Never before this week had Ash had so much trouble pulling himself up out of bed.

On any other day, sure, he might sleep past his alarm, or break it. But, the moment sunshine came through and kissed his skin, the warmth of daylight had him on his feet. The bitter nip of winter, at least, would bring him to life and send him scrambling to find his socks and slippers.

Not these past few days. He'd felt more like his Snorlax; weighed down by a veritable ton, and unresponsive to those surrounding him doing just about anything about it. Whether it was his fears of being found by Rockets, or pestered by the neighbors, or his confusion, guilt… A cacophony of feelings stockpiled into that weight that kept the covers over his head.

Though, much like a Snorlax, the deafening cry of an empty stomach was the only motivation that'd get him on his feet. So, here he was, groggily stepping down the stairs at its beck and call. The sweet scent of pancakes drifting through the house gave him the strength to make it to the kitchen.

Dawn was already seated, looking picture-perfect as usual, somehow. Delia was at the griddle.

"Morning," he muttered out, sitting down at the table. Pikachu hopped into an empty seat, with a stack of books giving him the elevation he needed to reach his food. Sparing his trainer a concerned look. Though, if anything could cheer him up, it was probably a meal.

"Oh, good morning, honey! I'm glad to see you up before noon," Delia said, only overhearing him. He felt a little more guilty over the relief in her tone.

Dawn, for her part, frowned. "You look terrible."

"Thanks a lot," Ash grumbled. But, what he took as a rude remark from his girlfriend, he soon found to be an actual examination, as she picked at the sleeve of his pajama top, and brushed his bangs aside. She made a sour face.

"It's because you haven't showered. Your hair's sticking to your head from sweat! Besides, I can smell it," she lectured, never one to mince words.

Ash shrugged. "Who cares," he replied. He felt far too despondent to really put thought into his appearance. Hell, he'd hardly managed to drag himself out of bed. Now, there was more to do?

"It's bad for your skin!" Dawn replied.

"Well, you've certainly found someone who'll look out for you," Delia prodded, a hint of mirth in her voice. Her amusement seemed to override her concern for Ash, for the moment.

The two teenagers exchanged a panicked glance; they were cutting it awfully close to couple behavior, weren't they? Dawn was the quicker of their wits to cover for them, piping up.

"Well, Ash is going to be a top level trainer! He has a conference to win! He should be out there showing his best to the world," she justified.

To Ash's own surprise, he felt his cheeks burn at Dawn's response, ghosting a hand over one of them. She thought that highly of him and how he should be seen? Somehow, she just continued to amaze him. A little pitter-patter of his heart was a welcome break from his awful moods.

"I've got some great skin cream that I can show you how to use," Dawn offered, poking his cheek. "After you get out of the shower."

"Can't it wait? I'm starving. It's what dragged me out of bed in the first place," he complained.

"There's actually something we need to talk about," Delia interrupted, setting a stack of pancakes down in the middle of the dining table. "You can start on breakfast while we're doing that. Then you can carry yourself up to clean up, Ash." It was more a demand than a suggestion.

It was one he was okay with following, though, scooping a few pancakes onto his plate to begin cutting them up. "Alright, deal."

Delia took a seat with her own plate, suddenly looking stern. It unnerved Ash a little, but he shoveled the sweet chocolate chip accompanied morsels into his mouth, anyway. "Samuel got a call from Bertha," she started. "She saw the news."

Ash nearly choked.

"She seemed so terribly worried about all of you," she explained. "She even offered to let you stay at her rental place in the Unova region! Just to give you a few days off from…recent events."

"I think it'd be nice!" Dawn volunteered, seemingly already aware. "We could use it, y'know?"

Ash hummed in thought around another bite, brows furrowing. "Mmm… I don't know." Hesitating to go see a new region, Ash knew something was wrong with him. He felt that all the more acutely when he looked to Pikachu beside him, who had the most concerned pout fixed on his little face.

"That's really not like you," Pikachu said bluntly.

"I know." Ash inhaled heavily, and exhaled. "...Look, I'm not totally against it. Unova sounds fun and all, but…" He reached over to ruffle his partner's head. "...I wanna be sure of whatever's going on with Pikachu before we decide anything." He felt his partner lean into his hand appreciatively.

"Yeah, you're right," Dawn agreed.

"Well, then, I'll go give the Professor a quick call and let him know," Delia said, getting out of her seat. "You two stay and eat, and Ash, go get ready when you're done." Not awaiting any further commentary, she got up to approach the video phone in the living room.

The kitchen felt awfully quiet, then, short of the sounds of silverware and chewing of pancakes.

Dawn, though, seemed too distracted to put her heart into her food. Frowning, she reached over and blotted at Ash's forehead with her napkin. "At least let me save you from blemishes."

Ash snorted, nearly choking on his pancake in the process. She was such a worrywart… But, he couldn't hate it. Making sure his mother was focused on the screen, he leaned over and pecked her cheek quickly.

He didn't get to see the look on her face, quickly pulling back when Delia came back their way.

"Samuel says that we can get back to him about Bertha whenever you've made up your mind. In the meantime, though, finish and clean up, Ash," she instructed. "We'll be going by the lab within the hour. Professor Willow will be coming, and he'll see what he can do."


There's a quiet rumbling throughout the normally quiet town of Pallet early in the morning. A large yellow jeep pulling an equally large camper rolled down the dirt roads, proving to be quite the sight for many of the farmers and elderly folks who populated the quiet corner of Kanto who began whispering to each other, wondering just who seemed to be disturbing the peace in Pallet Town this early in the morning.

The rumbling jeep turned off the road, and using its four-wheel drive drove right through the plains and overgrowth that one finds just off the road in a country town like Pallet, though the driver did make sure to stop whenever he saw a Pokémon to let them pass by safely. He eventually came to the meeting place that had been agreed to, a spot far enough away from the lab of Professor Oak as to not be conspicuous, and the engine was quickly turned off. Stepping out of the jeep was an elderly gentleman who looked just old enough to be one of Professor Oak's first or second generation students, but still older than Ash's mother when she took her own classes from the professor. His hair was gray on the top of his head and black towards the bottom. He wore a lab coat over what could only really be described as sports wear with neon yellow highlights that zipped in the front. His pants were loose and short, but underneath he seemed to wear a bodysuit, and the plastic shoes on his feet looked more comfortable than stylish.

He gave a wave with his gloved hands at the group who watched him park. "Hello there! Is that you, Professor Oak?"

"Willow, my boy! It's good to see you again!" Professor Oak said with a wide smile on his face. "How have you been?"

Professor Willow laughed sheepishly. "Well, you know my work keeps me busy. I've been thinking about getting a few more assistants than just the one I have now…" The man's calm, kind eyes looked over to the others gathered here. "And… you must be Ash and Dawn, then?"

"That's us," Ash said, trying to speak with his usual exuberance, but it ended up feeling a bit hollow. "And this is my partner, Pikachu."

Pikachu, for his part, still looked quite worn out, but he gave the Professor a wave. "Pika, pika."

Willow approached Ash and Dawn more directly, rubbing the thin hairs on his chin. "I see… so this is the Pikachu, then."

"I gave Willow here a bit of an explanation about what he should expect once he got here," Professor Oak explained. "Nothing too detailed, mind, which is why we're meeting him a bit away from everything else to go over the details in full."

"The way I understood it is that we're dealing with technology that's got a good reason to be controlled heavily by the World Pokémon Association," he said. "Obviously, we're going to act in the best way we can to help all Pokémon."

"Professor Willow," Dawn asked, speaking up, "what is it that you research, exactly?"

Willow gave Dawn a comforting smile. "I'm researching Pokémon ecology, habitats and distribution, with a focus on their migration patterns. Hoenn's Professor Birch does a bit more with Pokémon Nests than I do, but we both love our field work."

At that explanation, Dawn frowned. "But I thought you were some sorta Poké Ball expert? How are you going to help us with this?"

"Part of what myself and my assistants do is we catch and release Pokémon?"

"Catch and release?" Ash asked. "Sorta like what a Ranger does?"

"Not exactly," Willow explained. "In order to understand how a Pokémon might migrate; see where groups of them may travel, we'll approach the group, catch a few of them with Poké Balls, and then attach trackers to them before releasing them back into the wild. We don't want them to become domesticated by humans, so we don't hold them for very long, but catching and releasing a Pokémon basically ruins the Poké Ball it was originally caught in, where you'd need extras, so we've been able to develop Poké Balls that are reusable for catching and releasing Pokémon over and over."

Dawn's eyes lit up. "So you are some sort of Poké Ball expert!"

"At the very least, I understand what happens to a Pokémon when they're captured and we might be able to explain what exactly happened by analyzing the Poké Ball that you all managed to recover."

He looked to the camper being towed by the back of the jeep. "I actually had one of my students pulling up all the info that we had and compiled it into something a bit easier to leaf through, but he might have fallen asleep in the mobile lab."

"Mobile lab?"

As Ash and the others took a closer look at the camper being pulled by the jeep, it did seem to have satellite dishes pointing off of it, as well as other antennae and even a weathervane for telling the direction the wind would be blowing.

"It looks like it's pretty high tech," Dawn said.

"Pika…" Pikachu frowned. He'd had his share of strangers with labs and just stuck to Ash's shoulder.

"Ray? Are you in there? We're here."

Suddenly there was a flurry of activity inside the mobile lab as someone began moving very quickly around inside. Soon the door flew open and a young man in a yellow shirt appeared, carrying a stack of papers.

"I'm ready, Profess-AUGH!"

As he stepped off the lab, he misjudged this distance and fell into the dirt, the papers he was carrying scattering around him.

Quickly, the young man sat up. His short, maroon hair looked unkempt, but not on the level that Ash's usually was. His deep green eyes looked about in panic as he leapt to his feet, grabbing the papers that went every which way. While he did seem like a comically pratfalling young man, he did look like he was a few years within Ash's age, though if that was older or younger, it was a bit hard to say at the moment.

"I… I'm here, Professor!"

There was some awkward laughter tossed around as Ray gathered the research notes.


It didn't take long for Professor Willow to set up the make-shift meeting at the camper, setting out a long table with benches for everyone to sit at with Ash and Dawn seated next to each other, sharing the bench with Ray, with Professors Willow and Oak opposite them.

The traveling professor leafed through the now slightly muddy documents and pulled one out. "So here's everything we know about the Dark Ball based on the devices the authorities have recovered."

Dawn blinked. "So wait, have you had to deal with Dark Balls before?" she asked, curious.

"Not in a long time," Willow said. "There was an incident in Johto a while back where someone was arrested with a bunch of these, so this information is based on what we were able to study from them."

"It said that the guy who had them was a real piece of work," Ray said, clenching his fists. "A member of Team Rocket who called himself the Iron masked Marauder."

Both Ash and, oddly, Professor Oak, averted their gaze from Ray as he said that, but Dawn was more curious as to what Ash might have been avoiding. "Ash, do you recognize that creep?" she asked.

Ash sighed, patting Pikachu who remained on his shoulder between himself and Dawn. "Well, I didn't think it would really come up, but we did run into him during our Johto journey," he said. "We managed to undo all the bad stuff he did, and that guy was thrown behind bars, but I definitely didn't expect to see them again."

"I-uh, have read myself the sorts of things in the research Professor Willow has gathered!" Oak blurted out, almost guiltily. "So I'm also passingly familiar with them."

"Well, let's start with the basics then," Willow said. "As I'm sure you're all aware, different Poké Balls can have different effects on Pokémon. For example, the Heal Ball instantly fully revitalizes a Pokémon captured in it, and a Luxury Ball is extra comfortable for a Pokémon inside, making it easier to bond with them, and so on. These Dark Balls supposedly raise a Pokémon's power to its highest level, but that's not what they really do in practice."

"It's not?" Ash asked, worry in his tone.

Willow rubbed his chin with his gloved hand again. "I think a better way to explain it would be to say that it maximizes the level of strength a Pokémon already has. It turns off any inhibitions or mental blocks and brainwashes them to fighting at full power constantly. This has the effect of making them much more powerful than they are usually, but it is definitely power at a price."

Professor Oak crossed his arms and nodded. "Indeed. It's a device that twists a Pokémon into a heartless fighting machine without regard for the Pokémon's health or wellbeing. Fighting at full power like that can exhaust a Pokémon, or even worse if they keep fighting past their own limits."

"Pokémon are living beings," Ray spoke up, "and because they're alive, they have limits. Pokémon trainers work with them to help grow past their old limits and grow stronger together, but these Dark Balls will just use a Pokémon up until there's nothing left."

Dawn growled, bunching up the tails of her jacket in her fists. "Team Rocket is trying to get stronger without putting in the effort or the work and they don't care who they hurt or how many Pokémon they traumatize before they get there!"

"Those jerks…" Ash said. "They'll do anything for more power, won't they?"

"But that's their weakness, Ash, my boy," Professor Oak said. With everyone's eyes drawn to him, Professor Oak raised a finger into the air. "A Pokémon and Trainer grow hand in hand. Skip that step, and you can hardly stand!"

Dawn clasped her hands together. "Another Professor Oak original!"

It was a poem that Ash ultimately agreed with, on every level. Though, it did make him think back on Ariana's words that' haunted him, since. 'She said that, doing things our way, we'll never be Pokémon Masters… That we'll never bring out his potential. I can't let Pikachu down like that.'

"Pikapi…?" Pikachu frowned, staring up at his trainer. The cloudiness in his beady eyes said plenty; he could see the troubled look on his trainer's face. Moreover, it reminded Ash of the greater priority, here.

Ash shook his head. That could wait. "Sorry! It just… had me thinking. So, what's next, Professor Willow?" He asked, gently stroking the fur on Pikachu's head.

"I'd like to take some time to study the Poké Balls and Pikachu," the man replied. "To see if I can get a better understanding of him, and see if I can uncover anything regarding the Dark Ball."

Pikachu squeaked, peddling his way back into Ash's lap in futility, until he found his back up against his trainer's chest. "Pika Pika!" He shook his head in denial, his little heart pounding.

"Pikachu…" Ash grimaced, securing his arms protectively around his partner. "He's still scared."

Dawn frowned, lips pursed in sympathy. "I can't blame Pikachu for not wanting anything to do with being examined, right now…"

"Which is completely understandable," Professor Oak continued. "But I would like to say to you, Pikachu, that you should remember who you are, and who you're surrounded by. At this table, you'll only find friends and family… and their colleagues." He smiled softly, creased by the wrinkles of aging. He had that comforting air of a wise elder about him, making proper eye contact with Pikachu. "Do you believe that I would put you in the hands of someone who didn't have your best interest in mind?"

Pikachu considered his words as he nursed his rapidly beating heart. Professor Oak, of all people, had a pretty good track record of who he'd entrusted him to. His trainer's arms around him were solid evidence of that. He sighed, and nodded. "Pika Pika." He'd comply.

"Thank you for your trust, Pikachu," Willow smiled. "Now, we can take our work to the mobile lab. As for the rest of you, why don't you go and get to know Ray while I work? Take your minds off this for a little bit."

"Yeah, like that'll happen," Ash muttered.

"Now, Ash," Oak chided gently. "I understand how difficult this is. But, Pikachu's being strong right now. I'm sure that if he can keep his wits about him, then you can do the same?"

"...Yeah," Ash grumbled out, shaking his head. "You're right, I guess." He placed Pikachu on top of the table so that he could face Ash. "Now, stay strong, okay, Buddy? I'll see you soon."

"Yeah. You too, Ash."

"Come on, now!" Ray got up from his seat, wearing a placating grin that came off as more carefree than anything. "We could go hang out at the ranch behind Professor Oak's Lab! I've always wanted to see the sort of Pokémon that are rumored to reside there! They're said to come in from all over the world!"

"I'm sure at least some of those are Ash's," Dawn giggled, standing up. As crummy as she personally felt, she'd do anything to pull her boyfriend back into better spirits. She took him by the hand without so much as asking, and pulled him along.

With no more excuses, and no more rebuttals left, Ash followed after Dawn, and Ray was soon to keep pace with them.


The forest around Oak's ranch seemed to be just as chock-full of Pokémon as the rest of the ranch, and the three of them continued to chit-chat, stopping only to pause and watch a wild Pokémon rush by.

"Did you see that one?" Ray said, blithely. "Dodrio usually run at about 60 kilometers per hour, but I've seen one or two out there that really give you a run for your money!"

"I actually rode one a little while back!" Dawn exclaimed. "Though I don't know if it went THAT fast…"

"Maybe, but Rapidash are definitely faster," Ash gloated, feeling a little bit of pride in his own memories. "I bet they go about 100 kilometers!"

"Over 240 kilometers!" Ray shouted. "They're incredibly fast! Especially the ones in Kanto! Have you ever ridden one?"

Ash paused, and he brushed his hand on his shoulder, absently feeling for Pikachu, but the mouse wasn't there, so he said nothing.

Dawn quickly picked up on this, seeing Ash falter, so she stepped up between them. "Yeah, I remember one time Ash told me he was riding a Ponyta that evolved just as it crossed the finish line, right?"

"Y-Yeah," Ash stammered, mentally thanking Dawn for the assist. "Riding that Rapidash was awesome. I'll never forget the moment!"

"Of course, you'd never forget a moment with a Pokémon," Dawn reassured him. "It's one of the things I-l-"

And now Dawn found herself in a bind. She didn't want to reveal her relationship with Ash like this to a stranger!

But Ray relaxed, running a hand through his hair. "Have you two been together long?"

He had already pieced it together.

"I -I mean, not that long! Only like a month!"

Ray blinked in surprise behind his glasses. "Really? Only traveling together for like a month and you're already that in sync with each other?"

Or did he not understand at all?

Dawn groaned. "Oh, I thought you were asking about how long we've been dating! We've been traveling together off and on for a year!"

Ash and Ray both stared at her, and it took a moment for Dawn to realize what she had done. "Oh, me and my big mouth!"

Ray blinked at her. "Wait… you're… a couple?"

Ash sighed. "Well, now that the Meowth's outta the bag… yeah."

"Please don't spread it around…!" Dawn pleaded. "We're really trying to keep it secret for now!"

"O-Oh!" Ray stammered. "Of course! I just.."

The researcher took a deep breath.

"I think it's wonderful!"

Both of the trainers just stared back at him like he had evolved into a Dodrio.

"Being able to travel around with the person you love! I bet it's made for an incredible journey for you two! I'm jealous!"

Ash could only laugh bashfully. "Well, when you put it like that, it has been pretty fun, hasn't it?"

"It sure has!" Dawn said, finally picking up on Ray's excitement. "With Ash, I'm always charged up and ready for my next challenge, and he always keeps pulling me along!"

"Only because you keep pushing me forward!" Ash laughed. "As long as Dawn's with me, I feel like I'll never give up!"

"You two really feel like you're a perfect fit!" Ray beamed.

"Hey, Ray, since you're so interested in this love stuff," Dawn asked, "do you have someone special?"

He nodded. "Yeah, my girlfriend…only I'm not traveling with her…" he sighed, his bright demeanor dimming. "She's at an art college, back home in Vermilion City, pursuing her dream of being a mangaka."

"I guess being an artist would be pretty hard on the road," Ash said, sighing.

Dawn immediately noticed. "But I bet Ray keeps in touch a lot! Right? There's no way he'd be so cheerful otherwise!"

"I do!" he said. "So don't feel down, Ash! I'd love to hear more stories like about how you met and experienced Pokémon!"

"I…" Ash started, but it was clear by the look on his face that his mind went right back to Pikachu.

"Well, before we get another one from Ash," Dawn said, trying to deflect, "what made you want to be a researcher, Ray?"

The young man took off his glasses and looked at the sky with a wistful gleam in his eyes.

"Vermilion City is a port, and my father's house was right there nearby. So I would often sit out nearby and watch the ships come in. And when I watched those ships I would see people and Pokémon traveling together from all over the world. I saw Pokémon that were partners in jobs, Pokémon that were family pets, I saw Pokémon who were with their trainers and ready to battle. I saw so many Pokémon from all over the world in that port, and it made me want to travel the world to learn more about them!"

Ash cracked a smile. "Yeah, traveling with Pokémon is the best, " he said. "Have you been to any other regions?"

"Oh, tons!" Ray said, eyes practically sparkling. "Honestly it's places like Kanto I haven't really explored. I've met with and studied under Professors all over! That's how I met Professor Willow in the first place!"

"That's incredible!" Dawn said. "It's like you really found yourself on your journey!"

"Pokémon are always connecting us to each other," Ray said. "Connecting us professionally, fraternally, or romantically, everyone can be connected through the love of Pokémon!"

"Yeah!" Ash cheered, the most excited that Dawn has seen him in a while. "And meeting new people through Pokémon and going to new places with them? It's the best!"

"I'd love to know about how you met your Pokémon!" Ray said. "I bet you have some great stories!"

"Well, how about we talk about my Staraptor…"

As Ash and Ray began to talk about meeting new Pokémon, Dawn let out a sigh of relief. It really seemed like Ash was finally relaxing. She knew he'd be worried about Pikachu until everything was made right, but she took no small comfort in watching him bounce back.

She really did help push him forward, didn't she?

"Hey wait up!" she called after them. "I have my stories to share too!"


The trio of teens eventually made their way back to Willow's camper. Ash, eager to check on Pikachu, had a bit more spring in his step as they approached. From the inside of the camper, he saw what looked to be the telltale light of Pikachu's electricity. Ash knocked on the door. "Professor Willow?"

The door opened and Willow stepped out, holding Pikachu in his hands. As soon as he saw Ash, Pikachu wriggled free and leapt to his partner's shoulder. "Pikapi!"

Ash and Pikachu nuzzled each other's cheeks, happy to be reunited even after a short time. "How you feeling, buddy?"

Pikachu flexed his arms. "I'm feeling a lot better!" he chirped.

"So how'd things turn out, Prof-"

Ash paused, grimacing. Professor Willow looked a bit char-fried. Clearly Pikachu had been using his electricity again.

"Sorry…"

The apology came in stereo, though Pikachu gave it in his own language.

Ray and Dawn finally caught up, with Ray's face looking surprised. "Professor Willow…?"

"I- I'm fine.. " he coughed. "I did all the testing I could with Pikachu. It seems that he's looking back to normal… if normal is incredibly powerful."

"Well, Pikachu's always been strong," Dawn said. "But you mean…?"

He nodded. "Yes, it seems that the Dark Ball's influence has ended, along with its mental influence."

Ash held Pikachu up. "That's awesome! Did you hear that!"

But before the celebrations could go too far, Willow held up his hand. "Now hold on. I said 'seems'. There could still be some effect we're not aware of. And obviously, we don't know what may happen if Pikachu ever ends up back inside the Dark Ball…"

Silence fell over the group.

"Isn't there anything you can do to be sure?" Dawn asked.

"Well… maybe you and Ray could have a battle?" Willow suggested. "And we could watch to see if Pikachu goes wild. "

Pikachu immediately recoiled at the thought, and Ash felt the same. If his buddy was feeling fine now, he'd hate it if this just caused even more pain than before.

"But… is there a way that might not hurt Pikachu?"

Willow sighed. "There are a few other things we can try. We could just break the Poké Ball…"

"Break it?" Dawn asked. "Would that work?"

"When a Pokémon is captured," Ray explained, "you can think of it as being marked. If you try to catch a Pokémon owned by another person, it's connection to your Pokédex checks for this mark, and if it detects it, the Poké Ball will just fail. But the mark works like a key. If the ball breaks, then it's basically just a wild Pokémon again."

"So all you'd have to do is catch Pikachu in a fresh Poké Ball," Willow said. "It's very simple."

Ash frowned. "I don't think it's that simple…"

"Why not?" Ray asked.

"Pikachu hates going inside Poké Balls," Ash explained. "And after that experience with this? I don't blame him. I don't want Pikachu to get hurt by this at all. He's gone through enough, and it's not his fault this happened." He stepped forward, looking Professor Willow in the eye. "Isn't there any other way? A way that doesn't risk or hurt Pikachu?"

"Pikapi…"

Willow sighed and scratched his head. "... there may be one more thing.

Ash's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Well, we'd basically make use of a Trade Machine, though with the Dark Ball and Pikachu's original Ball both empty, it'll require a bit of finesse to get it to fully work… it won't be a fast process."

"Please, Professor," Ash said. "I just don't want Pikachu to get hurt by this anymore."

Professor Willow sighed and ran his hands through his own hair. "I… I'll do it, but it won't be easy."

"Don't worry, Professor!" Ray said. "You're a genius when it comes to this stuff! And I'll help too!"

"You will?" Dawn asked.

"I can already tell how strong a bond Ash and Pikachu have," Ray said. "And I want to do whatever I can to help that bond grow!"

Ash felt the relieved smile grow across his face. "Thank you… thank you, all."

Professor Willow nodded. "Now, like I said, it'll take a while to get it right. Just leave Pikachu's Poké Ball with us and we'll get to work. You and Pikachu should get some rest. After everything that happened, it sounds like you two need a vacation."

Ash mulled over those words. "A vacation, huh…? Professor?" He turned his attention to Oak.

The elderly man's eyes fixed on Ash, blinking. "Yes, my boy?"

"...I think I'd like that trip to Unova. As long as we can't do anything more here, I feel like it'd be good for us to get out of town, and… just do something. Far away from here. I don't feel like anything good can come from sitting still."

Maybe it was him wanting to distract himself and Pikachu from their worries. Maybe it was the budding fear that Team Rocket would look for him here, and drag his mom into the mix, if he stuck around.

"If that's alright with you, Dawn," he corrected himself, looking at his companion. "And Pikachu."

Dawn beamed. "I was hoping to convince you in the first place! Sure, it's okay."

"I think… it might be good," Pikachu replied after a pause to think. "It's better than sitting around and worrying, anyway." Naturally, he and Ash were on the same page. Through their mental link, Ash felt that.

"To Unova… Oh, you're going to love it!" Ray exclaimed; green hues reflecting the mid-morning sun. "There are so many unique species of Pokémon… So many stories to uncover!"

The sentiment made Ash's heart race, just a little, in a way it hadn't in days. "What you said got me thinking, Ray. About what I'm missing out on, moping around like this." He glanced over to Pikachu. Going into the full extent of what'd happened wasn't something he felt like doing. "But I feel like… there're still stories for us to tell. People and Pokémon to meet. If we're going to win the Indigo League, then we can't afford to let that slide!"

"The League…? So, that's where you're headed!" Ray laughed. "In that case, Ash, I'll wish you the best! Let's all keep working to get closer to Pokémon, in our own way!" He extended a hand.

"You've got yourself a deal!" Ash agreed, meeting his hand with a firm shake.

Ray reciprocated, and offered it to Dawn next. "And don't stop moving forward together, you two!" He choked out, quickly realizing his mistake. But, not before Ash could frantically motion for him to zip his lip.

"Uh… Yeah! Friends forever," Dawn managed, shaking his hand. The assistant quickly regretted his loose lips, when he felt her hand practically crush his.

"Aha, well, if that's the case, then I'll help arrange your flight," Professor Oak acknowledged gleefully, seemingly unaware. "You lot can expand your horizons, while we repair things back at home. Willow, Ray, and I will be eagerly waiting on your return!"


"...And here's your tickets! Don't forget to tip the nice fellows who handle your luggage, when you show them." Delia recited, as she practically shoved the tickets into Ash's hand that wasn't gripping the handle of a rolling luggage back.

"Mom, please! We're bringing carry-on, remember?" Ash reminded her, shoving the tickets into the left pocket of his khaki shorts. A light blue striped button-up accompanied them for a far more casual look. Delia had dragged him along to buy some 'nicer' sneakers too; a deep navy felt pattern looked almost like they'd be appropriate at a formal dinner, but they were still comfortable. His hat and gloves were left behind, in the interest of being less recognizable.

"...Oh. Right. How silly of me! I almost forgot that you're not the type to pack heavy." Delia laughed nervously, looking her son over from head to toe. His posture was still a bit lax and heavy, like an invisible weight that wasn't Pikachu still hung on his shoulders. But, she'd managed to coax him into a fresh new look. Her excuse had been to make him stand out less, but a fresh new outfit met a fresh lease on life, at least for a little bit. "Speaking of someone who would pack heavy if they could, where's Dawn? The bus is going to be here any minute…"

"Cominggg!" Dawn's voice could be heard from the staircase, as she hurried down to the bottom. Trading her sporty and chic attire for a cream sundress, and matching platform shoes, she struggled a little in making it down the steps without stumbling down.

Reaching the bottom, she giggled, twirling to show off her wardrobe change. "How do I look?"

Floral clip-ons fastened her hair into the same sort of style she'd worn in Sinnoh, although her hair had grown out longer, twirling about her in her sudden turn.

"You look… uh…" Ash fought the lump in his throat. Although that sort of gentle fashion had never caught his eye, something about the confidence she moved with transfixed him. Or, maybe it was her clip-friendly hairstyle that reminded him of the old days; now with an entirely new perspective.

"Oh, you look darling!" Delia cooed.

"Uh, darling! Yeah," Ash decided on, winking at Dawn. She'd know better than anybody that such language wasn't him, and only came out stilted to fool his mother.

"Pika-chu!" Pikachu chirped as well, to cover for him.

Dawn seemed to notice, and beamed, but turned her attention to Delia. "Thanks! …Oh, I'm about as tall as you, now! Look at that!" She walked up to the brunette to be sure. Maybe just a hair, short, but… "Oh, but it's probably the platform shoes."

"Maybe," Delia chuckled, "but I think you've still gained an inch or two, since you came here to start your journey! You couldn't meet my eyes before, even with those! Oh, how time flies…"

"Hey, uh, speaking of time flying," Ash interjected, "we gotta go!"

"Oh, right! Don't let me hold you children up," Delia replied, rushing to open the door for them. "Be safe, make sure to call when you check in to Unova. Have fun~!"

"Thanks, Mom!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Ketchum!"

"Pika-Pika!"

The duo of trainers rushed their way out the door, their other Pokémon stowed safely away for the trip. They'd done so just in time, too; the shuttle was pulling right up outside of the Ketchum home! Dust and dirt flew off behind it in clouds, as the manual screech and hiss of the door greeted the group. All three of them winced, but Ash stepped up first, offering Dawn a hand when she was having trouble in her new shoes.

They each deposited their fare, and then shuffled into some cramped leather seats, with seatbelts that looked like they were rarely used. Ash sat by the window, while Dawn came in after, and Pikachu sat in the former's lap.

The male sighed, leaning his cheek up against the window.

"Ash, that window's probably filthy," Dawn chided.

"Huh? Yeah," Ash shrugged it off. "But, look what happens w-w-w-when the bus s-st-starts!" The rattling of a small shuttle on a bumpy dirt road came directly through the window, jostling Ash's face along with it. His voice sounded a bit robotic for it.

Dawn snorted at this and blushed, pretending she hadn't made the sound. "You seem chipper this morning. I'm surprised."

Ash's eye glinted with mischief, and he sat back up, shrugging. "Yeah, I know. I've felt like shit. We all have." He looked down to Pikachu, who gave no rebuttal. "...I guess I'm just thinking about what Ray said. If we've got time to kill… we might as well start working on cheering up, y'know?"

Dawn offered no disagreement, so he continued. "I picked that trick up on the rare occasions where Pallet Elementary took us on field trips someplace else. Just reminded me of those days, I guess."

"Better times?" Dawn asked.

Ash shook his head. "Not really. I mean, better than this week, sure, but school bites. I guess… just the freedom back then. Of not really worrying about anything, except wondering when I'd get to get out there and see all the things that I got to watch out the window."

He felt that same bundle of nerves in his belly, watching his hometown pass by through an unfamiliar mode of transportation. He hoped Unova would give him that same spark, and none of the grief.

Pikachu had hopped into Dawn's lap to avoid the vibrations, and she took to petting him, humming. "I guess that makes sense. Let's make the best of it, then! Just think of all the new Pokémon! Professor Oak even updated our Pokédexes so we can learn about them!"

"Heh, yeah…" Ash hummed, pulling the encyclopedia out of his pocket. Just last year, he'd already be jumping for joy at the opportunity. He'd get there again, soon. Definitely.


The crackle of snapping twigs was only barely covered by the ruffling of leaves, bushes rustled by the cautious steps of two grown adults and a Meowth accompanying them. A heavy silence hung in the air, only broken by the occasional chatter of wild pokemon.

James' chest tightened at the familiar sight of Pallet Town at the bottom of the hill, his lavender brows knitting together. "Well, it looks like we're here…" He crouched behind a bush, rummaging through his black bag that blended with the rest of his uniform. A pair of binoculars were drawn, scanning over the entirety of Pallet Town. A slow eye-crawl over Professor Oak's ranch delayed the inevitable.

Meowth heaved a heavy sigh, absently swatting at an Oran Berry that dangled from the bush he was hiding behind. If neither of these chuckleheads were going to get the ball rolling, he supposed it had to be him. "...So, what da heck are we gonna do? I don't love the idea of da Twoip havin' to sleep with da Magikarp."

"We'll just have to keep thinking," Jessie asserted. Her usual loud confidence, though, was absent today. Her eyes were obscured behind a second pair of binoculars. "I was both blessed and cursed as the creative type. If we can scheme the twerp, we can scheme him out of this."

"Then show us, O wise one," James sulked. He could distinctly spot Ash's home among the hills. Why couldn't he have grown up in a more crowded area…?

"Well, if he wanted to high-tail it outta dere, dere's his chance." Meowth blinked, catching sight of what looked to be a shuttle on one of Pallet's dirt roads.

"What? Let me see!" Jessie barked, scooting over to unceremoniously rest her elbows atop Meowth's head. His whines and threats were ignored in favor of peering through the lens, zooming in on a short blue shuttle bus at a nearby corner. 'Pallet International Airport,' it read.

James was the next to scope in. "The airport…" A couple of passengers stepped off, going their own way. A few residents at the corner began to board, including… "...It's the Twerp!"

A rough shove pushed Jessie off of Meowth, who grabbed the flipping binoculars for his own. "...And, the Twerpette!"

A gloved hand shoved Meowth to the side, and Jessie reclaimed her gear. "...And, Pikachu!"

"If da twoips got half a brain between 'em, they gotta be makin' like an egg and scrammin'." Meowth deduced, his little, greedy heart slowing just a bit. Maybe there was a chance.

"If they're way out of our sights, they'll be safe!" James followed.

"Yeah, but…" Meowth's shoulders began to sink. "How're we gonna word it to da boss? We just supposed to show up and say 'sorry, no can do? We failed ya's?'"

"It's simple," Jessie argued, the corners of her cherry lips pulling up. "We'll just drop by, and tell the boss that the Twerp isn't home! That there's no evidence of Ash Ketchum hiding in Pallet Town. It's technically true! And, think about it. He wouldn't want us wasting his precious time scouring a whole region… or even the world! It'd be a waste of Team Rocket's time."

"Ya gotta point… But, I still feel like this is really treadin' the line o' mutiny, here." Meowth shuddered at the thought. They wouldn't ever have to face the same fate, would they?

"Mutiny, shmutiny!" James barked, glaring into the eyes of his feline companion. If one looked closely enough, tears were beginning to build. "We may be crooks, and we may be dirty, rotten thieves! But, we still have standards!"

"If we got standards, dey're pretty low."

"Maybe so, but of all people, the Twerp…" Any image of a lifeless Ash that threatened to spark James' imagination was tearfully shoved away. "...I don't think I'd be able to call myself a Rocket again."

"Well, then, it's settled!" Jessie interjected, standing tall with one hand raised high, the other over her chest. Stealth be damned. "It's our responsibility as members of Team Rocket to maintain our ability to serve the boss! If we started crossing those lines, we'd be out of work, and they'd be out of geniuses! So, turning a blind eye is the right thing to do!"

"Right!"

"Right!"

Two hands and a paw were joined in unison, followed by the stealthy patter of feet into Pallet Town.

The image of the trio was obscured by dust and exhaust kicked up by the shuttle that had just left the corner, greeting the innocents a well-timed escape.

"Besides," Jessie said as they stealthily slinked into town. "This'll be just a blip on the radar, compared to what we borrowed from that cowlick-sporting sow."

"Ooh! That's right!" James' voice cracked in his giddiness. "If it hadn't been for us, that might've been left back in the base! But now, the boss can have it all to himself!"

"And dat bit of handy data'll mean a lot more to Team Rocket's success than one paltry Pikachu! Even if it is our Pikachu," Meowth added, grinning. "Team Rocket may've hit a few delays in its flight lately…"

"...But we're due for an overnight departure, reaching to the stars above!" Jessie cooed.

"Let's hope for our sakes that Team Rocket has a better idea of airline food than most," James managed to quip, before Jessie yanked him by the ear into a nearby bush. Their schemes would go on to be schemed for yet another day, without blood on their hands.