I want to make a quick note and mention that I removed Brock's Rhydon from the group's list of their Pokémon. It was left behind in the Pewter Gym under his oldest little brother Forrest's protection.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!

Chapter 2: The Double Trouble Header

We have been on the road of Route 29 for just a few days, but we were traveling in a good pace. The first Gym Ash and I had our eyes set on was the Violet Gym in Violet City, but there was one large city that we had to cross first; Cherrygrove City. It was just a few days away by foot, almost like the traveling distance between Pallet Town and Viridian City in Kanto.

Ash and I looked for new Pokémon to catch, but I also took the time to train Cedric to get used to battles. Right now, he was battling a wild Sentret that we stumbled upon. I intended to catch it, so I prepared an empty Poké Ball for it.

Sentret, the scout Pokémon. Normal-type. A very cautious Pokémon, it raises itself up using its tail to get a better view of its surroundings. If it spots an enemy, it cries loudly to warn its kind.

That voice came from Ash's Pokédex that he must've picked up to check Sentret's data.

"Sentreet!" Sentret hissed as it drew its claws out while running toward Cedric.

"Cedric, use Leer!" I shouted.

"Laarvi!" Cedric leered at Sentret who flinched back in fear and stopped in its tracks.

"Now, use Bite!" I shouted.

Cedric ran as fast as he could toward Sentret while opening his mouth. He bit Sentret on the long tail, which made the wild Pokémon shriek in pain. Cedric let go of the tail and then tackled Sentret down to the ground before he jumped back to make space for me to throw the Poké Ball.

I aimed my hand with the device at Sentret and then threw it with all my might. "Poké Ball, go!"

The Poké Ball flew past Cedric and made contact with Sentret. It chirped in surprise before it got absorbed into the device. The Poké Ball shut itself and landed on the grass where it shook while the button blinked red.

Everyone, even me and Cedric, was silent as we watched the Poké Ball wiggle. I heard my own heartbeat in my ears as I eyed the device. I was nervous because it had been a while since I caught a new Pokémon and this was going to be the first Pokémon caught in Johto.

After three shakes, the Poké Ball made a ding noise as the color of the button switched to a brief green and then went silent. I felt a big smile appear on my lips as I relaxed my body. "Alright! I caught a Sentret!" I cheered before I ran to the Poké Ball and picked it up.

"Larvitaar!" Cedric cheered happily.

"Congrats, Ashley!" Ash smiled as he clapped his hands. "You've caught your first Johto Pokémon!"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu smiled happily.

"And soon, you'll catch your first Johto Pokémon too, Ash", I smiled in return before we high fived.

"I'm not gonna lie; Sentret is a cute Pokémon", Misty commented before she cradled Togepi. "But Togepi is the cutest of them all."

"Togiprii!" Togepi chirped happily.

"I'll treat Sentret's bruises if you let it out, Ashley", Brock said while he opened his large backpack.

"Thank you, Brock. Sentret, come out", I called.

A white light came out of the Poké Ball and shaped itself into Sentret on the ground. It looked a little confused before it set its eyes on me. I squatted to its eye level with a small smile to not scare it.

"Hi, Sentret. I'm Ashley, your new Trainer", I introduced myself. "Will you join us on our journey?"

"Sen? Sentret!" Sentret tilted its head to the side before it smiled widely.

"Larvitar tar!" Cedric greeted Sentret with a soft wave.

"Pika pikachu!" Pikachu greeted the newest member as well.

While Brock treated Sentret, I checked its data with my Pokédex. "So this Sentret is a female…", I hummed softly.

"You trying to come up with a nickname for it, sis?" Ash asked.

I nodded in response while rubbing my chin. "Sentret… Trent… Sent…", I mumbled quietly before I snapped my fingers when I came up with the name. "Trica the Sentret!"

"Sent?" Trica blinked her eyes while Brock used a Super Potion on the bite wound she got on her tail. "Reeet!"

"Sorry, Sentret", Brock apologized as he patted Trica's head. "It's treated now."

"Sentreet!" Trica jumped down from Brock's lap and ran to me before she climbed up my body and rested on my shoulders.

"Did the medicine hurt, Trica?" I asked.

"Seen…", Trica nodded with a sad expression.

I gently caressed the back of her head and scratched it softly with my fingernails. "Don't worry, Trica. Everybody flinches by the medicine, but it is a good thing it stings. It means it's working."

"Seentret…"

"Um, Ashley, shouldn't you give Trica a ribbon?" Misty reminded me.

"Oh, right!" I nodded. I had almost forgotten about it.

I crouched down to open my backpack and found the little bag where I kept sky-blue ribbons safe. I always had a handful of them so I could tie a scarf or a ribbon on the Pokémon I catch. I picked out one that was of medium length and turned to Trica. "Can I tie this ribbon on your tail, Trica?"

"Sentret!" Trica nodded. She jumped off my shoulder and turned around so her tail was facing me. I gently tied the ribbon at the base of the tail and made a cute bow tie.

"There we go", I smiled. "Now you're officially part of the Ketchum family."

"Lar lar!" Cedric chirped happily.

"Sentret tret!" Trica smiled in return.

"Trica sure loves the ribbon", Ash smiled as he put on his backpack. "But we better leave now so we can get to Violet City as soon as possible."

"Pika pikachu!" Pikachu nodded.

"Don't be so impatient, Ash", Misty told him. "The Gym's not going anywhere."

"I know, but I want to get all the eight badges before the Johto League in November and it's already March!" Ash retorted.

"Early March, Ash", I reminded him while I called Cedric and Trica back to their Poké Balls. "We've got lots of time, and we can always fly on Firered and Charizard if we're low on time."

Brock straightened up after fixing his backpack. "Yeah, so there's no need to panic, Ash", he said. "Although, you've gotten better with the patience lately."

"Yeah, I try to hold it back a little bit, but I can't help it when I'm excited to challenge new Gym Leaders and their Pokémon", Ash grinned.

"Typical Ash…", Misty sighed with a giggle.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next few hours were silent, which felt nice. I listened to the noise of the nature and it was lovely. I always enjoyed the natural sounds around me than the noises of urban cities. It made me twice as happy that Pallet Town was a small town with barely any artificial sounds.

I was also proud on myself that I was learning new complicated words. I made sure to study hard while Ash and I were staying at home after the Indigo Plateau Conference.

"I still wonder if we'll ever find that Silver boy and Totodile", Brock all of the sudden spoke up.

"Yeah, me too", Ash nodded. "I'm worried how that boy is treating Totodile right now."

"Piika…", Pikachu chirped sadly.

"I hope it's okay…", Misty mumbled worriedly.

"Me too…", I nodded. "I wonder what's the reason he only stole Totodile and not Cyndaquil too…"

"Hey, you're right", Ash said. "He could've stolen both Starter Pokémon, but he only picked Totodile. If he really was a thief, he would've stolen both of them."

"Ash, he's still a thief for stealing a Pokémon", Misty reminded him.

"I know. I'm just talking out loud", Ash remarked.

"Alright, Chikorita! Keep going!" a voice suddenly yelled out.

"Chikoo!"

We stopped in our tracks and looked to our left where the voices came from. We saw a girl around my age with purple hair and dressed in a vertical stripe yellow and black jacket and shorts training her Pokémon that had a yellow and black stripe headband, identical with the jacket the girl was wearing. The Pokémon was none other than a Chikorita, the grass-type Starter Pokémon in Johto.

"We're gonna be playing in the big leagues, so we've gotta train hard!" the girl yelled.

"Chikoo!"

"One, two! One, two!" the girl counted as she swung her right arm that held a baseball-like bat. Her Chikorita swung its leaf in the same pace as the girl.

"What are they doing?" Misty wondered.

"Looks like training to me", I responded.

"That's an odd way to train if you ask me", Ash commented.

"Hey, that girl's got a Chikorita!" Brock exclaimed in realization.

"You're right!" Ash smiled as he grabbed his Pokédex to check the Pokémon's data.

"Aww, it's so cute!" Misty commented in a joyful voice.

"Priii!"

"Ikaa!"

Chikorita, the leaf Pokémon. Grass-type. A sweet aroma gently wafts from the leaf on its head. It is docile and loves to soak up sunrays.

I smelled the air when I sensed a sweet scent tickle my nose. "Mmm… There is a sweet scent", I hummed.

"The headband on Chikorita makes it look sporty, doesn't it?" Misty asked.

"Maybe that's the style its Trainer is going for", Brock replied. "And I think this is the same Trainer that picked up Chikorita from Professor Elm not long ago."

"Yeah, he mentioned a new Trainer chose Chikorita before we arrived to New Bark Town", I nodded.

"I want to see what kind of attacks it uses", Ash said.

We stayed quiet in the background while we watched the girl and her Chikorita battle a wild Rattata that jumped out of the bushes. I noticed the new Trainer loved to do commentary during the battle while she commanded Chikorita to use different moves. Somehow, Chikorita managed to weaken Rattata so the girl could catch it, and it was done successfully.

"Another player's in the game!" the girl cheered as she and Chikorita high-fived each other. "The team of Casey and Chikorita is growing by the day! Now it's time for the victory song!"

The rest of the celebration was with Casey singing a weird song, but I heard the Pokémon name Electabuzz among the lyrics. My brother and our friends looked at each other a little dumbfounded by the song, but we still said nothing.

After Casey was done singing and called Chikorita back to its Pokémon, she turned around and finally noticed us. Her glaring eyes threw us off guard as she intensely stared at us without a single word. All of the sudden, she rushed to Ash and grabbed Pikachu off his shoulders without asking for permission.

"H-Hey, what're you doing?!" Ash called out in surprise.

Casey cuddled Pikachu like a love struck Growlithe. "What an amazing Pikachu!" she giggled as she happily nuzzled my brother's Pokémon. "That yellow coat… Those squishy cheeks… Your Pikachu is a grand slam!"

"E-Easy there! Pikachu's got a high voltage", Ash warned the girl.

"Really?! I'd love to feel that!" Casey exclaimed in joy.

Her comment made me drop my jaw in pure surprise. Did she want to get shocked by Pikachu's Thunderbolt?

"C'mon, Pikachu! Shock me!" Casey begged.

"Pi?! Pika…", Pikachu mumbled hesitantly as his cheeks sparkled a little.

"No!" Ash yelled and pulled Pikachu out of Casey's hands. "Pikachu's a powerful Pokémon! I don't want anyone to get hurt by his Thunderbolt!"

"But I want to feel that shock!" Casey yelled.

"Why do you want that, though?" Brock asked.

Misty shuddered next to me. "Is she…a sadist…?" she mumbled quietly.

"A what?" I asked because I didn't hear the last word properly.

"Ignore that, Ashley", the redhead told me firmly. "You better learn that word when you get older."

"O…kay?" I mumbled confusedly.

After calming Casey down, we settled down on logs in the woods and finally introduced us to each other.

"I'm Casey", Casey officially introduced herself. "I'm a huge baseball fan. I became a Trainer a couple of days."

"My name is Ash Ketchum and I'm from Pallet Town. This is my partner Pikachu", Ash said.

"Pika pikachu!" Pikachu waved his hand.

"I'm Ash's twin sister, Ashley", I said. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Misty and this little fella is my baby Togepi", Misty said as she cuddled Togepi in her arms.

"Toprii!"

"And I'm Brock, the former Gym Leader of the Pewter Gym in Kanto", Brock spoke up last. "Did you happen to get your Chikorita from Professor Elm?"

"Sure did!" Casey replied. "My big sister Marina got her first Pokémon from Professor Elm a couple of years ago, so I decided to follow her footsteps when I got old enough to become a Pokémon Trainer."

"Marina… That name sounds familiar…", Misty rubbed her chin.

"Maybe because she recently became a rising star as a Pokémon Coordinator in Sinnoh", Casey responded.

"A Pokémon Coordinator? What's that?" Ash asked.

"A Pokémon Coordinator is a Trainer who lets their Pokémon perform in a Pokémon Contest", Casey explained. "The key is to make the battles look beautiful and in the end, the winner gets a Ribbon. You need to collect five Ribbons in order to compete in the Grand Festival and become a Top Coordinator."

"You sure know a lot about this", I commented.

"Yep, 'cause I heard it all from Marina before she left Johto for her journey in Sinnoh to become an idol", Casey replied. "Thanks to her influence, they're building Contest Halls in Johto, and even in Kanto, so Trainers can become Coordinators in their home region."

"That's amazing", Ash said in slight awe.

"Maybe I should try compete in a contest with my water-type Pokémon…", Misty mumbled.

"Do you want to become a Pokémon Coordinator too, Casey?" Brock wondered.

"Nope! I want to create my very own Pokémon baseball team and compete in baseball!" Casey exclaimed enthusiastically. "I love yellow Pokémon with stripes, thanks to my favorite baseball team; the Electabuzz team!"

"I guess you want an Electabuzz too, huh?" Ash asked.

"Yep! That's the number 1 Pokémon I'm hunting for!" Casey nodded.

"But the Electabuzz team have always come in the last place for a long time", Ash pointed out.

"This year's going to be different!" Casey retorted irritably. "They've been doing secret special training and I'll be there to cheer for them in person!"

"I don't know… The Gyarados baseball team has a better swing than the Electabuzz team", Ash argued.

Casey gasped loudly in shock by that comment before the shock got replaced by anger. "That's the last insult I want to hear! We're settling this argument with a battle!" she demanded.

"A battle?" Ash said, completely caught off guard.

"Nobody gets away after insulting my favorite team!" Casey explained with anger in her voice.

"But I didn't insult your team… I just pointed out they lack the swing that the Gyarados team has", Ash tried talking out of the mess. "Besides, I'm an experienced Trainer-"

"I don't care if you're an experienced Trainer! No one treats my family's team like trash, especially a wimp who doesn't know about Pokémon!"

Now that was the last straw for Ash. "A wimp…who doesn't know about Pokémon?" my brother growled through his teeth. "That's it! I'll show you how experienced I am! I competed in the Indigo Plateau Conference last year, so I know a whole lot more about battles than you do!"

"Prove that to me in the battle!"

"I accept the challenge!"

"Ash dug his own grave there…", Misty commented with a sweat drop.

"Togi?"

"I guess Ash finally met his match", Brock commented.

"What?!" Misty turned to the former Gym Leader so fast that I was surprised she didn't pull her neck out.

I got up from the log and walked to Ash and patted him on the shoulder. "Ash, just make sure to take it easy with Casey, okay?" I told him.

"Don't worry, Ashley. I may be angry, but I know not to use full power against a newbie", Ash replied with a smirk on his lips.

"Pika pika…", Pikachu mumbled unamusingly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Well, the one who got to eat up their words in the end of the three-on-three battle was Casey. She had used a Pidgey, the Rattata she had just caught, and her Chikorita. Ash used Ivysaur, Wartortle and Charizard and his team won instantly after his Pokémon defeated Casey's with one single attack in each battle.

Now Casey was down after the humiliating defeat, but we tried to cheer her up. "Cheer up, Casey. You did a good job telling your Pokémon what to do", Brock told her.

"Yeah, you did great for a rookie", Misty added.

"Misty's right", Ash said as he held a hand out to Casey. "Why'd you say we become both friends and rivals? You'll be my very first rival from Johto too, and I'd love to battle you again."

I stood next to my brother and held my own hand out. "I'd like to become rivals with you too", I said.

Casey's eyes quickly got filled with tears and she slapped our hands from her. "Leave me alone!" she cried before she ran away.

"Casey!" Ash and I yelled after her as she disappeared into the forest.

"The defeat must've been a shock to her", Brock commented.

"It's hard for everybody", Misty nodded.

"I know…", Ash nodded. "I remember the defeats I had to endure… Especially back in the Kanto League…" He gritted his teeth in anger. "…When Damian humiliated me and Charizard."

I got angry too by the memory of watching Ash and Charizard lose against Damian and his Charizard in the quarterfinals. Damian had laughed and taunted him with harsh words, claiming Ash was leagues away from being a Pokémon Trainer worthy to participate in Pokémon Leagues. I remember how I found Ash by a lake in the area of Indigo Plateau after the match and I hugged him tight while we cried against each other's shoulders.

"But!" Ash continued. "The bitter aftertaste might remain on your tongue for a while, but it's thanks to that that I can stand tall and try harder for the next battle. Casey's got to figure that out on her own in order to grow."

"Pika pika", Pikachu nodded.

"Wow, Ash, coming from you, that was impressive", Misty said as she elbowed him.

"Well, I've grown and learned from my first year as a Pokémon Trainer", Ash laughed sheepishly.

"I hope Casey will get over it…", I mumbled worriedly. "For some people, it takes more time to accept defeat and move on."

I spoke from my own experience. In the Indigo Plateau Conference, I first thought I wasn't going to make it to the finals, but I managed to pass the qualifications matches, which boosted up my confidence. Naively, I thought I was going to make it to the very final with Ash, but then I got defeated in the first match of the quarterfinals. That nearly crushed my soul, but thanks to my family and friends, and some rest at home, I overcame the defeat and realized I could learn from my mistakes.

Brock patted me on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Ashley. Casey's a stubborn kid, like Ash, so I'm sure she'll get over it soon."

"I hope you're right…", I mumbled.

XXXXXXXXXX

We actually caught up to Casey in another clearing in the middle of the woods. To my relief, she was no longer upset, but her eyes were full of fire and motivation.

"You!" Casey yelled as she pointed at Ash. "I've come back to battle you again, cheater!"

"Cheater? What're you talking about?" Ash asked.

"Don't think you can play dirty tricks with me!" Casey growled. "The Electabuzz team always plays by the rules unlike Trainers like you!"

"Hold on! When did Ash cheat?" Misty asked.

"The three Electabuzz team fans I met told me you've been playing dirty in every battle!" Casey glared at Ash. "I'm gonna reveal the truth today!"

"Three Electabuzz team fans…?" I mumbled to myself.

"I don't know who you met and told you that, but I'm no cheater and I'll prove it to you!" Ash called.

"I'll hit your Pokémon out of the park!" Casey retorted angrily. "This time, we'll have a one-on-one match!"

"I was kind of hoping I could battle Casey next time…", I commented.

"As a former Gym Leader, I've observed Ash's battles and he has never once cheated", Brock told me. "I wonder who gave Casey the disinformation?"

"Could it be Gary?" I gasped in realization.

"I don't think so", Misty said. "Gary may be a jerk, but he's got respect for the two of you now."

"Chikorita, it's time to hit the pitch!" Casey shouted as she threw a Poké Ball.

"Chikoo!" Chikorita growled, looking healthy after it got to rest.

"Chikorita again? Then this time I'll go a little easy", Ash said. "Pikachu, it's your turn to shine."

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded before he jumped down from my brother's shoulder and got into a pose on the grass for the battle.

Before any of the Trainers could tell their Pokémon what to do, the ground gave in under Pikachu and Chikorita. Smoke erupted from the clearing at the same time and distracted us from helping the two Pokémon. I coughed while I covered my mouth and nose, but I managed to grab Firered's Poké Ball. "F-Firered, blow the smoke away!" I shouted as I threw the device.

"RAWR!"

I felt the wind get violent as Firered flapped his wings to clear up the smoke. Once the black smoke had faded away, we saw a large hole in the middle of the clearing, but then we heard laughter above us. We looked up and saw a familiar air balloon and a net that hung below the basket that contained Pikachu and Chikorita!

"It's Team Rocket!" Misty gasped.

"Don't they ever give up?!" Brock commented in disbelief.

"Hello again, twerps!" Jessie laughed as she casually waved her hand.

"Wait! You're the Electabuzz fans!" Casey called out. "What are you doing?!"

"Stealing your Pokémon, of course!" James laughed.

"I should've known you were the ones who tricked Casey into thinking that I'm a cheater!" Ash yelled angrily at the trio.

"They tricked me…?" Casey mumbled in disbelief.

"Yep, so we could steal Pikachu!" Meowth revealed. "And your Chikorita will be a great bonus for the boss!"

"Bye-bye!" Team Rocket chanted as the air balloon flew away.

"Give me Chikorita back!" Casey cried in shock.

"How dare you!" I growled angrily at them before I ran to Firered. "Firered, let's go after them!"

"Rawr!" Firered nodded before he lowered his body so I could climb on top of him.

"Charizard, I choose you!" Ash shouted as he called out his Pokémon.

"Rawr!"

Ash ran to Charizard and got on top of his before reaching his hand out. "Casey, get on!" he called.

Casey blinked her tear-filled eyes before she wiped them clean and a determined expression pasted itself onto her face. She grabbed Ash's hand so he could pull her up and behind him. "Let's go, Charizard!" my brother called.

"Rawr!"

Our two Charizards flew up to the sky and followed Team Rocket's balloon. They hadn't made it too far yet, so we caught up to them fast.

"Pesky twerps are on our tail!" Jessie growled.

"Not for long! Weezing, I choose you!" James called as he threw a Poké Ball.

"Weeziiiing!"

"Weezing, use Smokescreen!" James shouted.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!" Ash yelled.

Weezing released smoke from its body, but Charizard's Flamethrower engulfed it before the smoke could get bigger. I patted Firered's back and signed to him to fly under the air balloon. Pikachu and Chikorita were struggling to get out of the net that held them captive.

"Firered, use Metal Claw on the net!" I shouted.

"Rawr!"

Firered's claws began glowing in a silver aura before he crossed his hands. He flew forward and ripped the net apart. Pikachu and Chikorita screeched in joy for finally being free and I caught them before they could fall down to the ground.

"Are you two okay?" I asked them.

"Pika!"

"Chiko!"

Firered flew away from the air balloon and went up so I could meet up with Ash and Casey. "Ash! Casey! I got them!" I yelled.

"Pikachu!" Ash called happily.

"Chikorita, you're safe!" Casey cried in relief.

"No! The twin twerp stole the Pokémon we stole!" Meowth panicked.

James called back his Weezing that got burned by Charizard's Flamethrower. "We've got no choice! We have to abort mission!"

"No way! We're Team Rocket! We'll face every obstacle in our way to achieve our goal!" Jessie argued.

Pikachu and Chikorita jumped back into their Trainers' arms while Team Rocket was arguing with each other. "Pikachu, send them away with your Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled before throwing his Pokémon into the air.

"PikaCHUUUU!" Pikachu unleashed a big Thunderbolt at the balloon and electrocuted Team Rocket. Firered and Charizard flew back before the balloon exploded and Team Rocket was launched into the air.

"LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!"

XXXXXXXXXX

We returned to Misty and Brock who waited for us back in the clearing. Brock had used his Pokémon to fill the large hole so it wouldn't be a danger for anyone who passed by, including wild Pokémon.

Casey hugged Chikorita tight while Ash and I returned our Charizards to their Poké Balls. "Oh, Chikorita…! I'm so glad you're okay", the new Trainer cried softly.

"Chikoo…", Chikorita purred in response.

Casey turned to Ash with a sad expression. "Thank you, Ash and Ashley. And I'm sorry I called you a cheater before, Ash", she apologized.

"It's okay, Casey. You got tricked by Team Rocket", Ash smiled sheepishly. "They used to trick me when I was a rookie too."

"Yep", I nodded, feeling a little embarrassed by how naïve I used to be back in the old days.

"So where are you heading next, Casey?" Misty asked.

"I'm going to train a little more with my Pokémon before challenging my very first Gym", Casey replied. "I'm gonna catch up to your league, Ash!"

"I wish you the best with that, Casey", Ash smiled.

"And, maybe, next we meet, we can have a battle?" I asked.

"Sure! I'd love to battle you too, Ashley!" Casey smiled widely.

I couldn't help but blush a little by that cute smile. It made my heart warm that I now had a rival from the Johto region.

"Next time we meet, I'm gonna have my own team of yellow stripe Pokémon just like you, Pikachu", Casey smiled.

"Pika…", Pikachu blushed at the compliment.

"Chiko ko!" Chikorita cooed with a big smile.

"I look forward to see your Pokémon and share some of my own tricks on taking care of Pokémon", Brock offered.

"Thanks a lot", Casey smiled before she returned Chikorita to its Poké Ball. "I better go now before it gets too late. Bye!"

The rookie Trainer ran a couple of steps before I remembered something important. "Wait, Casey!" I called. "I have a question!"

Casey stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder with a confused expression before she jogged back to us. "Yeah?"

"Have you seen a boy with red hair and a Totodile?" I asked. "He stole that Totodile from Professor Elm's lab the other day."

"What?! He stole a Pokémon from Professor Elm?!" Casey gasped loudly in shock before her expression was replaced by anger. "No, I haven't seen him, but I hate thieves and cheaters! I'll knock him down with my bat if I ever see him!"

"Maybe it's best if we stay in touch so we can contact each other if any of us ever spot him?" Ash suggested as he grabbed his PokéGear. "You have a PokéGear?"

"I sure do!" Casey replied before holding up a yellow and black stripe PokéGear. "Let's exchange numbers!"

After a quick number exchange and giving Casey a better description of Silver the thief, we walked together for a while before we split up by a fork. We wished each other goodbye before my group walked down the road that led to Cherrygrove City in the middle of the beautiful sunset.

XXXXXXXXXX

I know Casey and Marina aren't related in the anime, but their hairstyle look so similar, so let's say they're sisters in this fanfic.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ashley's party:

Firered the Charizard (male)

Cedric the Larvitar (male)

Trica the Sentret (female)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash's party:

Ivysaur (male)

Pikachu (male)

Charizard (male)

Wartortle (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Misty's party:

Goldeen (female)

Staryu (genderless)

Psyduck (male)

Togepi (female)

Poliwag (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Brock's party:

Geodude (male)

Onix (male)

Zubat (male)

Vulpix (female)