Chapter 14: Increasing Proficiency
Today, Ryan didn't let Poliwag run off right away. Instead, he picked up Poliwag, gazed into its large, dark, shining eyes, and said seriously, "Poliwag…"
"Poliwag? poliwag?" It was the first time Poliwag saw Ryan so serious. It, too, became more focused and stared straight back at Ryan, eager to hear what he had to say.
"Poliwag, things are going to get tough. I hope you can endure it." Ryan wasn't sure if Poliwag understood him, but he hoped the little Poliwag could grasp the seriousness.
He needed Poliwag to become stronger as soon as possible. It was vital for both their survival.
Ryan was responsible for solving the food problem, and Poliwag just had to get stronger.
"Poliwag? Poliwag?" Poliwag didn't entirely understand Ryan's words, but it noticed the seriousness and nodded firmly, showing determination.
"Good," Ryan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Poliwagnodding. As long as it understood, that was enough. He began outlining Poliwag 's training plan.
"Poliwag, your training this morning will focus on using Water Gun. Every time you increase your proficiency by 1%, you can take a break for as long as it takes for this hourglass to empty."
The hourglass was a small item Ryan had scavenged during his explorations. He estimated that it took five minutes for the sand to run through.
So, if Poliwag increased its Water Gun proficiency by 1%, it would earn a five-minute break.
Ryan didn't set the bar too high at the start, as that might lead to resistance. It was better to take things one step at a time. The proficiency panel had shown a 0.5% increase just from playing in the water last night, so raising proficiency early on shouldn't be too difficult.
Ryan wasn't worried about Poliwag's aim with Water Gun for now. As long as Poliwag used the move, proficiency would increase. Fine-tuning the aim could come later.
He placed the hourglass on the reef and looked at Poliwag again, his tone serious. "Poliwag, do you understand?"
"Poliwag!" Poliwag glanced at the hourglass and, seeing the sand begin to trickle down, nodded to show its understanding.
"Alright, head to the beach and start using Water Gun." Ryan set Poliwag down and pointed to a shallow part of the beach where the waves weren't too strong.
"Poliwag, Poliwag," the little Pokémon looked at the beach, then joyfully bounced over, inhaling seawater before spitting it back out with a cheerful spray.
Every now and then, it would dive into the shallow waters, searching for seaweed to snack on.
Ryan didn't mind Poliwag taking more pleasure in playing than in training. As long as the little snack lover was happy, it was fine for now. Hardship would come later, and Poliwag should enjoy its playful youth while it lasted.
After setting up Poliwag's water gun training, Ryan pulled out the leftover snail meat from the night before.
It had fermented overnight and now emitted a sour stench. He carefully hooked the snail meat onto his fishing line and cast it into the sea.
The smell was off-putting to a human, but to many scavenger fish, it would be irresistible. The stinkier, the better, in their eyes.
After casting his line, Ryan settled in on the reef, watching the bobber rise and fall on the waves. He occasionally glanced at Poliwag 's proficiency panel. The proficiency for Water Gun was steadily rising.
Soon it had surpassed 1%, but Ryan didn't stop Poliwag.
The little one was having a blast spraying water in all sorts of patterns along the shore, and Ryan didn't have the heart to interrupt.
Besides, Poliwag's boundless fun would end soon enough. Later, it would learn what it meant to be a "trapped bird longing for the wild."
As Ryan monitored the proficiency panel, he noticed the bobber's tail dipping in and out of the water. A fish had taken the bait quickly this time—the float sank a bit, then popped back up.