Ever since reaching Champion rank, Alex had been putting off getting more Pokémon because he wasn't sure exactly how many he could add without losing his sense of self. At present, he had 55 directly bonded to him, and he estimated he could hit 100, but he wasn't sure.
Maybe adding more would start to minimally affect him and gradually increase for each new one, lowering the total number he could reach to around 70 or less.
What he was sure of, however, was that Arcanine and Hydreigon both hitting Champion rank would open up significantly more space, allowing him to reach his ideal number of Pokémon for the away team.
Since losing Forretress and Steelix, Alex had been developing the ultimate roster for taking down Champion ranked trainers. This roster consisted of 18 Pokémon for the attack team, who would corner and safely eliminate a Champion's main lineup, and 18 for the defense team, providing STAB coverage for all 18 Pokémon types.
This doesn't include the utility team, who have very specific objectives like Gardevoir, who focuses on commanding; the Crobat couple, whose only responsibility is preventing the most expensive prey from escaping; and Aegislash, who serves as his personal guard. This also doesn't include the water team responsible for underwater combat, nor a good portion of the current defense team who have abilities that guarantee a clear battlefield.
So far, his current lineup for the away team is as follows:
Attack Team: Raticate, Arcanine, Kommo-o, Togekiss, Dusknoir, Ceruledge, Zoroark
Defense Team: Clawitzer, Altaria, Frosmoth, Alcremie, Hydreigon, Maushold ×3, Weezing, Tsareena, Espeon
Utility Team: Rotom, Aegislash, Crobat ×2, Gardevoir, Ditto
Water Team: Gyarados, Milotic, Wishiwashi ×6
On the attack team's side, he was missing 11 Pokémon to guarantee a full encirclement of each of a trainer's main team of six. Of those missing, he had to ensure the added Pokémon had either Protect-breaking, high-priority, or escape-blocking moves. They also had to have high Speed and Attack stats to ensure they could keep up.
On the defense team's side, he was missing 9 Pokémon with the typings of Fire, Ghost, Ground, Rock, Steel, Electric, Fighting, Flying or Dark, and Bug or Ice. He also needed the additions to have high Special Attack, or in the case of Rock and Ground, high Attack, to ensure they would overwhelm their opponents and their attacks. Granted, they could still be overwhelmed with a stronger force but that was what the Protect rotation was for.
Individually, the attack team would take on the strongest opponents while guaranteeing their own survival, while the defense team would hold off the rabble and provide a safe space to retreat. Together, they formed an impregnable defense that was resistant to being overwhelmed even in a chaotic melee.
As for which Pokémon would fill the remaining 20 spots, Grim the Roaring Moon was the first to claim a place on the attack team.
They had only bonded for an hour or so, but a bond was a bond, and Alex intended to make sure this one stood the test of time.
As for why Grim belonged on the attack team, Alex could hardly picture the big guy doing anything other than tearing through the battlefield. That meant it needed partners who could keep pace and support it.
"They'd need to be capable of flying and provide support by chasing down opponents, blocking escapes, or breaking Protect," Alex muttered. "Dragonite to chase with Extreme Speed, and Flygon to break Protect with Feint."
He wrote that down and noted that there were 8 spaces left on his attack team roster.
"Hm… I shouldn't just pick out any random Pokémon but instead focus on teams like I did for Grim," he noted.
He looked at his current roster and decided to set them up in the same manner.
"Raticate and Arcanine are already fast, so there's no escaping them, but they need someone to break Protect. Ceruledge is perfect because of her Flash Fire, and it wouldn't be a problem to break her and Dusknoir up. They can always switch when we encounter a problematic Ghost."
"Since Dusknoir is free, I'll pair him with Kommo-o and Togekiss. Kommo-o isn't slow, Togekiss has Extreme Speed, and Dusknoir's Phantom Force can allow him to catch up. Plus, Dusknoir's tankiness pairs well with Togekiss's Life Dew. That's three teams done."
"Zoroark is very powerful and stealthy, so she'll need Pokémon that can keep up with her."
Alex thought it through and smiled mischievously before writing down Chatot and Kecleon.
"This is so stupid, but I can see it working. Zoroark is the primary threat, Chatot can harass, and Kecleon can break Protect. Even though it's slow, Kecleon knows Shadow Sneak, so positioning isn't a problem, plus it can turn completely invisible. Chatot, meanwhile, is fast enough and can even give Zoroark's illusions sound," Alex justified before ultimately noting it down as a hard maybe.
"That just leaves two sets of three. I should go wild with this," Alex said before smirking to himself. "Lucario, Gallade, and Dragapult. Haha, yeah, right."
These were Pokémon who could easily break Protect with either Feint or Phantom Force, but they were also rare and expensive. They were reserved for the stupidly wealthy. Sure, he counted as one and could certainly afford it, but it was a significant expenditure he would rather not toss out at the moment.
"Infernape, Annihilape, Scizor, Heracross, Kabutops, and Raichu are all good options. They're much more workable."
These were Pokémon who were cheaper and more common. Even Kabutops, who thanks to the discovery of an isolated underground habitat in Kanto, was able to breed back into decent numbers.
In the end, Alex couldn't make a decision and decided to shelve the matter for the future.
Building an attack team was difficult because he had to take a Pokémon's individuality into account. They needed to want to fight on the front lines and possess a sense of combat awareness that went beyond simply using moves and staying in formation.
A perfect example was Arcanine, Kommo-o, and Grim, whom Alex considered the core of their respective groups. They were both the main threats the enemy would focus on and the berserkers of their teams, dealing the most damage if ignored. He needed more cores to build teams around, rather than just assembling a dream team and buying them.
Their supporters were the same in that they needed to mesh well with their core and form a cohesive whole, rather than having three berserkers run wild. They required the combat awareness of a Pokémon that aimed to fill gaps, rather than simply attack and follow orders.
"The defense team is easier to work with. Chandelure for Fire, Polteageist for Ghost, Rhyperior for Ground, Rampardos for Rock, Magnezone for Steel, Vikavolt for Electric, Lucario for Fighting, Yanmega for Flying, Houndoom for Dark, Glaceon for Ice, and Volcarona for Bug," Alex listed. "Lucario is unavoidable in this case because it has the best Special Attack stat for Fighting types, and Aura Sphere is just that powerful."
"Or I could go for two Chandelures, two Rhyperiors, two Vikavolts, and two Lucarios. Nothing wrong with getting them in pairs. I could even put Zoroark on the defense team since she has a high Special Attack stat for a Dark type," Alex joked, then paused as the thought settled in.
The more he considered it, the more the idea started to make sense.
Unlike his indecisiveness for the attack team due to the strict requirements, the defense team dealt in absolutes. The stronger the output, the better. It hardly mattered what their other stats were, since even the slowest Pokémon could follow the formation routine.
As a matter of fact, he immediately placed an order for two Chandelures, two Rhyperior, and two Vikavolts. He thought about ordering them as eggs but they didn't need to have strong loyalty or combat ability if they were only on the defense team.
"Now, how the hell am I going to get my hands on a pair of Lucario?"
Alex decided they were indispensable for his defense team because of Aura Sphere and its ability to guarantee hits. Nothing was more annoying to a fast and evasive Pokémon than tracking moves.
"I guess I'll just have to visit Sinnoh after my trip to the International Police headquarters and do some exploring."
Just as he was about to release his new Pokémon and start introductions, Vera appeared in his doorway.
"Alex," she called, poking her head inside. "I have a surprise for you. Come to the living room."
He saved his work, shut down his computer, and followed her. He reached the living room and was presented with Iris, blindfolded and barely covered in red ribbon, wrapped like a present..
"Happy Birthday!" Vera shouted, presenting her.
"My birthday is next month," he said, eyeing Iris with interest.
"Close enough," Vera replied.
"Are you okay with this, Iris?" Alex asked, just to make sure she wasn't drugged.
"Y-yeah," she managed, nerves and expectation mixed in her voice.
"What do you take me for?" Vera scoffed. "Do you honestly believe I would resort to such despicable methods?"
"I'm just making sure, dear."
He stepped forward, took the ends of the ribbon, and pulled, revealing his "gift."
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R-18 content for Alex's wild night with Iris and Vera is available on Patreon.
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