"Let's call it a day," Kashiwagi said, signaling Zweilous to halt his explosive sprinting drills.
"Zwei-!" "Zwei-!"
The Dragonhissed back defiantly, insisting he could keep going, even as his heads drooped slightly while he heavily gasped for air.
"Too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing. Daily training has to balance perfectly with real combat to grow efficiently," Kashiwagi remarked, patting both of Zweilous's heads. Even without understanding dragon's thoughts, the sheer desire to grow stronger radiated from the Pokémon's every fiber was telling him.
Kashiwagi understood that drive, but even his "cheat" system couldn't magically satisfy Zweilous's hunger for power overnight.
Progress had to follow a steady rhythm.
The Pokémon could afford to be impatient; the Trainer, however, had to remain the calm anchor, always looking toward the long-term horizon.
"Zwei-lous..." "Zwei-lous..."
Seeing that Kashiwagi wasn't going to budge, Zweilous finally let his trembling legs give way, collapsing onto the grass with a heavy huff.
Frequent short-distance bursts were undeniably taxing, and the fatigue was clearly catching up to him.
"Pushing yourself too hard as usual, I see," Kashiwagi murmured, strocking the soft fur on Zweilous's necks.
As his Pokémon grew and Kashiwagi spent more time researching Trainer experiences online, his understanding of Pokémon in this "anime-logic" world had deepened—especially regarding their personalities, habits and growth patterns.
One thing was clear: short sprints were the gold standard for speed training. When combined with long-distance running, they would eventually fix Zweilous's awkward, clunky movement.
In reality, training wasn't as precise as allocating Effort Values (EVs) in the games.
For example, You couldn't just run to gain Speed without accidentally increasing Stamina too...
However, Kashiwagi had realized that while every Pokémon had natural leanings, hitting a "ceiling" in one stat didn't stop progress in others.
In other words, It wasn't so much about "EVs" as it was about Effort Levels. In the games, you usually max out two stats; here, a Pokémon could theoretically push every attribute—Attack, Defense, Special Attack, etc.—to their absolute limits through sheer hard work.!
This explained why physical attackers in the anime often fired off Special moves like Hyper Beam. It wasn't just old-school logic; it was a testament to "well-rounded development."
However, this revelation didn't change Kashiwagi's theory that Base Power often trumped raw stats in terms of damage, but it did prove that the prevalence of moves like Hyper Beam was the result of high-level, multi-faceted training.
For Kashiwagi, this meant one thing: he had to work even harder to ensure his team reached their peak potential across the board.
Suddenly, he glanced toward the distance and smiled.
"Back into the Poké Ball for a rest, buddy. The person we've been waiting for is finally here."
"Zwai?" "Zwai?"
Zweilous lifted his heads, catching a glimpse of a green-haired figure approaching before being recalled.
Another battle? The Dragon felt a surge of excitement. He was itching to wash away the bitterness of his previous defeat.
Kashiwagi felt the same competitive spark, but as a Trainer, he knew how to play it cool.
"Just awoke?"
"Yeah..." Wally nodded bashfully, his hair a messy green nest. He approached holding the Vigor-Fixing Incense spray in both hands. "I'm so sorry for the trouble! Here, I'm returning this to you!"
"Keep it. My words were what caused your insomnia in the first place, and you'll likely need it again. Besides, it's not that expensive."
Kashiwagi waved him off with a grin. "Get some real rest and recharge. I'm looking forward to our next match."
Wally opened his mouth to protest but looked down at the spray, realizing he probably did need it.
"Then... thank you so much!" He gave a sudden, deep bow.
In truth, Wally's sleep quality had been poor for a long time. Ever since he'd lost sight of his goals, his nights had been restless. It was only thanks to his past travels strengthening his constitution that he hadn't collapsed sooner.
Last night's insomnia was simply the "breaking point" of months of accumulated fatigue.
Thankfully, after several hours of deep sleep aided by the incense, he looked much more spirited.
Wally balled his fists, finding his courage. "If you don't mind, I can battle right now! My Pokémon are full of energy and—oh, wait, I'm sorry! You just finished training..."
He belatedly noticed Kashiwagi's sweat-soaked shirt and the scuffed-up state of the battlefield.
"It's fine, let's do it," Kashiwagi interrupted with a smile. "How about a 1-on-1 to keep it simple?"
"It would be an honor!" The green-haired boy nodded vigorously. Despite his introverted nature, he was always the picture of politeness.
...
...
Through these daily bouts, the bond between Kashiwagi and Wally deepened.
Constant battling acted as a bridge, allowing the shy Wally to slowly open up. While he hadn't reached the level of "socially anxious with strangers and acting crazy with friends," his attitude toward Kashiwagi had certainly shifted.
Wally felt a growing sense of admiration for Kashiwagi, even though Wally himself tended to win their matches more often.
Wally knew that Kashiwagi would eventually surpass him. In terms of mindset and the sheer pursuit of a goal, Wally felt he lagged behind.
His current victories were simply the result of having traveled through two regions already.
He could see it clearly: whenever Kashiwagi used Pokémon of a similar level, Wally would lose almost instantly. To Wally, a "true" Trainer should be able to win on equal footing.
What impressed him most was Kashiwagi's insistence on facing Wally's strongest Pokémon. It was as if Kashiwagi didn't care about the "Win"—he only cared about the "lessons" he could harvest from a stronger opponent.
People with a clear goals are truly different!
Wally thought, his respect growing by the day. He found himself wishing they could have competed together in the Ever Grande Conference.
Or perhaps... if they had met sooner, they could have been true rivals.
While Wally was lost in his "what-if" fantasies, Kashiwagi was focused on the very real rewards of their friendship battles.
Wally's roster was much deeper than Kashiwagi had expected. He originally thought the boy only had the Pokémon from the games, but those were just his "A-team." Wally had a wide variety of substitutes.
This variety wasn't just good for Aggron and the others to gain experience; it brought a golden opportunity: Move Tutoring.
Wally was a natural at raising Pokémon, and his team knew a massive array of moves—including some Kashiwagi desperately wanted.
Magnezone knew Reflect and Hidden Power.
Garchomp knew Draco Meteor and Earthquake.
Azumarill knew Substitute and Knock Off.
Just like he had learned from the wild Aggron before, Kashiwagi could have Wally's Pokémon teach his own.
It was a bit "thick-skinned" to ask, but for the sake of growth, Kashiwagi made the request.
Wally agreed immediately, without a hint of hesitation.
His pure, straightforward kindness actually made Kashiwagi feel a little guilty for "calculating" his friendship with the boy.
From the hallway of the manor, Wanda (Wally's cousin) watched the two of them laughing and talking on the field. She leaned against the wall, a relieved smile on her face.
Wally had always been the family's biggest worry.
Sickly and shy as a child, then lost in a fog of depression after his journey stalled—he had been like a walking ghost lately.
But seeing him laugh like this? This was the Wally she knew.
Trainers really do belong on the battlefield, she thought happily, humming a tune as she walked away.
...
...
That night, after dinner, Kashiwagi headed to the backyard.
Although they'd agreed to train, Wally insisted on finishing his shift at the manor's front desk first. As he put it, he couldn't just sit idly by after troubling his cousin for so long.
"Let's master Will-O-Wisp in one go," Kashiwagi said, rubbing the increasingly smooth shell of his Galarian Corsola.
A month of care had polished away most of her rough edges. Kashiwagi envisioned her eventually becoming as smooth and lustrous as jade.
Galarian Corsola stared back with her red eyes. To her, the Trainer's constant "polishing" felt about as annoying as a child running around upstairs in heavy slippers.
The only difference was that you could confront the other, but you can't exactly argue with the guy who feeds you, so she had learned to endure it.
At first, it was little uncomfortable, but eventually, the vibration became so familiar she almost couldn't sleep without it.
Pokémon really can adapt to anything, she thought gloomily. She decided she had to learn Will-O-Wisp tonight—if only to stop being subjected to that "smelly fire" Kashiwagi used for training.
He even called it "Traditional Ghost-fire." She called it a health hazard.
Sigh.
Life's tough.
Suddenly, Kashiwagi scooped her up and walked toward the house, where a distressed-looking green-haired human was waiting.
Shiny Pokémon stolen? Thieves in town? What was all this about?
She was puzzled.
Meanwhile,
Kashiwagi frowned as he listened to Wally's account.
Apparently, the fat man who had been ostentatiously flaunting his Shinies earlier had paid the price. They were all gone. Every single one.
"They stole the Pokémon and left a postcard?"
"Yes! Signed by someone calling themselves 'The Phantom Mask,'" Wally said, his face flushing with rare anger. "They're dragging the name of the culture of Masked man through the mud!"
Verdanturf Town had a cult following for "Masked Heroes," inspired by a famous Pokémon Coordinator who used to perform in a mask.
This Coordinator even appears in the main anime, and he passed on his costume to his son.
That little brat with the watermelon-headed hair sticking watermelon leaves on his face was imitating a Masked Messenger, albeit clumsily .
"Hopefully, Officer Jenny can crack the case soon. They're the professionals in this area," Kashiwagi said, though his mind was already turning.
Wally sighed, his anger turning into a prayer. "Yes, I just hope those Pokémon get back to their Trainer soon."
Once the mood settled, they began the night's training.
First up: Galarian Corsola's Will-O-Wisp. To Kashiwagi's surprise, Wally brought out a Talonflame.
"Feee—!"
The majestic fire-hawk circled above, sparks drifting from its wings like falling stars. The sparks didn't feel particulary hot to touch.
"I got this one from a nursery; apparently, it's a species from the Kalos region," Wally explained with a bright smile, holding out his arm.
"Feee!"
Talonflame flapped its wings, adjusting its massive frame to land on Wally's arm. The bird was so large that its fluff completely engulfed Wally's head.
Kashiwagi: "..."
Wally was barely five-foot-three. The Talonflame, even hunched over, looked nearly four feet tall. The visual was... lopsided, to say the least.
"Feee!"
The Talonflame let out a friendly chirp toward Kashiwagi and Corsola. Wally's method for teaching moves was simple: "Just let the Pokémon feel the elemental energy! Don't overthink the theory!"
It was a very "gut-feeling" type approach, but it worked for Wally.
Training began. Talonflame released small bursts of fire, acting as a beacon for Corsola to manifest her own ghostly flames.
Feeling the intense heat so close, Corsola was silent for a moment, then suddenly, seemingly inspired, tried to ignite fire by herself.
"Look! Talonflame's passion is reaching her heart!" Wally cheered.
"Haha... yeah," Kashiwagi laughed weakly.
In reality, he knew Corsola was just thinking: It's too hot! If I learn this move now, I can get away from this giant fire-chicken!
Sure enough, driven by her desire to be left alone, Corsola made a breakthrough.
By Talonflame's fourth demonstration, a flicker of eerie, blue fire ignited in front of her.
She had done it!
Finally! I can get away from this guy who's as annoying as the sun! Corsola thought, actually looking excited for once.
"It worked!" Wally shouted, holding out his hand for a high-five.
Unexpectedy, Kashiwagi remained calm, simply praising Corsola and picking her up, leaving Wally hanging there with a raised hand awkwardly.
The Corsola itself was so calm; his excitement made him feel embarrassed.
Just as Wally awkwardly started to pull his hand back, Kashiwagi turned and gave him a firm high-five.
"Thanks a lot."
"Oh, it was nothing! Hehe..."
Wally scratched his head, his mood lifting again.
"Let's keep going! Next move!"
Kashiwagi recalled the "overworked" Corsola, giving her an early exit. He had planned to teach her Protect next, but he decided to be a merciful boss for once.
If you won't work overtime, there's always another Pokémon who will...
Umm, why do I sound like a black hearted boss?
cough cough.
Kashiwagi released Zweilous, who had been waiting impatiently. Wally, in turn, called out his Garchomp.
"Zwei-lous!" "Zwei-lous!"
Even after a full day of running, Zweilous was vibrating with energy.
"Gar-chump!" The Garchomp responded back.
During a previous spar, Zweilous had been absolutely leveled by a Draco Meteor. Instead of being discouraged, he had decided right then and there: I want that.
And after learning from Kashiwagi that it could also learn this move, its desire to learn it grew more.
However, Draco Meteor was a "messy" move. It required a lot of space and made a lot of noise. Not wanting to disturb the manor's guests, they moved to the nearby park, where three battlefields were joined into one large arena.
"The trick to Draco Meteor is gathering all your energy at once and launching it into the sky. It's simple!"
Wally said. "Garchomp, Draco Meteor!"
"Gaaar-!"
Garchomp roared. A brilliant orange glow gathered in its chest and throat before being fired into the stratosphere as a concentrated sphere of energy.
BOOM!
At the apex of its flight, the sphere shattered. Dozens of glowing meteors trailed streaks of fire, screaming down like a localized artillery strike and slamming into the earth with deafening thuds.
"Once you're used to it, you can even control where they land," Wally explained.
Kashiwagi looked at Zweilous. "Want to try?"
"Zwei-lous!" "Zwei-lous!"
Zweilous nodded eagerly. He began to gather Dragon energy in his chest. A deep blue light started to glow, then—
Fwoosh!
A beam of swirling red and blue light—a standard Dragon Pulse—shot into the air.
"Zwe..." "Zwe..."
Both heads looked at Kashiwagi sheepishly.
"Yeah... Draco Meteor definitely doesn't look like that," Kashiwagi sighed. "Try again. Relax, but focus."
"It's okay!" Wally encouraged. "No one gets it on the first try!"
Garchomp responded with a low growl.
Zweilous prepared for a second attempt. But as the energy began to swell, a realization hit him.
Garchomp only had one mouth, so he made one big ball of light.
I have two mouths. Do I make two? Or just one?
"Zwei-lous..." "Zwei-lous..."
Zweilous stopped, both heads looking at Kashiwagi simultaneously with a "Please Help" expression.