Nathan sat beneath the stone awning of Pewter City's Pokรฉmon Centre, his Boulder Badge resting in his open palm.
The weight of it wasn't physical. It was momentum.
Squirtle lounged beside him, stretching his limbs lazily in the morning sun. Nidoran paced nearby, practicing short dashes across the path. Zorua lay on a bench behind him, half-asleep, one eye open.
Nathan opened the System with a blink.
๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ: ๐ | ๐๐๐: ๐๐๐ / ๐๐๐
๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐: ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฒ
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ๐: ๐๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ โ ๐๐ญ. ๐๐จ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ โ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ญ. ๐๐จ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ
๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐: ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฒ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ โ ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ
The map interface displayed two paths:
๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ: ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ซ, ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ. ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ครฉ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ-๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐. ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฌ.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ: ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ, ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ซ. ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐จ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง.
Nathan swiped to compare the predicted environmental hazards and System-suggested engagement rates.
Squirtle looked up at him with a yawn. "Squirtle?"
"We're not rushing," Nathan said aloud. "We earned time."
Inside, the Centre lobby was quiet. A few trainers were checking in with Nurse Joy or swapping notes at the public console station.
Nathan approached the map board by the entrance and began jotting down a supply checklist.
"Planning a route to Cerulean?" came a voice from behind him.
He turned to find the tactician from the Pewter Gym, Elira holding a mug of steaming tea.
"Thinking of it," he said. "Trying to weigh risk versus pace."
Elira nodded. "Most rookies rush east and regret it. Wilds don't scale the way trainers do."
Nathan raised an eyebrow. "You're saying they outpace you?"
"They live rougher lives than we do. Brock prefers trainers to head south, stop at Mt. Moon's outer station, then cut through. It builds mental rhythm."
He tapped that route on the map.
"That confirms it."
Elira tilted her head. "You're not just chasing badges, are you?"
Nathan didn't respond right away.
"I'm testing something," he said. "Something only I can see."
Back outside, he sat with his team again.
He pulled out a small book, his own notes. Each page filled with System screenshots, sketched layouts, bond logs, and tactical patterns.
He flipped to Zorua's entry.
She watched him now without hostility. Cautious, yes. But curious.
Zorua โ Level: 9 | Bond: 46/100 (Trust: Stable)
Potential: S
Style: Ambush Infiltrator | Illusion Proficiency: Tier 2
System Note: Eligible for Passive Evolution Path Trigger once bond exceeds 70 and combat stress threshold is met.
"Not yet," Nathan said. "No rushing your growth."
He turned to Nidoran.
Nidoranโ โ Level: 8 | Bond: 74/100 (Loyal)
Potential: B | Current Growth Profile: Mobile Striker
System Note: Natural evolution path opens at Level 16. Optional path hint unlocked at Level 10 if bond remains stable.
"Interesting," Nathan murmured. "There's more than one path."
He spent the afternoon at the Pewter Library Annex, poring over tactical reports, Gym logs, and historical data. He found archived maps of Mt. Moon's interior trails, detailed trainer accounts of Zubat ambushes, and one curious note on a recent Clefairy sighting near the central chamber.
"Rare fairy-type," he muttered. "Low encounter rate. High evasiveness."
He bookmarked the file.
That evening, as the Centre dimmed for quiet hours, Nathan sat in the common lounge with a bowl of rice and grilled herb meat. His team gathered around him relaxed, content, and calm.
"I think we're ready," he said softly.
He tapped the System to confirm his route.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐๐: ๐๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐๐ซ โ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ ๐ โ ๐๐ญ. ๐๐จ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ โ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ
๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐: ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ
๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐: ๐๐ข๐ฑ๐๐ | ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ค: ๐๐จ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ | ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: ๐๐ข๐
๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐: ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ญ. ๐๐จ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ
The screen faded.
Nathan leaned back in his seat, watching the moonlight stretch across the quiet lobby.
Tomorrow, the next step.
But tonight, the dust had finally settled.