At the Spikemuth restaurant, Summer heard that Grandpa Gideon had reopened his restaurant, so he brought a basket of fresh apples and a basket of assorted berries to visit him.
"Oh, Summer, long time no see." Gideon, who was tidying up, greeted Summer when he saw him.
"Long time no see, Grandpa Gideon. You look much healthier," Summer said, lifting the two baskets of fruit. "Here are some apples and other berries. Try them out."
"Haha, thanks a lot. I look better because I've been more active lately," Gideon laughed heartily.
"Active?"
"Yes, feeling quite invigorated. By the way, Summer, while I'm feeling this energetic, how about I teach your Thwackey a Dark-type move? Let me think, how about Knock Off? Does it know it already?"
Was Grandpa Gideon planning special training for Thwackey? As a former Dark-type Gym Leader, he probably had many insights. This was a rare opportunity, so Summer agreed, especially since Thwackey didn't know Knock Off.
"Of course, no problem. So where do we train?" Summer asked.
"Where else? At Piers's stage. There shouldn't be anyone there at this time."
However, Gideon's experience failed him. From a distance, they saw a few people near the stage taking pictures with their phones, seemingly tourists.
"They are..."
"Probably tourists. After all, Spikemuth's popularity is increasing," Summer nodded.
"Hmph, this is good news. Well, let's not disturb them. We'll find another place," Gideon said, turning away, his spirits higher than before.
Summer followed Gideon through maze-like alleys until they reached another empty area, with only an old, dilapidated house nearby.
"Grandpa Gideon, where is this?" Summer asked.
"Oh, this was the old Spikemuth Gym. It fell into disrepair and ended up like this," Gideon shook his head. "Piers said it was too remote to serve as a gym, and since the league wouldn't build an arena here, he found a better place."
"So this place was abandoned. It's a shame, really. It was my way of challenging those who sought to face me," Gideon said with a smile despite his words of complaint.
"Enough about the past. Let's get to work. Come out, Pangoro." Gideon tossed a Poké Ball, and a Pangoro appeared before him.
This Pangoro's fur was not shiny, likely due to its age. It bore many scars, but its eyes were sharp and cunning from years of experience.
It let out a powerful roar, still full of vigor. Its voice, if anything, had only grown stronger over the years.
"This is my old friend, Pangoro. Today it will teach Thwackey Knock Off," Gideon paused. "But before that, let me explain the move's usage."
"Yes, I'll listen carefully," Summer replied, and Thwackey assumed a serious posture, sitting on the ground to listen to Gideon's explanation.
"Good, I like your spirit. Before we start, let me tell you what I think about Dark-type moves: their core is to be unreasonable!"
"Unreasonable?"
"Yes, disrupting the opponent's strategy, seizing every opportunity to deal heavy blows, causing stat drops and status conditions!" Gideon clenched his fist. "Dominant, cunning, arrogant, deceitful. Sounds evil, right? But that's the essence of Dark-types!"
"In Pokémon battles, there is no good or evil, only victory!"
Gideon patted Summer's shoulder, speaking earnestly: "Of course, this only applies in battles. This dark allure often attracts evildoers, but if you understand it and use it wisely, you'll be more effective when dealing with those scoundrels."
"Ahem, I got carried away. Let's focus on Knock Off," Gideon cleared his throat.
"Knock Off disrupts the opponent by targeting their held item, knocking it off and causing extra damage. In the pre-Dynamax era, many trainers used items to boost their Pokémon's power."
"So Dark-type trainers often resorted to Knock Off at the slightest provocation."
"If the opponent doesn't have an item, it's just a fairly cheap strike. Not really!" Gideon grinned.
"In reality, besides items, you can knock off parts that are separate from the Pokémon's body, like Marowak's bone, Farfetch'd's leek, or Thwackey's sticks!"
Upon hearing its name, Thwackey tensed up, gripping its sticks tightly. These sticks held special meaning for it. Unless necessary, Thwackey wouldn't want to part with them.
"Experience is the best teacher. Let's begin, Pangoro!"
Pangoro roared, lunging at Thwackey. Its hands glowed with a dark aura, and with an eerie movement, it tapped Thwackey's fingers.
Thwackey felt its fingers go numb, and its grip loosened, causing the sticks to clatter to the ground. Its eyes were wide with surprise.
"See? Experiencing it firsthand shows the move's underhandedness and psychological impact," Gideon chuckled. "There are different techniques for knocking off various items like necklaces and headpieces. Show them, Pangoro."
Thwackey then experienced the various intricate techniques embedded within Knock Off. It realized that Pangoro had developed multiple strategies, similar to its own mastery of Branch Poke.
"Now it's your turn, Thwackey," Gideon said.
Pangoro held Thwackey's sticks with a taunting expression, daring it to take them back.
"Go for it, Thwackey," Summer encouraged.
Thwackey nodded, recalling Pangoro's demonstrations and combining them with its own skills from Acrobatics, Double Hit, and Branch Poke. Its hands glowed with a dark aura.
With agile movements, it leapt onto Pangoro's chest, deftly dodging Pangoro's attempts to interfere. Its hands swiftly tapped Pangoro, causing the sticks to drop instantly.
Thwackey landed smoothly, clutching its reclaimed sticks tightly.
"Well done, Thwackey! You succeeded on the first try!" Summer praised.
"Indeed, impressive. It even managed to take them from Pangoro," Gideon nodded.
Embarrassed by the praise, Thwackey scratched its head. Just then, the Ranger Assistant's voice chimed in.
[Thwackey has learned the move Knock Off.]
[Thwackey has learned the move Thief.]
Thief? Ah, Summer understood. Not only did Thwackey knock off the sticks, but it also retrieved them. This little one's talent was remarkable. Truly deserving of being his Thwackey.
(End of chapter)