party

"Excuse." Someone spoke to Volkner, who was walking in silence.

"Are you alone?" Volkner turned. He saw a pretty girl right in front of him. She wore a cotton hat and bluish leather armor.

"A girl," he told himself.

"Yeah, it's just me." Volkner lowered his tone.

"Do you want to join us for a hunting mission? We have 4 people with normal pokemons and a poisonous pokemon and a flying pokemon.

Volknwr glanced over her shoulder before answering. There were two robed girls and a man he assumed was an archer. After evaluating them, he found out why they asked a stranger to join the group.

'I don't even have pokemon...'

These users were all 'squishies' wearing leather clothing and armor, limited to long-range attacks, only that rat could make a close-range attack... Do they want a human Tank?.

It's not a bad deal. It's my first battle, and it's probably best to start at a party. It's always better to be safe than sorry, he thought.

Volkner readily consented,

"Sounds good to me."

"Thanks."

Volkner quickly joined the party.

"It's good to see you. I'm Vanessa, support with a Pidgey level 7. I focus and provide long-range attacks by distracting enemies, but I wanted a pokemon that heals..."

"I do everything with my level 6 rat, my name is Ray. Mainly dealing with quick attacks."

The two girls introduced themselves first and then it was the man's turn. He studied Volkner's face curiously before speaking.

"I'm Parker, DPS Spearow with my level 6. You got guts, man, going alone on the night hunt like this."

"Hehe, I'm Sera, Ekans level 7."

They told him the names and levels of their pokemons, and now it was Volkner's turn.

"Name is Volkner, just me and god."

"God is Max LvL"

"…"

A silent shock swept through the others.

Parker took courage and asked:

"And what are you equipped with?"

"...Where's your pokemon?"

"All I have is this sword."

"…"

Down to the last powder in his pocket, Volkner had only five silver coins. Fine leather armor, other than expendables, costs thirty bucks.

Pokemon? he was after one right now.

Volkner didn't bother with ordinary quests, so he didn't even have enough money to buy leather armor.

Even though if you did city quests you wouldn't get a starter Pokemon, the quests didn't pay well either. So Volkner didn't even bother doing some of them.

"And your class is...?"

"Undecided,"

Volkner replied, shaking his head doubtfully. He felt that something wasn't right, although he couldn't pinpoint why.

"Gee!" Parker finally took a deep breath. He looked completely lost.

"I guess it's up to you to decide which class is best for you… By the way, it felt like you were hunting alone. Is this your first time here?"

"Yes, I'm new to the VR game."

"I see. Why am I not surprised to hear that?"

"You don't even have pokemon with you..."

With Volkner's frank answer, Vanessa and Ray looked at Seera with reproachful eyes. Their looks said she'd picked the wrong guy.

Pokemons: 0, LvL: Nonexistent, Class: Undecided.

As if that wasn't enough, this ragged-looking kid was a VR newbie.

Lack of experience is usually fatal when confronted by a monster in your first battle. You just lose your cool, lose your mind, and then lose your life, in that order.

They were aware of this because they had been through their rookie part.

Every time your pokemon died it lost 1 level and would be unusable for 3 days.

These pokemons, while adapted for beginners within reach of the City, are still comparatively fierce and powerful. A great challenge for a single player.

Some attacked so fast and stealthily that it was almost impossible to dodge.

"Phew… I think we're in trouble."

Parker didn't know what to say and gave an evasive smile. Volkner decided to speak up straight to save everyone from discomfort.

"I'll leave the party if you think I'm going to do more harm than good. I have yet to get my first pokemon."

"I'm very sorry."

Seera acknowledged her mistake and bowed to Volkner apologetically. On second glance, she saw that he was using basic GI.

"I thought he was strong because he had an iron sword. Geez, where did he get that sword? It looks really good…" She said to herself.

Volkner broke away from the party and went out into the field alone. Parker and Seera felt guilty for having disowned him.

"What should we do now? Find a replacement?"

Substitutions were everywhere. The only commodity that was in short supply on the Continent were users, and monsters were in short supply.

"Look, we already shook his hand."

"If we fight as a team, it will work, right?"

"I think so, but..."

"We will try."

They caught up with Volkner. He was busy looking at a bunch of rats and Cartepie that were jumping around. He ignored monsters in general, how much damage they could inflict and what pattern they would use to attack.

Parker asked, "Excuse me, if you're still interested, we want you in."

"I have no level and no pokemon. If you're okay with that, I want to play with you," Volkner said cautiously.

"Well, we're cool. We're a team now. You don't have to push yourself in front, and if you want, you can stay behind us."

"We can even help you capture some more easily"

Parker suggested that Volkner protect himself rather than take an active role in the hunt. In their eyes, he was nothing more than a pure novice.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. You can't collect experience, but your priority right now is to increase your experience in this game. Listen, even if you stay back here, you might as well learn how to play by watching us."

"…"

Parker omitted this, but additional rewards according to his contribution were given. Classes also provided additional rewards.

It was, to say the least, a disappointment to others that Volkner was freelance.

Even though the Pokemon Online game doesn't give LvL for the user (their avatar) and only for their Pokemon, it was basic knowledge that even someone with a sword or a bow, with the right skills could kill pokemons without help from their own pokemons.

Some were even using traps and for some of them they even proved to be effective. There was a ranger who got a hidden class and used different types of traps to catch and kill pokemons more easily.

In short, although Pokémon Online puts a lot of emphasis on using pokemon and being the main power of strength. People shouldn't ignore what a normal human being could do in the face of such monsters and not become dependent on pokemons.

But only a small minority knew this or tried to maintain a fighting style like that, it was more normal to stay behind their pokemon giving orders from a safe place, so Parker felt guilty.

"Now, stay back and watch us take some down for now, Volkner. When you find room to spare, get in, try and get out. We'll help you capture, just stay tuned and when you can attack some mobs, divert your agro elsewhere. or something like that."

Volkner nodded. "I see."

The confusion was resolved, and Volkner decided to join the group and hunt monsters together. It was a pick-up group designed to handle many mobs around the City, and his teammates were already involved in pick-and-roll without him. The point is, however, that they realized that it was too risky to go too deep, relatively weak pokemons with high agility in dodging attacks compensated for a low level of defense, had it sunk in the front line. That's why they expected volkner to have some rock or fire type pokemon for "Tank"

* * *

"Damn it."

Ken, the successor to Kendo, one of America's traditional fencing schools, pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. In the Hall, hundreds of teenagers and adults were practicing Kendo, shouting battle cries.

"Yatz!"

"Yatz!"

Ken could hear the erupting screams and whistling sounds generated by swords in action.

Once you master swordsmanship, a sound gives you a clue as to which stage a Kendo practitioner is in.

Ken was ranked as the best Kendo master, recognized worldwide, four times world champion of fencing.

As Ken matured in age, he retired to his own dojo and devoted his time and energy to training the next generation of Kendo practitioners, but his hand and body never left the sword, not even for a second.

"I didn't see anyone with guts. I should have trained that kid properly when he was around. He's got something, something that could transcend my talent. Besides, he's got guts and balls…"

Ken used to be pleased to have a large number of competent apprentices. They were talented enough to qualify for a medal at the World Fencing Championships which was held every five years.

One day, however, the grandmaster's perception turned upside down.

* * *

One year ago.

A man in his twenties visited Ken's dojo

"Hello, I'm Volkner Aslan. I came here because they recommended that this is the best Kendo dojo"

"Son, have you handled a sword before?"

"No sir. That's why I'm here to learn."

"True. You must learn it. Learn and learn until you have an understanding of the big picture of swordplay, then we can talk about who is the best."

Ken believed it was the end of everything and forgot about the boy for a while. Then, one morning, he saw Volkner Aslan swinging a sword in a shower of sunlight.

Volkner swung his sword for hours. His movement synchronized with his breathing patterns, and his sword made a beautiful sound. He had already reached a stage beyond what a beginner could reach in a few months.

Ken summoned his subordinate instructors and asked them about Volkner, who ended up devoting himself to incessant exercise.

"Speaking of this apprentice, he caught the bug. I haven't seen anyone more obsessed with training than he is."

"How obsessed is the boy?"

"Once he picks up a sword, he never lets go of it unless we take it out of his hands."

"Do you have to pull the sword out of his hands to stop him?"

"Yes master. If we leave him alone, he will swing his sword hard until he is completely out of breath. The first day he joined the dojang, he kept swinging his sword when his palms were slashed with bleeding."

"He went so far…"

"Yes master. Exactly the same thing occurred on the second day. He trained in sword techniques while bleeding until a callus formed, his grip was firm and his palms were as hard as a rock. So it is not surprising that he reached that level so quickly."

"He is incredible!"

Ken chose Volkner to be his successor without telling him so.

Talent and work. The apprentice had both virtues, and what really captured the master's mind were his eyes. When Ken instructed his supposed successor for a duel, his eyes gleamed with something distinct.

It was the will to fight that an ordinary man whose instinct had been castrated by civilization couldn't muster. This was found in Volkner Aslan.

It was still a trying time for him. Ken believed it was too early to tell Volkner of his plans, which could jeopardize his progress. Therefore, the master treated his apprentice quite indifferently, motivating him with many goals and watching his progress from a distance.

Then, one day, Volkner stopped checking into the dojo.

* * *

"Back to now.

"Wow."

Ken's sigh deepened.

"I wonder what he's doing. I should have made him my successor when I could."