Chapter 15: Chapter 15
"Larvesta finished its bottle of milk, narrowed its eyes, and fell asleep comfortably in Xiangling's arms."
Growlithe, having just woken from a nap, was wide awake after drinking its milk. It trotted over to Captain Hongyi of the Qianyan Army and stretched out its little tongue to lick Hongyi's palm.
Takumi took a few more pictures for advertising materials and nodded with satisfaction.
"The display screen will go up in the store later."
"This batch of photos featuring Gible, Growlithe, and Larvesta is perfect for this week's advertisements!"
Takumi turned back and noticed that Hongyi was still standing around, looking slightly out of place.
"Captain Hongyi, isn't the Qianyan Army usually very busy?"
Hongyi replied, "When I went home to get the money, I took a half-day emergency leave."
Takumi nodded in understanding.
Meanwhile, Hu Tao walked over, with Gible yawning sleepily behind her.
"Manager, I just signed up for the membership card."
"How do I access the training room?"
Takumi smiled, stepping aside and pointing at the stone brick wall next to the counter.
"The door is right here."
Hu Tao: ?
Hongyi: ??
Are you sure there's a door here?!
Is the manager playing a trick on them, or were they seeing things?
Under the guests' puzzled and slightly skeptical gazes, Takumi walked up to the wall and tapped it lightly.
Suddenly, ripples appeared, and an illusory door gradually materialized and solidified.
"Please come in, Hall Master Hu Tao." Takumi stood by the doorframe, bowing slightly.
"Is this… a dimensional door?"
Hu Tao and Gible were equally amazed, stepping forward in unison.
"Beep!"
"Membership card verification passed!"
As they stepped through the door, they found themselves in a space much larger than the storefront they had entered from.
It resembled a training gym from Blue Planet, but all the equipment and facilities were specifically designed for training Pokémon.
Each area had different functionalities—speed training, attribute enhancement, even a target range for honing accuracy with Pokémon moves.
Hongyi and Xiangling, intrigued, quickly signed up for their own membership cards and joined them in the training room.
"Manager, what is this equipment?"
Hongyi noticed that his Growlithe had wandered over to a particular device, whimpering excitedly with its tail wagging. It was clearly drawn to the machine.
Takumi glanced over and explained:
"Oh, that's a Magmarizer."
"It holds a high concentration of magma energy. Growlithe, being a Fire-type Pokémon, must sense the energy and is naturally drawn to it."
"But this device is only effective for Magmar to evolve into Magmortar."
"Wow!"
Equipment specifically designed for Pokémon evolution! This was nothing short of cutting-edge technology.
Hu Tao and Xiangling were left speechless. This store was like a magical treasure trove, full of surprises beyond imagination.
"The one next to it is called an Electirizer. It's used to evolve Electabuzz into Electivire."
Takumi guided the group further into the training room, stopping at a counter on the left side of the room.
He picked up a piece of equipment from the shelf.
"This is a Power Bracer."
"The recommended focus for Gible's training is physical attack and speed," he said. "This will help slightly enhance the strength training effect for Gible."
Hu Tao took the equipment, still in awe. "Manager, can this only be used in the training room?"
Takumi raised an eyebrow, then replied with a grin, "What? Planning to take it home and have Gible wear it 24/7?"
He picked up a Power Anklet, which increased speed training, and tossed it to Hongyi.
"Since your Pokémon are still young, I don't recommend overdoing it."
"Balance is key. Just come here and train for about two hours each day."
Takumi then set Growlithe, equipped with the Power Anklet, on a treadmill, while Gible practiced hitting a sandbag nearby.
Within a quarter of an hour, both Pokémon were thoroughly exhausted and had collapsed from fatigue.
Takumi looked at them and shrugged helplessly.
"Guess I overestimated the little ones' stamina and underestimated the intensity of the equipment in this store."
Hu Tao scanned Gible with her Pokédex and gasped in delight:
"My Gible leveled up to Lv. 3 already! This training equipment is amazing!"
Gible, panting and slumped in front of the sandbag with a dazed look, suddenly had a glimmer of excitement in its eyes.
"Shark~!"
Its call was full of energy, as if to say, "I'm getting stronger!"
"Beep!"
"Gible has learned the move 'Sand Attack'."
The electronic voice from the Pokédex announced.
Hu Tao's mouth dropped open in surprise and joy.
"Oh wow, Gible, you've learned a new skill already!"
She scooped up Gible and hugged it close, nuzzling her cheek against it.
"Hehehe…"
Gible, acting coy, turned its head away, pressing its stubby forelimbs against Hu Tao's chest in a classic "kneading" gesture that was endearingly similar to a cat's.
Gible the Proud Baby.jpg