A Family Should Stay Together

A surge of relentless flames spewed from Gible's wide mouth, forming a blazing "大" character on the river's surface. The scorching fire was so intense that it evaporated the water upon contact, leaving behind a hollow "大"-shaped mark visible from above. It wasn't until the flames subsided that the flowing river refilled the gap, restoring the water's surface to its original state.

The morning is the best time of the day, a period when both humans and Pokémon are at their peak energy levels. Taking advantage of Gible's overabundance of morning vigor, Ryusuke made it a routine to practice various skills, refining both execution and accuracy.

"Converting Dragon-type energy into Fire-type and releasing such a powerful move is indeed challenging. Moreover, your accuracy is still lacking. I initially instructed you to center the Fire Blast on that floating log in the river, but you ended up missing by a whole meter."

Ryusuke spoke bluntly. Upon hearing this, Gible's tiny tail drooped like a disappointed puppy as it hung its head.

"Alright, no need to be discouraged. You're still young and lack strength, so it's understandable that mistakes happen. But don't slack off, Gible. Keep training continuously."

Ryusuke gently patted Gible's head with a warm smile. He had always been fond of animals—even before coming to this world, he had owned both cats and dogs. Although Gible wasn't a typical pet, its intelligence and personality made it easy to form a deep bond. That was precisely why Ryusuke refrained from using other Pokémon. Once he built a connection with them, he doubted he could bear sending them to Professor Oak's lab.

[You don't need to have Gible keep watch. I can handle it. Even if I don't sleep for an entire week, it wouldn't affect me.]

A melodious, ethereal voice echoed in his mind, as soothing as a blooming flower in the morning breeze.

[I know you're fine, Mewtwo. But Gible needs this training. It's important for Pokémon to learn these things. A couple of sleepless nights won't harm it. Look—it's still full of energy.]

After a brief mental exchange with Mewtwo, Ryusuke turned away from the river. But just as he did, the water rippled suddenly. Without giving him a chance to react, a Goldeen leaped out, its sharp horn aiming straight for his back.

Before the attack could land, Gible reacted with astonishing speed, jumping up and biting the airborne Goldeen mid-air.

Landing steadily, Gible clamped down harder as the Goldeen struggled, only releasing it once blood seeped from the wound. With a flick of its mouth, it tossed the injured Goldeen back into the river.

"Not bad. You reacted swiftly and bit down precisely despite the sudden attack. You've passed… Alright, let's move on to practicing other skills over there."

Ryusuke pointed toward a rocky hill by the riverbank. Instantly, Gible perked up from its previous gloom and rushed ahead. Without waiting for a command, it activated Dragon Claw, slashing at a rock. A month of training had taught it what to do.

"The wild Pokémon deep in Viridian Forest sure are aggressive. In other regions, Goldeen are probably just ornamental fish, but here they outright attack people."

Ryusuke glanced at the river and shook his head. At first, he had been startled by the sudden attacks from aquatic Pokémon. Even fetching water required caution back then. Now, he was used to the ambushes. Both he and Gible had honed their reflexes to the point where they didn't even need to think—instinct alone guided their reactions.

"As long as a Gyarados doesn't suddenly pop out, I'm fine."

Arriving at the rocky area, Ryusuke watched Gible train while he started jogging around the rocks. A Pokémon's training alone wasn't enough—a Trainer also had to stay fit. In life-or-death battles, a slow reaction from the Trainer could drag their Pokémon down and even lead to fatal consequences.

The training session lasted an hour before Ryusuke wiped his sweat and washed his face. In the wild, conserving energy was crucial—exhausting oneself during training could be dangerous when facing unexpected threats.

From his studies and personal experiences, Ryusuke had identified three key aspects of Pokémon training:

Agility & Reflexes – The ability to dodge attacks and react instinctively during battle.

Skill Precision – Mastery over moves, including accuracy and execution speed.

Fighting Spirit – A mysterious yet crucial factor that directly affects a Pokémon's power.

Strength in Pokémon battles is often measured by attack power and defensive endurance, both of which are linked to a Pokémon's energy reserves. Initially, Ryusuke believed that a Pokémon's power was purely tied to its physical strength, so he had focused on toughening up Gible's body. However, under Mewtwo's psychic observation, he found that physical conditioning had little effect on energy growth.

That realization led him to a new theory: If power was solely tied to physical attributes, then Pokémon that evolved naturally and those that evolved through battles should have the same strength. But in reality, the gap was massive. The key difference, Ryusuke concluded, lay in a Pokémon's fighting spirit.

During life-or-death combat, when a Pokémon was constantly on high alert, its mental state would sharpen, leading to rapid energy growth. The higher a Pokémon's energy reserves, the more devastating its attacks would become. This explained how Mewtwo could destroy an entire island with a single move—it wasn't just an ability unique to Legendary Pokémon. Even ordinary Pokémon, through relentless battles, could achieve similar levels of destruction.

This also explained why true Trainers focused on training only a few Pokémon. Even the Dragon-type Elite Four member, who shared Ryusuke's surname and abilities, likely had only two or three dragons capable of such devastating power. There was simply a limit to how many Pokémon a human could train to that level.

"That kind of strength… is truly something to aspire to."

Watching Gible lead the way through the forest, Ryusuke's eyes gleamed with ambition. One day, he wanted to stand at the pinnacle, gazing down upon the world. For someone who once lived in a mundane reality, who once dreamed of fairy tales, this was the ultimate goal worth pursuing.

It was no wonder that seasoned Trainers focused on only a handful of Pokémon. Even with near-unlimited resources, human limitations in time and energy made training too many Pokémon impractical. Sometimes, Ryusuke even wondered—wouldn't it be better if he wasn't human at all?

As he and Gible moved deeper into Viridian Forest, the silence became eerie. The forest, though not always dangerous, always had the potential for danger. The occasional rustling of bushes hinted at unseen creatures moving nearby.

When Ryusuke stepped forward again, the ground beneath his foot felt slightly softer than before. Both he and Gible froze instantly, their bodies tensing.

An ordinary person might not have noticed such a minor change, but after a month of survival training, both Trainer and Pokémon had become highly attuned to their surroundings. Ryusuke and Gible exchanged glances—words were unnecessary. They stood motionless for five minutes before Ryusuke's eyes sharpened.

"…Underground. Earthquake!"

Without hesitation, Gible stomped the ground. The earth trembled violently within a ten-meter radius. Safely within Gible's protected zone, Ryusuke barely felt the tremors. However, a faint cry came from below, and moments later, two Sandslash and a Sandshrew were forced out of the ground. The Sandshrew had been knocked unconscious, while the Sandslash were visibly injured.

"They dug this close? If we had stepped forward, we'd have been ambushed for sure."

One glance at the Sandslash's sharp claws and digging strength told Ryusuke all he needed to know—getting hit would have been dangerous. Without a second thought, he ordered, "Tackle!"

Like a high-performance sports car, Gible dashed forward, slamming into one Sandslash's soft belly and sending it crashing into a tree. The second Sandslash barely had time to react before Gible followed up with a scorching Dragon Breath, blasting it into the air before it crashed back down, its scales scorched black.

Ryusuke checked his Pokédex and realized he had never caught a Sandslash before. After a brief hesitation, he pulled out three Poké Balls and tossed them, capturing all three Pokémon.

"A family should stay together. Can't have them separated now, can we?"

With a shrug, Ryusuke smirked and pocketed the Poké Balls.

To be continued…

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