Pokemon: I'll Exchange Everything

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The battle at Saffron Gym had concluded, and Ander handed the Marsh Badge to Liam, marking another step forward toward the Indigo League.

The rewards soon followed.

[Ding!]

[Mission: Kanto Summit! Gym Challenges 5/8 Completed! Obtained the Saffron Badge.]

[Rewards: 500 Exchange Points, TM - Hyper Beam x1.]

[Ding!]

[Hidden Achievement Mission: Blood Awakening.]

[Defeated Saffron Gym, obtained Saffron Gym Fragment x1, 500 Exchange Points.]

[Current Fragments Owned: Viridian Gym Fragment, Pewter Gym Fragment, Cerulean Gym Fragment, Vermilion Gym Fragment, Saffron Gym Fragment.]

"Five down, three to go before I qualify for the Indigo League. The closest one from Saffron City is Celadon City, the official Grass-type Gym of Kanto. Winning there shouldn't be too difficult. But before that… I really need to make a trip to Lavender Town and check things out there. Yep, that's the plan."

After obtaining the Saffron Badge, Liam bid farewell to Ander's family and headed to the Pokémon Center in Saffron City.

Once he restored Garchomp's strength and injuries, he hopped on his Bike and pedaled eastward toward Lavender Town.

The distance between Saffron City and Lavender Town wasn't too far, and Liam's cycling speed was quite fast.

However, he made several stops along the way, occasionally getting off to challenge trainers by the roadside. This ended up delaying him a little, and by the time he finally arrived in Lavender Town, it was nearly nightfall.

He had to thank his own self-restraint on the latter half of the journey for not stopping to battle anyone.

It wasn't that there weren't trainers on the road—he just didn't dare.

As he neared Lavender Town, he saw that everyone heading in the same direction was carrying coffins, big and small… each containing deceased Pokémon.

Some had passed away due to old age, while others had succumbed to injuries from accidents or battles.

If he had stopped to challenge someone at that moment, and they ended up throwing out the remains of their Pokémon in response… that would have been beyond horrifying!

Thus, for the rest of the trip, Liam rode quietly and obediently. Eventually, he arrived at the so-called resting place of Pokémon—Lavender Town.

The moment he stepped into the town, he felt a chilling presence in the air. A shiver ran down his spine, and he instinctively trembled.

Shaking his head to clear the eerie feeling, Liam quickly stored away his Bike and made his way toward the Pokémon Center.

By the time he stood by the window of his room at the Pokémon Center, the sky had already turned completely dark.

Outside, the entire town was pitch black—barely any households had their lights on. The only visible light flickered faintly from a distant tower.

Seeing that the time was right, Liam reached into his personal storage space and retrieved a box containing a mask and a cloak. After some adjustments, a mysterious figure in a mask and cloak appeared in his room.

Since this was an undercover investigation, it was best not to reveal his identity. This disguise was perfect for such a task.

Liam then released Arbok, wrapping his arms around its large head. The snake coiled into several loops before launching itself out the window, landing smoothly on the ground below.

Afterward, Liam quickly recalled Arbok and suddenly thought of something, murmuring to himself in distress.

"Ugh… If I get caught later and they ask who I am, what should I say? This is such a headache…"

The night sky was moonless, the wind howled, and the surroundings were so dark that one couldn't even see their own hand in front of their face.

This was the perfect time for shady activities.

Carefully, Liam began scouting the relatively small Lavender Town.

The Black Hole Mask given to him by Giovanni had a special feature—a pair of transparent crystal lenses embedded in the eye sockets. These lenses were made of some unknown material that allowed him to see in the dark without obstruction.

Though everything appeared in shades of green and gray, it was enough to navigate the terrain without issue.

After sneaking around Lavender Town for a while and finding nothing of note, Liam finally turned his gaze toward the last unexplored location—the Pokemon Tower.

Just as he was about to move toward it, a faint commotion reached his ears from nearby. Quickly, he retreated into the shadows, peeking out cautiously.

A small team of individuals dressed in dark attire approached.

They moved stealthily, carrying unknown objects in their hands. Each of them wore some kind of special device on their faces, allowing them to see in the darkness.

Moving swiftly and with precision, they soon disappeared into the Pokemon Tower.

"Heh, just as I suspected. Looks like I finally caught something interesting. I wonder what's inside… Guess I'll have to take a look."

Recognizing the familiar outfits of these poachers, Liam knew that his efforts tonight hadn't been in vain.

He immediately tightened his cloak, hunched his body low, and stealthily followed them inside.

The moment he entered the Pokemon Tower, the eerie cold intensified, and thick fog swirled throughout the structure.

He could only see the rows of graves lined neatly in the dim surroundings, unable to make out anything further ahead.

Unconcerned by his limited vision, Liam casually pulled up his navigation map and zoomed out. A three-dimensional model of the tower appeared before him.

"Heh, I gotta admit—this place is a perfect hideout for those poachers. Just the sheer creepiness alone is enough to scare off most people. But for me? It's barely a warm-up."

Scoffing, Liam clenched his slightly trembling thigh before following the path indicated by the map.

Step by step, he moved cautiously upward. The higher he climbed, the colder the air became, and the fog grew denser.

Then, suddenly, a chilling wind swept through the area. A sharp icy sensation enveloped Liam's entire body, as if he had just plunged into freezing water.

His limbs went numb, and his heart raced.

Alarmed, he glanced around at the surrounding tombs, his mind running wild with paranoid thoughts. But just then, the system's notification rang in his head, calming his nerves.

[Ding!]

[New Pokédex Entry: Discovered a wild Ghost-type Pokémon—Gastly. Earned 50 Exchange Points.]

"Ha! Hahaha!! So it was just a Gastly playing tricks! I knew it! There's no such thing as real ghosts in this world! Haha… ha…"

But then, a disturbing memory surfaced—the ghostly girl at Maiden's Peak. Liam swallowed hard, gripping Sneasel's PokéBall tightly, ready to send it out at a moment's notice.

Continuing to climb, he reached the top floor, but the poachers were nowhere to be seen. Just as he was about to step onto the final staircase—

Whoosh!

A sudden projectile cut through the air.

Reacting instantly, Liam rolled to the side.

When he turned back, a massive bone club had embedded itself into the floor where he had just stood, its impact shattering the stone beneath.

From the top of the staircase, a deep voice rang out.

"Hah, I had a feeling someone was tailing us. And here you are, a little Rattata sneaking around. Quite the interesting outfit you have. Who the hell are you, and why are you following us?"

As the voice fell silent, a group of men descended the stairs, led by a man with a Marowak standing at his side.

The Marowak effortlessly pulled the bone club from the ground, resting it on its shoulder while staring Liam down coldly.

Liam's mind raced—his rational side screamed for him to flee and regroup. But his body? His body had already betrayed him.

Instead of retreating, he slowly turned around…

"Heh heh! Since you've so sincerely asked, then I shall mercifully tell you!"

~ To prevent the world from devastation!

~ To unite all people within our nation!

~ To denounce the evils of truth and love!

~ To extend our reach to the stars above!

~ Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!

~ Surrender now, or prepare to fight!

…Silence.

The poachers all stared at him with expressions of utter disbelief.

Behind his Black Hole Mask, Liam's face burned with embarrassment.