The first rays of sunlight filtered into the house through the window, filling the air with golden particles of light. Aron stretched, opening his sleepy eyes, and quickly got up.
The wooden cabin was well-equipped, so he had spent the night there comfortably. This saved him some trouble, as he could wake up fresh and ready to continue his journey.
Outside, the forest stretched nearby, with tall mountain walls in the distance acting as a natural barrier around the cabin. Last night, some policemen had come by to take away the remaining Pokémon hunters that Aron and his companions had captured.
Aron chuckled to himself, still slightly amazed at the power of a single phone call. Those hunters likely hadn't imagined they'd takendown like this.
Lost in thought, Aron decided it was time to introduce his new team member properly. He released Beldum and Ralts, letting them get to know each other. As he did, he checked the updated information on Ralts:
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[Pokémon: Ralts (Psychic/Fairy)]
Ability: Trace
Potential: Champion-level
Moves: Growl, Confusion, Destiny Bond, Disable, Double Team, Future Sight, Mean Look
Level: 5]
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"Hm, with these inherited moves, Ralts' father was probably a Ghost-type Pokémon," Aron mused.
While Aron pondered, Beldum and Ralts began a friendly exchange.
"Beldum?"
"Ralts?"
"Beldum!"
"Ralts!"
Aron didn't understand their conversation, but they seemed to be getting along well.
"Ahem, Beldum, Ralts is the youngest member of our team now," Aron said in a warm tone. "Look after it, okay?"
"Beldum-beldum!" Beldum's large, red eye focused on Aron as it made an enthusiastic response.
"Alright, you two keep chatting. I'll go make breakfast."
Meanwhile, Combusken was busy practicing his fighting moves against some nearby trees. After a quick breakfast, Aron took out his map to plan his next move.
"I'm near the border of South Riverland City and North Riverland City, only a few kilometers from North Riverland. It's better to head that way and catch the train back south from there."
Aron, always decisive, packed up, called his Pokémon back, and set off on the path north toward North Riverland City.
Combusken stayed close to him, while Beldum floated by his side. In his arms, Ralts eagerly watched the world around them, fascinated by everything it saw.
Since Combusken had completed his training yesterday, it was Beldum's turn to battle any wild Pokémon they encountered, as long as they weren't too strong.
For now, Ralts was too low-level to battle, so it simply stayed by Aron's side, waiting for the day it would be strong enough to join the fights.
In Aron's mind, he could already see what his team would look like one day:
The powerful, silver Metagross, silently floating behind him, its red eyes sharp and merciless. Blaziken, a tall figure with flames dancing on its wrists, standing by his left side, and Gardevoir, in a graceful white dress, at his right side, her red eyes radiating psychic energy.
As Aron walked, a wild Pokémon soon blocked his path—a Skorupi, with its pincers raised, and poison glinting on its fangs.
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[ Pokémon: Skorupi (poison/bug)
Ability: Battle Armor
Qualification: Gym
Level: Lv18 (ordinary)]
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"Strange, to find a Skorupi here," Aron muttered, surprised. Skorupi typically lived in dry desert lands, so seeing one here in the forest was unusual.
However, this Skorupi looked aggressive and wasn't planning to let them pass.
"Beldum, it's your turn," Aron said as Beldum floated forward to face Skorupi.
There is an unwritten rule in the Pokémon world that when the Trainer and the Pokémon make eye contact, a fight is inevitable.
Skorupi chose to attack first. It took a step forward and rushed towards Beldum. Its two sharp fangs glowing with poison energy .
Aron recognized this move, the Poison Fang.
For a moment, Aron suspected that this Skorupi was Ash from the Pokémon anime, otherwise how could he attack Beldum with poison-type skills.
Oh, wild Pokémon don't have a Teacher to teach Attribute restraint, that's fine.
"Zen Headbutt," Aron commanded.
"Beldum!"
Beldum responded in a low voice, and suddenly a dazzling light bloomed on his forehead, emitting a bright beam, revealing the psychic energy fluctuations, rushing straight towards the Skorupi!
In an instant, Skorupi let out a scream and fell straight to the ground,its eyes turning into circles.
Level 18 Skorupi is defeated,just like this?
After the research of Pokémon scholars,it was found that Pokemon with trainers are generally stronger than wild Pokemon of same level.
Because a trainer can help them learn new moves and use additional resources for their growth, therefore Pokemon with trainers are naturally stronger.
But for Aron, it makes no difference, whether it has a Trainer or it's a wild Pokémon, the experience points provided are the same.
"Ralts~"
Ralts clapped her hands in awe, casting admiring glances at Beldum. Beldum, hearing the praise, floated around Aron excitedly, clearly enjoying the attention.
Although limited by his special body, Beldum couldn't express his expression clearly, but Aron understood that it must be smiling silly at this moment.
They continued north, encountering more wild Pokémon along the way. Combusken and Beldum each took turns battling, growing stronger with each encounter.
On this day, Aron had a very fulfilling journey, spending time on the road and fighting.
Fortunately, his physique was much better than that of ordinary people, and he successfully walked out of the Peaceful River Forest before the sun set and came to the suburbs of Northern Riverland City.
Looking around, a round of red sun is slowly falling to the west, and the setting sun emits thousands of rays of light, sprinkled on every mountain peak.
And at the end of the path, there are some small houses, and the roofs seem to be coated with a faint halo of the setting sun.
As the sun began to set, Aron reached the edge of the forest and arrived at a small village on the outskirts of North Riverland City.
Anliang Village, according to his map, was still over twenty kilometers from the city center.
"This stupid map misled me." Seeing the distance displayed on the map, Aron rarely cursed.
He followed the map to navigate all the way, but the distance was not shortened after walking for a long time, and now he learned that there were still more than 20 kilometers to go.
"Great," Aron muttered,with an annoyed look on his face. "Looks like I won't make it to the city tonight."
It was a remote area, so the chances of finding a taxi were slim. He looked around, thinking he'd need to find somewhere to camp for the night.
Spotting a large, open space beside a small cottage, Aron walked over and knocked politely on the gate. After a moment, an elderly woman opened the door, leaning on a cane, her eyes clouded yet kind.
"What can I do for you, young man?" she asked.
Aron explained his situation, and the old woman listened patiently, nodding along.
After hearing him out, she looked him over and then turned her gaze to Combusken, who was standing respectfully by Aron's side,she smilled warmly,"My yard is small, but I do have a spare room. If you'd like, you're welcome to stay the night."
"Oh, no, I can't trouble you," Aron replied quickly.
But the old woman only shook her head. "It's not safe to sleep outside, especially with wild Pokémon around and stray animals might bother you, too. It's better to have a proper place to stay. Plus, you can take a warm bath in the evening."
Aron hesitated, feeling Tangled. While it was fairly common in the Pokémon world to stay with strangers while traveling—his father Lukas had often boasted about the friends he made by doing just that—Aron felt reluctant to burden an elderly woman.
But the kindness in her eyes, combined with his exhaustion, made him finally relent.
"Then, sorry to bother you."