Then there were three

**"Then there were three"** is the fifteenth chapter of *Pokémon Reset Bloodlines.* After escaping from Hunter J, Iris joins Ash's group, despite Misty's doubts about it. The three continue to travel and train together until they arrive in Lavender Town, just in time for the Battle Dome Tournament.

## Plot

In Pallet Town, Professor Oak sees the arrival of a teleporting Heal Ball, wondering what could he have caught at such location (several thousand feet up in the air). He's surprised to find a Goomy of all things, a Kalosian Pokémon who lives in swamps and not up in the skies. He decides to avoid asking question and takes Goomy with him, and finds Delia waiting for him at the living room while petting Ash's Bulbasaur. Assuming that she comes to ask about how Ash is doing, the scientist shows her the Pokémon he's carrying, explaining that Ash just caught it. Suddenly, a man in a business suit enters the living room, and for a moment both Oak and Delia assume he's a tax collector from the government. The man explains he's an executive for Pokémon T.V., and has come to offer them a deal for the rights to film Ash and Gary as up and coming league challengers. Oak is quick to point out he's just trying to find the next rookie that could easily become Champion like Cynthia, which the executive confirms without hesitation. Oak is reluctant at first, but when the executive mentions the monetary compensations, he finally agrees, while mentally cursing his limited budget and needing the money desperately.

The next day, elsewhere, Misty wakes up in her secret base, recalling the events of the previous day. The wild girl who attacked her, whose name turned out to be Iris, was invited by Ash to join their group after he explained that Hunter J had kidnapped him and Iris' adoptive family of Dragon-types, and while he managed to escape, Hunter J took Iris' family. Iris wanted to give chase, but Ash's Pokédex told her she would only get herself captured, or worse, killed, as J's Pokémon were trained to challenge Elite Four members, plus she had her airship and a lot more of technology and weaponry at her disposal. To prove the point, the Pokédex demanded that Ash let him command Charmeleon against Iris' Excadrill, defeating them and causing the wild girl to break into tears. Ash tried to comfort her by offering her to join them and train together to grow stronger, a decision that Misty wasn't exactly happy with because he didn't consult her (and because Iris had tried to kill her), but ultimately agreed after seeing Ash's kindness and Iris' sorrow over the loss of her family.

After exiting her secret base, Misty runs into Iris who has just woken up herself and, much to Misty's shock, is completely naked. When Misty asks her about it, Iris just replies she's not wearing any clothes because it's warm today, as if she's used to do that all the time, and Misty quickly proceeds to explain to her why she shouldn't do that, partly because she doesn't want (for some reason she can't explain) Ash to see her naked.

In Team Rocket's HQ, Butch and Cassidy, who are completely battered, dirty and made a mess as if they hadn't slept for days, report to Giovanni that they shouldn't get involved with the Kaz and Yas gangs whatsoever. He dismisses them and orders them to go take a shower to wash off their bad smell, while checking the news about recent events, including a sighting of Hunter J in Kanto, the shutdown of the Cerulean City Gym and the vanishing of its leaders, and a photo of a woman in HopHopHop Town whose son looks a lot like a younger version of Ash, catching his interest.

Back with Ash, he feels happy upon finding that Iris is alive and well, enough to start training his Pokémon and bringing Goomy along as well. Upon using his Pokédex to scan him, he learns that Goomy is a Kalos-native Pokémon and wonders if they'd have met had Cyrus not botched The Old Timeline. He has his Pokémon try to teach Goomy some moves while practicing themselves.

In the meantime, Misty finishes explaining Iris why she needs to wear clothes, and the two run into a Slowpoke, which Misty promptly catches for herself, explaining Iris her goal of catching every Water-type in the world. The Pokéball then teleports to Oak's lab, briefly freaking Iris out, and Misty realizes there are lots of more things she needs to be explained.

In Lavender Town, the Team Rocket trio runs into Red and Yellow, briefly mistaking the former for Ash until James corrects them. After a short chat, they learn Red is also planning on entering the upcoming Battle Dome Tournament. After they leave, Jessie suggests they should have tried to steal his Pokémon, but James refutes her saying they have a target to stalk, plus they don't want to risk getting thrown to jail with psychotic criminals.

Meanwhile, Ash's group arrives to a Battle Club on Route 10. While Iris is startled by the automatic doors, she gets interested when Ash explains that Battle Clubs are places where they can battle other trainers and grow stronger. She goes to a battle arena where she's pitted against the Samurai, who's angry over an Unovan Pokémon leaving him, and then starts dismissing Iris for not having any Gym Badges. He sends out a Beedrill while she uses her Excadrill to defeat him with ease.

Misty is in another battle arena, sending out Staryu and Gyarados to try and test her defenses against electric attacks after fighting Iris' Emolga, while her opponent uses a Fearow and a Voltorb. Ash for his part, is also having a double battle of his own with Pidgeotto and Squirtle against a Vulpix and a Zubat, with Goomy and Pikachu watching from the sidelines. Squirtle notes that this isn't a Gym, but Ash reassures him he'll use him in any gym where he might a type advantage in the future. The three continue to battle over and over, keeping a good winning streak and enjoying themselves, while Ash's Pokédex is happy at the increase in Pokémon encounter rate.

After Ash's is done with his last battle, a Snivy suddenly appears after kicking an air vent on the ceiling, which Pikachu quickly recognizes as their old friend. Snivy makes a challenging motion with her hands, and Ash decides to send Pidgeotto to battle her, rejecting the Pokédex's offer of using a Quick Ball to catch her (out of respect and to avoid being seen as unworthy). As expected, Snivy begins using Attract, which doesn't affect Pidgeotto as she is female. Snivy then uses Leaf Storm and Leaf Blade, impressing the Pokédex even further. Then, much to Ash's shock, Snivy uses Leaf Storm again increasing its power instead of lowering it, to which the Pokédex explains it's because she has the ability Contrary instead of Overgrowth. After hitting her with Aerial Ace, Ash uses a Great Ball to catch her. Afterwards, he grabs the ball and does his victory pose, when he notices Misty and Iris are watching him, the former once more commenting how lucky Ash is.

That night, Ash is able to restore Snivy's memories and put her up to speed with everything, and she gladly agrees to help him save the world. Meanwhile, Pidgeotto went back to Oak's lab before going to search for her old flock to bring them there, while Ash wonders where did Pikachu and Aipom went off to, with Iris also noticing that Emolga was missing.

The next day, Ash and company arrive to Lavender Town, where Pikachu explains to Ash where he's been with the female Pokémon in his same egg group, much to Ash's discomfort. Pikachu also suggests he might have been the father of Misty's Azurill in The Old Timeline, to compound it even further. Suddenly, a blond girl bumps into Ash, making him briefly mistake her for Bianca, until he realizes said girl is shorter and there's no water involved. The girl is actually Yellow, who is quickly followed by Red, and him and Ash lock gazes with each other.

## Continuity

* The arrival of Ash's Snivy is further explained in the Snivy Interlude side story.
* The events of the Butterfree Interlude take place within this chapter before the group arrives to the Battle Club.
* Pidgeotto goes off to find her old flock, which will arrive to Oak's lab two chapters later.
* Giovanni sees a photo of Anna and Arnold, who get their backstory expanded in the Arnold Interlude.

## Characters

### Humans

* Professor Samuel Oak
* Delia Ketchum
* Television executive
* Misty Waterflower
* Iris
* Ash Ketchum
* Butch
* Cassidy
* Giovanni
* Jessie
* James
* Yellow
* Red Tajiri
* Samurai
* Random Trainers

### Pokémon

* Goomy (Ash's)
* Bulbasaur (Ash's)
* Axew (Iris')
* Charmeleon (Ash's)
* Excadrill (Iris')
* Pikachu (Ash's)
* Butterfree (Ash's)
* Squirtle (Ash's)
* Aipom (Ash's)
* Pidgeotto (Ash's)
* Psyduck (Misty's)
* Slowpoke (Misty's)
* Meowth (Team Rocket)
* Beedrill (Samurai's)
* Gyarados (Misty's)
* Staryu (Misty's)
* Voltorb (Random Trainer's)
* Fearow (Random Trainer's)
* Vulpix (Random Trainer's)
* Zubat (Random Trainer's)
* Pinsir (Samurai's)
* Psyduck (Random Trainer's)
* Emolga (Iris')
* Nidoran♂ (Random Trainer's)
* Nidoran♀ (Random Trainer's)
* Mankey (Random Trainer's)
* Oddish (Random Trainer's)
* Poliwag (Random Trainer's)
* Snivy (Ash's)