The morning classes finally dragged to an end. After school finished at noon, Cheng Tian said goodbye to his classmates and headed home by himself, as usual.
Cheng Tian felt strangely exhausted after the morning. After eating a quick lunch and chatting with his parents for a bit, he retreated to his bedroom.
Froakie was still watching *Naruto*. The little guy had learned how to adjust the playback speed and would skip unimportant plot points by setting it to double speed.
"What part are you watching?" Cheng Tian leaned closer and saw an elderly man with gray hair holding a sword on the screen, navigating dozens of attackers with practiced ease.
"Froakie!" Froakie chirped, utterly impressed by the old man's strength. "Oh, that's Kosuke Maruboshi, the elder." Cheng Tian recognized him instantly. Kosuke Maruboshi was the oldest Genin in Konoha. He had never advanced further in his life as a form of atonement, and he was one of the figures Cheng Tian respected.
Just then, he was knocked into a lake during the ambush, and the enemy's Ninjutsu was incoming. The elder quickly performed hand signs. "Water Release: Water Wall!" A massive barrier of water erupted from the lake with a fierce shout, blocking the attack. "Froakie!" Froakie's eyes were practically sparkling as it watched.
Following the scene, Froakie hopped onto the floor and slowly condensed a small wall of water in front of itself, mimicking the anime.
Hmm... While successful, it was still miles away from being a true Water Wall. Cheng Tian tried poking it and found his finger could pass right through. Clearly, this couldn't block any attacks, and it certainly wasn't a Water Wall.
"Froakie..." Froakie lowered its small head, looking dejected. Seeing this, Cheng Tian reassured it, "Don't worry, Froakie. I have a way to help you learn the Water Wall." "Froakie!?" Froakie stared up at Cheng Tian, eyes wide with delight. That's amazing!
Cheng Tian nodded. He truly did have a method, though it was only an idea, and its success was far from guaranteed. Still, it was worth a shot.
Cheng Tian regarded Froakie as family, so he decided to fulfill its wishes whenever possible.
He picked up his phone and searched for "Whirlpool Skill Disc" on the Pidove app. The results page instantly popped up.
Premium Whirlpool Skill TM—make your Pokémon stronger! Price: 9,800 yuan.
Premium Whirlpool Skill TM—a must-have for Water-type Pokémon! Price: 6,700 yuan!
Factory Direct Premium Whirlpool Skill TM—clearly etched! Price: 5,900 yuan.
Yes, that's right. In this world, Skill TM's can be purchased online. You can even buy ones unavailable domestically through overseas agents—you just have to pay the import tax.
A Skill TM doesn't always guarantee that a Pokémon will learn the move; success depends on the clarity and completeness of the TM's etching, as well as the Pokémon's innate learning ability. So sometimes, you might end up throwing your money away... Cheng Tian felt his heart race looking at the ridiculously high prices. It costs this much and still might not be learned?!
But seeing Froakie's yearning eyes, he decided to buy one anyway! They might be poor, but they wouldn't skimp on education! It was great that Froakie wanted to learn a new skill, and as its Trainer, he couldn't dampen that enthusiasm for progress!
He entered the payment password, using the money from the bank card his father had given him. Cheng Tian checked the balance and saw 250,000 yuan. While a substantial sum, it was barely a drop in the ocean when it came to raising and training Pokémon.
Having spent 6,700 yuan on a Whirlpool Skill Disc, Cheng Tian patted Froakie's small head. "You'll have to train diligently from now on."
Although the other equivalent ones were cheaper, Cheng Tian refused to waste money on such a poor-quality platform. The goods were often substandard, and sometimes they weren't even what he ordered. Pidove was far more reliable in comparison.
After purchasing the Whirlpool Skill TM, Cheng Tian paused, then searched for the "Rain Dance" Skill Disc. However, no relevant products came up.
"Hmm? No Rain Dance Skill TM?" Cheng Tian had planned to get Rain Dance for Froakie to strengthen its Water-type moves, but it seemed unavailable. Cheng Tian took a screenshot and opened QQ.
Orange Peel: Screenshot.jap
Orange Peel: Why aren't Rain Dance Skill Discs available for purchase online?
My Wife Miku: Look at the idiot.jap
My Wife Miku: It would be weird if they were available. Weather-based skills are extremely rare. Those types of Skill Discs are not sold publicly; the League has a monopoly on them.
Cheng Tian nodded in sudden understanding. So that was the reason. No wonder he couldn't find it online.
My Wife Miku: Why are you asking? Did you want to buy one for Froakie?
Orange Peel: Yeah, I just bought the Whirlpool TM for Froakie and wanted to see if I could pair it with a rainy weather setup.
My Wife Miku: Hehe, I got a skill for my Chimchar too!
Orange Peel: What skill is it?
My Wife Miku: I won't tell you~ (Tsundere)
My Wife Miku: We have P.E. class this afternoon. I heard we have a male teacher leading us. I wonder if he's strict.
Fine, if he doesn't want to say, so be it. Cheng Tian chatted for a few more minutes, then continued watching *Naruto* with Froakie.
After finishing an episode, a notification popped up on his screen.
[Your express package has been picked up!]
Cheng Tian was startled. That fast?! He clicked on the notification and saw that Skill TM products were automatically shipped via expedited service, delivered by Reverse Wind Express. If all went smoothly, he would likely receive it after school this afternoon.
"Alright, I'll go rent a training room after school this afternoon." Cheng Tian settled on the plan. He then turned off his phone and drifted off to sleep with Froakie... At two in the afternoon, Cheng Tian walked into the classroom holding two bottles of Pulse sports drink. The class wasn't full yet; in fact, he was the only one present from Group Three.
"Why are these guys so late today?" Cheng Tian set the Pulse bottles on the windowsill, opened the window to catch the breeze, and sat down to rest for a bit.
About five minutes later, Lin Lin and Bai Yun walked in together. " Tian, you're quite early today. Hey? Did you buy this Pulse specifically for me? You're too kind."
Cheng Tian rolled his eyes. "It's not for you; it's for Su Han." Bai Yun put on a wronged expression. "Prioritizing romance over friendship! You won't even let me drink your Pulse, boo-hoo..."
"Fine, fine. This bottle is a return gift for the bread she gave me this morning. If you want a drink, I'll give you mine later." Cheng Tian said, exasperated.
"That's enough, Yun. This is for Su Han, so stop trying to steal it." Lin Lin winked. "Cheng Tian, impressive! You were already making moves on Su Han this morning."
"How many times do I have to tell you? I just picked up her correction tape." Bai Yun clearly didn't believe him. "If you only picked up a correction tape, why was she blushing? You must have been doing something naughty!"
Cheng Tian didn't want to argue anymore. "Yeah, yeah, you're totally right."
"But why are there so few people? Where did everyone go?" Bai Yun looked at him as if he were an idiot. "It's P.E. class this afternoon. Anyone who hasn't shown up must have gone straight to the sports field."
"Oh, I see." Cheng Tian nodded. "Then let's head over there too."