In his room, David was practically bouncing off the walls with joy.
"YES! Combat system, baby!" he shouted, punching the air like he'd just won the Pokémon League and a lifetime supply of potato chips at the same time.
Meanwhile, Pikachu—who knew his trainer all too well—quietly slipped into the kitchen and began hiding every single cooking tool it could find. Pots, pans, ladles, even the rice cooker cord. All stuffed under the sink, behind the fridge, and one was even wedged in the laundry basket. Anything to delay what it feared was coming.
"Pi...ka..." Pikachu muttered in horror, clutching a spatula like it had PTSD. Laxative laced Stew threats had been made before. And they were not taken lightly.
David, however, was too absorbed in his excitement to notice the kitchen crime scene. He flopped back on the sofa like a king surveying his kingdom.
"This changes everything," he whispered dramatically, staring at the ceiling like it had the answers to life. "Combat system… oh man, this is gonna fix everything."
He was genuinely relieved. Until now, he'd been pretty anxious about how slow Pikachu and Ralts were leveling up. Sure, they were strong—Pikachu could zap a microwave from across the room—but compared to kids like Tom and Jake, David always felt like he was lagging behind.
Jake? That rich meathead probably had his Pokémon swimming in luxury Poké-spas and eating secret treasures like breath mints. And Tom? Even his dumb Squirtle had already swallowed one. David bet his next snack that Squirtle would be scarfing down treasure number two soon. Then three. Maybe even four, if Tom's dad decided to sell one of his backup yachts.
"Money really does talk…" David muttered with a grimace, sinking deeper into the couch cushions. "And I barely have enough for a soda."
It bugged him. Sure, he had the system. But unlike those spoiled brats with their premium snacks and shiny Pokéballs, David had to rely on hard work, sarcasm, and the occasional lucky draw. Pikachu had only eaten two secret treasures so far, and both were drawn by the system. What if his luck ran out? What if the next draw gave him something like "used shoelaces" or another pair of women's stockings?
The thought alone made him shiver.
And even worse—he couldn't count on going too deep into the Mystery Zone. The outer edges had already been picked clean by everyone and their grandma. Even with the hint system, there was no guarantee he'd find another treasure.
"No one's out there handing out treasure maps," David grumbled, rubbing his temples. "Unless Dora the Explorer's hiring."
So for someone like him, who couldn't just go on a treasure shopping spree, the new combat system was a lifesaver. Literally. If Pikachu and Ralts could gain experience fast just by battling, that was their ticket to leveling the playing field.
"Time to grind," David said with a grin. "If we can't pay to win, we'll punch our way to victory!"
He let out a long breath and slumped back on the couch again, finally letting his excitement simmer down. The glow of the golden reward still replayed in his head.
A Gold Legendary—from a D-level draw, no less.
That kind of miracle didn't just happen. It was like finding a rare candy in your cereal box. And it made one thing very, very clear.
He was done for now.
"Nope," David muttered, eyes darting to the mental lottery wheel. "Not pulling again. I know how this works. You win big once, and the system starts feeding you trash. Next thing you know, I'll win a 'Thank you for your patronage' and a used spoon."
He folded his arms and nodded firmly.
"Yeah. That's enough excitement for today. I'm out. No more draws."
Pikachu peeked nervously around the corner, holding a frying pan like a shield.
David glanced over and grinned. "Don't worry, buddy. You live another day."
Pikachu let out a shaky sigh and slowly lowered the pan.
And just like that, the draw ended—with David somehow managing to escape bankruptcy, system trolling, and accidental laxative added Pokémon stew all in the same evening.
David was buzzing with energy, pacing around the room like a kid on espresso. With tomorrow's trip into the Mystery Zone looming, he knew he had to start prepping. Luna had said she might be stuck inside the place for a few months, and David—being David—interpreted that as "prepare for a zombie apocalypse but with Pokémon."
"First things first," he muttered to himself, cracking his knuckles, "snacks."
He pulled out a variety of ingredients and started making his signature "jet cubes"—tiny cubes packed with energy, flavor, and suspiciously unnatural levels of caffeine. Think energy bars, but more cube-shaped and possibly illegal in some regions.
Not stopping there, David also whipped up a batch of homemade energy meds, this time with one important change.
"No laxatives this time," he said to himself, firmly. "We do not need a repeat of the Great Diarrhea Disaster of last week."
He looked at Pikachu and Ralts, who both flinched.
"I said I was sorry!" David called defensively. "How was I supposed to know the side effects would hit mid-battle?"
Anyway, this new batch had a generous helping of Moomoo Milk—rich in nutrients, smooth in texture, and, according to David, "the champagne of Pokémon dairy." It could rival any high-grade energy cube on the market.
He packed the cubes neatly, setting aside the ones meant for Pikachu and Ralts, then tossed a few extra into a separate pouch for himself. After all, energy cubes worked on people too. And in the wild, he wasn't about to spend three days gnawing on berries like some lost Mankey.
But just in case... he also packed three bags of barbecue chips, two candy bars, and a suspiciously large pack of marshmallows.
You know. For emergencies.
After sealing his rations like a proud chef, David moved on to inventory.
"Poké Balls…" he muttered, checking the belt on his table. Only four left. "Huh. That won't cut it."
He went online and ordered a few more. In true David fashion, he picked the cheapest model with the highest customer complaints. It didn't matter. Poké Balls were Poké Balls—unless they exploded, they'd do the job.
And then came the final item.
A fishing rod.
"A what-now?" Pikachu asked with his eyes, watching as David spent 2,000 Alliance Coins on the most budget fishing rod he could find.
"Don't judge me, okay?" David said, swiping to confirm the purchase. "Mystery Zones are 80% forests and lakes. You never know when you might need to fish. And maybe—just maybe—I'll catch a Kyogre."
Pikachu gave him the flattest stare known to rodentkind.
David smirked. "Hey, laugh all you want, but the dream is free."
From somewhere in the void, an imaginary Kyogre rolled its eyes.
[Kyogre: Who the heck do you think I am?!]
[Kyogre used Origin Pulse! It's super effective on your fishing rod!]
David clicked his tongue. "Yeah, yeah. Dream killer."
He laid out all his gear: Poké Balls, adventure suit, fishing rod, snack stash, and the now legendary moomoo-powered energy cubes. Everything was in place.
That's when it happened.
Clang-dang!
A loud crashing noise rang from the bedroom.
David sighed immediately. "Ralts... again?"
No reply.
He rubbed his face with one hand. "If I go in there and you've turned my pillow into a telekinetic piñata again, I swear…"
"Lalu!"
Ralts shouted from the bedroom, calling for him in a panic.
David jogged over, muttering, "What now, a psychic earthquake?"
But as he stepped into the room, he froze.
A brilliant white glow filled the entire space. Blinding, pure, and powerful—it washed over everything, even drowning out the ceiling lights. David had to squint just to keep his eyes open.
Then, right on cue:
[Ding! Dreepy has hatched successfully!]
His heart skipped a beat. He looked into the center of the glowing light and saw it—small, hovering, and oddly adorable.
A flat, wide head. Two pale yellow eyes blinking in confusion. Tiny hands twitching uncertainly in the air.
"Dreepy!" David shouted, grinning like a madman.
He hadn't expected it to hatch now. He'd actually debated whether to carry the egg into the Mystery Zone with him, but apparently, Dreepy had other ideas.
"Dreep!"
Dreepy's little eyes sparkled when it heard David's voice. It recognized him instantly—after all, it had spent days listening to him complain about bills, reheating pizza, and monologue about conspiracy theories involving Professor Oak.
With a happy little chirp, Dreepy darted forward and burrowed into David's arms like a cold ghostly missile.
"Whoa, hey there, buddy!" David laughed, catching it. The moment Dreepy nestled into his chest, he shivered.
Dreepy's body was ghostly cold, like holding a scoop of powdered snow that never melted. Combined with its smooth dragon-like scales, the sensation was strangely... perfect.
"In this heat?" David murmured, "You're better than air conditioning."
He hugged the little guy tighter and grinned. "Welcome to the team, Dreepy. Don't worry—we've got a bunch of nonsense ahead."
Ralts peeked from behind the bed, visibly proud of the new addition.
Pikachu stood in the doorway, munching on a hidden cookie, giving Dreepy a nod like, you poor, poor soul.
And just like that, David's final teammate had arrived.
****
"Lalu!"
David looked down just in time to see Ralts tugging furiously at his pajama pants like a toddler denied screen time. The little psychic Pokémon's eyes were filled with protest and petty jealousy. Clearly, she wasn't thrilled about the new addition to the team—namely, the floating, freshly-hatched ghost dragon currently snuggled up in David's arms.
Ralts glared at Dreepy like a dethroned queen who'd just been forced to share her palace with a weird, slimy lizard.
[You received 10 Negative Emotion Points from Ralts.]
[You received 20 Negative Emotion Points from Ralts.]
[You received 30 Negative Emotion Points from Ralts.]
David heard the system's cold, robotic voice in his ear and couldn't help but chuckle.
"Oh, come on," he said, squatting down and scooping up Ralts with his free arm, "you're still my number one chaos gremlin."
Ralts made a tiny huffing sound but leaned against his chest anyway, grumbling like a pouty gremlin accepting a peace offering. But the tension between the two Pokémon was immediate.
The moment Dreepy sensed the strong Fairy-type aura radiating from Ralts, he recoiled slightly, his tiny spectral body trembling like he'd just walked into a haunted cupcake shop.
Dreepy had the genes of a dragon, and dragons were notoriously allergic to fairy dust. Meanwhile, Ralts' Psychic powers were deeply offended by Ghost-types on a spiritual level.
David sighed, looking at the two as if he'd just brought home a cat and a dog and expected them to share a bed.
"Fantastic," he muttered. "I've accidentally adopted a Fairy-Dragon rivalry sitcom."
Still, he was in a good mood. The little lizard had hatched successfully, which was worth a celebration. So he did what any responsible adult would do: he panic-ordered cake off the internet and pulled out his secret stash of Moomoo milk.
The kind labeled "Last Resort Reserve: For Emergencies or Celebrations Only."
He didn't even care that the cake was technically a birthday cake with a Blastoise printed on top wearing sunglasses. Close enough.
"Alright everyone," he said, placing the cake on the table like it was a rare artifact. "Today we welcome this new little blob of ghost energy into our squad. Dreepy, congrats on escaping your eggshell. Ralts, no sabotaging him mid-speech. Pikachu, put down that spark you're charging."
The team gathered. Ralts eyed the cake suspiciously, then scooped up a handful of cheese sticks David had also tossed into the mix. Moomoo milk was poured all around like it was champagne at a royal banquet.
Ralts, after a long sip, decided maybe she could postpone murdering the ghost dragon for a little while.
Pikachu, meanwhile, took it upon himself to deliver an educational TED talk to Dreepy.
"Pika pika pikachu!" he said very seriously, pointing one paw at David.
Dreepy stared at him, blinking.
"Pikachu-pi," he continued, mimicking David's exaggerated grin and pretending to hand out fake candy while secretly deducting snack privileges.
David translated in his head: This guy may seem nice now, but wait until he signs you up for 5 a.m. training sessions and forgets you in a Poké Ball for three days straight.
Dreepy's wide eyes grew even wider.
And then, as if the stress of this revelation was too much, the poor baby ghost-dragon gently floated into David's lap and immediately fell asleep like a fainted balloon.
David patted his head with a soft laugh. "You'll get used to the chaos, little guy."
Now, for the updated squad situation.
First up: Pikachu. After swallowing an insanely rare electric artifact and drinking enough Moomoo milk to put an entire ranch out of stock, this little electric menace had become a monster. His current level? Thirty-nine. His strength? Peak professional tier. His personality? Still pure gremlin.
Second: Ralts. Yes, her level was still only ten. Yes, she occasionally destroyed furniture with uncontrolled Psychic surges like a telekinetic toddler. But she was shiny. And shiny meant special. Her psychic abilities were terrifying, the kind you didn't look directly at without wearing emotional armor.
David had seen online comparisons. "Champion-level Ralts?" Pfft. His Ralts made champion Ralts look like confused mascots at a mall.
And finally, the newest recruit: Dreepy. Hatched not long ago, fed a full bottle of Moomoo milk like a newborn at a dairy rave, and already level two. Sure, he was still technically in his larval "squishy" phase, but his natural stats? Champion-tier. Perfect 6V IVs. The kind of Pokémon that got scouts whispering and coaches drooling.
All he needed now was time. And maybe some therapy after Pikachu's horror stories.
After the successful—and slightly chaotic—welcome party, David surprised everyone.
He didn't squeeze them into extra drills.
He didn't announce emergency training.
Instead, he washed up, declared it a rest night, and collapsed into bed with the entire gang.
With Dreepy snuggled next to his neck like a living ice pack, David didn't even need to turn on the air conditioner. His bed felt like a five-star glacier resort.
As he closed his eyes, a small smile played on his lips.
"No stress," he muttered sleepily. "Just me and my dysfunctional, overpowered team of lunatics."
And with that, David, Ralts, Pikachu, and the snoozing mini ghost-lizard all drifted off to sleep under the faint glow of a Blastoise birthday cake box still sitting on the table.
Tomorrow was another Mystery Zone day.
But tonight?
Tonight was cool, quiet, and filled with dreams of cheese sticks.
****
At the crack of dawn, David zipped up his overstuffed backpack with the smooth confidence of a man who had no idea what he was doing. His room was a mess—blanket hanging off the bed, Ralts still half-asleep on his pillow like a disapproving grandma, and Dreepy lodged comfortably in the fridge door for reasons unknown. Pikachu, of course, was already waiting at the door, tapping its foot and muttering what was definitely electric-themed profanity under its breath.
"Alright, adventure squad, roll out!" David whispered dramatically, striking a pose with his shared bike like it was a legendary steed. He ignored Ralts' grumpy glare and Dreepy's ice-cube tail sticking out of his backpack and pedaled off into the rising sun.
Meanwhile, at the front gate of their school, things were...tense.
Two matte-black off-road SUVs were parked ominously like they were about to film a low-budget spy movie. A cluster of uniformed men stood nearby, looking like bodyguards who got lost on the way to a Mission Impossible audition. One of them, with a face that said "I haven't smiled since 2003," muttered to the man beside him.
"Captain, why'd the boss's daughter throw two rookies into the mission team? We're here to protect, not babysit."
The "Captain" in question was a square-jawed, permanently frowning man named Ling Qi—a top-tier trainer hired by Luna's father, who clearly took life very seriously. He didn't even blink before snapping back:
"Shut it. This is the outskirts of the Mystery Zone near West Lake. It's a beginner's playground. They'll be fine."
"But—"
"She said they could handle themselves."
The rest of the team went silent, except for one guy who made a "whatever" shrug and muttered, "Hope they brought helmets."
Right then, David rolled into view like a neon disaster. Pikachu on his shoulder, hair half-dried from a failed attempt to comb it with a spoon, and pedaling a bright yellow shared bicycle like he was racing in the Tour de Pokémon.
Luna, who had been sitting comfortably in the backseat of one of the SUVs, lowered the window and practically bounced in her seat. "David!" she yelled, waving like she hadn't just spent the last twenty minutes explaining to her dad's elite security team that he wasn't actually an idiot. Just... quirky.
Ling Qi raised an eyebrow and scanned David as he rolled up.
The Pikachu caught his attention first.
"Professional rank," he muttered under his breath. "He wasn't kidding."
Pikachu let out a spark just for style. David tried to stop with a dramatic skid, but instead, his shared bike screeched, wobbled, and nearly launched him into the bushes.
He stabilized at the last second.
Grinning.
"Hi! Uh, give me a sec—this bike's about to charge me for another half-hour."
Then, without missing a beat, he U-turned and pedaled furiously back toward the nearest parking zone.
Everyone stared.
[+100 Negative Emotion from Ling Qi]
[+60 Negative Emotion from Luna]
[+110 More Negative Emotion from Ling Qi]
[+70 More Negative Emotion from Luna]
Ling Qi's mouth twitched like he was trying to smile through an aneurysm. "Are you sure he can protect himself, Miss?"
Luna exhaled, one hand to her forehead. "He's... normally like this. But when it counts... he should... probably... maybe be okay?"
Her answer didn't sound very convincing—even to herself.
Just as the awkward silence began to settle in again like a damp towel, another familiar figure pedaled into view.
Tom.
Backpack twice his size, pants too short, face red from the five-meter incline he had to conquer to get here.
Unlike David, Tom didn't even attempt to stop in front of them. Instead, he yelled mid-pedal: "WAIT! This isn't a legal bike parking zone! I'll find one and be right back!"
Then he zoomed past the gate and vanished around a corner.
Everyone blinked.
[Ling Qi: -100 Sanity]
[Luna: -70 Hope]
[Ling Qi: -110 Dignity]
[Luna: -70 Willpower]
Ling Qi turned slowly to Luna, eyes hollow. "Are... are they twins?"
Luna's mouth hung open as she tried to process the fact that both of her chosen teammates had run off to avoid bicycle overage fees—right before entering a hazardous Pokémon training zone.
She did not answer.
Because she was too busy wondering how she had ended up with David and Tom instead of, say, literally anyone with a functioning brain.
Her head slowly thudded against the car window. "Why... do they care so much about shared bikes...?"
She could maybe understand David. He once tried to bribe a cafeteria lady with bottle caps. But Tom? His family was loaded. His idea of a "rough lunch" was forgetting to bring caviar for his sushi.
Ling Qi rubbed his temples. He wasn't paid enough for this.
Meanwhile, somewhere across the parking lot, David screeched his bike into a rack, panting like he'd just finished a triathlon, while Tom was still circling the lot in search of the "perfect" parking space that "didn't smell weird."
The elite guards in their black SUVs looked like they were reconsidering their life choices.
Luna just sighed. Hard.
The Mystery Zone hadn't even started yet… and it already felt like a survival mission.
At that moment, just as David was trying to park the bike perfectly within the white lines like a man preparing for a parking inspection from God himself, the familiar system notification dinged in his head again.
Ding!
You have received negative emotion value +20…
David blinked. "Huh? Again? Didn't I just get this pop-up like five seconds ago? Is the system drunk?"
He scratched his head, gave a half-hearted shrug, and hopped off the shared bike, slinging his stuffed travel bag over one shoulder. His Pikachu let out a curious chirp and settled back on his shoulder like a yellow, electric parrot.
Just as he was making his way over to the group, Tom rounded the corner as well, puffing slightly as he pushed his shared bike into a proper parking spot, his schoolbag bouncing behind him like a heavy sack of groceries.
Finally regrouped, the two of them approached the car where Luna stood waiting, arms crossed and expression somewhere between resigned sister and disappointed group project leader.
"David, Tom," she said, forcing a smile that screamed, why am I like this, "this is our team captain, Ling Qi. You can just call him Uncle Ling."
"Hello, Uncle Ling!" both of them said in cheerful unison, like a pair of kids at a daycare center greeting Santa Claus.
Ling Qi gave a slow, dignified nod that clearly took effort. His face was taut like he'd just taken a big bite of a lemon and was trying to act cool about it.
He gave a terse, "Mm. Since everyone's ready, let's head out."
Everyone piled into the big black off-road vehicle. Ling Qi took the wheel with the grim aura of a man heading into battle. David, Luna, and Tom settled into the spacious back seat.
The moment David plopped down into the cushy leather seat, his eyes lit up like he'd just discovered the throne of the gods.
"Ohhh man, this is luxury," he sighed, stretching his legs out and leaning back. "I gotta say, this is almost as good as Tom's dad's car. Just needs a mini-fridge and a massage chair."
"Pikaaa…" Pikachu murmured in agreement, basking in the air conditioning like a spoiled cat.
Tom, also stroking the buttery leather seat like it was a sacred artifact, nodded solemnly. "I feel like I should marry this seat. This is comfort. This is life."
Luna rolled her eyes. "It's just a car."
David grinned. "Yeah, well now I kind of want one too."
Luna raised an eyebrow. "You? Buying a car? I thought your savings plan was to eat instant noodles for the next ten years."
David sat up, hands suddenly animated. "That's true. But! I recently won a five Alliance coin discount coupon from that weird vending machine behind the PokéMart. Tell me that's not fate calling me to own a car."
Tom gasped in mock awe. "That's, like… half a sandwich!"
"I know!" David nodded dramatically. "But here's the real dilemma—I can rent a shared bike for 1 Alliance coin. One coin! And I don't have to worry about gas, insurance, or Pikachu chewing the seatbelts."
Screeeeechhh!
The SUV jolted to a stop as Ling Qi hit the brakes with the force of a man trying not to lose faith in humanity.
David nearly bit his tongue. "Whoa! Uncle Ling! You good?"
Ling Qi stared straight ahead like he was contemplating all his life choices.
David leaned toward Tom and whispered, "Do you think he's… constipated? Should I offer him a jet cube?"
Tom stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe he's just allergic to nonsense."
[Get negative emotion value +100 from Ling Qi...]
[Get negative emotion value +70 from Luna...]
[Get negative emotion value +110 from Ling Qi...]
[Get negative emotion value +70 from Luna...]
Luna, trying desperately to rescue the shreds of dignity left in the vehicle, jumped in quickly, "Anyway, are you guys sure you've packed everything you'll need? This is the Mystery Zone. We're staying for months. No turning back to grab a toothbrush!"
David puffed out his chest and patted his schoolbag. "Who do you think you're talking to? I'm prepared!"
He unzipped the bag and began pulling things out like a magician with a never-ending hat.
"Cooking pot!"
"Bowl!"
"Hamster cage!"
"Fishing rod!"
"My facial cleanser!"
The last item was held up like it was a legendary sword. Pikachu clapped its tiny paws.
Luna's mouth dropped open. Tom froze mid-sip of his juice box. Ling Qi—well, Ling Qi swerved so hard he nearly hit a rock on the side of the road.
The system chimed again in David's head like it was absolutely thriving on this chaos.
[Get negative emotion value +10 from Tom...]
[Get negative emotion value +60 from Luna...]
[Get negative emotion value +70 from Ling Qi...]
Ling Qi gripped the steering wheel tighter than a man holding back the urge to scream. "Is this a camping trip or a televised cooking show?"
David blinked. "Both? Never know when you'll need to steam some dumplings in the wild."
Luna sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why… why did I bring you guys…"
David leaned back again, hands behind his head. "Because we're charming. And cheap."
"Don't forget, we're also great at distracting wild Pokémon with nonsense," Tom added helpfully.
Ling Qi looked like he was aging by the second.
And they hadn't even reached the Mystery Zone yet.