When Pokémon use their moves, they consume either stamina or energy stored in their cells. The latter is often referred to as PP (Power Points).
Melee attacks like Rock Smash and Quick Attack primarily drain stamina while using relatively little energy. In contrast, ranged attacks such as Flamethrower and Water Gun mainly deplete energy reserves, with minimal physical exertion.
In the games, this represents the distinction between "Physical attackers" and "Special attackers"—essentially the difference between physical damage and energy-based attacks.
Riolu was clearly suited to be a speed-oriented physical attacker, while Squirtle was better positioned as a defensive special attacker.
'For energy reserves, there are no shortcuts,' Roy thought. 'It's all about repetition—exhaustion, recovery, exhaustion, recovery—until the body naturally strengthens. Put simply, if the training doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger.'
'Riolu doesn't need this type of training because his strength lies in speed and burst damage...'
Glancing at the earnest Squirtle, Roy decided to save the full details of his training regimen for tomorrow when they would officially begin.
After explaining their practice plans, Roy turned on the television for them. The children's show "Wooloo and Mightyena" had finished, as had "Pokémon Kids". Now it was time for "Pokémon Sky", a show aimed at Pokémon teenagers.
Roy watched for a while. The story followed twin Pokémon siblings, Gardevoir and Gallade, whose parents were killed by poachers. After their parents' deaths, they returned to a rural Pokémon school, where various dramas of love and revenge unfolded.
The show had been airing for some time. At the end of this episode, the two Pokémon were caught in an intimate moment without locking the door and were discovered by Bayleef, who had always harbored feelings for Gallade.
The heartbroken Bayleef broke down the door in grief and anger.
'Is this really appropriate for Pokémon viewers?' Roy wondered, his mouth twitching. 'A teen drama?'
Although among Pokémon, there weren't actually rules against siblings being together, it still seemed questionable programming.
He shook his head, lay down on the floor, and took out his phone. The screen was filled with Weibo notification pop-ups.
Roy opened Weibo and saw enthusiastic responses from fans:
"Wow, the account you follow has updated!"
"Surprised this account is still active! I was about to unfollow."
"Post more pictures of your daily life! Show some skin, momma loves you!"
"Ladies above, lots of photos have been shared in the super topic—check them out!"
"Any plans to enter competitions? I'll support you even if I have to skip work!"
"So jealous of your Squirtle from the starters!"
"Haha, that Squirtle is so silly!"
"+1, don't know why, but the more I look at it, the funnier it gets."
Roy was stunned by his followers. These "mom fans" were terrifying.
He wasn't particularly moved by his popularity; he had been accustomed to attention since childhood. Besides, personal popularity wasn't recognized by the system.
If the system did acknowledge Roy's popularity, he wouldn't mind capitalizing on it.
On the system panel, Squirtle's popularity had finally begun to rise. In just over an hour since posting on Weibo, Squirtle's popularity had climbed to over 40,000... but it still wasn't enough.
Roy ignored requests for selfies and chose a few appropriate comments to reply to:
"Currently focusing on Pokémon breeding. No competitions planned at the moment, but I'll let everyone know if that changes! [Salute.jpg]"
"Who's calling me stupid? [Squirtle Skull Bash.jpg]"
"[Squirtle Sunglasses Speechless.jpg]"
The few fans who received replies were ecstatic, responding within seconds. Those who didn't get replies were envious, but soon realized that Roy only replied to comments about Squirtle. They quickly discovered the secret to gaining their idol's attention.
Twenty minutes later, the comments on Roy's Weibo and in the super topic were filled with Squirtle emoticons. People didn't just use them—they modified them. Some even changed their avatars to Squirtle pictures.
At first, they were simply following a trend or hoping Roy would notice them, but fans soon discovered that the more they used the emoji, the more enjoyable it became. The emoticon had an inexplicably cheerful and charming quality.
Before long, without Roy's direct involvement, Squirtle memes began spreading across the internet.
Roy eventually fell asleep while scrolling through his phone.
The next morning, Roy's alarm woke him. As he stretched and prepared to get up, he felt something cool against his leg, as if something slippery was touching his skin.
Puzzled, Roy lifted the blanket to investigate.
Squirtle was sleeping on his waist, body retracted into his shell with just one small paw extending out—reaching into Roy's pocket just like yesterday.
The coolness Roy felt was Squirtle's little hand. The pocket lining had been torn by those searching fingers.
"You silly thing..." Roy couldn't help but smile, immediately understanding what was happening.
Squirtle was still wondering where Roy found so many magical items in his seemingly ordinary pocket.
Roy knocked gently on Squirtle's shell, waking him. The vigilant Riolu had already opened his eyes when Roy first stirred.
Walking into the bathroom with the sleepy-eyed Squirtle, the three began their morning routine. During their ablutions, Squirtle tried to convince Roy to wash his face with water from his Water Gun attack, earning a playful knock on the head.
After breakfast, Roy recalled his Pokémon to their Poké Balls. He placed Vulpix's egg in an incubator and carefully tucked it into his schoolbag.
He had decided to carry the egg with him at all times for the foreseeable future, not wanting to miss the moment when Vulpix hatched. Roy was extremely curious about what newborn Pokémon looked like, and he wanted to ensure that Vulpix saw him first upon entering the world.
When he arrived at school, Roy found there were no academic classes scheduled for today—only physical education.
Physical education at University provided students with training rooms and battle arenas, allowing them to train independently or challenge one another. While academic classes taught the theory behind Pokémon and battle strategies, physical education classes allowed students to apply this knowledge and practice breeding techniques.
As a specially recommended student, Roy had an exclusive advanced training room and didn't have to share with other students. The facilities in this room were much more extensive than those at the Pokémon Center, built to accommodate a full team of six Pokémon.
Moreover, the entire room was constructed from special alloys that could withstand all attacks below professional level.