The formula for Toxic hasn't yet become common knowledge. Although ordinary Trainers still can't easily access it, it wasn't hard to find in Terrance's database.
Other than one special plant, all the materials were quite common; any pharmacy would sell them.
As for the special plant, Terrance had plenty of ways to acquire it if he wanted to.
For example, online shopping.
After wandering around Pewter City for a while, Terrance soon arrived at a place called Pewter Pharmacy.
It was a branch of the Cianwood City Pharmacy, a business with a 500-year history and a solid reputation. Getting the ingredients for Toxic here would be easy.
"Welcome!"
A mustached man standing behind a wooden counter greeted Terrance the moment he entered.
"Shopkeeper, I'd like these herbs," Terrance said, stepping forward and handing over a slip of paper listing the ingredients.
"Oh? Young man, are you a Trainer?"
After glancing at the list, the mustached man chuckled. "The formula for Toxic, huh? Not many people come looking for that anymore."
"You've got a sharp eye, Shopkeeper," Terrance replied with a smile, slightly surprised.
"Hah, Shopkeeper, haven't heard that in ages. These days, only a few old customers still call me that. Seems that old-fashioned term from ancient times is going out of style." The man shook his head.
"I actually think it sounds kind of warm and friendly," Terrance said.
"You're a good kid. I'll give you a ten percent discount."
The man laughed heartily, clearly taking a liking to Terrance.
"Then I'll gladly accept. Thanks, Shopkeeper." Terrance didn't refuse.
"No problem. The first seventeen herbs are in stock right now. As for the last one, it's out of stock. You'll have to wait two days. I can get it transferred from the main warehouse."
The mustached man picked up the note and pointed to the last, more unusual herb.
"Uh… two days?" Terrance was a bit surprised. If this pharmacy could really get this special plant for him, it would save him a lot of trouble.
"Two days will be enough," the man confirmed with a nod.
After thanking him again, Terrance paid a deposit, collected the available herbs, and left Pewter Pharmacy.
Carrying a cloth pouch full of herbs, Terrance strolled leisurely toward the Laboratory. But as he turned a corner down another street, he suddenly felt a chill run through him.
"Mismagius, what brings you here?"
Terrance stopped walking. Although Mismagius hadn't yet revealed its body, Terrance could already sense his Pokémon's presence.
"Mis~magius!!" Mismagius materialized and slowly answered.
"Ugh… this is such a hassle. Let's talk about it later when we get back. Come with me for now," Terrance felt a headache coming on.
Mismagius returning early could only mean that something had happened with Jade and Lan…something beyond what they had planned. The thought made Terrance sigh helplessly.
...
...
Inside the Laboratory.
After hearing Mismagius's report, Terrance fell into deep thought.
"Ah… I see."
"Those two really are bold."
Mismagius had relayed the latest developments regarding Joy and Jenny.
Lan Jenny had successfully infiltrated one of Team Rocket's branches, disguised as a low-ranking grunt. She had completed her identity swap and was currently gathering intelligence inside their base.
Jade Joy, on the other hand, was overseeing the entire operation, maintaining contact with Lan Jenny and supplying her with outside intel.
"Jade is skilled in computer hacking, while Lan excels at disguise. Her adaptability and acting skills are first-rate. So that's how the two have been working together lately. They really are promising talents, but how well they actually carry out this mission will still depend on the outcome."
After receiving a brief report from Mismagius, Terrance tapped his fingers on the desk, lost in thought. At the moment, both Jade Joy and Lan Jenny were in Pewter City, but the reason Mismagius had come to him wasn't because Lan Jenny had infiltrated Team Rocket; it was because Team Rocket was planning a small operation soon.
Lan Jenny had likely obtained this information as well, but given her current situation, she was unable to report it to Terrance. Once she managed to disengage and reestablish contact with Jade Joy, the intel would eventually reach Terrance's hands.
"A small operation, huh…" Terrance murmured.
The Team Rocket branch was about to carry out an operation in Viridian Forest, targeting a colony of Heracross.
"Heracross… a Pokémon without any pre-evolution or evolution except for Mega Evolution. Easy to raise, individually powerful. It's quite an excellent Pokémon. It can survive on tree sap, fruit juice, or leaf juice alone. Very easy to care for, and combined with its great strength, it would fetch a high price on the market. Hmph."
Terrance snorted coldly. That Team Rocket branch certainly had it all planned out. Capturing a large number of Heracross could indeed turn into a lucrative business, but the consequences would be disastrous.
"I should notify the Rangers of Viridian Forest to prepare in advance."
Without waiting for Jenny and Joy to report back, Terrance quickly wrote down the intelligence he had obtained from Mismagius in a letter and handed it to Mismagius.
"Take this to the Rangers of Viridian Forest."
Since Terrance didn't know the exact strength of that Team Rocket branch, he didn't write the message too explicitly, just a general warning to make them more alert.
And because Lan Jenny had already infiltrated the Team Rocket branch, their Special Operations Squad might not be able to pull out now. Regarding this upcoming capture operation of Team Rocket, it seemed Terrance and the others would be drawn into it whether they wanted to or not.
...
...
The next day.
Terrance and Nero were assisting Castform in fusing with the Light Ball, watching nervously as it controlled the power of lightning in the Light Ball.
Castform moved with extreme caution. With its top-tier control, it handled the process skillfully, but even so, fusing with Light Ball made it sweat heavily, droplets of perspiration trickling down its face.
Neither Terrance nor Nero dared to even breathe, carefully documenting every step of the process.
Then—
Boom!!
The power of lightning suddenly erupted, instantly engulfing Castform. If not for the defensive measures they had set up, Terrance and Nero might have been caught in it as well.
"Castformmm~~~!"
Castform flew out from the smoke, its body black as coal. It coughed out a puff of black smoke and glared furiously at the Light Ball before whipping its head away.
This was already the third failed attempt at fusion.
"Puff!! Puff!!"
Castform shook its head and floated over to Terrance, indicating that it wasn't compatible with this Light Ball.
"Looks like it's no good…" Terrance said, visibly disappointed.
The process in which the power of lightning stimulates a Pokémon's life force to unleash even greater strength was something Terrance had been looking forward to for a long time. Not only could it enhance Castform's strength, but Terrance also faintly believed it might give him an inspiration on how to help Altaria master the fusion of power of fire and life energy, thus completing the Flame of Life training.
However, judging from the current results, this plan would have to be put on hold.
"Although Castform has excellent energy control, unfortunately it isn't an Electric-type Pokémon, so its compatibility for fusion is much lower," Researcher Nero said with a sigh, twirling his pen between his fingers.
"Based on the electrical energy contained within the Light Ball, I did some calculations. Pokémon with a body size similar to Castform's are best suited for fusing with a Light Ball. If you try with an Electric-type—say, Pikachu, Voltorb, or Magnemite—you might have better results. If you don't mind, I actually have a few Electric-type Pokémon here. I could give you one to continue your research."
"No need," Terrance said with a smile, shaking his head. "If it doesn't suit my Pokémon, I won't force it. Besides, I already have a new plan. I intend to give this Light Ball to a junior of mine."
"He happens to have a Pikachu. Maybe they can try fusing with it."
"A Pikachu, huh? That's perfect. Pikachu's body size and Electric-type energy are an ideal match for the Light Ball. But when the fusion begins, the power of lightning that would erupt out would be immense. An ordinary Pikachu's body might not be able to withstand that much electricity…"
"If you don't mind, I can assist with the fusion when the time comes."
"I'll be sure to pass that suggestion along," Terrance replied. Just then, his phone rang. After checking the message, Terrance's expression stiffened slightly.
It was from Jade Joy. Only a day had passed, and she was already reporting the same information Mismagius had brought him yesterday.
"Captain, should we sabotage Team Rocket's plan as our first mission?"
Terrance rubbed his forehead at her message. She really wasn't holding back, her tone made it sound like they had already taken down that Team Rocket branch.
"Focus on completing your test for now. Don't meddle in other matters. Oh, and tell Lan to be careful."
After closing the phone, Terrance resumed his discussion with Researcher Nero. The process of using power of lightning to stimulate life force and draw out greater power wasn't exactly the same as fusing power of fire with life energy, but Terrance could feel there was a commonality between them.
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