Chapter 78: A Chance Encounter with Gold
Watching the quieted Cosmoem floating in the air, Ryan instinctively picked it up, but felt no Weight at all. Scratching his head, he said, "Strange? Could it be that I, like Ash, possess super-strength arms?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Cosmoem in his hand suddenly grew heavier, crashing to the ground with a thud, creating a deep crater before slowly floating back up.
"I know, I know," Ryan said, holding the Cosmoem. "You used your psychic powers to levitate yourself, didn't you? Okay, stop being so mad. I'll let you out more often next time."
He retrieved the Cosmoem with a Master Ball, and then, fearing to stay any longer, he hurried away. Leaving only the plowed grass behind, anyone uninformed might think some large Pokémon had been wreaking havoc.
Three days later, at a small lake, Ryan and his friends took a break for lunch. Ryan also took out his Super Rod to see if he could catch a few decent Water-type Pokémon.
But what was very strange was that before, once he'd cast his line in the water, he'd hook a Pokémon almost every minute. But this time, three minutes had passed, and the rod hadn't budged at all.
"Could it be that there aren't many high-quality Pokémon in these waters?" Ryan muttered to himself.
Looking at the motionless rod, Ryan glanced at the Pokémon that had fallen asleep nearby, yawned, and began his own nap.
But just as he drifted off to sleep, he suddenly felt a tug on the rod in his hand. Ryan instantly woke up, and with a burst of over 100 Strength stats, he instantly pulled a dark figure out of the water.
He looked closely and was speechless. He saw a young man in swimming trunks and scuba gear clutching a Marill, but the Marill had taken hold of Ryan's hook. What the hell was going on?
The two of them exchanged glances, and Ryan felt the young man looked familiar. The young man struggled in the air, then released his scuba gear and said, "Hey, who are you? I personally went into the water to capture this Marill."
As he spoke, a Poliwrath leaped out of the water, proving the young man's words were true.
"Sorry to trouble you, Gold," a voice called out.
A girl in overalls, a large hat, and slightly upturned pigtails pushed through the brush and approached. Seeing Gold's expression, she said, "Gold, Marill was obviously hooked by this guy. Don't interfere."
"No way, I found this Marill with great difficulty underwater. I chased her for ages," Gold said without hesitation.
"Forget it. You can capture this Marill if you want," Ryan said, but he already had some idea of who the two people were.
"Really? Thank you. My name is Crystal, you can just call me Crys," the girl thanked him.
"Hey, thanks, dude," Gold said. "Sunbo, I'm counting on you. Razor Leaf."
A Sunflora was dispatched, waving its leafy arms, sending a flurry of leaves flying towards Marill. Before Marill could react, she was sent reeling back.
"Sunbo, Leech Seed, trap it," Gold called out.
The Sunflora released seeds that quickly sprouted on Marill, binding her tightly with vines. Gold then captured her with a Poké Ball.
The Poké Ball was instantly teleported away. Gold rubbed his nose with his index finger and said to Ryan, "Thanks, dude. By the way, I didn't catch your name yet."
"I'm Ryan from Pallet Town. I'm challenging the Johto League and preparing to compete in the Silver Conference. What about you guys?" Ryan said with a smile.
"Us? Just wandering around. Oh, Ryan, what a familiar name!" Gold said.
"I remember, you're the Ryan who partnered with a Celebi!" Crystal said.
Ryan nodded and waved. Celebi, who was sleeping in a large tree, landed on his shoulder and even said hello to Crystal.
"Are you acquaintances?" Ryan asked Celebi curiously.
Celebi chirped a few times, saying it knew her from the League and that she was very nice to him. Ryan smiled and nodded, then said to Crystal and Gold, "Are you on vacation?"
From Celebi's words, Ryan probably guessed it. Gold, the male protagonist of Pokémon Gold and Silver, and Crystal, the female protagonist, seemed to be working for the League.
"Yeah, that's right. So I came back to check things out. The League is sending us to the Hoenn region soon, so I guess we won't have much free time left," Crystal said.
"Yeah, I shouldn't have accepted the League's invitation. Running around all day is such a hassle," Gold complained.
Ryan suddenly remembered that in the manga, one of these two people was the hatcher and the other the capturer. He wondered if that was true.
Ryan then asked, "Crystal, I heard you're an incredible Pokémon capturer. Is that true?"
"Yes, it's true. You should see the Pokémon Crystal has captured—almost 500 of them," Gold said before Crystal could answer.
Crystal smacked Gold in annoyance and said, "I know you run a breeding ranch. You want me to help you catch Pokémon, right?"
"Yes," Ryan nodded.
"Sorry, I haven't done this kind of work in a long time. After all..."
"As long as your wallet is satisfied, and I'll give you first choice for the elite-tier Pokémon in my breeding ranch, you can pay and take them away anytime if you're qualified," Ryan interrupted Crystal.
"Deal! Send me the ranch's coordinates," Crystal said without hesitation.
After all, joining the League had broadened her horizons. She knew that if she wanted to advance, a highly qualified partner was essential. At Ryan's breeding ranch, elite-tier Pokémon were given priority to the League, usually after the Champions and Elite Four had made their selections. Only then would others get their turn. While Ryan required the Pokémon's approval, wouldn't the other Pokémon be impressed by Champions and Elite Four members showing off their strength? It was clear that only by following the strong could one achieve success.
Therefore, Ryan's first-choice option was very attractive, and these two had already taken the bait. Seeing Crystal agree and then looking at Gold, who looked eager, Ryan smiled and said, "I have a favor to ask of you, Gold."
"Leave it to me. As for the reward," Gold said.
"I'll just give you an elite-tier Pokémon of your choice, free of charge," Ryan said.
Gold hesitated, believing the offer was even better than Crystal's, and it was likely a very difficult task. Gold asked, "What's the deal?"
Ryan handed Gold three Pokémon eggs and said, "You're going to the Hoenn region. Please investigate the specific locations of those three guys. If you can find them, that would be great. Have them hatch these three Pokémon eggs."
Gold's eyes widened in disbelief. Ryan nodded and said, "Just knowing their whereabouts is enough. It doesn't matter if you fail, but you must help me find their addresses. I'll go to the Hoenn region to find you as soon as the Silver Conference is over. Please, Gold, even if you fail, I can't give you a Pokémon directly, but I can still give you first choice."
Gold gritted his teeth and said, "Deal!"
(End of Chapter)
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