Pokémon: Did you play Pokémon today?

Chapter 309 "Cultivation? No, this is the Trial of the Trumpet Sprout!"

The brief interaction ended.

The monk nodded slightly and retreated into the shadows.

"The pillar is really swaying slightly... Could it really be a mutation of an ancient giant trumpet bud?"

Qi Shu opened his eyes wide, curiously examining the simple furnishings under the dim yellow oil lamps inside the tower.

"It seems so amazing!"

She controlled the little strange tree, with the spirited chrysanthemum leaves beside her, and stepped onto the wooden stairs leading to the first floor.

Her "spiritual practice" journey officially began.

As soon as I stepped onto the first platform, a monk who had been hiding in the shadows jumped out with a "Hey!" and took the initiative to challenge me!

A trumpet bud of only level 3 blocked the middle of the road.

Qi Shu glanced at it.

I felt completely unmoved, and even felt a little like laughing.

"Chrysanthemum leaves, solve it!"

Chirp!

Chicory Leaf stepped forward without even using any special moves, and with a flick of its little foot, kicked the little trumpet bud into the corner.

The Lv.3 trumpet bud drooped, and immediately afterward, a Lv.5 trumpet bud popped out.

Then came the second monk, the third monk—

The battles are repetitive and simple.

Having successfully ascended to the second level of the Bellsprout Tower, the level of the Bellsprouts sent out by the monks has significantly improved, generally reaching Lv.8-Lv.12.

The strange tree felt a little pressure, but the chrysanthemum leaf's "flying leaf blade" was still sharp, and it overcame all obstacles.

"I think I understand why this place is called the Tower of Trumpet Sprouts now —"

Two trumpet-shaped buds popped up on the screen, looking helpless.

"Now I understand why this place is called a 'place of cultivation' —"

It seems that the monks here don't have any Pokémon other than Bellsprout!

This is practically a natural leveling paradise tailor-made for players!

The live stream chat became quite amusing as a result.

"He really did, I'm so happy! Teacher Salty knew we couldn't beat the Gym Leader in the early stages, so he specially found a safe and painless leveling spot!"

"About My Visit to the Trumpet Sprout Wholesale Market"

"Training? No, this is the trial of the trumpet bud!"

"Mom no longer has to worry about my chrysanthemum leaf level falling behind!"

"Highly efficient, environmentally friendly, and pollution-free! Bellsprout, the best experience pack for trainers! (laughs)"

"I've started counting for the strange tree: the 18th trumpet bud has been broken!"

It must be said that, as a "place of cultivation," the Tower of Trumpet Sprouts is indeed very qualified.

After rounds of simple and repetitive battles, Qishu successfully "cleared" the second floor, and the level of Chikusa Leaf, who enjoyed all the experience, also reached Lv.15!

"Excellent! In superb form!"

Qi Shu's spirits lifted, and he decided to press on to the third floor in one go and clear the dungeon quickly.

However, an unexpected event occurred.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, the sight before her made her pause in surprise.

How come this place is exactly the same as the second floor?

Even the monks who had just been defeated and were resting and recovering in the corner did not change their positions or postures at all.

"Huh? What's going on? Is it a bug? Or is the staircase looping?"

Qishu tilted its head in confusion, then manipulated the little Qishu to walk around and carefully compare.

It wasn't until she saw the staircase leading to the first floor again that she was certain—

This isn't the third level at all; it's the second level she just cleared!

A chilling sense of foreboding washed over me.

"Ghosts... I'm trapped in a ghost wall?! No way! How come I'm encountering this kind of paranormal event again?!"

Qi Shu's voice unconsciously rose, instantly reminding him of the "fear" of being suddenly attacked by a giant beaked bat in a dark cave and being dominated by the dark environment.

She immediately puffed out her cheeks and decisively passed the buck.

"It must be those damn salted fish sauce! They're putting these scary things into the game again! That's outrageous!"

"Hmph, this level—this level can't scare me, Lord Qishu, at all~"

Although he spoke with a tough tone, his hands honestly manipulated the little strange tree to get closer to the chrysanthemum leaf, as if that would give him a little more sense of security.

The comments section then erupted with various "professional" analyses.

"When in doubt, quantum mechanics! If nothing makes sense, time travel!"

"That shouldn't be the case. From a game design perspective, since this is an efficient leveling spot, there shouldn't be a maze mechanism that prevents players from repeatedly grinding levels."

"As the insider said, this is more like an unexpected event than a fixed design of the map itself. Qishu-chan can observe the environmental details."

"Could it be... something is causing trouble? Like, some mischievous Pokémon?"

'

"It's terrifying to think about! Do you think this tower could really be a mutation of the giant trumpet bud, and that it's the culprit behind this?"

"No, buddy! Don't scare me! I live in Kikyo City, and there really is a Trumpet Bud Tower right next to it!"

I can still see it at night!

Qi Shu glanced at the comments, rubbed his chin, and seemed to be deep in thought.

"Are Pokémon causing trouble? —"

She suddenly looked up and glanced at the moonlight streaming obliquely through the tower window.

"It's evening now—at this time, in this atmosphere—could it be a Ghost-type Pokémon causing trouble?"

'

The thought that the culprit might not be a paranormal phenomenon, but rather some mischievous Pokémon, is quite apt.

Qi Shu immediately felt that his backache had stopped, his legs no longer hurt, and his heart had stopped beating erratically.

The slight fear in my heart was immediately thrown to the winds, replaced by an excitement of discovering hidden elements!

Her eyes widened as she began to scrutinize every detail on the screen, leaving no suspicious corner unchecked.

When her gaze swept over an ancient lantern in the corner where the flame seemed frozen, her eyes suddenly narrowed!

Is the shadow under that lantern darker than elsewhere?

And the shape is a bit odd?

"Chrysanthemum leaves!"

Qi Shu gave decisive instructions.

"Use Rapid Fire Blade on the shadow beneath that lantern!"

Chicory understood immediately, and suddenly flicked its large leaf on its head!

Several sharp blades tore through the air and shot towards the shadowy spot with a whoosh!

puff!

The moment the blade struck the shadow, it was as if it had popped an invisible bubble!

The surrounding "second floor" scene shook and distorted violently, then peeled away like faded oil paint, revealing the real entrance to the third floor staircase behind it!

At the same time, a purple ghostly figure with several energy blades on its head slowly emerged from the shadows.

Gastly Lv.15

Attribute: Ghost/Poison

"Ability: Levitate (Allows the user to float and evade Ground-type attacks)"

"Mastered Techniques: Poison, Spells, Shadow of the Night, Lick, Hypnosis, Resentment, Black Gaze"

"Analysis: The troublemaker who has been entrenched in the Tower of Trumpet Sprouts for years enjoys playing pranks on nighttime visitors with illusions, creating numerous strange tales about the tower. Because he is only active at night and his illusions are so sophisticated, his true form has yet to be discovered by ordinary monks!"

At this moment, Gastly's big face was filled with resentment at its failed prank and the beating it received for no reason, and it glared angrily at Chikorita and Strange Tree.

Qishu's precise "breaking stealth" command left the viewers in awe.

"Case solved! It really was Pokémon behind it! I was just saying it offhand!"

"Kiju-chan is awesome! No wonder he's a gym leader, his observation and decision-making skills are amazing!"

Gastly: I just wanted to scare someone quietly, is it so hard for me?!

"About My Experience Catching Ghosts in the Buddhist Stupa"

"We've really encountered a ghost! Seriously, this Gastly's got some skills! It's even making up ghost stories!"

"It was Gastly after all! Heh heh~ I caught you red-handed!"

Qishu wrinkled its little nose smugly, preparing to let Chikorita press its advantage and give this naughty Gastly a good "lesson".

But her self-shine fell on Gastly's aggrieved face, and she glanced at the lonely Chikorita in her party list, her eyes darting around.

The "murderous aura" on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a sweet, business-like smile.

"Hello, Gastly! That illusion was amazing!"

"Interested in becoming my partner? Let's travel together and play pranks on more people—oh no, I mean, see more interesting sights!"

Gastly seemed a little bewildered by this sudden "sweet talk," turning its body around blankly, a question mark slowly appearing on its big head.

In that brief moment of its daze...

Whoosh!

A high-level ball, accompanied by the sound of wind being cut, was thrown from Little Tree's hand, tracing an arc before slamming into Gastly's face with a "bang"!

Perfect hit!

With a flash of light, Gastly was captured in the Poké Ball!

The advanced ball landed on the ground and barely wobbled.

With a "thump," the center button flashed with a star-like light and then returned to complete calm.

"Hehe~ Done!"

Qi Shu shook his head smugly, his little face clearly showing his "plan is perfect".

"Look! Gastly has agreed to be my partner too!"

Having learned a painful lesson from the previous incident where the rabbi flew away, she deeply understood the truth of "striking first is better than striking last."

Otherwise, once Gastly realizes what's happening and runs away, she'll have nowhere to turn to cry.

Enough with the chit-chat, let's get straight to the ball!

The results were outstanding! The outcome was perfect! The team has gained a valuable new member!

Gastly rejoined the team, and the illusion it created was completely dispelled.

The staircase leading to the third floor appeared behind where the lantern had originally been.

With anticipation in his heart, Qishu guided Little Qishu to the final floor of the Bell Sprout Tower—the third floor.

As soon as I reached the top floor, I heard some rather intense fighting sounds and Pokémon cries.

A huge yellow exclamation mark appeared above Little Wonder Tree's head at just the right moment!

Looking in the direction of the sound, the entire top floor space is open, with a standard wooden battle arena in the center.

On the battlefield, two people stood facing each other.

On one side was an elderly man dressed in a neat robe with a kind face, who appeared to be the guardian of the top floor of the tower.

And on the other side—it turned out to be an old acquaintance!

That striking deep red hair and indifferent eyes belonged to Xiao Yin, with whom he had a previous encounter in Jihua City!

Judging from the condition of the venue and the postures of the two players, their battle seemed to have just ended.

The old man sighed softly, his gaze towards Xiao Yin filled with concern.

"Holy Light: Your strength is indeed outstanding. Your combat acumen and decisiveness far surpass those of your peers. — As agreed, this is now in your hands."

He paused for a moment, took out a move learning machine from his pocket, and handed it over, but his gaze was fixed on Xiao Yin's eyes, and his tone became more serious.

"Holy Light: But, child—you must promise me that you will treat your Pokémon partners with even more kindness."

"Holy Light: Your fighting style is too harsh for them."

His gaze seemed to pierce through the screen, carrying a heavy weight.

"Holy Light: Remember, Pokémon should never be tools for battle; they are our soulmates."

Silver took the move learning machine expressionlessly, ignoring the elder's advice, and turned to leave.

As soon as I turned around, I saw the little strange tree standing at the entrance of the stairs.

However, his eyes remained unmoved, and he made no attempt to greet anyone, walking straight towards the stairwell.

In the instant they brushed past each other, Qishu clearly heard his low but stubborn mutterings.

"Little Silver: ————Hmph, what an arrogant old man, calling himself an elder, his strength is nothing special————"

"Silver: I will never lose to those naive guys who just spout nonsense about treating Pokémon well."

"Silver: For me, only powerful Pokémon that can win are important! As for the rest—what do I care?"

"How can you say that!"

Qi Shu was instantly furious, his cute eyebrows furrowing tightly together.

"That's not true at all! You're completely wrong!"

The comments section was filled with strong reactions to Xiaoyin's remarks about being a "problem child".

"Wow, Silver used to have this kind of personality? You know, the real Silver is a Trainer recognized by Professor Oak and awarded a special Pokédex!"

"This personality is awful! A typical power-obsessed kid." —I feel a little sorry for his Pokémon.

"This backstory setup! Xiao Yin's identity is definitely not simple! I'm even more eager to see how the story will develop later, and what exactly changed him?"

"However, his ruthless style is indeed quite strong in the early stages of the game —"

"Looking forward to being proven wrong later! (Just kidding)"

"That wretched little silver! Not cute at all! Even worse than salted fish sauce!"

Qi Shu was so angry at Xiao Yin's indifferent back that he stomped his feet and immediately tried to control Xiao Qi Shu to chase after him.

Then, through Pokémon battles, we'll give this wayward teenager a good "lesson."

Tell him what the right bond is between a trainer and a Pokémon.

However, she didn't have time to make a move.

Elder Sheng Guang had already stepped forward, gently blocking the way in front of the little Qi Shu. He shook his head slightly, his weathered eyes seemingly having seen through many things.

"Holy Light: Young trainer, please calm down."

"Holy Light: That child—his heart is not entirely like that. He just needs some time to experience, to feel, and to find his own path."

He stopped talking about Xiao Yin and turned to look at Qi Shu, bowing slightly.

"Holy Light: By the way, did you also come here specifically to challenge the Bellsprout Tower and hone your skills?"

"Holy Light: I'm very sorry, but after the battle just now, my companions need to rest and I'm afraid they won't be able to accept any more formal battle challenges for a while."

At this point, he gave an apologetic smile and bowed slightly.

Then he took out a move learning machine from his pocket and handed it over.

"Holy Light: However, please accept this as proof that you have reached the top of the tower, and also as a thank you for not interrupting me abruptly just now."

"Holy Light: This contains a move that can calm both humans and Pokémon —"

[Little Tree obtained the Shiny TM from Elder Holy Light!]

"Holy Light: In the dark cave, it can light your way forward, and perhaps, at times, it can also illuminate the confused corners of your heart."