The Training Squad Grows

I was Liu Yi, a Trainer determined to live a life of eating, sleeping, and eating again while still getting stronger. I had a good buddy named Hu Bin, but lately, something had been very wrong with him. I suspected he had found himself another buddy!

Wu Jin and Liu Yi had felt that something was seriously off lately. Their good buddy Hu Bin would say goodbye to them right after school and leave without a backward glance. Whenever they invited him to hang out after school, he mercilessly refused. It hurt Wu Jin and Liu Yi deeply. They felt that their bond with Hu Bin was facing an unprecedented challenge.

As Hu Bin's good buddies, we had already keenly detected that he had found himself another buddy! This time, we decided to tail him and find out just which flashy little temptress he had been hanging out with without inviting us. Once we caught him, we would punish him severely.

And so, Wu Jin and Liu Yi followed Hu Bin all the way to his apartment complex. To their shock, they spotted a fair-skinned, clean-cut young man with a Cyndaquil entering Hu Bin's home, chatting and laughing with him. They looked awfully close.

At that moment, Wu Jin and Liu Yi looked utterly forlorn.

Wu Jin looked at Liu Yi and said, "Looks like Hu Bin really has found another buddy. But we still don't know where this guy came from."

Liu Yi said, "Yeah, let's keep watching and see what they're up to! Then we'll figure out what to do with Hu Bin!"

After that, Wu Jin and Liu Yi endured an endless wait in Hu Bin's apartment complex, their eyes glued to his home.

Before long, Hu Bin and the young man came out, and Wu Jin and Liu Yi followed close behind.

As they followed, Wu Jin and Liu Yi grumbled bitterly, "No time to hang out with us, but plenty of time to take a stroll with this mystery guy! I'm so mad! Hu Bin, you're finished!"

Hu Bin kept feeling as though someone was following him. He couldn't help looking back, but he saw nothing. He suspiciously scanned his surroundings, yet there was still nothing there.

He gave a self-deprecating chuckle. "All this training lately has made me jumpy!"

The moment Wu Jin and Liu Yi saw Hu Bin turn around, they ducked into a shop. Seeing that he apparently hadn't noticed anything, they breathed a sigh of relief.

Then they noticed plenty of girls around them pointing at them.

Only then did Wu Jin and Liu Yi realize they had walked into a lingerie store!

Their faces bright red, the two scurried out of the shop and continued tailing Hu Bin.

Hu Bin and Yi Nanzi entered the Training Hall to begin training. Wu Jin and Liu Yi, who had followed them the entire way, looked at each other in bewilderment.

Wu Jin asked, "What's going on? Why did they go into the Training Hall?"

Liu Yi replied, "No idea! I thought they were going somewhere to have fun, but they came here to train!"

The more Wu Jin and Liu Yi thought about it, the less sense it made. A giant question mark practically hovered over their heads.

Why hadn't Hu Bin invited them to train with him?

Wu Jin and Liu Yi exchanged a silent look, then quietly waited for Hu Bin to come out, determined to get an explanation!

A long time later, Hu Bin and Yi Nanzi emerged from the Training Hall and came face-to-face with Wu Jin and Liu Yi, who had been feeding the mosquitoes outside all this time.

Hu Bin paused to think, then asked, "What are you two doing here?"

Wu Jin and Liu Yi said nothing. They simply kept staring at Hu Bin with wounded resentment.

Yi Nanzi looked at Hu Bin and asked, "Do you know them? Why do they look so weird?"

Before Hu Bin could answer, Wu Jin and Liu Yi exploded!

"You're the one who looks weird! Who even are you?"

"Exactly! You're the weird-looking one! You look like a donkey!"

Caught off guard by their verbal barrage, Yi Nanzi was a little dazed and found himself at a loss for words.

Hu Bin stepped in to smooth things over. He cleared his throat twice and said, "Let me introduce everyone before you end up fighting."

Hu Bin began introducing them to Yi Nanzi. "The sturdier-looking one is Wu Jin, and the slightly chubby one is Liu Yi. They're both good friends of mine. We've known each other since we were little."

After hearing Hu Bin's introduction, Wu Jin and Liu Yi instantly looked smug, as though to say, See that, punk? You're the latecomer here. Step aside!

Yi Nanzi froze at the looks in their eyes. I haven't done anything to upset them, have I? Why are they acting like this?

Hu Bin noticed their looks too and grew puzzled. What have these two been taking? Why have they gone crazy? They need to stay on their meds!

Hu Bin then turned to Wu Jin and Liu Yi and introduced Yi Nanzi. "This is another good friend of mine, Yi Nanzi. We met through a battle and became friends afterward. Right now, we're both doing special training for the Spring City Marathon and the school competition!"

After hearing that, Wu Jin and Liu Yi looked even more aggrieved.

Wu Jin asked mournfully, "Hu Bin, you've changed. Why didn't you invite us to do special training?"

Liu Yi also looked deeply wounded. "Yeah, Hu Bin, how could you do this? What happened to our brotherhood? Did a Growlithe eat it?"

Hu Bin's expression darkened. "I wanted to invite you, but you're both as lazy as Slakoth! How am I supposed to get you two immovable lumps going?"

Hearing that, Wu Jin and Liu Yi clutched their chests in anguish. "Hu Bin, you don't understand us at all! Have you forgotten what our goal is?"

Hu Bin turned to look at the scenery in the distance, unwilling to engage with these two drama queens.

Yi Nanzi watched curiously too. These two are pretty entertaining. Those expressions could seriously win them acting awards!

With a grief-stricken expression, Liu Yi said, "Our goal is to get into college, isn't it? Then we can have a sweet romance there! Our grades are terrible, so entering competitions is our only way to get a foot in the door!"

Liu Yi's words seemed to strike a chord in Hu Bin's heart. He recalled their past conversations and how sincerely they had longed for college life—and girlfriends!

So Hu Bin said solemnly to Wu Jin and Liu Yi, "Want to train together? Let's work toward our goals together!"

Seeing the earnest look in Hu Bin's eyes, Wu Jin and Liu Yi nodded solemnly and said in unison, "Coach, I want to play basketball! No, wait, we want to become outstanding Trainers!"

Hu Bin stepped forward and patted Wu Jin and Liu Yi on the shoulders. "Then let's all give it our best!"

"Yeah." Wu Jin and Liu Yi both nodded solemnly.

Off to the side, Yi Nanzi was utterly bewildered. Why does this feel like Slam Dunk? How did they settle this so casually? Going to college to find a girlfriend... damn it, I want that too!