The entry hall was precisely as I'd left it—polished floors, family portraits on the walls, the grand staircase leading to the upper floors. I carried Gible up to my bedroom and laid the little dragon on the cushion beside the bed.
"Sleep," I said. "We'll figure everything else out tomorrow."
'Tomorrow,' Gible agreed, already drifting off.
I changed into sleeping clothes and collapsed onto the bed, exhaustion hitting me all at once.
Today had been... a lot. Waking up in this house, discovering Gary's parents had been murdered, seeing the kidnapping, fighting Team Rocket, losing badly, nearly dying, being saved by Cynthia, discovering that Brock was one of the Team Rocket members...
'Brock,' I thought, staring at the ceiling. 'The Pewter City Gym Leader. Or he should be. But he's Team Rocket instead. Which means someone else runs the gym. And if Brock is different, what else has changed? What other canon information can I not trust?'
My Pokédex buzzed on the nightstand. I picked it up and saw a notification:
[HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAMAEL OAK]
[AGE: 17 → 18]
[TRAINER LICENSE: ACTIVATED]
[LEAGUE REGISTRATION: COMPLETE]
[STATUS: OFFICIAL POKÉMON TRAINER]
Eighteen. An adult. A licensed trainer with everything that entailed.
The Pokédex displayed additional information:
[MILESTONE REWARD: +100 GP]
[CURRENT GP: 170]
[NEW FEATURE UNLOCKED: TEAM MANAGEMENT]
[You can now catch and register additional Pokémon]
[Current Team: 1/?]
I dismissed the notification and set the Pokédex aside. Tomorrow would be busy—the starter distribution, helping Oak with the ceremony, and probably dealing with whatever was happening between Elara and Cynthia.
But for now, I needed sleep.
I closed my eyes and let exhaustion pull me under.
When I woke, sunlight was streaming through the windows, and Gible was already awake, sitting on the cushion and looking much better than yesterday. The little dragon's scales had their healthy gleam back, and the cracks from Iron Tail were gone entirely.
"Morning," I said, stretching. "How are you feeling?"
'Better. Still sore, but better. My scales don't hurt anymore.'
"Good. We have the starter distribution today. Want to come watch?"
'Other Pokémon getting their first trainers? Yes. I want to see.'
I got dressed and headed downstairs, finding the kitchen still well-stocked despite the house being empty for weeks.
Made myself breakfast—eggs, toast, coffee—and shared some of the high-protein Pokémon food with Gible.
As I ate, I thought about yesterday's fight. About how completely outmatched we'd been. About how a Level 20 Steelix had one-shot Gible with a single Iron Tail.
'We need to get stronger,' I thought. 'Much stronger. That wasn't even close to a fair fight.'
I pulled up the system interface and reviewed Gible's current status:
POKÉMON: Gible
Level: 7
Type: Dragon/Steel
HP: 24
ATK: 16
DEF: 18
SP. ATK: 11
SP. DEF: 11
SPEED: 13
Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack, Scale Shot, Dragon Rage
Ability: Rough Skin
IVs:
HP: 0
ATK: 31
DEF: 31
SP. ATK: 0
SP. DEF: 0
SPEED: 31
Free EVs: 3
Current EXP: 110/180
[Current GP: 170]
I finished breakfast, cleaned up, and headed out with Gible to Oak's laboratory.
The walk through Pallet Town was a little different today. As if someone or something made the weather worse just because I was there.
I could see the other houses clearly now, and could see a few residents out clearing snow from their paths or heading to the small shop near the Pokémon Center. Several of them waved as I passed, recognizing me as Oak's grandson.
When I reached the laboratory, I found it already bustling with activity. Oak was setting up the main floor for the ceremony, arranging chairs in a semicircle around the area where the starter Pokémon habitats were displayed.
Elara was checking equipment, making sure everything was ready for the new trainers' Pokédex registrations.
And Cynthia was there, leaning against one of the examination tables, watching me as I entered.
"Good morning, Samael," she said, her voice carrying across the room.
"Morning," I replied, suddenly very aware of how she was looking at me.
Elara glanced up from her work, saw Cynthia's attention on me, and her expression tightened. "Good morning, Samael. How's Gible?"
"Fully recovered. Ready to watch the ceremony."
"Good. That's... good." She went back to her equipment.
'Gible was right,' I realized with growing horror. 'They really are fighting over me. This isn't about research. This is about...'
I didn't let myself finish that thought.
Oak clapped his hands together, drawing everyone's attention. "The new trainers will be arriving in about thirty minutes. Let's make sure everything is perfect. Samael, can you help me double-check the Pokéball distribution? Elara, finalize the Pokédex programming. Cynthia, if you wouldn't mind—"
"I'll observe," Cynthia said smoothly. "Unless you need assistance?"
"No, we're fine. Thank you."
The next half hour passed in a blur of preparation. I helped Oak verify that each starter Pokémon had a properly registered Pokéball, that the League paperwork was in order, and that the Pokédexes were programmed correctly.
And through it all, I was aware of two sets of eyes tracking my movements. Elara finds excuses to work near me, to ask my opinion on minor details. Cynthia was watching from across the room, that knowing smile never quite leaving her face.
'This is going to be a long day,' I thought.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[YOU HAVE 2 HOURS 10 MINUTES AND 12 SECONDS LEFT TO DECIDE, OR YOU LOSE YOUR CHOICE FOR THE REWARD]