Viridian Pokemon Center
I had just finished my call with professor Oak, his face still fresh in mind as he slurped noodles while muttering about Ho-Oh, when the door to the Pokemon Center slammed open.
"You!"
The sharp voice cut through the air, making me and Treecko turn our heads.
A girl with fiery orange hair stopped inside, holding what looked like a charred frame of a bicycle, its metal bent, wires sparkling faintly. She looked absolutely livid, and her eyes locked onto Ash, who was standing near the emergency room where Pikachu was being treated.
"That's my bike you ruined!" she shouted pointing an accusing finger at him.
Ash nearly jumped out of his skin. "W-wait, you're the girl from the forest! Look, it's not what it looks like, I swear!"
"Not what it looks like?!" She banged the broken frame against the floor. Clang! "My bike is fried thanks to you and that Pikachu!"
"Hey!" I stepped in before things could get uglier. "Let's calm down first."
The girl snapped her glare towards me, but I said keeping my voice steady "I get that you're furious. But his Pikachu is in the emergency room receiving treatment. Do you really think Ash trashed your bike on purpose?"
For a moment, her expression wavered.
Ash chimed in quickly. "She's right! I didn't mean to, I swear. We were attacked by a flock of Spearow, Pikachu was badly hurt, and your bike was the only way we could escape. I'll pay you back somehow, I promise."
The girl crossed her arms with a sharp huff. "Promises don't fix bicycles."
I sighed, stepping forward with a small smile. "Maybe not. But yelling in the middle of a Pokemon Center won't help either. Let's all calm down before the staff toss us outside."
Ash chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah… thanks, Luna. Again."
Since the mood lightened I decided to steer the conversation before the sparks reignited. "Since we're all standing here anyway, why don't we introduce ourselves properly?"
The girl gave me a long look before sighing. "Fine. Whatever." She glanced between us and added reluctantly, "Misty. From Cerulean City. Don't forget it, especially you," she jabbed a finger at Ash.
Ash winced but nodded quickly. "Ash Ketchum. Pallet Town. And I already said I'll make it up to you."
I raised my hand lightly. "Luna Hoshizora, also from Pallet Town. And this is Treecko."
"Treecko," my partner added coolly, flicking his tail.
Introductions done, the tension between them relaxed a little. Ash quickly returned to pacing by the emergency room doors, worrying for Pikachu, while Misty went back to checking over her bike with a grumble.
I took the chance to head for the counter, Treecko hopping lightly off my shoulder to walk beside me.
"Excuse me," I asked the assistant Nurse Joy politely, "is the TM rental service currently available?"
"Yes, of course," she said with a practiced smile. "All Pokemon Centers provide it. We do have availability now, there's no wait time. The League sets the cost at 1000₽ for one hour of use."
I nodded and handed over the fee, wincing slightly at the chunk gone from my wallet. She slid a keycard across the counter and gestured to a side room with glowing panels.
Treecko and I stepped inside. The machine hummed as I slotted in the Rock Tomb TM. Treecko jumped onto the platform, his stance firm. Light wrapped around him, pulsing with earthy hues as the information began to sink in.
I wasn't surprised by the slow pace. I already knew this process took time, an hour, sometimes more depending on the Pokemon. So I sat cross-legged on the floor, the egg nestled warmly in my lap. The minutes slipped by, the hum of the machine steady in the background.
Treecko barely moved, absorbing every flicker of information. Occasionally, faint ripples of rock-like texture flickered over his limbs.
An Hour Later
The faint humming of the TM machine stopped, the light around Treecko dimmed and it beeped to notify the end of the session. Treecko hopped off the platform, stomping once against the floor, tiny stones rattling loose where his foot landed.
"Rock Tomb, huh?" I said, smiling as he crossed his arms with a satisfied smirk. "Looks like it suits you."
Treecko gave a short nod, clearly pleased with himself. I slipped the egg carefully back into my bag and stood up, the faint ache of sitting too long fading as I stretched.
I walked over to the machine, pressed the release panel, and retrieved the TM, slipping it safely into my bag.
We pushed open the training room door, stepping back into the Pokemon Center's main lobby, just in time to hear Nurse Joy call out "Pikachu is stable!"
The emergency room door opened. Nurse Joy and Chansey carefully wheeled out a stretcher. Pikachu was lying on it, wrapped in bandages, sparks faintly twitching from his cheeks.
"Pikachu!" Ash ran up to the stretcher. "Nurse Joy, how is he?"
Nurse Joy gave him a kind smile. "Although he was badly hurt. Now he is out of danger, but he needs time to recover."
Relief flooded Ash's face. Misty crossed her arms, still glaring at him, though softer than before. I let out a breath too, glad Pikachu was safe.
At this moment Officer Jenny's voice came through the PA system.
"Attention! Attention! A group of Pokemon thieves has been sighted in the area. Please remain vigilant and keep all Pokemon secured."
A cold shiver ran through me. I knew exactly what that meant.
As if on cue, the lights started flickering and smoke started filling the room and then BOOM!! The front door blew open.
"What's going on?!" Ash shouted, shielding Pikachu.
Two figures stepped out of the haze.
"Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"
Groans and gasps echoed around the lobby. A few trainers instinctively clutched their Pokeballs tighter.
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's right!"
The spotlight (where it even came from, I'll never know) lit them up as they struck their poses.
The dramatic poses, the spotlight that somehow appeared out of nowhere, it was almost exactly like the anime I remembered.
But this time, they weren't alone. Four uniformed Team Rocket grunts marched in behind them, tossing Pokeballs into the air.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
Zubat, Ekans, Koffing, and Rattata filled the lobby with screeches and smoke, making the other trainers stumble back.
"What are you doing inside the Pokemon Center?!" Nurse Joy shouted, her usual calm breaking.
Jessie smirked. "Why, stealing Pokemon, of course."
James twirled a rose dramatically. "All these weak little creatures, ripe for the taking."
Meowth flexed his claws. "And nobody's gonna stop us!"
Ash scowled. "So you're the thieves?! What do you want with Pikachu?!"
Jessie blinked, then laughed. "Pikachu? You mean that one?" She waved her hand dismissively at the stretcher. "Please, it's just another Pikachu."
James smirked, hand on his hip. "We're here for all the Pokemon in this Center, boy. Why waste time on something so common?"
Meowth stretched his claws with a grin. "Yeah, kid, quit acting like we care about your little rodent."
Ash clenched his fists, stepping in front of Pikachu anyway. "You can say what you want, but you're not taking any Pokemon from here!"
I glanced at Treecko, who was already crouched low, ready for battle. Misty's eyes widened at the chaos, but I could tell she was reaching for her Pokeball too.
Looks like it was time to fight.