"Rattata, use Quick Attack!"
"Charmeleon, finish it off!"
Roar!
With a powerful kick, Charmeleon sent the Rattata flying, then opened its mouth and blasted the opponent with a stream of flames.
"Dodge it!" The Youngster across from him shouted frantically.
But no amount of yelling could make up for the difference in strength.
Whoosh!
Once Luo Yuan decided it was enough, Charmeleon closed its mouth, and the flames dissipated, revealing a scorched Rattata that emitted a slight smoky aroma, twitching just enough to show it was still alive.
"Rattata!"
The Youngster quickly ran over and picked up his badly burnt but conscious Pokémon.
"Don't worry, my Charmeleon has a sense of restraint," Luo Yuan said, tossing the Youngster a mostly-empty bottle of potion he'd used earlier.
"Th-thank you!"
The Youngster accepted the potion, applying it quickly to Rattata, then returned it to its Poké Ball.
After offering Luo Yuan a few coins as a reward, he hurried off towards the Pokémon Center.
Watching him go, Luo Yuan stuffed the money into his pocket and gave Charmeleon a pat on the head.
"Next time, remember—against opponents at this level, don't go using Flamethrower! It's costing me more than I'm getting back."
Yes, Luo Yuan had lost money on this battle.
Since becoming a board member of Silph Co., Luo Yuan had swapped out everything he could for the company's products.
The potion he'd just handed over was top-quality Silph merchandise, and even with only a little left, it cost more than what he'd won from this battle.
While his goal in facing these Youngsters and Hikers wasn't necessarily to make money, but rather to make a name for himself as a "rookie Trainer," it still hurt a bit to lose out.
Groan~
Realizing his mistake, Charmeleon hung its head.
"It's fine. I just want you to start gauging your strength in battles," Luo Yuan said, not scolding Charmeleon further.
Recently, Charmeleon had developed a habit of using powerful Fire-type moves from the get-go, often ending battles with a single hit. While it wasn't a bad habit per se, knowing how to control power is a critical skill for any strong Pokémon.
Luo Yuan didn't plan to alter Charmeleon's battling style, but it was definitely time to teach it to measure its attacks.
Roar!
Charmeleon gave a confident growl, spitting a small flame skyward as it patted its chest in assurance.
Luo Yuan laughed. "Alright, let's go!"
---
Celadon City was the second-largest city in Kanto.
The city boasted Kanto's biggest commercial area, with the famous Celadon Department Store at its center and Beauty Street, which set the fashion trends for the entire region.
It was also home to Kanto's renowned Celadon University, where several distinguished professors, including Professor Oak, had once taught. Erika, the Celadon Gym Leader, was a faculty member here as well.
The university produced over a thousand talented graduates each year for Kanto.
However, Luo Yuan's destination wasn't either of these places.
The Celadon Game Corner.
It served as both a Rocket base and a major source of income.
From what Luo Yuan knew, the Celadon Game Corner generated nearly a billion in annual profits for Team Rocket, even surpassing some of the team's other large-scale ventures.
Of course, that was just a front. Beneath the Game Corner lay the second-largest Team Rocket base in Kanto, second only to the Viridian City headquarters.
After a quick disguise, Luo Yuan walked into the massive gaming hall.
Inside, the atmosphere was lively, almost reminding him of a casino in Macau.
He didn't linger by the slot machines, though.
As a Rocket executive, he was well aware that these games were meticulously designed. Some might get lucky and win a bit, but Team Rocket always came out on top.
After all, Team Rocket was no charity.
He made his way to the prize exchange counter and presented a VIP card to the two Team Rocket members dressed as attendants.
The attendant hesitated for a second, then took the card and swiped it. Upon seeing the information displayed, her expression shifted to one of respect.
It was clear the card revealed Luo Yuan's status as a high-ranking Rocket executive—a big deal for these attendants.
"Welcome, VIP customer. Is there anything we can assist you with?" one attendant asked discreetly.
"I'm here to pick up something that was left for me. You should've been informed."
Luo Yuan paused, then added, "Also, do you still have any Porygon? I'd like one. Make sure it's the best you've got."
After retrieving his order from Team Rocket, Luo Yuan returned to his hotel.
Along with the item he'd asked Matori to prepare, he now had a new addition to his team—a Porygon.
Porygon, the Virtual Pokémon, was an artificial Pokémon created by the Cinnabar Island Pokémon Lab.
Back when the lab disbanded, many Rocket scientists were still working there, allowing Team Rocket to acquire the technology to make Porygon. Now, the virtual Pokémon was one of the Game Corner's top prizes.
Until recently, Luo Yuan had been too busy with Dragapult's training and his Rocket duties to request one from Giovanni.
But now, he felt it was time.
Not only would Porygon complete his six-Pokémon lineup, but its evolutions, Porygon2 and Porygon-Z, were also formidable in battle.
More importantly, they were now in the age of information, and having a Pokémon that could traverse between the real and digital worlds would be invaluable.
At the very least, it could jump into his phone and reply to Misty for him whenever he got too busy.
With that thought in mind, Luo Yuan released Porygon.
"Porygon, nice to meet you," he said, extending his hand to the Pokémon, which looked up at him with a curious expression.
"....."
Porygon stared at Luo Yuan with its hexagonal eyes, saying nothing, and even eyeing his outstretched hand warily.
"Alright… guess I'll have to work on winning you over."
He recalled Porygon back into its Poké Ball.
He wasn't surprised by its reaction.
Though Porygon was artificially made, it still wasn't naturally inclined toward humans. To truly utilize Porygon in battle, he'd first have to earn its trust.
"Why couldn't Porygon have been a Psychic-type?" Luo Yuan sighed. "Then my Psychic Affinity could finally come in handy."
Shaking his head at the thought, Luo Yuan set his sights on his next challenge: the Celadon Gym.
Speaking of which… he couldn't ignore the Gym Leader of the Celadon Gym herself.
---
T/N: CHARMELEON ON TOPPP
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!
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