"Absol, use Taunt, then follow with Double Team!"
Earlier, when Absol launched a surprise assault, the Mightyena instinctively closed the distance. Now, faced with the Taunt move, Mightyena had no time to react—it was hit dead-on.
As soon as Taunt connected, Mightyena began to lose control, snarling and lunging at Absol in a blind rage.
But Absol had already activated Double Team, easily evading the onslaught with illusory clones.
"Absol, use Slash, then keep up the pressure with Double Team. Keep entangling it in combat."
The razor-sharp Slash tore across Mightyena's hide, leaving a fresh wound.
Before it could retaliate, Absol dispersed again, clones darting around it. Another Slash came crashing down, striking Mightyena with precision.
After two consecutive, undefended hits, Mightyena's movements began to slow. The repeated pain dulled its fury, and its senses began to return.
But it was too late—at this point, it no longer had the strength to turn the tide.
"Absol, finish it—use Slash!"
A surge of searing heat coursed through Absol, spurred by Dwight fiery command. It had grown used to this sensation—this strange, empowering connection. In fact, Absol had started to find it exhilarating. The strength that came with it was intoxicating.
Claws gleaming with energy, Absol struck once more with Slash.
This time, Mightyena tried to counterattack, but Absol's offensive was far too overwhelming. In a single blinding motion, it sent Mightyena flying.
Just like before, Mightyena had lost the battle before even hitting the ground.
Ron, despite being accustomed to Dwight's unusual ability, still couldn't help but marvel at the phenomenon each time he witnessed it.
What amazed him even more was this: with each battle using Dwight's mysterious power, Absol's strength noticeably improved—if only slightly.
It wasn't much, but even the smallest gain was astonishing.
This meant that as long as Dwight kept fighting without pause, his growth rate would far outpace that of ordinary Trainers.
And with Ron by his side, that final gap—the guiding hand—was also filled.
To confirm whether this special ability could apply to other Pokémon, Ron had even arranged for Machamp and the others to train with Dwight.
The results? Universal failure.
Ron eventually concluded that there were two key reasons. First, those Pokémon didn't belong to Dwight. Second, unlike Absol, they hadn't forged a deep bond of loyalty and trust with him.
Ron was a little frustrated, but he accepted the outcome. This ability was like a manifestation of the world's deeper rules: incredibly powerful, yet bound by unshakable limitations.
"You did great, Dwight. At this point, you're more than just capable—you're a real Pokémon Trainer now."
Ron clapped Dwight on the shoulder, grinning with pride.
After days of real battles and Ron's guidance, Dwight had begun applying everything he'd learned into practice. He was no worse than a Trainer with experience on the road.
"Mhm." Dwight nodded quietly, keeping the joy in his heart hidden behind a calm expression.
"There's just one more test left," Ron continued, his tone serious. "You'll travel alone for five days."
"I'll give you and Absol just one day's worth of food. The rest—you'll have to figure it out on your own."
After restoring Dwight's strength with Fighting Aura, Ron spoke solemnly.
Without braving storms, even the most gifted flower will wilt in the greenhouse.
If time had allowed, Ron would have extended this trial to two weeks—or even a full month.
Until now, Ron had never mentioned this final test to Dwight.
But to his surprise, Dwight showed only a flicker of shock—then quietly accepted it, returning to his steady, composed self.
"Yes."
"Good. From here on, it's all up to you. I've packed an emergency kit, two Poké Balls, and a flare in your backpack."
"Remember—if you fire the flare, it means you've failed this trial."
Ron took out the pre-prepared pack and naturally helped remove the one on Dwight's back, replacing it with the new one.
"Alright. You're ready to go."
He patted Dwight's head gently, speaking with the warmth of a father.
"Mhm."
Gripping the shoulder straps tightly, Dwight turned and walked into the forest with his Absol by his side.
After healing Mightyena with his Fighting Aura, Ron had Gardevoir use Teleport to leave with him.
But Ron didn't go far. Instead, he had Gardevoir continuously scan the area with its psychic powers to keep track of Dwight's location.
If a threat appeared that Dwight couldn't handle, Ron would arrive immediately.
You could say Ron was going to great lengths—both to ensure Dwight received proper training and to guarantee his safety.
After parting ways with Ron, Dwight walked for a while before slowing down, carefully surveying his surroundings. His first goal: find a water source.
In the wild, nothing is more critical than water and food.
Ron had only packed enough for one day. Even if Dwight and Absol rationed carefully, they might stretch it to a day and a half at best.
To survive for five days, finding water was essential.
Once water was located, prey would naturally follow.
Back on Ron's end, he released Machamp and the others to begin their own training.
In Armament Haki, Machamp was ahead of everyone else—he had already mastered coating.
Under Machamp's guidance, Persian had also learned to channel Armament Haki.
As for Bellossom, Ron didn't rush her into Haki training. Instead, he had her focus on mastering swordsmanship and Life Return. Only once she achieved meaningful progress in those disciplines would she begin Haki cultivation.
Trying to learn too much at once was a recipe for failure—even someone as gifted as Bellossom could burn out.
Nidoking and Gengar had also begun Armament Haki training. What made Haki so miraculous was that even a Ghost-type like Gengar could potentially master it—though far harder than for those like Machamp, who had already synchronized it with Life Return.
Gardevoir, meanwhile, was still diving deep into her psychic abilities and Hypnosis. Having already learned the Six Powers, she now devoted half her time to studying Life Return.
Blaziken followed a similar pattern—specializing in honing its natural power while also dabbling in Life Return.
Lucario and Greninja were a bit different—they were still in the middle of Six Powers training. On top of that, Ron had given them additional personalized training missions.
Ron himself stayed busy as well. Half his daytime went into practicing breath control techniques, the other half into Six Powers. At night, he used Lotus Seeds to enhance his psychic training.
Right now, Ron had mastered nearly all of the Six Powers—only Tempest Kick remained. His strength had reached a level comparable to that of a Mid Elite Pokémon.
The most relaxed of the group was Pupitar. Each day, it simply trained in aerial combat maneuvers.
And so, while Ron and his team trained and grew stronger, they also acted as Dwight's silent guardians.
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