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The next morning, Eddie followed his usual routine of rising early to eat breakfast and check the game forums. However, this time there wasn't much new content to review, since he had already read most updates when he returned to Pallet Town yesterday.
Indeed, when other players had been discussing the rankings, Eddie had also examined the level and potential leaderboards. He had felt genuinely satisfied at that moment—seeing his name dominate the top ten positions provided an excellent feeling.
While the level rankings had shown his dominance for some time, those hadn't represented his main team members back then. Now, whether examining the level or potential lists, the top ten spots all belonged to his primary Pokemon—a truly impressive sight to behold.
"I only checked the level and potential rankings yesterday. Let me examine the other leaderboards now," Eddie mused, opening his interface.
Trainer Rank List: 1st Place: Morning Sun - Gym Leader-level Trainer 2nd Place: Dream Girl - Advanced Trainer
3rd Place: LevelBoss - Advanced Trainer 4th Place: LegendSlayer - Intermediate Trainer
Badge Acquisition List: 1st Place: 5 Badges, Owner: Morning Sun 2nd Place: 3 Badges, Owner: Dream Girl 3rd Place: 3 Badges, Owner: LevelBoss 4th Place: 3 Badges, Owner: LegendSlayer
Pokemon Pokedex Completion List: 1st Place: Morning Sun, Count: 143 2nd Place: None Listed
"The front runners haven't changed position. This group is competing so intensely that players from other regions can't even break into the top ten," Eddie observed with interest.
"Should I be surprised this is the Kanto Region? Not only are the indigenous trainers stronger than other regions, but the players demonstrate the same superiority."
Eddie reflected on this phenomenon. Other players had noticed his success in Kanto Region, and while some from different regions expressed jealousy, they had underestimated the dedication of other Kanto players.
Now, players from other regions were effectively surrendering with good-humored resignation. Apart from the potential and level rankings, the badge acquisition and trainer rank lists were completely dominated by Kanto Region players—a development that intimidated competitors from elsewhere.
"The Kanto Region does need to be stronger, considering Team Rocket represents a more formidable enemy here. Without adequate strength, situations would become far more problematic," Eddie reasoned.
"Additionally, the Johto Region will hold a joint conference with Kanto in a few years, and then both regions will face the most terrifying boss together. This demonstrates that while Kanto's overall strength is impressive, the enemies it confronts are even more dangerous. It's truly a region filled with constant challenges."
Eddie wasn't mocking anyone—he was simply stating observable facts.
"This is precisely why the strongest Pokedex holders come from these two regions. Even Ruby and Sapphire from Hoenn Region can barely match Ash and his contemporaries' capabilities."
This reasoning had influenced Eddie's choice of Kanto Region, because only under extreme pressure could a trainer's progress exceed normal expectations.
"Because if you don't become stronger, you'll die during the aftermath of battles with Team Rocket and the Mask of Ice in a few years, forcing you to start completely over."
Before the Pokemon world merged with reality, people couldn't truly die within the Pokemon world. However, when facing Team Rocket and the Mask of Ice, player death typically occurred because their Pokemon died in battle first—and their Pokemon's death directly caused their own.
Respawning in Pallet Town or New Bark Town to restart from zero represented something virtually no player could accept.
Before Eddie's rebirth, most players who died fighting these major antagonists simply quit the game entirely. This wasn't merely because their long-term efforts were wasted, but because their beloved Pokemon partners—creatures they had developed deep emotional bonds with—had died in combat. They couldn't bear to accept new Pokemon companions, so they abandoned the game completely.
Later, when the Pokemon world merged with reality, these former players realized their Pokemon partners hadn't been mere game data, but actual living beings. By then it was too late, since their partners had already perished, leaving the retired players devastated.
"Without my advantage of knowing the plot before rebirth, I would have become one of those players who quit," Eddie admitted to himself.
Honestly, Eddie had initially assumed this was simply a game adaptation of familiar storylines, but seeing Ash, Gary, and Team Rocket's three executives made him realize this world was based on the manga continuity—a realization that had immediately terrified him.
Players worked desperately hard to avoid death in various battles, knowing that when the Pokemon world became reality, they would emerge as top-tier trainers. While players could currently respawn, for inhabitants of the Pokemon world, death was permanent.
In summary, strength emerged under pressure, and facing potentially fatal battles forced any reasonable person to hone their abilities. This explained why the Kanto Region maintained its position as the strongest.
"I'm currently only at gym leader level. While that's two levels higher than my pre-rebirth strength, it still isn't sufficient," Eddie assessed his current abilities.
"For some reason, Mega Evolution stones appeared in Kanto Region ahead of schedule. Our power has increased, but our enemies have grown stronger as well."
"I possess a Z-Crystal, though I don't know if others have them. Fortunately, only Champion-level trainers can utilize these items, and virtually nobody currently knows their proper usage—which represents encouraging news."
"Giovanni and the Elite Four definitely possess Mega Evolution stones. Some probably have multiple stones, making upcoming battles far more intense than before my rebirth."
"Fighting Team Rocket with only gym leader-level strength remains unsafe. I need at least Elite-level capabilities..."
Eddie visualized his enemies' potential strength and clenched his fists. He reinforced his determination to grow stronger through whatever means necessary.
After quickly finishing breakfast and packing his equipment, he entered the game with renewed urgency. Today he could reach Fuchsia City, with only one task remaining en route—time to accelerate his progress.
"Roaaaar!" Charizard's call greeted him immediately.
As Eddie emerged from his tent, he discovered all his Pokemon were prepared and waiting for him. Charizard, serving as the team's unofficial leader, stood prominently in front while calling to Eddie affectionately.
Somehow, they seemed capable of sensing Eddie's inner anxiety and his urgent drive for strength improvement. They didn't understand how to properly respond to Eddie's concerns, nor could they comprehend why he felt such desperate need for advancement.
However, as Eddie's Pokemon, they knew they could still provide something meaningful.
"You're worried about me, aren't you? Making my own Pokemon concerned shows I've failed as a trainer," Eddie realized, observing his team with sudden understanding.
His desperate push for self-improvement wasn't solely for his own benefit, but for his partners as well. Without becoming stronger, he would die in battle—and his Pokemon would perish alongside him.
While he could revive and restart, Pokemon couldn't return from death. Having lost his closest companions, even Eddie couldn't confidently claim he would begin again.
This represented what he absolutely could not accept. Therefore, he had to become stronger—it was that simple.