The small meadow had become their home for several days.
It was nothing more than a quiet patch of grass surrounded by towering trees, but for Alex, Riolu, and Charcadet, it had been enough. They had trained there until their bodies ached, rested beneath the shade when the sun became too harsh, and shared whatever food they could find in the forest. Every day brought small improvements. Riolu's movements had become sharper, his aura more controlled, while Charcadet was beginning to understand how to shape his flames into something more deliberate than simple bursts of fire.
But the forest was starting to run out of things to give them.
Their berries had become scarce, their water supply was dwindling, and Alex knew they couldn't remain in the same place forever. More importantly, there was something he had been thinking about ever since they entered the forest.
A town.
Civilization.
People.
Alex wanted to see one.
He wanted to know what this world looked like beyond trees, caves, and wild Pokémon. He wanted to see houses, roads, markets—anything that could remind him that this world wasn't just an endless wilderness where survival meant fighting every creature that crossed his path.
So, early one morning, they packed what little they had and left the meadow behind.
The path through the forest was winding and uneven, barely more than a trail beneath the thick undergrowth. Brambles reached across it from both sides, their thorns catching on Alex's clothes as he pushed through. His legs were sore from days of walking, and his shoulders ached beneath the weight of the crude gear he had managed to put together.
It wasn't much.
A stitched bag made from wild bark and hide hung across his shoulder, carrying the few supplies they had left.
Riolu walked beside him on the left, quiet as always, his ears constantly moving as he listened to the forest around them. Charcadet kept pace on Alex's right, his flames burning low but steadily, occasionally flickering whenever a strange sound came from the trees.
They had been walking since dawn.
Alex wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked ahead through the trees.
"I really hope there's actually a town out there," he muttered.
Riolu glanced up at him.
Alex gave a tired smile.
"I mean it. I want to see how people live here."
He paused for a moment, looking between the trees.
"It'd be nice to see another human face."
The words sounded strange coming from him.
It had been days since he had seen another person.
Perhaps longer.
Alex had spent so much time surrounded by Pokémon that he had almost forgotten what it felt like to be around other humans. Back on Earth, being around people had never exactly been comforting, but this was different. Here, there was no one he knew, no one he could trust, and no one who knew him.
Part of him wanted civilization desperately.
Another part wasn't sure what he would find when he finally reached it.
Their water was almost gone.
The last Oran Berry had been eaten the previous night, leaving them with little more than whatever they could find along the road. Alex had become increasingly aware of how dangerous their situation was becoming.
They needed food.
They needed water.
And if this really was a world populated by people, they needed to understand how to survive in it.
Fortunately, Alex had noticed signs during their journey.
Old wooden posts stood half-buried beneath vines. Some had markings he couldn't understand, while others were cracked almost beyond recognition. A few pieces of weathered wood seemed to point in the same general direction.
Toward a settlement.
Alex had followed them whenever he found them.
Then, after hours of walking, the forest finally began to thin.
Sunlight spilled between the trees.
Alex slowed.
"Wait."
Riolu stopped immediately.
Charcadet's flames rose slightly as the three of them looked ahead.
Beyond the final line of trees was a dirt road.
A real road.
Alex stared at it for several seconds before stepping forward.
The forest had opened completely now, and beyond the road stood an old stone gate, half-covered in moss and weathered by years of rain and wind.
A crooked wooden sign hung above it.
Alex stepped closer and read the faded letters.
WELCOME TO EMBERHOLLOW.
He blinked.
"Emberhollow..."
For the first time in days, something resembling excitement crossed his face.
"A town."
Riolu tilted his head.
Alex looked beyond the gate.
"Let's see what we've found."
They passed beneath the old stone archway.
Emberhollow was larger than Alex had expected.
Cobblestone paths stretched between old timber houses, many of their walls covered in ivy. Roofs were patched and uneven, but smoke still curled lazily from chimneys, and lanterns hung from crooked wooden posts along the streets.
It should have felt peaceful.
And in some ways, it did.
But Alex noticed something almost immediately.
The town was too quiet.
People were there. He could see them moving through the streets, carrying baskets, speaking quietly among themselves, entering shops and houses.
Yet whenever Alex and his Pokémon passed, conversations seemed to fade.
A few townspeople looked toward Charcadet.
Some looked at Riolu.
Others stared at Alex himself.
No one greeted them.
No one smiled.
Alex kept walking.
He didn't want to draw attention to himself.
Still, his curiosity got the better of him as they entered the town square.
The center of the plaza was dominated by a large stone statue.
A Blaziken stood locked in combat with a Garchomp, both Pokémon carved in incredible detail. Their bodies were frozen in the middle of an attack, claws and fists raised, their expressions filled with determination.
Moss covered much of the statue, but even beneath the years of neglect, the craftsmanship was impressive.
Alex slowly approached it.
"That's incredible..."
Riolu stared at the statue as well.
Alex looked around the square.
"Is that supposed to be a Gym?"
At the far end of the plaza stood a massive stone building.
It was unlike anything else in Emberhollow.
While the houses were old and worn, the building looked almost fortified. Its walls were made from dark stone, and the large doors at its entrance appeared to be polished obsidian.
Above them was a towering symbol.
Two crossed axes behind a burning mountain.
Alex stopped.
He knew what that meant.
"A Pokémon Gym..."
His voice was quieter this time.
But this wasn't like the Gyms he remembered from Sinnoh.
It didn't feel like a place designed simply for battles and badges.
There was something ancient about it.
Something harsh.
It looked less like a training facility and more like a fortress built for war.
Riolu stepped closer.
His ears lowered.
Alex noticed immediately.
"What's wrong?"
Riolu stared at the building.
His aura trembled faintly around his body.
Alex couldn't see what Riolu sensed, but he could feel that something inside those walls was powerful.
And hostile.
Charcadet seemed to sense it too.
The flames around his body suddenly burned brighter as he clenched his fists.
Alex looked between them and the Gym.
Then he shook his head.
"Not now."
Riolu looked at him.
"We're not ready yet."
Charcadet's flames flickered impatiently.
Alex understood.
They had become stronger.
But stronger wasn't the same as strong enough.
He turned away from the Gym.
"Come on. Let's see what else this place has."
They continued through the town.
The marketplace was their next stop.
It was surprisingly small and almost empty, with only a handful of merchants sitting behind worn wooden stalls. Alex carefully inspected what little food was available, but the prices immediately made him hesitate.
Everything was expensive.
Far more expensive than he expected.
They eventually passed a run-down PokéMart built into the side of one of the houses. Alex stopped to look through the window.
Even basic Poké Balls were being sold at prices that made his stomach sink.
Healing herbs were even worse.
"Three times what they should cost..."
Alex frowned.
He looked down the street.
"Either this town is completely cut off from everywhere else..."
His eyes narrowed.
"...or something happened recently."
He didn't know which possibility he preferred.
Eventually, they found an old inn near the edge of the square.
Beside it stood a public water pump.
Alex practically rushed toward it.
"Finally."
He knelt beside the pump and began filling the containers they carried.
Riolu drank first, lowering his head to the water and drinking eagerly after the long walk.
Charcadet stood nearby, then carefully lowered part of his body toward the water.
Steam immediately rose as the cool water touched his flames.
Charcadet let out a relaxed hiss.
Alex couldn't help smiling.
"Enjoy it."
Once the Pokémon had finished, Alex drank deeply himself.
The cold water shocked him awake.
He hadn't realized just how thirsty he had become.
He was wiping his mouth when a voice came from behind him.
"You've got some strange company, boy."
Alex froze.
Slowly, he turned around.
An older man was leaning against the wall of the inn.
He had a weather-beaten cap pulled low over his head, dusty clothes patched in several places, and a pipe resting between his lips. His face was lined from years of work and exposure to the elements.
Beside him stood a Luxio.
The Pokémon's electric mane crackled softly, small sparks jumping between its fur.
The old man looked directly at Charcadet.
"That Charcadet's not from here."
His eyes narrowed.
"Paldean, right?"
Alex said nothing.
The man's gaze shifted toward him.
"What's a kid like you doing dragging one of those into a town like this?"
Alex wasn't sure what answer the man expected.
So he remained silent.
The older man studied him for several long seconds.
Then he scoffed.
"Don't start trouble."
He pushed himself away from the wall.
"Emberhollow's quiet..."
The old man's expression hardened.
"...but only because it's learned how to bury its noise."
With that, he turned and disappeared into the inn.
Alex remained where he was.
For several seconds, he didn't move.
Then he slowly exhaled.
"That was encouraging."
Riolu looked toward the inn.
Charcadet's flames flickered uncertainly.
Alex shook his head.
"Forget him."
But he couldn't completely forget what the man had said.
There was something wrong with this town.
He could feel it.
Maybe it was the way everyone watched them without speaking. Maybe it was the absurd prices, the old buildings, or the strange silence that seemed to settle over the streets.
Or maybe it was that Gym.
Alex looked toward the center of the town.
The black doors were still visible between the buildings.
Riolu was staring at them too.
Charcadet flexed one arm, testing the flames around his fist.
They were both restless.
Alex understood why.
They wanted to become stronger.
And so did he.
But Alex knew better than to walk through those doors simply because he felt challenged.
They had survived the forest.
They had survived Mightyena.
They had survived Ursaring.
They had trained until their bodies could barely move.
But surviving battles in the wilderness was different from challenging whatever waited inside that Gym.
"We'll come back," Alex said quietly.
Riolu turned toward him.
Alex looked at both Pokémon.
"When I know you're ready."
Riolu gave a silent nod.
Charcadet's flames suddenly flared brighter, sharp and determined.
Alex smiled.
"Yeah."
He looked once more toward the dark building.
"We'll be ready."
They left the square behind and followed the road toward the outskirts of Emberhollow.
Not far from the town, the land rose slightly toward a nearby cliff. Beneath it was a small meadow, quiet and sunlit, with enough open space to move without the forest's branches getting in their way.
Alex stopped there.
He looked over the area.
Then at Riolu.
Then at Charcadet.
It was a good place to rest.
A good place to train.
And perhaps, for now, a good place to prepare.
Alex set his bag down and looked back toward Emberhollow.
The ancient Gym stood in the distance, its black doors barely visible beyond the rooftops.
He didn't know what waited behind them.
He didn't know why the town felt so strange.
He didn't know what kind of challenge the Gym would demand.
But one thing was becoming clear.
The days of simply surviving in the forest were beginning to end.
Soon, they would have to step into a much larger world.
Alex looked at his two companions.
Riolu stood beside him, calm and focused.
Charcadet's flames burned steadily in the afternoon light.
Alex smiled faintly.
"First, we get stronger."
Neither Pokémon needed to answer.
They already understood.
Whatever waited behind those black doors...
They would be ready.