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Another week has passed since the baby dragon evolved into an armored dragon.

As work in Xinyuan City gradually got back on track, Lin Dao and Shen Yu'er were finally able to catch their breath after the initial non-stop work.

Shen Yu'er, however, faced a "sweet trouble." The ever-independent and strong-willed Snivy, after observing and thinking for a long time, formally made a "request" to its trainer.

It hopes that Shen Yu'er can become a true trainer, not to pursue peak strength, but at least not to fall behind others, and certainly not to live under the wings of other Pokémon forever.

"Chirp." (I'm not a pet.) One evening after dinner, Snivy gracefully coiled on the sofa armrest, looking intently at Shen Yu'er. It pointed with its whip at Arcanine, which was quietly guarding the side, and then at itself and two Foam Squirrels who were bickering over who ate an extra Energy Cube. The message it conveyed was clear and firm.

Protecting the trainers is the responsibility of these partners.

Arcanine is very strong, but its Snivy also has its own pride.

It and its trainer should have the ability to fight side by side and grow together, instead of always being protected in the rear.

This "declaration" moved Shen Yu'er, but also made her feel somewhat ashamed.

Because of her busy work schedule and the reliable protection of Arcanine, she unconsciously positioned herself as a "logistics manager" rather than a "trainer".

Snivy's words awakened her; now that she had these precious companions, she should take on the corresponding responsibilities and move forward together with them.

Therefore, "Trainer Course" was officially added to Shen Yu'er's daily schedule.

Snivy became the strictest and most responsible "instructor". It not only worked harder to train them, but also "spurred" the two foam squirrels who had gradually fallen in love with the comfortable city life and whose main daily routine consisted of eating, sleeping, playing and occasionally acting cute.

"Oh no! Boss! I was so tired from training yesterday!"

"Chirp!" (Enough talk! Training!)

In the training room, you can often see Snivy waving its whip, urging two teary-eyed, lazy bubble squirrels to practice dodging or energy control.

Although the bubble squirrels complained, they persevered under the "majesty" of the Snivy and the encouraging gaze of Shen Yu'er, and their strength and spirit were slowly but steadily improving.

That afternoon, Lin Dao had a rare free time and was instructing Shen Yu'er in the group's headquarters' private training room.

He was pointing to a video recording of a battle between rookie trainers in New Edge City on the projection screen, analyzing the tactical choices and timing.

"...Look here, after the opponent's Skitty gained the upper hand with 'Fake Out,' the trainer didn't rush to let Eevee counterattack. Instead, he chose to use 'Adorable' to weaken the opponent's physical attack. This was a very smart choice, creating conditions for the subsequent counterattack."

"Train battles are not just about the power of moves, but also a contest of strategy, timing, and bonds."

"You can't just keep training by yourself. You need to find opportunities to actually battle against the new trainers in the city. You can't just train in isolation."

Shen Yu'er nodded seriously and quickly took notes in her notebook.

Nearby, Pikachu was acting as a "guest coach," solemnly gesturing "Pika Pika" to demonstrate the energy gathering techniques and timing of the "Protect" move to Snivy and Bubblegum, who were struggling to maintain their light blue energy shields.

The little kangaroo cheered him on, bouncing around excitedly.

Just as the training atmosphere was heating up, the door to the training room was pushed open, and a cheerful voice rang out: "Brother Lin! Sister Yu'er! I'm back!"

The person who arrived was Li Hao, who had just finished another commercial endorsement shoot and rushed back to Xinyuan City.

He was holding a serpentine bear with glossy fur and a languid expression in his arms.

After some time apart, the snake-striped bear seems to have gotten a bit plumper, which suggests that its life of "eating and drinking well" outside is indeed quite comfortable.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu was the first to see its old friend and immediately switched back from "coach" mode, waving its little paws happily in greeting.

The serpentine bear peeked out from Li Hao's arms, its eyes lit up when it saw Pikachu and the kangaroo. With a gentle struggle, it jumped down and happily ran over to rub against its companions.

The Kangaskhan mother and Arcanine nodded gently to Li Hao and the Zigzagoon as a greeting.

When the two bubble squirrels saw their playmate, who often left, return, their training plans immediately vanished. Their eyes lit up as they tried to approach, but the Snivy pulled them back with a gentle tug from its two vines.

"Chirp!" (The training isn't over yet!) Snivy glared at them, and the Foam Squirrels could only droop their ears and continue using their moves with a wronged expression.

The Pikachu coach, who was about to go over and catch up, awkwardly withdrew his little foot that had already stepped out, scratched his head, and continued to give instructions with "Pika Pika".

Lin Dao stopped explaining, and Shen Yu'er closed her notebook. The two of them smiled and looked at Li Hao.

"You're back? How did the filming go?"

Shen Yu'er asked with concern and handed her a bottle of water.

Li Hao took the water, gulped down a big mouthful, then plopped down on the bench next to him, a familiar, slightly self-deprecating, hearty smile on his face.

"It went so smoothly, too smoothly. It's just... a little disheartening."

"Oh? What's wrong?"

Lin Dao was using his gentle wave-guiding power to restore the energy of Riolu, who had just finished a round of training, when he heard this and looked up to ask.

Li Hao sighed and patted the head of the snake-patterned bear that had come closer.

"The heir of the company we're collaborating with this time, 'Yufeng Food Company,' is a Pokémon enthusiast. He's rich and powerful, and he managed to get the chance to catch a Charmander through various channels early on, and he did it successfully."

"During a break from filming, we were chatting and the topic of sparring came up. Being young, we were all very competitive, so we had a friendly match."

He shrugged, looking helpless.

"As a result, Zigzag Bear and I were decisively defeated by that little Charmander that we had only raised for a short time. Zigzag Bear's 'Pin Missile' and 'Headbutt' either couldn't hit the agile Charmander, or the Charmander could hold on even if it was hit. We were a bit overwhelmed by its 'Spark' and 'Charge' combo."

"Even though it was just a friendly match, losing so decisively... made me realize even more clearly that I'm really not cut out to be a battle-type trainer. Zigzagoon, it," he said, looking at his partner who was comfortably lying at his feet, showing no interest in training.

"Its ambitions don't lie in this. Before, it followed Pikachu and the others just to join in the fun, but now that it's seen the 'wonderful world' with me, it's completely absorbed and doesn't want to go back home, and it strongly resists training."

Li Hao took out an inconspicuous little stone with gray and white patterns from his pocket and handed it to Lin Dao to look at.

"Here, the Everstone. I specifically bought it from a reputable collector online. The Zigzag Bear itself seems to resist evolution. It showed obvious unease and resistance on two occasions when it had enough energy to evolve."

"I think, since it doesn't want to, I won't force it. As long as it's happy wearing this, that's fine."

Lin Dao took the Everlasting Stone, sensed it, and confirmed that it was indeed genuine.

He looked at Li Hao, the young man who had first become acquainted with him because of the "snake-striped bear stealing food." His eyes were clear, and his smile was open. He was not discouraged by the failure, but rather had a sense of relief after recognizing himself.

"Li Hao," Lin Dao returned the Everstone to him, his tone gentle yet solemn.

"You need to understand that a powerful trainer is not defined by just 'winning battles'."

He pointed to Shen Yu'er and Tengteng She, who were training hard, and then to Li Hao himself.

"Being able to help others build a better connection with Pokémon, being able to spread the right ideas in your own way, allowing more people to understand and accept Pokémon, and allowing partners like Zigzagoon to live happily according to their own wishes... this is also a kind of strength, or even a more precious kind of strength."

Lin Dao knew Li Hao's character very well.

With the halo of being "the first human partner in the forest" and "the first citizen of our own country to catch a Pokémon," along with his own affability, this young man has long been a favorite for business collaborations and earns a considerable income.

However, he donated almost all of his endorsement income and live-streaming rewards to foundations that help the disadvantaged, to financially struggling aspiring trainers, and to non-governmental organizations dedicated to improving the relationship between humans and Pokémon through various anonymous or semi-anonymous channels.

He and his family live a simple and content life entirely on the salary from the group, which is considered generous by ordinary people but far less than his business income.

He once told Lin Dao and Shen Yu'er, "My life is good enough, I lack nothing. This extra money should be used to help those who really need it, or to make the world a better place, not a worse place, because of the arrival of Pokémon."

Li Hao chuckled and scratched his head after hearing Lin Dao's words.

"Brother Lin, don't try to comfort me. I know my own limitations. My Zigzagoon and I are perfect as 'goodwill ambassadors,' eating and drinking, taking pictures of each other, telling everyone fun stories about Pokémon, and spreading positive energy."

"When the day comes that the popularity and achievements I've built up by relying on your banner, Brother Lin, are almost exhausted, I'll apply for early 'retirement,' collect the group's basic salary, travel around with Snake Bear, and retire early!"

As he spoke, he deliberately winked at Shen Yu'er.

"Sister Yu'er, you're my own cousin, so please don't fire me because you think I'm just taking up space without doing any work!"

Shen Yu'er was amused by him and gave him a disgruntled look.

"Don't worry! With your contributions, it's only right that we support you until you're old. The company doesn't need your salary."

Lin Dao also shook his head with a smile. He looked at Li Hao, who looked relaxed, and then at the snake-patterned bear nestled at his feet, showing no aversion to the Everstone and even rubbing against Li Hao's palm in satisfaction. He felt a sense of peace.

Everyone has their own path to choose, and everyone's way of being with Pokémon is different.

Under the guidance of Snivy, Shen Yu'er is striving to become a qualified trainer; Li Hao and Zigzagoon have found their own unique path of spreading warmth and joy; and as for herself, she needs to lead Pikachu, Arcanine, Shellder, and Riolu to go deeper and see further on this path of integration and exploration.

In the training room, the shouts of Snivy, the cries of Foam Squirrel (mostly exaggerated), the instructions of Pikachu, the satisfied purring of Zigzagoon, and Li Hao's hearty laughter mingled together.