Chapter 1
 

            The next morning Ash woke early, just before sunrise. A quick glance 
around told him that Misty had already gotten up as well as Pikachu. Brock was 
sleeping in his sleeping bag at the foot of Ash’s bed on the floor. “Wow look at 
all the nurse Joys, and the Jenny’s, and… snore.” He mumbles in his sleep. 
Pikachu rises from Misty’s sleeping bag where he had curled up when he notices 
Ash rising from his bed.

            “Pika.” He chimes quietly.

            Ash tiptoes out of his room closely followed by Pikachu. He makes 
his way down the stair’s and out of the house. Misty stood by the fence facing 
the ocean with her arms crossed on top of the fence. The sun was beginning to 
rise over the ocean. And the golden beams lit up Misty’s waist in a peculiar way 
making her seem much prettier then usual. The slight wind rustled her red hair 
slightly. She hadn’t put it in that ponytail yet so it just hung reaching around 
her chin.

            “Your up early.” Says Ash moving over beside Misty and mimicking her 
position. He smiles at her. Pikachu jumps on top of the fence and watches the 
sunrise. Misty turns to him looking a bit startled but the look fades quickly.

            “I couldn’t get back to sleep.” She says. She looked a little sad 
but that too just made her seem even prettier.

            “Was something bothering you?” Asks Ash.

            “Nothing I can think of.” Says Misty. Somehow Ash didn’t think she 
was being entirely truthful but he decided not to press the subject. “It’s 
beautiful, isn’t it? The sun rising over the ocean.” She asks turning back to 
the sunset. The sky just above the horizon was different shades of red, and 
orange, and purple. It was beautiful but not as much as Misty.

            “Yeah.” He says simply not wanting to give a hint to his thoughts. 
Before going to Hoenn Ash had as good as told Misty how he felt and he thought 
she had done the same but for some reason now he couldn’t say anything about it. 
What if he had thought wrong and he had misunderstood. He couldn’t stand the 
thought of having to split paths with Misty because of that. He just couldn’t.

            “So why are you up so early?” Asks Misty.

            “I don’t know. I guess I couldn’t get back to sleep either.” Says 
Ash.

            “Ah.” Says Misty in a knowing tone. The two of them stand there 
together silently watching the sunset. After awhile, once the sun had finished 
rising and was well above the arisen Misty says, “Walk with me?”

            “Ok.” Says Ash. The two of them walk out of the little yard and 
start walking down the road with Pikachu following at their heels. Again neither 
of them says anything for a time. After the while the silence starts to get to 
Ash so he says, “You know Misty, I never asked about how being a Gym Leader was. 
I mean I did but you never got a chance to tell me about it.”

            “So you want me to tell you about it?” Asks Misty stopping and 
turning to face him.

            “Well… yeah I do.” Says Ash, stopping as well.

            Misty glances behind her. They were in a small park where Ash had 
spent much of his days as a small child. “Could we sit down and talk?” She asks.

            “Sure.” Says Ash. The two of the make their way over to some swings 
and the two of them take a seat on one of the swings.

            “Well it was a lot like traveling with you actually. Except you 
weren’t there and I didn’t get to see all sorts of different places. Lots of 
trainers challenged me and I’m proud to say I beat um all. Well except the one 
who got off easy because Psyduck left it’s pokeball without being called.” Says 
Misty with a small smirk. Ash lets out a small laugh. “I had time to raise my 
Gyarados, and Horsea evolved into a Seadra.”

            “Wow.” Says Ash.

            “Come on Ash it’s not all that amazing.” Says Misty. “I mean both 
Charizard and Lapras came back to help you in the Johto league and wanted to 
stay with you this time.”

            “Yeah they were a big help.” Admits Ash I don’t think I would have 
won without them. I couldn’t believe how strong they both got.”

            “Yeah.” Says Misty. “It must have been nice having May around too.”

            “It was ok.” Ash says. “It was nicer having you along though.” He 
adds.

            Misty smiles. “Thanks Ash. You don’t know what you saying that meant 
to me.”

            “Pikachu Pika! Pika chuuuuuuu.” Says Pikachu as it jumps of a swing 
with his arms hung out to his sides and he pretends to crash into the ground 
like a plane. Upon seeing this Ash and Misty both burst into fits of laughter. 
Pikachu stands up and bows a few times. “Pika, Pikachu.” It says as he bows.

            Ash wipes a tear from his eye. Once he’s able to stop laughing he 
says, “Maybe we should go back. We don’t know how early we have to leave to get 
to the champion region.

            “Good idea.” Agrees Misty. They both rise from their swings and walk 
back to the path. In the bushes nearby three pairs of eyes watch the three of 
them as they make their way back up the path to Ash’s house.

 

            “The twerps are getting awfully chummy aren’t they?” Says Jesse, 
rising from the bushes and brushing herself off.

            “Yes the seem to be getting close alright.” Agrees James as he and 
Meowth do likewise.

            “Yeah nows alls we gots to wait for is yous two.” Says Meowth.

            “What was that!?” Barks Jesse.

            “Not funny!” Says James harshly.

            “You three!” Comes a women’s voice. The three of them turn and see 
old women with a cane and a belt of 6 pokeballs. “Come over here.”

            Eyeing the pokeballs Jesse, James and Meowth walk over to the old 
women. “Well now that we’re here give us all your pokemon.”

            “Heh.” The woman raises her cane slightly and sharply slams the 
point into the ground. As if on cue three of the 6 pokeballs open and three 
Gengar surround Jesse, James, and Meowth.

            “Ah!” Yell the three of them at once.

            “I have a job offer for you three.” Says the woman.

            “What kind of job offer?” Asks Meowth.

            “It’s really no different from your current job with team rocket. We 
as in a few others and I want you to keep tailing that boy and his friends and 
do what you’ve always been doing.” Says the woman. The Woman rummages through 
her pockets and pulls out 2 pokeballs and 3 ID cards. She tosses Jesse, James, 
and Meowth each one of the ID cards and Jesse and James each a pokeball.

            “What’s this pay?” Asks Meowth skeptically.

            “Three times what ever you make with Team Rocket on top of your 
current salary with Team Rocket.” Replies the Woman sourly. “You’ll have to find 
your own way onto the ferry to the Champion region. But if you’re caught those 
ID’s will clear you in.

            “You mean we don’t have to quit team rocket?” Asks James.

            “No in fact you encouraged not to. It would make it easier to find 
out that you work for the champion.” Says the woman.

            “We work for the champion now!?” Jesse, James, and Meowth all say at 
once.

            “Yes and you work for him first not Giovanni.” Adds the woman.

            “How do you know about the boss?” Asks Jesse in surprise.

            “We’ve known who the leader is for years. And we can wipe out the 
organization at anytime. The Champion simply has a better use for your so called 
‘team’.”

            “Like what?”

            “You keep the policy force on it’s feet and serve as good training 
for trainers. When it gets too serious however we step in.”

            “When you say we…” Begins Jesse.

            “The Elite Four Child. And the Champion of course.”

 

            “Wow you two are up early.” Says Ash’s mom as she reaches the bottom 
of the stairs.

            “Couldn’t sleep.” Say Ash and Misty at the same time.

            “Oh well I guess I’ll get started on breakfast then.” Says Mrs. 
Ketchum. Ash and Misty watch as Mrs. Ketchum whips up some pancakes.

Sometime in the middle Brock comes downstairs too. “Wow Misty let down her 
hair.” He says. “She almost looks like a girl now.” Brock laughs as he finishes 
his joke.

A vein throbs in Misty’s for head as she leaves a shoe imprint on Brocks face. 
“Well get used to the look because it’s staying.” She says coldly to Brock.

“Really!?” Asks Ash, forgetting to hide his enthusiasm for the idea. Ash and 
Misty both blush and smirk.

“Heh he.” Laughs Brock. “Ash and Misty sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-OOF!” Brock 
falls onto his back with an ‘X’ shaped shoe imprint on his face.

Misty sits back down at the table. Mrs. Ketchum sets the pancakes in front of 
them and the three of them, (Ash, Misty, and Pikachu) dig in. “Oh this is 
delicious Mrs. Ketchum.” Says Misty between bites.

“Yeah mom it’s…” Ash takes another bite. “…great.” Says Ash during and between 
bites.

“Pikachu!” Says Pikachu.

“Hahahahahaha!” Comes team rocket’s familiar laugh.

“Prepare for trouble.”

“Make it double.”

“To protect the world from devastation.””

“To unite all peoples within our nation.”

”To denounce the evils of truth and love.”

“To extend our reach to the stars above.”

“Jesse.”

“James.”

“Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light.”

“Surrender now or prepare to fight.”

“Meowth that’s right!”

“Oh not this again.” Say Ash and Misty at the same time. The two of them get up 
reluctantly from their plates and walk outside. Jesse, James, and Meowth stood 
just past the fence around Ash’s yard.

“Hand over all your pokemon twerps.”

“Not a chance!” Yell Ash and Misty together.

“Fine then we’ll have to battle for it.” Says Jesse pulling a pokeball from her 
belt. James does likewise. “GO!” They both say. The balls open revealing a 
Houndour (thrown by James) and a Sneasel (thrown by Jesse).

“So you got new pokemon.” Says Ash. Ash and Misty look sideways at each other 
and nod.

“Well so have we.” Says Misty. Ash and Misty both pull their new pokeballs from 
their belts and throw them. Squirtle and Eevee pop out of their pokeballs.

“Eevee!”

“Squirtle squirt.”

“Pikachu!” Says Pikachu dejectedly folding his arms.

“Eevee Quick Attack!” Commands Ash. Eevee obeys and uses a quick attack on 
Sneasel. Sneasel easily moves to the side and uses slash on Eevee. Eevee jumps 
to the side and is only grazed. “Grr Agility!”

“Squirtle water gun!” Yells Misty. Squirtle fires a water gun and hits home on 
Houndour’s side. Houndour skids a few feet but stays standing.

“Hahahaha. Sneasel slash again!” Says Jesse looking delighted. Just as Sneasel 
begins its slash attack…

“Pika, CHUUUUUUUUUUUU!” Cries Pikachu from behind, sending a massive thunder 
attack at team rocket at their pokemon sending them flying.

“Looks like Team Rocket’s blasting off again!” Cries Team Rocket as they 
disappear from view.

“Pi!” Says Pikachu indignantly as it walks back inside.