Chapter 3

The morning air felt crisp as Lillie and I walked down the streets of Viridian City, ready to begin our journey toward finding the first boss.

As we strolled, Lillie glanced at me. "Ash, I've been meaning to ask… why did you choose Froakie instead of one of the Kanto starters?"

I smiled, glancing down at Froakie's Poké Ball on my belt. "It's because I have a special bond with Froakie."

Lillie tilted her head. "From your journey in Kalos, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Back then, Froakie was different from the others. It chose me because it wanted a trainer who could push it to the limits. Eventually, it evolved into Greninja, and we developed a connection like no other." My voice softened. "Even if this isn't the same Froakie… I still want to relive that bond."

Lillie smiled warmly. "That's just like you, Ash."

I chuckled. "What about you? Why did you choose Popplio?"

Her face brightened. "Because it's adorable! And…" she hesitated before adding, "it also reminds me of Lana."

I grinned. "I should've guessed. She did love Popplio, didn't she?"

Lillie nodded. "She inspired me a lot."

As we walked, we suddenly noticed a crowd gathering in a town square.

"What's going on?" I muttered.

Lillie frowned. "Let's check it out."

Curious, we made our way toward the growing group of trainers. Whatever was happening, it was important.

A man stood at the center of the town square, his confident voice booming over the murmurs of the gathered trainers.

"My name is Garrett," he announced. "And I have found the boss of this floor."

The crowd went silent. Everyone listened intently as he continued.

"The boss is a Gyarados, lurking in the lake inside the Wild Zone." He paused, scanning the group. "This is our chance. If we want to survive and reach the 2nd Floor, we need to take it down."

A wave of mixed reactions rippled through the players. Some looked determined, others uncertain, but many seemed scared.

Garrett raised a fist. "Listen up! As the strongest players here, it's our duty to defeat the boss and prove that the game can be cleared! If we do this, we can give hope to those still afraid."

There were murmurs of agreement, followed by cheers.

"But we can't do this alone," Garrett continued. "We need to form parties. A raid group will have a better chance than individuals fighting separately."

At first, the crowd seemed motivated—but then, hesitation crept in.

"We already lost ten people…" someone muttered.
"What if we just die too?" another whispered.

Fear spread quickly. The memories of those who had already died hung over everyone like a dark cloud. Doubt and distrust filled the air, and a few players even began arguing.

Then, a new voice cut through the tension.

"Enough!"

A young man with dark blue hair stepped forward—his name tag read Luke.

"We shouldn't be fighting each other," Luke said firmly. "If we don't work together, we'll never escape this game. Arguing won't help anyone."

Silence fell.

Luke took a deep breath. "I know some of you are afraid. I am too. But fear can't control us. If we trust each other, we can win."

The tension eased slightly.

Garrett nodded. "Then let's do this together."

For the first time, it felt like we had a real shot at escaping.

Lillie and I joined the raid group, walking alongside Luke as we made our way toward the Wild Zone's lake—the rumored boss arena.

As we walked, I struck up a conversation. "Hey, Luke, right? I don't think we've met before."

Luke smiled. "Yeah, I figured I should introduce myself properly. Luke Stone."

I blinked. Stone? "Wait… as in Steven Stone?"

Luke chuckled. "Yeah. I'm his son."

Lillie gasped. "That means… Devon Corp is involved in this game too?"

Luke nodded, his expression turning serious. "We were given copies of Pokémon World Online, but even my father has no idea how the 50 beta testers were chosen. There was no selection process—just a random invitation."

That sent a chill down my spine. Did Shadow Arceus have something to do with it?

Before we could dwell on it, we reached the lake—and the moment we did, the water erupted.

A massive, blue-scaled Gyarados burst from below, its roar shaking the ground.

Some players screamed in fear. Others froze on the spot. This wasn't a normal wild Pokémon encounter—this was a raid boss.

Garrett, standing at the front, didn't hesitate. "Don't back down! Attack!"

Leading the charge, he sent out his Rattata.

People around us murmured in confusion. "Wait… is he seriously using a Rattata?"

Then, electricity crackled—Garrett's Rattata fired a Thunderbolt, slamming into Gyarados and dealing massive damage.

"What?! How does Rattata know Thunderbolt?" someone gasped.

Garrett smirked. "Surprise boxes. Opened one, got a TM, and taught it to Rattata."

I grinned. This game really had no limits.

The battle had begun.

The battle raged on, the lake becoming a chaotic warzone.

Trainers with Grass-type starters had the advantage, their Vine Whips, Razor Leaves, and Absorb attacks dealing heavy damage to Gyarados's Water-typing. But Gyarados was also Flying-type, making it tricky—Electric moves worked best, but only a few trainers had them.

For me and Lillie, our Water-type starters weren't strong against it, but we still had our role to play.

"Popplio, use Water Gun!" Lillie commanded.

"Froakie, Quick Attack to dodge, then Pound!" I followed.

Since Gyarados kept diving into the lake, Popplio and Froakie attacked the water, keeping up pressure so it couldn't hide for too long.

We were winning—or so we thought.

Suddenly, Gyarados let out a deafening roar.

Its body glowed red, its eyes burned with rage. It wasn't just any move—this was Dragon Rage.

I felt my stomach drop.

"Watch out!" I yelled.

Garrett didn't react fast enough. He had rushed in to land the final blow—but Gyarados struck first.

A massive burst of draconic energy exploded from its mouth, swallowing both Garrett and his Rattata whole.

A single system notification appeared above his Rattata.

[Fainted]

But that wasn't the worst part.

Garrett was hit, too.

I froze in horror. Dragon Rage always deals 40 HP of damage… If Garrett had less than 40 HP left…

His body wavered, flickering like static.

"Garrett!" I ran over, pulling out a Potion from my bag. "Here! Use this—"

But he shook his head. He knew it was too late.

Garrett smiled weakly, his breathing heavy. "I… I was after the Last Attack Bonus…" His voice wavered. "Guess I got greedy."

My hands clenched into fists. I understood now—he was just like me. He wasn't just fighting for survival. He wanted to win.

He chuckled, his form distorting even more. "Ash… you're the strongest here. Finish this for everyone."

Then—his body shattered.

Like breaking glass, his form disintegrated into countless glowing polygons—and just like that… he was gone.

I gritted my teeth, my fists trembling.

"Gyarados… you'll pay for that."

I wouldn't let his sacrifice be in vain.

Garrett was gone.

The battlefield fell silent for a brief second, the weight of his death sinking in. But there was no time to mourn—the battle wasn't over.

Gyarados let out another ear-shattering roar, its serpentine body thrashing violently. It wasn't going down without a fight.

I clenched my fists, my blood boiling. "Lillie! We have to end this now!"

She nodded, determination in her emerald eyes. "Right!"

Froakie and Popplio stepped forward, ready for battle.

"Froakie, Lick!" I commanded.

"Popplio, Icy Wind!" Lillie followed.

Froakie leaped onto Gyarados's back, its tongue glowing with dark energy before slapping it right on the face. A shudder ran through Gyarados as its body stiffened, paralysis kicking in.

"It's paralyzed!" Lillie exclaimed.

"Now's our chance!" I shouted.

Popplio opened its mouth and let out a blast of Icy Wind, chilling the air as frost coated Gyarados's massive body. The cold bit into its wet scales, slowing its movements even more.

The combination was working.

But Gyarados wasn't done.

Its eyes flashed red, and its body tensed—Dragon Rage!

My heart pounded as the familiar blue fireball formed in its mouth. This attack couldn't be dodged easily. If it landed, we'd lose everything.

"Lillie, move!"

She didn't need me to say it twice.

We both jumped in opposite directions—right before the massive blast of Dragon Rage exploded where we once stood.

The shockwave rippled through the air, sending players tumbling, but neither of us got hit.

Lillie exhaled, glancing at me. "That was way too close!"

I grinned. "Yeah, but we're still in this!"

Gyarados snarled, weakened but still standing. This was it—the final stretch.

I turned to Lillie. "Let's end it together!"

She nodded, a determined smile forming. "Right!"

This was our chance—one final push to defeat the boss and reach Floor 2.

Gyarados let out a final, furious roar, its body battered and weak.

I clenched my fists. "Now, Froakie! End it with Quick Attack!"

Froakie's small frame blurred as it dashed forward with incredible speed, leaping high into the air. With one final strike to Gyarados's head, the massive sea serpent froze in place.

A second later, its body shattered into countless glowing polygons, dissolving into the sky like flickering stars.

VICTORY!

A massive notification appeared in front of every player's screen.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then—cheers erupted.

Players threw their fists in the air, shouting in celebration. Some fell to their knees in relief, while others hugged their teammates. The first floor boss was defeated—proof that we could clear the game.

I exhaled, checking my rewards.

Wooden Sword → Enables use of Normal-type moves (Beginner Level) 500 Pokédollars Special Gear (?)

I held up the Wooden Sword. It was simple, lightweight, but I could already tell it was part of the game's weapon system.

There were five levels of weapons trainers could use alongside Pokémon.

I smirked. So even we could fight…?

This game was just getting started.

Lillie, Luke, and I stood together, catching our breath after the intense battle. The crowd was still cheering, celebrating the first boss victory of the game.

But then, a sharp voice cut through the excitement.

"Why did you let Garrett die?!"

I turned, spotting a furious player stepping forward. Their expression was twisted with anger and grief.

"He could've been saved! But instead, you just stood there and watched!" another player shouted, and soon, murmurs spread throughout the crowd.

"And how come you knew the boss was here, huh? Why didn't you tell the rest of us earlier?"

The mood shifted, and suddenly, some people who had been cheering a moment ago were now glaring at me.

Lillie clenched her fists. "Ash didn't withhold anything! He—"

"Enough."

Before Lillie or Luke could argue, I did something unexpected.

I laughed.

The players paused, confused by my reaction. I smirked, crossing my arms.

"You want to know why I knew?" I asked, my voice confident. "Because I'm a Pokémon Master."

Whispers spread through the crowd.

"I've spent my entire life battling Pokémon," I continued. "I've fought in countless tournaments, faced Champions, and trained alongside the strongest Pokémon in the world." My eyes narrowed. "You think this game is the same as the ones you used to play? This isn't just a video game—this is Pokémon Training at its core. And you?" I gestured to them. "You're just gamers playing pretend."

A wave of resentment rolled through the crowd. Some people looked furious, while others scoffed in disbelief.

"That's unfair!" someone shouted.

"He's a Code Trainer! No wonder he's ahead of us!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Code Trainer?"

A few players nodded. "It means you're basically cheating because you have real-world experience. That's why you're so strong!"

I chuckled. "Fine. Call me whatever you want. Code Trainer? Sounds cool to me."

I pulled out the Special Gear from my inventory and equipped it. My clothes shifted, replacing my casual attire with a black combat shirt and a flowing dark cape.

I grinned, feeling the fabric flutter behind me. "But don't confuse me with the trainers who only have experience in battling."

Lillie huffed, stepping beside me. "I can't believe how ungrateful some of them are."

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter. What matters is reaching Floor 2."

Luke nodded. "And after seeing the Gyarados fight… I think we all realize something."

I smirked. "Yeah. There's a limit to what a solo player can do."

Lillie blinked. "Are you saying we should…?"

I crossed my arms. "Yeah. We need to form a guild."

This world was just beginning to take shape. If we were going to survive, we had to be more than just players.

We had to become leaders.

Here is a new chapter, and you can see from this part that we have finished the first floor. I hope you like this chapter and the next chapter will be the second floor.