Finally, Ash, Anabel, and Dawn arrived at Professor Rowan's research lab.
"Well, despite some unexpected events along the way, everything has been resolved perfectly. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Now that the lab is back in order, Dawn, it's time for you to choose your first Pokémon."
Professor Rowan placed three Poké Balls on the table, releasing Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup.
With the professor present, Chimchar no longer acted out.
Dawn looked at the three Pokémon in front of her. In the end, the choice was obvious—it had to be Piplup, the one she had already formed a connection with.
Even though their initial meeting had been a little rocky, there was no problem at all!
"I've decided, Professor! I choose Piplup as my partner!"
"Piplup!"
Piplup puffed up its chest proudly, patting itself as if saying, 'You made the right choice!'
Chimchar and Turtwig, however, looked a little disappointed.
"Hm, a Water-type Pokémon—Piplup. Very well, here is your Poké Ball and the Sinnoh region's Pokédex. Do your best."
Professor Rowan handed Dawn her new belongings.
Then, he turned his attention to Ash and Anabel.
"Professor Oak mentioned your name to me, Ash. I must say, I was surprised to hear that you conquered the Battle Frontier in Kanto. Brandon is not an opponent who can be defeated easily. What brings you to Sinnoh this time?"
As he spoke, he retrieved Chimchar and Turtwig's Poké Balls.
Meanwhile, Anabel and Dawn had moved off to the side, chatting privately. As both were girls, they bonded quickly, and Anabel happily shared useful advice for a new trainer just starting her journey. Dawn, on the other hand, was fascinated by Anabel's ability to communicate with Pokémon.
"I'm here to participate in the Sinnoh League's Lily of the Valley Conference. Professor, I'd appreciate it if you could register me."
Professor Rowan's lab had the authority to register trainers for the league.
Ash handed over his Pokédex, which functioned as his trainer ID.
Professor Rowan nodded. "Alright, you're registered. I wish you the best of luck, Ash."
"Thank you, Professor Rowan."
Ash, Anabel, and Dawn then bid farewell to the professor and stepped outside the lab.
Now that the three of them had officially met, the real journey could begin.
"Hey, Ash! I just heard—you're planning to compete in the Sinnoh League's Lily of the Valley Conference, right?"
As expected, Dawn was quick to ask about it. Ash nodded, glancing at Anabel before replying.
"That's right. My goal is to challenge the Sinnoh League and win the championship. My partners and I will be traveling together to achieve that."
Anabel smiled softly, slightly embarrassed at the mention.
"Then let's travel together! No problem at all! I remember that to challenge the Sinnoh League, you need to collect Gym Badges. The closest Gym from here is the Oreburgh Gym, but to get there, we need to pass through Jubilife City. That works out perfectly for me because I plan to enter the Pokémon Contest there. It's fate! We should travel together!"
Ash had already expected this outcome. Anabel, too, found Dawn's confidence and enthusiasm charming, so she agreed.
And just like that, their journey as a trio began!
Meanwhile…
Somewhere in the skies above Sinnoh, Team Rocket was floating in their Meowth-shaped hot air balloon. As always, they had lost track of their target.
"Where are we, anyway? This place feels completely unfamiliar."
Jessie frowned as she surveyed the landscape below.
"I don't know… but something about it feels familiar, like I've been here before…"
James was peering through binoculars, searching for any sign of their usual target—Ash's Pikachu. But suddenly, his expression changed.
"Hey, look over there! That giant mansion in the distance—it's one of my family's estates! No wonder this place seemed familiar! We're in the Sinnoh region!"
Jessie and Meowth exchanged glances.
Moments later, the trio landed at one of James' many luxurious estates. The mansion's butlers welcomed them, and soon they were seated before a grand feast, stuffing their faces with delicious food.
While searching through the estate, James even found an old Poké Ball—containing his Carnivine!
Realizing that Team Rocket had never established a proper foothold in Sinnoh, they immediately contacted headquarters.
Soon, their call was connected to Giovanni.
"Boss! We're currently in the Sinnoh region!"
"We're going to capture all the rare Pokémon here and send them to you!"
"We'll make sure Team Rocket's name is known far and wide in Sinnoh, meow!"
Giovanni, who had long since stopped keeping track of every minor grunt in his organization, simply nodded. "Good. I expect great results. Keep up the hard work."
With that, the call ended.
Jessie, James, and Meowth were overjoyed.
"The boss expects great results from us! That means we're on the fast track to getting promoted to executives! Maybe even board members!"
Their eyes sparkled with ambition.
Meanwhile, back at Team Rocket's headquarters…
Giovanni absentmindedly stroked his Persian while muttering to himself, "Who were those three again…?"
He had far too many subordinates to remember them all.
However, what truly caught his attention was the mention of Sinnoh.
"Sinnoh… Team Galactic, huh? Perhaps it's time to put that plan into motion."
With that thought, he dialed a number labeled 'Number 4' on his phone.
Back in the forest, Ash, Anabel, and Dawn had stopped for lunch.
The meal was a team effort—Ash led the cooking, while Anabel and Dawn assisted.
"Wow, Ash! I had no idea you were such a great cook! This is amazing!"
"Piplup!"
Dawn and Piplup rubbed their full stomachs, grinning in satisfaction.
Just then, a sudden jolt of electricity crackled through the air from deeper within the forest!
"Elekid, use Thunder Shock in all directions!"
"Ele… BUZZ!"
A flock of Starly was soaring through the trees when the electric attack struck, instantly hitting three of them. A young man with light purple hair coolly tossed three Poké Balls in succession, capturing all three Starly at once.
Ash's eyes narrowed as he recognized the scene.
This was exactly where he had encountered him in the original timeline.
Ash glanced at Pikachu.
"Pikachu, get ready for battle."
"Pika?"
Pikachu tilted its head in confusion. It didn't know who this trainer was, but from Ash's expression, a battle was inevitable.
Ash smirked, stepping forward.
It was time to show Paul just how strong Pikachu was—without any reset holding it back!
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T/N:
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