There's Something Off About My Pokémon. [47]
Startled, Lu Cheng instinctively nodded. Despite Treecko receiving ample nutrition every day, and even with most of the healing salve used up, there was still no sign of evolution. Maybe his grandfather could offer some help.
Treecko, still holding its cherished twig, walked over to the old man. In truth, Treecko felt an inexplicable fondness for him, though it couldn't quite pinpoint why. Perhaps it was because something about Grandpa felt oddly familiar.
As Treecko approached, Tauros' expression suddenly changed, and the atmosphere around them grew thick with tension. Its eyes turned blood-red, staring fiercely at Treecko, as though it was ready to charge and impale Treecko with its horns at any moment.
"Old Bull!" Grandpa shouted, then sternly scolded Tauros in its ear, "Look carefully."
Tauros squinted and seemed to take a closer look at Treecko. After a moment of examination, it let out a low, uninterested growl and started lazily pawing at the dirt with its hooves. It had clearly lost interest, having realized it had mistaken Treecko for something else.
Moments ago, Tauros' piercing gaze made Treecko think it was about to meet its end, freezing its body in fear. But in the next instant, a strange sensation welled up inside it, and it suddenly remembered the words an old man used to repeat to it back in the yulin forest: "True justice is never being afraid, always fighting for what you believe in."
With a deep exhale, Treecko's eyes, once filled with fear, now brimmed with intense fighting spirit as it stared back at Tauros. No matter how powerful the opponent, it would not be afraid!
"Hmm?" Noticing Treecko's gaze, Grandpa looked at it with surprise, then smiled. Cheng Cheng's Treecko has a good mindset, he thought. Even Tauros was a little taken aback. Facing it without flinching and even wanting to challenge? Did it not realize how strong its opponent was?
Lu Cheng had been startled just moments ago. Tauros, with its eight powerful moves, was not an opponent Treecko could handle right now. Little Vulpix let out a "Vulp!" and hurried over to Treecko's side, glaring at Tauros. This yellow cow... very annoying! Vulpix was loyal to its friends, and seeing Treecko being intimidated made it rush over in support.
Looking at his two Pokémon, Lu Cheng couldn't help but smile wryly.
"Cheng Cheng," Grandpa suddenly said, "How about a Pokémon battle?"
"Eh, what?!"
"No matter how well you've trained them, it always takes real battles to see the results," Grandpa said with a smile. "And evolution isn't just about cold numbers, it's about growth and a breakthrough in one's mindset."
"I think your Treecko is at a bottleneck, just lacking that one push."
"And right now, perhaps this is the best opportunity."
Grandpa's words made Lu Cheng reflect. Evolution... isn't just about training but a breakthrough in one's mindset? When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with determination. He smiled and said, "Grandpa, please battle me!"
Grandpa nodded with a smile. A promising student!
"Old Bull, I'm counting on you!" Grandpa smiled at the Tauros beside him.
"Moo—" Tauros yawned, opening its mouth wide in a show of disdain, as if to say, "Whatever, let's get this over with so I can go back to sleep." These two little guys? When your Grandpa Tauros was chatting it up with Aggron and Metagross, you two hadn't even been born yet. Tauros swished its three tails and lazily walked over to the wide field. The field was spacious enough to accommodate a battle between the three Pokémon.
Grandpa called out, "Cheng Cheng, you can use both of your Pokémon to battle Tauros."
"Even though Grandpa is old, my skills are still sharp, you know!"
"Don't underestimate me and Old Bull!"
Lu Cheng thought to himself, As if I could dare to underestimate you! But battling such a powerful Pokémon was clearly an incredible opportunity. Grandpa would never let any harm come to his Pokémon, and Tauros, with its eight mastered moves, surely knew how to hold back. A powerful yet careful sparring partner like this? Where else could you find one!
Lu Cheng shouted, "Vulpix, Treecko, I'm counting on you!"
The two Pokémon leapt into position, facing Tauros, fully prepared for battle. They could both sense the immense strength of their opponent, but surprisingly, an excited grin appeared on Treecko's face! Vulpix, though initially hesitant, saw the determination in its partner's eyes and stepped forward boldly.
"Impressive spirit," Grandpa laughed. "Old Bull, don't let them beat you too easily!"
Tauros turned its head to glance at Grandpa, thinking, Even if you're spoiling your grandson, you don't have to throw me under the bus like this! If I can't even handle these two little Pokémon, I might as well stop calling myself a top-tier Tauros.
Lu Cheng knew he couldn't beat this Tauros, but his two Pokémon would surely gain invaluable battle experience from this fight!
"Vulpix, use Ember! Treecko, use Mega Drain!"
This was also Lu Cheng's first time commanding two Pokémon at once, a real test of his coordination. To avoid being one-shot, Lu Cheng decided to have his Pokémon attack from a distance first. As the two attacks converged, Tauros didn't dodge or block; it just stood there yawning. The Ember and Mega Drain hit Tauros, but it was as if nothing happened, with Tauros glaring down at the two Pokémon, completely unfazed.
What's this, a tickle?
"Old Bull, use Rest," Grandpa commanded.
Rest? Tauros was confused. Why Rest? I could knock them both out with one Take Down! But fine, if the old man says sleep, then sleep it is. Sleeping sounds good anyway! Tauros closed its eyes and dramatically flopped onto the ground with a loud thud.
"Moo—" It started snoring loudly.
Lu Cheng was also caught off guard. His Pokémon hadn't dealt any damage—Tauros' health was probably still full. Why Rest now?
But in the next second, he realized what was happening and urgently shouted, "Treecko, Vulpix, don't go near Tauros!"
The two Pokémon had been about to dash in with Quick Attack, but stopped in their tracks when they heard Lu Cheng's warning.
Grandpa couldn't help but be impressed by Lu Cheng's calm reaction. Not bad, staying composed under pressure. But against overwhelming power, even good strategy might not be enough. Cheng Cheng, absorb everything you can from this battle!
Grandpa called out, "Tauros, use Sleep Talk!"
"Moo—" Tauros, still snoring loudly, responded with a powerful roar. A surge of energy began to form in its mouth! Sleep Talk allows a sleeping Pokémon to randomly use one of the moves it knows, even while asleep!
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