Leaving For The Journey...

Pallet Town, inside a farm hut.

At this time, Zephyr had already returned home, while his father sat on an old sofa watching TV, drinking a cup of hot milk.

"Back already? Did you catch your Pokémon?" his father asked without turning his head.

"I got it," Zephyr replied softly.

"Oh?"

Hearing Zephyr's words, his father turned his head, looked him over, then asked, "What Pokémon did you catch?"

Zephyr didn't say much. He simply took out the Poké Ball and released his Pokémon, Gastly.

The ghost Pokémon, having devoured many others, now looked a bit stronger. And with the evening sky, Gastly seemed more energetic as it was released.

"A Ghost-type. Looks pretty good. Take care of it well. You've proven yourself to me. Rest today, start your journey tomorrow."

Seeing the Gastly, his father's eyes lit up. He put his milk cup down, stood up, and said, "Tomorrow, the outside world will be waiting for you. Take a good rest, then go out and see what it's like."

He walked over to a nearby cabinet, took out a small box and a travel backpack, and handed them to Zephyr. "Inside the box are five empty Poké Balls and a Pokémon Guide. The backpack has supplies for your journey. You don't need to say goodbye tomorrow, just go. I'll get some extra sleep."

After passing him the items, his father sat back down and resumed watching TV, sipping his milk.

---

The next morning, Zephyr woke up early, gathered a few food supplies from home, and left with the items his father gave him.

Meanwhile, his father, still lying in bed, suddenly jumped up. He stood by the window, watching Zephyr's figure gradually disappear from view.

"Zephyr, you're ready to leave. I've spent ten years here. It's time I went to handle my old business... You carry your mother's kindness, but you also have my unyielding spirit in you. I see you chose a Ghost-type. Haha, that's my son."

His father paused, scanning his surroundings. He had lived as an ordinary farmer here for the past ten years, but now, it was finally time to take action.

"Old friend, let's go. It's time."

His father released his own Pokémon, a large Fearow. He jumped onto its back, and together they soared into the sky, leaving the farm hut behind.

---

Zephyr, now out of Pallet Town, was walking through the forest near the outskirts. As long as he crossed this forest and traveled a little further, he'd reach the nearest city, Viridian City.

Viridian City was famous for its Pokémon Gym, led by the Gym Leader, Giovanni—though Zephyr knew that Giovanni was just a figurehead for the real power behind the scenes.

Zephyr paused for a moment, thinking about his father, Giovanni, and the strange hidden identities they both seemed to maintain. What were they hiding from? Was it the Pokémon League or something even stronger?

He shook his head, dismissing the thoughts. He was still too weak to worry about that. For now, his focus was on training Gastly. With its power of devouring, it would become stronger with time, and soon, Zephyr would be ready to face whatever came his way.

"Gastly, come out."

Zephyr released his Pokémon. The forest was quiet, with few people around. It was the perfect place for Gastly to grow stronger by devouring weaker Pokémon without drawing attention.

[System Alert] Gastly successfully devoured a Caterpie. Combat power +1.

[System Alert] Gastly successfully devoured a Nidoran♀. Combat power +1.

Zephyr continued watching as Gastly devoured more Pokémon, strengthening itself. However, Gastly hadn't gained any new moves from this feeding spree, which made Zephyr a little disappointed.

After staying in the forest for three days, Zephyr had traveled through Viridian Forest and decided to head into Viridian City to stock up on supplies. The forest was much bigger than the one near Pallet Town, and the diversity of wild Pokémon was astounding.

[System Alert] Gastly successfully devoured a Nidoran♀. Combat power +1.

[System Alert] Gastly successfully devoured a Bellsprout. Combat power +2.

Zephyr thought for a moment, "I need to find stronger Pokémon for Gastly to devour. The weak ones like Caterpie and Nidoran♀ aren't enough to increase its combat power quickly. Though, I'll need to be cautious—Beedrill and Butterfree are dangerous. If Gastly isn't strong enough, it could get hurt."

Then, a thought hit him. "Wait, I still have the Points Mall!"

He accessed the Points Mall through his system, which appeared in his mind. The mall offered a wide array of items, from technology to Pokémon eggs to food that could increase Pokémon loyalty.

He browsed the selections, then paused at the sight of some useful items.

"In the technology section, there are tools to catch more powerful Pokémon, and in the Pokémon section, I can buy eggs... but those are too expensive with my current points. Maybe something else?"

The system suddenly chimed in.

[System Alert] Recommendations for you: Shock nets for catching Beedrill and Butterfree are available. You can purchase them with your points.

Zephyr's eyes lit up. "Shock nets? Those would be perfect for catching Beedrill in the forest."

"I'll buy one." Zephyr decided.

[System Alert] Purchase successful. 700 points deducted. Shock net added to your backpack.

Zephyr smiled as he realized the true potential of his backpack. "I can store everything in here. This is awesome."

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