"Wartortle, use Aqua Jet again!"
A burst of water exploded around Wartortle as it propelled itself forward, launching into the air and slamming headfirst into Poliwrath's abdomen.
Covered in injuries, Poliwrath clutched its stomach. With a look of unwillingness in its eyes, it finally collapsed to the ground, losing the ability to battle.
"Huff… huff…"
Gary and Wartortle panted heavily, muddy water dripping from their hair. At this moment, he looked no different from a bug-catching youngster—there was no trace of the former rich young master.
[Ding~ Congratulations to the Gym Leader. Gary's exclusive quest progress +5% (Rewards available at 20%)]
Red suddenly opened his eyes, barely paying attention to the system notification—
The incomplete Viridian Power had finally allowed him to uncover the secret of this body of water.
A dormant Water-type Permanent Evolution Stone.
"Master, how did I do? Not bad, right?"
Hearing Gary's voice, Red shook his slightly trembling arm from excitement.
"Yeah, you did well."
Taking a deep breath, Red suppressed his excitement and calmly took out a Poké Ball, capturing the defeated Poliwrath.
Gary hesitated upon seeing this.
But in the end, he gathered the courage to speak:
"Master, although I don't really want to capture this Poliwrath either… if a Pokémon isn't caught by the one who defeated it, it's almost impossible to command."
"If you don't mind, I can help manage it for you!"
As he spoke, a hint of excitement crept onto his face.
Red chuckled.
"What, you think I can't command Poliwrath?"
"No, no, of course I believe in you, Master! It's just that Poliwrath has a rather unruly personality…" Gary said, though his body language betrayed his doubt.
Red released Poliwrath from its Poké Ball.
As Poliwrath regained consciousness, it immediately took a defensive stance.
Seeing this, both Castform and Mudkip stepped forward, unwilling to back down, standing protectively in front of Red.
Just as tension filled the air, Red picked up Mudkip and set it aside. Then he took out a blue Pokéblock and placed it in front of Poliwrath.
"Do you remember this taste?"
The moment Poliwrath smelled the familiar, irresistible aroma, its eyes lit up.
In a flash, it snatched the Pokéblock and devoured it. The familiar taste made it momentarily lose itself in delight.
But it quickly regained its composure, still watching Red cautiously—
though its hostility had clearly lessened.
Then Red opened his pouch, revealing a bag full of blue Pokéblocks.
For a moment, Poliwrath felt like it had ascended to heaven.
It struggled to tear its gaze away.
Red then said:
"Don't worry, Poliwrath. I'm not here to capture you—I'm here to propose cooperation."
Poliwrath looked at him, puzzled.
"I'll give you ten blue Pokéblocks every day and let you live in a safe backyard with no threats."
"All you need to do is defeat any intruders under my command. How about it?"
Poliwrath hesitated.
It was tempting—food, safety, shelter…
But it would lose its freedom.
Just as it wavered, Red revealed his final trump card.
He placed Poliwrath's Poké Ball in front of it.
"You keep your own Poké Ball. If one day you want your freedom, you can destroy it and leave. I won't stop you."
Hearing this—especially seeing the Poké Ball placed before it—Poliwrath's last trace of vigilance disappeared.
It extended its gloved fist toward Red.
Red smiled and bumped his fist against it.
"Deal."
Poliwrath then voluntarily returned to its Poké Ball.
Red picked it up and looked at Gary.
"Still think I need your help managing it?"
Gary scratched his head awkwardly.
"No, no… Master."
Then he asked curiously:
"Master, that Poliwrath seemed really familiar with Pokéblocks."
Red patted Mudkip and Castform.
"Of course. Strictly speaking, the Pokémon in this forest are semi-free-range Pokémon of our Gym."
"We regularly scatter Pokéblocks here to make it easier to recruit and command them later."
"After all, a Gym Leader can't rely solely on their own Pokémon in every battle. That would be exhausting."
"I see…"
Gary nodded, gaining a deeper understanding of the Songzao Gym's strength.
But then, one of his questions nearly shattered Red's good mood.
"Then Master… if our Gym is so strong, why is it ranked near the bottom in all of Kanto?"
That single sentence pierced Red like a sword.
"…Are you feeling a bit too relaxed?"
"Don't think that beating one Poliwrath makes you strong! Start physical training now—cross-country running around the forest, go!"
Watching Gary run drenched in sweat, Red finally felt a bit better.
Then he turned to Mudkip and the partially recovered Poliwrath.
"Listen carefully. Sneak into the water. I'll guide you to an inconspicuous spot in the river."
"There should be a blue stone there. Work together to retrieve it."
"Take it slow—and don't let anyone notice."
Mudkip and Poliwrath nodded vaguely and jumped into the water.
At the same time, Red closed his eyes.
A thread of green Viridian Power extended from his mind, passing through Mudkip and Poliwrath, reaching a hidden crevice by the riverbank.
There, a faint blue stone pulsed like a living thing, slowly absorbing Water-type energy from nature.
Its energy was still weak, and being submerged, even Mudkip and Poliwrath had failed to notice it earlier.
But under Red's Viridian Power, it was crystal clear.
"To your left!"
Underwater, Mudkip and Poliwrath suddenly heard Red's voice in their minds.
Without hesitation, they followed his guidance, pried open the crevice, retrieved the blue stone, and brought it back to him.
By now, Red was gasping for breath, his body drained from overusing Viridian Power.
"This incomplete Viridian Power is really lacking… even simple telepathy drains so much stamina."
But looking at the stone in his hand, a genuine smile appeared on his face.
"But as long as I got you—it's worth it, even if I drained myself completely."
[Water-type Permanent Evolution Stone: A reusable evolution stone. It does not disappear after use and can be reused after reabsorbing energy.]