The leaves of Viridian Forest rustled with quiet energy.
Nathan moved cautiously beneath the towering canopy, soft moss muffling his footsteps. Squirtle and Nidoranโ walked close behind, both alert. Light filtered through like strands of gold thread, revealing flitting Caterpie, wary Pidgey, and clusters of Kakuna clinging to trees like ornaments.
But Nathan wasn't here for them.
His System had pinged.
๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ฌ: ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ (๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฌ)
๐๐๐๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ โฆ
[๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ โ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐ โ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ: ๐]
[๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฒ โ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐ โ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ: ๐+]
[๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ โ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐ โ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ: ๐]
โฆ ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐๐.
Nathan froze.
"Anomaly?"
A new scan expanded in front of him like a sonar pulse, showing a moving shape deeper in the brushโfaster than anything else.
He tapped it.
[??] โ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ: ??? โ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ: ๐
๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฌ: ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐
๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: ๐๐.๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฌ โ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ
๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ฐ: ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ
๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ
His breath caught. Potential S.
"Squirtle, with me. Nidoran, stay alert."
He broke into a low sprint, weaving through trees, ducking under branches, brushing aside thick ferns. The System's pulse tightened with every step.
There, movement. A flicker of deep crimson fur and light claws.
The creature turned slightly, just enough to register Nathan's approach before bolting.
"Waitโ!" Nathan shouted.
He gave chase.
The terrain sloped downward, wild and uneven. At the bottom, the forest broke into a narrow glade, filled with stone ruins choked in moss. In the centre stood the Pokรฉmon, eyes locked on his.
It was sleek, fox-like, with a body of black and red, fur that rippled like living fire.
Nathan gasped.
"โฆZorua?"
[๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ โ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐ โ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ: ๐]
๐๐ฒ๐ฉ๐: ๐๐๐ซ๐ค
๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง
๐๐จ๐ง๐: ๐๐ง๐ซ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐
๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ญ: ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ (๐๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐)
Nathan's mind reeled. This isn't even native to Kanto!
The System pulsed again.
๐๐ข๐ ๐ก-๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐๐.
๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐: ๐๐จ๐ฐ (๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐%)
๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฒ: ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ค๐๐ง, ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐.
๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ : ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ.
He didn't hesitate. "Squirtle engage!"
The Zorua hissed, its eyes flaring, and launched forward with surprising speed.
๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐: ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฏ๐ฌ. ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐
๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐: ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก-๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ
๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ: ๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ | ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐
"Water Gun, now!"
Squirtle sprayed a sharp stream that Zorua barely dodged. It darted around to the side and unleashed a dark shimmer, Feint Attack. Squirtle cried out as it struck unerringly from the shadows.
"Withdraw, then circle left!"
Squirtle braced in his shell, absorbing the second strike before rolling out to the side.
๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐: ๐๐%
๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐: ๐๐%
"it's fast," Nathan muttered. "I need to slow it down. Let's bait a charge."
"Tail Whip then dodge right!"
The taunt worked. Zorua leapt with a snarl, claws outstretched only for Squirtle to sidestep.
"Now! Tackle full force!"
The hit connected, driving Zorua back into the trunk of a ruined pillar.
It slumped but eyes still burned.
๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐: ๐๐%
Nathan grabbed a Pokรฉball from his belt. "Let's try this."
He threw.
The ball struck. Red light swallowed the fox-like form.
One shake.
Two.
Three
Click.
Nathan stared. The silence around them suddenly rang louder than before.
๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ!
๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐ครฉ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐: ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ (๐ )
๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ: ๐
๐๐ฒ๐ฉ๐: ๐๐๐ซ๐ค
๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง
๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ: ๐
๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ญ: ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ โ ๐๐๐ซ๐-๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐
๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ: ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ก, ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐๐ค, ๐๐๐๐ซ, ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฒ๐๐๐ญ
๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฒ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐
๐๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐: ๐๐ง๐ข๐ช๐ฎ๐-๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐
๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ: +๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ: ๐ โ ๐
Nathan exhaled slowly. His hands were trembling.
S-rank. A Pokรฉmon that likely no one else in the entire region had seen let alone caught.
He opened the Capture Log and scrolled to Zorua's entry.
๐๐๐ฆ๐: ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐
๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐: ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐๐ญ (๐๐ฉ. ๐๐ญ๐ค โ, ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ โ)
๐๐จ๐ง๐: ๐/๐๐๐ โ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฒ
๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฌ: ๐๐๐ซ๐-๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐. ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง: ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐. ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐.
๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ: ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐'๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฌ. ๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ -๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ.
"Why are you hereโฆ?" Nathan whispered, crouching beside the ball resting in the grass.
This wasn't random. This felt placed.
The System didn't answer, but it offered something else instead.
๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐: ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐'๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง
๐๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค๐๐: ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ค (๐๐จ๐๐ค๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ โฅ ๐๐)
๐๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค๐๐: ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ (๐๐% ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐ข๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ครฉ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง)
Nathan smiled faintly. "I seeโฆ capturing her wasn't just luck. It opened the next path."
He clipped the Pokรฉball to his belt, beside the others. Squirtle walked over, eyes watching him closely.
"Yeah," Nathan said. "That was worth the chase."
They moved back toward the main trail through Viridian Forest, shadows stretching long across the ground behind them.