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Chapter 108 Don't ask if it's true or not, just tell me if it's wild or not (Part 2)

Chen Mu learned a new lesson from Xiaoxia: in reality, the base power of a Pokémon move is not absolutely linked to its actual combat effectiveness.

The academic community assigns a base power to each known Pokémon attack move, expressed as a number. This number is basically consistent with the power of the moves in Chen Mu's memories of his previous life in the game.

For example, the base power of "Water Gun" and "Spark" is 40; the base power of "Psychic" is 50; and the base power of "Water Pulse" is 60.

This number has some reference value in combat; the higher the number, the more powerful the move will be in most situations.

However, Xiaoxia's explanation also pointed out the limitations of this number—these numbers are obtained by averaging the data of Pokémon across all skill levels.

This is similar to the hero win rates that Chen Mu found when playing MOBA games in his previous life.

A hero's 50% win rate doesn't necessarily mean he's mediocre. He might perform completely differently in low-elo and high-elo games, and the average is just that.

The Water type is one of those Pokémon types where the difference between low-level and high-level play is extremely significant.

Both the "Water Gun" and "Spark" have the same power of 40, but in the beginner stage, the damage from the "Spark" is definitely more noticeable!

Even the most basic and unpretentious "bump" is more reliable than "water gun" most of the time when you're a beginner.

Therefore, in the real world driven by a realistic physics engine, water is not a particularly suitable attribute for beginners.

This can be seen from the fact that when Xiaoxia took a break from her position as gym leader for three whole years when she was young, the training of new trainers in the Kanto region was not affected much.

However, in contrast, once the true essence of water is mastered, the power of the water attribute will gradually be released in the later stages!

Fortunately, at least in Kanto, no one knows better than Misty how to develop these secret techniques so as to quickly enter the dominant period of the water attribute.

Using the seemingly unremarkable 60-power transitional move "Water Pulse" as a starting point, Xiaoxia explained to Chen Mu and Eevee in a simple and easy-to-understand way the wide application of shockwave in water-type moves.

Such instruction is so complete and unreserved that it would be priceless elsewhere.

Little Ibrahimovic learned very quickly.

A few hours later, her Water Pulse activation speed had more than doubled!

The spread of the oscillation is no longer as random as it used to be, but can be targeted and concentrated in one direction, thus creating larger splashes and higher columns of water.

Although the starfish remained in a serene state, floating in the middle of the pool, reluctant to move, Xiaoxia's account suggested that she was quite satisfied with Eevee's progress.

"Your little Eevee is quite quick to learn; Starmie is praising her too."

Hearing his teacher praise him, little Eevee happily popped out of the water and spat out a jet of water that fell like rain to express his joy.

Tiny water droplets landed on the surface of the gem starfish's body.

Her joy was not apparent from the starfish's motionless reaction.

But at least she didn't show any aversion to Ibrahimovic's mischievous behavior.

This is perhaps the greatest tolerance and recognition this Buddhist-like teacher can offer.

Several hours passed in the blink of an eye, and it was already late at night.

Even the usually enthusiastic Eevee was starting to feel sleepy.

Chen Mu had no choice but to suggest, "Let's take a break for now, or continue tomorrow?"

Xiaoxia then agreed to let him go.

At that moment, Chen Mu felt that Xiaoxia was hiding something behind her desperate efforts.

The drizzle over Cerulean City lessened the next day, but it still didn't stop.

Chen Mu didn't rush to collect the reward; instead, he went to sea to take care of important business—retrieving the mottled colored fish that he had released back into the sea the night before.

The Zephyrus is a nocturnal Pokémon. If the one threatening Corsola in the near sea is indeed a Zephyrus, then the group of Grindfish that were deliberately starved for a day last night should have some results in their stomachs.

Because each mottled wrasse was equipped with a tracking device before being released, the retrieval went very smoothly.

The subsequent testing does not require harming the Pokémon. The Cerulean Gym has trained several Water/Psychic-type Slowking Pokémon, which can use their psychic abilities to accurately scan the food residue in the target's stomach.

"What's inside this belly are ordinary sea urchins, seaweed, crabs, and fragments of tuna shells."

The first gastric sac examination of the mottled tarsier yielded no results; instead, a potential problem emerged—the mottled tarsier appears to be attacking native tongue-shaped clams.

The desired substance was not found in the stomach pouch of the second animal either.

There wasn't a third one either.

Just as the atmosphere of the recovery was getting tense, Xiaoxia, who had personally gone aboard to operate the vessel, suddenly let out a surprised sound.

"Got it! We've found it! Slowking has detected the poison stinger!"

Everyone on the ship immediately gathered around.

The Dodo King then used his telekinesis to induce vomiting in the Teeth-Grinding Rainbow Fish.

The wild mottled wrasse looked reluctant, and in a very human-like way, it tilted its mouth and seemed to spit out a dissatisfied spit, but in the end it still obediently vomited out what was in its stomach.

Among a pair of food scraps, a bluish-purple tentacle was clearly visible, covered with large and small venomous spines.

"There's no mistake, these are the tentacles of the Good and Bad Star!"

At this moment, although they had not experienced any battle, everyone on the ship cheered excitedly as if they had won a great battle!

The mystery that had plagued Hualan Fish Farm for over ten days has finally been solved!

There is no room for luck, because there are no good or bad stars in the Kanto region!

Subsequent recovery and testing further confirmed this.

Similar tentacles were found in the stomach sacs of many more of the mollusks that were caught!

It is evident that a considerable number of good and bad stars are now distributed on the seabed of this area.

"This is no longer an ordinary species invasion; we must take strong measures!" Chen Mu proposed, and this suggestion immediately received the full support of the Cerulean Dojo!

"The weakness of the Good and Bad Star is its superpowers. In addition to its natural enemy, the Teething Rainbow Fish, we can also organize Slowking to stand guard on the coast at night, and rent some wild birds and symbolic birds to help us."

Once the source of the crisis is identified, there are many solutions, and we will finally no longer have to endure that torment of being shrouded in mystery!

?

Xiaoxia, the owner of the venue, clenched her fist excitedly, her long orange hair flying freely in the sea breeze.

Seeing her finally overcome her anxiety and regain her confidence, Chen Mu was genuinely happy for her.

That evening, despite the light rain, the group set up several makeshift huts on the shore to closely monitor the operation aimed at removing the good and bad stars.

That night, Xiaoxia and Chen Mu sat under the same roof once again. Chen Mu couldn't help but ask, "You seem particularly concerned about the Hualan Fish Farm incident?"

Although this incident is adjacent to Cerulean City, and Xiaoxia, as the Gym Leader, certainly has a responsibility, Chen Mu feels that Xiaoxia is under too much pressure over the past few days.

From the first day he arrived in the city, Xiaoxia gave him the feeling of anxiety, and she seemed extremely eager for any possible progress.

Even last night's reward, in retrospect, seemed more like a last-minute idea that Xiaoxia had come up with because she was too nervous to sleep at the last minute.

The mystery surrounding the incident has finally been solved, the methods of the person behind it have been revealed, and it is only a matter of time before the crisis is dealt with.

Finally, Xiaoxia was able to unload all the burdens on her shoulders and could leisurely sit under the eaves, quietly watching the drizzle under the night sky.

She spoke to Chen Mu in an ethereal voice.

"Because—I always felt I owed something to this city I came from. A few years ago, I impulsively left and stayed away for three years. And I wanted to prove it! To prove that I'm not just a supporting character in a story, that even without that awful guy from Pallet Town, I, Xiaoxia, could solve a crisis in a city, a sea area!"

Chen Mu immediately guessed that the despicable fellow from Pallet Town was referring to Crimson.

At this moment, Xiaoxia hugged her curled-up legs tightly, rested her chin on her knees, and continued to confide in someone, somewhat lost in thought.

"Chen Mu, you must have heard my story, right? I left my hometown when I was very young, fought against Team Rocket all by myself, and later challenged Elite Four member, fought against the enraged legendary Pokémon, and saved the entire Kanto region."

In those stories, I was portrayed as a legend.

But you know what? In that whole experience, I was just a supporting character. Before I met that guy, I fought against Team Rocket for almost a year, but I accomplished almost nothing. I couldn't do anything and I even had to trouble Rika to save me several times.

The Rockets' current success is almost entirely due to those guys from Pallet Town. They are all true geniuses, incredibly talented, like the most dazzling protagonists in a script.

I was always just a supporting character in that story, silently doing odd jobs, watching them get young and arrogant, watching them improve rapidly, watching them surpass me at an incredible speed, leave me behind, reach the summit, and then sweep away all difficulties and crises with unstoppable momentum.

I spent a year causing Team Rocket a lot of minor trouble, but those few people were able to destroy most of Team Rocket's illegal experimental projects in just one year, forcing Team Rocket to completely abandon their past underworld business and put away all their ambitions to dominate.

I wanted to keep up with them, and I tried my best, but I still couldn't.

In the end, even my determination and honesty were defeated by that little girl named Tokiwa Lilac.

It was as if the whole story belonged to them, and when I said nothing, it was pitch black outside, the night was cool with a light rain, and Xiaoxia's voice, mixed in with the rain, sounded particularly fragile and lonely, as ethereal as if it would be blown away by the wind.

At that moment, Chen Mu inexplicably thought of the lyrics of a song from his past life: "It's clearly a movie about three people, but I don't even deserve a name."

He wanted to offer words of comfort, but for a moment he didn't know what to say, and even felt a pang of guilt.

He seems to bear some responsibility for Xiaoxia's current state of mind.

Because it was he who revealed the news of Crimson's descent to Xia a few months ago on the Quartz Plateau.

At the time, he was hoping to have some fun.

Xiaoxia must have encountered something while heading south, which explains her unusual anxiety and urgency as she returned to Hualan City to deal with the crisis at Hualan Fishing Grounds.

Thinking of this, Chen Mu couldn't help but sigh in his heart: I've really done something terrible!

He didn't really know how to comfort girls; in his previous life, as a gamer, he had absolutely no experience in this area.

After thinking it over, he awkwardly said, "Actually, in a very special version I heard when I was a child, you were the protagonist of the story."

Xiaoxia couldn't help but turn her head to look at him, "What kind of story is the version you've heard?"

"It's a story called 'The Originals'. In that story, you're a ten-year-old girl who embarks on a journey after losing your bicycle. You travel from Pewter City to the Orange Islands, then to the Johto region, and finally return to Cerulean City, where you take over your favorite gym from your older sisters."

Xiaoxia was stunned. "This is ridiculous! When did I ever lose a bicycle when I was ten? And what kid goes on a trip at ten?"

"Is it possible that someone could travel for twenty-two years and still come back ten years old?"

Xiaoxia couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Where did you hear this unofficial history from?"

Chen Mu shrugged. "You said it yourself, it's unofficial history. Don't worry about whether it's true or not, just tell me if it's unofficial or not."

"Haha, Professor Chen, I never knew you had such a funny side."

Xiaoxia was amused by his nonsensical animation recreation, and her clear laughter carried far in the evening breeze.

After laughing for a while, Xiaoxia got up and stretched, revealing her beautiful and well-proportioned curves, truly deserving of the title of mermaid.

"Thank you, Chen Mu. Although your story is a bit far-fetched, I feel much better after hearing it."

Perhaps true comfort doesn't lie in what's said, but in having someone willing to listen and stay by your side when you're at your most vulnerable—that's enough.

Moreover, Chen Mu's truncated account was actually just to emphasize one key point.

Xiaoxia also caught that key point.

"You're right. No matter what, I will always be the Gym Leader of Cerulean City! If that ten-year-old girl in your story could resolutely say goodbye to her friends and return to her hometown to support the Gym, then so can I!"

Xiaoxia was simply too deeply affected by the blow and lost her way. She was so unwilling to accept it that she always wanted to prove something to Chihong.

But in reality, she doesn't need to feel disappointed just because she can't stand next to Crimson.

Hua Lan's mermaid is a proud queen by nature; there's no need for her to be a mournful supporting character!

"Once we've resolved this crisis together, I'm going to give that idiot who disappeared at the crucial moment a good dressing down!"

Xiaoxia, having regained her spirits, made a vow in the evening breeze, and just then, a shout came from outside.

"Master! There's some unusual activity at sea! It looks like a massive supermassive planet has appeared!"