Flying Elite Four Ling Kong!

Charmander showed off a flashy maneuver, then looked at Lu Li with Full of Energy, wearing a proud expression as if waiting to be praised.

"Awesome!"

Dumbfounded, Lu Li could only give Charmander a thumbs-up.

Having received praise, Charmander raised its chin, looking as though everyone present was beneath it.

Tropius?

Just a big dummy. Fire-type against Grass type—wasn't that like an older brother beating up a younger brother?

And Feebas in the Water Tank?

What could such a weak and useless Pokémon do, even with a type advantage? It was still the big daddy!

So, all things considered, the Trainer had to be protected by Charmander.

With that thought, Charmander patted Tropius on the thigh, looking as though it now had the final say in this Home.

"Char~"

(Well? Aren't I amazing?)

Tropius pursed its lips, then nodded against its better judgment.

After all, Charmander was the newest little brother in the family. There was no need to dampen its enthusiasm right now.

Tropius had originally wanted to say that all those flashy tricks were not even a fraction as good as its Special Growth.

Seeing Tropius yield, Charmander turned its gaze toward Feebas.

Feebas nodded from inside the Water Tank, expressing its approval.

It couldn't be helped. It was merely an ordinary Feebas That Knows Rain Dance. It really didn't know any flashy tricks.

"Very good. My status in this family has been established." Charmander was quite satisfied with that thought.

Seeing Charmander get along so harmoniously with Tropius and the others, Lu Li also breathed a sigh of relief.

Being a Trainer was actually quite troublesome. Pokémon all had different personalities. Some would start fighting the moment they met, while others got along exceptionally well.

Fortunately, that problem had yet to appear in his team.

Feebas was rather reserved. Though it usually had very little presence, Lu Li knew that it was actually quite prideful.

Tropius had a milder temperament. It generally only moved when its Trainer prompted it to, but it had no real personality flaws at the moment. Its only bottom line was its Berries.

As long as Charmander and the others did not touch Tropius's Berries, Tropius could completely be the team's nice guy.

As for Charmander...

Judging from Charmander's current behavior, Lu Li found that the little fellow had quite a flamboyant personality, which suited its type rather well.

"Looks like refining Fire Spirit Pills needs to be added to the schedule as well," Lu Li thought as he looked at Charmander.

Like Tropius, Charmander had the Flying-type. Now, he only needed to resolve the Fire-type issue. With his experience from the previous two refinements, refining Fire Spirit Pills would be much faster.

With that in mind, Lu Li glanced at the flowerpot in the corner of the courtyard.

"Tropius, remember to use Growth on the Green Jadeite in the vase later. Feebas, don't forget to water the plants in the courtyard either." After giving those instructions, Lu Li recalled Charmander.

"I'm going to the City to buy some Fire-type Berries. You all stay Home and watch the place."

Bisharp was relatively small. Although it could carry two people, there was too little space on its back. On top of that, Yu Lili was a woman, so Lu Li had not gone to Qingyun City with her earlier.

After returning to Qingyun Gym, Yu Lili found Yu Zhonggang, who was training his Pokémon.

"Dad! Something happened today. You'll never guess what it was!" Yu Lili shouted excitedly.

Hearing the boastful tone in his daughter's voice, Yu Zhonggang smiled and asked, "Did that kid Lu Li's Charmander turn out to be a Shiny Pokémon?"

"How did you know?" Yu Lili stared at Yu Zhonggang in surprise.

"You were so loud before you left. It's not like I'm deaf." Yu Zhonggang rolled his eyes at her.

Yu Zhonggang looked at his daughter seriously. "But are you sure you want to go train Pokémon in the countryside with that kid? Setting aside the issue of you being a boy and a girl, if it's just the Rain Dance move, you can definitely learn it at Shui Bo Gym."

"Didn't you and Mom tell me to build a relationship with Lu Li?" Yu Lili countered.

Rain Dance could wait. What mattered most was that she was craving the food.

She also wanted to display her talent before joining Shui Bo Gym, so that she could receive more benefits there.

After all, no matter which Gym it was, the Gym Leader would favor apprentices with higher talent.

Yu Zhonggang did not try to persuade his daughter further, considering that he would not be at the Gym for quite some time.

"When the time comes, take my Bronzong with you. I'll have it protect you in secret. Something has come up in the Secret Realm recently, and I have to head there tomorrow," Yu Zhonggang added.

Yu Lili nodded.

Jinji Village was close to the Qingyun Mountains, so the odds of an accident occurring were fairly high. Having a Gym Leader-level Pokémon protecting them in secret would be good.

But...

Yu Lili asked curiously, "Dad, what happened in the Secret Realm? Why does it require an Elite Four-level Trainer like you to stand guard?"

"The Secret Realm Overlord may be about to break through, so I have to protect it. But don't tell anyone about this," Yu Zhonggang warned.

"Huh? If it breaks through again, that Bisharp will become a Heavenly King?" Yu Lili's face was also full of surprise.

The Overlord of the Qingyun Secret Realm was a powerful Bisharp. It was said that the Bisharp was already two hundred years old. Normally, a Bisharp of that age should have had no possibility of improving further.

"Not long ago, Flying Elite Four Ling Kong made a deal with Bisharp. It seems the Flying Elite Four took a liking to Bisharp's child and traded a Pokémon Secret Treasure for its descendant."

Yu Lili became even more confused upon hearing that.

"Why would a Flying Elite Four take an interest in the descendant of a Gym Leader-level Bisharp? That doesn't make sense." Yu Lili was even more puzzled.

Seeing his daughter's bewildered expression, Yu Zhonggang explained meaningfully, "Because that Pidgey is a Shiny Pokémon, and its Shiny Talent has a positive effect."

To be honest, Yu Zhonggang rather envied that Flying Elite Four. Shiny Pokémon that matched one's own type were hard to find, and successfully catching one after finding it was even rarer.

A Shiny Pokémon with a positive-effect Shiny Talent was enviable even if it was only a Pidgey.

"Oh, right. Remember to tell Lu Li about this. To thank the Qingyun City officials for providing him with this information, the Flying Elite Four left his Breeding Notes in Qingyun City.

"If nothing unexpected happens, those Breeding Notes will be one of the prizes in the College Entrance Exam Tournament. With Lu Li's strength, he might be able to get them," Yu Zhonggang reminded her.

Breeding Notes from a Heavenly King—and a Regional Elite Four like Ling Kong at that. Those notes were far more valuable than the Breeding Notes he had given Lu Li.

There was quite a large gap between a Heavenly King and a Regional Elite Four.

More importantly, both Lu Li's Tropius and Charmander had Flying-type secondary typings. The Flying Elite Four's Breeding Notes suited Lu Li very well, especially since he was a Breeder.

"Why didn't you tell me something so important sooner?" Yu Lili rolled her eyes at Yu Zhonggang.

Breeding Notes from a Regional Elite Four were something even Senior Breeders would covet.

If those Senior Breeders learned of this news, it might not end up being Lu Li's turn.

Still uneasy, Yu Lili pleaded, "Dad, you have to help with this. You absolutely can't let the League's Breeders get in through the back door."

Yu Zhonggang smiled confidently. "Don't worry. I specifically put in a word about it."