Ash, worn out from everything that had happened at the old power station, trudged through the dimly lit streets toward the Pokémon Center. The distant wail of police sirens still echoed in his ears, a sharp reminder of the chaos they had just escaped.
When he pushed open the Center's doors, Nurse Joy greeted him with her usual warm smile.
Ash gave her a tired nod. "Could I get a room, please?" he asked, his voice carrying the weight of exhaustion.
"Of course," Nurse Joy replied gently, handing him a key. "You and Pikachu look like you've been through a lot. Get some rest."
"Thanks, Nurse Joy," Ash said softly before heading upstairs, his steps heavy on the wooden floorboards.
He finally reached his room, slipped inside, and collapsed onto the bed without a second thought. Pikachu hopped up beside him, equally drained.
"That was pretty exhausting, huh, buddy?" Ash muttered, turning his head slightly toward Pikachu. "But at least we managed to save Zapdos."
"Pika… pi…" Pikachu replied, his small voice just as weary as his Trainer's. The little Pokémon curled up on Ash's chest, eyes already closing.
Ash smiled faintly and reached up to gently pat Pikachu's head. "You did great, partner," he whispered, his own eyelids growing heavy until he drifted into sleep beside his best friend.
Meanwhile, in the depths of a hidden underground facility, the sharp shatter of glass rang out as a wine goblet smashed against the floor. The Rocket Trio flinched, shrinking back as the one who threw it—a tall, broad-shouldered, middle-aged man—fixed them with a murderous glare.
His very short, dark hair sat flat against his head, and his small black eyes burned with cold fury. He wore a long-sleeved black shirt with a deep V-neck exposing a white undershirt, along with dark trousers and polished shoes.
It was Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket.
The silence was broken when a woman standing just behind him stepped forward. With short purple hair and sharp brown eyes, Matori adjusted her glasses and spoke evenly. "Boss… we traced the call. We hacked into the Vermilion police station's records. The tip was anonymous."
Giovanni exhaled slowly, sinking back into his chair. He rested a hand on the head of his Persian, petting it to calm himself. Then, without looking up, he said, "Report."
"Yes, sir." Matori clasped her hands neatly behind her back. "During the battle between our forces and the police, someone infiltrated the old power station. They managed to free Zapdos… along with several other Pokémon we had secured."
Giovanni's eyes narrowed. "So. It was likely the same person who alerted the police."
Matori hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line. Giovanni noticed. His glare sharpened. "Don't hold back on me, Matori. What else?"
Matori hesitated. "There's… more. The Kanto News Network was filming. Their cameras caught a shadowy figure… accompanied by Mew."
Giovanni's head snapped up, eyes widening. "Mew? The Mew?"
"Yes, boss."
For a long moment, Giovanni was silent. Finally, he spoke, voice low but firm. "Cease all investigations into this person immediately."
Matori bowed her head. "Understood." She turned and left the chamber, leaving only Giovanni and the Rocket Trio.
"Go," Giovanni ordered. "Your mission was interrupted. Dismissed."
The trio scrambled out of the chamber, nearly tripping over each other in their haste. Out in the corridor, James let out a long sigh."Well… that could've gone worse."
Jessie groaned, clutching her head. "I thought he was going to vaporize us on the spot!"
James sighed. "So… what now?"
Meowth's eyes gleamed. "What d'ya mean 'what now'? We're gonna steal that brat's Pikachu—and the rest of his Pokémon! You two with me?"
Jessie and James exchanged a grin. "Hell yeah!" they shouted together.
As their voices faded down the corridor, Giovanni remained in his chair, Persian purring quietly at his side. His eyes were fixed on the darkened screen before him, though his thoughts were elsewhere.
A shadowy figure.The legendary Mew.
Ending the investigation was the smartest move. The more eyes turned toward this mysterious savior, the more attention it would draw—attention Giovanni had no intention of sharing. Better to let the world remain ignorant. For now.
But deep down, Giovanni knew one truth.Whoever had appeared at the power station was no ordinary meddler. And the day would come when they would cross paths again.
And when that day came… Giovanni would be ready.
At the same time, high above the bustling streets of Indigo Plateau, the heart of the Kanto League headquarters stood quiet. In the main office, papers lay scattered across a grand oak desk where Chairman Charles Goodshow sat reading reports. The air was still—until the office doors slammed open.
A young man strode inside with sharp, purposeful steps. His skin was a light tan, his piercing blue eyes gleamed with restrained fury, and his short brown hair framed his determined expression. Draped in a long crimson cape that swayed behind him, he was instantly recognizable: Lance, the Kanto champion, the Dragon Master and a member of the Elite Four.
"Chairman," Lance barked, not even waiting for permission to enter. "You've seen the news?"
Goodshow looked up calmly over his spectacles. His kindly face, lined with age, betrayed none of Lance's urgency. "Yes, yes, I've seen it." He set the papers aside and folded his hands.
Lance pulled out a chair and sat down heavily, his cape falling around him. "Then you know what this means. What are your thoughts?"
Goodshow stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Well, I think it's obvious why Team Rocket was there. Their eyes were on Zapdos. They've been pushing harder in recent months… bolder."
Lance leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "I'm not talking about Rocket. I'm talking about him—the mysterious figure with Mew."
"Oh, him." Goodshow waved a hand, almost dismissively. "What about him?"
"Don't you think we should look into this?" Lance pressed. "Someone who commands—or at least travels with—a mythical Pokémon? That's no small matter. A person like that could be a threat to the entire region."
Goodshow chuckled lightly. "A threat? Lance, that trainer freed Pokémon from Rocket's clutches. If he wanted to cause harm, he wouldn't have risked everything to save them."
Lance gritted his teeth, his voice low and sharp. "Or maybe he saved them to gain trust… to play the part of a hero while hiding his true intentions. You know as well as I do—power attracts danger."
The old man leaned back in his chair, expression calm but eyes twinkling with quiet wisdom. "Or maybe you're letting your suspicion cloud your judgment. Not everyone with strength is an enemy, my boy."
Lance stood abruptly, frustration clear in his movements. "You always see the world too kindly, Chairman." He turned toward the door, intent on leaving, when Goodshow's voice stopped him.
"Oh, Lance—one more thing."
The Dragon Master paused, glancing back over his shoulder.
"Send some people to investigate this mysterious trainer," Goodshow said casually, as if ordering tea. "And make sure it looks like we are investigating about him."
Lance sighed, rubbing his temple. "…Fine. I'll assign some people." He opened the door but muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Goodshow to hear. "Old man… still impossible to understand."
With that, Lance swept out, leaving the office door swinging shut behind him.
Goodshow chuckled softly, returning to his paperwork. "Impossible to understand, hm? Perhaps. But sometimes… the best way to learn about someone is to watch from afar."
Back in the Pokémon Center, Ash and Pikachu were still fast asleep, sprawled out across the bed. The morning sun streamed through the curtains, but neither of them stirred.
They might've slept until noon if not for the sudden knock knock knock on the door.
"...Who is it…?" Ash mumbled groggily, rolling onto his side, clearly intent on ignoring whoever dared disturb his rest.
"Pika… pi…" Pikachu yawned, mirroring Ash before tumbling right off the bed with a dull thump. The little Pokémon didn't even wake, just curled up on the floor and started snoring again.
The knocking grew louder.
Ash groaned, sitting up with messy hair and an irritated frown. "Alright, alright, I'm coming…" He dragged himself to the door, muttering, "This better be important, 'cause I'm about ready to yell at whoever—"
The moment he opened the door, he barely got a breath out before being tackled by a blur of orange hair and raw energy.
"ASH!"
"M-Misty?!" Ash staggered back as Misty threw her arms around him, hugging tightly. He froze, surprised . "Uh… good morning?"
Realizing what she was doing, Misty quickly released him—only to grab him by the collar, pulling his face close to hers. "Don't you 'good morning' me! What were you doing at the old power station yesterday?"
Ash blinked rapidly, his irritation replaced with nerves. "Old power station? Uh… what are you talking about? I was never there!" he said with forced casualness, waving a hand.
Misty's sharp eyes narrowed, her glare burning right through him. "Ash Ketchum, do you really think I'm going to fall for that?"
Ash wilted under her stare. He sighed heavily, shoulders slumping. "...Fine. I'll tell you."
So he explained everything—about sneaking in, the chaos, saving Zapdos, Misty listened quietly, arms folded, though her expression softened as he spoke.
When he finished, she nodded slowly, then tilted her head. "Alright… but what about Mew? Why was she there? Is Mew one of your Pokémon?"
Ash chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Nah. She just… likes to follow me around. Mostly to prank me, honestly."
Misty raised a brow. "Prank you?"
"Yeah." Ash shrugged. "You never know when she's gonna pop up. She thinks it's funny."
Misty exhaled through her nose, half annoyed, half amused. "I see…"
Ash tilted his head. "But wait, Misty… how did you know it was me at the power station and not someone else?"
Misty gave him a look that screamed are you serious right now? "Ash, come on. There's only one guy in the world who always has a Pikachu glued to his shoulder."
Ash opened his mouth to argue… then closed it again. "...Okay, that makes perfect sense."
Misty smirked. "Exactly." She turned toward the hallway. "Now hurry up and come downstairs. Brock and I were about to grab lunch."
"Lunch?" Ash blinked. "Wait—it's already noon?"
"Yeah." Misty shot him a grin. "You overslept. As usual."
Ash sighed and turned back inside. "Come on, Pikachu, time to get ready."
"Pikaaa…" Pikachu groaned, rubbing his eyes.
Ash chuckled, scooping him up. "Yeah, buddy, I know. But at least there's food waiting."
Pikachu gave a tired nod, "Pika…" before rubbing at his cheeks and stretching.
Ash carried him over to the sink, setting Pikachu on the counter. Together, they began their morning routine. Ash squeezed toothpaste onto his brush, yawning as he started to scrub. Pikachu mimicked him with his own tiny brush, his cheeks puffing up adorably as he tried to keep pace.
"Don't forget the back teeth," Ash said between foamy words.
"Pika-chuuu," Pikachu mumbled back, spitting bubbles into the sink.
When they finished, Ash flicked water on his partner playfully. Pikachu squeaked and retaliated with a tiny static jolt that made Ash's hair stand up in every direction.
"Hey! Not fair!" Ash laughed, holding up his hands in surrender.
After that came a quick shower. Ash stepped under the warm spray, finally feeling the weariness of yesterday wash away. He let out a long sigh. "Man… that feels good." Pikachu, not fond of the heavy spray, hopped into his usual shallow basin with just enough water to splash around.
"Pika pi!" he chirped happily, tail flicking water everywhere.
By the time they finished drying off and getting dressed, Ash looked far more awake. He adjusted his cap in the mirror, Pikachu hopping back onto his shoulder where he belonged.
"Alright," Ash said, energy returning to his voice, "let's go find Misty and see what's for lunch!"
"Pika!" Pikachu agreed eagerly, patting his stomach. Together, the two left their room, ready to face the day