Chapter 9 - Training Room

Eve's tail started to wag furiously upon hearing Jamie, the dragon, in contrast, took a step back and lowered it's body, tucking it's wings in. Jamie could not help but sigh and think to himself "I really need to think about how to motivate him. It's more likely to cower or fly away if actually attacked, then fight back."

Jamie looked at the dragon intently for a moment, before coming up with an idea. He transmitted to them both the same images, that of Eve fighting different creatures while the dragon watched. A brief period of time passed after receiving these images, before the dragon straightened up and let out a low roar. "Well, that's something at least" Jamie thought to himself. "Hopefully, after seeing Eve fight it will want to join in."

Jamie bent down to attach the leash to the collar around the dragons neck, before straightening up and leading his beasts to a large, green building in the center of the walled off land, that contained the various enclosures for the beasts of Battlepets Delux. As he entered the building, his eyes immediately fell on the two black walled virtual training rooms at the other side of the room. On both doors, at the top there was a red light, that wasn't glowing. In the center of the building, there was a slightly raised black stage.

Jamie looked around, and to his left, he saw massive white body scanner along the wall. Inside it, was a brown human dummy placed at one end, wearing a blue hat. To the side of the body scanner, at the front, there was a touch screen. He approached the touch screen, and followed the prompts to start the scanning process for his beasts.

"Eve, please step into the center of the body scanner."

Eve walked in, with her tail still wagging, and the dragon watched on from slightly behind, curious. Once she was in, he started the scanner, red lights lit up along the top, and when the process was done, a loud beeping sound rang out throughout the building, with the lights at the top turning blue.

"Eve, dash forwards, towards the dummy, biting it it's foot when I tell you to."

Jamie touched on 'Register Skill', then tapped on the 'Start', then transmitted to Eve "now."

Eve dashed forward to the dummy in an instant, biting into it. A cool, detached voice rang throughout the building afterwards.

"Skill Registered."

After Jamie had finished registering Eve's movement increasing skill, he registered the Eve's healing paw by getting her to inject the energy into the dummy, and the telekinesis by lifting the dummies hat. Once Eve was done, he registered the dragon and it's ember attack. Afterwards, Jamie tried to coax the dragon into using a new ability, by sending it mental images of performing various abilities such as levitation, increasing it's speed, putting a barrier around it, and urging it to try.

As a result, Jamie spent 5 minutes of watching the dragon just glaring at the dummy and letting out an occasional roar in frustration, before it snapped, and proceeded to bite the dummy in a rage. As it's fangs withdrew, Jamie noted a slight sizzling sound coming from the dummy. Jamie's eyes widened, and he touched the 'Register Skill' prompt, then he transmitted to the dragon an image of it's earlier bite, urging it to try it again. After the dragon repeated it's bite, the cool detached voice registered in the building.

"Skill registered."

Jamie grinned from ear to ear, before sending it an image of the White Swirled Crow's gust attack and urging the dragon for it to try, and when that failed, tried to get it to perform other skills he had seen online. Unfortunately, 10 minutes later Jamie couldn't get the dragon to perform another skill.

"I should have asked Bob and Michael to tell me what other skills this dragon could perform" Jamie thought, mentally kicking himself. "I'll look it up when I get back home."

Done, Jamie saved the beast registration data, and led his beast to go to the other end of the room, where the booths were located. Jamie led his beast to one of the training rooms, and as after they entered and the door shut, the red light on the door turned on. Inside the room there were six evenly spread large black pet beds with virtual helmets on the beds, with a human shaped bed at the back with a virtual helmet.

Sending images to his beasts of them lying down comfortably, they followed Jamie's prompts. He attached the virtual helmets to them, then lay on the bed at the back and attached the virtual helmet. Jamie then heard a bland voice in his mind "Would you like to begin Virtual Beast Training?"

"Begin" Jamie thought, and immediately he and his beasts were put to sleep, and they appeared in the middle of a virtual stadium.

Jamie set Eve to fight with the dragon as a Bystander, the fighting style to Tournament Rules, and the location to a Stadium. Jamie selected a single, average sized stage 1 black cat, which was twice the size of Eve, then set the pain feedback to low. He then asked "Are you ready Eve?"

"Bring it."

Jamie started the fight. A flash of light ensured, and Eve and Jamie were at one end of the stage, and a black cat at the other side. A countdown rang in their heads "3,2,1,Begin."

Once the countdown ended, Eve and the cat immediately ran forwards towards each other. Once Eve got close, she dashed forwards leaping towards the cats throat and biting. The cat yowled and tried to shake Eve off, but Eve clung on until her teeth puncture right through the cats throat. Eve released her grip on the throat as the cats head was tilted to the while it was still trying to shake Eve off, causing Eve to land some distance away. After landing, Eve ran forwards to try take another chunk out of the cat, but she and the cat froze in place, before a bland voice could be heard.

"Match over. Tamers victory."

The cat and Eve disappeared, with Eve reappearing next to Jaime. Eve looked up at Jaime with her ears perked, and tail wagging, while she transmitted to Jamie. "That's it? That was too easy."

Jamie smiled, and responded "Tournament matches aren't meant to be fatal. The first beast to cause a wound to the other Beast that would eventually be fatal without treatment is declared a winner. Also, if a beast is about to outright kill another beast the match is halted, and the beast about to deliver the fatal blow is declared the winner. Additionally, there are circumstances where the matches are too close and there is a danger of both beasts dying. If that is the case, the match is stopped and a judging panel of 5 members each vote on whom they think should win based on the match, with the beast getting the most votes winning the match. It's completely different from a true life and death battle."

With that, Jamie set the fighting style to Life and Death (Frontal Encounter), the location to a Riverbed, and setting the opponent to the same stage 1 cat that Eve fought previously. A blinding flash of light appeared, and Jamie and Eve were standing on slightly tilted ground littered with small rocks. He then mentioned to Eve "This time, it is a true life and death match with the same opponent."

Eve let out a small growl and transmitted "Finally."

Jamie started the match. A flash of light appeared and Jaime and Eve was standing further back, with the black stage 1 cat in front of them, while a countdown rang in their heads "3,2,1, Begin."

Once the match began, Eve and the cat ran towards each other. Eve repeated the same tactic, dashing when she was close to instantly latch on to the cats throat, only letting go when she punctured the throat. This time however, she was swung onto the tilted surface littered with rocks, and and she fell, jarring her legs and letting out a loud yelp. The cats eyes started to turn red, and it ran towards Eve, furious, with it's tail raised. It reached Eve just as she managed to get up, and it raised a paw and lowered it, pushing Eve to the ground and biting her neck. Eve let out another yelp and lashed out with her paws and jaws, at anything she could see, seeking to push the cat away. The cat let out a yowl, releasing Eve and backing away slightly, and Eve got up immediately, about to run away. Jamie then transmitted a command.

"Eve, shift the rock beneath it's back left feet using your telekinesis."

The cat raised it's back left foot forwards, intent on attacking Eve again. As it was in the air, the rock beneath it's other back leg was pulled forward, causing the cat to fall backwards. The cat let out another yelp, and was disorientated for a moment, Eve seized this moment to dash forwards to bite it's throat. The bite this time tore out it's throat instead of puncturing it, causing that cat to fall to the ground, twitching, as it bled out. Once the cat stopped moving, a bland voice rang.

"Match Over. Tamer Wins."