Time slipped quietly away amidst the sound of the waterfall in Petalburg Woods.
Half a month passed like ripples spreading across a still pond—seemingly calm on the surface, yet leaving clear traces on the two little Pokémon training beside Theo.
During these two weeks, Theo had spent nearly every single day beside the waterfall pool, tirelessly training with both of his Pokémon.
There were no livestream cameras pointed at them, no barrage of comments cheering or urging them on—only sunlight, the sound of water, and the focused figures of two little partners giving their all.
Even though he wasn't livestreaming, Theo still edited training clips of Tyrunt and Feebas every day after practice and posted them on his account to maintain activity.
Sometimes it was Tyrunt practicing Dragon Dance atop a rock, its small legs stamping with growing steadiness as red light swirled around its body.
Other times it was a distant shot of Feebas in the pool generating a whirlpool—the vortex's diameter visibly growing, its rotation becoming more stable day by day.
These clips had no commentary, yet they were more than enough to ignite the imagination of the viewers—
"Long time no see—Tyrunt's Dragon Dance looks so much smoother! Last time it was clumsy and unsteady, but now it actually looks like a real dance!"
"Why is Feebas always practicing Whirlpool? Relying on just that one move won't get very far in the Contest!"
"The person above is clueless. There's no way that's its only move. The streamer is definitely saving a big surprise!"
"Streamer, hurry up and tell us! What secret technique are you training in private? You haven't streamed for so long. I'm dying over here!"
"Look at Tyrunt, it's grown so much! It's getting cooler and cooler. I really want one."
"The Contest is starting soon! When is the streamer going to challenge the Gym?"
The speculation in the comments grew louder and louder.
Instead of losing popularity from the lack of livestreams, Theo's account actually kept rising thanks to the mysterious atmosphere.
With the influence of Champion Steven and the hype surrounding the brand-new fossil Pokémon Tyrunt, his follower count unknowingly surpassed five hundred thousand.
…
Now, within Petalburg Woods—
In the center of the pool, Feebas was still immersed in training its water–ice combination move.
It first swam up to the surface and gently flicked its fins. A swirling stream of water began to rotate along with the motion, rising into a water tornado roughly three meters high.
This time, the vortex wasn't spinning particularly fast—but every strand of water behaved as if guided by invisible strings, maintaining a perfectly stable rotation.
"Now!"
Theo's voice rang out from the shore.
Feebas suddenly burst from the water, its body drawing a purple arc through the air.
While airborne, it let out a blast of Icy Wind directed at the outer layer of the water vortex created by its Whirlpool.
The moment the icy air met the rushing water, it did not freeze immediately as it had before. Instead, it spread smoothly along the curve of the vortex—
A thick layer of ice began forming from the bottom upward.
Inside the transparent shell, the rotational flow of water remained clearly visible, as if a suit of crystal armor had been fitted onto the whirling water tornado.
Five centimeters… ten centimeters…
The ice shell's thickness had noticeably increased compared to half a month ago, yet its transparency remained pristine.
More importantly, Feebas precisely controlled the freezing range, ensuring that the inner water continued to rotate at just the right speed.
Sunlight refracted through the icy shell, scattering into colorful spots of light. As the water inside continued turning, the shimmering highlights drifted along its surface like a rainbow-colored halo moving slowly around the ice-bound vortex.
"Hold it!"
Theo clenched his fist.
This time, the ice shell did not shatter within two seconds as it had the first time.
Five seconds… ten seconds… fifteen seconds…
Only at the eighteenth second did a thin crack finally appear at the top.
But Feebas was already prepared. It gently adjusted its fins, gradually reducing the energy output of the Whirlppol. At the same time, it ceased the flow of Icy Wind.
The ice did not explode apart with a sharp crack—
Instead, as both energies faded, the layers of ice peeled away and melted bit by bit.
Finally, the once-solid ice tornado dissolved into drifting mist and falling droplets, scattering into the sunlight like a beautifully choreographed finale.
It was both elegant and striking—a perfect artistic conclusion.
"Excellent!" Theo couldn't help but applaud.
Feebas poked its head out of the water and happily flicked its tail.
Its once dull-gray scales now faintly shimmered thanks to prolonged energy nourishment—not yet beautiful, but carrying a soft, warm sheen they once lacked.
Meanwhile, on the rocky ledge beside the waterfall, Tyrunt's training session was nearing its end.
Standing atop a boulder, it took a deep breath. A dense red glow instantly enveloped its body.
With a crisp "Tyrrr!", Tyrunt began its Dragon Dance—
Its movements no longer resembled the clumsy, stumbling motions from half a month earlier. Instead, every step blended smoothly with the rhythm of the technique.
When it swayed its head, the small orange horn on its forehead flashed with a faint light, as if gathering draconic might.
When it swung its tail, the resulting gust was strong enough to make the small stones near the pool roll across the ground.
Its steps on the rock were even and forceful, each one like a war drum echoing from deep within the earth.
The red light around its body grew brighter, its speed increased steadily, and when it leaped across the rocks near the pool, faint afterimages even flickered behind its figure—
This was Tyrunt's progress—now able to chain Dragon Dance twice in succession.
But it did not stop.
Riding the momentum from Dragon Dance, it suddenly charged toward a half-meter-high boulder.
At the moment of contact, it opened its mouth wide.
Its teeth glimmered with a visible layer of white frost—not the fleeting chill it produced half a month ago, but a true, lingering burst of Ice-type energy.
Tyrunt bit down with all its strength.
Crack!
A crisp sound echoed.
With a crunch, it bit into the stone, leaving a clear imprint surrounded by crystalline frost. Ice Fang's chill had seeped into the rock itself.
Tyrunt shook its head proudly, wagged its tail, and then followed up by slamming the boulder with Dragon Tail.
Boom!
The rock—half as tall as a person—shattered into pieces, scattering across the poolside.
Tyrunt then pranced over to Theo with a proud little strut, clearly wanting him to see how strong it had become.
"Very good, very good! Excellent work, Tyrunt, you're getting stronger and stronger!"
Upon hearing the praise, Tyrunt immediately pressed its head against Theo's arm, rubbing affectionately.
In these two weeks, it had grown noticeably larger—now nearly sixty centimeters tall.
Its scales carried an even stronger metallic sheen, its limbs had become thicker and sturdier, and when it ran, its short legs moved with surprising speed.
Its once-round head had elongated slightly, and the little orange horn on its forehead had grown thicker.
Though it still looked adorably cute, the sharpness in its gaze could no longer be hidden.
Especially when using Ice Fang—its amber eyes gleamed with a cold glint, evoking the presence of a true ancient predator.
"Alright, today's training ends here." Theo looked at the setting sun.
"Tomorrow we'll head to Rustboro's Pokémon Center, officially register for the Contest, and then challenge Roxanne's Rock-type Gym."
Feebas, upon hearing this, swam a cheerful loop around the pool before returning to its inflatable tank.
Tyrunt nudged Theo's arm and let out satisfied little rumbles.
On Theo's phone, the clip-based updates of the past half month had pushed the audience's anticipation to its peak.
His inbox was filled daily with countless messages:
"When are you livestreaming again?"
"What day is the Gym battle?"
"Are you entering the Contest for real?"
He looked at the constantly flashing notifications and couldn't help but smile.
The time had come.
Half a month of grinding had sharpened these two fledgling blades, ready to reveal their edge.
Roxanne's Rock-type Gym—
The spotlight of the Contest—
Would become the perfect stage for them.
Theo lowered his gaze toward Tyrunt circling around his feet, then stroked Feebas resting quietly in its tank. He spoke softly:
"Are you ready? Our first real performance is about to begin."
Tyrunt rubbed against his arm again, letting out spirited little growls in response.
Feebas tapped the tank wall lightly with its tail, as if nodding.
The gentle evening breeze of Petalburg Woods carried the scent of grass and leaves, brushing past the silhouettes of the young trainer and his two Pokémon as they walked toward the direction of Rustboro City.
(End of Chapter)