Cherreads

Chapter 5 - Chapter 5 first town (rework)

At that moment, Charcadet and Riolu were both deep in training. Alex observed them from a distance, watching proudly as Charcadet practiced his Fire Punch while Riolu focused on mastering his Aura Sphere—now able to generate more than one at the same time. On the other side of the field, Charcadet was improving rapidly, managing to deliver Fire Punches powerful enough to nearly reduce a tree to ashes in a single blow—something that impressed Alex greatly.

"Alright," Alex called out, "I see you're both making great progress, but it's time to switch things up. I don't want you getting stuck on a single move. In a real battle, you'll need variety."

Turning to Riolu, he continued, "Riolu, keep working on your Fighting-type techniques. Expand your arsenal."

Then to Charcadet, "And you—start focusing on Night Slash now. I want you to perfect it, just like you've been doing with Fire Punch. Work on improving your precision and power with it."

Alex watched his Pokémon train, feeling genuinely satisfied with their progress. But suddenly, he heard something—heavy footsteps, shaking the ground. A large Pokémon was approaching. Riolu sensed it too through his aura, immediately going on alert. Charcadet noticed both of them had stopped and followed their gaze toward a specific direction.

Out from the trees emerged a massive Steelix, towering over them.

"Run!" Alex shouted, turning on his heels and sprinting, with Riolu and Charcadet close behind. The Steelix roared, beginning to chase them, determined to drive them away and claim the training area as its own territory.

"Fine, keep that place—I don't care!" Alex yelled back as they fled through the forest, dodging branches and rocks while the Steelix crashed through the underbrush behind them.

After nearly thirty exhausting minutes, the trio finally reached the safety of Riolu's cave.

"That... was way too close," Alex panted, catching his breath as they finally stopped running.

"Riolu, do you know if there's a town nearby? I want to find a job so I can buy some supplies for our training."

"Riolu!" Riolu nodded, signaling that he did know of a nearby town. Without hesitation, Alex followed him.

After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a small town with a sign that read: Sun Stone.

"Sun Stone? That's a strange name. I don't remember there being a town with that name in Sinnoh," Alex said, puzzled. "Maybe… it's a town that doesn't appear in the games," he added, looking around curiously.

The town had a peaceful charm, with cobblestone streets and small shops lining the roads. "It's really beautiful," Alex said, taking it all in. "Hey Riolu, how many times have you been here?"

Riolu signed that he had only come twice—just to steal food.

"Wait… you stole food?!" Alex asked, surprised and a little disappointed.

"Riolu…" Riolu quickly explained that he had to do it to survive, and that he never wanted to hurt anyone.

Alex sighed, then smiled gently. "It's okay, Riolu. You did what you had to do. Let's just focus on the present. Come on, let's explore the town together."

More Chapters