Little Mu launched a Headbutt directly at Squirtle, leaving it paralyzed and unable to fight. The battle ultimately ended in Little Mu's victory.
Taking a deep breath, Gabriel calmed the excitement surging within him. Indeed, winning battles always felt better.
As Squirtle was recalled into its Poké Ball by Elle, the duel officially came to an end.
"That was an impressive battle. You spotted Squirtle's move weakness so quickly and capitalized on it to end the match swiftly. You've got a real talent for battling, young master!" Elle praised Gabriel with a smile. Even from her perspective, the battle was a spectacular display of skill. Gabriel's command of the fight had many praiseworthy moments.
"Not at all. It was all thanks to Little Mu."
Gabriel humbly explained, though Little Mu his self didn't seem to care for modesty. Hearing Gabriel's compliment, Little Mu practically nudged its head against Gabriel with pride.
"Mu!" (It's all my doing!)
Gabriel: …
Little Mu's smug attitude left Gabriel at a loss for words. If Little Mu took all the credit, how could Gabriel, the trainer, share in the glory?
This won't do. he resolved to teach Little Mu a lesson on humility once they got back home—after all, humility is a virtue.
Unaware of the plans brewing in Gabriel's mind, Little Mu continued flaunting his victory with glee.
"All right, all right, you were both great. Did you learn anything from this battle?" Elle asked.
Gabriel nodded.
"Quite a bit. Little Mu's training is coming along well, but his physical condition still has room for improvement. The training equipment we bought a few days ago should come in handy now, and we can start using the Everstone to limit Little Mu's energy flow. Suppressing that flow should help him better control his moves during practice."
Little Mu: Q-Q
Little Mu felt his spirits plummet. What just happened? How had one simple battle suddenly turned into so much more grueling training? Are all trainers this heartless?
After summarizing his observations, Gabriel turned to Elle.
"Elle, your Squirtle used a combo move, didn't it?"
During the fight, Squirtle combined Withdraw with Rapid Spin, moving around the field like a spinning top. This not only dodged Little Mu's Thunder Wave but also kept increasing its Defense stat with Withdraw.
If Gabriel hadn't decisively ordered Little Mu to interrupt Squirtle, he might not have won the duel.
Truthfully, Gabriel was envious of Squirtle's combo technique. If Little Mu could master his own combo moves, their chances of beating Growlithe in their next match would skyrocket.
"Combo moves? That's not something Little Mu can master just yet," Elle replied, somewhat regretfully.
"Why not?" Gabriel asked.
Elle explained patiently.
"To master combo moves, a Pokémon needs an exceptional level of proficiency with its own moves. Moreover, using two moves in perfect harmony is no simple feat. Squirtle trained for a long time before it could pull it off consistently."
Elle reached out and gently patted Little Mu's head, offering reassurance.
"Little Mu's already very strong. he just needs to keep growing at his own pace. As long as his fundamentals are solid, there's no need to worry about what kind of techniques your opponents use."
So it can't be done, huh… What a pity.
Although a bit disappointed, Gabriel wasn't surprised by the answer. After all, Squirtle's combo technique looked like something Little Mu couldn't learn yet. Little Mu didn't even have a shell, unlike Squirtle.
No matter. Combo moves aren't the be-all and end-all. Little Mu already has something far more powerful up his sleeve.
Gabriel's gaze shifted to the Dragonite's Scale hanging around Little Mu's neck. Contained within it was Dynamax Energy. Once Little Mu mastered it, who would care about combo moves?
However, Little Mu's body still wasn't strong enough to handle Dynamax Energy. Perhaps with a little more time and growth, he'd be able to endure it.
After all, unlike Eternatus, Dynamaxing posed a burden on ordinary Pokémon. For now, it was still too much for Little Mu.
"Alright, Little Mu, you did great today. Take tomorrow off to relax."
"Young master, your father has something planned for you tomorrow," Elle interjected.
Gabril raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
"My dad? What does he want?"
"Nothing major. He just wants to check on your recovery. Even though he knows you've healed, he won't rest easy until he sees it for himself. It's just a father's concern."
Oh, so that's it. Gabriel realized it had been quite a while since he'd seen his father. It was one of the challenges of being the child of a wealthy family. Antonio, as the head of a massive company, naturally had to sacrifice some family time. Thankfully, his mother Jarvie helped lighten the load. While she wasn't the most conventional mom, she was a stellar partner to Antonio.
"Got it. Elle, please arrange my schedule tomorrow. I'll take Little Mu to visit my dad."
Gabriel hugged Little Mu and playfully ruffled his head. A small red mark on Little Mu's forehead—a souvenir from the earlier Headbutt—caught his eye.
"Little Mu, you've never been to my dad's company before, right? You'll be amazed when you see it."
"Mu?" (What's a company?)
Ah, still such a child. Never mind; he himself hadn't been to his dad's office that many times. It would be fun for both of them.
Little Mu, however, didn't care about tomorrow's plans. Right now, he was simply hungry after the battle.
"Mu Mu." (Gabriel, I'm hungry.)
"Hungry? Alright, let's get you something to eat."
Gabriel pulled out a handful of Pokéblocks from his pocket and placed them before Little Mu.
Wow, five pieces this time! Was this a reward for his victory?
Just as Little Mu excitedly prepared to dig in, Gabriel's hand stopped him.
"Mu?" (What are you doing?)
Gabriel's expression turned serious.
"Little Mu, you're not a baby anymore. It's time for you to learn something important."
"Mu?" (What is it?)
Seeing Little Mu's curious expression, Gabriel carefully chose his words.
"Little Mu, you need to know that in this world, strength isn't the only thing that matters. Sometimes, relationships are just as important. By building strong bonds with others, we can turn enemies into allies. And with enough friends, we'll be unstoppable! Little Mu, do you want to be invincible?"
"Mu Mu!" (Yes, I do! I do!)
"Good! That's my boy." Gabriel nodded approvingly.
"Now, to build good relationships, you need to develop good habits, like humility. So here's what you're going to say: 'This many Pokéblocks is too much for me. To support the family, I can eat a little less.'"
"Mu?"
"Excellent! Since you've said that, I'll help by taking back a few of these Pokéblocks. Little Mu, you've really matured!"
Little Mu stared in disbelief as ten of his Pokéblocks vanished. Was this… humility?
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