Chapter 44: Training summary

It had been 6 days since they begun training. Despite the short time frame, the trio had improved greatly, their stats had all increased nicely whilst their control over their moves had seen a major increase. Ark wondered if this was the same for most Pokémon trainers, however due to his lack of interactions with other normal trainers, he had no way of knowing the standard right now. Professor Oaks laboratory was wholly focused on Pokémon research rather than aspects like training or technology. Once again, Ark realised his gap in knowledge, currently he had the knowledge that delved into Pokémon behaviour much like a breeder rather than that of a trainer. He resolved to fix this by buying some books with his newfound money.

He wiped his brow that was drenched in sweat as he sat down with a water bottle in hand. Sylph and Shellder sat to his left and right with a bowl of food, as per their routine. Over the past week, the three of them had gotten a lot closer, likely due to the fact that they were battling each other to their full ability, allowing for a mutual respect to be birthed. Towards the end of the week, Ark had started to join in with the battles as himself, taking on the attacks from Shellder and Sylph. This simulated battle had opened Arks eyes as it almost seemed as though he was a Pokémon hims3lf, he felt the same sensations and feelings Sylph claimed to feel whenever she battled. Unlike in a street fight where a growing fear was present, in a Pokémon battle, the most dominant feeling is the extreme thrill of using your abilities to the maximum and fighting a new opponent.

"Sylph your teleport usage has become really refined, in a couple of weeks I'm sure that your usage of it will be limitless. I'm getting pumped up just thinking about it"

Sylph nodded along to Arks word with her chest puffed out in pride.

-Its feels good... getting stronger-

He smiled at his number one partner. While Sylph preferred more elegant settings, she had showed a surprising amount of zeal when it came to training to beat Brock. As a result, her efforts were rewarded with a new found technique that is her own. A sense of satisfaction filled Ark as his theory that the moves can be altered by the Pokémon was true. While it may seem pretty obvious to some, he had only ever seen people use the moves in a generic fashion during the league matches on the laptop. It seemed that most trainers tend to stick to the basics and are not adventurous enough with their battling.

"As for you Shellder, your accuracy has become absolutely brutal. It's so hard to dodge your shots and the angles you can now shoot from are amazing. While I hate to be overconfident considering it's our first gym battle, I am pretty sure we have this one down."

Hearing this, Shellder looked up at Ark and showed what Ark assumed was a delighted smile. Although it's shell makes the Pokemon somewhat expressionless, this past week has allowed the two to become closer so Ark was now able to pick up on subtle differences in Shellders mood by reading it's actions.

Judging that now was a good time to check their progress, Ark focused on his system and brought up the Pokemon stats. His first choice was Sylphs stats, she was arguably the stronger of the two much to Arks surprise. He had put it down to the strange miasma she suffered from when they first met, since Shellder being a Pokemon brought up to survive had lower base stats. However, at the start of the week, it was explicitly clear in their mock battles that Shellder far outranked Sylph in terms of experience and intuition.

He focused on the blue screen.

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Sylph

Female

HP: 42

Atk: 19

Def: 20

SpA: 29

SpD: 24

Spe: 27

Moves:

Confusion

Disarming Voice

Teleport

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As he had been checking up on their growth at a daily rate, Ark was not that surprised by Sylphs strength. However a deep sense of pride filled his heart as he thought about the effort Sylph was putting in for him. Dismissing those thoughts for later, Ark moved his focus onto Shellder.

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Shiny Shellder

Male

HP: 40

Atk: 26

Def: 28

SpA: 18

SpD: 19

Spe: 23

Moves:

-Water Gun

-Icicle Spear

-Tackle

-Withdraw

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He nodded his head in satisfaction at these results. These are just the numerical display of their bodily abilities, it is nowhere near their real capabilities. Excitement bubbled in the pit of his stomach as he thought about the upcoming battle. Ark planned to challenge the gym tomorrow as Ash and Misty could arrive in the city at any point. Of course that is no issue, but Ark wanted to fight against Brock instead of his father.

"Okay, we seem all set for the battle tomorrow. We can cut our training short today since I'm sure we all need extra rest today."

Sylph and Shellder both answered excitedly. Over the past few days, the two had developed a growing interest in battles. This was a very pleasant advantage for Ark since he planned to base his whole career on battling.

In the Pokemon world, a Pokemon trainer is a very temperamental occupation, you either make it or you end up in a worse state that before. This is due to the fact that if a trainer is strong enough, they can make millions pretty easily. Often, various cities and business' host contests that usually are miniature Pokemon tournaments, these tournaments have a chance to give a cash reward or an equivalent. Opportunities like these were small however invaluable for Ark who relied on his system to get money. As a result, Ark intended to take full advantage of these and amass a wealth for the future, since he will need it.

"Come on then, let's head back. I need to go shopping later, so I will get Nurse Joy to give you both the most luxurious care possible"

Ark stood up and stretched as he spoke to his partners. Their laid back attitude belied the burning excitement the trio shared.

After handing his team over to Nurse Joy, Ark left for the Police building. He had not met Jenny for 6 days now and it would be a lie to say he is not affected by it. Much to his surprise, it wasn't the physical relations he missed the most, rather it was the feeling of belonging he missed the most. He waved at the receptionist who smiled and let him through, Jenny had already told the staff that any of Arks business needed to go straight to her.

Arriving at the door, Ark knocked before declaring who it was.

"Jenny, it's me. I have something to talk about"

He waited patiently for a reply, until he heard the door unlock and it open. In front of his eyes was the familiar stunning teal haired girl who had taught him many lessons about reality.

"Oh Ark, nice to finally see you. I was about to send a search warrant out for you. 6 days of no communication is a big red flag Ark"

A guilty expression flashed across his face before he noticed the mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I am sorry, I intend to make it up to you soon. For now, we will have to be happy with this."

Ark walked into the room, shutting the door behind him, and pulled Jennys thin waist against his. Swiftly, one hand moved from her waist to behind her head as their lips overlapped passionately. Their tongues waited for nothing as they explored each others mouths and hugged tighter.

The continued locked in lips for a few minutes until Ark eventually separated from jenny. Their expressions were melted whilst they stared lovingly into each others eyes.

"There'll be more to come soon~"

His sweet whisper made Jennys body tingle in excitement as she replied in a seductive tone.

"How long are we waiting... I don't think my body and heart will be able to hold on"

"Don't worry, tomorrow I will be battling Brock. Once I win my first gym badge, I want to celebrate all night long with you"

Jenny smiled brightly at the hidden meanings in Arks words before nodding.

"I will come and watch then. It's calmed down around here so I am sure one leisure day and night will be fine"

With his business out of the way, Ark went shopping for necessities and some books before going back to his room. He jumped into his pyjamas and closed his eyes, trying to contain the chaotic emotions in his heart as the thought of tomorrows battle replayed in his mind.