Viridian City is located in the western part of the Kanto region, a bustling and prosperous area. Zephyr, who had spent more than ten days in Viridian Forest, finally arrived in the city. His first thought? Find a place to take a long bath and sleep on a soft, comfortable bed.
But as a novice trainer who had just started his journey, he was practically broke. Luxuries like these were out of reach.
After wandering through Viridian City for a while, Zephyr found himself standing before the Viridian Gym.
This was one of the eight official gyms recognized by the Pokémon League in the Kanto region. Successfully defeating a gym leader earned trainers a badge. Collecting at least eight badges would allow participation in the prestigious Indigo League competition, a dream for many trainers.
However, Zephyr remembered from the anime that Ash was the only one who managed to earn the Earth Badge from this gym. Other trainers either found its doors locked or were intercepted by Team Rocket.
The gym was controlled by Team Rocket. On the surface, they hid their true identity, but behind the scenes, they were recruiting talented trainers or stealing powerful Pokémon.
Zephyr stood before the gym, only to find its massive doors shut tight.
"That's just great…" Zephyr muttered. "I'm supposed to be the young master of Team Rocket, but no one here even gives me any face!"
As Zephyr was grumbling to himself, a man sitting nearby, fixing shoes on the roadside, suddenly looked up and approached him.
"Are you Zephyr?" the man asked directly.
Zephyr blinked, caught off guard. "Yeah, that's me. What's up?"
The cobbler reached into his pocket, pulling out a green badge—the Earth Badge. "Someone asked me to give this to you. You don't need to challenge the gym."
Zephyr's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"
Was this for real? He looked at the badge in disbelief. Was someone opening a backdoor for him?
"Is this… my dad's doing?" Zephyr asked, suspicious.
"You've successfully challenged the gym. Surprised?" the cobbler said with a grin.
Zephyr stared, his mind filled with disbelief. "This is so shameless. Who just hands out badges like this?"
The cobbler laughed. "I'm an old friend of your father. He asked me to wait here for you. Honestly, I expected you ten days ago, but here you are now."
Zephyr's expression turned awkward. He knew why he was late. Trainers usually traveled straight to Viridian City, but he had spent extra time training his now haunter in Viridian Forest before heading to the city.
"Are you really my dad's friend?" Zephyr asked, still a bit skeptical.
"Of course. I even held you when you were a baby. But it's been years since I last saw him. He's finally stepped back into the picture, and you've grown up."
Zephyr froze. "He's back?"
The cobbler chuckled. "Your father can't sit still for long. He asked me to give you a message: don't come looking for him, and don't tell anyone you're his son. You need to grow strong on your own. That's the only way you'll meet him again someday."
Before Zephyr could ask more, a loud siren blared in the distance. Moments later, several Officer Jennys, riding on their motorcycles, surrounded the area.
"Loki, the infamous Pokémon thief, we've got you now!" one of the Jennys shouted, holding a stun baton.
The cobbler—no, Loki—smirked. "Looks like they found me."
Loki turned to Zephyr. "Kid, remember what I told you. We'll meet again someday!"
With that, he ripped off his tattered scarf, revealing a sleek black cloak beneath. He tossed out a Poké Ball, and a massive Pokémon emerged.
It was Hydreigon. The dark dragon's three heads roared in unison, its massive wings flapping as it prepared to fly.
[Three meters away, Hydreigon (Owned)]
[Evil/Dragon-type Pokémon. Known for its ferocious attacks, Hydreigon targets anything that moves.]
[Skills: Dragon Pulse, Bite, Iron Head, Dragon Breath, Crunch, Outrage, Taunt, Hyper Voice, Dark Pulse, and more.]
[Battle Power: 7790]
Loki leapt onto Hydreigon's back and soared into the sky.
Zephyr watched in awe. "What the—? A Hydreigon with over 7,000 power? Just who is this guy? And how strong are my dad's Pokémon if his friend has something like that?"
As the figure of Loki disappeared into the sky, the Officer Jennys turned their attention to Zephyr.
"Hey, kid, why were you talking with Loki?" one of them demanded, suspicion in her eyes. "Do you know him? Are you working with Team Rocket?"
Zephyr held up his hands defensively. "Whoa, whoa, hold on! I don't know that guy! This is literally the first time I've seen him!"
Jenny didn't look convinced. "You're not lying, are you? Loki's a high-ranking member of Team Rocket, an evil organization. Are you one of them too?"
Zephyr groaned, slapping a hand to his face. "Why does this kind of stuff keep happening to me?"
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Well, since this one is going to be free for you all (no paywall lock), how bout you all hand over your stones and reviews, comments!? 😏