After walking out of Petalburg Woods, Theo lifted his head and looked into the distance. A massive city came into view before him.
As he gradually approached, tall buildings rose one after another, and the wide streets were filled with bustling traffic.
If one had not seen it with their own eyes, it would be hard to imagine that this prosperous metropolis had been nothing more than an inconspicuous small town just over a decade ago.
"So this is North Petalburg City?"
Theo glanced at the roadside sign and murmured to himself.
As he walked, he recalled the information he had read in Devon Corporation's archives about Petalburg City.
The North Petalburg City before him was a newly developed district that had emerged in recent years as Petalburg expanded.
Originally, Petalburg City had only been an ordinary small city. Without a Gym Leader stationed there, it had never stood out within the Hoenn region.
Everything changed when Norman arrived and established the Petalburg Gym. From that moment on, the fate of the city was completely transformed, and Norman himself gained unparalleled popularity within Petalburg.
Theo was extremely curious about Norman.
Before coming to Petalburg, he had already searched extensively through Devon Corporation's database and Pokémon forums for information about him.
This was because Norman's ace Pokémon was a Slaking that had overcome its Truant ability.
Theo had even fantasized about how wonderful it would be if his system could draw an item capable of altering a Pokémon's ability.
A Huge Power Slaking had always been a dream of his back when he played games in his previous life.
Unfortunately, the system's lottery rewards did not include such an outrageous item.
Although Norman was the Gym Leader of Petalburg City in the Hoenn region, he himself was not originally from Hoenn.
He came from Olivine City in the Johto region.
It was said that when Norman was traveling through Hoenn in his youth, he encountered a Slakoth in Petalburg Woods by chance. That encounter was what forged his unbreakable bond with Petalburg City.
Later, when Chairman Goodshow promoted the formation of a unified league among the four regions, Norman chose to establish his Gym at the place where he had first met Slaking, settling down in Petalburg City.
One had to understand that although the four regions had formed an alliance, it was by no means easy for a trainer from Johto to establish a Gym in Hoenn.
Yet Norman relied on his unmatched strength. At the Ever Grande Conference, using only his Slaking, he single-handedly defeated all opponents and their full teams of six Pokémon, forcefully claiming the championship.
That battle allowed everyone to witness the terrifying power of Slaking, a native Pokémon of Hoenn.
After that, he also successfully passed the League's Gym establishment assessment.
It was worth noting that the final stage of the Gym qualification exam back then had been overseen by Elite Four member Mr. Moore.
At that time, Mr. Moore had not yet stepped down.
His mindset had been more aligned with the older generation, rigid and stubborn. He had strongly opposed the idea of an outsider like Norman establishing a Gym in Hoenn.
To him, having a Johto trainer serve as a Gym Leader in Hoenn was a blatant admission that Hoenn lacked capable trainers.
Therefore, he set the highest possible standards for Norman's assessment. If he failed, it would simply prove his incompetence.
Norman easily passed the theoretical evaluation on Pokémon training.
As for the final combat evaluation, his battle with Mr. Moore was never made public.
However, after that battle, Mr. Moore completely changed his attitude, praising Norman without reservation and strongly supporting his establishment of a Gym in Hoenn.
From that moment onward, Mr. Moore personality also became much more open-minded and gentle, no longer as fiery and stubborn as before.
As for the outcome of that battle, many trainers had their own guesses.
Before Norman, trainers in Hoenn had indeed tried raising Slaking.
However, after experimenting, most concluded that Slaking was not suitable for battle.
Instead, many chose to keep Vigoroth from evolving by having it hold an Everstone, using it in battles instead.
The main reason for this was Slaking's Truant ability.
Slaking and Snorlax were somewhat similar, both being extremely lazy Pokémon.
However, there was a crucial difference between them.
As long as Snorlax was fed properly, it could still obediently follow a trainer's commands and participate in battles.
Slaking, on the other hand, had laziness embedded deep within its genetic makeup. It manifested as an ability that fundamentally affected its behavior.
Even when well-fed, it simply could not be bothered to move, let alone follow commands in training or battle.
Under normal circumstances, even if provoked, Slaking would often remain completely unresponsive, too lazy to retaliate. After all, most attacks barely caused it any discomfort.
Only when it became extremely enraged would it finally take action.
It was Norman who showed all trainers just how powerful Slaking could be once freed from the constraints of its Truant ability.
Despite having only a flesh-and-blood body and being a Normal-type Pokémon, it possessed defensive capabilities that rivaled or even surpassed Steel-type and Rock-type Pokémon.
Though it appeared slow, once it moved, it was as fast as lightning. Combined with its terrifying offensive power and immense stamina, it was practically invincible.
While Normal-type Pokémon were not particularly outstanding among all types, they had a unique advantage.
They could learn a wide variety of moves from different types.
At the Ever Grande Conference, Norman's Slaking had relied on type coverage, defeating opponents with ease using various moves.
And when opponents attempted to wear it down with status conditions like paralysis or burns, aiming for a prolonged battle, Slaking would counter with the move Facade, unleashing a terrifying fighting style.
Facade doubled in power when the user was affected by status conditions such as burn, paralysis, or poison.
Combined with moves like Drain Punch and Rest for sustained endurance, Norman's Slaking had fought every match at the conference as a one-Pokémon team against six opponents.
Its overwhelming dominance crushed all challengers, truly living up to the title of "King" in its name.
Because of witnessing Slaking's terrifying strength, Devon Corporation provided strong financial support to Norman, and the League also allocated significant funding to aid his research.
Behind the Petalburg Gym, a massive greenhouse forest had been constructed specifically for him, allowing him to freely study the Slakoth evolutionary line.
If all Slakoth and Slaking could overcome the effects of their Truant ability, the League even considered designating Slakoth as one of its official starter Pokémon, greatly strengthening the next generation of trainers.
Beyond his incredible strength, Norman himself was also remarkably generous in sharing his knowledge of Pokémon training.
Before his arrival, Petalburg City had no official Gym, and local trainers lacked professional guidance and a proper battle platform.
His presence filled that gap.
Moreover, after the greenhouse forest was established, Norman made a habit of opening it to the public.
Every weekend, when the Gym was closed, the greenhouse forest would be opened to all citizens of Petalburg.
There, he would hold public Pokémon training classes.
Anyone could bring their Pokémon to visit, listen to his teachings for free, and even receive personal guidance from him.
Because of this, Norman quickly earned the respect of everyone in Petalburg City.
This kind of completely unreserved sharing greatly improved the overall level of local trainers, and also attracted more and more people to move to Petalburg City. Many parents, in order for their children to receive Norman's guidance from a young age, did not hesitate to relocate their entire families.
The influx of population stimulated commercial growth, and businesses flocked in one after another. The scale of Petalburg City continued to expand, and the city developed rapidly day by day. North Petalburg City was born under such circumstances.
When Theo stepped into North Petalburg City, what greeted him was an overwhelming atmosphere of trainers.
On both sides of the streets, almost every shop wall was plastered with posters of Norman. Some showed him commanding Slaking in battle with imposing vigor, while others depicted him in the greenhouse forest, gently guiding children in raising their Pokémon.
Every few blocks, newly built battle fields could be seen. Red and blue railings enclosed grassy areas, turning them into open arenas. Trainers frequently sparred there, with cheers and the sounds of moves rising and falling, creating a lively and energetic scene.
As Theo walked along the street, taking in the vibrant environment, his curiosity about the city grew even stronger. He decided to stay here for a while.
First, he could use battles to help his newly evolved Metagross familiarize itself with its new moves and refine its techniques in real combat, preparing thoroughly for challenging the Petalburg Gym.
Second, it was time to share the news of Metagross's evolution with his fans and build momentum for the upcoming Gym challenge. These next few days of battles would be perfect for livestreaming and showcasing Metagross's strength.
He found a hotel with a wide view and booked a room on the 28th floor.
When he pushed open the window, the entire panorama of North Petalburg City unfolded before him. Neatly arranged streets were filled with bustling pedestrians, and large stretches of park lawns were enclosed as natural battlefields. The greenery and city architecture complemented each other beautifully, creating a harmonious scene.
"Come out."
Theo spoke softly as he released Metagross and Larvesta from their Poké Balls.
With a dull thud, Metagross's massive body landed on the floor, making the room tremble slightly. It walked to the window, its crimson eyes scanning the streets below.
Larvesta, on the other hand, excitedly crawled to the window, its little head turning left and right as it watched Pokémon and people moving through the streets, letting out cheerful chirping sounds.
Theo did not pay attention to them for the moment. Instead, he opened his system space.
Previously, after the Fallarbor Contest, he had obtained several Technical Machines from a advanced-level draw. Some of them had been unusable at the time, but now they were finally coming in handy.
His mind focused on one of the glowing TM orbs.
It was the Fighting-type move Body Press.
[Body Press: The user slams into the target with its body. The higher its Defense stat, the greater the damage dealt.]
When he had first obtained this move, Theo immediately wanted Metang to learn it. After all, Metang could greatly increase its Defense with Iron Defense, and when combined with Body Press, the power would be immense.
However, at that time, when he tried to fuse the skill orb with Metang, it had failed. Clearly, that form was not yet capable of learning the move.
Now that it had evolved into Metagross, that was no longer an issue.
Theo took out the Body Press TM orb and handed it to Metagross. Metagross lowered its head, and the orb instantly turned into a beam of white light, merging into its body.
Metagross closed its eyes, its crimson pupils shifting beneath its eyelids as it absorbed the knowledge of the move.
A moment later, it opened its eyes. Its body sank slightly, and the joints in its metallic limbs emitted crisp clicking sounds as a faint white glow spread across its surface.
Iron Defense activated.
Immediately after, it lunged forward in a powerful motion. Even though it was only simulating the move in place, the air itself seemed to burst with a faint shockwave, revealing impressive power.
"Very good."
Theo nodded in satisfaction.
Fighting-type moves were effective against Normal-type Pokémon, and this move would undoubtedly become a powerful weapon when challenging the Gym.
"Lar!"
Seeing that Metagross had gained a new move, Larvesta immediately became anxious. It ran up to Theo and rubbed against his leg, its blue eyes staring at him with anticipation. Clearly, it also wanted a new move.
Looking at Larvesta's adorable, pleading expression, Theo could not bear to refuse. He browsed through the technical machines in his system space and eventually found a suitable one.
Substitute.
"Here, this is for you."
Theo handed the white TM orb containing Substitute to Larvesta.
"Milotic, Tyrantrum, and Metang all learned this before. Now it's your turn."
Larvesta immediately pounced on the orb. As it merged into its body, it closed its eyes to comprehend the move.
Moments later, it opened its eyes and eagerly tried to use the move.
A faint white glow appeared around its body, and a blurry Larvesta-shaped figure slowly began to form.
However, before it could stabilize, the figure burst apart with a soft pop, leaving behind only a few wisps of white smoke.
"Lar!"
Larvesta wrinkled its nose in frustration. Flames flickered wildly from its five antennae as it tried again and again.
The result was the same each time. The substitute was either unstable or collapsed as soon as it formed.
Metagross let out a low humming sound from the side, almost like a chuckle, its gaze filled with indulgent amusement.
It moved closer to Larvesta and gently wrapped it in a soft wave of psychic energy. At the same time, it transmitted its understanding of the Substitute move through its psychic power.
How to precisely control energy. How to maintain the structure of the substitute. The information was clear and methodical, like a textbook explanation.
After evolving, Metagross had already begun to display the terrifying computational ability of its brain.
Its four brains operated in perfect coordination. One controlled bodily movement, one focused on psychic manipulation, while the remaining two continuously simulated skill training and calculated battle strategies whenever idle.
For it, improving move proficiency was something that could be achieved effortlessly through mental simulations combined with minimal real combat.
Its Psychic typing granted it unparalleled intelligence, while its Steel typing gave it an indestructible body.
The perfect fusion of the two created Metagross, a rare and incredibly powerful Pokémon.
As Larvesta received Metagross's guidance, its blue eyes gradually lit up with understanding.
It took a deep breath and once again gathered the energy within its body. This time, the white glow stabilized significantly, and a substitute roughly matching its size slowly took shape.
Although it was still somewhat blurry, it was a clear improvement compared to before.
"Lar!"
Larvesta cried out excitedly, then turned and rubbed its head against Metagross's body, expressing its gratitude.
…
(End of Chapter)
TN: Hey guys, I'm going to update this story on TueWedThurFriSat now instead of sixdays as I'm google lensing each chapter now so its slower and its gonna probably transition to one chapter daily later on when I reach the author's daily update, not yet though as I'm gonna update at least 10 chapters a week on this.