When Bai Ou's knock on the door gently sounded, Mu Qingzhu quickly and lightly ran to answer it, then softly asked:
"Xiao Bai, is something wrong?"
After a moment of contemplation, Bai Ou finally chose to be honest. She softly said:
"Qingzhu, recently I've noticed Swablu's behavior has been a bit abnormal, especially after losing the battle against Xia Bing this afternoon. It seems even more unwilling to follow my commands…"
"Before this, when did Swablu's behavior start becoming abnormal?"
Mu Qingzhu asked.
Then, Bai Ou recounted Swablu's situation to Mu Qingzhu in detail:
When I first met that Swablu, Qingzhu, the Swablu's Poké Ball you gave me, slowly hatched, a fragile life just emerging. At that time, it was docile and well-behaved. Under my care, it safely passed its infancy. However, ever since I experienced our first battle together with you, Qingzhu, after Swablu lost, it seemed to develop doubts about me, no longer as obedient as before.
As time passed, Swablu's level gradually increased, and its strength continuously grew, but at the same time, its loyalty to me seemed to be quietly diminishing. Especially after that intense battle with Xiao Bing, Swablu completely stopped listening to my commands, becoming increasingly independent and stubborn.
Now, except when enjoying delicious food, Swablu is always doing its own thing.
After listening to Bai Ou's detailed narration, Mu Qingzhu decisively made a decision, signaling Bai Ou to release Swablu. Bai Ou followed the instruction, carefully releasing Swablu from its Poké Ball. As a soft glow dissipated, Swablu gracefully appeared before them. Mu Qingzhu meticulously observed Swablu's status:
[Pokémon: Swablu
Type: Normal, Flying
Level: 21
Gender: Female
Ability: Natural Cure
Moves: Growl, Peck, Disarming Voice, Mist, Fury Attack, Round, Dragon Breath
Egg Moves: Tailwind, Dragon Rush
Aptitude: Elite Four Level]
Seeing Swablu's level, Mu Qingzhu was shocked. Recalling the battle this afternoon, Swablu's level was clearly only 18. How could winning a battle cause such a rapid advancement, increasing by a full three levels?
Then, Mu Qingzhu suddenly realized that every energy cube Bai Ou provided to Swablu was of top quality. Perhaps it was because of the loss in the afternoon's battle that Swablu thought its Trainer had made a mistake in strategy. This misunderstanding incited Swablu's anger, prompting it to fully absorb the energy from the energy cube, thereby achieving a rapid increase in Swablu's level.
Mu Qingzhu took a deep breath, countless thoughts surging in her mind, finally condensing into a simple sentence, which she gently said to Bai Ou:
"Xiao Bai, Swablu has now advanced to the intermediate stage, while your Trainer status is still at the novice stage. Due to the insufficient Trainer level, Swablu may not obey your commands at the moment."
"For the next few days, Swablu will be under my care, and I will be responsible for its specialized training. At the same time, you can also consult Uncle Bai on how to more effectively improve your own Trainer level. Everyone's growth path is unique, and you can get some valuable advice from Uncle Bai. I hope this helps you."
"Swablu is currently resting peacefully with me, so you don't need to worry about her safety. Here, she will enjoy plenty of energy cubes to meet her growth needs. However, in the coming days, I will put her through rigorous training to enhance her various abilities. I hope you can understand and support this, and not feel too much heartache over her temporary hard work."
As Mu Qingzhu's words fell, Bai Ou sighed softly, murmuring to herself, "It turns out I was holding Swablu back."
Immediately after, Bai Ou turned to Swablu and gently instructed, "Swablu, just stay here with Qingzhu, listen to her well, and diligently follow the training she arranges for you. I'll come pick you up in a few days."
After finishing her conversation with Mu Qingzhu, Bai Ou lightly left the room and immediately called Bai Luo. She eagerly inquired about how to further improve her Trainer level, eager to advance further on her growth path.
…
As Bai Ou gradually walked away, Mu Qingzhu sighed softly, murmuring, 'Xiao Bai, this is the path you want to take. We can only give you advice, but as for the path ahead, you need to walk it yourself.'
Immediately after, Mu Qingzhu's gaze turned to Swablu, deep in thought about how to plan a suitable training regimen for her.
Later, after meticulously planning Swablu's training schedule, Mu Qingzhu went to bed early to ensure she had ample energy for teaching the next day.
…
The first ray of morning sun had not yet fully spread, but Mu Qingzhu was already up and energized, ready for a new day's exercise. She walked lightly to the training ground, and with a gentle wave of her hand, released Kirlia, Servine, Frogadier, and Swablu from their Poké Balls, and the four Pokémon happily leaped out. Mu Qingzhu, with this lively group of companions, began her morning run, enjoying the tranquility and harmony of the early morning.
An hour later, Mu Qingzhu returned to the dorm with the four Pokémon. She immediately became busy, carefully preparing breakfast for the Pokémon while gently waking the sleeping Bai Ou and Xia Bing, filling the entire dorm with a warm atmosphere.
After breakfast, Xia Bing noticed Swablu lightly perched on Mu Qingzhu's shoulder, and she couldn't help but ask curiously:
"Xiao Bai, why is your Swablu with Qingzhu?"
"These past few days, I asked Qingzhu to help me train Swablu." Bai Ou explained in detail.
"For the next few days, I'll help Xiao Bai train Swablu." Mu Qingzhu said to Xia Bing.
"Alright, Qingzhu, when you have time later, please help me train my Pokémon too." Xia Bing made this request to Mu Qingzhu with an earnest look.
"No problem." Mu Qingzhu replied.
Then, the three walked hand in hand out of the dorm and headed to the classroom.
The morning class schedule remained the same, only the order of lessons was adjusted: today's first class corresponded to yesterday's second class, and today's second class coincided with yesterday's first class. This slight adjustment made the learning pace more compact and brought a new learning experience.
Bathed in the warm afternoon sun, Teacher Wang Han had all the students, with their Pokémon, jog five laps around the stadium track. After the jog, an unexpected surprise arrived—the remaining time was completely ours to freely use.
Subsequently, the students eagerly sought each other out and enthusiastically engaged in intense battles.
…