I've gotta admit, I never thought I'd be out here beating up kids in Pokémon battles. But that's exactly what I've been doing in Viridian City and the surrounding Viridian Forest. Yeah, you heard me. I've spent the last few days making young trainers cry—well, not literally, but close enough.
It was therapeutic to be honest.
I know, I know, it's kind of cruel, but they all signed up for this, right? It's like a rite of passage or something. Classic.
Honestly, most of these kids had no chance. I mean, how do you expect to beat me with a level 5 Caterpie? Do I look like I'm just starting my journey? Technically yes, but I've been through literal magic wars, but sure, send out your Butterfree. Whatever.
Anyway, enough of that. Time to talk about my two champions. Zephyr, my Pidgey, is now level 16. Not bad, Right? And then there's Sun, my Mankey, now level 18.
See, in the games, the wild Pokémon level curve is pretty predictable. But out here? The levels of wild Pokémon can vary wildly. At one point, I even encountered a fully evolved Pidgeot at level 40 in the Viridian Forest.
Sun still hasn't managed to hit Zephyr once in their little sparring matches. The poor guy has tried, but every time he charges in, Zephyr darts around like a blur, dodging every single attack. I swear, Sun's frustration is practically a physical force at this point.
Sun's type disadvantage really doesn't do him any favors. Every time he tries to land a Low Kick or a Scratch, Zephyr's tiny wings are already out of range. It's honestly impressive how well Zephyr can dodge—and it's driving Sun crazy.
Still, they're both stronger now. And even though Sun's technically the bigger powerhouse, Zephyr's type advantage and relentless training have made him the unofficial "alpha" of the team.
Anyway, here I am now, standing in front of the Pewter Gym. My very first gym challenge. One of many, hopefully. The stone building looms ahead, all gray bricks and heavy vibes. Classic rock-type aesthetic.
I take a deep breath, adjust my bag, and walk in like I own the place. Zephyr perched smugly on my shoulder, while Sun is in his pokeball, I can feel him bouncing with anticipation.
The doors swing open with a satisfying whoosh, and I'm greeted by dim lighting, a massive battlefield, and—
"Welcome to the Pewter Gym!" a calm, steady voice echoes through the space.
I looked up and saw a guy standing at the entrance—probably the gym attendant, judging by the clipboard and bored expression.
"You here for a badge?" he asked, giving me a quick once-over.
I nodded. "Yep."
"I'll let the Gym Leader know. He's been itching for a real challenger."
A few minutes later, he came back—and he wasn't alone.
There he was. Brock. The man, the myth, the rock-type simp himself. Broad shoulders, serious face, and that classic crossed-arms stance like he just walked off the anime screen.
He stepped forward, his voice calm and steady. "Are you the challenger? First gym battle?"
I nodded. "Yep. And I've been looking forward to it."
Brock gave a small smile. "Good. I hope you're ready—because I don't go easy, even on first-timers."
I grinned back. "Perfect. I don't plan on going easy either."
Brock stepped onto his side of the battlefield, the gym attendant taking his spot on the sidelines like a referee.
"Two Pokémon each," Brock called out, reaching for a Pokéball. "Let's see what you've got."
He tossed it into the air. "Geodude, go!"
The familiar rocky sphere Pokémon materialized with a flash, hovering slightly off the ground. It let out a grunt, flexing its little rock arms like it had something to prove.
I reached for my own Pokéball and smirked. "Alright, Sun. Let's give them a show."
With a pop and a flash, my Mankey burst out onto the field, bouncing on his feet like he was dying to punch something. Or everything.
"Man!" Sun yelled, already cracking his knuckles.
Brock nodded, cool and composed. "Your Mankey looks strong. But don't underestimate Geodude's defense. Geodude, Defense Curl!"
The floating rock tucked in tighter, glowing faintly as its body hardened up.
"Sun," I said calmly, "Low Kick."
Sun didn't need to be told twice.
He shot forward, dropped into a slide, and slam!—his leg swept right under Geodude, cracking against the rock's underside.
Geodude hit the ground with a heavy THUD.
The gym fell silent for a moment.
"Geodude, get up!" Brock called out, eyes narrowing.
Geodude wobbled... then slumped flat.
"Geodude is unable to battle!" the attendant called out, actually sounding surprised.
Brock blinked. "...That was fast."
I shrugged, grinning. "Sun doesn't mess around."
"Man-man," Sun added with a flex.
Brock recalled Geodude and nodded, his face a bit more serious now. "Not bad for a rookie."
"Thanks,"
His hand reached for his next Pokéball. "Let's see how you handle this."
And then, with a flick of the wrist—
"Onix, let's go!"
Sun stared up at the towering Onix, fists clenched, eyes burning with the fire of a thousand tantrums.
"Man… mankey…" he muttered, probably swearing in monkey.
Brock pointed forward. "Onix, Rock Throw!"
Onix roared, rearing back and hurling a chunk of rock straight at Sun.
"Dodge it!" I yelled.
Sun leapt to the side, but the boulder clipped his leg mid-air, sending him tumbling with a pained grunt.
He bounced back up, angrier than ever.
"Low Kick again!" I called.
Sun charged, slid low, and hit Onix right in the base.
Thunk.
Yeah. That did… almost nothing.
Onix barely flinched.
Brock didn't miss a beat. "Bind!"
Before Sun could pull back, Onix coiled like a whip and wrapped around him in a crushing grip.
"Sun!" I shouted.
He struggled, screeching and flailing, but the strength difference was just too much. Onix gave one final squeeze before letting go. Sun collapsed, breathing hard.
"Sun is unable to battle!" the attendant announced.
I quickly ran over and knelt down. "You did great, buddy," I said, gently returning him to the ball. "You softened it up for the real star."
I stood back up, eyes locking on the giant rock snake.
"Alright, Zephyr. Your turn."
With a sharp click, I tossed the Pokéball.
Zephyr burst into the air in a whirl of feathers and attitude, circling high above Onix.
"Pidgey!" he cried, wings flared.
Brock raised an eyebrow. "A Pidgey? Against Onix?"
I grinned. "Trust me. Dattebayo!"
Zephyr hovered, proud and ready.
"Let's show him what speed looks like."
Brock didn't look convinced. "Onix, Rock Throw!"
Zephyr darted to the left, narrowly avoiding a boulder that whooshed past him.
"Get some distance, Zephyr!" I called. "You can't take a hit!"
But Onix wasn't giving him room. Another rock—this one grazed Zephyr's wing. He cried out, wobbling slightly in the air.
I winced. "Okay, this is rough."
Brock crossed his arms. "That's the reality of type matchups. Rock beats Flying."
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. "Don't quote the type chart to me, I played the games."
Zephyr flapped hard, regaining balance midair.
"Alright, buddy, shake it off! Sand Attack!"
Zephyr dived low, kicking up a storm of dust right into Onix's eyes. The massive snake thrashed its head, growling as it tried to blink through the grit.
"Nice! Now hit it with Tackle!"
Zephyr shot forward, slamming into Onix's rocky side. It… did almost nothing.
He bounced off like a rubber ball and flailed back into the air, squawking.
"Oof," I winced. "Okay, maybe that was ambitious."
Zephyr circled again, panting slightly. He was trying so hard, but the type disadvantage was brutal. One clean hit and it was over.
But then—
His feathers started to glow.
"What the—"
In mid-air, Zephyr's form shimmered, wings stretching wider, tail feathers lengthening, body growing more sleek and aerodynamic.
A Pidgeotto.
"Let's GOOOO," I yelled, pumping my fist.
Zephyr flapped his larger wings, the wind pressure alone shaking the gym.
Brock's eyes widened. "Mid-battle evolution… you've really trained him."
"Yep. And he's got a score to settle."
"PI-DGEOTTO!" Zephyr screeched, looking ready.
"Let's wrap this up," I said. "Steel Wing, full speed!"
Zephyr dove again, wings flashing like blades.
"Onix, Slam!" Brock countered.
Onix tried to swing its tail up, but Zephyr was already there—too fast, too clean. He spun through the air and cracked Onix right in the center of the head with a perfectly-timed Steel Wing.
The massive rock snake let out a low groan… and collapsed.
A beat of silence.
Then—"Onix is unable to battle! The challenger wins!"
I exhaled and grinned up at Zephyr, who landed beside me and puffed his chest out like a total showoff.
"Look at you," I said, patting his now-bigger head. "Didn't even break a sweat."
Zephyr chirped smugly.
Brock returned Onix with a nod, walking over with a slight smile. "That was one hell of a battle. You've earned this."
He held out the Boulder Badge.
I took it, holding it up to the light. My first badge.
And it felt... good.
Brock eyed me, his expression softening. "You remind me of someone. A challenger from a few weeks ago—another trainer who also defeated my Onix with a Pikachu."
Now I was intrigued.
Hold on... what universe am I even in right now? Is this the game universe? The anime one? Did they just merge?
Ugh, I really hope it's not the anime universe. The last thing I need is to bump into some kid who doesn't age no matter how many years pass by. Pikachu still refusing to evolve after twenty seasons? Hard pass.
Seeing the look on my face, Brock chuckled. "You'll probably meet him. His name's Red. The Kanto region Pokémon Champion."
I blinked, processing.
Well, that crosses out the anime version. So that leaves the game or manga version. Doesn't really matter, though.
The thought of facing him, the one who practically defined what it meant to be a Pokémon master, sent a thrill through me.
I can't wait. Meeting Red, battling him... battling my childhood. Our battle will be legendary!
—
After winning my first gym badge, you'd think I'd be riding high.
And I was. For about five minutes.
Then I saw Sun limping slightly and Zephyr looking like he just went five rounds with a boulder snake. Right. Healing.
I could've used potions—full restores, hyper potions, Oran berry juice, whatever.
But nah.
This is real life Pokémon, baby. And here, the Pokémon Center hits different.
There's something about handing your squad over to Nurse Joy and hearing that soft little "We hope to see you again" that just slaps harder than a Max Revive.
"Your team's all healed! Hope to see you again!"
Ahh. That sweet, slightly concerning line. Music to my ears.
Fully recharged and ready to rumble, I hit Route 3 like a hurricane. Beat every single trainer along the path. Youngsters, Lasses, Bug Catchers—you name it.
Made a few kids cry. One even offered me his shorts in surrender.
Honestly? Kind of a highlight.
By the time I reached the entrance to Mt. Moon, the sun was already setting. I figured I'd call it a day and crash at the Pokémon Center. One fun fact—they work like inns here, just like in the anime. Yeah, there's a fee, but it's cheap, comfy, and beats sleeping in the dirt while wild Zubats scream at you.
After chatting with Nurse Joy and getting a room key, that's when I saw him.
Yep. That guy. The classic scammer. The Magikarp salesman.
I was fully prepared to walk right past him—until he said he had a limited edition golden Magikarp. My ears perked up like a Meowth hearing the sound of coins.
A shiny. A real shiny.
And in that moment, I was hooked.
What? Don't judge me! That's a future red Gyarados we're talking about!
"What's the matter, kid?" the salesman asked, flashing a greasy grin. "Never seen a golden beauty like this before?"
He held up a small tank, and sure enough, inside was a Magikarp sparkling like it was dipped in glitter and bad life choices.
My eyes narrowed. Too good to be true? Let's find out.
I pulled out my Ulti-Dex
Magikarp Shiny Variant
Male
Level 10
Ability: Swift Swim.
Moves: Splash
Oh. Oh, it's real.
A slow grin crept across my face. "How much?"
"For you? A special deal. 5,000 Pokédollars."
"Deal!" I didn't even hesitate. Pulled out the money in a heartbeat and slapped it into his palm.
The salesman blinked, stunned. "Wait, seriously?"
I didn't respond and just grab the ball.
He stared at me, regret flashing behind those eyes. I knew what he thinking, he should have increased the price.
Too late now, buddy.
Zephyr, still on my shoulder, squawked in disbelief. I shrugged.
"I know, I know, I could've haggled. But come on—it's a shiny Magikarp. That's a future red Gyarados. That's an investment."
Sun rattled inside his Pokéball, probably judging me. Again.
"You hush," I muttered. "He's got more style than both of you combined."
I held the Pokéball up like it was the holy grail. "Welcome to the team, golden boy. One day, you're gonna turn heads and wreck teams."
And just like that, I bought a useless fish.
But a shiny, fabulous, absolutely worth it useless fish.
Totally worth it.
—
Next morning, I woke up in my bunk at the Pokémon Center, stretched, yawned—and got immediately slapped in the face by Zephyr's wing.
"Dude!" I groaned, shoving the smug Pidgeotto off my chest. "I feed you, I train you, and this is the thanks I get?"
Zephyr chirped like he didn't care.
Sun, my Mankey, was already bouncing at the foot of the bed, full of chaotic morning energy like a toddler who ate sugar in his dreams.
A soft hum buzzed through the air as I summoned breakfast from my Celestial Inventory. Within seconds, a table materialized, set with a full spread like we were attending a champion's brunch. We're talking flaky croissants, golden-brown waffles, crispy bacon, perfectly scrambled eggs, grilled tomatoes, and coffee strong enough to jolt a Snorlax awake.
Pokémon food? Oh, I don't slack there either.
I summoned high-quality Pokéchow for Sun—specially designed for fighting types, full of protein and nutrients to fuel all that rage. Zephyr got a mix of berries and flying-type pellets, energy-packed and light.
I let Magikarp out to join us. The moment he appeared, he gave a happy blorp and started splashing in his water bowl like he was at a pool party.
"Your name is now Levi," I said, pointing at him with a strip of bacon. "Short for Leviathan. Soon-to-be Gyarados of doom."
Levi got a floating feeder bowl filled with gourmet aquatic pellets, enriched with omega-somethings and sparkle. Because shiny scales don't maintain themselves.
"Eat up, team," I said, sitting down with a steaming forkful of egg. "Big day ahead."
They didn't need to be told twice.
Sun immediately went feral on his bowl while Zephyr pecked with precision. Levi is just there eating with chill.
Then came the supplements—nothing crazy, just balanced stat-boosters made to help Pokémon grow stronger over time. One for speed, one for stamina, one for muscle development. A little mental clarity enhancer for focus. All natural, safe, no shady scientist nonsense. Only the best of the omniverse
Sun tried to eat his all at once.
"No. Bad monkey. One at a time."
"Maaaan!"
Zephyr gave a smug chirp and popped his capsule like a model citizen.
Levi flopped and sucked his up through the water with a happy burble.
Honestly? For a team made up of a bird, a fish, and a rage monkey, we're kind of unstoppable.
As I sipped my coffee and watched my crew chow down, I couldn't help but smile.
Mt. Moon won't know what hit it.
======
Get early access to 20+ chapters of my fanfics by supporting me on Patreon! [email protected]/ShuuraiFF