Pokémon: Ash's Sinnoh Reset

"Meowth! I've spotted the twerp! Pikachu's there too, and what's that... an Aipom, Meowth?"

A talking Meowth was perched on the railing of a hot air balloon, observing Ash's movements with a telescope.

"Even though that extra Pokémon is a bit of a hassle, according to our records, the twerp shouldn't have his Hoenn team with him, right? If we want to grab Pikachu, now's our best chance, Meowth!" Jessie exclaimed, shaking her signature, questionably long hair, her tone brimming with confidence.

"Um... but..." James, on the other hand, seemed hesitant, unsure whether to speak his mind. After a moment of contemplation, he voiced his concerns, "We always say that, but we constantly fail and make mistakes, don't we? I think we really need to plan our capture strategy this time! We can't have so many unexpected things happen every time!"

"Wobbuffet!"

James's perspective, as the weaker member of the trio, was met with Wobbuffet's fervent agreement. However, neither James's caution nor Wobbuffet's agreement seemed to register with Jessie.

"What are you meddling for?"

"Wobbu..."

Wobbuffet was cut off by Jessie, who pressed a hand over its mouth.

"I'm just saying, James, what are you so afraid of? The twerp doesn't have his main team with him right now! As long as we can grab Pikachu first, are we really scared of that weak Aipom?"

Jessie remained as fearless as ever.

"But..." James still seemed reluctant. "We've been beaten by that Aipom before, you know."

Jessie: "..."

A moment of silence fell over the hot air balloon, then,

"Meowth, get going!"

"Time for my Fury Swipes, Meowth!"

James: "Huh?! What are you doing?! Ahh—"

...

A minute later, James, covered in scratches, lay sprawled on the floor of the hot air balloon, while Wobbuffet stood by his side, trembling, as if afraid of being the next target if it dared to utter another word.

"Doubt yourself and give your enemies an advantage!" Jessie exclaimed, shaking her hand dismissively.

"That's right, Meowth! If we're not willing to act decisively in this situation, we'll never have another chance! We're Team Rocket, Meowth, and Team Rocket has to have its dignity!"

"B-but..."

"No buts!" x2

"Yes, ma'am!"

James, intimidated by Jessie and Meowth's fervor, quickly stood up and saluted, responding promptly.

"Now that the problem is taken care of, let's get to planning."

Seeing that James had no further objections, Jessie leaned against the railing behind her, acting as if she had no more to do with the planning. Hearing Jessie's words, Meowth grinned mysteriously, saying, "Heh heh! Meowth has already prepared everything, and this plan is foolproof, Meowth!"

"What is it?" James's eyes still held a hint of skepticism.

As James suspected, Meowth pulled out a rocket launcher from seemingly nowhere.

"This is loaded with an electric-proof capture net! As long as we use this to catch Pikachu, and then make a quick getaway in the hot air balloon, Meowth,"

"The twerp won't be able to catch us!"

Jessie, upon hearing this "flawless" plan, immediately stood up and applauded, as if victory was already within their grasp.

Seeing the two so full of confidence, James and Wobbuffet slipped over to the other side, where they whispered to each other without being noticed. "Do you really think things will go that smoothly?"

Wobbuffet: "Wobbuffet..."

Wobbuffet's tone sounded somewhat somber, as if it, too, thought Meowth's plan was too simplistic.

"Right, right! We've failed even with more advanced machines and more elaborate plans, but now they want to capture Pikachu with just a net? That's just wishful thinking!"

Wobbuffet: "Wobbuffet!"

Wobbuffet saluted, emphatically agreeing with James.

"Ah, I guess there's an eighty or ninety percent chance we'll still end up with that 'I'm blasting off again' feeling... I wonder where we'll blast off to for our first time in the Sinnoh region."

Wobbuffet: "Wobbu-ffet..."

Wobbuffet's tone grew even more despondent. Jessie and Meowth were sipping juice, celebrating their impending success, while James and Wobbuffet huddled in a corner, lamenting their unchanging future.

Jessie and Meowth: "What a great feeling!"

James and Wobbuffet: "I'm blasting off again... (Wobbuffet)" (softly)

....

While Team Rocket was plotting to steal Pikachu, Ash, accompanied by Pikachu and Aipom, was in a nearby phone booth, calling Professor Oak.

"Yes, that's right... Aipom is with me now. I don't know when it caught up with me."

Ash was reporting Aipom's situation to Professor Oak, and Professor Oak and Tracey, who was eavesdropping, both breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the news.

"Whew, that's a relief. I was wondering how Aipom disappeared in the blink of an eye. So it went to Sinnoh with you... What do you think, Ash? Do you want to send Aipom back?"

"Aipom!"

Aipom, who had been pressing its ear against the phone, grabbed Ash's collar and shook him frantically, tears welling up in its eyes, as if to say, "If you send me back, I'll never leave you alone."

"Ah! I got it! I got it! Stop shaking me! I understand! You don't want to go back, that's it! I won't send you back! Let go of me!"

"Aipom!"

Once Ash made his promise, the tears on Aipom's face vanished instantly. Seeing Aipom's quick change of expression, Ash sighed in resignation and straightened his rumpled collar.

If this Pokémon encountered a movie, it would definitely be interested in becoming an actor...

Watching Aipom hopping around happily, Ash couldn't help but think.

....