"Bangila, Flamethrower."
Flames roared through the forest.
The trees ignited, and Ursaring's body, resting among the branches, was slowly reduced to ash beneath the burning fire.
A gust of wind rose.
The ashes drifted far into the distance—
Perhaps toward the place Ursaring once called home.
---
On the outskirts of Viridian Forest, a young Teddiursa trained tirelessly.
Unlike the other playful Teddiursa, this one cared only about becoming stronger.
It punched tree trunks again and again.
Its palms split open, blood staining the bark—
Yet it refused to stop.
Only when its mother appeared did it finally pause, looking up with embarrassed eyes.
The Ursaring mother sighed helplessly, gathered herbs from the ground, and gently applied them to her child's wounds.
Resting in her mother's arms, Teddiursa listened carefully to the stories passed down through generations.
Stories of an invincible Ursaring ancestor—
One who defeated every powerful enemy in the forest.
One who, when no rivals remained, left to seek greater challenges.
Perhaps one day—
It, too, would fight alongside that ancestor.
Thinking of this, Teddiursa laughed brightly.
The fire could burn a body—
But it could never burn away will.
That spirit would continue, passed down through the forest.
---
Bangila did not leave immediately.
It stood in silence, gazing into the deepest shadows of Viridian Forest.
It felt it.
Something powerful waited there.
It would return.
Not today.
But one rainy night—
It would come back, venture into the depths, and challenge that unseen Rival.
"Let's go, Bangila," Sam said quietly.
This trial had elevated Bangila's strength—and its confidence.
Though its level had not yet risen, it was only a matter of time.
When it fully absorbed everything it had gained—
It would step into a new realm.
Next time…
It would not lose again.
---
After leaving Viridian Forest, Sam decided to stop by Viridian City.
As he passed Viridian Gym, he saw Gary stumbling out.
Gary looked nothing like his usual confident self.
His steps were unsteady.
His eyes were hollow.
It was obvious he had suffered a heavy defeat.
"Gary."
"Gary!"
"Gary!!!"
Sam raised his voice, snapping him out of his daze.
"It's you… Sam."
"What happened in the Viridian Gym?" Sam asked, though he already had a guess.
Gary took several deep breaths but still trembled.
"I fought a Pokémon I've never seen before. It wore mechanical armor… Its strength was unfathomable. None of my Pokémon could even withstand a single attack."
He swallowed.
"It's scarier than Sabrina!"
For Gary—who had once nearly been turned into a doll by Sabrina—to say that…
The fear must have been overwhelming.
"Mewtwo?" Sam asked quietly.
Gary stiffened.
"You know it too?"
Even hearing the name made him uneasy.
Inside Sam's backpack, the core of Deoxys suddenly glowed with purple light, illuminating the fabric.
"Calm down," Sam whispered softly.
The light faded.
"I'm leaving, Sam," Gary said weakly. "I need to rest."
The setback had clearly shaken him deeply.
A normal Gary would have immediately noticed the strange glow.
"Mewtwo…" Sam murmured.
He had no intention of approaching Viridian Gym.
He wasn't ready to confront Giovanni yet.
Just as he turned to leave—
BOOM!
A violent explosion erupted from Viridian Gym.
A humanoid Pokémon burst through the roof and shot into the sky.
For a brief moment—
It seemed to glance down at Sam.
Sam didn't linger.
Mewtwo had escaped Giovanni's control.
Team Rocket would descend into chaos.
He wasn't prepared to stand at the center of that storm.
Watching Mewtwo disappear into the distance, Sam had a strange feeling—
They would meet again.
Soon.
---
Inside the backpack, Deoxys remained quiet.
But its core pulsed steadily.
When it first arrived on this planet, it had been ambushed by Rayquaza and nearly destroyed.
After barely escaping, it was beaten down to its core again—by Mewtwo.
If not for Sam, it might have remained dormant for decades.
Deoxys did not forget.
It did not forgive.
It waited.
---
Meanwhile, Viridian Gym descended into chaos.
Giovanni's face darkened.
He had not expected Mewtwo to rebel so decisively.
Phones were ripped from their receivers one by one as orders were issued.
All Team Rocket operations were suspended.
One mission only—
Find Mewtwo.
Capture Mewtwo.
Mewtwo… you will not escape my grasp.
---
Sometimes, luck favors certain people.
If Ash had arrived a little earlier—or a little later—he would never have obtained the Earth Badge from Viridian Gym.
But he arrived at precisely the moment Mewtwo escaped.
Facing his old rivals—the Team Rocket trio—
Ash defeated them and claimed the final Badge.
With that, he secured his qualification for the Indigo Plateau Conference.
The stage was set.
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