Feebas nodded, swam to the shore, and affectionately nuzzled Lionel's fingers.
Lionel took the chance to stroke its scales and could feel the little fellow's body was slightly hot from the recent training—evidence of energy being burned at high speed inside.
After a short rest, Lionel ordered again:
"Ready? Start with Whirlpool. Once the waterspout is stable, aim Icy Wind at the outer layer. Remember, only freeze the outside; keep the water inside spinning."
It was the water-and-ice combo he had designed for the Pokémon Contest—a waterspout frozen in place.
The outer shell of ice would lock the waterspout's shape, letting the once-fluid water present a sculptural, three-dimensional form.
Meanwhile, the continuously spinning water inside would provide dynamic beauty. The clash of ice and water, stillness and motion, would surely deliver a powerful visual impact at the Contest.
Feebas took a deep breath and once again used Whirlpool underwater, raising a waterspout. This one was steadier than before, its rotation more even.
When Lionel shouted "Now!" it shot upward and blasted a freezing gust at the spinning column—
Icy Wind met the water, and a transparent layer of ice instantly formed along the vortex's edge.
"Just like that!" Lionel's eyes lit up.
The ice crept upward along the swirl, as if slipping a glittering crystal cover over the spinning water.
Best of all, Feebas precisely controlled the range of Icy Wind, freezing only the outer five centimetres while the core kept whirling at high speed, creating the spectacle of "ice shell wrapping living water".
Sunlight poured through the ice, refracting into multicoloured light, and the rotating water inside made those hues flow and shift, forming a wondrous sight.
Tyrunt, peeking from the side, stared slack-jawed, let out an awed "rawr", and thumped its tail against the ground.
But the beauty lasted only two seconds.
The shell could not bear the waterspout's churning; cracks appeared at the top, then the whole casing snapped and collapsed. The melted ice mixed with the inner stream, crashed back into the pond, and sent up a huge splash.
The combo had failed. Controlling two moves at once was still hard for Feebas. It sank to the bottom, tail drooping in frustration.
Lionel smiled and shook his head. "Don't feel bad. Nailing it on the first try is already amazing. Using two moves together is tough—you did great."
While comforting Feebas, Lionel picked up a shard of ice from the water and held it up. "Look, the shell was just too thin. Next time boost Icy Wind a bit so the ice grows thicker, and slow the waterspout a little. That should make the combo last longer."
"Take it slow; we've got a whole month. Getting a prototype on the first day is fantastic!"
Reassured, Feebas floated up from the bottom, nodded hard at Lionel, and reignited its fighting spirit.
It started practising again, creating Whirlpool after Whirlpool and releasing Icy Wind again and again, constantly adjusting shell thickness and current speed.
Watching Feebas train like a kid under his encouragement, Lionel smiled knowingly.
Then he turned his gaze to Tyrunt, who was still sneakily watching Feebas's training.
Tyrunt lay on the grass by the pond, bobbing its little head in time with Feebas's moves, clicking its tongue in regret whenever the ice shattered.
Suddenly feeling Lionel's stare, it jerked its head up and dutifully used Dragon Tail, amber eyes sparkling as if to say, "I've been training the whole time!"
Lionel sighed helplessly; Tyrunt was still a baby. Unlike Feebas, who had been with him so long, he could only coax it along.
"Tyrunt, come here." Lionel beckoned.
The little fellow bounced up excitedly, ran over on its short legs, rubbed its head hard against his palm, and purred while its tail wagged like a tiny motor.
Lionel chuckled and ruffled its head, his fingertips brushing the two small orange horns on its forehead.
"Next up is your training plan. From today you'll focus on two moves—Dragon Dance and Ice Fang."
"Roo?" Tyrunt tilted its head, unfamiliar with the term "Ice Fang".
It opened its mouth to show fine little teeth, then pointed at its muzzle as if to ask, "Use these?"
"The move I passed to your head last night—did you forget? Concentrate and recall it. Imagine cold air rising from your belly to your teeth, and condense that breath on your fangs."
Tyrunt closed its eyes, half understanding, pursed its tiny mouth, and gurgled in its throat.
A few seconds later it opened its jaws again; a faint wisp of white flickered along the teeth, vanishing quickly—just a hint of Ice Fang.
"Exactly!" Lionel praised. "Once more—hold that chill!"
Encouraged, the little guy tried even harder.
Time after time it opened its mouth: from a fleeting flicker to a faint chill lingering on its fangs—still far from mastery, but progress was clear.
After practising Ice Fang for a while, Lionel let it rest, then moved on to Dragon Dance.
"This is your most important move. Dragon Dance boosts your attack and speed and helps you feel the flow of Dragon energy inside."
Lionel pointed to a flat Rock beside the Waterfall.
"Train there. Imprint Dragon Dance into your bones—let every turn of your body, every flick of your tail, carry its rhythm."
"Make it part of you, running through every motion, every spin, every tail-sweep—understood?"
Tyrunt didn't fully grasp it, but still obeyed, hopped onto the Rock, took a deep breath, and struck the opening stance of Dragon Dance.
Its tiny claws tapped the stone as its body twisted to a mysterious beat—
head swaying left and right, the two little orange horns glowing; its tail whipped up gusts strong enough to ripple the surrounding water.
As the dance went on, a faint red aura gradually cloaked its body, proof of Dragon energy surging inside.
Lionel could clearly sense Tyrunt's breathing grow steadier and its limbs become more defined.
"Great—keep that rhythm!" Lionel called, nodding inwardly at its earnest form.
Tyrunt's grasp of Dragon-type moves far exceeded his expectations. Compared with the stumbling Ice Fang, Dragon Dance flowed as if etched into its genes.
After two rounds it was panting hard, lying on the Rock with tongue lolling.
Lionel walked over and offered a can of Miltank's fresh milk. "Rest a bit; let's talk about what's next."
The little fellow gulped the milk while Lionel sat beside it, pointing toward Rustboro City.
"In a while I'll take you to challenge Gym Leader Roxanne. She specializes in Rock-type Pokémon. You'll be our main fighter, so train seriously, got it?"
"I haven't streamed your and Feebas's training lately because I want you two to make a smashing debut in the upcoming Gym match and Pokémon Contest."
"This is our first battle. Let's score a perfect opening, alright? Tyrunt, Feebas!"
Lionel called to Tyrunt beside him and to Feebas practising in the pond.
Feebas stopped training and nodded firmly at him, while Tyrunt lifted its head, still sucking milk, and mumbled a "rawr" that seemed to say, "Got it."
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