Jessie, James, and Meowth hurried down to follow the reporter.
"Sheesh! Doesn't this guy ever take a water break?" Jessie murmured.
"I don't know about him, but I could use one!" James moaned.
"Quit your bellyachin', James! Dere! I see 'em!" Meowth cried, jumping on James's head and pointing.
"Good job, Meowth!" Jessie cried. They ran to get to the burnt out husk of a building, just in time to be smacked in the face by the door to the local PokeMart opening.
"Let's see, that's ten potions and twenty Pokeballs. I shouldn't have any trouble at Victory Road now," the female trainer said. Her sandy blonde hair was tied in a ponytail that trailed from under her red-and- orange Poke Ball bandana. She wore blue jeans and a pink tee with the bottom half wrapped in a knot, revealing her navel. She had sparkling emerald eyes. As she closed the door, she saw Team Rocket, lying on the ground.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" she cried. "Are you all right?"
"Oh, look at the pretty Pidgey," James muttered, and then passed out.
"Oh boy. Help! These people need some medical help!" she cried.
"That might be a bit overboard. Trust me, getting hit by the door of a PokeMart is nothing compared to some other things I've been hit by," said a voice. Turning, she saw Ben.
"You sure?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yeah. I- Hey. I don't know about medics, but I think we need to find Officer Jenny," Ben said.
"Huh?"
"Their outfits. They're Team Rocket members, class B. That must mean they've stolen a few powerful Pokemon," Ben said. Growlithe let out a low growl, which woke Meowth up.
"Huh? Gah! Get away from me, ya mangy puppy!" Meowth roared.
"Since when do Meowth talk?" the girl asked.
"Last time I checked, they don't. Growlithe, get ready," Ben ordered. Growlithe growled and barked. Jessie and James stirred.
"Oh no. This is almost as bad as waking up to that twerp and his Pikachu," James moaned.
"Hey, what's going on over there?" Officer Jenny cried. Jessie and James jumped up.
"You win this time, but we'll be back!" Jessie cried. The three ran off.
"What was that about?" the female trainer asked.
"No clue. By the way, I'm Ben Oliver," Ben said, extending his hand.
"Lindsey Morgan," she said, taking it. Jenny walked up.
"What was going on over here?" she asked.
"Team Rocket, ma'am. They were here, probably after some Pokemon," Ben said.
"Let me see your Trainer's Licenses," Jenny said. Ben and Lindsey both pulled out their PokeDexs. Officer Jenny examined them both. "All right. You probably were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Next time, leave matters of Team Rocket to the authorities," she said.
"But we were about to go to you and-"
"We understand, Officer Jenny. Sorry about this," Ben said, extending an arm across Lindsey's chest. Jenny nodded and walked away.
"What was that for?" Lindsey asked.
"In my experience, it isn't the best of ideas to argue with the law," Ben said.
"And where'd you get this 'experience'?" Lindsey asked.
"I've been a trainer for a few years now. Anyway, I've got a story to get to work on," Ben said.
"Story?" Lindsey asked.
"Yeah. You've seen the Burned Building, right?" Ben asked.
"Of course. I was here training for the Indigo League when it had that explosion a few weeks back," Lindsey said.
"Well, the CNS has asked me to go check the place out," Ben said.
"Really? I've been trying to get a peak at the place for a while now. I'd pretty much given up and was going to head to the Indigo Stadium when you got here," Lindsey said.
"Well, I suppose an extra pair of eyes couldn't hurt, so why not?" Ben said. The two headed toward the building, just as the civil defense sirens went off.
"This is a state of emergency! All citizens and visitors to Cinnabar Island are to report to the nearest areas of shelter!" Officer Jenny's voice cried over the loudspeaker.
"What's going on?" Lindsey asked, turning to Ben.
"Not a clue. This is the first time anything like this has happened. C'mon. We gotta get to the Pokemon Center," Ben said.
"Right."

In the Pokemon Center, several trainers who weren't shocked about what had happened where speculating.
"Maybe it's Team Rocket coming here to steal every Pokemon!"
"Don't be stupid! Maybe the volcano's erupting!"
"Oh no! We could all die!"
"Maybe it's one of those Legendary Pokemon who are supposed to have created the land and sea!"
"What do you think, Ben?" Lindsey asked.
"I don't know. But I don't like it. I want some answers. Nurse Joy, do you know what's going on?" Ben asked.
"No, I don't. I wish I did though. Attention, everybody! If you would like, I have some blankets in the back. We may have to stay here for a while!" Nurse Joy cried. At that moment, Ben noticed a familiar red and blue haired couple.
"You two!" he hissed.
"You!" Jessie said.
"Hold it. Whatever's going on, why don't we all just chill. We aren't going to get any answers if you guys wind up fighting," Lindsey said.
"Well, there's something that sounds right there," Jessie said.
"Right. You two get to stay quiet, got it?" Ben said. Jessie growled.
"If nothing else, don't let anyone know who you are," Lindsey said.
"What's going on here, Officer Jenny?" someone cried. Ben, Lindsey, Jessie, and James turned and saw that Officer Jenny had entered the Pokemon Center.
"A strange fog has appeared around Cinnabar Island, and several odd things have happened to Pokemon and trainers near the shore. Effective immediately, Cinnabar Island is under curfew. For your safety, we request you remain either here in the Pokemon Center or in the center of the island. If I find any of you outside of the boundaries I have set up, you will be spending the rest of the curfew at the Police Station!" Officer Jenny said.
"What do you want to bet that the Burned Building is outside of the boundaries?" Ben muttered.
"Sound like some pretty decent odds there," Lindsey said.
"We are handing out maps of areas of the island you will be able to go to during this curfew. Also, after eight o'clock, you will have to be back in the Pokemon Center. The same punishment applies if I catch you around town after eight," Officer Jenny said. As soon as Ben got his map he located the Burned Building.
"Just as I thought. Well, I always wondered what it was like breaking the law," Ben muttered.
"What?" Lindsey asked.
"I have to go to the Burned Building. Call me crazy, but I have a feeling that the Burned Building is where all of this started," Ben said.
"All right, you're crazy. But I'm going with you. You may need my help," Lindsey said.
"Excuse me! Is that a Growlithe?" a girl called. The four turned and saw a girl with short blonde hair standing there, looking at Growlithe.
"Yeah. What, you can't tell what Growlithe look like?" Ben asked.
"It's just that most Growlithe I've seen have been either wild or just in battles. I've never seen one out of its Pokeball unless there's a battle going on," she said.
"Who are you, anyway?" Lindsey asked.
"The name's Domino and- Jessie? James?" she said, noticing the two Rocket members.
"Uh, no, you must have us mistaken with someone else!" Jessie said, lowering her voice.
"That's right! We're just two random, pointless Pokemon twerps- I mean trainers!" James said, raising the pitch of his voice.
"That was peculiar," Lindsey muttered, referring to the pitch choices the Rocket members choose. By this time, all of the other trainers had filled out and Nurse Joy was in the back room, reading some beds.
"Jessie, James, I am Agent Double-Oh-Nine!" Domino cried.
"009?" Ben hissed, "I've heard of you. The Black Tulip. You're one of the top Team Rocket members. You're so high in the leader of Team Rocket's eyes that you could steal a Pokemon right from under his eyes, and he wouldn't notice for about a day."
"Half a day. I've been tested," Domino chuckled.
"What are you doing here, 009?" Jessie asked, meekly.
"I'm here on the orders of the Boss himself. He's sent me here to investigate the disappearance of a lab of his here on Cinnabar Island. They were attempting to create a super Pokemon. And if you two trainers have half a brain, you'll be forgetting everything you're hearing. Team Rocket's reach is great enough to put the two of you in a convincing accident before you can tell anyone. Believe me. I know," Domino said.
"The only problem with us 'forgetting' this stuff is that you're going to need us, 009," Ben said.
"Really. How?"
"You can't get around right now. Officer Jenny is going to be making patrols, and if she even thinks you're going to the Burned Building, you'll be in jail."
"What makes you think that I'm going to the Burned Building?"
"It's on the 'stay away' list, isn't it? It's the only place on Cinnabar Island that isn't easily accessible right now that would be of any interest," Ben said.
"All right, so it was easy to figure it out. But you don't know why I want to go there."
"It's simple enough. You want to get information on the Glitch Pokemon for your Boss," Ben said. Domino was knocked off balance.
"How do you know about that?" she hissed.
"The Glitch Pokemon? Come on, now, Domino. If I tell you everything, you won't take us with you and we'll sell you out to Officer Jenny. But if I keep my secrets while you keep yours, we'll both have reason to stay together. So. Are you coming along, or are you just going to leave?" Ben smiled.
"Fine. Just remember who's in charge here," Domino said.
"Funny. That was what I was going to tell you."