A wave of commotion instantly rippled through the crowd.
Some trainers instinctively pulled their Pokémon behind them, while the more timid ones began to quietly retreat toward the exit.
Nurse Joy stepped quickly to the front of the group. Her usual gentleness was gone, replaced by a stern expression. "Team Rocket! The Pokémon Center is a place for healing and rescue, not a place for you to run wild! Leave at once, or I will contact Officer Jenny!"
"Officer Jenny?" Jessie sneered, waving her hand dismissively. "By the time she gets here, we'll be long gone with the Pokémon! Besides, with the little bit of talent Jenny has, she thinks she can stop us?"
Ash, unable to restrain himself any longer, stepped forward to stand in front of Nurse Joy, glaring at the trio. "Not a chance! As long as I'm here, you won't touch a single Pokémon in this building!"
As he spoke, he reached for the Poké Ball on his belt. Although Pikachu was his only Pokémon and was currently undergoing treatment, his innate hot-blooded nature would never allow Team Rocket to commit evil in his presence.
Hora watched the tense standoff and shook his head helplessly. He hadn't wanted to get tangled up with these three buffoons again, but since they had brought the fight to the Pokémon Center, he couldn't just stand by.
Moreover, this might be his opportunity to complete that absurd "Join Team Rocket and become an Elite" task.
He stepped half a pace forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ash, his voice calm. "If you want to steal the Pokémon here, you'll have to go through us first."
When Jessie saw Hora, she froze for a moment before narrowing her eyes, her gaze instantly filling with resentment.
"It's you! You brat!" Jessie hissed through gritted teeth. "I didn't expect to run into you again here! It looks like we have a score to settle today!"
Without another word, Jessie whipped out a Poké Ball and threw it forward with force. "Go, Ekans! Show this brat what we're made of!"
"Chaaaa!" With a sharp hiss, a purple figure lunged from the Poké Ball—a purple snake nearly two meters long. Its scales glinted with a cold light, its tongue flicked rapidly, and its yellow vertical pupils locked onto Hora with pure hostility. It slithered flexibly across the floor, its tail tip slightly raised, ready to strike at any moment.
James, not to be outdone, tossed the Poké Ball he had been idling with into the air, echoing with a cold laugh. "Since you insist on meddling, we'll finish you off first! Come out, Koffing!"
"Koffing~" A round, purple-grey creature floated out lazily. It drifted in mid-air, black gas occasionally seeping from its surface and emitting a faint, pungent odor. It wobbled its body at Hora and Ash, seemingly taunting them or showing off its presence.
Seeing the two Pokémon, Ash hurried to Hora's side and warned in a low voice, "Hora, be careful! Ekans and Koffing are both Poison-types. They use Poison Gas and Poison Sting—if you get poisoned, it'll be bad news!"
Hora gave him an annoyed glance. This guy had been a bottom-tier student at the Academy, yet here he was, reminding Hora of the dangers of Ekans and Koffing.
"Your Pikachu is still being treated, so stop worrying about me and look after Misty and Lillian." He paused, his tone carrying a hint of disdain. "As for these two Team Rocket losers, it won't take much effort to deal with them. Poison? It's not like I don't know how to use it myself."
Hora's gaze locked onto the opponents, and the System instantly pulled up their detailed status panels.
[ Pokémon - Koffing
Level - 15
Potential - B
Notable Skill - Smog (25%), Tackle (71%), Sludge (65%), Poison Gas (74%) ]
[ Pokémon - Ekans
Level - 16
Potential - B
Notable Skill - Dig (11%), Bite (64%), Wrap (39%), Toxic (66%) ]
"B-rank potential? No wonder they're so arrogant," Hora thought, sizing them up.
Koffing's "Poison Gas" proficiency was high, clearly a signature move. Ekans was even more troublesome; it was higher leveled and possessed "Wrap" for crowd control, plus its "Shed Skin" ability could heal status conditions. Being ensnared by it would indeed be a problem.
However, "troublesome" was far from "intimidating."
Seeing Hora staring at her Ekans, Jessie assumed he was afraid and couldn't help but mock him. "What's the matter, brat? Scared stiff by my Ekans? I suggest you hand over your Pokémon quietly to avoid any physical pain!"
"That's right! Our Koffing can spray Poison Gas that knocks out any Pokémon. If you're smart..." James was interrupted by Hora's cold stare.
"Noisy." Hora pressed his Poké Balls. Two flashes of red light later, Bulbasaur and Beedrill appeared in front of the enemy. Hora spoke to his Beedrill, "Beedrill, this is your first battle with your trainer since evolving. You absolutely cannot lose."
"Beed!" Beedrill buzzed, its fighting spirit soaring.
"Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip! Take out Koffing first; don't give it a chance to use Poison Gas!" Hora ordered decisively. Compared to the Ekans that could use Dig for sneak attacks, the floating Koffing was the primary threat that needed to be neutralized.
"Bulba!" Two emerald vines shot out like snakes, whistling through the air toward the airborne Koffing.
"Koffing, get out of there! Use Smog to hide!" James panicked, hastily commanding a defensive move. Koffing shook its round body and belched out a thick cloud of black smoke, instantly obscuring itself and the incoming vines.
"Bulbasaur, charge into the smoke and use Sleep Powder!" Hora didn't hesitate. Poison-types had high resistance to poison, making Sleep Powder the key to disabling Koffing.
Just as Bulbasaur prepared to dive in, Jessie screamed at her Pokémon, "Ekans, use Poison Sting on Bulbasaur! Don't let it get near Koffing!"
"Chaaaa!" Ekans flicked its tongue and fired several glowing purple needles from its tail tip, aimed straight at Bulbasaur's back.
"Beedrill, we'll use Poison Sting too! Intercept them!" Hora was ready. Beedrill flitted across the air, firing its own stingers. Clink-clink-clink! The needles collided mid-air and fell to the floor, perfectly matched.