Chapter 11
Day 12, 8:32 AM – Hidden Lake Cave, Training Session
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Nincada spent the whole morning practicing its burrowing techniques and refining moves like Dig. At the same time, it developed a better understanding of how to use Ground-type techniques efficiently.
Every time it could no longer dig through rock, it would take a short rest and meticulously complete the training plan Jayden had set.
As for Jayden, he spent the entire morning producing Terra-Carapace Energy Cubes.
The process of creating this formula was obviously more complicated than the Sitrus Blend Energy Cubes he'd made before.
Because of his primitive tools and the cave's geography, he only managed to make about a hundred energy cubes throughout the morning.
Looking at the energy cubes placed in their containers, Jayden let out a long breath and patted his legs, which were numb from sitting cross-legged for too long.
He stood up slowly from the ground. "Nincada, it's about time. Take a break. We need to prepare today's lunch," Jayden said.
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"Nin! Nincada!" Finally completing its training, Nincada used Dig a few more times. Small sprays of earth erupted and blew the remaining Zubat droppings out of the cave through the new ventilation tunnels. Only then did it stop moving and skitter over to Jayden's feet.
Jayden felt Nincada brush against his leg. Because of his numb limbs, Jayden almost lost his balance and staggered. Looking at the slightly embarrassed Nincada, Jayden reached down and gently touched its now-smooth carapace.
He smiled and said, "It's okay. But it seems your body has fully recovered. You've gotten heavier, haven't you?"
He said it half-jokingly. The human body in the Pokémon World was significantly more durable than the human body from Jayden's original Earth life. Even though Jayden's physique was still somewhat thin and weak, supporting Nincada's weight was no problem.
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There were exceptional humans in this world. Even if they weren't as strong as Pokémon, some individuals possessed bodies comparable to Fighting-types.
There were even specialized martial artists who could match certain Pokémon in physical combat.
In Jayden's memory, the person he knew most clearly was one of the future Elite Four members of the Kanto region, the Fighting-type specialist Bruno. His body was trained to the absolute extreme, making him comparable to Machamp, a Fighting-type Pokémon.
There were also humans with special abilities. For example, the Gym Leader of Saffron City in the Kanto region, Sabrina, was extremely talented in psychic powers. Her psychic abilities were stronger than most Psychic-type Pokémon. At the same time, Sabrina was also one of Team Rocket's three top covert operatives.
In his previous life, Jayden had encountered Sabrina once. Her insufferably arrogant demeanor was still vividly clear in his mind.
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Therefore, when Nincada was training, Jayden would also exercise his body. He didn't aspire to reach Bruno's level of physical mastery, but at minimum, he didn't want to become a burden to his Pokémon.
At lunchtime, the advantage of living by the lake revealed itself clearly. In the undeveloped lake waters, there were abundant fish everywhere. After failing a few times, Nincada slowly learned how to catch fish by creating small mud traps near the shore.
Then, in the joy of successfully catching prey, Nincada stopped once they had gathered enough fish.
After returning to the cave, Jayden finally had some seasoning available thanks to supplies he'd exchanged at the Team Rocket base. After grilling several fish, he and Nincada enjoyed a pleasant lunch together.
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After resting for a while, Jayden said, "Alright, the lunch break is almost over. Battle training begins this afternoon. Nincada, are you ready?"
"Nincada! Nin!" The Bug/Ground-type shifted its stance and nodded excitedly. Although it could clearly feel that it had grown stronger after a morning of intensive training, actual combat was what it loved most.
"You really do love fighting!" Looking at the energetic Nincada, Jayden smiled and patted its hardened shell.
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There wasn't much variety in the forest environment, but there were wild Pokémon everywhere. As long as you paid careful attention to various traces throughout the woods, you could find them very quickly. Some Pokémon with aggressive personalities would even take the initiative to attack unprovoked.
Because Jayden possessed CIPHER, he could scan opponents' data at any time. If he encountered an opponent they couldn't defeat, he would immediately retreat. If he found a suitable Pokémon for training, he would let Nincada engage. Therefore, as long as they didn't rashly enter the territory of a particularly powerful Pokémon, Jayden and Nincada wouldn't face serious danger.
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Soon, when the sun began setting, Jayden dragged his tired body and Nincada back to the cave. While Nincada had been fighting, Jayden had also been silently training his physical conditioning.
Recently, his frail body had received adequate nourishment. Combined with conscious physical training, Jayden's originally skeletal frame had gained some muscle mass, and the definition of his muscles had gradually begun to appear.
Looking at the completely solidified Terra-Carapace Energy Cubes in their container, Jayden took out one specimen and placed it in his palm to study carefully. The earth-brown energy cube had condensed into a jelly-like texture, and its smooth surface didn't contain even a trace of impurities. He used a small knife to gently cut off a tiny piece and put it in his mouth.
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A slightly bitter and dry taste burst across his tongue. Even though Jayden had mentally prepared for the unpleasant flavor, he couldn't help but furrow his brow at the intense sensations.
The slightly bitter taste of medicinal herbs mixed with the dry texture of compressed fruit created an unpalatable combination. Only an extremely skilled cultivator would be able to identify all the ingredients, let alone replicate the complicated manufacturing process.
Although the taste wasn't pleasant for humans, it was exactly what Pokémon naturally preferred. After consuming a small piece of the energy cube, he felt his tired body and stiff muscles relax slightly. This was merely the result of human consumption. The energy cube specially formulated for Pokémon would have even more dramatic effects on them.
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Jayden fed the remaining energy cube to Nincada. Under its expectant gaze, Jayden carefully placed the rest of the Terra-Carapace Energy Cubes into the dimensional storage space of his Team Rocket belt.
Looking at Nincada, which couldn't immediately eat another energy cube and could only savor the lingering taste of the sample, Jayden laughed and said affectionately, "Greedy one, what's the rush? They're all yours. But before that, you still need to eat two more Sitrus Blend Energy Cubes."
The Sitrus Blend formula had been consumed for five consecutive days, and its effectiveness was gradually diminishing. However, there were still two days remaining in the regimen. No matter how minimal the recovery effect had become, he needed to complete the full course to avoid metabolic complications.
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If different energy cube formulas weren't properly sequenced and spaced appropriately, mixing them could cause the effects to interfere with each other. Therefore, Nincada could only endure waiting two more days before switching to the new formula.
"Nin! Nincada!" Nincada hurriedly shook its head, then nodded vigorously. It seemed to be suppressing its desire for the newly produced energy cubes and then agreed with Jayden's instructions.
He sat down and gently stroked Nincada's smooth carapace, massaging the Bug/Ground-type according to techniques he had learned in his previous life. After a full day of training and combat, an appropriate massage session at night would allow the Pokémon to recover significantly faster.
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"Nin... nin..." Nincada unconsciously made soft sounds of comfort. Its stiff muscles were relieved considerably, and it closed its compound eyes to fully enjoy the therapeutic treatment.
After approximately half an hour of careful massage, Nincada completely relaxed, and its muscles released all accumulated tension.
Next, they began preparing dinner. Tonight's meal was a large pot of delicious fish soup. The milky white broth and the tender fish meat all went into their stomachs.
After hastily cleaning up the cooking area, the trainer and Pokémon, both exhausted from the day's efforts, leaned against a smooth rock and fell into deep sleep.
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The forest at night was particularly alive with sound, and the quiet former Zubat cave stood in peaceful contrast to the outside world. Because the Zubat colony had occupied this cave for such a long time, the surrounding wild Pokémon had learned to avoid the area even after the colony's elimination.
It remained very safe at night. Eventually, only the sound of steady, synchronized breathing filled the cave interior.
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End of Chapter 11
"Consistency in preparation breeds confidence in battle. Master the fundamentals, and victory will follow."