Pokemon: The Gameboy Effect-Chapter 262: Morning Sun Fire Stone

(A/N: Here is a bonus Chapter please enjoy :)

[Defeat Shiftry (Rage) LV72, gain experience 8001]

 [Defeat Shiftry (Rage) LV71, gain experience 7823]

The Shiftry, Weavile, Mightyena, and the other Pokemon that Dr. Namba had forcibly enhanced with radio waves were either naturally aggressive or had been driven mad. His control over them was weak, only providing vague commands rather than true battle strategy.

These rampaging Pokemon fought purely on instinct, and the difference in battle skill was night and day compared to Pokemon trained under a dedicated Breeder. Even though John's Pokemon were a few levels lower, their superior moves, well-planned strategies, and type advantages turned the battle into a complete massacre.

In just two minutes, Ariana and Dr. Namba's Pokemon were wiped out.

Ariana hadn't just brought three Pokemon; she had six. But her last two, Vileplume and Roserade, were pinned to the ground by Mega Gardevoir's powerful Psychic. Her Murkrow hadn't even stood a chance, it had gone down instantly to a Dazzling Gleam.

"Pokeblock training, at least 4IV potential, move optimization, and rigorous coaching," John murmured, analyzing the battle. "They're already performing way above their level. Once they reach LV70, they should be able to handle high-level dungeons with ease."

Originally, Ariana was supposed to be a tough opponent, with her Pokemon's high levels giving her a strong advantage. But in the end, all of them had Poison typing, an easy target for Mega Gardevoir's devastating moveset. No matter what tactics she tried, the result was the same.

Based on this level of strength, John estimated that when his team reached LV70, he could take on the Hoenn Region's Team Magma and Team Aqua bases without much trouble.

He surveyed the scene. Ariana had been defeated, yet the dungeon wasn't marked as completed. There were still 53 seconds left before Lance arrived.

"What's left?" John wondered. "Could Ariana not be the real leader of Rocket Hideout in Mahogany Town?"

That didn't seem right.

Ariana was one of Team Rocket's Four Executives; the highest-ranking Executives. If she wasn't in charge of this base, then who was?

Archer?

Giovanni himself?

That seemed unlikely. Giovanni wouldn't personally oversee something like this unless it was truly important.

John shook his head. He'd find out soon enough when Lance arrived.

In the meantime, he pulled out the Treasure Detector, a tool he hadn't used in a while, to see if there was any hidden loot in the hideout.

The detector beeped wildly, its signal locking onto something behind him, strong and unwavering. Judging by the intensity, it had to be a legendary item.

"A legendary item? Here?"

John turned around. All he saw was a wall.

"Could it be hidden behind here, like in the Water Capital dungeon?" he muttered, suspicious.

As if answering his question, cracks suddenly formed along the wall.

With a loud boom, the entire structure crumbled away, and a thick, muscular arm emerged from the dust.

Moments later, the rest of the wall shattered completely, revealing Lance and his Dragonite standing behind it.

"Ariana?!" Lance's eyes widened in shock as he spotted her unconscious form. "You actually took her down?!"

John barely heard him. His focus remained on the Treasure Detector, which was still pointing past the newly opened passage. That meant whatever legendary item was here wasn't on Lance or Dragonite, it was still somewhere deeper in the hideout.

Without acknowledging Lance, John quickly recalled all his Pokemon and had Mega Gardevoir teleport him further inside to search for the item.

But just as he was about to reach it, everything around him blurred.

When his vision cleared, he was back in his secret base. At the same time, his Gameboy's screen showed his character standing at the entrance of Rocket Hideout.

A message appeared:

[Dungeon "Rocket Hideout Mahogany Town" (Completed). Rewards are as follows:]

[1. Random advanced Pokemon item]

[2. Rare move CD]

 [3. Random team Pokemon MEGA Evolution Stone] (Special reward for first completion)

[4. Random team-exclusive item] (Special reward for defeating Ariana before Lance arrived)

The rewards were decent, but John was more concerned about the legendary item he had almost obtained before getting forced out of the dungeon.

He tried to re-enter Rocket Hideout, but a new prompt popped up:

[Dungeon cooldown time: 30 days.]

A full month...

"Will that legendary item still be there when I go back?" he wondered.

Dungeon loot was unpredictable.

"Next time, I'm using the Treasure Detector right away. I won't let that happen again."

Frustrated but resigned, he turned his attention to the dungeon rewards.

The "Random Advanced Pokemon Item" turned out to be a high-tier evolution stone:

[Morning Sun Fire Stone: Evolves specific Pokemon. While held, boosts all stats by 10%, doubles stamina recovery speed, and increases Fire-type move power by 10%. Effects double under Sunny Day.]

"A treasure-grade Fire Stone? Perfect for Growlithe."

Unlike regular evolution stones, this was a rare, enhanced version, making the evolved Pokemon significantly stronger.

John had originally planned to trade for one, but now he didn't need to.

Still, he wasn't going to evolve Growlithe just yet. Pokemon that required special items to evolve needed to maximize their base potential first. Evolving too soon could limit their growth in the long run.

"I'll push Growlithe's limits before evolving him. That way, he'll reach even greater heights."