There's Something Off About My Pokémon. [77]
"There's an opening!" A gleam flashed in Machamp's eyes. Its right hand shifted from a fist to a chopping motion—it was using Karate Chop, one of its four mastered moves!
"Above you!" Lu Cheng shouted urgently.
Grovyle glanced up at the descending Karate Chop. For some reason, its mind went completely blank. There was no time left to use Quick Attack. That left only one choice! The next second, its body reacted instinctively.
A nearly solid afterimage shattered under the force of Karate Chop, while Grovyle had somehow managed to pull back a meter away in an instant.
"That was..." Lu Cheng stared at Gao Minglang in shock.
Gao Minglang nodded with a smile. "That's right, that was Grovyle's Double Team! Only when pushed to the edge can a Pokémon unleash its full potential. Precision, focus—that's what 'One Heart' is all about!"
Lu Cheng was just about to thank Gao Minglang, but one look at Grovyle's determined gaze told him what he needed to know.
"Uncle!" Lu Cheng grinned. "Let's save the thanks for later. Let's settle this match first!"
"That's exactly what I was thinking!" Gao Minglang's heart felt warm. Battling with Lu Cheng had rekindled the passion and vigor he once had as a Dojo Master. He laughed heartily. "Come at me, kid! I'll show you Machamp's true power!"
"Watch your back, Uncle!" Lu Cheng smirked and called out loudly, "Grovyle, Leaf Blade with Slash!"
Grovyle's speed spiked dramatically. After mastering Double Team, it had gained a significant boost in agility! Its left-hand leaf blade gleamed with white light, while its right hand, gripping the bone sword, began to charge up Slash.
A dual-wield attack!
"Bring it on!" Gao Minglang bellowed. "Machamp, Wide Guard!"
Machamp's heavily muscled face twisted into a smile as it stood its ground, lowering its stance and preparing itself. Its four massive hands were poised, ready for anything! The left set of arms moved like a vice to seize Grovyle's bone sword, while the right prepared to hurl Grovyle backward.
Another Reversal Throw!
"Uncle, you can't use the same move twice!" Lu Cheng chuckled. "Grovyle, use Detect!"
Just as Machamp's hands closed around the bone sword, Grovyle's eyes sharpened. It suddenly shifted from a chop to a sweeping motion, leaving a thin, bleeding line on Machamp's massive hand. Then, with a graceful spin, it dodged the throw, swinging its blade in a wide, crescent arc.
"Awesome!" Gao Minglang's excitement was palpable. "Machamp, Low Kick!"
Machamp grinned broadly and swept from below with a kick. Grovyle, so focused on dodging Machamp's punches, couldn't react in time and stumbled. In that brief moment, Machamp raised all four fists high above its head, gathering power for another devastating Dynamic Punch.
"Use Double Team to dodge!" Lu Cheng shouted.
A flash of understanding passed through Grovyle's eyes, and its form blurred, leaving only a faint afterimage in its place. This time, Grovyle's control over Double Team had clearly improved. Machamp's four fists crashed down, striking the ground with a deafening thud, causing the entire training room to shudder!
Cracks spread across the stone floor, clearly visible to the naked eye. Machamp remained frozen in its pose, fists pressed to the ground, like a living statue of David.
Lu Cheng's forehead dripped with cold sweat as he surveyed the shattered floor. Is it... striking a pose?
But just then, a loud cry rang out from the other side. Gao Minglang's face contorted with shock. "Machamp! Are you okay?!"
Machamp's body trembled as it pointed to its lower back. A bead of sweat, the size of a pea, trickled down its forehead.
Oh no, its back... gave out!
At that moment, the training room door suddenly burst open. The slim, athletic gym coach stood there, staring in stunned silence at the scene. His gaze slowly scanned the scattered wooden dummies, the still-buzzing punch machine, and the cracked floor.
"Old Gao," the coach's voice was tense, his teeth clenched in a forced smile. "Can you explain... what happened here?"
"Coach, I can explain..." Gao Minglang said awkwardly, stepping forward. One hand reached behind his back to quietly retrieve a Poké Ball while he winked at Lu Cheng.
Run!
Lu Cheng got the message, swiftly recalling Grovyle before dashing towards the rolling door held up by an iron rod. The coach's confusion was short-lived; he saw Lu Cheng fleeing and snapped to attention. A shadow shot forward.
"Hey, kid! Where do you think you're going?!"
As he ran, Gao Minglang shouted back over his shoulder, "Don't worry, Coach! I'll catch the thief for you!"
Watching the two figures disappear in the blink of an eye, the coach finally snapped out of his daze. He stomped his foot in frustration. "Old Gao, you're fired!"
The twilight sky cast long shadows over the commercial district. A karaoke bar still had a giant Jigglypuff mascot trying to attract customers. In the middle of the street, the local Pidove clock chimed, with a dark-eyed Pidove popping out half-heartedly.
"Coo... coo..."
Several high school students, chatting and laughing, looked on in surprise at the two figures panting heavily in the street.
"Hah, not bad, Uncle," Lu Cheng said between breaths. "You didn't even break a sweat after running two blocks."
"Of course!" Gao Minglang replied, hunched over and gasping. "You did pretty well yourself, keeping up with my pace!"
"Just lucky, I guess!" Lu Cheng chuckled.
"No, no, it's all skill!" Gao Minglang shot back, grinning.
Lu Cheng felt a strange camaraderie with the older man, unable to help but laugh. "So, Uncle, about the fee for using the training room—do I still need to pay you?"
Gao Minglang's face hardened instantly. "Yes, of course! Four hours, twelve hundred yuan, not a penny less!"
"Alright, alright." Lu Cheng smiled and pulled out his phone. "Uncle, let's swap contact info. I'll transfer the money."
"Maybe next time we can spar again!"
Gao Minglang, finding himself enjoying this young man's company, laughed heartily. "Sure! But I'll have you know, I don't give out my contact details to just anyone."
"It's only because I see potential in you as a trainer—otherwise, I wouldn't bother!"
Joking aside, Lu Cheng knew that the uncle's advice had been invaluable. Thanks to his guidance, Grovyle had managed to master Double Team much faster.
Pointing at a picture in Gao Minglang's social media profile, Lu Cheng asked in surprise, "Uncle, you know Karate too?"
"You even have a black belt!" In the photo, a younger, leaner Gao Minglang posed proudly in a black-belt karate gi. At a height of 185 cm, with a modest smile, he looked quite charming—a stark contrast to the unshaven, beer-bellied man standing before Lu Cheng.
"Don't judge me by my current state," Gao Minglang said, raising his head with pride, though there was a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "I used to be a famous karate dojo master, you know."
"Even though I'm old now, my son... he's still as outstanding as ever."
Seeing the man's bittersweet expression, a thought occurred to Lu Cheng. "What's your son's name, Uncle?"
"Gao Chi!" Gao Minglang beamed. "And he's in the U20 finals!"
---
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
If you wish to support me or read ahead here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]