After the siblings played around for a bit, Li Shuwen began washing the kitchen utensils, while Li Meining took Riolu to train skills.
After cleaning the kitchen utensils, Li Shuwen went to the Pokémon storage room at Veilstone Gym.
Other Gyms were filled with shelves of Poké Balls.
Regardless of the Pokémon's strength, the quantity had to be large.
On one hand, it was to cope with the endless stream of challengers, and on the other hand, it was to hopefully discover a talented Pokémon.
Just as a Trainer can drive a Pokémon's growth, a Pokémon can in turn drive a Trainer's growth.
This is a mutually beneficial process.
Li Shuwen believed that the influence Jangmo-o had on his high affinity for Dragon-type was undeniable.
This is also why many Trainers eventually choose to specialize in one type.
Find the type they are best at and devote all their energy to growing in it.
Of course, there are also Trainers with exceptional talent in multiple types.
The representative figure is Cynthia!
Her six main Pokémon cover a very wide range of types.
There's no comparison; Cynthia's ancestors were truly prominent, and the talent passed down through generations is naturally unparalleled in Sinnoh.
Li Shuwen's family is not a lineage from the Hisui era, so naturally, they don't have any outstanding talents.
His father had no talent for raising Pokémon; like many Fighting-type Trainers, he relied on his natural strength and close-quarters combat with Pokémon.
Thereby promoting the Pokémon's growth.
If it weren't for Li Shuwen's influence, Li Meining would most likely also become a Fighter and a Trainer.
For Fighter-type Trainers, it was destined that his father wouldn't have too many Pokémon.
On the large wooden shelf, there were only eight Poké Balls.
The classic Machop, Machoke, and Machamp family set.
Infernape, Poliwrath.
Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, Hitmontop, another family set.
Only Machop and Machoke were new recruits his father caught to deal with challengers after he became a Gym Leader.
That was almost ten years ago, and Machop is still just a Machop, which somehow feels even more tragic than Jangmo-o.
His father not only doesn't work, but he doesn't even train his Pokémon.
As the acting Gym Leader, Li Shuwen could only train these Pokémon; the effect on their strength growth was almost non-existent, but it could ensure their condition didn't decline.
Barely maintaining Veilstone Gym's reputation among Trainers.
He took the Poké Balls of Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, and Hitmontop, planning to train the three of them in the morning.
Li Shuwen arrived at the training ground and released the three of them.
Seeing Li Shuwen instead of his father, the three Pokémon were already accustomed to it.
"Everyone, run ten laps around the training ground to warm up, then we'll start skill training."
Since he was eight years old, Li Shuwen began learning how to take care of these eight Pokémon, and from the age of ten, his father completely handed over the Pokémon to him.
When Li Shuwen was fifteen, his father completely fell into decline.
Li Shuwen tried to train them, and he never expected that Machamp, as his father's first Pokémon, would take the lead in agreeing to Li Shuwen's training.
It was also in this year that Li Shuwen began to try to take over for his father in accepting challenges from Trainers.
After running ten laps with Hitmonlee, Li Shuwen felt every cell in his body cheering.
Before, when Hitmonlee ran ten laps, Li Shuwen could only manage five at most.
Today was the first time he successfully ran ten laps with Hitmonlee, and not only did he not feel tired, but he felt invigorated; Li Shuwen could not hide his excitement.
Hitmonlee was a bit surprised, wondering if his young master had taken the wrong medicine today, being able to keep up with his speed.
Although Hitmonlee wasn't running at full speed, with his young master's stamina, Hitmonlee could easily exhaust him.
Could his young master being able to keep up today mean that Veilstone Gym had a successor?
"Start training!"
Hitmonchan's fist cut through the air, faintly bringing a scorching wind.
Hitmonlee spun and kicked, his legs constantly extending and retracting, moving with ghostly speed, his feet able to appear in any position.
Hitmontop directly stood on its head, supporting its body with the horn on its head, its two legs and tail spinning rapidly, creating a whirlwind.
With Hitmontop around, Veilstone Gym didn't even need air conditioning.
Li Meining rushed into the training ground with Riolu, "Brother, we have a challenger!"
"Where are they?"
Li Meining saluted, "I have followed the officer's instructions and settled the person in the lounge to wait, awaiting your command, sir."
Li Shuwen smiled, "Very good, Private Ning! Now go call dad and see if he's free to come back and accept the Trainer's challenge."
"Yes, sir!"
Li Meining then rushed out of the training ground to make the call.
Li Shuwen went to the kitchen to pour a cup of tea and some snacks for the Trainer.
"Please help yourself."
Li Shuwen knew that when he told Li Meining to take the challenger to the lounge to wait, she would truly only take the person there, not even preparing a cup of tea for them.
"Thank you." The challenger was a lively Spiky Hair teenager.
"May I ask which badge this is for you, so I can prepare the Pokémon I'll use for today's battle based on your situation."
Hearing Li Shuwen's words, the teenager immediately perked up.
"I'm Arlon from Snowpoint City, and this is the third Gym I'm challenging."
Li Shuwen nodded, "Based on the badges you possess, the battle will be a two-on-two format. I will now go prepare my Pokémon, and I will come to take you to the battle arena once I'm ready."
"Please wait a moment."
The Spiky Hair teenager respectfully nodded, "Okay, thank you for the trouble."
Li Shuwen returned to the training ground, where Li Meining had already finished her call.
"I called three times, and dad didn't answer."
Li Shuwen shrugged, "It seems I'll have to go. Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, I'm counting on you two."
"Cha!" Hitmonchan waved its fists.
"Ha!" Hitmonlee performed a side kick.
Assuring Li Shuwen they could handle it.
Hitmontop jumped up and down, "Haa!" He wanted to battle too.
"Hitmontop, don't worry, I'll definitely let you battle next time."
Hitmontop believed him, and the obedient Pokémon stayed in the training ground to train.
"Sis, take the challenger to the battle arena. I'll go ahead."
The battle arena at Veilstone Gym was originally a standard arena with nothing on the ground.
But after Li Shuwen took over, it was replaced with a Rocky Field featuring many rock formations and boulders.
Changing to this type of field actually benefits Fighting-type Pokémon more.
Li Meining stood at the referee's position, "Now commencing the battle between the Veilstone Gym Leader and the challenger. The Gym Leader will send out their Pokémon first, and the Trainer will have the first move."
Li Shuwen threw his Poké Ball, "Go, Hitmonlee."
Arlon, without hesitation, though he had already planned countless times on the way who to send out, "I'm counting on you, Staravia."
Li Shuwen knew that out of ten Trainers challenging Veilstone Gym, nine would send out a Flying-type Pokémon first.
More than half were Starly and Staravia.
As for Staraptor, it was not common.
"Staravia, Wing Attack!"
Li Shuwen sighed inwardly, using Wing Attack was simply wasting the advantage of the Flying-type.
"Flame Kick."
His foot, wreathed in flames, precisely kicked Staravia's neck.
Staravia crashed into a rock, losing its ability to battle in just one hit.
"Staravia!" Arlon cried out in alarm.
He hadn't expected that Staravia, a Flying-type, would be so easily defeated by the Fighting-type Hitmonlee.
Recalling Staravia, Arlon still stuck to his planned lineup, "Go, Exeggutor."
No, buddy, didn't you see that Hitmonlee used Flame Kick to knock out Staravia just now?
And you're still sending out Exeggutor?
"Flame Kick!"
"Exeggutor, use Confusion!"
Hitmonlee moved at high speed, its right leg suddenly extending two meters, kicking Exeggutor away and shattering the rock behind it.
Exeggutor, unable to battle!