The training ground behind the Poke Center.
After checking Beedrill and the others' condition, Natsuhiko took them to the training ground in the backyard.
Winter is the closed season for the Pasture in Suiyi Town, so there aren't many outsiders, mostly local ranchers who can usually handle small issues with their Pokémon on their own and don't need to go to the Poke Center.
Battles are rare, and Pokémon seldom get injured.
Thus, as Joy Rhombus mentioned, she really does have a lot of free time.
This has led to the training ground in the backyard of the Poke Center being practically deserted.
Looking around, apart from being a little rundown with some overgrown weeds, it feels almost like Natsuhiko's personal training ground.
So he didn't hold back and summoned all his Pokémon directly.
"Rest today, recover tomorrow, and we set out the day after," Natsuhiko said.
After all, they'd been traveling for several days, and the training time on the Saint Anus had left his Pokémon without a proper rest day.
Occasional rest also aids in better learning and growth afterward.
The happiest to hear about rest was undoubtedly Togetic, who jumped up excitedly, pulling Honedge to go play with Sharpedo and Shuckle.
But Beedrill and Yujira didn't slack off; without Natsuhiko's arrangements, they practiced on their own to strengthen their weak spots.
Natsuhiko didn't stop them.
Pushing themselves to become stronger is always a good thing for Pokémon.
Besides, they know when to have fun too, joining Togetic and Honedge in their games after a bit of training.
Bang!
Seeing them get into the groove, Natsuhiko summoned Snorlax; today, his primary focus was on Snorlax.
After overnight treatment from Joy Rhombus, Snorlax, apart from looking a bit thinner, is basically like any other normal Snorlax.
And with Snorlax barely recovering its energy, Natsuhiko finally assessed its strength.
Above Gym Leader level!
Even stronger than the feeling Absol gave him back then.
Absol was already at the pinnacle strength of a Gym Leader, and given that this Snorlax is even stronger—and not just slightly—it is undoubtedly an Elite Candidate level Pokémon!
To be honest.
Just standing there, Snorlax's sheer size easily gives a sense of safety, let alone its Elite Candidate level strength, making one feel even more at ease.
Looking at the Snorlax snoozing away on the ground.
It's not easy to wake a sleeping Snorlax, but Natsuhiko has a plan.
He took out a crystal-clear Energy Block, a faint fragrance wafting from it.
Even without getting close to Snorlax, its nose twitched.
Huff!
Snorlax's eyes snapped open, its massive body sprung up.
Although thinner now, compared to other Pokémon, it's still a behemoth.
It's hard to imagine such a Pokémon exhibiting such agility; it really is a nimble giant.
Seeing Snorlax spring into action, Natsuhiko's eyes lit up.
The weakness of Snorlax, without a doubt, is their speed.
Slow speed tends to make them easy targets for enemies; no matter how strong they are, they'll eventually be worn down by kite tactics.
Natsuhiko's Snorlax is no exception, not too fast.
This was evident in the cave where he captured it; otherwise, Yujira wouldn't have had the chance to teleport them away.
But just now, Snorlax demonstrated an explosive speed.
Explosive speed isn't just about pure speed; it's not entirely measured by the speed attribute, involving strength, body resilience, and more.
While it connects to speed, it can't be judged solely by it.
This means that while Snorlax's movement speed is generally slow, its instant attack speed when it explodes is no slouch.
This compensates somewhat for its shortcoming.
No doubt, Snorlax's explosive speed was honed through countless feeding sessions when it was hungry.
"Snorlax,"
Standing before Natsuhiko, the nearly three-meter-tall figure of Snorlax felt like a wall ready to crush anything.
Normally, adult Snorlaxes are between two and two point two meters tall, while this one before Natsuhiko measures nearly three meters.
This is a sign of healthy development.
Joy Rhombus had mentioned before that if it wasn't for the thick layer of fat it accumulated, it might not have survived until Natsuhiko found it.
Clearly, before reaching that cave, this Snorlax was well-fed, which explains its growth to the Elite Candidate level in the wild.
An incredibly rare gem among wild Pokémon.
With its narrowed eyes fixed on Natsuhiko, Snorlax, hands resting on its belly and mouth shut, had drool sliding down its chin.
However, unlike in the cave, Snorlax didn't just pounce upon smelling the aroma.
It showed restraint.
Because it recognized Natsuhiko.
The guy who is willing to be its long-term free meal ticket, and even offers food that is extremely tasty and rich in energy.
Who wouldn't treat their meal ticket a little better?
"Snorlax,"
Seeing Natsuhiko, the "meal ticket," not being proactive, Snorlax called out again.
Natsuhiko chuckled and said, "You can eat, but Snorlax, since we'll be together from now on, I want to see what moves you've learned. You'll get one for each technique you showcase."
Trying to train Snorlax is undoubtedly a fool's errand.
If it had been with Natsuhiko from an early age, it would be different; many habits could've been slowly developed.
But this Pokémon, already at the Elite Candidate level, with its personality and habits pretty much solidified, leaves it up to the Trainer to adapt, not the other way around.
That's why most strong Trainers or those with aspirations prefer raising Pokémon from scratch rather than catching fully developed ones.
Hearing Natsuhiko's words, Snorlax fell into contemplation.
Seeing its hesitation, Natsuhiko smiled and took out another Energy Block.
"Two blocks."
"Snorlax!"
Snorlax decisively nodded heavily.
Then, it presented all the moves it mastered from start to finish to Natsuhiko, not even skipping techniques like "Roundify."
Aiming to maximize every opportunity to get Energy Blocks.
This way, not only did it obtain the food it wanted, but it also exercised, speeding up recovery—truly killing two birds with one stone.
And after reviewing the techniques Snorlax mastered, Natsuhiko was filled with surprise and delight.
Just from its mastered techniques, it absolutely deserves the word "excellent."
Based on Snorlax's performance, Natsuhiko specifically created a document about it on the computer, so he can maximize its potential in crucial moments later.
Pokemon: Snorlax
Gender: Female
Type: General Type
Trait: Thick Fat
Strength Assessment: Elite Candidate Level
Mastered Techniques: Bash, Edge, Instant Amnesia, Tongue Lick, Step-by-Step Breakdown, Yawn, Mount Tai's Pressure, Sleep, Snoring, Dream Talk, Ultimate Impact, Rolling, Blocking, Abdominal Drumming, Shatter, Heavy Impact, Hundred Thousand Horsepower, Suicide Rush, Curse, Burp, Flame Fist, Recycling, Brute Force, Thunder Fist, True Qi Fist, Frozen Fist, Giant Sound
Looking at the techniques displayed on the computer, Natsuhiko could only think of one word.
Technique Sea!