At this moment, Lt. Surge was on the verge of complete collapse.
His voice cracked as he begged, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face.
"What's wrong?" Sam sneered coldly.
"Can't you handle this? Isn't this exactly what you do to challengers every single day?"
"I was wrong—really wrong!" Lt. Surge cried out desperately.
"Please… please let Electabuzz go!"
His dignity, pride, and arrogance had all been crushed beyond repair.
Sam said nothing more.
"Come back, Tyranitar."
The massive Pokémon vanished in a flash of red light. Sam looked down at Lt. Surge with icy indifference.
"I hope today's experience teaches you how to be a qualified Gym Leader."
The moment Tyranitar disappeared, Lt. Surge rushed forward in panic to check on Electabuzz.
After confirming that it had only lost its fighting ability—and wasn't seriously injured—he finally let out a shaky breath of relief.
---
After leaving the Vermilion Gym, Sam returned to the Pokémon Center and quickly found Nurse Joy at work.
"Nurse Joy, I've completed your request," Sam said calmly.
"I believe Lt. Surge will restrain himself from abusing challengers from now on."
"Really?" Joy's eyes lit up with genuine happiness.
"That's wonderful!"
If not for her professional composure, she might have hugged Sam on the spot.
Letting out a long breath, Joy visibly relaxed—as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted from her shoulders.
"I don't even know how to thank you, Sam," she said with a wry smile.
Sam waved his hand quickly.
"No need, Nurse Joy. It's an honor for a Trainer to help Joy."
He wasn't flattering her—he meant it.
Every Trainer knew the truth:
The person they relied on most throughout their journey was Nurse Joy.
Maintaining a good relationship with Joy was invaluable.
"I'm a bit tired," Sam added. "I'll head back to my room first."
"Of course. Have a good rest."
---
Sam wasn't tired at all.
The real reason he returned to his room so quickly was simple—
He was here for the reward.
---
"Ding. Congratulations to the host for completing Side Mission Five: Nurse Joy's Wrath."
"Evaluating mission performance…"
"Ding. Due to Nurse Joy's extremely high satisfaction and the speed of completion, the evaluation has been upgraded."
"Final Rating: SSS."
SSS—the highest possible rating.
Sam's heart raced slightly.
"Congratulations. You have obtained the mission reward: Shiny Gengar."
"Do you accept the reward?"
"Yes."
A Poké Ball appeared in Sam's hand. Using Detective Eye, he immediately checked its information.
---
Pokémon: Gengar (Shiny)
Type: Ghost / Poison
Ability: Cursed Body (When hit, the opponent's move may become disabled)
Strength: Elite (Beginner)
Potential: Champion
---
Even Sam hadn't expected a reward this luxurious.
An Elite-level Pokémon right out of the gate.
And more importantly—
A Shiny Gengar.
If Sam remembered correctly, once Mega Evolved, Shiny Mega Gengar would become a pure white ghost.
White ghost.
Who wouldn't want one?
After all, strength can be temporary—but being handsome is for life.
---
Early the next morning, Nurse Joy knocked on Sam's door.
No, nothing improper happened.
She had come purely to thank him—and to give him a gift.
Joy looked much better today.
The dark circles under her eyes had noticeably faded.
"Sam," she said warmly, handing him a ticket,
"This is an S.S. Anne ticket I prepared especially for you."
Sam's expression turned a little strange.
He knew very well what would happen on the S.S. Anne.
In the past, this ticket would've been priceless—but now, it was closer to a hot potato.
After thinking for a moment, Sam accepted it anyway.
There was no rule saying you had to board the ship just because you had the ticket.
"Oh, right," Joy suddenly remembered something else.
She handed Sam a booklet with a smile.
"I heard there'll be a competition aboard the S.S. Anne. The winner will receive some very rare prizes. You can take a look—everything's listed in this booklet."
Sam lowered his gaze to the book.
A competition…
And rare rewards.
It seemed that Vermilion City still had more surprises waiting for him.
------------Author---------------
Thank you NARTER-501, George Simon and RebelRob_94 for supporting me!
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