Get Stronger by Pleasing Pokémon? Who Needs to Be a Trainer!

Gold-grade potential…

Feebas had only been green-grade before. Lin Feng had expected some kind of leap in quality after its evolution, but he never imagined it would be this massive.

It had skyrocketed straight to gold-grade potential.

”Milo~?”

[Congratulations to the host for raising Milotic’s Happiness from 70% to 98%. Rewards: 20 bags of Golden Fertilizer, one Mid-tier Rare Candy (moderately boosts energy capacity), and a TM for Rain Dance.]

At that very moment, Milotic finally snapped out of the lingering daze from its evolution.

It stared in disbelief at its own reflection shimmering across the water’s surface.

Its mind felt clearer than ever.

Had… it really evolved?

Every Feebas knew they could potentially evolve into a Milotic one day.

But they also knew just how astronomically slim that chance truly was.

Most Feebas would spend their entire lives remaining as Feebas…

Only a rare few, under extraordinary circumstances, managed to evolve successfully.

It was like a carp leaping the Dragon Gate—a legendary, near-miraculous transformation.

So…

Feebas had never once imagined that it would one day become a Milotic.

Until now, it had thought Lin Feng’s words back in the aquarium were nothing more than a joke to cheer it up.

”Milo~!” (I evolved~!)

”Yes, you evolved!”

Now that Milotic had evolved, Lin Feng could clearly understand the meanings in its voice through his Verdant Force.

”Milo…” (I’m so happy~!)

Overcome with joy, Milotic suddenly wrapped its long, elegant tail around Lin Feng’s body, as if trying to lift him up into the air.

The sudden feeling of weightlessness—and the powerful, snake-like constriction—left Lin Feng struggling for breath as he shouted in surprise.

Moments later, he found himself being carried around the small reservoir, Milotic swimming swiftly with him in tow.

”Alright, alright, Milotic, put me down.”

Clinging to Milotic’s slippery body, Lin Feng spoke helplessly.

He could understand Milotic’s excitement…

But if this kept up, he really was going to end up completely soaked.

”Milo~~”

With a soft, melodious cry, Milotic seemed to realize the problem as well.

Its body trembled slightly as it gently set Lin Feng back down.

”You’re far too big now. Living in the aquarium is impossible. For the time being, you’ll stay here. Keep watch over the plantation, and help out with the watering whenever you have time, alright?”

”Milo~!”

Milotic nodded earnestly.

After evolving, it could clearly feel that its mind had become much sharper.

Unlike before, when it would need ages to fully grasp the meaning of a single sentence from Lin Feng.

”Thanks in advance, then~”

Lin Feng beamed with delight.

”Snivy~?”

Off to the side, Snivy was watching all of this unfold, wide-eyed with astonishment written all over its face.

It already knew that Pokémon could evolve.

But witnessing such an extreme transformation—from absolute ”ugly” to the pinnacle of beauty—was nothing short of miraculous.

A true wonder of life itself.

It felt that its own evolution might be coming soon as well.

Sensing the restless energy that sometimes surged within it recently, Snivy suddenly found itself filled with yearning.

”Don’t worry. You’re almost there, too…”

Lin Feng, as if reading its thoughts, gently patted Snivy’s head with a soft smile.

Though, deep down, he couldn’t help feeling a twinge of regret.

Milotic had evolved a bit too quickly.

He hadn’t even gotten enough time to fully enjoy raising it as Feebas.

The next day.

July 12th.

There were only two days left until the Baby Cup tournament.

With Milotic now stationed in the plantation, Lin Feng no longer needed to wake up at the crack of dawn to supervise Squirtle’s watering duties.

Thanks to Milotic’s gold-grade potential, teaching it the Rain Dance TM took mere moments for it to fully master.

It could now draw moisture from the air over a localized area to irrigate the crops.

That was why he’d sent Squirtle back home.

After all, once you had Rain Dance on your side, the diligent little turtle could officially ”retire.”

The only pity…

Squirtle’s arms were way too short, otherwise Lin Feng could’ve recruited it to help harvest the pasture grass in a couple of days.

Walking along the cobbled path, Lin Feng glanced at the determined-looking Snivy and couldn’t help but nod in approval.

The plantation was essentially stable now, so from here on…

He planned to focus entirely on the Baby Cup!

Two days should be enough for training.

Lin Feng pulled out a Pokéblock crafted from a Sitrus Berry and handed it to Snivy.

This particular Pokéblock enhanced a Pokémon’s ability to comprehend new moves.

Now was the perfect time for Snivy to use it.

”Snivy, whether it’s Vine Whip or Grassy Terrain, you’ve already gotten quite skilled at clearing out weeds with those moves. I also know you’ve got Grass Mixer and Leaf Blade in your arsenal. Grass Mixer is excellent for ranged attacks, while Leaf Blade is perfect for close combat. Let’s see how well you’ve mastered them both.”

(???`):”Snivy?”

Snivy was stunned.

It didn’t recall ever demonstrating Grass Mixer or Leaf Blade in front of Lin Feng.

How the heck…

How did he know?!

No wonder he’s my Trainer—he sees right through me!

But after the initial shock, the corners of Snivy’s mouth lifted into a small, confident smirk.

Out in the wild, those were precisely the two moves it practiced the most.

This was its chance to really impress its Trainer!

With a resolute gleam in its amber eyes, Snivy sprang toward an open patch beside the cobbled path.

From its tail flared a vibrant green light, and as it gave a delicate twist, a spinning vortex swiftly took shape.

Within an instant, a swirling cyclone of green leaves towered taller than a person, slicing the air with sharp, rustling sounds.

At the vortex’s trailing edge, the spinning winds even tore into the ground, carving deep furrows that exposed the yellow-brown earth beneath.

”Not bad at all. Now… let’s see if you can use Grass Mixer inside your Grass Mixer!”

Just as Snivy was about to release the attack, Lin Feng’s voice rang out.

[Grass Mixer - uses spiraling winds to propel razor-sharp leaves that entangle the target in a swirling attack.]

This move relied on the wind’s speed to empower the swirling leaves. The faster the winds, the stronger the attack.

If one could execute another Grass Mixer inside the first, overlapping their frequencies, it would effectively double the move’s power.

Moreover, this layering could be repeated multiple times.

It was, essentially, a weaker version of Leaf Storm.

The idea had just popped into Lin Feng’s mind while he was watching the swirling vortex of leaves.

Snivy froze mid-move, then blinked as if enlightenment dawned in its eyes.

Its gaze turned serious as it stared into the spinning Grass Mixer before it, channeling more Grass-type energy into its tail.

Within the swirling wind, a second, thinner vortex began to coalesce.

However…

As soon as the two whirlwinds began merging, the opposing directions of their wind currents caused instant chaos.

The previously well-behaved Grass Mixer went berserk, whirling out of control like a runaway stallion.

It veered off toward the nearby fields—straight for someone else’s rice paddies.

Snivy’s eyes widened in panic.

Those were someone else’s crops!

Just as it floundered in indecision, a calm voice spoke up.

”Don’t panic. When the winds lose control, their speed actually drops. Focus on your control. The key is matching the wind speeds and frequencies of both Grass Mixers, keeping them aligned on the same level…”

Hearing this, Snivy snapped back to its senses and focused all its concentration on stabilizing the runaway Grass Mixer.

Only one thought burned in its mind—

I can’t cause trouble for my Trainer.

Bit by bit, the swirling winds settled into a synchronized rhythm.

Gradually, Snivy regained full command over the combined Grass Mixer and finally hurled it at a massive boulder.

A metallic clang rang out as leaves slammed into the stone.

When the vortex finally dissipated, every leaf had carved deep gashes into the rock’s surface, each groove several centimeters deep.

”Snivy…” (I did it!)

Snivy let out a huge sigh of relief, its eyes sparkling with exhilaration.

The power of this enhanced Grass Mixer was easily more than double what it had been before!

”Excellent work.”

Lin Feng nodded in approval, his face lighting up with genuine praise.

He’d half-expected Snivy’s first attempt at a double Grass Mixer to end in complete failure.

He’d already been preparing to sprint over and manually disperse the chaotic vortex before it wrecked the rice paddies.

He certainly hadn’t anticipated that Snivy would manage to pull it off in the end.

But now that it had succeeded once…

From here on, it would just be a matter of honing its skill until it became second nature.