Chapter 72: There’s Such A Good Thing?
Victory was certainly victory, but seeing Mo Jiu’s pouting and somewhat indignant expression, Li Wei felt a little guilty.
After all, judging by his conscience, he knew that this move of his was a bit of a ‘dishonorable win.’
“I’ll remember this debt!!”
When the two met in the competitor’s passage, Mo Jiu said to Li Wei in a voice he thought was very fierce.
As if to cooperate with his Trainer, Morpeko also struck a pose of “I’m really super fierce,” its two short little hands clasped together, baring its teeth threateningly at Li Wei.
“Jiu!”
【 Next time I see you, I’ll definitely eat you poor! Aren’t you scared! Tremble before my evil plan! This is your retribution for ending the battle this way, Li Wei!!】
······
“Xiao Ke, you can shut up now.”
Mo Jiu, finding Morpeko embarrassing, directly took out a small packet of cookies from his pocket and handed it to him, telling him to shut up physically.
“Pfft hahahaha.”
Li Wei, who didn’t know the meaning of “don’t gloat over someone’s misfortune,” immediately burst into laughter.
“Hey! You’ve gone too far!”
(#`O′)
While stomping his foot and turning to yell at Li Wei, two blushes crept up Mo Jiu’s cheeks.
“In short, the next time we battle, I definitely won’t let you win so easily!
What kind of twisted, out-of-the-box tactics!
I really don’t know why, you’re so strong, yet your brain is full of such strange, unconventional moves!!”
Saying this, Mo Jiu stomped his foot again in anger, then turned and walked ahead quickly, holding his Morpeko.
Seeing Mo Jiu’s back, which clearly screamed “I’m very angry!”, Li Wei laughed even louder for some reason.
He felt that talking to Mo Jiu was very interesting.
‘Perhaps it’s because some of his actions are just too cute~’
Having won the championship, Li Wei was in a very good mood. He handed the trophy he was holding to Riolu and walked out of the stadium with his hands in his pockets.
As for what Mo Jiu had said earlier, he hadn’t taken a single word to heart.
Including the “I’ll remember this debt.”
After all, Li Wei knew exactly what “this debt” referred to.
Next time will be fine!
After all, anyone would be a bit unhappy if a forced battle ended in such a manner.
Morpeko clearly still had the ability to continue battling, and with its immense Electric-type energy further strengthening the Electric Terrain, if it had kept unleashing “ultimate moves” against his Riolu, the final outcome would have been uncertain······
But······ it was precisely because Li Wei himself didn’t have 100% confidence in defeating Morpeko that he chose to win the match in this manner.
After all······ why fight a full-on battle when you can just take the base?
Li Wei was a seasoned “score-grubber.”
Asking a score-grubber not to take the base, isn’t that harder than killing him?
Humming a cheerful little tune, he walked out of the exit.
Since the official closing ceremony had just begun, Li Wei, who slipped away through the staff passage, didn’t attract much attention.
“Li Wei!”
To his surprise, he saw a familiar figure at the exit.
“Dad?”
Li Wei blinked in surprise, then ran over and asked, “Why do you have time to come over?”
“I took some time off. Didn’t we agree I’d come watch your match?”, Li Yuan Sheng replied.
“Mm? Did you watch the match just now?”
“Of course.”
“Where did you watch it from??”
Based on Li Wei’s recent understanding of Li Yuan Sheng’s fans, if he had just shown up at the stadium like this, wouldn’t he have been mobbed like a giant panda? Could he be standing at the main entrance greeting him so leisurely?
Li Yuan Sheng, understanding the unspoken question behind Li Wei’s words, shrugged and put on a feigned look of helplessness, spreading his hands.
“Of course, I wasn’t watching from the regular audience seats. I was in a comfortable private room watching your match~”
······
“Let’s go, Mime Jr. and the others are already waiting in the car.”
Saying this, Li Yuan Sheng put his hand on the back of Li Wei’s head and quickly pushed him forward.
“Are we going home to eat something delicious today?”
Li Yuan Sheng said to Li Wei as they walked towards the parking lot.
“What delicious food?”
“I ordered takeout from Huating.”
“If I remember correctly, they don’t deliver······”
“There’s nothing that a little money can’t solve.”
“A little bit?”
Li Wei raised his eyebrows as he said this.
“Not much. I just spoke to the owner and told him my son won the championship today, and asked him to prepare a delicious meal to celebrate, and that’s how it was done.”
“Alright, that’s just like you.”
Li Wei gave his dad a thumbs-up.
()
Huating is a Japanese restaurant that primarily uses wagyu beef as its main ingredient.
So, naturally, Li Yuan Sheng’s takeout would be meat.
However, there was a slight peculiarity. Given the restaurant’s usual practices, Li Wei guessed that the takeout wouldn’t just be meat; it might even come with a barbecue chef.
After all······ the taste of beef changes when it cools down.
Ordinary grilled beef, beef hot pot, pan-fried steak, etc······
Just thinking about it made Li Wei’s mouth water.
And that restaurant also had meat dishes specifically for Pokémon, so Li Wei imagined his Pokémon would also eat with great pleasure today.
(﹃)
When they arrived at the car, with his dad sitting in the front passenger seat, the car instantly felt full.
“Bu Yi!!!”
【 Ji-ji! Eevee, launch!!!】
Leaping from the spot, Eevee darted onto Li Wei’s lap, then jumped twice more to land on Li Wei’s head.
As for why it wasn’t his hood······
That all started one day when Li Wei got back in the car and unceremoniously slumped back against the seat······
“Bu yi bu yi!”
【 Good job, winning the championship!】
It was rare for even Eevee to give him blessings. Patting Li Wei’s head with its paws, Eevee wagged its tail happily.
“Wuu~”
【 Li Wei, you’re super amazing()~】
“Wuu~”
【 It seems my sacrifice of nap time to accompany Riolu in training has paid off~】
Dragonair’s eyes were teary at this moment, lamenting like a farmer after harvest.
Since they were in the car, Mime Jr. had already put away Magikarp, so Li Wei didn’t have the chance to hear Magikarp’s lengthy, essay-like lamentation.
Li Wei leaned back against the seat, gazing at the scenery whizzing by outside the window, lost in thought.
Back home, while waiting for Mime Jr. to tidy up the kitchen and set the tableware on the table, Li Yuan Sheng’s takeout arrived.
Just as Li Wei had expected, two chefs, one Pokémon assistant, and two large boxes of supplies were majestically carried into the kitchen with Mime Jr.’s help.
“I ordered a lot of food today, so everyone dig in and eat as much as you can~ there’s plenty.”
His speech and actions were full of “dad” characteristics.
Ordering takeout barbecue and bringing it home was indeed something only Li Yuan Sheng could do.
If it were his mother, she would definitely take him to a restaurant. If it wasn’t open in the late afternoon, she would wait until it opened in the evening.
As for himself, instead of rewarding himself with a meal, he might prefer to take an afternoon nap or play games all afternoon, wasting time.
“Son, I’m really happy you achieved this!”
While chewing meat, Li Yuan Sheng said to Li Wei.
Looking at his vigorous chewing and the sparkle in his eyes, Li Wei was momentarily confused whether he was happy about the bite of beef or about his son winning first place in the competition.
“It’s alright, it was expected.”
Li Wei replied to Li Yuan Sheng.
“Oh, that’s good, very confident.”
“Mhm.”
Li Wei replied.
“Oh right, after winning the championship, is there anything you want as a reward?”
“Reward?”
Hearing his dad’s question, Li Wei couldn’t help but pause.
It gave him a strange sense of the feeling he’d get after getting a perfect score on an elementary school exam and being asked by his parents what five cents in allowance he wanted.
Speaking of rewards, he wasn’t lacking money at the moment, nor did he have anything particularly he wanted. This inability to think of a reward gave him a strange sense of emptiness.
‘Oh no, could my life already be this dull and boring!!’
“I don’t know what I want······”
After thinking for over half a minute without any result, Li Wei dejectedly gave this answer.
“Is that so······ Then after a while, when my work is done, I’ll take you somewhere nice.”
“Somewhere nice??”
Hearing Li Yuan Sheng’s answer, Li Wei became curious about just how nice this “somewhere nice” was.
“It’s a secret for now, but I can tell you that you’ll definitely fall in love with it once you go.”
Seeing Li Yuan Sheng’s subtle expression, Li Wei had a feeling his dad was going to take him to a club.
“Are you sure it’s not some strange place?”
“No, no, no, how could it be strange? Ordinary people can’t even go there!”
Fine.
The more he asked, the more ambiguous the answers became, so Li Wei decided to give up.
“By the way, if you don’t have any plans recently, why don’t you come to the gym for training?”
“To your place?”
“That’s right. You’re a Pokémon Trainer now, so you should seize the opportunity to train more. So many people are lining up to train at Tianyuan Gym, and you don’t want to come with this backdoor?”
Seeing Li Wei’s lack of interest, Li Yuan Sheng felt a little hurt.
“Huh? I didn’t say I didn’t want to go, I was just thinking about what benefits I could “steal” for Riolu after he got there.”
“You can spar with my apprentices. Their battle experience is very rich. And you can also learn formal battle tactics from the teachers at the gym. Your Riolu’s foundation is already solid, but I see his close-combat skills in the match are still very amateurish, truly a bit lacking. If you train him more, your Riolu still has room for improvement.”
“Okay, I do have that idea. In the match just now, if his close-combat abilities were a bit stronger, even if Morpeko’s Electric-type moves were more exaggerated, it wouldn’t have been impossible to deal close-range damage.”
“Mhm, I just finished my mission. My first-tier Pokémon are all resting at the gym during this period. Let your Pokémon occasionally observe their battles, and they can learn a lot.”
“Eh? That’s great! Are there opportunities for one-on-one tutoring? If we can practice more, it could also provide me with some reference data for cross-level challenges.”
As he spoke, Li Wei’s eyes lit up.
Cross-level challenge, what a wonderful phrase.
The description sounded like something a tall, handsome, and rich protagonist would do. If so, how could Li Wei miss out on this “research” opportunity?
Seeing Li Wei’s enthusiasm and active mind, Li Yuan Sheng smiled with satisfaction.
“High comprehension, grasps things quickly, worthy of being······”
“Alright, alright, stop it. They say sons take after their mothers, so no matter how much you brag, it won’t apply to you.”
Li Wei interrupted Li Yuan Sheng’s self-praise without any mercy.
“Tsk, how do you talk to your dad?”
“My dad said I should be honest, and always speak the truth to be an upright child.”
In terms of verbal sparring, Li Yuan Sheng was no match for Li Wei. In just a few sentences, he was left speechless.
“Fine, fine, fine. Your wings have grown strong, and I can’t argue with you anymore.”
Saying this, Li Yuan Sheng picked up his chopsticks and, when Li Wei wasn’t paying attention, snatched all the grilled meat from his plate, as if to express through this action, “Even though I can’t win the argument with you, I can still beat you.”
······
So, does this person have any self-awareness as an adult???
“Speaking of which, after this, you’ll also need to consider the evolution of your Pokémon.”
After eating for a while longer and finishing the ice cola in his cup in one gulp, Li Yuan Sheng suddenly remembered something and said to Li Wei.
“I’ve been considering it, but after asking your friend, Doctor Liu, he suggested that Magikarp still has a few months to develop, saying that this fish still has room for growth······”
Li Wei said, glancing at Magikarp, who was eating “bubble barbecue” nearby and hadn’t yet started its incessant chatter.
“I haven’t had a chance to ask you yet, is this the legendary······”
“Yes, it’s that legendary Magikarp that took a liking to me.”
“Tsk tsk tsk, as they say, you can’t judge a fish by its appearance.”
Having reunited with Mime Jr. and the others in advance, Li Yuan Sheng had already experienced this Magikarp’s terrifying chattiness. He clicked his tongue twice and continued eating while chatting with his son, Li Wei.
“Its evolution should indeed be a top priority, but what I was actually thinking about was your Riolu’s evolution.”
“Huh? Do we need to consider it now? Isn’t it said that Riolu’s evolution shouldn’t be rushed?”
Li Wei was a little surprised, because he had never rushed to prepare for Riolu’s evolution.
Based on the information he had researched and inquired about, it was said that Pokémon of Riolu’s type did not need to be rushed into evolution.
“Theoretically, it’s not urgent, but that still depends on the speed of your Pokémon’s improvement. For example, with Dragonair, it’s definitely not urgent, but your Riolu is improving very quickly. If you forcefully suppress its potential for the sake of so-called ‘energy saturation,’ it would be a loss.”
“Then what is the degree of that…?”
In matters like this, of course, you listen to whoever is more capable.
His father had been raising Pokémon for almost 20 years, so he would definitely listen to his father’s experience.
“For Pokémon like your Riolu, which are exceptionally talented, you should definitely evolve them as soon as possible after ensuring their foundation is solid.
Riolu’s forms are not very different, nor does it have special requirements like Volbeat or Cloyster. After evolution, it will be more convenient to conduct special training in combat. Whether it’s height, weight, or the use of weapons, there will be more time to hone these skills. After all, its infant form is too small and somewhat disadvantageous in battle.”
“Mhm… indeed.”
Li Wei nodded, indicating he had noted it.
“For Pokémon like Magikarp, which are completely different species before and after evolution, it’s better to evolve them as early as possible. Raising a super-powered Magikarp is definitely not as good as evolving it into Gyarados for all ailments.”
“I understand that, but if the length of time for evolution is determined by talent… then why is it like Dragonair…?”
Li Wei didn’t finish his question, but seeing Dragonair happily eating roasted meat with chopsticks, Li Wei felt a bit helpless.
“He… still has a lot of potential to be tapped. He is also a Dragon-type Pokémon, so this can only be accumulated over time. Generally, for Dragon-type Pokémon, it takes at most two years to evolve into their final form, and at latest ten years.
Evolving too early might prevent him from developing to his most complete state, while evolving too late would be a waste of his potential.
Of course, unless it’s ‘no evolution,’ but that would be another special training method.”
“I roughly understand.”
Li Wei nodded.
In summary, Dragon-type Pokémon are treated specially, while Riolu’s exceptional talent caused it to improve too quickly, making the ‘universal theory of evolution’ unsuitable for it.
“I can’t explain it to you more precisely. These are actually judged based on experience and the Pokémon’s abilities. When you’ve been raising Pokémon for a long time, you’ll naturally understand.
For now, just explore and ask us if you don’t understand.
Of course, the most important thing is the Pokémon’s own will. Do you understand? After all, they are not tools.”
“Yes, that’s for sure.”
Li Wei nodded, indicating he understood this basic principle.
“Then Dad, when do you think it’s best for Riolu to evolve?”
Having his own ideas, Li Wei decided to hear his father’s thoughts now as a strong reference.
If it conflicted with his own thoughts, he would have to consider the best option.
“Evolve within six months of its infant period.”
Li Yuan Sheng gave a specific number.
“So soon?”
“I was going to say! You’ve raised this Riolu to elite level in two months, what else can you say? Are you planning to spend countless more times the money and resources to raise an advanced professional-level Riolu??”
Facing Li Wei’s question, Li Yuan Sheng retorted impolitely.
“For a Riolu, it’s practically perfect to let it evolve when it touches the threshold of the professional level. Delaying further would not be a case of storing up power but wasting its foundation.
You’ve already trained for two months. During these two months of summer vacation, consolidate your foundation, solidify your skills in the gym, and enrich your combat experience. After school starts, spar with Pokémon of the same age, effortlessly crush your opponents, accumulate energy, and then you can start evolving. After evolution, break through to the professional level with the surplus energy, wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
“It does sound wonderful.”
Li Wei agreed.
“Don’t worry about your Eevee’s evolution. Your fish should be able to evolve around the start of school. Finally, after Riolu completes its perfect evolution, you can consider capturing other Pokémon.
Wow, after this whole process, I’m even a little envious.”
Li Yuan Sheng shook his head at Li Wei, looking like ‘I’m really so envious.’
“Huh?? Are you referring to taking the elite-level exam?”
Li Wei didn’t quite understand what his father meant for a moment.
Normally, a trainee trainer can capture three Pokémon. To capture more Pokémon, one needs to level up. Speaking of leveling up, it’s impossible not to mention the elite trainer exam…
Oh no… He was barely scraping by on the written exam for the trainee level, so the elite level…
If he remembered correctly, when reading books, many things that needed to be memorized were marked as ‘Assessment Content for Non-Trainee Trainers’ and ‘Assessment Content for Pokémon Level Trainers, Trainee Trainers Only Need to Understand.’
‘Nooooooo…..’
Thinking this, despair inevitably appeared on his face.
Exams are too terrifying.
“No, your two Pokémon slots were applied for extra. This means that once your written exam results come out and you get your trainee trainer certification, you can capture two more Pokémon.”
“Ah, this???”
There’s such a good thing?
This is too good to be true.
“Isn’t that great? This is the benefit of applying in advance. As long as resources permit, you can indeed be ahead of most of your peers.”
“Yeah! Great! Nice one, Dad.”
He had to admit, this was the best news he had heard at dinner tonight.
Bar none.
When others were still worrying about a 3v3 lineup, he was already close to assembling a 6v6 team. When others were struggling with the nurturing of a single Pokémon, he could already prepare to participate in full-fledged national battles.
This…
Awesome.
And as a former completionist player, what could be happier than capturing more Pokémon?
After incessantly giving instructions on various training matters during dinner, the conversation finally concluded.
After the meal, looking at Eevee poking him, Li Wei suddenly remembered the promise he made to Eevee yesterday.
“Oh right, Dad, do you know anything about Grand Festivals?”
“Grand Festivals? I don’t know. You’ll have to ask your Mom about that. Call her later and ask.”
After all, this fell into his blind spot. In terms of understanding Grand Festivals, Li Yuan Sheng and Li Wei were on roughly the same level.
“Oh, okay.”
“But are you planning to participate in a Grand Festival?”
Hearing Li Wei suddenly ask about Grand Festivals, Li Yuan Sheng couldn’t help but feel curious.
“Mhm.”
Li Wei nodded in response.
“Which Pokémon will you use?”
“Eevee.”
“That’s good, making the best use of its abilities.”
()
Giving Li Wei a thumbs-up, he got up and went out to train with the Pokémon.
“Then you call your Mom. I’m going for a training session, Riolu, want to come?”
“Riolu!”
【Come! 】
Hearing about training, Magikarp, who had been eating voraciously, also got excited.
“Karoo karoo karoo!!!”
【Dad!!! I I I I!! I want to train too!!! Take me with you!!! Wait for me!!! I’ll come right now!!! I can train with you too!!! I want to become as strong as you!!! I’m not afraid of hard work!!! Please, I beg you, train me with high-intensity tasks!! I can do it!!! Wait for me!!! 】
Saying this, Magikarp suddenly leaped out of its fish tank and, with a series of jumps, followed Riolu towards the main door.
At this moment, Li Yuan Sheng and Gallade, who had never witnessed such a terrifying scene, stared with disbelief at Magikarp.
Quite terrifying.
￥￥￥￥￥￥
After the group of Pokémon grandly left the house, Li Wei also sent a message to his mother.
Li Wei: 【Mom? Are you busy? 】
Mom: 【Just sat down, I’m free now. 】
Mom: 【What’s up? 】
Li Wei: 【I wanted to ask you something about Grand Festivals. If you’re busy, I’ll ask later. 】
In Li Wei’s view, the message box above showed ‘The other party is typing…’ for a moment before a phone call came through.
Mom: 【Video call 】
······
“Hello……”
“Hello? Son! A Grand Festival? Are you going to participate in a Grand Festival?”
His mother on the other end of the phone asked him excitedly.
“Ah, yes, I’m planning to take Eevee to participate.”
“Nice.”
(*^▽^*)
With a very happy expression, Mom sat back on the sofa, crossed her legs, fixed her phone on the table, picked up her teacup, took a sip of tea leisurely, and said to him.
“Go ahead, where do you want to start asking? I have plenty of time, and I can explain as many questions as you have.”
·······
Li Wei felt helpless with this attitude.
He had a feeling that if he asked about something else, his mother might use excuses like ‘I’m tired, I’ll talk later’ to brush him off.
He never expected her to call him directly.
His mother on video looked very excited, and her uplifted tone and smiling lips showed her current joyful mood.
The long ears and tails that occasionally appeared on the video also indicated that the other Pokémon were very curious about Li Wei participating in the Grand Festival.
Gathering behind and watching Tian Lan video call with Li Wei, several Pokémon silently took out their mobile phones and texted Mime Jr. at home.
【Mime Jr., update your status! The cub is going to participate in a Grand Festival? 】
A group of Grand Festival veterans were very curious about the cub’s exploration into a new field.
【Mime Jr., go gather some intel quickly! Is there anything we can help with? We can’t let Delibird and Dragonair take all the spotlight! 】
······
Li Wei was unaware of the Pokémon’s ‘silent competition.’ While on the phone, he was earnestly asking his mother for information about Grand Festivals.
“If the judging standard for normal battles is strength, then what is the judging standard for Grand Festivals? I only know that there are two rounds of competition: the first is a performance, and the second is a battle. Can you give me a detailed explanation, Mom?”
······
“Okay.”
#@！#&*·······
20 minutes later
After Tian Lan’s detailed explanation, Li Wei had a general understanding of the scoring structure and rules of the Grand Festival.
First, the first round is the themed performance.
Competitors need to perform according to the theme set by the organizer, and the scoring criteria are mainly based on the following points:
Costume design, stage effects, skill coordination, Pokémon nurturing degree, on-site performance, adherence to the theme, and performance difficulty. A comprehensive score will be given based on these seven points.
The second round is a battle, but unlike traditional battles, there are many restrictions or special rules in Grand Festival battles.
Battles in Grand Festivals are conducted on a scoring system, which can be understood as the ‘HP bar’ in games.
From the beginning of the battle, the judging panel will deduct points in real-time for the performance of both Pokémon.
There is a regulation table for scoring, which judges must strictly adhere to. Competitors can download their battle information two days after the match using their participant number to view the deduction details. If there are any objections, they can raise doubts and appeals.
Even in beginner-level Grand Festivals, the professionalism and fairness of the judges are beyond doubt. Once any favoritism or judgment based on strong personal emotions is discovered, the judges will face severe punishment from the Pokémon League!
Regarding this deduction mechanism, simplified, it means the attacked party will lose points.
However, if the attacked party is ‘attacked gracefully,’ their point deduction might be reduced.
If they ‘gracefully receive an attack,’ or appear to be at ease even when attacked, then the attacker might be the one to lose points.
There are many such judging criteria, but what competitors need to do is to lower the opponent’s score below their own within the stipulated three minutes.
Or, within three minutes, directly defeat the opponent, and they can also win the match smoothly.
The performance round of the Grand Festival has no entry barrier; anyone who can register can participate. Afterward, only the top 8 based on judges’ scores will proceed to the second round.
For larger Grand Festivals, the top 16 or top 32 will be selected.
“Oh right, you said you were going to participate in the recent Grand Festival?”
After explaining the basic knowledge, Tian Lan belatedly asked Li Wei.
“Yes, Yu Yixian and the others told me there’s a Grand Festival on July 29th.”
“Hmm? The 29th? How do I not remember…”
Saying this, Tian Lan pulled the computer next to her and searched.
“Oh~ The one you’re talking about~ That’s similar to a provincial competition, a Grand Festival for new trainee trainers this year…”
Tian Lan suddenly realized. She knew why she wouldn’t have any impression of the Magic City Grand Festival dates.
“My dear son…”
Tian Lan suddenly said to Li Wei with a serious tone.
“What is it, Mom…”
Mimicking Tian Lan’s tone, Li Wei asked back.
“Don’t participate in this Grand Festival.”
“Ah?”
“Go participate in the official Grand Festival on July 31st.”
?
Not understanding what Tian Lan meant, Li Wei waited for his mother’s explanation.
“The theme of that Grand Festival is ‘Elegant Heritage,’ and it’s an official League Grand Festival open to all trainers, where you can earn an official Ribbon.”
The one you want to go to on the 29th is like playing house with kids; it’s full of noobs. What kind of experience can you get there? It’s better to participate in this formal one, right? What do you think?
What do you say? Do you have the confidence to come back with a Ribbon?
“Formal?”
Listening to his mother’s words, he was indeed a little tempted by this “formal Grand Festival”.
After all, for him, he no longer had any opponents in Trainer battles for newcomers, let alone Grand Festivals.
If he wasted his time and it turned out to be a battle of noobs, although he would definitely win, in the long run, he would gain nothing but hollow praise.
If he truly wanted to improve together with Eevee while having fun, participating in this formal Grand Festival was indeed the best choice.
But…
He also had concerns.
“But Mom, won’t I be completely crushed by the Pokémon of the Big Shots if I participate in this formal Grand Festival?”
“Probably not, right? I definitely wouldn’t urge you to participate in advanced or top-tier Grand Festivals. This one on July 31st is a Beginner Grand Festival, and the regulation is that participating Pokémon must be below Elite Level.
Hey, kid, it’s only Elite Level, you won’t get beaten badly by that, will you?”
Li Wei watched his mother raise her eyebrows and ask him in a very subtle tone.
…
“Mom, is it really okay for you to be so sarcastic with me?”
“Huh? Did I? Li Wei, you’re not really that much of a noob, are you~”
…
“I was just thinking.”
Li Wei explained his silence.
“Thinking about what? How to pick yourself up after being defeated?”
Tian Lan was as sharp-tongued as ever, and at this moment, Li Wei realized whether his sharp tongue was “natural beauty” or excellent genetics.
“I was just thinking if there might be Big Shots who deliberately bring Pokémon that are just under Professional Level but still have an advantage at Elite Level to compete.”
“Ah, this… Isn’t that question like talking nonsense?”
…
Li Wei seemed to understand Tian Lan’s meaning.
He took a deep breath and continued to ponder.
In a little over a month, Eevee needed to have the Strength to challenge Professional Level.
Or, it didn’t need to win, just use the rules of the Grand Festival to make Pokémon that were almost at Professional Level feel disadvantaged…
It was a challenge, but undoubtedly very interesting.
After some thought, Li Wei still gave Tian Lan a direct response.
“Okay, no problem, I can win.”
Considering his mother’s unreliable personality, even without 100% confidence, Li Wei decided to give a positive response first.
After all… if he chickened out now, he would be handing a “Weakness” to his mother.
He would suffer greatly in future bickering.
After all… ‘Li Wei~ doesn’t even have the confidence to beat Elite Level Pokémon~ He’s still a child~ He doesn’t even have dreams~ He’s so lazy~’
It wasn’t quite “every word a pearl,” but coupled with his mother’s condescending gaze and her “look at the idiot” attitude, he could guarantee that his mindset would completely shatter.
He could completely out-argue his father in a fight, but when facing his mother, who was on a higher level, he couldn’t “argue.”
He would always be caught off guard by her hitting his sore spots and Weaknesses. Only when he secretly went out to eat meat could he regain some ground and make up for the past Pain of being dominated.
…
“Oh~ It’s fine if you can win.”
His mother, not having caught a “little tail,” returned to a normal conversational tone.
“You’re planning to use Eevee, right? Then consider an evolution form. It won’t attract too much attention and will also greatly help your performance.
What do you think?
I don’t see any problem with trying it.”
While encouraging Li Wei to challenge the formal Grand Festival, his mother was giving him hints for his first Grand Festival.
“Okay… I don’t think there’s a problem. But for the so-called performance matches, is there any Data?”
“Of course. Go back and watch all the videos of your mother’s debut until now, and you’ll learn.”
…
“What? What’s with that expression? You don’t agree?”
…
“I wouldn’t dare, Mother. Please calm your anger.”
With absolute self-preservation, Li Wei clasped his hands and said to Tian Lan.
“Okay, since you’ve decided to participate, you need to start preparing the performance and outfits.”
“Huh? Can’t those things just be bought?”
“Are you stupid? When you fill in your information during the performance, if you write that you made the outfit yourself, it shows what style you have, how it fits the theme, and what effect it’s meant to achieve with your performance.
Wouldn’t the Referee understand better by watching your performance and reading that little essay than by you just wearing a randomly bought outfit?
And if it’s about encouraging the purchase of dresses, then it shouldn’t be called a Grand Festival, it should be called a luxury goods expo!
The higher the level of the Grand Festival, the more it values ‘self-design and production’! Remember this! These are all bonus points!!”
“Ah, this…”
At this moment, Li Wei could only sigh, his mother was indeed experienced, with firsthand knowledge!
“That makes sense, but Mom… I don’t know how to make clothes…”
“Learn! Can’t you even learn to make Clothes and Accessories for Eevee?”
“Ah, this…”
“You can buy your own clothes or have them custom-made, but Eevee’s must be done by you! Do you understand! As someone participating in a Grand Festival, you must have basic Dignity!”
His mother’s words were decisive and left no room for rebuttal.
“Ah… Okay.”
Li Wei could only reluctantly agree.
“Develop your little Eevee’s Skills more. Combinations of Skills also get a lot of points~ Go research~ If you have ideas but are not sure, you can come to me for help. Of course, I won’t help you come up with ideas, I’ll just give you a rating, and you can figure out the rest yourself.”
“Ah, okay!”
Just providing a rating with the same standards as the Grand Festival was already a great help to Li Wei.
Based on the details of the rating, he could deduce a lot and keep modifying. As long as he asked the right questions and only made his mother answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’, he could figure out a perfect Grand Festival performance on his own.
Wow, I have to say, having a few know-it-alls at home has really helped him avoid many detours.
Battles with his father, Grand Festivals with his mother, and sparring partners can be picked from any Pokémon at home, and at his current level, any of them can benefit him greatly.
‘Ah, indeed, when they both have time later, should I organize a gratitude event?’
‘Yes! Let’s have a Barbecue party! Eevee and Riolu as the head chefs!’
‘Hiss······’
After hanging up the phone, Li Wei’s thoughts had already drifted to questions like ‘How to purchase quality Beef’, ‘What dishes would be better?’, and ‘How to make a delicious meal for Mom that meets her calorie standards’.
Timo’s Flop Diary
August 10th
Heavy rain/showers
Slept very comfortably today owo, hehehe
Updating 10,000 characters daily is still too little.
After I get through this month and collect badges for 30 consecutive days, I’ll update more.
ε=(ο｀*))) Alas
Currently, I’m just maintaining my life with “chicken soup for the soul.”
()
The food today was great, *burp*, I ate happily.
As for writing…
Oh, right.
I got up in the middle of the night yesterday to make Coffee.
Then…
I don’t know what happened.
I spilled a cup of boiling water on my left hand.
()
That’s so like me.
It hurt a lot.
Then, while writing, besides my left hand, my right pinky finger also hurt a lot, the joint hurt, I don’t know why, even though I hardly use it…
It seems I only use it for hitting ‘Enter’, the ‘→’ arrow key, and symbols like quotation marks…
I don’t get it. I applied ointment, and it feels much better now.
┓(`)┏
Alas.
I’m still a flop at writing, but I seem to have all the occupational diseases of a writer.
Alas.
Effort doesn’t always pay off, but…
Alas.
I’m not depressed anymore.
If I say more, I’ll cry again.
Anyway, Timo needs to keep going.
I’ll get through this month to get the badge, and next month I’ll try to mutate every day.
()
That’s all for now.
Going to Sleep.
Bye-bye
End
