"I trust you."
Such a simple answer.
Sam scratched his head, then replied seriously:
"Don't worry, Yellow. I won't let you down."
What he had expected to be a troubleso task…
Had been solved just like that.
Even Sam found it hard to believe.
---
Soon, Yellow told her uncle about the situation.
She had lost her parents at a young age, and her uncle was the closest family she had.
The old fisherman didn't say much.
Yellow was already thirteen.
By next year, she would be traveling on her own anyway.
She was no longer a child.
If it had been soone else inviting her, he might have hesitated.
After all, the Viridian Power within Yellow could easily attract unwanted attention.
But since it was Sam—
There was nothing to worry about.
The old man had t countless people in his life.
He trusted his own judgnt.
---
He didn't object to Yellow joining Viridian Gym.
He was only a little curious about one thing—
How had Sam beco the Gym Leader of Viridian Gym?
After all, Giovanni, the forr leader, was secretly the boss of Team Rocket.
That was not sothing the Pokémon League wanted widely known.
Anyone aware of the truth had been strictly ordered to keep it secret.
Sam had only just taken the position.
There was no way he would risk trouble by talking about it.
After thinking for a mont, he simply gave a vague reply.
"It just… happened."
Seeing that it was a sensitive topic, the old man didn't press further.
Instead, he invited Sam to stay for dinner while he helped Yellow pack her things.
---
"Oh, right."
Sam suddenly rembered sothing important.
He took out a brand-new Pokédex and a Poké Ball, handing them to Yellow.
"This is a Pokédex," Sam explained seriously.
"It can provide basic information about Pokémon, and it also serves as an official Trainer ID."
"It's very important—make sure you take good care of it."
Yellow nodded and examined it curiously.
After figuring out how to use it, she pointed it at her Omanyte.
Ding!
The Pokédex activated.
> "Omanyte — A Pokémon that once went extinct but was revived from fossils by humans. When attacked, it hides inside its hard shell."
Yellow blinked in confusion.
"That's strange… my Omanyte wasn't revived from a fossil."
Sam paused for a mont.
"Well… the Pokédex isn't always completely accurate."
"You don't need to worry about it too much."
"Okay," Yellow nodded.
---
With the Pokédex and Poké Ball handed over—
The mission should be complete.
Right then—
A familiar system notification sounded in Sam's mind.
---
Ding!
"Congratulations to the host for successfully recruiting a Gym apprentice with Viridian Power."
"SSS-Level Gym Mission Completed."
"Distributing rewards…"
---
Reward: Qualification Enhancent Serum
Effect:
Increases the potential of any Pokémon below Champion level by one tier.
---
Sam's eyes widened slightly.
This reward was… terrifying.
It could directly raise a Pokémon's potential by an entire level.
There were thods in the Pokémon world that could improve a Pokémon's potential—
But they were slow, expensive, and required long-term training.
This?
Was instant.
Simple.
Absolute.
It completely surpassed those so-called "rare" thods.
If this item were auctioned—
It would sell for an astronomical price.
No Trainer could resist it.
---
But Sam had no intention of selling it.
Money wasn't as important as potential.
And potential ant power.
With enough power—
Money would co naturally.
After all, wasn't Viridian Gym itself proof of that?
If Sam weren't strong enough—
He would never have been given this opportunity.
---
Still—
There was a problem.
Who should he use it on?
Sam had quite a few Pokémon.
So already had Champion-level potential:
Tyranitar
Gengar
Lapras
Dratini
Scyther
Charizard
These were imdiately excluded.
Then there were the others:
Venusaur
Clefable
Aerodactyl
Gyarados
The answer beca obvious.
Humans always had emotional bias.
Venusaur and Clefable had been with him the longest.
Naturally, he favored them.
It wasn't that he disliked Aerodactyl or Gyarados—
But timing mattered.
Those who ca earlier held a different place in his heart.
---
"Co out—Venusaur, Clefable."
Having made his decision, Sam wasted no ti.
He stepped outside and released both Pokémon.
Then he took out the Qualification Enhancent Serum, dividing it evenly into two portions.
He handed them over.
"Drink it."
---
The liquid…
Looked terrible.
Dark.
Thick.
Bubbling.
And it slled awful.
If they didn't trust Sam completely—
They might have attacked him on the spot.
Venusaur and Clefable both stared at the liquid with uneasy expressions.
Clearly—
They didn't want to drink it.
---
Sam coughed awkwardly.
"Just drink it."
"This is… part of being a Pokémon."
The mont he said that—
Even he felt sothing was off.
That sounded way too suspicious.
For a second, he almost expected them to pull out weapons and attack him.
---
Fortunately—
That didn't happen.
Venusaur, being one of Sam's most loyal partners, hesitated only briefly.
Then it used its vines to lift the container.
With a determined expression—
It drank it down in one gulp.
Clefable followed shortly after, though with visible reluctance.
---
The effect…
Was about to begin.
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