The battle was over.
Nidoking collapsed to the ground, completely unable to continue fighting.
Dying as a warrior—perhaps that was exactly what it wanted.
"Heh… smiling even now."
At some point, Gengar appeared beside Sam, still gripping the unconscious Petrel in one hand.
"Well done, Gengar," Sam said without hesitation.
Originally, he had only asked Gengar to keep an eye on Petrel so he wouldn't escape. He hadn't expected Gengar to capture a Team Rocket Executive alive. That was a pleasant surprise.
With the tension gone, exhaustion immediately washed over Sam. His entire body ached, and all he wanted now was a place to rest.
"Erika, I'll leave the aftermath to you. I'm heading out."
"Don't worry. Leave it to me," Erika replied, noticing the fatigue written all over Sam's face.
---
Ding!
Mission complete: Submission Task accomplished.
Calculating mission evaluation…
Defeated Nidoking and Murkrow.
Captured Team Rocket Executive Petrel alive.
Mission evaluation increased.
Final mission rank: SSS
Mission reward: Black Sludge ×1
The system's cold notification echoed in Sam's mind as he regained consciousness.
Black Sludge?
In battles, Black Sludge restores HP to Poison-type Pokémon over time while damaging Pokémon of other types. In this world, its effect was similar—but with an added benefit: it gradually enhanced the power of Poison-type moves used by the holder.
Sam currently had two Poison-type Pokémon—Venusaur and Gengar.
After careful consideration, he decided to give the Black Sludge to Venusaur.
For Gengar, the item wasn't particularly useful. Gengar's battle style was simple: either it defeated its opponent instantly, or it was defeated just as quickly. Sustained recovery wasn't something Gengar relied on. As for boosting Poison-type moves, Gengar still preferred Ghost-type attacks.
But for Venusaur, Black Sludge was a treasure.
With Grassy Terrain, which Venusaur had learned from Erika, combined with Black Sludge's recovery effect, Venusaur's endurance would reach an absurd level. Add in its corrosive Poison-type moves, and Sam was certain—
Venusaur would become a nightmare to fight.
…No, "nightmare" wasn't quite right.
Disgusting was more accurate.
---
After sleeping for an entire day and night, Sam finally recovered his strength.
Standing by the window, he looked at the bustling Trainers outside the Pokémon Center and smiled.
It was time to continue his journey.
After a brief farewell to Erika, Sam set off toward his next destination.
Compared to the hustle and bustle of Saffron City and Celadon City, Fuchsia City felt almost like a rural town.
Holding a map in his hand, Sam's expression darkened. He'd already lost count of how many times he'd gone the wrong way.
Unlike most cities, Fuchsia Gym wasn't located in the city center—it was hidden deep in the outskirts.
Surrounded by dense forests and beautiful scenery, it was a great place to live.
But an absolute nightmare to find.
Sam had already been wandering through the forest for two full days, yet he still hadn't found the gym. The frustration was real.
He suddenly missed Clefairy, who was still far away in Vermilion City. Back then, whenever he got lost, he'd simply let Clefairy lead the way. With Clefairy's absurd luck, everything always worked out.
Speaking of which… Clefairy had been staying with Xingmei for quite some time now. Maybe it was time to teleport it back.
Just as Sam was completely at a loss, a familiar voice came from behind him.
"Long time no see, Sam."
Sam turned around.
That unmistakable hedgehog hairstyle—if it wasn't Gary, who else could it be?
Saved at last.
"So that means you've been stuck here for two days?" Gary asked curiously as he led Sam out of the jungle.
"Yes. This forest is terrifying. I swear I'm walking less in places like this in the future—it's way too easy to get lost," Sam said, downing a bottle of mineral water and shaking his head with a bitter smile.
In his previous life, he relied on navigation for everything. Now that he was back to reading maps like it was ancient times, getting lost felt inevitable.
"By the way," Sam asked, "are you here to challenge the Fuchsia Gym too?"
Gary grinned and took out a badge.
"Nope. I've already got the Soul Badge."
After finally surpassing Sam for once, Gary couldn't help showing off a little.
Sam raised an eyebrow.
He calmly took out his own badge case and waved it lightly in front of Gary, a faint smile forming at the corner of his mouth.
"Sorry. I already have the Marsh Badge. Turns out the Trainer who escaped from Sabrina's hands really was different."
"You—! You—! How do you know about that?!" Gary shouted, eyes wide in shock.
That incident was the greatest humiliation of his journey.
"Sabrina told me," Sam replied mercilessly.
Gary nearly collapsed.
If Sabrina told Sam, what if she told others too?!
Seeing Gary's inner panic, Sam added calmly, "Relax. Sabrina wouldn't casually tell that story to just anyone."
"…Anyone else?" Gary narrowed his eyes suspiciously, clearly catching something odd in Sam's wording.
Unlike a certain single-celled organism named Ash, Gary was surprisingly perceptive when it came to relationships. Even at a young age, he was far more experienced than Sam in such matters.
He winked and said, "So… did something happen between you and Sabrina?"
"…What happened?"
"Nothing happened."
"Kids shouldn't pry into adult matters," Sam said coolly, fully enjoying the age advantage for once.
"Tch! You're only a few years older than me!"
---------------Author---------------
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