Two years had passed since the day I found Pidgey, injured and afraid in the grass.
Now, I was five years old.
Pidgey and I had grown together in every sense—trust, strength, and purpose. We trained every day. Rain or shine. Joy or frustration. Together, we climbed.
Pidgey – Green (Core)Flight speed, reflex control, and wind resistance improved. Bond strength optimal. Battle training capacity unlocked.
He had come far from that frightened bird in the grass. So had I.
And over time, I'd secretly guided other Pokémon too. Mira now resonated with clarity in her chimes, and Rook's movements had gained renewed sharpness. Every day I refined my Statsight—subtly, quietly.
My parents never asked how I always knew the right routine or adjustment.
And I never offered.
That morning, the sky was crisp and blue. Pidgey and I had just finished our aerial reflex drills—practicing turns in mid-air using a line of bamboo poles I had set in zigzag patterns—when I noticed something unusual across the street.
A large moving truck.
Parked right in front of the old neighbors' house.
It had been empty for months, ever since the kindly elderly couple moved away to live closer to their grandchildren. I'd missed them—but life had gone on.
Now, the quiet home was buzzing with activity.
Boxes stacked high. Movers going in and out. Voices shouting directions. The sound of furniture sliding across the wood floor echoed even from where I stood.
Naturally, I was curious.
I stepped to the edge of our yard, shielding my eyes from the sun, watching the commotion.
And then I saw her.
A girl, about my age, with windswept dark hair tied into two uneven puffs. She was wearing fingerless gloves and a headband that looked too big for her. She moved like a whirlwind—lugging boxes twice her size as if they were pillows.
Behind her was a Machop, no taller than she was, carrying a stone planter on one shoulder like a training weight.
Machop – Light BlueHigh potential. Discipline-oriented growth. Optimizes with physical repetition and strong social reinforcement.
My heart skipped.
Light Blue?
I'd never seen a Pokémon above Green in the wild. Only once with a visiting trainer. This was something else.
But it didn't end there.
Because just behind them—stepping out from the truck—was an absolute giant.
A Machamp.
Towering. Muscles carved like stone. Every movement was clean, purposeful. I didn't even need to focus fully to feel the weight of his presence.
Machamp – Deep BlueElite combat aptitude. Fully matured. Reflexes and discipline synchronized. Minimum S-tier battle rating.
My breath caught.
I'd only read about Blue Aptitude Pokémon, and even then, never Deep Blue.
It was like watching a legend walk past your front gate.
The Machamp turned slowly, as if sensing my attention. His gaze locked with mine.
I couldn't look away.
Then, a deep voice broke the silence.
"Hey, kid," the man beside him said, stepping into view.
He was broad and powerful, dressed in a sleeveless black tank top, with arms like thick tree trunks and sun-darkened skin. A long scar ran down one forearm, and his expression was calm but sharp.
"You like Pokémon?"
I blinked, startled, realizing I had been staring.
"Y-yeah," I said. "A lot."
He chuckled as his eyes flicked up to the top of my head. "I figured. That's a strong-looking Pidgey you've got there."
I smiled, placing a hand on Pidgey's chest. "He's not just strong. He's my partner. We're gonna be the strongest team in the world."
The man laughed, a deep, hearty sound. "Now that's the kind of goal I like hearing. I'm Damos, by the way. Used to be a Fighting-type specialist with the regional circuit. Just moved in with my family."
At that moment, the little girl jogged back over with her Machop.
"Dad, the boxes are all inside! Do you need—" She stopped mid-sentence as she spotted me for the first time.
Her eyes lit up like a litwick flame.
"You're a kid!"
I blinked. "Uh… yeah?"
"And you have a Pidgey?!"
She dashed over, stopping barely a foot away, eyes wide with wonder.
"I'm Kira! That's Koma, my Machop! Do you wanna be friends?!"
I hesitated—caught off-guard by her intensity—but managed a small smile. "I… guess?"
Too late.
She threw her arms around me in a hug that nearly knocked Pidgey off my head.
"We're best friends now!"
Pidgey flapped in alarm, then resettled with a ruffled chirp. Kira grinned up at me like she'd just found the last ticket to the Pokémon League Finals.
Damos laughed again. "Looks like you two are already off to a strong start."
And just like that… my world got a little bigger.