Pokémon: I just became a Gym Leader, and Cynthia proposed to me.

Chapter 781 A Jin's Birthday

Li Shuwen realized that A Jin's birthday was coming soon.

That evening, he called Kai and Xinyue to his office and whispered, "Jin's birthday is coming up soon. You two should make some arrangements to give him a surprise. Don't let him know."

Ah Kai grinned. "Don't worry, Master, I guarantee I'll handle it perfectly."

New Moon has already started making lists in her notebook.

Balloons, ribbons, cakes, gifts—she wrote them down incredibly quickly, even more diligently than when writing training plans.

On the evening of his birthday, after training his golden Gyarados, Ajin walked into the gym from the backyard, soaking wet.

The dojo was dark and eerily quiet. "Strange, where did everyone go?"

He had just finished muttering when all the lights suddenly came on.

Confetti rained down from the ceiling, balloons billowed up, and everyone crawled out from under tables, behind doors, and in closets, shouting in unison, "Happy Birthday—!"

Akin was stunned.

Looking at the colorful ribbons and balloons filling the room, at the large cake with candles on the table, and at his fellow apprentices surrounding him, his eyes instantly welled up with tears.

"How...how did you know?"

Crescent Moon raised an eyebrow. "That's what Master said."

A Jin turned to look at Li Shuwen, who was leaning against the door frame with a slight smile on her lips.

"Don't look at me. I'm only responsible for providing your birthday. They did the planning."

Barbara was the first to run up, holding a beautifully wrapped gift box in both hands, her face flushed.

"Senior Brother Jin, this is a gift for you. I saved up my allowance for a long time to buy it, I hope you like it."

Akin opened the gift box, and inside was a brand new laptop.

He paused, stunned. "This...is too valuable..."

Barbara smiled and said, "It's alright. My senior brother saved time by using it to take care of his Pokémon, so we can ask him for help too."

Akin nodded. "Thank you, Barbara. I'll use it well."

Tanjiro walked over carrying a wooden carving.

The carving is exquisite, with Akin and Pikachu standing side by side. Akin is smiling, and Pikachu is raising its hand, making them look lifelike.

Ah Jin took it, examined it carefully, and couldn't help but smile.

"I carved this myself. It's not very well done, so please don't mind." Tanjiro scratched his head.

Ajin patted him on the shoulder. "You sculpted it very well, much more handsome than me in real life."

Tanjiro chuckled.

Mi Douzi walked over carrying a plate of mochi, the outer skin of which was crystal clear, and the filling inside could be vaguely seen.

"The mochi I made was filled with red bean paste, and it wasn't very sweet."

Ah Jin picked one up and took a bite. The outer skin was soft and chewy, and the filling was sweet and fragrant, not too greasy or bland, just right.

"Delicious! Midouzi, your cooking skills are getting better and better."

Ni Douzi blushed, lowered her head, but couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

Crescent Moon sent a delicate wooden box. When opened, dozens of pills were neatly arranged inside, dark green in color and emitting a faint herbal fragrance.

"I made these pills to nourish Pokémon's bodies according to the recipe my master gave me. One pill a day for a month will significantly improve the Golden Gyarados's stamina."

Ajin took the wooden box and thanked him earnestly. "Thank you, Crescent. The pills you prepare are always very effective. I will definitely give them to Gyarados on time this time."

Akai walked over carrying two huge dumbbells, each step making the floor thud.

He slammed the dumbbells down on the ground, causing it to tremble three times. "Fifty kilograms a pair! Made of pure iron! Happy birthday, may you get stronger and stronger with every workout!"

Ah Jin's lips twitched slightly as he tried to lift one. "So...so heavy..."

"How can you build muscle if you're not heavy?" Kai patted his shoulder, almost knocking A-Jin over.

Ah Jin rubbed his shoulder and smiled wryly. "Thank you, Senior Brother Ah Kai... I'll try my best to lift it."

Peter came over carrying a neatly folded cloak.

The fabric is dark blue with gold thread trim, and a small Poké Ball pattern is embroidered at the neckline.

Peter unfolded it, and on the back of the cloak was a golden Gyarados soaring with outstretched wings, its scales clearly defined and lifelike.

The audience gasped in amazement.

"This is..." "Woven by Ariados with spider silk."

Peter said, "Spider silk undergoes special treatment to make it waterproof and fireproof, and it's several times stronger than ordinary fabric."

He draped the cloak over Akin's shoulders and fastened the collar.

The cape unfurled behind Akin, and the golden Gyarados pattern seemed to come alive under the light.

Ajin stood in front of the mirror, turned around, and her cloak fluttered gently.

His eyes lit up.

"So cool! Absolutely so cool!"

He touched the gold thread along the edge of the cloak, clearly delighted. "Peter, thank you! I will cherish this cloak!"

Li Fei was the last to come up, holding an elf egg in his hands.

The eggshell is light blue with golden patterns on it, and it gleams faintly under the light.

"It's from the Unova region, but I don't know exactly what Pokémon's egg it is. It's said to be very rare."

Ajin carefully took the elf egg, held it in his hands, and felt the warmth and faint pulse of life emanating from the eggshell.

"Thank you, Li Fei. I will incubate it carefully."

Everyone has been delivered.

Everyone's eyes turned to Li Shuwen.

Li Shuwen pulled a thin notebook out of his pocket. The cover was made of kraft paper, and the edges were worn, indicating that it had been read many times.

"These are some of my insights into the 'speed' and 'power' of skills over the years."

He handed the notebook to Akin, "Didn't you always want to go for an offensive build with your golden Gyarados? This notebook contains methods to make your moves fast and powerful."

"Watch closely, and practice diligently."

Ajin took the notebook with both hands, turned to the first page, which was filled with dense writing.

Skills analysis, training methods, and practical case studies—every page bears Li Shuwen's annotations and revisions.

His eyes reddened again.

"Master, I..." Li Shuwen patted his shoulder. "I hope you can be fast and fierce. Don't let me down."

Ah Jin nodded vigorously, tears finally streaming down her face. "Master, I won't let you down!"

The next morning, Li Shuwen stood at the entrance of the Weimu Martial Arts Hall, where his disciples lined up to see him off.

"Training cannot stop when I'm not around."

Li Shuwen's gaze swept across everyone's face. "When I return, I will check your progress. The person who has made the most progress will receive a reward from me."

Ah Kai clenched his fist. "Master, I will definitely be the one who improves the most!"

Crescent Moon pushed up her glasses. "That's not necessarily true."

Tanjiro and Nezuko exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with fighting spirit.

Peter patted Ariadne's head, and Ariadne's eight legs swayed gently.

Barbara held the single ovum, which floated in front of her, its pink light flashing.

Akin wore a spider silk cloak, which fluttered gently in the morning breeze, and held the notebook and the elf egg in his hands.