There's Something Off About My Pokémon. [46]
"Chama," Treecko nodded. Despite its aloof nature, Treecko was undeniably competitive, driven by a fierce desire to win. Seeing how Wingull, which it had defeated with just two moves, had grown to this level, Lu Cheng couldn't help but wonder how Treecko would perform in the upcoming matches. The Top 100 tournament would be the perfect test of their strength.
"Have you heard? Wang Yingjie from Arena 1 scored another one-hit KO."
"Who was his opponent? Maybe he just got lucky?"
"No, no. His opponent was from a top high school, so he was no pushover!"
Hearing the people nearby chatting about Wang Yingjie, Lu Cheng unconsciously clenched his fists.
---
"Treecko, use Slash!"
In Grandpa's yard, Treecko was repeatedly practicing its Slash move against a training dummy. This was already Treecko's 100th Slash today, and it was still wearing the heavy competitive vest, making it sweat profusely. Each swing of its arm seemed like torture.
"Ninety-nine! Just one more!" Seeing the exhausted Treecko, Lu Cheng couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy. But he knew that without daily, intense training, there was no way to grow stronger.
"Chama," Treecko nodded, wiped the sweat from its brow, and executed one final Slash.
The large training dummy was something Lu Cheng had commissioned from his grandpa. He had tried ordering training equipment online, like punching bags and targets, but they weren't suitable for Treecko. The punching bags were easily torn apart by Slash, and the targets, while good for honing Vulpix's fire-aiming precision, were too costly to replace after each burn.
Fortunately, Lu Cheng remembered that his grandpa had plenty of homemade training gear in his yard. A phone call later, he found out that his grandpa had crafted them himself.
"Cheng Cheng, it's almost time for dinner," Grandpa said, carrying a bundle of firewood into the yard. He placed it in a corner and lit a roll of hand-rolled tobacco. "There's no need to rush. Training Pokémon isn't something that can be done in a day. You can't hurry these things."
Lu Cheng nodded, though he still felt a bit anxious. Half a week had passed, and Treecko still hadn't evolved.
Seeing the expression on Lu Cheng's face, Grandpa smiled warmly. Just like his father, always in a hurry.
"Tomorrow, you don't need to train," Grandpa said between puffs of smoke. "Come with me to the fields and take a day off."
"But…"
"No buts!" Grandpa gave Lu Cheng a playful thump on the shoulder and laughed, "Would Grandpa lead you astray?"
Lu Cheng sighed, giving a reluctant nod.
"You cheeky rascal," Grandpa chuckled heartily. "You'll see tomorrow. You won't regret it!"
---
The next day, Vulpix was unusually energetic, running around joyfully in the fields. Treecko, like a brooding wanderer, clutched a branch, following thoughtfully behind Lu Cheng. It was May, and the fields on both sides of the ridges were a vibrant green. The rice seedlings were tender and dewy, reflecting the sparkling ripples on the water. Occasionally, a few families could be seen bending over, working in the fields, while a few Pidgey pecked at the ground as they flew by. The farmers, having prepared berries ahead of time, smiled and fed the Pidgey to keep them from harming the seedlings.
"The weather's great today," Grandpa remarked cheerfully, carrying a hoe over his shoulder and a copper water jug in hand. "Perfect day for plowing!"
Lu Cheng couldn't help but nod in agreement. The breeze in the fields was incredibly refreshing, carrying the unique rural scent of earth mixed with cow dung. In the distance, a few Miltank and Tauros were hard at work in the fields, occasionally swatting away flies with their tails.
"These Miltank were imported from out of town, and they're mighty expensive!" Grandpa sighed. "Back in the day, we used to rely on Tauros for farming. Those things are so stubborn; it took a whole team of Pokémon to keep them under control!"
"Grandpa, you trained Pokémon too?" Lu Cheng asked with a smile. He thought his grandpa might be joking!
Each step seemed to carry the weight of a thousand pounds! Lu Cheng stood frozen, staring at this Tauros. Even though he hadn't been a trainer for long, he could sense the sheer power of this Tauros! It was the same feeling he had when facing Gong Sunrong's Rhyperior and Wu Ye's Dragonite!
Instinctively, Lu Cheng pulled out his magnifying glass and aimed it at the Tauros.
Tauros
Nature: Naughty
Ability: Anger Point.
Moves: Double-Edge, Outrage, Rest, Sleep Talk, Earthquake, Hyper Beam, Iron Tail, Horn Attack.
What the—! Eight moves!?
Lu Cheng nearly shouted out loud.
"What's wrong, Cheng Cheng?" Grandpa, walking ahead, turned around with concern. "You don't look so well."
"Nothing, nothing," Lu Cheng waved it off, though his face was pale. He had just made eye contact with the Tauros, and those lazy eyes seemed to be saying: "Kid, good eye you've got there."
Lu Cheng suddenly felt as if the Tauros had seen right through him, making him pull back the system in a hurry and follow closely behind Grandpa.
How could Grandpa have a Pokémon of this caliber? Could it be—?
Lu Cheng stared at Grandpa's back in shock.
Holy crap, is Grandpa a hidden master!?
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