Get Stronger by Pleasing Pokémon? Who Needs to Be a Trainer!

Chi Chang finally called out a move other than "Water Gun."

In truth…

He had never really wanted to become a Pokémon Trainer, traveling around, challenging Gyms.

That all sounded exhausting.

He'd rather stay at home, living a peaceful life running his family's supermarket.

Because of that mindset, Chi Chang wasn't all that familiar with battling Pokémon.

It was only when he saw that Water Gun wasn't working that he naturally blurted out Ice Beam instead.

A beam of icy blue energy burst from Lapras's mouth, blasting toward the spot where Snivy had just appeared.

The patch of grassy terrain that Water Gun had damaged moments before was rapidly regenerating under Snivy's influence.

But now…

As the wet ground met the icy blue light, there was a sharp crackling sound as frost spread across the surface. The newly grown grass was swiftly freezing solid, turning extremely brittle.

Moreover, the frost continued spreading, creeping through the entire Grassy Terrain until it carved a stark divide down the middle, splitting the field in two.

It was obvious.

Lapras was trying to shatter Snivy's terrain advantage.

And to shrink the space where Snivy could maneuver.

"Woooo~!"

However, channeling such a powerful Ice Beam also aggravated the sprouting Leech Seeds still inside Lapras's body. It let out a pained cry and bit down hard on one of the already-sprouted seeds, forcibly tearing it out.

"Vine Whip!"

Within the remaining half of the Grassy Terrain…

Two vibrant green vines lashed outward, aiming to slam into Lapras.

But Lapras suddenly twisted around. Even though its Trainer hadn't issued any command, it instinctively formed several boulder-sized chunks of ice and hurled them toward the spot where the vines were coming from.

Inside the grassy zone…

It was indeed difficult for Lapras to pinpoint Snivy's exact location. So it chose to wait for Snivy to expose itself.

Whether it was Vine Whip or Leaf Storm…

As long as Lapras caught the instant Snivy began attacking, it would know where Snivy was hiding.

"Oh?" Lin Feng's eyes lit up.

Even without waiting for its Trainer's instructions, this Lapras had reacted so quickly?

Smart!

Without missing a beat, Lin Feng shouted, "Retract the vines. There's no avoiding a head-on clash. Snivy, use Double Leaf Storm and shred those ice chunks to pieces!"

There was no other choice. At this moment, Snivy could either try to trade blows and risk taking damage or retract its vines and go all-in with its strongest move against the flying ice boulders.

Lin Feng chose the latter.

Though the energy collision was inherently disadvantageous for Snivy…

This was the best way to keep it as safe as possible.

Snivy's vines snapped back like runaway stallions. The next instant, its slender, green form shot up from the grass, leaving only a trail of white light from the tip of its tail. It whirled in midair, charging toward the oncoming ice.

But just then, as Snivy faced the ice chunks, the energy inside its body seemed to ignite as though triggered by some unseen spark. The white glow that started at its tail surged forward, enveloping its entire form.

It was the light of evolution!

Snivy, who'd been so close to evolving, finally had its energy fully unleashed in that instant.

Unlike Lapras's earlier turbulent transformation…

This evolution happened smoothly and naturally. And the surge of new power from evolving allowed Snivy to slice the icy boulders apart in a single stroke.

Its body began to elongate. From its original height of around 80 centimeters, it quickly grew longer and more slender, its figure becoming even more graceful.

As the brilliant glow gradually faded…

The once slightly cocky and youthful Snivy was gone.

In its place stood Servine, the corners of its mouth curved in a confident smile, eyes glimmering with calm self-assurance.

[Pokémon: Servine]

[Gender: Female]

[Ability: Contrary]

[Aptitude: Red Rank]

[Individual Values: HP (25), Attack (21), Special Attack (26), Defense (25), Special Defense (24), Speed (31)]

[Level: 21–25]

[Moves: Leaf Blade, Leaf Storm, Glare, Vine Whip, Leech Seed, Magical Leaf.]

Seeing this, Lin Feng finally let out a sigh of relief.

He wasted no time in giving his next command. "Double Leaf Storm!"

Hovering in midair, Servine's eyes remained cool and composed. As she elegantly descended, green light surged around the tip of her tail. In the blink of an eye, a massive vortex of swirling leaves, towering two or three meters high, materialized and roared down toward Lapras.

The ice boulders were instantly shredded into icy dust.

The fierce rushing wind made Chi Chang snap back to his senses. He shouted frantically, "Ice Beam!"

Lapras jolted out of its astonishment from witnessing Snivy's evolution. It immediately launched an icy beam from its mouth, trying to halt the spinning vortex in its tracks.

But in the next instant…

A sight that left every spectator gaping unfolded before their eyes.

The crystalline beam of ice met the storm of swirling leaves…

And was utterly crushed. The leafy vortex tore through it like a blade through paper, leaving the Ice Beam with no chance to resist.

Boom!

The leafy tornado slammed into Lapras, detonating with an explosive roar.

When the shockwaves finally settled, Lapras staggered, its body marked by several slashing wounds. Despite having just undergone a powerful breakthrough, Lapras had been taken down in a single blow.

Servine, however, calmly landed on the ground, then turned and flashed a serene smile at her Trainer.

There was no doubt about it. This battle belonged to her.

[Congratulations to the host for raising Servine's Happiness from 80% to 95%. Reward: Three bags of Intermediate Golden Fertilizer, one Intermediate Rare Candy, and one Ability Development Energy Cube.]

....

"A reversal a shocking reversal!"

"Everyone thought that after Lapras's breakthrough, it was a lock for first place in this tournament. But there was still someone even stronger!"

"Look at how Lapras was systematically closing off Snivy's space, and how it waited for the perfect moment to locate Snivy. It was going all-out!

Yet even so…"

"Snivy managed to evolve under that suffocating pressure and then turned around and defeated Lapras in a single strike! Incredible. Truly incredible! Is this really the level of competition in the Junior Cup?"

"The sheer power of that Leaf Storm! Absolutely unbelievable!"

Standing atop his Aegislash, commentator Li Bing couldn't hold back the passion in his voice as he narrated the scene.

He couldn't help it the reversals were just too intense.

At first, when Lapras was injured, he'd assumed the championship was as good as won by Snivy's Trainer.

He never expected that midway through, Lapras would be guided by Lin Feng into safely venting its internal energy.

And just when he thought Lapras's breakthrough would clinch the title…

Snivy evolved under overwhelming pressure and turned the tables!

Moreover…

Li Bing had been closely observing Lin Feng's expression the entire time.

He noticed that while the young man's face occasionally flickered with emotion, when it came to handling Lapras's energy release and watching Snivy evolve, Lin Feng remained astonishingly calm.

Which meant…

He had complete confidence in both situations.

Yet during the crisis with Lapras, Lin Feng hadn't even needed to approach it closely. He operated from dozens of meters away and still executed everything flawlessly!

What kind of Breeder was this kid?

Li Bing felt he needed to dig deeper…

Thinking this, he turned to engage the crowd, his voice ringing out. "Everyone, as you saw, it was Lin Feng who treated Lapras when it was injured. This proves that besides being an outstanding Trainer, Lin Feng is also a Breeder. Now, wouldn't you all like to know where this talented young Breeder comes from?"

The spectators…

Were already stunned by this rollercoaster of a battle. Their emotions were at a fever pitch.

With just that one prompt…

Without even thinking, they shouted in unison, "Yes!"

"Sob, sob… he really is a Breeder, isn't he? Is there really such a young Breeder in Wutong City? Let me guess, which family is he from…?"