In the backyard of Professor Oak's lab, a cheerful commotion was underway—Ash's Pokémon had gathered to see him off, and the atmosphere was buzzing with energy.
"Long time no see, Pidgeot! I didn't expect you to have gotten this strong already!" Bulbasaur said, eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Of course," Charizard replied proudly, puffing up his chest. "But you're still not stronger than me!"
"Hardly," Pidgeot answered with a polite tone—before smirking. "I'm just surprised a problem child like you actually listens now."
"Cough! Hey, I was just... young and reckless, okay?!" Charizard barked, then added indignantly, "Problem child?! You wanna fight?!"
He cast a quick glance at Ash, then locked eyes with Pidgeot, ready to throw down.
"Hmph! Bring it on!" Pidgeot flared his wings, equally fired up.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down you two!" Bulbasaur stepped in quickly, trying to defuse the situation. "Let's talk things out!"
Just then, Eevee hopped up on a nearby rock and struck a proud pose.
"You all might be stronger than me now, but don't get cocky! In the near future, I'll defeat every one of you—and I'll take that yellow mouse's spot on Ash's shoulder!"
"So while I'm still weak, you'd better start sucking up to me! Otherwise, when I'm strong, I won't even look at you!"
A silence followed—then:
"BOYS! CHARGE!" Bayleef snapped, already out of patience. She led a furious stampede of male Pokémon toward the arrogant furball.
"Gentlemon settle things with words, not violence! You jerks—HELP!!" Eevee screamed, bolting as fast as he could from the mob.
"Pika~…" Pikachu sighed with a deadpan face and shook his head. (Typical.)
----------------------------
Elsewhere, the farewell party had wrapped up.
"Ash, here's your new outfit and backpack—Mom packed everything you'll need!" Delia said with a smile, handing him the gear.
"Thanks, Mom!" Ash grinned, happily accepting it.
"And this is the latest Pokédex," Professor Oak added, stepping forward. "It's loaded with data from the Hoenn Region. Think of it as a parting gift. Once you arrive, be sure to check in with Professor Birch."
"Awesome! Thanks, Professor Oak!" Ash replied. It wasn't as advanced as his system, but it could work as an official ID when needed.
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✦ The Next Morning ✦
"Ash, be safe out there!" Delia waved from the pier. "Pikachu, I'm counting on you to take care of him!"
"Pikapi~!"
"Got it! We're off!" Ash called back, boarding the cruise ship bound for the Hoenn Region.
Aboard the Ship...
"Come out! Eevee, Phanpy!"
"Bui~!""Bubu~!"
Eevee instantly leapt onto Ash's other shoulder, proudly claiming it as his domain. If Bayleef found out, she'd absolutely lose it.
Meanwhile, Phanpy excitedly ran around the deck, full of energy.
Ash chose not to release Pidgeot—his large size wasn't well-suited for the limited space on a cruise ship.
As he stared out at the vast, endless ocean, Ash relaxed. The journey to Hoenn was long, but the peaceful voyage was a welcome change of pace.
Unbeknownst to him, far off on the deck above, two figures and a talking cat were spying on them with binoculars. Or rather, spying on Pikachu.
That Night...
In the quiet of the cabin, Ash and his Pokémon had already fallen asleep.
Click.
The door creaked open.
A mechanical arm suddenly shot inside—snatching up Pikachu in one swift motion!
"Pika~! Pikapika!!" Pikachu was jolted awake, flailing in panic.
"Pikachu?!" Ash sat up with a start. "What's going on?!"
Then, from outside the door...
"Wahaha! Since you asked so sincerely—"
"We'll tell you mercifully!"
"To protect the world from devastation—"
"To unite all people within our nation—"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love—"
"To extend our reach to the stars above—"
"Jessie!""James!"
"We're Team Rocket, soaring through the galaxy!"
"A white tomorrow awaits us—through the White Hole!"
"That's right!""Meowth, that's right!""Wobbuffet~!"
"Team Rocket... how did I forget about them?!" Ash groaned, already grabbing a Poké Ball and rushing after them.
Outside, Ash saw Pikachu trapped inside an anti-electric barrier, struggling to break free.
"Pikapi~!" Pikachu slammed into the energy field over and over.
"Team Rocket! Let Pikachu go!" Ash shouted.
"Wahaha! Not a chance, Ash!" Jessie laughed. "He's ours now! James, Meowth—retreat!"
"Roger that!""Meow~!""Weezing, use Smoke Screen!"
A cloud of smoke exploded across the deck.
"You're not getting away that easy! Go, Pidgeot! Blow away the smoke with Hurricane—then break the barrier with Steel Wing!"
"Pidgeot~!" With a loud cry, Pidgeot cut through the smog and sped toward Team Rocket.
Their faces went pale.
"W-Wobbuffet! Use Counter! Quickly!! Arbok, Poison Sting!" "Sonansu~!" "Chaa~!"
[Meowth – Strength: Normal Mid-Grade] [Arbok – Strength: High-Grade Elite] [Weezing – Strength: High-Grade Elite] [Wobbuffet – Strength: Mid-Tier Gym Level]
But it was too late.
Pidgeot reached them in an instant. His metallic wings gleamed in the moonlight—then shattered the barrier in one clean strike.
"Pika~!" Pikachu leapt onto Pidgeot's back, finally free.
"Nice job! Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Pidgeot, Gust!"
"Pika... CHUUU!!" "Pidgeot~!"
A golden whirlwind and crackling lightning combined into a devastating combo—blasting Team Rocket straight into the sky.
"Looks like we're blasting off again—!""Sonansu~ (ᗒᗣᗕ)!"
Pidgeot swooped back down and landed gracefully. Pikachu leapt into Ash's waiting arms.
"Thank goodness you're safe, Pikachu! You too, Pidgeot—thanks a lot!"
"Pikapi~ Pikapi~!""Pidgeot~!"
[Ding! Achievement unlocked: First Victory Against Team Rocket! Reward: 5000 Points]
With Team Rocket finally gone, the rest of the voyage passed in peace. Ash began training without delay.
First, he helped Pikachu sense Steel-type energy by using the ship's deck as a conduit—this way, Pikachu could begin learning Iron Tail. Pidgeot assisted nearby.
With the 5000 points he had earned, Ash bought:
A Sharp Beak for Pidgeot
A TM: Heat Wave
Two Power Weights for Eevee and Phanpy
"Pika~!" Pikachu's tail gleamed silver, striking Pidgeot with a loud clang!
"Nice! Pikachu, you did it!""Pikapi~ Pikapi~!"
Meanwhile, both Phanpy and Eevee improved rapidly thanks to their low starting levels—reaching Normal Peak and Normal Late Stage, respectively.
A pleasant surprise came when Phanpy, inspired by watching the others train, learned Iron Head—a great countermeasure against Ice-types!
As time passed, land began to appear on the horizon. The lush, varied terrain of the Hoenn Region slowly came into view.
Hoenn boasted an incredibly diverse ecosystem—from dense tropical jungles to scorching deserts. But its most defining feature was its vast stretches of water, almost equal in area to its mainland.
Islands of all sizes dotted the sea, many accessible only by boat—or through diving beneath the waves.
The region's warm climate and varied environments made it stand apart from other areas. With cities nestled along the coasts and mountains at the heart, Hoenn was a place of natural wonder.
It even had two volcanoes—one dormant, the other active. Mt. Chimney, the active one, constantly released volcanic ash, covering the nearby trails in shifting colors. Its counterpart lay deep beneath the waves: an underwater volcano, silently slumbering.
✦ Somewhere Else in Hoenn... ✦
"Dad! Mom! I'm heading out!"
"Be careful, sweetie!"
"Don't worry, I will!"
A girl wearing a red bandana waved goodbye to her parents as she pedaled away on her bicycle—toward her own adventure.
To be continued...