Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak.

Hi all,

Here's the second chapter for today. Lucas creates the potion for the afflicted Pokemon, and he visits Cerulean City.

Chapter 35

Lucas watched the concoction bubbling in the beacon carefully. It was a vivid green colour, a result of the ingredients he used to make the potion and had reached a boiling point that made it highly volatile.

Max stood next to him, concentrating just as hard.

It was around this point in time that the potion usually failed, with a spectacular explosion. The first time it happened, his cheek was hit with some of the boiling substance. It was fortunate that his eyes weren't hit, or none of the shattered glass caused any damage beyond some minor scratches.

If it hadn't been for Brock's quick response, he may have suffered from some serious burns. Brock always kept some potions on hand specifically for human injuries, which was something Lucas had overlooked. His employee was very competent for his age, and he was glad he had hired him.

After that incident, he made sure to always have Max with him, who would cast protect over him any time he used the alchemy station. It was a necessary precaution, as his potion exploded a further two dozen times as he continued to experiment. He had destroyed a lot of alchemy equipment in the process.

Max didn't mind, as he enjoyed concocting potions with Lucas, and his assistance was valuable, cutting down on some of the tasks he needed to perform.

He had been experimenting with ingredients for the last few days, and he could feel he was getting closer. The problem was that he didn't have a recipe to assist him, otherwise, it would have been a much shorter process. Although he could use Green Thumb to find the properties of an ingredient, that didn't mean it was easy. After he had gathered a bunch of ingredients that all had a [remove trait] quality, he proceeded with the experiments.

He didn't know the right quantity of ingredients to make a successful potion. So it was a process of testing out various combinations of ingredients to arrive at the right amount. Plus, some of the ingredients didn't interact well with each other, which led to explosive results, and so he had to eliminate some of the ingredients. But now he felt like he was on the right path. If this potion was successful, then he felt like it would cure the afflicted Pokemon.

"Lucas, can you hear me?"

Lucas cocked his head. "What can I do for you, Icarus?"

"Cobalt is asking when you are taking his mistress back to Cerulean City."

"Ah, right. I suppose Misty is missing her sisters."

Lucas was going to escort Misty to Cerulean City so she could spend Christmas with her sisters. Even though they would take the teleport tower directly to the city, Misty's sisters didn't want to take a chance on anything happening to her. Lucas didn't mind, as he needed to go find Bill anyway to complete the requirements to gain access to Red Ketchum's research.

"I should be done here soon. I will return in a day or two."

"Very well. I will relay the message. Are we going to be battling Pokemon while we are outside?"

Lucas grinned. "Getting antsy, are we?"

"Icaria and I still need to recover the levels we lost after giving birth to our egg."

"It was only two levels."

"That's two levels too many."

Every time Pokemon produced an egg, they sacrificed some levels in the process. Usually, it was only two to four levels, so it wasn't usually that bad. Unless you were at a high level, where levels were hard to come by, then it would have more of an impact.

Icarus and Icaria had remained at Delia's while Lucas was stuck at the farm trying to make the potion. He and Brock were staying up at the farmhouse with the owners of the farm. Brock was spending his time with Melanie, learning about various medical techniques from the girl. He was probably hoping to learn other things from the girl, but it was unfortunate that he was a minor, so it was highly unlikely.

After another hour of waiting, the potion finished brewing, which filled Lucas with anticipation. He had made other versions of the potions, but they were all failures. How did he know this? Because of a new section in his guidebook called Alchemy Recipes, which listed all of the recipes he had successfully created. If his new potion didn't show up there, then it meant he hadn't created a functional potion.

"Fingers crossed that I was successful this time," Lucas said to Max, who awkwardly tried to close his hand to mimic his owner's action, but his three-digit hands were not the most dexterous and failed to execute it.

Max had grown to a height of one metre in just a few days of taking the growth potion. His height had grown by nearly two-thirds, and his bulk appeared to have increased at the same rate. Although he didn't yet match Icarus' height, this would most likely change once he evolved into Electabuzz. He also expected Max to acquire the "superior conditioning" trait, as Icarus did, helping him along the path to becoming a defensive powerhouse. He planned to offer Saphira the growth potion before she evolved, but he wasn't sure if she would be interested.

Lucas waited for the concoction to cool before pouring it into glass vials and setting them aside. He pulled out his guidebook and opened it to the Alchemy Recipe page.

"It worked!" Lucas exclaimed with a big grin. There was a new entry in his alchemy recipes that explained the potion's effects. However, there were only question marks where the name was supposed to be listed.

"I will call it the Trait Shedding Potion," Lucas said, watching as the words changed to match his suggestion.

He frowned while reading the potion's description. The potion would be able to resolve all of the issues that the afflicted Pokemon were experiencing by removing the traits, but it would take a few days to several weeks to fully take effect. It depended on the severity of the Pokemon's negative trait. He wanted to see the results immediately for his own gratification, but it looked like he would have to wait a little longer.

This potion had an additional effect. It could remove positive traits as well. He didn't know why he would ever do such a thing, unless there was a limit to how many traits a Pokemon could have in total. In any case, he would be the only one who could selectively choose which ones to remove, so it wasn't like anyone else could take advantage of the feature.

It wasn't like traits were a known quantity in the Pokemon World anyway. Although people understood that some Pokemon had extra qualities or were stronger than other Pokemon at the same level, they were unable to explain it like he could. It was like effort values, which weren't widely understood. He was still deliberating whether he should make this information public or not.

Lucas closed the book and put it back into his inventory. He couldn't believe that he had finally invented his potion in only a few days. Without the Green Thumb skill, he probably would have spent weeks or months inventing the potion. In hindsight, if his Potion Mastery skill had been higher, it would probably have been easier.

He noticed that his alchemist profession had levelled up to six as well, and he imagined he got some nice experience for creating a new potion. Although he didn't get a new skill, he did get a reduction in the cost of his next Potions Mastery upgrade.

Max held up a hand and Lucas gave him a high-five. "I couldn't have done it without you, buddy. Why don't we go see Melanie and show her the potion?"

He gathered up the vials and left the room. Now that he had finished the potion, he wouldn't see all these precious ingredients again, which saddened him. But he gained a lot from examining all of them and had recorded down all their different qualities in a book, which would help him to create more potions in the future.

Lucas found Melanie in one of the Pokemon enclosures, tending to a female Nidoran. Brock observed her as she wrapped a bandage around the Nidoran's leg. The problem with this Pokemon is that the drug made her body extremely vulnerable to injury, so it needed to be kept constantly in a safe environment. Nonetheless, accidents occurred, and the Pokemon sustained injuries on occasion.

While the Pokemon could be kept in their pokeball, this wasn't recommended because it reduced their quality of life. Some studies have found that keeping a Pokemon in a pokeball for an extended period of time can be detrimental to its mental health. They were intended to be a convenience, not a substitute for a proper living environment. Lucas was able to avoid this issue with the system habitats, but he still kept his Pokemon out of their pokeballs as much as possible.

"Please tell me that is the cure," Melanie begged as she noticed the potion vials in his hand.

"I am fairly certain it will work," Lucas said. "But I have to test it on one of the Pokemon first. Furthermore, depending on the severity of the condition, it may take a few weeks for them to completely heal."

"Then let us test it on Nidoran," Melanie said with a firm nod.

Lucas handed over one of the vials, still unsure about how it worked. Melanie fed Nidoran the potion, and he used Insight on the Pokemon to see what changes occurred. When he opened the traits tab, he was surprised to see a prompt asking whether he wanted to remove any of Nidoran's traits. He could remove up to two, and if he didn't choose within the next hour, then a random trait would be removed on its own. He chose to remove the two negative traits. The description changed to indicate that the traits were now pending and would be removed in five days.

"Nidoran!" The Pokemon stood up with shaky legs as if it had experienced a sudden surge of energy.

Bulbasaur, who was standing beside Melanie, translated for Nidoran, revealing that the Pokemon had a positive reaction to the potion.

"Nidoran doesn't feel so lethargic anymore!" Melanie exclaimed, leaping to her feet and hugging Lucas. "It must be working."

"It will take some time to see if the negative effects are gone," Lucas cautioned, although he was certain they would disappear. "I will come back in a week to see how Nidoran is doing."

Melanie shook her head. "I have a feeling this potion is really effective. How much will it cost me to buy enough potions to cure all the Pokemon?"

"A few days will not make a difference," Brock said, patting her shoulder in reassurance. "You cannot be hasty and give the Pokemon an untested potion, or you might make their situation worse."

"He's right," Lucas said. "While I believe the potion will work, you should exercise caution. While we wait for the results, I will prepare enough potions for all of the Pokemon. If it works, we can give them to the Pokemon right away."

"Okay," Melanie said, smiling. "Thank you for your hard work. You barely left the alchemy room for the past few days."

Lucas waved a hand dismissively. "I gained a lot from experimenting with all the ingredients, so there is no need for thanks."

"If this works out, I would like to purchase the recipe," Melanie said, her eyes gleaming. "It might work on other Pokemon with bad medical conditions."

"I don't think it will be that simple," Lucas warned her. "I created it specifically for Pokemon suffering from the effects of that drug. But we can talk about it later, once we are sure it will work."

He was unsure whether other medical conditions would be listed as traits or if it was simply the result of the drug's side effects. Besides, he didn't want this potion to be distributed to the public, as it could be potentially dangerous. For example, if he was feeling malicious towards a specific Pokemon, he could give them two or three potions that would remove all of their traits. This included the inherited traits that were passed down through a Pokemon's lineage.

It set a dangerous precedent. Imagine if someone else got their hands on the potion and discovered its potent abilities. It could be used as a weapon against powerful Pokemon. He chuckled inwardly as an idle thought occurred to him. What if this worked on a legendary Pokémon? He didn't believe Arceus would let such a thing happen. In any case, he was unlikely to get the chance to test it on a legendary Pokemon.

"I need to get back to Pallet Town," Lucas said. "If there's anything you need in the meantime, give me a call."

Lucas, Meowth, and Misty stepped out of the transportation tower, which was located on a hill near the city's entrance. It provided visitors with a good view of Cerulean City, which was, in his opinion, the most aesthetically pleasing city he had ever visited thus far. Many of the buildings were made of a combination of wood and glass, which was likely expensive to heat in the winter but looked stunning, nonetheless.

The Cerulean Gym was a prominent feature of the city, as it resembled a water theme park rather than a gym. He imagined this was where the Sensational Sisters performed their shows, though there would be none during the winter months.

The city was inundated with waterways that snaked through the streets, as well as small decorative stone bridges that allowed residents to access other parts of the city. The waterways were frozen over at the time, and the city was covered in snow, which only added to its allure.

"Come on." Misty said. "I will show you around before we head to the gym."

Lucas followed her, his head swivelling as he took in the various sights. He had to stop Meowth from running off to explore the city, as he would probably end up having to search for him later. The rascal caused a lot of trouble while he was staying at the Ketchums.

"What are you planning to do over the Christmas break?" Lucas asked.

"Probably look for some more water-type Pokemon," Misty answered. "I need to evolve one of my Staryu soon as well, as she has reached the required level. I don't want that brat catching up to me."

Lucas laughed. "Do you mean Ash?"

"I have to show him who is boss," Misty said, punching the air with her fist. "Plus, if I ever see Gary again, I will wipe that smirk from his face."

"I'm sure he makes a lot of enemies with his attitude, but it looks like you have made good friends with Ash. Are you going to join him on his Pokemon journey?"

Misty shrugged. "I haven't decided. It will be nice to explore the world and find some more water-type Pokemon. Will Mrs Ketchum come along with us?"

"Most likely," Lucas said. "Have you decided what Pokemon you are going to use the growth potion on?"

"I'm going to save it," Misty told him. "I'm thinking of catching a Horsea and turning it into a powerful Kingdra."

"I like your ambition."

Misty grinned.

"Do you know Bill Eckley?" Lucas asked. "I would like to meet him before I leave the city."

"He has a sea cottage out on the Cerulean Cape," Misty explained. "Next to the lighthouse. I met him once when my sisters visited him. He's a weirdo."

"I heard he has a huge collection of Eevees. Is that true?"

Misty nodded. "I wanted one so I could evolve it into a Vaporeon, but the scrooge wouldn't give one up, even when he was offered a lot of pokedollars."

Lucas chuckled.

"I will show you the north side of the city," Misty said, dashing ahead. "If you are going to visit Bill, then you will want to see Nugget Bridge."

"Wait for me," Lucas yelled, exasperated.

"She has too much energy," Meowth exclaimed, holding onto his neck as Lucas ran after her. "I say you should ditch her now."

"Her sisters would kill me," Lucas informed him.

Lucas caught up with the girl and told her to slow down. Misty led him through the city centre and to the north entrance, where the Nugget Bridge was located. As they walked, she shared some information about the northern part of the city.

The bridge leading from the city exit was known as Route 24, and it featured a long, winding river that flowed into a lake near a small village. It was known as Rifure Village, and an artisan lived there who created all of the Kanto gym badges, including the Cascade badge.

The river continued from the lake to the cape, where it entered the sea. It was wide enough to accommodate barges transporting cargo from ships travelling along the coast. The cargo would be unloaded in the village, and residents would transport it to the city.

"There's the Nugget Bridge," Misty said, pointing to the wooden structure after they left the city.

It was about two hundred feet long and led to a paved road on the other side. The river below had a strong current, and it fed into the city from below the ground. Surrounding the river on both sides, was an extensive mountain range that was tipped with snowy peaks. The mountain ranges to the west spanned across the Eastern Kanto region, with the Rota Kingdom located somewhere in the middle of those mountains.

"Why is it named Nugget Bridge?" Lucas asked.

"Because the river used to be filled with gold nuggets in the past, and it was a popular mining destination, albeit dangerous due to the rapid current," Misty explained. "All of them have been excavated, but there is another reason it is called the Nugget Bridge."

Meowth's mouth twitched when he heard about the gold nuggets, but he hung his head when he learned that all of them had been mined. Lucas was unsure whether all of the nuggets had been found. He could always come back later and use his Itemfinder to see what he could find.

"What's the reason?"

"During the summer, some Team Rocket members were caught attempting to scam trainers. They offered a nugget as a prize for defeating several of them, but it was a pretence to steal their Pokemon."

"I am amazed that they would be so brave to try it so close to the city," Lucas said. "I think I have seen enough. Let's take you to the gym."

As they made their way back into the city, he asked if there were any other unique locations in the area.

"You can find a cave if you follow the road through the western gate," Misty said. "It's an extensive cave system that hasn't been fully explored yet. You need permission from the mayor, though, as it's filled with dangerous Pokemon, all above level seventy."

Lucas grimaced. "I won't be exploring that anytime soon."

Lucas and Misty entered the gym's main building. Violet was sitting behind the reception desk, looking bored. When she spotted them, her face lit up, and she moved from behind the desk to hug Misty. Lucas gasped when she hugged him as well, but he endured it until she finally released him.

"You don't know how good it is to see you," Violet exclaimed. "Winter is the worst. There are no water shows, so we only have gym battles to keep us occupied."

"Have many trainers been challenging the gym?" Lucas asked.

"Quite a few," Violet sighed. "Usually, trainers have already challenged the gym by now, so they can participate in the Pokemon League in January, but that's still a year away."

The Indigo League took place in January at the Indigo Plateau. The championship format differed from that of other regions, and this change occurred when the Kanto and Johto regions were merged. Instead of having it every year, it was held every two years, and you had to collect all sixteen badges from the gyms throughout the United Kanto Region. It was also separated into junior and senior championships. The former was for trainers under the age of sixteen, while the latter applied to everyone else.

It wasn't the perfect formula, with many inequalities between wealthy and poor trainers, but it was the most balanced that the officials could come up with for now. Having a competition every two years gave the trainers time to develop and build a strong team. Some trainers were unfortunate in that they began their journey during the off-year, leaving them with only one year to prepare or having to wait three years to participate in the next one. Another option was to travel to another region and compete in their league, which a lot of trainers did.

"What about having dinner with me, handsome?" Violet asked, wrapping her arm around Lucas', making him uncomfortable.

"He already has a girlfriend," Misty said, pushing her sister away from him. "Hands off."

"I heard the news already," Violet said, pretending to wipe away a fake year. "What a disappointment."

"I'm sure you will get over it as soon as the next handsome man walks through the door," Misty snarled.

"Little brat," Violet said as she put Misty in a headlock and messed up her hair. "That will teach you to be a smartass!"

"Let me go!" Misty protested.

"Are you going to return to Pallet Town after the Christmas holidays?" Lucas asked after the sisters had finished their little scuffle. "I can pick you up if you would like."

"Probably around the middle of January," Misty said, glancing at her sister. "By then, I will have decided whether I want to travel with the Ketchums."

"Alright, take care of yourself," Lucas said, patting her head. "Don't give your sisters any trouble."

Misty lunged forward and hugged him. "Thanks for everything."

Lucas exited the gym and paused for a moment, considering what he needed to do before heading to Bill's sea cottage.

"Finally, we are rid of the orange-haired menace," Meowth said. "Happy days!"

Lucas grinned. Misty and Meowth got along like oil and water.

"I think I will take some time to explore while I'm heading to Bill's place," Lucas told him. "Let's head to the adventurer's guild and see if I can find any good missions."

Lucas wanted to advance to the next rank, but he knew it would take some effort. He had recently neglected the adventurer's guild, but it wasn't his number one priority. Still, there was something addictive about completing missions and levelling up in rank that he couldn't get enough of. Furthermore, once he completed the gathering missions, he would be able to take on a much wider variety of missions. He still had plenty of ingredients in his inventory if he found the right guild missions; otherwise, he would roam the wilds and see what he could come up with. Because it was winter, he had no idea what would grow in these cold temperatures.

After searching the board for gathering missions, he found a tonne of mission slips for some winter coral, which grew on a small island located east of the Cerulean Cape. Although he couldn't reach it without a boat, he could always have Icarus and Meowth do the work for him, even if he didn't get a bonus for his Green Thumb skill.

Lucas exited the city through the northern exit once more. He summoned the new function that he had unlocked, Regional Maps, and he checked out his surroundings. The area within a ten-metre radius was immediately revealed, with icons denoting different landmarks and harvestable ingredients. On the map, there was the number three, which indicated the number of hidden items in a one-mile radius. He didn't know how far he would go out of his way to find them, but if he stumbled across them, he was going to grab them.

He activated his Itemfinder, and summoned all of his Pokemon out of their pokeballs. Both Saphira and Ashe shoved Meowth off Lucas' shoulder and climbed on board their trainer.

"Don't think you can bully me," Meowth said, shaking his paw at them. "I have rights as well."

Saphira let out a raspberry, and Ashe followed suit. Meowth muttered something rude but scampered away as Ashe blew fire out of her mouth.

"Be nice," Lucas sighed.

Icarus and Icaria flew up in the sky, excited about being outside again. Max cast Protect over Lucas without asking, and they headed over the bridge. When he reached the road, he glanced to his left. There was a long, narrow trail butting up against the mountainside, which led to an enclosed area with a lot of overgrown grass that was almost completely frozen over. It was too far away for his map to reveal if there was anything there, so he was debating whether he should explore it. Wild Pokemon didn't appear on the map, so there could be some hiding in the grass, but it was highly unlikely.

"Icarus, can you and Icaria scan that overgrown grass to see if there are any Pokemon."

"One moment."

Lucas waited until the two airborne Pokemon finished surveying the overgrown grass.

"We don't see any Pokemon," Icarus reported. "But the grass is too tall for us to be certain. There is also a sign here, but I can't make it out because it's frosted over."

"Use an Air Cutter to disturb the grass and see if it shakes anything out."

Icarus unleashed two blades of wind, which landed in the centre of the overgrown grass, causing an explosion that sent frozen bits of grass flying everywhere, and creating a breathtaking spectacle.

"Kid!" Max waved his arms in amazement.

Nothing crawled out of the grass, so Lucas decided it was safe to explore. Max took the lead, stepping onto the path, and showed off his agility, by dancing along its entire length to the other side. Lucas acted more cautiously. It was slippery, so he hugged the mountainside and took care where he stepped. When he got to the other side, he noticed the sign Icarus had spotted. He was distracted when his Itemfinder started beeping, but he ignored it for the moment.

He brushed the layer of frost off the sign, and read the warning displayed on it.

This area is off-limits due to the careless and illegal use of an unrefined leaf evolution stone. An individual was experimenting with it, attempting to grow a plant instantly, but it caused the grass to overgrow instead. The resulting explosion threw the individual into the river, and he has yet to be located, presumed dead. The Rangers have searched the area, but there may still be unrefined evolution stones that haven't been found. You have been warned.

"Now that is a dumb way to die," Lucas said. "Why did he have to experiment next to a turbulent river?"

He searched the area for the hidden item and found it near the back. He took out his small shovel and began digging but found it difficult to cut through the frozen ground. The item was buried deep and not in a treasure chest. A loud clunk caused him to pause. He carefully dug around the item and unearthed a stone the size of his head, which glowed a vibrant, bright green colour.

"Well, I found the missing unrefined evolution stone," Lucas muttered.

He quickly placed the item in his inventory, fearful that it would explode in his face. If he ever got a grassland habitat, the stone would increase a Pokemon's grass-type affinity training.

"That was worth the detour."

Lucas rubbed his hands, hoping to regain feeling in them. Ashe unleashed a stream of fire, and he held his hands close to it to warm them.

"Thanks, Ashe." He got to his feet and made his way back to the road.

Lucas and his team followed the road for the next few miles until he spotted the small village in the distance. Seeing the smoke puffing out of the chimney, he increased his pace. He hadn't been outside for long, and already he was looking forward to sitting down beside a fire with a hot drink to warm his insides.

"Welcome," a man said as he entered the village. The man was shovelling the snow to make a path in front of his shop, and he was being assisted by a massive Croconaw, who looked to be doing most of the work. "We don't get many visitors around this time of year. Especially given how cold it is at the moment."

"Call me stupid," Lucas muttered.

"Hi, stupid," the man said, grinning, before holding out a hand. "My name's Max, and I run the general store. Welcome to Rifure Village."

"Lucas," he replied. taking his hand. "I'm heading for the cape to visit Bill Eckley."

Max lost his smile. "I am afraid you will be out of luck. Bill went missing more than a week ago. The villagers searched his home and the lighthouse, but it looked like he had just disappeared into thin air, with some cooked food left sitting on the table. The villagers believe he may have been attacked by a wild Pokemon, or run afoul of a criminal."

Lucas' brow furrowed. It couldn't have anything to do with the research that Red Ketchum left behind, right? He then dismissed the thought. He didn't get his hands on the floppy disc until a few days ago, so that couldn't be the cause. Unless someone else had obtained the information from somewhere else.

"Why don't you rest in the pub?" Max suggested, pointing to a building. "You will find most of the villagers there, and they can tell you more about it."

Lucas followed his suggestion and headed for the building. He needed to find Bill fast, or he may never uncover the mystery surrounding Red Ketchum's research.

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Lucas goes searching for Bill.

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Thanks for reading.