Back in his room, Silas immediately noticed a large box placed neatly on his bed. Opening it, he found it packed full of jars, bottles, and sealed vials.
He picked up one bottle filled with bright crimson liquid, twisted off the cap, and sniffed carefully.
"Hmm… this is Druddigon's blood! Though Druddigon itself isn't known for Dragon Dance, its essence carries powerful dragon energy, perfect for stimulating Crawdaunt's training."
Relying on his keen sense of smell and cross-checking with the catalog list, he confirmed it.
He set the bottle aside and pulled out more rare treasures: tufts of Woobat's fur, Axew's scales, and several other uncommon dragon-type materials.
Silas let out a low whistle. "The Joy family really is generous. With this much dragon material, I can push forward Crawdaunt's Dragon Dance training schedule."
But first, he had another priority.
"Murkrow still needs a potion… one suitable for newborn Pokémon."
He logged into Petalburg Gym's library system through his Pokédex and pulled up a formula designed to nourish young Pokémon and stimulate latent potential. It wasn't a particularly difficult recipe-something even a junior Breeder could mix.
"First, shave off a little resin from the ebony wood… then crush the Black Fruit."
Silas cleared his desk and carefully laid out the reagents. Every drop of liquid was measured precisely, each powder mixed with steady patience.
After combining the ingredients, he poured the blend into a processing unit and let it rest. Thirty minutes later, he retrieved a small vial of pitch-black liquid. Bubbles still fizzed inside, giving it a sinister, poisonous look.
Silas checked the machine's analysis display. The results matched perfectly.
"That's it. Come out, Murkrow."
With a flash of white light, the black-feathered Pokémon emerged, wings beating as it let out a harsh cry.
"Gahhhh~!"
Silas raised his arm, and after a moment of hesitation, Murkrow landed lightly on it. He stroked the bird's head gently, his voice softening.
"Murkrow, drink this. It will help your growth."
He lifted the vial to its beak. Murkrow sniffed the potion, then tilted its head back and swallowed it in one go without resistance.
Silas smiled faintly. "You really do trust me."
Almost instantly, Murkrow's body warmed. Its eyelids drooped, and within seconds it had fallen into a deep sleep. Silas chuckled softly and recalled it into a Luxury Ball.
With the sun setting outside, he turned his attention to the dragon materials provided by the Joy family. One by one, he prepared them into specialized energy blocks-formulas tailored to aid in the training of Dragon Dance.
The night passed quietly.
....
The next morning, at the Pokémon Center's training grounds.
"Murkrow, show me the moves you've already mastered," Silas called up to the bird circling above.
"Gahhh!"
Murkrow's hoarse cry echoed through the arena. Its beak glowed with sharp flying-type energy before it suddenly dived, slicing past a wooden target with precision.
"Good. Not bad at all. Anything else?"
Murkrow flapped higher, circling the target again. For a moment, Silas thought it had nothing more. Then-
"GAAAAH!!!"
The sudden screech reverberated like a shockwave. The wooden target rattled, then split apart with a loud crack.
Silas's eyes widened. "That was Astonish. Impressive-you've already mastered it."
Murkrow returned to his shoulder, a little embarrassed, covering its face with a wing. Silas chuckled-he could guess this mischievous bird had used the move often back at the breeding house to prank others.
"Don't worry. You'll learn even more as you grow stronger."
Silas reassured it, then turned to another partner.
"Crawdaunt, let's begin Dragon Dance."
"Craw—daunt!"
The crimson lobster Pokémon stood ready. Silas fed it the special energy blocks he had prepared the night before. With the dragon-type essence active in its body, Crawdaunt's energy surged.
"Focus your mind. Control the flow of the dragon energy inside you."
Crawdaunt roared, its claws snapping shut with intensity. Purple-red energy began to rise around its body. The Pokémon's movements grew rhythmic, almost instinctive, as it leapt and twisted in a primal, powerful dance.
In a final burst, Crawdaunt's aura flared, its eyes snapping open.
"Crawwww!"
The Dragon Dance had succeeded.
Silas exhaled in relief. "As expected of a dragon-type technique… even Crawdaunt's body is straining. Training this move won't be easy."
His thoughts drifted briefly to Murkrow's inherited technique-Sky Attack. The ultimate flying-type move. Training it would be no less demanding than Dragon Dance.
A small smile tugged at his lips as he glanced at the bird flapping overhead.
"Well then, I'd better prepare myself. Things are only going to get tougher from here."
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(End of chapter)