While Pokemon are certainly fast for travel, doing so would miss out on experiencing a lot of the scenery along the way, which defeats the purpose of a journey.
Returning to Viridian City once again, it looked just as it did when they first came. For Misty and Ash, this was their third visit. Nowadays, the Viridian Gym is closed, and it's said that a new Gym Leader will soon arrive.
The new Gym Leader is likely not specialized in Ground Type, but who it will be and how strong they are, Ash and the others haven't received any information.
Giovanni still hasn't been found, and the business with Team Rocket has come to an end. Due to previous regulations, Giovanni had to disband half of Team Rocket's members. Currently, more than half of Team Rocket's personnel are gone.
After all, abruptly laying off staff and disbanding various bases naturally causes panic among other members and even officers, leading many to flee Team Rocket voluntarily. Adding interference from other villainous organizations, Team Rocket now exists in name only.
It's rather unfortunate; while the Kanto Region is now free of Team Rocket, it is slowly being infiltrated by evil organizations from other regions. For them, Kanto is a tempting target, considering both the region itself and the resources once controlled by Team Rocket.
If they could annex Team Rocket's legacy, their organizational scale could explode in a short time.
The reason the Kanto Region remains calm is that many villainous groups are vying in secret, and the League's presence is not just for show. So for now, Kanto remains relatively peaceful.
But if a single fuse ignites, Kanto would likely become a battlefield, and the potential fuse at present is... the Sea God Lugia.
Cynthia had already gone to investigate the Orange Archipelago during the Quartz Conference, but up to now... there's been no word from her.
She and Ash had exchanged numbers, and under normal circumstances, Cynthia would call if she found anything. But until now, there hasn't been any call, and calling her shows her phone is off.
However, this doesn't mean Cynthia is in trouble. After all, who tries to go undercover with their phone on?
Perhaps Cynthia is just immersed in a critical undercover moment and can't pull away. As for her exact status, they would find out once they reach the Orange Archipelago.
Quickly, the time for boarding arrived, and the three of them got on the flying ship, only to discover they were the only passengers.
"What's going on? So few people going to the Orange Archipelago? Isn't it supposed to be a tourist hot spot?" Ash scratched his head, his face puzzled, and randomly found a seat to sit down.
There were plenty of seats in the flying ship, with about ten in the first-class section where they were, and undoubtedly more in the economy section, likely at least two hundred.
But when they boarded, there was no one else onboard besides them. Was this ship really passenger-less?
"Please fasten your seat belts, the flying ship is about to depart." A flight attendant approached Ash and the others, gesturing for them to fasten their seat belts.
The Pikachu on Ash's shoulder was the first to sense something amiss. When the flight attendant approached, there was a familiar yet detestable scent...
Ash glanced at the attendant and noticed their hat was pulled low, and their mouth was covered with a mask, making it hard to discern their features.
Flight attendants wearing masks wasn't unusual, but Ash still felt something was off.
"Pika Pika~" It's a bit odd, Ash.
"You feel it too, Pikachu?" Ash said as he activated his Aura Power to scan the area. His pupils briefly widened in shock before he calmed down, suppressing his strange expression.
Trying to make his face appear normal.
Why are these three guys on the flying ship? And as the crew...
Saying they've turned over a new leaf, Ash wouldn't buy it for a second. Even if they did, it wouldn't explain them conveniently appearing on their flight. There was only one possibility: these three were lying in wait for them!
How did they know he would take the flying ship, even manage to impersonate the flight crew, and ensure the flight had so few passengers—this all had to be their doing.
If they're so capable, why not just become the new leaders of Team Rocket and lead it to glory instead of tailing me and Pikachu all the time?
"Ash, are you okay? Your face looks a bit strange." Misty, who had already sat down next to him, noticed something was off with Ash. She reached out her tender hand to feel his forehead.
"I'm fine, just saw some familiar faces."
"Familiar faces? But here..."
"Shh~~" Ash gestured for silence, putting his finger to Misty's lips. Although this intimate act seemed routine for a couple, it was Misty's first time experiencing it, causing her face to turn bright red.
She awkwardly retracted her hand and glanced left, then right, trying to mask her embarrassment.
Brock watched the pair with interest, looking satisfied as if seeing his favorite couple together.
Still, he was curious about these "familiar faces" Ash mentioned—could they be those people?
If it really were them, they were quite resourceful indeed.
...
Once the three fastened their seat belts, the flying ship began its journey. From Viridian City to the Orange Archipelago on the flying ship takes about half an hour. Since Ash bought first-class tickets, snacks and drinks were self-serve. However, Ash and the others couldn't move freely; they needed to call the flight attendant.
Misty licked her dry lips and was about to call for the attendant when two iron cuffs abruptly locked her hands to the chair!
Ash and Brock faced the same predicament, not just their hands but their feet too, bound simultaneously. A large, gloved hand reached out and snatched Pikachu right from Ash's lap.
"Haha, brat, you've fallen into our trap at last!"
"Our flawless disguise finally deceived you! That special ability of yours isn't always foolproof, huh!"
"We'll be taking Pikachu, Meowth!"
As Ash and the crew were restrained, two flight attendants appeared in front of them like they had teleported and quickly revealed the R-marked white uniforms beneath their clothes—Meowth, who could speak, dropped down between them.
That's right, these three were the Team Rocket trio who went off the radar after the Quartz Conference began!
After being blasted off during the opening ceremony, the trio vanished for some time, not appearing during the Quartz Conference.
Originally, Ash thought they'd been called away due to Team Rocket's current situation, but unexpectedly, here they were, lying in wait!
How did they know he would take the flying ship, how did they swap with the crew, how did they ensure no other passengers were on board... so many mysteries surround all of this, but forcing the issue, it might simply be because they're the Team Rocket trio.
"With your skills, if you were good guys, you could help countless people, what a pity." Ash sighed, then shook his wrist, causing the cuffs clamped around his hands to instantly snap in two!
Team Rocket trio: ...
What the heck?! Are you a monster?! Don't nonchalantly do something so terrifying!!!