Lake Acuity
The frigid wind howled, bringing clarity with its piercing chill.
The water's surface was as still as a mirror, reflecting both the world and the depths of one's soul—where wisdom could be seen and knowledge attained.
Lake Acuity, located near Snowpoint City, was one of the three great lakes of the Sinnoh region, alongside Lake Verity and Lake Valor.
According to legend, this lake was the home of Uxie, the Knowledge Pokémon, the guardian of wisdom and intellect.
After his recent Gym challenge, Paul arrived at the lake with his Pokémon, intending to train here for a while before deciding his next move—either heading to Sunyshore City to challenge Volkner or preparing for the upcoming Pokémon League.
At this moment, the landscape of Lake Acuity was a breathtaking sight: a vast expanse of white snow blending with the lake's pure crystalline waters. Under the sunlight, it seemed as if the lake reflected the very essence of wisdom itself.
Standing at the lake's edge, Paul gazed at the six Pokémon before him, ready to assign their training tasks.
"Ursaring, focus on Bulk Up, Hyper Beam, Endure, and Guts training. Electivire will assist you in battle."
Ursaring's training had always been straightforward—honing its raw strength and endurance to the highest level. Mastering Endure and Guts to their full potential was the key to its combat style.
However, achieving a state where it could activate Guts without sustaining injuries—utilizing controlled burns to trigger its ability—was still a long way off. This required meticulous refinement over time. In the meantime, working on other moves was just as important.
Improving the execution speed of Bulk Up and reducing Hyper Beam's recovery time were key objectives in today's training.
Though Ursaring wasn't known for its Special Attack in the games, in reality, any powerful close-combat Pokémon needed at least some proficiency in ranged moves.
After all, Earthquake had its limitations. Aside from Focus Blast and Hyper Beam, Paul was already considering other move combinations for the future.
"Ursa!"
"Viree!"
Ursaring and Electivire exchanged determined glances and bumped fists. Without hesitation, Ursaring moved to the side and began training on its own.
Despite standing over two meters tall, Electivire was one of the few Pokémon in Paul's team that could somewhat match Ursaring's size, making it a suitable sparring partner.
After all, in previous battles, Ursaring often had to hunch over to fight smaller opponents—something that had always been frustrating for it.
"Electivire, you'll be training with Ursaring. Aside from Iron Tail, Magnet Rise, and Thunder, I want you to work on refining your Ability."
"Viree?"
Electivire blinked, slightly confused.
It had seen Ursaring, Ninetales, and Drapion train their Abilities before, but it had never really considered how to train its own.
"How exactly am I supposed to do that?"
"Your Ability Motor Drive, allows you to absorb Electric-type attacks to boost your Speed."
"I want you to develop a technique where you can trigger Motor Drive by channeling your own electricity, allowing you to speed up at will."
In Paul's mind, Pokémon with Abilities like Motor Drive should be able to utilize them independently, rather than relying on an opponent's attack to activate them.
It was strange that no one had ever explored this approach before, but that didn't mean it was impossible.
If Electivire could master this, it would essentially gain the equivalent of an inherent Speed Boost.
"Viree!"
Hearing Paul's explanation, Electivire's eyes lit up in realization.
If it could combine Motor Drive with Magnet Rise for double acceleration... then wouldn't it practically be able to fly?
"This trainer actually knows what he's doing! Alright, let's do this!"
"Catch."
Paul tossed over a Power Item and a training device.
Electivire equipped the Power Item and held the device tightly. As electricity surged around its body, it transformed into a bolt of lightning and charged straight at Ursaring, engaging in a full-force brawl.
"Metagross and Ninetales, you'll be sparring together. No Calm Mind or Nasty Plot during the battle—everything else is fair game."
"After that, during the break, both of you will work with Froslass and Electivire to exchange insights on meditation and illusion techniques. Focus on passing on the meditation technique to them, and for illusions—learn as much as you can."
Technically, Ninetales already possessed an innate ability for illusions.
However, perhaps due to Paul's preference for intense direct training, its combat abilities had developed significantly, while its illusionary talents had remained dormant. Now that Froslass was here, this was the perfect opportunity to explore that aspect.
Who knows? It might prove to be a game-changer in future battles.
As for Metagross, which excelled in direct confrontation... Well, it was just a side benefit. If it learned something, great. If not, no big deal.
"Grroo~"
"Wooo~"
The two Pokémon moved to another side of the training ground, preparing for their sparring match.
That left only Froslass and Gabite standing before Paul.
"This training is simple—you'll equip Power Items and battle. No restrictions on moves, just go all out and attack with everything you've got."
Paul tossed out two more Power Items, allowing the Pokémon to equip them.
As for why he had so many Power Items... he had made sure to buy a few extra during his last shopping trip.
"Gaaa~"
Gabite turned its head, sizing up the seemingly fragile Froslass. It couldn't help but feel like its Trainer was seriously underestimating it.
Sure, Ice-type Pokémon were its natural weakness, but wasn't it also capable of using Fire-type moves?
Once it unleashed its draconic flames, an Ice-type like Froslass would be completely at its mercy!
This wasn't arrogance—it was confidence, fueled by its ever-growing power.
It had already gained preliminary control over its Bloodline Awakening Mode. Even without consuming the Dragon Fang Soup, it could enter the state on its own.
With Outrage-enhanced strength combined with other moves, its overwhelming presence was undeniable.
So, tell me—are you scared yet?
"Gaaa~"
Hearing this, Froslass covered its mouth and chuckled, offering no response.
Its Ice-type moves might not be particularly powerful, but battling wasn't about brute force alone.
"Alright, then—your goal is to take Froslass down without giving it a chance to counterattack."
Paul didn't argue. He believed that experience was the best teacher.
Once Gabite had fought Froslass firsthand, it would realize—no matter how strong your attack is, you still have to land a hit.
No matter how much power you possess, you still have to make use of it effectively.
"Eeno~"
Froslass floated backward as a light snowfall began to descend.
Snow Warning—Snow Cloak!
With its Ability activated, Froslass became a ghostly blur in the snowfall, flickering in and out of sight.
In real battles, Snow Cloak and Sand Veil were far more potent than their in-game mechanics suggested. An inexperienced opponent might take dozens—if not hundreds of attacks before managing to land even a single hit on Pokémon with these Abilities.
But Gabite wasn't flustered.
It activated Dragon Dance, then triggered Outrage to enter its Bloodline Awakening Mode.
And once it was ready—Froslass would learn the true meaning of a dragon's wrath!
Or so it thought.
"Woooh…"
A ghostly wail echoed through the snowfall, slowly sapping Gabite's Special Defense.
"Gaaa!"
"Gaaa!"
"Eeno…"
"Argh!"
Within the blizzard, the battle didn't even last five minutes before Gabite collapsed onto the ground, its eyes still burning with unyielding determination.
Since being caught by Paul, it had faced countless battles and overwhelming defeats.
But never had it fought such a frustrating match.
Right at the start, Froslass had vanished into the snow and begun wailing, weakening its defenses.
Then, just as Gabite was about to attack, eerie ghostly figures surrounded it. No matter how hard it tried, none of its moves landed while a stray Will-O-Wisp managed to connect, cutting its boosted power in half.
After toying with Gabite for a while, Froslass summoned an endless Blizzard combined with Hex, ruthlessly crushing it beneath the ice and snow.
Paul's vision for Froslass was to mold it into a pure tactical fighter—one that relied on a vast array of non-damaging moves and illusion techniques to control the battlefield, overwhelming opponents through mind games rather than brute force.
Originally, he had planned to develop Ninetales into this type of strategic fighter.
But as its training progressed, he discovered that Ninetales was far more suited to direct combat.
So, he shifted his focus, training it primarily for raw offensive power instead.
"Your specialty is tactics and illusions, but you mustn't neglect raw power. Blizzard, Hex, and Psychic—make sure their strength keeps up with your training."
Paul shoved a few berries into Gabite's mouth before addressing Froslass.
"Eeno~"
Froslass bowed slightly in acknowledgment.
"Later, I'll arrange for you to learn moves like Thunder Wave, Attract, Spikes, and Scary Face. Master them properly."
"Eeno~"
Froslass remained poised, accepting the challenge.
"Alright, keep going."
Seeing that Gabite had recovered, Paul ordered them to continue training.
Gabite needed to refine its observation skills and accuracy, while also gaining more experience against Ice-type opponents.
As for Froslass, its mastery over illusion techniques would only grow sharper the more it practiced.
Thus, the intense training session resumed.
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