"I've already contacted Captain Lugo. Welcome, Ron. Please forgive us if anything has been inappropriate."
Jovanni, accustomed to verifying identities countless times before, quickly confirmed Ron's credentials. After hearing about Ron's capabilities and potential from Lugo, his attitude shifted significantly.
"That's perfectly fine. I understand the situation in Moonshade Village, and these precautions are necessary. Otherwise, it would be all too easy for Pokémon hunters to exploit any loopholes."
"However, I plan to stay here for some time. I hope to battle and exchange experiences with the village's young trainers, with your permission."
Even after his identity was verified, Ron remained polite and composed, earning Jovanni's respect.
In fact, the villagers of Moonshade were most familiar with the Rangers from the Pokémon League.
The village's infrastructure and facilities were gradually established through their connections with the Rangers and the League.
Should the day come when Moonshade grows stronger, it might transition into a town or even host its own Pokémon Gym.
Recognizing this potential, the League had provided various resources and support.
To achieve that goal, Moonshade worked hard to develop itself while fostering a strong rapport with the Rangers.
Now, seeing that Ron—a trainer highly praised by Lugo—was so easy to get along with, Jovanni decided to build a good relationship with him, who was almost certain to join the Rangers in the future.
Considering his son's attitude toward Ron, Jovanni knew exactly how to proceed.
Though Jovanni appeared rough and rugged, he was no less shrewd than those skilled in politics.
"Of course, of course. You're welcome to stay at my place during your time here. While you're at it, maybe you could teach my son, Daniel, a lesson or two. That boy's so clueless he'd probably sell himself and not even notice."
After readily agreeing to Ron's request, Jovanni invited him to stay in his home.
Thomas, who had been about to report on village affairs, had mysteriously vanished by this point.
"Thank you for your hospitality. As for Daniel, he's a good kid—he'll figure things out as he matures," Ron replied with a smile. "And with your guidance, I'm sure he'll become a fine trainer in no time."
With Daniel as the topic, Ron and Jovanni began exchanging compliments.
By the end of their conversation, Ron found Jovanni to be a benevolent elder, while Jovanni regarded Ron as an exceptional talent.
The flattery only stopped when Daniel returned.
Jovanni, still burdened with his duties, left the task of hosting Ron to his son. He also instructed Ron to show his true strength in battles, teaching the village's young trainers a valuable lesson about the world beyond their horizons.
Under Daniel's guidance, Ron began his "sweeping victory" campaign.
No matter whether the opponents were around level 20 or at the novice or mid-tier elite level, Ron had suitable Pokémon to match their strength.
Daniel even drafted a detailed battle schedule for Ron, eager to see him defeat every young trainer in the village.
If Daniel hadn't been Jovanni's son, Ron might've suspected that the boy held a grudge against his fellow villagers for wanting an outsider to defeat them so badly.
As Ron started his string of battles, a sense of unease loomed outside Moonshade Village.
In the forest, Heracross were once peacefully soaring among the trees, enjoying a tranquil afternoon.
Suddenly, three shadows darted by. Alarmed by the impending danger, the Heracross instinctively resisted but were overpowered by the aura of elite-level opponents.
Without much commotion, three Heracross, all over level 20, were swiftly subdued.
And it wasn't just those three. Across various parts of Shadyveil, more Heracross fell victim to unseen assailants.
A sinister force seemed to be tightening its grip on the village.
Before dawn broke the next day, Ron was already awake.
Even while staying at Daniel's house, Ron hadn't abandoned his daily training routine.
With adjustable weights at his disposal, Ron could feel his strength steadily increasing.
His Machamp, in particular, had begun to unlock its full potential after reaching mid-tier elite level. Its growing power was matched by noticeable progress in mastering Finger Pistol, a technique Ron had been teaching it.
[TL/N: For those who might not know, Finger Pistol is one of the Six Powers in One Piece and is a great ability to use in close-quarters combat as it tremendously increases the arm strength of the user and thus, gives them the ability to pierce the bodies of others with sheer force using just their fingers.]
Following Ron's guidance, Machamp repeatedly jabbed at a makeshift dummy, its fingers raw and bloodied from the rigorous training. But under the healing effects of Ron's fighting aura, the injuries quickly healed, allowing Machamp to resume its practice.
Watching this scene, Ron couldn't help but recall how Machamp and the others had trained to learn Shave.
The repeated stomping on the ground generated tremendous recoil, often leaving their legs battered and bruised.
If not for Ron's Fighting Aura, which healed their injuries in real-time, even training at a Pokémon Center might not have prevented their legs from being crippled.
Ron realized just how well Fighting Aura complemented the Six Powers techniques.
Its ability to enhance a Pokémon's natural talents and aptitude provided the foundation for mastering these moves.
Its restorative capabilities allowed his Pokémon to train harder and recover faster, making the process more efficient.
For anyone else, even if Ron shared the methods and techniques for mastering the Six Powers, their Pokémon would either sustain severe injuries or waste valuable time on the training, hindering their growth.
"Good morning, Brother Ron! You're already up and training so early?"
After witnessing Ron's undefeated streak yesterday, Daniel had started addressing him as "Brother Ron."
Knowing he couldn't match Ron's strength for now, Daniel decided to outdo him in training hours.
Proud of himself for starting his routine at 7 a.m., Daniel eagerly sought Ron out, only to find him already deep into his workout.
The sweat-soaked ground was a testament to how long Ron and his Pokémon had been training. Daniel could only marvel at the dedication that made Ron so formidable.
"Not too early—it's just a habit. Want to join me for some training?" Ron asked casually, subtly signaling his Machamp to halt its Six Powers practice.
"Sure! After training, let's go back to battling. I've already planned the schedule for today!"
Grinning, Daniel joined Ron for a jog, his trusty Heracross at his side.
At first, Daniel was confident—after all, he grew up in the forest and thought himself adept at running.
But as the pace quickened, Daniel ended up sprawled on the ground, utterly exhausted.
Staring at the sky, Daniel regretted his decision. If given another chance, he swore he'd never train with Ron—or, at the very least, decline any invitations to do so.
"Good physique, my foot! He just wanted to see me make a fool of myself!" Daniel thought bitterly.
In truth, Daniel's performance was commendable, but against Ron—whose body had been enhanced by Fighting Aura and Golden Spirit Fruit—he simply couldn't keep up.
Hoisting Daniel onto his Machamp's shoulders, Ron headed back for breakfast.
With many more opponents waiting to challenge him, Ron found himself thoroughly enjoying this serene yet invigorating life of constant growth.
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