Chapter 61: An Outsider's Perspective

A post-meal stroll to aid digestion.

While the temperature hadn't yet dropped to a bone-chilling level.

Baimu called out to Roggenrola and Happiny for training in his own backyard, and naturally extended an invitation to Mawile as well.

But it was refused very decisively.

"Alright then."

Considering it was only the first day, he didn't press the matter.

Even trainers in Iron Town would spend two or three days getting used to a newly bought Pokémon; he wasn't so impatient as to be beneath even the trainers of Iron Town.

Preparation phase — warm-up.

Running laps, short sprints, weighted interval runs…

After a full set of basic physical training, Baimu and the two Pokémon were all panting heavily.

He looked toward the edge of the field, half-expecting Mawile to find it boring and head back, but to his surprise it was still sitting on the chair he'd brought over for it, gazing this way for a long while.

Though if you thought it had taken any real interest, you'd be very much mistaken.

Those red-copper eyes were indeed pointed this way, but the pupils hadn't focused on anything — clearly it was lost in thought about something.

The minds of Pokémon really are hard to guess.

Feeling his heartbeat gradually settle, Baimu turned his head and said to the two Pokémon: "Let's keep going!"

"Rog!"

"Lucky!"

The two answered in unison.

Regarding attack and defense training, he discovered it could actually be combined with practicing moves — that is, training a move while simultaneously training a certain stat.

All that was needed for this were two targets.

Mainly, Happiny would use telekinesis to manipulate the targets and send them flying toward Roggenrola, and Roggenrola, while controlling the output of its elemental energy, would knock the targets away with Iron Head.

Then manipulate them to fly back.

Repeating this over and over trained Happiny's weak point of willpower, and let Roggenrola practice its attack and control over elemental energy — though it was easy on the targets, so they'd have to take it easy.

Of course, moves like Rock Tomb and Stone Edge couldn't be practiced on targets; they'd have to switch to something else they wouldn't mind breaking.

As for Happiny's special resistance training, Baimu had four rolling wooden dummies custom-made; once Happiny walked in, it would start getting hit — the more it moved, the more it would get hit.

And these wooden dummies could also be used to train his own boxing reflexes — multiple uses in one.

Though they'd have to wait some days before they arrived.

When it came to learning new moves, this was rather more mystical.

Without any special manuals to rely on, the only things he could count on were Baimu's own imagination and the comprehension ability of Roggenrola and the others.

"Ground-type moves… in principle should be similar to Rock Tomb — both involve stomping the ground."

He said softly to Roggenrola, "But the difference is, Rock Tomb channels energy into the ground through both feet, condensing rocks and sending them flying. Ground-type moves make the energy vibrate the ground, spreading out as far as possible."

"Rog…"

Roggenrola nodded as if half-understanding, carefully raised a forepaw, then slammed it down with a slap, causing a slight tremor from its own body weight.

It raised its head. "Rog?"

Baimu: "I think the motion and direction are right."

Roggenrola happily went off to practice the new move.

Switching to Happiny.

Although what move to learn was clear, the same old problem remained — no idea how to learn it.

A Normal-type Pokémon has no poison glands — how could it learn Toxic? No electric organ — how could it learn Thunder Wave? Rely on bioelectricity?

Let alone Stealth Rock and the like.

"Protect."

Baimu decided to start with the "simple" one. Holding a punching pad, he said to the bewildered Happiny: "The key to this move is the feeling of wanting to protect yourself — the resolve to block a certain move."

He slapped Happiny's left belly. "Does it hurt?"

"Lucky…"

Happiny nodded.

"Then hold onto that feeling of resisting pain, and imagine a shield of light in front of you that just can't be broken." Baimu slapped it again. "If it hurts, find a way to defend!"

This method could only be called simple and crude.

But it was still more normal than his previous wild idea of having Happiny eat poisonous things to learn Poison-type moves.

During the breaks in training.

Baimu would occasionally glance at Mawile, now and then wondering what on earth that fellow was thinking about.

——

Mawile watched the one person and two Pokémon in full swing, then looked up at the grey, hazy sky.

It couldn't help but start thinking.

How did it end up here?

It recalled that yesterday afternoon, the Breeder who'd always been in charge of its care had suddenly come up to it, saying it had found a decent trainer partner for it.

A partner?

It didn't need any partner.

Mawile instinctively planned to refuse, but upon seeing the Breeder's expression, it suddenly realized this wasn't something it could decide.

Sure enough, it was quickly taken to the familiar medical room — physical exam here, vaccine there.

From the Breeder's brief exchange with the doctor, it barely managed to piece together some of what was going on —

It had been traded away.

A trainer had picked it and traded it out using Pokémon. And it was about to head to a completely unfamiliar place, to face completely unfamiliar people.

Even though Mawile had never been timid by nature, it couldn't help feeling panicked at this moment.

Why? Was it because it had been too willful usually, so when someone proposed a trade, it couldn't wait to send itself away?

It wasn't ready yet.

Even though it hadn't made any Pokémon friends in the nature park, it still needed some time to take it all in.

After a long absence, it was staying inside a Poké Ball again, but Mawile didn't feel the slightest bit of ease, and kept drifting into wild thoughts.

And so.

When the glaring sunlight shone into its eyes once more.

Mawile was completely bewildered.

It couldn't even see clearly what person or Pokémon was standing opposite, only hearing someone greet it.

What should it do?

What response should it give?

Mawile lowered its head, and only after its eyes finally adjusted to the harsh light did it begin to look around, to observe the human youth and the Pokémon before it.

It really had left that familiar place.

It couldn't help but sigh from the heart, sensing the hot wind and stale air rushing at its face; unable to adjust for the moment, it fled toward the small house as if seeking refuge.

Fortunately the room inside was quite nice, just that a lot of things were old.

Mawile went around in a circle, hopped onto the sofa to try it out, then decided it wasn't soft enough and chose to shove a cushion under its rear.

At last it was a little more satisfied.

And after finding a spot, it inevitably got a bit thirsty again.

Was there a stream nearby?

Mawile recalled how in the past, whenever it went inside thirsty, the breeder would pour it water; it couldn't help but cry out, hoping that human youth would be like a breeder.

But he really was so dull-witted — couldn't he understand even this?

Luckily that Chansey was quite clever, solving its thirst crisis, though the ice cubes added were a bit too few.

Mawile drank water, but at its ear it heard what that human youth was saying.

The content of it left it quite displeased.

"What do you mean it can't be sent back? Do I need you to tell me that? I know it myself, all right!"

Mawile saw his utterly solemn-faced manner, and suddenly felt a surge of irritation with nowhere to vent, resolving to use an old little trick to give this person a scare.

But once it had truly scared him, it got nervous again.

This person was the trainer who would be taking care of it, right? Would doing this make him especially angry?

Would it get hit? Get scolded?

Mawile recalled how in the nature park it had heard other Pokémon describe trainers, and felt rather at a loss.

But contrary to expectations, the other party didn't get angry; instead it gave it a doll it especially treasured, and went on about things like treatment and meals.

And also… a Princess bed?

Mawile had heard of this thing too, from a Stufful in the nature park; the latter couldn't stop praising the Princess bed, always saying things like especially cute and the like.

It had been longing for it for a long time.

Could it see a Princess bed here?

It sank wholly into anticipation, not even knowing what was said afterward, and returned to the Poké Ball to wait.

And when it came out again.

Mawile found itself in a particularly dark place, following the human youth as it walked and looked around, and soon in the mall it saw the Princess bed it had been dreaming of.

Really, so cute.

It had always thought Stufful was exaggerating before, but now it realized there had been no exaggeration at all.

Excited, it immediately wanted the trainer to buy it, but not knowing how to persuade him, it had to indicate that not buying was fine too.

In the end, it really was bought.

And it was even taken to eat hamburgers and cola; it had once seen the breeder eating them during a checkup, but when it wanted to try, it was refused.

"This stuff isn't healthy, you'd better not eat it."

The breeder's utterly relishing look didn't look at all like someone eating unhealthy food.

Only after really eating it did Mawile find this thing really wasn't as tasty as imagined, but the cola was sweet, and would jump and dance on the tongue — fun.

At this point.

It actually didn't have much nervousness left.

Seeing so many novel things, so many interesting items, and having a long-held wish fulfilled.

Moreover, this trainer really was good to it. Though behind this goodness, of course, was wanting it to help him battle.

Mawile finished dinner, then ate the cream cake it had only been able to have once in a while before for the sake of "health," and watched the trainer and two Pokémon working hard in the distance.

Its heart was full of unease.

It wasn't that it rejected battle or was unwilling to battle, but that it hadn't properly fought anyone in so many years — Huge Power only used for smashing rocks, Strong Jaw only used for gnawing tree trunks — it felt it had very likely forgotten how to fight.

Was the trainer's goodness to it based on its ability to battle? If he found out it actually wasn't that satisfying…

Would the Princess bed, the cola, the cake all drift away from it?

Thinking this way.

Mawile became even more anxious and conflicted, and didn't dare go up to train with Roggenrola and Chansey either.

Afraid of being exposed.