Grey's POV
After finishing most of the morning's training, I decided to call it there for the day.
Charmander seemed to have made some progress with Sunny Day. It had started grasping the concept behind the move, but it still wasn't capable of actually creating the weather effect. According to Exeggutor, it was gathering the right kind of energy now, but turning that into an actual sunny field would require more practice.
Axew was also sporting a few bruises after today's training.
Persian wasn't much better.
The culprit behind both injuries was obvious.
After using Shell Smash, Cloyster had gotten a little too enthusiastic with its Icicle Spears. What had started as controlled training quickly became a barrage that both Axew and Persian struggled to avoid.
Thankfully, neither injury was serious.
I gathered the team and headed back to the Pokémon Center.
Nurse Joy healed everyone up, and afterward I gave them their Pokémon food mixed with some regular feed. The custom food Bill had arranged was definitely a success considering how quickly the bowls were emptied.
With training done and everyone fed, I decided it was finally time to do some exploring.
Today's destination was Route 9.
From what I knew, Route 9 was practically a giant maze filled with trainers, rocky terrain, ledges, and winding pathways. It sounded like a good place to gain some experience while also seeing more of the region.
My plan was simple.
Today I would explore Route 9.
Tomorrow I would head north and check out Nugget Bridge.
For the remaining days before my gym challenge, I would ease off on the training and spend more time exploring Cerulean itself. There was no point burning out my Pokémon right before a badge battle.
With that decided, I started walking east toward Route 9.
It was on the way there that I encountered my first obstacle.
A tree.
A very large tree.
A very large tree that was completely blocking the path.
I stared at it.
For a moment, I genuinely thought this kind of thing only happened in the games.
Great.
Did I actually need Cut now?
Then I remembered I wasn't living in a game.
I released Charmander.
The lizard looked at the tree, then looked at me.
"What do we do?" its expression seemed to ask.
"Flamethrower."
Charmander immediately understood.
A stream of flames shot forward and engulfed the tree.
Within seconds, the obstacle had been reduced to a pile of burning wood.
I quickly called out Cloyster before Charmander accidentally turned the entire route into a wildfire.
"Water Gun."
Cloyster blasted the remains with water until every last ember had been extinguished.
With the path now clear, I continued onward.
The best way to describe Route 9 was a maze built into a mountain range.
Rocky cliffs, ledges, narrow pathways, and uneven terrain stretched in every direction. Some sections wound around hills, while others forced travelers through tight passages between rocky formations.
I released Persian while Exeggutor continued walking beside me carrying my backpack.
"Your jobs today are simple," I told them. "Help me figure out the path to Route 10."
Persian flicked its tail.
Exeggutor nodded.
My goal wasn't just to reach Route 10.
I wanted to properly explore both routes before returning to Cerulean. From what I had read, there wasn't much to see on Route 10 itself besides the approach to Rock Tunnel, which I had already passed through before. Still, once I left Cerulean, I probably wouldn't have another chance to visit these routes unless I came back to see Bill.
The journey itself wasn't exactly smooth.
The route clearly wasn't maintained very well.
Considering there had been an entire tree blocking the entrance, that wasn't particularly surprising.
Still, we pressed on.
Along the way I battled several trainers.
Most were either travelers coming from Rock Tunnel or people who lived in small settlements scattered throughout the route.
The difference between them and the trainers on Route 5 was immediately noticeable.
These trainers were stronger.
Strong enough that I ended up rotating between Charmander, Persian, and Axew throughout the day instead of relying on just one Pokémon.
Some of the Pokémon I faced included Graveler, Fearow, Ekans, and even a Clefairy owned by a young Lass.
That battle ended up being surprisingly interesting.
Axew was the one I chose to fight it.
During the battle, I kept instructing him to use Slash and Strength rather than Dragon-type attacks.
At first he seemed confused.
Then he became concerned.
Very concerned.
Actually, concerned wasn't the right word.
He looked uncomfortable.
Almost scared.
At least, that's what Exeggutor translated for me.
"Friend Grey," Exeggutor said through telepathy, "Axew says the pink one feels wrong."
"Wrong?"
"Very wrong."
I looked at the tiny Clefairy.
The Pokémon was happily smiling.
Meanwhile Axew was staring at it as though it was some ancient horror pretending to be cute.
I had to resist laughing.
Then I remembered.
Fairy types.
Right.
Maybe dragons instinctively recognized them as natural enemies.
Maybe they sensed something about Fairy energy that humans couldn't.
Or maybe Axew was simply feeling the effects of a typing that completely countered his own.
Either way, after the battle I took the opportunity to explain Fairy Pokémon to him.
"There aren't many Fairy-types in Kanto," I told him. "That's why I never brought them up before."
Axew listened carefully.
Honestly, that Lass having a Clefairy was pretty impressive.
Sure, they could be found in Mt. Moon, but they weren't exactly common catches. Most trainers who went through the mountain never managed to find one.
After that we continued moving deeper into the route.
The further we traveled, the more confusing the terrain became.
Twists.
Turns.
Dead ends.
Ledges.
At one point I was checking my map while walking and accidentally stepped off a ledge.
For a brief second I felt my stomach drop.
Then psychic energy wrapped around me.
I froze in midair.
Exeggutor casually lifted me back onto the path.
"Friend Grey," it said dryly, "if we had gone down there, we would have reached a dead end."
I coughed awkwardly.
"Good catch."
Exeggutor simply sighed.
For some reason, I got the feeling that ever since my hospital stay, it had made keeping me alive its personal responsibility.
————————————-
Eventually, we made it to the end of Route 9's maze-like pathways.
By the end of it, Persian had managed to find quite a few Burn Heals scattered around the route, which only reinforced my belief that letting her roam around for items was almost always worth it.
Beyond Route 9 lay Route 10.
The area was noticeably different. Tall grass swayed gently in the wind, and a large body of water stretched alongside part of the route. In the distance, I could already see the entrance to a cave leading toward Rock Tunnel.
I had absolutely no intention of going back there.
The wild Pokémon inside were probably still angry with me from the last visit.
Deciding this was as good a place as any to rest, I released the rest of my team and allowed them to continue their training.
Route 10 was surprisingly peaceful.
Very few trainers seemed to pass through this particular area, which meant my Pokémon could train without constant interruptions.
A cool breeze drifted through the route.
Pidgey chirped from nearby trees.
Magikarp occasionally leaped from the water before splashing back down.
Meanwhile, Charmander was currently being lectured by Exeggutor for the fifth time that day.
Seeing everything under control, I stretched out on the grass and looked up at the clouds overhead.
Before I knew it, my eyes slowly drifted shut.
Pokémon POV
"Try to understand this, Charmander," Exeggutor said patiently. "You are performing the move correctly, but the sunlight itself isn't increasing enough. You are gathering the energy, but not projecting it outward."
Charmander let out a frustrated sigh.
"I'm trying, Brother Exeggutor, but it isn't easy."
Before Exeggutor could reply, Persian walked over from the side.
The cat took one look at the struggling Fire-type and smirked.
"Weren't you supposed to be some kind of prodigy? You were given away as a tournament prize and everything. Guess you're not that special after all."
Charmander immediately puffed up her cheeks.
"I'll have you know I am the daughter of the strongest Charizard in Charicific Valley!"
Persian raised an eyebrow.
Charmander continued proudly.
"The only reason I left the valley was because that Lance guy's Charizard defeated my father after suddenly turning into a black Charizard with blue flames. Then Father and Lance made some sort of agreement, and I ended up traveling with him."
She crossed her arms.
"Father told me to grow stronger alongside a strong trainer."
Exeggutor hummed thoughtfully.
"Interesting. So we essentially have royalty among our ranks."
One of his heads tilted slightly.
"Does the princess require additional motivation to learn the move?"
Charmander groaned.
"Not you too, Brother Exeggutor!"
Both Persian and Exeggutor looked entirely too amused.
With a huff, Charmander turned away and resumed practicing Sunny Day.
On the other side of the training area, Axew was throwing himself repeatedly at Cloyster's attacks.
Icicle Spears flew through the air.
Axew either deflected them or attempted to power through them while closing the distance.
Eventually, Cloyster increased the intensity slightly.
The next barrage struck Axew head-on and sent him tumbling across the ground.
Despite that, Axew simply stood back up.
Cloyster clicked his shell.
"You are quite stubborn, Axew."
Another Icicle Spear formed.
"Ice will always be a weakness for Dragon-types. No matter how much you train, it will always hit harder than most attacks."
The spear launched forward.
Axew swatted it aside.
"I know."
Another one came.
He blocked again.
"I don't expect to suddenly become immune to Ice attacks."
A third spear struck his shoulder.
Axew winced but remained standing.
"But if Brother Grey's training can increase my endurance even a little, then that means I can survive long enough to land one more attack."
His eyes sharpened.
"And one more attack can decide a battle."
For a moment, Cloyster was silent.
Then he chuckled.
"You are stubborn."
Another pause.
"And a bit of a maniac."
Then his tone became slightly more thoughtful.
"I am surprised it is taking you so long to evolve."
Axew glanced toward the sleeping Grey.
"According to Friend Grey, I should evolve soon."
His grin widened.
"Let's hope he's right."
Cloyster laughed.
"At least when you evolve, this training might finally become interesting."
Third POV
The training continued peacefully for several more hours.
Eventually, Grey woke up from his short nap and stretched lazily.
The sun had already begun its slow descent toward the horizon.
After gathering his Pokémon, he asked Exeggutor for directions back to Cerulean City.
Between Exeggutor's psychic senses and Persian's natural talent for navigation, finding the way back proved surprisingly easy.
Along the walk, Grey learned that Charmander had made some genuine progress with Sunny Day.
She still couldn't consistently create the weather effect, but Exeggutor's advice had helped. For brief moments, the sunlight around her had actually intensified.
It wasn't mastery.
But it was a start.
Satisfied with the day's progress, Grey and his Pokémon returned safely to Cerulean City.
Once there, he headed straight for the Pokémon Center, had dinner with his team, and settled in for the night.
Tomorrow would bring another day of training, exploration, and preparations for the Cerulean Gym.
Author's Note : Yes I know this is the second time I did a pokemon's POV but it gives a good idea of the dynamics of greys team one of the advices I got from the comment section was to focus better on the journey and interactions which I have been trying to implement in the volume 2 , dont worry this wont be a regular occurance but once in a while to make wholesome moments.