Within Bear Martial Fist, there were two major branches, each developing toward a different direction—corresponding precisely to Urshifu's Single-Strike Style and Rapid-Strike Style.
At first, Oliver had been worried about how he was supposed to teach all of this to Kubfu.
Unexpectedly, the system proved surprisingly considerate and provided an information transfer function, allowing Oliver to directly transmit knowledge related to combat techniques straight into Kubfu's mind.
As a result, Kubfu instantly gained a complete understanding of all the techniques within Bear Martial Fist.
What it lacked now was only real combat experience and proficiency.
At the same time, Oliver finally completed the system selection and obtained top-tier Fighting-type Energy Cubes.
Even more unexpectedly, Kubfu proactively expressed its desire to train both branches of Bear Martial Fist simultaneously.
"Good ambition!" Oliver laughed.
"If we're going to do this, then we're going all the way—to the strongest!"
When the weighted training gear arrived, Oliver opened the package and inspected it.
Despite being called "weighted gear," it felt almost weightless in his hands.
The full set consisted of three components:
A vest
Wrist guards
Leg guards
They were easy to put on, and per Oliver's specifications, the designs suited Kubfu and Garchomp perfectly—functional without looking strange.
After both Pokémon put on the gear, they didn't feel much difference at first.
But the moment Oliver flipped the activation switch—
Their bodies suddenly felt heavier.
Every movement now required significantly more effort than usual.
The default setting was 1.5× gravity, while the maximum could reach 10× gravity. Combined with adjustable sizing, this equipment would remain useful for a very long time.
They ran through some of their usual training routines.
Kubfu, still relatively low-leveled, began panting before long.
Garchomp fared much better.
Seeing this, Oliver adjusted Garchomp's gravity setting to 4×, which finally made it show signs of strain.
Although both Pokémon were exhausted, their expressions were filled with excitement.
They could clearly feel that this kind of training was far more effective than normal.
Kubfu even attempted a full round of Bear Martial Fist on the spot while wearing the gear.
After just one round, it was drenched in sweat and collapsed onto the ground, completely unable to stand.
Fortunately, with Oliver's Evergreen Power treatment and the stabilizing influence of his Aura, Kubfu quickly recovered.
That was precisely why Kubfu could train so fearlessly.
If an ordinary Pokémon trained this intensely without restraint, it would have long since crippled itself.
Suddenly, Garchomp let out an excited roar.
Oliver turned to look at it.
"You want me to set the gravity to the maximum?"
Garchomp nodded vigorously.
The gear was far more fun than it had expected, and curiosity got the better of it—it wanted to know what maximum gravity felt like.
Oliver obliged and turned the setting straight up to 10× gravity.
Almost instantly, Garchomp's grin froze.
Its bones creaked audibly, and merely standing there consumed all of its strength.
At its pleading gaze, Oliver leisurely adjusted the gravity back down.
"Curiosity killed the Garchomp," he said calmly.
"Let's see if you dare try that again."
Garchomp shook its head furiously, instantly reverting to a well-behaved look.
Oliver then glanced at Kubfu.
"What about you? Want to give it a try?"
After seeing Garchomp's fate, Kubfu shook its head without hesitation.
It loved training—but it wasn't reckless. One round of that and it probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed for three days.
While the two Pokémon happily adapted to gravity training in the backyard, Oliver walked over to Mu Xue's house and rang the doorbell.
The door opened.
Mu Xue stood there in casual home wear, lazily leaning against the doorframe. The fabric was thin, and when the breeze passed through, it clung to her figure—subtly outlining her flawless curves.
"What wind blew our great researcher over here today?" she asked lightly.
Oliver took one look and immediately felt overwhelmed.
She's wearing way too little…
"Uh… so… in a couple of days, I'm heading out," he stammered.
"There's a Secret Realm I need to visit—to gather some research materials."
Mu Xue brushed aside a strand of hair blown out of place by the wind and nodded.
"Alright. Just let me know when you're leaving, and I'll go with you."
In the past—before the Creation Society had been completely eradicated within Xia Kingdom—Mu Xue would never have agreed so easily.
Leaving the heavily guarded Rongcheng would have meant exposing Oliver to potential ambushes.
She was about to close the door when she noticed Oliver still standing there.
"…Anything else?"
Oliver steadied himself and took out the two Mega Stones he had purchased from the Trainer Forum.
"I'd like you to contact League Headquarters," he said.
"I'm looking for stones like these."
Mu Xue picked up Venusaur's Mega Stone and examined it closely.
Aside from its strange appearance, she couldn't detect anything particularly special.
"This stone does look unusual," she said.
"Is this what you're going to look for in the Secret Realm?"
"Yes. It's extremely important for the next phase of my research."
She placed the Mega Stone back into Oliver's hand—
and their fingers brushed.
Oliver froze.
Only one thought echoed in his mind:
Smooth… and soft.
Mu Xue, seemingly unaware, spoke in her usual cool tone:
"Alright. I'll report this to League Headquarters. Those old guys probably won't refuse you."
After Oliver left, Mu Xue closed the door and leaned against it.
A faint blush rose across her cheeks.
Completely different from her usual calm composure.
"…Do I really have feelings for that kid?"
In truth, when Oliver rang the doorbell, Mu Xue had already had her Pokémon check who it was.
After learning it was Oliver, she didn't know why—but on impulse, she didn't change clothes before coming down to open the door.
The cold wind sobered her up immediately after opening it.
Only then did she realize what she'd done.
But with Oliver right there, she could only keep up appearances.
Otherwise, the embarrassment would've been unbearable—and Oliver would never let her hear the end of it.
Even when their fingers brushed, she had nearly lost control.
Fortunately, she managed to hold it together.
"Let's… take it one step at a time," she thought.
Suddenly, Jiang Shuyun's face flashed through her mind.
She knew Oliver's background well—he had a childhood sweetheart who'd grown up alongside him.
Interfering like this felt wrong.
Not to mention… she was a few years older than him.
Mu Xue shook her head, forcibly pushing those chaotic thoughts aside.
Focus on work first.
She turned to contact League Headquarters about Oliver's request.
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