After Lance arrived in Dark City, Sam finally felt at ease.
He told Lance everything he knew about the situation, and once it was done, he prepared to leave.
Just as he was about to go, Lance stopped him.
"Sam," Lance said meaningfully, "become stronger. As fast as you can. The Alliance needs new power to confront the darkness."
Sam didn't fully understand what Lance was implying.
But becoming stronger had always been his goal.
He waved casually without turning around.
"Don't worry, Mr. Lance. You don't have to tell me that. I'll become stronger — because I want to see what the view looks like at the very top."
"The view at the top?" Lance smiled faintly. "That's not easy. It's a hundred times harder than surpassing me."
Sam stopped.
He turned back, grinning brightly.
"If it were easy… wouldn't life be meaningless?"
Lance burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! You're right. I'll be waiting, Sam. I'm looking forward to that day."
As he watched Sam's departing figure, Lance couldn't help but mutter:
"Interesting."
---
Before leaving Dark City, Sam returned to the small restaurant.
"Grandma, your cooking is really amazing. Thank you for the hospitality."
The old woman looked at him gently.
"Thank you," she said simply.
There was no way she hadn't heard about the massive commotion earlier that day. The fall of Yas Gym and Kaz Gym had spread like wildfire. The entire city already knew.
Dark City felt completely different now.
The once-desolate streets were packed with residents. Smiles had returned to their faces. Some people even held musical instruments, celebrating openly.
The oppressive atmosphere that once suffocated the city had vanished.
Sam waved lightly.
"You should thank Mr. Lance, Grandma. I just helped a little."
He adjusted his backpack.
"Well… time for me to go. See you next time."
Dark City was only a stop on his journey.
He wouldn't stop moving forward until he reached the end.
---
As he left the city, Lance's words echoed in his mind.
Become stronger. As fast as possible. The Alliance needs new power.
"As fast as possible…"
Sam narrowed his eyes.
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
"Does Lance mean… reaching Elite-level strength before Kanto and Johto fully integrate?"
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
Otherwise, Lance wouldn't have emphasized "in the shortest possible time."
Elite.
Of course he wanted to become an Elite.
Elite meant power.
Status.
A new tier of existence.
No Trainer could resist that temptation.
"Maybe I really am the Red template," Sam muttered to himself jokingly.
From receiving his starter Pokémon to challenging the Elite Four — if he truly achieved it within half a year, that growth rate would rival even the legendary Red.
But another question surfaced.
Every Elite specialized in a specific type.
If he wanted to become one, what type would he choose?
Rock-type was his first instinct. His true ace, Tyranitar, was Rock-type.
But beyond Tyranitar, he lacked depth in that category.
He had never deliberately built his team around one type. His Pokémon covered a wide range of attributes.
After thinking until his head nearly hurt—
He finally made a decision.
Flying-type.
He blinked.
Why did that feel… strangely targeted?
Scyther.
Gyarados.
Charizard.
And once Dratini evolved into Dragonite—
Four Flying-types.
A strange realization hit him.
If he sent out those four in sequence, they would look suspiciously similar to the lineup of a certain Dragon-type Elite.
He couldn't help laughing.
Fans used to joke that Lance wasn't truly a Dragon-type Elite — he was a Flying-type Elite in disguise.
If Sam actually became a Flying-type Elite, then when he challenged Lance—
Their teams would heavily overlap.
That would be hilarious.
Just imagining Lance's expression made Sam grin uncontrollably.
He might regret telling me to become stronger, Sam thought mischievously.
Originally, Sam had planned to head straight to Cinnabar Island for his final Badge.
But now—
He changed direction.
If he wanted to become a true Flying-type master, how could he ignore Aerodactyl?
Target: Dasha Valley.
Full speed ahead.
---
Dasha Valley wasn't far from Dark City.
In the past, it was a barren wasteland surrounded by desert — nearly inaccessible, with few visitors.
But that had changed.
Since ancient Pokémon fossils were discovered there, Dasha Valley had transformed into one of the hottest destinations in Kanto.
Countless Trainers flocked there daily, dreaming of uncovering rare fossils.
It had effectively become Kanto's most popular excavation hotspot.
Originally, Sam hadn't planned to join the frenzy.
He wasn't Ash — he didn't randomly encounter rare Pokémon wherever he went.
Although fossil Pokémon interested him, he had kept his expectations realistic.
But now things were different.
If he wanted to become a true Flying-type Elite—
And perhaps one day stand face-to-face with the great Dragon master—
Then he had to try.
Maybe luck would be on his side.
Maybe he would encounter a high-potential Aerodactyl.
After all—
Dreams mattered.
And sometimes…
You had to chase them.