Episode Rewritten as of July 3rd, 2023

For an enhanced reading experience, visit the Pokémon Cosmic Quest Official Website (find it with Google) for features such as episode updates and reviews, detailed Pokédex pages, bonus content, exclusive special episodes, a YouTube channel, and even images of all my currently revealed Pokémon.

Perhaps of most interest, the Cosmic Quest Official Website is the only place you can get information on my upcoming Pokémon Sol Version fan game; an actual adventure in the Tenno Region.

Pokémon
Cosmic Quest
Episode 1: Tenno…the Final Frontier

The Narrator declares, The Tenno Region! If there's a place in the wonderful world of Pokémon that's out of this world, then this would be it! Shown is an immense and futuristic metropolis, full of people, Pokémon, and technology of all kinds. One Pokémon looks to be a dog wearing an orange space suit, complete with a glass helmet.

The wonder of Tenno's natural beauty is only matched by its grand scientific achievements! There's a sprawling field covered by grass, flowers, and trees. A flock of gray bird Pokémon that look to be wearing metal helmets fly overhead. A brown chipmunk Pokémon with cheeks stuffed full runs across the field and into a tree hollow, where it's greeted by a fat, gray squirrel Pokémon, also with stuffed cheeks.

Then the scene changes to that of a space center. A building with a massive logo featuring a stylized letter P on its front is surrounded by rockets and spaceships of all shapes and sizes. Workers in white uniforms which almost look like space suits, also bearing the P logo, move about. Many space-themed Pokémon are also present, such as Lunatone, Solrock, Elgyem, and a new Pokémon that almost looks like a Beldum, but is instead silver colored and shaped closer to a rocket booster.

It is a place of balance, where both nature and technology can coexist in perfect harmony! A serene forest is seen, but over it runs a high-tech bridge. Though the bridge stands out from its natural surroundings, the forest seems no worse off because of its presence. A cyclist bikes over the bridge, followed by a moth-like Pokémon made out of computer chips and electronics. What looked to be a pile of mossy boulders on the ground below stirs as she passes. It's not a pile of boulders at all, but a massive Pokémon made entirely of rocks and moss. It stands up and lumbers away.

It's a region known for its history of space exploration! With its unyielding curiosity, a can-do attitude, and the most advanced space program in the world, Tenno is the passageway to the stars themselves! Against a breathtaking backdrop of a starry night sky, a rocket is lifting off into space. From the ground, three children and a metallic Pokémon with a telescope for an eye are watching the rocket with admiration. A serpentine dragon Pokémon with shimmering scales that resemble the night sky flies past majestically. As the rocket makes it into outer space, a herd of Minior float by, as well as a Pokémon that looks like a flying saucer with a face.

A region so full of wonder is the perfect place to begin an adventure! It's the launchpad for trainers looking to lift off into an out-of-this-world journey! Here's one such prospective trainer now!

In a small living room, there's a young girl in Jigglypuff print pajamas. She has long brown-blonde hair and a face that can't contain her excitement. "Two more hours! Two more hours and it'll be my tenth birthday!

The girl's mother sits nearby on a couch, watching the holovision, a holographic television. She grins snidely. "My, my. Is it really that time already?" she asks teasingly.

The girl rolls her eyes. "Mom, of course it is. You know that."

The mom chuckles. "How could I not? It's the only thing you've talked about for the past week."

The girl looks out a window towards the starry sky. "Tomorrow I get my first Pokémon, then I can travel the region all by myself!" As she imagines her future journeys, she spins about and falls backwards onto the floor. "I can't wait!" She quickly gets back up and looks to her mother. "Hey Mom, do you think I'll be able to see Kanaveral City?"

"I don't see why not."

"That would be amazing! Ooh! I could visit the space center while I'm there!" An idea suddenly dawns on her. "Maybe I'll get to ride in a rocket and go to outer space!"

The mom chuckles again. "Don't get your mind set on that last one."

"I know…but I can still hope."

"Other than traveling to outer space, what's going to be your goal while you're traveling?"

The girl is surprised and confused. "My goal?"

"Come on, you've got to have some kind of goal. Something you want to work towards while you journey?"

The girl ponders, "My goal… I…hadn't given that any thought…"

The mom shakes her head in mock dismay. "Leave it to my daughter to have given no consideration whatsoever to the future. Always playing things by ear. Never planning or preparing."

The girl pretends to take offense. "Hey! All I'm doing right now is thinking about tomorrow! That's the future!"

"But only the immediate future. Give it some further thought. I think you'll be glad you did."

"The future…"

That young lady isn't the only person about to start a new journey! We now travel to the familiar Pallet Town, where ten-year-old Ash Ketchum and his partner Pikachu live. Ash is putting on his blue vest and red hat, the same ones he wore during his time as a research assistant at Cerise Labs. He may not be up to anything now, but our hero can never stay in one place for too long…

Ash looks at Pikachu and asks, "All right, buddy. Are you ready for today?"

"Pika!"

"Let's go!" Ash runs out of his room and storms down the stairs. He runs by his mom and shouts, "Mom, I'm going out to play with my Pokémon, see you for lunch!"

Delia calls back, "Okay honey, just don't stay out too long!"

Ash continues running to the door, almost crashing into Mimey, who's sweeping, on the way out. He runs across Pallet Town up towards Professor Oak's lab. He reaches the fence behind the lab and calls out, "Hey guys, I'm here! Who wants to play!?" After several moments, a stampede of Ash's various Pokémon come charging at him.

The day is full of fun and excitement for Ash and his Pokémon. First, Ash and Pikachu run over a hill, with Noctowl, Swellow, Staraptor, Gliscor, Unfezant, Talonflame, Noivern, and Dragonite flying above them.

Then they're cheering Charizard and Infernape on as they engage in a battle for fun. Krookodile, Heracross, and Pignite are also watching.

They swim in a lake with Kingler, Totodile, Corphish, Buizel, Oshawott, and Palpitoad.

Ash and Pikachu ride atop Tauros over a grassy field, with Ash's other 29 Tauros stampeding behind them.

Donphan rolls down a hill with Ash trying his best keep his balance on top of it. Bayleef and Leavanny run behind him looking worried that he might fall.

With the help of Bulbasaur, Ash and Pikachu break up a fight between Hawlucha and Scraggy.

Ash, Pikachu, Gible, and Torkoal all bounce on Snorlax's belly like a trampoline.

Night has fallen on the exhausting day. Ash and Pikachu, along with Torterra, Glalie, Quilava, Snivy, Muk, Sceptile, and Boldore are lying on the ground and staring up at the stars.

Ash takes in a deep breath. He says to Pikachu, "Things haven't really been the same since Professor Cerise had to close the lab for remodeling and Goh left on vacation with his family. It's kind of strange being back home and not having anywhere to journey. It's been a while since we've just relaxed at home like this."

Pikachu agrees, "Pik."

"On one hand, it's kind of nice…" He hesitates. "But on the other…"

Pikachu looks over to Ash, understanding his unspoken sentiment. "Pikapi…"

Ash repositions his arms so that his head is resting on them. As he stares up at the stars, he has a flashback.

An announcer declares to a stadium full of people, "Welcome everyone! It's the moment you've all been waiting for! We're here to witness the world's largest, world's greatest, Pokémon battle to determine the world's greatest trainer! Welcome to the World Coronation Series!"

The battle referred to by the announcer is one between the Champions Lance and Leon. It's a battle between Lance's red Gyarados and Leon's Charizard. Ash watches every moment of the battle with the utmost awe and anticipation. He's on the edge his seat the entire time. The battle is taken to the next level when both Champions Dynamax their Pokémon to gigantic proportions.

Lance orders, "Use Max Geyser!" Dynamax Gyarados unleashes a titanic torrent of water at its opponent.

Leon counters, "Charizard, beat it using Max Lightning!" Leon's Gigantamax Charizard summons a massive bolt of lightning from the sky to strike Gyarados as it attacks, before the Max Geyser can hit its mark.

Lance shouts, "Now, use Max Strike!" Gyarados slams its tail into the ground to create a ceaseless barrage of successive shockwaves. The ground explodes beneath Charizard.

But not before Leon orders, "Charizard, use Max Airstream!" Charizard lifts into the air to avoid the attack, then summons a mighty whirlwind to strike Gyarados.

Ash watches in disbelief. It's impossible for him to understand how a trainer as powerful as Lance could be fairing so poorly.

Leon announces triumphantly as he strikes a pose, "It's a champion time to turn up the heat! G-Max Wildfire!" Charizard's wings of flames take on a life of their own and fly at Gyarados.

Without missing a beat, Lance counters, "Gyarados, use Max Guard!" Gyarados erects a barrier to guard it from the incoming flames.

The shield may have protected Gyarados, but Leon doesn't seem to care. He bows as he announces, "Now, get ready for the last act!" It turns out the G-Max Wildfire wasn't stopped at all. It had only flown upwards for a glancing blow against the Max Guard. It now dives back down at Gyarados and impacts before Lance can counter it.

"Gyarados!" Lance's Pokémon succumbs to the flames. It shrinks down to normal size as it collapses to the ground.

The referee announces, "Gyarados is unable battle! So, the winner of this match is Leon!"

The crowd goes wild with applause and cheers for Leon. Ash is completely stunned. "Who would have thought Lance could have lost…" His intense gaze is fixated on Leon and his Charizard, who are celebrating their victory. "That was awesome…"

After Lance and Leon shake hands, Lance holds up Leon's arm and proclaims, "Here today, we've witnessed the rise of the greatest Monarch in the world! If a trainer has a strong and outstanding nature, their Pokémon will respond! And that's how a trainer grows strong with their Pokémon! As strong as Leon and Charizard!"

These words seem to resonate with Ash. He says to himself, "A strong and outstanding nature… As strong as Leon and Charizard…"

Goh, sitting next to Ash, comments, "So…Leon's the strongest Pokémon trainer in the world?"

In that moment, Ash makes up his mind. He declares determinedly, "That's right! And I want to have a battle with him!"

Then the flashback skips ahead to Ash's own battle with Leon the next day. Miraculously, Pikachu had just been able to grow into its Gigantamax form without using a Pokéball. They now face down Leon's Gigantamax Charizard.

Ash orders, "All right Pikachu, it's time! Use Max Strike!" Pikachu jumps up and slams the ground to create shockwaves that rend the field.

Charizard easily avoids the opening fissures by flying. Leon then commands, "Now, Max Airstream!"

Pikachu is caught in the raging whirlwind. "Don't let it get to you!" Despite its effort, Pikachu is knocked to ground. "Quick, Pikachu! Max Steelspike!" Pikachu gets back up as it prepares to attack.

But before it can, Leon orders, "Charizard, use Max Lightning!" Pikachu is struck by the intense lightning before it can throw its own tail at Charizard.

Ash grins. "It's time! G-Max Volt Crash!" Pikachu summons an even more intense lightning bolt.

Leon grins as well. "Now, let's enjoy the finale! G-Max Wildfire!" Both attacks hit their targets simultaneously. Pikachu burns and Charizard is electrocuted. But when the attacks clear, Charizard is standing strong, and Pikachu is shrinking. Charizard's signature move was too much for it.

After helping Pikachu back up, Ash hands his borrowed Dynamax Band back to Leon. "Thanks for letting me use this."

Leon waves a hand. "You hang on to it."

"Wait…are you sure?"

"Of course. You're a trainer who still has rough edges. I like that type." Ash looks to Leon with surprise and admiration. "But to beat me, you've got a bit of work to do." He holds out a fist and proclaims, "I want you to break out!" Leon turns to leave. "See you."

Ash shouts, "Hey, Leon? Let me have a battle with you in the future, okay?"

Leon stops and looks to Ash. "The next time will be in the tournament, Ash."

"Okay!"

As Ash and Goh exit the stadium, Ash stops and announces, "I've decided, Goh. See, I'm going to enter this competition and battle against Leon again! And I'm going to win it too! That will be my next step to become a Pokémon Master!" He asks Pikachu, "Buddy, what do you say we get strong together?"

"Pika pika!"

Together he and Pikachu stare back at the stadium. The flashback fades.

Ash opens his eyes and goes back to staring at the stars. "Leon is not only the Galar Champion, but the Pokémon Monarch… He's the strongest trainer in the world… Do I even have shot at beating him…? In the moment, I got caught up in my excitement. I decided to enter the next World Coronation Series and work my way up to number one. But now that I've had a few days to think about it, I'm not so certain anymore. After all, the Coronation Series has all the greatest trainers from all around the world. I won the Alola League, but is that enough? I've never defeated a region's champion before, but in order to battle Leon, I'd have to prove myself better than every other Champion…"

Pikachu looks at Ash with understanding. "Pika…"

"I have to try. If I want to battle Leon again, it's my only choice." He suddenly stands up. "The next World Coronation Series won't start for months. I've got plenty of time before then to get stronger! I'll be strong enough to be worthy of competing with the world's strongest trainers! I'll beat Leon! And I'll be on my way to becoming a Pokémon Master!"

"Pikapi pi!" Pikachu points up to the sky.

Ash looks up to see a streak of light across the sky. "A shooting star!" He clasps his hands together and closes his eyes. "I wish I had a way to get stronger. A way to get strong enough so that I can battle Leon again."

Ash opens his eyes again, only to notice something strange. Instead of fading, the shooting star has only grown brighter. His eyes widen. "It's falling towards us!" He watches as the shooting star, now close enough to be a trail of fire in the sky, falls towards the ground past a distant hill. "Woah! It hit the ground!" He looks around to his Pokémon. "You guys stay here and relax. Pikachu and I are going to check it out."

"Pika!" The two run off to find its impact site.

Watching from the distance is Delia. She sighs and says to herself, "Oh, Ash… It's been so nice having you back home again, I'd want you to stay here forever if you could… But I know that's not what you need. You need adventure… As much as I want you to stay, I want even more for you to be happy. Go, my son. Find your adventure… I'll always be here supporting you." She returns to their house.

But she wasn't the only one watching Ash. Also spying on him from hiding was Jessie, James, and Meowth. They were watching Ash via binoculars. Mime Jr. is next to James, cupping its hands around its eyes to pretend like it has binoculars as well.

Jessie grins, "A falling star. That sounds like something which could be worth some cash."

James remarks, "You would know a lot about fallen stars, wouldn't you?"

Jessie stares at James with ire.

Wobbuffet pops out from its Pokéball and declares, "Wobbuffet!"

Jessie, even angrier, forces Wobbuffet back into its Pokéball. "Nah ah. You don't get to side with him on a sensitive topic like that!"

Meowth asserts, "Cool your jets, you two. Why do I always feel like I have to play babysitter?"

James shrugs. "Has-been or not, Jessie's right. A meteorite could be worth a fortune."

Jessie shouts in outrage, "Has-been!?"

Wobbuffet appears again. "Wobbuffet!"

Jessie groans and gives up.

Meowth points out, "Just one problem. If we want to take that meteorite from the Twerp, we're going to need some muscle. And I don't mean the worthless blue blob and copycat."

James pulls in Mime Jr. for a tight hug. "Take that back! Mime Jr. is a valuable member of this team!"

"Mime mime mime!"

Jessie asks snidely, "Then why'd you leave it behind at HQ for so long?"

James snaps, "None of your business! All that matters is that Mime Jr. is back where it belongs now!"

"Mime mime!"

James sets Mime Jr. down. "But still, Meowth is right. Mime Jr.'s not a fighter. We need battlers. We need the Rocket Prize Master."

Jessie points out, "Only problem is that good-for-nothing Pelipper hasn't shown its face since we left Galar."

James suggests, "How about we call The Boss? Maybe he could shed some light on the problem."

Meowth agrees, "Sounds like a plan. Let's do it."

They make their way to a pay videophone. James digs through his pockets and says with horror, "Umm…guys? I think I used my last quarter when we called The Boss yesterday."

Jessie says, "I don't have any money."

They both turn to Meowth, who says, "Hey, don't look at me, just call collect."

James exclaims, "Good idea!" He picks up the phone and dials a number. Matori appears on the screen. James complains, "Hey, I dialed the Boss' number, what gives?"

Matori groans. "Mr. Giovanni has decided to have all of his calls screened…just in case you three call."

Jessie demands, "Why wouldn't The Boss want to talk to me? I get one of these losers, but me!?"

Matori sighs with annoyance. "Look, if you have something to tell Mr. Giovanni, I'll tell him for you."

James says, "Well, we're calling to inquire about the status of the Rocket Prize Master. We have a criminal opportunity to seize, but we need some Pokémon to seize it."

Matori stares at him critically. "You went directly to the leader of Team Rocket to make an equipment requisition? Did it not even occur to you to call our requisitions department?"

Jessie, James, and Meowth all shake their heads in unison and ask, "Why would we do that?"

Matori groans again. "You three are hopeless. For your information, all Rocket Prize Masters have been recalled for maintenance due to a potential defect. You will not have access to your unit for several months." On the other side of the call a loud ruckus suddenly begins.

Jessie asks, "What's going on there? It sounds like you're under attack."

Matori rubs her temple. "We might as well be. These two crazed Pokémon showed up the other day. We haven't been able to calm them down."

Matori is abruptly shoved aside, and two new Pokémon appear on the screen. One bears a resemblance to Arbok, except its body is longer, yet more slim. The patterns on its hood are spread across its entire body. Instead of the usual head, the face-like print on the front of its hood is now actually a face. It frantically starts to say in a hissing voice, "Repivvvv, repivvvvv!"

The other appears like Weezing, except with a third head segment growing out of the left of its main head, and a giant gas vent on the top of its main head. It says as if its choking, "Hak…haking…hak!"

For a few moments, Team Rocket is unsure how to respond. Then suddenly Jessie and James recognize the Pokémon. James questions with shock, "W-Weezing…?"

Jessie questions uncertainly, "Ar…bok…?"

The two Pokémon excitedly nod their heads excitedly. Matori pushes them out of the way and asks, "Are these your Pokémon?"

The two nod. James answers, "Yes…at least they used to be. We had to leave them behind a while ago."

"No wonder they've been going crazy. They're trying to find you! We'll catch them in Pokéballs and send them to you." Jessie and James nod.

Who's That Pokémon!?

Known as the Beast That Calls the Moon, this Pokémon lives by taking in any and all light and converting it into its own energy.

(Answer at next scene break)

Ash and Pikachu run up to a smoking crater. "Woah…" He finds a rock about the size of a fist in the center of the crater. Veins of the rock still glow red hot. The parts of it that have cooled have a glassy smooth texture and a silvery color. "Pikachu…that rock came from outer space…"

"Pika…"

"And since it comes from outer space, I do believe it rightfully belongs to Team Rocket."

Without turning to face the newcomers, Ash groans as he instantly recognizes the voice of Meowth. "Not again…" He begrudgingly turns around to find Jessie, James, and Meowth.

Jessie declares, "Prepare for trouble!"

James continues, "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!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime mime!"

Ash demands, "Can't you guys give me one day's peace!?"

Jessie and James laugh at him. Jessie points out, "In case you haven't noticed, we've been getting lazy lately! We've barely bugged you compared to what we used to do. We've been giving you more than your fair share of peaceful days."

James declares, "But that ends here! We're going back to our roots now, and you'll actually be seeing us every day like you used to! No more slacking off for us!"

Meowth asserts, "You'll get your daily prescribed dose of Team Rocket, and you'll like it!"

Jessie jokes, "You know what they say, a Rocket a day keeps the show cancellation away."

James looks to her with confusion. "Wait…who says that?"

"Well duh, I do. Didn't you just hear me?"

Meowth shakes his head in disapproval. "Oy vey… Just get to the burgling."

James orders, "Now step aside. We'll be taking that space rock."

Jessie adds, "That Pikachu too, while we're at it."

Pikachu leaps forward to Ash's front. Sparks fly from its cheeks. "Chu!"

James chuckles. "You want a fight? Then it's a fight you'll get." He and Jessie both pull out Pokéballs and throw them to send out Haking and Repiv.

Ash is surprised. "Did Team Rocket get new Pokémon?" He reaches for his pocket but realizes he's missing something. "Oops, I must have left my Rotom Phone at Cerise Labs. Oh well, I don't need it." He looks over Team Rocket's new Pokémon. "I've never seen those Pokémon before, but they look like the evolutions of Arbok and Weezing. Did you guys get your old Pokémon back?"

Jessie laughs. "They're back, and better than ever! Show the Twerp what I mean, Repiv! Poison Fang, now!"

James adds, "And Haking, you use Sludge Bomb!"

Repiv slithers with great speed at Pikachu. It opens its wide mouth and its fangs glow purple.

"Dodge it, Pikachu!" Pikachu leaps up and over Repiv, but Haking's Sludge Bomb now threatens to hit it. "Counter with Iron Tail!"

"Chu, pika!" Pikachu performs a mid-air somersault and slices through the Sludge Bomb with its metallic tail.

"Now use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaa chuuuuuu!"

James orders, "Out of the way, Haking! Then use Smokescreen!"

Jessie commands, "Repiv, you dodge, then use Wrap!"

Both Team Rocket Pokémon move in opposite directions to avoid Pikachu's electricity. As Haking dodges, smoke billows out from its pores and surrounds Pikachu.

Ash urges, "Stay alert, Pikachu! They used to always use this trick on us!"

"Pi—" Before Pikachu can affirm, the sillohette of Repiv can be seen wrapping around it and constricting. The Smokescreen clears to show Pikachu completely ensnared by the serpent Pokémon. It struggles to break free, but it's no use.

Jessie cackles with glee. "Just where I want you! Repiv, use Poison Sting!"

"Pivvvvvv!" Repiv fires a barrage of purple needles straight at Pikachu. Pikachu has no hope of dodging.

Pikachu shouts in pain, "Pikaaa!"

James jumps up and down in joy. "We're winning! We're winning! We're winning!"

Mime Jr. mimics his cheers. "Mime mime-mime! Mime mime-mime! Mime mime-mime!"

Ash orders, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt to escape!"

"Pikaa—" Before Pikachu can manage the Thunderbolt, Repiv constricts harder on it, forcing it to stop.

Ash shouts with concern, "Pikachu!"

Getting serious again, James shouts, "Now that it can't dodge, let's give it another Sludge Bomb!"

"Haking! Hak!" Haking launches another globule of sludge at Pikachu's head. Not only does it strike, but Pikachu's face is now covered in the stuff.

"Pik! Pik! Pik!" Pikachu is coughing through the sludge.

Jessie grins broadly. "Repiv and Haking! You both have gotten so strong!"

James nods. "Yes! I'm so proud of you two!"

Ash clenches a fist as he tries to think up a strategy. "Pikachu, you've got to escape! If we can't beat Team Rocket, then there's no way we could ever beat Leon! This is where we start getting stronger! Use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu closes its eyes, and a look of determination crosses its face. "Pika." It prepares itself. "Pikaaaaaaa chuuuuuuu!" Repiv tightens its grip again, but Pikachu bears the pain and continues with its attack. Electricity pours out from its cheeks and surrounds its body. This electrocutes Repiv, forcing it to loosen its grip. Pikachu slips out. As it does, the bolt it creates continues on to strike Haking as well. Now both Repiv and Haking are being electrocuted. The electricity has also cleared the sludge from Pikachu's face.

Ash grins. "You did it! Great job, Pikachu!"

Jessie and James' jaws drop. They say in unison, "Oh no…"

Ash grins. "Oh yes! Pikachu, finish this off with Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu leaps back to give itself space to run, then sprints forward at Repiv and Haking. "Pika pika pika pika pika pika…!" As it runs, it becomes cloaked in electricity. The electricity grows more and more intense, until only an outline of Pikachu can be seen. "…pika pika pika pika chu!" Pikachu rams into Repiv and Haking with incredible might.

"Pivvvvvv!"

"Hak hak!"

Pikachu keeps on running, pushing the two along with it. It's now running at Team Rocket. Jessie, James, and Meowth all give a collective nervous gulp. Pikachu rams into them as well. There's an explosion on impact sending them and their Pokémon flying up into the night sky.

As they soar upwards, Meowth groans. "Well…here we go again…"

James exclaims, "You know what? I don't care! All that matters is that I've been reunited with my dear Weezing—I mean Haking—again!" He hugs the Pokémon tightly.

Jessie nods. "You're right. Being back with Repiv just feels right." She also hugs her Pokémon.

They all shout together, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" Then they disappear in the distance as a sparkle of light.

Back on the ground, Ash grins at Pikachu. "Great job, buddy. I knew you could do it."

"Pika!"

Ash looks back to the meteorite. It's now cooled. The veins that were once red hot are now a darker silver than the rest of the surface, giving the rock a spiderweb-like pattern across it. "Let's bring the rock to Professor Oak. Maybe he can tell us something about it."

It's Lunala!

The next morning, Ash runs into Professor Oak's lab. "Professor! I'm here!"

Tracey Sketchit steps into the room. "There you are, Ash. The Professor is in the back. He seemed really fascinated by that rock you brought in."

Ash grins. "Thanks, Tracey." He runs into the back room, where he finds Professor Oak observing the meteorite on a table.

Oak looks up. "Ash, my boy! Glad you could make it."

"So, what do you think about the rock?

Oak laughs. "This is so much more than a rock. Why, it's more than a regular meteorite."

"More than a meteorite? What does that mean?"

"This, my dear Ash, is a Meteoric Shard. According to the legends of the Tenno Region, Meteoric Shards are leftover remains of a special material used to create the solar system. They're extremely rare. Especially outside of Tenno."

Ash questions, "The Tenno Region?"

"Yes, the Tenno Region. It's a region known for its advanced space program and space exploration."

"Wow! That sounds so cool!"

"It is rather cool, isn't it? Ash, do you think you could do me a favor?"

"What do you need, Professor?"

"I'd like a colleague of mine in the Tenno Region—Professor Pine—to study this specimen. Problem is, it's much too valuable to send by mail. Do you think you could deliver it to him by hand?"

"You want me to go to the Tenno Region?"

Oak nods. "Of course, I have a feeling you'll get something out of it yourself. The Tenno Region has its own gyms and Pokémon League."

Ash's eyes widen. "Pikachu! They have a Pokémon League! It feels like it's been so long since we've tried earning gym badges and entering a Pokémon League!" Inspiration suddenly hits him. "That's it! That's how we get strong enough to enter the World Coronation Series! We go back to our roots! We'll win the Tenno League and prove that we're strong enough to battle Leon! It's perfect!"

"Pika pi pika!"

Professor Oak grins at Ash and Pikachu's celebrations. "So? Will you go?"

Ash nods. "You can count us in, Professor."

"Wonderful! In that case, you'll be needing this." He hands Ash a small rectangular device that fits in the palm of his hand. It's painted red and there's a single button on its face.

Ash stares at it quizzically. "What is it?"

"It's my newest model of the Pokédex, complete with information on all the Pokémon you'll find in Tenno. I know that those applications on phones are all the rage these days, but I've always preferred the specialization of dedicated hardware."

Ash presses the button. A holographic screen is projected out from it. "That's so cool!" He taps on the holographic screen several times to perform a manual search. A moment later, and a hologram of Repiv appears.

An electronic voice says, "Repiv, the Viper Pokémon, and a Poison-Type. Repiv have some of the most powerful venom in the world. One bite could even poison a Wailord. Evolves from Arbok with a Toxic Fang."
Ash is amazed. He performs another search, this time for Haking. "Haking, the Toxic Gas Pokémon and a Poison-Type. Having grown an extra head, Haking can produce even more gas than Weezing. It will eat various rotten foods in order to produce its volatile gas. Evolves from Weezing with Radioactive Sludge."

"This is incredible!"

Professor Oak nods. "As always, it will tell you everything you could ever need to know about a Pokémon. I wish you the best of luck, Ash my boy."

"He's not the only one with something for you." Delia walks into the room holding a pile of folded clothes. "A new adventure calls for new clothes." She hands them to Ash.

Ash grins. "Wow, thanks Mom." He pauses. "Wait, how'd you know I was going to go on a new adventure?"

Delia grins. "A mother's intuition. Now you go and you win that Tenno League, okay?"

Ash nods. "We will."

Delia scratches Pikachu under the chin. "And I'm counting on you to protect my little boy, Pikachu."

"Chu!"

Ash asserts, "I can't wait any longer! Let's go, Pikachu!" He hugs his mom on the way out, then runs off.

Once he's gone, Delia takes a deep breath. Oak asks, "He could have stuck around here for a while longer. Are you sure you want him to leave?"

Delia nods. "Yes. It's what he needs. Thank you for finding an excuse to send him on a new adventure."

Oak grins. "It wasn't too difficult. Given that Meteoric Shard, I likely would have asked the same of him even if you hadn't come to me last night."

Delia's eyes remain fixed on the door Ash ran out. "Good luck, my son. Go and get stronger. Go and chase your dreams."

Outside the lab, Team Rocket had been spying through the window. Meowth remarks, "So, the Twerp's heading to the Tenno Region."

James grins. "And you know what that means…"

Jessie suggests, "That we'll be going to the Tenno Region as well."

Meowth recalls, "If I'm not wrong, The Boss doesn't have any operatives in Tenno yet. We'll be the first!"

Jessie exclaims, "Just imagine how happy The Boss will be when we conquer a whole new region for him!"

James adds, "He'll promote us for sure!"

Together, the three cheer, "A commotion of devotion for a promotion!"

Meowth suggests, "Let's call The Boss again to tell him the good news."

Jessie points out, "It will probably just be his four-eyed stooge again, but she can deliver the message to him."

It's the next morning for the girl from Tenno. She's not dressed yet, but she looks ready to go otherwise. "This is it," she says excitedly. "Today's the day."

Her mother grins at her. "Indeed, it is. You have so many fun times ahead of you. I'm a little jealous."

The holovision is on in the background. A voice from it announces, "Welcome one and all to the Celes City Pokémon Contest! I'll be your host today! Let's get our first round, the Appeal Stage, underway!" A hologram of a Pokémon coordinator running out onto the stage is shown. She waves to the audience, throws a Pokéball, and out comes a Beautifly.

The girl notices the holovision and begins to watch it with captivation. The coordinator and her Beautifly put on a stunning show. The girl turns to her mom and asks, "Mom, what's a Pokémon Contest?"

The mom is surprised. "You've never heard of a Pokémon Contest before? Wasn't your friend Michelle interested in them?" The girl shrugs. "You'd love them. It's basically a special form of a Pokémon Battle. In a tournament grid form, special trainers, known as coordinators, compete with their Pokémon, trying to put on the most stunning performance."

The girl is back to watching the holovision. "Mom, I know what I want to do on my journey now. I want to be a Pokémon coordinator."

The mom smiles. "Leave it to you to make a life changing decision to pursue something you've never heard about on a whim." She chuckles. "I'll root for you all the way. Now, how about you go get dressed and get that first Pokémon of yours. Professor Pine will be waiting."

Ash is on the deck of a large boat. Except, it's not actually a boat. It's a high-tech hovercraft that's actually gliding over the water instead of floating in it.

Ash is dressed in his new clothes. A blue short-sleeved coat is unzipped over a yellow t-shirt. There's a Pokéball emblem on the bottom of the vest. His hat is red, except for the black front panel, which also features a simplified Pokéball emblem. Pikachu stands on his shoulder.

The two stare off into the distance together. A land mass becomes visible in the distance. "There it is, Pikachu. The Tenno Region. The next leg of our journey is about to begin!"

"Pika!"

"I hope you're ready, Tenno! Because Ash and Pikachu are coming at you!"

Following unnoticed behind the hovercraft is Team Rocket in their classic Meowth balloon. They grin mischievously at each other.

The Narrator concludes, Two beginnings! Two journeys! The adventures in Tenno are about to begin! It's a new journey of astronomical proportions! Stay tuned!

What both Ash and Team Rocket fail to notice is a streak of golden light which appears for a brief instant across the water, as if something were running at extreme speeds across the ocean.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note: Though originally released in 2014, this episode, as well as other later parts of the story, have since been updated to coincide with the conclusion of Ash's story in the anime. Hence the references to Pokémon Journeys at the beginning of series released nearly ten years prior to the ultimate end of Ash's adventures.