"That's great! Absolutely great!"
Lionel nodded hurriedly, his heart overflowing with joy.
This trip to Mt. Chimney and Lavaridge Town was absolutely worthwhile.
Not only did he capture a Larvesta, but he also taught it powerful moves, and finally, he successfully obtained Moore's promise regarding the Elite Four's ultimate technique.
His Volcarona might even possess the Burning Soul ability in the future—this was an incredible surprise!
Moore spoke up, seeing the joy on Lionel's face.
"However, I need to make this clear beforehand. Our gym's ultimate technique, the Flame Baptism, isn't easy to pass. It requires a Pokémon with sufficient strength to unlock, and it also requires some special training. The final chance of passing is extremely low. Of all the Pokémon I have, only Typhlosion has passed. You'd better think it over. If Volcarona can't withstand the baptism, don't say I lied to your Pokémon."
"No, Gym Leader Moore," Lionel quickly assured him.
"After Larvesta evolves, I'll discuss this with it properly. We'll let it stay at your Fire-type Gym for a while. After all, you're the expert in Fire-type Pokémon training; you definitely know better than I do how to raise it to make its offspring even better."
Moore looked at Lionel and couldn't help but laugh and scold, "You rascal, you're so cunning!"
The condition Lionel proposed was indeed very tempting to Moore.
If a Volcarona-class Pokémon was willing to stay temporarily at his Lavaridge Gym, he could use his Alliance connections to find a large number of powerful and beautiful female Volcarona or Ditto for breeding.
He could also invite some PhDs specializing in genetics to conduct targeted incubation of the offspring. Perhaps he could even breed an unprecedentedly powerful Larvesta for himself.
"Don't worry, just because of what you said, I will definitely do everything I can to let your Volcarona undergo the baptism of flames. I'm waiting for your Larvesta to evolve," Moore patted his chest and assured Lionel.
The Larvesta, acting as their guide, had been secretly eavesdropping on their conversation.
Although it didn't fully understand their talk of "offspring" and "breeding," it felt that the way Lionel and the white-haired old man were looking at it was becoming increasingly strange.
That gaze made it uneasy, sensing they were plotting something.
It instinctively avoided their gaze, finally turning to hide behind the massive body of Tyrantrum, preventing them from seeing it—as if this would shield it from their "malicious" gaze.
Moore and Lionel couldn't help but laugh at the Larvesta's antics. Moore waved his hand and said, "Alright, it's a deal then. Let the Larvesta come over; I'm going to teach it a skill right now."
Upon hearing this, Lionel immediately waved his hand behind Tyrantrum.
"Larvesta, come over! It's time to learn a skill."
The Larvesta hesitated for a moment, cautiously peeking out its little head. Its dark, round eyes darted back and forth between Lionel, Moore, and the Typhlosion.
As if assessing whether moving forward would lead to some kind of trap, it didn't dare to move for a moment.
Seeing this, Lionel shook his head helplessly and chuckled.
"Don't be so sensitive; I really didn't trick you this time. Typhlosion is going to teach you a powerful skill. Hurry up and come over."
After saying that, he picked up his phone and addressed the viewers in the live stream: "Alright everyone, next up is Moore's explosive guidance on Larvesta's skills. That's all for now. I'll show you the results later."
The live stream instantly exploded with comments:
[Huh? That's it? I wanted to see Larvesta learn its ultimate move!]
[Please, streamer, secretly open a private window to share! Just a glimpse!]
[Those who said that are overthinking it. This is definitely Moore's unique teaching method; it wouldn't be shared so easily!]
Lionel smiled as he read a few comments, then immediately closed the live stream.
Moore, standing to the side, nodded in approval.
This kid knew his limits.
"Come with me," Moore said, turning with Flannery towards the training area behind the battlefield.
Lionel followed closely with his Pokémon.
Entering the training area, Moore glanced at the Typhlosion beside him.
The Typhlosion immediately stepped forward, a faint aura of flame rising around it. It seemed gentle, yet it exuded a chilling sense of oppression.
Moore spoke in a deep voice, his tone filled with pride: "Ordinary skill instruction is just demonstrating moves and explaining the principles of energy flow. Whether a Pokémon can learn, and how quickly, depends entirely on its own comprehension. But my Typhlosion is different. Having undergone the 'Baptism of Flames,' its control over Fire-type energy has reached an extreme. It can precisely channel its own energy into other Pokémon, guiding them to personally experience the flow during release, making learning twice as effective."
Lionel's eyes lit up. He finally understood why Flannery's Pokémon could master so many powerful skills despite not having high energy levels.
It was all thanks to Moore's Typhlosion!
"Larvesta, watch closely. I'll have Typhlosion demonstrate Fire Blast in slow motion first," Moore said.
Typhlosion raised its front paw.
The next second, a ball of fire the size of a ping-pong ball materialized in its palm.
The flame radiated astonishing heat, creating ripples in the air.
Then, the flame expanded, its color transitioning from orange-red to incandescent white. Within, tiny streams of flame could be seen rotating rapidly like a miniature sun.
"Boom!"
Typhlosion thrust its paw forward. The incandescent white flame transformed into a perfect "大" (big) character, tearing through the air and accurately striking the rock target.
There was no loud explosion, only a muffled "whoosh."
The entire range was engulfed in white light, causing Lionel to squint. When the light dissipated, the rock target had vanished, leaving only a charred crater several meters deep.
The walls were as smooth as a mirror, having been instantly melted and then cooled.