Just as Nozomi was feeling proud of his wise decision, one of the fallen Muk—a massive one—suddenly stirred and began struggling to rise from the ground.
"Rooaaarrr!"
The leader Muk let out a thunderous roar toward Nozomi and Mewtwo.
"What's it saying?" Nozomi glanced toward his living translator, Mewtwo.
"It says it's furious and intends to teach us a lesson," Mewtwo's telepathic voice echoed in Nozomi's mind.
Before Nozomi could even reply, Mewtwo calmly raised his hand and launched a Shadow Ball straight at the Muk.
Whoosh—!Boom!
The Muk leader was blasted into the air and slammed to the ground, completely losing its ability to fight.
With that, every Grimer and Muk in the area had been dealt with.
Because Mewtwo despised the stench, he retreated into his Master Ball on his own, leaving Nozomi and Officer Jenny standing atop Metagross.
At last, Officer Jenny found a chance to speak. "You're Mr. Nozomi, aren't you?"
"That's right. That's me."
Unlike Nurse Joy, the Jenny of Gringey City clearly recognized him.
"I can't believe I'm actually meeting you in person!" Jenny looked a little dazed.
For days she had been hearing people talk about him—how he'd taken down Team Rocket's boss Giovanni in Saffron City, and then solved the child disappearance cases in Celadon City, uncovering a deeply hidden Team Rocket base in the process.
She hadn't expected to meet him here of all places.
Nozomi didn't think much of her amazement. As he accomplished more and more, his reputation naturally grew louder. Sooner or later, people recognizing him would just become part of everyday life.
He kept a calm attitude toward it all.
Turning his gaze to the field of unconscious Grimer and Muk lying across the ground, Nozomi suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.
"Why do I feel like the villain here?" he murmured, rubbing his chin.
These Grimer had only wanted to cause some mischief, yet they'd been completely flattened by Mewtwo's overwhelming power. Seeing them sprawled out everywhere, he couldn't help but think they looked a little pitiful.
But he shook his head a moment later. Sentimentality was meaningless.
Since the Grimer had attacked the Power Plant, they had placed themselves in opposition to human civilization.
It wasn't about justice or evil—it was simply a matter of perspective.
"Well, might as well do a good deed to the end and capture all of them," Nozomi decided, pulling out a pile of Poké Balls.
Although Mewtwo had knocked them all unconscious, given time they would recover and run rampant again. If he simply threw them into the sea, it wouldn't be long before they regrouped and attacked the Power Plant once more.
Capturing them was the safest approach.
"And so, this difficult task is all yours." Nozomi handed a large sack full of Poké Balls to Officer Jenny.
"???"
Jenny, still stunned, blinked in confusion.
"Aren't you responsible for maintaining the city's security? These Grimer fall under your jurisdiction, right? I've already done the hard part and knocked them all out. The cleanup work should be yours."
Nozomi smiled faintly, then rode off on Metagross, leaving Jenny standing amidst a sea of fainted Grimer and Muk, staring blankly at the scene before her.
It took her a long while to realize what kind of job she had just been handed.
The foul smell hit her nose, and she nearly burst into tears.
After resolving the attack on the Power Plant, Nozomi didn't linger in Gringey City for long—the environment there was simply too dreadful.
Nor did he have any intention of helping to restore it. That was impossible in any short span of time.
Gringey City had suffered more than a decade of pollution to reach this state. To restore its ecosystem would require patience, effort, and the slow cleansing power of time itself.
"Fuchsia Gym—finally made it!"
After crossing Fuchsia Forest, Nozomi arrived at the entrance of Fuchsia Gym.
Hidden deep within the woods, the Fuchsia Gym was one of the most secluded Gyms in the region. Because of its remote location, very few Trainers ever chose to challenge it.
So when Nozomi arrived, not a single challenger was in sight.
"Not having to wait in line feels great."
He pushed open the large wooden doors, which creaked loudly in response.
Unlike the modern Gyms elsewhere, the Fuchsia Gym maintained a traditional architectural style—an old mansion with layered courtyards and elegant wooden corridors.
"Anyone here?"
Seeing no receptionist, Nozomi called out.
Boom!
The moment his voice fell, a puff of smoke exploded before him.
From the haze, a figure emerged slowly.
"Fuchsia Gym's Koga's daughter, Janine, reporting! Are you here to challenge the Gym?"
A masked kunoichi stood before Nozomi.
He'd already known that both Koga and his daughter Janine were ninja, but seeing her act out the full dramatic entrance line left him feeling mildly awkward.
Still, this was their domain—if she wanted to play the role, he wasn't about to complain. He nodded.
"That's right. I'm the challenger."
Janine's eyes sparkled.
"At last! A challenger! It's been so long since anyone came to test themselves against our Gym!" she said excitedly.
"Then can I challenge Koga now?" Nozomi asked, eager to earn the Fuchsia Badge.
"Sorry, that won't do!" Janine crossed her arms with determination. "If you want to face my father, you must first pass my test! Only those who defeat me have the right to challenge him!"
She looked utterly serious about it.
"..."
Nozomi twitched his mouth. Of course—it was never that easy to just walk in and challenge a Gym Leader.
Still, he wasn't about to back down. Turning down a fight against a girl would only make him look timid.
"A one-on-one battle, then. Sound fair?" he said, hoping to keep things short.
"No problem!" Janine replied energetically.
Without hesitation, she drew a Poké Ball from behind her and threw it forward.
"Go, Venonat!"
At the same time, Nozomi also released his Pokémon.
"Your turn—Larvitar!"
It was the same Larvitar he had found at the Team Rocket base before.
After a long talk and some heartfelt persuasion, the Larvitar had finally chosen to become his Pokémon.
Now, Nozomi planned to use this battle to strengthen their coordination and trust.