The sun beat down on Lilith. She had not moved since her revelation. Minutes went by. Lilith started to form a new mindset. The fog that had clouded her mind was cleared. A new Lilith stood in her place.

An explosion roused her from her revelation. Lilith turned north.

‘Onix?’ Lilith tensed.

She then looked toward the direction where she had come from. The deserted town was to Lilith’s left, so the explosion happened in a different direction.

Plumes of fire rose off in the distance. The air around her became noticeably warmer. Another bang followed the previous one. The conflict was so far away despite the aftermath. It reminded her of the fight between the three Legends that sent her to this place.

Curiosity overtook her. She had to investigate. This was the biggest clash Lilith would witness since arriving in her new world.

With the utmost caution, Lilith inched toward the sounds. The north of the Plateau was filled with grass, blocking her view. It stood tall and tangled the stuff around it.

She crawled hand and knee up to the ledge. Lilith flattened the area around her. Dirt and grass clung to her body.

The sounds grew louder. Whether proximity or an elevation in the fight were the cause was uncertain.

While on her crawl, the ridge dropped suddenly. Her hand pushed aside the grass and reached for the ground but found air instead. Lilith used both hands and pushed the rest of the grass aside.

The view unfolded before her.

A small valley cut down from the mountain. It was thin and narrow with little greenery. Charred black rock dotted the sides of the ravine. Scorch marks appeared everywhere there wasn’t green. The area looked wholly uninhabitable to her.

Lilith turned her attention to the Pokemon.

A pack of dogs straddled the mountain. They sat on ledges and other vantage points. The dogs all looked similar. They had dark coats. White stripes marked their back and legs. Some differed in size. The larger ones had horns sprouting from their head.

Houondoom and Houndour all sat back and watched their pack leader. Challenges for territory were almost always single combat.

The Houndoom at the base of the valley was unusually large. Its tail swept back and forth. Houndoom glared at its challenger.

Across from him was only a single Pokemon.

A large humanoid cat stood, not meters away. Its red and blackfur danced under the harsh sun. Fire twirled around its waist like a belt. Long lanky arms stretched out and were met with paws that extended to razor sharp claws. Despite it’s cat-like face, the Pokemon looked largely human.

“Roar” Incineroar let loose a Roar of challenge.

Energy blasted through the chasm.

Some of the weaker Houndour cowered from the threat. If not for the other Houndoom in the pack, they would have run with their tails between their legs.

Both parties glowed red with light. Fire formed around their mouths. In a quick burst, they shot out towards their respective opponents. Both Flamethrower’s connected and were forced upward.

Lilith could feel the heat from the blast sent skyward even though she was hundreds of meters away.

Lilith watched in awe. The grass around her shook. The air felt like it boiled.

‘Cat vs Dog, could this get any more cliche?’ Lilith thought.

Both predators continued to circle each other, watching for an opening. Seconds went by as the staring contest grew even more heated.

‘And their Types are both dual Fire and Dark.’ Lilith mused.

Lilith blinked and missed it. Incineroar dashed at Houndoom. The cat brought down its fist towards the dog. White shards of light formed around Houndoom, creating a shield. The two connected and fire rushed around Houndoom, leaving him unscathed. His fangs turned black as his explosive hind legs propelled him towards Inineroar’s neck.

‘Was that Protect?’

Black light formed in its off-hand, chopping at the incoming throat of Houndoom. Instead of a full-on attack, Incineroar parried Houndoom off. The dog was thrown away, creating distance for Incineroar to work with.

Incineroar puffed up and motioned towards Houndoom. A white light swept over Houndoom as Swagger took effect. His red eyes glazed over and rushed at Incineroar blindly.

One quick side-step turned into a Low Sweep. Houndooms legs tangled, sending him hurtling towards the ground.

Dust and dirt were sent flying into the air. Houndoom slid across the craggy ground. His recovery was almost instantaneous. While still on the ground, Houndoom barked and a wave of energy gathered around itself. When Taunt took effect, all Status Condition Moves were rendered null around Houndoom until it gradually wore off. Not even he could stop the effect once used.

Once Houndoom shut down any set-up Incineroar could do, his entire body gathered in flames.

All that there was left to do was clash.

Houndoom raised his Speed with Flame Charge, and Inineroar countered with its own full-body attack. Flare Blitz took effect right before they clashed. Stray flames were sent flying.

‘They’re so strong. And also smart. The tactics they deploy are well thought out. It's weird that the strongest Pokemon I've seen have also been the smartest. Could that be the connection?’

Lilith watched the battle in awe.

Both Pokemon held their ground. Houndoom lunged and sent out a Fire Fang, twisting into an Iron Tail, followed by a Flamethrower. Incineroar started with a Fire Punch, followed by a Darkest Lariat into a Flamethrower of its own.

The fight slowly morphed into an all-out beat-down brawl. Both Pokemon unleashed and received attacks in quick succession.

With each fiery clash, something inside Lilith grew. Both Pokemon exuded confidence that they would ultimately come out on top. She wanted a Pokemon like that. A Pokemon that had the drive to protect whatever it wanted, and the strength to back it up.

Someone to stand by her and help each other grow. Lilith wanted a Partner Pokemon like that.

Lilith felt the Pokemon world call to her. A world where she had the freedom to do whatever she wanted. A reality that she chose. A yearning to reach unimaginable heights.

The fight was reaching its final conclusion. The lull in the battle was deafening. The ground was charred, devastation followed their every move. Holes in the ground dotted the landscape. Small fires burned patches of grass. The valley was in ruins, Embers littered the battlefield.

Both sides stood battered and bruised. Their attacks grew less ferocious as their Type Energy dwindled. The pair conserved their Energy for one final decisive attack.

The attack never came however. Incineroar glanced at the Pokemon behind its opponent. It ran through its options. If they attacked, defeat was certain. Incineroar brought its gaze back to Houndoom. One of Houndoom’s back legs looked lame, injuries covered his body. Incineroar knew it would win. A one-on-one victory was certain.

It then glanced up at its spectators. It wasn’t strong enough yet.

Incineroar let out a growl and then turned to slink away. It knew that this battle wouldn’t be its last. Incineroar would have won the battle but lost the war. Instead, Incineroar called a tactical retreat.

An important lesson unfolded before Lilith's eyes. How one fought was just as important as the strength they held. Tactics and strategy were important to survive. Power was important, but she couldn't stop using her brain.

It was ok to run away if you survived to fight another day.