Ryuuske remained vigilant as the Fearow circled overhead. Standing before him, Gible ground its sharp teeth together. Despite its adorable appearance, it harbored an extremely violent heart, glaring furiously at the birds in the sky, angry not only at them but also at itself for being unable to fly.
Reality was different from games—there were no turn-based battles where moves relied purely on accuracy. In real-life encounters, Pokémon like Gible were at a disadvantage against Flying-types soaring above.
If those Fearow attacked directly, there would at least be an opportunity to counter during the gaps in their assault. However, in a scenario like this, where the enemy simply circled high above, evading attacks, a flightless Pokémon like Gible could do nothing against them.
Earlier, Ryuuske had leveraged his psychic powers, using Illusion to create shadow clones, momentarily deceiving one of the Fearow. The illusion tricked it into launching an aerial assault, only for the bird to slam its beak straight into a thick tree trunk due to Ryuuske's calculated setup. Without its aerial advantage, the Fearow was no match for Gible.
"This one must be their leader. Now that the leader is gravely wounded, the flock has two possible reactions. Either they get scared and flee, or they call for reinforcements to avenge it. Given the behavior of Fearow, either outcome is equally likely…"
Ryuuske glanced down at the unconscious, critically injured Fearow. Every Pokémon had a self-preservation mechanism—when gravely wounded and on the brink of death, they would enter an unconscious state, just like this one.
In an official Pokémon battle, this would signify a knockout, and the victorious Trainer would be prohibited from delivering a finishing blow. Truly skilled Trainers would never allow their Pokémon to reach such a critical state, recalling them in time to prevent severe injuries. That was an essential trait of a competent Trainer.
However, in a battle where it was kill or be killed, there were no such rules. Completely eliminating the opponent was the norm. Ryuuske had not refrained from finishing off this Fearow out of mercy or kindness—he knew that in a life-or-death fight, showing compassion was a fatal mistake.
The only reason he didn't land the final strike was that he knew this Fearow wouldn't survive anyway. There were no Pokémon healing facilities out here. Even if Ryuuske let it be, it would eventually succumb to its injuries, or more likely, be killed by other wild Pokémon that found it.
"Looks like we got the worst possible outcome…"
Ryuuske's ears twitched as he picked up the sound of more wings flapping. He instantly realized the circling Fearow had chosen to summon reinforcements for a full-scale hunt. His expression changed as he immediately issued an order.
"Gible, we're retreating! Use Sandstorm!"
A novice Trainer might struggle to control a naturally aggressive Pokémon like Gible, especially when it was feeling cornered. Under such circumstances, it might disobey and insist on fighting to the death. But for Ryuuske, such disobedience was impossible. Wielding the Dragon's Power, he could easily sense and command Dragon-type Pokémon. Gible nodded without hesitation. A swirling sandstorm erupted around it, temporarily obscuring the Fearow's vision.
However, Gible was still too weak—the sandstorm's range barely reached ten meters. Still, it was enough to buy them time. The experienced aerial predators hesitated, unwilling to recklessly charge into the storm. But by the time the dust began to settle, they saw only an empty patch of ground where Ryuuske and Gible had stood.
A hole was left behind.
Dig, an incredibly practical move—useful for both offense and tactical retreats.
Ryuuske crouched low, following closely behind Gible as they moved through the underground tunnel it had carved. Dig wasn't as simple as clawing through the ground with its small arms—Dragon-type energy allowed Gible to effortlessly carve out a passage over a meter high. Ryuuske had long stopped questioning the logic of such moves. To him, it was no different from magic.
Supposedly, an Onix could tunnel through the earth at 80 km/h without even using a move. The thought alone was terrifying—riding an Onix underground would be like driving a car through a subterranean highway!
After some time, Ryuuske spoke again.
"Alright, this should be far enough. Gible, let's surface. Even though Dugtrio doesn't live in the forest, running into a family of Sandslash underground wouldn't be great either."
Gible paused, allowing Ryuuske to tie a rope around its body. Then, it resumed digging upward. As soon as it broke through the surface, it cautiously scanned the surroundings before gripping the rope tightly. Ryuuske climbed up quickly using the makeshift support. It was clear this wasn't their first time escaping like this—their coordination was flawless.
Once on the surface, Ryuuske glanced up. The thick forest canopy obscured the sun, signaling that nightfall was near.
Gible panted slightly, more exhausted than usual. Digging had drained much of its stamina. Tilting his head, Ryuuske could hear the sound of running water nearby. He made a quick decision.
"Looks like we're lucky—there's a river close by. Let's rest here for the night."
Survival in the wild meant ensuring Pokémon didn't remain fatigued for too long. Especially in Ryuuske's case, where he had only one Pokémon besides Mewtwo. If Gible's stamina ran out, he too would be in danger.
Gible let out a cry of agreement and took the lead, clearing a path. Soon, they reached a small river. Ryuuske retrieved a tent from his futuristic storage bag, then gathered some sturdy logs from the surroundings. Gible's teeth were as dexterous as human hands—watching it bite through the thick logs and sharpen them into stakes was a sight to behold. Under Ryuuske's guidance, the stakes were driven into the ground, reinforcing the tent's structure.
Unlike the polluted rivers of the past, most water sources in this world were crystal clear. Ryuuske filled a canteen with fresh water, then collected firewood and returned to the tent.
"Flamethrower."
With a snap of his fingers, Ryuuske signaled Gible to ignite the firewood with a controlled burst of flames. His lighter had been lost earlier, but thankfully, Pokémon were essentially built-in survival tools—perfect for camping, combat, or even arson.
Placing the water-filled metal container over a branch, he threw in some seasoning and rations. Once it boiled, it would make a hearty soup. He also retrieved a special food blend, crafted by Professor Oak specifically for Dragon-types, and poured it into a bowl. Gible lay down like a puppy, happily feasting.
"We're running low on supplies. Soon, we'll need to leave the forest and return to the city to recover. The Pokémon here are already dangerous enough. Going any deeper would be a death sentence. But Gible, you've gotten a lot stronger—our goal is basically achieved."
Ryuuske ran his hand over Gible's rough, shark-like skin, analyzing the situation rationally. He wasn't reckless—he knew his limits. Gible wasn't Mewtwo; it needed time to grow. A month in the wild had improved its reflexes, strength, and combat experience significantly.
If this were a game, its level would've skyrocketed. But since this was reality, opponents wouldn't always appear one by one. If they encountered dozens or even hundreds of Pokémon at once, staying to fight would be pure stupidity.
Unless, of course, all his Pokémon were as powerful as Mewtwo.
"Grrr…"
Gible let out a soft growl, indicating its understanding, then continued eating.
Flexing his left arm, Ryuuske confirmed it had healed. This world's medicine was effective—injuries rarely left scars. Otherwise, he'd have hesitated to become a Trainer. Constant injuries in the wild were inevitable, but he wasn't about to let his face get covered in scars.
[Mewtwo, you really don't need to eat?]
[I can sustain myself by absorbing ambient energy.]
Every time Mewtwo said this, Ryuuske couldn't help but marvel. So Mewtwo had essentially reached the level of an immortal cultivator, surviving on pure energy alone? Did all Legendary Pokémon function like this?
[That said, it's a pity. Enjoying food is part of life.]
[Once I've fully adjusted my genetic structure and can leave this Poké Ball freely, I'll join you for a meal.]
A rare smile appeared on Mewtwo's lips inside the Master Ball.
[I'll look forward to that day.]
Chatting with Mewtwo was the best way to pass time. Gible was obedient and fierce in battle, which Ryuuske found endearing, but without proper conversation, it still felt lonely. Traveling alone was difficult, but at least he had Mewtwo—a Pokémon as intelligent as a human—to accompany him.
With dinner finished and energy replenished, Ryuuske took out his notebook and pen, meticulously recording his observations and newly learned techniques.
He was studying harder than he ever had for his college entrance exams.
To be continued…
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