Wutong Town had always been a quiet place.
Though small by name, the town was not lacking in space. In the past, more than a hundred families had lived here, and while it could never be called bustling, there had at least been some lively warmth in the air. Now, with its dwindling population, it felt emptier than ever, like a stage missing its actors.
Lin Feng led the two high schoolers down a stone path toward an old Western-style house. The path stretched from his own Pokémon nursery toward the edge of the town.
"This is the place," Lin Feng said as they stopped in front of the gate.
The house had once belonged to a wealthy family. Its broad courtyard had served as a battlefield for many visiting trainers, a space where challenges and rivalries had unfolded beneath open skies. But the owner had left years ago, and no one had taken care of it since.
Over more than a decade, nature had reclaimed the ground. Thick weeds burst through the cracked cement, climbing over walls and choking what was once a proud garden. Yet despite its ruin, the courtyard was still spacious, wide enough for battles and practice.
Lin Feng glanced around with a sigh, nostalgia tugging at his chest. So much has changed… it feels like another lifetime.
He turned back to his students with a smile. "The place is simple, but it will do. We'll use this as our battlefield."
The two nodded eagerly, their hands tightening around their Poké Balls.
"Alright," Lin Feng said, folding his arms. "Release your Pokémon."
A flicker of red light flared across the courtyard.
From one ball appeared a tiny yellow mouse, its round body barely larger than a child's palm. Black markings traced its long ears and zigzagged across its tail. Its rosy cheeks sparked faintly with static, glowing as it chittered curiously.
"Pichu," Lin Feng murmured, recognizing it instantly.
The other ball burst open to reveal a squat, purple Pokémon with small spikes running along its back and a pair of alert, twitching ears.
A male Nidoran.
The two Pokémon were clearly newborns, not long out of their eggs. Their movements were unsteady, but their eyes shone with energy.
Lin Feng crouched to study them both, quietly calling up their data.
Pokémon: Pichu
Gender: Female
Ability: Static
Potential: Blue-tier
Individual Values: HP (18), Attack (10), Special Attack (18), Defense (5), Special Defense (6), Speed (26)
Strength: Level 8–9
Moves: Nuzzle, Thunder Shock, Tail Whip
Pokémon: Nidoran♂
Gender: Male
Ability: Poison Point
Potential: Green-tier
Individual Values: HP (21), Attack (10), Special Attack (12), Defense (15), Special Defense (16), Speed (6)
Strength: Level 7–9
Moves: Leer, Focus Energy, Double Kick, Poison Sting
Lin Feng straightened. Just as I thought. Fresh hatchlings. They're still at the earliest stage of their journey.
He reached for his own Poké Balls and released a small flock of birds into the sky. First came several Pidgey, then a pair of Pidgeotto, and finally a massive Pidgeot whose broad wings stirred the air as it landed.
The courtyard rang with a chorus of chirps and cries.
The two students both in their final year of high school gawked in disbelief.
"So many?" one of them breathed.
Their eyes widened further when they spotted the Pidgeot at the front. Flames seemed to shimmer faintly along its feathers as it spread its wings, radiating power and pride.
"That's a… a Pidgeot?" the other whispered, voice trembling. "How can it be so big? And why does it look like it's burning?"
Neither dared to blink.
Lin Feng let them marvel for a moment before he spoke again, his tone calm but firm.
"I have a special training method I'd like you to try. I call it the Sky Challenge. It comes in two forms."
The two students leaned forward unconsciously, their curiosity sparked.
"In the first form," Lin Feng continued, "your Pokémon will have to endure aerial attacks from Pidgey and Pidgeotto. We'll start lightly two Pidgey will attack, and your Pokémon must avoid their strikes. Later rounds will add stronger opponents, eventually including Pidgeotto. Each stage increases in difficulty."
He paused, letting the words sink in before raising a finger. "To clear the first stage, your Pokémon must avoid being hit by a single Pidgeotto for thirty seconds. You can use any means you like to dodge its attacks. The second stage requires surviving against two Pidgeotto for one full minute. And so on, increasing in scale."
The students' eyes shone.
Lin Feng smiled faintly. "Every stage you clear, your Pokémon will receive a special energy cube as a reward. These cubes can rapidly improve their proficiency in moves, or speed up the growth of effort values. They're extremely rare, but I believe they will give your partners a real edge."
He gestured skyward, where his flock circled patiently. "The second form of the challenge is simpler. Your Pokémon must strike one of the birds out of the air. Again, difficulty increases with each level."
The students exchanged stunned looks. The design was ingenious, like advancing through stages in a video game.
Of course, Lin Feng had drawn inspiration from that very idea.
He knew it had to be balanced: not so punishing that it discouraged beginners, but not so easy that it lost meaning. And like Gym challenges, it came with tangible rewards.
He chuckled to himself. I may not have the qualifications to run a Gym, but that doesn't mean I can't create a challenge of my own.
Turning back to the boys, he asked lightly, "This is your first time, so today's trial will be free. In the future, there will be a fee. Still, the training can greatly improve your Pokémon's evasion and accuracy. What do you say? Interested?"
The boys' hesitation lasted only a moment. Then their eyes burned with determination.
"Yes!" they answered in unison.
Lin Feng nodded approvingly. "Good. We'll begin with two Pidgey. One for each of you."
He raised his hand, and two Pidgey swooped down, hovering opposite their chosen opponents. Though not yet evolved, both were at the cusp of transformation, their levels high enough to rival wild Pidgeotto.
The students instantly grew tense.
The first match began: Pichu versus Pidgey.
The boy named Luke clenched his fists. He knew Pichu had a type advantage here. Electricity against flying. He could win this.
"Pichu, use Thunder Shock!"
Pichu chirped in reply, rubbing its cheeks as sparks crackled between them. A thin bolt of electricity arced upward toward the Pidgey.
But Pidgey only tilted its wings, veering aside with effortless grace. The bolt missed completely, fizzling into the sky.
Luke's jaw dropped.
"So fast?"
Lin Feng's lips curled into a faint smile as he watched, hands clasped behind his back. Good. Let them taste the gap between newborn Pokémon and trained partners. Only then will they truly understand what it means to grow stronger.
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