The scene shifts.
The gambler directly retraced his steps through Diglett Cave and returned to Kuye City, then proceeded further east in the Kanto region.
He arrived at Gringey City.
[You have arrived at Gringey City, the bustling industrial city feels incredibly novel to you, and those numerous chimneys make you marvel at the changes of the era]
Gringey City?
Baimu was slightly stunned, and then remembered that Ash Ketchum had been here before.
But in Ash's time, Gringey City had been polluted by industrial wastewater and waste, leading to its decline, with the sewers completely blocked by Grimer and Muk.
No wonder it sounds so familiar.
The gambler found a Gym here willing to take him, and the Gym Leader was as young as ever.
As if to confirm that only the young could accept such "fresh" things.
Four seasoned Pokémon alternated, and this time the gambler challenged three times, using all of Earth Split, Horn Drill, and Absolute Zero before winning.
[You defeated the Gringey Gym Leader and obtained the Gringey Badge]
"The name of this city predicts its future appearance," Baimu was full of complaints with nowhere to vent, watching the gambler continue to move forward.
Soon after.
The gambler arrived at Lavender Town.
However, unlike the famous Pokémon cemetery in the game, Lavender Town in the animation is just a place where Ghost-type Pokémon frequently appear.
The Pokémon Tower in the game, used for placing Pokémon gravestones, is just an uninhabited old castle in the animation, rumored to be haunted.
The gambler came here to challenge the Gym.
[You decided to challenge the Lavender Gym]
Lavender Gym, a surprise to Baimu, is a Ghost-type Gym, with the Gym Leader using the Gengar family—Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar.
His expression was a bit strange.
Could these three be the ones from the Pokémon Tower later?
Hard to say, the Gengar family suffered an early loss from appearing too soon; they were rampant in the animation and not particularly rare or valuable Pokémon at all.
Moreover, the gambler is likely to face a setback.
As expected, the gambler could not defeat the Lavender Gym, failing five consecutive times.
The reason is none other—three key players were cut down!
The gambler had always heavily relied on Poliwhirl and Machamp; one was his most familiar old partner, and the other had a relatively higher hit rate with No Defense Earth Split.
Naihe, Earth Split has no effect on Pokémon with the Levitate trait.
Rhydon's Horn Drill has no effect on Ghost-type Pokémon.
In other words.
The gambler could only rely on Dewgong's Absolute Zero to attack the Gengar family of the Lavender Gym. With such thin odds, it was extremely difficult to make a comeback.
It seemed that Time for a Change was also ineffective.
[Facing an almost impossible battle, you had no choice but to announce your surrender and move on to the next city]
The hot-blooded youth's talent seemed to have no impact on the gambler?
Seeing the gambler give up the challenge so easily, Baimu thought of the stubborn youth from the first simulation, challenging the Evergreen Gym with just a Caterpie and continuing even after being defeated.
He battled until the Gym Leader was "moved" by his perseverance, giving him a badge.
Though both possessed the hot-blooded youth's talent, the gambler seemed particularly calm.
The scene changes.
[You arrived in the southern Kanto region, the coastal Fuchsia City, where the moist sea wind brings you a little bit of fresh happiness]
The gambler began to challenge the Fuchsia Gym.
However.
The leader wasn't the young Aju Baimu had in mind but another middle-aged ninja.
Is the Fuchsia Gym a family business too?
Baimu found that most Kanto Gyms have a heritage, passed down from parents to the next generation, like Xiaogang and Xiaoxia's Gyms, as well as Yuhong Gym and Fuchsia Gym.
Luckily, although the Fuchsia Gym Leader was older, he accepted the gambler's tactical approach.
Like an explosion of luck, the gambler smoothly passed the challenge on his first attempt with Machamp and Rhydon and successfully obtained the sixth badge.
[You defeated the Fuchsia Gym Leader and obtained the Fuchsia Badge]
The good fortune made the gambler hesitate; he hurriedly obtained funding from Rocket Team again and took a ship to the offshore Cinnabar Town.
Then he had a good soak in the hot springs with his Pokémon.
[You believe that proper rest is beneficial for the upcoming burst of luck]
The gambler treated Rhydon and other longtime partners quite well, unlike the harshness of Rocket Team.
The hearts flying from the foreheads of the four Pokémon suggest Poliwhirl and others are in high spirits.
Even when often used as cannon fodder in battles, Poliwhirl and others seemed to have no complaints.
[Laughing with Machamp and other Pokémon, you share stories from your youth, thinking of the people and events you encountered, feeling a bit melancholic]
It's said that men contemplate life while bathing, and the gambler was no exception.
The narrator said the gambler once had a relatively bright past, which gambling ruined, leading to his wife's departure and his cherished son falling into gambling addiction, passing away prematurely.
For a while.
The gambler seemed to cry in the hot spring, and Machamp and other Pokémon, seeing this, seemed to relate to their situation and also felt sorrowful.
Baimu was at a loss and knew that no amount of regret could undo the past.
After the hot spring soak.
With his mood improved, the gambler began challenging the Cinnabar Gym.
The leader was finally Baimu's "acquaintance," Elder Xia. As one of the oldest Trainers later, Elder Xia was still young, at least much younger than the gambler.
Estimated to be in his thirties or forties, Elder Xia admired the gambler for his age and still challenging Gyms, but he did not go easy.
The Cinnabar Gym thus became the gambler's second most challenging Gym ever.
He challenged six times before defeating Elder Xia, relying on the Earth Split from Poliwhirl, Machamp, and Rhydon.
[You obtained the Cinnabar Badge, your seventh badge, only one step away from qualifying for the Victory Conference challenge]
Ecstatic, the gambler was once again kidnapped by Rocket Team upon leaving.
But what awaited him was not a beating but a new round of media exposure and countless announcements, along with a farcical Gym battle.
Evergreen Gym.
The gambler and his Pokémon experienced their first relaxed battle; the opponent's leader hardly took any action or dodged, stubbornly enduring his techniques.
[You obtained the Evergreen Badge, which made you look at the buzz-cut youth with great astonishment]
"Wow, young Giovanni is throwing the match!"
Baimu looked at the buzz-cut youth in the picture; despite being a pixel character, Baimu inexplicably saw a youthful aura on his face.
No doubt.
Rocket Team was still led by his mother during this era.
Giovanni only secretly supported Rocket Team as the Gym Leader, and when he grew up, he turned into a merchant in the animated version of Rocket Team.
A stark contrast to the especially fascinating, "Ground Giovanni" villain in the specials.
On the other hand.
Under Rocket Team's relentless publicity, the gambler, this middle-aged dream-chasing Trainer, and renowned leader of the One-hit Kill style, became famous throughout Kanto.
No one knew how much gold Rocket Team made from this.
At least the gambler saw no money; as a golden egg-laying goose, he was closely monitored by Rocket Team, even losing his freedom, which was scarier than the past.
[You silently ponder over your situation]
The gambler, after all, wasn't young; he realized this path could ruin him.
The League Conference differs from Gym challenges; it wouldn't allow him as many retries. If unlucky, he might not even pass the preliminaries.
If that happens, the gambler's reputation will plummet, and Rocket Team will undoubtedly discard him when the time comes.
In that case, paying off the usurious loan would be impossible, even jeopardizing his and his grandson's safety.
[You clearly understand that the high-interest loan you and your son owe has already been given to Rocket Team in various announcement fees, and you owe them nothing now]
[You begin to think of a solution]