The next day.
Thump, thump, thump——
Accompanied by heavy footsteps, a ferocious Tyrantrum slowly emerged from the cave. Just a glance at its gaping jaws was enough to understand its fierceness.
This Tyrantrum possessed a trait common to most of its kind: Strong Jaw.
Strong Jaw: The powerful jaw enhances the strength of all bite-type techniques.
However, as the Tyrantrum's full appearance was revealed in the sunlight, its mighty and domineering aura was drastically reduced.
On its massive head stood a playful and cute Togetic, looking around curiously, and a Doublade, with only one eye open, showing fear and caution.
A man stood at the only spot on its neck that was covered with soft white fur, a faint smile on his face.
Despite the jagged scales increasing friction, he could still stand firmly on its neck.
A faint blue glow emanated from under his feet, the secret to his stable stance atop the Tyrantrum's neck.
Around the man buzzed a particularly magnificent golden Beedrill, its Double Needle reflecting a cold light.
On the Tyrantrum's back, a Yujira sat cross-legged, frowning, beads in hand, reciting phrases during meditation, with the glow of psychic power circulating around its body.
They were, of course, Natsuhiko and his Pokémon, alongside the Tyrantrum that had just submitted to his "benevolence."
With the intimidation of Snorlax and the lure of Energy Blocks, the Tyrantrum quickly accepted this situation.
It wasn't particularly hard to accept.
If Natsuhiko hadn't had Snorlax, Tyrantrum might have "persisted" a bit longer; although not for too long, there would be some dissatisfaction since Natsuhiko and his team didn't defeat it in a one-on-one battle.
But since it saw Snorlax...
No problem at all.
It accepted subordination calmly.
This is also one of the survival rules in the wild where the strong devour the weak.
The same outcome applied to Yanmega.
Compared to the Tyrantrum, Yanmega accepted things easier and was the first to submit to Natsuhiko.
Yanmega already had a tribe, and its tribe also had a leader, so obeying orders wasn't unusual for it.
Though it switched allegiance from a tribe leader to a human.
No significant difference here.
Besides, it could clearly sense that even its tribal leader wasn't stronger than Snorlax, making its resistance even less.
Thus, Yanmega became Natsuhiko's new flying mount, forcing Pidgeotto into early retirement before its official debut.
Luckily, it met Natsuhiko, who offered options to either return to freedom or stay for a relaxed, comfortable life.
Yanmega's trait is "Acceleration," allowing it to increase speed during linear flight. Combined with its inherently strong wings, prolonged flights aren't a big problem.
More importantly, as "natives," Yanmega and Tyrantrum possess a greater understanding of the surrounding area than Natsuhiko, saving him from many unnecessary troubles.
Today.
Natsuhiko rode his new mount, Tyrantrum, intending to survey the surroundings, using the cave they currently occupied as a center to investigate the nearby Pokémon territories.
Which tribes are untouchable, which can be provoked a bit, and which areas have rich resources for collection or excavation.
The Wild Pokémon here are of high level and very strong, with danger everywhere. Even with Snorlax as a backup, Natsuhiko isn't certain he can entirely ensure his safety. However, one thing is certain: danger inevitably brings more opportunities and benefits.
This place, never or rarely ventured by humans, surely harbors abundant resources, especially those invaluable to a Trainer but insignificant to Wild Pokémon.
Chances are, after this journey, Natsuhiko's resources might witness a qualitative leap.
The investigative process, however, requires utmost caution.
...
...
Time flew by.
As dusk fell, Natsuhiko and his Pokémon returned to the temporary cave residence, weary and with various small and large injuries.
Despite the injuries, they all appeared quite well in spirit.
It seemed they engaged in battles today and achieved good results.
Between the cave and the creek, a campfire was lit.
Some Wild animals casually hunted along the way were unloaded from the back of Tyrantrum.
There was no time to prepare anything yesterday.
But today, Natsuhiko had deliberately instructed Beedrill and others to capture some ordinary Wild animals.
Thus, dinner would feature some new foods.
No one knew how long they might have to stay in this space.
If it's a brief stay, all well and good, but a longer duration would surely lead to a food shortage, affecting both him and the Pokémon.
Consuming some fresh food can alleviate this pressure somewhat.
At the same time, Natsuhiko can attempt to stockpile some non-perishable food, considering opportunities to catch Wild animals don't present themselves all the time.
However, the addition of Tyrantrum and Yanmega significantly increased the amount of food needed.
Especially the Tyrantrum.
If Snorlax weren't in the team, the title "Gourmet King" might have to change hands.
Yanmega isn't much different, as an omnivorous Pokémon, its energy requirements translate into food requirements.
With the combined efforts of the Pokémon, two wild deer and two wild boars were taken off Tyrantrum's back. Under Yujira's psychic command, Beedrill and Doublade wielded the knives, and Togetic cheered them on, quickly processing the ingredients.
To Tyrantrum and Yanmega, who didn't fully grasp Natsuhiko and Beedrill's actions, this seemed unnecessary.
Isn't it just to eat directly?
Then.
Then they were completely captivated by the roasted meat's "Sweet Honey" aroma.
While roasting the meat, Natsuhiko also cut some meat from a sturdy boar's hind leg, constructing a frame to make smoked meat. This would extend the shelf-life of these meat products and enhance their flavor, preparing his rations for some future time.
Gladly, thanks to watching many survival videos before and actively exploring related knowledge in the Pokémon Realm, otherwise, he wouldn't necessarily know how to proceed.
While waiting for the roast meat.
Natsuhiko sat by the campfire, holding a branch, and began drawing on the flattened ground.
Using their current cave residence as a center point, he extended outward, dividing it into grids, marking the Wild Pokémon, power levels, danger degrees, and resources or materials obtainable from each zone.
Based on Yanmega and Tyrantrum's descriptions, along with his personal explorations and investigations, he learned about the three largest tribes nearby, which included the ones he encountered previously, Yanmega and Archeops. Fortunately, they missed another one; encountering it might've proven inescapable.
This refers to the group of Braviary and Mandibuzz residing not far on a cliff.
Though not numerous, their collective strength is quite formidable.
Had Natsuhiko just entered this Alternate Space and been targeted by these swift fliers, escape would have been impossible without confronting them head-on.
Among these three tribes, Braviary and Mandibuzz possess the greatest strength, followed by Yanmega and Archeops at approximately equal levels, with Gym Leader Level Pokémon distinguishing them uniquely in this domain.
Apart from these three tribes, there are smaller groups, some weak in strength, while others are equally strong, only fewer in number or possessing more docile, combat-averse natures, preferring seclusion
But if an external Pokémon approaches with malintent, they won't hesitate to launch a fierce counterattack.
After marking the zones, detailing the Wild Pokémon therein, Natsuhiko proceeded to emphasize the exploitable and collectible resources within each zone.
This pertained directly to his forthcoming plans and arrangements.