c7: Is There a Possibility?
Alex was stumped.
Staring up at the high-hanging fruit on the tree likely a Sitrus Berry tree, judging by the shape and subtle shine he felt utterly helpless. Dreepy, his ever-reliable partner, could have retrieved it in seconds with a quick flight. But as per Victreebel's instructions, flying was strictly prohibited.
A mysterious mythical Pokémon's voice echoed in his head, almost teasingly: "What are you staring at? Terastallize into Flying type!"
Victreebel observed from a distance, visibly amused, its vine-leaves twitching with anticipation.
Its plan had been simple at least in its own mind:
Let Gastly, the mischievous ghost Alex had only recently bonded with back in Lavender Town, control its energy output. Let Dreepy use Protect a technique it had only recently perfected under training inspired by the battle styles of Blue and Sabrina. Then, Gastly would launch an Energy Ball at a calculated angle and force, sending the shielded Drakloak flying toward the branch, allowing it to retrieve the fruit safely. Then… abba abba abba.
That was the gist of it. And in Victreebel's mind, this was nothing short of a tactical masterpiece.
"Gengar! (Boss, is there a possibility?)"
Alex glanced at Gastly with a confused look, still unused to the odd ways the ghost communicated.
"Gengar! (Is there a possibility that Energy Ball is a long-range attack?)"
Without waiting for a reply, Gastly began forming a familiar green orb of energy in its mouth the move Energy Ball and fired it straight at the trunk of the tree. The impact was massive. A small explosion of light and leaves burst outward as the entire tree trembled violently and collapsed in one dramatic thud.
Yet, miraculously, the berries remained intact. Not a single scratch, burn, or blemish marred their shiny skins.
If someone had been keeping stats, they would've noted: Gastly's accuracy Grade A.
"HOLY MOLY! Is this what they call miracles through brute force?" Alex shouted, slapping his thigh in disbelief and joy. He scooped up the untouched berries quickly, high-fived his Pokémon Gastly with a swirl of gas and Dreepy with a proud nod and headed back toward Victreebel.
In the distance, Victreebel was speechless.
What in the name of Arceus just happened?
It had spent years yearning for the berries of that tree. Despite countless attempts, it could never retrieve them. Too heavy to climb. No ability to fly. And its own Razor Leaf or Vine Whip risked damaging the precious fruit. So, it gave up. But it never forgot that helpless feeling that bitter memory of being so close to something delicious, yet never able to reach it.
Today, it thought it could use that experience to teach the juniors a challenge, a rite of passage. It deliberately restricted flying to simulate its own past. It wanted Alex's team to taste the same frustration it once knew.
But this? This wasn't cleverness. This was brute-force brilliance.
It had been thoroughly outwitted. Or perhaps… out-blasted.
They actually just used an Energy Ball to knock the fruits down?
Had all its years of frustration, its deeply buried despair, been for nothing?
Watching its juniors from a distance as they celebrated their success, Victreebel sighed, its expression unreadable a blend of surprise, admiration, and mild existential crisis. Slowly, it slithered forward through the brush, its steps uncharacteristically hesitant.
Alex had no idea what was going through Victreebel's leafy head. In his eyes, the trial was over. His Pokémon had not only passed Victreebel's unorthodox training challenge but had done so in a way even he hadn't expected.
He was preparing to leave the forest clearing that had served as a training ground for the past few days. Drakloak, now more coordinated, and Gastly, freshly confident, had clearly grown in their synergy reminding him of the quick learning he'd seen when Gold trained with his Poliwag and Aipom under pressure.
But before they could leave, Victreebel blocked Alex's path with a low growl.
Without a word, it reached into its leafy body and produced a hardened, dark green leaf broad, jagged, and reinforced with a vine spiraled around its stem. It passed it to Alex solemnly.
"Victree… bel."
"Drakloak."
Thanks to Dreepy's interpretation having spent time observing Victreebel's behavior and communicating through gestures Alex quickly understood the message. The leaf was more than a memento. It was essentially a Razor Leaf, hardened and imbued with Victreebel's scent and energy. If Alex ever found himself in serious trouble, snapping or burning this leaf would send a signal. If he was within or near this forest, Victreebel would know and she would come.
It was like having a trump card in his pocket for emergencies.
With a laugh and a deep bow of thanks, Alex tucked the leaf carefully into his pack and finally left the forest, his training complete. Dreepy and Gastly had both gained levels Dreepy had hit level 23, while Gastly stood at 17 and more importantly, they had grown closer as a team. Victreebel's unconventional mentorship had worked.
Upon reaching Oldale Town, as expected, Ruby and the others had already moved on. Alex, feeling the fatigue of days spent training in the wild, stayed the night at the Pokémon Center. His next destination was Littleroot Town, where he would finally receive his official Pokédex and Poké Balls from Professor Birch.
Sure, he could buy Poké Balls himself—he wasn't new to the world but there was no reason to decline free resources. Besides, the Pokédex wasn't just a digital encyclopedia; it doubled as a Trainer ID, as clearly demonstrated in earlier manga chapters when Sapphire used hers to access restricted Trainer-only areas.
Traveling along Route 101, Alex moved quickly, head down and focused. Before long, he arrived at the lab in Littleroot and greeted Professor Birch, who handed him his own Pokédex along with five standard Poké Balls. The device flickered to life, scanning nearby species, and Alex smiled.
The League journey was finally about to officially begin.
His first target: Rustboro City Gym, run by Roxanne, the Rock-type Gym Leader. In Alex's mind, Roxanne was one of the more grounded Gym Leaders in Hoenn. Unlike some of the others—like Wallace, the artistic Water-type expert in Sootopolis, or Wattson, whose Mauville Gym often suffered from electrical short circuits Roxanne ran her Gym with a scholar's discipline. She was also featured in the manga leading classes at the Pokémon Trainers' School, where she emphasized type advantages and environmental tactics.
To prepare for the challenges ahead, Alex stocked up on Potions in Oldale Town. He didn't bother buying more Poké Balls. After all, he specialized in Ghost-types, and it wasn't likely he'd encounter many that were both compatible and uncaptured in the areas ahead. If he did find one, the five Poké Balls Birch provided would suffice.
As expected, he didn't run into any catch-worthy Ghost-types on the route. But he did attract the attention of several young Trainers eager for battle.
"Hey! You! When Trainers make eye contact, it means we battle!" shouted a kid in a bug catcher's outfit, his Wurmple already out.
Just like in the early manga arcs where Red used type immunity to win, Gastly's Ghost-type resistance came in handy. Most of the opposing Pokémon knew only Normal-type moves like Tackle and Quick Attack, which simply passed through Gastly without effect.
Gastly rose to level 19 by the time they reached Petalburg City, while Dreepy already over-leveled stayed on the sidelines to keep things fair. A level 23 pseudo-legendary like Dreepy would've overwhelmed these beginner Trainers too easily, and Alex didn't want to crush anyone's confidence.
Upon arrival in Petalburg, Alex followed the routine. First, a visit to the Pokémon Center to heal up. Then, a hot meal something he hadn't had since before entering the forest.
Tomorrow, he'd visit Norman, the Normal-type Gym Leader and Ruby's father, known for his strict and methodical training style. Unlike the hyperactive Norman in the anime, the manga's Norman was more stoic and commanding, often training his Slaking and Vigoroth in secret sparring sessions.
Alex was eager but he knew that Norman wouldn't battle him yet. He had to prove himself first.
And that journey had just begun.
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