Hearing their leader's call, the Magnemite, Magneton, and Skarmory immediately stopped eating, looking somewhat guilty. They all glanced toward Steelix with a hint of embarrassment, their eyes carrying a trace of ingratiation.
Seeing this, Theo smiled and took out the remaining pokéblocks and food, distributing them to all the Pokémon present, including Steelix and Tyrantrum.
"Come on, everyone, have a taste. Let this count as my apology to all of you."
The sweet and fragrant aroma of the pokéblocks and food spread through the air, instantly attracting all the Pokémon, who eagerly began to eat. The previous tension and displeasure seemed to melt away at that very moment.
When the sand and dust had completely settled, the winds of the Steel Gorge swept past the exposed rock walls, carrying fine gravel with them, bringing a sense of calm and tranquility.
Looking at the group of Pokémon gathered around, happily enjoying the food and pokéblocks, Theo decided to stay in the Steel Gorge for a few more days.
Steelix's strength was beyond doubt, making it the perfect sparring partner for his own Pokémon. Moreover, the geological environment of the Steel Gorge was unique, filled with metal ores, so there might even be some unexpected gains.
Once this idea took root, it was impossible to suppress.
Metang conveyed Theo's intentions to Steelix.
Steelix was momentarily stunned, its massive head tilting slightly as if pondering the intentions of this "outsider." However, after glancing at its subordinates, who were still happily eating someone else's food, it simply flicked its tail toward Theo, silently agreeing.
With Steelix's consent, Theo immediately began setting up camp in the Steel Gorge.
He chose a large wind sheltered rock depression as a temporary campsite. After clearing out a flat area, he laid down a moisture proof mat and arranged the sleeping bags and other supplies from his backpack one by one. In less than half an hour, a simple shelter was completed.
In the days that followed, the Steel Gorge effectively became Theo's temporary training camp.
Steelix naturally became an excellent sparring partner for Theo's Pokémon.
Tyrantrum, in particular, seemed to have found a kindred spirit after encountering such a massive opponent. Every morning at dawn, it would excitedly run to the entrance of Steelix's cave and let out a low roar filled with the intent to challenge.
At first, Steelix still maintained a certain "leader's dignity," responding only three or four times out of ten. But gradually, it seemed to grow fond of this evenly matched battle.
After all, having stayed in the gorge for so long, it rarely encountered worthy opponents.
Later on, whenever Tyrantrum issued a challenge, Steelix would emerge from its cave without hesitation, engaging in fierce combat with Tyrantrum in the open areas of the gorge.
At the beginning, Tyrantrum stubbornly insisted on using Iron Head to clash directly with Steelix, as if trying to determine whose head was harder. Each collision left both of them grimacing in pain, their heads taking a long time to recover.
After several such encounters, they finally "learned their lesson" and began experimenting with other moves in battle.
Not only that, the two Pokémon even started exchanging their different understandings of the Sandstorm move.
Tyrantrum's tactic was to conceal itself within the sandstorm, use Dragon Dance to boost its stats, and then launch its attack at the right moment.
Steelix, on the other hand, excelled at turning the sandstorm into a flowing barrier to defend against its opponent's attacks.
Whenever Tyrantrum launched rock based attacks, Steelix would stir up a dense, flowing curtain of sand that functioned like a river, dispersing most of the attack's force.
Steelix did not hold back at all, patiently guiding Tyrantrum. Through repeated battles, Tyrantrum gradually learned how to use sandstorms defensively.
The two of them would even work together to create a larger scale sandstorm, practicing precise control of the technique amidst the swirling yellow sands.
Steelix also taught Tyrantrum how to use the move Sand Tomb, showing it how to manipulate sand and stone to alter the terrain and trap enemies within a sinking abyss of quicksand.
Meanwhile, Steelix's subordinates, those Magneton and Magnemite, became "teachers" for Metang.
Many Magneton and stronger Magnemite were proficient in the Magnet Rise move. Seeing Metang constantly practicing it, they voluntarily approached to share their experience.
"Magnet~"
A leading Magneton floated over to Metang, faint yellow electric currents flickering around its body. It slowly demonstrated how to more efficiently mobilize electromagnetic energy, allowing the body to float lightly in the air.
Even more valuable was the fact that these Magneton could work together to set up an Electric Terrain.
When pale blue currents intertwined across the ground like a net and the air was filled with a faint tingling sensation, Metang could clearly feel its sensitivity to electromagnetic energy increase significantly.
Practicing Magnet Rise under these conditions became far more effective.
To help Metang master the move faster, Magnemite with the Magnet Pull ability would take turns interfering with it using varying intensities of magnetic force.
Sometimes they would suddenly approach, causing abrupt changes in the magnetic field that disrupted Metang's floating trajectory. At other times, they would collectively release opposing magnetic forces, forcing Metang to adjust its internal energy to counteract them.
At first, Metang was flustered, nearly falling to the ground several times due to the chaotic magnetic fields. But it quickly calmed itself and worked hard to maintain balance amidst the interference.
Over time, Metang adapted to this kind of pressure training. Its proficiency in Magnet Rise improved rapidly, and even its control over psychic power became more refined.
Milotic, on the other hand, focused its efforts on teaching Larvesta.
Just as it had once guided Tyrunt in the desert, it patiently instructed Larvesta on the finer points of move execution, especially the technique of multitasking.
The ability to use two moves simultaneously was crucial for Larvesta's future development of combination moves.
Having lived alone before, Larvesta had never learned such a method. At first, it became flustered and anxious.
Either it would focus on one move and forget the other, or the energies of the two moves would interfere with each other, resulting in both being only half successful.
Milotic did not rush it. Instead, it calmly demonstrated by drawing a gentle stream of water with its tail while simultaneously releasing a fine mist of frost from its mouth.
Slowly and steadily, it showed how two different moves could be used without interfering with each other, each performing its own function.
Larvesta lay on the ground, tilting its head as it watched Milotic's demonstration over and over again with intense focus.
Under Milotic's careful guidance, Larvesta gradually began to grasp the concept. It learned to divide the energy within its body into two separate streams, channeling them into different moves.
Although it was not yet proficient, it could occasionally succeed in using two moves at once.
Whenever it managed to do so, it would become extremely excited, the flames on its antennae burning especially brightly.
During this period, Theo also rode on the Skarmory within the gorge to travel to Fallarbor Town, replenishing daily supplies and Pokémon food.
(End of Chapter)