Natsuhiko's little classroom, time for a lesson!
"Shellder can learn 'Hatching'?" Kona blinked her bright eyes full of "curiosity."
Learning the "Hatching" technique requires both a high basic strength and ability from Shellder, and most people desire their Pokémon to evolve, as that inevitably comes with an increase in power.
Shellder evolves into Cloyster with a Water Stone, so most people immediately use the Water Stone to evolve it after training Shellder to a certain level, considering Shellder's basic abilities aren't particularly strong.
Not everyone can be like Uncle Liu, using a basic Swinub to achieve the strongest power.
"Yes, Shellder can learn the 'Hatching' technique, but it requires a high basic strength from Shellder. If it reaches Senior Level through intentional training, there's an extremely small chance it can learn it. If it's trained to Elite Level, the chance increases significantly, but reaching Gym Leader Level, it will definitely learn it!" Natsuhiko affirmed.
Senior Level, Elite Level, even Gym Leader Level Shellder?
Not just Kona, anyone wouldn't train a Pokémon like Shellder to Gym Leader Level.
The difficulty is something only those who have personally trained it can understand.
Training a Pokémon in its initial form to Gym Leader Level?
The resources consumed, the energy spent, the time taken, might all be enough to train three or four fully evolved Pokémon to Gym Leader Level.
"Too difficult." Kona shook her head.
"It is difficult," Natsuhiko didn't deny its difficulty, "but it's also precisely because it's difficult, that it's powerful..."
Training Shellder to Gym Leader Level before evolving it actually yields not only the 'Hatching' technique but a foundational strength terrifyingly solid that explodes when it evolves. Using the term 'accumulation to release' seems insufficient.
"Think about it, if Cloyster with the 'Continuous Attack' trait, coupled with 'Hatching' and the 'Ice Cone' technique?" Natsuhiko's words carried a subtle enchanting tone.
"Continuous Attack... Hatching... Ice Cone..." Kona repeated these words, head lowered.
Slowly lifting her head, her eyes sparkled brighter than ever, she understood Natsuhiko's meaning.
Her eyes grew brighter, but she seemed quickly to think of something, saying hesitantly, "That would be too fragile."
Natsuhiko glanced at her and casually uttered one word, "Momentum Belt."
The moment she heard it, Kona shivered.
The final puzzle piece was thoroughly completed with one sentence from Natsuhiko.
She stared at him in disbelief for a long while, finally saying slowly, "That kind of Cloyster..."
Natsuhiko grinned, "Call it... Dragon Slayer Shell."
"Dragon Slayer Shell..." Kona was captivated by this term from Natsuhiko, continually murmuring it.
Natsuhiko watched her dazed look, exhaled deeply.
Good, she's adjusted.
Now it depends on Kona's resolve and attitude.
To Kona and her peers, "Dragon Slayer Shell" might be the ultimate perfect combination. If trained successfully, even against non-Dragon-type Pokémon, it would be incredibly powerful.
But to Natsuhiko, it's essentially an "outdated" tactic.
He's not even concerned that whether Kona trains it successfully would pose a threat to him.
Believe it or not, when his Togetic evolves into Togekiss, with the "Sophisticated Scarf," the so-called "Dragon Slayer Shell" wouldn't even have a chance to cry "Dad"?
Eventually, when they reached the territory of Breloom and Shroomish, Kona finally snapped back to reality.
"Did your teacher teach you all this?"
Kona knew that Natsuhiko had a very knowledgeable "teacher."
Natsuhiko smiled mysteriously, not responding.
He's said all that he needs to; whether Kona can train "Dragon Slayer Shell" doesn't affect him, it was merely constructive advice.
No matter what, she'll be able to become one of the Elite Four of the Kanto Region.
The Elite Four in the Kanto Region is different from other regions; they can serve as champions in weaker regions.
Moreover, Kona represents the academic faction majorly in the future, fostering a good relationship with her is akin to fostering a good relationship with the academic faction.
Natsuhiko plans to venture down the "research" path, and maintaining good relations with the academic faction will make his journey smoother.
At least, in the future, when "Dragon Slayer Shell" is mentioned, they'll think not only of Kona but also of Natsuhiko as its "founder."
That's enough.
He didn't say much more to Kona and ignored the Brelooms' apologetic gestures, instead, he went straight to where the Brelooms kept their Pokémon Eggs.
Dozens of Pokémon Eggs lay quietly in soft piles of grass, with a few noticeable dents above them where the missing Pokémon Eggs were originally placed.
It's clear that the person who stole the Pokémon Eggs didn't choose carefully, adhering to proximity, taking and leaving immediately.
"Not selecting better Pokémon Eggs suggests this person's goal isn't the Pokémon's value within..." Natsuhiko murmured to himself.
Kona stood nearby, looking at Natsuhiko with slightly complex expressions.
Considering the previous construction of tactics against Lapras, this was already the second time Natsuhiko taught her Pokémon knowledge.
Even though Kona was a proud individual, she had to acknowledge that Natsuhiko knew far more than she did, and he was even qualified to be her teacher...
Shaking her head, she suppressed these thoughts.
She walked over to Natsuhiko's side and softly asked, "Have you discovered anything?"
Natsuhiko pinched a small tuft of white hair and slowly stood up, glancing at the barely visible footprints in the grass pile, "Perhaps, the Pokémon Egg thief isn't necessarily human."
"Not human?" Kona visibly paused.
"I'll go look around nearby."
Leaving the sentence behind, Natsuhiko pulled Mudsdale and headed into the forest without turning back.
Watching his departing figure, Kona pressed her lips.
She "wisely" didn't propose following along.
It seems... her lack of experience in the wild might be burdensome for Natsuhiko.
After leaving the Brelooms' habitat, Natsuhiko rode Mudsdale and started moving again in the forest with a few Pokémon.
"For humans, the Pokémon Egg's value lies in the Pokémon it hatches into, but for Pokémon, the greater value of the Pokémon Egg might be... its nutrients." Natsuhiko spoke to himself, squinting.
Pokémon Eggs are indeed nutrient-rich; even among humans, some wealthy individuals enjoy eating Pokémon Eggs. However, they're uncommon and generally discreet.
But for carnivorous Wild Pokémon, consuming a Pokémon Egg provides more nutrition than catching a Pokémon.
For example, Ekans is a Pokémon that particularly enjoys eating Pokémon Eggs.
"The footprints in the grass pile are indeed two, but since they didn't stay long, they've become very faint."
"Furthermore, apart from the Pokémon Egg grass pile, the surrounding ground bears no footprint marks."
"Humans? More likely a Pokémon in urgent need of nutrient replenishment from Pokémon Eggs."
As he walked, Natsuhiko sorted through the information he'd gathered and inferred.
Besides Wild Pokémon that particularly like Pokémon Eggs, what other Pokémon might need nutrients from Pokémon Eggs?
The biggest possibility is...
"A freshly produced Pokémon!"
"And a carnivorous Pokémon."
"It should be capable of flying."
These factors combined, the range suddenly narrows significantly.
While thinking, he consciously guided towards a mountain stream in the forest.
The dense foliage blocked the view; the sound of flowing water entered his ears.
"An excellent habitat," Natsuhiko judged.
Driving Mudsdale into the stream, following the water flow, soon he arrived in front of a heavily vegetated cave.
Gently, he took down a small tuft of white hair hanging off a nearby twig, rubbing it between his fingers.
The texture is about the same.
He looked towards the dark cave.
"This should be the place."
But before he could make any move.
Buzz—
Layer after layer of ripples quickly emanated from the cave; a terrifying sound-based attack swept outward.
The powerful sonic blast attack almost covered the entire area outside the cave, with Natsuhiko as the primary target.
He smirked, "Angry temper."