With his pack on his back, Gu Qiu led his two Pokémon toward Pewter City.
He didn't choose the main road.
Main roads were regularly cleared.
Repellent spray.
Patrol routes.
Wild Pokémon rarely approached.
Instead—
He chose an unmarked forest path.
Set Pewter City as his GPS destination.
And walked straight into the wilderness.
Many young trainers trained this way.
It was effective.
And dangerous.
He hadn't walked long—
When the first wild Pokémon appeared.
Caterpie.
Common.
Abundant.
In Viridian Forest, if you flipped a random bush—
There was over a 30% chance one would crawl out.
Gu Qiu scanned it casually.
Pokémon: Caterpie
Grade: Low
Level: 7
Ability: None
Moves: String Shot, Tackle
The Pokédex-style information included biological references.
This was a real world.
Wild Pokémon didn't always evolve "on schedule."
In theory:
Caterpie evolves at Level 7Metapod at Level 10
But Gu Qiu had once seen a Level 21 Caterpie.
Still unevolved.
Reality wasn't a game.
The moment Caterpie appeared—
Pika-Itachi moved.
No command.
No hesitation.
Just instinct.
His paw flicked.
A kunai flew.
It didn't directly hit.
Only the chakra edge grazed Caterpie.
Otherwise—
It would have died.
Pika-Itachi remembered Gu Qiu's rule:
Do not kill weak wild Pokémon unnecessarily.
If the opponent was vicious and dangerous—
Survival came first.
Gu Qiu was not naive.
He would never sacrifice his Pokémon for moral vanity.
[Pika-Itachi defeated Caterpie.]
[Gained 11 EXP.]
Gu Qiu sighed.
He forgot to warn him.
He turned slowly.
Looking very serious.
"Itachi."
"Next one, let your little brother fight first."
"You're already strong."
"As the older brother, you should let him train."
The classic child-coaxing mode activated.
Pika-Itachi scratched his head awkwardly.
Nodded.
Retrieved the kunai.
Signaled compliance.
Gu Qiu smiled.
Satisfied.
That satisfaction lasted—
Until the next Caterpie appeared.
Swish.
Kunai flew again.
Pure muscle memory.
[Pika-Itachi defeated Caterpie.]
[Gained 11 EXP.]
Gu Qiu: "…"
He wasn't angry.
It wasn't intentional.
It was instinct.
For over ten years—
Pika-Itachi had always been the only Pokémon.
Wild encounter?
Instant elimination.
Now?
He simply hadn't adjusted.
"Pika…"
Pika-Itachi turned his head awkwardly.
Embarrassed.
Gu Qiu rubbed his temples.
"Itachi."
"Give me the kunai."
Instinct can't be reasoned away.
Pika-Itachi looked at the slightly wronged Froakie.
Then nodded seriously.
Handed over the weapon.
Good older brother.
"This time… no mistakes."
Gu Qiu directly held Pika-Itachi in his arms.
Physical control method.
"Froakie."
"The next one is yours."
"Froa!"
Froakie's fighting spirit remained high.
It hadn't been discouraged.
At that moment—
If Gu Qiu had looked down—
He might have noticed something surprising.
In Pika-Itachi's crimson eyes—
There was faint… pride.
Not long after—
The third wild Pokémon appeared.
Another Caterpie.
But—
Stronger.
Gu Qiu felt Pika-Itachi tense in his arms.
He quickly stroked his head.
"It's okay."
Pika-Itachi relaxed.
Good.
No kill-stealing.
Froakie glanced at his "older brother."
Seeing no interference—
Its eyes sharpened.
Finally.
"Froakie."
"Use Bubble."
"Froa!"
Foam burst forward.
But this Caterpie reacted quickly.
It dodged.
Then—
"String Shot!"
Silk sprayed toward Froakie.
Gu Qiu narrowed his eyes.
He scanned again.
This Caterpie's strength—
Was above one Yu Hao unit.
If Yu Hao knew he had been converted into a measurement standard—
And that even an 8-level wild Caterpie ranked above him—
He might die from anger.
The string shot closed in.
Froakie leapt aside.
The battle—
Had just begun.
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