"Has no one ever seen them? I don't quite think so." A pleasant female voice suddenly rang out behind the two of them, crisp as a wind chime and carrying a sense of composure and certainty.
Hora and Ash turned around simultaneously to see a girl in a white dress standing nearby. She held a thick book in her arms, her jet-black hair draped over her shoulders, and her bright eyes crinkled with a smile as she looked at them.
The girl stepped forward, her gaze landing on the stone tablet on the wall. "If these Pokémon had never been seen, then where did the patterns on this tablet come from?" she asked seriously. "Surely the ancients didn't just imagine them out of thin air? Besides, legends often have a prototype; perhaps they are simply too rare and seldom appear before humans."
Ash's eyes lit up, and he immediately nodded in agreement. "That's exactly what I think! I really did see a giant golden bird that day—it looked just like the one in the top right corner of the tablet! It must be a legendary Pokémon!"
The girl smiled at Ash, her eyes full of validation. "I believe you. My name is Lillian. I'm a Pokémon researcher specializing in legendary Pokémon. I came to Viridian City specifically to collect information on the legends of Ho-Oh—the golden Pokémon you mentioned is very likely Ho-Oh."
Hora raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit surprised. He hadn't expected to encounter a researcher dedicated to legendary Pokémon here. As for Ash seeing Ho-Oh, he didn't have a shred of doubt. In the original plot, Ash saw Ho-Oh at the very start of his journey, which served as the catalyst for his pursuit of legends.
Lillian nodded and pointed to the pattern in the top right. "Yes, that's it. Legend says Ho-Oh appears at the end of a rainbow and brings happiness to those who see it. It is even said to possess the power to resurrect fallen Pokémon. However, records of it are scarce; I've researched for a long time and only found scattered folklore."
While Lillian was discussing the legend with the two boys, the lights in the Viridian City Pokémon Center suddenly went out with a sharp snap. The lobby was plunged into total darkness. The noisy chatter stopped abruptly, replaced by rising gasps and commotion.
"What's going on? A power outage?" Ash wondered.
Hora frowned, scanning the surroundings. The power systems of Pokémon Centers were notoriously stable; unless it was deliberate sabotage, the power would never just cut out. A thought flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but palm his forehead. "It couldn't be those three, could it..."
Just then, the sound of rapid footsteps approached from the back of the building. The newcomer was a girl with short orange hair wearing a yellow tank top. She ran to Ash's side—it was Misty, whom Ash had bumped into on Route 1 not long ago.
"Ash!" Misty paused for a second, her gaze flickering over Hora and Lillian with a polite nod before she spoke urgently. "The power lines at the Pokémon Center have been cut! Someone is definitely doing this on purpose!"
"What? Someone cut the wires?! How despicable!" Ash instantly bristled, standing up and clenching his fists. "If I catch that person, I'm going to teach them a lesson!"
"There has been an accident with the breaker, resulting in a temporary blackout. Trainers, please do not panic and remain where you are! we are already switching to the backup power source. Lighting will be restored shortly!" Nurse Joy's calm voice echoed through the emergency broadcast, slightly soothing the unrest in the lobby.
But as soon as she finished, a sinister male voice suddenly rang out in the hall, dripping with mockery. "Backup power, eh? We overlooked that bit... I suppose next time we'll have to deal with the backup lines as well."
"Mm~ definitely have to remember that next time, Meow!" A shrill cat-like voice followed in agreement.
"Who's talking?!" Ash looked toward the source of the sound. Though he couldn't see clearly, he fell into a defensive stance. "If you've got the guts, come out! Stop hiding in the shadows!"
As Ash shouted, a burst of white smoke suddenly "hissed" from the ceiling of the center. The smoke spread rapidly, soon shrouding the center of the lobby. The male voice from before rang out again, filled with iconic arrogance:
"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 blasts off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth! That's right!"
As the classic motto concluded, the smoke settled, revealing three familiar figures. Jessie wore her signature white uniform, hands on her hips in an arrogant pose; James stood beside her, twirling an empty Poké Ball in his fingers; and Meowth crouched on the ground between them, paws on its hips and tail curled high. The three maintained an exaggerated, somewhat awkward pose.
"Team Rocket?!"
Standing to the side, Hora shook his head helplessly. Sure enough, it was his three old acquaintances. Even though he had dealt with them in the forest, the momentum of the plot had brought them to the Pokémon Center with zero deviation.
Lillian leaned closer to Hora, whispering with a hint of wariness, "Who are these people? They don't look like ordinary trainers... they look a bit dangerous."
"They're Team Rocket, the most notorious villainous organization in the Kanto region," Hora explained succinctly, his fingers already reaching for the Poké Balls on his belt. Bulbasaur and Kakuna were ready to be summoned at a moment's notice. "They specialize in stealing Pokémon and rare items. I had a run-in with them in Viridian Forest. It looks like we can't avoid trouble today."
By now, the smoke had completely dissipated, leaving the trio fully exposed. Jessie tossed her head back, looking at the wary trainers and Nurse Joy with a smug grin. "No need to be so tense, everyone~ We're just here to 'borrow' a few Pokémon. After all, the Pokémon Center is hiding quite a few rare, injured Pokémon. It's a waste to leave them here; why not let us take 'good care' of them?"
"Exactly!" James took a step forward, twirling the Poké Ball on his fingertip with a threatening tone. "Be smart and hand over your Pokémon, or else..."
"Or else, taste the power of Team Rocket! Meow!" Meowth bared its claws, trying to look tough, though its scrawny frame wasn't particularly intimidating.