Red's and Green's screens returned to normal.
The first thing they saw was the death replay, along with the full recording of Little Rei rescuing them.
"In the end we still had to rely on you, Bai—cough—Teacher Salted Fish!"
Red scratched his head awkwardly, sounding a little embarrassed.
Green had also lost interest in continuing the fight. He silently recalled his Pokémon.
Controlling Green, he turned and walked straight toward the center of Cerulean City, leaving behind only a quiet remark.
"Thanks for the help, Teacher Salted Fish… I'll go explore on my own."
Rei Akagi nodded and was about to say something when he suddenly noticed someone in the livestream chat trying to stir trouble.
"Haha, the streamer's supposed to be a public figure, yet he openly robbed the hard-earned money of two legends like Red and Green? No shame at all? Disgusting!"
"Are you stupid upstairs? Red and Green didn't even complain. Why are you barking? Why don't you mention that Teacher Salted Fish revived them?"
"They're only letting it slide out of respect! Not everyone is as low-quality as certain streamers!"
"Mods, ban this idiot already! Don't let him dirty my screen. Do you even know what Teacher Salted Fish fed them? Revival Herbs? No—Revives!"
"Here it comes—Revive. A top-tier revival item in the game. It can awaken a fainted Pokémon and fully restore its condition. Each one can be sold back to a shop for 6,000 ₽, and they're extremely rare and valuable!"
"Teacher Salted Fish, what exactly is a Revive? Why is it so powerful?"
"Ahem. Everyone calm down—no fighting."
Rei Akagi cleared his throat and gently regained control of the stream.
"If someone's stirring trouble, just report them. Our livestream focuses on healthy, positive vibes."
Seeing someone ask about the item, he smoothly transitioned into an explanation.
"Since someone asked, I'll explain briefly. Revives aren't just game items—they actually exist in real life as well."
"They're natural crystals containing special life energy. The conditions required for them to form are extremely harsh, so they're incredibly rare in the wild."
"Of course, there are also artificially refined versions. But the technology and cost involved are very high… so the price is, well… you know."
"Also, it's not just Revives. Many items in Pokémon—like Potions, Antidotes, various Evolution Stones, and even Technical Machines—all have real-world equivalents or theoretical foundations."
"Their functions and uses are actually quite similar."
"So if you're interested in this kind of knowledge, you can absolutely treat Pokémon as a sort of Pokémon encyclopedia."
As soon as he finished speaking, the chat messages immediately drowned out the earlier drama.
"Holy crap! A knowledge streamer!"
"I'm a professional item researcher. Teacher Salted Fish is completely correct! The item system in Pokémon is unbelievably rigorous. Our company is even researching Revive energy simulation!"
"I'm just playing a game—why is knowledge being force-fed into my brain?!"
"Ecology, habits, moves, abilities… and now item science too? Teacher Salted Fish, Pokémon has clearly gone beyond just being a game!"
"Got it. Playing Pokémon = studying. Mom will never worry about my grades again!"
Rei Akagi withdrew his gaze from the chat and looked back at the screen, where Red was still standing in place.
"Let's go. Time to challenge the Gym."
After the accidental attempted friend-killing incident, Red had also lost interest in exploring.
He obediently controlled Red to follow behind Little Bai, and together they arrived at a building resembling a massive aquarium in the center of Cerulean City.
Inside the Gym, a huge indoor lake arena stretched out before them, its surface shimmering with rippling waves.
Challengers needed to guide their Pokémon across this complex water area—rumored to hide "water ghosts"—before finally reaching the Gym Leader's platform.
Such a time-consuming task?
Of course Rei Akagi wouldn't personally do it.
After all—
Wasn't there a top-tier fighter right beside him?
"Red, I'll leave the job of clearing the way to you!"
Rei Akagi's tone carried both unquestionable trust—and a blatant attempt to pass the responsibility.
"No problem!"
Red's fighting spirit reignited.
Red hugged Poliwrath tightly, while Pikachu on his shoulder crackled with electricity.
One human, one mouse, one frog—
Like a special forces team on water.
Under Red's precise and aggressive commands, they blasted through the path with sparks and lightning—literally—"escorting" the obstructing Water-type Trainers back to the shore.
Meanwhile, Rei Akagi leisurely controlled Little Bai, riding on the broad back of Gyarados, slowly following behind while admiring Red's rampage.
The journey was completely unobstructed.
Soon they arrived at the central platform where the Gym Leader waited.
Although Red reached the platform first, the Gym battle was triggered by Little Bai, the host of the room.
A vibrant girl with bright orange side ponytail bouncing with every movement appeared—
Misty, making her grand entrance!
"Misty: Oh? It's you! I never properly thanked you for what happened at Mt. Moon last time!"
"Misty: But don't expect me to go easy on you!"
"Misty: By the way, do you study battle strategies when training your Pokémon?"
"Misty: My strategy is simple—overwhelming offense with Water-type Pokémon!"
"Misty: Go! Staryu!"
A star-shaped Pokémon with gem-like brilliance spun onto the water's surface.
Staryu Lv.20
Ability: Natural Cure (status conditions are healed when the Pokémon switches out)
The battle was about to begin, and the chat flooded again.
"Misty is so pretty… wait, why do I feel like I've seen her before?"
"She said thanks for last time—help with what? Did I miss something?"
"The Mt. Moon incident! When Teacher Salted Fish streamed with Iono, they rescued a girl in Mt. Moon. That girl was actually Gym Leader Misty!"
"I'm about to challenge the Cerulean Gym! Teacher Salted Fish save my life—please give a full strategy guide!"
"Natural Cure? That ability exists? Doesn't that make status conditions useless?"
While quickly scanning the chat, Rei Akagi calmly sent out Ivysaur, speaking in a clear and methodical tone.
"Misty is a powerful Gym Leader who specializes in Water-type Pokémon."
"When challenging her, it's best to bring at least one strong Grass-type or Electric-type Pokémon as your core counter."
"For new Trainers, her lineup usually includes Staryu, its evolution Starmie, and her final ace—Gyarados."
"But there's no need to panic. We're sending out Ivysaur here, which has a type advantage."
"Also note that Staryu's ability is Natural Cure. That means status conditions like Poison or Paralysis will disappear immediately if it switches out."
"So unless you can finish it in one hit—or prevent it from switching—status-inducing moves aren't very efficient."
Battle Start!
"Misty: Staryu! Use Water Gun as a greeting!"
The red gem at Staryu's center flashed as a sharp stream of water shot toward Ivysaur.
Rei Akagi remained completely calm.
"Ivysaur, tank it! Use Ingrain, then give it a little gift—Leech Seed."
The Water Gun splashed against Ivysaur's thick bud and leaves, causing barely any damage.
Sturdy vines quickly extended beneath Ivysaur's body, rooting deeply into the limited soil at the battlefield's edge.
Then countless glowing green spores burst from its bud, attaching themselves to Staryu's smooth shell.
Visible strands of green energy connected the two Pokémon.
Staryu's vitality was continuously drained, converted into nourishment for Ivysaur.
Ivysaur happily shook its leaves.
The damage it had just taken was almost completely restored.
Its health—
Instantly returned to full.
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