Sprigatito could vaguely sense that its body had changed quite a bit over the two days since Xia Chi had caught it.
But only when it actually fought did it realize that this was no mere change-it was practically a mutation!
Unable to see the system's detailed information, Sprigatito naturally had no idea that this was before several major traits had even been activated.
It had reached this state with nothing but the [Chosen Badge], [Trinity Force], and [Bloodthirster].
The Chosen Badge and Trinity Force gave Sprigatito a boost of over 50% to all its stats, while the Bloodthirster provided crucial sustain.
Even if those three bonuses alone hadn't fundamentally transformed Sprigatito's combat strength, dealing with a few starter-area Mankey was a breeze.
Still, even without knowing the truth, Sprigatito understood that Xia Chi must have had something to do with it.
He had given it meticulous care and warmth, restored its pride as a battling Pokémon, and greatly improved its strength.
At that moment, Xia Chi's standing in Sprigatito's heart rose to an incomparable height.
A warrior would die for someone who truly understood them.
Though Sprigatito had never heard that saying, it understood the sentiment.
Now, with little sparks of light glittering in its eyes, it made a silent vow.
I'll stay by Xia Chi's side until we reach a peak no one else can touch!
Meanwhile, after working out the most likely explanation, Xia Chi, who had unwittingly found himself playing Ash, was no longer in a hurry to go back and check.
Mostly because he had no way to contact Sprigatito. Even if he went back now, he wouldn't be able to find it.
He probably didn't need to worry too much about its safety. It had spent over half a year roaming the school grounds. Even after being ostracized, hadn't it managed just fine?
That went doubly now that his system buddy's traits and equipment were giving it bonuses.
If the kid wants to play, let it play.
Besides, the Dark-type trait's Fear had to be accumulated by defeating Pokémon. He might as well relax and focus on class while Sprigatito built up Fear out in the wild.
What's more, Modern Pokémon Breeding Studies showed that, among a group of Pokémon of the same species raised using the same methods and possessing similar strength,
those that battled more frequently grew slightly faster on average, provided they weren't pushed to the limits of their stamina.
Clearly, although reality wasn't like a game where battles could provide huge amounts of experience to raise levels, it did have a similar, weaker effect.
In other words, Sprigatito really was "grinding monsters to level up" right now.
That was what Xia Chi thought.
Then again, defeating one Pokémon only earned a fraction of a point of Fear, even when it defeated an opponent "above its level."
Wouldn't reaching a hundred stacks take months?
And a hundred stacks was only the starting point for Fear.
Going by Teamfight Tactics mechanics, this kind of chest needed several hundred stacks of Fear before it could yield anything good.
Cashing out anytime soon was impossible-to put it conservatively, it would take at least two or three years.
Still, no matter what, Xia Chi's plan to "cash out a win streak" had finally taken its crucial first step.
And so, throughout his entire World Pokémon Mythological History class,
he listened to his system buddy's voice announcements: "Sprigatito defeated Mankey."
It had something of the joy of an idle gold-farming game.
Of course, Xia Chi wouldn't forget that this joy was built on Sprigatito's hard work and sweat.
From that perspective, catching a Pokémon someone else didn't want wasn't such a bad thing.
Pokémon like that were a little more sensible than untrained ones, and would even train themselves.
Sprigatito's final tally for the morning was five Mankey, bringing its accumulated Fear to a whopping 1.1.
In the battle arena, that would have been a terrifying one-versus-five sweep. Even with his system buddy's help, achieving a record like that against higher-level opponents was no small feat.
So who said this Sprigatito was no good? This Sprigatito was fantastic!
As for whether Sprigatito had made it home safely afterward, Xia Chi wasn't too worried.
For one thing, he figured that if the system announced victories, it should notify him of defeats too.
For another, he knew Sprigatito was a little cat that knew its limits.
He had known it for several months. No matter how bedraggled it got, he could always count on seeing it around nine in the evening, hauling its reasonably healthy body into his dorm room for food.
Its fighting ability might only rank somewhere around A or B for now, but its escape skills were definitely S+.
Sure enough, when Xia Chi finished his morning classes and returned to his dorm with a nutritious lunch and some medicine, Sprigatito was already waiting inside as though nothing had happened.
Although it pretended to be calm and had carefully groomed its fur before Xia Chi returned, its slightly unsteady steps and several obvious fresh injuries still gave it away.
"So you went out to train in real battles on your own and didn't tell me because you didn't want me to worry? Oh, Haki-meow, you little rascal."
Xia Chi rubbed the head of Sprigatito, who had come to welcome him home, then took out the medicine he had bought on the way back.
As he applied it, he frowned and said, "I told you, didn't I? Whatever you want to do, I'll support you. So don't hide things like this from me again. Don't make me worry."
"Meow."
Sprigatito couldn't spare a thought for Xia Chi using that nickname it disliked again. Half guilty and half touched, it lowered its head and meekly accepted his scolding.
But then something occurred to it. Surprise crossed its face, and it looked up at Xia Chi suspiciously. "Meow?"
Wait, he even brought medicine back with him.
So, Xia Chi, how did you know in advance that I went out fighting this morning?
Reading the question in Sprigatito's eyes, Xia Chi glanced around guiltily, an awkward half-smile on his face.
When you know the other person is lying but can't call them out because how you learned the truth is also a secret.jpg
First-year classes weren't all that packed, relatively speaking, and Xia Chi had no classes that afternoon.
He had originally planned to spend that free time editing videos, but he made time to take Sprigatito to the Silph Department Store and buy a portable Pokémon tracker.
This precision device, concealed inside a little cat tag attached to a collar, could not only display Sprigatito's exact location in an app on Xia Chi's phone,
but also monitor its various physical readings and current condition.
When necessary, he could even use his phone to talk to Sprigatito while it wore the device.
It was practically an essential piece of high-tech gear for Pokémon like Sprigatito that liked running off into the wild.
Although its price was every bit as impressive as its features, Xia Chi bought it without hesitation.
With this on Sprigatito, Xia Chi could feel a little more at ease whenever it went out to "train" itself.
Afterward, Xia Chi and Sprigatito agreed on three ground rules for its independent training-
Do not provoke Pokémon far stronger than you while you're out.
Make sure to leave combat before your stamina or condition is depleted.
Meow into the tracker three times every half hour so Xia Chi can confirm you're safe.
And make sure to come home on time before dark.
As for why their three ground rules had four rules,
everyone knew the Four Heavenly Kings always had five members, so three ground rules having four rules was perfectly reasonable, right?
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