Venomoth looked at Xiao Zhi, then at Butterfree. After some thought, Venomoth nodded and entered Xiao Zhi's poké ball.
"Butterfree, you and Venomoth should head back to Professor Oak's Laboratory first. See you later."
With that, Xiao Zhi recalled Butterfree and sent its poké ball back to Professor Oak's Laboratory.
After catching Butterfree, Xiao Zhi and his group were heading to Saffron City, preparing to obtain their fourth badge there.
However, in a certain room...
A woman with an older sister-like demeanor opened her eyes, holding a doll in her hand. She seemed to be observing something, muttering to herself, "Why can't I see through him?"
...
...
'Xiao Zhi, do you feel anything strange?'
Li Qingfeng shivered, feeling as if he was being watched. However, the gaze didn't seem to be directed at him, but at Xiao Zhi.
Xiao Zhi scratched his hair, puzzled, but still replied, "No, why? Did something happen?"
'Perhaps I'm being paranoid.' Li Qingfeng shook his head. He guessed it was Sabrina's doing.
Without Sabrina's guidance, Xiao Zhi and his group spent a night in the mountains and only reached Saffron City the next morning.
Standing on the outskirts of the city, Xiao Zhi looked up and couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, so this is Saffron City! It truly is the largest city in the Kanto region."
Xiao Gang still had his eyes narrowed, and he also sighed, "Yes, it's said that Silph Co.'s headquarters is located here. I really want to see what it's like inside."
"They say if you have enough opportunities in Saffron City, even a Swinub can take flight." Xiao Xia recalled what she had read in a newspaper, her heart filled with longing.
Saffron City is located between Cerulean City, Yu Hong City, Kuye City, and Violet City. It is the largest and most prosperous city in the entire Kanto region and is very famous in other regions as well.
Xiao Gang walked ahead, suddenly remembering something, and asked Xiao Zhi, "I heard Saffron City has two Gyms. Which one do you plan to challenge, Xiao Zhi?"
Xiao Zhi clearly didn't know this. He came here because he heard there was a Gym, but he wasn't aware of which Gyms were here: "Huh, is that so? What are those two Gyms?"
Xiao Gang shrugged and replied, "I only know there used to be two Gyms here. I'm not sure what they're like now."
"I see. Well, never mind the Gyms for now, let's go to the Pokémon Center first."
Xiao Zhi jogged all the way, and as soon as he entered Saffron City, he immediately asked a passerby for directions to the Pokémon Center.
With the passerby's directions, the three finally arrived at the Pokémon Center. After they handed their Pokémon to Nurse Joy, Xiao Zhi immediately called Professor Da Mu:
"Professor Da Mu, how are my Pokémon doing?"
Professor Da Mu's face appeared on the screen. He slurped a mouthful of instant noodles and said,
"Oh, it's Xiao Zhi. Your Pokémon are all doing well. Dratini will be able to evolve after shedding its skin a few more times. Butterfree is in the backyard preparing to lay eggs, and Krabby is still the same, liking to crawl around."
"Oh, and your application has been approved. From now on, if you catch a Pokémon when you already have 6, you can choose not to transfer it. However, my suggestion is to occasionally send some back. By the way, where are you now?"
Xiao Zhi was overjoyed, not expecting the application to be approved so quickly. It seemed he wouldn't have to exploit glitches every time anymore.
In response to Professor Da Mu's question, Xiao Zhi replied, "As for me, I've already arrived in Saffron City and am preparing to challenge the Gym. Professor Da Mu, do you know about the Gym in Saffron City?"
"Uh... well..."
Professor Da Mu thought for a moment and still gave his advice: "My suggestion is, if you can avoid it, don't challenge it. If you can command Gengar, then you can give it a try."
Professor Da Mu's words made Xiao Zhi feel strange. What was wrong with the Saffron City Gym? Even Professor Da Mu, such a respected person, was telling him to temporarily give up challenging it.
As if seeing Xiao Zhi's confusion, Professor Da Mu continued, "Originally, there was another Fighting-type Gym here. If that Gym were still around, then you could indeed challenge it."
"However, a few years ago, the Fighting Dojo was defeated by the Gym next to it, which is now the Goldenrod Gym, leaving only one Gym in Saffron City."
"The Gym Leader of this Gym has a bad temper. I heard she uses her Superpower to turn people into dolls. If you want to challenge her, I suggest you first cultivate a bond with Gengar. It's not too late to challenge her when it can actively listen to your commands."
"Before the challenge, I think you can go to that Fighting Dojo to inquire about the Goldenrod Gym's strength. It will help you with your subsequent countermeasures."
The call ended, and Xiao Zhi sat on the sofa in the Pokémon Center, lost in thought.
Li Qingfeng also shared the information he knew:
'The Gym Leader of the Goldenrod Gym is named Sabrina. She is skilled at using her Superpower to evolve Pokémon during battles. Because she had no friends since childhood, she has a reclusive personality. If someone tells a joke, it might have a miraculous effect.'
'Li Dage, how do you know all this!' Li Qingfeng's series of words surprised Xiao Zhi, but the next moment, he became a little worried:
'Can I really command Gengar well? What if we both turn into dolls because of failure...'
Li Qingfeng smiled. Sabrina's Superpower was very strong. But with him there, Sabrina definitely wouldn't be able to do anything to Xiao Zhi.
He estimated his current situation. To give an example, it was like an indestructible object in [Sword Art Online]. His existence could directly nullify most Psychic-type moves that attacked Xiao Zhi.
This was a good thing for Xiao Zhi. Perhaps he could learn Wave Guide Power through him.
'Xiao Zhi, I'm here, aren't I? Ghost-type is super effective against Psychic-type. You know Gengar's strength, you have to have confidence in it. And I'll be there to help you fill in any gaps, so what are you afraid of?'
Li Qingfeng thought for a moment and decided to use a taunt:
'This is the type of fast-attack Pokémon you're best at. If you really feel unsure, why don't you call Xiao Mao. He has Kadabra, he can tell you about Kadabra's attack methods.'
As soon as he heard he had to ask Xiao Mao for guidance, Xiao Zhi immediately refused: 'Let's go to that Fighting Dojo instead! Let's ask them about Sabrina's Pokémon!'
Seeing Xiao Zhi return to his passionate self, Li Qingfeng nodded repeatedly.
This was how Xiao Zhi should be.
A hot-blooded protagonist who wouldn't be defeated by a little setback!