The trail out of Viridian Forest opened into golden hills bathed in evening light. Dusty stone paths wound between dry grass and low cliffs. In the distance, craggy outcrops rose like broken teeth from the land.
Nathan slowed his pace.
That silhouette on the horizon? That was Pewter City. The gateway to his first Gym challenge.
But something felt off.
Ahead, sitting cross-legged atop a flat stone, was a man in a slate-grey cloak. Not old, but seasoned, his sharp features unreadable beneath the shade of his hood. A Pokéball rested in his palm.
He was waiting.
Squirtle and Nidoran tensed beside Nathan. Zorua, now often walking openly, stopped mid step and narrowed her eyes.
The man smiled.
"You came from the forest with a full team. Either you're lucky, or you're better than most."
Nathan didn't answer.
"You headed to Pewter?" the man asked.
"I am."
"Then let's not waste time."
He stood in one fluid motion. Dust scattered as he flicked the Pokéball into the air.
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝: 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤'𝐬 𝐆𝐲𝐦 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐭 – 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐬
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧
𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭: 𝟏𝐯𝟏 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 – 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲
𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝: 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 | 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐄𝐗𝐏
Nathan accepted. The System tingled in the back of his mind. Not a challenge. A test.
"I'll use one Pokémon," Elias said. "So will you. Show me your instincts."
Nathan glanced down. Squirtle stepped forward without hesitation.
"No," Nathan said. "Not this time."
He tapped Zorua's ball.
She blinked in surprise as she emerged but stepped forward, head high.
Elias raised a brow. "Never seen anyone have that."
𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝: 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐯𝐬. 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐬 (𝟏𝐯𝟏)
𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥 – 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞
Elias revealed his partner: a thick-skinned Geodude, arms crossed, floating just above the earth.
Zorua let out a low growl.
Nathan's pulse quickened. Type disadvantage.
The System scanned it instantly.
[𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐝𝐞 – 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝟏𝟎 – 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐂]
𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞: 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤/𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 | 𝐀𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐲
𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬: 𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞, 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡, 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐭, 𝐌𝐮𝐝-𝐒𝐥𝐚𝐩
Fast and tough. If I mess up the timing, she gets flattened.
Elias didn't call a command. He just watched.
Nathan hesitated.
Then it clicked.
This isn't about winning, it's about how I think.
"Zorua, use Leer. Hold your ground."
She growled low, eyes flashing. Geodude's defence dropped slightly.
Elias smirked. "Rollout."
Geodude spun forward like a boulder launched from a catapult.
"Dodge left, then Feint Attack from the flank!"
Zorua blurred into shadows, vanished, then reappeared behind the spinning rock and struck clean.
Geodude grunted, rolling to a halt.
𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐇𝐏: 𝟕𝟐% | 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 (𝟏𝐱)
𝐙𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐚 𝐇𝐏: 𝟏𝟎𝟎%
Elias nodded slightly. "Not bad."
"Zorua, Copycat!"
She mimicked the movement pattern from before, launching herself in a rolling dive, claw-first. The strike hit again.
Geodude retaliated with Tackle, catching her mid-motion.
𝐙𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐚 𝐇𝐏: 𝟔𝟒%
"Leer again, don't get greedy!"
She obeyed, breathing heavy but focused.
"Rollout, tighter angle."
Geodude spun, faster now. Nathan cursed internally.
"Jump, Feint Attack in reverse!"
She launched herself into the air and vanished, striking down like a falling shadow.
The hit cracked the stone under Geodude. A faint groan.
Dust cleared.
Geodude floated weakly but did not fall.
Elias raised a hand.
"That's enough."
𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝: 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞
𝐙𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐚 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝟒𝟐 𝐄𝐗𝐏
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬: 𝟏𝟑𝟖 / 𝟑𝟎𝟎
"You're cautious," Elias said, returning his Geodude. "But not hesitant. You adapt."
Nathan exhaled. "Is that… good?"
"It means you'll survive Pewter," Elias said. "Assuming you stop underestimating terrain."
He walked past Nathan and tapped the ground near a rock edge.
"Brock doesn't just fight in a box. He fights with the field. Uneven terrain. Dust clouds. Pressure zones. If you can't move or adapt your angles, you're done."
Nathan nodded slowly.
Elias paused before vanishing down the slope.
"One more thing."
He tossed something over his shoulder—a smooth grey stone.
Nathan caught it.
𝐈𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐀𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝: 𝐏𝐞𝐰𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐭'𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧
𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬: 𝐆𝐲𝐦 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 + 𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲: 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐬 – 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 – 𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐁+
Zorua stepped beside him, panting lightly.
"That was hard," Nathan murmured, kneeling.
She didn't speak, but she leaned into his shoulder just slightly.
The bond pinged quietly.
𝐙𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐚 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝: 𝟑𝟒/𝟏𝟎𝟎 – 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 → 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲
They camped on the ridge that night, watching the lights of Pewter flicker beneath the stars.
Nathan didn't sleep easily.
Because now he knew: it wasn't just power that mattered.
It was position.
Planning.
And the will to fight when the ground shifts beneath your feet.