He left Umbreon and Blaziken outside the tent to tend the campfire and stand watch for the night.
After all, they were on the edge of a forest, where wild Pokémon emerged from time to time. Late at night in particular was the best time for those ferocious Pokémon to be active, and without anyone standing watch, they could easily barge into the tent.
Of course, more importantly, standing watch was not just about guarding against Pokémon.
Humans were forever the most dangerous creatures in this world, and the most unpredictable! Without exception!
Guarding against other humans was therefore far more important than guarding against Pokémon!
Once he had made those arrangements and added some branches to the fire, Xia You washed up briefly and crawled into the tent.
Though he was not going to fall asleep right away, the entire campsite fell completely quiet.
Only the occasional breeze and the eerie cries of some unknown bird Pokémon in the forest echoed through the night from time to time.
Blaziken sat in front of the campfire, gently prodding it with a stick to keep the flames from going out without letting it burn too quickly.
Beside it, Umbreon looked up at the bright moon, then surveyed the surroundings with a scrutinizing gaze. Only after confirming that everything was normal did it lie down on the dry ground.
Crackle...
The wood crackled as the flames burned it.
After an unknown amount of time, Umbreon's eyes suddenly opened, and even Blaziken pricked up its ears.
The two Pokémon listened closely. Before long, they saw a dark figure quietly approaching the far end of the campsite beneath the night sky.
This immediately put both Pokémon on alert.
They rose almost simultaneously, then split up, one going left and the other right, quietly moving