"Oh, by the way, Icarus, why are you here?"
Airi looked at the Squirtle following behind Icarus. She already had a guess, but she still asked.
"Ahem, it's like this, Airi. Although I already exchanged for a breeding manual for Squirtle, I think you're much more skilled when it comes to Water-type training, so I was hoping you could help."
As he spoke, Icarus picked up the Squirtle at his feet and looked at Airi with an expectant smile.
"Squirtle Squirtle"
Squirtle cooperated perfectly, using Charm.
As expected, the adorable display immediately melted Airi's heart.
"No problem! Let's get started."
She hugged Squirtle, gently kissed its smooth head, then set it back down and motioned for it to demonstrate its moves.
"Squirtle~"
Because Airi was a Water-type Transcendent, Squirtle naturally felt close to her. It didn't mind the affection, though it looked a little embarrassed.
"Squirtle, use Water Gun!"
Following Icarus's command, Squirtle puffed out its cheeks.
"Squirtle—Whoosh!"
A thin stream of water shot forward and struck the target accurately.
Bang!
The target swayed slightly.
Starter Pokémon truly lived up to their reputation. If an average mid-stage Rattata used Tackle on the same target, it probably wouldn't move at all.
The League-trained Starter Pokémon distributed to new Trainers all received basic combat training beforehand, allowing new Trainers to develop battle strength immediately.
"Not bad. Keep going. If I remember correctly, it also knows Bubble."
Airi nodded in approval.
"Alright, Squirtle, use Bubble!"
"Squirtle~"
Several large bubbles floated from Squirtle's mouth and drifted toward the target.
Pop! Pop! Bang!
Only two or three bubbles actually struck the target. Most drifted off course.
"Squirtle…"
The little turtle rubbed its head awkwardly.
It had only recently learned the move and still lacked control.
"The basics are solid," Airi said after observing carefully. "Icarus, let Squirtle stay with me for the next few days. At the very least, I can teach it Spiral Water Gun. If it learns quickly enough, I can help it master Bubble as well."
As she spoke, she waved her hand.
A rotating stream of water shot toward the target.
Bang!
The target shook violently.
Although the attack looked similar in size to Squirtle'sWater Gun, its power was clearly on a completely different level.
"Squirtle!?"
The little turtle stared at Airi with sparkling eyes.
"Hahaha! As expected of you, Airi."
Icarus laughed.
"Squirtle, would you like to train with Sister Airi for a few days? We'll all be in the same training area anyway."
"Squirtle! Squirtle!"
The little turtle nodded enthusiastically.
It desperately wanted to learn that technique.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Seeing Squirtle's excitement, Icarus entrusted it to Airi without hesitation.
The Spiral Water Gun reminded him of what had happened in Diglett's Cave. Back then, even a mid-stage Graveler couldn't withstand many of Airi's attacks.
At this point, she was practically a Water-type Pokémon herself.
The Ripple Art she had learned two years ago had accelerated her growth tremendously. In terms of pure combat ability, she was already comparable to an ordinary mid-stage Trainer.
After handing Squirtle over, Icarus walked toward Luna's work area.
At the moment, the young maid was focused on preparing customized food for Squirtle, carefully operating a portable machine.
"Busy?"
Icarus asked casually.
"Ah! Master, you startled me!"
Luna jumped slightly before relaxing when she realized it was him.
"Hehe. Don't worry. Every training area here is completely private. There are no cameras."
"Mm."
Luna nodded.
"Master, I was thinking… perhaps we should buy another Pokémon. What about a Clefairy?"
Hearing her suggestion, Icarus paused.
The encounter in Diglett's Cave had already convinced him that Luna needed another Pokémon for protection.
"I think that's a good idea."
"I'll follow whatever Master decides."
"Then it's settled. We'll buy a Clefairy after the Gym challenge."
As the family controlling Pewter Gym and the resources of Mt. Moon, the local family frequently sold Clefairy that knew Heal Pulse.
They weren't cheap, but Luna had more than earned the money herself.
Between producing energy cubes and selling Moomoo Milk, she generated hundreds of thousands of Poké Dollars every month.
At this point, raising her had long since become profitable.
"Alright, keep working on Squirtle's food. I'm going back to train."
With that matter settled, Icarus returned to his own Pokémon.
Over the past two years, he had never stopped practicing the Pure Yuan Manual.
His physical condition had improved dramatically. At this point, he could spar directly with an ordinary low-stage Machop.
He had also mastered the Zong Xing Technique and combined it with the Di Sha Fist and poisoned throwing knives.
Against an ordinary low-stage Machop, he was confident of victory.
Still, physical training became increasingly difficult as one grew stronger.
Visible progress often required weeks of effort.
Compared to him, however, Stone was the true monster.
"Heh!"
Bang!
"Kangaskhan! Your punching speed is too slow!"
A powerful punch landed directly on Kangaskhan's cheek.
"Garu!"
The young Kangaskhan winced and immediately nodded.
Raised by Stone from childhood, it knew better than anyone how terrifying its Trainer was.
This was a man who could spar directly against Graveler.
A true human Machoke.
In terms of the Pure Yuan Manual and Di Sha Fist, Stone had already surpassed Icarus.
His Di Sha Fist had reached a level where he could directly infuse Ground-type energy into his attacks.
He truly possessed the ability to battle ordinary low- to mid-stage Pokémon with his bare hands.
"He's really a monster…"
Watching the two-meter-tall Kangaskhan get completely overwhelmed in close combat, Icarus could only sigh.
If he hadn't joined Team Rocket and gained access to additional resources, Airi and Stone might have surpassed him long ago.
The group trained until around eleven that night before finally returning to their rooms.
For the next seven days, Icarus remained cautious.
Aside from one brief trip outside to gather information, the group spent all their time training within the hotel.
After a full week passed without any sign of trouble from the Arai Family's Third Branch, Icarus finally relaxed.
During those seven days, Squirtle's progress was astonishing.
Its strength had already approached the newborn high stage.
Not only had it mastered Spiral Water Gun, but its Bubble technique had become highly accurate and efficient.
In addition, Airi taught it a basic form of Water Pulse, which Squirtle successfully learned.
The reason for such rapid growth was simple.
First, Luna quickly prepared the optimal food required for Squirtle's developmental stage.
Second, the breeding manual Icarus obtained from Team Rocket was not the ordinary version.
The standard manual cost only 500 contribution points.
The secret collection version he exchanged for cost 1,000 points and nearly drained his savings.
The difference, however, was enormous.
The secret version included specialized cultivation methods and support-training techniques that dramatically increased training efficiency.
Thanks to those methods, Squirtle transformed passive energy absorption into active absorption, effectively cutting its growth time in half.
Now, after only seven days, it had already reached the newborn high stage.
Looking at the energetic little turtle before him, Icarus nodded in satisfaction.
"Alright."
He stood up.
"Let's check out of the hotel."
"It's time to challenge the Gym."