Before deciding how to punish Haunter, Maen made a quick stop at the Pokémon Center to have Deino's injuries treated. After confirming with Nurse Joy that there were no lingering issues, he returned to his room.
Once inside, Maen crossed his arms and faced Haunter and Deino.
"Alright, Haunter," he said with a smirk. "Your punishment is simple—you won't be allowed to eat any of my newly developed snacks for an entire week."
At first, Haunter showed no visible reaction. However, before it could respond, Deino let out a distressed whine.
As far as Deino was concerned, it had been just as guilty in this whole affair. How could Maen punish only Haunter? That didn't seem fair! Deino was a loyal dragon—it wouldn't let Haunter take all the blame alone.
But before Deino could protest further, Haunter confidently patted its back and gestured with its thumb toward itself, signaling, Don't worry, I'll take full responsibility.
Besides, Haunter had already tasted Maen's previous snacks. The blue energy cubes were decent, but nothing particularly special. They weren't as tasty as the treats in its personal snack stash.
Only its naïve little dragon brother, who had never experienced finer delicacies, thought those blue cubes were delicious.
Seeing Haunter's smug expression, Maen sighed inwardly. He could already tell what was going through Haunter's mischievous little mind. But since he had dared to impose this punishment, he obviously had a plan in place.
"Oh, by the way," Maen added nonchalantly, "those blue energy cubes? They're a thing of the past. I've developed something entirely new. Here, take a look."
As he spoke, Maen pulled out a small, elegant box from inside his jacket.
The moment he flipped open the lid, a faint but intoxicating aroma filled the room. Inside the box were several perfectly rounded, jet-black energy cubes, shimmering under the light.
Unlike the sky-blue cubes from before, these had a sleek, glossy appearance—almost like miniature black pearls.
These were the latest result of Maen's experimentation: an enhanced version of energy cubes, infused with Dark-type energy.
Initially, Maen had expected some difficulties in merging the energy with the cube formula. But to his surprise, the entire process had gone remarkably smoothly. Since Dark energy was pure energy, it blended effortlessly into the cube's composition.
After spending the entire morning refining his technique, Maen had finally perfected the recipe.
And now, he was ready to demonstrate its irresistible appeal.
The moment Haunter and Deino caught a whiff of the cube's scent, their eyes widened in pure astonishment.
Deino's mouth hung open, drool already dripping from its jaw.
Haunter, despite trying to keep its composure, found itself utterly captivated. This aroma was unlike anything it had ever smelled before. Even the Dark energy reserves stored in its personal snack can couldn't compare!
A devilish grin spread across Maen's face.
Without a word, he calmly picked up one of the black energy cubes and—right in front of Haunter—popped it into Deino's eager mouth.
Deino's entire body shivered in delight. Its eyes glazed over as it chewed, utterly lost in the overwhelming wave of deliciousness.
Then, with a dramatic flourish, Maen snapped the box shut.
Haunter was devastated.
"You... you monster!"
It let out an agonized wail, throwing its head back in despair.
Then, before Maen could react, Haunter lunged forward and used its most dreaded, most powerful move against him—Lick.
Maen recoiled, shuddering as a grossly unpleasant sensation crawled up his spine.
After an intense licking battle that lasted several minutes, Maen finally surrendered. With a heavy sigh, he lifted Haunter's punishment.
Haunter celebrated its victory with a wicked cackle.
---
Saffron City
Saffron City—the most prosperous metropolis in the Kanto Region—was strategically positioned at the heart of several major locations, including Cerulean City, Celadon City, Vermilion City, and Lavender Town. Thanks to this prime location, Saffron had developed into a major economic and technological hub.
Standing tall in the city's center was the headquarters of Silph Co., one of the most influential companies in Kanto.
Saffron City also held a rare distinction—it was home to two Pokémon Gyms:
1. The Psychic Gym, led by the formidable Sabrina.
2. The Fighting Dojo, a secondary gym that had been demoted due to league regulations.
Because the Pokémon League only allowed one officially recognized gym per city, the Fighting Dojo had lost its status and could no longer award Gym Badges.
However, that hadn't stopped the dojo's trainers from challenging Sabrina's Psychic Gym every year—only to fail spectacularly every time.
---
The moment Maen stepped into Saffron City, he immediately sensed its distinct energy.
Unlike the more traditional, rustic feel of Pewter City, Saffron had an undeniably modern atmosphere.
For Maen, however, this city carried a much deeper significance.
Saffron City was the very first place he had arrived when he traveled through time and space. It was here that Agatha, the Elite Four member, had found him and taken him in.
Now, back in the city after so many years, Maen wasn't in any rush to challenge the Gym.
After all, he didn't know which version of Sabrina he would be facing.
If it was the anime version of Sabrina? No problem.
But if it was the manga version of Sabrina? That could be... complicated.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Sabrina wasn't just a Gym Leader—she was one of Team Rocket's Executives.
Given that Lieutenant Surge had already been confirmed as a Rocket Executive in this world, Maen wasn't entirely sure what kind of Sabrina he'd be dealing with.
Saffron City itself was deeply entangled with Team Rocket's operations.
A Rocket base almost certainly existed somewhere beneath the city.
The underground black market and Silph Co. were both known to have ties to Team Rocket.
Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket, was also the largest shareholder in Silph Co.
In some alternate timelines—whether in games, anime, or special comics—Team Rocket had even seized control of Silph Co. outright.
Their interest in Silph was obvious:
Poké Ball technology.
Silph Co. had pioneered advanced Poké Ball manufacturing, including:
Special black-market Poké Balls that could avoid Pokémon League detection.
The development of Dusk Balls, which would later play a role in capturing legendary Pokémon like Celebi.
Saffron City was a major financial pillar for Team Rocket.
Even with his growing strength, Maen knew he wasn't anywhere near strong enough to challenge their base here.
And as for reporting Team Rocket to the authorities?
That was pointless.
If the Pokémon League's investigators had been capable of taking down Team Rocket's Saffron base, they would have done so long ago.
Besides, if the League did make a move, Rocket agents would immediately receive word and vanish underground.
For now, there was nothing Maen could do but observe and gather information.
Instead of worrying about things outside his control, he made his way to Silver's store to buy a Luxury Ball.
His priority was ensuring his Pokémon were as comfortable as possible.
After all, money wasn't an issue for him anymore.
---
Saffron City Gym
Inside the Psychic Gym, a lone figure sat in the darkness.
A young woman, clad in deep violet robes, held a small doll in her hands.
Slowly, she opened her piercing red eyes.
She whispered softly to herself:
"You are finally here..."
-----------------------------
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