Training

After the last win against Travis and his Wingull, Tyrunt and I were feeling good, but I knew better than to rest on our laurels. We had one goal in sight: the Oreburgh Gym rematch. And that meant training—lots of training. We only had a couple of days to get Tyrunt into the best shape possible, and I wasn't going to let any opportunity slip by.

We headed back to our training spot outside the city, the place we'd gotten so familiar with that it almost felt like our second home. Tyrunt seemed to understand what was coming. His eyes were fixed on me, full of determination, and, of course, that insatiable urge to chomp something.

"All right, Tyrunt," I said, tossing my bag to the side. "Speed, strength, stamina—we're working on it all. Let's see if you can keep up."

I picked up a stick from the ground and waved it in front of Tyrunt. He blinked, tilting his head. "Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm not a Rattata," I muttered, "but it's all about focus." I launched the stick across the clearing. "Go!"

Tyrunt took off after it, his small legs pounding the ground, his jaws snapping as he ran. He reached the stick, snatched it up in his mouth, and stomped back over to me, proudly showing off his prize. I nodded approvingly. "Good, but faster next time. We need you to be quick if we're gonna face Roark's Cranidos again."

We repeated the exercise over and over, until Tyrunt's legs were starting to wobble. Speed had never been Tyrunt's strong point—he was built to be sturdy, to take hits, and to dish them out with those powerful jaws. But if we were going to get anywhere in the Gym, we needed to cover more ground and react quicker.

"Again!" I shouted, and Tyrunt, despite his exhaustion, bounded off, teeth snapping at the empty air.

When Tyrunt returned with the stick for the umpteenth time, I could see him panting, his head drooping just a little. I knelt down beside him, scratching behind his head. "Alright, alright, take five. But only five. We've still got strength training to do, buddy."

Tyrunt plopped down on the rocky ground, gnawing on the stick now like it was the most interesting meal he'd had all day. I took a swig from my canteen, then tossed him one of the Pokéblocks. He snapped it out of the air, his eyes never leaving me as he chewed.

"You know, you keep gnawing on that stick like that, and people are gonna start thinking you've got an actual problem with your teeth." Tyrunt huffed, and I could swear he was trying to roll his eyes.

After Tyrunt caught his breath, I stood up, looking out across the terrain. "Okay, break's over. Let's see if we can put some power behind that Dragon Tail, huh? We need to hit harder."

I led Tyrunt over to the edge of the clearing, where we had set up a bunch of large boulders—a natural target practice for boosting his strength. "Let's do this. Dragon Tail—I want to see cracks in that boulder!"

Tyrunt let out a growl that vibrated in his chest, his tail starting to glow with the familiar blue energy. He turned, twisting his body before bringing his tail down in a powerful arc. The smack of his tail against the boulder echoed through the clearing, and a visible crack spread across the rock face.

"Nice!" I shouted, pumping my fist. "Again! Let's see if you can break it!"

Tyrunt spun again, putting more force behind his tail this time. His roar echoed through the space as he smashed into the boulder once more, this time shattering it into several pieces. Dust and bits of rock scattered around us, and Tyrunt gave me a triumphant look, his mouth slightly open as if daring me to throw something else his way.

"That's what I'm talking about!" I said, grinning. "We're gonna need that power when Cranidos tries to charge at you again."

We spent the next hour working through the rest of the boulders—each one falling under the force of Tyrunt's tail, his growls growing louder, more confident with every swing. By the time we finished, the clearing was littered with shards of broken stone, and Tyrunt's chest was heaving, his sides moving in and out like bellows.

"Alright, big guy, we're almost there. Just one more thing. Stamina training." Tyrunt glared at me, his eyes narrowing as if he was questioning my sanity. "Don't give me that look—you know it's important. We can't have you tired out halfway through the fight."

I pointed to a large, flat section of rock. "Push-ups, Tyrunt. Let's see those front legs getting stronger."

Tyrunt blinked at me, his expression almost blank, before he slowly lowered himself down, his short arms bracing against the ground. He pushed himself up, then lowered down again, repeating the movement, his tail swaying in concentration. I watched, counting each one aloud.

"Fourteen… fifteen… sixteen…" I said, each number growing louder as I tried to keep him motivated. He let out a huff, but didn't stop. By the time he hit twenty-five, I could see his front legs trembling.

"Alright, good job," I said, patting his back. He slumped to the ground, his mouth opening wide in a tired but satisfied growl. "You've earned a rest now."

I sat down beside him, pulling out the last Pokéblock from my bag. I tossed it to Tyrunt, who caught it and started chewing, looking very pleased with himself. "We're getting there, buddy. A couple more days of this, and we'll be ready."

Tyrunt gave a low growl, gnawing on his snack, and leaned against my leg. I stared out at the rocky terrain, the setting sun casting long shadows over the clearing. There was no doubt we had a long way to go, and we'd have to put in every ounce of effort we had, but for now, we were giving it all we had.

I glanced down at Tyrunt, who had dozed off, his jaws still twitching as if he was chewing even in his sleep. I shook my head, a small smile tugging at my lips. This prehistoric dino had more bite than any Pokémon I'd ever met, and as long as he kept up that stubbornness, I knew we'd get stronger together.

There was still work to do, but right now, we both needed the rest. Tomorrow, it was back to training—more speed, more strength, more power. The Gym challenge was just around the corner, and we weren't going to face it unprepared this time.