It's likely that very few people have ever seen an Eevee constantly clutching a juice bottle like a precious toy.
It's even rarer to see someone fill that bottle with sand.
To motivate Eevee, Owen had come up with a clever plan. Undeniably, for this kind of technical training, intense focus and concentration were absolute necessities. However, once a skill becomes second nature, "multi-tasking" becomes possible.
Owen used himself as an example: he could watch anime while eating without missing a beat...
"Eevee, multi-tasking theoretically means doing two things at the exact same time..."
"It's usually hard, but there are exceptions."
"If you're so skilled at one task that it becomes instinctive, you can switch your attention back and forth so fast that it achieves the same effect as doing them simultaneously."
"Do you understand?"
Eevee hugged the plastic bottle, shivering slightly. She had a nagging feeling that Owen was digging another pit for her to fall into.
"Vee..."
"My point is," Owen said with a gentle smile, "you have the chance to undergo special training while watching TV."
"Vee??"
"Think about it. Your eyes watch the screen, your ears listen to the sound, and your paws control the sand in the bottle. Isn't that just like eating dinner while watching your favourite show?"
Eevee nodded. That actually made sense.
"But obviously, your control over the sand hasn't reached that level of mastery yet. At most, you're just making it tumble around messily, right?"
"Imagine this: if you could master the sand so well that you could make it rotate at high speeds without even looking, wouldn't you be able to train and watch TV at the same time?"
Eevee's eyes lit up. Could special training be done like this? Training while watching TV? Sounds amazing!
"So, the priority is to find that 'high-speed rotation' feeling quickly. Then you practice until it's effortless. Once you reach that point, you're liberated! You can watch TV legitimately!"
"Vee!" Eevee nodded vigorously. She suddenly had a goal to strive for. This training seemed so "easy"—it could even be done alongside her hobbies.
Owen scratched his cheek. This doesn't technically count as tricking her... right?
But in truth, it was a massive pit. To be able to perfectly rotate sand while being distracted by a TV show would require a terrifying level of proficiency.
By using TV as bait, Owen had ignited a fire in Eevee's heart. Driven by determination, she might enter the "beginner" stage of this training much faster than expected.
Furthermore, she would now subconsciously practice while playing, perfectly utilizing her downtime...
Clearly, Eevee had been "played" again, willingly jumping into the trap. In the ongoing battle of wits between Trainer and Pokémon, Eevee had lost once more.
The Hidden Power of the Salac Berry
The next day.
Owen and Eevee returned to the Starry Battle Club. Uncle Sam met them again, but he didn't head toward the previous training room.
"From today on, I won't be accompanying you for the Bite training. I have other business to attend to," Sam said.
"Understood." Owen nodded. Sam had already explained all the vital details on the first day; he and Eevee could handle the Raticates on their own now.
"By the way, Uncle Sam, is there any sparring work today?"
His sparring salary at the club was paid daily. Yesterday, his bank account received a transfer of over 300 Yuan.
This had Owen incredibly excited. If he could manage one battle a day, he'd be making over 10,000 Yuan a month. Who knew a "monthly five-figure" job could be this accessible?
"None. There aren't many customers who need a rookie sparring partner. If there were more, I'd have a line out the door. Besides, for the next few days, your focus shouldn't be on making money, but on making Eevee stronger."
"Do you remember what I promised to help you with yesterday?" Sam asked.
"I remember," Owen said. "Help Eevee learn Bite, and... help her tap into the full effects of the Salac Berries?!"
"Exactly." Sam nodded.
"Do you know why I said you were lucky? Because Salac Berries are considered strategic resources even for high-level Professional Trainers."
"Feeding such a berry to a starter Pokémon is incredibly extravagant."
Owen and Eevee listened intently, eyes wide.
"I assume you've looked up info on the Salac Berry?" Sam asked.
"Just what's on the internet," Owen said casually (though he already knew from his past-life knowledge).
"Salac Berries are extremely difficult to grow and have low yields. The Trainer Association only grows them on a small scale, mostly for Professional Trainers to use during high-risk Secret Realm explorations. They are almost never sold to the public."
"The effects are likely what you found: they stimulate a Pokémon's speed potential during a crisis. But don't underestimate that. In a Secret Realm, a slight boost in speed can save a Trainer's life."
"However, there's one more point that isn't widely recorded. In a sense, the Salac Berry isn't just a one-time consumable.
After the potential is stimulated, it brings long-term benefits. While it doesn't make the Pokémon instantly stronger, it subtly strengthens the body and increases the efficiency of speed-based training."
Owen asked, "But why didn't Eevee's speed increase when she ate them?"
"The reason? It might be related to your state at the time, or perhaps Eevee is simply too young. Her body hasn't fully developed, so she couldn't absorb the energy instantly.
Some of that energy leaked, but the rest integrated into her body. To tap into that, Eevee needs rigorous speed training to 'digest' those dormant effects."
"The Salac Berry is rare, but don't expect it to make you invincible overnight—unless you were eating them like regular food every day, which is impossible.
But, if you seize the opportunity and train hard, I can guarantee you'll see impressive results in the short term."
Sam smiled. "That's essentially what Ethan wanted me to plan for you. We can't let such a rare resource go to waste."
Speed training...
This matched Owen's theories. He had planned to use high-intensity sprints to "awaken" the berry's power.
He wondered just how fast Eevee would become after tapping into the potential of those four Salac Berries.
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