Capítulo 104: There's Something Off About My Pokémon [104]
They had met once before in the U20 Championship, and the spring-like grace of this young woman left a lasting impression on him.
"Oh, it's you," Lu Cheng smiled.
Lu Ning nodded, showing a soft smile with delicate dimples. "Champion, go easy on me, won't you?"
Lu Cheng suddenly recalled her formidable Lopunny, a deceptively cute Pokémon that actually had a powerhouse battle style. As the tournament's third-place finisher, Lu Ning was no pushover.
Murmurs spread through the crowd:
"Wait, who's that girl? She looks so familiar!"
"That's the heiress of the Shanghai Wildlands Group! She's been on magazine covers—like Youth a few times."
"No way, I think I saw her on TV once!"
"She's also one of the youngest winners of a Beauty Ribbon in the Shanghai Contest!"
Accustomed to public attention, Lu Ning remained gracious, giving a small smile. "Shall we begin?"
Lu Cheng nodded, opting to stick with Grovyle. Lu Ning then tossed out a Friend Ball, and a little green bulb-like creature popped out.
"Whoa! What's that? It's adorable!"
"I don't know! I've never seen one like it—it must be rare!"
Lu Cheng couldn't help but suppress a twitch at the crowd's reactions. The Budew, short and squat, resembled a bloated bulb covered in tattered leaves, with no nose or mouth on its pale face and two unsettlingly bloodshot, egg-shaped eyes locked onto him.
Budew (Anna)
Nature: TimidAbility: Chlorophyll
Moves: Leech Seed, Ingrain, Growth, Charm
Analysis: Only female! No Lopunny crossdressing fears here!
Lu Ning smiled sweetly, explaining, "I just caught this little one last month. She's a bit shy and not very experienced in battle."
"A match against a Champion should be the perfect way to speed up her growth," she added with a warm smile.
Lu Cheng quickly understood what Lu Ning meant by "going easy." Budew was hardly a strong opponent, almost like she'd chosen it just to help him keep his win streak going.
But as he observed Lu Ning's calm expression, he realized she might be using this to smooth over the awkward silence and encourage others to battle. Perhaps, instead of sending out her formidable Lopunny, she thought it would be wiser to go easy with a weaker Pokémon. It gave him face, gave Budew experience, and created a welcoming atmosphere for everyone.
His gaze sharpened. Lu Ning was a bit craftier than he expected.
Without knowing what he was thinking, Lu Ning maintained her poised smile and commanded, "Anna, let's start with Ingrain!"
Budew wobbled forward and plopped right down on the deck, sprouting several grayish tendrils that dug into the floorboards.
Lu Cheng sighed, resting a hand on his forehead. "Grovyle, Leaf Blade, please."
Not wanting to end things too harshly, Lu Cheng aimed for a more restrained attack. If Budew couldn't handle even half-damage from Leaf Blade, well, that wasn't his fault.
As expected, Lu Ning's experience showed, and she quickly ordered, "Charm!"
As Grovyle closed in, Budew lifted its bloodshot eyes, staring up at him pleadingly.
"Boop!" Budew's sound was strangely akin to a soft request for likes and follows. Grovyle froze, the blade in his hand slowing as his heart softened.
Distracted, Grovyle's Leaf Blade slashed at air, and Budew used the opening to send out a few clumsy Magical Leaves toward him.
The flimsy leaves barely grazed Grovyle, who looked baffled.
This… doesn't hurt?
Grovyle glanced back at Lu Cheng, who was staring skyward, pretending not to notice. Grovyle sighed, deciding to end it himself. Turning, he slashed Budew with a firm Leaf Blade.
A gush of green fluid spilled forth, filling the air with a pungent onion smell that made the crowd's noses tingle.
"Whew! A bit harsh, wasn't it?"
"Yikes! Ruthless!"
Lu Ning, unfazed, simply smiled and thanked Lu Cheng as she gracefully stepped down from the stage.
Clearing his throat, Lu Cheng turned back to the crowd. "Any other challengers?"
With Lu Ning's example, others figured their Pokémon couldn't fare worse than Budew. The crowd's enthusiasm reignited, and more trainers stepped up to challenge him.
Rattata, Butterfree, Pidgeotto… with each win, Lu Cheng's smile grew wider. He couldn't help but feel grateful for Lu Ning's subtle assistance in livening up the competition.
Watching her sip from a wine glass with a small circle of well-dressed admirers around her, Lu Cheng shook his head, chuckling to himself. The daughter of a major business family certainly knew her way around people.
---
"Is this really the top trainer from Zhejiang Province?" asked the young man next to Lu Ning, adjusting his sleek vest and holding a glass of champagne. His belt gleamed with a luxurious Poké Ball, his hair slicked back in a practiced style.
Lu Ning gave a soft smile, her dimples faint. "What, are you planning to challenge him too?"
The young man yawned, giving a dismissive wave. "That would be too boring. The gold nugget was my contribution, anyway—I just wanted to liven things up."
Lu Ning chuckled, covering her mouth. "Mr. Yu of the Diantha Foundation, you're certainly generous."
Yu Fengshi shrugged. While Lu Cheng was undeniably talented, he didn't pique Yu's interest. This whole trainer gathering was really just a way to throw Lu Ning a birthday celebration. Who knew the crowd would take it upon themselves to set up a mini-tournament? As the organizer, Yu had offered up the gold nugget as a prize.
The nugget, a solid, quail-egg-sized piece of gold, would be valuable for Rock-type Pokémon like Carbink or Sableye that thrive on minerals. It was worth about 100,000 yuan on the market. Though it was only a small expense, Yu Fengshi found the whole tournament dull.
He gave another languid yawn, his eyes narrowing. Just then, Lu Cheng released his second Pokémon—a vibrant, red-furred Vulpix.
Yu Fengshi's brows rose as a thought struck him. Glancing at Lu Ning, he asked, "The provincial championship reward—wasn't it an evolution stone?"
Lu Ning nodded, immediately catching on. "You're not thinking…"
"If his Vulpix hasn't evolved yet, then the Fire Stone must still be on him." Yu Fengshi's lips curved slightly as he unclipped the luxury ball from his belt and began to make his way toward the stage.
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