The apartment door clicked shut behind Arlo as he, Link, and Kage stepped inside. Kage hopped off Arlo's shoulder, landing light on his feet while surveying the room like it might bite him. Link trotted straight to his cushion, flopped onto his side, and let out a lazy bark of satisfaction.
Arlo shrugged off his jacket and hung it up, eyes drifting toward the dining table where a small mountain of pokeblock wrappers had accumulated over the week. He sighed and swept them into the trash. It had been a hell of a week—battles, training, improv wins. But one thing kept nagging at him. Potential
No matter how cleanly they moved or how precise their attacks, if his Pokémon didn't grow the right way, they'd hit a ceiling fast. Too many forums, too many secondhand stories said the same thing: evolution wasn't just a milestone. It was a launchpad. But if you wanted to break past the norm, you needed a catalyst—an item, an enhancement. Something… unnatural.
He stared out the window for a moment, then pulled up his BrainLink. A few quick taps later, the holo-screen flickered to life, and he initiated a video call.Kane answered after a beat, dressed in his usual tactical gear with a mug of something steaming in hand. "Yo. Wasn't expecting you this early."
"Appreciate you picking up," Arlo said, nodding once. "Thanks again for introducing me to Amaya. Froakie's been solid. Really glad I went with him."
"That's good to hear." Kane took a sip from his mug. "What's on your mind?"
Arlo said "Got a question. Kinda important."
Kane leaned forward. "Hit me."
Arlo exhaled. "I've been researching from different forums about increasing the potential of a Pokémon. the Evolution. That whole mess. I've read some things. about battle or Items, catalysts—stuff used to push a Pokémon's growth further during evolution."
Kane nodded slowly. "You're not wrong. There's more than one way to raise a Pokémon's potential."
"So... is it true? You can use, what, parts? From other Pokémon?"Arlo curiously asked
Kane paused. His face shifted—something between reluctance and pragmatism. "Yeah. It's not common knowledge. But it's real. Some parts retain residual energy from strong Pokémon's. Used right, they work like a hyper-condensed booster. A poison sac from a high potential level Arbok, for instance, can increase the poison type energy and potential of a poison-type pokemon."
Arlo didn't flinch, but he felt the shift in his gut. A part of him recoiled. The other part… logged the data."Sounds brutal."
"It is," Kane admitted, voice low. "Not everyone goes that route. Some see it as unethical. But let's not pretend to be naive the HUB does have shady things as well. If you've got the stomach for it—and the credits—you can speed things up by years."
Arlo looked at Link, lounging nearby, and Kage, now curled up with one eye open. They'd pushed themselves for every level they earned. But the arms race never ended, did it?
"Link will soon evolve," Arlo said finally. "And I want to increase Link's potential to a Pseudo Champion level at the very least. You know anyone who deals in... parts?"
Kane gave a slow nod. "I've got a contact. Discreet. Works through trusted buyers. I'll forward their info through Email. Might even give you a discount if you mention my name."
Arlo nodded once. "Thanks, Kane for the help."
Kane leaned back, eyes narrowing. "Just know what you're getting into. This ain't like buying berries. You're dealing with pieces of once-living things. That messes with some people."
"Noted." Arlo's voice was flat. Too flat, maybe. "But I'll do what I have to make my pokemon stronger."
They exchanged a brief farewell, and the call ended.
Arlo sat in silence for a long second. The holo-screen blinked off, leaving him alone in the quiet hum of the apartment. He looked down at his palms, then at Link and Kage, both now dozing. His mind flashed back to Kage's last battle—every blow he took, every second he refused to stay down.
No matter how much it sucked, strength came at a price. And in this world, price tags came in blood and bone.
...
Arlo pulled up the contact Kane had just forwarded to his BrainLink. The name read: Alex Rose. No title. No guild affiliation. Just a name and a line of numbers. Arlo tapped Call. A few seconds passed. Then the screen lit up with the tired face of a guy in his thirties, dark circles under his eyes, a scruffy beard that hadn't seen a trimmer in weeks, and a beanie that looked like it hadn't left his head in months.
The man squinted at the screen. "Yeah? What do you want?"
Arlo leaned back, completely unfazed. "I was referred by Kane. From Trailblazer."
The shift in Alex's expression was instantaneous—whiplash-inducing. His posture straightened, his frown flipped into a grin, and suddenly the man looked like he was talking to a lottery ticket. "Ohhh! You're that Arlo. Kane's guy. Why didn't you say so? Haha, man, you should've opened with that!"
Internally, Arlo scoffed. Typical. One second you're trash, the next you're royalty if you drop the right name. This guy's straight out of a CN light novel. He kept his expression neutral. "I'm looking for Pokémon parts. Specifically for a rock-type. Something compatible with an evolution path."
Alex rubbed his chin. "Hmm... That's pretty specific. Lemme see what I've got in stock." He opened a second screen next to his camera feed, listing item categories with prices that made Arlo's chest tighten. "Right now, I've got a few elite-level pieces—Rhydon horn shard, Boldore fragment, Onix scale cluster. Nothing at the Champion level. Those are harder to come by, obviously."
"I'm willing to wait," Arlo replied. "But if you can get Champion Rock type pokemon , I want it. For a Rockruff, if that helps narrow it down."
Alex's tone shifted. "Champion-level rock-type pokemon part? You're talking serious credits, man. Minimum, you're looking at 20,000 to 40,000, depending on rarity and purity."
The number hit like a punch to the ribs. Arlo didn't flinch, but he felt it. That was more than he had left in his account. Maybe if he skipped food for a month. Maybe if he pulled a heist. "That's fine," he said, flat and cold. "Just find it. As fast as you can." Alex gave a lazy salute.
"Got it. I'll dig around. Might take a few days or a week. I'll notify you as soon as I get something legit. Kane's referral gets you priority."Alex replied.
The call ended with a chime. Arlo leaned back into the couch, jaw tight. "Forty thousand credits," he muttered, running a hand down his face. "Where the hell am I supposed to pull that from?" He stood and opened his BrainLink again, this time pulling up his personal inventory—a digital vault of all the loot and items he'd gathered across the worlds. Weapons, monster drops, crafting materials. Some of it was junk. But some… might fetch a price. He scrolled through the list, eyeing a gleaming core from a defeated fire-elemental boss and a gemstone knife he'd never used.
Arlo tapped into the different forum. He searched how to sell items across worlds, and several guides popped up. He skimmed fast. The options were simple: fixed price or auction. The latter promised more risk, but also more potential reward.
"Alright," Arlo muttered. "Let's play some monopoly."
***
Arlo stared at his inventory, scrolling past dozens of items collected over his quest. Some were normal, things not even worth a second glance. But tucked deep in the list, his eyes landed on something—Gabriel's Blood. A single drop, faintly glowing with a soft, golden hue.It wasn't just any angel's blood. It was Archangel Gabriel's. A relic from a past quest, nearly forgotten until now.
Arlo narrowed his eyes. "One drop should probably attract buyers. Definitely not something people see every day." He selected the item, splitting it from the bulk and storing it in a secure crystal vial. The moment he confirmed the transfer, a prompt flashed across his HUD:
---
Auction Listing: Confirmed.
Item: (1 drop)Archangel Gabriel's Blood Classification: Legendary Material
Auction Host: SYSTEM
Transfer: Complete.
---
The vial vanished from his inventory, locked within the SYSTEM's vault for authentication and auction processing.
"Guess that's it," Arlo muttered, rubbing his temples. "Hope it pulls weight." He slumped into his chair and exhaled slowly. There was no telling what kind of freaks roamed the Auction with more money than sense. Someone, somewhere, was bound to need divine blood for a build, spell, or evolution catalyst. He just hoped they were desperate enough to overpay.
Across the room, Link lay sprawled belly-up, tail twitching. Kage was perched on the windowsill, chin resting on his small fists as he watched the street below. Arlo glanced at them and shook his head."No use worrying now. Once we're back from vacation, I'll check the bid. If this doesn't work…" He didn't finish the sentence.Time to move.
Arlo started packing clothes and most of hi weapon is in his inventory. He double-checked Kage and Link's gear. Once everything was set, he tapped his BrainLink and called a hovercab.
Fifteen minutes later, a sleek black vehicle touched down outside their apartment. The door hissed open, and Arlo ushered his squad inside.
"Southern Commercial District," he told the cab, "Odyssey Peak Travel Agency."
The cab lifted off smoothly, gliding above the cityscape as skyscrapers blurred past. When they landed, the agency stood out like a beacon—polished steel architecture mixed with natural greenstone, the symbol of a winding mountain path engraved over the doors.
As they entered, a well-dressed woman at the front desk smiled and stood. "Welcome to Odyssey Peak. Do you have a reservation?"
"Yeah. Under Arlo," he said, flashing his digital pass.She tapped away at her holo-screen. "Confirmed. You're scheduled for off-world travel. Please proceed to the departure area. Our staff will issue your ID and vacation kit."
"Thanks." Arlo nodded and kept walking.
They passed a few other travelers—some with Pokémon, others solo. At the corridor's end, a male staff member greeted them, clipboard in hand and sharp-looking glasses perched on his nose."Arlo, correct? You're headed for Universe—EA214. One-week vacation pass. Here are your travel essentials." He handed over a sleek ID card, a debit card preloaded with one million dollars , and a small black case."Inside is a Pokémon appearance modulation device. Mandatory for interdimensional privacy and concealment. Once your Pokémon wear the collars, they'll appear as standard Earth animals. Not perfect, but good enough."
Kage touched his collar suspiciously. Link growled low.
"I know, I know," Arlo said, kneeling. "It's temporary. Just deal with it."
With a beep, the collars synced, casting a subtle illusion over both Pokémon. Link now looked like some hybrid between a German shepherd and a mountain wolf. Kage resembled a cat with odd markings.The staff stepped aside, and a swirling blue portal materialized before them—smooth, stable, and humming like a power conduit.
Arlo took one last look behind him."No turning back," he muttered, cracking his neck. "Let's see what Universe-EA1214's got." And with that, Arlo, Link, and Kage stepped into the portal—vanishing into light.
***
The portal was… tame. For the first time in Arlo's career as a Pioneer, the transition didn't feel like being sucker-punched by quantum spaghetti. No violent yank, no disorienting spiral. Just a step forward—and bam, he was standing in a damp alleyway in the middle of a city.
Arlo blinked at the cracked brick wall ahead of him. "Huh. No whiplash. Guess the SYSTEM decided not to bully me for once," he muttered.He pulled up his BrainLink map. The familiar grid loaded in his HUD.
[United Kingdom, London. May 28, 2014]
That placed them in the heart of the UK. A safe, mundane slice of Earth, if the SYSTEM's designation held. D-rank world, after all.
"Alright," Arlo said, glancing at Link and Kage. "Vacation mode: activate. Let's see what this place has."
The trio walked out from the alley into the bustle of the city. Arlo's hood stayed up, hands in his jacket pockets, trying to blend in. Link and Kage, disguised by the illusion collars, walked at his sides like ordinary pets—one shaggy wolf-dog hybrid, the other an odd-looking cat with silver-blue fur.
They hit all the tourist traps. The Tower of London—still imposing after all these centuries. Westminster Abbey—a lot quieter than he expected. The British Museum? Overwhelming in all the right ways. Arlo didn't have the time to dig into every exhibit, but he admired the preservation work. He even stopped by the West End just to see the posters, though he didn't have the patience to sit through a full show.The food? Mixed bag. Fish and chips hit the spot. The Full English Breakfast? Heavy but satisfying. But jellied eels?
"Yeah, that's a hard pass," Arlo muttered after one regretful bite.
...
Arlo and his Pokémon visited man famous landmark in London it took them days of sightseeing—no drama, no surprises. But then he saw her.
Across the street near Covent Garden, a swarm of photographers buzzed around a woman like flies on a sugar rush. Flashbulbs popped. Voices shouted. The woman's face was mostly hidden behind sunglasses and a scarf, but something about her seemed oddly familiar.
Arlo crouched next to his partners. "Alright, boys. Distraction time."
Link gave a soft bark, and Kage chirped. Then they darted into the crowd—Kage zigzagging through legs, Link growling just enough to make people flinch. Chaos bloomed instantly."Oi! What the hell—"
"Get that mutt away from my lens!" With the paparazzi distracted, Arlo slipped through the commotion and reached the woman. He grabbed her wrist gently. "Trust me. We're running. Now."
Without waiting for confirmation, he led her into the crowd. She hesitated—only for a heartbeat—then followed.Someone shouted, "They're slipping away!"
"Faster," Arlo said, ducking through narrow alleys and weaving through street vendors. They burst into a bustling market filled with chatter and open stalls. "Perfect," he muttered. They zigzagged through a fishmonger's stand, past a street magician, then disappeared down a side path leading to a small garden exit.By the time they stopped, both were panting. Arlo bought a cold water bottle from a vending stall and handed it over.
The woman took it, her British accent thick with exhaustion. "Thanks. Those idiots have been hounding me for days."
Arlo raised an eyebrow. That voice. That tone. He knew it. Just couldn't place it.Then she removed her sunglasses.His face didn't change, but inside? That's freaking Emma Watson. Not a lookalike. Not an off-brand version. The Emma Watson."Let me guess," she said, catching her breath. "You're not with them, are you?""Nope. Just saw a damsel in distress,"
Arlo replied dryly. "Though… I'd say you held your own." She let out a light laugh and sipped the water. "They're relentless. Can't even go out for tea without three dozen lenses in my face."
Arlo nodded slowly, still trying to process. Of all the Earths he could've landed on, this one had Hermione Granger casually strolling around central London. And somehow, he just accidentally made her owe him a favor.