Chapter 13 : Reaching the Top!

After running into the Pidgey, Orion didn't dare to go back there in case the Pidgey waited for him. As tempting as the Reviveleaves were, the reward was too little when compared to the risk. While Orion was willing to take risks, he only took sensible risks.

He continued going outside the city from other directions. As time passed, Orion slowly gathered more Pokecoins. Of course, whatever he would gather would be used up in no time.

He bought some poisonous and paralytic chemicals from the Poke Mart and coated 3 needles with Poison and another 3 with a paralytic agent. Storing them properly became an issue as well, but he was able to sort it out quickly.

He also bought a Pokebelt to hold Pokeballs and bought shoes that were helpful for running. Since he had his own room, he was able to keep his new purchases without raising any suspicions. Or at least, that's what he thought.

Cedric saw Orion leaving the Gym and noticed his new gear. He was confused and wondered, 'Isn't he an orphan? How did he buy these?'

The first thought Cedric had was Orion was stealing. However, he shook his head and thought, 'No, that doesn't seem like his character. He wouldn't have been able to hide such a character from me. I need to observe him.'

Cedric secretly followed Orion without making him suspicious. His eyes widened as he noticed Orion going outside the city. He couldn't help but wonder, 'Did he develop some mental problems due to meditating too much? Why is he going into such a dangerous place?'

Cedric secretly followed Orion from a long distance. He was worried about Orion getting attacked by a wild Pokemon. His eyes widened as he noticed Orion's alertness as he thought, 'Such level of alertness… How long has he been entering these areas without any protection?'

Cedric was shocked. He hadn't expected to see something like this. He saw Orion roam about for around two and a half hours before he found a few Reviveleaves and quickly went to the Poke Mart to sell them.

Cedric fell into deep thought, 'I'm glad that he isn't committing any crime. That said, such dedication… He is risking his life to earn money and is exchanging it for tools that would help him be a Pokemon Trainer. I haven't seen such dedication in a 7-year-old boy before.

What should I do? Should I stop him from doing something so risky? Should I secretly protect him from the shadows? Or should I just let him be?'

Cedric wasn't sure. He wanted to choose the first choice and help out Orion financially himself. However, he wasn't sure if that would be helpful to Orion or restrict his growth. He decided, 'I need to inform Lady Sabrina. Orion's talent in Psychic is already very good. And, he also has so much passion towards becoming a Pokemon trainer. He might just be lucky enough to receive Lady Sabrina's guidance.'

Seeing that Orion returned back to the Gym, Cedric stopped following him and went to see Sabrina. He informed Sabrina about what he had witnessed and filled her in on Orion's information.

Sabrina smiled and said, "Oh, there is such a promising kid in my Gym? You have done a good job training him."

Cedric replied, "I haven't done much. Anyway, what should we do?"

Sabrina answered, "Let him do his own thing. You don't need to bother with him. Just guide him whenever he asks you for your advice."

Cedric was surprised. He asked, "But won't that be very risky for him? We might lose a promising youngster if we let him keep going outside the city. He won't be lucky every time."

Sabrina answered, "That's his fate. If he is destined to rise, then he will survive and become strong in the future. If his luck isn't good, then he'll just join the thousands of new Trainers who die within a year of becoming a Pokemon Trainer."

Sabrina could see that Cedric still wasn't convinced. She added, "A genius can't be created by pampering him with every resource. Luck is a big factor in a Trainer's rise. You might protect him now, but what about when he goes out on a journey?

If he is unlucky and encounters a strong wild Pokemon from whom he can't escape, then all your efforts will be wasted. We don't lack geniuses. Every student in the Gym who has awakened Psychic powers can be considered as a top-tier genius. What we lack is geniuses that stay alive till they mature.

So focus your efforts on finding and guiding more talented students. Leave Orion to his own fate."

Cedric finally relented. He said, "Alright. I will focus on that."

Cedric took his leave. Sabrina looked outside her window. While it looked like she was just gazing outside, her mind was on the dense forests surrounding the Saffron city. There were three dense forests surrounding the city. One in the North-east, one in the North-west and the last one in the Southeastern direction.

Sabrina thought, 'Though we get attacked by Pokemon tides frequently, in truth, almost all the Pokemon tides come from the South-East. From the other directions, only the ones closer to the city participate in the tide. However, if the major Pokemon tribes in the other two forests make a move, then the chances of this city surviving will be very grim.

If we protect geniuses and guide them on their every step, then we will at most be able to create Elite Trainers. While useful, in the grand scheme of things, we need more trainers that can reach the level of Elite Four and the Champion to make a significant difference to humanity.

Such a Pokemon Trainer can only rise after going through innumerable deadly trials and danger. Everyone at the top of the Pokemon League has gone through a similar route.

This boy has shown good initial promise. His path is similar to ours. However, he'll need a lot of luck and the determination to not quit midway if he wants to reach the top. The best thing we can do is not interfere and only offer minimal aid at the right time.'

Sabrina thought for a bit and decided, 'I'll prepare a Gold talent Psychic Pokemon for him if he survives until the time he is ten and becomes an official Pokemon Trainer. A Gold talent Pokemon will easily become Platinum talent as it grows. It should be good enough to give him a strong base. As for the rest, it'll be up to his luck.'

Thanks to Sabrina's decision, Orion's routine wasn't affected. He continued going outside, earning more money and buying more equipment and Pokeballs. On average, he ran into 1 to 2 wild Pokemons every week. However, he was able to escape into the city without much danger thanks to his alertness and training. Of course, the main reason was that the Pokemons he encountered were low level ones.

He did try the combination of poison-coated needles and a Pokeball a few times but was never successful in catching a Pokemon.

Three months passed. Orion was once again searching for herbs when he came across another wild Pokemon!