The next morning, Mesprit and Uxie woke up full of energy...
The three Pokémon stood in a row to bid farewell to Caleb and Cynthia.
Caleb waved at them, "Goodbye! This time, remember to find a more hidden place to stay so you won't be discovered again!"
>..Mm-hmm!..<
Mesprit, the gentlest of the three, the Emotion Pokémon, nodded cheerfully. Its voice was as pleasant as a young girl's:
>..Got it! Goodbye, Caleb! Goodbye, Cynthia! Goodbye, Dragonite! Goodbye, Mimikyu! Goodbye, Lucario!..<
"Wuu~"
Dragonite waved its claw amiably in farewell.
Mesprit glanced at its two companions, and after exchanging nods, their figures vanished from the room.
Cynthia let out a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Alright, it's time for us to set off too."
They were heading to the final stop of their Gym journey... Sunyshore City. There was less than a month left before the start of this year's Sinnoh League Championship.
Caleb and Cynthia traveled at a leisurely pace, taking about a week to reach Sunyshore City...
Sunyshore City was located in the southeastern corner of the Sinnoh region, a famous port city and the only path to the Pokémon League.
Built on a narrow peninsula, the city compensated for its lack of space by paving its roads with solar panels, which also supplied energy to the city.
Thus, it was known as the 'Solar-powered City '...
During their journey, Caleb had Dragonite learn Draco Meteor from Garchomp while also engaging in numerous battles with Cynthia.
Dragonite vs. Garchomp, Mimikyu vs. Garchomp, Lucario vs. Garchomp...
The three Pokémon took turns battling, but even without Cynthia's commands, Garchomp alone could sweep all three. It was a mix of pain and joy.
Under this high-intensity training, Caleb and his three Pokémon saw a qualitative leap in their strength.
Cynthia often gave him guidance, reminding him of key points to pay attention to during battles.
For example:
- Don't keep your eyes fixed solely on your own Pokémon... stay calm.
- Observe the positioning of the opponent's Pokémon.
- Anticipate what move the opponent might use next.
- Decide whether your Pokémon should counter or evade... and if evading, which direction to dodge in.
And so on...
Caleb took all of this to heart. He felt that the battles Cynthia described were more like playing a game of chess, with Pokémon as the pieces, and trainers as the players.
It also felt like playing the jungler in a MOBA game, requiring the ability to oversee the entire battlefield.
For a strong trainer, maintaining a macro perspective was an essential skill...
Caleb and Cynthia didn't linger in the city. They headed straight to the Sunyshore Gym.
The Gym Leader here was Volkner, who specialized in Electric-type Pokémon. The challenge rules were 4v4, continuing until one side's Pokémon were all unable to battle.
Cynthia stepped onto the battlefield...
After some thought, Caleb released all three of his Pokémon. He held Mimikyu while Dragonite and Lucario sat on either side of him, watching the match together.
On the first round, Volkner sent out a Jolteon. Cynthia didn't use Garchomp, she chose her Glaceon instead.
The two Eeveelutions fought fiercely. Electric sparks and icy winds clashed across the field. In the end, Cynthia predicted Jolteon's Thunderbolt and had Glaceon use Mirror Coat to reflect it back.
Jolteon fainted. The first victory went to Cynthia...
For the second round, Volkner sent out a Raichu. Cynthia glanced at Caleb in the audience, recalled Glaceon, and threw a second Poké Ball.
With a flash of white light, Garchomp's powerful form appeared opposite Raichu.
Thus the battle began!
Cynthia deliberately slowed Garchomp's movements, enunciating her commands more clearly than usual.
Caleb quickly realized that Cynthia was demonstrating her battle strategies for him! Under these circumstances, what should have been a one-sided match dragged on for nearly fifteen minutes.
Garchomp ended the fight with a Dragon Tail, sending Raichu flying out of the arena.
During the third and fourth rounds,
Cynthia continued using Garchomp, but this time, she showcased two entirely different battle strategies, helping Caleb understand how to adapt his style based on the opponent.
Trainers tended to develop habits when commanding Pokémon... Pokémon could learn many moves, but in battles, trainers often defaulted to familiar and frequently used attacks.
Over time, this solidified into a fixed battle style, one that could be exploited if the opponent prepared for it.
This was very common. For example, Caleb himself often had Dragonite use Dragon Rush... While Dragon Rush was powerful, its accuracy wasn't high. If the opponent anticipated it, Dragonite could easily miss, leaving an opening to be countered...
As Caleb watched Cynthia's battles, he reflected on his own battling style and shortcomings since arriving in the Infinite World.
While he was deep in thought, Cynthia finished her match. She accepted the Beacon Badge from Volkner, then walked over to Caleb and waved a hand in front of his face:
"What are you thinking about so intently?"
Caleb looked up, replying, "About my battling style. What's up? Is the match over?"
"Mm." Cynthia nodded, sitting beside him and taking a sip from her water bottle.
Caleb glanced at her, "With only three weeks left until the League, should we head straight to Lily of the Valley Island or stay in Sunyshore for a while?"
Cynthia thought for a moment before asking, "What about you? Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"
Caleb: "Are there any good places nearby for battle training?"
"There is one," Cynthia said, pursing her lips, "Have you heard of the Victory Road?"
The Victory Road... It was a location trainers passed through before the League. It gathered trainers from all over the region, all honing their skills in preparation for the upcoming tournament.
Of course, the League didn't require trainers to clear the Victory Road to participate. That place existed for those who sought to temper their will and refine their abilities.
"I've heard of it," Caleb nodded.
Cynthia continued, "Given your current strength, I think it'd be a good choice for you."