Want to read ahead. You know where
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In the depths of Viridian Forest...
"Luka!"
"Hisss!"
"Lili!"
Sam's three Pokémon circled him, eyes filled with worry.
"I'm okay," he said, forcing a small smile.
"Just… a little tired."
He waved a hand reassuringly, though it trembled slightly.
Truthfully, he looked like hell.
His clothes were soaked through, clinging to his skin like he'd been pulled from a lake.
Sweat dripped from his chin, and his breathing was uneven.
But his eyes, his eyes burned bright.
Clear and sharp, as if stars had fallen into them.
It was the aftermath of channeling huge amount of Viridian force.
His body had borne the brunt of it, and now his inner channels, his veins, muscles, even the very cells, had expanded to their limits.
He could hold more power now.
Feel more—Channel more.
To put it in simple terms, for a human, it was like leveling up beyond the natural cap.
As if he'd gone from ordinary to something more, not just stronger, but sharper, faster, and clearer.
And to Pokémon… Sam had become something like a walking, breathing spring of life.
Just being near him now helped restore their strength and energy, like a slow but steady drip of healing light.
From his perch atop the crumbled stone watchtower, Sam looked out over the forest clearing below.
The chaos had passed.
Wild Pokémon were slowly retreating into the woods, limping or dazed but no longer raging.
Some flew, others crawled or bounded.
One by one, they vanished into the green like mist.
"Each to their own," he murmured, watching them fade.
This riot could've gone much worse.
The sheer number of berserk wild Pokémon… it had nearly buried him.
Literally and figuratively.
But all in all, it wasn't a loss.
"At least Luca and the others made it," he muttered, eyes softening.
His team had fought hard.
Darkrai, Lucario , they'd all stepped up.
"They've reached peak Champion level," he said, nodding to himself.
"Just one step away now… Tier 3 Legendary."
He paused, eyes drifting upward through the forest canopy.
"Silver's a little behind," he added, thinking of his Lugia.
"But he's catching up fast."
The Viridian Force within him stirred, like an ember fanned by wind.
Stronger now than ever.
The bond between him and his Pokémon was deeper, more connected.
Every battle shaped them. Every danger sharpened them.
"The harvest was good," he said, smiling faintly.
Just then, a small rumble broke the silence.
Gurgle…
Silver blushed and awkwardly covered his belly with his wings.
Gululu~
Lucario's stomach echoed in reply.
"Luka…" he mumbled, scratching the back of his head, trying to play it cool.
They exchanged a sheepish glance, then burst into laughter, quiet and relieved.
The danger had passed for now.
Darkrai floated nearby, arms crossed, expression unimpressed.
He rolled his eyes.
"Hisss," he muttered.
Sam chuckled.
"You guys have been pushing yourselves nonstop. Of course you're hungry."
He stretched his sore limbs and pulled off his half-drenched jacket.
"Alright. Let's set up camp. We'll rest here for the night."
The Pokémon perked up at that.
Silver flapped his wings excitedly.
Lucario began gathering dry wood, and even Darkrai moved to help, though he pretended not to care.
Soon, the forest clearing flickered with the warm orange light of a small campfire.
-----------
Indigo Plateau
Within the stone halls of the League's headquarters, the mood was tense.
Lance the Dragon Master, stood at the front of the room.
His red cloak draped behind him like a banner of fire.
Around the long table sat the regional heads of the Pokémon League, including Chairman Dalton, who presided over the meeting with his usual stone-faced calm.
Lance tapped the holomap and brought up a projection of the Kanto region.
A series of red markers blinked ominously along a line stretching from Pewter City to Cerulean.
"We deployed two teams," Lance began.
"One aimed for Pewter, the other headed toward Viridian. We intercepted multiple swarms of agitated wild Pokémon, more than we've ever seen gathered in this area."
He zoomed the map into Viridian Forest, which now pulsed faintly with green light on the display.
"But just before we reached the city border," he continued, "a massive wave of Viridian energy surged from deep within the forest."
The room quieted.
Dalton's eyes narrowed.
"You're saying the forest itself stopped the advance?"
"No," Lance replied, shaking his head.
"It wasn't the forest. Someone inside channeled out the Viridian Force. The energy signature was unlike anything we've recorded before, not wild, not unstable. Controlled. Powerful."
He paused.
"And purposeful."
A low murmur rippled through the room.
"Are you suggesting there's a trainer who can use the Viridian Force at that level?"
Lance looked around the room.
"I'm not suggesting," he said.
"I'm sure of it."
"All the berserk Pokémon have returned to normal."
Lance's voice was calm, but firm.
"Whoever it is… they didn't just stop the cause, they purified it. The wild Pokémon were calmed almost instantly."
Chairman Dalton, who had been listening in silence, furrowed his brows.
He stroked his gray beard thoughtfully, the light from the holomap flickering in his eyes.
"That kind of power…, find them," Dalton ordered.
"Anyone capable of purifying a mass of enraged Pokémon like that is someone we cannot ignore."
His voice was steady but tinged with urgency.
"Even if they refuse to join the League, we need to approach them with goodwill. Make sure they understand we're not a threat."
Lance nodded.
"Understood, Chairman."
Dalton paused, then continued,
"Any progress on what caused the riot in the first place?"
Lance's expression darkened.
"We're still investigating," he admitted.
"But the signs… they point to Team Rocket. The way it was triggered, the suddenness, the aggression, it fits their methods."
Dalton's frown deepened.
"If Rocket are making moves like this, they're not just testing the waters. They're planning something big."
He straightened in his chair.
"Lance, for the time being, double your efforts. Keep a close eye on Viridian. And on Team Rocket."
Lance bowed slightly.
"Yes, sir."
-----------
Saffron City – Team Rocket's Secret Base
Far beneath the city's bustling streets, inside the dimly lit, high-tech command center, tension simmered.
In the sleek office at the heart of the base, Giovanni, the cold, calculating leader of Team Rocket, sat behind his polished desk, arms folded.
Across from him, his most trusted secretary, Matori, delivered her report with precision.
"The berserk Pokémon…" she said, "were neutralized almost instantly."
Giovanni, known for his icy composure, rarely showed emotion.
But now, he frowned. For the first time in a while, his expression cracked, just slightly.
Surprise flickered in his eyes.
"In an instant?" he repeated, his voice low.
"Yes, sir," Matori confirmed.
"The energy readings spiked momentarily. Then, the entire forest went quiet."
Giovanni leaned forward, fingers tapping rhythmically on the dark surface of his desk.
The silence stretched, thick with thought.
"Find out who did it," he said at last, voice sharp.
"Mobilize all our intelligence resources. Every scout. Every informant. I want their identity. But, " his eyes narrowed, "don't act rashly. Not until I say so. Report to me first."
"Yes, sir!" Matori bowed her head and noted down every instruction without delay.
She'd been working under Giovanni for years.
Cold orders were nothing new.
But this, this was different.
He was serious.
More serious than she'd ever seen.
After a pause, Matori looked back up.
"Boss, regarding the plan to seize Silph Co.'s Master Ball prototype… do we delay it, or move forward?"
Giovanni exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple with two fingers.
He looked tired, but only for a second.
"No," he said.
"We can't afford to pause."
He stood, walking toward the wide window that overlooked the inner lab.
Rows of test chambers glowed faintly below.
"Our God-creation project is nearing completion. That subject…"
He didn't say the name.
"It must be kept under control. The Master Ball is essential."
Giovanni turned slightly.
"Inform Carr. Have him take the 'Sea Beast' units and prepare in Cerulean City."
"If we can't draw the League's attention through the Berserk Protocol 2.5…"
He narrowed his eyes.
"…then we'll change the board."
"Understood!" Matori replied crisply and left the room.
Once alone, Giovanni opened a side cabinet and poured himself a glass of red wine.
He swirled it slowly, watching the crimson liquid catch the low light.
But despite the luxurious calm of the moment, an unease gnawed at him.
A feeling he couldn't shake.
Something had shifted in the world. A variable he hadn't accounted for.
Their plan to control a new god was nearly finished.
The experiments were yielding results. The Master Ball was almost in their hands.
But still…
A quiet chill crawled up his spine.
It felt as though, for the first time, Team Rocket wasn't the one pulling the strings.