Start of Johto

After leaving the Kanto Region, the gang arrived in the Johto Region and now they were on their way to New Bark Town, home of Prof. Elm.

"I know we just arrived in Johto." Ash said. "But I can't wait to see what adventures we'd experience."

"What I can't wait to see is all the Pokemon you get here in Johto." Misty said.

"The funny thing is though Misty you and I already have Pokemon from the Johto Region." Ash replied. "You've got a Slowking and I've got a Lugia. I mean, I know we caught them in the Orange Islands, but they're still Pokemon from the Johto Region."

"I'm still amazed how you two obtained these Pokemon." Brock said.

Ash and Misty told him about their encounters with Lugia and Slowking.

Just then they stopped walking; the area they were walking through was misty.

"This place is so misty, it's hard to tell where we're going." Brock said.

Tomo held onto Ash's hand so he wouldn't be separated from his brother.

"Now what shall we do?" Misty asked. "I mean even with a map, we won't be able to find New Bark Town in this."

Suddenly Togepi leaped out of Misty's arms and walked through a path by herself. Growlithe followed her to keep her out of trouble. The gang followed the Pokemon too, but then they saw a beautiful, blue Pokemon by a lake.

"Wow, look at that." Misty said.

Ash stared at the Pokemon in wonder.

*'I wonder what that is.'* He thought.

Suddenly the Pokemon noticed the gang's presence and then ran off.

"Wow, what Pokemon was that?" Ash asked.

"I don't know." Brock said. "But look, the mist is disappearing."

"You're right Brock." Misty remarked. "But I suggest we keep going in case the mist comes back."

Ash, Tomo and Brock agreed with her.

The gang walked more and more until at last they came up to a sign.

"This sign says 'New Bark Town." Brock said. "So that means we're here at last."

The gang took a good look at New Bark Town.

"What a nice town." Misty said.

"Okay so what should we do first?" Ash asked. "I mean should we head to Prof. Elm's lab or head to the Pokemon Center?"

"Well Ash." Brock said. "You need to register for the Johto League and we also need to check our Pokemon, so we should head to the Pokemon Center."

Everyone else agreed with Brock.

So the gang walked to the Pokemon Center, but Nurse Joy wasn't there. A Chansey showed them a video message from Nurse Joy. Nurse Joy's message said that she was at Prof. Elm's laboratory and would be back by 2:00 that afternoon.

"That's funny." Misty said. "She said 2:00, but it's 3:30 now."

"Maybe something happened at the lab." Brock said. "We should go there and see."

When they got to the lab, there were police cars and Officer Jenny was checking the lab.

"What's going on Officer Jenny?" Ash asked.

"Some thieves have just stolen a Pokemon from Prof. Elm's lab." Officer Jenny informed them.

The gang was surprised and went inside the lab to find out more. Nurse Joy was inside the lab with Prof. Elm and she was a bit angry with him.

"Honestly Prof. Elm." She said. "I can't believe you let something like this happen."

"I'm really sorry Nurse Joy." Prof. Elm said. "I was doing some research and didn't realize what was happening in my lab until you came up."

Prof. Elm was a researcher, but he looked more like a scientist.

"Stop making excuses professor." Nurse Joy said. "You should pay more attention to your surroundings than to your research. Honestly that trainer will not be happy when she realizes her Pokemon won't be here tomorrow."

"Has something happened here Nurse Joy?" Brock asked.

"Yes something has happened." Nurse Joy said. "A Pokemon was stolen from the lab."

"What! A stolen Pokemon?" The group gasped.

Officer Jenny explained everything.

"The Pokemon that the thieves took was supposed to be a new trainer's starter Pokemon tomorrow." She said.

"I do hope that Totodile is okay." Nurse Joy said.

"Totodile is one of Johto's three starter Pokemon, right?" Ash asked.

Apparently Ash heard about Johto's starter Pokemon before.

"That is correct." Prof. Elm said.

In his arms was a bluish and cream colored Pokemon that looked somewhat like a mole.

"Hey that's a Cyndaquil." Ash said. "Johto's fire type starter Pokemon."

"That is also correct." Prof. Elm nodded. "You see I give starter Pokemon to new trainers. I give out Cyndaquil a fire type, Totodile a water type and Chikorita a grass type."

He showed the gang pictures of Totodile and Chikorita. Totodile was a blue crocodile and Chikorita was a light green animal with a big leaf on it's head.

"Reminds me of the starter Pokemon Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle that Prof. Oak gives to new trainers in Pallet Town." Ash said.

Prof. Elm was delighted to hear that Ash and the others knew Prof. Oak and went on talking about how great he was. Brock listened to Prof. Elm but Ash, Tomo and Misty were paying more attention to Cynadquil with Nurse Joy.

"Prof. Elm is a good man and takes real good care of Pokemon." Nurse Joy said. "But I wish he would think about something other than his research."

"The only thing to think about now is how to find those Pokemon thieves and bring Totodile back." Misty said.

"I agree." Ash remarked. "But how should we find them?"

Just then one of Officer Jenny's men came up to them.

"We've found footprints on the ground." He said. "And they are not any of ours."

Officer Jenny looked at the footprints and released her Growlithe. Growlithe sniffed the footprints and then made a run for it in town.

"I think Growlithe is following the scent of the thieves." Officer Jenny said. "Time to go after them."

Ash and the others followed Officer Jenny too.

The Pokemon thieves turned out to be Team Rocket and they had Totodile tied in a sack.

"I can't believe how easy that was to steal this Totodile." Jessie said.

"Pity we didn't see Cynadquil or Chikorita." James said. "We would've had the whole set."

"Never mind." Meowth said. "We can also take them from other trainers."

"Oh no you won't!" Officer Jenny shouted.

Team Rocket was surprised to see the twerps again.

"I'm not surprised you three are responsible for this." Ash said.

"Give that Totodile back!" Misty demanded.

"Not a chance twerpette." Jessie said.

She released her Arbok, Lickitung and Cloyster to attack them. James released his Weezing, Victreebel and Oddish. Ash, Tomo, Misty and Brock used Lugia, Growlithe, Slowking and Zubat to fight back. Officer Jenny helped the gang with her Growlithe as well. After the gang's Pokemon defeated Team Rocket's Pokemon, Misty used her Slowking to retrieve Totodile. Slowking used his psychic powers to grab the bag Totodile was in and Misty set it free.

"You're okay now Totodile." Misty smiled.

Team Rocket returned their Pokemon and tried to escape, but were sent flying by Totodile's Water Gun.

"Well done Totodile." Ash said. "Your new trainer will certainly be happy with you."

Prof. Elm and Nurse Joy were delighted when Totodile returned safe and sound. Ash registered himself for the Johto League and Nurse Joy gave Brock a guidebook of the Johto League along with a map of the Johto Region.

"I wish you the best of luck Ash." Prof. Elm said.

With everything resolved, Ash and the others left New Bark Town to officially start their journey through the Johto Region.