"This one is different; it's big!"
Roy shook the Poké Ball in his hand and made a joke.
"Big?"
Misty blinked, still completely confused.
"What's wrong with being big?"
"Size has nothing to do with time!"
"Besides, being big might mean the time is even shorter!"
Misty's mind raced quickly.
So Roy thought this Caterpie had potential just because it was big?
This method of judgment was way too reckless!
Even though that Caterpie was indeed a size larger than normal and had faster reactions, a Caterpie is still a Caterpie!
The base stats are what they are, and the lifespan is what it is. What does it matter how big it is?
Thinking of this, a small flash of joy suddenly crossed Misty's heart.
It seemed Roy wasn't actually that amazing!
He was just an ordinary rookie Trainer who would make the mistake of judging a Pokémon by its appearance.
She had thought he really had some unique insight.
It looked like this young lady would have a chance to lecture him later!
A bit of smugness bubbled up in Misty's heart again.
She had been brooding over Roy's earlier boast about his "small goal" being the Champion.
It wasn't that she disliked him; she just felt... this guy was too arrogant!
He was clearly a rookie who didn't even have many Pokémon, yet he dared to say such things.
She was the daughter of the Cerulean Gym; she had seen countless Trainers and heard countless grand words since she was a child.
Very few ever actually made it anywhere near that level.
Champion?
That's not something you can become just by talking big.
She had been looking for a chance to properly "educate" Roy and make him face reality.
Not to discourage him, but... well, to provide correct guidance!
Yes, guidance!
And while she was at it... Misty stole a glance at Roy's profile.
She wanted to see him left speechless by her words, with no choice but to listen obediently.
That would surely be interesting.
She had even started to imagine the scene in her head:
She would stand with her hands on her hips, looking like a senior, analyzing the drawbacks of Caterpie point by point while Roy listened in a daze, finally scratching his head and saying, "Misty, you're right."
Then she could pat his shoulder and say with feigned maturity, "It's good that you know you're wrong. Listen to your big sister more in the future."
Heehee... Just thinking about it made Misty feel great.
Even her fear of the surrounding forest lessened a bit... Roy didn't pay any attention to what Misty was daydreaming about at the moment.
He was focused on the Poké Ball in his hand.
He had, of course, considered the drawbacks Misty mentioned.
Caterpie's short lifespan, the fixed evolution line, Butterfree's low base stats... he knew these better than anyone.
But the thing was, with Script Points in hand and the system on his side, was he really afraid he couldn't raise a Caterpie?
Furthermore, the reward from this capture mission was practically tailor-made for this Caterpie.
Junior Potential Enhancement Berry.
Used on those with potential below Elite level, it permanently increases the potential rank by 1.
This Caterpie currently had Gym-level potential; if it ate this, it would go straight to pre-elite four level!
Among the Caterpie species—no, among all Bug-type Pokémon—this would be considered a genius.
As for the lifespan issue... an increase in potential wasn't just about raising the ceiling of strength.
Vitality, lifespan, and growth speed would all increase along with it.
While it might still not compare to long-lived species, among Caterpie, it would definitely be at the level of a centenarian.
Roy pressed the button on the Poké Ball.
A red light flashed, and that emerald-green Caterpie appeared in the clearing once again.
It let out a soft cry and tilted its head to look at Roy, its gaze docile.
"Ah! A bug!"
Almost simultaneously, Misty's "spider-sense" was triggered.
Even if this Caterpie looked docile, even if it had just been caught, a bug was still a bug!
She let out a scream and whooshed behind Delia, peeking out with only half her head, staring warily at the Caterpie.
"Don't be afraid. It's my Pokémon now; it won't attack you."
Roy gave a helpless smile.
"Th-then don't let it get too close to me!"
Misty gripped Delia's clothes tightly, her voice trembling.
Delia patted her hand, soothing her gently.
Roy shook his head and took out that Junior Potential Enhancement Berry from the system inventory.
The Berry wasn't large, only about the size of a thumb. It was pure white all over, emitting a faint glimmer, with strange patterns on its surface. It clearly didn't look like an ordinary item.
"Come, eat this."
Roy knelt down and held the Berry to the Caterpie's mouth.
The Caterpie's small nose twitched, seemingly smelling the enticing aroma emitted by the Berry.
It didn't hesitate, opening its mouth and carefully swallowing the Berry.
The next second, hum!
A faint white halo emanated from within the Caterpie's body.
Its body underwent subtle changes at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The originally deep emerald green became even more lustrous, as if a sheen were flowing over its body.
Its size seemed to grow slightly larger again; although not obvious, one could feel the abundance of vitality.
The red antennae on its head became brighter, and its small, black, beady eyes were filled with even more intelligence.
Its entire temperament had been elevated by a notch.
[Pokémon: Caterpie, Potential: Gym-level → pre-elite four level-level]
The system panel updated in real-time.
A smile curled at the corners of Roy's mouth.
A Caterpie with pre-elite four level-level potential.
If word of this got out, it would probably make a lot of people's jaws drop.
The Caterpie affectionately rubbed against Roy's hand.
It felt great.
Better than ever before.
Its body was filled with power, its thoughts were clearer, and even its perception of the surrounding environment had become much sharper.
It knew that the human before it had given it this opportunity.
Therefore, the way it looked at Roy was full of trust and closeness.
Roy began to plan the training route for this Caterpie.
Even when it had Gym-level potential, he had intended to train it as a main force for the early stages.
Although the lifespan of Bug-type Pokémon is still relatively short compared to others, for the Caterpie species, the vitality boost from pre-elite four level potential was already enough for it to live for a very, very long time.
There was no helping it; lifespan is a fatal flaw for bug-like Pokémon.
Most Trainers only use them as transitions for their early-game lineups, treating them as placeholders rather than training them as main forces.
Of course, rare Bug-types like Volcarona and Scyther were exceptions.
However, these were also quite resource-intensive, making them difficult for commoner Trainers to afford.
So one couldn't really blame these Trainers for being too pragmatic or looking down on the likes of Caterpie and Weedle.
It was truly because investing too much emotion, effort, and resources only to face a heart-wrenching parting was too painful.
After all, not every Beedrill could take down an Elite's Dragonite.
So it was best for commoner Trainers to use the most stable strategies.
However, with the script in his hand and items in his pocket, these regrets were not an issue for Roy; he could train it with peace of mind.
Now that he had gotten the Caterpie to pre-elite four level level, it could pass the early stage and even serve as combat power in his second team later on.
Further down the road, if he could get it to Gigantamax, rotating it into the first team wasn't impossible either.
"In any case, 'Rayquaza,' you have a bright future ahead!" Roy said with a smile, stroking the Caterpie in front of him.
Although the Caterpie didn't understand what "Rayquaza" meant, it could feel the expectation and affection in Roy's tone.
Master gives me delicious food and expects so much from me... if Master says I'm Rayquaza, then I'm Rayquaza!
The Caterpie thought silently to itself.
I must work hard to become stronger in the future and not let Master down!
Roy fed the Caterpie some ordinary food to replenish its energy.
The Caterpie ate heartily. Even though its potential had increased, its appetite seemed unchanged, still having the appetite of a Caterpie.
After feeding the Caterpie, Roy was about to call the other two to continue their journey.
A sharp bird cry suddenly came from the sky!
The sound was high-pitched and piercing, carrying obvious aggression.
The three of them looked up at the same time.
They saw a black shadow streaking across the sky above the forest at an extremely high speed!
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