1.Ash's Story (Part 3: Hoenn)

Chapter 18

When we arrive at the river, we see a familiar orange-haired girl rushing to us. "Hey, Ash!"

"Hi, Misty!" I greet her and also the Togepi in her arms.

"How have you been, Pikachu?" Misty asks Pikachu, who replies with a thumbs up. "How about you, Ash?"

"Great, how's the gym leader's life?" I ask.

"Busy. My big sisters are now so generous, they want to get me off the work." Misty says.

After the others introduce themselves, Mark asks, "So what brings you here?"

"It's thanks to Togepi that I'm able to meet up with you here." Misty says as she shows us the invitation to the Togepi festival.

Then, two mysterious people dressed in Togepi-patterned clothes approach Misty and promptly carry her into the hotel before closing the doors on us. We are confused before the hotel turns out to be a fake, and there is a blimp coming out of it.

"Misty!" We manage to find the rope and hang on to it, the other five also grab on like us. After we climb to the deck, we sneak into the blimp.

"That was close..." Max sighs.

Then we look outside the window and notice there is a sandstorm approaching, and we all have to hang on tight, and once the sandstorm is over, we notice a town in front of us.

"There's a town and we're heading right toward it." Alice says.

As the blimp lands, we find Misty and she is safe. "Misty!" We call out, and she is delighted, "Ash! You guys!"

"Are you okay?" We ask, and she says, "We're fine."

"What's the big idea bringing Misty here?" May asks.

"You better tell us what's going on." Minami says.

"I have a feeling I know..." I say.

"Now you better tell us who you are this instant." The two people take off their disguises, revealing themselves to be Team Rocket.

"Team Rocket! You guys never changed! Still after Pikachu, I see." Misty groans.

"Believe me, this is probably the 658th time since that day in Viridian City." I say, and Misty just looks at me with surprise. "Seriously? 658?"

"Not this time, this time our eyes are on Togepi." James says.

Then they try to grab Togepi, before a man arrives and stops them. "Colonel Hanson!" Jessie says.

"Behold, this Togepi is for you." James says.

So they are asked by someone to take the Togepi? He says, "I'm the Mirage Kingdom leader Colonel Hanson, and I need a Togepi. You will hand over your Togepi and leave my kingdom at once."

Mirage Kingdom! I know about this kingdom because we met Princess Sara a lot of years ago and she comes from the Mirage Kingdom of Hoenn!

"Togepi? Not in ten million years!" Misty yells back.

"In that case." Then he sends out a Shedinja, and it uses Shadow Ball to destroy the path in front of us, and there are also two more Ninjask. Misty is shaking in fear, and May asks, "Misty, what's wrong?"

"She has never been a big fan of Bug Pokemon, and that's also why she has been arguing with Insey a lot during our journey in Kanto." I say.

"Bugs really bug me!" Misty yells.

Minami says, "I wonder how Insey manages to put up with her in the first place..."

"Guys, just leave this to Alice and I." I say.