Chapter 129: Combat as Training

The Ralts landed, her face full of indignation, leaving Tang Yi somewhere between laughter and tears. Had he been thinking about something inappropriate just now? Perhaps, but it was only a fleeting, silent grumble in the back of his mind.

He suddenly realized something and looked at her in surprise: "Are you finally able to control your telepathy freely now?"

"Not entirely, but compared to before, I can use it under specific conditions," the Butterfree said, giving Tang Yi a meaningful look before asking subtly, "Have you and the Ralts had any developments lately?"

"Nothing of the sort. Just the usual training and reading every day." Tang Yi scoffed inwardly. *Nice try, fishing for information, but no chance!*

The Ralts glanced at him, wanting to retort but holding back.

The Butterfree sighed softly and said in a lingering tone, "Fine, it’s not my place to comment on what happens between you two. Regardless, since you can now perceive others' inner feelings more deeply, you should be better able to protect yourself."

The Butterfree truly cared for the Ralts, but she was also clever enough to leave it at that.

Both Tang Yi and the Ralts had gained much this weekend, though there was still a long way to go before truly mastering the primal release of their abilities. Since there had been progress, Tang Yi decided to dedicate time to focusing on Light Screen and Reflect.

He first consulted Coach Li Yaowen on the essentials of learning these moves, then discussed the training schedule with the Ralts.

"Time is tight," Tang Yi said, "especially since we still need to balance it with the practice sessions for Mr. Fang. Our rest time is going to be even more limited from now on."

"It’s fine, I’m prepared," the Ralts paused, her voice dropping shyly. "For the sake of our big house, I will work hard."

Tang Yi felt his heart flutter, his spirit instantly bolstered. "Exactly! For the big house! Time is like water in a sponge; if you squeeze, there’s always more."

The Ralts pondered this, her eyes brightening. "That’s a lovely saying. You certainly couldn't have come up with that yourself. Who said it?"

"Lu Xun, I suppose."

The Ralts huffed. "Lying to me again! I’ve checked—there is no such person as Lu Xun. You always blame him whenever I ask; I’m not a child!"

In the history of this world, there was indeed no such person as Lu Xun.

Tang Yi spread his hands, feeling quite distressed. "I’m not lying! I admit that in the past, I might have attributed other things to him, but *this* quote really was him!"

...

Only two weeks remained in the final sprint before the selection tournament.

Tang Yi had canceled all other leisure activities, and the Ralts did not voice a single complaint. As Coach Li had advised, Reflect and Light Screen could be learned simultaneously; Reflect reduced the force of physical attacks, while Light Screen mitigated energy-based ones.

The key was the rapid manifestation of mental energy. The difference lay in the execution: Light Screen required diffusing one's mental energy, while Reflect required condensing it in reverse. Neither was particularly difficult, but they required time. In truth, the Ralts had a knack for learning moves; her pace was quite efficient.

Jiang Hai, Zhang Chen, and Yang Fu, who had been eliminated in the second round, learned of Tang Yi's focus on these defensive moves and offered their help during their lunch breaks.

"Defensive moves are best practiced with partners to be effective," Zhang Chen remarked.

"Coach’s Pansage is too high-level; her attack intensity isn't really suitable for the Ralts. We are a better fit," Jiang Hai added.

"You didn't even ask us! If I hadn't suddenly remembered to check the group chat today, we wouldn't have known," Yang Fu said, half-jokingly.

The group chat they had formed had gone quiet after the second round. Coaches Li and Wang had likely stopped communicating with the group to avoid upsetting those who had been eliminated, preferring to message Tang Yi privately. But today, Yang Fu had checked in, and they had arrived right after lunch.

"I didn't want to interfere with your studies," Tang Yi laughed, feeling moved. Even though the competition was over, their bond remained strong.

"Hey, no offense, but I’ve always been at the top of the school rankings. A little lost time doesn't matter to me."

"And while I’m not at the very top, my current standing is enough to get me into a prestigious university."

"I’m probably heading abroad for studies."

So, they were all top students. Then again, those representing the school usually were—Tang Yi was the exception.

Tang Yi’s guilt vanished instantly. "Well then, I won't stand on ceremony."

"As if you ever did."

They shared a laugh. At their age, they weren't calculating benefits; they simply thought Tang Yi was a decent person and wanted to help.

Tang Yi stopped holding back and took command. "Pidove, fly overhead and supervise. Pikachu, use Thundershock to test the hardness of the Light Screen. Cottonee, use Razor Leaf to test the Reflect. Let’s move, time is ticking!"

Zhang Chen and the others stared in disbelief before bursting into laughter. This guy was truly something else.

With Pikachu and the others—whose strength was comparable to the Ralts'—joining in, the intensity of her training increased significantly.

Normally, one would learn the basics before practicing for proficiency. But Tang Yi lacked the luxury of time, so he decided to skip the slow, methodical phase and dive straight into combat-simulated training. Since the Ralts already knew the mechanics by heart, it was just a matter of repetition.

The immediate consequence was that the Ralts was completely overwhelmed at first, even though Pikachu and Cottonee had been told to hold back and minimize their energy output to avoid injury. Facing attacks from two sides simultaneously, she was soon in a state of disarray.

Pidove didn't join the attacks; a three-on-one fight wouldn't be training—it would be bullying. Her role was to observe from the sky, providing a bird's-eye view to identify where the Ralts needed to improve.