In his spacious home courtyard, Jiang Mo was focused on training Pikachu and Haunter.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled light and shadow, adding a touch of tranquility and vitality to the training ground.
Pikachu had always been lively and active, but also a bit mischievous and prone to Slack Off. Taking advantage of Jiang Mo turning to instruct Haunter, it immediately stopped practicing its Electro Ball skill. Its eyes darted around, and it quickly ran to a nearby tree, lying down on its back with all four limbs splayed out, not forgetting to cover its eyes with its front paws, pretending to be resting with its eyes closed.
A moment later, Jiang Mo noticed the unusual quiet behind him. A doubt arose in his heart, and he turned to see Pikachu Slacking Off.
He cleared his throat lightly, intentionally raising his voice and saying, "Pikachu, continue training! This Electro Ball attack needs to be faster and more accurate!"
Pikachu's ears twitched, knowing it had been discovered. It quickly did a carp jump and sprang up, acting as if nothing had happened, and swiftly ran back to its training position.
The electricity on its body began to crackle, and it kept secretly glancing at Jiang Mo, as if saying, "I've been training seriously all along."
Then, with a crisp Growl, it quickly condensed an Electro Ball and shot it towards the target. After a precise hit, Pikachu jumped up triumphantly, anticipating Jiang Mo's praise.
Jiang Mo was quite helpless; he now had sufficient reason to suspect that Pikachu's hidden ability was "Actor."
Haunter floated around nearby, occasionally playing small tricks to scare a few Hoothoot not far away, making them flap their wings and fly wildly in all directions.
However, Haunter was very serious about its training.
Jiang Mo directed it to train the Toxic skill. Haunter's ethereal body sometimes dematerialized like smoke and sometimes solidified into a physical form.
It spewed a concentrated cloud of purple Toxic from its mouth, precisely striking the designated area, instantly corroding even the lush green lawn into a large, dark hole.
Each time it successfully completed a command, it would let out an eerie laugh, seemingly seeking praise from Jiang Mo. The laughter echoed in the air, sending shivers down one's spine.
Pupitar stood to the side, its eyes filled with longing and eagerness. It yearned to engage in high-intensity training as usual.
But for Pupitar at this stage, the most important thing was to properly digest the accumulated energy within its body to lay a solid foundation for its subsequent growth.
So Jiang Mo walked over, gently stroking Pupitar's hard shell, and comforted it, "Pupitar, be patient. Absorbing energy is key right now. Once you complete this stage and evolve into Tyranitar, you can train as much as you want."
Although Pupitar was a bit reluctant, it still followed Jiang Mo's arrangement, quietly lying to the side. Its body faintly emitted energy fluctuations as it began to focus on absorbing the energy within.
After a period of training, Jiang Mo checked the status of his Pokémon and was surprised to find that Pikachu's level had reached 38, making it the fastest to improve.
Despite its tendency to Slack Off, the talent and potential it displayed at critical moments made Jiang Mo both annoyed and amused.
"This little guy is truly unpredictable, but its strength improvement is undeniable," Jiang Mo muttered with a smile.
Haunter was not far behind, with its level increasing to 36, and Pupitar also reached level 35. Seeing that all his Pokémon had grown, Jiang Mo felt greatly relieved.
After the training, Jiang Mo was organizing papers about Pokémon that require high friendship to evolve when the phone suddenly rang urgently.
He put down his pen, walked over, and answered the call. Dr. Ouyang's familiar voice came through the receiver: "Jiang Mo, the Alliance banquet is in a few days. How are your preparations coming along? You need to come to the capital soon."
Jiang Mo pondered for a moment before replying, "Dr. Ouyang, my preparations are mostly complete. I'll be right over."
The next day, Jiang Mo and Lin Zhiqiu arrived in the capital by plane.
As a top Breeder of the Alliance, Lin Zhiqiu was fully qualified to attend the banquet with the Breeder Association.
As soon as they got off the plane, they saw the person Dr. Ouyang sent to pick them up already waiting at the exit.
The person enthusiastically stepped forward, respectfully took their luggage, and led them to the waiting private car, which drove directly towards the capital's landmark building—the Alliance Building.
As the core office of the Shenzhou Alliance, the Alliance Building handles various complex government affairs in an orderly manner every day, and also bears the important responsibility of receiving foreign guests from all corners of the world.
Moreover, the awards ceremony for the Shenzhou Alliance's highest-level competitions is also held here. Each year's Four Heavenly Kings and Champion are crowned in this building, under the watchful eyes of the public.
Before long, the private car slowly pulled up in front of the Alliance Building.
This towering, magnificent building showcased the Alliance's immense strength and prestige.
Jiang Mo was the first to get out, then gallantly helped his mother.
He looked up at the building, took a deep breath, tidied his clothes, and together with Lin Zhiqiu, followed the reception staff into the building.
The interior of the building was exquisitely decorated, with resplendent ornaments, displays of precious artworks, and a constant stream of Elite individuals, all showcasing the high standard of the banquet.
After Jiang Mo and Lin Zhiqiu settled into the Alliance Building, Jiang Mo immediately contacted Zhen Yu and Pan Yan.
He learned that the two of them had arrived in the capital a week earlier, making various preparations for the banquet.
Soon after, Jiang Mo met Zhen Yu, dressed in a security officer's uniform, and Pan Yan, in a military uniform, downstairs in the building.
Pan Yan stood tall, with resolute eyes. His military uniform highlighted his authority and efficiency. Zhen Yu, on the other hand, had keen eyes, showing a shrewd alertness.
"Young Master, you've arrived. The capital hasn't been peaceful these past few days; various forces are stirring," Pan Yan stepped forward and said in a low voice, while vigilantly observing his surroundings.
Jiang Mo nodded slightly, a hint of solemnity in his gaze: "Thank you for your hard work. First, familiarize me with the situation."
Thus, Zhen Yu and Pan Yan took Jiang Mo around the vicinity of the building, introducing him to the various arriving forces as they walked.
"Baka yarou! You, die!"
Suddenly, a crude roar came from not far away.
A man in a suit, which was stretched taut by his corpulent body, with a prominent potbelly that was particularly noticeable, and a bald head with only sparse mustache on either side, was seen.
His face was flushed, and his eyes were wide like brass bells. He was loudly scolding a beautiful, curvaceous female server.
Just moments ago, he had seen the server's graceful figure and was instantly consumed by lust, reaching out his greasy hand to touch her.
The server, in fright, dodged, causing the drinks she was carrying to accidentally spill on him. This made him even more furious, and he continuously spewed vulgar words, completely disregarding the strange looks from those around him.