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Torracat remained unconscious at the Pokémon Center for about ten minutes. Fortunately, it wasn't anything serious.
Torracat had a high tolerance for flames—it had simply pushed itself too hard and collapsed from exhaustion.
The nurse who treated it scolded Li Xiang, telling him not to be so harsh on his Pokémon. Passing out from both physical and energy exhaustion was no joke.
Li Xiang chuckled awkwardly but didn't argue, silently waiting by Torracat's side.
"Mm…"
Torracat slowly woke up, blinking at the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings before locking eyes with its trainer, meowing anxiously.
From the moment it inhaled the burnt Catnip, it had lost most of its awareness, and everything afterward had been hazy. So, it desperately wanted to know if its all-out effort had paid off.
"Alright, alright, it worked," Li Xiang rubbed its head, flattening its stubborn cowlick. "We don't have exact numbers, but we can confirm that with the burnt Catnip and Furball, the temperature of your flames has reached the required level!"
From here, all it needed was to stabilize that temperature, and Flare Blitz would be within reach.
Of course, the more crucial aspect was temperature control.
As everyone knew, the energy consumption of Fire-type moves depended on two factors: flame temperature and total output. The higher the temperature, the more energy consumed. The greater the output, the more energy drained.
Before, Torracat had never paid attention to these factors—it just cranked up the heat and output as much as possible.
The results were impressive, with moves hitting hard.
But there was a glaring downside: it couldn't sustain it.
Torracat was built for endurance. It was meant to tank hits and hold the battlefield, so wasting energy inefficiently was unacceptable.
Temperature control, however, could significantly reduce energy consumption. After all, output could be managed, but temperature was trickier.
Luckily, Torracat had overcome these hurdles.
From now on, the path ahead was bright and wide open!
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Back home.
Torracat wanted to continue testing the bell's flame-absorption ability, but Li Xiang vetoed the idea.
"Rest for a couple of days first. There's no rush—your health comes first." Li Xiang remembered the nurse's warning before leaving.
She had advised against any high-intensity energy expenditure for the next two days. Normal activity would be better for recovery.
Best to follow medical advice.
Torracat stared at Li Xiang for a moment, then nodded in agreement when it saw his serious expression. Afterward, Li Xiang gathered his Pokémon to discuss what had happened with Torracat.
The two critical breakthroughs had undeniably been linked to Torracat's subconscious use of the Three-Blind Perception Method.
According to Torracat, the technique allowed it to focus intensely.
Once in that state, its flame control improved dramatically, and its perception of its surroundings sharpened.
From Li Xiang's movements to sounds, even the numbers on the detector's screen—everything fell under its "sixth sense," as if it had gained omniscience.
The feeling had been incredible, but unfortunately, when it tried the Three-Blind Perception Method again now, it couldn't replicate that state.
"Temporary enlightenment? A sudden breakthrough?"
Li Xiang frowned slightly, glancing at the other three Pokémon.
Riolu and Frogadier were full of envy—they wanted a power-up like that too, but luck hadn't been on their side.
Corvisquire, on the other hand, looked at Torracat with stars in its eyes, full of admiration.
It had also practiced the Three-Blind Perception Method, but as a beginner, its performance had been… lacking. Once, in a panic, it had even yanked out a chunk of Li Xiang's hair.
If not for the fact that they were still in their "honeymoon phase," the bird might've ended up sharing dinner with Liang Feifan.
Regardless, the fact that Torracat's breakthrough was temporary left Li Xiang a little disappointed.
If only it could maintain that state permanently.
Thinking this, he pulled out his phone and messaged Jiang Shangrong, detailing everything that had happened.
After a moment of silence, she replied that Torracat's Three-Blind Perception Method had already reached the threshold of what she considered "small mastery."
The reason it didn't work now was twofold:
Torracat was too impatient. Its mind wasn't calm enough, making it hard to trigger the state.
2. For beginners, the technique was mentally exhausting. It might not feel it now, but fatigue would soon set in, requiring a lot of sleep to recover.
Before she even finished speaking, Li Xiang heard Torracat's snores. Turning, he saw it already sprawled on the floor, fast asleep, one paw resting on Riolu's knee.
Riolu looked down at it with an almost parental fondness, gently stroking its forehead.
…Was this some kind of blessing?
Whatever. At least it wasn't just a temporary boost.
Feeling slightly happier, Li Xiang quickly jotted down the recovery-focused diet Jiang Shangrong recommended.
After thanking her, he announced the good news to his Pokémon, only to see Riolu's expression darken as it silently pushed Torracat's paw away, brushing its knee like it had touched something dirty.
Frogadier, meanwhile, quietly raised a glowing palm…
Oh no. These two have been corrupted by Torracat's bad influence.
The thought flashed through Li Xiang's mind as he quickly pulled Frogadier back.
…Not that Frogadier was actually going to hit Torracat. Probably.
Looking at Frogadier's expression, though, Li Xiang wondered if there had been some genuine intent there.
Was it really that big a deal?
Just because Torracat reached small mastery first…
Then he remembered the months of grueling practice, the setbacks, the lost hair—and suddenly, he kind of wanted to smack Torracat too.
"Friends walk the path together, but the first to succeed gets the beating."
Sighing, Li Xiang dragged Torracat to the couch and tossed it there before continuing the meeting with the other three.
"Now that Torracat's Three-Blind Perception Method has reached small mastery and its temperature control and pseudo-Flash Fire are showing results, it's time to talk about your paths."
He looked at Riolu, then Frogadier.
Every Pokémon had its specialties, and Li Xiang's job was to maximize them.
Riolu's specialty?
Was it its martial arts talent, mastering exhale techniques effortlessly? Its Prankster support abilities?
No.
[Aura] was what Riolu needed to master—the more proficient, the better.
Li Xiang had always encouraged Riolu to train its Aura, even hoping it could learn Aura Sphere early, much like how it had learned Life Dew after getting drenched.
A man could dream, but like Torracat's temperature control, Riolu hadn't made any groundbreaking progress with Aura.
At first glance, the Three-Blind Perception Method didn't seem to help either.
After all, in terms of mental abilities, Aura was the ancestor of the Three-Blind Perception Method. Was making Riolu spend time on the latter just abandoning the real treasure for a shiny rock?
No.
The Three-Blind Perception Method sharpened mental power, while simply using Aura mostly helped Riolu get more familiar with it—it did little to refine the mind.
This was evident in how Riolu's Aura-sensing range had expanded.
If using Aura alone was like walking, the Three-Blind Perception Method was sprinting. Additionally, there were specialized Aura-training methods—common knowledge in certain Aura forums.
Some trainers and their Riolu had grown stronger this way, sharing daily progress in attempts to harness Aura themselves.
The result? The Riolu's Aura flourished, while the humans got nothing.
Li Xiang had tried to find these methods, but every group he joined turned out to be a scam. In the end, he had to give up. Having the Three-Blind Perception Method was already a blessing.
So for now, aside from leveling up and learning moves, Riolu's priorities were:
Mastering exhale techniques.
2. Using the Three-Blind Perception Method to strengthen Aura.
If it could have a breakthrough like Torracat's, rapid progress would follow.
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Next: Frogadier.
Its specialty was obvious—Camouflage.
Its entire battle style revolved around it, but the move had major weaknesses. If the opponent predicted it, Frogadier would be exposed instantly.
And advancing further was incredibly difficult—having access to invisibility at all was already rare.
So while Li Xiang kept training this ability, he shifted focus elsewhere.
—Mucus.
Frogadier's evolutionary line relied on mucus at every stage.
Whether it was Frogadier and Froakie's foam or Greninja's Water Shuriken, mucus played a key role—mixing with water to create bubbles or compressing water into steel-slicing shuriken.
So in theory, Li Xiang could keep the foam scarf even after evolution.
Not as a tongue replacement, but as an outer layer of ultra-sticky foam.
Foam was versatile. Keeping it was a no-brainer. To boost mucus production, diet and environment were key.
Overall, the Three-Blind Perception Method didn't benefit Frogadier as much, but refining mental power was never a bad idea. Enhanced focus and perception could be game-changers in certain situations.
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Finally: Corvisquire.
This one was simple—evolve into Corviknight ASAP. Its true strength lay in its final form.
For now, the Three-Blind Perception Method's biggest use was sharpening observation skills.
As an aerial unit, its only blind spot was behind itself. If it could develop a sensing ability, combined with its body control, dodging or countering moves would become second nature.
"These are the areas you should focus on improving. No need to envy Torracat—your time will come."
Li Xiang looked at the three Pokémon before setting a goal for himself:
—Expand his battle experience.
He had fought too few Pokémon, and steamrolling weak opponents didn't help him grow.
What he needed were battles slightly above his level—against diverse moves, Abilities, and strategies—to improve rapidly.
And there was only one way to do that:
Tournaments.
Not casual local matches, but high-level competitions.