There's Something Off About My Pokémon. [74]

Typing out such a dramatic title on Word, Lu Cheng quickly hit enter and sheepishly changed it to Shadow Clone Training Plan. If I don't win the championship, even a trip to the amusement park with Mu Mei will feel tasteless! But if I do win... then it'll be a double victory! Probably. This thought only strengthened Lu Cheng's resolve to increase his strength, and he immediately began working on the "Shadow Clone" training plan.

Although inserting the skill disc into the interface on the Poké Ball would allow the Pokémon to learn the corresponding move, that would only bring it to an "entry-level" proficiency. Without diligent practice, not only could the move fail during use, but the Pokémon might even forget it entirely—which wouldn't be surprising.

There was once a wealthy businessman who made such a blunder. To show off to his circle of friends, he spent a fortune teaching his Persian every possible move it could learn. But in the end, aside from the moves it already knew, the Persian forgot all the new ones. The poor businessman's mishap was plastered all over textbooks and Pokémon news outlets, becoming a cautionary tale for novice trainers—a tragic, laughable warning!

To avoid such rookie mistakes, daily training remained essential. For some reason, the construction site next to Lu Cheng's home had recently been locked up again. After asking Old Man Wang next door, he learned that the former contractor had been involved in illegal fundraising and fled. The site had since been taken over by a new company and resumed construction.

Now, Lu Cheng had to find a new training ground.

"There goes my ten thousand yuan!" Lu Cheng grumbled. "Such a scam!"

While complaining, he began searching for a new place. There were many professional training facilities in Jiang City designed specifically for trainers, equipped with advanced amenities like gravity chambers and move calibration rooms. However, such places charged exorbitant fees—Lu Cheng had inquired, and it cost two thousand yuan per hour.

As he was about to turn around and leave, a pair of strong, muscular arms grabbed him.

"Interested in Pokémon fitness?"

Lu Cheng looked up in confusion, only to be greeted by a Machamp, its entire body rippling with bulging purple muscles, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. It struck a bodybuilder's pose, winking at him with a dazzling grin of white teeth.

Ass♂we♂can!

"Holy crap!" Lu Cheng jumped back in shock.

Standing beside the Machamp, a middle-aged man in an oily polo shirt emerged, giving Lu Cheng an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, sorry, did we scare you?" The man clasped his hands together with a cheerful grin. "Hey, buddy, I've got a business to run here. Could you help me out by taking a few flyers?"

The man was tall, over 1.8 meters, but his beer belly and double chin, covered in stubble, betrayed his otherwise imposing figure.

Lu Cheng raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Uncle, in your condition, you're still doing Pokémon fitness?"

"Hmph, kid, don't underestimate me!" The man snorted, striking the same bodybuilding pose as his Machamp. "Back in the day, I was a handsome guy with an eight-pack!"

At that moment, the slim fitness coach standing nearby shouted, "Old Gao, quit bragging! You've been a security chief for a few years and think you're something!"

"Sorry about that." Gao Minglang nodded and bowed to the coach before turning back to Lu Cheng with a smile. "So, young man, how about some fitness? The Pokémon training equipment is free to use!"

Lu Cheng had initially planned to leave, but hearing this, he stopped in his tracks. "How much?"

"Eight hundred yuan an hour!"

"I just need the Pokémon training facilities." A glint flashed in Lu Cheng's eyes.

"Oh?" A similar gleam appeared in the man's eyes. "You sure?"

"Positive!"

"Four hundred an hour!"

"Deal!"

After confirming that the coach wasn't paying attention, Gao Minglang leaned closer and whispered, "Follow me!"

Gao led Lu Cheng into a secluded corner, and Lu Cheng's suspicions grew. "Uncle, you're not tricking me, are you?"

"Why would I trick you?" Gao looked around cautiously before using a spare key to open the gym's back door, lifting the rolling shutter. "You can ask around Jiang City—everyone knows that when I, Gao Minglang, say something, I mean it!"

Lu Cheng crossed his arms, still full of doubt. "Uncle, this isn't one of those deals where you're sneaking me into someone else's place, is it?"

"Hey!" Gao waved his hand dismissively. "Borrowing isn't the same as stealing!"

"Look here." Gao proudly held the shutter open with one hand, pointing to the dusty interior of the back room. "You can slip in quietly, and no one will ever notice!"

"Not bad, Uncle," Lu Cheng said, crouching down to sneak inside, giving a nod of approval. "You've got some skills!"

Gao lifted his chin with pride. "Don't mention it!"

Lu Cheng waved at Gao. "I'll pay you by the hour when I'm done. Wait for me at the entrance."

"Got it!" Gao called back loudly.

Once Lu Cheng had walked off, Gao suddenly groaned in pain, "Machamp! Machamp, come help me hold this!"

"I've thrown my back out!"

---

Lu Cheng fumbled in the dark, searching for the power switch. With a "whoosh," the entire training room lit up.

This really is a professional gym, Lu Cheng marveled. Even the training room is so well-designed!

Usually, gyms offer both fitness and Pokémon training facilities, but this particular one seemed rather deserted—such a large training room, and not a single soul in sight. Lu Cheng surveyed the space. The room was about the size of two indoor basketball courts, more than enough for skill training or even Pokémon battles. It was equipped with a variety of specialized facilities as well.

In midair, several nets of different heights were strung up by ropes, meant for flying-type Pokémon to practice their dive attacks. On the walls, there were a few Raiden-brand Pokémon targets, designed to withstand powerful attacks without being easily damaged. These targets could be used to test the accuracy of a Pokémon's moves. In the gym equipment area, there was even a punching machine used to measure the force of a Pokémon's punches, though it was primarily for fighting-type Pokémon—neither of Lu Cheng's Pokémon would find it useful.

His main objective today was to train Double Team.

Lu Cheng gathered a few wooden stakes from around the gym and placed them in the open area. He turned to his two Pokémon and said, "Alright, try to get a feel for Double Team. The goal is to project your clones onto the wooden stakes around you."

Double Team had immense potential for development. The number of clones, how realistic they appeared, and the maximum distance the clones could be from the original Pokémon were all measures of how skilled a Pokémon was at using the move. Different Pokémon and trainers often had completely different understandings of how to use Double Team effectively.

The move Double Team (Novice) had already been input into the move sets of both Pokémon via the TM. Now, all that was left was to practice repeatedly and improve their proficiency with the move.

Once they mastered this technique, both Vulpix and Grovyle's strength would undoubtedly reach new heights!

---

T/N: I always giggle when I see Mu Mei, if you know you know. It'd be perfect if she gets an owl-like pokemon

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!

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