The Johto region lay to the west of Kanto—a land of rolling fields and calm skies, sharing the same gentle climate. Between the two regions stood the mighty Mount Silver, a mountain that connected worlds both geographically and spiritually.
Their destination was New Bark Town, the starting point for every new Pokémon Trainer in Johto. And for Ash's group, it was the first stop on their new journey.
To register for the Silver Conference, they needed to log their names at New Bark Town's Pokémon Center. That part, at least, should've been simple.
Except when they arrived… Nurse Joy wasn't there.
"She went to Professor Elm's lab," explained the attendant at the counter.
Misty groaned and slumped onto a seat. "Then I guess we'll wait…"
But Brock was having none of it. His eyes gleamed with a dangerous sparkle. "We can't just wait! It's getting late—what if something terrible happened to Nurse Joy?!"
(￣▽￣)
Misty pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh, please."
Yet, as it turned out, Brock's dramatic instinct wasn't entirely wrong.
By the time Ash and his friends reached Professor Elm's research lab—having been dragged there by a very determined Brock—the air was filled with the shrill blare of alarms.
Officer Jenny and her team had already set up a security cordon outside.
"Officer Jenny! You've worked so hard!" Brock exclaimed, materializing out of nowhere with a bouquet of flowers.
Where does he even keep those? Ash wondered silently.
"I'm Brock," he declared, eyes sparkling. "Pleased to meet you! I came all this way just to—"
Before he could finish, Misty yanked him away by the ear. "Save it, Romeo."
Ash stepped forward. "Officer Jenny, is this Professor Elm's lab?"
Recognizing them as legitimate trainers, Jenny didn't hesitate to answer. "Yes. I'm afraid there's been a theft. A Totodile was taken."
Ash blinked. "Totodile—the Water-type starter?"
Jenny nodded grimly. "Exactly. It's supposed to be given to a new Trainer soon. If we don't get it back…"
A new Trainer's journey would never even begin.
Moments later, one of Jenny's Growlithes found something: footprints in the dirt—three sets.
A man, a woman… and a Meowth.
Ash's eyes narrowed. Misty met his glance, exasperation already in her tone. "You're kidding."
He shook his head. "Nope. It's them again."
Jenny whistled for her Growlithe. "Follow that scent!"
Growlithe and Pikachu sprinted forward side by side, the others hurrying close behind. Within minutes, the familiar trio came into view.
"Team Rocket! Let go of that Totodile!" Ash shouted, calling back the line he'd said a hundred times before.
But the sight made him blink. Jessie's long crimson hair was tangled—and Totodile was the culprit, clamped firmly onto her ponytail and swinging gleefully in midair.
"Let go of me, you little brat!" Jessie shrieked. "I'm not letting go just because you say so!"
She spun in circles, Totodile still attached.
Ash sighed. "Guess we're doing this the usual way." He snapped a Poké Ball off his belt. "Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!"
Long vines shot out, tripping Team Rocket neatly before they could flee.
"So that's how you wanna play!" James declared, straightening his hair with dramatic flair. "Weezing, go!"
Thick black smoke poured from Weezing's vents, cloaking the area in swirling haze.
Ash's voice rang sharp through it. "Charizard, go! Blow it away!"
The moment the flame Pokémon emerged, the air shifted. Heat shimmered. Powerful wings flared.
Ash glanced upward, struck by a pang of nostalgia. Charizard was only slightly taller than him now—solid, muscular, smaller than the Pokédex's average stats, but radiating strength from every breath.
With a single sweep of its wings, the black fog was shredded into ribbons.
"Bulbasaur, get Totodile out of there!"
Bulbasaur's vines snatched the little Water-type back just as Jessie sent out another Poké Ball.
"Lickitung, catch that Totodile!"
"Charizard—Flamethrower!"
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
Team Rocket froze mid-motion.
They all knew what that combination meant.
Fire and lightning roared together, engulfing the trio's silhouettes. A flash, a boom, and—predictably—them being flung skyward in a perfectly synchronized arc.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"
Ash couldn't help a grin. "Never gets old."
Misty muttered under her breath, "I'll never understand how they survive that every time."
(^_^;)
Once the smoke cleared, Officer Jenny rushed over. Ash handed Totodile back to her, safe and sound. The mission was complete—even if Team Rocket had, once again, literally flown away.
That night, after officially registering for the Silver Conference at the New Bark Pokémon Center, Ash and his friends set off toward their next destination—the first Gym city on their list: Violet City.
As the morning light spread across the Johto plains, a quiet chime echoed in Ash's mind.
Charizard: 145 / 255
Their bond was growing stronger. And this time, he wouldn't take it for granted.