"Not controlling its power?" Gary was stunned by Ace's words. What kind of training was it to let a Pokémon's power develop unchecked?
"It's not about not controlling it, but that the time isn't right yet." Ace finished cleaning the pan, then prepared to start making lunch.
Chansey's power was in a high-speed development phase. Instead of having it spend energy on controlling its strength, it was better to have it focus on increasing its power's intensity. It wasn't about not controlling its power, but doing the right thing at the right time. When Chansey's rapid growth phase was over and its power gains had stabilized, that would be the time to teach it to control its power.
While it was possible to have Chansey control its power now, it would divert some of its focus, making it less effective than fully developing its power. For other Pokémon, the difference would not be too great, just a slight gap. But for Ace's Chansey, it was more than just a small gap. The extremely high stat boosts, plus the double bonus from the "Huge Power" ability, might seem minor, but in a normal Pokémon, it would be a difference of several times the power.
"…Perhaps." Gary nodded. Ace's Chansey was a bit abnormal, something he had noticed when it punched through the barrier of Saffron City. When it came to normal Pokémon training, Gary had his own skills, but for abnormal Pokémon, he wasn't even fit to carry Ace's shoes.
After an hour of work, Ace finished making lunch and also fed his own Pokémon. Ace was providing their meals, but they had to feed their own Pokémon. Ace's Pokémon food was custom-made and very expensive, and he wasn't a fool. This kind of thing had to be done within one's means.
After eating their fill, Ash couldn't hold back anymore. He looked at Ace eagerly and said, "Ace, how about a spar to see how strong we've become?"
Ace tidied up the dishes and pushed them in front of Ash. "Sure, wash the dishes."
"..." Ash was speechless, but he obediently went to wash the dishes.
Soon, in a field far from Ace's cabin, Green sat on a rock, bored, watching Ace and Ash stand opposite each other. She sighed, "Battles, battles, are you boys all this boring?"
"The joy of getting stronger is something you girls can't understand." Gary stood on the side with a confident air, hands in his pockets, ready to watch the battle.
"Snorlax, let's go!" Ash tossed a Poké Ball, and Snorlax landed heavily on the ground, then charged towards Ace.
"Blastoise." Ace tossed a Poké Ball, and Blastoise blocked in front of him, putting its hands up against Snorlax's to stop its charge.
"Bubble Beam!" Blastoise opened its mouth, and its twin cannons also aimed at Snorlax.
"Wait? This is…" Ash panicked, but in the next moment, he was defeated. Three Bubble Beams hit Snorlax's head from close range. The continuous strikes forced Snorlax to retreat, and then it fell heavily to the ground.
"You can use it like that?" Green stared wide-eyed at Ace's Blastoise. Comparing it to her own Squirtle, she suddenly realized her Squirtle was pitifully weak.
"Snorlax, use Rest."
"Hydro Pump!" Snorlax laid down to sleep, quickly recovering its health, but Ace showed no mercy. Blastoise fired two Hydro Pumps at Snorlax, blasting it away.
"What strong attack power, this relentless attack gives no one a moment to breathe." Gary's eyes lit up. He found Ace's rapid assault unbelievable.
"Again, Hydro Pump!" Watching Snorlax land, Blastoise's cannons aimed again. Two more Hydro Pumps were fired at Snorlax!
"Mega Punch!" Snorlax woke up. Facing Blastoise's quick attacks, there was no time for Snorlax to recover, so Ash was helpless; the rhythm of the battle was completely dictated by Ace. Snorlax swung its right fist, clashing directly with the two Hydro Pumps and blocking Blastoise's attack.
"Body Slam!"
"Rapid Spin!" Ace and Ash spoke at the same time. Snorlax leaped high, quickly Body Slamming towards Blastoise, while Blastoise retreated into its shell and started spinning rapidly. Using the momentum from the spin, it flung Snorlax away.
"Hydro Pump!" Blastoise stopped spinning. Its body moved backward with the inertia, its limbs dragging two marks on the ground. Its cannons aimed, and two Hydro Pumps were fired directly at Snorlax, blasting it away once more.
"BOOM!"
Snorlax landed again, but this time, it didn't get up. It was knocked out on the ground, unable to battle.
"So strong!" Ash recalled Snorlax. He wasn't discouraged, but instead, his fighting spirit was high. "I knew it, Ace, your strength is indeed greater than mine. This is the kind of battle I want; it's so boring battling against those challengers who want to get strong overnight."
Ace calmly recalled Blastoise. It was normal for his current strength to be greater than Ash's. He had taken Cynthia to the peak of Mount Silver, and he had fought his way through Dragon's Den, earning the title of successor. Ace's strength came from his bitter training and steady accumulation, with no shortcuts. The system's help was just a catalyst, shortening the time it took for him to become strong, not making him strong directly. If Ace had been unmotivated and content with being a lazy bum, then even with all the resources the system provided, his strength would not be what it was today.
"So a Blastoise's power can be raised to this level. It seems I haven't trained my little Squirtle enough." Green walked over with a smile, but deep down, she was filled with emotion. Was Green unable to get stronger? No! As one of the main characters, if Green truly dedicated herself to training, her strength would improve very quickly. But in reality, there were too many things she had to deal with, hindering her progress. So, even with the same amount of time as Ash, her progress was not that significant.
"The spar is over. I'm going to train. You guys can do as you please." Ace put away his Poké Balls and walked back to the cabin. Crobat, who had been waiting all this time, flapped its wings and landed on Ace's shoulder. The "Poisonous Wing" was not yet complete, and Ace and Crobat needed to invest more energy into developing its power. This required time to mature and Crobat to put in a hundred and twenty percent effort!