The next morning came quietly.
Alex woke up first, the soft light of dawn slipping through the fabric of the tent. For a moment, he just stared at the ceiling, listening to the distant sounds of the camp waking up. Trainers moving, Pokémon shifting, fire crackling somewhere nearby.
Then he sat up.
Beside him, Violet was still asleep, curled slightly in her sleeping bag.
"Hey… Violet," Alex said, nudging her lightly. "Wake up. I'm going to train, and later I want you to help me check out a cave about two kilometers from here."
Violet groaned softly, barely opening her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah… train all you want," she muttered. "Wake me up when we're actually going to the cave. I'm sleeping."
She rolled over immediately.
Alex stared at her for a second.
"…God, you're lazy," he said.
No response.
He sighed and stepped outside the tent.
The air was fresh, cool, and calm. Perfect for training.
Alex reached for his Poké Balls and released his entire team.
Riolu stretched calmly. Grovyle scanned the area. Larvesta chirped softly. Zorua lingered near the shadows. Ceruledge stood silently, flames flickering.
And then there was Gible.
The small dragon looked much better now, recovered from the previous day, though still inexperienced.
"Alright, guys," Alex said. "Today we're focusing on real battle experience. I want you to learn how to fight against different strategies."
With that, Alex walked toward the other trainers in the camp.
After asking around, one of them accepted.
A boy named Tyler.
"So, how are we doing this?" Alex asked.
Tyler crossed his arms slightly.
"Six versus six. First one to lose all their Pokémon loses. Simple."
Alex nodded.
"Got it. Let's move somewhere more open."
They walked into a clearing deeper in the forest.
Both trainers took their positions.
"Ready?" Alex asked.
"Ready," Tyler replied.
"Go, Gible!"
The small dragon appeared, letting out a sharp cry.
"Go, Quagsire!"
A large, blue Pokémon appeared in front of Tyler, its blank expression almost comical.
Alex narrowed his eyes.
The battle began instantly.
Alex thought quickly.
"Ground-type won't work… and it has type advantage," he analyzed. "I'll need to rely on direct attacks."
Before he could react further, Quagsire opened its mouth.
Water blasted forward.
"Gible, dig!"
Gible reacted just in time, burrowing underground and dodging the Water Gun.
Tyler smirked slightly.
"Quagsire, stay alert. Feel the ground."
Quagsire placed its hands on the ground, sensing vibrations.
Alex noticed immediately.
"Gible, come out now and use Dragon Rage!"
Gible burst out of the ground, releasing a powerful blast of draconic energy.
The attack hit directly.
Quagsire was sent flying backward, crashing into a tree.
"Keep going! Use Slash!"
Gible rushed forward, claws glowing.
"Quagsire, recover and use Water Gun to defend!" Tyler shouted.
But it was too late.
Gible was already in range.
It leaped and slashed downward.
The impact was brutal.
The tree behind Quagsire shattered as the Pokémon collapsed to the ground, defeated.
"You did well," Tyler said, recalling Quagsire.
Then he threw another Poké Ball.
"Go, Ninetales!"
A beautiful fox Pokémon appeared, its nine tails flowing elegantly. The air immediately grew hotter.
Alex narrowed his eyes.
"Drought…"
"Gible, dig again!"
"Don't let it!" Tyler shouted. "Ninetales, Quick Attack, then Flamethrower!"
Ninetales dashed forward with incredible speed, striking Gible before it could dig. Immediately after, flames erupted from its mouth.
The Flamethrower hit directly.
Gible cried out before collapsing.
"…Damn," Alex muttered. "Return, Gible. You did well."
He thought quickly.
Riolu wouldn't last long.
Larvesta and Zorua would struggle.
Grovyle was at a disadvantage.
That left one option.
Ceruledge.
"Go, Ceruledge!"
The armored Pokémon appeared instantly, eyes locked onto Ninetales.
"Start with Night Slash!"
Ceruledge dashed forward at high speed.
Ninetales barely managed to dodge, but the attack still grazed it.
"Keep the pressure!" Alex commanded.
Ceruledge attacked again.
"Quick Attack, dodge and counter with Fire Punch!" Tyler ordered.
Ninetales moved gracefully, avoiding strikes before spinning and launching a fiery punch.
The attack connected.
But nothing happened.
Instead, Ceruledge's flames burned brighter.
Tyler's eyes widened.
"…Flash Fire."
Alex smirked slightly.
"Finish it. Grab its leg and use Night Slash at point-blank range."
Ceruledge moved instantly.
It caught Ninetales mid-movement, gripping one of its legs.
Before it could escape.
Night Slash.
The attack landed directly across Ninetales' face.
The power, combined with the boost from Fire Punch, was overwhelming.
Ninetales collapsed.
Silence followed.
Tyler stared for a moment.
Then he sighed.
"I give up," he said. "That's my strongest Pokémon. I don't think I can beat that monster with the rest."
Alex said nothing.
Tyler walked forward and handed him some money.
"Here. Compensation."
Then he left.
Alex looked at the money briefly before putting it away.
"Well…" he muttered, turning to his team. "At least you two got some training."
Ceruledge stood silently.
Gible rested inside its Poké Ball.
Alex exhaled.
"Let's head back. We need to wake Violet."
He glanced toward the direction of the camp.
"And then… we're heading to that cave."