Viridian City, also known as Evergreen City.
Its name comes from the meaning of everlasting, ancient green, because Viridian City is a place where spring seems to last all year round—a rather miraculous city indeed.
At this moment, Lucas and his companions had arrived in this very city.
Since Mewtwo 2.0 would still need a few more days before its consciousness could fully awaken, Lucas had no intention of returning to Blackthorn City for the time being. Instead, he brought the three girls along to travel around the Kanto region for a while. And once you came to Viridian City, it was inevitable that you would see that luxurious Viridian Gym.
"Ever since Mr. Giovanni's identity was exposed, it's said that up until now, they still haven't found a suitable Gym Leader to replace him,"
Ilene said as she glanced at the Viridian Gym and spoke to Lucas and the others.
Gym Leaders were not so easy to find. Apart from those who inherited the position from their parents, in reality, every Gym Leader was an exceptionally outstanding Trainer—
not only in terms of strength, but also in temperament and character.
The duty of a Gym Leader was, in essence, to temper and hone the Trainers who came to challenge them. Even though the World Championships were currently in full swing,
the number of Gym challengers in each region was instead showing a growing trend.
The World Championships were about competing against strong opponents from all over the world—but how did one become strong in the first place?
Naturally, through diligent training and self-improvement, and Gyms were an excellent place for such refinement.
However, after Giovanni's identity was exposed, the Viridian Gym had inevitably been left vacant.
The Fuchsia Gym and the Vermilion Gym had already been retaken over again by Koga and Lt. Surge, while the Saffron Gym was temporarily managed once more by Sabrina's father.
Only the Viridian Gym still had not found a suitable successor.
"Although the role of Viridian Gym Leader was just a disguise for Uncle, he truly did an excellent job back then and was one of Kanto's most famous and strongest Gym Leaders. Finding a successor to match that standard is naturally very difficult,"
Lucas chuckled softly. Comparison and rivalry were human nature.
The previous Viridian Gym Leader, Giovanni, had been a powerful contender for the title of Kanto's strongest Gym Leader. Any new Gym Leader would inevitably be compared to Giovanni.
That kind of comparison was an unconscious, instinctive reaction.
That was why Chairman Loki and the others were having such a headache over the choice of a new Viridian Gym Leader.
And in the games, the one who eventually inherited the Viridian Gym was Blue—who was defeated by Red!
In the anime, after Giovanni was exposed, the person who temporarily served as Viridian Gym Leader was actually the Elite Four member Agatha.
It could be said that the glory of the Viridian Gym had never truly declined, because no matter who held the position, they were always top-tier Trainers!
One could even say that calling the Viridian Gym Leader the strongest Gym Leader in the world would not be an exaggeration at all. After all, which Gym Leader could beat Giovanni or Blue?
Even Raihan wouldn't stand a chance.
As for Pryce? Was Pryce even a normal person? No—definitely not.
"I really wonder who the League will choose to inherit this Gym," Lucas said with some curiosity. But almost immediately, he tossed the thought aside.
After all, it had nothing to do with him.
The four of them were just about to find a restaurant to eat and rest for a bit when they passed by a training field. At that moment, Lucas raised an eyebrow, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"
"Thunder!"
A hot-blooded young man shouted loudly. The yellow electric mouse leapt high into the air, the electric sacs on its cheeks crackling with arcs of electricity.
A golden Thunderbolt shot out in an instant.
On the ground, another Pikachu responded in kind, unleashing an even more powerful bolt of lightning that directly crushed the electric mouse's Thunderbolt with overwhelming force.
BOOM!
The Thunder exploded violently on the electric mouse's body. It cried out in pain and fell heavily to the ground.
"Pikachu!"
Ash was startled and immediately ran over, scooping Pikachu up in his arms.
"I'm sorry—your Pikachu is okay, right?"
The girl hurried over as well, her hands glowing with a warm green light.
Miraculously, as Pikachu was enveloped in the green radiance, its injuries healed rapidly, and the pain on its face gradually faded.
"So amazing!"
Even though he had already seen it before, Ash couldn't help but exclaim again, his voice filled with envy.
This was just too convenient! It was like carrying a free, top-tier healing item with you at all times.
"Pika~chu!"
Very soon, the electric mouse was lively and energetic once again.
"You're all healed now, Pikachu? Thank you so much, Yellow."
Seeing this, Ash stood up with Pikachu in his arms and thanked the girl in front of him.
"Your Pikachu is really strong! My Pikachu was no match for it at all."
Ash looked at the Pikachu standing beside the girl named Yellow. It looked mostly similar to his own electric mouse.
The difference was that this Pikachu had a small pink flower tucked behind its left ear, making it look even cuter.
Hearing its Trainer's words, Ash's Pikachu puffed up its cheeks in dissatisfaction. But when it saw the flower-adorned Pikachu, its eyes almost instantly turned into heart shapes…
Well, Yellow's Pikachu was female, while Ash's electric mouse was male.
Although in the I Choose You! movie, Pikachu had used telepathy for the first time and seemed to have a female voice,
that movie was clearly set in a parallel world and was completely different from the anime timeline.
"Isn't that obvious? Yellow is already ranked on the Great Ball Class of the World Championships. And you still insisted on having a friendly match with her."
Yellow's delicate face flushed slightly at the comment, and she revealed a shy smile. Before she could speak, however, Misty's teasing voice had already come through.
As she spoke, Misty and Brock, the two ever-present companions—walked over as well.
"What do you mean? It's just the Great Ball Class! I'll definitely make it there too!"
Ash protested indignantly. Although the World Championships had already been going on for quite some time, Ash was currently…
Well, still in the regular Poké Ball tier…
That was to say, ranked below a thousand.
"Yes, yes, of course. Then you'd better work hard." Misty rolled her eyes and replied perfunctorily, clearly lacking sincerity.
Yellow watched the two bicker, her lips pressed together in a gentle smile.
Although it looked like they were arguing, she could clearly sense the deep bond between them.
"But Yellow really is amazing. You're also a rookie who just debuted this year, right? That's truly outstanding,"
Brock said as he looked at Yellow with his perpetually half-closed eyes. This girl, who looked harmless and even a bit frail, actually possessed terrifying strength.
She was already ranked 34th in the Great Ball Class—a ranking that was even higher than some Elite Four members from other regions!
According to Yellow, she had earned that ranking by challenging Koga.
And most astonishing of all, Yellow was still a rookie who had debuted only this year!
"She's a monster no less impressive than Red or Blue," Brock thought to himself.
Such terrifying newcomers—he had only ever seen them in Red and Blue. And now, Red and Blue had already become members of the Indigo Elite Four and were renowned worldwide as Master Class Trainers.
"No, not really. It's all thanks to my partners. They're the ones who worked hard,"
Yellow replied softly, lowering her head shyly. Although she had been training for a year, aside from battle situations,
in her everyday interactions, Yellow was still an introverted girl who wasn't very good at socializing.
Brock smiled and was just about to praise Yellow when a male voice suddenly sounded.
"That's not true. Your partners are indeed excellent, but that doesn't mean your own brilliance should be overlooked."
Upon hearing this voice, Ash and the others all froze, their expressions varying.
"It's you?!"
Ash reacted strongly, instantly turning around to look.
"Big Brother!"
Yellow also turned around immediately, but unlike Ash, her reaction was pure delight—
so delighted that even her eyes trembled slightly.
"Lucas…"
Misty and Brock frowned slightly as they looked at the group slowly approaching.
And the young man at the front was none other than Lucas, someone who had left an extremely deep impression on them!
"Looks like we're all acquaintances here. Long time no see, Yellow."
Lucas glanced at Ash's trio before fixing his gaze on Yellow, the corners of his lips lifting as he greeted her warmly.
Nearly a year had passed, and this girl from Viridian was now completely different from the downtrodden girl he remembered.
She wore a clean white dress, her golden hair tied into a ponytail, her delicate face still carrying a trace of youthful innocence.
Her temperament was pure and clear, making people feel comfortable at first glance.
Yet what remained unchanged were her bright eyes—lively, resolute, and full of spirit.
"Long time no see, Big Brother."
Yellow pressed her lips together tightly, her shining eyes fixed on Lucas. After a long while, all the words she wanted to say condensed into just this single sentence.
Meeting again with the boy who had changed the course of her fate, she was incredibly excited—so excited that her heart was pounding nonstop.
She had so much she wanted to say. She had become stronger. She hadn't disappointed his expectations. She had always taken good care of Pikachu.
Countless times, Yellow had imagined what she would say when she met this boy again.
But now, she didn't know how to speak at all—her excitement left her completely speechless.
"Big Brother?"
And hearing Yellow's words, as well as the way she treated Lucas, even someone as dense as Ash finally understood.
Yellow had once told them that the reason she was where she was today was because a kind-hearted Big Brother had helped her in the past, changing her destiny.
Back then, Ash had even sighed in admiration, thinking that such a kind person was someone he'd really like to meet one day. But…
"So, Lucas is the Big Brother Yellow was talking about…"
Not only was Ash completely dumbfounded, even Misty and Brock felt their eyelids twitching.
You've got to be kidding, right?
"You've become outstanding, and Pikachu has grown stronger too. I really didn't misjudge you,"
Lucas said calmly, ignoring the strange looks from Ash's group. He glanced at the flower-adorned Pikachu beside Yellow and nodded in satisfaction.
As expected of Yellow.
He could sense Yellow's Champion-level will. This seemingly frail and slender girl was already a Champion-class Trainer!
Truly worthy of being one of the bug-like Rainbow Named Trainers.
"It was Big Brother who gave me the opportunity back then. Without you, Big Brother, I…"
"No, Yellow. All of this is the result of your own efforts. I merely gave you an opportunity,"
Lucas said with a smile, cutting off Yellow before she could continue.
For a pure-hearted girl like Yellow, a major kindness was something she would remember for a lifetime. He understood that perfectly well.
"Everything you have today comes from your own perseverance and the hard work you put in alongside your partners. I can't take credit for that."
Yellow's eyes sparkled as she looked at Lucas, her heart filled with emotion.
Just as she thought—this was the gentle Big Brother she admired. He hadn't changed at all.
"Even… even so! Big Brother's help is something I'll never forget!"
Yellow's clear, girlish voice carried an unshakable determination.
"There's really nothing I can do about you. Then go win the championship at this year's Indigo Plateau Conference and bring it back. Consider that your way of repaying me—how about it?"
Lucas shook his head helplessly before smiling at Yellow.
Originally, Red and Blue would also have participated in this year's Indigo Plateau Conference. But now that both of them had become Elite Four members,
there was no way the Elite Four would compete in a regional league.
Without those two prematurely overgrown monsters, Yellow could completely sweep through the competition and claim victory!
"Yes! I'll definitely win the championship!" Yellow replied with a serious expression, making her promise to Lucas.
The Indigo Plateau champion… No matter how difficult it might be, she would absolutely claim it!
But in reality…
With Yellow's current strength, to the other competitors, she was basically running with cheats turned on…
There would be no difficulty at all.
"I believe in you. And then…"
Lucas maintained his gentle smile as he slowly shifted his gaze toward Ash and the others, raising an eyebrow.
"Why are you all staring at me like that?"
(End of Chapter)