"Then how will you thank your master?"
Seeing that everything had been settled, Icarus finally relaxed a little. He pulled Luna into his arms, teasing her with a smug grin.
"Master~ I already told you, as long as it's not the final step, everything else is up to Master."
Luna leaned way against him, her cheeks flushed red as she whispered softly.
"Hahaha, then stay with me a little longer tonight."
The room gradually quieted down as the night deepened.
⸻
The next morning, Luna left before dawn.
After all, Airi usually came over to prepare breakfast, and the three of them woke up very early. The previous night, they had also finalized their upcoming training plans.
Icarus understood very clearly that beauty and pleasure had to be controlled when necessary. After all, strength was the true foundation of everything.
Even Luna's obedience came largely from the potential he had shown.
So in the end, power was still what mattered most.
After breakfast, the three of them began their respective training.
One thing worth mentioning was that the Pure Origin Manual also worked for Airi. Although the effect was less than one-tenth of Icarus's, it was still much faster than her previous passive growth.
Airi had once checked the Alliance exchange list for cultivation methods suited for Naturally Extraordinary individuals. There were compatible techniques, but even the cheapest Water-type cultivation art cost over 1,000 contribution points.
That was far beyond what she could afford.
More importantly, she didn't dare expose herself too much. She feared the Alliance might suspect she was Naturally Extraordinary.
So now, even having a cultivation method with only a small effect made her extremely happy.
As for Stone, he was still practicing the Body Tempering Art since he had not yet developed a sense of qi.
However, he adapted surprisingly well to the Groundforce Fist Set.
Perhaps because his first Pokémon was Geodude, his progress with the martial art was incredibly fast.
Meanwhile, Icarus had already switched fully to cultivating the Pure Origin Manual, though he still practiced the Groundforce Fist Set alongside Stone.
The three of them also trained in the Swiftstep Set together, with Icarus learning the fastest.
As for the Pokémon, their training plans had already been arranged.
The only one requiring special attention was Houndour.
Following the methods inside Houndoom's breeding manual, Icarus added claw and fang strengthening exercises similar to Pidgeotto's old training routine.
Using strengthening powder and medicinal solutions, Houndour repeatedly struck trees with its claws and bit through hardened wood to temper itself.
At the same time, Icarus adjusted Houndour's scent-training routine according to the manual.
Official methods truly were superior to his previous improvised techniques.
On the very first day, he noticed a slight improvement in Houndour's tracking ability.
It wasn't dramatic, but even a small increase proved there was still room for growth.
That alone was good news.
⸻
After training all morning, the three ate lunch together before heading toward the Pokémon Center to accept afternoon missions.
Since they were only taking easier quests, there was no shortage of options.
Icarus no longer bothered calculating efficiency and simply selected several nearby hunting and clearing missions before setting out.
By evening, the trio returned dusty and exhausted.
The day's rewards weren't particularly impressive—just over 10,000 Alliance currency and around 20 contribution points after including Pokémon materials.
Barely enough.
After all, maintaining three Pokémon was extremely expensive.
Pidgeotto and Weepinbell alone consumed around 4,000 to 5,000 a day in food and resources.
Houndour's honey intake was similarly expensive, possibly even higher.
And that didn't include extra training expenses such as energy crystals or black sludge production.
"Seriously… Pokémon are just gold-eating monsters."
That evening, after finishing cultivation, Icarus looked at his still-training Pokémon and sighed helplessly.
At that moment, he finally understood why so many common Trainers remained stuck at the Ordinary Level.
Commoners simply couldn't afford more.
One or two Pokémon was manageable.
Four or five?
Just daily feeding costs would consume nearly all mission profits.
Most common Trainers weren't as willing as he was to throw every cent into cultivation.
For many, merely maintaining their current strength without regressing was already considered good.
⸻
"Doduo~ Luna, come over tonight."
After finishing cultivation, Icarus contacted Luna before heading to shower.
Soon after he came out—
Knock knock knock~
"Master, I'm here."
"Come in."
Not long afterward, quiet conversation and laughter filled the room.
Meanwhile, Weepinbell curiously cracked the door open with its vines.
"Moo moo~?"
Was Icarus fighting with that woman again?
Why did the sounds feel so strange?
As a plant Pokémon, Weepinbell's instincts contained no understanding of animal reproduction.
Pidgeotto, however, immediately understood what was happening and quickly covered its eyes with its wings.
"Beep beep~!"
Houndour also woke up nearby and immediately prepared to rush inside to help Icarus fight off the "enemy."
Thankfully, Weepinbell tied it up with vines before it could charge in.
"Woof woof~!"
Why are you stopping me?!
Didn't you see Icarus sweating earlier?!
Pidgeotto hurriedly explained things to the confused Houndour.
Although human behavior seemed strange compared to Pokémon instincts, they clearly weren't fighting.
After a long explanation, Houndour finally calmed down.
The three Pokémon eventually moved to the far corner of the house so they wouldn't disturb Icarus.
Even so, Houndour stubbornly stayed alert for a while before finally falling asleep under the effects of Weepinbell's Sleep Powder.
Looking at the sleeping Houndour, Weepinbell and Pidgeotto exchanged satisfied looks.
Although Houndour was still weak, its loyalty to Icarus was unquestionable.
⸻
About half a month later, Stone's Geodude finally evolved.
Following the evolution plan from the breeding manual, Geodude successfully evolved into Graveler.
Its aptitude increased from good-lower to good-middle.
The result matched Icarus's expectations.
After all, the evolution materials used weren't top-tier—just a mid-grade Rock-type crystal and a low-grade Ground-type crystal.
Even so, Stone was thrilled.
For a common Trainer, even a small aptitude increase was incredible luck.
Over the following week, Stone focused entirely on helping Graveler adapt to its new body.
During that period, Graveler finally mastered one terrifying move:
Self-Destruct.
When using only energy rather than damaging its core, the move's power could already rival an Ordinary mid-stage Pokémon.
In addition, Graveler had fully mastered several self-created techniques:
Rapid Stone Shot
Compressed Stone Shot
Stone Spear
Rock Shield
Its body had also become far sturdier than ordinary wild Gravelers.
Its rocky exterior was darker and carried a faint metallic sheen.
One glance was enough to tell that this Pokémon was exceptionally durable.
⸻
Stone himself also finally achieved a breakthrough.
After weeks of effort, he successfully developed a sense of qi and could officially cultivate the Pure Origin Manual.
He had finally stepped into the realm of the extraordinary.
Among the three, Stone progressed the fastest in the Groundforce Fist Set.
Icarus suspected the martial art itself had helped accelerate his breakthrough.
Meanwhile, Airi completely gave up on practicing the Groundforce Fist Set.
For some reason, she simply couldn't resonate with it.
Perhaps it conflicted with her Water-type energy.
⸻
There was also another piece of good news.
Houndour successfully advanced into the Ordinary Level.
After testing, its aptitude had reached superior-lower rank.
Icarus immediately began planning for its future evolution.
"If I can raise its aptitude by another two stages during evolution…"
"Hehehe… maybe it could even aim for Leader-level aptitude someday."
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