Stepping through the Light Gate, Ye Lan found himself inside a cave in the blink of an eye.
Drip, drip. Water fell steadily from the tips of the stalactites overhead, its rhythmic patter seeming to echo Ye Lan's footsteps.
The surroundings gave Ye Lan an inexplicable sense of familiarity, but he already understood why Azelf had brought him into this mental space: to temper his resolve to win.
In the past, he had always wanted to grow stronger, yet he had lacked the confidence to defeat every opponent.
He knew better than most just how powerful those exceptionally gifted Trainers were. Even when others praised him, he would shake his head and deny it, instinctively believing he was still nowhere near deserving to be called talented. He simply knew more than ordinary Trainers did.
"Vee~"
Taking a deep breath, Ye Lan rubbed the head of the Leafeon perched on his shoulder. Feeling the warmth against his palm, he gradually quickened his pace.
His own Pokémon was so confident. How could he, its Trainer, fall behind?
As he ventured deeper into the cave, Ye Lan found it increasingly familiar. His initially narrow field of view widened until a softly shimmering lake appeared before him.
"So it really is Cerulean Cave?"
An opening in the rock ceiling above the lake revealed a full moon, the only source of light in the entire area.
Although he knew what he was about to face, the familiar surroundings quickly put Ye Lan at ease.
The unknown was what frightened people most. If Azelf really had arranged for him to face a Pokémon he knew nothing about, he would have had few good options.
Boom!
The calm lake, its surface rippling with moonlight, suddenly burst open. A humanoid Pokémon appeared before Ye Lan.
Most of its