The gang had been traveling for a few days now, and they had reached a sandy beach with a lighthouse looming in the distance.

"Ooh, look at that!" said Mikaela. "Do you think that's for the boats that come to Vermilion?"

"Eeev!"

"It could be," said Sam. "Though I would imagine that there would be a lot more ships if it was for Vermilion."

"Chuu."

"Well, what other lighthouses are near the city?" said Maria. "There could be other towns nearby or something."

Sam frowned, then turned to Mikaela.

"Hey, Mikaela? You had the map, right?"

"Oh yeah!" said Mikaela. "I got it right here!"

She then held up a tablet-like device which had an image of the Kanto region displayed on the screen. As the rest of the group looked at it, they noticed something strange.

"Uh, guys?" said Meowth. "I dunno much about maps, but I'm pretty sure that's upside down."

"Hey, you're right," said Ash. "That is definitely upside down."

"That's stupid," said Mikaela. "The Earth is in space, and space doesn't have an up or down, so it can't be upside down!"

The rest of the group stared at her incredulously.

"Your weird logic aside," Sam said as he pointed at the map, "I think we're going in the wrong direction."

"What?!" said Ash. "You mean we're going away from Vermilion city?!"

"Yeah," said Sam. "We're way off course."

Ash groaned. He had been looking forward to his next gym battle, but now it seemed more distant than ever.

"Maybe we should go to that lighthouse," said Sam. "See if they know anything."

"Yeah," said Maria, "That sounds like a good idea."

Ash looked over at the lighthouse. He was disappointed that they'd gotten so off course, but he figured that there wasn't much that they could do at that point, so it seemed like the best plan.

"Alright then," he said. "We're going to the lighthouse."

With that, the gang began to walk off towards the tall building, making their way across the beach as the sun set in the distance. Along the way, they noticed a small red Pokémon scuttling across the sand.

"What's that?" said Mikaela.

"I think that's a Krabby," said Sam.

"A Krabby?" Ash repeated as he pulled out his Pokedex.

"Krabby, the River Crab Pokémon. Krabby lives in burrows dug on sandy beaches. Its pincers fully grow back if they are lost in battle."

"Cool," Ash said as he bent down to look at the water type. "Hey Meowth! Let's catch it!"

"Oh yeah," Meowth said as he jumped off of Ash's shoulder. "We're gonna get a new partner!

Krabby stopped and looked up at Ash and Meowth.

"Alright, Krabby, you're joining us!"

"Kokee?" Krabby chirped as the two approached it.

"Meowth! Use Fury Swipes!"

"You got it!" Meowth said as he extended his claws. "Take that!"

Meowth slashed at Krabby ferociously, doing as much damage as he could. The river crab Pokémon winced in pain, but it didn't seem willing to give up yet, as it thrust forwards with a water-coated pincer and slammed Meowth into the ground.

"Ugh!" Meowth said as he got back up. "What was that?!"

"That was Krabby's Crabhammer," said Sam. "Be careful!"

"Got it!" said Ash. Try and get it away with Iron Tail!"

Meowth winced in pain at the sudden attack, but he grinned with determination as his tail became coated in metallic energy. He then swung it forwards, where it collided with his opponent's Crabhammer.

"Good!" said Ash. "Try and hit it now!"

"Yeah!" Meowth said as he swung his tail once more. The attack collided with Krabby, sending it flying upwards.

"Aw yeah!" Meowth said triumphantly. "Not so tough now, you dumb piece of sushi!"

Then, as if to punish Meowth for his hubris, Krabby landed in his head and clamped onto his ears with its pincers.

"Yaaah!" Meowth cried out in pain. "Let me gooo!"

"Meowth!" Ash yelled. "Shake it off!"

The scratch cat Pokémon tried to dislodge his opponent, but its grip was far too strong. He rushed around the beach screaming as the angry crustacean held him tight.

"Someone get it off meee!"

"Oh boy," said Sam. "Hey, Pikachu? Can you give Meowth a hand?"

"Pika," Pikachu replied, and he sent a burst of electricity at the two combatants, shocking them both.

"Waaaaaahhh!"

"Meowth!"

"Pikachu!" Sam said in shock. "Stop that!"

Pikachu shrugged and canceled his attack. As the electricity stopped flowing, Meowth fell over, wisps of smoke floating upwards from his body.

"Oww…" Meowth groaned.

"Are you okay, Meowth?" Ash said, his voice full of worry.

"I'll be okay," said Meowth. "I think."

Krabby let go of Meowth's ears and began to foam at the mouth, having taken even more damage from the super effective move. Seeing that the water type was now lying motionlessly on the ground, Ash quickly grabbed a Pokeball and tossed it at his target. Krabby was sucked into the ball, which shook a few times before letting out a burst of sparks.

"Yeah!" said Ash. "We caught Krabby!"

He then looked down at Meowth, who was laying on the floor with a dazed look.

"Hey, buddy," he said as he picked his starter up in his arms. "You did great."

"Thanks," Meowth groaned. "But can you tell that rat not to shock me again?"

"Sorry about that," said Sam nervously. "Pikachu and I just wanted to help."

"Pika."

After Meowth had recovered somewhat, the gang continued on their way towards the lighthouse. Just as the sun vanished below the horizon, they finally reached the lighthouse, which, to their surprise, was connected to a larger building which almost seemed like some sort of mansion. As they stood at the front door they quickly found a speaker box with a button on it.

"So," said Maria, "should we knock?"

Ash shrugged, then reached out and pressed the doorbell. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, a voice came out from the speaker.

"Uh, hello?" the speaker said with the voice of a young man with a vaguely Galarian accent. "Who is this?"

The group looked at each, before Ash decided to speak.

"Hi, I'm Ash Ketchum, and my friends and I are kind of lost. We were hoping you could help point us in the right direction."

"Oh, I see," the voice replied. "Well, I wish I could help, but I'm currently dealing with a rather difficult predicament of my own, and I don't think I'll be of much use to you."

"Aw man," Ash said in disappointment.

"Hey, wait," said Sam. "Maybe we can help you with whatever your issue is, and we can help you too."

For a moment, there was silence. Then the voice spoke again.

"I… suppose that might be useful. Just… as long as you try not to freak out."

"Ooh, that sounds cool!" said Mikaela. "Let's go!"

"Uh, of course!" the voice said. "Please, come in!"

With that, the doors swung open, allowing the group to enter. As they walked in, they noted that the inside of the building was dark, with very few lights turned on.

"Hello?" said Ash. "Is anyone here?"

"Yes, I'm here!" a voice called out from deep within. "This way!"

Ash looked back at his friends, who looked unsure.

"This seems like the beginning of one of those horror movies," said Sam.

"Pika."

"Oh my gosh!" said Mikaela. "Are you saying there's some guy with a chainsaw who's going to kill us all?!"

"Maybe not," said Sam, "but I still don't like it."

Worried, each trainer grabbed a Pokeball, while their partners kept their guard up, ready for an attack. They then walked deeper into the building, watching their step all the while.

After about a minute or so, they noticed a figure approaching them.

"Hey look!" said Mikaela as she pointed downwards. "Another Ratty!"

The group looked down at where she was pointing, and saw an Alolan Rattata approaching them. Surprised, Ratty jumped out of his trainer's arms and rushed up to meet his fellow dark type rodent.

"Ratta! Rattata Ratta! Rat!"

The new Rattata stared at Ratty for a few moments, seemingly confused by Ratty's chattering. Then, it did something completely unexpected.

"I don't have time for this! I need your help!"

Ratty immediately stopped speaking and stared in shock at the other Rattata. And the rest of the group stared at the newcomer as well.

"No way!" said Ash. "Another talking Pokémon!"

"Hey, I'm not a Pokémon! I'm a researcher who-"

It then stopped.

"What do you mean another?"

"Hello!" said Meowth. "I can talk!"

The Rattata stared at Meowth for a moment, then shook its head and looked up at the group.

"Look, the point is I'm not a Pokémon. My name's Bill, and I'm a researcher who works on the Pokémon transfer system. Long story short, I messed up while I was doing maintenance on one of the transfer devices and got fused with this Rattata, so now I need help getting back to normal!"

The group looked at him, shocked at the fact that a human had gotten fused with a Pokémon. They then turned towards each other.

"I think we should help him," said Ash.

"Yeah, we should," said Maria. "He's in trouble, after all!"

"I mean, it does sound a bit weird," said Sam. "But it's probably the best shot we have at finding out more."

They then turned back to Bill.

"What do we do?" Ash asked, causing Bill to grin.

"Follow me!"

With that, he began to lead them through the building. Ash and his friends were still wary, but they still followed the transformed researcher. It didn't take long before they reached a room that was far better illuminated than the rest of the building; one that was full of bookshelves, as well as strange machines and devices. As the group entered the room, Bill rushed up to one particular machine, which consisted of two large pods connected by a series of tubes.

"Welcome to my laboratory," said Bill. "As you can see, this is where I create and update the Pokémon Transfer System. Unfortunately, today I had… some issues."

He then jumped into one of the pods.

"Right," he said. "Once I close the door, I need you guys to run the Cell Separation System, okay?"

"Okay," said Ash as he stepped up to the control panel. He looked at the various buttons and displays in fascination, wondering exactly what kinds of experiments were conducted here, and how they had resulted in Bill getting fused with a Pokémon.

Finally, his gaze settled on a button labeled "Cell Separation System."

"You can start whenever you're ready," Bill said as he closed the door. Nodding, Ash pressed the button. He then stood back as the two pods began to glow.

"That's kind of freaky," said Mikaela.

"Eevee!"

"Yeah," said Ash. "You guys think this will work?"

"We'll just have to wait and see," said Sam.

After a few moments the glow died down, and the pod that Bill had stepped into opened with a hiss. The group stared in amazement as a young man with brown hair stepped out.

"Yeah!" he said as he stretched his arms out. "Thanks, guys, I really owe you one!"

The group kept staring, unsure of what to say. Bill didn't seem to mind, though, as he continued to stretch the rest of his body as he readjusted to his body.

Then the other pod opened, revealing an Alolan Rattata.

"Ratta!" Ratty said as he jumped out of his trainer's arms. He then rushed up to the other Rattata and began to chatter excitedly.

"Rattata, Rattata Rat!"

"Ra?" the other Rattata said, clearly dazed from its unusual experience.

"Rat, Rat, Rattata!"

The other Rattata stared at Ratty, then began to chatter as well.

"Rattata! Ratta, Ratta, Ra!"

"Ratta Rattata, Rat Rat!"

The rest of the group stared at the two rodents in confusion. Then Ash turned to Meowth.

"Hey, do you know what they're talking about?"

"Oh yeah," said Meowth. "Ratty says he recognized the other Rattata. Apparently they were traveling together before Ratty got separated from the rest of the group.

"Really?" said Maria. "They were traveling together?"

She then walked up to the two Rattata and bent down.

"Did you really know this other Rattata, Ratty?" she asked.

Her starter looked up towards her.

"Rattata, Rat!"

"Ah, I suppose that makes sense," Bill said as he walked up to them. "You see, I received a shipment of Alolan Rattata a few weeks ago to study the differences between them and their Kantonian counterparts. However, it seems that one of them escaped before they could be delivered."

"Wait," said Mikaela as she approached them, "you mean Ratty was going to be a lab Rattata?"

"In a sense," Bill replied. "Regional variants are a fascinating subject, and we still don't fully understand the reasons for their existence. I was hoping to be able to observe them more carefully in order to understand more about them.

"Neat," said Sam. "I wish I could have a regional variant of my own."

Bill chuckled as he looked down at Ratty. He then bent down and examined the mouse Pokémon closely.

"I must say, you've been taking very good care of him. He's clearly strong and healthy."

"Oh," Maria said in surprise. "Thanks?"

"You're welcome," said Bill. "I'm pleased that Rattata found a trainer as dependable as you."

Maria's face grew red at Bill's compliment.

"I… was just making sure Ratty was happy," she said.

"Rattata!" said Ratty as he climbed back up onto his trainer's shoulder.

"Well, you've done a commendable job," Bill replied as he got back up. "I couldn't have chosen a better trainer if I tried."

Maria looked up at the brown haired researcher and smiled bashfully.

"Muchas gracias," she said.

"Ratta!"

A short while later, the group sat in the dining room as they ate a meal that Maria had prepared.

"Oh my," said Bill, "this is such an amazing stew!"

"I'm glad you're enjoying it," Maria said gratefully. "I do try to make my food the best it can be."

"Well, I'm thankful that you're here," said Bill. "My cook had to leave for a few weeks, so I've had nothing to eat but tofu for several days now!"

"I know what you mean," said Ash. "I remember before Yellow joined us we had nothing but pre-packaged sandwiches.

"Isn't her name Maria?" said Meowth.

"Yeah, but she said A-ma-ri-ya means Yellow."

"I'm pretty sure that's not what she said."

Maria sighed at Ash's obliviousness. Bill watched with a mix of curiosity and confusion, but soon decided to move on.

"Yes, I suppose that's rather common for trainers. It's rather unfortunate, but for many people that's just part of being a trainer."

"Not for us, though!" said Mikaela. "We have Yellow to cook for us, and me too!"

"Oh?" said Bill. "You cook too?"

"Sure!" said MIkaela. "If you want, I can show you some of my best recipes!"

Bill was about to agree to having her show him as well, but before he could do so, Sam grabbed his arm and pulled him close.

"Just some friendly advice: Mikaela's food will make you wish you'd stayed as a Rattata forever."

"Pika."

At this, Bill's face turned pale, and he quickly stammered out a response.

"Uh, sorry, but no! I have some extremely important Pokémon research I need to get to!"

Mikaela pouted in disappointment, though she quickly perked back up.

"Extremely important Pokémon research?" she said, looking at him in curiosity. "Like what?"

Bill scratched his chin, then snapped his fingers.

"Why don't I show you? I'm certain you'd be much more interested in seeing as opposed to hearing about it."

The rest of the group looked at him in surprise.

"Well," said Sam, "it does sound kind of interesting."

"Chuu."

"Ooh!" said Mikaela. "That sounds like fun!"

"Vee!"

"Yeah," said Maria. "Maybe we could learn something new."

"Ratta!"

Ash grinned at the thought of learning something new about Pokémon.

"Well, Meowth?" he said as he turned to his partner. "Do you want to see what Bill is up to?"

"Sounds like fun to me," said Meowth. "Let's do it!"

Bill smiled as he watched the group's enthusiasm.

Above the lighthouse, trouble was brewing.

Said trouble came in the shape of a Clefairy… or rather, a hot air balloon shaped like a Clefairy.

"So, there it is," said Jessie, "the research station of the great Bill."

"Fairyy," Clefairy said in a voice that sounded much too ominous to have come from a a member of her species.

"Indeed," said James. "And according to the Boss's intel, there is some very special research happening here."

"Well, then," said Jessie, "we'll just have to take it for Team Rocket!"

"Clefairy! Clef!"

"I can already imagine how the Boss will reward us," said James. "It's going to be great!"

The trio laughed together as they prepared for their attack.

Ash and his friends stood out on the balcony, taking in the sight of the vast ocean below them. The moon had just come out, faintly illuminating the area as they waited for Bill to show them the fruits of his research.

"So, what are you going to show us?" Sam asked.

"A few months ago I made the most amazing discovery," Bill said as he fiddled with some machines. "I still don't understand how it's possible, but I intend to find out!"

He then pressed a button, which activated a pair of speakers. A deep, rumbling cry emanated from the speakers, echoing through the area and sending a chill down Ash's spine.

"What is that?" Ash asked.

"That is the cry of a Pokémon that I discovered recently," said Bill. "A Pokémon unlike anything I've ever seen before."

"You discovered a new Pokémon?" Mikaela said in awe.

"Well, perhaps not an entirely new Pokémon," Bill replied. "But nevertheless, something truly amazing."

The group stared at him in awe, wondering what he could have discovered. Meowth in particular was deep in thought as he listened to the recording of the Pokémon's voice.

"It sounds like they're lonely," he said. "They said they want somebody to be their friend."

"Ah, then my assumption was correct," said Bill. "I'm very glad I was able to find it."

As he spoke, the water below them began to shift and glow with deep blue light. The group looked down in amazement as something began to emerge from the water.

"What is that?!" Maria said as she held Ratty closer.

"You're about to find out," Bill said excitedly. As he said this, the waters below burst upwards, and a huge figure jumped out from below. It was a draconic Pokémon with a light orange body, a cream underbelly, light blue wings, a pair of antennae on its head, and a deep blue aura surrounding its body. Perhaps the Pokémon's most notable feature was its sheer size; it was so big that it could easily look at the group on the balcony despite the fact that its feet were still submerged beneath the water.

"Whoa!" said Meowth. "What is that thing?!"

"It's a Dragonite," Bill explained. "Albeit one far bigger than any other I've seen before."

"Dragonite, huh?" Ash said. He could vaguely remember Professor Oak having a Dragonite of his own, though this one was far bigger than Oak's had been.

The dragon Pokémon let out a mighty shout, causing everyone to take a step backwards in shock. However, they were then surprised when it looked down at them and smiled.

"Draaa…"

"Hello, my friend," Bill said as he walked closer and reached out to it. "It's good to see you."

The huge Dragonite cooed as Bill petted it gently. It then backed away to look at the new arrivals.

"That is so cool!" said Mikaela. "How did you get it to go so big? What have you been feeding it?"

Bill chuckled at Mikaela's remark.

"Oh I had nothing to do with it," he said. "I still don't entirely understand how it's possible, though I have a few hypotheses."

"What would those be?" Maria asked.

"Well," said Bill, "are you familiar with the Dynamax phenomenon of the Galar region?"

"The what?" said Ash.

"Oh, I think I've heard of this one," said Sam. "Apparently the Galar region has a unique energy field that allows Pokémon to grow to enormous sizes during battle."

"No way!" said Mikaela. "You mean Eevee could be huge like that too?"

"Veeveevee!"

"I mean, there are apparently certain requirements to activate the Dynamax phenomenon," said Sam. "But yeah, it's possible."

"Wow," said Maria. "That sounds kind of cool. But also a bit scary."

"Ratta!"

"It sure sounds cool," said Ash. "So, do you think that has something to do with Dragonite?"

"It certainly is a possibility," said Bill. "With that being said, Dynamax has only been observed in Galar, and it would be extremely difficult to replicate the energy that allows it to happen elsewhere. Furthermore, Dynamaxed Pokémon have a red aura surrounding their bodies. While Dragonite has a similar aura, the color doesn't match a normal Dynamax Pokémon."

"Huh," said Ash. "So, what else could be going on?"

Before Bill could answer, a blast of energy hit the giant dragon. Everyone watched in shock as it was surrounded by more beams, which then formed a shell of energy around it.

"No! Dragonite!" said Bill.

"What's going on?!" said Maria.

A sinister laugh caught their attention, and they looked up to see a hot air balloon floating above them… one that was shaped like a Pokémon that they had become all too familiar with.

"A Clefairy balloon?" said Mikaela. "What kind of crazy people have something like that?"

"I think I have an idea, and it's not someone we'll be happy to see," said Sam.

Sure enough, they then spotted a familiar trio sitting in the basket of the balloon.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Clefairy!"

Bill's eyes widened as the trio introduced themselves.

"Team Rocket?!" he said. "What does a gang of criminals like you want with Dragonite?!"

"Oh, please," said Jessie. "Isn't it obvious? A Pokémon like this will be a great asset to our ambitions!"

"There is simply no way we can let an opportunity like this evade us," said James. "We're taking this Pokémon for the glory of Team Rocket!"

"Clef-Clefairy!"

As they looked down on the group, their eyes widened.

"It's the twerps!" James said. "And the talking Meowth!"

"Well, what a perfect opportunity!" said Jessie. "Let's take that as well!"

"Clefairy!"

"How dare you?!" Bill shouted indignantly. "Dragonite is a wonderful Pokémon who deserves to be free, not serving vile scoundrels such as you! And you have no right to separate trainers from their trusted partners!"

"Yeah!" said Sam. "We won't allow you to get away with this!"

He then grabbed a Pokeball and tossed it upwards, sending his Pidgeotto out. Ash grabbed a Pokeball as well, and sent out his Spearow.

"Pidgeotto!" Sam called. "Use Quick Attack!"

"Use Fury Attack, Spearow!"

Scowling at the sight of the approaching Pokémon, Jessie and James sent out their own Pokémon. Koffing floated out next to the balloon, while Ekans wrapped itself around one of the balloon's ropes.

"Koffing, use Smog!"

"Ekans, use Bite!"

Koffing blew out a big cloud of noxious gas, causing the two attacking Pokémon to scatter. Pidgeotto tried to attack the balloon, but Ekans reached out and chomped on her wing before she could reach them.

"Piiidge!" Pidgeotto cried. As she tried to escape, Ekans shook it violently, before throwing it downwards.

"Pidgeotto!" Sam yelled in a panic. "Are you okay?"

The bird Pokémon winced as she shook her wing, but she stayed in the air. Sighing in relief, Sam prepared his next move.

"Good! Use Gust to blow that smog away!"

"You too, Butterfree!" said Ash as he sent out another Pokeball. "Use Gust!"

With a burst of light, the recently evolved but type flew into the air. He then joined Pidgeotto, and the two began to flap their wings with great intensity. A huge burst of wind quickly scattered the Smog, leaving Team Rocket exposed.

"Now blow them away!" Sam called.

"Butterfree, use Confusion on Ekans!" Ash said. "And Spearow, fly in and attack with Steel Wing!"

The three Pokémon cried with determination as they attacked. Koffing was blown back into the balloon, while Ekans was squeezed by a wave of telekinesis.

"No, Ekans!" Jessie said as her partner was attacked.

"Hang in there, Koffing!" said James.

Clefairy growled as her fellow Rocket Pokémon were incapacitated. She then jumped onto the edge of the basket and began to shout out blasts of fairy type energy, hitting Spearow just before she could land a bit.

"Clefairy's doing that thing again!" Mikaela said as Pidgeotto and Butterfree were both hit as well.

"Leave that to me!" Sam said as he grabbed another Pokeball. He then opened it, revealing his Rowlet.

"Roww?" the grass quill Pokémon said as he looked up at his trainer.

"We've got trouble, Rowlet," Sam said as he pointed up. "Team Rocket is up there, and we need your help."

"Row! Rowlet!"

"I need you to go up with Pikachu and take them by surprise. Can you do that?"

"Row! Rowlet!" the grass type declared. He then flew up onto Sam's shoulder and grabbed Pikachu.

"Pika," the electric type grunted in annoyance, but Rowlet paid him no need as he flew upwards, being careful to fly below Team Rocket's line of sight.

"You'd better hurry," Meowth said as he pointed at the rest of the flying types. "The others are getting tired!"

The group winced as they watched the battle, and saw all three flying types get hit by Clefairy's Disarming Voice.

"Oh, don't fool yourselves into thinking that you stand a chance!" said Jessie. "We're going to beat your precious Pokémon, and take that Dragonite!"

"And while we're at it, we might just take that Meowth with us as well!" said James.

"No way!" said Ash. "You're not getting Meowth!"

"Oh really?" said Jessie. "And who's going to stop us?"

At that moment, Rowlet flew into the balloon's basket and dropped Pikachu.

"Huh?" said Jessie. "What is that?"

"I believe it's a Rowlet," said James. "They're native to Alola, I think."

"Pika."

At the sudden sound, Team Rocket looked down, and were met by the sight of a grumpy looking rodent with sparks coming out of its cheeks.

"Fairy?"

The mouse Pokémon let loose a Thunder Shock attack, shocking the entire group.

"Ekaaaa!"

"Koooof!"

"Cleeeef!"

"Aaaagh!"

As Team Rocket was zapped, the electricity surged into the devices that were attached to the balloon, causing them to spark and fail. As a result, the energy cage that was keeping Dragonite restrained flickered for a moment before it vanished completely.

"Alright, Pikachu," Sam called out, "Get out of there!"

Pikachu quit the attack, allowing Rowlet to pick him up. The mouse Pokémon grunted in annoyance, but didn't complain further. As they flew out, Team Rocket groaned and pulled themselves back up.

"Ugh… how did that rat get up here?!" said Jessie.

"Clefairy, fairy?"

"I think the Rowlet carried him," said James.

Any further musings were interrupted by a rather frightening growl. The group then looked outwards, and were met by the sight of an extremely angry Dragonite. And to make matters worse, its aura was now flowing in an extremely threatening manner.

"Uh, hi?" said James. "We're really sorry about that whole trying to capture you thing."

"Yes, extremely sorry," said Jessie. "So, if you could be so kind as to stay there and not attack us, we'll be on our way."

Unfortunately for them, the huge dragon type opened its mouth and fired off a huge whirlwind of dragon type energy. In an instant, the balloon was shredded to pieces, and Team Rocket was sent flying.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off agaaain!" Jessie and James cried out as they and their Pokémon vanished in the distance.

Ash and his friends sighed in relief as they watched Team Rocket fly off into the distance. They then looked up to see their flyers descending.

"You did great, you guys," Ash said as Butterfree and Spearow landed on his shoulders.

"Free!"

"Spear!"

"Yeah," Sam said as he watched Pidgeotto and Rowlet fly down to meet him. "You guys did great too."

"Pidgeotto!"

"Row! Rowlet!"

"Pika, pika," Pikachu grunted, seemingly still annoyed at being carried by Rowlet. Then again, Pikachu's expression never really changed, so it was hard to tell how annoyed he really was.

"Come on, buddy," Sam said as he grabbed his starter and placed him on his shoulder. "You know we couldn't have saved Dragonite without you."

"Pika."

"Well, regardless of how you may feel," Bill said as he approached them, "you saved Dragonite, and I'm extremely grateful for that."

He then turned towards the giant Pokémon, who seemed apprehensive, but otherwise unharmed. With a smile, he held out his hand.

"Don't worry, my friend. You're safe now."

"Draaaa…" Dragonite cooed as it leaned in, allowing Bill to stroke it.

"Aww, that's so cute!" said Mikaela.

Bill chuckled as he continued to comfort his Pokémon friend.

"I'm very lucky that you were around to help protect Dragonite," he said as he turned towards Ash and Sam. "Especially you, Sam. You certainly know how to respond to these situations."

Sam blinked at Bill's compliment.

"Oh, well I do try to be prepared," he said with a shrug. "I mean, I do want to join the G-Men one day."

"Ah," Bill said, a hint of awe in his voice. "Well, I think you'd be a great fit for the G-Men."

"Yeah," said Ash. "You'll be an awesome G-Man guy!"

Sam chuckled nervously at the compliments.

Jessie, James, and Clefairy groaned as they walked into the Rocket safehouse. They were still in pain, but they still needed to report to their superior.

"Commander Petrel," James said as they walked into the office.

"Ah, you two," the purple haired man said as he saw the trio.

"Cleff?"

"Yes, you too," Petrel said quickly. "How did the mission go?"

Jessie coughed as she stepped forward. She then straightened herself and began to speak.

"Well, we were unable to capture the specimen. However, our scanners were still able to collect plenty of data on the Pokémon's power."

James then stepped forward and presented Petrel with a data drive. The Rocket Admin smiled as he took the device.

"Well done," he said as he put the drive into his desk drawer. "This will be extremely useful for our scientists."

He then sighed as he looked back at the trio.

"A shame that you couldn't capture the specimen. But that's hardly your fault. Even our most experienced agents would find it very difficult to subdue such a powerful Pokémon."

The trio swallowed hard before continuing.

"Yes… about that," said Jessie, a drop of sweat rolling down her forehead. "There was another group present. One that compromised our mission."

"Oh?"

"Yes," James said nervously. "It was… the same group as before. The one with the talking Meowth."

"Fairy, fairy."

At this, Petrel's eyes narrowed, and the trio felt a shiver crawl down their spines.

"I see. Him again."

He sighed and rubbed his temples.

"We shall have to deal with that trainer somehow. Especially if he's who the boss thinks he is."

"Sir?"

Petrel put on a somewhat forced smile as he looked up at the group.

"Never mind. You've done well tonight, and I think you've earned yourselves a break. You're dismissed for now."

The trio let out a huge sigh of relief. They then stumbled out of the office, tripping over themselves as they left. Petrel chuckled as he watched the trio leave, then frowned as his thoughts went back to the report he had just received.

"A talking Pokémon," he muttered to himself. "And in the hands of someone like him…"

This trainer was one they would have to watch very closely.

The next day, the gang, along with a large number of Alolan Rattata, stood in Bill's lab as he fiddled with Ash's Pokedex.

"There we go," he said as he handed it back to Ash. "With this upgrade, you should be able to access the Pokémon Storage System directly, which will allow you to quickly transfer Pokémon without the need of a Pokémon Center's computer."

"Wow, that sounds amazing!" said Ash as he took the newly upgraded Pokedex. "This is going to be super useful!"

"Cool," said Mikaela. "I wish I had a Pokedex!"

"Vee!"

"I believe Professor Oak is working on making them more accessible to trainers," said Bill. "If you do get one in the future, make sure to let me know."

"Yay!"

He then took out a Pokeball and opened it. With a flash, an Abra appeared and floated towards the group.

"Abra is very good with teleport, so it can take you straight to Vermilion City. I think you'd appreciate not getting lost again."

"Yeah, those maps can be really difficult to trust sometimes," said Mikaela.

The rest of the gang stared at her incredulously.

"Anyway," said Ash," I know we're heading towards Vermilion, but I really want to find more Pokémon before my Gym battle. So do you think that Abra could take us, I dunno, maybe like halfway between Cerulean and Vermilion?"

"Ah, yes, I suppose that makes sense," said Bill. "That would give you more time to get to Vermilion as well…"

He then snapped his fingers and reached into his pocket. He then pulled out a couple of pieces of paper with an image of a ship printed into them, and handed them to Sam.

"What are these?" he asked.

"Those are tickets to the S.S. Anne," Bill explained. "It's going to arrive in Vermilion in two weeks, so even if you take a few days to look for new Pokémon and challenge the Gym, you should have enough time to get on board."

"Oh cool!" said Mikaela. "I've always wanted to go on a cruise ship!"

"Eevee!"

"It does sound nice," said Maria.

"Ratta!"

"I guess it would be nice to take a break from training," said Meowth.

"And it would be a great way to celebrate my third Badge!"

Everyone laughed at Ash's comment. They then turned towards Bill and Abra.

"Well, my friends," said Bill, "it was certainly a great experience, and I'm sad to see you go. But I wouldn't want to keep you from your goals, whatever they may be."

The group of Rattata then rushed up to Maria and Ratty, chirping excitedly. Ratty cried out to them and waved his paw.

"Aw, they're wishing Ratty luck on his journey," said Meowth. "Also, they're telling you to take care of him, Maria."

Maria smiled and bent down to get closer to the Rattata horde.

"Don't worry, mis amiguitos, I'll take good care of Ratty!"

The Rattata then backed away to allow Maria and Ratty to rejoin their friends. Once they were all together, Abra began to glow, and the gang were surrounded by a pink glow.

"It was great to meet you all," said Bill. "Good luck on your journey!"

"Thanks," said Ash. "We hope to see you soon!"

"Yeah!" said Meowth. "See you later!"

"Best wishes!" said Sam.

"Don't forget to write!" said Mikaela.

"Hasta luego!" said Maria.

"Eevee!"

"Rattata!"

"...Pika."

With that, the glow around them flashed brightly, and the lab disappeared. In an instant, the gang was in a forest, with the lighthouse nowhere in sight.

"Right," said Sam as he looked at the map. "As long as we go straight, we should be able to reach Vermilion without any trouble."

"Great," said Mikaela. "Can I have the map now?"

"No."

The brown haired girl pouted, causing the rest of the gang to laugh.

"Anyway," said Ash, "I'm excited to get going! Come on, guys!"

The group began to make their way forwards, smiling with anticipation. While their detour had been rather unexpected, it had given them a truly amazing experience, and they were now more excited than ever to find out what else their journey had in store for them.

Then the ground beneath them suddenly gave way, and they all fell into a pit.

A/N: This ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would. Which is kind of amazing given that while the canon episode isn't technically filler, there's a lot that isn't directly relevant to the overall plot of the show.

Also, the geography of the anime is weird, given that Bill lives a lot closer to Vermilion than to Cerulean. Which is probably why I had the gang get lost. Good thing he had an Abra handy.

Oh yeah, and we also learn about Ratty's origins.

Anyway, I bet most of you can guess what's going to happen next time! Hopefully I'll be able to get it done soon. I did get a lot of motivation once I finally completed my Pokedex in Legends: Arceus (let me tell you, finding all the wisps was painful), so we'll see how that goes.