"A Shiny Lucario? You're not just any ordinary Trainer, kid."
"Just lucky," Sam replied calmly.
The gym battle begins!
"Rhydon, use Horn Drill!"
With a thunderous roar, Rhydon charged at Lucario like a runaway train.
"So this is gym-level strength? That speed is no joke..." Sam thought, but remained composed. He believed in Lucario's power.
"Lucario, dodge with Agility and counter with Power-Up Punch!"
Sam used his Aura to telepathically guide Lucario. "Don't use Bullet Punch—go with Power-Up Punch instead."
Lucario dodged swiftly and delivered a glowing punch to Rhydon's face, increasing its own strength.
"Rhydon, use Hammer Arm!" The two Pokémon clashed in a heavy-hitting brawl. Rhydon had more bulk, but Sam knew Lucario's Attack stat was now fully boosted.
"Lucario, finish it with Metal Claw!"
"You think Metal Claw alone can take out my Rhydon, even with a type advantage?" the gym leader scoffed.
But as Lucario dashed in, the metallic glow of its claws cut through the air with a sonic boom.
"Wait... that's no regular Metal Claw." The gym leader's eyes widened. "You little rascal—you tricked me! You stacked Power-Up Punch instead of Bullet Punch?! Rhydon, get out of there!"
"Lucario, keep up the pressure—don't let it retreat!"
Lucario's speed was overwhelming. Before Rhydon could escape, Lucario struck with a fully charged Metal Claw, knocking it out cleanly.
"Rhydon is unable to battle! Lucario wins! The victory goes to Trainer Sam!"
"Thank you, Gym Leader. If you had taken me seriously from the start, I probably wouldn't have won," Sam said sincerely.
The gym leader, initially irritated by Sam's misdirection, softened. "You're clever, but you've got real skill. Here—take the Boulder Badge."
Sam beamed as he received his first badge. But the win reminded him he needed more Pokémon—his current team left little room for flexibility in tough matchups. He had to start thinking more strategically about type coverage.
After thanking the gym leader, Sam healed up at the Pokémon Center, stocked up on Poké Puffs and Energy Cube materials, and hit the road. Next stop: Cerulean City!
---
En route to Cerulean City: Mt. Moon
Mt. Moon was famous for its wild Clefairy and the abundance of Moon Stones—special evolutionary items that fell from space like meteors. Over time, greedy merchants began to overmine, disturbing the ecosystem and angering the Pokémon within.
Sam arrived with a goal in mind. "It'd be a shame not to pick up at least a couple of Moon Stones while I'm here."
Inside the cave, the main path was lit by lamps, but side passages flickered with torchlight, casting eerie shadows and echoing sounds.
Suddenly, a pink Pokémon dashed out of the dark and collided with Sam. It was clutching an egg, visibly panicked. Sam recognized it immediately.
Clefairy
Type: Fairy
Ability: Magic Guard
Level: 22
Moves: Sing, Disarming Voice, Encore, Minimize
Potential: Excellent
Using his Aura powers, Sam helped the trembling Clefairy to its feet and gently healed it with the power of Verdant Force. Sensing the human's sincerity, Clefairy hesitated, then spoke telepathically.
"Human... can you help me?"
"What's wrong? Take a breath and tell me," Sam replied softly.
"I was foraging when I fell into a pit. I found this egg there. When I finally climbed out, some humans saw me and tried to capture me. I ran as fast as I could."
Before Sam could ask more, a gruff voice echoed through the cavern.
"Hey, brat! That Clefairy's mine—I saw it first! Hand it over along with the egg!"
A shady man stepped out, his presence radiating malice. A Pokémon Hunter.
Sam stood his ground. "You haven't caught it. You don't own it. Clefairy doesn't want to go with you. Back off."
"You've got guts, kid. I'm gonna enjoy crushing you. Go, Arbok! Rip him apart!"
Arbok
Type: Poison
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
Moves: Crunch, Glare, Poison Fang, Coil
Potential: Good
A system prompt sounded in Sam's mind.
> Mission Triggered: Protect Clefairy & Defeat the Hunter
Type: Elite Mission
Difficulty: Elite
Reward: 1 Luxury Draw Ticket
Time Limit: 3 Hours
Sam smirked. "Lucario, time to rattle some scales."
Lucario appeared, cloaked in aura. He turned to Sam.
"You want me to finish this snake... permanently?"
Sam responded through telepathy, "No, just knock it out. The Pokémon's not at fault—the human is. But that guy... he's not walking out of here."
Sam's intense hatred for Pokémon hunters—people who abused and exploited Pokémon—flared. He would not let this one go.
The hunter sneered. "That's a Shiny Lucario? Jackpot! I'll take it too! Houndoom, let's burn them to ash!"
Houndoom
Type: Dark/Fire
Ability: Flash Fire
Level: 65
Moves: Flamethrower, Crunch, Fire Spin, Nasty Plot
Potential: Good
"You think two-on-one will work?" Sam raised his voice. "Then let's even the odds. Zeraora, I choose you!"
Zeraora leapt forward, electricity crackling across its body.
The cave lit up with the glow of Lightning and Aura. Sam cracked his knuckles.
"Let's show this scumbag what a real Trainer looks like."
To be continued...