The ruins felt different now that Alex had committed to staying.
The broken stone pathways and towering, fractured pillars no longer seemed like scenery. They were hunting grounds.
Alex stood at the entrance of a partially collapsed structure, releasing the rest of his Pokémon so that all of them were outside their Poké Balls. Riolu stood to his right. Grovyle crouched slightly ahead. Charcadet's flame flickered brighter in anticipation. Larvesta balanced carefully on a slab of stone. Zorua lingered near the shadows, red eyes scanning everything.
"Stay sharp," Alex said quietly. "We're looking for a Gible. Like the one from the tournament."
Riolu's ears twitched.
Charcadet straightened.
Grovyle narrowed his eyes, clearly remembering the battle during the Cup. The small but vicious dragon that had nearly overwhelmed them with raw power and relentless aggression.
Grovyle crouched beside Larvesta and Zorua, gesturing with his claws, describing the creature's shape. Small body. Blue skin. Huge mouth. Fin on its back. Dragon typing.
Zorua tilted its head slightly. Larvesta chirped in understanding.
"Good," Alex murmured. "Let's move."
They spread out slightly but remained within sight of one another as they moved deeper into the ancient capital. The architecture slowly transitioned into cave-like corridors where the city had collapsed inward, creating natural tunnels beneath the ruins.
Wild Pokémon appeared frequently.
A wild Golbat swooped down from the darkness, screeching. Riolu reacted instantly, striking it down with a precise force palm before it could fully dive.
A Graveler attempted to roll toward them from behind a broken pillar, only for Grovyle to intercept with a clean Leaf Blade that sent it tumbling unconscious.
The battles were short. Controlled. Efficient.
Alex didn't want to waste energy.
As they descended further into a cavern formed beneath the ruins, the air grew colder. The ground became uneven, scattered with fragments of ancient metal and stone.
Then the temperature shifted.
Heavy footsteps echoed.
A massive shape emerged from deeper within the cavern.
Aggron.
Its steel-plated body scraped lightly against the cave walls as it moved. Its red eyes glowed faintly in the dim light.
Alex immediately raised a hand.
"Back."
His team obeyed without hesitation.
Aggron was far beyond them. Not because they lacked courage, but because Alex understood power scaling better than most. This wasn't a fight they could win. Not yet.
Aggron stared at them briefly, then turned away, moving deeper into the cavern.
Alex exhaled slowly.
"We're not ready," he muttered. "Not for that."
They waited until the heavy steps faded before continuing their search.
Time passed.
The cavern branched into smaller tunnels. Alex checked each one methodically, watching for scratch marks along the stone walls or scattered bite marks that might indicate a dragon type's territory.
Then Riolu froze.
Aura flared faintly.
A small shape darted between two rock formations.
Blue.
Fast.
Hungry.
"Gible," Alex whispered.
The small dragon snarled as it emerged fully, mouth wide, ready to bite anything that moved. It was smaller than the one from the tournament, but its energy was unmistakable.
The battle was quick but intense.
Gible lunged aggressively, but Grovyle distracted it while Riolu delivered precise strikes. Zorua used Shadow Sneak to disorient it at critical moments. Eventually, exhausted and cornered, the dragon fell.
Alex threw the Poké Ball.
One shake.
Two.
Three.
Click.
He exhaled.
A pseudo legendary.
"It's just the beginning," Alex murmured, picking up the ball.
He didn't celebrate. Not here.
"We're leaving," he said firmly.
The cavern suddenly felt heavier.
As they moved toward the exit, a strange darkness began creeping across the ruined ceiling outside. It wasn't natural shadow. It moved too deliberately.
Alex's instincts screamed.
He motioned for his team to stay low and quickly hid within dense, overgrown bushes near the cavern's mouth.
Voices echoed.
Uniformed figures entered the ruins.
Team Rocket.
Alex's jaw tightened as he watched from concealment.
They weren't alone.
Weezing floated forward, releasing a faint toxic haze. Arbok slithered beside it, hood flared menacingly.
They were heading straight for Aggron.
Alex's eyes narrowed.
The cavern trembled as Aggron roared.
The battle was brutal.
Weezing flooded the area with gas, limiting visibility. Arbok moved with frightening precision, striking Aggron repeatedly. But something was wrong.
Aggron wasn't fighting back properly.
It staggered.
Its movements were slow.
Its roars lacked force.
Alex's eyes widened slightly.
"It's weak," he realized. "Injured."
That explained why it hadn't attacked them earlier.
Arbok struck again, this time coiling around one of Aggron's legs and delivering a crushing constriction while Weezing bombarded it with sludge.
Aggron collapsed.
The Rockets moved quickly, throwing specialized capture devices.
After a tense moment, the capture succeeded.
And so Alex looked at them as he thought something.
The Rockets began discussing transport plans, clearly satisfied with their prize.
That was when Alex made his decision.
He stepped out from the bushes.
His Pokémon followed instantly.
The Rocket grunts turned.
"Who the hell are you?" one of them barked.
Alex smiled faintly.
"It's time to battle," he said calmly.
Zorua stepped forward first, already transformed into Grovyle's form.
Beside the illusion stood the real Grovyle, still hidden behind a broken pillar.
Riolu walked forward and stood at Zorua's side, aura flaring faintly.
Charcadet's flames burned brighter behind them.
Larvesta shifted into position.
Alex's eyes were steady.
He wasn't strong enough for Aggron if he was in peak state
But he was strong enough for them.
And as the tension snapped tight between both sides, the ruins seemed to hold their breath.