Kanto Region, Goldenrod City.
The secret base beneath the Silver Company Mansion.
Under dim lighting.
The Rocket Team Leader Giovanni, seated in a boss chair, gently petted the Persian beside him.
Before him knelt three members of the Rocket Team, looking somewhat disheveled, with traces of blood on them.
Behind them on the sofa, a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl played with a doll toy, a playful smile on her face, looking at the three Rocket Team members kneeling on the ground with an amused grin.
"Dismissed." Giovanni waved his hand.
The three Rocket Team officers breathed a long sigh of relief, bowed respectfully to Giovanni, then slowly stood up and retreated.
"Boss, I think you're too nice to them. Keeping those who've failed their missions, why not let me turn them into doll collections?" the young girl said as she adjusted to a more comfortable sitting position.
Giovanni, sitting in the shadows, chuckled softly, "Everyone has their moment of usefulness. This mission's failure can be compensated for from elsewhere."
"Besides, do you like dolls covered in blood?"
The young girl stuck out her tongue, a powerful psychic force emerged from her, and the doll in her hand slowly levitated.
"I don't like it."
As soon as she finished speaking, the doll suspended in mid-air shattered into pieces, scattering clusters of dark red cotton everywhere.
If Natsuhiko were here, he would surely recognize this small but extraordinarily powerful psychic girl as Nancy, the current Gym Leader of the Psychic Dojo in Goldenrod City.
An exceptionally gifted psychic girl.
Although she hasn't reached the level of a Rocket Team officer, she is highly favored by Giovanni.
As long as her skills meet the standards, she is almost guaranteed to become a Rocket Team officer.
Yet, her personality is variable and her thoughts immature, with the greatest hobby being turning people into dolls, including her mother, even her father couldn't stop her.
But such a girl was enchanted by Giovanni's charisma and only willing to obey his orders.
Giovanni didn't mind Nancy's actions, he merely sipped his wine delicately.
Nancy's presence plays a crucial role in some of the Rocket Team's plans.
Moreover, Giovanni always admires capable, talented young people, even if they're a bit eccentric or cold-hearted.
"Boss, those people are getting more and more out of line, why not let me teach them a lesson?" Nancy said disdainfully, nudging the cotton on the ground with her feet, pouting.
"No need."
Giovanni waved his hand, his eyes brimming with unmatched confidence.
In some people's eyes, this kind of confidence might appear arrogant.
"They're just a few ambitious guys lacking the matching skills, afraid to show their faces in their territory, running elsewhere to cause storms."
"But..."
"Uncle Liu and Agatha have arrived these past two days, and they're not easy to deal with, you should restrain yourself a little and keep an eye on your module," Giovanni said flatly.
"Oh..." Nancy wanted to say more, but meeting Giovanni's gaze, she obediently shrank her neck and responded quietly.
Giovanni nodded satisfied, lifted his wine glass, and gazed at the swirling crimson liquid with an expression of delight.
"Flame, life? Heh—"
...
...
Having left the party location.
Natsuhiko successfully sold the Onix and a few Rock Shell Fruits.
The Onix sold for four hundred thousand Alliance currency, and the four Rock Shell Fruits were sold for a total of one hundred thousand Alliance currency, as for the other Pokémon that weren't too exceptional, he didn't plan to sell them in such a setting. He'd find an opportunity to sell them directly to shops on the black market.
Previously having fifty-five thousand Alliance currency, he spent ten thousand on the "Sharpening" manual, and another five thousand on restorative medicine and Energy Blocks, now leaving him with nine hundred thousand Alliance currency, plus a Dark Stone whose quality and price were temporarily uncertain.
The hollow beneath Goldrenrod City's facade of superficial prosperity has become increasingly evident.
An Onix that originally sold for a maximum of three hundred seventy to eighty thousand was sold for four hundred thousand, and four Rock Shell Fruits were bought at nearly overflow prices.
The overactive wild Pokémon in the surrounding area is increasingly impacting Goldenrod City, the largest city in the Kanto Region, which was supposed to be resource-rich, now showing a significant shortage of various resources.
Returning to his residence, heading to the backyard.
He summoned several Pokémon to inform them of the next direction and goals of their training.
Natsuhiko wasn't worried about Beedrill's training, Abra was mostly focused on personal enhancement of Spiritual Power.
The main focus was on Togepi.
Natsuhiko held Togepi and went to the corner.
Though he had a certain understanding of Togepi's traits and the techniques it mastered, the extent of its mastery over these techniques, and the power it could manifest, still needed comprehensive assessment and positioning.
"Chah-ka-ee?"
Togepi, hugging a limp, soft leek, looked curiously at Natsuhiko.
Watching Togepi refuse to throw away the leek that originally belonged to Farfetch'd, Natsuhiko's mouth twitched.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly said, "Togepi, let's test your abilities now."
"Chah-ka-ee!"
Togepi patted its chest, making the eggshell clink with a "thud thud" sound.
Bring it on.
Natsuhiko pondered slightly, "Let's start with the simplest, Waving Finger."
Waving Finger is a General Type technique, capable of using most of the techniques in the Pokémon Realm, even some that normal Pokémon cannot learn or even grasp, though the chances are relatively low.
Most of the time, Waving Finger might release a move that is not quite suitable or appropriate.
In short, whether Waving Finger is effective or not depends on how much luck this little one has.
"Togepi?"
Are you sure?
Togepi looked hesitant, somewhat unsure.
"I'm sure, even if you use Sword of the Cliff, I'll accept it," Natsuhiko said calmly.
Do you really think Waving Finger is a targeted technique?
"Togepi——" Togepi waved its hand.
Not quite.
Soon after, Togepi began to wobble its arms back and forth until the fingertips started to turn white.
Natsuhiko silently nodded, judging by the smoothness of the release, Togepi is quite proficient with Waving Finger, which can be used to gamble in critical situations.
The next second.
Togepi's eyes suddenly lit up, and its arm came to a halt.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Suddenly, the ground in the backyard began to tremble, and a sharp stone pillar shot up from the ground, its sharp spikes reflecting a cold glare.
Seeing the rising rock, Natsuhiko was genuinely scared for a moment, but quickly reacted.
"Sharp Stone Attack... I really thought you'd give me a Sword of the Cliff, then some non-flying guys would get woken up..."
"Togepi?"
Not satisfied?
Togepi tilted its head, furrowing its tiny face, seemingly not very pleased with this result.
Without hesitation, it waved its arms again.
"Togepi, enough..."
Natsuhiko wanted to stop Togepi, he just wanted to see how well Togepi had mastered Waving Finger.
But then he saw Togepi's little eyes shining even more brightly than before.
Waving Finger succeeded.
Just like that.
A series of tiny crisscrossing currents flickered on Togepi's body, golden lightning streaked across a fair distance.
BOOM!!
A great roar echoed through the entire backyard, a gigantic crater appeared on the ground, with scorched earth emanating smoke.
The Beedrill and Abra, who were training, clung to the wall, staring at the scene with dumbfounded expressions.
From that hit earlier, one would be lying down for quite some time, wouldn't they?
Natsuhiko's eyes widened, incredulous as he looked at the self-satisfied Togepi, swallowed hard.
"...Thunder?"
"Togepi~~"
Togepi seemed suddenly enthusiastic, its arms moved once more.
Roar!
A blazing "big" shaped flame spat out from its mouth, plowing a scorched mark on the ground, blasting a big hole in the wall leading to the empty woods beside.
"...Fire Blast..."
"Togepi!!"
Darn it!
Togepi appeared dissatisfied with this result again, just as it wanted to wave again, it was hastily grabbed by Natsuhiko.
Looking at Togepi in his arms, Natsuhiko's eyes had never been so bright.
He murmured, "So... every time your Waving Finger comes out like this, Togepi?"
"Togepi?" Togepi tilted its head, blinked its innocent eyes.
Isn't this so? Isn't it always a "boom boom boom" every time?
"Togepi..." Shaking its head feeling a bit dejected.
Too bad it didn't shake out that move.
Natsuhiko: "..."