Pokemon: I'll Exchange Everything

Read up to 30 advanced chapters exclusively on my Patreon at - patreon.com/LoverrBoy

---------------------------------

At long last, Liam embarked on his journey, carrying the hopes of many and his own pursuit of happiness. Thus began his path to conquer the stars and seas.

One day later…

"What the heck?! Didn't they say Viridian City is close to Pallet Town? How have I been walking for a whole day without even catching sight of the city? Lulu! Lulu! Time for your long-overdue appearance!" Liam, trudging along the path of his grand adventure, couldn't help but get frustrated

"Ugh, stop yelling! Can't a girl get some proper rest? Do you even know how much beauty sleep I've missed because of you?" Lulu appeared, flying out with an irritated expression.

"You've been sleeping for quite a while already. If you keep this up, people are going to forget you even exist. Wake up now. This map navigation thing keeps pointing in this direction, but I've been walking that way for an entire day and still haven't found Viridian City. All I see is forest." Liam explained helplessly.

Lulu rolled her eyes, flew high into the air for a quick survey, and then landed gracefully. Stretching out her tiny white arm, she pointed toward the forest.

"The shortest route is through the forest. You'll reach Viridian City once you cross it. Isn't it about time you started your gym challenge? Just keep heading straight, and you'll find it. Yawn... I'm so tired. Don't bother me again." With that, Lulu yawned dramatically and flew back into Liam's body to continue her nap.

"Wait, what? How come I didn't know that? Ugh, fine. Let's check it out." Liam sighed, staring at the dense forest before him. He opened the virtual panel and spent 20 exchange points to redeem a bottle of Silver Spray, covering himself in it to ward off weaker Pokémon and save himself some trouble.

Over the past six months, the system had sporadically given Liam various tasks. Combined with the rewards from recording Pokémon entries in the Pokédex, Liam had amassed a fortune of over 10,000 exchange points. 

Spending 20 on a Silver Spray was barely a dent.

During his time at the lab, Liam had identified every Pokémon there. Each new entry in the system Pokédex earned him varying amounts of rewards based on rarity.

The highest earner was a Nidorino, which contributed 100 exchange points. On the other hand, when Liam identified a Magikarp, Lulu had handed him 10 exchange points with a smug look that screamed, You got lucky.

Species bias much?

"All set. Time to enter the forest. Gible, stay alert and—wait, Gible? What are you doing so far away?!" Liam turned around to find his bag empty. Gible had already scampered off, perched on a rock in the distance, sneezing repeatedly—clearly affected by the spray.

"I told you to go back into your PokeBall, but no, you wouldn't listen. Now you're uncomfortable. Just come back for now." Liam sighed, pulling out a PokeBall and aiming the red beam at Gible, who agilely dodged it.

"Gib! Gib!"

Gible looked at Liam with a mischievous grin, hopping around the rock gleefully, as if mocking him.

Liam could only shake his head in exasperation. Gible had become the darling of the Oak household over the past six months, even overshadowing Liam in popularity. "This little rascal is a spoiled brat," he muttered.

"Gible, come on. We have to move. Don't—Gible! Stop!" Liam's plea was cut short as he noticed…

A Spearow swooped down from the trees, curious at first, but then it spotted Gible—an unfamiliar species that looked easy to bully. Without hesitation, it dived at Gible, pecking sharply at the fin on its back.

Startled, Gible panicked for a moment before retaliating with three sharp purple claws, striking the Spearow and knocking it out instantly.

Gible puffed up proudly and stomped on the fallen Spearow a few times for good measure.

Seeing this, Liam's heart sank. He knew Spearows always traveled in flocks. Where there was one, there was a whole squadron nearby.

He wasn't about to test the power of numbers—especially against Pokémon known for their unity.

Even a Wishiwashi could become a powerhouse in a school!

Rushing over, Liam scooped up Gible, who squirmed in protest. Just as he feared, rustling sounds came from the trees. A dark cloud of Spearows emerged, with one leading the charge, eyes blazing with fury.

"Run!" Liam bolted through the forest, clutching Gible. Even Gible shrank into a ball, startled by the overwhelming sight. "Don't chicken out now, you little troublemaker! Use Sandstorm to slow them down!"

Gible straightened up, extended its tiny claws, and unleashed a sandy whirlwind. But…

A strong gust scattered the sandstorm instantly, and the Spearows continued their relentless pursuit.

"Oh, come on! Using Defog like that?! Fine, you win! Ekans, let's go! Use Glare, followed by Screech!" Liam released Ekans in desperation.

With a hiss, Ekans sprang into action, wrapping itself around Liam's torso like a scarf. It turned its piercing gaze on the Spearows, paralyzing several of them mid-flight. 

Following up with an ear-piercing screech, Ekans forced the remaining Spearows to retreat angrily.

Liam ran until the forest grew silent, then collapsed against a tree, panting heavily. "You're lucky we made it out," he grumbled at Gible, who looked away innocently. He gently removed Ekans from his shoulders and poured a bottle of Moomoo Milk down its throat as a reward.

"Good job, Ekans. Without you, we'd be toast." He gave Ekans a proud pat while glaring at Gible, who stomped in frustration.

At that moment, Liam's Nidorino emerged from its PokeBall, rubbing against him with concern.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Thanks for caring, though." Liam crouched down to comfort Nidorino.

"Since we've been together for a while now, I think it's time I gave you all some official nicknames. Don't worry, I'll still call you by your normal name mostly. Think of it as a small tradition, like an introduction to the family or something."

Turning to Nidorino, Liam declared, "I'll keep your nickname simple. How about Little Nido? What do you think?"

"Nido! Nido!" Nidorino nodded enthusiastically, clearly pleased.

Finally, Liam turned to Ekans with a mischievous grin. "As for you… I've got a powerful nickname in mind. How about… Orochimaru?"

Ekans tilted its head. "Hiss?"