Just a simple run.
Chansey clearly overestimated its endurance against the heat. By the tenth lap, it was stopped, its face blurred by heat, and Baimu had to force it to take some heatstroke medicine.
Lairon, on the other hand, was happily running around the small area, speeding up every time it passed a small sapling.
This made Baimu worry about what Lairon would do if the sapling were to be scorched to death.
Leave a little room for error, just in case.
Shortly after, having completed basic endurance training, Baimu took his two Pokémon to the Underground City, first wandering around the residential area, then heading to the battle arena.
The competition had just ended, and no one was really in the mood for a battle, so the arena became his exclusive stage.
Basic Pokémon training isn't really complicated, it's just a matter of taking supplements and training continuously. However, the medicines used are often particularly expensive, and the ones that boost effort value in the game aren't cheap in the first place.
"Take it slow."
He looked at Lairon crashing repeatedly into Chansey and shouted, "One set of thirty collisions, balance them out!"
Besides endurance, another aspect Chansey needs to improve is its defense power. This guy's defense is truly embarrassing and needs to enhance its individual survival capability.
And the training method is extremely simple—just take physical hits.
The thick skin and tough flesh are not only trained but also beaten out. Once all aspects have improved, Chansey won't panic like before when it enters the battle.
There's a big difference between having confidence and lacking it.
The only thing to note is that after training, various nutrients need to be supplemented, and if conditions allow, massages, care, and other activities that can help Pokémon relax should be arranged accordingly.
But these things are also very expensive.
Therefore, after actually starting the training, Baimu suddenly understood why most trainers in Pyrite Town frequently switch Pokémon: training is exhausting, and both the Pokémon and the trainer get tired. It's also expensive; if you're not careful, the Pokémon's combat power and health standards will drop significantly.
Don't think that Pokémon can't get sick or injured; colds, fevers, broken legs and arms, or even broken teeth—they can all happen.
These issues aren't something a single "Healing Fluctuation" from Chansey can easily cure; otherwise, why would the Pokémon World need to develop the medical industry, and why would Miss Joy need machines for all kinds of checks and even create a whole recovery chamber?
That green-haired guy in some movie wouldn't need to fiddle with spores all day while researching medicine, ultimately causing a disaster.
Training Pokémon is quite an esoteric subject.
Countless breeders spend their entire lives and still dare not claim they can raise all types of Pokémon well.
Baimu, as a novice trainer, can only learn from the materials left by various predecessors, cautiously protecting his own Pokémon.
Meanwhile, as Lairon and Chansey engaged in specialized practice.
He also started training himself.
One needs to be strong to forge iron; while not aiming to win in a one-on-one fight with Machamp, at the very least, he shouldn't falter within three rounds. A lot of the non-human black technology in the Pokémon World requires a certain level of physical fitness.
To be honest.
Humans can't defeat Pokémon, but technology can.
For instance, the Petrification Gun in Hunter J's hand, the Dark Ball that Bishas can control with 100% accuracy, Jello's aircraft that can replicate Giratina's power... and so on, too many to count.
By dusk.
Baimu concluded his training.
"That'll be enough for today, more haste less speed, we should adapt slowly."
"Gudo!"
"Lucky~"
The two Pokémon responded softly, then returned to their Pokeballs. In the animation, the inside of the Pokeball is a place where Pokémon feel comfortable, so for them, exhausted as they were, it was just right for a good rest.
At this time.
Many newly opened stores in the Underground City had their signs lit up, and facilities like casinos, bars, discos, and dance venues opened their doors, attracting many Quicksand Team Members inside.
Baimu was initially curious, but after finding a chance to stroll around a couple of times, he came out. Not to mention the decadent environment, the music constantly echoing could seemingly induce hypnosis, which was reason enough to be wary.
This kind of consumer-inducing behavior is no different from a poison leading one to fall.
——
At night.
Baimu reminisced about the pleasant taste of nutritious scrambled eggs while glancing at the bottom right corner of his vision.
Because of a close call in a match and the relentless battles before the competition, the cooldown time for the simulator was drastically reduced, and he'd soon be able to pick up a Magical Candy and a move for free again.
Judging from earlier results, the better the simulated trainer's performance in the tournament, the better the rewards he could get.
This made him infinitely look forward to the upcoming simulation.
After failing three times, there should be a lucky break, right? Not asking for the championship, but even a runner-up, top four, or top eight would do. Unable to pass the preliminary round—what a rookie!
Baimu, holding Chansey and with a book in hand, said to it, with a puzzled look on its face: "Call out a few more times, help me gather some luck."
"Lucky? Lu...cky? Lucky!"
Chansey obediently called out quite a few times in a row, leaving Lairon a little confused in the distance; it didn't understand why its companion was calling out, so it looked up to see the trainer's excited and expectant face, with a hint of nervousness.
It suddenly understood.
Is it starting again!
It remembered that at about the same time a few days ago, Baimu also got into bed early, reading a book while twisting back and forth like a Wurmple, and this strange behavior surely made it worried.
If only it could understand human language, it would have tried to find out what content was so stimulating!
Lairon pondered, silently coming to the bedside and lying down.
And at this moment.
The countdown in the bottom right corner of Baimu's vision had just ended.
[Choose your birth region▽]
No-brainer Kanto! Why think so much, if you haven't cleared Kanto, why change regions!
He pondered over the gender for a moment, deciding to switch it up and choose female. Unexpectedly, the previously blank Pokémon tab in the first three simulations now had an option!
Clefairy!?
Baimu looked at the text above, wondering why there was suddenly an option. Could it possibly be due to the success of entering the tournament in the last simulation?
That's probably it.
He chose Clefairy without hesitation, realizing this Pokémon was much more powerful to play than those he started with before.
[Please draw your talent]
Press down.
Fixed Talent:
[Preschool Enlightenment (accelerates Pokémon nurturing progress)]
Oh ho? A blue talent?
Baimu's eyes widened; he always thought talents were only white, but it turned out there was also a blue variant. Could this also be a result of the previous simulation?
No.
He believed it was Chansey's doing; if the rewards from the previous simulation were that good, there wouldn't be an option to carry over certain talents to the next round.
It must be random!
"Chansey, call out two more times!"
Baimu oddly got excited, but soon he suppressed this excitement, recalling the camping boy's demeanor vividly; being overly pleased might lead him back to square one.
He continued to scroll down.
[Poor family background (nurturing Pokémon is burdensome)]
[Cruel and ruthless (single-minded about achieving goals)]
[Attracting Bees and Butterflies (more attractive to opposite-gender Pokémon)]
[Kind-hearted (willing to help others)]
This... is there any need to hesitate? A good horse doesn't eat the grass behind it, especially when the grass is poisonous. Unless simulation opportunities flood the market, he absolutely wouldn't give "Cruel and ruthless" another chance.
After all, chances are, this thing wouldn't give him a chance either.
Compared to this, the talent "Kind-hearted," which seems to counterbalance it, looks truly wonderful.
Baimu hesitated for two seconds and quickly tapped the last two talents.
Simulation begins!
A huge light screen gradually unfolded, and a pixelated character appeared in front of Baimu.
"...Miniskirt?"
The JK-like appearance quickly reminded him of the type of trainer this was.