Night fell.
Unlike the last time he entered the forest, when there had only been Xia Yan and Weedle, once Weedle fell asleep, Xia Yan could only force himself to stay awake and remain alert to his surroundings.
This time, he had made a second layer of preparations.
He released the Paras he had confiscated from the Black Market and used its decent Effect Spore ability to lay several rings of spores around the temporary shelter they had found that night.
If any creature approached, Paras would sense it.
At the same time, Xia Yan had prepared for spending the night in the forest, using basic insect repellent powder and sprays that concealed their scent to avoid Pokémon.
With a small slope at his back, he had not found a cave, but this was already quite a good campsite.
As for Paras, it did not seem particularly resistant.
Its relationship with its previous trainer had been average to begin with. That trainer had only treated it as a tool for making money. It was merely changing owners; it only needed to follow orders.
He lit a campfire and shared a simple dinner with Weedle and Paras.
"We can't expend too much energy out here. We'll just do some basic training today."
"Woo—"
Weedle nodded.
Daily training had gradually become a habit for it. If it went a day without training, it felt uncomfortable all over.
So, after hearing Xia Yan's arrangements, Weedle started its basic training on its own.
Basic training did not require Xia Yan's help. Out in the wilderness, he also needed to conserve his strength and energy, so he did not train alongside it. He merely watched the dancing flames in the campfire in silence, lost in thought.
His thoughts were a mess, and there was much