Chapter Nineteen: An Obsession with the Head

Although Magikarp's Tackle landed squarely on Squirtle's shell, it still managed to inflict some damage. After all, if the force is great enough, it can penetrate even a sturdy shell. Yet, judging by Squirtle's expression, this degree of injury was nothing worth mentioning.

"Squirtle, keep using Withdraw to boost your defense!" Officer Jenny Ling observed the situation carefully. Despite Squirtle being newly hatched, if it could fortify its defense six times, even standing still and letting Magikarp ram into it, Magikarp would stand no chance of defeating Squirtle easily.

"Don't give it the chance to keep powering up! Magikarp, use Tackle on Squirtle—force it so it can't perform its move!" Zhao Fang issued his command swiftly. Now he understood; Officer Jenny Ling intended for him to have a taste of what it’s like to battle at the Rock-type Gym.

Rock-type Pokémon in reality are naturally the defensive sort. Ordinary attacks have little effect on them—it would be a fantasy to think otherwise, and even possible that Magikarp would end up hurting itself by ramming into a Rock-type.

Upon hearing Zhao Fang's command, Magikarp immediately launched another Tackle. Because Magikarp was so close, Squirtle couldn't successfully use Withdraw in time.

After all, this was the real world; opponents wouldn’t stand idly by and let you strengthen yourself over and over.

However, this time Magikarp aimed for a rather odd spot—with a Splash, its tail landed right on Squirtle’s face.

Though it might seem a little humiliating, effectiveness is what matters in battle.

"Squirtle, use Water Gun and drive Magikarp back!" Officer Jenny Ling’s voice was even and unshaken as she watched her Squirtle take a tail slap to the face. Compared to the underhanded tactics she’d encountered from members of villainous organizations, this was almost clean and gentlemanly.

Her Growlithe once suffered its worst injury while apprehending a Team Magma member—their Mightyena had bitten Growlithe right between the legs.

Yes, that was definitely a critical hit; it nearly killed her poor Growlithe from pain.

"Magikarp! Dodge quickly!" Zhao Fang shouted that classic line.

But since Magikarp had just attacked and was still too close, it was struck squarely by Squirtle’s Water Gun. The move didn’t deal much damage, but the force of the blast sent Magikarp tumbling back.

"Magikarp, use Tackle again." Zhao Fang, the human repeat machine, issued his next command.

Magikarp instantly used Splash to close the distance, ready to strike once more. But, not quite used to controlling its advance, it overshot and ended up behind Squirtle—by sheer luck, dodging Squirtle’s counterattack.

Immediately after, Magikarp executed another Tackle, this time slamming itself into Squirtle’s head again.

Watching this, Zhao Fang sank into contemplation. He began to suspect that, because of yesterday’s incident, his Magikarp had developed an unusual fascination with heads.

Why did it keep aiming for the head with every Tackle?

"I forfeit." Just as Zhao Fang was about to continue directing the battle, Officer Jenny Ling raised her hand to concede, leaving Zhao Fang momentarily stunned.

"Officer Jenny, your Pokémon hasn’t lost the ability to fight, has it?" He looked at the still-spirited Squirtle, puzzled.

He was met with a death glare from Officer Jenny, and his confidence instantly faltered.

"Newly hatched Pokémon should not battle for too long before entering their growth phase; it could hinder their potential. Squirtle still has two months before it’s out of infancy," she patiently explained after shooting him a glare.

Zhao Fang nodded thoughtfully. Clearly, unlike in the games, where you could take a freshly hatched Pokémon straight to challenge the Elite Four for experience, that was simply not feasible in reality.

Then Officer Jenny Ling gave Zhao Fang a thorough lesson on Pokémon battling and training, and even handed him a piece of paper.

Looking at it in confusion, Zhao Fang realized it was a Pokémon food recipe. He couldn't quite understand why she was giving him this.

"You must know how important food is for Pokémon. Good food not only fills their bellies, it can even enhance their development. This recipe is from my older sister and is meant for Water-type Pokémon. It may not be the best, but it’s precious nonetheless—memorize it and then burn it," she explained, noticing his confusion.

Zhao Fang immediately understood her intention. This was why the Pokémon raised by different trainers varied in strength—not just due to a Pokémon's aptitude or the trainer’s skill, but also because of the resources at their disposal.

"Thank you so much," Zhao Fang said sincerely after studying the recipe.

This simple recipe turned out to be his greatest gain from Officer Jenny Ling, and now their debts were repaid.

After confirming Zhao Fang had memorized it, Officer Jenny Ling burned the paper, using Growlithe’s fire.

Eager to put his new knowledge to use, Zhao Fang rushed to the store to buy the necessary ingredients, then returned to the inn to try making this special Pokémon food.

To test his theory, he decided to make two batches.

[A regular Water-type Pokémon food. Long-term use can increase a Pokémon’s Special Attack effort value.]

"...Impressive!" Zhao Fang exclaimed, looking at the crystal card beside him.

But inwardly, he felt a hint of disappointment. He had hoped this attempt would yield something extraordinary, but it turned out to be just ordinary food. Though it could increase effort values with long-term use, it was less practical than the food he’d made on his own.

He then tried making another batch, adding berries in his own way, aiming to create food that could boost base stats.

[A poor-quality Pokémon food.]

Seeing the note, Zhao Fang rubbed his brow—his attempt had failed. Apparently, recipes had to be followed to the letter; adding berries had no effect, and could even be counterproductive.

Sighing, Zhao Fang whipped up a stir-fry with green peppers and meat for Magikarp, then stored the extra Pokémon food in a box. While it might not be useful for Magikarp, perhaps it could be given to wild Pokémon. As for the poor-quality batch, it was best discarded.

Finally, Zhao Fang took out the Mist Lotus Berry. For a fruit that cost a thousand League Coins apiece, he felt anticipation but also a twinge of pain.

A thousand League Coins—what an expense!