Pokémon: Dreams Come True Starting in Sinnoh

"Looks like I'll have to carry you for a while longer. By the way, is there a Pokémon Center nearby?"

Because my current location is still relatively remote.

Furthermore, he only used a public phone to contact Professor Oak, so Ash was unable to get Aipom's Poké Ball immediately.

Left with no other choice, I could only let it stay on my shoulder for the time being.

"OKI!"

Compared to Ash's worries, Aipom was overjoyed that he could openly stay outside.

Seeing how happy Aipom was, Ash could only shake his head.

Well, since this is a rare opportunity, let it stay here a little longer.

If we're talking about things he regrets, Ash does have some regrets about Aipom.

Back in the Sinnoh region, Aipom got so engrossed in Pokémon ping-pong that Ash and Dawn left it behind. But Ash never came back to see it again.

Being able to meet Aipom again in this way today makes up for a little regret in his heart.

"Pikachu~"

Seeing Ash and Aipom so harmonious, Pikachu, as the "big brother," was also very happy.

However, it's only natural that Pikachu would be happy, since Aipom isn't standing on its shoulder. Without Pikachu's help, it's always better for its companions to be as harmonious as possible.

Xiao Zhi put down the phone, then pushed open the door and walked out. Just as he was about to head towards the city, he suddenly heard a familiar sound of machinery operating.

Get out of the way!

Ash shouted this instinctively, and then jumped forward.

Pikachu and Aipom, though still confused about what was happening, were forced to land on either side of the ground due to Ash's sudden action.

When Pikachu landed, it saw a mechanical arm still gripping the spot where it had been standing. Startled, it then noticed the familiar Meowth hot air balloon in mid-air.

......

"Ugh! What are you grabbing?! It's rotten! You should have just given it to me!"

"What are you yelling about, meow! Can't you see the robotic arm is positioned perfectly?! Isn't it because the little brat reacted and dodged?! How can you blame me for this, meow?!"

"Sonams~!"

"Get back there!"

On the hot air balloon, two of the Rockets' trio seemed to have a slight argument because of Meow Meow's mistake.

Wobbuffet was caught in the crossfire simply because it chimed in and affirmed Meowth's words.

Looking at the hot air balloon above, Pikachu and Aipom both assumed battle stances, while Ash gazed at the trio above with a nostalgic look.

Although Team Rocket continued to have designs on Pikachu for a long time to come, Ash would meet with them almost every few days, and they were more familiar with each other than his own family.

However, during the time I was in the Pokémon Masters Challenge, Team Rocket disappeared for a long period of time. I heard from Brock that they seemed to be doing some kind of business in Viridian City.

Xiao Zhi didn't ask for details, but he felt both sorry for the three of them and relieved.

The good news is that they can finally give up Pikachu and go on to pursue a proper career.

Unfortunately, he will probably have few chances to see the three of them again in the future. Although they have always been enemies, they have also cooperated many times. It would be a bit biased to simply describe them as bad guys.

In short, Ash's feelings towards Team Rocket are rather complicated.

"Ah! Never mind, if I'd known you couldn't even do this little thing right, I would have used the rocket launcher from the start! If we'd been fast enough, Pikachu would already be ours!"

"What?! In that situation, were you going to net the little brat too? It's pointless if you don't catch Pikachu separately, meow! Since you're so confident in your idea, then try it yourself! See if you can catch it, meow!"

"Huh?! Fine, I'll try. Let me show you just how useless you really are!"

"What?!"

"What do you want?!"

"Um... I'm sorry to interrupt you two while you were having such a good time." Just as Musashi and Meow Meow were arguing, Kojiro timidly stepped in and raised his hand to stop them.

"What's wrong, meow?"

"Do you even want to judge right and wrong?"

At that moment, Musashi and Meowth turned their firepower on Kojiro. Their imposing presence made Kojiro tremble, and he quickly shook his head in denial.

"No, that's not what I meant. It's just that while you were arguing, the little brat... he ran away..."

"What (meow?!)?!"

Upon hearing Kojiro's words, Musashi and Meowth immediately looked down.

Ash, who had been there, had vanished without a trace.

When they looked into the distance again, they saw Ash running away frantically with Pikachu and Aipom.

"That's despicable!"

"How can I run away when someone is talking to me, meow!"

Jessie and Meowth seemed completely unaware that the despicable ones were the ones who launched the sneak attack first. Now that Ash had escaped, Jessie and Meowth had started hurling insults at Ash.

Although Ash ran away immediately, it didn't matter.

No matter how fast he runs, he can't be faster than them, and Ash's act of running away also gave them a lot of confidence.

"Since the little brat ran away the moment he saw us, doesn't that mean he's afraid of us? It seems he doesn't even think he can beat us without more help!"

Musashi puffed out her chest with great confidence, like a victorious general returning home. Ash's escape gave her the illusion that she could win.

Meowth, who was originally as aggressive as Musashi, is now silent. Instead, he looks at Kojiro and says, "By the way, is the kid the kind of person who would run away in a situation like this?"

Meow Meow didn't quite understand.

In the past, Ash's first reaction upon seeing them would have been to yell, "What? It's you guys again! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

They should have done that.

As the saying goes, "Where there's a will, there's a way." Meowth, who initially thought they could win by taking advantage of Ash not having any other Pokémon around, is now less able to stick to their opinion.

However, after calming down, Meowth's status in the Rockets trio gradually slipped to second place.

Without the rage buff, Meowth still can't compete with Musashi in terms of strength.

"Quick, chase him! Don't let the little devil get away!"

Seeing Musashi giving instructions, Meowth, Kojiro, and Wobbuffet were all somewhat worried.

However, they have now started to get busy with their own things, led by Musashi.

.......