Sparring with Poliwhirl (Please Bookmark and Vote)

After resting for a moment.

Yin Shu suggested, "Shu Tong, don't you think special training alone is a little boring? How about I have Poliwhirl hold back half its strength and battle your Weedle? Only through battles can you understand how different moves connect and accumulate combat experience. I'll try to make Poliwhirl fight Weedle for as long as possible and use all kinds of moves, so you can see how a Professional Trainer controls the pace of a battle."

As he spoke, Yin Shu's sense of pride swelled.

"Sure, let's do it," Shu Tong said.

Yuan Tian walked aside and sat down, snorting. "You've been bragging for ages. Don't embarrass yourself."

"Poliwhirl, use Bubble Beam," Yin Shu ordered.

"Poison Sting," Shu Tong said.

Upon receiving Yin Shu's command, Poliwhirl thrust both palms forward, firing two Bubble Beams at high speed. These bubbles were highly aggressive, not something made just for play.

Weedle mobilized nearly all its Poison type energy and used only two Poison Stings, two stingers condensed with almost all of its Poison type energy. Whoosh, whoosh.

With two piercing whistles, the two Poison Stings shot forward like miniature missiles, tearing through Poliwhirl's Bubble Beams with unstoppable force.

Yin Shu practically jumped to his feet. "How is that possible?"

How could Yin Shu accept such a turn of events? It was already too late to have Poliwhirl increase its energy. He wished he could slap himself twice. Why had he restricted Poliwhirl's power?

Just moments ago, he had been thinking about how to explain the battle to Shu Tong afterward and show off a little. Now, Yuan Tian might mock him for the rest of his life, and whatever authority he had before Shu Tong would be completely gone.

This is bad.

The two Poison Stings pierced straight through the Bubble Beams and stabbed into Poliwhirl's palms.

"Poli!"

Poliwhirl was poisoned and collapsed.

Yin Shu hurriedly took out an antidote and fed it to Poliwhirl, but it merely suppressed the poison inside its body. It did not cure it at all.

"Why isn't it detoxifying?" Yin Shu looked at Poliwhirl, which showed no signs of improvement, and began to panic, cold sweat pouring down his face.

"Shu Tong, is your Weedle's poison especially potent? Is ordinary antidote ineffective?" Yuan Tian asked.

"I don't know either. This is the first time Weedle has poisoned another Pokémon," Shu Tong said, playing dumb.

"Weedle..." Weedle looked as though it had made a mistake.

"I'll get the car. We need to go to the Pokémon Center right away." With that, Yuan Tian went to get the car.

After the two got into the car, Yuan Tian said, "Shu Tong, help keep an eye on the outpost. I've already informed the higher-ups. Normally, nothing happens here."

"Don't worry, go ahead. I'll leave after you get back," Shu Tong said.

Only after their car had gone far away did Shu Tong look at Weedle.

Weedle, meanwhile, lowered its head, ready at any moment to receive Shu Tong's criticism.

"Weedle, I never expected the poison from Poison Sting to have become this strong. It's truly surprising. We need to continue strengthening it. You did very well in that battle just now. You must go all out in every battle, no matter who your opponent is. Even if your opponent is beaten to death, that only means it was inferior. Likewise, you must work hard to increase your own strength, because in any official battle, your opponent will not show you mercy either," Shu Tong said sternly.

"Weedle..." Weedle slowly raised its head. So Shu Tong was praising it.

Shu Tong continued, "Poliwhirl only used fifty percent of its strength, and it didn't take your Poison Sting seriously at the start, which was why you landed that hit. You won't get an opportunity like that again. Underestimating an opponent is fatal in battle. Even after you evolve into Beedrill, you'll have to rely on speed and attack to win. Put simply, if you can win in one strike, never use a second."

"Weedle, Weedle." Weedle nodded wildly.

Shu Tong smiled faintly, finally putting his mind at ease. At least Weedle understood. If he had not given Weedle such absolute affirmation, and it became softhearted or insufficiently decisive in future battles, that would become a fatal flaw in its character.

About two hours later, Yuan Tian returned first.

Shu Tong hurriedly asked, "Is Poliwhirl all right?"

"Luckily, it was treated in time. Otherwise, it really could have become serious. The poison has finally been forced out little by little, but it still needs several days of rest," Yuan Tian said.

"I should visit Poliwhirl at the Pokémon Center tomorrow and buy some supplements to bring over," Shu Tong said.

"That won't be necessary. You didn't mean for this to happen, and Pokémon battles are inherently risky. Incidents like this are common. Still, I'm surprised that your Weedle possesses such fierce venom. Even some pure Poison type Pokémon might not have poison this potent. I have to see you in a new light," Yuan Tian said.

"I was surprised too." Shu Tong maintained his stance of knowing nothing.

For the next stretch of special training, he could only train with Pidgeotto.

After five or six consecutive days of back-and-forth special training, Weedle's strength had undergone earth-shaking changes. However, the energy provided by the Superior Poison Barb was gradually decreasing, and Weedle's progress slowed accordingly.

That day, Yin Shu finally returned. Shu Tong had already bought two cases of Moomoo Milk for Poliwhirl as an apology. Yin Shu, who had already accepted Shu Tong's twenty-thousand-yuan gift, was instead a little embarrassed. The two cases of Moomoo Milk were not cheap either.

"Poliwhirl's better now, right?" Yuan Tian and Shu Tong asked together.

"It's better," Yin Shu answered.

"And what about you?" Yuan Tian continued.

Yin Shu looked puzzled. "Me? What's wrong with me? I wasn't poisoned."

"You weren't poisoned, but you did make a poisonous oath. What was it again? Something about being better off crashing into something and dying," Yuan Tian teased.

"Get lost. I only underestimated it. Otherwise, no matter how talented this Weedle is, it still couldn't defeat Poliwhirl in less than a year or so," Yin Shu said.

"Yes," Shu Tong said.

"Yes, yes, yes." Yuan Tian nodded repeatedly, wearing an expression that said, whatever you say goes.

The next day, Yuan Tian also went into the city to report on his work.

Weedle and Poliwhirl carried out their usual special training.

Shu Tong knew that this opportunity was about to arrive.

Watching Weedle and Poliwhirl training intensely on the field, Yin Shu said to Shu Tong, "You know, I feel like Poliwhirl's resistance to Poison type attacks improved considerably after this poisoning incident. If it gets poisoned by something similar again, it definitely won't be as serious as last time. I really want to find another Poison type Pokémon to test Poliwhirl's resistance."

Seeing Yin Shu's death-seeking expression, Shu Tong even began to wonder whether the Ekans mentioned in the Recent Turning Point had been summoned by him.