"That's it, Snorlax! Condense the flames in your palm and swing it down with force. It's the same principle as your Ice Punch!"
On a grassy field near the main road, Snorlax was training to use the move Fire Punch. Ever since Ash saw that Snorlax hadn't even learned the "three punches" yet, he decided that they would learn them first. So, after Snorlax finished its lunch, Ash quickly started its training before it could fall asleep. Initially, Snorlax was reluctant. It went against the Snorlax species' habit of eating and sleeping. Ash had to bribe the big eater with two boxes of rare candies to get it to move.
"Snorlax~" Following Ash's instructions, Snorlax gathered all the Fire-type energy within its body and channeled it into its right hand. Finally, it slowly released the energy, and a raging fire ignited in its palm.
"That's great! You've learned Fire Punch. Now let's learn another one!" Ash was very pleased to see Snorlax learn the first move in less than half an hour. He gave it a thumbs-up in praise.
"Snorlax~" The praise from its trainer made Snorlax, who usually only cared about eating and sleeping, feel a sense of satisfaction. It couldn't wait to learn the second move.
"Okay, next is Thunder Punch. It's similar to Fire Punch and Ice Punch..." While explaining, Ash pulled out a golden TM disc from somewhere. In Snorlax's line of sight, he lightly tapped it, and a method for using the Thunder Punch skill immediately appeared in its mind. It continued to follow the instructions in its mind and Ash's guidance, ready to master the new move.
Dawn and Brock watched in stunned silence. They couldn't see the TM disc in Ash's hand, so they mistakenly thought Snorlax had learned Fire Punch by itself in just half an hour. How could other Pokémon, who take days or even months to learn a new move, compare to this efficiency? In the end, Snorlax was also very cooperative and successfully learned Thunder Punch before they set off again, making Ash so happy that he felt like he was floating as he walked.
"Everyone, we are about a day's journey away from Floaroma Town. We're almost there!" Brock said, looking at the updated map on his watch.
"We're finally almost there! My Pokémon and I have been ready for a long time!" Dawn cheered, clenching her fists.
"What are we waiting for? Let's run!" In order to get there as soon as possible, the three of them jogged along the road, accelerating their journey. However, on the way, they encountered a small accident.
"This Bidoof is hurt! Is it seriously injured?" Dawn asked worriedly, looking at the brown Bidoof with large front teeth lying in Brock's arms.
"Don't worry, this little guy's body is very healthy. It's just a small injury on its forehead!" Brock sprayed some Potion on the Bidoof's head and wrapped it in a bandage. Under Brock's care as a future Pokémon Doctor, the Bidoof quickly regained consciousness, and its minor injuries would heal on their own in a day.
"Bidoof~" The grateful Pokémon immediately bowed to Ash and his friends as a thank you, making the three of them look at each other and smile. They wondered where the Bidoof had learned human manners.
"Little guy, you're all better now. You can go back home!" Dawn said, bending down.
"Bidoof Bidoof" However, the Bidoof looked very panicked, which immediately told the three of them that something was wrong.
"Help!" x3 Just then, three familiar cries for help came. They turned around and saw the sticky Team Rocket trio. The three of them looked a bit panicked, and Jessie's long purple hair was missing a chunk, a clear sign that they had encountered something terrifying.
"It's the twerps, meow!" The sharp-eyed Meowth saw the hateful trio and yelled to the others excitedly. They all rushed toward Ash and his friends.
"Twerps! We're leaving these guys to you!" James laughed as if he had found his saviors. Just as he finished speaking, the ground began to shake violently. Team Rocket quickly ran away.
"W-what on earth is going on?" Dawn stammered, swaying unsteadily.
"It doesn't feel like an earthquake!" The knowledgeable Brock frowned. "This tremor feels like a giant Pokémon is approaching!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a large, hard, gray snake-like creature nearly 10 meters long—a Steelix—came crashing toward them. Its fiery red eyes glared angrily, and its huge body made them all shiver.
"It's a Steelix!" Brock exclaimed, seeing the familiar figure. He was surprised to find a wild Steelix here.
"Snorlax, let's go!" Upon seeing the behemoth, Ash was thrilled. He didn't expect to encounter such a high-level Pokémon here and wanted to get it over with quickly.
"Snorlax~" Snorlax slowly woke up from its Heavy Ball at Ash's call and faced the Steelix with a serious expression. It remembered Ash telling it that for every battle it fought, it would get two boxes of rare candies.
"Snorlax, use Defense Curl!" Snorlax quickly curled into a round ball, like a giant meatball, and began to raise its defense. When Steelix saw this, it started to gather a dark purple energy ball in its mouth, preparing a powerful Hyper Beam.
"Now, Rollout!" Seeing its opponent's actions, Snorlax immediately started to roll. It became a giant ball, and because of its weight, the ground shook.
"Roar~" Steelix's fiery red eyes locked onto Snorlax's rolling form and fired a dark purple beam of energy at it.
"Oh no, it's going to get hit!" Dawn cried out anxiously. Brock also frowned, unable to guess what Ash was thinking.
"Jump!" As they watched, the meatball Snorlax suddenly bounced with all its might, using its own elastic, thick fat to bounce several times in place. The reactive force from the ground launched Snorlax like a slingshot, sending it flying over the Hyper Beam and straight toward Steelix's head.
Using its massive body weight combined with the speed from the rebound, Snorlax was like a huge boulder shot from a catapult. The weight falling from the sky dazed Steelix's steel head, and it fell to the ground, barely conscious. However, Snorlax, who was falling from the sky, once again landed squarely on Steelix's metal head. It didn't even need to use a move. Its sheer weight was enough to drive Steelix into the ground. The tremor from its landing was so strong that it knocked Ash and his two friends to the ground.
"I... I hope Steelix is okay!" Dawn got up and looked at the Steelix, which was now a meter or two deep in the ground. She asked Ash and Brock with an uncertain tone.
Brock: ...
Ash: ...
Neither of them dared to answer. They quickly rushed over to Steelix and had Snorlax get up so they could help the critically injured Pokémon.