Gabite are called the cave pokemon, for even Zubat and Geodude spend more of their time in the open air than they do. The caves they call home have often been compared to a Pupitar's cocoon or a Shelgon's shell, for Gabite are nearly as adept at sealing themselves off in their intermediate form while they grow into their godlike power; it is just that they use their environment as their armor.
As any student of pokemon battles knows, Gabite, like Garchomp, are remarkably difficult to hit in a sandstorm. It is commonly held that there are no sandstorms in caves, and this is true in a meteorological sense, just as there is no meteorological rain in water gyms. Yet pokemon are capable of creating a number of localized weather effects, and those who live in caves are far more likely to hurl dust and gravel into the air than call forth rain or sun or falling ice.
It is these pokemon who Gabite train against until they can become Garchomp, day after day over a period often longer than a human lifetime. Some have wondered if Gabite would be as invulnerable to other weather conditions if they trained outdoors, but humans have now been raising Gible and Gabite for centuries and although they evolve faster with this help, they have not become such challenging targets in any other type of weather. The movements of Gabite are a natural fit for hiding within sandstorms, even though most never see a desert and have forgotten even the sight of the sky.