Join my p@treon for more chapters
p@treon.com/Tempest_29
"What's going on with those Magnemites?" Misty asked Nurse Joy in confusion. The Magnemites appeared to be the Pokémon of this city.
"Oh! Ever since the large power plant was built here, it has attracted a lot of Magnemite." Nurse Joy, realizing that the Magnemite from earlier didn't belong to Ash and his friends, speculated about its origin.
"Power plant?" Ash asked, puzzled.
"Yes! Now, the power for the entire city is supplied by that power plant. It generates a huge amount of electricity, which attracts Magnemite. As you know, Magnemite are drawn to strong electromagnetic fields, so it's not surprising that there are so many here. In fact, not just Magnemite—many Electric-type Pokémon are attracted to the area."
Buzz!! Bang!!
As she spoke, the lights in the Pokémon Center flickered continuously before there was a loud bang, and the entire building went dark.
"Ah! What's going on?" Misty cried out in alarm.
"Is there a power outage?" Brock asked, puzzled.
"That's impossible!" Nurse Joy exclaimed, clearly surprised. "Our power supply almost never fails due to the city's enormous demand for electricity."
The blackout was a serious issue—not just for the Pokémon Center, but for the whole city. Due to the poor air quality outside, nearly all factories, homes, and devices relied on air purification systems to filter the industrial pollutants. Without electricity, these systems would fail, and harmful substances would seep indoors.
"If there's a power outage, it must mean something's wrong at the power plant!" Nurse Joy added, looking worried. Without wasting another moment, she quickly turned and ran toward a corridor behind the counter.
"Huh?" Ash, Misty, and Brock exchanged confused looks before following her. They soon arrived at a dimly lit medical room filled with Pokémon lying in beds, enclosed within glass covers. Most of them looked unwell.
"Ah! These Pokémon..." Brock trailed off, surprised by the scene. There were no Trainers in sight, so why were there so many Pokémon here?
"Yes," Nurse Joy sighed. "As you know, the conditions in this city are tough. Many wild Pokémon have been poisoned by the excessive industrial pollutants outside and were brought here for treatment. Even though they don't belong to any Trainer, we still do our best to help them."
Some Pokémon had drunk the contaminated water, while others had inhaled excessive industrial smoke from staying nearby for too long, resulting in widespread poisoning.
"So that's it... Wouldn't it be bad if the power went out now?" Brock asked, worry etched across his face as he pieced the situation together.
"Yes," Nurse Joy replied grimly. "Without power, the treatments will halt, and worse... we won't be able to keep the harmful industrial gases outside. If those gases enter the center..." She trailed off, the danger unspoken but clear.
"What should we do now?" Misty asked anxiously.
"The central air system is large enough to sustain us for a short while," Nurse Joy explained, her expression heavy with concern. "But it's likely there's a problem at the power plant."
"But if this continues, the situation will worsen! Shouldn't we go to the power plant and investigate?" Brock suggested, glancing at the weakened Pokémon around him.
Misty nodded in agreement. "Ash, shall we go together?"
"Of course!" Ash responded with determination.
The trio decided to leave immediately, knowing that the Pokémon Center's power outage also meant their own Pokémon couldn't be treated. Nurse Joy watched them go, her face still clouded with worry.
"The Pokémon here are counting on you!" she called after them, placing her hope in their efforts.
After leaving the Pokémon Center, Ash, Misty, and Brock tried to locate the power plant. But the industrial area was sprawling, and they realized they'd forgotten to ask for directions before setting out. They wandered through the maze of factories, unsure of where to go.
"Do you think the power outage is connected to the Magnemite from earlier?" Misty speculated while they ran.
"It's possible," Brock replied. "Magnemite feed on electricity, so they might be involved. But..." He hesitated, glancing around at the massive industrial facilities. "The power plant supplies electricity for the entire city. Could Magnemite really absorb that much energy?"
Hearing this, Brock nodded but remained skeptical. "The electricity supplied to an industrial city like this is far greater than that of a normal city. Even if Magnemite are Electric Pokémon, they might not be able to absorb that much power."
"Huh? What's that?" Ash suddenly exclaimed as they walked. In the distance, a light flickered, accompanied by the sound of an engine. A motorcycle approached at high speed and came to a screeching halt in front of them.
"You three! It's late, there's a power outage, and you're still wandering around. It's very dangerous!" the rider called out.
"Officer Jenny?" The three of them recognized her instantly.
"Yes! It's tough being out here working so late," Brock said, his usual demeanor taking over as he dashed toward Officer Jenny. "Please let me ease your worries, Officer Jenny!"
Clang!
"Can you stop causing trouble at a time like this?!" Misty snapped, her frustration boiling over as she clenched her fist and thumped Brock on the head, dragging him away.
"Sorry about that," Ash said quickly. "We just came from the Pokémon Center. The situation there is critical, so we're heading to the power plant on behalf of Nurse Joy to see what's going on."
Officer Jenny's expression softened as she nodded. "I see. I was just about to head to the power plant myself. You can come along!"
She gestured to her motorcycle, inviting the three of them to hop on.