"Even if its bloodline awakening is still immature, you need to become stronger too. When the time comes, don't embarrass me."
Paul cast a sidelong glance at the fired-up Garchomp, his tone as cold and sharp as ever.
"Gaaa~"
Garchomp let out a deep rusty chuckle—its eyes flashing with unyielding determination.
Its bloodline revival mode had long surpassed the phase where it needed to rely on Dragon Dance and Outrage to activate. It had already reached a state of pure instinct and natural flow—what ancient scholars might have called "a return to simplicity" or "harmony with the nature."
Whenever it willed it, it could enter that mode in an instant.
In fact, according to theory, that was the furthest this bloodline awakening could go.
To progress beyond that point meant true mastery over its inherited power.
In simpler terms?
The next step for Garchomp… was independent Mega Evolution—without the need for a trainer's Key Stone.
"You'd better make it happen." Paul said flatly. "And don't fall behind on developing the Sandstorm Domain or Rough Skin either."
The Sandstorm Domain was designed to ensure Garchomp could instantly benefit from the Sand Force ability upon Mega Evolving—maximizing its offensive boosts.
As for Rough Skin, the goal was to continue leveraging its recoil damage property, even after the ability was overwritten by Sand Force during Mega Evolution—treating it as a hidden layer of retaliation.
"Gaaa~"
Garchomp gave a cheeky grin and raised a claw toward Ursaluna. With a flick, it summoned a controlled mini-sandstorm around the bear, a swirling cyclone of grit and wind.
"Ursaah~"
Ursaluna's body shimmered briefly with embers of flame. With a casual swipe of its hefty paw, it batted the sandstorm away like it was a mere annoyance, glancing sideways at Garchomp with a look that said:
You think you're the only one leveling up?
Give me a little more time.
The old bear thought.
Soon enough, I'll be able to trigger Guts without taking damage—burning myself and holding my ground like a mountain.
"When you've figured out how to inflict a 'safe burn' on yourself," Paul instructed, "start training to maintain Earthquake or Stomping Tantrum at will during battle. You need to be able to sustain those moves no matter what you're doing—as long as you're grounded."
"Ursaah~"
Ursaluna scratched its head and dropped lazily to the ground, the picture of docile calm.
But no one truly knew what the bear was plotting deep inside.
Only those who had faced it in battle understood the terror it could unleash—eyes glowing crimson with raw fury, its every move promising to crush or tear apart anything in its path.
Of course, it couldn't start using Earthquake just yet. This was a borrowed training ground after all, and Ursaluna wasn't about to risk collapsing it.
"Metagross, I want you to follow the example of Torterra and Electivire. Learn to continuously empower yourself with Cosmic Power throughout a battle, and be able to unleash Meteor Beam directly when needed."
Paul had a distinct plan for each of his Pokémon.
In Metagross' case, it had already mastered the technique of absorbing Cosmic Power to enhance its Special Attack when using Meteor Beam, integrating that mechanism directly into its execution of Cosmic Power itself.
Now, whenever Metagross activated Cosmic Power, it simultaneously boosted its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Defense—all at once. Even its usual mental conditioning exercises like cosmic meditation, had become significantly more effective.
Its Speed could also be temporarily boosted through Agility.
In battle, Metagross could rely on a combination of speed and power to keep opponents in check. Once it had built up enough cosmic energy, it could finish the fight with a devastating surge in Special Attack.
"Grroo~"
Metagross let out a calm acknowledgment, the blue light flickering in its eyes as its hyper-intelligent mind continuously calculated the optimal rate and method for absorbing cosmic energy mid-battle.
With that settled, Paul shifted his gaze to Hisuian Samurott.
Truth be told, because of Samurott's unique fighting style, Paul hadn't designed any particularly specialized training regimen or elaborate tactics for it.
Not because it wasn't possible—but because the return on investment just wasn't worth it.
"You should focus on three things: boosting the power of your ranged attacks, sharpening your mastery of your current moves, and working on move synergy."
"When those areas are solid, start practicing how to maintain either Swords Dance or Aqua Dance during combat to keep yourself continuously empowered."
There was no question about it—Samurott had honed its close-quarters combat to an impressive level, thanks to its dedication to the way of the blade. But when it came to ranged attacks, its performance left much to be desired.
Improving its mastery of existing moves would be relatively straightforward. While Samurott hadn't studied any formal sword techniques or styles, it had learned a wide range of offensive moves.
It could already channel over ten different techniques through its Blade Form, and that versatility alone was more than enough. Why waste time learning some rigid sword style?
But ironically, precisely because Samurott had learned so many diverse techniques, its mastery of each remained incomplete. Even with its maximum-level sword talent, it had yet to fully internalize and synergize all its moves into a single, perfected combat style—let alone evolve them further.
As for move fusion, that was a more achievable goal: combining compatible moves into a single, more powerful technique. For instance, merging Shell Blade with Aqua Cutter, or fusing Air Slash with Aqua Cutter to create a more aerodynamic, fluid strike.
Of course, developing fused moves wasn't the current priority. The basics had to come first—refining and evolving individual moves.
"Chaah~"
Samurott nodded in understanding.
"Start with Aqua Cutter. Work on increasing water pressure. After that, merge it with Shell Blade."
That was Paul's recommendation.
Currently, although Samurott used Ceaseless Edge and Aqua Jet more frequently—both of which leaned into its Dark typing—its core nature was still Water-type. Improving its water-based techniques would bring wider benefits to its entire moveset.
"Chaah~!"
Samurott drew a leg blade and effortlessly executed Razor Shell. The blade gleamed with a sharp azure light, elongating and sharpening as powerful jets of water surged forth, shaping into the form of Aqua Cutter.
This kind of basic move fusion was already well within its capabilities. Perfecting the combination, however, still demanded regular practice and further improvement would take even more targeted training.
Compared to the "way of the blade," what truly bothered it were moves like Hydro Cannon, Megahorn, and Ice Beam. In its view, those techniques felt wearying and uninspiring.
Paul's gaze shifted toward Froslass, who stood quietly by his side, watching him intently.
His expectations for Froslass hadn't changed:
Level up.
Master illusions.
Perfect every move tied to her Phantom Mirage Tactics.
As long as she accomplished those three objectives flawlessly, was there any need for elaborate training routines or fancy battle patterns?
Unnecessary.
After a brief thought, Paul finally offered a rare word of encouragement:
"Mm. Not bad. Keep it up."
"Eeno~"
Froslass responded with a sweet delighted smile.
"Vireee~!"
And what about me?
Electivire suddenly leapt out, wide-eyed and staring eagerly at Paul.
It was feeling more and more uncertain about its own direction lately—completely unsure which path to follow next.
"How much progress have you made on Magnetic Field Generation and Combat Foresight via mental perception?"
Paul asked flatly, his expression was unreadable.
The former was a deeper development of its electromagnetic levitation abilities—boosting both its speed and the power behind close-range attacks.
The latter was an idea Paul had picked up long ago from Elite Four Lucian.
Once mastered, it would let Electivire predict and react to most enemy moves with minimal effort, dramatically boosting its evasion in battle.
"Eh... ehhh..."
Electivire turned its head 45 degrees and looked wistfully at the sky.
The magnetic field technique? It still had some leads.
But the psychic-based foresight? Yeah, that was kind of… beyond its level. Its limited psychic aptitude made that kind of finesse nearly impossible for now.
"Have you learned Plasma Fists yet?"
Suddenly, Paul remembered the move he'd asked Luxray to help teach it earlier.
"Vireee~..."
Electivire shook its head decisively.
That move? Useless. Probably not worth learning in the first place.
So what's the point in asking?
"Then go back and keep practicing. Master the technique—and try fusing it with Thunder Punch."
With that, Paul withdrew Electivire into its Poké Ball, pulled out his Rotom Phone and used the remote transfer function to send it straight back to the daycare facility.
Magnet Rise? No—this was Magnetic Flux in action: Plasma Fists.
Plasma Fists – When unleashed, it spreads electrified particles across the battlefield, turning all Normal-type moves into Electric-type moves.
In the games, it's a decent gimmick. But in reality? It could transform finishers like Giga Impact into devastating Electric-type techniques, unlocking explosive new levels of power.
More importantly, learning Plasma Fists meant understanding how to manipulate charged particles—a skill that could extend to enhancing other moves, potentially turning them into entirely new techniques.
Like, say… what happens when you merge Plasma Fists with Thunder Punch?
Would you get something similar to Plasma Lightning Fist?
Plasma Lightning Fist – In the games, it's Zeraora's signature move: an electrified punch that converts Normal-type moves into Electric-type attacks.
When you break it down, the effect is essentially a fusion of Plasma Fists and Thunder Punch.
And what exactly is Thunder Punch?
It's also known by another name: Lightning Punch.
A signature move? Who says it has to be exclusive?
Paul was going to make sure Electivire learned Plasma Lightning Fist—
Not just Zeraora's version—but his version.
The next-generation of Plasma Lightning Fist!
(End of Chapter)
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