Nathan left Pallet Town just as the first rays of sun pierced the treetops. A new day. A new path.
Squirtle walked beside him, steps small but confident, eyes alert as they followed the worn dirt trail of Route 1. The System hummed faintly in the back of Nathan's mind like a second heartbeat, always watching.
Nathan opened it with a thought.
๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ:
โ ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ (๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐)
โ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ครฉ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง (๐๐จ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฌ)
๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ: ๐
๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐: ๐ / ๐๐๐
"Guess it's grind time," Nathan muttered, scanning the tall grass ahead. "Let's find something to test you out, Squirtle."
The turtle Pokรฉmon gave a short nod. "Squirtle!"
They didn't have to wait long.
A shrill cry rang out and a bird dived from the treetops. A small, brown feathered blur with sharp talons and fiercer eyes than Nathan expected from something that barely came up to his knee.
[๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ]
๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ: ๐
๐๐ฒ๐ฉ๐: ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ/๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐
๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฒ๐
๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ: ๐
Nathan's eyes sharpened. "Decent level, average potential. That's perfect for practice."
He stepped forward. "Squirtle, go!"
The battle triggered the System automatically.
๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐: ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฌ. ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ
๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ: ๐๐ฏ๐, ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ
๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ: ๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐
"Spearow, huh?" Nathan said. "Okay, Squirtle start with Water Gun!"
Squirtle inhaled and released a sharp jet of water. It caught the bird mid-dive, sending it tumbling through the grass.
"Spear!"
It recovered quickly, wings flaring. With a sharp screech, it shot toward them in a Peck attack.
"Dodge right!" Nathan called.
Squirtle tried, but the strike clipped his shell. He slid backward, bracing.
๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐: ๐๐%
๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐: ๐๐%
Nathan gritted his teeth. The System didn't offer commands, only numbers. Insight, not control.
"Okayโฆ let's play smart. Squirtle, use Tail Whip. Lower its guard!"
Squirtle spun and flicked his tail tauntingly. The Spearow screeched and flared again.
"Now hit it with Tackle while it's coming in!"
Squirtle met the bird head-on with a hard shoulder bash.
Spearow dropped like a stone.
๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ!
๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐.
๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐.
๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐: ๐๐ / ๐๐๐
Nathan wiped his forehead. "One down."
Squirtle stood taller now, chest puffed out slightly.
"You did great," Nathan said with a grin. He knelt beside him. "We'll keep sharpening those instincts."
They pressed onward, continuing north. Route 1 was quiet but alive more rustles, chirps, hidden eyes. He scanned passively as they walked.
[๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฉ๐ข๐ โ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐ โ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ: ๐]
[๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฒ โ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐ โ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ: ๐+]
[๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐งโ โ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐ โ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ: ๐]
Nathan stopped.
"Hold up."
The Nidoran was at the edge of the grass, gnawing a root.
"Potential: B," Nathan muttered. "That's the highest we've seen so far besides Squirtle."
He didn't hesitate. "Let's go, Squirtle be careful. We want this one alive."
๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐: ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฏ๐ฌ. ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐งโ
๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ: ๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฏ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ๐
The battle was faster this time. Squirtle took a hit from a horn jab, but retaliated with two precise Water Guns. When Nidoran finally faltered, Nathan reached into his beltโhe had picked up a few Pokรฉballs at the lab on his way out.
He threw.
One shake.
Two.
Three.
Click.
๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ!
๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐ครฉ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐: ๐๐ข๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐งโ
๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ: ๐
๐๐ฒ๐ฉ๐: ๐๐จ๐ข๐ฌ๐จ๐ง
๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: ๐๐จ๐ข๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ
๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ: ๐
๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ: ๐๐๐๐ซ, ๐๐๐๐ค, ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ
๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐.
๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐: ๐๐ / ๐๐๐
Nathan knelt beside the newly caught Pokรฉmon. It looked up at him with uncertain red eyes, but didn't flinch.
"You're a strong one," Nathan said softly. "Welcome to the team."
He glanced at the sky. Late afternoon. Viridian wasn't far, but they'd need rest. He let both Pokรฉmon return to their balls and moved off the road to set up camp beneath a low hill, facing west.
As the sun dipped, he opened the System one last time.
๐๐จ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐: ๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ครฉ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง
๐๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐: ๐ ๐๐จ๐ครฉ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ + ๐๐ข๐ง๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐
๐๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค๐๐: ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ
๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ: ๐
๐๐๐ฑ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐: ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ
Nathan grinned. "So the System evolves as I do."
He leaned back, hands behind his head, and let the fire crackle beside him.
For the first time in years, he felt like he wasn't drifting.
He had direction. Purpose. A path.
And he was going to walk it every step.