Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Grand Entrance

"No one has ever seen it? I don't think so," a pleasant female voice suddenly sounded behind the two, crisp as a wind chime, carrying a hint of composure and certainty.

Huo La and Ash turned at the same time and saw a girl in a white dress standing not far away, cradling a thick book, her jet‑black long hair draped over her shoulders, bright eyes smiling at them.

The girl stepped forward, her gaze landing on the stone tablet on the wall, and said seriously, "If these Pokemon have never been seen by anyone, how did the patterns on the tablet appear? Surely ancient people didn't just imagine them out of thin air, right? Moreover, legends usually have prototypes; perhaps they are simply so rare that they seldom appear before humans."

Ash's eyes lit up, and he immediately nodded, "I thought the same! That day I really saw a golden big bird that looked exactly like the one in the upper‑right corner of the tablet! It must be the legendary Pokemon!"

The girl smiled at Ash, her eyes full of affirmation, "I believe what you say is true. My name is Lilian, a Pokemon Researcher who specializes in Legendary Pokemon. I came to Viridian City to gather legend data about Moltres— the golden Pokemon you mentioned is very likely Moltres."

Huo La raised an eyebrow, surprised; he hadn't expected to meet a researcher who specializes in Legendary Pokemon here.

He had no doubt at all about Ash seeing Moltres. In the original storyline, Ash also encountered Moltres early in his journey, which sparked his quest for legends.

Lilian nodded, pointing at the pattern in the upper‑right corner of the tablet, "Yes, that's it. Legend says Moltres appears at the end of a rainbow, bringing happiness to those who see it and possessing the power to revive fallen Pokemon. However, records about it are scarce; after long research I only uncovered a few fragmented legend tales."

Just as Lilian was still discussing the Moltres legend with the two, the lights in the Viridian City Pokemon Center suddenly went out with a 'pop'—the entire hall plunged into darkness, the previously noisy chatter halted, replaced by a wave of gasps and commotion.

"What's happening? A blackout?" Ash asked, puzzled.

Huo La furrowed his brows, scanning the surroundings; the Pokemon Center's power system is usually stable, and only deliberate sabotage would cause a sudden outage.

A thought flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help rubbing his forehead, "Could it be those three guys…"

At that moment, hurried footsteps came from behind the Pokemon Center.

The newcomer was a girl in a yellow short‑sleeved top with orange‑yellow short hair. She hurried to Ash's side—it was Xiao Xia, whom he had met not long ago on Route 1.

"Ash!" Xiao Xia was momentarily stunned, her eyes flicking quickly over Huo La and Lilian, politely nodding to them, then anxiously said, "The Pokemon Center's power was cut! Someone must have deliberately sabotaged it!"

"What? Someone actually cut the wires on purpose! That's infuriating!" Ash's temper flared instantly; he sprang to his feet, clenched his fists, and shouted indignantly, "If I catch that person, I'll give him a good lesson!"

"The Pokemon Center's power switch experienced an issue, causing a temporary outage. Trainers, please remain calm and stay in place! We have activated the backup power and will restore lighting shortly!" Nurse Joy's steady voice came over the emergency broadcast, slightly calming the hall's commotion.

But as soon as her words ended, a sinister male voice suddenly echoed in the hall, teasing, "Backup power? You've overlooked this batch… Looks like next time we'll have to take out the backup lines as well."

"Mm~ next time be sure to remember, Meow!" a high‑pitched cat meow followed immediately, full of agreement.

"Who's speaking?!" Ash looked toward the source, unable to see a figure but still assuming a wary stance, "If you have the guts, come out—don't hide in the shadows pretending to be mysterious!"

With Ash's shout, the Pokemon Center's ceiling suddenly hissed, spewing a swirl of white smokescreen— the smoke spread rapidly, soon enveloping the hall's center, and the male voice rang out again, its tone brimming with signature arrogance:

"Since you asked sincerely,"

"We shall generously tell you!"

"To prevent the world from being destroyed,"

"To protect world peace!"

"Upholding the evil of love and truth,"

"A cute and charming villain~~"

"Musashi!"

"Kojiro!"

"We are the Rocket Team traversing the galaxy!"

"White Hole, a white tomorrow awaits us!!!"

"That's how it is~ Meow~~~~"

The classic opening fell away, the lingering smokescreen gradually settled, revealing three familiar figures—Musashi in her signature white coat, hands on hips in an arrogant pose; Kojiro standing beside her, idly twirling an empty Pokeball; and Meow Meow crouching on the floor between them, front paws on hips, tail held high, all three maintaining exaggerated yet awkward entrance postures.

"Rocket Team?!"

Huo La stood nearby, shaking his head helplessly—indeed these three old acquaintances; even though he'd previously crossed paths with them in the forest, narrative inertia still placed them in the Pokemon Center without a hint of deviation.

Lilian slipped closer to Huo La, lowering her voice, her tone tinged with caution, "Who are these people? They don't look like ordinary Trainers; rather… they seem a bit dangerous."

"They're the Rocket Team, the Kanto Region's most notorious villainous organization," Huo La said, eyes fixed on Musashi and the others a short distance away, explaining succinctly while his fingers brushed the Pokeball at his waist— the Beedrill and Bulbasaur Pokeballs were within reach, ready to summon, "They specialize in snatching other people's Pokemon and stealing rare items. I once dealt with them in Viridian Forest. Looks like today's trouble can't be avoided."

As he spoke, the hall's smokescreen had completely vanished, fully exposing Musashi and the two companions to everyone.

Musashi placed both hands on her hips, chin slightly lifted, looking at the wary Trainers and Nurse Joy in the hall, a smug smile curling her lips, "Everyone needn't be so nervous~ We're here today just to 'borrow' a few Pokemon—after all, the Pokemon Center houses many injured rare Pokemon; leaving them idle is wasteful, so why not let us 'take good care' of them?"

"Exactly!" Kojiro stepped forward immediately, the Pokeball in his hand twirling twice on his fingertip, his tone threatening, "If you're sensible, just hand over your Pokemon obediently, otherwise…"

"Otherwise, you'll taste the might of our Rocket Team! Meow!" Meow Meow bared its sharp claws, looking "not to be messed with," yet its skinny, gaunt frame offered little deterrent.