Deep in a narrow alley at the edge of Oldale Town, a rusty public phone booth let out a squeaky groan. Inside the cramped space, the Team Rocket trio was packed together like sardines. Jessie's long red hair was a mess from being crushed, James's glasses had slid down his nose, and Meowth was stuck at the bottom, claws gripping the receiver for dear life.
"What? The Hoenn region?" Giovanni's cold voice came through the line, sharp with unmistakable surprise. "You three idiots, who gave you permission to run off to a place like that? Team Rocket's influence has not reached Hoenn yet. You're asking to get yourselves killed."
Jessie immediately shoved her face closer to the receiver, her tone turning syrupy in an instant. "Boss, please don't be mad! We did it for you! That one of a kind Pikachu, the kid Ethan's partner, a rare specimen with absurd power! We tracked it all the way here!" As she spoke, she secretly pinched James hard, signaling him to play along.
"Right, right!" James rushed to agree. "We're completely devoted to Team Rocket! We only want to present that precious Pikachu to you!"
Meowth nodded so hard his head almost rattled. "Boss, you can relax, meow! We'll bring Pikachu back and make Team Rocket proud, meow!"
But Giovanni's voice stayed flat, even a little disdainful. "Pikachu? It's just a yellow rodent. Viridian Forest has plenty. What's worth all this trouble?"
The three of them froze. Their flattering smiles stiffened. Jessie shot James a furious look. James scratched his head helplessly. Meowth's ears drooped.
Giovanni spoke again, irritation creeping in. "So you spent money on a long distance call just to tell me this nonsense? If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."
"Wait, Boss!" James blurted out, desperate. "Actually… our food money is gone. We can't even afford instant noodles tonight. We wanted to request a little supply support…"
"No." Giovanni refused without hesitation. "Team Rocket doesn't feed freeloaders. I'm not paying for your stupidity. Figure it out yourselves."
The trio sighed in unison. Jessie's shoulders slumped. James took off his glasses and wiped them. Meowth flopped onto the floor like a collapsed balloon.
Just as they thought the call was a complete disaster, Giovanni's tone shifted, carrying a hint of calculation.
The three of them snapped upright, ears practically standing up.
"Hoenn is still a blank slate. We have no base there," Giovanni said slowly. "I'm assigning you a task. Establish a foothold in Hoenn, spread Team Rocket's name, gather local intelligence, especially the movements of any other criminal organizations. If you produce results, I'll consider promotion."
The sudden dangling carrot made the trio almost explode with joy.
"Thank you, Boss! Thank you!" Jessie jumped so hard she nearly headbutted the roof. "We'll give it everything we've got!"
"This is huge!" Jessie's eyes gleamed like she could already see herself climbing the ranks.
James pushed his glasses up, starry eyed. "In other words, we're in charge of Hoenn! This is our territory now!"
Meowth waved his paws wildly. "Meow! That means we're the Hoenn branch chiefs! Unlimited noodles, and we can order underlings around, meow!"
On the other end, Giovanni ended the call. In a hidden base far away, he leaned back into a leather sofa, idly stroking the Persian in his lap, a thin smile tugging at his mouth. "Three idiots make perfect bait. Team Magma and Team Aqua are stirring up trouble in Hoenn. Let them gather intel and keep each other in check. I'll take the profit at the end. Easy."
Persian purred and rubbed its head against his hand.
Back in the phone booth, the trio was still dreaming.
"From today on, we're the core members of Team Rocket's Hoenn branch!" Jessie thumped her chest. "First, we find a secret base. Then we catch stronger Pokemon. And finally… we catch Pikachu and offer it to the Boss!"
"Exactly," James agreed. "And we'll collect intel on Team Magma and Team Aqua and make the Boss notice us!"
Meowth nodded. "Meow, no time to waste! Let's find a base! The forest near Oldale Town looks perfect for hiding!"
They burst out of the booth and sprinted toward the woods, completely unaware they had just become pieces on Giovanni's board.
Meanwhile, the Pokemon Center restaurant in Oldale Town was filled with warm smells and lively chatter. A long counter held all kinds of food: golden toast, fluffy eggs, steaming curry, fresh fruit, and drinks.
May held her spoon like it was treasure, taking a big bite of curry rice. Her face lit up instantly. "Mmm! This is so good! I didn't know Pokemon Center food was this delicious, and it's free too! This is amazing!" Her eyes sparkled as she dove right back in, eating with pure happiness, a little curry smudge on the corner of her lips.
Ethan sat across from her, watching her enthusiasm with an amused smile. On his shoulder, Pikachu hugged a bottle of ketchup, dipping and licking with complete satisfaction, chirping happily between bites.
"Pokemon Centers are basically a hub for Trainers," Ethan explained. "As long as you have a Pokedex, you can eat here for free. It's also great for exchanging information. A lot of Trainers share news from different places."
"Whoa!" May paused mid spoonful, eyes shining. "So people share shopping tips? Hot spring tips? Food tips?"
Ethan gave a helpless chuckle. "Mostly Pokemon stuff. Listen, the table over there."
May looked where he pointed. Two Trainers nearby were speaking in low voices.
"Did you hear? Petalburg Gym has a new Gym Leader," one said.
"Petalburg Gym?" the other asked. "The famous Normal type Gym? Wasn't the Gym Leader Norman?"
"Yeah, but I heard Norman left to travel for a while. So they've got a temporary replacement."
May's mouth opened slightly. Her expression turned complicated. Norman was her father. Part of why she started this journey was to prove herself to him. Hearing the Gym had changed leadership the moment she arrived in Hoenn made her stomach twist.
"Hey, you two made it here safely!"
A familiar voice cut in. Ethan and May looked up and saw Mez, the archaeologist, walking toward them with a smile. He was still wearing his dusty field outfit, looking tired but energized.
"Mez, hello," Ethan and May greeted.
Mez sat across from them. Nurse Joy soon brought him a hot drink. "I had to handle some things at the ruins first," he said after a sip. "Didn't expect to run into you here. What a coincidence."
They chatted for a bit about Oldale Town and the surrounding area. Mez was interested in their travel plans, and when he heard they planned to head toward Petalburg City to challenge the Gym, he nodded.
"Norman is a very strong Trainer," Mez said. "His Normal type Pokemon are no joke. But if he's really away, I wonder how strong the replacement is."
May pressed her lips together, saying nothing. She felt uneasy. She wanted her father to be there, but she was also scared of facing his expectations.
Ethan shifted the topic. "Mez, you said you were handling things at the ruins. Did you find something?"
Mez's eyes immediately lit up. "Yes. A major discovery. If you're interested, I can show you in my workspace."
Neither Ethan nor May was about to refuse.
Mez led them to a small workroom on the second floor of the Pokemon Center. It was tidy despite the limited space. The walls were covered with photos and sketches of the Oldale ruins. Tools and broken stone fragments were arranged on the desk. The most striking piece was a large panorama map of the ruins with many spots marked in red.
"This is the structure of the ruins," Mez explained, pointing at the map. "It's extremely old. Some say it connects to the origin of ancient Pokemon civilization. Recently, deeper inside, I found a mysterious tablet."
He pulled out a box from beneath the desk and opened it carefully. Inside lay a black stone tablet carved with strange symbols, like an ancient script. Its surface was smooth and faintly glossy, clearly not ordinary rock.
"The writing records a method to enter a sealed chamber," Mez said. "According to the tablet, to reach the deepest stone room, you need four mysterious gemstones as keys. They correspond to wind, fire, water, and earth. They're hidden in the four corners of the ruins. But so far, I've found no clue where even one of them is."
"So cool!" May leaned in, staring at the symbols. "These characters look so complicated. Can you read them?"
"Only parts," Mez admitted. "This script is difficult. I've studied it for a long time just to extract the important pieces. If we find the four gemstones, we might uncover the secrets of ancient Pokemon civilization. We might even find a legendary ancient Pokemon."
Ethan's eyes shone with excitement. "An ancient Pokemon? Like fossil Pokemon?"
"Possibly," Mez said. "Or something even more mysterious. Hoenn has many secrets. The Oldale ruins are only one of them."
Suddenly, every light in the room went out at once.
Darkness swallowed the workspace.
Then the door slammed open, and a gust of cold air rushed in.
May yelped and grabbed Ethan without thinking.
Ethan immediately stood up, placing May behind him. Pikachu leapt down from his shoulder, paws set, eyes sharp.
"Who's there?" Mez shouted, fumbling for a flashlight on the desk.
Three figures stood in the doorway. They wore matching red uniforms and black masks that left only their eyes visible, cold and emotionless. Beside each of them stood a tall Houndoom, its eyes glowing red, drool hanging at the edge of its mouth, radiating danger.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]