For the next half-month, Owen and Eevee repeated the same grueling routine.
By now, their training plan was set in stone; they had moved past experimenting and into the phase of pure, unadulterated grinding.
After Owen's talk with Uncle Sam about the five stages of trainers, Eevee's motivation for speed training spiked significantly.
The duration she could maintain Quick Attack grew steadily every day, proving that the latent energy of the Salac Berries was finally being fully integrated into her muscles.
Her Double Team also evolved, moving from two flickering images to three stable, distracting afterimages.
One week before the tournament...
The Salac Berries' "active" stimulant effect finally faded completely, and the efficiency of the speed training slowed down. However, neither Owen nor Eevee gave up. They pushed through the plateau.
By the time the Double Team stabilized at four afterimages, Eevee finally grasped the essence of Dark-type energy.
A dark, brownish energy began to coat her teeth—the embryonic form of the Bite move. While the coverage was still small and required more practice to be called a "mastered" move, the foundation was undeniably there.
At the same time, another breakthrough occurred: the water bottle Eevee had been clutching for half a month finally burst from the centrifugal force of the sand inside.
Owen tested her with several different types of bottles to confirm it wasn't a fluke. Eevee had successfully found the "feeling" of Spinning Sand.
Farewell to the Club
The final week was spent consolidating everything: the Anticipation ability, the Bite move, and the prototype Counter Shield.
"Eevee, Raticates, that's enough. Stop."
In the battle room of the Starry Battle Club, Owen called out as he approached.
"Vee!"
Eevee opened her eyes, and the four Raticates surrounding her ceased their coordinated assault. This was their last day of training. Tomorrow, they would depart for Shanghai.
"Uncle Sam."
Owen looked at the middle-aged man who had entered the room and bowed slightly. "Thank you for everything these past three weeks."
"No need for thanks. I didn't do much; it was your own hard work that got you here," Sam replied. "The effort you and Eevee put in won't go to waste. I look forward to seeing you both at the Young Ho-Oh Cup."
"Vee..." Eevee gave a weary cry. Don't make it sound like a final goodbye; we're just going to a tournament!
"No problem. Just wait for my debut," Owen said, scratching his head. "And one more thing, Uncle Sam—I don't want to leave the club before school starts. When I get back from Shanghai, you have to keep taking me in!"
"Don't worry, I'm not that cold-hearted," Sam chuckled.
As Owen and Eevee left the building, Sam pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number.
"He's left?" a voice asked from the other end. It was Ethan.
"He's gone. The Cup starts in two days; he needs time to settle in and rest," Sam said.
"How's the kid's strength? Where do you think he'll place?"
"He's decent. He finished all the tasks I set. But that kid was tinkering with some things of his own... if you want to see how he performs, you'll have to watch the broadcast yourself."
"By the way," Sam continued, "how are your merit points coming along? With the discovery of the Salac trees, you should be close to a promotion, right?"
"Almost there. Alright, since you're being cryptic, I'll just watch him myself. I want to see how much this clever brat has grown. Though personally... I'd prefer it if he faced a few setbacks. It's good for the young."
Packing for Legend
Back home, Owen opened his wardrobe and pulled out the special delivery.
A short-sleeved jacket, an inner shirt, pants, a hat... combined with the red-and-white sneakers he'd found himself, he was fully equipped.
"Who would have thought... at such a young age, I'm already a clothing spokesperson."
"Truly a talented youth," Owen mused. Leo had rushed the outfit to him the day after it was finished, terrified it wouldn't fit.
Speaking of Leo, the chubby boy had continued to be a "Fortune Boy" until the very end, delivering daily sparring bonuses to Owen's bank account.
Though he was crushed in every battle, his resilience was remarkable. Leo and Munchlax had improved significantly, but unfortunately for them, Eevee had improved even faster.
Leo had even taken to calling Owen "Boss" now.
Leo (Message): Boss, Boss! You're leaving tomorrow, right? Good luck! Should I come to Shanghai with you? I've got nothing else to do.
Owen: Forget it. Stay at the club and train. I hope you and Munchlax have made some real progress by the time I get back.
Leo: Sigh, you're just ditching me.
Owen: You didn't manage to scalp a ticket anyway, so what's the point? Besides, for something this important, it should just be Eevee and me. I want to experience that feeling of being in a foreign city alone with my Pokémon... I haven't tried that yet.
Leo: Fine. Rest well and don't let it affect your performance. And don't forget the clothes!
Owen turned off his phone. Never met a man so chatty.
He wasn't just dealing with Leo, either. The seniors from the Psychology Club—the ones who "lured" him into this in the first place—were also blowing up his notification
Tiffany: Owen, good luck! Don't be discouraged if you don't make the Top 16. We all know what you look like anyway, so it doesn't matter if you don't show your face on the live stream.
President: Yeah, just do your best. The main thing is to make sure Eevee doesn't get hurt.
That's cold.Do I really look that weak? Owen thought. Eevee has been reborn! She's not just the sand-flinging Eevee she used to be!
In the living room, Eevee let out a sudden sneeze. She was currently multi-tasking—clutching a bottle to practice her "Spiral Sand" while intently watching a cartoon.
Half a month had passed, and her logic still hadn't processed the trap: she hadn't gained the right to watch TV while training; she had been tricked into training while she watched TV.
Owen watched her and decided it was best to keep her in the dark. Better not teach her how to read just yet.
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