The search in the Sinnoh region's Eterna Forest is a grueling exercise in patience that yields nothing but frustration. Zeth stalks through the thick, spectral mist of the "Ghost Forest," his Aura flared to detect the jagged, malice-filled signature of a Spiritomb. But the Keystones he finds are all cold—hollow shells with no spirit inside.
While resting near a moss-covered shrine, he overhears a group of local Ace Trainers whispering about a "blond woman with a terrifying presence" who had passed through days prior. They describe her Garchomp's shadow moving through the trees like a scythe.
"Cynthia," Zeth mutters, his jaw tightening. The Sinnoh powerhouse had beaten him to the prize.
Frustrated and ready to cut his losses, Zeth begins the trek back toward the Sinnoh coast. He takes a shortcut through a high-altitude ravine where the winds are sharp enough to cut skin. That's when he sees it—a flash of mint-green and white against the dark bark of an ancient tree.
It's a Rowlet, but it's completely out of place, thousands of miles from the Alolan tropical canopy. More importantly, it's a Shiny—its feathers shimmering with a distinct, muted teal hue that radiates a much higher energy density than a standard specimen.
Zeth's system flares to life, and the readout makes his heart skip a beat.
SYSTEM DATA: THE PRODIGY OF THE WOODS
Pokémon: Rowlet (Shiny)
Level: 35 (Extremely high for its base form—it has suppressed its own evolution)
Potential: Solid Gold (The absolute peak of the Gold tier)
Abilities: Overgrow AND Long Reach (Hidden)
Unique Status: Dual-Ability Prodigy. 1 in 30,000 rarity.
Shiny Advantage: Enhanced kinetic dampening. It moves in absolute silence, and its feathers are as sharp as Ceruledge's blades.
"You're a long way from home," Zeth says, his voice low. He doesn't release a Pokémon yet. He can feel the Rowlet's gaze—it isn't a "cute" starter; it's a silent, high-altitude assassin.
The Rowlet doesn't hoot. It simply rotates its head 180 degrees, watching Zeth with eyes that see through the mist. It has been surviving in Sinnoh's harsh Ghost Forest alone, likely fending off Haunters and Mismagius with its Long Reach strikes.
Zeth doesn't throw a ball. He pulls out a piece of high-grade, energy-dense Pokémon food and places it on a flat stone, then steps back.
"I'm going to the Indigo Plateau," Zeth tells the bird. "I'm looking for a team that can rewrite the history of the League. You're already a master of this forest, but you're stuck in this form. Join me, and I'll give you the catalysts to reach a tier that shouldn't exist for your kind."
The Rowlet glides down. It moves without a single rustle of wind—a feat of its Long Reach mastery. It inspects the food, then looks at the Luxury Ball in Zeth's hand. It taps the button itself.
[CAPTURE SUCCESSFUL: SHINY ROWLET HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE ROSTER.]
[THE EVOLUTION: THE FIRST ASCENSION]
Zeth doesn't wait. He finds a clearing and prepares his second vial of Grand-Mastered Quality Potion. This is a precise science now.
"You've been holding back your evolution to maintain your speed," Zeth says. "But with this, you won't lose anything. You'll only gain."
The Rowlet swallows the potion. The light that erupts isn't the standard blue of evolution; it's a piercing, crystalline white. The Rowlet grows, its wings elongating into elegant, leafy capes.
[EVOLUTION COMPLETED: ROWLET -> DARTRIX]
[POTENTIAL JUMP: SOLID GOLD -> LIGHT BLACK]
The Dartrix (Lvl 35) snaps its wings shut. The Teal feathers now have a metallic sheen. Its potential has breached the "Black" threshold—the realm of Champion-tier aces.
Zeth looks at the roadmap for the next two months. "One more evolution," Zeth whispers. "When we trigger the final stage with the last potion, you won't just be an Alolan variant. You'll be a Solid Black tier Decidueye. A ghost that can snipe a target from a mile away before they even know the battle has started."
The transition from the haunting mists of Sinnoh to the quiet, rolling hills of the Kanto countryside is exactly what Zeth needs. With two months of the "Indigo Grind" remaining, he knows that even the sharpest blade becomes brittle if it isn't tempered. His team is healed, his new recruits are settling in, and for the first time in years, the youngest Champion isn't hunting a badge or an executive.
He sets up camp in a secluded valley near Mt. Moon, far from the tourist trails. The air is crisp, scented with pine and the dry, ancient smell of the mountain's caves.
Zeth leans back against the rough bark of a cedar tree, the crackle of the campfire the only sound in the quiet Mt. Moon valley. He takes a slow breath, letting the tension of the last few months drain into the earth. Looking out over the clearing, he realizes just how much his life has changed since he first set out to survive the rifts.
His team isn't just a roster anymore; it's a small army. He scans the clearing, doing a silent roll call of the ten Pokémon that now define his strength.
Zeth pulls out a small whetstone, moving with rhythmic precision. He isn't just maintaining gear; he's centering his mind. Ten Pokémon. A diversity of types, tiers, and battle styles.
"Ten of you," Zeth mutters, his eyes reflecting the firelight. "A full rotation for a Total War. But the Plateau isn't just about winning battles; it's about absolute dominance. We need one more. Something that brings the utility to disrupt Red's flow or Blue's adaptability."
He thinks back to the Desert Resort, remembering how the sand felt under his boots when he caught Krokorok. He needs that same level of "hunger" in his final member.
The week of rest has peaked their morale. The "Total War" rotation is nearly complete.
Zeth stands up, dousing the fire. The relaxation was necessary, but the itch for the final piece of the puzzle is returning. He needs a Pokémon that can act as a Pivot—something that can enter the field, disrupt the opponent's strategy, and leave without taking a scratch.