Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof
-----------------
Sealing the eyes, nose, and ears.
When Li Xiang watched from the side, he thought it looked cool, especially the punches—they were explosive.
But when he tried it himself...
Honestly, it was terrifying.
Unable to see, smell, or hear, Li Xiang felt like he was swaying while standing in place, struggling to breathe. There was no sense of calm or focus, let alone being able to sense his Pokémon.
He didn't even last a minute before he fell backward, as if his cerebellum wasn't functioning properly.
"Damn it!"
Li Xiang took off the blindfold, clutching his butt in pain, grimacing. But deep down, he was relieved to have his vision back.
He turned to look at his Pokémon and saw that Torracat's head was half-wrapped, leaving only its mouth exposed. It was wobbling around, colliding with the equally disoriented Froakie.
If Torracat's fur hadn't been wrapped up, it might have been able to sense its surroundings, but Jiang Shangrou's preparations were thorough.
As for Froakie, its eyesight was excellent, and it could even pinpoint an enemy's location through smoke.
Unfortunately, with its ears, eyes, and nose covered, it was just as blind as the others.
And then there was Riolu...
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't think I didn't see that! Your ear appendages are sticking up! Cheating! Cheating!"
Li Xiang scolded the little dog for using its Aura Vision to cheat.
When Riolu uses its Aura abilities, the ear-like appendages on the sides of its head, which don't actually function as ears, would lift up.
However, there's no direct correlation between the two. Even if you pressed the appendages down, Riolu could still use its Aura.
Riolu, startled by Li Xiang's outburst—not because it heard him, but because it sensed his accusation through its Aura Vision—felt a bit guilty and reluctantly deactivated its Aura Vision.
And then...
It ended up just like Torracat and Froakie.
The three Pokémon struggled to free themselves from the restraints on their faces, looking at each other with expressions that seemed to say, "So you're in the same boat, huh?"
"Sorry, Senior Sister. I just couldn't help it."
Li Xiang felt a bit embarrassed. It sounded simple in theory, but in practice, when you're left with only your sense of touch and nothing to hold onto, the feeling of helplessness becomes overwhelming.
Jiang Shangrou, who had been watching from the side, remained expressionless and said softly, "Don't worry about it. This is completely normal. The beginning is always the hardest. We'll take it slow."
She had already anticipated her junior brother's level of comprehension. Someone who took nearly three months just to learn how to take a hit with their eyes open—how could she expect him to master this technique in a short time?
Don't even dream about it.
Jiang Shangrou only had a month. During this time, she didn't expect much. All she hoped for was that Li Xiang could maintain a standing posture for ten minutes without being able to see, hear, or smell.
If he could do that, she would be satisfied and could leave him to continue on his own, then check his progress during the summer break.
Training the mind is about gradual progress. This isn't some advanced crash course where you can see results in a few months.
It takes years, at the very least.
So here's the question.
Li Xiang's ultimate goal is to harness the power of emotions to train his Pokémon, thereby achieving a shortcut to success, but now, learning this technique is so complicated, and he even has to train his own mind. Doesn't that seem a bit like putting the cart before the horse?
Well, yes, it does.
However, the benefits of training the mind aren't limited to just using emotions to learn moves.
As Duan Tianxing said, a strong will allows emotions to coexist, maintaining calmness even in extreme anger.
Even if my heart is filled with bitterness, it still can't change my core.
This idea was incredibly appealing to Li Xiang.
In his previous life, he was just an ordinary office worker, someone who hadn't experienced any major events or possessed any extraordinary talents.
He could handle criticism calmly—after all, he had been scolded by his boss enough times to get used to it.
But to remain composed in the face of great terror, to act appropriately in front of important figures, to stay calm under immense pressure...
Sorry, but the world's expectations for adults are just too high. He didn't qualify as one.
When Buzzwole appeared, his legs almost gave out, and his reaction was slightly delayed. And when Torracat was sent flying with a single punch, his hands trembled with anger.
In short, emotions had too much of an impact on him.
This wasn't a good thing.
And Duan Tianxing said that Pokémon are a reflection of their trainers. The trainer's personality shapes the Pokémon.
...Really?
Li Xiang glanced at his three Pokémon. Torracat and the others each had their own distinct personalities. How were they his reflection?
He couldn't figure it out, but he had to keep training. Maybe, as Duan Tianxing said, once he mastered it, Torracat and the others would too.
Li Xiang didn't dare waste any more time and focused on sensing the presence of Torracat and the others, as Jiang Shangrou had instructed.
To help Li Xiang understand better, Jiang Shangrou had demonstrated multiple times.
She and her Scizor could run around a rectangular battlefield blindfolded, with their ears and noses covered, maintaining a distance of ten centimeters between them without any deviation.
It was truly unbelievable.
Li Xiang even wondered if there was such a thing as a "Bond Scizor."
But he was overthinking it.
This was a tacit understanding, and it was also what Senior Sister Jiang called "perception."
To prove this point, she even stood in front of her newly recruited Larvesta, which had only been on her team for a year, and let it hit her with a Flamethrower, while she stood just outside its effective range.
When coincidences happen repeatedly, they're no longer coincidences.
Li Xiang began to trust Jiang Shangrou's theory more and more.
Of course, he didn't forget to ask how long it took his senior sister to master this technique.
Jiang Shangrou's answer was three years.
She followed a step-by-step approach to train her mind, and it was only when her perception became extremely sharp that her personality gradually became more reserved. She no longer wore her emotions on her sleeve but kept them deep within her heart.
When needed, those emotions would burn intensely.
Therefore, she didn't use the strange method Li Xiang was currently employing.
The two approaches weren't comparable.
If Li Xiang could accelerate this process through his method, it would prove that Jiang Shangrou truly had the ability to teach her disciples.
Duan Tianxing would undoubtedly be pleased.
Li Xiang tried to curb his impatience and avoid being distracted by his surroundings.
As is well known, when one sense is blocked, the others become extremely sharp.
After Li Xiang blocked his sense of smell, sight, and hearing, his sense of touch and taste began to take over.
First, there was the smell of sweat and the taste in his mouth.
Then came the cold wind, the itch of sweat droplets sliding across his skin, the friction of his clothes, and the stifling heat.
All sorts of complex sensations flooded his mind, and this novelty was truly a first for him, but soon, he realized his attention had been diverted.
In other words, he had gotten distracted.
His lack of focus was likely why his progress in martial arts was so slow, and why Duan Tianxing had said he hadn't even reached the beginner level yet.
Li Xiang breathed slowly, suddenly remembering that switching from nose breathing to mouth breathing was simple, but over time, it would dry out his mouth and could even lead to pharyngitis.
Moreover, the nose regulates temperature, kills bacteria, and has nasal hairs that prevent dirt from entering the trachea. Mouth breathing doesn't have these functions. Prolonged mouth breathing could also lead to misaligned teeth and a dull facial expression.
In short, the consequences were endless.
So, he directly brought up this issue with Jiang Shangrou.
Jiang Shangrou was only nineteen this year and still a student trainer, so there were naturally many things she didn't know.
Li Xiang's point was something she had never considered, and she had no concept of it in her mind.
But she had one advantage: she knew how to humbly accept others' opinions.
After realizing the seriousness of blocking the nose, Jiang Shangrou first consulted some people, then asked Qi Shenshen and Duan Tianxing.
In the end, she found that Li Xiang was indeed correct.
After some deliberation, she replaced the complete nose blockage with a special mask. The mask wouldn't affect taste, but it would definitely affect smell.
Especially the kind of mask she had specially ordered.
In fact, if it weren't for the inconvenience, Jiang Shangrou had considered having Li Xiang and the others carry oxygen tanks during training.
Over time, nearly a week passed.
Torracat and Froakie gradually grasped the method.
Since they didn't need to stand in a fixed position and only had to remain as still as possible, their threshold was much lower than Li Xiang's and Riolu's.
Speaking of which, Froakie couldn't learn the Explosive Fist because it couldn't keep its legs straight for long periods.
Asking a tree frog to straighten its legs was simply too much to ask.
So, it could only hang out with Torracat.
These two would likely have to wait until their final evolution stage before they could start training.
However, Froakie didn't seem interested in Explosive Fist. It told Li Xiang that it wanted to learn assassination techniques.
The kind where you throw a shuriken from hundreds of meters away to hit the target's head, or calmly walk away after a face-to-face assassination.
Li Xiang: ???
Where was he supposed to find assassination techniques for this guy?
What kind of nonsense was this?
Although he had expected this Froakie's chuunibyou tendencies, he hadn't anticipated it would go this far.
After asking some other Pokémon, he found out that this guy had become obsessed with Leon: The Professional and fantasized about being the protagonist, Léon, a hitman. It had even started keeping a potted plant, watering it every day.
At the same time, it was eagerly awaiting the arrival of its own Mathilda.
Ah, this…
Dude, you're only two years old!
Li Xiang really wanted to burst Froakie's bubble, but after some thought, he decided against it.
Who hadn't gone through a chuunibyou phase?
In a couple of years, it would realize how cringey its current behavior was.
As someone who had been through it, Li Xiang decided to let it be, but Froakie's mention of assassination techniques did catch Li Xiang's attention.
Not all Pokémon were suited for Explosive Fist. After pestering Duan Tianxing for answers, he had gotten a clear response.
Greninja wasn't suited for Explosive Fist.
It was better suited for a silent, flexible, and versatile fighting style, rather than the overwhelmingly powerful and straightforward fist techniques of Explosive Fist.
It could learn some weapon techniques, though.
But when Li Xiang tried to ask what martial arts Greninja could learn and whether Qingcheng had any, Duan Tianxing's cold stare made him swallow his words.
Asking about other schools' martial arts in front of his master was practically asking for death!
Li Xiang reined in his curiosity and, after returning home, used the all-powerful internet to find a lot of information.
Greninja's name originated from the Kōga-ryū ninja of Japan. Although there was no Japan in this world, ninjas still existed.