The next day, Logan accepted Erika's suggestion. He decided to temporarily leave Saffron City to rest in another place, leaving the cleanup of the final battles to the Gym Leaders who remained.
Before departing Saffron, Logan quietly followed Sabrina to the Gym—one of the few structures not yet completely destroyed—and watched as she faced the League's "judgment."
No melodrama unfolded, no dirty politics. The League honored their promise to Sabrina, reaching a straightforward settlement. She would remain as Saffron City's Gym Leader, but she was also tasked with leading the city's reconstruction efforts. For a period of time, her movements would be restricted under the League's watch. At the same time, her name would be cleared from the list of criminals involved in Team Rocket's disaster, with the League working to suppress the spread of that information.
It was like the old saying: sometimes the easiest way to gain power is to rebel, then surrender and be welcomed back. With half of Kanto's Gym Leaders having joined the rebellion, the League was forced to use a conciliatory strategy to maintain stability. If they didn't, they would never be able to explain why so many Gym Leaders had risen against them at the same time.
Seeing that Sabrina had come out of this ordeal intact, Logan felt a weight lift from his chest. This was her weakest moment—her Pokémon were almost all incapacitated. If the League had wanted to make a move against her, there would have been nothing she could do. But once her Pokémon regained their strength, even if the League regretted their decision and wanted to strip her title, they would find themselves facing one of Kanto's strongest Gym Leaders—second only to Giovanni himself.
For the first time, Logan felt a flicker of admiration for the League. Unlike most political organizations, the Pokémon League resembled more of a public trust. Its fairness and sense of justice had allowed it to remain the world's legitimate governing body in a land where a single powerful Trainer could be as mighty as an army.
Still, Saffron had suffered terribly in this war. The central financial district was nearly wiped out, and large swathes of the suburbs had been flattened. Rebuilding would take at least one to two years. Thankfully, the city's foundations remained intact, and its location at Kanto's central transportation hub gave it hope. Reconstruction would not be as impossible as it first seemed. Still, for now, Celadon City would claim the title of Kanto's greatest metropolis.
After reporting his side of events to the League, Logan, Red, and Blue returned to Pallet Town together. The League dispatched an aircraft to bring back the kidnapped townsfolk.
In Pallet Town, Logan finally met Professor Oak, who had rushed back from another region only to discover the fighting was already over. Though embarrassed, Oak expressed his heartfelt gratitude, thanking Logan for everything he had done for the townspeople—risking his life in the Rocket stronghold to bring them home safely.
Logan spent three days in Pallet Town, enjoying the most peaceful time of his journey so far. At Oak's Lab, he often quarreled playfully with Blue, the ever-stoic brat who never showed his emotions. He helped Daisy around the Lab, and under the Professor's constant chatter, even became the household chef for a few days.
In his free time, Logan wandered Pallet Town. Because he had saved its people, the villagers treated him like a hero. In a town so small, every visit turned into warm welcomes—elderly folks invited him in for meals, often sending him off with gifts.
He even met Red's mother, who warmly invited him into her home and treated him to a heartfelt dinner.
After three days, Logan, Red, and Blue departed Pallet Town at the same time, all sharing the same unspoken understanding. With just a month and a half left before the grand Indigo Plateau Conference, they would use this last stretch of time to train, sharpen their skills, and prepare for the festival of battle.
In Viridian Forest, Logan walked with Eevee perched on his shoulder and Garchomp steadily at his side. Towering trees and brambles no longer hindered him—the massive dragon cut a straight path through the wilderness, clearing the way with ease. The aura of raw, destructive power it radiated sent weaker wild Pokémon scattering in panic, desperate to flee from the terrifying beast.
"Time really does fly," Logan murmured.
Once, Garchomp had been only a small Gible. Back then, Logan and his partner had lived like survivors in Viridian Forest, playing their own version of survival games, watching every step with caution. The memories felt as fresh as yesterday.
Now, that little dragon had grown into a mighty Garchomp. Other than the forest's deepest core, no part of this place could challenge them anymore. No wild Pokémon dared to stand in their way.
In Logan's hands was a jar filled with the golden nectar of Beedrill honey. Back when he and Gible had been too weak to fight a Beedrill colony, they had survived by stealing scraps. But now? Now Garchomp had led a merciless raid on the Beedrill clan, wiping them out completely and seizing all their honey.
Of course, part of this was driven by Logan's lingering fear of Giovanni's monstrous Beedrill. The Viridian Beedrill had suffered for sins not their own.
If only they knew they had a "senior" in Giovanni's Beedrill—one capable of battling Legendary Pokémon on equal footing—they might have felt honored.
His duel with Giovanni still lingered in Logan's mind. On the surface, it had seemed like a close fight, evenly matched. But Logan knew better—he was just flattering himself. If the battle had continued, even with Mewtwo and Mew by his side, he still would have lost.
Giovanni's strength was overwhelming. He had forced Logan into desperation with only five or six Pokémon. Who knew how many more he still held in reserve?
That Beedrill of his was likely unique. But Giovanni almost certainly had at least eight to twelve other elite Pokémon waiting to battle.
From start to finish, the only Pokémon that had truly fallen was his Golem—and that had been a deliberate self-destruction in an attempt to cripple Mewtwo.
Giovanni's power was terrifying. Outside of the true "Master," Logan doubted anyone in the world could defeat him. Yet Logan knew their paths would cross again someday. By then, his own wings would be fully spread, and their battle would not be as hopeless as it was now.
As he drifted in thought, Logan and Garchomp finally emerged from Viridian Forest, walking along a familiar riverside path.
And then, just like before, the scene repeated itself: there she was, a cheerful, kind, and adorable little girl.
"Yellow! You were napping again while fishing!"
"Big brother!"
The small girl by the river, awakened from her nap, rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked up—her face lighting with joy when she recognized him.
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