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Frogadier's overall abilities had increased, with slight improvements in the proficiency of some moves. Bubble strength and production had increased, and the time required to produce bubbles had shortened.
It had learned the Normal-type move—[Round], which increases in power with repeated use.
Current stats were as follows:
Pokémon: Frogadier
Gender: Male
Level: 19
Ability: Protean
Type: Water
Moves: Pound , Growl , Bubble , Quick Attack , Lick , Smokescreen, Camouflage , Water Pulse , Bounce , Mud Sport , Double Team, Ice Beam , Hidden Power (Fairy) , Work Up , Round , Taunt (Learning)
In the previous four months, it had learned three moves.
One was a buff, and the other two were damage-dealing moves. The former increased Attack and Special Attack by one stage, making it very suitable for mixed-attack Pokémon.
The other two moves were for coverage. Hidden Power (Fairy) would also be extremely useful against Dragon-type opponents.
In the games, Hidden Power (Fire) was often preferred due to its wide coverage and high resistance, making it cost-effective.
Additionally, in competitive play, Dragon-types were often overshadowed by Fairy-types, with some Dragon-types not even carrying their own STAB moves.
So, Hidden Power (Fairy) wasn't really necessary there.
But this world was different. Dragon Tamers were still very active, and they frequently use powerful Dragon-type moves.
Even in high-level matches, many Dragon Tamers had broken free from the oppressive influence of Fairy-types and remained quite active on the battlefield.
Thus, the value of Hidden Power (Fairy) had skyrocketed.
After all, it nullified Dragon-type energy.
The reason for learning Taunt next was to avoid being taunted itself.
Frogadier's current greatest reliance was Camouflage. If it got taunted, its strategy was essentially ruined, leaving it with no choice but to engage in direct combat.
So, if it used Taunt first, the threat was greatly reduced.
From this, Frogadier's future training direction was clear.
Besides, that, it also had the incredibly useful Protean ability.
One could wonder - Why was the Protean ability so strong?
Well, that was because it allows for endless attribute changes, making it hard for opponents to predict. What was super effective one moment might become not very effective or even ineffective the next.
This was the greatest advantage of Protean, so learning moves of various types was a must.
Next, it needed to learn Scald, followed by Substitute.
For a Frogadier that relied on Camouflage, the importance of Substitute was undeniable.
...
At the Dojo.
Frogadier panted as it stopped moving, getting accustomed to its new body and the surge of new power flooding through it like a tide.
"Too bad you can't make a Rasengan," Li Xiang said with some regret.
Water Pulse looks somewhat similar to the Rasengan, but they are fundamentally different. The Rasengan attacks with irregular twisting force, boasting strong penetration and destructive power, along with a brief silencing effect.
Water Pulse, on the other hand, relies on the vibration of water waves and the impact of turning into a wave.
Additionally, Frogadier can't enlarge the Water Pulse; it remains palm-sized, or at least it can't do so at this stage.
Thus, the two can't be equated.
"Kero?" Frogadier tilted its head, having never watched Naruto, it had no idea what a Rasengan was.
"Speaking of which, there's also Water Release techniques, but without being able to use two moves simultaneously, it's basically impossible…"
Li Xiang rubbed his temples. To perform Water Release, one would need to modify existing Pokémon moves.
But while this sounds simple, it's actually quite difficult. Moreover, changing the appearance of a move doesn't necessarily affect its power.
Hitting someone with a water column or a shaped water dragon is essentially the same, with the latter just being cooler.
But behind that coolness lies years of relentless effort, possibly with no guaranteed return.
Of course, many techniques from Naruto have their merits, and Li Xiang won't give up on those with value, like Water Wall.
And the classic—"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
But those would have to wait. For now, the most important thing for Frogadier was to learn a variety of moves and level up to evolve into Greninja as soon as possible.
And, to keep its foam scarf.
This was crucial.
"Huh? Junior Brother, your Froakie evolved?"
Lu Chengfeng's voice came from behind him, followed by his Infernape, which had evolved at the beginning of the year.
It looked somewhat like Sun Wukong, with white and orange fur and a flame burning on its head.
Li Xiang had once tried touching the flame on its head and found it wasn't hot at all.
It was just for show.
The idea of a flaming monkey brain was just an illusion.
"Yeah," Li Xiang nodded, then asked, "Senior Brother, are you really not going to take the advanced academy exam? No interest in becoming a trainer?"
"I only have Infernape. Do you think I have any plans to take the advanced academy exam?"
Lu Chengfeng waved his hand. He was determined to go to a cultural school and then attend drama school to become an action movie star.
He and Wang Dong were already in the second semester of their third year. If they didn't make plans soon, it would be too late.
Li Xiang sincerely wished him success in his dreams.
Being a star is no easier than being a trainer, with even fiercer competition.
Speaking of Wang Dong, he was even more impressive.
Li Xiang initially thought this senior brother was planning to work in Yunzhou, given his Pokémon's nickname, "the laborer."
But it turned out…
He wanted to study finance in university and then make waves in the business world!
The guy even said he wanted to become the Wolf of Wall Street.
Turns out, among Li Xiang's senior brothers, his ambitions were the grandest!
Can't handle it, can't handle it.
That night.
Li Xiang chatted with Song Jie's sister as usual.
This girl was still pretending, her motives still unclear.
At first, Li Xiang thought Anya was teasing him, building a connection to lure him in, get him to confess, and then reveal her identity to mock him.
But… that wasn't the case?
After the initial few days of unusual enthusiasm, it turned into ordinary daily chats, sharing her experiences and Pokémon training results from Abigail's perspective.
It made Li Xiang wonder if he had guessed wrong, and if the account really belonged to Abigail.
But he quickly dismissed that thought.
So what if it was? So what if it wasn't?
Li Xiang didn't care about such things. He only cared about when Torracat and the others would level up and meet the evolution requirements.
Over time, feeling bored, Li Xiang stopped seeking her out and even rarely replied to her messages.
Unexpectedly, the girl didn't mind, treating his chat like a diary, continuing to talk as usual.
Quite peculiar.
Maybe this was how rich kids were, with their little quirks and love for role-playing games.
Li Xiang, out of respect for her being Song Jie's sister, didn't delete her and occasionally chatted to relieve the monotony of being surrounded by males.
...
The next day.
Yang Tianwang brought a third batch of new intel.
"Song Jie defeated one of those five yesterday. Is he really that strong? Did you know? Have you fought him?"
He sat next to Li Xiang, firing off questions like a machine gun.
"Of course I've fought him. I've even been to his house. His Pokémon are strong, ridiculously strong."
Li Xiang gave an objective assessment of Song Jie's Pokémon.
Even the later addition, Larvitar, had considerable combat power.
"Intel."
Yang Tianwang placed a blank sheet of paper in front of Li Xiang. "Write down everything you know."
Li Xiang looked at the paper and suddenly realized.
Oh, I almost forgot.
In this school, the only ones who have fought Song Jie are probably me, and those from last semester's finals and the previous two matches.
That's less than ten people in total.
Intel is scarce.
"Is it bad for me to sell him out like this?"
Li Xiang quickly wrote down Song Jie's Pokémon configurations while feigning concern.
Yang Tianwang's mouth twitched. "I think you should stop writing so fast. It would make your words more convincing."
"Ah, I just want to save you some money. If you can't get it from me, you'd have to buy it from those guys, and who knows how much that would cost."
Li Xiang briefly listed some of the moves Lairon and the others knew, then stopped.
These were things Song Jie had already allowed him to share with Yang Tianwang and Qu Sheng.
The kid was shrewd, knowing there's no such thing as a free lunch, so he wanted to use Li Xiang to repay this favor.
Unfortunately, Li Xiang had been too busy that day and forgot. It wasn't until Yang Tianwang asked him to write that he remembered Song Jie's words.
Ah, what a terrible memory.
Yang Tianwang took the information-packed paper from Li Xiang, glanced at it, and his breathing quickened. "This data… are you sure he didn't cheat?"
"Whether he cheated or not, you know better than me. Don't be shocked, the guy's loaded." Li Xiang patted Yang Tianwang's shoulder and left the kid behind.
Returning to his seat, he happened to see Song Jie and Larvitar walking in from the door.
"Yo! I finally leaked your intel!"
Li Xiang waved at him. "Bring me a milk tea this afternoon, okay?"
"I'll give you a hammer!"
Song Jie rolled his eyes. "How much did you write?"
Li Xiang shrugged, then clasped his hands in prayer. "I wrote everything I could. I hope your next opponent uses the intel to crush you, so we don't have to fight each other."
"Heh."
Song Jie sneered. "You should pray for yourself first. Your new opponent isn't like the trash you've faced before!"
Li Xiang's new opponent was a student who had moved up from the regular class to Class 1.
Although Li Xiang had never fought him, he knew this guy was strong.
Because Qu Sheng had fought him twice in 3v3 matches, with one win and one loss.
"Hey, hey, watch your words! The math class rep is sitting right there!" Li Xiang pointed at a boy chatting with friends not far away.
The one who used Heracross last semester.
Song Jie glanced at him but said nothing.
Seemed like he was sticking to the "trash" label.
Hoo.
This guy is really getting full of himself.
Li Xiang casually flipped through the intel to find his third opponent.
—Ni Wei.
His team consisted of a Heliolisk, a bright yellow Pokémon with orange zigzag stripes, a black head, and a neck that could open into an umbrella.
An Elekid, which looks like a phone charger plug.
And a Toxel, a Poison,Electric-type with a purple body, a white lightning bolt on its forehead, and a baby-like appearance.
He was going for a speed-based strategy, with his ace Heliolisk being extremely agile and fast.