There was a reason Brock would one day become an outstanding Pokémon Breeder—he understood Pokémon far better than most people.
Noticing Sam's admiring gaze, Brock scratched his head awkwardly.
"I saw ordinary Gengar when I was younger. Yours is… a little different."
"Keh heh~ Keh heh~"
Gengar was clearly pleased that Brock had noticed its uniqueness. It floated over and circled around him happily.
"It seems to like you a lot, Brock," Sam said with a smile.
---
Early the next morning, Sam began another day of special training with his Pokémon.
Ivysaur had only recently mastered Solar Beam, so its current focus was stabilizing and refining that move.
Clefairy had been taken by Nurse Joy. She believed Clefairy showed exceptional talent in healing, and planned to use her free time over the next few days to give it intensive training in recovery techniques.
Charmander had reached the brink of evolution. Its energy reserves were almost completely full, and Sam planned to let it evolve during the S.S. Anne challenge.
Gengar usually looked carefree and mischievous, but once training began, it became unexpectedly serious. It showed no slack at all, and Sam was very satisfied with its attitude.
As for Tyranitar and Scyther, they were the most enthusiastic members of the team. In order to grow stronger as quickly as possible, they trained relentlessly, eating well and resting only when absolutely necessary.
---
After finishing training, Sam was planning to find a place to rest.
At that moment, a boy with brown, spiky hair suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Long time no see, Sam."
"Gary?" Sam was surprised. He hadn't expected to run into Gary Oak in Vermilion City.
But something felt… off.
The group of girls that usually followed Gary everywhere was gone.
"What happened to your fan club?" Sam teased with a grin.
He clearly remembered that when Gary first set out, he traveled in a sports car with a crowd of girls following him everywhere. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was some rich kid on vacation.
Gary looked a little embarrassed.
"I'm traveling alone now—like you."
The truth was, Sam had dealt Gary a devastating blow.
Gary knew that traveling alone would help him grow stronger, but in the past, he'd been far too arrogant. He believed that even while living comfortably, he would still surpass everyone else.
Reality proved otherwise.
He had started his journey at the same time as Sam, caught Pokémon at the same pace—and yet he was completely defeated.
That loss crushed his pride.
After reflecting for a long time, Gary finally decided to abandon everything unnecessary and begin again as a normal Trainer.
"Want to have a Pokémon battle?" Sam asked. He had a good idea why Gary was traveling alone now and wanted to see how much he had grown.
Gary shook his head.
Unlike Ash, Gary was very rational. He knew he wasn't ready yet.
"Right now, I don't have any confidence that I could win," Gary said seriously.
"Let's save our battle for the Indigo Plateau Conference. By then, I hope we can have an amazing match."
Seeing the determination in Gary's eyes, Sam smiled.
Gary really had matured.
"It's a deal, Gary."
"Did you come here to challenge the Vermilion Gym?" Sam asked casually.
"Yeah. I already earned the Thunder Badge," Gary replied with a confident smile.
Being able to defeat Lt. Surge made him feel proud. After all, Lt. Surge was a well-known Gym Leader, and earning a Badge from him as a rookie Trainer was no small feat.
Despite the rumors, Lt. Surge wasn't as terrifying as people claimed. He might be rough-mouthed, but he was careful during battles.
"My next goal is the Saffron Gym in Saffron City," Gary continued.
Originally, he had planned to wait until he became stronger. But after losing to Sam, he changed his approach.
If he wanted to surpass Sam, he had to face powerful opponents.
Sabrina, the Saffron Gym Leader, was one of the strongest Trainers in Kanto. Only by challenging someone like her could he grow quickly.
"Sabrina…" Even Sam couldn't help admiring Gary's courage.
"Then I wish you a safe journey."
"See you at the Indigo Plateau Conference, Sam."
------------Author---------------
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