"This Vibrava is also really strong!"
"And its talent in the Flying attribute is extremely high."
"That kind of evasion isn't something an ordinary Flying-type Pokémon can pull off."
After witnessing Vibrava's battle, everyone was completely stunned.
"It seems Ethan came up with another interesting tactic."
Those who knew Ethan didn't look at the Pokémon—they looked at him as a trainer. They couldn't help but sigh.
Rather than thinking the Pokémon were strong, everyone agreed on one thing: this trainer was way too monstrous. A true training genius.
"So you can use a Vibrava like that?"
"I wonder if it would work with a Flygon... maybe I should ask him."
Marcus Foster, who had a Flygon, couldn't help getting excited as well.
"That Ethan is a prodigy of a trainer..."
"If we could convince him to join the club as an instructor, we'd attract an enormous crowd."
For some reason, all the club leaders thought of the same thing. Their gazes began to shine, looking at Ethan as if he were an invaluable treasure.
Ethan was already very used to those looks.
Without lingering too long, he stepped off the stage. With this battle, today's events had come to an end.
He refused all invitations and returned to the rest hotel with the Pokémon Nightstar Club group.
All along the way, Hailey Blake was extremely excited. She kept observing Vibrava. To be honest, not only did it have exceptional combat ability—its physical development was also incredible!
That immediately sparked Hailey's professional interest as a Pokémon breeder.
Coincidentally, Ethan also wanted to take the opportunity to consult her about raising Vibrava. Their intentions aligned perfectly, and they quickly found a place to talk.
"Girls shouldn't drink things this cold."
"Charmander, help me warm this up a little. Just to room temperature."
Ethan smiled and released Charmander. He took Hailey's drink and spoke gently.
"T-thanks."
Hailey's face turned slightly pink.
"Well, what I wanted to ask you is..."
"How can I increase Vibrava's wing strength and endurance?"
"I've discovered that training alone is no longer enough to reinforce its wings."
To avoid the awkward moment, Ethan changed the subject right away and began talking about how to strengthen Vibrava's wings.
"I see... You want to increase the endurance of its wings?"
Hitting a topic from her field of expertise, Hailey perked up immediately.
She took several tools and instruments out of her bag. She looked determined to give Vibrava a detailed examination.
As the saying goes: everyone has their specialty. Hailey might be a disaster at giving commands in battle, but when it came to breeding... she truly was an expert.
"I've finished collecting all the data on Vibrava. When I get back, I'll research it more thoroughly. I'll see if I can find some method to improve its wing resistance."
After finishing her notes, Hailey let out a sigh and smiled at Ethan.
"Then I'll leave it in your hands."
Ethan thanked her quickly.
"No problem."
"If you feel indebted, just do your best in this competition... and bring me that Pokéblock-making machine."
Hailey smiled as she spoke, then said goodbye and hurried off to consult documents.
"Vibrava, you did really well today."
Ethan stroked Vibrava with a smile.
"Viiiibraa!"
The Pokémon happily responded, eating the food Ethan gave it and gently flapping its wings.
"Alright, then let's continue training."
Ethan looked toward the horizon. The sun had just set; there was still time to train several Pokémon.
Having decided that, he first released Shuckle. He took out a small wooden barrel and poured inside the high-quality juice stored in Shuckle's shell, giving it a few Berries as well.
"Shuckle~"
After eating, Shuckle yawned.
Ethan immediately returned it to the Poké Ball so it could rest.
After soothing Vibrava, he released Sandslash, Cacturne, Slowking, and Meltan.
As soon as Sandslash came out, it noticed the barrel of nutritious juice. Squinting happily, it took a sip, displaying pure satisfaction.
Cacturne and Meltan, as always, stuck close to each other. Meltan transformed into a weight and clung to Cacturne's body while the latter began another round of physical training.
If Cacturne had a greater strength than any other Pokémon, it was its patience. It could repeat a boring activity a thousand times without giving up, like a desert cactus.
But its body was reaching a limit. Ethan planned to travel soon to the League's famous martial arts city, where Cacturne might learn combat techniques more quickly.
Slowking was the same as always: eyes closed, looking half-asleep. Even Shellder had its eyes closed. But both were using the move Calm Mind.
Ever since Ethan obtained the training methods from the Slowpoke Breeding Center, Slowking had studied tirelessly, and now it had even perfected the way Calm Mind was used. The results were excellent.
Since both were in meditation — the effect of Calm Mind — Ethan didn't disturb them and returned them to their Poké Balls. In truth, Slowking preferred resting inside the Poké Ball rather than staying outside.
After putting it away, Ethan released Absol.
For some reason, Absol seemed a bit down when it came out. It quietly looked at everyone else training and joined in without saying anything.
Absol's training was simple: reinforce the power of its horn and train perception and speed.
"Seeing it like this... these days I've been focused only on Vibrava, and even for riding and flying, I've always used him. Yes... I've neglected Absol."
Ethan let out a slight sigh. He began reflecting.
To be a competent trainer, it's not enough to train. You also have to attend to all the needs of your Pokémon.
(End of chapter)