With a single thought, Yuuto spread his Aura Power outward.
The forest's life signatures bloomed in his mind like ink on wet paper. Several irritable avian auras stood out clearly—short wings, forked tail feathers.
Spearow.
Not long after setting off, a Spearow… the familiar early plot beat made Yuuto smile wryly. He remembered that hot-tempered little bird from the original story.
But he had zero interest in catching it.
Average potential, terrible personality—adding it to the team would just waste a slot.
What he actually wanted was the high-potential Pidgeotto rumored to live deeper in the open glades ahead. It would make an excellent fighter now and a perfect aerial mount once it evolved into Pidgeot.
"Let's head this way."
Yuuto took Delia's hand, planning to skirt around the Spearow's territory.
Delia nodded obediently, her heart fluttering at the simple touch.
They'd only taken a few steps when—
A piercing screech ripped through the canopy!
*Rustle!*
Branches exploded outward as a dark-brown shape shot into the air, hovering aggressively right in their path.
It was exactly that Spearow.
Eyes bulging, wings beating furiously, neck feathers flared in pure rage at the intruders.
*No avoiding it, huh?*
Yuuto sighed.
Script force at work again.
[Ding!]
The system chimed right on cue.
[Triggered Mission — First Battle: Command Pikachu to defeat the aggressive Spearow!]
[Mission Reward: Basic Rare Candy ×3 — Instantly raises the level of any Pokémon under Lv.30 by 1 when used.]
Fine.
Can't dodge it? Then end it fast.
"Delia, step back a little."
Yuuto released her hand and moved forward.
At the same time, he pulled the Light Ball from his system inventory—the reward from the earlier mission.
The fist-sized yellow orb crackled with tiny golden sparks the moment it appeared, charging the air around it.
"Pikachu, take this."
He passed the orb to the little mouse on his shoulder.
"Pika?"
Pikachu gripped it curiously with both paws.
The instant it touched the orb—
*BUZZ!!!*
Brilliant golden light exploded outward!
Countless electric arcs surged from the surface, wrapping around Pikachu like living threads before sinking straight into the red sacs on its cheeks.
Pikachu's power spiked visibly.
Its tail, which used to spark only occasionally, now crackled with a solid layer of electricity. Sparks danced in its dark eyes.
"Pika!"
Pikachu let out a fierce battle cry. Its fighting spirit ignited instantly!
It leaped lightly from Yuuto's shoulder, landing in a perfect combat stance—forelimbs low, tail stiff and ready.
Yuuto looked up at the hovering Spearow.
His Aura Power combined with the system's basic scan gave him the info he needed:
[Pokémon: Spearow]
[Level: Novice]
That was enough.
Electric versus Flying—super effective.
Add the Light Ball doubling Special Attack on top of that…
Even if the Spearow was a level or two higher, it wouldn't survive more than a couple hits.
The real danger was the rest of the flock.
This forest was a Spearow nesting ground. If the fight got too loud or the bird called for backup, dozens—or even hundreds—could swarm them.
Yuuto wasn't about to gamble on Pikachu's "Movie Star" ability kicking in at the perfect moment.
"Make it quick."
His eyes sharpened. Decision made.
"Pikachu—Quick Attack! Close the gap!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu's tiny legs exploded off the ground.
It became a yellow blur, rocketing forward at blinding speed.
The Spearow hadn't expected the little mouse to be that fast. It froze for a split second.
Now!
"Circle right around the tree—use it as cover!"
Pikachu understood instantly. Just before slamming into the trunk, it kicked off with its paws, carving a smooth arc and emerging from the blind spot behind the tree.
Perfect angle.
"Volt Tackle!"
The command rang out.
"PIKA—CHUUU!!!"
Pikachu's entire body erupted in blinding golden light!
Violent electricity surged around it, forming a crackling electric sphere.
Its hind legs slammed down one last time—
The glowing ball shot forward like a cannon shell!
The Spearow barely had time to turn its head before the massive golden sphere filled its vision.
It tried desperately to flap higher, but it was far too late.
*BOOM!*
The Volt Tackle smashed square into the Spearow's chest.
A shrill scream tore through the air.
The bird was sent flying backward, slamming hard into a tree trunk before sliding to the ground in a smoking heap.
Charred feathers, eyes spiraling, completely unconscious.
The entire fight—from start to finish—lasted less than ten seconds.
Clean. Decisive.
[Pokémon: Pikachu — Lv.12 → Lv.13]
The Spearow's level had been decent; the experience pushed Pikachu up a full level.
[Ding! First Battle mission completed!]
[Reward: Basic Rare Candy ×3 sent to system inventory!]
Yuuto felt a surge of satisfaction.
*This* was how a new Trainer's journey should feel.
Defeat wild Pokémon, earn rewards, level up—positive momentum right from the start.
Not getting chased halfway across the forest by an angry flock and nearly dying on day one.
"Pika~"
Pikachu trotted back, tilting its head with a proud *"I did great, right? Praise me!"* look.
Yuuto crouched and rubbed its head warmly.
"Perfect job."
"Pika pika~"
Pikachu squinted in bliss, tail wagging like a propeller.
Only then did Delia step closer, eyes wide with lingering shock.
"It… it's already over? That was so fast…"
She'd barely seen anything—just a golden flash and the fierce Spearow was down.
"Yuuto, you're incredible! You stayed so calm the whole time!"
The stars of admiration in her eyes sparkled even brighter.
Yuuto stood and scanned the surroundings.
"We need to move—fast. Spearow are flock creatures. That noise might bring the others."
"Ah—right, right!"
Delia nodded quickly.
Without wasting another second, Yuuto picked a direction and led her away at a brisk pace.
Sure enough, less than five minutes later, loud cawing echoed from the sky behind them.
A dozen Spearow arrived, circling and screeching over their fallen companion.
But the "culprits" were already long gone.
After bypassing the Spearow territory, the rest of the day passed smoothly.
By evening they had covered most of the distance to Viridian City.
At this pace, they'd arrive before noon tomorrow.
As dusk settled, Yuuto chose a flat clearing beside a stream for camp.
Open ground, good visibility, easy access to water.
"Delia, handle dinner. I'll set up the tent."
He pulled the folding tent from his pack.
"Leave it to me~!"
Delia answered cheerfully, already unpacking cookware, seasonings, canned goods, fresh vegetables, and even a small bag of rice.
Soon a campfire crackled. Rice simmered in one pot while sausages and mushrooms sizzled in another, filling the air with mouth-watering aroma.
Pikachu squatted by the fire, staring at the pan with sparkling eyes, a suspicious trail of drool at the corner of its mouth.
Eevee sat elegantly beside Delia, tail sweeping the ground in perfect poise.
On Yuuto's side, the tent frame was already up and he was securing the rainfly.
His movements were smooth and practiced.
Just as he bent to tighten the final guy line, his Aura Power picked up a faint, unnatural fluctuation.
Yuuto froze.
He slowly turned his head toward the thick bushes directly behind Delia.
Something was there.
And it was moving closer.
Delia was humming happily while flipping sausages when she felt his gaze.
She looked up, cheeks flushing when she saw how intently he was staring.
Following his line of sight, she realized her tracksuit collar had slipped open while she was bent over—offering a generous view of deep, soft cleavage framed by black lace.
"Oh my~"
Delia let out a playful little squeak, but her heart melted with sweetness.
Instead of fixing her collar, she deliberately leaned even lower, making the view even more tempting.
Then she lifted her misty eyes, licked her lips, and whispered in a sultry voice:
"What are you staring at… you big pervert…"
"We can… talk about that after dinner~"
"Right now, focus on the important stuff~"
As she spoke, her thighs pressed together unconsciously, cheeks burning brighter.
She clearly thought Yuuto was just lusting after her again.
And while Delia's seductive pose was undeniably enticing…
Yuuto really wasn't thinking about that right now.
"Woo~ Hoo~"
A faint, eerie call suddenly drifted out from the bushes behind her.