"Well then, I'll be heading out first."

  Under Paul's slightly surprised gazed, Ueno pulled out a Poké Ball and released a Gyarados.

  "Rooar!"

  The t form of Gyarados hovered above the water's surface, its intimidating presence sending ripples of fear through the area, sg off many nearby Pokémon.

  A Gyarados? Is this a mountaineer?

  In Paul's experience, mountaiypically carried Pokémon like Geodude or Onix, Rock- and Ground-types.

  At most, some mountaineers used Fighting-types for their strength or scouting Pokémon for exploration. But a Gyarados? Paul had never seen that before.

  "I'm not a traditional mountaineer. Gyarados is a perfect partrong aile.”

  “It swim and fly (though not very high), making it one of my best panions for expl uncharted territories." Ueno said proudly, notig Paul's gazed.

  Clearly, this mountaineer was transitioning into an explorer, no longer purely a climber—he'd lost the "soul" of a mountaineer.

  "Alright, until we meet again. Gyarados, let's go!"

  With that, Ueno and Gyarados crossed the river and disappeared into the distance. Paul turned his attention back to his Pokémon.

  After finishing their training and lunch, Paul gave his instrus:"Turtwig, practice using your roots in areas without soil while inside your Poké Ball. Also, try maniputing leaves to refine your energy trol.”

  Elekid, work on releasing and trolling different energies without using your moves."

  "Bzzt!""Twiig!"

  The two Pokémon, aced to this rigorous routine, responded early.

  Other Pokémon might be talented, but Paul's Pokémon were even mifted.

  Other Pokémon trained hard, but Paul's Pokémon trained harder.

  While others rested, his team kept pushing themselves.

  Even when iheir Poké Balls, they thought about training and improving—and sometimes even trained inside.

  This relentless effort was why they were strohan other Trainers' Pokémon.

  Paul recalled Turtwig and Elekid to their Poké Balls and called over Vulpix.

  "Vuul!"

  With a delighted cry, Vulpix leapt onto Paul's shoulder, affeately nuzzling him.

  The reason for keeping Vulpix out was simple: the river ahead was hundreds of meters wide.

  The easiest way across wasn’t swimming but having Vulpix assist.

  "Meditate to enhance yourself, then carry me across the river."

  Having practiced yoga extensively, Vulpix had already mastered the move Calm Mind. For safety, Paul had it meditate first.

  "Vuul~"

  Calming itself, Vulpix activated its psychic powers, lifting both itself and Paul as they floated across the river.

  The crossing was uful, and within a mihey reached the other side.

  "Stay focused, feel the energy, meditate, and practice ya."

  On solid ground, Paul instructed Vulpix to tiraining.

  Vulpix had grown signifitly, and its size was starting to outgrow Paul's shoulder. O fully matured or evolved, there’d be no space for it there.

  In truth, as long as his Pokémon were diligent and obedient, Paul was le with them—retively speaking.

  "Vuul~"

  Vulpix let out a soft cry and closed its eyes, abs the sunlight as it entered a warm meditative state.

  Following Ueno's advice, Paul ventured deeper into the forest along the mountain wall.

  The trees grew sparser as the rocky terrain became more promi, with brown cliffs and ochre soil dominating the ndscape.

  The unique enviro caused the number of Pokémon to dwindle. Some hid irees, while others cealed themselves among the rocks.

  Soon, Paul came across a cave. Without hesitatioepped inside.

  The cave was filled with yellowish-brown walls and scattered stones. Occasionally, Geodude disguised as rocks could be spotted.

  Being close to the entrahis yer of the cave wasn’t too dark, and Paul could clearly see his surroundings.

  In any location, rare and powerful Pokémon wouldn’t be he surface; they’d always hide deeper within.

  Without lingering, Paul ventured further into the cave.

  Along the way, he entered Pokémon like Machop, Geodude, and Zubat, none of which piqued his i.

  As he explored deeper, he spotted gling, Golbat, Cleffa, Clefairy, Bronzor, and Graveler.

  However, Paul refrained from battling them and pressed onward until he saw a blue-and-white Pokémon floating cross-legged in the air—a Meditite.

  Meditite was a dual Fighting- and Psychic-type Pokémon, and its evolved form Medicham, was the epitome of yoga power.

  "Vulpix, get ready to battle!"

  "Vuul!"

  Vulpix instantly opes eyes, leaping to Paul's side, brimming with fighting spirit as it stared at Meditite.

  "Medi~"

  Notig the otioite nded gracefully on the ground and assumed a battle stance.

  "Vulpix, use Fmethrower!"

  "Vuul!"

  Energy gathered in Vulpix's mouth as a bright bzing fme illumihe cave, surging toward Meditite.

  "Medi~"

  Meditite calmly raised its right hand, its eyes glowing brightly. The fmes froze mid-air, then densed into a fiery sphere us psychitrol.

  With a wave of its hand, the fireball reversed dire, hurtling back at Vulpix with eveer force.

  "Quick Attack!"

  Vulpix's body turned nimble, darting like a ghost toward Meditite. Instead of dodging the fireball, it charged straight into it.

  Upon tact, the fmes were absorbed into Vulpix's fur, turning it fiery red.

  Fsh Fire activated!

  With its ability triggered, Vulpix’s Fire-type moves grew even stronger.

  Meditite startled by the dispy, hesitated just long enough for Vulpix to close the distas six tails shimmered with metallic light, whipping toward Meditite.

  In the nick of time, Meditite's eyes fshed with a peculiar purple hue. Its body twisted unnaturally, narrowly dodging the Iron Tail attack without a scratch.

  Detect!

  "Overheat!"

  Before Meditite could react, Vulpix unleashed an intense burst of fmes in the shape of a character, engulfiite.

  "Boom!"

  The explosio both Pokémon flying. While Vulpix remained unscathed, Meditite colpsed, uo battle.

  "Poké Ball, go!"

  Paul threoké Ball, which captured Meditite after a few shakes.

  Instead of retrieving it immediately, Paul released Turtwig and Elekid from their Poké Balls.

  "Twig!"

  Turtwig retracted its roots, curiously the cave.

  "Bzzt!"

  Elekid stood with its arms crossed, its body flickering with icy blue golden yellow and fiery red energy as it practiced trolling different energies.

  "Show me the results of your training. Head deeper into the cave, find strong Pokémon a them so I capture them."

  Sometimes, Pokémon had a better eye for strength, making it easier to identify weaklings or underdeveloped Pokémon and instead challeronger ones.

  "Bzzt-Bzzt!"

  Elekid, raring to go, dashed off in a golden fsh toward a Machop lifting a rge boulder.

  Turtwig followed, jogging into the cave's depths in search of a worthy oppo.

  "You too, Vulpix. Find a Pokémon to battle, and remind them not to stray too far."

  As the two Pokémo, Vulpix handed Paul the Poké Ball tainiite using its psychic power. Paul sed it with his Pokédex while giving instrus.

  "Vuul!"

  Having eough training, Vulpix refused to be left behind and eagerly sought its oppo.

  An inexperierainer might capture Pokémon one by one, carefully judging their potential.

  But an experierainer like Paul? His Pokémon sought out strong oppos themselves, battling them to exhaustion before presenting them for capture.

  If you want to access advance chapters, please visit: patreon. / PMadz_23