"I didn't expect this guy's strength to be so outstanding!" Thousand-Year Gengar exclaimed, his opinion of Scyther shifting considerably. Although he could weaken Bug-type moves to a quarter of their original power thanks to the combination of Ghost and Poison types, seeing Scyther's sharp slashes made Thousand-Year Gengar hesitate about whether he could actually defeat it.
"Although I don't know how you offended this Scyther before, to be honest, as the last member of my initial six Pokémon, its strength is actually above yours. If it weren't for your type advantage, you really wouldn't be able to beat Scyther with your current power," Red said calmly.
"Then I guess I'll have to be more polite to this guy from now on!" Thousand-Year Gengar said awkwardly. Ever since that incident, he had wanted a chance to apologize to Scyther, after all, his actions that day were driven by negative emotions from being ignored, which led him to deliberately oppose Red and his Pokémon.
What Thousand-Year Gengar didn't expect was that Scyther was mostly in training mode; its occasional pauses were simply following Red's principle of "balance work and rest." From the other Pokémon, Thousand-Year Gengar learned that Scyther had once suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Red's starter Pokémon—Beedrill.
To defeat such a strong opponent, Scyther had always told itself not to slack off and to work twice as hard as its companions. Because of this strict self-discipline, Scyther had been unable to tolerate Thousand-Year Gengar's lazy attitude back then.
"You're too weak. Your attacks don't threaten me at all!" Scyther sneered, sidestepping with a brilliant Air Slash to shatter Crobat's Air Blade, then following up with Quick Attack to force Crobat to the ground.
"Gengar, restrain that guy!" Red commanded, noticing that Captain was trying to escape, and instructed Thousand-Year Gengar to intercept.
As Scyther prepared to completely defeat Crobat, a nearby Arbok bared its venomous fangs, intending to sink them into Scyther's back. But it was struck in the abdomen by Dratini's Dragon Breath, foiling the surprise attack.
"Hmph! Useless!"
Scyther turned and delivered a powerful strike to Arbok's head, knocking it unconscious, then stared in surprise at the Dratini around Red's neck.
(Is this the junior who inherited the power of the ancient Dragonite? Its strength is impressive!)
After examining Dratini seriously, Scyther avoided Crobat's sneak attack. As a proud Bug warrior, it could not tolerate underhanded tactics.
Scyther flapped its wings to use Bug Buzz. The piercing sound made Crobat writhe in pain, and then a concentrated Air Slash struck it down.
"What a magnificent battle! Truly a proud Bug warrior!" Thousand-Year Gengar praised, trying to ease the tension between himself and Scyther. But Scyther snorted in displeasure, ignoring the compliment, clearly thinking Gengar was mocking it.
Scyther's ungrateful reaction made Thousand-Year Gengar feel awkward, leaving him fiddling with his feet to lighten the mood.
"Alright, settle your differences privately. Don't give outsiders a reason to laugh!" Red said, then looked at Captain, restrained by Thousand-Year Gengar. "Now, tell me, where is Mr. Fuji?"
"Don't think I'll tell you… ugh!"
Before Captain could finish, Thousand-Year Gengar punched it hard in the abdomen. Now thoroughly respecting Red, Gengar wouldn't allow anyone to speak ill of him.
"You might be mistaken. I'm giving you a chance to survive!" Red said coldly, showing the Cubone in his arms, its bone club stained with blood, making Captain realize the seriousness of the situation.
"Gulu!" Captain gulped in fear, sensing the seriousness in Red's words. If he didn't confess properly, he might not survive this.
"Mr. Fuji is tied up over there!" Captain pointed to a nearby corner. "But don't worry, I didn't harm him!" He quickly explained, fearing Red might misunderstand him.
Captain had been careful not to mistreat Mr. Fuji, hoping to gain the destroyed research materials willingly. If he had obtained them, it might have been his ticket to promotion to squad leader.
Unfortunately, that dream ended tonight. Fortunately, Captain' caution made him appear more respectable than his subordinates. As for the fate of one of them, he pretended not to see—it wasn't his concern anyway.
Red approached with a flashlight. Meanwhile, Captain had been tightly bound by Thousand-Year Gengar in a bizarre display that looked almost like an art form.
"Cubone!"
Seeing Mr. Fuji, Cubone rushed over, using its teeth to free him from the ropes.
"Who are you?" Mr. Fuji asked, puzzled.
"I'm Red from Pallet Town. Rena asked me to come here!" Red explained.
(Pallet Town… that's Oak…)
Mr. Fuji paused, lost in nostalgia, then pretended not to know Pallet Town, seemingly wanting to dissociate from his past and now only wishing to be Mr. Fuji of Lavender Town.
(Unwilling to mention it?)
Seeing no explanation forthcoming, Red didn't press. His goal was to avenge Cubone and rescue this kind-hearted Mr. Fuji.
"Thank you for your help, young trainer!" Mr. Fuji expressed his gratitude, surprised that Red alone had defeated Rocket Team' squad.
"No problem. Cubone also contributed a lot!" Red replied.
"Cubone! Cubone!"
Cubone proudly expressed its joy to Mr. Fuji, flailing happily.
(It seems the shadow in Cubone's heart has finally lifted…)
"Thank you for letting Marowak's wandering soul reach heaven!" Mr. Fuji said, moved. From the moment he entered the Pokémon Tower, he recognized that the supposedly ghostly Marowak was just a wandering spirit, warning visitors to leave quickly.
"Marowak is a mother worthy of respect!" Red said softly, admiring her kindness.
"It's getting late. We should leave. I've been hungry all day!" Mr. Fuji joked.
The Next Day
Thanks to Red's arrival, Team Rocket's evil plan was thwarted. Officer Jenny's police team had received residents' reports and arrived early in Lavender Town, arresting the defeated Team Rocket members.
As for Member C's fate, everyone remained silent, pretending not to notice, while Mr. Fuji vaguely claimed it was the work of a vengeful spirit, scaring the Team Rocket member into a fatal accident.
Although this lie was full of holes, Officer Jenny let it slide, having received orders from her superiors to resolve the incident quickly. It wasn't worth angering the League over a low-level Team Rocket grunt.
Although still uneasy about the event, Officer Jenny learned from her good friends about Red's character and, after reviewing the member list, felt satisfaction upon learning the fate of Marowak's mother.
With Team Rocket captured, Lavender Town residents could finally visit Pokémon Tower to pay respects to their departed Pokémon.
"I won't forget Clefairy… oh no, the tears are coming!"
"My Growlithe… why did you have to die…"
The residents mourned their Pokémon, feeling grief. They were ordinary people who only wanted to grow old alongside their beloved Pokémon, unaware of battles or becoming stronger—just wishing for a peaceful life with their companions…
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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