"That's it for today's practice. Thank you for your hard work."
Albus placed a cup of orange juice in front of Mianbao and said, "Take a break first!"
He glanced at the timer—1.6 seconds. That was the fastest attack speed Mianbao could achieve so far.
For a small and weak Mimosaurus, this was already an impressive feat. The move "Paralysis Bomb" would become Mianbao's key trump card in battle.
Now, it was time to focus on the third move—Absorb.
In the game, Absorb was described as:
A Grass-type move that absorbs the opponent's nutrients to attack, restoring half of the physical damage dealt to the opponent.
Absorb had great strategic significance, especially for Grass-type Pokémon skilled in prolonged battles.
However, unlike in games where Trainers could rely on healing items, real battles were about endurance. The longer a Pokémon could hold out, the higher the chance of victory.
Mastering Absorb required training and practice. There were three stages:
Basic Absorb – Limited power and energy absorption.
Super Absorb – A significant improvement in power and energy recovery.
Ultimate Absorb – The highest level, maximizing both damage and healing.
In the game, Pokémon learned these moves automatically through leveling up. But in reality, it required persistent effort—just like learning basketball. At first, even dribbling was difficult, but with enough practice, one could eventually sink three-pointers effortlessly.
"I wonder when Shy Bract will evolve..." Albus pondered.
Once Mimosaurus evolved into a Poison Rose, it would finally have some real combat power.
In the game, evolution required reaching an intimacy level of 220 with the Trainer and leveling up during the day.
But in the real world, there was no such thing as "leveling up."
There was still a long road ahead.
Albus sighed, stood up, recalled Shy Bract into its Poké Ball, and prepared to train his students.
Seeking Stronger Battles
"Training alone isn't enough. Actual combat experience is key," Albus thought.
Should he spar with the school's teachers or students?
No, that wouldn't work. Except for him—an ecology teacher whose role was closer to a physical education instructor—everyone else was too busy.
His only option was to find an opponent outside of school.
And if there was one place filled with wild Trainers, it was the Pokémon Center.
It wasn't uncommon for two Trainers who had never met before to challenge each other to a battle right on the spot.
To accommodate this, Pokémon Centers had designated battle arenas in their backyards.
After class, Albus went straight to the Pokémon Center for a battle match.
His first opponent was a young Trainer from Mobai Town.
"Alright! Let's go, Torchic!" Root called out. "Torchic, use Ember!"
A flash of white light, and an orange-feathered Pokémon appeared.
Too slow.
Both Root's command and his Poké Ball throw lacked speed.
In a real wild battle, an opponent wouldn't give him the chance to act first.
Albus wasted no time, sending out Shy Bract.
Root smirked. "Mianbao is a Grass-type. My Torchic has the advantage! Torchic, use Ember!"
Albus responded calmly: "Shy Bract, dodge—left and forward."
"Ni!"
Both Pokémon moved at the same time.
Just as Albus expected, the untrained Torchic aimed its Ember attack at where Shy Bract had been a moment ago.
But Shy Bract had already moved out of the way.
"Paralysis Powder," Albus commanded.
"Torchic, use Ember again!" Root ordered.
A light yellow powder spread from Shy Bract's head.
At first, Torchic wasn't affected.
But Shy Bract had positioned itself perfectly—right on the edge of the powder's range.
The Ember attack was interrupted as Torchic suddenly stiffened.
It was paralyzed.
"Seed Bomb," Albus instructed.
Root's Torchic had barely any experience in battle. It had no resistance to paralysis.
Shy Bract's continuous Seed Bombs kept it completely suppressed until it could no longer fight.
Everything happened so fast that Root stood frozen, unable to process what had happened.
Albus reminded him, "You should take your Pokémon to the Pokémon Center for treatment."
Snapping out of his daze, Root quickly picked up Torchic and rushed inside.
Rising Through the Ranks
After his first victory, Albus continued matching battles.
His next opponent was a slightly older Trainer.
Three minutes later, that Trainer was left speechless as his unconscious Pokémon lay on the ground.
"What an amazing Mianbao!"
The surrounding Trainers had been watching, and their views on Shy Bract had completely changed.
Before evolution, Mimosaurus was considered weak.
Yet this one had defeated two opponents in a row, even overcoming a type disadvantage.
This could only mean one thing—its Trainer was exceptional.
The way the other Trainers looked at Albus shifted.
Battling strong Trainers was always exciting, and Albus soon received several more challenges.
One by one, he defeated them.
None of them even forced Shy Bract to reveal its full potential.
Albus sighed.
"No, these are mostly beginner Trainers. They're improving just by facing me."
Returning Shy Bract to its Poké Ball, he thought, "I need to find a stronger opponent."
The Trainers at the Pokémon Center weren't on his level.
If he wanted real progress, he had to seek out tougher battles.
The Road to Strength
Albus knew that battles weren't just about winning—they were about improvement.
Shy Bract had already mastered Paralysis Powder and Seed Bomb. Now, it needed stronger opponents to refine its combat strategies.
His next goal was clear.
If he truly wanted to push himself and his Pokémon to the next level, he had to find an experienced Trainer.
Someone who could challenge him in ways these beginners couldn't.
And he would.
One way or another, he would.