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Jacob examined the status panels of his Charmander and Noibat. The move Heat Wind didn't appear in either of their skill columns. They clearly hadn't fully mastered it yet. This made Jacob feel a twinge of disappointment, but after thinking about it more, he felt relieved. Heat Wind was a top-tier Fire-type move, after all. Even with exceptional talent, it would be impossible for them to learn it so quickly. With continued training, Jacob believed they would master it eventually.
"I can't believe it," Jacob thought to himself. "Nina's Pokémon are such incredible teachers—they can even pass on moves! I definitely need to visit Maximus more often in the future."
"Charmander, Noibat, keep training with Garchomp," Jacob instructed before walking toward his Dreepy.
Dreepy still looked cute and somewhat silly. Its appearance hadn't changed much since he'd caught it, though its size had increased considerably over the past few days. It was growing rapidly, and its tail had become more transparent.
"Dreepy!" Jacob called out. The shiny Dreepy flew over to him with ghost-like speed. "Time for some energy cubes."
Jacob took out a Dragon-type energy block and offered it to Dreepy. The aroma made the small Dragon Pokémon visibly excited.
Thanks to the ghost core energy from the Poison Pot, Dreepy was growing extremely fast and had developed quite an appetite. It consumed almost as much food as his other three Pokémon combined and needed to eat frequently.
"After you finish eating, we'll continue training," Jacob told Dreepy. "Let's work on your flying speed first. Fly to that steel pillar on the opposite side, then circle back."
When Dreepy heard Jacob's command, it shot from his hand like an arrow, circled the steel column, and returned to Jacob's palm. This round-trip flight exercise not only increased movement speed but also improved reaction time.
"Good job. Let's do it again, over and over."
Dreepy was known for its speed, so Jacob naturally wanted to develop this talent further.
Among all non-Mythical Pokémon (not counting Ultra Beasts) in the games, Dragapult's base speed stat of 142 ranked fourth. Only Ninjask with 160 speed, Electrode with 150 speed, and Accelgor with 145 speed were faster than Dragapult.
Even including Mega Evolutions, only Mega Beedrill (145 speed), Mega Alakazam (150 speed), Mega Aerodactyl (150 speed), and Mega Sceptile (145 speed) surpassed Dragapult.
Though game statistics were merely a reference point, Dreepy was indeed extremely fast in reality. As a Pokémon with both Dragon and Ghost typing, Dreepy differed from other Dragon-types. The stronger a Dreepy grew, the larger its size became, yet the lighter its weight. Simultaneously, the more transparent its body became, the faster it could move.
Among wild Dreepy groups, faster individuals were more popular. In essence, Dreepy was a Pokémon that specialized in speed. Additionally, greater transparency indicated greater strength.
Jacob accompanied Dreepy during its speed training, taking advantage of this opportunity to strengthen their bond.
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Nine o'clock at night.
After sleeping for several hours, Nina woke up in a daze, feeling extremely thirsty.
"Ugh," she groaned, rubbing her dizzy head as she slowly sat up in bed. Suddenly, she sensed something was off.
When had her apartment become so clean and organized? Today wasn't even when the cleaning service was scheduled to come.
Someone had placed a thermos on her nightstand. Nina opened it and discovered warm, sweet honey water inside.
Nina felt confused. Was this still her room? Was she dreaming? Who had prepared honey water for her?
She looked at the empty trash can with a fresh liner beside the bed, her brain struggling to process what she was seeing.
"What happened?"
Nina instinctively touched her clothes. They were still the same ones she'd worn yesterday. She sighed with relief.
She stared in disbelief at the spotless wooden floor, then opened her closet. The clothes inside were neatly stacked, and skirts of various styles were hanging in color-coordinated order.
Bewildered, Nina rubbed her throbbing head and tried to recall what had happened after she'd been drinking. Someone must have entered her room while she slept. She vaguely remembered being embraced and given a glass of honey water, but the memory was foggy and uncertain.
Nina took a sip from the thermos and sat on the edge of the bed, thinking.
Had a thief broken in? Impossible—with her Garchomp and Kommo-o there, how could any burglar have gotten past?
Wait—where were her Pokémon anyway?
Nina quickly slipped on her slippers and left the bedroom. The living room was immaculately clean. A robot vacuum moved across the floor continuously. A faint pleasant aroma wafted from the kitchen, but there was no sign of her Pokémon.
As she approached the kitchen, she noticed fresh food in the warming cabinet, which confused her even more. At that moment, she heard a familiar voice coming from outside the window!
"Charmander, come on!"
"Noibat, come on!"
Jacob?!
Out on the training ground, Charmander was battling Noibat again. The two rivals were well-acquainted with each other's techniques. They fought back and forth, neither able to gain a decisive advantage.
Nina walked to the window, about to peek at the training ground situation, when she discovered her balcony was full of laundry. The clothes had obviously been washed that afternoon and were now drying in the open air. She had already guessed what had happened and felt an indescribable sensation in her chest.
But when her eyes fell on the black lace underwear in the corner of the balcony, her face turned scarlet with remarkable speed. She dashed to the bathroom with lightning quickness.
When she saw the empty laundry basket, Nina's knees nearly gave way. She almost collapsed to the floor.
"Oh no, oh no," she whispered.
She walked back to the dining room with her face in her hands and sat in a chair, dazed, her cheeks burning.
A brilliant white light flashing outside the window jolted Nina from her stupor.
Is that... evolution?
Forgetting everything else, she hurried to the balcony and looked out. Jacob's Charmander had evolved into a Charmeleon—golden in appearance, with sharp eyes and a flame burning on its tail. It faced the hovering Noibat with a fierce fighting spirit. If the previous Charmander had given off an impression of ferocity, this Charmeleon radiated a sense of danger.
The Fire-type's strength had increased significantly after evolution. The Noibat, which previously had the advantage due to its flying capabilities, now found itself at a distinct disadvantage.
Charmeleon's strength, speed, move execution, and power had all been enhanced.
"Dragon Wave!" Jacob commanded.
A surge of dragon energy formed a powerful shockwave that flew toward Noibat.
Despite being completely on the defensive, Noibat's dodging ability remained exceptional after days of intensive evasion training. The Charmeleon, restraining its full power, couldn't land a single hit with its attacks.
"Okay, that's enough for today. It's a tie," Jacob declared, ending the match at an appropriate moment. Neither Pokémon could overcome the other, so for now, it would be considered a draw.
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