Early the next morning.
Ash and his Pokémon were lined up in a neat row, going through a morning calisthenics routine. He'd heard that doing this kept your bones from getting brittle when you got old.
"Alright! Let's keep charging toward that goal of becoming a Pokémon Master!" "Pika!"
Pikachu raised a tiny paw in enthusiastic agreement. Hard work beats talent! Ash and his team shouted their vows to the sky, their spirits soaring so high that Misty—who had just crawled out of bed—felt a dark cloud of exasperation forming over her head. She wondered what exactly "Pokémon Master" even meant to make him this hyper.
"Heh, a Pokémon Master is obviously the greatest existence there is—"
BOOM!!!
Before Ash could finish his sentence, a massive explosion rocked the horizon. Three dark silhouettes plummeted from the sky. There were no speakers in sight, but somehow, upbeat battle music seemed to fill the air.
"Who's there?!" Ash barked instinctively.
"Prepare for trouble!" "And make it double!" "To protect the world from devastation!" "To unite all peoples within our nation!" "Jessie!" "James!" "Meowth, dat's me!" "Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"
The trio stood atop a jagged rock, striking a bizarre, overly-dramatic pose that was somehow—against all logic—actually kind of cool.
"Ugh! You Team Rocket creeps are like gum on a shoe!" Misty jeered.
"Hmph, we're only here because of that 'discerning' brat over there." "Exactly. That Pikachu is definitely a rare variant. It belongs to Team Rocket!" "Stupid Meowth! Don't just blurt out the plan to 'em!"
Ash, confused, had initially thought they were there to cheer him on. Realizing they were still after Pikachu, he scooped the mouse up and held it tight.
"Oh, planning to resist? Last time we only lost because we grew careless. This time, you're finished!"
With that, they released Ekans and Koffing. There was no helping it; with a limited budget, low-level grunts like this trio were only issued the basics. However, rumors were swirling about a Team Rocket restructure—maybe in a few days, they'd be packing some real heat.
Ash was completely lost. Isn't this the first time we've met? When did I beat you guys? Are they trying to scam me? But seeing Koffing and Ekans, he knew they weren't pushovers. He prepared to send Pikachu into the fray.
"Hold it! Pikachu is the prize, so you aren't allowed to use it in battle!" Jessie shouted, looking incredibly righteous.
Ash froze, blinking in confusion. He thought about it for a second and... it actually made sense.
"Go for it then, Pikachu." "Pika?"
Misty: "???" What is this weirdly compliant vibe between them?!
"In that case, I choose you! Pidgeotto!"
Ash sent out his second-in-command. In a flash of red light, Pidgeotto flapped its wings and took flight, its brown plumage looking sleek and majestic. Seeing Ash preparing for a two-on-one, Misty quickly warned him:
"There are two of them! You have to send out a second Pokémon!" "But wouldn't that be breaking the rules of battle?" Ash squeaked back. In Kanto, single battles were the gold standard; double battles were rare.
"Does your League's law book say it's okay to steal people's Pokémon?!" Misty felt like she was going to faint. How did Ash go from a 'seasoned pro' last night to a total greenhorn today? Is he playing me?!
Team Rocket didn't wait for the debate to end. They struck immediately.
"Ekans, use Bite!" "Koffing, use Poison Gas!"
Faced with Ekans' fangs, Pidgeotto reacted instantly, soaring high to evade. When the purple smog rolled in, it flapped its wings hard, creating a Gust that blew the toxic clouds away. Pidgeotto was a second-stage evolution, after all—it had real power.
Ash quickly scanned his Pokémon with the Dex.
Pokédex: "Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokémon. It enjoys eating Caterpie. Moves: Tackle, Quick Attack, Gust, Sand Attack."
Gaining confidence, Ash pointed forward: "Our turn! Use Quick Attack!"
Pidgeotto turned into a white streak, diving toward Ekans. But having seen the terrifying speed of the "Round-Faced" Pikachu the night before, the duo didn't panic. Ekans simply burrowed into the dirt to dodge.
"Koffing, Mud Shot!" James commanded. Slugs of black mud flew through the air, narrowly grazing Pidgeotto.
"Now! Ekans, use Wrap!!"
Suddenly, Ekans burst from the ground directly beneath Pidgeotto. It lunged into the air, its purple tail coiling tight in a Constrict that pinned Pidgeotto's wings! One-on-two was proving to be too much for the bird.
James pressed the advantage: "Koffing, follow up with Mud Shot!"
The thick mud splattered right into Pidgeotto's face, dealing heavy damage. Ash started to panic—this was his first real high-stakes battle.
"Idiot! Use your second Pokémon already!" Misty screamed.
That snapped Ash out of it. He hurled his second ball: "I choose you! Rayquaza!"
An instant later, a very confused-looking Caterpie appeared.
Team Rocket: "?" Did the League change the name for Caterpie recently? And why give it such a try-hard name? Rayquaza? Aren't they worried about bad karma? Fine. Team Rocket would stay hip. From now on, every Caterpie they saw would be called a Rayquaza!
"Hmph, but what can a 'Rayquaza' do?" Jessie sneered. "Exactly! 'Rayquaza' is one of the most useless Pokémon, right up there with Magikarp!" James jeered.
The battle hit a stalemate. Ash hurriedly scanned the little grub.
Pokédex: "Caterpie. Nickname: Rayquaza. Moves: Tackle, String Shot, Electroweb."
"Electroweb?" Ash frowned. He'd never heard of that. But it sounded like an Electric move. He figured it was too risky with Pidgeotto pinned down.
"Use String Shot! Rayquaza!"
Caterpie's tiny mouth spewed a massive amount of white silk at Ekans, turning the snake into a round cocoon. Pidgeotto seized the chance to break free.
"Now's our chance! Rayquaza, use Electroweb!"
Caterpie swung its head, and the white silk suddenly turned a brilliant, crackling gold. It transformed into a massive electric net that ensnared Koffing and Ekans. The sound of high-voltage zapping left the two Pokémon paralyzed.
Ash's eyes lit up. He flipped his cap backward and roared: "Finishing move! Rayquaza, Pidgeotto—Double Tackle!"
The bird and the bug slammed into the target simultaneously. The combined force sent Koffing and Ekans flying, dragging the Team Rocket trio along with them. They turned into twinkling stars and vanished over the horizon...
Victory! Ash was ecstatic. He recalled Pidgeotto and scooped up Caterpie, spinning around in a circle. Even Misty and Pikachu clapped in approval.
But just as Ash went to return Caterpie to its ball, the bug began to spray white silk over its own body, forming a cocoon. A strange, white light began to glow.
"What's happening...?" Ash stammered. "It's the light of evolution!" Misty explained.
"Evolution... NO! WAIT! THE POKÉDEX! THE POKÉDEX!!"
Ash snapped to his senses. Not now! I have to suppress its evolution until it reaches perfection so it can become the invincible Rayquaza!
"Right, the B-button... where's the B-button?!"
His eyes were glued to the shifting white light as his thumb frantically mashed the spot where the B-button should be.
"Wha—???"
There was no "click." Ash looked down and his jaw hit the floor. The B-button on the Pokédex had been cleanly pried out. The hole had been filled with a strange, hardened resin and sanded down until it was perfectly flush with the casing. It was impossible to press.
He could only watch in horror as the Caterpie within the white light began to change shape.
"DAMN IT!!! WHO THE HELL STOLE MY B-BUTTON?!!!"
Ash's scream echoed through the entirety of Viridian Forest!