Chapter 114: Departing for Ziqin Town

Facts proved that Nimohe and Paipa were simply overthinking it; even dreaming isn't done this way.

The "Bu'ao Battle Team," confidently assembled by Nimohe and Paipa, was utterly routed when facing the combination of Bai Bai Pengpeng and Flittle.

Under Luo Mu's command, the powers of Flittle and Bai Bai Pengpeng were twisted into a single rope, completely beyond what Buizel and Ao Ao Jiaofu could handle through their individual solo efforts.

The match opened with Bai Bai Pengpeng setting up Grassy Terrain, while Flittle's Ability, Flower Veil, and its move, Flower Shield, directly affected Bai Bai Pengpeng, this Grass-type Pokémon.

Even when Nimohe's Buizel used Nuzzle, it failed to trigger the paralysis effect.

Even if Ao Ao Jiaofu seized an opportunity to attack Bai Bai Pengpeng, against a target whose Defense had been boosted by Flower Shield and who was receiving dual healing from both Grassy Terrain and Flittle, the attack amounted to little more than a tickle.

Even when Paipa used status moves under Nimohe's reminder, he could not lower Bai Bai Pengpeng's stats, because the Flower Veil Ability was actively taking effect.

Coincidentally, Bai Bai Pengpeng had recently learned the move Grassy Glide under the tutelage of Serperior; it sped along like sparks carrying lightning with Flittle, leaving Ao Ao Jiaofu and Buizel with no choice but to passively take the beating.

A double battle that should have been evenly matched was forcibly turned by Luo Mu into a crushing defeat; after the fight ended, needless to say, the easily emo Paipa was shaken, but even Nimohe fell into a brief period of self-doubt.

Moments later, their self-doubt vanished under Luo Mu's patient explanation, and Nimohe regained her fighting spirit as if reborn.

"Pokémon are creatures possessing various miraculous abilities; moves, Abilities, and their own innate talents can all become swords in your hands during battle."

"For example, the reason I paired Flittle with Bai Bai Pengpeng is that even as a Fairy-type Pokémon, Flittle can provide excellent assistance to the Grass-type Bai Bai Pengpeng; moves and moves can have a multiplicative effect."

"Flittle's Ability, Flower Veil, can protect Grass-type Pokémon like Bai Bai Pengpeng, preventing them from being afflicted by status conditions or stat-lowering effects, while the move Flower Shield can further enhance the defensive capabilities of Grass-type Pokémon."

"And as the support target for Flittle, Bai Bai Pengpeng can use the move Grassy Terrain to share the pressure; furthermore, Bai Bai Pengpeng itself is a Pokémon skilled in defense, capable of protecting the relatively fragile Flittle."

Speaking as if giving a lecture, Luo Mu resolved the doubts of these two novice Trainers who had just started from the starting line; watching Paipa frantically taking notes and Nimohe, who seemed to have had a sudden enlightenment yet still only half-understood, a smile appeared on Luo Mu's face:

"There's no need for you to digest this knowledge immediately; you can review it slowly after returning home."

Paipa's pen tip was nearly smoking from how fast he wrote; he had a clear understanding of his own positioning: since he lacked talent, he would simply compensate through other means—if he couldn't understand Luo Mu's explanations in one go, he would just watch more, learn more, and ask more.

Lost in thought, Nimohe suddenly raised her hand, her eyes so bright they seemed capable of scorching people: "Cubchoo's Ability is Rattled. So, during a double battle, can I use Buizel's Nuzzle or the move Thunder Wave to forcibly trigger its Rattled Ability, thereby increasing Cubchoo's speed?"

Luo Mu clapped his hands in applause, praising her without hesitation: "Excellent, your mind is very flexible; this is indeed another method of applying Pokémon Abilities to enhance combat power."

Nimohe's talent as a Trainer was truly terrifying; with just a practical demonstration and a few pointers from him, she could draw inferences from one instance and independently conceive a Rattled tactic centered around Cubchoo.

As for Paipa, Luo Mu felt that while he followed the path of making up for lack of talent through diligence, he could also try to build a deeper bond with his Pokémon.

For example, through food.

In this world, the power of bonds is equally important; hadn't he, during that battle against Geeta, shouted about friendship and bonds with his Luxray and directly knocked Glimmora flat?

After seeing off Nimohe and Paipa, who had gained some insight, Luo Mu returned to his normal rhythm of life.

The salary from Orange Academy had been deposited into his card last night; Luo Mu also finalized the fence reconstruction plan with the foreman of the Machoke Construction Crew, paying a deposit of twenty thousand League Coins, with the remaining sixty thousand League Coins to be settled upon completion of the project.

The next day, Luo Mu went to Pingdie Town to purchase some flower seeds, such as sunflowers, lavender, asters, and tulips.

Moreover, nectar-source plants like sunflowers and lavender would be favorites of honey-gathering Pokémon; he had already begun laying the groundwork for the moment when a female Combee appeared within the Vespiquen swarm, allowing him to adopt her and have her produce honey for the farm.

Under Flittle's sparkling gaze, Luo Mu planted the seeds together with his Pokémon; in some time, these seeds would sprout, grow, and finally become a beautiful flower field.

In the days that followed, nothing particularly noteworthy occurred.

The day after the plan was finalized, the Machoke Construction Crew arrived at the farm to begin construction; it was estimated to take half a month to reconstruct the entire farm fence.

The crops on the farm grew robustly every day under the nourishment of Grassy Terrain and Sunny Day; Nimohe and Paipa also came to the farm to find Luo Mu whenever they had no classes, occasionally helping with some farm work, though Nimohe's stamina was so poor that often before three minutes had passed, she was already gasping for breath.

Midway through, Luo Mu went to Orange Academy again to teach his second class of the week, and the students' understanding of Pokémon battles continued to deepen.

Regarding the itinerary a few days later, the most important issue—the Deliveribird's psychological barrier—also gradually improved under the Aromatherapy of Flittle, who was full of vigor after planting the flower field seeds.

Although it still could not fly, at least the Deliveribird could calmly recount its experience from that night: the thunder descending from the dome of the sky and the sensation filled with the scent of death on that stormy Lei Yu night just before the storm arrived.

Now, the Deliveribird could calmly recall this painful memory.

Time ticked by drop by drop, and in the blink of an eye, that day arrived.

Early in the morning, Luo Mu began organizing the cargo to be carried on Dragonite's back with the help of his Pokémon.

The crops and berry trees had not yet matured; the only item he went to the Ziqin Town market to sell was the cotton fluff that the Bai Pengpengs had accumulated over this period.

Luo Mu roughly weighed the cotton fluff; it was about five kilograms, and since the current market price for Bai Bai Pengpeng cotton fluff was six thousand League Coins per jin, coupled with the extreme scarcity of Bai Bai Pengpeng in the Paldea region, the selling price would only be higher.

After recalling the selected Pokémon to be taken out into their Poké Balls one by one, Luo Mu looked at the somewhat nervous Deliveribird, stroked its head, and comforted it: "It's alright, leave everything to me."

This trip had two important objectives: first, to sell the Bai Pengpengs' cotton fluff at the Ziqin Town market to subsidize household expenses, and second, to utilize tomorrow's weather at Great Pot Lake—an eighty percent chance of rain and a sixty percent chance of Lei Yu—to help the Deliveribird overcome its psychological barrier.

As for that secondary objective, Luo Mu planned to spend those few days at Great Pot Lake seeing if there were any suitable Pokémon to directly kidnap and adopt home.

He had already placed enough Pokémon food at home, and he felt very reassured leaving a few main fighters to guard the house.

Waving goodbye amidst all the Pokémon, Luo Mu mounted Dragonite's back; once he was seated firmly, Dragonite flapped its small, cute wings and slowly lifted him high into the sky.

Today will be three updates; four updates are probably not possible, but tomorrow will also be three updates; I'm still typing on New Year's Eve. jpg

(End of Chapter)