There's Something Off About My Pokémon [97]
Within the bright light, Tyrogue began to grow taller. Its thin, skeletal frame visibly bulked up, muscles shifting to a bronzed hue. Red glove-like fists appeared at its wrists, while a layer of purple armor formed around its body. However, to Lu Cheng, the armor looked oddly like a skirt—like a boxer dressed in a tutu. Highly mismatched!
"So, it seems that Ditto's transformations based on pictures don't quite match reality," Lu Cheng muttered. Guess I'll have to put some bold ideas on hold. Lu Cheng sighed.
Gao Minglang also exhaled in relief but maintained his sage-like expression, nodding slowly. "Your Tyrogue is quite impressive."
Mohawk stared at his newly evolved Hitmonchan, utterly amazed. After a long pause, he suddenly grasped Gao Minglang's hand and exclaimed, "Thank you, Master!"
Gao Minglang nodded with a smile. "You've earned the Isshin Badge. Remember, from today, this badge is reserved only for those whose Pokémon have the fate to evolve. Treasure it well!" Saying this, Gao Minglang pulled out a small headband-like badge and handed it to Mohawk.
Mohawk's eyes grew misty as he gingerly accepted the badge, shouting, "Thank you, Master!"
"Starting today, you no longer need to come to Isshin Dojo." Gao Minglang turned his gaze skyward, adding with a hint of nostalgia, "You've graduated."
Now this is a true master, Mohawk thought. Training solely for his students' Pokémon to evolve, not charging a single extra coin. Five thousand yuan? Heck, he'd pay fifty thousand if it meant evolving his Tyrogue into a Hitmonchan!
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Mohawk vowed, "Don't worry, Master. From now on, Isshin Dojo will be my top dojo!"
Gao Minglang threw a look at Lu Cheng, who nodded knowingly and stepped forward. "Hey man, now that your Pokémon's evolved, don't you think you should show some appreciation?"
Mohawk blinked and reached for his wallet.
"Whoa, whoa!" Lu Cheng waved him off. "What do you take the master for?"
"Then... what should I do?" Mohawk asked, looking lost.
"Promotion! Promotion!" Lu Cheng said, feigning disappointment. "The master went out of his way to share this precious knowledge so more trainers could evolve their Pokémon. But as you've seen, only a few people know of this opportunity."
"All you need to do is spread the word—be the example that proves Isshin Dojo can help Pokémon evolve!"
Mohawk immediately agreed, saying he knew tons of trainers he'd tell about Isshin Dojo.
"Still five thousand yuan per student?" Mohawk asked nervously.
"The master doesn't care for money, but there's rent and staff costs. So, yeah, the five thousand yuan stays," Lu Cheng said, backing Gao Minglang up.
Relieved, Mohawk broke into a grin. Five thousand yuan? Totally worth it!
"Don't worry, Master. I'll send as many friends as I can!"
Gao Minglang cleared his throat. "Remember, not every Pokémon is as exceptional as your Tyrogue. If they lack potential and can't evolve, I won't grant them the Isshin Badge."
Mohawk soaked in the praise, holding his Isshin Badge in even higher regard.
Lu Cheng and Gao Minglang shared a triumphant look, chuckling as they exchanged glances.
---
"What? He's bringing people over this afternoon?" Gao Minglang was taken aback; he hadn't expected Mohawk to act so quickly.
Meanwhile, Lu Cheng was still waiting for Su Xiangrou to send over the evolution data—after all, not every Pokémon was on the verge of evolving like Mohawk's Tyrogue. Unless there was data to analyze Tyrogue's evolution at various stages, it would be nearly impossible to proceed smoothly.
"What do we do?" Gao Lu asked, her nerves showing. "What if we get found out?"
Lu Cheng shook his head. "If he's bringing people over this soon, it means he really trusts us."
"As long as we can get at least one of their Pokémon to evolve, Isshin Dojo's reputation will start to spread fast." He patted Gao Lu reassuringly on the shoulder, flashing a confident grin. "Relax. Leave it to me!"
Gao Lu stared at him, then bit her lip and nodded.
Inside the dojo, Mohawk had his arm slung around the neck of a spiky-haired man, laughing. "I'm telling you, this place has a real master! You're in for a treat today!"
Spiky gave him a skeptical look. "Yeah, right. If they were really so great, why'd they get their license pulled by the Association?"
Mohawk bristled. "That's because the master refuses to conform to the petty ways of the world!"
Spiky snorted. "Seeing is believing."
"I'm telling you, my Tyrogue actually evolved into a Hitmonchan!" Mohawk insisted.
As the two argued, Lu Cheng walked out.
Mohawk immediately pulled him over. "Hey, kid, you know the master, right? Convince him to teach my brother here so his Pokémon can evolve too!"
"No need to rush. The master's taking his afternoon break," Lu Cheng said cheerfully. "So, what kind of Pokémon do you have?"
Without another word, Spiky tossed out a Pokéball.
Boldore! … No, actually, it was a Geodude.
GeodudeNature: Hardy
Ability: Sturdy
Moves: Harden, Defense Curl, Tackle
Analysis: Seems to have a thick skull, with a layer of Everstone crystals on the surface, giving it a notable defensive edge.
"My brother's Geodude hasn't evolved for some reason," Mohawk explained. "It's been two, maybe three years. He was about to give up on it, but I told him Isshin Dojo might be able to help."
Seeing the analysis, Lu Cheng quickly understood why this Geodude hadn't evolved. With Everstone crystals on it? No wonder!
Still, this gave him an opportunity to work with.
"Ever taken it to a Pokémon Center for a checkup?" Lu Cheng asked, feigning curiosity.
Mohawk sighed. "The people at the Pokémon Center said they only take in injured Pokémon. My brother's tried every home remedy there is, but nothing's worked."
Spiky scoffed. "Enough with the talk. Bring out this so-called master; my brother's obviously been hoodwinked."
"No need for that!" Lu Cheng grinned. "This is such a small issue—I can handle it myself!"
"You?" Mohawk leaned in close, whispering, "Hey, I know you're close with the master, but this isn't a joke. My brother's been waiting three years. Are you sure we shouldn't get him involved?"
Lu Cheng shot him a look. "The master doesn't have time for every little problem. Helping you out earlier was already a big favor! Just follow my lead, and I guarantee you'll see it evolve."
Mohawk reluctantly stepped back, shooting a wary glance at Spiky.
Spiky sneered. "Fine, let's see what this scammer's got up his sleeve. So, what's your big plan?"
"Simple!" Lu Cheng said with a sly grin, tossing out a Pokéball. "We're going to have a little Pokémon battle!"
---
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