The next morning, the sun rose as usual, and Lin Fan woke up on time.
He stretched in bed, wanting to greet the Beedrill beside him, but was astonished to see its empty nest.
"That's strange."
Lin Fan rubbed his eyes in confusion, looked again to confirm Beedrill was indeed gone, then glanced at the open window, his still-starting brain somewhat frozen.
"Did it run off to play? It has so much energy; looks like we'll have to train hard today."
Shaking his head indifferently, Lin Fan got out of bed, quickly washed up, and without eating breakfast, set off along the path outside his door to find Beedrill.
Early morning was the best time for the elderly to exercise in the park, but as Lin Fan walked, he didn't see a single one.
Just as he was wondering why, Lin Fan's gaze swept around and suddenly stopped at a spot not far away.
A group of elderly people were gathered there, discussing animatedly, and from the very center, faint sounds of tree trunks colliding could be heard.
If he wasn't mistaken, that place should be where he and Beedrill had extra training last night.
Lin Fan pondered for less than 0.01 seconds, then lifted his leg and ran towards it.
As expected, after pushing through the curious elderly crowd, Beedrill's figure came into view.
What also appeared was a large area of damaged tree trunks around, all covered with countless stab marks, as if invaded by countless woodpeckers.
"Holy crap Σ(°ロ°), Beedrill, what are you doing?!"
Hearing Lin Fan's bewildered voice, Beedrill finally turned around, looking very tired, but its eyes were very happy, as it held up its twin spears high.
Lin Fan's gaze froze.
If he wasn't mistaken, Beedrill was using Double Needle with its left hand and Poison Sting with its right hand?
Could this be the legendary ambidextrous technique?!
...
Inside the Fighting Dojo, it was still the small room Su Wu had allotted to Lin Fan.
..."That's how it is. Beedrill, not wanting to disappoint me, practiced all night, and by a fluke, it mastered the method of using Double Needle and Poison Sting simultaneously."
Lin Fan explained the situation to Su Wu, his gaze uncontrollably sweeping over Beedrill, carrying a hint of reproach.
Although Beedrill's training results completely exceeded his expectations and made him very happy, this disregard for its own body still made Lin Fan a bit angry.
After a whole night of non-stop practice, Beedrill's twin spears were a bit worn, and now it didn't even have the strength to fly.
Beedrill noticed Lin Fan's gaze, scratched its head, smiled ingratiatingly, and obediently lay on the ground, allowing the Dojo's doctor to treat it.
Su Wu, who had been sitting upright, remained silent.
Picking up a cup of hot tea beside him, Su Wu took a sip, and only after being scalded by the high temperature did he come back to his senses, taking a deep breath and speaking faintly: "So, your Beedrill mastered the method of multitasking in just one night?"
Multitasking? That's a fitting description.
"If that's what multitasking is, then I think so," Lin Fan nodded, acknowledging Su Wu's statement.
"Heh."
For some reason, Su Wu suddenly chuckled, then slowly turned away, not letting Lin Fan see his expression.
"Uncle Su, what's wrong?" Lin Fan was a bit nervous by Su Wu's sudden movement and quickly asked.
Su Wu waved his hand, looked up at the sky, and the Poké Ball at his waist subtly swayed; Machamp was inside.
Gently stroking Machamp's Poké Ball, waves of emotion surged within Su Wu.
How long did it take him and Machamp to master the multitasking technique back then?
One year? Two years?
And how long did Lin Fan's Beedrill take?
One night?
And it wasn't even intentional practice, but achieved by accident.
Haha... Hahahahaha... Hahahahahahaha...
Su Wu's expression kept changing, subtly revealing a hint of gritted teeth.
Should I just kill this cheating kid and dump his body in the sea?
"Uncle Su, what's wrong?" Lin Fan looked worriedly at Su Wu, whose breathing was becoming increasingly rapid, and for some reason, he had an ominous feeling lingering in his heart.
Su Wu remained silent, and after a long while, he finally turned around, constantly scrutinizing Lin Fan and Beedrill up and down as if seeing them for the first time.
"Multitasking is a very powerful technique; even Professional Trainers may not be able to master it."
Lin Fan was startled and looked at Beedrill, who proudly lifted its head, as if saying, "I'm just that amazing."
Su Wu ignored them and continued to explain: "The reason for this is that multitasking is too difficult to learn; even Professional-level Pokémon need a lot of time to master it. However, its benefits are also obvious: simultaneously using two different types of energy will significantly increase attack power. For example, if Machamp simultaneously uses Fire Punch and Thunder Punch to hit an opponent, the intertwined and rampant energies of the two types will cause far greater damage than a single type of energy."
Lin Fan and Beedrill nodded thoughtfully, then asked their question: "Can Machamp use four different types of moves with its four hands, like Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, and Mega Punch?"
Su Wu was silent for a long time: "I'm just a small Professional-level Trainer specializing in Fighting-type, not a Fighting-type Champion."
So, that conjecture is indeed feasible, but it requires the world-destroying strength of a Champion?
Lin Fan's eyes sparkled, but looking at Su Wu's expression, he wisely didn't voice that thought.
"Fusion moves and multitasking are two different fields. You learned multitasking while trying to master fusion moves, hmm..." Su Wu faltered, truly not knowing how to describe Lin Fan and Beedrill.
It was simply like cheating.
After a moment of silence, Su Wu sighed, feeling a bit weary.
Forget it, perhaps this is the world of so-called geniuses? He knew his mom was lying when she said he had good talent; it was just a trick to coax children.
Su Wu got up, leaving Machamp in the room, then walked out without looking back: "Beedrill is just tired from training all night, nothing serious. Rest well this morning, and continue training this afternoon. Don't look for me for nothing; let me be alone for a while."
Lin Fan nodded obediently, then turned around and met Machamp's gaze.
The latter extended its four hands, demonstrating Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, and Mega Punch respectively, then looked at Lin Fan meaningfully, scrutinizing him up and down, seemingly considering where to hit without causing a fatality.
Lin Fan: "..."
He wouldn't say another word.