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After his conversation with Professor Oak concluded, Ash contacted the Neon Town Pokémon Center. Since Gary and the others had already made arrangements with the center staff beforehand, the facility immediately reached out to Gary's group as soon as Ash's call came through.
Gary and the others were still waiting for Fearow, who had been following Pidgeotto, to return with news. They hadn't expected to receive a call from Ash before Fearow could report back.
"Ash, are you alright?!" As soon as the video connection established, Misty rushed toward the screen and called out with obvious concern in her voice.
"I'm fine. I'm sorry for making you all worry so much. I've escaped and I'm safe now."
Ash understood that this incident had genuinely frightened his friends, so he responded with sincere apology in his tone.
After hearing Ash's reassuring response, Misty finally felt the tension leave her shoulders. Brock didn't say much, but his relief was clearly visible, and the burden of worry finally lifted from his expression.
"Honestly, you really do cause trouble wherever you go!"
Gary approached the screen as well. He was actually relieved to see that Ash was unharmed, but given his prideful personality, it was impossible for him to openly express such concern.
"Didn't you tell Professor Oak about Ash's situation? Why are you pretending not to care now?" Green, who was standing beside Ash, couldn't help but tease Gary about his obvious contradiction.
"I... How could I? Don't talk nonsense!" Gary was momentarily flustered when confronted with this observation.
"Thanks, Gary."
"Uh... I... I don't want your gratitude! I only helped because we haven't settled our rivalry yet."
When Ash offered his straightforward thanks, Gary's nature emerged. Faced with Ash's direct appreciation, Gary seemed overwhelmed and struggled to maintain his usual aloof demeanor.
"What are your plans now, Ash?" Misty inquired with continued interest.
"Well, I'm currently on Cinnabar Island, so I'm going to challenge the Cinnabar Gym directly. We can meet up afterward!"
Ash considered the logistics after hearing her question. They were still in Nether Town, while he had conveniently arrived at Cinnabar Island, making it perfect for challenging the gym immediately.
"Should we come find you instead?" Misty asked instinctively.
"Let's meet at Dasha Valley! After I finish at the Cinnabar Gym, Cinnabar Island is surrounded by ocean with no other nearby cities, so there's no point in making the trip here."
Ash knew that he planned to challenge the Viridian Gym next, which was considered the true strongest gym in the Kanto Region. When the time came to head back in that direction, it would be better not to make his friends travel unnecessarily.
Dasha Valley was positioned centrally between Nether Town and Cinnabar Island, serving as a natural crossroads for their travels.
"That sounds perfect!" Listening to Ash's logical reasoning, Misty and Brock nodded in agreement. This arrangement would indeed save everyone considerable time and effort.
"Alright! Let's leave it at that for now!" After their conversation concluded, everyone said their goodbyes and ended the video call.
"You've just experienced so many dangerous situations. You should get proper rest now! After all, you have to challenge the gym tomorrow!" Green advised Ash with genuine concern.
"You're right!"
Ash didn't refuse her suggestion. After checking into the Pokémon Center, he returned to his room to rest properly. Green had decided to stay and watch Ash's gym challenge the following day, since she was genuinely curious about his battle style, so she didn't leave immediately.
In truth, she now possessed eight badges in her collection, with the Cinnabar Gym being her final challenge. Because she had taken a different route through the region, the gyms she had challenged were also different from Ash's journey, making this particular gym effectively the easiest remaining option for her.
"What's the status report?"
On the other side, Archer and his team, who had departed from Cinnabar Island, returned to their airship. Inside the vessel, the four executives stood in formation, facing the large screen displaying their superior.
The screen showed none other than their boss, Giovanni, inquiring about their mission results.
"The capture of Moltres has been completed successfully!" Archer reported the situation with professional efficiency. After hearing Archer's confirmation, Giovanni nodded with satisfaction.
"Excellent! This means our follow-up operations can proceed as planned! Thank you all for your dedicated work during this operation."
"Boss, this is simply our duty!"
"However, it's unfortunate that the boy managed to escape our custody," Archer added, though his tone revealed deep frustration about this particular failure.
"Based on your descriptions, I'm actually looking forward to meeting this young trainer myself," Giovanni responded without apparent concern. As long as Moltres had been captured, he wouldn't become angry about other minor setbacks.
"I believe there will be another opportunity," Archer replied confidently. That boy would undoubtedly attempt to interfere with their plans again, making future encounters inevitable.
"However, Lance's appearance this time is particularly troubling. The boy's true identity is becoming a real concern."
Archer's expression darkened considerably. Lance's intervention and Blaine's comments had made him genuinely worried about Ash's background and connections.
"Don't concern yourself with him for now. Our next phase will begin shortly. Return to headquarters as quickly as possible."
Giovanni's brow furrowed slightly upon hearing about Lance's involvement, but he quickly relaxed and issued orders to his four executives.
"Understood!" All four responded simultaneously before ending the communication.
The Next Day
"Your Pokémon are completely refreshed and ready for battle!" At the Cinnabar Island Pokémon Center, Ash approached the front desk where Nurse Joy returned his Poké Balls with her characteristic smile.
"Thank you so much!"
After expressing his gratitude, Ash allowed Pikachu to settle on his shoulder, then secured the Poké Balls around his waist before walking outside. Green was waiting patiently nearby.
"Blaine is incredibly strong. Do you have a strategy to deal with his team?"
Green walked beside him but couldn't help offering a warning. It hadn't been easy for her to earn the Cinnabar Badge from Blaine, so she felt compelled to caution Ash about the challenge ahead.
"I understand the difficulty, but you don't need to overthink battles like this. The best approach is simply to give it everything you've got!"
Ash smiled after hearing her concern, realizing that planning elaborate tactics wasn't really his style. Such calculated approaches always felt like they were missing something essential to him.
It was similar to playing a video game where you researched the Elite Four and Champion's Pokémon in advance, learning their movesets, abilities, and type advantages. Then you specifically prepared Pokémon you didn't particularly like but could exploit those weaknesses for easy victories. That approach felt completely hollow and meaningless.
"That's very much like you, but I'm confident you'll be fine!"
Green smiled after hearing his response. Ash remained true to his straightforward nature, but she still had complete faith in his battling abilities.
"Thank you for the support!" Ash expressed his appreciation without saying anything more, and the two continued walking side by side toward the gym entrance.