"Uncle Sam, I've thought about joining the Gym before. But even if I go in as a civilian… wouldn't my situation be pretty difficult?" Icarus said politely after some consideration, ultimately declining.
"Heh, that's not wrong. The Gyms in our town aren't exactly friendly to commoners. But if you travel and take on more Alliance missions, some Gyms directly affiliated with the Alliance allow you to exchange merit points for cultivation manuals."
Uncle Sam wasn't offended. Instead, he seriously offered another suggestion.
"Mm, that's actually what I'm planning. Now that I've broken through to the Normal tier, I can start taking Alliance missions. I'll wait until Bellsprout stabilizes its strength before going for official certification. In the meantime, I'll focus on training Pidgey."
Icarus quickly steered the topic back to training.
"Oh, right! Look at me, almost forgot. Training first. Come to the backyard with me."
"Alright."
The two walked one after the other to the open space behind the villa.
"Come out, Fearow!"
Uncle Sam tossed a Poké Ball, and a red flash burst forth.
"Skreee—!"
A long-necked, large-beaked bird Pokémon with broad wings appeared midair.
"Pidgey!"
The moment Pidgey saw Fearow, it trembled uncontrollably.
Everyone knew the natural rivalry:
Spearow hunt Pidgey.
Pidgeotto hunt Spearow.
Fearow hunt Pidgeotto.
Pidgeot hunt Fearow.
In the wild, when these species met, the stronger side always attacked.
"Skree?"
But Fearow only glanced at Icarus and Pidgey before calmly flying back to its trainer's side.
"Pidgey…?"
As if asking: It really won't eat me?
"Don't worry, Pidgey," Icarus said, gently stroking its feathers.
"Hahaha! Relax, little guy. My Fearow listens to my orders. It won't do anything to you," Uncle Sam laughed heartily.
Though Icarus had tried to lower his voice earlier, Uncle Sam heard everything clearly.
"Ahem, sorry, Uncle Sam. Pidgey doesn't understand that yet, so it got nervous. But… if I'm not mistaken, your Fearow has grown stronger again, hasn't it? You truly live up to your reputation."
Icarus took a closer look. Fearow's beak looked sharper than before, its claws darker and gleaming coldly under the sunlight. Its aura was clearly stronger than the last time he'd seen it.
"Hahaha, sweet talker. Yes, originally Fearow was only mid-tier Normal level. After I broke through to Elite, I requested its cultivation manual from the Alliance. Not long ago, it advanced to high-tier Normal."
Uncle Sam was clearly pleased.
Icarus felt a wave of envy.
For Elite trainers, resources for the Normal tier were no longer scarce. With cultivation manuals in hand, they simply followed structured methods to strengthen their Pokémon.
Unlike him—Bellsprout could only grow stronger through constant battles and painstaking training.
Still, envy stayed in his heart. Out loud, he continued praising.
"Wow! Uncle Sam, Fearow is raised incredibly well! That beak looks razor-sharp!
Those claws—like six black daggers!
With that build and those wings, it'll surely reach Elite one day!"
"Skree!"
Fearow visibly puffed up, pleased by the praise.
"Hahaha… reaching Elite isn't that simple," Uncle Sam said, though his smile widened before slightly stiffening.
"Elite breakthroughs are difficult. My Arbok is Poison-type, so it can't directly guide Fearow. The Alliance manual only supports growth up to peak high-tier Normal—similar to what senior Gym apprentices learn.
If Fearow wants to break through to Elite, I'll need to accumulate merit points for advanced manuals. And even with those, the resources required aren't small."
He sighed and gently stroked Fearow's feathers.
"It's not easy for commoners like us."
"It's not easy," Icarus agreed softly. "But I believe you'll succeed, Uncle Sam."
"I will," Uncle Sam said firmly. "Fearow will become my third Elite."
"Skree!"
Third?
Icarus caught that detail immediately.
So Uncle Sam already had two Elite Pokémon established. Arbok was one—likely his core. The second… probably another Poison-type to synergize with Arbok.
"Alright, bring Pidgey over. I'll have Fearow start teaching."
"Okay. Let's go, Pidgey."
"Pidgey…"
Still nervous, Pidgey slowly flew forward and greeted Fearow quietly.
"Skree."
Though Fearow retained its instinctive disdain for the Pidgey line, it responded calmly under its trainer's instruction.
"Fearow, show it your strength. Use Peck on the target."
"Skree!"
Fearow shot forward. White Flying-type energy gathered around its beak.
Bang!
With a sharp crack, the thick wooden target shattered under a single strike.
"Pidgey!"
Icarus inhaled sharply.
That kind of power—if it struck an opponent, it would likely decide the battle instantly.
"Fearow, now use Fury Attack on the next target."
"Skree!"
White Normal-type energy wrapped around its claws.
Slash!
Bang!
The second wooden target split into multiple fragments.
"Pidgey!"
The fear in Pidgey's eyes faded, replaced by blazing excitement.
It hurried forward, chirping eagerly, asking how to perform the move.
"Alright," Uncle Sam said, watching Pidgey humbly seek guidance. "Leave Pidgey with me for a few days. Don't worry—I'll take good care of it. I'll call you once it's learned the moves. It shouldn't take long.
The difficulty of these techniques lies in the physical conditioning—and you've already prepared that well."
He waved toward the villa.
"Come on. Let's head back inside."
(End of Chapter)
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