Ashlyn and the gang were training along a beach on another part of Dewford Island. They were jogging along the beach, with Brock being in charge. Brock, Ashlyn, Alain, and Max were doing well, but May, not being a fan of sports, wasn't enjoying herself.
Suddenly Brock stopped in his steps, "Okay guys, hold up."
Everyone else stopped behind Brock.
"Something wrong, Brock?" Ashlyn asked.
"Someone's up there!" Brock pointed ahead on a cliff where they saw a man climbing up the edge of a cliff.
"Hey, you're right." May commented.
"I think that's Prof. Birch." Ashlyn stated.
"You think so?" Alain asked.
"Why don't we find out?" Brock suggested.
The gang walked closer to where Prof. Birch was.
"Wonder why he's up there like that?" May asked.
"Maybe he's studying a certain Pokémon?" Max questioned.
Prof Birch was looking at a Wingull's nest. Unfortunately for him, the Wingull was not happy with him peering in her nest, and it pecked at him until he fell of the cliff.
Ashlyn's eyes glowed blue and Prof. Birch was outlined blue. He closed his eyes for incoming pain. But he didn't feel any pain. He opened his eyes and noticed that he was floating. Then he was placed gently on his feet. He soon heard running footsteps coming towards him and turned in the direction of them to see Ashlyn and her friends running up to him.
"Professor!" May called.
"You all right?!" Max added.
"I'm fine." Prof. Birch assured the siblings as the gang stopped in front of him.
"Good thing Ashlyn used her psychic abilities to stop your fall." Max commented.
"That was you, Ashlyn?" Prof. Birch asked.
Ashlyn nodded, "Yup." She confirmed.
"Thank you for stopping my fall." Prof. Birch thanked her.
"By the way, what were you doing up there?" Max questioned.
"I was studying a Wingull's nest. Wingull's build nests on edge of cliffs." Prof. Birch explained.
"Ah I understand," Ashlyn understood, "it's your way of studying Pokémon and their habitats, right?"
"That's correct;" Prof Birch confirmed, "the best way to study Pokémon is to be up close where the action is instead of seeing them from a distance, that's my opinion."
"It's Prof Oak's opinion as well." Brock said.
"My dad has the same opinion too." Alain added.
"So tell me, what brings you all here?" Prof Birch asked.
"We were doing some training for the Dewford Gym." Ashlyn replied.
"I see," Prof Birch understood, "and how as your journey been so far?"
"It has been fantastic!" Max exclaimed, and he started to talk about what he and the others had gone through so far and the new Pokémon they had captured.
"Wow you kids seem to have got into quite a few adventures," Prof Birch smiled, "and I hope you are in the mood for an adventure today."
"What kind of adventure?" May asked.
"Well, there's a cave I want to explore that's up ahead. There's a possibility that there might be Golbat's in it. I was wondering if you all like to explore it." Prof. Birch answered.
"Let's do it!" Max said, at once, "it won't be every day that we'll get to explore somewhere with Prof Birch."
"Alright. I'll go." May agreed.
"Sounds like a great idea." Ashlyn added.
Alain nodded, "Yeah."
"Raichu!" Tesla smiled.
Suddenly, Brock blew the whistle and everyone turned to him. He was holding a piece of paper that had a training schedule for everyone to follow. Ashlyn nearly forgot about that.
"Are you forgetting the rigorous training schedule we already have planned out for today?!" Brock frowned.
"There's always tomorrow, Brock." Alain stated.
"That's the way. It's good to change your training around from time to time." Prof. Birch advised.
Prof Birch led the way to the cave.
Brock, however, had tears in the corners of his eyes as he pouted. Then he slumped his head down, "I worked hard on that schedule!"
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Prof Birch and the gang soon arrived at the cave and entered inside. Prof Birch kept an eye out for any Pokémon.
"What Pokémon do you usually see in this cave?" Max asked.
Before Prof Birch could answer, Tesla saw a grey and white insect, with pale green wings, and it wasn't looking very happy.
"That's a Nincada." Prof Birch said.
"Nincada?" May looked at Nincada on the Pokédex:
[Nincada, the trainee Pokémon. It grows underground, sensing its surroundings using antennae instead of its virtually blind eyes.]
"This Nincada doesn't look happy to me." Ashlyn commented.
"You're right, Ashlyn." Alain agreed.
"Nincada, please tell us what's wrong." Ashlyn requested.
Nincada stared at Ashlyn for a moment. Then it seemed to have calm down.
"Nin nincada nin. (There are some people drilling in this cave.)" Nincada explained.
"Nincada says that some people are drilling in this cave." Ashlyn translated.
Ashlyn knew that it was Team Magma and Team Aqua looking for the Cave of Origin.
"If there are people drilling then something must be up." Prof. Brich said.
"We should check this out." Alain suggested.
"Nincada, could you show us the way to where people are drilling?" Ashlyn asked.
Nincada nodded in agreement. Then he led the group to where the drilling was.
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Prof Birch and the gang arrived, and they saw Team Aqua and Team Magma too. They stay out of sight of where Team Magma was examining a huge, tall building which looked like a temple of some sort. The other Team Magma members were facing off against Team Aqua members.
"So they're Team Aqua and Team Magma." Ashlyn said.
"I've heard of them," Prof Birch said, "they cause trouble, with their Pokémon, wherever they go."
Ashlyn didn't like the look of them one bit. She took out her Rotom phone and quietly took pictures of the building and its surroundings. Then she used the close-up and record feature on the two evil teams. Prof. Birch and the others looked over Ashlyn's shoulders to watch the confrontation.
The man from Team Magma and the woman from Team Aqua began to speak with each other. Ashlyn recognized the female Team Aqua member, Isabel and the Team Magma male member, Harland.
"Well, if it isn't Team Magma. What a surprise." Isabel smirked.
"That's right. Nice to see you, Team Aqua." Harland smirked.
"We'll be handling this from here so you and your team can move on to other matters. we prefer to avoid unnecessary fighting and just complete our assignment." Isabel pointed towards the ruins, "Now go team!" She ordered.
"Right!" The Team Aqua grunts said in unison and headed towards the ruins.
"Field Commander Harland, I would judge by your presence here that Team Magma is more than just a little curious about these ruins." Isabel stated in a taunting tone.
"Well Tactical Commander Isabel, I'm not sure what you're talking about, we were here just exploring this old cave." Harland stated in a taunting tone as well.
"Really? In that case, perhaps I could show you an easy shortcut out." Isabel offered.
"That won't be necessary." Harland denied.
Prof Birch and the gang listened to what Harland and Isabel were saying.
"It's obvious that Team Aqua and Magma know each other." Alain whispered.
"But they're not on good terms with each other. I sense hatred and a real rivalry between them." Ashlyn whispered.
"Flame One here, Team Aqua has infiltrated, but carry out orders." Harland ordered. The others followed his order, "Look, the power we seek is here and the power you seek is not."
"And I could say the same thing to you. Regardless of which of our searches is successful, we'll be able to control the power when we find it." Isabel declared.
"Okay, are you trying to tell me that you brought the Rose Orb?" Harland asked.
"Well now, what if I have?" Isabel taunted.
"We'll see." Harland stated as his Mightyena growled.
Isabel's Carvanha growled as well.
Isabel humped, "It's all wrong. A simple tactical commander should never have gotten ahold of such a thing. You are not fit to handle it." Isabel declared, "The Lapis Orb."
{A/N: I found out in the English dub version it was incorrectly called the Indigo Orb. But I decided to change the name, so I thought that 'Lapis' would be a better name.}
"Prof. Birch, what are they talking about?" May whispered.
"I don't know, May." Prof. Birch whispered back.
"You seek the power of land. But don't you know that the power of the sea controls all things? You'll never be able win that way." Isabel stated.
"You simply don't understand the power of land." Harland retorted.
Just then a grunt of Team Magma told Harland that the ruins were just plain ruins that people worshipped in a long time ago.
"So this place wasn't the Cave of Origin after all." Harland commented.
"Yes, it would appear that way." Isabel agreed.
"Leave it to those ancient people to ruin all our plans." Harland retorted.
Harland told his men to retreat. Isabel told her men to retreat too. Then Team Aqua left by jumping back into the sea and Team Magma left on their drill.
Prof Birch and the gang (except Ashlyn) were puzzled with what Harland and Isabel had been talking about.
"What are the Lapis and Rose orbs?" May asked.
"What's the Cave of Origin?" Max asked.
"I don't know about the Rose Orb and Lapis Orb, but the Cave of Origin is a hidden cave that is said to be located here in Hoenn. Unfortunately, I don't know where that is." Prof. Birch informed.
"If Team Aqua and Team Magma are that keen on finding that cave, then it can't be good." Brock stated.
Prof. Birch nodded, "Yeah."
"We better get out this cave. I don't think there's any other Pokémon here." Alain confirmed.
Everyone agreed with that. On the way back, Max captured the Nincada from earlier because he thought it was a cool Pokémon.
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Prof. Birch and the gang finally left the cave.
"That was certainly an adventure today. Even though we ended up seeing Team Aqua and Magma." Prof. Birch admitted.
"We better watch ourselves though," Ashlyn warned, "I have a feeling we'll be ending up meeting with Team Aqua and Team Magma again."
"What are you going to do with that video, Ashlyn?" Max asked.
"I'll give it to Officer Jenny and ask her to send it to Lance." Ashlyn replied.
"If you kids do see either of those teams, tell Officer Jenny at once." Prof Birch advised.
The gang promised that.
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And so, the gang had met up with Prof. Birch who was on a study trip, only to come across Team Magma and Team Aqua. Ashlyn knows what their plans are for the Lapis Orb and the Rose Orb. She could only hope that they'll be able to stop them in time.
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Pokémon Caught: Poochyena (Lela)(F), Mudkip (Finn)(M), Shiny Torchic (Hestia)(F), Ralts (Miku)(F), Ralts (Lancelot)(M), Taillow (Percy)(M), Zigzagoon (Ziggy)(M), Treecko (Kazuki)(M), Silcoon (Willow)(F), Shiny Feebas (Ula)(F), Corphish (Sebastian)(M), Aron (Hagane)(M)