In the backyard of Professor Oak's lab, Ash's Pokémon were gathered, and the atmosphere was lively.
"It's been a while, Pidgeot! I can't believe how strong you've gotten!" Bulbasaur said, its eyes shining.
"Yeah! But you're still not stronger than me!" Charizard retorted.
"Well, now... it's surprising to see a troublesome kid like you behaving so well!" Pidgeot replied, a little embarrassed.
"Ahem, I was just young and foolish back then! And am I a troublesome kid?! Do you want to fight?" Charizard glanced at Ash before glaring at Pidgeot.
"Hmph! Who's scared of who?" Pidgeot shot back, unwilling to back down.
"Hey, hey, hey! Let's talk this out peacefully!"
"Listen up, you Pokémon! Don't be fooled by how weak I am now. In the near future, you'll all be defeated by me! I'll even take that yellow rodent's spot! While I'm still small, you'd better treat me well! Otherwise, when I get stronger, I won't even give you the time of day!" Eevee declared proudly.
"Charge, everyone! Let's get this arrogant Eevee! Teach him a lesson in humility!" Bayleef was at the forefront of the charge!
"A true gentleman doesn't use his fists, you punks! Help!" Eevee was sent scurrying in all directions.
"Pika~" Pikachu shook its head in amusement.
The farewell party was over.
"Ash, here are your new clothes and backpack! I've prepared them for you," Delia said, presenting the new gear to Ash.
"Thanks, Mom!" Ash replied, taking the equipment.
"Ash, this is my latest Pokédex. It's filled with data on the Pokémon of the Hoenn region! Think of it as a parting gift! When you get to Hoenn, you can pay a visit to Professor Birch," Professor Oak said, handing him a Pokédex.
"Oh! Oh! Thank you, Professor Oak!" While the system was more convenient, the Pokédex would serve as a form of identification.
The Next Day
"Ash, be careful on the road! Pikachu, I'm counting on you to look after Ash!"
"Pika Pi~" "We know! Let's go!"
Leaving Pallet Town, Ash arrived at the harbor and boarded a cruise ship, heading toward the Hoenn region.
On the cruise ship, "Come on out, Eevee, Phanpy!"
"Bui~" "Pao Pao~"
Eevee immediately ran and took a position on Ash's other shoulder, claiming its own territory. If Bayleef knew, it would be jealous and chase after it. Phanpy, meanwhile, ran around on the deck.
Pidgeot wasn't released, as neither the sky above nor the ship's deck was suitable for it.
Looking out at the endless sea, Ash knew he'd be on the cruise ship for a while since the two regions were quite far apart. He enjoyed the peaceful voyage.
As Ash enjoyed the calm trip, two people and a talking cat were lying low in the distance, observing him with binoculars. Specifically, they were watching Pikachu.
Night fell, and in the cabin, Ash and his Pokémon were fast asleep. Click! The door opened.
A mechanical arm reached in, quickly snatched Pikachu, and began to retract.
"Pika~ Pika~" Pikachu woke up with a start, yelling in alarm.
"Pikachu! What's going on?" Ash woke up as well.
Then, a voice came from outside the door:
"Wahahaha! Since you asked so sincerely..."
"We will tell you with great mercy!"
"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!"
"Jessie!" "James!"
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth! That's right!" "Wobbuffet!"
"Team Rocket! Crap, how could I have forgotten about them?!" Ash felt a wave of regret as he grabbed a Poké Ball and rushed out the door.
Ash ran out and saw the Team Rocket trio and a trapped Pikachu inside an electric-proof cage. "Pika Pi~" Pikachu pounded on the cage! "Team Rocket! Let Pikachu go!" Ash yelled.
"Wahahaha! No way, you little twerp! Pikachu is ours now! James, Meowth, let's go!"
"Got it! Meow!" "Weezing, use Smokescreen!"
"Don't even think about it! Come on out, Pidgeot! Use Hurricane to blow away the smoke, then use Steel Wing to break the cage and save Pikachu!"
"Pi~" Pidgeot instantly blew away the smoke and charged forward! Team Rocket's trio felt a bad premonition as they saw Pidgeot getting closer.
"Wobbuffet, quick! Use Counter! Arbok, use Poison Sting!" "Wobbuffet~" "Cha~"
[Meowth]
[Strength: Mid-Normal-Level]
[Arbok]
[Strength: Peak Elite-Level]
[Weezing]
[Strength: Peak Elite-Level]
[Wobbuffet]
[Strength: Mid-Gym-Level]
But Team Rocket underestimated Pidgeot's speed. Pidgeot charged forward and broke the cage with a single Steel Wing. Pikachu jumped out and landed on Pidgeot's back!
"Perfect! Go, Pikachu, use Thunderbolt! Pidgeot, use Hurricane!" Ash yelled.
"Pikaaa~chuuu~" "Pi~" The attack sent the Team Rocket trio blasting off again!
"Aaah! We're blasting off again!" "Wobbuffet... (´・ω・｀)"
Pidgeot then flew down with Pikachu.
"Pika~" Pikachu leaped from Pidgeot's back into Ash's arms.
"I'm so glad you're okay, Pikachu! Thank you, Pidgeot!" "Pika~ Pika~"
"Pi~"
[Ding~ Achievement completed—Defeat Team Rocket for the first time! Reward: 5000 points]
The rest of the voyage was peaceful without Team Rocket's interference. Ash had Pikachu practice using its steel-type energy—to learn Iron Tail—on the ship's deck, with Pidgeot assisting. Ash also used his points to buy a Sharp Beak for Pidgeot and a TM for Heat Wave! He also bought two Power Weights for Eevee and Phanpy.
"Pika~" Pikachu's tail became metallic and struck Pidgeot. Thud!
"That's great, Pikachu, you did it!" "Pika~ Pika~" ?(′?｀)人(′?｀)?
Meanwhile, Phanpy and Eevee were training hard. Their power increased quickly due to their low level. Phanpy and Eevee both reached peak Normal-Level and late Normal-Level, respectively! A pleasant surprise was that Phanpy learned Iron Head from watching Pikachu train! This would be a great advantage against Ice-type Pokémon!
As time passed, the outline of the Hoenn region became visible, and the scenery gradually came into focus.
The Hoenn region has a diverse natural environment, from tropical rainforests to deserts, but its most striking feature is its vast expanse of water. The sea area is almost as large as the landmass, a stark contrast to other regions. There are large and small islands all around the continent that can only be reached by sea. Some areas are even submerged. The climate and vegetation of Hoenn indicate that it is much warmer than other continents. The interior is surrounded by mountains and forests, with major cities located along the coast. Hoenn has two volcanoes: one active and one dormant. The active one, Mt. Chimney, continuously spews volcanic ash, giving the mountain and the roads at its base a distinct color. Opposite Mt. Chimney is the dormant volcano, which is an underwater volcano.
—A Certain City—
"Mom, Dad! I'm leaving!"
"Be careful on your way!"
"I will!" A girl wearing a red bandana was saying goodbye to her parents as she rode her bicycle.
To be continued...