The three of them continued their journey, training their Pokémon while heading towards Saffron City.
From Cerulean City to Saffron City, there was only Route 5 in between. The distance was similar to the one from Pewter City to Cerulean City, but there were no mountain ranges like Mt. Moon to obstruct them, so Yuga and his group made much faster progress.
About two days later, they successfully entered the territory of Saffron City.
Saffron City was the largest city in the Kanto region and the most developed in terms of transportation. It was surrounded by four other cities: Cerulean City, Lavender Town, Celadon City, and Vermilion City.
As a highly renowned mega-city in the Pokémon world, Saffron City had two Pokémon Gyms - one for Psychic-type Pokémon and one for Fighting-type Pokémon. This was quite unusual in the Pokémon world.
However, due to a dispute between the Gym Leaders, Sabrina, who led the Psychic-type Gym, and Kiyo, the Fighting-type Gym Leader, over the official Gym title, Kiyo voluntarily gave up his claim. As a result, Sabrina's Psychic-type Gym stood unchallenged as the sole official Gym in Saffron City.
Apart from having two Pokémon Gyms, the Silph Company's headquarters, on par with the Devon Corporation in the Hoenn region, also stood tall in the city center of Saffron City.
Before the rise of the Devon Corporation, the Silph Company had always been the leader in manufacturing technology in the Pokémon world. They produced numerous Items for Trainers and were a vital pillar of the Kanto region's economy.
However, as an established corporation, Silph Company had faced internal issues in recent years, and its growth had somewhat lagged behind that of the Devon Corporation in the Hoenn region.
Upon their arrival in Saffron City, Eusine insisted on taking them on a tour of the city. Seeing that Gon was also very interested, Yuga didn't refuse and played with them for a day.
Saffron City had the largest and most bustling central business district in the entire Kanto region, making it an excellent place for shopping.
It was during this time that Yuga discovered that Eusine was, in fact, quite generous, not only buying many things for himself but also covering the expenses for Yuga and Gon.
Saffron City also boasted the most comprehensive infrastructure in the Kanto region, making transportation convenient. During their tour, Yuga and his companions encountered people from all over the region, which was truly eye-opening.
While shopping, Yuga took the opportunity to purchase a Miracle Seed for Bellossom and Ivysaur, as well as a Poison Barb for Roserade. These items were all bought at the Silph Company's store, where many Trainer items were on sale.
However, special items like Miracle Seeds, which enhanced Grass-type moves, were quite expensive, even with the discount. Miracle Seeds were naturally occurring items, and to this day, no one had figured out why they formed, keeping their prices consistently high.
Nevertheless, Miracle Seeds were worth the investment as they not only boosted Grass-type moves but also helped Grass-type Pokémon accumulate energy faster, making them a valuable asset.
In comparison, the Poison Barb for Roserade was more affordable since it was a mass-produced item with no special effects apart from enhancing Poison-type moves.
Yuga also bought a variety of daily necessities for Gon, such as clothes and shoes. He realized that he had been in a hurry when they were in Pewter City, and Gon lacked many essential items. This trip provided a chance to fill those gaps.
Though spending lavishly was enjoyable, it was also exhausting. Eusine, being an adult, was fatigued, and Gon, in particular, was out of breath from all the running around.
Yuga, who had a significantly higher physical endurance due to various special circumstances, wasn't as exhausted. Seeing Gon and Eusine sitting wearily in the rest area, he said, "Eusine, could you please take care of Gon? I'll go buy some drinks."
Eusine gladly accepted, saying, "Sure, leave it to me. You can trust me with Gon!"
Yuga turned to Gon and said, "Gon, wait here for a moment. I'll be right back."
Gon nodded, saying, "I understand, Big Brother Shimizu."
About ten minutes later, Yuga returned with two bottles of drinks. However, as he approached, he noticed Eusine running toward him with his Alakazam in tow, looking distressed.
"Yuga, something's wrong! Gon has been taken!"
Alarmed, Yuga quickly asked, "What happened? Tell me everything."
Eusine, looking panicked, said, "I don't know what happened exactly. Suddenly, a little girl appeared in front of us, and she quickly snatched Gon away. I tried to stop her with my Alakazam, but I couldn't do anything. Gon was gone in the blink of an eye."
Listening to Eusine's account, Yuga furrowed his brow and continued to inquire, "Do you know anything about the girl's identity?"
Eusine shook hia head, indicating he had no idea.
"I told you to look after Gon carefully when I left, didn't I? How could you let this happen?"
Due to his anxiety, Yuga's tone unintentionally grew stern.
Eusine hung his head, burdened with guilt.
Yuga took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He had been too impatient earlier.
"I'm sorry for the way I spoke just now. It's not entirely your fault."
Yuga apologized to Eusine, realizing that this situation wasn't entirely his fault. He was the one who had been careless.
"It's my fault. I promised to take good care of Gon."
Eusine's tone was filled with self-blame.
Yuga said, "Now is not the time to assign blame. Do you have any information about the person who took Gon?"
After pondering for a moment, Eusine said, "The one who took Gon was a young girl, very small in size. But when she left with Gon, it seemed like she used Teleport."
"A young girl? Teleport?"
Upon hearing Eusine's description, Yuga immediately had a suspicion about the identity of the person who took Gon.
In a world where Psychic abilities were rare, there were very few individuals in Saffron City who could use Teleport, aside from Sabrina, the Gym Leader of the Saffron Gym. It was highly likely that Sabrina was involved. But why would Sabrina take Gon? Was it because Gon, like her, possessed Psychic abilities? Or was it something else, perhaps an attraction to Gon's psychic energy, much like what had happened with Abra?
"We're heading to the Saffron Gym!"
Yuga declared and began walking towards the exit of the mall.
Eusine, looking momentarily confused, seemed to recall something and quickly followed Yuga out of the mall.
They arrived at the entrance of the renowned Saffron Gym in the Kanto region, following Yuga's lead.