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

Can I Even Win? Mewtwo's Arrival!

While Lin Feng was hard at work in the plantation, high above Wutong Town, a pink, humanoid Pokémon landed gently on the ground. A faint, judgmental smile curled at its lips.

"An ordinary life… very well. My first stop will be the place where you live. If I don't find an answer that satisfies me… I'll destroy this place!"

Having said this, Mewtwo slowly descended. By the time it fully touched down, its entire form had transformed into that of a teenage boy wearing a pink short-sleeved shirt that looked rather flamboyant.

Carrying a backpack and with six Poké Balls strapped to his belt, he gave a quick glance around. Satisfied that nothing seemed out of the ordinary, he began walking in the direction of the Neighbour's Breeding House.

"Alright, that's it for today's video. If you enjoyed it, remember to follow me and give me a free like! I'll pick ten people from the first thousand followers and send them a special mystery gift!"

Inside the breeding house, Lin Feng had just finished editing his video and immediately uploaded it to Douyin.

The video was simple: lively scenes of people buying energy cubes, glimpses of the plantation's scenery, and shots of Snivy, Milotic, and Sandshrew hard at work.

Even the Pidgeotto he'd just captured today, perched high in the pine tree keeping watch, made it into the footage.

By the time Lin Feng returned to the breeding house, it was already a little past four in the afternoon.

"Maybe I should hire an employee…" Lin Feng thought.

Between the plantation and the shop, there was simply too much for one person to handle. If he tried to manage everything himself, he'd be exhausted.

Hiring a store assistant felt increasingly necessary.

Right then, a burst of commotion outside caught Lin Feng's attention.

He pushed open the door and froze for a good few seconds.

On the cobblestone path, a Pokémon battle seemed to be underway.

On one side was Qin Shu and her Squirtle.

On the other was a teenage boy in a pink short-sleeved shirt… and a Salamence?!

"…Huh?"

Lin Feng rubbed his eyes, certain he hadn't seen wrong. A look of disbelief crossed his face as he instinctively activated the "Eye of Appraisal."

Two information panels popped up before his eyes.

[Pokémon: Salamence]

Gender: Male

Ability: Moxie

Aptitude: Red-tier

IVs: HP (24), Attack (29), Sp. Atk (26), Defense (25), Sp. Def (24), Speed (27)

Level: 67–69

Moves: Roost, Dragon Breath, Dragon Tail, Dual Wingbeat, Hyper Beam, Flamethrower, Double-Edge...

[Pokémon: Mewtwo]

Gender: Genderless

Ability: Pressure

Aptitude: Divine-tier

IVs: HP (28), Attack (31), Sp. Atk (31), Defense (28), Sp. Def (29), Speed (31)

Level: 99

Moves: Disable, Confusion, Swift, Ancient Power, Life Dew...

"…Huh?"

So it's come already?

The moment Lin Feng saw Mewtwo's information, he felt a jolt of shock.

He hadn't expected Mewtwo to show up this quickly.

On the cobblestone path, Squirtle stared up at the enormous Salamence towering over it, gulping nervously. It shot a pleading glance back at its Trainer as if to say:

Are you serious? You want me to fight Salamence? Can I even win?

"Um… maybe I should just admit defeat," Qin Shu murmured, sighing as she met Squirtle's anxious eyes.

She could be reckless sometimes, but she wasn't reckless enough to think her newly raised Squirtle could stand a chance against a Salamence.

And yet… the boy in front of her didn't look that much older than she was.

That was the only reason she'd challenged him to a Trainer battle.

Under the Trainer battle rules, both parties agreed to a wager anywhere from 100 to 1,000 yuan.

The winner took the pot; the loser paid up.

It was a common way for rookie Trainers to practice.

Mewtwo blinked in confusion.

According to the information it had gathered, human Trainers were supposed to love seeing their Pokémon battle and settle things through victory or defeat.

But here, the fight hadn't even started and the opponent was already surrendering?

"Exactly. Brother Feng always says we should only do what's meaningful, even if it's hard. Battling you makes no sense at all…" Qin Shu said, her expression glum as she fished out a 100-yuan note and handed it to Mewtwo.

Then she recalled Squirtle back into its Poké Ball.

Mewtwo accepted the money, looking a bit dazed.

"Hey, Brother Feng! There've been tons of people coming into town today. Are they all here looking for your breeding house?" Qin Shu called, brightening up again despite having lost 100 yuan. She skipped lightly over to Lin Feng.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk… You really didn't check who you were challenging, huh? That's like smashing your face into a steel wall," Lin Feng teased her, glancing up at the Salamence hovering in the sky.

Its crimson wings, menacing appearance, and cold, disdainful eyes stirred a rush of excitement in his chest.

This… this is the extraordinary power of this world.

Someday, he vowed, he would train his Snivy to reach this level…

Or even surpass it!

But for now, Lin Feng quietly stepped forward and gently moved Qin Shu behind him.

Only for a flash of emerald-green to dart in front of him first.

Naturally, it was his Snivy, who hadn't been recalled yet.

Mewtwo recovered from its moment of confusion, recalled Salamence into its Poké Ball, and studied the teenage boy standing before it.

It extended its senses, probing gently.

No doubt about it.

This was the same young man who'd opened its letter and replied.

Mewtwo stepped closer. "Hello."

Lin Feng offered a calm smile and answered evenly, "Hello. Can I help you with anything?"

Mewtwo or not, Lin Feng wasn't afraid.

The fact that Mewtwo hadn't attacked right away meant it was here for some kind of test or evaluation.

So there was no need for fear.

Mewtwo, ever direct, said, "I'm the Trainer of that messenger Dragonite. Yesterday, your answer intrigued me. So I decided to come to this town and see for myself what you meant by an 'ordinary life.'"

"…Huh?"

Lin Feng feigned surprise. "You're here already?"

Then, adopting a thoughtful pose, he added, "There aren't any hotels or inns available in town at the moment. But I've been thinking of hiring someone as a fruit picker and cashier. The job comes with free meals and lodging. Monthly salary… ten thousand yuan. How does that sound?"

He'd originally intended to mention health insurance and social security benefits as well.

But he reconsidered.

After all, Mewtwo was still a Pokémon. If it didn't know what those were, bringing them up might accidentally blow his cover.

And if Mewtwo got angry and left… that'd be a problem.

"Brother Feng, me, me, me! I can do that job!" Qin Shu piped up eagerly.

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