Training was for grinding experience

The next day, they continued their focused training to make Small Explosion more reliable.

The move consumed so much stamina that even using it once at full strength left Agumon exhausted, so Qingliu had to mix in training for Pepper Breath and Razor Claw.

By the end of the day, their supplies of Pokéblocks and Heal Spray had dwindled sharply, but both Pepper Breath and Razor Claw had become noticeably more proficient and fluid.

Agumon had also fully mastered Small Explosion, rather than having a fifty-fifty chance of success as at the beginning.

Meanwhile, the boulder they had used as a training target had been battered beyond recognition.

With a deep crater here and a gouge there, it had completely lost its original imposing bulk.

Worried it would not last until the end of training, Qingliu called it a day early and took Agumon on a patrol through the surrounding woods.

Early morning on the third day.

Two figures, one large and one small, were jogging around the woods.

"One, two, one! One, two, one! ... Watch your breathing. Whether you're running or fighting, you can't let it get erratic. Keep a steady rhythm."

Qingliu jogged in place as he spoke to Agumon beside him.

Agumon did not respond. Several large laps at a fast pace had rapidly drained his stamina, forcing him to slow down to match Qingliu, who was running smaller laps.

The fact that he had not eaten breakfast yet made things even worse.

"Qingliu, I think I'm getting a little hungry..."

After catching his breath a little, Agumon raised a hand to voice his opinion.

Qingliu shook his head outright. "I already told you, strenuous exercise after eating interferes with normal digestion and can easily cause indigestion. In serious cases, it can really hurt your stomach. Hang in there a little longer. We're almost there."

"Then... okay."

Since Qingliu said so, he must have had his reasons. Agumon nodded, mustered another burst of energy, and kept running, charging toward the finish of his last lap.

Qingliu quietly tried to keep up behind him.

His breathing was ragged too. Even with Agumon's stamina nearly depleted, his running speed still posed quite a challenge for Qingliu, but he gritted his teeth and stuck with it.

During his earlier conversation with Candice, Qingliu had subtly gleaned plenty of everyday knowledge that natives of the Pokémon world knew but he, as someone from another world, did not.

For instance, Gym Leaders were extremely strong compared with most Trainers, but Gyms had originally been established to select and nurture newcomers. An impressive performance could earn someone a Badge even if they lost. Most of the time, Gym Leaders would hold back appropriately or simply raise Pokémon outside their usual teams specifically to face challengers.

Another example was that attacking Trainers during Pokémon battles was forbidden only under agreements between Trainers or in official League competitions. Wild Pokémon encountered outdoors had no such scruples, and often went straight for the Trainer.

After all, Trainers themselves were much weaker than Pokémon, and most Pokémon were intelligent enough to tell an easy target from a difficult one.

So, to prepare for situations that might arise in the future, Qingliu felt it was necessary to improve his own physical fitness while putting Agumon through stamina training.

Besides, sweating and training together was another good way to strengthen their bond, beyond simply spending time together each day.

"Phew..."

After crossing the finish line, Qingliu let out a long breath.

Seeing this, Agumon took a bottle of water from the backpack beside him and handed it over.

"Here."

"Thanks."

Qingliu took it and had a sip without swallowing, swishing the water around his mouth before saying, "The Pokéblocks are in the backpack. I've already divided them into portions for each meal. If that isn't enough, there are some general-purpose Pokéblocks beside them you can try, though they might not taste as good."

A moment later, Qingliu realized he had worried for nothing.

Agumon showed no sign of being picky or noticing any difference in taste. He tossed them all into his huge mouth, chewed for a while, and swallowed them straight down.

"Buuuurp..."

As the food settled in his stomach, Agumon's belly swelled slightly, and he involuntarily let out a burp that lasted four or five seconds.

"Sorry, I couldn't quite hold that in."

Seeing Agumon scratch his head in embarrassment, Qingliu could not help laughing.

Perhaps, to him, there was no distinction between tasty and unpleasant, only edible and inedible.

That was good too. He was easy to feed.

Qingliu glanced at the Pokéblocks left in the backpack. Two-thirds of the Dragon-type variety remained, while Agumon had just eaten one-fifth of the general-purpose supply.

He had originally prepared five days' worth of each kind, ten days in total, but now it seemed they would not last that long.

Still, the effects were very clear. Qingliu could plainly see that after a day of eating Pokéblocks, Agumon remained in excellent spirits today despite yesterday's heavy training.

His muscles had grown firmer, and even the white claws at the ends of his arms had become more lustrous and translucent.

Sure enough, there really was a considerable difference between expensive things and free ones.

Unfortunately, he had already spent most of the money from selling Oran Berries. The remaining 200 League Coins were nearly gone too after he bought his own daily necessities.

He had not found any decent berry trees around their current location either, so he could not make money selling berries as he had before.

He had never expected to still be worrying about money after crossing into another world. Qingliu could not help feeling as though he were back in the twenty-first century.

"Still, it's not as if there's no way to solve the money problem. It's just that Agumon and I might not be capable of earning that money yet, unless..."

Recalling the way to earn money Candice had mentioned earlier, Qingliu murmured to himself, "Unless he gains another two levels. Then, as Agumon's overall strength improves, he should be able to use Small Explosion more times too."

Qingliu did not expect this immensely powerful trump card to be fired more than a dozen times without pause like Pepper Breath. He only needed to increase its number of uses to two.

The first would change the course of the battle, while the second would be held in reserve just in case. That was the best way to maximize their chances of victory while keeping both himself and Agumon safe.

With that in mind, Qingliu began planning their next training schedule as he ate breakfast.

The morning would still be devoted to physical conditioning. Improving fitness would also reduce the strain Small Explosion placed on Agumon's stamina. In the afternoon, they would alternate between training all three moves and finish before evening.

Then Qingliu decided to take Agumon to the places where he had spotted wild Pokémon of similar levels during yesterday's patrol nearby... and start grinding.

After all, training merely laid the foundation for combat. Actual battles were the fastest, surest way to improve both level and strength.

Already stronger than Pokémon of the same level, Agumon achieved outstanding results after these past few days of training, with Small Explosion as his trump card. His experience points soared as well.