Time Skips 5 Days

Five days had passed since Tyrunt and I started our venture to make enough money to afford a better life. Surprisingly, we were doing alright. Alright for us, anyway—meaning we weren't on the edge of starvation, and I hadn't had to sleep in the dirt for at least three nights.

The days had been filled with hunting, catching, and a bit of luck thrown in. In just five days, I'd managed to catch not only the usual Bidoofs and Starlys but a few rare ones too. There had been a particularly lucky encounter with an Abra—a Pokémon that I had always known was notoriously hard to catch. That Abra was my jackpot. One moment it had been there, the next it vanished, only for me to find another one while Tyrunt caused a commotion nearby. Somehow, the timing had worked out, and I'd caught it. I didn't question the luck, I just accepted it.

Selling that Abra had fetched me a good amount—far more than the usual run-of-the-mill Pokémon I'd been catching. With the money from that sale, along with a few others, I'd managed to build up a decent chunk of change. Enough to afford a room for more than just a single night, and enough food for both me and Tyrunt without having to ration every bite.

The Pokémon I'd caught had all been sold. It wasn't like I had the luxury of keeping anything. Tyrunt alone was more than enough for me to handle. Pokémon were like kids—they needed to be fed, taken care of, trained, and kept entertained. And Tyrunt was a handful. Keeping another Pokémon would have only doubled, maybe tripled, my problems. The logistical nightmare of trying to feed more than one hungry, growing Pokémon, when I could barely keep Tyrunt from eating everything in sight, was more than I could deal with.

Besides, Tyrunt needed my full attention. We were making progress, sure, but he was still a prehistoric powerhouse with more attitude than a whole pack of Houndours. He was getting better with restraint, but it was clear that my focus needed to stay on him if we were going to make it out here. Adding more Pokémon to the mix right now would just be asking for trouble.

So, I stuck to selling. I was selective—only going after what I thought would sell for a decent price and what I knew we could catch without too much risk. The Abra had been the big payoff, but there had also been a couple of Shinx that had fetched a reasonable amount. They weren't rare exactly, but trainers loved them, and they were relatively easy to deal with. Between those and the few usual catches, I had enough to afford better lodging in town.

We had upgraded our living situation, even if just a little. Instead of sleeping out near the edge of Oreburgh, I had found a place—a small room at an inn that was clean and, best of all, quiet. The innkeeper had been suspicious of Tyrunt at first, but a few extra coins in his hand had quickly made him more agreeable. I couldn't blame him. Tyrunt wasn't exactly what you'd call a 'pet-friendly' Pokémon.

But now, we had a real bed, a door that locked, and a little space for Tyrunt to stretch out without worrying about stepping on rocks or getting chased by wild Zubats. The room was small—a single bed, a tiny table, and just enough floor space for Tyrunt to settle in—but it was heaven compared to what we'd been dealing with before.

The money also meant that I could finally start feeding Tyrunt properly. I'd bought a bag of Pokéblocks—specially formulated treats designed for helping Pokémon grow strong and healthy. They weren't cheap, but they were worth it. Tyrunt needed the right nutrients if he was going to grow into the powerhouse he was supposed to be. And judging by the way he practically inhaled the Pokéblocks every time I gave them to him, I was on the right track.

The Pokéblocks seemed to help. Tyrunt had more energy now—though that was a double-edged sword, considering his natural enthusiasm for headbutting things. Still, I could see a difference in the way he moved, the way his scales seemed to shine more in the sunlight. He was getting stronger, healthier, and that was exactly what I wanted.

Tyrunt was growing, but that didn't mean the challenges had vanished. In fact, some of them were getting more complicated. Like the fact that Tyrunt still had a thing for biting everything in sight. I mean, I got it—Tyrunt's kind had probably evolved to bite through metal or bone or whatever else they could get their teeth on. But I needed him to understand that he couldn't just bite anything he wanted—especially not other Pokémon that weren't trying to eat him first.

The Pokéblocks were helping, but it was a slow process. Tyrunt had a lot of instincts, and most of them were about using those massive jaws to solve his problems. And as much as I hated admitting it, part of me was still a little intimidated by him. He wasn't fully grown—nowhere near it—but he could do some serious damage if he wanted to. And every time I saw the glint of his teeth or watched him crush a branch with one snap of his jaws, I was reminded just how much power I was trying to tame.

That power was what we needed, though. If I could just get him to understand—if I could channel that strength, control that power—we'd be unstoppable. We'd be able to take on bigger challenges, maybe even start challenging other trainers more seriously, instead of just battling beginners. But it was a fine line between getting stronger and losing control, and every day was a new challenge in trying to walk that line without falling over.

Tyrunt, for his part, seemed happy enough. He was eating well, sleeping in a real room instead of on rocks, and getting stronger every day. He even had a few new favorite toys—old, tough branches I'd brought in from the woods for him to chew on when the Pokéblocks ran out. He was still a baby, after all. He needed something to keep him busy, and I'd take him gnawing on branches over trying to bite other Pokémon any day.

The money I'd made over the past five days was good. It had allowed us to live a bit more comfortably, to get Tyrunt the food he needed, and to rest properly. But I knew it wouldn't last forever. We needed a real goal—something that could keep us going beyond just surviving day to day.

I looked over at Tyrunt, who was currently chewing away happily on a branch, the sound of cracking wood filling the small room. He was getting there. Stronger, faster, a little more controlled each day. But I needed to get stronger too. We needed real experience—a way to hone our skills and test what we'd learned in the past few days.

Battling other trainers was risky. If we came up against someone too strong, it could end badly—not just for me, but for Tyrunt too. But the wild Pokémon we'd been hunting were just as much of a risk. They were unpredictable, and they fought like their lives depended on it because, well, they did.

No, we needed a balance—a way to get stronger without losing everything we'd gained. And maybe, just maybe, that meant finding someone on our level. Another trainer who wasn't all talk and who could push us without going too far.

I leaned back against the wall, staring at the ceiling. For now, we'd keep catching wild Pokémon. The money was good, and it let us stay here, where it was safe and comfortable. But eventually, we'd have to move beyond this, find something more challenging.

"Hey, Tyrunt," I said, glancing over at him. "What do you think? Ready for something a bit more exciting than Bidoofs and Starlys?"

Tyrunt paused mid-chew, looking at me with its usual intensity. It huffed, a cloud of air escaping from its nostrils, and I took that as a yes.

"Alright, big guy. We'll give it a little longer, but soon enough, we're going to find ourselves a real challenge. And when we do, I think we're going to surprise a lot of people."

Tyrunt let out a small roar, its eyes gleaming. I smiled, feeling a spark of excitement catch inside me. We weren't just surviving anymore. We were getting ready for something bigger.