Opening the door, Harrison was surprised to find Harold sitting on the couch in the living room. Luxray sat by the rug and lightly napped.

  “Not gonna rush over to Oreburgh now that your classes are over?”, Harold asked jovially.

  “As neat as that would be, I wouldn’t be the first one with that idea. Gym Leader Roark is probably gonna be swamped with challenges from yesterday till the end of Winter”, Harrison stated.

  The first four gyms were constantly occupied when the Circuit was in session. The traditional first gym was worse as many people challenged the Gym without consideration for their strength. This meant the Trainers would be too weak or too strong for the first badge level as they had no precedent in battle to gauge their own abilities. This was why those that obtained a Starter would have definite priority because the issues that arose from the challenge would be minimal. There was only so much time that a Rookie could use to grow their Sinnoh Starter before they challenged the First Gym.

  Too many challenges even by weak Trainers would begin to strain the capacity of the Gym. Luckily, they had Oreburgh Mine which supplied plenty of Rock Types through which young Trainers could hone their claws with.

  “Yup, they’re booked and you’ll have to wait a week after registering regardless of when”, Harold murmured.

  “Some might find that to be a bad thing but you can check out Oreburgh City in the meantime. Get to know the place a bit”, he continued.

  “Even if the coal and mining is terrible for your lungs?”, Harrison asked.

  Harold then smirked and gestured to his son to come closer.

  “I’ll let you in on a little secret. Doesn’t seem like you’d want one anyways. The vents in Oreburgh are filtered by Koffing and Weezing. They’re all owned by Trainers because they’re essential to keep the mine functioning. Nobody uses them for battle because they’re usually operating at full capacity and the Weezing would explode if poked”

  “..That’s actually interesting”, Harrison stated. He did notice the vents but never really thought about them. He just assumed they were there to ventilate air but then he realized that the toxic metal-laden air from the mines would have to go somewhere.

  “Each place has their own thing and neat little secrets which you can find if you look closely. They don’t always matter so people usually don’t mention them but those quirks make every place special and worth checking out”, Harold said in a tone that made Harrison think his dad was about to leave home and start hiking across the country.

  Not that he was wrong because Harold often went elsewhere as an Ace Trainer while Giselle, his mother, would be in other cities and teleport home for dinner. He could technically do the same through Maestro but he didn’t because that would lead to some serious dependency issues.

  The only one that didn’t really go anywhere was me, Harrison thought. But all that was about to change once he started his journey. The many places he would go to, the people he would meet, and the battles he would have. It was nothing like going to the store to buy something and just commuting to and from work. This wasn’t just going to a different country as a tourist. It was seeing the world for what it truly was.

  “Now that’s enough of that. I assume you were about to train?”, Harold asked, having noticed Harrison’s mood shift even if it was subtle.

  Harrison nodded.

  The two then headed to the park and situated themselves on a rocky field. Harrison let all his Pokemon roam while training and listened as Harold advised. Unsurprisingly, Maestro remained right next to him. Slumbering as usual and able to sleep through shouting and screaming unless they were directed at him. Seemed more like a psychic ability than an auditory one.

  Nova was next to Luxray as the lion taught its cub some tricks of the trade. If the Pokemon weren’t there, the sounds could be mistaken for exposed wiring.

  “Go through your general plans or ideas of one. Although knowing you, the path is already mapped out”, Harold began.

  “The rough idea is Oreburgh, Eterna, Hearthome, Veilstone, Pastoria-”, Harrison stated.

  “What about Canalave? You could also start there as well”, Harold suggested, referring to the badge level system which had Gyms use weaker Pokemon for Trainers that just started their journeys. This could be overridden by challengers who want more of a challenge but even then the level of challenge was still up to the Gym Leader’s discretion due to many challengers being overconfident with type advantages or not understanding how the difficulty actually ramped up. The award provided by those who sought a greater challenge was up to the Gym Leader but traditionally was a Technical Machine with one of their favorite moves.

  The Canalave Gym had actually applied for a badge threshold which would allow them to refuse any challengers without a certain amount of badges. Snowpoint and Sunnyshore had also implemented a badge threshold although Snowpoint allowed anybody native to the city to challenge without additional conditions. Canalave requested for a badge threshold of four badges but were refused by the League due to their proximity to the traditional first Gym and the typical start of the Sinnoh Circuit.

  “I will challenge Canalave when I’m ready for Iron Island. My Pokemon might be able to take on the starting gyms but Canalave is different”, Harrison said earnestly. His admission had been heard by his Pokemon who became riled up.

  “Shinx!”, Nova yelled with his fur brimming with static electricity. Stratus glared at her trainer and Maestro even woke up. Magikarp was unfazed as it had always been weak.

  “Hahaha. Indeed, they are”, Harold agreed.

  “To anyone else, I’d remind them to be careful but knowing you, that’s not necessary. So instead, I’ll say that not everything can be prepared for or should be prepared for. Anticipating literally everything can rob the joy from surprises and if you plan for everything, then it only hurts more when not everything goes your way especially if it’s just the destination”

  “You can plan and plan but even then you will underestimate how vast the world is. No matter what is planned, there will be unintended adventures, you might get lost in the woods, you will lose your way in the open sea, and even when you start flying, you might miss your destination”, Harold continued.

  This wasn’t a game where all the paths and routes to the next destination were laid out. The people who should be there won’t stay on their spot forever waiting for the next person they locked their eyes on. Pokemon weren’t statistical probabilities that could be reattempted by going back into the grass and running around. Rare Pokemon were few in numbers not low in encounter rates. And journeys changed with circumstance. Not a straight path from point A to point B but with many sidequests or other things which would fill in the gaps.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  Harrison smiled.

  “That’s the point of a journey though. To see how it surprises you”, Harrison began. There were some expectations deep within him for magical moments. Not a yearning for romance but a yearning for the world. To experience what it could offer whether through Pokemon, conflicts, or even other people. As for what form and how he’d remember those moments, he was unsure but he tried to be open-minded.

  “I will still try to prepare for the worst though”, Harrison stated. He already bought ten escape ropes beforehand. Even if they didn’t function by whisking you out of the cavernous networks, they were very sturdy ropes and had earned their reputation as the Hole-Escape Rope for a reason. Apparently, they were psychically imbued and always remembered the direction of the cave entrance you entered through.

  “Yup, that’s how it should go. Take this last month to train and prepare. But also relax a bit, learn a bit about where you might go, but most importantly, make sure that you use every way possible to ensure that you enjoy your journey and time away from home”, Harold stated, ending his lecture. He then ruffled Harrison’s hair.

  Harrison just nodded before turning to face his Pokemon. He had a bit less than a month of training that could be done. Afterwards, everything would be different as he would need to go to new places he had never seen in real life. The in-game versions he remembered were quite lackluster, especially compared to the real thing which had thousands of buildings unless they were categorized as a town. Then they probably only had a couple hundred or way less depending on the size. New people which would exceed his expectations and new Pokemon, perhaps even those that were undiscovered.

  Before he could return to training, a rustling sound could be heard through the bushes. A shape then emerged from the woods and stood ready for battle. The girl then pointed towards Luxray and said in a loud voice, “Your Luxray seems powerful. May I have the honor of challenging it?”

  On her face was a slightly menacing grin and her eyes flickered as she swiftly but accurately assessed each Pokemon out in the field.

  Harrison was surprised. He would occasionally be interrupted but usually only by Travis who had a duty to ensure other people’s safety. Then again, they were in a public park so it wasn’t out of the question for someone to seek a bit of battle.

  Harold then stood up.

  “Then show that you’re worthy. Win against my son or you won’t stand a chance against my partner”, he declared.

  She then locked eyes with Harrison.

  “He’s a bit weak but so be it. I’m Rachel, Dragon specialist and I’ve come to Sinnoh to get my own adorable Gible”

  Harrison side eyed Harold as the challenge was a bit too sudden for his liking.

  Harold then looked back at Harrison with a smirk.

  “She’s strong, be prepared to lose”, Harold stated and slapped Harrison on the back which pushed him forward.

  “I’m Harrison uh Sinnoh native and of this city”, he responded.

  Harold moved to the side to act as a referee.

  “Cocoon, time to crush the competition”, she shouted as she summoned Shelgon.

  A large white shell with legs then emerged from its Pokeball. It then immediately turned and began shouting, “SHELL!-SHELL!”

  “If you want your name to be changed then just evolve. For now and until then, you’ll just be Cocoon”, Rachel said, indifferent to the Shelgon’s complaints.

  The dragon encased in a shell then turned its eyes towards Harrison. She noticed its fixation. It was unusual, especially for her Pokemon.

  “To the air, Stratus!”, Harrison ordered and the bird flew in from the side.

  “Let the battle begin”, Harold initiated.

  “Double Team”, Harrison ordered.

  Stratus moved rapidly and illusory copies of the bird could be seen in its haste.

  “Hyper Voice”, Rachel shouted before immediately covering her ears. Harold did the same.

  Shelgon then stood still and bellowed. A horribly loud roar then resounded which interrupted the bird’s flight.

  Harrison said nothing but the Staravia charged forward with Winged Blade and struck the Shelgon. The dragon didn’t budge but it was definitely hit. It then struck again and again.

  Rachel then sighed as she realized her mistake. Hyper Voice was quite effective on rookies but the bird was well-trained. That and she herself was unable to effectively order any attacks while the sound echoed. She then noticed that Harrison was also unfazed and didn’t need to cover his ears despite the volume of the attack. He didn’t even wince.

  Right when Stratus was about to land another Winged Blade, she ordered, “Dragon Rush”

  The dragon then exited its defensive position and tackled with menacing strength. Stratus swerved and avoided the hit but was still within range.

  “Twister!”, she shouted.

  The dragon then conjured a tornado which caught the bird and made it flinch.

  “Dragon Brea-”, she commanded but was interrupted.

  “Quick Attack it into the Twister”, Harrison suddenly interjected. Stratus then appeared from the trees and dashed straight into the Shelgon, knocking the dragon into its own twister. The Staravia caught in the Twister was revealed to be a copy from Double Team.

  Shelgon then struggled as it was lifted into its own move and the Dragon type energy tore at its original owner.

  “Take it down!”, Harrison concluded, intending to end the fight.

  Stratus then charged in for the final blow but-

  “Protect”, she said with a grin.

  The shell dragon then created a barrier which slowed the impact of the twister. And as the Staravia neared, the dragon slammed the barrier directly onto the bird as if it was slamming a shield. It was skilled enough to maintain the barrier as a projectile.

  Stratus bore the brunt of the strike and landed on the ground immobile.

  From the side, Harold then declared, “Stratus is unable to battle. Cocoon wins the battle”

  “SHEL-SHEL!”, the dragon complained.

  “That was impressive”, Rachel then stated. “I didn’t expect your bird to push Cocoon this far”

  “Well, now that’s done and over with-”, Harrison began.

  She then returned her gaze to the Luxray but Nova got in the way.

  “Shinx!”, Nova growled.

  “It seems Shinx wants to try as well”, Harold stated with a smile.

  Nova then left Luxray’s side and stood in front of Harrison.

  “You sure?”, Harrison asked.

  “SHINX!”, he growled.

  “Are you up for a second round?”, Harrison then asked Rachel.

  Rachel smiled deviously.

  “Alright but let’s make this more interesting with a wager and a condition. I will wager one of the many Dragon Fangs I have in my collection and my condition is that I will be using a Ground type. It might be unfair but I’ll still give it to you if I am impressed. No need for victory but you will still need to match my wager in value”

  Dragon Fangs were useful and quite valuable but Harrison knew of something better. He then decided that it was better to not arouse suspicion especially when the other party was a proficient Dragon trainer that was likely knowledgeable on all items that could benefit dragons.

  Harrison thought for a while then said, “My condition is that your Pokemon is banned from using Ground and Rock type moves”

  “Acceptable. And your wager?”, she asked.

  “I have information on where some Gibles… are”, he said but hesitated when her eyes seemed to literally sparkle.