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"Brock's cooking is absolutely delicious! I haven't had a meal this good in ages!"
After arriving at the camp, Brock quickly prepared lunch for everyone. Bruno ate enthusiastically alongside the three young Trainers and offered his genuine praise without any reservation.
"Master Bruno, you're too kind! It's truly an honor to receive such compliments from you!" Brock responded with barely contained excitement.
Receiving praise from his idol—one of the strongest Trainers in the entire Kanto Region—meant the world to him. Such recognition from an Elite Four member was incredibly valuable to any aspiring Trainer or Breeder.
"I'm not just being polite—this really is excellent! Ha ha ha!" Bruno continued eating heartily while laughing in his characteristic boisterous manner.
His words weren't merely empty flattery either. Despite his Elite Four status, Bruno typically spent his time training in the wilderness, eating whatever simple food he could find or prepare just to satisfy his hunger.
So it was absolutely true that he hadn't enjoyed a properly prepared meal in quite some time. Hearing Bruno's sincere appreciation made Brock feel even more delighted.
"By the way, Master Bruno, may I ask you something? How does someone become a Trainer like you?"
"People everywhere talk about how you possess some kind of secret technique for becoming a top-level Trainer." Brock seized the opportunity while Bruno was in such good spirits.
In truth, since Brock had chosen the path of a Pokémon Breeder, asking these questions held little practical value for his own career. It was obvious he was really asking on behalf of Ash, who would soon be competing in the Pokémon League.
Ash paused slightly when he heard Brock's question, suddenly feeling like he'd witnessed this exact scenario somewhere before.
After thinking carefully for a moment, he remembered—this situation reminded him of stories where Huang Rong used delicious food to help Guo Jing trick Hong Qigong into teaching him martial arts techniques.[T/N: Characters form The Legend of the Condor Heroes]
To be completely honest, Ash hadn't actually intended to ask Bruno for any special secrets, because he already understood that there was no magical technique or shortcut in the Trainer profession.
However, he felt genuinely grateful for Brock's thoughtful gesture. From this perspective, Brock clearly didn't always prioritize romance over friendship with his companions.
"Actually, there isn't any great secret technique!" Bruno set down his bowl and chopsticks after hearing the question. Throughout his career, he'd encountered countless people who had asked him exactly the same thing.
"There isn't?"
Brock sounded genuinely surprised by this revelation. He hadn't simply made up the rumor himself—his father Flint had specifically told him about these supposed secret techniques, so Brock had always believed the information was reliable.
"That's correct! Not just me, but the other Elite Four members as well. Ordinary people always assume that we possess some kind of special knowledge or hidden technique that allowed us to reach the heights we've achieved today!"
"But whenever any of us is asked that question, none of us can provide a satisfactory answer that people want to hear!"
Bruno explained thoughtfully. As he spoke, the three young Trainers understood clearly that he was referring to his fellow Elite Four members.
Ash knew perfectly well that the so-called "secret technique" of Elite Four Trainers was simply a comforting myth created by mediocre individuals who couldn't reach that level themselves.
Since everyone started as ordinary people, why could some individuals achieve Elite Four status while others couldn't?
Rather than accepting their own limitations, people began theorizing that Bruno and the other Elite Four members must have been fundamentally different from regular Trainers from the very beginning. Slowly, these rumors spread and became accepted as fact.
In reality, from the very beginning, the Elite Four members were no different from normal people. Even if they did possess any special techniques or insights gained through their journeys, those belonged to them personally—they had no obligation to teach their hard-earned knowledge to others.
"If there is any 'secret technique' at all, it's the connection between Trainer and Pokémon—communicating heart to heart, mind to mind!"
"This applies not only to Pokémon you've captured, but also to wild Pokémon. As long as you can communicate with each other sincerely and attentively, you can form extraordinary bonds."
Bruno was an Elite Four Trainer, but what many people probably didn't realize was that Bruno rarely used Pokémon battles when capturing new partners.
"I believe, Ash, that you've already achieved this level of connection!" As he spoke, Bruno's gaze shifted to observe Ash's Pokémon, who were also enjoying their lunch nearby.
He could clearly see that these Pokémon were all exceptionally well-trained and cared for. A Trainer couldn't possibly raise such healthy, strong Pokémon without dedicating tremendous attention and effort.
For a Rookie Trainer to successfully raise so many outstanding Pokémon was quite remarkable. Bruno admitted to himself that when he'd first started as a Trainer, he couldn't have accomplished what Ash had already achieved.
After listening to Bruno's explanation, the three companions exchanged meaningful glances. Although Bruno hadn't provided any concrete, step-by-step instructions they could follow, they understood his deeper message.
No one could walk the path to mastery for you. If you wanted to become an Elite Four or Champion-level Trainer, you could only rely on yourself and your own Pokémon partners.
After finishing lunch, the group rested for a short while before Ash resumed training with his Pokémon.
Bruno watched with genuine interest, discovering that Ash's training methods were remarkably innovative and unique. There were even certain aspects that seemed worth incorporating into his own training regimen.
Bruno immediately began treating Ash as an equal—someone at his own level with whom he could exchange ideas. He generously shared many years of accumulated training experience and practical wisdom with the young Trainer.
Before anyone realized it, the afternoon had passed completely. Bruno accepted another invitation and stayed to spend the evening with the group.
Late that night, everyone returned to the wooden cabin they'd constructed for shelter. Although the structure wasn't particularly spacious, it didn't feel crowded even with the additional person. Bruno didn't need a sleeping bag—he simply lay down on the wooden floor and fell asleep quickly.
After all the humans and most of the Pokémon had drifted off to sleep, Charizard, who had been resting on a bed of leaves outside the cabin with the other Pokémon, slowly opened its eyes.
Squirtle, who had been leaning comfortably against Charizard's warm body, was gently shifted over to rest against Venusaur instead. Then Charizard carefully stood up, taking care not to disturb its sleeping companions as it walked toward the nearby river.
The Fire-and-Flying-type gazed up at the starry sky and the bright moon hanging high above, then spread its wings and launched itself into the air. It glanced down at the wooden cabin below for a moment before turning its head toward the direction of Mount Hideaway's summit.
"Graaah..."
With a low, rumbling growl, Charizard beat its powerful wings and flew toward the top of Mount Hideaway. As it soared through the night sky, Charizard scanned the ground below, soon noticing the long trails of destruction carved into the mountain paths.
Upon spotting these traces, Charizard descended to a lower altitude and followed the path of devastation upward toward the mountain's peak. After flying for some time, it discovered a valley. Without any hesitation, Charizard dove into the ravine.
The valley was remarkably vast. Charizard reduced its speed and maintained a low altitude, flying between the towering cliff faces while following the ground traces and scanning left and right with keen eyes.
Soon, in the center of the valley where a large open space had formed, Charizard spotted where the trail of destruction ended—blocked by an enormous pit.
The massive crater looked like a dark, empty eye staring up from the earth in the darkness of night, creating an deeply unsettling atmosphere.