"Hey Ash we will be heading to Oreburgh City next, right?" Dawn asked while sipping her orange juice. They had woken up a little late today due to the previous days activities and were currently having their Breakfast.

"Yeah, and that's where I will have my first gym battle in Sinnoh. I can't wait to win that badge!" Ash exclaimed. Dawn just smiled at his enthusiasm. Even after being such an experienced trainer, he still had that excitement level of a new trainer.

"So, Dawn decided as to which contest you will participate next in?" Ash asked before taking a bite from his pancake.

"Hmm, lets see according to this the nearest town/city that host's a Pokemon Contest if Floaroma Town which is in 3 weeks." Dawn said while checking the information on her Poketch.

"Oh, I see after my gym battle in Oreburgh City we can leave for Floaroma Town for your next contest." Ash suggested.

"Yeah, and there I will win my first Contest ribbon! won't we Piplup." Dawn exclaimed pumping her fists in air receiving a smile from Ash. "Piplup." it cried.

After collecting all their stuffs they left the Pokemon Center and began to walk towards their next destination Oreburgh City.

It had been two hours of walking for both the trainers. "Hey Ash don't you get bored of travelling, I mean walking like this to reach different places can be boring as well as hectic." Dawn said getting tired already. They both made way towards a log and sat there to take a quick rest before they begin walking again.

"Never!" Ash exclaimed. "Actually, I enjoy travelling walking to different places meeting new people and Pokemon along the way, enjoying the beauty of different places ranging from grassy plains to deep forests, low lying deserts to high mountains, deep blue seas to snow-ridden lands! Everything you got." the raven-haired trainer added.

"Wow! I never realized travelling is so fun. We too will have all these fun while on our journey through Sinnoh, right?" Dawn asked.

"We surely will." Ash said assuring her.

"Nice to see two young trainers travelling in middle of this forest but please make sure that your Pokemon are safe out here." a young woman in mid-twenties said as she approached the two trainers.

"Who are you ma'am?" Dawn asked politely.

"My name is Rosebay and I'm a 'Pokemon Ornithologist'." the lady said.

"Oh, I am Dawn and he is my friend Ash and by the way who exactly is a 'Pokemon Ornithologist'." she asked with an equally confused look on her face as Ash's.

"A Pokemon Ornithologist is a person who keeps a track on and studies in detail about flying type Pokemon." Rosebay explained.

"Oh, I see but why exactly did you tell us to keep our Pokemon safe out here?" Ash asked.

"Actually, for the past few days there have been reporting's of Pokemon suddenly disappearing majority of them being the flying types, I suppose someone is stealing them." she explained.

"What! why would someone steal Pokemon." Dawn gasped in shock.

"Actually, there are many reasons out there, Dawn they are mostly poachers who sell them to get money or they can be some evil organizations catching them to increase their tally." Ash explained.

"Hmm, I understand but we should do something, we simply can't let them steal Pokemon like that." Dawn said.

"Yeah we will." Ash said with a smile. Compassion, it was one of her qualities which Ash liked. She was very kind towards people as well as Pokemon. "Alright, Starly I choose you!" he said as a dark brown bird Pokemon appeared flying in front of them.

"Starly I want you to fly around this forest and spot if someone is trying to steal Pokemon." Ash ordered. "Starly, star!" it cried before it flew away.

"You seem to be a nice person, I guess if it was someone else, they would have ignored it and avoid trouble." Rosebay said.

"I have been out in situations like this before, if we don't stop people like this they will continue stealing Pokemon." Ash explained getting a nod from Rosebay.

After about 10 minutes Starly appeared before them and began to signal them something. Ash quickly understood that Staravia had found something so they quickly followed it.

Starly took them to place near the Lake where two people along with a Meowth were standing in a hot air balloon and a Net was also tied to it which had a Pidgeot in it. Ash was shocked to see who they were.

"What! not you guys again." Ash exclaimed getting annoyed as he quickly recognized them.

"Listen, is that a voice I hear?"

"It's speaking to me loud and clear.

"On the wind!"

"Past the stars!"

"In your ear!"

"Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace."

"Dashing hope, putting fear in its place."

"A rose by any other name is just as sweet."

"When everything's worse, our work is complete."

"Jessie!"

"And it's James!"

"And Meowth, now that's a name!"

"Putting the do-gooders in their place."

"We're Team Rocket."

"In your face!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Ash how do you know them?" Dawn asked.

"They are a bunch of jokers who tell they're from Team Rocket- which I hardly believe and they are trying to steal my Pikachu from past 5 years."

"Hey twerp now you are insulting us!" Jessie exclaimed.

"Now along with our new motto we too have become brand new, this time we will surely steal your Pikachu." James said.

"Hey, hey watch out twerp!" Meowth exclaimed as a robotic arm came out and grabbed hold of Pikachu and dropped it in a small electric resistant box which had no effect of Pikachu's thunderbolts.

"What da'ya say twerp?" Meowth asked with a smirk.

"Oh man, you guys won't learn, it seems that I have to blast you off again!" Ash exclaimed with a rather annoyed attitude on his face.

"Okay Starly let's end this up quick, use Gust!" Starly was about to attack but it began to glow in white and everyone quickly realized what's happening. "Staravia!" it exclaimed. "Way to go Starly you evolved! Uh... I mean Staravia." Ash exclaimed.

Staravia then quickly used its new attack Aerial Ace and broke through the net that trapped Pidgeot and it was set free. Both Pidgeot and Staravia were glaring at Team Rocket.

"This doesn't seem good at all." Jessie said.

"Staravia use Wing attack!" Ash exclaimed as Staravia began to charge towards the hot air balloon along with Pidgeot using Brave Bird. The balloon burst through causing a huge explosion and Ash safely caught the box in which Pikachu was placed.

"I told you James catching that Pidgeot was bad idea!" Jessie exclaimed.

"If it wasn't the twerp, we could have easily stolen it!" James explained

"Whatever as always." Meowth said.

"We are blasting off again!" All three exclaimed in unison.

"Wobbuffet!" it cried.

"Alright buddy?" Ash asked as he removed Pikachu out of the box. "Pika!" it exclaimed. "Evee vee evee." It cried in a frustrated voice. "I understand Eevee next time they come I will allow you to blast them off." He said in a rather sarcastic tone.

"Those were a bunch of weird people." Dawn said trying to process what had happened in the last 10-20 minutes.

"Yeah, and they also had a talking Meowth!" Rosebay exclaimed as she had seen a Pokemon speaking human language for the first time.

"Then you would have to make it a habit Dawn, we are going to meet them almost on a regular basis from now on." Ash said followed by a chuckle.

Pidgeot thanked Ash for saving it and flew away to its flock. He then praised Staravia and returned it in its Pokeball. They bid farewell to Rosebay and resumed their journey to Oreburgh city.

It was Ash's first encounter with Team Rocket in Sinnoh and surely there are many more to come. Well it was a close defeat for Dawn in her first contest and few encouraging words from Ash, put her right on track again. What new adventures are in store for our heroes, stay tuned as the Journey continues!