"Let's roll, Clucky! Time for some roasted Swinub hooves!"
Mmm… roasted Swinub hooves?
Who could resist a juicy, melt-in-your-mouth, crispy-on-the-outside hoof?
Combusken's eyes glowed greener than a Chikorita, face screaming gimme that meat! It'd been forever since this poor clucker tasted anything but air!
Fresh off his three-grand windfall, Jiang Feng was feeling big boss vibes.
Big win, big feast—tonight, we dine on meat!
At Spikemuth's food street, parked at a BBQ stall:
"Yo, boss, gimme 30 roasted Swinub hooves!"
"Load 'em up with cumin and chili powder!"
Forget overpriced Energy Cubes—Swinub hooves are the real MVP!
Back when Jiang Feng was broke as a Trubbish, hooves were a rare treat. Now? One word: BALLER.
Order 30, scarf what you can, pack the rest.
Combusken, channeling a starving Grimmsnarl, went feral—chowing down one hoof, two, three, four, eight massive, collagen-packed hooves! Belly round as a Snorlax, it flopped onto the ground, entering Sage Mode with a satisfied sigh…
Suddenly, its shovel-wielding Trainer looked a lot less lame.
Meat-filled days are the good life!
Combusken decided: if every day came with meat, maybe sticking with this Trainer wasn't so bad.
The noble Blaze Clan bows to no one—unless you're serving all-you-can-eat!
Jiang Feng, stuffed after two hooves, packed the rest and tossed them into his System Storage.
System Storage? Infinite space, baby—no size limits here.
Plus, time's frozen inside, so those hooves stay piping hot for next time!
Pokémon world's backpack tech is top-tier, so Jiang Feng's System Storage didn't raise any eyebrows.
Fed and happy, he strolled to the rundown Spikemuth Gym.
Calling it a Gym was generous—it was more like a concert hall, with a few dozen spectators: Team Yell goons and local townsfolk.
On stage? Mali's big bro, Nie Zi, rocking a face that screamed "I gave up on life."
Droopy eyelids, he was jamming with his Pokémon, practicing some random song.
The Gym Leader who ditched his rockstar dreams—Nie Zi.
As a Spikemuth native, Jiang Feng was used to Nie Zi's quirks.
He grabbed a front-row seat, keeping quiet to avoid trouble.
Rumor had it, the last kid who interrupted Nie Zi's rehearsal got pantsed by a ferocious Obstagoon and yeeted out, wetting himself.
Jiang Feng wasn't wearing a diaper, so he stayed still.
One song to break your heart, where's my soulmate in this vast world?
High mountains, flowing streams, no one gets me!
Real talk: by Jiang Feng's refined taste, Nie Zi's music was… meh. No wonder Spikemuth was still a dump. He shook his head, unimpressed.
In this world, most folks obsessed over Pokémon battles, leaving music, movies, and entertainment in the dust.
Even girls humming random tunes sounded better—soft, sweet, and oddly soothing.
Nie Zi's songs? More like static noise.
Nie Zi, tipped off by Mali, had been side-eyeing Jiang Feng. That head-shake? Oh, he was pissed.
Who's this punk?
This scrub stole his little sister's heart and now dared to look disappointed? Unacceptable!
This marriage? Not even Arceus could make him approve!
"Kid, what's with the head-shaking?" Nie Zi growled.
"My songs not good enough for you?"
Time to roast! Jiang Feng perked up, ready to flex his critic skills.
"Lemme break it down. Some might think you're singing—others might think you're cussing."
"Take this line: 'I'm mud, struggling in the muck of life! I'm mud, I wanna be mud!'"
"Or this gem: 'I'm Butterfree, call me Butterfree!'"
"One minute it's 'your dad,' next it's 'your daddy!'"
"What kinda divine lyrics are these? I'm betting you're throwing shade, but I got no proof…"
The crowd froze, then replayed the lyrics in their heads. Faces twisted—he's kinda right.
Those lyrics were spicy in all the wrong ways!
Nie Zi wasn't trying to diss anyone. He thought he was an undiscovered genius, just waiting for his big break.
To have his hard work mocked with puns by some wet-behind-the-ears kid? Blasphemy!
Nie Zi snapped: "Clueless punk! Obstagoon, toss him out!"
Obstagoon grabbed Jiang Feng, hoisting him overhead like a Poké Doll.
"Wait, hold up—time out!" Jiang Feng yelped, throwing an emergency pause.
"What's your excuse now?"
"You can yeet me, but it won't change facts. Your songs? All flash, no substance. Full of angsty vibes, no soul, no oomph!"
"Songs ain't sung like that—or written like that!"
No soul, no power? Nie Zi's eyes flickered with doubt.
Those words hit like a Hyper Beam.
A master once told him the same thing, but young and cocky, he brushed it off.
Reality proved the master right.
He poured his heart into his music, gained a small local fanbase, but stayed a small-time star. Spikemuth Gym tanked alongside his dreams.
Beaten down by life, Nie Zi's confidence crumbled, leaving him a melancholic mess.
"You know music?" Nie Zi asked, signaling Obstagoon to drop him.
"Duh! Singing, dancing, rapping, double-hand ball-handling, shoulder-faking past tight defenses—I'm a pro!"
He'd reached the ultimate realm: I know just enough!
As a keyboard warrior from the End-of-Law Era, Jiang Feng was the expert in singing, dancing, and rapping!
"Interesting. Let's hear it, then. Show me a song with soul and power." Nie Zi tossed him an electric guitar.
Outnumbered, Jiang Feng played it cool and grabbed the guitar.
"Let's go—start your performance."
"Sing well, or else…!" Nie Zi lounged back, legs crossed, smirking.
Jiang Feng said nothing. It's all in the song…
Facing the crowd's skeptical glares, he sauntered onstage, tweaking the equipment.
Mali, watching from the sidelines, plopped next to Nie Zi. "Bro, when we toss him, can my Toxtricity do it? Its scary face will make him wet his pants!"
Her inner gremlin cackled, imagining Jiang Feng's epic humiliation. Gonna be a blast!
"Heard he sang for you at school. Was it good?" Nie Zi, Team Yell's boss, had eyes everywhere—Seaweed and Fat Tiger were his spies.
"Eh, it was okay. Just sappy love songs, too soft…" Mali pouted.
"Love songs not your thing? What do you like?"
His sister's tastes were always extra—normal girl logic didn't apply.
"I like it wild!"
Nie Zi: …?!
Kids these days playing that wild?