Over the past two years, the Pokémon were not the only ones who had improved from training.
At twenty years of age, Alex had grown significantly stronger. His routine consisted of intense workouts under enhanced gravity while wearing weighted restraints, along with sparring matches against Kommo-o, who never hesitated to overpower him and fight until his bones broke. On top of that, he consumed nearly as much Elite ranked Pokémon meat as some of the stronger Pokémon.
He was confident he could hold his own against Gym Leader Koichi if they ever fought again.
Alex was not the only one making progress either. Nyx, for example, had started working out with the same intensity and drive that Lyra once had in order to maintain her figure. She was very proud of her perfectly shaped ass.
Vera had made great strides in her studies and had already passed the Senior certification as a breeder. She plans to take the Chief certification soon.
Rhea is... let's not talk about her.
Kaia did not bother with additional exercise, but her daily responsibilities around the farm kept her just as fit as when Alex first met her. The same could be said for Lina and Mira, who spent their days cooking and giving massages to the many Pokémon under their care.
Maris and her company were also doing well, especially after Alex took out her competitor, Marcus Halden. It had the unintended side effect of angering Sabrina, since it disrupted product distribution in the city. Maris wasted no time in absorbing his business and gaining Sabrina's protection, ensuring the city would not suffer any shortages again in the future.
She even found herself the male equivalent of a sexy secretary, someone who happily went down on her while she worked, and she proudly told Nyx all about it.
Lyra was still at Expert rank due to a less than ideal diet, but she was gradually approaching Elite status. She had even made a new friend and was now traveling with them across Kanto.
Lastly, Elara had been doing well in Hoenn. She had even found herself a boyfriend, one of the engineers she works with. Now, according to a report from Nyx, she was getting married.
"Are we invited?" Alex asked during a call with Nyx. "You and the others should be able to go."
"We weren't invited. I think she didn't tell the guy everything about her past," Nyx replied.
"Oh... not the best way to start a relationship. Still, it makes sense. New place, new life. We should just wish her well."
"Yeah. I'm a bit sad though."
"What do you want?" Alex asked with mild exasperation.
He didn't enjoy these kinds of games.
"Butt stuff. My place. Tonight!"
"Alright."
"Yay."
In the end, she had just been fishing for promises. Not that Alex minded. Still, he would have preferred if the girls simply asked directly.
Getting back to assessing his Pokémon.
Alex was proud that Raticate had managed to reach Advanced proficiency in all his moves and had even attained Expert proficiency in Quick Attack, now enhanced with +100% Damage. This meant his Quick Attack could now cover twice the range and hit with double the power of a Basic Quick Attack. Impressively, he achieved this over a year ahead of Arcanine, whose Extreme Speed was projected to reach Expert proficiency in less than two years.
This early advancement was due to Raticate's consistent use of Quick Attack in every battle. It wasn't just a move for striking, it was his primary method of movement.
During fights, Raticate would constantly seek openings to strike while avoiding retaliation, often slipping away with Quick Attack before opponents could respond. Thanks to this frequent usage, even though reaching Expert from Advanced typically required three full years of training, Raticate still managed to reach it ahead of schedule.
With this improvement, Raticate's overall combat effectiveness increased by around 50%. After all, it was the move he relied on the most. Now, he could even spar with Hydreigon without being utterly overwhelmed. Granted, he still did minimal damage due to Hydreigon's high stats, but at least he wasn't completely helpless anymore.
Alex did the math.
Assuming it takes 1 year to progress from Basic to Advanced for a move and half that time for each subsequent upgrade within the same category whether Physical, Special, or Status it would take 6 years to get all moves from Basic to Advanced with consistent training.
According to the information packet from the League it takes 3 years to progress from Advanced to Expert. That means it would take 18 years to reach complete Expert proficiency.
Finally based on available data moving from Expert to Master requires 5 years. In total it would take 30 years to achieve complete mastery.
Adding it all up, that amounts to 54 years from the beginning of training to reaching complete mastery of all moves.
Alex had been training for 8 years already starting when he was twelve. That left roughly 45 years until Raticate reached full mastery since Raticate managed to save up 1 year from his over reliance on Quick Attack.
Of course, the math isn't precise because life happens and there are times when the Pokemon stop training for days or weeks but it was still an intriguing notion.
'I wonder what will happen when Raticate attains complete mastery?' Alex thought excitedly.
The answer was not included in the information packet but Alex assumed the League had already discovered it and reserved that knowledge exclusively for Champion ranked trainers.
As for the other Pokémon, Arcanine, Clawitzer, Kommo-o, Hydreigon, Dusknoir, and Gardevoir have all achieved Advanced proficiency in all their moves, with only 1 to 3 years remaining before their first move reaches Expert proficiency.
Arcanine and Clawitzer have been with Alex the longest, so their progress is expected. Kommo-o and Dusknoir were previously trained by another trainer, who contributed two years' worth of progress before Alex got them. Hydreigon and Gardevoir, on the other hand, trained independently in the wild for years prior to joining Alex. Their advanced development is understandable given their backgrounds.
Rotom, Forretress, Altaria, Alcremie, Frosmoth, and Aegislash are approximately six months away from reaching Advanced proficiency in all their moves.
Metagross and Togekiss are roughly one year and six months from that same milestone.
Ceruledge and the Crobat couple are about three years away from attaining complete Advanced proficiency.
Lastly, the newest additions, Tsareena, the three Maushold, Weezing, and Espeon, are still four years from reaching Advanced proficiency across their move sets.
Overall, their progress has been commendable, especially the new additions, whose training has focused almost exclusively on Status moves due to their more passive roles in battle.
Name: Tsareena, Expert
Type: Grass, Female
Ability: Queenly Majesty
Moves:
Basic: Rapid Spin, Razor Leaf, Power Whip, Flail, Trop Kick, Magical Leaf, Stomp, Leaf Storm, High Jump Kick, U-turn, Fling, Knock Off, Draining Kiss, Dazzling Gleam, Play Rough, Low Kick, Low Sweep, Acrobatics, Trailblaze, Bullet Seed, Seed Bomb, Grass Knot, Giga Drain, Energy Ball, Solar Beam, Solar Blade, Grassy Glide, Petal Blizzard, Triple Axel, Take Down, Facade, Swift, Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, Tera Blast, Endeavor, Zen Headbutt
(Priority +1): Swagger, Teeter Dance, Taunt, Sunny Day, Grassy Terrain, Substitute, Reflect, Light Screen, Rest (Effect Up +1): Synthesis, Splash, Play Nice, Sweet Scent, Aromatic Mist, Charm, Protect, Endure, Sleep Talk, Helping Hand,
Description: Tsareena, the Fruit Queen Pokémon. With a regal stride and commanding presence, it rules over grasslands with elegance. Its powerful legs can deliver crushing kicks that send foes flying. Though graceful, it never hesitates to fight for what it protects.
Tsareena was definitely the most combative of the group, making her the closest to achieving Elite rank in just two years. She constantly picks fights and is especially frustrating for the older Pokémon to deal with, largely due to their greater number of Priority +1 moves that require special attention to avoid triggering her Queenly Majesty.
Name: Weezing, Expert
Type: Poison, Male
Ability: Neutralizing Gas
Moves:
Basic: Tackle, Smog, Clear Smog, Assurance, Heat Wave, Double Hit, Sludge, Self-Destruct, Sludge Bomb, Belch, Explosion, Thief, Dark Pulse, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Shadow Ball, Take Down, Facade, Body Slam, Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, Tera Blast, Acid Spray, Venoshock, Gunk Shot, Sludge Wave, Psybeam, Gyro Ball
(Priority +1): Poison Gas, Haze, Toxic, Taunt, Sunny Day, Will-O-Wisp, Substitute, Pain Split, Toxic Spikes, Rest, Rain Dance (Effect Up +1): Smokescreen, Memento, Spite, Curse, Scary Face, Protect, Endure, Sleep Talk
Description: Weezing, the Poison Gas Pokémon. It emits toxic fumes from its multiple heads to repel enemies and protect its territory. Its gas can cause dizziness and nausea, making it a dangerous opponent. Despite its foul odor, it is fiercely loyal to its allies.
Weezing acted as the king of the Maushold, having perfected their coordinated movement system. From his higher vantage point, he directed their positioning during battle. In return, he took the brunt of enemy attacks, though the damage was minimal thanks to the three stacked Friend Guards.
Name: Maushold, Expert
Type: Normal, Male/Female
Ability: Friend Guard
Moves:
Basic: Pound, Echoed Voice, Super Fang, Double Hit, Bullet Seed, Play Rough, Hyper Voice, Beat Up, Population Bomb, U-turn, Thief, Crunch, Low Kick, Low Sweep, Aerial Ace, Shadow Claw, Trailblaze, Seed Bomb, Grass Knot, Mud-Slap, Mud Shot, Dig, Take Down, Facade, Swift, Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, Tera Blast, Double-Edge, Water Pulse, Chilling Water
(Priority +1): Baton Pass, Tidy Up, Encore, Copycat, Taunt, Thunder Wave, Sunny Day, Substitute, Rest, Rain Dance (Effect Up +1): Baby-Doll Eyes, Follow Me, Helping Hand, Charm, Fake Tears, Protect, Endure, Sleep Talk, Agility,
Description: Maushold, the Family Pokémon. It lives in close-knit groups, working together to gather food and protect each other. Their cheerful chatter and teamwork make them strong, and they find comfort in their shared bonds. Though small, their unity is their greatest strength.
The Maushold specialize in disruptive Status moves like Encore, Taunt, Helping Hand, Baton Pass, and Protect. They've trained specifically to maintain their coordinated movement system while simultaneously supporting allies or hindering enemies within sight.
When paired with Weezing, they can effectively stand up to Elites as powerful as Hydreigon. Their synchronized use of Protect is already refined enough to shield all four members at once, providing both coverage and resilience in battle.
Name: Espeon, Expert
Type: Psychic, Female
Ability: Magic Bounce
Moves:
Basic: Covet, Tackle, Bite, Take Down, Double-Edge, Confusion, Quick Attack, Swift, Psybeam, Psychic, Future Sight, Last Resort, Draining Kiss, Dazzling Gleam, Alluring Voice, Shadow Ball, Trailblaze, Magical Leaf, Grass Knot, Mud-Slap, Dig, Facade, Body Slam, Hyper Voice, Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, Tera Blast, Weather Ball, Psyshock, Stored Power, Zen Headbutt, Psychic Fangs, Expanding Force, Psychic Noise, Power Gem
(Priority +1): Copycat, Baton Pass, Power Swap, Psych Up, Thunder Wave, Sunny Day, Confuse Ray, Substitute, Reflect, Light Screen, Rest, Imprison, Skill Swap, Trick, Trick Room, Rain Dance (Effect Up +1): Helping Hand, Growl, Tail Whip, Sand Attack, Charm, Baby-Doll Eyes, Morning Sun, Fake Tears, Curse, Protect, Endure, Sleep Talk, Roar, Calm Mind (+50% Range): Gravity, Psychic Terrain
Description: Espeon, the Sun Pokémon. It has a finely tuned intuition that allows it to predict its opponent's moves. Espeon's fur shines when it senses strong sunlight, and it uses psychic powers to protect its trainer with grace and agility.
Espeon, meanwhile, took after Gardevoir and even developed a powerful area-of-effect combination attack capable of overwhelming large groups of weaker opponents. She was also mentored by Raticate on the efficient use of Quick Attack, allowing her to keep pace with Gardevoir as she executed Shadow Sneak.
Following her evolution, Alex chose to focus her build on Special Attack and Speed, mirroring Gardevoir's setup. Any other allocation would have wasted her natural stat distribution. Besides, she was always positioned beside Alex during battle, protected by the rest of the team. This allowed her to concentrate on offense more often than not.
Name: Gardevoir, Elite
Type: Psychic Fairy, Female
Ability: Telepathy
Moves:
(Priority +1): Shadow Sneak, Confuse Ray, Misty Terrain, Thief, Fling, Taunt, Knock Off, Thunder Wave, Sunny Day, Will-O-Wisp, Substitute, Pain Split, Psych Up, Reflect, Light Screen, Rest, Imprison, Skill Swap, Trick, Trick Room, Rain Dance (Effect Up +1): Hypnosis, Heal Pulse, Disable, Mean Look, Growl, Double Team, Life Dew, Charm, Calm Mind, Healing Wish, Wish, Protect, Endure, Sleep Talk, Metronome, Encore, Helping Hand (+50% Damage): Draining Kiss, Psychic, Dream Eater, Disarming Voice, Confusion, Psybeam, Future Sight, Mystical Fire, Dazzling Gleam, Moonblast, Charge Beam, Thunder Punch, Thunderbolt, Misty Explosion, Alluring Voice, Aura Sphere, Focus Blast, Vacuum Wave, Fire Punch, Night Shade, Shadow Ball, Magical Leaf, Grass Knot, Energy Ball, Icy Wind, Ice Punch, Triple Axel, Facade, Swift, Body Slam, Hyper Voice, Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, Tera Blast, Stored Power, Psyshock, Zen Headbutt, Psychic Fangs, Psychic Noise (+50% Range): Teleport, Gravity, Psychic Terrain, Expanding Force
Description: Gardevoir, the Embrace Pokémon. It has the ability to sense its Trainer's emotions and will use its psychic powers to protect them from harm. When it senses danger, it can create a powerful psychic barrier that shields both itself and its Trainer.
Finally, Gardevoir boasted an impressive arsenal of damaging moves, particularly those enhanced for extended range. This combination ensures that any mass attack strategy becomes futile, so long as she's given the time and space to prepare.
Beyond her offensive prowess, Gardevoir also developed the same commanding presence as Metagross, enough to convince Alex that she was ready to take on the role of commander. Metagross was delighted, as this opened the possibility of staying behind to protect the farm and enjoy gaming in his free time.
Espeon is also following a similar path thanks to her psychic abilities, though to a lesser extent. While she lacks the raw psychic power of Gardevoir and the strategic depth of Metagross, she has still earned her place by Alex's side, much to her delight.
Overall, the past two years were well spent, as their newfound prowess would open doors to missions that were previously considered impossible, especially those that would require Alex to be away from the farm for extended periods of time.
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A stats page containing the complete Pokedex entries of the Away Team is available on Patreon for free for those who are interested. A very long list which might not be for everyone so I released these two together. Enjoy.
PS: I tried my best to ensure this chapter still had 1.5k words even without the stats on it which should explain the extended length.
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