"Bellsprout, shoot the sand into the center of the circle."
In the open space behind the house, Icarus stood with his arms crossed, giving instructions to Bellsprout, whose root-like feet were planted firmly in the soil.
"Sprout!"
With its roots embedded in the ground, Bellsprout channeled energy downward. It suddenly kicked forward with its right root—
A large spray of sand shot toward the target ahead and landed neatly inside the marked circle.
"Again. This time, use Sand Attack on the circle to the left."
"Sprout!"
It shifted its energy to the left root and kicked sharply. Another burst of sand arced through the air and scattered perfectly into the left-hand circle.
"Great job, Bellsprout. Looks like you've mastered Sand Attack. We can use that for surprise tactics."
Icarus walked over and patted it gently.
"Spri~!"
The praise clearly pleased Bellsprout.
"Don't get cocky yet," Icarus said with a grin. "Next, we test dodging. I'm going to throw stones. Don't let them hit you. Here they come!"
He grabbed a pile of small stones and began throwing them rapidly, one after another.
This was something he had adapted from hidden-weapon training methods he'd read about in martial arts novels in his previous life. It improved his throwing accuracy—useful for Poké Balls—and helped Bellsprout practice evasion.
Two birds with one stone.
…No, three birds with one stone.
If he customized some small throwing blades and coated them with poison, they could be effective against low-level wild Pokémon. Elite-level opponents might resist it, but newborn and normal-stage Pokémon would definitely feel the effects—unless they were Poison-types.
And Bellsprout could eventually learn Acid, which had corrosive properties. That would save money on poison materials.
Maybe he should head to the forest outskirts soon. Let Bellsprout get used to harsher environments—and real battles.
Thinking about these cost-effective tactics, Icarus couldn't help but smile a little mischievously.
"Sprout?"
Still dodging the incoming stones, Bellsprout felt a chill run down its stem. It had no idea its Trainer was already planning future combat strategies.
"Alright, time to increase the difficulty!"
Now Icarus began throwing stones with both hands. The speed and frequency doubled.
"Spri spri?!"
Bellsprout visibly panicked. It was no longer relaxed.
Fortunately, its slender stem-like body could bend freely in any direction. Though it looked flustered, none of the stones actually hit it.
"Pokémon really are extraordinary creatures…"
Watching the scene, Icarus sighed.
In his previous life, he had practiced hidden-weapon throwing for years. It had been his one "golden finger"—his one advantage in this new world.
At school, students trained to throw Poké Balls accurately, but few could use both hands skillfully. Thanks to his past-life experience, he always scored full marks.
Yet here he was—outperformed in three days by a newborn-stage Pokémon.
Still, he calmed himself.
This technique wasn't unique. In his previous life, tutorials were everywhere online. With enough practice, anyone could learn it.
It would help him in the early stages—that was enough.
If he ever met Koga, the Poison-type Gym Leader of Fuchsia City—famous for his ninja background—maybe he could learn more advanced techniques.
Shaking away unnecessary pride, Icarus focused again.
"Shhh—!"
The stones cut through the air continuously.
After a while, he stopped.
"Excellent, Bellsprout. But don't get complacent. It's easy to dodge now because of your slender body. Once you evolve, it won't be this simple."
"Spri!"
Bellsprout straightened up, looking determined.
"Alright. Last test—your main offensive move for now: Vine Whip."
He pointed to a tree trunk marked with chalk circles.
"Use Vine Whip at full strength. Hit the marks I drew."
"Sprout!"
Two thick vines lashed out instantly—
Crack!
The tree shook violently. Leaves rustled and fell.
Icarus stepped forward to inspect it. The chalk circles were completely erased, replaced by two deep whip marks embedded in the bark.
"Not bad."
This was the strength expected of a properly trained newborn-stage Pokémon.
An untrained Bellsprout's Vine Whip was like an adult swinging a regular whip—painful, but not beyond normal limits.
Now?
It was like replacing that whip with braided steel—or even one lined with barbs.
An adult could barely swing such a weapon a few times.
But Bellsprout handled two vines effortlessly—flexible, precise, and coordinated. One vine could entangle, the other strike.
Like a true martial arts master wielding twin whips.
After all, they were extensions of its own body.
"Extraordinary species really are born different…"
Icarus watched as Bellsprout playfully flicked its vines.
In his previous life, mastering a whip was far harder than mastering a sword. Even talented individuals needed years of practice.
Yet Bellsprout had achieved dual-whip proficiency in just three days.
That was Pokémon aptitude.
"But I'm improving too."
Icarus looked at his own body and threw a punch forward.
Whoosh!
His fist cut through the air with a sharp crack.
This level of physical power would have belonged only to professional boxers in his previous life.
But now, as Bellsprout grew stronger, his own body had strengthened alongside it. His physical fitness had reached that same level.
"Alright, Bellsprout, that's enough for today. Your current strength should be around mid-stage newborn level."
He paused, then added deliberately:
"But don't forget—you've never had real combat experience. You might not beat wild Pokémon in the forest yet."
He had originally intended to praise it—but seeing the smug look forming on its face, he changed his tone.
"Spri?!"
Bellsprout puffed up indignantly, clearly unconvinced.
"Oh? You think you can handle them?"
"Spri spri!"
It nodded firmly.
"Good. Then we'll rest at noon—and head to the forest this afternoon."
"Spri!"
Bellsprout answered with determination.
The real test was about to begin.
(End of Chapter 9)