Also, I forgot to mention—Thorn has been growing rapidly. He's now 4 meters in length, which is a whole meter longer than the usual average for his species. After he mastered Poison Web, we moved on to Electro Web. And now, I've begun working on a new move I came up with myself—Freeze Web. It's based on the same structure as Poison Web, but incorporates the sensation and effects of ice. If I'm right, Thorn should be ready to evolve within a month.
At school, we've started learning the basics of survival and camping—stuff like fire-starting, first aid, and tent-building. It's pretty standard, but useful. Meanwhile, my real focus has been Thorn's speed training. I strapped a 1kg weight to him and made him run laps. He managed six before wearing out. Not bad for a bug-type in training.
After that, we trained to reduce the activation time for his core moves: String Shot, Bug Bite, Poison Sting, and Poison Web. I want him to be able to fire off these attacks in a real battle situation with barely any delay.
I've also had Thorn spar with wild Pokémon. So far, he's fought Pidgey, Caterpie, and Rattata. Sometimes I train those wild Pokémon alongside him. I document every session in a dedicated training journal.
Most of the wild Pokémon I work with are of Yellow potential:
Caterpie – Yellow
Pidgey – Yellow
Rattata – Orange
After they battle Thorn, I reward the Caterpie with a massage infused with my green energy. It helps its recovery and strengthens its potential a little. These wild Pokémon serve both as training partners and live practice dummies. I give them some basic food—just $2 worth for the three—and guide them through basic exercises.
To help fund all this, I explore the forest outskirts for fruit I can sell. I also run errands and do small chores around town. It's not glamorous, but every bit helps.
In this world, there are a few major professions: Trainers, Breeders, and Hunters. Trainers focus on battle and adventure. Breeders raise and evolve Pokémon with the best possible traits. Hunters, on the other hand, take on jobs issued by the League—missions that range from pest control to item retrieval—for money.
Given my family's situation, I've decided to become a Hunter. At the same time, I'm learning everything I can about breeding from Aunt Rachel. None of this changes my dream of entering the Indigo League—if anything, it gives me more options to reach that goal.
But first... I need to finish elementary school.
📓Evan's Training Journal📓
Day 9
I've been teaching Thorn how to use Electro Web—and he's done it! Successfully. With that behind us, we've started working on Freeze Web.
Day 10
Thorn failed his first few attempts at Freeze Web. Not because he can't handle it, but because he's unfamiliar with the sensation of cold. It'll take time for him to adjust. While he trains, I've been working with the three wild Pokémon—teaching them Quick Attack, and helping Caterpie improve its String Shot. The goal is to reduce their move activation time.
Day 17
It's been a full week since I assigned Thorn to develop Freeze Web. He's dedicated a lot of time to it, but he hasn't been slacking on his other training either. His physical conditioning is solid, and his proficiency with his moves has jumped up a level. Right now, he's capable of using String Shot, Poison Sting, Electro Web, Bug Bite, Poison Web, and now Quick Attack.
Yeah—he picked up Quick Attack while sparring with the others. I didn't even plan for that. But it's proof he's growing stronger.