Shinji paused, then took something out of his pocket and handed it to Kebi.
"No, but I found this. The Treecko tribe's situation might not be good."
Fragments of a capture net?
Kebi narrowed his eyes, a cold glint appearing within them.
"Poachers?"
Shinji nodded. "Probably. I don't know if it's because of the poachers, but there aren't many valuable Pokémon in this forest."
"I plan to leave for Petalburg City tomorrow to get my fifth badge."
Kebi shrugged. Fine, he had originally wanted to invite Shinji to deal with the poachers together.
It seemed he would have to do it himself.
Yesterday, while reading the Psychic cultivation manual, Kebi had some ideas about the illusion chapter.
Practicing now would give him more ways to deal with poachers if he encountered them.
Shinji ate his curry rice, thought for a moment, and then said:
"Near Mauville City, there's a mountain rich in metallic elements. In certain seasons, it attracts thunderclouds. When lightning strikes from the thunderclouds, many Electric-type Pokémon go there to absorb it."
"There's a scorching valley in Mt. Chimney that is home to a variety of Fire-type Pokémon. Mt. Chimney is currently in a mild period, and the Pokémon in the scorching valley are also quite active."
"You can try it. Maybe you'll find a Pokémon suitable for you."
Shinji was just like that—polite and always repaying favors.
"Thanks." Kebi suddenly had an idea. "That scorching valley you mentioned, are there Torchic living there?"
Shinji glanced at Piplup and Chimchar, then frowned and asked:
"Are you a starter Pokémon enthusiast, only wanting to train starter Pokémon? With that attitude, I'm afraid you won't achieve good results, and even collecting eight badges will be difficult."
Kebi waved his hand, explaining: "It's a task Dr. Shanli gave me, to collect wild Hoenn starter Pokémon. It's probably for a comparative study with artificially bred starter Pokémon or something."
Shinji thought about it and said: "Maybe. Anyway, there are quite a lot of types. I think I even saw Cyndaquil from the Johto region."
"Since there are even Cyndaquil, there's no reason for native Hoenn Torchic not to be there."
Then it was necessary to visit that scorching valley.
Seeing that Shinji was almost finished eating, Kebi asked:
"Do you want another bowl?"
Shinji refused. "One bowl is enough. It's not good to eat too much when training Pokémon."
Curiosity showed in Kebi's eyes: "Can I observe you training your Pokémon?"
"You can."
Torterra, Magmar, Lairon, Murkrow, Snorunt—Kebi hadn't expected Shinji to be traveling with so many Pokémon.
Kebi had thought he would only bring one or two, making it easier for him to catch new Pokémon for observation, catching and releasing them at will.
Shinji's training methods were no different from what he displayed in the anime.
They were very strict, very cruel.
Originally, Kebi had thought this training method was merely an environment Shinji deliberately created to force out Chimchar's Blaze, but he hadn't expected him to treat all his Pokémon this way.
Kebi's Piplup and Chimchar were simply dumbfounded.
This... this was too brutal!
These two new recruits, fresh out of the Yamabuki Research Institute, had never experienced such a grand spectacle.
Kebi quietly sat on the stool, eating his curry.
He waved his hand, blowing away the dust from the explosion skill that had drifted towards the dining table.
Using Confusion to control the kitchenware and tableware, he quickly cleaned them.
Using Confusion for cleaning was not only convenient but also allowed Kebi to practice his use of Confusion.
In just a few movements, he put everything back into his backpack. Kebi couldn't help but sigh at how convenient Psychic was.
Shinji's training method relied entirely on the Pokémon's innate talent to forcibly increase their strength.
The higher a Pokémon's aptitude, the stronger its recovery ability.
Their vigorous life force ensured that even severe injuries wouldn't leave hidden damage, and their strength would increase significantly after recovery.
The extreme training method was simply tailor-made for Pokémon with exceptional talent.
Looking at it this way, Shinji's pursuit of Pokémon with outstanding talent was not a problem.
Great talents mature late, after all~
But Kebi still admired Ash's approach more.
To turn decay into wonder through the power of the heart—every Trainer would desire such power.
Kebi clapped his hands, bringing Piplup and Chimchar back to their senses.
He pointed to a rock at the edge of the open space.
"Piplup, use Water Gun. Chimchar, use Ember. You two take turns. You can stop once the rock is shattered."
Looking at the two Pokémon spraying water and fire at the rock, Shinji asked indifferently:
"With such a gentle training method, how can your Pokémon make progress?"
Blue light emanated from Kebi's eyes as he plucked a verdant leaf and held it in his hand.
"Believe in your Pokémon, and they will respond to your heart."
Saying that, Kebi put the leaf into his mouth and blew a Meowth song.
Watching Kebi, Shinji couldn't help but clench his fists.
Ever since Reiji easily gave up the path of a Trainer, Shinji had transformed from his original passionate youth into his current cold demeanor.
Perhaps it was because Kebi's temperament bore some resemblance to Reiji's past self—gentle and resilient—that Shinji couldn't help but speak more than usual.
Now, Kebi's argument reminded him of his brother, who had now become a weak breeder.
With a cold snort, Shinji walked back and continued to supervise his Pokémon's training.
In these few years before Shinji traveled through Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn, although he obtained eight badges, his performance in competitions probably wasn't very good.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have remained unknown.
His path relied on talent and finances. Reiji's small breeding house probably couldn't support such large expenditures.
Speaking of which, Reiji must have given Shinji a lot of Helping Hand in secret.
Otherwise, with Shinji's training method, the probability of his Pokémon becoming disabled would be very high.
After being defeated by Cynthia's Garchomp, he actually didn't treat his Torterra.
Torterra, Magmar, and Lairon had purple aptitudes, while Murkrow and Snorunt had blue aptitudes.
With Shinji's exploitative training method, even evolving wouldn't significantly improve their aptitude.
Just as Piplup and Chimchar finally managed to shatter the rock, Shinji's training session also concluded.
Shinji only prepared one portion of Pokémon food for each Pokémon, with no intention of healing them. Kebi shook his head, not bothering with him.
If he didn't care for his own Pokémon, why should Kebi?
【System, Check-in!】
【Checked in with Shinji, received reward: Wild Training Method.】
Wild Training Method?
Kebi pretended to take something out of his backpack and claimed the reward.
By the campfire, he began to read the Wild Training Method he had just acquired.
At first glance, the Wild Training Method seemed very similar to the training method Shinji used.
In fact, it was even more savage, but the Wild Training Method's advantage lay in its accompanying herbal medicines, which could replenish vitality and enhance strength.
Kebi would not use such an extreme method, which was akin to 'raising gu' and resulted in either death or disability.
However, the accompanying herbs were not too expensive.
Once he returned to the city to purchase the necessary materials, he could try the extreme training method.
Breaking the Pokémon's physical limits through training was gentler and more forgiving than the savage, gladiatorial-like wild training.
With nourishing medicines, Kebi wouldn't have to worry about Piplup and Chimchar's bodies being depleted.
After some thought, Kebi realized that the materials he had on hand could be used to prepare a simplified version of the vitality-replenishing herbs.
The intensity of Piplup and Chimchar's training could be increased by one level.
Finally, having shattered the rock, Piplup and Chimchar excitedly jumped around. Kebi smiled gently:
"Very good. Now, let's shatter the one next to it too."
Piplup and Chimchar's smiles instantly vanished. They exchanged a glance and, on the verge of tears, began a new round of training.