Still on their journey to Lilycove but awfully close, Ash and co are yet again in the wilderness of the woods. Pikachu seems to be more excited, and is trudging a few yards ahead of the group. Suddenly, their current adventure starts as the earth beneath them begins to rumble, and a tree is falling directly on that happy yellow rat! With barely any time to move out of the way, it crashes… and before Ash can realize whether he's safe or not, let alone where the heck he is, he realizes that Team Rocket are messing with him once again in one of their mechanical walking robot thingamabobs. Gripped in its fingers is… you guessed it, their number one target, Pikachu. Do they ever learn? Ash has probably figured out by now that their machines always are, have been, and will be electricity-resistant, but he decides to give the Thunderbolt a shot, failing once again. Sure, metal is a good conductor… but although it seems the machine is made of metal, it's actually recyclable plastic.

Suddenly, one of the machine's legs sinks into the ground, because unfortunately for Team Rocket, they've put too much weight on one side. Quickly, they run to the other side to save the balance, but that leg just scrunches up instead of going in with the other… eventually it gets too low and they run to the other side. This routine is repeated a couple more times as things get really chaotic with it, smushing it more into the ground. Eventually the machine can't take all that weight, and explodes, blasting them off… and the explosion happens to be so big, that the twerps and Pikachu blast off with them! However, they all land in different places in the area, and while Ash makes a desperate grab in the air for Pikachu, he fails as he slips out into the woods.

Ash opens his eyes to find himself hanging on a branch, and his friends with him. He feels like something's missing, so he looks around… yes, May, Max, and Brock are there, but no Pikachu!

Team Rocket, on the other hand, have landed face-flat against a tree! As they all collapse, and Wobbuffet does its aerobics (yes, I'm serious), they also realize someone's missing, and no later do they realize it's Meowth. At first they think about looking for him, but like at times, Jessie is reluctant since he messes a lot of things up. James, however, convinces her that it's best.

Pikachu and Meowth have landed near each other in an open grassy meadow. As soon as they wake up from their unconsciousness, Pikachu slowly greets Meowth with a dazed look, but Meowth is too quick to think about falling for it again. As soon as he notices who he's standing next too, and afraid of being shocked, he starts threatening what will happen if he shocks, and ranting about the twerps and whatnot, and finally calling for Team Rocket, as if he captured it. However, after 5 seconds of silence, to his surprise, Pikachu is looking at Meowth as if he's some kind of stranger. Meowth still thinks he's just playing dumb, and warns him not to mess with Team Rocket, then dives at him for a slashing! However, realizing that Pikachu isn't being harmful, he stops just in time. Perhaps it wants to reason like it tried to in the Orange Islands? A bit later, Meowth manages to pick up from Pikachu that he doesn't have a clue where he should be, who he is, and where he is. Meowth then offers to help him, but by "help" he means deep down inside make it seem he's from Team Rocket, and use that to lure him to the boss… So, Meowth then "reminds" Pikachu that he's an old friend of his from a while ago, and he will help him return to his trainer, Giovanni. After that, he tells him about how he was a part of Team Rocket, then goes over the whole motto and teaches it the poses (as if he's reteaching). Slowly, Meowth is going to teach him the evil ways of Team Rocket!

In other parts of the woods, Ash's group sends out Swellow and Mudkip to search for Pikachu. Mudkip's fin can detect things from far away, so it may prove useful. Team Rocket are still calling for Meowth, from their area…

As Meowth and Pikachu are walking, Meowth is more than excited to be promoted by the boss. Suddenly, Pikachu hears some rustling in the bushes, so they both freeze. Out comes a very scared-looking Zigzagoon, who tries hiding behind them. Then, out of the bushes comes a Beedrill, and they realize that must have been what was attacking Zigzagoon. As Meowth and Zigzagoon both hide behind Pikachu, he Thunderbolts it and scares it off. They both thank him, and Zigzagoon runs off. Meowth, however, is worried about the case of him making friends with Pikachu, and what it would be like in the end when he gets it. Sure he values his status, but friendship is important too…

While Team Rocket are calling for Meowth, they start to think he might be hiding from them. After all, Jessie knows there is a Team Rocket hideout lodge somewhere in this area, so it's possible they are waiting there. While Pikachu and Meowth are now walking alongside a mountain, suddenly the ground collapses under Meowth's feet! Luckily, Pikachu grabs him by the tail, saving his life.

Mudkip seems to have found something, so Ash and co follow it. It leads them to a bunch of footprints! There are three different kind, and Ash easily recognizes Pikachu's. Brock then notices Zigzagoon tracks, and… Meowth tracks! Team Rocket must be nearby.

Pikachu and Meowth have reached the river, and while Meowth is pondering about how he'll find Team Rocket and make it to the Team Rocket hideout, Pikachu distracts him, offering him a fresh apple! Sure, it happened before… but Meowth is rather surprised he's being nice, after all they've been through again. After gladly thanking him, it's Meowth's turn to repay the favor. Remembering what Pikachu did last time, Meowth split the apple… but unfortunately one half is bigger than the other, so being a gentleMeowth, he offers Pikachu the bigger half! Aww…

The twerps have passed the place where Pikachu saved Meowth, but as they see the tracks go on, they figure Meowth must be chasing him! Swellow, on the other hand, has spotted the two and is going back to report it.

While our two critters are still walking up the mountain, Pikachu trips and starts rolling downhill! The following is self explanatory, Meowth saves it, returning the favor. Together, they continue their journey up the mountain, towards the Team Rocket hideout.

Team Rocket have finally arrived at the hideout lodge, so they figure this must be where Meowth is. As they scramble in, Swellow catches a quick glimpse of them, and makes its way back. Pretty soon, Pikachu and Meowth arrive at the hideout, thinking Team Rocket may be there. Surely enough, as they call, they both come out. However, Pikachu may have lost his memory, but Team Rocket sure do look familiar to him. As he gets ready to shock them, Meowth blocks him and tells him that they're his friends, and to wait a second. Seeing as Team Rocket have no clue what's going on, Meowth runs and whispers it to them, while Pikachu is utterly confused. James almost spills the beans, but Meowth stops him.

While Swellow has returned to lead Ash's group to the whereabouts of the hideout, Team Rocket are working on getting Pikachu's affection. As they gush over his cuteness, they both introduce each other, and warmly welcome him to the group. As it jumps on James' shoulder, he gets a bit nervous after what it's done before, but manages to keep his cool knowing that it means he likes him. Suddenly, the twerps arrive at the area, and Pikachu turns around… hmm, for some reason they look familiar as well. Ash, seeing Pikachu running free and all, calls it back… but nothing happens. As Team Rocket call it back, nothing happens either, and while Pikachu thinks about who to trust… slowly, he turns to Team Rocket. Speechless, Ash watches as he joins Team Rocket in the motto!

Max is especially surprised at Pikachu switching sides so quickly. Before anyone has time to think, Ash tries telling him to attack, but just gets glared at, to which Jessie chuckles. James then commands a Thunderbolt from Pikachu, and… he listens, knocking Ash back and shocking the heck out of him! Meowth then commands it as well, and is successful. Brock then thinks for a sec, and remembers what happened when he last saw Pikachu on their own side… and finally realizes that the machine thingamabob must have knocked its memory out cold. Team Rocket then laugh and say they have been brainwashing it, and now it's theirs. As they make a getaway in the balloon, Ash manages to grasp the wicker and climb in and take them on. James has gotten too excited, that the idiocy got to him as he told Pikachu to shock Ash, exploding the balloon and blasting them off. However, Ash nearly manages to catch Pikachu… but then they realize how far they're falling from, and how there's a river under them. Pikachu is a few feet below, but Ash makes a dive, and manages to grasp it just before they make a splash. As they drift through the river, Ash and Pikachu remember the times they had together in Hoenn, but before Ash remembers he's under water, he passes out.

A little later Ash washes up on a rock with Pikachu. As he licks him, Ash wakes up and is surprised to see it having switched back so quickly. Guess it must be thankful for saving him, and remembered. As he hugs it, Brock and the rest of them find him, but at the same time Team Rocket land in the river themselves. At first they're excited to see the rat, but then when they think too soon, the twerps have it Thunderbolt them back into blast-off land.

And in the end, Ash and Pikachu stayed together HAPPILY EVER AFTER as they make their way to Lilycove City.

For now.

Thanks To Zak For Writing this for us