"Professor, hurry up already!" Ash cried out in impatience, his eyes Bill with excitement. He could barely wait to meet his starter Pokémon. Entering Professor Oak's lab, Mark watched with interest as Ash carefully inspected each of the starter Pokémon — from Squirtle to Charmander — one after the other. Inside his mind, he thought, Stop struggling… your destined starter isn't even here yet. Just wait for the Pikachu that's meant to be with you.
"No choice, Ash!" Mark chimed in beside him, clapping Ash's shoulder with a half-smile. "All these starters have already been picked. It's like a race — one step late and it's gone! You can't blame anyone but yourself for being late."
"What do I do then? Am I supposed to go on this journey without a starter Pokémon?" Ash's face fell, his shoulders slumping in frustration.
At that moment, Professor Oak's voice rang out from nearby, calm and reassuring. "It's not that you don't have one. I actually have another… though it's a bit problematic."
Ash's ears perked up immediately — the words "a bit problematic" seemed to vanish from his mind as if filtered out by some instinct. His face lit up with excitement. "It's fine! I want it! I'll take it!"
The professor chuckled softly. "Alright then, I hope you'll treat it well."
From beneath the table where the starters had been displayed earlier, Professor Oak brought out a Poké Ball with sparkling patterns etched along its surface. He opened it, and with a soft flash of light, a small, yellow, mouse-like Pokémon popped out. It was Pikachu — the legendary Pikachu everyone whispered about — making a dazzling debut.
Mark's eyes narrowed sharply as he activated his scanner and began reviewing Pikachu's data.
Pikachu - Male. Mouse Pokémon. Electric-type.
Ability: Static.
Nature: Hardy (Balanced).
Height: 0.4m. Weight: 6kg.
Aptitude: Supreme - Infinite potential.
Current rank: Novice level.
Notes: A Pokémon blessed by the world, uniquely gifted, with boundless potential to become the strongest.
Mark's jaw tightened. No wonder this is the legendary Pikachu! he thought. Its aptitude and potential are leagues ahead of my Treecko or Gary's Squirtle. Not just the usual peak Champion potential, but something far beyond — unlimited!
Looking down at his own Treecko's Poké Ball, he suddenly felt it wasn't quite as special anymore. Should've fought harder for this Pikachu from the start…
"Ah well," Mark sighed with a grin, forcing himself to relax. "Treecko's not bad either. I've got the system's help — I'm sure I'll find another Pokémon with huge potential soon. Besides, the system's going to give me a top-tier egg later on! And honestly, if Ash doesn't team up with Pikachu, it'd be such a waste."
Meanwhile, Ash had already fallen head over heels for the adorable Pikachu. "Wow, isn't it so cute, Professor? I want to hug it!" he gushed, reaching out to grab it.
Mark's instincts screamed danger. Without a second thought, he bolted out of the lab like the wind!
Professor Oak tried to stop him, but it was too late. A brilliant flash of electricity lit up the lab, followed by two deafening cries.
Outside, Mark winced. "Hmm… in that case, Treecko isn't so bad after all."
Ash's eyes sparkled with excitement as he finally got his Pikachu, and Mark had seen enough — there was nothing left for him to do. He quietly slipped out of the lab.
Outside, a crowd had gathered. At the center stood a beautiful woman — Ash's mother, Delia ketchum — and beside her was Mark's sister, Officer Anna Jenny. They had come to see the trainers off.
"Mark! You're out! Did you get your Pokémon?" Anna Jenny smiled warmly.
Mark nodded confidently. "Yeah! I've got an amazing partner."
Anna Jenny didn't ask more but pulled out a sleek Space Backpack — specially prepared for him. Using tech similar to that of Poké Balls, it looked compact but could store plenty without becoming heavy — an essential travel companion.
"Life essentials, healing items, a tent, spare clothes, a fishing rod, canned food… pretty complete! Here you go, Mark — good luck out there!" Anna Jenny handed it to him after a quick check.
"Mark… what about Ash? Hasn't he come out yet?" Ash's mother, Delia, asked with a worried look.
"He's late, so he's the last one to get his Pokémon. He should be coming out any minute now," Mark replied.
"That boy is always so anxious… it's worrisome. How can I let him go off traveling alone? But you, Mark — obedient, smart, and handsome… why don't you come live with us and be my son?" Delia teased playfully.
Anna Jenny's face flushed instantly. "Mark is my little brother! He belongs to my family! Delia, how can you snatch him away?!"
"Alright, alright, you brother-obsessed Anna! I'm just joking!" Delia shot back slyly, making Mark's head spin. Wow, he thought, I never realized Aunt Delia could be so playful…
"Um… sis, Anna, I'm leaving now! Anna, please tell Ash I and Gary will be waiting at the Pokémon League venue! He must not fall behind!" Mark turned to them with determination.
"Alright! Travel safely, and take care!" Anna Jenny replied.
"I'll make sure to tell Ash. Good luck, Mark!" Delia added.
After bidding farewell to his sister and the others, Mark also said goodbye to Pallet Town. His journey to become a Pokémon Master was now officially underway.
Outside in the countryside, Mark released his Treecko into the grass with the words, "Come out, Treecko!" At the same time, he took out a Pokémon egg from the system's storage. It was a sleek, silver-blue egg. Mark's eyes gleamed with anticipation — what Pokémon might hatch from this top-tier egg? Even before hatching, he could sense a sharp edge emanating from it. Judging by its aura, he guessed it would be a Steel-type Pokémon.
Treecko waddled curiously closer, tilting its head in fascination.
"Treecko, this egg will hatch into a partner who'll fight alongside us one day! You'll be the big brother, so you have to take care of it, alright?" Mark patted Treecko's head seriously.
Treecko nodded in agreement.
After securing the egg, Mark reviewed the situation carefully. His two main goals were clear:
Train Treecko properly.
Catch a new Pokémon to strengthen the team.
The nearest Gyms were:
The Rock-type Pewter Gym.
The Water-type Cerulean Gym.
The Ground-type Viridian City Gym.
Treecko's Grass-type moves would perfectly counter all three. But challenging Viridian City Gym's Leader Giovanni wasn't even on the table — Giovanni's strength was rumored to be above Elite Four, almost Champion-level. Mark wasn't suicidal. Instead, he'd head through Viridian Forest and target Pewter Gym first.
To succeed, he needed to train Treecko seriously. Currently, Treecko only knew a weak Grass-type move, Absorb. So his level had to be increased until Absorb could evolve into the powerful Mega Drain. That would dramatically raise his chances.
"Treecko! Use Leer on Rattata, then hit it with Pound!" Mark ordered.
Treecko immediately obeyed, glaring at the wild Rattata to lower its defense before delivering a direct blow. The Rattata's eyes spun, and it collapsed helplessly.
This was the fourth wild Pokémon Mark had defeated that morning, but he hadn't captured any of them. After briefly tending to their wounds, he let them go. These roadside Pokémon had low potential and even poorer aptitude — hardly any were Rare or above.
"All done, Treecko. Time for lunch now! You should rest too," Mark said, smiling.
"Chamo!" Treecko responded, nonchalantly picking a patch of grass and sitting coolly.
Mark chuckled to himself. So aloof, he thought. Just like him.
At lunch, Treecko munched on the specially prepared Pokémon food crafted by Mark himself. As a senior researcher, Mark's cooking skills rivaled professional breeders.
"Treecko, this morning's battles were to help us build synergy and adapt to each other's battle rhythms. From tomorrow, we'll train together every morning — focusing on speed and attack. I'll be by your side the whole time. Afternoons will be for battling wild Pokémon and other trainers to gain experience, alright?" Mark explained sincerely.
Mark had given this a lot of thought. Treecko's final evolution — Sceptile — was a rare, fast-attacker among Grass-type Pokémon. Its greatest strengths were its high speed and excellent special attack. Since Pokémon battles would be mainly 6v6, he wouldn't train each Pokémon to be well-rounded. Instead, he would focus on their unique strengths and weaknesses, relying on the team to compensate for individual shortcomings. This was the strategy Mark had decided on—the one best suited for his path forward.
--------------------
T/N:
Check out my Patreon
[email protected]/FictionalRealms784 - (Replace '@' with 'a')
for 5 Advanced Chapters absolutely FREE—or unlock 35 Advanced Chapters
--------------------