Pokémon: Start with an Admiral Crab!

"Hey-ha!"

Bang! Rolling!

Wang Yao threw a small fist-sized stone ball onto an open space more than ten meters away. After rolling a few times on the ground, it loosened its hands and floated back.

"Rot~" [Japanese version of Geodude's cry]

The happy Geodudes lined up beside Wang Yao and Xiao Gang waiting to be thrown out.

"You guys are having fun!"

Wang Yao looked at the group of politely lined-up Geodudes in silence.

"…I can't do it anymore. My arms are so tired."

Wang Yao sat on an ordinary stone, swinging his arms to relax his tired muscles.

"Hold on a little longer! Yao, your progress has been remarkable."

Obviously, Xiaogang's endurance bar is much longer than Wang Yao's, and he still has enough energy to continue throwing Geodudes.

But in terms of strength, there is no gap between him and Wang Yao.

Therefore, even if they continued to exhaust their energy and then recovered until the afternoon, their best result was only half the distance of an open space.

“Today’s training ends here. Each of you will carry two Geodudes on your back and walk back to the camp. Then you can carry them back up from the cliff tomorrow morning!”

Master Xiba dropped the Rhodon that he was holding above his head, allowing Wang Yao and Xiao Gang to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Then he jumped off the cliff, leaving the two men with sore arms to walk down the slope on the back.

……

Because both of them were very tired after a whole day of exercise, even Xiaogang didn't have the energy to make a sumptuous meal.

It was a hodgepodge of stews that was barely put together, and the only thing that was decent was the taste.

"I'm so tired... I don't feel like moving after eating."

Wang Yao threw the bowl and chopsticks in front of the giant crab...

He didn't let the Pokémon idle today. They were all practicing skills or building up their physical strength.

Although the progress was slow, Wang Yao felt a sense of accomplishment from the experience of concentrating on training with his Pokémon.

So, with this spirit of meditation, Wang Yao and Xiao Gang followed Master Xiba to train in the mountains...

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

On this day, at the top of Yanshan Mountain.

Three shirtless men are doing their daily training.

Wang Yao and Xiao Gang are still throwing Geodudes... Master Sheba is wrestling with the Rumble Rock boss.

“Hah!”

There was no running start or swinging to accumulate power. Just relying purely on the strength of the body and arms, a small fist-shaped rock flew across the open space and was thrown off the cliff by Wang Yao.

——Bang!

After a few seconds, a dull collision sound came from the bottom of the cliff.

"Success!"

It took Wang Yaocai a full month to complete the basic training required by Master Xiba.

Xiaogang had already achieved this a week ago because he exercised more diligently.

"Ayao, your progress is not that slow."

Xiao Gang, who was shirtless, put down the "dumbbell" made up of two small stone fists in his hand and congratulated Wang Yao.

The reason why the two of them were half-naked... was purely because Hiba's rock climbing and Geodude training method took too much clothes!

Especially when climbing mountains, the upper body moves more widely, and in less than a week several pieces of clothing were torn by the rubble on the cliff.

It doesn’t matter if your clothes are torn, pants are a man’s last resort!

So with Xiaogang's skillful hands, the two of them used the scraps of cloth from their clothes to make thickened patches for their pants.

Only in this way could Wang Yao survive for a month with only three sets of clothes.

Now Wang Yao and Xiao Gang know why Xiba is always shirtless...

Considering his brutal training method of playing hell rolling with Rhydon, it's good enough that he still has a piece of intact cloth left on his body.

“I didn’t expect you to be able to do this so quickly… I originally… No, I don’t think I’ve ever practiced like this before… Ahahaha!”

Even wrestling with Rhydon was a new training method that Sheba started by accident.

When he first started his training journey, he was just fighting with his Pokémon to build up his body.

There was no such thing as a Geodude assistant coach at that time!

"But I have been training here for a long time - after today I will leave here and head to the Johto region!"

Master Sheba said with a serious expression.

"Going to Johto? Did something big happen?"

Xiao Gang asked curiously.

"Yes, it's very important - I haven't eaten the [Angry Buns] in Kaji Town for two months!"

Master Sheba raised a finger and emphasized solemnly.

"Ah——Eat steamed buns!?"

Xiaogang was speechless and seemed not to believe this statement.

"The angry buns from Kaji Town... Once you try them, you'll never forget the wonderful taste!"

Master Xiba savored the taste of the angry buns in his mind.

"Of course, there are hot springs - the hot springs there are also very good! Soaking in the natural hot spring water after a tiring exercise is very good for the body."

Sheba said with a smile.

"That's right! I haven't been to a hot spring in a long time... I really miss it."

Wang Yao echoed.

"But...what about our training - Master Xiba, you haven't taught us the real secret technique yet!"

Xiao Gang asked somewhat disappointedly.

"Big secret technique?"

"——Haven't I taught you that?"

Master Shiba crossed his arms over his chest and reminded Xiaogang.

"What... All this time we've just been moving rocks and climbing mountains... We haven't even organized a single Pokémon battle."

Xiao Gang said in confusion.

Although he felt that this period of time was very fulfilling, to be honest, he felt that his strength as a Pokémon trainer had not improved substantially.

Even his own Onix might have slowed down its reaction due to lack of combat.

"What do you think the secret technique is..."

"Is it like in the movies... after learning it, you can be reborn and defeat your opponent quickly?"

Xiba asked Xiaogang back.

"Not really. The so-called secret technique is the process of getting familiar with it every time you lift the Geodude."

"Gon, let me ask you - what's the difference between that Geodude and this one?"

Xiba pointed at a small Geodude at Wang Yao's feet and another small Geodude that Xiaogang had used as a dumbbell before and asked.

"Hmm... that one's arms look thicker, but there are also more tiny cracks on the rock shell - so it's the type that likes to exercise by cliff jumping and rock climbing."

Xiao Gang analyzed with narrowed eyes.

"And this Geodude is bigger and denser—because it likes to bury itself in the soil to absorb nutrients. Although it's not as good at fighting, it should evolve earlier."

With just one glance, Xiaogang accurately described the difference between the two Geodudes.

Of course, this is based on the fact that Xiaogang has been hanging out with this group of Geodudes for a month, which is why he can do it so easily.

"You're a very observant person—even more so than I am!"

Xiba praised Xiaogang.

"If there is such a thing as a secret technique, this is it - to be able to communicate with Pokémon through long-term personal contact! Even wild Geodudes can be read!"

"Xiao Gang, haven't you already learned it?"

A smile appeared on Xiba's lips. He was very optimistic about this somewhat silly young man.