Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, another month slipped by in silence.
It had to be said—Kael's judgment hadn't been wrong. This Sneasel's talent was genuinely outstanding. In just one month, she had completely mastered Ice Punch and Swords Dance. The only slight regret was Night Slash. As a same-type move, it should have been easier to learn in theory, but Night Slash placed extremely high demands on the user's speed. Sneasel's inability to grasp it yet wasn't due to a lack of talent—it was simply that her physical conditioning still fell a little short.
If she could evolve into Weavile right now, she would likely master Night Slash instantly.
"Sneasel, use Swords Dance!" Kael shouted toward the training field. "Then follow up with Brick Break!"
"Snea~"
Sneasel gave a slight nod. She brought her claws together before her chest, her body beginning to spin rapidly in place. This was the preparatory motion before Swords Dance. While performing the battle dance, the user would be unable to move for a short time. Because of that, Swords Dance wasn't particularly practical in official trainer battles—no opponent would just stand there waiting for you to buff, let alone allow repeated uses to sweep an entire team.
However, in coordinated team combat, this move could unleash unimaginable power. With teammates providing support and cover, Sneasel could safely stack Swords Dance multiple times, pushing her attack power to the absolute limit.
Once the dance ended, Sneasel's expression visibly sharpened. The fur along her body bristled slightly, her right claw clenching into a fist and lifting high. Before her stood a marble platform over twenty centimeters thick.
"Ah!"
She struck like lightning.
With a sharp crack, the thick marble slab split cleanly in two.
"Ice Punch!" Kael commanded again.
Sneasel immediately flipped through the air and landed before a wooden training post as thick as an adult's waist. A clean, powerful straight punch followed—cold radiating outward as Ice Punch slammed into the post. A dull explosion echoed as spiderweb-like cracks spread from the center. Frost rapidly crept across the surface until the entire post was encased in ice.
Sneasel extended a claw, flicking out a single sharp talon to tap the frozen surface—
Crash!
Ice shards and splintered wood scattered across the ground, silently testifying to the move's terrifying power.
Kael nodded in satisfaction, then turned to the Kirlia who had been waiting nearby, energy already gathering around her.
"Lulu, Magical Leaf!"
Kirlia dipped her head slightly, arms spreading as ten violet energy leaves began to spiral into existence above her palms. Lulu stood at the center of the field, surrounded by ten targets arranged in a circle, each thirty meters away, each about half a person's height.
"Ha!"
With a crisp shout, her slender hands snapped outward. The ten purple leaves streaked forward like meteors. A series of perfectly synchronized thuds rang out.
The next second, each target's bullseye had a Magical Leaf embedded squarely in its center, sunk nearly three centimeters deep. The force was so great that fine cracks spread around the impact points.
After a full month of intensive training, both Kirlia and Sneasel had undergone qualitative improvements. Kirlia had fully adapted to the massive surge in psychic power brought by her evolution, and her control over Magical Leaf had reached the level of pure instinct. As for Sneasel, she had mastered two key moves—her three-attack coverage was frighteningly broad.
With the team's strength greatly enhanced, Sneasel was now fully capable of serving as the main speed stricker. With Kirlia providing support from the side, it was finally time to consider taking on high-difficulty, high-reward bounty missions.
Viridian City was a good place to rest and recover, a pleasant spot for downtime—but there were rarely worthwhile missions posted here. Truly top-tier bounties were released only in major cities like Saffron City or Celadon City.
"It's time to leave this city I've lived in for fifteen years," Kael said softly, a trace of nostalgia—and reluctance—in his voice. Viridian could be considered his second hometown. But truth be told, he was on the verge of a financial crisis.
To build Sneasel's combat strength in such a short time, he had poured in an enormous amount of resources over the past month. Pokeblocks, food, training equipment—every aspect had required serious spending. The Ice Punch and Swords Dance learning machines alone were exorbitant, not to mention the million-worth medicinal materials used when Sneasel had been injured.
After draining nearly two years' worth of savings, Kael's funds were critically low. His bank account held just over twenty thousand Pokédollars—barely enough to cover the living expenses of one person and two Pokémon for a single month.
For most trainers, twenty thousand coins might support six Pokémon for three months. But for Kael, it was nowhere near enough. As an old saying from his previous life went: three parts training, seven parts eating. If Pokémon were to grow stronger, training was essential—but their diet could not be neglected either.
Kael could prepare Pokeblocks and Pokémon food himself, but the ingredients he used were all top-tier products available on the market. As a result, even food alone cost him far more than what most trainers spent.