Two days had passed since the start of the qualifier tournament.
Most contestants still had fire in their eyes, but the energy was noticeably lower than on the first day.
May 4th — the monthly Entry refresh, as usual.
A red light flashed.
Lin Yu blinked in surprise, then leaned forward in anticipation.
It had been ages since a red Entry had appeared.
[Red Bound Entry (Armament Haki) — Gather all of one's energy into a single point to form black, fluid matter, drastically boosting Defense in that area. This Entry can be strengthened through training!]
So the wish he'd made for Larvitar — to raise its physical and special Defense — had finally come true.
This Entry was inspired by a certain anime,
able to harden parts of the body like steel.
It was a huge boost not just for defense, but for attacking too.
Since he'd wished for it for Larvitar, Lin Yu bound the Entry to it immediately.
After days of nonstop battles, it had leveled up once more.
[Pokémon: Larvitar]
Ability: Guts
Gender: Female
Potential: Champion-tier
Level: 28
Moves: Tackle, Payback, Leer, Rock Throw, Bite, Rock Slide, Crunch, Stone Edge, Endure, Iron Head, Mud Shot, Screech…
Equipped Entries: Thorn Armor (Fixed), King of Slackers, Food Supply Station, Armament Haki (Fixed)
"Larvi?"
Larvitar stared at the black, flowing layer covering its skin, clearly fascinated.
Raised on Defense & Special Defense Energy Cubes, plus Special Attack cubes, and now Armament Haki —
the future "Desert Tyrant" of the team, the damage sponge, was taking shape.
"C'mon. Let's keep working hard today!"
Once Larvitar and Lucario finished their cubes, Lin Yu was about to take them somewhere else for more qualifier matches.
But as soon as he stepped outside with the two Pokémon, he found someone waiting by the door —
Elite Four Ye.
He'd clearly been there for a while.
The second he saw Lin Yu, he broke into a wide grin.
Lin Yu knew the rule well:
when someone a generation older than you smiles that sweetly at you, they definitely want something.
He tensed up but still greeted him politely.
"Elite Four Ye."
"None of that 'Elite Four' stuff. We'll be family soon enough. Call me Ye Rong, or just Rong-ge."
Ye Rong clapped him on the shoulder, glanced around, then lowered his voice.
"Little Yu, I've got something I need to ask your advice on."
Knew it, Lin Yu thought.
Still, every Elite Four Trainer he'd met was surprisingly laid-back —
this Dragon-type Elite Four, and the Water-type one he'd met in Qingshui City.
Probably because they were still young.
Lin Yu forced a smile. "What's up?"
After all, this was Xiaoxue's older brother, and he was staying under his roof.
"It's a little embarrassing. Let's talk somewhere private."
Ye Rong looked awkward.
"Sure. Lucario, Larvitar, return."
Lin Yu recalled the two Pokémon and followed Ye Rong down the street.
Inside a milk-tea shop,
a Milcery server brought over two cups of their signature strawberry "Milcery Milk Tea."
"Milc~" (Enjoy your drink~)
After hearing Ye Rong's question, Lin Yu's head started spinning.
When had he gotten the reputation of being a love guru?
This was slander!
Ye Rong stabbed his straw into the cup, his face twisted in frustration, his brows knitted into a deep frown.
"I have no idea what to do. C'mon — dating girls usually means shopping, eating, movies, right?
But every time I ask Qingfeng out, she's clearly not into it.
She even told me not to bother asking her out for stuff like this anymore."
"What should I do?!"
Lin Yu: "…"
Wow, Ye Rong, you lovestruck dork.
How am I supposed to know?
"You must know! C'mon!"
"I'll call you ge — brother Lin. Teach me!"
Ye Rong stared at him like he was his last hope, making Lin Yu even more helpless.
He said bitterly, "C'mon, Rong-ge… I really —"
How would he know anything about romance?
Ye Rong slammed the table. "Alright, you little rascal. If you don't teach me, I'll tell Xiaoxue everything that happened to you in the Eon Islands!"
"Huh?"
Lin Yu was even more confused.
What had he even done there?
Just competed in a tournament.
But seeing Ye Rong's murderous expression, Lin Yu sighed. "Alright… let me think."
"Atta boy!"
Lin Yu began to piece things together.
From his chats with Teacher Luo and how she'd exchanged contact info, she definitely had a thing for Ye… dork.
And the fact that Ye Rong could even get her to go out meant she didn't dislike him.
So when she said "don't ask me out for this kind of thing again,"
it meant his approach was all wrong.
Teacher Luo's personality…
Mature, sharp, a researcher, a Breeder — and she was probably older than Ye Rong.
"I got it!"
Lin Yu's eyes suddenly lit up.
Ye Rong leaned forward eagerly. "Hurry, hurry!"
"Look, Rong-ge — the fact you can get her to go out with you means she does like you…"
Lin Yu laid out his reasoning, and Ye Rong's eyes grew brighter and brighter, nodding furiously.
Finally, he clapped Lin Yu hard on the shoulder in satisfaction.
"Right! Yeah, exactly! You're a genius!"
"What's the solution?"
"Ugh—"
Lin Yu gasped in pain at the crushing force on his shoulder.
Even with Wave Guiding Aura protecting him, the strength still hurt.
As an Elite Four Trainer,
Ye Rong's physique, strengthened over years of bond-sharing, was off the charts.
"Stuff like dinner and movies is what high school girls like.
Teacher Luo's straightforward. Who is she? A researcher, a Breeder — jobs that take tons of patience and are pretty boring!
So she's just not into the places you take her."
"But if you bring her somewhere exciting — an amusement park, a haunted house, a log flume ride… something to get her adrenaline going, it'll work way better…"
Lin Yu finished in one breath, then stabbed his own straw into his milk tea and took a sip.
He'd almost convinced himself.
If these two actually got together, he deserved the main credit!
Ye Rong's eyes went huge the whole time. When Lin Yu finished, he exclaimed:
"You little legend! That's brilliant! And you say you can't flirt?"