What should I do if my pet loves watching anime?

At dawn, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the misty air in the valley, Old Hong called Gu Beiri aside.

"That's about it." Old Master Hong got straight to the point. "I've taught you the basics, and I've given you all the pointers. The rest is up to you to work hard and develop your own understanding."

He patted Gu Beiri on the shoulder: "I suggest we go down the mountain today."

Gu Beiri was slightly taken aback: "Elder Hong, the freshman competition still has some time to go..."

"Time is not in a hurry, but if we stay here any longer, the effect will only get worse." Old Hong shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the Wool Sheep and Scyther who were doing acclimatization training not far away.

"Their current state has reached a bottleneck."

Continuing with high-intensity, targeted training can easily overload both the body and mind, potentially damaging the foundation or creating incorrect muscle memory.

It takes time to digest and reflect, to truly internalize what you've learned.

He paused, his tone softening slightly: "Moreover, your freshman competition was held in a standard battlefield, where the environment and conditions are completely different from here."

They also need time to readjust to the normal combat rhythm and environment.

Staying in the mountains all the time will actually be a disadvantage for the upcoming competition.

Gu Beiri remained silent for a moment, then understood the deeper meaning behind Elder Hong's words.

Training is not just about relentless hard work; a balance of intensity and rest, along with timely return to training, is essential to maximizing the benefits.

"I understand. Thank you for your careful guidance these past few days, Elder Hong," Gu Beiri said sincerely.

"Alright, enough with the formalities." Old Hong waved his hand, a familiar, slightly rough smile on his face. "I'm happy to see promising young talents getting on the right track."

Go back and prepare well for the competition; don't embarrass me.

"And another thing," he added, "if that kid Chen Xing asks, just say... this old man is very satisfied with you."

Tell him to rest assured; his investment won't lose money.

Gu Beiri nodded emphatically: "Definitely."

After breakfast, everyone began packing their belongings, preparing to descend the mountain.

Grandma Hong packed up the remaining dry food, special wound medicine, and nutritional supplements, stuffed them into Gu Beiri's backpack, and gave him a long, detailed reminder of what to do on the way and after returning.

The old Swamp King remained lying on the black stone platform, but as they left, it slowly opened its eyes. Its dim gaze lingered on the Woolfo and Scyther for a moment, and it let out a low, long "gurgle" as a farewell.

Several Woops also poked their heads out of the shallow water, looking around curiously. The Woop that had been defeated by the Wool Sheep even waved its short forelegs.

Pidgeot was already waiting outside the camp, its huge wings folded at its sides, like a silent guardian.

"Let's go, old woman." Old Hong called out, and was the first to flip over and straddle the broad back of the eagle.

Grandma Hong was carefully supported by Gu Beiri and sat behind Old Master Hong.

Gu Beiri recalled Flypuff and Scyther into their Poké Balls and then sat down himself.

The feathers of the Pied Eagle are thick and elastic, making it very stable to sit on.

"Hold on tight."

Old Hong gave a reminder, and the eagle spread its wings and gently flapped them.

A powerful gust of air swept up the snow and fallen leaves on the ground, and the Pidgeot's massive body had already taken off into the air, rapidly ascending and leaving the mist, pool water, and figures of the hot spring valley below.

The wind whistled in my ears, and the snow line, forests, and streams of Mount Taibai below shrank rapidly.

Unlike the arduous climb on the way there, the return journey was exceptionally swift thanks to the Piedea.

In less than two hours, they landed on the outskirts of Snowfield City.

When saying goodbye to Grandpa and Grandma Hong, Grandpa Hong gave them his final advice: "Remember what I told you. Training must be consistent, but you also need to know when to stop. Just do your best in the competition, don't put too much pressure on yourself. If you have time... you can come visit us two old folks again."

"We definitely will, Grandpa Hong, Grandma Hong, please take care of yourselves." Gu Beiri waved goodbye, watching the two elderly people support each other as their figures disappeared around the street corner.

He took a deep breath of the city air, slightly dusty yet incredibly familiar, and touched the Poké Ball at his waist.

"We should go back too."

The journey back to Linhai City by flight went very smoothly.

The sheep and scyther seemed to have gotten used to flying, no longer as nervous and curious as the first time. They spent most of their time resting quietly in their Poké Balls, recovering from the exhaustion of their mountain training.

As Gu Beiri dragged his suitcase out of Linhai City Airport, the afterglow of the setting sun was painting the city's outline in a warm golden hue.

The familiar hustle and bustle, the traffic, the neon lights... everything seemed just as it was when I left.

Instead of returning to school immediately, he went to the best Pokémon center in the city to arrange a comprehensive check-up and deep recovery care for his sheep and scyther.

While the training in the mountains was highly effective, it also left behind many minor injuries and accumulated fatigue, which must be properly addressed.

While waiting for the results at the Pokémon Center, Gu Beiri turned on his communicator, which had been switched off for a long time.

The notification sound started ringing incessantly.

Most of the messages were from Su Wenya, asking when he would return, whether his return went smoothly, and attaching the latest personnel changes and intelligence analysis of the freshman competition.

Chen Xing also sent several messages, his tone shifting from initial concern to later composure, the last one simply stating: "Contact me after you return safely."

Some were inquiries about routine matters from classmates or Dr. Dongfang's research team.

Gu Beiri first sent a message to Su Wenya to let her know he was safe and they agreed to meet at school the next day to discuss things in detail.

Then, he dialed Chen Xing's number.

"Hey, Bei Ri?" Chen Xing's voice rang out quickly, carrying a hint of barely perceptible anticipation and relaxation. "You're back?"

"Yes, I just got off the plane and am at the Pokémon Center now," Gu Beiri replied. "Things went very smoothly with Elder Hong. He asked me to tell you that he is very satisfied with this special training."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the communication line, followed by Chen Xing's relieved laughter.

"Great! That's wonderful!"

He could hear the suppressed excitement in Chen Xing's voice.

This private investment and Mr. Hong's special training were undoubtedly a huge gamble for Chen Xing.

Receiving positive feedback from Mr. Hong has undoubtedly put his mind at ease.

"You should rest well these few days and get back to your normal state."

I've almost finished compiling the information and opponent analysis for the freshman tournament. I'll send it to you tomorrow along with some supplies.

Chen Xing quickly regained his managerial competence, saying, "If you need anything else, just let me know."

"In addition, according to past tradition, the freshman competition on campus in Linhai will be broadcast live by Linhai TV."

Every year, a significant number of students are discovered through this live stream.

"Get a good score, and leave the rest to me."

"Understood, thank you for your help, Uncle Chen."

The following week will be the adjustment period.