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At this time, in the depths of the forest, a building resembling a Pokémon Center was hidden among the trees.
"My lord!" A helicopter landed in the clearing ahead, and a man in uniform rushed forward as a figure stepped off the helicopter.
"Hmm! How's the situation in the park?" A woman with striking red hair and elaborate makeup exited the helicopter. With just a glance, she sent a chill through the man standing before her.
"Yes, everything has been going well, but something strange happened last night. Zapdos and Moltres suddenly went out of control and launched an attack. We're still investigating!"
The man bowed his head quickly, clearly nervous. This was an unforeseen problem. After all, the park housed other massive Pokémon. Of course, these weren't real Pokémon.
In fact, they were all mechanical creations, which is why they were so large. Besides Zapdos and Moltres, many enormous mechanical Pokémon were scattered throughout the park.
If these machines went rogue, it could be catastrophic. Concerned about potential damage to the other mechanical Pokémon, the team had wasted no time in starting an investigation.
"What could have caused the Pokémon here to attack?" the woman asked, casting a cold glance at the man.
"Well, as the park is preparing to open to the public, wild Pokémon sometimes wander into the forest. To prevent damage to the machines, we installed a defense system."
"If anyone other than tourists or staff members with tickets enters, the defense system activates," the man quickly explained.
"Hmph! So, some pests have wandered in," the woman sneered, her face darkening with a sinister chill.
"Whether it's outsiders or Pokémon, find the intruders immediately!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Meanwhile, in the cave, Ash looked outside as dawn broke. "It's morning. I'm going to find Pikachu and the others." He slung his backpack over his shoulder and prepared to leave the cave, where they had taken shelter from Zapdos' attack.
"What if that Pokémon from yesterday shows up again?" Misty asked, her voice laced with worry.
"Then you stay here while I find Pikachu and bring them back," Ash replied nonchalantly. He didn't mind that Misty was scared; after all, he was used to acting on his own.
"I... I never said I was going to hide here!" Misty quickly retorted. Though she was nervous, she didn't want Ash going off alone, especially since all he had was Pidgeotto.
"Exactly! We can't let you go alone," Brock chimed in. Ash smiled but didn't argue, and the three left the cave together.
As they walked, Misty and Brock called out for Squirtle, hoping for a response, but there was none.
Boom!!!
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed through the air, and the ground trembled. Misty and Brock froze, turning to see a massive figure staring them down.
A two-legged Pokémon stood before them, its body covered in brown armor. It had huge silver scythes for hands, sharp and gleaming, and its size was truly enormous.
"Is that... Kabutops?"
Boom boom boom!!!
"Here it comes, run!" Brock shouted as the enormous Kabutops began stomping toward them. Without another word, the three friends turned and dashed forward, trying to escape the pursuing Pokémon.
Kabutops kept pace, its heavy footsteps echoing behind them. Misty cried out in desperation as they ran. "What is this place? Why are there even ancient Pokémon here, and why are they so huge?!"
"What should we do? It doesn't look like it's going to let us go!" Brock glanced back at the still-chasing Kabutops, concern filling his voice.
"I'll distract it. You two find somewhere to hide!" Ash said, pulling out a Poké Ball as they sprinted ahead.
"No way, it's too dangerous for you to go alone!" Misty protested, shaking her head. But Ash suddenly stopped, turning toward the Kabutops as he threw his Poké Ball into the air.
"Pidgeotto, use Sand Attack!"
Pidgeotto emerged, flapping its wings furiously to kick up a whirlwind of sand that flew straight into Kabutops' face. Ash knew this wouldn't actually hurt the machine, but it was enough to grab its attention. Since it could target them, it likely had advanced intelligence, and this was all Ash needed—just a distraction.
As expected, Kabutops turned its focus toward Ash, who bolted into the nearby woods with Pidgeotto leading the way. The massive Pokémon followed closely behind.
"Ash!" Misty cried out, instinctively wanting to chase after him, but Brock quickly grabbed her arm.
"Misty, Ash will be okay. We need to trust him. He told us to hide, and Kabutops is following him now. If we go after him, we'll only get in the way."
Misty hesitated but eventually nodded, realizing Brock was right. "But... okay." With Ash now out of sight, she knew they couldn't catch up even if they tried. She and Brock turned to find somewhere to hide.
Not long after they separated from Ash, a sudden, piercing cry echoed through the forest.
"Help!!!"
Misty and Brock both stopped in their tracks and looked up, startled by the shout. Two familiar figures were rushing toward them, looking as though they'd seen a ghost.
"Team Rocket?!" Misty exclaimed, wide-eyed. They hadn't expected to run into them here.
"Huh? What's that?" Brock noticed something yellow darting behind the fleeing duo. Misty looked as well, and her eyes widened when she recognized the shape.
"Isn't that Pikachu?! Pikachu!!" Misty shouted, running toward the small yellow figure, thinking it was Ash's Pikachu.
"Wait, Misty, something's not right." Brock grabbed her arm again. "Even if that *is* Ash's Pikachu, Team Rocket wouldn't be running away from it like that, would they?"
Misty stopped, her heart pounding. She looked more closely at Team Rocket and Pikachu, and a creeping sense of unease settled over her. Something was definitely wrong.