Paris...
	Misty flopped onto the bed, and turned on the TV. But everything 
was in French, so she switched it off. She grabbed her towel and bathing 
suit, and went downstairs to the pool for a late afternoon swim.
	She activated the elevator, and when the door opened, a brown-
haired guy was there, looking at her. She stared him back,  turned her 
back against him the rest of the way down, and huffed as she left the 
elevator.
	She handed the receptionist her keycard, and he handed her a 
lock. She went into the change rooms, changed out of her usual clothes 
(denim short-shorts, yellow T-shirt, suspenders), untied her ponytail,
changed into her bathing suit.
	She grabbed her towel, locked the locker, and went into the 
pool, where a bunch of guys were in the water, a another bunch of 
people on the deck chairs reading, as well as a mom with her three 
young children.
	She put down her towel beside a blond-haired guy reading the 
day's English edition of Le Monde newspaper. Then, she jumped into 
the water, and continued to stare. There was something familiar about 
him...
Later, on the Champs-Elysees...
	Misty looked around. People were walking up and down the 
streets, and was trying out her new pair of rollerblades that she 
had purchased at the sporting goods store in Vermilion City a few 
weeks back. 
	With about 3 blocks to go before the EPA Paris office, she 
was crossing a street when suddenly, she crashed into a black-haired 
guy with a official Pokemon League hat on. "Hey, watch where you're 
going!" she snapped.
	"Yeah? Who are you? The Queen of England?" The man replied. 
"Should I watch out for you next time, your majesty?"
	She got up, huffed, and rolled away. The man tried to help her 
up, but she swatted his hand away. He looked at her with curious eyes, 
but Misty didn't notice, as she disappeared into the crowds of Parisians.
Paris EPA office...
	 Inside the crowded office, workers were busy getting ready 
for the big EPA Showdown next week in London. That was the championship 
tournament of European Pokemon Trainers with all the official badges.
	The winner would be determined in a match-play format, with 
the top two finishers fight each other for the title of Europe's 
Pokemon Master for a year, unlike the North American APL or the PL 
back home on Indigo Island.
	Misty was outside the Presidents' penthouse office, waiting 
for the meeting. The letter had specifically told her to meet him 
here, and it was about time. Then, suddenly, a man appeared at the 
door, and saw her.
	"Oh, hello, Miss Waterflower. I'm glad you are here." He said. 
"Come on in."
	"Thanks, Mr. Livingston." Misty replied.
	She entered the office, which overlooked the River Seine. Mr. 
Livingston sat down in his chair, and handed Misty and bunch of papers, 
with official EPA and EPA Athens Gym emblems emblazoned on them.
	"You see, Miss Waterflower, we would like YOU to take 
over Tomas's job as the Water Leader at the Athens gym." Livingston 
explained. "As you may have already know, the EPA and your PL are 
trading leaders."
	"Who?" Misty asked.
	"Well, we are trading Yuri from Moscow for your Sabrina in 
Saffron City, as well as Lt. Surge from Vermilion City for our Franz 
in Berlin."
	"Who am I supposed to be replacing again?"
	"Tomas. He is one of our ex-champs who returned to his native 
Greece to take the job at the Athens gym."
	"And how long am I going to stay in Athens?"
	"Well, if you like it, you will stay. If you don't, you can 
go back to Cerulean City."
	Misty was torn. If she goes to Athens, she would leave her 
sisters, the "Sensational" sisters, behind in Cerulean City to annoy 
Tomas. If she declined, she would lose out on a once-in-a-lifetime 
opportunity. 
	"Is it okay if I go take a look at the gym first?" Misty asked.
	"Sure." Livingston replied. "When you get to Athens and have 
taken a look there, give me a call."
	"All right." 
	"Thanks for dropping by."
	Misty walked out of the office, and went back to the hotel. 
But when she went into the elevator car, all three guys that she had 
seen earlier were there, but they were all too busy reading their 
books and magazines to care.
	She anxiously waited for her floor, and when the car stopped 
there, she rushed out, unlocked the door, slammed it behind her, and 
took a deep breath. Somehow, all those guys look familiar...but where 
have she seen them before?
	She sighed, and went into the shower. After a long shower, 
she put on a fresh change of clothes, and went downstairs to the 
café for a bite. But when she got there, the brown-haired guy and 
the black-haired guy was there.
	She found a table, and looked through the menu. She peered 
over, and saw the black-haired guy had a pair of rings on his finger. 
The brown-haired guy had an official PL Gym Leaders bracelet like hers 
on his wrist.
	She sighed, and ordered something light to eat while she 
spied on the two guys. Then, suddenly, a guy in a black Nike hat 
with a Cascade Badge from the NAPL on in. But somehow, he was 
different from someone she had seen before...
	He walked by, and Misty looked. One of his legs were skinny 
and black on the lower end. Then, suddenly, she realized that this 
man must have had some sort of an accident where his leg was removed 
to a degree.
	She looked at his hand. He had an NAPL Gym Leader bracelet 
(which was a lot like the PL bracelets, but silver), and an NAPL 
championship ring. She finished the rest of her meal, paid her tab, 
and ran back up to her room.
Later, on the Metro...
	The train pulled into the station, the doors popped open, and 
a massive wave of people came on. Misty sat still, and suddenly, the 
blond-haired guy with the black hat sat down right beside her. She 
gulped, and stared back at her book.
	Then, a Pikachu came out from under his hat. The Pikachu 
stared at her, and then, suddenly, she realized who that man was. 
"Scott McGwire?" She stammered, a bit stunned at who she was 
staring at.
	"Misty Katsumi Waterflower?" He replied.
	"Scott!"
	"Misty!"
	"How have you been?"
	"Fine. How about you?"
	"The same since I returned home. What happened to you?"
	"Well, it's a long story...It happened about two years ago. 
My brother and I were coming back from a party at a friends' house 
in Seattle..."
	"What happened?"
	"Well, we got back onto the Canadian side (I was driving, my 
brother and his friends were drunk as drunk can be), crossed customs, 
and drove back to Vancouver."
	"Then what happened?"
	"We went into the Massey Tunnel, and once out, suddenly, Cory 
grabbed my arm, and won't let go. The car spun wildly, and headed into 
an 7-car pileup."
	"That's terrible!" 
	"A few more cars came along...a lot of people died that night
...including Nelson in our car."
	"What happened to you and Cory?"
	"Well, they rushed us both to the hospital (we were both 
unconscious...but that was Jan telling me everything.). They tried 
to save my left leg, but it was too late."
	"What about your brother?"
	"Well, he came out better...Had a few cuts and bruises, and 
a few broken bones on top."
	"What happened after you returned to work?"
	"Well, some of the guys there all chipped in some cash to get 
me this, after some American trainer called me something that I found 
a bit offensive..."
	"Let me guess, the person called you a cripple?"
	"Yeah...So, how's Ash and you lately?"
	"Haven't seen him lately. Last I saw him, he was at a film 
festival on Cinnabar Island with Brock."
	"Where are you going on the Paris Metro at this hour?"
	"Oh, I'm just going to the airport."
	"Where are you going?"
	"Uh, I can't tell you. It's top secret EPA business. Well, 
here's my stop. I'd better go. I'll see you later!"
	Misty got up from her seat. The train stopped, and she rushed 
out of train, up the stairs, and into the Metro station's concourse. 
She then ran into the station concourse, and looked around for the 
railroad ticket booth.  
	But then, suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She 
turned around, and there was Scott, right behind her. "Gotcha!" He 
whispered into her ear. "So, where are you going on secret EPA 
business, Misty?"
	"Scott! I told you I can't tell you."
	"Well, what a coincidence. I'm going on secret EPA business too."
	"Oh yeah? Where?"
	"Athens."
	"ATHENS?"
	"Yeah. What's the big fuss about Athens?"
	"I'm going there, too. Livingston told me that he wanted me 
to replace Tomas as the gym leader there."
	"But Livingston said that I was to replace Tomas."
	"Then..."
	"He must want the both of us to replace Tomas."
	"No way. The EPA rules state that there can't be two gym 
leaders to one official EPA gym."
	"Well then, I guess he probably wants the two best Water 
trainers to replace Tomas."
	"Maybe so. Well, let's get the tickets."
The station, the next day...
	Misty held on to her backpack, and looked around. Scott said 
that he would meet her at the café, and they would go onto the flight 
together. She took an another sip of her cup of café latte, and took 
a bit of her croissant.
	Then, in the corner of her eye, he saw him slowly walking 
into the café. Pikachu was there walking with him, with an another 
Pokemon that she hasn't seen in almost two weeks. "TOGEPI!" She 
shouted. 
	"TOGE! (Misty!)" It shouted.
	"What are you doing here?"
	"Toge toge togepi! (I hid in your backpack.)"
	"Oh, no! Did you tell my sisters know you're here?"
	"Toge...toge! (Uh...no!)"
	"Well, I'd better send you back right now?"
	"Toge, togepi! (No! I want mommy.)"
	"But what about my sisters? They're probably worried sick 
about you!"
	"Toge? (So?)"
	"Well, let's go. The train's about to leave."
	"Briiiiii! (Yay!)"
At the gate...
	Scott slowly got up, and helped Misty up. She picked up 
Togepi, who was sleeping, and they walked into the gate. Misty 
and Scott handed their tickets to the clerk, and went into the 
passageway, and onto the train.
	Once there, Misty found her first-class seat, and settled 
into it. Scott was sitting right beside her, and then, Misty got a 
sudden urge to hug Scott. But, she fought it off, and calmly waited 
for the train to leave.
	The two had decided to travel Europe a bit before they went 
to Athens to look around. Tomas wasn't leaving for at least an another 
week or so, so there was still time to check out the sights in Southern 
France and Italy.
	The train pulled out, and after a relatively long trip, 
pulled into Nice station. They slowly made their way out, but 
they were about to get a rude reception from the "welcome wagon" 
waiting at the exit...
On the concourse...
	"Ready?" Gary shouted into the walkie-talkie.
	
	"Ready as we'll ever be!" The voice on the other end snapped. 
"Let's go!"
	"Are they coming?"
	"Yeah. The train's in. Some of the first passengers have 
cleared customs already."
	"Good. Without loser-boy, loser-girl will be helpless like a 
baby...Ha ha ha...."
Meanwhile...
	Misty and Scott walked out of the restricted area, up the 
stairs, and stared at some of the crowds surrounding the passageway. 
But then, suddenly, the roof caved in, and our friends Team Rocket 
appeared. (I hate to do this, but it's necessary!)
	(Jesse) "Prepare for trouble!"
	(James) "Make it seven times!"
	(Cassidy) "To protect the world from devastation..."
	(Butch) "To unite all peoples within our nation..."
	(Megan) "To denounce the evils of truth and love..."
	(Shawn) "To extend our reach to the stars above..."
	"Jesse..."
	"James..."
	"Cassidy..."
	"Butch..."
	"Megan..."
	"Shawn..."
	"Gary..."
	(All) "Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light..."
	(Gary) "Surrender now, or prepare to FIGHT!"
	(Meowth) "Meeeeeeeeowth! That's right!"
	"Team Rocket! You scum buckets are going to follow us 
everywhere, aren't you?" Scott snapped.
	"Oh no, it's that tall brute again!" Jesse shouted.
	"And he's got one leg!" Butch added.
	"What do you want, you scumbags?" Misty snapped. 
	"That Pikachu, and your head, you puny little girl!" Megan 
shouted. 
	"I'm not puny!" Misty screamed. "If it's a battle you want, 
you'll get one!"
	"Yeah!" Scott added. "Let's do it, Misty!"
	(Jesse) "Oh yeah? Go, Arbok!"
	(James) "Weezing!"
	(Butch) "Raticate!"
	(Cassidy) "Haunter!"
	(Megan) "Dugtrio!"
	(Shawn) "Electrode!"
	(Gary) "Alakazam!"
	(Misty) "Oh yeah? Let's get them, Starmie!"
	(Scott) "Let's go, Vileplume!"
	(James) "Weezing, sludge attack!"
	(Butch) "Raticate, Super Fang!"
	(Misty) "Starmie, Bubble beam!"
	(Scott) "Vileplume, Poison Powder!"
	Misty was stunned. "Scott, don't! Did you forget what happened 
last time?" She shouted.
	"Oh, it's nothing." Scott replied, as Vileplume shot out a 
thick cloud of poison powder over the air, which made TR itch like 
dogs with fleas. Then, with one Hydro Pump, Starmie sent TR blasting 
off again.
	"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" They shouted, as the water 
blasted them out of the terminal (through the roof), and out into the 
wild blue yonder, which they disappeared in the usual fashion (a clear 
flash).
	"Well, I guess that's over and done with." Scott commented, 
retreating Vileplume.
	"I thought you were allergic to that stuff." Misty replied.
	"Well, a friend of mine cooked up some drug that prevents 
that. He's tested it on people, so it's safe." 
	"Oh, good. Hope you've got a lot. I have a feeling we'll 
be seeing TR a lot on this trip..."
	"You're right. Let's go."

Nice...
	Misty turned on the TV, and switched to the EPA Network. Some 
taped matches from the PL were on, but they were in French. She went 
over to Scott's room, where he was sleeping, while Pikachu and Togepi 
were chasing each other.
	She climbed onto the bed, and slowly made her way closer toward 
him. But just as she could touch him, he moaned, opened his eyes, and 
the both of them screamed, and making both Pikachu and Togepi stop and 
stare.
	"What are you doing here?" Scott snapped.
	"I...I was just looking for you." Misty replied. "I wanted to 
get Togepi when I...I felt a bit sleepy."
	"But why couldn't you have gone back to your own room?"
	"I was lonely."
	"Oh, really."
	"So, you wanna go out to the beach?"
	"Sure, why not?"
	"I'll meet you there in a few minutes."
	"Okay."
In a clump of bushes somewhere on the beach...
	"Jesse, where's that suntan lotion?" James moaned.
	"Butch has it. Ask him." Jesse snapped. "Can't you see I'm 
sort of busy?"
	"No, why?"
	"Shut up, James!"
	"Are they here yet?"
	"No...wait...yes!"
	"Let's move."
Meanwhile...
	Misty and Scott looked around. Many of the spaces were filled, 
but suddenly, Misty saw a small open space. They rushed over, and placed 
their towels down on the sand before a couple could do so. 
	Once settled in, Scott flopped onto the towel, and went back 
to sleep. Misty sighed, let slapped some suntan lotion on him first, 
then some on herself, then going out to the water for a bit with 
Starmie, Staryu and Goldeen.
	But before that, she saw a stand that was renting Sea-Doos. 
She rented one (after much grief over what the clerk was babbling 
about), and went out into the water, with Seaking, Starmie and Staryu 
swimming behind. 
	But then, suddenly, a black leisure-boat with a giant red R 
painted in the front appeared. Two familiar faces stepped up to the 
front, and then, seven very familiar voices boomed over a PA system. 
(Here we go again...)
	(Jesse) "Prepare for trouble..."
	(James) "Make it double!"
	(Butch) "To protect the world from devastation..."
	(Cassidy) "To unite all peoples within our nation..."
	(Megan) "To denounce the evils of truth and love..."
	(Shawn) "To extend our reach to the stars above..."
	"Jesse..."
	"James..."
	"Butch..."
	"Cassidy..."
	"Megan..."
	"Shawn..."
	"Gary..."
	(All) "Team Rocket International blasts off at the speed of 
light..."
	(Gary) "Surrender now, or prepare to FIGHT!"
	(Meowth) "Meeeeeeeeowth! That's right!"
	"Team Rocket!" Misty shouted. "You really don't give up, 
don't you?"
	"No." Jesse replied. "Now, hand over the Pikachu!"
	"Never!" 
	"What? I said hand it over, you puny little..."
	"I'm not puny, you old hag!"
	"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME? ARBOK, GO!"
	"Let's go, Starmie!"
	"Arbok, give that puny little girl a Acid attack!"
	"Starmie, wash it down with Hydro Pump!"
	Then, suddenly, a bunch of Poke Balls opened, and a 
Vileplume, a Raichu and an Alakazam appeared. Misty turned 
around, and there, stood Erika, Lt. Surge and Sabrina, all 
with handcuffs in hand.
	(Erika) "Vileplume, Poison Powder!"
	(Lt. Surge) "Raichu, Thunder Wave!"
	(Sabrina) "Alakazam, Disable!"
	(Jesse) "Oh, no, you don't! Arbok, Leer!"
	(Cassidy) "Golduck, Tackle!"
	(Misty) "Starmie, Hydro Pump!"
	(Butch) "Poliwrath, Double Slap!"
	(James) "Weezing, Sludge attack!"
	(Gary) "Farfetch'd, Leek Slap!"
	The mass of Pokemon met in mid-air, and the crash resulted 
in many an injured Pokemon, and lots and lots of attacks exchanged 
between them. Raichu did the most damage, frying both Poliwrath and 
Farfetch'd.
	Meanwhile, Erika's Vileplume (evolved from the Gloom that 
saved her from a Grimer when she was a child.) got hit with the 
most, mostly by TR attacks, but there were attacks from some very 
confused friendly Pokemon.
	All the confusion was coming from Alakazam, as it had only 
just gotten up from its afternoon nap, and its mind was still a 
little but dazed over who he should use Disable on, resulting in 
a mass mistaken hypnosis. 
	
	Then, suddenly, a sound of sirens was heard. Facing the 
prospect of being outnumbered by Police, Team Rocket blasted off 
again, with Erika, Lt. Surge and Sabrina giving chase until they 
were completely out of sight.  
	Misty returned to shore, and made her way back to the towel, 
where Scott was still asleep. Misty got a bucket, filled it up with 
water, and splashed all the contents onto him. He instantly got up, 
and gave Misty a dirty look.
	Misty shrugged, and got the spare towel from her bag, while 
Scott dried off the first towel. Misty sat down, and then, suddenly,
her thoughts turned to Ash. Where is he? She thought. Something tells 
me that he's not far away...
Chez Bordeaux restaurant...
	Misty and Scott went into the restaurant, where the maitre d' 
was there. Pikachu was hidden under Scott's hat (as Pokemon weren't 
allowed inside, and Pikachu hates Poke Balls.) "How many for tonight, 
sir?" The maitre d' asked.
	"Two, please." Scott replied.
	"Right this way."
	"Thanks."
	Misty and Scott looked through the menu. It was expensive, 
but hey, it was worth it, especially if it's a night to make up for 
five lost years between the two. If Ash was watching this, it wouldn't
be pretty.
	The waiter came, took their orders, and went into the 
kitchen. Misty stared at Scott, and then, had that knack again 
to kiss him. But if he rejects her, she'd be crushed. But Ash 
isn't here, so what's there to lose?
	Misty leaned over, and tried to kiss him. He leaned away, 
and Misty tried and tried again, but Scott just moved farther and 
farther away, while reading his magazine. "Stay still, damn you!" 
Misty snapped. 
	"What are you doing?" Scott replied.
	"I'm trying to kiss you!"
	"Misty, please."
	"Why? You know I like you."
	"But I thought you liked Ash."
	"I do. But I still like you more."
	"Haven't I told you that YOU are made for ASH, not ME."
	"When did you say that?"
	"Remember that time at Vancouver Gym?"
	"No, not really."
	"Come on, try."
	"Sorry, nothing comes to mind."
	"Misty!"
	"OK, OK, I remember."
	"Look, Misty. I know you like me, but there's a dozen others 
that has the same idea."
	"Like?"
	"Oh, a lot of gals like you, and there are a few others too..."
	"Go on."
	"I'm not telling you everything."
	"Fine, be that way."
	"Oh, Misty...You're so cute when you're angry. How can I 
ever forget you?"
	"I don't know."
Later, back at the hotel...
	Misty and Scott were in Misty's room, playing endless card 
games, and looking out the window. The sky was too dark to go out 
to the beach, and shopping...Well...Let's just say that...Ah, 
forget it.
	After a few hours, the air conditioner broke down, and Scott 
took off his shirt. Misty stared, and he stared back at her. Suddenly, 
she pushed Scott onto the bed, and kissed him as they rolled around.
	A few minutes pass, and then, they realize that someone was 
watching. There was a bug and a camera around her somewhere, and it 
was making a whirring sound. Misty looked around, and found a small 
camera.
	She crushed it with her foot, and saw her front door open, 
and Scott's wallet and shirt gone. She rushed out, and saw the door 
to the next room slam shut. Misty shrugged, and went back into her 
room. 
A few days later, the airport...
	Scott looked around. Misty was walking beside him, and she 
was looking at the airport directory, trying to find the Air France 
desk. After a few days in Nice, it was time for a scenery change, 
and there was still a week before they're supposed to be in Athens.
	Misty found the desk, and the two rushed over, hoping that 
the next flight to Rome wasn't sold out. They got two tickets (they 
were the last ones for the day, as all the other flights to Rome 
were booked solid.)
	As Scott was paying for the tickets, a very familiar face 
appeared. Misty gasped, rubbed her eyes, and looked again. It was 
true: It was Jessibelle, and she was trying to find James all over 
again...
	Doesn't that woman EVER give up? Misty thought. She knows 
that she can never change James from the way he is (a TR delinquent 
scum-bucket) to a so-called "gentleman", so what is she doing here
in Nice?
	Misty tried to hide, as Jessibelle passed by behind her. 
They scrambled over to the café, grabbed a coffee, and rushed to 
the gates. But to Misty's surprise, Jessibelle was there, as well 
as her Vileplume.
	Misty tried not to stare, but then, suddenly, as she was 
about to enter the restricted area, Jessibelle spotted her with 
the corner of her eye, and started to run toward them. Misty ran 
away, leaving Scott very confused.
	He, too, rushed after the two, and when Jessibelle finally 
caught up to Misty, Scott rushed over, and slapped Jessibelle's 
hand away from Misty's shoulders. "Hey, who are you, and what are 
you doing?" he snapped.
	(Jessibelle) "Sir, what are you doing? That's not very 
gentleman-like! And you're not walking the right way!"
	(Misty) "Look away, and step back, Scott. She can be 
dangerous!"
	(Jessibelle) "Where are you two going? I need your help to 
find my beloved James!" 
	(Misty) "Give it up, Jessibelle! You'll never, ever, change 
James from the way he is!"
	(Jessibelle) "Nonsense! Now, out of my way! Vileplume,
Poison Powder!" 
	(Scott) "Vileplume, reply with a Solar Beam!" 
	(Jessibelle) "You have a Vileplume yourself too, sir? 
Very well, let's see who gets the last laugh!"
	 Unfortunately for Jessibelle, she never knew that a 
high-class Southerner like herself should never upset a Canadian. 
Scott's Vileplume fired a powerful shot of Solar Beam at Jessibelle, 
sending her flying. But she wasn't deterred. 
	(Jessibelle) "Vileplume, Leech Seed on that infernal 
Canadian Vileplume!"
	(Scott) "Vileplume, show that snobby Southerner out the 
door with an another Solar Beam!"
	(Misty) "Starmie, help Scott out...Hydro Pump!"
	Scott's Vileplume fired up a shot, and fires it off toward 
Jessibelle. The light refracts off the spray of water from Starmie, 
combining the attack into what Misty and Scott call "The Hot Hydro 
Pump". 
	The water hits Vileplume and Jessibelle, and sending them 
running off screaming. But then, just as she disappeared from sight, 
Jessibelle dropped her purse on the floor. Misty and Scott went over, 
and picked it up.
	They tried to give it back, but Jessibelle was nowhere in 
sight. They opened it up, but found nothing but five Super-Ultra 
Balls, a pile of cosmetics, a bunch of used Metro tickets from 
Paris, some cash, and jewelry. 
	It wasn't very like Misty and Scott to rummage through 
someone's purse like this, but hey, as the old saying goes, 
"Finders keepers, losers weepers."...They shared the loot between 
themselves. 
	(Misty) "I'll take the jewelry."
	(Scott) "I guess I'll take the Poke Balls...whatever's 
inside them..."
	(Misty) "I'll take the cosmetics....guess you'll take 
the cash."
	(Scott) "Nah. If you want some of it, you can have it."
	(Misty) "No, you take it. I'm keeping the purse."
	(Scott) "Good idea. Well, I guess we should take a look at 
what's inside these Super-Ultra Balls."
	(Misty) "What about the Metro tickets?"
	(Scott) "Get rid of 'em."
	(Misty) "Wait a sec...now that we've taken all of Jessibelle's 
stuff, how is she gonna get out of here?"
	(Scott) "Who cares? We didn't find her passport or wallet 
anyway, so she's not stuck."
	(Misty) "Oh, yes, she is."
	(Scott) "You mean you have her passport and wallet?"
	(Misty) "Both of them."
	(Scott) "What are we gonna do?"
	(Misty) "Nothing. This will keep her in France for a while, 
and off of James's tail."
	(Scott) "Why did we do a favor for a TR scum-bucket like 
James anyway?"
	(Misty) "How would you like to marry a woman that's always 
following you around, trying to change you?"
	(Scott) "I wouldn't."
	(Misty) "There's my point. Now, let's share the cash in the 
wallet, and look at what's inside those Super-Ultra Balls!"
	Misty opened the wallet, and only found a bunch of pictures 
of James, as well as a wad of American money, mixed with some cash 
from Indigo Island. They kept the cash, left the passport with 
airport security, and then, sat down at a bench. 
	Scott opened up all five Super-Ultra Balls at the same time, 
and when they opened, revealed a Wigglytuff, a Poliwhirl, a Porygon, 
a Chancey, and a Jynx. The two stared at them for a while, and finally, 
decided to split them between themselves.
	After a few minutes of fruitless argument, Misty took 
Wigglytuff, Porygon, and Jynx, while Scott too Chancey and 
Poliwhirl. Scott then looked at his watch, and realized that 
it was about time to board.
	They rushed through the gate check, and looked around for 
the gate. They found it, and saw that passengers were already 
boarding. They scrambled into line, boarded the plane, and sighed 
as the plane took off.

Rome...
        Misty and Scott walked off the plane, and into Rome Airport's
concourse. They looked around, and it was crowded. The two slowly made
their way to the terminal, where their luggage  await them.
        Once outside, Pikachu climbed out of Scott's hat, shook off
some of the sweat drops from his fur, and climbed onto the top of
Scott's hat, and looked out into the crowds, helping Scott and Misty
find the right luggage belt.
        Finally, after fighting through the crowds, swearing and
screaming, and being electrocuted around 17 times, Misty and Scott
arrived at the luggage belt. They got their luggage, and pushed and
shoved their way to the exit.
        Once outside their airport, everything continued to go
downhill. The express train to downtown Rome had broken down
because of a power failure, the taxi stop was a war zone, and
the bus stop was crowded.
        They looked at the map, and when they saw the distance, the
immediately ruled out walking. Finally, they decided to take the
slower local train instead. It cost less, but it was less comfortable,
and more crowded.
Meanwhile, not far away...
        "Jesse, are you sure it's today?" Butch moaned. "I'm hungry.
Let's get a pizza."
        "Yeah, Jesse, let's get a pizza." Cassidy added.
        "Come on! We've been watching this crummy place for two hours
now!" James chimed in.
        "Shut up, all of you!" Megan snapped. "Misty and Scott are
around here somewhere."
        "Can't you all take your minds off food for a second and help
us look for loser-girl?" Gary snarled.
The Vatican, later that day...
        "Misty, what are we doing here at the Vatican?" Scott snapped.
"We still haven't even had lunch yet!"
        "Who cares? Let's find someplace in the Vatican." Misty
replied. "It's all the same stuff anyways."
        "Well, suit yourself. I'm going to explore Rome myself."
        "What? You can't do that!"
        "Oh, yes I can."
        "Scott, don't leave me here!"
        "Too bad. I'm outta here."
        Scott disappeared around the corner, and Misty gave chase.
After a few minutes, he stepped across the border (Yes, there is a
border between the Vatican and Italy), and disappeared into Rome.
Misty huffed, and went back into the Vatican alone.
        She went into St. Peter's Basilica, and imagined herself
with Ash walking down the aisle, ready to get married. She did it
again, but this time, with Scott. But then, she realized that he
would never love her.
        She sighed, and went on exploring the Vatican. But then,
just as she was about to leave the cathedral, a bunch of masked
local TR members jumped out from behind the pillars, surrounded
her, and knocked her out cold.
Roberto's Café, somewhere in Rome...
        On the patio, Scott was finishing his lunch. He had set a
second chair, hoping that Misty would follow him all the way here.
He finished dessert, and there was still no sign of Misty, or any
of her Pokemon, anywhere.
        Just as he was about to pay the tab and finish the rest of
the soda, Togepi and Starmie (They both had miraculously escaped
the TR squad) stumbled up to the café. Togepi jumped into Scott's
arms, and started to cry.
(Poke-talk ON)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Togepi: Toge toge toge! (Help, mommy's gone!)
Scott: What?
(Starmie nods)
Scott: What's the meaning of all this?
Togepi: Briiiiii! Togepi toge togepi! (Please, TR's captured my mommy!)
(Starmie nods again)
Scott: Oh, why did I leave her at the Vatican in the first place. I
should have known those TR scum buckets would be after her...
Togepi: Briiiiii! (Let's go!)
Scott: OK, lead the way.
(Starmie points to the Game Corner)
Scott: You mean TR's taken Misty to Game Corner?
Togepi: Briiiiii! (Yes!)
Scott: C'mon, guys, don't kid around, TR's wouldn't take her out to
Game Corner!
Togepi: Toge toge togepi! Toge togepi toge toge! (They're inside
there! Come on, follow me!)
Scott: All right...
(Togepi runs toward Game Corner, followed by Starmie and Scott)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Poke-Talk OFF)
        Togepi rushed into Game Corner, and when Scott entered, he
saw rows after rows of slot machines, games, and a prize stand that
exchanges all kinds of goodies, including live Pokemon such as
Dratinis, Staryus and Tangelas.
        Scott looked around, and saw a mysterious person guarding
the entrance to the back storage room. A watch beeped, and the
guard left his post. Scott, Togepi and Starmie snuck in, and what
they saw was shocking.
        The whole place was shipping live Pokemon, and also serving
as the local TR HQ. And inside the office, was Gary, who was looking
rather flustered and angry. Then, Scott noticed that Misty was there,
tied to a chair.
        Then, suddenly, alarms went off, and titanium gates closed
off the exits. Guards were running around, and Scott knew that the
guard had seen him sneak into the HQ. He rushed into the office,
and confronted Gary.
        "Well, if it isn't loser-girl's boyfriend!" Gary shouted.
        "I am NOT her boyfriend!" Scott snapped. "Now, let's get
down to business...Vileplume, go!"
        "Let's go, Arcanine!"
        "Vileplume, Poison Powder!"
        "Arcanine, Fire Spin!"
        "Not this time, Gary...Vileplume, Solar Beam!"
        The Solar Beam wasn't much, but it was still powerful.
Arcanine was overwhelmed by the intense solar energy, and was
burned badly. Suddenly, sirens were heard outside, and Police
were rushing into the HQ.
        Erika, Lt. Surge and Sabrina appeared, and Gary started
to run toward a gate. Once he entered, the gate slammed shut,
and helicopters were heard on the roof. Lt. Surge untied Misty,
and the others rushed onto the roof.
        There, they saw a black TR chopper take off, with Jesse
in the pilot's seat, and Gary in the other front seat.  "We'll
meet again, Scott and Misty, real soon!" Gary shouted on the PA.
"You can bet on it!"
        Suddenly, a police officers came up onto the roof, and
announced that there was a bomb in the building. Everyone jumped
off the roof as the bomb exploded, and landed safely onto a canvas
net.
The Colosseum...
        Misty looked around. A crowd was dispersed all around
the ruins, trying to find perfect shots. Scott was wandering
around Rome, and only saying that he would meet her at the hotel
restaurant at 7.
        Then, she found the perfect shot. She took out her camera
(which she bought at the Cerulean City Mall camera shop before she
left), aimed it carefully, but then, bumped into an another guy
with a camera.
        "Hey, watch it!" Misty snapped. "I'm trying to take a picture
here, you know!"
        "Misty Katsumi Waterflower?" The man whispered.
        "Snap Morgan?"
        "Misty! What are you doing here in Rome?"
        "I...I'm on vacation. You've changed so much!"
        "You've grown too! I haven't seen you since we split up
after that town!"
        "You mean Coriander Town, where we busted up TR's breeding salon?"
        "Yeah! So, where's Ash and Brock?"
        "I haven't seen Ash for two years. Last time I saw Brock,
it was at the Inter-League Challenge with the Asian League in Kuala
Lumpur last year...So, how's your life going?"
        "Well, nothing too much, really. Working for some travel
magazines, that's all. Free travel included, you know."
        "Really. Taken any pictures for your scrapbook of wild
Pokemon lately?"
        "No, I've visited Africa...caught a herd of Tauros, that's
all. Too many people are catching 'em these days..."
        "So, are you busy tonight?"
        "Yeah. I've got a dinner to attend...How's about some coffee?"
        "Sure."
        But before they could leave, a bunch of tourists tore off
their disguises, revealing a small army of TR members. They blocked
off the exits, and then, a black helicopter with a red R on the
front appeared, with Jesse and James on board.
        (Jesse) "Prepare for trouble..."
        (James) "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 blasts off at the speed of light..."
        "Surrender now, or prepare to FIGHT!"
        "Meeeeeeeeowth! That's right!"
        "Team Rocket! You scum-buckets again!" Misty shouted. "We
don't have Pikachu!"
        "Then where is it?" Jesse snapped. "Tell us, or else!"
        "Or else what?" Misty snapped back.
        "Why you puny little...James, prepare the bombs!" Jesse
snarled. "Throw them over!"
        "Roger!" James replied. "Meowth, the bombs."
        "Here they are!" Meowth replied, handing James a box.
        James dumped the box's contents down into the Colosseum,
and Misty jumped out of the way. Snap pulled her away from an
another bomb, as James continued to pour down more bombs, box
after box after box.
        Finally, Misty grabbed one as it was about to drop onto
the tiles, and hurled it straight back at the chopper, and into
the cockpit. It exploded in a fiery flash, and sending Team Rocket
blasting off again.
        "There, that's that!" Misty huffed, dusting off her hand.
        "Wow. How did you do that?" Snap asked. "Teach me how, oh
enlightened master!"
        "Oh, Snap, quit kidding around."
        "So, how's about that coffee?"
        "Sure. Let's go."
The airport, three days later...
        Misty checked her backpack again. Nothing was missing,
so she sent it through the luggage check, and keeping with her
the purse that Jessibelle had dropped at the airport back at
Nice, as well as all her Pokemon.
        Scott had been acting strangely lately. Every three days,
he would disappear off by himself, and come back six hours later,
with two bandages, side by side, on his left arm. Every time Misty
asked, she got no reply.
        With all the luggage checked, and 50 minutes left before
the flight leaves for Athens, the trio was free to grab a bite
before heading off to the gates. Now who was this mysterious
third person, you ask?
        Of course, it's none other than Snap! Misty had convinced
him to come along, because they were all going to Greece anyway,
so why not make the trip a bit more merry with more people to
come along?
        "So, Scott, you're from Canada, right?" Snap asked, taking
a sip from his glass of orange juice.
        "Yeah. You're from Indigo Island too?" Scott replied.
        "Uh huh. Where in Canada?"
        "Vancouver."
        "Oh, yeah. I've been there. I battled the gym leader there
once...he looked a lot like you."
        "That's because it is me."
        "You're the gym leader?"
        "Yeah, so believe it."
        "No way."
        "Hey, here's the badge to prove it!"
        "So you are. What Pokemon do you have..."
        "Oh, nothing too out of the ordinary...But I do have a
high level lineup of Starmie, Seadra, Dragonair and Wartortle."
        "What levels are they at?"
        "Last time I checked, it ranged from 75 to 93."
        "That's powerful. Your Dragonair must have learned Dragon
Thunder Storm and Hurricane by now."
        "Sure. But I don't use it very often. Too dangerous."
        "I know. A friend of mine was in a Dragonair's Hurricane
attack once."
        "Oh? What happened?"
        "He barely made it out alive."
        "I see."
        "Well, I guess the flight's about to board."
        "Yeah, let's go."
        "By the way, what's with all those bandages?"
        "Uh...nowhere."
        "C'mon, tell us. We're your friends."
        "Better not."
        "What do you mean?"
        "Ah, never mind."
        Snap got up, and placed the empty glass into the tray.
Scott followed, and Misty joined up with them, holding onto what
seemed to be a new bottle of perfume from the duty-free shop four
doors down.
        The trio walked into the restricted area, and found the
gate. The plane was boarding already, so they scrambled into
line, stepping onto many an angry travelers' feet. Once on board,
it was  the usual: Squabble over who gets which seat.
        With that settled (Snap got the seat in the row behind
Misty and Scott), The plane soon took off, and Scott fell asleep
again. Misty got the urge to peel off the bandages off Scott's
arm, but she forgot about it, and fell asleep herself.

Athens...
        Misty looked around. Scott looked a bit tired, and Snap
and run off already. They went out to the concourse, (Snap was
nowhere to be seen) where a man immediately recognized both Scott
and Misty right away.
        "Scott McGwire and Misty Waterflower, I presume?" He asked.
        "Yep." Misty replied. "Scott, say something."
        No reply.
        "I'm Tomas. I'm the Athens gym leader."
        "Nice to meet you, Tomas."
        "By the way, Mr. Livingston will be arriving tomorrow for
the testing. Now, I'll drive you to the hotel."
        "Is it a nice place?"
        "Sure. Follow me."
The hotel...
        It wasn't up to Misty's standards, but it was okay. The good
thing was, it had all the comforts of a good hotel, but the bad thing
was that she had to share a room with Scott, who was asleep on the
couch again.
        For once, Misty had to agree. It had been a long day of
travelling. She flopped onto the bed, and instantly fell asleep.
Pikachu climbed beside Scott, and Togepi went to Misty. They, too,
quickly fell asleep.
A few days pass...
        Misty stared at Scott. This was the match that would
determine who would be the person who will replace Tomas as
the head of the Athens Gym. Her Starmie was down already, and
she had only two Pokemon left.
        Over the last few days, The European Pokemon Association
had been holding 7 matches all over Athens between Misty and Scott.
It was the typical best-of-seven format, with the Golden KO rule*
in effect
        (* = The Golden KO rule is only in an "overtime" situation.
If in fact there was a double KO, both trainers will choose one
Pokemon each, and the one who is KO'd first loses. It's like OT
is hockey, but modified.)
        Scott had taken the first two matches at the Acropolis,
and Misty had replied with two more at the Port of Piraeus. Misty
took the 5th match at City Hall, and Scott replied by taking the
6th match. It was now down to the last match.
        Earlier, Sabrina had defeated Sir Julian for the Moscow Gym
in 6 matches, but the North Americans replied with Blake's win over
Blaine at the Berlin Gym in 5. But Indigo Island would score an
another one, with Erika defeating Janine for Warsaw in 7.
        And now, it was all down to Misty to make it 3-1 for Indigo
Island, or Scott to tie it at 2-2 for North America. "Go, Seaking!"
Misty shouted.
        "Let's go, Starmie!" Scott replied.
        "Seaking, use your Tsunami Wave attack!"
        "Starmie, Bubble Screen!"
        The Tsunami Wave swamped the arena, but Starmie was unhurt.
It upended Seaking, knocking it out of the water. Misty retreated it,
and called out Seadra, her final Pokemon. Scott drew Dragonair, and
Misty gasped.
        But, in this David-versus-Goliath match, Seadra scored a
knockout defeat. Dragonair fell onto the deck, Scott retreated,
put on his backpack, and left the gym while Misty was gloating
over her victory.
        Tomas and Livingston rushed over to congratulate her, and
then, a familiar figure appeared. "Where is the gym leader?" He
demanded. "I want a battle for the badge, right now!"
        "Here she is!" Tomas shouted, pushing Misty forward.
        "Tomas, please." Misty mumbled.
        "You're the gym leader now."
        "Oh, yeah."
        The figure walked into the arena, and Misty gasped. It was
Ash, with Brock standing right behind him. She clutched her Poke
Balls, and decided to battle Ash for the badge before she revealed
herself to him.
        Misty put up a gallant fight, and her ship slowly sank with
its colors flying. But, after four Pokemon, she threw in the towel,
much to Ash's dismay. (He was expecting more of a fight from a gym
leader.)
        She hands him the badge, and braces herself for Ash's look.
She did it, and tears came to her eyes as she hugged him. Ash hugged
him back, softly weeping with her. "I've missed you so much, Ash."
Misty sobbed.
        "I've missed you too, Misty." Ash replied.
        A few moments of silence follow, and then, Misty let go
(dunking Ash into the pool), and looks at Ash. "Hey, where's
Scott?"
        "Who are you talking about?"
        "Scott. He was here a few minutes ago."
        "Well, there was a guy who was leaving. He knew my name,
and he told me to say goodbye and thanks for everything before he
disappeared around the corner."
        "Ash, we've got to find him."
        "Why?"
        "Just do it!"
        But just as she was about to leave, Tomas and Livingston
stopped her. "Prepare for trouble..." Tomas shouted.
        "Make it double!" Livingston added.
        With that, they tore off their disguises, revealing Jesse
and James. An explosion followed, and a Meowth balloon landed
behind them, depositing Meowth, Gary, Butch, Cassidy, Megan and
Shawn.
        (Megan) "To protect the world from devastation..."
        (Shawn) "To unite all peoples within our nation..."
        (Cassidy) "To denounce the evils of truth and love..."
        (Butch) "To extend our reach to the stars above..."
        "Jesse..."
        "James..."
        "Butch..."
        "Cassidy..."
        "Megan..."
        "Shawn..."
        "Gary..."
        (All) "Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light..."
        (Gary) "Surrender now, or prepare to FIGHT!"
        (Meowth) "Meeeeeeeeowth! That's right!"
        "Team Rocket! Can't you ever leave us alone?" Brock moaned.
"And can't you ever get a life?"
        "We will, Mr. Cold Fish, once we get that Pikachu!" Shawn
snapped. "Now, hand it over!"
        "Hey, don't call Brock that!" Misty shouted.
        "So?" Megan replied.
        "Why don't you losers go to a Safari Zone and CATCH a
Pikachu of your own instead of stealing?" Ash asked.
        "We're bad, don't you get it?" James replied.
        "How dense can you be, loser?" Gary added.
        "Not as dense as you, Gary-boy." Misty replied. (Gary-boy,
Whining Gary, and Professor Oak's Brat are three names Gary hates
to be called by.)
        "Grrr...How dare you call me that! Let's get them, Team
Rocket!" Gary snarled.
        "Right!"
        But then, suddenly, a squad of police cars and an army of
police officers arrived at the front door, and a squad of choppers
filled the sky above the blasted hole on the roof. Team Rocket was
trapped...or were they?
        TR piled into their balloon, and with a press of a button,
the canvas disintegrated, replaced by a metallic copy with cannons
sticking out in all directions. TR took off, and the Police choppers
opened fire.
        The balloon fired back, gunning down a few of the choppers
as it made its escape. But in the midst of all the gunfire, Misty
heard a faint muffle coming from a storage cupboard under the stands.
        Brock opened the cupboard, and found the real Tomas and
Livingston, tied up and gagged inside. He quickly untied and
ungagged them as a loud creak was heard, and a large crack was
forming on the roof.
        Ash, Misty, Brock, Livingston and Tomas rushed out of the
gym, but suddenly, just as they thought that they were safe, Tomas
remembered that he had left his Goldeen in the pool, and the rest
of his Poke Balls in his office.
        Misty rushed inside, leaving Togepi with Ash. He tried to
stop her, but to no avail. She was already running up the steps,
and into the collapsing gym. Then, suddenly, the gym collapsed,
and a giant dust cloud was thrown up into the air.
        But when the dust settled, there stood Misty, all covered
with soot and wounds, and holding onto a small leather sack with
Tomas's name stitched on it. Tomas rushed over, and thanked Misty
for her help.
        Then, she ran down the street, and looked around once at the
corner. She caught a bus to the Acropolis, with Ash, Brock, Pikachu
and Togepi struggling to keep up with Misty as she jumped from bus
to bus.
        Misty searched all throughout Athens, from City Hall to the
Acropolis, from Olympic Stadium to the Metro, and from the Pokemon
Gym to the Port of Piraeus, but all to no avail. Scott was not at
any of those places.
Later, the hotel...
        Ash looked at Misty. She was depressed, all right. Scott
had ran away again. First, he left her in Miami (Well, he did do
it himself in Denver.), and now, he's taken off from here in Athens
But where?
        Misty, Ash and Brock had searched every inch of Athens with
no luck. They had called back to Vancouver, but they said that he
wasn't there. So, if he hasn't left Europe, then where could he have
gone?
        "Why would he leave?" Misty asked.
        "Do I look like Scott?" Brock replied.
        "Maybe he was right about you and me." Ash added. "Guess
he wanted us to be happy."
        "I never said I ever liked you!" Misty snapped.
        "Well, Pikachu said you did."
        "Since when?"
        "Oh, a little egg told me."
        "Togepi?"
        "Yep. Right, Pikachu?"
        Pikachu climbed up onto Ash's shoulder.  "Pika. Pi
pikachu? (Yep. Right, Togepi?)"
        Togepi jumped out of its little basket. "Briiiiii! (Yep!)"
        "TOGEPI!"
        "Briiiiii...(Sorry...)"
        "Well, it's not enough. Both of you get out of here!"
        "Pika...(But...)"
        "Yes, you, Pikachu."
        Brock stood up, and headed toward the door. "I'd better get
back to my room. Coming, Ash?"
        "I'll be there in a sec."
        "All right..."
        "Yeah, I've got the key. Go ahead."
        "Right, Ash."
        Brock opened the door, stepped out with Pikachu and Togepi
followed as he shut the door behind them. Ash and Misty were now
all alone. "So, Ash...how's life been for you lately..." Misty
mumbled.
        "Not...bad..." Ash replied.
        In a split second, Ash and Misty were hugging and kissing e
ach other (fully-clothed, not scantly-clad, like Misty is when she's
smooching alone with Scott), as well as rolling around, bumping into
tables and tipping over furniture.
        After a while, Misty drifted off to sleep, and when she
opened her eyes again in the morning, Ash was gone. Misty looked
all around the room, and found a note that Ash had left for her
on the desk.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Misty,
        When you read this, I'm probably back on the road again, on
my way to becoming European champ. I'll be in Berlin today, and I'm
probably leave once I've got the badge, and who knows where I'll be
going next.
        Brock will take care of Pikachu and I (Scott's done a really
good job raising Pikachu in Vancouver, thank him for me if you find
him.), as I leave in the heavy rain for the airport. The flight's
leaving in an hour.
        I'm probably gonna enter that championship tourney in Iceland
a few weeks from now...seems like the London event got rescheduled
over some dispute over the site. Well, Pikachu and Brock's screaming
at me...gotta go.
                                        Best Wishes,
                                                Ash Satoshi Ketchum
----------------------------------------------------------------------
        Misty tore up the note, threw the bits into the trash can,
and started to cry. Togepi climbed onto her lap, and tried to cheer
her up, but to no avail. She was hurt, and hurt real bad. And
everything seemed gloomy...
        She got up, picked up Togepi, packed up her stuff, checked
out, and went to the airport. She got a ticket for the next flight
to Berlin, and calmly waited at the café inside the restricted area
until the boarding call.
        I'll find them all, she thought to herself as she took an
another sip of her glass of orange juice. Scott, Ash, Brock.
Pikachu...Wherever you all may run, I'll find you...and never,
ever, let you all go.
                                       
Berlin...
        Misty looked around. Seems like everywhere you turn, TR
is there...but somehow, this time, they're not here. Perhaps they're
on vacation today? Nah, they always try to capitalize in situations
like this...
        Ah, but that's where you're wrong, Misty. Team Rocket is
around...but you just don't know it. Maybe try looking around,
perhaps towards that purple-haired guy with the binoculars sitting
on that bench to your left...
        Now, where was I...Oh, yeah...TR's about to attack...Then,
suddenly, the usual (Jesse, James, Butch, Cassidy, Megan, Shawn,
Gary) jumps out from their positions, and surrounded the defenseless
Misty and her Togepi...
        But, surprisingly, after a measly three minutes later,
all 7 TR members, including Meowth, were on the floor, out cold.
Only Misty was standing there, dusting her hands off while
bystanders stared, bug-eyed.
        "What?" Misty snapped, as she picked up her backpack,
cradled Togepi, and walked out of the airport.
The hotel...
        Misty looked at the map, and scanned it for the location
of the gym. She got her backpack, stuffed it with a few necessities
(Poke Balls, cosmetics, wallet, etc.), and went outside into the
bright sunshine.
        First stop, the Pokemon gym. She went into the gym, and
saw the waiting room empty. She went inside, and saw Blake, the
gym leader from Seattle, sitting there, seemingly reading
something while waiting.
        "Hey, Misty!" He shouted, spotting her.
        "Blake! Where's Ash?" Misty replied.
        "Ash? You mean that kid from Pallet?"
        "Yeah."
        "He was just here."
        "Where is he now?"
        "I dunno. Heard he was going to some beach in the East to
relax before heading off to Geneva."
        "Did he say which beach it was?"
        "Nope."
        "Thanks, Blake."
        "No prob. Any time."
        Misty walked out of the gym, and went to her next
destination: the Reichstag building. The travel guide had
said that the tea house there was 5-star, and if there was
any 5-star tea house in Berlin, Brock would be there.
        She ran down into a subway station, and after a painful
process of reading the map, looking through the German-English
dictionary and attempting to convert Deutch marks to Indigo
Island dollars.
        Finally, she found the right route, purchased a ticket and
found the right platform. The train pulled up, and she, along with
a large wave of commuters, pushed and shoved against the crowds
exiting the train.
The Reichstag...
        Misty went through the revolving door, and came up to a
building directory. She traced a path to the Chancellor's Tea
House, and rushed toward it, in hopes that Brock and Ash are
still there...
        She went inside, looked around, but there was no sign of
them. Misty then rushed up to the glass dome, which offered a
majestic view of all Berlin. If Brock was there, Ash and Pikachu
would surely be there too...
        But, unfortunately, it was empty. No one was there but
herself. Misty tried to hold back her tears, but to no avail.
She fell to her knees, and started to cry. Togepi tried to calm
her down, but to no avail.
Brandenburg Gate...
        It was already nightfall in Berlin. People were already out
around the Brandenburg Gate, and the music was at full blast. It was
almost like a mass party, with some dancing on the Berlin Wall's old
path.
        But, for this time of day, Ash wouldn't be here. He was the
party type, but not this kind that was out in the street. Misty
walked down farther down the road, checking the bars and cafes, all
with no luck.
        Finally, she decided to try one of the plazas all throughout
the city, including the one where the Canadian and Indigo Island
embassies was (If anyone has the name, please tell me.) Maybe Scott,
Ash and Brock were there...
The Canadian Embassy...
        Misty walked out of the building, dejected. Scott was never
here. And, she had already tried the Indigo Island embassy that was
across the plaza from the Canadian Embassy, and Brock and Ash also
never showed up.
        Why did they all leave me? Misty thought. The guys aren't
usually that heartless...They wouldn't leave a girl like me all
alone in a foreign place like this...would they? Or was this just
a stupid prank?
        But, Ash DID tell her that he was going after the European
crown...Brock had said he was going with him...Pikachu was back
with his trainer, and Scott was probably sick and tired of Misty's
constant ogling.
        Scott had been reluctant to even stand close to her, as
there was something about him that was strange to Misty. Not that
he didn't like her, but maybe he had someone else already on his
mind, or was he is love with her?
        No, he wouldn't do that. He knows perfectly well she and
Ash loved each other, no matter what. That's because he was the
one who brought the both together, and Scott had been stressing
that every time she made a move toward him.
        Then, suddenly, she remembered a picture of a beach in
Eastern Germany that she had seen at a travel agency back in
Athens. She rushed to the train station, in hopes of the ticket
booth knows where it is.
Somewhere in Eastern Germany, two days later...
        The train slowed to a halt at the station, and people
slowly disembarked with their luggage. Misty followed, and soon,
arrived at the town. She checked into a hotel, and walked about
exploring the town.
        Suddenly, as she walked toward the hotel, saw a tall,
blond North American man that looked a bit like Scott walking
in the opposite direction toward the beach. She tried to stop
him, but he was too fast.
The beach...
        Misty looked everywhere, hoping that Ash, Brock or Scott
was around somewhere, either in the water, or lying on the beach.
But, that could be done when she finds a place to put down her
towel in this crowded place.
        Finally, she found a place, and put down her towel. Then,
suddenly, Ash and Brock walked by. Unfortunately, Misty was too
busy getting the kinks out of the towel to notice that her quarry
was getting away...
        Later, when she was in the water, she saw the tall, blond
man that she had seen on the street near the beach. She went over
to him, but he was swimming away too fast, and splashing up too
much water droplets for Misty to see clearly.
        But, she gave chase as best as she could, but when she
arrived back on shore, he was already gone. Misty looked everywhere,
but to no avail...He seems to have just disappeared into thin air.
        She went back to her towel, and soaked in some rays. She
was sleeping when Togepi started to shake her, and pointing to a
familiar face. But, she just ignored the little egg, and coaxed it
back to sleep.
The next day, at the Reichstag's dome...
        Brock looked at the note. Yep, it was the right place and
time, all right. But where was Snap? He had said in the note that
he would be here by now. And what's the reason that Snap told him
to come here?
        Suddenly, there was the sound of heavy footsteps coming
from behind. Brock turned around, and there was Scott, Lt. Surge,
Blake (Seattle GL) and Martin (Berlin GL), as well as Snap, carrying
all his photographic equipment.
        "Great to see you all here." Snap declared. "Well, as you
can all see, this is a photo-shoot."
        "For what?" Scott asked.
        "Yeah, what?" Blake added.
        "Well, it's for some fitness magazine..." Snap replied.
"Seems like they're featuring gym leaders this month."
        "How did they pick us, then?" Lt. Surge asked.
        "They held some sort of a poll across North America, Europe
and Indigo Island, and it seems like you guys were picked." Snap
explained. "Well, let's get on with it."
        "Sure, but this better stay decent." Martin commented.
        "It will, I can assure you." Snap replied. "Now, guys, line
up over there."
        The guys followed Snap's instructions, and he took a few
shots. "Now, take off your shirts." He instructed.
        "I hope this is as far as Snap goes..." Blake whispered to
Brock. "I don't want to know what happens."
Later...
        Misty looked around. She had just gotten back from the beach
after a fruitless search, and it's now brought her back to square one:
The Reichstag building. Then, suddenly, she noticed something in the
glass dome.
        She rushed up there, and stared at the five really hunky
guys, standing in front of Snap, seemingly to be posing for a photo
shoot...but they seem to be naked. Misty blushed, and decided to
watch from a safe distance.
        She watched as Snap made shot after shot after shot. When
someone turned her way, she turned away toward the windows, pretending
not to notice. Soon, she made out who the five guys were, and two of
them she was looking for.
        Once the photo shoot was complete, she turned around, and
saw that two of the guys had already disappeared. Snap was packing
up, and Brock was standing there, still putting on his sandals.
        Misty rushed over, and Brock blushed. He probably thinks
she had seen everything. But, when she came close enough, Brock
could see that she was worried about something else other than
what she had seen...
        "Hey, Misty...what are you doing here?" He gulped.
        "Brock, where's Scott?" She asked.
        "He just left for the airport...said something about Norway."
        "Norway? What's there?"
        "I don't know."
        "Hey, what's this?"
        "It's his sunglasses...Must have dropped them."
        "And it has a name engraved on it...I never knew Shawn
was Scott's real name."
        "It isn't, Misty. And Green's not his last name either.*"
        (* - As you can tell from that, yeah, I'm a Blue Jays fan
...is there a Yankees fan out there who's objecting? Well, forget
it. I like 'em in the playoffs, but not in the regular season. Now,
back to our story...)
        "How do you know that?"
        "Duh, Scott's last name is McGwire, not Green, remember?"
        "Oh yeah, I forgot...But why does he have someone else's
sunglasses instead of his own?"
        "Maybe he traded them with Shawn Green once...*"
        (* - If you wanna hear more about this story, as well as
more interesting tidbits on Scott's life that you don't know about,
e-mail me! Now, it's back to the story (again).)
        "Never mind. Let's go find him."
        "Where? He's left already, and is probably at the airport
by now...I think."
        "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
On board SAS Flight 215 to Oslo...
        Scott sighed. That photo-shoot wasn't that bad. If Blake
wasn't making such a big screaming deal about it...but hey, there
are some people who can get a bit sensitive about this kind of
thing...
        He reached for his sunglasses, which he had perched on top
of his hat, but it wasn't there. He searched all his pockets, but
that turned up nothing. That was his only pair of sunglasses, and
he would need it.
Back at the hotel...
        Misty sighed, and stared at Scott's sunglasses. She put them
in her backpack, and waited for Brock to come to pick her up for
dinner with Ash at a place near the old Checkpoint Charlie in the
days of the Berlin Wall.
        Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Misty grabbed her
backpack, picked up Togepi, and answered the door. Sure enough,
Brock was there, and Ash was standing beside him with a bunch of
flowers.
        "For you, Misty." He stuttered.
        "Ash, they're pretty." She replied, utterly speechless.
        "Thanks. I got them at a florist near City Hall."
        "Really. Must be a really exquisite place."
        "It is. Cost me a fortune to get these."
        "Oh, Ash, you shouldn't have."
        "You know how I love you, Misty."
        "Lemme guess...and this is the way you show it?"
        "Um...right. Now, I'm famished. Let's have dinner."
        "I agree. Let's go!"
Downstairs in the lobby...
        "Jesse, why are we even bothering to follow those brats?"
James moaned.
        "Yeah, Jesse, let's give up and go back to Indigo Island."
Megan added.
        "And we're hungry. We need food!" Meowth chimed in.
        "JESSE!" Butch shouted, trying to get Jesse's attention.
        Jesse snapped to attention, and using her trusty 100 kg
mallet, hammered everyone repeatedly over the head until stars
were aplenty and everyone was completely out cold. "Now, no more
whining." She huffed.
        Meanwhile, Ash, Brock, Misty, Pikachu and Togepi were inside
the elevator car, with Misty pacing around, angry over the slow
speed of the elevator. But, soon, the doors opened, and TR jumped
into view.
        (Jesse) "Prepare for trouble..."
        (James) "Make it seven times!"
        (Butch) "To protect the world from devastation..."
        (Cassidy) "To unite all peoples within our nation..."
        (Megan) "To denounce the evils of truth and love..."
        (Shawn) "To extend our reach to the stars above..."
        "Jesse..."
        "James..."
        "Megan..."
        "Shawn..."
        "Butch..."
        "Cassidy..."
        "Gary...."
        (All) "Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light..."
        (Gary) "Surrender now, or prepare to FIGHT!"
        (Meowth) "Meeeeeeeeowth! That's right!"
        But, unfortunately, Ash, Brock and Misty, as well as Pikachu
and Togepi, had just walked by, and completely ignoring their presence.
TR rushed outside, and saw our friend walking farther and farther away.
        They stole some skateboards, and chased after them.
Unfortunately, they did not notice a police trap that was set
around a construction site. One by one, they were caught, but
some were lucky enough to blast off again.
        "Now can you admit defeat, Jesse?" James asked, as they
took off in the chopper.
        "Can we go home now?" Gary added.
        "Meowth wants to go back to my basket back at TR HQ in
Viridian!" Meowth shouted.
        "All in favor of going back to Indigo Island, raise your
hand!" Cassidy shouted, and all but Jesse shot up their hands.
James tried to wrest control of the joystick, but everyone was
knocked out cold by Jesse's mallet.
        Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu and Togepi watched as the chopper
disappeared from sight, and hurled insults at them. Jesse pretended
not to hear, as she knows she'll get her revenge against that bunch
of puny little runts, no matter what...

Geneva...
        Brock huddled over the map, while Ash and Misty were looking
his shoulders. Brock points to one place, and then, suddenly, Ash's
hand directs it to an another, while Misty tries to pull it toward
an another.
        "Ash, we're going skiing!" Misty shouted.
        "No, we should go to the Pokemon gym first!" Ash snapped.
        "Skiing!"
        "Pokemon gym!"
        "Skiing!"
        "Pokemon gym!"
        Then, Brock (with an anime-style sweat drop running down his
forehead), who was trying to tape up his poor finger, stood up, and
broke the two apart. "You two are unbelievable!" He shouted. "Can't
we EVER have a day where you two don't argue?"
        "Yeah," Misty replied. "When pigs fly."
        "...when eggs are cubed." Ash added.
        "...when Brock get either Jenny or Joy to go out with him."
Misty chimed in.
        Brock's face was turning bright red with anger. "Hey! Who
said I can't get a date?"
        "You can't." Misty replied. "No Jenny, Joy, or girl we meet
has ever said "yes" to you."
        "Oh, yeah..." Brock sighed.
        "Well, where are we going? Skiing or the Pokemon gym?" Ash
asked.
        "I say we go skiing!" Misty shouted.
        "I say we go beat the gym leader first!"
        "Skiing!"
        "Pokemon gym!"
        "Skiing!"
        "Pokemon gym!"
        Brock made a stupid face. "Oh, brother..."
Geneva Municipal Pokemon Gym...
        Ash went up to the counter, and ringed the bell. After a few
tense minutes where Ash paced around the room at least 11 times, A
yawning receptionist appeared. "What do you want?" She snapped. "This
isn't a EPA sanctioned gym."
        "It isn't?" Ash asked.
        "Nope. The sanctioned gym's now in Warsaw."
        "Wh...what happened?"
        "Well, the EPA found out that we weren't up to their
standards, so they took our sanctioned status away and gave it
to the new Warsaw gym."
        "Oh, thanks, miss."
        "Anytime. Now, get out of here so I can get back to my nap."
        "Well, good day to you too."
A ski resort in the Alps near Geneva...
        Misty looked at her skis. Her mom had bought them for her
birthday when she was 19. Somehow, with the help of one of Professor
Oak's inventions, the portable Shrink Ray, she had packed them in her
luggage.
        The sun was out, and the weather was warm, so, she wore only
a windbreaker that Scott had sent for her 21st birthday over her
usual clothes (You know, the same clothes that she wears in the
cartoon.)
        She looked behind her, and saw Ash and Brock emerging from
the chalet on their skis. Ash was a master at it , but Brock was
falling over every two to three steps. She looked at the mountain.
It wasn't Whistler, but it will do.
        "Well, guys, are we ready?" Misty asked.
        "Yep." Ash replied. "As soon as Brock finally learns how to
keep his balance."
        Ash and Misty went toward the chair lift base, leaving Brock,
who was still tripping a zillion times trying to keep up. They went on,
and waited for Brock to come up on the chair lift before going back
down.
A few minutes later...
        Brock arrived, and met up with Ash and Misty, who were sitting
on a bench waiting for him. Once they saw him, they got up, and made
their way down the mountain. Again, Brock was tripping over and over
trying to catch up.
        Once halfway down the hill, there was a small forest. Misty
was staring at a cute little wild Eevee that had popped out when she
tripped over a stump. She rolled a few times, and stopped when he
head bumped into a rock.
       _________________________________________________ 
Everything beyond that was all black...
The hospital...
        Misty opened her eyes. Where was I? She thought. Who am I?
What are those two guys standing around me? why do I have this
Lollapalooza of a headache? And what is this white bandage wrapped
around my head?
        "Misty, you're awake!" Ash shouted.
        "Who are you?" Misty asked.
        "We're Ash and Brock, your friends."
        "Misty? That's my name?"
        "Don't you remember anything?"
        "Nope. And you say your name is Ash?"
        "Yeah...Misty, please, remember us!"
        "Get your hands off of me!"
        Brock went toward Ash, and tried to stop him. Ash just
slapped his hand away, and continued to shake Misty. Finally,
Brock decided to use his strength (Housekeeping for all those
years has helped.) to get Ash to stop.
        Finally, Brock managed to pull Ash away from Misty. He
tried again, but Brock was there to grab hold of his shirt. After
calming him down and explaining the situation carefully (trying to
not set Ash off), Ash sank into the chair he was sitting in.
        Slowly, his lips trembled, and a tear came down from his
eyes. Then, he covered his face with his hands, and tears came
streaming down his cheeks. Brock wrapped his arms around him,
trying to calm him down.
Later, back at the hotel...
        Ash looked at the picture of him and Misty from Indigo
Plateau 11 years ago. He sighed, dropped the photo onto the floor,
and started to cry again. Brock, who was coming out of the shower,
sighed, and went over to Ash.
        "Ash, what's wrong?" He asked.
        "N...nothing." Ash sobbed. "Leave me alone."
        "Thinking about Misty again, eh?"
        "Yeah."
        "Don't worry about it. She'll be back to her old self in
no time once she regains her memory."
        "Well, Dr. Slate, when will that be?"
        "I don't know. Do I LOOK like a doctor?"
        "You sounded like one."
        "Ash, this isn't like you."
        "Isn't like me? What do you mean, Isn't like me? This is me,
the way it is!"
        Pikachu, who was curled up in a ball sleeping, woke up, and
went over to Ash. "Pika, pikachu, chu pi pika. (Ash, please, listen
to Brock.)" Pikachu shouted.
        "Why, Pikachu?" Ash snapped.
        "PIKA! (FINE!)" Pikachu huffed, and then curled back into a
ball, and went back to sleep.
        "You see, Ash, that's not like you. You're kind to Pokemon,
not yelling at them." Brock commented.
        "Mind your own business!" Ash snapped.
        "Ash, you gotta stop this charade! Misty's not going to get
any better with you being like this!"
        "Really, Dr. Slate, what do you mean?"
        "Like..."
        "Well, Dr. Slate, go on."
        "Um...er..."
        "See? You don't know. But I do."
        "And what would that be?"
        "Scott. He brainwashed her into this!"
        "Ash, how could you accuse Scott of this after all that
he's done for you?"
        "What did he do for me?"
        "Well, for one, he cleaned up YOUR mess with Misty."
        "So? I could have done it myself."
        "I don't think you're thinking clearly, Ash Ketchum. I'd
better leave you alone."
        "Fine. Do that. See if I care."
        Brock got dressed, and left the room. Pikachu and Togepi
followed, and Ash was now all alone. He flopped onto the bed,
tossed his hat aside, threw the pillow across the room, and
started to cry.
Later, at the lobby café...
        Brock slowly sipped on his café au lait, and looked at his
watch. In three minutes, Ash would come into the café, sit down in
the chair opposite of him, and apologize. Pikachu and Togepi was on
his lap, sleeping.
        The clock ticked down, and exactly three minutes later, Ash
appeared, and did exactly what Brock had predicted. Brock nodded as
Ash went on an on, but was unable to say anything when Ash finished.
        "Brock, what are we gonna do?" Ash asked.
        "I don't know, Ash." Brock replied. "I don't know."
The hospital, the next day...
        The doctor entered the room, holding onto a small notebook.
He handed it to Misty, gave her a pen, and explained everything.
Misty listened intently, and hoped that she had caught all of the
doctor's fast speech.
        She opened up the notebook, and started to write in it as
the doctor left, and Ash and Brock entered (Misty still has no idea
who they are). "So, Misty, how are you feeling today?" Ash asked,
hoping Misty would recognize him.
        "You again?" She asked. "Can't you leave me alone?"
        "Misty, we're your friends!"
        "I've never even met you, so how am I supposed to even
know you?"
        "MISTY!"
        "How'd you know my name?"
        Ash hugged Misty. "Well, it's about time someone remembered
their own name! Now, we've gotta go."
        "Where?"
        "Warsaw."
        "What?"
        "Never mind, let's go!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Misty's Journal
Day 1
        Nothing much today. This Ash kid IS A REAL JERK! And this
Brock that follows him seems to be girl-crazy all the time. We're
on our way to Warsaw where Ash said that he was going to get some
badge from a leader.
        Then, he told me about someplace called Cerulean City on
Indigo Island where I'M the leader of some gym there. Then, Brock
bragged about some place called Pewter, and then, Ash talked about
some guy named Scott.
        Sounds like a really nice guy. Ash claims that he used to
love me, and Scott was the one who brought us together...Silly
story, but hey, I'm not taking this story too seriously anyways.
Me and Ash? That'll be the day when I die!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 2
        Well, here we are in Warsaw. Watched Ash get totally
trounced by this Karol guy at the gym. The match was pretty
long, and I actually fell asleep in Brock's arms. Brock, on
the other hand, was asleep too.
        Now, I finally remember who I am: I'm Misty Katsumi
Waterflower of Cerulean City, Indigo Island. Ash hugged me
when I said it...what is it with him and me remembering all
this stuff, anyways?
        Watching TV right now...SportsCenter is talking about some
World Championship Pokemon Race that's coming up in Norway three
days from now. Indigo Island seems to the favorite, with Canada
and the US not far behind.
        Ash said that we're going to that Pokemon Race as soon as
he could get that badge from Karol. From what I've seen, I think
we should forget it...At this rate, it'll probably take him at
LEAST a week more to get that badge.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 3
        Well, Ash did it. He got the badge from Karol. Beat all
of Karol's Pokemon with just his Charizard. Bragged about how a
few years back his Charizard just wouldn't listen to him...where
have I heard about that before?
        We're leaving for Oslo tomorrow...And I think I'm starting
to fall in love with Ash...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 4
        Nothing too much. Regular day.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 5
        Well, here we are in Oslo! Brock's just gotten four front
row tickets to the show, and it seems like we're having trouble
finding a hotel room...So Ash booked us into a youth hostel. Not
what I call home, but it'll have to do.
        Went to the doctor's office today, and it seems I've got
all my donuts back. I can remember everything before the accident
on the mountain back in Switzerland, but nothing between that and
the time I opened my eyes.
        Seems like Scott left us back in Berlin to train with the
Canadian team for this...And guess who's representing Indigo Island?
Dario! That lousy, no-good cheat is going to fix the race...I know it.

Lillehammer, Norway...
        Misty looked out the window. The sky was pouring down
buckets, Ash was in the shower, Brock was in the hotel's gym
downstairs (probably ogling women again...), and Pikachu and
Togepi were asleep.
        It's been a long few days since the trio had arrived
in Norway. The race had been rained out yesterday, so it was
rescheduled for today. But, by the looks of things, it's going
to be delayed yet an another day.
        In the days that they have spent here, Misty had finally
forgotten about Scott. Ash was her one and only now. She knew
Scott would never even love her, more or less like here. They're
friends, and that was that.
        Last night, for once, Ash was actually willing to pay
for dinner. She tried to stop him, but to no avail. Ash was
finally a mature gentleman, and not the rude, crude and
overconfident Pokemon Master that he was.
        For once in Misty's life, she believed that Ash could
actually win the European Championship. She's doubted him when
he tried to win the Indigo Island title, then the North American
title, but this time, Misty truly thinks he can do it.
        "Hey, Misty, whatcha looking at?" Ash shouted.
        "Oh, nothing." Misty replied.
        "I sense a lie."
        "All right, so I'm thinking about you. Happy?"
        "Oh, Misty, I never knew you'd care."
        "Hmph."
International Pokemon Racing Centre...
        Scott looked around. His teammate Clara (A Winnipeg girl,
they met at the Canadian Finals last year) was tending to her
Sandslash, while he and Dragonair (Quoted as "The Indispensable
Team" by international media) were just hanging around.
        In the next tent, was Maxine (The Los Angeles gym leader
from MGTA) and Scott, the American duo. They've tried many times
to best Scott in this competition, but so far, their luck would
desert them at the end.
        Nearby, there are some notable racers, included are: Sir
Julian (the NYC gym leader from MGTA), who was racing for his
native country, Great Britain, and this year's "dark horse" from
New Zealand, Matt.
        The PA system crackled to life, and the voice of the
presiding official from the IPRF (International Pokemon Racing
Federation) came on, and signaled that the race was about to
begin. Clara put away the tape, and headed out to the starting
line.
        (Note: For this part of the story, It will be told in TV
Commentary Mode. It makes it more easy on me to describe the action
without going to the nitty-gritty details. Now, back to the fan fic.)
(TV Commentary Mode ON)
(Choose Station = CBC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve: Good Evening, Canadian Pokemon racing enthusiasts,
you're watching CBC's live coverage of the 23rd World
Championship Pokemon Race from here in Lillehammer, Norway.
Jenny: I'm Jenny Oak, and with my partner Steve Chan, we'll
be bringing you mile-by-mile commentary.
Steve: Thanks, Jenny. As we can see here in the starting grid,
the three-time World Champion, Canadian Scott McGwire will start
in 4th position, while Clara Harris of Winnipeg will start at
11th position.
Jenny: And we have the American duo in 7th and 8th, Great Britain
in 16th, New Zealand 1 in 17th, Australia in 3rd, and Indigo Island's
Dario, last year's silver medallist. will start in the pole position
for the first time.
Steve: There's the green light, and they're OFF!
Jenny: It's Dario and his Dodrio in the lead as the racers leave
the grandstand area, followed by Great Britain, Canada 1, Canada
2, and the USA 1.
Steve: Now, Scott is making his move as the track rounds the bend
and goes into the deep forest.
Jenny: From the Goodyear blimp above, we can see that Dario is
having a bit of trouble with his Dodrio...The three heads can't
seem to stop fighting!
Steve: Meanwhile, Canada 1 and USA 1 are now neck and neck for the
lead, with Great Britain, France 1 and Canada 2 are behind by half
a length from the leader.
Jenny: As the racers now exit the forest, the trail is now straight.
This is where racers can either make their move, or gain some ground
on their opponents.
Steve: At the end of the straightaway, there is the first river
crossing. Racers will have to traverse it by either swimming or
going over the rocks.
Jenny: And it looks like France 1 is there first, with Canada 1
and 2 not far behind. USA 1 and New Zealand are a bit farther
behind them.
Steve: While at the back, Great Britain and Indigo Island seem
to be having a bit of trouble.
Jenny: With the first river crossing complete, the track will now
lead the racers into the mountains, where steep climbs and descents
await.
Steve: With that in mind, France 1, who is piloting a Voltorb,
is having trouble while all the others leave it in the dust.
Jenny: Great Britain wins the race to the top, and it's now
anybody's race as the lead pack consists of Great Britain,
Canada, USA, France, New Zealand, Australia and Indigo Island.
Steve: As the chase pack continue to fall behind, the lead pack
is now winding down the narrow mountain path that will take them
to the next challenge, the river rafting.
Jenny: That's right, Steve. Inflatable rafts will be set up for
some of the racers for this leg of the journey as it will take
them down the river 2 km and back onto the path.
Steve: Canada 1 is now in the water, as Dragonair doesn't need
to be on a raft. Great Britain is the first raft in the water,
with the Seaking of USA 2 not far behind.
Jenny: And here comes USA 1 and Indigo Island, neck and neck.
Both rafts are in the water, and are now 20 seconds behind the
leader, Canada 1.
Steve: Great Britain and Indigo Island are now making a serious
challenge toward Canada 1's lead, as they are now only three
lengths behind, down from the comfortable 131/2-lengths lead
only three minutes before.
Jenny: Now, as the racers cruise the river, we'll go to commercials.
<< Commercials >>
Steve: We're back. The racers are now back on the trail, and
heading toward the "Temple Of Doom"
Jenny: The racers will enter a straight tunnel where they must
avoid all the booby traps, such as flying maces, hidden pits,
falling rocks, and hidden Pokemon that will attack at random.
Steve: With that in mind, we will switch to the Tunnel-Cam, which
will follow the racers through the dark tunnel.
Jenny: France 1 enters the tunnel first, with Great Britain, Indigo
Island, Canada 1, Canada 2, USA 1 and USA 2 following in that order.
Steve: Looks like France 1 has just been attacked by a Jigglypuff.
It has stopped dead in the water!
Jenny: Great Britain seems to have trouble getting out of the pit,
and both USA racers seems to be in a small jam with attacking
Golbats!
Steve: It looks like Canada 1 and Canada 2 will make it out
first, followed by USA 1, France 1, New Zealand and Great
Britain!
Jenny: Now back out into the sunshine, it seems like Canada 1 is
having trouble steering...Scott seems to be without sunglasses.
Steve: And it looks like a lot of the other pilots without
sunglasses are also having trouble...Now, Maxine is in the
lead with her Ponyta, with the fairly confused Australian
following behind.
Jenny: It looks like a red-haired woman tossing a pair of
sunglasses to Scott...and Canada 1 is now back in the lead,
neck and neck with USA 1.
Steve: Now, the racers will face their second climb, followed by
a sharp descent into the valley.
Jenny: Australia wins the race up to the top, but the Tauros seems
to be in trouble with its footing!
Steve: The rest of the lead pack has caught up, and all are now
safely going down the hill, with USA 1 and Canada 1 still leading
the charge toward the finish.
Jenny: With that, we'll go to commercials again.
<< Commercials >>
Steve: We're back. In a huge move, Dario of Indigo Island is now
in the lead with the lead pack now coming up to the obstacle course.
Jenny: Racers will be required to jump over a series of concrete
barriers, then traverse a deep chasm, and then, ford the river
rapids, and then onto the straightaway.
Steve: USA 1 is now in the lead, with Canada 1 and 2 not far
behind...And looks like tough luck for New Zealand...Sandslash
has just been injured on the landing on barrier 3.
Jenny: As the paramedics deal with that, USA 1 and Canada 1 are
now dueling it out in the front, with Canada 2, Great Britain,
Australia, USA 2 and France 1 not far behind.
Steve: And looks like New Zealand is back in the race, and is
rejoining the lead pack with Indigo Island, who has also dropped
behind slightly.
Jenny: The lead pack has crossed the river rapids, and now,
Indigo Island is making its move on the straightaway! The
Dodrio is going at super-fast speed, and taking the lead from
USA 1 and Canada 1!
Steve: With less the 3 km to go, there's only one more
straightaway sections  to go before the racers enter the
stadium. Now, the racers are heading toward the pastures,
where stampedes can happen anytime.
Jenny: Looks like a group of angry Tauros are heading toward
the road...It's now up to the racers to either outrun the
stampede, or to fight it.
Steve: And here comes the pack of Nidokings...Oh, my...France
1 and Indigo Island is having trouble with a Nidoking, and it
running backwards!
Jenny: And there's the Scyther on the road...Canada 1 is clearing
the road with a loud roar, which sends the Scyther fleeing.
Steve: With the pastures complete, it's an another straightaway
sections...Now, the battle is between Canada 1 and USA 1 for the
gold medal as the racers head for the gates.
Jenny: Racers will have to dismount, deliver the baton to the
official at their gate. They will then fill a bowl of Pokemon
food into the bowl, and the Pokemon will dig in.
Steve: When the judge declares the dish empty, the gates open,
and the racer can head for the home stretch.
Jenny: Canada 1 and USA 1 enter their gates, and are handing over
the baton...And it looks like Canada 1 will head for the home
stretch first.
Steve: Wait a minute...How did Indigo Island bypass the gates?
It's making its move, and are now parallel to Canada 1, with USA
1 and Great Britain not far behind!
Jenny: There's only 250 m to go, and it's Canada 1 in the lead by
a nose...USA 1 is now making its move, but it's unable to get past
Indigo Island.
Steve: The stadium crowd is going wild as the racers enter the last
30 m of track...and it looks like...it's going to be a photo finish.
Jenny: We will now wait for the official times to appear on the
screen before displaying them to you.
Steve: And the judges have declared Indigo Island disqualified,
and they took the by-pass passageway instead of going through
its specified gate.
Jenny: So, the unofficial results would show that Scott McGwire
has successfully defended his title, with USA 1 with Maxine Wells,
for the second year in a row, getting the silver, and the bronze
will go to Sir Julian Newell of Great Britain.
Steve: Here is the official results...And as Jenny said, Scott
McGwire will keep the title, with USA 1 getting silver and Great
Britain and New Zealand's Matt Lee locked in a dead heat.
Jenny: And it also looks like a world-record winning time of
45:25:34.
Steve: USA 1 will come in at 45:27:02, and Great Britain and New
Zealand will both clock in at 45:28:11.
Jenny: In a moment, we'll have the interview with Scott McGwire,
and the medal ceremony, right after these messages.
<< Commercials >>
Steve: We're back...We didn't have enough time to get to
conversation with the winner, and with network commitments
in mind, we will take you to the medals ceremony.
(Screen switches to the stage)
PA: Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome the International Pokemon
Racing Federation and European Pokemon League President, Dr. G.
Livingston!
<< Applause >>
Livingston: Thank you. I am honored to present the bronze medals
to Sir Julian Newell of Great Britain and Matt Lee of New Zealand.
(Sir Julian and Matt both step onto the right step of the podium,
both holding onto their nation's respective flags.)
(Livingston places the medals around their necks, and a woman hands
them a small bunch of flowers.)
Livingston: And now, I will present the silver medal (for the third
year in a row) to Maxine Wells of the USA. Maxine, C'mon up!
(Maxine steps up to the left step of the podium, waving the Stars
and Stripes to loud cheers from some of the American fans.)
(Livingston places the silver medal around Maxine's neck, and gives
her a kiss on the cheek, followed by the small bunch of flowers.)
Livingston: And now, for the gold medal, to Canada, the pride of
Vancouver (or was it Calgary?), Scott McGwire!
(Scott steps up to the top of the podium, holding up the Maple
Leaf, to cheers from the Canadian crowd, as well as Ash, Misty
and Brock.)
(Livingston puts the medal around Scott's neck, followed by the
lady with the bunch of flowers.)
(Explosion is heard on the stadium's roof, and a black Team Rocket
helicopter appeared from the skies, with familiar voices blaring
out on the PA.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(TV Commentary Mode OFF)
        (Jesse) "Prepare for trouble..."
        (James) "Make it quadruple!"
        (Cassidy) "To protect the world from devastation..."
        (Gary) "To unite all peoples within our nation..."
        (Jesse) "To denounce the evils of truth and love..."
        (James) "To extend our reach to the stars above..."
        "Jesse..."
        "James..."
        "Cassidy..."
        "Gary..."
        (Cassidy) "Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light..."
        (Gary) "Surrender now, or prepare to FIGHT!"
        (Meowth) "Meeeeeeeeowth! That's right!"
        But then, a whole armada of helicopters appeared, as
police choppers from all around the world appeared, and surrounded
them. They hastily made a break for it, while the armada continued
to chase them until they were all out of sight.
        With that over, the medals ceremony continued, and after
that, cameras mobbed the winner, and Ash, Misty and Brock could
only stare as Scott was swamped by questions from all over the
world, in a multitude of languages.
Two days later, Oslo airport...
        After earning the badge from the EPA gym leader in Oslo,
it was time for our friends to move on to the next destination.
With all their large backpacks checked in, they were now free to
explore until boarding time.
        Misty was unusually quiet this morning. She had just
finished her glass of milk, and was quietly reading a copy of
the fitness magazine with photos from the Berlin Reichstag photo
shoot*. The loudest noise from her, was a soft giggle.
        (* - See MIE, Part 5, for details.)
        "So, Ash, what now?" Brock asked, taking a sip of his
coffee.
        "I've got the badge from the Oslo leader, so it's off to
London." Ash replied. "Then, I guess it's off to Iceland for the
EPA championship, I guess."
        Then, Scott appeared, with his small backpack with him.
"Hey, guys." He mumbled. "I see you were at Lillehammer watching
the race."
        "Yeah. Nice job there." Misty commented.
        "How did Dario get disqualified?" Brock asked.
        "So, are you hungry?" Ash asked.
        "Please, I've already had three dozen reporters asking
me questions already for the last three days." Scott replied.
        "Oh...I guess we should be going." Brock blurted. "The
flights' leaving soon."
        "Come on with us, Scott." Misty invited.
        "Sure, whatever." Scott replied. "Anything to get away
from all those reporters."
        "Well, let's go." Ash declared.
        The four walked out of the café, and Brock saw Scott pull
out a copy of the same magazine that Misty had as they walked
toward the gate. He flipped through it, and put it away. Brock
sighed. Maybe this will finally bring me the girl of my dreams...
        Misty looked up from her magazine, and saw Brock's face.
Oh, no, Brock's daydreaming that some girl will find him sexy...
She sighed, gave Brock a funny look, but was stared down with a
dirty look.
        Our friends boarded the plane, and soon, it took off for
London. And, if we look out the window, we can see the black TR
chopper still being chased by the international armada of police
choppers...
        "Team Rocket's blasting off again!" They shouted, as the
chopper, and its pursuers, disappeared into the wild blue yonder.

London...
        Misty looked around. London was a bit like Celadon City,
with all its architectural designs and bright lights. Of course,
Celadon was in the British Occupation Zone when Indigo Island was
founded.
        Back home, Cerulean was more like Paris, with modern, more
daring architectural designs combining with the "old world" styles
...well, of course, that's because Cerulean was in the French Zone
when it was founded.
        "Hey, Misty, where you going?" Brock shouted.
        "Oh, I was just about to go do a bit of shopping." Misty
replied. "What?"
        "We're going for a bit of tea. Wanna come?"
        "Nah, I'll just be in that department store over there."
        "Suit yourself, then."
        "I'll come find you later on."
        "Sure, whatever."
        Misty entered the store (which was two blocks from the tea
house where Brock and Ash were), and looked at all the British goods
on the shelves. She went upstairs, not knowing that someone was
waiting for her there...
Meanwhile, at the top of the escalator...
        "Ready?" Gary shouted into the walkie-talkie
        "Sure. When is loser-girl getting here?" the voice asked.
        "Soon. She's just entered the store."
        "Well, tell her to hurry up. I want tea and crumpets after
this, you know!"
        "Yeah, we know."
        "Is she coming yet?"
        "Not yet...wait a sec...she's coming! Battle stations!"
        Meanwhile, Misty was going up the escalator, and when she got
up, there was a net on the floor. Once she stepped into the middle,
the net snagged her, and lifted up into the air, and into an opening
in the ceiling tiles.
Meanwhile, at the tea house...
        Brock sipped on his cup of tea, while Ash was munching on one
of the hot crumpets. Then, suddenly, a man on a bike passed by, tossed
up a scrap of paper, which landed on top of the plate of butter.
        Ash looked at the note, and immediately, his face paled.
"What's wrong, Ash? Not feeling well?" Brock asked.
        "TR's captured Misty." Ash mumbled.
        "What?"
        "Yeah, read the note yourself. We have to pay 2 million
pounds by tonight if we want to see her alive again."
        "That's ridiculous!"
        "Well, that's what the note says."
        "Let's find Scott. He's been trained by the RCMP, maybe he
knows what to do..."
        "Maybe Scotland Yard would be better..."
        "Well, let's go!"
Scotland Yard...
        Ash paced around the room, Brock was sitting in the far
chair, while the sergeant and Scott were examining the note. Then,
the sergeant stood up, and sighed. "Well, folks, I think we know
what to do."
        Scott stood up (wearing his Mountie hat instead of his
usual black hat with one of his Cascade Badges on it), and at
the sergeant's nod, got out a large suitcase from under the desk,
and placed it onto the surface.
        The sergeant opened it up, revealing 2 million pounds,
all in 10 pound notes. Ash looked at them, and realized that
they were all forgeries. "Hey, how are we supposed to fool them
with these?" He asked.
        "It's simple. To a crook's eye, money is money. They'll
be too blinded to tell." Brock replied.
        "Very good, Brock." The sergeant commented. "Now, here's
what we're going to do..."
Later that night, at Charing Cross Station...
        Ash looked around. The suitcase was in his hand, with a
small bug on his shoulder. The others were hidden in plain sight,
posing as passers-by, ready to pounce on the suspect when they
come for the cash.
        Then, suddenly, a hooded man appeared from the subway
entrance, and came up to Ash. Ash slowly opened up the suitcase,
the crook checked the money, and took the suitcase. But before he
could escape, Ash tore off his hood.
        "Gary?" He gasped.
        "Ash Ketchum! I knew kidnapping your girlfriend would
make you do this!" He shouted.
        "You mean this was all a plot to bilk my money?"
        "Yep. Now, I'm rich!"
        "Where's Misty?"
        "That's a question he'll be answering back at Scotland
Yard, Ash." A voice behind Gary shouted.
        Gary whirled around, and saw Scott, Sgt. Lennox, Brock
and a squad of officers from the London Police standing there.
He gulped, grabbed the suitcase, and ran into the nearest
entrance of the subway station.
        Ash ran after him, and Pikachu (who was with him, hidden
inside his jacket) followed. He ordered Pikachu to do a Thunder
Shock attack, but it was no use. Gary was too far out of range,
and there were too many innocent people in the way.
        Gary jumped the turnstiles, and pulled out a gun. He
fired a few shots at his pursuers, and disappeared down the
escalators to the platform. When his pursuers finally got onto
the platform, Gary was nowhere in sight.
        "Rats, we missed him!" Ash snarled.
        "What are we going to do?" Brock asked.
        "We follow him, of course." Scott replied.
        "Pikachu, sniff out Gary's scent and tell us which direction
he went!" Ash ordered. "Misty's life is on the line here!"
        "Your Pikachu can do that?" A police officer asked.
        "Sure, of course." Ash replied. "I used HM 11, Track."
        Finally, Pikachu pointed to the left platform, and just as
he did that, the train pulled up. Sgt. Lennox and the officers
rushed upstairs to their squad cars, while Ash, Brock, Scott and
Pikachu boarded the train.
On board the train...
        "Well, what are we going to do? How can we know which
station Gary got off at?" Brock asked.
        "That's why there's Pikachu!" Ash replied. "Pikachu, sniff
every station to see if it has Gary's scent."
        "Pi, pika! (Yes, Ash!)" Pikachu replied.
        With every stop, Pikachu went up to the doorway, and
sniffed around. If there was no scent of Gary, he would shake
his head, jump onto Ash's lap, and try to catch a few winks
before the next station.
        Station after station passed, and finally, the train arrived
at the terminal. Pikachu sniffed around, and pointed to the exit.
"Now, this is a police investigation, Ash." Scott began. "You go
back to the hotel and wait."
        "No way!" Ash snapped. "Misty's my girlfriend!"
        "So? You're in the way of a police investigation."
        "I'm going to save Misty, whether you like it or not!"
        "Sorry, Ash, no dice."
        "Why?"
        "I can't risk you getting hurt."
        "I don't need you to baby me around."
        "Ash, listen. I'm not going to take Misty from you or
anything. You know that!"
        "But..."
        Brock stood up from the bench. "Ash, C'mon. The train's
about to leave." He coaxed.
        "No! I'm not going back." Ash snapped.
        "What?" Scott shouted.
        "Ash, Scott's an RCMP officer. You are a bystander. Better
let the professionals handle this." Brock coaxed again.
        "No, I want to save Misty, no matter what!" Ash shouted,
trying to break out of Brock's grip.
        While Ash was trying to get free, Scott (who had released
Vileplume) ran upstairs, and toward the exit. Pikachu followed,
and Ash broke free of Brock's grip. He ran upstairs, followed by
a very reluctant Brock.
Later, in a house in East London...
        "Wow, we've the jackpot!" Jesse shouted, tossing all the
money into the air.
        "Meeeeeeeeowth! That's right!" Meowth shouted, playing in
the pile of money.
        "You can say that again!" James added, while stuffing the
cash into a small burlap sack.
        "And it's all thanks to me!" Gary chimed in, with a glass
of champagne in his hand.
        "Shut up! It's was MY idea to hold her for ransom!" Cassidy
snapped, half drunk. "You thought of kidnapping loser-girl!"
        "I thought of the whole thing, for your information!"
Gary shouted back, he, too, a bit soused.
        "Oh yeah?"
        "Yeah!"
        Jesse blew her whistle. "Time out, Team Rocket!" She
shouted. "We'd better hit the road now. James, get the pipsqueak
from the basement."
        James went downstairs, and turned on the light. Misty
was in the middle of the room, gagged and tied up to a chair.
James picked her up, and carried her upstairs, where Gary,
Jesse, Meowth and Cassidy were already in the getaway car.
        He shoved Misty into the back seat next to Gary, and
sat down. Jesse pulled out, and started in the direction of
the expressway. But then, sirens were heard and red flashing
lights appeared in the distance.
        "Jesse, drive faster!" Gary coaxed.
        "I'm trying!" She snapped.
        "What are we gonna do?"
        "We'll lose the cops and the ditch the car. Hide a while,
and then sneak out of the country when all the fuss dies down."
Meanwhile, in the lead squad car...
        "Sergeant, can't you drive any faster?" Ash moaned. "Misty's
life is on the line!"
        "Ash, calm down!" Scott snapped. "First you get in the way,
and now you're getting on my nerves!"
        "How? My girlfriend's in that car!"
        "Look, Ash, Misty's fine. TR's known to be bad, but not
insensitive. So I'm guessing Misty's probably fine."
        "Well, gee, Sherlock Holmes, how'd you figure that out?"
        "Ash, shut up."
Later, at Heathrow International Airport...
        Ash untied Misty, and stood beside Brock and Scott, who
had their Poke Balls out. Opposite of them, was Team Rocket, also
with Poke Balls at the ready. A wild-western style shootout was
about to begin...
(Battle Mode ON)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jesse: Arbok, go!
James: Weezing!
Cassidy: Raticate, go!
Gary: Nidoking, go!
Brock: Go, Graveler!
Misty: Misty chooses Starmie!
Ash: Pidgeot, I choose you!
Scott: Let's go, Vileplume!
(8 Pokemon come out of their Poke Balls, and into the arena)
James: Weezing, Smoke screen!
(Whole area covered in thick, black smog)
Ash: Pidgeot, blow it away with Whirlwind!
(Wind fills the room, clears up the smog)
Misty: Starmie, Hydro Pump!
(Water jet sends TR flying toward the wall)
Jesse: Arbok, Leer them down!
(Pidgeot and Graveler freezes.)
Scott: Vileplume, Petal Dance!"
(Cloud of gold-colored pollen flies toward TR's Pokemon, their
Pokemon all start to scratch.)
Ash: Pidgeot, return! Pikachu, I choose you!
(Ash returns Pidgeot to its Poke Ball, Pikachu jumps off of Ash's
shoulder, and into the arena)
Ash: Pikachu, Electric Dragon attack!
(Pikachu charges up, glows for a moment, then sends off a
dragon-like wave of thunder toward TR and their Pokemon)
(Electricity fades, and we see the charred members of TR on
the floor unconscious.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Battle Mode OFF)
        Once confirmed that all five TR members were out cold,
the police officers went in, and arrested them. They recovered
the cash (which as you know, were all fakes) and watched as the
paddy wagon drove out of sight.
        "Well, McGwire, you did a good job." Sgt. Lennox
commented. "Congratulations on behalf of the London Police."
        "Thanks, Sergeant. I couldn't have done it without my
friends here." Scott replied. "Hey, where'd they go?"
        "I guess they've already gone back."
        "Well, I'd better go back too...It's been a long night."
        "Oh, yeah, the ambassador wants to speak with you."
        "Where is he?"
        "He's at Canada House, waiting for you."
        "Okay."
Later, at the hotel tea room...
        Brock was drinking the day's 7th cup of tea, while Ash and
Misty were packing in the mountain of scones and crumpets that was
in front of them, when Scott appeared at the door, still in that
Mountie hat.
        "Hey, Scott, what did the ambassador say?" Brock asked.
        "That's Inspector Scott to you, Brock." Scott replied.
        "What are you talking about?"
        "Well, Inspector Ludwig back at Vancouver office retired
yesterday, and he said that HQ in Ottawa give me the job over
Fraser..."
        "Since when were you a police officer, Scott?"
        "Well, I work at the gym 3 days a week, and with the RCMP
an another 3, and get Sundays off."
        "I thought being gym leader took up all your time."
        "Well, not too many people get past the Toronto gym for
some reason...The gym leader's pretty tough."
        Ash looked up from his crumpet. "Well, never mind about
that. C'mon, the crumpets are still hot." He commented.
Later that night...
        Misty was in bed, sleeping soundly. She dreamed about Ash
and her getting married, and then, suddenly, after that, Ash fades
away, and a small child clings onto her, crying. Then, she woke up,
a pool of sweat all around her.
        Is this the way it's gonna be? She thought.

Edinburgh, Scotland...
        The train eased into the station, and slowed to a halt.
Crews unloaded the luggage, and the passengers disembarked.
Misty, Scott, Ash and Brock stepped off the train, and followed
the exit signs to the concourse.
        Once there, Ash, Brock and Scott rushed to the cafeteria,
and Misty reluctantly followed. But then, suddenly, someone grab
her backpack. She screamed, attracting the attention and raising
the eyebrows of everyone within earshot.
        The crook ran, and Misty followed him. They ran around the
station for a while, until Misty finally tackled the thief, beat
him up a bit, and got her backpack as Ash, Scott, Brock and the
station security guards arrived.
        "Are you all right, ma'am?" One guard asked.
        "Yeah. I think the crook needs a bit of medical attention."
Misty replied.
        "You know, this is getting tiresome." The second guard
commented. "This crime wave is getting out of hand."
        "What crime wave?" Brock asked.
        "Aye, crooks are having a field day here in Edinburgh.
Banks and jewelry shops are being robbed, and wallets and purses
are being picked." The third guard added. "Even the Pokemon Centre
is being robbed."
        "The Pokemon Centre?" Ash asked. "This is serious!"
        "It sounds like TR up to no good again..." Misty chimed in.
        "Well, seeing you've got your backpack, I guess you should
be on you way then." The first guard replied, slapping the cuffs on
the crook. "Thanks for your help."
        "You're welcome!" Misty shouted, as the three guards left,
dragging the crook behind them.
        "Well, I guess it's time for Ash Ketchum, Master Detective
to get to work!" Ash commented.
        "Hold it right there, Holmes." Scott replied. "You're not
going without us, aren't you?"
        "Of course not!" Ash replied. "Let's go!"
Royal Edinburgh Pokemon Centre...
        Misty went up to the counter, and a nurse was there to
greet her. She handed all her Poke Balls to her, and she placed
them onto  the trays. She pressed a few buttons on the machine,
and started to walk into the back room.
        "Excuse me, nurse?" Misty shouted.
        "Yes?" She asked.
        "Um...Can you tell me more about this crime wave?"
        "Well, sometime last week, robbers had been hitting banks
and jewelry shops, as well as snatching purses and wallets...even
Pokemon here are being stolen..."
        "Do the police have any suspects?"
        "No, but that warehouse next door seems to be very loud
every night."
        "Thanks."
        "No problem. I hope the police catch those crooks soon..."
Later that night, at the warehouse...
        Misty looked around. The Pokemon Centre was open, and the
warehouse next to it still has all its lights on. Our friends sneak
across the street to the warehouse, and find that the back door was
left unlocked.
        Ash slowly opened the door, and inside, was a full-blown
Team Rocket operation. Rockets were sorting out the cash into
denomination bundles, sorting out the jewelry, and putting the
Pokemon in cages.
        "Well, we'd better start looking around..." Misty
whispered. "We'd better put on these TR uniforms."
        "No way, Jose!" Ash replied. "I have my dignity,
you know."
        "Well, well, well...sounds like Mister Ash Ketchum,
Master Detective is a big chicken." Scott commented.
        "I am not!" Ash snarled. "Now, let's go."
Meanwhile, in the office...
        "A toast to us!" Jesse shouted, lifting her glass of
champagne in the air.
        "A toast!" James and Meowth replied, following suit.
        "You know, Jesse, with all this cash, we'll spring the
boss (Giovanni, for those of you who don't know) from jail in
no time!" James commented.
        "And when he does, we'll be rewarded handsomely!" Jesse
added. "We'll be rich!"
        "Meowth will get to be the top cat again, too!" Meowth
added. "Hope that Persian is looking for a new job!"
Meanwhile, in the work area...
        Misty walked around the warehouse, and saw all that
was happening. Gold jewelry was being shipped in crates marked
"COFFEE" bound for Viridian City, while cash was being put into
large burlap sacks.
        She located the office, where the heads of this operation
was sure to be. Ash and Brock went to get help, while she and Scott
were going to confront the ringleader. Then, suddenly, a man
grabbed her.
        "Hey, you, what are you doing, slacker?" He shouted.
        "Uh, just on my coffee break." Misty replied.
        "Oh, you mean your champagne break. A new crate of red
wine stolen 2 hours ago is in the mess hall."
        "Yeah, I'll check it out."
        "Better make it quick, the ship's coming in an hour."
        The Rocket walked on, and Misty continued her way upstairs.
Once there, she met up with Scott. They tore off their uniforms,
quietly snuck down the hallway to the office, and kicked down the
door.
        "It's them!" Meowth exclaimed.
        "Oh, no, it's that puny little girl and her Mountie
friend!" Jesse shouted.
        "How did you clowns get out of jail?" Misty shouted.
        "None of your business, you puny little rat!" James
snapped. "Now, get ready to battle!"
        "I'm not puny!" Misty shouted. "Let's go, Scott!"
        "Ready when you are!" Scott replied.
(Battle Mode ON)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jesse: Lickitung, go!
James: Victreebel, go!
(A Lickitung and a Victreebel pop out of their Poke Balls)
Misty: Hey, what happed to Arbok and Weezing?
James: Oh, they're on vacation.
Jesse: Pokemon need vacations too, you know.
Misty: Oh.
James: Well, aren't you going to release your Pokemon?
Misty: Oh, yeah...Go, Starmie!
Scott: Let's go, Magnemite!
(Starmie and Magnemite pop out of their Poke Balls)
Jesse: Lickitung, Lick attack!
Misty: Starmie, Water Gun!
(Water jet hits Lickitung, sends it flying toward Jesse)
James: Victreebel, Poison Powder!
Scott: Magnemite, Thunder Wave!
(The Thunder Wave fries the Poison Powder, and cooks Victreebel
to a crunchy crisp)
Jesse: Grrr...Lickitung, return! Muk, go!
James: Victreebel, return! Venomoth, go!"
(Lickitung and Victreebel disappears into Poke Balls, and a Muk
and a Venomoth appear)
Misty: Starmie, Water Gun!
Scott: Magnemite, Thunder Dragon!
Misty: Put it together...
Scott: And you get..
Misty + Scott: The Electric Cascade Wave!
(Thunder Dragon and Water Gun combines, forms into a dragon-like
figure, and fries Muk and Venomoth)
Jesse: They're good.
Meowth: For once, I guess I'll have to do it myself!
(Sirens heard outside)
James: Meowth, let's go!
Meowth: No! You two go and save the boss!
Jesse: (Teary-eyed) Oh, Meowth...
Meowth: Ah, put a sock in it and get outta here!
Scott: Not so fast, you old hag! You're under arrest!
Jesse: Says who?
Scott: Inspector Scott McGwire of the RCMP. Now hands up in the air!
James: Hah! You've got no gun, so why should we?
Misty: Do you three clowns want to be soaked with a Hydro Pump
attack over and over?
Jesse, James + Meowth: No! No! We give up! We surrender!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Battle Mode OFF)
        Scott put on his Mountie hat, and waited for the police
to arrive. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, the
police arrived with Ash and Brock. "Well, well, well...if it
isn't the escaped Team Rocket!" One officer exclaimed.
        "Thanks, mister..." A second added.
        "Inspector Scott McGwire of the RCMP, and Miss Misty
Waterflower of Cerulean City, Indigo Island." Scott replied.
        "Well, Inspector McGwire and Miss Waterflower, you have
just help solve the greatest crime wave in Edinburgh's history!"
A third officer exclaimed.
        "Well, it was nothing." Misty replied.
        "All of Edinburgh can sleep soundly tonight, thanks to
the two of you, as well as Mr. Ketchum and Mr. Slate." A forth
added.
        "Well, it's all in a day's work for Ash Ketchum, Master
Detective!" Ash exclaimed.
        "And friends." Brock added.
        "Yeah, and friends." Ash hastily replied.
        The officers handcuffed Jesse and James, and put Meowth
in a kitty carrier under a steel lock. They took them away, and
ransacked the whole warehouse for each and every piece of stolen
goods.
        Ash, Misty, Scott and Brock walked out of the warehouse,
and back to the hotel restaurant to celebrate. After a while, they
went back, to get ready for the long day to travel that was to come
the next day.
Later, back in the room...
        With everyone in their PJs (Well, not really...Misty was
the only one. All the guys were in their boxers), and the time
about 11:30 local time, everyone was about to hit the hay after
a long day, except...
        "Hey, I forgot my puffer!" Misty shouted.
        "Me too." Ash replied.
        "Hey, yeah...me too." Scott added.
        "Is it just me, or is this just a really big coincidence?"
Brock commented.
        "Beats me." Scott replied.
        All four took a puff, but suddenly, Ash took it out of his
mouth, and shook it violently. "Hey, my puffer's empty!" Ash shouted.
        "Here, use mine." Scott shouted.
        "Eww, no way." Ash replied.
        "Ash, you know you could be in serious trouble if we're
all asleep." Misty shouted.
        "Like how?" Ash asked.
        "We won't be there to save you from an attack, that's
all." Brock replied.
        "Come on, it's not gonna hurt." Scott added.
        "No way. Yours is the wrong dosage. Besides, you need
it." Ash replied. "Now, good night."
Later that night...
        Ash couldn't sleep. Something was wrong, and he just
didn't know what to do. Then, it hit him. Now I wish I had
filled that can back up back in London, he thought. Now, I'm
gonna die from lack of air.
        He turned on the lights, and woke everyone up. Misty,
seeing Ash's blue face, rushed into her backpack, checked the
dosage, stuck it into Ash's mouth, and pressed the button. After
a few seconds, Ash started to breathe.
        "Thanks, Misty." He gasped.
        "Yeah, you're welcome." Misty replied.
        "What's wrong, Misty?"
        "You could have died, you know!"
        "What's the matter?"
        "Well, you should know how to take care of yourself."
        "Misty, you're not my mom."
        "I know...by the way, Ash, where's my bike?"
        "You still remember that after all those years?"
        "Yep. So, where is it?"
        "I'll buy you one when we get back to Indigo Island."
        "No! You're going to go to a bike shop tomorrow, and
buy me one!"
        "Misty!"
        "Don't Misty me! You're going to buy me one tomorrow!"
        But before Misty could turn away, her eyes met with Ash's.
They stared at each other, their lips trembled, and tears came to
their eyes. Then, in a split second, they embraced each other, and
kissed.
        After a while of rolling around on the floor (Brock and
Scott are both still sound asleep), Ash let go. "Is that payment
enough, Miss Waterflower?" He asked.
        "No, but you can still get me something nice." Misty replied.
        "Like what?"
        "A diamond ring."
        Ash gasped, and fainted. Misty stared at him, and shrugged.
She lifted him back onto the couch, turned off the lights, and went
back to sleep. But unfortunately, it was that same dream from the
night before...
(Dream-Scope v1.0 ON)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Priest: I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss
the bride.
(Ash, instead of kissing Misty, walks away)
Misty: Ash, wait!
(Ash disappears into darkness, Misty follows. Scene then changes
to Pallet Town seaport, where a ship is docked. A child appears in
Misty's arms)
Child: Mommy, mommy, please don't let daddy go!
(Misty looks shocked, continues to chase Ash)
Ash: I'll be back someday, sweetheart, I promise!
Misty: Ash, wait!
(Ship sails off, Ash waves from the stern)
Misty: (Crying) Ash, don't go...
(Scene changes to what seems to be the Cerulean City Gym's
Conference Room. Misty, Brock, The Sensational Sisters, Scott,
A.J., Giselle, Snap, Duplica, Jesse, James, Pikachu and Meowth
are sitting at a round  table)
Daisy: I still say you've married the wrong guy, sis.
Misty: He's my husband, for crying out loud!
Brock: But, Misty, no one's seen Ash in years!
Scott: Besides, if he still loves you, he would have called at
every port that he landed at!
Snap: How do you know he's not off with some foreign girl at
some bar?
All: Mmm-hmm.
Misty: Well, you're wrong! I love Ash and Ash loves me!
Gary: Don't bet on it.
All: Who asked you?
(Door swings open, a Indigo Island Navy seaman appears.)
Misty: Yeah? Can we help you?
Seaman: Is Mrs. Misty Katsumi Ketchum-Waterflower here?
Misty: I am.
Seaman: We've just got word from Fuschia Command that your husband,
Ash Ketchum, is lost at sea with Professor Marcus Oak and the crew
of the I.I.S. Lavender Town.
(Misty falls to her knees, tears come to her eyes)
Misty: No, it can't be...
(Darkness prevails as Misty breaks into tears.)
Misty: NO!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Dream-Scope OFF)
        Misty woke up. She pinched herself, and realized that she was
back in the real world again. What a nightmare! She thought. But if
this dream holds true, then what happens? What will happen to me?