It had been two years since the base was fully up and running, and Alvera, now 8 years old, was helping her mom check on the Pokémon in their habitats in the hub. It was way better than doing her homework due tomorrow.
Beside her bounced her fluffy Flaaffy and her super bouncy Yamper. Her Aegislash should be hiding somewhere in her shadow too, but unlike Flaaffy and Yamper, Aegislash had a "really important job to do," at least that's what her dad told her.
"Shhh…" she whispered, pressing a finger to her lips at Yamper, who was bouncing and whining, wanting to play with the Butterfree in the room down the hall. "We have to be sneaky if we want to play."
She tiptoed past Kommo-o's room, where her mom was feeding the big, scary dragon, and peeked into the next room, the one that belonged to Altaria, the fluffy cloud.
Once inside, she spotted her ride snuggled up on a bunch of soft pillows and didn't even hesitate to jump right into the fluff.
"Pst…" she whispered, poking Altaria until the Pokémon stirred from her nap.
The big bird blinked sleepily and didn't even notice Alvera at first, until she felt the extra warmth from a small human and two Pokémon all piled into her feathers.
"Let's go, quick!" she urged. "To the forest with the other little Pokémon!"
Altaria looked around, didn't see anyone, and stood up. She waddled to the edge of her enclosure and poked a large button with her beak, causing the wall to slide open, revealing the outside of the hub.
With a flap of her wings, she took off, carrying the three passengers still snuggled in her feathers.
Alvera poked her head out of Altaria's cloud and gazed at the view from high above. They flew over the twin walls and circled around the northern section of the base as the wind whipped through her hair.
Below her lay the large lake, guarded by scary Pokémon with huge mouths and rows of sharp teeth, a cluster of berry trees with delicious fruit, a flat area that was usually noisy, and a wide stretch of forest near the danger wall.
Yamper poked his head out and was startled by the sight from high up. He released a Nuzzle out of surprise, sending a spark of electricity that shocked everyone, including Altaria.
She flinched at the sudden shock and lost focus, causing the three passengers to tumble from her feathers and plummet toward the ground below.
"Kyaaa!" Alvera screamed with excitement, laughing as she fell, before Altaria swooped down and scooped them all back into her soft feathers.
"That was fun! Do it again!" she exclaimed.
Altaria wasn't about to risk another mini heart attack, so she dove straight into the forest where the nests were tucked away.
Yamper tried to follow Alvera's orders and used Nuzzle on their ride, but Altaria was on guard this time and simply ignored the attack.
They landed in a small clearing surrounded by stumps, right in the middle of a gathering of young Pokémon. Caterpie, Houndour, Seedot, Murkrow, Poochyena, Zubat, Purrloin, Skiddo, Rattata, and many others scurried around.
The little Pokémon swarmed around Altaria and leapt onto Alvera the moment she hopped off. They bounced and wriggled all over her, looking for cuddles, head pats, and most importantly, treats.
"Hahaha! That tickles!" she squealed, giggling as they piled on her and covered her in dirt. "Okay, okay, calm down! I brought enough for everyone!"
Alvera dug into her bag of kibble, the special kind used for the nests, and sprinkled it all over the clearing.
Instantly, the little Pokémon scattered, chasing the tasty morsels. Her own Pokémon joined in too, eagerly snatching up bites alongside the others.
Alvera finally had a moment to catch her breath.
"Phew," she sighed, turning to the cuddliest Pokémon she could find near her.
It was a Caterpie, a little hairy but incredibly squishy. She picked it up and hand-fed it some kibble before letting it rest on her lap. Then, she squeezed it like a toy.
The Caterpie, satisfied with the treats, ignored the little human and continued munching happily.
Alvera giggled and played with the Pokémon for what felt like an hour, until a terrifying shadow suddenly dove down, scattering the young Pokémon in all directions. It was a three-headed, menacing dragon with a fearsome glare.
"Dad!" Alvera shouted, rushing toward Alex as he dismounted from Hydreigon.
"There's my baby girl," Alex said, lifting her up and tossing her into the air.
Alvera giggled at first, then pouted. "I'm not a baby anymore," she complained.
Alex chuckled. "Oh, that's right. You're a big girl now. I can still call you sweetie, right?"
"Hmmm…" she considered before nodding. "I'll allow it."
Alex smiled and sat her on his lap. "You know your mother was worried she'd lost you inside the stomach of a Pokémon when you left without telling her," he said gently.
"But she wouldn't have let me go if I told her," Alvera muttered.
"Yes, but that's because you're not supposed to go alone."
"But I'm not alone! Altaria is with me," she protested.
"You need a human to look after you, you know that. Pokémon can do a lot, but sometimes they misunderstand what humans want. And they're strong enough that even a small accident could kill you."
"They would never hurt me!" Alvera shouted back.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah!" she declared, puffing out her chest.
"All right. You're a big girl now, so it's time you learned how most Pokémon really act around humans," Alex said, holding her securely in his arms before mounting Hydreigon.
They took off at a speed Alvera was comfortable with, flying north past the flood wall.
Alvera looked down and noticed the forest on the other side of the danger wall for the first time. Unlike their forest that were regularly regrown after a Pokémon flood, this one was devastated.
Trees were sparse and gnarled, with jagged stumps poking up like broken teeth. Fallen branches, shattered trunks, and rotting vegetation lay scattered, slowly being consumed by decay. Cracks and erosion ran through the soil, and the few streams that remained were muddy. Birds and small Pokémon were nearly absent, leaving the forest eerily silent except for the occasional rustle of the wind through dead leaves.
She didn't like what she was seeing. It wasn't clean, bright, or pretty. It looked sad and empty, like a lifeless wasteland.
They continued north until they reached an area the flood typically avoided, filled with dark, twisted woods where shadows clung tightly to every branch and the air carried a cold, uneasy stillness.
Alex stored Hydreigon and cloaked himself in a thin layer of Dark type energy, hiding his presence. He carefully set Alvera on the ground, and she immediately tightened her grip on his hand.
Together, they stepped into the dark, twisted woods and took a stroll.
Alvera was scared of the place her dad had brought her to. This forest was dark and damp, and it smelled weird, like mud or something. Every now and then, she heard skittering sounds coming from the shadows, the kind that frightened her, unlike the playful noises of the young Pokémon back home.
Suddenly, an Arbok burst out from a hole in the ground, its mouth open and fangs gleaming as it pounced at her.
Alvera screamed, stumbling backward. It wasn't just the sudden movement, it was the face. The Pokémon looked furious, like it wanted to hurt her. Just like Dad said bad Pokémon would.
Before it could reach her, her dad stepped forward and caught the snake by the neck, tossing it aside as if it weighed nothing.
"Careful, sweetie," Alex said calmly. "This isn't our home anymore. It's a dangerous forest full of Pokémon who want to eat you."
Alvera's eyes went wide. She clung to his arm, her heart pounding. She completely believed him now. There really were bad Pokémon outside their home.
They continued their walk through the dark forest, with her dad occasionally beating the bad Pokémon away. He was really strong to be able to beat all of them as they went on.
A terrifying howl suddenly echoed from deep within the woods, freezing Alvera in fear. She let go of her dad's hand and covered her ears to block out the loud sound.
Out of the darkness came barks and growls, followed by a pack of Mightyena. Their red eyes glowed in the shadows as they stared at her like she was kibble tossed to hungry Pokémon.
Her dad stepped forward and fought them, but there were too many. One larger Mightyena, scarred and heavier than the rest, lunged at him. They moved so fast that Alvera couldn't understand what was happening. All she knew was that in the next moment, she was suddenly alone in the dark forest.
Three Mightyena took their chance and approached, fangs bared and mouths dripping with saliva, wild hunger burning in their eyes.
"No, stay away!" Alvera screamed, backing away in terror.
From her belt sprang Flaaffy and Yamper, who immediately unleashed bursts of electricity. But it was futile. The Mightyena were too strong. They lunged forward, bit down on them, and tossed their fainted bodies aside.
"Flaaffy! Yamper!" Alvera cried in panic.
She stepped toward them but froze when the three Mightyena turned their hungry eyes on her.
Just as they leapt, a familiar floating sword and shield burst out from her shadow, blocking their attacks with a flash of blue light.
"Aegislash?" she whispered, hope filling her trembling voice.
Her Pokémon stood firm, blade gleaming as it faced down the attackers. With a few swift slashes that were too fast for her to see, the Mightyena collapsed, fainted and unmoving.
"Aegislash!" Alvera cried, running forward and hugging the weapon from behind. "Thank you for saving me!"
She turned to the fainted Flaaffy and Yamper and used a Max Revive to bring them back to full health. As soon as they stirred, she wrapped them both in a tight hug, relief washing over her.
They sprang to their feet, looked around, and saw Aegislash hovering over their unbeatable foes. They realized they had failed to protect Alvera and lost the battle, where Aegislash had succeeded.
A spark of determination ignited in their eyes. Never again would they fail to protect their trainer. They would grow strong like Aegislash and train as if their lives depended on it.
Moments later, Alex returned, covered in dirt and mud. He checked on Alvera, then glanced at the fallen Mightyena.
"Good job, Aegislash," Alex said. "You did your job perfectly."
The floating medieval weapon blushed in the way any metallic weapon would before returning to Alvera's shadow.
Alex came close and hugged Alvera, whose trembling slowly began to ease.
"The world is a very dangerous place, sweetie. It's full of bad Pokémon and people who want to do bad things to you. That's why you need to train your Pokémon to become stronger, so they can protect you. Do you understand?" he said gently.
She nodded quietly into his shoulder, still reeling from the near-death experience.
Alex lifted her into his arms and took off running. He dashed past trees, leapt over rocks, and climbed the steep mountainside with effortless speed.
When the rush of wind finally calmed and Alvera opened her eyes, she gasped. Before her stretched a vast, unending world bathed in sunlight.
Towering mountains rolled into each other like waves of stone, their peaks capped in white. Forests blanketed the valleys below with rivers glinting like silver threads weaving through the green. Far in the distance, she could see flashes of movement, herds of Pokémon grazing, flocks soaring through the open sky, and waterfalls tumbling down cliffs in shimmering arcs.
It was wild and untamed, beautiful and terrifying all at once, like a living painting that breathed beneath the clouds.
"Once you're sure of your strength and can protect yourself, you'll see that the world is still a beautiful place, full of good Pokémon, good people, and breathtaking sights," Alex said to Alvera, who was lost in wonder.
Father and daughter shared a quiet moment for a few minutes before Alex released Hydreigon, and the two flew back to the base.
Alvera stayed quiet the entire trip, deep in thought. Gone was the fear from her near-death experience, replaced by a burning passion equal to that of her Pokémon.
When they returned, she ran past her screaming mother, rushed straight to her room, pulled out her homework, and stared at the question written at the top of the page.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
She grabbed her pen and wrote her answer in big, bold letters.
Adventurer.
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