A small League-certified hoverbus rumbled quietly to a stop just outside Pallet Town's walls.
Aiden stepped down with the rest of the class, the sunlight sharp and golden against the vast green fields. This area — called Pallet's Fringe — was a safe, monitored region just beyond the standard patrol radius. Wild Pokémon roamed freely, but only weaker ones were ever seen here.
White to Green. No higher.
They wouldn't risk more than that.
"All right, class," said Ms. Hazara. "Today's field trip is about observing the early signs of Talent in the wild. You will stay in your assigned groups. You will not go near the Pokémon. And you will not throw Poké Balls. Understood?"
A chorus of "Yes, Miss!" echoed across the field.
She tapped her PokéDex screen, and a dozen drones flew out ahead, scanning the area and projecting gentle digital markers on the Pokémon in the tall grass.
"Remember — we don't know the actual Talent level of these Pokémon. But some of you may be able to sense it… or guess based on behavior, environment, and type interactions."
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Group 1 – Aiden, Red, Ash, Blue, Gary
The five boys stuck close as they walked among the glowing drone markers. They stopped first at a nearby patch of rustling weeds, where a Sentret stood balanced on its tail.
Aiden narrowed his eyes.
White Talent, he thought immediately.
The Sentret's aura was faint — like static, barely visible to someone with aura sensitivity. But it pulsed in a rhythm too simple to mistake.
Ash squinted. "It looks… kinda weak?"
"Maybe White," Red guessed.
Gary snorted. "I bet it's Green. It's holding its ground."
"No," Aiden said quietly, "it's White."
They all looked at him. He offered no explanation.
Ash grinned. "Aura cheat code, huh?"
Aiden just smiled.
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A few meters away, a Bellsprout danced lazily in a circle of vines. Its movements were elegant, oddly graceful for its type.
Blue spoke first. "That's gotta be Green. It's way too coordinated."
Aiden nodded. "Yeah. The way it manipulates the grass around it — Green level plant manipulation, maybe environmental attunement."
Ms. Hazara walked by and overheard. "Good instincts. Bellsprout might just have a minor environmental Talent. Maybe weak chlorokinesis or basic defensive growth."
Gary blinked. "Chloro-what?"
"Plant control," Red whispered.
Gary rolled his eyes.
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Aura in Action
After half an hour of observation, Ms. Hazara called out, "If any of you have even minor aura sensitivity, this is the perfect time to practice! Just stay focused. Most Pokémon below Yellow won't notice you watching their aura."
Aiden lowered his eyelids and focused. The world dimmed slightly in his mind. He watched the blue flicker of a nearby Hoothoot's aura.
Calm. Confused. Curious.
No distortions, no spikes. A slow rhythm.
Green-level, maybe low Green.
His eyes slid to another student, a girl struggling to focus. She pressed her hands together in prayer position and stared, brow furrowed.
Aiden gave her a tip. "Try breathing slower. Let the aura come to you."
She looked up, surprised. "…Thanks."
He nodded once and moved on.
He didn't help for kindness — he helped because karma mattered.
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The Scyther – A Memory
They reached the edge of a shallow ravine. At the bottom stood a Scyther, wings folded, slicing the wind with casual grace.
The rest of the class stayed far back, whispering.
Red whispered, "You think that's Yellow?"
Aiden looked at it — then through it.
Fast aura pulses. Tempered violence. Control over its own presence.
A sharp pressure in the air even from a distance.
"No," Aiden murmured. "That's not Yellow. That's Green. High Green. Almost Yellow."
They watched silently as it vanished into the grass, leaving no trace behind.
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End of Field Trip – Insights and Guesses
Back near the hoverbus, Ms. Hazara spoke again.
"Now, before we go back, I want each group to tell me which Pokémon had the highest Talent you think you saw — and why."
Red answered for their group. "The Scyther. Its movements were too precise, and it had presence. Aiden thinks it's high Green."
Hazara raised an eyebrow at Aiden. "Is that so?"
Aiden nodded once. "Its aura was sharper than anything else here. But not unstable."
Hazara smiled faintly. "You've got the gift. Keep refining it."
They filed onto the bus, the day ending peacefully.
As the engines hummed to life, Aiden looked out the window, mind already miles ahead.
These were low-Talent Pokémon. Harmless.
But someday… he'd face monsters whose very presence warped the world.
He would need to be ready.