Now, the light blue energy block Fang Yuan had on hand had long been upgraded to a more effective blue energy block. Not only was the increase in mental power more substantial, but the added beauty degree also made a qualitative leap.
It was entirely possible to cultivate a top-notch Milotic.
However.
Although there were quite a number of Ugly Fish, no breeding house mass-produced them because their evolution conditions hadn't been figured out, and because there was no market for them, Fang Yuan couldn't buy them even if he wanted to; he could only search for them in the wild.
The Ugly Fish back at his old home perfectly met Fang Yuan's standards. Unfortunately, by the time Fang Yuan returned for the second time, that Ugly Fish had vanished.
Fang Yuan speculated that, ugly as it was, it might have encountered a bird Pokemon desperate enough to eat it. That stinky, prideful Ugly Fish had undoubtedly been eaten.
"If it had followed me earlier, it wouldn't have been eaten. This is what happens when you ignore me..." Fang Yuan shook his head.
It was a pity for the investment of the light blue energy block. Now, he could only start looking for Ugly Fish all over again.
Compared to Gyarados, Fang Yuan's aesthetic leaned more towards Milotic and Dragonite. Capturing Milotic would allow him to maximize the effects of the beauty-enhancing energy block and, by the way, he could casually publish an influential paper second only to that on the evolutionary forms of Eevee. Why not?
Of course, if Fang Yuan could stumble upon a Gyarados Mega Evolution Stone or encounter a shiny Magikarp, he might change his mind.
Or... he might just want them all!
As for Pokemon that excelled in flying... without a doubt, Pidgeot was the most cost-effective Pokemon.
In addition, Decidueye, Desert Dragonfly, Fossil Pterosaur, Charizard, Dragonite, and Blood Wing Dragon were not bad either...
Whoosh~~
Whoosh~~
The mountain Fang Yuan climbed was abundant in lakes and streams, and it wasn't difficult to encounter water-type spirits with just a few steps.
A cross-eyed Poliwag leapt out from the lake water, blew a bubble, and then sank back into the lake.
A Psyduck was doggy-paddling in pursuit of a Goldeen, seemingly having a good time...
Fang Yuan also spotted a Poliwag rolling on the ground, surrounded by the mud it had created.
"Sure enough, those instructors didn't deceive me, the quality of the wild elves in the Muhai Mountain Range isn't high..."
Fang Yuan's gaze turned to the bottom of the lake. If there were any Ugly Fish, they should be hiding in the deep mud, right?
"Blub blub blub blub~~~"
The Self-detonating Magnetic Monster eagerly volunteered, wanting to use electricity to help Fang Yuan fish out all the spirits in the lake.
"Forget it..."
Fang Yuan stretched out his hand to stop it, thinking it was too brutal.
"Fierce Fire Monkey, you go have a look underwater."
Fierce Fire Monkey: ?
"Just kidding, Glutton, no problem, right?"
Fang Yuan chuckled and turned to address Glutton.
"Heh heh~~" Glutton nodded, copied the Mirror Attribute of a Goldeen, and transformed into a gaseous state as it rushed into the water.
Since Ghostss was entirely composed of gas, it could submerge into any place it wanted. Now with the water attribute copied as well, calling it a Water Ghost wouldn't be wrong...
A moment later, the lake surface bubbled up, and several Ugly Fish, scared out of their wits, fled from the water.
One of them even flopped onto the ground and hopped towards another small stream. Fang Yuan pondered what exactly had Glutton done to those spirits?
"Now it's your turn, Self-detonating Magnetic Monster, use Confusion to grab them!!"
One minute later.
Fang Yuan and the Self-detonating Magnetic Monster had pinned down a total of eleven Ugly Fish on the surface of the lake.
Fang Yuan concentrated his mental power and looked at the first Ugly Fish.
Superpower activation, Emotion Synchrony!
In that moment, Fang Yuan felt an overwhelming fear, an emotion that made him frown slightly.
This was an Ugly Fish as normal as could be, feeling fear in the face of danger... Although normal, it wasn't suitable for him.
The second one... the third one... the fourth to the sixth one... all felt fear.
Upon reaching the seventh, Fang Yuan's expression changed, he felt apathy.
This Ugly Fish thought it was so useless, both ugly and weak, and might as well die.
Fang Yuan sighed.
Five minutes later.
All eleven Ugly Fish were released by Fang Yuan.
Among them, nine expressed fear, two expressed negative emotions, none of which satisfied Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan planned to select a Pokemon suitable for him through emotional synchrony, but the emotions produced by the Ugly Fish while under the control of the Self-detonating Magnetic Monster failed to appeal to him.
Even if the Ugly Fish had shown anger or defiance, Fang Yuan would have given it a second look, but unfortunately, there were none.
"Next place, the next one!" Fang Yuan said.
...
Not long after, at the training base.
At this point, the first team-based practical assessment had come to a complete end.
A few students familiar with Fang Yuan were crying out in pain, unable to understand why Fang Yuan could move around freely like a boss.
Of course, no one would voluntarily talk about Fang Yuan's battle with Master Zhuang Rui.
However, the instructors' attitude toward Fang Yuan made other students sense something fishy.
Fang Yuan... seemed to have an undisclosed connection with these instructors!
"Do you really want to enter the Spirit World Mystery?"
One day, Zhuang Rui once again pulled Fang Yuan aside to reconfirm.
"Yeah, I do," Fang Yuan replied.
Zhuang Rui had a headache, wondering how he agreed to such a condition for Fang Yuan.
"Is it that difficult?" Fang Yuan asked, surprised.
"Of course it's difficult! Even if you were an official researcher, I would still have a hard time getting you in there, the procedures are very complicated," Zhuang Rui glared.
"Uh... really? I've been there once before and thought the entrance process was the same as for other secret locations," Fang Yuan muttered.
Zhuang Rui was stunned, "You've been there before? When?"
"During my senior year of high school, back when I wasn't an official researcher yet," Fang Yuan responded.
Zhuang Rui's expression froze in disbelief...
"Who took you there?"
"Jiang Li," Fang Yuan looked at him.
The Champion of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Ghost Type Master, Jiang Li.
Zhuang Rui was momentarily speechless, grinding his teeth before saying, "Don't worry, I promised you I'd take you, and I will. We're just waiting on the process now. I came to tell you to just wait a bit longer."
"No hurry, no hurry," Fang Yuan grinned.
In the next few days, Fang Yuan planned to fish nearby. He was determined to catch at least a hundred Ugly Fish in the Muhai Mountain Range; he couldn't believe he wouldn't find one that suited his taste.
If the trip to the Spirit World could indeed be arranged, it wouldn't matter if Fang Yuan returned to school a few days late.
Over the following days, Fang Yuan continued fishing.
Meanwhile, the other students' practical training also continued.
Later, as part of the usual routine check, Fang Yuan followed the main group to the renowned Ghost Mountain, Tianming Mountain.
Due to the presence of the Spirit World Entrance, the atmosphere on Tianming Mountain was incredibly oppressive.
Although the entrance to the Spirit World is currently sealed, the Spirit Realm's Radio Waves that had accumulated over the years before it was sealed are not so easily dissipated.
Students who have trained on Tianming Mountain in previous years have all been affected by the atmosphere, experiencing nightmares and terrifying hallucinations.
Only students who regularly train in the Magic University Haunted House can more comfortably adapt to the environment of Tianming Mountain.
The nights on Tianming Mountain are very quiet, without even a single Pokemon growl, emitting an oppressive aura that sinks into silence. However, during such nights, the students experienced their toughest training session yet.
Fight Ghost!
They had to find Ghost-type Pokemon in the dark of the night on a place like Tianming Mountain and win battles against them.
The concentration of the Spirit Realm's Radio Waves caused distortions in space, leading to various terrifying illusions and Ghost Fires, and even Fang Yuan was not keen on venturing out in the middle of the night.
Though he knew there would be no real danger, getting scared suddenly was still quite unpleasant...
However.
Perhaps it was due to Fang Yuan's prophecy before coming to the Muhai Mountain Range...
Around one or two in the morning, Teacher Tang Sheng from the Magic University Combat Club hurriedly came to Fang Yuan's tent.
His expression was frantic, and he looked uneasy, bringing with him some news.
"A student is missing, and just now Master Zhuang Rui went to the Spirit World Entrance and found that the seal intact during the day has now been significantly compromised!"
Upon hearing this, Fang Yuan was stunned, and the Eevee hidden under the blanket was also taken aback. A seal that had been intact for over a decade—you're telling me it's only now getting compromised when I arrive???