章節 34: There's Something Off About My Pokémon. [34]
"It was alright," A-Le replied. Although he was usually chatty with his classmates, he became more reserved when it came to his parents. "I'm going inside."
"Oh, okay, sure..." A-Le's father wanted to say more, but seeing his son's expression, he held back. Wingull flapped its wings and cried out toward A-Le's father. Hearing the call, a Pelipper flew down from the truck and affectionately nuzzled Wingull with its head.
"Sigh..." A-Le's father let out a sigh, a helpless smile on his face, and shook his head before continuing to haul the heavy cargo.
With a bang, A-Le closed his door. His room was filled with various figurines and Pokémon plushies, anime posters covering the walls, and a PS4 connected to his computer. A-Le sat cross-legged in front of the PS4, turned on the console, but then sat there for a long time, staring at the empty screen.
"Orleh," Wingull carefully pushed open the door, peeking its head in cautiously.
"I'll come eat later," A-Le said softly. Wingull let out a cry, closed the door, and shook its head at the two figures behind it. A-Le's parents looked worriedly at the closed door but didn't dare open it. That small door had somehow become a gulf between them.
---
The next day, A-Le and Wingull arrived at the training grounds.
"What's wrong, A-Le?" Lu Cheng asked. "You don't look so great."
"It's nothing, nothing!" A-Le, sporting large dark circles under his eyes, waved his hand with a big laugh. "I got hooked on a game last night and ended up pulling an all-nighter."
"Orleh," Wingull shook its head helplessly.
In truth, A-Le had spent the entire night researching how to raise Wingull and how to improve in Pokémon battles. Witnessing the battle between Lu Cheng's Pokémon had made him feel an immense pressure and a vague, indescribable emotion. Watching his friends around him grow and improve made A-Le feel a sense of anxiety, as if he couldn't keep up. Even he couldn't quite explain why he had lied to Lu Cheng.
"You, huh," Lu Cheng sighed, "There are only two days left until the competition. Focus, okay?"
"Don't worry, don't worry, I'm definitely going to make it through the elimination round!" Despite the pressure weighing on him, the chubby A-Le had a resilience that others couldn't match. He secretly resolved that no matter what, he had to win the first round!
Lu Cheng smiled and nodded. "Alright, I'll be waiting for you to treat me to a meal when you win."
"How about a 1,000-meter warm-up run? No problem, right?"
"Let's go!"
Three minutes later, Lu Cheng stared at A-Le in surprise. Today, A-Le hadn't fallen behind! Gasping for breath, Lu Cheng encouraged him, "Keep going, one more lap!"
A-Le's face was twisted in determination as he gritted his teeth and nodded vigorously. The sun was especially fierce today, even though summer was just around the corner, it felt like a scorching blaze. Both Lu Cheng and A-Le were drenched in sweat, as if they had been fished out of water. Even Vulpix and Treecko were exhausted, lying motionless on the hot ground.
"That's it for this morning," Lu Cheng waved his hand.
"One more set of push-ups," A-Le suddenly said.
Lu Cheng looked at A-Le in surprise, and slowly, a smile spread across his face.
"Alright, let's do push-ups!"
---
Three days may not seem long, but it wasn't short either. With the daytime training and the extra sessions A-Le had requested, the two of them trained for a staggering seven hours each day. The sudden intensity left A-Le sore all over. When he lay down in bed, his body was covered in bruises, yet the chubby boy never once complained about the pain. It was his mother who secretly wiped her tears several times.
This was the last day of the three-day special training.
Night fell, and the city lights began to glow. The plaza-dancing aunties arrived early, bringing their Glameow to the square, starting their routine to the beat of Loudred's booming speakers. Lu Cheng and A-Le once again arrived at Venue 17. Lu Cheng spoke up, "Today, for the final lesson of the special training, it's still a real battle!"
A-Le's mouth moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.
"Relax," Lu Cheng reassured him. "I've seen your progress over these past three days."
"When I first got Vulpix, even I didn't train as hard as you."
"Believe in yourself, A-Le. In battle, you can definitely do it!"
Looking at Lu Cheng, A-Le bit his lip and nodded.
"Go, Wingull!"
"Treecko, I'm counting on you."
After three days of intense training and with the special feed Lu Cheng's dad had prepared for Wingull, its wings had grown significantly longer. Being in a growth phase, the right amount of exercise had made its feathers fuller, and its speed had greatly improved.
Seeing that it was Wingull, Treecko turned to Lu Cheng with a puzzled expression.
"Take the battle seriously, Treecko!" Lu Cheng shouted, "Give it your all!"
Hearing Lu Cheng's command, Treecko didn't dare slack off. It pulled out its branch and stood ready for action.
Honestly, the last time Wingull couldn't even withstand two of Treecko's moves, it had left a deep scar in A-Le's mind. But this time—A-Le closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were filled with firm determination. No matter the result, as long as there were no regrets, that was enough!
"Wingull, use Supersonic!"
Lu Cheng hadn't chosen Vulpix but instead used Treecko, which was strong against Water-types. This in itself was a sign of respect, so Lu Cheng couldn't afford to hold back.
"Treecko, use Quick Attack to get behind it!"
Wingull's Supersonic could only target enemies in front of it. It quickly turned around, trying to catch sight of Treecko, but all it saw was a dark branch swinging down right on its head.
"Baozi!" A-Le shouted.
Wingull cried out in pain, but upon hearing its trainer's call, it rallied, using its flying advantage to distance itself.
"Good!" This time, Wingull held its ground. A-Le yelled, "Use Wing Attack from the air!"
With a loud cry, Wingull dove down, its wings glowing with the white light of the skill. Wing Attack would deal double damage to Treecko, and it was one of the new moves Wingull had learned after its growth spurt. However, even Vulpix's Ember couldn't touch Treecko, and without needing Lu Cheng's command, Treecko leaped lightly, evading the attack.
"Treecko, use—" Lu Cheng started to call for Mega Drain, but then stopped himself and shouted, "Slash!"
"Cha!" Treecko, like a skilled surfer riding a wave, landed on Wingull's back. Its Slash struck a critical hit, nearly knocking Wingull out of the sky.
"Baozi, use Quick Attack and throw Treecko off!"
Even after taking two hits, Wingull, covered in bruises, still had a fierce fire burning in its eyes. With Quick Attack, Wingull shot into the sky, throwing Treecko to the ground, dealing significant damage.
"Good job, Baozi!" A-Le shouted excitedly.
Lu Cheng smiled and said, "Treecko, use Quick Attack!"
"Baozi, let's use Quick Attack too!"
The two figures clashed in a flash of light, but Treecko emerged victorious!
---
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