Greatest Pokémon Trainer

Eevee was able to build a satisfactory sandcastle, all thanks to the Sand Splash move.

Besides its specific effects in the game, Sand Splash also helped Eevee manipulate the sand more easily, making the grains on the beach much more "obedient".

Aside from deepening the bond with Eevee, acquiring the Sand Splash move was arguably the biggest gain from this trip.

So far, Little Eevee, who just turned "9 days" old, had already mastered four moves, namely Tackle, Growl, Tail Whip, and Sand Splash.

Growl and Tail Whip might have some effects, but after letting Eevee use them a few times, Fang Yuan became desperate. They were completely harmless, not intimidating at all!

What comforted Fang Yuan, though, was that he had successfully cultivated a keen interest in Eevee. As for how long this passion would last, Fang Yuan had no idea, but Eevee was currently in great spirits, looking forward to the training methods Fang Yuan claimed would make it stronger.

Eevee wanted to become stronger too, like the protagonists in movies and battle videos, to become the center of attention in the battlefield.

Splash splash~~

After spending the whole day on the beach, Fang Yuan and Eevee immediately took a shower upon returning to their room, refreshing themselves.

Despite playing all day long, both were dog-tired, especially Little Eevee. Using Sand Splash for an extended period to control the sand was very demanding on its Physical Strength.

At dinner time, Eevee had two big bowls of warmed milk, and only then did it belch contentedly. After entering its growth period... its appetite increased significantly!

Thud... thud... thud...

As they were about to wind down and consider watching a movie, there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Hey, Fang Yuan, Eevee, up for cards?" Lu Jie called from outside the door.

"Bwoo?" Little Eevee was puzzled. What was that?

"Shall we go check it out?" Fang Yuan said to Eevee.

Eevee nodded.

"Coming." Saying this, Eevee hopped onto Fang Yuan's shoulder and they started following Lu Jie to the room opposite.

"What's up, what did you and Eevee do today? You both look so tired," someone said.

"You might not believe it if I told you..." Fang Yuan said, laughing.

After reaching the opposite room, Fang Yuan found the other three people already there and began sharing the day's experiences, which had their eyes widening in disbelief.

"So, just like that... you understood the Sand Splash move?" Sister Tang Ying said, dumbfounded.

She might be a fake Trainer.

"My Golem wants to punch someone after hearing this. I remember it learned it through intensive training," Meng Zicheng said.

"You're too lucky," Du Ai said.

"Didn't expect this... a man aspiring to be a Professional Trainer actually has some real skills," Lu Jie remarked. He could tell, even though they had only been together a few days, Fang Yuan and Eevee genuinely had a good relationship.

"The willow planted by the roadside forms the shade unexpected." Fang Yuan said calmly.

"It might be because Eevee and I are just too in sync."

"Bwoo!" Eevee nodded proudly.

"Showing off again."

"You two are always putting on airs together. Little Eevee is starting to pick up your bad habits," Du Ai said. "Hey! Hey! Little Tang, show him the promotion poster we found today."

"Uh, what poster?" Fang Yuan said.

"The Little Phoenix King Cup New Trainer Battle Competition," Tang Ying said.

New Trainer... Battle Competition?

Little Phoenix King Cup?!

"It's a local event in Magic City for students about to enter their third year of high school, like you. The participants are New Trainers who've just received their Beginner Elves. It's sponsored by Dawn Group, and the prizes are quite substantial," Lu Jie said.

"What they're saying is, they want you to enter and see how badly you get beaten," Meng Zicheng laughed.

Fang Yuan: "..."

"A New Trainer entering a competition? I think not. Eevee and I haven't started... uh..."

As Fang Yuan took the promotional poster from Tang Ying, his expression suddenly changed.

"Shocked! The Champion's prize is actually a Soothing Bell."

The Soothing Bell, with its melodious sound, is a Pokemon-related item. The Pokemon that carry it are calmed, which can help them feel at ease and focused.

Most importantly, it can make a Pokemon become more affectionate towards its Trainer.

This was exactly what Fang Yuan needed; only by building a strong bond with Eevee could he possibly let it evolve through affection in the future, without relying on evolutionary items.

"You know about this bell?" Tang Ying asked.

"I remember that the sound of this bell seems to calm the Pokemon, right? Yeah, it's jokingly referred to online as a Pokemon's sleep aid," Du Ai said.

"However, this kind of bell is quite rare. Apart from Dawn Group, I haven't seen it for sale anywhere else," Lu Jie said.

You guys don't understand...

Fang Yuan had decided he must get this bell for Little Eevee to wear around its neck.

"The Champion's prize includes the Soothing Bell, 100,000 yuan in cash, and the Dawn Group membership card."

"I can mooch all of that," Fang Yuan said.

"Wake up, if you just want to participate with Eevee for the experience, that's fine. It's about taking part, you really think you can become Champion?" Sister Tang Ying slapped her forehead and said helplessly.

"The Little Phoenix King Cup is one of the quite famous events in Magic City. When the time comes, the number of participants will probably be way more than all the students in Pingcheng No.1 Middle School combined. Even the preliminaries won't be easy to get through."

Fang Yuan also calmed down.

That's right... A competition in a big metropolitan area like Magic City, if one could become Champion so easily, that would be something.

But...

The Soothing Bell, he wanted it.

100,000 yuan in cash... he was short of that too.

A Dawn Group membership card, he could get discounts on Dawn Group products; he'd save quite a lot when buying large cans of milk, no reason not to take advantage of that offer.

This bunch are so mean, actually tempting him with the Little Phoenix King Cup, and the worst part is he's totally hooked.

"The event is in mid-August, before school starts. I have nearly a month and a half to prepare..." Fang Yuan said, "If Eevee and I train hard over this month and a half, is there a possibility of getting results? Even second place offers a cash reward of 50,000 yuan. There's prize money for the top sixteen."

The members of the psychology club almost forgot, Fang Yuan wasn't from a well-off family. After thinking it over, Lu Jie said, "It's not impossible, but the others planning to register will definitely train their Pokemon's combat abilities during this time too. If you really want to give it a try, you'd better hurry up."

Fang Yuan nodded. He was already planning to go back and train with Eevee; now, with a goal so close at hand, it gave him even more motivation.

"Bwoo."

At the same time, Eevee glanced at the pendant-like silver bell on the poster, found it quite attractive, and let out a sound, thinking it was worth a try.

"So we've decided?" Fang Yuan said to Eevee.

"Hang on, I feel like... we've gotten off-topic. Are we still playing cards, or not?" Du Ai said blankly.

"Play what? Help Fang Yuan here figure out how to train Eevee. After all, he's also a member of the psychology club. It would look too bad to get eliminated in the preliminaries."