"Mr. Terrance, I've summarized the Pokémon lineup your opponent is most likely to send out this time. Would you like to take a look?"
Ever Grande City, the day before the tenth match. Sharan ran over to Terrance with the latest information in hand.
"A speculation? Forget it," Terrance said, shaking his head.
His opponent had thirteen commonly used Pokémon. As long as they didn't go beyond that range, everything was within Terrance's control.
"All right then…" Sharan looked a little disappointed. She had hoped to earn some praise through hard work, but Terrance didn't even need it…
This battle could be said to mark a turning point in Terrance's run through the Champion League. From this match onward, his opponents would be true celebrities—Trainers approaching the top tier.
If Terrance didn't send out Altaria, the opponent's strength has already reached a level that can pose a threat to him.
Three top-tier combatants, and several different combinations of three Pokémon that were all close to top-tier strength; Terrance's opponent this time was no small figure. He was a successor of a Dojo from Seven Stars City, a place of Dojo heritage.
Seven Stars City lay in the waters between the Kanto Region and the Orange Archipelago. It was also a city built upon the sea.
But it had another title as well, the cradle of Trainers.
With the arrival of modernization, Seven Stars City had not fully pursued technological development. Instead, it had preserved the traditions of Trainers. The city's defining feature was that it had no Gym. Instead, it was home to all kinds of Dojo.
A Dojo was the predecessor of the Gym, the term used before the establishment of the Pokémon League. Most were founded by masters who had perfected a particular school of thought.
For example, the Grass Star Style, the Waterfall Style, the Rock Style, and so on…
In ancient times, the move Toxic was also part of one such school, founded by a ninja.
Of course, Dojos have now declined and no longer enjoy the glory they once did in ancient times. The Fighting Dojo Terrance had visited in Saffron City of Kanto was one such example. Although its leader, Kiyo, possessed decent strength, he was still far from a Top Trainer.
But Terrance's opponent this time specialized in Grass-type Pokémon and was a successor of the Grass Star Style.
"They say Seven Stars City produces more Trainers than any other town. I've long wanted to meet one of them," Terrance muttered to himself.
According to investigations, among the Trainers who successfully participated in the Indigo Plateau Conference of the Kanto Region each year, rookie Trainers from Seven Stars City made up the largest proportion. That alone was enough to show how extraordinary the place was.
With the arrival of the second wave of the Trainer boom, the status of the various Dojos in Seven Stars City had risen accordingly. Some of the long-established major Dojos even rivaled famous Gyms in strength.
In Terrance's understanding, the ancient Gyms were Trainer schools that chose to align themselves with the Pokémon League, and their Gym Leaders enjoyed the treatment of League civil servants.
As for Dojo, they were Trainer schools that continued to develop independently, without forming close ties to the Pokémon League. Most of them sustained themselves through their own means.
…
Ever Grande City, the day before the battle. Terrance didn't train. Instead, he took a rare moment to relax and strolled through the city.
Ever Grande City was layered with seas of flowers, truly a land of natural beauty. From time to time, Butterfree and Beautifly fluttered over the flower fields.
Many Trainers had also released their own Butterfree and Beautifly, letting them play among the flowers.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
Terrance passed by a field of flowers and stopped beside a fence. Leaning against it with half-lidded eyes, he relaxed and quietly admired the scenery. Before long, a fragrant breeze drifted over, and a woman appeared at his side.
She was dressed in a rather unusual way, markedly different from modern fashion. It reminded Terrance of the inhabitants of ancient kingdoms or ancient tribes living in remote regions.
"And you are?" Terrance asked curiously, glancing at the woman who had suddenly spoken to him.
"My name is Mia. I'm from Seven Stars City in Kanto, a disciple of the Grass Star Style." The woman smiled faintly. "If I'm not mistaken, you must be Master Terrance."
Seven Stars City. A Grass Star Style Trainer.
Terrance fully opened his eyes and examined her carefully. No wonder her clothing differed so much from modern fashion; she was a disciple of a Trainer school.
As the predecessor of Gyms, Dojos also focused on researching a specific type or technique.
For example, Terrance and Gallade were fully capable of founding a technique school based solely on "Iaido."
Or Beautifly's "Air Current Style," Mismagius's "Illusion Skill Style"—all of these could be categorized as technique-based schools.
Such schools revolved around extended applications of types and moves, somewhat similar in style to Coordinators. However, the philosophy of Dojo school was to devote themselves entirely to perfecting a single style and push it to its limits, rather than practicing a wide variety of methods like Terrance did.
"I am Terrance." Now that he knew her identity, he didn't pay it much mind and continued admiring the flowers.
Though he didn't know her purpose, his opponent tomorrow certainly wasn't this woman. She was likely here in Ever Grande City to cheer on a fellow Trainer from the same Dojo.
"The battle is tomorrow. Aren't you nervous at all?" Mia asked in confusion.
She had happened to pass by and, upon spotting Terrance, couldn't help walking over. With the battle approaching, her senior brother was still painstakingly studying Terrance's information. Yet Terrance himself seemed to be leisurely sightseeing and taking a stroll.
Terrance smiled slightly. "I've already reviewed Mr. Grayson's Pokémon data and have some understanding of the Grass Star Style's techniques. The rest will depend on performance at the scene."
His answer was conservative and flawless. After hesitating for a moment, Mia asked, "Will you still be sending out those three Pokémon?"
She was referring to the three he had used so far—Pupitar, Gardevoir, and Ninetales, the trio that had crushed every opponent.
The moment she finished asking, Mia regretted it. She scolded herself inwardly for blurting out such an inappropriate question. It was practically probing for information, how could he possibly tell her?
But to her surprise, Terrance showed no reservations and replied casually, "Yes. Why? Has Mr. Grayson come up with countermeasures?"
Mia froze. She hadn't expected Terrance to answer so simply, and then toss the question right back at her, leaving her unsure whether to respond or stay silent.
Seeing the faint smile on Terrance's face, Mia felt speechless and shook her head. "I don't know."
"Very well. Oh, and please give Mr. Grayson my regards. Tell him that tomorrow I'll be leading with a Pokémon I've never sent out before. He should be prepared."
Terrance spoke lightly, a trace of amusement crossing his face. He waved his hand and left under her astonished gaze.
Based on the characteristics of the Grass Star Style, Terrance planned to adjust his lineup. He abandoned the rather dull approach of using three Pokémon against six. After all, this opponent was quite capable; he intended to plan things carefully.
Previous opponents could be suppressed purely by strength. But starting from this battle, his opponents would finally have the capital to contend with him. Against such opponents, Terrance wanted to savor the process of battle.
Each of these matches would be invaluable experience.
The first round would be a probing battle. Compared to written data, Terrance trusted more in what he could observe firsthand in combat.
So this time, the first Pokémon he would send out would, in every sense, counter the techniques of the Grass Star Style.
(Author Note: The concept of schools and Dojo wasn't my creation—it's part of Pokémon's original setting. I just found it interesting and expanded on it a bit.)
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