"Endurance exercises mostly. Shelgon need to build specific muscle groups that will support wings when they finally emerge. Swimming is excellent, the water's buoyancy counters the shell's weight while still providing resistance. And impact training helps strengthen the armor itself."
"Impact training?"
"Controlled collisions. Headbutting things, ramming into boulders, that kind of activity. It seems violent, but it actually helps. Shelgon instinctively know they need to toughen their armor, so they seek out impacts."
"That explains the tree headbutting," Kiyomi observed.
"Exactly. He's frustrated, yes, but he's also unconsciously training. We just need to direct that impulse toward productive activities rather than random destruction."
Sasuke stood and moved toward the RV. "If he needs a specialized diet for this stage, I should start researching. Shell-type Pokemon probably have unique nutritional requirements."
"High calcium definitely," Miyuki confirmed. "The shell is constantly growing and hardening. Also increased protein for muscle development, and minerals that support bone density."
"I'll design a meal plan." Sasuke pulled out his phone, already accessing Pokemon nutrition databases. "Probably need to supplement regular food with specific mineral compounds."
Miyuki joined him, and they bent over his phone together, discussing nutritional requirements and meal composition. Shelgon watched them from his position near the trees, and something in his posture suggested he was processing that these humans cared about his well-being beyond just battle effectiveness.
"Look at them," Kasumi whispered to Kiyomi, gesturing toward Sasuke and Miyuki. "The way they're working together to help Shelgon, it's so natural."
"Like parents planning for their child," Kiyomi agreed quietly. "Miyuki's medical knowledge combined with Sasuke's cooking expertise. They complement each other perfectly."
"Think they realize how couple-like they look right now?"
"Probably not. They're too focused on Shelgon's needs." Kiyomi smiled. "But everyone else can see it clearly."
Their whispered conversation apparently wasn't as quiet as intended. Both Sasuke and Miyuki glanced over, caught the words "parents" and "couple," and simultaneously turned red.
"We're just..." Sasuke started.
"Planning nutrition!" Miyuki finished, perhaps too emphatically. "Completely normal trainer support activities!"
"Sure," Kasumi said with a knowing smile. "Very professional Pokemon care. Nothing couple-like about working together seamlessly to nurture a Pokemon through a difficult developmental stage."
"You two would make good parents someday though," Kiyomi added with academic detachment that somehow made the observation more impactful. "Complementary skill sets, shared values, natural coordination. All signs point to compatible partnership."
Both Sasuke and Miyuki's faces were now matching Shelgon's red eyes in color intensity. They very deliberately did not look at each other, instead focusing intently on the phone screen between them.
Shelgon, completely oblivious to the social dynamics playing out around him, had discovered that the camping cooler contained food. He headbutted it experimentally, causing it to tip over and spill snacks across the ground. Then he began eating with single-minded determination, apparently deciding that if he couldn't fly yet, at least he could satisfy his increased appetite.
"Shelgon's metabolism is higher than Bagon's," Miyuki said, gratefully seizing the distraction. "He'll need to eat more frequently."
"I'll prep extra portions," Sasuke replied, also clearly relieved to return to practical matters. "Should have everything ready by tomorrow."
They worked together for another thirty minutes, finalizing Shelgon's dietary plan. The meal schedule was complex, specific nutrients at specific times, supplements timed to maximize absorption, portion sizes calculated based on growth projections.
"This is more detailed than most human diet plans," Kasumi observed, reading over their shoulders.
"Shelgon are in a critical development stage," Miyuki explained. "What he eats now directly impacts his eventual Salamence form. Get the nutrition wrong during this period, and he might have permanent developmental issues."
"No pressure then," Kiyomi said dryly.
By the time they finished planning, night had fully settled. Stars were visible above, and the ocean's rhythm provided natural white noise. Shelgon had eaten himself into contentment and was now dozing near the fire, his armored shell making him look like an oddly-shaped boulder.
"He'll adjust," Miyuki said quietly, watching her Pokemon sleep. "Shelgon always do. The frustration fades as they grow stronger and realize this stage is temporary. In a few months, maybe sooner, he'll evolve again. And when he takes flight as Salamence, he'll understand why this difficult period was necessary."
"How long did it take your grandmother's Salamence to go from Shelgon to final form?" Sasuke asked. He knew Miyuki's family history included some Dragon-type specialists, her connection to the Senju Clan included trainers who'd mastered various Pokemon types.
"Six months according to family records. But that was with optimal training conditions and genetic predisposition toward fast development." Miyuki smiled. "Ryu might take longer, or he might surprise us. Every Pokemon is different."
They sat around the fire, watching Shelgon sleep while processing the day's events. So much had happened, the Power Plant, Aether Foundation, the rescue operation, and now Ryu's evolution. Each event significant in its own way.
"Tomorrow we reach Vermillion City," Sasuke said eventually. "New gym challenge, new Contest preparation. But also new complications. We need to stay alert for Aether Foundation activity."
"Agreed," Miyuki said. "They've shown they're willing to operate in populated areas. Vermillion's size won't deter them if they have objectives there."
"Then we watch for them while pursuing our primary goals," Kiyomi concluded. "Defensive awareness rather than active investigation."
"Sounds like a plan."
They sat in comfortable silence, four travelers who'd become something more than simple companions. The shared experiences of recent weeks had forged bonds that went beyond convenience or circumstantial proximity.
Eventually, exhaustion caught up with everyone. They extinguished the fire and retreated to the RV for the night. Shelgon remained outside, Dragon-types preferred open air, and his armored shell meant weather wasn't a concern.
Before heading upstairs, Miyuki paused beside Sasuke's murphy bed area. "Thank you. For helping with Ryu's meal planning. Your expertise made the difference between adequate nutrition and optimal development."
"You would have figured it out yourself."
"Maybe. But working together made it easier." She smiled, silver hair catching the RV's dim lighting. "We make a good team."
"We do."
The moment stretched between them, acknowledgment of partnership that carried implications neither was quite ready to fully explore. Then Miyuki nodded and headed upstairs, leaving Sasuke alone with his thoughts.
Through the window, he could see Shelgon's silhouette against the starlit sky. The Dragon-type had positioned himself facing west, toward where the ocean met horizon. Maybe dreaming of flight. Maybe just sleeping peacefully.
Either way, he was part of their family now. Miyuki's partner, but also the group's collective responsibility. They would all help him through this difficult stage, support his development, celebrate his eventual evolution into Salamence.
That was what family did. That was what made this journey meaningful beyond personal achievement.
Sasuke prepared for sleep, reviewing the day's events one final time. Aether Foundation would remain a concern. Vermillion City waited with new challenges. The journey toward Championship continued.
But tonight had also brought evolution, not just Ryu's transformation from Bagon to Shelgon, but subtle evolution in group dynamics. The easy coordination between him and Miyuki. The teasing from Kasumi and Kiyomi. The growing sense that they were building something that went beyond temporary travel partnership.
Those complications would need addressing eventually. But not tonight.
Tonight was for rest, recovery, and preparing for whatever tomorrow brought.
Outside, Shelgon slept beneath stars he couldn't yet reach, dreaming of flight that remained temporarily beyond grasp.
But the dream was patient. And when it finally manifested, the waiting would make the achievement that much sweeter.
Evolution was rarely convenient or simple. But it was always worth the struggle.
That lesson applied to Pokemon and humans equally.