Chapter 526: Torchic's Transformation

After a night of rest.

When Cain and Steven reappeared, they were already in the forest at the foot of Mt. Chimney.

They deliberately chose a spot with few people to descend the mountain, to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.

Cain released Torchic and Aron, along with the rest of his Pokémon.

The wild Pokémon at the mountain's base, due to frequent visitors, were not very high level, making them ideal for Torchic and the others to battle.

Pokémon around level 10 were perfect for Torchic and his team.

Although Torchic and Mudkip were only level 5, Poliwag level 12, and Aron level 16, their excellent qualities and Cain's solid training meant they had no trouble facing common Pokémon.

Additionally, Torchic's Fire type had a significant advantage in this area.

With the abundance of Bug- and Grass-type Pokémon, Torchic could battle with relative ease.

However, they didn't have much time, so they simply moved forward, battling any Pokémon that crossed their path.

After all, with Slowking keeping watch, there was no danger.

Moreover, these battles against higher-level opponents provided substantial improvement for Torchic and Mudkip.

For Torchic, this was its first real battle, where it truly experienced what fighting meant.

Normally, whenever Torchic felt pain or discomfort, Cain would immediately provide the best care and comfort.

But from the moment the battle began, Torchic was no longer just a young Pokémon that could cry for its trainer's reassurance.

When Torchic was attacked for the first time and looked at Cain with teary eyes, expecting comfort, all it saw was Cain's calm, unflinching face.

The trainer who had always been the most caring was gone, replaced by a trainer guiding it in battle and growth.

Confused, Torchic almost got hit again.

It was Aron who, at that moment, drove the opponent away.

After the battle, Torchic couldn't immediately process what had happened and stared at Cain in astonishment.

The other Pokémon didn't react like Torchic.

Aron, accustomed to battling other Pokémon, knew that injuries were inevitable. Under Cain's direction, it was able to defeat stronger opponents than it had faced before.

Aron deeply respected Cain's training and guidance skills and felt fortunate to have followed Cain out of the mine.

Poliwag, once a wild Pokémon, understood the harshness of the outside world. It knew Cain was protecting them as best as possible and believed it had already passed the most carefree stage of its life. Now, it was its turn to repay Cain.

Mudkip was more or less fine. Though it was also level 5 like Torchic, it was a battle-loving Pokémon, similar to Aron. For it, injuries were like badges of honor, something it didn't shy away from.

Moreover, as long as it followed Cain's instructions, injuries were just an occasional risk.

Torchic was different. With a mind still immature, it had gone through traumatic experiences in its youth, causing its potential to fluctuate.

Under Cain's care, Torchic had grown up healthy.

However, it had never participated in a battle, and its understanding of them was based solely on what Aron had shared, which piqued its curiosity and made it yearn to fight.

But when it finally entered a battle and got hurt, it didn't know how to react.

The pain in its body terrified it.

Its ferocious opponents made its attacks hesitant.

This was Torchic's initial reaction to experiencing a battle for the first time.

When the fight was over, Aron and the others tried to comfort Torchic but didn't know how, as they weren't in the same position.

At that moment, Skorupi stepped in.

Having been raised by Cain since birth, Skorupi had also felt pain and confusion initially, not understanding why it had to fight.

For the first time, Skorupi acted as an older sibling and shared its experiences with Torchic—the lessons learned from battles and the joy it felt after every victory.

These were Skorupi's personal feelings, which it gradually conveyed to Torchic and Mudkip.

Gradually, Torchic started to get used to the pain. And when it finally defeated its first opponent, a warm hand rested on its head.

Torchic's eyes immediately filled with tears, carrying sorrow and pain, but most of all, joy.

Feeling the warmth of Cain's hand again made it understand the joy Skorupi had described.

Torchic was now willing to fight for its trainer, to give its all.

Cain watched Torchic's entire journey but didn't utter a single word of comfort.

This was something a Pokémon had to learn. If a trainer always coddled them, it would only have a negative effect.

Aron, Poliwag, and Mudkip had survived in the wild and understood the principle of survival of the fittest.

But Torchic didn't.

So Cain allowed it to learn what it needed to and what a battle truly was.

Fortunately, Torchic proved to be stronger than Cain had imagined. Despite falling several times and failing many others, it kept going, crying but always persisting.

When it defeated its first opponent, Cain offered the appropriate comfort.

Torchic immediately ran into Cain's arms.

From that moment on, Torchic had a clear understanding of what a battle was.

This was what Cain wanted to see.

Steven, who had been watching Cain while he trained his Pokémon, gave him a thumbs-up once again.

Cain truly had incredible talent for training Pokémon.

The subsequent battles went smoothly. When Cain and Steven emerged from the forest at the foot of Mt. Chimney, Torchic and the others had improved.

Torchic and Mudkip had reached level 8, Poliwag level 13, and though Aron hadn't leveled up, it had grasped Cain's battle rhythm and style.

This was the first step in building synchronization between the trainer and their Pokémon during battle.

Due to its higher level, Aron was the first to adapt to Cain's battle rhythm.

This time, the primary goal wasn't training and strengthening the Pokémon but helping them understand what battling truly meant.

Overall, Cain was quite satisfied, especially with Torchic, which had quickly transitioned from being a gentle Pokémon to a battle-ready one.

(End of Chapter)