Kaito woke before dawn. He sat up on the small cot in the lab and listened. The town was quiet. He could hear a rooster far away and the soft creak of a door. He felt the Rattata sleeping on a mat near the door. He felt the blanket around his shoulders. He felt the system in the back of his mind, steady and factual.
He moved slowly. He did not want to wake anyone. He washed his face in a basin and ate a small piece of bread Oak had left. He packed a small bag with a water bottle, a few pieces of bread, and a thin blanket. He took the Rattata's mat and folded it. He put the Rattata on his shoulder for a moment and felt its small body press against him. The Rattata did not struggle. It had learned that Kaito would not hurt it.
Outside, the air was cool. The sky was pale. Kaito walked down the hill toward the center of town. He kept his steps steady. He kept his eyes open. He watched the houses and the small gardens. He watched the people move about. He watched the child who played near one house. The child was very small. He had a round face and bright eyes. He laughed and chased a small toy. Kaito stopped and watched for a moment. He did not move closer. He did not want to be noticed.
A woman called the child and the child ran to her. The woman smiled and hugged him. Kaito felt something in his chest that he could not name. He turned away and walked on. He kept the Rattata close. He kept his plan in his head.
He walked to the stream Oak had shown him. The grass there was flat and the ground was even. Oak had said this was a good place to train. Kaito sat on the grass and set the Rattata down. He looked at the Rattata and thought about the drills he would do. He thought about timing and balance and small commands. He thought about repetition and patience.
He spoke to the Rattata in a calm voice. He used clear words. "Stand," he said. "Turn." He moved his hand in a slow pattern. The Rattata watched him. It moved a paw and then stopped. It tried again and then it did the motion more cleanly. Kaito kept his voice steady. He gave the Rattata a small piece of bread when it did the motion right.
A line of text appeared in his mind.
SYSTEM – APPRAISAL Pokémon: Rattata Type: Normal Current Tier: E Potential Tier: B Notes: Improved focus; responds well to calm training
Kaito read the appraisal. He felt a small satisfaction. The Rattata had improved. The system showed the change. The system did not do the work. The system only showed the result. Kaito understood that the work had to be real. He understood that the system multiplied real effort.
He trained until the sun rose higher. He did short drills and then he rested the Rattata. He watched its breathing. He watched its eyes. He stopped when it looked tired. He followed Oak's advice. He kept the sessions short and clear. He repeated the drills until the Rattata did them without thinking.
People in Pallet Town noticed him. A few neighbors walked by and nodded. An old man on a bench watched him for a while and then smiled. A woman with a basket of vegetables stopped and asked if he needed anything. Kaito shook his head. He did not want help. He wanted to learn. He wanted to work.
At midday, Oak came down the hill with a small tray of food. He sat on the grass and watched Kaito and the Rattata. He did not speak at first. He only watched. After a while he said, "You are steady. You do not rush."
Kaito looked at Oak. He felt a small pride. He did not say much. He answered, "I want to learn."
Oak nodded. He asked, "Do you know the rules of the town? Do you know how to ask for help if you need it?"
Kaito shook his head. He said, "Not yet."
Oak gave him a small map and pointed to the houses and the lab and the stream. He said, "If you stay, you must follow the town rules. You must tell someone if you are hurt. You must not take Pokémon from others. You must not fight in the streets. Do you understand?"
Kaito nodded. He said, "Yes."
Oak looked at the Rattata and then at Kaito. He said, "You have a good heart. Keep it. Training will test you. People will watch. Some will praise you. Some will judge you. Do not let that change how you treat Pokémon."
Kaito listened. He felt the truth of Oak's words. He felt the weight of them. He felt the steady pull of his plan. He would train. He would be careful. He would not use the system to cheat. He would use it to make his work count.
After lunch, Kaito walked through town with the Rattata at his side. He kept his steps slow. He kept his eyes open. He saw the small boy again. The boy was older by a few months and he walked with a small toy. He looked at Kaito and then at the Rattata. He smiled and waved. Kaito waved back. He felt a small warmth in his chest. He did not know why.
That evening, a small problem happened near the market. A cart had tipped and a few crates had fallen. A small dog-like Pokémon had been trapped under a crate. People gathered and tried to lift the crate, but it was heavy. The dog-like Pokémon whimpered. Kaito saw the scene and moved forward. He did not think about being noticed. He only thought about the trapped Pokémon.
He pushed with the others. He found a good place to put his hands and he pushed. The crate moved a little. The dog-like Pokémon crawled out and shook itself. It ran to its owner and licked the owner's hand. The owner thanked Kaito. A few people clapped. Kaito felt a small satisfaction. He had helped. He had not sought praise. He had acted because it was right.
A woman who had watched the scene came up to him. She said, "You are brave for a child. You should be careful."
Kaito nodded. He said, "I will be careful."
That night, Oak invited Kaito to a small meeting with a few townspeople. They wanted to know more about the boy who trained with a Rattata. Oak spoke for Kaito. He said that Kaito had woken in the forest and that he had a Rattata and that he wanted to learn. The townspeople listened. Some were curious. Some were worried. One man said, "A child should not be alone."
Kaito stood and said, "I am not alone. I have the Rattata. I have Oak. I will learn."
His voice was steady. The townspeople looked at him. Some nodded. Some still looked worried. Oak said, "We will watch him. He will not be alone."
After the meeting, Kaito walked back to the lab. He felt tired. He felt the day in his bones. He fed the Rattata and gave it water. He checked its paws and its ears. He cleaned a small scrape on its side. He spoke to it in a low voice. He told it it had done well.
A line of text appeared in his mind.
SYSTEM – TRAINING COMPLETE 10× Efficiency Applied
Kaito read the message. He felt a small satisfaction. He had worked and the work had counted. He had not used the system to force results. He had used it to make honest work more effective. He felt the Rattata's small body press against his leg. He felt the steady rhythm of its breathing.
Before sleep, Kaito sat by the window and watched the town lights. He thought about the child who had waved at him. He thought about the people who had helped lift the crate. He thought about Oak's words and the map Oak had given him. He thought about the system and the way it showed facts and numbers. He thought about the plan he had made.
He decided to write a small list in his head. He would train the Rattata every day. He would follow Oak's rules. He would help people when he could. He would not tell anyone about the system. He would not use it to cheat. He would use it to make his work count.
He closed his eyes and felt the Rattata sleep at his feet. He felt the town breathe. He felt the system wait in the back of his mind. He felt ready for the next day.
Kaito slept and the town slept. The next morning would come with new work and new small tests. He would meet them one by one. He would be brave. He would be careful. He would keep his promise to the Rattata and to himself.