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Late at night in Rainbow City, within the quiet confines of Erika's bedroom, the Grass-type Gym Leader found herself engaged in an important conversation. After she had asked Eddie about his future plans earlier that evening, both had retired to their respective rooms to rest. However, sleep would have to wait a little longer for Erika.
"Erika! How did everything go? Were there any complications?" came the familiar voice through her communication device.
"Misty, everything went perfectly. Not only was the Team Rocket Division completely eliminated with his help, but I've also entrusted Eevee to his care," Erika replied, speaking to her closest friend and fellow Gym Leader from Cerulean City.
The relief in Erika's voice was unmistakable. The Team Rocket threat that had been plaguing Rainbow City was finally resolved, and the special Eevee that had been under her protection was now in capable hands.
"That's wonderful news! I told you there wouldn't be any problems with him involved!" Misty's excitement was practically radiating through the device. Her voice carried the pride of someone whose recommendation had proven successful, as if she personally deserved credit for Eddie's accomplishments.
Erika could easily detect the confidence Misty held in Eddie, but she found herself wondering about the source of such unwavering faith. After meeting Eddie personally and witnessing his capabilities firsthand, Erika was beginning to understand where that confidence originated. However, this understanding also led her to suspect that Misty's feelings toward Eddie might run deeper than simple professional respect.
"Knowing Misty's personality as well as I do, there's a ninety percent chance she has romantic feelings for him," Erika thought to herself, though she chose not to voice this observation aloud.
"The Team Rocket Division was completely destroyed thanks to his intervention, and Eevee has taken quite a liking to him. I feel completely at ease leaving Eevee in his care. Misty, you truly recommended an exceptional candidate. I owe you a significant favor for this," Erika said, her gratitude genuine.
Silently, she added to herself, "And thank you for introducing such a remarkable man to me. Otherwise, I might never have discovered that there are men in this world who could truly suit me. Though I must admit, Misty, if I were in your position, I might not have been generous enough to introduce him to another woman..."
The resolution of both the Team Rocket crisis and Eevee's situation, combined with her newfound attraction to Eddie, made Misty's assistance invaluable. This was definitely a debt that would need to be repaid appropriately.
"There's no need to talk about favors between us! The important thing is that both the Team Rocket Division and Eevee's problems have been solved. You can finally stop worrying about those issues and focus on what's ahead. We need to start preparing for our larger battle against Team Rocket!" Misty responded with characteristic enthusiasm, seemingly oblivious to the deeper implications of the situation.
"By the way, how would you assess his current strength? Did you have a Gym battle with him? And is he still there with you now?" Misty's questions came in rapid succession, each one casual in tone, though Erika could tell which question mattered most to her friend.
"He has just achieved Gym Leader level strength. We did battle, and he actually broke through to that level after defeating me in our match," Erika replied, deliberately avoiding Misty's final question while focusing on Eddie's impressive capabilities.
The memory of that battle still amazed her. She had witnessed Charizard's aura surge from Peak level peak directly to Gym Leader level in the moment following its victory over her Venusaur. Even with her experienced eye for Pokemon strength assessment, Eddie's rapid improvement rate was genuinely shocking.
Had Erika not personally verified that Eddie had only begun his Pokemon journey two weeks prior, she would have assumed he had been training Charizard since childhood to achieve such remarkable results.
"What?! He's already reached Gym Leader level?! That's incredibly fast!" Misty's attention was immediately captured by this revelation, causing her to overlook the fact that Erika had sidestepped her question about Eddie's current whereabouts.
"Just one week ago, he was merely a Advance-level Trainer, and now he's achieved Gym Leader status!" Misty's astonishment was evident in her voice.
When Misty had made her own transition from high-level Trainer to Gym Leader, despite her considerable natural talent, the process had required more than six months of intensive training and battling. This timeline was actually quite impressive by normal standards.
For average trainers or casual players, becoming an Elite level Trainer within a year would be considered an achievement, let alone reaching Gym Leader level in just over six months. The experience requirements for Elite level are enormous, making rapid advancement extremely difficult for anyone not completely dedicated to training.
Breaking through to Gym Leader level typically requires even hardcore players to spend approximately a year engaging in high-level battles and intensive training sessions. Eddie's accelerated progression defied conventional expectations entirely.
This progression rate demonstrated just how extraordinary Eddie's potential and growth capabilities truly were.
"While it might sound somewhat calculating to say this, having him join our cause will significantly increase our chances of victory in the upcoming battle against Team Rocket," Erika stated with serious consideration, though her words also carried undertones of relief that Eddie had chosen to ally with them.
Given Eddie's demonstrated growth rate, reaching quasi-Elite level within a few months seemed entirely achievable for him. As for attaining true Elite level status, that would depend on opportunities and circumstances, though even Erika herself had not yet reached that pinnacle.
"From your tone, it sounds like he's planning to join our cause, correct? I told you he would definitely align with us! Back when I was..." Misty began enthusiastically before abruptly stopping mid-sentence.
Even someone as straightforward as Misty felt embarrassed about recounting how she had been knocked unconscious by a Team Rocket Executive, only to be rescued by Eddie's intervention. Besides, wouldn't such a personal experience be better kept as a private memory between them? There was no need to share such intimate details with a third party.
"Back when you were what?" Erika immediately sensed that Misty had been about to reveal something significant. This confirmed her suspicion that Misty had shared some meaningful experience with Eddie, which would explain her emotional investment in him.
However, Erika felt no irritation about Misty's reluctance to elaborate. After all, she would likely be equally hesitant to share such personal details if their situations were reversed.
"Ahem... it's nothing really. It's just that Eddie has disrupted so many of Team Rocket's operations that I was certain he would join us in fighting against them," Misty quickly deflected, offering an alternative explanation.
"Regardless of the specifics, with Eddie's participation and that of his companions, our battle against Team Rocket—no, it would be more accurate to call it our war against Team Rocket—finally has genuine hope of victory," Erika concluded with evident satisfaction.
This represented a fundamental shift in their strategic thinking. Previously, their discussions had focused primarily on defensive strategies against Team Rocket's anticipated attacks. Now, for the first time, they were actually discussing how to achieve victory against their adversaries.
This change wasn't due to any weakness on their part that required Eddie and his friends to single-handedly save the situation. Rather, it reflected the reality of Team Rocket's overwhelming strength and resources.
Team Rocket possessed not only vast numbers of operatives but also formidable combat capabilities. They represented a force that even Elite-level masters could not afford to underestimate or ignore.
Beyond their mysterious boss, whose true capabilities remained unknown, Team Rocket's leadership included Sabrina, Lt. Surge, and Koga—all of whom had achieved Gym Leader level status long ago. The number of Gym Leader-level Trainers serving under these Executives remained uncertain, adding another layer of concern.
Furthermore, warfare required skilled commanders to coordinate Trainer forces effectively. On the Alliance side, only Erika, Misty, and Brock possessed the Gym Leader credentials necessary to serve as battlefield commanders. Even with their combined leadership, facing Team Rocket's estimated three thousand operatives presented an almost impossible challenge.
Moreover, even if Misty and Brock could engage the three known Executives in battle, victory against such powerful opponents was far from guaranteed.
While Erika chose not to voice these sobering realities aloud, she knew that Misty understood the situation's gravity just as clearly.