Eric's indifference left Misty puffing her cheeks in sheer annoyance.
'Hmph! He's not taking me seriously at all!'
She let out her tongue and made a face at the departing Eric.
Canna, by her side, just shook her head helplessly.
She watched Eric leave with an amused smile.
'He's in the same league as the two brats from before. Kanto's future is looking up.'
She thought as she ruffled Misty's hair.
As Eric walked out of the battlefield area, the audience naturally parted for him. They had just witnessed his Haunter sweep the gym leader's team with terrifying ease, his ghostly aura still making them shiver from the memory.
Making his way to the lobby, Eric spotted Ethan waiting near the exit. The middle-aged trainer was leaning against the wall, a complex expression etched across his face.
"I knew you were strong, kid, but this is getting ridiculous," Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. "That Haunter of yours... the energy around it felt completely alive."
"He had a breakthrough recently," Eric replied nonchalantly. If it wasn't because of the red fragment pushing Haunter's energy to grade 4, the difference wouldn't be so exaggerated. Even now, the fragment wasn't fully absorbed.
Ethan sighed, though there was no malice or jealousy in his tone.
"I was ecstatic when my Scyther finally broke through to the intermediate level after using that tier-2 crystal. But seeing your pace, I feel like I'm standing still. Even so, I'm not giving up. I earned the Cascade Badge today, and I'll keep pushing forward."
"So...you still want that battle?" Eric replied a bit cheekily, which was rare for him.
"Spare me. I already lost once today. I have no interest in losing twice."
Eric chuckles. "Fine."
Ethen then reached into his bag and pulled out a small, worn notebook.
"This is everything I've learned about training Scyther. Evolution methods, movement drills, energy control. It's not much to the current you, but... it got me this far. Maybe it'll help with Fearow."
Eric stared at the notebook. "Why?"
"Because you're the kind of trainer who deserves to succeed. And because Scyther thinks you're alright."
The Scyther beside him nodded once, arms crossed.
"Take it."
Eric did.
"...Thanks."
"Don't mention it. Just don't forget me when you reach the top." Ethan said as he excused himself.
"So long, kid! I'm going to rest."
Eric watched him go for a moment, then slipped the notebook into his spatial watch.
---
Stepping out of the giant, dome-shaped building of the Cerulean Gym, Eric pulled out his League-issued smartphone. His device was practically vibrating with an endless stream of notifications.
He opened the League App and navigated to his trainer profile.
Name: Eric
AP (Achievement Points): 1950
Followers: 188,420
His follower count, which had hit over 100,000 just recently, was skyrocketing once again. Videos of his gym battle had already been uploaded to the League's trending forums. The clips highlighted Haunter emerging from Eric's shadow, violently shifting the gym's energy balance entirely, before effortlessly obliterating Canna's Golduck.
Eric scrolled through a few posts that tagged him.
"Haunter One-Shots Gym Leader's Golduck!"
"Third Fastest Intermediate Trainer Proves It Wasn't Luck"
"Cerulean Gym Destruction! Who Is This Eric?"
Eric scrolled through the comments, his face deadpan.
"Did you see that?! That Haunter is completely OP! Are we sure it's not Advanced-level?"
"Did you see the energy density? Grade 4 at least. This kid knows what he's doing."
"Another prodigy? Kanto is stacked this generation."
"He's a breeder too?? Check his profile – Beginner Breeder License with a star. Disciple of Rudy from Pewter."
"Okay now that's actually impressive. Breeding is hard."
Not all were positive, however.
"Overrated. Gym leaders hold back. Anyone could do this."
"Probably got lucky with a high-potential catch."
"Let's see him do this against a real opponent."
Eric sighed, closing his phone and shoving it into his pocket.
He knew fame had its uses, but part of him also cringed from these cheap, attention-seeking posts.
To them, he was just content to exploit.
Eric removed all these thoughts from his mind and headed towards the Pokémon Center. His Pokémon needed a rest.
While waiting inside, Eric pondered what he should do next.
His primary concern right now would be his team's imbalance.
Fearow and Poliwhirl were strong, but the gap between them and Haunter was too much, and kept increasing. The fact that Haunter skipped an entire energy grade didn't help with this.
He also had Growlithe to consider. This little pup wasn't even old enough to train yet.
'I need to slow down a bit. Fearow and Poliwhirl need time to digest their gains. Pushing now would only strain them...'
"We need a break!"
---
After getting his Pokémon treated, Eric spent the rest of the afternoonexploring Cerulean City.
The central lake was the main attraction. He walked along the boardwalk, watching fishermen pull up Magikarp and the occasional Goldeen. Kids ran past him, chasing a bouncing Voltorb toy. A street performer had his Machoke juggling flaming torches while a Pichu collected coins in a tiny bucket.
Growlithe, now awake and alert, poked his head out of Eric's jacket and watched everything with wide eyes.
"Growl?"
"That's a Psyduck. They get headaches a lot."
"Growl."
"No, you can't ride the Lapras-shaped paddle boat. You're too small."
Growlithe whined.
"I'll get you a snack instead."
That cheered him up immediately.
They found a small stall selling grilled seafood skewers. The vendor, an old woman with a Slowpoke at her feet, took one look at Growlithe and immediately handed over an extra skewer, which Growlithe devoured in three bites.
Eric paid and kept walking, eventually reaching the Cerulean Aquarium. It was massive – a domed glass structure that extended partially into the lake, with underwater tunnels that let visitors walk beneath schools of Horsea, Staryu, Shelder, and the occasional Lapras.
He paid the entrance fee (500P) and spent an hour inside.
Growlithe pressed his nose against the glass every time a Pokémon swam by. A young girl nearby giggled at him.
"Your Growlithe is so cute!" she said.
Eric nodded. "He knows."
Meanwhile, Haunter was also enjoying himself on the side, occasionally passing through the glass walls to mess with the Pokémon there, before returning,
Sigh. He was getting more mischievous by the day.
Poliwhirl, on the other hand, kept wanting to go swim in the aquarium, which he wasn't allowed to do, so Eric put him back in his ball.
Fearow was too big to be let out here.
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Character images available on patreon! (For free.)
[Eric, Kai, Iris, Alister, Misako, Belle.]
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