Elf: Start your slow-paced life after becoming a farmer.

"Good afternoon, Master." Shinji turned around calmly and greeted Carl. Then he saw Garchomp standing next to Carl. "Master, are you out shopping with your Pokémon?"

"Otherwise what?" Carl raised an eyebrow. "Do you expect me to bring my Garchomp to the city center to practice Meteor Shower?"

“Given your personality, teacher, the probability of this happening is probably not zero.” Shinji retorted to Karl with practiced ease, then continued, “However, the quality of the goods in this shop is quite good, Master, you can take a good look around.”

"Do you think your master is someone who lacks a few measly coins?" Carl said to himself. "If Garchomp sets its sights on something, I'll just buy it!"

“Alright, that’s definitely your style, Master.” Shinji’s lips twitched, and he started wandering around on his own, “abandoning” Karl in the spot.

Shinji's family was not poor, but they were not particularly wealthy either.

Shinji's older brother, Reiji, used the money he had saved during his time as a trainer to open a small breeding shop in Veilstone City after retiring from training. Over the years, the business has gradually improved.

However, in this world, although raising Pokémon doesn't involve spending millions or tens of millions like some urban novels disguised as Pokémon stories, the daily expenses for maintaining Pokémon training still add up to a considerable amount.

It wasn't until Shinji later imitated Carl's method of efficiently farming money from random trainers that he barely solved the financial difficulties.

Shinji's finances truly improved after he learned about the fishing tournament series from Karl. Although Shinji didn't possess Karl's unparalleled fishing skills, winning a few small tournaments was still a piece of cake for him under Karl's tutelage.

'Indeed, fishing is the right thing to do,' Carl thought.

Chapter 224 The Road Ahead

After saying goodbye to Shinji, who was shopping, Carl stuffed all the items Garchomp had bought into his backpack and then went shopping with them again.

In addition to buying various toys that Pokémon liked, Carl also added a bunch of items needed for Pokémon's daily training, such as spell symbols and metal shields.

Currently, apart from Urshifu and Vibrating Wing, which haven't reached their power limits yet, the other four Pokémon in Carl's team have reached a bottleneck in their strength.

This is not because they are not working hard, but because of racial limitations. Although their strength is still improving, the rate of improvement is very slow.

Carl had anticipated this situation, but he did not give up looking for ways to improve the Pokémon's strength.

Among the remaining four Pokémon in the team, Charizard and Metagross are the Pokémon with clear paths to power-up, as they both have Mega Evolutions, and Charizard, as Game Freak's favorite, has two Mega Evolutions.

Both the X-type Charger, which transforms into a true fire dragon, and the Y-type Charger, which possesses the Sunlight ability, are extremely powerful.

Metagross, needless to say, has the Hard Claw ability, which is a pure buff for a melee-oriented creature, not to mention the increased physical attributes after Mega Evolution.

It's worth mentioning that in reality, Pokémon with a balanced base stat distribution (meaning their Attack and Special Attack stats are similar) are actually more powerful than those in the games.

This is because, in order to maintain balance, the game only allows players to maximize the base stats of two types. In reality, however, with enough training, a Pokémon with a dual-attribute build can maximize both its Attack and Special Attack EVs.

Karl had asked a certain stone fanatic a long time ago to help him collect two kinds of evolution stones, but he hadn't asked about the progress of this matter for a long time.

As for Corviknight and Serperior, although the former has a Gigantamax form, Gigantamax is a boosting system unique to the Galar region, so it cannot be used as a boosting method under normal circumstances.

As for Serperior, despite its popularity as one of the Unova starter Pokémon, it did not ride the Mega Evolution wave like the second-best of the starter Pokémon of the same era.

In addition to the two enhancement systems mentioned above and the Phadocia region's Crystallization system, there is another enhancement system in the Alola region called Z-Moves.

Trainers can use Z-Crystals of the corresponding type to evolve Pokémon's moves into more powerful Z-Moves. However, the only reliable way to obtain Z-Crystals at present is through the "Island Tour" in the Alola region.

In Carl's memory, besides island hopping, trainers would also be given Z-Crystals when they gained the approval of a "Totem Pokémon" that only exists in the Alola region. However, gaining the approval of a Totem Pokémon is not an easy thing.

In addition to the enhancement system mentioned above, as learned by Karl in this life, it is also mentioned that the "materials" of some legendary Pokémon can also increase the power ceiling of Pokémon with good compatibility.

The most classic example is Zapdos' feathers. Professor Yamanashi once conducted an experiment showing that allowing an Electric-type Pokémon to hold a Zapdos feather for an extended period of time could significantly increase the power of that Pokémon's Electric-type moves.

However, in subsequent experiments, Dr. Yamanashi discovered that the extent to which Zapdos' feathers enhance Electric-type Pokémon is also related to the Pokémon's own strength.

For example, an Electivire with similar strength to Zapdos can also be boosted by using Zapdos' feather, but the boost is not as significant as expected.

Carl's team of Pokémon are all at the level of champion mainstays, which means that if you want to use this method to improve the strength of Pokémon, you must use materials from legendary Pokémon of the Kyurem level.

In Carl's memory, the only legendary Pokémon with the best compatibility with Serperior are Tapu Bulu, the true Grassy Field Sage; Virizion, one of the three Swordsmen of the Ages; and Urquid, the legendary demon from the Kitakami region.

Carl happens to have the ability to find these three Pokémon. Virizion goes without saying; it has a pact with Kyurem, and Carl can find it anytime Kyurem is willing to help.

As for Tapu Boom, Kal can find him through Kukui, one of his former defeated opponents and friends.

As for the Evil Pine, it's even simpler. Karl just needs to search carefully in the mountains and forests of Beishang Township, and he will most likely find it.

The only thing that gives Carl a real headache is Corviknight. Although there are many legendary Steel-type Pokémon, there aren't many that are compatible with Corviknight.

For example, Pharaoh, one of the few legendary Pokémon defeated by Karl, possesses the Steel-type legendary Pokémon Registeel.

I'm not exaggerating, but with Corviknight's current strength, he could easily wipe out Pharaoh's team.

Among the other Steel-type Pokémon, Dialga, the God of Time, is almost impossible for Carl to find in a short time, while Solgaleo, the "Beast That Devours the Sun," is nowhere to be found.

Although Karl had clues about the small nebula, he did not have the means to develop it into Solgaleo in a short period of time.

The last two Steel-type Legendary Pokémon, the cover gods of Generation VIII, Zacian, the Sword King, and Zamazenta, the Shield King, are sleeping in the Misty Forest of the Galar region.

In Carl's opinion, these are the Legendary Pokémon with the highest compatibility with Corviknight. However, the key issue is that these two Legendary Pokémon only possess the Steel type when they enter their "Sword King" and "Shield King" forms.

The "Sword King" and "Shield King" are special states that cannot exist for long periods of time, making them the Pokémon least likely to drop materials.

Just as Carl was pondering the future of his Pokémon, Garchomp carried him to the open space in front of the farmhouse.

As soon as Carl landed, a group of Pokémon immediately surrounded him.

Those familiar with Carl's Pokémon know that whenever Carl goes shopping, he always brings back gifts for the Pokémon on the farm, and that's exactly what happens.

Carl smiled slightly as he looked at the Pokémon surrounding him.

Forget it, I'll leave improving my skills to my future self. Right now, I should just enjoy the wonderful life I have now.

And so, surrounded by a group of Pokémon, Carl distributed the gifts he had bought to each of them.

Carl prepared high-quality "charcoal" as a gift for the brothers Tanjiro and Tanjiro. Wearing it for a long time can enhance their fire attribute abilities. For them, who want to improve their strength, this gift hit their sweet spot perfectly.

Carl, who is familiar with all the Pokémon, is very familiar with the current needs of each Pokémon, so the gifts he gives to the other Pokémon are obviously very suitable for their needs.

After giving gifts to all the Pokémon, only Urshifu hadn't received a gift from Carl, but Urshifu didn't show any negative emotions.

This is because it knows that Carl would never forget to prepare a gift for it.

“Martial Arts Master Bear, look, this is a gift I prepared for you.” Karl approached Martial Arts Master Bear and handed him a set of exquisite knives.

The martial arts bear master took the knives from Karl, skillfully drew one of them, examined it for a moment, and finally a satisfied smile appeared on its face.

Are you satisfied?

"Hoo-hoo. (Very satisfied.)"

Chapter 225 Final Exam

The next morning, Carl rode Garchomp to Tabletop City again. This time, he didn't plan to take Garchomp shopping again, but instead went to Orange Academy for class.

As the school bell rang, Karl also stepped into the battle arena located inside Orange Academy.

Looking at the students with different hair colors in front of him, Karl couldn't help but marvel once again at the diversity of hair colors in the Pokémon world.

There's no need to elaborate on the various solid colors of hair, but there are also many examples of patchwork hair colors like Peony in the Pokémon world.

After taking attendance, Carl immediately got to the point: "Ahem, after a semester of training, I think everyone has learned a lot in this course, and the final exam is the opportunity to test your learning outcomes this semester."

"So, Mr. Carl, what will be the content of our final exam this semester?" A student with black and white hair couldn't help but ask.

“This is what I’m going to talk about next.” Karl paused, then slowly began to speak amidst the tense gazes of the students: “Your final exam this semester will consist of a Pokémon battle with me, and I will give you a score based on your performance.”

Karl's words immediately caused an uproar among all the students except Shinji.

Students like Nemo and Elliches, who aspire to become highly capable, couldn't help but smile with excitement upon hearing the content of the final exam.

"Wow, wow, wow! It's a battle against Mr. Carl! I can't wait!" Nemo exclaimed excitedly, pulling on Pipa's arm.

For students like Botan and Piper who aren't particularly interested in Pokémon battles, Carl's words were undoubtedly a bombshell.

"What? I beat up Karl? Really?" Piper asked blankly.

Although Piper had considered the possibility of Carl personally taking part, his anxiety finally died down after the result was confirmed.

In Piper's opinion, how could he possibly be qualified to engage in Pokémon battles with a "master" like Carl?

However, after the initial frustration, Pipa finally calmed down: "I think Karl probably only uses Pokémon at the level of Tirion, so maybe I can win a game against Karl."

After hearing Pipa's mutterings, Shinji turned and gave Pipa a surprised look.

Having spent so much time with Piper, Shinji couldn't guarantee that he fully understood Piper's personality, but in his opinion, the Piper of the past would never have had the idea of ​​"winning a game against Karl".

'So, what happened to Pipa without my knowledge?' Shinji pondered carefully in his mind.

To be honest, Shinji has noticed Pipa's changes recently.

Piper wasn't particularly enthusiastic about Pokémon battles in the past. Even though his Mastiff Godfather was quite strong, Piper couldn't perform at the same level as his Godfather in regular practice.

Recently, Piper has been training much more, and he often asks Shinji questions about Pokémon breeding.

The training mentioned here refers to training in battles, including but not limited to how to develop a daily training plan for Pokémon and how to provide Pokémon with the food needed to improve their strength.

As one of Shinji's few friends, Shinji naturally welcomed Pipa to consult him on these matters.

After all, Shinji prefers someone like Pappa, who asks questions when he doesn't understand something, to a certain idiot who can't even memorize the attribute advantage/disadvantage table.

During his conversation with Pipa, Shinji asked Pipa why she suddenly became so interested in training Pokémon.

Piper's answer was: "I have something I want to accomplish, but accomplishing that requires a certain level of ability."

Although Pipa's answer was vague, Shinji could tell from Pipa's expression that the matter was very important to him.

Since then, Shinji has paid more attention to Pipa's questions. Although he still has an expression that says, "Why do you even ask me this?", Pipa can sense Shinji's serious attitude from his answers.

“However, there are two modes for the final exam.” Karl raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and then continued, “The first mode is the traditional 6-3 singles battle. The Pokémon lineup I will use will be revealed to everyone a week in advance. If you choose this mode, you only need to defeat one Pokémon to pass.”

Carl slapped his forehead and said, "I forgot to tell you all that in the first mode, the average strength of the Pokémon I use will be controlled at the level of obtaining four Gym Badges, so don't worry."

Upon hearing Carl's words, some of the students immediately relaxed.

Carl's decision to reveal his Pokémon lineup a week in advance is enough to qualify as "letting the waters run deep."

Once you thoroughly understand Carl's lineup, you can devise a strategy to counter it, not to mention that the average number of Pokémon he uses is only four Gym Badges.

Most of the students in this class, and arguably all except Piper, are at least at the level of having six gym badges, not to mention students like Nemo and Shinji who are strong enough to challenge and clear the "Champion's Path".

"The second assessment mode is one against six. I will only send out one Pokémon, while students who choose this mode can use six Pokémon for the assessment."

As soon as Karl finished speaking, the students in front of him suddenly fell silent.

Although Mode 2 is one against six, which can be said to be an overwhelming advantage in terms of numbers, those familiar with Carl know that Carl was once a strong player who easily defeated Sinri using only one Pokémon.

Therefore, the "Pokémon" that Carl mentioned is very likely a Pokémon that they are completely unable to defeat.

“If someone chooses Mode 2, I will adjust the Pokémon used in the battle based on the individual strength of this ‘hero’,” Karl said, stroking his chin. “As for the scoring criteria, it will naturally be based on the performance during the battle.”

"So there's no guaranteed minimum standard for passing?" someone in the crowd mustered up the courage to ask.

"Well... it'll be a secret for now, you'll find out later." Karl winked and said to the students in front of him in a "playful" tone.

After a semester together, most students have gotten used to Carl's occasionally eccentric personality, and because of Carl's outstanding looks, his "playful" tone doesn't feel out of place.

"That concludes our discussion of the final exam. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me after class." Karl clapped his hands. "Now, let's officially begin this lesson..."

Chapter 226 The Current State of Tianxing Society and the Giant's Cave (Farm Version)

As the bell rang, Karl immediately announced the end of get out of class. The students gathered in twos and threes to discuss the final exams, and the founding members of the Tianxing Society were no exception.

"Hey, everyone from the Tianxing Society, how's it going lately?" Karl strode up to the group led by Pipa and asked.

“Professor Karl, things are going quite well.” Pipa stepped forward and replied, “Since the Tianxing Society has just been established, there aren’t many students who have joined yet, but everyone is very interested in this ‘campus alliance’ model. Currently, the number of members in our Tianxing Society is almost over three digits.”

"The fact that so many people have joined in such a short time shows how much you care about the Tianxing Society." Karl nodded slightly in affirmation, then continued, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Not yet, since our Tianxing Club hasn't officially started the ranking matches yet. However, in our plan, we can officially start the matches as soon as the number of club members reaches three digits." Peony paused for a moment. "But if it's convenient for Teacher Karl, I hope you can hold an exhibition match before the official ranking matches begin. That might attract more students' attention."

“Of course, no problem. But are you planning to have me fight one of you, or invite other established trainers?” Karl thought seriously for a moment. “If it’s the latter, I have a very suitable candidate. I think she would be very willing to participate in this exhibition match.”

“If possible, we would of course choose the latter, but Professor Karl, could you tell us in advance who your candidate is?” Qiu Ming asked curiously from the side.

"Do you know who the most professional Pokémon battle streamer is in the Padia region right now?" Karl didn't answer Qiuming's question directly, but instead asked in return.

“Hmm… I think it must be Ms. Kiju, the gym leader of the Brewmaster Gym?” Melok thought for a moment and immediately replied.

"Bingo! It's her!" Karl snapped his fingers. "If it were an exhibition match at Orange Academy, I don't think Qishu would pass up this rare opportunity. After all, it might be the first opening exhibition match for the Tianxing Alliance."

Pipa hesitated upon hearing this: "Will Miss Qishu really agree? Our Tianxing Society is just a student club at the moment, and it hasn't reached the scale of the Blueberry Alliance yet."

“Of course, leave this to me. Even if Qishu doesn’t agree, I have other options.” Karl said with a matter-of-fact expression. “At worst, I’ll go to President Yeci and ask her to contact a gym leader to participate in the exhibition match. I think President Yeci would be willing to support such a small help.”

Looking at Karl's confident face, Peony swallowed back the discouraging words she was about to say. As the only technical staff member of Tianxing Society, she was not optimistic about the development of Tianxing Society.

If she hadn't been recruited by Pipa, she would most likely have only used her identity as "Cassiopeia" to secretly help the original Tianxing team members.

However, after this future "campus alliance" was given the name "Tianxing", Mudan still paid enough attention to the development of Tianxing Club.

At least for now, the most important "matching system" for Tianxing Society has been built and internally tested thanks to her efforts.