Chapter 107: There's Something Off About My Pokémon [107]
"That Grovyle's Ability isn't Overgrow—it's Unburden!"
"How could Yu Fengshi make such an obvious mistake?"
Seeing the cold sweat on Yu Fengshi's brow, Lu Ning knew he was starting to panic. From the moment Lu Cheng began to focus on Growlithe, Yu Fengshi had been pulled right into his rhythm. Forcing Grovyle to drop its bone blade was a gamble—one he'd lost.
With Grovyle's speed boosted, the battle had split into two intense one-on-one duels: Growlithe against Vulpix, and Grovyle against Sableye. Anytime Sableye tried to assist Growlithe, Grovyle would catch it from behind, and if Growlithe tried to break free, Vulpix's Extrasensory would pin it in place. The field was effectively divided!
Lu Cheng allowed himself a small smile. He knew his inexperience in doubles put him at a disadvantage, so why not turn the battle into two singles matches? It was a tactic he'd picked up from Prince of Tennis!
"There's no way! Sableye is too slow—its Shadow Ball can't even connect!"
"Yeah, and although Growlithe has the advantage on the other side, its Fire moves are useless against Vulpix!"
The crowd's chatter was getting on Yu Fengshi's nerves, his gaze turning cold and sharp. If that's the way it had to be, he'd end this with single-strike power!
"Growlithe, use Double-Edge!"
Once Growlithe took down Vulpix, dealing with this pesky Grovyle would be a piece of cake!
Watching this unfold, Lu Ning sighed softly. It's over.
Lu Cheng was slightly taken aback. If the battle had dragged on a bit longer, Grovyle's stamina might have lagged behind its speed. But now it seemed his opponent was losing his cool…
As the two Pokémon closed in, Yu Fengshi's smile began to return—only to falter the very next second.
"Use Foul Play!"
Vulpix didn't have any high-powered physical moves that could match Double-Edge head-on. But Lu Cheng wasn't about to let this opportunity slip away, leaving him with only one choice.
Foul Play: An attack that uses the opponent's Attack stat instead of its own.
In a swift motion, Vulpix leapt into the air, and instead of colliding with Growlithe head-on, it lashed out with its six tails. They seemed delicate, but as Growlithe slammed into them, the tails turned as hard as steel!
The recoil from Double-Edge sent Growlithe hurtling backward, and with that one final strike, Growlithe fainted, completely drained.
Yu Fengshi had fallen for it!
His face pale, Yu Fengshi stood frozen, forgetting to even command Sableye. A cry of pain echoed from Sableye as it too was struck down by Grovyle's Leaf Blade.
The battle was over.
The arena was silent for a moment before the crowd erupted in applause.
"Bravo!" cheered a few foreign tourists, clapping enthusiastically.
Lu Cheng nodded in appreciation, while Yu Fengshi took a deep breath, forcing a strained smile.
"Congratulations," Yu Fengshi managed, his tone stiff.
"Just lucky," Lu Cheng shrugged, grinning.
At that moment, the young girl from earlier, blushing furiously amid encouragement from the crowd, shyly handed Lu Cheng the golden nugget. With no one left willing to challenge, the match had reached its end.
"Ding—Mission 'First Doubles Victory' complete!
Rewards: +3 Attack points, Defense Enhancer (increases a Pokémon's base Defense stat), Ability: Synchronicity."
Synchronicity LV1: Enables your Pokémon to better understand your commands, slightly boosting synergy during doubles.
"Ding—Mission 'Winning Streak on Deck' complete!
Completion Level: Perfect.
Rewards: +8 Potential Points, upgraded Ability: Chain."
Chain LV2: Your Pokémon now have a heightened understanding of move chaining. Successive moves of the same kind gain a 15% power boost, and stamina usage in extended battles decreases by 10%.
Lu Cheng was delighted to see his Chain Ability upgraded, granting his Pokémon greater endurance. He closed the system with satisfaction, while Yu Fengshi's expression darkened noticeably. Trying to mask his frustration, Yu Fengshi handed the three gems to Lu Cheng, forcing a strained smile.
"Here are your gems, Champion Lu!"
"Thank you!" Lu Cheng replied, his grin wide.
With a scowl, Yu Fengshi left the deck, unwilling to linger a moment longer.
As the gathering ended, trainers began to break off in small groups, chatting among themselves. Admiring the vibrant red gems in his hand, Lu Cheng felt a hint of satisfaction. These would be a big boost for Vulpix's firepower!
At that moment, Kevin approached with a friendly grin. "Hey, want to join us for dinner on the second deck? They've got fresh salmon tonight!"
Lu Cheng checked his phone. He'd already spent close to an hour here. Although he'd turned off the earpiece, there'd been no calls for him—no emergency, apparently. Still, he'd been here long enough. He smiled apologetically. "Thanks, but I have something else I need to handle!"
"Fine," Kevin replied, shrugging and heading off to find someone else to join him.
Lu Cheng approached the railing, switching his earpiece back on.
The first voice to come through was Xie Yuan's. "Hey, Lu Cheng, any updates on your end?"
"Xie Yuan, sir! Anything new to report?"
"No clues on my end yet. Wonder if Detective Liu's found anything."
"Where are you?"
"Restaurant," came the reply, as Xie Yuan accepted a plate from the chef with a cheerful "Thanks!" and took a bite. "Told you this ship's got one of the top pastry chefs around. Man, that's good!"
Lu Cheng sighed. It seemed someone was slacking off even more than he was.
Then, Liu Shengnan's urgent voice cut in over the earpiece. "Get to the east corridor on the second floor, Room 208!"
Lu Cheng froze, then sprinted toward the second deck.
---
Lu Cheng and Xie Yuan arrived almost at the same moment. Seeing the surprise in both their eyes, Liu Shengnan motioned for them to stay quiet, pointing toward the door of Cabin 208 behind her.
"They're… in there?" Lu Cheng asked nervously.
"Can't be certain," Liu Shengnan replied. "But the crew mentioned that this cabin wasn't reserved."
At that moment, a disturbing crunching sound came from inside, like the gnawing of bones. It sent a chill through all three of them.
"There's also Cabin 210," Xie Yuan added, his previous drowsiness replaced with a sharp, serious expression. "I asked the waitstaff earlier, and apparently, the guest in Cabin 210 requested three servings of Pokémon feed along with their meal delivery."
"It's not common for an ordinary person to be raising three Pokémon at once, is it?"
The air grew tense. In the best-case scenario, the occupant of Cabin 210 was just an average trainer with three Pokémon. But in the worst-case scenario, Lu Cheng and his team would need to be prepared for both cabins to be occupied by hostile individuals.
Without knowing how many were inside, even Liu Shengnan couldn't be fully confident in their chances. She exchanged a look with Xie Yuan, then whispered to Lu Cheng, "Lu Cheng, stay behind us."
"If anything goes wrong, you retreat immediately."
Lu Cheng nodded, knowing better than to underestimate the situation.
Liu Shengnan gave a slight nod, her hand slipping into her coat as the cold glint of a black pistol appeared in her grip. Beside her, a massive Parasect materialized at Xie Yuan's side, its vibrant mushroom caps emitting a distinct, earthy smell mixed with the faint odor of decay. The insect beneath, controlled by the mushroom's spores, extended its three pairs of fuzzy, spiked legs, with a pair of massive claws at the front. The zombified insect stared blankly ahead with its ghostly gray eyes, fixated on the cabin door.
Just then, the door to Cabin 210 creaked open.
---
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
If you wish to support me here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone