(Grey's POV)
The early morning air was crisp as I broke camp, my mind set on navigating the underground path. Even before we set off, Meowth was already proving its worth, pawing insistently at specific patches of dirt. Taking the hint, I had Axew help dig up those spots, and to my surprise, we unearthed a handful of small pearls and one impressively large big pearl. Meowth immediately turned to me with an expectant look, demanding a reward for its sharp eyes. I gave in, feeding it some high-quality kibble. I have to admit, it has settled into its role on the team remarkably well, though how it learned to bargain like a seasoned merchant, god only knows.
We eventually reached the entrance to the underground path. The stairs plunged deep into the earth, and the further we descended, the darker it became. It wasn't until we were well below the surface that we reached a section with any actual light. I couldn't help but grumble to myself—couldn't the League or the locals have bothered to put some light bulbs at the edge of the stairs? I nearly took a nasty spill in the pitch black.
As we began the long trek, Meowth rode on my shoulder, its ears twitching at every sound. About thirty minutes into our walk, it suddenly leaped down and darted toward a shadow, returning with a Burn Heal it had found lying on the ground. We continued into the tunnel until we encountered a Hiker who was making his way toward Celadon. He wasted no time in challenging me to a battle.
He led with a Graveller, and I decided this was the perfect time to let Exeggcute take the lead. The Hiker tried to set up a classic Defense Curl and Rollout combo, hoping to steamroll us with increasing momentum. However, Exeggcute shut that down fast. A well-placed Leech Seed and Stun Spore took the wind out of Graveller's sails; the paralysis immediately halted the stockpiling power of the Rollout. From there, Exeggcute used Mega Drain to sap the golem's energy while using Confusion to hover and weave around Graveller's Rock Throw attacks. It was a slow, methodical drain that eventually left the Rock-type defeated.
Honestly, I knew Exeggcute was great at stalling, but it's becoming downright busted. Between Leech Seed and Mega Drain constantly sapping health, and Confusion providing crowd control, it's hard to hit. If I layer in Grassy Terrain for further healing and use Spore attacks or Toxic to disrupt the enemy, it's going to be a nightmare to face. If this thing evolves, it might become genuinely scary for any team to deal with.
I collected a decent amount of cash from the Hiker and asked him about the path ahead. He told me it would take at most four to five hours of walking to reach the other side. With that goal in mind, I pushed on.
Midway through the tunnel, I decided to set up a temporary camp to keep our strength up. I fed the Pokémon their special type-specific food, which has become a non-negotiable part of our daily routine. It was strangely quiet down there; I hadn't encountered a single other trainer. It's almost as if people avoid this route entirely, or perhaps they're avoiding Lavender Town itself and prefer the more commercial route through Saffron City. After the mons finished eating and I felt sufficiently rested, we continued the walk. Meowth stayed perched on my shoulder, but it wasn't idle. By the time we saw the light of the exit, it had found three more Burn Heals, a Golden Nugget, and four stray Poké Balls.
Eventually, we reached the end of the underground path. As I stepped back into the sunlight, a girl approached me, asking if I was willing to trade a Doduo for a Nidoran. I told her flatly that I had neither of those Pokémon and kept moving.
I had officially reached Route 8. I decided to set up camp immediately and get started on the daily training I'd delayed while clearing the path. I wanted to try something experimental today. I paired Shellder, Axew, and Meowth together for a joint session. Shellder's job was to fire Icicle Spears, occasionally throwing in a "Drilled Spear" to keep them guessing. Meowth and Axew had to use Night Slash and Rock Smash, respectively, to block through the ice and reach Shellder.
I chose these moves specifically because they haven't been mastered yet. Axew, who has more experience with the dark energy, could guide Meowth through the nuances of Night Slash, while Axew himself worked on getting the physical weight of Rock Smash down. "If you can't defend it, dodge it," I told them. My goal was for them to replicate what Brook's Hitmonchan had done—using physical attacks to nullify projectiles—without needing a move like Detect to dodge attacks as I wanted them to do it naturally.
For Exeggcute, I decided it was time to use the TM Giga Drain I had received from Erika. I watched as it learned the superior draining move, and I instructed it to practice it continuously. To add another layer to the group training, I had Exeggcute use Confusion to manipulate Shellder's Icicle Spears, making their flight paths unpredictable. This kept Axew and Meowth on their toes and ensured Exeggcute's psychic training didn't fall behind while it worked on Giga Drain.
To be frank, Meowth could learn a ton of moves through TMs, but I'm not entirely sure how to train it in those moves on my own yet. At least with Night Slash, it's something its evolutionary line has a natural affinity for. Since it already understands how to "slash," Axew's guidance made the process much smoother.
We trained for about two hours before I called it a day. The Pokémon looked exhausted, and I made sure to check them over. One thing I've ensured is that I don't injure my Pokémon on purpose or push them into the "red zone" like Paul did. Uselessly torturing a Pokémon won't give any real gain in strength. Only a structured plan for improvement and focused training will do that. If any of them looked even slightly injured during the session, I'd pause, treat them, and give them a rest before restarting.
As night approached, I decided to call it a day, but Axew had other ideas. He seemed to be "talking" to Meowth, insisting on practicing Night Slash under the cover of darkness to get it into a more usable state. Meowth had a hang of the move, but the dark energy was flickering and unstable in its claws. I allowed Axew to continue guiding the new guy for a bit longer, but I told the others to stop. Shellder was wiped out from the continuous ice releases, and Exeggcute hovered nearby, watching Meowth's training and occasionally bobbing its heads as if giving its own two cents on the technique.
It's good to see. The team has really accepted Meowth, treating him almost like a little brother. I gave them their night food before they went back to their practice, and I spent the time scouring the PokeNet for news and data on Lavender Town.
By midnight, I finally told them to call it quits. Meowth seemed to have finally stabilized the move; maybe the nighttime environment actually helped with the dark-type energy. We all piled into the tent, and I fell asleep surrounded by my team.