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Ralts had accumulated so much experience by now that evolution should have been a natural next step. Luther had also looked up some advice shared online by Ralts trainers and found that almost no one reported a situation where Ralts stayed stuck without evolving for so long.
Exeggutor's role as a training partner should act as a catalyst, guiding her to explore the power building up within her.
Exeggutor was very happy, he had become much more proficient at controlling the intensity of his damage output.
Every time Ralts tried to lift her body using her psychic power in an attempt to break through, Exeggutor would slightly ease the surrounding mental pressure, allowing her to just barely stand up for a short time, using her own power to resist his.
Once Exeggutor sensed that Ralts' mental strength was weakening, he would immediately suppress her again, forcing her back to the ground.
This process repeated over and over, and time flew by.
Ralts was also very happy. She could clearly feel that she was making real progress, every time she tried to use her psychic power to break through Exeggutor's defenses, she could stand a little longer than before.
Exeggutor's overwhelming strength was obvious, and this visible progress gave her more motivation to push forward.
Seeing that the training between Exeggutor and Ralts was on the right track, Luther turned to check on Marill.
Abomasnow had created several large ice walls using moves and was now demonstrating Ice Punch at an extremely slow speed, like a slow-motion shot in a movie.
Marill watched Abomasnow's patient demonstration, her little head bobbing, and then suddenly jumped up, indicating that she had learned it.
Marill's confidence greatly impressed Abomasnow. He moved aside and watched with Luther as Marill prepared to perform Ice Punch.
Standing still, Marill raised her little arm and closed her eyes.
A faint stream of air swirled around her hand, and it felt as if wind was blowing from her as the center.
Luther and Abomasnow both frowned. Abomasnow looked down at his own strong arms and thought for a moment, was that really how one gathers power for Ice Punch?
Marill's chubby little body produced a surprisingly powerful bounce. She leapt high into the air toward the ice wall. The mist surrounding her hand condensed into a bright white light, enveloping her fist.
"Boom…"
A deep thud echoed out. Nearby Chansey and the others turned their heads at the sound.
Marill's fist was deeply embedded in the ice wall. She tugged and pulled, but it wouldn't budge, as if the wall had swallowed her hand.
Just as Luther was about to step forward, a series of cracking sounds rang out. The person-tall ice wall shattered from the point of impact, shards flying everywhere.
Abomasnow shielded Luther from the flying ice debris. Luther looked blankly at the fallen Marill, who also looked confused.
One thing was clear, that punch just now wasn't Ice Punch, but it did seem to be some sort of move.
"That was Focus Punch, a Fighting-type move. After charging up, if the Pokémon is interrupted or attacked before striking, it's likely to fail," Gardenia said, wiping herself with a towel and standing not far behind Luther.
Marill definitely hadn't known Focus Punch before, this must have been a case of learning it by sheer accident…
"Your Marill's Ability is Huge Power. It's not surprising she learned it. After all, the stronger the Pokémon, the easier it is to learn Focus Punch," Gardenia added.
Luther fell into thought. "Then if Marill channels all her strength into her upper body and slams it forward with both arms, could she learn Superpower?"
Gardenia was stunned. "I remember your goal was to teach her Ice Punch, right?"
Luther chuckled, true, Ice Punch was still the top priority. He glanced at Marill, who looked a bit tired from using Focus Punch, and didn't have the heart to push her any further today. A mix of work and rest would be better.
"Come on over, it's time to eat."
The words "time to eat" held irresistible appeal for Marill. She had been lying limp on the ground just moments ago, but she immediately flipped over and ran over at full speed.
"Abomasnow, you too, thanks for all your hard work today."
Abomasnow had only expected a simple bag of Pokémon food as a reward, so he was pleasantly surprised to learn there was a bonus meal. He happily followed along.
Chansey, who had been training all morning, showed almost no signs of injury and was in high spirits. When she saw Luther approach, she affectionately nuzzled against him.
Jumpluff and Espurr, on the other hand, looked quite pitiful, both were panting heavily and collapsed on the ground, leaning on each other for support.
What a heartbreaking sight. The two had taken turns bombarding Chansey with moves, but the usually sluggish Chansey had shown incredible agility during the battle.
Their attacks were like a storm of bullets, yet Chansey's bulky body had danced between them like she was moving in bullet time.
Occasionally, when she lost her footwork rhythm, Chansey would pause to regain it and take several hits in the process. But even after getting struck, she remained lively and encouraged Jumpluff and Espurr to keep going.
In order to match Chansey's training intensity, the two Pokémon had increased the pace of their attacks. Chansey found it increasingly hard to dodge and would often get hit, ending up covered in soot. Whenever they managed to pin her down, the two excitedly unleashed a flurry of moves, the thrill of pummeling a "punching bag" like that felt incredible.
But over time… they began to sense something was wrong.
Although Chansey's steps slowed and she was taking more hits, just when it seemed like she was about to run out of stamina, she would place her hand on the egg she carried in her pouch.
Then, with a burst of motion, the egg would leap from her pouch and shatter, not with yolk, but releasing a sweet, pleasant aroma. A gentle light emerged from the broken shell, enveloping Chansey.
In the next moment, she would pat her pouch, and a brand-new egg would slowly form inside. Her wounds gradually disappeared…
Exhausted and drained, Jumpluff and Espurr finally understood a hard truth: it was better to just accompany Chansey in dodging practice rather than trying to go head-to-head. Don't get cocky, don't push too hard, or you'll just wear yourself out.
Luther looked at the two collapsed Pokémon, then at Chansey patting the egg in her pouch. He immediately understood what had happened.
He picked up the limp Jumpluff and Espurr and headed back to the rest area.
"Aren't you going to call Ralts back? Exeggutor still seems to be training with her."
"This is the moment when she's feeling the most accomplished and excited. Don't interrupt her lightly. I'll personally feed her lunch later. Oh, by the way, does your Exeggutor have any favorite foods or flavors? I want to thank him."
"His Pokémon Trainer is standing right in front of you, you should be thanking me first, then thank him," Gardenia said with a grin as she lifted the lid off the pot. The rich aroma of the meat stew Luther had prepared earlier wafted out.
Today, Luther had used a large pot. Since all the Pokémon had participated in training, it only made sense to treat them to something extra delicious.
Regular Pokémon food could meet daily nutritional needs, but a flavorful meal was the true secret to igniting their inspiration.
No matter who you are, when you're physically and mentally exhausted, seeing a table full of delicious food instantly lifts your mood and helps you focus solely on enjoying the meal.
"Your training method is really something. Ralts struggles so much against Exeggutor's mental power, yet she looks like she's enjoying it, seems really happy."
Luther smiled. "That's because she can clearly, intuitively feel herself improving now."
"But isn't Exeggutor helping her cheat? I can sense it, every time she tries to stand, Exeggutor slightly withdraws his mental pressure…"
"It is cheating and I told him to do it."
(End of Chapter)
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