Fang Yuan slipped away.
It wasn't a sudden attack of conscience.
Instead, he couldn't just focus on poaching from one university.
There were so many traits suitable for the Lightning Armor, he had to spread the love around a little.
Fang Yuan jogged along with Eevee following, and before long, they had left the Hangzhou University Player Village.
Huff huff...
Fang Yuan, gasping for breath, stopped outside a mesh fence in an open space, deep in thought.
Which master should he seek out next?
But before that, he needed to get Monferno back to peak condition.
Fang Yuan placed his hand on the mesh fence and looked inside to see an open area, then slowly walked over.
Meanwhile, Fang Yuan took out the Poké Balls of Monferno and Milotic and tossed them casually.
The next second, the injured Monferno and the self-admiring Milotic appeared in front of him.
"Milotic, please heal Monferno," Fang Yuan said.
Now, Monferno's injuries were not light, but not severe either. They could choose to go to the Spirit Center for treatment, where it could recover quickly, but there was no need.
It was rare to have injuries of this extent, so it was better to use them as practice for Milotic.
Hearing this, Milotic looked down at Monferno... How did it get so severely injured again?
Milotic had to admit, within Fang Yuan's Team, Monferno was the one that came to it for healing the most.
Monferno: (｀^′)
Monferno pursed its lips, waiting for the Life Droplets to fall.
The next second, Milotic conjured a huge droplet filled with a vast vitality. It shook its body, splashing the water, and tiny droplets hit Monferno's wounds accurately.
Sizzle sizzle sizzle~~
The Life Droplets moistened the wounds, and Monferno's injuries visibly began to heal.
"Thank you, Milotic." After Milotic had provided treatment, Fang Yuan glanced at Monferno and said, "We'll continue in the afternoon."
Monferno nodded silently, not averse. It could sense that it had gained a lot from the battle, and although it got hit, it could accept it.
To reach the peaks of hardship, one must go through the pains of endurance.
However, merely treating with Life Droplets wasn't enough; they could only heal injuries, not restore physical strength. To completely restore Monferno's physical strength, it would still rely on nutritional supplements, namely Energy Blocks.
Fang Yuan was prepared for this, carrying everything in his backpack. Rotom, choosing left and right, pulled out the Energy Blocks needed for Monferno.
By noon, after Fang Yuan had finished his meal, Monferno had mostly recovered as well.
...
In the afternoon.
Fang Yuan and his companions arrived at the player village of Magic City Pearl University.
The head of the Combat Series at Bright Pearl University, Shen Mingyi, was the master leading the team, owning a main Thunder Beast with the Lightning Rod Feature. The Thunder Beast is an evolved form of the Thunderclap Beast.
Bright Pearl University's comprehensive strength was second only to Mo Da in Magic City, with a powerful foundation. However, like Imperial University, it had always been at odds with Mo Da, and trainers from both universities would start fighting as soon as they met.
"Sigh." Master Shen Mingyi, forty-two years old, had just finished conducting a one-hour tactical meeting for his students. Craving a smoke, he handed the scene over to the professional instructors and the team captains, then stepped outside to light a cigarette.
Shen Mingyi sighed softly; this year's Bright Pearl University team was not as strong as last year's and would likely struggle to surpass Mo Da.
Huff~~
He took a drag of his cigarette and then exhaled deeply. Suddenly, Master Shen noticed that a person had appeared in front of him, grinning at him.
"Hello, Master Shen."
"Young man, who are you?" Master Shen pinched out his cigarette and threw it in the trash bin nearby, asking with confusion.
"I'm Fang Yuan, a competitor from this year's Mo Da, and I'm here to challenge Master Shen's Thunder Beast. Please enlighten me."
"Bwoo!" Eevee on Fang Yuan's shoulder nodded, that's right.
"Fang Yuan?" Master Shen's pupils shrank.
The name Fang Yuan might not be familiar to Master Meng Yu from Hangzhou University, but Master Shen from Magic City couldn't have been unaware of it; he was a local, and Fang Yuan's fame had largely been made in Magic City itself.
Magic City Pearl University, as a competitor of Demon Capital University, could not have ignored Fang Yuan.
A talented researcher from Mo Da, a Trainer recognized as the overlord of the Sun and Moon Forest, and a monstrous newcomer who defeated the Imperial University Sub-team in his freshman year...
"Fang, are you here to challenge us?" Master Shen said with annoyance.
...
Eventually, Master Shen agreed to Fang Yuan's challenge; he primarily wanted to see if Fang Yuan was as extraordinary as the rumors suggested.
Could he really possess professional-level strength as just a freshman?
The thought of Fang Yuan soon representing Mo Da in the national competition made Master Shen restless.
He wanted to give Pearl University's players an early encounter with Fang Yuan.
A quarter of an hour later.
Pearl University Player Village.
With a loud noise, the Thunder Beast fell to the ground, and Shen Mingyi stood frozen in place, feeling a chill run through his body...
Monferno won by a hair's breadth at its limit, marking its first victory over a Pokémon with master-level strength.
The Thunder Beast's trait was the Lightning Rod, which allowed it to be immune to Electric Moves and convert Electric Energy into its own strength.
After mimicking the Lightning Rod Feature, Monferno was essentially not afraid of Electric Moves, and this Thunder Beast happened to specialize in Electric Series Moves.
"Losing to a sophomore?" Master Shen said, filled with shock and gratitude towards Fang Yuan, watched as Fang Yuan drifted away.
After leaving Pearl University Player Village, Fang Yuan repeated his morning routine, getting Milotic to heal Monferno.
If mimicring the Guts personality could enhance Monferno's physical strength in its Lightning Armor state, then mimicking the Lightning Rod Feature was to enhance Monferno's energy in all series, especially the destructive power of its Electric Energy, while in its Lightning Armor state.
"It's a pity..."
As the Life Droplet splashed out and Monferno's wounds began to heal again, Fang Yuan shook his head and said.
"Rotom?"
"Bwoo?"
As Fang Yuan sighed, nearby, his phone Rotom and Eevee did not understand why he felt regret. After all, hadn't Monferno gained a lot from the battle and won with difficulty? Why the pity?
Fang Yuan said, "You don't understand, I regret that there was no audience for this battle. I finally won and no one saw it; isn't that a pity?"
Phone Rotom, Eevee, Milotic: (눈_눈)
The three Pokémon understood: they couldn't measure Fang Yuan's thoughts with their Pokémon logic, or they'd definitely be the ones to lose.
For Monferno, who had just recovered from injury, Fang Yuan's mutterings resonated deeply.
"Woo ah~~" Monferno nodded in agreement, seeming dejected. It was a pity!
It had finally won a battle, but no one was there to witness it. That touched Monferno deeply, feeling for the first time that Fang Yuan and it were truly sympatico.
...
Night.
In Xiamen University Player Village, semi-master level coach Zhuo Xian of the school team had just returned from a dinner with old colleagues teaching at other schools, and found Fang Yuan lurking around, looking furtive.
Zhuo Xian, a bit tipsy, mistook Fang Yuan for a Xiamen University contestant and was about to reprimand him... but as Fang Yuan approached, Zhuo Xian realized that he was not a Xiamen student, and certainly not a member of the school team.
"Are you Master Zhuo? I've been waiting for you for a long time."
Under the streetlight, the light illuminated Fang Yuan's face as he smiled. An Eevee yawned on his shoulder; it had indeed been a while.
Zhuo Xian: ???
Who are you, waiting for me, and I'm not even a master!
Zhuo Xian, a seasoned professional Trainer nearing master status with half his main Pokémon at master level, had a particularly formidable Straight Bear with Quick Feet Trait, its formidable physical ability and battle skills making it nearly invincible among professionals.
The most fearsome aspect was that this Straight Bear could have been descendant from an Arcanine, so it inherited the Godspeed Moves.
Zhuo Xian didn't understand why he accepted a student's challenge, perhaps he was drunk, but after the battle ended and he saw the Straight Bear fallen on the field, the cold wind blew, and for the first time, Zhuo Xian felt so sober.
He might have encountered a ghost.
"You..." Zhuo Xian was at a loss for words, and before he could speak, Fang Yuan immediately started showering him with flattery.
After expressing his gratitude, Fang Yuan bid farewell with a light heart.
Leaving, Fang Yuan reflected... that Straight Bear was powerful... faster than Monferno, but alas, it wasn't as resilient.