Ash groaned as he felt someone poking him in his sleep.
"Ash you need to tell me what is going on!" Misty stares trying to shake the boy awake
"Ugh, fine, that girl who just Star badged against Brock's true team is Yellow."
"Misty froze, her brain struggling to catch up. "Wait—Yellow evolved her Pikachu? No way. That's… that's insane. I thought she swore she'd never do that!"
Ash shifted, sitting up with a tired groan. "Well, she did. And trust me, it's strong. My Pikachu wouldn't know Surf without her help." He rubbed the back of his neck. "If anyone could solo Brock's real team, it'd be her."
Misty dropped onto the edge of the bed, still gripping the Instinct coin. "I don't get it. I thought the Team Instinct admins were all wiped out in that ambush years ago. No one's seen Yellow since." Her voice softened, as if the words tasted bitter. "And if she's alive, why would she show up here of all places?"
Ash shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she's keeping an eye on me for my dad. Or maybe she's got her own reasons." His voice lowered. "But she's definitely alive. And really good at staying off the radar."
Misty narrowed her eyes at him. "You're surprisingly calm about all this. You're telling me you've been hanging around the ghost of Team Instinct, who's apparently back from the dead, and you're acting like it's no big deal? She's a monster from the Go Era!"
Ash leaned back against the headboard with a half-smirk. "I mean, when your dad's probably Red and your grandpa might be Spark, weird stuff kinda stops surprising you."
Misty gaped letting out a stuttering reply before fainting.
Ash chuckled softly to himself as he tucked Misty under the blankets. She mumbled something incoherent but settled into the warmth of the bed without waking up. Grabbing a pen and some paper from his bag, he scrawled a quick note:
Went to explore Mt. Moon. Be back by nightfall.
Satisfied, he left the note on the nightstand where she'd see it, then stretched as he made his way to the door. The morning air outside was crisp, the sun barely rising over the rocky cliffs surrounding the Pokémon Center.
"Athena? We need to stop team rocket from cornering a Mew, any suggestions on who should help?" Ash asks aloud.
Athena materialized beside him in a shimmer of light, her red eyes gleaming with curiosity. "So, Team Rocket thinks they can corner a Mew?" her voice echoed in his mind, laced with amusement. "They never learn."
"No, they don't," Ash muttered, adjusting his hat. "But that's why we're here. Any suggestions on who to bring along? I doubt they're alone this time."
Athena tapped her chin thoughtfully, hovering just off the ground. "Why not Hestia? She's been dying for a fight, and if they've got any heavy hitters, you know she'll handle it."
Ash smirked. "Good call. Time to let her stretch her legs."
He reached into his belt, and felt his hand hit that weird dimensional place that didn't actually exists and pulled out a sleek yet old pokeball. It wasn't a wooden ball but it was certainly old.
"Hestia, you're up."
A burst of white light erupted from the ball, and as it faded, a Nobel shiny Arcanine stood Her golden fur shimmered like liquid sunlight, as she sniffed her way towards curiously.
Ash let out a surprised oof as the regal Arcanine tackled him to the ground, her warm tongue dragging across his face in a series of enthusiastic licks. Despite her elegant, almost queenly appearance, Hestia still had the playful energy he had always imagined she would act like.
"Okay, okay—I missed you too!" Ash laughed, struggling to sit up as her golden tails wagged behind her, brushing against his legs. "You're acting like how I always thought you would. I still remember you almost soloing the entire Kanto Circut."
The pupper pouts as she looks at Ash slightly upset.
"It's fine, those are just grunts if you want I can call another friend? How about a pack you can rule as its queen?" Ash asks
With a subtle gesture, he reached for three more Poké Balls, each one releasing a burst of white light as the rest of his Arcanine pack emerged.
Hell Hound, the largest of the trio, stood tall with his black-and-red fur giving off a fierce, battle-hardened aura. His crimson eyes burned with the promise of violence as he stalked up to Hestia's side.
"Alright, guys," Ash said, his voice low but commanding. "Team Rocket is causing trouble again. I want you to make sure they regret stepping foot in here."
Hestia gave a regal nod, her golden mane flowing as she barked once, a sound that echoed through the caves. The other Arcanine growled in unison, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Hell Hound let out a deep, rumbling snarl. Without another word, the pack split into the shadows, moving like golden and black blurs through the tunnels.
Ash grinned to himself. "Team Rocket's not going to know what hit them."
======
Deep within the sprawling caverns of Mt. Moon, the air buzzed with activity as a large-scale Team Rocket operation unfolded. Dozens of grunts moved in coordinated chaos, hauling heavy equipment, setting up scanners, and combing through the rocky passages for any sign of their elusive prize—Mew.
At the center of the operation, a woman in a sleek black uniform with a red "R" stood, her arms crossed as she monitored the activity. Her sharp eyes glinted in the dim light, irritation flickering across her face.
"Status report!" she barked, her voice cutting through the noise like a whip.
One of the grunts scrambled to her side, sweating despite the cool cave air. "Commander, the scanners have picked up faint psychic signatures deeper in the cave. We believe the target is close."
The commander narrowed her eyes. "Good. I want that Mew contained. Double the patrols, and if anyone slacks off, they'll be feeding the Muk pits for a month."
"Yes, ma'am!" The grunt saluted and rushed back to his post.
Further down the tunnels, a squad of five grunts patrolled a secluded section, their Pokémon—Raticate, Golbat, and Machoke—casting eerie shadows against the walls.
"I don't like this," one grunt muttered. "If it's really a Mew, why didn't the elites handle it?"
"Because they're busy doing more important things," another snapped. "Besides, it's just a psychic cat. What's the worst it can—"
A distant howl cut him off. Low. Menacing. And not alone.
The grunts froze.
"Did you hear that?" one whispered, his knuckles whitening around a Poké Ball.
"I-It's probably just a wild Geodude," another said, though his voice trembled. "Nothing we can't—"
The howl came again—closer this time, and joined by others. The sound of paws hitting stone echoed through the tunnels, growing louder with every heartbeat.
From the shadows ahead, a golden shimmer appeared over the edge of the tunnel.
One of the grunts stumbled backward. "Since when do wild Arcanine travel in packs?!"
The answer came swiftly.
Hestia let out a roar, and the cave erupted into chaos.
Flames burst forth as the Arcanine pack descended. Hell Hound led the assault, barreling into the nearest Machoke with a Thunder Fang, sending sparks flying as the Fighting-type crumpled under the force. Another Arcanine swept through with a Flamethrower, scorching equipment and scattering grunts like leaves in a storm.
"Fall back! FALL BACK!" the squad leader shouted, panic surging through the ranks as the Arcanine pack tore through their defenses.
But there was no retreat.
===
In the depths of Mt. Moon, panic rippled through the ranks of Team Rocket as what was reportedly a pack of once-thought Legendary Arcanine tore through their forces. Grunts scrambled to hold the defensive lines, but it was chaos—Pokémon were collapsing left and right beneath the relentless assault.
A young grunt, barely out of training, clutched his Raticate's Poké Ball with trembling hands. "T-They're monsters…" he whispered, eyes wide with terror. "This shouldn't be happening—Arcanine don't do this!"
A blast of searing heat cut off any further thought as Hell Hound lunged, his fangs crackling with electricity as he slammed into a Golbat mid-flight. The bat Pokémon shrieked before crumpling to the ground.
"Commander Vale, we're losing containment!" another grunt screamed into a communicator. "We're pinned at Tunnel 3—these things are tearing us apart!"
Commander Vale stood further back in the central chamber, her expression cold and calculating despite the unfolding disaster. "Hold the line," she ordered sharply, though even she knew it was futile. No amount of grunts, no battalion of weak rattata , could stop this.
Her mind raced through the reports. Arcanine—prized for their speed, their loyalty, and their near-mythic status. But these weren't the ordinary specimens that high-ranking Rockets coveted for their black-market battles. This pack moved like a coordinated strike team, more tactical than any wild Pokémon had the right to be.
And then there was the golden one, it might aswell be a legendary with how fast it was tearing through forces, from what limited reports they were receiving wherever the fire mutt stepped the stone floor melted.
Commander Vale clenched her jaw as the chaotic cries echoed through her communicator. "This shouldn't be happening," she muttered. "Where are our reinforcements?"
The response crackled through, barely audible over the sounds of battle. "T-they can't get through! The Arcanine have blocked off Tunnel 2 and 4—those things move like they know the terrain!"
Of course, they did. Vale's mind raced. This wasn't natural. Arcanine weren't supposed to be this tactical—this coordinated. Someone was controlling them.
A fresh explosion shook the cavern as another wave of heat seared through the air. Vale's heart pounded as she spotted the golden one—easily twice the size of a normal Arcanine—standing atop a pile of scorched machinery. Her molten gaze swept the battlefield like a queen surveying her kingdom.
And her pack was merciless.
"Gah—! Another one coming from the left flank!" a grunt cried out. Hell Hound emerged next, his darker, more brutal form ripping through the defenses like paper. A Rhydon fell with a pained roar, Mist dripping from the monsters jaw as Ice Fang was very clearly being used, those fangs clamping down on its horn. Sparks danced in the air as Hell Hound tossed the downed Pokémon aside with a snarl.
"They're monsters!" another grunt whimpered, fumbling for a smoke grenade with shaking fingers.
A sharp growl behind him froze him mid-motion. He barely had time to turn before a third Arcanine slammed him into the rock wall with a precise Extreme Speed, leaving him crumpled and unconscious.
"WHAT IN THE FUCK IS HAPPENING!"
===
Ash strolled casually through the tunnel, hands in his pockets, while the distant roars of his Arcanine pack reverberated around him. Athena floated beside him, her expression torn between amusement and exasperation.
He let out a low whistle. "Hey, Athena… think thirty Arcanine was overkill?" he asked, glancing at her with a smirk.
Athena sighed, shaking her head. "Master… until recently, Arcanine were considered legendary. People still have no idea how to evolve a Growlithe into one. This is beyond overkill."
Ash chuckled softly, stepping over a singed Rocket uniform. "Yeah… but it's working, isn't it?"