There's Something Off About My Pokémon. [49]

"Congratulations, Cheng Cheng," Grandpa said with a smile, patting Lu Cheng on the shoulder. Although there were some hiccups along the way, the result was perfect. Vulpix had learned Flamethrower, and Treecko had successfully evolved into Grovyle!

Lu Cheng nodded firmly. These two outstanding Pokémon were pushing him to strive harder and aim for greater heights as a trainer. Seeing Lu Cheng lost in thought, Grandpa sighed with emotion and said, "Cheng Cheng, you have to keep pushing forward. The path of a Pokémon trainer isn't an easy one."

"Even Grandpa couldn't fulfill his dream back then," he continued, his voice laced with nostalgia. "But, if—just if—you truly want to become a trainer and pursue that dream…"

Grandpa smiled warmly. "I hope that in my lifetime, I can see you standing on the stage of the national championships."

Lu Cheng was taken aback for a moment, but then he gripped Grandpa's hand tightly, his eyes filled with determination. "I will, Grandpa!"

---

With only one day left before Lu Cheng's first-round match, Grovyle had put on the competitive vest again, adjusting to its new body. Under the system's magnifying glass, Grovyle's condition looked excellent:

Grovyle

Nature: Lonely

Ability: Unburden, Defiant (Hidden Ability)

Moves: Slash, Agility, Quick Attack, Mega Drain, Pound, Fury Cutter.

Evaluation: Doesn't give up; won't flinch.

Lu Cheng was startled by Grovyle's newfound ability after its evolution. He had never heard of a Pokémon gaining a new ability post-evolution! The system explained:

Some Pokémon, under internal or external influence, can gain new abilities without replacing their original ones. This occurrence is extremely rare!

Lu Cheng was stunned. Could Grovyle's potential be even greater than he had estimated? But since Lu Cheng himself had the abilities "Chain" and "Forest Guardian", he wasn't too surprised by Grovyle's hidden ability.

"Well, the more the better!" he thought.

What Lu Cheng didn't know was that even the blind old man would be shocked to see Grovyle right now. He probably hadn't expected Grovyle to grasp the Defiant ability so quickly. Though it hadn't reached the level of Justified, for Grovyle, it was already a significant achievement.

Lu Cheng also tested Vulpix's newly learned Flamethrower, and its power had more than doubled compared to its Ember attack! Combined with the rewards from completing the task of evolving Treecko, this trip to the countryside had proven to be incredibly rewarding!

---

The move Fury Cutter was a new skill Grovyle had learned after evolving. Counting its previous moves, Grovyle now knew a total of six different attacks! However, Lu Cheng frowned.

Ding—Mission 'Initial Evolution' completed!

Mission Objective: Evolve Treecko into Grovyle within two weeks!

Rewards: +2 Speed, ¥10,000 cash, and TM 'Brick Break'.

Lu Cheng originally intended for Grovyle to learn Brick Break as well, but he realized a potential issue. Even high-level trainers like Gongsun Rong only had his Rhyperior master seven moves. The most plausible explanation was that trying to teach too many moves without proper mastery could lead to a lack of depth in any of them. If Lu Cheng kept focusing on learning new moves without sufficient training, Grovyle might end up as a jack-of-all-trades but master of none.

Lu Cheng could always wait until Grovyle had fully mastered its current set of moves before learning new ones. Besides, not every skill a Pokémon knew was listed in the move set—Grovyle could still use hidden or secondary moves, like how Lu Cheng's grandfather's Tauros knew Flamethrower, which wasn't listed in the move set.

For now, Lu Cheng's goal in training was to have Vulpix master Psychic and Flamethrower, while Grovyle would focus on perfecting Fury Cutter.

"I'll hold off on Brick Break for now," Lu Cheng muttered to himself.

In the recent battle against his grandfather's Tauros, Grovyle's cherished twig had been shattered by Tauros's Protect, leaving Grovyle saddened for quite some time. Grandpa had offered to forge Grovyle a brand-new sword to replace the twig, but until then, Grovyle would have to rely on the sharp leaves on its arms as weapons.

"Vulpix, use Flamethrower!"

"Grovyle, hit the concrete pillar with Fury Cutter!"

The abandoned construction site next to Lu Cheng's house had effectively become his personal training ground. To ease his conscience, Lu Cheng had approached the site foreman and slipped him ¥10,000. The foreman, pleased with the gesture, told Lu Cheng he could do whatever he wanted with the space.

The ¥150,000 from selling the commemorative Poké Ball had already been transferred into Lu Cheng's account, and suddenly, Lu Cheng felt the thrill of being wealthy.

"Balance: ¥253,750."

"Being rich feels amazing!" Lu Cheng chuckled to himself.

---

After half a month of fierce competition, the qualifying rounds finally ended, and the top 128 contestants were officially announced! A-Le was so excited that he couldn't sleep, still buzzing with the thrill of advancing to the next stage. His classmates were all talking about him, surprised that even the quiet, low-key chubby kid had made it this far. Among the gossiping students, only Hu Sheng sat there with a dark expression, his fists clenched tightly.

"The matchups are out!" On the official website, the pairings for the top 128 had already been released. Just like the qualifying rounds, the knockout format remained 1v1, making the competition brutal. However, contestants could choose any one of the three pre-registered Pokémon to send into battle, a rule designed to prevent intentional targeting and make the matches more exciting. That said, most contestants at this age didn't have the resources to train a second Pokémon. Trainers like Lu Cheng, who had two rare Pokémon, were already considered quite exceptional.

"Lu Cheng, who's your opponent?" A-Le eagerly asked, leaning in with his phone in hand.

"Me?" Lu Cheng pointed at the interface on his screen and said, "I don't know this person, but anyone who made it through the qualifying rounds can't be too weak."

A-Le, on the other hand, looked distressed. "I'm in trouble, Lu Cheng. My opponent is Ding Chong from Class A!"

"You mean the one you mentioned before?" Lu Cheng raised an eyebrow in surprise, "From our school?"

A-Le nodded with a pained expression.

"What are the odds?" Lu Cheng clicked his tongue. "First round, and you guys are already facing off against each other?"

"Aside from the ones who got automatic entry, our school barely has a few who made it into the top 128. That fat principal is probably crying his eyes out right now."

"Ding Chong's really strong," A-Le said dejectedly, "He's the top student in Class A!"

"Relax!" Lu Cheng patted A-Le on the shoulder in reassurance. "Just do your best in the match. By the way, how's the situation with the junior?"

A-Le's face flushed slightly at the mention of her. "She made it to the next round too, but she's been busy preparing for the competition, so I didn't want to bother her."

"Come on!" Lu Cheng nudged A-Le's arm, teasing, "Who knows, maybe your Pelipper and her Fearow will end up as a perfect match!"

A-Le wrapped his arm tightly around Lu Cheng's neck, playfully scolding, "You're one to talk! When are you going to win over that senior of yours?"

Cough cough, Lu Cheng cleared his throat. "Hey, we're just friends, purely friends!"

---

T/N: Fearow is perhaps the juniors secondary Pokémon, since she asked to borrow Pelipper and ask tips for her own Pelipper.

If there are any mistakes let me know!

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