" So, let me get this straight. You want me, Tracy, Misty, Brock, and MY NEMISIS to make a soap opera?!" Ash cried. " No way. Nuh uh! Not gonna happen, Professor Oak!"

" I hate to break it to you, Ash, but we have to." Tracy pointed out.

Ash turned to him. " Are you on you on? Mine or his?"

" Easy, Ash, easy. I'm your friend and travel partner but his assistant! I can't choose a side!"

Ash shot him a look. " Yes you can!"

Misty shot Ash a look. " Ash, you know how Tracy is. He's one of those people who can't resist being nice."

" Yeah," Brock added sarcastically. " He's also a dangerous driver."

" It's called having character, Brock!" Tracy argued.

" Yeah. Character that almost killed us ten times!"

" Would you please stop fighting and answer grandpa's question?!" Gary cut in.

Ash shot Gary a deadpan look. " We will. As soon as I think it over."

He thought for five seconds. " Uh, no."

With that, he marched away, Pikachu trailing behind.

" Ash!" Misty cried. " Get back here!"

But Ash was too far in his own thoughts to even hear her.

" Ash!" Misty ran to her boyfriends side and stopped him, turning him to face her. " Look, Ash, I know you absolutely hate Gary-"

" hate is an understatement!"

Misty sighed. " Listen, Ash. They need to do this soap opera so everyone knows the world's greatest POkemon...... uh.... just pretend I inserted a title.... live in Pallet!"

" Tempting... but no. I'm not the one for fame, Misty. That's all Gary. And besides, why a soap opera?"

" Because everyone watches those!" Brock piped up.

Ash turned and raised a brow. " Since when have you watched those?"

" Forever."

" Pika pi?"

Ash looked down at his first ever Pokemon. " You wanna do the soap opera?"

" Pikachu!"

Ash sighed. " Fine."

He took out three more Pokeballs. " Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, I choose you!"

The three Pokemon came out of their balls.

" Pikachu, make sure you bring them back to me whole."

And with that, Ash walked away, hands in pocket.

" Pika Pika Pi!" Pikachu ran to Ash and stood in front of him. " Pika. Pika Pi! Tchu! Pikachu!"

Ash's eyes softened slightly. " Okay, okay. I'll do it for you."

But then he glared at Gary. " But remember. If I hear one word out of your mouth bad about me, I will not hesitate."

Gary put his hands up. " I won't I won't."

" That's what you always say." Ash said sourly as he brushed past him.

" You and Ash really don't get along." Brock remarked.

Misty trembled in anger. " You!" She accused, pointing at the old man. " You see one of your students get bullied by your own grandchild, YOUR ONE GRANDCHILD! AND YOU DON'T THINK OF STOPPING HIM?!"

Ash ran to Misty. " Misty, take it easy." He said, trying to lead her away but failing miserably.

Professor Oak, looking a bit frazzled, raised his hands in defense. "Now, now, Misty, I didn't mean for things to get so out of hand! Gary has a competitive spirit—"

"Competitive?!" Misty interrupted, still fuming. "He's been bullying Ash since they were kids, and you just let it slide! And now you're asking us to make a soap opera with him?"

Ash nodded in agreement, glaring at Gary. "Yeah, Misty's right. You always take his side, Professor. I'm not some character in one of your little projects, and I'm definitely not playing second fiddle to him."

Gary, hands still raised in mock surrender, smirked. "Ash, you're overreacting as usual. Besides, I haven't bullied you in weeks."

Ash clenched his fists, clearly not convinced. "Yeah, well, it sure feels like it sometimes."

Misty crossed her arms. "I swear, if you so much as try anything during this, Gary—"

Brock cut in, trying to defuse the tension. "Okay, everyone, let's just take a deep breath. We can do this IF we focus on the bigger picture. This soap opera thing—crazy as it sounds—could actually help us promote Pokémon training in a fun, creative way."

Tracy nodded, staying neutral as ever. "Exactly. It's a good opportunity for everyone. Plus, we might get a little fame from it, Ash. Think about what it could mean for Pallet Town."

Ash sighed and rubbed the back of his head, still not fully on board but seeing the logic. "Fine, fine. But if Gary so much as looks at me the wrong way—"

Gary grinned. "Relax, Ashy-boy, I'll be on my best behavior."

Ash scowled, but Misty grabbed his arm before he could say anything more. "Let's just get through this," she said. "For Pallet Town. And for the Pokémon."

Ash gave one final glance toward Gary before nodding. "Alright. We'll do it. But don't think I'm doing this for you, Gary. This is for Pallet."

Pikachu cheered, "Pika pika!" while Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur followed suit with enthusiastic cries of their own.

Professor Oak finally exhaled in relief. "Wonderful! I'm so glad you all agreed. Now, let's get started on the script!"

As everyone reluctantly gathered to discuss their roles in the soap opera, Misty leaned over to Ash and whispered, "This is going to be one wild ride."

Ash nodded. "Yeah, and somehow, I feel like Gary's enjoying this way too much."



" Okay, let's rehearse. Ash, Misty, you two are the couple. A-"

"WE'RE THE COUPLE?!" they both yelled in unison, their voices filled with excitement and disbelief.

Professor Oak, confused by their reaction, raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yes?"

They both turned to each other, and a wide grin spread across their faces. "MISTY! WE'RE OFFICIAL!" Ash shouted, his eyes lighting up with joy.

"ISN'T THIS AMAZING?!" Misty yelled back, practically bouncing with excitement.

Without thinking, Ash scooped Misty up in his arms and began to spin her around in circles, the two of them laughing uncontrollably. The energy in the room shifted, and for a moment, they were in their own world, celebrating as if they had just won the Pokémon League.

The rest of the group stood there, watching the scene unfold with varying expressions of confusion and amusement.

Professor Oak blinked a few times, trying to process what was happening. "Are they always like this?" he asked, glancing over at Brock.

Brock chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah, not always. Actually, it's pretty rare to see them like this. They usually keep things... a little more low-key."

Tracy, watching the pair with a smile, added, "But when they do show their affection, it's in their own way."

Brock nodded in agreement. "Yeah, like arguing over who's the better trainer or who can cook better. That's their love language most of the time."

Gary, standing off to the side, rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Great, now it's a romance drama. Can we just get on with the rehearsal?"

But Ash and Misty were still caught up in the moment, oblivious to everything around them. Finally, after a few more spins, Ash put Misty down, both of them breathless but beaming.

"Alright, let's do this!" Ash said confidently, his arm still around Misty's shoulders.

Misty nodded, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "Yeah, let's show them what we've got!"

Professor Oak, still looking slightly bewildered, cleared his throat. "Well then, shall we start the scene?"

Ash and Misty exchanged a playful look. "Ready, partner?" Misty teased.

Ash grinned. "Always."

"Brock, you're the butler," Professor Oak said casually. "And Tracy, you're the eccentric artist who does reckless things."

Ash squinted. "Why does this sound so familiar?"

Misty chuckled, nudging him lightly. "Because it's our everyday life."

Ash nodded, processing the thought. But before he could dwell on it, Gary interrupted, raising a hand. "Wait, Grandpa, what about me? What's my role in this soap opera?"

Professor Oak glanced at his notes and said nonchalantly, "Oh, you're Ash and Misty's son."

Silence followed. Then, chaos.

"WHAT?!" Ash exploded, his face turning a bright red. "THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! OUTRAGEOUS! NO WAY!"

Gary's face mirrored Ash's shock. "I AGREE! NO WAY!"

Misty blinked in disbelief, her mouth slightly open as she tried to imagine the scenario. "Wait, Ash and I are supposed to be... married? And Gary's our son?"

Brock and Tracy exchanged amused looks, clearly trying to hold back their laughter.

"I mean," Brock said, barely suppressing a grin, "it could be worse. At least I'm just the butler."

Tracy, the artist, shrugged. "Yeah, and I get to be reckless, which sounds pretty fun."

Ash shot them both a look. "You guys aren't helping!"

Gary looked between Ash and Misty with a horrified expression. "There's no way I'm playing your kid. That's just... wrong on so many levels!"

Professor Oak smiled, seeming oblivious to the uproar he caused. "Come on now, you're all professionals—or at least aspiring professionals. Think of it as a fun challenge!"

Ash groaned, running his hands through his hair. "Challenge? More like a nightmare."

Pikachu, sitting on Ash's shoulder, gave a small "Pika..." as if sympathizing with his trainer.

Misty put a hand on Ash's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "Look, Ash, it's just pretend. We've faced worse things together, right?"

Ash sighed, still glaring at Professor Oak. "I suppose. But why does it have to be Gary as our kid?"

Gary threw his hands up in defeat. "Hey, don't look at me! This is his idea!" he said, pointing at his grandfather.

Professor Oak simply chuckled. "Trust me, you'll all grow into your roles."

Ash muttered under his breath, "Yeah, right. This soap opera is gonna be a disaster."



Ash grumbled as he glanced down at his clothes, clearly unimpressed. "This is just ridiculous," he muttered, tugging at the collar of his gym outfit. "Why do I have to wear a gym outfit just because I'm a husband?"

Misty, who was admiring herself in the mirror while smoothing out the tiny flowers on her pink dress, barely glanced his way. She wore white Mary Janes, and her usual ponytail was undone, her hair flowing freely over her shoulders. "Because you're supposed to be a 'fit and active husband.'"

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Who decided that?"

Misty shrugged, giving a half-smile. "Soap operas, I guess. It's all about tropes."

Gary, on the other hand, looked even more exasperated. "You think that's bad? Have you looked at what i'm wearing?!" He gestured to his utterly embarrassing outfit: a baby onesie complete with a wool hat, bib, and a binkie hanging out of his mouth, barely pushed to the side. "This is beyond humiliating!"

Ash shot Gary an annoyed look. "Shut up."

Gary scowled, pulling the binkie out of his mouth in frustration. "How did I go from being a world-class Pokémon trainer to this? What even is this role?"

"You're the kid, remember?" Misty said, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

"Kid?!" Gary scoffed. "I'm dressed like an overgrown toddler!"

Ash rolled his eyes. "Just don't talk to me, Gary. This is already embarrassing enough."

Gary crossed his arms, looking like a grumpy, oversized baby. "I'm just saying, there's gotta be a better way to do this. A gym outfit? A baby onesie? This soap opera is more like a circus."

Misty sighed, shaking her head. "Come on, you guys, it's just pretend. Let's just get through this."

"Yeah, well, pretend or not," Ash muttered, glaring down at his gym outfit, "I'm not happy about this."

Gary chimed in again, sarcastically. "Neither am I, buddy. Neither am I."



Professor Oak walked up to the trio. " Have you seen my assistant?*

Ash shook his head. " No. Last time I saw him was when you told him about him being an artist."

Brock jogged up to them, wearing his frilly apron. " He's not on set."

" Oh, where can he be? I just gave him the keys to my car!"

Ash's face drained color. " Did you just say..... You gave him your keys?*

Oak nodded. " Yep. He needs to know how to operate it."

The couple exchanged a look, then ran outside.

" When do you think?" Ash asked as he took binoculars out

" In five seconds."

" Four...."

" Three ...."

" Two...."

" One..."

Suddenly, a red car shot off a ramp and into the sky.

Ash removed his binoculars. " Tracy." He muttered.

Professor Oak looked on in horror as the red car soared into the sky, barely believing what he had just witnessed. "Oh no, not again!" he exclaimed, running a hand through his hair.

Ash peered through the binoculars again, his heart racing. "Tracy!" he yelled, waving his arms frantically. "Get back down here!"

"Wow, it’s beautiful up here!" came Tracy’s voice over the car's radio. "Do you want me to sketch it? I can see everything from up here!"

Misty shouted back, exasperated, "No! Get down before you crash and burn!"

"Yeah, this isn’t a flying car, Tracy!" Gary added, his face pale as he fidgeted nervously. "You can't just go up like that!"

Brock, still in his frilly apron, looked ready to hyperventilate. "How did he even get in the car without a license? I mean, that thing has to be worth a fortune!"

Ash lowered the binoculars, sharing a knowing glance with Misty. "At this point, we should be used to this," he muttered, shaking his head. "It’s just Tracy being...well, Tracy."

"I know, but this is ridiculous!" Misty replied, her frustration evident as she cupped her hands around her mouth. "Tracy! Come back! You’re not a bird!"

But Tracy continued to zoom around, seemingly oblivious to their panic. "It’s so peaceful up here! You guys really should see this view!" he called, laughter ringing through the radio.

"Seriously, Tracy! You’re gonna get yourself hurt!" Ash yelled, his voice tinged with annoyance and concern.

Gary turned to Ash, his eyes wide. "This is not okay! We need to do something!"

Ash nodded, reluctantly accepting that he might have to step in. "Charmander, you’re up!" he commanded, releasing his Pokémon. Charmander landed gracefully at his feet, ready to assist.

“Charmander, can you use your flame to create a signal for him to come back down?” Ash asked.

“Char!” Charmander responded, flames igniting at the tip of its tail as it prepared to help.

"Great idea, Ash!" Misty said, giving him an encouraging nod. "Maybe that’ll catch his attention!"

As Charmander began to create a small column of fire in the air, Ash turned back toward the ramp, yelling at Tracy again. "Tracy! Look for the fire! Come back!"

Misty joined in, her voice rising in urgency. "This isn't a fun ride! You need to land now!"

Tracy finally glanced down, spotting the flame. "Oh! Is that a signal? I’ll sketch it from here!" he shouted back, completely ignoring their pleas.

Ash facepalmed, letting out a frustrated sigh. "This is going to be a long day."

Brock muttered, "I can't believe this is happening. Why do we keep letting him drive?"

Gary just shook his head, clearly at a loss. "Because apparently, he thinks he’s an artist now. And artists need to get inspiration...from the sky?"

"More like an inspiration for a disaster," Ash retorted, narrowing his eyes at the airborne car. "Get down here before we have to call for backup!"

Misty shot him a look. "Backup? You mean like Officer Jenny? Because that might actually be needed at this rate!"

Meanwhile, Tracy was completely unfazed, shouting back, "I’m almost done with the sketch! Just a few more minutes!"

"That’s it!" Ash growled, glancing at Brock. "We’re going after him!"

"Are you serious?" Gary exclaimed, panic still evident in his voice.

Misty nodded resolutely. "He can’t be left up there. Let’s go!"

And with that, the trio prepared to take matters into their own hands, ready to rescue Tracy before he turned his car into a flying disaster.

Tracy’s voice crackled over the radio, filled with awe. “Wow, Saturn looks so beautiful!”

Everyone froze, staring at each other in disbelief. Ash’s eyes widened, and he dropped the phone in shock, the device clattering to the ground. Misty’s jaw dropped, her eyes darting between Ash and the sky.

“What did he just say?” Ash yelled, disbelief mixing with anger. “He’s not even looking at Earth anymore! He thinks he’s in outer space!”

Misty’s frustration boiled over. “Are you kidding me? Tracy, this isn’t a space mission! You’re supposed to be driving, not daydreaming about planets!”

“Tracy! Get back here!” Ash shouted, clenching his fists. “You’re not an astronaut! You can’t just—”

“Not to mention, Saturn isn’t even visible from here!” Misty added, her voice rising as she threw her hands in the air. “What’s next, Tracy? Are you going to try and land on it?”

Gary shook his head, trying to regain some composure. “This is seriously out of hand. How is he even still up there?”

“Exactly! It’s like he’s completely lost it!” Ash exclaimed, pacing back and forth. “He’s going to get himself in serious trouble! We need to do something now!”

Misty nodded, her expression fierce. “Right! Charmander, can you create a bigger signal? Something he can’t ignore?”

“Charmander!” it replied, flames roaring more intensely as it prepared to help.

Ash took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart. “Okay, we’ll get his attention. Tracy! Look for the flames and come back down! This is serious!”

The group watched as the fire blazed brighter, illuminating the sky. “Tracy!” Ash called again, panic creeping into his voice. “You can’t just float around up there! You need to come back!”

“Seriously, Tracy! If you keep this up, I swear I’m going to drag you down myself!” Misty shouted, her frustration bubbling over.

Just then, Tracy’s voice came through again, a hint of excitement lacing his tone. “Hey, I think I can see a ring! I need to sketch it!”

Ash groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead. “No! You’re not a space artist! You’re supposed to be—”

“Living on Earth!” Misty interrupted, her eyes blazing with determination. “You need to focus on landing!”

Suddenly, the car started to wobble, and Tracy’s voice turned panicked. “Uh-oh! I think I might’ve messed up the controls! Help!”

“Great! Just great!” Ash yelled, the reality of the situation hitting him hard. “Charmander, let’s go!”

With that, Charmander unleashed a wave of fire into the air, creating an even larger signal. Ash and Misty ran toward the edge of the ramp, desperately hoping Tracy would see it.

“Please, just come back!” Ash pleaded, heart racing as he watched the car sway dangerously.

“We can’t let him crash!” Misty added, a mix of anger and worry in her voice. “Tracy! Get your head in the game!”

The car continued to wobble, and Ash felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. “This is so typical!” he groaned, running a hand through his hair. “Why does this always happen to us?”

“Because we’re friends with Tracy!” Misty replied, her voice steady despite the chaos. “And friends don’t let friends fly off into space!”

“Or get stuck in the air!” Ash exclaimed, determination rising within him. “We’re going to get him down, no matter what!”

Then Tracy's voice came through, calmly. " Oh, I forgot about the rocket boosters."

Ash turned to Oak. " You have rocket boosters?!"

Oak looked sheepish. " Seemed like a good idea at the time."

Misty grabbed Ash's hand. " Look!"

The red car was a speck in the air.

Then... It was gone.

Ash’s heart raced as he stared at the empty sky where Tracy’s car had just been. “Please tell me this is a nightmare,” he whispered, feeling the weight of panic settle in his chest.

“Why would you even think of giving him rocket boosters?!” Misty exclaimed, turning to Professor Oak, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“I thought it would be a fun experiment!” Oak defended himself, hands raised in surrender. “I didn’t think he would actually use them!”

“Fun experiment?” Ash echoed incredulously. “He’s not a trained astronaut, Professor! He’s an artist who can’t even sketch without shaking like a leaf!”

Misty squeezed Ash's hand tightly, trying to suppress her growing anxiety. “We have to find him. We can’t just leave him out there!”

Suddenly, a distant sound echoed through the air—a low rumble that grew louder by the second. Ash squinted, hoping to catch a glimpse of Tracy. “Is that...?”

“Please be him coming back down,” Misty prayed, scanning the sky.

Just then, the red car reappeared, this time barreling toward the ground with the rocket boosters flaring wildly. “Oh no! Tracy, pull up!” Ash yelled, instinctively moving closer to Misty, as if that would somehow shield them from what was about to happen.

Tracy’s voice came through the radio, slightly panicked but oddly calm. “I’m trying! The controls are... not responding!”

“Not responding?!” Ash shouted, frustration boiling over. “What do you mean not responding? You’re going to crash!”

“I think I hit the wrong button!” Tracy replied, his tone shifting from panic to realization. “But hey, at least the view was beautiful!”

Misty was practically shaking with urgency. “We need to do something! Ash, do you have any ideas?”

“Um... maybe we can catch him?” Ash suggested, looking to his Pokémon. “Charmander, can you help us out?”

“Charmander!” it shouted, flames bursting forth as it prepared to assist.

As the car descended rapidly, Ash turned to Professor Oak. “Do you have any safety equipment? A net or something?”

“Just the usual!” Oak replied sheepishly, rummaging through his supplies. “A trampoline!”

“A trampoline?” Ash echoed, eyes widening. “That’s your big plan?”

“It’s better than nothing!” Oak insisted, tossing the trampoline onto the ground.

“Fine! Misty, we’ll have to catch him right before he hits the ground!” Ash instructed, taking charge. “Get ready, Charmander!”

As the red car continued its descent, Ash and Misty positioned themselves on either side of the trampoline, holding their breath. “Tracy, you better aim for that trampoline!” Ash shouted, the wind whipping around them.

“I’ll do my best!” Tracy called back, his voice barely audible over the roar of the boosters.

“Remember, you’re an artist! You can land like one!” Misty yelled, trying to encourage him.

Just as the car was about to hit the ground, it began to spin wildly. “This is not how I imagined my day going!” Tracy shouted.

“Just land!” Ash cried, eyes wide with anticipation.

With a crash, the car hit the trampoline, bouncing high into the air before finally tumbling safely to the ground. Ash and Misty sprinted over, hearts pounding, as the dust settled.

“Tracy! Are you okay?” Ash called out, breathless.

The door of the car swung open, and Tracy stepped out, looking disheveled but unharmed. “I’m fine! That was exhilarating!” he exclaimed, a goofy grin spreading across his face.

“Exhilarating?!” Ash echoed, exasperation bubbling over. “You could have been seriously hurt!”

Misty stepped forward, hands on her hips. “You’re lucky we were here, or you’d be splattered across the ground!”

“Relax! I got some great sketches while I was up there!” Tracy said, completely unfazed by their anger.

Ash buried his face in his hands. “This is not happening. I can’t believe we almost lost you over some sketches.”

“Hey, art is important!” Tracy defended, still grinning. “You just don’t understand the beauty of the universe!”

“Yeah, well, how about understanding the beauty of staying on the ground?” Ash muttered, shaking his head.

Misty crossed her arms, giving Tracy a pointed look. “Next time, can you try to keep your feet on solid ground?”

“Sure! As long as you both promise to come with me next time,” Tracy replied, winking.

Ash and Misty exchanged glances, half-exasperated, half-amused. “Never again,” they said in unison, shaking their heads with a mix of laughter and disbelief.