Somewhere in a Small House — Leon Ashford
"Cough—!"
Leon Ashford suddenly bent forward, coughing violently.
A sharp pain stabbed his chest.
"Why…?"
Blood splattered onto the floor.
Leon stared at it in disbelief.
His heart felt empty—like something precious had been ripped away.
"I didn't even battle today…" he muttered, wiping his mouth.
For some reason, his chest felt cold.
Unstable.
As if fate itself had taken a step away from him.
Leon clenched his fist.
"…Must be stress."
He had no idea—
That something truly valuable had already been stolen from his future.
D-Rank Dungeon — Three Days Later
Inside the dungeon, Alex stood calmly, arms crossed.
In front of him—
A Metang floated proudly, metallic body gleaming under the dungeon light.
BZZZZ—!
Metang rotated confidently, psychic energy humming around it.
Alex smiled.
"Good work."
Training Results (3 Days)
Beldum → Metang Level: 32 Strength Rank: Superior Moves Learned: Psychic Zen Headbutt Metal Claw Bullet Punch Iron Defense
Alex nodded in satisfaction.
"Superior at level 32… as expected of a Champion-qualification Pokémon."
Then he turned toward the lake inside the dungeon.
The water shimmered unnaturally.
Alex narrowed his eyes and activated the system.
Identify Pokémon.
Pokémon: Feebas
Level: 18
Qualification: Elite
Potential: Extremely High (Hidden)
Alex froze.
"…Elite Feebas?"
He stared at the ugly fish swimming lazily.
Everyone else would laugh.
Alex, however, grinned.
"So that's where you were hiding."
With a single precision throw—
Splash!
Feebas was caught.
Alex laughed softly.
"Milotic secured."
End of Dungeon Training
After three intense days:
Metang stabilized at Superior strength Feebas began controlled leveling Alex's Viridian Power resonated strongly with the dungeon environment
Alex recalled all Pokémon.
"That's enough for now."
He stepped outside the dungeon, breathing in fresh air.
"Time to deal with Leon's other opportunities."
Riding the Sky
Alex released Garchomp.
The massive dragon roared proudly.
Alex jumped onto its back.
"Let's go."
BOOM—!
Garchomp shot into the sky like a missile.
Destination—
🩸 The Black Market
Underground Black Market
Alex landed discreetly and recalled Garchomp.
He slipped on a Yaksha Mask, dark and ominous.
The moment he entered—
The smell of greed, blood, and money filled the air.
Alex activated the system.
Pokémon Identify — ON
Rare items glowed faintly in his vision.
He walked calmly, scanning stall after stall.
"…Trash."
"…Overpriced junk."
"…Fake."
Then—
His eyes stopped.
A necklace displayed behind glass.
Embedded within it—
A Metagross Mega Evolution Stone.
Alex's eyes narrowed.
"So this is the one Leon was supposed to get."
Without hesitation—
"I'll take it."
The merchant's eyes widened.
"That'll cost—"
Alex placed the money down.
"No bargaining."
The merchant swallowed and nodded.
"…Deal."
Alex turned to leave—
DING
System alert flashed.
Alex paused.
"What now?"
His gaze shifted to a dusty corner stall.
Among broken bones and monster scraps—
A single tooth.
Alex walked over.
The stall owner scoffed.
"That junk? Found it in a dungeon. No value."
Alex bent down.
His heart skipped.
"…Dragon Tooth?"
No.
Not just a tooth.
A High-Quality Dragon Fang.
Alex smiled beneath the mask.
"I'll buy it."
The owner laughed.
"Take it. Overpriced trash anyway."
Alex paid without hesitation.
As he turned away—
He clenched the fang gently.
"This will push Garchomp to Champion."
Outside the Black Market
Alex stepped into the night.
Wind brushed past his coat.
Leon Ashford had just lost:
A Mega Evolution Stone A Champion-grade Ralts (soon) A D-rank dungeon worth 100 billion And now—Dragon resources
Alex looked up at the stars.
"Your rise is collapsing."
"And I haven't even touched the academy yet."
He smiled.
"Let's go home."