"Lin Yu, is mine ready yet?"
Latias watched Lin Yu busily making Energy Cubes, eyes wide with anticipation.
"Almost done, almost done."
Lin Yu set the freshly made cubes in front of her.
"Mmm!"
Misty stared on in complete shock.
"She… she eats Energy Cubes too?"
"Dira's a Psychic-type ability user. She can digest the Psychic-type cubes I make." Lin Yu explained simply.
Misty didn't press further, but she started fidgeting awkwardly.
Lin Yu noticed her expression. "What's wrong?"
"Lin Yu… little brother…"
Lin Yu tensed up immediately.
That tone never meant anything good.
Sure enough.
"I want to become a Water-type Pokémon Master. My mom said if I can qualify through the preliminaries of the National High School Tournament…
she'll let me pursue being a Trainer. But… you know…"
Misty glanced at her own Pokémon, then at Lin Yu's.
Her strongest Pokémon could only fight his weakest to a draw.
The gap was crushing.
She came from a big city, where she'd been considered a strong Trainer.
But next to Lin Yu?
She felt tiny.
Lin Yu figured out what she was getting at.
"So you want me to help you?"
The preliminaries started in early June and lasted a full month.
Today was May 8th.
That gave them roughly one month.
Lin Yu checked her team again.
Lapras – Master-tier Potential (Level 29)
Looks like that last battle pushed it up a level.
Staryu – Lord-tier Potential (Level 26)
Poliwhirl – Lord-tier Potential (Level 27)
And last…
Magikarp – Elite-tier Potential (Level 14)
The first three were solid.
But that Magikarp…
It wasn't that Lin Yu looked down on Magikarp. But an unevolved Magikarp was practically useless in battle.
It was basically the poster child for helpless Pokémon.
Just being able to follow commands in a fight already made it an above-average Magikarp.
Seeing Lin Yu's troubled look, Misty grew embarrassed.
Everyone knew that among Water-types, Magikarp and Feebas were the most hopeless-looking Pokémon.
Before evolution, they had no strength, no talent… but once they evolved, they almost always reached Elite-tier or higher.
And when Magikarp became Gyarados, their potential often underwent a complete transformation!
Heard Elite Four Lance once caught a golden Magikarp that evolved into a Champion-tier Gyarados.
But that was an extreme exception.
Most Magikarp weren't worth a Trainer's time.
"This little guy… he was fished out by three kids and bullied really badly… I couldn't just leave him."
From her story, Lin Yu learned how she caught him.
Some brats had fished him up and hung him from a tree for ages.
By the time Misty found him, he was half-dead.
She chased the kids off, caught him with a Poké Ball, and rushed him to the Pokémon Center.
Typical Magikarp — even little kids could bully him.
After he recovered, he was already in her Poké Ball, so she couldn't just abandon him.
But…
this kind heart.
It was just like the Misty from the anime.
She hadn't wanted that headache-prone Psyduck, either, but ended up with it anyway.
And even though she complained at first, she never abandoned it.
So…
he'd help her.
Lin Yu didn't mind. He preferred to follow his heart.
Ash had always been the helpful type, after all.
"Alright. First, we'll switch your Pokémon to my Energy Cubes."
He handed over Special Attack and Potential-boosting cubes.
"Really? Thank you, Lin Yu!"
"C'mere, everyone!"
Soon both their Pokémon gathered around.
It was Misty's team's first time eating Lin Yu's cooking.
They looked blissful, close to tears, as they felt the rich energy and the mysterious power lifting their potential.
"If you want to qualify in the prelims, first we need to get all your Pokémon to Gym-tier… at least mid-to-late Gym-level.
And that's not enough. We also have to evolve your Magikarp."
"Mm-hmm! Mm-hmm!"
Misty was already treating Lin Yu like her savior, nodding furiously.
"I'll do whatever you say. Just tell me what to do."
She sat cross-legged right in front of him, leaning close like an obedient student.
A soft, girlish scent drifted toward Lin Yu.
He shifted uncomfortably, stepping back slightly before laying out his plan.
They had one month, and he'd split it into steps.
First: Gym Challenges.
No way around it — no badges, no entry to the prelims.
Second: Secret Realm Training.
Battles were still the fastest way for Pokémon to grow strong.
Lin Yu had plenty of experience with that.
Third: Diet.
From now on, all her Pokémon would eat only his Energy Cubes.
Misty looked sheepish at this.
Energy Cubes made by a Top-Rank Breeder sold for tens of thousands per box on the market.
Four Pokémon would go through a box every two days.
She scratched her head. "Once I pass the prelims, I'll give you all my prize money."
Passing the prelims came with a training grant of around a million yuan.
But…
would that even come close to covering Lin Yu's support?
Energy Cubes that boosted potential and Special Attack?
If word got out, they'd revolutionize the entire Pokémon food industry.
And the potential boost could even reach Champion-tier.
Normal Special Attack cubes already cost hundreds of thousands per box, and rich buyers fought over them.
Potential-boosting ones required S-Rank or higher treasures — practically priceless.
Years later, when Misty became a Water-type Master, she'd still look back on this moment with amazement.
"And one more thing," Lin Yu said firmly. "Magikarp has to evolve."
An unevolved Magikarp contributed almost nothing in battle.
"Okay…"
"I'll handle that part."
Lin Yu already had an idea — one that should stir up enough anger in Magikarp to trigger evolution.
It would also give him experimental data for his future paper: On the Evolution of Magikarp into Gyarados.