The morning fog hadn't yet lifted when Nathan stepped into the small canyon Elias had described in his System notes. Cracked earth, broken stone, uneven ridges, it was a natural training field. Wild Pokรฉmon avoided it. The terrain was too unstable.
Perfect.
He released all three of his team members.
Squirtle yawned. Nidoran paced. Zorua stretched and shook dust from her fur.
Nathan opened his notepad, then activated the System overlay.
๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐๐: ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ:
โ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐
โ ๐๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐
โ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ครฉ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐-๐จ๐-๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
"Alright, team," Nathan called. "Today we fight the ground before we fight Brock."
Zorua's ears perked up. Nidoran's tail flicked. Squirtle cracked his neck.
"Let's start with a baseline," Nathan said. "Nidoran, take that ridge. Zorua, to the left slope. Squirtle, circle and flush through the centre."
They moved fastโbut not smoothly.
Zorua's leap was clean, but she slid on loose rock. Nidoran slipped on a gravel patch. Squirtle caught his foot on a root and tumbled halfway down a slope.
Nathan noted everything.
๐ณ๐๐ข ๐ท ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐:
โ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข ~๐บ๐ถ%
โ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐รฉ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
โ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐
By midday, Nathan was sweating. The drills were less about strength, more about awareness.
"Now we reverse it. You hold high ground, I'll try to get past you."
He ran into the field as Zorua blinked into illusion, Squirtle launched Water Gun across his path, and Nidoran spun to intercept.
He dove. Slid. Rolled over loose dust.
And laughed as he popped back up, coughing.
"You're improving."
That evening, Nathan watched his team sleep beneath the ridge, then opened the System alone.
๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ: ๐ โ ๐๐๐: ๐๐๐ / ๐๐๐
๐๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐ก: ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ (๐๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐)
๐๐ฒ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ : ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ง๐๐ซ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ :
โ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ + ๐๐ข๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ง (๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ค ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง)
โ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ + ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ (๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ)
โ ๐๐ข๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ง + ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ (๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ญ)
๐๐จ๐ญ๐: ๐๐ฒ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง.
He sat beside a boulder and tapped one entry.
๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ: ๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ .
๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐: ๐๐% (๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐).
Nathan rubbed his chin. "So our teamwork literally becomes a mechanic. And the System tracks it."
He looked toward the distant city.
"This changes everything."
Day Two of training focused on elevation play.
Nathan erected simple markers and makeshift "bunkers" using logs and stones. He instructed his team to rotate positions constantly during mock battles. The goal: never stay in one elevation tier longer than 10 seconds.
Nidoran adapted first, his springy legs and compact build made for rapid shifts.
Zorua remained fluid but chose shadow routes, often darting behind cover instead of over it.
Squirtle struggled.
Not because of speed, but because his shell made balance hard on shifting terrain.
Nathan called a pause and crouched beside him.
"You're a tank," he said. "You don't need to climb. You need to anchor."
The next drill changed everything.
While Zorua and Nidoran danced across slopes, Squirtle hunkered down in the middle and forced enemy flow toward him with Water Gun bursts.
Nathan grinned.
๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐:
๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ โ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐ก๐จ๐ซ / ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ซ
๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ โ ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ซ / ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ
๐๐ข๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐งโ โ ๐๐จ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ค๐๐ซ / ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ
By sunset, the team was moving as a unit.
They flowed across the canyon like trained fighters, switching roles, responding to calls, adjusting to elevations. Nathan barely had to command them anymore.
The System pinged.
๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ: ๐ โ ๐
๐๐๐: ๐๐๐ / ๐๐๐ โ ๐ / ๐๐๐
๐๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค๐๐: ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค๐๐ซ (๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐๐๐)
๐๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค๐๐: ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ (๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐)
๐๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค๐๐: ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ (๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ)
Nathan opened the Training Tracker.
[๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐] โ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ: ๐ | ๐๐จ๐ง๐: ๐๐/๐๐๐
โ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก
โ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐: ๐๐%
โ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ (๐ค๐ง๐จ๐๐ค๐๐๐๐ค): ๐.๐ ๐ฌ๐๐
โ ๐๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐: ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ
[๐๐ข๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐งโ] โ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ: ๐ | ๐๐จ๐ง๐: ๐๐/๐๐๐
โ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: ๐๐จ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐
โ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฒ: ๐๐%
โ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ค ๐๐ฑ๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐: ๐.๐/๐ฌ๐๐
โ ๐๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐: ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ
[๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐] โ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ: ๐ | ๐๐จ๐ง๐: ๐๐/๐๐๐
โ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ: ๐๐ข๐๐ซ ๐
โ ๐๐ก๐๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐: ๐.๐/๐ฌ๐๐
โ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ
โ ๐๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐: ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ก ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ
Nathan whistled.
"Alright, team," he said that night around the fire. "Tomorrow, we walk into Pewter. But tonight? I just want to sayโฆ"
They all looked at him.
"You're more than numbers. You're my team. And no Gym Leader's going to stop us."
Zorua blinked slowly, then walked over and curled beside Squirtle without hesitation.
Nidoran nudged Nathan's leg before settling down.
Nathan watched the stars.
We're ready.