NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Skill Enhancement Simulation
"How does it taste?"
Ethan fed an energy cube to Oddish.
After cautiously taking a small bite, Oddish's eyes widened in surprise. Clearly, it had sensed a faint trace of grass-type energy from the cube.
Although the energy boost was minimal, Oddish was still delighted. It immediately started nibbling on the energy cube in small bites, savoring every piece until it finished the entire thing.
Despite its small size—only about half the size of a palm—an energy cube contains enough nutrients to rival a full meal for a Pokémon.
Even notoriously big eaters like Munchlax and Snorlax could feel full after consuming an energy cube, saving trainers a significant amount of food expenses.
Ethan lay sprawled on the couch, silently watching Oddish chew on the edges of the energy cube. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly—it was a pity he didn't have a berry mixer to make his own energy cubes.
"Tomorrow, when I visit Elena, I should ask her where to buy a berry mixer," he thought.
Although Ethan was a wealthy second-generation kid, his penchant for reckless spending had left him with barely any savings.
After spending 5,000 Alliance credits on energy cubes, he only had about 10,000 to 20,000 credits left. Fortunately, he had managed to swindle two evolution stones from his cousin earlier.
If he sold them tomorrow, he should be able to get around three million credits, which would be more than enough to buy all the equipment he needed.
"Oddish, try using Razor Leaf!"
By evening, Ethan couldn't contain his excitement and brought Oddish to the backyard, pointing at a large rock that protruded from the ground.
Following his command, Oddish focused on the rock and prepared to use Razor Leaf. It swung the leaves on its head with determination, gathering grass-type energy and forming several sharp leaves that shot toward the rock.
Pa! Pa!
The leaves flew in a straight, predictable trajectory, simply heading directly forward. The attack power was pitifully weak.
Even though Razor Leaf has a base power of 55 with an additional 50% same-type attack bonus, it looked more like a skill with only 20 power at most.
"As expected, its individual attack stat is too low," Ethan thought to himself.
Oddish's physical attack stat was only 19, while its special attack stat was 28. Clearly, this Oddish was more suited for a special attack-focused build.
Still, Ethan had already decided to make Oddish his main Pokémon, so he naturally held it to higher standards.
After all, Bellossom can learn both Swords Dance and Quiver Dance. Once fully buffed, Bellossom's physical attack, special attack, special defense, and speed would skyrocket, turning it into a battlefield goddess capable of overwhelming its opponents.
With moves like Synthesis, Giga Drain, and Drain Punch, Bellossom wouldn't even have to worry about running out of stamina.
As long as he could improve its stats, Ethan was confident he could train Bellossom into a powerful ace that would be the envy of countless trainers.
Just as he was deep in thought, considering the specifics of Oddish's training plan, he noticed Oddish looking up at him nervously, its eyes full of uncertainty.
Ethan blinked, then crouched down and gently patted its head.
"You did well," he said with a smile. "But next time, try to extend the energy-gathering time a bit longer before releasing the skill.
"And spread the Razor Leaf attacks out a little more—most opponents won't just stand still and let you hit them.
"Predicting and reacting to your opponent's next move is something you'll need to learn."
"But for tonight, let's focus on increasing the skill's power…"
Ethan paused as a thought struck him. He suddenly remembered that one of the system's five functions was specifically for enhancing skill power.
『Ding! System notification: Would you like to confirm spending 10,000 Alliance credits to enhance Oddish's Razor Leaf skill?』
"Confirm!"
『Payment successful. Host has earned 100 points.』
『As this is the first time activating this function, Razor Leaf enhancement will not consume any points.』
『Oddish's Razor Leaf proficiency has increased significantly after one day of training. Current enhancement level: +1.』
『Oddish's Razor Leaf proficiency has increased significantly after three days of training. Current enhancement level: +2.』
『Oddish's Razor Leaf proficiency has increased significantly after seven days of training. Current enhancement level: +3.』
『Oddish's Razor Leaf proficiency has increased significantly after thirteen days of training. Current enhancement level: +4.』
『Oddish's Razor Leaf proficiency has increased significantly after twenty-five days of training. Current enhancement level: +5.』