Chapter 111: I Enjoy Training in my Dreams

It's Swalot, the evolved form of Gulpin!

Similar to Gulpin, Swalot has a soft and flexible body. However, unlike the small and adorable Gulpin, Swalot has grown much larger, standing as tall as an adult man. Its color has shifted from green to purple, and it now sports two yellow whiskers around its mouth.

"Swa~ Swaloot~"

Swalot, still not realizing it had evolved, twisted its body to look around, confusion written all over its face.

"Scraggy~~" Scraggy cheered it on excitedly.

It was only then that Swalot recognized its evolution. It joyfully bounced around, its elastic body propelling it high into the air.

At that moment, Litwick, Skitty, Stunky, Spritzee, Pancham, Heliolisk, and Zigzagoon all noticed Gulpin's evolution and gathered around, chattering excitedly to congratulate Swalot.

"Swaalot~"

Swalot enthusiastically embraced everyone, its bouncy body wrapping around them in an instant.

After evolving, it had become the largest Pokémon in their little family.

By evening, the Pokémons, exhausted from their day, returned home with Andrew, while Munchlax, Drizzile, and Haunter had already prepared dinner and were waiting for them.

Haunter had been following Andrew for a few days to learn cooking skills and had been practicing diligently in the culinary training room. Although it still wasn't fully independent in the kitchen, it was more than capable of helping Munchlax and Drizzile.

Perhaps because of their hard work, dinner tasted even more delicious, and the Pokémons ate with their heads down.

Today, Andrew and his Pokémons also joined the other Pokémons for an outdoor meal.

As Metagross savored its food, two Farfetch'd quietly shuffled over, holding their bowls, and gently tapped against Metagross.

Bang, bang, bang... They knocked on their bowls.

"Metta~" Is something the matter? Metagross turned its head to look at them after hearing the noise.

The male Farfetch'd asked, "Farfetch'd~ Farfetch'd~"

We heard you devised a training plan for Veluzas and the others?

Metagross nodded in acknowledgment.

"Metta~ Metta~" That's correct.

The female Farfetch'd's eyes brightened, "Farfetch'd~ Farfetch'd~" Could you create a training plan for us as well?

Some Pokémon enjoy battling, while others do not. Most Pokémon on the Nebel Plateau prefer a carefree and leisurely life.

However, there are a few that do enjoy it, including these two Farfetch'd, Lairon, Croconaw, Quilladin, Drilbur, and the newly added Espathra.

Having heard about Metagross' successful training regimen for the Veluzas, the Farfetch'd couple had been eager to try their hand at it.

Just a moment ago, they finally gathered the courage to approach Metagross. They had heard it was a powerful Pokémon, which made them hesitant to speak to it earlier.

However, after hearing the female Farfetch'd's request, Metagross seemed a bit uncertain.

Nearby, Diancie overheard their conversation and smiled as she said to Metagross, "Teacher Metagross, how about starting a battle training class?"

Metagross had the ability to quickly acquire knowledge from the internet, and being strong itself, Diancie thought it would make a perfect battle instructor for the Pokémon.

"Metta~ Metta~" Can I really do that?

Metagross was uncertain. While it enjoyed the idea of being a teacher, it was apprehensive about whether it could handle the role. Teaching battle skills was different from teaching knowledge about farming.

Diancie trusted Metagross more than it trusted itself and encouraged it, saying, "You won't know unless you try, right?"

Moved by her words, Metagross nodded and replied, "Metta~ Metta~" I'll give it a shot!

Diancie suggested, "In the staff dormitory at the Secret Fortress, Andrew has battle training DVDs you can use as reference."

Metagross replied gratefully, "Metta~" Thank you!

Diancie smiled sweetly, "No need for thanks, It's all for Andrew!"

Then Metagross turned to the two eager Farfetch'd and said, "Metta~ Metta~" After you finish your meal, ask around to see who else is interested in learning about battle techniques. Once you've gathered the names, report back to me, and I'll tailor a training plan just for you.

"Farfetch'd~ Farfetch'd~"

"Farfetch'd~ Farfetch'd~"

Upon hearing this, the two Farfetch'd were filled with joy and quickly ran off with their food bowls to share the good news with their friends.

Seeing this scene, Diancie smiled.

After dinner, the other Pokémons returned one after another to rest. After Andrew spent some happy family time with his seven Pokémon, he took his three apprentices into the cooking training room.

Diancie continued to be a strict instructor, making Andrew, Munchlax, Drizzile, and Haunter shiver in her presence.

Pawmi, feeling bored, wanted to play with Metagross, but Metagross was busy creating training programs for the Pokémons and didn't have time for Pawmi.

Just after dinner, the two Farfetch'd had already handed Metagross a list of Pokémon interested in joining its training sessions. The list included: two Farfetch'd, Lairon, Croconaw, Drilbur, Quilladin, Espathra, and two Charcadet.

In reality, the two Charcadet weren't keen on battling, especially Crybaby Charcadet, who could cry for a long time after getting hit.

However, Goodboy Charcadet believed that if they were to go on adventures with the Oinkolognes in the future, they needed to develop self-defense skills to protect themselves and Oinkolognes. And since Crybaby Charcadet was always by its side, they signed up together.

Seeing that Metagross ignored it, Pawmi went over to Komala and leaned against it. However, before long, sleepiness took over, and Pawmi fell asleep alongside Komala.

It was unclear how long Pawmi had been asleep until Andrew picked it up by the scruff of its neck.

"Pawmi, time to wake up and learn."

Andrew's voice broke through Pawmi's dreams, jolting it awake. When it saw Munchlax, Drizzile, and Haunter sitting in a circle waiting for it, its spirits immediately drooped.

"Paw..." I hate studying!

Unfortunately, resisting was futile.

Thus, Andrew gathered his three apprentices and Pawmi into a circle to begin their daily Aura training.

Andrew had already explained the theory thoroughly, and today he reiterated the key points to the three apprentices and Pawmi. Soon, the four of them, plus Pawmi, sat cross-legged on the ground, closed their eyes, and entered a meditative state.

Following the methods outlined in the Training Manual, Andrew continuously stimulated the Aura within him, making it stronger and more active.

Munchlax, Drizzile, and Haunter, on the other hand, were struggling. They couldn't feel any Aura energy inside them and could only sit there with furrowed brows.

This kind of sitting was unbearably dull.

While Munchlax and the others endured the discomfort, Pawmi couldn't sit still at all. Although it had its eyes closed like everyone else, it squirmed restlessly, scratching itself and fidgeting as if it were sitting on a cactus.

Time ticked by slowly, and before long, the training session was about to end. Munchlax, Drizzile, and Haunter still hadn't grasped anything.

Pawmi had started to doze off, its head bobbing up and down, a big bubble of snot rising and falling with its breathing.

It seemed to be dreaming, wearing a serious expression, occasionally raising its paw as if to throw a punch.

Suddenly, joy lit up its face, and the snot bubble burst with a "pop!" Pawmi's eyes flew open.

"Pawmi!"

Pawmi leaped up, scampering to Andrew, excitedly tugging at his sleeve.

Andrew lazily opened one eye, looking at it. "Pawmi, what's wrong? Don't disturb my meditation."

"Paw, paw!"

Pawmi gestured excitedly.

Andrew opened both eyes wide in surprise. "You sensed Aura? Hahaha, weren't you just asleep? Don't think I didn't notice!"

"Paw, pawmi!"

Pawmi adamantly refused to admit it had been slacking off. It feigned anger, pouting and tugging at Andrew's finger, insisting that he check if it really sensed the Aura.

Andrew, worn down by its persistence, sighed, "Alright, alright, I'll check. But if you didn't sense any Aura, you're going to sit quietly and not interrupt me anymore, got it?"

"Paw!"

Pawmi nodded vigorously, its expression brimming with confidence.

Andrew took Pawmi's paw and used his Aura to sense its energy. His expression suddenly froze as he looked at Pawmi in astonishment.

"Did you really sense it?"

According to the Training Manual, Aura remains relatively dormant until it is sensed, after which it becomes highly active—this process is known as the "Awakening of Aura."

At that moment, the Aura within Pawmi was extremely vibrant, clearly in a state of awakening.

"Paw, paw!" Of course, I'm not lying!

Pawmi proudly patted its chest, raising its head triumphantly.

Andrew couldn't comprehend it. Was this a difference in talent? This little one had been slacking off all this time, yet it had managed to get ahead?

Andrew gently patted Pawmi on the head, saying, "Now that you've sensed it, it's time to train diligently."

In truth, even if one awakens their Aura, it doesn't guarantee they can use it like a Lucario does, performing various feats such as firing Aura Spheres or using Aura to scan their surroundings. Some individuals who awaken their Aura may train their entire lives without ever being able to project it, let alone harness it for other purposes.

A person's Aura is fixed within them and changes as they grow. From childhood through adolescence to adulthood, a person's Aura will continually strengthen; however, from middle age to old age, it will gradually weaken.

Historically, the legendary Aura warriors possessed naturally powerful Aura.

The same is true for the Aura Pokémon, Lucario; they are inherently endowed with robust Aura.

The patterns of Aura development in Pokémon are generally similar to those in humans.

Thus, Aura cannot be increased solely through training. The training process is fundamentally about enhancing one's control over their internal Aura.

Once Aura is awakened, a person (or Pokémon) gains a different level of control over their body compared to others. They can use Aura to amplify their physical strength and enhance their awareness of the external environment.

Andrew's Aura continues to grow, largely due to the assistance from the system. The increase in his intelligence points is a clear indication of the strengthening of his internal Aura.

He carefully sensed Pawmi's Aura; although it was lively, it wasn't particularly strong. It's quite surprising that Pawmi managed to awaken before Munchlax and the others!

Pawmi's Aura will enhance further with evolution, and once it reaches its final form, the strength of its Aura will be fully established.

"Paw"

Pawmi happily scurried to the side, sitting down earnestly and starting to train according to Andrew's guidance.

Having awakened its Aura before the diligent trainers like Munchlax, Drizzile, and Haunter gave Pawmi a sense of accomplishment, making it more serious than before.

Andrew shifted his gaze from Pawmi and shook his head in mild exasperation.

"Munch~"

At that moment, Munchlax opened its eyes, looking quite dejected. It had overheard Andrew and Pawmi's conversation. Despite its dedicated training, it still hadn't managed to awaken its Aura, while Pawmi, who had been more relaxed, had succeeded.

It felt incredibly unfair!

Andrew reached out to gently rub Munchlax's head, offering comfort. "Don't worry, Aura training is inherently challenging. Just take it step by step."

In reality, Andrew didn't press Munchlax and the others to master their Aura. After many days with no results, he had told Munchlax that it could stop training if it wanted to.

But Munchlax firmly insisted on training alongside Andrew.

Even if it couldn't awaken its Aura, just being by Andrew's side was enough to make it happy.

As the training session concluded, Andrew led his Pokémons out of the training room.

"Paw"

Having sensed the Aura, Pawmi was in high spirits, bouncing ahead with an air of confidence.

In comparison, Munchlax, Drizzile, and Haunter were less enthusiastic, their heads hanging low.

It was another day of failing to perceive Aura.

Seeing his three apprentices looking so downcast, Andrew felt a pang of sympathy and suddenly had a bright idea. "Are you all hungry? How about I treat you to some late-night snacks? Something you've never tried before!"

"Pawmi~" Something delicious!?

Upon hearing about food, Pawmi halted, then dashed over to Andrew, wrapping its arms around his leg with eager eyes.

Even Munchlax and the others perked up slightly at the mention of food.

Andrew continued, "There's still time; let's grab a bite to eat before heading to bed." He turned to their household manager, Diancie, and asked, "Diancie, is that alright?"

Diancie feigned irritation and playfully slapped his arm. "Fine, fine! You're the head of the house, so whatever you say goes. How could I dare to disagree?"

"Munchlax~"

"Drizz~"

"Paw~"

"Haunter~"

With Diancie's approval, Munchlax and the others cheered excitedly.

"Let's go to the kitchen!" Andrew exclaimed, raising his arm in enthusiasm.

(End of the chapter)