After healing their Pokemon, Ash, Hilda and Iris had left the Pokemon Center, sleeping at the nearby inn and readying themselves for tomorrow. Right now, it was the next day and the morning sun shined down on the quiet town of Accumula.

"Man, that felt good!" Ash stretched his arms while walking out of the Inn with the two girls behind him. "A nice night's sleep is what I needed after all that."

"I bet. It was my first time actually being in a Pokemon Center." Hilda yawned, stretching her arms as well. "So I can imagine it was pretty comfortable."

"Definitely." Iris agreed, a smile forming on her face. "So, since you two are here, I'm guessing you'll be taking on your first ever Gym in Unova, right? For that, you'll need to head to Striaton City."

"Striation City, eh?" Hilda said, looking at the map of Unova. Iris was right on the mark. The nearest location was indeed Striaton City.

"Ash. Since you're 100% new to Unova, I'll help you out. Think of me as Unova's Tour Guide~" Iris chimed, a glimmer of confidence in her eyes.

"You? A tour guide?" Hilda raised a brow.

"Uh huh. I mean, I'm not like well-versed in everything here, but I've been to a few places and know what to expect. I can at least show you around from time to time. And hey, maybe I could see some sights as well, learn things and get stronger. Pretty smart idea, right?" Iris put her hands on her hips, smiling.

"Hm. Sounds good to me. I'll take you up on that." Ash said.

"Yeah. We're both starting out. We gotta stick together. So, if you're willing to show us around, then I'll be willing to learn something from you as well." Hilda added, facing Ash right afterwards. "The same goes for you, Ash. I at least knew a few places in Unova."

"Perfect! Then first thing's first...let's get that Gym Badge!" Ash declared, eager for his Gym Battle. But as he and two girls were about to take off for Striaton City, something quickly got their attention as many people started passing by. "Hm?"

In this small town, a crowd gathered, listening to a man speaking about a group known as Team Plasma. In front of them, there stood a man with green hair, wearing a unique outfit. This man was standing in front of a statue of two legendary Pokemon.

"Friends. I would like to share some words with you today." The green-haired man started, his voice deep and strong, yet reserved. "Words about a freedom that we all desire."

Ash and the others walked over to that same spot, deciding to hear this out of curiosity. Really, Team Plasma itself was something of a curiosity. A team that no one has ever heard of until now.

"Today ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokemon liberation." He spoke while walking back and forth, eyeing down everyone here. Those words he spoke made some of the people raise their eyes and speak in confusion. Murmurs or 'Huhs' and 'Whats' were heard. "I'm sure most of you believe that we Humans and Pokemon are partners that have come to live together because we want and need each otehr. But is that really true?"

"What's this guy talking about?" Iris muttered, confused by these words.

"Well, I've never heard of a Pokemon that doesn't want to be with their trainer," Hilda admitted.

"Same." Ash agreed. He had seen a lot of Pokemon during his journey and he hasn't once seen a Pokemon that didn't want to be with their Trainer. The only exceptions would be Wild Pokemon who choose to live in the wild instead of finding a Trainer.

"Have you ever considered that we humans...only assume that this is the truth?" He questioned. "Pokemon are subject to the selfish commands of Trainers. They get pushed around when they are our "partners" at work. Can anyone say with a straight face that there are no Pokemon that resent Humans?! I certainly cannot."

"That's impossible! Pokemon are loving creatures! My Lillipup loves me, that's for sure!" A young girl retorted, trying to defend her Pokemon.

"I agree! Mine does too!" A young boy added, supporting the girl. And yet, the way he spoke made them all question things. There was a certain way he went about it that captivated them.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen." The green-haired man continued. "Pokemon are creatures with stupendous potential. We humans view them as partners, but in reality, they are subject to the selfish commands of Trainers. They are pushed around when they are our so-called partners at work...Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth to what I'm saying?" He inquired.

And indeed, his question had many wondering and speaking with worry in their tones. Their minds were beginning to wonder. Wonder if what this man was saying was actually true. While Hilda and Iris were confused, Ash had a serious look on his face, his opinion not changing whatsoever.

"By all forms of logic, we humans are greatly different from Pokemon. Our methods of communication are totally incompatible. This is why there are problems in the way we do things. Pokemon should be liberated from the bondage that humans have created for them."

"Liberation...?" Murmurs from the crowd were heard.

"That's right! We must liberate the Pokemon!" The green-haired man bellowed, clenching his hand. "Then and only then, will Humans and Pokemon truly be equals! Everyone I end my words with this. My name is Ghetsis of Team Plasma and I implore you to consider the relationship between people and Pokemon...and the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention."

"Team Plasma..." Ash whispered, seeing how many were listening to him. Afterwards, Ghetsis and Team Plasma walked off, leaving elsewhere to spread their message.

"Geez. What was that all about?" Hilda said, scratching the back of her head.

"I don't know but I don't buy it." Ash said while clenching his hand. He already heard how the people here responded to that entire speech that Ghetsis gave, their minds thinking for a moment. They were actually pondering and questioning it.

Hearing this affected Ash. His entire life and the people he's met from the past 4 regions he's travelled in have always shown great appreciation towards Pokemon. From Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh. Pokemon were always respected, loved and cherished. That was what he had learned to be true. They bonded with humans as if they were family. To hear this, he knew that this was not the case from his own personal experience.

As he thought this, Team Plasma walked by whilst leaving and while walking by, Ghetsis was the nearest to Ash. For a brief moment, in a split second, there was a tense and electrifying air between the two. The gaze of their eyes locked onto each other for a mere second. Ash glared at him while Ghetsis smirked before walking off, Ash's eyes following him.

"Ash?" Hilda called out to the boy, breaking him out of his daze.

"Hm? Oh, sorry. Let's get going." Ash suggested, looking at Hilda and Iris. "We've got a Gym to get to."

"R-Right." Hilda nodded while stuttering. She looked at Iris who shrugged in response, unsure of what to make of that either. The three of them would begin to leave Accumula Town, continuing their journey.

As they were leaving Accumula Town, the trio stopped by Route 2, which was connected to Accumula Town. This route would be their way to Striaton City and beyond. Along the way, Hilda had to wonder why Ash had such a serious look on his face all of a sudden. He wasn't exactly smiling or saying anything interesting at the moment.

"Hey, Ash...Are you alright?" Hilda asked, prompting Ash to turn to her.

"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about what happened back there." Ash said.

"You mean Team Plasma?" Hilda guessed, seeing the topic of the discussion.

"Yeah. Everything I heard there...no way I'm buying it." Ash looked at his hand, clenching it.

"You don't think there's some truth to what he's saying though, Ash?" Iris asked next.

"No way!" Ash turned to face them, halting his movements. "I mean, sure. I've seen a bunch of Pokemon get treated badly. I know that without a doubt. But I know for a fact that most Pokemon love their Trainers and respect them. And they love them back! After all, they spend everyday with their Trainers. Why wouldn't they suddenly not wanna to be with them?"

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded in agreement.

"Believe me, I've been through a lot of stuff. And from what I've seen, a Pokemon and Trainer's bond is super strong. No way it's gonna fall apart just because that guy said so." Ash was adamant on this belief, unwilling to change his mind.

His words were powerful, stunning Hilda and Iris. The two of the certainly haven't seen what Ash has seen, so they were amazed by Ash's passion. It was so strong that it resonated with them both.

"Well...I'm not just gonna give up Axew, that's for sure." Iris spoke up. "As if I'd ever just give him up. Maybe that guy saw something we didn't, but I love my Axew, through and through."

"Xew! Axew!"

"I'm still starting out on my journey, so I have no idea what to expect. But right now, I want to make some great memories and bonds with Oshawott and Deerling. I just hope that I can keep making them happy." Hilda said. The two of them were all for staying with their Pokemon instead of releasing them even after Team Plasma's words. Ash's words alone were enough to make them rethink for a moment.

"Hm. Then that's that. Making bonds with friends...no way that's ever gonna change." Ash smiled at that before continuing to walk. "Come on! We're not gonna let that ruin our moods! We won't be at full power for the Gym Battle!"

"Pika-Pika!"

"You're right. No point in letting that guy ruin our good moods!" Iris agreed.

"Heh. I like that attitude, Ash. Well, I guess that means we'll be following your lead, Ash." Hilda giggled, feeling the positivity. "But before we keep going, like you said, we won't be at full power for the gym. How does a quick meal sound?"

"Now you're talking. I'm starving!" Ash cheered, raising his arms.

"Axew!"

"Pika!"

"Then it's settled! Food time!" And so, the three of them would enjoy a hearty lunch together.

This hearty lunch would be done in the middle of the forest itself as a table had been set up with food. It was a buffet of sorts. A lunch buffet. Of course, they had to sit on the ground. But that was the least of their worries. All three of them were currently sitting on the grass, chowing down on all kinds of foods.

"Mmm! Now this is what I call a meal!" Ash ate happily, eating various foods. "And we're even eating outside! That's the best!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Hilda and Iris said in unison.

"I really don't know how to respond to this, but I can't complain." Hilda shrugged, having never eaten like this.

"My mom would do this sorta thing all the time." Ash explained, taking a bite out of a sandwich.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu, both Oshawotts, Axew and Deerling all sat near them, eating as well. The two Oshawotts and Axew would often start play-fighting with each other, showing their energy.

"Good! More for us!" Ash exclaimed, his mouth full. "Go for it!"

"Pika!" Pikachu joined in as well, eating from the plate of Pokeblocks.

"Xew!" Axew would jump on Ash's Oshawott on the right, tackling him.

"Osha!" Ash's Oshawott would quickly recover, running forward to headbutt Axew.

"Axew!" Axew fell back but quickly recovered, charging at Oshawott again. The two continued to wrestle and play fight, as did Hilda's Oshawott on the left. He would tackle Axew as well, joining in on the fun.

"Deer." Deerling looked around, seeing that there was no more food in this area. Instead, there was a nearby table where more food was. With food in mind, Deerling decided to go over to the table.

"You want some more already, Deerling?" Hilda asked. "Alright. Help yourself."

"Deer." Deerling looked around, seeing that there was no more food in this area. Instead, there was a nearby table where more food was. With food in mind, Deerling decided to go over to the table, snagging seconds.

They thoroughly enjoyed themselves, eating the entire time. With that, they were prepared and at full strength to tackle the first gym. "Hah...Ya know, there's more than one way to get ready for a gym." Ash stood, adjusting his hat. "We're all filled up but let's polish some stuff first."

"Polish?" Iris and Hlda bot said.

"Yeah. Let's Train. Come on, Hilda! Let's train up first before we head to Striation City. That way, our Pokemon are gonna grow some more. And the sooner, the better!" Ash suggested, offering Hilda her first ever training session.

"Train? Uh, sure. If you think it'll help." Hilda shrugged. "A bit too son, don't you think? We just got done eating."

"Oh, come on. A little exercise isn't gonna hurt." Ash smirked. "It'll be fun. I promise. Besides, if we're gonna beat the Gym, we're gonna need to be in tip-top shape!"

"Come to think of it...How's that going to work?" Iris pondered for a moment, touching her lip. "Both of you are going to challenge the same gyms, but I hear that they usually battle one trainer and wait for the next. Don't tell me you two are gonna take turns?"

"Well...I guess we'll have to wait and see when we get there. So, whaddya say, Hilda? How's a quick battle?" Ash leaned forward with a bright grin and so did Oshawott. In fact, Oshawott was eager to battle alongside Ash right away, showing the same amount of enthusiasm.

"Osha!"

"Gee. Eager, aren't you?" Hilda uttered, side-eyeing Ash while her Oshawott did the same to Ash's Oshawott. "...Alright. Sure, we'll battle."

"Awesome!" Ash cheered.

"Deerling!" Deerling ran over to Hilda, wanting to join in on the fun.

"Sorry, Deerling. You'll get your chance later. But for now, I think Oshawott and I need to stretch our legs a bit." Hilda petted the Deerling on the head before standing up. "So, how are we doing this?"

"Easy. One on one. I'll partner up with Oshawott while you'll and Deerling take us on. Let's do this!" Ash declared as his Oshawott held his chest out proudly.

"Oshawott!"

"Right. Okay then." Hilda took out her Pokedex, looking back at the moves that Deerling has based on the first time she encountered her. Her options were Tackle and Grass Knot, which were about it. That was all she had on her right now. "Hmm...So it really was just those two. Can I even get far with Tackle and Grass Knot?"

"Heh. That's why we're doing this." Ash snapped his finger while grinning. "Deerling's only gonna improve from this, that's for sure. We all are."

"You're pretty loud, but you make sense." Iris shrugged, not surprised by Ash's behavior.

"I definitely don't wanna run in there with limited options. I want way more than this..." Hilda put her Pokedex away. "Deerling. Let's try and learn something new for our upcoming Gym Battle. Is that okay with you?"

"Deer! Deerling!" Deerling nodded.

"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's get started!" Ash raised his fist.

In the grassy area where the three of them ate, the area was large enough for a small battle. A 1-on-1 battle was about to unfold. Ash and Hilda were standing on one end of the field while Iris sat on the sidelines, watching.

"Alright, Oshawott! You ready?" Ash called out to his partner.

"Osha!" Oshawott nodded.

"Get ready, Deerling. Let's do what we can. Alright?"

"Deerling!" Deerling nodded in understanding before facing her opponent.

"Then let's begin! Use Water Gun!"

"Osha!" Oshawott opened his mouth, unleashing a blast of water at Deerling.

"Deerling, use Tackle!" Deerling moved forward, pushing against the water and charging at Oshawott. Using her horns, she rammed into the Sea Otter Pokemon, causing him to slide back a bit. But it didn't stop him. "Now, use Water Gun, again!"

"Shaaa!" Oshawott released another stream of water at Deerling.

"Deerling, use Tackle again!" Hilda repeated the command, with Deerling repeating the move. The two would collide with each other, pushing against one another. Hilda's Deerling was pushed back a bit by the force of the water, but managed to hold on.

"Nice. Keep it up, Hilda!" Ash cheered, giving her support. "Try using Grass Knot, next!"

"Grass Knot? Okay Deerling! Use Grass Knot!" Hilda commanded.

"Deerling!" Deerling stomped her hooves into the ground, causing vines to erupt from the ground. But Ash was ready for this. He wasn't about to make it easy on Hilda since he wanted to tackle the Gyms as well.

"Jump, Oshawott!"

Osha? Oshawott!" Oshawott, seeing the vines erupt, would quickly leap into the air, avoiding the attack. He jumped over the vines, landing behind Deerling. "Osh!"

"Wha-!" Hilda gasped, quickly looking up as the Sun's light beamed down on Oshawott.

"Oshawott, use Razor Shell!"

"Osha!" Oshawott's scalchop glowed as it was coated with water. "Osha! Oshawott!" He slashed came crashing down as Deerling's eyes widened at this. Soon, she was struck by the slash, being hit directly. The impact from the blow pushed her back, forcing her to land on the ground.

"De-Deer!" She exclaimed while tumbling.

"Ah, Deerling! Hey! What's the point of telling me to use a move if you're gonna do that!" Hilda puffed her cheeks, crossing her arms.

"Sorry. But I wanna help Oshawott grow too, ya know? Just like I'm helping you." Ash laughed nervously while Hilda rolled her eyes. "So, let's continue!"

"Oh, we'll continue alright. But this is where Deerling learns something new. Believe me!" Hilda clenched her hands, hoping that Deerling did learn something new in the heat of this training session. "Come on, Deerling Dig deep and show him what you can do!"

"Deer...!" Deerling closed her eyes, trying to do just that. If she could pull something off here, it would be amazing. But it was easier said than done. Learning a new move would be a challenging task for her. Despite her efforts, nothing was coming up for the Season Pokemon. "Deerling."

"Eh? Nothing?" Hilda looked at her, seeing that there was nothing happening.

"Well, it's not that easy." Ash and Pikachu chuckled. "Take it from us, learning a new move is always tough."

"Pika!"

"I guess..." Hilda scratched the back of her head, a bit flustered. "Alright! Then maybe in the heat of tough moment, something will come up. I'll bet it all on this one Tackle. Go, Deerling!"

"Deer! Deer!" Deerling would charge in, going for a full-force tackle as she moved at her top speed. This was Deerling giving it her absolute all.

"Alright then. Let's meet her with our own Tackle, Oshawott! Charge in!" Ash was more than eager to do the same, punching the air.

"Sha Oshawott!" Both Pokemon rushed in at full force, their bodies glowing white as they clashed. The collision between the two sent miniature shockwaves that simply rustled the grass as the two of them took damage from the initial hit. Their bodies rang and vibrated after the collision. "O-Osha...!"

"D-D-D-Deerling!" The two of them stuttered rapidly while shaking. Clearly, that truly hurt but due to this impact, only one of them could stand up after that. In this case, it was Deerling, who fell on her back while Oshawott managed to stay on his feet.

"Deerling!" Hilda cried out, worried for her Pokemon. Deerling's eyes spun as she felt incredibly dizzy. Oshawott managed to beat her out in strength as seen by how they both took the Tackle Clash. Ash declared this Training Battle over, deciding it was best to stop here. "Aw...No good. Geez, you're strong, Ash. How long have you really been doing this."

"Ehehe." Ash chuckled while holding the back of his head. "Looks like nothing new came up for Deerling. But, I still say that was a good training session to get us warmed up. What do you think, Oshawott?"

"Osh-Osha!" Oshawott agreed with Ash, nodding his head.

"I'll take your word for it. Looks like Deerling needs a little more work." Hilda looked at her Pokemon, seeing that she was still dizzy.

"Deer..." Deerling did feel a bit disappointed in herself. She honestly did want to learn something new just to make Hilda happy. But alas, that would have to wait for another time as Hilda patted her on the head.

"Don't worry. We'll get it eventually. Let's just keep working on what we got, alright?"

"Deer-Deer!" Deerling nodded with a smile.

"Well, sounds to me like you two are satisfied in a way." Iris strolled on over. "If you are, how about we get to Striation City now? It's about time you actually put those skills to use, ya know. And if you wanna win, I suggest you hurry up and catch up."

"Heh. That's the plan." Ash grinned, feeling confident. "Striaton City, here we come!"

After getting Oshawott and Deerling healed up back Accumula Town, taking a short trek back ust for that, the group would finally arrive at the city of interest where their first Gym Battle could be done.

Striaton City.

A city in southeastern Unova that's known for its restaurants, especially one in particular, the Striation Restaurant. In addition to that, it's also home to the Striaton City Gym, where they had to go to get their first Gym Badge.

"So, this is the place." Ash looked around, seeing the various buildings. Huge skyscraper and markets galore here, truly giving it that city scale. He whistled at the sight, liking what he was seeing. Iris and Hilda certainly did as well. "Pretty nice."

"Ah! Look at all the shops here!" Hilda eyed down the hops, especially the ones that sell clothes. "I gotta check them all out! It's been a while since I've worn anything new or even done a lot of shopping."

"Oh, but look at the food they have here!" Iris was more focused on the markets that had foods of all kinds that could be brought or even tasted as free samples. "I wonder if any of them taste good! I'm gonna find out!"

"Well, I know where I wanna head to. Straight to the Gym, that's for sure!" Ash pointed at the Gym in the distance, ready to bolt off. But before he could do so, he was stopped and spoken to by someone here.

"You three. Are you here for the Gym Battle?" A man wearing a suit and glasses approached the trio, grabbing their attention as Ash's movements froze in place.

"Yeah? Just us two though." Ash confirmed.

"Ah...Sorry, sorry. But you're gonna have to wait on that. Right now, the Gym's not really ready for action just yet. The leader's away at the moment."

"Eh?!" All three of them exclaimed in unison.

"What do you mean away?! Don't tell me we came here for nothing!" Hilda dashed forward, getting in front of Ash. "I can't have a Gym Battle"

"Well, you can, but not without those three. Something came up recently, so they each left their Gyms." The man shrugged while tilting his head. "It only happened just today so...figured you and other challengers that show up here should know first hand. I would've gone to Accumula to share that same info too."

"Well, where are they anyways?" Iris asked, curious.

"I didn't see where they went since they were in a rush. But if I had to guess, they probably went to the Dreamyard right next door. It's right over at the East. You'll spot a building called the Battle Club there when you see it if you're confused. That's probably where they went too since they were chasing these strange folks there."

"Dreamyard, huh?" Ash turned his head, looking in the far distance of the city. From the looks of it, he could see what appeared to be a walled-off area with a small gate. "Guess we'll go check it out. Thanks for the info!"

"No problem. But uh, be careful though since you're going after them. Those folks they were chasing were pretty weird. Just suddenly, they snagged some Pokemon while we weren't looking. A total blindside too!" The man exclaimed to emphasize how it happened.

"Snagged? Why would someone do that? Unless..." Hilda pondered for a moment before gasping. "Is that Team Rocket Gang again?!"

"Team Rocket? I don't think that was their name. There was a lot of confusion so I didn't get it, but they were team something alright." The man raised his finger, unable to say the name of the group.

"Whoever they are, if they're gonna take Pokemon, then we're for sure gonna find 'em! Thanks for telling us!" Ash bolted off immediately, heading straight for the Dreamyard. "Come on, Hilda! Iris!"

"Oh, right!" Hilda and Iris followed Ash, leaving the city for now to chase the mysterious group that took some Pokemon.

"Remember! Be careful! Based on what's going on now, the Dreamyard might be extra dangerous!" The man warned, but it was too late.

The Dreamyard.

A plant site used as a playground for children and Pokémon, it is an abandoned, wrecked research facility that had overgrown plants all over it due to age. Over time, it's been seen as a place of entertainment for the young ones as they come here to mess around a lot of the time. The name of it existed for another reason though. Aside from that, established here was a building younger than the wrecked research facility. A place known as the Battle Club

In this old area, currently in the bushes moving about was a small Pokemon, covered in soot and dirt. It moved out of the bushes, leaving footprints behind as it heard the sound of people and Pokemon around it.

It was a Wild Tepig.

The Fire Pig Pokemon looked around the area, seeing all of the people that were walking about. It didn't really pay them much mind. But what did catch its eye was the food that they had. The delicious scent of berries and other foods wafted through the air, making Tepig's mouth water.

"Tepig." It saw the fruits and berries that were in the open, ready to be taken. So naturally, it reached out and grabbed the apples. However, he was startled by the sound of footsteps as he promptly ran back to avoid being seen. Clearly, he was being stealthy about it, but seemed a bit skittish. As he hid back in the bushes, he looked out of them, gazing at the food that was soon picked up by the owner. Hungry and dirty, Tepig sunk back into the bushes to stay hidden.

At the same time, Ash, Iris and Hilda had arrived here and the main point of interest was the Battle Club. The only building in this old area and currently populated. "We actually have multiple Battle Clubs in Unova." Iris explained as the doors to the battle Club opened, showing the facility within.

Inside was a vast area meant specifically for Pokemon Battles, mainly tailored to upstart Trainers looking to improve themselves or to have a good time battling. Purely fun, that's all.

"Check this out. Here's the bulletin board. With this, you can see information about other trainers." Iris tapped on the computer as an image of a trainer and his two Pokemon as a profile. He had a Deerling of his own as well as another Pokemon that had the name Patrat labelled underneath it. "Each Trainer enters their profile as well as the type of Pokemon they want to battle against."

Multiple trainer profiles scrolled by, showing new Pokemon that Ash and even Hilda haven't seen in person yet. The concept of this place stunned them, especially Ash. This type of place was right up his alley. "Ohoo...Awesome." He spoke. "Man, I'd love to throw down here, but we're looking for the Gym Leaders, right? Ya think they're in here along with those guys who stole some Pokemon?"

"Probably not, but it's best to ask around."

"Looking for someone?" A man walked up to them. This time it was a rather tall man with a mustache and strong face and rather strong built to be fair, wearing a karate gi of some sort. "Or are you three new here and looking for a battle in the Battle Club? I welcome you to the Pokemon Battle Club. My name is Don George. Battle Manager of this here Battle Club." He introduced himself.

"Hey there. Man, this place is so great...I really wanna battle here right now, but there's something we gotta ask. We came here to Striaton City for our first Gym Battle, but we heard the Gym Leader came here. Sounds to me like it's multiple of them. Have you seen any of them?" Ash asked.

"Ah yes. They showed up here when chasing some fellas. Those weird fellas came in here too, trying to hide from them, but they quickly left once they realized they would be caught. Whoever they are, they even tried taking the Pokemon here as well, trying to blindside us. Luckily, their sneaky tricks didn't work as I stepped in at the last second."

"So they even tried stealing the Pokemon here too? Seriously?" Ash raised a brow.

"Mhm. Caught me by surprise. Not only that, but they got past the security too. I worked hard to give this place some extra security after we've been having some issues around the Dreamyard. It's a pretty weird place, I'll tell you that. There's this one Pokemon that keeps breaking into the facility and taking all the food but we're always too late to see it. And now this has come up."

"Does that ruin the Battle Club? I can't imagine anyone can focus with all of that." Hilda questioned.

"Baha! Not at all!" Don George chuckled. "No worries. We're perfectly fine. In fact, it's business as usual right now. Everyone here is more than willing to battle and enjoy themselves. We're all stronger than you think, but for safety, we did temporarily close off the Dreamyard to everyone. Well, at least from the other side."

"Is the other side locked off? Can we leave that way?" Ash leaned forward while asking him.

"For them, I hope not. If the other side's locked, that group shouldn't be able to get out of here. Especially not with that other Pokelurking around."

"What other Pokemon?" A curious Iris inquired.

"Haven't heard huh? Somewhere in the Dreamyard, there's a Pokemon that summons a weird mist that could put anyone to sleep with ease, even make your dreams become a reality." Don George explained.

"Dreams into reality, huh?" Ash looked to the side before thinking about something. "If those guys are taking Pokemon...maybe they might go for that Pokemon too if they know about that. Did you see what they looked like by the way?"

"Well...they dressed kinda funny. They were these old-looking clothes with a big P in the middle. Not sure what style they're going for honestly." Don George shrugged while describing the mystery group.

"That sounds like Team Plasma's getup!" Hilda put it together. Team Plasma matched that description perfectly. "But how? Why would they be the ones being chased down? Are they ones who took the Pokemon?"

"Only one way to find out. You said the other side's locked right? So they can't leave through there either?" Ash turned to face Don Geroge.

"They shouldn't. This whole place used to be one big research facility and now a lot of its been destroyed by some strange explosion a few years back. I doubt they can really hide that much here, even in the Dreamyard's pretty big. Besides, with the Pokemon roaming around, they're bound to be found. I-"

Before he could finish, the buildings alert system went off, warning everyone that something was amiss The lights inside flashed red and white as people began to panic. "Oh! Talk about timing! Is it that Pokemon again?" Don George declared, turning to the others working here. He went over to the nearest computer to check the surveillance cameras outside. "Hm...What's this?"

"What? What is it?" Ash asked. All of them gathered around the computer to take a gander at who set off the alarm. However, it didn't seem to be a Pokemon. Instead, it was four people.

It was Team Plasma.

"Team Plasma?! It really was them!" Hilda was in shock at this sight. She witnessed Team Plasma appearing in one of the back rooms of the Battle Club, breaking in to steal an assortment of items. In this case, Poke Balls. They stored them all in boxes, gathering as many as they could.

"What are they doing?" Iris looked on, seeing the members of Team Plasma all dressed in the same fashion as their leader. "Are those Poke Balls full of Pokemon?!"

"Nope. Those Poke Balls are completely empty! Either way, that's still robbery!" Don George bellowed at this sight. "I thought they left, but they tried pulling a fast one of us!"

"We'll get them this time, boss." One of the workers said. "Leave it to us."

The workers ran off to try and stop Team Plasma before they get away with all those Poke Balls. Team Plasma were already in a hurry, knowing that they set the alarm off, failing to be stealthy.

"If we go to them, then we'll also find the Gym Leaders! Jackpot!" Ash would take off, ready to confront Team Plasma as well, prompting Iris and Hilda to follow him.

"Hey! Wait! Where are you three going?!" Don George yelled out.

"We're gonna chase Team Plasma down, that's what!" Ash declared before disappearing into the distance.

"Um, sorry if it's completely sudden, sir!" Hilda looked back at Don George as she and Iris were soon gone.

Team Plasma hurried out of the Battle Club with the boxes of Poke Balls, trying to make a break for it. They decided to try and leave the Dreamyard from the other side instead of going back the other way, not wanting to risk being caught. Knowing that the Battle Club Workers would soon follow, they decided to scatter themselves.

"You, go that way! You, that way! We'll meet up at the rendezvous point!" One of the grunts commanded, ordering the rest to split up. "That point will be where that rare Pokemon is. That'll be our next target for sure." They referred to the Pokemon that could put others to sleep with its mist.

"Right!" The other two grunts nodded, running in their assigned directions. The grunt carrying the boxes would run forward, deciding to run towards the Dreamyard itself.

On the other side, the workers were already trying their best to find them, moving across the area with a group. Watching this unfold was Tepig, who hid in the bushes once more. It watched as all these people ran around in a hurry, keeping itself fully hidden while still dirty. "Te..."

But while hiding, Tepig's eyes looked at a certain someone who was passing by. It spotted Ash, who momentarily turned his head as the two of them met eyes. It was only for a brief moment as Tepig quickly moved back into the bushes after being spotted, but not before Ash could get a good look at it. His eyes widened for a second before he blinked, wondering what that was.

"Pika-Pi?" Pikachu tilted his head, wondering what Ash was looking at.

"Huh...Just my imagination, I guess. Let's go, Pikachu." Ash said before continuing on.

"Pi!" Pikachu nodded, following his Trainer.

"Did you see something, Ash?" Hilda asked, seeing that Ash stopped.

"Ah, no. Just thought I saw something." Ash replied. "But ya know...I say we head into the deeper parts of this place. Don George spoke about that Pokemon with that mist and I'm betting Team Plasma's gonna go somewhere there. We should head there right away."

"Wait, what!? Did you not hear what he said?!" Hilda shook her head after hearing Ash's words. "It puts others to sleep and makes dreams come true! What if we get hit with that mist? We'll be asleep for hours! And who knows what'll come out of our dreams?!"

"Maybe so. But they'll try and steal that Pokemon just like how they've taken the ones from Striaton City already if we don't get there first. We gotta get there and stop them at all costs! Ash held his fist up.

"Well...I suppose we'll have to take a chance." Iris shrugged while sighing at this decision. "Pretty risky if you ask me, but it makes sense. You make a lot of sense for someone like you honestly."

Thus, they would go into the deeper parts of the Dreamyard, hoping to catch up to Team Plasma or even get there before they do. And whatever Pokemon was waiting for them in there, they'll be ready for it. And watching them go, looking at them at curiousity, especially at Ash, was that same Tepig.

"Tepig..."

The Battle Club Workers could not find them whatsoever. But they decided not to go into the deeper parts of the Dreamyard, unlike Ash, Iris and Hilda who took that chance. After moving for a bit, they appeared at the deeper parts and what they saw there startled them. Laying down on the ground were two people, completely asleep and down for the count.

"Kyaaaa!" Hilda screeched at the sight. Lying down there was one boy with blue that looked like a wave and the other boy had red hair that resemble a flame. They were snoring, their faces showing happiness of some kind, clearly experiencing sweet dreams. But it was very clear that the Pokemon Don George spoke was of very much near.

No time to slow down. Not when they were close.