"Alright, no matter the reason, it's not of great concern to you now!"
Teacher Bai Ning said, "For you all, what matters is to prepare well for the competition, and then achieve good results when you participate."
Fang Yuan and Lin Jing thought about it, and indeed that was the case.
However, Fang Yuan suddenly realized that this competition wouldn't be easy!
If Eevee continued to train at this pace, they would definitely be thrashed by members of other schools' teams beyond recognition.
The province-wide high school Pokemon battle tournament would not start until next semester, and within this half-year, trainers with affluent backgrounds would experience rapid growth in strength.
If they still hoped to win relying on Eevee's reaction speed... that simply wasn't realistic.
"We need to hurry up..."
After the three of them returned to the teaching building, Teacher Bai Ning went into her office, while Fang Yuan suddenly stopped in front of the classroom door and said to Lin Jing, "You go back first."
"What about you?" Lin Jing asked in surprise.
"I have some things to take care of with Teacher Li. You can just explain to the subject teacher later..." Fang Yuan said.
"Oh..."
Fang Yuan hurried to the comprehensive building's psychological office and found Teacher Li.
At that moment, Teacher Li was quietly perusing some documents.
When he saw Fang Yuan, he expressed surprise, "What's the matter?"
"There's a little issue..."
Fang Yuan coaxed Teacher Li out with a playful and ingratiating smile, "Teacher Li, didn't you teach Sister Tang Ying a set of massage techniques for Persian? Could you also teach me a set?"
"Oh?" Teacher Li looked at Fang Yuan with renewed surprise, "Haven't you always been very resistant to these soft and weak Breeder tasks?!"
"Not at all!" Fang Yuan's eyes widened indignantly, it was slander, pure slander!
How could someone's reputation be tarnished so baselessly!
"An excellent Trainer, even if not specializing in breeding, should still understand some breeding knowledge in order to better train Pokemons." Fang Yuan said with particular seriousness, "Eevee has been very tired from training lately. I want to give it a massage, fulfilling my duties as a Trainer."
Teacher Li pondered for a moment and said, "I know you've joined the Pingcheng Trainer Association's New Star Program. The weekly training volume is indeed substantial, alright then, I'll teach you some basic massage techniques... Where is Eevee?"
"In the clubroom!" Fang Yuan replied.
"Let's go over there."
Teacher Li nodded, and Fang Yuan immediately followed him to the clubroom.
At that time, inside the clubroom, Eevee was earnestly lashing its tail against a hanging sandbag, its soft strength making it look less like it was training and more like it was playfully showing off.
"Bwoo... Bwoo... Bwoo..."
Moving its body to the rhythm, Eevee softly cheered itself on.
"Training quite diligently, I see..." Teacher Li remarked.
No wonder Fang Yuan and Eevee had won the Little Phoenix King Cup. Coming from an ordinary family and making it this far, it seemed their effort was indeed inseparable from their success!
Fang Yuan smiled and scratched his head.
"Bwoo?!"
Meanwhile, realizing the arrival of Fang Yuan and Teacher Li, Eevee also stopped and looked at the pair with a puzzled expression.
It hopped onto the desk and glanced at the timetable Fang Yuan had left behind, its head full of question marks.
Isn't it not yet time for the outdoor class?
Its one-hour session wasn't over yet!
Soon enough, Fang Yuan explained the situation to Eevee, which made the Pokemon breathe a sigh of relief and obediently lie down on the desk.
"If you want to massage Eevee, you'll have to talk about the neck area beneath its cream-colored fur," Teacher Li explained to Fang Yuan while demonstrating with his own fingers.
"The movements are easy to imitate, but as for pressure, that is something that will come with practice..."
Following that, Teacher Li's fingers gently pressed down, and Eevee's body immediately shuddered, first a sharp pain, and then Eevee began to enjoy it.
The sensation... It was as if its whole body was soaking in a hot bath, very relaxed, warm. Before long, even Eevee's breathing became much more comfortable.
"So that's how it is."
Seeing Eevee enjoying itself, Fang Yuan paid exceptionally close attention.
In the next twenty minutes, Teacher Li taught Fang Yuan five different movements, each corresponding to a different part of Eevee's body. With each massage, Eevee felt something different, but the most direct sensation was relief. The fatigue from the earlier training seemed to vanish in an instant.
"Eevee, how about I give you a massage like this for an hour every day?" Fang Yuan asked.
"Bwoo!!"
Eevee nodded in satisfaction, looking increasingly pleased with Fang Yuan.
Thinking about being able to chase dramas while enjoying such a massage, Eevee couldn't help but reveal a silly grin.
"By the way, you attended the meeting earlier too, didn't you?" Teacher Li stopped and asked suddenly.
"Yes," Fang Yuan nodded.
"Hmm, work hard," Teacher Li said. "Take it seriously. This competition is different from the Little Phoenix King Cup... the Little Phoenix King Cup is just one of the many competitions sponsored by the Dawn Group for new trainers. It's more of a grassroots competition, but this high school league is a significant event organized by the Province City Trainer Association in conjunction with the provincial government, the provincial education department, and several other departments. The significance is different. When the time comes, all educational institutions in the province and local trainer associations will be paying close attention. The rewards are secondary; the key is that achieving results will be very beneficial for your future development."
"I will remember that, thank you, Teacher Li," Fang Yuan said.
It's different from the Little Phoenix King Cup...
Of course, it's different... you can tell just by looking at the prizes!
If nothing unexpected happens, the other two candidates of the New Star Project should be selected from the school team's members.
Fang Yuan's thoughts became active; the two remaining spots in the New Star Project were waiting right here.
After all, the requirement for a team battle was five people.
"Do you understand? Now you give it a try."
After moving his wrists, Teacher Li stood up from the chair, letting Fang Yuan try to give Eevee a massage.
And Fang Yuan, eager to try, stretched out his "magic claws", placing them on Eevee's neck.
The next moment...
"Bwoo————"
"Bwoo————"
Eevee's cries of agony... spread throughout the entire house.
It seemed, mastering the right touch... wasn't so easy.
...
In the morning, training class!
Due to the emergency meeting in the morning, all classes began their intense selection process.
With sixteen classes in the senior year, each class recommending one or two people, it was expected that the final team would consist of about twenty members.
These twenty people, of course, couldn't all be starters.
There may be a few substitutes in the end, but unless there were exceptional circumstances, only seven starters would likely get to play.
Compared to the tense atmosphere in the other classes, Class 12 was more harmonious.
On the training field, Fang Yuan's Eevee held the court...
"For the school team's tryouts, our class's two preliminary spots are tentatively given to Fang Yuan and Lin Jing. However, I encourage everyone to challenge them actively," Teacher Bai Ning announced.
"Within this term, the school team members will keep changing, and only those who persist until the end will remain. So, don't give up too soon; everyone has a chance," Teacher Bai Ning continued.
As Teacher Bai Ning finished speaking...
A bunch of people looked at Eevee, who wore an unfriendly expression, shook their heads vigorously, and all ran off to challenge Lin Jing instead...
They made a wise choice... Eevee was in a foul mood, and whoever approached was in for trouble!