Gary called Professor Oak and reported that he had reached Viridian City.
Professor Oak finally had a chance to lecture him.
Apparently, Xiao Ye and Xiao Chen had arrived in Viridian City at noon. Since the Viridian Gym was closed, they had already set off for Pewter City.
Not only that, thanks to their excellent starter Pokémon, they had apparently caught four or five Pokémon each.
"They probably just caught whatever they came across, right?" Gary spread his hands.
"Uh... well, yes. Mostly Caterpie, Weedle, Oddish, and Pidgey..." Professor Oak faltered.
"Exactly. I'm going for quality over quantity. I have no intention of catching every Pokémon in sight," Gary continued.
"Fair enough. Your Scyther really is in a league of his own." Professor Oak had to admit that his grandson was every bit as formidable as he had been in his youth...
"Oh, right! Since you're in Viridian City, why not visit the Cerise Laboratory?" Professor Oak suggested.
"The Cerise Laboratory? I don't think its director has earned his doctorate yet, has he?" Gary tilted his head thoughtfully.
"I hear he recently observed a mysterious, enormous silver Pokémon. Interested?" Professor Oak raised his eyebrows.
"Huh?!" Gary looked startled. "Could it be the legendary Lugia?"
"That's my grandson! What a wealth of knowledge!" Professor Oak said proudly.
"All right, you've convinced me. I'll pay him a visit." Gary nodded.
"Hehe, then it's settled. I'll let the Cerise Laboratory know." Professor Oak nodded. "Take care of yourself out there. Bye!"
Professor Oak promptly hung up. Gary rolled his eyes. In such a hurry because your noodles are getting soggy, huh?
Still, news of Lugia was certainly worth a trip.
Just then, the front desk called for Gary. His Pokémon had finished recovering.
Taking back his Poké Balls, Gary decided to investigate the Cerise Laboratory before it got completely dark.
Vroom! A roaring motorcycle drifted straight through the Pokémon Center's entrance.
Nurse Joy's irritated voice rang out. "This is a medical facility! No reckless driving!"
"Oh, never mind that for now! This boy's Pikachu is badly hurt." Officer Jenny jumped off the motorcycle, revealing a mud-covered Ash and Pikachu behind her.
"I'm sorry! Please save him!" Ash rushed forward anxiously.
Nurse Joy frowned and delivered a slap of tough love.
Smack! The slap left Ash stunned.
Nurse Joy sounded angry. "If you're going to be a Pokémon Trainer, then take responsibility for your Pokémon.
"How could you let your Pokémon get hurt this badly? Do you really think Pokémon can't die?"
"This boy was attacked by a flock of wild Spearow. He did everything he could to protect his Pokémon," Officer Jenny explained.
Ash lowered his head in guilt and said nothing.
"Understood. We'll begin emergency treatment immediately. Wait outside." Nurse Joy picked up Pikachu and handed him to Chansey with a sigh.
Watching Pikachu being taken into the emergency room, Ash stared helplessly at its doors.
"Don't worry. This is a Pokémon Center. As long as a Pokémon is still breathing, Nurse Joy can save them." A familiar voice sounded beside him.
"Gary!" Ash turned around, delighted.
"Hey, what's with that look? You're not about to cry, are you...?" Gary curled his lip in distaste. "I'm warning you, if you try acting all cute with me, I'll puke all over you..."
"Hmph! You're not cute at all!" Ash pouted awkwardly, though some of his anxiety eased.
"Relax and wait here. I've got something to take care of, so I'm heading out. Remember to call my grandpa and update him on your journey." Gary patted Ash and turned to leave.
"Oh, come on! I'll catch up with you in no time!" Ash shouted defiantly after him.
Gary waved and strode away without looking back.
At the Cerise Laboratory, the researcher Cerise, who had yet to earn his doctorate, was happily preparing to have dinner with his family of four.
Although he had not yet qualified for his doctorate, Cerise enjoyed a very happy family life.
A son and a daughter! That was the kind of good fortune reserved for broad-shouldered hunks. Whatever else anyone might say about Cerise, everyone envied him on that front!
But a sudden attack shattered their peaceful evening!
Boom! An explosion erupted, and Cerise and his wife stared in shock at their blasted-open front door.
A man in a black baseball cap walked in with several others, all wearing black combat uniforms.
"Who are you?!" Cerise shielded his children behind him and asked gravely.
"You're the director of the Cerise Laboratory, right?" The man in front got straight to the point. "We're Team Rocket. We're very interested in the Pokémon you observed recently. Hand over the data."
"What?!" Cerise was startled. He knew something about Kanto's criminal organization, but he had never expected them to show up at his door so soon.
If you encounter ads such as "Are you a real person?", simply close them. Do not scan any QR codes or send text messages!
"Dad, are these people bad guys?" Cerise's older daughter, Chloe, asked fearfully.
"Don't worry. Stay with your mother, you and Sōta, and keep yourselves safe." After reassuring his children, Professor Cerise turned back. "I don't have the data you want."
"Tch. You've got some backbone, at least." The Team Rocket squad leader spat disdainfully.
"Honey, what do we do?!" Cerise's wife, Miss Yoshino, shielded their children as she backed toward a small door behind them.
"Don't worry. Officer Jenny will be here soon," Cerise said calmly.
After all, this was a registered laboratory. Any violent damage to the premises would trigger an alarm at the police station.
That was why Cerise was deliberately stalling.
"Hahahaha! Don't tell me you think the police have time to save you?" The squad leader sneered. "If the Pokémon Center happens to be attacked right now, will Officer Jenny still have time to come here?"
"What?!" Cerise shouted in shock. He had never imagined anyone would be stupid enough to attack a Pokémon Center.
After all, attacking a Pokémon Center was practically a slap in the Pokémon League's face.
"Hmph! Get them!" Having finally finished showing off, the squad leader waved his right hand.
The three grunts behind him advanced on Chloe and the others with vicious grins.
"Scyther, False Swipe!" Just as Chloe closed her eyes in fear, a cool voice rang out.
"Aaargh!" Three screams rang out! The Team Rocket grunts collapsed and stayed down.
"Weezing!" The squad leader threw a Poké Ball just in time, and an enormous spherical Pokémon blocked the blow for him.
"Who's there?! Who dares interfere with Team Rocket?!" the squad leader shouted fiercely.
"Scy!" Scyther settled into a fighting stance and faced him.
"That's what I'd like to ask you. Who gave you the nerve to attack researchers in the middle of a city?" Gary stepped out of the darkness with Eevee perched on his shoulder.
Four people-probably one of Team Rocket's smallest squads. Gary reckoned that none of their Pokémon would be above level 25, so he had acted decisively and taken them down first.
"Honey, is that boy...?" Yoshino asked excitedly.
"Yes, that's him. Professor Oak's grandson and the youngest bachelor's degree holder, Gary Oak!" Cerise nodded.
"Huh? Isn't he the same age as me?" Chloe looked curiously toward Gary.
"He's so cool!" Chloe's little brother, Sōta, could not help exclaiming.
"Well? Want to keep going?" Gary gave the man a cold look.
Click! Scyther's blades gleamed, his hunter's gaze fixed firmly on Weezing.
"Tch. Weezing, use Smokescreen!" The man waved his hand. Weezing released a cloud of smoke, and he retreated with his fallen subordinates.
Seeing them withdraw, Gary breathed a sigh of relief. His gamble had paid off.
They had probably stumbled across news of the legendary Pokémon Lugia and decided to risk coming here to extort the information, hoping to score big.
If Team Rocket headquarters had sent people for intelligence this valuable, they would probably have been beyond Gary's current ability to handle.
"Thank you so much for saving us. You're Professor Oak's grandson, Gary, correct?" Cerise stepped forward.
"Yes. My grandpa said there was some information he needed me to verify." Gary nodded. "If your observations prove accurate, I believe you'll be receiving your doctorate ahead of schedule."
"In that case, please come with me." Cerise wasted no time and immediately invited Gary into an undamaged room in the laboratory.
He turned on the computer and unlocked a top-secret file. A video appeared before Gary.
In the waters off Viridian City, a huge silver blur flashed across the footage from a land-based surveillance camera.
After slowing it down twelvefold, Gary nodded in confirmation. "There's no doubt. It's the legendary Pokémon Lugia! This discovery is incredibly important.
"Your hypothesis about the ocean-current circulation between Kanto and Johto holds up!"
"Wonderful!" Cerise could barely contain the excitement in his eyes. Once this project was validated, he could officially receive his doctorate!
"Given what happened with Team Rocket, I think you should move your family to another city. What do you think?" Gary suggested.
This was Lugia, the god of the sea, after all. If Team Rocket refused to give up and came back, this family of four would be helpless against them.
"That's exactly what I intend to do. A new laboratory is already prepared in Vermilion City. It's my hometown, and security won't be an issue there either. We're planning to move back," Mr. Cerise said seriously.
"Since you've already decided, I won't say any more. I still have my journey and training to continue, so I won't trouble you any longer." Gary nodded and rose to leave.
"Oh, it's so late. Why don't you stay here for the night, Gary?" Cerise's wife, Miss Yoshino, warmly offered.
"No, thank you. I'd like to get to Pewter City sooner, so I won't impose. Thank you for your kindness." Gary shook his head and left the Cerise home.
Watching Gary walk away, Sōta glanced at his sister. "Sis, if you don't go after him now, he'll be long gone."
Chloe blushed, then seemed to make up her mind and ran after Gary.
"Chloe?!" Cerise froze. Yoshino took her husband's hand and shook her head with a smile. "It's all right. Our daughter's grown up."
Cerise put his hands on his hips and sighed. "Ah... how did she grow up in the blink of an eye?"
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