Two years passed in a familiar rhythm.
When Silas wasn't working, he trained with Rex and Zane. When he wasn't working out, he was in the forest with Tangela—learning the shape of wild territory and what it meant to earn trust from something that could crush you if it chose.
They trained almost every day like they were preparing for an event no one else could see.
Each of them had all gotten taller with Rex still being several inches taller than the rest.
Then everything changed.
Silas returned from the forest at his usual time, opened the door to his room, and froze.
Bruno was there.
A cake sat on the table. Beside it—an egg.
Before Silas could react, Bruno grabbed him and pulled him into a crushing headlock. Even while being "careful," the man's strength was ridiculous.
"Happy birthday, kid!" Bruno laughed. "Did you miss your big brother?"
Bruno was fully grown now, mid-twenties, presence too large for the tiny room.
"Hey, Bruno," Silas said dryly. "What brings an Elite Four member to Pallet Town? Tired of paperwork?"
Bruno scoffed. "About as funny as getting a Rattata as a starter. I came to celebrate your thirteenth birthday and this is the welcome I get?"
Silas stiffened.
October 13th.
His birthday.
And Bruno had brought an egg.
At that moment, two boys around Silas's age burst through the door.
Rex grinned like a troublemaker seeing an open flame. "Bruno, how come you only visit Silas? Aren't we all Madam's sons? What's with the bias treatment?"
Bruno didn't even blink. "Is it either of your birthdays? No? Didn't think so. And to think, I brought you both carefully bred Pokémon."
Rex and Zane looked at each other, nodded, and shamelessly begged in unison. They even grabbed Bruno's legs.
"Please, brother. We know we were wrong. Don't be petty to mere children—it's beneath the powerful Elite Four."
Bruno casually kicked both legs, sending both boys skidding into the wall.
"So dramatic," he said. "Relax. You'll get your Pokémon."
Rex and Zane sighed with relief like they'd just survived a crisis.
Silas ignored them. His eyes were locked on the egg.
Pokémon were born with innate potential. Training and environment mattered, but the starting grade shaped the ceiling. The most common enhancer was ambrosia—a dough-like substance capable of raising potential and granting immediate growth.
Potential was ranked E to A, with the rare S and SS beyond that.
An egg from Bruno meant a high ceiling.
When Silas stared at it, ambition stirred like hunger.
And then something stirred back.
Ding!
System detected a powerful will. Shop System activated.
Silas's stomach dropped.
"…A system?"
Would the host like an explanation?
"Yes."
I am a system that allows the host to view statistics and exchange items using BP.
"What's BP?"
Apologies. The host will figure that out in due time. However, a beginner package is available. Open it?
"Yes!"
Opening rewards granted:
10 Pokéballs
10 Oran Berries
2 Smoke Balls
1 A-rank Fire Origin
Silas accessed the system space, reviewing the items with a stunned grin. The standard supplies meant he could start without dying to bad luck. The last item made his mouth go dry.
Fire Origin. A-tier. It could raise a fire-type's potential—especially if used young.
He used the scanner on the egg.
Chimchar — Potential: B-
He kept his face neutral through pure effort.
Rex and Zane stared at him like he'd lost his mind. Bruno punched him lightly in the shoulder.
"Oof—what was that for?!"
"You were standing there like you were on drugs," Bruno said. "It was creepy."
Rex laughed, performing mock concern. "Our boy's tweaking off the sleep powder again."
Bruno jerked his chin toward the egg. "Stop zoning out. The pokémon inside is rare and not native to this region."
Silas pretended to be surprised, hiding his knowledge.
Zane stepped forward, trying to act calm and failing. "So, Bruno… about those Pokémon for Rex and me?"
"You three are only getting these because I've heard about your work ethic," Bruno said. "Madam told me you grind almost every day. I can see it. I'm not wasting good partners on kids who quit."
Bruno's tone sharpened. For the first time, he looked like an Elite Four member instead of a loud older brother.
He released several Pokémon at once.
A Zubat, Nidoran male, Machop, Mankey, Spheal, and a Gastly appeared, their eyes assessing the boys like judges.
Nidoran and Machop stepped forward first.
Rex paired with Nidoran. Zane paired with Machop. The Pokémon took to them quickly—like they'd been waiting for the right hands.
"Those two are the most mischievous Pokémon at the League daycare," Bruno warned.
Rex and Zane ignored him completely. The only thing that mattered was that they were now trainers.
Silas scanned their new partners.
Machop — Level 3
Ability: Guts
Potential: B-
Moves: Karate Chop, Leer, Bulk Up
Nidoran M — Level 3
Ability: Poison Point
Potential: B-
Moves: Peck, Growl, Drill Run
These pokemon were quality. Bruno didn't do cheap gifts.
Silas stood there alone long enough to feel the gap—none of the loose Pokémon showed any interest in him.
"Kid," Bruno said, "did you forget the special rare Pokémon egg over here?"
Silas looked at Bruno intensely. "Is… is this really for me?"
Bruno snorted. "Of course. I don't lie about gifts."
Before Silas could respond, the egg began to glow red.
So did he.
Pain surged through his body as energy resonated between them like a tuning fork made of knives.
"What's happening?!" Silas gasped.
"Its a surprise" Bruno smirked. "It should be something good"
Silas felt a calm energy connect with him. Like he could feel a second presence near him.
The egg cracked.
A small Chimchar emerged, blinking—then locked eyes with Silas.
Recognition. Bond. Like something had already decided.
Bruno handed Silas an Oran Berry. He fed it to Chimchar, who chirped happily.
"This pokemon can use aura so that resonance just now was Chimchar connecting with you."
Silas checked the system.
Chimchar — Level 1
Ability: Blaze
Potential: B-
Moves: Scratch, Aura Sphere
Silas whistled low. "Aura Sphere? …That's not normal."
Bruno nonchalantly looked at the spacing out Silas. "An aura sensitive chimchar might have inherited that move from a parent."
Silas thought to himself. "I need to be careful when accessing the system. I slipped up talking about aura sphere out loud. That cannot happen again."
Bruno looked around and smiled. His little brothers had grown quite a bit. They were all engrossed in interacting with their new pokemon.
He abruptly got up and walked to the door. "I'll be going. Take care of your partners." Silas realized Bruno was giving them time to adjust to having pokemon.
After he left, Silas, Rex, and Zane stared at each other, smiling in that stunned way people do when their lives just cracked open.
Later, Rex and Zane returned to their rooms.
Silas waited, then locked his door.
He produced the Fire Origin.
The orb was almost the size of a basketball—absurd next to Chimchar. A yellow flame burned inside it, heat pleasant but heavy, like standing near a forge.
Chimchar stared at it like it was destiny. Without hesitation, it consumed the origin in a single gulp, like the orb reshaped itself to be swallowed.
Flames erupted across Chimchar's body—then hardened into a cocoon of fire.
Silas swallowed hard.
Days passed. Two. Three. He started to worry he'd killed his partner with ambition.
On the third day the cocoon visibly shrank. Relief hit him so hard his hands shook.
While Chimchar absorbed the origin, Silas explored the system. He checked out the shop for the first time but the items were expensive. C rank Rare Candy: 25 BP. C rank Vitamin Pill: 30 BP. All berries: 2 BP.
No Pokémon for purchase.There were more options but the system advised it would not show items that were out of reach unless asked.
The system didn't explain how BP was earned. Silas guessed it was battle points like the games, but this world didn't hand out points for "fun."
On the seventh night, Chimchar finally burst out.
It was covered in thick, foul-smelling dark purple gunk that hardened into a shell. Chimchar cracked it off and stepped. It was visibly larger and its fur brighter.
Ding!
Detecting host confusion. The fire origin has cleansed Chimchar of impurities and has increased its potential.
Silas scanned Chimchar immediately.
Chimchar — Level 8
Ability: Flame Aura
Potential: B+
Moves: Rank D Scratch, Rank D Aura Sphere, Rank D Flame Wheel, Rank D Taunt
Silas blinked at the move ranks.
Ding!
Host, please note: baby Pokémon move quality is so poor it lacks rank.
Move ranks. Another axis of power.
An A-ranked Flamethrower could outclass an E-ranked Overheat's first use. At A rank and beyond, techniques could be combined into stronger variants.
Silas exhaled slowly.
He'd been given a genius partner. He felt a responsibility to Chimchar to maximize his potential.