Pokemon: A New Path

The next afternoon, the 3DS that Naoki had ordered online finally arrived.

After signing for the package, he wasted no time setting it up and jumping into the game, teaming up with the Indeedee siblings for an adventure.

The game was called "Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team", but Naoki quickly realized that this version—native to the Pokémon world—was slightly different from the one he remembered from his past experiences.

This version featured a massive overworld map divided into numerous smaller dungeon mazes. Players controlled a team of Pokémon to explore these mazes, encountering various dangers along the way.

Inside, there were hostile wild Pokémon, treacherous traps, shifting terrains, and hidden surprises.

But, as with any true adventure, risk came with reward.

Pokémon could find evolution stones, held items that boosted stats, berries with unique effects, and even the highly sought-after Rare Candies, which instantly increased a Pokémon's level.

Players could battle enemies using moves, gaining experience points to level up and evolve into stronger forms as they progressed.

Naoki glanced through the ten available starter Pokémon at the beginning of the game. Among them were:

Charmander, Eevee, Totodile, Squirtle, Treecko, Meowth

Brother Indeedee mentioned that more Pokémon could be unlocked by defeating dungeon bosses.

The Indeedee siblings had already made their choices:

The younger sister chose Eevee. The older brother picked Charmander.

After quickly familiarizing himself with the controls, Naoki decided to pick Oddish as his starter Pokémon.

With their team of three players, they officially stepped into their first dungeon and began their adventure.

At first, the upper floors of the maze were relatively easy to navigate. There were only low-level Pokémon wandering about, and basic items scattered on the ground.

Sister Indeedee, who loved collecting things, went around happily picking up berries and useful healing items.

By the time they cleared out all the hostile Pokémon on the first floor, Naoki and brother Indeedee had both reached level 8.

Then, they found the stairs leading to the next floor.

As expected, the second floor was more challenging. Stronger wild Pokémon appeared, and the layout of the maze became more complex.

However, thanks to Oddish's "Acid" attack and Charmander's "Ember", the team managed to clear the floor without much trouble.

By the end of second floor, Charmander reached level 16 and evolved into Charmeleon. Eevee used a Fire Stone to evolve into Flareon.

Then, they proceeded to the third floor of the dungeon—where things got serious. Among the Pokémon they encountered, the most troublesome was a ferocious Gyarados.

The battle quickly turned intense.

Flareon and Charmeleon, both Fire-types, were completely outmatched.

Gyarados launched two powerful Hydro Pumps, reducing their HP to dangerously low levels.

Seeing this, younger Indeedee panicked, letting out a startled cry. Fumbling through her inventory, she hurriedly pulled out Oran Berries to heal them.

Meanwhile, her older brother furrowed his brow in frustration. He looked as though he desperately wished he could step into the game himself and take on Gyarados directly.

Just when it seemed like they were on the verge of defeat—Naoki's Oddish evolved into Gloom!

Having gained enough experience from battling, Gloom was now much stronger.

Gloom successfully paralyzed, poisoned, and sapped away Gyarados' health, eventually taking it down.

When Gyarados fell, it dropped a huge pile of Rare Candies and valuable held items!

"Aiya!"

Younger Indeedee cheered excitedly, her eyes shining with admiration. She turned to Naoki, looking at him like he was some kind of legendary strategist.

Even her older brother nodded in approval, clearly impressed by Naoki's skills.

Naoki grinned and waved it off. "It's nothing," he said casually. "After all, I'm a trainer. I know how to handle a Gyarados. Now, come on, you should use those Rare Candies."

However, the older Indeedee sibling hesitated. He firmly believed that Naoki, being the stronger player, needed the Rare Candies more than he did.

Naoki shook his head with a smile. "There's no need. Gloom doesn't require level-ups to evolve—just a Leaf Stone or a Sun Stone to reach its final form."

He glanced at the Charmeleon on the screen and continued, "But for Charmeleon, evolving into Charizard will boost its power tremendously. You'll need that for the next floor, so use the Candies on it instead."

Understanding the reasoning, the older Indeedee sibling took the Rare Candies and fed them to Charmeleon. In a burst of brilliant white light, Charmeleon evolved into a majestic Charizard, spreading its powerful wings.

The adventure continued.

As they explored deeper into the maze, Flareon—controlled by the younger Indeedee —discovered a Leaf Stone inside a tree hollow.

Naoki wasted no time using it.

With a flash of radiant green energy, his Gloom evolved into Vileplume, instantly learning new moves: Toxic, Moonlight, Moonblast, and Ingrain.

Armed with Naoki's signature strategy of poison and endurance tactics, and with the help of the Indeedee siblings, they successfully reached the bottom floor of the dungeon.

All that remained was the final challenge—the boss battle against Tyranitar.

Naoki assumed it would be a straightforward fight. But he was dead wrong.

As soon as the battle began, Tyranitar used Screech, drastically lowering the Defense stats of Charizard, Flareon, and Gyarados.

Naoki immediately sensed danger.

He quickly maneuvered Vileplume to the backline, readying its support moves, while simultaneously warning the Indeedee siblings about the potential threat.

But before he could even finish his sentence, Tyranitar unleashed Earthquake. The screen rumbled violently, and in an instant, Flareon's HP dropped to zero.

The younger Indeedee let out a startled cry, watching helplessly as her partner Pokémon collapsed.

Meanwhile, Naoki's Vileplume barely survived by using Ingrain to root itself into the ground, sustaining itself through the damage.

Naoki immediately activated Moonlight, restoring a chunk of Vileplume's health.

Seeing an opportunity, the older Indeedee sibling had Charizard charge forward and unleash Flamethrower at Tyranitar.

However—Tyranitar saw it coming.

Before Charizard could attack, Tyranitar stomped the ground, launching a devastating Stone Edge.

The move struck Charizard head-on, knocking it out in a single hit.

Naoki clenched his jaw. "That thing is reading our every move…!"

His instincts told him to fall back and play defensively, but before he could react, Tyranitar locked onto Vileplume. With one final Hyper Beam, it obliterated Vileplume in an instant.

A moment later, the words "GAME OVER" appeared on the screen.

Outside the screen, the three players sat in stunned silence.

The younger Indeedee sister frowned, turning to her brother with an accusing look.

"Aiya! Aiya!" (Brother, you liar! Didn't you say you already cleared this level?!)

A single bead of cold sweat formed on the older Indeedee sibling's forehead.

The older Indeedee sibling tried to recall what had happened during his last playthrough. He frowned in thought before hesitantly saying,

"Ai ah…" (I don't remember clearly… The boss last time wasn't Tyranitar—it was a Meganium. And my Charizard took it down in two moves…)

Naoki: "..."

'So he wasn't lying… but the dungeon boss changes randomly each time?'

Seeing the disappointed look on his companion's face, Naoki patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry about it," he said with a grin. "It looks like the dungeon bosses change every time. We were just unlucky this time—Tyranitar had a type advantage over us. Next time, we'll come better prepared."

He wasn't upset at all. If anything, this dynamic dungeon system made the game even more exciting.

Rather than following a strict turn-based system like in traditional Pokémon battles, this game had a more fluid, real-time combat system—somewhere between an action RPG and a strategy game.

Additionally, Pokémon weren't limited to just four moves. Players could pre-configure move combinations before battle and freely switch between them using a tactical move wheel.

This world's version of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon was incredible!

Naoki's competitive instincts flared. He immediately decided to try again.

This time, Naoki carefully planned a well-balanced and synergistic team that could adapt to various threats.

The younger Indeedee sister chose Psyduck, which would later evolve into Golduck.

Golduck could use both Water and Psychic-type attacks, making it a versatile fighter. It also had access to Screech, which could weaken the enemy's defense.

The older Indeedee brother kept Charmander, which would evolve into Charizard. Charizard would provide Fire, Flying, and Dragon-type coverage.

Naoki replaced his previous Pokémon with Eevee.

His plan? To evolve Eevee into Leafeon. Before evolution, Eevee would focus on support moves like Tail Whip, Charm, Helping Hand, and Yawn to assist the team. Once it evolved into Leafeon, it would become a powerhouse.

It would use Swords Dance + Leaf Blade for powerful strikes. Screech from Golduck would help lower enemy defenses, maximizing damage. Sunny Day would enhance both Leafeon and Charizard.

Charizard's Fire-type moves would be boosted. Leafeon's Chlorophyll ability would double its speed, making it incredibly fast in battle.

With the strategy set, they jumped into the game once more.

Under Naoki's tactical leadership, and with seamless cooperation, the team made their way through the maze safely.

When they reached the final floor, the boss had changed again. Instead of Tyranitar, this time they faced an Infernape.

As soon as the battle started, Golduck opened with Screech, weakening Infernape's defense.

Charizard launched Flamethrower, while Naoki had Leafeon set up Sunny Day to power up Charizard's attacks and double its own speed.

Once the battlefield was set, Naoki commanded Leafeon to use Swords Dance, stacking attack boosts.

With everything in place, Leafeon charged in—Leaf Blade slicing through the air—while Charizard provided aerial support with Wing Attack.

Working together, they successfully defeated Infernape!

Victory!

"Aiya!"

The Indeedee siblings cheered in delight, throwing their hands up in excitement. Naoki leaned back with a satisfied grin. "Now that was a perfect run!"

Even Koraidon and Cyclizar had been drawn in by the game, watching the battle with interest.

Noticing how captivated the Pokémon were, Naoki laughed and asked,

"Do you guys want to try playing too?"

"Gah!"

Cyclizar immediately perked up, nodding eagerly. Alcremie also looked interested, its creamy body bouncing slightly in excitement.

Koraidon, on the other hand, seemed less interested in the gameplay itself but was still curious.

Seeing their enthusiasm, Naoki handed them the game console and then pulled out his Rotom Phone.

Opening his online shopping app, he smiled and said, "Alright, I'll order a few more 3DS systems so you guys can team up and play together."

Without hesitation, he placed an order for ten 3DS consoles at once and messaged the store owner that he'd send someone to pick them up.

After that, he stepped outside and contacted one of the part-time Dragonites, offering a delivery commission.

Fifteen minutes later, the Dragonite returned with a fully loaded satchel, filled with ten brand-new 3DS consoles.

Naoki handed them out to the Pokémon, patiently teaching them how to use the controls before settling down on the sofa to watch them play.

As he observed, Naoki's mind wandered, recalling the mechanics of the game. The concept of exploration was quite intriguing—Pokémon venturing into mysterious dungeons, searching for treasure, and collecting rare evolutionary items and powerful gear.

Even after defeating the final boss, players could recruit defeated Pokémon, expanding their team for future expeditions.

What truly piqued Naoki's interest, however, was the existence of fruits and treasures scattered throughout the maze.

"It would be amazing if the World Tree had a real dungeon like this."

A place where Pokémon who wanted to train and grow stronger could test their skills. For instance, that young Skiddo being trained by the three Gogoat on the ranch—

It could enter a dungeon, face wild challenges, and hone its instincts.

Or Farfetch'd, who had been training to perfect its swordsmanship skills— A dungeon full of wild battles would be the perfect environment for it to grow.

Unfortunately, no such place existed within the World Tree. To create something like this, he'd need Palkia—the Legendary Pokémon of Space.

If Palkia could open a space-time rift connecting to a real Mystery Dungeon, Pokémon from the World Tree could enter and explore at will.

The Expedition Guild Headquarters would finally become a true guild, offering missions such as:

Treasure Hunts, Rescue Operations, Maze Expeditions

With the World Tree as the entry point, Pokémon from the ranch and beyond could embark on their own adventures!

However… there was a problem. Naoki hadn't even met Palkia yet.

And even if he had, there was no guarantee that Palkia would be willing to help.

On top of that, Giratina and Palkia didn't exactly get along. If he brought up this idea in front of Giratina, things might get… complicated.

Naoki sighed, shaking the thought from his mind.

"No point in thinking about it now."

For now, he set the idea aside.

With the Pokémon immersed in their games, Naoki pulled out his Rotom Phone and opened the Pokémon Trainer Forums.

Entering the Hoenn section, he skimmed through the latest discussions.

The top threads were still dominated by heated debates about Team Aqua and Team Magma.

Insider reports claimed that the Hoenn League's Champion, Steven Stone, and all eight Gym Leaders were already preparing a response.

According to leaked information:

Steven had already set out to stop the organizations' schemes. Wallace, the Sootopolis City Gym Leader and Contest Master, had also vanished from the public eye. Trainers who had traveled to challenge the Sootopolis Gym had found it completely closed down.

"Wallace…"

Naoki tapped his fingers against the armrest of the sofa.

His mind drifted to Steven's closest friend. Considering their deep friendship, it was highly likely that Steven had confided in Wallace about everything.

Additionally, Wallace had a deep connection with the people of Sootopolis and the ancient lore of Kyogre and Groudon. If Naoki had to guess—Wallace might have joined Steven in confronting the crisis.

The situation in Hoenn was growing increasingly tense. But just as Naoki was about to continue reading discussions about Team Magma and Team Aqua, a trending topic unexpectedly caught his attention on the Pokémon Trainer Forums.

[The Millennium Comet is Coming! Experience This Seven-Day Event at Pokémon Park!]

Millennium Comet?

Naoki's eyes flickered with recognition. A certain Pokémon's name immediately surfaced in his mind—

Jirachi.

"Wait… does this mean the events of the Jirachi: Wish Maker movie are about to happen?"

His heartbeat quickened slightly.

The legendary wish-granting Pokémon was said to awaken only once every thousand years, absorbing energy from the Millennium Comet before returning to its slumber.

If this event was happening now… then somewhere out there, someone would soon try to capture Jirachi.

Meanwhile, in Hoenn

Southwest of Mt. Chimney, just north of Lavaridge Town, lay Forina—a vast, unspoiled wilderness.

Here, a lone man stood, his purple hair swept back, his white tuxedo slightly dusted from travel.

His name was Butler.

And right now, he was searching for something. Clenching his fists, he muttered to himself:

"I will prove myself."

His eyes burned with determination, but behind them lay memories of humiliation and failure.

At one time, Butler had been a brilliant scientist for Team Magma. He had dedicated himself to his research, developing a cutting-edge machine for Team Magma's leader, Maxie.

His goal?

To use ancient fossilized remains of Groudon's shell to restore the Legendary Pokémon to its full form.

The experiment had seemed flawless. The device was powered up, his calculations were precise, and the high-ranking members of Team Magma gathered to witness his moment of triumph.

But then, the machine malfunctioned due to insufficient energy, triggering a catastrophic explosion that obliterated the lab and exposed him to ridicule.

The entire upper echelon of Team Magma laughed at him. Instead of recognition, he was met with mockery and scorn.

And then, they expelled him.

Butler clenched his jaw. He refused to accept that they were right. If Team Magma wanted to abandon his research, then fine.

He would revive Groudon on his own. And when he did—he would make those fools pay.

To restore Groudon, he needed a stable and powerful energy source. After years of searching, he had finally found a potential answer—

The Millennium Comet.

Legends in Forina spoke of a Pokémon known as Jirachi—the Wishing Star Pokémon.

According to ancient folklore, Jirachi awakens once every thousand years to absorb the energy of the Millennium Comet.

This energy was then distributed to the land, nourishing Forina, and making it more fertile and prosperous.

If he could capture Jirachi and harness its power, he would have the perfect energy source to restore Groudon!

"It has to be here," Butler muttered under his breath. He had pored over every ancient record, and followed every legend.

And now, after months of research, he had finally tracked down Jirachi's resting place.

As Butler trudged through the rocky landscape, his eyes caught something up ahead.

A cave entrance—hidden among the cliffs.

His breath hitched. This was it. Without hesitation, he rushed inside.

The air within the cave was cool and still, untouched by time. As he ventured deeper, he spotted a natural opening in the cave ceiling, allowing a single beam of sunlight to pierce through the darkness.

At the center of the illuminated space, a strange crystal lay dormant.

...

Hey everyone! 👋 I've picked up a Fairy Tail fanfic that was discontinued by the previous TL and started working on it on my alternate account.

If you have a moment, check it out and add it to your library on NovelBin! 📚✨ Your support means a /book/fairy-tail-i-don't-want-to-be-the-guild-master_32113410508105805