The deeper Alex and Poliwag moved into the island, the more the air changed. The volcanic heat made everything shimmer, but beneath that warmth came the earthy smell of moss, wet soil, and dense jungle. Every step felt like entering a new ecosystem—roots twisting like ancient bones, stones etched with strange patterns, and insects buzzing in thick clouds.
But what worried Alex most was the silence.
The kind of silence predators create.
He kept Poliwag close—not touching, just nearby. The small Water-type swam through shallow portions of the stream beside him, tail waving, occasionally glancing up at him as if gauging whether he was still worth following.
The jungle path eventually opened into a clearing.
A circle of dark volcanic stones, half-covered in moss, surrounded a patch of soft soil. Axeworn logs lay toppled in the corner. A rusted metal barrel stood half-buried in ash. It looked like someone—maybe years ago—had used this place as a campsite.
Alex stepped forward cautiously.
No footprints.No fresh scorch marks.No Pokémon scent strong enough to indicate territory.
"This will work," he murmured.
Poliwag slipped into a small pond at the clearing's edge, letting out a relieved "Waaag" as it submerged up to its eyes. Its spiral marking pulsed gently—calm now.
Alex finally allowed himself to relax.
Just a little.
The System's Suggestion
The system chimed.
[RECOMMENDED: BEGIN STRUCTURED TRAINING][AVAILABLE FRAMEWORKS: Master Roshi's Beginner Conditioning, Turtle School Movement Drills, Ki Foundations Lv. 1]
Alex blinked.
"Roshi's training…?"He almost laughed."Please tell me it's not asking me to pull milk crates across the island."
The system clarified:
[TRAINING SCALED TO HOST'S AGE AND CONDITION][NO UNACHIEVABLE DRILLS WILL BE SUGGESTED]
That made him feel only slightly better.
Master Roshi's early training methods were deceptively simple—but devastating when applied correctly. Carrying milk crates for miles, pushing boulders, plowing fields with bare hands, running laps in punishing terrain…
It built endurance.Balance.Timing.Reflexes.And, most importantly, discipline.
Alex needed all of that.
"Fine," he said. "Show me the first drill."
A warm pulse traveled through his mind.
[TRAINING 1: Turtle School Standing Stance – 100 breaths][Purpose: Strengthen stabilizer muscles, foundation for all movement, increase ki acceptance rate.]
Alex positioned himself in the clearing.
Feet shoulder-width apart.Knees slightly bent.Arms relaxed.Back straight.
It seemed easy.
It was not.
The moment he tried to hold the stance with proper alignment, his thighs trembled. His calves screamed. His spine wobbled like a wet noodle.
"No way Roshi made kids do this casually," he hissed.
[FACT: Most students began training at a minimum age of 14.]
"…thanks."
Still, he persisted.
Inhale—slow.Exhale—slow.Poliwag, half-submerged, tilted its head, watching him.
By the twentieth breath, Alex's legs burned.By the fortieth, sweat dripped down his forehead.By the sixtieth, his arms shook.
By the ninety-ninth breath, he was certain he would collapse.
He exhaled the hundredth breath with a shaky groan before falling backwards into the grass.
Poliwag blinked and chirped in confusion, unsure whether he was dying or resting.
Alex stared up at the canopy of leaves overhead, chest heaving.
"That was… pathetic…"
The system gave a neutral assessment:
[TRAINING RESULT: ADEQUATE][GAIN: +0.2 Level][HOST LEVEL: 5 → 5.2]
Slow progress.Just as he expected.
He couldn't rush this. His body wasn't built for miracles—yet.
The Second Lesson: Movement
After a few minutes, Alex forced himself upright.
"One more drill," he whispered to himself. "Master Roshi didn't let slackers rest."
The system obliged.
[TRAINING 2: Turtle School Footwork – 3 Laps Around Clearing][Purpose: Improve agility, directional balance, dodging potential.]
He dashed forward.
Lap 1:Roots caught at his toes, branches whipped his arms, and every footstep felt too loud. He had no grace, no flow—just a kid stumbling through a natural obstacle course.
Lap 2:His breathing stabilized.His feet dodged roots instead of tripping.His ki flickered faintly with each step, guiding his center of gravity.
Lap 3:A sudden rustle made him skid to a stop.
Poliwag squeaked in alarm.
Alex spun toward the bushes.
Something moved.
Something big.
Branches shook violently. Leaves crackled as weight pressed through them. Alex felt the pressure of a larger presence—like the air thickened with each step the creature took.
The system flashed urgent red warnings:
[DANGER: UNKNOWN WILD POKÉMON APPROACHING][ESTIMATED LEVEL RANGE: 9–12][HOST LEVEL INSUFFICIENT FOR DIRECT COMBAT]
Alex's heart hammered.He dropped into a stance—despite his fatigue.Ki trickled through his body, faint but present.
The creature's head emerged first.
Round ears.Thick fur.Dark markings around sharp eyes.
A Primeape.
Wild.Agitated.Muscles tense with barely restrained rage.
Poliwag trembled violently, half-sinking into the pond as bubbles poured from its mouth.
Alex felt every primal instinct inside him scream run.
But he couldn't.Not with Poliwag behind him.Not when a direct chase would kill them.
He shifted his footing quietly, preparing for evasion rather than confrontation.
Primeape sniffed the air.It growled.Its fists clenched.
The system whispered:
[WARNING: Host cannot win. Running recommended.]
Great advice—but how?
Then Alex heard it: a distant roar of volcanic activity. The ground trembled. A ripple shot through the clearing, shaking the earth beneath their feet.
Primeape froze, startled.
Steam burst from a small fissure near its feet.
The Pokémon yelped, jumping back, fur puffed. It glared at the fissure, then at Alex—blaming him instinctively—and let out a furious snort before storming away into the jungle.
Alex collapsed onto his hands, gasping.
"That was… way… too close."
Poliwag crawled onto a rock, shaking like a leaf.
The system chimed gently:
[HOST SURVIVED. NO EXPERIENCE GAINED.]
"Wow," Alex muttered. "Thank you."
He lay back on the grass for several minutes until his heartbeat steadied.
Only then did he realize—
He was still alive.
Training worked, even a little.His instincts sharpened.His awareness grew.His reaction time improved.
For the first time since waking on this island, Alex felt not just hope…
But determination.
Roshi's Rule #1 – Build a Foundation
As evening approached, the clearing glowed with orange light. Fireflies drifted lazily across the water. Alex practiced his stance again—slow, steady, disciplined. He didn't count breaths this time; he simply existed inside the movement.
Poliwag drifted nearby, occasionally blowing bubbles or glancing curiously at his motions.
Alex smiled faintly.
"Someday… I'll teach you something too. But not yet."
The system responded:
[TRAINER MODULE LOCKED UNTIL HOST LEVEL 10][REQUIREMENTS: Survival proficiency, physical stability, basic ki control.]
Level 10 felt impossibly far away.
But so did becoming a martial artist.So did facing down a Primeape.So did the idea of ever leaving this island.
Yet here he was.
Taking the first steps—slow, aching, imperfect steps—on a path he never expected to walk.
Master Roshi had once said something in the old manga Alex read back on Earth:
"Before strength comes discipline. Before power comes patience."
Alex breathed in.Breathed out.Held the stance.
The jungle whispered around him.The volcano rumbled like a distant drum.The night slowly embraced the island.
And Alex Mercer continued his training—slowly, painfully, and with every ounce of determination he had.
His true martial arts journey… had only just begun.