As Ishi sat down for dinner with his parents, the excitement from his recent success with the subspace satchels still buzzed in his veins. An almost rhythmic pulse of adrenaline, causing him to barely contain his enthusiasm as he thought about the possibilities his new creation opened up.
The dining table was set with an array of dishes, a small feast to celebrate his newest achievement. Steaming bowls of rice, a hearty stew filled with tender vegetables and chunks of meat, baked bread, and a colourful salad were spread out. The aroma of the meal filled the air, making Ishi's stomach rumble in anticipation.
"So, what are your plans with your newly made subspace satchel, Ishi?" his dad asked, a proud smile playing on his lips as he scooped some stew onto his plate.
At that question he grinned, glancing at Percy who was perched beside him, looking equally thrilled. "The first thing I'm going to do is head into the village early tomorrow and find that slippery old Mr. Suru. I want to show him both of the successful satchels I've upgraded, I haven’t been able to see him all that often recently. But I’m sure he'll be able to give me some feedback and maybe even some advice on further improvements and the like.” He rattled off while scooping up all the food his arms could reach and piling it up onto his plate. “Besides, the old guy needs to socialise with the outside world a little more so this seems like a win-win," he muttered moreso to himself than to answer his dads question.
His mother nodded approvingly as she passed yet another bowl of rice to Ishi. "That's a great idea, Ishi. Mr. Suru has a wealth of knowledge, I'm sure he'll be impressed with your progress, be sure to abu- I mean rely on him." The small stumble over her words went unnoticed by Ishi who just nodded and began shovelling food into his mouth.
As they ate, the family Pokémon also came in from their guard duty and joined in the meal. Kingambit sat at the head of their table, a regal presence as he carefully ate from his bowl. Talonflame perched on a nearby stand, pecking delicately at her food. Weavile, Croagunk, and Sudowoodo were scattered around the table, each engrossed in their own meal.
Percy was especially adorable as he ate, his small hands working diligently to scoop up food with his tiny fingers. His cheeks puffed out with each bite, and he made small happy noises as he chewed. Ishi couldn't help but smile at his partner, after noticing his enthusiasm.
Seeming to also notice, Weavile, always the competitive one, stared over at Percy and smirked. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he started to eat faster, challenging Percy to an eating contest race deal. Percy, having felt the gaze rolled his eyes, but not one to back down, tried to match Weavile's pace, but it quickly became apparent that Weavile's experience and speed were too much for the young Froakie.
"Fro fro!" Percy huffed, puffing his cheeks in frustration as Weavile finished his meal with a triumphant grin.
The playful competition brought a light-hearted atmosphere to the table, and Ishi's parents chuckled along at the display. "It looks like Weavile has quite the edge, Percy," his father teased, reaching over to give Percy an encouraging pat on the head.
"Don't worry, Percy," Ishi said, smiling at his partner. "You just need to grow up some more, then I’m sure you’ll be able to smoke Weavile." ‘This is exactly what’s important at the moment… Maybe there is a training method to help increase eating speed? I wonder if we could employ the services of a Snorlax or something perhaps?’ These nonsensical thoughts flashed across his mind as he thought of ways to help Percy overcome one of his apparent rivals.
The rest of the meal was filled with light-hearted banter and stories about their individual days. Ishi's parents, of course, shared their own experiences, and the family enjoyed the warmth and comfort of being together. The pride they felt for Ishi was evident, and it only fueled his determination to continue improving and learning.
As dinner came to an end, Ishi helped clear the table before heading upstairs with Percy. The excitement still hadn't really waned in the slightest, and he could feel Percy's energy mirroring his own. ‘Apparently food comas aren’t a thing in this world.’ he thought amused as he noticed Percy’s rather bulging belly.
In his room, he sat down on the edge of his bed, Percy hopping up beside him. "Can you believe what we've done, Percy?" he said, his voice filled with awe. "This changes everything. The possibilities are endless now. Now there are of course the things to fill the bag but ya know the foundation is set!" His voice pitched towards the end in anticipation.
"Kie kie fro," Percy croaked, nodding enthusiastically. ‘Arceus I wanna know what he’s saying… Haa, one day, one day.’ he mused, with his mind falling back to a familiar thought, with a small sigh.
Still though he chuckled at the small shiny frog, patting him on the head, as he felt the amusement flow off of Percy. "Tomorrow is going to be a big day. We need to find and show Mr. Suru our work and get his input. After that, who knows? We might even find new ways to improve the design, I mean we have a spare."
As the evening wore on, Ishi decided to make a small to-do list for the next steps before they embarked on their journey. He grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill, scribbling down his thoughts.
And with the list safely tucked away, he climbed into bed, Percy curling up beside him. As he drifted off to sleep, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction and eagerness for what was to come. ‘Oh I can’t wait to see his wrinkly shocked face tomorrow!’ He pondered, a blissful smirk on his face, as he drifted off.
***
He awoke at the crack of dawn, the first light of morning casting a soft glow through his bedroom window. Today was the day he would show Mr. Suru his newly crafted subspace satchels. Beside him, Percy was just waking, his eyes slowly losing their fog and shining with a shared anticipation.
"Ready, Percy?" Ishi asked, his voice still hushed from sleep as he stretched.
"Froakie," Percy croaked, hopping off the bed and stretching widely, almost mimicking his movements.
They both got ready quickly, with Ishi slipping into his ninja garb and making sure the two subspace satchels were secure, and Percy was just helping by getting in the way and hopping about the room.
The morning air was cool and crisp as they stepped outside, the village still shrouded in the early morning mist. The faint sounds of the waking village - a distant pokemon did its best to mimic a crowing rooster, and a murmur of a few muted voices - created a serene atmosphere.
Ishi closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on his heightened aura sense, beginning to send a bit of aura into the ground and spreading it out as he moved through the village further. He could feel the faint auras of the villagers and pokemon around him, like gentle ripples in a pond. But there was one aura that stood out, a massive pool of energy that was unmistakably Mr. Suru's. He grinned widely at his success, knowing he had located his old sensei.
"Got him," He murmured softly to Percy, who gave a small nod back in understanding.
Returning Percy to his Pokéball, Ishi activated his mastered Ninja Flicker Step. With a burst of speed and a flicker of movement, he practically materialised in front of Mr. Suru's workshop. The transition was so smooth and swift that the world seemed to blur for a brief moment.
Mr. Suru, a man of few surprises, didn't even flinch. He simply sighed, rubbing his temples. "Far, Faaar too early for this," he muttered, his voice gruff with sleep. "I'm getting too old for this shit."
His eyes were sharp and intelligent, taking in almost every detail with a keen, practised gaze. He wore a simple, worn-out apron over his clothes, its many pockets bulging with tools and small crafting materials.
With a resigned motion, he beckoned Ishi inside. The workshop was a familiar place to Ishi, filled with the scent of sawdust and the tang of metal. Shelves lined with various crafting materials, tools, and half-finished projects gave the room a sense of organised chaos. The temperature inside was warm, the air thick with the smells of wood and metal. ‘Oh the nostalgia.’ Ishi thought with a small smile on his face as he took in his familiar surroundings. 'I spose even if you move the body, you can't move the heart of a workshop.’
Mr. Suru settled into a worn wooden chair with a groan, muttering about not being as young as he once was. "Alright, kid, what have you got for me this time? And don’t you have any manners? You couldn’t have waited like another couple hours?"
Ignoring those last two questions, as they weren’t really necessary in his opinion, he firstly released Percy from his Pokéball. The shiny Froakie appeared with a bright flash, landing gracefully beside Ishi. Mr. Suru raised an eyebrow, his expression softening slightly as he regarded Perseus. "Well, I'll be damned," he said, leaning back in his chair. "A shiny Froakie. Every time I see him I can’t help but think of how lucky you are, Ishi. I can’t think of any other trainers who get to start their journey with a shiny Pokémon."
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Ishi beamed with pride. "Yeah, Percy is really special." ‘Well, I mean a certain Hoen Champion does have a Shiny Metagross partner. But yeah I think that guy's starter was a Skarmory, so it doesn't really count.’
"Froakie," Percy said, puffing out his chest proudly.
"Alright, let's see what you've got," Mr. Suru said, turning his attention back to Ishi. Ishi held out the satchels, his heart pounding with anticipation.
Ishi carefully and wordlessly displayed the two subspace satchels, his hands steady despite his excitement. "I wanted to show you these, Mr. Suru," he said, holding them out.
Mr. Suru's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the satchels. He leapt up from his chair, snatching the satchels from Ishi's hands with surprising speed. ‘Damn the old guy still has a few signs of life huh.’ he thought, snickering at his old senseis behaviour. Mr Suru’s eyes bulged as he examined Ishi’s craftsmanship, turning the satchels over in his hands and peering closely at the details.
"How in the hell did a mere eight-year-old accomplish this?" Mr. Suru exclaimed, his voice a mix of shock and awe.
Achievement!
Mr. Suru, A Renowned Master Craftsman, Has Been Left Virtually Speechless By Your Craftsmanship!
Reward: 5% Increase In All Current Progression Quests
‘Hah! Serves you right, old man, though it seems this achievement isn’t all that difficult considering he doesn’t talk all that much in the first place.’ he thought with a small chuckle. That amusement was quelled quickly when the next notifications appeared and the ramifications of his achievement revealed themselves.
***
Confirmed. Quest Completed:
You have been born into the Ninja Village, Learn And Master All Ninja Nature Tricks!
Progress:
Ninja Water Spout - 100%
Ninja Flicker Step - 100%
Ninja Dust Storm - 100%
Ninja Wind Rush - 100%
Ninja Fire Ball - 100%
Ninja Body Switch - 100%
Ninja Leaf Shroud - 100%
Congratulations! All Rewards For This Quest Have Been Received!
‘No way!’ he thought while internally screaming inside. ‘Now! Of all times! I haven’t even practised my ninja tricks all that much recently, I’ve been too busy.’ A small amount of irritation joined his thoughts ‘I’ve literally just completed a months long project and now I have even more experiments and work I need to confirm whether I can feasibly integrate my ninja tricks into the village's Hand-to-hand techniques!’
Congratulations! You Have Earned Your First Sub-Class: One-With-Nature
This Sub-Class Grants You An Enhanced Worldview, A 3% Boost in Power For All Mastered Ninja Tricks!
‘Interesting, this means no matter who I’m, up against I’ll always have a slight advantage over my opponents when it comes to clashing Ninja Tricks. Oh yes, this will certainly come in handy.’ he thought as he mulled over the implications of the 3% boost in power. ‘But what's this about Enhanced Worldview?’ The question seemed to answer itself as, before he could fully comprehend, the aura’s he had been sensing only a few minutes ago when trying to locate Mr. Suru, all seemed to look and feel different. The colour they changed two seemed to correlate with the feeling, green felt earthy, blue felt slippery and constantly shifting, red felt fiery but bright.
It all nearly overwhelmed him, but he was able to control his aura, and calm his turbulent mind. He could now see his own aura was of a turquoise colour and felt similar to the blue variant aura, but somehow more powerful and almost prideful. After several deep breaths his adrenaline level, which had been spiking, slowly decreased. And a dull headache only remained, but with a quick pulse of his aura, that two dispersed.
‘Few.’ he thought ‘That was a lot to take in, and only in a split second as well. Thank Arceus I figured a way for me to accelerate my thought processes. This would have been difficult to explain to Mr. Suru.’
That relief was short lived however as the Champion’s System apparently had other plans in mind.
Progress:
Otherworldly Aura Cultivation Technique - 63.22%
Rewards: + 1 Stat Point To Aura
As Ishi felt the sudden boost in Aura he couldn’t help but gently mutter “Oh Come On!” in a rather pissed off tone. ‘The old man just had to become speechless! This is all his fault!’ He thought, completely placing the blame on his old sensei, while trying his best to regain control of the now boosted aura through rotating it around his two clenched fists and circulating the excess into the rest of his body.
***
With the internal monologue and struggle concluded, and he confirmed no new notifications were going to appear, he mentally checked back into his surroundings and rubbed the back of his head, a sheepish smile on his face. "Technically, I'm eight and a quarter," he said, a bit of hostility edging his voice.
Mr. Suru shot him a look that was equal parts incredulous and impressed. The weight of the moment settled in, the realisation of what Ishi had achieved dawning on both of them. The workshop, usually a place of quiet focus, now buzzed with the energy of discovery and possibility.
***
The rest of the day unfolded in a pleasant blur for Ishi and Mr. Suru. Despite Mr. Suru's gruff exterior and tendency toward monosyllabic responses, there was a deep, unspoken understanding between the old crafter and his young apprentice. Ishi, brimming with excitement and stories from the academy, did most of the talking, while Mr. Suru listened with a quiet attentiveness that spoke volumes. ‘He seems speechless all the time, how on earth did the system figure that he was rendered speechless?’ he had wondered as they talked, still a little miffed at the sudden influx of work and stress the achievement the System had given him.
They had tinkered away in the workshop, the familiar sounds of crafting tools and the occasional muttered curse from Ishi creating a comforting background hum. And when Ishi explained in detail the process he used to create the subspace satchels, Mr. Suru had offered nods of approval and the occasional word of advice, though not nearly as much as Ishi had prepared himself for. And he still couldn’t decide whether that was a good or bad thing.
"It's all about feeling the materials," Mr. Suru said at one point, his hands deftly weaving a piece of Iron Barktongue into a new project. "If you can sense the resonance, you're just about halfway there already."
Ishi nodded eagerly, absorbing every bit of wisdom, just as his mother had advised. "I think I started to get it when I was working on the last satchel," he said. "There was this moment where everything just... clicked."
"That's the moment you chase," Mr. Suru replied, a rare smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "And it looks like you've got a knack for finding it." ‘Damn, those were almost full sentences he just said, I wonder if the sun will rise in the west tomorrow.’ Ishi thought, a little in shock at his sensei’s words.
The hours slipped by unnoticed as they worked together, falling into a comfortable rhythm that felt both nostalgic and new. Percy alternated between watching them with wide, curious eyes and playing with the various tools and materials scattered around the workshop, or with bothering Mr. Suru’s old Bisharp that clearly just wanted to be left alone.
And as the day turned to evening, Ishi realised how hungry he was. His stomach growled, a loud reminder that he hadn't eaten since breakfast. And glancing outside, he saw that the sun had set, casting long shadows across the village.
"I didn't realise it was so late," Ishi said, standing up and stretching. "We've been working all day."
Mr. Suru grunted, standing up with a wince. "Time flies when you're busy.” was his only reply.
Ishi smiled up at his old sensei. "Thanks, Mr. Suru. I really appreciate all your help. And... I was hoping I could ask you for a couple of favours."
Mr. Suru raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "Oh?"
Ishi explained his ideas, first about commissioning a pair of gloves that could hold a special stone he hoped to find one day. Mr. Suru's eyes gleamed with interest as he listened. "That's a tall order.” he said as he tapped his greasy finger on his chin. “Hmm.. I think I’ll be able to manage it.” He seemed to conclude, with a nod of affirmation.
"And," Ishi continued, "I'd also like your help with making a saddle. For both a flying and a ground mount. I know that's a long way off, but I want to be prepared."
Mr. Suru again nodded thoughtfully and restarted tapping his chin. "A saddle, huh?” he said, and a few seconds later “Alright. But It’s conditional on the type of pokemon so it won’t be available for a long time”
And with that they sealed the agreement with a handshake, Ishi's smaller hand engulfed in Mr. Suru's calloused grip. As a token of gratitude, Ishi offered the spare subspace satchel, and Mr. Suru accepted it with a silent nod of appreciation.
"Take care of that Froakie," Mr. Suru said as they wrapped up.
"I will," Ishi promised, looking down at Percy, who croaked happily in agreement.
As the two of them left and stepped outside, the night air feeling cool and refreshing, Ishi and Percy waved goodbye to Mr. Suru. Who was standing in the doorway, watching them with a satisfied expression.
"Thanks again, Mr. Suru!" Ishi called out.
"Get home safe, kid," Mr. Suru replied, raising a hand in farewell.
Ishi and Percy raced off into the night, their hearts light and their minds filled with the excitement of the day's accomplishments. They made their way home, eager for a well-deserved meal and ready to share their successes with Ishi's parents. All the while Ishi continued to wonder what that weird purple aura, that had felt slimy and somewhat dangerous, had been doing near Mr. Suru’s workshop and who that aura signature had belonged to.