"Boom!" The door was violently burst open as a group leaped through; it was the notorious Team Rocket trio, along with Ekans, who was responsible for the forceful entry.
James had left Koffing in the lobby to continue spreading a smokescreen and confuse anyone watching; they hadn't brought it with them as they needed more time to carry away as many Pokémon as possible.
"This is the place!" Jessie's eyes lit up when she saw the Poké Balls lined up on shelves in the room. She laughed triumphantly and rushed forward, not even picking selectively, but sweeping the Poké Balls directly into the bag they had brought.
Naturally, the bag wasn't a spatial device; they were just low-ranking members of Team Rocket, without the privileges or finances to acquire such expensive items.
"Come on, you two, help out before they catch on—we need to retreat!" Jessie saw James and Meowth standing frozen and shouted at them to move.
"Yes!" James and Meowth, jolted by her command, hurriedly began to help, though the number of Pokémon stored there was so large that their bags could hardly hold many.
"That's enough..." After the bags were filled, Jessie reluctantly looked at the remaining Poké Balls. She would have liked to take them all, but that was impossible now.
"We've got plenty already, the boss Giovanni will be thrilled! Meow!" Meowth was quite satisfied, considering the hundreds of Poké Balls they had managed to pack. The haul was substantial enough.
...
"Cough, cough, cough..." Ash and Misty hadn't even reached the lobby when they encountered the smoke drifting from there, choking and coughing from the irritation.
"What on earth happened here, and why is there so much smoke?" Misty asked, covering her mouth and nose, puzzled by the situation.
"The smoke isn't natural; it's from a Pokémon move! Someone has invaded the Pokémon Center!" Ash quickly identified the origin of the smoke. Unlike smoke from a machinery explosion, this smoke had a distinct energy signature, which Ash could discern, a natural talent of his.
"Someone invaded the Pokémon Center?!" Misty's eyes widened in disbelief upon hearing Ash's analysis. She had never heard of anyone daring to invade a Pokémon Center, a facility under the protection of the Pokémon League.
"They're targeting the Pokémon being treated here; we need to head over there now!" Ash understood the motives of Team Rocket's trio, or at least could deduce them based on the current situation.
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"Misty, do you know where they keep the Pokémon?" Ash turned to Misty, unfamiliar with this particular center's layout, relying on her instead.
"I don't know..." Misty was unsure too; this was the Pokémon Center in Viridian City, not the one in Cerulean City, and the layouts were different.
"I know where it is!" Just then, a crisp voice rang out beside them. The smoke had obscured their view, so neither Ash nor Misty noticed someone approaching until they spoke.
"Who?!" Ash's expression shifted slightly as he vigilantly eyed the shadowy figure obscured by the smoke. Pikachu also took a defensive stance, and Misty tensed up.
"It's me..." The figure in the smoke drew closer, revealing their face, and to Ash and Misty's surprise, it was Nurse Joy!
"Nurse Joy? Why are you here?" Misty asked in astonishment, seeing her appear on the path from the dormitories to the lobby.
Ash scrutinized Nurse Joy, confirming she was the real one before relaxing. He knew Team Rocket's trio had exceptional skills in disguise, having impersonated Nurse Joy and even Officer Jenny before. Only Brock could truly distinguish them.
"It's a long story, I won't go into it now!" Nurse Joy shook her head slightly. She had been resting due to the late hour but hadn't expected such an event to occur. She came out and ran into Ash and Misty, hearing Ash's analysis and finding it very plausible.
"Come with me." Nurse Joy didn't waste any words, beckoning Ash and Misty to follow her immediately to the Pokémon storage room. The priority was to ensure the safety of the Pokémon.
Ash and Misty exchanged a glance, nodded together, and promptly followed.
They reached the lobby and, without pausing to assess the situation there, followed Nurse Joy through it to another corridor that led to the storage room.
"The door's been broken open!" Although it was dim, Nurse Joy could see the damaged door at the end of the corridor. Her face fell, realizing that Ash's analysis had been correct.
At that moment, four figures emerged from the storage room—two human and two Pokémon. Nurse Joy instantly recognized the silhouettes of Ekans and Meowth.
"Who exactly are you?!" Nurse Joy stared down the newcomers with a grim expression, asking a question that perhaps should not have been asked...
Following behind, Misty also looked sternly at the figures, while only Ash had a slightly amused expression, remembering a meme from his past life about not asking such questions...
Upon hearing Nurse Joy's question, the four figures paused, and from the darkness, their voices emerged.
"Prepare for trouble!"
"Make it double!"
The voices of a man and a woman rose from the shadows, carrying the air of major villains, causing Nurse Joy and Misty to grow even more tense. Only Ash's expression became increasingly bizarre, as he never expected to actually hear Team Rocket's signature introduction in real life.
"To protect the world from devastation!" As these words were spoken, the figures began to move.
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
As the speech concluded, the four figures stepped into view, dressed in white uniforms with a prominent red 'R' emblazoned on their chests.
"Jessie!" The young woman crossed her arms, her face sporting a malicious grin.
"James!" The young man held a rose, speaking with grace.
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's right!" Positioned between the two, Meowth suddenly spoke human language, startling both Nurse Joy and Misty.