Bab 50: There's Something Off About My Pokémon. [50]
"What's this?" Lu Cheng reached out and touched the Ninetales pattern on the jacket, surprised. "Handcrafted!?"
"This is the most popular hand-embroidery technique this year." Mu Mei smiled, "It's a method of stitching the pattern onto the fabric with a needle, making the design look more three-dimensional!"
"That's amazing," Lu Cheng muttered, "It really does look great."
The black jacket was made from a blend of Mareep wool and cotton. On the back, a lifelike Ninetales, outlined with golden thread, was vividly displayed. Each of its nine tails was carefully stitched, showing just how much time and effort Mu Mei had put into the jacket.
"Of course," she said proudly, "This jacket took me more than half a month to finish!"
Vulpix curiously examined the embroidered Ninetales, reaching out a paw to touch it, but Lu Cheng quickly swatted its paw away in alarm.
"It's fine," Mu Mei smiled. "The initial design took a lot of effort, but after this, we can just hand it over to the factory."
Lu Cheng nodded and asked curiously, "Why did you choose a Ninetales design?"
"Isn't this jacket for you?" Mu Mei rolled her eyes at Lu Cheng, clearly displeased. "Since it's for you, of course it needs to match your Pokémon!"
"Right, Vulpix?" She reached out and stroked Vulpix's tails. The little one, like a kitten, hugged her leg tightly. Gulpin looked up pitifully and clung to her other leg.
Lu Cheng: I also want to...
Mu Mei tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "Since we're thinking long-term, it's better to use a Ninetales design from the start. It saves us the trouble later."
She smiled and added, "By the way, your match is tomorrow. How's your preparation going?"
"Not too bad," Lu Cheng scratched his head and asked, "What about you, Mu Mei? Who's your opponent?"
"Me?" Mu Mei pointed at herself, then waved her hand with a smile. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, I've dropped out of the tournament."
"Huh?" Lu Cheng was shocked. "Why?"
"The research project at school is keeping me super busy," she replied, frowning. "Plus, I have work to do with the studio. I just don't have the time to compete."
"But don't worry," she gave a beautiful smile, "No matter how busy I am, I'll be there in person to cheer you on!"
"Since it's your first match as our brand's representative, I can't miss it."
Lu Cheng nodded, determined. "Don't worry, Mu Mei, I'll do my best to get a good rank!"
With a pleased expression, Mu Mei smiled and said, "The higher you place, the better our sales will be."
"Remember our slogan!"
"No cavities?"
"Idiot, it's 'grow big and strong'!" Mu Mei laughed, showing off her two rows of pearly white teeth.
---
"Hello, everyone! Welcome, this is Yu Lei, a special commentator for Jiangcheng TV, and I'm thrilled to bring you the commentary for this match!"
"Hello, everyone! I'm Momo from the BKA48 girl group~" A cute girl beside Yu Lei said with a sweet smile.
In the U20 tournament's knockout rounds, it was common to have this type of commentary setup—one professional commentator paired with a guest star. However, not every match received this treatment; out of the 64 matches, only half of the venues had such commentary and broadcast coverage. The TV station's decision was based on the popularity of the contestants.
"Now, the first contestant to enter the stage is a seed from Jiangcheng First High School, named Lu Cheng! According to his registration details, his starter Pokémon is a Vulpix!"
"Vulpix is such an adorable Pokémon," Momo chimed in with a smile. "But don't let its cute appearance fool you!"
Standing on the battle stage, Lu Cheng took a deep breath. On one side of the audience, Mu Mei sat, giving him a nod of encouragement, while on the other side, his parents were waving flags and wearing red headbands, shouting, "Go, Cheng Cheng! You can do it!"
What a huge spectacle! But this feeling of being cheered on by so many… it was actually pretty nice. With a slight smile, Lu Cheng's earlier nervousness melted away as he focused on the opponent across from him.
"And on the other side, we have a competitor who's also shown great strength, making his way through the qualifiers!" A tall, skinny boy stood across from him, also appearing a bit nervous. After taking a deep breath, he threw out his Poké Ball: "Go, Arbok!"
"Arbok is a carnivorous Pokémon with a powerful drive to attack, capable of swallowing prey larger than itself in one bite!" Yu Lei said loudly. "But Vulpix can also use rare Psychic-type moves. Which side will prevail? Let's find out!"
Lu Cheng's expression remained relaxed. He had faced Arboks before, and according to his magnifying glass, this Arbok only mastered four moves. Still, he knew not to be careless. Calmly, he gave the order, "Vulpix, use Flamethrower!"
Opening with a big move—classic!
"This Vulpix is going straight for the powerful Flamethrower!" Yu Lei exclaimed in surprise. "It seems this Vulpix has been very well trained!"
Momo smiled prettily, playing the role of the eye-candy commentator without interrupting. Flamethrower? She had no clue what that was. Her Jigglypuff didn't know that move!
"Arbok, use Dig!" the boy quickly commanded.
Arbok quickly burrowed into the ground, but its tail was still caught by the flames, eliciting a sharp cry. Then, it completely vanished into the earth, making it impossible to determine its exact location.
"If this attack hits, 'Dig' could deal significant damage to Vulpix!" Yu Lei explained promptly.
The scene fell into a tense silence. Lu Cheng didn't issue any commands, choosing instead to patiently wait. Meanwhile, the boy opposite him began to sweat nervously.
"Arbok, use Dig to attack Vulpix!" Staying underground indefinitely wouldn't win the battle. But this was the moment Lu Cheng had been waiting for!
"Vulpix, use Protect."
The purple serpent leaped out of its tunnel, its sharp fangs aiming to tear into Vulpix, but they were stopped by a thin, green shield.
"Now, use Confuse Ray!" At such close range, Confuse Ray was impossible to dodge. Arbok was hit and instantly fell into a confused state, standing frozen and bewildered.
"Vulpix, Flamethrower!"
With Arbok defenseless, a blast of flames crashed into it. When the smoke cleared, Arbok lay on the ground, charred and unable to continue fighting.
"What a fantastic performance!" Yu Lei exclaimed in amazement. "Lu Cheng's rapid-fire commands left Arbok no chance to counter, with an attack as swift and relentless as a storm—truly impressive!"
"The victor is Lu Cheng!" The arena erupted into applause as the awaiting host and cameraman rushed over. "Congratulations, Lu Cheng! Can you share with us the secret to your victory?"
This was the moment Lu Cheng had been waiting for!
"Ta-da!" Lu Cheng pointed to his stylishly designed Nine-Tails jackett, flashing a broad grin. "The secret is this Victory Jacket! Premium fabric, hand-stitched—interested in checking it out?"
Mu Mei covered her face in embarrassment. Who taught him these cheesy lines?
The host looked stunned, then forced an awkward smile, quickly wrapping up the interview and hurrying off to the next match. Another person turning the interview into an ad!
---
T/N: For some reason the story keeps referring to Mu Mei as Senior Sister, or The senior sister when Lu Cheng is around, so I hope you don't mind if I just completely replace those moments with her actual name.
Thats Chapter 50! From now on no more 5 chapter a day updates...
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