The sun rose over Route 3, painting the cliffs in warm gold and deep shadow.
Nathan stood at the last outpost gate east of Pewter, his backpack secured and his team checked over. The gate officer gave him a nod as the barrier lifted with a soft mechanical groan.
"First Gym down?" the officer asked, sipping from a thermos.
"Yeah."
"Then welcome to the gauntlet. Route 3 weeds out the lucky ones."
Nathan smiled faintly. "Good. I'm not here on luck."
He stepped forward, boots crunching on gravel. The terrain shifted fast, rocky ridges, ledges layered over wild grass, narrow paths where Zubat sometimes flew low and silent.
Beside him, Squirtle marched with confidence. Nidoran♂ flanked ahead, ears twitching. Zorua lingered to the rear, occasionally casting illusion blurs across the trail to mimic shadows or sunspots.
It wasn't just walking.
It was movement with awareness.
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐜: 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝
𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞 – 𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫 | 𝐍𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧♂ – 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 | 𝐙𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐚 – 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐗𝐏 𝐆𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 | 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 +𝟓% 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
By mid-morning, the first trainer appeared lean, blond, and sunburnt, leaning against a rock with a slingshot dangling from his belt.
"You're the guy who beat Brock," he said, half-curious, half-testing.
Nathan nodded once. "Nathan."
"Call me Rigg. Let's go. 1-on-1."
Nathan considered. He wants to prove his type's still strong. Fair enough.
He nodded and chose Squirtle.
𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝: 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐯𝐬. 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐠 – 𝟏𝐯𝟏
𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐍𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬 – 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝟗 – 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐂+
𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧: 𝐔𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬
The Nosepass moved like a stubborn mountain, but Squirtle danced.
Water Gun swept its footing. A quick Withdraw nullified a Rock Throw. And a final pivoted Tackle knocked the stone Pokémon into a cracked outcrop.
𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: 𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝟒𝟐 𝐄𝐗𝐏 | 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝟖𝟓/𝟏𝟎𝟎 (𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝)
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐄𝐗𝐏: 𝟐𝟏𝟒 / 𝟒𝟎𝟎
Rigg rubbed his neck and grinned.
Nathan simply recalled Squirtle and offered a nod of respect.
By noon, Nathan paused under a shaded tree to let his team rest. Zorua curled beside him in a sun-dappled patch. Nidoran practiced short jumps between rocks. Squirtle used his water gun to trace lines in the dirt like battle diagrams.
Nathan opened the System.
𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬: 𝟑𝟐% | 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞
𝐍𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝: 𝟐
𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐤é𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐧:
𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐰 – 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝟕 – 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐂
𝐉𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐲𝐩𝐮𝐟𝐟 – 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝟓 – 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐁-
𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐲 – 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝟗 – 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐁+ (𝐀𝐠𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞)
He blinked. Mankey?
That could be dangerous.
The System pulsed.
𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐎𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐲 (𝐁+ 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥)
𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝: 𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 | 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲
Nathan stood. "Let's investigate."
They found it ten minutes later bouncing between ledges, fists twitching, scanning for a fight.
Nathan crouched, watching.
It hadn't noticed them yet. A head-on battle would be risky. But a clean engagement could offer serious value.
"Zorua," Nathan said quietly, "draw attention. Nidoran, be ready to flank. Squirtle, back left anchor."
Zorua leapt forward, flickering into a bush.
The Mankey turned, roared and charged.
𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝: 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐲 – 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝟗 – 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐁+
𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬: 𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐬, 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲, 𝐋𝐨𝐰 𝐊𝐢𝐜𝐤
𝐙𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐚 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 | 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧: 𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Zorua took the first hit hard, Fury Swipes slashing fast.
Nathan didn't flinch. "Withdraw, Feint Attack on rebound."
She vanished, reappeared behind the wild fighter, struck, then vanished again as Nidoran leapt in with a sharp Peck to the side.
The combo forced Mankey back.
"Squirtle, Water Gun, mid-leg!"
The blast struck low, knocking the Mankey off balance. It hissed but didn't flee.
It charged again.
Nathan made his move.
"Pokéball go!"
The throw was tight. The hit clean.
One shake.
Two.
Three.
Click.
𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥: 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐲 (𝐌) – 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝟗 – 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐁+
𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞: 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 | 𝐀𝐠𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭: 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡
𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝: 𝟏/𝟏𝟎𝟎 – 𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐝
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐄𝐗𝐏: 𝟐𝟔𝟒 / 𝟒𝟎𝟎
Nathan stared at the pokéball in his hand, expression unreadable.
This was a different kind of strength, one with bite.
"Let's see if we can channel it."
They made camp that night in a shallow ridge off the main trail, half-surrounded by stone and brush. The stars overhead blinked through clear skies.
Zorua watched the newly captured pokéball from a distance. Squirtle and Nidoran slept easily. Mankey remained inside, quiet for now.
Nathan opened his notebook.
He didn't just plan strategies anymore.
He wrote reflections, lessons.
"𝚁𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚎 𝟹 𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎. 𝚄𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝙵𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚑𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚖. 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚎𝚖𝚙𝚘—𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚒𝚝."
He glanced up at the stars.
Cerulean lay beyond Mt. Moon.
But the road there was still being carved under his feet.