Early the next morning, as usual, Hayato was in the open field of the Ecological Park, accompanying Charmeleon and Fraxure as they practiced their moves.
There were many different training methods in this world. Besides battling repeatedly to grow stronger, there was also move repetition training and weight training to build a Pokémon's strength and refine their understanding of energy.
Emotions, too, counted as a form of energy in this world—but only a few Pokémon could draw true power from it.
Take the Normal-type move Return, for instance.The deeper the bond between Trainer and Pokémon, the greater the move's power.
Conversely, there was another move, born of anger—Frustration.Its effect was the exact opposite. The weaker the bond between Trainer and Pokémon, the stronger Frustration became.
But outside of those exceptions, most Pokémon grew stronger the usual way—through countless battles and hard training.
A competent Trainer would create a specialized training regimen tailored to each Pokémon's condition.
Just like what Hayato was doing now.
He had ordered several weighted training tools from the department store. With them strapped on, Charmeleon and Fraxure trained their endurance and raw strength.
That didn't mean "bonds" were useless to them. On the contrary, it was precisely because of their affection for their Trainer that Pokémon were willing to undergo such grueling training, repeating it day after day without complaint.
"Nicely done," Hayato checked the time and called out, "Take a break!"
He pulled out two bottles of nutritional supplements he had prepared in advance and handed them to Charmeleon and Fraxure.
"Char!"
"Na-ta!"
Even drenched in sweat, their spirits remained high—not only because they could feel themselves growing stronger, but also because they loved seeing that expectant gleam in their Trainer's eyes.
With sparkling eyes, both Pokémon reached out to take the bottles, clutching them in their claws before tilting back their heads to gulp them down.
After finishing, Charmeleon tossed his empty bottle aside, then leapt into Hayato's arms, eyes glistening dark and bright.
Pokémon understood the changes in their bodies far better than their Trainers.
Over these days of training, Charmeleon could clearly feel himself becoming stronger.
And all of it—was thanks to Hayato!Excitement bubbling within him, the little dragon gazed up at his Trainer with gratitude.
Hayato could guess what he meant. Smiling, he stroked its head."No, this is the result of your own hard work."
If a Pokémon refused to cooperate, then no matter how perfect his training plan, the results would never show.
Charmeleon didn't care about the details.For him, this human had rescued him from that dark place, giving him the life he now had.
Warmth overflowing, he pressed his hot forehead against the Trainer he adored, rubbing insistently.
"Alright, alright!" Hayato chuckled, feeling tickled, pushing Charmeleon down as he sat upright. Running his hands along Charmeleon's frame, he checked the dragon's physical condition.
Among all the Pokémon he had captured, if Gengar was the one whose personality had changed the most…Then Charmeleon was without question the one whose physique had transformed the most dramatically.
He still remembered when he had first captured Charmeleon—it had been thin and scrawny, without a trace of muscle.Those Trainers who only sought out already-powerful Pokémon wouldn't have given it a second glance.
But now? Charmeleon had grown into a sturdy young dragon.
Its strength had increased enormously too—its tail could now smash a rock apart with a casual swing.
As for its future path of growth, Hayato intended to raise Charmeleon toward the form of Charizard X.
No particular reason—other than that compared to Charizard Y, the black-and-blue Charizard X was cooler and more striking.
Riding atop it through the skies, soaring freely… that would surely be an incredible experience.
And as for Axew…
Hayato's gaze shifted toward Fraxure, who was standing obediently nearby.
Fraxure: ( . )
For now, Fraxure's raw power still surpassed Charmeleon's.
From the days when it was still Axew—naïve and easily tricked—Hayato had never once slacked on its training.
Back then, Axew would sometimes whine or act spoiled, trying to escape from harsh training.
But after evolving, Fraxure had become used to the routine. It neither whined nor complained anymore—on the contrary, it trained itself even harder of its own accord.
Compared to its Axew days, Fraxure had truly changed. It now possessed a strong sense of self-discipline.
Staring at the ever-diligent Fraxure, Hayato couldn't help wondering:If its colors were suddenly altered, would it still cry like Axew once did?
His eyes gleamed mischievously as he looked at Fraxure.
With Gengar and Jirachi playing inside the room, Zapdos out wandering, Cramorant splashing with Slowpoke, Roserade tending the Gloom, and Kirlia staying with Gardevoir…No one would disturb him now. And the cooldown for the Shiny Modifier was only an hour.
With that thought, Hayato decided to give it a try.
Who knew? Maybe Fraxure would accept it.If so, he'd have himself a jet-black shiny Haxorus in the future.
After settling Charmeleon, Hayato activated the Shiny Modifier.
A wave of dizziness hit him, and he slumped into sudden sleep.
Meanwhile, Fraxure's body erupted in radiant light.
Within that glow, its scales shifted rapidly in color.
Hayato: zzZ…
"Char?"
Charmeleon noticed the light enveloping its roommate and turned curiously.
As the light faded, Fraxure glanced down at his altered body.
"…"
In that moment, it understood—it had been its Trainer all along, causing these color changes.
To Charmeleon's questioning look, Fraxure only sighed softly."Na-ta…"
He decided not to bother with his childish, silly Trainer.
It didn't matter anymore.Changing color wasn't such a big deal. None of his teammates could see it, and it could always be changed back anyway.
So he simply returned to training with quiet determination.
Charmeleon tilted his head, utterly confused: "Char?"
An hour later.
Hayato stirred awake, instantly glancing toward Fraxure.
But Fraxure looked no different emotionally than before, still training steadily with his weights, face calm and honest.
Hayato could hardly believe it. He went to Charmeleon to confirm."Did Fraxure cry when I was asleep just now?"
"Char…" Charmeleon only shook his head blankly.
Really?
Joy bloomed in Hayato's chest. If so, then perhaps his dream of owning a jet-black Haxorus truly was possible.
But not now.
If Professor Birch noticed Axew's change and asked questions, he'd have no way to explain.
Checking the time, Hayato saw it was already half past ten.
"I'll nap again. In an hour I'll get up and cook for you guys," he told Charmeleon and Fraxure.
"Char…"
A white flash swept across Fraxure's body, restoring his normal colors.
Fraxure: "…"
An hour later, Hayato woke again, heading to prepare lunch for his large household.
When he entered the living room, he saw Jirachi playing hide-and-seek with Gengar and the others.
"Hayato, we're playing hide-and-seek! Do you want to join us?" Jirachi invited happily.
Hayato shook his head. "Not now, I need to prepare lunch."
Hearing that, Gengar drifted out from the wall and asked, "Need me to help?"
In the past, when Hayato couldn't manage alone, Gengar had lent a hand. He was used to it.
But seeing how happily Gengar was playing with Jirachi, Hayato was about to decline—when Jirachi looked up at Gengar and asked curiously:"Gengar, you can help cook lunch too?"
Gengar nodded. "Because sometimes Hayato can't manage everything himself."
With so many Pokémon in the house, and with appetites like Charmeleon's and Fraxure's, it was indeed exhausting for one person alone.
That was why Gengar had learned small tasks—washing vegetables, scrubbing dishes.
Hearing this, Jirachi thought a moment, then cheered: "Then I'll help Hayato too!"
Gengar grinned, "Sure, let's help together!"
At once, several small heads popped out—from behind the sofa, the stairway, even from a flowerpot.
"Kir!"
"Squirtle-squirtle!"
Faced with this eager little troop, Hayato could only sigh helplessly. He led Gengar, Jirachi, Kirlia, and the two Squirtle into the kitchen.
It was the weekend, and the fire brigade was off duty—so the Squirtle didn't have to work, staying home to play with the others.
Hayato told them to simply watch, but their curiosity toward cooking grew quickly. Before long, they were itching to try it themselves.
Gengar even acted like a teacher, showing the Squirtle how to wash vegetables.
The Squirtle pair puffed their chests proudly, nodding vigorously. Then they opened their mouths, ready to unleash their most practiced move—Water Gun.
Hayato: "…"
But before they could fire, Gengar blocked them with disdain."You can't wash vegetables with your spit water!"
"Squirtle…"
Scratching their heads in embarrassment, the two Squirtle backed down.
Silently, Hayato turned on the tap and washed the ingredients himself.
When he went to add seasonings, however, he realized the salt was gone. He was about to send Gengar to borrow some from Professor Birch when—
Something heavy suddenly appeared in his hand. Looking down, he saw a bag of salt.
Jirachi floated proudly, eyes shining. "This is something I can help with!"
Hayato: "…"
Meanwhile, over at Professor Birch's kitchen, the man froze mid-cooking, staring at his empty hand in confusion."…Strange. Where'd the salt go?"
After searching to no avail, he called out, "Brendan! Brendan!"
Brendan came running. "What is it, Dad?"
"Go borrow some salt from Hayato."
At this hour, buying from the department store was impossible.
"Got it," Brendan nodded and dashed out the door.
Three minutes later—
Hayato returned the very same bag of "borrowed" salt to Brendan, who had come knocking.
After sending him off, Hayato turned back to face the little troop of Pokémon he had ushered out of the kitchen.
Led by Jirachi, they stood in a row like scolded children.
"…" Hayato sighed again. "Just wait out here quietly, alright?"
With that, he went back into the kitchen.
In the living room—
Jirachi turned to Gengar nervously. "Did I make Hayato mad?"
Knowing Hayato well, Gengar shook his head. "No way. He doesn't get angry over little things."
Relief washed over Jirachi.
The Squirtle also nodded firmly. "Squirtle-squirtle!" (Hayato's always good to us! He's never once been angry!)
Kirlia nodded in agreement. "Kir!"
"Don't worry," Gengar reassured.
Soon, they resumed their game of hide-and-seek—this time with Gengar as seeker.
Still, Jirachi couldn't quite shake his worry.So while Gengar was counting down, it quietly slipped into the kitchen.
Hayato was cooking while musing about Jirachi's wish-granting ability. Seeing Jirachi float in, he asked, "Why aren't you playing with the others?"
"Hayato, are you mad?" Jirachi asked, worried.
"Of course not." Hayato blinked in surprise. "Why do you ask?"
"Because we didn't help at all…"
Hayato shook his head. "Not true. Didn't you just bring me salt?" (Though it was from Birch's place, but still.)
"And I only asked you out of the kitchen because I wanted everyone to eat sooner—not because I was angry."
Jirachi blinked, then its face lit up again. "I understand now!"
"Good. Go play with the others," Hayato smiled.
"Mm!"
Jirachi zipped happily out.
Hayato continued cooking, his thoughts lingering.
From this, it was clear—Jirachi's wish power couldn't create something from nothing.
And from both Professor Birch's notes and the anime's depictions, sleeping for a thousand years seemed to be an innate trait of Jirachi's species.
Just as Groudon was destined to clash with Kyogre.
It was something Hayato could never change.
By the time Jirachi opened its eyes again, he himself would likely no longer be in this world.
The deeper and more sincere the bond, the harder it would be to let go in the end.
Just like how humans, from the moment of birth, walk toward death.
Perhaps that was precisely why encounters carried meaning.
Hayato thought silently as laughter rang from the living room—Jirachi and Gengar's voices mingling with the others.
Forget it. He wouldn't bring this up.
Better to just let them enjoy these few happy days together.
(End of Chapter)