The next morning, the curtain of the tranquil night was lifted by the first rays of sunlight. The sun rose as usual, casting light and warmth upon the earth.
David pulled open the small flap of his tent and stepped outside. Morning dew slowly dripped from the branches, and a hint of coolness in the air instantly cleared away his lingering sleepiness.
"It truly is the wilderness!"
He took a deep breath, savoring the rare fresh air. In the quiet morning, the various subtle sounds of Pokémon activity formed a beautiful natural symphony, lifting David's mood even further.
His Pokémon were already awake by now.
Zorua was attempting to rekindle the dying campfire, with Ralts standing by to assist. Riolu, who always woke earliest, had already completed his morning training outside and was now returning to camp with collected dry branches and a bucket of water.
"What a beautiful morning," David sighed contentedly.
He thought about acquiring his own farm and estate near the wilderness in the future—raising Pokémon like Bounsweet, Alcremie, Miltank, Swirlix, Fidough, and Tropius. Whenever he had time, he would take his Pokémon to stay there for a few days, perhaps even cooking meals himself using ingredients from the farm.
It sounded like a wonderful idea.
"You worked hard, Riolu. Go wash your hands quickly—breakfast will be ready soon."
When Riolu approached, David quickly stepped forward and took the water bucket and firewood from him. Then he turned toward the campfire, ready to prepare their breakfast for the day.
"Rio~ Rio."
At that moment, Riolu stepped forward and stopped David. To his surprise, Riolu directly pulled him outside the camp, then pointed in the direction from which he had just returned.
"What's wrong, Riolu? Is there a problem?"
"Rio~"
"Are you saying that when you were getting water just now, you discovered a cave there?"
"Rio~ (It's right by the water source.)"
Riolu nodded in confirmation.
"Heh, interesting. Is this a special program arranged by the League, or is there some undiscovered secret hidden here?"
Upon hearing Riolu mention a hidden cave, David immediately became interested and forgot about breakfast. He grabbed his backpack and called over Zorua and Ralts, who were still tending the fire.
With Riolu leading the way, the group headed directly toward the water source.
A few minutes later, the figures of one trainer and three Pokémon quickly appeared at the water source. It was only a few hundred meters from camp, so the journey didn't take long.
This was why their temporary campsite was considered ideal—close enough to the water source for easy access, but not too close, ensuring safety while avoiding a damp environment.
"Where is it?"
Upon arriving, David eagerly looked around.
"Rio~ (It's right there!)"
Riolu pointed upward.
David's gaze followed the direction indicated, only to find it was where the water source originated—high up on the mountain wall, where water flowed down the cliff and eventually formed the stream below.
David looked but found nothing. However, he knew that Riolu's steady personality meant he wouldn't play pranks.
David closed his eyes, and a pale blue light enveloped his body as his Aura extended toward the direction Riolu had indicated.
One meter, two meters, five meters, ten meters... Suddenly, David's face lit up with joy.
Indeed, there was a cave about twenty meters from the ground. It was positioned on the mountain wall, but due to its location and the obstruction of the flowing water, it was nearly impossible to spot.
Even with Riolu's guidance and knowing the location, David would have had difficulty finding it without his Aura.
But hidden was good! A hidden cave was exactly what he wanted.
This mountain range had merged with Earth decades ago. If it were an easily discoverable place, it would have probably been cleared out long ago. Even if there were treasures, it wouldn't be their turn to find them.
"Riolu, how did you discover this place?"
After observing for a while, David suddenly asked out of curiosity.
Zorua and Ralts nearby also perked up their ears, clearly curious about it as well.
"Rio!"
After hearing Riolu's explanation, David and the others suddenly understood.
It turned out that early in the morning, Riolu had gone out for his training. After seeing the small waterfall, he had a sudden idea—he would imitate a Pokémon martial arts master he had seen in a movie, standing under the waterfall and using the force of the water to train himself.
It was at this moment, when his Aura burst forth, that he unintentionally noticed the cave, which led to the current situation.
After a moment of careful thought, David made a decision: he would leave Zorua to guard the camp while he, Riolu, and Ralts explored the cave.
"Zorua!"
Upon hearing David's decision, Zorua immediately protested vehemently.
"Be good! Listen. Your strength is the greatest among us, and all our supplies are still at the camp. I'll only feel at ease with you guarding them. It's fine—I'll be back soon and won't take too long."
David squatted down and gently soothed the agitated Zorua.
However, it was true as he said—he would only feel at ease if Zorua stayed behind.
The strength of the Pokémon living in this area did not exceed the Advanced level. The danger inside the cave would clearly not be too high, and even if unexpected events occurred, with Ralts present, they could ensure their safety by using Teleport.
Moreover, in such a narrow, dimly lit cave, Riolu's Aura could be maximized when resonating with David's own.
Among David's Pokémon, Zorua was the strongest. All their supplies were still outside, and if someone were to raid them while they explored the cave, wouldn't they just cry themselves to death?
To be safe, David could only feel at ease with Zorua standing guard.
Furthermore, with Zorua's illusions, they could deceive any ordinary humans they might encounter.
Finally, after considerable soothing from David, the little one reluctantly nodded in agreement.