That entire morning, because of Tetsuya's punishment of Skorupi, the rest of his Pokémon remained silent. They simply kept their heads down and trained, working even harder than usual.
In the hearts of every one of his Pokémon, Tetsuya had an invisible authority. Whether it was Mamoswine and Beedrill, which he had raised since "childhood", Houndoom, which had already been quite powerful when he caught it, Golurk, which he had schemed to obtain from someone else, Ditto, which he had bought from the Black Market, or Koffing, which had gone through its own unique experiences…
Every one of those Pokémon had a leader whom they sincerely respected.
Tetsuya!
Without anyone saying a word, simply seeing the expressions on those Pokémon after Tetsuya had become "angry" was enough for Skorupi to realize just how foolish it had been. It had actually dared to disobey him. Even if Tetsuya had not personally taken action, any one of those Pokémon could have easily taken its little scorpion life…
After spending the entire morning standing under the sun and wind, Skorupi did not move even once. Because of Skorupi, none of the other Pokémon took a single break throughout the entire morning.
It was not until exactly noon, when Elm called Tetsuya to lunch, that the morning's training and Skorupi's standing punishment finally came to an end.
After eating the Laboratory's staff meal, Tetsuya began distributing Pokéfood to all of his Pokémon.
When Tetsuya placed Skorupi's Pokéfood in front of it, Skorupi instinctively took two steps backward. Tetsuya first placed a cup of nutrient solution in front of Skorupi and said, "Drink this first, then eat. None of this food is your most suitable diet. As long as you train properly, I won't treat you unfairly."
While the Pokémon were eating, Elm noticed the Four-headed Weezing and the Shiny Skorupi once again, reigniting his interest in researching them. He was just about to begin when Tetsuya quickly stopped him.
"You already have more than enough projects to keep you busy. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Wait until you actually have the time."
Tetsuya dismissed Elm's request with ease. These were his main battle Pokémon. There was no way he would let someone research them. If Elm studied them thoroughly, everyone would know the capabilities and weaknesses of his Pokémon. How was he supposed to continue getting by after that?
---◓---
That afternoon, Tetsuya's primary focus remained the newly trained Skorupi.
He attached weights to Skorupi's pincers and tail, then had it begin running laps around the Laboratory's grassy field.
This was only Skorupi's basic training. Whether as Skorupi or after evolving into Drapion, its pincers and tail would always be its primary means of attack, so they naturally had to be trained from an early age.
As for the toxins inside Skorupi's body, they had not yet entered the formal training stage, and move training would only begin after its basic training.
Having already learned its lesson, Skorupi no longer dared slack off in the slightest. After completing three consecutive laps, both its pincers and tail were on the verge of giving out. Poison began seeping from the hooked tips of its pincers and tail. As the poison dripped onto the ground, even the earth itself began to corrode.
The appearance of this phenomenon indicated that the pathways in Skorupi's pincers and tail had already begun to open up. As long as it continued training over time, they would soon be completely opened. At that point, moves using its tail or pincers would have a much greater chance of poisoning its opponents.
"That's enough, Skorupi. Take a break."
Tetsuya promptly replenished Skorupi's energy and helped relax its muscles.
This training continued day after day. For the time being, Tetsuya had no intention of changing Skorupi's training approach. There was no rush to have it battle yet, so he might as well focus on building a solid base.
The Four-headed Weezing's move combination training also remained stuck at the final step. This was an inherent limitation of its body, and in truth it was very difficult to avoid. However, Tetsuya took advantage of this opportunity to train Weezing's body coordination, central nervous system, and brain reaction speed to their absolute best.
The move combination Tetsuya had devised involved far too many factors. It required perfect synchronization between the body and brain, along with prolonged practice, before it could succeed.
At present, after the Four-headed Weezing used Icy Wind to enfold the Poison Gas and push it to the designated location, there was still a slight transition delay when it turned its heads to use Flamethrower. Therefore, it still required constant practice before it could reach perfection.
Of course, when actually using the combination in battle, Tetsuya would still use his psychic powers to envelop the Poison Gas himself, preventing it from dispersing in the slightest and ensuring its power remained at its maximum.
After staying at the Laboratory for three days, Elm completed the registration of Tetsuya's Pokémon Research Bachelor's degree certificate.
With this certificate, he was determined to compete properly with Professor Rowan in this lifetime. More importantly, if he published those Pokémon theories and research achievements, he would certainly be eligible to apply to become a Pokémon Professor.
At that point, distinguished Professors and legendary Pokémon Professors would evaluate the accuracy of his published theories to determine whether Tetsuya qualified to become one of them.
Of course, becoming a Pokémon Professor was a matter for the future. However, once successful, Tetsuya could apply to establish his own Laboratory.
Having a Pokémon Laboratory of his own to raise Pokémon would allow many kinds of research to be conducted behind the scenes. After all, a Pokémon Laboratory was not a place that ordinary people could simply enter.
Now that his objective had been accomplished, Tetsuya held his bachelor's certificate in his hands. At last, he had opened up a small new path for himself!
---◓---
With only half a month remaining in the year, Tetsuya left Lyra Town and decided to visit Pryce and Sheila in Mahogany Town.
He traveled directly to Mahogany Town by vehicle. Since Mahogany Gym was recognized as the strongest Gym in the Johto region, it remained crowded with visitors even at the end of the year.
Upon entering Mahogany Town, Tetsuya headed straight for Mahogany Gym.
In nearly five years, Mahogany Town had changed dramatically. The original streets had all been widened considerably, and there were even dedicated shuttle vehicles running directly to Mahogany Gym. The local government had truly gone to great lengths.
When he arrived at the entrance of Mahogany Gym, more than a dozen Trainers were already waiting in line. Tetsuya wanted to make his way inside. After all, he was not there to issue a challenge, so he was not competing with the others. However, he was still stopped by a newly hired staff member at Mahogany Gym.
"Get in line, get in line! How many times do I have to say it?" The staff member at the entrance said, blocking Tetsuya. It was the end of the year, and everyone wanted to finish challenging the Gym before returning home to celebrate the New Year. As a result, it was not just Mahogany Gym. Every Gym was experiencing the same situation.
"Excuse me, I'm not a Challenger. I just want to see Elite Four Pryce," Tetsuya said.
Before Tetsuya could finish speaking, the staff member waved him off.
"You still have to line up. You're already the third person today to say that!"
Although Tetsuya was thoroughly annoyed, and could have sent the man flying with a single use of his psychic powers!
This was a "main" town, and more importantly, it was Pryce's territory. Naturally, he did not dare go too far and could only force an awkward smile.