Riolu and Alex woke up around 7 a.m. after spending the night in the cave."Ahh, Riolu… I really need to gather some leaves or something. Sleeping on solid rock is killing my back," Alex groaned, stretching and rubbing his spine.
"But alright—we'll handle that later. For now, it's time to get back to training. Still, I think it would be great if we found another Pokémon for you to train with," he added.
Riolu nodded, walking beside Alex. Although he didn't show it outwardly, the frustration from not perfecting Aura Sphere yesterday still lingered in his mind. Alex noticed Riolu's focused silence. Even though they hadn't been together long, he could already read his partner's mood.
"Relax, Riolu. You'll master it in time," Alex said with a reassuring smile.
Riolu let out a quiet growl, his determination burning. He wanted to perfect that move now. After walking for a while, the pair returned to their usual training spot. Without hesitation, Riolu began working on his Aura Sphere again, pouring his energy into perfecting it as quickly as possible.
As Riolu trained, the sharp sounds of a distant battle reached their ears.
"Riolu, stop," Alex said, holding up a hand. "I hear Pokémon fighting nearby—let's check it out."
Though hesitant to interrupt his training, Riolu agreed and followed Alex. They made their way through the forest toward the source of the commotion. Eventually, they arrived at a clearing where they saw an intense battle unfolding.
A Charcadet was locked in combat with a massive Ursaring.
"What the—what's a Charcadet doing in Sinnoh?" Alex said, surprised. His eyes narrowed as he noticed scars and bruises across the fire-type's body.
"Judging by those marks… he's probably from Paldea and got here illegally. Maybe he escaped from someone—or something,"
Alex smiled to himself. "Well, looks like my luck's pretty good today. If we play this right, I might be able to capture that Charcadet—but first, we have to save him."
"Hey, Riolu, help me out. Use Aura Sphere on that Ursaring to draw its attention. While you keep it busy, I'll grab Charcadet, alright?"
Riolu nodded, understanding the plan. He admired how long the little Charcadet had lasted against such a powerful opponent, and he was excited at the thought of finally having a sparring partner. Without hesitation, Riolu launched an Aura Sphere at Ursaring, striking it and pulling its attention away from Charcadet.
Taking the chance, Alex leapt out of the bushes and grabbed the unconscious fire-type Pokémon, bolting away with Riolu at his side.
"Run, Riolu!" Alex shouted, sprinting as fast as he could. Riolu dashed alongside him, throwing more Aura Spheres at the enraged Ursaring to distract it and slow it down as they darted through the trees.
After several intense minutes of running, they finally lost the raging bear Pokémon in the thick of the forest.
"Huff… That was tougher than I thought," Alex panted, out of breath.
Just then, the Charcadet—who had been unconscious in Alex's arms—suddenly woke up. With a burst of energy, he leapt from Alex's arms and assumed a battle stance, glaring at both of them.
"Hey, hey—easy, little one! We're not here to hurt you," Alex said, raising his hands calmly. "I get it… You don't trust humans. Not after what they did—taking you from your region and dropping you into a new one."
He took a gentle step forward. "But I'm not like them. I promise."
Riolu looked at Charcadet and gave him a reassuring nod, letting him know that Alex wasn't a bad person. If he had been, Riolu would've already dealt with him. Charcadet hesitated for a moment but, seeing that he had little choice and sensing Riolu's trust in Alex, he cautiously agreed to join the team.
Alex smiled brightly. Now he had two powerful Pokémon by his side—both of which, once evolved, would become incredibly strong.
"Alright, let's get back to training," Alex said as he began walking toward their usual training field. Riolu followed right behind him, and Charcadet walked just a bit further back, still staying alert and wary.
Once they arrived at the familiar clearing, Riolu immediately resumed training his Aura Sphere, pushing himself to refine it further. Meanwhile, Alex turned his attention to Charcadet.
"Hey Charcadet, show me your moves—I want to see what you're working with," Alex said with interest.
Charcadet nodded and demonstrated his current moveset.
"Flame Charge, Astonish, Night Slash, Fire Punch, and Endure… not bad at all," Alex said, impressed. "You've got a really solid moveset."
"Alright, let's work on your Fire Punch. I want you to aim at that tree and hit it with everything you've got. Channel your fire energy so that when you make contact, the flames don't just burn the surface—I want the inside of the tree to ignite from the impact. Try to make it a single, devastating blow."
Charcadet nodded and began training alongside Riolu, both Pokémon focused and determined to grow stronger.