Recalling Exeggutor, Arong’s mood was quite dejected.
Li Shuwen walked up to Arong, “Your Pokémon lacks sufficient willpower. You might need to polish it more. Come challenge the Veilstone Gym again later.”
“Remember, the willpower of a Trainer and their Pokémon is the most important factor in a battle.”
As a Fighting-type Gym, instructing challenging Trainers naturally involves fixed rhetoric about mindset, spirit, willpower, and physical conditioning.
“Thank you for your guidance. I will return.” Arong bowed and turned to leave the Veilstone Gym to get treatment at the Pokémon Center.
Because Hitmonlee was not Li Shuwen’s Pokémon, he couldn’t control the precision of Hitmonlee’s attacks.
Every strike was with full force, and for a rookie Trainer like Arong, Hitmonlee’s attacks were a bit too heavy.
It was normal not to be able to withstand them.
Indeed, for battles involving Trainers with fewer than four badges, the diligent Machop and Machoke still needed to be sent out.
Just like the hot-tempered Infernape, Li Shuwen only ever let him face Trainers challenging for their seventh or eighth badge.
Infernape’s attacks truly had no sense of restraint. When enraged, he wouldn’t care what kind of challenger you were.
Every punch was with full force, almost causing the Veilstone Gym to receive complaints.
There was only one challenger, Arong, in the morning. Li Shuwen continued training with Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Hitmontop.
The Fighting-type martial artists of Veilstone City also successively brought their Pokémon to train.
Upon seeing Li Shuwen, they all praised him with surprise.
“Li Shuwen, you’ve gotten stronger!”
At noon, Hitmonlee and the others enjoyed the Fighting-type Pokémon food prepared by Li Shuwen.
As for Li Shuwen and his sister’s lunch, it was chicken curry.
Heat oil in a wok, add onions, garlic, and ginger. The aroma instantly wafted up. Then, add a whole chicken, chopped into small pieces, to the wok and stir-fry until golden brown.
Add spice powder and tomatoes.
Stir-fry the tomatoes until soft and mushy, allowing their rich juice to spread. Pour them into a large pot and simmer with coconut milk.
Li Shuwen began washing carrots and potatoes. After peeling, he cut them into small pieces and added them to the large pot to simmer.
As the pot lid was pushed by the steam, the rich aroma of chicken curry spread throughout the kitchen.
Li Meining twitched her nose and appeared at the kitchen doorway.
“It smells so good, big brother, when are we eating?”
Li Shuwen smiled and said, “Are you a dog? You came as soon as you smelled it.”
Li Meining wiped her nose with her index finger and chuckled.
“I learned a little from Riolu too.”
One pot of chicken curry and one pot of rice made up Li Shuwen and his sister’s lunch.
After the high-intensity training in the morning, Li Shuwen felt like he could eat a whole cow.
Especially after Li Meining turned ten, her appetite grew, and the food at home wasn't enough.
Li Shuwen took out two large bowls, first filling them mostly with rice, then pouring chicken curry over them.
“After dinner, we’ll go to the Veilstone Market to buy some ingredients.”
“Yay! I want to eat beef!”
“Can’t chicken curry shut you up?”
Li Shuwen ate one and a half bowls, and the rest went into Li Meining’s stomach.
It’s a pity that live streaming hasn’t taken off yet, otherwise, his little sister could really try mukbang.
It’s much more lucrative than being a Gym Leader.
After eating, when he stood up, Li Meining’s waist and abdomen were still as slender as ever, as if the half-pot of chicken curry and half-pot of rice just now had disappeared into a dimensional Dark Void.
The notice board at the entrance of Veilstone Market had updated its content.
Li Meining excitedly pointed at the notice, “Big brother, look, Curtain Department Store will be holding its 45th-anniversary celebration in half a month, with Pokémon battles. The Champion will get a chance to battle the newly promoted Elite Four, Cynthia.”
Li Shuwen nodded, “We can participate then. Alright, let’s go buy groceries first.”
Entering Veilstone Market, Li Shuwen felt right at home.
“Auntie Mary, what new vegetables do you have today?”
Mary smiled and said, “Carrots and onions from Snowpoint City, green peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes from Eterna City, and wild rice shoots, water celery, and lotus root from Pastoria City.”
Li Shuwen nodded, “Fifty pounds each of carrots, onions, and potatoes, twenty pounds each of green peppers and tomatoes, and five pounds each of wild rice shoots, water celery, and lotus root.”
Li Meining made a bitter face, “Big brother, can we not buy green peppers? I don’t like green peppers.”
Li Shuwen glanced at her, “Children shouldn’t be picky eaters!”
Li Shuwen bought everything Auntie Mary mentioned, not because he considered comprehensive nutrition, but because Auntie Mary knew his preferences and only mentioned the vegetables Li Shuwen liked.
When he was little, Li Shuwen was as troubled as Li Meining is now.
It wasn’t until Li Shuwen grew up that he realized adults only buy the dishes they like to eat, so they naturally aren’t picky eaters.
“Uncle Jack, what fresh meat do you have today?”
“Snowpoint City’s snowflake beef and Eterna City’s lamb. They’re both fresh meat that just arrived today. How much do you want?”
“Fifty pounds of each, please, and chop two chickens for me.”
“Alright!”
“Uncle Ben, do you have any recommended river fresh?”
Ben, holding a scoop net, said, “Just the two of you, can you eat all that?”
“Don’t worry, with my sister here, we can eat as much as you give us!”
“Big brother!”
Teased in public, Li Meining became angry and gave Li Shuwen a punch.
“Little sister, your punch is really heavy!”
Li Meining was a bit embarrassed, “Who told you to talk nonsense!”
Ben smiled, “Little girls grow up and learn to be shy.”
“Black fish, green-haired duck, and river shrimp from Pastoria City. Which one do you want, Li Meining? Uncle will treat you.”
Li Meining blinked, “Really?! Then I want river shrimp!”
Ben nodded, “The wetland shrimp are best when blanched. So fresh and sweet.”
Li Shuwen smiled, “Uncle Ben, please weigh us ten pounds of shrimp.”
“Okay, when Mary and Jack have packed everything, I’ll deliver it all to the Gym for you.”
Walking to a tree fruit stall, Li Meining shouted, “Auntie Mei, my brother is here to patronize your business again!”
Auntie Mei walked out, fanning herself, “I know, I know.”
She casually picked up a Pecha Berry and handed it to Li Meining, “Eat it, poor child. Li Shuwen, you must take good care of your sister. The child has gotten so thin from hunger.”
Li Shuwen’s mouth twitched, “She’s just starting to develop and grow taller, which makes her look a bit thinner. She usually eats more than a Munchlax.”
Li Meining bit into the Pecha Berry and glared at her brother, “You’re the Munchlax!”
Auntie Mei fanned herself, “Being able to eat is a blessing, Li Shuwen. The usual, right?”
“Yes, please pack me ten extra pounds of Leppa Berries.”
As Li Shuwen grows, Jangmo-o’s food consumption will also increase, so he needs to prepare a bit more.
“Alright.”
Leaving Veilstone Market, Li Meining saw an ice cream truck by the roadside.
“Big brother, I want ice cream!”
“Then go buy it.”
Li Meining rushed excitedly to the food truck and raised her hand, “Please give me a chocolate-flavored ice cream!”
Only then did Li Meining notice a beautiful older sister next to her, staring blankly at the food truck’s sign.
“Big sister, you’re so pretty.”
“Thank you.” The intellectual beauty smiled gently, and Li Meining’s face immediately turned red.
Li Shuwen walked over and just happened to see this scene, and he was instantly stunned.
Golden hair in a high ponytail, round black-rimmed glasses, a sleeveless blue shirt, black suit pants, and pointed black leather shoes.
She was simply his ideal type!
He had told his good brother about his ideal type yesterday, and he didn’t expect to meet one in Veilstone City today.
Li Meining looked at the sister in front of her, then at her stunned single older brother beside her, and her eyes rolled. “Big sister, let me treat you to ice cream. What flavor do you like, big sister?”
“This…” The intellectual beauty smiled, “Actually, I haven’t decided what flavor to have yet.”
Li Shuwen stepped forward, “This shop’s specialties are chocolate and mango from the Hoenn region. You can choose one of those flavors.”
“This…” The intellectual beauty was still a bit hesitant.
Seeing her expression, Li Shuwen directly told the staff, “One chocolate and mango ice cream, please. The bittersweetness of dark chocolate and the rich aroma of mango, with a balanced sweet and sour taste, will surely give you a unique experience.”
After the staff finished preparing it, Li Shuwen handed the ice cream to the intellectual beauty.
“Try it.”
Holding the ice cream, the intellectual beauty tasted a bite of chocolate, then a bite of mango, and her eyes instantly lit up.
“It’s really, really delicious!”