Chapter 212: Strange EV Gains
The moment a VIP client put in a request, the construction crew arrived at Lu Ye's house that very night. "Yo, what a coincidence!" the renovation team leader greeted him with a chuckle. The damage was so minor this time… that didn't quite match this household's usual style. Even the Machoke wearing a safety helmet recognized Lu Ye and gave him a sincere salute.
The repairs took about two hours. When Lu Ye tried to pay, the team leader waved it off. "Mr. Lu, how could we charge you for such a small job? Thanks to you, we've managed to establish ourselves in this neighborhood. It's just a wall. Anytime you need us, just call!"
"Machooo~" Machoke struck a bodybuilding pose.
After the crew left, Lu Ye absentmindedly scratched Growlithe's chin, lost in thought. Sure, he had just gotten a Flamethrower for free… but why did it feel so exhausting? Having a Fire-type Pokémon at home was definitely a safety hazard. Yet, under Lu Ye's stern guidance, Growlithe let out a soft whimper, clearly aware of its mistake.
"Alright, just be more careful next time," Lu Ye said, ruffling its fur with a smile. "And good luck in tomorrow's match!"
Growlithe gazed up at him with tearful, glistening eyes, letting out a pitiful whine.
Lu Ye had friends who owned Huskies. When they wrecked the house, it wasn't out of spite—they just had too much energy. If he wanted Growlithe to behave, draining its energy through intense training seemed like a solid plan… "Looks like I need to get serious about this," Lu Ye nodded to himself. "I have to wear it out before it can even think about wrecking the house!"
For the next two days, he took Growlithe to train at the Bull Training Club. "Gengarrr!" Gengar, sporting sunglasses and a Blue Glass Flute, stood guard. The moment Growlithe showed signs of slacking off, it blew the flute without hesitation.
Technically, Lu Ye was also there to train… but somehow, he found himself completely sidelined. Watching Growlithe, fur damp with sweat, tongue lolling out, Lu Ye felt a pang of sympathy. But in the end, he nodded in approval. "I'll cook you something good when we get back."
Just then, the sun peeked out, casting golden rays over them. Growlithe's eyes brightened. In an instant, its fatigue seemed to vanish. Lu Ye froze. …He had completely forgotten. This little guy had inherited Morning Sun! Which meant… after wrecking the house, it could just heal up and go for round two?! "Damn… I really didn't think this through," he smacked his forehead.
Two days passed. Despite all the training, Growlithe never truly wore out. Meanwhile, Lu Ye? Mentally drained. Aside from refining Flamethrower, Growlithe had also mastered Body Slam. At the end of each session, it would excitedly leap at Lu Ye. If not for Gengar stepping in, Lu Ye suspected he'd have to get an X-ray…
While still trying to wrestle Growlithe off him, the tournament's Top 32 Matches officially began.
October 18th, Sunday.
Still holding onto a bit of resentment, Lu Ye sent out an extremely fired-up Growlithe. The result? A complete and utter stomp. It crushed the opponent effortlessly. The livestream chat exploded.
"I remember… this guy is the captain of Hangzhou University's junior team, right?"
"Yeah, that's Liu Zhi, a Fire-type specialist… He's already earned four Gym Badges."
"But what's up with that Growlithe?! How does it have such a powerful Flamethrower!?"
Before anyone could answer, beams of light converged on Growlithe, and its injuries began to heal…
"Holy crap, Morning Sun!?"
"It can attack and tank?! That's just unfair!"
"Let's be real—this is classic Teacher Lu behavior!"
That day, Lu Ye successfully advanced to the Top 16 of the East China Tournament, and sponsorship offers flooded in. But Lu Ye, who refused to sell out, politely declined them all. "If I wanted money, I'd find a rich lady, not a corporate sponsor," he mused.
Meanwhile, his newly uploaded video, "Teacher Lu's Late-Night Diner #04: Mapo Tofu," climbed the rankings in the lifestyle category, second only to "Professor Oak's Backyard." The latest episode of Professor Oak's Backyard featured Ash's herd of Tauros migrating—from one side of the yard to the other—breaking viewership records.
Sinnoh Region. Fire-type Elite Four member Flint was slurping instant noodles as he clicked on the video. But the moment Growlithe's Flamethrower was unleashed, he froze. "Wait… Isn't that the technique I taught Teacher Lu?"
This wasn't just Flamethrower—it incorporated vortex techniques to enhance the burn rate… Flint recognized his own carefully crafted technique at a glance. If it had taken Growlithe six months to master, Flint wouldn't have been surprised. But… how long had it been? Just over a month… and it had already perfected the move?! And worse—it learned it while eating?! Comparing myself to this, don't I look stupid?!
After an intense internal struggle, Flint finally calmed down. "Hmm… Well, Teacher Lu is a breeder who focuses on Pokémon food." Gradually, everything made sense. He nodded to himself. "Learning moves by eating… yeah, that checks out!"
This video also sparked heated discussion in the Master Chat Group.
Erika: I really want to try that… (¯﹃¯)
Blue: I followed Teacher Lu's steps exactly, but mine didn't taste right!
Brock squinted and said, "That's because you didn't use 'wide oil.'"
"W-Wide oil?!"
"It's a unique Donghuang cooking technique… like adding 'just a pinch of salt,'" Brock nodded. "I've been studying Donghuang cuisine myself. I'll make it for you guys next time."
Gold: Awesome! I'll take the magnet train over to crash your meal!
Silver: …Are you an idiot?
Green: +1
Teacher Lu: +1
A perfectly synchronized chorus.
Crystal blinked in surprise. "Teacher Lu, I remember you only recently caught that Growlithe, right?"
Lu Ye nodded. "Two months ago."
Crystal paused. So… in just two months… Lu Ye had taught Growlithe Flamethrower through food alone…? No wonder he's Teacher Lu…
The Breeding Legend, Green, pondered: "@Teacher Lu, I watched your video… Are you training it as a Special Attack-focused Growlithe?"
Green himself had an Arcanine. With a base stat total of 555, Arcanine had once been considered a legendary Pokémon in Donghuang. Its balanced offense and defense made it excellent for both sweeping and pivoting. If it could learn Hyper Voice and synergize with Intimidate, its presence would be overwhelming. Green rubbed his chin. While Flamethrower was strong, with Growlithe's physical build… not training it for melee combat would be a waste!
Lu Ye hesitated. To be honest, as a competitive player, he had always been terrible at distributing EVs properly… A physical Sylveon… a stalling Wartortle… But hey, as long as he wasn't playing in Master-tier tournaments, it was all fine!
Teacher Lu replied, "I think… a balanced diet should be good enough."
Green suddenly understood. A dual-attacking Arcanine?! That was a difficult path… but if anyone could pull it off, it was Teacher Lu.
[Inorin Note:
If you wish to support me so I can continue to survive and afford proper food, you can join my membership on Patreon [patreon.com/InorinTL]. Be sure to check out "The Founding Pillars"—a special, limited-time tier that offers all the benefits of "The Plot Uncoverer" at a discounted price! Slots are limited, so grab yours before they run out. Besides membership, you can also donate via Ko-Fi [https://ko-fi.com/inorintl].
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]