Elf: I have a secret realm of emerald green.

Because another condition for her evolution is that she can only complete her evolution in rainy weather.

The conditions for Moonbear's evolution are not as demanding as those for a full moon. In fact, if Xia Shen wanted, he could let Noodles pray for rain so that it could evolve whenever it wanted.

Ash's Goodra did just that in the anime.

As for when to let Noodles evolve... Xia Shen isn't in a hurry for now.

Anyway, it's controllable. Even if it doesn't evolve in the public eye like the Moon Bear, its first appearance must be arranged on an important occasion.

One month from now, the National College Student Pokémon Battle League will reignite the flames of competition, and it will be a great stage in terms of both scale and popularity.

Xia Shen was preparing to let Nian Mei'er... no, Nian Meilong shine with her dazzling brilliance.

Although it's still unknown whether I'll have a chance to play...

…………

In the past two months, Xia Shen has fully integrated into the school team.

Coach Ma and Rou Ge both have considerable prestige, so the atmosphere in the school team is relatively harmonious, at least on the surface.

Xia Shen has also played against most of his teammates on the school team who have a chance to be promoted to the main team.

To be honest, after two months of actual combat, Xia Shen's actual strength is currently only ranked sixth in the school team.

Without a doubt, both Garchomp and Ursaring possess strength comparable to that of a professional Tier 3 trainer, making them the main and secondary main Pokémon.

But the third Pokémon, whether it was Zoroark or Togekiss, lacked something, not to mention Tebriam.

This is not to say that they are weak. In fact, with their current energy level that is just short of level 50, they would be at most at the first stage of professional level compared to other ordinary elves.

They possessed a wealth of top-tier resources, including the divine tree fruit unavailable to outsiders, and were nourished by the sacred spring beneath the tree...

With all this training, it's already a miracle that he has reached a level close to professional third dan.

As for Garchomp and Ursaring... that's not just a miracle, it's a divine feat.

After all, being possessed by the Dragon Stone Tablet is nothing short of a miracle.

……

The two remaining Pokémon in the team that haven't evolved to their final stage yet are both real potential powerhouses.

Not to mention Tebrimon, whose origins are mysterious and whose powerful spiritual energy is unbelievable even to Uxie, and who was nurtured by the Origin Crystal of Emredo.

Unfortunately, the evolutionary lock cannot be broken, so a qualitative leap can never be achieved.

Therefore, the only way for Xia Shen to quickly improve his strength in a short period of time is through Nian Mei'er's evolution.

The dual effects of Steel Stone and Dragon Jade Crystals, the invincible combination of Steel and Dragon types, and a pseudo-legendary base stat total of 600.

Xia Shen predicts that after evolving, Goomy will be stronger than Ursaring and become the second strongest member of the team after Garchomp.

At that time, Xia Shen will be fully capable of competing with his professional third-dan rivals.

So here's the problem: if Goome doesn't evolve, I might not have the chance to appear in the competition.

However, allowing Nianmei to evolve and demonstrate her strength first would contradict Xia Shen's original intention of making Nianmei Dragon a stunning spectacle upon her first appearance...

This is such a difficult decision...

------

Fortunately, the league wouldn't officially start for another month, so Xia Shen put the matter aside for the time being.

Today is a special day. The Zhijiang Middle School team is about to undergo a month-long special training at Wudu University.

Xia Shen was the person sent by the University of Chongqing to contact the Zhijiang Middle School team.

Their decision to come to Chongqing this year is undoubtedly related to Xia Shen, so no one is more suitable to make the arrangements than him.

……

In November, the weather in the foggy city gradually turned cool, and the word "fog" in the city's name seemed to permeate the sky, draping this mountain city in a hazy veil.

Especially now, as dusk approaches, the dim afterglow of the setting sun lingers on the horizon, while the city lights begin to twinkle. The natural scenery and the human atmosphere blend together harmoniously in the hazy mist.

Xia Shen, who had rarely left the school in the past few months, experienced the unique charm of this city for the first time.

So, during this not-too-boring wait, the familiar faces from Zhijiang Middle School came into his view.

Principal Wang and Coach Zhang, who were at the head of the group, walked towards Xia Shen with loving smiles on their faces, as if saying, "Our own child has made something of himself."

But Xia Shen's attention was clearly not on those two old men.

He simply smiled as he looked behind them at the graceful, exquisitely beautiful, and aloof young woman.

A little later, as summer deepened, the girl also spotted the person she was looking for, and her originally delicate but expressionless face broke into a smile.

Just like when they parted a few months ago, the two exchanged a silent smile.

……

"Cough cough..."

The principal's cough brought Xia Shen back to reality.

He then remembered his business at the airport and led the group out of the airport.

Many of the team members in this year's Zhijiang Middle School team are also acquaintances.

Yan Yan, Jiang Chuan, and Zhou Yuanyuan need no introduction, and Zhang Ziheng, who had fought with Xia Shen, was also among them.

There were also a few unfamiliar female students, uh... wait, I think I'm in the same year as them?

Being both classmates and seniors is quite a peculiar relationship.

Wait a minute, does that mean Yan Yan should also call me "senior"?

He instantly and naturally pictured the adorable image of a girl bowing her head shyly and calling him "senior," and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The girl beside him instinctively felt that Xia Shen was up to no good, so she gave him a coquettish glare.

Xia Shen didn't argue, and just chuckled twice.

The two flirted silently, and everyone watched with disdain, gathering around to discuss the differences between Chongqing and Zhijiang.

The most clueless person was the principal, who insisted on coming over to chat with Xia Shen.

After exchanging pleasantries and inquiring about his life in Chongqing, she began to boast about the results of her effective parenting.

…………

"Xia Shen, do you still remember the teaching method we experimented with on you? Later, it was extended to the entire school team, and this year our overall strength is even stronger than the same period last year!"

Xia Shen disagreed. Last year at the same time...it seems like he had just joined the school team?

Is it something to be proud of to be better than before?

Seeing Xia Shen's expression, the principal added defiantly, "They're not just a little bit stronger. Yan Yan's three Pokémon are almost all at the amateur eighth or ninth dan level."

Xia Shen was astonished; this was quite something.

I probably wasn't at this level back then either.

Wait... how could I forget that we were classmates again?

However, compared to the group of people in last year's National High School Competition, this level of strength is basically enough to make them the kings of the Jiangnan region.

With the National High School Championship finals still nearly half a year away, who knows, the promise made by the lake might actually come true?

He looked at Yan Yan with a mixture of surprise and admiration, while the girl who had been eavesdropping nearby subtly puffed out her chest with a hint of pride.

Xia Shen's gaze was unconsciously drawn to a certain scenic spot.

Hmm... Yan Yan's progress lately seems to extend beyond just her elf strength...

----------

Author's Remarks

After a long day of company training, I quickly typed out 3,000 words. While posting, I even felt like I hadn't typed enough. Without realizing it, I've gone from a 4k-word writer to a 7k-word writer. Sorry... I really can't go back... Writing makes me so happy.

2022-07-20 18:00

Chapter 195 My house is quite big, so I can rest directly when I'm tired from training, no problem!

Whether in terms of road length or curvature, fog is unparalleled among all cities in China.

For Yan Yan and other outsiders who were new to Fog City and could not ride flying-type Pokémon, this was extremely inconvenient.

Xia Shen picked up the members of the Zhijiang School Team at around 6 o'clock, but the minibus that picked them up didn't arrive at Wudu University until nearly 8 o'clock.

Fortunately, the scenery along the way was quite nice. More importantly, the young couple, having been apart for a short time, were even more excited than newlyweds, and they kept telling each other how much they missed each other and what had happened during their separation.

Before we knew it, the minibus had arrived at the school.

Whether it was out of respect for Xia Shen or not, after the car stopped and everyone got out, Xia Shen was surprised to find that Mu Yaci was personally greeting him, with the level of hospitality going all out.

The principal was flattered and smiled throughout the welcoming banquet.

Because the guests were from Jiangnan, the dishes at this banquet were specially prepared to be mildly spicy.

But the mild spiciness of Chongqing is something those who know, know...

Zhou Yuanyuan and Jiang Chuan were alright, as they could handle some spice, but even so, they were still sweating profusely while eating.

Yan Yan and Xia Shen have similar tastes. During the meal, they only ate some stir-fried vegetables and didn't dare to put their chopsticks into the other dishes that looked bright red.

Xia Shen tugged at her sleeve and whispered in her ear, "Come to my place later, I'll make you some late-night snacks."

The girl, lost in thought, blushed and gave a soft "hmm" in a voice barely audible.

Why are you blushing over something as simple as having a meal?

Xia Shen felt that her thoughts were definitely not pure.

…………

After finishing a meal that was no less enjoyable than the battle, it was already close to nine o'clock, and Wudu University certainly wouldn't arrange any other activities.

Mu Yaci then introduced the accommodation arrangements for this period of time to everyone.

"For the next month, everyone will be staying in the Qiyaoshan dormitory area, which is unique to our Wudu University. The environment is quiet and the facilities are complete. I believe you will not be disappointed."

She said half-jokingly, "It's also a good opportunity to get acquainted with everyone's accommodations in a few years."