Our protagonist, Hu Bin, had gotten up early with Vulpix and was training hard alongside Yi Nanzi again, aiming to win the Spring City Marathon!
Sure enough, becoming a powerful Trainer meant living the 24/7 grind every single day!
Yi Nanzi and Cyndaquil had improved a great deal lately. They no longer struggled so badly on their runs and even looked like they were handling them with ease.
As they ran, Yi Nanzi asked, "Bro Bin, when are you setting up your street stall? I'll help spread the word!"
"I'm planning to start on Sunday, after next Saturday's marathon. I'll start getting everything ready next week!" Hu Bin replied.
A light sheen of sweat began to form on Yi Nanzi's forehead, and his breathing grew increasingly labored.
"Brother Bin, wh-what are you going to sell?"
Hu Bin answered confidently, "The things I'm best at, of course! Pokéblocks and curry rice! My skills are top-notch!"
Thinking of how delicious Hu Bin's curry rice was and how Cyndaquil gobbled down his Pokéblocks, Yi Nanzi felt sure Hu Bin was going to strike it rich! He would be raking in money every day!
Yi Nanzi immediately gave Hu Bin such a flattering smile that it began to creep him out!
"Brother Bin, got room for a hanger-on? I think you're going to make a fortune this time! I'd better hitch myself to your coattails now!"
Hu Bin gave Yi Nanzi a massive eye roll and snapped, "If you want to ride my coattails, make yourself useful!"
Yi Nanzi saluted and waggled his eyebrows. "Don't worry, Bro Bin. I'll definitely be your right-hand man!"
Hu Bin chuckled, then accelerated with Vulpix, leaving Yi Nanzi and Cyndaquil far behind in the dust!
Yi Nanzi hurriedly shouted after him, "Bro Bin, wait for me! I can't run that fast!"
Just then, Yi Nanzi sensed flames burning behind him. Turning around, he saw powerful flames erupting from Cyndaquil's back as it picked up speed. Its stubby little legs pumped furiously, and it instantly overtook Yi Nanzi to chase after Hu Bin and Vulpix!
"Yinuo, Yinuo!" Wait for me, boss lady!
Yi Nanzi ran behind them with a dark expression, feeling as though he had taken a devastating blow. Who would've thought! What a cold, cruel world! Even Pokémon have lost their sense of loyalty! My Cyndaquil has abandoned me too! Boohoo!
After completing the route, Hu Bin prepared Moomoo Milk and Pokéblocks for Vulpix and Cyndaquil to restore their stamina!
The two little Pokémon ate happily!
After quite a while, Vulpix and Cyndaquil had both eaten their fill. Sitting on a chair, they patted their little bellies with their paws, looking utterly satisfied!
Just then, a bedraggled figure came running from the distance like a zombie. It was Yi Nanzi.
At that moment, Yi Nanzi deeply resented Hu Bin, Vulpix, and Cyndaquil. They didn't even wait for me!
Hu Bin shot Yi Nanzi a sidelong glance. Dude, you've been training for so long. How are you still this hopeless? Look, even Cyndaquil has been waiting here for ages! What an embarrassment!
Then Hu Bin tossed Yi Nanzi a bottle of water. Yi Nanzi caught it weakly and began chugging it down!
Holding a towel in its little mouth, Cyndaquil thoughtfully jumped onto Yi Nanzi's shoulder to wipe away his sweat!
Seeing how considerate Cyndaquil was, Yi Nanzi's resentment over it not waiting for him vanished without a trace!
Once they had recovered their stamina, Hu Bin gave Vulpix a massage. Vulpix lay on the chair with its little eyes glazed over, utterly blissful!
With help and instruction from Hu Bin, the massage master, Yi Nanzi's massage technique had also improved considerably lately. He was already approaching intermediate level from beginner, more than enough to give Cyndaquil a comfortable massage!
Afterward, Hu Bin and Yi Nanzi returned home, showered, and shared a hearty breakfast!
After resting for a while, Hu Bin and Yi Nanzi hurried straight to the Training Hall to continue training!
When Hu Bin and Yi Nanzi arrived at the Training Hall, Wu Jin and Liu Yi were already waiting for them. However, those two idiots were still flirting with girls on their phones, lecherous grins plastered across their faces!
Hu Bin and Yi Nanzi both looked disgusted. Hu Bin felt nothing but disgust, whereas Yi Nanzi's disgust came with a hint of envy!
Hu Bin gave the two idiots' shoulders a heavy pat, startling them so badly that they nearly dropped their phones!
They hurriedly secured their phones, then turned to look at Hu Bin resentfully.
"Brother Bin, you scared us to death! Could you stop startling us like that? What are you, a little kid?"
A dangerous gleam flashed in Hu Bin's eyes. With a slight smile, he said, "If you've got a clear conscience, a knock at the door won't scare you. One look tells me you're both playing the field! I'm wondering whether I should rid the girls at school of a menace!"
Hearing that, Wu Jin and Liu Yi immediately gave weak smiles. "Brother Bin, don't be like that. We're brothers! You wouldn't treat us that way!"
Hu Bin kept smiling without saying a word, staring straight at Liu Yi.
Seeing Hu Bin's smile, Wu Jin and Liu Yi smiled even more ingratiatingly.
They both stood up and said, "Bro Bin, we'll go buy you drinks! Would you like an ice-cold Coke or a Sprite?"
Hu Bin looked at the two idiots and said, "I want both! Don't go buying me a whole pile of snacks, though. That stuff's bad for my health!"
Well, that hint couldn't have been more obvious!
Forcing smiles, Wu Jin and Liu Yi said, "Bro Bin, just leave it to us! We'll make sure you're properly taken care of!"
Taking advantage of Hu Bin's intimidating presence, Yi Nanzi also looked smugly at Wu Jin and Liu Yi and said, "Get me a milk tea. Regular ice, regular sweetness!"
Wu Jin and Liu Yi looked at Yi Nanzi, who was borrowing Hu Bin's clout to throw his weight around, and ground their teeth. But after glancing at Hu Bin smiling beside him, they said, "Sure, right away. Just give us a moment!"
Hu Bin looked at Yi Nanzi and said, "You'd better watch out. They might get back at you later. Good luck!"
Before long, Wu Jin and Liu Yi came back carrying bags of all sizes. They scurried over to Hu Bin with drinks and snacks, fawning over him with extraordinary enthusiasm!
Hu Bin was quite satisfied and praised them repeatedly. "Not bad! Wouldn't it have been better to do this from the start?"
Standing off to one side, Yi Nanzi looked expectantly at Wu Jin and Liu Yi. "Where's my milk tea?"
Wu Jin and Liu Yi glanced at Yi Nanzi and snapped, "Can't you come get your milk tea yourself? Why are you so lazy?"
"I just..." Yi Nanzi's face darkened. Why was there such a huge difference in how they were treated?
When Yi Nanzi picked up his milk tea, his face darkened further. Was this milk tea? It was clearly a cup of ice! Huh? What was that on top? Holy shit! It was white sugar!
Regular ice and regular sugar, my ass!
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