Gary sighed as he grabbed his coffee from the kitchen and turned the TV on in the main room as everyone gathered around to watch.

" The weather in Sinnoh today will be a high of ninety eight and a low of eighty fo-"

The news report was cut by a broadcast.

" This just in, someone from Pallet Town is missing!"

Gary sat up straighter. Who?

Malory looked at Gary. " You're from Pallet, right?"

Gary nodded, eyes glued to screen.

" World Champion, Ash Ketchum, has gone missing yesterday. Witnesses state he was caught in a storm, and they were separated. After the storm is over, the two travel buddies found each other, but not Ash Ketchum. Pikachu is trying his hardest to find his owner, but it's hard."

Everyone turned to Gary, who's coffee had spilled all over his pants

But he didn't even notice.

Then he stood up and ran into the hall.

Malory looked at Rowan. " He's gonna go to Pallet?"

Rowan nodded. " Gary and Ash have been friends forever, growing up close. Ash is always looking out for Gary, and Gary's looking out for Ash."

Henry blinked. " Weren't they rivals?"

" Since they were eight, yes. They are both. But before anything, they're friends." Rowan explained.

Gary returned to the main room with his bag on his shoulder. " I'm gonna g-"

" We understand, Gary. Find your friend and send out best regards to him."

Gary nodded and turned, muttering, " where are you Ashy Boy?"

When he got to the lab, he burst into the door and almost bumped into his grandpa.

" Grandpa I'm gonna go try and look for him." Gary explained hurriedly.

Oak nodded. " Misty will come with you."

" I'm going too." Tracey piped up. " You'll need all the help you can get."

He looked at Oak. " Is it okay if I go?"

" You don't have to ask me, Tracey! If you want to go find Ash, you can go."

" Thank you so much, Professor Oak!"

Misty looked at Togetic, who was flying over her. " Togetic, remember him?"

" Toge toge!"

Gary blinked. " Didn't your Togepi go to that desert and decided to protect the Togepi there?"

Misty nodded. " Yeahhhh... But then princess Sarah's evolved and Togetic wanted the princess's to have a go. So she came back to me yesterday."

" Toge tic!"

Misty looked up at her evolved Togepi. " She's worried about her father, though."

" You mean Ash?"

Misty nodded. " See, when Togepi was first born, I pushed Ash and Brock aside to look at her. So she saw me first. But she saw Ash behind me. So naturally she imprinted me as her mom and Ash as her dad."

" Toge tic!"

Misty looked up at her Pokemon. " That's why she's so obedient with both me and Ash. Brock, on the other hand....."

Gary laughed. " I can imagine."

Tracey came back in the main room, bag on his shoulder. " Ready!"

" I just have to grab something quickly. Be right back!" Gary said as he darted up to stairs and into his room.

Oak returned with a bag full of food. " Here you go. I packed food worth a month in here, in case someone's feeling extra hungry."

" Thanks Professor!" Tracey said as he grabbed the bag and stuffed it into his bag.

" I also got you guys ten gallons of water, a cooler, some spare Pokeballs, and-"

" That's very nice professor." Misty interrupted with a sweatdrop on her head. " But... Uh.... How are we supposed to carry all of this?"

" In your hands!"

They blinked.

" Or you could take the mini camper in the back."

Tracey's eyes brightened. " Yes! We can take that! But, uh.... Who's gonna drive?"

" THIS IS AWESOME!" Misty yelled as the camper swerved on the road

Tracey was clutching onto the dashboard for dear life. " MISTY SLOW DOOOOOWN!"

Gary, who was sitting next to Tracey, clutched onto the door. " Misty, please! Let's get where they saw Ash last ALIVE!*

" Toge tic!!"

Misty's grip tightened on the wheel, and she laughed, clearly enjoying the chaos. "It's just a little swerving, you guys! We’ll be fine!"

Tracey’s face was pale as he clung to the dashboard, his knuckles white. "You call this 'fine'?! We’re all gonna die out here!"

Gary was holding on for dear life, his eyes wide with panic. "Misty, seriously, slow down! We need to find Ash, not get ourselves in a wreck!"

"Togetic! Togetic!" Misty’s Pokemon chimed in from the back, flapping her wings excitedly. It was obvious she was having the time of her life, unlike the others who were all seconds away from cardiac arrest.

"Come on, Misty! Let's not make it worse!" Gary begged.

Misty glanced over at them, her grin widening. "Come on, guys! It’s all part of the adventure!" Her eyes returned to the road, and she swerved left and right. She was driving like she was racing, not searching for a missing friend.

"We are going way too fast!" Tracey yelled, his voice cracking.

Gary, sweating and holding the door with both hands, couldn't help but shout, "What if we get pulled over? What will we tell the police? 'Oh, we were speeding to rescue our friend who's been missing for a day'?!"

"Right, we’ll tell them we’re on a rescue mission!" Misty said, still laughing. "How cool would that sound?"

Gary wasn’t convinced. "No way. We're going to crash before we even make it to where they saw him last."

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of swerving, Misty slowed the camper down to a more manageable speed. Tracey took a deep breath, wiping the sweat off his forehead. Gary relaxed a little, though his grip on the door remained tight.

"Better?" Misty asked, finally looking at them both with a cheeky grin.

Gary sighed in relief. "Much better. But let’s just focus on finding Ash, okay?"

"Agreed," Tracey muttered, still clutching the dashboard. He had never realized just how terrifying Misty's driving could be.

Togetic gave a little chirp from the back as the camper continued down the road, moving at a much more reasonable pace. With every bump of the road, Gary could feel the weight of his worry growing heavier. He had to find Ash. His rival, his friend—he couldn't leave him out there alone.

After a few hours, the camper pulled into the area where Ash was last seen. Misty parked the camper on the side of the road, and they all piled out, looking around. The once calm countryside was now eerily silent, with only the faint rustling of leaves and the occasional bird chirping in the distance.

"Okay, now what?" Gary asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"We search," Misty said, adjusting the bag on her shoulder. "We find any clue. Anything that tells us where Ash went after the storm hit."

Gary nodded and looked to Tracey. "You take the left side. Misty, we’ll search this way."

They all split off, searching the area as best they could, calling out Ash’s name. But there was no response. Nothing.

Togetic flapped its wings and soared high into the sky, scanning the area from above. The minutes felt like hours as they continued to search with no luck.

Suddenly, Gary stopped, a thought flashing in his mind. He crouched down and scanned the ground for any signs of movement. Then he spotted something—footprints, just faint enough to be overlooked.

"Misty! Tracey!" Gary called, his voice sharp with urgency.

They quickly rushed over, and Gary pointed to the tracks. "These are Ash’s shoes. He came through here."

The three of them followed the trail, trying to stay quiet and focused. It wasn’t long before they stumbled upon a small clearing in the woods. And in the middle of it—there, lying under a tree—was Pikachu.

The tiny yellow rodent looked up, his ears flicking in surprise at the sight of his friends. His eyes were wide and full of concern, his little paws clutching something tightly.

"Pikachu!" Gary exclaimed, rushing over to him. "Where’s Ash? Where is he?"

Pikachu weakly stood, and Gary noticed something even more alarming—a small, crumpled piece of paper in Pikachu’s paws.

He carefully took it from Pikachu, unfolding it. Written in hastily scribbled handwriting were the words: "Ash is lost. Help me, please."

Gary felt his heart skip a beat. "He’s out there… somewhere. We have to find him, now!"

Misty clutched Pikachu tightly in her arms as they continued their search, the landscape growing increasingly rocky as they neared the base of the volcano. The air felt heavy with the tension of their fruitless search.

“Come on, Ash, where are you?” Misty muttered to herself, her voice filled with worry.

Gary and Tracey trailed behind her, both equally anxious. "We've checked everywhere, Misty," Gary said, trying to keep his voice calm. "Maybe we should regroup and—"

But Misty wasn’t listening. Her eyes were locked on the steep climb ahead, determination written on her face. "No, I know he’s out here. I can feel it."

"Well, then let's be careful," Tracey advised, looking up at the mountain. "This volcano is dangerous. We don’t know what we’ll find up there."

Misty was already charging ahead, ignoring the warning signs. "I don’t care about the danger. I care about finding Ash!"

Gary sighed. “I can never convince you to slow down.”

But he knew there was no stopping her. With a deep breath, he and Tracey followed.

A few hours later, they finally reached the rocky peak. Misty was ahead, her footsteps quick as she searched every crevice, calling out desperately. "Ash! Where are you?"

The ground trembled slightly underfoot, and ash billowed in the air, making it harder to see. Pikachu in Misty's arms squirmed, his own ears flicking nervously. "Pikachu...?"

As Misty reached the edge of the crater, her heart skipped a beat when she saw a figure standing in the distance. The familiar shape of Ash, kneeling beside a small, injured critter.

Misty’s eyes widened. "Ash!"

Without thinking, Misty bolted forward, nearly tripping on the rocks as she ran toward him. "ASH!" she yelled, tears springing to her eyes.

Ash, startled by the sudden shout, looked up just in time to see Misty charging toward him. His face shifted from confusion to mild panic. "Misty—! Wait—!" But it was too late.

With a speed only Misty could muster, she launched herself at Ash, tackling him to the ground in an embrace that left him gasping. "Easy, Gyarados! Easy!" Ash managed to choke out, his voice strained from the force of the hug. "I’m fine!"

Misty pulled back just enough to look at him, still holding him tightly. "Ash! Oh my god, you’re alive!" She laughed, a mix of relief and pure joy in her voice, but she also sniffled, wiping a tear away. "I thought we lost you."

Ash, still dazed, rubbed his side where Misty had practically jumped on him. "I’m... I’m okay, Misty. But could you ease up a bit?" He smiled, albeit a little weakly.

Misty, still holding him close, finally pulled back, but only slightly, her hands on his shoulders as she checked him over. "I was so scared," she said, her voice trembling. "When we didn’t find you, I thought... I didn’t know what to think."

Ash smiled softly, touching her hand reassuringly. "I’m sorry I made you worry," he said sincerely. Then he glanced down at the small creature he’d been helping. "But I wasn’t alone. I found this little guy."

Misty blinked and looked over at the creature Ash was tending to. It was a small, fluffy critter, clearly injured but alive. Its eyes were wide and filled with a kind of trust that reminded Misty of the way Pikachu had always followed Ash.

"Poor thing," Misty said, kneeling beside Ash and inspecting the critter. "What happened to it?"

Ash carefully stroked the creature’s fur. "I found it in the caves, caught in a rockslide. It wasn’t hurt too badly, but it definitely needed some care."

"You're always helping things, Ash," Misty said, shaking her head with a soft laugh, though her heart was still racing from the relief of finding him.

Ash chuckled, though there was exhaustion in his voice. "Yeah, well, you know me. If I can help, I’ll do it."

Tracey and Gary arrived at the scene just then, and Gary immediately raised an eyebrow at the sight of Misty still clinging to Ash like a lifeline. "Well, at least you’re both alive," he said, walking over with Tracey. "But what’s this about a critter?"

"Just a little guy who needed some help," Ash explained as he gently scooped the creature into his arms. "I wasn’t going to leave it behind."

Tracey smiled at Ash. "You never change, do you?"

Ash laughed. "Guess not."

Misty still couldn’t quite let go of him, and after a few moments of standing there, still in shock and relief, she threw her arms around him again. "Don’t you ever do that to me again, okay?"

"Okay, okay!" Ash said, his voice muffled as she squeezed him once more. "I’ll try to make sure I don’t get lost next time."

Misty slowly released him again, still looking at him like he was the most important person in the world. "Promise me, Ash. No more disappearing on me."

"I promise," Ash said with a warm smile, brushing a lock of hair out of Misty’s face. Then, glancing down at the creature still in his arms, he added, "And no more saving critters in dangerous volcanoes. I think I’ve learned my lesson."

Gary and Tracey shared a knowing look. "He never learns," Gary said with a grin.

But Misty just smiled, her eyes shining as she looked at Ash, relief flooding her body. "He’s back. And that’s all that matters."

Pikachu climbed onto Ash's shoulder, and Ash grinned. " See? Everything's back to normal."

Then the volcano trembled, and Ash froze.

" Wuh oh..."