The spot Alex chose for their vacation/ training was picturesque, assuming your idea of a vacation involved sleeping on hard rocks and eating bugs.
It was a secluded basin fed by a thunderous waterfall that crashed down from the high cliffs of the central mountain range.
The water was crystal clear, freezing cold, and teeming with small, non-aggressive fish. The canopy above was open enough to let in the sun, baking the rocks warm during the day.
"Home sweet home," Alex announced, dropping his survival pack onto a flat slab of a stone. "Rent is free, but the neighbors will bite."
He spent the first few hours setting up a proper camp as he used the tarp to create a lean-to against the cliff face, shielding them from the wind and dug a fire pit.
He even dug a latrine fifty meters downwind because dysentery was not on his to-do list.
"Okay," Alex said, clapping his hands. "Team meeting guys."
He released everyone.....
Nidorino shook himself, his spines rattling. He immediately went to mark a tree, establishing that it belonged to him now.
Skorupi skittered around, investigating a colony of ants while Duskull floated silently into the shadow of the lean-to, vanishing from sight.
And Feebas...well, Alex had dumped her into the pool. She was currently floating near the bottom, looking like a piece of driftwood.
"We have three weeks," Alex told them, sitting on his rock throne. "We are not going back to the base until the last possible second. Why? Because the base is full of stupid idiots who want to kill us for points. Here, things just want to kill us for food, It's much more honest."
He picked up the Ancient scales he had looted from the hive. It shimmered in the sunlight, a fine, metallic dust that pulsed with faint heat.
"Skorupi, front and center buddy."
The bug trotted over, clicking its claws. It smelled the scale and Its antennae twitched frantically.
"This is the good stuff," Alex said. "Ancient Volcarona scales, don't ask me how much it's worth; I don't want to cry."
He didn't just sprinkle it as that would be wasteful.
Alex pulled out a Sitrus Berry and mashed the pulp into a bowl. He mixed the silver powder into the paste until it turned a glittering grey-purple.
"Eat up," Alex commanded. "And if you don't get at least 10% stronger, I'm demoting you to bait."
The Skorupi dove into the bowl and it ate ravenously.
As it consumed the powder, a change occurred. It wasn't an evolution, no flashing lights. But the purple chitin of its exoskeleton darkened and the tips of its claws developed a metallic sheen and the toxin dripping from its tail turned from clear to a murky, iridescent violet.
[ Item Consumed: Ancient scales ]
[ Effect: Permanent Bug-Type Move Boost (+10%) ]
[ Secondary Effect: Chitin Hardening ]
"Nice," Alex nodded. "You look expensive."
He turned to his dear Nidorino.
"Big guy, you don't get magic dust, you get some lessons."
Alex pointed to a pile of river stones.
"We need to work on your aim, you have Poison Jab now, but you swing it like a sledgehammer. I want you to use it like a needle."
He picked up a stone and drew a small 'X' on it.
"Hit the X, don't break the stone. Just pierce it."
Nidorino looked at the stone and looked at its massive, destructive horn.
It snorted.....Impossible.
"Do it," Alex said, crossing his arms. "Or no back scratches tonight."
Week 1: The Grind
Training in real life wasn't a montage, it was really boring and was repetitive.
"Too hard!" Alex yelled over the roar of the waterfall. "You shattered the rock! Again!"
Nidorino grunted, frustrated. It grabbed another stone and focused. Its horn glowed purple.....It thrust.
Clack...
The stone flew into the water, untouched.
"You missed!" Alex face-palmed. "Again!"
Meanwhile, Skorupi was practicing Acupressure. Alex had it targeting specific body parts to boost specific stats. Claws for Attack and legs for Speed. It was learning to self-regulate its combat rhythm.
And Duskull?
Duskull was playing a game of "Don't Blink" with a wild Poliwag, the Poliwag would stare at the ghost, the ghost would use Will-O-Wisp, and the Poliwag would run away screaming.
"Good accuracy," Alex noted, marking a checklist on the dirt. "But stop scaring the food, we have to eat those."
Then there was Feebas....oh sweet Feebas.
Alex stood at the edge of the pool, looking down at the his beautiful ugly fish.
"You are the bane of my existence love," Alex told her.
She stared back blankly..... Bloop.
"You only know Splash...that's it. If a Magikarp attacked you right now, I'd bet on the Magikarp."
He needed her to gain XP but she couldn't fight.
"Okay," Alex sighed. "We do this the hard way."
He waded into the water, It was freezing and grabbed Feebas. She felt slimy and cold.
"We're going to play a game called 'Swift Swim Training'."
He walked toward the waterfall, the water pounded down with enough force to bruise a human.
"Swim against the current," Alex shouted, holding her in the turbulent wash. "Feel the water! You have the ability Swift Swim. Use it!"
He let go.
The current instantly grabbed her. She flailed, panicked, and was washed downstream like a dead leaf.
Alex waded after her, scooped her up, and walked back.
"Again."
Wash....Rinse...Repeat.....
For three days, Alex threw the fish into the waterfall and for three days, she failed.
But on the fourth day, something clicked.
Alex let go, the current grabbed her. But instead of flailing, her tail flicked.
Swish...
She cut through the turbulence. She didn't swim up the waterfall, that was impossible, but she held her position in the white water for five seconds.
[ Feebas ]
[ Speed EV: +2 ]
[ Ability Proficiency: Swift Swim (Low) ]
"Yes!" Alex cheered, pumping his fist. "She didn't die!". It was a low bar, but they cleared it.
Week 2: The Spar
By the second week, the team was starting to get serious.
Alex sat on the shore, peeling a roasted Poliwag tail which suprisingly tasted like chicken. He watched his Pokemon spar.
It was Nidorino vs. Skorupi
"Begin!" Alex shouted.
Skorupi moved first. It was a blur of purple, using its new speed to circle the tank. It fired a Pin Missile.
Thwip-thwip.......
Nidorino didn't dodge as he tanked it. The needles bounced off his toughened hide. He turned, anticipating the flank.
"Double Kick!"
Nidorino lashed out.
Skorupi used Acupressure...Speed boost. It skittered sideways, dodging the kick by an inch.
Then, it lunged. Bite.....
It clamped onto Nidorino's hind leg.
"Poison Jab!" Alex commanded.
Nidorino whipped his head around, his horn glowed purple and thrusted.....
But he didn't smash, he simply poked.
The tip of the horn struck Skorupi's shell, right in the center of a segment. It didn't crush the bug; it delivered a concentrated injection of corrosive energy.
Skorupi squealed and let go, skittering back, rubbing its shell.
"Hold!" Alex yelled.
He walked over, inspecting the hit.
"Precision," Alex nodded, impressed. "You hit the gap in the armor....Good boy."
He tossed Nidorino a berry.
"And Skorupi, good dodge but you got greedy, you stayed attached too long. Hit and run."
He tossed Skorupi a berry and looked at his team.
Nidorino (Level 18)
Skorupi (Level 20)
Duskull (Level 16)
Feebas (Level 7)
"We're getting there," Alex murmured.
He leaned back against the rock.
"You know," he said to the air. "I don't miss the city, I don't miss the traffic and I really don't miss the rent."
He looked at his hands, they were calloused, scarred, and dirty but they were steady.
"I might actually be really good at this."
Week 3: The Intruder
The peace broke three days before they were scheduled to return.
Alex was napping in a wooden block and Duskull was on watch.
Suddenly, a chill woke him up, not the morning breeze but the Death Chill.
Alex's eyes snapped open and didn't move. He reached for his knife.
"Duskull?" he whispered.
The ghost materialized, pointing a spectral finger toward the tree line across the pool.
Alex sat up slowly.
Someone was watching them.
It wasn't a Pokemon as a Pokémon would have attacked or run, this was a stillness that felt intelligent.
Alex grabbed his mask, sealing it tight, not wanting his identity to be risked and grabbed his belt.
"Nidorino," he hissed.
Nidorino woke up instantly, sensing the change in Alex's voice.
"Who's there?" Alex shouted, his voice loud and with confidence. "I have a Poison type and I'm not afraid to ruin your day."
Silence....
Then, a rustle.
A figure stepped out of the shadows.
It wasn't a Rocket grunt, the uniform was wrong. It was tattered, faded olive green.
A Ranger? No, too dirty.
It was a man, older, with a grey beard and wild eyes. He held a machete in one hand and a Pokéball in the other.
"You're loud," the man rasped. His voice sounded unused. "For a Rocket brat, you're very loud."
Alex stood up, keeping the fire between them.
"This is unbarren area," Alex said calmly. "It's restricted."
"Restricted?" The man laughed, a wheezing sound. "I've lived here for five years. You're the tourist."
He stepped closer, he looked at Nidorino and at Skorupi.
"Nidorino. Skorupi...," the man listed them. "Good team, balanced...you didn't catch trash."
"What do you want?" Alex asked, his muscles tensed.
"I want a trade," the man said as he reached into his pocket.
Alex's team tensed. Nidorino's horn began to glow.
The man pulled out a jagged, yellow crystal. It sparked with electricity.
"Thunder Stone shard," the man said. "I found it in the Aggron valley."
Alex blinked. "What do you want for it?"
The man pointed at the drying rack near the fire.
"Salt," the man said. "I ran out of Salt a year ago. I saw you using a salt rock on that fish ."
Alex stared at him.
"You want to trade a Thunder Stone..... for a bag of rock salt?"
"Have you ever eaten unsalted Rattata for a year, boy?" The man's eyes were manic. "It changes a man."
Alex slowly reached for his pack and pulled out the chunk of rock salt, It was worth maybe 5 points.
He tossed it.
The man caught it and licked it, a look of pure ecstasy crossed his face.
He tossed the crystal to Alex.
"Fair trade."
The man turned around.
"One piece of advice, tourist," the man called back over his shoulder. "Don't go north, the fog is moving in and the things in the fog..... they don't like visitors."
He vanished into the trees as quickly as he appeared.
Alex stood there, holding the jagged yellow crystal.
[ Item: Thunder Stone Shard ]
[ Quality: Low ]
[ Use: Evolution (Pikachu, Eevee) / Crafting ]
"This island," Alex shook his head, looking at the crystal. "Is absolutely fucking insane."
He looked at his team.
"Pack it up guys, Vacation is over."
"We have an evaluation to pass."
Alex put on his MP3 player and relaxed....
Yo boys!
I am singing song
Soup song
Flop song
Why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di
Why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di
Rhythm correct?
Why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di
Maintain please
Why this kolaveri... a-di
:- Anirudh, Dhanush
Authors Note:-
TRAINING MONTAGE and some interesting stuff.... Poor Feebas still has a long way to go.... She is the Queen.
Support your dear Author with power stones and please review it.🥺.
I am going through some problematic phase in my life now so sorry if I get late to upload some times....
You guys can have early access of chapters through patreon,:-
P a t r e o n . c o m / Aegis007
(Remove the spaces!)
Love you all ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️.