Potential and Village

Rei sat in his cave, the flickering light of his small fire casting shadows along the stone walls. The egg—his first true companion—was strapped securely to his chest, radiating warmth against his skin.

It had been several days since he had taken the Starly egg from the battle between the two Staraptor. In that time, Rei had done everything he could to ensure its survival, but mere survival wasn't enough.

The wild was merciless. A weak Pokémon would struggle to live, while a strong one would thrive and rule.

And he wasn't going to let his first Pokémon be weak.

Rei had been observing Pokémon carefully since his arrival in this world. It wasn't just strength that separated them—it was potential.

His ability allowed him to see a glow around every Pokémon, a glow that determined their innate talent and limit. He had seen:

Red – The weakest potential. Most pokemon are this.

Yellow – elite pokemon potential, decent but not special.

Green – Gym leader potential. Strong potential, capable of surpassing many.

Blue – Rare and exceptional. Pokémon with this glow had the potential to be true powerhouses.

But Rei had also noticed something strange:

Even within the same color, there were variations. A Pokémon with a light red glow was far weaker than one with a deep red glow. A dark green Pokémon had more potential than a light green one.

And the difference wasn't small—it was massive.

It was clear to him now: the deeper the color, the greater the potential.

When Rei first saw the Staraptor leader, he had been surprised—it had a light blue glow. That alone meant it had the potential to be an incredibly strong Pokémon, far above the average.

The mother Staraptor had a light green glow—weaker than the leader, but still strong enough to be considered above most of its kind.

And then there was the egg.

When he first caught it, Rei had immediately checked its glow. It was only light blue.

That meant, at best, it had the same potential as the Staraptor leader. That was impressive, but…

It wasn't enough.

A few days earlier, Rei had come across a Pidgeotto that had died in battle. The corpse was still fresh, meaning its energy hadn't fully dissipated.

He knelt beside the body, staring at it.

Could it work?

His power allowed him to heal himself and pokemons, but he had also discovered something else. This ability allowed him to become stronger quickly through digestion. He and other Pokémon could absorb energy from food better when using his power. Think of it like this, a normal pokemon can only absorb about 50% and normal humans might be lower. But with his ability, they can absorb 100%.

This was how he had grown stronger. He had been feeding on Pokémon meat, berries, and energy-rich plants, absorbing their life energy quickly and efficiently.

If it worked for him, could it work for the egg?

Rei didn't hesitate.

He placed the Starly egg next to the Pidgeotto's body, pressing his palm against the shell. Then, he let his power flow.

The result was immediate.

A faint shimmer ran through the egg. The energy from the Pidgeotto began to seep into it, drawn in like a slow breath.

The egg's glow flickered.

Hours passed, and when he checked again, the glow around the egg had deepened slightly.

The light blue hue had become slightly richer.

His theory was correct. The egg was absorbing energy, increasing its potential.

For the next few days, Rei continued the process.

Whenever he hunted, he searched for freshly fallen Pokémon—never killing needlessly, but taking advantage of nature's cycle.

Every time he found a recently dead Pokémon, he placed the egg near it and guided the energy inside.

He kept the egg warm and safe, strapping it to his chest as he moved.

Slowly, he began to feel a change.

The egg's glow deepened further.

It was still blue, but it was getting darker, stronger.

This wasn't just going to be a normal Starly.

This was going to be something greater.

Rei smirked as he watched the faint glow flicker around the shell.

When it hatched, it would be far more powerful than any Starly in the wild.

And it would be his.

---

Couple months later

It's been 1 year since Rei found himself in the forest. Of course Rei doesn't know that, he doesn't pay attention to his time in the wild.

During thsi time the village while sadded have moved on. Except for one, Elise.

She sat alone beneath the old oak tree where she and Rei had often played as children. The breeze was gentle, the rustling of leaves soft against the night air. But she couldn't hear any of it.

Her mind was filled with a single, crushing thought.

"It's my fault."

She clutched her arms, her fingers digging into her sleeves.

'It's my fault. It's my fault. IT'S MY FAULT'

The words pounded against her skull, suffocating her, pulling her deeper into despair.

Then, before she even realized it—

"IT'S MY FAULT!"

Her voice rang out through the village, raw and broken.

Her breath hitched. She squeezed her eyes shut as tears spilled down her cheeks. She had killed him.

If she didn't have that stupid idea.

If she had listen to him and not go there.

But she hadn't.

And now Rei was gone. Forever.

"Elise."

A heavy yet gentle hand rested on her shoulder.

She turned to see Arnold, her father, his expression filled with quiet understanding. He didn't scold her. He didn't tell her she was wrong.

He just stood beside her.

"…It hurts, doesn't it?" His voice was soft.

Elise let out a choked sob, unable to form words.

"Losing someone," he continued, kneeling down beside her, "it feels like the world should stop. Like it should acknowledge the pain you feel." He looked up at the night sky, his voice distant. "But it doesn't."

She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "I—If I had just done something—"

"There was nothing you could do."

His words were simple, but they struck deep.

She shook her head violently, her tears falling freely. "But if I—"

Arnold, her father pulled her into his chest, wrapping his strong arms around her.

She broke.

A loud, aching cry escaped her lips as she clung to her father, sobbing uncontrollably.

He said nothing. He just held her. Because sometimes, words couldn't fix a broken heart.

Elise wasn't the only one who felt the pain of Rei's absence.

Reiji, Mira, and Theo had gathered near the oak tree, watching as Elise wept in her father's arms.

They had all grieved in their own ways.

Reiji had buried himself in training his body, spending hours pushing himself beyond his limits. If he was stronger, if he had been better, maybe things would have been different.

Mira had tried to distract herself with books, immersing herself in research and knowledge to avoid thinking about the empty space Rei had left behind.

Theo had simply pretended to be fine. Joking, laughing, keeping things light—because if he stopped, if he let himself feel the loss, he didn't know if he'd be able to handle it.

But seeing Elise like this—so broken, so guilt-ridden—it shattered the wall they had built around their own pain.

Reiji was the first to step forward.

"Elise." His voice was steady, but there was an unmistakable pain in his eyes. "Rei wouldn't want this."

She flinched, her hands trembling.

"He's gone," she whispered, her voice hollow. "I let him die."

Mira knelt beside her, reaching out to hold her hand. "You didn't," she murmured. "We all wish we could have done something… but none of us could have stopped it."

Theo forced a grin, though his eyes were glassy. "Rei was a stubborn idiot, remember? He always did whatever he wanted. If he was gonna leave, nothing we said would've changed his mind."

Elise squeezed her eyes shut, more tears falling.

"But I didn't even—"

Reiji placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "He was our friend," he said, his voice firm. "And we have to believe… that he's still out there."

She looked up at him, hope flickering weakly in her eyes. "You really think so?"

Reiji hesitated.

He wanted to say yes. He wanted to tell her that Rei was fine, that he was coming back.

But he didn't know.

Still…

"I don't know," he admitted. "But if he is, then we have to be strong enough to welcome him back."

Elise stared at him, then at the others.

For the first time in weeks, she felt their pain too.

They weren't ignoring Rei's absence. They were just trying to survive it.

And maybe—just maybe—so should she.