Chapter 93: There's Something Off About My Pokémon [93]
Ditto sat between them, eyes flicking back and forth between its two teammates. Curious, Vulpix reached out a paw, trying to touch Ditto's gelatinous body, but just as her paw brushed the surface, Ditto retracted its goo, leaving Vulpix to paw at empty air.
"Ditto, stop messing around!" Lu Cheng called out as he walked over with their food bowls. Vulpix huffed and turned her head away, feigning disinterest.
Lu Cheng had nearly run out of Pokéblocks for both Grovyle and Vulpix. He would have to find time to restock from Zhao Dachun soon. As for Ditto… he'd learned that Ditto's diet varied based on habitat; it could consume Berries, mushrooms, and even certain minerals found in caves and forests.
The Armed Division's Ditto, however, were fed metals to enhance their defense capabilities. Watching Ditto eagerly devour its meal, Lu Cheng couldn't help but wonder if Ditto even had a sense of taste. It dunked its entire body into the bowl, engulfing the food in its goo, and in a few seconds, the bowl was spotless.
"Ditto, are you full?" Lu Cheng chuckled as the little blob let out a satisfied "Mmm!" and slowly wobbled toward Vulpix, who quickly spread her six tails, shielding her bowl.
Ditto sighed, disappointed, its gooey surface bubbling with little pink bubbles.
Lu Cheng rubbed his chin, watching Ditto, deep in thought. In the games, Ditto was always popular for breeding… but could it really work like that in real life? Glancing at Ditto's gooey form, Lu Cheng shuddered at the thought. Who in their right mind would pair Ditto with their Pokémon just for eggs?
Beyond breeding, though, Ditto's combat capabilities were… limited, to say the least. As Guo Zhang had mentioned, Ditto was used more as a defense item in the Armed Division rather than as a battle partner. And with only "Transform" in its moveset, Ditto could mimic other Pokémon but would lack mastery over their moves unless it had practiced extensively. For all the Breeding Department's efforts, they had only trained Ditto to learn "Harden."
It's just as I thought—this Ditto is pretty young, Lu Cheng observed, watching as it explored his room with curiosity, its body a bright pink color. He'd read that young Ditto started off pink but would turn a light purple upon reaching maturity.
"That's good. This way, I can get a head start on training it," Lu Cheng mused. Even if Ditto's combat potential was limited, it would still be useful to have it gain a few more forms to rely on.
"Let's see… so far, Ditto only has experience with Geodude," he muttered, opening the system's magnifier to examine Ditto's stats.
Just then, Ditto's eyes darted to Grovyle, who was flipping through a comic nearby. With a sudden cry, Ditto shifted, morphing into a green lizard-like Pokémon.
Grovyle looked up, eyes wide with shock.
"Mii—gii!" Ditto-now-Grovyle hopped around the room, its trademark beady eyes completely at odds with Grovyle's usual intense gaze.
"Hey! Cut it out!" Lu Cheng yelled, exasperated as Ditto bounded all over the room, sending his belongings flying. "Grovyle, use Quick Attack to catch it!"
The room was quickly reduced to a disaster zone, with sheets sliced by Ditto's Leaf Blade attack. After Grovyle finally pinned down the exhausted Ditto, leaving it with spiraled, dazed eyes, Lu Cheng sighed in exasperation. This Ditto was going to be a lot of trouble.
But despite its antics, Ditto's skill was remarkable—it had mimicked Grovyle's appearance in a matter of seconds. This proved that Ditto did, indeed, have a solid mastery of "Transform."
Still, the amount of time it would take to properly train Ditto would be… a lot. If Ditto kept acting up like this, he might have to talk to Guo Zhang about a replacement. After all, he already had his hands full training Vulpix and Grovyle; he didn't have time to deal with Ditto's pranks.
Wait a second…
An idea sparked in Lu Cheng's mind as he remembered the small bell he'd tucked under Vulpix's bed.
If I remember correctly, the Soothe Bell has a calming effect on Pokémon…
I wonder if this Soothe Bell will help cure Ditto of its mischievous streak.
As Ditto slowly woke up, it saw Lu Cheng's smiling face above it. Just as it prepared to leap onto his face, Lu Cheng produced the small, shiny bell and gave it a gentle shake.
Ditto's tiny, beady eyes lit up with excitement, practically sparkling.
"I'll give you this bell," Lu Cheng said, holding it just out of reach, "but only if you promise not to cause any more trouble."
Ditto eagerly nodded its entire gooey body, and Lu Cheng hooked the Soothe Bell onto it. The bell somehow hung on despite Ditto's gelatinous form, and with a delighted grin, Ditto poked at it with fascination, watching it sway.
Just then, Lu Cheng felt an intense stare on his back. Turning, he found Vulpix watching him with a quiet, almost betrayed look. But when she saw him notice, she quickly looked away.
I was here first!
"It's not that I don't want to give you one," Lu Cheng laughed, "but you've already got that Charcoal around your neck. It'd be too much!"
And Vulpix's Charcoal was an invaluable asset in battle, so taking it off wasn't an option. Patting her on the head, Lu Cheng added, "How about I get you an extra Berry Parfait next time, huh?"
Vulpix sighed, flicking her tails with a soft growl of approval.
Meanwhile, Grovyle had a more detached attitude, completely absorbed in reading a comic. Occasionally, it even used Double Team to replicate itself out of sheer excitement as it read the tales of a Greninja ninja in Pokémon Shinobi.
Lu Cheng sighed, shaking his head. Why does it feel like my Pokémon have such unusual personalities?
He couldn't help but compare them to Ding Chong's well-behaved Crobat—always sweet, always mindful of saving food for its trainer. If only you'd pick up a few habits from it, he thought, eyeing Grovyle, who was happily lost in its manga.
Since the U20 Tournament, Grovyle no longer needed to wear the competitive vest. According to the system, its Speed stat had maxed out, making the vest unnecessary. Now, the competitive vest had shrunk down to its original hand-sized form, ready for Lu Cheng's next Pokémon.
Next Pokémon, huh? Lu Cheng thought, glancing at Ditto, who was still mesmerized by its new bell. This little blob definitely doesn't need any Speed boosts.
Suddenly, a thought sparked in Lu Cheng's mind. What if… I wore the vest myself?
Excitedly, he asked, "System, can I set myself as the competitive vest's target?"
After a brief pause, the system seemed to sigh. You've really got some nerve, don't you?
Moments later, the vest shifted, transforming into a belt perfectly suited for Lu Cheng to wear around his waist. He fastened it, and instantly felt a tremendous weight pulling him down.
"This… this is way too heavy!" he exclaimed, nearly buckling under the pressure as he tried to squat into a fighting stance.
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