In the face of absolute strength, everything else was meaningless.
Gary tried every tactic he could think of, but none of them worked.
Scyther's razor-sharp blades carved across Wartortle's body, and with each strike, they also shattered Gary's confidence.
Watching Wartortle struggle helplessly on the battlefield, Gary felt utterly lost.
He had always considered himself a genius, a Trainer who never needed to pay attention to others. Only today did he finally realize that he had been nothing more than a frog at the bottom of a well, mistaking the sky above for the whole world.
"Finish it," Sam said calmly, his expression unchanged.
"Scyther, X-Scissor."
Scyther crossed its arms, emerald-green energy surging between its blades.
The moment felt right.
Scyther lunged forward, slashing down with terrifying force.
The blades struck Wartortle head-on, sparks exploding at the point of impact.
After enduring repeated heavy blows, Wartortle could no longer hold on. It collapsed onto the ground, completely losing its ability to battle.
Without saying a word, Gary recalled Wartortle into its Poké Ball, turned around, and left.
The once-proud chosen one of heaven had suffered a devastating blow in today's match.
Watching Gary's retreating figure, Sam didn't step forward to comfort him.
Defeat was a common experience for Trainers. Gary's journey had been far too smooth—this setback might actually be a good thing for him.
"Gary!"
Seeing his dazed expression, the girls hurried over, surrounding him and offering comfort.
"I'm fine," Gary said, forcing a smile so they wouldn't worry.
Whether he was truly fine… only Gary himself knew.
After the battle, Sam didn't linger. He continued on toward Vermilion City.
---
A week later, Sam was wandering through the forest with a pounding headache.
According to his original plan, he should have arrived in Vermilion City long ago.
"Ugh…" Sam sighed helplessly.
The reason was simple.
He was lost.
The Pokémon world's natural environment was incredibly rich, with forests and jungles everywhere. And as everyone knew, it was frighteningly easy to get lost in a jungle.
Returning to the same spot yet again, Sam felt a bit desperate.
He had tried maps, landmarks, and every conventional method he could think of, but nothing worked.
Left with no other options, he decided to use his last resort.
A mysterious smile tugged at the corner of Sam's mouth. He took out a Poké Ball and said,
"Please, Clefairy."
Having reached a dead end, Sam could only hope that Clefairy's legendary luck would guide him out of this troublesome forest.
"Which way should we go, Clefairy?"
Clefairy tapped its finger against its cheek, thinking seriously.
Soon, it made its decision.
It stretched out its right hand and pointed straight ahead.
"Alright," Sam said. "Let's go."
It had to be said, Clefairy, the so-called darling of luck, truly lived up to its reputation.
After walking in the direction Clefairy indicated for just over half an hour, Sam finally emerged from the forest that had trapped him for most of the day.
Delighted, Sam lifted Clefairy into the air and praised it loudly.
"Well done, Clefairy!"
"Clefairy~!"
Being praised by its Trainer put Clefairy in a wonderful mood, and it gave Sam a sweet smile.
Now that they were out of the forest, they needed to hurry.
Sam looked up at the sky. Dusk was already setting in, and darkness was slowly creeping across the horizon. He needed to reach the nearest Pokémon Center before night fell.
"Ouch"
Just as Sam was about to hurry off, a weak growl caught his attention.
What was that?
Curious, Sam exchanged a glance with Clefairy. The two of them headed toward the sound.
The growl was very close. After only a few steps, Sam found its source.
It was a Charmander.
The Charmander looked completely drained of energy, lying weakly on a rock and letting out quiet yawns.
Sam was surprised. He hadn't expected to encounter a Charmander here.
The three starter Pokémon were extremely rare in the wild. Outside of a few special locations, encountering one was almost unheard of.
After carefully examining it, Sam quickly understood what was going on.
This Charmander had been abandoned.
There was no trace of wildness about it, and Sam's approach didn't make it uncomfortable at all, clear signs that it was accustomed to humans.
Such behavior usually only appeared in Pokémon that had once been raised by Trainers.
And since Sam could tell that it currently had no owner, the conclusion was obvious.
This Charmander had been abandoned.
--
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