"How can this Pikachu be so powerful!" Jessie was stunned by Pikachu's performance. A seemingly ordinary, cute Pikachu had such incredible power, managing to take down all their Pokémon.

"It seems it's no ordinary opponent, to have defeated Meowth... Meow." Meowth lay exhausted on the ground, glaring at the yellow electric mouse.

"Should we retreat now...?" James asked, feeling that withdrawal was the best option given the current circumstances.

"Right, retreat!" Jessie decided quickly. Although they were defeated by Pikachu, as long as they could escape with the captured Pokémon, their mission wouldn't be a complete failure.

Thinking this, Jessie pulled out a remote and pressed a button on it.

"What are they trying to do?!" Nurse Joy, observing Jessie's action, felt a sense of urgency.

"We can't let them get away..." Ash stood up, his eyes sharpening. He called out to Pikachu, "Pikachu, use Thunder Shock again, stop them!"

Pikachu launched another Thunder Shock, a streak of golden electricity tearing through the air directly at Team Rocket.

"It's too late, hahaha!" But Jessie laughed wildly. As her laughter echoed, a rumbling sound filled the air, and suddenly, the ceiling of the corridor collapsed. A cascade of debris blocked the electrical attack, shielding Jessie and the others!

From the newly formed hole in the ceiling, a rope descended right in front of Team Rocket. Meowth was the first to grab onto the top of the rope, followed by Jessie and James who quickly grabbed the bag filled with Poké Balls with one hand and the rope with the other.

Of course, they didn't forget to take Ekans and Koffing with them, promptly recalling both Pokémon back into their Poké Balls.

Ash and the others watched as the rope slowly ascended, clearly a planned escape route for Team Rocket.

"We can't let them take those Pokémon!" Nurse Joy exclaimed anxiously. Those Pokémon were entrusted to the center by trainers for treatment. If Team Rocket were to steal them, it would not only be a problem for her but a disaster for the trainers who had worked hard to capture and train those Pokémon.

"Staryu, Starmie, use Water Gun!" In that critical moment, Misty stood up, releasing her Pokémon with a swift toss of her Poké Balls. She commanded her Staryu and Starmie to fire Water Gun in an attempt to halt Team Rocket's escape.

The jets of water converged into a powerful, thick stream aimed directly at the retreating figures of Team Rocket.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"How could this be, that annoying girl!" Jessie grimaced as she faced the oncoming Water Gun, unable to think of a countermeasure now that they were out of options.

"Meowth isn't going down without a fight, don't underestimate Meowth, meow!"

At that moment, Meowth suddenly let go of its grip on the rope, using the momentum to leap towards the Water Gun. Spreading its limbs wide, it attempted to block the Water Gun with its own body.

"Meowth—!" James was shocked, not expecting Meowth to make such a sacrifice, and was deeply moved by the gesture, as was Jessie.

The Water Gun hit Meowth with a powerful impact, sending it flying backward. Despite the pain, Meowth's resolve altered the direction of the Water Gun, deflecting it away. Using the force of the impact, Meowth managed to catapult itself back to James, who caught it expertly.

"We won't let you down, Meowth! We'll make sure to get these Pokémon!" James cradled Meowth, now exhausted and unconscious from the ordeal, out of the fight.

"What?!" On the other side, Ash and his friends were stunned by the turn of events, especially Ash, who knew Meowth was a spirited Pokémon, but hadn't expected it to make such a bold move.

"Are we just going to let them get away?" As he watched Team Rocket disappear through the ceiling hole, Ash clenched his fists, and even Pikachu seemed unwilling to give up.

"Is there any way to catch up to them?" Ash looked to Misty, but she was out of ideas as well.

"Pika, Pika—!" Just when they felt helpless, Pikachu suddenly started to run, its body glowing with a translucent white light. Driven by this power, Pikachu's speed increased dramatically, almost turning into a streak of lightning.

"Is this... Quick Attack?!" Ash instantly recognized the phenomenon; Pikachu was using Quick Attack, having learned it just in time?

Pikachu's movements were swift and precise, using the debris for leverage as it approached the hole. With a final burst of speed, it leaped and managed to land directly on the rope!

"What?!" Jessie and James were shocked as they thought they were about to escape. Looking down at Pikachu clinging to the rope below, they felt a sense of dread.

"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!" Even though Ash couldn't see the situation at the hole from below, he instinctively commanded Pikachu to attack.

"Pika... Pika... CHU!" Pikachu, gripping the rope, unleashed a cry as it maximized its electrical energy. Golden lightning illuminated the darkness, and the electricity rapidly traveled up the rope. Not only did it envelop Team Rocket's trio, but it also struck the hot air balloon above them!

"Boom—!" With a loud explosion, the balloon burst open, scattering the air inside and causing the rope to shake violently. Pikachu, caught off guard by the sudden motion, lost its grip and started to fall.

Ash, already positioned below the hole, saw Pikachu falling and without hesitation, dashed to catch it, holding Pikachu securely in his arms.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah—!" Jessie and James, though desperately clinging to the rope and the bag, couldn't counteract the violent shaking. In a moment of instability, they lost their grip on the bag. The next moment, the remaining air from the balloon rapidly lifted them upwards, sending them flying out of sight.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again..." Hanging mid-air, Jessie and James voiced their frustration. What seemed like a successful mission was thwarted by a kid and his Pikachu!

"Are they going to be okay?" Misty, who had followed to the hole, watched as Team Rocket was carried away. She couldn't help but worry about their safety.

"They should be fine..." Ash shook his head slightly. People in this world generally had a different constitution, and it seemed like Team Rocket's trio was blessed with some kind of extraordinary luck. Even if they were injured, it would likely not be life-threatening, unless there was a real accident.