Chương 127: Chapter 122

Even without Redi, travel was a cycle that involved frequent breaks. Sam would spend a while walking down the route, and once he found a decently clear area, he'd settle down for a rest. There, his team would practice their moves and test out potential strategies while he took a break. His Pokémon would then relax in their Pokéballs while he traveled west, and the process would begin anew. Nothing about this schedule changed from how they had traveled alongside Redi.

Right now, however, everyone was throwing themselves into it with a greater sense of determination than before. Practice was less relaxed and more intense than usual thanks to the knowledge that Cianwood was coming up. There, they'd strive to earn their eighth Gym Badge as fast as possible, and then they'd leave via a boat to Goldenrod. Their real goal was to finish the season in Ilex Forest, the premier environment for a team of Ghost Types to train for the Conference. But they needed to actually get there first.

So they went through harsh training sessions for now, pushing themselves to be as strong as possible to defeat their final Gym. Thankfully, Sam was great at making plans, and instead of "merely" taking a break while his Pokémon trained, he made sure to chat with them and make sure they knew the direction they needed to take their training. Typhlosion had her offensive moves down.

Her evolution had brought a massive increase in strength, and she had spent the weeks before their seventh Gym battle practicing and learning all of her damaging Ghost Type moves. When fighting, she primarily relied on Infernal Parade and Flamethrower for damage, which meant she truly only needed to worry about Pokémon that resisted those moves' Types. But even then, Misdreavus and Primeape could take out those difficult opponents for her, and inflicting a burn could also turn a tough fight into a win.

Alternatively, since she now knew both Smokescreen and Double Team, Typhlosion could easily stall out any foe, but they'd already learned in the past that pure evasion wasn't enough to win. She was in a good place power-wise, but that didn't mean she was done with her training. Strength could always be increased, and Sam still had a few ideas for new developments. She was the first he approached for a chat, moving to her side as she practiced creating spheres of Night Shade around her.

"Agility and Curse," Sam said outright. Typhlosion glanced over, dropping her sphere of darkness.

"Quick Attack is fine, but it's only a quick burst of speed. It doesn't provide any ongoing increase in how fast you move. Flame Charge can give you that, but that move requires locking you into an attack," Sam explained, listing off his points while pulling at his fingers.

"Agility doesn't have that limit, and we've already done some practice with it before. So I think you should start trying to work on Agility to replace Quick Attack, and then there's also..." Curse. Sam let his words trail off. He could tell Typhlosion understood why he was reluctant. Back in Ecruteak, she had seen Morty's Pokémon use that very move, and it hadn't exactly been an innocuous, self-boost. They both knew how Curse had to be used. The energy responded differently to Ghost Types and non-Ghost Types.

It was no longer about solely boosting her physical energy. She needed to take that energy and harm herself with it, and then she'd be able to carry that pain into a damaging Curse that could be laid onto any foe. She would have to effectively relearn the move, but Sam knew she would pick it up fast. The problem he had was with the pain the new version required—he couldn't say he was the biggest fan of having Typhlosin stab herself in the chest.

"If you were more ethereal, like Haunter or Misdreavus, I wouldn't be so worried. They can take serious damage and then reform missing parts of themselves. But using Curse is violent. Seeing Gengar slam its energy into itself was a lot. The sheer amount of damage you'd take—" Typhlosion huffed. She was touched by Sam's worry, but she also clearly thought that his worry was misplaced. Before he could ask or inquire about her reaction, Typhlosion was already moving.

She held out a paw, and shadows curled around it in something that was neither a Shadow Claw nor an Infernal Parade. They formed into a flickering, jagged edge, and Sam jumped when she slammed it straight into her chest. However, when she pulled her paw back, there was no injury. Typhlosion had winced and parts of her fur had blackened, but there was no other physical mark or injury from the work-in-progress Curse being used.

"Good." Sam breathed out in relief.

"So it's more of a spiritual wound instead of a physical one. That's why it hurt Morty's Gengar so visibly; Gengar don't exactly have physical bodies." Typhlosion nodded happily—she had been practicing, and she'd found that the injury caused by Curse was minor, all things considered. It hurt in the moment and would affect her in battle, but its pain was closer to something inflicted by Destiny Bond.

She wouldn't need to be rushed to the Pokémon Center after using it, but it would certainly make her closer to fainting in a match.

"Thanks for showing me that, Typhlosion. I'm happy you've been practicing, but, uh, well..." Sam chuckled awkwardly.

"I don't want you practicing those kinds of moves without me? I spent all this time worrying about Curse, and if it was any different, you could have got seriously injured, so I'm glad it's not worse, but—" Sam was interrupted by Typhlosion placing a paw on his head. It took him a second to process what just happened, and he flailed his arms to get her paw off. She snickered as she pulled it away, her laughter coming as a throaty rumble as she took in his embarrassed reaction.

"Fine then. Maybe I won't tell you the good news," Sam huffed, and Typhlosion immediately stopped her laugh.

"... But I've been thinking. Since we're on our way back to Olivine, Carl's ranch is going to be right there. Since it's not really a detour, I figured we could visit your grandfather sometime in the coming days." And then in just as much of a surprise as before, Sam suddenly found himself scooped up into a hug. He fought against it for only a second before letting himself lean into Typhlosion's arms. She was excited. Her grandfather was a Typhlosion of great power, and she didn't get to see him that often.

Not only would she have a chance to show off once they arrived, but she'd also have the chance to learn a few tricks from a Typhlosion far older than her. When Sam approached Misdreavus, she was leading a group of Gastly. While the Gastly did tend to listen to Haunter most of the time, not every one of them followed his advice. Some preferred a more steady head, and when it came to learning more from Sam's group, these Gastly wished to hear from a reliable commander rather than a mischievous friend.

So for them, Misdreavus demonstrated Hex—not necessarily to teach it, but just to show off the move. She'd already gone through both her Shadow Ball and her Night Shade, so it only made sense to demonstrate this attack next. Though fewer in number and with less control than Typhlosion's Infernal Parade, the wisps of her Hex were still quite impressive as she arranged them into burning, geometric shapes in the air.

"Hey, Misdreavus," Sam called out. His voice seemed to stun some of the Gastly; a good portion of them had looked absolutely enthralled by Misdreavus's moves.

"Wanna talk about training?" The response was instant; every dark flame winked out. Without bothering to say goodbye, Misdreavus immediately ended her show and split away from the Gastly to reach Sam. She then affectionately nudged his side. He laughed.

"Sorry. I need to borrow her for a bit. Just a short break! She'll be back to it soon!" Sam called out. The Gastly tried to look on with pleading eyes, but Sam was used to their antics and knew when to move on. Stepping to the side, he found a quiet spot for a chat with Misdreavus. Some of the other Gastly drifted away, but most remained behind to patiently wait for Misdreavus to continue her demonstration.

"Alright, Misdreavus," Sam said, looking his Pokémon up and down.

"Let's talk about training. I already gave you a big list of attacking moves in the past, but right now, I want you to focus on just two: Power Gem and Pain Split." Misdreavus eagerly listened in, and Sam went on to explain. Power Gem was one of the few, special-attacking Rock Type moves, and it used the power of gemstones to fire out laser beams, somehow. His thought was that it would be unleashed from the pearl necklace around her neck, and it'd be a useful move for her to pick up.

As a Pokémon so based around special attacks, coverage was more important for Misdreavus than the rest of the team. She already had Ghost and Psychic Type moves, but a new Rock Type attack could help her take out Types otherwise difficult for Sam's team. Rock was super effective against both Fire and Flying, and it was a viable option against Dark.

Conceptually, Sam couldn't claim to understand how it worked, but the New Pokédex said it came naturally to Misdreavus's species, and it was a strong companion for her Nasty Plot.

"I know I've already talked about Power Gem in the past, but I think now's the best time to learn it. It's more accurate than most other Rock Type attacks, and it should pack enough of a punch to be a strong surprise," Sam said.

"I've also been considering Pain Split, but that move is a bit more... strange." There were many other moves Misdreavus could still learn, but he didn't want to have her split her focus too much.

"Pain Split takes you and your opponent's remaining health and divides it equally between the two of you," Sam said.

"It's supposed to 'split your pain,' but since you have less vitality than most Pokémon, it should generally result in a heal. The big reason I want you to learn it is so that you have a way to stay up while sweeping. All of that sounds good on paper, but..." He breathed out, distinctly aware of the analysis he wrote on it in his journal.

"The same lack of vitality that makes it good for you also makes it bad," Sam continued.

"Pain Split might be amazing against a Pokémon like Ursaring, but that's not a great match-up in the first place. One Shadow Claw would see you faint, and the same is true for any of his other non-Normal Type attacks. It's more of a niche pick to use in emergencies rather than something to base your strategy around." If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Misdreavus hummed as Sam explained his plans, and then she spoke; she had her own thoughts to add.

Primarily, she gestured to her body and a certain conspicuous lack of arms, something that'd change once she evolved into a Mismagius. Her evolution would bring an increase to both her power and her defense. While she currently wasn't the best at taking hits, that would improve once she evolved. As a Mismagius, it'd let her take more risks in fights.

"Yeah, but—" She interrupted again, sharing even more of her thoughts. Pain Split was a good move, they'd just need to use it carefully. If Sam really wanted to give her a way to punish foes for hurting her, then he'd have her learn Destiny Bond. In a way, Pain Split was safer. Once she was done gesturing to share her thoughts, Sam looked at his Pokémon before letting out a sigh. Misdreavus giggled and affectionately rubbed against his side again.

"No, you're definitely right," he said as Midreavus smiled to herself, smug.

"Pain Split is better, and while I do want you to learn Destiny Bond eventually, a way to heal gives you more opportunities in battle overall. Still, it's not as pressing as coverage, so focus on Power Gem first, alright?" She eagerly nodded her head. Her central gemstone flashed as if in practice, but since she hadn't really attempted the move before, no attack came out.

"Alright. So other than that, I've been thinking about your evolution. I think I finally know when we'll be using that Dusk Stone." Cianwood. Specifically, Sam thought it made the most sense to evolve Misdreavus right before their final Gym Battle. He wanted to give her time to make sure she had as solid of a baseline as possible, and he wanted to make sure she had time to learn her new moves before needing to distract herself with getting used to a new form.

However, there was an argument to evolve Misdreavus earlier than that. Once a Mismagius, she'd need to spend time adapting to her new form before she could properly fight in a battle. However, Sam was more worried about the Conference than maximizing their chances in their final Gym battle.

Since Misdreavus focused more on special attacks than physical attacks, the biggest change her evolution would bring would be the power behind her moves, something that would only need a slight amount of work to get used to in time for their fight.

"Does that sound good?" Sam asked.

"Do you have any thoughts or comments on my plans for you?" Misdreavus tilted to the side before nodding and saying her name excitedly. She agreed with his plans, and she had trusted him to make the right decision before he'd even caught her. The fact that he was talking to her at all about this instead of just demanding she train or evolve in a certain way just made her agree even more. So their plans were set, but even though Sam had nothing else to say, Misdreavus had more thoughts to share.

Unrelated to any new moves, she'd been thinking something Sam had brought up in the past. Her species might not have been the Psychic Type, but she was capable of plenty of Psychic Type moves. When it came to using old moves in new situations, she had plenty of ideas she wanted to try. The conversations with Haunter and Primeape were easy. Haunter only needed to practice his moves—everything but Hypnosis, since he'd been relying on it too much lately.

He was already more than willing to learn Destiny Bond as well because the idea of making his opponents faint at the same time as him made him cackle. As for Primeape, he had the singular and overwhelming goal of complete mastery over Rage Fist, something absolutely necessary for him to evolve. He could have alternatively tried to develop other useful attacks like Power-Up Punch and Drain Punch, but evolving into an Annihilape was a hill he needed to climb before splitting his focus on anything else.

However, while Haunter and Primeape's goals were easy, Sam still had one more Pokémon to speak to. He passed by where Haunter sparred with Primeape, who was practicing close-ranged dodges while Primeape practiced his aim. A cloud of Gastly floated in the air above them, watching Haunter and Primeape give it their all. Haunter would use Spite to drain Primeape's reserved energy, but Primeape would push through, trying to figure out how to unleash his attacks with the maximum possible efficiency.

Sam didn't say anything as he moved next to Trevenant. It was almost night, as their schedule had shifted. He'd chosen to travel closer to night to give his Pokémon more comfortable conditions outside of the light. As a Grass Type, however, Trevenant couldn't exactly relax during these periods and photosynthesize, but he was still partially a Ghost Type and was as at home under the moon as he was under the sun. Ahead, Haunter and Primeape continued their exchange.

Trevenant's singular eye flicked over to Sam, but Sam didn't say anything, and his gaze went back to the match for the while it took for Sam to finally speak.

"Hey," he eventually said. A slight scoff escaped Trevenant's throat—Sam had stood there for all that time just to start with such a basic greeting. Yet, Sam could only smile at the reaction. It might have come from a place of annoyance, but it was casual. It was an unconscious demonstration of trust that Trevenant was so relaxed at Sam's side.

"Do you mind if we talk?" Sam asked.

"I wanted to discuss plans I have for you on the team." Trevenant replied with a soft grunt of his name. He had already said he was willing to train back in Mahogany Town, and that was still true right now. So, Trevenant turned to properly look at him, using his root-like legs to twist his entire body so all of him was facing Sam. It was a purposeful movement to show that Sam had his entire focus, even with the spar going on not too far away. He loomed, but Sam felt no worry.

Trevenant was his Pokémon, and more importantly, Trevenant was a proper member of the team—a friend.

"Back then, when we were preparing to meet you, I tried really hard to figure out how a Trevenant might fight in a battle," Sam started.

"I looked into all of your potential moves and readied everyone to fight a regenerating wall, but in the end, all you did was use Horn Leech?" Trevenant scoffed.

"No, no! Don't get me wrong. Your attacks are strong. Horn Leech is a great, default move to rely on with its damage and self-healing, but we've been building up your battle instincts since then, and we've even been working on turning your Astonish into Shadow Claw. That's been going well, but..." Sam trailed off when he noticed a few shreds of darkness begin curling around Trevenant's claws.

It was different, as when Typhlosion would use this attack, she controlled Ghost Type energy to conjure lengthened, sharpened claws that stretched from her paws. But when Trevenant used it here, however, his hands were already claws of gnarled, sharpened wood. His Shadow Claw was not constructed out of Ghost Type energy, rather, it came to form like a Ghost Type, enhanced Slash.

"You got it! See? I knew you could do it!" Sam looked at Trevenant with a smile.

"But what I think we should really do is lean into the Grass Type. With all of that research I talked about, I can make you an absolute menace to face on the field." Trevenant might have been trying to keep his expression level, but his gaze sharpened with a greater sense of focus in reaction to Sam's words. Sam breathed in; he had a lot of ideas.

"Ingrain might make you immobile, but it gives you a guaranteed way to heal yourself by pulling energy from the battlefield floor. Leech Seed adds more healing on top of that while damaging your opponents in return. Now stack that healing with Horn Leech—which I already talked about—and then combine it with your Harvest ability, too. Think about it. If I give you a Sitrus Berry, you can constantly heal yourself up.

Other Pokémon might be better at taking attacks than you, but with all of that applied, you could heal yourself from any move sent your way!" Trevenant quirked his brow—an action that looked a little silly given he only had a single pupil. Sam stared back until he had to clear his throat in an attempt to not laugh.

"The big part, though, is using your Harvest ability. That's what I think we should work on mastering," Sam said.

"Regrowing healing berries can make sure you stay up in battle. I mean, I haven't really seen you use it this way, but you don't have to give away what you grow. Taking the seeds of a single Sitrus berry to make dozens more can give you a lot of extra health in a fight." Trevenant stared back until suddenly looking away in what was almost a mimicry of how Sam had just cleared his throat. When he brought up a fist to cough into it, the Pokémon looked embarrassed.

It was like Trevenant had never thought of using berries to heal himself in battle, before. Sam felt smug, and Trevenant was receptive. Stacking forms of healing was just the start of the ideas he had in mind. The sheer amount of potential Trevenant held was genuinely ridiculous.

"I have a lot more thoughts on how to make you strong, especially when we throw in other effects, like Confuse Ray or Will-O-Wisp. And then there's also your attacks! Did you know you can learn Wood Hammer? That's crazy! Instead of just your claws, you could swing your entire arm for a single, devastating blow!" Trevenant would be a powerhouse, he just needed to put the practice in. Sam was already more than excited to see Trevenant's future as a fully realized Ghost-Grass Type.

Trevenant, too, seemed to like the plans. He always tried to keep his expression level, but there was a certain glint to his eye that told Sam he was looking forward to those ideas. For Sam, that was nice to see.

"Also... I didn't come here to just talk about moves. There's something else I want your help with," Sam said quietly as he turned back to watch Haunter and Primeape's spar.

"You've been with us for a few weeks at this point, but everyone else has been with me for months. In Typhlosion's case, we grew up together. So I'm very familiar with everyone else here. Everyone except you." Trevenant blinked at Sam, almost hiding an awkward shuffle alongside that move. Sam saw the reaction and quickly spoke up—he hadn't been trying to make Trevenant feel out of place, he was just trying to point something out.

"No, no, no. Not like that. What I mean is..." Sam groaned.

"Sorry. This is hard. Specifically, I want to see if I can trade for a new Pokémon in Olivine City to get a sixth to add to our team. When that happens, we'll be getting a new friend, and that new friend is probably a Pokémon that's been trained separately from the team. So, I was thinking, well..." Sam looked up at Trevenant.

"Would you be willing to help me when that happens? Help me introduce them to everyone. I want your experience to help them fit in." Trevenant stared back at Sam, looking like he didn't know how to respond. Generally, the most experienced Pokémon was the one to greet a new capture, but in this case, Sam was going with the inverse.

"I'm not sure if I can really explain my logic. I just think you'd be a good fit. There's just something about you..." He held back a chuckle.

"You just seem like a good leader." Trevenant looked away silently. Out of the corner of his eye, though the Pokémon lacked blood, Sam got the sense that there was almost a blush on Trevenant's face. A moment passed between them, and Haunter somehow landed a solid punch to Primeape's face. The clearing fell into silence before the Gastly broke out in cheers, and then Primeape sent him a nod of respect before lunging. The spar devolved into a panicked chase.

As that nonsense played out before them, Trevenant finally came to a decision. He nodded, and Sam broke into a smile.

"Great! Thanks, Trevenant. I know you'll be perfect for the job!" Trevenant cleared his throat again in an attempt to keep acting cool. Sam used the opportunity to swing his backpack around, pulling out his journal and a certain set of notes he wrote back in Mahogany Town. He ignored the shouts of the Gastly coming from around him. This kind of chase was good for his Pokémon.

It wasn't mean-spirited, and Haunter was practicing how well he could hide while giving Primeape the chance to develop how well he could search.

"I still have my old notes I wrote when preparing for you," Sam said to Trevenant.

"So I already have a bunch of different ideas on how a Trevenant can fight. If you're interested in hearing them..." Trevenant nodded again, and Sam didn't wait to read from the page. Training continued, and the team became stronger. Sam continued to head west. Their destination was soon in reach. Finally, as Sam and everyone else traveled closer and closer to Olivine City, training breaks became more frequent.

It wasn't that they were stalling, it was just that they were spending a longer time getting stronger each day. Sam made sure to take advantage of those periods, using them to furiously scribble into his journal. Each night at dusk, he would find time for himself by the campfire, and he'd go over his notes while tending to a stew. Truthfully, he had completely filled up his first journal at this point and was already well into his second. Though there was no narrative or coherent plot, he was proud of that fact.

In a way, filling it up meant he'd written an entire book. While he appreciated the relative quiet he used to work, it did feel empty without Redi, even after all these days spent away. The campsite was missing something without her presence, and Sam missed her regular, casual taunts. When it comes to facing her, though, I still need more ideas. We might have a few counters for Redi's team, but they all need more work. If Haunter picks up Destiny Bond, he can take out any of her Pokémon, but that only works once.

Unfortunately, after Morty, she'll be expecting something like that. No, Misdreavus's Pain Split is probably unexpected enough to be key. Though he was helping his team get stronger, Sam had another duty of his own. As his team's trainer, they trusted him to come up with strategies and to know exactly what to do to have them win. When we arrive in Olivine, I should use a computer to check the League's archives or maybe some forum posts.

That should let me find recordings of Xavier and other trainers from past tournaments. It won't give me a look into their current teams, but it'll let me see where their current teams are coming from. Ugh. The Conference is so soon. I know we have over a month left, but it feels like we're running out of time. The noises of the campfire's crackling flames, the bubbling food, and the furious scribbling of his pen filled the air.

Typhlosion dozed next to him, and various Ghost Types floated around and enjoyed the chill of the approaching night. The sun was actively setting, casting the sky into a rainbow of reds and oranges. The first half of the moon was already visible to the east. Half of the sky was already dark with pinpricks of stars. Everyone was relaxing after their long day, and though Sam was focusing on his work and the stew he occasionally stirred, he quickly realized a silence had fallen over the camp.

All movement had ceased in favor of everyone focusing on one Pokémon's form. They were close to Olivine. Close to the mountains. Close to where Sam had captured one member of his team at the very start. He felt as though he was being watched, and as he brought up his head, he was met with Primeape's gaze. He carefully closed his journal.

"... I see." Primeape walked over to stand in front of the fire, casting his gaze into the flames. He stared for several moments before turning, looking directly at the mountain range to the north. Then, with a grunt, he communicated his desire: It was time. They were close enough. Primeape had been waiting and practicing and training for all this time, and now that they were here, he was finally ready to talk.