READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 98 – Training, Resumed
September 12, 2005
Over three hours have elapsed since the incident took place, and the time is now a quarter to four in the early morning. Dratini, eager to commence training, roused him from his slumber. As he awoke, he observed Kanraku's Blastoise, which was resting close by, as well as his daughter's Pokémon, a Wartortle, several other Wartortles, Squirtles, and an additional four Blastoise.
An hour prior, Gyarados had awoken, been defeated once again, and lost consciousness. The young Gyarados, however, has remained asleep since Floyd last defeated it and is currently still slumbering. Floyd was assured of the young Gyarados's survival due to its loud snoring. Meanwhile, Kanraku was also in a state of rest. Floyd had witnessed him awake an hour ago amidst the chaos caused by Gyarados, but he appeared to have succumbed to sleep just a few minutes prior, unfortunately too late.
The quartet of Blastoise were still vigilant, keeping a close eye on the two Gyarados. One of these Blastoise was the spouse of Kanraku's Blastoise. Upon noticing Kanraku, they acknowledged him with a nod, and Floyd distributed their portion of Pokéblocks to each of them.
Floyd had cultivated a routine of crafting a variety of intermediate Pokéblocks, a practice that consistently yielded him substantial points. Merely two days ago, his points tally was in the hundreds, yet now, it had astonishingly surged to 3,840. He hadn't even penetrated deeply into the Kemonohaji forest, yet he had accumulated such an impressive points total.
Should this trend of daily increase persist, he might contemplate acquiring Dragon Clues for Pokémon like Dragapult, Garchomp, Hydreigon, and Salamence—all of which are Pseudo-Legendaries. Additionally, there were Noivern, Flygon, Druddigon, Charizard, Sceptile, and any species belonging to the Dragon Egg Group. Venturing even further in his aspirations, he might attempt to capture legendary Pokémon such as Rayquaza, Palkia, Dialga, Giratina, and others.
However, he observed that most Legendary Pokémon exhibited temperaments akin to that of Gyarados: obstinate and challenging to persuade unless one possessed a persona similar to 'Ash'. These creatures also played crucial roles in maintaining the equilibrium of the world, rendering their capture seemingly unattainable.
"Rayquaza, huh," Floyd mused. Among all the Legendary Pokémon, Rayquaza held a special place in his heart, especially its Mega Evolution, which he deemed exceedingly magnificent. Yet, he could envision himself cackling villainously in an attempt to capture Rayquaza, only to be overpowered by Dragon Ascent, a thought that made him shudder instantaneously.
He promptly dismissed these thoughts, shaking his head. "No, no, don't even entertain that idea," he admonished himself. 'If you can't beat them, join them. Don't provoke them; instead, befriend them.'
He would prefer to nurture a Caterpie and explore the possibilities with its Dragon Power, assuming that was even feasible. There was a lingering curiosity about whether it could genuinely evolve into a Rayquaza. Nevertheless, he harbored doubts about Caterpie's capacity to endure such intense energy; it might be too much for them, given their status as mere insects.
"Or perhaps a Metapod?" Floyd speculated. With its metallic appearance, Metapod bore a slight resemblance to Rayquaza. Could there be a connection? However, he was haunted by the thought of their potential demise. Floyd suddenly realized that their numbers appeared to be on the rise. Was it necessary to cull some for the greater good of the population? He pondered this ethical dilemma.
Then, he swiftly shook his head once again. 'Only villains engage in such practices. Steering clear of those twisted thoughts is the wiser course of action.'
Caterpie: ┌┐(ಠ_ಠ)┌┐
Metapod: ┌l┐(ಠ_ಠ)┌l┐
Reverting back to the subject of Pokéblocks, since he assumed responsibility for overseeing the food supplies within the entire beast sanctuary, all the Pokémon voluntarily took on the duty of safeguarding the fruit. They autonomously transported all the fruits to the storeroom, while Chen Yu's team facilitated the handover of these supplies to Floyd.
The protocol was established in this manner to prevent Pokémon from bypassing the system and directly approaching Floyd with berries, as that would violate the established rules. Such a scenario would result in the Pokémon losing their work ethic, becoming dependent on Floyd for sustenance, which would be counterproductive and detrimental to their well-being.
Nevertheless, Floyd retained the discretion to make exceptions and provide them with additional food if he so desired, a prerogative afforded to him as the creator of Pokéblocks.
Now, in addition to his own Pokémon, Floyd is creating various intermediate-grade Pokéblocks, as well as basic Pokéblocks, for the other Pokémon.
The Blastoise expressed their gratitude and joyfully consumed their meals.
Subsequently, Floyd distanced himself from them and initiated the Pokémon training session.
Horsea, pouting, felt somewhat helpless. She had only managed to sleep a little and yearned for more rest. They had stayed up late the previous night due to an invasion by her brother and father, leaving her still feeling drowsy. She harbored a desire to smack Dratini on the head.
However, she was now uncertain if she was still capable of confronting Dratini. She concluded that it was wiser not to provoke her little brother, fearing that if he recalled past grievances, he might bully her, and that would certainly bring her to tears.
Meanwhile, Floyd was diligently checking on each of his Pokémon. Horsea, Growlithe, and the leader, Goomy, were all on the verge of leveling up. The other Goomy were also progressing well in their training.
As for Dratini, his skill pool was sufficiently diverse for the time being, boasting a balanced distribution between Attack and Special Attack. What he needed now was to bolster his defense, and Floyd intended to teach him the Protect Move.
Floyd's current focus was primarily on Munchlax and Fraxure. He consulted his notebook, which contained detailed information about Munchlax:
[Pokémon: Munchlax
Level: 15-17
Type: Normal
Ability: Thick Fat?
Moves:
Beginner Level: Lick, Defense Curl, Tackle, Bite, Swallow]
To be frank, Floyd saw no compelling reason to continue training Munchlax, as he had no intention of adding a Snorlax to his team. Munchlax's presence was unintended; Floyd had not initially planned to keep him and had considered giving him to Kanraku. However, Munchlax's determination to join left Floyd feeling somewhat resigned.
Regardless of his initial intentions, now that Munchlax was part of the team, Floyd felt a responsibility to train him, ensuring his potential was not wasted. Even without assistance from the Game Panel, Floyd was determined to devise an effective training plan for Munchlax. This endeavor would also serve as valuable practice for Floyd, enabling him to train Pokémon independently of the Game Panel and ensuring he would not be at a loss if it were ever unavailable.
Moreover, this situation aligned well with Floyd's long-term vision. Even though he aspired to be a Dragon Trainer, he did not want to limit himself solely to dragon-types.
Fortunately, Munchlax's behavior was somewhat atypical compared to its portrayal in the anime; it was obedient and diligent in training. While it had a voracious appetite, like other Munchlax, it did not shirk its training responsibilities or complain. Floyd found this commendable and resolved to support Munchlax in both its training and nutritional needs.
For the time being, Floyd aimed to teach Munchlax Body Slam and Scratch. Body Slam would utilize Munchlax's weight, a technique that would remain effective even after evolving into Snorlax. Scratch, on the other hand, was a temporary addition; Floyd had noticed Munchlax lacked any arm-related moves, which he found to be a waste given Munchlax's physical capabilities.
There is also a move called Rollout that Munchlax can learn. Additionally, there are many Geodude in Beast's sanctuary; he might visit them sometimes for guidance.
Moving on to Fraxure, Floyd wanted him to become acquainted with some new skills, particularly long-range moves, which predominantly fell under Special Attack. Previously, Floyd had focused on melee range moves for Fraxure, but the recent battle with Gyarados revealed the usefulness of long-range moves like Dragon Rage.
While Special Attack moves weren't typically associated with Fraxure, learning one or two wouldn't hurt. Floyd was also contemplating a physical long-range move that would suit him well. Lastly, there was the matter of Fraxure's Outrage Move, another aspect of training that required attention.