A few days had passed since Lin Feng uploaded the video seeking a maid for his breeding house.
The results left him a little disappointed.
Even by September 10th, there hadn't been a single reply.
During these days, Lin Feng truly felt how badly he needed help in the breeding house.
One afternoon, after selling the last of his Pokéblocks, Lin Feng sat down in the same spot where Emily once sat. A faint sadness welled up inside him.
She had only been gone a few days, yet he already missed her.
Just looking after the store alone took up most of his day.
On top of that, he had to work with Gardevoir to produce Pokéblocks.
Whenever boredom struck, his only company was Alcremie and the little Vulpix.
It was as if he had thrown away the endless grind of nine-to-nine workdays, only to welcome the early-to-late rhythm of farm life.
...
Meanwhile, at Wutong High School No. 1.
Every year at the start of term, the senior students faced a formal entrance exam one that would actually count toward their college entrance records.
Because these results mattered, the enthusiasm was high. Crowds filled the outdoor battle arena, buzzing with chatter as they watched the contestants.
"That's Emily. I heard she only got her Junior Trainer Certificate back in June, and her first Pokémon was a Squirtle."
"Yeah, but that's way too short a time to prepare. This examiner's team has six Pokémon, and half of them are Grass-types. That's just bad luck."
"Well, her Squirtle always did look a little slow. Who knows if it's improved at all after just one summer."
"Not too bad though look, the examiner's sending out a Fire-type Cyndaquil. Maybe he's going easy on her, so she still has a chance to pass."
"You don't know? Over summer break, I found this one breeding shop. Their Pokéblocks were amazing. The shop was way out in the sticks, but they even used Pidgeotto for deliveries..."
Listening to the voices around her, Emily couldn't help but smile.
Hmph.
They still thought her partner was the same old Squirtle?
Wait until they saw Wartortle's true strength. That would leave them stunned.
Across the field, the examiner frowned slightly when the girl before him still hadn't released her Pokémon. "Candidate Emily, are you ready?"
"Yes, yes!"
Emily quickly pulled out Wartortle's Pokéball and pressed the button.
In a flash of light, a sturdy Wartortle appeared round head, wing-shaped ears rippling like waves, and a tail curling like the ocean.
Its skin glistened with a healthy shine.
But what shocked everyone most was its size.
Wartortle stood over 1.3 meters tall.
Normally, Wartortle only grew to about one meter.
The moment it appeared, the spectators fell into stunned silence.
"Wait—what? Wartortle? I thought she had a Squirtle!"
"No way, did it eat growth hormones or something? It's huge!"
"No, no, no. Well-raised Pokémon really can grow bigger than average. Just look at this one you can tell it's been cared for incredibly well."
Even the examiner froze for a moment before narrowing his eyes at Emily.
"The exam begins. You attack first."
"Go, Wartortle! Show them your strength use Rain Dance!"
Wartortle clapped its hands together, and waves of Water-type energy surged upward. Dark clouds quickly gathered overhead, and soon a steady drizzle fell across the entire battlefield.
The rain spread wide enough that even the audience got wet, scrambling back in surprise.
Their shock grew as they watched.
"Rain Dance? That's a weather move! No way!"
"But it's just a Wartortle how could it already know Rain Dance?"
The examiner's brows shot up. "Even Rain Dance? And such a wide area of effect?"
This was a problem.
Water already had a natural advantage over Fire. With the weather now boosting Water-type moves, the examiner's Cyndaquil was at an even bigger disadvantage.
But as an examiner, he couldn't simply surrender. "Cyndaquil, use Swift!"
Irritated by the water soaking its body, Cyndaquil turned its back, flames flaring as it launched a flurry of golden stars that shot toward Wartortle.
Emily reacted quickly. "Withdraw!"
She was calmer than she had been in her very first battle.
The stars pinged against Wartortle's shell, leaving faint scorch marks. But when Wartortle stuck its head back out, it showed no signs of pain at all.
The attack hadn't even scratched it.
The examiner was baffled.
Sure, Fire was weak against Water, but Swift wasn't a Fire move how could it do no damage at all?
Could this Wartortle's defense really be that high?
Countless possibilities flashed through his mind, but one thing was certain: this Wartortle was giving him serious trouble.
He even regretted his earlier choice. He should never have relied on the crowd's gossip about her Pokémon still being a Squirtle.
If only he had sent out a Grass-type...
Across the field, Emily's confidence swelled. She pumped her fist toward her partner. "Wartortle, Water Gun!"
Under the rain, Wartortle's Water Gun shot forward with incredible speed.
Cyndaquil barely dodged the first stream, only to be nailed by the second.
Then came a barrage, like a torrential downpour.
What shocked everyone most was the accuracy. No matter how Cyndaquil dodged, Wartortle's Water Gun tracked it down.
By the third hit, Cyndaquil could no longer stand.
The examiner raised his hand. "Candidate Emily, you've defeated Cyndaquil. Full marks: 100 points." His eyes softened with admiration. "Child, you've raised this Wartortle very well."
Emily scratched her head with a sheepish smile. "Thank you, teacher." Then she left the stage with Wartortle at her side.
No sooner had she stepped off the field than her classmates swarmed around her.
They stared at Wartortle in awe, voices filled with disbelief.
"Emily, Emily! What did you do over summer break? Your Squirtle got this strong and even evolved?"
"The examiner's Cyndaquil didn't stand a chance! It couldn't even resist!"
"How did you pull it off?"
Emily lifted her chin proudly, though in truth she had no real answer.
As far as she remembered, Wartortle had only eaten a few bags of Pokéblocks from that one breeding shop.
Unable to think of a better explanation, she finally laughed and said, "Want to know the secret behind Wartortle's strength? Then go to Neighbor's Breeding House in Wutong Town. That's where the real secret lies..."
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