There's Something Off About My Pokémon. [24]

Today was the day Lu Cheng's dad decided to try out a new dish. With Treecko's addition to the family, the atmosphere in the household had a fresh vibe. Magmar, being extra cautious, moved carefully to avoid letting its flames touch Treecko. Vulpix, on the other hand, didn't mind at all, thanks to its Flash Fire ability. The real issue was that Treecko was too thin! Magmar, feeling sympathetic, had been stuffing Treecko with food these past two days, to the point where Treecko looked a little green in the face from being overfed. But today, since Lu Cheng's dad was in the kitchen, Treecko finally got a break.

"I checked online, and it said that Treecko mostly likes spicy food, so I modified a spicy chicken dish. I wonder if it suits its taste," Lu Cheng's dad said as he placed a dish of bright red, mouth-watering spicy chicken in front of Treecko.

With a sharp "smack," Lu Cheng knocked Vulpix's sneaky paw away with his chopsticks and said, "You stick to the braised pork; this is too spicy for you, and you're not used to it!" Vulpix stared longingly at the spicy chicken, then quickly snuck a piece into its mouth, only to have tears well up as the heat hit.

Treecko's eyes lit up as it gazed at the dish. Having never tasted anything like this back in the woods, it dove into the food, devouring it with gusto. Maybe the food issue was temporarily resolved? Lu Cheng thought with a bit of embarrassment.

After dinner, Lu Cheng lay down on his bed, scrolling through some news on his phone. Treecko was flipping through the manga that Lu Cheng had collected, while Vulpix had pulled out the flashlight from the bag and was happily playing a game of shadow chase with itself.

"The internet says that there are almost 600 participants in the tournament this time," Lu Cheng murmured to himself. "Thinking about it, having that recommendation from our school really is a huge advantage." As a prestigious high school, Jiangcheng No. 1 High School naturally had slots reserved for recommended candidates. But on the other hand, to stand out among 600 people and enter the top 100, the competitors were definitely no pushovers. For that reason, Lu Cheng knew he couldn't afford to be careless and would have to give it his all in every match.

"Ugh, but I'm still so upset! I really wanted to go to the U20 opening ceremony!" Lu Cheng cried out, burying his head into his pillow. "BKA48 is performing in the opening act this time, and I really wanted to see them!"

Treecko and Vulpix exchanged bewildered glances.

How could he cheer for his idols now!?

"Eh? Who's calling this late?" Lu Cheng's phone suddenly rang. Seeing the caller ID, he sat up in bed with a start, nervously clearing his throat. "H-hello, senior, what's up?"

"Are you going to watch the U20 opening ceremony tomorrow?" On the other end, Mu Mei was wearing pink pajamas, drying her damp hair as she spoke into the phone.

"I want to go, but all the tickets are sold out," Lu Cheng sighed.

"Hmm? If you don't mind, I happen to have an extra ticket..."

Could this be...?

"If you have other plans, that's okay too. Marveil and I have one ticket each anyway."

"No plans! How could I have plans! I'm totally free tomorrow!" Lu Cheng suddenly shouted, "So it's settled, senpai! Please save a ticket for me, and we'll meet tomorrow!"

"Alright then, tomorrow at the U20 hall by West Lake, I'll wait for you at the entrance," Mu Mei said with a smile.

"Got it, got it!"

"See you tomorrow, bye!"

"Bye!" Lu Cheng hung up the phone, his hands trembling. Treecko and Vulpix looked at their trainer with puzzled expressions, not knowing what had gotten into him.

"Oh my gosh, it's a date, it's a date!" Lu Cheng suddenly grabbed his life-sized pillow and rolled around on the bed twice, laughing wildly, "I, Lu Cheng, have finally made it!"

Treecko and Vulpix exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. This trainer... he's beyond saving.

---

"So many people," Lu Cheng remarked, looking at the sea of people at the entrance. "It feels like some kind of major holiday."

Hearing Lu Cheng's words, a Vulpix suddenly popped out on his left shoulder, with Treecko peeking its head from behind. Both Pokémon nodded in agreement. Lu Cheng's appearance caught the attention of many passersby—after all, owning two Pokémon at such a young age was a clear sign that he was one of the participants in this year's tournament. To avoid drawing too much attention, Lu Cheng decided to return the two little ones to their Pokéballs.

This hall was newly built last year, with a clever design located on the outskirts of the West Lake scenic area. Since there's no entrance fee for West Lake, some tourists also wander over to check out this hall. Over time, it became a famous landmark. The hall's interior was designed with standard battle arenas, including grass and rock-type battlefields, all fully equipped. Its design incorporated space concepts, with many devices using mechanical layers for multi-level layouts. Because it looks like a giant eggshell, people affectionately call this hall "West Lake Egg." It sounds more like the name of a dish!

"But wow, there are so many people. How long is this line going to take?" Lu Cheng shivered at the sight of the endless queue. In any case, his priority was to find his senior.

Lu Cheng had dressed up for the occasion today, wearing a white T-shirt with a checkered shirt, khaki shorts, and white sneakers, which made his parents worry even more. Yep, their boy was definitely in love! As Lu Cheng was looking around, he suddenly felt a light tap on his shoulder. When he turned his head, he saw senpai's familiar smiling face.

"Good afternoon."

"G-Good afternoon!" Lu Cheng stammered, a little taken aback.

Mu Mei had put on a refreshingly elegant outfit today: a light yellow floral dress, a thin summer jacket, and a pair of off-white short-heeled shoes adorned with rhinestones. Any fashion blogger would rate this look at least an eight out of ten.

"What's wrong? Is there something off about me today?" Mu Mei asked, noticing Lu Cheng's gaze and looking a bit embarrassed.

"Senior, I think you look kind of strange today," Lu Cheng said.

"Hmm? Is it my outfit? I was thinking I should have gone with white instead..."

"No," Lu Cheng shook his head, keeping a straight face. "You're strangely cute today."

Mu Mei froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. A flash of red light appeared, and her Mawile popped out, sticking its tongue out at Lu Cheng. What kind of cheesy pickup line was that!?

Mu Mei just smiled and said, "Alright, let's head in."

"When does the opening ceremony start? Are we going to make it in time?" Lu Cheng asked, looking at the line that seemed to stretch on forever.

"Follow me." Mu Mei winked at Lu Cheng. "I'll take you to a special place."

Seeing the playful look on her face, Lu Cheng found himself momentarily dazed. Uh oh! He'd been charmed!

Mu Mei led Lu Cheng straight to the front of the line. The people in the queue turned to stare at them, glaring as if to say, "No cutting!" without giving them a chance to jump ahead.

"There it is," Senpai said, pointing to an empty passage. At the security checkpoint, a bored staff member was yawning, in stark contrast to the nearby busy employee sweating from the workload. Above the passage hung four large, gilded characters: "VIP Passage."

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If you spot any mistakes let me know so I can fix them.

Read up to Chapter 55! [P@treon.com/WiseTL]