Ash Ketchum collapses to the ground. “I’m tired!!” he complains. “Where on earth is the port to Cinnabar Island?!”
   Misty sits down on a rock next to him, and Pikachu jumps into her lap to join Togepi. “I have to agree, we’ve been walking forever! Brock, do we even know where we are!?”
    Brock studies their map for a long moment. He studies their surroundings for another long moment. Finally, he replies:
   “Maybe you’d better take a look, Misty.”
    Ash, Misty, and Pikachu groan in unison. Togepi “brrrriii!!”’s in exasperation. “Gimme that map!” Misty demands, snatching the colourful piece of paper from him. She studies it for yet another long moment.
    Then she groans again.
    “What is it, Misty?” Ash queries, getting up from off the ground.
    “There isn’t a port around here for miles!! We’re closer to Pallet Town than anywhere else!” she cries in frustration, throwing the map to the ground. She slumps down, resting her chin on her hands. “Geez…”
    Ash stands. “Pallet? Really? Hey, we could always stop by my place and rest for a while, then ask Professor Oak for directions to the nearest port!”
    “Pi kachu!” Pikachu smiles.
    “Toge, brrriiiii!” Togepi agrees, bouncing up and down a little in its excitement.
    Brock picks the map back up. “Well, from where we are now… it’s about 2:00 right now, so we’d probably reach Pallet by nightfall.”
    Ash smiles, and Misty and Pikachu get up from the rock. “Well then, let’s get going! The sooner we reach Pallet, the better, right?”
    Misty grumbles as she starts off again, “Whatever… you’d just better have spare beds at your house, Ash…”

     Faris steps out onto the helicopter platform on the ceiling of the Viridian Gym. “Change of plans, guys,” she calls out to her teammates.
    Jessie, James, Starr, Meowth, Batts, and Raichu turn from where they’re standing and stare at her. “What’s up?”
    She closes her eyes and smiles a little. “We’re supposed to go In Cog Nee Toh for this mission. So, instead of the helicopter, we’re taking a nice, ordinary car and pretending we’re going on vacation to Cinnabar.”
    Her teammates all crash to the floor.
    Faris has a nice laugh at their expense.
 

     Later, when they’re all out of uniform and dressed comfortably, Faris and company set off on the road for Pallet.
    “Why are we going to Pallet, anyway?” Meowth wonders, sitting on Jessie’s head.
    “It’s on the way,” Faris replies from the driver’s seat. “‘Sides, I’ve got friends there, and I’d like to see them before I go on this mission.”
    Starr stretches. “I’ve got friends there too, it’ll be great to see them again!” she smiles.
    “Rai rai,” Raichu agrees.
    Jessie crosses her arms, scowling. “So why do we have to take this ugly old mini-van? Couldn’t we have taken a sports car instead and gone in style?”
    “Meowth, hit her for me, I’m busy,” Faris replies calmly.
    Meowth whaps her on the head. “Actually, I would have done that even if you hadn’t told me to,” he confesses, grinning.
    Jessie proceeds to strangle Meowth.
    “Try not to kill each other back there,” Faris says pleasantly.
    James yawns. “This is boring!” he complains. “Are we there yet!?”
    “Jessie, hit him for me, I’m busy,” she replies sweetly.
    Jessie beans her partner with Meowth, then sulks by herself in her seat. Meowth and James have been properly subdued, complete with little swirly things for eyes.
    There is a moment of silence. Then Starr says, “It’s too quiet, this is seriously scaring me. Things are never quiet when Jessie and James are around. Turn on the radio, Faris!”
    In response, she takes out a tape, pops it into the tape player, and presses the play button.
    “I said RADIO, Faris.”
    “I heard you, Starr. But I’d been meaning to listen this tape for a while, and this is the perfect time to do so. Your telling me to turn on the radio just reminded to.”
    The soothing tones of a quiet, rather depressing anime song begin to play. “Yoru no nami ni…” the voice sings. “…tsumasaki o nurashi. Furi hajime taame ni atsui kokoro o samashita… Kimi no nukumori o kono kuchibiru wa kanjinai…
    “Oh, Just once omoi o tsuge namida nagasereba ii. Oh, Just once sora no umi de kono inochi ga awani kawaru sono mae ni…
    “…onna no kotoshite,” the voice and Faris sing together.
    Starr smiles. Faris has a nice voice. ‘She must trust me enough now that she can sing when I’m around and not get embarrased.’ Starr herself gets edgy when people hear her sing, and she only ever will when she knows them well.
    Raichu leans closer to the radio and it begins to crackle.
    “Hey, you.” Starr picks up Raichu. “Cut that out. You know you cause interference.”
    “Rai raichu.”
    “I like the song, too, but if you get too close you won’t even be able to hear the thing at all.”
    Raichu nods, then settles down in Starr’s lap to sleep away the rest of the trip.
    “Oh, for the love of…” Starr mutters. Raichu is cute when he’s sleeping, but having your legs go numb is not cute.
    James picks that time to regain consciousness. He blinks twice, rubs his head, and peeks over the edge of the seat. Starr is poking Raichu, trying to wake him up, and Faris is singing.
    “You have a beautiful voice…” he comments.
    Faris abruptly stops singing and turns red.
    Raichu wakes up. “Rai! Rai raichu, chu?” he demands, which translates into, “Hey! Why’d you stop singing?”
    Faris points at James, still blushing.
    “<Okay,>” Raichu nods, then grins deviously. “<Want me to fry him into next week?>”
    “Not this time,” Faris grumbles.
    Starr looks out the window and cheers. “YAIYA! Ten miles to Pallet Town! Kenji, Alex, Jason, get ready, the fourth of the Insane has returned!!!!”
    Faris smiles, blush fading away, and speeds up a little.
    Just when Starr thinks things can’t get any better, Faris’ tape starts playing Watashi-tachi ni Naritakute.
    “Okay, THIS I know the words to.” Starr begins to sing, “Love brings a lonely lonely heart—”
    “Hey, that’s not it.” Faris raises her eyebrows.
    “I know. I can’t sing Japanese at all, and I don’t want to destroy the song, so I, being the psycho I am, wrote my own words.”
    She goes on: “Right at your side I’m always standing here
        Secretly hoping that you really do care
        But you say nothing to me, You look right though me
        And it is just as though I’m not even there
        I don’t know why I always fall in love
        These lovely dreams of you won’t go away
        But even if I’m all by myself, I still have faith that you’ll love me someday.”
    “Cute!” Jessie says, smiling and leaning over the seat.
    “I got a copy of the original lyrics that listed a translation, so I based my insane little version on that,” Starr grins.
    “I like it.” She grins at James, making exaggerated moony eyes and fluttering her eyelashes. “How romantic…. That could be yours and Faris’ special song….”
    Faris turns to James. “James, hit her for me, I’m busy.”
    “I can’t hit a girl!” James protests.
    “I can!” Starr turns around, grinning evilly.
    Poor Meowth, who’s just woken up, finds himself smacked repeatedly against Jessie’s head until he makes a big enough dent in the gel to actually knock her out.
    “Although that was kind of funny,” Starr adds as an afterthought.
    Faris flicks her on the ear.
    “OW! THAT’S CHEATING!!!” Starr screeches.
    “I’m a villain, I’m allowed to cheat.”
    “Oh, you suck.” Starr makes a face, looks out the window, and yells again. “YAIYA!!!!!”
    “What the hell is YAIYA?” Faris demands.
    “My little word that I cheer with,” Starr replies cheerily. “It’s five miles to Pallet, by the way. Oh, we’re off to see the lizard…”
    “Starr, listen to me. You must lay off the Skittles. You are beginning to disturb me, and believe me, that is a very big step since it takes a great deal to disturb me,” Faris says solemnly.
    “Okay!” Starr says even more cheerily.
    Finally, just when Jessie has woken up and she and James have begun a steady chant of “Are we there yet?” Faris brings the minivan to a stop by the side of the road. “Here we are, Pallet Town!”
    Starr leaps out the door, oblivious to Raichu, who dives for his life. “I have to phone Kenji and Alex to tell them I’m back.” She pulls out her PHS and hits speed-dial. When someone picks up, Starr replies, “Yaiya!”
    Faris shakes her head. “I can tell that with all this reminiscing, we aren’t going to be paying much attention to the mission.”
    “Sorry….” Starr says sheepishly.
    Faris shrugs. “Don’t be. I’ll be the same way when I see my friends.”
    “Will you introduce me to them?” James asks.
    “James, they’ll scare you,” Faris says seriously.
    Starr nods. “As will Kenji, Jason and Alex.”
    Someone on the other end of the PHS says, “Oh, leave me alone.”
    “Oh, give me a break, Kenji.” Starr rolls her eyes. “You know damn well you’re going to try and freak them out on purpose.
    “True, true.”
    “Are you and Alex and Jason doing anything this afternoon, though? I don’t want to interrupt anything.”
    There’s a ruckus on the other end, with Kenji yelling, “Give me that damn thing!” and Jason laughing maniacally, then Jason yells, “WE NEVER DO ANYTHING TODAY!!!!”
    Kenji gets the PHS back and says, “What he said.”
    More ruckus, then Alex says, “HURRY UP, I MISS YOU!!!”
    “ALEX, YOU FREAK!” Starr laughs. “I’ll see you in a while.” She hangs up.
    While Starr was on the phone, Faris has been drawing something on a piece of paper. “Starr, we’re going to need someplace to stay tonight,” she says mid-doodle. “Follow the directions on this map, it gives directions to my Aunt Lenna’s—actually it’s my place now, but whatever.”
    She hands the map to Starr, who stashes it in her pocket.
    “Now, there’s just one thing I have to do before we go visit anyone.”
    “And that is?” Jessie inquires.

     Ash sighs, exceedingly depressed. His mom is out on vacation, so he, Misty and Brock have no place to stay until the ferry to Cinnabar leave tomorrow. They could camp, but anytime he’s mentioned that, Misty clobbers him, so he’s decided to keep his mouth shut about that alternative, though he can’t see any other solution to the problem.
    Just when things are looking very hopeless and another bash in the head from Misty seems inevitable, Pikachu jumps up, waving cheerfully at someone. “Pika pi~~~~~~~!”
    “Bri?” Togepi looks up from Misty’s lap, then jumps to its tiny feet. “Togebrriiii!!”
    “Togebri?” Ash blinks, then looks up and sees a familiar face—the red-haired Team Rocket member, Starr.
    Starr grins at Pikachu, then turns to her friend—a familiar girl with lavender hair—and says, “All right, Faris, admit it, you’re psychic.”
    “Faris?” Ash looks hard at he girl with lavender hair and suddenly recognizes her. “I thought your name was Sami Hill—you’re the one who beat Charizard!”
    Brock klunks Ash on the head. “Don’t be stupid!” he yells. “Faris is the niece of Lenna Inverse, the most famous Pokémon breeder ever!” He then jumps up, holding Faris’ hand and saying, “Sorry about my friend—he mistook you for someone else.”
    She smirks, pulling her hand away. “Actually, no; Sami Hill is my alias.”
    Brock crashes to the ground as Ash says, “Hey, wait…I’ve heard of Lenna…but if you’re related to her, how come you’re in Team Rocket?”
    “Long story,” Faris replies. “So, what are you doing hanging around in the park? Don’t you live here?”
    “His mom isn’t home, so we have no place to stay!” Misty sniffles. “I’m so tired of camping…”
    Faris shrugs. “No big. If you want, you can stay at my place.”
    Ash blinks. “Really?”
    “You hardly even know us, though!” Misty says, surprised.
    Faris shrugs. “It wouldn’t be right to leave you with no place to stay. It’s no trouble at all. Lenna’s house is huge. There’ll be more than enough room for all of us.”
    “Thanks!” Misty squeals enthusiastically. “Wow, finally, I’ll get to sleep in a real bed…”
    Starr smiles at Misty’s starry-eyed expression. Misty notices and blushes. “Ehhee…”
    Ash thanks Faris, then says, “Oh I almost forgot! I’ve gotta go see Professor Oak! I haven’t talked to him in a while. I wonder how my Krabby and my Muk are doing?”
    “Professor Oak…now there’s someone I haven’t heard from in ages…” Faris muses, then turns to Ash. “I’ll tell you what…you go with Starr. She has the map to Aunt Lenna’s, and though you’ll probably end up getting to meet her friends first, I’ll be a while anyhow. I’ll ask how Krabby and Muk are doing for you, Ash.”
    “Thanks, Faris!” Ash says, smiling.
    Starr takes out the map. “Oh, I know where this is, I’ve been near here a few times. That’s where I first caught Raichu when he was Pikachu.” She looks up. “Misty, Ash, Brock, you don’t mind going to meet my friends, do you?”
    “Do they train Pokémon?” Ash inquires enthusiastically.
    “What a one-track mind…” Misty sighs.
    “Toge!” Togepi agrees.
    Starr nods. “Yeah. Kenji has Onix, Alex has a Vulpix and Jason…hmmm…. Boy, am I out of it, I forget! Well, anyway, we’ll see when we get there.”
    Starr begins to head off down the road, with Ash, Misty and Brock close behind her.
    Jessie looks at Faris as they leave. “Do you really know Professor Oak?”
    Faris nods slowly. “Yes, Jessie, I know Professor Oak. He researches Pokémon.”
    Jessie, annoyed at Faris talking to her as though she had no mind, says, “I bet he’s forgotten your name by now. Even if your mom is Martina Greyweirs, from what I’ve heard you hardly ever came here! You don’t even go to the Summer’s Festival!”
    Faris looks at Jessie sideways. “I do not go to the Summer’s Festival because my mother is annoying.”
    Jessie makes a face at her superior. “Yeah, well, even so, I bet Professor Oak forgot your name.”
    James drops his head and pretends he doesn’t know who Jessie is until Faris smiles at him. Then he’s so happy he forgets where he is and nearly walks into a tree as Faris heads off to Professor Oak’s.
 
 

    Faris knocks on the front door on Professor Oak’s house, then waits patiently. A moment later, he answers the door.
    “Yes? May I help you, miss?” he says, giving her a puzzled look.
    She grins upon seeing the old man again. “Hey, Professor Oak. It’s me, Faris. I’m here on vacation.”
    “Faris?” he smiles. “Oh, it’s good to see you again! I didn’t recognize you at first; it’s been so long since your last visit. Please, do come in.”
    She smirks over her shoulder at the astonished Jessie and James, then walks into the professor’s house.
    Jessie places her hands on her hips. “Well, I’ll be damned,” she mutters. “Let’s go, James. We have to hurry if we want to catch up with Starr; otherwise, we’ll have to sleep in that horrid mini-van tonight!”
    “Err…sure,” James replies, following his partner.

     “How have you been these past years, Faris?” Professor Oak asks his visitor. “It’s been such a long time.”
    She shrugs. “I’ve been doing a bit of this, a bit of that. I don’t really want to join the Pokémon League yet; I don’t want to get tied down yet so early.” She stretches and smiles over at him. “Besides, if I were to be the world’s best anything, I’d prefer to be the world’s best gym leader, not the world’s best Pokémon Master. Being a gym leader has a bit more stability.”
    The two of them kneel down at Oak’s kitchen mini-table, where a kettle of freshly-made tea is waiting. “Tea, Faris?” he offers. “I’ve got an extra cup here.”
    “Sure,” she replies. He pours the tea, and she continues to talk. “Actually, Professor Oak, I’m not vacationing here; I’m going home to Cinnabar, for the Summer’s Festival.”
    Oak glances up at her in surprise. “But Faris, you never go to that festival! You’re famous for never attending it!”
    “So what if my mom funds it?” she shrugs. “That doesn’t mean I can’t go enjoy it one year. Besides, because Martina funds it, I get a discount off everything, which is handy, because I’m bringing a lot of friends this year.” She takes her teacup and sips the hot green tea inside.
    “Oh? You never really made friends very well. It’s good to hear you have a lot of them. Could I meet them before you all head to Cinnabar?” Oak queries before he takes a drink of his own tea. “By the way, what are their names?”
    “Sure,” she replies. “They’re Starr, Jessie, James, Ash, Misty, and Brock.”
    Oak glances up. “Ash? Do you mean Ash Ketchum? Does he own a Pikachu?”
    “Yeah. He told me about you, Professor Oak,” Faris says. “He asked me to ask you how his Krabby and Muk are doing.
    “His Krabby is just fine. His Muk… well… I just wish it would behave itself,” Oak replies, making a face. “It’s asleep now. You were lucky to come when you did. By the way, how did you meet him?”
    Faris takes another sip. “We met at a Pokémon convention at Topaz City,” she replies coolly. “He challenged me to a battle… I won.”
    He chuckles. “Well, I doubt even Gary could beat you, Faris.”
    Faris raises an eyebrow. “You mean that punk grandthing of yours? He’s off to be a trainer too?”
    “Now, Faris,” Oak scolds. “Just because he had a nasty temper all the times you babysat him when you were both younger doesn’t mean he’s like that now. And so far, he’s doing quite well; he’s caught seventy-nine Pokémon so far, and he recently got his seventh badge. His first Pokémon was Bulbasaur, by the way.”
    “Good for him,” she mutters. “He was an ugly, nasty-tempered baby. I liked coming over to your house, Professor Oak, but I hated having to baby-sit that obnoxious little grandson of yours.”
    “Well, he’s not so bad now,” he counters. “Age does bring maturity, you know.”
    “I can think of a few exceptions,” she replies dryly. “So he’s on Cinnabar now? Is Gary staying for the Summer’s Festival, or is he heading to Viridian for the Earth Badge? Which he won’t be able to get anyway, since it’s closed to challengers.”
    Oak admits, “Actually, I don’t know. I didn’t think to ask him.”
    She mutters, “He’d better be moving on. Mature or not, I never want to see that whiny brat again. The Summer’s Festival will be bad enough with my parents there; I don’t need Gary hanging around too.”
 
 

     “You headin’ off already, young feller?” a grizzly old dock fisherman asks a kid with spiky brown hair as he casts a line. “Y’only got here t’day.”
    “I’ve already won the Volcano Badge. There’s no need for me to waste my time here,” is the boy’s reply as he waits for the next boat to the mainland to arrive.
    “The Summer’s Festival is startin’ soon, though,” the fisherman reminds him, slowly reeling in the line.
    He waves a hand. “I’m too busy training to become a great Pokémon Master to waste my time with that! Maybe next year, when I’m the best in the world and I have some free time.”
    The fisherman shakes his head. “Y’know, Cinnabar Island is the famous Faris Greyweirs’ hometown. She usu’ly don’ come to the Festival, but this year might be differnt.”
    “Faris Greyweirs?” the young Pokémon trainer repeats, his ears perking up. “Hasn’t she beaten all the gym leaders and received a diploma from Pokémon Tech? I heard she’s good enough to become a member of the Elite Four!”
    The fisherman shrugs. “Dunno ‘bout all that,” he admits. “I just fish for a livin’, I don’ min’ Pokémon too much. I only know she’s a great trainer, and this here island is where she was born. Her mother, Martina Greyweirs, funds the Summer’s Festival, so Miz Greyweirs’ll prolly be th’ first t’know if Faris does decide to show up this year.”
    “Hmmmm…” The young trainer considers this for a moment. “I don’t want to fall behind… but, if you’re right, and Faris does show up, I could ask her for training tips so I can become the world’s greatest. After all, you can’t be the best without learning from the best…”
    “Gary is the best! He faces up the test!” the young trainer’s personal fan club cheers. “He’ll learn from Faris and beat the rest!”
    Young Gary Oak smiles. “Yeah…I’ll just stick around long enough to see if she does show up. If she shows up, then even if the others have moved on, they won’t have the benefit of learning from Faris Greyweirs! And if she doesn’t show up, I’ll just take the next boat to the mainland!” He slaps the old fisherman on the back in gratitude. “Thanks for the tip, pops! See ya later!” With that, he walks off, his fan club clustering close behind.
    The old fisherman rubs his chin. “Wunner if he knows Faris’s famous fer never comin’ to the Summer’s Festival…” He shrugs. “Not m’ problem. H’learn soon enough, I s’pose. After all, I did tell ‘im that Faris don’t come to the Festivals of’n.”
 
 

     “Oh, he’ll probably move on,” Oak assures Faris. “Gary never sticks around for very long in a city after he’s won a badge.”
    “That’s good to hear,” she murmurs before taking another drink of green tea.
    “By the way, Faris, how do you intend to get to Cinnabar?” Oak mentions, finishing his green tea.
    Faris finishes her tea as well. “I’m heading to Lenna’s house, then having the Gyaradoses and Laprases ferry my friends and me across.”
    He frowns. “You’re returning to Lenna’s house? Are you sure you should do that?”
    “I can handle it.” Faris sets down her cup. “I’m just stopping there for a bit, not for very long. Besides, my friends don’t know anything about it.”
    Oak sighs. “Still, Batts knows as much as you about it, and he’s closer to you than anyone else, isn’t he?”
    Faris stares down at her knees. “…”
    Professor Oak sets down his cup and rests his hands in his lap. “Maybe you’d better talk about it now, with someone who’s gone through the same pain as you.”
    She nods. “Aunt Lenna was your pupil, wasn’t she?”
    “My very best,” he replies, a reminiscent sheen growing on his eyes. “She might have learned more than me eventually, if she hadn’t been murdered. Pokémon of all kinds loved her, and even normally vicious and bad-tempered ones quieted down around her. Lenna was gentle with everyone, no matter whom he or she was… she only loved, she never judged. She would have made someone a very happy husband, someday…” Oak sighs. “Maybe that’s why her boyfriend seemed to take her death harder than anyone else.”
    Faris glances up at this, surprised. “He did? I never saw him at her funeral…”
    Oak sighs. “When he learned Lenna had died, he holed himself up inside his gym and refused to talk to anyone. Viridian Gym has been closed to challengers ever since.” He shakes his head sadly. “Poor Giovanni… He and Lenna were so happy together.”
    Faris stares at him in shock, mouth slightly agape. ‘Gi… Giovanni and Lenna!? Baka na!!! I knew she had a boyfriend, but… Giovanni!?! She’d never associate herself with someone who founded… Team Rocket…’ A sickening comprehension dawns on her, and her face blanches slowly. ‘Oh god… Lenna couldn’t have been in Team Rocket… could she?’
    Professor Oak notices her ashen face and says, concerned, “Do you feel all right, Faris? You look pale…”
    She shakes her head numbly. “I think I need to lie down, Professor Oak…”
    He nods his head sympathetically. “I know all this talk about your aunt is upsetting. There’s a couch in the other room; you can rest up on it.”
    Rising without a word, Faris crosses over to the couch and lies down.
 
 

    Some time later, she rises from the couch. Her emotions are still in turmoil, but that doesn’t mean she has the liberty of staying here all day. Besides, once she finds her old friends, she’ll feel better. “I’d better get going, Professor Oak,” she calls to the old Pokémon researcher, wherever he is in the house. “I shouldn’t keep my friends waiting.”
    “See you later!” he calls back from the direction of the kitchen. “Come visit anytime!”
    She slides off the couch, stretches, and leaves.