Kaito left the bridge and walked deeper along the route. The path narrowed and trees grew closer. He kept Bulbasaur at his side and Rattata on his shoulder. He felt the sun on his back and the wind in the leaves. He felt the system in his mind, steady and factual. He did not speak the system aloud. He used it only to know what was possible.
A shout came from ahead. Voices rose and then fell. Kaito moved faster. He saw a small crowd near a broken fence. A trainer stood in the middle of the crowd. He wore a dark jacket and had a hard look. He had two Pokémon with him. One was a young Houndour and the other was a Zubat. The trainer looked at the crowd and then at Kaito.
"You there," the trainer said. "You with the Bulbasaur. Do you train on this route?"
Kaito stepped forward. He kept his voice calm. He said, "Yes. We train every day."
The trainer smiled in a way that was not kind. He said, "I am testing my team. I need someone to fight. You look like a good target. One match. Winner takes the right to train here."
Kaito looked at the people around. Some watched with interest. Some looked worried. Oak stood at the edge of the crowd. He watched Kaito with a steady face. He did not move. He did not call Kaito back. He let Kaito choose.
Kaito thought about the rules Oak had given him. He thought about the town rules. He thought about the Rattata and Bulbasaur. He thought about the system. He did not want to fight for pride. He did not want to fight for show. He wanted to protect the route and the people who used it. He stepped forward.
"Okay," Kaito said. "One match. Clean fight. No rough moves."
The trainer laughed. He called his Houndour forward. The Houndour barked and showed its teeth. The trainer said, "Houndour, Flamethrower!"
The Houndour opened its mouth and a small flame shot out. The crowd moved back. Kaito did not move. He looked at Bulbasaur and Rattata. He thought about the field. The ground was dry. There were small rocks and a low stream nearby.
"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!" Kaito called.
Bulbasaur lashed its vine. It hit Houndour and pushed it back. Houndour shook and used Ember. The ember hit the ground and burned a small patch of grass. The crowd murmured. The trainer smiled.
"Houndour, Bite!" he shouted.
Houndour lunged. It snapped at Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur took the hit and held its ground. Kaito watched the Houndour's eyes. He watched its breathing. He watched the trainer's hands.
"Bulbasaur, Leech Seed!" Kaito ordered.
Bulbasaur planted seeds on Houndour. The seeds latched on. Houndour tried to shake them off. It used Flamethrower again. The flame hit Bulbasaur and the seeds. Bulbasaur stood firm.
The trainer called Houndour back and sent out Zubat. The Zubat flew low and screeched. It used Supersonic and the sound hit Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur staggered. Kaito did not shout. He kept his voice clear.
"Bulbasaur, return!" he said. "Rattata, come!"
Rattata leapt from Kaito's shoulder and landed on the ground. It ran fast and low. It moved under Zubat and bit its wing. Zubat screeched and flew higher. Rattata dodged a wing attack and used Quick Attack. It hit Zubat and pushed it back.
"Zubat, Wing Attack!" the trainer called.
Zubat flew down and hit Rattata. Rattata took the hit and kept moving. Kaito watched the trainer's face. He saw a flash of anger. The trainer called Zubat back and sent out Houndour again.
"You are fast," the trainer said. "But speed is not everything."
Kaito looked at the trainer. He said, "Speed is part of it. Timing is part of it. Trust is part of it."
The trainer laughed. He said, "Trust? You are a child. You think trust will win?"
Kaito did not answer. He looked at Bulbasaur and Rattata. He thought about the moves he had practiced. He thought about the system's appraisal. He thought about the multiplier. He did not let the system tell him what to do. He chose the moves.
"Bulbasaur, Sleep Powder!" Kaito ordered.
Bulbasaur released a cloud of powder. Houndour's eyes drooped. It fell asleep. The trainer called it back. He looked angry. He said, "You used Sleep Powder. Cheap move."
Kaito kept his voice calm. He said, "It is a move. It is part of training."
The trainer sent out Zubat again. He said, "Zubat, Supersonic and then Bite!"
Zubat screeched and then dove. Rattata moved fast. It dodged the supersonic and bit Zubat. Zubat fell. The trainer called it back. He looked at Kaito with a new expression. He said, "You are good. But I will not lose here."
He sent out a third Pokémon. The trainer had kept a third hidden. He called it out now. It was a young Golbat. The Golbat flew in and circled. The trainer said, "Golbat, use Air Cutter and then Confuse Ray!"
Golbat sliced the air. A sharp wind hit Rattata and Bulbasaur. Rattata stumbled. Bulbasaur held its ground. Golbat used Confuse Ray and a purple light hit Rattata. Rattata shook its head and looked dizzy.
Kaito saw the confusion in Rattata's eyes. He did not panic. He kept his voice clear.
"Rattata, focus! Quick Attack now!" he shouted.
Rattata moved. It ran fast and hit Golbat with Quick Attack. Golbat staggered. Kaito saw the trainer's surprise. He saw the trainer's anger. The trainer called Golbat back.
"You win this time," the trainer said. "But I will be back."
Kaito bowed his head slightly. He said, "We train every day. We will be ready."
The crowd dispersed. Some people clapped. Some people whispered. Oak walked up and put a hand on Kaito's shoulder. He said, "You kept the match clean. You watched your Pokémon. You did not push them too hard. That is good."
Kaito looked at Oak. He said, "Thank you, Professor. I followed the rules."
Oak nodded. He looked at the trainer and said, "You should not challenge a child like that. You should teach your team control."
The trainer glared and walked away. He said, "This is not over."
Kaito watched him go. He felt a small tension in his chest. He felt the system in his mind. A line of text appeared.
SYSTEM – APPRAISAL Pokémon: Golbat Type: Poison/Flying Current Tier: C Potential Tier: B Notes: Aggressive; avoid prolonged fights
Kaito read the appraisal. He felt the facts. He did not let the facts change his actions. He packed a small bag and checked Bulbasaur's paws and Rattata's tail. He gave them water. He watched their breathing. He rested them for a short time.
A woman from the crowd came up to him. She said, "You were brave. You kept them safe."
Kaito looked at her. He said, "I only did what was right."
The woman smiled and walked away. Oak looked at Kaito and said, "You handled the fight well. But remember what the trainer said. Some people will not like a child who trains like an adult. Be careful."
Kaito nodded. He said, "I will be careful."
They walked back toward Pallet Town. The path was quiet now. Kaito thought about the trainer and his words. He thought about the Golbat and the appraisal. He thought about the system and the multiplier. He did not want to fight for pride. He wanted to train to protect.
That night, Kaito sat with Bulbasaur and Rattata and planned the next day's training. He wrote the plan in his head. He would work on Rattata's focus and on Bulbasaur's stamina. He would practice timing and recovery. He would not push them beyond what they could handle.
A short line of text appeared in his mind as he finished the plan.
SYSTEM – TRAINING COMPLETE 10× Efficiency Applied
Kaito read the message and felt a steady satisfaction. He had worked and the work had counted. He had not used the system to force results. He had used it to make honest work more effective.
Before sleep, he thought about the trainer who had challenged him. He thought about the trainer's words and the trainer's anger. He thought about the path ahead. He thought about the people who watched and the people who would judge.
He closed his eyes and decided to keep training. He decided to keep his promise to protect Pokémon. He decided to be brave and careful. He decided to meet the trainer again if he had to, but only when his team was ready and only to protect the route and the people who used it.
Outside, the town was quiet. Inside, the lab light burned low. Kaito slept and the Rattata slept on a small mat near the door and Bulbasaur curled on a blanket. The system waited in the back of his mind, a set of facts and numbers that would appear when he needed them. For now, the work would be simple and the days would be long. Kaito would learn the rules of this world one step at a time.