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However, Gary wasn't in a hurry to distribute the rewards now. After all, Mia and the others were around. If the rewards were distributed at this time, it would definitely be exposed.
"Gary, why are you just standing there? Come on, we should head back," Mia called out, noticing that Gary was still standing there. Hearing this, Gary responded quickly and caught up with the group.
After returning to Bob's home, Gary and the others were so tired that they didn't stay in the living room for long before heading to their bedrooms.
This time, Gary didn't share a room with Mia. Bob had vacated his room so Gary could stay there.
Sleeping in a real bed was a different experience altogether, and Gary slept soundly. The next morning, Gary woke up and headed to the dining area, where Mia was already waiting for him. Mia and Bob came out of the kitchen with breakfast. They quickly set the table and began eating.
While eating breakfast, Bob asked Gary about his next plan. Trusting Bob, Gary told him that he wanted to train in Viridian Forest for a while.
After hearing this, Bob warned Gary that the Viridian Forest might be closed soon, and it would be difficult to leave afterward.
"Closed?" Gary asked, surprised. "What happened that the forest has to be closed?"
"Of course, it's because of yesterday's incident. What else do you think it would be?" Bob replied, explaining the situation to Gary.
Gary hadn't expected that their actions from the day before would have such a serious impact. Without wasting any more time, Gary and his friends quickly packed their bags and headed toward Pewter City, following the map Bob had given them.
Along the way, they noticed many people hurrying in different directions, some of whom were police officers coordinating efforts.
"It seems like this has caused quite a stir," Mia observed as she looked at the scene. Viridian Forest had only been closed once or twice in history.
"Let's stop talking and hurry up. If the forest closes soon, we won't be able to leave even if we want to," Gary urged.
Mia nodded, and the two picked up their pace. Finally, they reached the exit of Viridian Forest leading to Pewter City.
"Wait a minute, you two." Just as they were about to exit, Officer Jenny appeared and stopped them. She looked at them and held out her hand, "Show me your IDs. You can't enter Pewter City without them."
Gary and Mia were familiar with Officer Jenny's routine, having experienced it before in Viridian City. They handed over their Pokédexes.
"Rookie trainers?" Officer Jenny asked, examining the Pokédexes. She then called out behind her, "Cousin, come over here and take a look at this."
Another Officer Jenny came over. "They're indeed rookie trainers. I've checked myself," she confirmed.
The Officer Jenny from Pewter City nodded in acknowledgment and allowed them to enter the city.
After entering Pewter City, Officer Jenny looked at Gary and said, "You're really lucky. Since the explosion in Viridian Forest, both Viridian and Pewter City have sent large teams to investigate. They found the source of the explosion, which was a secret Team Rocket base. They were developing a special Poké Ball, but the equipment inside was destroyed."
"Was there any usable equipment left?" Gary asked, curious.
"That's not something you need to worry about. After the incident, Professor Oak was notified and kept calling to check on your safety. My phone nearly blew up. Now that you're here, go let him know you're safe," Officer Jenny responded, brushing off Gary's questions.
"I understand, Officer Jenny. I'll head to the Pokémon Center to call my grandfather," Gary replied, knowing she wasn't going to share more details.
After saying goodbye to Officer Jenny, Gary and Mia made their way to the Pokémon Center.
Once there, Gary went straight to the phone area and dialed the number for Professor Oak's lab.
The phone rang a few times before Professor Oak answered. Seeing that Gary was safe, the professor sighed in relief. They talked for a while before Gary finally hung up the phone.
"Mia, you should call your parents too. They've probably heard about the Viridian Forest incident and are worried about you," Gary suggested.
Mia hesitated for a moment before nodding. She sat down and dialed her home number.
Her mother answered almost immediately, crying tears of relief. Her father, though not as visibly emotional, showed his concern through his eyes.
Mia reassured her parents about her safety and asked them not to worry before hanging up the phone.
"Gary, when are you planning to challenge the gym?" Mia asked after finishing her call.
"In a few days. I want to train my Pokémon a bit more first, so I'll be more confident when I challenge the gym," Gary replied.
"You're not worried that you won't be able to beat the Gym Leader if you go now, are you?" Mia teased.
Gary took the teasing in stride, as this kind of banter was normal between them. He was just relieved that Mia was in good spirits.
Gary then asked Mia if she wanted to rest, but she said she wanted to eat first before resting. Gary, on the other hand, only had one thing on his mind—sleep. The two parted ways, with Gary heading to the Pokémon Center to heal his Pokémon and then going to rest, while Mia enjoyed a meal at the restaurant.
"System, allocate all the experience gained earlier to Magikarp, and assign the Hyper Beam skill card to Deino," Gary muttered as he lay on the bed.
He hadn't forgotten about the rewards he had received. With these rewards, his Pokémon's strength would reach a new level.
"Ding!"
"8000 experience points have been distributed. Shiny Magikarp's level has increased to level 15. The Hyper Beam skill card has been distributed. Deino has learned the move Hyper Beam."
Hearing that the rewards had been distributed, Gary asked the system to show him the status of Deino and Charmander.
''Pokémon:'' Deino
''Type:'' Dark/Dragon
''Level:'' 10 [500/900 XP]
''Next Evolution:'' Zweilous [Level 50]
''HP:'' 400
''Attack:'' 160
''Special Attack:'' 140
''Special Defense:'' 150
''Defense:'' 150
''Speed:'' 165
''Ability:'' Hustle [Increases physical attack but lowers accuracy]
''Moves:'' Tackle, Dragon Rage, Hyper Beam
''Pokémon:'' Charmander
''Type:'' Fire
''Level:'' 10 [310/900 XP]
''Next Evolution:'' Charmeleon [Level 16]
''HP:'' 370
''Attack:'' 150
''Special Attack:'' 175
''Special Defense:'' 145
''Defense:'' 145
''Speed:'' 185
''Ability:'' Blaze [Powers up Fire-type moves when HP is low]
''Moves:'' Scratch, Ember
Looking at their stats, it was clear that Deino was far superior in overall strength, but that was expected since it was a rare Pokémon. However, Charmander had an edge in speed.
Overall, both Pokémon had their own strengths.
After reviewing the information, Gary lay down and fell asleep.
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