Chapter 12: The Blade of Ancient Sword Mountain
The bus rumbled along the winding roads of Johto, its engine a low hum beneath the chatter of trainers and tourists headed for Ancient Sword Mountain. Souichi Kiruma sat near the back, his Pokégear balanced on his knee, scrolling through data on his destination. The screen displayed a vivid image of the mountain's jagged peak, its snow-capped summit piercing the clouds like a blade unsheathed. Silk, his Caterpie, was tucked safely in its Poké Ball, clipped to Souichi's belt, its draconic aura dormant but ready to flare. The system's panel flickered in his vision, its latest update a steady drumbeat of purpose:
[Task Update: Finishing Touch Proficiency: 51%. Draconic transformation stable. Objective: Engage in wild Pokémon battles on Ancient Sword Mountain to refine combat skills and transformation control. Tasks: (1) Win the Johto Rookie Tournament Championship. (2) Enhance trainer physical capabilities. Alert: Hoenn travel restrictions remain—monitor for updates. Unidentified entities tracking host's movements.]
Souichi's fingers paused on the Pokégear, his brow furrowing at the system's warning. *Unidentified entities?* The mysterious messages from an unknown ID—likely Wallace or Steven—had already set him on edge, and the neighbors' gossip about a girl asking after him didn't help. *Magma? Aqua? Or just League scouts?* He shook his head, forcing his focus back to Ancient Sword Mountain. The free training zones were perfect for Silk to test its newfound strength—String Shot, Bug Bite, Tackle, and the rare Electroweb, honed to precision through weeks of drills. *Finishing Touch is our ace, but we're keeping that under wraps for now.*
The bus jolted to a stop at the mountain's base, where a bustling visitor center buzzed with trainers, hikers, and Alliance rangers. Ancient Sword Mountain loomed above, its rocky slopes dotted with pines and sparkling streams, its peak shrouded in mist and legend. Souichi shouldered his mountaineering bag—packed with a tent, sleeping bag, multi-tool, canned food, and repellents for wild Pokémon—and stepped off the bus, the crisp mountain air sharp in his lungs. He released Silk from its Poké Ball, the Caterpie materializing with a soft glow, its antennae twitching eagerly.
"Ready to make some wild Pokémon cry, buddy?" Souichi grinned, kneeling to meet Silk's gaze. The Caterpie chirped, its draconic aura pulsing faintly, as if itching to prove itself. Souichi's heart swelled—Silk wasn't just a bug anymore; it was a warrior with a dragon's spirit. *We're not here to play. We're here to grow.*
The free training zone was a sprawling meadow at the mountain's base, where wild Pokémon roamed—Rattata scurrying through the grass, Pidgey flitting between trees, and the occasional Abra teleporting away from danger. Trainers dotted the area, their Pokémon sparring in makeshift arenas or chasing wild catches. Souichi picked a quiet corner near a stream, setting up a small camp with his tent and a fire pit. Silk crawled onto a flat rock, surveying the meadow like a king inspecting its domain.
"Let's start small," Souichi said, scanning the grass. A Rattata emerged, its teeth bared, eyes glinting with defiance. "Silk, Bug Bite—go!" The Caterpie sprang forward, its jaws snapping with unnatural force, the Silver Powder in its diet amplifying its attack. The Rattata squealed, dodging barely, and retaliated with a Quick Attack. Souichi's voice was steady: "String Shot, now!" Silk spat a web of sticky threads, ensnaring the Rattata mid-lunge. It struggled, pinned, and Silk finished it with a Tackle, sending it scurrying into the brush.
Souichi fist-pumped, grinning. "That's one down!" Silk chirped, its glow flaring brighter, and the system pinged: *Combat proficiency increased. Transformation stability: 52%.* Souichi's grin widened. *This is working.* Silk's movements were sharper, its instincts honed by the real-time pressure of battle. *No simulator can match this.*
As the day wore on, they took on more challengers—a Pidgey that fell to Electroweb's shocking snare, a Drowzee that crumpled under Bug Bite's relentless chomp. Each victory pushed Silk's confidence, its draconic aura pulsing stronger. Souichi kept a sharp eye on their surroundings, the system's warning about "unidentified entities" lingering. *If someone's watching, they're getting a show.*
In Caiyou City, Wallace and Steven sat in a quiet café overlooking the harbor, their Pokémon—Milotic and Metagross—resting nearby. A tablet on the table streamed PokéNet chatter, Souichi's name trending alongside clips of his streams. "He's on Ancient Sword Mountain," Steven said, his eyes narrowing at a post from a Johto trainer: *"Emperor Souichi's wrecking wild Pokémon with a Caterpie. Insane!"*
Wallace sipped his tea, his expression a mix of intrigue and urgency. "He's training for something big. That Caterpie's no ordinary bug—look at the comments. 'Glowing green,' 'moves like a dragon.' Sound familiar?"
Steven nodded, pulling up a Devon report on his Pokégear. "Seismic activity near Pacifidlog's spiking. Groudon or Kyogre, maybe both. If Souichi's heading for the Sky Pillar, he's walking into their turf." He tapped a message to Red: *"Kid's training on Ancient Sword Mountain. Hoenn's locked, but he's planning to move. Keep him close."*
Red, in Pallet Town, read the message with a smirk. Yellow sat across from him, her Butterfree fluttering nervously. "He's fighting wild Pokémon now?" she asked, watching a clip of Silk downing a Pidgey with eerie precision. "That Caterpie's a monster."
Red's eyes gleamed. "Green's gonna love this. He's already betting it's a fraud, but I'm not so sure." He typed back to Steven: *"Got eyes on him. Green and I will meet him in Pallet. If he's the real deal, we'll back him to Hoenn."*
Back on Ancient Sword Mountain, the sun dipped low, painting the meadow in hues of amber and violet. Souichi sat by the stream, roasting a marshmallow over a small fire, Silk curled beside him, its glow a soft beacon in the dusk. The day's battles had left them both exhilarated, Silk's movements sharper, its confidence soaring. Souichi's Pokégear buzzed—an unknown ID: *"Strong work on the mountain. Sky Pillar's not a solo run. Allies are waiting—stay sharp."* Souichi's pulse quickened. *Definitely the League. They know.*
He looked at Silk, its eyes glinting with a fire that matched his own. "We're not just a trainer and a bug anymore, are we?" he murmured. Silk chirped, nudging his hand, and Souichi laughed, fierce and free. The system hummed: *Combat proficiency: 53%. Hoenn convergence accelerating.* Ancient Sword Mountain was just the beginning. Kanto, Hoenn, the Sky Pillar—they were all waiting, and Souichi and Silk were ready to carve their legend into the stone.