Chapter no.17

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The plains gave way to the rapid development of Viridian City. Beyond a defensive ditch that was filled with water and was surrounded on the inside by a palisade that was similar to Pallet Town's, the prosperous city could be found. At least, it was prosperous to the extent that one could anticipate a city on the frontier to be prosperous. Ash and Misty were stopped by two guards at the southern entrance to the city. The guards were both wearing uniforms of the Viridian Gym, and each was guarded by a Machoke. The guards recognised Ash as the grandson of Professor Oak, and they allowed the pair to pass. When Ash was questioned about his activities in Viridian, the two guards offered their condolences after he mentioned the disaster that occurred in Pallet Town.

After passing through the gate, the city appeared to materialise out of thin air. Because the city was surrounded by a wall and a moat, it did not have the luxury of having outskirts, and the majority of the buildings along the borders of the town were just as large as the structures in the centre, giving Ash and Misty the impression that they were immediately immersed in the city. Due to the fact that people were going about their midday activities and the streets, despite being wide, were crowded, Ash and Misty were forced to keep their distance from one another or run the risk of becoming separated.

As they approached a crossroads, Ash pointed eastward and said, "The Pokémon Center is just east of here." He drew attention to a sizable structure that was easily discernible and had walls that had been whitewashed and a red roof. The Center encompassed the better part of a city block, and after the trainers had put their Pokémon back in their pokeballs (with the exception of Pikachu, who continued to ride on Ash's shoulder), they made their way there. Pikachu, however, remained on Ash's shoulder.

After passing through the large double doors, it felt like you had entered a combination of a hotel, a restaurant, and a medical facility all at once. On the other side of the door was a counter with a person working behind it at a register. This person was ostensibly the manager of the hotel department. To the right of that desk was a tiled hallway that was denoted by a hanging sign that provided instructions for finding the emergency room. In the opposite direction of that corridor, the lobby opened up into a different part of the building, which was this time comprised of tables, chairs, and booths. The large lobby was very quiet in comparison to the streets outside, and the trainers slipped off to the side to discuss what actions to take in a more specific manner.

Misty inquired, "How long do we plan on staying?" as they continued their conversation. "What are the chances that we'll require lodging for the night?"

Ash nodded. "I'd plan on it. Even with the medical attention that we can provide here, Fearow's condition is expected to remain critical for a period of time that is likely to exceed a few hours."

"All right," the instructor with the orange hair said. "I'll find a place to stay and get everything organised."

"Then I will take Fearow to the nearest hospital emergency room. We need you to help us stick to our budget."

Misty nodded. "I'm able to fulfil your request. As soon as I finish taking care of that, I'll make my way to the hospital wing to look for you there."

Fearow was going to make it, according to the nurse, which brought Ash a great deal of relief. The treatment was not going to be simple or inexpensive, and it was going to use up all of the money that Ash and Misty had stolen from the dead trainers earlier in the day, as well as some additional funds, but Ash was happy to pay for it, and Misty had contributed some of her haul to the cause. Now, with Misty having used the last of the money she had to do some last-minute shopping for the journey, Ash was sitting with Growlithe and Pikachu in the lobby of the hospital wing of the Pokémon Center. Misty was off doing her shopping.

The room was large and airy, more reminiscent of a lounge than a traditional waiting area; it was decorated in light, airy pastels and featured multiple televisions along one wall. There were a number of couches and comfortable armchairs scattered across the floor space, and Ash occupied one of the latter. While he sat there, he did not pay much attention to anything other than the Pokémon that were surrounding him. He delighted the canine that was dozing next to the chair by scratching behind Growlithe's ears with one hand while he rubbed Pikachu's chin with the other. Pikachu was delighted. Growlithe was delighted. The trainer had only a vague awareness of the other dozen people in the room, all of whom, he imagined, were in a situation that was somewhat comparable to his own.

Nevertheless, even Ash noticed when the frosted glass doors to the lobby opened and three figures, two humans and a Pokémon, strutted in noisily and, with absolutely no grace about them, paced to the counter. One of the Pokémon was wearing a mask that covered its face. After selecting a seat that faced the nurse's register located behind the counter, Ash raised her head and performed an immediate assessment of the commotion caused by the new patients. The first things that stood out to him about them were the outrageous hairdos and garish outfits that they wore.

The man wore his hair in a short and unkempt style that was a sapphire blue colour, and the woman wore her unnaturally red hair pulled back into a thick ponytail that dropped below her waist. Both of them were dressed in black boots that reached their calves and were highly polished, as well as white shirts that bore a large letter 'R' in a shade of red that was even more vibrant than the woman's hair. Ash could only speculate about their profession based on the clothes they wore and the fact that the cat Meowth was standing in between them. He considered the possibility that they were circus performers.

Growlithe, who had been startled by the unexpected entrance, took instant notice of the Meowth and started to grumble softly to himself as his eyes focused on the cat. As a response, Ash reached out and put his hand on Growlithe's scruff of the neck. The instructor described it as "easy."

The man with the blue hair asked aloud enough for everyone in the large lobby to hear him clearly, "Is that all?" "The prices for the service provided here are very reasonable. Jesse, do you really think we could have negotiated a better deal for ourselves?" He turned his attention to the ruddy-haired woman sitting next to him, who vigorously shook her head.

James received a response that was just as loud as Jesse's, which was, "I don't think we could." "The service that we receive here is just unbelievable," said the customer.

As James looked in his direction and caught Ash's eye, Ash's muscles began to twitch. The man with the blue hair made a series of rapid eye movements between Ash, Pikachu, and Growlithe, and then he smiled in a way that was too broad to be genuine. To the dismay of the young Ketchum, the two rowdy trainers and their Meowth turned away from the counter and started walking in the direction of him, making it a point to greet as many people as they could along the way in the most upbeat manner possible.

Oh my god, Ash thought to himself as Jesse and James sat down next to each other on the couch that was adjacent to the armchair that he was sitting in. Ash moved his backpack, which up until this point had been resting undisturbed on the ground between his feet, a little further under the chair. He did this without really giving it much thought.

James asked in a friendly tone and at a volume that was much more appropriate, "Are you new around here?" James put out his gloved hand and said, "I don't think we've met before, even though you look familiar." "Hi there, my name is James. I am a member of Team Rocket, and it is my sincere pleasure to make your acquaintance "Ash was thinking about Team Rocket. As he reached out to shake James' hand, the name stayed in his head, even though he had no idea why. He smiled and extended his hand. The response he gave was, "I'm Ash Ketchum." "And I'm not really new; I'm just passing through on my way to Cerulean," said the traveller.

Jesse hummed "Ketchum" as if he were thinking about it. "Why does that name sound like it's been heard before?"

James responded, "I'm not familiar with Jesse." However, it does remind me of something.

A smirk could be seen on Ash's face. He responded by saying, "Well, my grandfather is Professor Oak." There was never a time in Ash's life when he felt embarrassed about his family history, and he never hesitated to tell anyone about his grandfather.

"This has got to be it!" James made an exclamation. He continued, putting his hand behind his head and letting out a single laugh as he said, "That's right, I knew it all along."

As Ash forcibly smiled, he questioned whether or not these individuals were telling the truth.