The morning after Cynthia's visit carried with it a strange weight—an invisible pressure in the air. Riven stood quietly at the fencepost of his field, gazing across the newly sprouted crops of Pecha berries and leeks. The land was slowly blooming under his care, but his mind drifted toward the woods, where the sickly Sableye had retreated after being nursed back to health.
He clenched the wooden post, remembering Cynthia's final words: "To nurture Pokémon is to nurture yourself. Look beyond the surface—some Pokémon carry more scars than fur."
Riolu appeared beside him with a yawn, stretching its arms skyward, its aura pulsing in a low rhythm. It sensed his unease and responded with a reassuring nudge.
Riven chuckled and rubbed its head. "You're right, buddy. We've got things to do."
After breakfast, Riven returned to his barn where his other Pokémon were resting.
Shinx was practicing electric discharges with surprising finesse, each spark more controlled than the last. Buneary hopped in circles, testing her balance and distance. Purrloin, ever the loner, was perched on a beam high above, watching everyone like a silent sentinel.
"Alright, everyone," Riven called out. "Today's about training and preparation. The world doesn't stop just because we've got good weather and healthy crops."
He pulled out a wooden board where he scribbled today's training plan.
Morning Agenda:
Shinx: Target control with Electric Spark
Buneary: Mid-air maneuver training
Purrloin: Stealth and shadow tracking
Riolu: Aura perception and short-range sparring
He set up practice dummies using spare hay bales and painted targets on them. Shinx took the lead, electricity crackling from his body as he tried to hit a moving vine Riven had rigged to a pulley.
Zap!
The bolt hit just beside it. Shinx hissed in frustration, but Riven stepped in.
"Focus less on the power and more on the feel," Riven said calmly. "Electricity flows where the mind directs it."
Buneary, meanwhile, was attempting to bounce across narrow fence posts. She stumbled at first, but soon found a rhythm. Riven tossed her a berry every time she made a perfect landing, reinforcing the training with trust and reward.
Purrloin's stealth drill was the trickiest. She had to sneak from the barn to the field without Riolu sensing her with its aura. Riolu stood calmly in the middle, eyes closed, aura pulsing in waves. Purrloin crept low through the tall grass.
Suddenly, Riolu pointed.
"Loin," it said quietly.
Busted.
But she didn't seem frustrated. In fact, she purred in approval. The competition sparked her curiosity more than irritation.
By midday, the group had taken a short break. Riven handed each of them a small snack — crushed berries and mineral pellets.
[System Notification]
"Farm Progress: Stable."
"Daily Quest #8 Unlocked."
Daily Quest #8: Internal Mastery
Objectives:
Meditate with Riolu to expand aura sensitivity
Improve one Pokémon's accuracy rating by 15%
Apply a gathered herb to a healing salve and test its effect
Interact positively with a local wild Pokémon
Rewards:
30 FP
25 SP
Unlock "Beginner Medicinal Crafting Station"
Riven nodded. "Alright, let's take the afternoon for inner training. Riolu, you and I are going to meditate."
They sat together on a flat rock near the stream. Riven closed his eyes and tried to empty his mind, matching Riolu's breathing. The aura pulses were light at first, like the rhythm of a heartbeat.
But slowly, Riven began to feel something else. Not just Riolu, but the gentle hum of life—buzzing Kricketots in the grass, the distant hoot of a Hoothoot in a tree, and even Buneary's content bouncing.
When they opened their eyes, Riolu's expression was different. Its eyes shone brighter, and its aura was stronger.
[System Notification]
"Aura Sensitivity increased by 8%."
"Riolu and Riven bond: +2"
"New passive skill unlocked: Aura Echo (small detection pulse usable in unknown areas)"
"Looks like we're syncing up," Riven said with a grin.
Herbal Salve Test and Local Interaction
Riven took the Lum berries and mint leaves they had gathered earlier and used a stone mortar to grind them into a paste. With a touch of water and Oran berry juice, he created a faintly glowing salve.
He applied it to a scratch on Buneary's leg from earlier training. The effect was nearly instant. Her ears perked up and she bounced with more energy.
"Looks like we're in business."
They headed toward the western thicket near the cliffs for their final task — interacting with a local wild Pokémon. But what they found wasn't what they expected.
The ground dipped sharply into a natural crater surrounded by thorny bramble and old stone pillars, almost like a forgotten arena. The air was cooler here, heavier.
Riven stepped forward cautiously, his eyes narrowing.
Riolu tensed, sniffing the air.
Then, in the shadows beneath a collapsed tree trunk, something moved.
A pair of crimson eyes flickered.
The wild Pokémon stepped into view — not aggressive, but watching.
It was a Zorua, but unlike the usual playful or mischievous demeanor, this one looked weathered. Its fur was dirty, and one of its legs limped slightly.
It didn't growl or flee — it simply stared.
Riven slowly reached into his bag and placed a berry on the grass, backing away slowly.
Zorua limped forward, sniffed the offering, and after a moment, took it in its mouth and vanished into the brambles.
[System Notification]
"Interaction registered with Local Wild Pokémon: Zorua (Status: Cautious)."
"Progress saved for potential bonding or recruitment."
Evening Light and Reflection
As the sun began to dip beneath the horizon, Riven sat at the edge of the crater with Riolu, watching fireflies emerge from the grass.
He didn't speak — there was too much to consider. His Pokémon were growing stronger. The farm was stabilizing. Cynthia had taken notice. And now, two unusual Pokémon—the sickly Sableye and the cautious Zorua—had crossed paths with him.
He felt a deeper calling—this wasn't just about becoming a tycoon or even a powerful trainer. It was about healing something deeper in this world.
Far from the farm, deeper into the woods, the Sableye huddled beneath a rotted log.
Its body still ached from old wounds, but the berry Riven gave it yesterday lingered in its claws. It sniffed the air, and for the first time in days, it didn't tremble.
Another pair of eyes opened in the shadows beside it — dull, frightened, yet familiar. A second Pokémon, just as broken, leaned against it.
Sableye held the berry out to the other, breaking it in half.
They shared it silently.
And in that moment, the shadows around them shimmered faintly—as if something ancient and wounded had begun to stir with the faintest glimmer of hope.