Chapter 97: The Use of Gratitude_1

Although he was told that he might become the team captain for the school team,

for Fang Yuan at the moment, school life hadn't changed much.

Because the team hadn't officially started intensive training, and even the main members hadn't been selected, his so-called captaincy, even if approved, was currently just a nominal title.

During training class, when Fang Yuan relayed this news to Lin Jing, Lin Jing said,

"I heard that the team will start the selection process next week."

Today, the training classes for each class returned to normal, still focusing on basic training.

"A total of twenty-five people will be whittled down to just seven."

While Growlithe and Eevee were training on the side, the two Trainers followed along with physical training while chatting.

"Next week it is then. Any news on the other two candidates for the New Star Project?" Fang Yuan was more concerned about this.

"Not yet," Lin Jing shook her head.

"I see... By the way, has your Growlithe made any progress with its moves recently?"

As Fang Yuan's upcoming teammate, he was quite concerned about the growth of Lin Jing's Growlithe. If his teammate was strong, then the chances of Pingcheng No.1 Middle School Team winning the provincial high school league would be even greater!

The better the results of the competition, the more prize money he would get.

"Hehe, besides Flame Wheel, Growlithe has also learned Fire Fang." Lin Jing's lips curved into a smile, saying, "Moreover, the training for Fire Splash is nearing its end. Within a week, Growlithe should be able to master Fire Splash."

Lin Jing was quite satisfied with Growlithe's rate of progress.

Now, Fang Yuan was her benchmark. Ever since Lin Jing set him as her target, she had been very dedicated to the training.

"That fast?!" Fang Yuan was startled.

But upon reflection, it seemed quite normal.

He and Eevee learned new moves completely on their own, while Lin Jing had a Professional Trainer on hand to consult at any time. The advantage was too great for her.

"Of course,"

Lin Jing's happiness grew upon seeing Fang Yuan's surprise. Next, Growlithe could still learn High-speed movement, Flamethrower attack, Crunch, Heat Wave, and even Flare Blitz among other Moves. A complete training route had been clearly planned out. Once it mastered all these moves, surpassing Eevee in strength wouldn't be a problem.

And these training methods were naturally passed down in her family, something Fang Yuan couldn't envy.

"Just don't know how Liu Le's Little Kabigon is doing with its training. I'll ask this weekend." Fang Yuan changed the subject, feeling a bit downhearted.

Currently, Eevee was still using old moves, and hadn't improved much since the Little Phoenix King Cup. If he didn't hurry up, Lin Jing really might overtake him.

...

Friday.

It was the fifth day Eevee had been grasping the Rage Move.

With the help of the Soothing Bell, it finally grasped the Payback Technique, but only while wearing the Soothing Bell could it use it smoothly.

"Looking cool, I must be a genius..."

That day, Fang Yuan combined the silk scarf and the Soothing Bell together for the first time.

As Eevee was not accustomed to collars, Fang Yuan removed it and threw it away at home.

In its place was a scarf tied around Eevee's neck that looked like a cloak.

And the Soothing Bell, just fitting through the scarf, was tied at the knot in front on the chest.

"Bwoo!"

Eevee shook its body and then showed a contented expression.

The silk scarf plus the Soothing Bell...

Double the Joy!

Feeling the silkiness of the scarf and the melodious chimes, Eevee was in rapture.

"Don't get too cocky! Try using the Payback Technique now," Fang Yuan interrupted its daydream.

At the old spot of Rage Move, in front of the training ground's rubber wall, Fang Yuan and Eevee came here once again.

This time, Fang Yuan wanted to directly see the power of the Payback Technique.

"Eevee, give it your all and use Payback to attack that wall," he instructed.

Eevee nodded, looked at the rubber wall, and unlike when using Rage Move, now... Eevee had a lot of control over the Emotional Energy.

To put it more specifically, when using Rage Move, Eevee was dominated by rage, but when using Payback, it was in control of this Emotional Energy.

Before the attack, Eevee turned around, looked at Fang Yuan for a moment, and gathered its emotions.

Despite how often Fang Yuan hoodwinks Eevee, the bond between them is currently unmatchable by any other New Trainer.

The care Fang Yuan gave at its birth, the sweat they both shed in the pursuit of the Little Phoenix King Cup, and the joy when finally achieving training results.

Very few New Trainers have experienced so much with their Pokémon at this stage.

And those little everyday tricks, far from becoming a wedge between Fang Yuan and Eevee, actually became heartwarming memories when recalled—interactions between a Trainer and a Pokémon are not a cold master-servant relationship, but not just about commands and obedience either.

Thus, Eevee has never regretted becoming Fang Yuan's Pokémon.

As it recalled these memories, the emotions transformed into power for Eevee, with the clear sound of the Soothing Bell flowing swiftly through its body.

With a white glow enveloping its body, Eevee forcefully slammed into the rubber wall.

With a loud "Bang!!" the rubber wall began to indent, and Fang Yuan revealed a smile of satisfaction—the power was almost twice that of Rage Move.

It seems, Eevee's emotions run much deeper than a smartphone's!

"Something's not right... There's a big problem," Fang Yuan's initial joy quickly sank into concern.

So... does that mean he's worth two smartphones?

When Eevee happily returned, it saw Fang Yuan deep in thought and couldn't help but show a puzzled expression.

"Bwoo?"

Fang Yuan had a strange expression, then he let it go—since when did smartphones become a unit of power measurement?

The bond between him and Eevee couldn't be beaten by mere online addictions.

"The power is much greater than that of Quick Attack, but speed is still a weakness," Fang Yuan said.

"Bwoo..." Upon hearing this, Eevee seemed contemplative.

Indeed, it had come to realize this as well.

Both Rage Move and Payback were just crude uses of Emotional Energy, raw expressions of power devoid of finesse—quite primitive with no technique involved.

By analogy, it's like the difference between Tackle and Quick Attack.

Tackle represents a rudimentary application of energy, whereas Quick Attack involves a more skillful use of energy, enhancing the speed aspect of a Pokémon's abilities.

"I wonder if it's possible to train Eevee's leg and tail strength through the Payback Technique!"

"If Emotional Energy can tap into a Pokémon's bodily potential, then it should also be specific to certain body parts. For example, when Long-eared Rabbit uses Payback, it attacks with an 'ear slap,' whereas Eevee attacks with a 'body slam.' If we can break through these form restrictions, it might be very helpful for training other Moves," he pondered.

Fang Yuan's eyes sparkled with possibility.

Could harnessing the leg's potential allow Payback to match the speed of Quick Attack?

Could harnessing the tail's potential accelerate the mastery of Iron Tail?