Natsuhiko treated Beedrill's wounds, spraying some medication and pairing it with some Energy Blocks that have good recovery effects.
Previously, due to insufficient rest, but now after pairing with medication and resting for a while, it will soon recover to its best state.
Abra's psychic power was excessively depleted and fell into a coma.
But it woke up as soon as its psychic power slightly recovered.
Supplemented with some Advanced Energy Blocks of the Psychic Type, Abra entered a deep meditation state, accelerating the recovery of psychic power.
Togepi's condition should be the best.
Having eaten customized Poke Fairy Energy Blocks, it behaved as if nothing was amiss, and once again circled around Ann Ci's Farfetch'd.
This time, however, Farfetch'd was clearly more alert, tightly clutching its leek.
Even while eating, it wouldn't let go.
Its sharp eyes never left Togepi for a moment, much like a mother hen protecting her chick.
Meanwhile, Ann Ci was in the living room attending to the wounds of Slowbro and Quagsire.
Before entering the Spirit Realm, these two Pokémon took significant damage while protecting him.
It's more severe than the injuries sustained in the Aerodactyl cave.
It's not that the Pokémon attacking him was stronger than Aerodactyl.
While facing Aerodactyl, they completely had no resistance, hence they didn't think of fighting back, but facing the Pokémon that attacked him was different.
After a short wait.
Slowbro and Quagsire finally woke up, but recovering to their best state clearly cannot be achieved in the short term.
It's best to visit the Poke Center.
And Ann Ci indeed chose to do so.
"Natsuhiko, I still need to make a trip to the Poke Center; their injuries are more severe than I imagined," Ann Ci said with a solemn face.
"Remember to take the door with you."
Natsuhiko didn't turn around.
Bang.
Soon, the sound of the door shutting disappeared, and Togepi, with its head hanging down, followed alongside Natsuhiko; it was just a tiny distance away from that leek earlier.
Togepi pouted.
In its mind flashed the scene of Farfetch'd sweeping everything aside while wielding that leek.
Natsuhiko sat on the steps of the courtyard.
Looking at the gently falling fine snow in the courtyard, the entire yard was cloaked in silver.
...
...
Outside Goldenrod City.
On a not-so-low hill in the distance.
A woman with delicate features, wearing a black tight-fitting gown and a low hat, was smiling as she gazed at Goldenrod City and its surrounding areas, now completely covered in white snow.
Beside her stood a pale-faced young man who resembled Kenji, low-eyed and appearing extremely respectful.
Slowly.
The shadow behind the woman elongated, and under the dense black fog emerged an elder with graying hair, a fond smile on his mouth, and beside him was a Gastly constantly gathering the mist.
He walked slowly to the woman's side, smiling as he looked at the changes in Goldenrod City.
The woman glanced at him, her smile slowly fading.
"Old Bill, your old friend is there, won't you go say hello?"
The elder's expression was normal, calmly saying, "I've met him already, still as fiery-tempered as always...."
The woman slightly raised her eyebrows.
"That's precisely delightful."
"Hehe—" Old Bill chuckled lowly, "Indeed."
"After so many years of building the intelligence network in Goldenrod City, to say abandon and you abandon, you are quite detached."
"At my age, it's just a hobby, abandoning not quite, at most changing to another place. But you, having achieved your purpose, lingering here and not leaving is not a good choice for you; according to my children, the Rocket Team has also acted.
Leaving the league and utilizing the Rocket Team, your situation isn't much better than mine, right? Tom Rokicki."
This woman gazing at Goldenrod City was none other than Tom Rokicki from the Zapdos incident.
Tom Rokicki listened to Old Bill's words without getting angry, lightly laughing, "Your 'credit' cannot be overlooked."
Old Bill slowly shook his head, "Credit? I'm just selling some intelligence, can't afford to offend either the league or the Rocket Team."
Saying so, he appeared very calm.
"Oh? Then I'm quite curious what the Rocket Team is stirring up? Those guys are causing havoc even on their turf, and now it's just a symbolic move." Tom Rokicki looked at Old Bill.
Though he's advanced in age, Tom Rokicki dared not underestimate him.
He once competed against Agatha, who was not yet part of the Elite Four.
Although failed, living until now speaks volumes.
Old Bill's smile widened.
"Alright, the old rules, equivalent exchange, the condition is your Zapdos."
Tom Rokicki's expression turned serious.
She wasn't angry at Old Bill for naming his price, just a bit surprised inside.
What kind of information could require a Zapdos to exchange?
Seeing her expression change, Old Bill, hand slightly trembling, took out a box of cigarettes, tapped one against the box lightly, silently lighting it.
Mild flames accompanied by the drifting white smoke.
After taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, "What Rocket Team is stirring up I don't know, but knowing Giovanni's character, Rocket Team has been able to remain dormant in the past few years, the scheme must be substantial; if you truly know the precise news, I'm afraid even a Zapdos wouldn't be enough."
Tom Rokicki froze, then gradually nodded in agreement.
Being a Reserve Elite Four, her strength and insight are naturally not weak.
Among all the people she's met, only two individuals she cannot see through at all, even with the mighty Elite Four like Uncle Liu and Agatha, she can more or less see something, but those two, she sees them as if viewing a fog.
One of them is the leader of the Rocket Team, Giovanni!
"Well."
One cigarette ended in the quiet atmosphere, Old Bill tightened his clothes, dropped the butt, and slowly backed away.
"I, an old man, will take my leave first, unlike you young folks, getting old—"
Beside him, Gastly extended dark gas, seeing him, it coiled around him bit by bit.
"By the way, leaving you with one final advice, stop thinking of using that Mr. Mime for disguise, in front of truly formidable individuals, it's quite rude."
Leaving one last remark, Old Bill disappeared from the hilltop.
After he left, from behind a nearby tree, emerged a stern-faced Tom Rokicki, standing on the hilltop, and the "she," slowly transformed back into the laughing Mr. Mime.
Between her and Mr. Mime, one could see a very subtle psychic thread, connecting them.
"Truly formidable individuals...?"
Tom Rokicki repeated Old Bill's words.
In her mind flashed another figure, one of the only two people she could not see through, besides Giovanni.
She squinted her eyes.
Striding to the hilltop.
In the distance, not far from Goldenrod City, under Uncle Liu's ice and snow cover, layers of soil frantically surged upwards.
A fierce-looking deep gray Pokémon erupted from the ground, accompanied by a loud roar, and a pillar of fire shooting skyward.
Patting Kenta on the shoulder beside her.
"Watch closely, this is one of the pinnacle forces in the world."
Kenta's eyes were full of fervor, nodding heavily.