Species: Corvisquire
Level: 18
Ability: Keen Eye / Big Pecks (Hidden)
Traits: [Clever and Quick-witted], [Steel Feathers]
Status: Evolution Complete.
Evolution is a metamorphosis. For a Pokémon, it's a total biological reset; the bruises and exhaustion from the previous clash vanished as the white light faded. The newly christened Corvisquire let out a piercing shriek, feeling the surge of power in its wings. It soared higher, the air shimmering as it began to manifest the kinetic aura of another Brave Bird.
Luke, however, was done testing the bird's heart. Now, he was testing its limits.
"Arno, hit it with Thunderbolt!"
A jagged arc of yellow lightning tore through the sky, far faster than any fledgling could hope to dodge. The bolt slammed into the Corvisquire's metallic chest. The avian enforcer fell like a drone with a fried motherboard, trailing a wisp of dark smoke as it plummeted.
Surprisingly, the bird didn't hit the ground. A second before impact, it shook off the paralysis, its wings beating frantically against the air. It stabilized just inches above the dirt, its talons scraping the soil before it banked upward again.
Luke raised an eyebrow. That was impressive. Even without the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB), Arno's Thunderbolt was bolstered by his [Element User] trait. For a fresh evolution to take that hit and remain conscious showed a willpower that couldn't be taught.
"Enough," Luke said. "One last look. Arno, use Confusion."
The Nidorino's eyes glowed a haunting pink. The air in the valley rippled like a heat haze. An invisible sledgehammer of psychic force slammed into the Corvisquire, bypassing its physical defenses. This time, the bird's eyes rolled back, and it went limp.
Luke threw the Poké Ball with practiced precision, capturing the bird in a beam of red light before it could hit the grass. The ball clicked twice and went silent.
Luke Rhodes finally had his second partner.
With the mission complete, Luke mounted Arno and barrelled back toward Ocre City. As one of the major metropolises in the southwest of the Zenith Region, Ocre City was a rare sight—a "Concrete Jungle" that was more jungle than concrete. Skyscraper-sized trees integrated into the architecture, and sprawling green belts acted as the city's veins.
This aesthetic was entirely due to the Verdant Gym, the city's heart and pride.
The Verdant Gym was a holy land for Grass-type specialists, led by Master Silas, a man whose strength rivaled the Elite Four. It was the reason Luke had traveled thousands of miles from his hometown to be here.
In this world, Gyms weren't just places to win badges. They functioned like the "Adventurer's Guilds" of old—training centers that managed rookie development, issued survival tasks, and maintained regional security. Luke was currently working as an intern there, a position he'd fought hard to secure.
His reasoning was simple: The Verdant Gym rewarded top interns with high-potential Grass-type eggs.
To Luke, a Grass-type was non-negotiable for a professional journey. You could skip a Water-type by avoiding lakes; you could replace a Fire-type with a good camping stove; you could walk instead of fly. But without a Grass-type's utility—spores for healing, vines for climbing, and natural camouflage—the mortality rate in the "Uninhabited Zones" skyrocketed.
Luke wasn't a ten-year-old from a cartoon. He didn't have a "Super-Soldier" constitution that could shrug off a Flamethrower to the face. He was a human being who preferred not to die in a ditch.
By the time he left the city's central Pokémon Center, the sun was dipping below the horizon, painting the tree-lined skyline in hues of bruised purple and gold.
He decided to walk—or rather, jog—back to the Gym. His bank account was screaming for mercy, and a taxi ride across the city would cost him a day's worth of food. Arno was too large for the narrow pedestrian streets, so Luke had to rely on his own two legs.
After four kilometers of dodging commuters and Oddish-themed food stalls, a sweaty Luke finally reached the entrance of the Verdant Gym. He was ready to collapse into the cafeteria and scavenge whatever leftovers the kitchen staff hadn't thrown out.
Instead, he found a headache waiting for him by the Oddish statue at the gates.
"Luke! Where have you been? I've been looking for you for an hour!"
It was a girl his age, tall and lithe, with a chaotic mane of light purple curls and a dusting of playful freckles across her nose. Most guys would have been thrilled to see her. To Luke, she was just the one person who could make a simple day complicated.