Chapter 17: Super-Sized!
Look down on your opponent strategically, but respect them tactically.
Therefore, even though Drilbur's strength had soared, Basalt decided that to build a solid foundation, he still needed to train it intensely. And so, he took out the Gravity Machine.
The Gravity Machine was about the size and weight of a mobile phone. It had a harness on the back that could be securely fastened to a Pokémon, so there was no need to worry about it falling off.
Beep!
After securing it, he pressed the power button, and the Gravity Machine instantly turned on.
"If the training subject is a Novice-level Pokémon, it is recommended to start at 1.1 times super-gravity? Alright, 1.1x it is!"
Following the instructions in the manual, Basalt began to adjust the super-gravity level. The data on the screen finally settled on 1.1.
Voom!
The moment he pressed the "start" button, the Gravity Machine emitted an invisible magnetic field, enveloping Drilbur in its center. In that instant, it felt as if the very air had frozen. Although Basalt was outside the gravity field, he could still feel the change within it.
"Drilbur, how do you feel? This is 1.1 times super-gravity. Can you handle it?"
Basalt looked at Drilbur, but the little mole didn't seem to feel much. It just felt a little heavier, and then… that was it!
"Chari~"
Drilbur waved its claw, indicating that this level of gravity was a joke, and it couldn't feel a thing.
"For real? You're not just acting tough, are you?"
Basalt was suspicious. According to the Gravity Machine's description, although 1.1x super-gravity was only a 10% increase from the normal state, under its effect, a Pokémon's body would become heavier, its blood flow would accelerate, and its breathing would become rapid. The Pokémon would be weakened in every aspect. Most starter Pokémon had to spend a considerable amount of time adapting to even the lowest 1.1x setting before slowly increasing the intensity.
But looking at Drilbur's nonchalant attitude, it didn't seem to be faking it.
Damn it, the little mole just one-upped me! (_)
"Fine, let's try 1.2x. If you can't handle it, we can stop."
After connecting his Pokédex to the Gravity Machine via Bluetooth, Basalt could now control it remotely.
Super-size it: 1.2x, let's go!
Voom!
The air vibrated. An invisible pressure spread out. Drilbur's body tensed for a moment, and then… nothing again! Under 1.2x super-gravity, Drilbur's movements just became a little less flexible, and its speed was greatly reduced. But in other aspects, it wasn't a big deal. Training in this state would greatly improve the effect, but it wasn't the optimal state for pushing its limits.
"Could it be because Drilbur is a physical attacker, so its body is naturally stronger and more resistant to super-gravity?" Basalt stroked his chin, thinking. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Based on his experience, the move Gravity had a very minor effect on heavy tanks like Aggron or Rhyperior, but it was more effective against fragile special attackers and Flying-types. In the games, once Gravity was used, all Flying-type Pokémon had to land.
But the real world certainly wasn't like that. It mainly depended on the strength of the gravity used by the Pokémon and the anti-gravity ability of the Flying-type Pokémon. Whoever was stronger had the advantage. Foolish humans, don't even think about using a Nosepass's Gravity to bring down a Ho-Oh, okay?
With no other choice, Basalt increased the gravity level again: 1.3x.
This time, Drilbur finally felt it. Its body staggered, and it almost fell. Fortunately, Drilbur's legs were short. It supported itself with its claws and managed to stabilize its body. But although it was stable, its breathing had become difficult. It panted heavily, its face flushed.
"Feeling it now?" Basalt said with a grin. "In that case, let's start adapting from 1.3x! Drilbur, you good? Let's see you take a few steps!"
"Chari~"
Drilbur nodded in response, and then, hunched over, it began to jog forward slowly, like a toddler learning to walk, desperately trying not to fall.
A real male can't say he can't do it! I chose this 1.3x myself, so I have to finish it even if I have to crawl!
After jogging one slow lap around the open space, Drilbur collapsed from exhaustion, panting like an ox, sweat pouring down like rain, its entire body soaked. The same Drilbur that could run ten laps without breaking a sweat was finally brought to its knees by the Gravity Machine.
"This amount of exercise is probably equivalent to dozens of laps under normal conditions, right? And the key is, running like that under normal conditions wouldn't be nearly as effective as this!"
Looking at the panting Drilbur, Basalt was filled with emotion. He quickly turned off the super-gravity to let the little mole rest properly. This was the true power of the Gravity Machine: making a normally ineffective training method effective again.
"Here, eat a gem fragment to recover!"
After a moment's thought, Basalt took a small, sand-yellow fragment from his backpack and placed it in Drilbur's mouth. It just so happened to be the designated day for its tri-daily gem fragment feeding.
"Chari~" (～￣▽￣)～
The previously exhausted Drilbur was instantly re-energized after eating the Ground Gem fragment.
Feeling weak? Replenish your energy with… a Gem Fragment!
Nom, nom, nom, yummy!
After a ten-minute rest, the training began again. First was physical conditioning, then skill training, and finally, a semi-practical training session with Poliwag. The entire process lasted about an hour and a half. This was now Drilbur's unbreakable daily routine. You couldn't stop the little mole from training; the diligent mole would get angry!
…
"Mom, what's going on? Why is it all vegetables for dinner?"
After the training was over, Basalt and Drilbur dragged their tired bodies back home. Seeing the sea of green on the table, Basalt was completely stunned.
I train this hard every day, and this is what you give me to eat?
"Chari~"
Drilbur also cried out in agreement. Although its main food was Pokéblocks, after a high-intensity workout, it also wanted a large piece of braised pork to replenish its energy. But looking at the lettuce, broccoli, scrambled eggs with tomato, and vegetable tofu soup on the table, Drilbur felt that it might as well not eat at all.
"What's wrong with vegetables? They're rich in dietary fiber, promote digestion, and are good for your body. A growing boy like you needs to eat more vegetables to cool down!" Basalt's dad pushed up his glasses, his tone earnest.
"Dad, shouldn't a growing boy eat more meat to get protein and grow bigger?" Basalt immediately protested, unconvinced.
But his protest was denied.
After dinner, his mom brought out a plate of sliced dragon fruit and oranges, as well as a large bowl of honeysuckle tea. The sight made Basalt's eyes turn green. On top of that, his mom also instructed him that he must drink five glasses of water every day. If he didn't, his allowance would be docked.
"What is going on?!" Basalt was on the verge of tears.
The night passed without another word.
…
The next day, early in the morning.
It was Saturday, and Basalt had originally planned to sleep in, but he was dragged out of bed by a powerful force in the early morning.
"Basalt, something's happened. We found a Rattata nest in our berry orchard. Not only are those damn things stealing the fruit, but they're also gnawing on the tree roots to sharpen their teeth. If we don't get rid of them quickly, the damage will be significant…"
"Rattata? Dad, since when did you start watching the Pokémon anime behind my back?" Basalt was still half-asleep, a mocking smile on his face.
But then, he suddenly jolted awake.
Oh crap, I almost forgot I transmigrated!