"Ha..."
Shiro pulled down his hood and removed the mask from his face, then stuffed it into his backpack.
Outside, the rain had eased slightly. It no longer pounded the ground with the same wild force as before, though it was still pouring. At least the sound of the rainfall had settled into a steadier rhythm.
Haunter floated back inside and drifted over to the spot left open for it by the fire. It stretched out a dark claw, inching it toward the flame.
Before it could get too close, Drakloak swatted the claw away with its tail.
Lying lazily on the ground, the Dragon-type didn't want Haunter ruining the fire because of a careless mistake. The rumbling thunder outside made this the perfect time for it and Dreepy to rest.
Shiro took out a folding chair from his backpack, set it up behind him, and let out a relaxed breath as he sat down.
The rain didn't seem like it would stop anytime soon. It was five in the afternoon now, and by the look of it, it might continue well into the night.
They'd probably be spending the night here.
That thought had just passed through Shiro's mind when he noticed some blurry shapes moving in the downpour.
'You've got to be kidding.'
He sat up straight, eyes narrowing as he stared outside. With the help of the occasional flash of lightning, he could just make out the shadowy forms slowly getting closer.
Shiro knew his fire might be attracting attention. But for someone to approach despite seeing a full-on camp like this meant one of two things: they were either confident in their strength, or assumed this cave belonged to some inexperienced rookie.
"What a bunch of annoying pests," Shiro muttered. Growlithe lying beside him tilted its head in confusion, then looked out toward the rain.
Moments later, the figures came closer. Through the blurred curtain of rain, Shiro could see them clutching their heads. Their clothes didn't match the dark cloaks usually worn by wild trainers.
He blinked, then sighed and lay back down. He had already seen who they were.
Drakloak gave the intruders a brief glance, then shut its eyes again.
From the storm outside, a Tyrogue came running into the cave, holding its head tightly. It looked up at Shiro and the Pokémon near the fire, then quickly huddled near the edge of the cave wall and sat down.
Next came a shaky Bonsly. It stumbled inside, only to freeze when it saw the powerful Pokémon gathered near the flame. Before it could react, it was knocked over by another Scraggy rushing in, clutching its baggy skin.
"Scra..."
This one stood up while rubbing its head. Then, as if remembering something, it frantically looked around.
Not far from it, a wet rocky shell was lying quietly in the corner. It had rolled out of Scraggy's pouch during the collision.
"Scragggy!" the Pokémon cried out.
It tugged up its droopy skin and rushed over to grab the shell, then dashed toward the campfire.
"Vib...rava?" Vibrava stared blankly as Scraggy stepped on its back and head to lift the shell and place it right at the edge of the fire, just close enough to get some heat.
"Scrag…" the little one muttered as it held up its saggy skin with one hand and wiped the water from its forehead, letting out a relieved sigh.
But when it looked up again, it froze. All the Pokémon around the fire were staring at it. Some of them were so intimidating that its knees nearly gave out.
"Scraaaggy!" it yelped, jumping off Vibrava's back and backing away to the corner. It hurriedly pulled its skin over its head and curled up, trembling. Only now did it realize how serious things were.
"What is this..." Shiro leaned forward, studying the rock shell that Scraggy had placed by the fire.
Information about it popped up before his eyes.
[Name: Dwebble
Type: Bug/Rock
Level: 11 (Beginner)
Ability: Sturdy
Held Item: None]
It turned out to be a Dwebble. The poor thing looked extremely weak, completely drenched by the rain.
Dwebble was terrified of water, or rather, most Rock-type Pokémon were. Scraggy had used its loose skin to carry it in, clearly trying to save it from drowning.
As the moisture on the stone shell evaporated from the fire's heat, Dwebble slowly extended its body from inside the shell, revealing its small orange bug-like form.
"Dweb…"
It murmured a soft thank-you, and greeted the group of Pokémon resting calmly around the fire, showing no fear. It waved its tiny claws, hopped onto Vibrava's head, then leapt onto the back of it.
Under Vibrava's dazed gaze, Dwebble jumped to the ground, scuttled over, and stopped in front of Scraggy.
"Scrag!"
"Dweb…"
Scraggy lit up with joy, pulling on its saggy skin as it bounced in place. Dwebble wiggled along with it.
With a sigh, Shiro turned his head toward the rain outside. The sky was now completely dark. The Stony Wilderness had entered nightfall.
Without meaning to, he thought of the time he'd been tossed into the trash heaps of Spikemuth. He gave his head a quick pat, trying to shake off the memory.
He dug into his backpack and pulled out some food boxes and Pokéblocks, then placed them near the fire. It was time to eat, and his stomach was already growling.
Corvisquire flew down from his shoulder and immediately dug into one of the boxes, scarfing down the food. The others followed suit, eagerly diving into their own meals.
Shiro also opened a box of Pokéblocks for himself and began chewing them one by one. For humans, these were like a more concentrated version of berries. Some were strong, others mild, and most weren't exactly suited to a human's taste buds.
The batch Shiro picked was for Fighting-types and had a milder flavor. Not much taste, but it worked well for energy and filling the stomach.
The smell of the Pokéblocks spread through the cave. Even the stoic Tyrogue, who had been sitting silently against the wall, opened its eyes and swallowed hard.
Bonsly, a tiny Pokémon that looked like a little tree with three leafy twigs sprouting from its head, was having an even harder time resisting.
It paced anxiously on the side, its eyes flicking toward the food, but didn't dare approach with all the strong Pokémon like Drakloak and the others nearby.
At only level 28, Bonsly knew its place. It was timid by nature and preferred to keep a low profile whenever possible.
Near the edge of the cave wall, Scraggy was also salivating, eyes fixed on the food, drooling as it pulled its skin up and sneaked glances at the feast with his wide eyes.
But Dwebble wasn't shy at all.
It boldly clacked its rocky shell forward, stopping right in front of Shiro and looking up at him with bright, pleading eyes.
"Dweb… Dwebble…"
It had seen trainers before and understood very well who the decision-maker was.
"Hmm..." Shiro thought for a moment, then called out to Haunter who had just finished eating and was now glancing around curiously. "Haunter, you go."
The Ghost-type floated over, picked Dwebble up in one hand, grabbed a handful of type-appropriate Pokéblocks in the other, and tossed both toward the edge of the cave.
Before Dwebble could even poke its head out from the shell, Haunter had already handed out Pokéblocks to Scraggy, Bonsly, and Tyrogue as well.
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