Chapter 2: First Battle

"Well, since you're so eager to taste failure, follow me to the backyard," Gary said with a confident smirk.

Gary wasn't just eager to battle—he was also motivated by the system's rewards. To complete his mission and unlock the reward, he had to defeat Xiao Cheng.

"I won't lose!" Xiao Cheng retorted, clearly irritated by Gary's arrogance. He wasn't about to back down from a challenge, especially not after hearing Gary's taunts. Determined to win, he followed Gary to the backyard.

Gary, familiar with the layout of Professor Oak's laboratory, led Xiao Cheng to the temporary battle area behind the building. Professor Oak and Xiao Huang also followed, eager to watch the two rookies battle.

The trainers took their positions on opposite sides of the battlefield.

"I'll be the temporary referee," Professor Oak said, stepping into the center. Though the battle between these two rookies seemed insignificant to him, he couldn't help but feel nostalgic. Watching his grandson begin his own journey as a Trainer brought back memories of his own beginnings.

"The battle between Gary and Xiao Cheng will be a 1v1 match," Professor Oak announced seriously. "Please send out your Pokémon at the same time."

"Come out, Charmander!" Xiao Cheng called, tossing his Poké Ball into the air.

"I'll leave it to you, Squirtle!" Gary declared, releasing his Pokémon with a confident gesture.

The two Pokémon appeared before them—Charmander, the fiery little lizard, and Squirtle, the water-loving turtle.

"Let's go, Charmander!" Xiao Cheng's Pokémon was quick to show its aggressive nature. It had only been separated from Squirtle for a few minutes, but now, facing off, it was ready to battle.

"Johnny!" Squirtle responded, clearly upset by the sudden shift in friendship. It was not happy that its former companion had become its opponent.

Both Pokémon were in fighting spirit as Professor Oak raised his hand. "The battle begins!"

"Charmander, use Ember!" Xiao Cheng commanded, eager to launch his first attack. He had done some research on Charmander's moves and knew Ember was one of its primary attacks.

Charmander opened its mouth and shot a small burst of fire towards Squirtle.

"Hide in your shell, Squirtle!" Gary quickly ordered.

Squirtle retreated into its shell just in time, easily withstanding the weak Ember attack. It wasn't a strong enough move to break through Squirtle's sturdy defense.

"What?" Xiao Cheng gasped. He hadn't expected Squirtle to block the attack so effortlessly. His confidence started to waver.

Gary couldn't resist a comment. "Your Charmander's fire control is weak. At this rate, it won't even be able to boil water."

Xiao Cheng clenched his fists in frustration, but he wasn't ready to give up just yet. "Then, Charmander, get closer and grab Squirtle!"

"Charmander!" Xiao Cheng's Pokémon dashed toward Squirtle, its claws ready to grab the water-type turtle. Its movement was steady but not fast.

Gary, however, remained unfazed. "Now, Squirtle, use Water Gun!" he commanded.

Squirtle, with remarkable precision, poked its head out of its shell and fired a powerful stream of water directly at Charmander.

"Johnny!" Squirtle yelled as it launched the attack.

The Water Gun hit Charmander square in the face. Charmander recoiled, howling as the cold water doused its fiery spirit. The impact was like ice-cold water being poured over a hot metal surface, and Charmander's battle condition sharply decreased.

"Squirtle, finish it with Tackle!" Gary quickly ordered.

Squirtle sprang from its shell and rushed toward the stunned Charmander. While the Fire-type was still recovering from the Water Gun, Squirtle delivered a powerful Tackle, knocking Charmander to the ground.

"Well, that's the end of that," Gary said, watching as Charmander lay on the ground, dizzy and unable to continue.

Professor Oak, who had been observing the battle carefully, stepped forward. "Charmander has lost its combat ability. Squirtle wins."

Xiao Cheng stared in disbelief. "What? I… lost?" he muttered in shock. For a rookie like him, losing his first battle was a tough blow. He had expected more from his first Pokémon battle.

"Don't be too upset," Gary said arrogantly. "After all, the one who defeated you is the future Pokémon Master."

Xiao Cheng, his face flushed with anger, shot back, "You… just wait! I'll surpass you eventually!"

Gary didn't respond to the taunt, only urging, "Quit talking nonsense. Take Charmander to the lab for treatment."

Xiao Cheng, still angry, recalled Charmander into its Poké Ball and stormed off to the laboratory. Xiao Huang, who had been watching silently, decided it was time to set off on her own adventure and quietly left the scene.

Gary, however, didn't rush to follow them. He headed to the laboratory's lounge, eager to check the reward from the mission he had just completed.

"System, what's in the deluxe gift pack?" Gary asked, his curiosity piqued since he had obtained Squirtle.

[System Message: The host must say "Open the deluxe gift pack" to access the contents.]

Gary nodded to himself, then said aloud, "Open the deluxe gift pack."

The air around him shimmered, and a series of notifications appeared.

[Ding! Obtained the Eye of Insight (can view the basic data of Pokémon, can view the detailed attributes of your own Pokémon).]

[Ding! Obtained the Bronze Crown (for Pokémon below Elite potential, increases potential level by 1) x1.]

[Ding! Obtained the Silver Crown (for Pokémon below Champion potential, increases potential level by 1) x1.]

[Ding! Obtained Low-Level Rare Candy x10.]

Gary's eyes widened as he looked at the contents of the gift pack. The Eye of Insight was particularly interesting, as it would allow him to view the detailed data of his Pokémon. The two crowns—Bronze and Silver—were also impressive. They would enhance the potential of his Pokémon, especially Squirtle, whose potential was already at the Elite level.

Gary had a sudden thought. Will others be able to see this?

[System Message: The system contents are only visible to the host.]

"Good," Gary sighed with relief. He didn't want anyone discovering that he had the system.

"The rewards are decent," he mused. These crowns can make my Pokémon even stronger.

Gary then turned his attention to Squirtle's data, eager to see what his new partner was like.

He opened the Poké Ball and looked at the information that appeared in front of him:

[Pokémon: Squirtle]

[Type: Water]

[Level: LV8]

[Potential: Elite]

[Ability: Torrent (When HP is low, Water-type moves become 1.5 times stronger).]

[Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Withdraw.]

[Friendship: 156 (Maximum: 255).]

Gary smiled. Squirtle's potential was indeed elite, just as he had hoped. Its ability, Torrent, was also a solid choice, increasing the power of Water-type moves when its HP dropped. This would give Squirtle a serious advantage in battle, especially during crucial moments.

This is a great start, Gary thought, looking at Squirtle with satisfaction. With his new Pokémon and the system's support, he was more determined than ever to become the Pokémon Master.