Section 25

Lin Feng waved his hand, "Can't give it."

He then strode out.

Did they really think they could bribe me into throwing a match with mere money?

Leaving Chi Heng frozen with a smile, after about ten seconds, his expression turned ugly. "What a hot-headed kid, can't tell good from bad, huh?"

He paced back and forth for a moment, then picked up his phone and called his son.

"What's up, Dad?"

A boy holding a bottle of Otaku Happy Water walked in.

Seeing his son, Chi Heng's expression softened. "Wait until the last match, when you encounter that Snivy. Tell your Lapras to stop suppressing its energy and just go all out."

"That Snivy is very skilled."

"Okay, got it, got it," the short, plump man said impatiently, turning to leave. He muttered, "You said I only needed to use Water Gun for this match..."

But the corners of his mouth clearly turned upwards.

╰(‵□′)╯: "Snivy!"

As soon as they returned to the contestant area, Snivy angrily complained to Lin Feng.

How could that human look down on it so much, saying it couldn't possibly defeat that Lapras!

Lin Feng smiled and patted its head, comforting it:

"Hey, think about it from another angle. If they specifically came to us, it must be because we're too strong, and they're a little panicked about losing the Champion title."

Snivy looked confused, "Snivy?" (Is that so?)

Lin Feng nodded seriously, "Of course."

In his heart, however, he found it even more interesting.

This kid, Although very smart, he still knows too little about the human world.

It's normal for him not to grasp these subtleties.

"Snivy..."

Snivy felt Lin Feng's words made sense, and its anger subsided a little, but it still felt a surge of determination.

Just then, the semi-finals began.

The opponent they drew this time was a Trainer with a Spearow.

Strangely enough, Qin Shu drew a bye again...

This was quite unbelievable.

Lin Feng even glanced at Li Bing in the sky, then remembered the recent conversation, suspecting they were rigging the matches.

Facing a Spearow at only level 15, Snivy naturally dealt with it easily.

Finally, the grand finals officially began around 4 PM.

If they won, they would be the Champion of this Baby Cup.

Three minutes before the finals started.

A chubby kid holding potato chips found Lin Feng and stared at him with slightly narrowed, almost invisible eyes. "Hey..."

"Hm?" Lin Feng asked in surprise, "What's up?"

This boy, if he wasn't mistaken, should be Lapras's Trainer.

Why was he looking for him at this time?

"My dad said you're very strong?" Chi Chang asked curiously.

"Uh, whether I'm strong or not, we'll only know after we battle. Is there something you need?"

Because of Chi Heng's earlier "talk," Lin Feng didn't have a good impression of this little fatty.

The little fatty Chi Chang didn't notice Lin Feng's displeasure. "Then you must be very strong, otherwise my dad wouldn't have told Lapras to suppress its energy. To be honest, I don't want to suppress Lapras's energy transformation like this."

Lin Feng was a little surprised, "Oh? Why?"

Chi Chang grabbed a potato chip. "Want some?"

Lin Feng looked at the bit of saliva on his finger and shook his head.

"It's simple. This makes Lapras uncomfortable, but my dad has always wanted me to be a Trainer. I don't know where he heard from some breeder that temporarily suppressing Lapras's energy transformation can raise its upper limit. Anyway, I think he's been fooled and doesn't even realize it. And..."

A hint of helplessness appeared on his face. "Looking at me, do I look like someone cut out to be a Trainer?"

It was clear he somewhat opposed his father's plans for his life.

Lin Feng said earnestly, "Hmm... not quite, but you can train to be one."

Anyone can be a Trainer, though that's not to say everyone is suited for it.

Traveling, challenging Gyms...

These are all activities fraught with danger.

If you truly want to become a Trainer, a good physique is essential. This also requires Trainers to undergo a certain intensity of physical training.

Furthermore, one thing is certain:

In this world, just like Fighting-type Pokémon, human physiques can be greatly enhanced through training!

The young man before him was about 1.7 meters tall but weighed nearly 100 kilograms, with flabby flesh.

Rationally speaking, such a physique is indeed unsuitable for being a Trainer.

Chi Heng nodded in agreement, tossing his chips onto a nearby table. "Yeah, I think so too. Never mind, the battle is about to start. Just fight seriously later, winning or losing doesn't matter to me."

After speaking, he naturally walked towards the battle stage.

He couldn't help but quicken his pace, seeming eager to get onto the field.

This was the first time Lin Feng had seen him like this in their few encounters.

He shook his head, his initial aversion gone, and followed Chi Heng.

The final match.

As the Snivy and Lapras landed on the field, the audience seats, for once, showed a bit more enthusiasm and cheers!

"It's the finals, finally the finals! I'm actually looking forward to this final. One Lapras that only used Water Gun for its attacks, and one Snivy that only used Vine Whip and Leaf Blade. Both Pokémon have been hiding their skills!"

"Honestly, I think Lapras will probably win. Although there's a type advantage, Snivy is still a Pokémon in its initial stage after all..."

"Sigh, even though both Pokémon are my favorites, I prefer that Snivy. It has such an elegant feel when it battles..."

Chapter 26: C-Rank Water Stone, Lapras's Out-of-Control Breakthrough.

"Wooo~!"

A long, joyful cry echoed across the entire venue.

Simultaneously, a system notification sounded in Lin Feng's ear.

[Congratulations to the host for increasing Lapras's Joy Value from 10% to 75%. Reward: Ten bags of Golden Fertilizer, one Rare Candy, and one C-Rank Water Stone.]

The moment Lapras was released, its body was enveloped by the aura of water.

No one could comprehend its current feelings.

It had been suppressing its energy intensity, its body like an overfilled plastic bag being continuously filled with water. The pressure on the plastic bag only grew, and the discomfort within its body intensified.

Now, with this release, it even felt a sense of gratitude towards Lin Feng, its opponent.

During this time, Lin Feng, being perceptive, did not issue any attack commands to Snivy.

Instead, he waited for the other Pokémon's transformation to complete.

However...

"Mmm~!"

The previously excited cry suddenly turned pained, and its body began to writhe restlessly.

This abnormality immediately caught the attention of the audience.

"Strange, what's wrong with Lapras? Why is it crying so miserably as soon as it appeared? Hasn't the battle even started yet?"

"So weird..."

The initial anticipation for the match turned into concern for Lapras.

"Requesting a timeout, requesting a timeout..." Seeing this, Chi Heng's expression turned panicked, and he waved his hands frantically towards the sky, shouting.

Although he had only recently become a Trainer officially, this Lapras had been with him for several months.

In the sky, Li Bing also reacted, his brow furrowing. He immediately had Aegislash fly down to check Lapras's condition.

The swirling water vapor was clearly overflowing from its body, and the surrounding grass had become damp.

No wonder he had felt that Lapras was a bit off.

During battles, it had never moved from its spot, not even when attacked, and it had been completely unsparing with its internal energy.

Now it seemed this was all due to suppressing its breakthrough for too long.