Pokemon: Remnants of a Forgotten past

Chapter 23: Old Friends, New Frontiers

With hopes of his 5th gym battle victory awaiting him, Ash continued on his path towards Lumiose accompanied by Serena, a budding performer. 

Ash P.O.V.

While I enjoy my travels a lot, this leg of my journey from Coumarine to Lumiose was, interesting to say the least. Clemont and Bonnie had departed from  usto Lumiose beforehand as Clemont wished to train for the battle in advance. This had left Serena and I alone on their travels together. And as I had asked her out on a date just 1 week back, it was not very comfortable for me.

Luckily, my mind was almost as much fixated on the upcoming battle as they were on the other thoughts. Mostly on my newly evolved Sligoo which had evolved while trying to save a bunch of Spoink from a bullying Grumpig. I knew for sure that I wished to use the determined Dragon type. 

I looked over to Serena who was examining the map.
"We should be in Lumiose by today!" she said. "It would be in the evening but we'll get there."
"That's amazing!" I said.

"Ash! Serena!"

We looked back, jumping at being hailed so suddenly. When we turned back we saw Shauna, a girl in a pink top and short black jeans alongside Tierno, a boy with black T-shirt on which a Vanillite was imprinted and brown 3-quarter pants.

"Good to see you too," Serena said.

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"Team Rocket reporting, sir!" Jessie, James and Meowth said, trying to be in their most official voice.
"We thank you for your assistance in the takeover of the Kalos Power Plant," Archer said. "It's a pity you failed but I am sure you three will be successful in our next mission. Which is, you three have to aid us in the extraction of a very rare mineral resource."
"What is it, sir?" James asked.
"It's......"

Jessie, James and Meowth looked on with bated breath as Archer took a pause, each willing to do whatever Archer would command them.
"Water."

The answer shocked the three loyal team Rocket members, who could not comprehend what use water would be to their campaign.
"I'm sorry sir but, by water, do you mean that there is any special water nearby." James said.
"No special water," Archer said. "Just regular old water. Now, good luck in your mission."

Archer hung off the call and burst into laughter like Petrel and Proton behind him.
"Those three really are numbskulls aren't they?" Petrel said.
"They still did not realise that we used them as bait to recover the Meteor fragment," Proton said.
"Neither did they realise that I was hoaxing them," Archer said. "Giovanni might be ruthless and cunning but he surely knows how to create a laugh."

Jessie and the others were extremely confused by this absurd command.
"Well, maybe we have to get some water pokemon?" Jessie suggested. "Let's begin with the twerp's Frogadier."
"Yeah, I guess," the other 2 said, not very convinced.

"Say, Jess," James said. "You think that Giovanni might not care about us?"
"What are you saying, of course he cares about us," Jessie spat back at once.
"Well they promised us reinforcements on that operation but they never came," James began. "And now they want us for such absurd operations."

Jessie and Meowth considered over this, they never thought Giovanni would betray them or abandon them like he had done in the Power Plant issue.
"I think you are just hallucinating James," Jessie said, not very confidently. "They have obviously got our back. Let's think about that later and snag Pikachu for now."

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Ash P.O.V.