POKEMON : THE WAY OF PERCEPTION

"Boom!" The storage room door was violently smashed open as Arbok rammed into it with brute force. Behind it, the trio of Team Rocket—Jessie, James, and Meowth—stepped into the room triumphantly.

James had left Koffing behind in the lobby to maintain the Smokescreen, ensuring maximum confusion among the Trainers and staff. Their goal was simple: grab as many Pokémon as possible before anyone could stop them.

"It's all here!" Jessie exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she saw rows of Poké Balls neatly stored on the shelves. Wasting no time, she rushed forward and began shoveling them into her bag without bothering to pick and choose.

Unfortunately for the trio, their bags were not advanced storage devices like Poké Bags—they were basic sacks, incapable of carrying more than a limited amount of Poké Balls.

"Stop standing around and help me!" Jessie snapped at James and Meowth, who stood frozen for a moment, overwhelmed by the number of Poké Balls.

"Yes, yes!" James and Meowth snapped out of their stupor and joined in.

However, as the bag filled to capacity, Jessie reluctantly halted. "We've got enough. Let's get out of here!" She cast a longing glance at the remaining Poké Balls but knew they couldn't take them all.

"This haul is amazing!" Meowth said gleefully, patting the bulging bag. "Boss Giovanni's going to love this!"

---

Meanwhile, in the hallways leading to the lobby, Ash and Misty were struggling against the thick Smokescreen.

"Cough, cough… What's with all this smoke?" Misty asked, covering her mouth and nose.

"It's no ordinary smoke," Ash said, narrowing his eyes. "It's a Pokémon move! Someone's attacking the Pokémon Center!"

Misty's eyes widened in disbelief. "Who would dare invade a Pokémon Center? It's protected by the Pokémon League!"

Ash thought for a moment before responding. "Their target must be the Pokémon stored here for healing. We need to stop them before it's too late."

"Do you know where the Pokémon are kept?" Ash asked Misty, realizing he wasn't familiar with the layout of this particular Pokémon Center.

"I don't…" Misty admitted, her tone frustrated. "This isn't the Cerulean City Pokémon Center—it's completely different."

Before Ash could respond, a voice spoke from the smoke.

"I know where it is."

Startled, both Ash and Misty turned toward the source of the voice, Pikachu preparing for battle.

"Who's there?" Ash demanded, his tone cautious.

The figure stepped closer, gradually emerging from the haze. To their surprise, it was none other than Nurse Joy.

"Nurse Joy?!" Misty exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Joy nodded grimly. "There's no time to explain. I overheard your analysis, and I think you're right. The Pokémon storage room is their target. Follow me!"

Without hesitation, Ash and Misty followed Nurse Joy, who led them through the lobby, ignoring the chaos caused by the Smokescreen. They passed through another hallway and finally reached the storage room corridor.

"The door… it's broken!" Nurse Joy exclaimed, spotting the shattered entrance at the end of the corridor. Her worst fears had been confirmed.

As they approached, four figures emerged from the storage room: two humans, Arbok, and Meowth. The unmistakable silhouettes of Team Rocket's signature Pokémon made Nurse Joy's heart sink.

"Who are you?!" she demanded, her voice filled with anger.

Misty, standing beside her, glared at the intruders. Ash, however, had a strange expression—half-annoyed and half-amused. He had seen this scene countless times in the anime.

To his expectation, the figures stopped and began their familiar chant.

"Since you've asked the question sincerely…"

"We'll answer with great mercy!"

The voices of Jessie and James echoed in the dim corridor. Misty and Nurse Joy froze, unsure of what to make of their overly theatrical response.

"In order to prevent the world from devastation…" Jessie began, striking a dramatic pose.

"To unite all peoples within our nation…" James continued, holding a rose with elegance.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love…"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"And Meowth, that's right!"

The trio finished in unison, their white uniforms gleaming in the dim light. The bright red 'R' emblazoned on their chests left no doubt about their affiliation.

"Team Rocket…" Nurse Joy muttered, her expression darkening.

"White hole, a white tomorrow awaits us!" James declared theatrically.

"That's it, Meowth!" the feline Pokémon chimed in, causing Misty to flinch in surprise.

Ash, meanwhile, struggled to suppress a laugh. The ridiculousness of the situation was a stark contrast to the danger it posed. "They're just as over-the-top in real life," he muttered to himself.

---

The trio's confidence didn't waver as they sized up their opponents.

"Well, well, looks like we've got some party crashers," Jessie sneered.

"You're not taking those Pokémon anywhere!" Nurse Joy declared, stepping forward with determination.

"Yeah, right!" Meowth taunted. "What're you gonna do without any Pokémon to fight us?"

"You don't have to worry about that!" Ash stepped forward, Pikachu leaping from his shoulder.

"Pika-Pika!" Pikachu sparked with energy, ready for battle.

"Ha! Just one little Pikachu? This'll be easy!" Jessie said, releasing Arbok, who hissed menacingly.

James followed suit, tossing another Poké Ball to summon Weezing, who immediately joined Arbok on the battlefield.

"You'll regret messing with us!" Misty shouted, throwing one of her Poké Balls. Starmie appeared, spinning in place and ready to fight.

"You won't get away with this!" Ash added, his eyes narrowing as the standoff began.

---

The Pokémon battle that followed would determine the fate of the stolen Pokémon and the integrity of the Pokémon Center itself. Would Ash and Misty be able to overcome Team Rocket's underhanded tactics?

(To be continued…)

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