[Pokémon Party Slots Expanded!]
Kazuki opened his Pokédex and saw that his party slots had indeed increased.
[Lv36 Pikachu, Lv38 Pidgeot, Lv32 Primeape, Lv33 Wartortle, Lv39 Bulbasaur, Lv24 Gastly, Empty]
[Elite Trainer Kit: Lv34 Charmeleon]
Even among the Elite Four, trainers only had six party slots. Yet now, he had seven. Should I show off one Pokémon to avoid drawing too much attention? He considered rotating one out only after catching two more Pokémon. Otherwise, explaining the sudden extra slot to Professor Oak would be a hassle. If the professor reported it to the League, things could get complicated.
After reviewing his team, Kazuki moved on to the next mission reward.
[Protect the Diglett's Habitat, Complete!]
[Speed Boost Potion has been added to the system inventory]
[Heartfelt Reputation +1]
Another Speed Boost Potion—this one increased speed by 20%.
Should I give it to Pidgeot?
But Pidgeot already had the Swift Wing, and with his Lightning Speed Aura, it was already far faster than most Flying-types. The extra boost wouldn't make much difference.
Who else could use it?
For now, I'll just store it. System items activate instantly anyway—better to save it for emergencies.
After collecting his rewards, Kazuki packed up and resumed his journey toward Fuchsia Gym.
Just as the trio was about to leave the reservoir area, a familiar face appeared—the Diglett they had saved earlier.
Diglett! Diglett!
"Diglett! You came!" Suzie, who had been disappointed about not catching it earlier, was now overjoyed to see it approach willingly.
Diglett! Diglett!
"It's thanking us for saving it," Kazuki translated.
"Well, it was the right thing to do. You're the guardians of this ecosystem—I didn't want such a beautiful forest to be ruined!"
The Diglett glanced at the now-shut-down construction site.
"Kazuki, what's it saying now? It still looks a little worried," Suzie asked.
Kazuki leaned in and whispered, "I think you can catch it now."
"It says it was originally sent here to gather intel. Now that the project'suspended, it's ready to return to farming—but it seems to prefer interacting with humans."
"R-Really?" Suzie's first failed capture attempt had left her hesitant.
Kazuki nodded encouragingly.
Taking a deep breath, Suzie crouched down.
"Diglett, we're traveling to train and see the world. Since the reservoir'suspended, you don't have to spy anymore. Would you like to come with us?"
Diglett!
Its eyes widened, and it nodded eagerly.
"You'really willing?!" Suzie excitedly pulled out a Poké Ball. The Diglett stepped forward, and in a flash of red light, it was successfully caught.
[Ding! Romance Side Mission—Suzie: Assist in Pokémon Capture Progress (1/3)]
"I did it, Kazuki! I caught Diglett!"
Suzie jumped up in excitement, nearly tackling Kazuki in a hug.
Misty, watching from the side, couldn't help but smile.
Suzie noticed and quickly let go, blushing. "S-Sorry, Kazuki, Misty! I just—I was just so happy!"
"It's fine. Why not do it again?" Kazuki teased, making Suzie's face turn even redder.
"L-Let's just go! On to Fuchsia Gym!" Suzie quickly changed the subject, marching ahead.
Misty playfully smacked Kazuki's arm. "'Why not do it again'? Really?"
"With how much progress we've made, you should be saying something sweeter!"
Kazuki tapped her forehead. "It's broad daylight, and people are watching. If I can win you over, do you really think I don't know how to flirt?"
"Huh?! What do you mean 'win me over'—"
"Last night, I stayed up late just to convince you. Isn't that proof enough of how hard you were to woo?" Kazuki chuckled and walked ahead.
"Wait, so…" Misty bit her finger thoughtfully. If the environment's the problem, maybe I should find a more private setting…
"Hey, Kazuki—"
She turned, only to see him already walking away.
"Hey! Wait up! I was trying to say something important!"
---
With the Diglett incident resolved, the group continued toward Fuchsia Gym, nestled deep in the mountains.
---
Viridian City – Giovanni's Secret Base
A ninja-like subordinate reported to Giovanni.
"Boss, the reservoir project…"
"The construction we backed was exposed for falsified permits. The League's involved now—the plan's as good as dead."
Giovanni took a drag from his cigar. "Cover-up handled?"
"Already taken care of. A fall guy's the blame—it won't trace back to us."
"Apparently, Professor Oak teamed up with League officials to investigate."
"Oak?" Giovanni drummed his fingers. "That old man's sharper than I thought."
"What about Lt. Surge's situation?"
"Still needs about three months to get him out. The evidence against him is solid—it's taking time to dismantle."
"Boss, Surge's case… it's because he harassed a disabled trainer. The public's furious."
Giovanni scoffed. "Since when does Team Rocket care about some nobody trainer? Surge was bound to slip up eventually. Let him stew in jail—maybe it'll teach him to keep his urges in check before he ruins our real plans."
"What about Saffron Gym's recruitment? I recall Sabrina was interested before."
The ninja hesitated—this was the third bad news he had to deliver.
"Out with it. Hiding it won't make it disappear."
From the ninja's expression, Giovanni already knew the answer.
"When we approached Sabrina recently… she seemed different."
"She was smiling. Her doll—it used to be a little girl, but now it's a boy."
"We thought she was in a good mood, so we brought up recruitment."
"But she said she doesn't care about anything except her doll now. Then she teleported us out."
"Every time we tried to approach after that, she warned us—next time, she'd bury us alive."
Giovanni crushed his cigar.
"What happened? We were making progress before!"
"With a Psychic-type like her, we could've moved forward."
"Lately, it feels like someone's interfering…"
"Could this be fate playing tricks?"
"Uh, Boss… would you like me to find a fortune teller to—"
Giovanni glared. "Are you stupid?"
"Since when does Team Rocket rely on fortune-telling?"
"Go. Contact Koga at Fuchsia Gym."
"And check on Dr. Fuji's cloning project."
"Yes, Boss!" The ninja vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Fortune-telling? Hah. I make my own fate." Giovanni stroked his Persian, eyeing the screen displaying various legendary Pokémon plans with a sinister grin.
---
After leaving the reservoir, Kazuki's group entered the wilderness.
With no clear path to Fuchsia Gym, Kazuki adjusted their pace—grinding levels while searching for a strong Pokémon to fill his seventh slot.
In the deep forest, wild Pokémon were rarer but stronger, often at Advanced or even Elite levels.
Only Pikachu, boosted by the Special Grade Experience Boost Potion, gained any significant progress.
[Pokémon: Pikachu, Level 36 → 37]
"Good work, Pikachu. Here's your favorite Sauce!"
Pika—chu!
Pikachu's fatigue vanished at the sight of its favorite treat.
"These wild Pokémon in the mountains are tough," Suzie remarked, returning from scouting ahead.
"Ugh, why's Fuchsia Gym gotta be in the middle of nowhere?!" Misty groaned, sprawled on the grass.
"It's because the mountains are ideal for Poison-type training," Kazuki explained. "Using poison in a city would cause too many issues."
"Plus, the Gym Leader's aiming for the Johto Elite Four. He's training his mind and body here—becoming a regional Elite isn't just about Pokémon."
"Gym Leader to Elite Four…" Misty's playful mood faded as she thought about her own Gym.
Cerulean Gym used to be one of Kanto's best. But under her sisters, it had declined to Beginner level—now even at risk of becoming a performance-only Gym.
If I take over, will I ever be strong enough to challenge the Elites?
As she pondered, Psyduck waddled over and quacked.
Misty burst out laughing at its dopey face. "With you around, forget Elite Four—I'd be lucky to keep the Gym running!"
But then she saw Kazuki's outstretched hand.
"Come on, Misty. Time to go."
Under the sunlight, his confident figure reignited her determination.
Kazuki's been aiming for the Champion title from the start—never wavering.
As his girlfriend, how can I lack confidence in even being a Gym Leader?
No! No time for doubts!
I, Misty, daughter of the Water-type Gym!
Will become a Water Pokémon Master!
Pumped up, she grabbed Kazuki's hand and stepped back into the light.
"Alright! Let's go see what this Elite-aspiring Fuchsia Leader's made of!"
Misty charged ahead, full of energy.
"Why's she so fired up all of a sudden?" Suzie scratched her head.
Kazuki smiled. "That's just how she is."
"Let's go. While she's energetic, she won't complain later."
"Psyduck, come on!"
Calling the still-dazed Psyduck, Kazuki and Suzie followed.
---
After descending the mountain, they reached—
"That's the estate I saw from above!"
Misty tilted her head at the ancient, eerie building. "Why's there a huge, creepy mansion here?"
Kazuki checked his info. "This should be Fuchsia Gym."
"Wait, this is the Gym?!" Misty and Suzie exclaimed in unison.
"It's nothing like I imagined!"
"Kazuki, if the Leader's aiming for the Elite Four, won't he be super strong? Can you still win the Soul Badge?" Suzie worried.
"Relax. Against challengers, Gym Leaders only use Pokémon at their Gym's official level."
"Fuchsia Gym's rated as an Intermediate Gym. Even if the Leader has stronger Pokémon, he won't use them."
"Gym battles are about testing a trainer's growth—full-power matches are for official tournaments."
Reassured, Misty relaxed.
Then, Psyduck (still outside its Ball) pointed at a shadowy figure.
"What's that?" Misty moved closer.
"Wait!" Kazuki grabbed her wrist.
He remembered—in the original script, this shadow (a Venonat) would lead them into Fuchsia Gym's traps.
[Ding!]
As he stopped Misty, the system's mission alert chimed in his ear.
----
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