On the other hand, gradually adapting to the wild life, Terrance embarked on a new round of training with Swablu.
Basics, moves, real combat, theory, tactics, emotions...
In order to prepare for the upcoming final test, Terrance has been giving his all, striving alongside Swablu in various ways.
And so, the end of one month was nearing since Terrance entered Mt. Chimney.
The twenty-plus days of being together have intensified the bond between Swablu and Terrance. In this forest, they have left behind countless drops of sweat and laughter.
"Splash!"
A Marill jumped out of the lake, causing ripples on the surface.
In the sky, Swablu exhaled a blue breath, sending the Marill plunging back into the water, effortlessly concluding the battle.
"Well done!"
Catching Swablu as it flew towards him, Terrance revealed a satisfied smile.
The month-long training period was about to end, and Terrance had witnessed Swablu's progress with his own eyes. He felt a sense of accomplishment and was increasingly happy for Swablu.
After another twenty days of training, Swablu's strength had undergone a remarkable transformation.
The current Swablu is no longer the timid little creature it was when it was born. It was even much superior than the many Starter Pokémon given to rookies.
It was at the fastest-growing stage of its life since it was born, having already learned two inherited moves and even mastering the move Roost as a result.
With the inspiration from Feather Dance, Swablu successfully learned Cotton Guard.
Moreover, Swablu is now able to use Agility to some extent, and no longer experiences a situation where it loses control over its movements.
The only regret Terrance felt was that Swablu has yet to learn the powerful move "Dragon Rush." Even Master Victor admitted that he wasn't certain about the odds of inheriting it, but the slim chance is worth striving for.
On the other hand, due to its physical growth stage, Swablu has become more adept at "sound"- type moves.
As for the move "Peck," Swablu can now easily penetrate and shatter a large wooden stake, demonstrating a high level of proficiency.
Terrance had already abandoned the single-use move, Natural Gift, some time ago. It was partly due to the hassle it caused and also because as Swablu grew, its reliance on Natural Gift would slowly diminish.
However, these are not the most important things. In these past few days, Terrance and Swablu helped an injured Nuzleaf, and to Terrance's surprise, the leader of the Nuzleaf tribe looked for him to express its gratitude and provided him with much assistance.
One of the things they did was to teach Swablu a new move.
Hidden Power.
At first, it was challenging for Swablu to learn this new move. In theory, most Pokémon can learn it, but the effects vary based on the individual.
But Shiftry guided it patiently. As Swablu was quite clever, after a whole day of training, Swablu was finally able to freely use this move.
Similar to what Terrance had speculated, the awakened attribute effect of Swablu was "Dragon," likely due to the strong Dragon-type bloodline within its body.
However, Swablu, who has just learned this move, still cannot fully control it, just like with Agility and Peck Attack at the beginning. But having some clue, Terrance thought of a solution.
In the end, Terrance decided to try combining Natural Gift and Hidden Power, utilizing the Dragon-type power within the Aguav Berry to assist Swablu in adapting to the Dragon-type Hidden Power.
Although it is unclear whether it has had any effect, now Swablu is very proficient in using Hidden Power. At this moment, Hidden Power had become Swablu's greatest trump card.
"Shall we continue fighting?" Terrance asked hesitantly. Lately, Swablu seemed to enjoy fighting a lot. In this area, apart from a few powerful Pokémon, it has had encounters with almost all others, and with Terrance, the Breeder, handling the aftermath, there weren't many major conflicts. Instead, they even made quite a few friends.
"Chirp~" It confirmed with a chirp, showing strong fighting spirit.
"Chirp~ Chirp~"
Hmm? Terrance was astonished.
"You want to challenge Seviper?" Terrance was taken aback. He recalled the promise he made to Swablu in the beginning, that it wouldn't be weaker than Seviper when it grows up. He didn't expect Swablu to remember it until now.
"You are really willing to give it a try?" Terrance smiled. Although Seviper's level may be higher than Swablu's, with a Trainer's guidance, they should be able to give it a try as Swablu has improved a lot.
"Chirp~ Chirp~"
The sunlight overhead was intense, but Terrance and Swablu were tirelessly traversing this forest.
After the encounter with Lotad, it wasn't the last time Terrance and the others faced Seviper. In this forest, it was inevitable to come across various Pokémon, but when encountering Pokémon like Seviper, they mostly chose to avoid them.
There have been a few occasions where they witnessed battles between Seviper and its arch-rival, Zangoose, in different locations.
But if there's one thing that left Terrance feeling helpless, it would be the battle between Swablu and Geodude on Mt. Chimney.
At that time, Swablu didn't know Hidden Power, and its only remaining move, Natural Gift, had little effect on Geodude. In the end, Swablu and Terrance had no choice but to abandon the battle and run away dejectedly.
With the test coming to an end, Swablu was looking forward to battling Seviper, and Terrance also doesn't want to leave behind any regrets.
So, after returning to their residence and making some preparations, Terrance took some medicines he had made himself and prepared for a full-on battle against Seviper.
"Let's go!" Fully armed, Terrance and Swablu embark on their journey to find Seviper. Seviper's whereabouts were unpredictable, but Terrance and the others had been active in this area frequently and have had a few encounters with it, gaining some understanding of Seviper's favorite locations.
There was still plenty of time until sunset, giving them enough time to search for Seviper. Although they need to be cautious while walking through the forest, Swablu and Terrance have gained some confidence in facing danger.
Two hours later,
"Rustle…Rustle..."
"Rustle…Rustle…"
The sound of rustling grass reached Terrance's ears, and a long figure immediately caught their attention.
"Found you, Seviper!" Two hours is not a short time, and they are somewhat tired from searching. However, upon seeing Seviper, they immediately become energized.
"Hiss~?" Seviper narrowed its eyes menacingly, not understanding why they weren't fleeing this time.
Fighting against Seviper is not as troublesome as battling other Pokémon. Terrance hadn't even requested a battle, yet Seviper had already assumed an attacking stance.
Terrance stepped back, leaving the stage to Swablu.
[Author Note: Since this is a fanfic, it will intersect with the original work's storyline. Moreover, this story follows the XY/Z storyline, so feel free to enjoy reading it.]
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