Pokémon: This Is Definitely Pokémon!

The morning was a chaotic mess. Gabriel's clothes were reduced to tattered rags by Dratini's Dragon Rage, and a significant portion of his hair was singed away. With his current appearance, he looked like he could beg on the streets with just a small bowl.

Elle helplessly helped Gabriel tidy up his clothes, shaking her head in disbelief. She hadn't expected Dratini to go this far. Although Gabriel wasn't seriously injured, he still suffered quite a bit.

"I should've stepped in earlier," Elle muttered to herself, lamenting the responsibility now placed squarely on her shoulders.

Gabriel was equally exasperated. While he escaped unscathed physically from Dratini's relentless pursuit, his body was exhausted from the constant running.

Dratini, however, showed no remorse, tilting his head and looking at Gabriel's pitiful state.

"Serves you right for tricking me! No one cheats Dratini out of food and gets away with it!"

Despite the rough morning, the effort wasn't in vain. Dratini had finally mastered the basics of Dragon Rage, although its power still left much to be desired. The next step was honing the move's strength.

Thinking of this, Gabriel began to feel less bitter about his misfortune. Dragon Rage would be a decisive skill for Dratini's training moving forward and was crucial for his development.

That afternoon, after tidying himself up as best as he could, Gabriel returned to the training field with Dratini. Even though Elle had done her best to fix his appearance, Gabriel's hair, scorched by Dragon Rage, still resembled a lawn mowed by a malfunctioning machine.

Gabriel sighed, running his fingers through his ragged hair. "This look is ruining my charm," he muttered.

Thankfully, only Elle and he were in the villa. Or so he thought.

Unbeknownst to him, Antonio, his father, had installed cameras in the villa to keep an eye on his daily life. At that very moment, his mother, Jarvie, was watching the live feed, amused by her son's disheveled state. Without hesitation, she took a screenshot and set it as her phone's wallpaper.

Ignoring his messy appearance, Gabriel focused his attention on Dratini.

"Dratini, the next task is a bit challenging. Are you up for it?"

Dratini: (⊙﹏⊙)

"Mu~!" (No way! Dratini doesn't want to suffer!)

"It's just Pokémon training, not something like Sekiro. What are you so scared of?" Gabriel retorted.

Seeing Dratini's fearful expression, Gabriel knew that this attitude wouldn't get them anywhere. He sighed and resorted to his ultimate weapon: bribery.

"Ten Pokéblocks!"

Ten!

For context, a single meal for Dratini usually required three Pokéblocks, and his daily allowance was nine. Offering ten Pokéblocks for one training session was a 300% profit margin!

"Deal!" Dratini's eyes lit up as he gave an enthusiastic nod.

Bribing Dratini with Pokéblocks was always the most effective strategy. The greedy little dragon couldn't resist the temptation of food.

"Being a Pokémon Trainer is just like being a parent," Gabriel thought smugly. "You need to know how to strike where it hurts to get the best results. I'm such a natural at this!"

With Dratini now willing to cooperate, Gabriel's planned training went smoothly.

First, they started with a few laps around the field for stamina building. No matter the circumstances, physical conditioning was non-negotiable.

Next, Gabriel brought out a low-grade Paralysis Potion he'd obtained from Elle earlier.

"Drink this, Dratini."

Dratini stared at the potion with wide, watery eyes. It definitely didn't look appetizing, but for ten Pokéblocks, he steeled himself and chugged it down in one go.

The effect was instantaneous. Dratini collapsed onto the ground, unable to move.

"Mu!" (You poisoned me!) Dratini cried, glaring at Gabriel.

"Relax. This potion only induces temporary paralysis and won't harm you," Gabriel reassured him patiently. Sure enough, Dratini recovered within a minute.

Watching the rapid recovery, Gabriel nodded in satisfaction. As expected, it was the effect of Dratini's Shed Skin ability.

Shed Skin, a natural ability of Dratini, allowed it to heal from status conditions like paralysis at the end of each turn. While this was a passive trait in the games, Gabriel believed it could be refined through training into something more controllable.

He recalled how Ash's Greninja developed its unique Battle Bond ability through rigorous practice, greatly enhancing its strength. Though Gabriel didn't expect Dratini to unlock a new ability, mastering its inherent traits could still be a game-changer.

For the rest of the day, Gabriel focused on training Dratini's Shed Skin ability, repeatedly putting him in a paralyzed state and timing how quickly he recovered. The goal was for Dratini to activate the ability at will rather than relying on chance.

Additionally, Gabriel planned to develop Dratini's hidden ability, Marvel Scale, which increased its defense when affected by a status condition.

If Dratini could master both abilities, Gabriel could use Shed Skin to mitigate the negative effects of status conditions while simultaneously leveraging Marvel Scale to boost his defenses. This combination would provide a significant advantage in battles, at least until Dratini evolved into Dragonite, which had different abilities.

However, such mastery would take time and effort. For Dratini, this training was nothing short of torture.

Lying on the ground, paralyzed and drained, Dratini stared blankly into the distance. "I knew it. Those Pokéblocks weren't going to come easy…"

Meanwhile, Elle watched from the sidelines with a puzzled expression.

"What kind of training is this? It's so bizarre. Did he really use the paralysis potion I prepared on Dratini?"

Next to her, Garchomp let out a sympathetic growl, watching the little Dratini's plight.

"Chomp!" (Would you want to train like that?)

"Of course not! How could I put you through something so cruel?" Elle replied, patting Garchomp on the head.

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