"Lean forward—keep your balance!"
Standing on the surfboard, Kael shouted at Sneasel beside him.
"Don't fight the waves. The power of the ocean isn't something you can block. Adapt to it first… then conquer it."
"Snea—!"
Sneasel struggled to control the surfboard beneath her feet, doing her best not to be knocked into the water by the surging waves. Both her wrists and legs were fitted with mechanical gravity rings.
For now, Kael had only installed one gravity bead on each ring—ten kilograms per bead. Four beads total meant about 80 kg of extra weight. On flat ground, that much was still manageable for Sneasel. But standing on a surfboard, battling the ocean while carrying that load? One small mistake, and a head-on wave would slam her straight into the sea.
In his previous life, Kael hadn't just been a top student in mathematics and finance—he'd also been an extreme-sports enthusiast. Skateboarding, parkour, surfing—he'd mastered them all.
Among them, surfing had been his favorite. It didn't just temper the body; it forged courage, teaching one how to charge forward without hesitation when facing danger.
The weather today was perfect. Strong sea winds made swimming unsuitable, but it was prime time for surfing. As the roar of the ocean grew louder, a massive wave—nearly as tall as a three-story building—rose behind man and Pokémon alike.
Kael's expression grew solemn. Surfing wasn't just about thrills; every extreme sport carried lethal risks. A wave nearly ten meters high crashing full-force into a human's back could cause internal bleeding. And once dragged underwater, the violent upsurge of bubbles could easily suffocate someone.
Don't resist—borrow the force instead.
Kael leaned forward slightly, bent his legs, and stabilized his center of gravity. Beside him, Sneasel followed suit, lowering her body and bracing herself.
The giant wave roared.
Sensing its trajectory, Kael barked, "Lean back—angle left!"
The wave surged forward like the hand of a sea god, carrying the power to destroy everything in its path. Yet Kael and Sneasel stood firmly at its center, riding the force as they shot forward at blistering speed. Seawater drenched their bodies and hair, but nothing could hide the exhilaration of conquering the wave.
"Perfect!"
Man and Pokémon high-fived, then collapsed onto the sand, gasping for breath as they lay on their backs, staring up at the spotless blue sky. From time to time, the cries of distant seabirds drifted past their ears.
Weighted training combined with surfing—this was the extreme regimen Kael had designed specifically for Sneasel. For now, it was still the adaptation phase. After all, she'd only just learned how to surf. That very morning, when he'd started teaching her, this stubborn little fighter had swallowed quite a bit of seawater.
As her proficiency improved, Kael would steadily increase the load.
Within this single week, there was only one goal: master Throat Chop.
"Lunch is ready!"
The world suddenly went dark as Lulu's adorable face popped into view, blocking Kael's sight.
"..."
One human and one Pokémon stared at each other in silence. Kael—having lived two lifetimes—had skin thick enough to match; he clasped his hands behind his head and stared straight back into Lulu's ruby-like eyes.
A faint blush crept onto Lulu's snow-white cheeks. Finally unable to endure the gaze, she flicked a handful of sand at Kael using telekinesis, then vanished in a flash of teleportation.
"Kael, you're the worst!"
The girl's indignant voice echoed from afar.
"Ah—my eyes…!"
Kael rolled all over the beach. He'd just been staring wide-eyed, and suddenly she'd thrown sand straight into them. The sensation was—honestly—beyond words.
...
Lunch was lavish.
A seaside vacation demanded nothing less than a seafood feast.
Lulu's cooking could be described as top-tier. As a Psychic-type Pokémon with immense mental power, she picked up skills at lightning speed. Grilled, pan-fried, boiled, braised—snacks, seafood soups—everything was there, filling an entire long table.
Whenever Kael trained his Pokémon, he never lazed around on the sidelines. He trained alongside them. Doing so strengthened their bond and coordination—and more importantly, when a trainer trained with their Pokémon, those simple, straightforward creatures felt deeply valued, pushing themselves to give it everything they had.
They'd feel ashamed when they fell short of their trainer's expectations.
They'd feel overjoyed at even the smallest praise.
That was Pokémon—spirits of this world, its favored children. The more people Kael met, the more he found himself preferring the company of Pokémon.
A full morning of high-intensity training had left both Kael and Sneasel utterly spent. The table looked full, but to two beings on the verge of starving, it wasn't nearly enough.
Sneasel stepped forward and grabbed a giant prawn from the grill—it was massive, nearly the size of a dinner plate. Roasted until crimson over charcoal, sprinkled with cumin and sauce, its aroma blended perfectly with the seafood's natural sweetness.
With a light slash of her claws from head to tail, she split it cleanly. Pulling it apart with both hands, translucent, glistening prawn meat was revealed. She glanced at the food, hesitated, ignored her growling stomach, and carefully placed the peeled meat onto a plate—then carried it over to her trainer, who was struggling miserably with prawn shells.
"For me?"
Kael set aside the mangled mess in his hands and looked at the neatly arranged prawn meat on the plate. For once, his face actually reddened.
"Thank you, Sneasel."
"Snea~"
Sneasel coolly waved it off, returned to the grill, picked up another prawn, split it cleanly as before, and devoured it in one bite. The springy, tender texture and rich flavor made her close her eyes in bliss.
Back when she'd wandered the wilds alone, how could she ever have imagined a life like this?
Hungry—she ate berries or hunted weaker Pokémon.
Thirsty—she drank rainwater or river water.
She fought powerful rivals for territory, and injuries were routine.
Being cared for… being valued…
It felt really good.
Sneasel thought her life now was wonderfully happy. Sure, the training was exhausting—but with her trainer always by her side, even that fatigue slowly faded away.
***************************
Read advanced chapters ahead of everyone else on my P@treon.
P@treon/GodDragcell