c12 – Investigation Mode Activated, Journey to Vermilion City Begins
Alex didn't expect much when he tapped the [Investigation Mode] on the system screen, but the instant the scan results loaded his eyes widened.
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Pokémon: Feebas
Potential: Champion (Hidden Trait)
Ability: Swift Swim
Moveset: Bounce, Tackle, Flail, Poison Fang, Hidden Power
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"Wait what!?" Alex nearly dropped his Pokédex. "A Feebas… with Champion-level potential, and it even knows Hidden Power?!"
He had judged too quickly. This wasn't just some scrawny fish it was a hidden gem. With proper care and evolution, this Feebas could become a monstrous Milotic, the kind of Pokémon revered in Contest Circuits and even elite battle leagues.
"See? I should've trusted the system," Alex chuckled to himself, brushing off his earlier complaints. "Every product of the system is top-grade flawless and beautiful."
From within the system space, a snarky Shiba Inu mascot popped its head out of a speech bubble.
Dog Avatar: "That's not what you said thirty seconds ago…"
But Alex was too preoccupied to argue. His other prize, a glowing bottle of Aptitude Enhancement Liquid, hovered in the air above the interface. Curious, he tapped for details.
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System Prompt:
Aptitude Enhancement Liquid: Can bypass standard growth limitations and forcibly upgrade a Pokémon's base qualification to the Champion tier regardless of starting potential.
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Alex's breath caught in his throat. No way…
He brought up the internal power scaling the system had cataloged, thinking back to what Professor Kukui once shared with him during a study visit:
Pokémon Tiers (in increasing order):
Common – Advanced – Elite – Master – Quasi-Elite – Elite – Champion – Grandmaster.
(Above Champion: Low-tier Legendary, High-tier Legendary, and Mythical-class Pokémon such as Arceus and Eternatus.)
"This… this is broken," Alex whispered. "If I had more of these liquids… I could build a Champion-only lineup. Cynthia, Lance even Steven would have to sing me praise."
Now came the real question: Who would get this first Aptitude Upgrade?
Of the Pokémon currently outside the system's draw pool, only three stood out: Charizard, Pidgeot, and Gyarados.
After a brief internal debate, Alex made his choice.
It had to be Charizard his first Pokémon and oldest companion. They had been together since his early training days in Pallet Town. Loyalty. Growth. Countless battles. The bond was unmatched.
"Old buddy," Alex whispered, releasing the Fire-Flying-type.
Charizard stretched and roared proudly, wings flaring. Alex held up the glowing vial.
"This'll push you beyond your limits—Champion-grade potential. Trust me."
Charizard eyed the bottle. Though it didn't fully understand the mechanics, it trusted Alex unconditionally. With one confident gulp, it drank the entire bottle.
For a moment, nothing happened.
"Hmm… maybe it takes—"
FWOOOSH!
Charizard's body surged with heat. He roared, unleashing a Flamethrower directly into the sky. But something was different. Alex squinted. The flames had a faint golden shimmer within them raw power pulsing through.
And when Charizard accidentally turned and scorched a nearby wall of the Pokémon Center?
BOOM.
The stone wall shattered into rubble. Smoke drifted as Nurse Joy peeked out in horror.
"…Maybe I shouldn't have tested that here," Alex muttered sheepishly.
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Pokémon: Charizard
Qualification: Champion
Ability: Blaze → Competitive (Awakened)
Moves: Flamethrower, Dragon Claw, Dragon Breath, Steel Wing, Ancient Power, Seismic Toss
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Alex smiled warmly. He and Charizard had grown together four years of training, struggling, and evolving side-by-side. Seeing this growth... felt like watching a child mature into a warrior.
After apologizing profusely (and paying the hefty repair fee), Alex left the Pokémon Center and resumed his journey toward Vermilion City, the next stop on his badge quest.
He'd barely made it out of the rocky ridge outside the city when the path shifted into thick woodland. The air smelled of pine and moss, and Bug-type chirps echoed through the forest.
Suddenly, a kid leapt out from behind a tree.
"You there! Let's battle!" the boy yelled, eyes gleaming with excitement.
A Forest Trainer—one of those local battlers who challenge travelers in hopes of both training and prize money. Apparently, victories against challengers were rewarded by the League with Pokédollar bonuses.
Alex's eyes lit up. Money?
He was broke again after paying the Center fine.
Sure, he could ask Professor Oak for help but Alex wasn't one to mooch off old mentors.
"Alright, I accept," Alex said, stepping forward.
"Go! Nidoran♂!"
Alex raised an eyebrow. He launched Recon Mode.
> Pokémon: Nidoran♂
Qualification: Advanced
Ability: Poison Point
Moves: Peck, Leer, Double Kick, Toxic Spikes
Alex smirked. "Looks like a warm-up battle."
What appeared in front of Alex was just a cute little Pokémon with basic qualification nothing special in the system's analysis. Honestly, it killed Alex's fighting spirit.
Still… money is money.
"Electivire, Thunderbolt," Alex commanded lazily.
He released his Electivire with little ceremony, and in one blinding flash, the Needle Bear Pokémon was down for the count.
The boy panicked, scooped up his fainted Pokémon, tossed the prize money toward Alex without a word, and bolted into the underbrush. He didn't even stay to complain.
And so it continued Alex passed through the forest and came across multiple Trainers. Most were inexperienced or had undertrained Pokémon. The battles barely lasted one move. Thanks to that, Alex quickly stacked up a small fortune. He couldn't help thinking:
"Man, if only there were more generous 'donors' like this."
But after hours of hiking, the Trainer encounters dwindled.
"Strange," Alex murmured, glancing around. "Why is it so quiet now? No Trainers in sight at all…"
He tapped the system's scan, which returned no life signs nearby. Suspicious.
"Could it be… my reputation's already spread? That I'm too strong? So no one wants to 'sponsor' my travel funds anymore?"
He sighed in mock despair.
"Looks like I need to stay low-key from now on…"
Just then, a large building emerged in the distance. Gothic in design, its sharp arches and pointed rooftops stood stark against the natural forest. A large LED screen hung above the entrance, flickering with glowing red text:
"Winning Streak: 99 Wins"
Alex froze. The scene was familiar eerily so.
"Wait a minute... This looks just like A.J.'s training facility from the original anime…"
A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. This was going to be fun.
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Alex pushed open the heavy doors and stepped inside.
A.J was already waiting, arms crossed, smirking beneath his green headband.
"You're here to challenge me?" A.J barked. "Good timing. If I beat you, I'll hit 100 straight wins!"
He burst into confident laughter.
Alex studied him quietly. Same cocky attitude, same self-righteous grin. But under the surface there was real discipline in his team.
"You sound sure you'll win," Alex said coolly. "Aren't you afraid of losing?"
"Hah! 'Lose' and 'fear' don't exist in my vocabulary," A.J replied with a scoff. "I've trained my team with harsh regimens. No one stands a chance."
Alex's smile faded slightly. He didn't like arrogance without proof.
"We'll see if your 99 wins mean anything. Let's battle."
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They stepped onto the battlefield.
A.J pointed confidently. "Time to show my ultimate partner!"
"Let's go, Sandshrew!"
A well-trained Sandshrew leapt from the sidelines. Its body gleamed slightly it had clearly gone through physical conditioning. A small ankle harness hinted at weighted training.
Alex narrowed his eyes. "Hmm… A properly bred Sandshrew with endurance focus. Interesting."
"This Sandshrew will make you question your life choices!" A.J boasted.
"Electivire, you're up."
Alex's Electric-type powerhouse entered the field with a crackle of energy.
A.J blinked in shock, then burst into laughter.
"You're using an Electric-type against my Ground-type? What kind of rookie mistake is this? Don't you know type matchups?! You've already lost!"
Alex didn't answer. He didn't need to.
"Electivire, use Thunder Punch!"
The charged fist gleamed with volts as Electivire lunged.
"Sandshrew, use Dig!"
Sandshrew immediately burrowed downward, trying to avoid the blow.
But it wasn't fast enough.
BOOM!
Electivire's fist connected just before Sandshrew fully submerged. The ground exploded as Sandshrew was launched into the stone wall behind A.J.
A.J's jaw dropped.
He rushed forward. "Sandshrew?! Are you okay?!"
To his relief, the Pokémon shakily stood back up, determined to fight on.
"Good! That's the spirit! Let's turn this around!"
"Sandshrew, use Mud Bomb! Let's go!"
The Ground-type hurled globs of thickened mud toward Electivire.
But Alex didn't flinch.
"Dodge and counter with Iron Tail."
Electivire blurred sideways. His twin tails shimmered with metallic glow and slammed into Sandshrew's chest mid-air.
Crash!
Sandshrew hit the ground, dust kicking up around its curled body.
This time, it didn't get back up.
"Sandshrew is unable to battle!"
Silence fell.
A.J stared in disbelief. Two clean hits. His pride, his partner, his streak gone in under a minute.
"I… lost?" he whispered.
He looked up at Alex, and for the first time in a long while, A.J felt the full weight of humility.
"You… You're about my age, right?" he asked slowly. "How are you this strong?"
Alex didn't gloat. Instead, he walked forward and extended a hand.
"A.J, strength isn't just training your Pokémon in isolation. You can't shut yourself off from the world and expect to stay at the top. There are countless Trainers out there with battle instincts, life-or-death experiences, and unique strategies. If you stay cooped up, you'll never grow."
A.J lowered his gaze. The words hit harder than the Iron Tail.
"You're right…" he admitted. "I've gotten complacent. Thanks… I needed that."
After a moment, A.J looked back up. "Hey what's your name?"
"Alex," he said simply, smiling.
"Well, Alex… you've earned my respect."
Then something clicked in Alex's memory. "Wait a sec. A.J, didn't you use special training gear for your Pokémon in the anime version? Weighted harnesses to increase stamina and speed?"
"You bet I do," A.J nodded. "I've got several sets built using Goldenrod Tech. They're high compression, adjustable weights. Why? Interested?"
Alex's eyes gleamed.
"That tech's rare and expensive. One set costs like a million League Coins on the market."
"No biggie," A.J shrugged. "Consider it a gift. You humbled me. Here."
He disappeared into a side room and returned moments later, handing Alex a polished weight set, clearly built with reinforced materials.
Alex stared at it like it was made of gold.
"Too generous…"
But his tone shifted quickly, acting as if A.J were his long-lost brother. "Thanks, man! You're the best! You've got that noble Trainer aura!"
Truthfully, Alex knew how valuable this item was.
Most Trainers could never afford something like this unless they were born into wealth or backed by a major sponsor. The fact that A.J just gave it away…
This is why connections matter, Alex thought. You never know where the next power boost will come from.
And with that, the winning streak record of 99 ended but both Trainers walked away stronger.
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