After bidding farewell to Blaine, Sam found an empty public restroom. He had an important task ahead of him—negotiating with one of his Pokémon.
Inside the restroom, Sam released a Poké Ball and summoned Gengar.
A flash of light appeared, and Gengar emerged from the shadows.
"I want to discuss something with you." Sam's eyes gleamed with cunning.
"We're about to face a tough opponent—Skyla's Swanna."
"It won't be an easy battle. That Swanna has already reached the Elite level."
Looking at Gengar standing in the corner, Sam smiled.
"So, what do you think, Uncle Gengar? Can you handle it?"
Among all of Sam's Pokémon, Gengar was the hardest to manage. It had an eccentric personality and sometimes refused to obey orders.
However, Sam knew just how strong Gengar was.
For the upcoming battle against Swanna, Gengar was undoubtedly the best choice.
As a Champion-level Pokémon, dealing with an Elite-level Swanna shouldn't be a major problem.
Still, because of Gengar's unpredictable nature, Sam wanted to hear its opinion.
Gengar stared at Sam from the corner without answering immediately.
"Think of it as a great opportunity. If we win the Freedom Badge, I'll treat you to plenty of delicious food. Everyone will see how powerful you are. You'll gain both fame and rewards. Doesn't that sound perfect?"
Gengar seemed tempted.
Sam continued persuading it.
Finally, Gengar cried out twice and agreed, but it had one condition—the food afterward had to be doubled.
Sam agreed without hesitation.
With Gengar settled, Sam finally felt relieved.
Now all that remained was to wait for the matches at Erika's Gym to end. After that, everyone would depart for Mistralton City, where Skyla, the Gym Leader of Mistralton Gym, awaited challengers seeking the Freedom Badge.
Erika's qualification matches lasted several more days before finally ending.
Not many Trainers managed to earn the Steadfast Badge from Erika, so naturally fewer people would continue on to Mistralton City.
On the morning of departure, Sam and Erika said their goodbyes.
Erika looked reluctant to see him leave and gently wrapped her arms around him.
Sam stroked her hair.
The two remained in each other's embrace for a long time.
Suddenly, someone coughed.
Sam quickly released Erika and turned around.
Misty, Ash, Brock, and Sabrina had all arrived.
Erika's face instantly turned red, and she buried herself in Sam's chest, too embarrassed to speak.
Sam laughed awkwardly.
"Since everyone's here, let's get going."
The group left Erika's office and set off for Mistralton City.
Along the way, everyone chatted and laughed.
Only Sabrina seemed unhappy. She sat quietly in a corner seat, staring out the window.
Sam wanted to talk to her but didn't know what to say.
Mistralton City wasn't far from Rainbow City, and they soon arrived at their destination.
Together, they headed toward the Mistralton Gym.
Skyla was the Gym Leader there.
Defeating her would earn a Freedom Badge.
Skyla specialized in Flying-type Pokémon.
Her team included Swanna, Unfezant, Swoobat, Skarmory, Sigilyph, and others.
No one was completely confident about winning.
Misty, however, wasn't worried.
She had come mainly to learn and sightsee.
Winning or losing didn't matter much to her.
The group entered the Gym.
The Mistralton Gym was enormous, with many training facilities and side buildings. Every year, it produced hundreds of excellent Trainers.
There weren't many people inside today. Since it was the weekend, most Trainers had likely gone shopping for Pokémon supplies.
At the moment, only a single woman stood inside.
Sam stepped forward.
"Hello. Is Gym Leader Skyla here?"
The woman glanced at him but didn't answer.
Sam tried again.
"Excuse me, is Gym Leader Skyla available? I'm here to challenge her for the Freedom Badge."
The woman seemed slightly interested.
"Where are you from?"
"Rainbow City."
"You came all this way for the Freedom Badge. Do you really think you're strong enough?"
Sam's habit of bragging immediately resurfaced.
"Of course."
"If nothing unexpected happens, I should be able to defeat Skyla within thirty minutes."
Misty immediately tugged on his sleeve, signaling him to stop talking.
Sam ignored her and prepared to continue boasting.
Left with no choice, Misty leaned close and whispered into his ear:
"Brother Sam… that's Skyla."