Pokemon: Bounty Hunter

"Tor!"

Torchic chirped energetically in response.

It eagerly stretched its body, ready for action.

After spending twenty days living comfortably, Torchic had been itching to grow stronger—something that came naturally to all Pokémon.

Silas had already told Torchic about today's training the night before.

Back then, Torchic confidently flapped its small wings, as if declaring, "No problem at all!"

Seeing Torchic's overconfidence, Silas simply smiled.

In his plan, those first twenty days of infancy might have been the easiest days of Torchic's life.

After all, all it had to do was eat, drink, play, and sleep, while Silas made sure it had the right nutrients.

But from today onward, Torchic had to train just like its senior, Pidgeot—with a strict schedule and grueling exercises.

In this world, every trainer cared for their Pokémon, but that didn't mean they wouldn't push them to work hard.

Only through intense training could a Pokémon become truly strong.

That was the essence of being a Pokémon Trainer.

Silas had always found it strange—in the anime, Ash hardly trained his Pokémon, yet they somehow kept getting stronger.

It didn't make any logical sense.

Strength isn't gained overnight.

Even with an unlimited supply of resources, those resources still needed time and training to be converted into real power.

Otherwise, a Pokémon might look strong on the surface but be weak inside—a classic case of all bark and no bite.

At the end of the day, anime was just anime. Reality was different.

"Hopefully, this little guy can last long enough in the beginning."

Silas thought to himself.

When he first trained Pidgey, it had been the same story.

Even though Pidgey wanted to grow stronger, it was still a young Pokémon—there were moments when it wanted to give up.

It wasn't until training became a habit that Pidgey stopped complaining.

Of course, a Pokémon's personality played a big role too.

Silas could only hope that Torchic wouldn't waste its Champion-level potential—at the very least, he hoped it wasn't one of those rare cases that had no motivation to improve.

If that happened… well, he'd just have to accept his bad luck.

But after spending these twenty days together, Silas had been consistently guiding and educating Torchic, so he was confident in its determination.

"Alright, the first training exercise for today is running."

Silas pointed into the distance.

"The course is 10 kilometers long. And I'll be running with you."

Training together with a Pokémon not only strengthened their bond but also helped the trainer stay in shape.

"Tor!"

Hearing that Silas would run alongside it, Torchic excitedly flapped its wings, instantly agreeing.

For Torchic, running was second nature.

It ran around the house all the time—running outside, especially with its trainer, only made it even more fun.

And 10 kilometers?

Pfft. Easy!

Torchic was full of confidence—even though it had absolutely no concept of distance or numbers.

Torchic eagerly signaled Silas to begin.

However, Silas reached to the side and picked up a black object.

It was part of the special training gear he had bought from Devon Corporation—a weighted vest.

"You'll be running while wearing this."

Torchic tilted its head in confusion as Silas began putting the strange vest on it.

Then, he tapped on the glowing control panel on the chest of the vest.

Silas was adjusting the weight settings, fine-tuning the balance based on Zero's calculations.

Devon Corporation had pre-installed standard weight settings in these vests—most trainers could just use them straight out of the box.

But Silas had Zero, and more importantly, Torchic's development far exceeded that of others in its species.

The default Devon settings weren't accurate enough, so Silas had to adjust them manually.

Once he finished tweaking the numbers, he confirmed the settings and signaled Torchic to begin.

Torchic moved its body around, feeling nothing too unusual just a little heavier—then dashed off enthusiastically.

Silas signaled Pidgeot, who was waiting nearby, to follow Torchic and keep an eye on it.

Meanwhile, Silas took his time, leisurely jogging behind.

Right now, Torchic was fast because of its excellent development and ample energy. But soon enough, it would start feeling the pain.

Silas maintained his own steady pace, and before long, he spotted Torchic up ahead.

By now, Torchic was starting to struggle.

It was panting heavily, and the vest on its body felt like it was getting heavier and heavier.

Torchic had never imagined that running could be this exhausting.

Its legs were starting to go numb.

Silas, watching Torchic's slowing pace, couldn't help but laugh internally.

That little guy really underestimated the weight vest. Devon's technology wasn't that simple.

The vest might look just like an ordinary outfit, but it was actually a portable weight chamber—similar to a miniature gravity field.

It provided full-body training, even affecting the internal systems, and the weight distribution could be fine-tuned to target specific areas.

Zero's weight calculations weren't just random numbers. They were based on Torchic's physical condition and limits, ensuring maximum training efficiency without causing harm.

Silas checked the distance—Torchic had run a little over three kilometers.

Judging by its stamina, it should barely be able to complete the full course.

Running beside Torchic, Silas encouraged it.

"Keep going, Torchic! Focus on your breathing and match your steps with your breath!"

Hearing Silas's voice, Torchic gritted its beak and nodded.

It adjusted its breathing, steadied its rhythm, and began running in sync with its trainer.

Back at the Garden

When they finally returned home, Silas took a deep breath for him, this was just a warm-up.

Torchic's current speed was still too slow to be considered real training for him.

"Tor!"

But for Torchic, it was a completely different story.

As soon as Silas stopped, Torchic collapsed onto the ground, exhausted, gasping for air.

Its feathers were messy and damp with sweat.

Even Torchic's natural Fire-type heat resistance couldn't help it now—that's how tired it was.

Silas helped remove the weight vest, letting Torchic rest on the ground for a while.

After all, Pokémon bodies were different from humans they didn't need the same kind of cooldown periods.

Silas gave Torchic some freshly squeezed Oran Berry juice, and within half a minute, Torchic's stamina had partially recovered.

Then, Silas pulled up a chair, placed Torchic on his lap, and began massaging it using a technique recommended by Zero.

This method was designed to aid recovery and stimulate Pokémon growth.

Each training phase had a corresponding massage technique to ensure proper recovery and development.

At first, Torchic was still sore all over, but as Silas carefully worked his hands over its muscles, its body gradually relaxed.

The pain in its legs faded, and it started feeling incredibly comfortable.

"Tor~!"

Torchic let out a satisfied chirp, signaling that its trainer was doing a great job.