While Snivy was still receiving treatment, Ye Lan checked his Sunshine Points.
He had 15 Sunshine Points. Spending them on upgrading the system's functions or spinning the Lucky Wheel would both be good choices.
However, as someone who had been a gamer in his previous life, Ye Lan always found himself inexplicably hooked on prize draws.
Should I try one spin? If I get a blue item, I'll hit the jackpot!
Based on Ye Lan's assessment, white items were already sufficient for Snivy at this stage. Even after she evolved in a while, they would still have a decent effect.
Even the guaranteed reward, Big Black Rabbit Milk Candy, had worked considerably better than Ye Lan had expected.
Still, even if he managed to draw a blue-quality item, Snivy probably wouldn't be able to use it yet.
After a long deliberation, Ye Lan decided that upgrading the detection function was necessary now.
Snivy might evolve within half a month. If he could examine more detailed data, he could prepare in advance.
After all, evolution was a chance for Pokémon to unlock their potential. Wang Siqi's Wartortle, for example, had evolved too hastily, burning through its potential and growing weaker instead of stronger.
[Ding! Notice: Spend 10 Sunshine Points to upgrade the "Data Detection" function?]
Ye Lan confirmed his choice. A moment later, "Data Detection Lv. 1" on the system interface changed to "Data Detection Lv. 2." He would have to wait until Snivy finished treatment to find out exactly what had changed.
He went to the infirmary beside the training grounds and sat down to wait. A little while later, Teacher Li emerged from a partitioned room, holding three Poké Balls.
"Teacher Li, if you're here, will the upcoming battles be all right?"
"Don't worry. Audino is keeping an eye on things. Your Pokémon weren't badly hurt, and they're fine now. These are only beginner-level battles, after all."
As Teacher Li spoke, he handed two Poké Balls to Lin Yan. Seeing his puzzled look, he explained, "This Poké Ball contains that Wartortle from earlier. Wang Siqi has abandoned it, and she's transferred to a school in Jindu."
"The principal has already made the arrangements. This Wartortle is your reward for second place. The only condition is that you stay in the top three in the weekly assessments. Otherwise, the school will take it back."
After hearing Teacher Li's explanation, Lin Yan froze for a moment. Delight spread across his face, only to quickly give way to hesitation.
"This... this is too valuable. Can I really accept it?"
Although this Wartortle had been forced to evolve prematurely, it still knew quite a few moves.
Even a weakened powerhouse was still a powerhouse. It was, after all, the second-stage form of a starter Pokémon. With systematic training to help it fully assimilate the energy in its body, it would surely recover some of its strength.
"But I think Ye Lan should get it instead. He came first in the assessment, after all. Giving him a starter Pokémon would make a bigger difference in the provincial tournament!" Lin Yan made no attempt to hide the longing in his eyes, but he still spoke his mind.
Lin Yan knew that Ye Lan came from an ordinary family, just like him. Their first Pokémon might already have cost their families all their savings, leaving them little choice but to settle for something less for their second.
Now there was an opportunity to give Ye Lan a faster start at the intermediate level. Besides, Ye Lan was better at directing battles and training Pokémon.
If the Pokémon went to Ye Lan, Mianzhou No. 1 High School would surely achieve better results this year, and none of the other students who had taken the assessment could complain.
After all, if second place received a starter Pokémon, what about first place? Or even third place, just below it?
Everyone wanted a starter Pokémon, but Lin Yan knew this wasn't his to take, and he shouldn't accept it.
For a moment, Lin Yan's firm words left Teacher Li speechless. Even Ye Lan, who had known about this beforehand, couldn't help looking at Lin Yan beside him.
"This wasn't a decision I made on my own. I discussed it with Ye Lan beforehand."
A steady, powerful voice came from behind them. Ye Lan and Lin Yan turned to see Principal Liu Qingshan entering the infirmary with an unfamiliar woman.
She was tall, with neat, ear-length hair and straight eyebrows. Her gaze held a sharp edge, like ice that never thawed.
That was Ye Lan's first impression of the woman. She looked like someone who wouldn't be easy to get along with.
"Let me introduce you. This is Liu Yan, who will be teaching you in the elite class. She's also one of the few professional trainers in Mianzhou."
Although Ye Lan and Lin Yan had already heard the news, learning from Principal Liu Qingshan that she possessed the strength of a professional trainer still surprised them a little.
Liu Yan nodded in acknowledgment without saying much. Once training in the elite class officially began, she would have plenty of time to get to know them.
"Returning to our earlier topic, the school committee and I originally agreed to give Wartortle to Ye Lan as his reward for placing first in this assessment."
"We asked Ye Lan for his opinion. From what he told us, he seems to prefer Grass-type Pokémon and has little interest in other types."
As everyone turned to look at him, Ye Lan smiled faintly. "The principal is right. I'm not deliberately giving it up out of politeness. Grass-type Pokémon really are the best fit for me."
"Teacher Liu is a professional trainer, so I'm sure she understands what I mean."
"That's right. The best Pokémon are those that suit your command style. Otherwise, you'll only undermine your own efforts." Liu Yan looked at the smiling Ye Lan with a hint of approval in her eyes.
"Then that settles it. As for your reward, Ye Lan..." Seeing that Lin Yan still wanted to say something, Liu Qingshan quickly cut him off and turned the conversation back to Ye Lan.
When Ye Lan nodded to him, Lin Yan said nothing more, quietly keeping that gratitude in his heart.
The mood grew a little subdued, but then Ye Lan suddenly spoke. "My dear, esteemed, magnificent principal, sir, second place just got a gift worth almost two million. So, as the first-place winner, shouldn't I...?"
Ye Lan performed Failed Man's signature move, rubbing his hands together like a fly, while unleashing his sleazy-grin technique on the principal in an attempt to lower his resistance to magic attacks.
Super effective? No, every attack missed!
"The school didn't pay for that Wartortle in the first place, so giving it away costs us nothing. Otherwise, do you think the school board would have agreed?"
"Besides, you were the one who turned it down. That has nothing to do with me."
Seeing Ye Lan's smile gradually stiffen, Liu Qingshan reassured him. "But don't worry. I've already thought about your reward. It may not compare to a starter Pokémon, but it's the most suitable thing for your Snivy at her current stage."
Principal Liu Qingshan said no more. He told Ye Lan to collect it from the school storeroom later, then left the infirmary with Liu Yan.
Ye Lan patted Lin Yan on the shoulder. He had only been trying to lighten the mood earlier, and he didn't feel sorry about losing out on Wartortle.
At their current rate of improvement, both of them would reach intermediate-level strength within a week. After taking the battle exam, they would have to start thinking about their second Pokémon.
Wartortle was undoubtedly an excellent choice for Lin Yan.
Unlike Lin Yan, Ye Lan was restricted by type and could only choose Grass-type Pokémon. His options were narrower, yet making a choice was several times harder.
With an outstanding Pokémon like Snivy setting the standard, Ye Lan naturally wasn't satisfied with choosing a Pokémon of ordinary potential and an unremarkable species.
That was exactly the problem. He couldn't afford the strong ones, and the ordinary ones didn't interest him.
Should I go back and buy that Lotad? I wonder if someone else has already taken it.
As he considered it, Ye Lan felt a little embarrassed. He had looked down on it before, and now he was changing his tune.
Sure enough, the law of eating your words might arrive late, but it never failed to show up!
It was still too early to think about these things. Seeing Lin Yan settle on his second Pokémon had simply prompted Ye Lan to consider his own options.
With Ye Lan's current finances, never mind buying that Lotad—he might not even be able to keep up with Snivy's needs as she evolved into Servine.
After leaving the infirmary, Ye Lan parted ways with Lin Yan and headed to the school storeroom alone.
On the way, Ye Lan let Snivy out and used the system to check her data.
Name: Snivy Gender: Female Type: Grass Ability: Contrary (Hidden Ability) Known moves: Tackle, Bind, Protect Egg Moves: Glare (mastered), Magical Leaf (mastered), Iron Tail (mastered), Grassy Terrain Rank: Beginner, peak Evolution progress: 65%
"Huh?"
Looking at the two newly added entries, Ye Lan was more concerned with what this "evolution progress" actually meant.
As far as he could tell, Snivy should already have been close to evolving.
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