c13: Debunked and Dangerous
"How did it go? Not enough money? If you're short, I can lend you some."
Leng Yue, brimming with excitement, was suddenly dragged aside by Chen Xiaoxiao. As usual, the ever-curious cosplayer bombarded her with questions.
"That Pokémon egg... never mind. Darmanitan isn't even half Psychic-type, so I'm not interested."
Chen Xiaoxiao had intended to point out something suspicious about the egg but changed her approach mid-sentence.
"What's wrong with that Pokémon egg? Is there a problem? What kind of problem? Didn't you say we could observe it hatch?" Leng Yue pressed relentlessly.
Chen Xiaoxiao had clearly underestimated just how persistent Leng Yue could be.
"Well… the issue lies in the parentage test it only confirms the paternal lineage, not the maternal. According to what that seller just said, the Darmanitan he owns is Elite-tier. But I didn't see him carrying an Elite Trainer Badge."
Of course, he could simply dislike wearing the badge. But without at least five Pokémon at the quasi-Elite tier or above, he wouldn't qualify as an Elite Trainer.
Based on his words, his Darmanitan bred with another Elite-level Darmanitan, and the mother's identity can't be verified because the original Trainer is now unreachable. That makes it impossible to run a full parentage test on the egg.
This implies the Elite Darmanitan he owns might be the father. He could have shown his Pokédex's official strength rating for proof but didn't.
That's why I suspect the Darmanitan he brought is actually the mother, not Elite-level.
If I'm right, and the mother is only quasi-Elite, then based on research published by Professor Birch on breeding potential and IV inheritance, the chance of their offspring reaching Elite-level battle capacity is less than 10%.
If the mother were truly Elite... well, that'd be a whole different story.
Chen Xiaoxiao mentally sorted out the evidence, speaking as calmly as possible.
"So it's a scam? I can't just let this go!"
Leng Yue's expression sharpened with righteous fury. Without hesitation, she grabbed Chen Xiaoxiao and headed straight back toward the stall.
"!!!!!!!!!"
What just happened?
When did Leng Yue, known for being sulky, sarcastic, and mischievous, suddenly grow a Justice Attribute? Did she evolve into an Arcanine or something?
Chen Xiaoxiao was genuinely stunned.
When they returned to the Pokémon egg booth, the boy who'd asked earlier was already about to make payment. Some people really had money to spare.
Leng Yue prepared to intervene, but Chen Xiaoxiao quickly stopped her and whispered, "Wait until the money's been transferred."
Leng Yue paused, raising her eyebrows at Chen Xiaoxiao as if to say: You're even darker than I thought.
Chen Xiaoxiao gave her a helpless shrug, rolling her eyes so hard they almost made a U-turn. A second later, Leng Yue understood the plan.
They watched as the transaction completed. From the overheard conversation, they learned that the egg had sold for 30 million yen.
Leng Yue strode forward and declared, "Wait! I'll pay 50 million yen for that egg! But I want to see the Elite-level Darmanitan's battle stats as recorded in your Pokédex."
Suddenly, she seemed like a rich lady out of nowhere.
"Eh? You're too late," the seller replied, his expression faltering. "The deal's already done. I told this young man it was worth every yen see? Sold!"
"Then ask him to show me the Darmanitan's stats recorded in the Pokédex," she said. "If they match Elite-level combat capability, I'll buy the egg for 50 million. You two can split the profit however you want."
She continued, "Fifty million yen is enough to buy two starter Pokémon eggs from any licensed breeder. Starters like Bulbasaur or Torchic typically come with solid battle potential, even with average genetics. And this egg? It hasn't even been evaluated based on both parents' strength."
Leng Yue knew reasoning with the stall owner would be pointless, so she shifted her focus to the young male buyer.
The boy skimmed through his Pokédex, quickly cross-referencing "strength evaluation," "parent Pokémon," and related key terms. He immediately realized the core issue and turned to the stall owner, saying, "I'd also like to see the strength evaluation of your Elite-level Darmanitan as listed in your Pokédex. I'll even offer an extra 20 million yen."
The stall owner, his expression unreadable, responded flatly, "Kid, the egg is yours now. What you do with it is your business. As long as it hatches into a Darumaka, our deal is complete."
"Idiot! Call the police already!" Chen Xiaoxiao snapped, unable to tolerate the situation any longer. She stepped forward, pulling Leng Yue behind her protectively.
"The egg's father may be Elite-level," she continued, "and sure, the paternity test checked out through the Pokémon Center. But that doesn't prove anything about the mother. Don't be fooled. I'm a certified Elite-level Trainer if you've got any sense, you'll understand that you're being played. The consequences of silence will fall on you."
The stall owner's gaze turned icy. He shot Chen Xiaoxiao a venomous glare before turning back to the boy. "You'd better be careful. Do you even understand who you're dealing with?"
But the boy, now visibly aware something was wrong, gave a sheepish grin half self-deprecating, half grateful. How could I be this dumb? I needed a random girl to point it out?
He gave Chen Xiaoxiao and Leng Yue a grateful look, then, undeterred by the stall owner's threat, pulled out his Pokédex and contacted the police.
Chen Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow, giving the boy a rare nod of approval.
Maybe he's not as hopeless as he looked. If only Stephanie had half this backbone why's it always on me to clean up the mess?
The stall owner, seeing the call go through without hesitation, panicked. With a sudden motion, he tossed a Poké Ball into the air.
A sharp cry echoed out "Fearow!" as the large bird Pokémon appeared in a flash of light. Clearly planning an escape, the stall owner leapt onto its back.
"Fearow!"
The command was understood instantly. The Flying-type flared its wings and soared upward with the stall owner astride it.
From the sky, the man glanced back bitterly at Chen Xiaoxiao and Leng Yue.
Those two damn girls... If not for them, I'd have gotten away clean.
Then suddenly,
"Fearow! Drill Peck! Hit them!"
His escape turned into retaliation. Enraged and irrational, the stall owner gave the order to attack the crowd!
"Ah!"
"No!"
"Look out!"
Chaos erupted. Buyers and vendors scattered in panic, some shouting warnings, others diving for cover.
"Go, Fire Beast intercept it!"
The young buyer wasted no time. He hurled a Poké Ball, releasing a blazing Typhlosion, one of the final evolutions from the Johto starter trio.
Despite the boy's swift reaction, Fearow had already initiated its assault. With its high speed and sharp beak whirling like a drill, it rocketed toward Chen Xiaoxiao and Leng Yue before Typhlosion could cut it off.
Yet strangely, the two girls stood still, unshaken. The people around them were panicked, but they wore no fear on their faces only calm. In fact, there was even a hint of sarcasm in their expressions.
Chen Xiaoxiao's composure came from the fact that she was more than capable of handling a Fearow like this.
As for Leng Yue... her confidence lay completely in Chen Xiaoxiao's strength.
Yes this was just so very Leng Yue.
In that moment, Chen Xiaoxiao silently accessed the stall owner's Pokémon profile via her internal Trainer system and smirked inwardly.
Oh, just a quasi-Elite? Tch.
Fearow
Gender: ♂
Level: 52 (Quasi-Elite – Advanced)
Type: Normal/Flying
Nature: Impish (boosts Defense, lowers Special Attack)
Ability: Keen Eye (Prevents accuracy from being lowered; ignores target's evasiveness boosts)
Hidden Ability: Sniper (Critical hits deal 2.25x damage instead of 1.5x)
Classification: Quasi-Elite
---