Pokémon: A New Ash, Starting from Hoenn

"Wow! This ribbon is so pretty! Hehe, I'm definitely going to enter a Pokémon Contest too!" May grinned, holding Ash's ribbon badge with sparkling eyes. (＾▽＾)

"Ugh, May, how many times are you going to say that?" Max groaned, covering his ears.

"Hmph! Mind your own business!" May shot back. But before anyone could say more—"Ah—!" ε=ε=ε=(ﾟ◇ﾟﾉ)ﾉ

"What's wrong, May?!" Everyone turned to her in alarm.

"Something just jumped out at me! Look—it went that way!" She pointed toward the bushes, eyes wide.

They turned and spotted a big red bug-like Pokémon crawling into the underbrush.

"Oh! That's a Wurmple!" Ash explained. "May, didn't you say you like Beautifly? Wurmple evolves into one!"

"Huh? It evolves into Beautifly? Now that I look at it, it's actually kinda cute!" (♡ω♡) Her eyes sparkled. "Okay! I'm going to catch it!"

"Wait—May! I haven't told you everything!" Ash called out, but May had already dashed off.

Ash sighed. "Wurmple can evolve into Beautifly, but… it's not guaranteed…"

"She didn't hear a word you said," Brock commented.

"Well, it's still early for lunch. How about we rest here for a bit?" Brock suggested.

"Good idea," Max agreed.

Ash, however, sensed something unusual.

"There's something else nearby… I'm going to check it out." He tapped into his Aura, picked up a faint signal, and took off with Pikachu in the opposite direction from May.

"Seriously? That guy…" Max sighed.

Ash and Pikachu moved quickly through the trees and soon arrived at a quiet grove."Pika!" Pikachu pointed up ahead.

Under a tree lay a golden-colored Silcoon. It turned slightly, alert to their presence.

"A shiny Silcoon!" Ash gasped. "And it evolves into Beautifly too—this is amazing!"

[Silcoon (Shiny)][Gender: Female][Type: Bug][Ability: Shed Skin][Strength: Normal - Late Stage][Moves: Harden, String Shot, Bug Bite, Poison Sting, Tackle][ Terastallization Type: Bug]

"Alright, time to catch it! Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" Pikachu dashed in and took it down with ease.

Ash threw a Poké Ball—click. Caught!

The ball blinked once before transferring the Pokémon to Professor Oak's lab.

Meanwhile, May wasn't having such an easy time.

She was in the middle of a wild chase with Team Rocket, who had also spotted the Wurmple and wanted it for themselves. But in a rare win, May managed to outwit them and catch the Wurmple before they could!

Back at Professor Oak's lab...

"Oh? Ash just sent over another Pokémon?" The professor activated the machine. "Let's see…"

The Poké Ball popped open, revealing the golden Silcoon.

"A shiny Silcoon?! Extraordinary! I need to prepare some notes for my research class… Wait—hehe—what a perfect research subject!" (♡ω♡)

Silcoon: AHH! Who is this strange old man?! Somebody save me!

Back at the campsite, Ash returned to find a new guest—Ichiro Sawama.

"Welcome back, Ash," Brock greeted. "What were you off doing?"

"I went to catch a special Pokémon!"

"Ooh! Show us!" Max's eyes lit up.

Ash smirked. "It's a secret. I already sent it to Professor Oak."

"Come onnn, tell meee!" Max pouted, attempting a cute face.

"Save it, Max. That only works if you're a girl." Ash pushed him away.

Soon after, Ash and Ichiro got to know each other better—and decided to battle.

Ash: Phanpy & TaillowIchiro: Ariados & Yanma

Even though Ichiro's Pokémon were at the Superior - Early Stage, Ash's team overwhelmed them. Afterward, Brock invited Ichiro to join them for lunch.

"Everyone, I'm back! And look—I caught a Wurmple!" May returned, beaming with joy.

"Well done, May!" everyone congratulated her.

Just then, another man who looked exactly like Ichiro followed behind May.

"Wait… identical?!" May gasped.

"It's my twin brother," Ichiro explained. "I've been traveling while he's been protecting the forest. We've decided to switch places for a while."

"Well, since everyone's here, it's lunchtime!" Brock said.

"Agreed!" x5

"Come on out, Torchic! You too, Wurmple! Let's eat!"

[Wurmple][Gender: Female][Type: Bug][Ability: Shield Dust (blocks secondary effects)][Strength: Normal - Mid Stage][Moves: Tackle, String Shot][Dynamax Type: Flying]

A surprising scene followed: Wurmple was a total glutton. After gorging itself, it fell asleep right away.

"…This Wurmple really suits you, May," Max commented.

"Not true! …Okay, maybe a little," May admitted with a small blush.

Everyone: (ㅍ_ㅍ) …

After parting with the Sawama brothers, Ash and the group set off once again.

Meanwhile, up on a cliff, Team Rocket nursed their bruises after another failed plot—though somehow, Jessie managed to catch a Wurmple too.

On the road, Ash walked beside May and decided to explain something important.

"By the way, May. Wurmple's evolution isn't fixed—it's random."

"What!?" (ΩДΩ) "Isn't evolution always the same?"

"Not always. Some Pokémon have split evolutions, like Eevee—it has eight forms. Wurmple is the same. It can evolve into either Silcoon or Cascoon."

Ash pulled up his Pokédex and showed her a picture of Dustox.

"Ack! That's like the opposite of Beautifly!" May cried.

"That's why I told you to just catch a Silcoon or Beautifly to be safe," Max said flatly.

Ash looked at her seriously. "May… if your Wurmple evolves into Cascoon, would you still keep it?"

May paused, took a deep breath, then said with determination:"Of course. No matter what it becomes, it's still my Pokémon."

Ash and Brock exchanged a smile. Ash already knew her Wurmple would become a Beautifly… but the journey mattered more than the result.

"Don't worry, May," Brock added. "Your Wurmple eats so much, it's probably bulking up to become a Silcoon!"

That cheered her up a bit—but until Wurmple evolved, she couldn't fully relax.

Soon after, Ash and the others finally arrived at Rustboro City.

The first stop? The city's famous Sightseeing Tower. They stood on the observation deck, taking in the sprawling urban view.

"Wow~ It's gorgeous!" May said in awe.

After sightseeing, Brock pulled out the map. "The Rustboro Gym should be nearby!"

"Perfect! I'm going to win my first Hoenn Gym Badge!" Ash pumped his fist.

The group left the tower and headed toward the Gym—but something caught Max's attention.

Under a bench sat a small Poliwag, looking lost.

"Hey there! You okay?" Max asked gently, squatting beside it. "Need help?"

Poliwag blinked at him and slowly walked out. Max carefully picked it up.

"Nice work, Max!" everyone praised him.

"I think it's lost," Max said, examining it.

Then he noticed something tied to Poliwag's tail. "Huh? What's this…?"

Just then, a girl in a blue dress with braided hair came running over.

"Poliwag! There you are! We've been searching everywhere!"

To be continued...