, and looked back at him.

"I think we'll be okay." Ash said.

.

*Ash and co.; later

The septet made their way down the dried-up river. They came up to the massive vine wall the mayor mentioned.

Brock frowned, "So this is what he meant."

Electra frowned and her ears drooped, "Are we gonna have to go through that?"

Ash pulled out a pokéball, "Nope." He tossed it into the air, "Bulbasaur! Come on out!"

The Grass/Poison-type appeared in a flash. He looked at the vines and flinched slightly.

Bulbasaur blinked in surprise, "Yikes." He looked back at Ash with a raised brow, "You want me to cut them up with Razor Leaf, right?"

Pikachu translated.

Ash smiled and nodded, "Exactly. You won't have to go anywhere near them."

Bulbasaur sighed in relief, "Thank Arceus." He turned to face the vines again and smirked, "Leave it to me."

The Seed Pokémon unleashed a large swarm of the sharpened leaves. They tore through the thick vines with ease.

Misty smiled and clenched a fist, "Alright! Way to go Bulbasaur!"

"Nice job." Ash said before holding out Bulbasaur's pokéball again, "Return."

Bulbasaur disappeared into the red beam and the group continued through the now cleared path … and then came up on even more vines.

Pikachu deadpanned, "Really?"

Clefairy frowned, "Aww."

Misty smirked and pulled out two pokéballs, "Don't worry. This one's mine." She reeled back.

Everyone flinched when another pokéball burst open from Misty's belt and Psyduck emerged directly over the thorns.

Soot grimaced, shifted her eyes, and pounced at Psyduck. She grabbed and held him in her forepaws before they fell into the vine cluster.

The Dark-type walked out of the vines while holding the Duck Pokémon by the neck and had an annoyed look on her face. Soot spat him out onto the ground and stuck her tongue out in disgust.

She shifted her eyes back and glared at the Water-type, "You need a bath."

Psyduck sat up and went back to holding his head, "Psy Duck."

Ash sweat dropped, 'I really need to start working on that Calm Mind.'

Misty stared down at the Duck Pokémon in shock, "What the Yvel?"

Brock stared in shock as well, "Since when could he do that?"

Ash scratched the side of his head, "I mean … I've heard that it's possible for a caught Pokémon to break out like that. But I've never actually seen it happen before."

Soot deadpanned, "And yet Psyduck found out how to do it."

Misty sighed, "I really hope this isn't a regular thing."

Gem and Faux: *worried groans*

Omega: *glances at pair in confusion* Huh?

Misty pulled out and held Psyduck's pokéball towards him, "Return." She tossed the other two pokéballs into the air, "Starmie! Staryu! Double Tackle!"

The Star Shape and Mysterious Pokémon emerged in midair and spun like circular saws as they shot towards the vines. The sibling duo shredded through the vines with ease. They continued moving through as they cleared the path.

Brock smiled, "Nice thinking Misty."

Misty grinned, "I try."

The group ran after the Water-types. They came up to the end of the carved-out vines. The sibling Water-types were standing there and waiting for them.

Misty smiled down at her Pokémon, "Way to go you two." She perked up and raised a brow, "Hey. Come to think of it, do you guys ever get dizzy from doing that?"

Starmie looked up at Misty, "What? Why would that make us dizzy?"

Soot translated.

Misty blinked in surprise, "I mean … you're spinning nonstop when you use Tackle."

Staryu stared at her blankly, "I'm not following."

Clefairy translated for Ash, who then relayed the message.

Misty sweat dropped, "Well, its…" She shook her head, "No, never mind." She held out their pokéballs, "Thanks for the help. Return."

The pair disappeared into the red beams and the group continued onwards yet again. They came up to a giant hole with small puddles of water littered around.

Brock frowned, "I guess the problem is still a little further away."

Soot, Pikachu, and Electra's ears all twitched, and they perked up. Ash blinked in surprise, "Snore?"

Misty looked at Ash in surprise, "What?"

Ash looked around a bit before pointing ahead, "I can hear something snoring down that way. And they're literally saying 'snore'."

Soot looked at Ash in surprise, "Huh?" She perked up, "Wait. That means-" She turned back towards the source and ran towards it.

Everyone else followed and came up to a full grown snorlax sitting against a wall of the spring.

Brock blinked in surprise, "A snorlax? What're they doing here?"

Soot looked at where the Normal-type was sitting and frowned, "That."

Everyone followed her gaze and saw a small trickle off water coming from behind him.

Misty frowned, "So Snorlax is blocking the water from the spring. Okay…" She looked up at the Pokémon worriedly, "How do you wake up a snorlax?"

Brock raised a finger, "Use Worry Seed to give them the insomnia ability?"

Soot perked up and blinked in surprise, "Actually, yes. That would work incredibly well."

Ash sweat dropped, "Except that none of our Pokémon or any of my forms can do that."

Brock chuckled nervously, "Oh … right."

Clefairy perked up, "Oh!" She held up a paw and smiled brightly, "What about my Wake-Up Slap?! That'd work, wouldn't it?!"

Ash frowned, "It's not a bad idea but we don't really know how he'd react to that. He could end up being a little passive aggressive or incredibly violent when woken up by force." He translated what Clefairy said to Brock and Misty.

Misty looked at Ash, "So, what do you think we should do?"

Ash pulled out a pokéball and enlarged it, "We could catch him."

Pikachu, Clefairy, Soot, Misty, and Brock jerked and looked at Ash in surprise, "What?"

Electra perked up and looked around in confusion.

Misty stared at Ash in shock, "Since when do you suggest catching a Pokémon like this?"

Ash shook his head, "I don't mean it like that. Even when sleeping, a Pokémon can fight back once they're in a pokéball. For a snorlax who hasn't been hit by anything, it's a guarantee he won't stay in." He put the ball down and raised a finger, "I'm just thinking that, once he goes in, we knock the ball away, so he comes back out in a different spot."

"Huh." Brock said in mild surprise, "That makes sense." He raised a brow, "What if he has a trainer, though?"

Ash shrugged, "Then this won't work. We won't know until we try." He tossed the ball at Snorlax.

The ball hit the Normal-type, bounced upward, and opened. Snorlax lit up red. Everyone frowned when the red light shattered around Snorlax and the ball fell back to the ground.

Soot sighed, "Guess he already has a trainer, then."

Misty perked up and looked at the others, "But isn't that a good thing? We just have to get his trainer to return him, right?"

Ash crossed his arms and looked up thoughtfully, "Yeah. But we still have to find-"

"Good morning, everyone."

Everyone flinched from recognizing the voice and turned around. James and Jessie were walking over to them casually. James was talking into a microphone while Jessie pointed a video camera at him.

Ash and Soot sweat dropped. Pikachu, Clefairy, Brock, and Misty glared at the pair. Electra squeaked frightenedly and hid behind Brock's head. She peaked at them warily.

"Oh well, it's not really morning anymore." James said into the microphone, "Who cares anyway? I'm here to report on the early awaited awakening of the snorlax."

Ash blinked in surprise, "Why do you have a video camera?"

Soot raised a brow, "Where did you get a video camera?"

Misty glared at them, "What are you doing here?!"

James ignored them and gestured to the Sleeping Pokémon, "Zoom in, cameraperson."

Jessie complied.

James spoke into the mic again, "Ah, it's sleeping. Still sleeping. Watch closely, everyone. This is how Snorlax looks when it's sleeping."

Omega and Mizuro: *annoyed groans*

Soot deadpanned, "Oh wow. Really?"

James smiled happily; still looking at the Normal-type, "Ooh, doesn't it look cute?" He turned back to the camera and raised a finger, "Now watch carefully as we wake up the snorlax."

Ash sweat dropped, "And, how exactly do you plan to do that?"

The pair turned their attention towards the group. Jessie pointed the camera at them, and James held the microphone out to Jessie.

"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie started.

"And make it double!" James followed as he put the microphone back to his mouth.

They continued switching off as per usual. Though, they kept exchanging the microphone as they did so.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

The pair looked back at the group and flinched.

Ash was sitting on the edge of the spring with his legs crossed and eyes closed. Everyone else lounged around him and waited. Electra flinched when she saw Jessie and James looking their way and turned to look at Ash again.

Jessie glared at them and raised a fist, "Hey! Come on! These things take a lot of rehearsing!"

James raised a brow, "What's the twerp doing?"

"Meditating." Soot responded monotonously, "Dad's gotten rusty with his Psychic abilities over the years and now he has to do this for three hours to use even one of them. In this case, he's trying to mentally scan for Snorlax's trainer."

Electra looked at Soot in surprise before looking at Pikachu and Clefairy, "Ash is a psychic?"

Pikachu glanced around for any sign of Meowth. He looked at the other Mouse Pokémon, "Not really. Soot's telling the truth about the meditating, three hours, and the scan part. But the psychic thing is just a cover story."

Clefairy smiled, "They think Ash is the Phantom Pokémon, remember?"

"Oh right." Electra said.

"What?!" Jessie cried out in shock, "Three hours?!"

James frowned, "Well that's not good." He brought out a handheld radio, "This is R2 calling R1, over."

Misty sweat dropped, 'Code names? Seriously?'

"Dis is R1." Meowth's voice came from over the radio; making Electra jerk and look at the device curiously, "All systems are go."

Everyone -except Ash- looked up and saw the tRio's balloon floating towards them with Meowth at the controls.

"Da ultra-deluxe balloon bang-bang is about ta begin."

Omega, Mizuro, Nuevo, and Illavera: What the ****?!

Everyone in the group -again, except Ash- cringed. Though Ash somehow twitched for a second.

The bottom of the balloon basket opened and six cables with clamps dropped down from the hatch.

Soot shifted her eyes to their Inherent state and swung her tail through Ash's head without looking.

"GAH!" Ash cried out as he gasped awake. He put a hand to his chest and started breathing heavily. Jessie, James, and Electra stared at Ash in shock.

The Dark-type looked at Jessie and James; eyes back to normal, "So, you're planning to lift him out of here?"

Jessie snapped out of it and smirked, "That's right. Soon you'll be seeing Snorlax on cable."

Misty glared at them, "As if we'd let you-"

"Fine." Ash jumped in with a hand to his head, "Just try to keep quiet, please. I'm still recovering from my meditation being interrupted."

Everyone -except Soot- looked at Ash in shock.

James blinked in surprise, "Wait, what? Really?"

Jessie looked at her teammate frantically, "Don't question it! We need to hurry and hook up the snorlax!"

James nodded, "Right."

The duo from the tRio ran over to the Sleeping Pokémon and started attaching the clamps to his arms and legs.

"Ash!" Brock said harshly, "We can't just let them take him!"

Clefairy frowned and nodded, "Yeah. I really don't like this."

"I don't like it either." Ash said before looking around the group and whispering, "But he is a snorlax and they're using a hot air balloon. Even if they managed to lift him, they're not going to get far." He reached around and brought out Pidgeotto's pokéball, "We can cut him down once he's out of the way."

Misty frowned this time, "But wouldn't a fall like that hurt him?"

Soot shook her head, "Doubt it. A snorlax could fall off a three-story building and -so long as they don't land on their head- would only react as if they had a bad dream for about a second." She sweat dropped, "We should actually be worried about the miniature earthquake that'd come from his drop."

Everyone still frowned and shared a worried look.

Jessie and James finished with the clamps and stepped back.

James pulled out the radio again, "Hoist away!"

"Roga!"

Ash and co. looked over as the balloon began gaining altitude. The cables tightened and began raising Snorlax's arms and feet. The tRio grinned and the group frowned worriedly.

Everyone flinched again when all of the clamps snapped open. The balloon started flipping out of control and into the distance.

"WHAAAAAAA!" Meowth screamed as he fell out on the first flip, bounced off Snorlax, and landed on the ground between the tRio and the twerps.

Ash sweat dropped, "Well, that didn't work."

Soot blinked in surprise, "Though, I didn't really expect the latches to be the first thing to give out."

Jessie glared at Ash, "Well, why don't you just move it then, Phantom?!"

James nodded, "Yeah. Even if you can't use Psychic attacks, you can just turn into some superpowered Psychic or Fighting-type and move it, or something."

Soot rolled her eyes, "Dad doesn't have a form that can do that."

Meowth jerked, pushed himself off the ground, and looked at Ash in confusion, "What? I thought da Phantom could turn inta anyt'ing."

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra grimaced.

Ash sighed, "Yeah, 'fraid not." He put a finger to his temple, "I put a mental handicap on myself that limits what forms I can take. The list only has eleven Pokémon and none of them are Psychic-type. The handicap also limits what Pokémon I can understand when I'm in human form. Same list."

Team Rocket looked at him in shock, "WHAT?!"

"Why the Yvel would you do that?!" James cried out.

Soot sweat dropped, "It wasn't his best idea."

Meowth's eyes widened upon realizing something and he pointed at Ash accusingly, "Hold it! Ya turned into a porygon when we were in dat computa!"

Electra's eyes widened, "Wait. In the what?"

Jessie caught on and glared at Ash, "Yeah! How do you explain that?!"

Ash sighed in annoyance, "The handicap has weakened over the years. New forms leak in when I interact with a real Pokémon in a certain way. Before I left Pallet Town, I only had five Pokémon on my list." He pointed a thumb at Pikachu, "And the fifth was only because he went through the required steps."

Brock and Misty looked at Ash in surprise, 'That few?!'

James raised a brow, "Interact, how?"

Soot shot him a glare, "Did you actually think we'd tell you?"

Jessie and James glared at her. Meowth was looking at Ash warily.

Jessie grumbled, "Whatever." She looked down thoughtfully before perking up and raising a finger, "I've got it! Sleeping Beauty!"

Everyone looked at her in confusion, "Huh?"

Jessie looked back at them, smirked and clenched a fist, "In the story, the beautiful princess," She put a hand to her chest and put on a prideful smirk, "with whom I identify, was awakened by a the kiss of a noble prince."

James smiled brightly, "Jess, that's brilliant! Snorlax might just wake up with a kiss from a noble Pokémon."

Everyone in the group stared at the pair in shock. Meowth sweat dropped.

"You, uh-" Brock said in a mild daze, "You don't know what kissing means to a Pokémon, do you?"

The human Rockets looked at him in confusion, "Huh?"

Ash deadpanned and put a finger to his throat, "Pokémon reproduce through a mouth-to-mouth kiss." He pointed a thumb at Soot, "I know that for a fact."

James perked up and blinked in surprise, "What?" He looked at Meowth, "Really?"

"Yeah." Meowth answered with a deadpanned expression, "Literally every Pokémon is hatched knowin' dat."

Jessie jerked before glaring at Ash and the others, "Now, wait a second! I've seen a ton of romance movies that include Pokémon kissing! Do you actually expect me to believe that that is what that scene actually was?!"

Soot raised a brow, "That depends. Where they non-genderless, opposite gendered, and from the same Egg Group? And, if so, are you positive that neither Pokémon in that scene was actually a human in a motion capture suit?"

Jessie blinked in surprise, "Um…"

Snorlax started shifting slightly; catching everyone's attention. He settled down after a second.

Misty frowned, "I almost thought he was getting ready to move."

Brock frowned as well, "Same."

Electra noticed something and blinked in surprise, "Huh?" She jumped down from Brock's shoulder and ran over to Snorlax's side.

Meowth looked at her and blinked in surprise, "Uh … who are you?"

Brock looked over at his pikachu, "What is it, Electra?"

The female Electric-type looked back at him and pointed at where Snorlax was sitting, "I think there's something made of plastic under him?"

Ash blinked in surprise, "Plastic?" He moved over to Snorlax and managed to yank out a light blue doorknob sign, "Got it."

Misty, Brock, and Soot moved over to him and Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra jumped back onto their trainers' shoulders. They all looked over at-

"A 'do not disturb' sign?" Brock said in confusion.

Misty raised a brow, "Like those signs you put on hotel doors? What's this doing here?"

Ash frowned, "Good question." He flipped it over and blinked in surprise, "'In case of emergency, please use a Poké Flute to wake'."

Soot blinked in surprise, "Poké Flute?" She perked up and her eyes widened in realization, "The old hippie!"

Ash's eyes widened as well, "You're right! That's why his flute looked so familiar!"

Jessie looked at them in surprise, "Wait. An old hippie?"

James blinked in surprise, "Poké Flute?"

Soot glared at the tRio, "None of your business!" She shot a round of Shadow Balls at their feet.

Team Rocket cried out as the Ghost-type attack exploded the ground they were on.

"We're blasting off without a chance!" They cried out as they flew off into the distance.

The group watched as the tRio disappeared with a ding.

Brock looked at Ash, "Do you think he could be Snorlax's trainer?"

Ash smiled, "It's possible. The odds are a little high for this to just be a coincidence."

Misty smiled brightly, "Well then, let's go find him!"

Everyone else nodded and ran off.

.

*Hippie on the rock

The old man perked up when he heard footsteps and looked into the direction the town was in. He smiled upon seeing the nice trainers from before running over.

They came up to him and Ash smiled, "Thank Arceus you're still here. We need to ask you something."

The hippie smiled back, "For you cool cats? Of course. Ask away."

Clefairy looked at him in confusion, "I'm not a cat. I'm a Fairy Pokémon."

Soot snickered for a moment before smiling at him, "You wouldn't happen to own a snorlax near here, would you?"

The old man perked up in surprise, "Uh … yeah, actually. How did you-" He flinched, jumped to his feet, and reached around, "Wait a sec!" He pulled out a keychain with a snorlax shaped timer on it and grimaced, "Aw crag! I'm late!"

Misty looked at the man in surprise, "So that snorlax blocking the river really is yours?"

The hippie flinched and looked at Misty in shock, "He's what?!"

.

*Dry Spring

The group made their way back to the spring and Snorlax's trainer got to work playing his Poké Flute immediately.

Snorlax's ears started twitching from the music. He sat up instantly and started stretching where he sat.

"Snor lax." The Normal-type said as he got back to his feet and started walking away.

The hippie waved at his Pokémon, "Later, Snorlax."

Ash looked at the hippie, "I kind of expected you to return him. I mean, it seemed easier."

The hippie waved a hand and smiled, "Naw man. My Snorlax are all free spirits. I don't wanna keep 'em all cooped up like that."

Everyone shared a look, shrugged, and looked back at him.

"Fair enough." Brock said.

Soot perked up and blinked in surprise, "Wait, all? As in, multiple?"

The hippie nodded, "I own snorlaxes all over the place. I've made it a bit of a job for myself to wake each of them up every so often." He chuckled nervously and scratched the side of his head, "Though, I ran a bit behind with this big guy."

Ash smiled, "Just try to be a little more careful. The town was-" He perked up and his eyes widened, "Wait a second. Shouldn't the water be flowing again?"

Everyone's eyes widened and they looked back to where Snorlax was sleeping. The group jerked and grimaced at the sight of another patch of thorny vines. These had a small trickle of water coming through.

Soot groaned, "More vines? Are you kidding me?"

Brock sighed and pulled out a pokéball, "I guess that means it's my turn."

The hippie smiled, "Actually, I think Snorlax has this one covered."

Everyone looked at him in confusion. They heard munching and looked back to find Snorlax devouring the vines casually.

Misty blinked in surprise, "H- he's eating the thorns?"

The hippie nodded, "Yup. Thorns are this big guy's favorite snack."

Brock sweat dropped, "And that's safe?"

Ash smiled, "Actually, yeah. The snorlax species' mouth, throat, and stomach are incredibly durable. A few thousand natural thorns aren't gonna hurt him in the least."

"Huh." Misty said before looking at the hippie, "About how long do you think this should take?"

The hippie shrugged, "I dunno. With all these vines it could be five, maybe ten minutes."

Soot perked up in surprise, "In that case, we should move."

Everyone else nodded, "Yeah."

.

*Town; later

"Thank goodness." The mayor said while looking over the running stream, "The river's flowing just like before." He looked at the group, "I can't thank you all enough for helping."

Brock smiled and waved a hand, "Well, we can't really take the credit."

Misty nodded, "Snorlax was the one who got rid of the vines."

The mayor smiled, "Still, thank you all." His expression became somber, "I only wish there was some way to repay you all." He looked over to the still barren field, "But it'll still take a while for everything to get back to the way it was, again."

Ash frowned and looked down thoughtfully. After a few minutes, he perked up and looked at the man, "Would you happen to know if anyone in town has a Grass-type?"

Mayor perked up and looked at Ash in confusion, "Yes. Quite a few people do. Why?"

Ash smirked, "I might know how to help."

.

**Time Skip**

"Alright!" Ash called out to the small group of people and their Grass-types, "Is everyone clear on the plan?!"

The trainers nodded, "Yes sir!"

Soot almost broke into laughter. She, Brock, the mayor, and a large crowd of townsfolk stood off to the side. Misty stood next to Ash with Goldeen in the pool next to her. Pikachu and Electra were on Brock's shoulder and Clefairy sat down in front of Soot and leaned back against her forelegs.

Most of the group watched with knowing smirks. Electra, the mayor, and the rest of the townspeople looked ahead curiously.

Ash sweat dropped, "Again, you do not have to call me that." He perked up and smiled, "Anyway, go for it!"

Misty smiled and raised a hand, "Goldeen! Use Rain Dance!"

"Right!" The Goldfish Pokémon called out before raising her horn. A ball of water formed at the tip and shot into the sky. Storm clouds started forming immediately and it began to rain over the field.

Misty smirked, 'Step 1. Water the ground.' She shifted to a deadpanned expression, 'Pretty tame compared to the rest.'

"Bellossom!" A man said as he held out a hand.

"Tangela!" A woman called out a she pointed ahead.

"Use Grassy Terrain!" They both told their Grass-type.

The Flower and Vine Pokémon became shrouded in green energy. The pair spread out their arms and held their head up high, respectively, and their glows expanded to cover the entire field.

Ash smirked, 'Step 2. Imbue the ground with Grass-typed energy to better synchronize it with the Pokémon.'

Four more people looked over at their respective Pokémon. Each of the Grass-types stood about eight feet from a corner of the field.

"Ivysaur!" "Gloom!" "Exeggcute!" "Sunflora!"

"Ingrain!"

The four Pokémon cried out in their respective tongues, sprouted a cluster of small roots at their feet -or bases in Exeggcute's case-, and drove the roots into the ground.

'Step 3.' Soot thought while looking around, 'Root the Pokémon into place. The added effects of Grassy Terrain should let them do-'

"Synthesis!" The quartet of trainers called out.

Soot and Ash grinned, 'Step 4.'

Ivysaur, Gloom, Exeggcute, and Sunflora began glowing a very faded white.

The mayor and the townsfolk all stared in surprise as small plant sprouts began popping up slowly all around. Most began muttering,

"Dear Arceus." "It's actually working." "I can't believe it."

The bellossom trainer stared in awe. He shook it off and pointed upward, "Now Bellossom! Sunny Day!"

"Yeah!" Bellossom cheered as she held up her arms. A pair of white orbs of energy appeared on her flowers before firing into the clouded sky. The rain clouds dispersed immediately, and the sun's rays intensified.

"And Chansey!" The local Nurse Joy called out with a smile, "Use Heal Pulse!"

"Yes ma'am!" Chansey cried out happily. The Egg Pokémon closed her eyes and put her arms as close together as she could. She started glowing a faded blue. The glow started pulsing out from her and spreading around the field.

The Ingrain-ed Pokémon all perked up from feeling the effects of the moves. They smiled happily as they felt the new sunlight wash over them. The plants' growth rate picked up instantly.

Ash nodded, 'And step 5. Sustain and accelerate the effects through healing moves and strengthening their Synthesis.'

The entire process continued and repeated relentlessly. The glows of the ninth Grassy Terrain and Sunny Day were beginning to fade.

Ash noticed, smiled, and called out, "That's enough! You can all stop now!"

The seven Pokémon all cut off their attacks and all sat/laid down in exhaustion. Their trainers all ran over to hug, congratulate, and thank them.

The mayor walked forward slowly as he took in the view of the now flourishing field.

"I-" The mayor stuttered, "I can't believe it. It's only been an hour, but it all looks as though it's been growing for months."

Ash nodded, "Yeah. It's a pretty complex combo and would require the power of a Legendary to do otherwise." He looked at the town's trainers and smiled softly, "Still, none of this would have been possible without their help. None of my, Brock, or Misty's Pokémon know any of those moves."

The mayor looked at his people and smiled, "I suppose you're right." He looked back at the field, "With this new method, our town will never go hungry again."

Ash smiled sadly, "Well, sure. But this isn't something you should make a habit of." He raised a finger, "It'll be an okay backup during another shortage but if you do this regularly, the soil here will lose its natural fertility and the field will become reliant on the Pokémon's help. Plus, the Pokémon may eventually get fed up from being overworked." He perked up and smiled normally, "Although Sunny Day's fine for repeated use."

The mayor frowned, "I admit, that's a little disappointing." He shook it off and nodded, "But I understand. Thank you again." He looked back at the rest of the group, "Thank you all. You've done so much to help us."

Brock smiled and waved a hand, "Hey. We were happy to help."

The mayor smiled, "Still, I believe a celebration is in order." He walked over to the crowd.

Ash blinked in surprise before running over to Brock, Misty, and the others.

Misty glanced at Ash with a raised brow, "What's he doing?!"

Ash shrugged.

"Citizens!" The mayor called out; startling the group. He gestured towards Ash and co., "Thanks to these kind young trainers, our town has been saved from famine!"

The group chuckled nervously and either waved or rubbed the backs of their heads sheepishly.

"So," The mayor continued, "I believe it's only fitting to put these crops to use in celebration for our heroes!"

The crowd erupted in cheer.

Electra blinked in surprise, "Celebration? Like another party?"

Misty sweat dropped with a nervous smile, "R-really?"

Brock chuckled nervously, "I mean … I guess it'd be kind of rude to say no with everyone so excited."

Soot smiled brightly and her tail started wagging, "Works for me!"

Pikachu threw his paws into the air excitedly, "Yes!"

"Yay!" Clefairy cried out.

Ash chuckled softly. He perked up upon realizing something and looked at the mayor, "Excuse me? Could we bring a guest?"

.

*later; Town Hall

The hippie stared in awe as he looked over the tables piled with various food and desserts. He looked around curiously.

Ash and all of his Pokémon stood by another of the tables. Except the mightyena. She sat at a nearby table and was surrounded by trainers. From what he'd heard, the Dark-type was apparently giving them advice in return for bringing food over to her and her trainer.

Misty had her Pokémon out in a small pool with a cluster of towels under it. The trainer herself was currently walking over to the pool with a plate piled high with food.

Brock and his Pokémon were just enjoying themselves. Though for some reason, his pikachu was looking at all of the furniture like it was made of gold. The trainer had to stop it from trying to climb onto something every so often.

The snorlax trainer looked back at the table and took another sandwich from it. He bit into it with a bright smile, 'Best. Day.' He took a cookie from another table and his smile brightened, 'Ever.'

.

.

Mizuro: *blinks in surprise* Woah.

Faux: *muttering* Freaking Yvel Trix.

Omega: *glances at Faux with a smirk* I'm guessing that means you didn't think of something even remotely close.

Pike: *nervous chuckle* Well, you're kind of right.

Faux: *sigh* We didn't do anything after the river started running again.

Gem: *smiles with raised hand* But we still got a huge thank you feast for helping as much as we did.

Illavera: Wait, what? But it takes time for plants to grow.

Nuevo: *sweat dropping* The stream running again shouldn't just fix everything like *snap* that.

Seishin: Yerp! ;P

Gar1onriva's PokéSins said the same thing. The early anime wasn't always smart. *muttering* Especially in English. -_-

Omega: *Perks up and looks at Seishin* Wait, PokéSins? Like a series dedicated to bashing the main Pokémon timeline?

Seishin: Bingo Bango my amigo Amego. :D

Omega: *deadpanned* Please don't ruin this for me.

…

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