New Friends

Oreburgh's dusty streets stretched out behind me as Tyrunt and I wandered the outskirts of the city, looking for a place to get some last-minute training in before we hit the road. After our win at the Gym, I felt confident, but I knew that the wilds between here and Eterna City weren't going to be forgiving. Tyrunt needed more than just strength. He needed control, precision, and a solid understanding of his abilities.

"Alright, Tyrunt, let's find a spot and—"

"Hey! You there!" A voice interrupted, and I turned to see a tall, scruffy-looking guy with messy blond hair striding toward us. He was grinning, one hand on a Poké Ball, the other in his pocket like he owned the place.

"You're the kid with the Tyrunt, right? Saw you in that Gym battle earlier. Not bad. Wanna test your skills in a real fight?" he challenged, his grin widening.

I blinked, caught a little off guard. A random challenge? I wasn't used to people picking fights with me outside of official battles. But, hey, practice was practice.

"Sure," I said, shrugging. "We're always up for a challenge."

Tyrunt growled, his jaw already twitching. He had a look in his eyes that said, Finally, something worth biting.

The guy smirked and tossed out a Poké Ball, releasing a small, blue, duck-like Pokémon with a lily pad on its back—Lotad. It blinked up at us, its round eyes seeming almost too cute for battle. Tyrunt cocked his head, clearly confused. This wasn't the usual rock-type we'd been up against.

"Lotad, huh?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "Not what I was expecting."

The guy laughed, clearly enjoying the surprise on my face. "You'll learn to expect the unexpected if you want to survive in the wilds."

I barely had time to think before Lotad made its first move—no waiting around here. Lotad's lily pad glowed faintly as it ducked low, spraying a Water Gun directly at Tyrunt's feet, making the ground slippery.

"Tyrunt, get moving!" I shouted, but he'd already jumped to the side, his claws scraping against the wet ground. He barely avoided the hit, but Lotad was already closing the gap, leaping forward with surprising speed for a tiny Pokémon.

"Bite!" I called, and Tyrunt lunged, jaws snapping, but Lotad was quicker. It ducked, slipping underneath Tyrunt's bite and spraying a quick burst of Absorb upward, striking Tyrunt in the chest.

Tyrunt growled in pain, his claws digging into the dirt for stability as Lotad darted back. I could see the smirk on the other trainer's face. This wasn't going to be easy—Lotad was nimble, and the wet ground wasn't helping Tyrunt's footing.

"Don't let up!" I shouted. "Go for Dragon Tail! Keep him off balance!"

Tyrunt roared and spun, his tail glowing faintly with energy as he swung it wide. Lotad jumped again, but this time Tyrunt was ready. His tail grazed Lotad's back leg, sending the little Pokémon tumbling sideways. Lotad scrambled to its feet, its lily pad now covered in mud.

"Tyrunt, go in close!" I yelled.

Tyrunt charged, but Lotad, quick as ever, spewed out another Water Gun, aiming low to make the ground even slicker. Tyrunt slipped, losing traction, and skidded straight into a patch of mud, his legs flailing as he tried to recover.

"Lotad, Razor Leaf!" the trainer called.

In an instant, Lotad spun around, the leaves on its back glowing as it flung sharp blades of energy toward Tyrunt. The leaves slashed through the air, and I barely had time to react.

"Tyrunt, defense up! Use your head!"

Tyrunt snarled and ducked his head, using his tough skull to shield himself from the worst of the attack. The leaves pinged off his rocky hide, but he wasn't unscathed—small cuts appeared along his side.

This wasn't good. Lotad was fast and keeping Tyrunt on the defensive. I needed to turn this around before Tyrunt got worn down.

"Alright, Tyrunt, no more slipping around—go in hard with Rock Slide!"

Tyrunt, still low to the ground, slammed his claws down, shaking the earth beneath him. Huge rocks burst from the ground, rising into the air as he directed them toward Lotad. The other trainer's eyes widened.

"Lotad, dodge it!" he called, but it was too late. Tyrunt's rocks crashed down on Lotad, pinning it beneath a pile of rubble. Lotad let out a high-pitched squeak, struggling to free itself.

I saw my chance. "Tyrunt, now! Bite!"

With a roar, Tyrunt launched himself forward, his powerful jaws snapping down on Lotad's shoulder. Lotad screeched in pain, its body going limp under the weight of Tyrunt's attack.

The other trainer cursed under his breath, quickly recalling Lotad to its Poké Ball. "Alright, alright, I get it! No need to chomp it to pieces!" he said with a laugh, stepping forward.

Tyrunt released Lotad, his teeth clamping down on nothing now, and he turned to look at me like, "See? Told you I could bite things into submission."

I grinned, recalling Tyrunt before he could try to chew on the environment again. The other trainer shook his head, walking up to me with a smile.

"Man, that Tyrunt's a beast. I thought I had you there for a second, but... guess you pulled that one out at the end. Name's Greg, by the way."

"Jack," I replied, shaking his hand. "You gave us a real challenge. Lotad's a lot tougher than it looks."

Greg chuckled. "Yeah, Lotad's got moves, but your Tyrunt's something else. Never seen one in the wild before. I'm guessing you're not from around here?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm still new to all of this. Tyrunt's a handful, but he's got a lot of potential. I'm trying to figure out how to get him more... controlled." I paused, then glanced at Greg. "You heading to Eterna City next?"

Greg scratched the back of his neck. "That's the plan, but I've been hanging around Oreburgh because, honestly? The wilds between here and Eterna are no joke. I've heard stories—wild Luxio, rogue Rhydon, and I'm not exactly keen on going it alone."

I raised an eyebrow. "Same here. The wilds sound rough, especially when you're still trying to figure things out. Maybe we should team up?"

Greg's grin returned. "You read my mind. You've got a powerhouse with Tyrunt, and I've got some tricks with Lotad. We watch each other's backs, yeah?"

I nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

With that, we set off together, ready to take on whatever the wilds had to throw at us. Tyrunt, for his part, was still chomping away at a nearby rock, blissfully unaware that our journey just got a little more interesting.