After leaving the Fuchsia Gym and following the road Koga had pointed out, Liuqing traveled for over an hour before the bustling Fuchsia City came into view.
He hurried through the tidy streets to the Pokémon Center and handed the three Pokémon that had fought to Nurse Joy.
"Don't worry. I often care for Pokémon poisoned while challenging the Fuchsia Gym. Your Scyther will be healthy again very soon." When Liuqing explained that the Antidotes he had brought couldn't cure Scyther's poisoning, the considerate Nurse Joy immediately offered a smiling explanation.
"Sorry for the trouble, Nurse Joy." Liu Qing now felt he had worried needlessly. After working in Fuchsia City for so long, how could Nurse Joy lack experience?
"Looks like another Pokémon Trainer who failed at the Fuchsia Gym. Otherwise, he wouldn't have rushed straight here to have Nurse Joy treat the poisoning." Some Pokémon Trainers resting in the Pokémon Center had already noticed Liuqing's hurried arrival and began muttering among themselves.
"Yeah, the Fuchsia Gym Leader really is strong. It took all three of my Pokémon just to beat Gym Leader Koga's first two, but the last one wiped me out instantly..."
"What? You beat two of Gym Leader Koga's Pokémon? My three only managed to beat his first. His second finished them off in no time..."
Soon, the entire Pokémon Center was buzzing with discussion.
Hearing the quiet murmurs around him, Liuqing smiled without concern, walked over to the public phone, and called home.
"Mom, I've arrived in Fuchsia City," Liuqing said, first reassuring Mili that he was safe.
"Oh, you're in Fuchsia City already? I thought it would be a few more days before you called. How did it go? Did you get the Soul Badge?" Mili asked.
Since the public phone was quite loud, Mili's question brought the entire Pokémon Center to silence, as though everyone were waiting for Liuqing's answer.
"I challenged the Fuchsia Gym on my way into the city, and I've already earned the Soul Badge." Liu Qing took out his Badge Case, opened it, and waved it in front of Mili.
"Wonderful! That's my boy. I never imagined my son would even defeat an Elite Four Candidate!" Mili exclaimed happily.
"An Elite Four Candidate?" Liu Qing asked in confusion.
"Yes. When your cousin Lorelei visited a few days ago, she mentioned that Koga, the Fuchsia Gym Leader, was now an Elite Four Candidate for the Johto Region. She asked me to tell you not to be discouraged if you failed to beat the Fuchsia Gym, and to keep working hard," Mili said with a smile.
So I remembered correctly. It looks like Koga will become Johto's Poison-type Elite Four member by next year at the latest, Liuqing confirmed inwardly. After chatting with Mili about the Porygon he had sent home last time, he hung up. Just as he turned to leave, he saw an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy with purple hair and black eyes blocking his path, staring at him expressionlessly.
"Do... do you need the phone?" Even Liuqing was startled to turn around and find such a deadpan face. He paused before asking. Wait, why does that face look so familiar? Right! A little older, and he'd look exactly like Paul, Ash's stone-faced rival in the Sinnoh Region. Has he already come to travel through the Kanto Region?
"No. I'm here to see you," Paul said coldly.
"Me? What do you want?" Liu Qing asked, puzzled.
"On the phone just now, you said you got the Soul Badge. Is that true?"
"Of course it is. Why would I lie to my own mother?" Liu Qing hadn't expected Paul to approach him with that question. Having the fruits of his hard work doubted annoyed him, and he moved to walk around Paul, only for Paul to block his way again.
"Hey, what exactly do you want?" Though he knew the boy before him might be Paul, one of the young major characters from the Sinnoh Region, Liuqing's expression darkened, and his displeasure showed in his voice.
"Paul, what are you doing?" Just then, a boy who looked about Liuqing's age entered the Pokémon Center. He had long purple hair and black eyes and wore reddish-brown clothes. Spotting Paul confronting Liuqing, he hurried over, grabbed Paul, and demanded an explanation. Then he quickly turned to Liuqing. "I'm Reggie, and this is my little brother, Paul. I'm really sorry for the trouble he's caused you."
"Forget it. Just don't block my way again." Seeing Reggie confirmed their identities for Liuqing. He nodded, unwilling to invite trouble, and was about to leave when Paul spoke again. "Please wait. I'm sorry about what happened just now, too, but please have a battle with my older brother."
"Paul, what are you saying?" Reggie hadn't expected his cold younger brother to issue a challenge on his behalf and was momentarily stunned.
"So that's it." After a moment's thought, Liuqing understood Paul's intentions. "Your brother failed to beat the Fuchsia Gym, and when you heard I'd earned the Soul Badge, you decided to have him challenge me, right? If he wins, it proves I'm not strong enough to earn the Soul Badge, meaning my claim was a lie. Even if he loses, he can gain some battle experience from me to prepare for another challenge at the Fuchsia Gym. Am I right?"
"...You're right. That's what I was thinking." Apparently, Paul hadn't expected someone to lay his thoughts bare to his face. He paused before nodding in admission.
"Reggie, you certainly have a good little brother." Liu Qing smiled slightly at them, took out his Badge Case, opened it, and pointed to the Soul Badge. "Do you still want your brother to challenge me?"
"Whoa, that kid already has six badges! And aside from the Cerulean Gym's badge, they're all from Kanto's top Gyms. How is he so strong?"
"Yeah, that's terrifying. I challenged Sabrina in Saffron City once, and I couldn't win even with Ghost-type Pokémon. How did that kid manage it?"
The sight of Liuqing's badge case set the entire Pokémon Center buzzing again.
"Yes! Please have a six-on-six full battle with me!" Before Paul could speak, Reggie called out. "Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Reggie, from Veilstone City in the Sinnoh Region. I'm currently challenging my sixth Gym. It's nice to meet you."
"I'm Liuqing, a rookie Pokémon Trainer from Saffron City. Nice to meet you." Liuqing shook Reggie's hand.
"You're a rookie Pokémon Trainer?" Paul asked in shock, disbelief written all over his face.
"Heh, personal circumstances kept me from starting my journey until this year. If you don't believe me, you can look up my information online. I really did only register as a Pokémon Trainer this year." Liu Qing smiled, then turned to Reggie. "As for that six-on-six full battle, I don't mind. But all three Pokémon I used at the Fuchsia Gym earlier were injured, so we'll have to wait until tomorrow."
"All right. Tomorrow morning at eight, on the public battlefield behind the Pokémon Center," Reggie said promptly.
"That works. Nurse Joy, could we ask you to referee tomorrow?" Liu Qing asked Nurse Joy as she approached.
"Of course. One of you has earned six badges, and the other is challenging his sixth Gym. I'm looking forward to your battle, too!" Nurse Joy said with a smile.
With the time and place settled, Liuqing left the Pokémon Center without lingering.
The next day, after collecting his Poké Balls from Nurse Joy, Liuqing went to the public battlefield behind the Pokémon Center. A crowd already lined the entire perimeter. Most were residents who had heard the news, while the rest were all Pokémon Trainers.
Once Liuqing and Reggie had taken their positions, Nurse Joy announced, "The six-on-six full battle between Liuqing and Reggie will now begin. The battle will end when all of either trainer's Pokémon are unable to battle."
"Go, Drapion!" As Reggie threw his first Poké Ball, Liuqing sent out his first Pokémon as well. "Go, Arcanine!"
Pop! Pop! With the sounds of two Poké Balls opening, the two Pokémon appeared on the battlefield.
"Roar!" "Roar!" At the sight of each other, both Pokémon roared and squared off.
"Huh? What kind of Pokémon is that Drapion? I've never seen one before."
"Yeah, how can you fight when you don't even know what the opponent's Pokémon is?"
Everyone began murmuring as they looked at the Pokémon Reggie had sent out.
"Begin!" Seeing that both sides had sent out their first Pokémon, Nurse Joy immediately gave the signal.
"Drapion, Cross Poison!" Reggie issued the first command.
At the command, Drapion roared, crossed its claws as they glowed purple, and charged toward Arcanine.
"Bulldoze." Watching Drapion rush closer, Liuqing quietly uttered the command.
Arcanine swiftly leaped into the air, then slammed down onto the ground. Visible waves of force radiated from it, sweeping up dust and rolling toward Drapion like ocean waves. Drapion was forced to stop, crying out repeatedly under the super-effective attack, which also lowered its speed!
"Flamethrower Flame Wheel!" Pressing his advantage had always been Liuqing's favorite tactic. He wasn't about to let this opportunity slip and immediately gave the command.
"Roar!" Arcanine roared, opened its mouth, and spat out a crimson pillar of fire that formed a blazing star shape in midair. Then it used Flame Wheel and plunged straight into the flames, absorbing all their energy to become an enormous wheel of fire four or five meters across that hurtled toward Drapion.
Oh no, a combination move! What incredible power! At the sight of the enormous wheel of fire, Reggie's heart lurched. He shouted anxiously, "Drapion, Hyper Beam!"
"Roar, roar, roar!" At Reggie's command, Drapion gathered energy and quickly fired it. Unfortunately, Hyper Beam couldn't change direction. The enormous wheel of fire swerved aside, dodged the beam, and struck Drapion while it was immobilized. The flames engulfed Drapion completely, leaving only its increasingly faint cries of pain audible. Once there was no sound left at all, Arcanine absorbed every last flame into its body and returned to Liuqing's side.
"Drapion is unable to battle. Arcanine wins." Looking at the blackened, steaming Drapion, Nurse Joy's face showed sympathy, but she still announced her ruling.
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