Chapter 45: Viridian City

Julian had spent two days searching for a suitable opponent for his Pidgeotto in the forest, but to his disappointment, all the Pokémon he encountered were too weak to provide any significant experience. Realizing that staying in the forest wouldn't benefit either him or Pidgeotto, he made the decision to head to Viridian City in search of more formidable challenges and opportunities for training.

As he set off on his bike, he noticed Mew flying overhead, waving at him before disappearing. Mew had taken an interest in Julian and would occasionally visit to interact with him and his Pokémon or share a meal. Julian smiled and waved back at Mew but then realized that something was amiss.

Julian couldn't help but worry about the potential encounter between the Mew following him and the infamous Mewtwo, a clone of the same species. Knowing that the Mew accompanying him might not be the same as the one from the main storyline and possibly even more powerful than the current Mewtwo, he wondered how the situation might unfold.

Julian: "Shit, what will Mew do after seeing Mewtwo? Even though Mew is friendly, I don't know if it will take things lightly when confronted with a clone of its own species. Plus, I know this Mew is way stronger than the current Mewtwo. I just hope it doesn't decide to harm Mewtwo or any other Pokémon. Well, I'll think about it later. For now, let's focus on reaching Viridian City."

With his concerns noted, Julian continued his journey toward Viridian City, keeping the potential encounter in the back of his mind for later consideration.

Julian's mind remained in a state of chaos as he pondered the immense power of the Mew following him. The potential consequences of a confrontation between that Mew and Mewtwo weighed heavily on his thoughts, leaving him feeling helpless. With a sigh, he decided to set that concern aside for the moment and continued his journey.

After six hours of riding, he finally reached the outskirts of Viridian City. However, as he approached the city gate, he was stopped by Officer Jenny, who was conducting routine checks.

Officer Jenny: "Stop right there."

Julian brought his bike to a halt, wondering why he was being halted at the city gate.

Julian obediently stopped his bike and presented his ID to Officer Jenny, who proceeded to examine the details and information on the card. As she reviewed the information, Julian couldn't help but ask if there was any particular reason for the stop.

Julian: "Is there something wrong, Officer Jenny?"

Officer Jenny: "No, everything checks out fine. You're clear to go. Just a word of caution, though – be careful in the city. The rate of Pokémon kidnappings has been unusually high over the past year."

Julian: "Thank you for the warning."

With his ID returned, Julian continued into Viridian City, mindful of the cautionary note from Officer Jenny regarding the Pokémon kidnapping issue.

Julian couldn't help but connect the dots between the recent increase in Pokémon kidnappings and the fact that Viridian City served as the main headquarters of Team Rocket. Determined to investigate this matter further, he resolved to look into the situation.

Unbeknownst to Julian, two pairs of eyes were watching him from a nearby corner. Cassidy and Butch, two bumbling members of Team Rocket who had been defeated by him before, recognized him.

Cassidy: "Hey, Buksh, isn't he the one who beat us very miserably last time?"

Butch: "IT'S BUTCH! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT?"

Cassidy: "Idiot, don't shout, or he'll beat us miserably again if he finds out."

The two Team Rocket members whispered amongst themselves, wary of Julian's presence in Viridian City.

Butch and Cassidy, despite their fear of Julian's power, recognized the potential value of his powerful Pokémon. With a plan forming in their minds, they decided to report Julian's presence to their boss, Giovanni.

Butch: "Yes, that guy is scary, and his Pokémon are scary as well. But they're very powerful, perfect for our boss's Pokémon army. We should inform the boss about him."

Cassidy: "You're right. Let's go."

Hastily, Butch and Cassidy made their way to Team Rocket's headquarters to deliver the news to Giovanni.

Meanwhile, Julian arrived at the Pokémon Center and handed his Pokémon over to Nurse Joy for a quick health check. He patiently waited for their return, knowing that his team's well-being was a top priority. After receiving them back in good health, he rented a room within the center to rest and plan his next moves.

Gengar emerged from his Pokéball, looking slightly perplexed by the unfamiliar surroundings of the room. Julian quickly explained his mission to Gengar, instructing him to head to the Viridian Gym and investigate any unusual activity or suspicious happenings. Julian expressed confidence in Gengar's newfound strength, assuring him that he should be more than capable of handling any situation.

With a determined nod, Gengar responded with a determined "gengaarrrr," signifying his readiness to carry out the task.

Julian watched as Gengar disappeared, using his Shadow abilities to traverse through the shadows and make his way to the Viridian Gym for reconnaissance.

Gengar, now filled with determination and the assurance of Julian's trust, placed a hand on his chest, puffing himself up in a display of confidence. Julian reiterated his instructions, reminding Gengar not to cause any unnecessary trouble during his reconnaissance mission.

With a nod of understanding, Gengar floated away, effortlessly passing through the walls as he made his way towards the direction of the Viridian Gym. His mission was clear: to gather information and report back to Julian without stirring up any unnecessary commotion.

As Gengar approached the Viridian Gym, he couldn't help but let his mischievous nature take over. He pondered whether indulging in a few pranks would really count as "causing trouble" in Julian's book. A mischievous chuckle escaped him as he considered the possibilities.

Gengar carefully approached the entrance to the Gym and noticed two imposing guards wearing Roman gladiator-style attire. Their stoic demeanor intrigued him. Despite the scorching afternoon sun, they stood like unmoving statues, devoid of any visible emotions.

Gengar contemplated what to do next, curious about these formidable-looking guards and what secrets the Viridian Gym might hold.

Gengar, unable to resist the temptation to play pranks, couldn't resist tapping one of the guards on the shoulder. As the guard turned toward his partner in confusion, the mischievous Gengar floated back slightly, a grin forming on his ghostly face.

Gengar [Hehe, they look so tough. Let's see if they can handle my greatness. But, master told me not to cause trouble, right? Well, I'm not causing trouble; I'll just play some little pranks on them, hehehe.]

Gengar floated over and tapped one of the guards on the shoulder. The guard turned toward his partner in confusion.

Guard 1, puzzled, turned to his partner, suspecting he might have called him.

Guard 1: "Did you just call?"

Guard 2: "No, what are you talking about? Get back to your work and stand still."

  Guard 2, however, denied it and instructed his comrade to return to his post and remain still.

Gengar, feeling triumphant, decided to continue his playful antics.

Guard 1: 'But I thought he called me. Well, let's get back to work; if the boss sees me slacking, he will surely punish me.'

But then, to his surprise, he felt another tap on his shoulder.

Guard 1: "Hey, why are you calling me?"

Guard 2: "Is something wrong with you today? I didn't call you. Now, go back to your work, or the boss will kill us."

Guard 1 fell silent, starting to suspect that something was indeed amiss with him.

But then, he suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back of his head, as if someone had slapped him from behind.

Guard 1: "Hey, man, this is not funny. I'm here to guard this place, not to get hit by you."

Guard 2: "What are you talking about? Why would I hit you, you idiot?"

Guard 1: "Then who hit me just now? Was it a ghost?"

Guard 2: "Look, man, you should go see a doctor to check if you're okay."

Guard 1: "Did you just say that I'm mentally ill? You're mentally ill, you f.u.c.ker!"

Guard 2: "What did you just call me? It's your father who is mentally ill for giving birth to you."

Guard 1: "YOOUUU...YO MOMMA'S LIKE A LIBRARY, SHE'S ALWAYS OPEN FOR THE PUBLIC."

Guard 2: "DON'T TALK ABOUT MY MOTHER! YOU KNOW WHAT? YO MOMMA'S SO DUMB, SHE SAYS YO MOMMA JOKES TO HER OWN CHILDREN."

Guard 1: "NO, YOU."

As they continued to argue, little did they know that Gengar had one more surprise waiting for them. While they were caught up in their argument, they suddenly heard a small girl say something to her mother.

The small girl, Tina, innocently pointed out, "Mom, look, there is something small hanging between those two uncles' legs."

Her mother was taken aback and quickly responded, "Oh my God, Tina, don't look at them! They are perverts."

She hurriedly covered her daughter's eyes and warned, "Tina, never go near those uncles. They are perverts."

Meanwhile, Gengar couldn't help but chuckle at the chaos he had caused among the guards.

When the guards heard the small girl, they looked down and noticed that their gladiator-style outfits, and even their underwear, had mysteriously disappeared. Panic washed over them as they both hurriedly covered their crotches, but it was too late. People from the street had already noticed the commotion and were laughing, some even taking photos.

Amidst the embarrassment and confusion, a female Team Rocket agent emerged from the gym to investigate the situation.

Agent: "What the hell is going on here?" She demanded, puzzled by the scene before her.

Seeing the two guards standing before her, half-naked from the waist down and desperately covering their crotches, the Team Rocket agent's face turned red with embarrassment and anger.

Guard 1 stammered, "Ma'am, we don't know..."

But the furious agent cut him off, shouting, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU IDIOTS ARE DOING? YOU'RE RUINING THE PRESTIGIOUS REPUTATION OF THE VIRIDIAN GYM! YOU GUYS ARE FIRED!"

The female agent, fuming with anger and embarrassment, rushed back into the gym as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, Gengar, still chuckling to himself, decided it was time to stop playing pranks on the guards.

Gengar thought, [GAGAGA, that was hilarious, GAGAGA! Look at their faces! GAGAGA! But I should stop wasting time here and go investigate inside. Master will be mad if I don't find anything useful.]

With that, Gengar passed through the outer walls of the gym and entered the building, leaving behind the two half-naked, miserable guards on the floor.