Chapter 59: Hey, Do You Have Any Dreams?
Team Battle, no one wants to drag their feet behind. Although they were assigned to the ‘Group of Death’, the opposing group clearly had no intention of giving up.
Not giving up means there’s still a score to be had; giving up means nothing at all!
After signaling their Pokémon to the battlefield, both sides’ Pokémon were ready.
On Li Wei’s side, it was still the familiar 2211 formation, while the opponents lined up neatly in a row.
“Battle begin!”
Following the order, the trainers issued commands in unison.
The first attackers were Pidgey and Fennekin.
Tailwind paired with Spark, the fierce flames surged toward Riolu and the others.
Immediately after, Wooloo and Woobat followed with Tackle, while Metapod wriggled in front of Fennekin and used Harden to guard against possible incoming attacks from the opponents.
Surprisingly, the rearmost attacker turned out to be the dazed-looking Rowlet.
After the fierce flames passed, another Tailwind followed, combining with Razor Leaf to form the second wave of attack.
The energy contained in this attack was even more exaggerated than the previous Spark.
Facing the opponent’s assault, Li Wei’s Pokémon counterattacked in an orderly and effortless manner.
Mime Jr. directly activated Misty Terrain.
The misty fog spread like a signal, and all the Pokémon sprang into action.
Riolu took the lead, leaping high to dodge the incoming skills and charging straight at the flying Rowlet and Pidgey in the sky.
As an assassin, his mind needed to focus only on the core position.
This was the new principle Li Wei had taught him.
Riolu decided to set aside some time in the coming days to properly contemplate this statement.
Ponyta finally stood up!
With the aid of Misty Terrain, Ponyta gathered energy and unleashed Fairy Wind with immense power capable of sweeping away both attacks.
The field was instantly filled with fluorescent glow and scattered sparks.
The enemy’s first strike was thus easily neutralized.
At the same time, Morpeko switched to Hangry Mode, eyes red and fists swinging, truly in extreme anger as it slid into a Sliding Kick right up to the opponent’s Metapod and delivered a heavy punch.
For some unknown tradition, the punch infused with massive Dark-type energy knocked Metapod unconscious on the ground.
A loud bang drew the attention of all the enemy Pokémon on the field.
The fainted Metapod was smashed deep into the ground by Morpeko’s small fist.
The Fennekin protected at the rear staggered, looking at the destroyed field beneath its feet and the teammate in the pit, and in panic fired a Spark at Morpeko.
But in this extremely short time, the Fennekin, who had never seen such a scene, couldn’t gather energy in time; the tiny Spark was like a spark, dispersed by Morpeko with a wave of its fist.
With Fennekin’s terrified scream, the enemy Pokémon on the field instantly turned their sights on this Morpeko that had charged to the center of the field.
In that moment, with the trainers unable to issue commands in time, the Pokémon instinctively turned and rushed toward Morpeko.
With the battle at this stage, the outcome was already sealed.
At this point, Zhou Fengjue’s Treecko had finished charging Leaf Storm, and at the same time Whimsicott’s Razor Leaf was ready.
The skill sweeping with massive energy indiscriminately attacked the area where the opponent’s Pokémon were clustered.
Morpeko, who had anticipated this, used Quick Attack to leap up on the spot and was grabbed by the already airborne Riolu, smoothly dodging this attack from their own teammates.
Good news came from both the sky and the ground; one round of clash successfully ended the match.
The second-move offense gave the opponents room to show off, but their teammates’ clean and decisive counterattack—suppress first then raise—demonstrated absolute crushing strength.
Plan complete.
Whether in strategy, Pokémon nurturing degree, team collaboration, or other aspects, Li Wei felt that giving full marks wouldn’t be excessive.
“Battle over! Team 5 wins!”
With this, their training camp exam was finished.
Tomorrow morning, they would gather in the classroom to wait for score distribution, then pack luggage, return dorm keys in the afternoon, and leave together.
Coincidentally, they were all from Magic City, so after discussing, they didn’t head to the kitchen or canteen early to celebrate; instead, they planned to move the celebration to after the Provincial Competition, holding the final victory banquet once everything settled.
After all, there’s an old saying: singing at dawn—celebrating too early.
Celebrating shouldn’t be overdone; the key is timing.
They all believed their endpoint wasn’t at this training’s conclusion; the ambitious group decided to seclude for half a month and settle scores at the Provincial Competition.
They dispersed back to the dormitory for dinner; tonight’s dinner was fully entrusted to Dragonair and Eevee, who didn’t attend the exam.
The recipe and cooking order were written on a sticky note; tonight was the Roasted Meat Bibimbap he’d craved for a long time.
Not the takeout kind, but beef slices grilled over charcoal, evenly arranged over rice, stacked in circles forming a flower—that generous portion of roasted meat!
Finally paired with fragrant diced onion as the flower’s center for garnish and to enrich the bibimbap’s flavor, topped with a sterile egg yolk in the very middle.
Li Wei’s favorite meat dish was complete.
This kind of dinner was absolutely “mom would beat me” series—only enjoyable when cooking for himself.
After all, as a fashion enthusiast, his mother managed her figure strictly; a full plate of meat with no green veggies…
Li Wei could perfectly imagine his mother’s face turning like a thunderstorm.
After all, she couldn’t eat it.
So when his mother was home, the meals were mainly green vegetables, besides the essential protein intake.
After just three seconds of thought, Li Wei pulled out his mobile phone, kacha, snapped a photo.
Lightning-fast edit of a Moments post and sent it, tagging his mother.
After this series of vengeful acts, Li Wei, fearing she might pretend not to see, specially private messaged a high-def big pic and a mukbang short video.
He knew his mother was about to attend Fashion Week soon.
Right now was peak figure management time, with fixed daily recipes—too little no good, too much no good.
Hehe.
Finally, he got the chance!!!
Seeing his mother’s smiling emoji ‘:)’, Li Wei felt this dinner tasted even better.
Eevee’s cooking had improved a lot; the knife work was still more soulful from Riolu, but for plating, no one in this home knew it better than Eevee.
Glossy, well-textured meat slices arranged in a big rice bowl, looking like a blooming rhododendron in the photo.
Soon, he got over twenty likes.
As usual, one glass of happy water down, and the dinner ended happily.
Drawn by the meat, Magikarp didn’t say a word during dinner, allowing Li Wei to preserve his peaceful dinner enjoyment.
Because of the exam today, Li Wei didn’t go out for training; unsure if Area 12 was requisitioned for the exam, today was still a heaven-sent holiday.
Riolu and Eevee on the small balcony: one practicing Tai Chi, the other turning into Umbreon under the night sky, head lowered in meditation, absorbing the moon’s essence.
Magikarp stubbornly splashing in the water.
According to him, he always felt that keep ‘jumping’ and something magical would happen.
For this ‘instinctual guidance’, Li Wei had nothing to say but snark.
Magikarp’s behavior only reminded him of the old gaming legend about Magikarp evolution:
Use Splash 100 times in battle, and Magikarp evolves into Gyarados.
Could it be that in the real world, jumping hundreds or thousands of times really allows ‘carp leap over dragon gate’ for an ultimate qualitative evolution?
Li Wei didn’t know, so he let it jump.
More jumps could build waist strength; as a male Magikarp, good for the future.
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With less exercise and training today, even at usual bedtime, they were still energetic, no fatigue; the group happily showered, each with a small bottle of milk, to the small balcony, lounging on chairs staring at the moon in a daze.
Even Magikarp, wanting to join moon-viewing, squeezed into the usual laundry basin, stubbornly joining everyone on the balcony for this rare evening leisure time.
Li Wei has a fish named Magikarp; Magikarp so big, one basin can’t hold it.
Blowing the mild May evening breeze, towel over shoulders, damp hair dripping occasional water drops.
Gazing out from the sixth floor, hearing occasional wild Pokémon cries, mood suddenly very relaxed.
Such a night suits skewers and barbecue, snowflake braving the horizon… and munching seeds while chatting.
Feels like such nights are perfect for dreaming about the future.
“Hey, what’s your dream?”
While holding them left and right, Li Wei suddenly asked.
“Lu?”
【Dream? Hmm… feels like I’m still too weak, know too little about this world; for now, goal is to become stronger properly.】
“That’s not a dream, Lu; too realistic.”
Li Wei mercilessly snarked Riolu’s ‘dream’.
Giving him a ‘watch me’ look, Li Wei began sharing his dream.
“My dream! Capture a bunch of Pokémon I like! Achieve financial freedom!
Then I can go wherever I want, travel the world.
Visit all secret realms, see ruins, see legendary beasts.
I want to live freely.”
Li Wei leaned on the lounge chair, stating in feigned casual tone the most real dream he’d contemplated for nearly two or three years.
Likes novels, anime, manga, fantasizing, but what he loved most was the carefree, splendid days in those virtual stories.
Envying protagonists easily doing what he dared not try, watching anime male leads confess to crushes, lovers unite, others’ daily lives, feeling it personally, giggling at the computer…
Hoping for Spiritual Energy Revival too.
Hoping for transmigration, hoping for ‘miracles’ on himself.
Previous life wasn’t bad, family well-off.
But societal pressure, study pressure, inexplicable social pressure, always gauging situations—made this second-year middle school boy feel utterly suffocated.
He wanted to live freely.
Do what he wanted, what he thought right, be the story’s hero, the epic legend.
Impulsive, simple, cringy, but his truest dream, what he most wanted at this young age.
“Lu…”
【Like that…】
Hearing Li Wei’s dream and sensing the complex aura from him, Riolu fell into contemplation.
“I want to be the top Aura User! Strongest fighter! Battle legendary Pokémon!”
Cringy?
Pokémon raised by Li Wei lacked nothing of that.
Grew up reading Li Wei’s manga.
Later, Pokémon movies finished, Li Wei told famous films, fantasy, cultivation short stories.
Colorful worlds, perilous battles in stories—Riolu was obsessed.
First story: Ho-Oh’s feather, Rainbow Hero’s trial, challenging legends.
Protagonists were him and Eevee; story Li Wei wrote for him.
But after first hearing, Riolu earnestly hoped it wasn’t just colored pencil drawings.
He wanted it real.
Subconsciously sensing Li Wei’s aura, infected by surging emotions, Riolu voiced his truest dream.
“Karoo karoo!!”
【Dream! I have one too!】
Suddenly, water splashed, whooshing sound instantly disrupting the passionate atmosphere and heartfelt fervor.
…
“Karoo karoo!”
【I wanna evolve! Become awesome Pokémon! Diligent, become strongest Gyarados! Hmph!】
Magikarp’s dream was too easy to guess; Li Wei knew it even without saying.
“Karoo!!”
【And more! Main reason for evolving is no confinement in pool; wanna eat all world’s yummies! Heard from Older Brother Riolu about hot pot hometown?? After evolving, can eat at table, I gotta go!!!】
Had to say, calling Magikarp’s words a ‘dream’ felt no dissonance.
Ordinary Gyarados at least 6.5 meters; seeing this Magikarp’s huge size, Li Wei figured 8 meters post-evolution no dream.
8-meter Gyarados eating hot pot in a shop?
Even if it fits, how to hold tableware?
What size tableware?
┓(`)┏
But after thought, feeling nothing money can’t solve, Li Wei planned to fulfill Magikarp’s hot pot dream post-evolution.
()
Next in order: Eevee’s turn.
So Li Wei reached out, poking the silent Eevee beside.
Eevee ignored the ‘poke’, eyes squinted, curled up, very quiet.
Unusual; not Eevee’s style.
Normally even lazing, she’d climb Li Wei’s head or neck; against crazy pokes, slap back—but today, no, like autistic, just curled silently.
Thinking Eevee cold, Dragonair used long tail convenience, opened balcony door, hooked small blanket from indoor cabinet, covered Eevee.
Gave concerned looks, then coiled back on balcony clothes rack.
Had to say, really comfy for Dragonair here.
Seeing Eevee still ignoring them, Li Wei sighed, spoke up.
“So Eevee, you?”
“What’s your dream?”
【July 30, 1041 votes, +1 chapter】
Things to say, see post-upload note later.
And so()
