Night descended quietly over Aether Paradise.
The lights of the private training yard flickered on, illuminating two familiar figures on the field — Bai Chen and the little Nergigante.
This time, Bai Chen wasn't training alone.
He'd decided to bring his partner into the routine.
Nergigante was sprawled lazily on the ground, yawning wide enough to show her small but razor-sharp teeth. She was, after all, still a hatchling — her growth came easily, through eating and sleeping. But Bai Chen wasn't the kind to wait patiently for nature to take its course.
"You might grow stronger by sleeping," he said, tying the hilt of his iron sword, "but that's too slow. If you're my partner, you have to reach your peak — fast."
Nergigante tilted her head, golden eyes blinking curiously.
The two stood before a Pokémon training dummy — a human-sized iron construct designed to withstand the strikes of Pokémon at least ten levels higher than average. Bai Chen had tested it earlier with his own katana. Despite his strength, the blade had only left a faint scar on the metal.
A worthy test subject.
Bai Chen crouched, adopting a pose reminiscent of Nergigante's own stance.
"Watch carefully. I'll show you a move — I call it Extinction Palm."
He inhaled deeply, his body tightening like a coiled spring. Muscles rippled under his skin as every fiber focused into his right hand. Then, in one sudden burst—
BOOM!
The sound of impact echoed through the training yard. Dust rippled outward as the heavy dummy was slammed flat onto the ground.
Nergigante blinked at him, slightly confused, her golden eyes shimmering with curiosity.
Bai Chen straightened and explained,
"That's roughly the feeling you need. Try to gather all your strength here—" he patted his right shoulder, "—and drive it down through your palm. Go on, give it a try."
Of course, Bai Chen didn't truly know the Extinction Palm.
It was a move unique to the Nergigante species — a bloodline technique, one that even the Monster Hunter Stories game had turned into a signature skill.
If she could learn it here, in this world, he could link to her through the bond stone and perhaps copy it for himself.
"Don't worry if it doesn't work at first," he encouraged her with a grin. "Even I took a while to get the hang of my blade breathing. Practice makes perfect."
Nergigante looked uncertain, but she nodded. She turned toward the dummy, lifted her small frame upright like he had — and then gently patted the iron dummy's head with her palm.
Clap.
The sound was adorable. The impact? Nonexistent.
Bai Chen smiled, suppressing a laugh.
"Right. That's the motion. But next time—put your strength into it."
The little dragon tilted her head again, then looked down at her clawed palm as if deep in thought.
Bai Chen stepped back, folding his arms as he watched her.
"She'll probably need a few days to get it down," he murmured to himself. "No rush. Steady progress is fine."
He turned away, drawing his sword to begin his own breathing drills.
And then—
BOOM!
The explosion of sound made the floor tremble beneath his feet.
Bai Chen's head snapped toward Nergigante — and his eyes went wide.
The hatchling's body had straightened, muscles pulsing beneath the surface of her black hide. Her right arm — her claw — looked thicker, denser than before.
She roared softly and slammed her palm down again.
BOOM!!
This time, the reinforced dummy — the one Bai Chen's blade could barely scratch — had its head dented inward with a metallic crunch.
She tilted her head, as if admiring her work. Then, with a delighted growl, she lifted both claws and began pummeling the target with alternating strikes.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The dummy's head crumpled like paper under her blows.
Bai Chen was stunned.
"What… what the hell just happened?"
He quickly opened the system interface, eyes scanning the floating text beside Nergigante.
Then he froze.
"She actually learned it!?"
[New Skill Unlocked]
Extinction Palm (★7) — Beginner (2/700)
A Nergigante-exclusive ability that amplifies muscle fibers in the forelimbs to deliver devastating palm strikes.
She turned, tail wagging slightly, proud as could be, and bounded over to him for praise.
Bai Chen couldn't help but laugh.
He reached into his pocket and pressed the bond stone, syncing it to her aura.
[Skill Copied: Extinction Palm (★7)]
— No Transferable Target Available.
The "transfer" button was greyed out.
"Ah, come on!" Bai Chen groaned. "I've already inherited three of her skills! Can't I get just one more?"
But the system was merciless. Locked meant locked.
He sighed and rubbed her head.
"Still, you did good. Not bad at all."
Her tail wagged harder.
"Now then," he continued, "let's move to something a bit tougher. I'll teach you another skill — Extinction Rush."
He demonstrated, crouching slightly, mimicking a charging stance.
"It's all about momentum. You use the spines on your wings, fold them back, and—" he lunged forward, sweeping one arm through the air, "—drive straight through your target!"
Nergigante blinked, then mimicked his motion.
Her first attempt was awkward — a clumsy hop and a bump.
Her second was smoother, the body line flowing more naturally.
On the third, she lowered her head and slammed forward — sending the dummy flying ten meters across the field.
"...Okay," Bai Chen muttered, "that's progress."
But the next moment, he saw something change.
The spines along her wings began to rise, trembling with energy. Then, with a roar, she lunged again.
BOOOOM!
The dummy shot across the arena, smashing into the far wall with enough force to leave a crater.
A heartbeat later, several of her spines fired like bullets, embedding themselves deep into the concrete.
Bai Chen hurried over, examining the damage. The dummy's reinforced plating had been pierced a full two centimeters deep.
"That's… insane power."
He turned, watching the hatchling nibble curiously on one of her wings, as if testing the spines she'd just shot off.
And then the system flickered again:
[New Skill Learned]
Extinction Rush (★7) — Beginner (3/700)
A Nergigante-exclusive skill that launches hardened spines during a high-speed charge. The stronger the regrown spines, the greater the destructive power.
Bai Chen stared blankly.
"...She learned it? Already?!"
His voice cracked in disbelief.
"Two skills… in less than thirty seconds? Is she actually a genius!?"
Nergigante sat obediently on the ground, looking up at him expectantly with those wide golden eyes, waiting for his praise.
Bai Chen coughed into his hand.
"Ahem. Well, it did take you four tries… but that's still impressive. I was going to teach you Rending Spine Cataclysm, but—" he waved a finger, "—we shouldn't rush. Too many skills at once and you'll just confuse yourself."
Nergigante yawned loudly, her tail flicking behind her.
If he could understand her expression, it would have said: "Really? Those two moves? That's all?"
Bai Chen noticed the look and lightly thumped her on the head.
"Don't get cocky. Go practice. I want one thousand reps of Extinction Palm and Extinction Rush each. No sleep until you're done."
"Graaah…"
The little dragon groaned, but she obeyed.
She trudged back to the ruined dummy, raised her claw, and began pounding away one strike at a time.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The rhythm of training filled the night.
Bai Chen returned to his own routine, gripping the iron sword tightly.
The blade flashed through the air again and again, his breathing deep and steady — faster now, sharper. Each swing sent a faint whistle through the yard.
"A hundred more sets," he muttered. "No breaks until I'm done!"
For a moment, his golden eyes gleamed in the lamplight, mirroring the same fire burning in Nergigante's gaze.
Somewhere deep down, a strange competitiveness had taken root —
the kind of rivalry only a true hunter could feel.
"If one day my partner surpasses me," he whispered with a grin, "then what kind of master would I be?"
The sound of strikes filled the night again — man and dragon, teacher and pupil — each driving the other to new limits.
And under the moonlit sky of Alola, the courtyard of the Aether estate echoed with power, discipline, and the unspoken promise of greatness.