being in the Pokemon world

The Emberhollow Gym loomed ahead like a kiln ready to test the steel of any challenger. Its stone façade shimmered with the heat of hidden flames, and even from the street, Alex could feel the warmth radiating off its scorched walls. But he wasn't ready. Not yet.

He had no money for TMs, potions, or high-end training gear. Just grit. Strategy. And two Pokémon—both scarred by life, both growing stronger by the day.

"Alright," Alex muttered, crouching beneath the shade of a tree behind the Pokémon Center. A pile of pebbles and sticks lay at his side. Riolu and Charcadet stood before him, alert and ready.

"Today's training is going to be… unconventional."

He couldn't afford battle dummies, so he painted rocks with red berries to mimic enemy Pokémon. He placed sticks in the dirt to act as walls and chokepoints, creating mock battlefields. Then he got to work.

"Charcadet, you're going up against Fire-types, so your Fire Punch won't help much. Focus on Night Slash—hit the weak points."

Charcadet nodded and darted forward, slashing a painted rock clean in half.

"Riolu, same for you. Aura Sphere isn't too effective against Fire-types, but Quick Attack and Counter will make some good damage. Use your speed. Outmaneuver. Exploit mistakes."

As Riolu dashed through the makeshift battlefield, Alex took notes on a crumpled piece of paper: predictable movement patterns, recoil from Flamethrower, wind-up time on Fire Blast.

He remembered something from his past life—Type matchups were only one piece of the puzzle. Positioning, prediction, and endurance were just as important.

After hours of training under the scorching afternoon sun, Alex's shirt was soaked through. He was dead tired. But it paid off.

Charcadet had managed to slice through a mock Flamethrower trap with Night Slash and even used Endure against some pokemons.

Riolu, ever adaptable, had managed to land a simulated Counter from above by bouncing off a tree branch mid-dash. His timing was getting sharper.

As the sun dipped low, casting long orange shadows across Emberhollow, Alex decided to test himself before the real fight.

He walked to the training fields north of town where trainers gathered to practice before facing the Gym. A young boy with a ponytail and mismatched gloves noticed him first.

"You look like you're about to challenge the Gym," the boy said with a grin. "Wanna warm up?"

Alex nodded. "Sure."

the name of the boy, Calem

Calem tossed out a Growlithe. The fire pup barked, flames licking at its fangs.

Alex wasted no time. "Charcadet, you're up!"

Growlithe charged with Flame Wheel.

"Dodge left and Night Slash!"

Charcadet slipped past and carved into the Growlithe's flank. The dog yelped but responded with a burst of Ember.

"Endure!"

Charcadet took the hit and used the force to roll into a surprise Fire Punch, catching Growlithe off guard.

"Finish it!"

One more Night Slash ended it.

Calem returned his Growlithe and gave a respectful nod. "Nice. You've definitely got what it takes."

But as Alex turned to leave, another voice cut through the crowd.

"That wasn't bad," said a teenager with a grey jacket and a Gligar perched on his shoulder. "But I hope that wasn't your best."

Alex narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

"Name's Vance. Just passed through, Heard there was a Gym here. Figured I'd scout the competition."

Gligar hissed, wings flaring.

"Wanna see what a real battle looks like?"

Alex didn't flinch. "Fine. Riolu, let's go."

2 battle, Vance

The Gligar was fast—dangerously fast. It opened with Quick Attack, darting in and slashing across Riolu's chest.

"Counter!" Alex barked.

Riolu took the hit and retaliated, striking Gligar in the wing and sending it spinning midair.

Vance grinned. "Not bad. But can you keep up?"

"Sand Attack!"

Gligar kicked up a cloud of dust, blinding Riolu.

Alex cursed. "Jump and spin with Aura Sphere! Clear the air!"

Riolu obeyed, spinning mid-leap and unleashing the attack in a circle. It missed Gligar but dissipated the sand, revealing his opponent's new position.

"Quick Attack! Follow through with bullet punch!"

Riolu struck again, this time cleanly. Gligar hit the ground hard.

Vance withdrew him with a small nod.

"You're better than I expected," he said. "We'll battle again. Soon."

Alex didn't respond. He was already thinking about the Gym.

That night, back at their camp behind the Pokémon Center, he fed Riolu and Charcadet what little food he had left. The Larvesta egg in the incubator glowed faintly near the fire.

By lamplight, Alex studied.

He had scribbled notes from the trainers he'd faced. He learned that Fire-type trainers often relied on status effects—Burns, Speed boosts from Flame Charge, the terrain advantage in heated arenas. The Gym was likely to be a scorching battlefield, both literally and tactically.

He knew the leader's Pokémon would be faster, stronger, and more experienced. So he focused on controlling the battlefield.

That meant terrain traps. It meant baiting attacks and using Endure, Counter, and Quick Attack to strike with precision, not power. It meant trusting Charcadet to be clever, not just fierce.

Tomorrow would be the real test.

Alex stared up at the stars

He was ready to fight fire with fire.

And he wouldn't burn alone.