"Red, if possible, I hope you can help find Mr. Fuji's whereabouts. Mr. Fuji suddenly disappeared yesterday, and everyone is extremely worried!" Rena said, looking at Red with pleading eyes.
"Everyone, we've found where Mr. Fuji is!"
A middle-aged man pushed open the door and shouted, his tone frantic, fear evident in his eyes.
"Where? Where is he?" everyone hurriedly asked.
"It's Pokémon Tower! Someone saw Mr. Fuji enter Pokémon Tower alone yesterday!" the middle-aged man explained.
"Why would he do such a thing?" one volunteer asked in confusion.
"Of course because of Team Rocket!" another volunteer said. "He must have gone to Pokémon Tower to negotiate with Team Rocket, and then he was captured!"
"They're clearly not opponents who can be reasoned with!"
"Could it be that Pokémon Tower has been taken over by Team Rocket?" Red asked.
"That's right. Those guys from Team Rocket forcibly occupied the top floor of Pokémon Tower without any warning. They arrived uninvited in trucks and immediately seized the tower, even rudely driving out the people who came to pay their respects!" Rena explained. "Since that day, Pokémon Tower has been inaccessible!"
To prevent the residents of Lavender Town from calling the police, Team Rocket threatened to destroy the tombstones inside Pokémon Tower if anyone reported them. That threat completely forced the residents to accept the situation, as none of them could bear to see their Pokémon's graves destroyed.
"Team Rocket really acts without restraint!" Red said coldly. If Lavender Town had stationed police, Team Rocket wouldn't have been so brazen. But no one had expected them to carry out their plan in this overlooked town.
"It's not just that Team Rocket has occupied Pokémon Tower—ghosts have appeared inside as well!" a female volunteer said in panic. "I'm not lying! I saw it with my own eyes. Some time ago, I sneaked in at midnight to pay my respects, and suddenly an evil spirit appeared and drove me out. Even now, I'm still terrified of how it looked!"
"If we can't enter Pokémon Tower, this town is finished!" the middle-aged man said. Most of Lavender Town's income relied on visits to Pokémon Tower. If Team Rocket continued occupying it, the townspeople would have no choice but to leave and seek another way to survive.
"Let's all go rescue Mr. Fuji together!" Rena urged.
"Team Rocket is guarding the place—it's impossible!"
"Those Team Rocket members aren't weak. We're no match for them!"
"There are ghosts appearing there! I'm absolutely not going!"
Although they resented Team Rocket for occupying Pokémon Tower, most lacked the courage to defeat them. Team Rocket's infamy had long been deeply etched into the hearts of these civilians.
"Then what should we do? Mr. Fuji went to find Team Rocket for everyone's sake. Are we just going to ignore it?!" Rena said angrily.
"It's not that we're ignoring it…"
"Team Rocket will release Mr. Fuji eventually. Let's wait a few more days!"
They tried to explain, but deep down, their fear of Team Rocket was unmistakable.
"You're all too indifferent!" Rena said in disappointment, preparing to head to Pokémon Tower alone to rescue Mr. Fuji.
"I'll go!" Red said at that moment. "I was already planning to defeat Team Rocket!"
"You're going? That's too reckless!" a volunteer advised. "Even the adults of Lavender Town haven't been able to defeat Team Rocket!"
"Exactly. Even if you go, you might not be able to solve anything!"
Though these volunteers feared Team Rocket, seeing Red go alone prompted them to step forward kindly and persuade him not to act impulsively.
"Don't worry. I'm quite confident when it comes to Team Rocket!" Red said.
To convince everyone of his strength, Red pulled open his collar to reveal the League badges pinned beside it. The five badges made it clear that the boy before them was far from ordinary. Combined with the earlier display of psychic powers and Scyther's performance, everyone gradually placed all their hopes on Red.
...
Late at night was the perfect time to infiltrate Pokémon Tower and completely destroy Team Rocket's evil plan. From Rena and the others, Red learned that Team Rocket did not guard the entrance at night. Under the cover of a dark, windy night, Red arrived beneath Pokémon Tower, holding Cubone in his arms.
"Come out, Gengar, Dratini!"
Red threw two Poké Balls. Thousand-Year Gengar and Dratini emerged. Dratini immediately slithered onto Red's shoulder, coiling into a loop around his neck like a scarf, occasionally licking his cheek, causing the Cubone in his arms to stare wide-eyed.
"On a dark and windy night… perfect for killing!" Thousand-Year Gengar muttered before turning to Red behind him.
"Boss, choosing this moment to send me out—looks like the job ahead won't be simple!"
"When dealing with evil people, harsher methods are required!" Red said coldly. The Cubone in his arms wore a fierce expression as well, determined to tear Team Rocket to pieces.
(So this is about avenging the little one…)
Thousand-Year Gengar glanced at the smaller Cubone. Though unwilling to see such a child consumed by revenge, failing to overcome it might make the road ahead even harder.
Pokémon: Dratini (Shiny: Purple)
Attribute: Dragon-type
Ability: Marvel Scale (When afflicted with a status condition, Defense increases to 1.5× its original value.)
Moves: Dragon Breath, Twister, Wrap, Dragon Tail, Extreme Speed
Personality: Enjoys dozing off, especially around Red's neck; very dependent on Red
Background: Its father is the current leader of the Dragonite on Dragonite Island. It inherited an excellent bloodline and absorbed a trace of power from an ancient Dragonite while still in its egg, gaining a pure dragon aura. It is still in its juvenile stage and has yet to fully mature.
Pokémon: Thousand-Year Gengar (Shiny: Gray)
Attribute: Ghost-type + Poison-type
Ability: Levitate (Floats above the ground, preventing damage from Ground-type moves.)
(I honestly think this ability isn't very useful in reality—mostly a perk for game fans…)
Moves: Shadow Ball, Hypnosis, Mean Look, Confuse Ray, Perish Song, Hex, Dark Pulse, Dream Eater, Psychic, Disable…
Personality: Mischievous and free-spirited, dislikes restraint, cares about companions' opinions
Background: Possesses a thousand years of experience. Once gave up evolving to keep a promise with a girl's spirit. Has psychic power comparable to Psychic-type Pokémon. Its earlier antics were to gain Red's attention and felt jealous when Red trained Milotic alone while neglecting it.
"What's with that weird look you're giving me, Boss?" Thousand-Year Gengar asked in confusion. He didn't recall offending Red recently.
"Nothing. I just think you're pretty simple-minded!" Red teased. After reviewing Thousand-Year Gengar's data, he understood its temperament better—just an old rascal craving attention.
"Huh?"
Thousand-Year Gengar scratched his head in confusion but didn't press further. Since Red entrusted him with the first strike, he certainly wouldn't disappoint.
"Wait a moment. Let me add an ability for you!" Red stopped Thousand-Year Gengar just as he was about to slip into the shadows. Placing his hand on him, under Gengar's puzzled gaze, Red stacked a new Ability onto him.
[Ding! Stacked the Cursed Body Ability!]
(Cursed Body: When attacked, there is a 30% chance to inflict the Disable condition on the opponent.)
"Huh? It feels like I've gained some new power!" Thousand-Year Gengar exclaimed, examining himself back and forth. Though he couldn't fully describe it, he clearly felt stronger.
(As expected, Boss's power isn't simple!)
Thousand-Year Gengar thought, his recognition of Red gradually turning into admiration.
"Mini! Mini!"
Dratini, who had been dozing around Red's neck, suddenly woke up. Seeing Thousand-Year Gengar gain a new Ability, it fussed at Red, demanding one as well.
"Alright, alright. You little rascal should focus on training your strength first. We'll talk about that after you grow up!"
Red stroked Dratini's sulking face. For now, Dratini's primary goal was to strengthen itself. Stacking Abilities was merely icing on the cake—the foundation mattered most.
And so, taking advantage of the unguarded entrance under the cover of night, Red held a flashlight in one hand, Dratini around his neck, Cubone in his arms, and Thousand-Year Gengar lurking within his shadow as he stepped alone into Pokémon Tower.