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Noken really hadn't eaten a single bite before he started talking.
"Joe, your dad is still saying the same thing; you really need to rethink that matter of going to the wild for training."
Noken picked up a slice of sashimi, but instead of putting it in his mouth, he paused in mid-air and then put it back down.
"It's dangerous and you won't learn anything. Look at the Noble Academy; they have a formal curriculum, professional teacher guidance, and you can get a diploma upon graduation. You're running out to the wild every day, exposed to the wind and sun—what's the point?"
Joe kept his head down, poking at the rice in his bowl with his chopsticks, not daring to make a sound.
Roy glanced over; Joe's cowardly appearance was that of a typical victim of patriarchal oppression.
Seeing that his son wasn't speaking, Noken shifted his firepower.
"You three are Joe's friends. I speak bluntly, so don't take offense." He looked at Roy.
"It can't be easy raising Pokémon in the wild, can it? Although you caught a rare Black-spotted Pikachu, this kind of mutant variety might look good, but it's actually very difficult to train."
As he spoke, he intentionally glanced toward the yard.
In the yard, Pikachu was buried in its food, its cheeks bulging round, completely unaware that someone inside was badmouthing it.
Roy smiled and put down his chopsticks.
"You're right, Uncle. My Pikachu is indeed a bit mischievous."
Hearing this, Noken's face showed a "just as I thought" expression, and he was just about to continue his lecture.
Roy changed the subject: "However, I actually know quite a bit about training Fearow."
Noken was stunned for a moment.
Fearow?
"You know about Fearow?" Noken's brow furrowed slightly. "I've raised this Fearow for five years. How much could a rookie Trainer who just debuted possibly know?"
His tone carried obvious disdain.
Roy didn't get angry; he picked up his teacup, took a sip, and spoke unhurriedly.
"Fearow, the Beak Pokémon, evolves from Spearow. It's about 1.2 meters tall and weighs around 30 kilograms. Its Ability is usually Keen Eye or Sniper."
Noken nodded. "Anyone can find that basic data by checking a pokédex."
Roy smiled slightly and continued, "Fearow's advantage lies in its Speed; it's top-tier among early Flying-types. But its weakness is that its Defense is too low, especially Special Defense. So when it encounters Electric-type or Ice-type moves, it's basically a one-hit KO."
Noken didn't speak, but his gaze changed slightly.
"When training a Fearow, the focus shouldn't be on how many attacking moves it learns, but on utilizing its Speed advantage."
Roy put down his teacup. "Agility plus Drill Peck, or Aerial Ace plus Pursuit—guerrilla warfare is the correct approach. If it goes head-to-head, Fearow's physique can't take it."
Noken's lips moved as if to argue, but he found that what Roy said actually made sense.
Roy continued, "Uncle just said you've raised it for five years, but I observed just now that the Fearow should be at the Common Grade, roughly between Level 20 and Level 25."
"The key moves it can learn at this stage are Pursuit and Agility."
Noken's eyes widened because his Fearow was exactly Level 22!
What kind of eye did this kid have to see it at a glance?
"You... how did you tell?" Noken's voice changed slightly.
Roy smiled. "Observation plus reasoning."
"Although the level is a bit low, Uncle's Fearow is certainly for work, not for battle, so it doesn't matter."
"Joe mentioned that Uncle is in the shipping business and needs Pokémon to patrol conditions at sea, right?"
Noken nodded. "Yes, our company has several routes that require Flying-type Pokémon to scout the weather and sea conditions."
"Then that's it," Roy continued. "The marine environment is complex, and Fearow needs to fly for long periods, which consumes a lot of stamina. Uncle, when your Fearow flies ocean routes, does it get very exhausted?"
Noken nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes! Last time it flew back, it rested for three days before it recovered!"
"That's because Fearow's flight style isn't suited for the open ocean." Roy began to make it up—no, began his professional analysis. "Fearow's wing structure is suited for short-distance sprints, but long-distance cruising efficiency isn't high. To improve this, it needs targeted training—let it fly with the ocean currents' airflows instead of forcing its way against the wind."
"Fly with the ocean currents' airflows?" Noken had a look of thirst for knowledge.
"Yes, ocean currents drive changes in air currents. For example, in areas where the Kuroshio Current passes, there will be stable updrafts above. If Fearow learns to use these currents to glide, it can save half its stamina."
Noken was listening intently, even putting down his chopsticks.
"Furthermore, Uncle can add some specific berries to Fearow's diet. For example, Aguav Berries can improve endurance."
Noken was completely stunned.
The way he looked at Roy changed from initial disdain to admiration, even a bit of worship.
"Little brother Roy, where did you... learn all this knowledge?"
Roy waved his hand nonchalantly. "Wild training; when you see a lot, you naturally understand a bit."
He paused and decided to add more fuel to the fire.
"By the way, has Uncle heard of a Shinny Fearow?"
Noken was taken aback. "Shinny? I've heard of them, but I've never seen one."
"I saw one once," Roy said, lowering his voice mysteriously.
Noken's eyes went wide. "Really?"
"In a forest in Kanto," Roy began to bullshit. "That evening, as the sun was about to set, a golden light suddenly appeared in the sky. I looked up and saw a completely golden Fearow flying through the clouds, its feathers looking like they were on fire, incredibly beautiful in the sunset."
Noken swallowed hard.
"Later I asked around, and it's said that when Ho-Oh passes by, it gives blessings to some spiritual Pokémon, allowing them to transform into a special divine form. A well-trained Fearow might encounter such a situation."
"However, these opportunities can only be encountered in the wild."
"Ho-Oh?" Noken was beyond shocked; he was so excited his hands were shaking as he grabbed Roy's hand.
"Little brother Roy! Thank you! Thank you for leading Joe onto the path of the Training Faction!"
"I used to think the Training Faction was just messing around and you couldn't learn anything real. Hearing you today, I finally understand—it turns out true knowledge is all in the wild!"
Roy smiled and nodded. "It's good that Uncle understands."
To the side, Misty was buried in her food, eating wildly.
Her mouth was stuffed with tempura, her cheeks bulging like a hamster's.
She tilted her head to glance at Roy, muttering in her heart: A Shinny Fearow? Ho-Oh? Did that happen?
Whatever, eating is more important!
Misty continued to focus on her meal.
Auntie Emi's skills were truly superb; this tempura was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and that miso soup was so fresh she almost swallowed her tongue.
Misty picked up another slice of sashimi, dipped it in some soy sauce, and stuffed it into her mouth.
Mmm~ satisfaction!
Delia, on the other hand, was refined, eating in small bites, occasionally looking up at Roy with a smile in her eyes.
Noken was still excited, not letting go of Roy's hand.
"Little brother Roy, that training method you mentioned about flying with the ocean currents' airflows, can you tell me more about it?"
"Of course," Roy said. "Uncle can record the distribution of ocean currents on each route and then let Fearow get familiar with them in advance. For example, from Kanto to the North Sea, it can fly with the Oyashio Current's airflow, and on the return trip, follow the Kuroshio Current..."
Noken nodded repeatedly, wishing he had a notebook to write it down.
Just as he was incredibly excited, his face suddenly changed.
"Oh no!!"
Noken shouted, springing up from his seat.
Everyone looked at him.
Joe looked bewildered. "Dad, what's wrong?"
Just as he finished speaking.
A flash of electricity suddenly exploded in the yard!
Zzzzt!!!
The blinding yellow electric light illuminated the entire yard, followed by a shrill bird cry.
Everyone stood up and ran toward the yard.
Joe was the first to rush out, pulling open the sliding door.
In the yard, the small Pokémon dining table Emi had set up was still there.
Eevee was still buried in its plate, eating wildly, its cheeks bulging like a ball, completely oblivious to what had just happened.
Pikachu was holding a berry, tilting its head, looking at the people who ran out with an innocent face.
Pika~ Pika-pi~
It blinked its large eyes, looking incredibly cute.
Not far behind it...
A Fearow was lying on the ground, smoke rising from its body, its feathers frizzed out in a very wild style.
Its wings were still twitching slightly, and a puff of black smoke came out of its mouth.
Fearow let out a weak cry, its eyes filled with doubt about its life.
What just happened?
It had originally intended to follow its master's instructions to test that Pikachu.
It had quietly crept up behind Pikachu, thinking of stepping on Pikachu's tail with its talons to give it a warning.
To intimidate this little yellow mouse.
As a result, as soon as its talons touched the tail...
A terrifying electric current poured directly into its body!
Fearow now had only one thought in its head: Did I just step on an underground power cable?
Is this a Pikachu or a Zapdos?
Pikachu looked at the Fearow twitching on the ground, tilted its head, and explained to Roy.
"Pika-pi~ Pika-pika~"
It said it was concentrating on eating when it suddenly felt something pressing on its tail. It didn't think much of it and just lightly flicked its tail, releasing a bit of electricity...
And it ended up like this.
Roy suppressed a laugh and nodded.
Noken stood frozen in place, looking at his precious Fearow that he had raised for five years, now lying on the ground questioning its bird life.
Then he looked at that Pikachu, holding a berry with an innocent face, looking harmless.
The words he had just said suddenly flashed through his mind.
"This kind of mutant variety might look good, but it's actually very difficult to train."
"That Pikachu is just cute; it doesn't have much combat power."
"How strong can a rookie Trainer's Pokémon be?"
Noken's face turned green.
The result was one move, just one move.
The Fearow he had carefully trained didn't even have a chance to react before being shocked into a roasted bird.
Noken took a deep breath, walked over to Fearow, and knelt down to check on it.
He looked up at Roy with an indescribably complex expression, then said awkwardly, "It's fine, it's fine, just a little accident. It'll be okay after some rest."
Noken gave a bitter smile, stood up, and waved his hand.
"It's fine, everyone keep eating. I'll take Fearow to the Pokémon Center in a bit."
He paused and added another sentence: "Little brother Roy, today I've really... learned something."
Roy smiled and nodded. "You're too kind, Uncle."
Emi covered her mouth and laughed nearby, ushering everyone back into the house.
"Alright, alright, everyone back inside; the food is getting cold. Noken, don't just stand there; recall Fearow first and go to the Pokémon Center after dinner."
Noken nodded and took out a Poké Ball to recall Fearow.
The group returned to the house and sat back down.
Joe sat next to Roy, secretly giving him a thumbs up and whispering, "Brother Roy, that was awesome!"
Roy gave a faint smile and continued eating.
For the rest of the meal, the atmosphere completely changed.
Noken no longer mentioned how Noble Academy or the Training Faction were useless. Instead, he kept asking Roy about his wild training experiences, as humble as an elementary school student.
"Little brother Roy, how do you usually train in the wild?"
"Little brother Roy, what do you do if you encounter a wild Pokémon attack?"
"Little brother Roy, about... that Ho-Oh matter, can you tell me more?"
Roy answered them one by one, speaking logically and clearly.
Noken listened entranced, nodding from time to time with an "I see" expression.
By the end of the meal, Noken was completely won over.
After eating, everyone helped Emi clear the dishes.
While tidying up, Emi said with a smile, "Roy-kun, thank you so much for today. Noken is very stubborn and never used to listen to anyone. After what you said today, he's finally seen the light."
Roy smiled. "You're too kind, Auntie. I was just speaking casually."
Emi shook her head and looked at Pikachu and Eevee, who were still buried in their food in the yard.
"Those two little guys seem to really like the feed I made."
As she spoke, she turned and went into the kitchen, returning a moment later with two small bags.
"This is the feed I usually make for the nearby wild Pokémon, a special recipe. Since Pikachu and Eevee like it, take these with you."
Roy took the bags and thanked her.
Emi smiled gently. "Come and visit often when you have time; Auntie will make you delicious food."
Misty's eyes lit up. "Really, Auntie? Then I'll definitely come often!"
Emi nodded with a smile. "Sure, you're welcome anytime."
When they said goodbye, Noken personally saw them to the door, shaking Roy's hand and saying excitedly, "Little brother Roy, thank you so much for your guidance today."
Roy nodded. "It was just a bit of ordinary sharing."
Noken patted Roy's shoulder and thanked him profusely. "Joe, work hard; you must become a powerful Trainer like Roy in the future!"
Joe stood by and nodded vigorously.
A dinner ended successfully under Roy's maneuvering.
The three left Joe's house and walked toward the hotel.
It was late at night, and there were few people on the streets.
Misty stretched and yawned, saying, "Oh man, I'm stuffed. Auntie Emi's cooking is too good; I ate at least twice my usual amount."
Delia laughed. "I could tell; you ate almost half the tempura by yourself."
Pikachu was lying on Roy's shoulder, clutching its little belly with a look of satisfaction.
Eevee was being held by Delia, squinting its eyes for a nap.
Back at the hotel, Roy had booked a three-bedroom suite.
The hotel was of a high standard, with exquisite decoration, a spacious living room, and a separate bathroom and bathtub.
Roy sat on the sofa and took out his communicator to check his messages.
Delia took a towel and knelt on the living room floor to wipe the fur of Pikachu and Eevee.
The two little guys had been fighting fires and eating today, so their bodies were indeed dirty.
Especially Pikachu; after releasing electricity to shock Fearow, there was still a trace of static electricity on its body, making its fur a bit frizzy.
Delia wiped it carefully with gentle movements.
"Pika-pi~" Pikachu squinted its eyes in comfort.
After resting for a while, Roy got up to go to the bathroom.
"I'm going to take a bath first."
Delia nodded gently.
Misty, however, tilted her head to look at Roy's back and bit her lower lip. These few days were her monthly period of desire, and she especially wanted Roy.
At this moment, there was a little monster in her heart jumping wildly.
After sitting for a while, while Delia was busy grooming Eevee's fur, she quietly got up and tiptoed toward the bathroom as well...