Pokémon : The Perfect Path

The sky was painted in hues of deep orange and purple as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon. A cool breeze rustled through the trees lining the road, offering some relief to the three weary travelers who had been walking for hours.

Misty let out an exaggerated groan, stretching her aching arms. "I can't believe we finally made it! Viridian City, at last!"

Her excitement wasn't just about reaching their first real city—it was about what awaited her inside. A real Pokémon Center. A real bed. And most importantly… a real bath. She had been feeling grimy ever since the journey began, and the thought of washing off the dirt and sweat was almost too good to be true.

Ash, walking beside Velkris, didn't react to Misty's words. His eyes were locked on the road ahead, but his mind was elsewhere. Velkris had noticed his unusual silence for a while now. Usually, Ash was full of energy, talking about how he'd become a Pokémon Master, but now… there was none of that.

Velkris slowed his pace slightly, letting Ash walk ahead before calling out. "You okay, Ash? You've been quiet ever since we left Route 1."

Ash sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I've been thinking about yesterday…" He hesitated before continuing. "Back there, when the Spearows attacked, I didn't think—I just ran ahead without a plan. I put myself in danger, but more than that…" His voice grew quieter. "I put Pikachu in danger, too. And I almost ruined your journey, Velkris."

Velkris shook his head. "Ash, even if you had gone alone, you still wouldn't have been safe. That's just how the Spearows of this route behave—they attack anything that crosses their territory." He placed a reassuring hand on Ash's shoulder. "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't learn from this. Next time, think things through before acting."

Ash frowned, but he nodded slowly. Velkris continued, "These negative thoughts will only make things worse for you. If you keep doubting yourself, it'll affect your battles. Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, take this as a lesson and apply it next time. You'll face many challenges on this journey—learn from each one."

A small, determined smile returned to Ash's face. "Yeah… you're right. I won't make the same mistake again."

With that, the conversation ended as they finally reached the Viridian Pokémon Center. The automatic doors slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a well-lit lobby with trainers scattered around—some resting on the couches, others talking excitedly about their battles.

Misty wasted no time. She rushed straight to the counter, her eyes locked onto the familiar pink-haired nurse.

"Nurse Joy, please tell me you have rooms available! And—more importantly—can I take a bath right now?"

Nurse Joy blinked, taken slightly aback by Misty's urgency, but quickly regained her composure. "Of course! We have available rooms, and the baths are open to trainers staying overnight."

Misty's face lit up with sheer joy. "Oh, thank Arceus!" She quickly unclipped her Poké Balls and placed them on the counter. "Please take care of my Pokémon while I freshen up!"

Nurse Joy smiled and nodded, taking Misty's Poké Balls. "Your assigned room is down the corridor, first door on the left."

"You're the best, Nurse Joy!" Misty called out before dashing toward the hallway.

Velkris and Ash stepped up next.

"Nurse Joy, we'd like to register for the Pokémon League," Velkris said.

"Of course! I'll process your registration as soon as your Pokémon are healed. Just leave your Pokédex and Pokémon with me."

The two handed over their Poké Balls and Pokédexes. Ash stretched his arms, letting out a yawn. "Man, I can't wait to crash on a real bed."

Velkris chuckled. "Same here. But first, let's grab something to eat—"

Before he could finish, the power suddenly flickered, the bright lights of the Pokémon Center dimming for a moment. A crash came from the entrance, followed by the sound of shattering glass.

A spotlight suddenly beamed down from the ceiling, illuminating three familiar figures standing dramatically on an overhead balcony.

"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie's voice echoed.

"And make it double!" James added.

Velkris groaned. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

The three trainers turned toward the entrance, where Team Rocket stood proudly, striking their signature pose.

"To protect the world from devastation!" Jessie declared.

"To unite all peoples within our nation!" James continued.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

They jumped down from the balcony, landing in front of the counter.

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"And Meowth, that's right!"

Meowth hopped forward, grinning. "Looks like we've got ourselves a jackpot, guys—Pokémon just ripe for the taking!"

Nurse Joy gasped, instinctively shielding the Poké Balls behind the counter. "Not on my watch!"

Jessie smirked, tossing out a Poké Ball. "Oh, we'll see about that! Ekans, go!"

James followed, releasing his Pokémon as well. "Koffing, show them what you've got!"

The room filled with smoke as Weezing unleashed a Smokescreen, causing trainers to cough and stumble backward. The dim lighting made it hard to see, but through the haze, Ash commanded pikachu.

"Pikachu, let's go!" Ash commanded.

Pikachu leaped onto his shoulder, cheeks sparking with electricity. With a single, powerful Thunderbolt, the smoke cleared, and Koffing collapsed, knocked out instantly.

James' jaw dropped. "Koffing!?"

Jessie snarled. "Tch, no matter! Ekans, get them!"

Suddenly, before Ash could react, a shadow darted from the side.

"Pika!" Pikachu yelped as Meowth lunged from the darkness, claws glowing, striking Pikachu and sending him tumbling backward.

Velkris' eyes widened. "That sneaky little—!"

Before he could move, Meowth landed another Slash, this time targeting Ralts, who had just emerged from her Poké Ball. Ralts stumbled but quickly steadied herself, her eyes glowing with determination.

"Looks like you brats are in for a real battle!" Meowth grinned, flexing his claws.

Velkris narrowed his eyes. "Fine by me. Ralts, let's take them down!"

With Weezing already down, the battle now became a 2v2 showdown—Ash and Pikachu against Meowth, and Velkris and Ralts against Ekans.

The real fight had just begun.

The emergency lights flickered overhead, casting eerie shadows across the battlefield. James' Koffing lay unconscious, taken out instantly by Pikachu's Thunderbolt.

James took a nervous step back. "K-

Koffing?" His voice cracked as he recalled his fallen Pokémon.

Jessie narrowed her eyes, flipping her magenta hair back. "Tch. Useless." She gritted her teeth. "If you want something done right, you do it yourself."

Ekans slithered onto the battlefield, its body coiling tightly as it hissed.

Velkris stepped forward, his gaze steady. "Ralts, battle stance."

Jessie's lips curled in a smirk. "A Psychic-type? Heh. Let's see how well you handle this. Ekans, Poison Sting!"

Ekans spat a barrage of sharp, purple needles.

"Ralts, evade."

Ralts twirled lightly to the side, the Poison Sting barely grazing past her.

Jessie clicked her tongue. "Wrap—don't let it escape!"

Ekans lunged, its long body whipping through the air like a snapping rope.

Velkris' voice was sharp. "Confusion—catch it now!"

Ralts' eyes glowed blue, and Ekans froze mid-air, its body trembling under psychic force.

Jessie clenched her fists. "Hmph. That won't hold forever!"

Velkris narrowed his eyes. "I don't need it to."

Ralts threw Ekans back, slamming it into the ground.

Jessie didn't hesitate. "Ekans, Lunge!"

Ekans recovered instantly, its coiled body snapping forward like a whip.

Velkris reacted fast. "Disarming Voice!"

A piercing cry echoed through the battlefield, pink waves of Fairy energy crashing into Ekans mid-attack.

Ekans collapsed, knocked out.

Jessie tensed, her jaw tightening as she recalled her Pokémon. She turned to Meowth. "You're up."

Meowth, who had been watching from the shadows, suddenly lunged at Pikachu and Ralts, claws flashing.

Velkris' eyes hardened. "Ralts, intercept!"

But Meowth struck fast, his claws glinting in the dim emergency lights.

"Fury Swipes!" he shouted, his slashes aimed at both Pikachu and Ralts.

Pikachu barely managed to dodge, but Ralts wasn't as lucky. Meowth's claws raked across her small frame, sending her tumbling backward with a startled cry.

Velkris clenched his fists. "Ralts, get up!"

Jessie crossed her arms, watching intently. "Hmph. Unlike James, I don't go down in one hit."

Velkris exhaled through his nose. "We'll see about that. Ralts, Confusion—stop Meowth in his tracks!"

Ralts, despite the damage, forced herself up, her eyes glowing blue.

A psychic force wrapped around Meowth mid-motion, halting him in midair.

"Hey! Not fair!" Meowth struggled, his limbs twitching as he fought against the hold.

Velkris' gaze hardened. "Fair doesn't matter. Ralts, slam him down!"

Ralts threw Meowth to the ground with force, dust scattering upon impact.

Jessie's eyes flickered with intensity. "Not bad, but we're not done. Meowth, Shadow Claw!"

Meowth sprang up, dark energy crackling around his claws. He dashed forward with surprising speed, his attack cutting through Ralts' next Confusion attempt.

The strike landed clean, sending Ralts skidding across the floor.

Velkris' expression remained focused, but inside, He thought about how meowth shouldn't be able to use that move, He also knew Ralts couldn't take too many hits like that.

Ash, watching from the side while Pikachu held his ground, clenched his fists. "Velkris, we've gotta finish this fast!"

Jessie smirked. "What's wrong? Can't handle a real battle?"

Velkris ignored her taunt. "Ralts, Disarming Voice—full power!"

A rippling wave of Fairy energy erupted from Ralts, the sheer force slamming into Meowth.

Meowth yelped, his body shaking as he stumbled backward.

Jessie narrowed her eyes. "Tch. Stand your ground, Meowth!"

Meowth growled, pushing himself up—but Velkris saw the hesitation in his movements.

"One more hit."

Velkris inhaled. "Confusion—finish it!"

Ralts' eyes gleamed blue once more, and Meowth was lifted and hurled against the floor, sliding to a stop.

A tense silence filled the air.

Jessie clenched her jaw before exhaling sharply, then asked Meowth to retreat.

James, still sulking over his loss, crossed his arms. "I told ya we should've just grabbed Pikachu and ran."

Jessie shot him a glare. "Shut it, James."

Ash and Velkris stood their ground as Team Rocket took a step back.

Jessie flipped her hair, her tone sharp but composed. "Tch. This was just a warm-up. Next time, you won't be so lucky."

With that, she tossed a smoke bomb onto the ground.

"Team Rocket is making a tactical retreat!"

As the smoke cleared, they were gone.

Velkris let out a slow breath, tension leaving his body.

Ash walked up, rubbing Pikachu's head. "Man, those guys were tougher than I expected."

Velkris simply nodded, turning to Ralts, who wobbled slightly before he crouched down beside her. "You did great. Take a rest."

As he returned Ralts to her Poké Ball, Ash looked ahead toward the now-silent Pokémon Center.

After the battle, Velkris and Ash made their way through the quiet halls of the Pokémon Center. The encounter with Team Rocket was still fresh in their minds, the tension of the fight lingering even though their Pokémon had already been healed.

As they reached Misty's room, the door creaked open before they could even knock. Misty stood there, her hair slightly disheveled, wearing casual sleepwear. Her expression was one of concern.

"I heard a commotion earlier," she said, arms crossed. "What happened? Are you guys and your Pokémon alright?"

Ash gave a tired grin. "Yeah, we're fine. Some weird guys showed up causing trouble, so we stopped them."

Velkris nodded. "They called themselves Team Rocket. A pair of troublemakers and their talking Meowth."

Misty raised an eyebrow. "Wait, did you just say talking Meowth?"

Ash blinked. "Oh yeah… that was weird."

Velkris kept his expression neutral, but internally, he was still processing everything. They had fought differently than he had expected. While still dramatic and over-the-top, Jessie and James had been far more skilled than he would have thought from how they acted. They didn't rely on clunky machines or elaborate tricks. Their Pokémon were strong, and their teamwork was well-practiced. If Pikachu hadn't been as strong as it was, the battle might have gone very differently.

"They're experienced… way more than I expected."

Misty sighed. "Well, as long as you're both alright. Guess I should have expected trouble traveling with you two." She made a joke to lighten the mood then shook her head. "Anyway, I'm going to sleep. You guys should get some rest too."

With that, they each headed toward their rooms.

After freshening up, Velkris lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts kept circling back to the battle.

Jessie and James had acted like fools, sure, but in battle, they were anything but. Jessie's commands had been sharp, aggressive, and calculated. James, while his koffing got knocked out by pikachu, It could have been a big trouble for a fairy type like ralts. And Meowth… there was something off about Meowth.

It was nothing like the Meowth from the anime he remembered. This one wasn't just some comic relief sidekick—it was a fighter.

Despite having no trainer issuing commands, He fought with precision, weaving through attacks with practiced ease. Each movement was calculated, each strike well-timed.

Then there was Pikachu. The sheer power behind its attacks had been absurd. Weezing had gone down instantly, and Ekans had been overwhelmed by him and ralts shortly after. Velkris knew Pikachu was strong, but seeing it in action had been something else entirely.

"They might act goofy, but they're real threats."

A small tug at his sleeve snapped him out of his thoughts. Looking down, he saw Ralts had emerged from its Poké Ball, gazing up at him with quiet concern.

Velkris exhaled softly, smiling a little. "I'm fine, Little one. Just thinking too much."

Ralts tilted its head, sensing the mix of emotions running through him. Velkris gently patted its head before deciding to check his system notifications.

With a mental command, the interface flickered to life before him. He scrolled through, expecting battle logs or minor updates—until his eyes landed on a new notification.

[New Notification: Meowth's Status Screen Scanned]

His breath hitched.

"What?"

Curious, he tapped on it. As the data loaded, his eyes widened.

[Anomaly Pokémon Detected: Meowth]

Velkris sat up in shock. "No way… Meowth's an Anomaly Pokémon too?"