"Looks like I'll have to carry you around for a bit longer. Is there a Pokémon Center nearby?"
Since his current location was rather remote, and he had only used a public phone to contact Professor Oak, Ash had no way to immediately retrieve Aipom's Poké Ball.
With no other choice, he had to let Aipom stay on his shoulder for now.
"OKI!"
Unlike Ash's frustration, Aipom was positively thrilled to be out in the open so openly.
Seeing Aipom's joyful demeanor, Ash could only shake his head.
Oh well, it's a rare opportunity, so I'll let it stay out a bit longer.
Speaking of regrets, Ash did feel some remorse regarding Aipom.
He remembered back in the Sinnoh region when Aipom had become obsessed with Pokémon Ping-Pong competitions. So, he and Dawn had left it behind to pursue that path, but after that, Ash had never gone back to check on it.
Being able to reunite with Aipom in this way today helped ease a bit of the regret in his heart.
"Pika~"
Seeing the harmonious bond between Ash and Aipom, Pikachu, as the "big brother," was also delighted.
But Pikachu's happiness was only natural—after all, Aipom wasn't perched on its shoulder, so with no extra effort required on its part, the more harmonious the companions around it, the better.
Ash hung up the phone and pushed open the door to step outside. Just as he was about to head toward the city, he suddenly heard the familiar sound of machinery in motion.
"Dodge!"
Ash shouted instinctively, leaping forward.
Though Pikachu and Aipom didn't yet understand what was happening, they were forced to follow suit, landing on the ground on either side of him.
When Pikachu hit the ground, it noticed a mechanical arm frozen in a gripping position right where it had been standing. Jolted alert, it finally spotted the familiar Meowth-shaped hot air balloon hovering in the sky.
…
"Ugh! What are you even grabbing at? That was pathetic! I should've done it myself!"
"What are you yapping about, meow?! Didn't you see the mechanical arm was perfectly positioned?! Isn't it just that the twerp reacted and dodged?! How's that my fault, meow?!"
"Solance~!"
"Get back in line!"
On the hot air balloon, Meowth's failed attempt sparked a slight argument between two of Team Rocket's trio.
Wobbuffet, simply for chiming in to support Meowth, got caught in the crossfire.
Looking up at the balloon, Pikachu and Aipom assumed battle stances, while Ash gazed at the trio with a nostalgic expression.
For a long time in the future, Team Rocket's trio had persistently targeted Pikachu, meeting Ash almost every few days—more familiar than family, in a way.
But during the Pokémon Master Challenge Tournament, the trio had vanished for quite a while. He'd heard from Brock that they seemed to be running some kind of business in Viridian City.
Ash hadn't pried into the details, feeling both a sense of pity and relief for them.
He was relieved that they had finally given up on Pikachu and moved on to a proper career.
But he also felt it was a pity, as he'd likely have few chances to see them again.
Though they were enemies, they'd collaborated on several occasions, and simply labeling them as "villains" felt a bit unfair.
In short, Ash's feelings toward Team Rocket's trio were rather complex.
"Ugh, forget it! If I'd known you couldn't even handle something this simple, we should've used the rocket launcher from the start! If we'd been fast enough, Pikachu would already be ours!"
"What, meow?! In that situation, were you planning to net the twerp along with Pikachu?! There's no point unless we grab Pikachu alone, meow! If you're so confident in your plan, why don't you try it?! Let's see if you can actually catch it, meow!"
"Hah?! I'll try, alright! Let me show you just how useless you are!"
"What, meow?!"
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Uh… sorry to interrupt you two in the heat of the moment." Just as Jessie and Meowth's argument reached a fever pitch, James timidly stepped between them, raising a hand to intervene.
"What's up, meow?"
"What, now even you're gonna weigh in on who's right or wrong?"
In that moment, Jessie and Meowth turned their ire on James, their combined intensity making him tremble. He quickly shook his head in denial.
"No, that's not what I mean! It's just… while you two were arguing, the twerp… he got away…"
"What (meow?!)?!"
Hearing James's words, Jessie and Meowth hurriedly looked down below.
Ash's figure, which had been there moments ago, was now nowhere to be seen.
When they cast their gazes further out, they saw Ash sprinting away with Pikachu and Aipom in tow.
"That's so underhanded!"
"How could he run off while we're talking, meow?!"
Jessie and Meowth seemed completely oblivious to the fact that they were the ones who'd launched a sneak attack first. Now, with Ash escaping, they switched to berating him instead.
Though Ash had fled immediately, it wasn't a big deal.
No matter how fast he ran, he couldn't outrun them, and his escape only fueled their confidence.
"Since the twerp took off the moment he saw us, doesn't that mean he's scared of us? Looks like he doesn't even think he can beat us without more help!"
Jessie puffed out her chest confidently, like a general returning victorious, Ash's escape giving her the illusion of an impending win.
Meowth, who had been just as gung-ho as Jessie, now fell silent and turned to James, saying, "Hold on, is the twerp really the type to run in a situation like this?"
Meowth was starting to feel puzzled.
In the past, the moment Ash saw them, he'd usually shout, "Not you guys again! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
That's the kind of reaction he'd have, right?
As the saying goes, when things deviate from the norm, something's up. Meowth, who had been confident they could win since Ash had no other Pokémon with him, was now starting to doubt his own assumptions.
But after calming down, Meowth's status in Team Rocket's trio slipped back to second place.
Without the boost of an anger-fueled outburst, Meowth couldn't outmatch Jessie's dominance.
"Chase him, quick! Don't let the twerp get away!"
Watching Jessie take command, Meowth, James, and Wobbuffet, though still uneasy, followed her lead and got to work.