Captain Valen and his soldiers watched in awe as the fierce battle between Seviper and Zangoose unfolded before their eyes. None of them had ever witnessed such an intense and primal confrontation, especially between creatures that seemed far more intelligent than the wild beasts they were accustomed to. The soldiers, hardened by years of warfare, found themselves marveling at the determination and sheer willpower exhibited by these Pokémon.
Daniel observed the battle with a calm demeanor, as though he had seen this countless times before. "This is what I meant when I said Pokémon are strong," he said, not taking his eyes off the clearing. "But more than their strength, it's their resolve. They fight not for the sake of violence, but because it is part of their nature. Battles help them grow—physically and emotionally."
Continuing on their journey through the woods, Valen glanced at Daniel. The young man spoke of these creatures with such reverence, as if they were more than mere animals. The way he had described them earlier—their loyalty, their intelligence—had made an impression on the captain. There was something different, something noble about these beings.
Still, as impressive as the battle had been, Valen had to remind himself of his mission. They were here to investigate, to report back to the kingdom. But what exactly could he say? How would he explain these strange, powerful creatures to his superiors? And more importantly, how would they react?
"I must admit," Valen began, as the tension in the air finally began to ease, "I haven't seen anything like this in my lifetime. These Pokémon... they're not just wild animals. They're warriors."
Daniel nodded. "Indeed, some are born to fight. But others... others choose a different path. Not every Pokémon is a fighter. Some are healers, some are protectors, and others simply live in peace. Just like humans, each has its own nature."
Valen's second-in-command frowned. "And what of the more dangerous ones? The dragon we saw earlier—what if one of those creatures attacks the town? How do we defend ourselves against something like that?"
Daniel's expression grew serious. "The dragon you saw, that was what's known as Rayquaza. It's a fierce and powerful Pokémon, but it's also intelligent. It won't attack unprovoked. Most Pokémon, even the strongest, only fight people in self defence, though there are some exceptions. If your kingdom treat them well, they would do the same."
Valen mulled over the information. "But what if the people don't leave them be? What if those in power see these creatures as a threat? You know how people can be. They tend to fear what they don't understand, leading to unfavortunate outcomes."
Daniel sighed, his eyes reflecting a deep weariness. "I understand. That's why I hope to prevent that. If the people of your kingdom learn more about these creatures—about their nature and their potential—they might realize there's no need to fear them."
A soldier scoffed. "That's a lot of faith to place in people. Fear isn't so easily swayed by words."
Daniel met his gaze, unwavering. "Then perhaps actions will speak louder. I will protect these Pokémon from those that wish them harm, but I also will protect your people from them. If it comes to it, I will stand between them and any harm, however, if the people of your kingdom treat the creatures here unkindly, you should expect no such cooperation from me in related matters. But I hope it doesn't come to that. "
There was a silence as Valen considered his options. Daniel was clearly more than he appeared to be—his calm authority over these creatures, his knowledge, and his power were evident. But Valen also sensed that Daniel wasn't a threat to them, at least not unless they made him one.
"What would you have us do, then?" Valen asked after a moment. "We can't leave here without reporting what we've seen. But how do we convince the council not to see this forest and its inhabitants as a danger?"
As they discussed, the group came upon a serene clearing in the woods. The view, bathed in soft golden sunlight filtering through the towering trees that form a natural canopy overhead. The air crisp and fresh, filled with the scent of pine and earth. In the middle of this peaceful clearing, a simple log cabin stands, its walls made of rustic timber.
"How about we have this conversation inside." Daniel spoke as he turn to the group with a smile. Agreeing to his offer, they all continued to the cabin. Inside was rather lacking. A bed sat in the corner, a table at the center of the room with one chair on either end, and a wooden chest was placed near the door.
Seeing everyone make themselves comfortable in his home, Daniel sat at the table, glancing at them each periodically. "I have a vision." Closing his eyes, as if imagining his words as a reality, Daniel continued, "My vision is for Pokémon to spread across this world, walking hand in hand with all those who desire the companionship and the joy that they can bring. For them to coexist peacefully. To thrive under each other."
Opening his eyes, Daniel met the Captains gaze. "Pokémon have incredible potential, more so than you can imagine. Their abilities, nearly limitless, and I want people to be able to discover that for themselves, as I have."
"I can admire your goal, Mr. Daniel, but you must be aware that there are those that would aim use these creatures to satisfy there own selfish desires. At least, that's if they're as powerful as you claim."
"I can see why it'd be hard to believe, but trust me, you would not regret gaining the loyalty of any one of these amazing little guys. Remember what I said earlier? A Pokémon gets stronger though battling. Do you thing something that grows though such strict conditions could be weak?"
Valens second in command, listening to Daniel with suspicion yet intrigue, leaned forward forward, "Earlier those two... 'Pokémon' fought. Are all these creatures as strong as they were? If so, I can see the value of having one by your side."
Daniel turned to the him, "My apologies, but I don't believe I've gotten your name." "The name's Tom," the man answered politely. "We'll Tom I hate to break it to you, but the battle prowess of a Pokémon often doesn't resemble that of the ones you saw before."
All the soldiers in the room looked disappointed at Daniel's words, thinking that he had been overexaggerating the potential of these beings all this time. At least, until Daniel's gentle smile doubled in size taking on a slightly creepy look as he continued. "In fact, many Pokémon have the ability to put on a much bigger spectacle. Making the previous battle you saw seem like children playing with sticks."
The men exchanged glances, eyebrows raised. Captain Valen, opened his mouth to speak when suddenly very light footsteps were heard on the outside porch, interrupting his train of thought.
The noise continued until the sound stopped right before the door. After a few moments of silence Daniel got up and opened the door.
Before he could even react properly, a yellow blur ran between his legs straight into the house and straight up to the box nearby. Only to stop seeing a man sitting on top of it.
Tom, looking down from his relaxed position, was confused by the thing in front of him. A Pokémon, not even tall enough to reach his knee in height, stood there squinting it's eyes at him as if he were a nuisance.
It resembles a small humanoid figure with a predominantly yellow body and black stripes. Its head features two prong-like horns. It has short limbs, with bulky arms and fists.
Everyone watched at the little creature grabbed onto Tom's leg, and proceeded to pull on it with seemingly no effect. "Everyone meet Elekid. He may be a bit rebellious but he's got a good heart." Daniel said, drawing the room's attention, we'll aside from Elekid who was still doing his best to move Tom out of the way, despite being a sixth of his size.
"That box you're sitting on has some berry's in it. I'd reckon he wants some. You can feel free to give him some. Oh and Tom, you might not want to make him upset, he can pack quite the punch."
The veteran soldier scoffed at Daniel's worlds, "You think this runt can hurt me? It couldn't hurt a kid in training, much less myself. Y'know Daniel, I think you're overestimating these 'Pokemon' if you think this guy could do anything to a Soldier of the kindgdom."
Feeling the sensation of his leg getting pulled stop, Tom looked down only to see the Elekid absolutely fuming with anger at his words.
"I tried to warn you," Daniel sighed, as if resigning himself to fate. "What do you m—!!"
All of the sudden, a yellow spark appeared between Elekid's hands, lighting up the room. Before anyone could react, a bolt of lightning shot from the spark straight at Tom, completely electrocuting him on the spot.