POKEMON : THE WAY OF PERCEPTION

Ash, Misty, and Pikachu were walking together on the street. The two had no intention of buying anything, as they had no money left, most of it having been spent on daily expenses for Pokémon.

Although she couldn't buy anything, Misty was still very happy. She didn't often get time to shop with Ash, especially since Brock joined their team. Lately, she and Ash had spent even less time alone, and Misty couldn't help but miss the days when it was just the two of them.

"Beep, beep, beep, beep..." Suddenly, Ash and Misty heard a siren. Several police cars escorted two fire trucks down the road, attracting the attention of the people nearby.

"Fire truck... is there a fire?" Ash and Misty exclaimed in surprise, both of them startled. This was the first time Ash had seen such a situation.

Looking toward the direction of the fire truck, Ash and Misty saw a large plume of thick smoke rising from the north, with faint fire flickering within it, indicating that a fire had broken out.

"Ash, let's go!" Misty said, her face changing slightly. As a responsible person and the future gym leader specializing in Water Type Pokémon, she felt she might be able to help.

Although Ash thought the two of them might only add to the chaos by going, since they weren't professionals and couldn't do much, he saw Misty's determined expression and agreed with a nod.

Soon, a crowd had gathered around the fire. Less than 100 meters from the fire's location, Officer Jenny stood with a megaphone, trying to control the crowd.

"Everyone, please leave here! Do not block the passage!" Officer Jenny's voice boomed. "Please move away, don't cause any more trouble!"

The scene was already chaotic, and with so many people around, Officer Jenny was worried that any unexpected event could make things worse and cause even greater damage.

Many people left voluntarily after hearing her instructions, while others remained but moved farther away to watch from a safe distance.

Even though the fire engines had arrived and were spraying Water Guns at the burning building, the fire wasn't dying down, and it seemed as though the efforts weren't enough.

"This is troublesome…" the fire chief muttered, his face grim.

He couldn't understand how things had gone so wrong. Three places in Yangquan City had caught fire simultaneously, resulting in a manpower shortage. Only two fire trucks were available to fight the fire.

The fire chief walked over to Officer Jenny to explain the situation. Upon hearing the news, Officer Jenny's face grew darker.

"Then… we'll need to recruit some Trainers to help on-site," she said decisively.

With the fire brigade short-staffed, the fire couldn't be controlled.

"We need more people to help. Trainers with Water Type Pokémon, please come forward. You'll be rewarded by the Alliance for your efforts!" Officer Jenny called out again to the crowd.

At her words, several Trainers with Water Type Pokémon stepped forward, ready to help. Ash and Misty were relieved to see six Trainers offering their assistance.

"I'm going too!" Misty declared as she rushed forward. Ash, feeling helpless since he didn't have a Water Type Pokémon, followed her, but couldn't participate directly.

"That's seven Trainers in total. How many Water Type Pokémon do you have?" the fire chief asked, looking at the group.

"I have one..."

"I have three..."

"I have..."

The trainers responded one by one. The fire chief took note of the numbers, and in total, there were 15 Water Type Pokémon among the group, which was a good number. But the problem wasn't the quantity—it was the strength.

"I'll have to go into the building and tackle the fire up close…" Misty said. Her Starmie, at the elite level, was the strongest of the Water Type Pokémon present. Even so, fighting a fire from within the building would be incredibly difficult.

The fire chief agreed. "We'll have firefighters accompany you to make sure everyone stays safe."

Misty, along with two other Trainers, nodded in agreement. As they prepared to enter the building, four firefighters were assigned to assist them.

Ash watched from outside, unable to help because he didn't have a Water Type Pokémon. He grew more anxious as he saw Misty entering the building.

"Officer Jenny, will they be alright?" Ash asked, stepping up to the barricade where Officer Jenny stood.

She hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "I can't guarantee their safety, but with the firefighters there, if the fire can be controlled quickly, they should be fine."

Ash clenched his fists in frustration. "Only Trainers with Water Type Pokémon can enter?"

"Yes," Officer Jenny confirmed. "Normally, Ground and Rock Type Pokémon could also help, but in a building like this, they're not suitable."

Ash bit his lip, regretting not catching a Krabby back at Cerulean Strait. If he had, he could've gone in with Misty to protect her.

Unable to do anything, Ash reluctantly stepped back, waiting anxiously. A few minutes later, though the fire had diminished somewhat, it was still large, and Ash's worry only grew.

Meanwhile, in an alley not far away, five small Pokémon peeked out from behind a corner. Hesitant but curious, they watched the fire. Each Pokémon wore a pair of black glasses, and they all had one thing in common—they were Squirtles.

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