Chapter 2: Start
Let it be known by all who ask, that sleeping alone in the woods - at night - is absolutely pants wetting levels of terrifying.
Oh, no one asked?
Well… maybe I needed to talk about it. You'll listen to me little egg friend, won't you?
…
Aww, I knew you were the best.
So yes, turns out that being alone and incredibly unprepared in a forest at night is not a good look for my mental well-being. If I didn't have the Shiny Stone with me to throw off a little light, I'm honestly not sure what I would have done. I know the anime always showed young trainers camping out in the wild, but something tells me it wouldn't be the smartest idea to gamble my survival on a 90s children's anime.
Really though, I've never been more thankful and appreciative for the sunrise. Watching it crest the horizon, sending slivers of illumination into the world as it banished the dark and unknown, I doubt I'll ever see many things more beautiful.
I run a finger over my egg, drawing loops and swirls on the surface.
"I don't know if you're listening, but I really cannot wait until we can finally meet. I just know we're going to make a kick ass team."
An ear-to-ear grin breaks out onto my face when the egg rocks back and forth following my declaration.
Was it in response to what I said? Pure coincidence?
I have no idea, but I'll assume the former anyway. Truly I have the best egg.
With one last pat, I gently place it back in the little nest I made out of torn up grass and broken branches.
As has become habit, I do a quick check of my [Status] to see if anything has changed. It wouldn't be the first time I missed something after all.
And lo and behold.
HP: 150
MP: 100
STR: 10
VIT: 15
DEX: 35
INT: 10
PER: 20
CHA: 20
LUK: 10
Available points: 10
[Skills](5/6) [+]
Sneaky gamer system. You'll have to wake up a fair bit earlier to catch me unawares. Especially since I barely slept at all last night. I'm honestly not sure if I did.
God I'm tired.
I flop back down onto the grass, arms under my head as I ponder my unused attribute points.
Where to put you…
I think I'll double down on my core class attributes, DEX and PER. I obviously can't be certain, but they did seem to have served me well yesterday. When the Caterpie tried to snatch some of my berries that is. Not only did I notice the little worm despite my distraction, I reacted pretty darn quickly.
I let out a small huff. I really wish you came with an instruction booklet.
Well, nothing to it, but to do it.
HP: 150
MP: 100
STR: 10
VIT: 15
DEX: 40
INT: 10
PER: 25
CHA: 20
LUK: 10
Available points: 0
And now on to the suddenly open position to fill in my skills.
[Skills](5/6) [+]
If I had to guess - and I really am considering my utter lack of help - I earn a new skill slot every fifth level. Which would track since I earned an [Item Lottery Roll] at the same time.
I can feel a bundle of tension leave my shoulders at that revelation. It isn't ideal, but it's a system I can work around. As opposed to being hard capped at five skills until who knows when.
Which begs the question of what to fill it with.
Hmm.
Hmmmmmm.
I have no idea.
Or more accurately, I have many ideas, but none that feel strong enough to take up that precious slot.
I could go for another thief related skill, like Pickpocket, but I don't think it would add too much utility to my skill-set. Not to mention, I wouldn't be able to get it until I returned to civilization. It's not like Pokemon have much for me to pickpocket and I need to perform the action to get the skill.
And beyond all that, I'm pretty darn sure it would be a truly awful decision to try and pick people's pockets so soon after drawing so much heat my way. It's simply too up close and personal an action to have all that much appeal.
So that's out.
I get up and start pacing as I think things through. On a side note, now that I'm up and about, I do feel a little more... I guess dexterous is technically the correct word. More accurately, I feel more in control of my body. It's a pleasant change for sure. I spend a minute or two simply reveling in the sensation.
Wait, what was I thinking about before?
...
Right!
I could always go for something combat related. It probably wouldn't be a bad decision to be capable of defending myself on a personal level - Pokemon or not.
I stop my pacing and run a hand through my hair.
Yuck. I really need to take a shower.
Back to my previous line of thought…
What exactly would I go for if I went combat? Brawling or another common class of skill shouldn't be too difficult to pick up if I get into a fight. But do I really want to waste a slot on a sub par option? Or get my teeth kicked in for that matter?
I know for a fact that there's a healthy Martial tradition in Kanto. In fact I'm pretty sure there was, or still is, a Fighting Gym in Saffron City. An actual codified and practiced Martial Art would be much more appealing than flailing my limbs at the enemy - or whatever Brawling entails.
Decisions, decisions.
If I could just collect skills with no limit I would probably jump on the chance to start leveling a handful of combat skills. But operating under the constraints I am, best to save it for something more worthwhile.
So what does that leave me?
I cross my arms and look around the area, particularly the patch of grass I "camped" at the night before.
Survival… wouldn't be the worst thing to pick up now would it? I'm not exactly sure how I would earn it, but it would be immeasurably helpful if I continue traveling.
I rub my chin as I mull over the different options.
There's always the classic fallback of Meditation. Which I might pick up at some point, but only when I actually need it. My MP just isn't an issue right now.
I spy a purple blur dart from bush to bush across the clearing, a set of red eyes watching me from the leaves before it darts back away.
The last idea I've been throwing around in my head is some kind of Pokemon related skill. Nothing battle focused, rather something to do with handling or care. Because as much as I joke around, I have a serious responsibility to care for whatever comes out of that egg. And I have absolutely no clue how to care for a baby Pokemon.
I worry my lip and plop back down onto the forest floor with a sigh.
This is a big decision, best to take my time with it and not make too hasty a choice. Especially considering my utterly abysmal levels of energy right now.
In fact… maybe I'll just close my eyes for a minute or two.
My jaw cracks as I scrunch up around myself and yawn. I should be fine for an hour or two now that it's light again.
Ding!
Guh!
I spring up from the ground, my heart racing in my chest as I struggle to throw off the cobwebs of sleep.
Skill gained: [Rest]
Accept skill?
[yes] [no]
Ugh. I want to be mad for having my nap interrupted, but I can't find it in myself to hold onto any anger or spite. Because this… this is exactly what I need.
I stretch my arms over my head with a yawn, moving left to right until I hear a satisfying pop.
So good.
I've been a bit irritated since arriving here at my utter lack of classic gamer skills. But if I understand [Rest] correctly, it should be the solution to at least one of my many deficiencies. Namely, a lack of HP regeneration.
While, yes, I do have my Miracle Seed providing more Oran Berries than I could ever need, that's a bit of a short term solution. Great when I'm starting out and my HP is accordingly small. But +10 HP isn't going to cut it once I reach higher levels and begin investing more into VIT.
I grab my egg and place it in my lap, tracing the zig zag designs on its surface.
Now that I know, hopefully, that the key to earning more skill slots is to keep leveling up, I feel more confident in my decision.
I scroll down my [Status] and make a quick check on my [Key Items] tab.
Unidentified Pokemon Egg [-]
It moves occasionally. It may be close to hatching.
No changes there. I should have enough time to reach Level 10 and get another skill slot before it hatches.
Maybe.
Either way, I'm going for it. I give a mental click to [yes].
Ding!
Skill accepted!
[Skills](6/6) [-]
[Rest] (1/100) [-]
Increases HP regeneration while asleep by 1%
Modified by VIT
Well, it's a start. And it shouldn't be too hard to level up considering I sleep every day. Or at least I did.
I need to steal a tent ASAP. Or maybe break into an unused cabin? Anything but another night on the verge of a panic attack.
But that's yet another problem for future Grey. Fuck that guy. I'm going to grind skills and not think about my problems.
Yeah, sounds like a plan.
After feeding 50 mp into the egg, because why not, and snacking on a few Oran Berries, I begin my training. The question is, what to start with?
[Running] is out for now, despite it ostensibly being the easiest to level. I'm too worried about leaving the egg by itself and simply feel better having it in my line of sight at all times.
With [Rest] and [Lockpicking] being non-options for obvious reasons, I'm left with [Sneak], [Thief's Eye] and [Persuasion].
Out of those three, [Thief's Eye], seems like the simplest to work on, since it relies on me and only me. Meanwhile both [Sneak] and [Persuasion] necessitate someone or something else to use the skills on.
Shrugging my shoulders, I stroll around the area, careful not to go too far. It's still early morning and the air is fresh and crisp. All in all, a pretty nice way to stretch my legs.
I make sure to not get too close to a tree that houses a few Pidgey on its branches, but otherwise, I'm free to take in the sights.
Around trees, behind bushes and over a half rotten log I go, ready for anything that might catch my eye and trigger the skill.
Something I'm slowly starting to realize about my skills is that their descriptions and mechanics only tell part of the story. I mean, first off, what does [Increases the chance of recognizing valuables items by 2%] even mean? Is there a hidden dice that gets rolled every time I pass by potentially something nice?
I somehow doubt it. Or if that's the case, it's merely a single aspect of what the skill does.
Take [Sneak], for instance. It's by far my highest leveled skill and thus make the conclusions I've arrived at all the more apparent.
I slip into [Sneak] to confirm my suspicions, and yes, I'm noticeably more skilled at sneaking than I was yesterday. It's in the way I move my weight as my foot hits the ground. A subtle preference to move towards the shade and paths that block line of sight.
That and more I'm probably not even picking up are clear cut proof that [Sneak] makes me better at sneaking.
Which... when I say it it that way makes me feel a fair bit dumber, but it's true nonetheless.
Important too as the skill contains nothing of the sort within its text.
And looping back to my original point, it would make sense that [Thief's Eye] serves to make me more talented at recognizing the good stuff. I do wonder if it scales up in difficulty. With more valuable items being progressively harder for the skill to work on. How obviously valuable the target is might play a role as well.
With that and similar thoughts in mind I continue my search.
The skill does ping faintly on a damp brown mushroom stuck to the underside of a log. I move to investigate, but a Paras I spot at the last second warns me off. The last thing I need is to get poisoned or paralyzed for a mushroom that barely qualifies for [Thief's Eye].
With a begrudging grumble I move on, but not before I give it the I'm-watching-you gesture.
Creepy little punk.
It's not until I've almost exhausted the range I'm willing to explore that I catch a spot of red halfway covered by a bush.
Ding!
[Thief's Eye] has leveled up! (3/100)
I change directions and reach for the out of place color. Unsurprisingly, I end up with a slightly dirty Pokeball in my hand.
It's my first time holding one and it's lighter than I expected. I rub it against my pants to remove the worst of the dirt and toss it up and down a few times with a smirk on my face.
Nice.
I do a hasty check around before doing a couple of classic poses. As simple as the little ball is, I really do feel more like a Pokemon trainer now.
A check in [Key Items] shows no new additions. I guess a Pokeball is too basic to be considered worthy of the exalted list. But it's a good find nonetheless.
True, I'm more inclined to let my future Pokemon hang out outside of their ball as much as possible, but it's still a good thing to have on hand.
After definitely not getting spooked when I nearly walk into a Metapod hanging off a tree branch, I decide to head back to base camp.
I have a plan for leveling [Sneak] and [Persuasion] that should be pretty fun. Fun for me at least. No comment on the Pokemon I'll be trying sneaking up on. Hopefully I can persuade them not to hold it against me.
Name: Grey
Race: Human
Age: 13
Class: Thief [+]
Title:
Level: 5
Exp: 0/1600
Money: p 670
–––
HP: 150/150
MP: 50/100
–––
STR: 10
VIT: 15
DEX: 40
INT: 10
PER: 25
CHA: 20
LUK: 10
Available points: 0
–––
[Skills] (6/6) [-]
[Thief's Eye] (3/100) [+]
[Persuasion] (5/100) [+]
[Sneak] (14/100) [+]
[Lockpicking] (3/100) [+]
[Running] (9/100) [+]
[Rest] (1/100) [+]
–––
[Traits] (1) [+]
[Perks] (0) [+]
–––
Key Items (3) [+]
So I've been pretty pumped at how the first chapter turned out and decided to ride the momentum to another chapter. There's not a ton of action, but that's just how it's going to be while I set everything up.
And I got my first review. Woot woot!
MGStarFire called the first chapter pretty good. Pretty good! Well, prety good, But I know what they meant! And pretty good is pretty good. Heck, it's almost really good. Which is a nice shot of dopamine to the head.
Chapter 2 was pretty fun to write all things told. As I mentioned above, not a lot of action, but that's fine for now. It will take some time before Grey feels comfortable being around a lot of people after stealing an egg from Professor Oak of all people. Whether he's being overly paranoid, who knows?
And the name Grey is fairly purposeful. He's not a degenerate asshole, nor is he a white knight, but somewhere in between. Sometimes moving farther to one side or another, but generally settling somewhere in the middle.
He's also really not a fun of Bug Pokemon if you couldn't tell. Mainly because that's my opinion of bugs in the real world.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.