The morning session focused on consistency. Granite demonstrated the Magnitude release pattern over and over, helping Donny understand the subtle body mechanics that improved reliability. They practiced building energy, holding it to optimal intensity, and releasing it with proper timing. Slowly, Donny's success rate improved,from roughly thirty percent successful releases to nearly sixty percent by the end of the first hour.
Power output remained limited, though. When Donny successfully executed Magnitude, the seismic disturbance was clearly weaker than what Granite could produce. The room would shake, dust would rise, the floor would vibrate,but the intensity was muted compared to a fully trained execution.
"Don't chase power right now," Tabitha advised. "Consistency is more valuable than occasional strong hits. A reliable Magnitude 5 is better than trying for Magnitude 8 and failing half the time."
The second hour introduced variability training. Granite had Donny practice Magnitude from different stances, on different surfaces, with different energy buildup times. The goal was to help Donny understand that the move's power variation was natural and acceptable,he didn't need to achieve perfect execution every time, just functional execution.
This proved valuable. Donny began to relax into the technique rather than forcing it, and his success rate improved further. By the end of the morning session, he was executing Magnitude successfully about seventy percent of its capacity, with power output clustering around what Granite indicated was Magnitude 5 or 6.
The final afternoon session was about integration and stamina. Granite had Donny practice Magnitude repeatedly with minimal rest between attempts, simulating battle conditions where he might need to use the move multiple times. This revealed another limitation,Donny could only execute Magnitude three or four times in quick succession.
"Normal for a newly-learned move," Brennan noted. "His energy reserves haven't adapted to the demands yet. In a real battle, he'll probably get two or three solid Magnitude attempts before he's forced to rely on his Rock-type moves as he gathers himself."
"I doubt we will need to fire off more than two back to back," Micah said, watching Donny push through fatigue to complete another Magnitude release.
The session ended at 4 PM Sunday afternoon, giving Donny a full day to rest before Monday's match. Granite rumbled a farewell to his student, the sound warm and encouraging. Donny rumbled back, clearly grateful for the instruction.
"Final assessment," Tabitha said, addressing both Micah and Brennan. "Donnys execution is decent but he needs more physical conditioning. His power output peaks at Magnitude 7 but averages around Magnitude 5 to 6, and he can sustain two to three uses before exhaustion depending on battle conditions."
He pulled up the bell curve diagram again. "Remember, full Magnitude has a power range from 4 to 10 following this probability distribution. Donny's capped at the lower end,he physically cannot achieve Magnitude 8, 9, or 10 or ten without significant strain."
Micah studied the diagram, understanding the limitation clearly now. "So he's missing roughly forty percent of the move's potential power range."
"More or less," Tabitha confirmed. "It's a significant limitation. An experienced Pokemon using Magnitude might average Magnitude 6 or 7 across multiple uses, with occasional spikes to Magnitude 9 or 10. Donny will average Magnitude 5 or 6 with an absolute ceiling at Magnitude 7."
"Is that enough?" Micah asked, not really expecting a definitive answer.
"Against Mawile's Steel typing? Yes, probably." Tabitha's expression was thoughtful. "Even Magnitude 5 does unimpressive but decent damage, which essentially gets doubled due to it being super-effective. That's better than your Rock Blasts total damage output and hits a type Yuki isn't prepared to defend against from such a young Pokemon. If Donny lands even one solid Magnitude 6 or 7, that's potentially match-changing damage."
"Thank you," Micah said genuinely. "Really. This was... I know this was a favor, and I know Granite's time is valuable. Thank you for making this happen."
Tabitha's stern expression softened slightly. "Thank Granite when this is over,he did the real work here." He glanced at the exhausted Rhyhorn. "Your Pokemon earned this, kid. He put in the effort, stayed focused, and pushed through exhaustion. That's what made the difference."
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After Tabitha left, Brennan lingered to discuss strategy.
"You've got your Ground-type coverage now," he said. "Not perfect, but real. How does that change your battle plan?"
Micah had been thinking about this throughout the training. "It gives us a genuine threat to hold in reserve. I don't want to open with Magnitude,better to let Yuki think we have a purely Rock and Normal type until the moment we need it. Use Rock Blast harassment to prevent any stat boost or setup, force Mawile into close quarters where Donny's comfortable, and then reveal Magnitude when it can have maximum impact."
"Solid tactical thinking," Brennan approved. "Just remember Magnitude's limitations. Having a maximum Magnitude of 7 ,you can't stake everything on one Magnitude attempt working perfectly."
"I know." Micah scratched behind Donny's ears as the Rhyhorn dozed against his leg. "We'll play smart. Use Magnitude as threat and opportunity, not as a guaranteed win condition."
"That's the right mindset." Brennan checked his tablet one final time. "We’ve have probably improved your win probability from roughly fifteen percent to maybe thirty-five or forty percent. Still an underdog fight, but now it's a competitive match instead of a statistical inevitability."
Micah smiled faintly. "I'll take those odds."
That evening, Micah took Donny and Bellatrix to the facility's outdoor area for low-key relaxation. They'd earned it after two days of intensive training.
Donny immediately found a patch of dirt and began rolling in it, coating his rocky hide with earth. Micah had noticed this behavior emerging over the weekend,apparently it helped Donny process the Ground-type energy he'd been learning to channel, providing a physical connection to reinforce the mental understanding.
Bellatrix patrolled the perimeter as always, but her posture was relaxed rather than tense. She seemed to understand that the hard work was done; now they just needed to rest and prepare mentally.
Micah settled on a bench, pulling out his tablet to review battle footage one more time. He watched Yuki's Mawile move through its matches, but now he was looking at them through the lens of having Ground-type coverage. How would Mawile react to Magnitude? Would Yuki recognize the threat immediately, or would she need a demonstration before adjusting her tactics?
The Pokemon was undeniably skilled,precise movements, perfect timing, overwhelming power when fully set up. But Brennan was right about the impatience. When opponents disrupted Mawile's setup attempts, Yuki would sometimes force plays rather than reset and try again. That impatience could be exploited, especially if Donny could threaten real damage with Magnitude.
Micah made notes, updating his battle plan to incorporate everything he'd learned,
Phase One, Disruption & Concealment
- Immediate Rock Blast harassment
- Prevent Swords Dance setup
- Force Mawile to fight on Donny's terms
- DO NOT reveal Magnitude capability yet
- Build toward Ground-type threat reveal at optimal moment
Phase Two, Revelation & Exploitation
- Deploy Magnitude when Mawile is immobilized
- Use super-effective threat to force defensive response
- If disruption succeeds, Maintain pressure, look for finishing opportunities
- If Mawile sets up despite interference, Use Magnitude to punish positioning
Phase Three, Endgame
- Remember Magnitude limitations
- If ahead, Conservative play, force Mawile to take risks
- If behind, Accept that Counter may still be necessary as last resort
It wasn't a perfect plan,too many variables, too much that could go wrong. But it was comprehensive, adaptable, and played to their actual strengths rather than trying to match Mawile in areas where they were statistically disadvantaged.
"What do you think, Bellatrix?" Micah asked, showing her the notes.
The Houndour examined the tablet screen with her characteristic intensity, gave him some side eye and huffed.
"Sorry I forgot you can't read," Micah said with a faint smile.
Donny wandered over eventually, dirt-covered and content, and flopped down beside the bench. Micah reached down to scratch behind the Rhyhorn's ears, feeling the subtle vibration of Ground-type energy still resonating faintly through Donny's body,a lingering effect of the weekend's intensive training.
"Big day tomorrow, buddy. We rest tonight, stay calm, and then we show Yuki Nakamura that we belong in that finals match."
Donny rumbled peacefully, already half-asleep.
They stayed outside until the sun set, just existing together without pressure or stress. Micah found himself thinking about how far they'd come in just two months,from a scared farm kid with a newborn Rhyhorn to tournament finalist with genuine competitive strategy and newly-learned Ground-type coverage.
Win or lose tomorrow, they'd proven something important.
They belonged here.
And now, they had Magnitude,limited, imperfect, capped at the lower end of its potential power range, but real. A super-effective answer to Mawile's Steel/Fairy typing that nobody expected them to have.
It might not be enough to guarantee victory.
But it was enough to make this a real fight.