"How about it? Willow, David—Togepi and I were awesome, right?"
As soon as the match ended, Emma bounced and skipped toward David and Willow's position. It was clear that after losing to David earlier, Emma had put in considerable effort these past few days. However, her perfect record of ten wins still exceeded her expectations, making her unable to resist showing off to her friends.
"Yes, yes, yes, you're the best. Both you and David won all your matches. I'm the only one here who lost two." Willow stepped forward, pinched Emma's cheek, and spoke to her best friend in an exasperated tone.
This girl really doesn't give me any face! Doesn't she see that someone here lost two matches? If it weren't for knowing her personality, an outsider might think she's mocking me!
"Ouch! Be gentle! I'm sorry, Willow, I was just too excited!" Emma cried out in pain and quickly begged Willow for mercy.
David also spoke up at this moment: "Togepi is quite impressive. As for you, Emma—my assessment is that you still need more practice."
"Poli~ Poli!"
Togepi, hearing David's praise, smiled so widely that its eyes became mere crescents. It happily shook its small hands in Emma's arms, continuously waving at David.
"Oh, you Togepi! You forget about me just because someone praised you a little. And you, David—why do I still need more practice?" Emma, who had just escaped Willow's clutches, heard David's words and retorted indignantly.
"Togepi performed well, but what about you? First, you were a beat slow to react, then you misjudged and allowed the opponent to use Counter. Knowing that Togepi lacks powerful damaging moves for offense, didn't you think to get some TMs like Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, or Psychic? If it weren't for good luck and Togepi randomly using Aura Sphere, the outcome of that match would have been uncertain!"
Given Emma's family situation, obtaining a few TMs like Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, or Psychic would be no problem at all—she must have carelessly forgotten. Although at the current stage, Togepi would barely be able to use these moves effectively, resulting in insufficient power and slow execution speed, when combined with the array of control and support moves it already knows, it could still pose a significant threat to Pokemon in their novice phase.
Even if Togepi learns Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, or Psychic now and evolves to its final form later, these would still be excellent ways to enhance its offensive coverage. In today's match, if Togepi had known any of these moves, it would have ended much sooner and wouldn't have been such a difficult victory.
This battle was barely won thanks to Togepi's luck, but what about in the future? You can't rely on Togepi's luck for every match, can you?
The "Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, Psychic" David referred to are three common long-range attack moves. Corresponding to these are the "Elemental Punches": Ice Punch, Fire Punch, and Thunder Punch. Both sets are playful nicknames among trainers. These are all moves that most Pokemon can learn, and in terms of expanding offensive coverage and enhancing attack methods, they're quite powerful options.
"You—you all, hmph! You're all bullying me! I'm not talking to you anymore!" With that, Emma walked directly toward the school gate.
David looked at Willow, and both shook their heads helplessly. This girl is always like this.
The two then quickly followed after the departing Emma.
"Let's go! We've been battling all day, and everyone's tired. We didn't eat well at noon today, so I'll treat you to a big meal," David said.
He and Emma had both won all ten matches, and Willow had also won eight out of ten. Without a doubt, they would all advance to the elimination rounds. Now was a good time to enjoy a delicious meal and relax.
Willow hesitated upon hearing this. Although her relationship with David was good, she generally wasn't accustomed to accepting treats from others. In contrast, Emma, who was his childhood friend, was much more comfortable with it.
Seeing this, Emma's eyes lit up. She stepped forward and hooked Willow's arm. "You said it! Come on, Willow, we're going to eat him out of house and home later."
"Don't worry, I'm treating, so eat as much as you want. It's fine—no need to save me money." David smiled. He still had over ten million Pokedollars in his account! The three of them wouldn't be able to spend it all even if they ate at a five-star restaurant for several months.
Moreover, due to Pokemon, prices in this world were much lower than in his previous life. The purchasing power of Pokedollars was roughly between that of the US dollar and the British pound. Aside from the potentially high prices of Pokemon-related items, overall, with the help of Pokemon, the living standards of people in this world were quite good.
After all, in the Pokemon world, a single Electabuzz could easily power a small town, and the construction speed of a Conkeldurr surpassed an entire construction team. Such powerful productivity led to a very high standard of living.
Perhaps this was also why the social moral standards in the Pokemon world were relatively high!
As the ancestors said, when the granaries are full, people know propriety.
The group, amidst their playful banter, arrived at a high-end restaurant not far from the school. Imperial City No. 1 High School, as one of Imperial City's renowned schools, naturally had no shortage of wealthy individuals among its students, so the surrounding area was filled with establishments like hotels, restaurants, and battle facilities.
Since this was a celebration of their preliminary victory, the protagonists of the day naturally couldn't be left out. Therefore, David chose a Pokemon restaurant. As the name suggests, it was a restaurant where you could release your Pokemon to dine with you—not all restaurants allowed Pokemon to be out during meals.
This was his first time visiting this establishment.
The restaurant before them was said to have decades of history, but its decor wasn't overly classical or ornate. Instead, it focused on a natural and fresh aesthetic. It was quite spacious inside, and the dining areas were divided into large private rooms.
According to the owner, the purpose of this place was to allow customers to enjoy dining with their Pokemon. Even Pokemon like Rhyperior, Steelix, and Aggron could dine here comfortably.
David carefully placed the incubator aside, and all three of them released their Pokemon. At this moment, Willow's Pokemon also revealed its true form.
Name: Treecko
Type: Grass
Energy Level: 13 (Ordinary)
Gender: ♂
Ability: Overgrow
Potential: Blue-Purple
Held Item: None
Moves: Pound, Leer, Double Kick, Absorb, Leafage, Quick Attack, Bullet Seed, Leech Seed
It was Treecko, one of the starter Pokemon.
It was clear that Willow's strength was not weak. This Treecko was very well-trained, healthy in physique, and brightly colored—several centimeters taller than the average Treecko at normal development.
In terms of pure strength, even Emma's Togepi might not be able to defeat this Treecko. After all, Treecko was much more agile than Munchlax, and control moves weren't as easy to land. The fact that she'd lost two matches really could only be attributed to Willow's bad luck.
And so, the three of them, accompanied by their Pokemon, enjoyed a delicious feast at the restaurant. When it came time to pay, David pulled out the card his father had given him and was surprised to discover that his old man was actually a VIP at this restaurant.
Only then did he remember that his mother and father had both been students at Imperial City No. 1 High School back in the day, right?
Could it be that he and his mother used to come here on dates?
No need to say more—the meal cost a total of 2,000 Pokedollars. David waved his hand, directly charging it to his father's account.
As the sun gradually set, David, tired from a day of activity, finally embarked on the journey home with his Zorua after bidding farewell to his friends.