When it came to taking Electric-type attacks head-on, the guy from the anime was also the kind of stubborn kid who loved going against type disadvantages. But even then, his "cheat" wasn't as crazy as Ash's—eventually, his Poliwrath still lost to Ash's disobedient Charizard.

The similarities were uncanny—Skinny, Poliwhirl, the Fighting Tournament, and even being here on Kinnow Island. It was hard not to suspect that the Poliwrath who once thrashed Charizard might actually be this Poliwhirl.

If that were really the case, then even without him, Skinny's future achievements wouldn't be low. At the very least, he'd reach Senior Trainer level—bullying a stubborn Charizard wouldn't be a problem.

But whether or not this Skinny was the same as the one from the anime… what did it matter? He was the protagonist here. Why overthink it?

"Training in the afternoon gets boring. Do me a favor, will you?" Reiji asked.

"What is it?" Skinny asked curiously.

"Go buy me a TM for High Horsepower." Reiji wanted to see for himself how TMs worked here—could a Pokémon really learn a move just from a disc? Only one way to find out.

"Alright, I'll be back soon." Sho agreed readily. With Reiji watching over the Pokémon, he didn't have to worry.

He headed to a nearby TM shop, picked up the High Horsepower disc, and returned to the villa an hour later—without noticing the "tail" following him from a distance.

The kid handed over the disc. Reiji immediately popped it into the TV.

On the screen, a Rhydon appeared, explaining in its own guttural growls. Even the disc's cover featured Rhydon.

Reiji glanced sideways at Skinny. "You chose this one on purpose?"

"I saw the Rhyhorn outside, so I picked it," Skinny explained.

"Not bad," Reiji nodded. The video was simple: Rhydon "explained" the key points of the move, then demonstrated High Horsepower in action. The whole thing lasted barely five minutes.

From the display, it was clearly a momentum-based move. When used, the body radiated an orange aura before slamming forward with full force. A perfect match for a big lug like Rhyhorn.

But there was no rush. Better to have Rhyhorn build its stamina first with Rock Polish and Rock Climb before tackling this move.

When evening came, they prepared dinner together. Skinny even volunteered to wash vegetables—partly because he wanted to eat Reiji's cooking again, and partly to avoid the awkwardness of just sitting around.

By five, dinner was ready. The Pokémon all ate, then sprawled around the poolside to enjoy the sunset.

Before long, Skinny stood up. "Reiji, it's getting dark. I should head back to the orphanage."

"Perfect, I need to go out anyway," Reiji replied. He grabbed Poliwhirl, Krabby, and Rhyhorn, called Spinarak down from the eaves onto his shoulder, locked up, and left with the kid.

"So late? Where are you going?" Sho asked, following behind.

"Extra night training for the team."

Skinny blinked in surprise. So that's why his Poliwhirl is so strong… If Reiji trained even at night, then shouldn't his own team do the same? Otherwise the gap between them would only grow.

At that moment, Skinny made a decision—his Poliwhirl and Breloom would also train at night.

"Reiji, can I join your training tonight?" he asked seriously.

"Just keep up." Reiji didn't refuse. Ambition was a good thing. Nothing he was doing was secret anyway, and the combination technique was meant to be taught to Skinny's Poliwhirl eventually.

They reached the familiar clearing by the beach. A campfire was lit, and each Pokémon went to its own training: Poliwhirl practiced Waterfall-powered combos, Rhyhorn slammed into trees, Krabby sprinted along the sand, and Spinarak set webs around the perimeter to keep watch.

Skinny sat by the fire, feeling a little lost. His two Pokémon stood waiting for orders. The difference between him and Reiji was stark.

"What should my Poliwhirl train?" he asked.

"Have it watch and learn from mine. Combination moves are best passed down that way," Reiji said, nodding toward his Poliwhirl, fists glowing with ice as it struck out with Ice Punch.

Sho patted his own Poliwhirl. "Go learn from it."

But he didn't mention Breloom. The deal his grandfather made with Reiji only covered Poliwhirl, not Breloom.

Yet Reiji brought it up himself. "Do you know what ability your Breloom has?"

"Ability?" Skinny blinked, embarrassed. The old orphanage director had mentioned it once, but he hadn't paid attention. He could only scratch his head awkwardly. "I… don't know."

"You don't even know that? How can you raise a Pokémon like this?" Reiji sighed. Basic knowledge like abilities was covered in beginner handbooks. Skinny was basically raising Pokémon blind.

It made him think—even Team Rocket grunts trained harder than this. At least they had to, or they'd be dead.

"I've never really trained them. I just battled with them," The kid admitted, ashamed. He'd been doing what all rookies did—charge forward and shout commands, hoping typing advantages carried him through.

Reiji explained patiently: "Breloom has two possible abilities. Poison Heal and Effect Spore. Poison Heal restores HP when poisoned—like a natural stimulant. Effect Spore, on the other hand, can randomly inflict Sleep, Poison, or Paralysis if touched in close combat." Follow current novels on ɴovelfire.net

"Poison Heal sounds way better," Skinny said immediately. Compared to a chance-based effect, healing and endurance were far more reliable.

"Yes and no. Breloom isn't a Poison-type, so its resistance depends on its training and constitution. It can still be overwhelmed."

"I see…" Skinny lowered his head, realizing just how little he knew. He'd need to spend time in the orphanage library, studying what the old director had left behind.

For the first time, he truly understood—without knowledge, he couldn't raise Pokémon at all.

He thought about it more. His Poliwhirl had Water Absorb. Breloom might have Poison Heal. Both were abilities that let them recover during battle. That meant they could endure longer fights.

He turned to Breloom. "You go too—train like Krabby. Run on the grass."

"Breee~loom." It glanced at Krabby running endlessly on the sand, then started jogging across the grass, preferring firm ground.

Reiji leaned back against a broken tree trunk, feeding the fire with branches, and gazed up at the star-filled sky.

"Reiji," Skinny asked softly, "how do you become a real Trainer?"

After a full day together, he finally realized how much of a pretender he'd been. Compared to Reiji, he wasn't even close.

"A Trainer, huh…" Reiji mused. He wasn't entirely sure himself, but he'd watched enough of the anime to have some idea.

"Trainers are called Trainers because they guide Pokémon. They're humans who share bonds with them. To be one, you need to understand your Pokémon—its thoughts, condition, personality, habits. Only then can you command properly in battle, deciding when to attack or dodge."

"A Trainer makes weak Pokémon strong. You train together, live together, fight together, grow together, laugh together. That's what it means—and it's your responsibility."

"When you realize that, you'll understand how to be a true Trainer."

"So that's why you always train alongside your Pokémon… That's what Trainers really are," Skinny whispered, awed. For the first time, he had a clear picture of what the title truly meant.

"But don't get it twisted. Not all Trainers are noble. Some treat their Pokémon as tools—discarding them without a thought. Trash like that don't deserve the title."

"I know," Skinny said seriously. "I've seen it. Certified rookie Trainers abandoning their Pokémon in the city. I saw it myself on the way back to the orphanage. People like that… don't deserve to be called Trainers at all."

[End of Chapter]

[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]

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