Having caught the Moxie Heracross, Ash and his friends decided to find a place for some serious training. They soon arrived at a wide, open valley.
"Perfect. We'll start our special training here."
Ash was pleased with the location. There was plenty of room for all his Pokémon to move around freely. However, as they prepared to enter the valley, the ground beneath their feet began to shake violently.
"What's happening? Is it an earthquake?" Misty instinctively grabbed Ash's arm.
"It doesn't feel like an earthquake. It feels more like a Ground-type move. Let's check it out!" Ash scanned the area with his Aura Power but didn't detect anything immediate.
Soon, they found a Donphan by the side of a mountain path.
"That Donphan must have a trainer," Ash deduced.
Sure enough, a beautiful young woman appeared beside the Pokémon.
"Beautiful lady, if you don't mind, could you tell me your name?" In a flash, Brock was already in front of her. His speed was so great that even Ash's Aura Power had trouble tracking it. It was like he had teleported. He took her hand in his, his voice dripping with forced romanticism.
The woman was clearly taken aback. "Oh... I'm Rochelle. And this Donphan is mine."
"I am Brock! That necklace looks absolutely stunning on you!" As Brock spoke, Ash noticed the agate necklace around Rochelle's neck.
"Is that a gemstone?" Misty asked. Like most girls, she had a weakness for such things.
Brock explained, "Exactly! In the old days, princesses and noble ladies wore agate as a precious gem."
"Ms. Rochelle, this must be Donphan Valley, right?" Ash stepped forward. "On the way here, I heard there was a valley that produced agate, and that the local village has spent generations training Donphan to find and process it."
Rochelle nodded. "You're very well-informed."
"I was wondering if we could use this valley to do some training with my Pokémon. Would that be okay?" Ash asked politely. It was a perfect training ground, and since agate wasn't edible, he didn't have to worry about Snorlax eating the local specialty.
"That's fine with me," Rochelle agreed. Ash's politeness had left a good impression on her. "But please be careful. The Donphan here all have owners. Also, if you happen to find any agate yourself, come to the village and find me. I'll process it for you for free."
She didn't really expect them to find any, but she offered out of courtesy.
"Thanks! We appreciate it."
After parting with Rochelle, the group moved deeper into the valley. Ash released his team.
"Charizard! Snorlax! Bulbasaur! Squirtle! Heracross! Everyone, come on out!"
Snorlax was still sound asleep, having just finished the system fodder Ash had fed it earlier that morning. "Let him sleep for now. He can join in when he gets hungry," Ash decided.
"It's rare to see you so focused on training, Ash. You really have grown up," Misty said, finding a shady spot to sit down. The long days of travel had caught up to her.
Brock began preparing food. Training consumed a lot of energy, after all.
"Pikachu, this is going to be tough," Ash said. He wanted Pikachu to learn Iron Tail, which required intense strength training for the tail.
"Pika!" Pikachu chirped, looking fired up.
Ash smiled and tied a heavy rock to Pikachu's lightning-bolt-shaped tail.
"Pika...?"
Thud. The weight of the rock slammed Pikachu's tail directly into the ground.
"You can do it, Pikachu! Bulbasaur, help him out!" Ash shook his head slightly. Pikachu was currently lacking in physical conditioning. In his previous life's memories, Pikachu hadn't learned Iron Tail until after the Johto journey, when they were in Hoenn. But Ash believed this Pikachu could do it much sooner.
"Now for Charizard."
Leaving Pikachu to practice his tail swings with Bulbasaur's assistance, Ash turned his attention to his powerhouse.
"Roar!"
Charizard immediately blasted a Flamethrower at Ash a playful, if dangerous, habit of his. Ash didn't flinch; a flash of blue light shimmered, and the flames were blocked by a barrier.
Ash grinned. "I like that spirit. That's exactly what we need."
Compared to Pikachu, Charizard's training was going to be far more grueling.
"Roar!"
"Then put this on!" Ash tossed an item that looked like a heavy hourglass at his Pokémon.
Instantly, heavy shackles and weights bound Charizard's body, making even the simplest movement an enormous struggle.
"This is a Macho Brace. You're my ace, Charizard. Are you ready for this?" Ash asked, watching Charizard struggle against the intense weight. It was a system item that provided immense resistance but offered incredible training results perfect for a Charizard pushing for his peak.
Charizard stretched his arms. They felt like lead, but he nodded firmly, accepting the challenge.
"Good. I've wanted to do this for a long time!"
Ash's playful grin vanished, replaced by an expression of cold intensity. His fist began to glow with a brilliant blue light. Without warning, he slammed a punch into Charizard's rounded stomach!
The fist, coated in Aura Power, was like a limb infused with Armament Haki. It didn't just carry Ash's physical strength; it carried the raw power of his spirit. The blow was incredibly heavy and painful.
Charizard was knocked backward, stumbling until he hit the rock wall of the valley.
"Ash!" Misty and Brock cried out in horror.
Ash's face remained stern. "Charizard, our strength is still far from where it needs to be. We can't afford to be arrogant, do you understand?"
"Roar!"
With a defiant roar, Charizard struggled to his feet. He didn't use Flamethrower, nor did he try to fly. Instead, he pulled back his own clawed fist and swung it toward Ash.
But the Macho Brace had stripped away his speed. The punch was slow and lacked its usual force. Ash ducked low, letting the blow whistle over his head. His left fist glowed blue as he delivered a sharp strike under Charizard's arm, sending the dragon stumbling again.
This time, Charizard didn't hesitate. He spun his body, swinging his thick, flame-tipped tail toward Ash like a massive club.
"That's more like it, partner!"
Ash didn't back down. He stood his ground and met the tail head-on, his right fist glowing brilliantly as he threw a direct punch!
*Charizard: 155/255*
*Charizard: 160/255*
*Charizard: 165/255*
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