Ash and Alice are now off the ship as they arrive at the Seafoam Islands, they notice how Brock is being depressed as they walk past them. Alice says, "So Ash, are we going to find Blaine, the gym leader?"

"Of course, but before that, I want to capture some Pokemon." Ash says. "And I am pretty sure that we can find some of them in the cave."

"You're right." Alice says as they enter the Seafoam Islands, Brock decides to follow them as he tries to make sure that the two of them are safe in their travels.

But just before they can enter the cave, they notice a Scyther using Slash on the rocks with anger and frustration. "This isn't a place where Scyther lives." Alice says.

"I wonder what's going on?" When Ash is about to approach the Scyther, the Scyther is about to attack them. Ash manages to dodge the attack and tries to reason with the Scyther and has Mewtwo keep him in place so they can talk. It turns out that Scyther was abandoned by a trainer who lost to Blaine in a gym battle and release him there. Feeling pity for the Scyther, Ash asks Scyther to give him a chance and he will treat all Pokemon with love and care. The Scyther eventually agrees and joins Ash's team.

"That Scyther really has a rough past..." Alice says with a frown.

"I know, but a lot of my Pokemon were once abandoned, so I'm sure they can help Scyther get used to us." Ash replies.

Once they enter the place, they find an Ice Type Pokemon that Alice is glad to see, a Jynx. Ash says, "Why are you excited to see a Jynx?"

"Well, I heard that Santa Claus has Jynx as helpers to send presents to children. So I have been excited to see a Jynx."

"I see, you know, I have seen a real Santa Claus before." Ash says after capturing the Jynx with the help of Rapidash.

"Really? You traveled to the North Pole and meet Santa on your own?" Alice says, "You are so lucky."

"I know." Ash says, "But where will Blaine be..."

As they continue moving in the caves, they finally find the gym, which has a small Pokeball icon on it. "So this is it. The former Cinnabar Gym."

"Yeah." Ash says. Then they hear a laugh, "I eat, I live. I breathe, I live. I drink, I die. What am I?"

"That will be fire." Ash says as he turns around, "Blaine, it is nice to see you again."

The man laughs and says, "It is indeed a while that we have met, young Ash. I assume that you are here to visit my new gym?"

"Of course, I am also here for my fourteenth badge." Ash says with a determined smile.

"Well then, how about we go inside the gym for what you want?" Blaine says as they walk into the gym, it is surrounded by fire, but Ash and Alice feel warm more than hot.

"So what are the rules?" Ash asks.

Blaine sends out his first Pokemon, which is an Arcanine. Ash sends out Arbok as his first Pokemon, with the Intimidate, it lowers the Pokemon's attack. Arcanine goes for Extreme Speed, which hits the Pokemon.

"That sure is a speedy dog." Ash says, "Use Poison Tail."

Arbok lands the attack on the Pokemon, as it gets knocked back to the wall. But Arcanine gets back up as it uses Outrage, and Arbok uses the Glare to stop it, also paralyzing it. In the end, both Pokemon faint after the Outrage manages to go through and the fact that Arbok uses Mud Bomb at the same time.

Blaine sends out a Ninetales as his next Pokemon, and Ash chooses Golem. Golem starts with a Rock Throw, while Ninetales uses a Flamethrower to break into pieces and hits Golem. Thanks to his drought ability, he fires a powerful Solar Beam, Golem dodges it by using Double-Edge, and it hits Ninetales. Ninetales then uses Confuse Ray, making Golem confused and shooting Rock Blasts everywhere.

"Golem, calm down and listen to me." Ash says, "I know you can conquer the Confusion."

Golem hears Ash's words and then it calms down. Blaine laughs and says, "Your Pokemon really has good bonds with you. But it won't continue too long. Use Fire Spin."

"Dodge it and use Earthquake." After the attack, Ninetales is down and Golem wins this battle.

"You have done pretty well, now, Rapidash, you're next." Blaine tosses another Pokeball, Rapidash appears on the field, Ash recalls Golem and he says, "Starmie, I choose you!"

Ash chooses Starmie next, Blaine says, "I see, you are using a Water Type Pokemon."

Blaine calls Rapidash to use Flame Charge, which is not very effective, Starmie uses Hydro Pump to hurt Rapidash, due to the drought, he also fires a Solar Beam and gives serious damage to Starmie. Starmie uses Power Gem and Psychic to give serious damage, Rapidash uses Smart Strike to hit it, but it is ended when Starmie knocks out Rapidash with a Surf attack.

"Here is my final Pokemon, Magmar!" Blaine calls out his fourth Pokemon.

Magmar manages to get Starmie confused, and then it lands the Thunder Punch, knocking the Pokemon out. Ash sends out Charizard as his final Pokemon.

As the battle begins, both sides trade Flamethrowers, and Magmar counters with a Fire Blast, which Charizard digs in and manages to deflect. Magmar then proceeds to hit Charizard square in the gut with a Skull Bash, pushing Charizard into a pillar. Charizard begins to fall toward the lava. Charizard recovers and locks up with Magmar. Magmar then uses Charizard's own momentum against it by flipping it over and pushing the two into the lava. However, once the two emerge from the lava, Charizard is now the one with the upper hand, having used his flight ability to create an aerial Submission and finishing off Magmar with Seismic Toss.

"You did great, Charizard!" Ash congratulates him, only to be burned by his flamethrower. "And your Flamethrower is strong as well..."

Blaine laughs and says, "I have burned down to nothing! Not even ashes remain!"

Ash sweats drop at Blaine's dramatic defeat, as he also tells a joke about his name. Ash sighs and Blaine regains his senses, he asks Ash to give him the badge, and Ash does, which prompts him to exchange the badge.

"So what happened to the former Cinnabar Island? I mean...how did the volcano erupt?" Alice asks, and Blaine sighs, "Do you want to know why? Then follow me."

After following Blaine to Cinnabar Island, which has nothing except for a small Pokemon Center, Blaine says, "The work was created by Team Rocket...as they were doing something to the Volcano."

"What did they do? Can you tell us?" Ash asks, and Blaine says, "As you can see, Team Rocket is a criminal organization that did not belong to this world. I was forced to join them until I found out the truth and escape them."

"Wait, so you were forced to help Team Rocket?" Ash gasps in shock.

"Trust me, it is not something that I am proud of. Do you remember the new gym leader Reina?" Blaine asks, and they nod. Alice says, "Reina is one of our friends, what's the matter with that?"

"Her father, Dr. Fuji, was in the same situation as me. He was asked to create a clone of Mew. He fails the project, but that gives me a chance to fake my death."

"So that is why you were wearing a wig and the sunglasses..." Ash says.

"I thought I could disguise myself so that Team Rocket won't be able to find me...but I was wrong, they found me hiding on the island, so they try to bomb the island so that I will surrender myself."

"But you didn't, right?" Alice asks, and Blaine says, "I didn't. But I had everyone move away from the island before they come and bomb the island. It is not a good choice, but it is all I could do for now."

"I see. But Team Rocket is now gone, and the volcano is not going to erupt again with the help of this Pokemon."

Blaine takes out a Pokeball, and when he throws it, an Articuno appears. Ash asks, "How do you have an Articuno?"

"He is the one that guided us to the Seafoam Islands after hearing what happened to us." Blaine says, "After that, he decides to go into the Pokeball until you come."

"Until I come?" Ash asks in confusion, and Articuno starts to talk, "Ash and Alice. Both of you are asked by Arceus to capture all of us. I see your gym battle when I was inside the Pokeball, and I agree to become your Pokemon."

"So we don't need to battle you for it?" Alice asks, and Blaine says, "You don't need to, just take this Pokeball."

Ash takes the Pokeball and thanks Blaine, after that, they decide to leave the island with the ferry that was called by Blaine to send them back to Pallet Town.

Ash and Alice are now sitting in their rooms on the ferry, Ash says, "So we have 2 more badges to go before we challenge the Elite 4..."

"Yeah, Mulberry City will be first. though I wonder what type is there..." Alice says.

"I think it will be Dragon Type." Ash says, "I think there are no other suggestions as well."

"Okay..." Alice says, and then they hear a door knock, Ash opens the door and they see Brock. Ash gives a cold voice and says, "Oh, it's you. What's the matter?"

"Ash...I have been thinking a lot...can we talk about this for a while?" Brock asks, and Ash sighs, "Please come in."

Once Brock sits down on the bed with Ash and Alice sitting on the other one facing him. Ash says, "So Brock, do you know what your biggest problem is?"

Brock nods and says, "I have been acting very perverted around girls...and that is why you refused to talk to me..."

Ash asks, "Why are you doing this? You do realize that Misty and Max, even your own Pokemon, have been trying to make you stop flirting with girls, especially like Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny every time we go to the new place."

"I...I just want to find a girl of my dreams..." Brock says, and Alice says, "That doesn't give you the excuse to harass other girls, especially the fact that you were hiding in the dressing room where females change their swimsuits. Just what are you thinking?"

Ash says, "You told me that you don't have much more time to travel with us because you are going back to medical school. You have your dream of being a doctor, but let me ask you a question. Do you think you could get a doctor's license if you continuously do perverted things?"

"I don't think so..." Brock says, "I am not you, you already have a girlfriend and I don't."

"So what if I have a girlfriend? I like Alice and I will stay loyal to her, that is why I act dense around those girls who try to show affection towards me." Ash says, "I know that some of the girls have shown interest in you, such as the Pike Queen Lucy, your Hearthome Tag battle partner Holly, and even the Kahuna Olivia show interest in you. But what about you?"

Brock is surprised to know that Ash remembers the girls that have shown some crush on Brock, and he says, "I..."

"So Brock, what we want you to do is stop flirting or doing harassing things with girls that you don't know of. Relationships aren't coming from that if you continue to do that." Ash says.

"You're right...but I just can't control myself..." Brock says, "It is like I am in some sort of disease..."

Ash sighs, "That is why you must learn to conquer it. Back in the days, I will whine like a kid if I don't get to battle. But what about me now? I still care about battles, but I know how to control myself."

Alice says, "Ash is right. Getting to know more about your other half, and then trying to stay true to her, that is how Ash treats me and how our relationship is still stable."

Brock frowns, "You are right...I will try."

Ash smiles and he shakes hands with Brock. "That's good to know."

Here is a new chapter, and this is how Brock and Ash's friendship gets back together. I hope you like this chapter and the next one will be more Pokemon capturing.