"Hello there, little guy," Ji Yan greeted, trying to show he wasn't here to cause trouble.
But in the next moment, his Charizard's gaze shifted sharply to the Ability Boost Energy Cubes behind Blaziken. The Pokémon stepped forward, nearly brushing Blaziken's face, its eyes locked onto the cubes as if it had found something irresistible.
Those were high-level Ability Cubes.
Blaziken shivered in alarm and quickly scooped them up, holding them protectively in its arms.
"Roar?" (Let me see?)
Charizard could sense the potential in those cubes and knew they could significantly enhance its abilities.
"Blaziken!" (No way!)
Blaziken was not about to give away its food so easily.
Ji Yan blinked at the stubborn display, slightly dumbfounded. How could this be? At home, he had plenty of energy items for Charizard. Yet here, his Pokémon seemed more interested in someone else's supplies than his own.
He yanked Charizard back, a frown darkening his face. "Hey, you're my Pokémon. Don't tell me you're short on food at home, yet out here, you want someone else's?"
Lin Feng, however, quickly understood what was happening.
The special Ability Boost Energy Cubes had a unique effect: when a Fire-type Pokémon with the Blaze ability used one for the first time while low on stamina but with strong fighting spirit, the Blaze effect would triple. Additionally, the cubes enhanced the Pokémon's ability power by 50% for the next hour and prevented any negative effects from abilities during that time.
For a Champion-level Pokémon like Charizard, this was practically irresistible.
Charizard seemed to realize this and froze, rubbing its face awkwardly as it stepped back. Its eyes, however, kept flicking back to the cubes.
How could something be so tempting?
"I'm sorry… normally he's not like this," Ji Yan muttered, feeling his cool, composed Champion image slipping. But he quickly reminded himself that he had come to ask this boy about raising a Blaziken, and any embarrassment didn't matter.
"It's fine, really," Lin Feng said, curiosity in his voice. "Ji Yan, did you come because of Blaziken?"
Ji Yan paused, then laughed heartily. "You young man are sharp. You saw right through it. Yes, I'm here to ask for your guidance."
He was not like the older Champions who clung to outdated methods. Ever since Feng Yang became the new Champion, he had reformed the East Hua League's system, bringing in more young, energetic trainers to key positions, injecting new vitality into the League.
Recently, there were even discussions about letting children as young as twelve receive their first Pokémon, provided they passed the Junior Trainer Certification. Young trainers, with their pure hearts, were more likely to gain wild Pokémon's trust.
"That's why I looked you up online," Ji Yan continued. "I heard you run a breeding house and are an advanced breeder yourself. And your Blaziken… it has the same Speed Boost ability as mine, but why is its acceleration so…," he hesitated, then spoke the word carefully, "absurd?"
Absurd.
It didn't seem scientifically possible for Blaziken to perform like this.
"Blaziken?" the Pokémon mumbled, muttering at the human who had just arrived from the sky. But seeing Charizard beside him, and with Gardevoir not around, he didn't dare argue. Instead, he casually munched on another Ability Cube, then a rice ball.
"Uh… how should I explain this?" Lin Feng scratched his head, unsure how to answer. He picked up a rice ball to change the subject. "This is hard to explain. I saw your Charizard looked hungry just now, and it's midday. You've probably been busy all morning without eating. Want to try one?"
"Huh?" Ji Yan blinked. Then, seeing Lin Feng's Pokémon enjoying their meal, he realized he was indeed hungry. He accepted a rice ball and shared one with Charizard.
After the first bite, he immediately noticed something unusual. The rice ball filled him up surprisingly quickly, but the flavor was rich, full of energy. Charizard's eyes lit up, and Lin Feng handed out more rice balls generously.
Lin Feng then gestured toward Ji Yan to watch Blaziken and Charizard eat.
At first, Ji Yan was puzzled, but then he froze. Blaziken's eating speed matched Charizard's, a Champion-level Pokémon, bite for bite. Blaziken shoved rice balls into its mouth with astonishing efficiency.
"This is why its Speed Boost ability is so strong," Lin Feng explained. "It eats a lot, so it runs fast. I call it Super Speed Boost."
"This… this is insane," Ji Yan gaped. He leaned forward eagerly. "Did you breed this ability into it?"
If Lin Feng had, it would be incredible. A Blaziken with enhanced Speed Boost would be unstoppable. Ji Yan could already imagine challenging Feng Yang again with a Pokémon like that.
But Lin Feng shook his head. "No, it's natural."
Although Blaziken's Super Speed Boost now benefited from the Ability Cubes and its daily long runs, the effect of the cubes was a secret Lin Feng didn't want to share.
"I see…" Ji Yan's shoulders slumped slightly. He felt a twinge of regret. A Blaziken like this was simply outrageous. If such Pokémon could be bred widely, the fire-type trainers' power in the League would skyrocket.
Meanwhile, spectators slowly trickled back to the stands. Seeing Ji Yan in the trainer area, curiosity drew them closer. Sensing he was attracting too much attention, Ji Yan gave Lin Feng a brief wave and, with Charizard leaping onto his back, flew off.
He thought to himself that he would have to visit this young trainer's breeding house next time.