Onix curled its massive tail around a huge boulder and hurled it straight at Bulbasaur.
Facing the incoming rock, Bulbasaur swung its Vine Whip repeatedly, striking the boulder again and again until it shattered midair, fragments scattering across the battlefield.
"So strong…!" Ash Ketchum muttered under his breath when he saw the scene.
"Onix, continue, Rock Throw!"
Bulbasaur's Razor Leaf hadn't dealt much damage. Onix's enormous body wasn't just for show, its endurance was extremely high.
Onix wrapped its tail around another boulder and prepared to attack again. Suddenly, its massive body stiffened and trembled.
At some point, Leech Seed had already attached itself to Onix's body.
As Onix tried to launch its attack, the Leech Seed rapidly sprouted, spreading vines across its rocky surface.
"Leech Seed mixed into Razor Leaf…" Brock narrowed his eyes and took a deeper look at Sam.
That was the only explanation.
The Leech Seed grew faster and faster, soon wrapping nearly all of Onix's body in thick vines.
"Bulbasaur, Petal Dance."
Seeing his plan succeed, Sam immediately issued the next command.
Leech Seed continuously drained Onix's stamina from within, while countless petals slammed into its body from the outside. Under the double assault, even Onix's iron-like body couldn't endure it any longer.
A pained roar echoed through the gym.
The outcome was already decided.
"Did you see that, Ash?" Misty said after the battle. "A Pokémon battle isn't just a fight between Pokémon on the field—it's also a battle between Trainers. Charging in recklessly won't get you anywhere."
"Misty, everyone's different," Ash replied seriously. "I'll never be able to battle like Sam does, but I believe I can still become an excellent Trainer."
After watching the entire match, Ash finally understood something.
It was impossible for him to calculate every step the way Sam did, and that wasn't his style anyway.
He had his own way of battling, and he believed that as long as he kept moving forward with his Pokémon, they would succeed one day.
"You're right, Ash," Sam said as he overheard their conversation. He genuinely felt that Ash was correct.
Everyone has their own battle style.
If Ash stopped charging headfirst and stopped fighting against type matchups, could he still be called Ash?
"Keep it up, Ash. I believe you'll become a great Trainer."
"Yeah!!!" Ash nodded vigorously.
Sam's encouragement reignited Ash's confidence. He turned to Pikachu, who had just recovered thanks to Smelling Salts.
"Special training! Pikachu, we need special training! We'll definitely beat Brock next time!"
"Pikaaa...chu!!!"
---
"Ding. Congratulations to the host for completing Side Mission 2: Gym Challenge. Evaluating performance…"
"Based on the host's performance, rating: S."
"Distributing mission reward: Miracle Seed."
"Miracle Seed has been issued. Please check it."
Miracle Seed: A seed that nurtures life. When held, it increases the power of Grass-type moves.
The Miracle Seed in Sam's hand radiated a rich vitality, instantly drawing Bulbasaur's attention.
Bulbasaur stared at it eagerly.
"Here. This is your reward."
The mission had been completed by Bulbasaur, and Sam had no intention of keeping what belonged to his Pokémon.
Hearing Sam's words, Bulbasaur excitedly extended its Vine Whip and placed the Miracle Seed into the bulb on its back.
Bulbasaur would slowly absorb the energy contained within the Miracle Seed. When all that energy was fully absorbed, it would evolve into Venusaur.
---
"Excuse me, how much can these herbs sell for?"
Because there were almost no places near Pewter City that collected medicinal herbs, Sam spent quite some time before finally finding a shop willing to buy them.
The shop owner was an elderly man. After hearing Sam's request, he put on his reading glasses and gestured for Sam to lay out the herbs.
Soon, the entire counter was covered.
The old man was clearly an expert. After a brief inspection, he gave a price.
"Thirty thousand yuan."
Sam nodded in satisfaction. The price was even higher than he had expected.
It seemed the shop owner hadn't tried to undercut him just because he was young.
With the transaction complete, it was finally time to return to the Pokémon Center and rest properly.
It had been a full week since Sam entered Viridian Forest.
He hadn't had a single good rest during that time.
Now that he had finally arrived in Pewter City, it was time to sleep, properly.
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