Lu Cheng sighed, feeling his chest tighten. He waved his hand dismissively but then stopped, turning back to ask, "By the way, how much does one of those berry blenders cost?"
"Are you planning to get one for home use?" Lu Ning looked at him, momentarily surprised. "Well, they're a bit tricky to use, but the price isn't too bad. You could get a basic model for just over three hundred thousand."
Lu Cheng's eye twitched. Just over three hundred thousand? Was she hearing herself? That's more than the down payment on a house!
"But keep in mind, that's just the basic model," Lu Ning added thoughtfully. "The basic one maxes out at medium speed. Commercial versions are even pricier!"
Lu Cheng felt his heart sink. The two hundred thousand prize from winning the U20 Championship had all gone towards Pokéblocks, Moomoo Milk, and berries. After the odds and ends, he was left with about ten hundred thousand from the military reward and another fifteen hundred thousand earned from various tasks. For a high school student, having a balance of twenty-five hundred thousand was a small fortune.
And yet, it wasn't enough to buy even a basic berry blender.
I'll save up for a basic model! Lu Cheng resolved with gritted teeth. It was a necessary investment. The berry blender would not only help him train his dynamic vision but also save on the cost of buying Pokéblocks. Lu Cheng sighed. The struggles of a young trainer!
But he felt a bit more hopeful when he remembered the gold beads and Fire Stone gifted by Yu Fengshi that he had stashed in his system inventory.
By the time they arrived at Lujiazui, the city had already descended into nighttime. The bustling metropolis was alive with bright lights and neon, a city that never slept. This area was one of the most developed parts of the new district, and the Oriental Battle Tower, towering high into the sky, was clearly visible.
Grand, gilded buildings lined the streets, their glow reflecting off one another. One skyscraper even had a massive Meowth face on top, the coin on its forehead shining brightly as a good luck charm. Giant screens at the Pokémon Mart played ads, prominently featuring the iconic Poké Ball symbol.
Everywhere they looked, people walked with their Pokémon companions. There was a pink Persian that looked like it had a bad case of hair loss, a hulking Persian with a scar across its face, and a massive Dubwool waddling down the street with its shaggy fur. Lu Cheng even spotted a Magnemite floating serenely in the air, like a piece of tin with a bolt for an eye, which darted around in its metal shell.
"That's probably a stray Magnemite," Lu Ning commented with a smile. "The bustling energy of the city and the power grid here are inseparable from Magnemite networks."
"Thousands of Magnemite work at power plants every day," she continued. "It's a very clean energy source that this city has fully embraced."
Lu Cheng nodded, just as he instinctively reached for a Poké Ball to toss at the little Magnemite, only for Lu Ning to quickly stop him.
"That's government property!" she warned, her tone dead serious.
Embarrassed, Lu Cheng dropped his hand and continued walking toward their destination.
The Oriental Battle Tower was a place of pilgrimage for trainers worldwide. At nearly five hundred meters tall, it had an elevator, but trainers who wanted to reach the summit through battle had to climb it floor by floor. During its grand opening ceremony, the Battle Tower had hosted a half-year-long "Summit Challenge."
Trainers challenged each other on every floor, pushing their limits, and the victors moved up to the next level. Over five hundred meters of ascent, and those who reached the pinnacle were without exception among the strongest trainers of their time. The Oriental Battle Tower's reputation had since spread worldwide.
It was rumored that a Legendary Pokémon had once visited the summit, but no one had actually reached the top to confirm it. After all, the Oriental Pearl Tower hadn't hosted a "Summit Challenge" for nearly five years. The last person to conquer it was the current Dragon-Type Elite of China.
Looking up at the Battle Tower, Lu Cheng felt a deep respect for those who came before him. Gazing up at the spire reaching for the clouds, he clenched his fist, filled with a sudden desire to one day conquer it himself.
"Want to go up and take a look?" Lu Ning offered with a smile. "I know my way around here pretty well!"
Lu Cheng recalled with a start that Lu Ning's home was in this high-end district. Damn capitalists!
"No need. You should head back," Lu Cheng sighed. "It's late, and it's not safe for you to be out alone."
"You're not really going to let me go home hungry, are you?" Lu Ning pouted.
Just then, a dark shadow suddenly appeared over the top of the Battle Tower!
The crowd's attention was immediately drawn upwards, Lu Cheng and Lu Ning included. In the city's nighttime glow, anything in the air stood out, and this shadow hovered three hundred meters above the tower, like a missile—or maybe even a flying shark!
"Garchomp!" Lu Cheng muttered in awe.
"I don't see anything…" Lu Ning squinted.
The dark figure cut through the clouds, slicing through the air with its torpedo-shaped tail. As the moon slipped out from behind the clouds, the shape of the Garchomp was revealed in the moonlight! And there, riding on its back, was the silhouette of a man!
The Garchomp shot through the air, leaving a trail of white vapor behind it, and soon disappeared from sight. The crowd barely reacted, probably assuming it was just a large flying Pokémon, and quickly resumed their business. But Lu Cheng was utterly captivated. That was a pseudo-legendary!
For a Pokémon that strong to just be soaring through the city skies like that… was that even allowed?
"What did you just say that was?" Lu Ning asked, puzzled. "It's too dark, I can't see anything."
"Just a large bird Pokémon," Lu Cheng brushed off with a laugh. "Now, what were you saying again?"
Despite the number of people who had likely seen the scene, Lu Cheng didn't feel the urge to tell Lu Ning. Garchomp—a pseudo-legendary!
There was no doubt about it—the man riding that Garchomp was a trainer of extraordinary power.
As Lu Ning's face shifted to one of confusion, a young girl nearby tugged at her mother's hand, pointing up, "Mommy, look, it's a Charizard!"
Her mother looked up, only to find that the clouds had covered the moon again, leaving no Charizard in sight.
"Don't be silly, honey," the woman said with a smile, guiding her daughter toward a nearby restaurant.
Just then, a dark shadow shot by. Lu Cheng stared intently at the barely-visible figure, feeling a thrill run down his spine.
Mega Charizard X (Mega Evolution)
Nature: Bold
Ability: Tough Claws
Moveset: Heat Wave, Outrage, Swords Dance, Flamethrower, Dragon Dance, Fire Punch, Earthquake, Dragon Claw, Flare Blitz
Evaluation: Charizard's Mega Evolution form, with the power to breathe blue flames and razor-sharp claws and wings. Weakness: unknown.
The figure trailing blue flames… it was Mega Charizard X! Its incredible speed made it appear as if it was hot on the tail of Garchomp. And soon enough, both Pokémon vanished from sight, leaving only the dim glow of the moon in the sky.
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T/N: Charizard is my favorite pokemon!
Also this story will now be going in HIATUS, only because I don't have access to the paid chapters. I would pay for them but there's thousands and right now it won't really be a good idea perhaps in the future when I can afford it!
Thank you so much for reading this far I really appreciate the support!
Perhaps try reading my other translations also? 🥰
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