A week into academy life, Uriah had already pulled ahead of the pack.Forty-six points translated into 4,600 Training Currency—enough to stretch, not enough to splurge. He bought only what he needed:
• 10 Pokéballs (100 currency total)• 2 Potions (10 currency)• Standard Nutrient Mix, 1 batch (50 currency)• Training Chalk and Grip Powder (20 currency)
The rest he saved. Other cadets blew their earnings immediately on fancy supplements or unnecessary upgrades. Uriah didn't even look at those stalls. Power came from discipline, not purchasing.
Training the Fox
Every morning started the same:Uriah kneeling in the sand field, Vulpix standing in front of him, both breathing in the same measured rhythm.
"Again. Ember. Narrow focus. Don't overheat."
The fox had progressed from messy flame bursts to razor-thin arcs that sliced cleanly through straw targets. Uriah rewarded it not with praise, but predictable care—fresh water, precise meal portions, and steady brushing of its coat after training.
It didn't wag its tails like a pet.It simply followed him, confident in the structure he provided.
That bond—disciplined, tension-free—was becoming unbreakable.
Rival Appears
During a midday strategy lecture, Uriah heard someone scoff behind him.
"So the orphan thinks he's Corps material."
He turned.Rane Devon, a cadet from a merchant background, smirked. His starter—a Machop—stood beside him, bandaged from overtraining.
Rane tapped the injury."Your fox wouldn't last ten minutes against a fighting type."
Uriah didn't react."Train your Pokémon properly. You're injuring it through incompetence."
The room went silent.
Rane's face reddened."Battle me after class. We'll see who's incompetent."
Uriah didn't hesitate."Fine. After drills."
The Rival Battle
They met at a sanctioned student arena—one of the rough gravel rings meant for beginner clashes. A few cadets gathered to watch.
Rane threw his hand forward."Machop! Break him!"
Uriah released Vulpix with a single motion."Front stance."
The fox crouched low, calm, anticipatory.
Machop charged, fists raised.
Uriah didn't shout, didn't flinch."Sidestep. Ember—cut angle."
Vulpix slipped aside just before the punch landed and fired a thin flame arc across Machop's shoulder.
Controlled. Surgical. Non-lethal.
Machop roared and swung again.
"Retreat half-step. Redirect."
Another flame arc.Another hit.
Rane panicked."Just hit it! Full power!"
Machop lunged blindly.
Uriah finished it."Ground roll."
Vulpix dropped low, rolled under Machop's legs, and clipped its ankle with a small burst of heat. Not enough to burn—just enough to destabilize.
Machop fell forward, exhausted.
The supervising senior trainer raised his hand."Winner: Cadet Uriah."
Rane stood frozen, disbelief twisting his face.Uriah recalled Vulpix.
"Your emotions control your battles," he said flatly. "That's why you lose."
Rane said nothing.
New Mission
Two days later, Uriah checked the Task Center. Most missions were trivial: supply shifts, cleaning patrols, helping Gym interns.
Then one caught his eye:
MISSION TYPE: Border Sweep (Low Threat)Objective: Inspect damaged perimeter zone. Assist in dealing with any displaced Pokémon.Reward: 12 points + item bonus if successful capture is brought for academy registration.
A single mission. Simple. Efficient.
He accepted it.
The Injured One
The forest beyond Crownspire was damp from night rain. The patrol team consisted of a Watch Corps sergeant and two cadets from other units. They reviewed damage to a broken sensor pole, likely knocked down by a Tide straggler.
As they circled the clearing, a faint noise came from under a tangle of fallen branches.
A whimper.
The sergeant raised his hand."Careful. Could be a lure tactic."
Uriah crouched low and shifted the branches with a stick—not his hand.
A small Shinx lay underneath, fur matted with mud, one leg swollen, sparks flickering weakly around its tail. Its breathing was uneven.
Not aggressive.Not bait.Just injured and scared.
The sergeant nodded."A lone Shinx this close to the border is rare. Tide must've separated it from its pride. If you can catch it safely, it's Academy property and earns bonus credit."
The other cadets backed away. They weren't risking lightning from even a weakened electric type.
Uriah stepped forward.
Calm Capture
He didn't open with force.He opened with rhythm.
Slow breathing.Slow movement.No threat.
"Vulpix—stand by."
The fox appeared, but stayed silent.
Uriah placed a nutrient pellet on the ground and slid it forward with his boot. The Shinx flinched, sparks flickering, but hunger won. It sniffed the pellet, then weakly ate.
Only after that did Uriah speak.
"I'm not here to hurt you."
No emotional tone—just steady certainty.
The Shinx didn't trust him yet. But it didn't panic.
Uriah tossed a Pokéball lightly—not at it, but beside it.A small gesture: choice, not force.
The Shinx hesitated… then tapped the ball with its nose.The ball clicked shut.
No fight.Just quiet acceptance.
Mission complete.
Aftermath
At registration, the academy clerk raised an eyebrow.
"Injured Shinx, willingly captured? Rare temperament. Good eye."
Uriah just nodded.
Mission reward: 12 points → 1,200 Training CurrencyItem bonus: Free Medical Voucher for new Pokémon (worth 300 currency)
His total now exceeded 5,600.
He bought nothing else.He saved it.
That night, he released the Shinx in his dorm's small training alcove. The fox stood beside him, observing silently.
The Shinx trembled, fearing harm.
Uriah knelt."I'll train you. But you'll follow discipline. If you accept that, you'll grow strong."
Shinx stared at him for a long moment… then lowered its head.
Silent agreement.
Vulpix stepped closer, sniffed the newcomer, and sat beside it—not as a friend, but as acknowledgement: you're part of the structure now.
Uriah returned them both to their Poké Balls.
One team wasn't enough for the future.Two wasn't enough either.
But this was a step.
A calculated one.