There's Something Off About My Pokémon [96]
"Exactly—Pokémon evolution!"
"I recently worked on a research paper that discussed how Pokémon moves can influence evolution," he explained. "Take Tyrogue, for example. Focusing on punches or kicks can lead to branching evolutions."
"So essentially, certain Pokémon's evolution is controllable!"
The two men still looked puzzled. Gao Minglang scratched his head, looking as if he was trying to make sense of it.
"But what's that got to do with the dojo's appeal?"
"Think about it," Lu Cheng replied. "Say a student really wants a Hitmonchan but doesn't know if their Tyrogue will evolve into one. Now, what if a dojo could guarantee that evolution? What would you think?"
Gao Chi raised an eyebrow. "I'd think they were a fraud."
"Ahem," Lu Cheng coughed awkwardly. "But if it actually worked, and that Tyrogue really evolved into a Hitmonchan, then Yixin Dojo's reputation would skyrocket!"
Gao Minglang frowned thoughtfully, stroking his stubble. "But that's only one kind of Pokémon. How exactly can you make evolution a selling point?"
Lu Cheng smirked. "We'd start with Tyrogue as the focus. Once word spreads, you let students pair up for practice battles, so there's always a chance one of their Pokémon will evolve. And if it happens here, they'll attribute that success to Yixin Dojo."
"As for those who can't evolve... well, maybe they just aren't worthy of a Yixin Badge."
"The requirement to receive a Yixin Badge? Training at Yixin Dojo and achieving an evolution!"
"So, what do you think?" Lu Cheng asked with a satisfied grin.
Gao Minglang's eyes lit up. Though still a bit unsure, his gut told him that this could be a good approach. Gao Chi, however, still looked hesitant.
"But isn't this… well, dishonest?" Gao Chi asked, frowning.
"Hey!" Gao Minglang spoke up, now defending Lu Cheng's idea. "Is the evolution real or not?"
Gao Chi nodded.
"And did it happen at Yixin Dojo?"
Another nod.
"There you have it!" Gao Minglang said, slapping his leg.
Gao Chi froze, a look of surprise spreading over his face.
"So the critical point is being able to help students' Pokémon evolve," Lu Cheng continued. "I think I can get some data on Tyrogues evolution. If we use that as our draw, I'm sure Yixin Dojo can thrive again."
Gao Chi sighed, still uncertain. "Something about this still feels... strange."
"So, I'll be teaching taekwondo as usual?" he confirmed.
"Exactly!" Lu Cheng nodded. "And a crucial part of the plan is that you teach Tyrogue new moves so they can evolve into Hitmonchan or Hitmonlee!"
"But how can you prove it works?" Gao Lu, who'd been listening in, asked quickly. "If those Tyrogue don't evolve, won't we have done all this for nothing?"
Lu Cheng motioned for Gao Lu to be quiet, then cast a glance at Mohawk, who was completely absorbed in his game.
---
"Hey, what game are you playing?"
"Glory of Pokémon!" The guy with the mohawk flung his phone aside in frustration. "The enemy keeps invading my jungle, and the bot lane keeps calling for help! How am I supposed to go?"
The screen faded to black as his Hitmonchan was taken out in one swift combo by a Greninja.
Clearing his throat, Lu Cheng said, "So...you're a Hitmonchan fan?"
The mohawk guy sighed, setting his phone down and scratching his head. "Yeah, didn't you see my starter Pokémon is Tyrogue?"
"Then why hasn't it evolved yet?"
The mohawk guy shot him a glare. "What if it evolves into a Hitmonlee, huh? I'm waiting for my 'Hitmonchan Master' achievement—maybe it'll boost my luck enough!"
What he wasn't about to tell Lu Cheng was that he actually had no clue how to train Tyrogue properly, and that's why it hadn't evolved.
Lu Cheng leaned in conspiratorially, lowering his voice. "Well, I heard that evolving Tyrogue into either Hitmonchan or Hitmonlee isn't just luck...there's a technique to it."
The mohawk guy looked skeptical, but Lu Cheng continued, "And here at the Isshin Dojo, they've got the secrets to evolving Fighting-type Pokémon!"
With the air of an ancient mystic selling miracle cures, Lu Cheng looked intently at the mohawk guy, who stared back with skepticism. "I've been training here for half a month, and you're telling me they've got secrets I don't know about?"
"I'm serious!" Lu Cheng said. "I started out with a Tyrogue too. Getting it to evolve was the only reason I joined Isshin Dojo."
Saying this, he sent out a Hitmonchan with tiny black-dot eyes. "After weeks of hard work, I finally persuaded the master here to teach me the secret to evolution. Look—I just evolved it in the back courtyard!"
The sight of the Hitmonchan made the mohawk guy's eyes light up; he was now halfway convinced, though he still muttered, "If Isshin Dojo's so great, then how did it end up in such a state?"
Lu Cheng leaned in, speaking in hushed tones. "They refused to share their secrets with anyone, so the association took away their license."
"Now that they're desperate, they're finally sharing these secrets, just to spite the association!"
It was the kind of wild conspiracy theory that would only fool a kid, but the mohawk guy was eating it up, stroking his chin as he pondered. "I guess that is pretty rough… But how can you prove it?"
Lu Cheng gestured towards the back courtyard. "See for yourself!"
As he led the mohawk guy to the back, Gao Minglang—following Lu Cheng's instructions—had changed into a traditional outfit and was doing his best impression of a reclusive martial arts master. With stubbly facial hair and a distant, intense gaze, he certainly looked the part.
"You're here?" Gao Minglang greeted them with a low voice.
The mohawk guy nearly jumped out of his skin. Gao Minglang was rarely in the dojo, and now he'd shown up with the air of a grandmaster, leaving quite an impression.
"E-excuse me, sir," the mohawk guy stammered. "Would it be possible for my Tyrogue to…"
Gao Minglang raised a hand to silence him. "Originally, I had no intention of sharing this secret…"
"But those who'd hold us down have pushed us too far!" He looked to the sky, letting out a long, dramatic sigh.
"If it must be done, then let more Trainers benefit from our knowledge!"
"Bring your Pokémon here," he commanded.
The mohawk guy, awestruck by Gao Minglang's display, immediately sent out his Tyrogue, positioning it reverently in front of Gao Minglang.
Inside, Gao Minglang's confidence wavered. That brat Lu Cheng—what am I going to do if this doesn't work out? But he steeled himself, putting on a compassionate, wise expression as he lightly tapped Tyrogue on the head, leaving the Pokémon visibly baffled.
"Go train your Mach Punch with Machamp."
At his words, Gao Minglang released Machamp from its Ultra Ball.
Machamp's reassuring smile as it led the bewildered Tyrogue to a wooden post truly looked worthy of a grandmaster's companion.
Master's Pokémon truly have a special aura, the mohawk guy thought to himself in awe.
Tyrogue watched as Machamp began striking the wooden post with rapid punches, and after a moment of hesitation, it began mimicking the technique with Mach Punch. Being Tyrogue's specialty, it was determined not to be outdone by Machamp!
As the speed of the punches increased, Lu Cheng felt his own pulse quicken. He could only hope the system's data wasn't misleading him; based on Su Xiangrou's analysis, if Tyrogue's Mach Punch reached a certain threshold, it could trigger evolution.
With each punch, Tyrogue's movements grew faster and more powerful, nearing Machamp's speed. As it pushed itself beyond its limits, a brilliant white light erupted from its body!
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