Time flew by. After Ace had stayed at the Mahogany Gym for a month, Pryce finally emerged from the gym and began guiding Ace and Lapras.
As for why Pryce started guiding Ace?
One look at the Pokémon Egg in Pryce's arms was enough to know.
Pryce was both happy and annoyed about it.
Happy that his Lapras's bloodline would continue, and annoyed that his "daughter" had been "taken" by an outsider.
But only Pryce himself knew that when he saw his Lapras, whom he named Ice River, present him with this Pokémon Egg as if it were a treasure, Pryce, who hadn't cried in years, burst into tears at that moment.
"Clang..."
"Idiot, is that how you use Ice Beam?"
"Do you even know how to battle? Is that how Lapras is supposed to move?"
"Ice River, show these fools how to battle."
"Remember this well: ice and water are inseparable. Ice is even colder and more ruthless than water. Use extreme cold to freeze everything!"
Pryce's guidance was more Spartan. If Ace and Lapras made even the slightest mistake, Ace would be met with Pryce's wooden stick and furious scolding.
But strict teachers produce accomplished students. The stricter Pryce was with Ace, the greater the progress Ace and Lapras made.
After just one week of Pryce's guidance, Ace could feel that Lapras's strength had improved by several levels.
Lapras's aptitude wasn't particularly high, only mid-grade.
However, it possessed a unique quality that other Pokémon couldn't match.
That was its unconditional trust in Ace. Even if Ace's command was wrong, even if it meant paying with its life, Lapras would obey absolutely, without any doubt.
This was related to how Ace originally caught it. Having been on the verge of death, it was healed by Ace, and no matter what injuries it sustained afterward, Ace would always restore it to normal immediately. Therefore, Ace was an eternally correct presence in Lapras's heart!
And because of this, even though Lapras's aptitude wasn't the best, it would meticulously complete whatever Ace told it to persevere with.
"Diligence can compensate for shortcomings"—this phrase was the best description for Lapras!
In Pryce's view, to control ice, one must develop their Ice-type skills to the extreme.
Lapras had just learned Sheer Cold, so trying to master ice so quickly was absolutely impossible.
Even Pryce's ace Pokémon, Delibird, had followed Pryce for many years, developing its abilities almost to their limit, which was how it achieved such terrifying strength.
However, Pryce didn't realize one thing: a Pokémon's comprehension was closely related to its aptitude.
And Ace could help Pokémon improve their aptitude!
Especially recently, having continuously completed daily quests, coupled with the completion of the side quest "Pryce's Recognition," he had gained another five thousand gold coins and three quest points.
Ace's current small treasury held over twenty thousand gold coins, plus 267 quest points!
After a day of special training, at night, Ace recalled Lapras into its Poké Ball. He directly spent two hundred quest points to maximize Lapras's aptitude in one go!
As the system began to operate, Ace was a little silent watching the aptitude enhancement, which would take twelve hours to complete.
It was worth noting that for Gengar to go from low-grade to mid-grade took twelve hours, but for Lapras to go from mid-grade to excellent-grade, spanning two grades, only took twelve hours.
"It seems Gengar's potential is much greater than Lapras's," Ace mused, though he didn't particularly mind.
Potential was ultimately just potential. If it couldn't be realized, then even after Lapras finished its training with Pryce, it would still easily overpower Gengar.
The new day arrived, and Ace woke up early. Seeing Lapras still undergoing aptitude enhancement, he could only apply to Pryce to pause the special training until Lapras's aptitude upgrade was complete.
Pryce didn't refuse the request for a break. Instead, he handed Ace a set of ice picks and a hammer. "Lapras's practice can pause, but your practice needs to be put on the agenda. I want you to experience what ice truly is firsthand."
With that, Ace was pulled by Pryce to his workspace, where Pryce handed Ace a square block of ice. "Your goal is to sculpt a Voltorb for me, understand? Sculpting a sphere is the easiest, so work hard."
Having said that, Pryce went about carving an Ariados.
Ace was a little helpless, but he followed Pryce's instructions and began chiseling the ice with the ice pick and hammer.
"Clink, clink, clink... crack!"
After only a few chisels, Ace applied too much force, and the ice block instantly shattered, collapsing into two halves.
"Continue."
Pryce didn't turn around. Instead, a Seel next to him used Ice Beam to mend the ice block.
Ace nodded and continued chiseling.
After many attempts, Ace discovered that these ordinary ice blocks, though seemingly hard, were actually quite brittle.
Just a little too much force with the sharp ice pick could directly crack the ice, thereby destroying the entire block.
Pryce completed carving one Ariados. He glanced at Ace, who was deep in thought, nodded, then took out another ice block and began carving the next Pokémon.
Soon, Lapras's aptitude enhancement finished, but Ace didn't release Lapras. Instead, he continued sculpting.
Seel also couldn't remember how many times it had mended the ice block for Ace, and in front of Ace, there was now an uneven sphere.
"Seel, give him a hand."
Pryce's voice sounded. Seel nodded, and with a sweep of its Ice Beam, the uneven sphere quickly became rounded.
"Try again."
Pryce told Ace. Ace understood, picked up the ice pick, and began carving the outer appearance of Voltorb.
This time, Ace didn't shatter the ice block.
The ice block now was as hard as iron, requiring Ace to exert considerable effort to chisel off even a small part.
"Do you understand now?"
Pryce questioned Ace.
"I understand."
Ace nodded, many new training directions for Lapras flashing through his mind.
"If you understand, then leave. This old man has nothing more to teach you."
Pryce issued a dismissal. Ace nodded, stood up, bowed to Pryce, and said, "Please keep this ice sculpture. When I have time, I will come back here to carve it again."
"It's too ugly; I'm too lazy to keep it."
Pryce poked it with his cane, and the round Voltorb ice sculpture rolled into a corner, stopping there, no longer moving.
Ace straightened up, took a deep breath, and quickly left the Mahogany Gym.
Outside the gym's main gate, Ace looked back at the place where he had stayed for so long, sighing softly. Then, a Poké Ball opened, and Aerodactyl grabbed Ace. With a flap of its wings, it soared into the sky.
"Goodbye, Pryce. When we meet again, perhaps we will already be enemies..."
Ace, high in the sky, took one last look at the Mahogany Gym, then no longer lingered. Aerodactyl let out a roar, carrying Ace towards the Kanto region...