fates collide // an ash xy love story

x // jump

After the big smoke cloud diminishes all that is left is two coughing trainers without their beloved partners. Ash stops coughing pretty quickly, but Hannah's coughing doesn't stop. Rather, it worsens.

Ash begins to tense up and runs towards Hannah. Hannah is on one knee continuously coughing at the smoke cloud. Ash soon approaches Hannah to try to stop her coughing, he pats her on the back firmly to try to get her to stop. Soon, Hannah has stopped coughing, and both trainers look up at the hot air balloon with three entities on it, a man, woman, and Meowth.

"Look, James, the little girl is having a coughing fit." The pink haired girl claims. "Well Jessie, that's just what happens when you're the best evil team around." A purple haired make speaks, who Hannah can only assume is James. "That's right!" The Meowth says, it jumping in the air and onto the railing of the basket. All three look down at the trainers and do their evil laugh in sync. Hannah looks at the three of them confusion written all over her face.

Ash and Hannah's Pokémon alike are banging on the glass, Greninja and Meowstic grabbing as many Pokéballs as they can hold, while Pikachu and Weavile continuously bang the glass, trying to communicate with their trainers below. Soon Pikachu gets antsy, and uses Iron Tail on the cage, nothing happens. It has no effect. "You really think you can get out? How many times have we done this routine?" Meowth asks Pikachu, only to get a bad look back from Pikachu.

"Team Rocket, who even let you into the league anyway!" Ash says still kneeling with Hannah who is looking down at the ground, her eyes filling of sorrow. Ash has an expression on his face that's hard to forget; one consisting of pain, annoyance, anger. Ash comforting Hannah by placing his arm around her shoulders, he speaks once again, "give us back our Pokémon!"

"Like we're just going to do that, twerp!" Jessie shouts, "This machine allows us to take all your Pokémon and Pokéballs too!" James says, with confidence in his voice. "The metal Pokéballs use is quite specific, so we use a specific magnet to attract all Pokéballs in the surrounding radius, no matter how hard they're held on to! As for your Pokémon, our super-sucky vacuum cleaner does just the trick!" Meowth then explains the technical side of it. Jessie then remembers something. She glances down towards the trainers and drags James and Meowth's ears down to her so she can begin to whisper her plans to James and Meowth.

From down below, Ash and Hannah cannot hear what they are saying, so Ash then turns his attention towards Hannah, who is looking at the ground still. "Hannah?" Ash asks, removing the arm around her shoulder and instead placing it on her knee. Hannah then mumbles something incoherently, and Ash then asks what she said, but before he could, Hannah repeats what she said louder, but in the same sorrowful tone, "My necklace..."

Ash then remembers the necklace around her neck. 'A shrunken Pokéball. It must be a real one for it to be sucked up by the machine, but what's the significance of it to make Hannah break down?' Ash is snapped out of his thoughts when he hears even more banging and yelling coming from the cage.

Both trainers look up and see Hannah's Meowstic. It's waving around Hannah's necklace, showing it off to Hannah as a way to say it's safe. From here, Hannah rises to her feet, with a fire in her eyes; she will get their Pokémon back. Ash follows soon after, but after seeing the look in Hannah's eyes he decides it's best to leave it to her, and only step in if he's needed.

Hannah's eyes then begin to glow a shade of blue lighter than usual and appear to be mimicking the sea. She thrusts her right arm out in front of her and all of a sudden, from Greninja's arm, Laura's Pokéball opens up and soon she appears, sharing the same look as her trainer.

Team Rocket only just finished their conversation when they see Hannah with her arm extended, looking kinda funny. "What are you doing twerp? Trying to use some silly power?" Jessie asks her. "What should we do, cower?" James then fake looks scared. Jessie soon joins in, and they are both making silly faces at each other.