Not only that, but with the Silk Thread becoming tougher and imbued with Beedrill's unique poison, using Counter Shield again wouldn't just be a defensive move like before; it would truly achieve a massive area-of-effect that combines offense and defense.
No Pokémon would willingly allow Beedrill's corrosive Silk Thread to wrap around its body, because this substance, like Leech Seed, would continuously work to corrode the wrapped Pokémon's body.
And this was just the most basic usage; as Beedrill's strength improved, this special String Shot ability would surely be further developed for even more uses.
Lin Fan took a deep breath and couldn't help but laugh heartily.
The gains from this revenge journey truly far exceeded his expectations.
Now, the only uncertainty was that Pokémon egg.
Touching his backpack, Lin Fan returned Beedrill to its Poké Ball and, in a joyful mood, headed towards the city center, not using up all his training room time for the first time, even having half an hour left.
There was nothing he could do; when people were happy, they always liked to do something extravagant.
He was just that lavish!
...
Not long after, Lin Fan arrived in front of the Pokémon store in the city center.
The reason he came here was simple: while Pokémon eggs could be left to hatch naturally, using human-developed incubators and hatching fluid would result in a shorter hatching time and a better, more stable outcome.
Lin Fan was not short on money now, so he decisively purchased the highest-spec incubator and hatching fluid, totaling thirteen thousand yuan.
Carefully placing the Pokémon egg into the incubator, watching it float and settle within, Lin Fan finally relaxed.
Now, he just had to wait for the little one inside to hatch.
As he was about to leave, Lin Fan's peripheral vision caught sight of the tall office building in the very center, and he suddenly hesitated.
The Trainer Association was located there.
The diary he had obtained from Water Moon Forest should, in theory, be handed over to the Trainer Association, but he always felt that something wasn't quite right.
According to Xia Kingdom regulations, local Trainer Associations are required to conduct safety checks of surrounding areas periodically, and any threats discovered should be dealt with immediately.
It was precisely because of such regulations that the Xia Kingdom was now more stable, unlike a decade or so ago when Pokémon hordes would occasionally impact cities, and some scoundrels would profit from war.
But why hadn't the Trainer Association detected the abnormality in Water Moon Forest?
Was it not time for a check, or was it dereliction of duty, or even... a more serious reason?
After much hesitation, Lin Fan ultimately decided not to hand it over for now.
Regardless, the laboratory in Water Moon Forest had already become a ruined building, and investigating it now would yield little results.
Shaking his head, Lin Fan hailed a car and returned home.
After gently placing the incubator on the table, Lin Fan's phone suddenly vibrated.
It was a call from Su Wu.
As soon as he answered, Lin Fan heard Su Wu's familiar voice: "Lin Fan, I have some good news. What do you say, do you want to hear it?"
Lin Fan said helplessly: "Uncle Su, don't tease me."
Su Wu laughed twice and, without further ado, got straight to the point: "It's like this, the higher-ups recently issued a new document requiring all provinces and cities nationwide to implement a rookie training program. Simply put, the state will fund the cultivation of several outstanding rookie Trainers in each province and city. Your performance in winning the Zero Moon Cup was undoubtedly excellent, so you've been selected for Twilight City's training program. How about that, isn't that good news?"
Training program? State funding?
Lin Fan's eyes lit up.
Such a good thing exists?
"This training program, how exactly does it train? How many resources are available to me?" Lin Fan thought for a moment and asked two key questions.
"Uh..." Su Wu hesitated, "I don't know the specifics either, because the one responsible for training you isn't me, but another Professional Trainer who didn't choose to specialize in one type. I only learned about this from the Trainer Association."
Another Trainer who didn't choose to specialize in one type?
Lin Fan was thoughtful. Indeed, Su Wu specialized in Fighting-type, excelling at teaching Fighting-type Pokémon, but he was lacking in other attribute areas.
Su Wu continued: "But what's certain is that you'll receive at least one attribute gem every month, and they can also help you acquire skill books and resources for learning skills that are usually difficult to obtain, as well as provide you with instruction. I remember your Beedrill, besides Focus Energy, can also learn Swords Dance, which is a very good skill. You can have them teach you that when the time comes."
Lin Fan's eyes flickered. If what Su Wu said was true, then it was indeed very generous cultivation resources. Just one attribute gem cost ten thousand, not to mention those inaccessible skill books. If Beedrill wanted to expand its skill pool, this so-called training program was definitely a good choice.
"Besides me, who else was selected for this training program? With Su Ling's strength, she should be among them, right?" Lin Fan asked.
"Hmm, Xiao Ling is indeed in it. There are also two other people I don't know much about, but it doesn't matter, they're from your school anyway, you can get to know them yourself then."
Hearing Su Wu's words, Lin Fan smiled helplessly.
Indeed, in Twilight City, a not-so-large city, there was only one Pokémon high school. If they were to select new Trainers, where else could they choose from if not here?
"Alright, the specific decision from the higher-ups hasn't come down yet. I called to tell you in advance so you don't have to worry about resources during this time, or go looking for part-time jobs everywhere. You can take a good rest for a while. As an excellent Trainer, knowing how to balance work and rest is also a very important part." Su Wu spoke and hung up the phone.
Lin Fan looked at his phone and smiled a little helplessly.
Originally, he had indeed planned to look for some part-time jobs, but since Su Wu said so, he might as well take advantage of the last of the summer vacation to get some good rest.
He would also learn more Breeder knowledge. Sun Qi planned to take the Intermediate Breeder assessment during the National Day holiday, and he also wanted to take this opportunity to try his best to get the Junior Breeder certificate so he could earn money by selling energy cubes. Always troubling Sun Qi was not a long-term solution.
Also, the matter of the paper on Beedrill's ability should be put on the agenda soon. Beedrill's performance in the Zero Moon Cup was so astonishing that it was inevitable some people would guess something. If it were announced prematurely, he would have nowhere to cry.
There was also the Pokémon egg hatching issue. According to the timeline in the diary, this Pokémon egg was at least a month old, and should hatch in at most half a month.
Finally, he also had to consider Beedrill's skill pool. Swords Dance was indeed a good choice, as well as the Ground-type Drill Run, and Dark-type Pursuit and Sucker Punch, etc.
Tsk, so many things to do. He'd be busy after school started.
Lin Fan sighed and flopped onto the bed as if giving up.
After nearly two months of busyness, it was time to give himself and Beedrill a break.