“Oh no, my drama’s about to start.
Ash, let’s leave it at that for now.”
As Delia spoke, her eyes had already drifted toward the television in the living room, her face full of anticipation.
Without even waiting for Ash to respond, she hurriedly hung up.
The beeping busy tone came through.
Ash smiled helplessly, shook his head, and then placed the receiver back.
He picked up the receiver again and dialed Professor Oak’s laboratory.
A few seconds later, Professor Oak appeared on the screen.
He was wearing his familiar white lab coat and holding a steaming bowl of instant noodles.
His eyes were fixed on a computer screen, as though he were checking some data.
“Oh, it’s Ash.” Hearing the sound, Professor Oak looked up at the screen, a smile appearing on his face.
“Professor Oak, you’re eating instant noodles again?” Ash said, unable to help himself when he saw the instant noodle cups on the table behind Professor Oak.
“Eating instant noodles all the time isn’t good for you.
They’re not nutritious.”
“Hahaha, I only eat them once in a while.” Professor Oak awkwardly scratched the back of his head, his face full of smiles as he tried to cover it up.
“Sigh.” Ash helplessly rubbed his forehead and shook his head slightly, a trace of resignation in his eyes.
“Professor Oak, this isn’t ‘once in a while.’ Every time I see you eating, you’re eating instant noodles.”
Seeing Ash’s serious expression, Professor Oak scratched his head somewhat sheepishly.
“All right, all right, I know, Ash.
But research has been so busy lately that I really haven’t had much time to cook.
What about you?
Be careful while traveling outside, and get along well with your Pokémon.”
“I know, Professor Oak,” Ash replied.
“I’ve already reached Viridian City.”
“Oh?
You’ve made it to Viridian City?
That’s quite good.” Professor Oak immediately became interested.
Then his tone changed.
“By the way, why haven’t you sent any Pokémon back yet?
Gary has already sent back more than a dozen, and Leaf and Blue have sent back several too.”
“I just haven’t run into any Pokémon I’m interested in yet.” Ash scratched his head.
“Also, Professor, I want to show you something.”
Ash took out his camera and quickly brought up the photo that had frozen the golden figure within the rainbow.
In the photograph, Ho-Oh’s outstretched wings filled the entire frame.
The glow stirred up when its tail feathers swept across the rainbow looked like burning flames, and even the edge of the shot had been dyed amber.
“This is…” Professor Oak practically pressed his face against the screen, his graying brows twisting together.
“This shooting angle… and the pattern of this crest…”
“Professor Oak, I’ve only ever seen this Pokémon in the books at your lab.
It should definitely be Ho-Oh,” Ash said, his voice rising unconsciously.
The blue light of the screen reflected in his shining eyes.
“It even left behind a tail feather at the time.
It’s in my backpack right now!”
Professor Oak suddenly grabbed a magnifying glass from the side.
“Incredible… This is definitely an unprecedented and precious image!
Ash, send me the photo and the tail feather sample immediately!”
He turned around and began rummaging through the desk piled high with papers.
Pens and notebooks clattered to the floor.
“This could be a major discovery!”
“Hehe, I can give you the photo, but the tail feather is off-limits for now.
I still have a use for it.” Ash revealed a sly smile.
“Professor Oak, look at my hands…”
As Ash spoke, he spread his hands and waved them in the air.
“What about your hands?” Professor Oak frowned slightly, his gaze following Ash’s hands.
“I’m a little short on cash.” The corners of Ash’s mouth lifted, revealing a row of white teeth.
His face was full of relaxed amusement.
Professor Oak froze at first, then realized what Ash meant.
He could not help laughing, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out.
The fee will definitely satisfy you.”
“Thank you, Professor!” Ash immediately said.
Professor Oak nodded with a smile.
“All right, let’s leave it at that for now.
Send the photo over as soon as possible so I can begin my research.
Be careful while you’re out there, and tell me immediately if you discover anything new.”
“Got it, Professor Oak!” Ash replied.
“Oh no, my noodles are going to get soggy.
That’s all for now.”
With that, Professor Oak hung up.
After ending the call, Ash put away his camera.
Just then, Misty came over with their recovered Pokémon.
“Ash, are you done with your call?”
“Yeah.” Ash answered and reached out to take Pikachu and Eevee from Misty’s arms.
Pikachu affectionately rubbed against his cheek.
Eevee obediently nestled in the crook of his arm, its tail swaying gently.
Suddenly, the lights began flickering strangely, and a sharp alarm shattered the peace of the Pokémon Center.
An announcement also rang out.
“Emergency alert, emergency alert.
Intruders have entered Viridian City.
They are highly likely to be members of an illegal organization that specializes in kidnapping Pokémon.
Please be on alert…”
Before the announcement finished, the sound of shattering glass came from overhead.
Two Poké Balls fell.
Ekans and Koffing appeared.
Nurse Joy instinctively shielded the medical cabinet behind her.
Her usually gentle eyes were now filled with panic.
“What on earth is going on?”
“Since you asked so sincerely!”
“We’ll be merciful and tell you!”
“To prevent the world from being destroyed!”
“To protect the peace of the world!”
“To carry out the evil of love and truth!”
“The lovely, charming villains!”
“I’m Jessie!”
“I’m James!”
“We are Team Rocket, traveling across the galaxy!”
“A white hole!
A white tomorrow is waiting for us!”
As soon as they finished, a Meowth jumped out.
“That’s right, meow!”
Misty exclaimed in surprise, “Ah!
Meowth talked!”
Her voice carried uncontrollable shock.
Nurse Joy instinctively covered her mouth.
“A Meowth that can talk!”
Only Ash’s lips curved with an expression that said he had expected this all along.
Pikachu and Eevee jumped down from his shoulders.
James held a rose to his lips and sniffed it lightly.
“We’ll be taking over all the Pokémon in this Pokémon Center.”
“There are tons of Pokémon in this Pokémon Center.
We’re sure to find some rare ones,” Jessie said loudly.
“That’s right, me—”
Before Meowth could finish, a streak of red light suddenly shot through the air.
Bang!
This Cat Pokémon, which considered itself worldly and experienced, did not even have time to cry out before it was sucked into the spinning red light.
The Poké Ball shook violently.
In the end, the ball burst open.
“I almost got caught, meow!” Meowth collapsed weakly onto the floor, its paws still trembling.
“That little twerp actually dared to ambush me, meow!”
It suddenly turned and glared at the culprit, only to see Ash still holding the pose from throwing the Poké Ball.
A sly smile curved Ash’s lips.
“Oh my, looks like I can’t catch it after all.”
“Hey, you brat over there!
That was really rude!” Jessie stomped her foot in anger, her pink hair flying with the motion.
“Ekans, go teach him a lesson!”
“Koffing, you go too!” James also ordered Koffing to attack.
“Pikachu, use Thunder at full power!” Ash’s eyes sharpened as he gave the command without hesitation.
“Pika—chu!!!”
With a sharp cry, every strand of fur on Pikachu’s body stood on end.
Electricity in the air began gathering wildly.
The previously bright Pokémon Center suddenly dimmed for an instant.
Then, a golden bolt of lightning as thick as a bowl struck directly toward Ekans and Koffing.
The lightning danced wildly like silver serpents.
Ekans twisted its body and let out a pained hiss, black smoke sizzling from it.
Both Pokémon were charred black, twitching in the electricity before crashing heavily back onto Jessie and James.
“O-o-okay… nu-nu-numb…” The trio had been shocked so badly that their hair stood on end, and even their speech began to tremble.
The out-of-control Koffing unconsciously released a large amount of gas.
When it came into contact with the electricity—
Boom!!!
Amid the violent explosion, Team Rocket turned into a smoking meteor and streaked across the sky.
“How could this happen?
It was obviously just a Pikachu!” Jessie shouted.
James weakly muttered, “Yeah.
It’s clearly a common Pokémon.”
Meowth’s eyes suddenly widened.
“That means that Pikachu must be an incredibly rare Pokémon, meow!”
“Then we’ll steal it and give it to the Boss!” Jessie said, the corner of her mouth curling upward.
“Right, let’s do that!” James agreed.
“Once we catch that Pikachu, the Boss will definitely make us executives!”
“But…” all three of them said at once.
“What a nasty feeling, meow!”
Team Rocket’s figures streaked through the moonlight, looking especially pitiful.
…
The purple smoke receded like a tide.
Moonlight poured through the shattered dome, illuminating the devastated state of the Pokémon Center.
The once-bright, spotless hall was now littered with rubble.
“Ah!!!”
Misty’s scream pierced the dead silence, her voice trembling with a sobbing tone.
The bicycle that had originally been parked beside the water dispenser had now been crushed into a flat iron pancake by a collapsed block of concrete.
“My bicycle!”
[Bicycle: Sigh.
In the end, I still couldn’t escape it.
I still ended up destroyed by that yellow rat.]
Ash’s mouth twitched.
Pikachu really could not get along with bicycles.
Even this one had failed to avoid its fate.
Let us observe three seconds of silence for our innocent bicycle.
Bicycle, rest in peace.
I’ll take good care of Misty, so worry not.