Night had fallen, and the clouds were unusually thick, shrouding the bright moonlight and leaving the starry sky absent of its usual brilliance. Despite this, the air in Pallet Town remained fresh and invigorating, a place where one could easily become lost in its tranquility. However, tonight, the headquarters of the Research Institute welcomed an unexpected guest—a seasoned thief.
Dressed in a tightly wrapped coat that concealed her entire body, her feet clad in specially made leather boots that left no sound upon the floor, and hands covered in custom-fitted leather gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints, the thief had originally planned to use Ditto to disguise herself. However, she hadn't expected the security measures of this world-renowned research facility to be so lax, allowing her to slip inside effortlessly.
In reality, apart from companies like Silph Co., which housed highly classified technological secrets and employed formidable security measures, most Pokémon research institutes had rather loose defenses. The research conducted here, while appearing sophisticated, was largely theoretical and couldn't be monetized in the short term. As a result, thieves rarely saw value in targeting them.
As for stealing Pokémon, the idea had certainly crossed some minds. However, aside from poachers who sold Pokémon on the black market, most people couldn't even command a stolen Pokémon. Only skilled trainers had the ability to command Pokémon effectively, and such individuals had no need for theft—they could simply capture their own. But tonight, someone was about to break that norm.
"This is way too easy. I've disabled all the security cameras. I was even planning to use my newly captured Horsea to spray ink and block the surveillance if necessary, but it turns out I didn't even need to."
Hiding in a corner, the thief closed her compact laptop, a smug smile appearing on her lips. Years of studying electronics had not gone to waste—every skill she had acquired had practical applications, even if those applications weren't exactly legal.
But she had no choice. Orphaned at a young age, she had grown up in unfamiliar environments, struggling to survive on her own. Without identification, finding legitimate work was impossible, leaving her with no option but to engage in illicit activities to survive. She knew deception and theft were wrong, but when faced with starvation, morality became a luxury she couldn't afford.
With her abilities, she could have turned to more serious crimes, but her conscience wouldn't allow it. She limited herself to acts that wouldn't cause significant harm to others.
The thick clouds outside blocked the moonlight, plunging Professor Oak's Research Institute into darkness. Adjusting the night vision mode on her headset, she continued moving forward. Though the colors in her vision appeared somewhat distorted, she could still see well enough.
Stealthily, she approached Professor Oak's office. The outer layer of her arm shifted into a fluid-like texture—a Ditto had fused with her skin, slipping into the lock and morphing into a key to unlock the door effortlessly.
Carefully pushing the door open and closing it behind her, she reached the professor's desk. Stacks of scattered documents lay across its surface, but she ignored them. She was here to steal, not to sabotage someone's research.
"Found it! And there's even a manual—how convenient!"
Her face lit up with delight. Earlier that morning, she had noticed a boy leaving the lab with a strange red device, piquing her curiosity. She had planned to snatch one during her break-in, and sure enough, she wasn't disappointed.
"Alright, time to go. Let's check out where they keep the Pokémon."
Now that she had obtained what she came for, her steps became noticeably lighter. However, she remained unaware that a surveillance camera above had captured everything.
—
[Someone's sneaking into the lab again, Ryuuske.]
Already lying in bed, ready to sleep, Ryuuske groaned in irritation upon hearing Mewtwo's voice in his mind.
[Who is it this time? Ash came by in the middle of the night yesterday. Who's causing trouble now?]
He had spent the entire evening preparing for his upcoming journey, packing all necessary supplies. He had planned to enjoy a good night's sleep in a soft bed before facing the inevitability of rough nights in the wild.
[I don't know. I've never seen her before… but she's definitely up to no good. She's searching for something.]
[A thief?]
Mewtwo paused, as if contemplating the meaning of the word.
[Based on my understanding of human language, that term would be accurate.]
[Then she's a thief.]
Annoyed but alert, Ryuuske jumped out of bed. Mewtwo's psychic abilities were incredibly convenient. Even in the heavily secured Rocket research facilities, nothing had truly been able to block its telepathic scans. While the Master Ball contained advanced security functions that limited Mewtwo's abilities, its power remained formidable. Though its range was reduced inside the Poké Ball, it could still monitor the entire Oak Research Institute with ease.
Rather than waking Professor Oak, Ryuuske grabbed his jacket and headed out alone. If a thief had the audacity to infiltrate the lab, she was likely skilled. If the professor accompanied him, there was a risk the thief might panic and turn violent, and an elderly man like Oak could get hurt.
Ryuuske himself didn't care—he had Mewtwo's protection. As long as he didn't act recklessly, he had nothing to fear.
The institute was pitch black, but he didn't turn on the lights. A faint, invisible purple glow flickered in his eyes, instantly dispelling the darkness from his vision. He could have relied on Mewtwo's psychic mapping ability, which would allow him to perceive the entire environment with his mind, but that technique was mentally exhausting and not his preferred method of seeing the world.
Even this simplified psychic vision distorted colors and shapes, making everything appear surreal and unnatural. Ryuuske disliked how it made the world feel artificial.
—
"Ugh, nothing rare… just common Pokémon. Am I really going to starve in a few days and be forced to eat berries in the forest? No way! Those things taste horrible!"
The thief muttered to herself. If one listened closely, her voice was soft, lilting, and strangely seductive.
The institute housed a vast collection of Pokémon, but most were common species. She peered through her specialized goggles at each Poké Ball, noting that some Pokémon cowered in fear while others bared their teeth at her.
"Wait… if there were rare Pokémon, they wouldn't be kept out in the open. They must be stored somewhere more secure!"
Realizing her mistake, she reconsidered. As the world's most renowned research institute, there was no way Oak wouldn't have at least a few rare Pokémon. However, he was no fool—he wouldn't leave them lying around for anyone to steal. They were probably hidden in a safe or an underground facility.
"Screw it, safety first. At least I got this strange Pokédex. That alone makes this trip worthwhile."
She had no intention of staying longer than necessary. She wasn't naïve enough to think this place was completely defenseless.
"I gotta say, for a thief, you sure talk to yourself a lot. Not very professional, are you?"
A voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts, startling her. Instinctively, she almost let out a scream, but years of survival instincts kicked in, and she clamped a hand over her mouth. However, her wide, jewel-like eyes betrayed her panic.
'Shit! I got caught! How?!'
Her brain worked quickly—no time for hesitation. She had to escape!
—
The chase escalated. As she ran, she spotted a single remaining Poké Ball on a special pedestal labeled "Squirtle." Given its separate placement, it had to be important. Without hesitation, she snatched it before making her getaway.
As Ryuuske pursued her, she suddenly soared into the air—not on a Flying-type Pokémon, but using Jigglypuff's unique balloon-like ability.
[Mewtwo, take care of this.]
Ryuuske sighed, deciding to end things quickly. No matter how she escaped, against Mewtwo's psychic abilities, she was just a sitting target.
[Leave it to me.]
Mewtwo smirked. As Ryuuske prepared to release it from the Master Ball, bright lights flooded the institute, and Professor Oak's voice called out:
"Let her go, Ryuuske."
Perplexed, Ryuuske loosened his grip on the Master Ball.
To be continued…
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