Chapter 667: Do You Have Any Slightly More Reasonable Pokémon?

Chapter 667: Do You Have Any Slightly More Reasonable Pokémon? (Please Vote!)

The Kalos Region, Coumarine City.

This small city, located on the northwest side of the Kalos Region, is renowned as a leisure and vacation destination.

With the sea, mountains, and forests, coupled with a rich natural and cultural atmosphere, this little city exudes a tranquil and comfortable vibe.

The grass grows and orioles fly.

On the vast grasslands of Coumarine City, gentle breezes sweep across, causing green waves to ripple. Cottonee float in the wind, eventually colliding with Whimsicott in the air.

"How do you have the time to visit Coumarine City?"

A short old man, dressed in a dark green work uniform with a large pair of scissors at his waist, smiled warmly at the "big customer" before him. As he spoke, he began trimming the excess branches of a Bellossom nearby.

This was none other than the Gym Leader of Coumarine City in the Kalos Region, known as "the old tree that still blooms", Grandpa Fu!

Sitting on the grass before him, taking a rest, were Jinghe and Daiya, who had accompanied him on the journey.

"I recently caught a Grass-type Pokémon", Jinghe said with a smile, tossing out a Poké Ball to summon Snivy.

"Hiss!"

As soon as Snivy appeared, it crossed its arms and glanced at the grinning Jinghe, then climbed onto his head.

And when Grandpa Fu saw Snivy, his eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but praise it.

"Truly a well-trained Snivy!"

Before Jinghe could respond, Snivy wrinkled its nose and called out to Grandpa Fu.

"Hiss~!"

Even if you praise me, I won't be happy!

Then, it jumped down and ran off to perform photosynthesis, but from the way its body swayed with the grass, it was clearly in a good mood.

"Photosynthesis is also excellent", Grandpa Fu said with an unchanged smile.

For a Grass-type Pokémon, mastering photosynthesis is crucial.

"Go ahead and finish your work, Grandpa Fu. I'll come to you for advice when you're done", Jinghe said, sweeping his hand over his waist to summon his Pokémon.

"Gengue!"

Gengue emerged from Jinghe's shadow, spotting a group of Sunflora nearby, and drool immediately formed at the corner of his mouth.

Slurp—

The Sunfloras, who had been basking in the sun contentedly, suddenly felt a chill run up their bodies, from their feet to their heads.

Who?!

Which scoundrel dares to harm me?

"Rumble—"

Blastoise took a deep breath, his expression becoming somewhat intoxicated.

Ah—great nature, this is the scent of a gift—

"Guchaa!"

Crimson Blade Phantom suddenly raised his blade, pointing it at two Vileplume and Roserade who were arguing over a tree fruit.

Hey! Let go of that fruit, let me handle it!

Swish—

Crimson Blade Phantom moved with incredible speed, his form becoming a blur of dark blue flame as he flashed between the Vileplume and Roserade.

Snap!

The plump and juicy fruit split in half, each half falling into the hands of the Vileplume and Roserade.

The two Pokémon stared at the fruit in their hands, initially stunned, then became pleasantly surprised.

This is a fair split!

However, before they could enjoy the fruit, they heard—

Clang!

Crimson Blade Phantom, with his back to them, slowly placed his blade at his waist, tilting his head back at a forty-five-degree angle, and sheathed his blade!

Sizzle—

A trail of dark blue flame slowly revealed itself on the ground.

Seeing this, the Roserade and Vileplume almost simultaneously swallowed their saliva, a cold sweat trickling down their foreheads.

Then—

The Roserade and Vileplume, in perfect unison, divided their fruit in half again, sheepishly offering half to Crimson Blade Phantom, "thanking" him for his "assistance."

Crimson Blade Phantom made a show of refusing, then accepted the half of the fruit, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Guchaa."

Such a familiar and honorable feeling.

Of course, while Jinghe's Pokémon were "harassing" Grandpa Fu's Pokémon, some of Grandpa Fu's Pokémon were also eyeing Jinghe's, like—

A Bouffalant that seemed to have some "prestige" on the farm.

After hesitating for a while, it finally gathered the courage to approach Blastoise, who was sitting on the ground, focused on eating.

Fidgeting—

"Bouf."

Bouffalant, blushing, offered a delicate pink flower to Blastoise, in a gesture of friendliness.

This action—

Not only caught the attention of the Pokémon living on the farm but also made Jinghe's Pokémon look on with surprise.

A Pokémon is interested in Blastoise?

Jinghe was also quite surprised.

On one hand, he was surprised that his Blastoise, who had only recently evolved, seemed to have some appeal.

On the other hand, he was surprised that this was a female Bouffalant.

After all, as the final evolution of the Castelia Region’s grass-type starter, Bouffalant, the ratio of males to females is seven to one, making it a typical "bachelor-type" Pokémon.

Female Bouffalant are still quite rare.

"Bark?"

Blastoise, who was stuffing a meteorite into its mouth, sniffed the air, seemingly picking up the scent of flowers. It looked up at Bouffalant in confusion.

Bouffalant’s expression became even shyer, her face flushing more intensely, but she didn’t lower the flower she was holding.

Seeing this, Blastoise suddenly understood.

It scratched the back of its head and grinned.

"Bark~"

Thanks, woof~

Then, with a "woof",

Blastoise swallowed the flower Bouffalant was holding, along with a part of the stem.

Blastoise thought: The Pokémon on this farm are pretty nice. They know that just eating meteorites can get a bit monotonous, so they bring a little side dish. Mmm, tastes good~

Bouffalant, looking at the bare stem in her hand, was completely petrified.

Ate, ate it?!

Other Pokémon who witnessed the entire scene stumbled, nearly falling over.

Jinghe couldn’t help but rub his forehead.

This time, he didn’t blame Uxie.

After all, Uxie is the "God of Wisdom", and while Uxie's Claw may have skewed Blastoise’s intelligence, this clearly should be blamed on Emplum, the God of Emotions.

But judging by this, it seems Blastoise will have a hard time finding a partner in the future.

"Come, have some tea. I grew it myself."

Grandpa Fu, who had just finished trimming the branches of Bellossom, sat down on the field ridge with Jinghe.

"Gengue?"

Tea?

Hearing about the tea, Gengue, who was searching for something in the grass nearby, suddenly lifted his head and floated over.

"Gengue, gengue?"

He pointed at his mouth with both hands.

Can I have some too?

"Do you want some too?"

So, Grandpa Fu happily poured a cup for Gengue as well.

Then, the scene was set.

Grandpa Fu, Jinghe, and Gengue, two humans and one Pokémon, sat on the field ridge, enjoying the sun, warm breeze, the rolling grasslands, and the aromatic green tea.

A peaceful moment.

"How is it?" Grandpa Fu asked suddenly.

"Pretty good."

Jinghe prefers coffee, but he isn’t averse to tea, especially if it’s particularly fragrant and sweet. He’s happy to give it a try.

"Gengue."

However, Gengue smacked his lips and shook his head, clearly dissatisfied.

Seeing this, Grandpa Fu didn’t get angry; he just smiled and asked:

"Don’t like it?"

"Gengue?"

Gengue waved his hands and then

pulled out his personal "tea can" from his mouth, took some leaves, brewed them with hot water, and handed it to Grandpa Fu.

"Gengue!"

Come on! Try mine! This is the real deal!

"Grandpa Fu..." Jinghe’s lips twitched, about to warn him, but Grandpa Fu eagerly blew on the tea and took a sip.

The next second,

Jinghe could clearly see Grandpa Fu’s face, which was originally a healthy color, turn red.

"Cough." Blushing, Grandpa Fu coughed a few times, "Mmm, good tea."

This is way too bitter!

"Gengue! (▼O▼)"

Gengue, hands on his hips, nodded in satisfaction.

This old man understands tea, not bad.

"Cough, cough, well, Jinghe, what do you think after all this?" Grandpa Fu quickly changed the subject.

Jinghe nodded thoughtfully.

"I’ve learned a lot."

Indeed, he had learned a lot.

For example,

Grass-type Pokémon, though classified as Grass, have several branches.

Some directly promote plant growth, like Sudowoodo and Roserade.

Others assist in the ecological cycle, indirectly promoting plant growth by accelerating the decomposition of decaying vegetation into soil nutrients, like Bellossom, Vileplume, and Bellossom.

And then there are those that produce fruits, like Sunflora, Sudowoodo, and Tropius.

These different types of Grass-type Pokémon have very different roles on a farm.

Grandpa Fu, eyes squinting in satisfaction, rubbed his white goatee and nodded.

"I heard you have a large collection of books, Grandpa Fu?" Jinghe asked.

"Mostly books about farm management and some of my own experiences", Grandpa Fu waved it off.

But for Jinghe, this was a significant attraction.

"Could I borrow some to read?"

"Of course", Grandpa Fu smiled.

After a brief pause, he added, "But before that, Jinghe, how about a battle?"

"A battle?"

Jinghe was taken aback.

Seeing Grandpa Fu’s rosy, youthful face, even looking a bit excited, Jinghe glanced at Gengue, his eyes asking:

Did you put some stimulants in your Yuanqi Root Tea?

Gengue shrugged.

Nope.

It’s just pure Yuanqi Root Tea, made from ground-up Yuanqi Root. One sip to refresh and invigorate, two sips to never tire, three sips to live forever! Yay!

Jinghe: "."

"You also wanted to ask about Grass-type Pokémon, or perhaps share some insights on Snivy, right?"

Grandpa Fu said.

"In Pokémon training, or Pokémon battles, and raw strength, I definitely can’t match you, young man."

"But if it’s just about Grass-type Pokémon, I suppose I do have some insights."

That was true.

Grandpa Fu’s age was probably around the same as Professor Oak and Champion Iris. While his strength might not be outstanding, he had been diligently serving as the Gym Leader of Coumarine City for decades and managing a vast farm. It would be impossible for him not to have some level of skill.

Moreover, gathering as much Pokémon training experience as possible from others was always a good idea.

"Pokémon battles are always the best way to test everything."

As Grandpa Fu stood up, a Sudowoodo ran to his side with perfect timing.

"Of course, I wouldn’t dare refuse an elder’s invitation." Jinghe also stood up and called out, "Snivy."

"Hisss!"

Snivy immediately came to Jinghe’s side, looking at Grandpa Fu and the robust Sudowoodo beside him, its small eyes shining brightly.

This is a strong opponent!

Since this was more of a friendly match and an exchange of experience, there were no strict rules. It was just a simple one-on-one battle.

Daiya took on the role of a temporary referee.

Sudowoodo vs. Snivy.

"Since that’s the case, I’ll start the attack." Grandpa Fu said and immediately gave his command.

"Old friend, Grassy Terrain!"

Bang!!

Grandpa Fu’s Sudowoodo raised its front hooves high and then gently lowered them.

Hum—

A bright green energy instantly spread out from Sudowoodo, covering the already lush green grass with a layer of emerald fluorescence. Strands of energy floated up.

[Grassy Terrain: Pokémon on the field can receive a gift from the terrain at regular intervals, restoring their HP and boosting the power of Grass-type moves.]

"Hisss!"

Snivy narrowed its eyes, carefully memorizing how Sudowoodo used Grassy Terrain.

Another move it hadn’t learned, and it seemed quite useful, even giving Snivy a subtle boost in power.

Of course, the boost for Sudowoodo, who used the move, would be even greater.

Not only because Sudowoodo was the one using Grassy Terrain, but also because of its ability, "Grassy Surge."

[Grassy Surge: When a Pokémon with this ability is on Grassy Terrain, its Defense is increased by 50%.]

Sure enough, as Grassy Terrain spread, the already dense, leaf-like green fur on Sudowoodo’s back grew even more, significantly enhancing its Defense.

But for Jinghe and Snivy, this was actually good news.

At least Sudowoodo’s ability wasn’t "Grass Pelt", which would have made the battle pointless.

"Snivy, Glare." Jinghe gave his command.

"Snivy let out a sharp hiss as its body curled slightly, like a snake poised to strike, its eyes fixed intently on Sudowoodo."

Snivy’s body curled slightly, like a snake poised to strike. Its eyes stared at Sudowoodo, bringing its increased Defense back to its original level.

At the same time, Snivy’s eyes revealed a cold, predatory gaze.

Grandpa Fu smiled.

"Sudowoodo, Grassy Glide!"

In an instant, Sudowoodo, which was still some distance from Snivy, stepped on the lush grass and surged forward like a surfer, reaching Snivy at an incredible speed.

So fast that in the blink of an eye, it was already in front of Snivy.

[Grassy Glide: When used on Grassy Terrain, the move’s priority is increased by 1.]

A priority move!

As everyone knows, in Pokémon battles, move priority is a hidden attribute that can be quite unfair.

While in the real Pokémon world, priority doesn’t determine the order of moves as definitively as in games, it still significantly influences the battle dynamics.

Jinghe often had Forger start with Feint, a priority +1 move.

However, when Sudowoodo, with its confident demeanor, rushed to Snivy at breakneck speed, it was met with Snivy’s suddenly raised, disdainful, proud, and cold gaze.

"Hisss!"

Suddenly, two Vine Whips shot out from Snivy’s body, pushing against the ground and lifting it up!

"Huh?"

Grandpa Fu was taken aback.

A priority move can be dodged so easily?

Snap—

Snivy landed lightly, retracting its Vine Whips. Despite being shorter than Sudowoodo, it now made Sudowoodo feel as if it were looking up at a queen.

A queen’s dignity?

Does a Pokémon like Snivy have that kind of presence?

Both Grandpa Fu and Sudowoodo were clearly surprised.

But Jinghe was already quite familiar and calm about it.

What’s wrong with a little tsundere having a queen’s dignity?

By the Ganges!

"Snivy, Draft!"

"Hisss! (｀ε)"

My turn to counterattack!

Snivy’s speed instantly reached its peak, and with Draft, it continued to gain even more speed.

Since speed was Snivy’s advantage, it was only natural to maximize it.

"Sudowoodo, Leaf Blade!"

But Grandpa Fu, being the oldest Gym Leader in the Kalos Region, quickly recovered from his brief surprise and gave the most appropriate command.

Rustle ——

Sudowoodo's body swayed slightly, and from its back, a series of bright green leaves floated out, enveloped in a glow.

However, these sharp leaves did not immediately attack. Instead, they hovered around it, forming a defensive barrier.

This was the signature move of Grandpa Fu and his Sudowoodo.

In the original story, when Ash challenged Grandpa Fu, Sudowoodo easily countered Froakie's moves with this technique.

But Jinghe wasn't Ash, and Snivy wasn't Froakie.

"Vine Whip." Jinghe squinted his eyes.

Swish —— Swish ——

Snivy ran, keeping an eye on the barrier of flying leaves while extending its Vine Whip.

In its mind, this move aligned with its understanding of certain techniques.

However, this was still a battle.

"Release it!"

Seeing Snivy trying to break through the leaf barrier with Vine Whip, Grandpa Fu seized the opportunity to counter, taking advantage of Snivy's moment of attack.

Whoosh —

In an instant, the barrier of leaves transformed into a swirling green tornado, sweeping toward Snivy.

Clearly, Grandpa Fu and Sudowoodo's signature move was both offensive and defensive!

Bang!!

Sudowoodo's Leaf Blade hit Snivy before it could use Vine Whip.

The little one was sent flying backward.

Grandpa Fu is still very experienced, Jinghe thought, but he wasn't overly worried about Snivy.

At the last moment before being hit by the Leaf Blade, Snivy had quickly retracted its Vine Whip, partially blocking the most powerful part of the leaf tornado.

Besides,

both being Grass-type Pokémon,

the damage wasn't too high.

However,

Snivy, after being sent flying, quickly flipped back to its feet, its eyes glowing with a fierce light, and let out a furious hiss.

Snivy, after being sent flying, quickly flipped back to its feet, its eyes glowing with a fierce light.

To be knocked back like that!

Since following Jinghe, it had been well-fed and trained hard every day, and it had certainly grown, not to mention —

Snivy raised its hand, and a small ball of bright green light appeared in its palm!

A closer look revealed that it was actually a cluster of leaves forming a miniature tornado.

With a flick of its wrist, it launched the ball—

turning it into a powerful leaf tornado!

Leaf Storm!

Huh?

This time,

even Jinghe was surprised, not just Grandpa Fu.

According to his Pokedex, Snivy hadn't mastered Leaf Storm, but when he checked again, "Leaf Storm" was clearly listed under "Known Moves."

Did it learn this just now?

No!

Jinghe quickly noticed something different.

It seemed that Snivy's Leaf Storm contained another move—

Leaf Blade!

Sudowoodo used Leaf Blade to form a tornado, and Snivy used Leaf Blade to create a Leaf Storm?

For a moment,

Jinghe was bewildered.

Was this still the Snivy he remembered, the one with average talent but a strong work ethic and a bit of a tsundere attitude?

Leaf Storm + Leaf Blade, and this is "average talent"?

More importantly,

Jinghe also noticed two faint green light orbs behind Snivy, their soft green glow flowing into the Leaf Storm.

"What is this?"

Jinghe's heart skipped a beat, and his expression grew even more bewildered.

Groudon's Origin Pulse?!

No, Origin Pulse is a Water-type move, and this is clearly Grass energy. So, did Snivy interpret Origin Pulse in its own way and improve it to suit itself?

This learning ability... rivals even my Gengue?

No wonder Snivy, despite undergoing photosynthesis every day, still consumes a lot of food.

Good grief.

Did Blastoise's "Uxie's Claw" get attached to you?

Boom!!

The massive Leaf Storm swept out, completely enveloping Sudowoodo, which was then sent flying.

"Hiss!"

Snivy placed its hands on its hips, head held high, and looked down at Sudowoodo.

What do you think?

"Cough"

Grandpa Fu raised his hand to stop Sudowoodo, looked at Snivy, and then at the calm Jinghe.

No wonder... no wonder people say that Teacher Jinghe likes to "delay evolution" to keep his Pokémon in their baby forms. Yuki evolved into Blastoise and faced Groudon, and this Snivy... is probably no less capable?

"Jinghe", Grandpa Fu said slowly.

"Do you have any slightly more reasonable Pokémon?"

With a Snivy like this, you're coming to me for advice?

I should be the one asking you for advice!

Jinghe: "."

This time, it's really not my fault. I'm a "victim" too.

Daiya laughed heartily and said, "Grandpa Fu, just get used to it. Teacher Jinghe's Pokémon are like this."

——

PS: It's my birthday today, wish me a happy birthday! A few votes would be great too!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end