Chapter 21 Bet

  "Bet?" Terrance asked.

  "Umm, it's a small matter. Altaria still holds a grudge against me and refuses to entrust Swablu to me. But I can't give up on my research on Swablu, so I agreed to help it find an outstanding Trainer to take care of Swablu. At first, I chose Little June, but now I've chosen you."

  "Me?" Terrance was taken aback.

  "Yes, this test would be challenging for a girl like Little June, who grew up in a big family since childhood. But with you, there is a glimmer of hope," Master Victor said.

  "As long as you can raise Swablu's egg, successfully hatch it, and gain Swablu as well as its mother's approval within a month, your test will be considered complete."

  "For this month, you will stay here alone. I will provide you with food and necessary tools for daily life. From now on, you will face the environment of Mt. Chimney on your own. During this time, you cannot bring any other Pokemon with you and can only rely on Swablu….That's Altaria's condition," Master Victor expined. Initially, he found this condition of Altaria to be quite shameless, but when he thought about his experiment, he didn't care about anything else.

  Terrance froze upon hearing these words.

  Is he joking? Making him live alone here for a month is simply impossible!

  Let's put aside the fact of raising an aggressive Pokemon, the boredom alone would torture him to death.

  Moreover, it wasn't over yet. He also had to gain Altaria's approval?!

  "It seems they have had enough fighting. Now it's time for you to take the stage."

  Amidst the back and forth fight, even though Terrance was on the ground, he could feel the intense shockwaves in the sky.

  Terrance raised his head and saw Altaria and Pidgeot slowly descending. Eventually, they stopped in front of them.

  "Long time no see," Master Victor greeted Altaria, but Altaria ignored him and instead looked at Terrance.

  "He is the Trainer I have chosen..." Master Victor calmly stated.

  "As per your request, I have brought the person for the test. From now on, he will undergo a month-long trial with your child. Don't worry, I guarantee you as a top-level Breeder that your child will not be ruined. Its growth will astound you."

  Altaria, a proud and elegant Pokemon, was unaware that Pidgeot who it had bonded with had long been tamed by him and had fallen into Master Victor's scheme...

  After everything was done, Master Victor appeared before Altaria.

  Then, a csh arose.

  Master Victor asked for the Pokemon egg but failed, then following a fierce battle, this bet was set.

  In the end, Altaria didn't sever ties with Pidgeot; it was just resentful that Pidgeot didn't inform it beforehand.

  With a long cry, Altaria turned its head around, conveying its meaning to Master Victor, who then said to Terrance, "Are you ready? You still have room for refusal."

  Refusal?

  In this situation, how could he possibly refuse?

  "What do I have to do?" Terrance gnced at Altaria and asked Master Victor.

  "It's simple. Come back with me first. By this time tomorrow, everything will be prepared, and then you will begin your month-long wilderness survival."

  Being adequately prepared meant that Terrance would leave behind his Poké Balls, carry essential items and food, and return here by himself.

  Within one month, Terrance had to not only successfully hatch Swablu but also act as its Trainer, nurturing it to become stronger and gain Altaria's recognition.

  Initially, Master Victor had intended to capture Swablu himself, but Altaria's stubbornness forced him to abandon that choice.

  So Master Victor settled for the second option and found Terrance to fulfill the bet on his behalf. His main purpose was to simply prove his theory and research.

  Though it was regrettable that he couldn't personally capture Swablu, for someone of Master Victor's status, it was no longer as important. Now, his eyes were solely focused on the unwavering pursuit of researching new things.

  "It all depends on you, Terrance, whether the intergenerational inheritance will succeed," Master Victor said solemnly. He was also nervous, unsure if Swablu could inherit the extraordinary moves of both its mother and Pidgeot.

  "Other moves don't matter, but if it can master Dragon Rush, it means that Swablu's Dragon Type talent has been fully activated."

  On the private pne, Master Victor expined the precautions and key points of the test to Terrance.

  In essence, the likelihood of inheriting a move like Dragon Rush is extremely low, even for offspring born from a new union between Altaria and Dragonite. Moreover, this was the case of intergenerational inheritance, so whether the medicines prepared by Master Victor would be effective was also a matter of great importance to him.

  This Altaria was the overlord of Mt. Chimney.

  According to Master Victor, Altaria's strength was not inferior even to Pokémon trained by the Elite Four.

  His Pidgeot falls short in comparison to Altaria in terms of strength, so Terrance has a long and arduous journey ahead of him if he wants to earn Altaria's recognition.

  The reason he didn't let Terrance immediately start the test was that Master Victor needed to teach him about training moves, nurturing young Pokémon, hatching Pokémon eggs, and other knowledge to better tap into Pokémon's potential.

  Fortunately, Terrance's learning speed could keep up with Master Victor's teachings.

  For Master Victor, this bet was important to him. The process of Terrance training Swablu was a proof of his achievements. How far Swablu could progress in a month and how much of its potential could be unleashed was also a matter of concern to Master Victor.

  Now, with the presence of Terrance, an excellent Breeder, Master Victor's worries were finally resolved.

  Regarding this bet, although he couldn't carry it out himself, there are many young Trainers who meet Altaria's requirements for potential, but they did not fully meet his requirements.

  Terrance's arrival truly brought hope to Master Victor.

  ...

  ...

  After one night of preparation, Terrance remembered all the precautions Master Victor had mentioned.

  Terrance also remembered the terrain here quite well. Once he ventured in, there would be aggressive Pokémons, making it difficult to move forward initially.

  Fortunately, the nutrient solution provided by Master Victor would expedite the hatching of the Pokémon egg at the fastest speed possible.

  Inside the elongated container, there was an ample amount of pale blue nutrient solution. Master Victor personally prepared this liquid based on the condition of Altaria and Pidgeot. It would effectively stimute the potential of this new life.

  It was also the main thing to be proven in this test.

  If Terrance successfully completed this test, not only would he be able to enter the cradle of geniuses, Crown Academy, but this newly born life that would endure a month of trials and tributions with him, the Swablu with extraordinary talent as Master Victor had mentioned, would also become Terrance's Pokémon after they obtained Altaria's recognition.

  Chapter 22 1st night

  When Terrance was at the Old Green House, besides studying Breeder knowledge, he never neglected his physical training. However, because most of his energy was focused on studying, his physique was only slightly better than that of his peers on average.

  Holding the container, Terrance arrived under a tree and took out a fruit to quench his dry mouth.

  Although the road was difficult to travel, the humans in this world have excellent physiques, and with Terrance's physique, he could still endure it.

  "The optimal incubation temperature for Flying-type Pokémon is 40 degrees. Although the nutrient solution releases heat, the temperature is still not enough, especially considering Swablu's Dragon-type bloodline has been greatly enhanced. I need to find a suitable pce to hatch it."

  Looking down at the thermometer in his hand, Terrance knew that if the incubation temperature of a regur Flying-type Pokémon egg exceeded 40 degrees, the embryo could die. However, Swablu has nutrient solution to regute it, so the optimal temperature could be slightly increased.

  A favorable hatching environment also has a significant impact on a Pokémon's innate potential.

  The white egg with blue patterns floated in the center of the nutrient solution, swaying as if it could break at any moment. After observing it for a while, Terrance prepared to go to the upper level of Mt. Chimney.

  That area was close to the volcanic crater, and the outermost temperature might be suitable for Swablu's birth.

  Early in the morning today, Altaria descended with the Pokémon egg. According to Master Victor, if this Swablu was raised well, it would not be inferior to the main Pokémon of Elite Four of various regions. This greatly motivated Terrance.

  Although a Pokémon's potential didn't necessarily mean everything, it was still a good start, and Terrance had confidence in raising Swablu well.

  While talent was important, hard work was also crucial.

  ...

  ...

  High above in the sky, a dark shadow observed Terrance's every move. It was Altaria. Although Terrance was the examinee this time, Altaria couldn't help but worry about its own child. If the Pokémon egg was threatened, it would appear immediately.

  In the shadow of the forest, another figure also kept an eye on Terrance. It was Master Victor's Pokémon, currently carrying out Victor's order to secretly protect Terrance.

  Without Beautifly, it was too dangerous for Terrance to wander alone in the forest. No one could guarantee that nothing unexpected would happen.

  However, Terrance was unaware of this at the moment.

  Swish, swish—

  Terrance, who had already set off, suddenly saw a shadow jump up and quickly hugged the Pokémon egg, assuming a defensive and escaping posture.

  But after Terrance saw who it was, he breathed a sigh of relief.

  It was a very small brown creature that looked like an acorn.

  Seedot!

  Shaking his head, Terrance avoided the little guy. This Pokemon often scares other Pokemon who are searching for food in the forest because it looks too much like a regur acorn. This has led them to develop a peculiar and intimidating nature, especially when Pidgey, who is hunting for food, is often scared by Seedot.

  Seedot usually doesn't initiate attacks, so after successfully scaring Terrance, it hopped directly into the bushes.

  It was a false arm. Fortunately, it wasn't an aggressive Pokémon.

  Mt. Chimney was not close, and Terrance was very cautious throughout the journey, carefully observing the surroundings. However, by the afternoon, he still hadn't reached Mt. Chimney.

  "There's a ke..."

  The forest ke could be considered a small ecosystem, often inhabited by many Pokémon because many Pokémon would come here to drink water at certain times.

  This pce was already close to Mt. Chimney, and Terrance didn't expect to come across a ke.

  At this moment, there weren't many Pokémon around the ke. As he approached, Terrance could clearly see Barboach swimming in the ke.

  However, as soon as these Barboach noticed Terrance approaching, they immediately submerged into the muddy soil in the ke.

  "Spsh~~~~~~~~~~!!"

  "Spsh~~~~~~!!"

  Two sounds appeared simultaneously, causing spshes of water to fly up from the ke. Terrance stood behind, witnessing two Marill jumping into the water to py.

  Around here, there should be many other Pokémon, but Terrance hadn't noticed any. He didn't want to linger, so he continued walking towards Mt. Chimney.

  Seeing these Water-type Pokémon, a mix of joy and sadness filled Terrance's heart.

  Beautifly was not actually the first Pokémon at the Old Green House. When Terrance had arrived, Grandma Arn had another Pokémon by her side, a Vaporeon. However, the Vaporeon was too old and passed away shortly after Terrance's arrival.

  As a result, Grandma Arn fell seriously ill.

  Losing a companion who had been by your side for decades would bring grief to anyone's heart.

  "Sigh~~~" Terrance sighed. He doesn't like this kind of feeling of life and death separation.

  As he looked at the small life about to be born in his hands, Terrance couldn't envision what the future would hold several decades ter.

  However, now was not the time to think that far ahead.

  Swablu had not yet hatched, and a bright future awaited them. Holding the Pokémon egg, Terrance eagerly anticipated the birth of the small life.

  "Once I cross these thickets, I should be able to reach Mt. Chimney, right?"

  Terrance continued on, recalling Master Victor's words. Some paths may be blocked by thickets, but in the wilderness, it is better to traverse through difficult paths with thickets than to venture onto rocky paths.

  "Click... click..."

  Terrance had already prepared a small knife. There were obvious signs of human activity in this area, and the path seemed retively clear. After stowing the Pokémon egg in his backpack, Terrance forged ahead, clearing his way through the thorny vegetation... However, by dusk, Terrance had still not emerged from this thicket.

  Coming to a halt, Terrance decided to rest here for the night. In this environment, it was clear that Pokémon did not inhabit this kind of pce, making it retively safe.

  During his first night here, Terrance felt incredibly lonely.

  Unlike before, Beautifly was not by his side. The cold, pitch-bck night sky constantly stimuted Terrance's senses. This was the first time he had lived alone in the wilderness, and to be honest, Terrance disliked this feeling. Humans were social creatures, and the more people around, the more secure one would feel. Perhaps it was because Terrance had just embarked on his journey, but he was still somewhat unaccustomed to this situation.

  As night fell, although this pce was located beneath a volcano, it was completely different from the scorching heat during the day. A slight chill crept into Terrance's heart. To protect Swablu's egg, he had no choice but to hold it tightly and fall asleep, providing it a comfortable environment with his own body temperature.

  This test could also be considered as Terrance's own trial. It would st for a whole month, which was not considered long for any Trainer. However, faced with this indescribable sense of unfamiliarity, Terrance couldn't help but be amazed. The feeling of being completely isoted from civilization, different from regur travel, was truly uncomfortable.

  Chapter 23 Hatching!

  When Terrance reached the top of Mt. Chimney, it was already noon of the next day.

  Searching for a smooth path, he carried a thermometer and examined the local conditions everywhere he went.

  After a long while, the thermometer finally reached a level that pleased Terrance. Overjoyed, he arrived at a spot next to a red giant rock.

  Although this area is located in a volcanic zone, it is only the periphery, so it can't be described as scorching. Instead, one could say it is quite warm.

  Normally, with the excellent adaptability of a Pokémon, it could successfully hatch without so much trouble. However, Terrance still wanted to create an ideal environment.

  Once he found a pce he liked, it was time for him to prepare.

  Swablu was on the verge of hatching now, just a small opportunity away. Considering the favorable environment here, it wouldn't take long before Swablu could successfully break out of its shell.

  During this time, Terrance needed to scatter some self-made powder to prevent other Pokémon from interfering. The scent of this powder was highly disliked by Pokémon in this area, making it an essential item when he used to go alone to Falrbor Woods.

  In addition to that, he also had some other trinkets.

  Even the initial food for Swablu had been carefully prepared by him.

  After completing a series of tasks, exhaustion crept over Terrance, making him feel a bit sleepy.

  Although he took breaks, his continuously moving forward and focused attention consumed his mental energy at all times.

  He longed to take another nap.

  That summarized Terrance's current mood, but the Pokémon egg was now on the verge of hatching. Even in his weariness, Terrance didn't want to give up. He wanted to witness Swablu's birth with his own eyes. It was a responsibility that a Trainer or Breeder cannot avoid. If he missed the hatching of this Pokémon egg, the word "regret" wouldn't be enough to describe his feelings.

  However, sleepiness was hard to resist. Terrance occasionally picked up his water bottle from his backpack and took a sip, attempting to clear his mind.

  Ten minutes...

  Thirty minutes...

  Two hours...

  The Pokémon egg floated in the nutrient solution, its swaying frequency continuously attracting Terrance's attention.

  Three hours...

  After a significant passage of time, Terrance was taking his fourth sip of water, when suddenly, he accidentally choked on it.

  "Cough, cough..."

  Setting the water bottle aside, Terrance spped his chest a few times, but luckily, this little disturbance alleviated his sleepiness to some extent.

  Wiping the water droplets off his lips, before he could regain his composure, a dazzling white light instantly filled his vision.

  "This is—"

  Terrance tried to open his eyes wide, his brown irises fixed on the Pokémon egg inside the container. His previously calm expression had finally changed.

  "Crack..."

  Seemingly stimuted by something, the incubator instantly cracked under the intense light, causing the pale blue nutrient solution to spill onto the floor. However, Terrance was too preoccupied at the moment to pay much attention to it. He reached out and carefully lifted the Pokémon egg that was securely fixed at the bottom of the container. The dazzling light gradually dimmed during this process, until finally, with a series of cracking sounds, spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the white Pokémon egg with blue patterns.

  Ignoring his rapidly pounding heart, Terrance held his breath. At this moment, he seemed to have lost all traces of sleep.

  "Come on..."

  Terrance inwardly cheered for this little life in his heart. He nervously watched as the tiny guy broke out of its shell—a graceful, sky-blue body with fluffy wings like cotton. Seeing the little one successfully hatch, Terrance breathed a sigh of relief.

  For the smooth birth of Swablu, he had waited a full seven hours.

  He hadn't expected the little fellow to endure that long. Even on the verge of hatching, it took its sweet time, taking a whole seven hours.

  Evening had come again, and everything was calm and peaceful. Swablu gently fpped its wings in Terrance's palm, looking bnkly at the outside world. Finally, upon seeing Terrance, its body gradually rexed, and a sense of familiarity slowly arose in its heart.

  It chirped happily, as if wanting to get closer to Terrance. Terrance himself had a feeling that Swablu wished to climb onto his head, as if it could stay comfortably like that.

  After a careful thought, Terrance gently pced Swablu on his head and slowly sat down.

  For some reason, it loves quietly climbing onto people's heads and pretending to be a hat.

  It has wings that resemble cotton, and when it gently rests on someone's head, it looks like a fluffy cotton ball.

  Swablu possesses cotton-like, lightweight, and fluffy wings. This Pokémon is not afraid of humans. When it nds on someone's head, it looks like a fluffy cotton hat.

  Impressions of Swablu floated in Terrance's mind. He knew that this behavior was a natural habit of Swablu.

  Feeling Swablu moving around on his head, although it felt a bit strange, Terrance subconsciously refrained from disturbing the little guy.

  After just a few minutes of pying, this newly born life grew tired and quietly y down on Terrance's head to sleep.

  As for the food Terrance had prepared, it was not urgent to feed Swablu at this moment. After tossing about in the nutrient solution for so long, Swablu had already absorbed enough nutrients.

  Terrance extended his finger and touched the nutrient solution in the broken container. He specuted that at least 70% of the nutrients had been absorbed, which was already a very good number. Additionally, the environment here probably pyed a significant role in achieving this number.

  One must understand that the ingredients contained in the nutrient solution carefully prepared by Master Victor couldn't be ordinary.

  With such a solid foundation, Swablu would likely experience an explosive growth during the early stage, and within just a month, it would probably already mature. That's why Master Victor had the confidence to make the bet.

  Generally speaking, the beginner Pokémon given to rookie Trainers in each region are in their early stages of growth. Only a few Pokémon, due to certain circumstances, mature a little earlier. These kinds of Pokémon are difficult for ordinary rookie Trainers to handle, but their strength is often slightly superior.

  The Pokémon distributed by the League at the beginning are at a nearly basic stage. At this time, a Pokémon's growth has just begun, and it serves as the best test of a Trainer's training and breeding abilities. The improvement of a Pokémon's strength is closely reted to the Trainer's guidance and cannot be separated.

  Terrance was looking forward to Swablu's growth.

  However, he was already tired.

  His usual routine was fairly disciplined, but ever since leaving Falrbor Town, the series of events had surpassed his initial pns.

  Now, with Swablu slowly falling asleep, Terrance cradled the little guy and slipped into the tent. Fortunately, the surroundings weren't too cold, so they could enjoy a peaceful sleep.

  After this night passed, they would embark on a brand new journey.

  Chapter 24 Swablu's first fight

  Morning.

  Under Mt. Chimney.

  Swablu was perched on Terrance's head, who was dressed in casual attire, curiously observing everything around.

  For a newly hatched little creature, everything outside was a novelty.

  As the one who had been by Swablu's side from the beginning, Terrance held a special pce in its heart. Even without the binding of the Poké Ball, Swablu regarded Terrance as its sole family.

  The moment Terrance gently pced the just hatched Swablu on his head, their connection was destined.

  When a Trainer captures a new Pokémon, the initial expression dispyed by the Pokémon is often one of confusion and docility.

  But the gaze Swablu directed towards Terrance was one of intimacy and reliance.

  Terrance's smile never left his face as he gazed at the Swablu, theoretically his first captured Pokémon. This extraordinary little creature would be closely tied to his future.

  "Chirp~~~~~~~"

  Welcoming the rising sun, Terrance gently stroked Swablu. Swablu seemed to enjoy the touch, comfortably lying on Terrance's hair, exuding a hint of ziness.

  "This won't do." Terrance smiled lightly and spoke.

  With the month-long test deadline in front of him, it wasn't leisure and vacation awaiting him and Swablu. During this month, they would go through continuous battles, training, and honing.

  Only in this way could Swablu's potential and foundation be fully unleashed!

  It had been just over ten days since leaving Falrbor Town, and Terrance had already met Master Victor and become a Junior Breeder. Not only that, he had also possibly obtained a second Pokémon that he was extremely satisfied with, even pleasantly surprised. This filled Terrance with hope for the future.

  To live up to Master Victor's expectations and rightfully become Swablu's Trainer, Terrance was determined to make the most of the remaining month. Even if it meant enduring hardships and exhaustion, in order to obtain Swablu and enter Crown Academy, he believed that all the efforts made during this month would be worthwhile. Furthermore, if he couldn't handle this little bit of hardship, how could he expect to make a name for himself and give a better life to everyone at Old Green House?

  When Terrance was coming here, he had already marked the safe pces, so the pces he and Swablu passed by weren't too dangerous.

  "Rustle~ Rustle~~"

  As Terrance and Swablu moved forward, the sound of rustling grass reached their ears.

  Quickly gncing over, Terrance's heart filled with joy. "Found it!"

  There, a creature with a body made up of red and white, a small bug with sharp spikes on its red back, crawled out slowly, its eyes fixed on them.

  Terrance naturally wasn't wandering without purpose. To understand Swablu's situation as soon as possible, it needed an opponent. However, this opponent couldn't be too strong. Swablu had just been born, and despite its great potential, its current strength was very weak.

  So, Wurmple, a Pokémon at the bottom of the food chain, naturally became the best choice.

  However, there weren't many Wurmple around Mt. Chimney, and it took them quite some time to find one. This unfortunate fellow before them was the one.

  At this moment, it had no idea that it had become the "practice partner" in Terrance's eyes.

  Having previously raised a Wurmple to evolve into Beautifly, Terrance was well aware of the characteristics of this common Pokémon. Overall, Wurmple's strength wasn't considered very strong. However, when pushed to a life-or-death situation, they would unleash toxins from the spikes on their rear end and fight fiercely to the end.

  Therefore, if someone doesn't provoke them too much, they can be good targets for bullying.

  After all, Wurmples only know a few moves like Tackle, String Shot, and Poison Sting. With a bit of caution, Swablu should not have a problem dealing with it. Although Swablu isn't their natural enemy, being a bird-type Pokémon gives it an inherent advantage against Wurmples.

  Moreover, Terrance was prepared with an ample supply of basic items. He had Potion and Antidote in sufficient quantities.

  "Alright, this is our first battle on the path to becoming stronger!" Terrance encouraged Swablu. As a Trainer, with personal strength, one can sometimes suppress certain Pokémon, but the most important thing is to command your Pokémon in battle. Terrance is the controller of the situation, a participant but not directly involved in the fight.

  After a night of adaptation and growth, Swablu is now able to fly on its own. Although it may not appear entirely graceful, Terrance was already quite satisfied with the progress it had made. With a few more days of practice and further development of its wings, Swablu should be able to fly through the air with even greater ease.

  Even though Swablu has just been born and it may seem a bit earlier, it still carries some fighting genes in its blood. So, this novel concept of fighting was intriguing to Swablu.

  It could also feel the energy contained within its body.

  Some basic moves seem to be ingrained in a Pokémon's memory.

  Under Terrance's command, Swablu flew towards Wurmple, seemingly wanting to show its might. Wurmple, realizing the approaching threat, didn't turn tail and flee, which relieved Terrance.

  "Swoosh..."

  A string shot out from Wurmple's mouth, surprising Swablu. Additionally, without Terrance's command, Swablu fell victim to the attack right from the start.

  "Find a solution," Terrance calmly observed. While Pokémon rely on their Trainer's commands, they also need a certain level of "instinct" when it comes to basic things like dodging attacks, finding openings for attack, and capitalizing on the opponent's mistakes.

  One could call it "battle awareness."

  These things need to be experienced by the Pokémon from the beginning. If a Pokémon develops its own style, it's too te to try and change it.

  Swablu, entangled in white silk, cried out in pain as it fell to the ground. However, upon hearing Terrance's words, it immediately adjusted its posture and used its sharp beak to peck at the silk on its body.

  "The first move, Peck attack."

  Terrance muttered to himself. Peck Attack was Swablu's most basic move, nothing extraordinary when executed. However, at this moment, a faint white halo shimmered around Swablu's sharp beak, indicating a slight improvement in the potency of the Peck Attack.

  To perfectly utilize Peck Attack, most of the energy should be concentrated in the beak. Swablu still has a long way to go to achieve that level.

  "Peck, huh? It seems like I need to come up with a training pn for this move."

  Having extensively studied the knowledge about breeding Pokémon, Terrance knows that many Trainers make a common mistake, i.e. they tend to overlook moves that are considered "weak" or "impractical" in battles. However, little did they know that these moves, although they might not hold significant tactical value in battles, py a crucial role in stimuting a Pokémon's growth and affect their overall development in subtle ways.

  Chapter 25 Feather Dance?

  Regarding basic moves, Terrance believes that they can facilitate the understanding of more advanced moves while also pying a crucial role in a Pokémon's growth.

  For example, Terrance once read in a newspaper about a Trainer with a fondness for Charizard: He was training two Charmander at the same time, one with great potential, rapidly increasing its strength, and successfully evolving into Charizard in less than a year. Moreover, it quickly grasped the move Dragon Cw with its exceptional talent.

  On the other hand, the other Charmander persisted with basic training, starting from the basic move "Scratch," gradually comprehending "Ssh" and "Metal Cw," and diligently practicing them step by step. After this Charmander also evolved into Charizard, with meticulous guidance, it likewise comprehended Dragon Cw effortlessly. In fact, this Charmander's Dragon Cw surpassed the previous one in terms of cw strength, sharpness, and smooth execution.

  After conducting some investigation, Terrance understood that basic moves were not as useless as he had imagined.

  Take the move "Scratch," for instance.

  During Charmander's training, it can effectively strengthen the power of its arms, sharpen its cws, and enhance the strength of its spine. This has a significant impact on ter moves that it learns like Metal Cw, Ssh, and Dragon Cw. Additionally, the growth of its cws also contributes to the strength of its arms and wings after evolution.

  Therefore, most basic moves have their corresponding value. If they are overlooked simply because they may not seem strategically valuable, it would be a case of sacrificing long-term gains for short-term benefits.

  As Terrance pondered, Swablu flew towards Wurmple once again.

  Knowing Wurmple's attack pattern, Swablu easily evaded the String Shot this time, gliding on its wings to a position above Wurmple. Its tender beak emitted a faint glow as it attempted to use Peck move.

  However, Swablu's body wasn't very coordinated during flight. When it dove down, its attack was easily dodged by Wurmple, which hastily evaded. Although Swablu wanted to pursue him, the Peck attack sted only a short time, and the effect of the move disappeared.

  "Not only power, but also duration i.e. energy control needs practice," Terrance noticed a new problem. If Swablu could effectively control the duration and energy of Peck move, it would be the right time for Swablu to learn "Fury Attack."

  By then, relying on Peck attack alone, Swablu would be able to perform multiple consecutive strikes without the energy dissipating midway.

  However, achieving this would require extensive practice.

  Observing the two Pokémon once again, Terrance saw that Swablu had ceased its attack on Wurmple. Without hesitation, Wurmple immediately turned around, curled up, and swiftly charged towards Swablu.

  Witnessing this scene, Swablu appeared extremely flustered. It fpped its wings in an attempt to take flight, but Wurmple was not far from Swablu. In its panicked state, Swablu couldn't escape smoothly. However, to Terrance's surprise, as Swablu fpped its wings, though it didn't manage to take off, numerous white, cotton-like feathers detached from its wings. They swarmed around Wurmple, entangling it.

  Cotton Guard?

  No—more likely Feather Dance!

  Terrance almost blurted it out. Theoretically, Swablu should not be able to use or even learn this move. However, based on Master Victor's analysis, Swablu, possessing a dual lineage of Pidgeot and Altaria, had a high probability of inheriting this move.

  Now, Terrance believed in this hypothesis because he witnessed Wurmple being entangled by the cotton-like feathers and losing its fighting spirit under Swablu's pecking attack.

  After dealing with Wurmple, the little fellow clumsily fpped its wings and flew towards Terrance, happily chirping in as if asking for praise.

  "Good job," Terrance smiled. Swablu had just been born not long ago, and although the opponent was also very weak, this first victory was already quite remarkable for it. This was just the first step, and Terrance believed that with their joint efforts, Swablu would become even stronger.

  As a reward, Terrance gave Swablu some snacks that Flying-type Pokémon particurly enjoyed. Instantly, Swablu's mood became exceptionally cheerful, and it couldn't wait to engage in the next battle.

  With a smile, Terrance remarked, "No need to rush." He took out some homemade Potions and cleaned the wounds on Wurmple. Though the injuries were not severe, Terrance was grateful for the battle between Wurmple and Swablu and didn't show stinginess.

  With its strength restored, Wurmple nodded and quickly scurried into the grass. At the same time, Terrance prepared to find a retively safe temporary shelter to spend the next month.

  Living in the wilderness for a month, a water source was essential. However, it was also a gathering pce for Pokémon, and Terrance didn't want to disturb them. Therefore, he had to find a location close to a water source that was retively hidden as a residence for himself and Swablu.

  Terrance has brought a tent and some common travel equipment, so as long as he was careful, there shouldn't be any major issues.

  After surveying several pces, Terrance found a total of three water sources. Unlike Earth, there were no terrifying microorganisms in the wilderness here. Overall, the environment was quite good, and the water sources were retively clean. However, that didn't mean Terrance was ready to use them as drinking water. He had already brought some drinking water for daily use, and looking for water sources was only for washing and other common activities.

  And of course, to quench Swablu's thirst. These water sources were mostly occupied by Pokémon, and considering Pokémon's bodies, even if they used these natural water sources, it wouldn't make them sick. As for humans, the worst-case scenario would probably be an upset stomach or something simir, but if the water was boiled, there shouldn't be much of a problem.

  After careful consideration, Terrance chose a location on the edge of a mountain range. The environment and terrain here were retively ft, and he also discovered a very secluded corner. It was perfect as a temporary residence.

  With the residence issue solved, the next problem to tackle was food. Although Terrance brought some necessities, there wasn't much that could be used to stave off hunger. It wouldn't even st for 3 or 4 days, and most of it was the nutritional supplements Master Victor prepared for Swablu. So, for his own meals, Terrance needed to search the forest for berries, wild vegetables, mushrooms, and simir things.

  At Terrance's request, Victor also prepared some cooking utensils and a flint for him, so for the upcoming days, Terrance would have to cook for himself.

  Fortunately, Terrance had done this kind of thing before, so he was familiar with it. With Swablu accompanying him, they quickly found a few good spots for food ingredients. After filtering out things that were difficult to eat, they quietly returned to their original location.

  External issues had been resolved, and the temporary residence had been arranged. Now, Terrance had to focus on more important matters, which meant training Swablu.

  Although Master Victor repeatedly emphasized that Swablu has great potential, Terrance wasn't particurly enthusiastic about such things. Potential was an intangible and elusive concept. While it might manifest during growth, Terrance still believed in the combination of hard work and natural talent as the perfect match.