Chapter 11: Rapid Leveling Up.
The Magikarp's automatic battle successfully took its first step, much to Xia Mu's delight, and he began to have even bolder ideas.
Of course, this kind of fake battle victory couldn't be repeated, nor could it be effective indefinitely.
Unless different Pokémon cooperated to stage different scenarios.
Xia Mu wasn't a director, and his Pokémon weren't actors.
Once was enough; doing it again would be unbearable for him.
Therefore, he still needed to accumulate experience little by little to gain truly meaningful experience points.
Just like a Magikarp that had learned Tackle could join the battles against wild Pokémon, letting it finish them off.
Before having Magikarp and receiving Mewtwo's invitation, Xia Mu's only thought was to quickly get Growlithe to level 56 and then evolve it into Arcanine with a Fire Stone.
This way, he would have an absolute ace.
At this level, while not enough to sweep through the Elite Four and Champions, it would definitely be formidable against Pokémon below the Elite Four.
Furthermore, Arcanine holds the title of Legendary Pokémon in the Kanto region, and is engraved on a stone tablet alongside the three legendary birds. In some ways, its fame surpasses that of pseudo-legendary Pokémon, and its training value is no less.
Its base stat total is at least 555, higher than even the starter Pokémon.
Yesterday's events changed Xia Mu's thinking. He initially felt that evolving at level 56 might be too far off.
Therefore, increasing friendship to evolve Riolu might be the right approach.
In the process, he could also try to raise Riolu's level, making it stronger after evolution, which would also help Growlithe level up faster.
It's a win-win situation, where the two Pokémon mutually benefit each other, with one taking precedence over the other.
Now that Magikarp is available, its evolution has become paramount.
From now on, it will not only be a mount, but also a powerful partner!
Gyarados can definitely be considered a main Pokémon, at least qualified to enter the first tier.
Moreover, it can evolve at level 20, which is exactly what beginners should prioritize training. Furthermore, the status of a shiny red Gyarados is unmatched by other Water-type Pokémon, except for Milotic.
...
"It might be difficult, but the upcoming task will be even more challenging. We need to help Magikarp quickly level up and evolve. We might have to spend the entire afternoon on it..."
Xia Mu revealed his plans.
The two little ones already understood Xia Mu's intentions and had long guessed his plans.
They knew what Xia Mu meant and trusted him.
As for Xia Mu, he had a certain amount of confidence, entirely because Magikarp was already level 15, only 5 levels away from evolving.
He was fortunate that it lived in the ocean, so its level would be much higher than those in lakes and rivers.
For example, the Magikarp he encountered in Lake Crescent and the rivers before were only levels 4 and 5.
This was the difference brought about by their living environment.
After summoning the Magikarp and calming it down, Xia Mu fed it an Energy Cube to quickly increase its friendship level.
Then, Xia Mu explained his plan.
The Magikarp was overjoyed. It had been watching Growlithe and Riolu battle other Pokémon along the way, and it had actually been tempted to join in, but didn't know how.
Now, after battling and learning Tackle, it had experienced the joy of fighting and the satisfaction of becoming stronger.
Having reached an agreement, Xia Mu tested the waters first.
Swimming along the lake, he found several lone Magikarp.
Previously, these Magikarp had been hostile and disdainful of Xia Mu's Magikarp; now it was time to get revenge.
Growlithe and Riolu wouldn't even need to lift a finger to deal with the Magikarp.
After all, there's a world of difference between a Magikarp that has learned Tackle and one that hasn't.
Although it took a long time, and the Magikarp would run away after being hit, Riol controlled the battlefield, keeping them within a certain range.
Growlithe, due to its type advantage, was naturally weak against certain Pokémon, so Xia Mu kept it by his side to watch over them without intervening.
Xia Mu was also considering whether to let Growlithe try battling wild Pokémon on its own.
The game also has an auto-battle feature, allowing the accompanying Pokémon to gain more experience points through autonomous battles.
It took more than ten minutes for the Magikarp to finally defeat the last level 9 Magikarp, panting heavily.
It had defeated five of its own kind in a row, showing no remorse, but instead becoming increasingly excited.
Xia Mu could see the Magikarp's emotions and was very pleased, mentally cursing the Magikarp.
In short: Serves you right for looking down on me, for calling me a freak.
Unfortunately, despite defeating five Magikarp, it didn't level up.
After all, the opponent's level was too low, so the experience points provided wouldn't be much.
Xia Mu wasn't in a hurry. He first healed Magikarp's injuries and then fed it an Energy Cube to replenish its stamina.
After that, he continued searching for lone Magikarp.
His previous plan to finish them off was no longer necessary since Magikarp could now win on its own.
After defeating fifteen more Magikarp, all around level five or six, with the highest being no more than level nine, Xia Mu's Magikarp only leveled up by one, reaching level 16.
The time taken was still acceptable, only an hour.
"If you're lucky, you might actually evolve before this evening," Xia Mu said, somewhat excited.
Evolving through real battles and gaining experience points was very rewarding.
Riolu cheered encouragingly from the side, and Magikarp worked even harder, its spirit now set on: Evolve! It absolutely must evolve!
Xia Mu glanced at Growlithe beside him, a thought flashing through his mind.
"Growlithe, if you're bored, you can go find some Grass and Bug-type Pokémon to battle with, like the battles a few days ago. Riolu can't come with you; he has to stay here."
'Woof~ Woof~'
Growlithe, with its cheerful personality, wasn't upset by Xia Mu's neglect.
Instead, it saw it as a challenge, and after making its decision in its own way, and with Xia Mu's permission, quickly ran into the forest.
"Remember not to stray too far, Growlithe," Xia Mu shouted as
he watched Growlithe run off. Growlithe responded with a bark, indicating it understood.
Having gained considerable battle experience over the past few days, Growlithe wasn't worried about its strength.
In fact, even against Grass or Bug-type Pokémon close to level 40, Growlithe could win.
Unless, of course, it encountered a troublesome Flying-type Pokémon, like Finch or Pidgeotto.
After seeing Growlithe off, Xia Mu turned to Riolu: "It must have been hard for you to stay here with Magikarp, Riolu." '
Woof woof~'
Riolu shook its head, barking in a childish voice.
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(End of Chapter)