Once the records had been entered, Grey needed to deal with his upcoming trip to Unova.
There were quite a few procedures required before he could bring Caitlin back with him. The Unova League understood that Grey was eager to pick her up, but Caitlin was still a public official, so the standard paperwork could not be skipped. The two regional Leagues also needed to coordinate the temporary transfer.
The Kanto League would not pose any problems. The Elite Four and even League Chairman Damalanchi were all on Grey's side. Caitlin was only coming over for an extended visit, so getting their approval would be a piece of cake.
When Damalanchi learned that Grey intended to bring Caitlin to Kanto, he had even cheerfully asked whether Grey was finally considering holding a wedding. Whenever Grey decided to get married, Damalanchi promised to give him an extravagant wedding gift.
Grey had merely waved him off and said he would consider romance after Team Rocket had been dealt with.
Honestly, if Team Rocket were slightly less dangerous and did not commit so many crimes, Grey might genuinely have considered leaving them alive. He would let them cling to their last breath without ever wiping them out completely, turning the whole conflict into an endless game of cat and mouse.
After all, once he eventually got married, he would need a legitimate excuse whenever he wanted to avoid bedroom duty.
As for that excuse...
Heh.
Naturally, he would use Team Rocket as his shield!
He and Team Rocket were sworn enemies. If those criminals emerged and began causing trouble again, how could Grey possibly waste time on romance? Intimate matters would have to be postponed while he focused on defeating Team Rocket!
Surely Sabrina and Caitlin would understand the sacrifices he was making for the greater good.
Caitlin was relatively easy to persuade. As long as Grey acted a little affectionate and sweet-talked her, she would not argue with him. Their previous conversations had already proven that.
Sabrina, however, was much harder to handle.
Had Wallace not applied makeup that made Grey look weak and sickly, allowing him to erase all the accumulated bedroom debt from the days he had been away, Sabrina might genuinely have made him repay everything, with interest, within a single week.
Grey shuddered at the thought.
Terrifying.
Sabrina had never acted like this when they first started spending time together. How had she revealed her true nature so quickly?
Grey had been the first one to give out.
Aura alone clearly was not enough. Ideally, he needed the Viridian Force as well. Psychic power capable of countering hers would also work. If nothing else, the Arceus Force might do the job.
Unfortunately, all he possessed was aura.
Psychic power completely countered him!
That disadvantage was not even the biggest problem. The real issue was that Sabrina was too delicate. Grey could not bring himself to be too rough with her.
That was why he had been thinking of ways to avoid another battle lately.
Perhaps next time, he should go all out and hit Sabrina with a full-powered Take Down. Once she learned exactly what he was truly capable of, perhaps she would recognize the difficulty and retreat.
No, forget it.
He was more afraid that it might awaken some preference in her that never should have been awakened.
Grey sighed.
After thinking through every possibility, he realized that he would still be the one suffering in the end.
What a miserable fate!
"Grey, you don't look well. Did something happen?"
Nurse Joy watched his expression shift repeatedly. Grey was one of Saffron City's greatest heroes, so she felt obligated to do something for him.
She clapped her hands and called Chansey over, then instructed it to use Heal Pulse on Grey.
"Chansey!"
Chansey released Heal Pulse, sending life energy into Grey's body. He immediately felt refreshed and relaxed.
Grey had been so lost in thought that he had not heard Nurse Joy. When Heal Pulse suddenly washed over him, he felt as though his entire body had been restored.
Huh?
Heal Pulse was surprisingly effective.
Hmm...
Countless ideas immediately appeared in Grey's mind.
Pokémon like Chansey were extremely useful. Perhaps he could ask the League whether he was allowed to catch a few of them.
Grey was a man of action. He immediately contacted Lance.
[Dojo Annihilape: Lance, my good friend, I'd like to obtain a few Chansey that know Heal Pulse. Would it be convenient for the League to let me take a few?]
[Lance: It shouldn't be a problem, but Grey, exactly how many do you mean by "a few"? Could you give me a reasonably accurate number so I know what to prepare?]
Chansey could be found in the wild, but most of them were raised under the League's supervision. This systematic training allowed them to enter the medical profession far more quickly.
If Grey wanted to obtain several Chansey, he would need the League's approval. With Lance helping him, however, that approval should be easy to secure.
Grey thought for a moment before replying.
[Dojo Annihilape: Would five be possible?]
[Lance: Five won't be possible.]
[Lance: Well, at least not on such short notice.]
[Dojo Annihilape: Then what about three? Would that be easier?]
[Lance: No problem.]
Grey felt that Lance's initial answer about five Chansey had sounded slightly strange, but he did not think much of it. He simply waited for the League to approve his application so he could bring three Chansey home.
At the Kanto League headquarters, Lance hurriedly submitted Grey's application to the medical department.
"What did the medical department say? Can they spare three Chansey?"
Lance clearly took Grey's request very seriously. Although providing five Chansey on short notice was impossible, three should not be a problem.
"We don't have many Chansey with the Healer Ability. Would one with Healer and two with Serene Grace be acceptable?" the medical department representative replied. "Looking at this application, are these for Grey?"
"That's right," Lance confirmed.
"Oh, understood. Sabrina previously applied for several century-old Big Roots. Have the Chansey carry those with them when they're sent to the Fighting Dojo."
Several enormous question marks practically appeared over Lance's head.
Big Roots?
Why had Sabrina applied for something like that?
When Lance remained silent, the representative explained that Sabrina apparently intended to use them in soup to help someone recover their strength.
"Recover his strength?"
Lance fell into thought.
If they were intended to restore Grey's vitality, Big Roots alone would not be enough!
As it happened, Lance had a thousand-year-old Energy Root in his personal collection. He would send that to Grey as well.
Thanks to Lance's arrangements, Grey received not only the Chansey, but also a massive assortment of restorative ingredients and supplements.
Back at the Fighting Dojo in Saffron City, Grey stared silently at the mountain of supplies that had been delivered.
"An Energy Root, several Big Roots, and none of them are young! Wow, Grey, why did you buy so many supplements?" Green poked the Energy Root curiously. "One sip of soup made with all this would probably give someone a nosebleed."
She continued clicking her tongue in amazement.
"This is a thousand-year-old Energy Root! You really spared no expense."
"Hey, stop touching everything. Lance gave these to me."
Grey quickly gathered the Energy Root, Big Roots, and the rest of the supplements.
"Come on, don't be so stingy. It's not like I was going to steal them. I only wanted to look."
Green gave him a suggestive look.
"So, what happened? Can't keep up lately? Should I help you find some even stronger stuff?"
"Hey! You're still a little brat who's barely grown up, and you dare make fun of me?"
Green covered her mouth and giggled.
"People say the truth hurts. Judging by how badly you want to hit me, I must've hit the mark."
"How could that possibly be true? Your esteemed Gym Leader is strong as an ox."
Grey flexed his arm, causing his biceps to bulge impressively.
"Is that so?"
Green's eyes turned mischievously.
"Sabrina! Grey's only preten..."
"Quiet!"
Grey immediately covered Green's mouth, cutting her off before she could finish.
Only after waiting for a while and confirming that Sabrina was nowhere nearby did he release her.
Green clicked her tongue.
"Grey, you're all bark and no bite."
"I only exhausted myself because I had too many problems to deal with in Hoenn. Once I've fully recovered, I'll make sure you don't see Sabrina leave her room for three straight days."
Grey naturally refused to concede.
Besides, he was telling the truth. He genuinely held back whenever he was with Sabrina.
Sabrina only needed to consider herself, but Grey had far more things to worry about. The subtle complexities involved were simply beyond Green's understanding.
In other words, a vast gulf of experience already existed between them.
"You're barely any older than I am, but you sure know how to talk big."
Green straightened her back and leaned close to Grey's ear.
"What a wimp."
Grey stared at her.
"Where did you even learn that?"
Her smug expression immediately irritated him.
Green stuck out her tongue.
"Grey is a total wi... Okay, okay, I'm sorry!"
Before she could finish, Grey lifted her off the ground and carried her into the dojo with a dark expression.
"Grey, I'm sorry! Green won't run her mouth anymore!"
After thoroughly pinching her cheeks to satisfy himself, Grey finally set her down.
"Watch what you say from now on."
"Grey, you're horrible."
Green rubbed her swollen cheeks and complained, "Could you stop pinching my face every single time?"
"Then where am I supposed to pinch?"
Grey looked her up and down.
There were not many places on her with enough softness to pinch.
Green opened her mouth to suggest something, but she quickly changed her words when she realized Grey might genuinely take her up on it.
"Just don't pinch my face. You can pat my head instead. Or I could even let you hold my hand for a while."
"That's it?"
Grey had thought she was going to offer something interesting.
That was all?
"What else did you expect? Aren't you afraid Sabrina will get jealous?"
Green crossed her arms and hurriedly retreated, looking as though she was afraid Grey might suddenly claim her for himself.
"Sabrina wouldn't mind."
Grey chuckled and made two squeezing motions in the air.
"Pervert!"
Green turned and fled as though the ground beneath her feet had been covered in oil.
Grey merely smiled as he watched her leave.
"Rio." So your body has become that weak? You even need a thousand-year-old Energy Root and century-old Big Roots to restore your strength.
Riolu had listened to their entire conversation from the side.
It could sense the immense energy inside Grey's body and had always assumed he was an exceptionally healthy young man.
Who would have thought that Grey was actually this weak?
"Rio." The branches of the Tree of Beginning can be used as medicine, and its leaves can be brewed into tea. They are among the finest restorative ingredients in the world. Wait here. I'll go to the Tree of Beginning and bring some back for you.
Riolu patted Grey's thigh, reassuring him that there was no reason to worry.
"Wait, wait..."
Grey tried to explain, but Riolu immediately disappeared with Teleport.
"Damn it! This misunderstanding has gotten completely out of control!"
At that moment, Sabrina returned to the dojo after buying groceries.
"Why are you standing here?"
Sabrina approached Grey. When she saw the restorative ingredients in his hands, a blush spread across her beautiful face.
"I saw how weak you looked after returning from Hoenn, so I applied to the League for some ingredients to help you recover."
Her voice became quieter with every word.
The next moment, warmth surrounded Sabrina's head as Grey pulled her into his arms.
"With Chansey's help, I've almost completely recovered. I'm an aura user, so my recovery is naturally excellent."
Grey whispered beside Sabrina's ear.
Sabrina's eyes immediately lit up, and she raised her head to look at him.
"Really?"
Grey nodded gently.
Sabrina could no longer contain her eagerness. She immediately used Teleport and transported both of them into their room.
By the time Grey awoke the following day, the sun was already high in the sky.
However, after feeling the soft warmth in his arms, he was in no hurry to get up.
Sabrina seemed to notice that Grey had awakened. She slowly opened her eyes, leaned forward, and lightly bit his neck.
After biting him, Sabrina struggled to prop herself up, but she could not get out of bed.
"Mm..."
Apparently, last night's Pokémon battle had consumed far too much of her stamina.
"All the paperwork concerning Caitlin is almost finished, so it's time for me to visit Unova."
Grey stroked Sabrina's hair.
"Stay at the Gym for the next few days. I'll be back in three days at most."
After witnessing Grey's true strength, Sabrina naturally had no objections. She remained in bed, quietly savoring the memories of the previous night.
Since Sabrina did not object, Grey climbed out of bed, changed his clothes, and left the room.
Sabrina was left alone.
"Hmm..."
She picked up her phone and sent Caitlin a message.
[Sabrina: One person isn't enough to defeat him.]
[Sleeping Beauty: Huh? What do you mean?]
At the Unova Pokémon League, Caitlin was in her Elite Four office. She had just finished organizing her documents and was preparing to go home and sleep when she received Sabrina's message.
Was Sabrina trying to warn her about something?
[Sabrina: You'll understand after you see Grey. He should be boarding his flight soon. By the time he reaches Unova, it should be daytime there.]
[Sleeping Beauty: So when I wake up, there's a chance Grey will already be here?]
[Sabrina: Correct.]
[Sleeping Beauty: Wow! Just thinking about it is making me excited! When the time comes, am I returning to Kanto first, or are we going directly to Alola together?]
[Sabrina: Grey said he'll probably bring you back here first. We'll head to Alola about half a month later.]
[Sleeping Beauty: Okay! This is going to be so exciting!]
After reading Sabrina's messages, Caitlin's imagination began to run wild.
She and Sabrina had already reached an agreement some time ago.
Once they arrived in Alola, they would present Grey with an incredible gift!
As for what that gift would be...
Hehe.
That would remain a secret for now.