"System, how do I use the Silver Crown?"
Gary had decided to train Squirtle as his main Pokémon. Since the Silver Crown could raise the potential of any Pokémon below Champion level, he saw no reason to wait.
[The host only needs to silently recite which item to use on which Pokémon. The system will apply it automatically.]
"Then use the Silver Crown on Squirtle," Gary said inwardly.
[Ding! Successfully used. Squirtle's potential has been raised to Champion-tier.]
"Not bad."
Gary nodded with satisfaction. With this single upgrade, Squirtle's long-term growth was guaranteed.
A Pokémon's level ceiling was directly tied to its potential.
The system divided potential into clear ranks:
Normal (LV1–29)Elite (LV30–39)Gym (LV40–49)Quasi-Elite (LV50–59)Elite-Tier (LV60–69)Champion (LV70–79)Quasi-Legend (LV80–89)Legend (LV90–99)
"Champion-tier now. If it grows steadily until the Silver Conference, Blastoise definitely won't lose to Ash's Charizard."
Gary had no intention of repeating his original defeat at the Silver Conference.
And not just the Silver Conference—he wanted the Indigo Plateau Conference too. This time, Gary intended to claim the Quartz Conference Champion title.
"Time to go."
Now that Squirtle's potential had been improved, Gary planned to set off immediately.
As for the low-level Rare Candy in his backpack, it could only be used on Pokémon below Level 30, so he saw no reason to waste it now. Squirtle was still very low-level. Gary preferred to train it himself first—then use the Rare Candy after it reached around Level 20 for a more efficient boost.
Since the system was still new to him, the missions it issued were entirely random. Gary needed time to slowly explore its rules. Until then, every resource had to be used wisely.
"Grandpa, I'm leaving."
Gary stepped out of the room and greeted Professor Oak.
"Gary, are you sure you don't want to take an assistant with you?" Professor Oak asked, concerned.
The old professor doted on his grandson. In the original storyline, Gary had set off in a Rolls-Royce with personal assistants—and even attracted a small crowd of girls along the way. The original Gary had truly lived the life of a privileged second-generation heir.
But the Gary standing here now wasn't the arrogant, pampered version from the original story. Even without the system, he had already decided to travel alone. That was the only way to truly experience the journey.
"It's fine, Grandpa."
"Then make sure to tell me if you run into trouble outside," Professor Oak said.
"Don't worry. If anything happens, I'll let you know right away."
"Take this with you."
Professor Oak handed him a sleek red device.
"This is the Pokémon Pokédex I developed. Whenever you encounter a Pokémon on your journey, the Pokédex will identify it for you."
The Pokédex was Professor Oak's creation. In the future, it would evolve into the Rotom Pokédex—but the current model was still primitive. It only contained complete data on Pokémon native to the Kanto Region. Pokémon from other regions were recorded only by name and image, with no detailed information.
Gary turned the Pokédex over in his hands and examined it carefully. The design was honest, but limited. After a moment, he offered a casual suggestion.
"Grandpa, why don't you try integrating a Pokémon into the Pokédex itself? It would make the Pokédex far more intelligent."
"…A Pokémon, integrated into the Pokédex?"
Professor Oak froze in place, eyes widening. Why hadn't he thought of that before?
"Gary—how did you come up with that idea?"
"I remember there's a Pokémon called Rotom in the Sinnoh Region. It can possess electronic appliances and make them smarter. You could try using it."
Then, before his grandfather could press for more details, Gary turned away.
"I'll get going first."
He didn't want to say more.
After all, he was supposed to be a ten-year-old. Tossing out a concept was already pushing it. If he actually invented the Rotom Pokédex himself, that would attract suspicion.
"Rotom and the Pokédex…" Professor Oak murmured, lost in thought. The longer he considered it, the more feasible it seemed. He didn't even notice when Gary slipped out of the laboratory.
—
Outside Professor Oak's Laboratory.
"Go, Gary! Go, Gary!"
"Yeah! Gary, you're the best!"
A loud crowd had gathered at the entrance. Most of the townspeople had come to see off the rookie Trainers, and the cheers were enthusiastic.
Gary pushed his bicycle to the doorway, and his cheerleading group erupted with excitement.
"Ah, even after two lifetimes, I'm still this cool."
Gary deliberately tilted his head, letting his bangs sway. The girls in the crowd swooned almost in unison.
He didn't plan it that way—but being this handsome, and being Professor Oak's grandson on top of it, made it almost impossible for the girls of Pallet Town not to notice him.
Still, Gary knew exactly what kind of crowd this was—shallow, vain, drawn purely by appearance. Fun to entertain, but not relationship material in the slightest.
And honestly, he had zero interest in little kids his age either.
"Ash is late again."
He scanned the crowd, but didn't see him anywhere. Of course Ash was late. As a time traveler, Gary had no intention of disrupting that part of the timeline. If Ash wasn't late—he wouldn't meet Pikachu.
"Sorry, let me through!"
Sure enough, a boy in green pajamas came shoving his way through the crowd.
"Oh? Isn't this Ash?"
Gary smirked instantly.
"Ash—late on the very first day."
"Gary!"
Ash, who was still catching his breath, recognized him immediately.
"As my rival," Gary said with a smug grin, "you were late on day one. You've already lost to me from the very first step."
But Ash wasn't fazed at all.
"So, Gary, you already got your Pokémon?"
Gary nearly sighed.
He had just openly mocked Ash, and yet all Ash cared about was Pokémon.
Then again, that was Ash's greatest strength—an honest, almost pure love for Pokémon. Even Gary couldn't help but quietly respect it.
"Forget asking me. You should hurry inside. With how late you are, who knows whether there's even a starter Pokémon left for you."
"What?!"
Ash's face went pale.
"My Pokémon—! Gary, no time to talk!"
He bolted past Gary and rushed into Professor Oak's Laboratory.
Watching Ash sprint inside, Gary climbed onto his bike and rode off without looking back.