Bottom-tier trainers in the Pokémon world

As long as I'm not hungry, it's fine.

For Xia Yan, this situation is destined to be a sleepless night.

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Chapter Twenty-Two: Big! Thick! Sturdy!

The morning mist thins at dawn, and the sun rises in the east.

The sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, dispelling the last vestiges of the forest's gloom.

Beside the burnt-out campfire, Xia Yan was not in good condition. He hadn't slept all night and was constantly on guard, which made his eyes bloodshot.

The sunlight also slightly dispelled some of his fatigue.

He looked down into his arms.

The unicorn beetle's eyes were still closed, and next to it was a complete body shell.

That's right.

It has shed its shell.

Last night, after the unicorn fell into a deep sleep, it shed its shell without even realizing it, which is extremely rare for a creature like the unicorn.

Most importantly, at this moment, the size of the unicorn beetle was twice as large as the shed shells around it, and possibly even more.

It's not just a change in size; the newly emerged carapace is more vibrant in color, and its shiny body reflects the warmth of the sunlight.

It had doubled in size—a change Xia Yan hadn't anticipated.

But he was certain that this change would be more beneficial than harmful to the unicorn.

There are downsides, though. At the very least, previous training and control over the body will definitely decline. But with more training, these can be made up for quickly.

But the benefits...

"Waaah..."

At the slightest sound, the unicorn beetle's eyelids trembled, and it slowly opened its eyes.

His eyes were initially filled with confusion, but then they cleared.

"Whoa!" She suddenly raised her head and looked at Xia Yan. After confirming that he was not injured or attacked by wild elves, she breathed a long sigh of relief.

Fortunately.

He immediately became somewhat doubtful.

How did I fall asleep without realizing it last night?

And he slept so soundly.

Most importantly, why does Xia Yan seem to have shrunk?

He sat up.

She looked at him closely, her surprise growing stronger.

"Huh?"

It really does look smaller?

Seeing its expression, Xia Yan smiled wearily, "Stop looking, it's not that I've shrunk, it's that you've grown up."

"Huh?"

Grown up?

Then the unicorn beetle noticed the pile of shells around it, and looked at itself, comparing it to Xia Yan's palm.

"Waaaaaah!!!!"

It really got bigger!

Big! Thick! Sturdy!

Gently pat its shell, feeling its harder texture and smooth, rounded surface.

"It seems like this is a good thing now. You were about to evolve, but after eating those two tree fruits, your potential has become even greater, and we can no longer sense that you are about to evolve."

The Insect-Giving Fruit greatly unlocked the Unicorn Insect's talent and potential, extending the time it took to realize its potential into strength and prolonging its growth cycle.

He didn't know how Giovanni's Beedrill was trained, only that the power of Viridian played a key role, but he didn't know exactly how that role was manifested.

But the changes in the unicorn are a good thing, both in the short and long term.

Xia Yan doesn't need to worry about work because the Unicorn is about to evolve.

As things stand, the Unicorn Worm will need at least fifteen days, or even longer, to fully unlock the potential hidden within this body, giving him more time to prepare.

Whether it's catching new Pokémon or evolving them to challenge Metapod as a training partner.

He staggered to his feet, supporting himself on his knees.

My legs are a little numb from sitting all night.

"It's time to go back. If we don't go back soon, the club will probably think we're dead. Besides, I'm getting more and more interested in that promotion."

The changes in the unicorn gave him the opportunity to pursue higher treatment.

The unicorn quickly adapted to its change and climbed onto his shoulder in a few quick steps.

The once-empty shoulders now felt slightly crowded.

Furthermore, Xia Yan noticed a significant change in the weight of the unicorn beetle.

He jokingly remarked, "You've gained weight."

With uneven footsteps, they walked towards the edge of the dense forest.

If we don't hurry back, we might miss Jian Er's invitation today.

That's all money.

Dragging my tired body, I successfully left the dense forest.

The finless jay that I deliberately left behind yesterday is gone. I don't know if it escaped or was eaten by another predator.

With a slightly regretful feeling, dressed in tattered clothes, carrying the somewhat unusual-looking unicorn beetle, and under the strange gazes of those around them, they took the bus back to the club.

Wild Pokémon with unusual body shapes do exist, but they are somewhat rare and haven't attracted much attention.

But those are all genetic; it's much rarer to go from an average size to twice the size.

"Xia Yan!!"

When Anna saw the disheveled Xia Yan appear, she looked surprised, but also a little delighted.

I don't know why I was surprised. Maybe it's because it would be a pity to see someone who worked so hard die like this.

Yes, the club members do believe Xia Yan is dead.

This situation is not common, but it's not infrequent either.

Trainers and Pokémon go on adventures in the wild, and anything can happen. Death is also a normal occurrence, even if the mission may not seem dangerous.

Xia Yan gave a somewhat forced smile, "Some things came up and I was a little delayed, but it's not too late, is it?"

Anna breathed a sigh of relief. "It's not too late yet. The other beginner sparring partner also came back quite late. We're only just starting to tally up your results today."

"That's good." Xia Yan was slightly relieved.

"Give me the camera, then go back and change your clothes. The supervisor might see you later."

Xia Yan handed over the club's camera. "Okay."

He then headed towards his room. He was very tired and if he had time, he would like to take a nap, even if it was just for an hour or a few tens of minutes. He was going to go to the Flourishing Forest again with Jian Er later.

Anna watched his back and noticed the unicorn on his shoulder, feeling somewhat surprised and taken aback.

"Is it... a different Pokémon? Or... has it gained weight?"

Such situations have occurred before.

In order to keep their jobs, if a club's trainers' Pokémon evolves but they lack the confidence to defeat other trainers, they will choose to catch another Pokémon of that evolution to keep their jobs.

However, the club is aware of this situation because they have detailed data and information on each training Pokémon.

If the Pokémon you catch again is of decent strength, that's fine. But if they're not a good match, you might face expulsion.

He shook his head, not thinking much of it.

The camera was sent to the technical department, where they will be responsible for compiling statistics.

They then went to the office of their supervisor, Loto.

"Supervisor, 0451 is back."

Dressed impeccably, Loto held his coffee, glanced at the newspaper, and nodded slightly. "Understood. Once the technical department has compiled the data, have the three of them come to me."

“Okay,” Anna replied respectfully, then hesitated for a moment before adding, “Supervisor, 0451’s unicorn beetle…”

"how?"

"There seems to be some change. I'm not sure if it's a different Pokémon or the same one. It's more than twice the size of the original one," Anna reported truthfully, completing her task.

"Oh?" Loto raised an eyebrow, put down his newspaper and coffee, and looked slightly surprised. "What do you think?"

Anna recalled the image of Natsuhiko and Weedle training together. She thought, "A trainer who works hard with their Pokémon wouldn't just switch Pokémon, right?"

"It might be the same one as before..."

One of the reasons for the existence of the Silver Pokémon Battle Club is to collect information on various Pokémon, and Pokémon with abnormal changes are the ones that need special attention.

"I understand. Have him take the unicorn to the technical department for a test first, and then come back."

"Yes."

Chapter Twenty-Three: Weakling

Why didn't you change your clothes?

Anna led Natsuhiko, who was still unsteady on his feet after resting for an hour, and Unicorn Worm out of the technical department.