Squeezed between Ling Wanqiu and Xiao Luoxue, Jiang Chen kept a calm expression on the surface, but he was secretly enjoying the proximity.
This was the charm of a leading man.
Still, he knew he had better give Xiao Luoxue a solution soon, or she was likely to blow a fuse.
"The method is actually quite simple," Jiang Chen said, looking at Xiao Luoxue. "What do you think Munchlax loves most?"
"Eating."
That was an easy question to answer. Munchlax lived to eat; it was the first to show up for a meal and the first to sneak snacks when no one was looking.
"Exactly. It's eating," Jiang Chen confirmed. "It doesn't like to train, but it will do anything for a meal. You can use food to entice it. If you want it to train, you have to give it a proper motive."
The idea wasn't particularly brilliant, but it was effective.
"You're right! Why didn't I think of that before?" Xiao Luoxue's eyes lit up.
"Probably because you're a bit slow," Jiang Chen blurted out subconsciously.
The moment the words left his mouth, his expression froze. His sense of self-preservation kicked in instantly, and he used his psychic power to Teleport away. He just barely evaded Xiao Luoxue's "Nine Yin White Bone Claw."
Xiao Luoxue gritted her teeth, glaring at him. "Who exactly are you calling slow?"
"Ahem, I haven't finished the plan yet," Jiang Chen said, quickly trying to change the subject.
"Then hurry up and finish," Xiao Luoxue said, temporarily setting aside her desire to strangle him.
"If you use my method, you first have to make sure Munchlax isn't too full. If its belly is stuffed, the temptation of food won't be as strong."
"So, we have to let Munchlax go hungry?" Ling Wanqiu asked, glancing at the Pokémon. Though it belonged to Xiao Luoxue, she had grown quite fond of the chubby little creature. She felt a bit sorry for it at the thought of it being hungry.
"A little hunger will do it some good," Jiang Chen replied, throwing them a look. "Look at its size. It's clearly a full circle wider than any other Munchlax. That is definitely your responsibility."
A normal Munchlax weighed around a hundred kilograms, but the one standing before them had to be at least a hundred and fifty. It was fifty percent heavier than its peers, all thanks to Ling Wanqiu and Xiao Luoxue overfeeding it.
"Letting it go hungry will help it lose some weight. Otherwise, it won't be able to fight at all. If you just want to raise it as a pet, then pretend I didn't say anything." If it was just a pet, being a bit overweight wouldn't matter.
"Fine, let's do it your way," Xiao Luoxue nodded. She realized she needed to be a bit firmer. She had been too soft-hearted before, giving Munchlax whatever it wanted. She had spoiled it.
Munchlax, standing nearby, had clearly understood the conversation. It let out a cry of protest, staring at Jiang Chen with indignation. In its eyes, Jiang Chen was now a great devil, a complete villain.
"How about I help you train it? I can guarantee it'll slim down in just a few days," Jiang Chen said with a mischievous grin.
Munchlax suddenly felt a wave of coldness. Even its thick fur couldn't block the chill. It shuddered and looked at Jiang Chen warily. Its intuition told it that the source of this malice was the man before it.
"Today is your last day of indulgence. If you don't train seriously tomorrow, you're going to bed hungry," Xiao Luoxue said firmly to her Pokémon.
Munchlax tried to act pitiful, looking to her for sympathy, but Xiao Luoxue remained unmoved. Seeing that its tactics were failing, Munchlax lowered its head in depression.
"Jiang Chen, please help me with the training. I don't want to see Munchlax end up useless," Xiao Luoxue requested.
"Don't worry. I guarantee that in three days, I'll give you a completely different Munchlax."
Munchlax's refusal to train was a matter of personality, unlike Slaking, whose laziness was tied to its Truant Ability. Because it was a character flaw, it was much easier to fix.
The next morning, Munchlax was rudely awakened by Jiang Chen while it was still deep in sleep. It was immediately dragged off to train alongside Lucario. Jiang Chen set a strict schedule: if the tasks weren't completed, Munchlax's breakfast would be cut in half.
Munchlax pleaded with Xiao Luoxue, but she didn't waver. She couldn't afford to be soft-hearted this time.
"Larvitar, today we're doing weighted running," Xiao Luoxue said, beginning the training for her newly acquired Pokémon. Unlike Munchlax, Larvitar was naturally hardworking and diligent.
A full day of training left Munchlax exhausted. Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and the Pokémon had already lost at least ten kilograms. Under Jiang Chen's thumb, Munchlax was remarkably well-behaved. He was incredibly strict, and with Xiao Luoxue refusing to intervene, the Pokémon had no choice but to follow orders.
"Well? Isn't it much better than before?" Jiang Chen asked Xiao Luoxue. "If it ever gets lazy again, just send it back to me. I'll give it another education."
He said this right in front of Munchlax. The Pokémon's face went pale with terror. These last three days had nearly been the death of it. It silently vowed never to fall into the hands of the "Devil" Jiang Chen again.
"Deal. If it doesn't behave or train, I'll hand it over to you for schooling," Xiao Luoxue agreed, playing along with Jiang Chen to keep the Pokémon intimidated.
"We should probably leave this area tomorrow," Ling Wanqiu noted.
"Are you done using Scyther as a sparring partner?" she asked Jiang Chen.
"I'm planning to find someone else," Jiang Chen replied. He couldn't keep Scyther as a permanent training dummy forever. Scyther loved to fight, but a week of non-stop combat was enough to tire anyone out.
After a night's rest, Jiang Chen performed his daily sign-in. Lately, the rewards had been fairly ordinary, mostly consisting of Poké Dollars. He wasn't exactly hurting for cash.
After breakfast, while Xiao Luoxue and Ling Wanqiu were packing their things, Jiang Chen went to find Scyther. When the Pokémon saw him, it assumed it was time for another sparring session.
"Scyther, we're planning to leave today. Thank you for all your help recently."
Hearing that they were leaving, Scyther froze. Its eyes betrayed a hint of reluctance.
"Scy!"
"What? You want to come with me?"
Jiang Chen was stunned. He hadn't actually planned on capturing Scyther, but it seemed the Pokémon intended to follow him. "Are you sure about this?"
Jiang Chen wanted to make sure it wasn't just a fleeting impulse.
Scyther nodded firmly, its mind made up. It communicated its reasons: it craved battle. In this forest, it could no longer find worthy opponents. Only by leaving this place could it fight stronger foes and continue to grow.
"I'll take you to see a much broader sky," Jiang Chen said with a smile. If Scyther was willing to follow, he wouldn't let it down.
He produced an empty Poké Ball and held it out. Scyther knew what the device was; it tapped the ball and was drawn inside in a flash of light.
"We have a new partner," Jiang Chen announced when he returned to the girls. Under their confused gazes, he released Scyther from its ball.
"You caught Scyther?"
"Maybe my personal charisma is just too high," Jiang Chen said with a smug grin. "Scyther decided to follow me on its own."
"Too much charisma? You're just a narcissist," Xiao Luoxue said, giving him a look of pure disdain.
"I'm not being narcissistic. Scyther really did follow me voluntarily. Don't you believe me? What else could convince an Elite Four level Scyther to follow someone if not pure charisma?" Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow.
Secretly, the girls did believe him. Jiang Chen had never shown any intent to capture Scyther before. They just didn't want to see him getting too full of himself.
Still, Ling Wanqiu and Xiao Luoxue were genuinely curious about how he had managed to "abduct" an Elite Four level Pokémon. If they could learn that trick, maybe they could bring one home themselves.
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