Little Phoenix King Cup

Eevee had been able to build the sandcastle to its heart's content thanks to Sand Attack.

Besides its specific effects in games, Sand Attack also helped Eevee manipulate sand more easily, making the sand on the beach more "obedient."

This trip had not only deepened Fang Yuan's bond with Eevee once again; Sand Attack could be considered their greatest gain.

So far, little Eevee, who was only "nine days" old, had already mastered four moves: Tackle, Growl, Tail Whip, and Sand Attack.

Growl and Tail Whip had some effect, but after having Eevee use them a few times, Fang Yuan despaired. They were completely harmless, without the slightest hint of threat at all.

What comforted Fang Yuan, however, was that he had fostered plenty of interest in Eevee. As for how many days this enthusiasm would last, Fang Yuan had no idea. Still, Eevee was in excellent shape for now and eagerly anticipated the Training Method Fang Yuan had mentioned that would make it stronger.

Eevee also wanted to grow stronger, to be as impressive as the protagonists in movies and battle videos, becoming the center of attention in the Battle Arena.

Splash, splash~~

After spending an entire day at the beach, Fang Yuan and Eevee immediately took showers when they returned to their room, freshening themselves up.

They might have spent the entire day playing, but both of them were tired as dogs. Little Eevee especially had expended a great deal of stamina using Sand Attack for so long to control the sand.

At dinner, Eevee drank two big bowls of warmed milk before letting out a satisfied burp. After entering its growth stage... its appetite had grown too!

Knock... knock... knock...

Just as they were about to finish up and Fang Yuan and Eevee planned to find another movie to watch, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

"Hey, Fang Yuan, Eevee, want to play cards?" Lu Jie called from outside.

"Eevee?" Little Eevee froze for a moment. What was that?

"Want to go take a look?" Fang Yuan asked Eevee.

Eevee nodded.

"Coming." As he spoke, Eevee jumped onto Fang Yuan's shoulder, and they followed Lu Jie to the room across the hall.

"So, what did you and Eevee do today? You both look exhausted."

"You might not believe me if I told you..." Fang Yuan said with a smile.

Once they reached the other room, Fang Yuan found that the other three were already there. He explained what they had experienced that day, leaving them wide-eyed.

"And that's how it learned Sand Attack?" Senior Tang Ying asked blankly.

Maybe she was a fake trainer.

"My Graveler wants to hit someone after hearing that. I remember it only learned it through special training," Meng Zicheng said.

"You're way too lucky," Du Ai said.

"Who would've thought... the man who wants to become a Professional Trainer actually has some real skills." Lu Jie sighed. He could tell that though they had only been together for a few days, Fang Yuan and Eevee truly had a great bond.

"Good things happen when you least expect them," Fang Yuan said calmly.

"Maybe Eevee and I are just too in sync."

"Eevee!" Eevee nodded proudly.

"Showing off again."

"You two are even showing off together. You've already led little Eevee astray," Du Ai said. "Hey! Hey! Xiao Tang, show him that promotional poster we found today."

"Uh, what poster?" Fang Yuan asked.

"The Little Phoenix King Cup Rookie Trainer Battle Tournament," Tang Ying said.

Rookie Trainer... battle tournament?

The Little Phoenix King Cup?!

"It's a local Magic City tournament for students like you who are about to enter their senior year of high school. The participants are all rookies who have just received their Beginner Pokémon. It's sponsored by Dawn Group, and the prizes are very generous," Lu Jie said.

"What they mean is, you should enter so they can watch you get crushed," Meng Zicheng said with a laugh.

Fang Yuan: "..."

"Rookie Trainers are entering a tournament? I think I'll pass. Eevee and I haven't even... uh..."

Taking the promotional poster Tang Ying handed him, Fang Yuan's expression suddenly changed.

"Whoa, the champion's prize is actually a Soothing Bell."

The Soothing Bell was a pleasant-sounding bell and a Pokémon-related item. A Pokémon carrying it would be soothed, helping it feel at ease and calm its mind.

Most importantly, it could make Pokémon more likely to become close to their trainers.

This was exactly what Fang Yuan needed. Only by forging a powerful bond with Eevee would it be possible for Eevee to evolve through friendship in the future, without relying on evolution items.

"You know this bell?" Tang Ying asked.

"I remember that the bell's sound can make Pokémon feel calm, right? Yeah, people online jokingly call it a Sleep Aid Artifact for Pokémon," Du Ai said.

"But bells like this are rare. Other than Dawn Group, I've never seen anyone else put one up for sale," Lu Jie said.

What do you guys know...

Fang Yuan had made up his mind. He had to get that bell and put it around little Eevee's neck.

"Champion's prize: a Soothing Bell, 100,000 yuan in cash, and a Dawn Group Membership Card."

"I can get all of that for free," Fang Yuan said.

"Wake up. If you want to enter and let Eevee experience it, that's fine. It's all about participation. You seriously think you can win the championship?" Senior Tang Ying said helplessly, smacking her forehead.

"The Little Phoenix King Cup is one of Magic City's most famous tournaments. The number of participants will probably exceed the total number of students at Peaceful City First High School by far. Even getting through the preliminaries won't be easy."

Fang Yuan calmed down as well.

That was true... this was a tournament in a metropolis like Magic City. It would be ridiculous if he could just casually win the championship.

But...

He wanted that Soothing Bell.

He also needed the 100,000 yuan in cash.

And with the Dawn Group Membership Card, he could get discounts on Dawn Group products. He could save quite a bit when buying Miltank milk. There was no reason not to take it.

These people were awful. They actually used a tournament like the Little Phoenix King Cup to tempt me, and the key was that I really took the bait.

"It'll be held in mid-August, before school starts. I have about a month and a half to prepare..." Fang Yuan said. "If Eevee and I train hard during that month and a half, do we have a chance of getting a result? Even second place gets a 50,000-yuan cash prize, and the top ten all get prize money."

The members of the Psychology Club had nearly forgotten that Fang Yuan's family circumstances were not very good. After thinking it over, Lu Jie said, "It's not impossible. But everyone else planning to sign up will definitely be working hard on their Pokémon's battle capabilities during this time too. If you really want to try, you'll have to make the most of your time."

Fang Yuan nodded. He had already planned to go back and train with Eevee, and now a goal so close at hand had appeared before him, giving Fang Yuan even more motivation.

"Eevee."

At the same time, Eevee looked at the silver bell-shaped pendant on the poster, thought it looked rather nice, and gave a cry, deciding that they could give it a try.

"Then it's decided?" Fang Yuan asked Eevee.

"Wait, I think... we've gone off topic. Are we still playing cards or not?" Du Ai asked blankly.

"Play what cards? Let's help This kid Fang Yuan figure out how to train Eevee. He's a member of the Psychology Club, after all. It'd be way too embarrassing if he got eliminated in the preliminaries."