Pokémon: The Cheating Life

Chapter 33: The Final Badge

"Lillie, what are you talking about? Didn't I win?" Ron asked, confused.

Lillie still seemed puzzled.

Blaine, meanwhile, had already recalled his Magmar.

"No, Magmar was my ace," Blaine admitted. "But just like me, it's grown old… its strength is fading in all aspects. I should be thanking you, Ron. You gave Magmar a proper final battle. Losing to a young, talented Charizard—full of potential and energy—must have been an honor for it."

Blaine approached and handed Ron the Volcano Badge.

Ron's anger from earlier faded, and he sighed.

"You should've told me sooner. I would've fought an extra match for Magmar's sake."

"It wouldn't be the same," Blaine said, shaking his head. "A Gym Battle is different—it was Magmar's last desire. Seeing a young Trainer constantly moving forward gives it a feeling that a simple sparring match could never provide."

Ron accepted the badge and nodded.

"I'll take this badge, but I'll come back one day. And when I do, I'll bring my strongest team and step over the old generation on my path to becoming a Pokémon Master."

Blaine burst into laughter, his eyes shining with approval.

"Haha! That's what I like to hear!"

"It's a promise—next time, I'll bring my six strongest Pokémon and give you a real challenge."

Ron smirked and shook hands with Blaine before leaving the gym.

Watching Ron and Lillie disappear into the distance, Blaine's expression grew thoughtful.

Just as he was about to turn back, Ron's voice echoed from afar:

"Blaine, Lance is leaving for Johto, and Agatha is getting old. She'll retire soon. The League is bound to come knocking on your door."

Blaine chuckled softly.

"A spot in the Elite Four, huh…?"

He looked at Magmar's Poké Ball.

"You wouldn't want me to retire just yet, would you?"

---

Ron and Lillie didn't linger on Cinnabar Island.

They caught the last ferry, leaving under the cover of night.

---

The journey lasted ten days, with Ron making the most of his time.

He caught over thirty high-quality Water-type Pokémon.

His Dratini evolved into Dragonair.

Most importantly, he unlocked a new cheat ability—Amulet Coin Exploit!

---

Normally, Amulet Coins double prize money in battles.

But in reality, the system's gold payout was doubled instead.

For the first time, Ron felt financially secure.

Before, every Poké Ball he used cost more than the gold earned from winning battles.

Now, with his earnings doubled, he could afford as many Poké Balls as he wanted and still have extra cash left over.

"I'm rich!"

Ron immediately formulated a plan:

Open an aquarium.

Register as a Daycare breeder.

Charge visitors to observe and adopt Pokémon.

This way, he'd have a steady supply of Gold and Diamonds, ensuring a luxurious future!

---

After arriving in Cerulean City, they greeted Misty and her sisters before setting off for Viridian City.

Three days later, they arrived.

---

Ron could feel Mewtwo's Poké Ball trembling in excitement.

He gently ran his fingers over the Poké Ball, calming it down.

He understood Mewtwo's desire for battle and had been preparing for this moment.

Aerodactyl had been helping train against its Psychic attacks.

Constant battles and cheats had raised his Pokémon's levels.

All of them were now above level 60.

Mewtwo was leading at level 72, ready to face Giovanni's Mewtwo.

---

Standing before Viridian Gym, they found two guards at the entrance.

"I'm Ron from Pallet Town. I'm here to challenge the Gym," Ron declared.

The guards tapped their staffs against the ground.

The doors swung open, and they led Ron and Lillie inside.

---

At the far end of the battlefield, a high throne stood in the shadows.

Spotlights illuminated the scene, revealing Giovanni, seated elegantly on his leather couch, stroking his pristine Persian.

He smirked upon seeing Ron.

"So, you're the challenger?"

"I've heard about you from the League officials and Gym Leaders."

"They seem quite interested in you… but I don't see anything special. Care to prove me wrong?"

---

Ron grinned.

"Let's find out."

He tossed a Poké Ball.

"Go, Beedrill!"

---

Giovanni raised an eyebrow.

"Beedrill, huh? That's nostalgic."

"Go, Golem!"

---

Ron scoffed.

"Seriously? A level 30 Golem?"

"Giovanni's not even trying."

---

The guards announced the rules:

Each Trainer may use up to three Pokémon.

No time limit.

Battle begins!

---

Giovanni motioned lazily.

"Golem, Tackle."

Ron's expression flattened.

"Beedrill, Poison Jab."

---

Golem rumbled forward, but Beedrill darted past it, striking a weak spot between its rocky joints.

One-hit KO.

---

Giovanni raised an eyebrow.

"Impressive."

He recalled Golem and sent out Kingler—another level 30 Pokémon.

Ron sighed.

"Poison Jab again."

One-shot KO.

---

Giovanni leaned forward, now fully intrigued.

"Getting cocky, aren't we?"

"But I wonder… how will you fare against this?"

---

He snapped his fingers.

The battlefield doors rumbled open.

A heavily armored, humanoid Pokémon strode forward, glowing with ominous Psychic energy.

---

Beedrill froze, unable to move.

A powerful psychic force pinned it mid-air, rendering it helpless.

Giovanni smirked.

"Not bad. Your Beedrill wasn't instantly obliterated."

"But let's be real, kid—your entire team wouldn't stand a chance."

---

Ron narrowed his eyes.

"Is that so?"

He recalled Beedrill and smirked.

"I won't break the Gym Battle rules by sending out my entire team…"

"But since it's still one-on-one, let's see how your Mewtwo fares against mine."

---

"Go, Mewtwo!"

---

Giovanni stood up instantly, eyes wide with shock.

"WHAT?!"

---

Ron's Mewtwo emerged, its glowing blue eyes locking onto Giovanni's Mewtwo.

The armored Mewtwo twitched, its stance shifting as it suddenly teleported forward.

The two Mewtwos stared at each other, communicating telepathically.

---

Giovanni clenched his fists.

"How the hell do you have a Mewtwo?!"

Ron chuckled.

"Why shouldn't I have one?"

"It's a Pokémon—a living being."

"It's not some man-made clone—so why shouldn't I capture one?"

As Ron spoke, he silently activated his phone, connecting to Professor Oak's secure League hotline.

---

Giovanni gritted his teeth, trying to regain composure.

"You… who the hell are you?"

Ron smiled coldly.

"I already told you… I'm Ron from Pallet Town."

"But let's talk about you, Giovanni… You just admitted your armored Pokémon is Mewtwo."

"Where exactly did you get it?"

---

Giovanni's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"That's none of your business."

---

Suddenly, the armored Mewtwo trembled.

A second later, Ron's Mewtwo used its Psychic power to start dismantling the armor piece by piece.

Giovanni's face twisted in horror.

"STOP!"