Don't they understand the disadvantages of using a single type when facing opponents with type advantages?
Don't they know how useful a flexible team can be when traveling or exploring Secret Realms in the real world?
Yet for most people, specializing in one type allows them to advance further as Trainers.
Take someone from a Fire-type specialist family, for example. The Pokemon training knowledge passed down through generations focuses entirely on Fire-types.
The resources their family has gathered over the years, the support from elder members for younger generations, and even the Secret Realms they control—all of these are centered around Fire-types.
If such a person insists on raising Pokemon of other types, the result will be wasted effort unless they have exceptional talent or a lucky encounter.
Another example is David's older sister, Aria.
The Moore family earned their reputation as Dragon Tamers because they've controlled the largest Dragon-type Secret Realm in the Cloudspire region since before the ancient Cloudspire Empire was even established—the Nest of Ten Thousand Dragons.
This Secret Realm is nearly as large as a medium-sized country. By current Alliance standards, it ranks as an S-rank Secret Realm.
Not only does it contain various Dragon-type Pokemon, but it also houses guardian Pokemon left behind by the Moore family's ancestors.
Even though only a small portion remain, given how long Dragon-type Pokemon live, there must still be quite a few. The thought alone is terrifying.
There's even an open secret among the Alliance's top officials. According to rumors, in the Dragon Tomb—the most restricted area within the Nest of Ten Thousand Dragons—one of Dragon Emperor Moore Nicholas's main Pokemon still slumbers.
Anyone wanting to challenge the Moore family must carefully consider whether they can handle the wrath of this thousand-year-old Dragon.
For Aria, who awakened the family's inherited Dragon Force ability, this Secret Realm is an invaluable treasure. Add to that the secret techniques, training methods, Dragon-type resources, and other knowledge passed down through the Moore family—the importance of these advantages to a Trainer cannot be overstated.
Of course, specializing in one type doesn't mean every Pokemon must be that type. Having a few other types as supplements is acceptable. Many of the Moore family's ancestors also caught Psychic and Ghost-type Pokemon. (Dragapult, which is Ghost and Dragon-type, hadn't been discovered yet at the time.)
Furthermore, the family allows each generation to catch Pokemon according to their own preferences.
So there's no ridiculous ancestral rule demanding only Dragon-types be caught. After all, those who know understand just how powerful Psychic and Ghost-types can be in the real world.
Aria's team includes a Dragapult, but she hasn't caught any Psychic-type Pokemon.
The reason? David knows his sister's dream has always been to catch a Legendary Dragon-type Pokemon.
Her goal is the legendary Latios and Latias, which possess both Psychic and Dragon types.
Before long, David and his team reached Ursaring's lair, led by the bear itself.
As the dominant Pokemon in this forest, Ursaring naturally wouldn't live in some crude hole like an Ekans might.
David followed Ursaring's lead through the outer edge of the forest until they reached the central area. There, an enormous tree over fifty meters tall stood before them.
The trunk alone measured at least six meters in diameter. Its towering form rose like a giant among the surrounding trees, and its thick canopy spread across nearly a hundred square meters, blocking out the sunlight completely.
David touched the bark gently. He couldn't identify what kind of tree it was—perhaps some special species unique to the Pokemon world.
At ground level, the tree's roots protruded unusually high from the soil, rising three to four meters. The thick, twisted roots had formed a natural hollow of considerable size.
This was Ursaring's home.
David stepped inside and immediately spotted the Alliance supply package with his sharp eyes.
A tightly sealed black box sat in an inconspicuous corner of Ursaring's den.
All supplies dropped by the Alliance came in special containers made from materials that didn't give off any scent. They were even coated with a special liquid that Pokemon found unpleasant.
The repel spray that Trainers use during wilderness adventures was actually developed from this same liquid.
Since many packages contained food, Pokemon food, and drinking water, without these special materials they wouldn't last until students could find them.
Wild Pokemon certainly wouldn't pass up such easy pickings.
Zorua skillfully used Shadow Claw to help David open the package. Through the torn opening, the contents became visible.
Three packs of Alliance military field rations (beef self-heating hot pot version, two servings each), worth 30 points total.
Perfect. The moment David saw these, he knew dinner was taken care of.
Seven boxes of high-calorie compressed biscuits, plus seven small jars of jam and seven small tubes of spread.
That came to 21 plus 7 plus 7, totaling 35 points. Not bad at all.
The same basic energy cubes as before, just in larger quantities—two big bags this time.
The final item was the most valuable thing in the package—a portable water filter with a built-in heating device.
When David saw this, everything else seemed like just a bonus.
This device alone was worth 300 points, and it would provide the safe, clean drinking water they needed most right now.
Natural water in the wilderness can't be drunk directly. If someone got diarrhea or a stomach infection on the first day of a seven-day wilderness assessment, they'd be out immediately.
This showed just how valuable the device was. Three hundred points wasn't excessive at all.
This trip to Ursaring's den had definitely been worthwhile!