Chapter 17: The Ability Master

Word Total: 2508

Upon returning home, Tyson promptly brought Gligar to the local Pokémon Center, heeding his grandfather's advice. Nurse Joy, after a comprehensive check-up, informed Tyson that Gligar's weight was below the recommended 149.9 lbs. This revelation hardly shocked Tyson, who suspected that Gligar had been fending for itself with scant resources. Heeding Nurse Joy's counsel, Tyson decided Gligar would refrain from practice for a month to recuperate. This however, turned out to be a positive development, as Larvitar was nearing evolution and would become the primary focus of Tyson's efforts during this period. Nevertheless, this hiatus didn't prevent Tyson from acquainting Gligar with Eric and Sophia. Sophia, in particular, was thrilled to meet Gligar, though she was visibly distressed by its condition. Observing Gligar, Sophia quickly concluded it was malnourished. 'Despite her shyness, Sophia is an exceptional caregiver,' Tyson reflected.

Gligar wasn't complaining, though, as she was relishing her new life as she enjoyed the attention from Tyson's friends and family. Even the stoic Larvitar treated her well despite their limited conversations. As the week progressed, Bertha returned and noticed the new addition to Tyson's team. After he recounted the events of the camping trip, she remarked, "Well, well, a Gligar. I didn't expect your camping trip to result in capturing a new Pokemon." "Neither did I, Grandma, but do you have any advice on raising Gligar?" Tyson asked. Bertha smiled and beckoned Tyson to the backyard. Carrying Gligar on his shoulder Tyson followed Bertha to the backyard as she then pulled a Pokeball from her coat, tossed it, and with a flash, a Pokemon materialized before her. This Pokemon resembled a vampire bat, with a blue-purple hue and an insect-like shell. It had two-toed legs with a darker circular pattern underneath, and its tail sported two barbs, resembling the fangs of a vampire. Tyson, observing the Pokemon, thought to himself, 'Just as I suspected, she has a Gliscor. I recall her using one briefly in the anime.'

"Oh, is that a Gliscor? I didn't know you had one, Grandma," Tyson said, feigning surprise. Bertha chuckled in response, "This big guy has been an integral part of my team for quite some time." Gligar, with sparkles in its eyes, hopped off Tyson's shoulder and glided over to the large bat, looking at it gleefully. Bertha's Gliscor, seeing the small Gligar, flashed a toothy grin, delighted to see another of its kind. Although Gliscor was familiar to the people of Sinnoh, it remained a rare and seldom-seen Pokémon in other regions, with its evolutionary method known to only a select few. Scratching his head, Tyson replied, "Well, I read about it on the Trainer Forums. There are many rumors and theories about Gligar's evolution, but I'm surprised that you have one."

Watching her grandson, Bertha shook her head and then spoke, "Yes, raising it was quite the effort. The Gligar species is known for their formidable defensive power, capable of withstanding most physical attacks with ease. Since this little one is still recuperating, I'll assist you with its diet. The Gligar I caught was already fully grown, but yours appears to be quite young," she finished, prompting Tyson to raise his eyebrows in query, "How can you tell?" Bertha responded promptly, "It's simple: the length of its stinger and the size of its claws. Although the stinger size varies between male and female Gligar, the tail length and claw size are consistent. The length of your Gligar's tail suggests it's only two months old." Tyson, observing the Gligar's claws, noted that its claws, while larger than his fist, were indeed smaller than what's typical.

"Since you're aiming to become a breeder too, I'll instill as much knowledge in you as I can this year. Don't even consider taking the breeder exam until I've given my approval first," Bertha declared, making Tyson flinch at the thought, 'I have only one year left at Trainer School, plus I need to maintain my physical training and enhance Larvitar's abilities... it's going to be a hectic year.' As Bertha imparted her expertise on ground-type Pokémon, night fell, and Tyson eventually returned to his room. Browsing the trainer forums, he stumbled upon a new entry under "Pokémon Abilities." The post introduced a theory on "Evolved Abilities," piquing Tyson's interest. The text described how certain abilities, when honed to their peak, could evolve into a unique skill. For instance, a Tyranitar was depicted manipulating a sandstorm, condensing it to the size of a small ball. The degree of control exhibited was so extraordinary that many regarded the achievement as impossible. This degree of control is typically observed in Pokémon trained by Champion-level trainers, as the training required to achieve such a level is quite harsh. Unfortunately, no known Champion or Elite Four member has featured a Tyranitar on their team.

The post sparked a flurry of comments from both trainers and researchers, many of whom found the theory unlikely. It even drew a comment from Professor Rowen, a preeminent authority on Pokémon Evolution. The post posited that [Pokémon are beings of power and mystery, and our knowledge about them remains incomplete. Although the subject is fascinating, additional research is required to reach a definitive conclusion regarding Evolved Abilities.] This view led many to discuss the topic, causing a sharp increase in upvotes. Reclining in his chair, Tyson glanced at Larvitar who was conversing with Gligar and mused, 'Once he evolves, he will lose his Sand Veil ability. Even so, continuing to train in Sand Veil would still prove useful. If we can perfect the Sandstorm to a high enough degree, the absence of Sand Veil will not be an issue. Tyranitar could, at any point in the match, summon and control the sandstorm to conceal its blind spots and disorient its opponents'.

As Tyson typed at his keyboard, he sent a message to the thread owner, known as "Ability Master," a moniker he found rather cheesy. His message detailed his Larvitar's training to master the Sand Veil ability. Tyson wanted to inquire about the likelihood of Larvitar enhancing its control over its sandstorms. 'Possessing a Tyranitar that can control a sandstorm with high proficiency would be extraordinary. With sufficient mastery, it could utilize the sandstorm for offense or even as a defensive barrier.,' he mused, completing his post. Shortly after a reply was received stating [Training Larvitar to control sandstorms from an early stage is crucial. As it evolves into Tyranitar, its proficiency in summoning and managing sandstorms will greatly improve. Although this does not guarantee flawless control as depicted in the video, the degree of mastery achieved will be significantly advanced]. Reading the reply, Tyson mused 'While not surefire, the training we've been doing had shown results as Larvitar's sandstorm grows stronger', lifting his head to resume reading the message. Towards the end, the "Ability Master" mentioned, [While it's not a guaranteed strategy, it's advised to use items that resonate with Rock Type or Ground energy, such as Soft Sand and Hard Stones. However, the most effective item is likely the High-Grade Smooth Rock, as it extends the duration of a sandstorm].

As Tyson read the message, his eyes widened, and a smile spread across his face. "So that's it?!, it makes sense why Larvitar's control of sandstorm has been progressing so smoothly. With all the soft sand and crushed hard stones grandpa's been adding to its food the energy Larvitar has been gathering for evolution was pure ground and rock energy" he exclaimed in surprise. "With that in place Larvitar's evolution will be smoother, it might even surpass a regular Pupitar in strength" Tyson spoke as he quickly responded, eager to learn the next steps. After some time, a reply arrived, leaving him lost in thought once more ["There is no sure-fire way to master an ability beyond continuous training. Cases like Larvitar are very common and it would mostly require training the move sandstorm at its early stages"]. Tyson muttered, "So it all comes down to practice, well we have that down pat." He pondered over possible methods, with many new ideas surfacing until a notification pinged. Turning back to his computer, Tyson saw a new message from the Ability Master: ["While I can't offer a foolproof method, I'm willing to share the approach I took with my Pokémon"].

The message caught Tyson off guard, as the Ability Master appeared to be a researcher based on the conversation and his previous posts on the forum. Typically, graduates of the three great academies Research and Development classes receive a certificate recognizing them as official researchers, along with a modest loan from the league to kick-start their careers. Although many young prodigies enter this field aspiring to be the next Professor Oak, few succeed post-graduation. Their research is often deemed unbeneficial, unethical, or outright infeasible after extensive testing. Consequently, many end up indebted to the league as their research fails to provide adequate results, resorting in them having to find odd jobs to survive. As a result, the main graduates tend to feature young researchers affiliated with powerful families resulting in the Research and Development class being often viewed as a gamble as without the right connections to influential families many often avoid this career path.

Taking a moment, Tyson responded, ["Why would you share this information for free? Based on our conversation, I assume you're a researcher focused on Abilities. Why trust me with your research details?"] A reply soon arrived with a file attached, ["Indeed, as researchers, we conduct our studies to enhance humanity's comprehension of Pokemon and contribute to global betterment. If my expertise or experience can propel someone else forward, then I have fulfilled my role."]. Reading the response, Tyson felt the response was too straightforward, 'It seems he wants to advance his research, and I'm a guinea pig. Although many people around me have been kind, not everyone has been generous enough to offer things for free. Well, excluding the regional professors, and the league... perhaps I'll take a look; it likely won't cause much harm.'.

Upon downloading the file, Tyson noted that it contained two documents: one was a PDF file, and the other was a note. When he opened the note, he found a message from the Ability Master which read, "Thank you for taking an interest in my research." Tyson sighed, thinking to himself, 'Let's hope I can find something useful'. Although it wasn't guaranteed, he remained hopeful that his Larvitar would develop his sandstorm to a frightening level, which would be a significant advantage in future battles. Reviewing the PDF left Tyson perplexed, as it predominantly showcased a Pokémon's ability being used repetitively until it became instinctive, noting a few methods of improving control such as items with great deals of Type Energy or in cases like Larvitar high grade weather stones. The document concluded with a note explaining that there are many Pokemon that have mastered their ability to a high level and there are some that have even evolved their ability into something unique to them. Currently the best people in this field are members of the Elite Four and the Champions.

"The method is straightforward, but I won't know if it's effective until I try it," Tyson said, glancing at Larvitar before calling out, "Hey buddy." Larvitar immediately turned to face Tyson. "I've gathered some information and would like your opinion," Tyson continued as he explained the concept of Inherited Abilities to Larvitar. Following the explanation, Tyson inquired, "What do you think? Do you want to give it a shot? Your evolution is approaching, and though it will be challenging, I'm confident with grandma's and grandpa's help your mastery of sandstorm will continue to improve". Larvitar, understanding the explanation and Tyson's proposal, nodded without hesitation, agreeing to the idea. Tyson, with a smile, added, "Alright, we have a lot of work ahead, but first we should finish our sand veil training. Even if you lose the ability, it won't matter as the training to hide in the sandstorm will still come in handy" It was possible for Larvitar to inherit an old ability through dedication, a decision Tyson needed to ponder as it would influence Larvitar's future development.

Tyson aimed to specialize in Ground Type Pokémon, but his ambitions didn't stop there. He needed to assemble a team where each member served a specific role. In his previous world, Tyranitar was often deployed early to create sandstorms setting up the field for the next Pokemon that would follow, but Tyson had a different vision. He didn't want to use Tyranitar merely as a setup for his other Pokémon. Instead, he envisioned Tyranitar as an imposing wall, a final boss that adversaries would struggle to defeat, akin to the ace Pokémon of a champion. To achieve this, he would have to enhance not only Larvitar's endurance but also its survivability. Tyson's goal was to mitigate its weaknesses and craft it into an even more formidable adversary. "With the ongoing training, your stamina is getting better, and eventually, you should be able to maintain Dragon Dance for extended periods, hopefully lasting through an entire battle once we're finished. Next, we'll focus on expanding the range of your sandstorm. After that, we'll work on mastering the control of its size and shape to enhance your ability to summon and manipulate your sandstorms.," Tyson decided as a smile formed on his face. Listening to Tyson's explanation, Larvitar's eyes sparkled with the vision of summoning mighty storms to confuse his enemies and even utilizing the tempests to deflect attacks. With a firm nod, Larvitar agreed to the plan as Tyson said, "Alright, starting tomorrow after school, we'll speak with grandpa and grandma on training sandstorm after you've mastered Sand Veil". Having settled on a training plan, they both retired for the night, filled with excitement for the days ahead.

Elm's Lab - Johto

In the midst of the evening in Johto, Professor Elm, renowned for his research on Pokemon breeding, was seated in front of a computer, deep in thought. "Let's hope my findings are fruitful. There's no harm in sharing the research since it's just a personal project," he mused. Unbeknownst to him, Elm was about to use Tyson to test his theory on Evolved Abilities, a key aspect of his study on Pokemon Abilities. Suddenly, a voice interrupted his reverie. "Professor! I can't find Totodile," exclaimed a young researcher. It was Jason Walker, Elm's assistant, who had recently joined the lab. "Not again," Elm muttered in annoyance, rising from his computer to aid in the search. What Elm didn't realize was that his research on Evolved Abilities would be instrumental to Tyson's future success, a fact that would only become apparent years later.

Pokemon Team

Team Rank: 2

Larvitar

Gender: Male

Type: Rock/Ground

Abilities: Guts, Sand Veil [Developing]

Held Item: None

Moves: Rock Throw, Bite, Payback, Leer, Scary Face, Dragon Dance [Inherited], Ancient Power [Inherited], Stomping Tantrum, Sandstorm

Gligar

Gender: Female

Type: Ground/Flying

Abilities: Hyper Cutter, Sand Veil [Undeveloped], Immunity [Undeveloped]

Held Items: None

Moves: Thief, Knock Off, Poison Tail, Quick Attack, Wing Attack [Inherited] 

Apologies for the late update. Hope you all are having a great day