The alleyway was dark, slling of damp garbage and copper. Eric was lying on the cold concrete, a knife protruding from his stomach. The thugs dressed in uniform stood over him, their faces twisted in mocking sneers as the light faded from his eyes.
But this ti, the cold fury that usually consud him didn't turn into panic.
As the shadows in the dream began to creep in, a massive, jagged shadow detached itself from the wall. Haunter erged, his red eyes burning with a protective, fierce light. Behind him, the muscular silhouette of Poliwrath stood like an immovable wall, while Fearow circled above, her wings cutting through the dark. Even the baby Growlithe trotted forward, his warm, bright orange fire lighting up the alley.
The coldness in Eric's chest dissolved. The knife in his stomach vanished.
The nightmare shattered into pieces.
Eric opened his eyes slowly. The soft daylight of Saffron City filtered through the window of his room. He didn't jump up. His heart wasn't racing, and his skin wasn't coated in cold sweat.
He lay there for a mont, listening to the quiet breathing of his Pokémon resting around him.
'I've changed,' Eric realized, a small, nearly imperceptible smile forming on his face.
In his past life, and during his first few weeks in this world, his mind had been a constant battlefield of anxiety, paranoia, and trauma. He had been a cornered wild animal, reacting to everything with hostility and fear. But now, that suffocating tension had eased. The strength he had clawed his way to get, the resources he had secured, and most importantly, the quiet, unwavering companionship of his Pokémon had filled the void.
He was still cautious -- he would never lose his edge, but he was no longer ruled by his past. He was more relaxed, more easy-going. He could actually enjoy a good al at a restaurant without looking at every exit, and he could look people in the eye without assuming they were trying to slide a knife between his ribs.
He was finally living his second life on his own terms.
---
Thirteen days passed in a blur of highly efficient training.
The ti-skip was fruitful.
Travelling from Saffron to Celadon City, Eric pushed his team to their limits. Ralts and Gardevoir spent their days resting inside the comfortable environnt of his high-end lodging, eating the advanced-level custom Poke blocks he crafted.
The pure, condensed energy worked wonders. Ralts's physical condition was rapidly reaching its peak, while Gardevoir's scarred core was slowly stabilising, the constant dull ache finally leaving her.
Eric had also told Rudy that he had reached the interdiate breeder level in this ti -- which made him fall out of his chair.
With that, he could sell interdiate blocks to the breeder's guild under Rudy's na, further multiplying his inco. It was needed because he suddenly had a lot of resource-hungry Pokémon to take care of.
Growlithe was growing quickly, his body becoming sturdier as he started to look older.
Fearow and Poliwrath, however, had reached an entirely new level of strength.
Eric now stood in the center of the Celadon Gym. The gym was a massive, do-shaped greenhouse, filled with the sweet, intoxicating scent of various flowers and tropical plants. The stands were packed to the brim with spectators, their chatter echoing off the glass roof.
Opposite Eric stood Erika.
She wore a beautiful, traditional green kimono, her dark hair pinned back elegantly.
For a trainer's third badge, they had to face a gym leader or a designated stand-in at the peak of the Interdiate level. Erika, who was currently being trained to inherit the Celadon Gym from her mother, acted as the perfect stand-in for challengers of this rank.
She was already widely renowned as a prodigy in Kanto, and her matches always drew a massive crowd.
The battle was already underway, and the arena was buzzing with excitent.
SCREEECH!
Fearow let out a piercing war cry as she soared through the air, her wings cutting through a gale of sharp leaves. Opposite her, Erika's Victreebel was writhing, its vines whipped up in a desperate attempt to swat the massive bird down.
Fearow's level had reached 36, and over the last thirteen days, she had finally mastered the move they had been practicing since Mount Moon.
"Fearow, finish it. Drill Peck!" Eric commanded calmly.
The crowd leaned forward.
Fearow shot straight toward the sky, then folded her wings and dove down like a falling missile. Flying-type energy surged around her beak, spinning rapidly in a high-speed, tight spiral. The sheer torque of the attack created a visible, drilling wind barrier around her.
Victreebel tried to use Vine Whip to deflect her, but the mont the vines touched the drilling wind, they were shredded into pieces.
CRASH!
The Drill Peck struck Victreebel squarely in the center of its body. The impact was devastating, kicking up a cloud of loose dirt and torn leaves.
When the dust settled, Victreebel lay flat on the ground, completely unconscious.
"Victreebel is unable to battle! Fearow wins!" the referee called out.
The crowd erupted into excited cheers. Eric's Fearow had dominated the field, showing a level of aerial mobility and move mastery that completely defied the standard training thods of commoner trainers.
Erika, however, remained entirely composed. She gracefully recalled her Victreebel, her calm eyes locking onto Eric.
"Your Fearow's coordination is beautiful," Erika said softly, unclasping her second Poké Ball. "But let us see how you handle this. Go, Vileplu."
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