Ray finished the katsu curry, his mind tangled with thoughts of the Elite Pokémon Academy. His mother's voice broke the silence.
"Next month, the family will give you your first Dragon-type egg to raise," she said, her eyes bright with confidence. "He'll be your main partner if you only get a non-Dragon Pokémon at the academy. But you must try hard for a Dragon-type starter."
Today's Growlithe fight had bolstered her faith in Ray's potential, but her words carried a reminder: Dragon-types, rare and powerful, cost more Talent Points than other Pokémon of the same potential. Their dominance over the world's fiercest territories and near-legendary strength made them coveted, a hallmark of the Nakamura legacy.
Ray's birthday, a month away, would bring his chance to receive the egg. All he could hope was that the Pokémon inside held high potential, a worthy partner to grow alongside him. Raising it would ensure it hatched and matured by the time he needed a second main Pokémon for his team, while his first official Pokémon would come from the academy, its potential tied to the Talent Points he earned in the Early Talent Evaluation Exam.
"Don't forget to visit your father," his mother said, standing. "He wants to ensure you're in good health. After that, sleep well—you need to grow stronger for the academy." With a tender kiss on his forehead and a warm hug, she left, her footsteps fading down the hall.
Guided by memory, Ray navigated the Nakamura estate to the private study. The room was a fortress of tradition, steeped in the family's Dragon-type obsession. A sleek obsidian desk stood beneath paper screens filtering moonlight, each stamped with the Nakamura dragon crest.
A Hydreigon-shaped chandelier cast a soft glow, illuminating a katana mounted beside a holographic island map pulsing with Pokémon habitats. The air carried the scent of polished wood and sandalwood incense, heavy with legacy. Above, a colossal Rayquaza carving coiled across the dark wooden ceiling, one red eye a dull gem, the other a glowing ruby stone that pulsed with ancient energy, commanding the room.
This study belonged to Hiroshi Nakamura, the current leader of one of the strongest elite families, its might rooted in Dragon-type Pokémon. Ray stood before the desk, his bandaged shoulder throbbing under his father's piercing gaze.
Hiroshi, a striking figure in a tailored black suit, exuded authority. His lean, muscular frame filled the suit, his black hair streaked with silver and slicked back, framing a stern face with sharp cheekbones and a taut jaw. Dark eyes burned with cold fire, masking a flicker of pride. A faint scar sliced his left eyebrow, and a dragon-crest ring gleamed on his steady hand, a symbol of his leadership.
The silence was oppressive, but Ray stood with unwavering confidence, his posture straight as a soldier forged in battle. He saw the Growlithe incident as a chance to justify a shift in himself, to show his father a newfound resolve without raising suspicion.
"Sit down and relax, Ray. How's your shoulder?" Hiroshi's voice was low, measured.
"Dr. Veda told me I'll be fine within a week," Ray replied gently, easing into the chair across from his father. Hiroshi's eyes roamed over Ray's frame, assessing every detail. Ray sensed his father had already spoken with Dr. Veda about his condition but needed to confirm it himself. Does he care? Ray couldn't be sure.
"So, how was your adventure today—going alone without notifying anyone?" Hiroshi's expression was unreadable, his face half-shadowed by moonlight streaming through the window.
"It was rough, truly. I'm thankful to be back home," Ray said, his voice honest, carrying the weight of the day.
"What possessed you to risk such danger?" Hiroshi's tone sharpened, laced with concern.
"I just wanted to explore the island and see Pokémon, Father," Ray mumbled, dropping his gaze, feigning guilt to sell the childlike curiosity.
"Pokémon, huh?" Hiroshi repeated, his voice tinged with mockery. "How was it then, meeting that Growlithe? A Fire-type, no less. Must've been real fun, no? So tell me, how did you escape it?"
"It was hurt, Father," Ray said, his voice trembling slightly, playing the scared child. "I… I got lucky with a branch and my knife." The room fell silent, the air thick with unspoken questions.
Ray felt his father's silence stretch, a calculated game. Hiroshi's face was a mask of control, his eyes like piercing blades cutting through Ray's story. That look could unravel any facade, as if he already knew the truth.
Hiroshi leaned forward, the desk's dragon-scale mosaic glinting under the chandelier's light. "Lucky," he said, his voice soft but razor-sharp.
He sees too much, Ray thought, forcing his hands to unclench, keeping his voice small. "I was scared, Father. I didn't think, I just… moved."
"Moved," Hiroshi echoed, his gaze unrelenting, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"I didn't mean to fight," Ray said, eyes darting down, playing the remorseful son. "I just wanted to get away." His mind raced: Is he guessing, or does he know?
"Get away," Hiroshi said, leaning back, his fingers tapping the desk rhythmically.
"Yet you left a Growlithe dead. Not many could, injured or not." His tone held no accusation, only a probing curiosity, his eyes glinting as if peering beyond Ray's words.
"I just wanted to live, and that Growlithe couldn't take that from me. If I have to fight another, I'll fight any day over giving up my life," Ray said, his voice sharp with confidence. He wasn't lying. In this world or his past one, he'd choose a torturous life over a peaceful death. His previous life had taught him that death was tranquil, a rest before a new beginning, but his passion, his drive, refused to see it as an end.
The study's air seemed to lighten, the tension easing as Ray's words hung between them. Hiroshi locked eyes with him, his cold demeanor softening just enough to notice. "You acted like a Nakamura today, Ray," he said, his voice firm but laced with approval. "Defeating a Pokémon, even an injured one, shows spirit. I trust your story—for now."
He trusts me? Ray thought, wary. Those eyes saw too much. "Thank you, Father," he said, his voice soft, eyes wide to sell the gratitude. "I… I didn't want to disappoint you."
"Disappoint?" Hiroshi's tone warmed faintly. "The Elite Pokémon Academy will test you far beyond a Growlithe. In eight months, you'll face trainers who breathe battle. You must be more than cunning." He stood, pacing slowly, his silhouette blending with the Rayquaza carving. "Nakamuras lead, Ray. Can you?"
"I want to, Father," Ray said, nodding eagerly, Hiroshi's words sparking confidence. "I'll train hard, I promise." Even without his father's urging, Ray knew the importance of Talent Points for a strong start at the academy.
"Good," Hiroshi said, stopping before the katana display, his back to Ray. "Our family's strength isn't just in Dragons, but in resolve. Today, you showed that. A true Nakamura faces danger and prevails." His voice lowered, almost reflective. "Keep it up. There will be more challenges ahead."
"I will, Father,"Ray said, his voice firm, hiding his calculations. He's proud, Ray thought.
Hiroshi turned, his eyes carrying a leader's weight. "I've been thinking much about the Nakamura future, Ray," he said, his voice measured. "Our family holds power, but power demands a successor. Today, things became clearer." He crossed to the desk, his fingers tracing the Rayquaza mosaic. "The Pokémon world is unforgiving. Only the strongest shape it."
Successor? He means me? Ray tilted his head, masking his soldier's probe with childlike curiosity. "What do you mean, Father? Shape the world how?"
"By leading," Hiroshi said, his tone resolute. "Nakamuras don't follow. We carve paths, with Dragons at our side. You'll learn this at the academy, but it starts here." He locked eyes with Ray, his gaze piercing. "Your actions today—cunning, decisive—hint at what you could become. Don't squander it."
"I won't, Father," Ray said, his voice earnest, though his mind churned. He's grooming me for something big. "I want to make our family proud."
"Then grow strong," Hiroshi said, his voice final, a leader's command. "The future of the Nakamuras rests on you, Ray. I'm starting to believe you can bear it." He gestured to the door, his demeanor cold but his eyes holding a spark of hope.
He sees me as heir. But what's the cost? What is he hiding? "I'll prove I'm worthy, Father," Ray said, bowing slightly and slipping out silently.
The heavy thud of Ray's boots faded beyond the shoji screens, leaving Hiroshi's study cloaked in silence. Moonlight bled through the lattice, casting stark silver across the tatami, while sandalwood incense lingered, masking the tension. A low psychic hum stirred the air, and an Alakazam materialized, its yellow, humanoid form holding bent spoons in both hands.
Without a word, Alakazam raised a spoon, sending a shimmering psychic wave to Hiroshi's forehead. His vision flooded with jagged fragments—Ray facing a snarling Growlithe, its fur bristling, embers spitting. Ray's movements were sharp, deliberate: a feint, a dodge. The Growlithe crumpled, and Ray stood tall, bloodied but unbroken. The memory faded, leaving Hiroshi's breath shallow, his mind racing.
"He's sharper than I thought," Hiroshi muttered, his voice a gravelly mix of awe and calculation. He crossed his arms, staring at the Rayquaza mosaic on the desk. "He turned its aggression into an opening—bold, yet controlled." His lips twitched upward, pride glinting in his steely gaze.
"He's a blade, sharper than I dared hope," Hiroshi said, his voice low, laced with awe. He leaned against the obsidian desk, his suit catching the moonlight. "That wasn't a child's panic—it was a warrior's strike."
Alakazam tilted its head, eyes narrowing as if dissecting the moment. Its spoons pulsed faintly, a wordless echo of agreement. Hiroshi's expression hardened, the leader's mask snapping back.
"It was no accident," he said, his tone icy, deliberate. "The moment I saw him sneak out, I knew it was time to measure his worth." He paced with measured steps, the rustle of his suit a soft hiss. "I sent you, Alakazam, to orchestrate his trial. You enraged that Growlithe, didn't you? Drew him to its territory, taunted it with visions of a intruder on its ground."
Correct, Alakazam's telepathic voice replied, flat but resonant. The beast's rage was sculpted—focused on the boy, yet bound by my will. Its spoons pulsed, psychic energy underscoring its precision.
Hiroshi's gaze darkened, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "A perfect ambush—danger I could control, a spark I could smother if it flared too wild." A tremor threaded his words, betraying a father's fear beneath the leader's steel. "You were poised to intervene, to pull him from its jaws if he broke… but he stood tall."
The air grew dense, the weight of Hiroshi's manipulation settling like a shroud. His eyes drifted to the Rayquaza mosaic, its twin eyes—one dull, one a glowing ruby—staring back. He reached out, fingers trembling, and pried the Dragon's Eye free. Its crimson light pulsed, warm and alive, casting jagged shadows across his face. "This stone holds our clan's heritage," he intoned, his voice thick with reverence. "It demands a worthy heir, one who can wield its power and rise above."
Is he ready? Hiroshi's voice faltered, doubt clawing at his resolve. "Am I risking too much?" The stone flared, its glow fierce, as if rebuking his hesitation. His grip tightened, the leader's fire surging back. He thrust the stone skyward, its light flooding the study, bathing Alakazam in a spectral hue. "No—he is the one!" he roared, his voice shaking the walls. "Ray Nakamura, my son, the Dragon's heir!"
Alakazam's eyes widened, a rare spark of awe flickering across its stoic face, as the stone's light dimmed, leaving the room in moonlight's chill. Hiroshi set the stone back into the mosaic, his expression resolute. "The academy, the clans, the world—he'll face them all," he declared in his mind. "I'll forge him into what we need."
"Finally, our clan can rise without the oppression of those old fogies," he said, a momentary relief softening his face. But his expression shifted, cold and calculating, as he turned to Alakazam. "Prepare more such scenarios for him. Design them to push him to his limits, to hone the skills he lacks. Be cruel if you must, but be stealthy—and avoid her." His voice grew icy. "She loves him too much. It would complicate things if she knew."
Meanwhile, Ray's footsteps echoed through the Nakamura estate's dimly lit corridors, the weight of his father's words pressing on his mind. Hiroshi's piercing gaze, the Rayquaza mosaic, the talk of successors—it all swirled in his thoughts. He sees me as heir, but there's something he's not saying, Ray mused, his bandaged shoulder aching with each step. Was it pride in his eyes, or a test? The Growlithe fight had earned Hiroshi's approval, but Ray's killer instincts warned him: trust was a luxury he couldn't afford, not when those eyes saw too much.
Meanwhile, Ray's footsteps echoed through the Nakamura estate's shadowed corridors, each step heavy with the weight of his father's words. Hiroshi's piercing gaze, the astonising Rayquaza mosaic, the talk of heirs and leadership—it churned in his mind like a storm. He's grooming me for something, but what's he hiding? Ray wondered, his bandaged shoulder throbbing faintly. The pride in Hiroshi's eyes felt genuine, yet Ray's killer instincts whispered caution: trust was a trap, and those eyes saw far too much.
Lost in thought, Ray reached his room sooner than expected in the sprawling mansion. His dragon-themed haven welcomed him with familiar comfort—Dratini pokedolls slumped against the wall, a Dragonite poster curling at the edges, shoji screens glowing softly under moonlight. He was bone-tired, the day's trials draining him beyond measure. Ray wanted to leave everything—Hiroshi's expectations, thibking about the academy's looming tests—for tomorrow. He sank onto his bed, its Altaria-like softness cradling his weary frame, a stark contrast to the Growlithe's claws and his father's scrutiny.
Well, if there's something odd, I can't do anything about it for now, Ray thought, his eyes growing heavy. I need to focus on improving my strength and knowledge. With that resolve, exhaustion pulled him under, and he drifted into a dreamless sleep.
———————————————————————————————————————————
(Author: I'll always add this to the end of the chapter to log the progress)
System Interface:
Name: Ray Nakamura
Titles: The Sole Heir of the Nakamura Family
Kills: 1 (Injured Growlithe)
Attributes
Strength: E (Max: SSS)
Agility: E+ (Max: SSS)
Endurance: E (Max: SSS)
Pokémon Owned: None
Resources
Kill Points (KP): 350 Ability Points (AP): 200 Skill Tokens: 1
Inventory
Fire Affinity Shard: Enhances Fire-type synergy.
Ember Essence: Stores Fire-type energy, craftable or consumable.
Growlithe Fang: Trophy of victory, potential ritual component.
Abilities
Explorer (Low Level):
Route Efficiency: +20% speed in wild terrains, -20% travel time/strain.
Path Detection: Detects paths up to 100m, perfectly stored in memory.
Exploration Stamina: -25% stamina drain during exploration.
Resource Clues: Detailed info on environment and resources within 50m radius.
Pokémon Trainer Certification: Beginner < Intermediate < Advanced < Elite < Master < Champion < ???
Pokemon Potential Certification: White (Beginner) < Yellow (Intermediate) < Orange (Advanced) < Green (Elite) < Red (Master) < Black (Champion) < ???