The academy’s sportswear was essential for any outdoor adventures. It can adapt to various environments, is made of sturdy and elastic material. Not only was it waterproof, fire-resistant, and electric-proof, but it was also very comfortable to wear.
In a small mountain path north of Mt. Coronet, a group of seven individuals dressed in blue sportswear stood by a rock, setting up their cutlery and food ingredients.
“How can you be sure there are no wild Pokémon around here?” Tobias, the student with spiky hair, asked Orange with curiosity.
However, he didn’t receive any response…..
“The utensils are ready… Does anyone know how to cook? If not, I’ll start, but I can’t guarantee it’ll suit your taste,” Jinbe said.
“I brought compressed food for myself,” Misanji replied indifferently.
“I also brought some dry rations… But it would be best if we could have a hot meal,” Seiji added.
“I can try to help,” Yuko offered.
“If we start a fire… It might attract other Pokémon,” Terrance, brushed the fallen layer of snow on the rocks, the cold sensation tingling in his hand, and thought of something.
“What do you mean?” Tobias quickly approached.
“It’s Snover. In this season, they should be hiding in caves at the base of the mountain. It’s a habit of Snover. In the cold season, they migrate to the mountain’s base. They are very sensitive to temperature, and as soon as spring arrives, they will return to the snow-covered mountain top.”
“And one more thing, if they discover human footsteps, even if it’s winter, they’ll follow them out of curiosity… This phenomenon must be quite common on Mt. Coronet.”
“If we light a fire, for Snover, which is sensitive to temperature, it would be like signaling that humans have passed through.”
After saying this, Terrance rummaged through his backpack and found something like a compass to observe the magnetic field here.
“That’s true, but don’t worry. This kind of thing happens often during a training journey. Most Snover are friendly. If we can share some food with them, I think they’ll be happy to befriend us,” Jinbe explained with a smile, clearly having had such experiences before.
“Well, you sure know a lot, and unlike her, you’re not cold,” Tobias remarked to Terrance and then playfully grinned at Orange.
In the cold weather, they sipped on hot soup. The rolling hills around them, white mountains, and the vast sky made them feel particularly comfortable.
“The soup is quite good,” Terrance said, surprised after taking a sip.
“Of course, I’ve pulled out all my special skills,” Yuko said with a smug look on her face, evidently satisfied with her cooking.
During the brief lunch break, they didn’t encounter any Snover, as luck would have it. After a short rest, they continued their journey along Mt. Coronet’s slope.
The further north they went, the more unpredictable the temperature changes became. Some areas were very cold, while others suddenly warmed up, and nobody could explain the reason for these changes.
“It seems like we haven’t encountered any Pokémon on our way, except for that Onix just now,” Seiji said. “And that Onix looked so lazy, so lifeless.”
“Yeah… but how about a Pokémon battle, Senpai? It’s rare for us to be out here, so let’s have a warm-up before challenging Lake of Gyarados,” Tobias suddenly became interested.
“Uh…” Seiji hesitated for a moment and then said, “To be honest, I’m not really interested.”
“Even if we were to battle, I’d prefer him as my opponent,” he added, turning his gaze towards Misanji.
“Your Sceptile seems to have received praise from that female trainer. As the only student who has been praised, you must be proud, right?”
“Hey…” Jinbe’s face changed upon hearing that and tried to stop him.
“Tsk…” Misanji glanced briefly at Seiji. “If it were the students from your Advanced Class, they might have lost even more miserably.”
“Actually, I’m quite regretful that I didn’t get a chance to battle that Trainer,” Seiji said with a faintt smile.
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.
“Well…” Yuko spoke softly, “Speaking of which, there seem to be more and more exceptional Trainers appearing in Sinnoh lately, not just Cynthia. During my last vacation, when my friends and I went to visit the Survival Area in Sinnoh, we also encountered a really formidable guy.”
“That guy didn’t seem too old, but in the Survival Area’s Battleground, he had a winning streak of 100 battles.”
“I heard he’s actually from a Battleground family… By the way, all of the Pokémon he used were Fire-type, and even if the opponent sent out Water-type Pokémon, he handled them with ease.”
Survival Area’s Battleground, 100-win streak.
The people present had no doubt about the credibility of this information. Compared to win-streak on the roadside challenges, Survival Area attracted Trainers from various places, even from other regions, making it highly competitive.
Trainers who could stand out in such a place were definitely not just all talk.
“With what you’re saying, the pressure at the academy must be intense,” Orange, who had been quiet throughout the journey, suddenly spoke.
“Honestly… Seeing you all struggling like you can’t breathe, I’m tempted to switch from the Breeder Class to the Battle Class.”
“Student Orange, I look forward to the day when you defeat Cynthia,” Tobias said with a mischievous grin.
There was little to be done in response to Tobias’ words, except for some eye-rolling from the others.
Then, as they continued their journey with occasional stops, they encountered different Pokémon along the way, such as Chingling, Nosepass, Geodude, and even Zubat sleeping in caves. It wasn’t until near nightfall that they found a safe place to rest for the night. Early the next morning, Terrance, still half-asleep, yawned and decided to freshen up.
Next was Terrance’s time to feed his Pokémon. Whether it was Swablu, Misdreavus, or Beautifly, it was a period when their strength could be significantly improved, so nutrition was essential.
The most challenging to please was the little Misdreavus, who seemed to have a fondness for “feelings of fear.” Although this was the most suitable food for Misdreavus and would provide the most significant benefit, it was also a scarce resource… Impossible to guarantee for every meal.
Terrance put in considerable effort to cater to the picky Misdreavus. He had sought advice from Teacher Teresa about Ghost-type Pokémon’s dietary knowledge and finally, after conducting several rounds of tests, Terrance discovered a taste that Misdreavus could accept.
Even though the nutritional content is quite similar, and other Pokémon don’t mind it, the relatively tasty food just doesn’t work for Terrance’s Misdreavus.
“Who knows why you like bitter flavors so much,” Terrance said helplessly as he watched Misdreavus enjoying its meal.
With the rising sun, not only Terrance but also the other students started tending to their Pokémon, preparing to face a new day on their journey.
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