Chapter 233: The Larvitar Training Manual
Basalt arrived at the Cinnabar Sanctuary in a flash, riding his Super Bell.
"Well now, you got here quick," Agent Zhou said with a smile when he saw Basalt appear.
"The Bureau was so efficient this time, I couldn't possibly hold you all back," Basalt said, rubbing his nose.
He had notified the Weather Bureau the moment Larvitar hatched, and they had spared no effort in helping him.
After all, Basalt was the founder of the fossil revival project, which had brought immense benefits to the Bureau.
Besides the reward of the Larvitar egg, it seemed like he hadn't received any other prizes.
But in reality, whenever Basalt had a need, Agent Zhou could bypass layers of bureaucracy and report it directly to Director Morningstar's desk, and the Director was never stingy.
So, while it seemed like there was no big, one-time reward, it had actually been transformed into a series of sustainable benefits, which was far more advantageous for Basalt in the long run.
The special nutrient fluid for Larvitar was just one of them.
"Here. The nutrient fluid is all in here. It's a product of our own Weather Bureau research institute."
Agent Zhou pointed to a briefcase on the table. It was packed full of vials containing a strange, golden liquid that swirled with a thick viscosity when shaken.
"Each vial is 10ml. One vial a day for a month. It should awaken Larvitar's physical potential, strengthen its constitution, and give its stats a significant boost."
"Awaken its potential? Boost its stats? This is great stuff!" Basalt was overjoyed, unable to put the vials down.
"However, to maximize the effect of the fluid, it's best to wait until Larvitar is out of its infant stage. Then, pair it with a moderate amount of training."
Agent Zhou walked over, picked up a piece of paper next to the briefcase, and handed it to Basalt. "These are the instructions for the fluid. You can follow them."
"Moderate training? Don't you worry, I'll get him on a strict regimen," Basalt said with a wicked grin.
It had been three or four days since little Larvitar had hatched. By his calculations, it was just about past its infant stage.
Not to mention, little Larvitar had absorbed so much energy from the Smooth Rock Crystal; it was already exceptionally talented in every way.
So now that the nutrient fluid had arrived, Basalt couldn't wait to get started.
Honestly, it was because little Larvitar was such a handful. Basalt's life as a "super dad" these past few days had been an unspeakable misery.
The little guy was weak as a kitten, but it had a real mischievous streak and loved to pick fights with Excadrill and Lileep. The natural result was that it got disciplined, and then it would come crying to Basalt, demanding revenge.
And if Basalt didn't "serve justice"?
Then it would cry. And cry. And cry.
Basalt was truly terrified of its high-pitched, grating wails.
Fortunately, his suffering was finally coming to an end.
Now, as long as he trained it hard enough and pushed it to its limits during the day, he figured it wouldn't have any energy left to cause trouble at night.
"Also, I just sent you an encrypted folder. It contains training methods for Larvitar, all based on the experience of our Bureau's senior trainers. You can study it when you have time."
After Basalt had packed the nutrient fluid into his dimensional backpack, Agent Zhou gave him another great gift.
A training manual for Larvitar, filled with the wisdom of generations of trainers, would help Basalt avoid many pitfalls.
This, too, was a gesture of goodwill.
"Huh? Why does the training method only go up to the Gym Leader-level? Where's the rest?" Basalt raised an eyebrow as he opened the folder.
"You'll get the rest when your rank is high enough. Your Larvitar just hatched. What's the rush?" Agent Zhou shot him a look.
"Alright, then."
Basalt scratched his cheek, sighing inwardly.
But he understood. The training methods for Master-level and above were state secrets. They would never be casually handed over to a low-ranked trainer; the risk of them being obtained by a rival nation was too great.
Encrypted files could only stop gentlemen, not master spies. They had to be careful.
"Hm? Feeding it diamonds can increase Larvitar's defenses?"
As Basalt casually flipped through the manual, he saw a secret method that made his eyes twitch.
Scrolling down, he found a detailed explanation. It specified that diamonds that had naturally formed on and fallen from a Carbink were the most effective.
Because Carbink's diamonds were extremely hard, their defenses were also outstanding. Regularly feeding them to a Larvitar could also trigger a transformation in its own defenses.
"It's a good method, it's just a little expensive. And a little... rough on Carbink."
Basalt blinked, a troubled look on his face.
The diamonds from a Carbink were of very high purity and were highly sought after on the market. Their price was consistently sky-high.
His wallet ached just thinking about using diamonds as Larvitar's daily feed.
His tens of millions were a lot of money, but in the face of diamonds, it didn't mean jack.
"Agent Zhou, these diamonds... couldn't the Bureau help me out with that?"
Basalt shamelessly sidled up to him, pointing at the manual and half-joking.
Agent Zhou had always been easy to talk to, so he replied just as amicably, "Get lost."
"Fine, don't help then. Why so mean?" Basalt shrank back, grumbling to himself.
...
After discussing the nutrient fluid and the manual, Agent Zhou led Basalt to a training room filled with various training tools.
"I have one last task today, which is to record the data on your Larvitar. Let's start the tests now."
Agent Zhou set up a camera on the side.
As one of the few pseudo-legendaries in the Weather Bureau's purview, this Larvitar's status was extraordinary. Many high-level officials in the Bureau were quietly keeping an eye on it.
"OK."
Basalt gave a thumbs-up and threw the Pokéball.
"Yuji!" (▼へ▼メ)
A flash of red light, and little Larvitar appeared with a dark scowl on its face.
But when it saw Basalt, the scowl quickly turned into a smile, and it came bounding over to him.
As long as it wasn't causing trouble, little Larvitar and Basalt got along very well.
"Larvitar, you've been born for four whole days now. You're not a three-day-old baby anymore. So, you have to learn to be strong. You can't just cry whenever you want. Big boys don't cry, understand?"
Basalt patted little Larvitar's rocky head, giving him a pep talk.
Whatever else, Larvitar's habit of crying had to be fixed. Basalt really couldn't take it anymore.
"Yuji!"
Little Larvitar puffed out its chest and giggled.
Basalt was left scratching his head, unsure if the little guy had understood a single word.
Then, the tests began.
First was the strength test.
Although Larvitar looked small, its strength was immense. It could lift a 100 kg object with ease.
The final test result showed that little Larvitar's maximum strength was five times its own body weight, which was 500 kg.
"He's already a powerhouse at this age?"
Agent Zhou, who was recording the data, felt his mouth twitch. This little Larvitar's strength was far greater than he had imagined.
After the strength test came the defense test.
The results, naturally, were just as impressive.
Attacks comparable to a Beginner-rank Pokémon did almost nothing when they hit Larvitar's rocky body, leaving no marks.
"Is this the talent of an Elite Four-level's offspring? That's terrifying."
Agent Zhou looked at Larvitar, a look of envy in his eyes.
Its father was Elite Four-level, and its mother was Master-level. Even if it was a good-for-nothing, it couldn't be weak. He already knew that much.
But for it to be this strong... that was a "little" bit ridiculous.
After all, it had only been born four days ago.
"Could it be that its parents fed it numerous potential-boosting treasures while it was still in the egg?"
Agent Zhou raised an eyebrow, then silently nodded, thinking it was highly likely. After all, the father was the Desert Tyrant, an Elite Four-level powerhouse. Getting some good stuff for his own son would be a piece of cake.
Hearing this, Basalt just looked down and kept his mouth shut.
After the defense test came the speed and move tests.
With such high strength and physical stats, the power of Larvitar's moves was naturally top-notch.
The only thing was its speed. Perhaps because its body was too heavy, it seemed... a little on the slow side.
"Looks like I'll have to find some Quicksand Pears for the little guy to eat."
Basalt raised an eyebrow and quickly made a note.
Although the little guy had Dragon Dance, the move's tier was too high. It would take a very long time for it to execute.
In a battle, by the time it finished powering up, it would probably already be knocked out.
With weaknesses to six different types—4x to Water and Grass, and 2x to Fighting, Ground, Steel, and Ice—it was in a tough spot.
Fortunately, its defenses and strength were formidable; otherwise, it would be unplayable.
"Alright, that's it for the tests today. From now on, I'll come once a month to collect data on Larvitar."
Agent Zhou patted Basalt's shoulder. "Keep up the good work, kid. I hope to see you on the stage of the Alliance Professional League soon."
Pro-level. That was an achievement Basalt could definitely reach during his university years.
As for the Gym Leader-level beyond that, Basalt had a high chance, but it was hard to say when. It could be in his fourth year, or it could be when he was thirty.
As for the Master-level... that would depend on fate.
"Don't worry, Agent Zhou. I won't let you down," Basalt said with a grin.
With a Larvitar nurtured by a Smooth Rock Crystal, he wasn't worried at all about it evolving into a Tyranitar.
At that point, the Gym Leader-level would be within arm's reach.
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