"What? The Hoenn Region?" Giovanni was stunned when he heard that the Team Rocket Trio had chased Pikachu all the way there. Team Rocket hadn't even set up operations in Hoenn yet!
"Yes! To present that rare Pikachu to you, Boss Giovanni, we followed it all the way here!" Jessie said with an overly sweet smile.
"We're always working so hard for Team Rocket, meow~" Meowth added proudly.
Giovanni, however, looked bored. That Pikachu again? No matter how unique it was, it was still just a yellow mouse—and you could catch a hundred of those in Viridian Forest.
"So? You called me all the way out here—do you actually have some good news?" Giovanni asked impatiently from the other end of the line.
"Uhh…" The trio suddenly fell silent.
"Well… Actually, we kind of… ran out of money for today's meals…" James admitted awkwardly.
"No." Giovanni cut him off instantly. "I'm not sending any more supplies."
"Sigh~" The trio sighed in unison, defeated.
"…However," Giovanni continued, "this could be a great opportunity. Since Team Rocket hasn't established a base in Hoenn yet, you three can take the lead! Make a name for Team Rocket in the region. I'm counting on you!"
"Thank you, Boss! Thank you, Boss!" ٩(๑^o^๑)۶ The trio lit up with excitement at the idea.
"This is huge! We're getting direct orders from the Boss himself!" Jessie cried, fired up.
"Which means… we're basically in charge of the Hoenn branch, right?!" James imagined a sparkling future.
"That makes me the regional executive, meow~" Meowth gasped dramatically.
Meanwhile, back at Team Rocket HQ, Giovanni stroked his Persian and smirked.
"Perfect… using those three fools to gather intel on Team Magma and Team Aqua is practically free labor. Hahaha…"
Pokémon Center – Oldale Town
That night, Ash brought May to the Pokémon Center's dining hall for dinner.
"Mmm~ It's delicious! I didn't expect Pokémon Center food to be this good—plus it's free?! This place is amazing!" (˵¯͒♦¯͒˵) May beamed between mouthfuls.
She had quickly entered full-on foodie mode.
"Of course it's free—this is a rest stop for Trainers. As long as you've got a Pokédex, you're good to go. Plus, the main hall is great for gathering information," Ash explained, watching Pikachu happily munching ketchup-drenched food.
"Wow! People are talking about everything—shopping spots, hot springs, good eats…"
"Actually, it's mostly Pokémon-related stuff. Listen closely."
"Did you hear? There's a new Gym Leader at the Petalburg Gym!"
"Petalburg Gym?" May's expression changed slightly. (⇀‸↼‶)
That was her father's Gym.
Just then, Professor Alden walked up to them.
"Hey! I see you both arrived safely."
"Professor Alden! Hello!" Ash and May greeted him cheerfully.
After a bit of small talk, Professor Alden invited them to his studio. Hanging on the wall was a large painting of the Oldale Town Ruins.
They began chatting about ancient ruins and Pokémon history, and eventually, Professor Alden brought out a stone tablet.
"This describes how to enter a hidden stone chamber, but no one's managed to find the four key gems yet."
"That's a shame…"
Suddenly, the lights went out. The door creaked open, and three figures stepped inside—each dressed in red uniforms and flanked by Houndoom.
"Eek!" May shrieked and instinctively clung to Ash.
"Wh-Who are you?" Professor Alden asked, clearly shaken.
"Professor Alden, we'd like you to come with us to the Oldale Ruins," one of them said coldly.
[Houndoom]x3
Strength: Mid Gym Level
Strength: High Gym Level
Strength: Mid Gym Level
Ash stepped forward. "Hmph. Trying to take Professor Alden by force? If I'm right, you're with Team Magma—one of Hoenn's criminal organizations! Let's go, Pidgeot!"
"Pidgeot~!" the bird Pokémon cried out as it emerged.
"Pika~!" Pikachu also stepped up. Ash didn't summon Eevee or Phanpy—this fight was out of their league.
"Hmph! You wanna die, kid? Houndoom, Flamethrower!"
Three blazing streams of fire shot toward Ash!
"Dodge it! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt! Pidgeot, dive in with Giga Impact on the center Houndoom!"
Pikachu and Pidgeot dodged and countered with powerful attacks!
"Crap! Houndoom, Smokescreen—scatter!" The Team Magma members quickly ordered, sensing Pikachu and Pidgeot's strength exceeded their own.
Thick black smoke filled the room. With the power out and visibility low, it was nearly impossible to see.
"Pika~!" "Pidgeot~!" The smoke gave the Houndoom the advantage.
"Haha! Now, use Fire Fang!"
Snap! Pikachu and Pidgeot were both struck in the dark—Team Magma's Houndoom had the upper paw.
"Don't think this is enough to stop me!" Ash's voice rang out. "Pidgeot, use Hurricane to blow away the smoke! Pikachu, get ready to strike with Thunder!"
"Pidgeot~!" The powerful gusts cleared the smoke, revealing the Houndoom trio.
"Now! Pikachu, go!"
"Pika—CHU!!"
CRACK! A bolt of lightning shot through the air, taking down all three Houndoom instantly!
"Damn you, brat! You've ruined Team Magma's mission! We won't forget this!" the grunts shouted as they tried to escape.
"Not so fast! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"Pika~CHUUU!"
Zap! The fleeing grunts collapsed with smoking hair. Ash tied them up swiftly.
He'd hand them over to Officer Jenny later.
"Thank you so much, Trainer!" Nurse Joy emerged from hiding. She had come to inform Professor Alden about the power outage, but when she heard the battle, she stayed hidden.
"Wow! Ash, you were amazing!" ⁂((✪⥎✪))⁂ May peeked out from behind him, eyes sparkling with admiration.
Ding! Mission Complete:
First Defeat of Team Magma!
Reward: Aura Awakening!
'Huh?! Aura?! Hahaha! This is awesome! System, show me my updated status!' Ash grinned inwardly.
[Trainer Status: Ash]
Physique: Enhanced Human (True Newtype)
Ability: Aura
Current Pokémon: Pikachu, Pidgeot, Bulbasaur, Charizard...
Shortly after, Officer Jenny arrived. She arrested the Team Magma grunts and handed Ash four glowing gems found on them.
Thanks to their arrest, she was able to round up the rest of Team Magma's crew hiding near the ruins. (Notably, Team Rocket—who had been sneaking around in disguise—slipped away unnoticed.)
"Mr. Ash, thank you for your help. These four gems must be what Team Magma was after. We're counting on you." Officer Jenny saluted.
"I understand!" Ash nodded and passed the gems to Professor Alden.
"These… these are the keys!" Professor Alden said in awe.
The Next Morning
May retrieved Torchic's Poké Ball at the front desk, and after breakfast, the group returned to the ruins.
Using the four gems, Professor Alden unlocked the sealed stone chamber. Inside were murals of ancient Pokémon and a glowing tunnel that led underground.
There, hidden deep within the subterranean water system, they discovered living ancient Pokémon—Relicanth!
Professor Alden was so moved that he immediately applied to the Pokémon League to have the Oldale Ruins designated as a protected sanctuary.
Meanwhile, Ash and May set off once more—next stop: Petalburg City.
To be continued…