The further Nathan moved through Mt. Moon, the more the silence became a weight.
The upper caverns gave way to tighter passages veined with glowing minerals. Zubat screeches echoed now and then, but it was the crunch of gravel underfoot that kept him grounded.
He'd slept lightly at the camp, thoughts circling back to the ancient ruin. But the path forward didn't wait.
Beside him, Squirtle marched with steady steps. Nidoran trailed just behind, watching the cracks above. Zorua flickered in and out of shadow along the edge of the tunnel wall.
Nathan paused at a bend and took a deep breath.
It was time.
He unclipped the fourth pokéball.
"Mankey," he said, releasing the fierce little fighter onto the uneven stone.
Mankey landed, fists up, eyes darting wildly before locking on Nathan.
No immediate charge. No defiance.
Just tension.
Nathan crouched.
"We're moving forward. You're not here to prove anything. Just to fight with purpose."
Mankey's tail flicked once. His head tilted.
Then, slowly, he nodded.
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐜 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝: 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐲 (𝐁+) 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞: 𝐀𝐠𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐫 | 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝: 𝟒/𝟏𝟎𝟎 (𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐝 → 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧)
𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐫: +𝟏𝟎% 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬
Minutes later, Nathan rounded a corner and walked into a trainer already mid-throw.
A bright red bandana flapped behind her as her pokéball sailed forward.
"Watch it!" she barked. "These Zubat are already swarming—"
But her sentence cut short when she caught sight of him.
"…Oh. Challenger. Sorry."
Nathan nodded slowly. "Nathan."
"Kayla. Short-staffed Ranger. You look like someone who can handle a skirmish. Wanna help me clear a pair out? Two-on-two?"
He smirked. "Let's go."
𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝: 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 & 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐊𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐚 𝐯𝐬. 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐙𝐮𝐛𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦 (𝐱𝟐)
𝐂𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐈 – 𝐋𝐨𝐰 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 | 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬: 𝐄𝐜𝐡𝐨 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐙𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬
𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐤é𝐦𝐨𝐧: 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐲 (𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧), 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞 (𝐊𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐚)
𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: 𝐙𝐮𝐛𝐚𝐭 𝐀 & 𝐁 – 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝟏𝟎/𝟏𝟏 | 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐂- / 𝐃+
"Growlithe, Ember sweep!"
Flames lit the low ceiling, scattering some of the smaller Zubat nearby. The two hostile ones dropped lower, fangs gleaming.
"Mankey, watch their angle. Low Kick if they drop!"
The first Zubat dove, attempting a Bite. Mankey snarled, darted under it and slammed his foot forward, catching it mid-swoop.
Zubat A HP: 64% | Flinched | Mankey HP: 88%
Zubat B retaliated with Supersonic, soundwaves bouncing violently off the walls.
Mankey flinched, staggering back, disoriented.
Nathan gritted his teeth. "Hold, pivot right and use Fury Swipes."
Mankey roared through the confusion, leaping in a blind spin and landed three sharp strikes against the confused attacker.
Growlithe's second Ember scorched the ground near both Zubat, finishing the weakened one.
The last turned to flee, scorched and half-dazed.
𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝟔𝟔 𝐄𝐗𝐏 | 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝: 𝟗/𝟏𝟎𝟎 (𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 → 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭)
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐄𝐗𝐏: 𝟑𝟔𝟎 / 𝟒𝟎𝟎
Kayla whistled. "Your Mankey's got fight. Most people can't even keep those."
"He's learning his footing," Nathan said quietly, watching as Mankey paced in slow circles, tension draining from his frame.
Kayla nodded. "This tunnel bends again soon, opens into a clearer exit. Watch for Sandshrew on the left flank. They ambush low."
She gave him a respectful two-finger salute and vanished into the next corridor.
Ten minutes later, just as Kayla predicted, the passage opened into a wide chamber lit by glowing moss and ambient crystal veins. A faint breeze rolled through—fresh air.
They were close to the exit.
But not alone.
Another trainer stood in the centre of the space, adjusting a scarf around his neck, surveying the area.
He noticed Nathan and smiled.
"Didn't expect to see someone ahead of me," he said calmly.
Nathan slowed.
"Who are you?"
"Just another climber," the boy replied. "But we're both headed out, right? Let's make it interesting."
He tossed a pokéball lazily.
"1v1. Something quick."
Nathan narrowed his eyes.
The System chimed softly.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝: ??? – 𝐈𝐃 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝
𝐏𝐨𝐤é𝐦𝐨𝐧: 𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧
𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟏𝟎–𝟏𝟐
𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚. 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝-𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
Nathan hesitated—but nodded.
"Mankey," he said.
The stranger smirked. "Good choice."
He sent out a long-limbed, narrow-eyed Pokémon, dark green and moss-toned, crouched low like a predator.
Nathan blinked.
"That's a Treecko."
Not native to Kanto.
𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐨 – 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝟏𝟏 | 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐀- | 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞: 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬: 𝐔𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐞𝐫
The match began instantly.
Treecko blurred forward, Quick Attack, barely visible in the dim light.
Mankey growled, ducked, and answered with Low Kick but the lizard twisted mid-air and landed behind him.
"Again!" Nathan barked. "Feint left, Fury Swipes!"
Mankey faked left, then lunged. Claws caught the Treecko once—twice.
But the opponent flipped backward and launched a Bullet Seed barrage, striking across the chest.
Mankey HP: 61% | Treecko HP: 72%
They circled. Sparks danced in the air. Mankey bared his teeth, but no longer looked wild.
He looked sharp.
Focused.
Nathan met his eyes. "Don't match speed. Break rhythm. Charge, then stop. Fake him."
Mankey ran.
Then stopped.
Treecko blinked—misreading it as a recoil.
That was enough.
"Low Kick, NOW!"
The blow cracked across the knee joint. Treecko crumpled, stunned.
One more strike.
"Fury Swipes!"
Mankey roared and delivered the finisher.
𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝟕𝟗 𝐄𝐗𝐏 | 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝟏𝟔/𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐄𝐗𝐏: 𝟒𝟎𝟎 / 𝟒𝟎𝟎 – 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐔𝐩 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝
The stranger returned his Treecko without a word, expression unreadable.
Then he offered a slow nod.
"Well played, Nathan."
Nathan froze.
He hadn't given his name.
But the stranger just smiled and walked calmly toward the exit tunnel.
Gone.
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐔𝐩: 𝟓 → 𝟔
𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝: 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 (𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐈)
𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞: 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐜𝐡𝐨 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐧 – 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐮𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬
𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬: 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞 +𝟏𝟎% 𝐟𝐨𝐫 '𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞' 𝐨𝐫 '𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠' 𝐏𝐨𝐤é𝐦𝐨𝐧
Nathan stared at the System notification—then back at the tunnel.
Who was that?
And how did he mask his entire System profile?
Zorua stepped beside him, eyes narrowed at the path where the stranger had vanished.
Nathan exhaled, heart still pounding.
Whatever was happening beneath Mt. Moon—it wasn't just a matter of wild Pokémon anymore.
And this path, however quiet, was far from empty.