Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof
-----------------
The joint three-camp exam had concluded.
This also marked the end of the first semester—they were about to go on break.
The vacation would last until mid-to-late March, after the entire Spring Festival period had passed. Only then would students be allowed to return to camp.
And yet, most of them felt that this holiday was just way too—Long.
For many, the resources available in the Youth Training Camp were things they couldn't experience outside.
The battles after the break wouldn't be nearly as intense either.
A lot of them were afraid that after a whole winter vacation, their battle frequency would drop, leading to their Pokémon either regressing or stagnating in strength.
So, they were desperate to return to camp as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, the schedule was set in stone.
Even Xiang Yangwei couldn't change it. Everyone had to go home and come back at the designated time.
Li Xiang's candy-collecting progress also slowed down considerably.
There was no helping the drop in both the quantity and quality of battles. He'd just have to find other ways to make up for the lost training.
And this was where his designated tool, Lin Feng, came into play.
Lin Feng guaranteed Li Xiang a minimum number of daily battles—and candies. Speaking of which, Lin Feng had also gained quite a bit from the three-camp exam. Though nowhere near as absurd as Li Xiang's haul, his total of 40 tokens was still enough to shock onlookers.
The total number of tokens distributed was just over a thousand, and Lin Feng still had plenty of people to surpass.
This proved that Lin Feng was still the kid blessed by fortune—just not as ridiculously overpowered as Li Xiang.
On the night they returned, Lin Feng spent 800 points in the camp store to buy a female Ralts with excellent potential.
But he wasn't keeping it for himself—it was a New Year's gift for his little sister.
Whether it was worth it or not was beside the point. The gift represented Lin Feng's feelings—his love for his little sister Lin Lan.
When people are young, they often can't make the most optimal choices for themselves. Perspective, temper, and experience dictate everything.
But the purest emotions also come from this period.
If they're unhappy, they get angry. If they like something, they really like it.
If Lin Feng felt those 800 points were worth it, then they were worth it—no one else's opinion mattered.
'Having siblings must be nice.'
Li Xiang, an only child in both lifetimes, couldn't help but sigh. If he had a little sister like that, would he be able to do the same?
Probably?
If he imagined pouring the love he had for his mother into a hypothetical sister, then yeah—it wouldn't be hard at all.
....
Holiday Season
The Spring Festival was approaching.
This year, the New Year came early—just two days after their break started, it would already be New Year's Eve.
No chance for travel this time. And without Li Xiang—the walking trouble magnet—his parents had a perfectly smooth trip to Star Island.
They left happily, returned happily. Absolutely zero issues.
Li Xiang didn't even know what to say.
As if to further prove his "disaster magnet" nature, this year, Lin Feng's family wasn't staying in Qingcheng for the holidays.
They were going to Xiang City—Lin Feng's maternal grandparents' home.
The reason was unclear. Even Lin Feng himself didn't know. Maybe it was related to some private family matter.
Li Xiang didn't press further, opting instead to sprawl across Persian's belly and question his life choices.
Seriously.
Since coming here, he'd experienced three New Year celebrations, and every single one had thrown him some kind of curveball.
Well, if he couldn't fight it, he'd just have to accept it.
But without Lin Feng, where was he supposed to find another convenient battle partner?
Someone who lived nearby, actively sought him out for battles—people like that were…
Basically nonexistent.
Guess he'd have to become a park battler?
Under eighteen, he couldn't enter the Bronze Colosseum or participate in ranked matches. And with it being the New Year, finding high-ranking trainers for private sparring was impossible.
That left public parks as his only option.
He could only hope the park battlers would be decent.
But just as he was considering alternatives—Salvation arrived.
His third senior sister, Jiang Shangrou, had returned from Yuzhou.
And she actively called him, offering to help with final-semester sprint training after the New Year to boost his strength as much as possible.
She even wished him luck in getting into a good school.
Li Xiang was moved beyond words.
This wasn't just a senior sister. This was family.
Hell, even real siblings might not go this far. Especially since she herself still had one last Junior World Tournament match in July.
How was he supposed to repay her? This was a massive debt of gratitude.
But honestly, ever since Li Xiang started learning the Three-Blind Perception Method, this was already something he could never fully repay.
So he stopped worrying about it.
Debts piled high don't feel heavy anyway. And as a top-tier young trainer, Jiang Shangrou was the perfect sparring partner for Li Xiang, even if his chances of winning weren't high.
Because his senior sister's strength… well, to put it simply, her main team was all above Level 55, with her dual aces—Scizor and Golisopod—just one step away from Level 60.
She was practically the pinnacle of trainers her age.
If not for her underperforming teammates, she could've easily snagged a few MVP titles, even if she didn't break into the global rankings.
But alas, her teammates just weren't good enough—they couldn't even make it to the top eight, the baseline for MVP consideration.
Battling her would be easy for her.
Li Xiang was more concerned about how many matches he could even win.
As long as there was training value, it was fine. He could always get his candies from the park battlers.
At the end of the day, the reason Jiang Shangrou had enrolled in Yuzhou University was because of her martial arts training.
She had secretly taken the entrance exams, not daring to let Duan Tianxing know.
Because the process included interviews and practical re-examinations that required her to go to the school—something that would've been too obvious if she traveled too far.
Yuzhou University was the best choice within Yuzhou. Only after getting in did she finally tell Duan Tianxing, who had always held high expectations for her.
That was also the first time the old master ignored her for nearly a month.
The silent, stern teacher who couldn't bear to actually punish her could only express his disappointment this way.
Second Day of the New Year
Jiang Shangrou's Residence.
Li Xiang, having finished his New Year visits early, knocked on the villa's door.
After five seconds, an Indeedee ushered him inside.
The moment he stepped in, the radiant floor heating enveloped him, instantly dispelling the winter chill.
"Oh~ You're early."
Qi Sunsun walked past, holding a glass of milk, dressed as lightly as ever.
"Good morning, Second Senior Sister. Didn't you go visiting?"
Li Xiang nodded at her, curious.
Jiang Shangrou had already finished all her New Year visits due to her unique family situation.
"Couldn't be bothered. And home doesn't feel comfortable anyway."
Qi Sunsun yawned, stretching lazily. "Ahhh~ This place is way cozier."
Then she flopped onto the sofa, her curves on full display, and beckoned Li Xiang over.
"Come here, Junior Brother. Rub my back—it's killing me."
Like hell he would.
Li Xiang mentally scoffed. He'd fallen for this once before—the moment he reached out (without even touching her), Qi Sunsun had instantly grabbed him and put him in a rear naked choke until he passed out.
When he woke up, she'd mocked him for having zero vigilance, saying all his Three-Blind Perception training was wasted.
"Not fit to be a Beng Quan disciple at all."
Since then, Li Xiang had never trusted this scorpion of a woman again.
No matter how tempting she acted.
"Sorry, Senior Sister, I've got things to do. Maybe next time."
He waved her off and quickly retreated.
Qi Sunsun puffed her cheeks, grumbling, "So stingy. It was just one time."
Backyard.
Jiang Shangrou was doing her morning training.
Her petite figure, bathed in the soft morning light, looked almost holy.
"Hm? You're here?"
She glanced at Li Xiang as he approached, her voice calm.
"Good morning, Senior Sister."
Li Xiang greeted her respectfully, then released his Pokémon.
He'd already told Jiang Shangrou about the shiny Metang and even sent her photos.
"You've improved a lot. Impressive."
Her gaze swept over his team, lingering briefly on Greninja.
Seeing it in photos was one thing—seeing it in person was another.
Only now did she realize just how rapidly her junior brother was progressing.
Truly, compared to martial arts, he had far more talent as a trainer.
Having competed in higher-level academies and the Junior World Tournament, Jiang Shangrou's insight was far beyond the average person's.
She could gauge Incineroar and the others' strength at a glance.
"You flatter me, Senior Sister."
Li Xiang smiled.
So far, Greninja's stealth abilities had no effect on Jiang Shangrou or her Pokémon.
Once they saw it, their focus wouldn't waver. Even its Camouflage couldn't escape her keen perception.
Greninja's core tactics were useless against her.
And all of this was thanks to Jiang Shangrou's unshakable martial spirit.
Having honed her mind to perfection and created the Three-Blind Perception Method, she was far beyond what Greninja could currently handle.
No need for small talk. They got straight to business.
In higher academies, 3v3 Singles was the standard format. And since the Junior Tournament also included Doubles, a 3v3 Tag Battle variant was added.
Those were the two main formats.
Full 6v6 matches dragged on too long—some could last hours—so few people opted for them.
Jiang Shangrou would be training Li Xiang in 3v3 Singles.
Tag Battles relied too much on team synergy, which wouldn't be useful right now since every partner had different strengths.
A long time ago, Li Xiang had battled Jiang Shangrou before—and was utterly crushed. He could only hope for better results this time.
With that in mind, Li Xiang selected three Pokémon and entered the arena with Jiang Shangrou.
"Let's go!"
Ten minutes later.....
Li Xiang silently wrung the water out of his clothes, his three Pokémon piled together in a KO'd heap behind him.
Once again, he had been thoroughly defeated.
Though it was better than last time—last time, he couldn't even fight back. This time, he at least landed some hits and dealt damage.
The loss came down to two factors:
i) The sheer gap in skill. Their level difference was only about 10, but Jiang Shangrou had six more years of training and battle experience.
Even with his candy cheat, he couldn't bridge all the gaps.
ii) He got too cocky. Used to crushing weaker opponents, he'd tried using charge-up moves against a hyper-offensive opponent.
The result? A brutal lesson in why that was a terrible idea.
He'd gotten complacent.
With a sigh, Li Xiang accepted the loss.