being in the Pokemon world

The forest clearing outside Emberhollow had become Alex's temporary base. A soft breeze whispered through the trees as the early morning mist still clung to the earth. In the center of the camp, nestled safely in a reinforced egg incubator, was the largest egg from the looted Dominant stash — the orange-tinted one. It pulsed faintly with heat and life, and Alex now knew what it was.

"Larvesta," he whispered the name with quiet awe. "A fire-bug from Unova... but so rare. And powerful."

Beside him, Charcadet crouched low, eyes fixed protectively on the incubator. Riolu stood nearby, silent but alert, as if sensing the growing importance of what lay within.

Alex had already sold most of the loot from the Dominant's base. The food, tech scraps, and two of the eggs fetched decent coin and supplies. But the Larvesta egg? That was something different. Something special.

And he wasn't selling it.

Instead, he was preparing for battle.

The Gym in Emberhollow loomed in the distance, a modest but well-guarded building perched on the edge of town. It wasn't like the grand arenas of the old League days. It was functional, defended, and still active.

If Alex wanted to rise in this fractured world, he needed recognition. He needed badges. And he needed his team to be stronger.

"Alright," he said, standing up. "let's train."

The next few days were rigorous.

Alex studied the Gym's known style through what little intel he could gather in town: Fire-types, environmental traps, and heat zone manipulation. It would be a brutal battle even for someone with a Fire-type like Charcadet.

So, he began tactical drills.

In the early morning, Charcadet practiced precision flame control by lighting specific leaves on fire without igniting the whole tree. Alex placed berry-sized stones across a clearing, commanding Charcadet to hit them one by one with Ember while moving.

"Don't burn too wide. Conserve your heat. Control it," 

By noon, Riolu trained in dodging and speed. Alex set up swinging branches and launched quick throws of pebbles, teaching Riolu to react instinctively.

"Read the motion. Feel the flow. Close your eyes and trust the aura."

Charcadet, despite his wild upbringing, was adapting fast. His flame burns grew more focused. Riolu's Quick Attack became sharper, timed with incredible bursts of motion.

When the sun fell, Alex began duo drills.

"Coordination is everything," he reminded them. "You're not just fighting alone. You're fighting together."

He would call out combinations:

"Charcadet, use Ember to create a screen! Riolu, dash through it with Force Palm!"

The sight of Riolu bursting from a veil of fire like a blur of blue light gave Alex chills. It was working.

The egg remained safe in the incubator, always nearby. Alex checked it several times a day, rotating it gently, maintaining the heat settings, and letting both Riolu and Charcadet take turns guarding it.

There was an unspoken agreement between the three of them now:

They needed to protect the egg

By the fifth day, the forest clearing had become a full-blown training camp. The ground was scorched in places from Charcadet's flame drills. The trees bore scrape marks from Riolu's relentless agility work.

And the egg had begun to glow softly at night.

Not crack. Not move.

But glow.

It was a sign of health and strength. Alex smiled each time he saw it.

He kept a logbook of their progress, sketching out potential attack strategies for the Gym. He estimated what level the Gym Leader's Pokémon might be at, factored in trap hazards, and even planned what terrain to stand on for maximum advantage.

"We don't win by brute strength," he said. "We win because we think. Because we fight smarter."

And when Riolu and Charcadet nodded in sync, he felt something stir in his chest.

This wasn't just training anymore.

This was preparation for something bigger.

On the seventh night, as the moon hung full above the Emberhollow ridge, Alex stood over the incubator. The egg pulsed once again, brighter this time, and Charcadet sat beside it like a flame-wreathed sentinel.

Riolu approached from the darkness, having finished his solo drills.

They both looked at Alex.

He looked back.

"Tomorrow," he said, eyes set on the Gym across the trees, "we challenge our first Gym."

Charcadet's flames flared.

Riolu's stance tightened.

And within the incubator, the Larvesta egg pulsed again—as if it too was listening.