Zephyr couldn't argue and was taken to the police station by several Officer Jenny units.
His identity needed to be verified.
Thinking quickly, Zephyr mentioned Professor Oak from Pallet Town. After all, he grew up there, and Professor Oak knew him well.
With such a famous figure as a reference, verifying his identity should be easy, right?
At the police station, Officer Jenny activated a remote video call to Professor Oak.
"Professor Oak, this is the Viridian City Police Department. We have a trainer with a suspicious identity. He claims to be from Pallet Town. Could you confirm this for us?"
At the moment, Professor Oak was at his lab in Pallet Town, enjoying a hotpot meal.
"What? A suspicious trainer?"
"Yes, he says his name is Zephyr," Officer Jenny replied.
"Zephyr? Oh, so he finally started his journey? Put him on the screen. That kid didn't even inform me before heading out, and he didn't pick one of the starter Pokémon either. Just like his eccentric father," Professor Oak said, quickly setting aside his meal.
Hearing this, Officer Jenny adjusted the camera to face Zephyr.
"Professor Oak, I'm sorry to trouble you," Zephyr said, a little embarrassed.
"It really is you, Zephyr. Finally started your journey, huh? Did you run into trouble already?" Professor Oak asked with concern.
"Yeah, I started traveling. Before leaving, I caught a Gastly. I came to Viridian City intending to challenge the Gym, but it was closed. I ended up chatting with some guy outside, not realizing he was Team Rocket's Loki," Zephyr explained, carefully skipping over some key details.
"Officer Jenny, there's been a misunderstanding. Zephyr is from Pallet Town. I've watched him grow up. He's not part of Team Rocket. Please let him go," Professor Oak said.
"With your testimony, Professor Oak, I believe him. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, Zephyr. Team Rocket has been very active lately, so we have to be cautious," Officer Jenny said, apologetically.
---
After being cleared, Zephyr walked out of the police station.
During the process, Zephyr mentioned meeting Ash in the Viridian Forest, but Professor Oak didn't pay much attention to it. His focus was on his grandson, Gary, who had already captured over a dozen Pokémon and seemed far more promising in his eyes.
After leaving the police station, Zephyr wandered around. Originally, he came to Viridian City hoping to contact his father via a video call. However, he learned that his father had already left the area.
Taking a seat in a small café, Zephyr ordered a drink and began organizing his thoughts. Thanks to his knowledge of Pokémon anime, he remembered all the key events and locations by heart.
He had met Ash earlier in Viridian Forest. By now, Ash should have already earned the Boulder Badge and Cascade Badge, given his protagonist aura. Ash had not only defeated Brock in Pewter City but also recruited him as a traveling companion. In Cerulean City, he'd beaten Misty's sisters and earned the Cascade Badge without delay.
On the way, Ash also caught strong Pokémon like Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. These Pokémon would become powerhouses later on.
But for Zephyr, these events weren't as enticing. Instead, he focused on Mt. Moon near Pewter City. A large group of Clefairy lived there, hoarding plenty of Moon Stones.
[Moon Stone: Exchangeable for 12 points each.]
This was a jackpot.
Zephyr also remembered other key locations, like the giant Dragonite at Bill's Lighthouse or the fossil Aerodactyl. Each event played vividly in his mind as he planned his next steps.
First, he had to collect badges from all eight gyms to qualify for the Indigo Plateau Conference. His father had even sent him the Earth Badge in advance, clearly wanting him to compete.
The Indigo League would be the perfect stage to test his Pokémon's strength. He wasn't going to miss it.
Moreover, each city he visited had unique Pokémon worth capturing. These Pokémon could be powerful additions to his team.
"Alright, next stop is Pewter City for the Boulder Badge. Then Mt. Moon to grab some Moon Stones. I can't waste any more time."
"Wait, didn't I see some flying boats in the points mall?"
Zephyr immediately opened the system and checked the points mall. He currently had [***] points, which was quite a bit.
After browsing for a while, he found a high-speed flying boat.
It cost 8,000 points.
It was a painful decision, but with this flying boat, traveling would be much easier in the future.
After exchanging for the flying boat, Zephyr left the outskirts of Viridian City. He found a secluded spot, released the flying boat, set the destination to Pewter City, and took off into the sky.
###
Like I said, since this is a completely free with no paywall story, hand over your stones 😏