Chapter 12: Mission Completed

A moment later, the Smokescreen was slowly blown away by the airflow in the arena.

Everyone finally saw the situation clearly:

Charmander was drenched in sweat, the flame on its tail had dimmed considerably, evidently exhausted from poison and continuous fighting, panting heavily.

Bulbasaur lay on the ground, its emerald body bearing a few shallow burn marks, eyes tightly shut, clearly having fainted.

"Bulbasaur lost its ability to fight, Red wins!" Professor Oak announced the result in time, his tone tinged with admiration, "Huo La, you managed to force Red into a strong attack using Chlorophyll and Poison Powder under type suppression, that's impressive; Red, you kept the rhythm even while Charmander was poisoned, your tactical judgment was precise."

Red immediately ran over, scooped up the weak Charmander, took out an Antidote from his backpack and fed it, then gently patted its head soothingly: "Thanks for your effort, Charmander."

Charmander nudged his palm, letting out a weak cry.

Huo La also hurried to Bulbasaur's side, carefully lifted it; the little creature still felt a faint burn, but as he lifted it, it gently hooked his finger with Vine Whip, as if saying, "I did my best."

Huo La felt a softening in his heart and said softly, "You did well, now get some proper rest."

At that moment, a system prompt sounded in his mind: "Mission 'Battle Red' completed, Host defeated by Red. Reward granted: achievement title 'Defeated Underling of Red', effect—next battle against Red, deployed Pokemon's battle spirit increased by 1.25×."

Huo La quietly let out a sigh of relief.

Although he lost the battle, he not only tested Bulbasaur's potential but also earned the expected achievement, so the "deal" wasn't a loss.

He looked up at Red, a defiant smile curling his lips: "Xiao Chi Ge, I lost this time, but next battle I'll definitely beat you!"

Red heard this, the fatigue in his eyes gave way to a smile; he reached out to rub Charmander's head—the little one had just finished detoxifying, leaning in his arms to recover, the flame on its tail steadied again.

He looked at Huo La, his tone full of sincere approval: "Alright, I'll be waiting for that day. Honestly, today's match with you was far more enjoyable than battling Xiao Mao, even left me wanting more. If Bulbasaur hadn't been so low level and hadn't learned more moves, I might not have won so easily."

He wasn't being polite.

As an experienced Trainer, Red had long spotted the key in the Smokescreen.

Back then, Charmander repeatedly attacked in the smoke with Scratch imbued with Ember, yet Huo La never issued a new command—not because he panicked, but because he truly had no solution.

Bulbasaur, unlike Squirtle, couldn't use Rapid Spin to clear the smoke; engulfed in dense smoke it couldn't pinpoint accurately, so even if Huo La shouted "Vine Whip" or "Poison Powder", it was of little use.

With vision blocked by the Smokescreen, Vine Whip couldn't strike precisely, and Poison Powder's poisoning couldn't stack. Rather than waste stamina on futile effort, it was better to let Bulbasaur focus on defense; even with Hard Resistance to damage, it could hold out longer.

Huo La's "no command" was actually the most rational choice.

"You managed to trigger the Chlorophyll ability at the right sunlight moment and accurately land Poison Powder despite type suppression and limited moves, that's impressive," Red added, his tone now carrying a senior's expectations for a junior, "When Bulbasaur grows a bit more and learns Razor Leaf or Synthesis, we'll have a proper match—then I won't hold back."

Huo La's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously: "It's a promise!"

The Bulbasaur in his arms seemed to sense his mood, gently moving its Vine Whip; though still unconscious, it appeared to respond to the pact.

Professor Oak, watching the two youths' interaction, couldn't help but laugh and interject: "Alright, alright, the winner shouldn't be arrogant, and the loser shouldn't be discouraged. Huo La, your Bulbasaur is a fine seedling; nurture it well, its future potential is great; Red, you should seize the time to set off—your friends over in Sinnoh are still waiting for you to meet up, right?"

Red recalled his itinerary, nodded, and stored Charmander back into its Pokeball: "We really must go. Huo La, travel safely, and if you encounter trouble you can't solve, don't force it."

"Got it, Xiao Chi Ge! You're only a year older than me, why are you more naggy than my mom?" Huo La replied.

"Hahaha..." Red scratched his head awkwardly, then said goodbye to Professor Oak and left the research institute.

Watching Red's departing silhouette, Huo La looked down at the Bulbasaur in his arms, then patted the Pokeball at his waist containing Tie Ke Kun, and suddenly felt a surge of vigor.

Although he lost this battle, it revealed the issues he faced; once Bulbasaur awakens, he'll start targeted practice on Vine Whip's accuracy and Poison Powder's control; Tie Ke Kun should also accelerate its evolution.

He cradled Bulbasaur, grabbed the backpack and Pokédex placed nearby, and waved at Professor Oak: "Doctor, I should set off too!"

"Go ahead, be careful on the road! Remember to call your mother," Professor Oak said with a smile, waving as Huo La's figure gradually vanished at the institute's entrance, his eyes full of satisfaction.

Reaching the institute's doorway, just as he was about to step onto the road to Viridian City, he heard hurried footsteps behind him, accompanied by panting "huff‑huff" sounds.

He turned his head and saw a brown‑black‑haired teen sprinting while throwing a jacket over himself, a half‑eaten piece of bread clenched in his mouth, his hair a messy tumble, and a red‑base white‑front hat slung askew on his backpack—who else could it be but the overslept Ash?

"Ash, why are you just now arriving?" Huo La laughed, waving his hand and stopping to wait for him.

Ash saw Huo La, immediately slowed his pace, rushed to stop before him, gulped down the bread in a flash, then panted heavily, and with a hint of frustration said, "H‑Huo La, it's you! I... I'm late, right? Why didn't you call me ahead of time!"

He spoke while clumsily straightening his crooked hat, his eyes full of "it's over" panic. He had been too excited to sleep last night, his mind replaying the scene of receiving his Initial Pokemon the next day, and this morning he overslept.

Huo La's smile deepened, spreading his hands helplessly: "I didn't expect you to sleep that deeply; didn't you brag last night about setting three alarms?"

"Don't even mention it!" Ash slapped his thigh, his face dejected, "I don't know which part failed; all three alarms didn't ring! By the time I woke up, the sun was already on my butt!"

As he spoke, his gaze suddenly landed on the two Pokeballs at Huo La's waist, his eyes instantly brightening, forgetting his frustration, and he hurriedly asked, "By the way, you must have already received your Pokemon, right? Which one? Show me!"

Huo La pointed to one Pokeball and said softly, "It's Bulbasaur; it got exhausted and fainted during the battle with Red, still hasn't woken up."

"Bulbasaur? The Grass-type one?" Ash's eyes widened further, his tone full of envy, "That's such a steady Pokemon! I want to pick Charmander; Fire-type is so cool, it'd be super powerful in battle!" He said while mimicking Charmander's flame‑breathing, his face full of longing.

Huo La looked at his naive, passionate demeanor, his expression couldn't help but seem odd.

He patted Ash's shoulder: "Don't think about Charmander; Red already took it."

"Huh?!" Ash exclaimed, his mouth opening wide enough for an egg, "Red also came to claim Pokemon? Then... what else is left? Squirtle?"

The excitement on his face faded a bit; evidently he wasn't that interested in the Water-type Squirtle.

Huo La, seeing his disappointment, couldn't help to point out: "You should go in quickly; I guarantee there's a Pokemon more suitable for you than Charmander waiting inside."

That stubborn, ball‑averse Pikachu was still in the institute's Ecology Room, waiting for its destined partner.

"Really?" Ash immediately lifted his head, his eyes reigniting, and without waiting to ask what the "more suitable Pokemon" was, he grabbed his backpack and rushed into the institute, "Then I'll go in right away! Huo La, see you in Viridian City! Then I'll definitely show you how awesome my new partner is!"

"Viridian City, see you then," Huo La said with a smile, watching Ash's fiery dash into the institute, shaking his head—Ash was always this enthusiastic and reckless.