After Okamoto lowered his head and recalled Mimikyu into its Poké Ball, Aiden finally let out a sigh of relief.
The battle segment of the gym assessment had ended, and now it was time for him to give advice as a gym leader to the newcomer.
"You commanded this battle quite well, Okamoto. I can tell you've made progress."
Aiden walked over to Okamoto, who couldn't hide his disappointment, and smiled as he began to speak.
"Both your understanding of your Pokémon's tactics and your ability to quickly think of ways to break through during battles indicate that you're already an excellent trainer in my eyes."
"However, there's still one issue from before that needs attention."
"Pokémon battles aren't just about relentless offense. Overly aggressive attacks can also expose your weaknesses. While attacking, you should also consider your next move."
Aiden gave a high evaluation to this challenger whose name alone left a strong impression because his rate of improvement was indeed fast.
If he polished himself further, he might become a formidable rival for Nemona on her path to becoming champion.
"I understand."
Though unsure if Gym Leader Aiden was praising him, Okamoto quickly adjusted his mood and politely bowed.
"I will challenge you again with a better state next time. Please continue to guide me, Gym Leader Aiden."
Losing to Aiden left him with no complaints; he simply couldn't win.
At least Sunlight Gym had real substance; each challenge provided practical advice, and the tactics changed completely every week.
It was much better than those gyms with mediocre strength that only brushed off challengers.
This was why Okamoto came back for a second challenge, and perhaps there would be a third or even more in the future.
Yes, this shouldn't be called a failure but a strategic victory.
A process of accumulating strength for the next success!
And with Gym Leader Aiden's weekly guidance, wouldn't his rate of improvement be like riding a rocket?
Maybe even next year's championship wasn't out of reach?
Thinking of this, Okamoto's gaze towards Aiden gradually grew fiery.
I want to improve so much, Gym Leader Aiden!
Please keep pushing me!
...
Okamoto soon left.
Only Aiden and Nemona remained in the gym.
Aiden was about to go check on Miraidon when Nemona tugged at his sleeve.
"Teacher Aiden, can other Pokémon learn today's SubProtectToxic tactic?"
Nemona blinked her shining starry eyes, looking at him expectantly.
"Of course they can, as long as they can learn both Substitute and Toxic."
Aiden smiled and gave a positive response.
"But why are you asking this? Pawmo can't learn Toxic."
Could it be that he had influenced Nemona?
That self-willed battle maniac actually started learning how to play defensive strategies...
You're doing good deeds, Aiden!
"Mm-hmm, I know!"
Nemona nodded repeatedly, soon revealing a simple smile and pulling out a Poké Ball from her pocket.
"This is the Dunsparce I caught yesterday, and it seems to have learned Toxic on its own, so I wanted to try learning Teacher Aiden's tactics!"
Dunsparce?
Aiden gazed at the Pokémon lying inside the translucent shell of the Poké Ball.
Dunsparce, the Land Snake Pokémon, Normal type, evolves into Dudunsparce.
This Pokémon... is pretty niche. He didn't expect Nemona to catch one.
This species has a powerful move called Hyper Drill, which ignores Protect and Detect defenses.
Of course, compared to offense, it also has interesting doubles plays like Rock Slide with Serene Grace and Pin Missile with Hustle, making it a fun Pokémon to experiment with.
And as Nemona said, Dunsparce can learn Toxic and also has the potential to learn Substitute and Protect.
"It's possible. So tonight I'll explain this tactic."
Aiden nodded and agreed to Nemona's request.
SubProtectToxic isn't a hard tactic to learn; mastering the timing of using Toxic and Substitute is enough to get started.
For Nemona, it's also a relatively simple and useful tactic.
But following this development trend...
When Nemoma challenges gyms and even Elite Four champions next year, will she graduate from being a naive newbie who only knows how to attack fiercely and transform into a quality player?
Giving them a little shock and spreading the reputation of Sunlight Gym?
...
Evening.
By the time Aiden finished making sandwiches of various flavors, Miraidon, which had been basking in the sun all day outside, returned to the gym smelling the scent.
"Gao!"
A crisp electronic sound rang throughout the room, and Aiden didn't need to understand it to know what it meant.
I'm hungry, I want to eat!
"Don't rush, there's plenty for you!"
Aiden helplessly patted its shiny big head.
Although it appeared to be entirely mechanical, the texture after touching it felt a bit like rubber, and it was quite pleasant to touch.
Come to think of it, although it's the cover Legendary of Scarlet/Violet, whether in the game or the one in front of him now, it doesn't look like a Legendary Pokémon at all...
If Koraidon is an energetic big dog, then Miraidon is definitely a lazy big cat.
Its main trait is being chill.
After losing its original power due to fighting in Area Zero, it doesn't seem to have any intention of regaining its strength to take revenge. Instead, it completely gives up and stays in this tiny gym without leaving.
It can lie outside and sleep all day, not counting on it to do any work. But when it comes to mealtime, it's the most active one.
If not for seeing it with his own eyes, Aiden really wouldn't believe that a Legendary Pokémon could be such a slacker.
It's quite outrageous.
Moreover, this guy eats a lot; tens of sandwiches probably don't suffice for its hundred-kilometer fuel consumption.
Because of Miraidon's presence, the Engel's Law of Sunlight Gym also directly multiplied several times.
(T/N: This tripped me up lmao had to search it up. Pretty interesting read if you're into stuff like this though - Engel's Law, formulated by German statistician Ernst Engel in 1857, states that as a family's income increases, the proportion of income spent on food decreases, even though the total amount spent on food may increase.)
If the gym funds weren't abundant, it truly couldn't afford to feed it.
After settling everyone's meals, Aiden quickly returned to his bedroom to prepare for today's live stream content.
He promised to teach Nemona about the concept of SubProtectToxic.
Speaking of SubProtectToxic tactics, the best driver is probably Gliscor, right?
Aiden quickly had an idea for today's live stream, so he turned on his computer and quickly activated the live streaming function.
In an instant, countless comments flooded in.
[Who understands the happiness of sitting down ready to eat, and then seeing the live stream appear on the homepage just as they're scrolling through their phone?]
[I've been waiting for new strats to climb. Hurry yo ah up!]
[Teacher Azure, what interesting tactics have you prepared for us today?]
Facing the barrage of comments, Aiden just smiled faintly:
"Don't rush, today I'll teach you a super interesting SubProtectToxic tactic!"
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