Pokémon: Trainer Paul

Meditite

Type: Fighting, Psychic

Ability: Pure Power

Gender: Male

Moves: Confusion, Foresight, Focus Energy, Calm Mind

"Nothing special, no potential for training."

After glancing at the Pokédex entry, Paul casually tossed the Poké Ball, releasing Meditite back into the wild.

Thud!

As soon as the released Meditite left, a purple unidentified object flew towards Paul.

Without even raising his head, Paul sidestepped and with a flick of his wrist, tossed the Poké Ball he had just emptied toward a fallen Machoke nearby.

As Paul bent down to pick up the Poké Ball, Turtwig came running toward him with a bronze mirror in its mouth. It placed the Bronzor beside Paul before scurrying deeper into the cave.

Paul threw the Poké Ball again, capturing the Bronzor, then scanned it with his Pokédex as he walked further inside.

Before he had taken a few steps, he spotted Vulpix dragging a pink, doll-like Cleffa by its tail toward him. Followed by two Clefairy who were angry but dared not to say a word.

"...Find a stronger Pokémon to battle. Stop bringing these weak ones." Paul muttered after a moment of silence.

Under Vulpix's expectant gaze, Paul captured the Cleffa, checked its stats, and promptly released it.

"Cle~!"

Returning the freed Cleffa to the Clefairy, Vulpix stuck out its tongue sheepishly before trotting further into the cave.

In truth, Cleffa makes for an excellent companion Pokémon. Breeding facilities often raise large numbers of Cleffa and Clefairy each year to sell as pets or companions for city-dwelling girls.

Paul was among the most knowledgeable about Cleffa among his peers.

But precisely because of this, Paul understood that this species like many others, lacked an innate desire for battle or strength. Most preferred a carefree life of play and leisure.

Clefairy like Lucas' with a strong fighting spirit, were rare exceptions.

For Paul, any Pokémon without the will to grow stronger was not worth the training.

He didn't like the idea to the philosophy of "A Trainer should establish a bond with their Pokémon, instilling their own will so the Pokémon grows stronger for them."

To Paul, this mindset was as absurd as saying, "I'm indifferent to math, but the person I like loves it, so I'll force myself to study math for their sake."

Instead, he preferred the idea of "A Pokémon that naturally desires strength finding a Trainer with a similar drive. They recognize each other, grow together, and strive for the same goal."

However, Paul added another criterion: talent.

If a Pokémon had extraordinary talent but loathed the idea of becoming stronger, Paul might release it or leave it in a breeding facility under his brother's care.

After scanning and rejecting both the Bronzor and Machoke for their lackluster potential, Paul continued deeper into the cave.

As time passed, the cave grew darker, and his phone lost all signal. The wild Pokémon became progressively stronger, forcing Paul to slow down.

He let his Pokémon continue battling, using the dim environment to hone their senses and awareness.

By this point, Paul had lost count of how many Pokémon he had captured—somewhere between thirty and fifty—but none had been deemed worth keeping.

"Roarrrr!"

Suddenly, a deep earth-shaking roar echoed from further inside the cave, signaling that something significant was happening.

"Elekid, Vulpix, Turtwig, gather!"

Without hesitation, Paul called out.

"Bzzzt!"

"Vuul!"

"Twigg!"

The three Pokémon immediately dashed through the dim cave, assembling in front of Paul.

"Let's check it out."

Paul led the way. Finding his flashlight ineffective in the cave's depths, he ordered, "Light up the area."

None of the three Pokémon knew Flash, but they had other means of illumination.

"Bzzt!"

Elekid floated ahead, discharging sparks that lit up a large area effortlessly. Its mastery of energy control had advanced noticeably in recent days.

"Vuul!"

"Twigg!"

Vulpix and Turtwig exchanged glances and began gathering energy. Moments later, two miniature "suns" rose from their bodies, flooding the cave with daylight-like brightness.

Sunny Day!

"Bzzt?"

Elekid, previously basking in its own brilliance, turned to see the two radiant orbs and froze mid-air. Its triumphant smirk faded, replaced by a stunned expression.

It understood the effects of Sunny Day in a cave but couldn't fathom how Turtwig had learned it.

"Twigg!"

Turtwig gave a hearty innocent smile.

Although Paul hadn't actively taught Turtwig any moves beyond its natural progression, Turtwig had learned Sunny Day by observing Vulpix's frequent use of it for Solar Beam practice.

"Bzzt-Bzzt..."

Elekid landed with feigned nonchalance, pretending nothing had happened as it followed the others deeper into the cave.

The roaring and sounds of battle grew louder as they approached. With the area brightly illuminated, navigating the jagged pathways became much easier.

Finally, Paul reached the source of the commotion—a cavern connected to an underground waterway.

It was an area bordering the underground waters. Ueno, whom he had met earlier, was standing among Pokémon such as Gyarados, Graveler, Golbat, and Onix, directing the Pokémon to deal with the surrounding creatures.

Around him were pokemons with red eyes. The most eye-catching ones were the ones in the front, wearing shells and sickle helmets shaped like a mantis, and the spiny ammonites shaped like a snail, with thorny spiral shells on their bodies, sharp mouthparts and blue tentacles.

Behind them, in the murky depths of the water, dozens of glowing red eyes—belonging to Kabuto and Omanyte—hinted at reinforcements.

This area resembled the likes of Stark Mountain—a hidden sanctuary where fossil Pokémon thrived undisturbed.

Although Cranidos and Shieldon are Sinnoh's signature fossils, the existence of Kabuto and Omanyte here wasn't surprising, especially given their Water typing.

What's strange is that there are still fossil Pokemon still existed and had been discovered, and they happened to be encountered by Ueno, who is not sure whether he is lucky or unlucky.

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