That night, no one in Viridian City slept well.
An "important item" had been lost from Viridian Gym, and a citywide search was launched immediately.
The entire city was thrown into unrest.
If not for Giovanni's immense prestige as the Viridian Gym Leader, the citizens might have erupted in protest.
"Any news?" Giovanni asked coldly.
He had already given up hope. The search was little more than a formality. He did not believe Mewtwo would be foolish enough to remain in Viridian City.
"I'm sorry, sir. There is still no trace of Mewtwo," the subordinate replied, head lowered, voice tense.
"Dismissed."
Giovanni's tone was steady.
Though fury churned within him, he would not vent it on his subordinates.
"Yes, sir."
The man did not dare linger. He quickly withdrew.
The moment the door closed, Giovanni's composure shattered.
Everything on the desk was swept violently to the floor. The office filled with the sharp crash of breaking objects.
After a long moment, he forced himself to calm down.
Mewtwo's escape was a devastating blow—not only to him, but to Team Rocket as a whole.
It was because of Mewtwo that Team Rocket had dared to challenge the League.
Now, that foundation was gone.
Without Mewtwo, they were no longer qualified to stand against the Alliance head-on. Every carefully prepared plan had collapsed.
Worse still—
His own identity risked exposure.
What a disastrous year.
---
Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains and shone across the edge of the bed.
Sam stirred, squinting against the brightness.
He glanced at the clock.
11:40 a.m.
He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so deeply.
Home really did have a kind of magic no hotel could replicate.
Realizing the time, Sam quickly washed up, grabbed a simple meal, and headed out.
Professor Oak had asked him to arrive at 1:30 p.m.
He had no intention of being late.
---
Riding the bicycle he had purchased the day before, Sam headed toward Pallet Town.
Everything felt familiar.
The wide blue sky.
The winding paths filled with birdsong.
Wild Pokémon darting through the tall grass.
It was peaceful.
He stopped by a familiar stream.
Under a willow tree, a Poliwhirl was resting in the shade.
Its body was strong and well-built—it was obvious it trained diligently.
Around it hopped a group of Poliwag, likely the younger members of its group, chirping noisily.
Poliwhirl rolled its eyes in exasperation, clearly annoyed—
But the children were too young to notice.
They continued splashing and playing happily.
"Come out, Venusaur."
Sam released Venusaur from its Poké Ball.
The moment Venusaur appeared, it recognized Poliwhirl beneath the willow tree.
A gentle smile curved across its face.
"Go say hello to your old friend."
"Bana… Bana."
Venusaur walked forward steadily.
The Poliwag noticed first.
Rather than being frightened by Venusaur's massive size, they rushed toward it in curiosity.
They stared at the enormous flower on its back.
Venusaur chuckled softly.
Fresh, sweet nectar began to flow from the bloom. It wrapped droplets in broad leaves and offered them to the little Poliwag.
The children's eyes lit up.
They chirped happily, gathering around Venusaur in delight.
Only then did Poliwhirl fully notice.
It froze for a moment—
Then smiled.
Though Venusaur's aura had changed dramatically, Poliwhirl recognized it instantly.
Without a word, it stepped forward and assumed a battle stance.
Reunited once more—
It wanted to see how far its former rival had grown.
---
Pokémon: Poliwhirl
Type: Water
Strength: Entry-level Elite
Potential: Elite
Poliwhirl had clearly trained hard.
The tension in its muscles and the steady aura around it spoke of discipline.
But compared to Venusaur—
The gap was undeniable.
Venusaur's potential had always been greater.
Under Sam's careful training, it had already reached high Gym-level strength—only one step away from Elite.
The outcome was never in doubt.
Venusaur defeated Poliwhirl with a single move.
If not for holding back at the final moment, Poliwhirl would have lost its fighting ability entirely.
Poliwhirl was stunned.
It had believed that through relentless effort, it could narrow the gap.
Instead—
The distance had only grown wider.
For a brief moment, disappointment flickered in its eyes.
But just as quickly, it smiled.
Though they were no longer on the same path, it felt genuine happiness seeing Venusaur's growth.
"Bean! Bean! Bean!"
Poliwhirl seemed to be entrusting its old dream to Venusaur.
Once, it had imagined finding a Trainer and setting off on a journey—
Growing stronger step by step—
Reaching the summit of the world.
It had been a beautiful dream.
But in the end, it chose a different life.
Talent mattered.
For Pokémon, sometimes it mattered greatly.
Poliwhirl was not a prodigy like Venusaur.
It was ordinary.
It had worked hard—
But effort did not always yield equal rewards.
Even so—
It was content.
If Venusaur could climb to the highest peak and witness the view there—
Perhaps one day it would return and describe it.
That would be enough.
---------------Author---------------
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