A Wonderful Journey

A.N: Hope you enjoy!

Everyone tensed up when they saw a Bright light appearing, as they wondered what or who could it be. When the light died down, it revealed a teenage boy along with a Pikachu, the teenager was still disoriented when Pikachu caught a scent and immediately turned towards it. His eyes widened when he saw who it was, and he dashed happily towards her.

"Pika-Pi!"Pikachu jumped into Alexia's arms, who grabbed him and gave him an immediate hug.

"Aww, I miss you too Pikachu."

"Pika!"

The teen looked around in confusion before he spotted Pikachu and Alexia.

"Lexi!?"

"Hey, Ash!"Alexia smiles as Ash walks over to his friend and hugs her, smiling at her, she blushes when she sees his smile.

"It's good to see you again! But I thought you were in Johto?"

Alexia nodded."I was, but then I was send here to watch our adventure through Sinnoh."

Ash frowned."That's weird... Where even are we?" He looked around seeing how many people where here.

"You remember when I told you and Brock I was from a different world?"Ash nodded."Well, we are in that world... And like I say we were send here by an higher being to watch my life, while time outside is frozen until we leave."

Someone cleared their throat."I think we should get back on track."

Alexia sighed, knowing it was right."Come on!"She grabs Ash's hand and pulls him along, making him blush. He smiled when he saw Gardevoir again.

"Hi, Gardevoir."

"Pika!"

'Hello, Companion-Ash and Pikachu.'Gardevoir smiled.

"Well, look like you caught some new friends while in Johto."Ash smiled at Flaaffy and the shy Chikorita.

"Flaaffy!"

"C-chiko."

"Pika-Pi, Pikachu."

"Flaa-Flaaffy!"

Alexia smiled at her Pokémon making friend with Pikachu."Yup, Flaaffy was my first one I caught in Johto while I caught Chikorita recently so she's still a bit shy with stranger. Have you caught any new Pokémon yet?"

"Of course I did, come on out!"Ash sent out his Pokémon.

"Osha!"

"Dove!"

"Aww, they are so cute."Alexia smiled at the new Pokémon.

Oshawott blushed at the compliment, while Pidove proudly ruffled her feather.

As they talked together, everyone watched their interaction, and it was obvious that these two were close. Some could clearly see how much happier Alexia was since Ash's arrival... Ash sit next to Alexia as Pikachu took the opportunity to sit on her lap, making Chikorita to glare at him for stealing her spot... And with that, the next episode start...

Alexia and Dawn were riding together on Route 202, where their next stop would be Jubilife City. But first things first, the two of them braked to a stop before they ran down together.

"We are really here to watch our Sinnoh journey."Ash said.

"I did say it."

"I know but it's kinda hard to believe until you see it with your own eyes."Ash replied back.

"Piplup, come on out!"

Piplup was sent out, allowing him to joined them as they sat together against a rock.

"Piplup, I am psyched and all, but I'm starting to wonder what a new Pokémon trainer like me and Lexi does first."Dawn hummed as they stared at the skies together.

"Pip?"Piplup tilt his head in curiosity, Kirlia was curious too as she stared up at her trainer.

"Well... for starters, we can't always rely on just Kirlia and Piplup as there will be times when we will need new friends to help us. So..."Alexia said with a smile, before turning to Dawn, who smiled and nodded.

"Let's catch some Pokémon!"The best friends exclaimed together.

The adult smiled at how excited and how carefree they were. The Potters were sad seeing their daughter so happy and how much they had miss of her life.

"You should go first."Alexia suggest.

"Are you sure?"Dawn asked surprised.

"Of course."

"Alright then! Let's go!"Dawn excitedly exclaimed, they turned only to see...

"A Buneary!"Dawn gasped, she immediately pointed her Pokédex to scan it.

"Buneary, the Rabbit Pokémon. By quickly extending its rolled-up ears, it can launch a powerful attack against its enemies."

"Aww, it's so cute."Lavender cooed,

"The more I learn about Pokémon, the more it make me want one."Tracey said.

"I don't know what's all the fuzz about, they aren't even that interesting."Draco sneered.

"Yeah right."Blaise rolled his eyes not believing him.

Alexia look at Dawn wondering how she's planning to catch it.

"We have to watch out for those ears, so here's the deal. The best way to catch a Pokémon is to battle it with another Pokémon until it gets weak, and that's where you come in. You ready?"Dawn asked.

"Piplup!"

"Okay, Piplup. Let's use Bubble Beam!"Dawn called out, as Piplup launch his attack."There's nothing like calling an attack, awesome!"Dawn giggled.

"Keep your focus, Dawn!"Alexia warned her friend, they watched to see Buneary jump out of the way at a quick pace.

"What a jump!"Dawn gasped while Piplup was startled as she was as he looked around. Dawn notice Buneary appearing right behind Piplup.

"Woah! That bunny is fast!"Ron exclaimed.

"And quite agile too."Harry said.

"Peck attack! Buneary's behind you!"

But as Piplup turned to strike, Buneary easily dodged the attack before using its right ear to punch him hard, the impact was enough to knock Piplup away.

"No."Dawn gasped as Alexia sighed. Dawn rushed over to hold Piplup in her arms.

"You okay, Piplup-"

SMACK!

"AH!"

Some of the students couldn't help but laughed.

Alexia winced when she saw Buneary jumping on Dawn face before hopping away, making its escape as her and Kirlia went over to check on them.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, but Piplup, how do you feel?"Dawn asked, but they could see Piplup looking sad, with what just happened.

"Seems like he was hoping to begin this one with a successful catch."Alexia said, causing Dawn to console Piplup.

"Hey, don't let it get to you, everyone makes mistakes the first time around. You've just gotta keep trucking."Dawn said confidently as she stood up with a bold look. That seems to cheer Piplup up as he made the same expression as Dawn's, regaining the confidence he needed to keep going.

"Well then, I guess it's my turn to try. Ready, Kirlia?"Alexia turned to her partner, who nodded.

"What kind of Pokémon are you looking for?"Dawn asked.

"Nothing really specific, just one that is willing to battle. After all, past Jubilife City will be my first Pokémon Gym which is in Oreburgh City."Alexia said.

"What's a Pokémon Gym?"Theodore asked.

"Gym are kinda like Contest, but where you have to battle the Gym Leader of the gym. If you managed to defeat him you earn their Badge, after earning 8 of them you are qualified to enter the Pokémon League of that region. The League is single-elimination tournament, rules vary from region to region, but generally, the competitions is divided into three parts: qualifying rounds, preliminary rounds, and final rounds. And once you win the League, you may enter the Champion League were you would face off against the Elite Four members of the region. And, if successful, the League Champion."Alexia explained.

Most of the guys and even some girls were really interested by this.

"League Champion, doesn't you become one after defeating the league?"Seamus asked.

"Not exactly, for the most part we call a League Champion a Pokémon Champion instead and there's can be only one Pokémon Champion per region at a time. For someone to become one they need to not only win the Pokémon League but defeat the Elite Four, and the previous Champion. Currently the Pokémon Champion of Sinnoh is Cynthia."Alexia explained.

"That's interesting, and you Ash did you participate in any before of was Sinnoh your first one?"

Ash nodded."I've already taken part in other leagues, and I'm currently planning to take part in my fifth."

"Did you win any?"Harry asked.

"Huh... Well, I did win one but it was an unofficial one called the Orange League."Ash replied.

"What about you Alexia?"

"That would be telling since I've only participated in one, and we're currently following my journey to get there."Alexia said.

"Not even a little hint?"

"Well, I did had to fight Ash during the League..."Alexia said, Ash smiled remembering that battle between them.

It was at that moment when the tall grass rustled, they turned to see...

"Look! It's a Vulpix!"Dawn pointed out, Alexia took out her Pokémon to give it a quick scan.

"Vulpix, The Fox Pokémon, It controls balls of fire. As it grows, its six tails split from their tips to make more tails."

"What's a Vulpix doing here?"Dawn wondered.

"What does she mean by that?"Tonks asked.

"Vulpix are native to the Kanto region, so it's extremely rare to find them in other regions, let alone in the wild."Alexia explained.

Alexia hummed in thought."Maybe its pack had migrated close by, I've heard rumors that a pack of Growlithe has been spotted around here. So maybe it's the same for Vulpix."

Upon spotting them, the Fox Pokémon growled and got into a fighting stance. Alexia blinked in surprised, seeing the Vulpix would rather fight than running away at first sight.

"You ready, Kirlia?"

"Kirlia!"Kirlia nodded as she stepped forward to face their opponent while Dawn and Piplup watched.

The battle began as Vulpix open its mouth and send a torrent of flame toward Kirlia.

"Kirlia, Teleport out of the way!"

Kirlia teleport out as the Flamethrower made impact where Kirlia once stood creating a cloud of smoke, Vulpix looked around trying to find its opponent.

The more they watch and learn about Pokémon the more impressed they are by them, as you would never have guest that something as small as that little fox could that powerful.

"Now, use Confusion!"

Kirlia eyes glow purple, lifting a couple of rocks before tossing them at Vulpix.

"Vul!"Vulpix cried out, as it recoil weakened a bit from the sudden attack. Suddenly Vulpix created multiple copies of itself.

"Magical Leaf!"

Kirlia eyes flash a light green for a second, before sending glowing green leaf toward Vulpix, the clones were immediately destroyed and knocking Vulpix back, who shrieked from the damage.

"Come on, show me what you're made of, Vulpix."Alexia called out, as Vulpix slowly get up, it narrowed its eyes before they glow green as it start gathering energy in front of its mouth, forming a small green ball.

"Why are you encouraging Vulpix?"Angelina asked.

"Because I wanted to see what Vulpix was capable of as I know she could do much more then that."

"How would you know that?"

"Intuition."Alexia simply said.

"That's Energy Ball!"Alexia gasped."Counter it with Magical Leaf!"

Kirlia immediately send more leaf meeting the Energy Ball head on, she overpowering it as Magical Leaf continued its course knocking Vulpix back causing it to shriek before crashing to the grass.

Alexia seeing her chance, she took out one of her Pokéball, and throw in time just before Vulpix was about to get up as it made contact with it on the head before it opened, capturing Vulpix. With it, the ball began to shake back and forth... They all watched anxiously until it made a clicking sound as the shaking stop.

"Is it always this stressful catching Pokémon?"Ernie asked.

"Only your first capture."

"How did your first attempt go?"Neville asked Ash.

"Ahahaha..."Ash nervously laughed as he rubbed the back of his head, while Pikachu smiled sheepishly."It didn't go well..."

Alexia grinned as she made her way over before picking the Pokéball up.

"We caught Vulpix! We have a new friend!"Alexia exclaimed.

"Kirlia!"Kirlia smiled.

"That was incredible."Dawn said, with Piplup sharing the same awe.

Alexia smiled at them, before sending Vulpix out, who let out a weak cry before wincing as she licked her paw.

"Hey, sorry about that."Alexia said softly, as she take a Potion out of her backpack. Vulpix blinked before she could react, Alexia sprayed the Potion on her wound, causing Vulpix to yelp and whimper.

"What's that?"

"It's a potion used to heal injured Pokémon."

"Sorry, it stings, but it'll help you feel better."Alexia assured, as she finish."All better now?"

"Vul!"Alexia smiled as she rubbed Vulpix's head, making the little fox purred happily.

"Anyways, I'm Alexia and this is Kirlia. That was a great battle, there. And I thought your attacks were pretty lit."Alexia winked.

Some laughed at the pun while other groaned.

"She's so cute."Dawn cooed as she walked over with Piplup. Upon noticing them, Vulpix become a little cautious.

"Hey, it's okay. They're friends."Alexia rubbed Vulpix's head, reassuring her.

"Hi there, I'm Dawn."

"Piplup."

"Vul-Vulpix."

Suddenly the grass ruffled again, gaining their attention as a Pokémon come out of them...

Everyone gasped.

"EEVEE!?"

"Is that the same Eevee?"

"Of course is that be, who could it be then? A wild one?"Ginny said.

"An Eevee?"Dawn said surprised, even Alexia was surprised as they wondered what was Eevee doing here.

"Piplup?"Piplup eyes widened recognizing the Eevee.

The Eeevee looked around before spotting them, a smile appear on its face as it sprint toward.

"Vee-Eevee!"

"Woah!"Eevee jumped into Alexia's arms, who caught her. Eevee snuggles happily.

"Well, this just confirm it, since I don't think a wild one would be that affectionate."Hermione said.

"But why would Eevee leave and follow Alexia?"

"Some time Pokémon will willingly want join to you after bonding with them, that's what happened with some of my Pokémon."Ash said.

"What's going on?"Dawn asked, Vulpix was on guard ready to protect her new trainer.

"Pip! Piplup Pip."

Alexia was thoughtful as she look at Eevee which it seems familiar.

"I think Eevee comes from Professor Rowan's lab, the fact that Piplup recognizes her does prove it, but I don't know why she seems to have followed us."Alexia theorized.

"Eevee Eev Eevee Vee!"

Dawn tilt her head."What did she just say?"

"Kirlia."She tucked on Alexia jacket bring her attention.

"What is it?"

Kirlia immediately begins telepathically sending images to her trainer, explaining that Eevee wants to join her.

The witches and wizards gaped at seeing Kirlia telepathy for the first time.

Alexia raised an eyebrow."What you are saying is that Eevee wanted to join me but we left before she could ask." Dawn was surprised that Eevee been following them since they left for that.

"Eev-vee Eevee!"Eevee bounces happily around Alexia.

"You really want to join me, huh?"

"Eeveev!"Eevee nodded.

"Well, welcome to the team Eevee."Alexia smiles as she picks up one of her Pokéballs and Eevee immediately touches the middle button. The Pokéball make a ding sound signifying Eevee capture.

"It's quite interesting so far we had seen three way of getting a Pokémon, getting one from a Professor, by battling and where one willing joined. Is there any other way to get one?"A Ravenclaw asked.

"Well, You can obtained one from an egg."Alexia said.

"Pokémon came from egg?"A first year asked.

"For the most part, however there are some that are genderless so we have yet to discovered how they came to be."

"How do one obtain an egg?"

"You can get one from Day care, certain event can give egg and from either winning a Contest or Tournament."Alexia replied.

"Wait! You can win egg from tournament?"

"Yes, it's how I got one of my Pokémon. I had won a tournament and as a price they give me their egg."Alexia said.

"Looks like we got another friend, Vulpix, Kirlia."Alexia said, Kirlia smiled.

"Pix!"

"Congratulation, Lexi!"Dawn smiled, happy for her friend, before sighing, feeling a little down at not having caught any Pokémon yet.

"Hey, it's okay you gonna catch one soon."Alexia assured her friend, Dawn determinedly nodded.

Later...

"Hey, Piplup, do you know what Pokémon contest is?"Dawn asked her partner, who turned to her in confusion. "It's so cool! My dream is to be a Top Coordinator like my mom! So the first place we're going is Jubilife City, 'cause they're having a Pokémon Contest there soon, and it's close."

Alexia nodded."Yup! And once our business in Jubilife is done, we are then off to Oreburgh City, for my first Gym battle."

"Now, let's get as many Pokémon as we can before then, so we'll have lots of help. We've gotta start coming up with our own combinations too, you know."

"What combination is she talking about?"Alicia asked.

"A combination is when you combine two move as one, it's often use in Contest for appeal. But it still can be use in battle too."Alexia explained.

"Lup!"Piplup chirped with excitement.

"So let's go get 'em!"

Alexia smiled at her childhood friend, before looking around spotting something.

"Check that out."Alexia pointed out, as they stopped to something ahead of them.

"Wow, it's a Burmy!"Dawn exclaimed as she scanned the Pokémon wit her Pokédex.

"Burmy, the Bagworm Pokémon. To protect itself from the cold wind, Burmy uses leaves and branches to make a cloak around itself."

"Catching that little cutie will be a piece of cake."Dawn assured herself until...

"Piplup!"

"Huh!?"

They watched in surprise as Piplup go ahead using Bubble Beam, without waiting for Dawn's command.

Neville nervously laughed."Piplup is quite eager to help, ahaha."

"Couldn't wait, huh? Man."Dawn sighed before the attack hit Burmy directly, who shrieked and fell to the ground.

"Wow, that was great!"Dawn exclaimed as she shook Piplup's flippers in excitement."I think we caught ourselves a Pokémon!"

"She shouldn't celebrate too early."Cedric said.

"Dawn! Concentrated!"Alexia called out, causing her to turn in surprise to see Burmy scurrying over to the leaves as it began picking it up to put the leaves back on itself.

"Wow, look at Burmy go."

"Piplup! Pip, lup, Piplup!"Piplup said frantically.

"Dawn, get you Pokéball and catch it! Otherwise, it'll run away!"Alexia exclaimed, alarming Dawn before she quickly dug into her bag.

"Ah, you're right! I still have to catch it. Go, Pokéball-"

But by the time Dawn got her Pokéball out, Burmy was already gone out of sight, much to Dawn dismay as there was no signs that it was around anymore.

Everyone sighed.

"It was to be expected."

"Great, you had it but you let it get away."Alexia sighed, Kirlia shakes her head sharing the same feeling as her trainer.

"Well, look like I make one of those beginner's mistakes and it sure was a beauty."Dawn said, sounding disappointed in herself.

"Like she had say, everyone make mistakes. And she's new so it's understable to make mistake like that."

"Even sometime I would make some beginner's mistakes."Alexia admitted.

"Piplup."Piplup said, as it was his turn to console her like she did with him. And it seems to have done the trick as Dawn got up with a renewed expression, regaining the confidence she had back.

"Right, I won't let myself get bummed out! I'm allowed to make mistakes just like you! Together, let's climb Mount Success until we reach tip-top!"Dawn called out, with Piplup joining her once again, as they displayed confidence together once more.

Suddenly, there was another rustle coming from the bushes behind them as they turned their heads to see...

THUD!

"A Pikachu?"Alexia said, before scanning the Pikachu with her Pokédex.

"Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon. It can generate electric attacks from the electric pouches located in both of its cheeks."

Alexia frowned seeing the state Pikachu was in, he either battle a wild Pokémon or pick a fight with a Pokémon trainer.

Oshawott and Pidove frowned wondering what had happened to their friend.

"Wait, is that your Pikachu? It would explain why he's in that state."

"Pika Pi!"Pikachu nodded.

Some laughed at Pikachu answering in Ash's place.

"So it's an Electric type, not a great matchup for Piplup, but hey."Dawn frowned.

"You're planning to catch him?"

"Yeah."Dawn nodded before Piplup displayed the same focused expression."'Kay, take it from the top! Piplup, use Bubble Beam!"

Piplup fired the Water attack, but despite at his weakened state, Pikachu glared before firing a Thunderbolt attack, which easily destroyed the bubbles.

"Oh man!"Dawn gasped."Alright, Piplup. Use Peck on Pikachu, now!"Dawn continued on, allowing Piplup to lunge forward with the Flying attack.

"I don't think that's a good idea."Daphne said.

"Wait, Dawn! You forgot about-"

ZAP!

"Piplup!"

"About Pikachu's Thunderbolt..."Alexia sighed, seeing Piplup get shocked before colliding with their bike, causing them to get shocked in the process, too!

"Our bike! They are extra crispy!"Dawn gasped in shock, as Alexia eyes widened at what happened to their bike but notice that Pikachu seems rather apologetic for what he's done.

Everyone gasped at what happened to their bike.

"Pika Pi Pika Pikachu."Pikachu said, apologetic.

"Hey, it's okay."Alexia said, as she rubbed Pikachu's head."Dawn and I have already forgiven you."

"Pika..."

"Well, thanks alot! I'm definitely gonna catch you after that!"Dawn declared before Alexia stopped her, catching her by surprise.

"Lexi, why are you stopping me?"

"I don't think that's a wild Pikachu, I think he already has a trainer."Alexia said, much to Dawn surprise.

"How did you know he already had a trainer?"Harry asked.

"Well, I do explained why I think so. But it's small thing here and there that I pick up that make me think that Pikachu had a trainer."Alexia explained, Harry smiled softly since he had thought she would had ignore him which he wouldn't blame her given the way he'd treated her in the past.

"Huh? How do you know that?"

"Think about it, Pikachu are extremely rare in this area and only a high-leveled one would know Thunderbolt. And with how he responded to Piplup's attack, it proves that Pikachu is capable of battling, even with how worn out he was."Alexia explained.

"Ah..."

"And well... when his attack burned our bike to a crisp, he seemed apologetic about it. I don't think a wild Pikachu would be like that, unless he's a really nice wild Pokémon."

"You have really good observation skills."Kingsley said, the Potters can't help but be proud of their daughter.

The facts left Dawn silent before she turned to Pikachu, who started to run off before coming out of the bushes was...

"A Seviper!?"Alexia eyes widened, as Pikachu tried to run again, only to be confronted by a Dustox this time, and he was then blocked by Cacnea.

"What in the world, is going on?"

"They're my Pikachu crew!"

An unfamiliar voice caught them by surprise before a familiar Pokémon came into the scene, joining in on the three Pokémon that was cornering Pikachu.

"A... talking Meowth? Am I hallucinating?"

Everyone laughed, amused by her reaction.

"This ain't no hallucination, twerp! I'm the real deal here!"Meowth snapped.

"Meowth, the Scratch Cat Pokémon. It sleeps a lot during the daytime, and during the nighttime becomes active, moving around it's territory."

"And what that blabber box won't tell you is not only am I the cream of Poké-crop, I'm the kind of all the cuties!"Meowth bragged in an arrogant manner.

Alexia narrowed her eyes as she glance at Kirlia, who was ready to fight when... more trouble occurred as a man and woman showed up, next to them was a Wobbuffet and a Mime Jr.

"Eureka!"

"Looks like we struck Pikachu gold!"The man smirked before they turned and see them in view.

"Ugh, I wish they'd stop following me around and trying to steal Pikachu..."Ash groaned.

"Wait, they are still following you?"Alexia blinked.

"Yeah..."

"Woah, how long have they been following you?"Ron asked.

"Since shortly after my Pokémon journey begin, so at least five years..."Ash sighed.

"WHAT!?"Many exclaimed.

"Little girls, you two shouldn't be playing around with Pokéball like that."The woman said in taunting manner.

"You might poke some Pokémon's eyes out."

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime, mime, mime!"

"There's no room in this forest for yet another pair of thieves. We've been after Pikachu so long, we're trademarked."The woman boasted.

"Wait, they're calling you thieves? That's pretty rich coming from them."Tracey said.

"But thanks to your unwilling buttinksy-ness, you made our job much easier."

"I was right! Pikachu does belong to another trainer! What are you creeps planning to do with him!"Alexia glare, while Kirlia eyes glow.

"None of your business, kid! This Pikachu is coming with us, whether it wants to or not."Meowth smirked.

That, however, was what got him and his teammates a big shock from Pikachu's Thunderbolt, causing them to all yell in pain before they were burnt to a crisp.

"Those two cute little rosy supercharged cheeks only zap the closest of friends."The woman coughed before she and the man recovered along with Meowth, Mime Jr. And Wobbuffet.

The witches and wizards were taken aback by how quick they recover.

"So let's return the favor!"The man exclaimed, before Dustox, Cacnea and Seviper all got ready to attack.

"Those guys can't be friends."Dawn frowned as they had to watch Pikachu constantly try to dodge the attacks that those three Pokémon sent at him.

"Dawn, we have to help!"Alexia said, surprising her before she noticed the glare on her friend face.

"Piplup, Bubble Beam!"

"Kirlia, Confusion!"

Their attacks hit the three of them, stunning them enough to give them the chance to rush over and protect Pikachu by getting in front of him.

"Thank you for protecting Pikachu."Ash said.

Alexia nodded."Of course, we could never leave a Pokémon in distress when we can help it."

Ash smiled."That's something I like about you."

"H-huh!?"Alexia blushed, as Ash is completely obvious at what is as done to Alexia.

"Who are you, his mom!?"The man snapped.

"I don't know who you morons are, but this little guy clearly doesn't belong to you!"Alexia glared at them.

"Prepare for trouble, are you out of the loop!"

"Make it a double dose of the real scoop."

"An evil as old as the galaxy!"

"Sent here to fulfill our destiny!"

"With Meowth, that's me!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extand our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Meowth's the name!"

"Where there's peace in the universe..."

"Team Rocket..."

"Is there..."

"To make everything worse!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime, mime!"

The Weasley twins laughed, finding this amusing and even getting an idea out of it.

"Do they always do that?"Colin asked.

Alexia and Ash sighed."They always do this kind of intro."

"Pika..."

"Never heard of you."Alexia and Dawn bluntly said, causing them all to fall together in response before they got up with offended looks on their faces.

Everyone laughed at how bluntly they were.

"The nerve of those twerps not knowing our name."Jessie snapped angrily.

"I wonder if they know where we are."James frowned.

"You're near Sandgem Town."Dawn said vaguely, causing James to perk up in realization.

"Why did she answered him."Blaise frowned.

"The Sinnoh region! I forgot. My, did we schlep."

"You never could grasp long distances."Jessie said.

"That's why they don't know a bloody thing about us, there's no Sinnoh Team Rocket branch."James explained, bringing a smile to Meowth's face.

"So, what better interoffice PR for us than to spread the Team Rocket word?"

"Do you ever shut up?"

"Lexi's right! I find it also awfully hard to believe this is your Pikachu. For starter, why isn't Pikachu inside of its Pokéball?"Dawn demanded.

"Some Pokémon don't like to stay inside their Pokéball, like Gardevoir and Pikachu."Alexia said, answering the question of some.

"Keep quacking and your gums'll get cold."

"Stealing your Pokémon ought to shut your yaps for good! Seviper, use Wrap!"Jessie called out, causing Seviper to bind both Kirlia and Piplup."

"Piplup!"

"Wha-Kirlia."

"You don't seem really concerned."

"Because I know Kirlia can escape with Teleport, I was just waiting for the perfect opportunity."Alexia said.

"Say, that blue one and Kirlia looks catchable."Jessie smirked.

"And with Pikachu as a gift to the boss, yellow, blue, and white should give us some bright colors."Meowth add, sounding as if he had already won.

"Quick, Piplup! Use Bubble Beam now!"

"Kirlia, Teleport then use Confusion!"

The two didn't waste time in launching their attacks but Kirlia instead of using Confusion she launched a beam of Psychic energy, which one again stunned Seviper, giving them the chance to free themselves before rejoining them.

"That wasn't a Confusion."Hermione said confused.

Alexia shakes her head."No, that was Psybeam, she had just learn it."

"Wait, Pokémon can learn move on the go?"

Alexia and Ash nodded.

Alexia gasped."That was Psybeam!"

"Are you two okay?"Dawn asked them, they give affirmative responses before they turned back to the morons.

"Not to bad for little kids. But now it's time to show you why Team Rocket is feared by lots of little kids all over the Kanto region!"Jessie glared.

"Let there to cry in our evil wake!"James added.

"Show 'em what he means, gang!"

And at Meowth order, Cacnea, Seviper and Dustox charged forward to attack, but...

"The only ones crying here will be you morons! Kirlia, Magical Leaf!"

"Bubble Beam, go!"Dawn added as the two of them launched their attacks, followed by Pikachu, who used Thunderbolt. The three attacks combined together to create a powerful force that blasted the morons away, sending them flying high into the sky!

"That was a quick trip."

"Jessie was right!"

"We had a little look!"

"Mime, mime, mime."

"Wobba!"

"We're all blasting off again!"

"They really do get blast off alot don't they?"

"Yes."

The morons disappeared into the sky, showing that they were long gone... for now.

Alexia turned to see Dawn giving a celebratory cheer with Piplup and Pikachu joining in, but seconds later, Pikachu sat on the floor, giving an exhausted look.

"Pikachu!"Alexia gasped, as she rushed over before holding Pikachu in her arms.

"Something's wrong."Dawn said with concern.

"Yeah, those morons must've been chasing Pikachu for a while now. And now with how worn out he was when we first saw him."Alexia said, before turning toward Dawn."Come on, let's get to the Pokémon Center as quick as we can."

"Right!"

"Pip!"

"Kirlia."

Later...

Thankfully, they weren't too for from where they were, allowing them to get to the Pokémon Center without any problems. Once they got in, Nurse Joy seemed to understand the problem and had the little guy checked in for diagnosis.

"This Pikachu is suffering from extreme exhaustion."She said once Pikachu was laid onto the stretcher with Chansey's help.

"Who are they?"Susan asked.

"That's Nurse Joy and Chansey, they work in every Pokémon Center and are the one that heal your Pokémon."Alexia said, Poppy was really interested by Chansey and how the Pokémon world healing work.

"Pokémon can be healer too?"

"Yes."

"A group of thieves just came out of nowhere and attacked us, they're responsible for why Pikachu was in that state to begin with."Alexia explained.

"Oh my... That sounds scary, but I'm sure Pikachu will make a full recovery. I do know about these things."Nurse Joy frowned before it morphed into a soft smile.

"That's awesome, thank you. I'm so relieved."Dawn sighed.

"Piplup!"Piplup agreed with her.

Alexia looked down at Pikachu who was fast asleep as she gently caressed his head.

"Take a long rest, little guy. We'll help you find your Trainer once you've fully recovered."Alexia promised him before they see Nurse Joy and Chansey taking him to the ER room.

Later...

"That's wonderful! You made a good choice with Piplup, smart and cute too."Johanna complimented Dawn.

"Piplup!"Piplup said proudly.

"And you already caught two Pokémon, I'm proud of you, sweetie. It took me a month before I caught my first while your father took him a week."Alexia mom said.

This confirms everyone just how difficult it is to capture your first Pokémon.

"Vul-Vulpix!"

"Eeeveev Vee!"

"So, Dawn have you catch any Pokémon, yet?"Johanna asked, Dawn sighed.

"I've tried, but so far, no luck."

"Well, it takes a while, dear, until you get the hang of it. But once you do, you're going to have so much fun. Nothing's more exciting than finding new friends."Johanna reassured her daughter.

"Pip!"Piplup said in a boasting manner, as for Dawn...

"Piplup, chill out."Dawn said, irritating Piplup as he glared at her.

"Pip? Piplup, Piplup!"

"Well, you had something to do with why we didn't catch us any Pokémon!"

"It's a bit unfair, because she's made mistakes too, and even more so on the second attempt, when it was her fault for not being able to catch the Burmy."Ernie said.

"Pip! Piplup! Piplup!"

At that point, the two of them began to fight it out, with Piplup doing a bit of pecking and Dawn doing some of the shoving and pointing.

"Hey, ouch! Don't you peck at me or I'll peck right back, get it!?"Dawn shrieked as they continued brawling with one another. Alexia and her Pokémon sweat drop with how childish this was...

Everyone snorted, as some laughed at how childish the fight was.

"Mom, Ms. Johanna. We'll be seeing you later."

"Alright, dear. Just be safe down the road, okay?"

"Right, and tell dad I say hi!"

A few minutes later...

By the time Dawn and Piplup were done roughing each other up, Alexia had contacted Prof. Rowan to let him know of what they have been through so far and letting him that they had find Eevee.

"Just look at you two, aren't you getting along?"Prof. Rowan asked, aiming the question towards Dawn and Piplup, causing them to smile sheepishly together.

Everyone laughed.

"Nah, we're both fine. We're just getting to know each other, that's all."Dawn assured him with Piplup giving a cheerful cry.

"So I was right that Eevee had followed you two, huh?"

"Vee!"

"Yeah, it was quite a shocked to find out she's been following us."Alexia said.

"It's understandable, you had made a strong impression on little Eevee during that little adventure. It was bonded to happened..."Alexia and Eevee smiled at each other."So your journey's been going well, then?"

"It was quite eventful."Ginny said.

"You're not wrong."Alexia chuckles.

"Well, we did ran into some trouble involving someone's Pikachu, the poor guy was being chased by thieves for one reason or another."

"Thieves?"

"They call themselves Team Rocket, a group of thieves that apparently seem to steal Pokémon from other Trainers. They were the reason as to why the little guys was roughed up when we first saw it."Alexia explained.

"Hmmm..."

"Yeah, so we're gonna go and make sure we find that Pikachu's Trainer. You know whoever it is has to be worried sick."Dawn said.

"Hmm, I see. Then, you can head off to Jubilife City after that."Prof. Rowan nodded.

"Yeah, but you know what? Even if we don't get there in time for the next Contest, there'll be lots more, I can wait."Dawn assured, causing Alexia to raise a brow.

"Hm. Now that's sound thinking. A great Pokémon Trainer always puts Pokémon first above everything else, and that's just what you're doing. Good luck, you four!"

"Right!"

"Thanks!"

All that's left for them was to wait for Pikachu to recover. Once he's done so, it's off to find Pikachu's Trainer...

Meanwhile...

The Kanto Trainer was on the search for the evil trio to find his partner, he had Aipom search up in the trees to see if there was any sign of them, but...

"Hey! Aipom!"

Aipom looked to see her Trainer calling for her as he questioned her status of the search.

"Did you see any sign of Team Rocket's balloon up there?"Ash asked her. But to his dismay, Aipom slid down from the tree before she sadly shook her head.

"It would be hard to see sign of the balloon since it as been destroyed."Anthony said.

"Well, I didn't know that."Ash sighed.

"Nevertheless, it's a good plan."

"Aw, man..."Ash sighed sadly, before he began to walk on the path with Aipom besides him.

"When you want to find those guys, they all disappear! I sure hope Pikachu's okay, Aipom."Ash said, Aipom make sad cries, indicating that she hoped that her friend was okay, too.

Later...

The two sat together on a grassy hill thinking of what they should do next when...

"Hello? Everything alright over there?"

The two turned in surprise to see a familiar person that they know of.

"Hey, it's Officer Jenny."Ash said.

The officer was kind enough to let Ash and Aipom ride on her sidecar where Ash explained to her of what has happened.

"So Team Rocket's in Sinnoh, huh?"Officer Jenny frowned.

"Yeah, and I've gotta find those crooks quick 'cause they took my Pikachu."

"Ash, Sinnoh's a big place. Instead of wandering around trying to find them all by yourselves, why don't you leave that to me? And I'll take you to Prof. Rowan's lab."Officer Jenny said.

"She's right, and right now you don't know where Pikachu is, because he could be anywhere. You were lucky that Alexia and Dawn found Pikachu by chance."

That stopped Ash from protesting, as he realized that he needed to head to Prof. Rowan's lab so that he could collect Aipom's Pokéball. And the Officer had a point when she said Sinnoh is a big place, and with how big it was, there was no telling where the trio had went. So while keeping that in min, Ash allowed the Officer to take him to the laboratory in Sandgem Town, where he would meet with the Sinnoh Professor there.

A couple of minutes later...

"So, you're Ash from Pallet Town..."Ash nodded to the Professor."Prof. Oak said a great deal about, he sent Aipom's Pokéball for, and it just arrived."Prof Rowan said, handing the Pokéball to Ash.

"That's great, thanks, Professor!"Ash said gratefully.

"I wouldn't worry too much about Pikachu. I heard from two of my new Trainers that this morning, they protected a lost Pikachu from a strange group of thieves who call themselves Team Rocket."Prof. Rowan said.

"You must have been relieved to hear the news."Susan said.

Ash nodded."I was, now I had an idea where Pikachu could be and knowing he was no longer in danger from Team Rocket.

"You're kidding, wow!"Ash gasped.

"Aipom!"

The Professor immediately called the Pokémon Center, but instead of Dawn or Alexia's face, their call was received by Nurse Joy.

"Oh, Alexia and Dawn? I'm sorry, but they left the Pokémon Center just a little bit before you called."

"Did they say where they were going, Nurse Joy?"Ash asked.

"Well, they said they had to find Pikachu's trainer fast."

At that Ash bit his lips before he started to rush out, alarming the Professor as he and Yuzo rushed after him, seeing them head out of the lab.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"I've gotta find Dawn and Alexia! I know the Pokémon Center's close by, right? So that means they gotta be close by, too!"Ash explained before he turned to his Pokémon. "C'mon, Aipom!"

"But you don't even know where they are exactly!"Lisa exclaimed.

"Or which Pokémon Center they had left!"

"Aipom!"

With that, the two started to make a run to the area where the Pokémon center was near, leaving the Professor to watch them go with a concerned look.

Meanwhile...

"I've been trying to reach you!"

"Huh?"

The first thing that happened when they got to the nearest video phone was the Professor trying to reach them, alarming them when they noticed how serious he was when they picked up.

"Pikachu's Trainer is named Ash, and he was just here. But he just left, he's now on his way to try and catch up with you."The Professor explained to them.

"So, no problem. All we have to do is retrace our steps and we'll run into the guy."Dawn smiled as the call ended there.

"I feel like it won't be that simple."Parvati said.

"Prof. Rowan said that the trainer just left his lab recently, so if we keep our eyes sharp and search around, we might be able to find him."Alexia said.

"Right, though... I sure wish our bike weren't extra crispy."Dawn sighed.

"Pika..."Pikachu said sheepishly.

"Hey, it's okay... It wasn't exactly your fault you were protecting your self and how would you have know that your attack would have send Piplup into them."Alexia reassured Pikachu.

"Alright, come on! Let's find Ash!"Dawn exclaimed as she immediately left.

"Hey, wait up!"

Meanwhile...

Ash and Aipom were running together on Route 202 in hopes of meeting up with Alexia and Dawn so that they'd reunite with Pikachu. But as they were running, it was when they heard honking from behind them, causing them to stop and see a truck come by and pass them until it stopped. As it did, the front door opened to reveal a familiar friend of theirs...

"Ash!"

"Hey, Brock!"Ash grinned, seeing his old friend.

"So he's a friend?"

"Yes, he's an old friend, we traveled together for three years before that."

"I guess great mind think alike."

"Great to see you, but what are you doing here?"Ash asked.

"Either you guys know each other or you're too friendly, Brock."

Ash's head turned to see a woman who seemed to be the truck driver.

"This is my old buddy, Ash! He and I have been traveling together for a long time."Brock explained to the woman, bringing a smile to her face.

"The name's Claudina. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm the proud driver of this big rig."She chuckled.

"Hi, nice to meet you."Ash smiled before he was pulled by Brock.

"Yeah, Claudina and I are on the road! The road of happiness and true love!"Brock said with an excited look on his face, leaving the dense Kanto Trainer confused.

Everyone blinked surprise by how Brock was acting.

"Yeah, but in a truck?"

Katie sighed."I pity her having a dense guy as a crush."

"She doesn't have a crush."Harry muttered.

Ginny snorted having heard him, it was a bit obvious she does have one.

"Ash, it's a long and complicated journey when you want to become the very best. I was hitchhiking from Pewter City when we hooked up! It was fate!"Brock insisted whiled poking his friend's cheek. He then spun around Ash, surprising him before he to speak.

"Is this normal?"Justin asked a bit weird out by how Brock was acting.

"Yes..."

"It's been great seeing you, pal, and best of luck in everything you do!"Brock said until a phone was heard ringing. Claudina picked it up before smiling at whoever tried to call her.

"Hi there, honey. I've been waiting to hear your sweet voice!"She said, much to Brock's horror.

"HONEY!?"Brock gasped as the receiver began to speak something to the woman.

Some chuckled at his reaction.

"If he'd been on the road with her for a while, wouldn't he have realized early on that she already had a boyfriend?"Angelina asked.

"Sure! I'll be right there just as soon as these 18 wheels of mine carry me!"Claudina assured before she ended the call. Once she did, she gave an apologetic look to the gaping Brock.

"I'm sorry for the interruption, Brock, but that was my boyfriend on the horn, and I'm gonna have to hightail it over and meet him quicker than a Volt Tackle."She said whiled winking at him. She didn't seem to have taken notice how horrified Brock was, not to mention how heartbroken he was when he heard that she had a boyfriend.

"But I know y'all will be fine. After all, you've got your bud! Why don't all of you mosey along?"She said with a carefree smile, before she shut the door and turned the truck's engine on. And this went on even when Brock gaped with shock and heartbroken feelings still fresh in his mind.

"Poor guy."

"See you later, Brock, and thanks again for the great lunch and dinner!"Claudina waved to Brock before she began to move forward as the truck began to move on... without him.

Once it was gone, Ash smiled sheepishly at how his friend was doing, before he witnessed Brock let out a scream as he clenched his fist, looking as if he was trying to act cool.

"Alright, Ash! A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, and these fellow men are gonna do it with or without a good woman at their sides!"Brock exclaimed, bringing a smile to Ash's face.

"Yeah, that's what i like to hear!"

It was that moment when Brock noticed only Aipom and not Pikachu by his side...

"Huh? Hey, where's Pikachu, Ash?"

The question dropped the smile from his face as it morphed back into a sad frown.

"Who knows?"

Later...

"That Team Rocket just won't quit, do they?"Brock frowned as Ash had explained of what happened ever since he arrived in Sinnoh.

"They're pretty stubborn, so I don't think so."Alexia sighed.

"Here it is. There's a Pokémon Center up ahead where those two Trainers took Pikachu, so we can see if Nurse Joy knows which way they went."Ash said while looking at the map.

"When it comes to Nurse Joy, leave it to me."Brock said, confidently.

This only left worries in Ash's mind as he know how Brock can be with older women, especially when it comes to Nurse joy and Officer Jenny. They slipped away when he heard Aipom fighting, causing him and Brock to rush over and see her picking a fight with a bird Pokémon that he hasn't seen before.

"Knock it off, Aipom. This is not the time for you to be picking a fight. Stop!"Ash called out, only for his voice to be unheard, before Brock notice the bird that Aipom was scuffling with.

"Hey, who's that Pokémon?"Brock asked. Upon being, asked, Ash took out the new Sinnoh Pokédex that was given to him before he scan the bird.

"Starly, the Starling Pokémon. Starly normally travels in a flock, but when alone, it is hard to notice."

"A Normal-Flying Type! Alright!"Ash grinned, as this was his chance to catch a new Pokémon from the Sinnoh region. Not only that, there was a bonus in it as Starly is a Flying type.

"Maybe we should catch it."Brock suggested.

"I think so, too. That way, we can look for Pikachu from the air!"Ash agreed before he took out a Pokéball. "Aipom! I wanna catch that Starly, so I need your help!"

"This is an excellent idea, and this Pokémon will be able to travel a greater distance, giving you a better chance of finding them."Hermione said.

Aipom jumped in the air to begin the battle.

"Aipom, use Swift!"

The attack was send fast, as it exploded right onto Starly. However, while the damage was done, the Starly wasn't finished so easily as it unleashed a big gust.

"That's Whirlwind! And a really strong one, too."Brock grunted as him and Ash struggled to stay afoot.

"Aipom, hang in there and use Focus Punch!"Ash, grunted, watching as Aipom struggled to focus on the move in the middle of the attack.

"Aipom, Starly's coming with a Quick Attack!"He warned her, only for the warning to come too late as Quick Attack struck her down. Then, as soon as she landed on her two feet, Starly began to slap Aipom back and forth with no signs of showing any mercy.

"Why aren't you doing anything?"Neville asked.

"Because Focus Punch need time to be prepared, and I know Aipom could do it."Ash said.

"That's a reckless move to do, what if it didn't work?"Michael said.

"You'd be surprised at how some of those reckless move he does work."Alexia said.

"Now Starly's using Wing Attack."Brock pointed out.

"I know you can do it, Aipom!"Ash exclaimed, giving the encouragement his Pokémon needed before the focused Focus Punch was complete. As it happened, the move was launched, slamming into Starly's chest. Starly gasped in pain from the heavy hit he took, making him unable to move for a bit.

"That's more like it!"Brock grinned as Ash readied the Pokéball he had been holding for Starly.

"Go, Pokéball!"

The ball quickly knocked Starly on the head before he was caught, and with a few shakes and a click, the capture was complete, making Starly the first Pokémon Ash had captured in Sinnoh.

"Awesome! We did it, Aipom!"Ash grinned before he picked the Pokéball up and lifted it high in the air. "Alright, I caught a Starly!"He started before he stopped with a frown, leaving his friend concerned.

Everyone frowned concerned, as shouldn't he be happy that he had caught a new Pokémon?

"What's wrong?"

"You know, Brock... when something like this happens, Pikachu's usually here with me."Ash said sadly, before a hand was placed on his shoulder.

"I know, but don't forget the reason why you caught Starly is to help find Pikachu."Brock remind him, bringing a small smile back to Ash's face.

"You're right..."Ash said, before he threw his newly caught Starly in the air from the Pokéball. "Starly, come on out!"

Starly wasted no time in helping out with the search as soon as he came out, allowing Ash and Brock to follow after him with Aipom by their side. But as they ran... They had no idea that they were watched by someone, who had watched Ash battle and catch Starly. And that someone had watched from a hill with an Elekid by his side with an amused sneer.

"Hmph... Well, if it was that easy, who needs that thing?"He sneered.

Alexia frowned, she never had like Paul, she knows that he had a changed of heart after the League but still...

"Who's that?"

Alexia's Team:

Kirlia (F) -Psybeam, Magical Leaf, Teleport, Double Team-

Vulpix (F) -Flamethrower, Energy Ball, Double Team, Quick Attack-

Eevee (F) -Undecided-