A battle.
He hadn't expected to fight so soon after arriving in this world, but confrontation was inevitable.
Gardenia, Eterna City's Gym Leader, stood before him, arms crossed with a confident smirk playing across her lips.
Even without fully understanding what a "Gym Leader" represented, her experienced demeanor was obvious.
Her posture remained relaxed yet carried an undercurrent of readiness, like a coiled spring prepared to release at any moment.
The shadow monarch studied her carefully.
Her complete lack of fear suggested one of two possibilities, either she possessed considerable strength or remained blissfully unaware of what she was about to face.
"Since you're new here, I'll make this simple," Gardenia announced, fingers brushing against a Poké Ball at her waist. "One-on-one battle. First Pokémon knocked out loses."
He offered no verbal response, merely inclining his head in acknowledgment.
Her grin widened.
"Alright then! Let's get started!" With practiced ease, she hurled the spherical device into the air. "Come on out, Roserade!"
A flash of white energy materialized into an elegant, humanoid Pokémon with floral appendages.
The creature assumed a poised stance, rose-like hands held delicately near its chest as a faint, sweet fragrance permeated the air.
Poison and Grass type.
This world operated on specific rules, types, abilities, complex battle mechanics.
But such intricacies mattered little in the end.
Combat, regardless of the world, remained fundamentally the same.
A subtle shift of his weight signaled his command.
"Weavile."
The dark-type emerged from the shadows, its crimson eyes glinting ominously under the dim streetlights.
Gardenia's eyebrow arched appreciatively.
"Weavile, huh? Solid choice, but let's see how you handle this. Roserade, Magical Leaf!"
At its trainer's command, the floral Pokémon swept its arms forward, releasing a barrage of glowing leaves that twisted unnaturally through the air, tracking their target with supernatural precision.
'Homing projectiles,' he observed.
Weavile tensed, instincts screaming to evade, but its master's raised hand stayed its movement.
"Cut them down."
Claws flashed like scythes through wheat, the razor-edged leaves disintegrating into harmless motes of light before they could find their mark.
Gardenia's confident expression faltered momentarily.
"Oh? That was... precise." She recovered quickly, snapping her fingers. "Toxic Spikes!"
Roserade pirouetted gracefully, scattering a field of glowing purple barbs across the battlefield that sank into the earth with ominous pulses of venomous energy.
'A trap,' he recognized.
Standard battlefield control, poisoning any replacement fighters.
A clever tactic against conventional trainers who rotated their team.
But he had no such limitations.
"Close the distance."
Weavile became a streak of black motion, crossing the arena in a heartbeat.
"Roserade, Stun Spore!" Gardenia countered.
A golden cloud of paralytic powder burst from the floral Pokémon's blossoms, but Weavile had already launched itself skyward, dark energy coalescing around its claws as it descended like a vengeful specter.
The Night Slash connected with brutal efficiency, sending Roserade skidding backwards, its petals ruffled from the impact.
Gardenia's eyes widened fractionally.
"That speed... Impressive. But we're not done! Energy Ball!"
Vibrant green energy coalesced between Roserade's hands before erupting in a searing projectile.
This time, no verbal command was necessary.
The mental connection between monarch and shadow superseded the need for words.
Weavile vanished.
The Energy Ball detonated harmlessly against empty ground as the dark-type reappeared behind its opponent in a blur of crimson and shadow.
"Finish it."
Frost crystallized along Weavile's claws as it delivered a devastating Ice Punch to Roserade's core.
The floral Pokémon arced through the air before crashing to the ground in an unmoving heap.
Silence blanketed the battlefield.
After several labored breaths, Roserade failed to rise.
Gardenia blinked owlishly before releasing a low whistle.
"Damn. That was... surgical." She recalled her fallen Pokémon with a practiced motion, her assessing gaze never leaving the mysterious trainer. "I've never seen a Weavile move like that. That thing fights like a veteran warrior."
The dark-type returned to its master's side, standing at perfect attention like a soldier awaiting orders.
Gardenia crossed her arms, head tilting in open curiosity.
"You're not some ordinary trainer wandering in off the routes, are you?"
"No." The single word carried undeniable finality.
She barked a laugh.
"Yeah, figured that much." Despite her defeat, no hostility colored her tone, only genuine interest and amusement. "With skills like that, you ever considered challenging the Pokémon League?"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"The what?"
"You're joking." Her expression shifted to genuine surprise.
"You really don't know?" The realization seemed to strike her. "Oh wow, you really are new. Tell you what, come with me. I'll buy you a drink and explain how things work around here."
The offer presented an ideal opportunity.
Gathering intelligence remained his primary objective, and if knowledge was being offered freely, refusal would be foolish.
A curt nod sealed the agreement.
"Great!" Gardenia beamed, already turning toward the town's center. "There's a decent café near the gym. First round's on me."
As they walked, his gaze flickered to Weavile.
The Pokémon's alert posture and unwavering focus pleased him, it had adapted perfectly to his commands.
This world might operate by different rules, but the fundamental truth remained unchanged, power dictated all.
The first victory had been secured.
Many more would follow.