On the other side, Lt. Surge, unaware that the Kanto Region had almost undergone a dramatic change, stared blankly at the message sent by Giovanni:
[Ignore him, don't investigate him, and absolutely do not touch him. All Team Rocket operations in Vermilion City are cancelled for the next week.]
What does the leader mean by this?
Lt. Surge read Giovanni's reply several times but still couldn't understand why he wasn't allowed to attack Roy.
So we don't need to go on the hijacking of the S.S. Anne tomorrow?
Roy leaving the Vermilion Gym, Roy returned to the Pokémon Center. On his way back, he ran into the apprentice who had been outside the Gym earlier; the apprentice had just finished treating Lt. Surge's Raichu.
Upon seeing Roy again, the apprentice greeted Roy with great respect, "Your Majesty, Elite Four King."
Roy simply nodded.
As Roy passed by the apprentice, the apprentice felt as if a pair of eyes were staring at him from within Roy's shadow.
Back at the Pokémon Center, Roy felt as if the entire Pokémon Center had been thoroughly cleaned; the floor was gleaming and spotless.
Upon seeing Roy return, Chansey from the Pokémon Center immediately stepped forward, calling out "Chansey, Chansey" to Roy if he had obtained the Gym Badge.
Roy even noticed that Chansey's apron seemed to have been replaced with a new one.
Roy noticed Chansey's seemingly deliberate attempts to attract his attention and wondered if it was hiding something from him.
Chansey waved her arms, trying to get Roy's attention, but she overlooked the fact that her height didn't block Roy's view at all.
Roy only needed to tiptoe slightly to spot Nurse Joy carrying a large box into the back storage room, and he could clearly see that the top of the box contained a large bag of potato chips.
So, does the other party think of me as some kind of patrol officer?
Roy thought of the pink card in his hand and what Joy Lando had said, recalling Nurse Joy's behavior when he first arrived. No wonder he was treated so well from the start.
Having thought it through, Roy didn't explain. Instead, he adopted a leader's posture, put his hands behind his back, and his entire demeanor seemed to change.
Chansey was also taken aback by Roy's posture.
She didn't even notice when Roy took the Badge out of the small wooden box and handed it to her, and then casually rubbed her face with his groping hand.
At the same time, Roy also gave Dragapult's Poké Ball to Nurse Joy.
Is this a test for myself?
Nurse Joy quickly took the Poké Ball from Roy's hands, and then mechanically placed Poké Ball into the treatment device following the standardized procedures taught by her family, carefully adjusting the angle of the Poké Ball.
Is this the Vermilion Gym Badge?
Chansey carefully took the octagonal Badge from Roy's hand and examined it repeatedly.
Why does it feel a little different from the Badge of Vermilion City that she's seen before? Roy's Badge is brighter, and it's also heavier than any of the ones she's had before.
Nurse Joy only then noticed that the Badge in Roy's hand was different from the ordinary Orange Badge; it had an "S" mark engraved on it.
The fact that Roy possessed such Badge indicated that he had defeated Lt. Surge, Nurse Joy understood as well, recalling the apprentice who had come to treat Raichu earlier.
"Chansey, hurry up and return the Orange Badge to the customer. Otherwise, if it gets lost, we'll have to pay for it."
"Auspicious!"
Startled by Nurse Joy's words, Chansey quickly returned the Badge to Roy, and the treatment device turned on its green light.
Seeing the startled Chansey, Roy smiled and took the Poké Ball from Nurse Joy, greeted them both, and went upstairs to his room.
After Roy left, Nurse Joy and Chansey stared at each other, their eyes meeting. Judging from the current situation, Roy's ability to defeat Lt. Surge shows that he is very strong. It's just unknown whether Roy is someone sent by the family to monitor them.
Why didn't any of the sisters in the family inform me when the inspectors arrived?
Nurse Joy sat at the front desk, pouting and resting her chin on her hands. The big Tidy Up had exhausted her.
A chubby pink hand climbed onto Nurse Joy's shoulder and began to massage Nurse Joy with a slow and gentle touch.
Nurse Joy didn't turn around; after so many years of working together, she certainly knew who it was.
Thank you, Chansey.