"Congratulations! Here's the Pure White Badge, proof of defeating the Hengbin Gym," Lian said with a smile, handing the badge to Kai.
"Thank you." Kai took the badge and admired it briefly.
[Ding! Mission completed. Rewards have been distributed to the space backpack.]
Kai observed the badge thoughtfully. It dawned on him that the gym badges in the Kanto region were named after colors.
For instance:
The Pewter Gym offered the Boulder Badge, representing its rocky nature.
The Cerulean Gym presented the Cascade Badge, symbolizing water.
The Vermilion Gym granted the Thunder Badge, reflecting electric power.
Only the Celadon Gym broke the trend with a Rainbow Badge, named after a vibrant spectrum of colors.
---
Preparing for the Next Journey
After the gym battle, Kai and Kal returned to the Pokémon Center. They planned to leave Hengbin Town the following morning.
Kai handed his Scizor and Blastoise to Nurse Joy for recovery, then headed to the public training ground. Releasing his Pokémon, he prepared them for performance training.
Before the session began, he called over Exeggutor and Golbat.
"Coconut egg?"
"Da?"
The two Pokémon approached curiously, sensing something unusual.
"You've both reached the required level," Kai said with a grin. "It's time for an upgrade."
He placed his hands on both Pokémon, consuming 5 low-level Rare Candies each. The candies instantly boosted their levels to 30.
"Coconut egg!"
"Da!"
The pair were overjoyed, feeling a surge of newfound power. Both had awakened new skills as a result of their level-up.
---
Pokémon Updates
Kai examined their updated stats:
[Pokémon: Exeggutor ♂]
Type: Grass/Psychic
Level: 30
Potential: Quasi-Elite
Ability: Chlorophyll
Moves: Absorb, Hypnosis, Reflect, Leech Seed, Confusion, Egg Bomb, Bullet Seed
Taught Move: Dream Eater
Intimacy: 240/255
Exeggutor had gained Bullet Seed, a rare physical Grass-type move. Thanks to its three heads, it could unleash this attack with exceptional efficiency.
---
[Pokémon: Golbat ♂]
Type: Poison/Flying
Level: 30
Potential: Gym Leader-Level
Ability: Infiltrator (Ignores barriers like Substitute to land attacks.)
Moves: Absorb, Supersonic, Mean Look, Poison Fang, Cross Poison, Air Cutter
Intimacy: 170/255
Golbat had awakened Air Cutter, finally adding a Flying-type move to its repertoire. Though not particularly powerful, it compensated for its previous lack of type variety.
---
Experimenting with New Moves
Kai decided to teach Exeggutor Mega Kick, but the attempt failed.
[Ding! Learning failed. This Pokémon cannot master Mega Kick.]
Kai scratched his head, puzzled. "You have legs, don't you? Why can't you learn it?"
Shrugging off the failure, Kai handed Macho Braces to Exeggutor and Golbat to enhance their training performance.
He then moved on to Alakazam, who was practicing Confusion. Placing a hand on its shoulder, Kai successfully taught it Mega Kick.
[Pokémon: Alakazam ♂]
Type: Psychic
Level: 23
Potential: Quasi-Elite
Ability: Inner Focus (Unaffected by flinching or intimidation.)
Moves: Teleport, Confusion, Psybeam, Reflect, Miracle Eye, Disable
Taught Moves: Dream Eater, Mega Kick
Intimacy: 200/255
Although Alakazam mastered the move, its low physical attack stat (Species Strength 50) made Mega Kick situational at best. It might be useful against weaker opponents but wouldn't shine against stronger foes.
---
Next, Kai tried teaching the move to Growlithe, but the system rejected the attempt.
Disappointed but undeterred, Kai decided to wait until Blastoise and Scizor recovered. When the time came, Blastoise successfully learned Mega Kick, but Scizor couldn't.
"Fine," Kai muttered. "Blastoise will have to carry this move."
---
Leaving Hengbin Town
The next day, Kai and Kal departed Hengbin Town, traveling toward Celadon City. Their journey took them through a mountainous region, where green plants were scarce, and jagged rocks dominated the landscape.
"This is it," Kai murmured, glancing around. "Ash's Infernape was captured here."
---
A Missed Opportunity
Kai recalled Ash's encounter with a talented Mankey in this area. It eventually evolved into a Primeape, boasting incredible fighting skills. The Primeape even helped Ash win the P1 Fighting Competition.
Despite this, Ash later gave the Primeape to Anthony, a fighting-type trainer, claiming they would reunite in the future.
"That never happened," Kai thought bitterly. "Ash's Pidgeot returned, but Primeape didn't. What a waste of potential."
From what Kai remembered, that Primeape had at least Elite potential. It could have been a valuable asset, but instead, Ash released it for no substantial reason.
"If Ash is destined to give it away, then I'll catch it first," Kai decided. He was currently in need of a Fighting-type Pokémon.
---
The Search Begins
According to the timeline, Ash had yet to meet the Mankey. It would likely still be roaming these mountain paths.
Kai also knew that this Mankey was unusually friendly, accepting food from passersby. That trait made it less wary of humans.
As they ascended the rugged terrain, Kai spotted movement among the rocks. A small, monkey-like Pokémon was perched on a boulder, its sharp eyes scanning the area.
"There you are," Kai whispered.
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