After securing the Boulder Badge, Gary returned to the Pokémon Center and handed Wartortle over to Nurse Joy for immediate treatment. While Wartortle was still conscious, the impact from Onix's throw had caused significant bruising.
With some free time on his hands, Gary sat down at the center's public computer terminal and began searching for information on mobile communication devices.
The technology in Kanto at this point was noticeably outdated.
Communication networks existed, of course, but the hardware was bulky. Video calls were still a concept reserved for high-end corporate labs. Portable communication devices small enough to fit in a pocket hadn't been mass-produced yet.
Technically, the miniaturization was possible. But no major company had pushed for the transformation yet.
According to the timeline Gary remembered, a communications company in the Johto Region had recently developed a prototype mobile phone. It was currently in the promotional stage, available only within Johto.
"Found it… but it's only sold in Johto," Gary muttered, scanning the search results.
He could order it online, but shipping from Johto to Kanto would take over a week.
"Then I'll stay in Cerulean City for a week," Gary decided. He could use the time to train while waiting for the delivery.
He placed the order immediately, setting the delivery address to the Cerulean City Pokémon Center.
Afternoon — Pewter City Public Training Field
Before leaving Pewter, Gary stocked up on supplies at the local Pokémon Store, purchasing a fresh batch of energy cubes. Then he took his team to the public training field for a full session.
Gary's training regimen was divided into two categories: Performance Training and Skill Training.
Performance training focused on physical conditioning. Wartortle and Scyther ran fifty laps around the field while wearing weighted vests. Endurance was the foundation of any long-term battle.
Skill training focused on move proficiency.
Wartortle practiced Water Pulse. The goal was to bring its stability and firing speed up to the level of Water Gun. It was still slightly unstable during compression, but the repetition was helping.
Scyther focused on its slashing techniques. Its scythes were its primary weapons. Gary had no intention of training Wing Attack further. He planned to evolve Scyther into Scizor eventually. While Scizor was incredibly fast, its metal body made flight nearly impossible. Investing time in a flying move would be wasteful.
Exeggutor and Butterfree paired up for Confusion practice. They bound each other with psychic energy and attempted to break free. This dual-pressure exercise sharpened their mental resistance and improved their control over psychic force.
Occasionally, a rookie Trainer would approach Gary for a battle.
Gary accepted every challenge.
But none of them lasted more than a few minutes. Pewter City didn't have many strong Trainers—mostly locals preparing for their first Gym challenge. They were all easily swept aside by Gary's team.
A mature Trainer rarely challenged others without purpose. Only rookies eager for experience, or confident veterans seeking a specific spar, would initiate battles. Gary fell into neither category, but he didn't refuse the free experience points for his team.
The Next Morning
Gary packed up and rode his bicycle out of Pewter City. His next destination was Cerulean City, but the direct route required crossing Mt. Moon.
Mt. Moon was notoriously difficult to navigate. Most travelers used the main tunnel to avoid getting lost in the winding caverns.
"Unfortunately, fossil revival technology isn't mature yet," Gary murmured, looking up at the rocky entrance of the mountain. "Otherwise, digging around here would be worth it."
Mt. Moon was rich in fossils. Many of the exhibits in the Pewter City Museum of Science had been excavated from these very caves.
If revival technology were available, the Pewter Gym—and Brock's family, who were fossil collectors—would be incredibly wealthy. But for now, the Dome and Helix Fossils were just geological artifacts.
"Butterfree," Gary said, looking down at the Pokémon resting on his handlebars. "Can we walk through this cave?"
Many amateur excavators had dug unofficial tunnels into Mt. Moon over the years. Some were dead ends. Some were unstable.
Butterfree knew Supersonic. It could map the interior structure using sound waves.
"Butterfree!"
Butterfree nodded, fluttered off the bike, and flew toward the cave entrance. It emitted a series of high-frequency waves, listening to the echoes bounce back.
A moment later, Butterfree suddenly darted back toward Gary, wings beating frantically.
Something was coming out.
A black shadow shot out of the cave mouth, hovering in the air with wings spread wide.
"Golbat!" Gary identified it instantly.
He was slightly surprised. Wild Golbat were uncommon near main travel routes. Most high-level Pokémon in Mt. Moon had already been captured by Trainers passing through. The ones left were usually low-level Zubat.
[Golbat ♂ — Level 22 — Gym-tier]
Gary's eyes narrowed.
Gym-tier potential?
That was rare for a wild encounter in this area.
"Screech!"
Golbat hissed. It was naturally sensitive to light, but it looked emaciated—desperate. It didn't retreat into the shadows. Instead, it hovered aggressively, blocking the entrance.
"It's time to capture it," Gary decided. Pokémon with Gym-tier potential were valuable assets. He wasn't going to let this one slip away.
"Butterfree—Confusion!"
"Butterfree!"
Butterfree's compound eyes glowed blue. A wave of psychic energy surged forward, attempting to lock Golbat in place.
Golbat shrieked and immediately released a harsh Supersonic.
The sound waves collided with the psychic energy, disrupting the lock. Confusion relied on mental focus; Supersonic caused physical disorientation. The two moves canceled each other out.
Gary covered his ears against the noise.
"Counter with Supersonic!"
Butterfree released its own sonic waves. The two frequencies clashed in midair, neutralizing the disruption.
In the same instant, Golbat vanished.
It activated Agility, moving so fast it became a blur. It circled Butterfree, four fangs glistening with purple venom—Poison Fang. It was looking for an opening to strike.
"If it gets close, use Sleep Powder," Gary ordered calmly.
Golbat was fast, but Butterfree had Compound Eyes. Its accuracy was boosted by 20%. Speed alone wouldn't allow Golbat to evade a spread move like Sleep Powder.
Golbat darted in from behind, attempting a sneak attack.
Butterfree didn't even turn around. It simply shivered its wings.
Clusters of green powder erupted into the air, spreading instantly.
Golbat inhaled sharply. Its wings stuttered mid-flight. The venomous fangs slackened. Within seconds, its eyes rolled back, and it plummeted from the sky, landing heavily on the dirt path.
Asleep.
Gary walked over, kneeling beside the fallen Pokémon.
"Butterfree, clear the air," he said.
Butterfree flapped its wings gently, blowing the remaining Sleep Powder away from the entrance.
Gary examined Golbat closely.
It was thin. Its ribs were visible beneath the purple skin. This Golbat was starving.
"Why is this happening?" Gary frowned, resting his chin on his hand.
Mt. Moon wasn't a high-danger zone. A Level 22 Golbat should have been the apex predator in this immediate area. It should have had no trouble hunting Zubat or Paras for food.
There was no reason for a dominant Pokémon to be starving unless something was wrong.