With Growlithe trotting beside him, Zen made his way back to Viridian Ranger Center. The early morning mission had taken end faster than expected, but he completed it.
As the doors slid open, he saw Lara sitting at her desk, going through mission reports. She looked up and smiled.
"Zen! Back already?"
Zen nodded. "Mission complete. Found the Growlithe hiding in the forest and brought it back safely."
Lara leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms. "Good job. Let me process your report and update your merit points." She typed into the system, then glanced at the screen. "Alright, you've earned… +10 merit points."
Zen frowned. "Only 10?"
Lara raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Only? Kid, most Basic Rank Rangers get about 10 points per mission. You're just used to getting ridiculous amounts because you keep getting into insane situations
, like fighting Team Rocket."
Zen scratched his cheek. "I guess that makes sense…"
Lara laughed. "You're just spoiled with high rewards. But trust me, every point counts. Keep stacking them up, and they'll be useful later."
Before Zen could say anything else, the door opened, and a boy rushed in.
The moment Growlithe saw the boy, its tail wagged wildly.
"Growlithe!" The boy knelt, arms wide open. Growlithe barked happily and jumped into his embrace.
Zen watched as the boy hugged his Pokémon tightly. "You really had me worried…"
Growlithe whimpered, nuzzling into his arms.
The boy turned to Zen. "Thank you! I was so scared when Growlithe ran off. I thought I'd never see him again."
Zen smiled. "Just doing my job. Make sure to take better care of him."
The boy nodded. "I will! Oh, here!" He pulled out something from his pocket and handed it to Zen. "It's not much, but I want you to have this."
Zen looked down at the small item in his hand—a Razz Berry.
Lara chuckled. "A little extra reward, huh? Not bad."
The boy thanked Zen one last time before leaving with Growlithe.
Lara crossed her arms. "Alright, since you've completed your mission for today, you're free to do whatever you want."
Zen grinned. "Then I'm heading to the park. I want to train my Pokémon."
Lara smirked. "You never take a break, do you?"
Zen shrugged. "I need to get stronger."
With that, he left the Ranger Center and made his way to Viridian Park.
The park was peaceful in the late afternoon. Few trainers were around, and the cool breeze made it a perfect place for training.
Zen took a deep breath. "Alright, let's get started!"
He released Kakuna and Ledyba onto the grassy field.
Ledyba hovered, flapping its wings excitedly, while Kakuna remained still, its eyes focused.
Zen crouched in front of them. "We need to get stronger. We don't know when we'll run into tram rocket again, and I want you both to be ready."
Ledyba chirped in agreement.
Zen nodded. "First, Ledyba, let's work on your speed and agility."
Ledyba flew high, weaving between trees as Zen called out instructions.
"Faster! Change direction! Dodge invisible attacks!"
Next, Zen focused on Kakuna.
"I know you can't move much, but your defenses are strong. Let's work on Harden again this time."
Kakuna's shell glowed slightly as it increased its durability.
After an hour of intense training, Zen collapsed onto the grass, exhausted.
Ledyba landed beside him, panting.
Kakuna remained still, but somehow, it looked stronger.
Zen smiled. "We're making progress. Soon, you'll both evolve… and then we'll be even stronger."
The sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the park.
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Only one chapter today :)