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Chapter 20: Gravity of the Situation
🕑 Added 2024-11-12 20:03:04 +0000 UTCGladion sat on his bed, arms crossed, lower lip jutted out in what he hoped was a convincing pout. His parents stood before him, their faces a mix of disappointment and exasperation.
"I just don't understand what you were thinking," his mother, Erza, said, shaking her head. "You know better than to engage in unauthorized battles, especially at school!"
His father, Ben, nodded in agreement. "Son, we're proud of your passion for Pokémon, but rules exist for a reason. You could have gotten hurt, or worse, someone else could have been injured."
Gladion sighed dramatically. "But Dad, you should have seen Machoke! He evolved and it was amazing and-"
"Enough," Erza cut him off, though her eyes softened slightly. "We understand it was exciting, but that doesn't excuse your behavior. You're grounded for two weeks. No TV, no sweets and no Pokémon training outside of necessary care."
Gladion's jaw dropped. "Two weeks? But that's like... forever!"
Ben chuckled despite himself. "Trust me, son, it'll fly by. Use the time to reflect on your actions and maybe catch up on some reading."
As his parents left the room, Gladion flopped back on his bed with a groan. "Reading? Ugh."
Despite his predicament, Gladion couldn't help but smile as he looked at Machoke who was doing push-ups in his room. The evolution had been incredible, and he was bursting with ideas for new training regimens. But how could he train while grounded?
Suddenly, a mischievous glint appeared in his eye. "Hey Machoke," he whispered, "how do you feel about some... secret training?"
Machoke's eyes widened, then it grinned and gave Gladion a thumbs-up.
Over the next few days, Gladion put his plan into action. He borrowed his father's Chansey under the guise of "Pokémon care practice" and set about teaching it Gravity, a move that, as far as he knew, no one else realized Chansey could learn.
"Okay, Chansey," Gladion said in a hushed tone, glancing around his room as if expecting his parents to materialize at any moment. "We're going to learn a super-secret, ultra-rare, mega-awesome move. Are you ready?"
Chansey tilted its head, looking both confused and intrigued. "Chan?"
"Great! Now, imagine you're the earth. Big, round, pink earth."
Chansey puffed out its cheeks, trying to look as earth-like as possible.
"Perfect! Now, think about pulling everything towards you. Like you're a giant magnet, but for everything, not just metal."
Chansey scrunched up its face in concentration. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, ever so slightly, Gladion felt a tug. His feet seemed to press more firmly against the floor.
"That's it!" he exclaimed, then quickly lowered his voice. "I mean, that's it," he whispered excitedly. "You're doing it, Chansey!"
'Damn, she must be a genius to learn it on the first try.' Gladion thought
Over the next few days, Chansey's control over Gravity improved dramatically. Gladion found himself constantly amazed by the Pokémon's ability to learn and adapt.
With Chansey's Gravity mastered, Gladion moved on to the next phase of his plan: training Machoke's speed. Late at night, when his parents were asleep, Gladion would sneak Machoke and Chansey into the backyard.
It took some time to convince Chansey to keep it a secret from her trainer i.e. his father.
"Alright, team," he whispered, feeling like a secret agent on a covert mission. "Operation: Gravity Gauntlet is a go. Chansey, give us about double gravity. Machoke, your job is to run laps around the yard as fast as you can. Ready?"
Machoke nodded enthusiastically, while Chansey concentrated, creating a field of increased gravity around them. As soon as it took effect, Machoke began to run... or rather, attempt to run. Its usual graceful movements became a comedic struggle against the increased forces.
Gladion had to stifle his laughter as he watched Machoke's exaggerated, slow-motion sprinting. "Come on, Machoke! Channel your inner Might Guy! Let the power of youth explode!"
Machoke, caught up in the spirit, tried to strike a Nice Guy pose mid-run. The result was a spectacular faceplant into the grass.
"Oops," Gladion winced. "Maybe we should start with walking first."
As the nights went on, Machoke's speed and strength under increased gravity improved dramatically. Gladion couldn't help but feel a swell of pride every time Machoke overcame a new obstacle or shaved a second off its lap time.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Gladion, his twin sister Gwen was embarking on her own secret training regimen with her Gastly. In the attic of their house, Gwen sat cross-legged, surrounded by candles.
"Okay, Gastly," she whispered dramatically, "it's time to unlock our true potential. Are you ready to delve into the shadows and embrace the void?"
Gastly bobbed enthusiastically in the air, its gaseous form rippling with excitement.
"Excellent! Now, let's start with something simple. Try to possess... this pencil!"
Gwen held up a perfectly ordinary number two pencil. Gastly looked at it, then back at Gwen, as if to say, "Really? That's your idea of unlocking our true potential?"
"Hey, we all have to start somewhere," Gwen defended. "Now come on, show that pencil who's boss!"
Gastly sighed (as much as a being made of gas can sigh) and focused on the pencil. Slowly, a purplish aura surrounded the writing utensil. It began to wobble, then rise shakily into the air.
"You're doing it!" Gwen cheered quietly. "Now, make it dance!"
The pencil began to twirl and spin in midair, performing a jaunty little jig. Gwen clapped her hands in delight.
"Bravo! Encore! You're the Mikhail Baryshnikov of pencil possession!"
Gastly beamed with pride, letting the pencil drop back onto Gwen's lap.
"Next up," Gwen said, her eyes sparkling with mischief, "we practice sneaking. And I know just the target..."
The next morning, Gladion trudged downstairs for breakfast, yawning widely. He'd been up late again with Operation: Gravity Gauntlet, and was feeling the effects.
As he entered the kitchen, he noticed something odd. His spoon seemed to be... floating?
"What the-" he began, but was cut off by a sudden "BOO!" as Gastly materialized right in front of his face.
Gladion yelped, stumbling backward and landing unceremoniously on his backside. From around the corner, he heard poorly suppressed giggles.
"Gwen!" he shouted, his face red with embarrassment. "Not cool!"
Gwen poked her head around the doorframe, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, I don't know. I thought it was pretty cool. Don't you think so, Gastly?"
Gastly nodded enthusiastically, doing a little loop-de-loop in the air.
As Gladion picked himself up off the floor, he couldn't help but smile. Despite the scare, he was impressed by Gastly's improved control.
"Alright, alright," he conceded. "That was pretty good. But just you wait until my grounding is over. Machoke and I will show you some real training results!"
Gwen's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Oh? And what kind of training have you been doing, dear brother? Last I checked, you were grounded from Pokémon training."
Gladion froze, realizing his slip-up. "I, uh... I meant... theoretical training! Yeah, that's it. All in my head. Very intense mental exercises."
Gwen raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. But before she could press further, their mother's voice rang out from upstairs.
"Kids! Don't forget to feed the Pokémon before school!"
"Coming, Mom!" they called in unison, the moment of sibling rivalry forgotten in the rush of morning routines.
As they went about their chores, Gladion couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. His secret training was producing amazing results, but for how long could he keep it hidden? And what would happen when the truth finally came out?
One thing was for sure - life in the Pokémon world was never dull. With a sigh and a smile, Gladion headed off to school, ready for whatever new adventures the day might bring.
