Several hours had passed since his brief conversation with Cynthia, and Gabe still couldn't get what happened out of his mind. Still, none of it could be helped at this point. He had no idea as to the whereabouts of Team Galactic at the current moment, and even if he did, he was not prepared for what he would face should he run into any of the three commanders.

Gabe took a deep breath and looked down at the pathway below him. He was hovering over the bridge that led to the next route, and looking down over the side where he could see a path that led to a cave. Signaling for Tropius to land, the two descended and touched down under the bridge. Gabe hopped off and gave Tropius a few strokes on his head before returning him to his spherical home.

Adjusting his scarf, Gabe took the time to take out his badge case and look at the treasures he'd acquired so far. He ran his fingers over the smooth surface of each badge, admiring the patterns that each of them possessed.

I have two now, and if memory serves me right... Maylene is the next leader after Fantina. I'm not too concerned about Fantina since I have an advantage over a few on her team.  But Maylene... Her team is no pushover either. Especially that Lucario of hers...

Gabe crossed his arms and frowned.

Come to think of it, the only member of my team with a full advantage is Tropius. Psyduck is an option but his defenses are worrisome. I've got nothing for her Lucario. Maybe I can find something in here, Gabe thought as he began making his way inside the cave.

It was getting a bit windy and he needed a break from it. As he walked inside, he was unaware of the shadowy figures that had been observing him since he landed near the cave.

Upon entering the cave, Gabe took note of his surroundings. Very little light shone from the entrance and the path ahead of him was fairly dim. He could barely make out the pathway ahead of him. Reaching down to his belt, he unclipped Jamie's ball and sent her out.

Jamie emerged with a stretch and a yawn. Shaking off the stiffness in her body, she looked around at her environment and tilted her head. Why they were in a cave of all places, was anyone's guess. Her yellow eyes gleaned brightly in the dark, allowing her perfect vision.

"Hey Jamie, do you mind giving me some light? I want to explore here for a while, but my eyes can't see as good as yours can," Gabe explained.

With an affirming nod, Jamie concentrated on the element within her, and spread an electrical current along her entire body, causing her to tail star to light up like the star in the night sky. Azure light could be seen emanating from the rest of her frame due to the electricity she had produced. Gabe looked on in wide-eyed wonder at the spectacle. With a smile, Gabe knelt down and scratched her behind the ears before ruffling the fur on her head and walking forwards.

"Thank you Jamie, let's keep going. I want to do a little training before we get to our next gym," Gabe stated as he continued to walk.

Jamie gave a satisfied purr as she trekked alongside her trainer. Curiosity struck her as she glanced around at her surroundings. Stalagmites and stalactites littered the cave along their path. She could see multiple pathways the two could take. As Gabe and Jamie admired the cave, Jamie's ears twitched and her body began to glow a brighter azure color than before. A snarl rumbled in her throat.

Gabe stopped and took note of the behavior Jamie was exhibiting and raised a brow. What could be prompting her to act this way? He was about to address the situation when he heard a howl echo through the caves. His eyes popped as he heard growling from behind him. Whirling around, he was met with several pairs of angry eyes belonging to a pack of Houndour.

Gabe backed up while Jamie got in front of him, sparks of electricity snapping off her frame as a warning to the pack. Seeing how adamant she seemed about protecting her trainer, the pack spread out for a more coordinated attack.

Shoot! This isn't good. Houndour... of all the Pokémon I could have run into, it had to be a pack of Houndour.

Barry muttered something unintelligible before snapping Psyduck's ball off his belt and releasing him. The pack snarled at the sight of the Water-type's presence. Psyduck sweatdropped as he realized the predicament he was now in. Without warning, the pack converged upon them.

"Psyduck, use Water Pulse! Jamie, Shock Wave now!" Gabe commanded.

Psyduck fired off two spheres of highly concentrated aquatic energy, nailing two Houndour as they leapt at him with fangs encased in darkness. An electrical blast of azure energy expelled from Jamie, punching into three of the remaining attackers, sending them flying as well. While his comrades battled, one lone Houndour stood watching, his eyes fixed on Jamie as she fended off another coordinated assault.

He could see that there was a fierceness in her eyes unlike any Pokémon he had come across in all his days as the pack leader. He could sense the power coursing through her, intriguing him even more. However, while she was intriguing, the pesky Psyduck needed to be disposed of.

"Keep it up you two! We have to drive them off!" Gabe urged his companions.

As Gabe's team fended off the assaults of his attackers, he heard a pained "Psy-aye-aye!" from behind him, followed by an electrical discharge of energy that prompted him to whip around and stagger back. He saw that Psyduck was on the cave floor, paralyzed with a Houndour standing over him with a single paw on his chest.

The Houndour had electricity snapping from his fangs, and a determined glint in his eyes. Gabe narrowed his eyes at this.

Thunder Fang... no wonder he got the jump on Psyduck. Not only that, but it looks like he took out Psyduck in a single strike. No question here... he's gotta be the pack leader.

Gabe's suspicions were further confirmed when he saw the other Houndour stand back up, shaky at best, and stagger over to the other Houndour, who barked what appeared to be a few orders, causing the pack to fall back and sit. The Houndour proceeded to remove his paw from Psyduck's chest before walking around the unconscious duck, his eyes trained on Jamie as he marched forward, stopping ten paces from her.

Gabe studied the scenario before him with growing intrigue. Just moments ago, the pack was relentlessly attacking his team, and now they were as tame as house pets. Houndour's eyes remained fixated on Jamie who staunchly defended Gabe by staying in front of him. Her fur bristled and her face twisted into a scowl, her eyes almost daring him to take another step.

I see what's going on here, Gabe thought as he observed the scene. This Houndour was observing his targets and looking for an opening. He knew he couldn't easily get through Jamie so he struck while Psyduck was preoccupied...

Gabe glanced down at Jamie who was still in a defensive position before Gabe. Though her gaze was intimidating, it didn't seem to faze Houndour.

"Looks like Houndour wants a one-on-one with you Jamie..." Gabe mused, glancing over at the Houndour who seemed to confirm what he thought by establishing a combative stance.

Come to think of it, I don't have a Fire-type yet. And Houndour is a favorite of mine. On top of that, he knows Thunder Fang... which will be a nice little surprise for anyone thinking a Water-type is a safe bet. Looks like I'll be catching this one...

"Alright Houndour, if it's a fight you want, Jamie and I will be more than happy to give you one!" Gabe declared enthusiastically.

Houndour crouched low in anticipation, his eyes still fixed upon his adversary. Without wasting time, Houndour sped forward at unexpected speeds, his body igniting itself with flames as he closed the distance. Jamie braced herself and swung her tail swiftly through the air to swipe at Houndour, only for the canine to jink to the right and circle around, speeding up as he ran.

"He's using Flame Charge! Strike back with Shock Wave!" Gabe called out.

Jamie crouched low and took aim, gathering in powerful electrical energies before discharging a blast of lightning that caught the speeding canine off-guard, sending him tumbling along the ground. Rolling to his feet, Houndour shook off the assault and bolted forward at an even faster pace, nearly instantly closing the distance before igniting his fangs with flames, revealing his primary elemental bite as he clamped down on Jamie's neck.

With a howl of pain, Jamie snapped of a bolt of electricity which jolted Houndour enough to loosen his fangs. The tenacious hound jumped back and stared her down, ready to continue the battle. Jamie whirled around and snapped off a Thunderbolt that was quickly avoided by Houndour who barked something at her.

Jamie narrowed her eyes and snapped back at him with a comment of her own. Gabe blinked at the scene. Jamie and Houndour were having a conversation in the middle of a fight. Though Gabe couldn't make heads or tails of what they were saying, he could tell that both of them were fired up, because after another bark, Jamie's mouth twisted into a cocky smirk which mirrored her adversary's expression.

Just when Gabe thought he had the situation figured out, Houndour howled loudly, and his body ignited itself with crimson fire that wrapped around his frame like a lover, hiding him from view. The fire intensified and the howl grew more haunting than ever. Jamie's confident expression faltered as she realized what was occurring. Stepping out of the flames was a much larger, and more terrifying beast. Houndour... had evolved.

Gabe swallowed hard as he witnessed the evolution of the fiery canine. He knew how strong Houndoom were, and it seemed like this one had only begun to show what he was capable of. Houndoom swished his tail to and fro while staring down Jamie. Sweat trickled down the side of her face as Jamie looked into the depths of the creature before her. And before she could react, Houndoom flashed forward, his body aglow with darkness as he converged on her position. Five dark figures suddenly manifested themselves. She hastily duplicated herself only to be sent crashing into a stalagmite from the force of two consecutive strikes. The other blows dispersed her copies before more were formed. Houndoom turned away to head towards his companions.

"That was... Beat Up..." Gabe breathed, looking over at Jamie who had collapsed to the floor and was now struggling to get back on her feet.

With a little willpower, she managed to pull herself together and get back up. Huffing and puffing, Jamie stepped forward and crouched into an attacking position. Houndoom paused mid-stride and turned to see the resilient feline still on her feet. Electricity crawled along her body as Jamie gathered in energy with Charge.

Sensing her resolve, Houndoom turned to face her, acknowledging her for the worthy opponent that she was. Rearing his head back, he unleashed a power driven stream of intense fire towards Jamie who responded in kind with a staggeringly powerful Thunderbolt of her own.

The two blasts connected and pushed against each other, fighting for dominance. Due to the boost in power Jamie had acquired with Charge, her attack pushed harder, punched through the flames and crashed into Houndoom, forcing him back several yards into a stalagmite. Payback.

Houndoom seemed visibly shaken by the assault and staggered as well. Electricity crackled along his frame, signifying he had been paralyzed. Looking up, all he could do was watch as Jamie's tail came down and hammered him on his muzzle. With a howl of pain, Houndoom shot a burst of fire at Jamie, launching her back before he collapsed, barely conscious while Jamie ended up in Gabe's arms.

"Gotcha!" Gabe grunted as he caught her. "You did well Jamie, I'm proud of you..."

Gabe set her down and reached for an empty Poké Ball and primed it.

"Now I'll take it from here," he stated firmly.

As he got ready to throw, the other Houndour jumped in front to protect their pack leader. As they did this, a menacing growl was heard from the downed Houndoom who struggled to his feet. Hearing the authority in his tone, the pack did the most unexpected thing. They backed away from their leader.

Satisfied with their obedience, Houndoom turned his eyes on Jamie with a certain degree of longing and then up to Gabe with a determined look. It was in that moment that Gabe understood that there was a much deeper meaning to Houndoom's challenge.

"I get it now," Gabe chuckled, cocking his arm back with a grin before firing. "You're mine!"

Houndoom took one last look at his pack. They all looked on with unwavering loyalty lingering in their eyes as they obeyed his last order. With a smirk, he let the ball strike him lightly on the head and with a grin, he faded from view and was absorbed into the crimson sphere.

One... two... three...

Click!