POKEMON : THE WAY OF PERCEPTION

In the dimly lit hall of the Pokémon Center, two ominous figures emerged from their Poké Balls—Koffing and Arbok, staples of Team Rocket's operations. These Pokémon were often assigned to members upon joining, a standard issue for new recruits.

"What's going on?!" Trainers and staff looked around in confusion as the two Pokémon appeared.

Without waiting for orders, Koffing acted instinctively. Familiar with its role in such situations, it unleashed a Smokescreen attack, filling the hall with thick, choking smoke.

"Cough... cough!" People began coughing uncontrollably as the dark haze spread, blinding them and plunging the hall into chaos.

"Someone's attacking the Pokémon Center!" a staff member shouted. They quickly reached for their walkie-talkie, calling for backup and alerting authorities.

Sirens blared throughout the Pokémon Center, adding to the panic. Trainers scrambled in different directions, many trying to find shelter. Others, realizing their Pokémon were still in treatment, felt helpless.

Amid the chaos, Arbok slithered away unnoticed, its instincts guiding it toward the power supply room. With a single powerful Bite, it destroyed the facility's power grid. The entire Pokémon Center plunged into darkness, leaving vital areas like the emergency room and nursing stations nonfunctional.

---

Up in the air, the Rocket trio celebrated their success.

"Look at them panic! Hahaha!" Jessie's laugh echoed as their hot air balloon descended closer to the Pokémon Center.

"It's going perfectly, Meow!" Meowth grinned, pleased with their plan.

"Let's not waste time. We know where the Pokémon are stored!" Meowth pointed toward the north passage, clearly having studied the Center's layout.

"Alright, let's go!" Jessie nodded, her mask in place to protect against the Smokescreen.

"Be quick!" James urged, feeling a nagging sense of unease. Though things seemed to be going well, he couldn't shake the feeling that something might go wrong.

Together, the trio entered the Pokémon Center through the main entrance, disappearing into the smoke-filled corridors.

---

In their dormitory, Ash and Misty were startled awake by the loud sirens.

"What's happening?" Ash muttered as he jumped out of bed. Pikachu leapt onto his shoulder, wide awake and ready for action.

Ash stepped out onto the balcony, trying to get a better view. Before he could see anything, the lights in the Pokémon Center flickered off, leaving the building in total darkness.

"Why is there a power outage?" Misty asked, rubbing her eyes as she joined Ash.

Ash's heart sank as realization hit him. "Team Rocket! This must be their doing!"

Misty looked confused. "Team Rocket?"

"In the anime, Team Rocket attacked a Pokémon Center, trying to steal stored Pokémon. This must be it," Ash explained, his mind racing. He doubted Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, would risk exposing his organization in Viridian City, but it seemed the trio was acting independently.

"What should we do?" Misty asked nervously, looking to Ash for guidance.

"We need to check it out," Ash said firmly. "If this is anything like the anime, their plan can't succeed. But this is reality, not fiction—I don't know how capable they truly are."

"Alright, let's go!" Misty grabbed her two Poké Balls from the bedside table and followed Ash out into the corridor.

The hallway outside was in disarray. Trainers and staff were either running in panic or trying to make sense of the situation. The darkness made navigation difficult, and the risk of someone getting hurt increased with every passing moment.

Ash frowned as he surveyed the chaos. "If this keeps up, someone's going to get seriously injured."

"What can we do?" Misty asked, her trust in Ash unwavering despite the tense situation.

"Stand back," Ash said, motioning for her to return to the dormitory doorway. Turning to Pikachu, he whispered, "Pikachu, I need your help. Use Thunder Shock to calm everyone down."

"Pika?" Pikachu looked confused but quickly nodded.

Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder, its cheeks sparking. In the dim corridor, the golden arcs of electricity lit up the surroundings, briefly illuminating the chaos. Without warning, the Thunder Shock attack spread through the crowd, causing everyone in the corridor to feel a mild jolt.

"Ahh!" Trainers cried out in surprise as they stumbled, the sudden jolt forcing them to stop moving. Most fell to the ground, paralyzed temporarily by the weak but effective attack.

"What are you doing?!" Misty yelled, pulling Ash back. She hadn't expected him to resort to such an extreme measure.

"I had to do it," Ash replied, his tone calm. "Pikachu's Thunder Shock isn't strong enough to cause harm—just a little paralysis. But if this chaos continued, someone could've gotten trampled or worse."

Misty hesitated, then looked around. The corridor had indeed quieted down. Most trainers were lying still, their bodies occasionally flickering with tiny electric sparks. The panic was replaced with silence, save for a few murmurs from trainers who were still recovering.

"Alright," Misty said reluctantly. "It worked, but what now?"

Ash stepped forward, raising his voice to address the crowd. "Everyone, please stay calm. Once you recover, head to the lobby. We'll figure out what's going on from there!"

With that, Ash and Misty carefully navigated through the paralyzed trainers, making their way toward the lobby. Pikachu followed close behind, its sparks lighting the way.

---

Meanwhile, in the storage area of the Pokémon Center, Team Rocket was busy stuffing Poké Balls into large sacks.

"This is too easy!" Jessie gloated.

"Let's hurry before someone shows up," James muttered nervously, his unease growing stronger.

"Relax, James," Meowth said, balancing on a stack of Poké Balls. "No one can stop us now, Meow!"

As they laughed, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway.

"Someone's coming!" James exclaimed.

Jessie and Meowth turned toward the entrance, their smiles fading.

---

Back in the corridor, Ash and Misty reached the lobby, where the Smokescreen was still thick in the air.

"We're getting close," Ash said, his determination unwavering.

"I hope we're not too late," Misty whispered, clutching her Poké Balls tightly.

"Pikachu, be ready," Ash said. The electric mouse nodded, its cheeks sparking faintly as they pushed through the smoke, ready to confront whatever lay ahead.

(To be continued...)

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