"Move it, Clucky! Tonight's Swinub hoof feast—chili powder on tap!"
Combusken's eyes bulged, tears of joy leaking out.
Who could say no to chili-dusted Swinub hooves?
Extra spicy no less!
This pie's big and round—let's feast!
With Master-tier Scratch, Combusken's claws were its MVP zone.
Scratch's base power is meh, a basic move most Trainers skip for deeper training.
But Jiang Feng, a decade-long web novel veteran, knew better than to sleep on basics.
Per web novel law, max out a starter move, and you're guaranteed a plot-twist jackpot!
Master-tier Scratch already showed promise—lightning-fast, versatile, and low stamina cost!
But hitting Perfect-tier? That Proficiency grind was a mountain. No shot short-term.
So, the plan? Stack more Master-tier moves to spike combat power.
Next up: Quick Attack!
Today's wipe against Morpeko drove home speed's importance. Quick Attack was a must.
How to train it?
With ten years of web novel wisdom, Jiang Feng hatched a plan in seconds.
He recalled Combusken and bolted from the Gym toward Spikemuth Mountain.
Quick Attack's a common move—simple, brutal, all about leg power for short bursts. Tons of Pokémon learn it.
A public domain move.
Easy to pick up, tough to master. Needs insane leg strength.
Weak talent? Stalled forever at the bottleneck.
Combusken's got beastly legs, and its final form, Blaziken, is a freak—leaping 30-story buildings like it's nothing.
Prime for leg moves.
Per the system, standard attack moves like Scratch need 100 Proficiency for Beginner, 1,000 for Competent, 10,000 for Master, and 100,000 for Perfect.
High-power moves (90+)? Double the grind. 120+ moves? Triple!
Status moves? Also triple!
Buff moves like Swords Dance or Dragon Dance? A terrifying five times the Proficiency!
Just a rough guide, though.
Pokémon moves are wild—special effects or priority moves like Quick Attack demand even more grind and skill.
Quick Attack? No finesse, all raw talent!
At the foot of Spikemuth Mountain, a rocky maze sprawled.
Jagged stones and uneven pillars stretched endlessly, a labyrinth easy to get lost in.
Jiang Feng, a local who played hide-and-seek here as a kid, knew it like his Pokédex.
He kicked Combusken's tail. "Eight hooves down and you're slacking? Unacceptable!"
"You've rested 35 seconds and 13 milliseconds—production Donphan don't chill this hard!"
Combusken grumbled but got moving.
Training? Makes Trainers happy!
Jiang Feng lounged on a seaside rock, napping like a Snorlax.
Combusken's got gaps—weak stats, thin move pool, no control, no range… everything's lacking!
All areas needed work.
But, a thousand Pidgey in the forest ain't worth one Clucky in hand.
One killer move can dominate.
Jiang Feng's short-term game plan: Master two or three moves to close the gap with peers and ace the graduation tourney.
Long-term? Can't skimp on overall training—no weak links allowed.
Losing to Mali now? Normal. But Combusken's leveling fast. Catch-up's coming.
"Pick up the pace! Don't slow for obstacles—dodge 'em!"
"Clear that big-ass Seaside Rock and sprint back! Move, move, move!"
Jiang Feng clicked his stopwatch, grinning.
"Nice! 100-meter round trip, 1.4 seconds faster than last!"
Quick Attack Proficiency +10!
Quick Attack Proficiency +10!
…
While Combusken grinded, Jiang Feng popped out Toxtricity's Poké Ball.
System rule: If he holds the ball, it's his Pokémon. Training counts toward Proficiency breakthroughs.
Light Screen (Competent 29,999/30,000)!
Per the system, Toxtricity's Light Screen was at Competent peak—one point shy of Master.
Lucky? It might click instantly.
Unlucky? That one point could lock it out of Master forever.
Toxtricity side-eyed him, curious but chill, playing the good boy act.
A closer look revealed a sly smirk on its ugly mug.
A strand of hair snaked behind, ready to yank Jiang Feng's belt.
"Big guy, that's not cool," Jiang Feng said, grabbing his belt and tying a fancy butterfly knot.
Prank busted, Toxtricity wilted like a frostbitten Oddish.
"Drop the act," Jiang Feng said, patting its shoulder with a trusty bro grin.
"Old Mag, you wanna break through Light Screen and make Mali proud, right?"
Toxtricity nodded hard. Stuck at the bottleneck, it was miserable.
"Easy. I got you. Breaking through's a breeze."
"But… I need a tiny favor."
"You know Bulk Up… right?"
Quick Attack was leveling fast. At this rate, Master-tier in days!
By 11 p.m., bedtime called.
Jiang Feng dragged a limp, exhausted Combusken off the field.
Can't miss a capitalist's beauty sleep!
Next morning, sunrise vibes.
Full energy, ready to roll!
First period: Pokémon History.
Jiang Feng knew Pokémon inside out but was clueless on history, so he tuned in.
This parallel world, fused with Pokémon, twisted history big-time.
"Jiang Feng, done with the photobook? Give it back!" Fatty Wei leaned in, still obsessing.
"No rush, I'm using it."
Return it? Never!
A ripe melon like that? Gotta keep it in the vault!
They bickered in class.
The old-school history teacher, a grumpy geezer, wasn't having it. Pow! A chalk missile nailed Fatty's forehead.
Why's it always me?! Sadge.jpg.
"Fatty Wei, stand up!"
"Tell me, in the Three Kingdoms era, which Legendary backed Shu's lord, Liu Bei?!"
Fatty, a total slacker who only snooped gossip with Mimikyu, froze.
He shot Jiang Feng a pleading look.
Bro in need? I got you. Jiang Feng flashed a leave-it-to-me smirk.
Scribble, scribble—three words on paper:
I don't know!!
Fatty's hopes soared, then his chubby face twitched.
If you don't know, why write it?!
Jiang Feng grinned awkwardly. My bad, redo!
He flipped the paper, scribbling again.
Truth: I don't know!
Fatty: "You dog! Playing me?!"
Enough was enough. Fatty slammed the desk, roaring, "Jiang Feng, you traitor! I challenge you to a duel!"
"Let's see who pees farther!"