Pokémon: Did you play Pokémon today?

Chapter 308 "Don't cry, Tree Baby, stand up..."

"Hmph, you think you can win with such a simple blood-swap tactic? Not so easy, Gym Leader Asu!"

Qi Shu's gaze swept across the entire area, his brain working at high speed.

Finally, her gaze settled on the bright sunlight streaming through the huge glass skylight at the top of the dojo, and a solution instantly came to her mind.

"Chrysanthemum leaves, let's take this one! Then grab it with the vine whip and use poison powder!"

Chikorita showed no fear as it faced Popo's renewed descent.

Two flexible vine whips suddenly extended from his body.

The moment Bobo crashed into him, he not only absorbed the impact but also used the momentum to wrap around Bobo and bind him tightly!

Immediately afterwards, Chicory flicked its head, and a wisp of pale purple powder drifted out from its body, landing directly on Bobo's face, who was standing right next to it.

Bobo's body stiffened abruptly, his struggling movements slowed instantly, and a faint purple halo appeared around him.

Poisoned status, attachment successful!

Asu frowned slightly upon seeing this, but seemed to still have confidence in his Bobo, and continued to give the same instructions.

"Asu: Break free, Bobo! Keep using ramming!"

"Heh heh~ The equation for victory has already been written, Gym Leader Asu!"

Qi Shu's face broke into a wide smile, radiating confidence.

"Chrysanthemum leaves, release them, and then immediately begin photosynthesis!"

Her tactical thinking is very clear.

Using the brief control provided by the vine whip and its close-range advantage, inflict a poison status on the opponent that continuously drains their stamina.

Then, taking advantage of the sunlight-rich environment, use photosynthesis to significantly restore your own strength while the opponent is suffering from poisoning and temporarily creates distance.

Under this double "BUFF", the opponent's blood-exchange tactics will become completely meaningless!

With this shift in power, the scales of victory will quickly tip in her favor!

And just as she expected!

The chrysanthemum leaves loosened the vine whip, and Bobo once again wobbled into the air, preparing for its next dive, but the purple light flashing across its body from time to time indicated that it was being corroded by toxins.

The chrysanthemum leaves tilted their heads back, facing the bright sunlight streaming in through the glass skylight, and began to radiate a soft, pale green glow.

The light and sunlight shone together, as if they were exchanging some kind of magical energy. The life-giving light particles quickly gathered and flowed into the chrysanthemum leaves.

Its stamina bar, which had turned yellowish, instantly rebounded significantly and turned back into a healthy green!

The number of replies is astonishing!

At this moment, Bobo's dive and impact arrived belatedly.

Without dodging or avoiding, Chrysanthemum Leaf relied on her newly recovered strength to steadily withstand the attack!

The tide of battle turned in an instant!

In the next two or three rounds, the game completely fell into Qishu's rhythm.

Bobo's stamina was rapidly declining due to the continuous damage from the poison and the long-range harassment from the Leaf Blade, and his movements began to become sluggish.

Chicory leaves, on the other hand, maintain a relatively healthy blood volume through photosynthesis.

Finally, after a barely conscious impact, Bobo's body flashed with purple light, its strength exhausted. With a mournful cry, it fell helplessly to the ground.

Fortunately, Asu reacted quickly and used a Poké Ball to recall it in time, preventing it from suffering secondary damage from the fall.

"Asu: Come back, Pidgey—you did a great job, demonstrating the perseverance of a Flying-type Pokémon."

Asu looked at the slightly trembling Poké Ball in his hand, his tone conveying both approval and a hint of heartache for his partner.

"Yeah—round one, won!"

Kishu happily made a "V" sign and winked playfully at the camera.

"See that? This is the strength and wisdom of this gym leader—no, I mean, this challenger! Attribute advantage? Doesn't exist!"

The live chat exploded with praise for her quick thinking and tactical execution.

"Beautiful win! Qishu-chan is awesome!"

"Is this the master's understanding of the game? I'm in love! His tactical awareness is truly high!"

"Chrysanthemum leaves have done a great job! They can attack, tank, heal, and inflict status ailments! So what if they have a disadvantage in attributes? They won by using their brains!"

"Asu must be completely dumbfounded. He actually got defeated by a Flying-type using a Grass-type's endurance strategy—"

"I'm already looking forward to the second round! But judging from Asu's expression, it seems like the next one will be serious?"

"Go, Kisaki-chan! Take the Wing Badge in one go!"

Just as Qishu was basking in the glory of his first victory and the praise from the comments section.

Asu slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on the little strange tree and her chrysanthemum leaves.

"Asu: Excellent tactics, Challenger. You cleverly mitigated your attribute disadvantage by utilizing the terrain and changes in your condition."

"Asu: You and your partner have earned my respect."

"Asu: But the gym challenge isn't over yet! The real test is yet to come!"

He took a half step back, slammed his right hand on the Poké Ball at his waist, and swung it forward with force!

"Asu: Ride the wind, Pidgey!"

The Poké Ball popped open in mid-air!

Amidst the blinding white light, a colossal figure emerged, flapping its wings!

It spiraled upwards, emitting a loud and piercing cry, its broad wings almost blocking out the light on the platform!

His sharp gaze swept over the entire battlefield, creating a powerful sense of oppression!

"Pip Bird Lv.18"

Attribute: Normal/Flying

"Characteristic: Keen Eyesight (Possesses sharp eyesight; accuracy is not reduced by the opponent under normal circumstances)"

Mastered moves: Impact, Sand Splash, Wind Rise, Blow Away, Feather Perch, Lightning Flash |

"Analysis: This Pidgeotto was specially bred by Frye, the Gym Leader of Violet City, to prepare for challenges from new Trainers. Although its level is not high, it has excellent flying skills and a strong sense of battle, showing great potential!"

The encyclopedia automatically displays scan data.

The smile that Qi Shu hadn't had time to fade from his face froze completely the moment he saw the data panel.

The previously cheerful chatter in the live stream suddenly fell into an awkward silence, as if it had been collectively choked.

There is no other reason.

A level 18 Flying-type Pidgeotto is weak against a level 12 Grass-type Chikorita.

This is not just a matter of level suppression, but a comprehensive dimensional reduction attack!

Not only does it possess the advantages of elemental advantage and high-altitude home advantage, it also inherits the sustain and recovery move, Feather Ride.

This means that the opponent can also use the "attack + recovery" tactic that Qishu relied on to win, and may even use it better!

This isn't a question of whether we can win or not; it's a hopeless situation where there's absolutely no chance of victory.

The only possible gap might be the trainer's tactical awareness.

But when faced with such pure numbers, tactics—

It appears so pale and powerless.

"Asu: Pidgeotto! Finish this quickly! Use Wind!"

Aso showed no mercy whatsoever; the duty of a gym leader is to test the true strength of the challenger!

Pidgey spread its wings, circled and rose higher, letting out a loud cry that echoed throughout the gym!

Immediately afterwards, its powerful wings began to flap wildly at an astonishing frequency!

The surrounding airflow was rapidly churned and compressed, and the energy of flight gathered between the wings, transforming into sharp whirlwinds visible to the naked eye.

Like a mini storm, with a howling sound that tears the air, it descended from above and locked onto the chicory leaf, which had nowhere to escape, standing on the platform!

If this attack lands, the absolute level advantage combined with the double damage from the elemental advantage will leave Chikorita with absolutely no chance of getting back up!

"Come back! Chicory leaf!"

Qi Shu was startled when he saw the whirlwind sweeping down and shouted out almost reflexively.

As a gym leader, she was acutely aware of the skill gap.

At this moment, without any thought of counterattack or maneuvering, he directly controlled the little tree to press the recall button on the Poké Ball!

With a flash of red light, the chrysanthemum leaves that were waiting in the field were promptly retrieved.

"Gym Leader Aso! I concede defeat in this match!"

Kiju said loudly, his voice not carrying much shame or frustration at admitting defeat, but rather a hint of self-righteous sarcasm.

"Level 18 fighting level 12! This is blatant bullying! The stat difference is just too huge!"

This isn't a tactical victory or defeat, but a pure numerical crushing defeat; there's simply no chance of winning.

As Teacher Xianyu once said: Those who eat food are heroes.

Having already foreseen an inevitable defeat, Kiju simply didn't want Kikusaya to suffer unnecessary harm.

Just you wait, Master Asu!

When I get back from leveling up with Chicory, I'm going to give you a good "punishment"! I'll get my revenge for what happened today!

Chikorita emerged from the Poké Ball again and was gently cradled in Little Tree's arms.

It nudged the little tree's palm with its little head, looking somewhat aggrieved, and made a soft chirping sound.

He seemed a little down because of the defeat in the match.

"It's okay, it's okay~ Chicory Leaf~ You were already super, super amazing!"

Qi Shu quickly offered words of comfort, her voice sweet and gentle.

"That Pidgey is too unfair! Its level is so much higher! We'll find a place to train it to a high level later! Then we'll come back and beat it to a pulp! Let it know how powerful we are!"

The chat room recovered from its earlier silence and began flooding the screen with comments, helping Qishu to "condemn" a certain game producer who wished to remain anonymous.

"Exactly! The first gym is already this high-level! Salty Teacher, come out and take your punishment!"

"The strategic retreat was the right decision! Fast forward to the Dragon King's return after leveling up!"

"Hey bro, step forward! The Flying-type Gym is practically a death sentence! I told you, just listen to me, choosing Fire-type would have been so much better!"

"Don't cry, Tree Baby, stand up—"

"A-Su: Where's the person who just praised my tactics? Why are they accusing me of cheating now?"

The fact that Qishu took back his Pokémon signified the end of the second round of the battle, and Asu won the battle.

The platforms on which the two trainers stood slowly descended, returning to the spacious main arena at the bottom of the gym.

Asu retracted its arrogant Pidgey, walked up to Little Tree with neither arrogance nor servility, and took the initiative to speak, its tone earnest.

"Asu: I admit, you and your Chicory Leaf possess extraordinary potential and synergy!"

"Asu: But to soar higher in the sky, potential alone is not enough! You need more trials and tribulations to make your wings stronger!"

He paused, his expression becoming serious and sincere.

"Aso: If you want to train and improve your partner's strength, Bellsprout Tower, east of Violet City, is a place of quiet retreat chosen by many trainers."

"Asu: The monks there may give you some inspiration. I look forward to seeing you become stronger!"

Goodbye!

After saying that, he turned around and walked back to the director's position with steady steps.

Standing like a statue, eyes fixed straight ahead, awaiting the arrival of the next challenger.

"The Bellflower Tower? Is that the old-looking tower on the east side of the city?"

Attracted by his words, Kikyo muttered to herself as she manipulated Little Kikyo to turn around and quickly leave Kikyo Gym.

"Cultivation—that sounds pretty promising! Okay! Target locked—let's go check out the Bellflower Tower!"

Despite the defeat, which was not due to any fault of war, Qi Shu was not discouraged. Instead, he quickly found new goals and motivation.

The atmosphere in the live stream completely warmed up, and the comments started to come alive again.

"The Bellflower Tower? What a strange name—but according to Master Asu, it seems to be a leveling spot specifically designed for players in the game." Huh?

"Master Asu is such a kind person, seemingly cold on the outside but warm on the inside! He even showed Tree Treasure the right path!"

"Actually, Treecko could consider inviting new Pokémon to join the team! That would make the team composition more balanced."

"Qi Shu: You think I don't want to catch new Pokémon to expand my team?! The problem is, all I encounter on the way are starter birds and starter bugs!"

"Go go go! I'm already looking forward to the scene where Chikorita evolves into Bayleaf and comes back to fight!"

Return to Kikyo City.

The bright sunshine has disappeared, replaced by the cool, clear moonlight, which falls sparsely on the quiet streets.

The hustle and bustle of the streets has long since faded, leaving only the gentle tranquility unique to the late night.

Instead of rushing to Bellsprout Tower, Qishu first took the somewhat tired Chikorita back to the Pokémon Center.

With Miss Joy's gentle smile and Chansey's help, Chikorita quickly regained its spirits.

"Alright! Fully recharged! Let's go!"

After resting, she embarked on her journey again.

Following the map's directions, after crossing the city's central lake shimmering in the night, an ancient pagoda, appearing exceptionally tranquil in the moonlight, quietly came into view.

The tower is simple and ancient, seemingly only three stories high, but it exudes a calm and solemn aura.

The strange tree manipulated the little strange tree to gently push open the heavy wooden door.

Squeak—

Inside, the light was soft, and the faint scent of incense and candles wafted through the air.

A monk dressed in simple robes stood quietly behind the door, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

"Monk: Welcome to the Tower of Trumpet Sprouts, ascetic who has traveled a long way."

The monk held one hand above his chest, his voice calm.

He turned to the side and pointed to the thick wooden pillar in the center of the tower, which required several people to encircle.

"Monk: Do you see that pillar in the center?"

"Monk: Ancient legend tells of a giant trumpet bud, over thirty meters tall, that, with a belief in protection, transformed itself into the spine of this tower," which is the pillar before you.

His words carried a sense of a distant, lingering story.

"Monk: Do you feel—the pillar seems to be swaying slightly?"

"Monk: That's right, it's not an illusion. Some say it's proof that the pillar formed from the trumpet bud is still breathing and still growing —"

The monk smiled and pointed to the top of his head.

"Monk: Alright, alright, it could also be the noise coming from the monks who are diligently practicing in the upper levels and their Pokémon."

He suppressed his smile, and his expression became solemn again.

"Monk: This place welcomes anyone who aspires to spiritual practice."

"Monk: The rules are simple: climb the stairs, defeat the monks and their companions stationed on each level, and keep climbing—"

"Monk: When you reach the top of this tower by your own strength, you will have completed a precious spiritual practice. May you gain something from it."