Chapter 12: The Special Ability of the Everstone
"Mu~" (Ouch! Gabriel, I can't do this anymore!)
Standing nearby, Gabriel could only shake his head helplessly. Dratini's mastery of Extreme Speed was far too low!
Although the forest environment was indeed unsuitable for practicing Extreme Speed, that wasn't a good excuse for hitting the third stump in a row.
"Dratini, you can't give up like this. Extreme Speed is hard to control, but if you focus, you can master it. You need to learn to control your energy first—only then can you truly master the move."
As Gabriel gently rubbed the bump on Dratini's forehead, he carefully explained the finer points of the technique.
However, Dratini gazed at Gabriel with teary eyes, looking pitiful.
"Mu~!" (But it's really hard!)
What could he do? Dratini's inability to control its energy made it nearly impossible to precisely execute Extreme Speed.
Gabriel was at a loss. This was his first time as a Trainer, and he didn't have prior experience with Pokémon. Wasn't it supposed to be a case of "practice makes perfect"?
Online help needed. Urgently.
Dratini looked Gabriel's worried expression, feeling helpless itself. Dratini knew Gabriel was trying to help it grow stronger. If only it were stronger, it wouldn't have lost to that Growlithe!
"I'm so useless," Dratini thought.
Their shared frustration didn't go unnoticed by Elle, the family maid, who had been watching from the side. She hadn't expected her young master to be training Dratini so seriously and not just playing around.
But it seemed they were stuck on a problem.
"Do you need help with something?"
Elle stepped forward, her expression calm as she looked at Gabriel. She had only come out to tend to Dratini's injuries from training, but at this rate, they wouldn't just fail their training; the injuries might become a bigger problem.
"Elle! Help me, please!"
The sight of Elle was like seeing a savior. Gabriel ran to her, clutching her waist, and looked at her with puppy-dog eyes.
"Sigh, I'm right here. Just tell me what you need," Elle said with a resigned look. She found it difficult to handle Gabriel when he acted this way.
"You're the best!"
Gabriel beamed gratefully and explained the problem.
"Dratini can't control the energy for Extreme Speed, so it keeps crashing during sprints through the forest?"
Elle gave Gabriel a strange look. What kind of training method was this?
Gabriel nodded and elaborated on his plan.
"In this forest, the dense trees make it extremely challenging to sprint through at high speed. It requires strong reflexes and physical fitness from a Pokémon. So, to train Dratini, I chose this area. To make it harder, I'm having Dratini practice using Extreme Speed here. This way, it can also develop its endurance and energy control."
"Plus, with you here to heal Dratini's injuries, I can also toughen it up a bit," Gabriel added sheepishly, scratching his head. His confidence in his outlandish plan was clearly wavering. After all, Dratini hadn't succeeded even once, making him doubt the effectiveness of his method.
"It's a good idea, actually," Elle said. As a seasoned Garchomp Trainer, she quickly saw the merits of Gabriel's training approach.
"This method may sound unconventional, but it could indeed be highly effective for a young Pokémon like Dratini. It's perfect for improving physical strength and reaction time, which will help in the long run."
However, she added, "This method won't work for more mature Pokémon. If it were my Garchomp, it would probably just bulldoze through all the trees, defeating the purpose entirely!"
"Garchomp!" (You get me!)
The Dragon Pokémon gave Elle a thumbs-up in agreement.
Now that Elle understood the training plan, she decided to offer a solution. She gently placed her hand on Dratini, concentrating for a moment before reaching a conclusion.
"It's unfortunate, but while your training method is sound, it's not suitable for Dratini right now."
"Why not? What's wrong with it?" Gabriel asked, worried. He had spent a lot of time thinking about this approach.
Elle looked thoughtfully at Dratini.
"This method is effective for young Pokémon. But in Dratini's case, there's an unusual energy flowing through its body—a strange yet fascinating energy. While it's not harmful, it interferes with Dratini's control over its own energy flow. That's why it's struggling with Extreme Speed."
Dratini's energy? Wasn't that just its Life Energy?
Most Dratini in their infancy are imbued with Life Energy, which helps them grow over time. It's usually a good thing, but now it seemed to be hindering Dratini's training!
"So, what can we do? Does this mean Dratini can't train at all?" Gabriel asked, his face falling as he looked at Dratini.
"Not necessarily. There's another way," Elle replied.
She pulled out a necklace with a peculiar stone attached and placed it around Dratini's neck.
"Mu?" (What's this?)
Both Dratini and Gabriel curiously examined the stone.
"This is an Everstone. It suppresses certain types of energy, so it might help Dratini manage its energy better."
An Everstone? But wasn't that supposed to only prevent Pokémon from evolving? How could it suppress energy too?
As Gabriel thought about it, it made sense. If the Everstone prevented evolution, it must suppress the energy that triggers evolution.
If that were true, then the Everstone might just work for Dratini.
Dratini tested it out by launching a Dragon Rage at a nearby tree. The attack's power was noticeably weaker!
"Mu!" (It works!)
Relieved by Dratini's response, Gabriel let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Elle!"
"It's nothing. This is what I'm here for," Elle replied with a faint smile.
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