"What insight do you have?"
Grey was puzzled by Kyurem's sudden question.
Usually, Kyurem was as quiet as a sealed jar. It only talked with him more when the topic involved heroes.
Why was there such a contrast today? Why had it suddenly become more talkative?
"I think you should catch another Pokémon. Ideally, one on the same level as Emboar, progressing side by side. Rivals and friends at the same time."
Kyurem answered like that.
"Oh? From the way you see it, I should go catch a new Pokémon? Do you have any recommendations?"
Grey had already caught quite a lot of Pokémon.
If he caught another Pokémon, it wasn't impossible, but preferably, it should be related to the Fighting type.
"I do. A late bloomer, Jangmo-o."
Kyurem slowly said a name.
Jangmo-o, the late-blooming Pokémon from the Alola region!
Speaking of which.
Grey really did have the idea of catching Jangmo-o.
But the Kanto region was too far from the Alola region, and that was why he had not been able to rush over to Alola and catch Jangmo-o.
"Although I use Ice-type moves on ordinary days, my primary type is still Dragon. If there are any Dragon-type matters you need guidance on, you can come to me."
Kyurem's tone was calm, as if it had only brought up the matter casually.
Then it returned to the Timer Ball and became silent again.
"Jangmo-o... I didn't expect you to give me advice too, Kyurem."
Grey sighed with emotion.
In truth.
Kyurem had seen that Reshiram had already trained up a little subordinate, so it felt that, as Reshiram's superior, it had to do something too, lest its status become insecure.
That was why it had carefully selected Jangmo-o.
Mm.
In any case, Grey would definitely make a trip to the Alola region later. In the meantime, Kyurem might as well help him make a training plan.
With that thought.
Kyurem silently organized a training plan for Jangmo-o...
The focus returned to reality.
"Larvesta, your strength has also nearly reached the edge of evolution recently. Do you have any thoughts about your own evolution?"
The system panel showed that Larvesta's level had reached 58.
It was only one level away from evolving.
"Larvesta." (If possible, I still want to evolve in front of my old man. I wonder how he is doing.)
Larvesta thought of the Volcarona far away in Unova.
Unlike most early-route Bug-type families, the Volcarona line did not have two stages of evolution. They only had one, and the time it took to evolve was extremely long.
Without a Trainer's help, it was almost impossible for a wild Larvesta to evolve into Volcarona.
In a situation like that.
Larvesta wanted to show its father what it could do.
It wanted to show that it had not wasted its time recently and had trained properly.
"All right, then we'll do as you say. Hold this Everstone for now. It can help you suppress evolution so you don't have to force it down every day."
Grey exchanged an Everstone from the system and handed it to Larvesta. Then he asked about where his other partners were. "By the way, where did the Kubfu go?"
The two Kubfu were among the few Pokémon in the Gym that did not have much combat power yet and needed focused training.
Now that he had visited Emboar, it was time to check on the Kubfu.
"Larvesta?" (Kubfu? I remember they seem to be in the outskirts nearby, staying with Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, and Hitmontop.)
Larvesta only remembered the general situation.
"Got it. Then I'll head out first."
Grey rushed to the next location.
"Hitmonchan." (So-called rapid strikes require relying on your own speed to launch continuous attacks. Only with speed can you create the timing to release your moves, and only then can you take the advantage in battle.)
The southern outskirts of Saffron City, near Vermilion City, were also an excellent place to train.
Hitmonchan was teaching Kubfu Number Two, the Kubfu following the Rapid Strike Style.
"Kubfu?" (Teacher Hitmonchan, I have a question. When attacking continuously, isn't the power of the moves generally pretty poor? Under those circumstances, how can you bring out your own advantage? Aren't you afraid the enemy will forcefully block it, then counterattack?)
Kubfu's doubts were not unreasonable.
Moves like Bullet Seed, Double Slap, Comet Punch, and so on, moves that could strike several times in succession, mostly had one common trait.
Their base power was low.
So low it was ridiculous.
"That's why, when battling the enemy, you need to be fast, accurate, and ruthless. Those three points are the essence of the Rapid Strike Style. As long as you keep them firmly in mind, evolution won't be far away."
Grey arrived just in time.
He had happened to hear Hitmonchan guiding Kubfu.
After hearing Kubfu's confusion, Grey walked out from the side and answered Kubfu's question.
"Kubfu??" (Fast, accurate, and ruthless? Can any Pokémon really do that? It must be really hard, right?)
Kubfu knew that Mustard's ace Urshifu could do that.
But for a beginner Pokémon like it, reaching that level was very difficult. It would not be an exaggeration to call it impossible.
"You can, buddy. You can."
For someone else, there might not be a way.
But Grey had quite a bit of insight into this.
"Kubfu?" (How? Wait... It's you! Eat my Rapid Rock-Smashing Fists!)
The moment Kubfu saw it was Grey, its originally respectful attitude vanished completely. It immediately swung its fists and smashed forward!
"Hey, hey, hey. Every time you see me, you attack me. You still haven't suffered enough, have you?"
Seeing this, Grey lightly turned sideways and avoided the attack. Then he stretched out one finger and accurately tapped one of its pressure points.
"Kubfu!" (Ow, ow, ow! Why does it hurt so much?!)
Kubfu immediately cried out in pain, clutching its numb arm as it retreated again and again.
Grey stood with his hands behind his back and said to Kubfu, "The path to victory lies in seeing the first opportunity. If your heart is impatient and restless, you will never see your opponent's true opening."
"Kubfu?" (Impatient and restless? I'm not!)
Hearing those words, Kubfu immediately jumped up and shouted at Grey, as if afraid it wasn't making enough noise.
"Mm-hm? Then why don't you ask Hitmonchan whether you can find an opponent's weakness like this?"
"Kubfu?" (Hitmonchan, is that really true?)
Kubfu looked up at Hitmonchan.
Hitmonchan nodded slightly, its gaze showing agreement.
Hitmonchan also believed that Kubfu's personality really was as Grey had pointed out.
Overly hasty movements instead exposed too many openings.
"Kubfu!" (Damn it!)
Kubfu was indignant.
It was already hard enough to find an enemy's weaknesses, and now it was being told that it was impatient. How was it supposed to calm down?
"However, there is one thing I can do to let you easily find the enemy's weakness."
Grey rubbed his chin. Seeing Kubfu's anxious look, he offered it a little sweetness after giving it a scolding.
"Kubfu!" (What, what is it? Tell me quickly! Let me know!)
Kubfu could not wait. It stood in front of Grey, blinking its eyes in an attempt to get through by acting cute.
"Since you have asked so sincerely, I shall be merciful and tell you."
Grey put both hands in his pockets. Azure Aura flowed across his entire body, leaving Kubfu completely dumbfounded.
It was that power again!
Last time, Grey had used this power to instantly defeat it and its older brother!
Could it be that Grey was going to transfer this energy to it like passing down an ancient technique?!
"What are you imagining? Passing power down isn't that simple. Casually transferring power can shorten your lifespan."
Grey flicked Kubfu on the forehead.
The pain made it suck in a cold breath. It held its head, looking pitiful.
"Kubfu!" (Then what are you going to teach me?)
Kubfu did not understand.
"Just feel it carefully, and you'll know."
As Grey spoke, he gently placed his palm on Kubfu's back, then steadily lifted it up.
Warm Aura slowly flowed into Kubfu's body.
In Kubfu's consciousness, the flow of energy around Hitmonchan's body suddenly appeared.
Those faint, hard-to-catch openings were now clearly visible in Kubfu's eyes.
"Kubfu..." (So clear. So this is the power of Aura...)
This unprecedented method of perception opened the gate to a new world for Kubfu...
But very soon.
Grey actively dispersed the Aura.
As the Aura gradually faded, Kubfu reluctantly rubbed against Grey's clothes, letting out a soft whine. Its eyes still shone with longing.
Grey lightly flicked Kubfu's forehead and said seriously, "Training depends on your own comprehension. Relying on someone else's Aura is ultimately not the right path."
"Kubfu?" (Here's the question. How am I supposed to train Aura?)
Kubfu tilted its head in confusion, its claws scratching the ground.
Of course it understood that it could not rely on outside power.
But as for how to train Aura on its own, it had no clue.
"Very simple. Just learn from me."
Grey sat cross-legged and signaled for Kubfu to do the same.
He slowly recited the beginner mental formula. "Focus your mind, still your breath, and look inward at your heart."
Then he guided Kubfu to feel the energy flowing inside its body. "Pay attention to the path of Aura through your meridians, and use your will to guide it toward your core."
Kubfu carefully imitated Grey's posture and sat cross-legged, closing its eyes as it worked hard to feel the energy flowing inside its body.
At first, it could only catch a few faint streams of warmth.
It held its breath and focused its mind. Following the formula's guidance, it slowly guided these traces of energy along its meridians.
Very soon, Kubfu finally completed the first step.
"Kubfu!" (That feels good!)
Although it had only completed one cycle through its meridians, and the Aura had not obviously grown, Kubfu felt comfortable all over.
It was as if the stale, stagnant air inside it had been washed clean, making it unable to resist stretching its limbs and letting out a satisfied hum.
Grey nodded approvingly, gently stroked Kubfu's head, and said, "Very good. From now on, practice diligently according to this formula every day, and you will naturally make progress."
"All right, I'm going to find your brother. Don't slack off in your training. I'll come check your results every day. Before you evolve, you must make at least a little progress every single day."
"Kubfu!" (Don't worry! I'll definitely make you see me in a whole new light!)
Kubfu lifted its head and howled toward the sky, cheering itself on.
Kubfu Number Two's matter came to an end.
Now, it was time to find Kubfu Number One.
According to Larvesta, Kubfu Number One was studying with Hitmonlee.
Hitmonlee was the other extreme compared to Hitmonchan.
Hitmonchan specialized in fast punches.
Mach Punch, Bullet Punch, Comet Punch, it played everything fast.
But Hitmonlee was different.
Hitmonlee specialized in instant kills.
The kind of instant kill that could take out the sky, the earth, and the air itself!
According to Urshifu's styles, this fell under the category of Single Strike Style.
That was why Kubfu Number One was following Hitmonlee to learn.
It was learning how to kill with one strike.
On Grey's side, he had just arrived in another area.
Whoosh!
A sound of something cutting through the air suddenly came from beside him.
"Kubfu!" (Human I haven't seen in a while! Today, I'll let you witness the power of Big Bear!)
Grey caught sight of Kubfu Number One leaping through the air, sending a sharp flying kick straight toward his face!
A smile flashed through Grey's eyes. At the instant Kubfu's flying kick was about to touch his face, his index finger tapped the sole of its foot with dragonfly-like precision.
Before the other party could change moves, his finger turned into a palm and guided the momentum along. His other hand had already lightly pressed against Kubfu's abdomen.
With a slight turn of his waist, he sent out a seemingly casual inch-force strike. Kubfu floated several meters backward like a kite with its string cut, then landed steadily on the grass covered in fallen leaves.
Kubfu sat on the grass in a daze. Everything that had happened just now had been too fast for it to react.
Whoosh.
Only when the breeze brushed across its fur did it belatedly realize that its fierce attack had been easily resolved by Grey, and that it had somehow landed on this soft patch of grass.
Kubfu's heart shook, and it was just about to ask a question.
Then it heard Grey's smiling voice come through the wind. "Want to learn?"
Those three words immediately made it swallow all of its questions.
Then.
Kubfu nodded heavily. "Kubfu!" (I want to learn! Teach me! After I learn it, I'll come back and properly pay... repay you!)
Grey: "?"
Don't think I didn't hear which "pay" you were about to say!
"I can definitely teach you, but there is one condition for all of this."
Grey stretched out his hand, picked up the Kubfu hugging his leg, and brought it in front of him.
The earlier Kubfu Number Two was still relatively sensible. His Aura meant a great deal to it, and after learning it, it would definitely "respect its teacher and honor the way."
But this Kubfu Number One was hard to say.
It looked a little like a rebel with disloyal bones...
"Kubfu!" (Boss, just say it. No matter what condition it is, I'll definitely agree!)
Kubfu's words rang with power.
"Really?"
Grey's tone was suspicious. He obviously did not quite believe this Number One Kubfu's words.
"Kubfu!" (By Urshifu above, everything I said is true!)
Kubfu took the initiative to swear.
"All right. My condition is that after you learn it, you are not allowed to use this move against me."
"Kubfu?" (Why?!)
Kubfu's reaction made Grey unsure whether to laugh or cry. He directly flicked it on the forehead.
"Out of all the things you could learn, you want to learn how to be a traitorous little rebel who turns on his own teacher, huh?"
Grey scolded with a laugh. Then he looked at Hitmonlee, who was walking over, and asked, "This guy hasn't caused you any trouble these days, has he?"
"Hitmonlee." (Not really. It just often asks me where your weaknesses are.)
Hitmonlee rubbed its smooth head and gave Grey a helpless smile.
Grey: "..."
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