"Alright, that's enough for today's class. Basalt, you stay behind. I want to assess your skills," Mr. Shane said.
He was curious about what had happened after Basalt had been called to see Director Sterling, but as an instructor, he knew it was better not to ask. If the director hadn't told him, there was a reason.
As the other two left, Basalt saw the gloating looks on their faces and had a very bad feeling about this.
"Drilbur's going to get a lesson in humility today. I hope Mr. Shane goes easy on us," he muttered, but looking at the man's bulging biceps, he wasn't very confident.
In the A-group's private training room, Mr. Shane grinned at him. "Are you ready? I'll try to be gentle."
"Uh... ready," Basalt said, feeling the pressure radiating from the mountain of a man before him.
"Go, Drilbur!"
Mr. Shane looked at the Drilbur and nodded in satisfaction. This was the Pokémon that had defeated Waylon's Gastly. He wouldn't underestimate it.
"My Pokémon for this battle... is this one!" he said, tossing a Poké Ball.
"Roar!"
With a fierce cry, a large, black-and-white bear-like Pokémon with powerful limbs and a bamboo stalk in its mouth appeared.
"A... Pangoro!" Basalt was shocked. The Pancham and Pangoro line was a signature Pokémon of their country, a national icon. As a Fighting/Dark-type, it had the arm strength to snap telephone poles and could turn a dump truck into scrap metal with a single punch. Though it was hot-headed and preferred to solve problems with brute force, it also had a strong sense of justice and a deep loyalty to its partners.
But precisely because it was a national icon, it was a very difficult Pokémon to obtain. Only those who had made special contributions to the country were allowed to raise one.
Mr. Shane has a Pangoro? His connections... are deep. A fleeting thought of latching onto this powerful connection crossed Basalt's mind, but then he remembered the Weather Bureau. As strong as his connections are, they can't be stronger than a national organization, right? His confidence returned.
"Don't just stand there gawking. Bring it on!" Mr. Shane said with a laugh. This Pangoro was his pride and joy, a reward for his years of military service. He was used to the looks of shock and envy.
"Drilbur, Rock Tomb!"
The battle began. Rock Tomb was Drilbur's signature move, powerful and with a wide area of effect. It was the perfect opening move to test his opponent.
Fwoosh!
The rocks shot out in the familiar five-two formation.
"Bullet Punch," Mr. Shane's voice boomed.
"Roar!"
Pangoro let out a cry, its bamboo stalk twitching. With a blur of motion, its fists shot out, pulverizing the incoming rocks into fine dust.
Basalt saw that the moment Pangoro's fists made contact, the rocks would crack, then shatter, then disintegrate. Its control over its power was on another level.
The dust from the shattered rocks filled the air, obscuring Pangoro from view.
Screee!
Behind the cloud of dust, Drilbur had already entered its drill form, shooting towards Pangoro, ready to pierce it through.
"Good kid. You've got guts, going for a direct assault," Mr. Shane said, a look of approval on his face. He had expected Basalt to use Bulldoze or Dig to harass him. He hadn't expected such a decisive move.
But as decisive as it was, it was doomed to fail.
"Roar!"
Without needing a command, the bamboo stalk in Pangoro's mouth twitched, and it instantly pinpointed Drilbur's location. The bamboo leaf was not just for decoration; it could sense the slightest movement in the air.
As the spinning Drilbur closed in, Pangoro crouched, its fists clenched.
"Circle Throw!" Mr. Shane finally gave the command.
"Roar!"
Pangoro's hands shot out, clapping together with the force of a mountain. The rapidly spinning Drilbur was stopped dead in its tracks. It was forced out of its drill form.
Then, using the momentum of Drilbur's own attack, Pangoro sent it flying.
BAM!
Drilbur slammed into the wall, its eyes swirling. It was unable to battle.
"Hiss..." Basalt sucked in a sharp breath. I knew you'd hit hard, but this is ridiculous. You just one-shot my Drilbur!
He shot a resentful look at Mr. Shane, but the man didn't seem to notice. He just laughed heartily. "Your Drilbur has a bit of my old style. Brutal aesthetics. I like it. Very good!"
"Brutal? Aesthetics?" Basalt was stunned. If this was how he treated his students, how did he treat his enemies?
"Mr. Shane, what are your main Pokémon?" he asked.
"Besides Pangoro, I have a Nidoking, an Ursaring, a Steelix, a Feraligatr..." Mr. Shane rattled off his team without a second thought.
"Nothing, nothing, just asking," Basalt said, shrinking back a little. The "aesthetics" part was debatable, but the "brutal" part was definitely true.
"Alright, enough with the small talk. Let's talk about your Drilbur's weaknesses," Mr. Shane said.
"Yes, sir!" Basalt recalled his Drilbur and stood at attention.
"Your Drilbur has a talent for brute-force attacks, and its attack power is good for its level. But it's not enough," Mr. Shane said, his eyes cold. "True brutal aesthetics requires superior control over both elemental energy and physical strength. You have to learn to use them to their absolute limit, to concentrate them, and then unleash them in a single, explosive burst that can break through any defense."
"Control over energy... and physical strength?" Basalt's eyebrows shot up. Mr. Leo had focused on improving his control over elemental energy. Mr. Shane was adding physical strength to the equation.
"So, how should I train for that?" Basalt asked, intrigued.
"First, hone your control over elemental energy to a fine-point level. At the same time, don't neglect its physical training," Mr. Shane said, looking down at him. "Your Bronzor knows Gravity, right? From now on, have your Drilbur train under its influence. Make them compete against each other. Bronzor tries to increase the gravity to suppress Drilbur, and Drilbur tries to increase its physical strength to resist it. A competitive training environment like that can produce unexpected results."
Basalt's eyes lit up. It was a brilliant idea.
Mr. Shane then taught him a few basic training methods. "Practice these well," he said, giving him a few "gentle" pats on the shoulder that nearly dislocated it. "Your Drilbur is a good kid, and it has Sand Rush. It would be a waste not to train it in the way of brutal aesthetics."
"The road to strength is long and arduous," Basalt thought, clenching his fists as he watched Mr. Shane walk away. But he was convinced. With its high attack and speed, a brutal, all-out offensive style was perfect for an Excadrill. No matter the opponent, the answer was simple: drill through it.
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