{Meanwhile}

The Team Rocket trio, Jessie, James, and Meowth, were all calling the Boss. Admittedly, they could have done it earlier, but they were kind of busy with that side gig on the ship. Even though they didn't really need money right now, they still had a bunch they'd stolen from James's parents.

Anyway, on the screen, Giovanni was there rubbing his eyelids after hearing their explanation, and beside him was Matori, looking as annoyed as ever. Admittedly, they never really got along with Matori, she always said they weren't of any use. And, surprise surprise, every time they came back from yet another mission, she'd remind them of it.

Giovanni sighed, looking more tired than usual, he'd been dealing with all the fallout from the Masked Man business.

"I swear… fine. No point in scolding you three. If you're there, you can at least be useful. Get to the Hoenn base, I'll send a message to Carr. He'll inform you what to do there."

"Yes, sir!" they all said in unison, saluting.

Of course, they knew who Carr was. The Beasts themselves were very important in Team Rocket, so much that Carr was given at least some authority in the Hoenn branch. Even though that branch was small, considering they hadn't expanded it much.

Carr himself… well, let's just say, don't mention his height, and you'll probably be fine.

As soon as the call ended, the screen went black, leaving the trio staring at their own reflections for a moment before Meowth broke the silence.

"Well, whaddaya know! Da Boss actually didn't chew us out this time! That's gotta be a record!" Meowth said, tail flicking proudly.

Jessie folded her arms, flipping her hair dramatically. "Of course he didn't! He knows true talent when he sees it! We're indispensable agents of Team Rocket!"

James tilted his head. "Indispensable, maybe… but did you hear the part about Carr?" He shuddered. "Last time we crossed paths, he nearly used me as a test subject for his 'prototype gas dispersal unit!'"

Jessie blinked. "He what?"

Meowth groaned. "Oh yeah, dat guy's a real piece of work. And he's got dat temper, like a Gyarados with caffeine problems! And he's the same size as me!"

"Seems to me like he's probably compensating for something," Jessie muttered.

"Probably," James sighed as they walked out of the booth they'd been using. "But don't let him hear you say that, or he'll put us on bench-warming duty."

Jessie adjusted her gloves as they exited the communications booth, her heels clicking against the damp dockside planks. "Honestly, I don't know why we even have to deal with creeps like Carr. You'd think we could get promoted or something. I mean, sure, we don't bring in that many Pokémon for the Boss, and we aren't exactly talented, but at least we never got caught, that's gotta count for something."

"Yeah… I've always thought about retirement," James sighed wistfully. "Like running a resort for luxury Pokémon! Imagine, silky towels, gentle sea breezes, and no explosions for a change."

"Yeah, and I could finally get my paws on one of dem fancy buffets!" Meowth added, rubbing his paws together. "I could see it now, 'The Rocket Riviera!' Has a nice ring to it, huh?"

Jessie smirked. "Okay then, let's work extra hard, get promoted, and get that resort! Then we can stick it in Matori's pretty face."

She was totally not jealous that Matori had gatekept her skincare routine one time when she asked, that's totally not why she held a grudge against her.

As they turned a corner around a warehouse stacked with cargo crates labeled "DEVON CORP. PROPERTY – DO NOT TAMPER," they suddenly froze.

Up ahead, several rough-looking men and women in blue uniforms were unloading equipment into a sleek submarine. Each had a distinct blue "A" on their chest, Team Aqua. The grunts were laughing among themselves, one of them kicking over an empty crate that nearly hit Meowth.

"Hey! Watch where you're throwin' stuff, fish-brain!" Meowth snapped.

One of the Aqua grunts turned at the sound, a burly man with a bandana tied tight around his head. "Huh? What's this, some kinda circus act that wandered off the pier?" he laughed, elbowing his buddy.

Another grunt joined in, smirking. "Looks like we got some wannabe trainers from outta town. What's with the getup, lady? You cosplaying as a Delibird delivery girl or something?"

Jessie's eyebrow twitched. Slowly. Dangerously.

James whispered, "Jessie… let's not—"

"COSPLAYING!?" she exploded, stepping forward, her hair flaring like a whip. "I'll have you know this uniform represents class, power, and style! Unlike your cheap pirate knockoffs!"

The Aqua members burst into laughter, some even clutching their stomachs.

"Pirates! That's rich!" one snorted. "You lot sound like that wannabe gang from Kanto or something! What was it, 'Team Pocket'? 'Team—'"

"It's ROCKET!" Jessie yelled.

"Right, sure, if that's what you say. So how about you get your little cat and cosplay crew outta here? We've got ruins to reach before those losers in Magma get there first," one said.

Behind him, the other grunts loading the submarine smirked as their Pokémon, Lotad, Corphish, Carvanha, and a few others, walked up in front of them.

"Maybe we should show these losers who's in charge! Then we can take their Pokémon… well, except that stupid-looking Meowth," another said as the grunts grinned and their Pokémon began charging.

Meowth's eye twitched. "That's quite rude!" he shouted, dashing forward as his claws extended and began glowing purple.

Jessie and James both sighed, seeing they had no choice but to fight, and started walking forward too, almost too casually.

"Really, James? You wanted to run away?" Jessie asked, hand on her hip.

"I meant we shouldn't do this because we might be late to the meeting point…" James muttered, arms behind his head.

As they talked, Meowth reached the small army of Pokémon. Just like the grunts had ordered, the Pokémon didn't attack, thinking he was weak. Big mistake. Meowth began slashing through the horde with his glowing claws, cutting across the group and landing on the other side.

The Pokémon kept moving as if the scratches had done nothing, making the grunts roar with laughter, "Wow, he's even more worthless than we thought! Hahaha!"

The Pokémon charged again, but Jessie and James still didn't look worried as they kept walking. Meanwhile, Meowth flourished his claws and retracted them with a grin.

"That's my [Shadow Claw]. Enjoy."

And with that, all the Lotad, Corphish, and Carvanha suddenly collapsed with spirals in their eyes, knocked out just before they reached Jessie and James, who didn't even slow down as they stepped over them.

The grunts stopped laughing. Jessie and James stood behind Meowth.

"So, is that it? We were expecting more. I swear, the twerp puts up more of a fight," Jessie sighed.

"Yeah. It's a shame, really, that we're still not that strong, huh?" James sighed.

Now, for those of you wondering, the thing is, the trio still think they're pretty weak. See, they keep comparing themselves to Ash instead of other Rockets. Compared to the average grunt, they were easily Commander-level, but because they're always going after Ash, they never get the chance to shine. They always end up losing, which means no promotion and no recognition.

But because they're chasing Ash, that's also why they've been getting stronger without even realizing it, since they're constantly trying to keep up with him.

Jessie looked at the grunts and smirked, reaching down to her belt and pulling out a Poké Ball.

"So then… who's pathetic now? And now that I think about it, we're missing our submarine. So, thank you for your donation. We'll be taking yours now, along with those supplies you're carrying."

That made all the Team Aqua grunts look at each other, and realize they were completely screwed.

–

{Meanwhile}

May was sitting at the computer, taking a deep breath. She could do this, she told herself. It was just calling her parents. No big deal, right? Not like this day had been completely stressful or anything, what with her almost dying earlier. Nope. Nothing like that.

It was now or never. She typed in her family's number, and just as she was about to click the call button, she froze, shaking. She was about to back out when suddenly Torchic jumped up and pressed the button for her before she could stop it.

May gasped, eyes wide with panic. The call rang once… then twice… before her mother's face appeared on the screen.

"Oh, May! It's you! Here, let me ge—"

But then the call cut off.

No, the power to the entire center had cut off. The lights went dark, and everyone was plunged into shadow.

"Eh—what's going on?" May nearly screamed, catching herself halfway. "Is there a power outage?"

As people started moving around in confusion, the Joy behind the counter called out, "Everyone, please stay calm!" She turned on a flashlight, casting a faint beam across the room.

But then a voice cut through the darkness.

"Calm down? Good idea. Everyone stand down, or don't blame us if things get messy."

Joy quickly swung her flashlight toward the source of the voice, and froze.

A group of people in red uniforms stood in the entryway, each one marked with a bold 'M.'

Team Magma.

Their leader stepped forward, smirking as he released a Poké Ball. A Houndoom burst out, growling low, flames flickering at its jaws, "So then," he said, "are you gonna listen—" he paused, snapping his fingers, "—or are things gonna have to get ugly?"

Joy gulped and nodded carefully, but beneath the counter, she pressed her foot on a hidden silent alarm to alert Officer Jenny. Thankfully, the darkness helped hide her movements.

"Good," the leader said, his tone sharp. "Now, tell us. Where is Professor Alden?"

Joy stiffened when she heard the name. Of course she knew Professor Alden, an archaeologist who'd set up his lab here in the Center to study the nearby ruins. She didn't know what Team Magma wanted with him, or who exactly they were, but one thing was certain she wasn't about to tell them anything until she had to.

It's important to note that Team Aqua and Team Magma weren't really that well-known. Yes, people knew of them, but they weren't classified the same way Team Rocket was in Kanto or Johto. They'd kept a low profile for themselves, and because of that, no one had a clear idea whether they were evil or something else entirely. The Association hadn't even put out a bounty on them, so that should tell you enough.

But still, Joy wasn't going to risk it, "He's not here. He left town," she said, even though Professor Alden was actually sitting right there in the cafeteria, tucked in the corner.

"We'll see about that," the leader said, snatching Nurse Joy's flashlight. He gestured to his grunts, and they all nodded, slipping on night-vision goggles before spreading out through the rooms of the Pokémon Center.

Everyone, May included, held their breath, too scared to move, not knowing what was going to happen next. May clutched her Torchic close and thought desperately, 'Ash… where are you?!'

–

{Meanwhile}

Ash was sneaking through the darkness of the Pokémon Center.

Of course he was, he wasn't stupid. He knew full well that Team Magma was coming, so he had to be prepared.

In the dark, he could still see by channeling Aura into his eyes. He watched as the grunts dispersed, exactly what he wanted. When one broke off from the group, Ash slipped up behind him, wrapping an arm around his neck and choking him out, Batman-style, dragging him silently into a medicine room before slipping back into the shadows.

He glanced to the side as another grunt crept down the corridor, flashlight in hand, muttering, "Can't believe we're stuck on sweep duty… the boss better find this guy fast—"

Ash darted from the darkness like a phantom, one arm snaking around the grunt's neck, the other covering his mouth. The grunt barely had time to gasp before his flashlight clattered to the floor. He slumped unconscious, and Ash quietly dragged him behind a bench, laying him down gently before melting back into the shadows.

Pikachu and Vee were crouched on a nearby shelf.

"[Two on the right,]" Pikachu whispered through their Aura link.

Ash gave a subtle nod, spotted a vent above, and leapt into it just as two more grunts entered the hallway, whispering.

"You think anyone's in here?" one said, sweeping his light around.

"Nah. I'd know if there was. You're just jumpy—"

Before he could finish, Ash dropped down from the ceiling vent, using the momentum to grab both by their collars. He slammed their heads together, hard, knocking them out cold, and caught them before they hit the floor. He dragged them behind a cart.

Ash knelt beside the unconscious Magma grunts, checking their bodies for anything useful. Then, taking a quiet breath, he tapped the side of his ear and spoke through the link, "[Vee, status?]"

"[Second floor's clear for now,]" Vee's voice echoed softly in his mind.

Ash nodded, eyes narrowing as he looked around, "Time to take care of the rest," he whispered, fading once more into the shadows.

–

{Meanwhile}

Back in the main lobby, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. The lead grunt was barking orders at the others, while everyone else sat frozen. Professor Alden was still hiding in the corner.

The leader was listening to his communicator and using the flashlight he'd taken from Joy to scan the room. "He's here somewhere. Our intel said he came back from the ruins this morning." He turned toward Joy, eyes narrowing. "You wouldn't lie to us, would you?"

Joy didn't flinch, but before she could speak, a voice from behind one of the overturned tables said, "W-what do you even want with him?"

While that was happening, May was on the ground, crawling slowly. I mean, what else was she supposed to do? She had no battle experience, only one baby Pokémon, and there were multiple of them.

She tried to stay quiet, but when she looked up, she saw the grunt leader slam his hand on the desk and shine the light in Joy's face, "You don't get to ask questions," he growled. "Now, this can all end if you tell me where he is, and no one gets hurt."

At that moment, Torchic puffed up her chest, because, yeah, May hadn't managed to recall her into her Poké Ball. She was still out, and very upset. Torchic jumped up, chirping angrily at the grunt.

The grunt looked down and shined the flashlight toward the sound, revealing May on the ground as she grabbed at Torchic, trying to quiet her, too late.

The lead grunt sneered. "Cute."

He looked around and smirked, calling out, "Professor Alden! Don't you care about the safety of all the people and Pokémon in the Center?!"

Gasps spread across the lobby. Alden bit his lip, he didn't want anyone to get hurt because of him.

The grunt stepped forward and reached down to grab May. She looked terrified, hugging Torchic tightly and squeezing her eyes shut. "No please, no…"

But before his hand could touch her, another hand grabbed his wrist. A deep voice rumbled, "You can either stop that… or you're gonna lose that hand."

The leader froze, shocked. He tried to pull free, but the grip only tightened painfully. He swung the flashlight toward his attacker, only to see Ash mid-swing. Before he could react, Ash's fist connected with his jaw, sending him crashing to the ground.

The flashlight hit the floor and rolled in front of May. The lobby plunged into darkness, only the sounds of grunts, impacts, and flesh hitting flesh filled the air. There might've even been the sound of a head slamming into the floor, but everyone was too stunned to focus.

Meanwhile, May, hearing Ash's voice, slowly opened her eyes. She couldn't see much in the dark, but she saw the fallen flashlight. She picked it up carefully and aimed it toward where she'd heard the commotion, only to find Ash already standing, tightening a rope around the leader's wrists and ankles, his foot pressing down firmly on the man's back.

"Gah—brat, Houndoom, use—!" he tried to command, but Ash yanked his arm again, cutting him off mid-sentence.

"Oh? A Houndoom, you mean this one? Pikachu, [Flash]," Ash said casually.

Pikachu's cheeks sparked, lighting up the room in a burst of electricity. The sudden glow revealed the scene clearly now, over in the corner, a Houndoom, and about five other Houndoom, were all knocked out and tied up neatly in Pikachu's [Electroweb]. Pikachu and Vee were just sitting nearby, looking perfectly relaxed.

"W-what?! Grr… you don't know what you're doing, brat we have more grunts!" the leader tried to bluff, his voice trembling.

Ash just raised his foot and pressed his heel down on the grunt's cheek, pinning him to the floor, "Please," Ash said coldly, "you really think I'd come in here without already taking care of the rest of your grunts? You Weaklings aren't even worth the dirt on my shoes."

"Now then," Ash said, turning toward May, who was still sitting on the ground. "May, are you good?"

May blinked, still clutching Torchic tightly as her mind finally caught up to what she was seeing.

"Y-yeah," she stammered. "I'm okay… I think."

"Good. Now do me a favor, get everyone out of here." Ash reached for a bag on the floor and tossed it toward the corner booth where Alden was hiding. "And you, Alden, those are the treasures you were looking for, right? These losers had them. Take them and go."

"You don't know—mph!" the leader tried to speak again, but Ash pushed his head back into the ground.

"You'll talk when spoken to," Ash said firmly. "Now everyone, get out. Joy, you already called the police, didn't you? Good. Then you can go too."

May wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come. She just looked down and nodded slowly, "...Okay." She stood up, turned toward everyone, and said quietly, "Please, follow me, okay?"

May led everyone out while Ash stayed behind. When the room finally fell silent, he grabbed the grunt by the collar and hauled him upright, "Talk when you're not spoken to, and I'll break your legs. Scream, and I'll do the same to your entire team."

"You wouldn't…" the leader muttered.

"Try me," Ash said, eyes narrowing. The leader swallowed hard.

"Now you're gonna tell me what I want to know," Ash said, his tone low and dangerous. "And maybe, I'll consider letting you keep your fingers intact."

–

{The Next Day}

Officer Jenny arrived at the Center not long after. Ash was waiting there, leaning against the counter, all the grunts neatly tied up in a pile. Totally unharmed, of course.

It was strange, though, when Jenny put cuffs on the leader, the man flinched like he was terrified she'd break his fingers. Odd, considering his fingers were completely fine.

Totally fine.

Totally not snapped like crackers over and over.

Anyway, after that, no one said much. People went back inside the Center to rest. Ash slept like a baby, May… not so much. She barely slept at all, still shaken by what she'd witnessed.

When morning came, Ash wasn't in the mood for attention or praise. He got up early, grabbed May by the wrist, and quietly pulled her out of the Pokémon Center to get back on the road.

Ash walked ahead down the dirt path, hands in his pockets, jacket unzipped and flapping lightly in the breeze. Pikachu perched on his shoulder, while Vee trailed behind, tail swishing lazily.

Behind them, May trudged along, Torchic resting tiredly in her arms. She still looked half-awake, eyes droopy, hair a bit of a mess, "You sure we had to leave this early?" she muttered, yawning. "You could've at least let me brush my hair first…"

Ash looked back with a grin. "You were too busy snoring to argue last night. Figured if I waited, you'd try to talk me into staying for breakfast and autographs again."

"I wasn't snoring!" May shot back instantly, her cheeks puffing up.

"Uh-huh," Ash said flatly. "Sure you weren't."

"I'm serious! I was strategizing! I was fine, and I still am!" May huffed.

"Y'know," Ash said casually, glancing over his shoulder, "for someone who claims to be 'fine,' you sure look like you lost a fight with your pillow."

May glared weakly. "Oh, ha-ha. Sorry if I couldn't exactly relax after a bunch of maniacs broke into the Pokémon Center last night."

"Fair point," Ash shrugged, his grin widening. "Still, you did good keeping calm. Not everyone can crawl across a dark room full of armed grunts and live to tell about it."

"Crawl?!" she gasped, cheeks puffing again. "I wasn't crawling-I was, uh, strategically repositioning myself!"

"Uh-huh," Ash chuckled. "Strategically repositioning under a table while hugging Torchic like your life depended on it."

Torchic chirped indignantly, hopping in front of May as if to defend her honor.

"See? Even Torchic says you're exaggerating!" May said, pointing triumphantly.

Ash held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, you win. Guess you and your little partner handled things your own way." He paused, then added with a teasing glint in his eyes, "Still… that's twice now, isn't it?"

May blinked. "Twice what?"

"That I've had to save you," he said smoothly, walking backward with his hands in his pockets. "Once on Route 101, and now at the Pokémon Center. I'm starting to think you owe me."

"I-what!? Owe you!?" she sputtered, face going red. "You're the one who keeps showing up out of nowhere! I didn't ask you to save me!"

Ash tilted his head, pretending to think. "True. But if I hadn't, you'd probably be halfway to being a Magma hostage right now."

"That's not fair!"

"Life's not fair," Ash said with mock solemnity. "But hey, I'll settle for a 'thank you' hug."

May spluttered. "What!? I already said thank you!"

"Yeah, but thank-yous are more like, y'know, for when you're too short to reach the top shelf and I pull it down for you. But I saved you from becoming a hostage, soooo…" Ash said, shrugging playfully.

May looked away, mumbling, "You… uhh… shut up."

Ash snickered as Pikachu and Vee tried to hold back their laughs. "Okay, okay, fineeee, if you're gonna be so mean about it."

"I'm not mean!" May defended herself. "I'm just… you know…"

"No, no, I get it, it's 'cause you hate me," Ash said, pretending to look hurt. "It's okay. I'll get over it."

"Wait, what? No, that's not it! I just-" May looked around, turning to Torchic as if the little bird could back her up.

Ash turned away dramatically. "Nope, I see how it is. You know what? If you hate me, don't talk to me or my son ever again."

"Wait, no, I—wait. Son?" May asked.

From Ash's jacket, a little movement stirred, then a small purple Slakoth poked its head out, blinking sleepily at her.

"I… wha—since when!?" May stammered.

"Not telling you," Ash said, sticking out his tongue before laughing and taking off ahead.

"Hey! Wait a minute, don't run away!" May shouted, chasing after him.

"Nope! If you hate me, just say so~!" Ash called back, his teasing tone echoing through the forest path.

"I don't hate you! Come back here and let me not hate you!" May yelled as she ran after him.

Their next stop Petalburg City.