Are you here?
Looking at Qing Fei's flushed face filled with disbelief, Lin Yu had always known this day would come.
The truth about the little Charmander's past!
Someday, Lin Yu would take the little Charmander on the road to competing for the championship.
By then, the rising fame of the little Charmander and himself would likely bring them to the attention of its original owner.
But he hadn't expected it.
This day would come so soon.
And by the looks of it.
The other person was wearing the uniform of Shui Mu High School—he was a fellow student.
"Bring it on!"
No more words were needed.
Lin Yu would make him see just how wrong he was to abandon that little Charmander.
"Growl!"
The little Charmander's fighting spirit ignited in an instant. As it stared at Qing Fei, its eyes burned with pure, surging determination.
Comparison revealed the truth.
Compared to Qing Fei's verbal abuse, Lin Yu was the one who truly treated it as a partner.
Pokémon have simple hearts, but they can tell who truly cares for them!
"You two? Fine, there are battle courts over there. Just find one and fight."
Chong Yue waved his hand, leaving them to it.
Once they reached the battlefield.
Lin Yu could see Qing Fei's eyes wide open, his expression one of utter disbelief.
Clearly, he couldn't believe this was the Charmander he had abandoned.
"Growlithe, use Flamethrower!"
The moment both sides took their positions, a powerful stream of flame erupted.
"Good! Charmander, use Fire Punch!"
Fire met fire.
The pillar of flame, as thick as an arm, was even smaller than the little Charmander's Ember.
Qing Fei watched the clash nervously.
The next moment, his expression crumpled.
The Flamethrower he had pinned his hopes on was extinguished like a tiny spark, casually snuffed out by the little Charmander.
And Growlithe was knocked out in one hit by the subsequent Fire Punch, lying on the ground whimpering.
How could the gap be this huge?
"Nice one, Charmander!"
In Lin Yu's appraisal view, this Growlithe was only level 11, and its talent was merely at the Gym level. It was perfectly normal for it to be utterly defeated by the little Charmander's single blow.
"Impossible!"
"It can't be that Charmander!"
His pupils unfocused, his expression dazed, he pointed a finger at the little Charmander.
"What's impossible? There are no bad Pokémon, only lousy trainers."
Looking at the crestfallen Qing Fei, Lin Yu snorted in disdain.
Someone this unable to handle defeat.
Would never amount to much in the future.
"Wait, Charmander, I'm your trainer! Come back!"
But the little Charmander merely glanced at him, then followed Lin Yu without a trace of hesitation.
People like him would never look for fault within themselves.
And they would never feel regret.
They only thought that because Charmander was once his Pokémon, now that he called it, it should naturally return to him!
...
Returning from the gym, Lin Yu was astonished to discover that the little Charmander's level had increased by two in just a few days, reaching level 15.
What's more, it had learned Flamethrower on its own!
Lin Yu thought about it and concluded it must be due to a shift in its state of mind.
Being abandoned on that rainy night had always been a knot in its heart.
This was connected to its subsequent intense training, its belief that it needed to become stronger every single moment.
Wasn't that all for the sake of proving itself?
Now that the knot in its heart was untied, a surge in strength was only natural.
September 10th.
School team member meeting.
Every member of the school team, provided they met the academic requirements, was practically exempt from standard school rules.
A new week.
And the unmissable event was, of course, the weekly word entry.
But the Goddess of Luck didn't seem to be smiling on him this week, granting him a white entry: [I Am the Fool].
[I Am the Fool]: After being rejected by the opposite sex, you feel a deep sense of loss. Damage from the opposite sex is reduced by 30%.
It wasn't just the Goddess of Luck ignoring him.
The Goddess of Misfortune, however, had certainly paid him a visit.
This was a completely negative word entry.
A sign: stop being a simp!
He decomposed it and got five Word Entry Coins.
Then, he reluctantly opened the day's Word Entry Shop.
After some time of accumulation, Lin Yu's Word Entry Coins had reached three digits.
His eyes swept past the familiar items quickly.
But soon, they landed on something interesting.
[Spirit Headband]: After wearing, mental strength increases by 5% – 30%. Cost: 75 Word Entry Coins.
This headband was sky-blue, like a silk scarf.
Although the price was steep.
Lin Yu placed the order immediately.
As the sky-blue headband was credited to him, he promptly called Ralts out from its Poké Ball.
Ralts was only level 12 now, far weaker in combat compared to the little Charmander.
If he could use this secret treasure to bridge the gap, it wouldn't be a bad strategy.
The shy little thing lifted the short hair covering its face and looked at Lin Yu.
(//▽//): "Ralts?" (What is it, Lin Yu?)
"Ralts, come here. I haven't given you a gift since you became my partner. This is for you."
(＾∀＾●): "Ralts~" (Yay~)
The headband seemed to have a self-adjusting quality; once on Ralts, it naturally tied itself around its head.
Swish.
An invisible current of air suddenly manifested.
Ralts's mental power spiked instantly.
Lin Yu estimated that this Spirit Headband currently provided Ralts with a boost equivalent to 2 or 3 levels in mental strength.
Thanks to the little one's usual diligent training in controlling its mental power.
The sudden surge was quickly brought under control.
"Ralts?!" (My mental power increased?!)
Ralts immediately sensed the change and exclaimed in shock.
"Shouldn't you be focusing on the fact that Ralts looks prettier now?"
The sky-blue headband, tied by Lin Yu into a small, neat bow and adorned on its head, looked strikingly vibrant.
"Ralts..."
Lin Yu laughed heartily. Sometimes, teasing the shy Ralts was truly amusing.
But the next moment.
His entire body began to float upwards. The sudden sensation of weightlessness made Lin Yu wave his arms不安ly.
Move: Confusion.
Ralts's Confusion was now strong enough to lift the weight of several adults.
Helpless, Lin Yu had no choice but to admit defeat.
"I was wrong, Ralts! Put me down!"
Only then did Ralts lower him.
"Ralts!"
Ralts turned its head away, a sweet feeling blooming in its heart.
Because he had played around with Ralts for a while, by the time he finally arrived at school, there was only one minute left until the meeting time.
Shui Mu High School.
Training Grounds.
This was the first time the sophomore school team was being formed, and he was the last to arrive.
Lin Yu swept his gaze over the group.
There were five people in total: two boys and three girls. Adding him made six.
And there was that Growlithe trainer.
Seeing him, Lin Yu immediately frowned.
Why did he have to run into him everywhere?
"One minute left. You sure cut it close." The school team coach, Luo Xing, glanced at his phone, his expression immediately darkening.
Being this lackadaisical on the first meeting wouldn't do.
"How's the search for your second Pokémon coming along?"
"Found one, found one..."