"And what exactly did President Kaneda expect to happen?"
Elite Four Agatha looked with clear dissatisfaction at the panting President as he rushed onto the scene.
"Elite Agatha, thank goodness you're unharmed," Kaneda stammered, his face pale. "We only realized something was wrong when we heard the gunshot. We rushed here immediately, but... it seems we were a step too late. My sincerest apologies."
He scanned the chaotic room, his heart sinking further when he saw Secretary Mano pinned in a corner by a massive Arbok. Not just the Beedrill Assassins? How did Mano managed to provoke Agatha too?
"I am fine. The Beedrill Assassins' amateur tricks aren't enough to bring me down," Agatha said. Though she wore a smile, her voice carried a lethal chill. "However, the state of your Pharmacist Guild is far from fine."
Kaneda froze. He knew Agatha was speaking with a hidden edge.
"President Kaneda, I apologize for disrupting your little examination," Agatha continued, her eyes cold. "But the Guild clearly has deep-seated issues that require a massive purge. This exam is officially postponed. We need to determine just how many other examiners besides Mano were bought. This is a scandal for the Guild, and a scandal for the League. Once the investigation is complete, we will restart the assessment—and I will be presiding as the head examiner myself."
"Yes, Elite Agatha. Whatever you deem necessary," Kaneda wiped beads of sweat from his forehead. Even if he wasn't directly involved, a charge of management negligence could strip him of his position in an instant.
Agatha ignored the shifting colors of Kaneda's face. She turned back toward Feng Che.
"Kid, your strength is decent. If you can show me an equally impressive performance when the exam restarts, I might just take you on as my apprentice."
With that, she turned and walked away. Her Muk gripped the struggling Mano and slithered after her, leaving a trail of oily liquid on the floor. To Feng Che's surprise, the liquid emitted a faint floral scent.
She developed a specialized potion just to mask a Muk's stench with the scent of flowers... Feng Che thought. Her mastery over pharmacology truly is at the pinnacle.
With the exam canceled, Feng Che quickly made his exit. Outside the Guild gates, he found Yue and her family waiting for him.
"We just got the notification that the exam was canceled," Yue said with a smile. "What a shame. It will take some time to reschedule. My husband and I have finished our discussion—we're moving to Viridian City immediately. If you're ever in the area, come visit us."
Yue was deeply grateful; Feng Che had not only saved her life but had also refined her brewing techniques.
"Big brother, you have to come! Ai wants to play with your Pokémon again!"
"I will, definitely," Feng Che laughed, patting Ai's head.
"Papa, can I have a starter of my own?" Ai asked, tugging on Dr. Fuji's trousers.
"Haha, of course. Whatever you want, Papa will find it for you," Fuji said, picking her up.
Fuji had already used his special clearance within Team Rocket to investigate Feng Che. The youngest recruit to ever reach Elite status... a mole planted in the League... chosen for the babysitting task purely by chance through Nurse Joy.
Fuji had dismissed any lingering suspicions. Yue was his wife—a secret known to almost no one except Giovanni. Furthermore, Giovanni had elevated Feng Che's file to S-Rank to hide him from League detection. If Fuji didn't have special administrative privileges, he never would have found the data.
"Feng Che, I am Dr. Fuji. If you ever run into a problem you can't solve, come find me in Viridian," Fuji promised solemnly.
"Thank you, Doctor," Feng Che nodded calmly. He decided to keep the Ditto's genetic issues a secret for now, as the Pokémon was currently stable.
After parting ways with the Fujis, Feng Che focused on his next goal: growth.
Froakie and Litten had incredible talent but were low-level. The upcoming Vulpix twins would also need a solid foundation.
"I need high-quality Moomoo Milk for the newborns," he murmured. "If only I had a Green-potential Miltank."
Miltank resources were strictly controlled by the Moomoo Farm in Johto's Goldenrod City. Getting one usually required a specialized license or a massive amount of money. Feng Che saw two paths: buying one from the black market or posting a request at the Bounty Hunter Guild.
I should register a Bounty Hunter identity anyway, he thought. The pay is better than League tasks, and it's a perfect way to train my team in the field.
The Bounty Hunter Guild was a gray organization—vibrant, dangerous, and the third-largest power in Kanto after the League and Team Rocket. They survived by trading in rare Pokémon and illicit intel. While the League tried to crack down on them, the Guild was a master of hiding in plain sight.
Feng Che knew exactly where the Celadon branch was: a reputable Pokémon Nursery near the Shopping District.
"Welcome! How can I help you?" a clerk asked as he entered.
"My Rattata has diarrhea from eating a weird berry," Feng Che said, reciting the secret code. "But I didn't bring it with me."
"Understood. Follow me to see the 'Pharmacist'."
The clerk led him to a back room with a Rattata statue. Feng Che twisted the statue's head to the left, and a hidden door creaked open, revealing a long staircase. At the bottom, a row of masks and black cloaks hung on the wall.
Feng Che donned a Pikachu mask and a long robe. After passing through a heavy fire door equipped with a full-body biometric scanner, he entered a bustling hall filled with cloaked figures and a massive digital mission board.
He queued up at the service window, where a woman in heavy "smoke" makeup and a Lolita outfit greeted him.
"How can I help you today?" her voice was sweet and melodic.
"I'm looking for a Green-potential Miltank. Does the Guild have any in stock?"
The woman typed into her console before shaking her head. "I'm sorry. Security at Goldenrod is extremely tight right now. We don't even have Orange-potential ones in stock. High-potential Miltanks are treated like clan treasures. However, you can post a custom request. You'll need to put down a deposit."
"Green-potential usually goes for 500,000 Dollars. For a Miltank, you're looking at a 20% premium. You should leave about 600,000."
"Fine. Here's an anonymous card for one million. Take it out of there," Feng Che said, handing over the card. "I don't have an account yet, so set one up."
The clerk processed the request with professional ease, handing him a silver card embossed with an ID and a URL. "Your account is active and the mission is posted. We operate on an 'ID only' basis; your personal info is never recorded. You can use that URL to access the Bounty Hunter Dark-Web to track your task or pick up others. Anything else?"
"Yes," Feng Che said, leaning in. "Post a request for these rare herbs as well..."
He listed several key ingredients for high-tier cultivation, offering a generous bounty for each.
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