Welcome to the world of Pokémon! Wonderous creatures, tiny fledgling and mythical giant alike, dot its thriving landscape. Though putting each other's skills to the test in battle is the most popular form of interaction between people and Pokémon, all who love Pokémon work together to pursue their dreams!
Our story begins with... This isn't Pallet Town, it's Vaniville Town! And who's the lost girl we're looking at? Ash is nowhere to be found... Very well, let's join the platinum-haired 18-year-old and watch her adventures unfold!
"Uhhhh..." The girl coughs a little, before sitting up and brushing off grass from her captivating bikini-clad body. "My mouth tastes dry."
What a relief! The star of the show is in good health, otherwise I might be out of a job!
"Krabby! Krabby! Where are you?" Shouts the girl, calling for assistance from a Pokémon commonly found on beaches. "Oh! I think someone's coming!"
Not far from our heroine, a familiar group is about to spot her.
"What's the matter, Pikachu?" A young boy's voice shouts to his beloved yellow Pokémon. "Wait up!"
Hello there! Ash and his friends have been nearby after all! Did I forget to introduce them? Anyway... Ash Ketchum began his ongoing journey in Kanto's Pallet Town, and has faced countless challenges along the way. Currently, he is preparing to take on the Kalos region gyms, accompanied by Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie.
"Pika?" The curious Pikachu glances at our heroine, obviously not recognizing her. "Pikapika!"
"Pikachu? I don't have any use for weak Pokémon, sorry pal." Receving a disinterested reponse makes Pikachu sad.
"Be nice to my Pikachu!" Exclaims Ash with a glare on his face. "Wait a minute, are you with Team Rocket!?"
Apparently, the 'GR' emblem on our heroine's headband resembles the Team Rocket 'R' enough to make Ash suspicious of her. And that's no surprise! Team Rocket is a band of Pokémon thieves!
"I know all about Team Rocket!" The overconfident heroine shouts. "Dark Arbok will take care of you!"
Something very weird is going on here... In our heroine's hand is not a Poké Ball containing the venomous snake Pokémon, but a trading card depicting Arbok!
"What is that!?" Ash looks at the card in confusion, unaware of the Pokemon Trading Card Game. "I thought you were challenging me to a Pokémon battle!"
"On second thought, I was just testing you! Good bye!" Says our heroine as she tries to run away.
Upon noticing our heroine, Clemont unpacks an invention from his large one-armed backpack.
"The future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic gear ON!" The young inventor's catchprase is always a worrying omen, as one can never be certain how reliable his work is. "The Chansey's Egg Team Rocket Catcher will grab her and put her in Chansey's pouch!"
A Chansey-shaped balloon with attached wheels and robotic claws, chases after our heroine, quickly achiving its mission.
"Whatever you are, put me down!" Shouts our heroine as she's set down into the balloon pouch. "This big bouncy toy is a bully!"
"Tell me who you are, and maybe I'll let Clemont release you." Ash makes his intentions clear.
Not again! Smoke is emitting from the overworked machine!
"We've got to get her out of there!" A panicked Clemont declares. "It's about to explode!"
"Pikachu, pop the balloon with Iron Tail!" Ash commands Pikachu to perform one of its special techniques.
Showing off marvelous agility, Pikachu leaps into the air and uses its tail to slice open the fake Chansey! Our heroine then manages to wiggle free before the balloon's machinery bursts!
"Enough already, I'll tell you what you want to know!" The flustered heroine is quick to accept she doesn't stand a chance defeating Pikachu with her bare hands. "My name is Citrata, from TCG Island, and I've been wandering Kalos since I failed the Team Great Rocket admission test on GR Island."
"Who's Team Great Rocket?" Confused, Ash turns to his friend for more information. "Do you know what she's talking about, Clemont?"
"A little. People on the TCG Islands don't train real Pokémon, they trade and battle Pokémon cards." Clemont starts at the basics. "But their way of life is threatened by Team GR, a new group that steals people's cards, and has disrupted the game by introducing Team Rocket-themed cards!"
"Keep her away from Team GR and she might be a keeper!" Still a small child, Bonnie interrupts the conversation to continue her habit of trying to play matchmaker for her brother. "Would you take care of my big brother?"
"Remind me in six years." Though Citrata seems to find Clemont her type, the age difference is too great. "I don't have time to raise kids!"
"So, you're not with Team Rocket?" The skeptical Ash calms down enough to ask.
"Do I look like I care right now?" Citrata responds. "I'm covered in dirt, and you brats won't leave me alone!"
"Sorry." Brought back to reality, Ash sighs. "Maybe Serena can solve this fashion trouble."
"Um, Ash... My clothes aren't going to fit her." Serena clearly misses Ash's point. "She's closer to Jessie's size."
"You've met Jessie!?" Hearing the name cheers up Citrata in no time. "Back on TCG Island, nobody would trade me a lovely 'Here Comes Team Rocket!' card..."
"She's one of the bad guys!" Ash states bluntly. "Team Rocket has tried to take Pikachu so many times! Say... Where DID your clothes go?"
"The bag on my bike!" Citrata looks around to no avail. "I was catching some sun, but it must've went missing after I fell asleep."
"Pi-pika!" Sniffing its tiny nose, Pikachu dashes toward one of the town's houses.
"Slow down, Pikachu!" Ash complains as his friends and Citrata struggle to catch their breath.
If it isn't Serena's humble home! Once a Rhyhorn racer, her mother Grace now lives a peaceful life with the Pokémon.
"Something's going on outside!" Opening the door to check on the scene, Grace spots Pikachu at her feet. "Hi there, are you Ash's little pal?"
"Pika!" Pikachu confirms its identity with a smile.
"I see your friends are right behind you too." Grace is happy to notice the group. "But who's that with them?"
"Citrata. For some reason, Pikachu thinks my missing clothes are in your house." Taking a bit longer glance at Grace, Citrata can't help but flatter her in a potentially embarrassing way. "Hmm, you're much prettier than my mother."
"If the bike and its cargo are yours, it's a good thing you got here." Grace says, giggling at the other comment. "I was going to take them to Officer Jenny later."
Excited to get dressed, our heroine barges into the house and slips into her black shorts. As well as a motorcycle vest bearing a mint leaf logo on the back. Taking further inspiration from her name, the belt is topped off with an orange-shaped buckle. Excuse me if I messed this up, I'm a television narrator!
"Tutturu!" Happily pointing at herself, Citrata shouts this random word. "Rhyhorn's teeth didn't even scratch the bike's paint!"
"Your motto sure is weird..." Ash quips. "It's too cute for Team Rocket."
"Yeah, but it's a lot easier than shouting 'barrel!' wherever I go." Ash and company give Citrata a blank stare, failing to understand the conversation's direction.
Following the awkward moment of silence, Grace takes a closer look at the Rhyhorn outside and makes a shocking declaration.
"This isn't my Pokémon, it has metal skin!" Grace says as she pokes her finger at it. "Eeeek!"
The fake Rhyhorn's eyes light up, and it walks forward to reveal a small pit underneath. Three figures then rise to the surface.
"Hahahaha, the twerps finally noticed us!" The talking Meowth boasts. "We were going to pin stealing Pikachu on poor little Rhyhorn!"
"Why'd we have to hide in such a cramped cave!?" Jessie whines, brushing her long hair. "My hair will get even with you!"
"Team Rocket!" Ash states, frustrated to see his incompetent adversaries yet again. "Haven't I told you enough times, stealing is wrong?"
"Hmph. Hand over Pikachu, or we'll..." Upon noticing Citrata, Jessie cuts off her own sentence. "James, that girl isn't one of the twerps!"
"What do you mean?" A befuddled James asks.
"She's wearing Team GR's emblem, idiot!" The ever-rude Jessie replies with a sneaky grin.
"Ohhh, those guys took our picture and didn't pay us for it!" Struggling to remember something from the past, James pouts. "Are they the ones with the pretty blue fries girl? Or was it red pies? I like the sound of that."
"Blue Eyes is a Pokémon Pincher." Citrata corrects him.
"I'll do more than pinch you if food gets in the way of our mission!" Holding out a folding fan, Jessie threatens to smack him. "Go, Arbok! Grab Pikachu and make it snappy!"
"But Jessie..." James' attempt to tell his partner why that won't work is ignored.
This time, unlike our heroine's futile attempt to call an Arbok, the result is a Poké Ball that sends out Wobbuffet!
"Wobba!" Wobbuffet pats its round head.
"You're hopeless." Citrata shrugs. "Even I know Wobbuffet won't attack first."
"Argh! I forgot we left our old Pokémon with the boss!" Realizing her mistake, Jessie orders James to help her toss Wobbuffet at the 'twerps'. "Help me lift up this thing!"
"I'm not letting you abuse your Pokémon!" The speed of Ash's favorite answer to Team Rocket's plan surprises Citrata. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu's red cheeks emit a nasty shock right at Team Rocket, sending them into the sky!
"We're blasting off again!" The humiliated trio utters their catchphrase as they disappear.
"What is this? It seems to be a remote control." Citrata picks up a device left behind by Team Rocket.
"I can't believe Team Rocket forgot their motto." Ignoring our heroine's discovery, Serena points out her own observation.
"That's okay, prepare for Snubbull!" As she goes through a string of poses, Citrata badly scrambles Team Rocket's phrases. "And make it bubble!"
"Cut! Cut!" Ash snaps a clapperboard in front of Citrata's face.
"Stop it, Ash! I wanna hear Citrata sing!" Bonnie objects to the interruption. "Her voice is cute!"
"Have you heard the one about building a snowman?" Citrata asks.
"Look at the time, Rhyhorn will be late for dinner!" To try and distract our heroine's singing session, Grace expresses concern for the missing Pokémon.
"Alright, I'll let you go." Handing the remote control over to Ash, Citrata begins to walk away. "Maybe we can battle Pokémon someday!"
"Okay! Pikachu and I won't be beaten easily!" Ash pats Pikachu, then heads off to search for Rhyhorn. "Take care of yourself!"
Now that Ash and his friends have resumed their own adventure, our heroine is one step closer to the Kalos League! How will she obtain her first Pokémon? Professor Sycamore's lab is a long way away, in beautiful Lumiose City! Stay tuned!