The stone archway of Nugget Bridge rose ahead, sunlight gleaming off its brass-finished nameplate.
Six golden letters carved into the top beam read:
"Challenge the Path. Earn the Gold."
It spanned a narrow section of the Cerulean River, with five raised segments leading to the northern bank, each just wide enough for a trainer's stance and a referee's space. On either side, stream-fed foliage swayed gently in the morning breeze.
Nathan paused at the base, reading the etched League notice:
𝗡𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲
𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗡𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲｡
𝗡𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀｡𝗡𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗶𝗱-𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹｡ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵｡
He adjusted the strap on his shoulder, feeling the familiar weight of four pokéballs resting against his side.
Behind him, Cerulean City shimmered in the distance.
Ahead, trainers waited.
"Name?" asked the coordinator seated at the entry booth.
"Nathan," he replied, flashing his trainer ID.
The woman scanned it, tapped something on her tablet, then handed him a slip.
"Ranked as 'developing challenger.' You'll be facing intermediate-tier opponents today. Referees rotate every two stations. Matches are 1v1, no substitutions. Ready?"
He gave a single nod.
"Then step forward. First challenger awaits."
The first platform stood twenty feet ahead, flanked by low rails. A tall girl in hiking gear already stood at the far edge, one hand resting on her belt.
She tossed her pokéball.
From the flash emerged a Pidgeotto, wings stretched and already rising on the breeze.
Nathan responded without hesitation.
"Squirtle."
His partner emerged in a blur of blue, landing steady on the stone with arms ready.
𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐎𝐧𝐞: 𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐯𝐬. 𝐏𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨
𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞: 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞 – 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧
𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐟𝐭-𝐭𝐨-𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐭 (𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐅𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞)
𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝: 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 | 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞 | 𝐆𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲
The referee raised a hand.
"Begin!"
"Gust!" the girl shouted immediately.
Pidgeotto beat its wings, kicking up a sharp wall of wind.
"Withdraw, anchor stance!" Nathan called.
Squirtle ducked into his shell as the gust struck but stayed firm, only sliding half a step.
"Now, Water Gun, low arc!"
Squirtle spun inside his shell, popped out backwards, and launched a pressurised shot across the bridge. It clipped Pidgeotto's right wing, sending it wobbling mid-air.
𝐏𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐏: 𝟖𝟔% | 𝐀𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞: 𝐋𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝
𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐏: 𝟗𝟒% | 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬: 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞
𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭: 𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝
Nathan pressed.
"Tackle!"
Squirtle dashed forward and leapt, crashing into Pidgeotto just as it tried to regain lift.
The flying-type tumbled back and hit the rail with a clang.
The girl winced.
"Ugh, okay, you've got more bite than expected."
She raised her ball.
"Return."
𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 | 𝐄𝐗𝐏: +𝟒𝟐 | 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝: +𝟐 (𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞)
𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐞 | 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞: 𝐁+
The second platform waited only a few steps ahead.
A boy in a bright-orange hoodie grinned as Nathan approached.
He threw a ball.
Growlithe landed, barking sharply, flames flickering between its fangs.
Nathan didn't blink.
"Go, Mankey."
The primate hit the field in a blur of motion, bouncing on his toes, tail flicking with contained energy.
𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐰𝐨: 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐯𝐬. 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲 | 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝
𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 – 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝: 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭, 𝐍𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
"Ember!" the boy called.
"Low sweep, forward rush!" Nathan countered.
Growlithe launched a spray of flame but Mankey darted forward, spun low, and swept Growlithe's front legs from under it.
The fire-type yelped and hit the bridge hard.
"Finish it with Karate Chop!"
Mankey slammed his palm down with a sharp cry.
The referee raised a hand immediately.
"Growlithe unable to battle!"
The boy blinked. "That was… fast."
Nathan offered only a brief nod as Mankey bounced in place, chest puffed.
𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 | 𝐄𝐗𝐏: +𝟓𝟓 | 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝: +𝟒 (𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐲)
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐠𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞)
Two down.
Nathan crossed the second bridge segment and approached the third.
This time, the challenger was already releasing their Pokémon, a Magnemite hovered silently, its magnets humming faintly.
Nathan considered.
Magnet Rise? Or was that above its current level?
He reached for his next choice
Zorua's ball.
The illusion fox landed gracefully, glancing at her reflection in the water beside the bridge before stepping forward.
The match had changed tone.