Every detail of these two moves, every subtle point of force application, was clearly imprinted into Deino's mind, allowing it to gain an initial grasp of both techniques in an instant.
Deino suddenly froze in place, its crimson eyes hidden beneath its bangs filled with shock.
It closed its eyes again, carefully digesting the flood of information in its mind, and a low, excited growl escaped from its throat.
This was incredible.
Deino had never imagined that learning moves could be this easy.
Back when it trained with its mother, even something like Dragon Breath had taken many days of practice before it could finally master it.
But now, these two moves, far more complex than Dragon Breath, had been engraved into its very being in an instant, as if they had always been a natural part of it.
It had never thought that its trainer could teach moves like this.
No repeated practice, no trial and error, just instant mastery.
It was amazing.
Even more amazing than its mother.
"Well, did you learn them?" Theo asked with a smile.
Deino nodded vigorously and instinctively began mobilizing the energy within its body.
A low roar rumbled from its throat as a circle of dark purple energy ripples condensed around it, preparing to burst outward.
It was Dark Pulse. Although still weak, the shape of the move had already formed perfectly.
Immediately after, it opened its mouth and released a blue, dragon-shaped wave of energy that traced a short arc in the air before dissipating. Dragon Pulse was successfully executed as well.
"Lar!"
Larvesta chirped loudly from the side, lecturing Deino as if it were some inexperienced rookie, completely forgetting how shocked it had been the first time it saw the system's glowing TM-learning orbs. It had not been any better back then.
After learning the new moves, Deino's attitude toward Theo changed completely. The arrogant demeanor it had when it called him its "pooper scooper" vanished without a trace.
Now it kept sticking close to Theo, clearly hoping he would produce more of those miraculous items.
After getting acquainted with Deino, Larvesta immediately got busy asserting its dominance again.
It rummaged through its little treasure stash and, right in front of Deino, hung all its shiny accessories onto Metagross.
Then it puffed out its chest and chirped proudly, as if declaring, "See that? I'm the boss here."
Deino knew it could not beat Larvesta, so it reluctantly nodded in agreement, though it was clearly plotting something else in its mind.
As soon as Larvesta turned around, Deino quietly slipped over to the two little Vulpix.
It showed off its newly learned Dragon Pulse, putting on an impressive display, obviously trying to make the two soft and adorable foxes acknowledge it as their leader.
Ice Vulpix blinked, seemingly not understanding at all. It simply tilted its head and lightly tapped Deino with its tail as a friendly greeting.
Fire Vulpix, on the other hand, pushed a small ball toward it, inviting it to play.
Deino froze for a moment. Looking at the two carefree little foxes, it suddenly felt a bit defeated.
These two clearly had no ambition at all and did not take its display seriously.
It seemed that subduing that fat bug from earlier and making it its subordinate would be far more interesting.
Sitting on the sofa, Theo watched Deino's antics and could not help but smile.
He thought to himself that Deino dared to act like a boss in front of the Vulpix now, but if one day when Ice Vulpix evolved into Alolan Ninetales and fought Deino within the team, what kind of expression would it have then?
Just imagining that scene made Theo's gaze toward Deino turn slightly mischievous.
Deino, which had been plotting how to subdue Larvesta, suddenly shuddered and turned its head to look around, feeling as though someone was secretly scheming against it.
After quite a bit of commotion, the Pokémon finally became familiar with one another.
Theo checked the time and stood up.
"Alright, everyone, pack up. It's time for us to head to Mossdeep City."
They had already stayed in Pacifidlog Town for quite a while, and it was time to move on.
The next plan was very clear.
Not only did he need to challenge the remaining gyms as soon as possible and secure qualification for the Ever Grande Conference, but he also had to prepare for the upcoming Grand Festival.
There was also Metagross's Mega Evolution, which he planned to reveal publicly.
Just thinking about it made Theo excited.
When the time came, letting Metagross Mega Evolve during the Mossdeep Gym challenge would definitely set the entire venue ablaze.
Although the Mossdeep Gym was famous for double battles, Theo was not worried at all.
Tate and Liza primarily used Psychic type Pokémon, which did not counter Metagross. Even in a two versus one situation, Theo was confident that Mega Metagross could secure victory.
When the time came, he would send out Mega Metagross alongside Milotic.
Milotic could set up Rain Dance to weaken the Rock type moves of Solrock and Lunatone. As for the battle itself, Metagross could take the spotlight and shine on its own.
Ever since being defeated by Slaking, it deserved a battle where it could truly vent its frustration.
He also did not want the viewers in the livestream to underestimate the strength of a shiny Metagross like Steven's.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
Theo quickly began packing his belongings while reminding Larvesta, "Make sure you pack all your accessories properly. Don't leave anything behind again."
Larvesta nodded repeatedly, carefully placing each accessory back into its jewelry box and even counting them several times to make sure nothing was missing.
Metagross used its telekinesis to help organize everything, neatly packing clothes, medicine, and other items into the backpack.
Soon, everything was ready.
Except for Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix, who perched on Theo's shoulders, all the other Pokémon were recalled into their Poké Balls.
After checking the room one last time to make sure nothing was left behind, Theo left the hotel and headed to the harbor of Pacifidlog Town.
Today was the once-every-half-month departure of the large ferry, and the reason Theo had not left immediately after the Contest was precisely because he was waiting for this ship.
This giant luxury ferry departed from Slateport City and was bound for Lilycove City, with stops at Pacifidlog Town and Mossdeep City along the way, perfectly matching Theo's destination.
If boarding from Slateport, reservations were required in advance. But at Pacifidlog Town, that was unnecessary since many passengers disembarked here, allowing Theo to simply board and purchase a ticket on the spot.
These massive ferries were very different from ordinary ships.
To deal with the dangerous whirlpools and undercurrents around Pacifidlog Town, they specifically hired trainers who raised Wailord to escort the vessel.
Not only could they help avoid dangerous currents, but they also provided protection against wild Pokémon attacks in the sea, making the journey extremely safe.
When Theo arrived at the harbor, the enormous ship was already docked.
The deck was filled with passengers and their Pokémon.
A salty sea breeze brushed against his face, and around the ferry, several massive Wailord could be vaguely seen surfacing as they fed, creating a truly magnificent scene.
…
(End of Chapter)