Training Lycanrock and Hanuape

The air shimmered with heat, waves of scorching wind rolling through the volcanic cavern. Lava bubbled beneath the rocky terrain, illuminating the jagged walls with an eerie orange glow. The entire place felt alive—a crucible of flame and fury.

At the heart of this inferno stood Rei and his Lycanroc.

Rei knelt beside a pile of raw, jagged ore. These were metals he had gathered from deep within the realm, remnants of something ancient, something powerful. They were too tough for normal fire to refine.

But Rei wasn't using normal fire.

"Alright, Lycanroc," Rei said, tossing a chunk of dark metal onto the rocky ground. "Let's see if you can do it."

Lycanroc stepped forward, its golden eyes glowing in the firelit darkness. Its body radiated heat, embers flickering along its fur as it channeled its newfound power. Then, without hesitation, it let out a deep growl and exhaled a burst of intense flames.

The Earth Fire wasn't like an ordinary Fire-type move. It didn't just burn—it consumed, refined, reshaped.

The metal glowed red-hot, its surface softening under the relentless heat.

Rei watched intently. "Good. But that's not enough."

Lycanroc snarled, raising a clawed paw. It struck the softened metal, shattering the impurities while keeping the core intact. Sparks flew as its claws sharpened against the raw ore, refined by both heat and pressure.

Rei nodded. This was what he wanted—control, precision, mastery over fire and steel.

Again and again, Lycanroc repeated the process. Fire. Strike. Refine.

The air thickened with the scent of molten rock. Sweat dripped down Rei's forehead, but he didn't move. He was training, too. The heat was brutal, but his body had long since adapted. This was what it meant to grow stronger alongside his Pokémon.

Rei grinned, stepping forward and placing a hand on its fur. Even through his heat-resistant skin, he could feel the immense warmth radiating from Lycanroc's body.

"You're ready," Rei said softly. "From now on, your fire won't just burn—it will forge."

Lycanroc growled in agreement, its glowing eyes locked onto Rei.

----

A dense fog blanketed the mountaintop, the air thick with the scent of moss and damp stone. The only sound was the occasional whisper of wind through the trees, rustling the leaves like a secret being passed through the world.

Rei sat cross-legged on the cold stone ground, his breathing steady and controlled. Across from him, Hanuape hovered just above the surface, its legs folded beneath its floating body, eyes shut in deep concentration.

They had come to this secluded peak not to fight, but to understand.

Hanuape, despite its immense strength after evolving, still carried the wild aggression of its previous form. It was a Pokémon of raw power, but power without control was just chaos.

"Calm your mind," Rei said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Hanuape's body trembled slightly. It was unnatural for it to sit still—its instincts screamed at it to move, to lash out, to fight. But Rei had chosen this method of training for a reason.

There were no battles to win here.

Only inner mastery.

The wind picked up, howling through the mountain pass. The world itself was testing them.

Rei focused, closing his eyes. He could feel everything. The cold bite of the wind against his skin, the subtle energy in the air, the heartbeat of the mountain beneath him. His breathing slowed further. One with the world. One with himself.

Hanuape twitched. It could sense Rei's stillness, yet it struggled to replicate it.

Rei opened one eye. "Breathe."

The Pokémon growled but obeyed, inhaling deeply, exhaling slowly.

Minutes passed. Then hours.

The sun shifted in the sky, dipping towards the horizon. Rei did not move, and slowly, Hanuape began to mirror him.

For the first time, it was still.

A sudden gust of wind blasted through, but neither of them reacted.

Then it happened.

A shift.

Hanuape's body stopped trembling. The wild, unrestrained energy it always carried settled, folding into itself like a coiled spring rather than a raging storm. Its fur no longer crackled with restless power. Instead, it radiated quiet strength.

Rei opened his eyes fully and nodded. "Good."

Hanuape exhaled slowly, its eyes glowing faintly as if something within had finally clicked into place.

No words were needed. This was not a victory in battle, but a victory over itself.