Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever, owned anything related to Nintendo's Pokémon franchise.

Legend:

"A human or a Pokémon is talking."

'A human or a Pokémon is thinking.'

"A machine is being used."

Chapter Three:

(Viridian City—Pokémon Center—Lobby)

"Will Ash Ketchum please report to the reception desk: your Pokémon are ready."

Ash looked up from the old copy of Viridian, Today only to notice that Nurse Joy had returned to her position behind the reception desk. Quickly getting up, he put the magazine back onto the coffee table before he went over to collect his Pokémon.

When he got to the desk, Nurse Joy smiled at him before she handed him the tray that contained his Pokémon. He barely got the chance to re-clip Pidgey and Rattata's Poké Balls back onto his belt before Eevee lunged at him.

"Eevee, Eve Ee-V-E Ve Eevee!" Eevee greeted as she landed on her Trainer's shoulder before she began to tell him about her recent experience. "Eevee Eve Ve-E Eevee V, Ee-V-E! Eevee!"

Ash laughed, "It's nice to see you too, Eevee! And I'm glad you seemed to have a good time." Eevee nodded, yipping. "So…" Ash said as he looked back at Nurse Joy. "Thanks for healing my Pokémon."

"It wasn't a problem." Nurse Joy responded as she once-again waved off his thanks. "Now, is there anything else I can help you with, sweetie?"

"Um…" Ash thought about it for a moment. Did he need anything else? After a moment it came to him: he still needed to find a place to sleep. "… Do you know if there was a place nearby where I could check in for the night? A place that doesn't cost too much…" He looked down. "I don't have a lot of money right now…"

Nurse Joy's face softened, "Pokémon Centers aren't just places where people go to get their Pokémon healed. They are also places where Pokémon Trainers, like you, can rest between activities." She explained. "Each Center offers free food and lodging to each and any Pokémon Trainer that requests it."

Relieved, Ash smiled up at Nurse Joy.

"Could I please get a room?"

Before Nurse Joy had the chance to answer him, a high-pitched, wailing alarm began to blare. Eevee put her paws over her ears—the sound hurting them—while Ash turned a confused, worried glance towards Nurse Joy.

What was happening?

"Your attention please! Our Viridian City Radar system has detected an aircraft of Pokémon Thieves heading towards the Pokémon Center."

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—With Team Rocket)

Jessie smirked as she heard the numerous alarms that had begun to blare. Accompanying this was the multitude of people that had begun to run about, like bees swarming out of their hives. It was quite amusing to watch, really.

"I guess that we woke up this sleepy dump." Jessie remarked.

James crossed his arms with a frown, "How dare they act like we're criminals?" He scoffed. "They should welcome Team Rocket!"

"We'll teach them to respect that name." Jessie assured.

Meowth smirked as he lifted a paw to inspect his recently-sharpened claws. Finding them acceptable for what was to come, he put his file away. Turning, he addressed his two human companions:

"Me-owth! When we snatch all of their Pokémon, those scared little mice will know that I'm the top cat!"

"We know, Meowth, we know."

With that, both Jesse and James grabbed a Poké Ball before they tossed them into the air. They then watched as gravity pulled them below. It was only a couple of moments later when the spiraling orbs crashed through the skylight of the Pokémon Center, sending shards of glass in every direction.

Jessie turned, "Let's go, James."

"Of course."

XXXXXX

(At the same time—With Ash and Nurse Joy)

Shortly after the alarm had gone off, the skylight had exploded into shards of glass that fell upon the lobby like rain. It had been luck that none of the glass hurt anyone, though it had left a few little nicks and scratches.

When they were recovering from the sudden attack, two Poké Balls hit the floor, drawing everyone's attention. In two flashes of red-colored light, two different Pokémon were released.

The first was a round, purple Pokémon that was floating in mid-air with a blissful expression on its face. It had several, crater-like protrusions all over it small body with a few along them releasing a faint, black gas. To complete its look, there was a white skull-and-crossbones symbol underneath its face.

"Koffing!"

The second Pokémon greatly resembled a rattlesnake. It had a yellow rattle at the tip of its tail, and was mostly purple. Also, this Pokémon's underbelly, eyes, and the "bands" on its body were yellow.

"Ekans!"

Before anyone could react to these two Pokémon's sudden appearance, the small round one—Koffing—quickly began to fly around the lobby. While this happened, black smog poured from the crater-like protrusions on its body to make an effective smokescreen.

Coughing from the smoke, Ash managed to hear two something's land with a thud before he heard footsteps.

"It's the… the Pokémon Thieves!" Nurse Joy coughed.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!"

"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 light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

By this point, Koffing's smokescreen had cleared enough to reveal the Pokémon Thieves—Team Rocket—to both Ash and Nurse Joy.

Jessie was a woman with dark-blue eyes and magenta-colored hair that was styled in a ponytail that ended at her hip. She was wearing a white shirt with a red "R" on it, a white skirt with a black belt, elbow-length black gloves, and thigh-length black boots.

James was a man with short, lavender hair and purple-colored eyes. He was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with a red "R" on it, white pants with a black belt, elbow-length black gloves, and black boots.

Meowth had a feline appearance and, unlike the others of its kind that Ash had seen, was standing on its hind-legs. It had cream-colored fur, which turns brown at its paws and tail tip. Its oval-shaped head features four prominent whiskers, no nose, black-and-brown ears, and a glimmering gold oval coin embedded in its forehead.

Koffing floated at James' side while Ekans was at rest near Jessie's heals, though they looked ready to attack at any moment. In fact, all of them appeared ready—eager even—to attack.

James stepped forward before he extended an arm, "We're not here to cause any trouble, really. We are here for the Pokémon." He said, as if it wasn't a big deal. "Like I said earlier, either surrender the Pokémon or… prepare for battle."

"You're wasting your time here!" Nurse Joy exclaimed angrily. "This is a place for sick, weak, or injured Pokémon!"

Jessie smirked, crossing her arms, as Ekans hissed at Nurse Joy. "Well, that may be so, but I wouldn't be too surprised if we found a few little Pokémon gems amongst all of the trash."

"Eevee…" Eevee's ears flattened against her head.
Ash's eyes narrowed, gritting his teeth slightly. "Your guys are starting to bug me."
"Ve, Eevee Ve Ee-V-E Eve Eevee!" Eevee growled as she quickly jumped onto the ground. "Ve Eevee Ee-Vee!"

"Isn't that cute James?" Jessie cooed as she turned towards her partner, a twisted form of amusement present on her face. "The little boy's bugged!"

Meowth brought out his claws, "Me-owth! Then let's squash 'em!"

That was all the warning Ash, Eevee, and Nurse Joy got before Koffing flew forward, black smog trailing from its body. This smog quickly overtook the lobby—effectively hiding Team Rocket from sight—causing those within it to start coughing again.

Behind Ash, Eevee, and Nurse Joy was Ekans, who was now using its abilities to destroy the reception desk. The computers were smashed, wires ripped out, and the desk smashed into a small pieces.

Ash felt Nurse Joy grab his hand before she began to tug him away, "C'mon Ash: we need to get out of here!" Nurse Joy whispered, looking a bit fearful. "We're no match for them!"

"Alright…" Ash reluctantly agreed.

However, before either of them could do anything, Jessie and James suddenly leapt out of the smog and landed before them. Identical smirks aligned the faces of both Rocket Grunts as they stared at the frightened expression on Nurse Joy's face.

"And where do you think that your go—!" Jessie began.

Before Jessie was able to complete her question, she was suddenly attacked by something that threw her back into Koffing's smog. She would crash-land on a nearby leather couch, winded, but otherwise okay.

James was dealt with in a similar way. Despite the fact that he dodged whatever had attacked his partner, he was forced back by a massive gust of wind. He crashed into Jessie—who had just gotten up—which sent stumbling back into the couch.

Turning, Ash followed the thing that had saved him and Nurse Joy. It was actually a rather large, bird-like Pokémon. He didn't have to wonder as to where it came from as the Pokémon landed before a Trainer who was only partially hidden by the smog.

The Pokémon Trainer in question had chin-length brown-colored hair that was tied into a neat ponytail and dark-green eyes. He was wearing a dark-green shirt, a pair of baggy, black pants with a belt, and brown boots.

"Good job, Pidgeot." The Trainer called out to his Pokémon.

The bird Pokémon—Pidgeot— thrilled out in appreciation before it landed before its Trainer with a thud, adopting a somewhat intimidating stance. Now, standing with its wing's outstretched while it glared at the recovering Rocket Grunts, Ash was able to get a good look at it.

Being the final evolution of Pidgey, Pidgeot bore a striking resemblance to it, though it was far larger than any Pidgey. Another difference was in the fact that Pidgeot's plumage was larger and glossier. Also, the feathers on its head-crest were nearly as long as its body, and were yellow and red, while its tail feathers were red. Like its previous evolutions, its underbelly is a tan color, and it has black markings around its eyes.

Jessie sneered at Pidgeot's Trainer, "You think that overgrown bird scares us, kid?"

"Pidgeot doesn't need to scare you." The brown-haired Trainer responded. "Pidgeot and I just need to beat you!" Before Jessie or James could react, he was already issuing out an order. "Quick-Attack!"

"Pidgeot!"

With that, Pidgeot jumped up into the air, its body starting to glow a faint white. The Pokémon then angled its wings so that it would add onto its temporary speed before it dive-bombed the two Rocket Grunts.

While this was happening, the brown-haired Trainer had turned to Ash and Nurse Joy. "Go! Take Nurse Joy and makes sure she stays safe!" He frowned. "I'll take care of these clowns."

Not knowing what to say, Ash simply nodded before he and Eevee quickly followed Nurse Joy out of the lobby. He knew that, despite his feelings to stay and fight, he wasn't currently a match for Jessie and James.

Running down a hallway with Nurse Joy, Ash just hoped that the brown-haired Pokémon Trainer would be alright.

XXXXXX

(Later—Pokémon Center—Poké Ball Room)

After they had escaped from the lobby, Nurse Joy had quickly led Ash down a small series of hallways before they appeared in what the Nurse called the "Poké Ball Room". It was fitting, considering the contents of the room.

The room itself had multiple metal rows which each row seemingly holding about fifty to a hundred Poké Balls. In the way back of the room was a long, metal countertop that held a small conveyer belt, a Poké Ball Transporter machine, and a computer.

While Nurse Joy had gone to the back of the room—and was now typing on the computer—Ash had been assigned the duty of guarding the entrance. If Jessie and James made it this far, his job would be to stall them as long as he possibly could.

However, after a couple of minutes, the lights in the room and the hallway beyond it suddenly turned off. Flicking the light switch a couple of times and getting no change, it was apparent that somebody had cut the power.

Team Rocket had cut the power.

Nurse Joy frowned, "They must have cut the power…" There was a very brief pause before she brightened. "But, that's okay; we have our own Pika-Pika Power!"

With that, Nurse Joy quickly walked over to a nearby machine that appeared to have been built into the wall before she pulled a lever. This, in turn, caused the top of the machine to retract into the wall, revealing a small circular track.

A small ring of Poké Balls on the track then popped open, releasing the Pokémon inside of them, before the Poké Balls were retracted inside the machine. The newly-released Pokémon grabbed onto the bar situated before them—connected to a small rod in the middle of the machine—before they began to run in place.

All of this had happened in less than seconds.

This machine converted the Pokémon's energy into electricity before, acting like an emergency generator, restored the power. As Nurse Joy went back to her desk, her computer rebooted from the sudden loss of power it had went through.

Once Nurse Joy had logged back in, she began typing for another minute before a mechanical voice began to speak:

"A crisis situation has arisen. Initiating Poké Ball transport sequence."

Startled by the sudden voice, Ash turned around, only to see a mechanical arm come down from the roof, grab a Poké Ball, and then put it on the conveyer belt. Then, after travelling the same distance to the Poké Ball transport machine, the Poké Ball was sent off in a flash of white light.

"This is the Viridian City Pokémon Center. We have an emergency situation!" Nurse Joy said as she continued to type. "Transporting Poké Balls!"

"This is the Pewter City Pokémon Center. We are ready to receive your Poké Balls."

With that, ten more mechanical arms dropped down from the ceiling and began grabbing Poké Balls before putting them on the conveyer belt. These extra arms increased the speed tremendously and, within a couple of minutes, only thirty Poké Balls remained in the room.

Just when it looked like that all of the Poké Balls would be transferred without any interference, smog began to seep in through the entrance.

Ash's eyes widened slightly before he turned—about to warn Nurse Joy—when the doors exploded open. Koffing quickly flew into the room before it crashed into a nearby, empty shelf and knocked it over. This seemed to cause a domino effect as all of the shelves near it began to fall down as well, scattering some of the remaining Poké Balls all over the floor.

Seconds later, both Jessie and James walked into the room. While their uniforms did look a bit ruffled and they had a few scratches—and bruises—on them, they didn't look tired in the least. Neither did their Pokémon.

Seeing what was going on, James knew he and Jessie had to act quickly. "Koffing! Use Smog!"

Koffing nodded before it began releasing a thick, black smog and began to fly around the room. While this was happening, James gave Jessie a curt nod and then ran into the smog to snatch some of the remaining Poké Balls.

Jessie would need to assure their escape. To do that, she knew that she was expected to somehow knock out the power, again. She would also be responsible for dealing with the black-haired pest in front of her.

"Ekans, attack! Scatter those Pikachu!" Jessie ordered—having spotted the furry yellow rodents and correctly deducing that they had brought the power back on.

Ekans hissed obligingly before it began to slither towards the Pikachu.

"Stop it, Eevee!" Ash ordered quickly. "Use your Tackle attack!"
However, before Ekans had made it that far, it was intercepted by Eevee whom tackled the snake-like Pokémon into a nearby wall. Jessie frowned before her eyebrow twitched slightly. Normally Ekans could have easily twisted out of the way of such an attack.

It appeared that Ekans had wasted more energy against that boy's Pidgeot than she had originally thought it had.

Ash grinned, "Good job, Eevee! Now, use your Scratch attack!"

"Dodge it and then use Wrap!" Jessie countered.

Hissing, Ekans sluggishly twisted out of the way of Eevee's claws before it lunged forward and began to wrap its body around Eevee. Then, having immobilized Eevee, Ekans constricted, beginning to suffocate Eevee.

Ash's eyes widened, "Eevee!"

"What are you going to do now, boy?" Jessie taunted with a triumphant sneer. "Face the facts; you've lost!"

Ash looked down at the floor—gritting his teeth—as he wondered what he could do. If he withdrew Eevee back into her Poké Ball, then Ekans would be able to go after those Pikachu. He shut his prickling eyes when he heard Eevee whimper, the sound sending little needles stabbing into his heart.

'What do I do? I can't let them knock out the power… but I can't let Ekans hurt Eevee either!' Ash thought.

"PI-KA-CHU!"

With that shout, an enormous bolt of pure electricity pierced through Koffing's smog before it struck Ekans and Eevee's immobile forms. The power within the attack was such that it knocked out both Pokémon in a single go.

Ash quickly took out Eevee's Poké Ball, "Eevee, return", before he watched as his unconscious Pokémon was drawn into the safety of her Poké Ball.

Frowning, Jessie recalled her own Pokémon before she turned around to see a small group of Pikachu emerge from the smog. Beady, black eyes narrowed as their red cheek-sacks sparked at the very sight of Jessie.

"Pika Pi Pkachu!"
"Pi Pikachu!"

"Chu!"

Jessie scoffed, "You think that you little rodents scare me? Please, I've seen scarier things inside a Daycare."

Ash took the opportunity to quickly release his Pidgey as the Pikachu advanced on Jessie. He then ordered for Pidgey to clear the room of smog. Pidgey obliged dutifully his order by flying around the room, dispelling the smog, before it came to rest on the ground before him.

With the smog gone, James was revealed to be standing in the back of the room with a bulging, white cloth sack over one shoulder. Nurse Joy's prone body lay on the floor next to her computer chair, unconscious, with a growing purple bruise on her forehead.

"So, it appears as if I've been discovered…" James muttered to himself before looking up. "What are you going to do now, kid?" He asked curiously. "Are you going to try and stop me or are you going to check on the Pokémon Nurse?"

Pidgey made that choice easily as it angrily flew towards James. James barely got the chance to back up half a step before Pidgey was upon him, scratching James with its talons.

So, while Pidgey distracted James, Ash quickly navigated his way through the room to check on Nurse Joy. He managed to get her back into her chair before he shook her slightly, trying to get her to wake up as he called her name out worriedly.

After a couple of moments, Nurse Joy's eyes fluttered, opened slightly, before she groaned. Her arms snaked up and then her hands clutched her head, taking in the room with blurred vision.

"Wha…" She muttered weakly. "What happened?"

"I think that James hit you in the head."

By this point, Jessie and James knew that they had been beat. So, knowing this, they quickly fled the room.

To make her escape, Jessie picked up a small metal pipe before she lashed out, sending one Pikachu towards its companions and then rushed out the door. On his way towards the door, James was forced to drop his ripped bag of stolen Poké Balls, which severely irritated him.

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—In the Lobby)

Meowth was currently sitting on the counter of the reception desk, absently filing his claws as he awaited the return of Jessie and James. Hearing a groan, he looked down at a bound and gagged Pokémon Trainer, and sighed.

'It was lucky that the brat was so inexperienced with his Pidgeot. If he wasn't, then we could have been forced to retreat.' Meowth thought to himself with a frown. 'Still, we wasted valuable time dealing with him…'

Meowth was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard footsteps. Turning, he saw Jessie and James emerge from a nearby doorway followed by a small horde of angry Pikachu.

Eyes narrowing, Meowth got up. "What's going on here?"

Without responding, James rushed by and picked Meowth of the counter and then, holding Meowth close, jumped to avoid a Thunderbolt attack.

"This operation is a failure!"

"What happened?" Meowth demanded to know.

"The Nurse managed to transport the majority of the Poké Balls before we got there. Once I got her, Jessie distracted the kid for a bit while I knocked her out and collected the remaining Poké Balls." James reported dutifully. "Jessie beat the kid but then these Pikachu detained her." He dodged to avoid another Thunderbolt. "The kid then released a Pidgey before it attacked me and ripped the bag open. I had to leave it behind."

"PIKACHU!"

Running out of the Pokémon Center, Team Rocket barely managed to avoid the numerous Thunderbolts from the Pikachu that were pursuing them. 'Stupid electric rats!'

Ash's Pokémon Team

Eevee (Female): Level Six.

Attacks: Scratch (Normal), Tail Whip (Normal), Tackle (Normal), Growl (Normal), and Helping-Hand (Normal).

Pidgey (Male): Level Five.

Attacks: Tackle (Normal), and Sand-Attack (Ground).

Rattata (Male): Level Four.

Attacks: Tackle (Normal), Tail Whip (Normal), and Quick Attack (Normal).

Jessie's Pokémon Team:

Ekans (Male): Level 20

Attacks: Wrap (Normal), Leer (Normal), and Poison Sting (Poison).

James' Pokémon Team:

Koffing (Male): Level 20

Attacks: Tackle (Normal), Smog (Poison), and Selfdestruct (Normal).

?'s Pokémon Team:

Pidgeot (Female): Level 30.

Attacks: Tackle (Normal), Sand-Attack (Ground), Gust (Flying), Quick Attack (Normal), and Agility (Psychic).

A/N: Author's Note: Welp... that's the end of this chapter! Tell me how you guy's liked it in your reviews! This chapter was updated as of 5/10/2012.