Aarav's mind raced.
Infinity Edge. Giant Slayer. Bloodthirster.
As a seasoned "veteran player," he instantly recalled the possible upgrade paths branching from the B. F. Sword.
At first glance, Infinity Edge seemed like the optimal choice.
If completed, it would most likely boost critical-hit probability and damage output, turning New Leaf Meow into a brutal burst attacker capable of shredding opponents in seconds.
But did New Leaf Meow really lack damage?
Yes—and no.
Every Pokémon could always use more damage. Firepower was never wasted.
Yet Aarav's vision for New Leaf Meow had never been limited to becoming a one-hit assassin.
With the ability Protean, New Leaf Meow could freely shift its typing, adapting to both offense and defense on the fly.
On top of that, it already possessed two powerful foundations: the Grass-type synergy and the overwhelming stat boosts from Trinity Force.
Combined, they formed the blueprint of a perfectly balanced all-rounder.
A true versatile warrior.
Which meant the final missing piece was obvious.
Sustain.
Having reached this conclusion, Aarav made his decision without hesitation.
"I'll take the Negatron Cloak. Let's forge Bloodthirster."
[Negatron Cloak successfully forged!]
[Bloodthirster successfully synthesized: +10% Physical Attack, +10% Special Defense.
Unique passive: Physical moves restore HP equal to 20% of the damage dealt!]
"Tch… the numbers got nerfed, and the shield effect is gone too. Did it fail some kind of 'approval process'?"
Aarav muttered under his breath before equipping Bloodthirster onto New Leaf Meow.
As long as the lifesteal effect remained, everything else was secondary.
With the equipment sorted out, he shifted his focus to the system interface.
Inside the [Pokémon] panel, Sprigatito—New Leaf Meow, the nickname Aarav had given her— chibi avatar sat alone in the center.
[New Leaf Meow]
[Type: Grass]
[Ability: Protean (Hidden Ability)]
[Gender: Female]
[Level: 13]
[Stats]
HP: 38 (+22)
Attack: 24 (+18)
Defense: 20 (+12)
Sp. Atk: 22 (+13)
Sp. Def: 20 (+15)
Speed: 28 (+17)
[Moves]
Bite, Shadow Claw, Magical Leaf, Hone Claws, Acrobaticss, Protect, Sprout…
[Equipment]
Trinity Force (+33% Attack, Sp. Atk, Defense, Sp. Def, Speed, HP, and skill activation speed!)
Bloodthirster (+10% Attack, +10% Sp. Def; physical moves restore 20% of damage dealt as HP)
[Synergies]
Dark-type (2): Defeating opponents accumulates Fear stacks. Every 100 stacks grant +5% bonus damage and a Fear Chest. Opening Fear Chests yields rewards.
(Current Fear: 0 | Bonus Damage: 0%)
Grass-type (inactive)
Speed-type (inactive)
[Special]
Chosen Pokémon: All stats +20%, Dark-type synergy +1, exclusive skill enhancement (pending activation)
"…So it even comes with the classic 'information panel' feature."
Aarav clicked his tongue, half amused.
Though it was clearly a simplified version—he could only view his own Pokémon's data, and the information was limited to basic stats and moves.
Even so, he found the feature surprisingly satisfying.
Numbers didn't represent everything, but they were still the most direct way to measure strength.
And more importantly, they revealed something crucial.
The stat bonuses from equipment and synergies weren't simply additive.
Trinity Force's 33% boost and the Chosen Pokémon's 20% boost weren't added together.
They multiplied.
120% × 133% = 1.6.
Which meant that any future boosts—whether from gear or synergies—would continue stacking on top of this multiplier.
"If I stack enough synergies…"
Aarav nearly blurted out something blasphemous, but quickly swallowed it back.
After all, the world itself had been created by that being.
Still, one thing was undeniable.
New Leaf Meow's current strength had already surpassed that of most Pokémon at the same level.
At the very least, entering the Shanghai Rookie Cup no longer felt like pure fantasy.
But that didn't mean Aarav could afford to slack off.
No matter how powerful the system buffs were, they were ultimately just icing on the cake.
Only when a Pokémon's own foundation was strong enough could those bonuses truly shine.
As Professor Zhou's lecture echoed across the classroom, Aarav quietly pulled up a video featuring Erika, the Grass-type Gym Leader from Kanto, and began studying her training methods.
He had never seriously considered becoming a professional trainer before, so his understanding of Pokémon cultivation was embarrassingly shallow.
To his surprise, Erika's insights were shockingly useful.
Or rather—
Not "useful."
They were eye-opening.
For someone like Aarav, who had never systematically studied Pokémon training, it felt like a fog lifting from his mind.
He hid his phone inside his textbook, wore earphones, and scribbled notes frantically.
At the same time, he had to pretend he was listening attentively in class, occasionally nodding toward Professor Zhou with an expression of sudden realization.
The performance worked so well that Professor Zhou felt genuinely gratified.
"So he finally turned over a new leaf…"
By the time the bell rang, Aarav was already itching to head to Silph Co.'s Pokémon Department Store and put what he had learned into practice.
Meanwhile, Professor Zhou watched Aarav walking toward him with an inexplicably bright expression and deliberately slowed down his packing.
He cleared his throat.
"Aarav, about what you said in class last time regarding Giratina…"
Professor Zhou had originally planned to say something along the lines of:
"I'm glad you've finally given up on those mythical Pokémon rumors. I hope you'll stop reading questionable sources in the future."
But Aarav, eager to leave, glanced at him and said without hesitation:
"Professor, do you want to hear the legend of Giratina's exile? I'll tell you next time—I've got something urgent to do!"
And with that, he walked straight past him and out the door.
Professor Zhou's raised hand froze midair.
His expression stiffened.
"…"
Next time I believe this kid has truly reformed, I'll be a Growlithe.
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