After a few hours of training, the gang had departed Santalune City and was on the way back to Lumiose City. Usopp and Eevee were currently looking around for a Pokemon to catch.

"So Ash, since you've dealt with Misty's Psyduck in the past, could you tell me more about these abilities?" Nami asked curiously. Ash nodded and was about to explain when Serena stood in front of him.

"Actually, could you hold on a minute?" she inquired as she patted her pocket. While Ash looked confused, Nami instantly knew what Serena was going to do.

The woman smirked before saying, "Of course. We're in no big rush right now." Serena blushed and gave her a look that clearly said, "STOP IT!" She then took a deep breath to recompose herself and took out the handkerchief. Ash's eyes widened once he instantly recognized it.

"Boy, that brings back memories..." he stated with a smile. Chuchu smiled too upon remembering the first encounter with Serena and the fun times they had together.

"...You know, I've been wondering. How did you three meet?" Brock questioned them with curiosity evident in his voice. Those not in the know were curious too. Ash told them about Professor Oak's Summer Camp and how they met there. By the end of that, Brock's eyes had grown wide.

"So THAT is why Serena sang that song yesterday! She knew you would recognize it!" he exclaimed. Serena gave Brock a nod and held out the handkerchief to Ash.

"Ash, I've held on to this for all these years, believing that you would come find me eventually. And now, here we are, seven years later. It's been a long time since you let me have it, and now I'm handing it back to you." she proclaimed. Ash couldn't help but smile and shake his head a little bit. He then reached out...and, to Serena's surprise, gently pushed her hands back.

"That handkerchief is your greatest treasure, right, Rena? In that case, I don't wanna separate it from you." he replied sweetly. Serena's face went red, but ultimately, she smiled as she held the handkerchief close to her chest. Hearing the word "treasure" made Luffy take off his hat and look at it fondly.

I know how having a gift from someone feels. he thought.

"Aw, this is SO ADORABLE!" Bonnie squealed in a delighted tone. A massive blush crossed Ash and Serena's faces. While they were happy for them, Brock and Sanji couldn't help but feel jealous of the budding romance occurring before their eyes. The Pikachus sniggered a bit. All of a sudden, Ash flinched, almost as if he sensed something. He turned his head and yelped upon seeing a horde of Rhyhorns coming toward Serena, with trainers riding on each one.

"RENA!" Ash yelled out. Thinking fast, he grabbed the startled Serena by the hand, pulled her straight into a hug, and turned around so that he was protecting her from harm. Ash was right on time too, as they all heard a rumbling sound while the Rhyhorns ran past them.

"HOW THE HECK DID HE SENSE THAT?!" each Straw Hat yelped in surprise.

"Okay, that's new. How did he know the Rhyhorns were coming?" Brock mumbled under his breath. The Pikachus had their eyes narrowed as they looked at each other.

"Pikachu pi pikachu PiPi-kachu pi pikachu? (Remember when I blasted off Team Rocket for the first time?)" Chuchu inquired. Pikachu nodded before looking at Ash curiously.

"Pikachu pika pikachu. Pi...kachu? (That hadn't happened since that day. So...why now?)" he wondered out loud. Ash sighed in relief before letting go of Serena, who looked like her heart was going to burst out of her chest any second now.

"You all right, Rena?" he inquired.

"Y-Y-Yes, I'm fine. Thanks for the save, Ash." Serena responded, still a bit shaken.

"No problem." Ash concurred.

"...So, why were there Rhyhorns on the road?" Brock asked curiously.

I have a pretty good idea... Serena thought. Suddenly, they heard a "vroom" sound as Officer Jenny drove down to them on a motorcycle. Nami instantly shot Brock and Sanji a look that said, "Behave." They both chuckled nervously.

"What do you all think you're doing?! This is a Rhyhorn racecourse!" Jenny exclaimed in an authoritative tone.

Serena groaned internally before thinking to herself, Knew it.

"Rhyhorn Racing? That's what your mom was doing, right, Rena?" Ash questioned her curiously. Serena nodded to confirm that.

"That reminds me of a race in Kanto Ash won with a Ponyta that evolved into a Rapidish during it." Brock commented. That piqued Serena's interest.

"Oh? Then why not do a race here? I heard that you can participate in one with anyone tomorrow." she suggested.

"Good idea! I could bring in a Tauros for some practice and the race." Ash stated, excited for some bonding time with Serena. She giggled at his enthusiasm and shook her head.

"You can only use Rhyhorn here. But...in that case, why don't I teach you how to ride one?" Serena queried. While Ash was a bit upset that he couldn't use Tauros, he still looked eager to learn from her.

"...I swear, Ash is so damn lucky to have Serena." Brock uttered, sounding jealous. Sanji heard him and growled.

"No kidding. Lucky bastard." he mumbled under his breath.

"I think Ash is looking to bring back his old Pokemon to impress Serena." Nami muttered to Usopp.

He gave her a nod while saying, "That, and looking for options for that Paul guy."

"True." Clemont replied. Bonnie and Dedenne gushed at Ash and Serena, which caused them to blush.

"Bonnie, I do wish you would stop embarrassing us." she grumbled. Serena then turned back to Jenny.

"Excuse me, where's the ranch?" the girl inquired. Jenny told them the directions, which they thanked her for before heading there. Just as she was about to leave, a disgruntled man and woman approached her.

"Excuse me, Officer, have you seen a Meowth around here?" he asked hopefully.

"No, I have not. Sorry." Jenny responded apologetically. The man and woman groaned while thanking her and took off.

They both had one question on their very worried minds: Where are you, Meowth?!

Soon, the group arrived at the ranch. After a conversation with the caretaker, Ash and Serena both got changed into jumpsuits: a blue one for him and a pink one for her.

"...Not gonna lie, you look cute in that." he admitted upon seeing her. Serena's face went red as she used her hair to cover it.

"Thanks, Ash. You're looking quite spiffy yourself." she responded in a flirty tone. That time, it was Ash who blushed.

"Oh, keep flirting." Nami and Bonnie said teasingly while eating some popcorn alongside a confused Psyduck and the sniggering Pikachus and Dedenne. Clemont placed his hand over his face.

"Popcorn? Really, you two?" he uttered exasperatedly.

Brock chuckled while saying, "Yep, they were made for each other." Once Ash and Serena calmed down, she took a deep breath.

"Okay, the first thing you need to do is pick a Rhyhorn." she stated.

"Right." Ash replied. He was about to go behind a Rhyhorn, but Serena stopped him.

"Ash, don't do that! If you approach a Rhyhorn from behind, it might begin to panic and then run. Do this, come in from the front..." Serena started. She came up in front of the cautious Rhyhorn.

"...and move very slowly." Serena finished. She slowly knelt down to Rhyhorn's level and petted him on the head.

"There, there, it's okay." Serena reassured him soothingly. Rhyhorn grunted happily. Serena then glanced back up at Ash, who looked fascinated.

"See?" she asked.

"Amazing! Though, I guess that's to be expected from the daughter of a Rhyhorn Racing champion." Ash conceded. Even the Pikachus were impressed, as were the Straw Hats. Serena smiled at the compliment from her crush and chuckled.

"Now this Rhyhorn seems to be gentle and really smart." she told Ash.

"Rhy! (Thanks!)" Rhyhorn exclaimed merrily as he bopped his nose on Serena's cheek. She giggled sweetly.

"Sounds good. Then I choose you. Nice to meet you, Rhyhorn." Ash concurred. Following Serena's example, he walked up, slowly knelt down, and petted Rhyhorn on the head.

"Rhyhorn. (Nice to meet you too.)" he responded.

"...Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you Grace Gabena's daughter?" Clemont asked curiously. Serena groaned at the question that was inevitably coming either way.

"Yes, she's my mother." she answered, sounding a little bitter.

Ash placed his hand on Serena's shoulder before saying, "Relax, Rena. It's just a question." She smiled and thanked him. Soon, Rhyhorn was set up for riding, with Ash already on him.

"I can see how much experience you have with riding a Pokemon, Ash. After all, a beginner would have a difficult time even getting on a Rhyhorn." Serena stated, clearly impressed. Ash couldn't help but chuckle.

"When you've ridden a Lapras throughout the Orange Archipelago, you don't forget the thrills of riding a Pokemon that easily, Rena. Heck, I had to use Lapras to race the first Orange League Gym Leader...while standing up. Wasn't easy, but I did win." he admitted.

"Hm...so even if you can ride a Pokemon, they must have different rules for how to ride them." Zoro noted. Ash and Brock nodded to confirm that. Soon, after instructions from Serena, the boy was running on Rhyhorn really well.

"Wow! Ash, you're doing very good for someone who isn't even a full-time Rhyhorn Racer!" she exclaimed happily. Ash laughed.

"Well, I do have an amazing teacher, after all!" he called back in a flirty tone. Serena blushed bright red as Nami, Bonnie, Dedenne, and the Pikachus cheered at the flirting. Suddenly, the woman smiled mischievously.

"Oh, Serena, why don't you ride on one next to your soulmate?" she suggested. Serena's face went even redder. And Bonnie, Dedenne, and the Pikachus were all squealing delightedly.

"...Fineeeee. But I'm doing it because I actually wanna do it." Serena retorted. And so, after setting up her own Rhyhorn, she was riding alongside Ash.

"SO FREAKING ADORABLE!" Nami and Bonnie squealed in delight, along with the Pikachus and Dedenne. Brock and Sanji were both slumped down in depression. Luffy was getting a bit bored and asked Zoro if he wanted to train with him, which he accepted. Usopp was taking notes on Rhyhorn. And Clemont had his hand placed over his face.

"Ugh! Bonnie, why do you do this?" he groaned. Thirty minutes later, Ash had the riding down pat.

"Man, I feel like I'm ready to win the race tomorrow!" he declared.

"...Heh, good luck, kid. You're gonna have to outrace ME! And I'm feeling SUUUUUPER confident in my Rhyhorn!" a man's voice called out confidently. Everybody currently there blinked in confusion and turned to see him striking a pose. Their jaws dropped once they saw this powerfully built, seven feet tall, thirty-four-year-old man. His forearms were relatively enormous while his biceps were comparably small. His chest was well-toned with large abs and pectoral muscles. He had brightly colored blue hair and blue star tattoos on his forearms. His eyebrows were rather long and stern, and he had three prominent lower Matsuge on each eye. His chin was very angular and tapered off in three pointed clefts. He had an equally angular prosthetic nose made of iron with several rivets and jagged edges, the only replacement part of his exterior body that was not covered in artificial skin. And he wore black glasses, a large golden chain necklace around his neck, a red Hawaiian shirt with lime green palm trees decorating it, and swim briefs.

"...WHAT THE HECK?!" Serena and Nami yelped, feeling freaked out by the pervert along with Chuchu. Luffy, who had just returned from the training session, looked fascinated alongside Ash and Pikachu.

"HE LOOKS AWESOME!" they exclaimed. Zoro and Sanji had both tensed up, as they could feel the strength coming from this man. Everybody else was curious about who he was. Suddenly, a song started playing in the background as the man began to dance.

https://youtu.be/BEei99o6eJo

"I'm this region's strongest Rhyhorn Racer! You don't stand a chance against me! Yes, they call me...FRANKY! OW! SUUUUUPER!" he sang before striking the pose. On instinct, Serena hid behind Ash.

"...Okay, this guy is crazy." she uttered.

Elsewhere, Jessie and James were still looking for Meowth when they heard the song.

"...WHO THE FUCK USES MUSIC TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES?!" he shouted while covering his ears. Jessie rushed ahead to give this guy a piece of her mind...only to skid to a halt once she saw the group he was with.

"WAIT, BACK UP, BACK UP! THE TWERP IS HERE TOO!" she screeched out. Nami heard Jessie and turned to see her and James frantically backing off. A sly smirk crossed her face as she looked down at a certain Pokeball.

"It's almost time." Nami mumbled under her breath. While Ash and Franky stared each other down, Bonnie noticed the smirk. The woman pointed at the Pokeball, which made the little girl nod in understanding.

"...Your Rhyhorn must be crazy strong to hold up your massive body while also running around the racecourse, heh, Franky?" Ash inquired knowingly. Franky took off his glasses and raised an eye.

"You've got a good eye for Pokemon, kid. Mostly everyone else thinks I'm way too big to be a Rhyhorn Racer. And yet I always prove them wrong and kick some ass. You, on the other hand...you're a worthy opponent. May I ask what your name is?" he asked back curiously.

"Ash. Ash Ketchum." Ash replied confidently. Franky smirked and held out his hand.

"Well, Ash, I think you'll make a SUUUUUPER interesting challenger to my current streak of forty-nine wins. Don't disappoint me now." he declared in a challenging tone.

"FORTY-NINE WINS?! YEESH, THAT'S INSANE!" Serena gasped, totally stunned.

Brock whistled before saying, "Dang."

"...Crew member number eight?" Luffy muttered to his crew.

"SERIOUSLY?!" Nami yelped.

"What? He's cool." Luffy said. Usopp covered his eyes and shook his head.

"Oh God, help us all." he mumbled under his breath.

"This is gonna be so much fun." Bonnie declared, clearly excited.

Clemont sighed in defeat while saying, "Well...I signed up for this." Ash and his Rhyhorn, on the other hand, looked very pumped up about the race.

"Well, Franky, I do love a good challenge. Looking forward to it!" he responded as he shook Franky's hand. Ash then narrowed his eyes once he felt something weird about it. Serena noticed the look and became worried. However, Ash didn't say anything until Franky left the ranch. When he made sure the man was gone, he turned to the group.

"So...I think Franky might be a cyborg. His hand felt like metal to me." Ash admitted. Everybody else's eyes grew wide.

"...Okay, he's SO MUCH COOLER than I thought!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly.

"...Well, at least he seems nice." Serena stated.

"Still, forty-nine wins...this race won't be easy." Brock added. Ash and his Rhyhorn smiled confidently.

"Good. The harder the challenge, the better the victory." he proclaimed.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. That guy has the experience." Zoro replied sternly.

"For once, Moss Head is right." Sanji concurred with a nod. Usopp and Clemont nodded in agreement.

"...How did Franky become part cyborg?" Bonnie wondered out loud.

"That's none of our business." Clemont told her. Bonnie pouted a little bit before turning to Nami, who was eyeing the spot she had seen Jessie from.

"So...you spotted them over there, heh?" she asked knowingly.

"...I'm guessing you saw Jessie and James." Ash said as he raised an eyebrow.

"Yep. They hightailed it out of there once they saw you, Ash." Nami confirmed. Ash, Brock, and the Pikachus looked stunned.

"Wow, I thought for sure they would use the distraction to try and capture Pikachu!" the man yelped.

Sanji took a puff from his cigarette before saying, "I can think of two reasons why they didn't do that. First, they know Charizard is with Ash. And second, Pikachu isn't even on their radar at the moment." Everybody else tensed up when they realized what he meant.

"Of course. They're looking for Meowth..." they muttered to themselves. Serena turned to Ash.

"Ash, you focus on your race tomorrow." she stated. Luffy hummed in agreement.

"Just leave those two to us." he added while smacking his fist on his open palm. The rest of the group nodded at that. Ash smiled.

"You're right. With Franky riding a forty-nine-win streak, I need to be at the top of my game tomorrow." he concurred. Serena gave Ash a smile back as she pulled a pink bag with a ribbon tied around the opening out of her pocket.

"Here. Think of it as a good luck snack." she stated as she held it out to Ash. He graciously accepted the gift, untied the bag...and caught a whiff of the delicious aroma he had smelled earlier that morning.

"You bake these for me?" Ash asked, smiling while mentally getting close to tearing up a little bit.

"Yep. And-" Serena didn't get a chance to finish the sentence before he wrapped his arms around her waist in a hug while still holding the bag. Her face went scarlet as the Pikachus, Nami, Bonnie, and Dedenne cheered in happiness. Brock and Sanji just slumped down into more depression.

"...All right, you lovebirds. As much as I enjoy seeing the idiot love cook like this, Ash needs to focus. As do we. We don't know when those two will make their move, after all." Zoro said sternly. As the blushing Ash and Serena quickly separated, Sanji gave the swordsman an annoyed look.

"Was that shot necessary, you shitty swordsman?" he complained. Nami smacked Sanji in the back of the head.

"Focus. We have our first run-in with Team Rocket coming up." she retorted.

Brock nodded before saying, "Good point." While Ash took his chosen Rhyhorn out for some more training, the rest of the group began discussing strategies for the confrontation with Jessie and James. Soon, Serena was on her tablet, waiting for a video call to connect. Suddenly, Grace's face appeared on the screen.

"Serena...Well, this is a surprise." she admitted with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, Mom. So we just left Santalune City after winning Gym battles. Me included." Serena started while showing Grace her newly won Bug Badge. The woman's eyes rose even further.

"Oh? I didn't know you would be so interested in battling. Or are you trying to impress your crush?" she questioned Serena teasingly. She blushed red.

"MOM! That's not even important!" Serena yelped, clearly embarrassed.

"Then why the update?" Grace queried curiously. Serena took a deep breath to recompose herself.

"So...we are at a Rhyhorn ranch right now. Ash wanted to participate in tomorrow's race, and I've been teaching him how to ride one. I even got on a Rhyhorn myself, believe it or not. But anyway, we also met one of Ash's opponents, and...let's just say he's an interesting character." she explained. Grace narrowed her eyes in interest.

"Interesting how?" she asked. Serena explained the first meeting with Franky but omitted the fact that Ash thought he might be a cyborg. By the end of the explanation, Grace's eyes had widened in shock.

"FORTY-NINE WINS?! YEESH, THAT'S INSANE! EVEN I COULD NEVER DO THAT!" she yelped.

"Yeah. So, needless to say, Ash has his work cut out for him." Serena admitted with a little worry evident in her voice. Grace nodded.

"So...other than this guy, how's everything else going?" she inquired. Serena mulled over whether to tell her mother about Ash's nightmare or not. But she quickly decided against it since Grace would probably pull her off this journey if she knew.

I can't have Mom getting caught in the crossfire if Guzma, Lusamine, or, even worse, Nihilego were to come after me while I'm at home. I NEED to keep traveling. Serena brooded. With that in mind, she shook her head.

"Nothing much." Serena responded. Grace gave her a nod.

"Then cheer hard for your future husband tomorrow, will ya?!" she inquired teasingly. Once again, Serena's face became really red.

"MOOOOOOM!" she yelped, clearly embarrassed. Grace laughed before saying good night and hanging up.

Serena smiled as she thought to herself, Cheering, heh?

The next day, the guys were ready to go to the racecourse, with Ash having his jumpsuit on and picked up his Rhyhorn. However...

"What's taking the girls so long?" Brock wondered out loud. At that, Ash snorted.

"Brock, after dealing with May and Dawn's outbursts when we rushed them, I'm not gonna question it. Besides, if you actually do find yourself a girl at some point, you should be patient with her." he replied, sounding wise.

"...You mean like how you were patiently looking for Serena all these years? Still can't believe you were holding on to an old crush for so long." Brock shot back teasingly. Ash blushed a little bit.

"Well, crazier things have happened." he admitted.

"True." Brock concurred. Zoro was napping close by. Usopp had Skorupi out and was taking care of her while Pikachu and Eevee played with each other. Luffy was outside practicing his moves for Team Rocket should they show up. And Sanji and Clemont were both waiting patiently.

Soon, they heard Serena call out, "Sorry to keep you waiting!" Ash turned to face her.

"It's fine, Re...na..." He trailed off as his jaw suddenly dropped on the floor. Serena wore a blue cheerleading outfit with red pompoms in her hand. Chuchu and Fennekin were wearing similar outfits, with a pompom tied to the Fox Pokemon's tail.

"So...what do you think?" Serena asked with a wink. Even a stunned Froakie had to pop out of his Pokeball to admire Fennekin while Pikachu's cheeks turned a rosy pink upon seeing Chuchu.

"...First, Nami looks like Misty, and now, Serena is copying Dawn. Like, what even is this journey?!" Brock uttered, completely stunned. Sanji was slumped over in a depressed state. Zoro, who had woken up from his nap, raised his eyebrows.

"Okay, seriously?" he mused. Clemont noticed Nami, Bonnie, and Dedenne walking over to him with a snigger...and a confused Psyduck. As the duo gave each other a high five, the little girl saw her brother eyeing her suspiciously and stuck her tongue out.

"...Well, I ain't complaining about you copying Dawn, Rena. You look way too adorable!" Ash replied with his face turning red.

"Pikachu Chuchu. (So do you, Chuchu.)" Pikachu added.

"Froak Froakie. (You too, Fennekin.)" Froakie piped in. Serena and her Pokemon blushed and thanked their admirers.

"Good luck, Ash. Go for broke, and don't worry!" she cheered as they waved their pompoms around enthusiastically. Ash smiled thankfully before smirking a bit.

"Why don't you take Pikachu and Froakie with you too?" he inquired.

"Good point. They wouldn't be allowed on Rhyhorn." Brock replied. Serena nodded as Pikachu jumped up on her shoulder, and Froakie went over to Fennekin. As they reached the racecourse, Ash headed off to the starting line with his Rhyhorn while the rest of the group walked to the stands, with Nami dragging a still-depressed Sanji all the way.

"Usopp, have your goggles ready." Luffy ordered Usopp calmly.

"Roger, Captain." the sniper responded as he pulled down his goggles.

Zoro instantly knew what Luffy was thinking before the captain said it: "Get ready for anything."

"Understood, Captain." came the swordsman's instant response.

Ash was having himself one of Serena's cookies for an early-race snack when he heard Franky call out, "Well, well, well...you really did show up, heh, Ash?" The boy turned to see him effortlessly riding a black Rhyhorn. His eyes rose.

"A black Rhyhorn?!" Ash yelped in surprise.

Franky smiled as he replied, "Yep, meet my SUUUUUPER rare Rhyhorn!"

"Rhyhorn! (Hello!)" his Rhyhorn added confidently. Ash actually smirked.

"Well, not the first different color Pokemon I've seen." he stated. Franky raised his eyebrows.

"Really?" he inquired curiously. Even Franky's Rhyhorn was looking interested.

"Yep. I once ran into a pink Rhyhorn in the Orange Archipelago. And I even own a different color Noctowl." Ash answered. The impressed duo nodded before leaving to get set up. The rest of the group eventually noticed the black Rhyhorn.

"So...that's a different color Pokemon, heh?" Nami mused, instantly intrigued.

"SHINY!" Luffy and Usopp exclaimed with stars in their eyes.

"Well, if Team Rocket does make a move here, we know their target...probably." Brock noted. Zoro and Sanji nodded in agreement.

"Here we go, Ash, here we go! Here we go, Ash, here we go! Here we go, Ash, here we go!" Serena cheered on while clapping her pompoms together at the end of each sentence. Chuchu was doing the same thing as Fennekin flipped herself over acrobatically. Bonnie noticed some of the crowd eyeing her friend curiously and even some Rhyhorn Racers looking jealous...although Franky thought that was the cutest thing ever.

The little girl chuckled before saying teasingly, "The future Mrs. Ketchum, everyone." Clemont glared at his sister, who stuck her tongue out again. Unfortunately, Serena's cheering also caught the attention of a certain duo.

"...O...kay, why is she copying the Sinnoh twerpette?" a disguised James asked in a confused tone as he handed a snack over to a customer.

"I don't know, but I find it...very romantic." Jessie admitted while gushing. James gave her a weird look. Suddenly, a smirk crossed Jessie's face.

"So...who do you see getting the twerp?" she inquired curiously. James raised his eyebrows.

"Who do I see getting the twerp? Easy. The water twerpette. Heck, I'm surprised they're not a couple yet." he answered.

"Hm...why are they not a couple yet, then? They've known each other long enough." Jessie stated.

"True...Hold on, you're not thinking..." James trailed off, eyes wide. Jessie actually giggled a little bit.

"Yes. I am. Remember the female Pikachu the twerp owned?" she reminded James. His eyes widened even more.

"So you think the twerp handed his female Pikachu to the Sinnoh twerpette copycat?" James questioned Jessie.

"Yep. If we see a pink Thunderbolt from her, then we'll know it's her. Which then begs the question. Why is she here? Why now, after all this time? The twerp's main Pikachu is already powerful enough." Jessie responded. James narrowed his eyebrows suspiciously.

"Are you implying that there is a connection between the twerp, the female Pikachu, and the Sinnoh twerpette copycat?" he queried. Jessie nodded.

"Then how about a bet? I bet 500 Poke on the water twerpette, you bet 500 on the Sinnoh twerpette copycat." James added in a challenging tone. Jessie snickered.

"I think you'll be saying goodbye to that 500 Poke in no time." she replied.

Ash couldn't help but smile at his cheerleader.

"Rena...thank you." he muttered. Ash then became serious and turned his hat around before getting on Rhyhorn.

"All right, let's win this, Rhyhorn!" he exclaimed confidently as he grabbed the reins.

"RHYHORN! (YEAH!)" Rhyhorn replied in a similar tone.

It's showtime. And, oh boy, Misty, you have no chance. Brock thought.

"Folks, welcome to the Rhyhorn Race's final day, the day where any racer can join in! Now...can someone PLEASE beat that one guy?!" the announcer whined while fireworks went off in the sky. Franky just humphed at that last sentence.

"...Wow, unprofessional much?" Bonnie uttered. As much as Clemont wanted to scold her, he, along with everybody else, did agree there. Even the disguised Team Rocket duo was thinking the same thing.

The referee waved his green flag up while saying, "Get set..." Each Rhyhorn got themselves ready.

"GO!" the referee exclaimed as he brought the flag back down. And with that, the Rhyhorns took off...with Ash and Franky ahead of the rest.

Jessie whistled while saying in an impressed tone, "Dang, the twerp is actually doing well!"

"Well, he does have thirty Tauroses." James responded.

"True. Anyway, while we're still looking for Meowth, we should also go after the female Pikachu." Jessie whispered into his ear. James raised his eyebrows.

"And here I thought you were gonna say the black Rhyhorn." he muttered back. Jessie shook her head.

"The boss already has plenty of Rhyhorns. He doesn't need another one even if it is a very rare one. But you know what he doesn't have? Pikachu. And if that Pikachu is the one with the pink electricity...we catch her, and we'll be promoted!" Jessie murmured excitedly. A big grin crossed James's face.

"Brilliant! And with the twerp being preoccupied, there's no way he'll know and be able to call out Charizard on time." he stated as they headed off. However, little did the duo know, they were being watched.

"Found them, Captain. How do you wanna proceed?" Usopp asked. Luffy covered his eyes with his hat.

"The fact that they're not going after Franky's black Rhyhorn means that Team Rocket probably has a lot of them. So let's move out and lure them into a trap away from the race." he answered. Everybody else, especially Serena, nodded in agreement with the plan.

Meanwhile, Ash and Franky were way ahead of the pack and actually running neck and neck.

"...Wow, Ash, is this your first Rhyhorn Race? Because if it is, then I'm SUUUUUPER impressed!" the man admitted. Ash chuckled a little bit.

"Well, I've raced with other Pokemon before, but this is my first Rhyhorn Race. It also helped that I had an amazing teacher in Serena." he replied. Franky gave Ash an understanding nod.

"Then allow me to give you some advice. Don't let go of Serena. Trust me, I lost an irreplaceable friend to an unfair system a long time ago. So I know how it feels." the man admitted somberly. Needless to say, Ash became curious.

Was it the Navy? he brooded. Ash looked ahead and resolved in his mind that if the Navy was indeed evil, he'll treat them just as he had with Team Galactic and Team Plasma.

Maybe when the time to confront them comes, I'll pull out all the stops. THEY WON'T LAY A HAND ON RENA! he thought. With that in his mind, Ash focused up as he and Franky continued the race, still neck and neck with each other.

Back with the Team Rocket duo, they were on their way to the stands.

"Since we can't use our balloon, as that would attract the twerp's attention, we'll just have to do this the old-fashioned way: a sneak attack." James muttered to Jessie. She nodded and took out Wobbuffet's Pokeball to ready herself.

Suddenly, they heard an all too familiar voice call out in what sounded like a terrified tone, "JESSIE! JAMES! HELP!" Jessie and James's eyes grew wide.

"MEOWTH?! Hold on, we're coming!" they yelped as Wobbuffet and Inkay popped out of their Pokeballs worriedly. The group took off in the direction they heard the yell from. Soon, they found Meowth...tied up to a tree.

"Yeesh, it's about time ya found me! I've been tied up here for a whole day!" he whined.

"What happened?!" Jessie yelped in horror.

"The twerp and the love doctor twerp are back together, and they have new friends!" Meowth responded.

"Hold on, we'll get you down!" James exclaimed, both relieved and alarmed alongside everybody else. They all rushed over to help Meowth.

"Watch ya..." Before he could finish his sentence, Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet suddenly fell into a pit, leaving the floating Inkay stunned.

"...step." Meowth finished with a sly smile.

Inkay was unable to process what just happened before a female Pikachu shouted, "PIKA-CHUUUUU!" He was too slow to react as a pink Thunderbolt zapped him. Inkay yelped painfully while plummeting into the hole in a stunned James's arms.

"INKAY!" he exclaimed very worriedly.

"...HEY! THAT'S OUR SHTICK! WHO COPIED OUR SHTICK?!" Jessie yelled out angrily as she and Wobbuffet rubbed their bottoms. Suddenly, they heard some snickering coming from above.

"If you wanna know who copied your shtick..." a girl began.

"...then look no further than up here." a woman finished.

"Prepare for trouble, your evil days are over!"

"Make it double, we're just getting started!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Serena!"

"Nami!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare for a war!"

Meowth slashed the rope apart and jumped in to join them.

"Meowth, that's right!" he exclaimed.

"PIKACHU!/FENNEKIN! (OH YEAH!)" Chuchu and Fennekin added simultaneously.

"...Psy-aye-aye-duck." Psyduck finished as he tilted his head in confusion. Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet were both furious and confused.

"HEY! Meowth, what's the big idea here?!" they yelped in a hurt tone. Meowth actually chuckled a little bit.

"Not my fault these guys are way more intimidating. Especially Serena here." he admitted with a nod at Serena, who had a satisfied, yet angry, look on her face.

https://youtu.be/daFi4MScfl8

Before the duo could respond, they heard a song playing in the background as four guys they had never seen before walked up to the hole with an eerie calmness in each step.

"...Okay, seriously, why are these guys using music to introduce themselves?" James asked, sounding annoyed.

"Jessie and James, I presume?" the guy in the straw hat inquired with his hat covering his eyes. Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet narrowed their eyes suspiciously.

"Doesn't he look like the twerp?" she questioned her teammates.

Wobbuffet nodded while James responded, "So my eyes aren't playing tricks on me. What the fuck is going on here?!"

"JESSIE AND JAMES, I PRESUME?!" the guy in the straw hat repeated the question more loudly than before. Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet visibly flinched.

"Why the heck do you care?!" she yelled out angrily.

"None of your business, you hag." Serena retorted sassily.

"HAG?! HOW DARE YOU-" Jessie got interrupted.

"NO! HOW DARE YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S BEEN STALKING ASH, YOU OLD LADY!" Serena snapped at her.

"SILENCE, TWERPETTE!" Jessie shot back furiously. Nami had to hold back Serena, who looked like she wanted to throttle the Team Rocket member right then and there. However, the guy in the straw hat had no such issue as he stretched his arm out into the hole.

"EXCUSE ME?! How-" The duo couldn't even finish speaking as the hand suddenly grabbed Jessie by the collar of her uniform.

"Huh...AH!" she screamed as the arm reeled her all the way back to the guy.

"JESSIE!/WOBBUFFET! (JESSIE!)" James and Wobbuffet gasped in horror. Even Meowth was surprised, as he hadn't seen that yet. A shaken-up Jessie came face-to-face with the furious guy in the straw hat.

"We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way. Now...Jessie and James, I presume?" he asked in an eerily calm tone.

Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet gulped fearfully as the duo uttered, "Yes."

"Then I have two things to tell you. #1. You two are gonna stop following Ash...OR ELSE..." The guy in the straw hat trailed off.

Jessie scoffed while saying cockily, "Or else what?!" The guy in the straw hat simply pointed to a raging Serena, who had broken free from Nami's grip and was storming over to them. She slapped Jessie across the face. The force of the slap left a bruise there, and even the guy in the straw hat had to let go as she fell over on her bottom. Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet's eyes were wide open in terror as she rubbed the sore spot.

"YOU BITCH! ASH HAS DONE NOTHING TO DESERVE YOUR STALKING! YOU WILL LEAVE HIM ALONE, OR SO HELP ME, I'LL SEND YOU ALL TO GIRATINA!" Serena yelled out furiously. Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet were shaking and sweating so much that the duo looked like they pissed themselves.

"...See what I mean? Serena is TERRIFYING." Meowth uttered while shivering a little bit.

Even Brock, Pikachu, and Froakie, who were watching from a distance alongside everybody else, shivered as the man thought to himself, I have seen Misty act violent, but she can't hold a candle to this girl who's even making Team freaking Rocket piss themselves! Sorry, Misty, you are WAY out of Serena's league.

"YIKES. She REALLY likes him." a shaken-up Nami and Bonnie muttered at the same time, with Dedenne also shaking.

Clemont whistled before saying in a terrified tone, "Do NOT mess with her!" Now completely satisfied, Serena turned to the guy in the straw hat and gave him a nod. He nodded back and looked at the humiliated Jessie.

"#2. I have a message for your boss." the guy in the straw hat stated. Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet narrowed their eyes suspiciously.

"You mean Giovanni?" she asked warily. The guy in the straw hat shook his head.

"No. I mean Madame Boss." he answered seriously. Jessie and James's eyes grew wide while Wobbuffet became confused.

HE KNOWS! I haven't even told Wobbuffet, and yet HE KNOWS! Shit, that's really bad! she thought, completely horrified.

"Tell her Monkey D. Luffy says her time, as well as Team Rocket's, is numbered." Luffy declared. Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet's jaws dropped.

"YOU'RE DECLARING WAR ON US?!" they yelped fearfully. Nami actually snickered a little bit.

"What, did you think I was joking when I said 'Surrender now or prepare for a war'? Believe me, Luffy doesn't joke around when it comes to this stuff." she responded seriously.

"ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?! You're committing suicide declaring war on Madame!" Jessie screeched out, not believing what she was even hearing. Zoro smirked.

"We're used to the odds being against us. Heck, Luffy's taken down two men with known bounties on their heads. One was worth seventeen million, and the other was worth twenty million." he replied coolly. Those not in the know had their jaws on the ground.

"HOW MUCH?!" they yelped in shock. Luffy flashed his trademark grin, which scared Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet. He then turned to Nami.

"Would you do us the honors?" Luffy asked knowingly. Nami nodded and turned to the confused Jessie.

"Looks like I have you, specifically, to thank for my first capture in Kalos. Idiot." she retorted. Needless to say, Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet were stunned as they looked over at Meowth.

"See? Told ya something would happen." the Scratch Cat Pokemon reminded her.

"...So then it was YOU who told them about Madame! You traitor! Don't you realize what you've done?! Now Domino is gonna be marking you for assassination!" Jessie screeched out with mixed emotions alongside James and Wobbuffet. At that, Meowth scoffed.

"Do ya have the guts to tell Giovanni I betrayed Team Rocket? I somehow doubt it." he admitted. Sanji took a smoke from his cigarette.

"Even if you do tell him and she comes, we can handle her." he declared.

"Trust me, we're all stronger than you think." Zoro added.

"Plus, them sending Domino..." Usopp started.

"...would help us take out a big member." Nami finished. Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet had never been more stumped than when they heard that.

"What are you guys?! How do you have no fear of Team Rocket?!" he yelped, extremely nervous. Luffy banged his fists together.

"We're pirates." he replied confidently. Jessie, Wobbuffet, and James bellowed over in laughter.

"...You, a pirate?! Say, that's impossible! We haven't had a 'pirate' since...the red and white haired twerpette!" she responded with a snigger. Jessie instantly regretted saying that, as Luffy once again grabbed her by the collar of her uniform and pulled her back to his suddenly very serious face.

"...I swear, if Team Rocket did something to Uta, there will be hell to pay." he stated before clenching a fist.

Zoro placed his hand on Luffy's shoulder while saying, "Easy, Captain." The swordsman then turned to a shivering Jessie with his other hand on one of his swords.

"Now...tell us about the red and white haired girl...or else." he uttered in a low threatening tone. Jessie gulped in fear upon seeing the blade.

"OKAY, OKAY, I'LL TALK! JUST PUT ME DOWN AND PULL JAMES AND WOBBUFFET OUT OF THE HOLE!" she screeched out. Luffy nodded before doing the deed. Once he did that, he looked at Jessie, as if telling her to start talking.

"So...yesterday, while Meowth was busy getting captured, we grabbed a newspaper to pass the time. Plus, we wanted to see if the Garchomp incident was still being talked about. Surprisingly, we weren't in there, like, at all. BUT in the front cover of the newspaper, there was this giant picture of the red and white haired twerpette with this headline right below it: PIRATE STILL LOOMING LARGE OVER KALOS." she explained while pulling out yesterday's newspaper and showing it to the group. Luffy smiled, clearly happy that Uta was okay at least.

"...Well, that, along with her bounty poster, confirms it." Nami stated as she saw the "Only Alive" tag above the name.

"Yep, the Navy is up to no good." Usopp concurred with a nod. Clemont was sweating buckets.

Oh boy, Kalos is in big trouble for allying with the Navy. he thought. Suddenly, a teasing smirk crossed Jessie's face as she turned to Serena.

"By the way, don't you have a future husband to be rooting for?" she asked while holding her hand out to James. He sighed bitterly and handed her the 500 Poke. Meowth instantly began cracking up laughing so hard.

"YA BET ON WHO THE TWERP WOULD END UP WITH?!" he exclaimed in-between snickers. Needless to say, Serena was a blushing mess.

Great, now these idiots are betting on me and Ash. Terrific. she brooded while huffing in annoyance. Even Nami, Bonnie, and Dedenne were giggling. Soon, however, Jessie became serious and faced Meowth.

"Earlier, you asked if we have the guts to tell Giovanni you betrayed Team Rocket. Our answer to that is...no. No, we don't." she admitted somberly.

"Yeah, we've been comrades since forever now. Don't sell us short just because you're siding with them now." James added.

"Wobbuffet. (True, true.)" Wobbuffet piped in. Meowth felt both touched by and wary of how nice they were being, as did everybody else.

"Then if ya truly think that, ya gonna stop following the twerp. If ya do and don't hold back on me, then we know ya lying." he replied sternly. Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet nodded in understanding.

Back on the racecourse, Ash and Franky were still going at it, neck and neck with each other.

"Oh?! Do we have an upset on our hands?! I certainly hope so because Franky is SUUUUUPER annoying." the announcer whined. Even Ash was starting to get really annoyed by the clearly biased announcing.

"HEY, MISTER ANNOUNCER GUY! IF YOU'RE GONNA BE TRASH-TALKING A FORTY-NINE-WIN STREAK, THEN WHY DON'T YOU TRY RACING HIM NEXT?!" he yelled out. The silence was so deafening that one could literally hear a pin drop. Everybody else, who was on their way back to the stands, naturally heard Ash's outburst. And Serena burst out laughing.

"...Oh, nice one, Ash." she stated as she wiped the tears out of her eyes.

Brock, both Pikachus, Froakie, and Fennekin nodded in approval while he added, "Good move."

"So who thinks we should get him fired?" Jessie asked. Everybody else raised their hands.

"I." they answered in unison.

"Wow, way to SUUUUUPER shut him up!" Franky exclaimed, clearly impressed.

"...Great. Everyone is a critic." the announcer moaned to himself. Serena, now fed up with the guy, called Officer Jenny and told her about the clear bias. While she was arresting the dude, Jessie and James took over the announcing duties for him.

"Sorry about the crappy announcing earlier, folks. I bet that was annoying as heck, huh?!" she inquired. The entire crowd couldn't help but chuckle. Even Ash, Franky, and their Rhyhorns were chuckling despite the boy recognizing the voice.

"Anyway, will Franky keep his streak alive, or will Ash overcome the odds and hand him his first loss?! We are approaching the home stretch, ladies and gentlemen, and this you wouldn't wanna miss!" James added.

"Let's go, Ash! Let's go! Let's go, Ash! Let's go! Let's go, Ash! Let's go!" Serena cheered on while tossing a pompom up after each sentence. Chuchu was doing the same thing while Fennekin tossed her lone pompom up and caught it in her mouth.

"And of course we can't forget about a certain cheerleader! Will the future Mrs. Ketchum be able to cheer Ash on to victory?!" Jessie shouted teasingly. That remark made Serena blush bright red.

"DAMN IT!" she lamented with a pout. Everybody else, even some of the crowd, chuckled.

"So, Meowth, do they always do stuff like this?" Luffy asked curiously.

"Eh, it pays the bills and helps us get equipment." Meowth answered.

"...Huh, I wondered how you guys kept getting mechanics so often." Brock admitted.

Back with Ash, he had been blushing scarlet ever since that remark from Jessie.

Franky had a chuckle out of that as he said, "Ah, young love..."

Dang, Team Rocket is more observant than I thought. Ash thought.

"And now the two leaders are reaching the home stretch, neck and neck!" James called out.

"I think this may come down to a photo finish!" Jessie added as the crowd rose up and began erupting into cheers, some for Franky and some for Ash. Usopp pulled down his goggles to assess the situation.

"I think they're right." he concurred.

"Who has the lead?" Nami inquired.

"They're tied." Usopp responded. That was enough to get Serena's blood pumping like she had never felt watching a Rhyhorn Race before.

"GO ASH GO!" she cheered. Ash actually smirked a little bit.

"LET'S GO, RHYHORN!" he exclaimed confidently.

"RHYHORN! (YEAH!)" Rhyhorn responded with the same confidence. He gained a boost of speed and actually passed Franky, to his and his Rhyhorn's great shock.

"WHAT?!" he yelped.

"OH MY! ASH HAS JUST PASSED FRANKY! I REPEAT, ASH HAS JUST PASSED FRANKY!" James exclaimed.

"IS THIS AN UPSET FOR THE AGES?! REMEMBER, FRANKY HAD NEVER LOST A RACE, AND THIS IS ASH'S FIRST RHYHORN RACE EVER!" Jessie piped in.

"Is Ash gonna do the impossible AGAIN?!" Brock gasped in shock alongside both Pikachus, Froakie, and Fennekin.

Meowth whistled before uttering, "Dang, what a race." Franky tried to retake the lead, but Ash was having none of that.

As they approached the finish line, the boy shouted, "JUMP, RHYHORN!" Rhyhorn jumped into the air, to Franky and his Rhyhorn's surprise. And he landed right on the line. And the entire crowd erupted into cheers, none louder than Serena.

"BY GOLLY, HE'S DONE IT! HE'S DONE IT! ASH JUST DID THE IMPOSSIBLE! THE STREAK IS OVER!" Jessie and James exclaimed while hugging each other.

In Vaniville Town, Rhyhorn and Fletchling were both cheering loudly upon watching the entire race on TV.

"Well, well, well...he actually did it, heh?" Grace asked, clearly impressed and proud. She then smirked deviously.

I'll enjoy teasing you soon, cheerleader Serena. Grace thought.

In Lumiose City, a certain purple-haired boy was just walking by when he noticed Ash's face on another television screen.

A smirk crossed his face as he said, "Hmph. So Ketchum is in Kalos. Good. I wanna settle the score."

In Cyllage City, a tan-skinned, brown-haired girl was flipping through the news on her tablet when something caught her eyes that made her jaw drop.

"...No way." she uttered in shock.

"What?" an orange-haired boy inquired curiously.

"You know the trainer who had forty-nine wins in Rhyhorn Racing?" the girl asked back.

"Yeah." the boy concurred.

"Well, he just lost." the girl stated. This time, it was the boy's jaw that dropped alongside a black-haired boy.

"WHAT?!" they yelped.

"Yep." the girl confirmed.

"...So who beat him?" the orange-haired boy questioned her once the shock died down.

"A rookie named Ash Ketchum. And he has a girlfriend who just so happens to be the daughter of the famous Rhyhorn Racer Grace Gabena." the girl responded. She showed her two friends a picture of Ash racing and Serena cheering for him. Needless to say, the black-haired boy was instantly fixated on the honey-blonde girl.

Serena, heh? She's very pretty. Curse this Ash guy for tainting her beauty. he thought, clearly upset. The girl and the orange-haired boy saw the look on the black-haired boy's face and gulped.

Oh boy, sparks are gonna fly should Ash and Tierno meet. they brooded.

Back at the racecourse, Ash was shaking hands with Franky.

"Well, I never thought I'd say this, but...SUUUUUPER congratulations on beating me, Ash! That was honestly the best race I've ever had." he admitted. Ash rubbed the back of his head mareepishly.

"Eh, it's only thanks to Serena that I was even able to do this in the first place. Plus, her cheering really motivated me too." he replied with a smile aimed at Serena.

She blushed a little bit before calling out, "No problem!"

"Well, you heard her. No problem." Ash added. Franky gave them a nod.

"Anyway, I'd like to talk to you and your friends more, but it's way too lively here. Let's go to my place." he said. The rest of the group nodded and, after Ash dropped his Rhyhorn off at the ranch and thanked him while Serena changed back into her normal clothes, headed over to Franky's place. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived. Once Franky checked to make sure no one else was following them, he let the group inside.

"It isn't much, but make yourself at home. Also, does anyone want anything like cola or booze?" Franky questioned them. While Zoro took the booze, everyone else asked for some cola. As the entire group was discussing the race, Franky turned to Luffy.

"So...Straw Hat, how is Shanks doing these days?" he questioned him knowingly. Every Straw Hat's eyes widened in shock while even everybody else looked surprised.

"YOU KNOW SHANKS?!" the pirates yelped. Franky nodded to confirm that.

"In fact, I even knew Roger too. Tom from Water Seven built the ship that made him the King of the Pirates, the Oro Jackson. And he was resolutely proud of it to the bitter end." he admitted somberly. While the Straw Hats were momentarily speechless, Ash had his eyes narrowed.

"I'm guessing Tom is the irreplaceable friend you lost to the unfair system?" he asked curiously. Franky gave Ash a nod.

"...Yep, the Navy is corrupted, all right." Luffy confirmed.

"Great." Nami and Usopp uttered.

Serena groaned before saying, "Oh boy."

"What have we gotten ourselves into here?" Meowth mumbled under his breath. Luffy then faced Franky.

"Say, are you a shipwright? Because if we were to ever go back to where we came from, we most likely need a new ship. Though, we're not going back until after we've taken care of Team Rocket and the Navy...and THAT potentially." the captain inquired, muttering the last three words to himself.

"Yes, I am a shipwright. BUT...Straw Hat, I have some business to take care of first. Once it's done, I'll join you then. Taking care of this Team Rocket and the Navy is important, but first I wanna build my SUUUUUPER team!" Franky exclaimed while striking his pose. Luffy hummed in understanding.

Zoro smirked while muttering to Nami, "Well, there's our sixth official member."

"Good thing too. Like Luffy said, we do need a ship." she concurred.

"Well, that's good. We have a new fighter in the future." Usopp replied. Sanji nodded in agreement. Luffy then turned to Ash and Serena.

"I meant to say this yesterday, but I didn't wanna risk the Navy overhearing us. So I'll say it now. Ash, Serena, I'm leaving a spot for you two too. If you wanna join the crew, just say the word, and we'll welcome you with open arms." he declared.

...Oh Arceus, why? Serena thought with a nervous chuckle alongside Chuchu.

Ash, along with Pikachu, also chuckled nervously while thinking to himself, Thanks, but no thanks, Luffy.

But at the same time, they didn't want to disappoint the captain they already saw as a friend, so they both said, "I'll think about it." Luffy hummed in understanding, as did the rest of the gang. Suddenly, Serena's tablet started ringing. She took it out and opened it up...before her face went red.

"Oh Arceus...I'm in for it now..." Serena groaned in annoyance. Ash blushed too, like he knew who was calling.

Bonnie, Dedenne, and the Pikachus chuckled while she stated, "Oh, this is gonna be fun." Nami and Meowth also laughed. The boys left so Ash and Serena can talk to who most assumed was Grace alone. They both braced themselves for the embarrassment that was inevitably coming as she pressed on the Answer button. Soon, Grace's teasing face appeared on the screen.

"...Um, hey Mom..." Serena trailed off.

"So...when did you suddenly become Ash's personal cheerleader, eh? The way your outfit matched his colors...you're showing your future husband some real loyalty there, Serena." Grace responded, still keeping the grin. Ash and Serena's faces turned crimson.

"MOOOOOOM!/GRAAAAACE!" they screeched out at the same time. Grace giggled a little bit.

"But seriously, Ash, that was some smooth racing you just did. Congratulations on the victory too! And way to shut up that grouchy announcer! He was really getting on my nerves there. At least the other two announcers made it so much better." she stated.

"...Well, gee, I wonder why..." Serena mumbled under her breath. Ash thanked Grace, although his face was still red. After telling her the plans for the near future, she wished them good luck before hanging up. And once they said goodbye to Franky for now, the group was now heading back to Lumiose City.

However, in the other dimension, chaos was erupting all over the East Blue.

At Marineford, a tall, fair-skinned, and muscular man with a long, braided goatee, a mustache, and a large afro of black hair groaned as he petted his pet goat. He wore a cap with a life-size seagull on top, black-rimmed glasses, and a white and gold full Marine admiral uniform that was adorned with medals, with his oversized coat having the kanji for justice emblazoned on the back in blue and white cuffs draped over him like a cape.

"What is even happening out there?!" Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral of the Navy, moaned exasperatedly. Over the last three days, he had been getting report after report of Marines getting attacked and even killed in the East Blue. And the reason was staring Sengoku right in the face.

"All this bloodshed...over the death of a pirate?!" he brooded as he looked down at a newspaper article about the apparent death of "Straw Hat" Luffy and his crew.

Suddenly, a Marine came barging in before shouting with a salute, "Sir, I bear some urgent news!" Sengoku just sighed bitterly.

"What is it now?" he asked with a certain edge in his voice.

"The corrupted Marine that was working with Arlong was just killed this morning! And 'Fire Fist' Ace was seen in the East Blue!" the Marine reported. The mention of "Fire Fist" Ace made Sengoku go pale.

Oh crud. If we have angered Whitebeard...we might be in trouble. he thought. Another Marine came rushing in.

"Sir, I heard from Smoker. He has confirmation that, along with Arlong, Straw Hat also defeated Don Krieg and Captain Kuro in the East Blue." he stated while also saluting.

Sengoku slapped his forehead while thinking to himself, No wonder they're up in arms over this. Damn it...

On another island, a tall, muscular man with a tan complexion was preparing to set off. He had long, wavy red hair that was slicked back except for some few strands he let fall down the sides of his face and pushed farther back, a triple set of parallel, linear scars that passed vertically at an angle over his left untouched eye, facial hair that was kept in a neatly thin connection of beard and mustache stubble, forming the beginnings of a circle beard, and no left arm from below the deltoid and wore a sweeping long, sleeveless, high-collared cape of black color, a simple, white shirt half-buttoned up, a baggy pair of pants cut below the knee and collected halfway up the shins with a green-yellow, Indiscernible floral pattern and a red sash around his waist holding his green-hilted saber at his right side, and simple brown sandals with their soles gray studded.

Shanks smiled as he said, "If you're where I think you are, then take care of Uta...Luffy."