The reason Ariel didn't release his Pokémon and insisted on personally subduing this Larvitar was simple.
Firstly, he had confidence in his current Psychic powers.
Secondly, and most importantly, for a high-aptitude Pokémon with innate pride like Larvitar, using a higher-level Pokémon to forcibly suppress it often backfires. It would only make it feel humiliated rather than truly acknowledging him.
This kind of thing had to be done early and personally.
Just like the Gyarados in his team; it was also an unruly fellow at the start. It was only after a "frenzied education" where Krookodile, Weavile, and Malamar took turns on the field that it was barely suppressed.
But that wasn't called capturing; that was called suppression.
The true Bond was built up bit by bit after that, through a rather winding process.
All Pokémon must be beaten while they are young, and beaten personally.
This is done both to show them and to show oneself.
To let it understand who the boss is, and to clarify one's own responsibility and determination as a Trainer.
The night was deep, and the lights of Sootopolis City wove a hazy net of light outside the window.
Ariel, however, had no desire to sleep. The excitement from capturing an Elite aptitude Pokémon hadn't faded yet, so he simply left the guest room and headed straight for the Water-type Gym's private training room.
Perhaps because maintaining order at the market during the day had consumed too much energy, the Gym apprentices had already gone back to rest. The vast training room was empty at the moment, with only rows of sensor lights turning on one by one following his footsteps, casting a cold light.
This silence was exactly to his liking.
With a flick of his wrist, several Poké Balls lined up in his palm.
Light flashed repeatedly.
Malamar, Greninja, Deino, and the Larvitar that had just quieted down appeared one after another on the open field.
"Go on, from today onwards, he's your little brother."
Ariel jerked his chin toward Deino, signaling for it to look at the somewhat bewildered Larvitar beside it.
"Ao?"
Deino was stunned for a moment, then reacted, a huge surge of excitement erupting from its small body.
It finally wasn't the one at the bottom of the team anymore!
It was a dragon that could be a big brother now!
Deino immediately puffed out its chest, trying its best to put on a dignified look. Walking with a swaggering gait, it went up to Larvitar and gently bumped the other with its head.
That posture looked as if it were conducting some sort of sacred initiation ceremony.
Larvitar blinked, looking at this "big brother" who wasn't much taller than itself and was even stumbling, then turned to look at the powerful Malamar and Greninja in the distance. Its tiny head was filled with great confusion.
Ariel couldn't help but smile at this scene.
Letting Deino take Larvitar under its wing was partly to let the two newcomers build a rapport, and partly to let Larvitar get familiar with the environment and its teammates as quickly as possible.
As for the actual training, he still had to plan that out carefully.
A Pokémon like Larvitar was no ordinary specimen.
It was a literal "gold-swallowing beast."
To train it to its peak, the required ore, energy cubes, and nutritional supplements would be enough to eat through a small mine.
This expenditure would need careful planning. Ariel's thoughts had already drifted to the more realistic matter of how to make money.
His gaze turned toward his other two Pokémon.
Malamar and Greninja.
In the battle against the Team Aqua Executive, they were the absolute main force, and their gains were naturally the most abundant.
Malamar's level had remarkably reached Level 49, catching up to the team's veteran Krookodile. It was only one step away from the Gym Leader Level threshold.
At this moment, it floated in mid-air, surrounded by faint dark energy. The light of mental power flickered in its deep pupils, clearly digesting its newly acquired strength.
Greninja was even more agile, its level soaring to Level 47, matching Weavile.
It would occasionally turn into an afterimage, using Agility across the field, and at other times stand perfectly still, yet condensing rotating Water Shurikens out of thin air. The sharp aura sliced through the air, letting out a faint hiss.
Ariel inspected his team, and a sense of satisfaction welled up within him.
Every bit of strength gained was a solid step toward his higher goals.
He didn't disturb the Pokémon who were getting used to their power. Instead, he sat cross-legged in the center of the training field, closed his eyes, and quickly entered a state of Calm Mind.
This was a meditation method he had learned at the Psychic Gym, which could effectively temper and consolidate one's own mental power.
His spirit sank into the depths of his consciousness, into the realm known as the "Sea of Spirit." With every breath, his mental power ebbed and flowed like a tide, washing away the lingering distracting thoughts and fatigue from the battle, making his entire spiritual world more pure and condensed.
For a time, only the slight sounds made by the Pokémon and Ariel's steady, long breaths remained in the training room.
An unknown amount of time passed.
The training room's automatic door slid open silently, and a figure walked in.
It was Juan.
He had originally come for a habitual sweep before bed, but he hadn't expected to see such a sight.
At a glance, he saw the several Pokémon training individually in the field. Each was full of spirit and possessed a powerful aura. Especially Malamar and Greninja—the degree of their power's condensation far exceeded their level.
What surprised him even more was Ariel, who was sitting cross-legged in the center of the field.
Juan's footsteps paused.
As a Water-type Master, he was exceptionally sensitive to the flow of energy.
At this moment, he could clearly perceive a pure and majestic mental power centered on Ariel, forming a stable force field.
That kind of precision in controlling mental power and operational efficiency didn't look like a beginner at all.
This kid... is his talent in Psychic powers also this terrifying?
Juan didn't make a sound to disturb him. He simply walked to a rest bench at the side of the field and sat down, his gaze falling on Ariel with a bit of scrutiny, a bit of curiosity, and a trace of hard-to-detect approval.
He wanted to see just how many more surprises this young man could bring him.
Time flowed in the silence.
Ariel's meditation reached its peak. In the Sea of Spirit, that wisp of Mewtwo's source power was like a pillar holding up the sky, suppressing all waves and allowing him to mobilize and compress his mental power even more freely.
Suddenly, his heart stirred.
In meditation, his perception was several times sharper than usual.
He "saw" a completely different aura appear in the training room—gentle as water, yet bottomless.
Ariel slowly finished his technique and opened his eyes.
His mental power retracted, and his vision cleared. The first thing he saw was Juan sitting on the bench not far away.
"Gym Leader Juan."
Ariel stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes.
"I felt the training environment here was quite good, so I took the liberty of using it. I hope I didn't disturb you."
Juan waved his hand and stood up, walking toward him slowly, though his gaze lingered on Malamar and Greninja for a few extra seconds.
"Your Pokémon are very well-nurtured."
His tone was calm, revealing little emotion.
"Especially their control over their own power; it's outstanding."
"You flatter me, Gym Leader. It's just good luck."
Ariel said modestly.
Juan shook his head. He walked up to Ariel, meeting his eyes. In those blue eyes that seemed to contain the entire ocean, a genuine solemnity appeared for the first time.
"Luck doesn't allow a young man to possess such formidable power, nor does it grant him such pure mental strength."
His tone suddenly shifted, pointing straight to the core.
"Ariel, your understanding of power seems somewhat special."
"I wonder, would you be interested in having an informal battle with me?"
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