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Players watched as Morning Sun emerged from Professor Oak's Laboratory, releasing a group of adorable Pokémon that had clearly been well-cared for. The sight immediately sparked animated discussions among the gathered trainers.
"Wow! What are those cute yellow Pokémon?" one player exclaimed.
"They're so adorable! I want to catch one too!" another chimed in enthusiastically.
"According to the Pokédex, they're called Pikachu and Pichu," someone informed the group while checking their device.
"Damn, this Pokédex only shows their names and levels. Who knows what their types and potential actually are," a frustrated player muttered.
"I don't care about battle strength—cuteness is justice!" declared one trainer, clearly prioritizing aesthetics over combat ability.
The group was split between those who focused purely on a Pokémon's battle prowess and questioned the strength of these adorable creatures, and those who valued appearance above all else. However, the undeniably cute appearance of Pikachu and Pichu made even the most battle-hardened trainers waver in their convictions. Many found themselves genuinely wanting to capture one of these Electric-type Pokémon.
"Wait, look! There's also a Pikachu on Morning Sun's shoulder," someone suddenly pointed out with excitement. "If the boss has caught a Pikachu, it must be incredibly powerful!"
This observation sent ripples through the strength-focused trainers. What had been mere hesitation about catching such cute Pokémon suddenly transformed into firm determination. If Morning Sun—widely recognized as the strongest player—had chosen a Pikachu as his partner, then these Electric-types must possess hidden power.
Curiosity getting the better of him, one player decided to check Morning Sun's Pikachu's statistics. He opened the leaderboard to examine the current rankings, and what he saw left him speechless.
Pokémon Potential Rankings:
1st Place: Pikachu, Master-level potential, Owner: Morning Sun
2nd Place: Charizard, Champion-level potential, Owner: Morning Sun
3rd Place: Greninja, Champion-level potential, Owner: Morning Sun
4th Place: Sceptile, Champion-level potential, Owner: Morning Sun 5
th Place: Lucario, Champion-level potential, Owner: Morning Sun
6th Place: Garchomp, Champion-level potential, Owner: Morning Sun
7th Place: Pupitar, Champion-level potential, Owner: Morning Sun
8th Place: Gengar, Champion-level potential, Owner: Morning Sun
9th Place: Snorlax, Champion-level potential, Owner: Morning Sun
10th Place: Eevee, Champion-level potential, Owner: Morning Sun
11th Place: Gardevoir, Champion-level potential, Owner: Morning Sun
12th Place: Venusaur, Elite-level potential, Owner: [Name Hidden]
13th Place: Blastoise, Elite-level potential, Owner: [Name Hidden]
Pokémon Level Rankings:
1st Place: Lv.51 Charizard, Owner: Morning Sun
2nd Place: Lv.51 Lucario, Owner: Morning Sun
3rd Place: Lv.51 Sceptile, Owner: Morning Sun
4th Place: Lv.51 Greninja, Owner: Morning Sun
5th Place: Lv.51 Garchomp, Owner: Morning Sun
6th Place: Lv.51 Snorlax, Owner: Morning Sun
7th Place: Lv.51 Pupitar, Owner: Morning Sun
8th Place: Lv.49 Gengar, Owner: Morning Sun
9th Place: Lv.49 Eevee, Owner: Morning Sun
10th Place: Lv.49 Pikachu, Owner: Morning Sun
"Everyone! Check the leaderboards right now!" the player shouted, his voice cracking with shock.
"What the hell? I haven't checked in just a few days, and now there's only one person dominating the entire top ten!" another player exclaimed in disbelief.
"Morning Sun has completely monopolized both leaderboards! This is insane!"
"Hold on—did you notice the highest potential ranking?" someone else interjected with awe.
"Master-level! I thought Champion-level was the absolute peak, but there's actually a Master-level tier!"
"And it's that Pikachu! The same species as the one on Morning Sun's shoulder! That means his partner is a Master-level Pokémon!"
"This is absolutely terrifying! He's not just a skilled player—he's in a league of his own!"
Nearly every player present gasped in amazement, struggling to process what they were seeing. While Morning Sun had consistently held the top position on various leaderboards, they had grown somewhat accustomed to his dominance. However, this complete monopolization of both the level and potential rankings was beyond anything they had imagined possible.
The two Elite-level Pokémon—Venusaur and Blastoise with hidden owner names—were largely overlooked by the crowd. The default leaderboard display only showed the top ten entries unless players specifically clicked "show more," and most were too stunned by Morning Sun's dominance to investigate further.
Additionally, since Morning Sun's main team appeared to consist entirely of Champion-level potential Pokémon, the two Elite-level entries seemed insignificant by comparison. The hidden names also suggested these might belong to other players who preferred anonymity, though a few observant individuals noticed something seemed off about this assumption.
This strategic anonymity was exactly what Morning Sun had planned when he chose not to enhance Venusaur and Blastoise to Master-level potential. Even if someone eventually discovered the truth, he could maintain plausible deniability as long as he didn't explicitly confirm ownership.
Many players genuinely believed that while some hidden entries might belong to Morning Sun, others likely represented top-tier Pokémon owned by different elite trainers who preferred to avoid the spotlight. After all, players like "Snow Cave" and "Dream Girl," who had previously appeared on leaderboards, now faced constant unfavorable comparisons to Morning Sun—a fate many wished to avoid.
This misconception successfully concealed the true ownership of Venusaur and Blastoise, making Morning Sun's deception remarkably effective.
"You're welcome to attempt catching Pikachu and Pichu, but these particular ones were all caught by me. I'd advise against targeting them," Morning Sun announced to the assembled players.
Although he had just released this group of Electric-types, neither he nor his Pikachu wanted to see these beloved Pokémon captured by strangers—unless, of course, one of them voluntarily chose to embark on an adventure with a new trainer. His direct warning served as both a deterrent and a statement of ownership, even though the players remained unaware that he had just released them moments earlier.
Should anyone dare to threaten this group of Pikachu despite his warning, Morning Sun was prepared to take action.
"Pika pika! Piiiikachu!" his shoulder-mounted partner cried out menacingly.
The Elite-level Pikachu unleashed its full presence, immediately demonstrating its power by launching a devastating Thunder attack at a distant clearing. The electrical assault left a massive crater where peaceful grass had been moments before.
Faced with such overwhelming power and the fierce determination radiating from both Morning Sun and his Pikachu, the assembled players fell silent. None dared challenge his authority, and honestly, most had no intention of doing so anyway. As players rather than villains, the majority respected others' Pokémon and had no interest in theft.
Those few individuals who might have harbored ill intentions quickly reconsidered their plans upon witnessing this display of power. They sheepishly withdrew, internally grateful they hadn't acted on their impulses and earned the ire of such a formidable trainer.
Satisfied with the players' respectful response, Morning Sun nodded approvingly.
"Daisy, Professor Oak, I'll be continuing my journey now. Please take good care of these Pikachu while I'm away," he said, his Pikachu returning to its preferred perch on his shoulder while Eevee settled comfortably atop his head.
He released his Charizard and gracefully mounted the Fire/Flying-type, preparing for departure. Flying via Charizard remained one of his preferred travel methods, particularly given their long partnership—Charizard had been among his earliest Pokémon companions.
After bidding farewell to both Professor Oak and Daisy, Morning Sun and his team took to the skies, disappearing into the distance.
"His growth rate exceeds all our projections. It's impossible to predict what developments await us next," Professor Oak murmured thoughtfully, watching the trainer's retreating form.
Lost in contemplation about the future implications of such rapid progress, the renowned researcher failed to notice that Daisy was observing Morning Sun's departure with an expression quite different from mere professional interest. She continued holding her water cup absently, her gaze lingering on the sky long after he had vanished from sight.