Pryce's heart was indeed difficult to melt.
During the three days Ace spent at the Mahogany Gym, he rarely even saw Pryce.
However, it wasn't without gain. In those three days, Ace successfully used Lapras's food to lure out Pryce's Lapras.
Since they both belonged to the Lapras species, their tastes were quite similar. So, whenever Ace prepared food for his Lapras, he would prepare a bit extra.
He then used this extra food to entice Pryce's Lapras. Within three days, Pryce's Lapras habitually came to Ace's side for a meal whenever it was feeding time.
And Ace's Lapras, very thoughtfully, would leave some extra food for that other Lapras.
After a few back-and-forths, the two Lapras successfully developed a liking for each other.
Five more days passed, and Pryce's Lapras wasn't just showing up for meals; it would also come to the Gym entrance at other times, watching Ace's Lapras practice Sheer Cold.
Finally, on the morning of the tenth day, Pryce could no longer endure it. After all, if he didn't intervene, his "daughter" — the Lapras he allowed to roam freely in the Gym — was about to be led astray by an outsider Lapras!
His wheelchair stopped beside his Lapras. Pryce looked at the still-struggling Lapras, his brow furrowed as he said, "Impeccably stupid. You haven't even learned to walk, and you're already thinking of running."
"What do you mean?"
Ace was taken aback by Pryce's words. Then he reacted. After a brief contemplation, a flash of insight appeared in Ace's eyes. "I see! There's no need to consider a large-scale Sheer Cold from the beginning. The cold energy can be compressed and launched in a manner similar to Ice Beam. This way, the concentrated energy won't be easily dissipated, making it easier to learn Sheer Cold. And in battle, because it's similar to Ice Beam, it can also create confusion. Once completely proficient..."
Ace rattled off a long string of words. Pryce opened his mouth, and for a moment, he found that everything he wanted to say, Ace had already uttered.
"This kid really is as clever as Professor Oak said. He understands things with just a hint."
Pryce thought silently to himself. Within his heart, a feeling of cherishing talent suddenly arose.
If Ace knew Pryce's inner thoughts at this moment, he would probably burst out laughing.
Was Ace clever?
Not really.
Ace's apparent "cleverness" actually stemmed from his familiarity with the plot, years of playing games, and persistently reading various books provided by the system.
Foresight combined with experience and knowledge—these three elements together made Ace who he was today.
After all, in this world, the true battle genius was Ash.
Ash's learning ability in Pokémon battles far exceeded Ace's by several times over. However, that was a gift from fate, while Ace was merely an ordinary person desperately working hard on the right path.
There was a significant difference between the two.
Pryce's indirect words enlightened Ace. Ace immediately jumped onto Lapras's back and began guiding it.
The benefit of knowing Lapras's internal structure was demonstrated at this moment. Ace touched Lapras's body with his fingers, specifically pointing out where Lapras should gather and compress energy, and then how to release all the cold energy through pressurized expulsion from its long neck.
Lapras nodded. Ace had pointed out several key areas to Lapras. As long as Lapras correctly guided its energy according to Ace's instructions, with a few more experiments, it was almost certain to learn Sheer Cold.
The experiment began. Lapras gathered cold energy internally, compressing its temperature and volume, then circulated the energy in the direction Ace indicated.
"Fire!"
At Ace's command, Lapras abruptly opened its mouth, and a powerful beam of energy shot out, directly hitting a nearby rock wall.
"Crunch!"
In an instant, the rock wall shattered. The scattered fragments were all encased in thick ice and fell to the ground, crumbling into dust!
"It worked!"
Ace's eyes gleamed. Lapras's long-term efforts had paid off; it had accumulated enough power. Simply by finding the correct method, Lapras had successfully used Sheer Cold on its very first try!
"Lucky shot."
Pryce mumbled under his breath, but his heart was filled with shock.
As an Ice-type expert, Pryce knew very well what it meant to master Sheer Cold.
Moreover, judging from Lapras's performance just now, this Lapras must have been exceptionally well-trained. Coupled with its continuous practice to lower the cold energy's temperature, it was able to successfully use Sheer Cold on the first attempt after finding the right direction.
"Very good. The last piece of the puzzle is complete. Next, we'll try ice control. Are you confident?"
"Woo!"
While Pryce was still deep in thought, Ace had already set the next goal.
Looking at the enthusiastic Ace and Lapras, Pryce couldn't help but say, "Ice control? I suggest you save your effort. Unless you specialize in Ice-type, you simply won't have enough energy to train it."
"How would we know if we don't try?"
Ace chuckled, patting Lapras. "I have confidence in my Lapras. It will definitely not lose to any Ice-type Pokémon!"
Pryce's narrowed eyes opened slightly. He looked at Ace and Lapras, his thoughts drifting.
Once upon a time, he seemed to have said the same words.
But then, the scene shifted. In that desolate ice field, ice shattered, and his beloved Lapras plunged into an ice crevice.
A high-altitude fall, combined with scattering ice shards, a limp Lapras, and the blood slowly flowing from beneath Lapras...
"Gasp, gasp, gasp..."
Pryce gasped violently. That image was like a nightmare, firmly etched in his memory, keeping him constantly in self-reproach.
"Pryce, what's wrong?"
When Pryce came back to his senses, Ace was beside him, gently patting his back, his face filled with concern.
"I'm fine..."
Pryce's tone was no longer as cold, but he quickly pulled away from Ace's comfort, turned his wheelchair, and went into the Gym.
Ace stood up, watching Pryce enter his workshop, a slight smile playing on his lips. He knew that Pryce's ice-like heart was already showing signs of melting.
Given time, gaining Pryce's favor and receiving his guidance was not an empty boast.
Ace walked over to Lapras, patted its neck, and whispered to it, "Lapras, you have to work hard. Whether we get Pryce's guidance depends on you."
Lapras was a bit confused, but when Ace said to rest for a while, Lapras paddled its limbs and slid over to Pryce's Lapras.
The two Lapras leaned against each other, their necks intertwined. It was clear that the feelings between the two Lapras were rapidly warming up.
Ace, with good judgment, temporarily gave his Lapras a day off. He then released his other Pokémon and began to guide them in their training.
Seeing this, Lapras took Pryce's Lapras aside to snuggle, and without Ace and his companions disturbing them, how things developed further was entirely up to Lapras's own efforts...
I only share the most exquisite and beautiful novels. Don't forget to check out my other novels!
p@treon DaoistWujinzi